Chapter Text
All around them their home came crumbling. With a great unnatural roar, the walls and floors shook, causing massive portions of the high colorful cavern ceiling to fall upon the unsuspecting Na'vi. Plummeting chunks of crystallized stalactites and raw ore, alight with pulsing luminescence from the disturbance. The Great Root, that spiraled and spread from the ground all the way up 100’s of feet, held the heights as best it could. No great shift nor landslide had ever tested the massive violet root that lined the back cavern wall and snaked into the many corridors. Tsukani’il, large ground digging creatures, squeaked and sought safety in the tunnels or further underground.
Txia’vusa tried to find their mother or sister, anyone but there was no telling who’s who in the chaos. Lithe blue bodies ran in every direction. And pillars of stone and ore fell upon the clan and tsukani’il alike. Large feather covered arms pulled Txia’vusa away from a fast falling iridescent boulder, holding them firmly to their savior’s side.
“Everyone move! Follow the tsukani’il and flee to the surface! Quickly!”
Their Olo’eyktan, Ayo’zal, urged the fallen and shock stricken people forward, away from the large collapsing chasm. Txia’vusa was comforted by the presence of their future mate. The young chief looked quite Regal and Authoritative with his purple feathers fanning around his collar and fringing off the length of his arms like wings. Ayo’zal only spared his betrothed a quick peck to forehead and smile that only showed in his eyes. He squeezed the tsakarem’s sides before rushing them forward. Txia’vusa and the other Ayveyo’loka’i rushed through the root lined tunnels expertly, climbing the roots along the walls toward higher burrows. The crumbling cavern walls couldn’t hold up, falling, relentlessly, around some of the clan, blocking them from the tunnels. Their escape. Crumbling and shouts of worry (or something else) raged from the other side.
“Continue! We must go!”
Ayo’zal pushed Txia’vusa forward through the tunnel, now keeping all his clan ahead of himself. Light shown through a near cave mouth and the Ayveyo’loka’i poured out into the grey light of outside. From several hidden cave openings the clan rushed to climb out of the mountain side into the open forest air. The disturbing roar vibrated through the mountain and just as Txia’vusa made it to the surface, they no longer felt the comforting hands on their shoulders. Shoulders now unbearably cold, they didn’t want to turn to face the cave opening as the lamentations grew. A sad song of despair filled the air, sent needles in the young tsakarem’s chest. They turned and deeply regretted it, immediately recognizing Ayo’zal’s purple feathered arms from under the collapsed cave entrance.
“No! Zal-Zal!” Txia’vusa was on their knees at once.
A cry tore it’s way from the tsakarem’s throat. He was right behind them, RIGHT THERE. They were all so close to the surface, they should’ve all made it. Txia’vusa’s mouth falls open in sobs, grasping at the still warm but unmoving arms. Those once safe arms now laid broken. Their future, broken and mangled. Txia’vusa can’t help think it must only get worse from here.
“ Look out!”
“Come back!”
“Get back!”
The surrounding clan members backed from the mountain face as more rocks came barreling down. A nearby tsukani’il had taken two of its six large limbs to push Txia’vusa and other grief stricken Na’Vi away. Whoever the others where, Txia’vusa couldn’t say as their gaze lingered on the mangled blue and purple hand. Broken like their future, broken like their soul. Some scouts took to the surrounding trees and everyone else followed suit, some calling out to their Ikrans.
“What is this!” Confusion arose from scouts who peered over the mountain side.
Txia’vusa got up at once, taking the excuse to look away. Wiping their face clear, they scaled the side of the closest tree and peered over the mountain with their clan. All Mother! In horror Txia’vusa saw three massive square. . . things. These . . . things were digging up the very rock of the mountain pulling it inside itself. The unnatural roar must’ve been these large yellow and grey monstrosities. Past the three disgusting things laid a barren land, devoid of any creatures, trees, vines, or roots. No gourds, flowers or grass and the sky was a sickening soot grey.
