The deep voice that had just spoken from the entrance's direction reminded me of Colonel Miles Quaritch, but this one was warmer and not as crisp. Ayoe's eyes landed on the figure behind me, together with her mothers. I followed and saw a taller Na'vi man standing there. His face was partially covered in tattoos, and it was hardened by hunting and fighting, as a scar over his left brow left me to interpret. His entire body was in shape and screamed regular exercise and hard physical labor. Most likely a warrior, which made Ayoe a perfect mixture of both parents. She got her temper from Talueal and her career aspirations and bright blue eyes from her father, another thing you couldn't forget were the tidbits of behavior and preferences that most likely came from her upbringing, but enough philosophical speaking. Ayoe's father had a presence that demanded attention, but that could have also stemmed from his critical gaze the three of us received from him. I realized that nobody had answered his question previously, only letting the outside noises fill the blank space of answers. Seemingly having had enough, he restated his question with a new formulation.
"(Does anyone want to explain the reason why the Sully human is here?)" I exhaled relief, not having to worry about getting attacked by the next person for being in an unexpected place. Maybe I didn't have to explain everything again, that would be a blessing, as I could do without doing it for the third time today. I broke the eye contact that had just started with him and glanced over to Ayoe who quickly looked away from me. The short silence was broken this time by no one else than the woman that had attacked be previously. Talueal that is, not Ayoe.
"(They were here to get Ayoe's belongings for their home further outside the village, my mate.)" she spoke with a soft, but firm voice, assuming that the rest of the information were given to her man. Exactly that man just nodded briefly, acknowledging the explanation from his mate, and turned back to me with an expectant look on his face. Feeling this weight, I took a deep breath before answering his unspoken inquiry. I guess he didn't have as much insight as I had believed him to have after Ayoe's Mother had spoken.
"(Tonowari decided it would be best for my safety, avoiding too many interactions between myself and your people, hence your daughter is my bodyguard to enforce that further.)" The strong warrior's expression stayed the same, filled with stoicism, taking in the addition of information. His vibrant blue eyes still bore into my soul, with the same intensity his mate had had whilst her short outrage. The Marui Pod felt smaller with each passing second, as my pulse quickened and my senses heightened, expecting the worst.
"(Tonowari's decision, quite unusual for our Olo'eyktan to order something like this.)" Ayoe's father spoke in a measured tone, contemplating the explanation. His attention then shifted to Ayoe, who stood beside me, her posture reflecting a mix of obedience and readiness. It was evident that her father's judgment mattered greatly to her. Maybe he had something to do with her state of skittishness when I had first met her in the Marui Pod of Tonowari and Ronal, but right now is not the time to ponder about this. "(And you, Ayoe? Are you comfortable with this arrangement?)" The tall warrior continued with his barrage of questions. Ayoe hesitated, her eyes flickering between her father and me.
"(It's not my ideal situation, Father, but I'll do what's necessary to follow Tonowari's command. I'll keep him safe, even if it means not being able to spend as much time training as before.)" Her father nodded, seemingly satisfied with Ayoe's response. In some sense we were similar with all the things that were decided for us. I would have liked to stay with my family, maybe even trying to become well liked here and Ayoe had her own goals with going in her fathers' footsteps, but it was all not meant to be, quite tragic if you ask me.
"(Very well, daughter. Protecting the clan and its' goals is of utmost importance for us warriors. Just ensure that you act wisely, Ayoe.)" As the atmosphere began to ease, Ayoe's father turned his attention back to me. "(Firin, you are now under our protection as well, as long as Ayoe is your bodyguard. But make no mistake—any trouble you bring upon yourself will be yours to handle, we will only step in when things get out of hand.)" I nodded, acknowledging the implicit warning. Having string allies was something my dad would surely like, but for now everything I could do was try my best to be integrated into the clan, be that culturally or any other way. It could only go better than with the Metkayina, little, but still negative, human contact was better than a lot of negative human contact. Not as much prejudice that could spill onto me.
