I sat in a nearby tree. Taking deep breaths, breathing shakily and sighed. I was crying for a while now. Why did we have to leave? Why was Ewya doing this?

"Tsa'lu," A voice said behide me I put my head in between my knees. "I know this is hard for you." It was my father. "We must leave for the safety of the tribe and you children."

I look up at him "Why is the great mother punishing us?"

"She is not." My father says "She wants to bring us onto a diffrent path, and that path means leaving the Omatikaya clan."

I could see the worry etched on my father's face, and I knew that something needed to be done to ensure the safety of our clan. "But father, this is our home. We have lived here for generations. How can we simply abandon it?"

"I understand your attachment to this land, Tsa'lu, but our priority must be the safety of our people. If we stay and Quaritch finds us, many lives will be lost. We must consider the greater good." Father said. "We will find a new home, a place where we can rebuild and thrive. We will adapt."

"It will be difficult to leave everything behind, father. Our memories, our connections to this land..." I started

"I understand, But remember, our memories and connections are not tied to physical places. They reside within us, in our hearts and minds. We will carry them with us wherever we go." I look at him with dried up tears and took a breath and nodded.

Dad helped me up as we walked back, when we got inside the tent, no one spoke. Everyone was starting to pack. Tuk was playing with her toys as Mom was packing her things up.

I went to where Kiri and I shared a room. I grabbed a bag that could go on my Ikran that I had crafted awhile ago to hold war stuff. I started to pack. Sniffles could be heared behide me. Kiri was crying.

That night we had packed a good amount, Dad decided it was best if we leave in two days. Tomarrow we could say goodbye to our friends and family. I laid in bed that night thinking. I was angry and sad.

This is like stones in our hearts.  Tarsem is wise for his years.  He will be a strong Olo'eyktan. The leader must die.

Tarsem raises his knife and bring it down on my fathers chest as he does that he yells. He brings the knife back up. A line of blood showing. It was two days later we were leaving.

So the leader can be born.  Toruk Makto will disappear.

People are sobbing around us as we walk down the walk way to our Ikran's. The People will be safe. I get on my Ikran, my siblings beside Tuk and Lo'ak does as well. I take a deep breath. I look behide me making sure my things are secured.

Lo'ak appears moments later with a bow. "Lo'ak let's go!" Neteyam says. Grandmother appears to say goodbye.

"Hold on bro," Lo'ak says. He walks up to our mother and holds out the bow. I then realize it was grandfathers bow. We heard many stories about it. "Here you go mother."

"Irayo Lo'ak." Mother says. She turns to put it on her Ikran as Lo'ak goes to his Ikran and gets on. Mom goes over to grandmother and puts her hand on her shoulders. Grandmother does the same.

Mom starts to cry and Grandmother brings her in for a hug, she shushes her stroking her hair. We all look at them. Dad gets on his Ikran.

They let go of the hug and mother starts walking back as Tuk runs up to her. "Come with us." She pleaded. "Please."

Grandmother strokes her face lovingly. "No Tuktirey, I must stay. The people need their Tsahik, now more then ever."

"Tuk." Mother says. Tuk starts walking to mom and her new Ikran before turning back and giving her a hug and crying. She goes back and Mom helps her onto the Ikran.

My mother gets on her Ikran and father takes off and we follow. We give out tips and yelps. I look back at the home I knew my whole life as it disappears. We go through bad storms and rain. We were traveling for another two days. Until we made it to another clan. The sea clans are a world unto themselves. Thousands of islands.  An unknown territory  into which we could just vanish without a trace.

"Are we there yet?" I could hear Tuk ask our mother for the millionth time. We were tired. We make it to the village giving our cries and yips. As the sea people are yipping and hooting as well.

A horn blows as we land. I got off of my Ikran and grab my bow. "Hey, leave it.  On me." Dad says to mom and I.

