BLUE /// JAKE & NEYTIRI

{6} ~predator & prey~

𝖇𝖑𝖚𝖊

war cries filled the air along with stampeding footsteps and shriek-like bird calls. it was hunting season. imani swerved keke above the herd, holding her bow steady as she watched the hunters take their kills. she let out a warning cry when a hunter on his direhorse was knocked off after a failed attempt, keke swooping down to pluck him out of the way. imani set him down on the side lines before flying back into the hunt.

tsu'tey got his kill, a clean shot through the breath-plate.

she raised her bow with a cry, announcing the first kill.

turning to search for her mate and jake, who she knew would be flying together, she snarled slightly at the ground hunters who continued to fail at their attempts at hunting. catching jakes eye, she gave him a reassuring nod before deciding to take her own kill.

swerving keke to the right, she twirled over their heads with her bow pulled back. with a yelp, she released her arrow into the sturmbeast she chose, ululating as she watched the animal go down. neytiri whooped for her mates successful kill, earning a howl like response as imani flew above her.

jake aimed his bow, finding his target and taking the shot. a clean kill. "hell yeah!" he cried, his own form of ululating.

"hell yah!" neytiri and imani copied, adding their own chants and calls after.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

after a successful hunt, the three of them took off to the skies for an adventure. jake aimed his bow as the rocks of the mountain besides them, admiring his shadow as imani and neytiri flew above and behind, admiring him.

seeing a looming shadow overhead, imani looked up and gasped. a huge, orange and red beast was dashing towards them from above, blocking out all sunlight with his body. Toruk. she let out a warning call, forcing neytiri to dive as jake barely dodged his talons. "dive!" he yelled, swerving his ikran to dash out of the way. toruk shrieked in anger at missing his foot and regained his bearings, diving after them.

toruk snapped his jaws, barely missing seze's tail as neytiri swerved above imani.

they crashed through the tree tops, hoping to lose the mighty beast in the forest where he couldn't follow. "neytiri, duck!" imani shouted. neytiri gasped and swerved downwards, barely missing getting her head bitten off.

"follow me! this way!" jake shouted, flying through a tight squeeze between a cluster of trees and vines. neytiri followed with ease, imani making keke tuck his wings in, close to his body with a twirl to fit through the tight gap, thanks to his bigger size.

toruk rammed into the trees but stopped, admitting his defeat with a deafening howl of anger. he shook his head and flew off, leaving the forest behind in search for something else to eat. the three of them landed their ikrans in a line on the edge of a large tree trunk, panting and hushing one another as they listened for any more threats.

"easy boy, easy." imani soothed, stroking keke's skin softly, perched on his back. her ears swivelled around her head, her eyes blown wide much like jake and neytiri. finally, they tore their eyes off of the forest and looked at one another. in which, neytiri's eyes comically widened causing imani and jake to burst into adrenaline filled giggles.

neytiri soon joined, all of them laughing in shock at their near death experience.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

as eclipse occurred, imani, jake and neytiri returned to home tree where the mates took jake to see the skeletal statue of a previous toruk that passed. jake reached up and gently touched the teeth of the skull, eyes blown with awe. "our guys call it the great leonopteryx." he said.

"it is toruk." imani told him gently, tilting her head as she looked up at the skull of the dead beast. "last shadow."

"yeah right." jake agreed with a scoff, jumping onto the platform besides it to get a closer look. "last one you ever see."

imani walked closer to his feet whereas neytiri jumped up besides him. "my grandfathers grandfather was the last toruk makto. ride of last shadow." neytiri spoke with pride, her ears pointing forwards as she smiled.

"he rode this?" jake asked in disbelief.

"toruk chose him." neytiri shrugged.

"it has only happened five times since the time of the first songs." imani told him, glancing to neytiri who gave her a small nod. "toruk makto is mighty. he brought the clans together in a time of great sorrow. all na'vi people know the story."