Avatar the way of water x reader insert
After your terminal diagnosis, you reluctantly agree to participate in an experimental trial, involving the first ever humans to experience cryogenesis. However, something goes terribly wrong when you wake up strapped to the operating table, and unusually blue.
Warnings- crude language, descriptions of death and mild torture, descriptions of terminal illness, depression/mild suicidal ideation,
Village life starts early, fucking apparently. Kiri shakes you awake âCome on, wake upâ she gently pushes your shoulder. You groan tiredly at her, your body aching in protest as you sit up in bed.
âWhatâs going on?â You grumble. âItâs time to wake up, is whatâs going onâ she snorts at you, before trying to finger brush your wild bed-head. You lazily swat her hand away âAlright, alrightâ you let out a pitiful whine as you stand up.
âCome onâ she leads you out into the main sitting area. âMorningâ Jake greets you, his hands busied with what you assume will be breakfast. âYou look crazyâ Loâak snickers, his brother flicking his ear in response.
âI slept like the deadâ you muse happily, sitting down next to the crackling coals. The morning air was crisp but not frosty, its freshness clearing you of your sleep-filled haze.
âHere, do as I doâ Kiri passes you some waxy leaves. You watch her hands carefully as she crosses the leaves over one another, creating a small origami-like pocket. Filling the pouch with diced vegetables, she secures the ends by folding it under itself, before putting it to one side.
You manage to follow her instructions, albeit very messily. While hers was clean on the outside, yours had spices and juice dripping from it. âIs this alright?â you ask, laughing in amusement at the clear difference. âItâs goodâ Kiri smiles at you, âNow do ten moreâ.
She laughs at your face falling in disappointment, you letting out a weak Oh in response.
After a few more tries you were finally able to make a clean one. âWell done, youâre a naturalâ Kiri congratulates you.
Neytiri enters the room, Tuk waddling in behind her with a big yawn. "Morning" she greets you all tiredly, before plopping down on your other side and unceremoniously laying her head in your lap. You chuckle at her familiarity.
Neytiri greets her lover with a chaste kiss. Sitting beside him her sharp eyes find you quickly. Examining your movements. Your presence in her home.
Performance anxiety tickles your spine as you continue to fold and fill the leaves until the bowl is empty.
âNow we steam it and waitâ Jake tells you, passing you a damp cloth to wipe your hands with.
"So..." Loak starts, "What kind of stuff did you do back on Earth?" he leans towards you curiously. "Uh.. I don't know. What do you wanna know?", "Like, what did you do for fun?" he elaborates.
You hum in thought "I went to the beach a lot, swimming, beach combing-", "What's beach combing?" Netayem asks. "Is it like combing the beaches hair?" Tuk jokes, her siblings giggling in response.
"Yeah sort of" you smile down at her, her bright eyes shining with unencumbered joy.
"It's where you walk along the beach collecting things like rubbish or seashells", "And then what?" Kiri asks. "Then you throw back the shells and take the rubbish home to throw away later"
Loak scrunches his nose at you "That just sounds like cleaning" he rolls his eyes. You chuckle at him "Yeah, but it's nice to do your part in keeping the world clean ya know?", "Well if you like cleaning so much you can do my chores-", "Alright, breakfast is ready" Jake interrupts his sons' shenanigans.
Taking the shell-like steamer off the embers and opening it up, a plume of warmth and spices rise from the vegetable wraps. Jake passes them around the circle before taking one for himself. Curiously unwrapping it, the mince holds its' form perfectly. You sniff it, your mouth salivating as you finally take a bite. Your tail curls in delight, the warm aromatic spices dance across your palate.
"You like it?" Jake watches you in amusement. You hum happily in response, swaying gently from side to side. "It's so fresh and clean tasting" you note. "Yeah, that's because it's all freshly gathered. Not like back on Earth where everything is canned or preserved", you mmh in agreement.
After breakfast, Kiri grabs onto your wrist leading around again "Come, today you will learn to weave" she says excitedly, dragging you towards an open tent area where some others were already working away. Sitting amongst the group, Kiri grabs some grass and sticks for the two of you "Today you'll make a basket" she starts dividing up the supplies. "Sounds easy enough" you sit straight in enthusiasm. She chuckles at you "Just do as I do".
