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Being captured by the Mangkwan want not ideal, but.. Rha'tuul had to admit, it was the only way he knew that would lead him right to their leader.
Ever since the RDA came back to the Western Frontier, now working with the Mangkwan, nothing felt the same. Sure, they beat them back and Rha'tuul had let loose more than a few of his inner demons but, it wasn't enough. His home was in fiery ruins, ash and death in the air. The Kinglor Forest was decimated. The Upper Plains howled with pained winds. The Clouded Forest was barely walkable with the mist becoming thicker with smoke.
Everyone he knew and cared for were, either killed, or moved to far away places to avoid the power hungry Sky People and Na'vi. The Resistance was gone, Alex, Priya and Anqa being the only ones remaining, since they had left early to take out the supplies. As much as he was glad Alma was gone... It wasn't meant to end like that. Not by the gun of an RDA grunt.
And Rha'tuul wanted revenge... More of it.
Rha'tuul was dragged through the jungle, towards the temporary camp, barely resisting against the blood painted Na'vi that treated him like a corpse to throw around. His weapons and bag had been taken from him and his hair was a mess, the shoelace holding back his braids had come loose a while ago. He looked pathetic. His usual body and face paint was smeared, too, orange and white splotches across his cyan-ish tinted skin, rather than intricate patterns he learned of in the Clouded Forest.
Good. He needed to appear weak. A young soul with no purpose, yet. Might just give him an advantage.
From the corner of his light green eyes, he spied a sliver of black hide slinking back into the grass soundlessly. Excellent. His backup shadowed him, as usual, staying out of sight.
Being brought to the makeshift camp, the smell of meat and ember filled Rha'tuul's nose, making it scrunch in disgust. His captors held him upright, for now, still keeping a harsh hold on him.
"Tsahìk! We bring a sacrifice!" The Mangkwan to his left spoke proudly, arrogantly. What a fool. The others around him laughed and jeered in triumph, as their leader turned to face them, eyes locking onto them. Varang was as fierce as she had been described to Rha'tuul, but he has seen fiercer. Nothing and no one would replace the faces of Etuwa, Minang and Anufi, in that regard. They have taught him a lot, especially when it comes to finding light on the darkness.
"And who do we have here?" Varang hissed lowly, crouching as she crept closer, but rose once in front of Rha'tuul. "A wayward boy that thinks himself a warrior. What are you ...in comparison to the mighty Mangkwan?"
The Na'vi around them whooped and howled in agreement to their Tsahìk's words, lifting their weapons into the air and yipping with war cries. Some dark part in Rha'tuul's mind found their display disgusting, revolting. How dare they celebrate with all the crimes they have committed?!
...he couldn't afford to lose his cool, as Priya would say. He needed to keep a calm mind, until he had the moment to react.
So, Rha'tuul merely smirked, lip barely quirking up as he answered unwaveringly.
"...a killer."
The Mangkwan rioted, laughing and guffawing as if he had just said the funniest thing in all of Pandora. Even Varang laughed, as she came up close, face to face.
"You, child?! A killer?! Do not make me laugh! You do not know anything about being a killer!"
Rha'tuul smirked wider, his head jerking in the direction of the bag that the Na'vi on his right side was holding captive, alongside his weapons.
"Don't believe me? Look in there."
Varang looked over to the Mangkwan, whom immediately handed over the bag to her and she tore it open with a blade, a grin on her face. Like she was expecting nothing more than a knife or something similar. What was on the inside... Was something she wasn't expecting, as it all clattered to the floor, kept on a long braided thread.
"Kirahe, Si'net, Taram, Hayn, Ti'at, Zatun... Just to name a few-" Rha'tuul started, as Varang picked up the cord, which held one piercing of every Mangkwan raider she had sent to the Western Frontier. Her eyes tracked it all the way down, until she reached the last four. A black feather, a bullet, a red obsidian shard and a sharp quill.
"-Wukula, Zari, Ka'sem and Rakx." Rha'tuul gave a chuckle, as he watched Varang grow wide-eyed at the realization, her surprise a delight to him.
"They were yours, weren't they? Sorry... But, I don't think they'll make it back home."
Her attention snapped from the cord onto Rha'tuul, a sneer soon making its way to her face, the piercings digging into her palm as her grip on the cord tightened. Rha'tuul kept his smirk, only widening it at the reaction he was getting. For someone who leads, she is very easily tipped off.
"Who are you?! How have you killed my finest warriors?! My warmongers and raiders?!"
Rha'tuul just kept his mouth shut, as Varang yelled at him, her eyes glowing with rage. The fire illuminated her face, as she stepped close and motioned for the Mangkwan to his left to bring Rha'tuul's kuru forward, towards her.
