𝗼𝗰𝗲𝗮𝗻 𝗵𝗲𝗮𝗿𝘁𝘀 | lo'ak x tsireya

𝟏𝟏 - harmony

lo'ak pov

birdsong melodies could be heard echoing from the treetops, with the sound of animals calling in the distance. the trees seemed to whisper a welcome to me as the breeze blew lightly through their branches, rustling the leaves. the forest was buzzing with life, a feeling i could sense deep in my bones. it was my home, and it made my heart swell with tranquility. i looked up at the sky for a temporary moment, soaking in the sun rays hitting my face.

i abruptly thought about how tsireya was taking in the forest. i shifted my gaze down to her, adjusting my hand to her back. her eyes were opened wide, her tail twitching with excitement behind her. i noticed she took careful steps compared to my confident strides. she caught me looking at her but i quickly glanced away before she could react.

in truth, i was worried about tsireya. she seemed slightly off since norm had found us, but i understood her if she wasn't feeling the best. she had gone through a traumatic experience, the forest was a completely new biome to her, and most understandably, it wasn't her home.

i soon found out from norm that the omaticaya clan had moved from high camp in the hallelujah mountains to another secluded area in the forest. norm said that the oloeytekan wanted to return to their roots in the forest since they were no longer in danger from the rda.

when we entered the camp through a hidden wall of tangled vines, i felt a sense of relief. the air smelled so familiar, i knew it was home. it felt strange to be in the camp without my family around. i could imagine tuk and kiri jumping from the branches, and neteyam practicing his archery skills somewhere else deep in the forest. a pang of grief stung my heart as i remembered my deceased brother. i suddenly wanted to find my grandmother, mo'at, as soon as possible.

the omaticayan na'vi all reacted differently to tsireya's presence. some stopped and stared, others pointed and laughed. a few were bold enough to walk up to us cautiously, staring at the mysterious metkayina girl.

at the sudden attention from the clan, tsireya walked closer to me and automatically wrapped an arm around mine, seeking safety from the stares and pointing fingers. i noticed her usual cheerful demeanor change to a timid one and she kept her head down, her ears lowering slightly. the voices began to surround us.

"who is she?"

"why is her tail so big?"

"her skin is so green!"

i slowly slid my hand off her back and into her hand, squeezing it gently. i empathized with her feeling outcasted and it must have shown in my eyes because when she looked up at me, her face brightened.

"i'm going to tell the oloeytekan that you two are here," norm informed us, waving a hand. "see you later."

"wait," i walked over to norm, leaving tsireya's side temporarily. "is there any way you can fix this?" i unlatched my comm from around my neck and showed it to him.

"sure, no problem," norm took it from me willingly. "anything else you need help with?"

"yeah, uh... where is the tsahik's tent?"

the taller na'vi nodded knowingly and pointed in the distance. "it's on the other side of camp, just up ahead to your right."

"thanks, norm," i gave him a grateful pat on the back and returned to tsireya, grabbing hold of her hand. "come on, i want to show you someone."

tsireya nodded eagerly. even though she was quiet now, her excitement to see everyone and everything showed in her face.

when we arrived at the tsahik's tent, i entered inside with tsireya following close behind.

mo'at was seated with her back facing us, slowly chopping herbs. she turned around and a big smile formed on her wrinkled face.

"lo'ak, my grandson!" she exclaimed, her arms opening wide. i ran into her embrace, squeezing my eyes shut with contentment.

"grandma, neteyam..." i whispered, breaking the hug to look her in the eyes. mo'at touched my face delicately, stroking my cheek.

"i know, i know child," she soothed, shaking her head. "he is with the metkayina ancestors now. eywa has told me."

i swallowed hard and nodded. i tried to push the wallowing grief away when mo'at leaned back and stared behind me. "now, tell me who this beautiful girl is. she is not from here, i see."

"grandma, this is tsireya, she is from the metkayina clan and the chief's daughter." i motioned with my hand to tsireya, who smiled shyly at mo'at. "tsireya, this is the tsahik of the omaticaya, also known as my grandma mo'at."

"oel ngati kameie, tsahik," tsireya said politely. "it is an honor to meet you."

"oel ngati kameie, tsireya." mo'at bowed her head in greeting. "it is an honor to have you among us."

after conversing with mo'at a bit longer, tsireya and i decided to go back out to explore a little more. when we exited the tent, we were faced with three familiar faces. it was yuka, rinko and täey, my close childhood friends.

"lo'ak! i knew it was you!" yuka practically threw herself onto me to my surprise. i chuckled and patted her back before she pulled back from the hug.

"hey, yuka." i nodded to the other two who patted my shoulders and head in greeting. "rinko, täey."

"you've grown so much, tsmukan," täey grinned.

"i could say the same about you," i replied. it was true. they had all grown at least an inch taller than i was now.

"and who is this?" yuka asked, nodding her head in greeting to tsireya who was standing close beside me.

"this is tsireya, she is from the metkayina clan. they are reef people," i explained, while tsireya nodded her greeting to them.

"oel ngati kameie, tsireya. you are so beautiful," yuka gushed. "i'm yuka."

"thank you. it's nice to meet you, yuka," tsireya smiled, exposing her dimple.

my other two friends introduced themselves briefly. rinko made a friendly joke and we all shared a quick laugh. i suddenly felt better that my old friends had accepted tsireya. i was thrilled to show her more of my people and my home, but for now, i knew we needed to rest.

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glossary

tsmukan - brother