Avatar: {Hybrid and Alien]

{63}

When Layontsin saw Asim let go of the tree branch and tilt back when kneeled, she instinctively reached to catch him in her arms.

The clan leaders watched them from both sides as they made sure that nothing had changed. Layontsin looked down upon Asim, who slowly recovered and opened his eyes. "Are you alright?" Layontsin asked, moving a hand to gently rub his face. Asim replied soon after by gingerly reaching up and placing his five-fingered hand beside hers, a small smile appearing as he breathed and relaxed. He gave a nod to confirm he was alright before he struggled to try getting up, only to manage sitting down as Layontsin helped him. Later he wiped off some tears that have fallen from his eyes to regain feel. "Do you feel well, child? What did you see?" Unil'tingai, the tsahik, asked as she knelt down beside them, placing a hand on Asim's forehead. Rai'uk also knelt close to them on the other side to be with them. Asim took in a deep breath, and then slowly looked up at the large Tree of Voices and all of its beauty. "I saw everything. I saw...Eywa herself. She....is real..." Asim said, in a voice almost like a whisper as he was slowly regaining his strength. Rai'uk translated what Asim said to Unil'tingai, and she gasped upon hearing what he had said. "You saw...our great mother?" Unil'tingai asked, to which Asim confirmed with an assertive nod. Layontsin was equally shocked as she heard it, even if she could now understand more Asim's human language. "Tell us everything you saw in your vision." Rai'uk said to Asim, reaching out to hold his mate's hand.

And so Asim began to tell them. All of it.

He told them about how he first met someone named Grace Augustine, someone he recognized and stated that she was the one who taught the na'vi the skypepoe tongue. Layontsin was certain that this Grace was the same one that Rai'uk has met when he told his story. But him having seen her in the vision through the Tree of Voices meant one thing. "Grace is now with Eywa. She is no longer living." Rai'uk said, looking down and closing his eyes as remorse was seen in his face. What he was thinking was somewhat understandable; that perhaps he wanted to meet her again and speak with her again, maybe to ask more about the good in the skypeople and how to live in peace with them instead of in conflict. Layontsin reached out with a hand to comfort Rai'uk, to which he took it and held tightly. "It's alright. She is safe now." Layontsin assured the clan leader. After a moment Asim started to get up now recovered, the anthro thanator letting go of him. He stared up at the tree, with a small smile still in his face, before looking back at them. "Now we go back?" Asim asked them, to which the clan leaders agreed. "You will only speak about this to your friends, and not the clan. Do you understand?" Rai'uk instructed Asim, to which the skyperson nodded in agreement. "I won't tell anyone." Asim promised them.

With that said, everyone started to head back to the crevice path that would lead them out from the Tree of Souls.

***

On their way back, night has fallen completely over the entire forest. The blindfold was in paced back on Asim, who didn't even bother against it. Even with the leaves and cloth covering his face, Layontsin could see that his mood has changed. The skyperson was no longer tense or seeming like he was about to lash out at the slightest noise around. On the contrary, he seemed more relaxed than he has ever been seen by anyone, including Layontsin. Not only that, the grip he had on one of the anthro thanator's hands was more firm instead of loose. This caused her to smile a little, being honestly grateful that now Asim was at peace with others and most importantly with himself. Now that Layontsin thought of another important thing that included Asim while they walked back to the Anurai clan village. With her understanding now what she felt towards Asim, caring about him and having feelings for the skyperson, she was planning on how to tell that to him. Yet Layontsin knew that what she would say must be spoken with discretion and care, for she didn't know how Asim would react towards her and the confession.

