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Chapter Text

“Tsamsiyu! You are back,” Minang greeted warmly. She was crouched over a mortar and pestle, grinding down some berries for the zakru. It had been some time since she was last at camp, seeing as she was tsahìk and all. She had been needed up north after a scuffle with the RDA, but now she was back, and she smiled ever so warmly at Taomak.

“Thankfully so,” Taomak sighed, crouching down with the healer. “The hunt was harder than expected.”

“But you were successful, were you not?” She eyed the heavy hide he had brought with him with a playful smile. The hide itself needed to be dried and cured, but it was currently rolled up to display the rich browns, reds and oranges.

Taomak busied himself with helping grind down the berries into a thicker paste, adding a bit of fine dust to the mix. His expression was dark, brows knitted together. “Yes… but it was not fun. Vi’rri made many mistakes, and the txampan (Soundblast Colossus) was highly agitated.” His voice sounded sour as he explained, his frustration from his hunt evident. “She… is simply too inexperienced. At least for txampan.”

“Aw, I did not know you were such a baby, tsamsiyu,” Minang teased.

“I am not.”

“But you failed in helping her hunt properly, did you not? You are more experienced, yes? That means that you teach, and you help. Getting angry about this means you are a big baby.” She laughed a bit to herself, her beads on her outfit clinking against each other as though to make fun of Taomak just as much.

The warrior in question twitched, frustration mixing with a tinge of humiliation. Minang was correct, of course, and that was annoying. Slowing down his berry mashing, Taomak stared into the ground.

“Do not get mad, Taomak,” she gently offered. “We have all been where Vi’rri is, and it does not feel good to disappoint one’s teacher.”

“You are not wrong…”

He sighed heavily, apparently finished with his idle mashing. He wasn’t mad at Vi’rri, not really, he was just frustrated over how long it had taken to track down the txampan and how hard it had been to take her down. A lot of na’vi had needed some of the hide, even Kìn had specifically asked for a part of it with extra colour. And Nesim had wanted the horn as well to make a new spear thrower with. There was a lot of pressure on him, and it had bubbled over at how inefficient his friend had been. It was not Vi’rri’s fault at all.

“I know I am not,” she sniffed, playfully taking on an offended tone.

“Agh, do not start with that. You know well that I will not entertain such nonsense – even if you are the tsahìk.” But Taomak was smiling slightly, which Minang saw. “Regardless,” he continued, trying to change the subject. “I suppose I should apologise to her.”

“You suppose…” Minang rolled her eyes. “Tsamsiyu, you will find yourself dead if you continue being such a baby. Be a grown man and talk to her properly, will you not?” She hopped over to him then, swatting at him to leave her tent to find his friend instead.

“Okay, okay, no need to treat me like this. It is abuse. I will tell on you to Nesim.”

“Hah! As if she would take your side. Go!”

Taomak practically jumped out of the tent, the heavy hide now slung onto his back. Why did the tsahìk have to be so blunt with him? Did he not deserve to be coddled sometimes? Were they not friends?

Perhaps it was because they were friends that she was like this.

Sleeping zakru surrounded Taomak as he made his way further into camp, hide bearing heavy on him just as his guilt was now doing. For once, the big beasts’ snoring didn’t seem to calm him down. His nerves ran high and for a second, he agreed that maybe he was a big baby after all.

No, I am not, he conquered.

A grumbling warrior found his way to the living area, squinting a bit to try and find Vi’rri among the other na’vi. But Vi’rri was nowhere to be seen.

He found Solali instead, a Direhorse rider who often helped Taomak in making his weapon modifications, and sat down the heavy hide next to her. She was nibbling on some seed bread, eyes suspicious of her fellow hunter.

“What do you want, Tao…”

“You wound me with such eyes, Solali. I’m looking for Vi’rri.”

She squinted even harder at him now, knowing something he didn’t. “Well, she is out.”

“Out?”

“That is what I said.”

Taomak didn’t have patience for this. “Please? I need to talk to her.” He pouted slightly at Solali, his pupils growing bigger for added emotional manipulation. “To apologise…”

“Ew, do not look at me this way, it is creepy.” She snarled, her tail whipping around to smack him on the arm.

“Pretty please?”

“Only if you leave me be.”

“Well, of course,” he placated.

“She took pa’li (Direhorse) out towards the Celebration Arches. Said she needed some good fireseeds and some time to think.” Solali landed her gaze on the txampan hide, a faint grin ghosting her face. Taomak caught it immediately, pride blooming in his chest. The Soundblast Colossus had been quite mature after all. A worthy challenge for all hunters of the Upper Plains. “But be nice to her, she is in a mood,” she supplied.

Taomak practically beamed et her, thanking her immensely and letting her know whom he had given the Colossus meat to so that Solali could have some herself. The other hunter acknowledged it with a smile as he left.

He quickly went back to the Hunter Tent to drop off the hide before he found a pa’li himself to ride towards the arches.

***

The sun was starting to set when Taomak rode down a hill and into the Celebration Valley. The constant drumming of hooves underneath him was invigorating, and the beautiful view did nothing to slow his beating heart. He felt truly alive here on the Upper Plains.

He followed the kites southward, using a well-known trail through bushes and tall grass, which eventually led him down a level. The top of the canyon was covered in lush flora, but as it opened up further down, the river thundered. It was fast-moving and merciless, making its snaked journey towards the Kinglor forest.

A cold spray of water hit Taomak square in the face then, throwing him slightly off the path and scaring some poor Arrow Deer. They yipped in fear as they ran away, and Taomak found himself apologising profusely in his mind.

But a short minute or so later he found himself at a little resting area, bright fabrics wound together with sticks to block some of the relentless wind from the plains. He got off the Direhorse and looked around. There were discarded fabrics rolled up by some rocks to keep them from blowing away, and a few empty baskets around as well. But so far, no Vi’rri.

Taomak yipped loudly, not unlike a warrior’s call, trying to get the attention of anyone nearby. He waited, listening to the wind drag through the grass, the whistling of an Aeolian flute somewhere nearby. He yipped again.

And he was met with a matching noise from far away. He looked around to search for the source and found it soon as a mighty ikran (Banshee) flew towards where he stood. Vi’rri’s red hair poked over the head of her bonded, blending into the orange and yellow tones in his hide. His name was Txeptun, meaning fire orange.

Vi’rri got off her ikran then, panting slightly from her flight.

She was taller than Taomak, but she was younger by a few years. She had only recently bonded with her ikran, something that Nesim wouldn’t normally have allowed before completing a “coming-of-age” journey. But Vi’rri showed fierce bravery which the olo’eykte had respected.

Plus, she had pestered for days on end.

“I wanted to talk to you, Vi’rri- “

“No time. I found more sky people activity. They’re getting closer to The Circle.”

Taomak frowned at the news, tail immediately swishing back and forth. “Where?” He asked, deciding to put the apology to the back of his mind for the time being.

“I saw them on the east side of the arches. There was a huge drill thing making much noise and scaring the animals away.” Her voice was laced with acid as she spoke, anger riling up in her and boiling dangerously. She had not yet actually been in a fight, something Taomak had. And Taomak did not want her to be careless.

“Okay…” He sighed, racking his brain for what to do. Was he supposed to be her friend, or was he supposed to be her mentor and warrior of the clan? “What is the first step?” He decided on asking instead.

“Well… we should report to Nesim.” The air around her was charged, anger contorting her face. Taomak noticed then that she had put on some makeshift warrior paint on her face, yellow and red to match with her ikran. “But… I think we should get rid of them now.”

“You think or you want?”

She fumed at that, staring daggers at her friend. They had protocols for this, and Taomak just had to be the party pooper to remind her.

“Want… But how bad can it go? There were only a few of them, only two in those metal suits.” She spat the word ‘metal’.

“Report properly, Vi’rri,” Taomak said, his warrior discipline taking over.

“Ugh, fine.” She cleared her throat and stood as straight as possible, but arms crossed in defiance. She hated doing things the proper way, much to Taomak’s dismay. “About 8-10 sky people, two of which were in AMP suits. I saw at least one sniper close by, but there could be more hiding. The drill had two generators supplying energy, with a control panel presumably in one of their tents.”

“Good. Now what do you suggest we do?”

“We should report to Nesim to get a proper party out to destroy the base with minimal na’vi casualties. It seems possible to destroy the drill either manually with the generators, or via the control panel. But that would mean finding someone with tech knowledge.”

“Which we do not have right now.”

“No, we do not. Therefore, my proposed plan is to aim for the generators and take out the sky people.”

Taomak smiled at Vi’rri, glad she at least was able to bother to do things properly. “Good report. Now let’s get back to Nesim to gather a party.”

Vi’rri grew quiet then, her mouth pressed in a thin line. Taomak had a feeling he knew why.

“It is dangerous to fight them. They have bullets, we do not. You get hit once in the head and you’re dead. Nesim would not send you to your death, which is a good thing.”

“But I want to fight, Tao. How can I prove to her that I am worthy if she never lets me fight them? For how long will I be sat on the sidelines watching?”

“Vi’rri… Do you think I am going to send you to your death?”

***

Taomak was fuming. He had reasoned, he had argued, he had appealed to Vi’rri with emotions, but none had worked. She had simply stated that if he were to not join her right now, she would go in alone. What was he supposed to do, leave her to her own vices? Let her get shot?

