A Primal Beat

Jake's eyes snapped open; the feeling of someone standing beside him was gone, he had had the weirdest dream. Planets had risen and suns had waned before his very eyes, forests had grown up lush and green before they collapsed into desert wastes, then he had followed a single creature through the undergrowth, never catching sight. It all went in a rush and just as he began to realise something he blinked and his eyes focused, Neytiri was smiling down at him, Mo'at was there too, both covered in a greenish glow. Purplish vines hung from the sky and the most atokirina he had ever seen floated about the tree. If there was one thing he knew for certain now; it was that Eywa did exist.

Neytiri was still smiling at him, white teeth against blue skin.

He took a deep breath and suddenly a hundred sounds, smells and feelings hit him; stronger than anything he had ever felt before. Was this what it was like to be a true Na'vi? The ground was hard beneath him and he felt hundreds of tiny rootlets pulling away from his skin, he could smell the jungle; the heavy evening scent of flowers and felt the cool breeze on his face. Everything was suddenly so much more intense, more poignant, more visceral; it was as though he was truly waking up and using his senses for the first time in his life. He took another deep breath, savouring the scents of the night and felt his ears twitch as they picked up the cry of banshee some way away, he rolled onto his side and stood up, for the first time he didn't need to think about balancing with his tail; suddenly it was a part of him rather than and hindrance, it moved instinctively. He took Neytiri's hands and looked deep into her eyes; for the first time since he had landed on Pandora he felt he truly belonged, 'I see you,' was all he could say.

'I see you.' She whispered back.

There was silence throughout the thousands who were present to take part in the ceremony and Jake could feel their gaze. Then he made an awful mistake; he glanced down at the frail, tiny figure wrapped in the roots of the Vitraya Ramunong, someone, Neytiri, he guessed had taken the exopack off his, no it's, face. The tiny figure wasn't moving, or breathing.

He looked away again quickly; it was horribly disturbing to see his own dead body lying there. He looked up again at the silent crowd. Then Mo'at stepped forward with his necklaces and armbands; this was a symbolic event: representing his rebirth and a new life. Neytiri took the necklaces and slipped them over his head; he pushed the armbands up around his biceps and looked back at Mo'at. Another Na'vi had passed her the largest bow he had ever seen; intricate carvings flowed down the sides and over the second, reinforced stock. He could tell just from looking at it that it must have a draw weight of hundreds of pounds and it would fire great distances, even by Na'vi standards. It had a worn handgrip, and looked very old but the string was clearly new and some type of horn was built into the tips of the stock. This was true warrior's weapon; over long distances or in melee it would serve its purpose well.

'This is bow of Toruk Makto, who was my father's grandfather; it has been kept for many generations. It was the bow of Toruk Makto before him, and will be again after you. It is yours now.'

Mo'at handed him the bow and he took it in both hands, for it was heavier than a usual Na'vi bow, he simply looked at her; awed at being given such a treasured artefact. Then she turned to the crowd and he felt Neytiri slip her hand into his as he rested the bow on the ground, it reached to his shoulder.

'I give you Toruk Makto, of the Omaticaya, and truly one of Eywa's People!'

The noise was incredible; the victory celebrations had begun and they would last until tomorrow at least.

Neytiri could openly feel the change in Jake as he stood before his people; the model of a clan leader, sombre and composed despite the miracle that had just occurred. Since he had woken she had realised what it meant to be truly bonded; she could almost feel the emotions radiating out from him. Right now he was confused and slightly lost as too his position, his human body practically lay at his feet and a sort of fearful uncertainty was beginning to grow in waves.

Neytiri took his hand and directed him down from the platform, feeling him ease at the contact. They left the platform and Jake's former body behind, and at the head of thousands walked towards the caves where cooks had been preparing what the hunters had brought in, in the last two days. Eywa had provided and the remaining hunters had hardly had their skills tested. Toruk had managed to kill a huge angtsik and massive haunches of meat were roasting on the fires along with every kind of edible food Pandora had to offer. There was a suspicious brew that Awkey had made in the last few days which smelt distinctly toxic, various alcoholic…beers, if they could be called that, weird hallucinogenic tea as well as water for those who wanted to remember the night. But best of all, to Jake at least, was that Max had found a couple of crates of whisky in Selfridge's apartments and had sent one over with the Avatar drivers. To the heightened taste-buds of a Na'vi the stuff was exquisite. However, due to the Na'vi ability to consume huge quantities of alcohol due to their size he was forced into restricting access to the whisky to the leaders of the gathered tribes, knowing that Max and the others, the humans, had more of it tucked away back in Hell's Gate.

Jake's thoughts turned to those at Hell's Gate as they walked; he had essentially lied to them. He had had the remaining pilot drop him at the repaired link centre, where he had 'left the spare parts to his wheelchair', and Robbie, the pilot was coming to pick him up the next morning. He had explained that he and Neytiri needed to work a few things out, and therefore, needed to be left alone, despite Norm's protestations. Basically, they had no idea what he had just done. Assuming he was still alive in the morning he had a surprise for them.

