Auxiliary Chapter 5: A New Pair

When Lutsey awoke, she could feel pain everywhere, making her grow a big grimace of pain. She could feel the bruises all over her body, making it hard for her to move. Just reaching out or even trying to get up would make her suffer terribly.

A hand rested on her right arm, calmly urging her not to continue. She turned her eyes to see her younger sister smiling at her.

Joltsyn: Calm down, sister. Your wounds are still alive.

Lutsey looked briefly at the dream walker next to her, who was still asleep before she returned to her sister. She remained silent for a moment, dreading the answer she would give herself.

Lutsey: Joltsyn...Was the fight conclusive?

Joltsyn: Yes, big sister. You neutralized each other and returned the blows without any of you taking an advantage. You even shared the same will to win.

Lutsey: So he really is my half?

Joltsyn had a small smile, attracting interest.

Joltsyn: I will leave you. You must have some things to talk about.

With these words, she got up and walked away. It was at that moment that the dream walker woke up and whistled in pain as he felt the many bruises on his body.

Lutsey: Hello, Tsylan

He turned his one eye towards her before sighing.

Tsylan: Hello Lut. Still blaming me?

She only answered him with a smile before lying down next to him.

Lutsey: Not at all.

Tsylan, surprised: Nang! But what was the purpose of the fight, then?

Lutsey with calm: I needed to know if you were my half.

Tsylan: And you choose a duel to find out?!

Lutsey: It's in this kind of situation that the true nature of people is revealed.

The tawtute put his head on the ground, sighing.

Tsylan: Why should I be surprised? You have a talent for putting me in strange situations.

Lutsey: Is it embarrassing?

Tsylan: It depends on your point of view.

Lutsey smiles: I'll take that as a no.

There was a silence between them. They both looked up, lost in thought. Then the dream walker decided to break that silence.

Tsylan: Lutsey, I'm sorry about last time.

Lutsey: No. I can understand why you might like...

Tsylan: Lutsey, it has nothing to do with that.

She looked at her with astonishment, judging by her ears, while the other person sighed with weariness.

Tsylan: I will have to leave in six years to join my sister and her daughter. They will need my help to resolve their situations. That's why I don't want to get involved with you. You have suffered enough and I don't want to impose another injury on you.

Lutsey: Wait...Do you love me?

He looked her in the eyes with a big smile.

Tsylan: Yes Lutsey. I've had feelings for you since I first saw you.

The young chief raised her ears in surprise. Did she hear correctly? Would he really be in love with her? She felt an immense joy invade her being. A feeling she hadn't experienced for days. She stayed like this for a long time, processing the information before turning to him and kissing him before he had even had time to react. Like last time, the kiss was passionate and they both felt each other's heartbeat. Time seemed suspended during this unique moment. The two intertwined, each savoring the other's skin, Lutsey placed both hands on his cheeks to maintain contact while crossing his legs to get as close to him as possible. Both could hear the beating of their hearts as their tails curled into an emotional embrace. The hands began to drop dangerously as a small laugh interrupted them and caught their attention.

Joltsyn: Am I disturbing you lovers?

They blushed and broke contact, nervous. The two turned their backs on each other, wanting to hide their emotions from others.

Joltsyn with a smile: I remind you that you are in no condition to express your love.

Lutsey: Yes...Thank you Souerette.

Tsylan: You're not wrong.

Joltsyn: I still have to look at your wounds. And rest! No nonsense!

Both had their heads in an extremely bright red, looking away.

A month later,

Grace and Norm, in their avatars, continued their studies of the forest, including the deep connection of trees to each other. Certainly, she was accepted into the omatikaya through Jake and returned to school. But she remained a scientist and curiosity about the ecocystem of the planet was taking over.

Grace: Fascinating... It's like every tree is part of a whole. It's like...

Norm: Neurons?

Grace : Yes.

Behind the two scientists, a shadow was discreetly walking towards them. Slowly, it was getting closer to its targets, ready to strike.

The two avatars, busy in their work, did not pay attention to the attacker coming closer and closer to them. Finally, he reached their level and two hands suddenly landed on Grace's shoulders.

Voice: Boo!

The scientist was startled and gave a shout of surprise, disturbing poor Norm, who dropped the screen where they were watching the root analysis. Recovering, Grace turned her gaze to the stranger, who was laughing out loud, and patted him on the back of the head like a mother repressing a child.

Grace: You stupid soldier! I missed you giving me a heart attack!

Tsylan recovering from his crazy laughter, wiping tears from his eyes.

Tsylan: Sorry ma'am, but it was tempting.

Grace: Keep your jokes somewhere else!

Tsylan: Oh, you're a buzzkill!

Grace: And what would have happened if a predator had come towards us? Or a Titanosaurus

He only responded with a shrug of the shoulder.

Tsylan: With "ifs", you can remake the world.

Norm: You've changed a lot, Ben. Your avatar seems to have been through a lot.

