Chapter 2

It had taken three hours for Jake to finally arrive into their camp next to the river. The rain had died down and the skies had begun to clear somewhat, giving Jake a glimpse of the stars and the beautiful aurora between the patches of clouds that still lingered.

When Jake had arrived in camp he had been greeted by a rather large number of the Na'vi children accompanied by Neytiri.

Neytiri walked over to Jake while putting her hand on the side of his Pa'li, "Jake!" She smiled up at him obviously happy to see him, "I didn't expect you to be out this long I was getting worried. . ." She looked around at the hunters with a look of curiosity and concern.

"Did something happen while you were on the hunt?"

Änsìt nodded and looked over at Jake, "Something always happens when you're in the company of Jake Sully."

Neytiri laugh while Änsìt handed her one of the Tapirus they had put on a spit, "That is my Jake for you. He is like a child always getting into trouble."

Jake hopped off of his Pa'li and grinned at Neytiri then placed his hand on her shoulder, "I found I strange object back there. I'm not sure what it is but I believe Eywa wanted me to find it."

Neytiri looked up at Jake with concern, "What kind of object is it? Did you bring it with you?"

"Yes", Jake nodded. "It has some sort of strange glyphs on one side of the object. I've never seen anything like it before." Jake unloaded the object from the pack he had on his Pa'li. "I'm not sure where it came from. It's definitely nothing like I've ever seen before, and it definitely didn't come from earth. I would have recognized the writing. When I found the object it as under a tree and I happened to look up for a moment. I saw wood sprites amongst the leaves, this is why I believe Eywa has meant for us to find this object but I'm not sure why. I was hoping maybe Mo'at could tell us what it means."

Neytiri looked up at Jake with a small frown on her face. She put her arm around his back and looked down at the object, "I've never seen anything like it before either. The Na'vi has never made such an object before. Are you certain it doesn't come from the Sky People?"

Many of the other Na'vi had gathered around taking an interest in the object Jake held. Jake looked around at them and they seemed to be as clueless about what the object was as he was.

"What is this object that you have brought to us Jake Sully?" Mo'at approached Jake while the other Na'vi moved aside letting her through.

Jake stepped forward to show the object to Mo'at, "I was hoping that you would know something about it. My hunters and I found it in the forest while hunting. . . I believe Eywa wanted us to find this object for some purpose."

Mo'at nodded and took the object from Jake to inspect "And you say this object did not come from the sky people?"

Jake crossed his arms while looking down at the object, "No it's nothing like I've ever seen on earth before. The material is nothing like what we have on earth, and the glyphs are unfamiliar to me as well."

Mo'at nodded and took the object into the middle of the camp. The rest of the Na'vi followed behind her obviously curious about where the object had come from. Jake looked over at Neytiri who seemed to be a little worried. She looked at him with a look on her face as if he had once again gotten himself into trouble. Jake grinned and shrugged, he was just happy to see her at the end of the day.

The look of concern on Neytiri's face melted away and was replaced by a look of affection. She chuckled while putting her arm around Jakes waist, "It seems like you go out of your way to get involved in every tangle presents itself to you. It's going to be the death of me one of these days."

Jake laughed at her comment and put his arm around her shoulder. It was nice to be with her again. She had a calming effect on him, despite the constant teasing. "I can only be what I am, Eywa has made me so."

Neytiri smiled and rested her head against Jakes shoulder while closing her eyes, "Yes I know. Just try not to do anything to reckless; I cannot help but worry about your safety. Eywa has made me so."

Jake smiled and shook his head with a smile, "Well I guess it's like they say, opposites attract."

Mo'at stopped at the largest fire in the middle of the encampment. She placed the stone on a large tree stump to inspect it. The other Na'vi gathered around the stump in curiosity to get a better look at the object. Mo'at inspected all of the surfaces for the stone, running her hands over each surface. She placed the object back down onto the stump, and then opened a jar containing a strange jelly like substance.