They reached the entrance to the massive overhang of rock that they were using as a general eating area and Jake's thoughts were driven from his mind by the sheer number of glowing lanterns, flowers and decorations that had gone up since that morning when he had left his avatar, no, body now. He grinned and Neytiri grinned back; it was like she knew what he was thinking, he could almost hear her thoughts and he could feel the excitement and relief that he was alright bubbling out of her.

The other clan leaders were waiting for him on a raised dais towards the back of the overhang, above the main area and they toasted him as he arrived.

'Oel ngati kameie, Toruk Makto.' They called as he approached and he replied, gesturing to all of them.

They all drank some of the noxious brew that Awkey had come up with before Jake became nauseous and began to pour whisky into bowls for them. The stuff Awkey had prepared was nothing like the refined art of distilling that Earth could provide. At first they were suspicious of a tawtute drink until Neytiri recommended it, having tried it earlier and after several bowls they were all agreeing that it was a first class drink, and slurring slightly. Each bowl held roughly half a bottle…

Drums pounded above them on the cliff; huge polished logs with tight skins wrapped over each end. Two drummers played alternate rhythms on each and the result was a primeval throbbing which ran through the ground and became a part of the earth, as though a great heart was beating somewhere underground. At the entrance of the overhang was a huge cleared area with a massive fire on which burned all kinds of sweet smelling herbs, and dancers whirled, swayed and shook amid the flickering light. Huge shadows rolled across the cliffs and on the terraces above there was more to delight the eye; amazing feats of acrobatics were performed, jugglers spun fiery bolas through the air leaving smoky trails, and couples danced sensuously in more private areas to the primal beat.

Jake was in awe of the whole experience and struggled to take it all in, watching as acrobatic feats became more and more exciting and dangerous as members of different clans tried to outcompete each other. He was happy to sit and watch his people enjoy themselves when Neytiri took his hand and pulled him to his feet.

'Come, we must dance!'

'Well…' He had never been particularly great at dancing. 'Only if I don't have to wear all of this,' he relented, shedding the necklaces and bracelets that defined him as Toruk Makto. Without it fewer people would recognize him and he would feel less self-conscious.

She pulled him away to near the centre of the great crowd of dancers, close to the fire where light flickered across them and weaving patterns lit the floor and their bodies. Neytiri began to sway with the rhythm and they both soon became lost in their own world of flashing white teeth, glittering yellow eyes and flickering blue skin. They weaved in and out of the crowd, brushing lightly against each other and all the while flowing in a great circle around the blazing fire.

Later they sat exhausted on the upper terraces, watching the remaining dancers revolving in hypnotic patterns around the great fire and sharing one of the remaining bowls of whisky. A few jugglers were keeping a small crowd impressed with the flaming bolas; spinning them above their heads, round their feet and tossing them back and forth to each other. Jake watched yet another young couple slink away into the shadows and whispered to Neytiri, 'Something tells me there will be many new children in a few months time.' She leant back against his shoulder and grinned up at him, 'And you will have to bless them all.'

That threw him slightly, 'Hmm…'

He looked down at the fire again, losing himself for a few minutes among the flames.

Finally he picked up the bowl off whisky and sipped it, then offered it to Neytiri who was leaning against his chest.

'Mmm, no. I have too much already, I feel…' She searched for the word.

'Wobbly.' Jake suggested.

'I do not know what that means…but it sounds like how I feel.' She laughed breathlessly and shifted slightly against his chest, then with a small amount of urgency in her voice said, 'We must go.'

'Where?'

Jake watched as she struggled to her feet, and he went to stand up.

'Kelku, home,' came the reply followed by a slight squeak and Neytiri collapsing against him.

He caught her and lifted her up in his arms, as she giggled in a most un-Neytiri like fashion, then she laid her head against his chest and he dropped down onto the next terrace, and then another and another. They reached the ground around the fire and Jake carried her away towards the sleeping area, to their alcove, slightly apart from the rest of the tribe. He laid her on a soft mattress of ferns, knelt beside her and kissed her passionately; she responded in kind and it was a long time before they broke apart, Neytiri still searching for his lips. Then she pulled him down to join her on the mattress, they both gasped as their queues formed a bond without either meaning to. Waves of pleasure rolled over them and they began to move to a more primeval rhythm than the drums outside.

Outside a pale pink light was beginning to glow on the horizon.

With the sun rose several tired Na'vi; Jake among them, but he closed his eyes again as pain surged between them as the light pierced his vision. He stood shakily; trying to transmit his thoughts to Neytiri, I'm going out for a while, he sent mental images of himself leaving the alcove. He wasn't sure if this would work, but he didn't want her to worry if she woke up alone. Since they had bonded a few times now they seemed to be able to guess, no tell, what the other was thinking. Then, nursing a terrible hangover he left Neytiri sleeping and wandering outside, taking a drinking-bowl to a small spring a short distance away.

