Famewi Toruk
Leonopteryx Chased
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Spider led them to the hallelujah mountains. It was a long climb but not dissimilar from Yäkeru's Iknimaya. Simon had never climbed so high. It was unnerving.

"Kehe!" Yäkeru climbed with him, "hand here, bad place." She had picked up English. Na'vi were exceptional learners.

Simon followed her advice and followed her up to the large cave. Her ears flicked she held her hand over Spider, grabbing a stick as she went towards the light at the end. The cooing of banshees echoed.

"Move up." Simon ordered as they exited the caves. There were so many of them, cooing and cawing. She had cleared away some, she had her own ikran. Her ikran was deep blue with pale cyan markings.

She cooed to her ikran lovingly. She must've called her.

The marines hid behind a large root as they observed the Ikrans. They were going to tranquilize one.

"Kehe!" Yäkeru stepped forward, about to move Quaritch's gun.

Simon blocked her.

"What's her deal?!" Quaritch barked as he turned to Simon.

Simon looked expectantly at her. She tugged her arm out of his grasp.

"You ask me to teach. I teach." She said, glaring at Simon. He let her talk, stepping away.

To bond with an Ikran is sacred. It is a life bond. It is forever. They fight to find a rider as strong as them they choose you, not the other way around. She signed angrily.

"She says: bonding with a banshee is a life bond. It's forever. They fight for a strong rider. They choose their rider." Simon translated.

"With their barehands." Spider added.

"Jake Sully did it the hard way?" Quaritch asked his kid.

"What do you think?" Spider asked sarcastically.

The Colonel digested this and went first. For the first Ikran he saw. It didn't run. It was deep blue and gold. It flapped its wings and cried out. It snapped at him threateningly. It hissed and the colonel's hiss back was pitiful. It went for him and he fucking punched it. Threw himself on its back. It bucked and screamed wildly to get him off. The ikran took off with Quaritch on its back.

Yäkeru waited tensely, stepping towards the edge to see if he had died.

"Come on. We have to move on." Simon said. It had been a few minutes. They turned and a great triumphant cry came from the colonel. The marines cheered. Simon did not. He was up next.

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Yäkeru watched anxiously as Simon not only fought for his life, he fought for an ikran. He just about had it pinned. But it was large and mighty. It wasn't dissimilar from her own ikran. The beast was almost black with its wingtips being white and sandy in color, it had white spots and sand colored markings all along it's wings it's brow. It exuded power because it did not need camouflage like the blue or green ikrans. It was very flashy.

She watched him struggle with great interest. He did not struggle like a na'vi. She knew his species were a younger intelligent species. She knew they come from similar origins, changing to fit their environment and survive. She felt as though she was taking a look into their very existence. Humanity. They seem to be most human when they fight. And then it was over with a flash.

"Fly!" She commanded, bonding with her ikran, Niwin.

They both took to the skies and she watched him fall from the nest and struggle to command his mount until it all snapped into place. His control was nearly immediate and it was precise down to the way his ikran looked around. Simon was in control.

They soared in circles while the Colonel landed, but something happened.

A scent was carried on the wind. The scent of death.

"Tawng!" Dive! Yäkeru cried. Simon noticed almost too late, the great shadow was upon them, outstretched talons were a hair away from plucking them from the sky.

"Nemfa utu!" Into the canopy! She ordered loudly, she closed her wings and descended, her body pressed tightly to Niwin, feeling their hearts pumping blood and adrenaline throughout their bodies.

Simon followed suit, but didn't tuck himself close enough to his ikran, his body was dragging. It was a tight squeeze in between the trees. For good measure she glided into tight spaces, making it difficult for the shadow to follow. Simon managed to keep pace. Exhausted, the pair landed far from where they were.

"What the bloody fuck was that?" Simon gasped out, his blood began to slow and his breathing regulated. His eyes were wide and glancing around.

"Toruk, last shadow." He is the animal your prey rode into war against your kind. It is a rare occurrence. She signed quickly before placing her hand over her heart to measure the beats and breathe.

"We have to return to the group." Simon said, preparing to take off.

"No." Yäkeru said, "I am not going. Toruk will follow." She said, calmer now. She stepped off her Ikran and snatched Simon's knife from him, he reached for his holster.

She held a hand up tensely. She got to a knee and began working off her anklet, managing to get a large enough divet to pull it apart and off.

"What are you doing?" He asked.

"I am not returning." She stated again. You can come with me or stay here. She offered. She mounted her ikran and looked to him, waiting for his answer.

Simon shook his head and got onto the ikran, preparing to join her.