"Tuk." Mother says

"Be nice." Says Father. Sea people gather around us. My father puts up his hands in peace. We were now surrounded by Metkayina people. A girl gets out of the water and makes her way over here. "Hey." Lo'ak says. The girl giggles and I give Neteyam the look.

People are whispering around us. "Easy. Just be cool." Two boys come from the crowd and starts pointing at us and laughing "What is that? Is that supposed to be a tail?"

"It's too small. How are they supposed to swim?" The one boy grabs my tail and points it a little. I turn around a grab my knife and hiss at him.

"Back off." I say. The boy puts up his arms and laughs.

The girl from earlier slaps his hands "Do not. Rotxo, Aonung." She says. There was shouting and a few animals snarls over head as they fly over us we duck down. I put away and knife. Tonowari was the chief of the Metkayina,  the Reef People. He comes up and greets our father.

"I See you, Tonowari."

"Jakesully." Father knew him as a tough leader. But it wasn't Tonowari he was worried about. A woman emerged from the crowd she was wearing diffrent clothes then everyone.

"I See you, Ronal." My father greets "Tsahik of the Metkayina."

We all greet her. "Why do you come to us, Jakesully?" Tonowari asks us.

"We seek uturu." My father declares to the crowd.

"Uturu?" Ronal asks in disbelief.

"Yes, sanctuary for my family."

"We are Reef People.  You are Forest People." The Olo'eyktan starts "Your skills will mean nothing here."

My father looks to us. "Well, we will learn your ways. Am I right?"

We all nod in agreement. Then the Tsahik starts circling us. "Their arms are thin." She says grabbing Tuk's arm.

"Their tails..." she grabs Kiri's tail

"Ow."

"...are weak." Kiri grabs a hold of her tail. The boys from earlier, Ao'nung and Rotxo grinned.

"You will be slow in the water." She looks at my hand and grabs them "These children  are not even true Na'vi."

The crowd gasps. I put my hand away and hiss. "Yes, we are!" Kiri yells

"They have demon blood!" She says grabbing Lo'aks hand. I go to grab my knife but Neteyam grabs my hand stopping me from grabbing it.

"Look. Look.  Look, I was born of the Sky People," dad says showing Ronal his hand "and now I am Na'vi.  All right? You can adapt.  We will adapt."

"My husband was Toruk Makto." Mom started circling the Tsahik. "He led the clans to victory
against the Sky People."

"This you call victory?" Tsahik says "Hiding among strangers?  It seems Eywa has turned her back on you, Chosen One." Then Mother and the Tsahik started snarling and hissing at each other. Father and the Olo'eyktan looked at each other deciding who should stop this. Dad finally stepped in.

"I apologize for my mate, She's..." Dad starts

"Do not apologize for me." Mom replies

"...flown a long way, and she's exhausted."

"Jake." Mom says warning him.

Ronal and Neytiri breathe heavily looks at each other. "Toruk Makto is a great war leader." Olo'eyktan Tonowari states. "All Na'vi people know his story.  But we Metkayina...are not at war." He looks at our father. "We cannot let you bring your war here."

"I'm done with war. Okay?" Dad says starting to plead. "I just want to keep my family safe."

"Uturu has been asked." Mother says. Tonowari sighs. Him and Ronal look at each other until he turns to the crowd

"Toruk Makto and his family will stay with us. Treat them as our brothers and sisters.  Now, they do not know the sea.  So they will be like babies  taking their first breath.  Teach them our ways, so they do not suffer the shame of being useless." With that last part he turns to us. I look around to see that Ao'nung boy staring at me. I stick out my tongue at him. He smirks.

"What do we say?" Dad asks us. We all say thank you.

"My son, Aonung, our daughter, Tsireya,  will show your children what to do." He says pointing to them

"Father, why do..." Ao'nung started

"It is decided." He looks sharply at him. I smirk.

"Come. I will show you our village." Tsireya turns to us and smiles.

Word count: 1575