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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 8

(Continued from Chapter 7...)

Time, and life, rolled on. Elders returned to Eywa and were mourned, adults became elders, and children became teens and then adults before having children of their own, swelling the ranks of the Clan. But... everything that has a beginning has an end. No, dear readers, I speak not of the end of our Clan, but of an ending far more painful. One day, when I returned home from yet another veterinary mission - this time escorted by Tawkami Clan warriors in addition to Falkor and Miracle - as I entered the Weyrheart to see the familiar sight of my Palulukan friend Sa'nok sleeping upon the Great Fleece Pile, a strange sense of foreboding struck me. I walked over to her. "Hey, big girl..." I murmured.

She lifted her head to look at me, and as our eyes met, I saw something within them I had missed before: luminosity, as though she gazed upon something far beyond this world. A chill ran down my spine. 'Oh, Sa'nok...' I thought. Her long tail thumped lightly on the floor as I sat down and gathered her head into my arms. Via the carotid artery in her neck, I could feel her great heartbeat still, but it was slowing and her breathing was erratic, coming in soft shallow gasps. She tilted her head up and once again I met her many eyes. They were filled with an odd sort of wisdom and knowing, as well as peace and love. "Must you go?" I whispered thickly, in English. Sa'nok made a soft mewl in her throat, 'talking' in that odd way of hers.

I had never really comprehended it before, but I did then. Forgive me, ma 'eveng, but I am tired. So very, very tired... My throat seized up. "Please," I hissed, feeling the shadows loom ever closer. Please don't go. Stay with me just a little longer. My fingers tightened upon the mobile mane-like frills about the back of her head, which I had used to scratch behind at every opportunity when she itched. It was as if by gripping tight I could stave off the inevitable. I was being selfish, asking what I did, but I couldn't help myself. From almost the very beginning of... all this... Sa'nok had been there, and then after the beginning she had ever been a constant presence in the Dragon Weyr - almost a part of the great construct's workings - so much so that I had begun to think that she could never die; that she was immortal.

She was one of our founders, and I was not yet ready to let her go. She licked my cheek with her rough, feline-like tongue. Softly kissing her nose, and then pressing one of my cheeks against the side of her muzzle, I breathed in her familiar scent, my whole body taut with fear and denial. 'Oh, Adun and Eywa, this can't be happening! Not now; it's too soon!' I thought. A moment later I realized how cruel and selfish I was being. Through various innovative medical treatments and therapies, I had given Sa'nok a quality of life far greater than that experienced by any other Palulukan with her medical problems. Said therapies and treatments had allowed her to live far longer than any other member of her race and like a child, I had assumed that she would live forever because of what I had done for her.

But the treatments were no longer effective, after all these years. I could put her in the Autodoc, and perhaps the wondrous machine could give her another six months, but in the end the result would be the same. My Palulukan's body - my beloved Pandoran Mother's body - was worn out, and no amount of cloned organs or bio-system cybernetics could restore it. At this thought, the Dragon Weyr's affirmation and sadness filled my mind. 'But... But how can I bear to lose her?' I thought with a choked sob, as the Weyr's grief - and my own - intensified. Sa'nok turned her great head and licked me again, mewling. Don't be sad. I shall always be with you, David. Love never dies; only the vessel that holds it.

Her breathing was shallower now. Can't you feel it? Our eyes locked, my two to her six, and for a single instant I could feel it; a sense of utter peace and light enfolded me. It filled me with warmth and love and banished the grief and sorrow. For they could not exist inside such serenity and joy. Is this what awaits you, ma Sa'nok? She rumbled softly. Yes, ma 'itan, and you as well, someday. It is what Eywa has promised us: a paradise without end. All of Her children must eventually return to where they began... but some, if they are lucky, may yet be reborn. We may meet again, David. Will you wait for me? A choked sob escaped me, then. Always, ma Sa'nok. I bowed my head. I always loved you. Even... even when you were grumpy and surly!

