Avatar: The Way of the Chaos

Chapter 4

You trembled, the vine underneath you quivering along.

A hammock closest to the floor was only a couple of metres up, and the sound of it was not too bad, however actually being up there was a whole different story.

The Na'vi woman had left you to your own devices after gesturing to where you were sleeping. No instructions, no directions, no support, just a 'you're sleeping there' and a 'good luck'.

It was no trouble climbing up to this height, as the platforms were stable and the tree roots created good ladder rungs. Not to mention some plants and rocks casted a mellow glow over the whole area that made the entire scenery magical.

Problem was the narrow vine that led to your resting place.

You eyed your destination, a hammock a couple feet ahead of you. Unfortunately you would have to brave the very thin and very wobbly vine that led to the hammock, and the thought had you trembling like a newborn fawn.

Genevieve was not faring any better, her hammock directly next to yours, with the similar predicament.

"Hey, if I fall, do you think I would break my legs?"

She glanced over, arms splayed out to keep her balance, "how am I supposed to know how these bones work? If you were human, then yes,"

"Delightful," you murmured.

Wobbling, you crouched down and placed your hands on the vine. Giving yourself a quick, mental pep-talk, you started to place your weight on your hands, the thin support holding up surprisingly well.

Maybe it was just how this tree worked, or the plants are different, but the vine didn't swing as much as you would have thought so. It was quite stable, and you slowly stopped worrying about getting thrown off and more about keeping your footing.

Don't look down. Don't look down. Don't look down.

Like a mantra in your head, you kept your eyes pinned in front of you. Once you were close enough, you threw caution out the window and just jumped onto the hammock, praying it doesn't flip over.

Luckily, it had caught you, and you released a content sigh.

Cautiously wiggling around, you laid on your back. You cocked your head over and watched Genevieve struggle, biting back a laugh.

Her tail swished back and forth behind her, and you were made aware of the tail currently resting in between your legs. It was one of those things that you notice when you pay attention to it, but don't when you aren't.

"You alright there?"

"Shut up."

Chuckling, you applauded when she finally made it into her hammock, and she threw a middle finger over her shoulder.

There were hundreds of hammocks above you, and you spotted that a majority of them were occupied by the Na'vi. Not many wanted to sleep this close to the ground, so around you, the hammocks were mostly empty.

The threaded mesh was not something you were used to, and you mourned the loss of your bed and blanket. It was not uncomfortable, per se, just foreign.

You shifted, fixating your eyes on a blue glow in the distance, you squinted and tried to make out whether it was a rock or a plant. Somewhere along the way of outlining the shape and weighing your options, your eyelids had dropped and you drifted off to dreamland.

You groaned, turning your head away from the harsh lighting. You reached for your blanket, only to find nothing. In a state of confusion, you wiggled your feet around, trying to feel that soft fabric. Cracking open an eye in frustration, the sight of Na'vi people bustling around and the web of never-ending hammocks triggered the memory of yesterday's events.

Instinctively, you glanced over at Genevieve's hammock, only to find it empty.

Oh hell no.

You scrambled up, reaching towards the troublesome vines with your mind racing because what if she had just been a figment of your imagination and you were stuck here by yourself? What if she had managed to get back and now you're here all alone?

Your feet padded along the ground, eyes scanning the Na'vi people and hoping to catch a glimpse of her familiar face. You saw Na'vi people making tools, washing garments, weaving, but no sign of her.

Rushing through the Hometree, panic started settling in. You searched every area your feet could take you, ignoring the glances thrown at you. Hope was diminishing every time you exited an area fruitless, and you glumly made your way back to your hammock.

You hadn't given up, you just had to look harder, maybe Genevieve had gone outside.

"Y/n!"

The wave of relief almost made you collapse. You turned around, trying to look as if you hadn't just searched the entire Hometree for her.

In her hands were two purple, oval shaped fruit. It kind of reminded you of a sweet potato.

As she neared, she raised an eyebrow at your dishevelled state, but you brushed her off and gestured to the fruits she was holding.

"Spartan fruit," she supplied, "edible...apparently."

You took one, "don't 'apparently' me, and is this where you went before?"

She grinned, staring down at her own fruit, "yeah...you were sleeping like a baby, so I took initiative to grab food. You're welcome, by the way."

"Yeah, yeah, thanks," you muttered, squinting as you examined the fruit in your hands, "how...how are you supposed to eat this?"

"I don't know, bite it?"

You gave her a flat stare, "you got this, but didn't ask how to eat it?"

"I was too busy admiring the fruit to even worry about that part."

You groaned. You felt around the hard, rubbery exterior, and came to the conclusion that you should peel it first.

"I think we have to peel it."

She hummed, starting to apply pressure onto her nail and ripping the fruit. You glanced over, and blinked dumbly at the hollow, blue interior.

"Hey genius, it's hollow."

You glowered, "I can see that."

There was a giggle from somewhere behind you, and you swivelled around to see Tuk hiding behind a corner and grinning. A smile immediately made its way onto your face, and you tried to look as harmless as possible when you waved at her.

She shyly waved back, not moving from her spot behind the corner.

Sharing a look with Genevieve, you both slowly walked over, taking it as a good sign when Tuk didn't run away.

Crouching down, Genevieve pointed at the Spartan fruit in her hands, and questioned, "hello, can you teach us how to eat this?"

Tuk nodded, a smile still on her face, "you just bite it."

Shooting you triumphant grin, Genevieve shrugged, "see? What did I tell you? I told you to just bite it."

You reeled back the urge to smack her, you didn't want to show violence in front of a child.

Dutifully ignoring her, you smiled softly at Tuk, "thank you. My name is Y/n. What's your's?"

"Tuktirey te Suli Neytiri'ite. But you can call me Tuk!"

"Well then, Tuk, it's nice to meet you."

Genevieve then subtly shoved you aside to introduce herself, and you frowned at her as you chomped down on your fruit. It was quite sour and tangy, but it wasn't too bad. It was also quite refreshing, and you found yourself humming in approval while chewing.

"It's good?"

"Not bad, Vivi."

She grinned, "I'm the best, as always."

Tuk started giggling again, you gave Genevieve the most deadpan expression you could muster while taking another bite of your fruit.