The trek to Mons Veritatis, the home of the wild ikran, was a dangerous one if not a long one. Tsu'tey led the five trainees up the floating mountains, small rocks cracking off of the pass under the pa'li's feet. They dismounted the pa'li at the base of Mon Veritatis where everyone would have to climb by hand from there on. Tsu'tey gathered the small group around him, giving a few last pointers on how to find the right ikran and subdue it with the meresh'ti cau'pla. Kat refrained from wiping the sweat beading on her forehead, not wanting to destroy the yellow 'v' painted there. All five of the trainees had been painted such the past few days, a symbol of reaching the end of their training. A symbol of being ready for the Iknimaya.
Boulders connected by vines and tree roots were the only way up, and it was a very long way up. Kat was suddenly very grateful for Tsu'tey's love of flipping through branches. Their morning runs had given her plenty of practice with those kinds of stunts. She concentrated on the next handhold and hoped Jake, who was climbing right behind her, could catch her if she did happen to slip. The last boulder was barely big enough to hold all six of them, and tilted threateningly with the shifting weight.
Tsu'tey moved forward first. "Wait for the right moment and leap for a vine."
The waiting was easy enough, and Tsu'tey made the mad jump look easy as well. Then again Tsu'tey made everything look easy. Steeling herself, Kat watched the vines drift in front of her and jumped for the nearest one. Latching on with her hands, she wrapped the vine around her foot and used her toes to help her climb up the swinging surface.
And they weren't even at the ikran rookery after that. The mountain they were headed for was still across a giant chasm, connected by four giant roots forming a makeshift bridge. Halfway across Neytiri swooped through on her ikran, gesturing the Na'vi hello. Kat mirrored the movement.
The last leg of the journey was by far the easiest, besides riding the pa'li. They simply climbed rocks long formed into stairs, past a waterfall and into a cave.
Ikran flew as far as the eye could see, hundreds of the beautiful creatures twisting and turning through the air. Kat leaned over the edge as far as she could without falling, eyes glued to the creatures. Jake grabbed her tail to pull her back as Neytiri landed not a foot from where Kat was crouching.
"Get in line." Tsu'tey walked among the trainees, looking each in the eye before moving on. He nodded shallowly to Kat and turned his attention to Jake. "Jakesully will go first."
Kat grabbed Jake's bow as he held it out, gripping the wood tightly as her best friend vanished behind another waterfall.
"You wish him to survive, yes?" Tsu'tey spoke into her ear. "Then you should prey for the fool now." She glared at him and rolled her eyes before removing her own bow and setting both on a small outcropping of rock. Then she hurried after Jake.
"How will I know if one chooses me?" Jake questioned.
"He will try to kill you."
Well shit. Tsu'tey never told Kat that little tidbit. She wrapped her arms tightly around Jake's waist, hugging him from behind. "You better come back idiot."
"Don't worry Kitty. This stuff is easy after Basic." Jake patted her arm once and pulled away, heading out to face the waiting ikran. The first few ikran flew away; some were bolder, hissing at Jake but not attacking. Eventually they flew away too. One roared, a teal ikran with a purple colouring on his wing bones and dappled brown running down the length of his body. Jake hissed back. Kat attempted to grin, but her lips wouldn't form the shape. Jake had found his ikran, and now he needed to get close enough to form tsaheylu.
Jake swung the meresh'ti cau'pla, successfully wrapping it around the ikran's snout. Quickly, he jumped on the animals back, holding on tight when the ikran attempted to throw him off.
"Tsaheylu Jake!"
"Don't be afraid, warrior. Do as the female says."
"Make the bond!"
When Jake released one arm to try to form the bond the ikran was able to throw him from his back. Jake rolled, flipping over the edge of the cliff. Kat gasped, clutching at Tsu'tey's arm. Tsu'tey looked down in surprise, the sudden feel of the female against him cutting off his laughter.
Jake jumped back on the ikran's back, pinning the beast down and holding his head fast with his feet. Fighting to keep his hold, Jake took the ikran's antenna and connected their queues.
It was over, and Jake was alive.
"Yeah. You're mine now. Right?" Neytiri slowly moved forward as Jake unwrapped the meresh'ti cau'pla.
"The first flight seals the bond. Go!" Jake dove off the cliff on the back of his ikran, whooping with excitement. Neytiri soon followed. The other three trainees found and bonded their ikran easily and were now flying through the air along with Jake and Neytiri. Then it was Kat's turn.
"Remember all I have taught you. Find the one that is yours and form tsaheylu quickly."
Nodding, Kat unwound her meresh'ti cau'pla and stepped forward.
The ikran had slowly returned after the last Na'vi's go. There were about 20 on the ledge again, staring at the blue female, waiting to see what she would do. Kat lunged to the first ikran on her left, a pretty purple and orange animal. It immediately flew off so she looked to the next. Quickly Kat weeded through most of the ikran on the cliff.
There were only two ikran left now, a mostly brown female and a large male with pink and purple stripes over deep indigo skin. Kat hissed at them. Both hissed back simultaneously, but only the male stayed; the female flew off. Breathing deep, Kat turned to her ikran. He lunged before she was completely ready, knocking the meresh'ti cau'pla out of her hands and off the cliff. Now defenseless, Kat watched the ikran carefully, circling with the beast. He roared and lunged, Kat darting between his attacks. When there was an opening she quickly grabbed an antenna and swung onto his broad back. Kat wrapped her arms and legs around his neck and interlocked her wrists and ankles as the ikran bucked. He lifted onto is feet and wobbled around, slipping on some stray moss. Both ikran and rider fell over the edge, queues still separated.
