Chapter 14

Sukal was being stubborn.

For hours she had insisted on trying to find an aquatic mount, an ilu or tsurak (Skimwing), with little success. The great storm must have forced them further out to sea, where they could hide safely under the waves.

"It is safe. I promise. Sukal if you would just..."

"That thing is not Navi, Harri. It does not breathe with Eywa. How can you trust something so… dead." Harry could hear that Sukal was getting increasingly irritated. This was not the first time he had tried and was equally rebuffed each time. For reef people, who were at home in the water, the sky was an unfamiliar domain.

"You've not found anything yet. If we wait any longer, we might lose the day's light."

"Hm!" Turning her back to him, trying to refuse his logic. She was still injured and not able to swim as she would have normally. Harry gently caressed the small of her back, making her lean into his strong chest.

"Trust me" He pleaded.

With a final sigh of resignation, she agreed.

They loaded the rotorcraft back up and took off. Sukal taking the co-pilot seat beside his.

Going to the nearest island, Harry asked.

"Do recognise anything?"

Shaking her head, they continued.

Island after island.

"There!" Sukal suddenly shouted out, snapping Harry awake and alert.

Following her guide, Harry flew over the island. It was small however consisted of a single tall outcrop of rock that extended over 100 metres high.

"Outcast island"

"You're tribes here?" Harry asked delicately. The thermal life sign detector showed no Navi.

"No. But I have heard my uncle speak of it. I know the way. We must travel towards where the sun rests."

Mentally translating, the sun rose in the East, so Sukal must have meant West.

They had their first lead!

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"Arhhh!" Sukal cried out. Tears streamed from her eyes freely. "Why great mother! Why?"

From the sky, they could both see the devastation wrought on her tribe.

It was smaller than the Metkayina clan Harry had visited before, covering a far smaller area. The tribe had made their home in a younger world's roots plant. The crystal bay, the most vital part to the reef people lay in ruins. Trees floated on the surface next paled eyed fish. The once beautiful and colourful coral now drifted with the tides, grey and dead.

Some Navi were shuffling around, which Sukal had let out an exclamation of happiness for. However there were many more lying on the beach, being prepared for their final journey to rest with Eywa.

Landing the plane on an empty section of beach, Harry got a closer look at the Navi's greatest loss.

A spirit tree, smaller but similar to the great Tree of Souls that the Omaticaya could commune with Eywa, was left broken. Its splintered trunk now resting on the beach. The once glowing altar to their ancestors and Eywa now lay lifeless.

Sukal stepped out of the plane and ran to the spirit tree. Falling to her knees before its limp branches, she screamed her fury to the wind.

Harry followed and knelt beside her. Saying nothing. He couldn't say or do anything to fix this. It was the worst tragedy that could happen to a Navi tribe. Their whole culture centred around Eywa and the spirit tree was their access point.

But it was more.

From the few virtual conversations he had with Jake Sully, he understood that these trees held the memories of their ancestors. Destroying that was severing the Navi's heritage. Even if they found another spirit tree, they could commune with Eywa but their ancestor's voices would forever be lost.

Three Navi approached the pair. One, and old Navi woman with wrinkles and a limp, held a spear followed closely by her two young companions equipped with stone knives.

Before they got too far, they saw Sukal before their decease spirit tree.

"Tsmuke!" (Sister!) One of the young Navi dropped his knife and ran to Sukals awaiting arms. Her tears started flowing as they whispered greeting to each other.

"I thought you lost. I wanted to search… but the storm."

Sukal just held him tight, not wanting to let go. The other Navi's approached Harry, now with less suspicion.

"Oel ngati Kameie." (I see you) The older female made the respectful sign first to Sukal and then to Harry. A surprising honour he had never experienced before.

He returned the greeting, desperately trying to remember his Navi etiquette lessons.

"Oel ngati Kameie." (I see you) As he started moving away to give them some space for a private reunion, Harry couldn't help but overhear.

"Mother? Father?" The young boy just shook his head sadly as they both embraced again, their shared loss too much to bear alone.

"Fyape syaw fko ngar 'ewan?" (What are you called youngling?)

"Harry." He answered simply. Rubbing his pinkie finger, he debated if he should tell this Navi his origin. Every time they knew his human connection, the Navi refused to have anything to do with him. Looking over at Sukal's crying form, he knew dishonesty would get him nowhere.

