𐌄𐌋𐌙𐌉𐌍Ᏽ Ꮤ𐌉𐌕𐋅 𐌕𐋅𐌄 𐌍𐌌𐌀𐌕𐌉𐌊𐌀𐌙𐌀 (Aᕓ𐌀𐌕𐌀𐌓𐋄𐌍𐌂𐌔)

\\ℂ𝕙𝕒𝕡𝕥𝕖𝕣 𝟙𝟝//

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"NateyShaw, you are next," Tsu'Tey called back with audible disdain.

Nate nodded. Ke'Kaya placed her small hand on Nate's bicep, stepping in front of him, placing her other hand on his second bicep so she held both, and looked up into his eye.

"Be calm, I will be with you," She whispered.

Nate shifted his eyes between hers, smiling.

"Okay," He nodded.

Ke'Kaya stepped aside and took Nate's bow, placing it on the back of her Ikran before skipping to follow him through the waterfall. Nate paused before the end, overlooking all the colorful winged creatures in front of him.

"Now you choose. To bond with Ikran you must feel for him," Ke'Kaya stood behind Nate, taking over his shoulder, moving her hand to place it on his chest, over his heart.

"Okay, pick one, move quickly, and don't die," Nate nodded.

Ke'Kaya nibbled her lip as she pulled her knife from its holster on the small of her back, drawing a deep breath and following Nate as he stepped out into the nest. Choosing an Ikran, was one of the best experiences in a young Na'vi's life, most put a bead on their song chord for it. But it could also be extremely dangerous, Ikran's are vicious, and the only reason none have attacked any of the Na'vi in Hometree is because once bonded, they understand how fragile their riders are.

Nate unrolled his bolo, walking with taught muscles and on the balls of his feet, ready to jump at any movement. His cat-like eyes scanned the orange and green, blue and purple, red and yellow Ikran as they hissed at him for intruding on their home. Nate looked over an orange and purple male Ikran who was proudly roaring at him from atop a rock formation. Nate stepped toward it and it screeched loudly, flapping its wings and flying away. Nate turned back, watching Ke'Kaya hiss and slash at an Ikran as it snapped at her, the creature stepping back and jumping off the ledge. Nate turned back toward the other Ikran, walking lightly through the group before a loud shriek pulled his attention up. Nate and Ke'Kaya paused as a bright, light blue, and mint-green male stepped forward. It hisses like a snake and begins to crawl on all its claws down the rock mount it sat upon, slithering forward before standing on its hind legs in front of Nate, roaring and bearing its fangs.

~𝘊𝘰𝘮𝘦, 𝘒𝘦'𝘒𝘢𝘺𝘢,~ Tsu'Tey stepped forward, taking the young woman's arm and pulling her back a few passes.

Ke'Kaya skipped back, standing next to Tsu'Tey as he released her, his arm still slightly out as he protected her. Ke'Kaya was like a little sister to Tsu'Tey, always being with her family, he liked the idea of her being safe. The four hunters stayed off to the side as Nate began to swing his bolo, he, like Jake, was going to have to time this perfectly, or there was a good chance he'd come out of this, missing limbs.

"Come on big boy, come here..." Nate taunted quietly.

~W𝘢𝘳𝘳𝘪𝘰𝘳,~ Tsu'Tey called out.

The Ikran hissed again as it began to stalk forward on all fours again, keeping low.

~𝘋𝘰𝘯'𝘵 𝘣𝘦 𝘢𝘧𝘳𝘢𝘪𝘥, 𝘸𝘢𝘳𝘳𝘪𝘰𝘳,~ Tsu'Tey taunted Nate as Nate danced with his soon to be Ikran.

Nate followed its circling movements, their breathing in sync as they looked like two lions rearing to fight. The Ikran thrashed its tail and lunged forward, snapping its powerful jaw. Nate released his bolo, the leathery strap slapping tightly around the Ikran's mouth before he jumped onto its back.

~𝘎𝘰, 𝘨𝘰,~ The young female hunter cheered, pumping her bow in the air.

~𝘛𝘴𝘢𝘩𝘦𝘺𝘭𝘶 𝘕𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘺!~ Ke'Kaya exclaimed as she nervously paced, watching Nate struggle.

