Avatar: {Hybrid and Alien]

{81}

When it seemed like Asim was about to impale the tsakarem, a shout told him to stop. Which worked as the tip of the blade hovered just above Veylu's skin.

"STOP!!!" The Ash clan tsahik shouted at the top of her lungs, removing the blade of her knife from being held under Lily's neck and holding it above her. Layontsin continued to hold her spear towards the Ash clan tsahik, who now had a face of desperation. All that rage and vengeful momentum was gone for a brief moment, the tsahik seeing that Asim was not bluffing about killing the only daughter remaining of her family. Layontsin was relieved that the Ash clan tsahik at least had some logic to realize that killing Asim's sister would bring more suffering to her now that the skyperson was about to end Veylu's life right in front of everyone. And she must have realized the other skypeople that surrounded her and were prepared to intervene if something went wrong. Most importantly, Layontsin was grateful for Asim that he stopped at the last second when he saw the tsahik change her mind and raise the knife away from Lily. All these factors led the Ash clan tsahik to shove Lily towards Layontsin and let her go. In turn, Asim moved the blade of his bow-spear away from Veylu and removed his foot from her back, letting her stand up hurriedly and back away from him. Layontsin moved a bit to reach out to Lily and pull her close against her to keep her safe.

When that happened, Asim's group moved back and formed a close formation around their leader, Layontsin and Lily. Veylu kept away from her mother the tsahik, but did not join fully the group that was against the Ash clan tsahik. "Now go. Move away from the farthest reaches of the volcano and the forest. And never return to bother our people." Layontsin said to the tsahik, growling while she continued to point her spear at her. The Ash clan tsahik turned her blind eyes to her daughter, Veylu, and gave a look that beckoned her to accompany her. "Please. Come with me." The Ash clan tsahik said, but the tsakarem shook her head. "No more, mother. I do not want to follow your footsteps any more." Veylu said, with a sad but firm voice. This impacted the Ash clan tsahik as her expression was similar to that of someone impaling her chest, and then her gaze hardened more than before. "Fine then. Get away from them if you don't want to join them in death." the tsahik snarled before she reached with a hand to take something from behind her mantle. It was two things that were made of wood and bone; a spiral-shape horn and a tambourine. Veylu seemed to know what this meant as she tended up, but couldn't prevent her mother from using them. The Ash clan tsahik began to blow on the horn, the sound spreading all over the burned forest and the volcano. There was a long moment of silence before everyone heard the footsteps of some creatures starting to approach from afar. Their presences started to slow down as they arrived in response to the tsahik's horn call, and Layontsin tensed up when she recognized the creatures.

Their red color and shape had no mistaking; these creatures were Lanay'kas. Or Slingers as the skypeople called them.

These creatures were the most dangerous and horrifying in the forest. So much that they were forbidden to be bonded with. They were to be left alone, so they lived their lives preying on unfortunate ones and even those that were deemed sinful by Eywa. And despite all this, Layontsin couldn't believe that a tsahik had the audacity to manage bonding with such disgusting creature, with three of them in total. "Unbelievable...you bonded with those cursed creatures!? How twisted are you?!" Layontsin snarled at the Ash clan tsahik, not taking her eyes off from the three slingers that now stood on each side of the tsahik. "Eywa has gifted me these sons after I lost most of my family to the skypeople. And they have not separated from me ever since. Now...they will fight for me and my clan" the Ash clan tsahik seethed, a small wicked grin twitching in her face. The three slingers slowly stepped forwards, their small dark eyes blankly staring at the group while the tsahik used the shook the tambourine slightly. Layontsin was prepared to fight the creatures, even if she knew that one small mistake could cost her life. However, she was ready to give her life to protect those that mattered to her. Including Asim as she didn't want him to fight anymore and see him take away any more lives. A long time passed, and when the ash clan tsahik was about to make a signal for the slingers to attack, the three creatures then froze and started to step back. This confused Layontsin and those that were with her, seeing that the creatures were not planning to attack and looked rather scared.