"(I understand. I appreciate your support, even though the circumstances may not be in both of our favors.)" The tension in the Marui Pod gradually dissipated as Ayoe's father seemed to accept the situation as a few others already had done, albeit with a watchful eye. Just as the moment approached a semblance of calm, Ayoe's father spoke again, redirecting his attention toward Talueal.
"(I trust that you have handled this appropriately so far. We should still try and get a better deal out of our dear leader however.)" Talueal nodded in agreement, and with that, Ayoe's parents exited the Marui Pod. I looked at Ayoe, who did the same. I gave her a quick nod with the head to signal that we should follow her parents. She only gave me a similar nod to her things as a response, to which I shook my head. She groaned, but we did make our way outside, only seconds after her parents had left the home. The warmer outside air, heated by the sun, which was definitely in its path downward, greeted us as we stepped into the village once more. I couldn't help but feel a sense of relief, that the first part was over, that I survived meeting the parents, like some human teenagers might say when meeting with their partners parents, but the underlying dread of being sent back by arguing was looming around in my head and spinning my stomach around like I had a very bad hangover. Ayoe, too, seemed to carry a burden, her shoulders slightly tense, why that was I could not explain, that was beyond me. Ayoe's father gestured for us to follow, as he saw us approaching out of the corner of his eye, leading the way toward the center of the village. He spoke fast hushed words with his wife, who argued back in the same manner, gesturing around wildly for anyone who wasn't aware of the discussions content. The Na'vi villagers we passed cast fleeting glances at us, their curiosity as evident as the ocean flowing below our ever-springy steps. As we approached the main Marui in which the two mates leading this village did their ruling from, Ayoe's father's pace slowed down significantly, and we fell into step behind him. It felt like he wanted to buy himself more time, even though he had as much of that as he wanted. As a change he spoke to us, instead of Talueal.
"(Ayoe, Firin, stay close. We have much to discuss with Tonowari and Ronal.)" Ayoe nodded, and I followed suit. He stopped walking and the four of us formed a kind of circle sports teams would form before starting the game, play or similar. Jake had told us of the sport-culture back on earth a few times. A pretty obscene concept in my eyes, but maybe it is better than it sounds. Ayoe's father, who I still didn't know the name of, spoke up again, one final statement before I saw the leaders again. "(Just so you know, I want to be the one arguing, I have known Tonowari the longest.)" He turned to me, which his two female family members followed suit. "(Firin, speak only when you are spoken to, we both want what's best and you do not know the situation enough.)" I nodded again, biting on my tongue inside my mouth, trying not to snap back with some sort of comment. That was exactly what the warrior before me wanted to avoid with his wish, but I still felt undermined in my ability to express myself and my understanding of Na'vi culture and such. Memories flashed through my mind, often already did someone just assume my incompetence, without knowing me, but I just had to push down every mental command my brain threw at me, screaming to complain and argue. Not now, maybe later. To break the silence that had laid itself upon us, Ayoe's mother spoke up.
"(I think this should be everything then, let's go.)" With this we started the short last bit to the Marui Pod of Tonowari and Ronal. I stared ahead, feeling Ayoe's glance, which rested on me. We didn't get far, as mere seconds later we heard a yell for attention from behind us, which was different from the light murmur of voices that had filled the air before.
"(Firin!)" I turned around swiftly, not expecting to be called by someone outside of Ayoe's family. What I also didn't expect was to see my father and sister walking toward us. Their faces held as much confusion as I felt in that moment. Why were they here? It was Kiri who called to me, as the younger Na'vi girl ran toward me, stopping only a few inches before me, giving me and the other family, I came with another bewildered look. I finally came over my confusion and addressed the two people who just came here.
"(Dad, Kiri, what are you two doing here?)" My father now stood next to Kiri. Ayoe and her parents had also stepped closer again. Without giving me an answer, my dad asked a question of his own.
