"Tell the Tulkun."
"Go. Go!"
Ronal and Tonowari exchanged a glance heavy with despair as the crowd dispersed, rushing off to warn the Tulkun. Jake walked over to me, exhaustion etched across his features. "Jake... you look drained."
I cupped his face gently in my hands, letting my thumbs brush along his temples. He leaned into my touch, resting his weary head on my shoulder. I drew him into an embrace, holding him close as if my arms alone could absorb his fatigue. Time seemed to stretch; what felt like minutes was probably only seconds. When we finally broke apart, we walked side by side to my marui, the air between us thick with unspoken worry.
"Are we to fight?" I asked quietly, breaking the silence once inside the hut. "I do not wish to stand by and do nothing."
Jake's voice was heavy, almost reluctant to admit it. "It's a trap. They're not hunting Tulkun... they're hunting me."
The weight of his words settled over me like a shadow. Jake, formidable warrior, Toruk Makto himself, radiated exhaustion and pain. I could feel it emanating from him in waves, a halo of anguish I longed to ease. I pressed my palms gently to his face, rubbing small circles on his temples. "It's going to be okay. We'll all survive this," I whispered.
He exhaled, dejected. Our foreheads rested together for a moment of silent understanding. Then Jake remembered something. He stepped aside and retrieved a black leather strap and a small bean-shaped device. "I need you to wear this. Please... just so I can know if you're in trouble."
"What is it?"
"A communicator. Comms, for short. Lo'ak and Neteyam each have one too. I just... I can't lose any of you."
His desperation cut through me, making my chest ache. This shouldn't have to happen. But still, I took the devices and secured them around me, fumbling slightly until Jake helped me fasten the strap. Relief flickered across his face.
"We have code names," he said, exhaling slowly. "Lo'ak is Eagle Eye, I am Devil Dog, and Neteyam is Pathfinder."
I giggled at the names. "What's mine?"
He paused, thinking, then grinned. "Blue Wing."
I smiled, committing all the names to memory. He taught me how to use the comms—just hold the button to speak; otherwise, no one could hear. Thank Eywa for that. If the boys overheard everything Jake and I said... I might have evaporated on the spot.
Once we settled, I picked up my spear and began sharpening it, the rhythmic scrape of stone against metal grounding me. Jake polished his gun, meticulous and focused, a brief return to normalcy amidst chaos. But peace shattered the moment Ao'Nung's friend arrived, breathless and wide-eyed.
"What is it, Akx'ri?" I asked, already sensing trouble.
"I saw the other kids swim off," he said, blinking slowly, almost creepily.
"Do you know where?" I pressed, tension threading my words.
"They went... that way. The reef."
I rubbed my temple, frustrated, trying to extract more. "But did you see where exactly?"
"They went... outside the reef."
Jake, standing beside me, suddenly turned toward the sea. His hand reached back, tapping my arm in a silent command. I pressed my finger to my comms and heard Lo'ak's voice, urgent and sharp:
"We're at Three Brothers Rocks—defending a Tulkun under attack! Killer ship inbound!"
"Who's there?" Jake's voice cut through, taut with urgency.
"All of us. Ao'Nung and Tsireya too."
A hiss escaped me. Tsireya... and little Tuk. My mind went into warrior mode instantly.
"Get to cover! Do not engage!" Jake's voice boomed through the comms.
We sprinted through the maze of marui, locating Tonowari and RonaI in theirs. "The kids are under attack—they're defending a Tulkun. They're your kids too!"
"Demon ship?" Tonowari's voice was sharp, alert, while Ronal had already dropped her weaving, grabbing weapons with fierce precision.
"Yes. We have to go!" Jake snapped.
I grabbed my spear, knives, and throwing arrows; Jake donned his artillery vest, gun ready. Before we left, I cupped his face in my hands, pressing a quick, urgent kiss to his lips. He froze, then kissed back. Pulling away, I whispered, "Don't die out there."
He smiled, gravelly and low. "Wouldn't dream of it."
We dove into the ocean, each calling a Tsirak. The air and water were alive with motion as every Na'vi who could fight mounted their creatures, riding into battle without hesitation. Yips, cries, and war calls echoed across the waves. Ronal rode close, her eyes fierce, her children under threat. Normally I would pray for mercy in the face of her wrath, but these demons... they deserved no mercy.
Rounding a cliff, we found the killer ship waiting in the water. Relief surged at the lack of Tulkun, but my heart dropped as I saw smaller blue figures on its deck. Their features were indistinct, but my fury boiled—the children had been taken.
The clan slowed, hovering out of range, while Jake, Tonowari, Ronal, and I formed the front line. Jake drew his gun, scanning the deck.
"They have our kids," he muttered, voice tight with rage. "Lo'ak, Tuk, and Tsireya."
