The night on Pandora was tense for the Anurai clan.
Even the beautiful bioluminescent lights that decorated the forest that surrounded the clan village did not comfort the na'vi. For they knew that the Ash clan na'vi were not to be trifled with, even with light. Layontsin's knew that like the rest of the clan, and that is what made her worry. Even the fiercest warriors she was with and was watching over had the slightest look of doubt in their faces. The light may give away the position of the Ash clan members, but there was no telling if they would manage to sneak up on them in a slow and unnoticeable manner until it was too late. That was the reason why Layontsin offered herself to be placed in front with the rest of the Anurai clan na'vi hunters, so that she may sense them come from afar. With her sensory quills, almost nothing escaped her surroundings in a vast area more than regular na'vi could sense with their eyes and ears. The key word being almost, because even the smallest of creatures like a viperwolf would rarely sneak past her senses and be near her before she realized it was there. That is what worried her, though she was confident that she could sense a na'vi from afar. Or, to be precise, a while group of enemy na'vi approaching the Anurai clan territory. Layontsin's territory.
The anthro thanator stood perched above on the trees, spear in hand and waiting as her quills and tail twitched in anticipation for what was about to come. Below her, the na'vi hunters she was accompanying laid low behind bushes and large leaves, with their spears and bows at the ready. Their eyes scanned the night forest that laid in front of them for any sign that other na'vi were approaching, ears twitching and rotating to pick up any sound that was not from the forest. Everything seemed peaceful for all of them while they vigilant at the direction where the Ash clan would in no doubt become from. The direction where their home land was. The assurance that there were several other hunters on the other sides of the Anurai clan village didn't quite calm Layontsin or her fellow hunters, as she heard some pairs speaking with each other. "Why would the Ash clan bother for a small group of skypeople? They went through the same thing like our clan, but acting like this to another clan? This is certainly not the way to see." one hunter whispered as they kept their eyes open. "I agree. And these skypeople? They have done nothing to us except help us. And, in my opinion, I quite like them. Especially the one with the dark skin." the other na'vi whispered to his partner. "Don't let the Ash clan hear you say that in front of them." the first one said with a chuckle. Layontsin was hearing their conversation, but was interrupted when her quills trembled as they detected something from far away.
Several of them, making their way towards Layontsin and the other na'vi.
Layontsin gave a low growling noise, letting the na'vi know that something was approaching them. The hunters heard her warning and immediately concentrated again in front of them, being vigilant to whatever came their way. Layontsin prepared to launch her spear, in warning fashion, at whatever or whoever came out into the open. The sounds of the forest continued to fill everyone's ears, and they did their best to make out which sounds belonged to other na'vi that weren't from their clan. And they soon heard it moments later. Footsteps, but they seemed to be too large to belong to a na'vi. Not only that, the ground beneath them began to shake just a little. This meant that something much more larger was approaching them, and fast. Realizing this, Layontsin bared her teeth and snarled, telling her fellow na'vi hunters to clear out of the way as something was approaching their position quickly. They obeyed her and gave yips to the other hunters that were on other side of the perimeter, warning to be at the ready and back up quickly. Just in time for Layontsin to spot the first of the other clan come out of the forest. They rode on direhorses, mounting them as they all approached them at speed that closed the gap between them and the Anurai clan na'vi. But the most worrying thing was not their speed of their mounts, or the number of na'vi that have started the invasion.
All of them...they wore skulls and bones, as well as ash, all over their bodies.
