13 13. First tame
Liam did have a sense of touch on his implant, it was comparable to a nail but muted and different in a way clearly not organic. It was unique, and perturbing at first but he got used to it rapidly.
It was an integral part of his body, where most of his consciousness resided, if it were to be greatly damaged he would likely fall unconscious for an undetermined period of time until it self repair, or if the damage were too severe it will outright kill him.
Though damaging it in any meaningful way was far easier said than done. Tek problems needed tek solutions or a lot of explosions or a lot of raw kinetic energy or being thrown into the Sun.
So Liam, even knowing it could be a potentially dangerous decision decided to take the risk and let it happen. He observed as the tendrils of the hatchling neural queue touched his implant.
At first, it tickled, then he felt a barely noticeable prickling sensation as they spread like roots and arrived at the frontier between his skin and metal.
His pupil suddenly dilated to their utmost limit as an alien, bordering on the disturbing sensation washed over the very edge of what he supposed was his mind or something close to that, he will go with mind for the moment.
The first time he was aware of his mind, the deepest part of his being. It was strange neither particularly painful nor particularly pleasant. It was a new sensation altogether.
The implant and the hologram above it brightened, and pre-programmed protocols were launched to protect the Engram Matrix of Liam from any potential corruption or damage. As one might suggest it wasn't designed for this intended purpose but it was not rigid.
Then Liam felt a connection, a mental one. The hatchling jerked slightly before looking up at him. He felt curiosity, intense raw happiness, and a deep sense of trust, a feeling of safety with him and of storge…?
But all distinctively inhuman in nature, it was surreal, unnatural to his mind and perception of emotions but this feeling vanished as soon as it came.
Those weren't his emotions, those were from Gladius in his lap, they were easily sorted from his own after this. To never be mixed again. He could read them, but it was only the surface, or more like there wasn't much more than that at the moment, it was not even 2 hours old.
Through this link, Liam thought of it like sending a message on his phone but here he was the 'phone'.
He tried and succeeded to send vague messages that told the hatchling it was safe, that he was joyful about its health and proud it hatched safely.
Gladius responded by doing repeated short low chirping, almost like the purr of a cat, and the wave of childlike happiness only intensified through the link which earned a chuckle from Liam.
The implant suddenly flickered, Gladius froze before chirping joyfully and Liam instantly understood what just happened, the hatchling fully submitted to him of its own volition.
The implant acted on what it was designed for even if the situation was new, 'binding' Gladius to him by means Liam wasn't fully aware of and a part of the implant he truly wanted to learn more about. So much potential.
'So that's how I do it… But it is far from easy, many conditions are necessary. Condition only a controlled environment can give.' he remarked, very pleased with this discovery. It opened many possibilities.
Liam tamed it, only its death will separate it from him, or if he decided to sever its connection with the implant, which would not end well for the great austrapede. However, it was vastly different than in the game but with some common points.
In the first place just like various species of birds on Earth, Gladius had fully imprinted on Liam, even before it hatched. It was one of the man's objectives, raising an alien murder chicken only for it to turn on you and rip you to fleshy ribbons was less than an ideal end all things considered.
The nature of those differences will need testing but not now, Liam could feel the fatigue of the hatchling and it will need to grow first too. Being hasty could lead to premature death, newborns are fragile and need care.
'Incredible.', Liam thought. It was fascinating to see it slowly fall asleep, how the mind became less and less active until it became nearly silent, it was as if a tumultuous sea calmed until small waves remained.
Soon after the tendrils moved back into their protective flap of skin at the end of the neural queue and this strange link was interrupted but in its place a link of a slightly different nature that went unnoticed until now made itself known.
He could barely feel any of the alien emotions now which made him breathe a sigh of relief he didn't know he held until now, it was a fantastic experience but one that made his instincts scream in discomfort.
After all, a human wasn't a Na'vi, there were many similarities. That was a fact. As strange as it was but some biological barriers simply cannot be crossed. However, other alternative paths can be found just like what happened.
Closing his eyes Liam was aware of the general location of Gladius with the implant. He had feedback through the link on its general states from which he supposed was from the hatchling nervous system, then the most important part, he felt a degree of control he didn't know the extent of over Gladius.
But there was a distinct feeling of familiarity, as always, even then it felt extremely odd to have all of these new 'senses'.
Some he was sure weren't in the implant's original design and most the fault of this moon's unique wildlife biology. With those thoughts, he soon followed and fell asleep, but still ready to jump at any moment.
Early in the morning, he was awakened by a chirp, and groaning; he groggily opened his eyes, and right in his face was the double-ended tail of Gladius. Moving it aside he stretched, cracking most of the articulation of his body at the same time attracting the attention of the bird.
"Buddy, you're hungry right?", Liam cooed as he felt the hunger of Gladius while he scratched its head making it chirped-purred and flare its wings in excitement.
Picking the hatchling up securely in his arms Liam jumped straight down, landing softly on the ground, as he did so a chirp was heard.
He placed Gladius on the ground and it clumsily stood up, before it walked around falling beak first two times before succeeding. Then it waddled behind like a duckling following its mother, a murder duckling but a duckling nonetheless.
From Liam's understanding, Gladius' species was mostly frugivore, but that was from his understanding and not the absolute truth. That's why he was going to see what Gladius would eat, better be safe than sorry.
And so the following hour passed with Liam finding what Gladius ate to finally end with a mixture of strange-looking fruits seasoned with iron powder. He fed this to the hatchling until it fell asleep.
