Aytautral (Sky Trees)

Started by Txura Rolyu, September 21, 2011, 04:50:00 PM

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Reykoveyzä te Werufalä Haflak'ite

#120
Lutey dipped her left wings, banked and turned, enjoying the play of the suns warmth across her purple and dark-red back. Rolling lazily in the air, she allowed the light to brush across her belly, revealing hues of a hundred paler blues. She regained control of her flight path and twisted to avoid a sky-reaching tree, grazing it with her brightly purple chine vane, her razor-sharp crest severing some leaves. Lutey watched them spiral to the canopy, continuing to beat her way skyward. She looked down at the world below her, her world, her place, all beneath her, laid out for her pleasure. She lowered her right primary wing now and banked again, the wind picking up and flooding over her face as she cleft it with her aerodynamically perfect head, living proof of Eywa's perfection. She grinned as she thought this, her ebony teeth gleaming, and suddenly folded her wings, plummeting toward the canopy. A flock of 'Riti screamed and scattered as she plunged through the middle of them, her jaws gaping wide with a roar of exhilarated exultation. Just before she hit the leaves, Lutey flared all four wings, flapping hard with her hind pair to slow herself. After a few strong downsweeps, she began to rise again, her downdraft alerting a group of nearby aysyaksyuk to her presence. Hooting, they moved off, and Lutey watched them go, picking them out easily with her raptor vision. Such tiny, insignificant mouthfuls were hardly worth the effort, and she was done having fun today. She wanted more serious hunting, a challenge.
She flapped her way west, her keen, brilliantly red eyes scanning the treetops. Looking for....she didn't know, but something to interest her, to challenge her. winging her way over a rare break in the sea of rustling green, Lutey saw a flash of orange and circled back for  a better look. A herd of sturmbeast, quietly cropping the grass. Not that interesting, but good enough. She climbed a little higher and set her sights on the largest, most heavily muscled male. Him. She paused a moment, loving this feeling of pure, sheer power. She was about to end a life, and the owner of the life had no idea what was coming. She angled herself, dipped her head toward the chosen male and clamped her wings to her side. As she fell, Lutey smiled. How could she not? The speed and the thrill of the hunt!
Only a wingspan from the canopy, lower, lower, falling faster than thought. Lutey stretched out her talons and at the last second, gave an almighty downward sweep with her wings. Her full weight landed on the sturmbeasts back and he crumpled silently, dead in an instant. Lutey grinned round at the shocked herd, who didn't seem to be able to comprehend what had just happened. Only when she reached out and killed a nearby calf with a smack of her wing talon did the first survivor turn and run. The others seemed to gather their wits and fled. Lutey ignored them and returned to her kill, crunching on the thick armour plates, savouring the rich, salty flesh beneath. In a hurry of hooves, the herd vanished into the protective trees. Only the mother of the dead calf remained, lowing frantically, heartbrokenly. Lutey, irritated by the noise, swung to face her and hissed, her teeth, long and black and coated with blood, were inches from the sturmbeasts face. Lutey grunted in annoyance and returned to her meal. The mother returned to her childs body.
As Lutey finished her meal, she looked up, and saw glowing eyes all around, at the edges of the forest. She rolled her eyes. Aynantang. Unable to get a meal of their own. Weaklings. She glanced over at the calf, thinking to take it with her as a snack for later, and was surprised to see the mother still there, nosing the body with ragged breaths. Lutey sighed. She'd been prepared to let this one live, but prey were stupid. And ungrateful. Lutey delicately extended her neck and bit down hard on the mothers head, severing it. The body stood for a few seconds, as though unable to believe what had just happened, until Lutey, grimacing with irritation, knocked it to the floor. She swallowed the head in one, choking the bony horns down her throat a little awkwardly, uncaring of the uncomfortable feeling as it settled in her stomach. She could digest it on the way. She then went to the calf, ripping through soft armour in seconds, and taking a slow, delicate bite of the tender flesh beneath. Licking her lips, she stood and returned to the body of the mother and fastened her talons round it, holding it steady while she crunched through the tough armour and gorged herself on it. The slick muscles slipped down her throat, and she imagined their strength adding to her own. Eventually, she was sated, and walked away from the desecrated carcasses, her belly heavy, and went back to the calf's body. She grabbed it in one foot, shifted her weight a little, and pushed off as hard as she could into the air. Beating hard, she gained height rapidly and was above the treetops in seconds. Glancing back down, she saw the aynantang wash over the remains of her kills like water over a stone. And that's all they were, really, she thought, slowly, contentedly, looking up at the stars. Insignificant drops of water to her great and shining star. Glistening with bioluminescence and blood, Lutey turned her head east and roared as loud and as long as she could, uncaring if she revealed herself. They should fear her, all of them. She was a tokran, a mighty tokran, and she was coming home.
Irayo, ma frapo, ma oeyä smuke sì ma oeyä smukan.
Vivar 'ivong Na'vi! Eywa ayngahu!