She lathered her hands in the substance thoroughly then replaced the lid on the jar. "Fì'u fìtseng. Tsa'u tsatseng. Tsa'u peseng", she murmured. She placed her hands on the object and began to thoroughly lather it in the strange substance working it into all of the pits and polishing the humps. She worked it into the indentations where the glyphs where carved.

"Yol nulkrr nìngay nìtxan. . .", she paused then looked down at the glyphs with a strange look on her face. Mo'at pulled over a basin of water and washed off the jelly like substance from her hands. She then poured the rest of the water over the object slowly, making sure to completely douse the object on all of its surfaces. After this she pulled over a chisel and set it on the opposite side of the glyphs.

She waved to Jake to come closer while continuing to look down at the object, "Hold the object please."

Jake nodded and removed his arm from Neytiri and stepped over to the stump. Jake placed his hand onto the object and was surprised to find that the object was a lot warmer then it previously had been. He placed his hands on each side of the object firmly and nodded to Mo'at.

Mo'at picked up a hammer like object and tapped the chisel gently. The object vibrated for an unusually long period of time, giving off a low and distinct humming sound. Mo'at furrowed her brows and looked at Jake while pursing her lips, "Where did you find this object Jake Sully."

Jake nodded and removed his hands from the object. He scratched his head and then pointed to the east, "We were about three hours due east of here. There was nothing out of the ordinary about the location. It was a place where the game trail seemed perfect for a pitfall trap because of the surrounding landscape, and because of this The Tapirus where less likely to scatter because the brush was thick with Warbonnet vegetation."

Änsìt stood beside Jake and nodded, "Yes it is as Jake says, there was nothing really extraordinary about the place. We wouldn't have even noticed the object if that Titonothere hadn't appeared when it had. Fortunately Jake was able to distract it long enough for us stampede the Tapirus."

Mo'at looked over at Änsìt and nodded, then asked "So why do you think this object has some sort of connection to Eywa?"

Jake looked down at the object, which was now considerably shinier then it had been when he had first found it. Light from the nearby fire was reflecting off of its surface illuminating more clearly the glyphs inscribed on it. "Well when the Titonothere was about to spoil the hunt, I had to distract it. So I used some of the Titonothere sap we had brought along to use to make poison for the pitfall to distract the beast. When I was in the process of doing this I happened to notice this object at the foot of the tree partially submerged in soil. A weird feeling came over me and that's when I noticed the Wood Sprites floating amongst the leaves of the trees. There was a considerable amount too, so I believe Eywa wanted me to find the object for some reason."

Mo'at nodded and looked down at the object as well. A hush had come over the crowd gathered around the object, being fascinated that Eywa had sent to them such an object as this. They looked down at the object with wonder and awe as if Eywa herself had given them this object. "I see. . . well I do not recognize the writing on this object, and since you say the glyphs are nothing like you have on earth I am left with one conclusion. I believe I may be familiar with this material, but I have not seen such a substance in a long time. Not since I was a little girl have I seen it."

Neytiri looked up at Mo'at with curiosity and put her hand on her hip looking up at her mother, "But mother, I have lived here all my life and I have never seen such a substance, where could you have possibly seen it?"

Mo'at looked down at the object intently with a far off look in her eyes, "When I was a child a strange man from a far off clan came to us far from the north. He was Na'vi of course but he wore strange garments that where very different from those that the Omaticaya wear. He was only passing through our area and it was told that he was heading far to the south of us. He did not explain why, but only that a great suffering had befallen his people and to remedy it, he needed to continue his journey to the south. The creature he traveled with was unlike any living in these areas. It was twice the size of a Pa'li and was covered with a thick fur. It had four tusk half the size of its own body and had strange markings on its fur. On its neck it had strange ornaments of a substance similar to that of this object. . ."

"Hey what is everyone looking at over here?" The crowd parted once again to let another through, this time it was Norm. Jake greeted him and explained about the object and how he had found it.