She first instructs you on building a boat-like base out of flexible sticks, you assisting in holding everything together as she binds each end. And after much struggle and encouragement on Kiri's behalf, you finally make your own. Next, you begin to weave the dampened grass over and under the frame you just made. This took some time and many stretching breaks on your behalf, "Come on, back to work" She pats the ground next to her "You're almost done" she encourages you to keep going. You sit back down with a tired groan, who knew hunching over a weaving basket all day could be so tiring.
Kiri quickly finishes off her basket before retiring herself to be your cheerleader. "You're almost there, keep going ma' eylanay (acquaintance)" she claps her hands rhythmically , struggling not to laugh as you entwine the final pieces. "Kosman! (wonderful!)" she cheers, picking up and inspecting your basket.
"You did great" she smiles warmly, "Yeah?" your tail wags gently in excitement. "How long until I'm as good as you?" you joke playfully, "Oh" she laughs waving you away "Probably never".
You deflate at her response, "You will have to practice for many more years before you can make my designs" she sits proudly.
"So will this be my future now? Weaving baskets forever?" your ears droop disappointedly.
She laughs at you again "No, tomorrow you will learn to forage, and cook, and then you will learn to speak and see Na'vi-", "See Na'vi?", "Yes. You will learn to see like us" she places both her hands over your heart "You will learn to be one of the people" she smiles her face beaming with pure love and joy, it was so bright it almost blinded you.
The following days were a steep learning curve. Neytiri worked you hard, you're pretty sure she was enjoying seeing you suffer. Teaching you how to identify edible plants and where they commonly grow. Showing you the various safe and unsafe fauna around Pandora. Introducing you to the clan and important members of the resistance.
But what you were really looking forward to was hunting, you wanted to prove yourself. Not just to the others or the clan or Neytiri, but to yourself. You were a survivor. And you wanted the recognition for it. And what's more hardcore than killing and skinning an animal?
But Neytiri said you weren't ready yet, the forest hadn't granted you permission, and first you had to learn to 'see'.
Kiri often accompanied you and her mother during your lessons. She kept talking about this flow of energy, the spirits of the animals and land or whatever. You weren't unfamiliar with the concept, but between surviving your parents and dying of cancer you never really had time to contemplate the mystical complexities of the universe.
Norm however, had a very different approach to the subject. He explained that Pandora had a literal biological network connecting all plants and animals to the planet. That the 'neural queue' connected to all the animals and Na'vi's head allowed them this intimate connection with one another. With this collective consciousness they called Eywa, their goddess.
Neytiri leads the two of you through the forest, following the subtle scent trails left behind on the morning due. Creeping through the foliage you peek between the brush to spy a family of Nantang, or viper-wolves, playing with one another. The young pups teethe at each other, their mother watching diligently from her perch. It was jarring to see such a dangerous animal behave so family oriented.
You follow her on her hunting trips. Shadowing her movements you learn to tread silently through the undergrowth. A mature Yerik, or hexapede, grazes in the clearing ahead, unaware of your approach. Neytiri raises her bow, drawing the string and.. release. The arrow finds it mark in the Yeriks' respiratory gills, killing it almost instantly. She approaches, crystal blade in hand she plunges it into the base of the skull "Oeru txoa livu. Ma oeyä tsmukan, ma oeyä tsmukan (Forgive me, my brother, my brother)" she whispers mournfully to it.
She told you a prayer must be said for every kill, asking for forgiveness, acknowledging that killing is necessary but not desirable, and inviting the spirit to return to the Great Mother.
Neteyam sits across from you attempting to teach you their language. "Ontu" he gestures to his nose, "On Tu" you mimic him slowly.
"Mikyun" he grabs his ears, "Mik-yun" you repeat, sounding out each syllable.
"Snatxärem (skeleton)" He says, his pronunciation has a clicking noise in the middle of the word. "Uh.." you hesitate, feeling a little intimidated. He laughs "It is alright, you will get used to it" he reassures you "Now, lets' try again".
Kiri sits on the ledge behind you, braiding your hair out of your face "Sit still" she smacks your shoulder. Lately your hair has become completely unmanageable. With the high altitude came little to no coverage from the harsh winds, thus resulting in your birds-nest of a head.
"OW" you yelp as Kiri tugs on your scalp again "Stop pulling so hard" you rub your sore head. She scoffs at you "You are wiggling" she dismisses your complaint.
After much more whining, she finally finishes with your hair. Adding various crystal beads and feather-like leaves to the end of each braid. "There, now you are starting to look more Na'vi" she sits back admiring her work.
