Chapter two: flight of the Ikran
Warnings: none that I can think of? Maybe injury assessment?
This chapter is dedicated to a very good friend of mine! Who also created this lovely art you see below of the pair! Thank you so so much! I love you you are truly the best @nin3kyuu ARENT THEY SO FUCKING CUTE!!!! I COULD CRY.
also!!!! Nine! she created Mansks Ikrans name!!!!!!
Mansk had stayed true to his words, he didn’t leave her and he guided her the whole way before climbing up himself first. Making it easier for him to carefully guide her out of the water and onto the safety of the rocks around them. It was only now that she was out of the water that he was able to get a look at her, fully Assess any injuries she may have endured. To his relief The only thing she had sustained was the simple fact that currently she was unable to see. Permanently or for how long he was unsure but at the very least he was happy he was able to save the one person that meant the most to him in all of this. The one person who had begged him from the start not to go through with this mission because she was worried something horrible might happen to all of them.
“ Here sit down a moment and let me look at you.. Look you over i mean. “ Mansk had guided her into a sitting position seeing as how she couldnt look back and ensure she wasn't going to fall over or slide back into the ocean on accident. In time she would learn to live with it, Everything took time. At the moment he knew it would be uncomfortable for her, confusing even. All her life she had perfect vision, didn’t even need glasses of any sort in both human and recom form.
“ We should wring out our clothes, Get as much water out of them as possible before we move again. “ Mansk wanted to give her the option to do things for herself. He didn’t want her to fell dependent or useless to him because she wasn’t. In no way shape or form would she ever be that way to him, he only hoped that she would understand that. On top of that he couldn't guarantee she was always going to be in his line of sight in order to help her. Doing this sort of thing on her own right away was for the best and if she wanted the help he would not deny her that.
Mansk removed his vest as well as his sopping wet jacket, ringing it out before he laid it along the rocks temporarily. There was no use wearing it at the moment given how the water was weighing it down. This way it gave it a moment to dry out a bit while he regained his bearings, checked them both over for anything that might be abnormal. Gave him the chance to call for his ikran before they were to head off.
His shirt came off as well as his gloves in order for him to try and wring as much excess water out of his clothes as possible. Mansk spared quick glance back at Isabella chalking it up to the fact that he wanted to ensure she was doing alright with her own clothes.Carefully she to managed to peel her own shirt off leaving her bra on as she twisted the fabric of her shirt in her hands as tightly as she could manage before unraveling it and shaking it out as best she could. Isabella did this twice before putting her shirt back on and moved onto her pants,doing the exact same. Her fingers sliding around the waistband of the pants in order to find the button on the front as she didnt want to put them back on backwards after all. The pants were done with a little bit of difficulty but in the end she managed to get them back on all on her own. A step forward in Mansks eye seeing as how this was all brand new to her.
“ Here stay still for a moment. “ Mansk moved in order to kneel in front of her, a hand came to the side of her face as the other wiped some sort of wet cloth around her eyes. The man simply wanted to cover all bases, keep them clean just to help whatever healing process was ahead of them. He didn’t know what else to do, what could he do? There was no medical equipment in sight and it wasn’t as if he would know how to use it to begin with as that was more along the lines of Isabella’s expertise.
“ Do you think it will ever come back, i just.. There's no doctors around to really tell the full cause. “ Isabella had spoken and yet still leaned her head into his hand as he continued to clean her up as best as he possibly could. He knew what she was saying to be true but for now this was all he could do for her. For him personally he wanted to feel as though he was doing something helpful, something important after all of this.
“ I don’t know, I'm going to get you to a doctor as soon as possible, I promise. I just want to make sure it’s safe for you. “ He smiled, even if she couldn't see him do so he still smiled at her. Mansk was positive he could get the both of them out of there safely and get her the medical attention he felt as though she needed. Going back to the RDA was the only thing he could logically think of, he didn't know what else to do. Mansk didn't feel as though there was any Na’vi clan out there that would accept the two of them, especially after what he had done in this war.
“ Are you sure going back there is a good idea Mansk? They'll just send you out on another mission like this one,or worse.. I'm not sure I want to go back there. “ It was the truth, cold, hard and honest truth. Even if it meant getting her eyesight back she wasn't sure she would ever want to head back there. The RDA only ever brought death and destruction, something she realized early on after waking up in her recom body.
“ Its the only option i see.. “ Mansk sighed, what other choice did he have? They had to help her, they had no other choice but to help her… didn’t they? He didn’t really want to think about it all too much. He was a good soldier and they wouldn’t waste a bullet on him. Not when he cost them a fortune to make, not when they still needed others to fulfill missions. They needed him and they wouldn’t do anything rash like that, would they? Would they?