Ay Vrtep!
[Demons]
Txia’vusa watched as Nab’sul climbed onto the branch beside them, and the young warrior hissed immediately, ears pointed straight back, tail lashing.
The aggrieved warrior, still a boy really, turned to his friend.
“What terrible strange beasts! The things have eaten everything, not even the land is safe from its maw”
Nab’sul spat out, fangs flashing in hatred and disgust.
Txia’vusa had never faced their friend like this, in his ferocity. It dripped off the warrior and stirred a snarling anger inside the other Na’vi.
Txia’vusa bit back their own hiss, but their long tail stood stiff on edge. They looked back at what used to be a proud mountain. Broken.
Many of the Ayveyo’loka’i, now safe from the crumbling mountain side and from the forest floor, howled in shock and terror. The days tragedy continues as the clan bore witness to utter destruction of the All mother herself. Txia’vusa looks around as the air charged with the new venemous energy. Clan members sat perched in the trees. Some Na’vi were held up by others, everyone covered in blood, dirt, and minerals. Children, teens and adults alike crying from their loss of family, loss of home.
Txia’vusa churned their own anger as their eyes landed once more on the square demons, and
“AhuUUEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEH!”
A long vicious war cry sang out of Txia’vusa’s lungs and filled the forest and valley. Saccharine, melodic and chilling, even to the Tsakarem themself. A Nawmriti soared towards them, answering the call like a shadow of night. Before fully thinking, the Tsakarem pulled Nab’sul’s bow from around his shoulder and lifted it in their fist now shaking furiously, much to the surprise of the warrior.
“Tiva wh-
“AAAAHUEEEEEEEEEEEEHHH!”
Txia’vusa more screamed this time and took one of Nab’sul’s arrows and dipped into a pool of sap collecting on their shared tree side. The Ayveyo’loka’i sang back and the forest rumbled with a force that rivaled the demons. Txia’vusa felt their eyes flutter with the rush of energy that surged around them. There was no time for their friends questions, this nightmare ends, so Txia’vusa wills it.
They coated the arrowhead in sap and launched onto the back of the dark now’mriti. When they connected through tsaheylu, the inky creature screeched its own battle song. They looked to their people and a familiar face brought a brief cool relief over Txia’vusa. Perched not to far was their own Sister already on Ikran back, bow and arrow ready. The siblings share a nod. They grounded them self. These demons must be destroyed.
“These demons defile Eywa before us!” They started with a clear voice. The venomous cries of the Ayveyo’loka’i hushed momentarily. “The destruction here is an affront to all life on Eywa’eveng! They have destroyed our HOME! With this greedy feasting of the land they have sought to destroy our future like they did our-“ Txia’vusa remembered the broken arms, limp feathers. They held back a sob as their mount shook a chill away, affected by the many thoughts and emotions screaming for dominance in her makto’s mind.
This ends.
“Like they did our Olo'eyktan . . . He’s DEAD yet we LIVE! I LIVE and with this life our Ayo’zal saw to that we live, WE WILL END THIS NIGHTMARE! For our entombed brothers and sisters, the buried tsukani’il, and the great root that IS NO MORE!”
The melodic cries rang out again and the Ikran makto all mounted and took to the skies. Some warriors chose to follow the tsakarem and douse an arrow in sap, catching on.
Txia’vusa reached out to Nab’sul. “I can’t fly and light at once” was all they Offered.
“My joining this fight is without question” The man huffed
They helped Nab’sul onto Ma’yi’s, the now’mriti, back and they joined their sky bound companions. They turned to check on their friend and Nab’sul somehow produced another bow from Eywa knows where, resting on his back. They could apologize later. Once high over the tree line Txia’vusa sang out a high and clear note to the flying warriors and they made formation. Twelve Ikran with the nawmriti forming the “arrows head”. No one questioned why their Tsakarem is leading the war party like an Olo’eyktan or Taronyu would, least it surely wasn’t brought to the Riti Makto’s attention.