Of course not. And Vi’rri, the stubborn ass that she was, knew this. Taomak would of course be in so much trouble with Nesim and Minang when they got back, but maybe not as much if he was able to keep his companion alive. Only time and archery skills would tell how incredibly fucked he was.

He was hissing in frustration the entire ride over to the little outpost, trying his hardest to convince his friend to go home.

“Will you be quiet- “

“Will you follow protocol and let me go get others?” Taomak’s tail was swishing back and forth, and the pa’li he was riding was skittish and anxious. “You are not trained in sky people combat.”

“Which is why I need the experience. I am good with my bow, but even better with my spear thrower.”

She said it in a matter of fact like tone, which pissed Taomak off even more. He was angry and anxious, unsure of how to extract the both of them from this situation. Sure, he might be able to get out of an RDA fight by himself, but he wasn’t very good at shielding others. He was often dependent on other na’vi being able to hold their ground.

Vi’rri, who had not shown great interest or talent in hunting, would not be able to keep herself alive.

Their horses slowed down as they picked up noise from the small outpost. The drill Vi’rri had mentioned was droning on, but they weren’t close enough yet to look for weak spots. Small sky people chatter was heard over the wind and rustling grass.

The sun had set by now, drenching the entire plains in mostly darkness. Grass bent under the soft wind, illuminating the ground in waves in front of them. Vi’rri had crouched down into the taller grass, beckoning Taomak over.

“Okay, so,” she started in a whisper. “The sniper I saw was over on that side.” She pointed towards an outcropping of stone, and sure enough, Taomak could just about make out a shape hidden in the grass. The sky people were not good at keeping their lights off at night, and so there was a small flash of reflected light from the scope.

“Yeah, I see it.”

“There were normal AMP suits from what I could tell…” And almost perfectly timed, one of the big metal death suits stomped its way to the outskirts of the outpost, showing off its weak points. “Yeah, those ones.”

“Do you know where to aim?” Taomak asked, a dark calm washing over him as he steeled himself into his warrior role. He had started to plan, to strategize.

“No…”

When the big AMP suit turned around, he quickly gestured to some boxes at the back. “They are power reserves, I believe. Small targets, but effective, nonetheless. You will not take them on.”

Vi’rri frowned at that, ears pointed downward in frustration.

“It is non-negotiable. I have dealt with them before; I know how to take them out somewhat quickly. You focus on those without suits.”

“Okay,” she breathed.

“Okay?”

“Well… I trust your judgement.”

Oh… well, that felt… hmm. He didn’t know how he felt about that. Proud? Annoyed? Happy? It was hard to tell. If she trusts me so much, why not take my advice to get back-up?

“Sneak around to take out that sniper, then quietly get rid of the rest.” Taomak readied his heavy bow, a small horse trinket dangling on the riser. “When I hit the first AMP suit, it will most likely explode and alert the rest. Be careful of the second one.”

“Should I go for the sniper first then? Let you know with a signal?”

Taomak raised his eyebrows in surprise. “Good idea. Go for a winzaw (Arrow Deer) yip.”

The two of them shared a nervous look before Vi’rri snuck off towards the little outcropping. Taomak, in turn, went the other way, trying to get a better view. One of the AMP suits seemed to patrol a specific area close by, thankfully.

He sat in the grass crouched down, counting his arrows quickly to make a mental note for when the action began and he needed to keep count. Taomak was good at ranged combat, but he was… dreadful at close-ranged battle. If he could take them out from far away, then that would be best.

For a while, all he heard was his own quickened breath, but then the winzaw yip came once. He didn’t have a view of the outcropping from where he was sitting, so he couldn’t confirm if that had been Vi’rri. He decided to wait for a second one.

And it came soon after.

Okay, he thought. Go time.

Taomak moved gracefully through the grass, avoiding the AMP’s field of view entirely and placing himself in the needed position. He drew in his bow, the string stretching and stretching.

Breathing in slowly, time came to a halt as he lined up his shot.

Swish – BOOM!

The metal suit exploded, and the hunter was off again. Alerted to danger, the sky people were shouting across the little field to figure out what was going on. The second AMP suit was guarding the generator close to where Taomak thought Vi’rri was.

He ran as swiftly – and stealthily – as he could, drawing his bow a second time.

Swish – thud!

It had hit the side close to the weak spot. He readied another arrow immediately; the AMP suit having turned around to scan for him. It readied its own weapon, but Taomak was quicker, releasing an arrow that went straight through the glass and piercing through the sky person’s chest. The suit fell with a heavy clunk.

“Aiya-yah!” Vi’rri had her spear thrower out, releasing her ammo at any human in her path. Those that were caught off guard at least got a quick death, but there were a few that scattered around boxes or shelter to hide. Taomak caught some of them, killing them with his arrows. The other na’vi had resorted to simply kicking them to death when they got too close to her before she had readied a new set of ammo in her spear thrower.

The scattered gunshot noises soon died down, a calm washing onto the field.

Vi’rri was breathing heavily, as was Taomak, and she turned to him with a bright smile. “Did you see that- “

A thunderous crack sounded through the air, quickly followed by a whizzing sound as a bullet passed by Taomak and hitting Vi’rri.

The warrior immediately turned around. An arrow was notched. He fired.

His face was that of pure terror and fury, eyes feral as they locked onto the person in front of him. Whoever it was had majorly fucked up.

It felt like forever until the arrow hit its target, the body falling limply to the ground. Dead. With his heart caught in his throat, he steeled himself to see the worst. A bleeding Vi’rri. A lifeless Vi’rri.

But she was sat on her knees and clutching the side of her head. Her eyes were wide, her breathing quick. She was just as shocked as Taomak.

Blood trickled through her fingers and Taomak felt the ground sweep away from him.

“V…Vi’rri?” His voice wavered. Hell, his vision did too. Oh, he felt so sick. Vi’rri was shot. Vi’rri was shot.

He quickly got her on her feet, dragging her into a tent for cover. The small machineries from the sky people hummed lowly, some fans whirring. Vi’rri’s hands were covered in blood by now, her chest heaving.

“Does it hurt?” He found a small med kit and opened it, taking out what he had learned was disinfectant and bandage. But his hands fumbled, things falling on the ground and getting dirtied. Taomak couldn’t even see at this point, panic overtaking him and tears stinging in his eyes.

Instead, he held onto her to make sure she was still there. She was still warm. She was still moving.

“Tao!” He hadn’t even realised that Vi’rri had tried to talk to him. He looked up at her. Her ear was bleeding. It was a small gash. Far from the head. She was fine. She was okay. “I’m okay,” she said, hands steadying the both of them as they sat crouched in this sky people’s tent. “I’m okay.”

All he could do was try to even out his breathing. The initial shock of her getting hurt was fading like a dull ache.

This had never happened before. Not even when he was a small teenager and learning to hunt for the first time. And most certainly not during a fight with the sky people. He had never – never ever – been so caught off guard and so… in shock.

He let out a relieved hiss, punching the ground. “Never do that again! Never! You wait for Nesim! YOU STAY SAFE!”

Vi’rri moved back as though she had been slapped, unsure what to do. “I- “

“We patch you up and then we go straight to the olo’eykte. This is all my fault.” Taomak was muttering to himself as he picked up what he had dropped. He cleaned his friend up as best he could, wrapping bandage around her head. He didn’t know what to do, though. He was… bad at this. Inexperienced or ignorant he didn’t know, but he wasn’t prepared for this.

They sat in the tent for a little while longer, Taomak trying to calm down.

“The generator…” Vi’rri tried.

“It- it can wait. Are you… okay? Are you in pain?”

“I am okay, Tao. I am not in pain- “

Vi’rri was tackled in a hug. “Ma’eylan,” he said. “You are stupid and reckless.”

“Ouch.”

“So so so stupid. But you did okay.”

Vi’rri let out a surprised ‘oh’, returning the hug. Taomak rarely called her ‘ma’eylan’ (my friend) since he felt it was too intimate and too formal at the same time. He used it when he was sincere, however.

And then she tensed. “Tao- look!”

He turned around, first unsure of what she was referring to. But then –

On the sky people’s computer was the face of a na’vi. But not just any na’vi. “Oh, Eywa.” Taomak stared in disbelief at the image. The na’vi had short hair and one of those sky people ‘caps’ on his head. But what was so important wasn’t all that, it was the mark on his left cheek.

“The Sarentu… Tao…”

He felt his chest tighten again. The Sarentu. His… clan. His family. There were more of them. And they were with the sky people? Why were they with the sky people?

Chapter Text

Taomak had jumped off his horse, angrily stomping into camp. The night guards alerted the rest of the na’vi of his arrival, presumably because he and Vi’rri had been gone for so long without notice. He didn’t care. It didn’t matter.

Solali ran up to him with a worried look on her face, hands touching his arms and shoulders as she took in his appearance. Taomak had no idea how bad it looked, but he felt nothing wrong.

“Are you okay? What happened? Where’s Vi’rri?”

But she didn’t stay by his side for long, her attention moving to the na’vi running up behind him – Vi’rri. Her cousin. Blood related. Solali immediately left him to check up on Vi’rri instead, not even waiting for Taomak’s response.

