Hunters of the Night

A/N: Okay back to the main plot of the story.

Lately Jake and Mo'at would only bicker at each other bout the other dreamwalkers. The human colony had been lost to the txontiera, probably for good. And even Jake's and Neytiri's own accounts of the massive numbers of txontiera did not budge the Omaticaya Tsahik. She still was firm in her decision not to allow the dreamwalkers into the clan.

As if through a sixth sense Mo'at held up a hand silencing Jake from another outbursts of protests. Something was making its way to their village.

Seven Kearal marched into the middle of the Omaticaya clan each astride a pa'li. On the pa'li in the lead lay a body of a Na'vi. A large crowd formed around the small troop of Kearal each of them holding black knives raised in their air like a salute. Many craned their necks to get a better look at the warriors, never having seen one or so many at one time before. But near the front of the crowd was Sefize trying to see who's body it was. A necklace hung from its neck and swayed with every movement of the pa'li it lay upon. Sefize immediately recognized the necklace that hung from the Na'vi's neck. She instinctively touched her own necklace. Her's was indeed identical to the one on the body. It was the necklace that her mother once wore.

Omaticaya Kearal noticed Sefize standing nearby. He truly felt sympathy for her. But they continued to press the pa'li forward. He had to bring the body forward to the clan leaders.

Jake followed Mo'at and Neytiri as they headed to the common grounds. A large group had formed around the Kearal and their pa'li. Omaticaya Kearal dismounted and motioned to the body. The crowd parted for Mo'at as she approached. She carefully lifted up the head so she could get a look at it. The others around her tried to see as well.

"Tipani Kearal," uttered Mo'at as she closed her eyes and frowned deeply making her aged face look ten years older than it really was. Sefize slowly backed away from the body not caring who she bumped into, she had to get away.

"No," said Sefize shaking her head. "No, no, no. NO!"

"Sefize," began Mo'at.

Sefize turned to run but instead found herself face to face with Jake. She wrapped her arms around him not caring if his mate was standing right next to him. She buried her face into the nook in Jake's neck, no longer able to contain herself. Jake comforted her with his own arms. Former Tipani Kearal, former member of the Omaticaya clan, and Sefize's father was dead.

Mo'at finally agreed allowed the dreamwalkers to come to her village. Though she did not decide yet if they could stay. The information that the Omaticaya Kearal told her was troubling indeed. Only seven Kearal remained the others were found slaughtered or they couldn't find.

Tonight was when the night when all of the Tsahik would connect with Eywa. All of her people were gathered around the Tree of Souls. Each of them sitting waiting for the bowls of tea to come around. Each of them had their queue connected to small roots iridescent roots from the ground.

"What is this stuff?" asked Jake to Neytiri the other avatars sitting close by perking their ears up wanting to hear as well.

"It is tea," said Neytiri trying to find the right words. "It removes mind from body."

"Like ulitaron?" asked Norm.

Neytiri nodded her head. "This will make it easier to understand."

"Understand what?" asked Jake.

"You will see," said Neytiri. "Drink."

Jake took a deep breath before taking a mouthful of the liquid. He gulped it down. It wasn't that bad, but as soon he and the others felt drowsy. They all closed their eyes and woke in the other world. They were still sitting around the Tree of Souls but everything but the tree was dim and out of focus.

"Go towards the tree," instructed a voice in Jake's ear. He didn't know why it sounded familiar until he realized it was his own. Following his own instruction he got up from his seated position and walked to the tree. He held out his hand and touched one of the hanging growths of the tree. It grew whiter and whiter until all he could see was white light.

**

I was looking down at the counsel in front of me it. I was flipping through the current synapses readings for each of the human to avatar link were working normally. I'm Dr. Max Patel.

"I envy those guys," I heard Norm say, causing me to look up from my counsel and notice were he is dreamily staring at the monitors of the human drivers.

I shrug my shoulders at my colleague. "Safer in her than out there." I wanted to avoid telling him my true feelings.

"That's true," he said not sounding convinced at all.

"Nice facial hair by the way," I said trying to distract him from getting all mopey. He really did miss being in his avatar. And I am going to miss the company when he does get it back.

"Thanks…" said Norm shaking his head as he felt his stubble once more.

