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Disclaimer: Blah, Blah, Blah. I don't own Avatar; James Cameron does. All the Avatar stuff belongs to him. However, my Na'vi character, myself, the Dragon Weyr and its technologies, and the Pandoran animals of my menagerie are all mine. The Protoss - apart from my characters - all belong to Blizzard Entertainment.

Pandora's Templar

A Work-In-Progress Story by Coranth Dehanae

Chapter 12

(Continued from Chapter 11...)

Nodding to her, I replied, "I will." Since there were now far too many animals at the Homestead to feed by myself, after Txe'lan and I had dressed for the day and eaten heart breakfasts, she and I fed the 'core group' of the Menagerie - Falkor, Atreyu, the Pack, Miracle, Beauty, Leaf and Cloud - and then, whilst Txe'lan tended to the Dragon Weyr and performed routine maintenance here and there, I sought out the Second Tsa'hik of my Clan, San'eya. She was, fortunately, easy to find; I caught up with her as she was returning to the Homestead from the forest, after having completed her morning communion with Eywa. "Tsa'hik San'eya!" I called in Na'vi. At my call, she hurried over to me and as she did so, I noticed that she looked troubled.

When she reached me, San'eya stopped and began to walk beside me as I turned to head back to the Dragon Weyr. "Srane, ma Olo'eyktan?" she asked. Feeling somewhat apprehensive, I swallowed to moisten my suddenly dry throat, and then I began to speak, "Ma tsmuken, I must speak with you regarding a... a spiritual matter" I began."I believe that Eywa may have contacted me last night as I slept, perhaps to warn me of something, for I did not sleep well ..." "...You were troubled with night terrors," she finished. At this, I stopped, and turned my head about to look at her. "They have afflicted you as well, Tsa'hik?" I asked, both surprised and concerned by this turn of events.

My Clan's Tsa'hik of Eywa nodded, a shiver coursing through her body. Inhaling, she opened her mouth to continue speaking, but then - as she saw various other members of my Clan exiting their thípis to begin the day - with a shake of her head, she said, "We shall speak no more of this until we are inside Txra'kon We'er." That was that; San'eya and I returned swiftly to the Dragon Weyr and then - once we were back within the safety of the Weyrheart - I sat down with her upon the Great Fleece Pile and told her everything. I told her of the mutilated Palulukan discovered by Master Hunter Oo'ano, of the 'corrupted' Na'vi tissue sample now stored within the Lab, and of the monstrous visions I had seen within my dreams.

By the time I finished my explanation, San'eya was looking at me with an expression that I had never before seen upon her face: sheer terror. She was visibly trembling, the normally-cyan skin of her face sky-pale from lack of blood. "San'eya" I asked, resting a hand upon her shoulder in concern, "ngaru lu fpom srak?" At my question, slowly, she shook her head. "Kehe, Txa'vit, I am not well," she answered, gravely. "The night terrors you experienced last night - and the visions that Eywa showed me this morn when I communed with her - were a warning. The Clan is in terrible danger, Txa'vit, for a Time of Great Sorrow approaches, but the danger may yet be averted. Please, ma Olo'eyktan, gather the Clan and bring them to swotu unil, for there is a story that I must tell you all."

I nodded to her, and then with all haste, dropped into a light meditative trance in order to send out a psychic call. My efforts, however, were gently rebuffed for the Dragon Weyr was quicker! Already at a state of alertness due to San'eya's own frightened condition, via its partially psionic and partially technological Communications Transceiver, the Weyr issued a powerful psychic call throughout the Homestead and its surrounding lands to the entirety of Clan Tawkami! As the powerful call - feelings of danger and the compulsion to come to Txra'kon We'er - swept through her, San'eya looked around frantically for a moment, before she turned back to me and asked, "Txa'vit... What, in Eywa's name, was that?"