The anthro thanator's quills twitched when she sensed something come from behind, and she turned her head around. From the smoke and the fire came slowly the large shape of a direhorse, Kentaro's direhorse, which trotted up to the group and stopped to stand beside them. In the air, the three banshees that belonged to the skypeople descended over to them and landed. And finally, the pack of viperwolves and the thanator came out from the fires to stand beside them and over them. The creatures snarled in fury and intimidation from where they stood, making the slingers back away from the group in more fear. Layontsin was impressed that all of the creatures bonded with the skypeople would come to their aid, cementing her belief even more that Eywa had sent them to help her and the group. The anthro thanator couldn't help but smile a bit as she saw that they have received help. The Ash clan tsahik was seen more bewildered than ever, even the Ash clan na'vi that have survived and were joining behind her.

From their standpoint it was all obvious; one of them made the first move, the whole fighting and carnage started all over again. "Give up. You are outnumbered and with no one else to help you. Leave us, and never even think about harming us. Eywa is no longer with you." Layontsin said to the Ash clan tsahik, the Ash clan remnants looking at the tsahik for her decision. More importantly, their faces indicated that they did not want to fight any more than what they have gone through. The Ash clan tsahik, however, didn't want to give up easily. She glared and gave a snarling command to her three slingers, one of them lunging at Layontsin and the others. The slinger's head detached from its body, streaking towards Layontsin with its venom-filled tip aimed at her heart. Layontsin's chest plunged as she saw that there was no escaping this, but then a dark shape jumped in front of her. It was Asim, and he lunged at the flying head as he swung his knife and sliced the flying head right through the middle. The head squealed for a brief moment before it went dead, the body being cut through in half and falling beside everyone as blood splattered everywhere. The headless body, hearing the short-lived cry from its head, ran at where it was last heard. Yet it didn't get a meter to where everyone was as Asim ran at it full speed and impaled his bow-spear at the creature. The entire weapon impaled the slinger all the way through the other side of its chest, right through the heart. The body waved its talons and claws blindly to try and get Asim, but its life left the creature as its struggles diminished before falling limp. Seeing that the creature was no longer alive, Asim heaved its entire weight aside and pulled out his weapon, his hands covered in more blood than before. The Ash clan tsahik, seeing this execution, stepped back while glaring at Asim with a more hardened face as she saw there was nothing else that could be done. "Don't think sparing me or my daughter will change my mind, you demon monster. You will die soon, mark my words." the tsahik growled, pointing her knife at him. In reply, Asim let out a vicious hiss at her while his eyes didn't stop glowing red.

With that, the tsahik backed away before retreating with her two remaining slingers and the surviving na'vi, into the dark side of the volcano and the forest. They all disappeared into the smoke and ash, their footsteps muffled by the growing distance. Layontsin let out a relieved breath as she saw that the danger has gone away from everyone. However, she tensed when she saw Asim holding up his bow-spear in the air as if he was about to launch it. She didn't know for sure if he was going to throw it at the na'vi that were retreating, but she didn't want to find out. That is why she reached swiftly and grabbed Asim's arms to restrain him. When the anthro thanator did so, the skyperson struggled as he growled and snarled, trying to break free from her hold. "Let go of me!!" Asim demanded angrily in a broken voice, still in a raging state and grieving. Layontsin could understand that the death of Shaka had taken such toll in him, and even saying that he was now alive would make him more in denial of everything. "Please, stop it! I don't want you to become a violent person anymore! More of this violence will bring more of it! It's time to stop! I want to be with you! To be with your sister and your family! But not like this! I don't want you to become a monster!" Layontsin shouted, doing her best to restrain him. Soon her persistence paid off as Asim began to calm down, and Layontsin saw that his eyes slowly returned to normal. When he finally calmed down, his breathing returned to normal and mis muscles softened. The he looked up at her with eyes stained with tears as he finally recognized her voice and her presence. His face full of rage and no forgiveness disappeared slowly and was replaced with an overwhelmed one. "Layontsin..." he said in a trembling voice, now filled with more guilt but not in an aggressive tone anymore. "Yes. It's me." Layontsin said, failing to fight back tears as she saw that Asim had returned to normal before giving him a large hug. He didn't hug her back, which was fine to her as she understood that all that he has done was now coming back to his head. Even without any more tears left in him, Asim began to weep and feel remorse for what he has done.

"It's okay. I'm here for you now. I'm here." Layontsin assured him as she let him pour out his sorrow all out for as long as he needed.