"She will try to kill you."
—
You follow Neyt as he leads you and some other young Na'vi from the village up the mountains.
Stopping by the edge where the direhorses can't come with any longer.
"Learning to ride an Ikran, we call them banshees, is the test every young hunter has to pass."
Neyt address the youngsters in Na'vi and they hurry to stand before him.
You walk over to the edge, gazing up at the floating mountains you're about to climb.
"But to do that, you gotta go where the banshees are."
You put your bow around your body before turning to wait for Neyt's go ahead.
...
You climb up the flaunting mountains hanging off each other with wines.
Neyt climbing to the top first and you right after. The younger ones right after you.
"Now what?" You ask him.
He doesn't answer, just waits.
When a wine from the mountain ahead floats by he jumps on it and climbs up it.
You chuckle in disbelief before seeing the others pass you following Neyt's lead.
Jumping you grab a wine and climb it.
...
You run over a long branch between two mountains.
...
You run out of the cave after the other and see all the ikran flying around.
Leaning on your bow you pant, still not as strong as the others.
One ikran with a rider flies up to you and land beside you. You sigh in annoyance to yourself at Tsu'ti jumping off her ikran.
She looks at your panting forgive in disgust and you roll your eyes.
Neyt greets her in politeness. Before walking to you.
Tsu'ti gives him a flirtatious look but he completely ignores her as he walks up to you.
He's about to tell you that you can watch the others do it first, but Tsu'ti interrupts him.
Standing beside her younger brother she speaks up with crossed arms.
"Y/nY/l/n should go first." She suggests, challenging you.
Neyt glares at her, making her squirm slightly and look away from his hard glare. But you just scoff at her comment and straighten up, moving to go.
You stop by Tsu'ti, you reach out your bow and arrows to her, not looking at her, she rolls her eyes and snatches them from you in annoyance.
Neyt follows you out, not before giving Tsu'ti another quick disapproving look.
...
Walking out the cave you carefully make your way closer to the Ikrans.
Staying under the water fall you look out on all the ikran.
"Now, you must choose your ikran." Neyt tells you putting a hand on your shoulder looking at you. "This you must feel inside." He taps where your heart is. "If she also chooses you, move quickly like I showed. You will have one chance, Y/N."
"How will I know if she chooses me?" You ask.
"She will try to kill you." He answers casually.
"Outstanding." You mumble.
(Ikran scene.)
You find your ikran.
"Let's dance." You tell her.
(Ikran scene.)
"Make the bond!" Neyt shouts to you.
You try to take his tendrils but she hits you and you fall off her.
Neyt runs to the edge, about to call for Seyzey, who he made sure was close by just in case, but stops when he sees you handing off the edge by some roots.
"Y/N!" He exclaims worriedly.
Tsu'ti laughs.
Neyt watches as you struggle to get back up. He has to fight an urge to jump in and reacue you, but reminds himself that you can do this as he watches you climb back up.
You run and jump back on the ikran.
"Shahaylu, Y/N. Shahaylu!" Neyt reminds you.
(Ikran, making the shahaylu.)
"Stop!" You order her.
Neyt smiles and leans down closer speaking softly in Na'vi to her.
You chuckle, looking down at her. Carefully you untie her and let her raise up with you on her back.
Neyt runs up to you and your ikran.
"First flight seals the bond. you cannot wait." He tells you and push her with you on toward the edge.
"Think, 'fly'" He tells you.
"Fly?" You ask and she dives over the edge, with you on her. Exclaiming you try to hold on.
(Flying the Ikran scene.)
Neyt looks at you with a smile on his face as you fly by them.
"Whoo! Y/nY/l/n!" Tsu'ti's brother cheers. His sister turns to him and speaks Na'vi harshly to him to make him stop.
(The part with Neyt joining her comes a little later because he has to stay with the others first. Tsu'ti leaves when her brother is done and Neyt stays until the last one is done. Then meets up with Y/N on Seyzey.)
...
You hear Neyt hollering in the distance when he suddenly appears beside you on Seyzey.
"Hey!" You try to wave but almost loose balance so you hold on to your ikran instead.
Neyt chuckles at you and looks at you while you try to get into a comfortable position again, not noticing him staring at you in awe.
Once getting situated again after almost falling off you turn to him, finding his eyes on you already.
"Let's go!" He shouts.
(Neyt and Y/N flying around.)
"I may not be much of a horse girl, but I was born to do this."
...
You're sitting on a branch with Neyt talking.
"I came like this. This you." He says as he illustrates.
"Yeah, yeah." You nod.
"I turn. I feel the wind. I turn very strong." He says.
"Yeah, I saw, I banked so hard.." You speak excitedly with him.
...
(Flying with the others.)
You make your ikran nudge Seyzey and Neyt looks at you with wide eyes. He shakes his head at you and turn back to look forward, trying to ignore you and stay professional as he leads everyone.
But hearing the sweet laugh leave your lips he can't help but smile at the wonderful sound leaving your lips, your lips...
He shakes his head and give you a glare, miserably not keeping it on his face when it changes into complete away at your beauty as you fly beside him.
You outstretched your hands as if it's you that's flying and closed your eyes.
...
You fly alone again with only Neyt, as he leads you somewhere.
Flying over it Neyt points down to it looking at you then hold his hand to his chest.
...
"The Tree of Souls." Grace tells you when you told her about what Neyt had showed you today. "It's their most sacred place." She tells you.
She brings up footage they have of the place from a distance.
"See the Flux Vortex in these false colour images?" She asks pointing to it.
"Yeah, that's what messes up my instruments." Trudy says.
"There is something really interesting going on in there biologically. I would die to get samples." Grace says. "Outsiders are strictly forbidden. You're lucky." She tells you.
...
You're out hunting with Neyt on your ikrans.
"I was a stone-cold aerial hunter. Death from above."
"Only problem is, you're not the only one."
(The Leonopteryx chasing you and Neyt.)
"Follow!" Neyt shouts to you and you turn your ikran to follow him.
Flying through some wines, the creatures can't follow you. It roars before flying away.
You hide, your ikran holding on a tree beside Neyt and Seyzey.
Neyt soothes Seyzey to calm him down. You pet your ikran soothingly.
Turning to Neyt you both look at each with wide eyes before laughing hysterically together.
...
"Our guys call it a Great Leonopteryx." You say, feeling the sharp teeth of the said creatures skull on display back in Hometree.
"It is Toruk. Last Shadow." Neyt tells you.
"Yeah, right. It's the last one you ever see." You say looking at the skull.
Neyt sits down.
"My grandfather's grandfather was Toruk Macto. Rider of Last Shadow." He tells you.
"He rode this?" You ask in disbelief as you gaze up at the skull in awe.
"Toruk chose him. It has only happened five times since the time of the First Songs."
"That's a long time." You state.
"Yes. Toruk Macto was mighty. He brought the clans together in a time of great sorrow. All Na'vi people know the story."
...
You open your eyes in the dark pod after having put the avatar to rest in Hometree.
"Everything is backwards now."
You sigh.
"Like out there is the true world and in here is the dream."
Climbing out of the pod you stare at your legs.
"It's hard to believe it's only been three months."
...
Talking into the camera for your log.
"I can barely remember my old life." You sigh, rubbing your face.
Your hair is messy.
"I don't even know who I am anymore."
...
You stare at your reflection, hair messy and your face tired.
Taking a shower you braid your head afterwards before leaving to go see Quaritch.
—