Calm Before The Storm, Jake Sully

046, Death Upon Them.

♯┆calm before the storm .ᐟ
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     Although Awa'atlu could never win her heart over the forest, Denahi loved riding on the back of Jake's skimwing. But, this time seemed to be different. Soft droplets of rain fell onto their dark bodies, the sea calm beneath them. The sky was dark and the day seemed dull. Denahi watched Ronal jump from the water and onto a deceased Tulkun. Her deceased Spirit Sister.

"Her name is Ro'a..." Tonowari announced as he watched his wife mourn in sorrow. Denahi's face dropped when Ronal screamed out her pain, hands stroking Ro'a. Grief was a strong and powerful emotion— something nobody should have to feel. "She was my Spirit Sister. She was the composer of songs. Much revered. We would sing together!" Ronal explained, reaching out for Ro'a.

That was when Denahi noticed the deceased calf floating behind. "She waited many breeding cycles to have this calf, the clan was so happy for her..." That poor baby. Denahi closed her eyes at the thought, knowing that calf experienced pain of losing their mother. Jake looked back at Denahi, reaching his hand out to comfort her.

"What is this, Tonowari? What is this?" Ronal screamed and sobbed. Jake moved the animal to the other side, a beeping device loud within their ears.

Denahi sighed— she knew. She knew who did this. Demons. A hiss escaped her mouth, how close the humans had been to their new home. How they had done this to capture Jake's attention. "We have to warn them before Tonowari does it first," Denahi explained to Jake, holding his firm shoulder.

When the Metkayina find out about this, there is nothing that will stop them. However, they didn't know how the demons worked, how they fought strong.

But, when they reached the solid surface. Shouting and yapping could be heard, they had gotten there first. "My Spirit Sister and her baby have been murdered by the Sky-people!" Ronal exclaimed to them all.

Tonowari held onto his wife, "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." The clan cheered in response, their arms holding our weapons they couldn't defeat demons.

Denahi shook her head, finding her children. She stood beside Neteyam, noticing the tracker within his hands. "You gotta understand how the Sky-people think. They don't care about the Great Balance," Jake attempted to calm the Metkayina down. Neteyam shouted to them all, wanting them to listen to his father and his words.

Denahi focused her attention on Jake. On all of those surrounding her. How much mess had come from this— from them. The Metkayina lived their lives in peace before the Sully's came to destroy that.

Jake leapt onto the platform, "The Sky-people are not gonna stop. This is only the beginning. You gotta tell the Tulkun to go far away!" Ronal stepped towards him, head twisted and tail lashing, "Leave? You live amongst us and you learn nothing!"

"If you attack, if you fight, they will destroy you! They will destroy everything that you love..." Denahi sighed as she looked to the ground, knowing that that was true. Her hand landed on Neteyam's arm, pulling her son close to her. Jake growled and grabbed the tracker from Neteyam's hands, holding it in the air and silencing the clan, "You tell the Tulkun that if they're hit by one of these, they're marked for dead. And call for me, I will silence it."

Denahi shut her eyes. The demons had got them. No matter where they go, how far they seemed to leave, they would find them. Haven't they taken enough? Those demons had took her family, her home.

All for what? For money? For wanting to move the humans from their dying Earth— a death that they had caused. "Saving their lives, that's all that matters. Right? Saving your family," Jake continued.

Denahi held onto Neteyam, pulling him into her before he walked off. She followed his footsteps before stopping when Jake grabbed onto her arm. Her hand fell securely in his palm, "I do not want to do this, Ma'Jake."

"I know, I know, baby," He pressed a soft kiss to the flat of her forehead.