Aby (Varang’s Wifey)

After that, Jake arrived. He became Toruk Makto, and thanks to him we defeated the sky people. I genuinely thought she would join the fight, that I would see her there ready to battle, that we would talk and return home together.

That never happened.

But I kept looking for her for a couple of months. I searched the forest and the sky for any trace of her. Nothing.

Then I thought she was dead, that her thirst for revenge had led her to face the sky people alone. I connected to Eywa… but she wasn’t there either.

Later I accepted that she must be somewhere. I was glad to know she was alive, but I knew I couldn’t keep living like that.

So I started from zero.

Jake, who had supported me in my search and had always been there for me, took on a new meaning in my heart. When I least expected it, we became a couple and had our first son: Neteyam.

From there we adopted Kiri, and later we had Lo’ak. My family became my reason for living.

But then there was Spider. I never liked him, but my children loved him, so I had to live with him. I always told Jake that he wasn’t one of us and never would be.

And Jake? I loved him too much. At the end of the day, he had been the one who saved us by uniting the clans to fight the sky people. I would always feel proud to say he was my husband.

That night was just ours. A date without children, without worries. Just him and me. We flew between the mountains like before, played and chased each other until we landed on a small floating island.

We curled up on the ground, looking at the infinite sky.

He brushed a strand of hair behind my ear and whispered before giving me a soft kiss on the forehead:

—I love you.

I just let out a laugh and let sleep overcome me.

We slept there. I felt so safe in his arms. I finally felt the calm of a life without risks. My children could grow up without more war… without more suffering.

Suddenly I felt Jake sit up quickly. I opened my eyes, still sleepy. Following his gaze, I saw a new bright star in the vast blue mantle.

And that could only mean one thing.

Sky people.

When they landed, they only caused chaos, as always… as if it were the only thing they could do.

The ground trembled beneath my feet as if it were screaming in pain. The forest plunged into a storm of fire that annihilated everything in its path. The screams of the animals could be heard even from there.

I collapsed. Tears came out without my permission, and I could only cling to him as I watched my home being destroyed once again. The helplessness stabbed into my back like knives, knowing I couldn’t do anything to stop them.

Why did they come back?

Why again…

—

The questions roared in my head like hungry animals, robbing me of sleep. I barely turned over in the hammock, looking for a more comfortable position, but nothing changed.

I returned to my original position, staring at the ceiling. The environment was completely silent, with only the constant sound of the waves breaking on the beach.

The humid heat of the coastal area was also something that regularly kept me from sleeping. I missed my home so much—the forest, my people… and even though I had my family here, I still disagreed with Jake’s idea of moving here. This wasn’t my home and it never would be.

I got up slowly without making any noise. After checking that no one had noticed, I walked to the beach.

I stood there contemplating the immense sea. The warm wind hit my face, and from time to time the cold water touched my feet.

Suddenly I heard a familiar screech.

—Sa’ata…

She landed beside me. I slowly stroked her head, and she closed her eyes at my touch.

—Can’t you sleep either?— I whispered.

I looked back at the sky, the village, and the sea. The weather looked calm, perfect for a nighttime escape.

—Shall we go for a ride?— She let out a screech in response.

I mounted Sa’ta’s back and we both rose into the air. We flew without direction. I just wanted to clear my mind, to find some comfort in the wind—the thing that reminded me most of my home.

Among the infinite sea, I spotted a couple of small, distant islands. I decided to land there. No particular reason. Maybe exploring would help tire me out so I could finally sleep.

When we landed, everything was silent except for some insects chirping in the grass.

I got off Sa’ata and walked deeper into the undergrowth. I crossed the island until I reached the other end. There I sat on a rock near the shore and stayed looking at the stars. They were a strange comfort to me, but at the same time my shoulders tensed when I remembered that the sky people came from there.

My body relaxed and my eyelids closed for a moment. Exhaustion won, and I fell asleep right there.

I don’t know how much time passed until I woke up again. I shook my head a little and got up to go back home.

When I looked at the stars one last time, I saw something strange.

Small shadows moving barely, camouflaged in the darkness. I rubbed my eyes thinking I was still dreaming, but my blood ran cold when I noticed how they moved.