Fine, he thought. If that’s how it is, then fine. And he tried to convince himself that whatever churning pit that had opened in his stomach was unrelated to Solali’s abandonment. He would, of course, never feel sad or annoyed that someone prioritised other na’vi over himself. Of course not. That would be silly.

Taomak forged ahead, hands gripping his bow even harder than before. Anger was rising up in him again, manifesting as hunched shoulders and a stiff gait.

He briefly noticed Kìn approach but then he stopped instead. Taomak’s breath hitched. He cursed inwardly.

“Taomak!” Nesim’s voice was controlled, but in that way where you could tell she was absolutely pissed. She came into Taomak’s view, but he continued ahead, eyes trained at the Conference Tent. He was fuming as well, thoughts full of alternate scenarios and what-ifs.

A hand gripped his shoulder hard then, forcing him to stop in his tracks, both mentally and physically. Nesim’s grip was always painful.

“You listen when I speak, tsamsiyu, or have you forgotten who is in charge?” Her eye was laced with anger, probably mimicking his own emotion.

With brows knit together, Taomak answered, “I have not forgotten.”

“Well, it seems you have. Would you like to fill me in on why I got a report back from one of the scouts saying you took Vi’rri out to fight sky people. All on your own, might I add?” She never usually spoke this much without a break.

But Taomak only closed his eyes, head bowed down. If it was out of shame or some sort of respect for his elder – and leader – he didn’t know. He was trying so hard to control his breathing.

Faint thoughts stirred in him asking about where Vi’rri was, but most of his mental image at the moment was a blurry mix of anger, annoyance, sadness and hope. He was absolutely seething at the fact that Vi’rri had forced his hand to fight the RDA without backup. Again, he knew very well he could survive such a scuffle on his own, but it was so incredibly hard to also look out for someone else as well. And Vi’rri was only 17, she didn’t know how to properly hunt even! What had he been thinking?!

But there was also that small tinge of hope blossoming in him. His eyes hadn’t lied to him, he didn’t think. Vi’rri had seen it too. That face, that na’vi, that mark. It had been unmistakable.

A real Sarentu.

A Sarentu that wasn’t him.

Taomak had been alone for so long, songs having started to fade from his memories, traditions he never got to experience tasting bitter on his tongue. His parents had left him with as much knowledge as possible for a little child to understand, and Kìn and the other elders were great help in remembering certain things, but he was so… awfully alone. Not once did he truly feel like a proper Sarentu, him mostly staying in one place for his entire life was proof of that. Him not being able to have fulfilled most of his clan’s traditions or celebrations were also proof of that. Hell, even his songcord was lacking Sarentu beads and Sarentu songs. They were almost all Zeswa.

He was a stranger in the home of the Upper Plains’ na’vi, playing some sort of character trying to fit in. But no one wanted him, he felt. Did he even really have that many friends? And would they even choose him first?

He… didn’t think so. Maybe Vi’rri, but no one else came to mind.

“Tsamsiyu…?” Nesim’s anger seemed stalled for a moment, worry lining her eye more than disappointment. “Are you okay?”

“Yes, yes,” he breathed, hands rubbing his temples. He was tired now that the adrenaline was starting to fade from the fight. From… Vi’rri’s accident. “What did you say?”

All he wanted to do right now was to lay down on the ground and let it swallow him.

“Report. What happened?”

And so Taomak relayed to Nesim what had happened. He told most of the truth, of how Vi’rri had found a drilling outpost and how the number of sky people had been low enough to even try to attempt taking it on alone. He skipped the part of Vi’rri coercing him into letting her fight, framing the incident as his own fault. Nesim didn’t show much emotion apart from some stoic anger or whatever it was, but Taomak couldn’t care. Punishment or not, he wanted to sleep.

“I tried patching her up with what I had, but you know how bad I am at it. We then destroyed the generators and left for camp.”

Silence stretched on for a bit. There were other na’vi around, listening in on the drama. Tomorrow was sure to be filled with gossip and staring gazes. Kìn came up behind Taomak, gently resting a hand on his shoulder. He smiled pitifully at the tired warrior.

“That was incredibly irresponsible of you, Taomak- “

“I know.”

“You are Vi’rri’s mentor- “

“I know.”

Nesim stared Taomak square in the eyes, mouth in a tight line. “You broke protocol. You endangered yourself and your mentee. You…” It looked like it pained her to keep eye contact as she steeled herself for the next part. “For these reasons, I have no choice but make sure you learn from this mistake. You are forbidden to go out with hunting groups.” Taomak sucked in a breath, face unmoving and unwavering. “And I mean a total ban for a whole month. No hunting, no fighting, no riding.”

The ground beneath Taomak shook, perhaps ready to swallow him like he’d wanted. He felt hot tears press against his eyes, but he held them back. His knuckles whitened as he gripped his bow tight.

A total ban on riding, hunting and fighting. Everything that the Zeswa prided themselves on, everything that Taomak prided himself on, was taken away from him just like that.

Only for a month, he had to reassure himself.

“Additionally, you are to keep night watch on the camp for three days.”

“Is that all?” He pressed the words out through gritted teeth. Nesim stared him down, but he didn’t meet her gaze. He was focused on a particular grain of sand underneath him.

“That is all. You are dismissed.”

He didn’t need to be told twice. Taomak angrily stomped away, thoughts an even bigger mess than before. Night watch… three nights in a row. No pa’li riding. A scream was building up inside him, like a wave sloshing around with nowhere to go but out his mouth.

But it died down. It had to. How childish would he have to be to get so angry about this that he’d throw a tantrum.

“Taomak- “

“What now!”

Minang frowned, displeased with Taomak’s reaction. “Patch yourself up, child.” Her tone was awfully chill. “Your arm is bleeding.”

Oh.

“I-I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to shout.”

“Make sure you take care of yourself, Taomak. Nesim might be angry now, but she will calm down eventually. If you show her you’ve respected her decision – and kept to it as well – I’m sure she will be lenient with that month.”

He couldn’t bear to meet Minang’s eyes. And he hated it. What warrior shied away from pressure, from a fight? This was clearly an issue with him and how he dealt with his emotions. He’d have to toughen up.

“And tsamsiyu? You are brave for covering for Vi’rri. I know the situation must’ve been hard for you.” She said no more and left Taomak stranded.

There were just too many thoughts and emotions inside of him. He had no idea how to keep his head afloat in all the mess, and one of the people capable of carrying him to shore had just turned her back on him, albeit unknowingly.

Any chance of Taomak catching some shut eye was gone, and he painstakingly dragged himself to one of the lookout posts situated at the edge of camp. The tent fabrics were flapping in the wind as the vast expanse of the plains clutched at him. It wanted him away from camp, away from people. Hands and brambles and thorns dragging him away, away, away. So far away that no one could ever find him.

It took some time for him to get back to the present, to ground himself again, but he eventually blinked away the thought. He had responsibilities here.

Nearing the end of his first night shift, Kìn sat down next to Taomak. He had brought healing balm and makeshift bandages, but he said nothing as he cleaned up Taomak’s wound. It wasn’t as though the wound was big. It wasn’t bad, per se. He had bled and he had moved more than he probably should have, but nothing that a few nights wouldn’t fix. Maybe it would even scar.

Taomak sort of… hoped it would. Proof of a battle and whatnot.

When Kìn was done patching him up, they continued to sit in silence. The sun was starting to make an appearance on the horizon, painting the sky in purples and fiery oranges. Taomak couldn’t help but get lost in those wonderful shades.

“Did something happen?”

“Excuse me?”

“Other than what you told Nesim…” Kìn, oh, Kìn. Ever the perceptive man. Of course he would notice something off with Taomak. Hadn’t they spent days and weeks and months and years together at this point, talking about the Sarentu, about his parents and other family members from before…  “If it is something personal, this old man understands.”

Taomak was sitting down, legs dangling off the boulder he was on, and his head firmly planted in his hands. He had looked incredibly bored before Kìn had opened his mouth to talk. But now… now he was biting on his lip and tapping his fingers to his temple.

The old man gently gazed at him, a soft smile tugging at his tired face.

“Yes, actually… something did.” And as much as Taomak wanted to hold back a bit, preferring to chew this over in his mind until he had a proper well-thought-out plan to follow, everything seemed to just burst forth like a broken dam. Words tumbled out at an incredible speed, a story of finding out there were Sarentu alive mixing with his thoughts about the matter. Kìn was patient and lent a listening ear, not once betraying his own emotions.

“And I don’t even really know what to do! He was clearly with the RDA, and I do not understand how someone can- can stand behind such atrocities. But… he had the mark! And would it not be, you know, my duty to at least talk to him? Maybe he knows more about the death of my parents? Or just the Sarentu in general?”

“Wow,” Kìn breathed. “I will admit, that is a lot. Why did you not tell Nesim? I’m sure she would have been kinder with your punishment if she knew.”

“What warrior hides behind an excuse to lessen a rightful punishment? I made a mistake, and I will deal with the consequences as Nesim wishes. Making that decision harder because of my personal wants is selfish.” Taomak didn’t understand why he felt so defensive about this. The Sarentu were his clan, his family, after all.