"I believe Eywa meant us to find this object Norm. I'm just not sure why. . ."

Norm nodded and nodded his head to Mo'at. He had become scruffier since the RDA had departed but he was getting along well enough. The clan had been very appreciative of his assistance during the conflict of the RDA and had no problem excepting him into the fold. "Jake is right about the glyphs on this object, they are not from earth. Believe me I've been exposed to pretty much every language that there is on earth. The material seems to be pretty intriguing as well. . .its definitely not a raw substance. Someone had to refine it, and I don't believe the Na'vi have such technology although I may be wrong. Perhaps the Na'vi in other areas has such technology. I'd like to examine this object under a microscope for further analysis if that is okay."

Jake looked at the object again and then said, "Yes I believe that is the best approach. See what you can do with it, and then report back to me your findings please."

Norm picked up the object and nodded to Mo'at. She seemed to have a far off look in her eyes, and then turned around to Jake. "I am not sure what this object is, but I believe it has some important significance. We would do well to take care of it."

Jake nodded in agreement and said, "Be sure to not damage the object in any way Norm. It may have some sort of significance in the future."

Mo'at handed Norm a cloth to wrap the object in. He did so then tucked the object under his arm and nodded to Jake then headed back to his tent at the edge of the encampment. The crowd began to disperse while Mo'at walked over to Jake.

Placing her hand on his shoulder she said, "This rider who arrived from the north appeared thirty years ago. Not long before the RDA appeared, maybe there is some connection."

Jake looked up at the sky. The clouds had cleared considerably since he had arrived in camp clearing the way for the stars. It seemed to be a little chillier than usual, perhaps it was because he was still damp from the rain. Jake stepped closer to the fire and looked down at the embers and said, "I don't believe the RDA ventured to other parts of the planet. From what I know they stayed in this general area but I may be wrong. When we finally find a suitable shelter for our people I will investigate this matter further. Perhaps going back to Hells Gate and looking through the computer logs will reveal something. ."

Mo'at looked at Jake intently staring into his eyes for a short period, then looked over at her daughter and smiled, "I am happy to know that this matter will not distract you from the well being of our people. Sleep well my children."

Jake watched her walk away as she pulled her shawl tighter around her shoulders. Jake settled down next to the fire to watch the Tapirus he had set earlier of the pit earlier cook on the spit. Neytiri snuggled up next to him while resting her head in his lap. She looked into the fire as the embers popped and crackled. Jake leaned back against the stump while stroking Neytiri's hair, he had been waiting all day to be back here with Neytiri.

Neytiri sighed and said, "I hope we find a new dwelling soon Jake. Traveling like this takes a lot out of the people. It is not our way. . . they will be happy to finally settle down."

Jake cupped his hand and blew breath into them for warmth. He looked up at the sky to see the clouds moving by quickly, it seemed the storm was finally passing. The stars and Polyphemus and its two visible moons seemed unusually bright tonight. The forest seemed to be more quite then usual although there were a considerable amount of nekx-ngawng lingering giving off their characteristic blue glow.

Neytiri hummed a Na'vi song under her breath that only Jake could hear but couldn't quite understand. It seemed to calm him and melt all of his tensions from the day away. He let his mind wander while looking at the fire, thinking of earlier days before he had become Teruk Maktao then the Olo'eyktan. Compared to the current situation, those days seemed to be carefree to him. Days he could spend in joy with Neytiri learning the ways of the Omaticaya, and generally enjoying life. Now he had responsibilities to fulfill and duties to attend to. He had to spend time away from Neytiri which he disliked the most. But he did not blame the people or the Omaticaya, they had a need for a leader and he was the one to fill the position.

Jake looked at the Tapirus slowly rotating on the spit and thought about the tough decisions he had to make in order to insure the survival of the Omaticaya and its people. To be a leader meant to make hard decisions and to preserve the balance of justice. In this Jake didn't have much difficulty he had always been sure of himself and never second guessed his own decisions once he had fully committed to them. Uncertainty was something that he could not afford to entertain, not when they depended on him as a leader. He had to be strong, for them, for Neytiri.