Nate struggled to his feet, tightly holding onto the Ikrans antennas as he shoved his heels into the creature's wings, pulling roughly and forcing the leathery beast to rear up. The large Ikran screamed through its shut mouth, flapping its strong wings and trying to claw at Nate with its foretalon. Nate ground his teeth and panted as he pulled all his strength up and pushed the large creature into the rocky floor.

~𝘛𝘴𝘢𝘩𝘦𝘺𝘭𝘶!~ Ke'Kaya repeated loudly, beginning to pant from nerves.

The Ikran thrashed under him, and Nate pulled his legs up, forcing his bent right leg into the Ikran's back while his left leg pulled up and his foot pushed onto its head, fighting to keep its head down. Nate pulled at the closest antenna, grabbing his queue and roughly yet skillfully connecting them.

"Stop~!" Nate exhaled, feeling the creature go still and breathe furiously under him.

Ke'Kaya cupped her hands over her mouth and coughed a laugh before running forward to join Nate. Nate gently jumped off his Ikrans back, softly running his hands over its head as he went to undo the bolo.

"There see, that wasn't so hard," Nate panted.

~𝘌𝘢𝘴𝘺... 𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘺,~ Ke'Kaya hovered her hand over the Ikrans snout as Nate pulled the bolo to the side, stepping back as both he and the Ikran stood.

"Up~! Quickly!" Ke'Kaya ushers Nate onto his Ikran.

Nate haphazardly jumps back on and steadies himself on its back.

"Fly, you must seal the bond," Ke'Kaya commanded, pushing the Ikran by its neck toward the edge.

"Go~!"

"Fly~?" Nate questioned rather than commanded, and just like Jake, his Ikran zoomed into action, spreading its wings and diving, nearly taking Ke'Kaya's head off.

The young huntress ducked, blinking quickly before running up to the edge to watch Nate struggle, flipping and twisting as the Ikran screeched and shrieked. Tumbling like a bowling ball Nate screamed as his Ikran threw itself onto the wall, scrapping at the rock face, breaking rock before letting go and flying into a fall again. The thing is squeaking and shrieking so much Nate couldn't think.

"God damn~! Shut the hell up and fly straight!!" Nate yells, and like magic, the Ikran obeys.

Nate cocks his head to the right, only thinking "Bank right" and the animal complies. He settles the banshee into an easy loping beat of its huge wings, while he catches his breath. Ke'Kaya grinned bearing her pointy fangs again before she too ran over to her Ikran, connecting their queues as she jumped onto its back. She looks back and her Ikran falls into formation, flying after Nate. Once she catches him she lets out a call and her banshee swoops under Nate's. She signals "follow me" and dives. Nate guides his banshee skillfully after her. Ke'Kaya's banshee moves with precise movements of its wingtips, while Nate's wobbles and dips, almost falling out of the sky. Ke'Kaya leads an arcing dive around the flank of Mons Veritatis, smiling over her shoulder at her student. They pass waterfalls and swoop between hanging vines. Nate leads Ke'Kaya in a sharp bank, skimming close to the cliffs. They punch through streamers of clouds and emerge into the sunlight. Nate is getting the hang of it. He banks left, then right, then dives, tucking himself tight against the animal's back. He's reckless, and fearless. Half in control and loving it. Ke'Kaya dives next to him as he lets out a long whoop of joy.

Ke'Kaya and Nate were flying back toward Hometree. They are wild and free in a world all to the sky. Ke'Kaya grins and banks hard, diving, a 'catch me if you can,' look on her face as she looks over her shoulder at Nate. Nate, widens his eyes in surprise before grinning and chuckling, diving after her. Ke'Kaya and Nate fly abreast, soaring easily through the mountains. She points down and Nate looks over to see a bizarre geological formation. Arches of magnetic rock form rainbows of stone above a deep caldera. In the center of the caldera is a single, enormous willow tree, withered and ancient. Nate looks back at Ke'Kaya and she pulls her hand up to cover her breast, and her heart, and Nate realizes this must be their main connection to the AllMother. The Tree of Souls.