Blessed spring break has brought this new chapter. Enjoy.
Gene wouldn't say she snuck past Grace, but she did go against her wishes. They rode quickly for the hallelujah mountains but not at a break neck pace so the pa'li wouldn't be too tired to return to home tree while those who were successful would fly back. Jake seemed to take delight in her being there, and with a number of reasons why she wasn't about to assume.
A faint sound of buzzing and static grew the closer they grew to the roost. At one point as she leaped to grasp a vine, the fear of her connection shorting out welled up to suffocate her. It didn't though, her hands firmly grasping the vine and awareness still with her as they began to climb.
She could clearly hear the call of the Ikran, some even flying by them with a screech as they climbed even higher.
"Are you doing okay Gene?" Jake asked as they climbed next to one another.
"If the beating of my heart means I am alive, then Jake I have never felt more alive than I do right now." She turned and grinned wide, "I very much am looking forward to seeing the rookery."
He returned her grin, laughing even at bit at her enthusiasm, "Likewise. Let us hope we are both successful." Dozens of Ikran waited in the rookery, calling to one another and eyeing them all closely.
"Jake Sully, you may go first." Tsu'tey sneered. Gene watched in eager anticipation, tail lazily swaying as Jake approached a number of Ikran who all screeched before fleeing. A few of the guys laughed at that as it seemed the whole rookery would flee before he managed to bond and then it happened. It's a beautiful light blue with black markings. It turned to meet Jake before hissing, body swaying in preparation of a fight.
Neytiri joined her as they both leaned forward close to the ground to watch Jake's fight. She felt like she couldn't breath as he almost went over the edge, his wrap no longer accessible so he used his legs.
"Tsaheylu Jake! Tsaheylu!"
"Make the bond! Bond with the queue!"
"Stop!" Her breath left her as the Ikran did as he said, struggle leaving it as it relaxed under Jake. He freed its mouth then, the creature slowly picking itself up under him and Neytiri rushed up to him.
"You need to fly. The first flight seals the bond. Think fly."
"Fly? Whoah!" Gene laughed as they surged forth, standing to peer over the edge as they fell. She almost feared they would crash before the Ikran finally straightened as he soared. She cheered for him as he flew by, the other recruits joining her until Tsu'tey hissed at them.
"Gene." She turned to Tsu'tey and he nodded to the rookery. The wrap was light in her hands, Amhul showing her how to make her own and Ralu showing her how it was used on his own Ikran.
She eagerly jumped among the Ikran, a teal and a blue one quickly flying away at her approach with screeches. A green one turned to hiss at her but as she approached it too took flight. She made to walk further in when a shadow passed over her and she only had a moment to jump back as an Ikran landed where she'd just been. It was a deep blue, almost indigo color with gold markings across its face and black across it's wings. It was beautiful and it had chosen to kill her.
She hissed at it, the hiss returned in kind to reveal the rows of teeth it would be attempting to use in killing her. She could hear the others making comments on weather or not she would die, talking about how much bigger the creature was to her as they began to circle one another. The wrap swayed in her hands before she whipped it out at it's first lunge and secured it's mouth shut. The fight had begun as it threw it's body at her instead, a noise she didn't even recognize escaping her as fear pushed her body to action. She slid under it's lunge, crawling under it's wings as it flapped them wildly in an attempt to get a hold of her with its claws.
They were all yelling at her, but she couldn't focus enough to hear, to busy trying to avoid being shredded with the Ikran's hooked claws as she rolled out from under it and jumped to her feet. She let out a small shriek as it finally managed to hook it's claw into her leg before she threw her body onto its back and grasped it's antennae. Her legs swung to lock around it, ankles crossed as it flailed about and for a moment she thought it would throw her off as she reached back for her braid and then it stopped.
Everything seemed to still and a calm like no other came to her as the bond was completed. It, She, stopped struggling and slowly let Gene down. The constant buzzing stopped all together and for the first time Gene felt complete in a way she had never felt before. They both turned as Tsu'tey called to them and told them to fly. She looked at him, smiled, and jumped.
One moment she was standing next to her Ikran, wrap in hand, the next she was free falling. Her chest felt light as she sprinted from the cliff and threw herself over it to the yells of her companions, but she held no fear as she called to her Ikran and it screeched in response, rushing down after her and catching her. She let out a whoop as they connected and soared free. They slipped past mountains, wings clipping through the falls that fell endlessly from the heights and crested over large patches of tree. They laughed as they spun through the air, weaving and ducking in close before coming out the other side unscathed. A few other Ikrans called to her as they dashed past them, a flurry of birds scattering as they rushed through a patch of trees before she faced Home tree.
"Let's go, Nimun."
YOU ARE READING
I Feel You
Fanfiction"Greetings Former Corporal Sully." His head whipped around, nearly jumping out of his skin at the sudden voice. "My name is G.E.N.E, Genetically Enhanced Navigational Entity. I shall be your guide in the avatar program."