“Maybe… but have you considered that… we all miss them?” Kìn was staring towards the horizon, eyes clouding over with old memories of a lost people. It struck Taomak hard. Of course he had considered it… slightly. But it hurt a bit more to hear it voiced. 

He had to look away, for fear of the elder noticing his eyes becoming glassy again. He, too, missed them dearly. Maybe even more so than everyone else. He missed his sa’nok and his sempul (mother & father).

His mother’s laughter was still lingering in the meadows, and his father’s chuckles could still be heard in the buckling streams. Their smiles had warmed Taomak like the sun, and he felt his chest tighten so hard he almost forgot how to breathe.

“I…” He took a grounding breath before continuing, “I want to find him. Or them, if there are more.”

“I doubt anyone would stop you, Tao.”

***

The following day was uneventful. Taomak slept for most of it, ignoring the world like a hormonal teenager. No one checked on him either, perhaps giving him space or ignoring him. He didn’t know and he didn’t care.

When night fell again, he almost expected Kìn to arrive again. Or even Minang. But no, not a soul. He sat by himself, staring into the darkness for hours on end. Every once in a while, he got up to grab some snacks. Fried cloud spitter seeds were tasty enough when there was nothing else to eat.

The wound on his arm, Taomak belatedly realised, had been surprisingly deep. It had bled a lot while he had slept, and he had needed to change the dressing multiple times. It looked to have been a gunshot wound, one that had grazed past his bicep at just the right angle to not do too much damage. He found himself to often stim a bit with the dressing too.

And so the second night passed uneventful as well.

During the following day, when Taomak was lost in his thoughts yet again, Solali crept up behind him. “Heyyyy…” She smiled, walking with the other hunter towards the hammock he had claimed the previous day.

“If Vi’rri wants to talk, she should come to me herself.”

Solali laughed a bit nervously, scratching at her face so that the red paint flaked off. A few of her braids had come undone since he had last seen her. “Haha, yeah… I know. I just… she is not holding up so great.”

“Oh?” Taomak’s heart ached. He had been too scared to check up on her, afraid of how she would’ve reacted to this whole incident. He couldn’t take it if she was angry at him for covering for her, but he also probably should be there for her if she wasn’t doing too well. Taomak remembered his first injury during a stormy hunt, and it had left him… hollowed out for weeks. “What’s wrong?”

“She’s not eating anything, and she keeps… I don’t know – she keeps staying up for hours and hours without any rest.”

Taomak frowned, “That doesn’t sound good. Have you tried calming her down? Eat with her?”

“Yeah, but nothing me or Woai does is helping. Her mother arrived today after hearing the news, so I hope she will eat something before the end of the day.”

“Noka’pe is here? I thought she was up north to gather ingredients for her next batch of cheese?”

“Well, her daughter was injured.”

They shared a look, Taomak’s anxiety growing ever so slightly. His mouth was pressed tight, head bowed down. He needed to sleep before his last night shift.

“Tell her to come by tonight. I’ll make sure she eats something.”

Solali hesitantly smiled at him, placing a hand on Taomak’s shoulder as a sign of gratitude. “Thank you, Tao. You’re the only one she listens to.”

Not nearly enough, though, he thought.

***

Taomak had prepared his favourite meal – glazed meat skewers. It was speared meat roasted on a fire, later glazed with nectar and topped with crunchy seeds. It was truly a wonderful meal. And even better to share.

Whatever Vi’rri was going through, however, he wasn’t quite sure how to handle. He was still mad at her, but he was also feeling the effects of the incident himself. He thought it might eat at Vi’rri as well. Taomak frowned at the thought, displeased that things had turned out this way. If only life on the Upper Plains was more peaceful.

He had to toughen up. This wasn’t the time to be butthurt.

A short hour or two after Taomak had started is third, and last, night shift, he heard Vi’rri’s hesitant steps sneak up behind him. He turned around to take a good look at her and – jeez.

Her appearance was that of a sleepless corpse; eyes sunken in, darkened and red-rimmed all the same. The way she held herself reminded Taomak of when his mother was grieving the death of her brother, but he quickly shook away that memory.

He patted the ground next to him and Vi’rri took it. She truly was in an awful state. Even worse than Taomak.

“Are you okay?” There was silence for a long time, something that made Taomak worry. He still owed her an apology for how he had acted during their hunt together, but he didn’t know if now was the best time.

He offered up his skewered meat, insisting silently when Vi’rri refused at first. She took it with an eye roll and held it in her lap.

“Let me tell you a story.” Her ears perked up a bit at the suggestion, betraying some part of Vi’rri’s feelings. She looked conflicted when she realised Taomak had noticed. Taomak smirked a bit as he continued, “It is from the Clouded Forest, if I remember correctly.

“It goes like this,” he started. “Long ago, the stealthy mimikyun (Echo Stalker) was selfish and greedy. He took whatever he saw and wreaked havoc on anyone who opposed his mighty power. He wasn’t sleek or thin back then, no, he was big and chunky, stomping around the Clouded Forest to show off. Whenever his gaze landed on something, he had to take it. Everyone in the forest was terrified of him.” Taomak was nibbling a bit on his skewer in between sentences, trying to drag Vi’rri’s curiosity forth.

And successfully so. “Well, continue then,” she sulked.

“Only if you eat your food.”

“Fine.” She angrily took a bite of the food, staring daggers at Taomak to urge him to continue.

“Anyway, the trees started whispering between each other, condemning the behaviour of the mimikyun. They wanted to stop him but didn’t know how. But then, there was a sly syìl (Meer Deer) who came up with an idea. They needed to blind the mimikyun so that he could never take what he could see. At first, the trees and bushes were horrified at the idea, but the forest kept getting ravaged by this awful creature.”

“Wait, I thought mimikyun were always blind?”

“Ah, well, not at the beginning. Not before the first songs. Listen to the story, Vi’rri.” She promptly shut her mouth to continue the story. “Because of how vicious this creature was, the forest eventually decided to trick him. They set up a trap, using some belongings of the syìl to lure in the target. And of course, the mimikyun would come barging in, loud and boisterous, snatching up whatever it saw. Only this time, he was smoke bombed in the eyes.

“His eyes melted and clouded over, never to see anything ever again. Since he could not take anything anymore, he had to learn how to hunt to survive. He slowly slimmed down as he learned to survive without his sight. He lost his greed and was thankful for anything he could find. Over time, his hearing became exceptional, his body become lithe, and he learned to sneak around.

“One day, he was given a vision by Eywa, a vision predicting a great catastrophe. He felt he ought to tell someone, but no one believed him at first. He pleaded and begged for them to listen, but they wouldn’t. He was a mimikyun after all, and they were all deceiving, lying bastards.

“When the day came for the supposed tragedy, a storm was raging. Thunder and lightning, rain and strong winds fell upon the once quiet forest. The mimikyun was ravaging left and right, scaring everyone away from the foot of the mountain. Typical mimikyun, they all thought. But then a loud noise was heard from the mountain, and a huge avalanche thundered down and buried the him alive.

“No one else had been hurt except from the mimikyun, and the whole forest had been stunned at this sacrifice. How had he known? Why had they not listened? Why do such a thing?

“They held a memorial for him and swore to never doubt a mimikyun again. From then on, all mimikyun were born blind, forcing them to be humble of nature. But in return, they became prophets and Seers of the future, helping the forest navigate catastrophes.”

Vi’rri sat with her fully eaten skewer in her lap, frowning at the ground. “Why did the mimikyun change so quickly? Why care about the beings it once ravaged?”

“The story is supposed to symbolise second chances. That no matter how badly you mess up, you can still change. In the case of the mimikyun, it was too late to be forgiven while he was alive, but the forest did forgive him in the end.

“My sa'nok once told me that the Kame’tire also use the mimikyun as inspiration in their plays. A blind and prophetic character, one that isn’t easily deceived by surface appearances.”

“Are you trying to tell me that you forgive me then or am I stupid.”

Taomak had to laugh a bit at that. He supposed it was both apology and forgiveness. He fiddled with his fingers as he said, “Yes. I am still mad, do not get me wrong, but I slightly forgive you.”

“Slightly? Hah! Then I slightly forgive you for cussing me out when you took me out hunting!” Vi’rri elbowed him in the side, something she received back tenfold. The two of them then devolved in a brawling match, the outcome pre-destined to be Vi’rri due to Taomak’s awful hand-to-hand combat skills. But that didn’t mean he didn’t try his damnedest at winning.

Vi’rri won.

The both of them laid sprawled on the ground, panting and sweating.

“I hate you,” Taomak grunted.

“I hate you more,” Vi’rri countered.

They laid like that for a while and stared at the stars above them. They twinkled playfully at them.

“I… I thought you died.” He didn’t know why he was exposing his thoughts like this. He didn’t want her to know this part of him.

“Oh…”

“I expected to see you there… lifeless.”

Vi’rri sat up, brows pinched together in a painful expression. “I am so sorry, Tao. I… I know we have protocols for a reason. I should have listened to you.”

“You should have. I was appointed as your mentor for a reason.” Everything she did would have some consequence directed at him exactly because of this. Until she went through the rite of passage, he was responsible for her. If she had died… he didn’t know what he would have done.

“I’m sorry. I will do better.”

“Mn.”

“So, are we good?”

A weight on Taomak’s shoulders lifted slightly. “Yeah, we’re good.”

