twelve:
banshee.
Ninat'ia
Now this was home.
The screeches and howls coming from above made my heart feel at ease. The familiar rocks and dirt beneath my feet, and the feeling of the wind running through my hair and whipping my face brought a small smile to my lips.
"Come on! Keep up, losers!" Spider cackled, having fun as the rest struggled to climb as naturally as us.
"Can the big bad Colonel Quaritch not climb a rock?" I taunted, my fangs protruding as I grinned.
"Oh, just you wait, cupcake. You ain't seen nothing yet," He grunted, and lost his footing. My hands reached out, gripping his forearm and helping him up.
"I highly doubt that," I smirked, following Spider and ignoring the rest of the struggling demons.
I just hope Zephyr is alright.
Zephyr, my beautiful Ikran, was much larger than the others. That is the result of her being the rarity between a normal Ikran and Toruk. She's beautiful with her red wings and large horn on her temple, and I am glad she chose me.
My only worry is that she would be anxious without me. I claimed her when I was only eight, since I did not wish to wait for my time to claim an Ikran for myself.
"Jesus Christ, they're fucking loud," Miles Quaritch groaned, having caught up to us.
"Only because you have baby ears."
His head whipped to face me, "what did you say?"
"Baby ears," I touched his ear, "it is smaller than most males this age. It is a dead giveaway that you are not Na'vi."
They folded downwards and I laughed.
"I-I am sorry," I laughed, covering my mouth.
"Mom! Come on!" Spider called out, and I followed the sound of his voice through the caves until the screeching got louder and louder.
A genuine grin crossed my face as I breathed in the air and my face hit the blinding sun. All around me are thousands of Ikran, none yet claimed, but the smile fell as I heard a gun click.
"I got this," It was a tranquilizer bullet.
As Miles Quaritch took aim, Spider chuckled.
"What?"
"Na'vi kids younger than me do this with their bare hands," Spider explained.
"Jake Sully did it the hard way?" He questioned, lowering his weapon.
"What do you think?" He retorted.
He looked hesitant but set down the gun.
"How do you get one?" He asked me and I moved forward, grabbing my own queue.
"You grab yours and connect them, just like you would do with the horses. They will try to bite, so-"
"Got it," He walked off.
"Skxawng," I muttered under my breath.
"This is gonna be good," Spider smirked.
"Move up," Corporal pressed his gun into my back, and I moved forward. Immediately, an Ikran had taken a liking to him by hissing and presenting his fangs.
"It's you and me, Cupcake," Miles Quaritch smirked.
It hissed once again, and he hissed back.
And punched it.
I blinked, never having seen that before, and he ran around it to have a chance by jumping onto it. It hissed, trying to throw him off, even by slamming its body into the rock and he hit his head.
"You were supposed to tie its mouth!" I shouted.
"Thanks a lot!"
His hands were gripped tightly onto it, and the creature saw that he would not give up so easily.
And flew off.
"Quaritch!" I shouted, my heart racing as I ran forward and bent down to look for him. But they either both fell or he did and it flew away.
"Fuck!"
"This is your fault!" The female hissed at me.
"Hey, let's calm down," Corporal insisted.
"No! She told him about the banshees! She knew he would die!"
Before I could even get a word out, I felt a sudden stinging sensation. It coursed through my entire body, starting from my neck. My hands grasped at the collar, trying to get it to stop as I let out a scream and collapsed.
"Worthless bitch!" She kicked my face.
"Don't touch her!" Spider shouted.
"That is enough!" He shoved her away and my ears perked up at the sound of yelling.
From Quaritch.
"Woohoo! That's right!" He actually did it. He made the bond, effectively taming his own Ikran.
"Congratulations," I gave a lazy smile, getting up but staggering. Spider helped me stay up, asking if I was okay and I nodded.
I did not need him to worry about me.
What I did not notice was the worry on Quaritchs' face, and how he noticed the remote in the female's hand.
///
Miles is growing more protective of Ninat'ia, and you bet he's gonna make sure nothing bad happens to her.