"(We should be asking you the same thing, son.)" He looked up from me, which made his eyes fall on Talueal and her mate. Maybe it was a habit, but Jake immediately did the usual greeting motion. Only now did I realize that I had never introduced myself to them. But it was way too late for formal introductions now, for me at least. Jake and Ayoe's father eyed each other. Their arrival, getting back to that matter, was making things more complicated than they already were. Again, tension had laid itself in the air, not something I particularly wanted to feel right now. Another pair glaring at each other were Ayoe and Kiri, but that could be because of my younger sister. For some reason she didn't like my bodyguard. I tried taking control of this entire situation by deescalating things.
"(I think I should just introduce everyone, so we can get back to the matter on hand.)" The former Olo'eyktan of the Omatikaya Clan opened his mouth, but never came to word as I was faster. "(This is my father, Jake together with my sister, Kiri.)" I started. "(And this is Ayoe's mother, Talueal, and her father...)" I trailed off, not knowing his name, as it had never been spoken before. The Na'vi warrior didn't seem to mind, as he acknowledged my omission with a subtle nod, before filling in the blank.
"(I am Rakan.)" He greeted the two members of my family which were present with the normal motion, before asking a question of his own, which didn't relate to the matter of our journey here. "(It is rather unusual for a human to be part of a Na'vi family. How did this whole thing happen, as you didn't talk about this when arriving on the beach.)" A question I didn't know I had asked myself just answered itself. Ever since he called me the 'Sully human' I assumed he was close to Ronal and her mate, which with his speaking further planted itself into my brain, and consequently thought Rakan knew of my situation before I explained it. But his question explained why he wanted to inquire about my presence in his home. My father smiled briefly to himself and gave the other warrior a short answer and not one Ayoe's father might have wanted.
"(I think that is something you can ask him himself, besides, I am pretty sure we both want to do something else here and not waver on about something from ages ago.)" Rakan chuckled, took a deep breath, and shook his head, exhaling. The smile resided on his face, as both his mate and daughter looked at him.
"(You are correct, yes. We came here to discuss your sons and my daughter's position.)" His acknowledgment of my father's response shifted the focus back to the primary reason for our visit. The air seemed to ease as the awkward tension lessened, but my father and sister seemed surprised.
"(How unusual. We are here for the same reason more than less.)" Ayoe's father raised his eyebrows but said nothing major in that regard.
"(I didn't expect that, but having more people with the same opinion might sway out Olo'eyktan and Tsahìk.)" My father nodded and the two of them lead, as our mixed group proceeded toward the Marui Pod, we all had set as our destination before going. Kiri shot Ayoe one last suspicious glance before settling into a curious stride alongside myself. Ayoe didn't seem to register my adopted sisters' glares, as she seemed lost in her own thoughts. What she was thinking about was a mystery to me, which is to be expected, I guess. As we got closer to the entrance, I was able to see Tonowari standing up in confusion, as his eyes wandered over each of us. Ronal didn't seem to be confused on the other hand, having a sour expression, maybe she was annoyed by the thought of having to deal with non-pure Na'vi, but I didn't want to go around and assume things, like most people were doing. Induce change by practicing what you preach. Tonowari was the one who started, what I could predict, a long and stressful discussion.
"(I didn't expect you back so soon, Firin and Ayoe.)" No one said anything, as the tension rose for umpteenth time today. His eyes left my shorter frame and moved around the crowd again, before continuing on and breaking the silence that had ensued. "(And it seems like you have brought more people with you.)" Jake and Rakan shot each other a short glance, to which my father gave the other man a short nod. Rakan returned it and looked over to Tonowari again, who was watching the entire interaction with interest. Rakan cleared his throat, before stating our intentions, or his should I say, as it was only about his reason for standing here. I felt Kiri's eyes on me.
"(We are here to discuss the problem with Ayoe being Firin's bodyguard.)" My father shot him another quick glance, obviously not thinking he was only giving his side light, before adding his issue to the mix, avoiding that the discussion would only center about Ayoe straying from her path as a warrior.