Chapter Text

With part of his punishment lifted, Taomak had gone up to Nesim to ask for permission to search an old RDA base. The olo’eykte had seemed suspicious at first, but the hunter had promised to stay far away from fights. If there were signs of sky people, he would come right back and report to her.

“Why this sudden interest in their metal bases?” She was currently whittling down some sticks to use for new arrows. “And especially now when you are forbidden from fighting?”

“It is… personal, Nesim. I am searching for something important. I will let you know about it after I have found it.”

Taomak really didn’t want to get her hopes up about the Sarentu before he could at least figure out where they were or their affiliation with the RDA. He reckoned it would only frustrate her more than she already was.

And… a part of him wanted to do this himself.

“Hm, very well. Take Fa’zak with you. She is to report to me if you break the rules of your punishment.”

“… Understood.”

Fa’zak was… not a hunter. Nor a warrior. She once loved to craft beautiful kites for the clan along with her mate, but now she took care of the zakru. She was still grieving the loss of her lover, and Taomak was worried if that would make it difficult to get things done. He understood that Nesim didn’t want him and Vi’rri to get up to more trouble, but bringing Fa’zak…

Although she was grief ridden, easily irritable and tired, Taomak supposed she was not the worst na’vi Nesim could have chosen.

If for example Noka’pe was going with him, he would be too tense and awkward to do anything regarding his mission. Which was really such a shame. She had been his guardian at one point, raising him along with Vi’rri. But she had been strict and cold to him, never treating him like her child, only a child. And so now their relationship was strained at best.

Fa’zak was sitting around the small watering hole in the Pa’li Grounds, softly speaking to one of the horses. She turned to Taomak when she heard him come near, smirking playfully at him.

“Taomak,” she announced. “I have heard much about your endeavours with the RDA. How are you holding up, tsamsiyu?”

She had lost quite a bit of weight since he last saw her, but her smile was as sharp as ever. She had redone her braids recently and sported new body paint to sharpen her features even more. She was honestly very pretty, Taomak thought. And wearing a newly woven top, he then noticed.

He awkwardly smiled back at her. “Well, I am forbidden from riding and fighting. But otherwise, I am good. How… are you holding up?”

Fa’zak’s smile faltered a bit. “Ah, let us not ruin the mood now. Did you need something?”

Taomak was happy to change the subject. “Yes, actually. Nesim gave me permission to go out to an overgrown sky people’s base, but she told me to bring you. Report back on if I break the rules and whatnot.”

“Hah, the troublemaker gets in trouble, I see. Too bad, though, I will not go.”

“Why? I need you to come with.”

Fa’zak stopped the petting and feeding of the pa’li to stare pointedly at Taomak. “I am to stay here until I feel the need to leave. It is my choice to stay here.” Taomak had to hold her gaze, unsure of how to best approach the retired kite-maker. She hadn’t left camp for months now, scared that Pandora would remind her too much of her mate. And perhaps it would, perhaps that’s all it would ever remind her of, but Taomak was still a bit annoyed.

“Please, it is very important to me.”

“No, I am not going. Find someone else if it is so important.”

“Fa’zak,” Nesim said, coming up to the two of them with her spear thrower in her hand. Taomak stared at it, sad that she would go out hunting without him. Nesim avoided looking at him precisely for that reason. “You are to go join Taomak in whatever it is he has decided to go explore or figure out.”

“Nesim,” she returned in equal tone. “I have stated multiple times that I will stay here until I am ready to leave.”

“It has been months now; you need to get out of here to breathe some fresh air. Feel the wind in your step as your heart beats in sync with Eywa. Your grief cannot stay so stuck in you.”

“I choose how to deal with it.”

“That is fine, but figure it out while looking out for Taomak. That is an order.”

***

“I’m sorry,” Taomak said quietly, trying not to anger the annoyed woman beside him. “Nesim should not have forced you to do this.”

The angry woman walking next to him raised her hand dismissively, closed fist opening to show him her palm. “Do not speak. I am in a foul mood, so please just let us get this over with.”

Well, alright then, he thought. It was going to be a long walk over to where he had left his bonded to hunt. Even longer still now that he had to go by foot. And although he respected Nesim and her judgement, Taomak had to admit it was tempting to run off into the sunrise and get on a pa’li.

Fa’zak kept quiet the entire way over, occasionally lashing out with hisses and grunts if her foot caught on the vegetation or if she was startled by the wildlife. But Taomak couldn’t judge her, being forced to join him like this must be really hard on her.

For some reason, the hunter couldn’t remember the walk being quite this steep or difficult to traverse. As they kept climbing – albeit slowly – in elevation, smooth grass and gravel turned into big, jagged stones. A Direhorse would have been able to freely move about with its six legs, but with Taomak’s four limbs, he was struggling. And he hated to see that Fa’zak was barely out of breath while he was panting heavily.

Where The Circle was mostly flat grasslands, the mountains here were enormous and divine. They cut through the sky with points so sharp it could spear through time itself. Long strands of grass slowly receded into small clumps of heather and moss, morning dew still sitting lazily on the plants. Even through Taomak’s thick ankle guards he could feel the cold water seep through and onto his skin.

But hey, at least he would be able to fly.

He called for his bonded, letting his voice echo against the rocks.

The steady and powerful beating of an ikran’s wings came bounding towards him and Fa’zak as Taomak’s bonded came flying out from one of the floating mountain rocks. Her beautiful pattering was of pinks, reds and yellows, with darker stripes and swirls of a deep purple. Katir, meaning rainbow, fit right in on the plains, blending into the taller grass and the wind bent trees.

Taomak found himself laughing a bit as she landed, a toothy grin stretching out on his face. “Ahaha! Katir!” He came up to her and held her head between his hands. “Oh, how I have missed you. Are you well, sister?”

Katir made a shrill noise signifying contentment, her eyes almost glinting playfully at her bonded. She nuzzled up to Taomak a bit, ready for new adventures with him.

“Is your bonded here, Fa’zak?”

“No, but I can reach you on horseback. Where did you need to go?”

Taomak recalled the area he wanted to explore, an old RDA base that many na’vi scouts had still claimed was functional. If his memory wasn’t failing, it was slightly north-west of where they were now at the Wing Mountains. Oh, what was it called… laser something bravo? He wasn’t entirely sure.

“Do you know of a small outpost on that side of the mountain?” He asked as he gestured north. They were not on the right side of the mountain to see it from the edge, but Fa’zak nodded silently.

“Yes. I shall meet you there.”

As Fa’zak went to leave, Taomak felt his heart lighten a bit. He was holding Katir’s head as he absentmindedly petted her, her eyes slowly falling shut. His bonded was cooing and purring under his touch. I have truly missed you…

“Come on, Katir. Let us ride the wind.” Taomak pressed his forehead to his bonded, then mounted her. His feet pressed against the dry saddle, his hand holding her neural cord. The ends came forth to connect to his own, the small, hairy tentacles moving slowly to intertwine with each other.

Connecting felt like taking a deep breath after being underwater for too long. He could breathe freely from the fresh air around him, his lungs having almost expanded. Not only that, but it was like getting a new set of limbs, his mind reaching outwards to connect to and feel Katir’s body. The wind riding against her skin made him shiver, and he found himself smiling so brightly.

It had been a few days since the last time they bonded to fly.

“Are you hungry, girl?” Katir responded with approval, and so they took to the sky tentatively, testing the air before shooting off to find Fa’zak from above. The other na’vi had found a Direhorse and was slowly riding around the mountain, but as she spotted Taomak, she quickened her pace.

From up above, Fa’zak looked like a small ant running across the grasslands. A tinge of jealousy tinted his heart then, and Katir gave a shrill scream as response. It was as though she was trying to reassure him that he didn’t need another steed, that she was more than good enough.

“Yes, you are, girl. Yes, you are,” Taomak said softly. But deep inside he couldn’t help feeling off about it. He knew Katir could feel it too, and that only made him more guilty.

***

Sometime later, Taomak touched down on the ground, shaking out some stiff muscles. Fa’zak was trotting up beside him, staying put on top of the pa’li.

“Are you not joining me?” Taomak asked cautiously. The other na’vi seemed so… hollow now. As though the person inside her body had gone. The light had vanished from her eyes.

“I will stay here,” she said, her voice sad. “This trip was not… good for me.”

“Oh… will you be all right?”

“Yeah, sure.” And then she rode off a bit away from the overgrown outpost, turning her back to Taomak as she seemed to have started crying.

“I’ll just… stay here…” Taomak muttered awkwardly, changing the weight from one foot to the other. Katir was regarding Fa’zak as well with saddened eyes.

Well then, he needed to figure out how to locate the Sarentu.

Taomak was not good with technology, he had never understood it or understood why the sky people liked it so much. They depended on this weird magic to do things for them, and that was just so unnatural. Did they not enjoy the work of doing it with their own hands? Perhaps they simply couldn’t.

Nonetheless, he made his way into the destroyed and overgrown camp, noticing some fallen tents and rusted gear that had been left behind. In the background, there was a low hum of a generator, which made him hopeful. He at least understood that generators meant power. And power meant… actually, he didn’t know what that meant. He just knew that the sky people’s tech ran on that “electricity” or whatever.