"If you will not talk, I shall see it for myself!"
Varang brought her own decorated kuru towards his, the pink tendrils connecting, forming tsaheylu. A full body shiver passed down Rha'tuul's spine, as he felt Varang trying to pry his brain open for memories and explanation, whilst trying to force him to his knees. He steeled himself, before forcing her back, his legs keeping him up despite her attempt.
Rha'tuul took a deep breath in, the moment he was looking for presenting itself. He let her in, but only a little, making her think she was breaking him. He allowed his knees to buckle, but not letting himself fall. When Varang tried to reach in further, going to prod a memory of TAP, Rha'tuul stood straight once more... And let all of his negative emotions suddenly flood her mind.
Rage, sadness, grief, guilt, hatred, disgust... Vengefulness.
He sent it all towards her through the bond, pouring over her like a tsunami, dark thoughts taking over her own.. rivaling them. Outright overpowering them.
Varang gave a gasp, her usually sharp mind failing her as these emotions came over her, her legs feeling weak. But, she did not fall. Well, not until Rha'tuul shook off the arms holding him back, the Mangkwan in shock at what was happening. Who could possibly rival their Tsahìk, the strongest of them all? The cruelest of them all?!
Rha'tuul's light green eyes darkened, his expression growing scornful, voice getting low with a growl.
"Kneel.
Varang buckled, her knees giving out as the sheer force of the words electrocuted toward and through her with the bond she forced upon the Na'vi now standing tall in front of her. A Na'vi... That was lowering himself to her level, by crouching to look at her. But... With the way his expression kept it's darkness, it felt like he was looking down on her, more than anything.
"...you think you know pain? Suffering? Loss...? You know nothing."
Rha'tuul started, letting his memories into her mind, showing her that miserable day everything went wrong. The Sarentu moot, the laughter that turned into panicked screams and sounds of gunfire. Bodies falling around them, children ripped from the arms of their lifeless parents, Rha'tuul himself needing to be held so tightly in his sister's arms, as to not be taken from her, too. He bore bruises for weeks, after that.
"Nothing of pain. Nothing of loss or true anger." He continued, another memory coming to the front of his mind.
The attempted escape late at night, only to be found by Mercer and Harding, the small group of children standing tall... Only to be cut down with one bullet, now buried in his sister's back. Blood seeped through his palms as he tried to stop it, despite it being too late.
"They took everything from me! My home! My family! My people and culture!" Rha'tuul was slowly growing angrier, as painful memories began to surface.
The beatings, the abuse, the deprivation of air and being watched as he writhed on the floor, begging for mercy which never came. The broken bones and pulled hair, bruised knuckles from guns and ringing ears from the sound of gunfire.
The sight of the Sarentu moot site, now barren and laid with bullets and arrows. Thick with Yavä', all of the joy it held before, now dormant with a bloody history.
"And you dare align yourself with them?! Those that will turn against you, the moment they have what they want?! The moment your back is turned, they will bury a bullet in that skull of yours and step over your corpse, as if you are dirt beneath their heels!"
Rha'tuul's fury surged, but it grew cold, that quiet anger of the deadliest degree. His voice evened out with deep breaths, before he breathed out lowly, his head tilting.
"..and then... you sent your people and fire to my home. My home..."
Rha'tuul gave a small chuckle. Then, it grew. And grew. His body twisted back with almost manic laughter, something raspy and downright frightening. Varang wanted to fight back, hit him, cut him. But, all her body wished to do was cower away, hide and hope to not be found.
His laughter slowly trailed off, those light green eyes concentrated completely on the Na'vi woman in front of him. The eyes of a predator. A wide eyed, unblinking stare of insanity, the smirk on his face practically splitting it in half, double canines on full display.
"And you took my friends from me... My family. Killed some of those I was close to. Captured and tortured animals for your own amusement. Destroyed so much land with fire, spent so many bullets on innocent lives. Well-"
Rha'tuul gave a click and a trill of his tongue, the world around them growing quiet for a moment.... Before someone screamed, a deafening roar echoing through the area, as a large palulkan suddenly leaped from the grass towards the Mangkwan. Panic rose like bile in Varang's throat, with Rha'tuul reaching out and gripping her face in a firm hand, turning her head to face to the side...
...just as the palulukan tore through one of her warriors, the sickening crunch of bones filling the air, blood dripping down onto the ashen grass below.
Rha'tuul leaned in close to whisper, that mad smirk seemed like a permanent feature now tugging at his skin.
"-I just came to return the favor."