"I'm gonna check up on those seed samples," I say stretching as I do. There was nothing more that I needed to do here. Might as well try and get some work done for Jake.

I walk out the door of the link room. I reach into my pocket fumbling for my key card. I extract something I didn't intend. Its a pack of Grace's cigarettes. I smirk as I turn the pack over in my hands. Wish you were here Grace.

I soon find myself in the science labs. I've made that journey so many times that I didn't even have to tell my feet where to go. I look down past my potbelly at the seed samples on the table. I give my stomach a small rub.

"I need to loose some weight," I say to myself.

I remember all of the tests that we did on these seeds. I was amazed. The husk of this seed was probably near impenetrable. I remember how Norm and I did a scratch test on this seed just for kicks and ended up scratching the diamond we used for the test.

I pick up my ex-wife's ring and remember her. I remember my first date, my proposal, our wedding. But I also remember our falling out and eventual divorce. I don't know why I kept this stupid ring. I guess I'm a sentimental guy. Like how I carry Grace's cigarettes with me.

I hear an alarm blaring from the security room. Something's breached the outer perimeter of the colony. I rush to look it up on my computer. Large black creatures are cutting their way through the razor fence. I curse myself for keeping the colony on minimal power, the sentry guns won't work. I then flip to the security camera of in the Avatar Compound. I spot a large black body on the ground similar to the ones trying to get into the colony. A large blue cylinder catches my eye. Norm's avatar body. Its probably alright for it to come out.

Forgoing any safety procedures I open up the tank when hasn't been completely drained of the amitotic like fluid. I see the seeds on the lab table begin to sprout and watch the roots wriggle and come to life.

I drag the large body across the ground. The others weren't strong enough to drag this heavy thing. While their bodies avatar bodies were getting stronger their human bodies were getting weaker. Its was kind of ironic.

I had to get it somewhere safe for Norm. He had a better chance at fighting than I did. But where could I put it? The mobile labs out on the VTOL pad. I hear footsteps. Had the seeds already matured into those fully grown nightmares?

I let out a sigh of relieve as I saw Norm's face peer around the corner.

"Max what are you doing?" he asks me stupidly.

"I'm getting your body out of here," I say as I continued to haul the body across the ground.

"Forget about it!" he yells at me. "Leave it and get out of here."

"Norm those seeds are sprouting," I say to him. "Its probably going to turn into one of those creatures that Jake was telling us about."

"Where is it?" He sakes me.

I motion with my head as my hands are full dragging the body. I reach the air lock that will take me to the uncovered part of the colony. I slip on a mask and close the door behind me.

It felt like this body was getting heavier as I continued to drag it along across the concrete. I lay the body against the mobile lab. Exhausted I motion to wipe the sweat from my face but realize that I have my mask on as soon as I complete the motion. I hear the sound of rotor-blades. Someone was operation a Samson and its headed this way. Norm's avatar body was going to be safe. Now all I had to do was to get the real Norm out of there.

I run back the building. The airlock is agonizingly slow as the toxic air is slowly vented out while breathable air is vented in. Finally the door light turns green. I rip the exopack off of myself and make a mad dash to the science lab. The room is a wreck. The thing had matured already. And Norm's body was nowhere to be found. That was either a good sign or a bad one. I hoped it was a good sign.

I ran out of the science lab and to the link room the alarm was still blaring. The mass of black creatures was probably going to bust through the fence anytime. I was exhausted and out of breath. It felt like I was running a marathon. Everything around me was all just a blur as I was so focused on reaching the link room.

When I did get there was in more of a wreck than the science lab. There I saw it. A hulking mass of black towering over Norm's body. At first I thought he was already dead but I noticed his fingers twitch. There was still a chance. I pick up the closest object on the ground.

My chair. How long has this chair and my ass been acquainted? Too long. I made a silent apology to the chair for what I was about to do but some sacrifices had to be made. I throw the chair. Strike! Right down the middle. The chair hits the creature directly in the spine and contracts its back in pain. Looking for more things to use in my defense I yank out the monitor from my counsel. But the creature is too close for me to throw the monitor. So I use it as a shield. Surprisingly my trusty monitor was good for more than just causing eye strain. It stood up against the claws that creature used.