Sa'nok chuffed softly with weakened laughter. Silly human; I have always known. She gave a great shuddering breath, and I kissed the top of her forehead, knowing then what I had to do. Go, Sa'nok. At that, her eyes narrowed. Are you sure, David? Mutely, I nodded. She would understand. She always did. I felt more than saw her immortal spirit leave her fading body in a burst of white light. Squinting, I saw it run, colossal paws flying, towards the base of a great all-encompassing tree. Just before she reached it, she turned and faced me. Death is but a door, and time is but a window. I'll be back. Then, I felt the mighty Palulukan on the Fleece Pile go still, her great head becoming deadweight in my arms as the last breath left her body.

It took me several minutes to process what had happened - my mind refused to comprehend it - but when I finally realized... The joy I had felt moments before evaporated. Ma Sa'nok, my noble steed, the beloved Mother of our Clan and Menagerie, the Grand Matriarch of the Dragon Weyr... was gone. I would never have her at my side again. And neither love nor the greatest of the healing arts would bring her back. Grief rose up and attacked me savagely. Still cradling her now limp head, I leaned against Sa'nok's vessel and wept, tears flowing endlessly down my face to stain her burnished, obsidian skin. Because only then did I realize just how much I would miss her.

I'm not sure how long I remained there on the Great Fleece Pile, overwhelmed with grief, but - when the day ended, and the majority of my Clan entered the Weyr as twilight fell - Txe'lan was the first to spot me there. Upon seeing the state I was in, she cried out "Txa'vit, what has happened? What is wrong?" Making her way over to me, she crouched down beside me as I kept cradling Sa'nok's head. "Txa'vit?" she asked again. Wordlessly, I took her hand and placed it upon Sa'nok's body, and at this, she gasped - horror and grief suffusing her - for the great Palulukan's body was so very, very cold... Seconds later, my Na'vi companion stood and raced to the Computer Core of the great Nexus in order to make Tsaheylu with the Dragon Weyr and find out just what had happened.

A short while later - when the Dragon Weyr shifted Txe'lan back to the Weyrheart - she wrapped me in a heartfelt embrace and began to weep, softly. She had not been there at the beginning - when I had first encountered Sa'nok - but, she too had grown to love the friendly Palulukan as much as I. When other members of the Clan began trickling into the Weyrheart via the Transport Alcove - tired and wanting to hang up their possessions and 'hit the shower' after long days of hunting, gathering, weaving, weapon making and other activities - the next person to hear of my beloved Palulukan's passing was Lompor. The great warrior, now one of my finest students in the physical arts of combat, bowed his head in sorrow. Through him, soon, every Na'vi of my Clan heard the devastating news of Sa'nok's passing.

All were saddened by Sa'nok's passing, none more so than the children. "But, but what about your Oa'tx'o Txok - the nawm fngp toktor?" said Rhi'ya, Daughter of Kohl and Ii'sha. The young Na'vi child gazed imploringly at me with tear-filled eyes - as if doing so could get me to perform a miracle to bring back the great gentle animal we had all loved so much. "Can't you use it to... to--" She crumpled against me, then, sobbing quietly with distress, and I gave her a hug, a weary sigh escaping me as I replied, "Strong is the fngap toktor in the arts of healing... but not that strong, ma 'eveng." In the days following the death of my beloved Palulukan friend Sa'nok, the Clan and I held a funereal for her

We carefully transported her great body out of the Weyr upon a brilliantly decorated Gravitic Sled and then set it down before the Gate of Dawn, whereupon Tsa'hik San'eya performed the correct rituals to ensure that Eywa would reclaim the vessel that had once housed her incredible, benevolent spirit. The moment when not one, not two, but hundreds of Atokirina, drifted down from on high to cover the body of my friend - before Eywa's vines embraced her and gently pulled her beneath the ground at the Dragon Weyr's gate - was the second most heart wrenching experience I'd ever had in my life!

