Soul Stone » ATWOW

1 | A'TEYO

˗ˏˋ WARNING! 'ˎ˗

TW/ blood, injury

     A sudden commotion outside causes A'teyo to drop herbs with a yelp, the walls of his hut all but rattling from the reverberating sounds of flapping wings and loud yelling. A shell is called, and before he realizes it is not a war summon, he has already grabbed the discarded weapon from the ground, blinking desperately to clear his vision.

     The young boy hisses in pain as he staggers towards the decks, limping from the wound he received just an hour earlier. He grits his teeth, determined to keep going despite the agony he feels with each step. He is vaguely aware of his heart pounding in his ears as he tries to make sense of unfamiliar voices that fill the air.

     Despite the pain that rattles his insides, A'teyo finds himself beside one of his clan members moments later. To his luck, the Na'vi are too focused on the six strangers to notice him in the crowd, so the injured boy is relieved that he has somehow managed to postpone Ronal's berating for the future him. He remains still, trying to blend into the the background to get unnoticed by his fretting clan for as long as possible.

     He slowly relaxes his grip on his weapon, though he keeps a watchful eye in case the circumstances suddenly change, ready to protect his clan if needed.

     And then, he stares.

     A'teyo's heart rate slowly returns to normal as he looks at the strangers with curiosity. He watches them with narrowed eyes, trying to figure out their intentions.

     He doesn't have to get closer to notice just how worn out they all look. They are most likely seeking aid, he notes to himself.

     He deduces that the newcomers are not a threat to his kind, considering the fact that they are a) exhausted, and b) surrounded by his clan. Either that, or they are stupid enough to think they can take down an entire tribe with just six of them, four of whom look wet behind their ears.

     Speaking of those strangers, A'teyo cannot help but bristle when he finally notices their build — their blue skin and thin bone structure, a stark contrast to his clan's turquoise skin and broad form.

     Omatikaya, he mentally notes to himself. Since the Omatikaya rarely venture outside their forest, he cannot help but wonder what drove them out of their home.

     He prays they are just on a family vacation.

     The Olo'eyktan and the leader of the forest Na'vi are having a more or less friendly introduction when A'teyo comes back to himself. He notices Ronal circling the strangers with a contemplative look, grabbing the woman's tail and closely inspecting it.

     Ignoring the other's scorching glare at being touched, she takes hold of the younger's tail and loudly declares to the entire clan after the girl harshly swats her hand away, "Their tails are too thin. Too thin."

     She shows no remorse for her words when she examines the children's hands and bluntly announces, "These children are not even true Na'vi...They have demon blood!"

     A'teyo admires Ronal's bluntness, he really does. He knows she means well, but he also knows that sometimes her mouth works faster than her brain.

     Looking at the male leader's face — at Jake Sully, the Toruk Makto, A'teyo realizes — it is blatantly obvious that the family is in a desperate need for shelter. Even though Tonowari and Ronal look reluctant, he knows them well enough to know that they will always lend a helping hand to those in need. Therefore, Ronal's decision to call the kids demon blooded places them in a vulnerable position.