"(And the one with Firin not being able to stay with us, his family.)" The two leaders glanced between the two adult warriors, before settling their eyes on me, Ronal had fortunately eased her sourness slightly, but the weight from their stares still felt like being deep below the sea, with pressure in the unmeasurable level. I, however, stayed neutral and tried to give off the feeling that I wasn't affected by them. Most would agree with me that the two of them don't want to cover these issues again. Tonowari spoke again, throwing more wood into the fire.
"(I had hoped that these matters had already been resolved, since neither of the two people in discussion complained when we told them of our decision. Why bring the matters up again now?)" His voice held a mix of confusion and calmness, possibly wanting to not show any weaknesses to attack, furthermore could I sense the inner conflict of Kiri, who stood beside me. I took her hand and gave her an assuring glance, she calmed down a little, and I retracted my hand. Ayoe's parents looked at each other before Rakan took a step forward, his voice calm but firm. It was best to tread carefully with the ones in charge and the experienced Na'vi male was doing wonders.
"(We understand your concerns with our visit, Tonowari, but we believe it's necessary to address these issues openly and find a solution that benefits everyone involved, you do practice what you preach, right?)" His words hung in the air for a moment, and I could see Tonowari considering his response to this well placed minor personal attack, but Talueal added her own words on top of her mates, burying the Olo'eyktan's hopes of getting out of this with only his needs met further.
"(We know that you want what is best for the clan and this is an unprecedented situation that you are presented with, but we see that the decision made was not the most optimal one, although still good.)" This argument so far was giving off the impression that it wasn't the first one both parties had held, especially with the mixture of Rakan's slight attack and his mates slight compliment, making all neutral. Tonowari frowned in thought and sat back down on his chair. He stared into nothing for a brief moment, idly rubbing his thumb across his other fingers, before exhaling and leaning back. Ronal, who had stayed quiet until now, took her eyes off her mate and began speaking a counterargument against the words of Ayoe's mother, an attempt to take back control over the discussion. For the second time today, did I think of sport as a comparison to social activities, maybe it was chess this time and not poker.
"(Very well, Talueal, if you insist then we will be open to reconsider our available options and weigh them again after listening to your arguments. But I must remind you that our traditions and ways are sacred, and any changes must be carefully considered.)" Her eyes bore into the only other older woman's in here as she spoke, emphasizing her stance of traditionalism against the reform we unwantedly took the form of, not that I personally had any issues with it. This was the most likely chance to make a change for Ayoe's and my near future. My inner monologue was interrupted by a finger that poked my side. I flinched away in response and snapped my head in the direction of the attacker. A Kiri with her head tilted confusion looked back at me. I lightly raised my shoulders, shook my head, and gave her a frown, a clear sign of annoyed confusion. My younger stepsister blinked a few times, as her eyes wandered from my down to my throat. I toned out the conversation that happened around us and focused on Kiri, who now stepped closer and tilted my head up with one thumb and after inspecting whatever she had seen let go, but not before hastily whispering something to me.
"What the fuck is this?" She even spoke in English, which made sure nobody, except our father of course, could understand us. I gulped, not really wanting to explain Talueal's short tantrum to her, that could really be skipped, but her firm expression left little way to slither out of this situation, hence I probably had to act stupid or lie, maybe even both. The last thing I needed was Kiri acting like a protective parent around me. I glanced around, luckily nobody else was interested in what we were doing. Instead of answering her question I returned one myself with a confused and lightly concerned tone, which seemed to do the trick.
"What do you mean?" she took half a step around me, inspecting the extent of what I assumed was a sign of the prior choking. "Why are you looking at my throat like that, is something wrong?" She stepped back, asserted my eye contact with her green eyes and brushed her hair behind her pointy ears.