Mansk shook the thought away, there was no use worrying about that at the moment. At least not until he wrapped his head around the whole scenario. He had to make things right, had to find a way to help her get her eyesight back. Even though he had no hand in blinding her the man felt guilty that this had been the outcome she endured. He hated that she was the one punished when he seemingly came out unscathed aside from a few cuts and bruises. It wasn’t fair to her at all, especially since she had asked him from the very beginning not to be a part of this.
“ It doesn't matter, im going to find a way for you to get your eyesight back and everything will be okay again. Im sorry Issa.. “ As soon as Mansk had spoken Isabella had reached out for him, hands finding his shoulders in order to slide up towards his face. She wanted to ensure his focus was entirely on her and her alone before she was to speak, wanted him to take in everything she had to say to him before they where to proceed any further. “ Don't blame yourself Mansk. Please whatever you do dont blame yourself for what happened to me. You couldn't have stopped it, we were nowhere near each other when it happened.. Its not on you Mansk. “ A sigh left his lips, leaning his forehead against her own as his hands came up to her wrists. Thumbs stroking softly over her bare skin as he tried to find the words to speak, only he couldn't. There was nothing he could say to make himself feel better about the situation isabella had been thrown into because of this awful war. Instead he pressed his lips to her forehead before leaning back, “ I'm going to get us somewhere safe for the night.. We can go from there. Don't move.. I have to call for my Ikran. “
Standing he moved away from Isabella just far enough so when he was to call for his ikran it would have a safe space to land properly. Staying in the area of the reef clans after he had helped burn most of them was not the best idea. He deserved whatever punishment they would give to him, that was how he truly felt. Isabella however? She deserved none of this and he wouldn't allow her to pay for any of his wrong doings anymore than he already had.
A swift whistle came from his lips as he waited a moment before calling out its name, a name Isabella had not heard yet as she wasn't around when he and his ikran had chosen one another. His hands cupped around his mouth as if it would make the sound travel farther as he called out, “ Kobe!! “
A giggle bubbled up from behind him clearly coming from Isabella the moment he had called out for his Ikran, she must have found the name amusing or funny enough to elicit some form of laughter from her after he had said it, “ Kobe? Like the cheese? “ Isabella knew how good of a cook Mansk was, hell she lived for eating his cooking any time she got the chance to enjoy it. It was nice to have amongst the slop that the RDA fed them day in and day out that was for damn sure.
“ No Kobe like the steak…. Though the cheese is pretty good too. “ A laugh fell from him in return, it went from him calling his Ikran to them to the both of them laughing over a name that he had picked and she misinterpreted. He got to see her smile and that alone made him happy, happy to know that he could make her smile or even laugh. That he had caused that and no one else had at moment.
The cry of his Ikran could be heard from above their heads, the soft flap of its wings was heard as it perched itself on the opposite end of the rock formation. Mansk made his approach, petting the front of his ikrans head a moment in order to calm it down. THe commotion more than likely had confused it and yet it still stuck around for him, to ensure that he had a way out. The man had bonded with the animal and it was only now he realized just how complex things like this where.
Moments passed before he was to move away from Kobe. Ensuring he had grabbed his clothes that where previously set out on the rocks to dry as best as possible. His shirt and vest were the two things he put back on immediately, his jacket however was a different story.
“We’re gonna get moving, here I want you to put this on. '' Mansk kneeled down before Isabella once again. Draping his jacket around her shoulders he allowed her to slide her arms through the holes of the sleeves before he was to zip it up.
“ Mansk what is this even for? “ Isabella could tell it was his jacket, he always wore that damn thing outside or the RDA buildings. It was as if he didn't want to touch anything from the outside world on Pandora and yet here he was putting his jacket around her in order to ensure she was safe. Ensure that in his eyes she was going to be safe and well protected for the flight ahead of them. Sure it more than likely wasn't going to be a very long flight but Mansk didnt want to take any chances. He was far too concerned to think about anything else aside from her safety, shelter and some food. For now nothing else mattered, everything else would come second for now and that was where his mind was at.
“ We're going to fly for a bit… I want to protect you from the elements as we go… won't be that long.. Just enough to find camp for the night. “ Mansk took Isabella's hands into his own as they stood simply to guide her over to his Ikran. Connecting his Queue with Kobe he was unsure how to proceed with getting her up with him. Really he didnt think much further than to get the hell out of there.
“ Just show me where the stirrup is and ill get on after you with a bit of help. “ It was almost as if she could sense how apprehensive he was about proceeding. How concerned he was with loading her up with him and taking off. He was afraid of taking her up high into the air and she didn't want him to be. Isabella was blinded not weak, She could definitely keep a hold on the man as he flew through the air in order to try and find and create some sort of camp out for the night.
