35 35. Prospect of Prosthetic

<You can speak our language! How did you learn? Can you tell me who taught it to you?>, Tutee exclaimed excitedly, zapping the Lost Child's questions in her excitement while Mìruk propped himself up and froze yet again at the realization the one they were looking for found them.

Not only that but creep right behind them because they were focusing excessively on something new and strange but ultimately quite minor. The fact it could have been a predator, instead, one that could have killed or mortally injured one of them.

It was a bone-chilling realization and even if Mìruk didn't want to admit it, the words of his father were right, he was an immature, reckless, and stupid brat that needed to grow up, and fast because the entire clan needed him to. But that was why he was here as well.

<Learned from a wandering artist in exchange for knowledge and for third times why here alone and not in clan? And no weapons too, tiny daggers don't count.>, the Lost Child asked for the umpteenth time, a motion of his hand indicating the two to follow him, which they promptly, and happily did. The direhorse followed as well.

<I… We want… No. It's to warn you that the tsakarams of the Tipani and Omatikaya clans will arrive to meet and… Judge you.>, Tutee explained the grand line and Liam stopped walking for half a second before continuing.

<For what? When and where?>, Liam asked, his voice deeper, each word leaving his lips to a point it sounded almost like a growl but it didn't register in any of the teens.

He wasn't pleased with this news but again it was a future he fully expected to happen, particularly after his short and trippy mental meeting with the All-Mother. Actions and mistakes have consequences be they positive or negative.

He knew of the Tsahìks and their students the tsakarems thanks to Tsu'mong, how those men and women held an extremely deep connection with Eywa, some in legend even capable of hearing her omnipresent heartbeat from anywhere.

Words of his existence would have and have spread, if not by Eywa then by the Na'vi. A reality known since he saved the two kids, actions had consequences. Good one in particular but it wasn't the case here as even if he didn't save them the Na'vi would have found him by tracking the two blood and footprints.

<To see your true nature, the Lost Child's nature, if you are evil and to be dealt with like the other Sky People… Where and when I'm not sure but as soon as my great-grandmother, the Tsahìk,

and the two come out of the Sacred Hollow.>, Tutee let out, her tail straighter and ear folded.

She was furious at the mention of some thinking of him being evil and needing to be slain like some kind of rabid animal. It was heartwarming in a way.

'Huh, can't say I'm surprised they think of me like this, not even angry. Unpleasant nonetheless… and Sacred Hollow, is that the name of the hole that led safely underground? Likely. Good thing I collected all the red silicon a week ago but traces of my passage are still there… And the tree will tell them as well.', Liam thought, while the closed gateway of his base entered his line of sight.

The teens moved fast, capable of keeping with his normal walking pace. By virtue of their longer strides possible with how freakishly tall they were, and they were taller than the last time he saw them.

Even this young both were past the two-meter (~6.6ft) mark by a head or two. Though they were featherweight and pretty much matchsticks so probably plenty weaker than the average trained human.

And with this, he also learned to his pleasant surprise that Tutee was the great-granddaughter of a Tsahìk, a very good piece of news that compensated for the bad ones. She might even be the current tsakarem, a very young one. Why she wasn't down there with the other he didn't know.

He didn't want to use her or Mìruk either as the kid seemed pretty important himself with his seemingly son-father relation to the Na'vi with the nose bone, which was himself likely an Olo'eyktan. The term 'use' might be a bit much though, yet…

There was no need to sugarcoat it, and if he could secure peace for himself then he would, even if it means playing the manipulator to get it. He truly hated politics in all of its forms but saying it wasn't necessary for having some sense of stability when in proximity to other powers was an utter lie.

The meeting as well… Liam could foresee it would essentially be a political one of extreme importance where most of the odds were stacked against him if he didn't want to start a manhunt with him as the target, not that he particularly feared for his life but he didn't want to have his hand forced to be tainted with more blood.

The Omatikaya and Tipani were the most affected by the RDA with the first clan at the top in terms of violence received by said company. He didn't expect them to be friendly or reasonable with him for that matter, even if he was the Lost Child and they would connect to the Tree of Divergence, to learn more about him.

Eywa was their goddess, and mother, not their master. Liam was certain she could with minimal effort make it be the case though, but free wills, or at least freedom of choices was of the utmost importance here. It will never happen unless they truly force her equivalents for hands like he suppose happened in the past.