There was a foul smell in the air, barely covered by the scents of foliage and dirt. This, too, was distinctly sky people, he remarked. Sometimes, the AMP suits leaked fluids after being taken down, and this smell was similar to that.

“Okay,” he whispered to himself. “Place has power and fuel. Some of their systems should be on then…”

As he trailed off, his eyes caught on some thick electrical cables. Exactly, he thought. Taomak followed them towards the humming noise and stumbled on a small generator. Which meant that if he followed them the other way, he was sure to find some machines hooked up to them!

Most of the cables were hidden, so it took Taomak some time finding out where they led. But soon enough, he found some machines still hooked up to the cables. They had been covered by a decaying tent, and he’d had to get rid of some waxy fabric that the sky people used for their makeshift buildings. He felt rather dirtied after touching their stuff, as though he could get contaminated by the metal.

He had to shake off said “dirt” to feel okay with continuing his search. This was important, after all.

Pressing his fingers to a glass panel, Taomak tried to turn on some of their machines. There were many buttons in front of the panel, but none of them seemed to work. He looked around the little desk that the machine was sitting on, trying every button available.

A loud and crackling noise startled him, light flashing as the machine booted up. The image on the glass panel showed part of the Plains, and so Taomak tried to figure out exactly where.

Afraid of destroying the machine, he dared not touch too many buttons, sticking to some arrows to pan back and forth on the map. He felt so, so gross doing this. How was this even efficient? Grabbing a paper map was quicker than this.

But then he saw a landmark and knew exactly where the not-paper-map pointed.

“Yes. Now I just have to- “ But he didn’t get to finish his sentence, because the machine promptly exploded.

Sparks flew everywhere, and Taomak raised his hands to shield his face, pain igniting on his forearms immediately. He cursed as he lost footing, falling backwards and feeling heat from the destroyed machine. Fire. It was burning.

Taomak frantically scrambled back and away from the fire as he heard Katir’s screeches up ahead.

“Sister!” His bonded touched down a few steps away, ready to carry him away from this fire. And she couldn’t have gotten there at a better time. When Taomak leapt towards her, another explosion came from behind him, some of the old wirings also having caught fire.

He jumped on Katir, willing into his mind for her to push off and get into the air. He surveyed the area, looking to see if the fire would spread when a third explosion was heard. His eyes flitted to the now engulfed generator, and he cursed inwardly. So much for finding the Sarentu, he thought bitterly.

Although, he did find something on the machine before it had died. If not an exact spot, then at least an estimation.

“Taomak!” Fa’zak shouted from underneath him, and he cruised down low to speak with her. “Are you alright?” she asked, eyes red and puffy.

“Yes, yes. I am bleeding a bit, but I am fine. Report to Nesim about the fire to make sure it does not spread. I’m going to the nearest camp to clean up.” He wasn’t lying about the bleeding, because his forearms were in fact bloodied and in pain, but he was lying about where he was going. It would be quicker to just check the area out and report back at the end of the day. No need to trouble Fa’zak with this.

You are breaking the rules, he thought to himself. But he shook it away. Nesim would understand if he brought back information about the Sarentu.

“Take care, tsamsiyu.” And Fa’zak was gone.

***

Taomak and Katir were soaring up above the grasslands, keeping an eye out for anything sky people related. Anything metal, anything not na’vi made. It made him go insane. Any colour that looked a bit off and he would violently jerk towards it, only to realise it was a plant. And not to mention the stress of possibly missing it altogether. He was technically breaking the rule of needing someone to make sure he… didn’t break the rules. The specifics were hazy, but he was sure this wasn’t quite allowed. And so he needed to find this place right away.

The dot on the map had been very south of the Upper Plains, close to where the plains slowly dropped down and into jungle. Into the Kinglor Forest. The transition from grasslands to jungle wasn’t violent, however, the trip to the Hometree of the Aranahe taking about 2-3 days. But in the distance – far away towards the horizon – he could spot the famous floating mountains.

One day, he would go there. He would fly through the mystical mountains with Katir and enjoy some well-spent time off from camp duties.

But not now, he thought bitterly. You have a punishment to carry out, a punishment I might be making worse by doing this.

Oh Eywa, why was he doing this? What if the Sarentu truly were lost and he had simply suffered some delusions after the incident with Vi’rri? What if this was his mind’s way of justifying his actions, or even worse – his mind’s way of avoiding his warrior duty of taking full responsibility.

Taomak was horrified. What had he done!? His warrior pride! No one could know of this. Not a single soul.

“Katir, let us go home. This search is not getting anywhere.” His bonded cooed in sympathy, relaying to him some comfort. What a day this had been.

But then – flapping fabric by a stone outcropping, shaded by a wind bent tree. The fabric did not look na’vi.

It was human.

Taomak and Katir banked left, riding a gust of wind downward towards the ground where her wings spread out magnificently and strong. They touched down, Taomak making sure she would stay here in case he needed a quick escape.

His heavy bow had been confiscated, but he was still allowed a short bow for defence. If it came down to it, however, he would disengage any fight and honour Nesim’s punishment. As much as he hated it, Taomak was extremely conflicted between following orders and following his wants. For a long time now, his orders had aligned with his wants, but now… now he had to put away some part of himself for a mistake.

A mistake that could have gotten Vi’rri killed, he reminded himself. Perhaps Nesim had gone easy on him. He deserved a harsher punishment for endangering his mentee – his friend. His… sister. Ew, no, that felt wrong. Until Vi’rri acknowledged him as her brother, he would not be caught dead thinking of her as his sister…

The fabric Taomak had spotted from above was attached to some metal building, a square little thing. Well, little was an understatement. He believed he could fit in there if he tried going in. But that was too much even for him.

He snuck his way over to the little station, keeping his eyes and ears open. No movement, no noise. Okay, it seemed safe. But just to be sure he continued towards the building slow and quiet.

Wait- there’s a noise. Shit.

As he neared the metal cage ahead, he heard some humming above the wind. The humming didn’t sound like any song he had heard from the Zeswa, and he doubted it was na’vi at all. Which meant sky people activities.

Damn it, he would have to go back.

Right?

Well, one look couldn’t hurt.

Creeping up closer, he turned a corner and met face to face with the sky person. The human.

“[What the- ]“ he said. But Taomak was already drawing his bow, arrow knocked and aimed towards the man in front of him.

“[Wait!]” The man shouted, his arms raised in surrender. But sky people did this often to feign innocence. He had heard of na’vi being tricked like this and he was not about to be one of them. He drew the bowstring taut, about to release the arrow when the man spoke again, this time in Taomak’s language. “Oel ngati kameie.”

I see you.

A split-second decision made him release the arrow slightly to the left, sticking into the ground with a loud and resounding thud. The human shuddered, his eyes wide.

Taomak was taken aback for a second before he remembered to be angry and to be scary. He drew another arrow, hissing at this sky person. Why he seemed to know his language did not matter. What mattered was that he needed to be dead.

“[Wait! Please, I’m not with the RDA. I’m with the Resistance.]”

Taomak didn’t understand at first what was being said until he realised it was that sky people’s language. That godforsaken language he had picked up slightly from either na’vi or human. Everything he had learned had been against his will.

“[Resistance?]” His pronunciation was… not good. One could tell he didn’t speak it often.

“[Yes! Humans – or sky people – that don’t serve the RDA?]” The poor human in front of Taomak was practically shivering in fright, perhaps ready to collapse. He wore those breathing masks, but not the outfit he usually saw them wear. This outfit was… very white? It was a long coat looking thing.

“[You are here why?]” Taomak questioned, his bow still aimed at the man.

“[Research! I do research. Pleasedontkillme.]”

Research. It felt like a foreign word. Which it was. But foreign as in more unknown than he was used to. He had heard a lot of “brat”, “barracks” and “wi-fi” while listening to the sky people, RDA, talk. He was used to those words. But research was new.

And for some reason, he prompted another question. “[You know Sarentu?]”

And the human’s face changed from horror to interest. “[Sarentu? Of course! Yes, yes, they’re with us. We rescued them from cryopods recently…]” The human kept on talking, mentioning quickly that perhaps he shouldn’t be revealing this much information, but then he kept going, nonetheless.

But for Taomak? He was only focused on one thing. This human knew where the Sarentu were.

“[… and Priya was so scared in the beginning, because who wouldn’t be, you know? Am I talking too much? I feel like I’m talking too much. I’m very nervous, you see. Could you maybe not point that thing at me?]”

Taomak lowered his bow, staring at this tiny human. This tiny and fragile human knew where his clan members were.

“[They are where?]”

“[They’re… I don’t know if I should tell you this -]”

“[Tell me and you keep head on your body]”

“[Oh, well, can’t argue with that,]” The human laughed nervously. “[They’re at our… camp. In the Kinglor Forest.]” And the human was prattling off yet again about something. Taomak struggled to keep up, unable to fully understand it all. Well, except for the fact that he had figured out where the Sarentu were.

Kinglor Forest. They were alive. They existed. He wasn’t delusional. And they weren’t with the RDA. But were they evil or good? Was this Resistance good sky people?

Taomak doubted it.

He needed to see Nesim.

Chapter Text

Taomak had placed one foot onto camp grounds when Vi’rri jumped him with a worried look. She took in his state, eyes going wide as she saw dried blood all over his arms, something he himself had actually forgotten about. At some point, the pain had become background noise, and so he hadn’t noticed it.