You take a breath, glad it was finally over. Smoothing over your head you can feel scattered braids and beads purposefully and artistically placed throughout your hair. "Thank you Kiri" you sigh reluctantly.
She sits up proudly "Well you should get used to it Eylan (friend), we'll be doing this again in a few weeks time" you groan in annoyance to that.
After many more months of foraging, weaving, and following Neytiri during her hunts you were finally ready to ride a pa'li, or direhorse. The whole Sully family, plus Spider, came to cheer you on, and possibly watch you fall.
Neytiri approaches, guiding a tall horse-like animal along behind her. "Up" she commands, holding the horse in place by its snout.
"Alright, easy peasy" you try to hype yourself up by shaking off the nerves.
Walking up to the side of the pa'li you pat her gently "Hey there girl" you whisper, hoping to form a good impression. Bracing yourself on her side you jump, pulling yourself up onto her back smoothly.
"Good" Neytiri compliments you stiffly. Your chest swells with pride at her approval. "This is  tsaheylu, the bond-" she guides you to take one of the antennas. Once in hand you inspect the neural-queue closely, its' tendrils writhing with a mind of its own.
Neytiri gently guides your hand to take your queue "You must connect your kuru to make the bond" she explains.
Holding one in each hand, you hesitantly touch them together, they interweave together and- LIGHTNING! shoots through your body, setting every nerve alight. Your tail and ears spike up, every hair standing on end, the horse under you honking in surprise.
"Feel her heartbeat, her breath. Feel her strong legs" She strokes the horses-yours, the horses snout, but you can feel it too. You feel at one.
"You may tell her what to do. For now, say where to go" she steps back to give you room.
You nod, breathing steadily you settle your hammering heart, hearts.
"Forward" you breath heavily. The horse launches itself with a loud whinny. You struggle to hold on as it awkwardly trots forward, bouncing you hard on its back. You laugh in amazement as the horse follows your mental directions without a word ever needing to be said.
The Sully children clap and cheer from the side lines, looking over you see Jake giving you a thumbs up, "Watch where you're going!" he points in front of you. Turning back around a branch suddenly hits you in the face, knocking you off the horse and into the mud. "Fuck.." you groan, slowly sitting up. You can hear Lo'ak and Spider carrying on from across the clearing, and their father telling them off.
"Are you alright?" Neteyam offers you his hand. Kiri stands behind him, trying hard to hide her laughter. "Thanks" you grunt, taking it.
He hauls you up, before flicking his hand around with a disgusted face, trying to get the mud off.
"It's just a bit of mud brother" Kiri teases him for his preciousness.
"I don't think it's just mud.." he looks at you with a sorry expression, the mud coating your entire back, saturating your hair, and dripping down the rest of your body...
The water was cool compared to the rainforests' warm and humid air. "Bro that was so sick, you were all like AH!" Spider and Lo'ak continue to reenact your failures, practically tripping over themselves with laughter.
"Just ignore them" Kiri reassures you, walking up to your seated form in the water "Everybody falls off during their first ride", "Did you?" you look up at her doubtfully, as you continue to scrub your arms. "Well no.." she giggles a little. "Yeah.. that's what I thought.." you mutter.
In the background you can still hear the boys carrying on, your ears pinning in annoyance, "I'm gonna drown them in a minute" you joke to yourself absentmindedly.
"And I wouldn't blame you" Jake approaches with a warm smile "You did good, you should be proud", "I'm literally covered in horse shit right now". He laughs at your bluntness, "You know the same happened to me when I first tried to ride a pa'li". You look at him skeptically "Really?", "Yeah really" he chuckles fondly.
"Except you landed on your front Yawne (beloved)" Neytiri looks over her shoulder with a faint smile, her hands busy washing Tuksâ hair in the water.
Jake laughs awkwardly "Yeah.. I did actually, some of it got in my mouth-" The sound of Spiders and Lo'aks laughter interrupts the family moment, irritating you beyond your breaking point.
"That's it!" you quickly stand. Spotting the boys on the bank of the water you march over "Oi you little shits!" you shout at them. Spider squeaks in fright upon seeing your furious face and fast approach, âOh shit" he attempts to turn around and run, only to fall, slipping in the mud.
Lo'ak, stopping to laugh at his friend is quickly caught by his brother "Hey what the-", "Don't worry brother, the water is nice" Neteyam smiles not-so-innocently at him.
