Avatar: {Hybrid and Alien]

{44}

From what Layontsin could tell, the expression of Asim's face had no price.

The way he saw the beauty of the place told her that he was feeling many things. Awe, amazement, astonishment, and bewilderment. It also showed that he took great importance of the place, being respectful by staying where he was currently at and not going anywhere else. The skyperson was even impressed when the woodsprites came down to them and perched on their heads and shoulders. One particular woodsprite came down towards Asim, and he reached out with a hand to let it land on his palm. The look of wonder and curiosity, as well as carefulness, that Asim's face and eyes expressed, made Layontsin smile and feel pride for him. She saw that he was conscious about the place where they were, how important it was for the na'vi and the respect he showed now that he has been taught the ways of the people. Layontsin saw from the beginning, how Asim came to be from a regular skyperson to one that valued the world around. He was the reason that now Layontsin has changed and was able to see who Asim truly was. Despite the stern and fierce expression that he had at the beginning and still had once in a while, she managed to see a more calmer side of him. That is, when he wasn't threatened with being killed or eaten. With all that in mind and what she was currently seeing, Layontsin felt like Asim did deserve to be in a place like this. Where the voices of those that now live in Eywa's heart could be heard.

"This place is important to all na'vi. Here, the great ancestors of our kind reside. Some of us will think that they have gone away forever. The truth is...they don't. They live on. In this place, and others like this, close to Eywa." Layontsin explained to Asim, bringing him along with her as they slowly walked around the glowing trees. She brushed the hanging tendrils and moved some woodsprites out of the way as she walked. Layontsin then looked back at the skyperson, who now was crouched at a place and looking with intent. When she spotted what he was looking at, she saw that it was a cluster of blue flowers that were growing from the base of a tree. The way Asim looked at the beautiful flowers with a slight smile let Layontsin know that he was attracted to them. If it were her imagination, Asim looked as if he was familiar with them. "These flowers...were once in my home world" Asim said, moving a hand to gently brush the petals of the flower. He continued to smile as he contemplated their beauty...before he flinched and clutched his head. "What is wrong?" Layontsin asked in concern as Asim groaned and then wiped his nose, head tilting to the side as if he may feel faint.

When Layontsin saw what happened, she saw that there was some blood on his hand.

Layontsin panicked a bit when she saw it, reaching over to Asim's shoulder and face. Though Asim held a hand up to stop her from doing so. "It's okay....I'm fine. Something happened" he said as he held his nose for a bit. "What happened?" She asked, watching him close his eyes and clutch his head as if he were having a headache. Then, as soon as it started, it stopped as Asim lowered his hand from his head. "Memories...I am not sure. They are from...long time. I can't remember..." Asim said as he exhaled and rubbed the side of his head. "What do you remember?" Layontsin asked, moving so that she crouched in front of him. Asim looked back at the flowers for a moment, before looking up at her once again. "My past life....fragments...pieces. All I remember is...me and my sister...with these flowers. And then...darkness. It doesn't make sense." Asim explained, with some fragments of his language as he did his best to speak in na'vi for Layontsin to understand. Layontsin looked back at the beautiful cluster of blue flowers. "Do these flowers...bring good memories?" Layontsin asked Asim. He looked down for a moment before nodding. "Yes. Even if I don't know from when they were from" he said to her, now the nose bleeding having stopped. Layontsin placed one hand on his shoulder to comfort and encourage him. "Your worries will soon be calmed. I promise you." Layontsin assured Asim, who looked up at her and smiled slightly. "Thank you" he said as he looked up at the tall trees that surrounded them both.

Now Layontsin went over to one of the trees to start demonstrating, reaching towards the back of her head to bring forwards her braid. She reached to the end of it and brought it up, the smaller tendrils of her main braid queue starting to sprout and reach to inevitably latch on to the hanging glowing tree branch. As she had experience before, once connected to it and making the branch glow brighter, she began to hear the voices of na'vi ancestors that have long passed away. Not only could she hear them, she could feel them as if they were next to her. Warmth sprouted from her heart out towards her body, eyes closing as she concentrated in each particular voice. Afterwards she opened her eyes once more and looked back at Asim, who was watching with cautiousness and interest as he spotted that the glowing branch that she had connected to her queue had started glowing. Not only that singular branch, but the whole tree and its branches lit up a small portion more brighter than before. Asim gasped in awe as he saw the light up of the tree, making Layontsin smile and chuckle. "It's beautiful" Asim said to her, looking around more at the trees that were nearby.

Moments later Layontsin detached her braid queue and let the branch free, which returned to its normal glow. "Now you try." Layontsin invited Asim, to which he looked back at her with puzzlement. "But...I don't have that" he said, pointing at the braid queue that she had. "It's fine. You can try with your hand, if it works" Layontsin told him, moving one of her hands to gently reach out and bring one of Asim's hands towards the tree that she connected. Asim stepped forwards automatically, moving carefully as he understood what he had to do. Gingerly reaching out, he brushed one of his fingers against one of the glowing branches, and them gasped. Asim flinched as if something had itched his finger, the branch glowing slightly when his finger contacted it. Then he began to look up and around with more wonder, as if he was sensing something else. "What is it?" Layontsin asked Asim. "I can hear them. Men...women...elderly....children...I can hear their voices..." he said, his voice filled with astonishment as if he could literally hear them. This surprised Layontsin, hearing that he could hear them now only with just a touch of his fingers without the use of tsaheylu. "You really are something special..." she said, looking at him and smiling as he too looked back at her with an excited face. Layontsin nodded in approval for Asim to go and do it again, and he went for it. He reached out with his hand once more, this time with more calmness. Asim clasped his fingers around the glowing branch and closed his eyes, trying to mimick what Layontsin had done before. The branch glowed brightly like if he were connecting to it, and he gasped as he opened his eyes and stared at the branch. But suddenly, everything started to flicker low and rapidly. The lights of the trees began to dim and then brighten again quickly, and even the plants and lights that didn't belong near the trees started to flicker. Layontsin gasped when she saw this, and then looked back at Asim and realized in horror what was happening. His body was shaking as if something was shocking him to his heart, head brought back as he looked up with a tense neck. Then he detached and let go of the branch, the whole area going dark as Asim tilted back and fell down. "ASIM!!!" Layontsin screamed in terror as she immediately rushed over to the skyperson and picked him, frantically looking over him. His face was pale and his body was limp, eyes white as they were rolled back while the eyelids started to close. "Asim! Please! Wake up!" Layontsin shouted as she shook the skyperson in an attempt to help him snap out, but it didn't work. Realizing that Asim had been knocked out or something else, Layontsin picked him up and hoisted him over her shoulder as she began to run towards the Anurai village to get Asim help.

"Hold on, Asim. Please." Layontsin said as she tore through the forest as fast as she could.