She wasn't Na'vi or human; her goals, or more precisely the paths to achieve them, were unknown, beyond mortal comprehension. And he was sure he was within them, to his dissatisfaction but also a relief.

He thought of her in a way similar to the mythological Gaïa. Ironically enough, extremely powerful but practically never intervened personally due to personal beliefs and/or interests. If Eywa wanted all the humans on Pandora dead, they would have all already been dead.

She was the All-Mother, everything from microorganisms to the biggest of beasts was part of her, though ultimately the RDA would just have chucked one or two big space rocks in retaliation and all life on this ball of dirt would be gone.

Anyway, he didn't know what she would divulge about him, but in any case, he could think it would be vague as Na'vi didn't seem to hear her voice as clearly as he did. Liam wildly guessed that it must be related to how sensible they are to 'psychic energy' and a plethora more factors.

Overall, it was bad, very bad but not the worse it could get.

He had a lot in his favor as well, such as the two teens and probably their families if they had some drop of honor of which he was sure they had in plenty and as such would back him up. There was also the slinth's bone with the Anurai symbol carved on it that proved one of them was friends with him and that he would be welcomed.

Not forgetting his tames of which he could omit some of the truth of how he gained their loyalty and obedience. And finally, the seed from the Tree of Soul, but the last would either result in either immediate violence or peace, no in between. A risk he wasn't willing to take unless there were no other options left and it turned for the worst…

Then violence he would give. He was kind to others and he will help if he can within reason but he lacked mercy when it came to matters of his survival.

<Thank you for warning me, you saved lives. I'm very grateful to you two.>, the Lost Child thanked and praised them, and the words from their savior did have a big impact if how both immediately cheered was any indicator.

'Kids… They don't realize how important this is.', Liam thought briefly, he was truly grateful to the two for this information but their acts of almost fanboyism in his presence made him slightly uncomfortable. Uncomfortableness he didn't show.

But it was far better feeling slightly uncomfortable than them feeling fear in his presence, something that to a degree he reckoned they should. Even if he saved them, mended the injury of one, fed them, and gave them a place to rest, he was still a dangerous and complete stranger with unknown motives.

If it was naivety, how Na'vi thought, both, or something else he couldn't precisely tell. Maybe he was just projecting how he would have felt in their place. And they were teens, nonhuman teens with worldviews completely alien to him.

<Does anyone know you two are here? To know if more will come.>, he asked and Mìruk answered instantly with a toothy grin that didn't hide any of his inhumanly long white canines, another fact he remarked Na'vi seemed to always have white teeth, not that he was different in that regard.

<Yes savior! A group of hunters sent by Father accompanied us here, we were safe while on our way and still are in your presence. Maral, our Tsahìk agreed as well, we needed to warn you of what is to come. It was my… No, mine, and Tutee's idea in the first place too.>, Mìruk said proudly waving his one good hand in the air.

A detail that Liam noticed earlier, the kid only seemed to use his right hand and he even hid his left in a garment weaved of plant fiber.

<Do not panic or act a lot at the sight of "Gladius", and let go of your pa'li here.>, the Lost Child warned, confusing the Na'vi. The six-legged horse was left behind to drink the nectar from the field of exotically shaped and colored flowers.

Arriving in front of the giant door Liam pushed it completely open without much effort in front of the amazed gaze of the teens. All were met with the great austrapede mentioned earlier, it was rolled on its back and sleeping like a log.

At this moment three distinct reactions could be seen, primal terror from Tutee, astonishment mixed with fear and excitement from Mìruk, and a deadpan from Liam.

The human whistled but the great austrapede didn't react, a smirk grew on the Lost Child's face as he approached. To the growing horror of both Na'vi who cried out for him to come back and run, of course, he ignored the two. Their voices were not able to wake up the sleeping bird either.

With his left hand hidden by his torso Liam brought from his inventory an iron truffle. The scent wafted in the air, Gladius' eyes snapped open, and immediately after that Liam threw the truffle at the other side of his base. The murder chicken looked out in shock as the snack flew before scrambling on its two legs and pursuing the flying delicacy.

<This is "Gladius", not worry. "Gladius" is good. I hatched it, bonded with it, same for this one, this one name is "Occiden" and a few more. You can recognize them by 'jewelry' on their bodies.>, he explained with a chuckle pointing a finger at Occiden still perched on his shoulder and then at the bracelet on its leg. This snapped the teens to reality.