Spider slowly crawls backwards, his arms outstretched in defense as you loom over him, "Hey.. we were just joking around ya know" he laughs nervously.
Your tail flicks wildly behind you, "Well I wasn't laughing.." you stare at him intensely before pouncing, his scratchy screams echo throughout the valley.
Picking him up by his ankle you haul him above your head like a prized fish. "RAH!" you let out a roar before marching back into the water, ignoring Spiders' plea for mercy as you swing him around upside-down. Keeping hold of his ankle you bend down and grab his arm before raising him up "Please, you wouldn't hurt your friend, would you?" he looks up at you in desperation.
Gazing down at him with piercing eyes you reply simply, "Die".
A look of horror washes over him "-What?" he stutters.
"DIE!" you yell before swinging him around like a shotput and throwing him across the water. He lands with a harsh splash.
On shore Neteyam wrestles his brother into the water, splashing him in the face aggressively.
Today, Neytiri had planned on taking her children and you to the Aranahe clan to meet with their weavers. But there was one small problem, or one rather large, lizard-like problem standing in the way. You needed to take an ikran to get there.
"I assure you it is perfectly safe" Neteyam guides you towards the rookery.
"Yeah, just don't look them in the eyes- OW!" Lo'ak rubs the back of his head, glaring at his brother. "Leave her be" he chastises him.
Lo'ak hisses at him, Neteyam returning the sentiment. "Stop it" Neytiri silences them. Covering her mouth, Kiri tries to hide her laughter but to little avail.
Turning the corner into the rookery, you are greeted by the sight of dozens upon dozens of dragon-like creatures resting in a low-lit room.
"Holy crap" you whisper nervously, hoping not to wake them up.
"Come, meet TahnĂ" Kiri pulls you by your arm towards a large blue and green beast. The ikran opens its eyes at the sound of your approach, and upon recognizing its rider, stretches its leathery wings, chittering happily.
Kiri pats her head fondly, "Here she is very gentle" she brings your hand to her snout, allowing TahnĂÂ a looong sniff. "Is she? She doesn't look like it" you laugh nervously, eyeing the rows of razor sharp teeth and how close they were to your fingers. She slaps your arm playfully "Don't be silly".
She then proceeds to walk off, gathering her saddle and gear from a basket stored behind her ikran, leaving you at the head end with four curious eyes watching your movements.
Your tail stiffens as TahnĂ leans her head in to sniff your face "Uh.. Kiri.." you squeak, her hot fishy breath wafting over your face. Behind you, you could hear the boys snickering to themselves.
"Oh! leave her, Ftang nga! (You stop!)" she slaps her ikrans' leg, it snorting in surprise.
After helping Kiri tack up TahnĂ, you slide in behind her on the saddle, securing your arms around her torso tightly.
"Don't worry, we will go nice and easy" She looks over her shoulder to give you a reassuring smile.
"Makto ko! (lets ride!)" Neytiri yells to her children before flying out of the rookery.
Yipping in response they quickly follow.
TahnĂ lurches forward as she takes off from the ground, you hold on to Kiri for dear life as you leave the nest.
Sun-beams blind you momentarily before your eyes adjust. Abundant rainforest stretches across the horizon, meeting a vibrant kaleidoscope sky, where the giant blue moon looms over the planets' surface.
Kiri weaves you two through the floating mountains, chirping and laughing in excitement "What do you think?" she calls out to you, the rushing wind making it hard to hear.
"This is fucking amazing!" you answer, before joining her in her yipping "Whoop Whoop Woo!"
It took around thirty minutes of riding for you to enter the silkwoods of the Kinglor forest, the colossal Aranahe Hometree was unmistakable, towering over the forest like a beacon to all that wander. On the side of the tree was a woven perch-like structure, people and their ikran loitering around on the stoop.
The Sully family lands there. Dismounting, you stay close to the others, unsure exactly where you fit in. Neytiri wordlessly leads you all up the path to the top of Hometree, into the Kinglor Nest.
Entering the large room, giant moth-like insects flutter around you. A woman stands in the center talking with an older man. They turn to look at you, smiling kindly "Oel ngati kameie (I see you)" they say, gesturing their hand from their forehead outwards.
"I am Etuwa, TsahĂŹk of the Aranahe. And this is my father Ka'nat, he is Olo'eyktan of our clan"
You all mimic the gesture back politely, "Oel ngati kameie (I see you)".
Etuwas' eyes quickly find yours "Ah this must be the chosen one. It is good to finally meet you" she looks at you knowingly.