Grace annoyed when she saw the wound: Indeed. Now that you mention it, what happened to your left eye?

Tsylan: Hey, I couldn't do anything! It was either that or death!

Grace: What do you mean?

Tsylan, embarrassed: Well...

Female voice: He lost his eye during the Ikknimaya, while confronting his Ikran.

A second person appeared, coming down from a tree. She had a bow painted all black and decorated with red patterns winding the weapon from top to bottom. In the middle, four arrows made of red and black feathers stood in a small quiver attached to the bow . The weapon, apart from this pattern, was simple and almost resembled a human bow. Between his shoulder was another bow also painted black but with two yellow circles at the bottom and top of the quiver holding a few arrows with yellow and black feathers.

Grace: Hello Lutsey

She approached and greeted Grace with a small smile and greeted her in na'vi

Lutsey : Oel ngati kameie ma Grace

Norm remained silent, not returning from what he saw. Finally, he could meet a native woman in the flesh! So many questions revolved around his head in that one moment. But something intrigued him about this member of the People. The color of his eyes... He never read or saw, Na'vis having this particular color. This one noticed Norm and looked at him with a cold look, shining with a hostile brilliance, which did not escape his companion.

Tsylan: Calm down, Lut. You're not going to kill your biggest fan, are you?

Lutsey puzzled: Fan? What's a fan?

Grace: It's a person who has an admiration for a person or a work.

Lutsey: Like a cult?

Grace: You could put it that way.

Lutsey: You guys are so strange...

Taking his courage in both hands, the young avatar turned towards Lutsey, nervous. He presented himself to Lutsey as calmly as he could, even though his trembling hands betrayed his anguish and excitement.

Grace: Calm down, Norm. She's not going to eat you!

Lutsey: Unless you give me a reason to.

This made her even more stressed, under the smiles of Grace and Ben, who knew the young chef well.

Tsylan: Lut, stop being cranky. Norm is the last person who wants to hurt the people. Believe me!

She remained silent for a moment, staring at the young scientist with her stern look. Norm trembled slightly. She looked young, perhaps even younger than him, but she radiated a strange aura of authority in her eyes.

Finally, after long minutes that seemed like hours to the poor inspected man, she turned a brief glance at Grace who nodded her head in an assertive manner. Then she closed her eyes with a sigh.

Lutsey: Srane. Tsylan and Grace seem to trust you, and they are the best judges of you. So you won't get any harm from me or my clan. At least, if you are not looking for our court.

Norm : Far be it from me ! But can I ask you some questions ?

Lutsey: It all depends on their pertinences.

Norm : Your eyes...Is it your eyes or is it a paricuality of your clan ?

Lutsey : I guess Tsylan must have forgotten to mention us. It's a peculiarity of our clan. It's not for nothing that they call us orange eyes.

Grace: And that's just between us! The clan was supposed to have disappeared, Norm. I'm counting on your discretion.

Norm: You can count on me, Madam! If not, is it possible to learn a little more about your...

Lutsey raised an eyebrow but kept his stern look.

Lutsey: From? Please finish, tawtute.

Norm: To learn a little more about your lifestyle.

Lutsey: No way!!

Norm lowered his ears and eyes, disappointment filling his mind.

Tsylan: Lutsey, give him a chance !

Lutsey: Do I need to remind you of how hard it was for you to join the clan? Without Eywa's help, you would be dead already. So, if I bring your friend, I can't guarantee his safety.

Tsylan: Lut, need I remind you that it was you who forced me to come to your clan. You didn't really leave me much of an option at the time.

Lutsey: Don't use that as an excuse! It's no and I won't go back on it! It's too dangerous for us and for him.

Tsylan: What if he learns outside the clan?

The young chief crossed her arms, thinking. Norm listened to the conversation with a lost glance, not having understood a single word. He turned his gaze towards Grace who seemed to be smiling.

Norm murmured: Madam, what are they talking about?

Grace: Ben is trying to convince Lutsey to let you learn their lifestyle.

Norm: That's why she seems to be thinking about it?

Grace: Indeed, Norm.

Lutsey looked at Norm attentively, still hesitant in her decision to make. He seemed young and naive, but with a good teacher, he might be a good member of the People, or at least an ally.

Lutsey: So be it! You won Tsylan!

He smiled a pretentious smile, proud to have succeeded.

Tsylan: The great Lutsey has managed to change her mind! Ah ah! No one has succeeded before! I am the best!

Lutsey couldn't help smiling at the antics of the man of her life.

Lutsey: Actually, not quite.

Tsylan: Nang! What do you mean?

She gave him a strange smile, like a joker about to pull a dirty trick.

Lutsey: It's going to take something to fully convince me.

Tsylan: Lutsey... I don't like that look!

Norm was even more lost in conversation while Grace looked a little more serious. She was intrigued by the complicity between the pilot and the chief in such a short time and the change in the chief's attitude towards her. She was gentler and less suspicious.

Lutsey: For the lessons, I want kisses, hugs and four romantic evenings.