“Are you okay? What happened to not getting into trouble? Does it hurt? Is it your blood?” She swarmed him with any and all questions that popped into her head, but he couldn’t blame her. He would do the same if it was her… he already had done the same.

“I am okay, Vi’rri,” he said, voice tinged with exhaustion. It had been a long day. “I have news for Nesim, though. Is she back from the hunt?”

Vi’rri shook her head, guiding him towards the tsahìk’s tent. “No, not yet. I heard she would be back by nightfall, so she should be here soon.” Nightfall. Soon. Was it really that late?

The sky above was orange and pink, the sun setting slowly on the horizon. How much time had passed since he had found that human?

Thinking back on it, perhaps he had taken a long route home. He couldn’t remember entertaining that small, fragile being any more than he had to, but that had been midday. Had he spent hours flying around with Katir? The answer had to be yes, because if it wasn’t, well…

For a long time, the conversation he had had with the human had been playing on repeat in his mind. It was only now that his brain was relaxing, letting go of the words that had been spoken. It was like an enormous weight had lifted off of him.

“Taomak?” Minang prompted, running up to him with worry. Why were they always so worried? Nothing had happened. He was fine. “Are you alright? Fa’zak came by earlier to report a fire. It was not sky people, was it?” There was a question that went unvoiced. Did you break the rules?

Perhaps he had. Perhaps he hadn’t. He couldn’t recall, too preoccupied with the new information he was chewing over.

“No, no, it was an accident with one of their machines. I am fine, I just have to sleep it off, no need to get so worked up.” Vi’rri shouldered him hard at that. “Hey!”

“Your skin is torn. You have been bleeding.” She seemed to tear up for a second, or maybe it was a trick of the light. “Is it so hard to acknowledge that you are hurt, or will it pinch your massive ego?”

“Massive ego...? I do not have a massive ego.” He looked to Minang for support, but the tsahìk was busy grinding down some dapophet pods. He then proceeded to double down. “I have a warrior pride to uphold, a reputation in this clan- “

Vi’rri sighed dramatically. “Boring. Stop talking about nonsense and let Minang treat your wounds. How did it even happen?”

Taomak wanted to boast about what had happened; about how he had escaped a great danger from the dirty sky people’s machines; about how he would scar beautifully from this incident. But he held his tongue. Boasting was not typical warrior fashion. Only those that had little skill would disregard their humble upbringings to boast. He was better than that.

And he was hissing in pain when Minang put a damp cloth to his damaged skin to clean the dried blood. It flaked off in some places and sat more stubbornly on in other places.

“An explosion. I was too close to some old wiring is all. But as you can clearly see, I am fine.” Vi’rri was giving him the stink eye, clearly not believing him. But she sometimes worked herself up this way, blowing things out of proportion than was necessary.

The tsahìk regarded him with a look Taomak couldn’t place. “Tsk,” she mumbled. “Such an idiot.”

“Right?” Vi’rri agreed. “Oh, gross.” As the blood cleared away, Taomak was faced with the reality of the situation. His skin had torn, yes, but it had also burned. Part of him was charred, he realised.

“Hm, why did you not come back right away? Letting the wound stay like this will make it fester.” But the tsahìk continued on as though she hadn’t asked at all. “And how is your other wound coming along?” She removed a braided bracelet that Taomak had placed over his healing arm to make sure ointment would stay on while he was moving about. Minang regarded it for a second before looking pleased. “It is not scarring, which is good.”

“What?” He blanched. No scar?

“That is good, tsamsiyu. Put away that ‘warrior pride’ of yours and stop acting like a child.” And there it was again. Her calling him a child. It made him fume. “But these,” she went on, smearing on the dapophet paste before wrapping his arms with big leaves. “These will scar. Too much torn and burnt skin not to.”

For a brief second, Taomak felt his stomach drop, but for some reason he couldn’t quite place why. Minang was prattling off now, lecturing him on good wound care and how his irresponsibility would kill him one day. All things he heard all the time from her.

Vi’rri had also joined in on the lecturing, but Taomak was simply ignoring it by now. That was, at least, until Vi’rri said in a surprised tone, “Mom.”

Chills ran up his spine, Taomak’s head whipping around to find Noka’pe staring daggers at him. He quickly stood up, shoulders stiff and hunched. Vi’rri’s mother wasn’t as tall as her daughter, but her features were just as fierce. She had one long braid going from her scalp and down to her thighs, the sides of her head shaved. She wore a lot of teeth in her clothing, something that always felt off-putting to Taomak. It was like her entire image was meant to scare people off. At least Vi’rri had the sense to wear stylish clothing, colours and weaving patterns making her appear far more approachable and friendly.

“Noka’pe,” he said, greeting her with a quick hand movement. “What brings you here?”

“I am checking up on my daughter.”

The air became thick, the atmosphere strained and all too quiet for Taomak’s liking. And yet he couldn’t tell if it was just him feeling like this. Vi’rri went up to her and talked in a hushed voice, but Taomak heard it all. He heard all about how she was doing just fine and that the wound was already closed and almost healed, and he most certainly heard her try to placate her mother by reminding her that he was family. But her mother would have nothing of it, trying to steer her further away from Taomak as they talked. Taomak bristled.

Minang shared a pained look with the wounded na’vi, a look that made the latter so incredibly uncomfortable he needed to take a step back.

“I expect an apology, Taomak.” Noka’pe sounded so… irritated. Like this was such an inconvenience to her and that he was just some nuisance to her.

“I-I am sorry, Noka’pe. I did not mean to let her get hurt.” His hands were clenched together so hard he felt like he was vibrating out of pure anger and anxiety. To think he had once strived for her attention and validation.

“I will not go easy on you if it happens again.”

Vi’rri was whisked away just like that, and Taomak felt like he had just taken an ice cold plunge into the cold rivers during winter. He breathed out a shaky breath once he thought they were far enough away.

“Sit down, Taomak. Take a breath.” And oh boy, wasn’t that something to make him feel worse.

“I don’t- how can she- “ But he couldn’t finish his thoughts.

Instead, Minang sat next to him, a warm hand on his back. “Did you find what you wanted today?”

“I- yes,” he answered shakily. This felt like a bad dream. “Yes, actually. Minang, I have big news.”

Minang only smiled at him, neither urging him to continue nor suggesting he wait with his news for Nesim. She simply sat there, absentmindedly rubbing on his back. Taomak hated it. At least he thought he did. It was too… vulnerable. She wasn’t his mother, and yet she still treated him like this. Like a child, he thought vehemently.

“The Sarentu…” Oh, how to say this nicely. “I… Minang, there are more of us. Alive. I found out where they are.”

“You are not joking… your face is not joking.” And she promptly broke out in a grin, her fangs poking out and her pupils dilating. “Taomak! What great news! We must share with the clan!”

A horn was sounded, cutting the silence of the evening as kites were drawn in celebration. Word spread quickly, and when Nesim came back with her hunting party as day turned to night, she had been utterly shocked to hear the news. But just like her sister, the tsahìk, she broke out in cheers and celebration.

The clan was teeming with life that night, Kìn handing out zangke for those of age, musicians playing cheerful beats, and dancers and warriors alike showing off their dance-fighting skills in the ring. The children were running around, buzzing with excitement for a celebration they didn’t quite understand but that they absolutely didn’t mind.

Taomak had of course provided all the details to Nesim in a proper report, every piece of information relayed with honesty. She had been mad at him for obscuring facts and keeping this all hidden, but she seemed to let it go quickly, even smiling at Taomak in that way she rarely did when she was proud.

It filled him with so much pride that his chest hurt.

Vi’rri joined in later on, spending time with the children and her other friends. Taomak felt he minded it a little bit, but then Solali and Kìn came by to keep him company. They served him zangke, although he declined at first. Solali was clearly drunk, her singing a common Zeswa folk song eminent of that. She never sang unless she was drunk. Kìn was joining in as well, trying to harmonize, albeit badly. Taomak enjoyed their company for a bit before sneaking off.

He found himself wandering the camp alone at one point, unsure where his feet were leading him. The entire night he had felt eyes on him, but now people were starting to go to sleep. A moment of silence. Or not.

“Is that him?” Someone whispered.

“Yeah, I think so. Go ask him!”

“No, you said you would!”

Taomak turned around and saw a small group of children staring at him from behind the leg of a zakru. Many of the sleeping giants had gotten new and vibrant paintings on them, this one no different. The children ducked away when they noticed he was staring.

“Hi…” he said, awkwardly raising his hand to greet them. “Can I help you with something?”

The children shrieked and ran away. But not long after, Vi’rri came walking towards him, one of the small na’vi slung over her shoulder. The child was giggling and screaming for her to let them down.

“Go on then,” she said when the child was back on solid ground again. “Ask him.”

They were staring at him with massive, glinting eyes, hands held timidly behind their back. They were hiding behind Vi’rri’s slim legs, but Taomak could see how in awe they were of him.

“Um, could you tell us the story about the mimikyun?” (Echo Stalker).

He was taken aback. Yes, Taomak was Sarentu, and he did tell tales. But this was the first time the children had requested him to do just that. He thought it over for a small moment before saying yes, much to the child’s amusement.