'Chosen one?' Your face flushes in embarrassment, ears flicking back "You've heard of me?", "Word of the dead sky-girl, brought back by Eywa travels fast"
Your tail flicks behind you nervously "Only good words I hope..".
She laughs at your timidness "Do not worry, if Eywa has chosen to save you then we are glad to teach you" she smiles warmly, placing her hand over her heart. She then turns to Neytiri "You should talk to Nefika, she has much to show you all", "Thank you" she responds politely.
Neytiri leads her family back down the path, passing the ikrans' landing, through the tunnel and into what seems like the Hometrees' common area, where many Navi are found socializing around a woven hole in the floor.
An older woman with a vibrant yellow cape converses with a tall man wearing a tactical vest, decorated with dozens of dog-tags, and another younger woman with an odd swooping scar under her eye.
The older woman spots your groups approach, "Ah-ha! we were just speaking about your arrival, I am Nefika, and this is So'lek of the Trr'ong clan and Tamtey of the Sarentu" The three of them greet you, gesturing from their foreheads outwards, you returning the sentiment.
Neytiri introduces her children before her gaze lands on you, "Oh uh.." you tell them your name "of the- umm.." you trail off not quite knowing where you belong anymore.
Sensing your unease Nefika steps forward, grasping you by your shoulders "Do not fret eveng (child), there is still much time for you to grow and find your roots" you smile stiffly at her, feeling self-conscious under her piercing gaze.
"Come! I have much to show you, and I will see you two another time" she waves goodbye to the two warriors, leading your group downstairs.
"This is where our amazing artisans create their masterpieces!" she announces proudly, gesturing to the large pools of vibrant dye and the various weavers practicing their craft. Large silk tapestries dyed in the rich hues of Pandora, hang from the ceiling and walls, decorating the space with the clans' creative expertise.
The Sully family disperse, exploring the Weaver's Den independently. Nefika places a gentle hand on your back, guiding you up a raised platform, and towards a young woman. "Koranu, come meet our numeyu (student). This is Koranu, my best weaving student" she praises her, the young woman's tail swishing in delight.
"Please I am far from perfect" she blushes. "Bah! You are too humble! Koranu makes high-quality silken clothing, very skilled, very complex" she continues to praise her, flustering the young woman further.
"I would love to see them, if.. that's alright with you?" you try to ease her nerves.
Koranu nods vigorously before turning around and grabbing something off the woven mats. Holding it up, she shows you an orange-to-pink-to-purple loincloth with embroidered edges, and a coral-like hole pattern adorning the ends. The waist band was a complicated, organic-looking macrame, with shimmering opalized stones inlaid into its design.
Your jaw falls open in amazement, "I have been working on it for hours, and it's still not quite where I want it", "What else is there to do? This is the most beautiful piece of clothing I've ever seen" you gently trace the intricate details on the silk.
Koranu laughs bashfully "I am still yet to put some beaded threads along the waistband" she explains, fiddling with the item.
Neytiri suddenly approaches, nodding for you to follow, "I have you to go now, but keep up the good work. It looks absolutely amazing" you wave to them as you follow Neytiri down another hall and outside Hometree.
None of her children follow, "Where are we going?" you struggle to walk in her footsteps as she leads you further into the forest. "To learn" she answers, in a very typical Neytiri type of way.
You huff in amusement and frustration, It wasn't abnormal for her to ignore you entirely or frost you out. You kind of get it though, given what the 'sky-people' have taken from her, but you never asked for this, you didn't come here willingly. Whatever, it's not like you needed a mum anyway. You had done just fine without one.. sort of.
Entering the clearing, a small camp perched on the side of a tree comes into view. The two of you stroll through, the locals eyeing you as you go by.
Neytiri approaches a young man wearing a yellow garment "Hello ayeylan (friends), I am glad and honored to be going on this journey with you" he smiles at you, "journey?" you look between them, clearly missing something, "Itu will teach you to hunt".
A surge of excitement runs through you, "Really? Do you think Iâm ready?" your tail and ears stand in alert.
"Yes, it is time," she answers calmly. Your tail wags happily, finally feeling like you've made some progress, "Great, so where do we start?" you're practically teeming enthusiastically.
"First you will learn to make a bow" Itu chuckles in amusement. You Oh in surprise, realizing you were probably getting ahead of yourself.