"I thought I saw something; did something happen after you left with your stuff?" I raised an eyebrow and turned back to listen in on what the others were discussing, but I had hardly done so, before I was again interrupted by a gasp. "That bitch, I am going to kill her." Kiri furiously whispered. I whipped back around and grabbed her by the hips to stop her from marching over to Ayoe.
"Kiri, stop." She tried ignoring me, but I put all my weight against her, making her stop. "Kiri, seriously, stop. By Eywa, are you okay?" Her eyes switched between me and most likely my bodyguard, before she removed my hands and turned back in the direction of Tonowari and Ronal, just like everyone else. I think I saw her bioluminescent light spots shine dimly, but maybe I was just hallucinating at this point. She whispered another question.
"Did or did she not do something to you?" I raised my eyebrows and went through my hair, as she fully avoided looking at me. I turned back like she had done and was able to catch a glimpse of Ayoe's blue eyes, which immediately snapped back to being glued on whoever was currently speaking. I gave Kiri one final answer before tuning in on what the adults had said last, missing too much of this discussion could be bad if I was asked a question suddenly, even though I don't think that should happen.
"No, of course not, and stop worrying about me so much, that's weird." I gulped down the last part of saying 'Just like you.', because if I would say something along those lines, then I was never going to have my peace and silence, as she would complain and insult me for the next few hours. I could seriously live without that, but whatever. Jake seemed to be the one who was talking right now, but I only caught the last part of his what I assumed to be an argument for his cause.
"(--Hence I think Firin should be allowed to stay with us and not so much further outside the village like right now.)" Silence ensued inside the room, as Tonowari had a thoughtful expression on his face, ever so subtly nodding his head. Ronal turned to her husband and whispered something to him, which I was unable to make out. Figures with my hearing, it's subpar to the ones the Na'vi around me had. Whatever the Tsahìk had said, it was something that made Tonowari blink before leaning forward and arguing back.
"(You do have a point, Toruk Makto, but keep the safety of my clan in mind, sometimes you have to act for the greater good and ignore the feelings of one self.)" My father exhaled and looked of his shoulder, giving me a short glance, before turning back and countering the expectant look of the leading mates. It only took him a few seconds before he broke the silence again.
"(But if we take up your assumption that he is a spy for the RDA, then wouldn't it be smart to treat him nicely or else he might be persuaded to rat us all out and then you could say goodbye to your greater good, couldn't you?)" This made some people exhale, me included. That was some statement, as I was able to see Rakan lightly shake his head. Tonowari frowned but stayed quiet again. The tension was not reduced by Ronal who gave Jake his answer.
"(In this case we should just kill Firin, but I am pretty sure he isn't a spy, he would want what is best for his family.)" She turned to me with her sour expression coming back to her face. "(You have that as a goal?)" I gulped and nodded my head. Ronal glanced back at Jake and gave him a bittersweet smile and a turned head. "(See? There is your answer.)" My father clenched his fist briefly and then released it again, with his ears laid flat. Ronal turned to Ayoe's dad and continued asking questions. "(And you, Rakan, have you decided on how you want to convince us to change our minds?)" The warrior in question gave his mate one final look, who returned it with a reassuring one, and then started speaking.
"(Just to get everyone on the same page, I want Ayoe to be able to follow my path of becoming a warrior and my mate and I feel like this situation hinders her potential substantially.)" He left a short pause for dramatic effect I someone was to ask me, as everyone was glued to his lips, hanging off of his every word. "(We want Ayoe to have a choice in this matter and not be forced into something she doesn't want to do, this is why we want to ask you to rethink your choice of the bodyguard.)" Rakan's earnest appeal hung in the air, a plea for something both Tonowari and Ronal had shown little this entire encounter, understanding and reconsideration. The Marui Pod felt charged with the weight of conflicting interests and not tension for a change, each party here hoping to sway the decisions made in their favor. The Olo'eyktan listened attentively, his eyes shifting between Talueal and Rakan. Complex situation happened often for clan leaders, I am sure of that, but being part of one was a completely different thing. Ronal maintained her composed demeanor, observing the dynamics unfold, letting her mate take over again who broke the silence of everyone here.
