🔶️♤ Avatar: Fire and Ashes ♤🔶️

🔸️Chapter 5🔸️

Things here were going well- much better than he expected.

The people were fascinated by their array of weaponry and showed especial interest in the plethora of human tech they'd brought with them. Not only that, but most all of them were willing to be taught to wield guns- something the other Na'vi clans had adamantly refused.

Of course, like any negotiation, the other side requested a price for their agreement- something in return for their cooperation in the RDA's affairs.

Now it was time for the colonel to do something he hadn't done in a long time.

"No- no, it's okay, its okay,"

Time for a little show and tell

"See, nothing to be afraid of" he said, waving his hand through the hologram image of the snarling, growling beast- his blue fingers poked and impaled through the mighty beast's lean body. The Na'vi surrounding him gawped at him like he'd just grown a second head, their eyes pulled wide and hairless brows hiked up their foreheads- both amazed and disbelieving.

Which was pretty understandable- if he saw someone stick their hands through a solid brick wall he'd probably go get his eyesight checked.

The warriors lowered their daggers and relaxed their shoulders, their slanting ears flicking back up as they stared with intrigue at the hyper-realistic floating 3D model.
It was of one of the forest's many fauna- a terrifyingly large, triangular spear-headed behemoth creature.

Kiwalukan, they called it. Standing fifteen feet tall on three powerful pairs of legs, it was a menacing sight to behold. Its head thrashed and snapped in multiple directions, its huge mouth gaping in a soundless roar. Yellowed teeth flashed a warning and its broad, fan-like tail spread out like a flag behind it. A wordless cry for battle. No wonder the villagers were in a frenzy over it.

The crowd was still wary of the aggressive beast, glancing at it as if it would jump out of the screen and raze through their settlement. One brave young man pushed forward through the mass, eyes hardened with determination. Miles gave an encouraging nod to the teen, goading him to touch it.

Fear flashed over the teen's gaze, but he pursed his lips and continued forward. Crouching down to be level with the tablet, he reached out a lightly trembling hand and poked a single finger through the skull of the kiwalukan. He seemed surprised when nothing happened- but relieved all the same.

And with that, the dam broke and the rest came pouring forwards.

"Hey, easy now. Don't want it to break, do we" The villagers eagerly padded forwards, chattering in awe as they poked blue-grey fingers through the hologram- collaging together Na'vi and animal parts into a peculiar looking, blue-speckled creature. Miles stood from his crouch, a little amused smirk playing out onto his face as he watched them play with the holo-tablet. It was probably gonna break with all those hands on it at once.
Oh well, he thought.

Not many feet away, Lyle was busy enamoring a hustle of Txekamwey youngsters with his speaker.
The man grinned wide as he prized the cylindrical device in his hands, clearly enjoying all the wonderment-wide gazes trailing after it. Then he pressed his finger to the little round button on its side.

The sudden sound caused the adolescents to flinch back a little, pointy ears ticking in the direction of the curious noise. The upbeat tempo appealed to them and they slowly drew closer, ogling the small device with interest.
Then the lyrics kicked in.
The Txekamwey picked up English faster than the teachers could teach it- though it was a little clunky and rough around the edges, it still made the cut.

Rapid-paced sentences, though, were still a work in progress.

The teenagers tilted their heads, flickering their ears in hopes of weeding out words and phrases they understood, their faces hardened with concentration.