For the Anurai clan, this would have seemed like a sudden but beautiful display of crafting and design. Yet, Layontsin knew deep in her heart with dread, that it was used not used to spread wonder. It was meant to spread fear among the enemies that looked upon them. Layontsin was almost fully taken by this before she snapped out from this, the other na'vi hunters giving war cries as they confronted the opponent na'vi. Though before they could fire or use their weapons, they were immediately overrun by the Ash clan na'vi that were mounting their direhorses. They used long sticks and even bones to knock the hunters down before they could even have the chance to attack while the Ash na'vi rode at high speed. To add on to it, what Layontsin though to be only a few Ash clan na'vi soon turned out to be a multitude of them, more than all of the members of the Anurai clan all together. Layontsin saw with her own eyes how her fellow na'vi hunters were pinned down and then beaten by them, only to be restrained and their limbs tied. This caused Layontsin's blood to boil as she barked her teeth and then gave a roar of defiance at the Ash clan na'vi, jumping down from her perch to aid her partners. The hostile na'vi looked up and backed away as she stabbed her spear on the ground, pulling it out again as she swung it around to tell them to back away as she tore through. She managed to scar a few in the intense short-lived rampage she had, before she felt several Ash clan na'vi start throwing at her their beating weapons. The anthro thanator got more enraged as she gave another roar of rage and swing her spear around to make them back away, only for them to continue their assault and hit her. This time she felt the pain of their hits inflicting on her body, as she doubled over and snarled. No matter what she did, the Ash clan na'vi hit her nonstop...until she collapsed to her knees. For some reason, her strength vanished from her body when she was supposed to be fueled by her rage. Instead, she felt weak, weaker than before. She didn't understand, not a single bit of why she was failing right now.
When she though that the beating was never going to end, they stopped. Layontsin felt how some of the na'vi began to tie her four hands up and make her stand, prodding her to start moving forwards. When she looked up, she saw the Ash clan na'vi having tied up her fellow Anurai clan hunters and begin bringing them to the center of the village. There, she saw with utter shock how every member of the Anurai clan have been rounded up at the center, with the fireplaces lighting the place up for her to see. Even the clan leaders, Rai'ul and Unil'tingai, have been caught. The families and members where whimpering and crying in fear and despair as they have been caught by the Ash clan warriors and hunters. Layontsin was uncertain of what would come next when she spotted the clan leader of the Ash tribe soon come into view. He was just like she last saw him, with a pale face except with some emotion that expressed anger. Then he held his bow up to gain everyone's attention, and the Ash clan hunters and warriors simmered down in unison. This frightened Layontsin and everyone in the Anurai clan that they even went silent, when the Ash clan leader began to speak. "We warned you about this, yet you paid no attention. Now, we are forced to attack and force you to give the demons to us. Do it and the tribe will be spared. If you refuse, then we have no choice but to kill all of you!" The clan leader said in a voice so that everyone could hear. Everyone gasped in shock and horror as the clan leader of the other na'vi clan moved and took one of the children that have been tied up by its braid queue. The child wailed it's mother's name as it was in pain by being held by that part of the body by the Ash clan leader, who took out a knife and slowly moved it under the child's neck. Seeing the desperation of the child and that of their parents made Layontsin even more furious, muscles tightening and getting ready to use this new fuel of rage to break what binded her arms and lunge at the Ash clan leader that was bent on harming the child.
Things were tense, when suddenly the bioluminescent lights of the forest dimmed low.
The Ash clan hunters looked around, puzzled as they noticed the dimming of the forest lights, as did the Anurai clan despite being tied and held. Then everyone began to hear a sort of droning sound, making some that knew the sort of sound start to get even more nervous. It's more, the wind began to pick up and move the branches all around above them as the droning sound intensified. It became almost unbearable, with the wind picking up leaves and making the campfires flicker, before a blinding white light began to shine above them. Some na'vi began to shout and scream as they began to shout the word "flying metal beast", Layontsin having realized it sooner. All of the Ash clan na'vi members began to back away, just in time before four small black shapes descended through the canopy. Only to stop and hang for a moment, clinging to what looked like thin ropes before detaching and landing on the ground with muffled thuds. They all stood up facing the Ash clan na'vi with the Anurai clan behind them, each wearing a sort of black mask that covered their entire faces, black clothing and armor that also covered their bodies, and carrying skypeople weapons. Layontsin realized with a start who these skypeople were;
It was Asim and his friends. They have arrived.