Nab’sul eyed his fellow warriors for good measure. The flying warriors neared the destructive unnatural things.
“Charge!” Txia’vusa command, and songs grew around the circling warriors. They all steered the Ikran into a predatory circular formation. The arrow heads of all the dry arrows began to glow from the collective songs. The louder their songs grew the brighter the arrows became. The dry archers scraped arrow heads together, charging sparks between them and creating a brighter, warmer, glow.
Nab’sul noticed the smaller demons around the three larger ones below. The shapes were more familiar. He hissed.
“The Smaller Demons guard the land eaters!”
They turned to Nab’sul and nodded. “Announce your call, brother!”
Nab’sul did just that and not a moment too soon as they were spotted. He drew his borrowed bow, hooking his legs in Mayi’s saddle. His own arrow glowing brightest so close to the Tsakarem.
“Seconds! Draw and Light!” Nab’sul urged, as he stretched and neared his glowing arrow to the sappy one in Txia’vusa’s bow, making the arrow light ablaze immediately. “And FIRE!”
“ALL FIRE!”
Txia’vusa and Nab’sul commanded at once. From thirteen flyers twenty arrows rained, seven of which were on fire, down on the demons. And down into the high energy yielding, combustible mineral. The very same mineral ore in the arrows that set the sap on fire and glow still.
The first volley of arrows resulted in a cacophony of screams, crashing and explosions. The smaller grey demons made for good target as the arrows pierced their exoskeleton like body, they dropped their weapon and the arrow crash through them into the rocks causing an explosion. An efficient packing of the vile destructive demons, they thought. Let’s end this, unfortunately they’ve already lost two Ikran. Txia’vusa cried out directly to an arrow before notching it and nearly searing their own hand. They aimed at the crawling long feet of one of the massive land eaters as they tore through the air. The arrow hit and immediately blew the big thing onto its side crushing two screaming smaller grey demons and oddly enough a smaller thing crawled out of one. It scrambled to its feet before taking an arrow, much taller than it, through the chest.
“A quick death, good tsmukan!”
“This filth doesn’t deserve Eywa’s mercy, may she reject their retched souls” Nab’sul hissed from behind them.
Txia’vusa knew not what the All Mother would do with the demons souls. Didn’t know if they had them to begin with. What seeing creature could cause such devastating without a care. They felt that the small beings from the grey bodies probably did. It seemed to fear them.
With the demons no longer moving and well blown up, the party regrouped to return to the tree line where they all can see and hear their clan mates cheering and whooping them on, deafeningly. Txia’vusa lead Mayi to land and dismounted taking Nab’sul with them and into a familiar embrace as the thrill of battle and fleeing the crumbling Great Root wore off and the loss of it all settled in their chest.
“Ma tsmuktu, it is over” Nab’sul said in a sigh of relief. His tears wetting their shoulder. He rubbed their back assuringly
Txia’vusa looked around the two Na’vi, at the smoking smoldering monstrosities, the barren empty land for acres far to east, at what used to be a teeming forest with a flowery meadow. The same meadow that the two learned how to shoot their bow from Ulwa’lihi. They both were so excited to shoot like Txia’vusa’s older sister.
Txia’vusa sank a little into the hug, subconsciously dropping their limp tail on the hollow feeling that ate at their core. The rubble of death was no longer hospitable. It was over for their people crushed under the sunken mountain. It was over for the future they’d have with Ayo’zal. But Txia’vusa still lived, as did Nab’sul and Ulwa’lihi and hundreds of their clan. Hundreds of prone, homeless, grief stricken Na’vi.
“No, unfortunately it isn’t over.” Unfortunately so much had to be done, with most of their tools and supplies thousands of feet below. Some sacred affects, the clans histories within. Txia’vusa turned away from their clan brother. They’ve all lost so much, rebuilding felt impossible.
They lost so much.