Once Eywa had claimed her, I stood atop the restored earth of the new grave and glared viciously - first at the Land and then at the Sky - as I performed a warrior's song in Na'vi, followed by a powerful Battle Hymn in Khalani, warning both Eywa and Adun that the spirit of a great warrior huntress was on her way. I... I admit that I almost didn't make it through the funeral; I can only be thankful that my Clan was there to buoy my spirits. After the funeral, the Clan and our animal companions held a 'wake' - we feasted, danced, sang, and told stories - to celebrate and honor Sa'nok. Since not all of the Clan had gotten to know her very well, it was I and Txe'lan who told the most stories during the 'wake.' Still... There were some clan members whom had often had encounters with Sa'nok, however, and they all had their own tales to tell of the amazingly gentle and humble Palulukan.

"When I first met Sa'nok" said Lompor holding a wooden cup filled with Kava as he swayed gently on his feet due to slight intoxication, "Like many of you I was deathly afraid, for I thought our Olo'eyktan's Palulukan was like others, and would kill me! I screamed in fear - which frightened the Nantang that were using me as a Nivi - and then I looked for my bow but it was nowhere to be found! Then, suddenly - before I could do anything, or even run, Sa'nok pinned me to the floor beneath her paws, until Tsa'hik Txe'lan came to rescue me!" Those among the Clan who had heard this story countless times before simply smiled and shook their heads whilst those whom hadn't heard the story laughed heartily at the images the story conjured in their imaginations.

"When I first met Sa'nok" said Rhi'ya, once the laughter had died down, "I was outside, playing, and I did not see her watching over me. When I did see her, though... I was terrified! I... I screamed and ran, calling for ma Sa'nu, but I went in the wrong direction; instead of heading for Txra'kon We'er I ran into the forest! When I ran, Sa'nok chased after me - because even with Txra'kon We'er here she knew the forest was still dangerous - and she only wanted to bring me home, but at the time I did not know this. I ran and ran until I fell and twisted my ankle. When it heard my cries of distress, a wild Nantang dropped down from the trees and threatened me. The beast was going to kill me for food - and it almost did - but then I heard a terrible roar as Sa'nok arrived and fought the animal!

The mighty Palulukan killed the Nantang - and it was then I believed that my own life was going to end; I believed that Sa'nok wanted me for herself! Instead she... she picked me up by my taparrabo - as if I was one of her own cubs - and brought me back home to Txra'kon We'er..." "... And we are very glad she did!" Rhi'ya's Mother replied, as she stepped forward to embrace her daughter. "We thank Eywa and Txra'kon We'er every day that she watched over you..." Turning slightly to look at me as she held her 'ite close, she continued, "... and we are also very grateful that you found her and that Txra'kon We'er made her friendly, Olo'eyktan! Without Sa'nok, our 'ite would not be here with us today."

Rhi'ya's Father - overcome with emotion - merely nodded silently in agreement. Coupled with the loss of my beloved Ieesha, a loss that I was just starting to get over, the loss of my beloved Palulukan friend Sa'nok hit me hard. For the next several months after the 'wake' I was inconsolable - merely going through the motions of living without putting any heart into it as I began to slip away and just exist again. My Clan, however, refused to let me fall. It was Txe'lan who snapped me out of my grief; one day, as I stood brooding silently on a balcony of the Dragon Weyr, my first Na'vi friend approached me. "Txa'vit... ma Txa'vit you cannot, you must not, do this anymore!" she said, gently taking my hand as she moved to stand beside me. "You have a responsibility to your people! Your Clan needs their Olo'eyktan!"