And so, he found himself in the common area, children propped on small pillows and wrapped around in colourful blankets to keep warm, all staring intently and expectantly at Taomak. He didn’t even know where to begin.

Vi’rri helped him start. “Long ago, the stealthy mimikyun was selfish and greedy…”

***

When the children had been ushered to bed, Taomak and Vi’rri found Nesim and her sister in the Council Tent, the two na’vi sitting shoulder to shoulder and talking about the night’s festivities. Apparently Minang had competed in some dance fighting battles and had only been bested by Nesim herself. The two of them were deep in conversation about strategy, discussing if the artistry of dance was better than the adept abilities needed for combat.

Vi’rri and Taomak shared an amused look, the latter thinking back on times he and Vi’rri had been sat exactly the same to discuss topics similar to the two sisters. Nesim noticed them first, nodding towards Taomak and gesturing them to sit down with them.

“Oh-ho,” Minang started. “The troublemakers are back for more.” She looked pointedly at Taomak, but not unkindly.

“If that is how you see it,” Taomak offered, sitting down opposite the sisters with his legs crossed and tail flicking absentmindedly. Vi’rri sat next to him. “I wanted to discuss the Sarentu further.”

“We know,” Minang smiled. “We were betting on when you would show up.” At that, Nesim chuckled lowly, a sound a bit foreign to Taomak and Vi’rri. Minang looked annoyed, however, gathering a few Sätare beads from a pouch and handing it over to her sister.

“And I won,” Nesim stated simply, taking the beads gleefully. “I assume you want to head out then?”

“To look for them?” Minang supplied.

Vi’rri nodded along with Taomak, her hands crossed and expression serious. “We were thinking- “

“Remember your punishment, Vi’rri.” And it occurred to Taomak then that he hadn’t actually asked what his friend’s punishment had been for being reckless. He had assumed a ban on riding like he had been, but perhaps that wasn’t the case?

“I- I hoped the circumstances would… allow me to go with.” She avoided Taomak’s questioning glance. “This is just as important to me as it is for him.”

“I told you very clearly that you were not allowed to get into more trouble, and if Taomak is about to head out to the Kinglor Forest, trouble will follow. My answer is no.” Vi’rri was staring at the olo’eykte almost incredulously, as though she hadn’t actually expected to be turned down.

“I agree,” Minang said softly. “You have yet to go through your coming-of-age challenge. Taomak knows how to take care of himself, he knows how to get through trouble. He… recent events show that you are…”

“You are a distraction to him,” Nesim finished for her sister. “Is that not true?”

It took him a moment to realize she was talking to him. He felt his stomach churn, like a stone dropping into him and being ground up into small pebbles and then further into fine dust which burned his lungs and heart. He had thought that thought many a times while staring into the vast darkness while he had been on night watch, but he was reluctant to voice that fear out loud.

To think a seasoned warrior, one who rarely ever made mistakes in the field, had thrown out years of discipline in that one moment his nearest friend had been hurt. It had destroyed him on the inside realising that Vi’rri had been a distraction, a distraction so great that it had almost cost her life.

Without looking at his friend, Taomak nodded grimly, eyes boring holes in the ground. Vi’rri let out an exasperated breath, trying to will some refute back at the three na’vi around her. But perhaps she agreed slightly to what had been stated, because she slumped down on the ground and curled into a ball.

“I…” Taomak didn’t know what he wanted to say. “Vi’rri, I’m so- “

“Save it. I shall be here wallowing in depression until you come back. And then I will shave off your hair and feed it to the zakru.” Taomak couldn’t help but let out a surprised laugh. He had never heard that threat before.

“Will you be alright?”

“Yeah, I have Solali and Woai to keep me company. Perhaps I shall find a boy to fancy and get my heart broken while you are gone. Or maybe I will jump off a mountain and see how far I will get before Txeptun catches me.”

“Vi’rri!”

“Yes, yes. I will be okay. I promise I will not get my heart broken or anything else for that matter. Go have fun with your new Sarentu friends or whatever.”

Minang stifled her humour with a cough, apparently incredibly amused with Vi’rri’s drama. “When did you think of leaving?” She asked. “We have to property send you on your way.”

“Minang is correct,” Nesim said “We will send you off with riders and kites.” Taomak’s heart fluttered slightly. Being sent off like that was a huge honour for the Zeswa. It was usually given to the newly chosen olo’ekte’s, tsahìk’s or incredibly skilled warriors. That last part usually meant na’vi that had saved many lives from great danger, earning them a spot in the clan’s stories and songs. Taomak was not a warrior of that calibre, so being sent off like that… he was utterly left speechless.

“Now, that does not mean you will be allowed to ride pa’ li once you reach the outskirts of our territory. We will gift you this once, but when you have gotten far enough, your bonded will help you with the rest of your journey.” Nesim adjusted herself slightly, fiddling with her songcord. “Your punishment still stands. No riding, no fighting and no hunting. Use what you can get from the Aranahe people. If that is insufficient, only then are you allowed to hunt. Avoid fights when you can and win those you cannot avoid.”

“And please, Taomak,” Minang said, taking his hand in hers. “Find your brothers and sisters so we can raise our kites in celebration once more.”

***

Taomak had strapped extra bags onto Katir, his bonded full of energy and excitement after learning they would be going on an adventure beyond the Upper Plains. She had seen most of what the grasslands had to offer and was looking forwards to new places to see.

The few bags he could take with him were filled with food for his journey, some light travel supplies and a few items that the clan wanted him to gift the Aranahe. Certain na’vi had requested him to say hi to those they were friends with, others had requested he bring back plentiful spices and herbs. And of course stories.

Vi’rri and him had talked and bickered most of the night before. He understood she was in disagreement with the olo’eykte, but she had truly chewed his ears off letting him know how unfair it all was.

Now, Vi’rri was sulking nearby, walking back and forth and trying to keep herself calm.

Someone called Taomak over, smiling proudly at him as he presented the Direhorse he would be riding. This na’vi had painted his beautiful steed in purple swirls with warm orange tones as highlights.

Taomak's chest ached, for he knew this was the greatest gift – the greatest honour – he could receive from his clan. He didn’t deserve all of this, did he? He was simply out to find his family, not go save his entire clan from extinction.

Well… maybe he was. If that na’vi he had seen was the last of his kind, then maybe they were facing extinction.

“Well then,” Minang said, slapping her hand on Taomak’s shoulder. Much like himself, she was wearing newly made warpaint. “Are you ready, tsamsiyu? The riders are ready when you are.”

“Not really. Is it too late to change my mind?” He joked, offering a bleak smile.

“It never is. Know that you can come home whenever. Sarentu or Zeswa, you belong here.” She handed Taomak his heavy bow, the very one that had been confiscated, and smiled at him.

“Minang,” Taomak said, eyes watery. “Am I allowed to bring this?”

“Between you and me,” she whispered. “I managed to convince Nesim to let you have it back. ‘To make sure you would stay safe’.”

“Thank you, that means a lot.” And it did. As awful as the tsahìk's teasing was, she meant a lot to him. 

After getting everything he needed ready, Taomak made the bond with his pa’li, sitting proudly on top of her as the entire clan seemed to regard him expectantly.

Vi’rri came up to him then, “I am not allowed to ride with them…” She chewed on her lip, her expression cross. “Please be careful. And come back quick. And don’t forget to give me a souvenir. And don’t get a new best friend to replace me.”

“I doubt I can find anyone like you. You are pretty weird and intense.” Vi’rri nodded in agreement, taking the statement as a complement. “But I promise. I will be back before you know it.”

Seemingly satisfied, Vi’rri stepped back.

A horn sounded, marking the start of the march. Taomak took a few small steps, looking back and waving at Vi’rri. “I will see you soon!” he shouted at her. But she stood back, arms holding her tall frame and eyes staring at him as he rode away. She didn’t say goodbye.

Starting off with a slow trot, Taomak and his fellow clan members picked up the pace as they headed south. Kites were drawn high, reds and oranges and yellows following him as the sound of dozens of galloping pa’li stormed over the grasslands.

He had ridden this path not long ago when he had looked for Vi’rri that day she got hurt. He had felt just as energised then as he did now, feeling ‘the wind in his step’ as Nesim often said.

His clan members that stayed behind were shouting encouragement and cheering him on, but they soon faded away as they marched farther and farther away.

Grass became stone became moss became grass again, an ever-changing landscape. The thick, red pollen from the crimson trees brought a spicy smell to his nose, clinging to his throat so that he needed to cough. Above him, Katir was screeching joyfully, taking the lead to show him where to go. He didn’t need it, of course, but it made his heart melt to see his bonded so excited.

Crimson trees gave way to rocky plateaus, the strong river moving down, down towards Taomak’s destination. The Kinglor Forest. There were fewer na’vi surrounding him now, those that were bearing kites having turned back around. It was just him and a handful others, he noticed, and he started to feel anxious.

Would he really have to do this alone?

Grasslands met him once again when the last of his escort departed with rowdy cheers, and Taomak was left with his own thoughts. The Direhorse slowed down to let him pass the river, and then she stopped completely to let him off. He had reached the end of his journey on horseback.

He thanked the pa’li and Eywa for this trip.

It was going to be a long few days, he reckoned.