Become one with the Metkayina
Nawang Metkayinaru
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"You have such a beautiful family." Ronal admired, "and you have chosen a strong mate." She congratulated.
"And you have a strong family, such beautiful children. And you're pregnant again, congratulations!" Hia smiled at the mother.
"Yes, thank you." She was silent for a moment, "I need to know what drove you from your home." Ronal asked.
Hia frowned with a sigh.
"My biological father has returned. He hunts Jake and I. I figured this would be the safest place to go, somewhere he'd never suspect. And I knew my kids would be safe with you if I ever needed to leave them to fight him." Hia admitted.
"What kind of power does he hold?"
"He has a group of demons like him. They all have guns like Jake. It wasn't his power that scared me. He had my daughter. He was going to kill her." Hia gulped down the forming lump in her throat but she couldn't keep the tears from springing to her eyes.
"I understand now. I'm sorry that I made examples of those children. That wasn't fair to them." Ronal's ears flattened.
"I forgive you. I don't know that my sister will though. She stopped taking bad talk from people when she became a mother and I'm sure you can understand that."
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Hia returned to her family who were given a marui pod, one near Jake's but a little ways away. Her twins were unpacking silently and Tsu'tey was making Naraya drink water and eat. She complained of a headache and her skin was irritated.
"Here." Hia opened up a jar. It was filled with a translucent gel. Eywa provides, it is how na'vi don't stay sick for very long. She began rubbing the solution over her daughters irritated skin, the guilt set in. When Naraya was born, she was pale like the stars. Bright like Polyphemus also called Naranawm. What she was named after. But Naraya was a premature birth. Hia was sure she'd develop more cyanin as she grew but it wasn't the case. Her cyanin production was very little, leaving her with blue eyes and pale skin. So she burns easily. It's not a problem in the forest, but here, she won't be able to swim without burning. She felt like a failure to her child.
"We are at this clan's mercy." Tsu'tey announced to Eyte'lan and Yorä, "you must be on your best behavior and learn their ways as if they were our own. I know this may not be permanent, but while we are here, we might as well be useful." Tsu'tey coached them.
Hia nodded as she helped soothe her daughter's pain.
"Sa'nu." She pouted, "I want to go into the forest." She said in her small voice.
Hia pulled her daughter into her lap and rocked her.
"I know, maite, I know." She hummed.
"Be strong, we all have to be." Tsu'tey held Eyte'lan's hand. Eyte' also had a somber expression. Yoräyu was just tired. So tired.
In the morning Yorä and Eyte joined Tsireya, Aonung, and Rotxo in the water as they taught the Sully's. They leapt in excitedly, head first. The water was clear and it didn't sting the eyes. The roots of the mangrove trees were like shoots in the water. The reef was just an underwater jungle. Large fish, fish of all kind swam past in myriads of colors. Even little squids.
Eyte' was lost in the feeling of the water on his skin and the gentle pull and push of the currents. He watched how the reef kids swam and he tried it himself, he was fast and it came easy. Yorä however was having a hard time holding her breath and she went up first, her littler tail was more like her father's than her mother's. She didn't glide seamlessly like Eyte' could. Eventually, he joined them all on the surface.
"Are you alright?" Tsireya asked.
"You're too fast, wait for us!" Tuk rubbed her eyes.
"You are not good divers. Maybe good at swinging through trees-" Aonung teased but Tsireya scolded him.
"C'mon bro, we don't speak this finger talk. We don't know what you're saying." Neteyam said.
"Mother once spoke of Sign Language, hand motions to speak. Humans do it too. Can you teach us?" Eyte' asked.
"I can teach you." Tsireya responded.
"Where's Kiri?" Yorä looked around.
"Who?" Aonung asked.
"Kiri. Where's Kiri?" Rotxo asked.
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The next day they went for ilus. Plesiosaur-like mounts. Aonung clicked and cooed for them to move closer.
"These are Ilu." He said as they began to swirl and swim around him, "if you want to live here, you have to ride." He said.
Eyte'lan was quick to befriend one, sticking close to it like he was standing tip toe on its back rather than straddling it like a direhorse like he was used to. He was observant and a quick learner, he was dedicated to making himself useful.
Yorä was another story. She was friendly with the Ilu but had no idea how to ride one. She stuck out like a sore thumb and was having a hard time adapting. Anyone could see that.
Hia already knew ilu and decided to try riding Tsurak. They don't bond for life all the time, but they do like to stick around. The creature was fierce and related to the Ikran. The one she chose was a fighter.
"Are you sure this is best?" Tsu'tey asked her, he was learning the same but, he was more concerned for her.
"Yes. I have learned how to ride an Ilu. This is the next step." Hia stated.
Tsu'tey smiled at her before he mounted his. Unlike Jake, he was attentive to his instructions and instincts. He swam at high speeds, spreading his fins and flapping evenly and ikran-like. Soon he had the whole fish out of water before he tucked against the beast and dove under, but coming up quickly for air.
He was successful. Hia was determined to do the same, recounting her own experiences with flying creatures, she knew how that worked, and she knew how to swim. Time to do both.
She ducked under when she was let go, she shot up into the air, gaining a lot of time before her landing. She tucked against its body and held on tight to the harness, ducking under for a while before breaching. She was another success. However, it made Jake look bad. Of course both of them felt bad for it, but they needed to be useful.
And Jake is stubborn.
