Chapter Text
“<What do you plan to do now?>” Mäzan’s question was soft as she flexed her fingers, glad to sink into her mattresses of blankets. “<After you heal, of course.>”
Alma sighed deeply.”<I don’t know. The Ke’awa may wish me gone, given what I said. I won’t overstay my welcome, but… I have no mount to leave.>”
“<So you must claim an Ikran.>” Mäzan hummed. “<I can convince Tsu’lo to allow that, if we can convince him for you to stay for the duration of your healing. Also, you must also master the means of taming an Ikran too. The Ke’awa are impressive riders. They’ve been training Fayfa and Nasyì since we arrived, and the two are enjoying the challenges and the use of mounted crossbows they’ve developed for their Ikran.>”
Alma’s eyes widened a little. “<Mounted crossbows?>”
Mäzan looked genuinely excited. “<They are beautiful. Gorgeous craftsmanship. Oh, I’m definitely going to be creating such a beautiful weapon for my own Ikran now that you’re awake and safe.>”
“<I suppose it’ll help with hunting too.>” Alma noted that crossbows were powerful weapons. Not an easy weapon to have, and dangerous if improperly trained or created.
“<Indeed,>” Mäzan agreed, “<if Tsu’lo is willing for you to stay, then we’ll have the time to create it as well.>”
“<Why don’t you go and have a few lessons now? I’m in the mood for some quiet alone time, maybe have a nap.>” Alma suggested because she was tired. She hadn’t been left alone awake for too long either, so... she wanted herself some me-time.
Mäzan considered her statement, then rose to his feet. “<Enjoy your rest, Ul’ma.>” He gestured a goodbye and scurried off fast.
Alma’s lip curled up in amusement and settled back fully to stare up at the ceiling of her room and… enjoyed the distant sound of people. Quiet. She let her mind wander.
An Ikran.
A very real possibility. The Ke’awa Kame’tire’s main means of transport and… well, what use would they have for Direhorses? Leyapay was lifted here, a pen made up and no longer able to be a mount. She’d be a glorified pet at best, not that she’d mind because… well, food. She could see Leyapay being happy here; food and people, maybe she’d help move items around once she had recovered, but not as an official mount.
Alma knew, realistically, she couldn’t just hop onto the back of the three Meitayo riders either to travel and… well, honestly, she had no plan since she was here earlier than planned so… there was a higher chance she’d go with them back to their islands than saddle them to follow her in the next Pa’li she found and tamed. At least, with her own Ikran, she could have the freedom to move on, even after she helped the swamp clan.
She hoped Mäzan could convince Tsu’lo to allow her to get an Ikran.
Alma sighed shallowly, her hand coming to her face before she felt the sensitive tickle as her hands brushed the healing skin. More burns.
More healing.
More time set back from being on the road or, perhaps, training. Her bow skills were going to be weaker. She needed to get back to that once she could stand well.
Her head rolled toward her collection of things before she remembered what was in there. Slowly, Alma crawled over, her leg dragging a little, but she pushed it into moving with her regardless of its weakness and began to look through it, pulling her saddle-bag from the pile and sliding back to her bed and opening it up. Inside, she found the smoothened stone and pulled it out, giving it a once-over with a cloth before she looked into it.
Her reflection shone back, and more importantly, she could see the burn scars along her face and neck.
A pattern drew up her jaw, flowering once at her cheek while the other reached up to her brow. Most of her eyebrow on that side was gone, replaced with the pattern or burnt skin. Her other eyebrow was intact, but it was odd only to see one now. Still, she was kinda glad the lightning didn’t pass through her eye; optical damage would suck far more than her leg and arm weaknesses. Her fingers probed carefully, noting how there was still swelling and smooth skin beneath the unabsorbed residue of her healing balms.
The scars probably helped, she supposed, to hide who or what she was. No avatar had been known to be hit by lightning to get the scars or burns from it in such visible places. Her old folk wouldn’t even hazard a guess she’d have this change if word ever got that far back. Right now, she shouldn’t focus on that. On them.
Even when… Alma paused a moment, frowning in careful consideration as she tried to think back on the Resistance yet found herself not quite recalling their faces. Hazy and foggy. Like the group of Sarentu, she had left was distant.
Alma stilled. She couldn’t remember all the details. She tried other people, the humans she had worked with, but it felt so long ago, like they were a faded memory. Some faces stood out, but not as distinguished. The purple hair and blue eyes of one woman were most prominent; different to the typical colours humans had. The lightning strike must be affecting her memory…. Her brain was still healing. The details would come back later, she was sure of it.
She set the stone down, her hand pulling out the box within. Hand-carved, wax sealed… death on its close. No, wait, this was her urn. Her human remains. Her and her losses. Husband. Child.
Her fingers ran over the carving.
Movement in the corner of her eye pulled her attention. Tsu’lo had returned.
She watched him wearily but nodding to him in and focused back onto the carving.
