Aliyah

Chapter Two

   The corner of my lips twitches upwards as the sounds of Neytiri's calls became louder with each step I took in the smooth dirt. She must have stopped following me a long while before I noticed her absence, she was almost a mile away from me.

   Coming to a stop below a tree, I scanned the branches above for any signs of movement. Neytiri must be in a tree due to no more footprints in the dirt. Another soft call came from up above me, alerting me where she was.

   My blue hands latched onto the trunk of the tree, and I began climbing my way up to my sister. Squinting my yellow-green eyes, I could catch a glimpse of Neytiri lying flat on her stomach on a branch. She looked as if she was watching an animal in a hunt, eyes locked onto her target and her body stiff.

   As I reached the branch she occupied, I lightly tug her tail to let her know I was there. Turning her head to the side to look at me through the corners of her eyes, she tilted her head in the direction in which she was looking.

   A curious look settled upon my face, wondering what was so interesting that it had caught her attention. Shuffling upwards to a branch above her, I crawled my way to the end and set my eyes in the direction she was looking. Narrowing my eyes, I now know what had her attention.

   A false Na'vi.

   An avatar.

   The avatar looked around our age, and he looked hopelessly lost. I keep my eyes on him as he slowly walked beneath the tree Neytiri and I were in, completely oblivious to our presence. As the demon got closer my hand flew to the knife that rests on my thigh, holding the hilt in preparation for pulling it out.

   My eyes flicker down towards my sister as she slowly rises with her bow in front of her, nocking an arrow. Clenching my jaw, I slide my knife out of the sheath and bring it up to my chest, the sharp end facing toward the false Na'vi.

   My lips curl in disgust at the sight of him. He was like a baby, making loud noises with each step he took. If they had the nerve to create false bodies, then they should train them in basic things. I could feel my anger and hatred towards the sky people grow as the male continued walking beneath the tree.

   I catch sight of Neytiri sitting up straighter, pulling the arrow back, ready to soar into the avatar's throat. Squeezing the hilt of my knife, I wait for the sign to attack. A few minutes passed, and I had yet to see one of Neytiri's arrows fly. Furrowing my brows, I look down at her, and when I do my eyes widen.

   A wood sprite had landed on the tip of her arrow, halting her movement thus halting mine. Watching the scene intensely as the wood sprite floated on the tip of her arrow, waving its silky cilia around. Neytiri had a puzzled look on her face as she slowly relaxed her bow. As she was lowering her weapon the wood sprite began to float away.

   Tilting her face up to where I was now crouching, she had a look of bewilderment and awe as our eyes met. I could tell by the look in her eyes that we were thinking the same thing. It was a sign from Eywa. Our Great Mother has sent us a sign, in the form of a demon.

   A false body.

   A murderer.

   Thoughts raced through my mind trying to decipher what Eywa would want with an avatar. Neytiri sent me another look telling me to follow her. My eyes hardened as I realized what she wanted to do. She wanted to follow the lost male instead of killing him.

  I was all for killing him.

   I did not trust this sign from our Great Mother. I felt as if she was making a joke of us, sparing a sky person. If Tsu'Tey were the one to find him instead of us he would be dead the second the warrior's eyes landed on the demon.

   Letting out a deep sigh, I follow Neytiri through the trees keeping an eye on the wandering male. Father would have wanted us to bring the male back to the clan for questioning. He does not trust those demons in our forest. It has been a while since a sky person came this far into the wilderness of Pandora.

   Especially after the disaster at Grace's school. They were not welcomed here anymore. That thought made me wonder even more.

   What did Eywa want with this certain avatar?

   Why is this one so special that she sent a wood sprite to stop Neytiri from striking him with her arrow?

   I will admit, studying the avatar's moves was quite interesting. He would take slow small steps as if that would aid him in being silent. Yet, his footsteps were loud enough that the clan could more than likely hear them from the home tree. His ears will twitch to the slightest sounds that echo throughout the trees, always on edge.

   As he continued walking and keeping an eye on his surroundings, his tail would smack against a plant and he would jump around like he was being attacked. The avatar even started to sharpen a stick into a pointy end, it was a very ugly spear if I were, to be honest.

   As the sky darkened and our bioluminescent freckles began to glow, we watched as he wrapped his shirt around the sharpened stick, dipping it into a sticky substance, and lighting it. I jerked my head back as the bright light of fire hit my sensitive eyes.

   Letting out a grunt at his actions, a light creaking of a branch caught my attention. Neytiri was slowly inching her way down the tree as she kept watch of the demon. Pursing my lips, I squatted down on the widest branch I could find, watching as viper wolves surrounded the male.

   If I knew Neytiri like I think I do, she was debating on whether to help him fight them off or let them kill him. But when the sound of a whimper shot through the air, anger grew inside of me. He was harming our animals. No, not just harming, he was trying to kill them.

   The male yelled at the viper wolves as he beckoned them to keep attacking. Feeling my ears flattened against my head, I let out a quiet growl as I climbed down the tree.

   Just as a viper wolf was about to pounce on the avatar, Neytiri shot out through the dark trees, letting out a cry as she fired an arrow toward the animal. It seems she has decided in aiding this sky person in his survival.

   I inch towards the edge of the trees, still covered enough where I would not be spotted, I spectate the scene happening in front of me. My sister continued fighting off the attackers, the blue male seemed startled when she appeared.

   Once Neytiri had frightened the wolves away, she turned to the fire while blocking her eyes with her hand. She let out an annoyed hiss, picking up the stick and walking towards the water nearby.

   "Wait, don't-"

   The light from the fire went out as it was submerged in the water. With the light from his torch gone, the forest around us lit up as the bioluminescence of the plants brightened in complete darkness. A small smile tugged at my lips as I looked at my home. The forest at night never ceases to amaze me. Being out here in the dark was one of my favorite things to do in my pass time.

   Neytiri crouches beside one of the dying viper wolves for forgiveness for its death. The sound of her knife plunging into its body had me slowly making my way out from the trees behind the fake na'vi. Trying to speak to her, the male kept thanking her for saving him, kneeling by her as she prayed.

   Her ears twitched in annoyance as he spoke, subtly shooting me a look over his shoulder. I tilted my head at her, silently asking if she wanted me to end his life.

   As if he finally felt another presence than just him and Neytiri, he spun around coming face to face with my knife pointing at his chest. His yellow eyes widened in shock and fear as I stepped closer to him, bringing the knife even closer to his chest.

   Having to lift my head to meet his eyes with a murderous glare, as he was nearly a foot taller than me, I bared my fangs at him. Blinking his eyes rapidly as his mouth opened and closed, not knowing what to do, Neytiri stood up from her kneeled position. She began walking away from the two of us when she looked back and signaled me to follow her.

   With an aggressive hiss that had the male stumbling back a few steps, I smirked as I made my way toward my sister, sliding my knife back into its sheath. Shaking her head slightly with a tiny smile, she turned and continued on the way home.