"Kat!" Tsu'tey sprang for the edge, eyes searching for the falling woman. She could not die like this! He was about to fetch his own ikran when a whooping laugh filled his ears and Kat came flying past Tsu'tey's head, not even a foot away from the mountain's side. He smiled himself, hopped on Fukè, and flew.
They spent the rest of the day practicing different formations, fitting their ikran with saddles, and flying. Always flying. Kat never wanted to set foot on the ground again. She was born to fly like this, to be one with the animal beneath her. Her and Qui'te were the perfect pair; Kat barely had to think what she wanted to do before Qui'te was already turning. It was exhilarating.
At sunset, they returned to Hometree. Tomorrow, they hunt.
Kat was in the air, urging the talioang to stampede with deep dives and yelling. Just like Iknimaya, killing a talioang was a rite of passage. Jake had already felled his beast, and the other three new hunters were to hunt on different days, so it was just her. She circled for an opening, looking for a way to hit that small spot between the head and shoulder. Their armor was too thick to pierce anywhere else.
She was starting to lose hope when a smaller talioang veered from the main heard. It was a female, but a good size and no sign of sickness. Following the animal, Kat shot as it turned back towards the herd. Her arrow met its mark and the talioang stumbled, landing on the ground dead. Whooping, she circled back around, waiting for Tsu'tey as leader to call an end to the hunt.
The three felled talioang were quickly butchered and separated onto different reed nets. Experienced ikran makto would carry the meat back to Hometree, everyone else would be flying ahead. A few hunters would return in a few days, after scavengers had emptied the carcasses, and carry the bones back to be made into tools. Tonight, they would dance for the gift Eywa had given them; tomorrow, Jake and Kat would go through the Uniltaron, and finally become a part of The People.
Kat dressed for the occasion. Le'quani re-braided her hair and added red feathers among the beads as Kat finished a final project. She had been working on the necklace for weeks, gathering the gold and purple feathers, weaving them and white stones into a thin leather braid. As part of the clan she could finally wear more colours, and a proper chest covering. One that hide more than just her nipples. This necklace would do the trick, but still leave her body free to shift and move.
Neytiri covered her in the bright sap of the Hometree, a spiritual and physical reminder of what she was joining. Of what she was becoming. Once the last stripes were painted on her skin, Neytiri held out a small container. Reaching in, Kat let the colourful arachnid inside crawl over her hand, sinking its stinger into the tender skin between thumb and forefinger. Then Kat descended the stair-like branches into a cavern made of roots under the great tree. She crouched in the center of a group of Na'vi; her teacher and the clan elders.
Mo'at stood, waving a burning branch around Kat's head. She pulled the smoke around her body, breathing in the cloud and pressing it into her hair and skin.
"Oh wise worm, eater of the Sacred Tree. Bless this worthy hunter," When the smoke dispersed Mo'at picked up a bowl, pulling a small, glowing white worm out. "With true vision."
Kat opened her mouth, allowing the wiggling insect to fall in, and swallowed it whole. There was a prick on her tongue and everything became fuzzy, then dark.
The sky was lit with colours, but not the soft, beautiful colours Kat had come to know. This sky was lit with fire and smoke, with the shadows of falling ikran and the riders on their backs.
Giant machines were everywhere, firing at the blue natives, taking no heed of children or elderly. Kat turned away from the sight.
Behind her Quaritch held Eytukan by his queue, his lackeys Wainfleet and Fike holding Mo'at and Neytiri in a similar position. Quaritch smiled at her and together all three slit the throat of their captive. Kat screamed silently, unable to do anything to help her leaders or her friend.
To her left, Hometree was on fire, screams coming from within the flames. She was about to run to help when Fike grabbed her. He twisted her arms painfully behind her back and turned her back to Quaritch. This time the Colonel was holding Jake, and Wainfleet had Tsu'tey.
There was no quick death this time. Quaritch drew it out, randomly creating shallow and deep cuts along Jake's torso, stabbing him through the arms and legs. Jake was screaming, begging Kat with his eyes to end it. Suddenly, Quaritch sliced his blade through Jake's queue and tossed him harshly to the ground to bleed out slowly. Then he turned to Tsu'tey.
"No!"
Kat woke alone in the root cavern. Slowly she rose to her feet, using the walls for balance until she was steady. She shuddered thinking back on her vision and started the long climb to the surface. Everyone stood as she exited the tree, following her with their eyes as she made her way to Eytukan. Kat stood in front of her new leader, bowing her head in respect.
"You are now a daughter of the Omaticaya. You are now part of The People."
Eytukan placed his hands on Kat shoulders, pressing down firmly. Mo'at was next, followed by Neytiri and Jake, who had just finished his own Uniltaron. She turned her head at the pressure on her shoulder blades, seeing Tsu'tey smile softly at her. She smiled back, a few tears slipping down her cheeks. One by one every Na'vi placed their hands on another, connecting the entire clan to their new member. Connecting the entire clan as a whole.
Kat was a part of this now. This was her family, her friends, people she would willingly die for and she knew they would do the same. This feeling, this connection was what she had been dreaming of for so long. So long she didn't even realize this was what was missing from her life. And now that she had it she would not loose it. As Kat stood surrounded on all sides she prayed to Eywa to never loose this connection. She prayed to be part of The People until her end.
The celebration lasted far into the night. They feasted on her kill from the day before and drank until no one could walk properly. Jake and Neytiri had disappeared at some point, but Kat paid it no mind. She was too focused on the dancing, twirling in circles with Le'quani, eyes constantly darting to Tsu'tey's, laughing at his dazed expression. She finally passed out from the drink and exhaustion, snuggled in between two roots, her head resting on Le'quani's shoulder.
Gently, Tsu'tey carried her to her hammock.