Neytiri understood and was well aware of his burden as a leader. She had always been there for him, ready to give advice when he needed it. The first few weeks at Olo'eyktan had been exhausting for Jake. Many members of the Omaticaya had fallen in the struggle at the tree of souls against the RDA. Many of the Omaticaya warriors had died in that battle, many of the children had been left without a farther. Some where even left without any parents. The rest of the tribe took in these children of course. The clan had begun to adjust to their new life since then, but Jake was eager to find a new home for the Omaticaya to settle in.

Neytiri stood up next to Jake and moved around the side of the fire inspecting the Tapirus. She rotated it slowly inspecting all sides of the carcass checking if the meat was thoroughly cooked. She pulled out her knife from her sheath at her hip and sliced off two small slices of meat to sample. She handed one piece to Jake, and kept the other for herself.

Jake chewed the meat and was surprised at the taste. Male Tapirus in rut had a distinct taste compared to their counterparts. It had a strong musky taste, which was brought out by the seasoning Neytiri had used. Jake chewed it slowly thanking Eywa in his mind for the blessing of a good meal.

Neytiri smiled and said, "Eywa has blessed us today with a good meal. This will feed the clan for many days."

Änsìt and a few of his hunters walked over and settled down near the fire. Änsìt and his hunters smiled and complimented Neytiri on the meal.

"We were fortunate to find such a large herd of Tapirus today. It was a pleasure hunting by your side brother, I look forward to it in the future", one of the hunters commented.

Neytiri settled down next to Jake and handed him some meat on a stick sharpened at both ends. On it there where various vegetables and some fish meat that Neytiri had caught earlier.

Jake smiled at her in thanks and nodded to the hunter.

Later that night as Jake slept next to Neytiri, he dreamt of once again flying on Teruk through the skies of the Hallelujah Mountains. He flew over vast forest covered in lush vegetation. Below he saw vast herds of many of the animals that covered the landscape. The clouds in the sky seemed to be moving by at an un-natural pace. Then he was flying over a vast ocean filled with wondrous sea creatures bigger than anything he had ever seen back on earth. Vast school of colorful fish of green, red and yellow filled the oceans.

The oceans themselves where a deep shade of lime green different from the oceans on earth. There where big creatures twice the size of the largest whales that where now extinct on earth that chased the schools of fish for miles. Vast schools of ocean stingbats flew over the oceans trying to capture any fish foolish enough to venture close to the surface of the water.

Then the air started to become colder, and the wildlife started to change. The stingbats disappeared and where replaced similar creatures with a brown white and grey color scheme. These creatures had feathers but where altogether different from any bird on earth. They had tentacles coming out from behind their heads which is a feature common to all creatures on Pandora, although the tentacles on these creatures where not nearly as long as those found in the tropics. Icebergs started to appear and the fish that inhabited its waters where of a similar color scheme to that of the arctic stingbats. Here the larger whale like predators still roamed, but where few and far in between.

Then land appeared on the horizon, land with radically different vegetation then in the tropics. Here the trees where more like conifers, but where had an orange and purple color scheme mixed in with some green. Besides this the vegetation was pretty similar to that in the arctic regions on earth. It striked Jake as odd because the vegetation was very similar in its appearance. Then he saw herds of wild creatures similar to strumbeest except they too had a different coloration, similar to the arctic stingbats. Viperwolfs of the same coloration roamed the areas, accompanied by other predators similar to the ones in the tropics.

Then he saw vast herds of animals that he had no name for, animals similar to mastodons on earth except they were more reptilian and had two pairs of tusk instead of a single pair. He remembered the description that Mo'at had told him of the creature the rider used and thought that these must be them.

Only one thing striked him as odd, there were no Na'vi to be seen.