"Thump!"
Grace fell onto the muddy ground, a dull thud accompanying her fall as if Pandora itself were mocking her. "Come on, get up and try again," Aleyx told her. He offered no encouragement; by this point, it was clear to Grace that Aleyx wouldn't cheer her on. According to him, giving her encouragement would only make her overconfident in the process, and that always ended with a broken bone.
It was a strange analogy, but Grace began to see that Aleyx's behavior made her want to strive even harder for his approval. Before he even finished speaking, she had already pulled herself up from the ground.
Aleyx watched her for a moment, and something in his face shifted before returning to his usual stoic expression as he called back the Pa'li Grace was using for her riding lessons.
"You're thinking like a human," Aleyx said dismissively, drawing Grace's attention. "You must stop, or you will die the moment you step into the jungle. You are taller, stronger, more agile—use that. As for Pakul, making Tsaheylu is more than just a connection; you become one. You cannot think for yourself while letting Pakul do whatever he wants because he isn't hearing your commands."
With those words, Aleyx pointed back to Pakul, signaling Grace to try again.
They had been at it for over three hours, and with every failure, Aleyx grew more irritated. Even Fang, who was lying atop a massive root of the Great Hometree (Kelutral), let out an occasional growl; it seemed even he was fed up with the whole thing.
But Grace didn't notice. Instead, she stayed in her own world, and this time, she was determined to get it right. She mounted Pakul's back with more confidence than in her previous attempts and made Tsaheylu with the animal. Just as before, a massive surge of information flooded her through the bond.
This time, Grace didn't give orders immediately. First, she properly familiarized herself with the sensation, and only after feeling she was ready did she instruct Pakul to move forward.
The great horse obeyed—first a walk, then a trot, and finally, Pakul was galloping across the grounds with a beaming Grace on his back. "I told you I'd do it!" Grace said to Aleyx in English, full of euphoria.
"Yes, this time you didn't fall flat on your face." The words left Aleyx's mouth before he realized it, causing Grace's eyes to widen in shock.
"You speak my language!" she practically screamed. Aleyx winced and rubbed his ear.
"You say it as if it's some grand discovery," Aleyx commented, downplaying the matter, but Grace had already entered her scientist-frenzy mode and wasn't about to back down.
"But how did you learn it? No one from Hell's Gate has ever come near these places before me. So, how do you know it?" Aleyx sighed, and on his branch, Fang growled too, sensing Aleyx's desperation for Grace to just shut up for once.
"There have been some humans in the clan. We don't kill everyone; some we simply capture to gather information about you. And well, that is how I speak your language. Almost all the warriors know it; it is indispensable to learn. Right now, the enemy is the Sky People who are causing destruction everywhere, and knowing their language is a primary step in case war breaks out."
"Now go and wash up. I'll come to your resting area in an hour to bring you garments for tonight's ceremony." Aleyx ended the training for the day, turning around to head back to his own hut with Fang.
"Thank you. You're a good teacher," she called out. Before he was too far away, he heard her words. He didn't turn back, but a small smile formed on his face.
"You have the mutana on wrong; this side goes to the front," Aleyx told Grace the moment he saw her dressed in the garments for the night's ceremony. As for which ceremony? It was a rite to bid farewell to a clan member who had died of old age.
Their body, unlike in other clans, would not be buried. Instead, a massive bonfire had been built in the center of the common area, where the body would be placed on a platform covered in the slime of a sarfica—a creature resembling a snake but over ten meters long.
The slime would allow the body to be completely cremated while protecting the platform itself, allowing them to recover the ashes to later scatter them in the Sacred Meadow—a field where thousands of bioluminescent flowers of every color grew, nourished by the ashes. Each flower represented a deceased clan member; it was a way to preserve something physical of them once they were gone, in addition to their voices in the clan's Tree of Voices.
Once Aleyx saw that Grace was as presentable as possible, they headed toward the clan's gathering center. The place was already packed with thousands of clan members, all dressed appropriately for the occasion. Unlike other clans, the Subaiya had a completely different style of dress.
While they used loincloths like other clans, they tended to keep more clothing on their bodies—from capes that reached the hip to greaves covering their legs, and even bracers used to store the toxic darts for their blowguns.
But today was for a ceremony, and the attire was more suited to the event. Almost everyone wore skirts made of Artigue silk—a species of Pandoran spider—along with matunas, which were thick, heavy garments similar to Colombian ponchos, only made of feathers and roots.
The women wore headdresses that extended upward and outward, made of feathers and scales, paired with necklaces of precious stones. The men, on the other hand, wore rattles attached to their hair braids, which jingled softly with every movement.
In the center of the area, Aleyx's parents were already present, both standing on a platform made of logs. Mao'ra, Aleyx's mother, was dressed in her ceremonial robes—garments of various colors. This was intentional, as this was not a moment of sadness; on the contrary, everyone was very lively, as if celebrating a birth rather than the departure of a clan member.
Her hair was pulled back, and atop her head rested a turban adorned with colored feathers. A shawl covered her chest, fastened with brooches and decorated with small feathers and pearls.
(Image)
Sukai was no different. From his waist hung a skirt attached to a red woven belt, with the front fold embroidered to resemble the constellations seen from the jungle. An intense red woven mantle draped over his shoulders, and a skirt made of strips covered his lower body. His arms were adorned with matching red bracers, and his face was painted with ash-colored paint, with a red line splitting his face in two alongside white spots.
(image)
"Anakyl was a great warrior!" Sukai began, drawing everyone's attention. "And he deserves to reach Eywa's side with nothing less than cymbals and drums. He deserves no less, so let us celebrate and dance! Do not let him go without being sent off as he deserves!"
With that, Sukai stepped back and Mao'ra took over. She stood tall and, in a loud voice, began the first chants.
"Akeyn Makey!" Her voice remained strong throughout the first chant, and once she finished, the men of the clan followed her, repeating the same lines. "Akeyn Makey!" while shaking their rattles, filling the space with a slow, heavy rhythm.
"Sukala makyla, elike talio, yotolo pajantu!" This time, the women of the clan began to stomp the ground with their feet, creating rhythmic, joyful sounds while the men accompanied the beat with their rattles.
That was the moment the Txumre' began to vibrate the plates covering their mouths, creating a sound like a cobra's rattle that joined the chant. The women's heavy stomping was to prepare the earth and, in a way, keep company with their fallen brother, who would soon join his others in the great Sacred Meadow.
As the music and dancing continued, Mao'ra approached the pyre where Anakyl's body rested. Taking a brazier from a Na'vi child, she lit the flame.
The moment the wood ignited, hundreds of sacred seeds from the Tree of Souls (Atokirina) drifted in from all sides. Even the leaves of the Great Hometree began to let go, falling with a solemn softness through the air, as if they too were bidding Anakyl farewell.
The ceremony lasted all night, with the clan dancing, singing, and eating. It wasn't until the pyre cooled that Mao'ra declared it finished. Now, it was her turn to take Anakyl's ashes and bury them in the Sacred Meadow. From those ashes, a bioluminescent flower would bloom, signifying that he was now with Eywa while leaving a living memory on the earth for those he left behind.