They weren’t supposed to be here— they knew that perfectly well. They were no longer under the protection of the Great Mother nor the comfort of their own forest. They were out in the open— vulnerable and risking everything.

There were other clans out there, and Lo’ak was determined to prove that to his family. The Omatikaya clan had believed for centuries that they were the only Na’vi left after the Great War, but they weren’t.

Lo’ak had gone out into the further forest alongside his brother, Neteyam— but he would’ve gone alone if he wasn’t practically forced under Neteyam’s protection.

—

It was eerily quiet. They had never gone this far out of their clan circle and this far into the rest of the forest, and they knew that they were fully at risk now— both to the Sky People and other clans that they knew were out there.

And then there was the snap of a twig.

Before either of the boys could get remotely prepared to defend themselves, the ambush began. Na’vi jumped out from the greenery in every direction, whooping and preparing their weapons for a very unfair fight for the enemy trespassers.

They tried to fight back, but it was no use. Two Na’vi’s grabbed the boys and threw them down against the ground, holding them down by their hands and feet. It didn’t matter how much they struggled, they wouldn’t get up.

And then you appeared.