Raising his hand to let the old women see his additional finger, he finished his introduction. "Formerly of the sky-people."

"I am Oreona. You have brought back a lost sister to us. The days have been long with mourning but this is a ray of hope. We thank you for that young Harri."

They stood quietly for a moment, neither sure of what to do next. Harry eventually offered his aid.

"Your people have suffered greatly in the storm. I have some supplies and medicine, I offer them to you freely."

Oreona's wrinkled face smiled at Harry. "We have little to offer but gratitude. We thank you and will remember this good deed in our hearts. We welcome you Harri, as a long-lost brother."

Oreona pulled Harry face down to her and kissed his forehead. A sort of blessing that a grandmother might do back on Earth, but to Harry it meant so much more.

It was acceptance.

He was no longer a demon. No longer where the eye does not see.

He was one of the people.

One of the Navi.

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Harry knelt at the side of what the Navi considered their infirmary. Their Tsahik (Spiritual leader and healer) was one of the many killed by the storm. The many injured were left with only minimal medical help; most Navi did not know how to care for the sick or dying as that was knowledge reserved for the Tsahik.

He quickly bandaged a wound and injected a blood coagulant into his patient. The large shard of a tree embedded in their leg had been taken out and now Harry had to stop the blood loss. The Navi let out a hiss of pain. Harry took out another needle and injected. The Navi's eyes soon closed peacefully.

Moving onto the next patient, Harry worked tirelessly. There were over twenty injured, many critically. Despite his best efforts, Harry knew he wouldn't be able to save them all. Some were too far gone. Some he lacked the proper equipment to save them.

Harry started to wish he had enough Tra'vre for them all. Healing would have been far easier.

The hours slipped by and darkness blanketed the world. Still, Harry continued. When one emergency was solved, another one would occur. An ending cycle of fix and repair.

A few of the Navi had offered to help, however they could little more than put pressure on wounds and comfort the dying. Harry's medicine was from the sky-people, trying to teach that to them would have only taken time he didn't have.

As the night wore on, Harry had at last a chance to catch his breath. He looked down at the remains of his medical kit. He had nearly exhausted it and the larger one from his rotor-craft.

These Navi would need weeks of care. His spur of the moment exploration lacked the supplies for an extended mission.

Sukal drifted in front of his vision. So tired, he had not noticed her sitting there beside him.

"Harri, you must rest. Many lives have been saved, but you need sleep." Trying to pull his hand to rest beside her, Harry resisted and called out as he unsteadily wandered back to his rotor-craft.

"I need more supplies."

Sitting in the cockpit, Harry started to put in commands to the computer. What he wanted to do was risky.

"Your leaving?" Sukal accused. The hurt in her eyes almost broke his heart.

"No. My plane is." Seeing her confused look he tried to explain. "I have supplies back at my home. They can help your people. Food, clean water, shelter, medicine."

"Then who will bring all this back?"

"The plane will. Or at least I hope it will." Harry had never used this feature before. He had programmed it into his base and transports to give him the freedom if he did need to remotely send commands back to his base. He was trying to programme the ship to return to his island, order the drones to load the emergency supplies onboard and then return to this exact spot.

If there was an issue with the navigation system, if there was an error in his code, if his ship was destroyed; Harry would be stranded.

He didn't want to take that risk, but it was the only hope these Navi had at surviving. If he flew the plane back, he would be lucky if two or three survived.

Inputting the final command, Harry quickly eased out of the cockpit and onto the sand. Sukal looked at him like he was mad, but at least she knew he wasn't abandoning her.

The plane's motor started and quickly ascended into the night sky. The pair shielded their eyes from the sand blown up, and when the dust had cleared, the plane was gone.

Sukal took his hand and pulled him over a fire with a large shell pot hanging over it. "Eat Harri. You need your strength."

Harry tried to pull away. "The patients, I need to…"

"No." Her voice was firm. "Eat." Taking the dish handed to him, a mix of boiled sea vegetables and clams, he ate quietly. The food was tasty, especially considering most of the tribe's food had been destroyed or washed away in the storm.

Sukal sat beside him, eating her own dish. They said no words between them, simply enjoying the comforting presence of the other. Both needing the other.

After a while, the food was finished. Harry looked at Sukal, staring deep into her blue eyes.

Now was not the time for rest.

The work was only just beginning.