Blowing out a gusty sigh, I thought to myself privately, 'Ooh boy... that call was a bit more than was needed. Something tells me we didn't just summon Clan Tawkami...' Aloud I answered, " That, ma Tsmuken, was Txra'kon We'er calling the Clan." As I spoke, from out of the Transport Alcove they came in groups of five, ten, and twenty with their animal companions - the whole of Clan Tawkami - with spear, bow, hammer and axe unsheathed and ready for combat! Once all were present and accounted for, Lompor swiftly approached me and said, "We felt the Call of Txra'kon We'er, ma Olo'eyktan. What danger comes before us?" As he spoke, a feeling of sheepishness from the Dragon Weyr filled my thoughts, and for a moment, I rested my head in my hands. 'Next time, my friend, could you please try not to "cry Nantang"?' I thought.

As the Dragon Weyr's affirmation and sorrow filled my thoughts I raised my head to address the Clan. "Ma 'Olo, ma 'olo please, put away your weapons; we aren't in danger yet..." I said. As hand weapons were sheathed once more, spears and bows returned to backs, and animals soothed and settled, I continued, "...but we may be soon, for a Time of Great Sorrow comes! Join me, ma 'olo, at Txra'kon We'er's swotu unil; Tsa'hik San'eya has something that she wishes for us all to hear." The Clan responded to this with nodding of heads and murmurs of assent and curiosity. Could what the Tsa'hik was going to say have something to do with why Txra'kon We'er had called them? And so it was that we all made our way to the Dragon Weyr's Psiodeck and gathered about a huge mreki u'lito amidst a Forest of Trees of Voices.

Once we and all our animal friends were settled, for a moment there was silence in that pocket universe - save for the sound of the bioluminescent trees swaying in the breeze around us - as San'eya, Tsa'hik of Eywa, gathered her thoughts. Then, she inhaled deeply, before she began to tell an eerie and unsettling tale. "Long, long ago, before the coming of the First Toruk Makto, and even before the People lived as the Clans we know today" she began, "there existed a loose group of the People that were... different." At this Lompor raised a hand, and Tsa'hik San'eya turned to regard him steadily. "Forgive me, Tsa'hik, but... different? In what way were these People different from the Clans of today?" he asked. Tsa'hik San'eya continued to regard my student for a moment and then finally, she replied, "They did not serve Eywa."

The Clan's reaction to her statement was one of sheer disbelief - murmurs of denial, voices of protest, and gasps of horror spread throughout the assembled people of my Clan. A group of the People who did not serve Eywa? This... this was utterly inconceivable! Although traditions of worship and ceremony often differed among the Clans, all of the People served Eywa... didn't they? Soon, I called for silence. "Fnu, rutxe, frapo. Fnu, rutxe!" When the Clan settled, Tsa'hik San'eya continued. "Yes, ma Olo', this group of the People did not serve Eywa. In fact, they rejected her ways and her guidance, utterly! They were violent and savage; they slaughtered and murdered others of the People at their whim and committed acts of savagery that the People today have no names for!

Perhaps it was their nature that did it - or perhaps Eywa herself cursed them for their deeds - but soon, this group of the People changed ; their bodies became hideously twisted and deformed, their skin became as white as the stars, and their eyes turned as red as blood! Not even Eywa's curse could make them cease their savage ways, however; instead they reveled in their new twisted forms, using them to commit ever more vile acts of terror and bloodshed. These People became known as 'They who could not See.' Thus they remained, and the rivers of kifkey Eywa'evengä ran red with the blood spilt as a result of their terrible deeds. This was the first Time of Sorrow.

It would have remained such forever, but Eywa - in her infinite wisdom - wove from the Land and then sent into the Sky the mightiest of her Children to fight 'They who could not See': the first Toruk. Then, from among the good People who still lived despite the actions of 'They who could not see', she called upon the mightiest of warriors to ride the great beast. That warrior became the first Toruk Makto! Toruk Makto formed the People into Clans and then together, he and the new Clans of the People united to drive away, 'They who could not See', deep beneath the ground of kifkey Eywa'evengä, where they could never commit violence again, except upon each other." At this, the Clan broke out into applause, whooping, hollering, and cheers!