A few minutes of further explanation from Liam later reassured the two that Gladius was not a danger and a good bird, as long as he was here and they didn't annoy it. Or that the great austrapede had a random mood swing but the last part went unsaid.

He also briefly explained how he got his hand on the egg and that it wasn't earned easily.

<This is awesome, Tutee spoke about you hunting a tsawltsping on yours! I knew it was the truth! Can I pet, or even ride it!?>, the male Na'vi exclaimed, not even waiting for Liam to answer and as if all his fear was gone he ran, no sprinted toward Gladius right in front of Tutee's horrified gaze.

The great austrapede noticed the Na'vi and lazily, without much care, swiped its left biosteel claw at him. It would have cut his chest open like a hot knife through butter and splayed his organs on the ground like the candies inside a broken piñata, that is if nobody intervened.

Father didn't order it to stop and the bird knew why, a lesson for the impudent lower being. So Gladius didn't put much heart into it, the blue creature wasn't even worth the energy, otherwise, the hit would have been fast, efficient, and deadly.

Occiden took off. Then the Lost Child snapped into action. He moved, and he moved fast, faster than any hunters or creatures Tutee had ever seen as if he was the wind incarnate.

She couldn't even tell how he moved from one point to another; only the deep footprint left behind in the compacted soil told he ever was there.

Liam grabbed Mìruk's shoulder and yanked him back before the claw eviscerated the teen. Relief flooded Tutee and Mìruk blinked in confusion as the human let him go and he stumbled back to then be met with the narrowed silvery grey eyes of the Lost Child.

The human's voice then echoed into the Na'vi ears, anger all too clear for the teen to hear, Mìruk realized he might have screwwd up big time, <"Fucking suicidal little shit!" No, and I forbid you to ever approach "Gladius*. This place is safe but it isn't your playground, you're a guest. Make sure to remember that, do not touch what is not yours without my permission.>

<I-I… I'm sorry…>, Mìruk said meekly at the merited scolding, ears folded backward, tail between his legs, and looking at the ground as if to hide himself.

The problem was he was taller than Liam and it didn't hide anything, it did the opposite in fact. But the human didn't feel any pity.

<Moron… Do you really want to get hurt that badly again?>, Tutee interjected, pissed off at her friend's actions, her first word low but not enough for Liam or Mìruk to not have heard, the human didn't know what it meant but surely something synonymous to idiot.

<No problem, I forgive him, just don't be 'moron' again, this too goes for you, Tutee. You two are similar in many ways, a lesson for one is a lesson for both. Speaking of hurt, show me left hand, Mìruk.>, Liam said calmly.

Both nodded and Mìruk did as asked without hesitation, showing his greatest shame. Liam then told him to sit and the inspection of the limb started.

'This looks bad but at least it healed well enough… Scars are better than necrosis of tissue or worse… Hmm even if he is a little brat. I can help and it will help me as well. I will have done it either way but better to gain brownies points where I can.', Liam thought while critically analyzing the left hand.

Under Tutee's fascinated gaze he used both of his eyes and hands, asking Mìruk at times to move the remaining two digits, the little finger and the annular to see if they worked. And also the right one to get a good grasp on how a healthy Na'vi's hand should be, from muscles, tendons, and bone structures.

Liam brought a measuring tape from his inventory, using his pocket to hide how it magically appeared in his left hand. He took measures of both of the boy's hands.

He wasn't using any conventional measuring unit but it worked just fine and was close enough to the metric system for him. If a humanity from thousands of years in the future was still using it, with slight modifications to fit their better understanding of reality. Then there were good reasons for it to be the case.

He was no doctor or biologist but that didn't make him inept in biology, more precisely a small part of it.

Here it was the simple biomechanics of how the structure of a hand let it do what hands do, Na'vi hands being really human-like only helped. One digit less made it even simpler.

<Why are you doing this? It isn't for any further healing... Why?>, Tutee's curiosity won over and she asked.

<Taking shape and form of hand for "prosthetic", you will see.>, the Lost Child answered with a smile.

<Proo-Set-tetik? What in Eywa's name is that? Some kind of food?>, Mìruk let out in confusion.

<You will see, both of you will need to come with the Tipani's and Omatikaya's tsakarem.>, Liam said confidently, the smile not disappearing, it didn't help either of the two understand other than it will be important.

*

My P@treon if you want to give me money and have chapters I have finished in advance.

p@treon.com/user?u=60424165