He sat by the small pool the spring formed for a little while, listening to it trickling musically and sipping the cool water he had collected. The images of the night were blurry; Awkey placing a hand over his heart and proclaiming them brothers, Neytiri weaving sinuously through the flickering shadows as the pendulum drums boomed out their call, eyes fixed on his, flaming bolas sparking wildly as they flew through the air…

After some time he was overcome by the urge to fly, and went to find Títx, his ikran as Toruk had flown off before the celebration to get away from the noise and to hunt. He had named his ikran Títxur, strength, but called it Títx for short. He found him on one of the higher ledges above the caves among a group of the Omaticaya banshees; he recognized some of the others. Títx hopped over when he saw Jake and pushed at his chest, 'Yeh, boy. I know, I haven't seen you for a while, had a lot to do.'

He took a large slice of cold meat from behind his back and offered it to Títx who snapped it up and threw his head back to swallow it. 'Apology accepted?' Jake asked, rubbing his snout, the ikran's eyes fluttered slightly and lazily half-closed; enjoying the rubbing.

'Good, cos I want to go for a ride.'

He brought he queue over his shoulder and attached it to the ikran's, Jake closed his eyes for a moment as he shuddered, feeling everything about the creature in front of him. He closed his eyes and felt the rhythmic heartbeat, the tension in its wings, the huge muscles which powered it through the air, but most importantly he felt its presence in his mind. The ikran stepped back and shivered too, spreading its wings and crouching slightly for Jake to hop up into the saddle, which he did. 'It's been too long, buddy.'

A couple of seconds later they launched off the ledge were airborne, soaring over the caves and then out over the forest. Exercise was the best hangover cure Jake had ever found, and he hoped it would still help him now.

By the time he got back from his flight through the mountains a few cooking fires had been relit and a small streams of smoke rose towards the sky, a rider rose up to greet him and gasped slightly as he saw who it was. The gasp came again as a shadow swept over them and Jake looked up to see Toruk had returned, he smiled and realised that he would have to set it free soon, well in the very loose sense of setting something like Toruk 'free'. He couldn't exactly stop it going where it wanted, but he had built up a good repertoire with it and they both knew why it had come back.

The celebrations were to continue today with displays of archery, flying and riding. He had been thinking about it while he flew with the gigantic beast and it had shown an interest in the idea, and now it was riding the thermals above, waiting for its time. Jake pushed Títx up, towards it, Títx didn't like it but then under normal circumstances it would have tried to eat him so Jake was constantly trying to convince Títx that Toruk was safe now.

Toruk saw them coming and dropped to meet them. Jake who had felt his hangover disappear with the flight decided it was time for some fun and leapt from one creature to the other, landing on Toruk's back and forming the bond. Only when he looked down did he remember he was at least three thousand feet above the ground and there weren't any trees to land in, just bare rock. He grinned again, as the bond formed and he greeted Toruk like an old friend.

To those below it was an awe inspiring sight; the warriors spun, dived and wheeled amongst each other, banshees cried out to each other and warriors whooped as they rolled through the air. Toruk sailed the thermals, high above them all, Jake perched high on his back; watching, waiting for his moment. Below, the sunlight gleamed on so many flashing indigo, green, teal, pink and myriad other colours of ikran, in a display skill and courage as warriors raced each other to the ground; pulling up only at the last second. Other warriors displayed impressive feats of archery from the backs of their flying mounts, on the ground there were further competitions; races between warriors mounted on pa'li and team games between tribes. Awkey's boast that his tribe had the fastest pa'li in all the world seemed to be well founded as they outstripped every other tribe's attempts easily.

Jake watched as the races, games and displays wondering at their ability to shrug off the effects of the night before and they began to draw to a close as he made his move. Toruk pulled in his wings and dropped his head; they were flung into a spinning dive, Jake's hair streaming out above him and they dropped towards the ground like a flaming red meteor. They must have dropped over five thousand feet, and the warriors scattered as they saw the monster plummet towards them, the crowds below stared up and Neytiri bit her lip where she was standing. Toruk continued to fall through the skies and had almost reached the lip of the great bowl the caves rested in. Had Jake lost control? Was something wrong?

Suddenly the four huge wings billowed outwards and Toruk slowed imperceptibly, his head coming up and they pulled up and away over the crowd. They rolled as they went over and it seemed to Neytiri that the tips of Toruk's wings would brush the heads of the crowd. Then they were gone, out over the forest, Jake standing on Toruk's back, holding onto the great queues with one hand, the other raised in salute to his people, but his eyes were fixed on a single person the multitude.

Neytiri cried out, her hunting call she normally used with Seze, and she yearned awfully to be back in the air again, to feel the wind on her face and her hair streaming out behind; to feel the thrill of flying again.

Jake heard Neytiri's cry and banked sharply, Toruk's wings came round almost to the vertical and they turned in a great arc, he felt Neytiri's need to be in the air again and directed Toruk past the overhang. Neytiri was waiting for him, and she jumped out, landing catlike and gripping his shoulders as Toruk roared out to the crowd below. She clutched his shoulders as she swayed with each wing-beat and their joined cries echoed off the rock and into the sky.

A/N: Sorry for the long update, I took AB Norway's advice and read through 'Clouds on the Horizon', a great piece!

Here is this, hope you enjoyed it!