“<I’ve just realised I don’t remember the faces of the Sarentu I hurt, or the resistance I was a part of.>” She noted out loud, “<yet I remember my story; why I came here.>”
Tsu’lo remained quiet for the longest moment, sitting himself down onto an upturned basket. “<The loss of memory is not always consistent. Who you are is not who you met, and what you have done is not always what you were a part of. Or simply, your mind is healing from lashes that struck certain memories.>” He said, sounding wise, yet he didn’t sound too… invested in either or. He watched her for the longest of moments, his eyes sliding down to her box. “<What is that?>”
“<Remains of my human form… my late husband and infant.>” She admitted, “<I… didn’t wish to bury myself there. I dug up the other two for a better burial, but I’ve not found a good place for us all to be.>” and yet, she still didn’t feel like burying them out here; it was not the right area. Her heart did not feel it.
“<You were mated?>”
“<Not… in the same means of Na’vi. Humans don’t mate for life, but there’s a ceremony called ‘Marriage’ humans do that’s culturally the same. But… we never had the ceremony before they died.>” Her shoulders sank. “<I don’t remember how they died anymore>”
Tsu’lo remained quiet, his lips pursed before he spoke. “<Sky people are in the spires. We’ve already started to fight them but… if your memory improves, I will request your aid in my warriors on sky people's ways.>”
Her head shot up in surprise. “<You want me to help>”
Tsu’lo nodded. “<You know their weapons, their…technology. You can tell us of weak spots and what they are looking for in our lands.>”
Alma stared for a moment, “<You’ll allow me to stay.>”
“<It would be cruel of me to force you out in your current condition. You could help us now, while you heal.>” Tsu’lo proposed. “<I don’t doubt my warriors will learn of their weaknesses in time and how the sky people respond. You know their technology. You know their strange languages and you know how to read their… makings.>”
Alma reached over to her bag before she pulled out the familiar SID and her tablet and lay it out. Tsu’lo’s eyes lingered on the devices. “<I can teach people how to use their technology against them, but anyone who does will need to be comfortable using and interacting with metal devices. This device can interact with technology and give information; the tablet can also help. I disconnected the device from Resistance servers so they couldn’t track me with it, but that won’t affect its quality of work; I bound it to the device here.>”
Tsu’lo leaned down, picking up the SID and tilting it in his hands. “<Is this the only way?>”
“<No, but… Sky people ships contain information, designs of ships; their weak spots, their lines of commutation across long distances and means to shut down technology, like ships, down with minimal arrows shot. You cannot access it without it.>” Alma explained. “<The Sky people don’t defend their technology’s information as well as they should because to them, the Na’vi don’t look for that. It’s a weak spot of theirs. I can teach people English and their written languages, but to get them trained in that device, I need sky people technology that’s not entirely broken.>”
Tsu’lo considered her words, then nodded. “<Very well. I will speak to Imon and her warriors. She’ll decide what she’ll allow her warriors to do.>”
“<I know metal devices and technology aren’t… welcome due to the use of metal, but I only suggest this because it’s efficient long-term. You can destroy the ships but they’ll just keep making more once they’re secured areas to defend from and whittle your resources and numbers down. Sky people sit on areas that are useful for resources like oil and gas deposits. Destroying their means of harvesting or processing such resources limits their ability or reason to be there.>” Alma explained.
Tsu’lo looked invested in her words, eyeing the device with a more critical eye but not out of distaste. Interest. “<I will speak to Imon. Rest for now, Ul’ma>” He set the device down beside the table and bid her a far chipper farewell.
Alma settled back, but she picked up her tablet and began to make a few notes and lists for what she’d need: she had taught Na’vi English before, it wouldn’t be too hard to do so again, but she’d need resources to do that. More paper than she currently had but… they’d have access to hide. Maybe she could show them how to make parchment? That would be useful for the warriors to pass designs of the ships around to new warriors. Another idea came to mind. Wax.
She paused as she realised this was also an opportunity. The RDA technology; she needed the science equipment to grow more of that fungus; she’d get access to their tablets so she could actually do a proper study of it as well.
Two birds, one stone. She could work with that. She owed a lot to the Kame’tire for her actions so... helping them was a no-brainer. She gave them her truths, but now was a time for action. Make it easier for them to get rid of the RDA from this area.
She owed them that.
Imon didn’t come until an hour later, looking far sterner, but Alma was glad to have prepared. She had a rough sketch of RDA ships done and laid out, red marking weak points and was mid-way through a dragon-ship sketch by the time she stepped in.
“<Tsu’lo told me of your proposition, Dreamwalker. The way of the people has not lost us a war.>” Imon said, very bluntly.
“<No, but wouldn’t you like to listen in on their plans that they think are private? Where they plan to be, where they will be and what they may hurt and kill. You’d know what weapons they have and any upgrades to their weapons are in advance, before they even leave their base of operations.>” Alma proposed. “<Why limit your options?>”
“<The sky people aren’t stupid; they’ll catch on.>”
“<No, but I’m sure you’re smart enough to know that you can decide which information should be acted upon and lay your own traps. Why would the sky people think that Na’vi would know their technology in an area that the resistance has not ventured?>
Imon’s head tilted before she smiled and nodded. “<We start tomorrow. You will travel with me to a crash site. There is a small camp near to it which we’ll take fresh so you can show us what sky people technology we need.>”
“<I… my leg is still weak, I can barely walk.>” Alma frowned, not saying no, but she had her limits.
