You will fall (Neteyam x Oc)

CHAPTER 32

CHAPTER 32
MARKED FOR DEATH

The next morning while Sao'Nae was reading one of her people's tea-leaves, Ao'nung bursted into the room with furrowed eyes and a half scowl on his face. He stood with his fists clenched and his jaw tight before he spoke, " Sao'Nae, you must come now! Something has happened!" He growled, grabbing her wrist and yanking her to her feet, leading her out and to where her mother and father looked to be. They stood surrounded by their people, Ronal's eyes sad and mournful, but most of all. Angry.

Jake and Neytiri stood against them, from the looks of it trying to ease the situation as best they could.

" My spirit sister and her baby, have been murdered by the sky people!" Ronal spat, hands clenched to her spear while Tonowari stood beside his mate ferociously, half-couched and trying his best to contain a rage of his own. In the crowd Sao'Nae could see Tsireya crying, obviously affected by their mothers greif.

Sao'Nae allowed Ao'nung to pull her over to their baby sister and join the crowd, watching the Sully's fight for their lives among the Metkayina clan and their devastated leaders. Despite Sao'Nae still being upset with her mother, she wouldn't wish this kind of pain on anyone. The loss of a spirit brother or sister or mother or father was comparable to that of losing ones very self...

Tonowari snarled as he spoke, gesturing with a spear of his own, " This war has come to us! We knew about the hunting of our Tulkun people. But it was over the horizon, far away. Now it is here!" He bellowed, hitting the floor with the butt of his spear, sticking out his tongue angrily and laying his ears down flat.

Sao'Nae could only watch as her brother and best friend did the same, the energy Tonowari was projecting afflicting the young men like an incurable plague. Rotxo scrunched up his nose before crouching down and hitting his chest, much like his Ao'nung did.

Jake stepped forward and shook his head, " No you don't, you gotta understand how the Sky people think! They don't care about the great balance!" He promised, trying his best to remain respectful while also enduring the heated glances and shouts of the people around him.

Sao'Nae looked around, unsure what to do, her eyes wide.

" WE DO NOT ANSWER TO SKY PEOPLE!" A young warrior barked.

Neteyam stepped forward and gestured gently with his hands, " Listen to him!" He begged, his stern voice calm in a situation like this.

Jake held out his hand to Tonowari, " The sky people are not gonna stop! You gotta tell your tulkun to leave!" He said, " You gotta tell them to go far away!" He yelled.

Ronal glared and flattened her ears in rage, " Leave?!?" She recalled, " You live among us, and yet you learn nothing!"

The same young warrior from earlier smacked his chest and banged his spear, his eyes matching that of Ronal's in terms of anger and sadness, " WE WILL FIGHT TO PROTECT OUR BROTHERS AND SISTERS!"

The crowd agreed with similar gestures, smacking the ground and their chests, crouching down and snarling like Palulukan. The rage that radiated through the room was damn near unbelievable.

Jake shook his head, knowing he was failing to contain the crowd, " No no no!"

Sao'Nae jumped forward and grabbed Neteyam's hand, pulling him to face her, " Neteyam, what's going on?" She asked, fear igniting in her eyes. The boy looked around frantically and brushed hair from her face.

" The sky people have killed Roa and her baby, your father wants to attack." He explained curtly, though Sao'Nae had already gathered as much.

Jake persisted, " If you attack, if you fight, then they will destroy you! They will destroy everything you love!" He assured, even going as far as to gesture to Sao'Nae's mothers pregnant belly, to which she quickly covered with her palm, " Hear my words!"

Neteyam let go of Sao'Nae and tried his best to calm the angry riot, " Listen to my father!" He begged yet again, a sense of urgency in his tone, " He speaks the truth!"

Jake storms to the center of the crowd and lifts a beeping metal object into the air, which quickly silents the swarm of Na'vi, the clamoring dying down fast, " You tell the Tulkun, that if they're hit by one of these they're marked for death." He said with great seriousness, a thankful look shooting towards his eldest son, " And call for me, I'll silence it. Saving their lives, that's all that matters. Right? Saving your family..."

As if clarity finally washed upon the group, everyone began looking down. Even Ronal and Tonowari, their eyes casting over to their three children. To Sao'Nae, Ao'nung, and Tsireya. Everyone in the area had someone to fight for, everyone had someone they wanted to protect.

Sao'Nae found herself casting her gaze to Neteyam...

Tonowari stood breathing heavily, his eyes locked on Sao'Nae for a split moment, as if he knew something but decided not to say anything. Then looking to Ronal. He stopped up to be at height with Jake, holding his head high and his spear higher, " Tell the Tulkun." He demanded.

" Go!" Chimed Ronal, waving her hand.

And just like that everyone began fleeing, but none faster than the youngest Sully son. The only reason Sao'Nae even saw him was because how quickly Neteyam was to follow after him, his dark blue skin disappearing into the crowd of seafoam people.

Ao'nung grabbed Sao'Nae's hand before she could follow, looking into his twins eyes and swallowing hard, " Nae-Nae, you must warn your spirit brother!" He said, pulling her in the opposite direction of where Neteyam and Lo'ak fled.

Hesitantly she looked back over her shoulder before nodding to Ao'nung, diving into the water to quickly warn her spirit brother.