"Norm!" I yell to which Norm shakes his head clear. "Get out of here!"

He looks up at me staring in awe. The creature is getting frustrated. I don't know why but I charge at it using the monitor as a battering ram, pinning it to wall as best as I can. It seems my weight was good for something.

"Max," said Norm as he got to his feet.

"As your superior you get the hell out of here!" I yell at him. That sounded very Grace like. Maybe the old bag really was rubbing off on me. "Go I'll follow you!"

Norm gives me a nod. He didn't believe me, but then again even I didn't believe me. He takes off out of the link room. I finally loose my footing and my strength. I wanted to take off and run, I really did. But some sacrifices had to be made.

**

Everything fades to white again before everything comes into focus. The seeds were sprouting in my hand. It was almost kind of cute to see these black tiny roots sprouting from these small seeds in my hand. I am Rene Lanov.

My tail swished back and forth almost cat like as I stared at the seeds as if willing them to continue sprouting. Sometimes I do think my tail has a mind of its own. The others who are blue just like me surround me with my hand stretched out. We were all scientists here but if someone were to to see us standing here like this they'd think us ten foot tall children looking at beetles or children crowding around one who found something particularly interesting. But that's pretty much what we were on Pandora. Children looking at the world for the first time.

We all could hear talking at the door to the compound. One thing I liked about my ears, aside from the face that they were pointy, was that they were excellent for hearing in any direction. They were like little directional sound amplifiers on the sides of my head, though a little more stylish.

"Where are the seeds?" asked someone who I recognized as Jake. Former Avatar Program member.

"They're here," I said holding out my hand so that he could see. He quickly snatched them from my hand which was probably for the best as they roots that sprouted from seed were becoming larger. Jake wasn't paying much attention but some of us sure were. Lisa was just the first to speak up, or rather the first to scream.

We watched Jake quickly drop the seeds on the ground. And as if knowing they were given room to grow the growth of the roots rapidly sped up. Roots sprouted from the tiny seed and began to tangle and wrap around themselves forming a tangled mess. Out of that mess a hand began to form which shot out at Jake wrapping itself around his neck.

The female Na'vi that accompanied Jake quickly cut off the tendril but had to discard her bow to help Jake remove the tendril that was still choking him.

The rest of us slowly backed away from the black creature that was now forming before their eyes. Neytiri was able to remove the tendril from Jake's neck but he could barely catch his breath.

I watched Neytiri unsheathe her knife and hissed at the creature. Before I could open my mouth to warn her of the long tail of the creature at her feet she was tossed aside. I could no longer simply standby and just watch helplessly. I had to do something. I take a step forward but I feel my boot land on something that shouldn't be there. I look down to see the bow that Neytiri had just dropped.

Without having much of a choice I scoop it up and notch a bow into the string. Come on you're a scientist. You've worked with devices more high tech than this. Just pull back on the string, take aim, fire, and let physics take care of the rest. I take a breath and pull back on the string. Luckily the creature was a big target.

I smiled with satisfaction and watched the arrow sail through the air lodging itself into the creature's back. But the creature decided that one arrow wasn't going to finish it. I drew another arrow, notching it into the bow and repeated the process. I heard the twang just a millisecond before I saw the arrow lodge itself into the creature's shoulder. I thought it was suppose to get easier.

"Go for the heart," I heard Jake say between coughs. That's a much smaller target. I retreated a few steps back as the creature was coming towards me. Maybe I was just imagining things but I could have sworn that the creature was grinning at me.

I had to calm myself. I had to use all my knowledge of thirty seconds ago to fire this arrow and kill the thing. I notched another arrow in the bow and pulled back. I took a firm stance and steadied my breathing. As I exhaled I let the arrow slip from my finger tips.

Damn. I thought as the creature was now on top of me. Was this how I was going to die? It raised its one good arm ready to finish me off. At least they couldn't fault me for trying could they? I closed my eyes and waited for the inevitable to come.

A roar of pain made me flick open my eyes to see the creature's head removed from its shoulders. I watched it fall to the ground and then roll away before the body fell to the ground with a thud. I wanted laugh like a madman or madwoman from the relief that was rushing throughout my entire body.

But we weren't out of the woods yet. We were far from it.