The whole thinking was interrupted when she heard the voice of the clan leader addressing her. "So, Layontsin. Could you tell me more of what you saw in AsimAngus's memories? I am curious to know more about the world from which they come. How it was before, like our own. I didn't get the chance to ask him personally." Rai'uk asked Layontsin as she led Asim with her hand. "I already described it. Same as our home, beautiful. But...I am not sure if words can describe it exactly. Only they know it. And each come from different clans" Layontsin said to the clan leader. "I see. Maybe we can think of another way so they can share to us their stories of their home before we let them join the tribe." Rai'uk said to her, smiling a bit as he looked forwards in the direction where their village lay. "Wait...you are letting them join the tribe? That easily?" Layontsin asked him in surprise, caught off guard when she heard the clan leader's decision. "I have been thinking for a long time, and carefully too. They may not be na'vi like us, but their hearts beat like one with the forest now despite their different ways that still lay inside of them. They have grown close to us, I feel it, and letting them in is the best thing that has happened to us since our clan has started existing. Letting them go live on their own, apart from us, will be too heartbreaking to me and the people of the clan. As it will in no doubt be to you as well." Rai'uk told Layontsin, looking back at her. The decision of the clan leader heartwarmed the anthro thanator so much that she hugged him with both arms of her right side. "Thank you, father. Thank you so much. I will follow your decision with all my will." She said to him. "Anything for you so you become a strong and wise woman like your mother. And to lead our people when I am no more. Make sure not to tell anyone until we make the announcement." Rai'uk said, smiling happily and leaning his head towards one of her arms.

Now that they were near the village, Rai'uk ordered that Asim's blindfold should now be taken off. Layontsin helped removing it from the skyperson and rolled the blindfold up so she could take it somewhere else. "Thank you. For letting me go to the sacred place. And for answering all my questions and doubts." Asim said to the clan leaders, bowing his head down in a respective manner. In return, the clan leader and tsahik gave them their hand signs of acknowledgement. "You will always be welcome to our clan now. As long as you don't disrespect our traditions." Unil'tingai said, smiling but also having a serious tone. "Of course. I would never think of doing such thing." Asim said to them. Layontsin felt very proud hearing him say that, seeing him change into a more better version of the previous stern warrior self. Afterwards they headed into the village as they returned from the long trip. As usual, the kids came up to Layontsin and greeted her, tugging on her arms and her tail. Even Asim got attention from the kids, and he was just as delighted to see them like Layontsin. Then they went into the center of the camp, where Asim's friends were waiting with the na'vi around a fireplace. Asim joined his friends and sat down with them, telling them about what has happened while gone. Their faces were mixed, ranging from confused to surprised. Shaka was the most excited, making a hand gesture to Asim as he expressed how happy he was to hear about what has happened. Layontsin watched them interact with a smile, happy to finally be at home with her clan and its new members. While she watched, Layontsin thought of what the clan leader has talked, about the skypeople sharing their stories of their homeworld in another way.

That's when an idea came to her mind. It seemed unusual, but Layontsin felt like it could work.

While the skypeople talked, Layontsin moved to where Rai'uk was and sat next to him. "My father. Remember when you spoke about them sharing their stories and how they would tell it in another way?" She asked him. "Yes. I remember" he said. "What if we invite them to tell it in the ways of our storytelling? With the art of painting pictures in the walls of our ancestral cavern?" Layontsin proposed. The clan leader placed a hand on his chin, thinking about the idea that the anthro thanator has given. "You are right. The emblems of our cave that tell the story of our ancestors is a great place for them to do so." Rai'uk said to her. "I agree. The whole clan can come and watch how they show us how their world looked like." Unil'tingai said, joining the conversation with them. "Then it is settled. Layontsin, would you tell them of our proposal?" Rai'uk asked Layontsin, to which she nodded. The anthro thanator went through the gathered na'vi and got to where Asim and his group was, sharing the decision of sharing their homeworld story with them through art. Shaka helped explain what she meant to the others, who started to discuss it amongst them. After a while, Shaka said that everyone was thrilled to do so, to which Layontsin nodded and transmitted the decision to the clan leaders.

"Very well then. Let's gather all the paint we can get." Unil'tingai said, rubbing her hands together in glee.