They looked like ikran…

Here?

I had a terrible feeling, so I crossed the island as fast as I could and returned to Sa’ata.

We took off again.

—Faster, Sa’ata…

She let out a screech and we flew faster until we reached the village.

When we landed, I jumped off, walked quickly toward my home.

—Ma Jake.

I shook him gently.

—Ma Jake…!

He finally opened his eyes, blinked a couple of times, and sat up to see me better.

—Neytiri? What… what’s happening?

Before I could explain anything, we heard howls in the distance.

We both turned at the same time.

We saw clear trails of smoke following the path of some warriors.

And before we could do anything else, they headed straight to the center of the village. Jake jumped to his feet.

—But what…?

Without saying anything else, I grabbed my bow and a handful of arrows. He grabbed his weapons, and together we ran out, trying to warn everyone that there were strangers.

Suddenly, arrows wrapped in fire began to fall on the houses. We saw movement in the village and some people waking up confused.

—Go warn Ronal and Tonowari!! Now!!

I ran through the village as more arrows fell like a rain of fire. When I looked back, I saw the fire spreading rapidly through the material of the homes. Some were already coming out coughing and confused from their houses. That forced me to move even faster.

I had barely reached the entrance when some screams stole my attention. In one part of the village, the warriors were dismounting directly from their ikran and attacking people without mercy—hitting them and stabbing them with rage.

I couldn’t say anything before I saw Tonowari come out, confused and scared.

—We’re under attack!! We have to wake everyone up immediately!!

He looked at me for a second and then went back inside for Ronal.

It didn’t take long before I heard distant gunshots accompanied by screams and more commotion. I ran back to our house to wake up the children.

—Neteyam!!

—Lo’ak!!

I shook them desperately while they jumped out of bed.

—Mama!!

Tuk ran to hug me when she heard all the commotion outside. When I looked out, I saw that things had progressed much faster. I could swear that almost half the village was now engulfed in flames, and I saw the warriors attacking everyone equally—children, elders, women, and men. I watched in pure horror as they even cut their queues. The victims fell to the ground convulsing before becoming completely still.

It took me a second to react from the shock. I grabbed Neteyam by the shoulders.

—I need you to take your siblings! You have to leave here and find a safe place.

Neteyam was about to protest.

—Please obey!! It’s not safe here anymore!

—What about you and Dad?!— His voice broke on the last word.

I handed him the communicators. I squeezed his hand tightly.

—We’ll stay in contact.

He looked at me for a moment, doubting, but then nodded.

I carried Tuk and took Kiri by the hand.

—Let’s go, skxawng, we have to leave now.

Neteyam dragged Lo’ak to the exit, and I guided them to the beach.

Neteyam called an ilu and mounted it quickly. I handed him Tuk in a hurry. Lo’ak and Kiri also got on their ilus. But Kiri grabbed my hand.

—Please come with us!! It’s not safe for you either.

I pulled away with a deep pain in my chest.

—I can’t. I have to help your father, but you have to go.

—And where?— Lo’ak asked.

—Find a discreet and safe place. As soon as I have the chance, I’ll come looking for you.

—Now go!!

The fire and screams grew louder behind me like a desperate lament. They looked at each other, and Lo’ak was the first to move, followed by Kiri, and finally Neteyam, who looked at me one last time.

—Mom, you’ll come back to us, right? —Tuk asked between tears.

I hugged her and Neteyam.

—I promise.

I grabbed Neteyam by the shoulders.

—Please take good care of them. I trust you.

Neteyam nodded and followed his siblings. I wiped away the tears that had escaped. My body relaxed as I saw them disappear into the darkness of the sea. I gripped the bow tightly in my hands.

I returned to the village, sneaking between the remains of the houses and the fire. My horror spiked when I saw the number of corpses and the destruction they had caused. They had people tied up, torturing and beating them mercilessly on the ground.

I didn’t see Jake anywhere. I prayed to the Great Mother that he had only escaped and was hiding somewhere, and not something worse…

I prepared an arrow toward one of the warriors and shot. The arrow went through his head and he fell. Immediately everyone shouted and moved, looking for me. I ran through the fire, looking for another hiding spot.

