"They have chosen you. Eywa sees you, little human."
"Chosen? Like Harry Potter?"
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In which the daughter of General Ardmore is forced to choose between blood or bond when she falls for the...
CHAPTER FIVE "Preserve and cherish the pale blue dot, the only home we've ever known..."
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MURMURING, CHATTERING, reverberating caws, buzzing, chirping—Nix could hear all of it from the brown cushion she sat on in the corner of the wood-beam platform while recording in her journal.
There was a wide stream down below that currently harbored a family of austrapedes (a mix between a flamingo and ostrich, for reference). Though they didn't have any feathers, just tough orange skin with purple stripes.
Nix was fully engrossed in her observation of them as they weren't a common species to spot, and they especially never trekked anywhere near the RDA campsites or bases. Too many soundsscared them away, and humans were just about one of the noisiest creatures in existence.
Austrapedes are gentle mammals—similar to the prolemuris—that spooked easily which is why Nix was trying to avoid too much movement.
Spider and Lo'ak, on the other hand, were not on the same page. They were chatting up a storm, recalling a memory of when Lo'ak became an ikran rider. And from what Nix gathered by listening in, it took him two attempts to tame a banshee whereas his sister, Kiri, just walked up to hers and asked it to be her friend.
Lo'ak's banshee was perched on the branch of a nearby tree, and Nix couldn't help but admire it. He was a beautiful blue color with brown-and-purple markings, and he radiated a more ludic energy than Neteyam's banshee. He even let out a high squawk as if sharing Lo'ak's excitement during the recounting of his iknimaya.
Though, unfortunately, the blaring noise startled the austrapedes. Nix grimaced as the flightless birds flapped their little wings rapidly before scurrying down the riverbed.
"Hey. Bro." Spider suddenly nudged Lo'ak. "We haven't heard from Neteyam in a while. You think he's okay?"
"I don't know..." Lo'ak paused, glancing at Nix. He then leaned in and spoke in a hushed voice. "Säsyepit peu txo fìpol?"
The air seemed to shift, the mood instantly souring at his question. Nix let out a small sigh as she closed her journal and shoved it inside her bag. She rose to her feet, pulling the strap over her shoulder as she turned to face the two boys.
"I may not be able to understand you, but I do know how to use context clues," she said in no particular manner. "I wouldn't trust a random human either if I were you. But I also wouldn't have traveled the forest alone just to set you up in any way. Coming out here without protection is like a death sentence. I really do just want to help the wildlife here."
The two of them shared a contemplative look. "Oengal oe fpeiyìl poeti tsun mivong," said Spider.
Although Nix couldn't understand him, she knew he'd said something positive from the assured expression he wore.