“ Alright fine.. “ Reluctantly he bent down slightly in order to grab her leg, ensuring her foot was placed carefully on the edge of the stirrup before he straightened himself up. He then took her hand and placed it along the neck of his ikran so it would be easier for her to steady herself on the way up. “Keep your hand here, I will help you up in a moment. “
Mansk then moved in order to step up, swinging his leg over the neck of his ikran before situating himself properly atop Kobe. His hand was placed carefully over her own, gripping tightly as her other hand came to lay over Kobe and pull herself up with Mansks help. He insisted he face her so her arms could wrap tightly around his waist while they flew through the sky. Mansk wrapped an arm around her momentarily in order to draw her in closer to his body as she settled in against him. Head nestled securely against his chest before he was to take off.
The ikran spread its wings before taking flight high into the sky. It would be sometime before they were to be over any forested area. Mansk had already decided they were not going to land anywhere near islands or the reefs villages. It just didn’t sit right with him after everything that had unfolded over the past few months to days. Sparing one last glance at Isabella before he was satisfied with where she was he could relax a bit for the remainder of the flight. A smile had crept across his face slowly, they were going to be ok. Mansk had Isabella and nothing else mattered at the moment. Though, he only hoped that others may have made it out of that. That some of his friends he had spend all those months out there with had survived. Perhaps they could regroup and find the proper direction they should go on. Despite how he seemed to form a plan and have a level head, the man was grasping at straws. Trying desperately to ensure his plans were good enough to keep the both of them alive.
Hours passed and the daylight was starting to dim, he would have to land soon. If he wanted to get a fire going for the both of them and some food into the both of them he would have to la nd in the near future. Mansk went down within lush trees and dense foliage, something that could hide them for the night. Give them both a chance to rest and recuperate.
Instead of landing in the trees as one would in this scenario he had Kobe make his way to the ground. Allowing Mansk to get down first and for Isabella to slide safely down and onto the forest floor before he allowed his Ikran to retreat into the trees.
“ I'm going to get a fire going for us and then something to eat. “ Mansk gently tugged Isabella by her arm in order to direct her over to what looked like a fallen limb from a tree that must have broken off in past storms. The plan was to start a quick fire before hunting something down that he could cook up for the two of them to eat. Perhaps even save the rest for morning or if they were to get hungry along the way. Mansk had no idea how long this journey was going to be for them, he had an idea of where he was going to take the two of them, but nothing confirmed, fully quite yet.
“Do you have an extra knife? “ Isabella‘s question was to the point, she wanted to be useful in the situation, even if there wasn’t much she could do. Sure she was blinded, but I didn’t mean she couldn’t work on things while sat in place.“I need a knife and a stick that’s thick enough you can wrap your hands around. Will need it to help cook whatever you catch. It’s better to get them both done at once, it will give me something to do. “
“ I… if you’re positive you want to do that yeah. “Mansk didn’t necessarily agree with having her do that however, he knew she just wanted to participate. She just wanted to feel useful and not burden him. Who is heated and I heard that fact? Even though she was no burden on him at all, this was his way of helping her. If she was concerned about feeling helpless? Then he would do what he could in order to push that sort of thought to the very back of her mind.
A fire was quickly set up giving the pair a moment to warm up before Mansk was to set out for some food. What Isabella had requested had been placed within her hands in order for her to get to work as well. With Isabella’s knowledge and his muscle and skill set, the two of them would be just fine. There wasn’t much either of them had to worry about aside from surviving and getting through those few nights in the wilds of Pandora.
“I’m not going to go far, I’m just going to get us something to eat and come back. “Mansk wasn’t entirely sure if it was going to be meat or fruits he found around the area. No matter what he was going to find something edible for the both of them to enjoy around there little fire.
“Just be careful please, if you find a hexapede the Na’vi call them Yerik, you might find a slinger. Avoid them at all costs, I don’t want you hurt… not for me please. “Isabella had knowledge of many of the creatures that resided on Pandora. When they first started out they had gotten a debriefing on the flora and fauna of the planet, Isabella had been one of the scientists there teaching them the basics. What to avoid, what was far too dangerous to approach and definitely what was poisonous to ingest.
A faint smile appeared on Mansks face as he leaned forward in order to press his lips to her forehead, hesitating a moment to pull away before he was to speak up one last time. “I’ll be ok, I won’t be long just stay here and I’ll be back before you know it. “ he hated having to leave her there alone,however it had to happen. Food was a priority the both of them needed. For now water was settled considering the cantine he had on his ikran was still full. The quicker he left meant the quicker he could be back with a catch for the night. Sparing one last glance at Isabella beside the fire he tracked off into the forest in search of anything to tide them over for the next few days.
They would be ok, they had to be.
Things had to end up alright.
I love you more than this job.
I love you more than life itself.
@drinking-tea-and-be-obsessed
