Avatar: Feathers and Flowers

Eywa Heals All Wounds

Ghost and Alejandro let Maktep and Swaylu, who had a few pieces of folded cloth in his arms, lead them along a dirt path paved through the green foliage behind Hometree's mighty stature. The river they followed was ankle-high, glowing blue and sparkling water splashing their ankles playfully.

A Na'vi father, one hand carrying a basket and the other keeping a tender, but firm, grip on his daughter's hand, stopped in his tracks when he saw them. He guided his daughter to his back, acting as a shield as they walked past. He bowed to Swaylu, who returned it with a simple nod.

The little Na'vi girl looked at Ghost with a look dominated by novelty, but a hint of her gaze revealed fear. From the corner of his eye, Ghost could see her pointing to her face and mouthing words that he was too far away to understand to her father. To be fair, even if he did hear them, he wouldn't understand it regardless, he didn't know the Na'vi language. Not fluently at least. Yet, from her movements, he knew that he was asking her father about his mask.

Ghost tries not to feel affected by stares and pointing fingers, but it takes all of him not to shrink in on himself right then and there. Feeling like an outcast wasn't new to him, he knew how it felt to be seen as different and shunned because of it ever since he was young and back on Earth.

The silence was uncomfortable, the Avatars feeling the seething hatred and crossness from the two Na'vi in front. They could hear Maktep muttering phrases in his native language and the way Swaylu told him to hush meant that he was saying things that were far from pretty.

They followed the two into a cavern. Darkness shadowed them, but then, a soft violet light bathed them all over. It turned their iridescent blue skin into a soft amethyst. They looked around and saw purple crystals coating the tunnel walls, a soothing and shining atmosphere glimmering off the precious jewels. While the walls were a good distance from the Na'vi and the dream walkers, Alejandro couldn't help but feel claustrophobic. Up ahead, a soft burble could be heard, its noise bouncing off the stone confinements, and in here, the air was humid and moist.

The burble grew louder and when it blared in their ears as they exited the underpass, their breaths hitched.

Frothy cascades of relaxing blue water plunged into a pool that glowed with flashing galaxies of violet and cyan. The water changed colors, switching from brilliant cyan to darling purple. From the main pool, the water overflowed and spilled into smaller and separate rock pools. The air smelled of mist and sweet floral perfume. Vines hung from up above, illuminating flowers flourished near the pool's rocks, and the roar of the waterfall drowned out the sound of their breaths. Overhead, they could see the twinkling stars in the night sky because of the cliffs' height not being enough to encase the beautiful new world fully.

"It's so beautiful," Alejandro said in awe as he gazed upon Eywa's creation.

Oh, Laswell would kill for samples

"We call this place 'Parul Syanan.' We take our wounded here, letting Eywa comfort them and heal through Parul Syanan's waters. The children like to play here." Swaylu explains. There were no children in sight. Their parents had probably warned them to not play in the pools and waterfalls when the dream walkers were there. The feathered Na'vi turns to Alejandro and Ghost. "Maktep, you lead Ghost to that pool-" He pointed to a pool on the far left. "-while I take care of Alejandro. And, please, Maktep-"

"I know, I know. Be nice to Tirea for a while." He finished with an eye roll as Swaylu handed him one of the thin fabrics he carried.

When Ghost and Swaylu departed from the others, Ghost asked, "Tirea? What does that mean?"

"It is similar to 'Ghost,' but we do not have a word for Ghost. We do, however, have a similar word. Tirea, which means spirit." He explained as he leads the masked dream walker to the shallow pools. Ghost watches as Maktep sits on the edge of the stone that loomed over the water, his knees and feet bathed by the cool cyan water. Using his arms, he pushes himself into the water. Maktep sighs, leaning into the water's cold, yet mother-like, hug. "Come, I will clean your wounds. Look, it only goes up to my shoulders. You will not drown, I will make sure of it."