Avatar: {Hybrid and Alien]

{41}

For the first time in her life, Layontsin felt proud for someone else other than another na'vi.

It felt weird for her to throw away the fact that Asim was a skyperson who knew how to fight. However, it didn't matter for her as she saw some part of herself within Asim. Almost like when she completed the two parts of Iknimaya for the first time despite the disappointment later on. The most surprising thing for Layontsin was witnessing Asim take the ikran challenge on his own, without the tsaheylu, and tame it with a firm gesture and a word in his skyperson language. It was as if Asim himself had some sort of luck or magic power inside of him that could not be described. Perhaps he was chosen because something special was buried deep inside of Asim, and Layontsin was the first one to see it. She couldn't wait to share what she had seen with the tsahik. Maybe, just maybe, she could find out what this truly means and how it was connected to the sign given to them. What needed to be done was to travel back down from the floating mountain path and return to the Anurai clan.

***

Once back in the village, Layontsin told the tsahik everything that has happened. Even the clan leader was surprised to hear what happened with Asim taming the banshee on his own and surviving. "Without tsaheylu....what did he do to tame the ikran, my dear?" Unil'tingai asked Layontsin. "He did something with his hand...I don't know. And then he said a word, a command of some sort, which made the banshee stop and become docile instantly." Layontsin explained to the tsahik, while Asim was busy speaking with Rai'uk to the side. "What word did he use to make the ikran stop?" Unil'tingai asked, to which Layontsin turned to Asim in order to ask the same thing. Rai'uk helped translate what she had said to Asim, to which he said that the word he used was a small word that meant "stop" or "halt" in the skypeople language. Though the question remained; how exactly did he manage to do it? Was it something that he felt his mind had to do? Or something else mysterious that only this skyperson had? Layontsin asked those questions to Asim before she decided to not ask about them. Asim responded by saying that it felt like some sort of instinct, like his spirit was urging him to do something unexpected. Whatever it was, the feeling that he felt at that moment was related to his spirit having no fear and more bravery than before.

Still, they had to see if Asim had truly tamed his own banshee. Unil'tingai asked Asim to call his banshee, to which the skyperson agreed as he stood up and went outside. "Hold on, how will he be able to call his ikran?" Layontsin asked, to which the tsahik held up a hand in a patient gesture. Asim looked up at the canopy of the trees, searching for something, before he held two fingers into his lips and blew to give out a sort of whistling sound. The whistle was heard by almost everyone as some na'vi from the village turned their heads around because of it. Some silence was brought fourth, enough for the banshee to hear as it made its way down from its perch and flew down to them. Some na'vi near them were surprised when they saw the ikran descend to where the skyperson was. Asim smiled and looked back at Layontsin and the two clan leaders with a face of both awe and pride before moving back to the banshee and reaching to place a hand on its snout. "Now I believe I know the reason why he is special. AsimAngus has been blessed by Eywa, because the great mother has seen something worthy in this young man's heart. As you have spoken yourself, my dear Layontsin, he has a brave spirit and heart. A pure soul. I must speak this to him" Unil'tingai said to Layontsin, the two observing how Rai'uk gave Asim a piece of food so that he may offer it to the ikran. Then Unil'tingai went to her mate Rai'uk and spoke the same thing that she said to Layontsin, who in turn spoke to Asim.

The skyperson listened to what Unil'tingai had said through Rai'uk, paying attention to the answer. His reaction was...confused and still disappointed a bit. He said something to them, to which Rai'uk translated. "Asim is still confused as to why it happened. That it is still difficult to believe that such thing is possible. I believe he cannot see like we do." Rai'uk said to them, Layontsin puzzled by the response that Asim had given. "The only thing I can say is that Eywa herself knows the answer. And only she knows the reason why she chose Asim." Unil'tingai said, Rai'uk translating it to Asim. The skyperson was thoughtful for a moment, looking down in thought, before looking back up and asking something. "He is asking if there is a way to ask Eywa directly about this." Rai'uk said to them, to which Layontsin noticed Unil'tingai react to what Asim said with becoming stif and frowning slightly. The tsahik shook her head some seconds later and said somewhat firmly, "It can't be done. The place where that should be accomplished is sacred. And no one, not even others, can enter it without explicit permission". Layontsin realized which place this was, the only place and places sacred to the na'vi and to her as well.

Those were the Trees of Voices, and the main and most important one being the Tree of Souls.

These places were the most sacred of all, the tsahik and some that she chose to accompany her being the only ones allowed to go there. Either to visit the memories of those that have passed or seek urgent help and answers from the great mother Eywa, going there by mere casualty will result in severe punishment or even death. Layontsin knew as she has been taught this her whole life, and she knew better than to break the rules. Yet, even so, Layontsin felt as the tsahik was deliberately prohibiting Asim from venturing there with her. Either because Asim was a skyperson, which didn't make sense as Asim has proven to be more than a regular skyperson, or because the tsahik knew that it wasn't possible. "Mother...didn't you say he was blessed by Eywa?..." Layontsin said to Unil'tingai, trying to ask why she had taken such strict decision, but the tsahik moved a hand to place it on the anthro thanator's arm. "He cannot trespass the sacred trees. Even if he has proven himself as chosen, Asim is still tainted by impurity of his kind. For now. I will see if there will be another way to determine the true doubts that torment his heart. Don't worry, my daughter." Unil'tingai said to Layontsin, trying to calm her down. Layontsin sighed, looking at the face of Asim. She could tell that even with him trying to look positive, his aching heart could be felt by her. All the logic and the rules now seemed to conflict the inner spiritual side of the anthro thanator as she discerned that Asim may not have a chance to discover the true reason why he was chosen. He deserved to know the truth that laid hidden inside of himself, and Layontsin had seen it all too clearly that Asim was more worthy to become one of the people. She just didn't understand why the tsahik had turned down the chance for him to at least visit the important place as he and his family has showed honor and kindness to the whole clan. Seeing that there was no convincing the tsahik to do otherwise, Layontsin accepted the decision that the clan leader has made. "Very well" she said to the tsahik, nodding a bit as she saw that Asim was starting to leave back towards his home with his banshee following in the air. As she saw him disappear, Layontsin began to think of something as her chest began to doubt some more.

What if there was a way to help him...without the tsahik knowing?