When I was behind some rocks, I prepared another arrow. But I stopped when I saw them holding Ronal by her kuru with so much force that it looked like they were going to rip it off.

She gasped in pain, and the warrior only seemed to pull harder in response.

I aimed at him, determined to kill him and maybe give Ronal a chance to escape.

Suddenly I saw a creature larger than an ikran with a terrifying appearance land from the sky. A intimidating woman got off it.

She approached Ronal, grabbed her kuru, looked at it for a few seconds, then grabbed her own and forced the tsaheylu. Ronal twisted in pain immediately and let out a scream that echoed through the fire.

—I’ll be direct, reef woman,— she said in a cold voice.

She raised her palm, and Ronal followed as if her body no longer belonged to her.

—Where is Neytiri?

Neytiri? She was looking for me…?

I saw Ronal refuse, then let out another scream.

—I-I don’t know!! I don’t know where she is!!— she managed to say.

This angered the woman, who made a gesture. A warrior grabbed a random person and without hesitation tore out their throat. Blood splattered everywhere, some drops landing on Ronal’s face. She shook with helplessness, tears of terror in her eyes. The man convulsed for a moment on the ground as he bled out, drowning in his own lifeblood.

Ronal looked directly at the woman with helplessness.

—I already told you I don’t know anything!!

The woman growled and gave her another surge of pain that almost knocked Ronal to the ground. She shook violently and let out another scream full of pain.

—I know she’s here!! Tell me where she is or the next blood that stains a face will be that of your children.

Two warriors were holding Aonung and Tsireya by their kuru’s with knives pressed to their throats. The woman brought one of her blades to Tsireya’s throat and pressed hard.

—Last chance.

Ronal let out another scream, shook for a moment, then looked back at the woman.

—I-I know she’s there but she got lost in the fire and the battle!! I’m not hiding her.—She lowered her head, exhausted.—P-please leave us in peace…

The woman growled before yanking their kuru’s apart with a sharp pull. Ronal immediately fell to the ground. Her children ran to try to help their mother, but the warriors stopped them.

The woman looked at the entire village, and when she turned in my direction, I hid behind the rocks again, feeling my heart pounding in my ears.

—I know you’re here!!

She shouted into the air, but I knew it was meant for me. I didn’t dare move.

—Fine, if you want to play it that way…

I heard another commotion in the center. When I peeked out, I saw her grab a woman. The woman struggled in her grip, begging for mercy, but she only stabbed her mercilessly in the chest. She drove the knife in hard, and when she pulled it out, blood splattered onto the sand.

—You won’t want to see how many more people die because of you, Neytiri.

The woman fell to the ground bleeding. I stayed frozen in place, feeling my hands tremble.

When she saw no results, she now grabbed another man and brutally tore out his throat. She threw him roughly to the ground. She paced back and forth with her ears pinned to her skull and her tail lashing like a whip behind her. She let out a hiss mixed with a frustrated scream and grabbed Ronal again.

But this time she didn’t aim at the neck. She aimed at her belly.

She raised the blade, preparing to stab her.

But I immediately rushed out of my hiding place, stumbling along the way.

—No!! Wait, please!!

She looked at me without lowering her sword, examined me for a moment, then nodded her head for me to drop my bow.

—On the ground.

I threw it with a growl.

—Good…

She released Ronal roughly, throwing her to the ground, and sheathed her blade.

—Finally you decide to come out. I already killed a lot of people looking for you.

A shiver ran through me. I felt firm hands grab my wrists from behind and yank my kuru violently. A kick to the back of my calf forced me to the ground.

The woman approached with a huge smile on her face. I struggled against the grip, resisting.

She let out a mocking laugh, and I hissed at her, baring my teeth. She tilted her head curiously.

—Do you remember me, Neytiri…?

The way she pronounced my name made my skin crawl.

—I would never associate with monsters like you…

She grabbed my chin with force, forcing me to look at her directly.

—My name is Varang.

She paused.

—But perhaps you know me better as Sylari…

I felt my heart skip a beat. As I looked at her carefully through her paint, I could identify some of her features, but I told myself no. That she couldn’t be…

Seeing my face, she let out another laugh.