Imon moved, leaning out of her space and pulled something wrapped up and set it down in front of her.
Alma leaned forward, pulling away the thin fabric to see a wooden frame of sorts, but she recognised some contextual cues from her own experience. The wooden looked to be in two parts that looked to be bound to her thigh and knee, not straight wood either, but it seemed to bend and curve at the limb, offering support and nice decorative flair. At the knee, there was a soft interlocking mechanism, but also a series of holes drilled in, and there was a slim piece of removable wood on one side that looked like a type of hook-latch.
“<This will aid you. The wood can bear your weight, as you walk, but the latch must be manually adjusted to what angle you’re crouching at for long periods of time>” She gestured to the holes, which she realised were made for that purpose. “<You may keep your crutch to walk still for when it gets too uncomfortable but this will also help you keep the leg exercised without overdoing it. We took your measurements when you first arrived, and it became apparent there was nerve damage.>”
“<Thank you.>” Alma touched over it softly.
Imon just nodded, “<I will gather my warriors who will assist in the fight against the sky people, and the sky people's language lessons will start.>”
“<Will all of them learn English writing too?>”
“<That… can be a supplementary option, but the language will be more important. The warriors will get to choose>”
“<Okay. Will you be able to get a large quantity of beeswax? I need flat wood with a thin rim like a bowl, enough to hold solid wax. I need resources to teach both.>”
“<I’ll ask our gatherers to get some today. What is the wax for?>”
“<Humans have a… writing medium called wax tablets; they’d write on the solid wax, which would retain their markings using a piece of wood or bone that’s… thin, like a twig, called a stylus. When finished or unused, the wax would be melted, and the surface would be smooth again. I don’t have enough fibre-based writing mediums to use in lessons.>” Alma explained, “<I would need one for myself and for as many of those who wish to learn the writing.>”
Imon considered the request for a moment, then nodded. “<I will see to it. Try out the leg brace and make sure it fits, Ul’ma.>”
Mäzan looked at his new gatherings of raw materials. Canyon vines, Murky Waterweed Basts and Screecher Reeds that weighed down his basket with the wood he also had to collect. So much that went into such a beautiful weapon, and so, he knew it would take time and discipline to craft now that he had what he needed. But Mäzan appreciated the art to not fuss, but this knowledge would be a good one. He’d ask Tsu’lo’s permission to take such a lesson back to his clan, but he saw little reason why they wouldn’t.
Fayfa was occupied with helping Zat with deshelling nuts for the later meal, but he didn’t know where Nasyì had disappeared off to since he last saw her stripping her bast for her own crossbow alone but her space was empty and her things were away in the basket.
Mäzan set it down, now also noticing how… there were a lot fewer people about the central area. He sniffed carefully, but given he had seen Zat busy, it wasn’t time for even an early or communal snack… nor could he smell anything being cooked.
He eyed the area before he let his feet carry him about, popping in to check in on Ul’ma, but she wasn’t there. Her blankets were empty, as was her crutch. Had she not rested?
Mäzan carried on, confused before he heard Ul’ma’s voice, echoing a little before he entered a large area where twelve warriors were sitting in a near ring around Ul’ma and listening to her words. She wasn’t facing the door, so he wasn’t spotted.
“<…English originated from a large island territory, and it’s a complex language, derived from unique languages of other territories that invaded their island, and so, the language adopted… verbal techniques and sounds that will be hard for you to pronounce. English has a variety of sounds that Na’vi don’t have, such as a TH sound.>” She made a very short sounded word, her tongue looking a little caught in the front of her teeth as the air and sound was pushed against it and abruptly released, “<CH, sound>” her mouth was closed, but it sounded like again, her tongue had shifted position behind her teeth where the air and sound released. “<and lastly, the SH sound.>. Unlike the other two, this sounded far back in her throat and wispier. “<These sounds are foreign to your mouths, so I do think you should practise those three sounds more intently. They are very common in Sky people English. Or…> English.”
Her last word was not spoken in Na’vi, but he noted how the word changed from its clear Na’vi counterpart ('ìnglìsì), with less alien sounds to something… that certainly sounded… odd to his ears. The sounds a little harsh yet the sound at the end, wispy with the Sh sound.
Mäzan’s head tilted curiously. She was teaching the warriors the sky people's language?
“<Now, you will naturally settle with the nearest sound you know and are familiar with. The Th sound, Na’vi will simply pronounce the T sound instead. The number three humans pronounce it as> Three” Again, the word is found harsh and long, without the familiar popping sound of pxey. “<Na’vi may drift naturally into just saying> tree. <Which is a much softer sound to pronounce and easier but I want you to practise the unfamiliar sounds rather than the easiest.>” Ul’ma carried on, with clear ease of someone who knew how to teach others this foreign tongue.
He found himself joining in with the group, and he did notice Nasyì sitting in as well.