At that point something broke inside me - I just couldn't take it anymore - and I turned to embrace her as I wept into her shoulder. "You're right... You're right! I've been neglecting everyone terribly..." I choked out through my tears. At that, Txe'lan, Falkor, the Pack, Miracle, and even the Dragon Weyr vehemently disagreed - they understood as they knew I'd been grieving - but the Na'vi words, growls, yips, chirrups and the burst of negation were a discomfort to me, as I felt I did not deserve them. Once I was able to stop crying, I swiftly strode out of the Weyrheart, through the Gate of Dawn, and over to Lompor, who had been acting in my stead and was currently addressing a group of hunters.

"Ma tsmukan!" I called as I made my way over to him. As I approached him, the giant warrior grinned and then turned to sweep me up into a rib-cracking hug! "It is good to see you again, Txa'vit; I thought you were lost to us!" Laughing as I thumped him heartily on the back, I replied, "For a while, I was, but then this wonderful woman came and found me again!" I eyed Txe'lan whom was watching the scene with a smile on her face, and Lompor did, too. "She is a good woman, Txa'vit," he replied."You should hurry and mate with her before Eywa or Txra'kon We'er... or a small Na'vi man might seek her as a mate in your place!" Snorting with mirth, I replied, " What small Na'vi man? Everyone in the Clan is bigger than us... Unless you're speaking of yourself. Are you saying that you're not 'big enough' where it counts?"

At this, Lompor replied, "I did not speak those words!" Then, growling playfully, he grabbed me in a head lock and ruffled my hair! At this, Txe'lan heaved a long-suffering sigh. "Tawtute... Na'vi... No matter what race they are, men are all the same..." she said. When Lompor, at last, set me down, I said "I am returned, ma tsmuken, as your Olo'eyktan!" Lompor heaved a deep sigh as a look of relief crossed his face. " Finally!" he thundered, as behind him the hunters he was previously addressing cheered. "With all due respect, Txa'vit" he continued, "I am not a leader, and never will be..." Hearing this negative statement from him made me shake my head. "Nonsense!" I replied. "You did a fine job! Now, though, I'd better saddle up the Palulukan again..."

As Lompor laughed at my strange tawtute expression, I turned and opened my mouth to address the group he'd been speaking to... but then, I realized that I hadn't met them before and didn't know their names. Briefly turning back to Lompor, I quietly asked him, "Ma tsmukan, who are these hunters you are speaking to? I... I regret I do not know their names..." Lompor smiled and gestured for the leader of the group to step forward. When he did so, Lompor introduced us. "This, ma Olo'eyktan," he said, "is Oo'ano - Master Hunter of Clan Tawkami - and his Senior Hunters. Oo'ano, meet Txa'vit, our... unusual Tawtute Olo'eyktan." Although smaller than Lompor, the Master Hunter of Clan Tawkami was still a vastly imposing figure.

Tall and willowy, he wore a great cloak patched together from the hides and feathers of all-manner of animals as well as thick talioang leather bracers around his wrists and ankles. His thick black hair, neatly braided about his tswin, was held in place with many intricate ornaments crafted from animal bones, and upon his back, he bore a truly enormous bow, a weapon I had no doubt he could wield with terrifying skill and accuracy. As he was introduced, Master Hunter Oo'ano knelt to be at eye-level with me, and then he stared at me solemnly, his face set in a grave expression. Then, to my utmost horror, he grinned eerily, "Er, O-Oel ngati kameie..." I said to him, nervously. He responded to my greeting by licking his lips.

His teeth were way too shark-like... "Um... you aren't thinking about hunting me , are you?" I asked without thinking. As I finished asked the question, I immediately covered my mouth with a hand, thinking I'd made a terrible faux pas. 'Oh, crap!' I thought, 'I hope he won't take offense. That bow he's got on his back is bigger than I am!' To my surprise, however, instead of taking offense at the question as I'd feared, the Master Hunter threw back his head and howled with laughter! He laughed and laughed and laughed, and his group of Senior Hunters joined him in his merriment. When, at last, he was able to get himself under control, he again gazed at me gravely as he said, "Kaltxi, Olo'eyktan. I wish we could have met under better circumstances, but what is done is done. We have a problem."