Still Breathing

Chapter 9. Softcore

"I don't want to play this part." ~ The Neighbourhood

It had been a few days since Erica had become a full Na'vi, and her father decided that it was finally time for her to get her own Ikran. As much as Jake would've liked to go with her, he had to run a recon mission with Neytiri. So, Neteyam offered to take her along with Lo'ak and a few other Na'vi warriors.

The group of them were all climbing up the mountains, Erica admiring the view around her. Once they were close to the top, they paused for a moment, allowing everyone a chance to catch their breath. "You ready to continue?" Neteyam asked his sister who nodded but before they could climb, Erica heard familiar voice.

Erica's eyes widened as her ears twitched at the sound. "Quaritch." Erica whispered to herself but loud enough for her brothers to hear her. They both looked at her in confusion until they heard it to.

"Jake Sully did it the hard way?"

"What do you think?"

Lo'ak and Neteyam both looked at each other in shock as they heard Spider's voice echoing through the mountains. Without hesitating, the three siblings began to climb just a little bit higher in order to see what was happening.

Once they were high enough, they peaked over the mountain and there stood Quaritch along with the rest of his group. He was standing in front of an Ikran, hissing at it. And alongside him was Spider, laughing as he watched the Colonel struggling with the Ikran.

Lo'ak was about climb higher, but Erica stopped him, shaking her head.

"They have Spider. We can't leave him." He argued, hoping that maybe it would be enough for them to agree with him. But both Erica and Neteyam knew that it was a stupid idea.

"We're out numbered. And this time I can't save you." Erica reasoned with her little brother, placing a comforting hand on his shoulder while holding onto the vines with the other.

"We'll get him back, I promise." Neteyam added, giving his brother a sympathetic look. Lo'ak nodded in defeat before the three of them started to climb back down. The warriors below them looked up at them with confusion.

"The RDA are here. We must leave and tell my father." Neteyam commanded, motioning for them to return to their direhorse's and make their way back to the camp. Without hesitating, the warriors agreed and began to move out. Erica stopped and looked back one last time just in time to see Quaritch falling off the mountain with an Ikran.

If she was lucky, the Ikran would eat him. But she knew that he was too stubborn to die. She followed her brothers home, feeling anxious the entire way.

-

Jake and Neytiri had just returned from their scouting mission when they were immediately bombarded by each of their children. All of them had the same distressed look as they all talked at the same time. "Okay!" Jake shouted, raising his hand in the air. "One at a time. Erica."

"We spotted Quaritch and his team at the Hallelujah mountains. They were taming Ikran's." Erica spoke fast but her father could still understand her. His eyes widened with fear as he and Neytiri looked at each other.

"They had Spider with them." Lo'ak chimed in which in turn caused Kiri to begin to cry yet again. Tuk Immediately hugged her sisters leg, trying to comfort her.

"Ma Jake." The man in question turned to face his wife who had called out to him. She nodded her head in the direction of their tent to which he gave her a quick nod in response before turning back to his children.