At the same time, far away in the great plain, under a wide and tall tipi built of hides from various animals held together by branches and bones.
A symbol in the shape of a direhorse head seen from the side was painted on a wood sign. The scent of incense was thick in the air, various candles were made of hellfire wasps' wax.
Inside a young Na'vi lying on a bed of grass, it was Mìruk, sweat covering his body, a strained expression of pain on his face.
Above him, an extremely aged female Na'vi covered in various tribal jewelry, one of such representing her status as the Tsahik of the Olangi clan on her forehead, she also wore around her neck a knife with the blade made of the first direhorse she bonded with, her skin was also scarred, each telling a story.
She was slowly chanting prayer while scrutinizing the wounds with a sharp analytical gaze and acted with experience and precision faster than her appearance might suggest.
Next to her Tutee, the tsakarem, the sole student of the older Na'vi was preparing medicinal paste not dissimilar to what she did at Liam's base but with more ingredients.
<I see you.>, Tutee said, voice filled with sadness, regret, and guilt to Mìruk, her lips pursed, ears flattened.
<I see you…>, the wounded teen responded in kind, and with a weak smile, before she gave him what she just finished concocting, the effect just as in the sky person's deamour was nigh instant and Mìruk rapidly fell into a deep sleep.
Sighing Tutee looked up and was met with the severe gaze of her teacher, words went unsaid but the teen knew how disappointed her teacher was in her recent actions, and justly so.
The Tsahik was not at the camp when the two teens decided to go out in the middle of the night. At that moment she was coming back from her yearly spiritual voyage to the Utral Yak Si, the Tree of Divergence from the deep below of Eywa.
The Tree of Voices was where all the clans found in the great plains communicated with Eywa and their ancestors. The most sacred and important place for the horse clans of the great plains.
When she learned of what her great-granddaughter and the youngest son of the Olo'eyktan did, the damage it caused, and the consequences on both of the young Na'vi, she was less than pleased.
Furious beyond what she has been for the last 90 Earth years even but she didn't show it. Keeping a calm exterior was a must for her role in the clan.
<Marali how is my son?>, the voice of a male was heard, worried but strong, recognizing him the Tsahik turned from the sleeping teen where her gaze had softened to Akwey where it became grave.
<He is fine, a strong but foolish young man he is. He will heal that I'm sure of, and soon be able to walk as fine as he had before. However… His left hand… And if the Lost Child didn't intervene…>, the Tsahik didn't finish seeing Akwey tense up at the mention of his son's hand and the sky person.
The Lost Child was what Marali called the sky person or Liam Cram, she didn't explain why she called him that, even when asked. Confusing greatly the ones in the known about the human, but there must be a reason.
When she climbed back from the Sacred Hollow, the location that gave the safest path to the Utral Yak Si, she was utterly silent and stayed this way until she arrived at the temporary encampment of the clan. Something that rarely if ever happened.
Then she and the Olo'eyktan discussed the recent events, and what should be planned for the future. One that seemed to be far from easy or simple.
Their migration was already delayed by a few days, Mìruk injuries being the reason. A fact understood by all. A selfish choice from the Olo'eyktan puts the clan at risk, in particular, because of the Ritis(stingbats) Yrrap (storm) at night during that time of the year.
<What of the young hunter who tempted to murder the Lost Child?>, the Tsahìk asked with a frown, a movement of her hand and her student understood she needed to leave.
Even if incredibly curious she did so without rebuttal, Tutee knew better than to anger her great-grandmother further.
The Tsahìk's opinion of the human was fundamentally different from anyone else who knew about his existence.
Her deep connection with the All-Mother was one of her greatest pride. The aspect every Tsahiks thrived for in their entire lives but her last connection to the Tree of Divergence was the most intense of all, she passed out and nearly died.
It was the first time she heard Eywa with such clarity, a 'voice' a mere elderly Na'vi like her cannot comprehend the grandeur that is the billion years old consciousness of a planetary all-encompassing super organism that was their All-Mother and Goddess, Eywa.
Through this short but intense 'discussion' the Tsahik interpreted fragmented pieces of memories from both fauna and flora, some of sights, smells, fears, pains, touches, hungers, life, death and so much more that couldn't be described by words.
All were related in some shape or form to the sky person Liam. And even if it were but glimpses, broken and for most difficult if impossible to comprehend she knew that this being was more, the All-Mother was observing him, she was curious.
He could defeat with only his wits and body a creature that would need the collective effort of an entire clan to kill. But he was lost, alone, learning, growing, improving, far from his species and as such a lost child thereby the way she called him.
And he wasn't an enemy of the People, he saved two of the Olangi from certain death and did beyond by sheltering, healing, and feeding them before guiding them back to their loved ones. Risking his own life.
<Tsworeyn te 'a'eyfewt will be exiled from the clan. Only your words can change his fate.>, the Olo'eyktan said sombrely, be it a Na'vi or a human attempt at the life of one's own savior be it oneself or of a member of the same clan.
It was one of the worst crimes one can commit, even if born out of misinterpretation. Actions always had consequences.
<Then let it be so. His life and future will be for the All-Mother to decide, and no more for the Olangi to cater to. Actions have consequences.>, she said with firmness, but sadness was in her aged voice.
It was a death sentence, but the rules of the ancestor must be followed. It was thanks to them they survived till now and for the future.
However, both knew it was going to steer unease, particularly for the closest to the future exiled hunter but what must be done must be done.
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