The following days you foraged for various crafting materials. You searched the land for Moonwood trees, finding the sturdiest branches and snapping them off. Then, you collected Murky waterweed from the shallows of the surrounding rivers.
Itu helps you whittle down the wood, guiding you in shaping the body of the bow. You soak the waterweed to remove the stem, leaving just the fibers, then drying it out and breaking it in with a mallet. You then split the fibers and twist them creating a strong and flexible cord. Attaching the first cords loop to the top limb, you struggle to attach the second one, pulling the string taught and connecting it to the notch.
Once it was built Itu encouraged you to decorate it, to make it your own. You spend the next few days carving delicate vines and flowers into the grip and limbs. You weave and attach a blue to green macrame cord, decorated with various crystal and shell beads.
And after inspecting it carefully, you finally decided you were satisfied with your work, presenting it to Itu with pride, "This is beautiful ma numeyu (my student), are you ready to use it?", you nod in response clutching your bow to your chest. His smile widens, "Then let us hunt".
Standing across from the painted target, Itu corrects your form. "You must relax" he playfully slaps your back. You huff in frustration adjusting your body again "I thought you said we were going to hunt", he laughs at you "We will, but first you need to learn to shoot". You roll your eyes at him.
"Now, hold the bow out in front of you, pulling the string, look for where you want the arrow to go and release".
You attempt to replicate his very vague instructions, trying not to think about it too much. You fire the bow, the arrow landing just outside the marked area of the woven target. "Well done!" he cheers, "You're a natural!".
Your tail wags in excitement, proud of yourself and your progress "Yeah?" you smile brightly.
"Yes ma numeyu (my student), now hit the center" he wanders off, sitting down on a nearby rock, "I will watch from here" he begins to chow down on some fresh fruit.
Shaking your head at his antics, you continue to practice until nightfall. Even when hitting the target in the dead-center, Itu still instructs you to continue practicing, insisting it was important. But you really think he was just trying to stall for time.
That night, you sit around the fire at Hunters rest eating with the other young Na'vi. "Tomorrow we will hunt" Itu mumbles, mouth full of a fruity egg fry. You cringe at his lack of manners, "Oh yeah.. do you mean actual hunting or the 'practice hunting' we did today?", "You will hunt a Yerik (Hexapede) tomorrow, then you will be Fyeyntu, adult".
You pause, food midway to your mouth. Wait.. is this a coming-of-age test? It must be, otherwise why would he say that? Shit I didn't even realize, better not fuck it up tomorrow.
Settling in for the night, the sound of the crackling fire and ambient forest noise quickly lulls you to sleep.
Waking early, Itu takes you down the river, away from the Hunters rest and Hometree, Neytiri following you from a distance.
Moving through the forest, he allows you to take the lead on your hunt.
You creep through the undergrowth, allowing the large foliage to conceal your presence as you analyze the animal tracks in the hardened mud. There were small, scattered hoof prints littering the ground.. possibly a Yerik. You sniff the air, catching the faint lingering scent of an animal, it must still be close. Following the tracks down the valley, you crawl silently up to the edge of the clearing, an adult male Yerik grazing on the grass, unaware of your approach.
Grasping an arrow from your quiver, you slowly adjust your crouched stance. Standing up, you draw back the string to your face, the feathers attached to the arrow tickling you.
You take aim and.. release. The arrow finds its mark in the Yeriks' gills, delivering a fatal blow. You quickly approach "Oel ngati kameie, ma tsmukan, ulte ngaru seiyi irayo. Ngari hu Eywa salew tirea, tokx 'Ï'awn slu Na'viyä hapxÏ (I see you, brother, and I thank you. Your spirit will run with Eywa, while your body will remain and become part of the People) you whisper as you plunge your crystal dagger into the base of its skull, killing it swiftly.
Itu approaches you, placing a hand on your shoulder, "You did well ma numeyu (my student)" he compliments you, but you can't help but ignore him.
Gazing down at the dead animal, the arrow in its lung and the blood on your hands, you can't help the deep hollow feeling spreading its way into your chest.
Why did you feel this way? This was supposed to be your big moment.. and yet.. now that you're here, looking at the cost, you're not sure that it was worth it.
A hand gently caresses the back of your head, guiding you to look at them. Neytiri gazes at you with question filled eyes, searching for an answer.
A sudden wave of guilt and sadness washes over you, your ears pinning in distress, your eyes watering. She understands.
