Neteyam

End

Merq'ena looked through the photos on the big screen. Grace's avatar behind her lying dormant while she saw the dream-walker being awake and interacting with the Na'vi children. "I've never seen her avatar walking around before." Kiri whispered as they watched Grace holding up the camera to capture a baby's first steps. Merq'ena did not know what they were saying but she sounded excited and the smile on her face reminded her of Kiri.

She had never heard so much of the Sky People's language before. In the background she noticed the lack of the holes she saw at the cabin. "Just her logs." Kiri looked so moved at Grace kneeled down to show the baby their expression in the camera. "I wish I went to the school." A picture of the building was next that was showed Grace and a flock of children walking up the steps. "What was it like?" Kiri looked to the older girls curiously. "Taken over by the forest. I almost didn't find it beneath all the plants." "What was it like inside? Was it overgrown too?" "Ya." Merq'ena murmured as she studied the building. The light of the screen making her look greener. Viryn couldn't pull her eyes away from the tube. She flinched when the avatar bent her torso in a jerkish motion. It creeped her out a little as the other avatars did. "It's still taken over?"

"Ya." Merq'ena sat down in the rolling chair. The holes were no doubt caused by bullets. She saw them being made right in front of her when they were running away from the assault on the abandoned cabin. "They don't have any reason to reclaim it. They're more worried about the track." Merq'ena felt the false leather against her legs, the sickly smooth surface was worn from use.

"It's almost finished." Viryn said as she moved towards the display. "Probably a few days before they send something down." Kiri hummed. "Look here." Merq'ena stood back up to the display and swiped it to move on to a different picture. "Here. It was here." Viryn looked past the dancing children and recognized the placement of the wall and table. "What?" Kiri asked while looking at the picture. "What did you find?" She looked hopeful with a small smile and wide eyes. "Kiri." The two older girls looked to each other. Merq'ena tilted her head and Viryn shrugged. Their faces solemn. "We saw bullet holes and then when I looked where they were headed. I saw." Kiri's brows were furrowed as she pulled away from the two. "I saw blood stains." The words felt like heavy lead rolling off her tongue.

"Na'vi blood." "How do you know for sure?" Kiri looked at Merq'ena's eyes frantically. "A hand print. We didn't get the chance to look for long but-." "She didn't do it!" The short haired girl looked to Viryn to agree with her. "She would never hurt them!" "We know." Merq'ena made sure to look at Kiri. Her eyes going to the younger girl to show her that she was being honest. "We know now." Kiri gripped the air mask and lifted it to her mouth and sucked in a deep breath. "Ok? We're in this together." Merq'ena gently held onto Kiri's wrist. "I just wanted to know more." Kiri nodded and pressed her hand against her forehead. "What are you guys doing here?" The three turned to Norm. "The ceremony!" Viryn realized first. "Mom is going to kill me."

The three pushed to the door and practically threw the masks onto the hangars and shoved the doors opened. Kri lowered his torso so Viryn could easily jump onto the saddle. She pulled down the head gear lower to cover her brow bone. Merq'ena pulled Kiri behind her and sat her down on the saddle behind her. "Hyah!" Viryn leaned over Kri to look down at the many Omaticaya walking to the sacred tree. "Go go go!" Viryn urged on her ikran.

Kiri and Viryn flinched at the glaring women waiting but the ledges used to land ikran. They landed with precision but that did not help their cases. "I see you." Viryn lifted her hand to her forehead and gestured outward towards the two women. "I'll see you after." Merq'ena squeezed Viryn's hand before moving over to her place in the crowd. "We lost track of time." Kiri offered.

Viryn pulled her head gear away from her head and hooked it onto one of the loops of Kri's saddle. "It won't happen again." The older girl lowered her head and her ears lowered. They festered under the displeased stares of the two women for a few seconds. "Go. Now." Neytiri hissed and pulled their arms towards the platform. The main open space was full of people who were sitting cross legged. Viryn carefully stepped on the few open spaces where there were no tails, hands, and feet. "Look who finally made it." Neteyam teased while holding out a hand to her. "I'm already going to get my ears chewed off by both your mother and grandmother. Do not test me right now." She gripped his hand and leaned on him to tip toe over a large bundle of tails.

"Visiting Grace?" "What else?" Viryn squeezed his hand before letting go and sat down on the platform. "I'll see you after?" She nodded over her shoulder with a smile. "Uhhh she's not my girlfriend. We're just friends uhhhh." Lo'ak teased Neteyam with a high pitched voice. The older brother pushed Lo'ak's face away with a laugh. Viryn straightened as Mo'at walked in front of them.

Her stern face directed at the two girls. Viryn looked down at her hands as she fiddled with her fingers. Neytiri sat next to her soon after. "Where's dad?" Kiri asked once she noticed the empty place. "He is coming." Neytiri whisper yelled back to her. The Tsahik was turned around facing the crowd. She had changed out of her usual red beaded shawl to one that was translucent. Pale white veins looked to be crawling up from the hem to her shoulders. The ,arterial was almost reflective of the tree of souls' pale purple glow that pressed against Viryn's back. The Olo'eyktan made his appearance soon after. Jake greeted Mo'at with the traditional gesture and he looked to Neytiri. His brows here furrowed but sat down where he was expected. Viryn shuffled to get comfortable in her spot as Mo'at lifted her hands. "Sky People have returned." Her voice echoed through the air.

It was no surprise so the crowd merely remained quiet to wait for her to continue. "So we come together to turn to our great mother." She faced the tree with her open arms. "For guidance against these invaders." The air bubbled with energy as people began to attach their queues to their place. Viryn felt the earth around her seem to awaken from sleep as white roots reached up to her through her braid. A chill ran down her spine into her brain as a gentle tingling filled her senses.

As they began to sing Viryn felt a calm wash over her. She would describe the feeling as if she was being cupped by a massive hand and warmth would cover you. This was when she would think of her prayers. She smiled as she thought of Merq'ena, her sister, no doubt in the crowd whispering her own prayers. She thought of her ikran and the new fresh feel of adulthood approaching her. The thought of all the children she had to tuck in at night, or wake up from her sleep to comfort. Her mind soon wandered to Neteyam and his family, they had welcomed her and Merq'ena with open arms and she was beginning to feel more like their friend than a stranger. Protect them. She thought to Eywa. If she was to listen to anything from Viryn she hoped to send that small wish to her. Protect them.

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AN⚠️: Hello there readers, sorry that this chapter is so short, I wanted to give it a clean cut before we move on to the next stage of plot which you will be familiar with. If you have not seen Avatar 2 from this point on there will be spoilers so stop while you are ahead. I also wanted to thank all the people who actually are reading this because I only wrote and posted it with the intention of one friend reading it so I'm still a little overwhelmed with all the love you have shown the story and the characters. All your comments are so sweet 🥲 and this is not the end of this book I just needed an easy name to separate the two sections.