"(Rakan, Talueal, your concerns for Ayoe's future as a warrior are duly noted. However, the safety and unity of the clan are paramount. The decisions made are not to hinder individual potential but to safeguard the collective well-being.)" Tonowari's words carried a firmness that allowed little room for negotiation, which was a weird contrast to his next statement, as it complete missed the atmosphere of the situation. "(And if you ask me, then I would tell you that having such a unique opportunity, like your daughter is presented with right now, can help her surpass her peers with challenges you might not foresee.)" Rakan remained resolute, addressing Tonowari with a calm determination, as he had seen some kind of fault in his leaders argument.
"(And what kind of challenges are these? Sitting on the beach the entire day and overlooking Firin's attempts to learn our ways?)" The air in the Marui Pod seemed to thicken with the unspoken pressure, a clash of perspectives echoing in the dimly lit space, the only source of light being the indirect sun beams from outside or through tiny cracks in the woven walls. I had thought Rakan had dropped his discriminative views about me, but I guess I was wrong, as my father chose this moment to interject, hoping to bridge the gap between the opposing views.
"(Rakan, Tonowari's point is valid, unlike you are making it out to seem. I am sure that there will be times that not everything will go like planned and Ayoe will have to step in. If your daughter is willing to take on the responsibility willingly and put the differences aside, perhaps there can be a compromise.)" Tonowari sighed, the lines on his face deepening as he contemplated the words exchanged. This sounded more like the Jake I knew, who wanted to build bridges everywhere and connect our clans, just like back in the war. After thinking for a few seconds, the tall warrior turned around to face his daughter.
"(Ayoe, what are your thoughts on this manner? Me and your mother can't make this decision for you, that is your responsibility to take, just like the responsibility to protect Jake's son if you agree.)" Rakan had a kind of glare in his eye, that sort of gave me the same feeling from back at their family home, control and dominance. Ayoe, having not said anything prior seemed overwhelmed for a short time, but soon caught herself and replied confidently to her father, ignoring the way Rakan looked at her to some degree.
"(I think that putting my development behind Firin's protects in favor of potentially encountering bigger tests is a risk. A big risk.)" All eyes were on her. Her parents, Tonowari and Ronal had some sort of expectant look on their faces, knowing that that could have not been it. The blue-eyed girl looked at me, as if reflecting the decision. I raised my shoulders, I was not supposed to act in her stead, but surprisingly she just nodded with a small smile, before turning back to Rakan. "(I'll do it, father. Eywa will guide my way to success, even if the method might be untraditional.)" I shook my head, which nobody noticed I think. Tonowari gave her a big smile, before turning to her father, who still stared at his daughter, but switched to his neutral mask moments later, as he looked back to his Olo'eyktan. Said man, padded his shoulder and spoke one final time.
"(So, it seems like even you can change, Rakan.)" He leaned in closer to the taller warrior, who was pretty good at hiding his hatred for the man before him. Tonowari become quieter and even dropped the smile, but I think he knew that everyone could still hear him. "(Letting your daughter decide for once isn't like you, but it fits you well. Why not do that more often, my friend?)" Rakan closed his eyes. Ignorance was his preferred choice of coping then. "(Well, everyone!)" Tonowari stepped back and smiled at everyone. "(Thank you all for your time, but I must ask you to leave, as me and my mate have other matters to attend to.)" I quietly chuckled to myself. This was all one big plan that we had stumbled into and by Eywa, we were all pawns in that game or I was just going insane, who really knows.
It seems I have shattered my personal record for chapter length again. I hope you still liked it, as I had a few writers blocks here and there, but guess who still won in the end, me! Anyways, let's see when the next chapter will be released, December was the month with the most content ever for me.
I wish you a happy new year and until next time
-Nigasaradude