Without a word, she brings your head carefully to her chest, resting it there as she brushes your hair in comfort.
You let out a shuddered breath, your heart aching painfully, "I don't think I like hunting.." you whisper. Neytiri huffs in amusement "You do not have to, there are plenty of other ways to gather food".
You nod, sniffling as you raise your head from her, "You did great Eylan (friend), you should be proud" Itu pats you on the back, "Our brothers' spirit returns to Eywa" he tries to comfort you, but to little avail. "Come, we must finish what we started" he gestures for you to stand.
Rising to your feet, Itu makes you carry the Yerik over your shoulders, back to the Hunters' rest, where you begin to process the meat and hide. He takes some of the teeth from its skull, handing them over to you "They are a good material to have around" he drops the bloodied teeth in your open palm, you shivering in disgust at the cold wet feel.
After spending the rest of the day skinning, cutting, and carving the carcass, Itu hands you a woven-backpack filled with the bounties of your kill, "Take these home, celebrate with your people" he beams proudly. Your people. Your body tingles, an unfamiliar warmth enveloping you.
"Thank you for teaching me", "It was my pleasure. It is a great honor to be trusted with this journey of yours, I hope you are able to find your place". You nod at him,"KĂŹyevame ulte ngahu (See you again, and may Eywa be with you)", he laughs cheerily "Eywa ngahu (Eywa be with you)" he says back to you.
Making your way back to the Aranahe Hometree, the Sully family already awaits your arrival, "There is the mighty hunter!" Netayam greets you, "We heard of your great kill, one shot!".
You chuckle airily, nervous about how much they know regarding your hunt, and your little meltdown. "We are all very proud of you" Kiri pulls you in for a hug. "Aw guys.." you flush, resting your head atop of hers.
Etuwa and Ka'nat walk up to your group as you tack up the ikran to leave. "Safe travels my friends, may Eywa grant you easy winds" Etuwa blesses you. "Your presence is always welcome amongst our people" Ka'nat adds. "Yes, return to us again sometime" she smiles warmly, watching as you mount the great beasts, ready to fly.
The Sully family waves them goodbye, cheering and chattering as the group takes off "Goodbye!", "Goodbye my friends!", "KĂŹyevame! (See you soon!)" they call out.
The ride home was peaceful, the cool wind caressing you as you landed back at the Ayram AlusĂŹng, or the Hallelujah Mountains, Jake and Tuk greeting you at the mouth of the cave. Dismounting, you groan as you stretch your sore back, several bits cracking in relief.
"How was it?" Jake approaches his wife, giving her a chaste kiss. She looks over to you, nodding with a subtle smile "She did well, she made a clean kill" she compliments you.
Jake calls you over "I heard you did well with your hunt", "Yeah.." you chuckle nervously, "Well we're all really proud of you ya know, you've come a long way in a couple of months" he ruffles your hair playfully, you swatting away his hand with a grin. That same unfamiliar warm feeling swells in your chest, "Thank you" you respond shyly.
Mo'ats' tent was warmly lit, only a pile of dying embers illuminating the space. She kneels down in front of your sitting form, and hands you a bowl of foul smelling liquid "Drink, you have earned it".
Bringing the rim to your lips, you brace yourself for the unpleasant taste, throwing it back quickly. The liquid burns through your throat, warming your belly "fuc-yum" you cough, trying to keep it together.
"It is Zangke, fermented milk with fiery herbs", "So.. like cheese?", "Like alcohol" she corrects you. Your brows raise in surprise "Oh!".
She chortles, "This is but the first of many trials you will complete to become Omatikaya", "..Will I be getting drunk after each one?", "No.. perhaps a little".
You laugh heartily, definitely feeling the alcohols' effect. Mo'at joins you, entertained by your intoxication, "Go now, join the others" she shoos you outside.
Your legs feel light and loose as you stumble your way through High camp, finding the Sully family socializing around a communal fire. Flopping down, you sprawl out across the mat next to Kiri. She giggles at you "Feeling good?".
You hum in response, your body felt great. No pain, no fatigue, no deep uncomfortable ache in your bones. This new body was wonderful. You felt so grateful for this amazing opportunity and the beautiful people that surround you, joining you on this miraculous and magical journey. Ah- you can't fucking wait for what tomorrow has to bring.
Authors note: Hello my lovelies! I'm so glad to finish this chapter for you. I've been struggling with some minor depression lately so I'm pretty slow at updates. I hope you enjoy it!
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