Txe'lan and I turned to look at each other and smile. 'I'm a sucker for happy endings,' I thought, 'but this story isn't over yet...' I was right. Once again I called for silence, and then, when the Clan again settled, Tsa'hik San'eya concluded the story. "So feared and reviled were They that they were never given names or recorded in any Songs of Today; Eywa chose to let Her Children forget that They ever existed, allowing only a few select Tsa'hiks of the People to remember 'They who could not See', as a warning, if they ever chose to return." With Tsa'hik Sen'aya's story concluded, the Clan offered her their thanks. Many stood in preparation to leave and return to their duties, but I bade them stay.

Once all were again seated about the mreki u'lito, Lompor spoke up. "You have told us a fine story, Tsa'hik, but why tell us this tale?" he asked. "Surely 'They who cannot see' are a legend..." As he made to continue, Tsa'hik San'eya silenced him with a look before she snapped, "'They who cannot see' are more than a legend, you skxawng; they are very, very real! Olo'eyktan Txa'vit and I have witnessed Signs of Their return!" At that, the shit hit the fan; a cacophony of noise exploded throughout the Psiodeck as every member of Clan Tawkami tried to talk over each other, their moods reflected by their animal companions whom added their own distressed voices to the din!

"Ma 'Olo!" I called, trying to restore order. "Ma 'Olo, rutxe lu mawey!" No one, however, could hear my voice above the din, and so - adding a large amount of psionic power unto my voice, I called "FRAPO FNU!" When all had calmed down, and had soothed their animal companions Tsa'hik San'eya shot me a relieved look as she said, "Irayo, Olo'eyktan!" Then, she continued, addressing all. "'They who do not see' always attack Eywa's animal Children first and Txa'vit saw this when he journeyed with Master Hunter Oo'ano to examine - and then return to Eywa - the defiled body of a slain Palulukan! Our Olo'eyktan also has a piece of flesh from one of Them right here in Txra'kon We'er, which he is examining in order to find Their weakness!"

At this falsehood, I snapped my head around to look at her, startled! 'What?' I thought, incredulous. 'I'm not doing that, at all; I'm simply trying to find out what I can about them due to sheer curiosity!' Before I could voice a protest at her lie, however, she waved me off; a gesture that clearly said, "Play along for now." Therefore, with a heavy sigh, I held my tongue as she continued, "Finally, both Txa'vit and I have received warnings from Eywa; dreams and visions in which we have Seen them! I believe 'They who cannot see' have returned!" At Tsa'hik San'eya's last statement, a wave of agitation swept through the Clan. Na'vi men and women talked, gossiped and debated with each other over what was to be done to safeguard the Clan and the Homestead against the potential threat from 'They who could not see.'

Some among the Clan wondered whether the warnings and signs had been misread. Others desired action; that we should actively search for these 'different', savage Na'vi and hunt them down before they could become a threat. Others, still, opted that the Clan should remain vigilant at the Homestead and wait for real confirmation of the threat before deciding what was to be done. A verdict on what to do could not be reached. Finally, one of the Clan's warriors spoke up. "What then, is to be done, Olo'eyktan?" he asked. Having listened to and weighed the opinions of my Clan members carefully, I thought long and hard about his question before answering. "We know very little at this point, ma Tsmukan" I intoned softly.

"We have only the Signs - the dead Palulukan and Eywa's warnings. We do not know when, or even if, 'they who cannot see' will attack us at all.Therefore, until we do know what will happen, our lives will continue as normal. But... I will ask Txra'kon We'er to use its pxay aynari to watch over our land carefully, and I would ask you all to do the same. Whenever you are out in the forests, hunting, foraging, and gathering, be watchful. Be vigilant. If you see anything strange or unusual - anything at all - you are to report it to me, or Tsa'hiks San'eya and Txe'lan immediately! Do you understand, ma 'Olo?" The response to my question was immediate; an almost unanimous nodding of heads and various cries of_"Srane, Olo'eyktan!"_