Norm and Grace were stunned by these words coming from Lutsey's mouth, not expecting it at all. As for the person concerned, he was already starting to protest.

Tsylan: Hey, it's too expensive! Kisses and hugs, ok but one evening! Not four!

Lutsey: Three!

Tsylan: One!

Lutsey: Okay. Two and that's my final offer. Take it or leave it.

Tsylan sighed but eventually gave in, seeing that he would not get less.

Lutsey: Good. Norm Spellman, your training will start tomorrow at the lake a few hundred steps from here. Make sure you're on time.

The young scientist nodded his head, keeping as calm as possible so as not to show his impatience. The chief went towards Tsylan and gave him a small caress on his chest before walking away with a smile, his tail touching his belly with a sensual air.

Lutsey: Don't forget your bow, Tsylan.

The person concerned had a small smile, delighted by the attention and took up his bow which he put between his shoulders.

Tsylan: Thank you.

Lutsey walked away from them slowly, as if not to get too far away from them.

Norm: Well...I'd like to....

Tsylan: Norm, you'll thank me after school. I remind you that Lutsey will choose your teacher. And menariyas are pretty demanding people when it comes to training.

Grace: I will be joining the omatikayas soon as well. Otherwise, I might worry Jake and my students.

At the mention of Jake, the former soldier's face darkens, as if he is worried about something.

Tsylan: Ma'am, with all due respect....

Grace: Call me Grace, please. Ma'am, it reminds me of my age and it's the last thing I want to remember.

He couldn't stop smiling, amused by the thought before he started again.

Tsylan: Grace, why did you move away from the base? Does it have something to do with Jake?

Norm: What made you think of that, Ben?

Tsylan: Some...clues.

Grace with a sigh: And you're right.

He was silent for a moment, as if digesting the information, before a burst of anger crossed his eyes. Then the angry voice of his beloved made him come back to reality.

Lutsey: Tsylan !!!! Are you planning to do your combined time pipette?

Amazed Grace: Did you teach him any new words?

Tsylan smiled an awkward smile in response while Norm had a little compassionate grimace. Clearly, she was not an easy person to live with.

He smiled a pretentious smile, proud to have succeeded.

Tsylan: The great Lutsey has managed to change her mind! Ah ah! No one has succeeded before! I am the best!

Lutsey couldn't help smiling at the antics of the man of her life.

Lutsey: Actually, not quite.

Tsylan: Nang! What do you mean?

She gave him a strange smile, like a joker about to pull a dirty trick.

Lutsey: It's going to take something to fully convince me.

Tsylan: Lutsey... I don't like that look!

Norm was even more lost in conversation while Grace looked a little more serious. She was intrigued by the complicity between the pilot and the chief in such a short time and the change in the chief's attitude towards her. She was gentler and less suspicious.

Lutsey: For the lessons, I want kisses, hugs and four romantic evenings.

Norm and Grace were stunned by these words coming from Lutsey's mouth, not expecting it at all. As for the person concerned, he was already starting to protest.

Tsylan: Hey, it's too expensive! Kisses and hugs, ok but one evening! Not four!

Lutsey: Three!

Tsylan: One!

Lutsey: Okay. Two and that's my final offer. Take it or leave it.

Tsylan sighed but eventually gave in, seeing that he would not get less.

Lutsey: Good. Norm Spellman, your training will start tomorrow at the lake a few hundred steps from here. Make sure you're on time.

The young scientist nodded his head, keeping as calm as possible so as not to show his impatience. The chief went towards Tsylan and gave him a small caress on his chest before walking away with a smile, his tail touching his belly with a sensual air.

Lutsey: Don't forget your bow, Tsylan.

The person concerned had a small smile, delighted by the attention and took up his bow which he put between his shoulders.

Tsylan: Thank you.

Lutsey walked away from them slowly, as if not to get too far away from them.

Norm: Well...I'd like to....

Tsylan: Norm, you'll thank me after school. I remind you that Lutsey will choose your teacher. And menariyas are pretty demanding people when it comes to training.

Grace: I will be joining the omatikayas soon as well. Otherwise, I might worry Jake and my students.

At the mention of Jake, the former soldier's face darkens, as if he is worried about something.

Tsylan: Ma'am, with all due respect....

Grace: Call me Grace, please. Ma'am, it reminds me of my age and it's the last thing I want to remember.

He couldn't stop smiling, amused by the thought before he started again.

Tsylan: Grace, why did you move away from the base? Does it have something to do with Jake?

Norm: What made you think of that, Ben?

Tsylan: Some...clues.

Grace with a sigh: And you're right.

He was silent for a moment, as if digesting the information, before a burst of anger crossed his eyes. Then the angry voice of his beloved made him come back to reality.

Lutsey: Tsylan !!!! Are you planning to do your combined time pipette?

Amazed Grace: Did you teach him any new words?

Tsylan smiled an awkward smile in response while Norm had a little compassionate grimace. Clearly, she was not an easy person to live with.