xiv. tessano
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"ODESSAEVERETT will go first." Tsu'tey's smirked and walked towards Odessa, standing over her in an intimidating manner that didn't scare her at all.

They had climbed, and climbed, and swung. And now they stood where many had before them. It's where they would chose their own Ikran, and be one step closer to become one of the Omatikaya.

Now it was up to Odessa, and if she failed, she wouldn't get a second chance. Neytiri had told her so.

Odessa passed her bow to Neytiri, the woman taking it and moving out of the way so Odessa could move across an edge behind the waterfall. She reached out and touched the water, feeling the soft flow of it run across her fingers.

The banshees on the other side of the waterfall Odessa had yet to cross,  were roaring and flapping there wings, causing Odessa to turn her head over her shoulder. She wanted to retreat ever so slightly.

Neytiri touched her back gently with the tips of her fingers, and she looked at her with kind yet stern eyes. "You can do this. Remember; you must choose, but they must choose you too." Her words were kind, and it was only a reminded to Odessa.

Odessa nods, like she truly understands. "And if it chooses me? How will I know?" Only she doesn't. She isn't ready, her nerves are going haywire and she truly doesn't want to do this first. She isn't like Jake, who can practically drip with confidence some days — she can fake it, but in the inside she really isn't as confident as she seems.

"He will try to kill you." Neytiri speaks, and the words almost make Odessa's heart drop. If she died, and can't prove that she belongs, than she won't have the future she's been planning in her head.

"Oh, okay, that's — I got this." Odessa took a deep breath, her eyes closing quickly before they opened and she took the final few steps closer to the creatures that would either kill her or fly away.

She took her rope out, blue fingers wrapping around it and moving it so it whirled around. She would wrap it around their faces who they couldn't snap at her and bite her. She's have to do it successfully for it to actually work.

The banshees screeched at Odessa as she made her way through the crowd. She didn't feel a connection with any of them yet, and the ones she looked in the eye flew away before she could do anything.

Jumping from a ledge, Odessa landed in her feet with a small thud. She was steady, and she didn't tumble like she had when she first started the avatar program.   She moved a few feet forward, and then she came face to face with a yellow, white, blue and red banshee. It stared her down, and she smiled.

That was her banshee.

"Come on, let's dance." Odessa grinned wildly. The Ikran moved, dodging the rope that Odessa had attempted to wrap around its snout. The Ikran lunched, and Odessa moved quickly and swung her rope once more, successfully wrapping it around its snout as she did so.

She cheered slightly, happy that she had been able to accomplish that.

Odessa jumped onto the creatures back, her legs wrapping around its body and she tried to keep it steady so she could complete the bond. It proved harder to be when the creature twisted and turned and flung Odessa to the side.

"Don't be afraid warrior!" Tsu'tey yelled to Odessa, watching as she lost her grip due to the Ikran violently moving and thrashing around.

"Match the bond!" Neytiri yelled to Odessa, seeing her struggle as the creature twitched and moved its wings around.

The Ikran want done and whirled it's head back and collided with Odessa's face. She groaned and let the in shock, her hands slipping completely from its body. It pushed her to the side, her body rolling of the edge as still recovered from the bash to the face.

Odessa grabbed ahold of the rocks, her fingers desperately trying to find a much more secure place to hold onto. She would slip, if it wasn't for the time Neytiri took her climbing and told her to keep doing it until she didn't fall.

"Odessa!" Neytiri yelled out, trying to dash forward, only to be held back by Niave

"She must do it alone." Niave reminded Neytiri quickly and quietly, knowing about the feelings she held in her heart for the dream walker that was only just in front of them.

Odessa's blue skin glimmered against the warm sun the shined down on her. She grunted, gripping a rock that proved to be sturdy enough for her to pull herself up. When she was kneeling on the platform, she stood and jumped at the Ikran and wrapped her arms around it.

She pushed it to the ground and used her foot to help her. She reached behind her, attaching her tip of her braid to the end of the creatures. They soon became one.

"Stop, stop." Odessa huffed, puffing her cheeks and commanding the Ikran to stop moving. She slowly moved so the creature could stand and wasn't pressed against the ground. She then removed the rope, placing her hand in its head and moving it in a soothing motion."You're okay."

"First flight seals the bond. You cannot wait." Neytiri  steered them towards the edge. "Think, fly!"

"Fly?" Odessa blinked, the words causing the Ikran to lurch forward and fly. "Shit!"

🌍.

THE Ikran couldn't fly by itself. Odessa had to give it commands, and then it would be able to fly. They were one, and the sooner Odessa realized that, she wouldn't be hitting rocks and spiralling dangerously close to the ground.

Odessa was fed up at this point. Her mind was blank, and the creature wouldn't stop screeching as the two of them spiralled. It was a catastrophe, and if Odessa didn't control it, she probably would go splat against the ground a die. So, she yells, "Fly straight!"

The banshee did as so. It flys straight, just like Odessa had commanded. That's when she realized what she has to do. It's like before, when she rode the direhorse and fell into the mud when she couldn't give it commands. This was it. This is where her training had lead to, and Odessa knows that now. They were one.

"Left!" Odessa says quickly, she didn't want to run into one of the floating mountains. Her banshee listened, moving left softly to avoid running straight into rock. She smiled, her blue cheeks puffing. "Smooth. Hey, easy."

Neytiri and Jake watched with a proud smile as the younger ones around cheered loudly for Odessa.

"Whoo! OdessaEverett!"

Neytiri laughed, her eyes darting towards Jake and Niave who smiled and nodded. They knew. Neytiri ran, boarding her Ikran and connecting the bond within seconds. She's had practice, and she could do it with her eyes closed. They dove.

"Shut up!" Tsu'tey said harshly to the boys. In a way, he was angry that the woman so close to his betrothed, had survived and managed to make a bond with an Ikran.

Neytiri and her Ikran dove off the side of the cliffs and soared through the air down towards where Odessa was flying steadily. She yelled happily, calling out to her as she approached. Odessa looked around until she saw them, a wide happy smiled crawling up onto her face.

"Hey! Tiri! Look! I did it!" She laughed happily, almost falling off as she did so.

Seeing her this way. So carefree, happy and in such a natural element. It caused a smile to make its way onto Neytiris face. She couldn't deny her feelings anymore, and the feeling in her chest would kill her if she let it be and didn't take action.

They flew around each other, past the waterfalls, through the mountains, soaring through the sky.

"Yeah, sweetheart, I got this!" Odessa cheered. She looked up to see she was about to fly straight into a floating mountain. "Oh, shoot!" She swore quickly and loudly, managing to bank out on time, avoiding disaster.

She cheered in enjoyment and Neytiri could see how happy and free she really was.

"I may not be much of a horse gal, but I was born to do this. The life they have, I was born for it. And I wouldn't be here if it wasn't for my sisters death, so, I gotta name my Ikran Tessano,"