*if i make a mistake in any of my Na'vi, please correct me :)

Seze Mune

#121
 When you're cuddled up next to someone, you are aware of a sudden chill when they leave, no matter how stealthily they try to edge away from you.  Sulani blinked awake when Atan moved slowly to the rim of the aerie and then hopped out, gliding to the rocks below.  She yawned and blinked again, then snapped awake.

Where was he going?

She heaved herself to the edge of the nest and watched as he walked to the rim of the rookery and launched without a backward look in her direction.  His flight path was high and swift; he was on a mission and it was obviously not to the local hunting grounds.  

He was going to visit the tokran.  This disturbed her.  Her jaws clenched and she ground her teeth peevishly. The more she thought about it, the angrier she got.  He might as well offer himself as prey, she thought.

Hunger urged her out of the nest and she made a quick meal of a couple of stringy fkio.  Chewy.  But that was good because she was still angry; she made a show of shredding the tougher parts of the animals and scattering the bits among the rubble in the rookery.

The genial rookery hubbub ceased abruptly. Sulani looked up from venting her umbrage on the fkio carcass, a long shred of purple wing fluttering from where it had embedded in her teeth. There were blue animals once again at the edge of the rookery.  Usually Sulani backed away from any confrontation with the blue ones.  Not this time.  She was burning, she was ready.

She turned to watch as they advanced, anger aflame in her.  Unconsciously she scratched at the fluttering strip of fkio, pulling it loose.  It dropped to the ground beside her.  Several of her friends growled and hissed at the blue animals, but they abandoned the rookery or leapt to the wall to avoid them.

The smaller blue animal locked her eyes on Sulani's and the ikran felt a wave of hot anger well up within her.  She growled, but the animal advanced.  Sulani backed up until her tail was wedged against the rock wall.  She feinted toward the animal, but it only halted and watched her warily.  

No!  I refuse to be pushed this time.  I will not run any more.  I will show this animal it does not belong here. I will KILL it!

Sulani pulled back behind a tall slab and waited for the animal to get closer.....closer............NOW!!

The ikran lunged, slipping a little on the gravelly surface.  She just missed the animal's leg, but...

FWAP!  Something slapped her snout and wound tightly around it, painfully compressing her jaws together.  Sulani shook her head to dislodge it, to no avail.  Ignoring the humiliation, she angrily charged her foe and tried to knock it down.  It danced back, frustrating the ikran.  She sat back, meaning to scratch at whatever pinched her snout and was shocked when a second later there was a heavy weight on her back and something jerking her head against her chest.

An outrage!  Her vision went red with fury.

For an instant the pressure lapsed and Sulani jerked her chin forward and felt her enemy fall.  It grabbed onto her antenna and Sulani shook herself, going into a twisting hop to shake the creature loose.  As she felt the animal's grip loosen, she continued the violent shimmy.  

When that didn't work, there was only one thing left: a dive over the edge.  Sulani threw herself off the rim and into the cool air.  At least she could still fly unfettered!  She rolled through the sky, falling in a descending corkscrew.  This offensive animal had to die! At just the right moment, she would level out and the creature's momentum would carry it onward to the ground.  Sulani couldn't wait to watch it smash through the canopy.  She would feed on its remains!

The ikran was jolted out of her fierce reverie by a sudden ripple of extraordinary energy coursing through every nerve ending. The feeling was dizzyingly foreign and disconcerting.  She was somehow different, with perplexing sensations and confusing perceptions.  The animal on her back somehow now felt like a part of her, almost familiar in the most inexplicable way.  She heard noise from the animal, accompanied by a mental image of a changing flight path, circling back to the rookery.  Feelings of reassurance, comfort, exhilaration. Were those hers? Or the animal's?

Oh, the creature was female......she too had a name.....Wangari.


ExLibrisMortis

#122
Sometimes, just sometimes, he would catch himself actually enjoying the situation he found himself in. Finding himself here was a bit of a lie, considering all the effort he put into get both himself and his men here, but nevertheless, it was an interesting moment when he actually enjoyed what was going on. The window before opened up the bleak and metal walls to the view of the world that existed beyond him. Looking forth, he couldn't help but have an overwhelming sense of irony befall him. Irony in the fact that despite this world, this moon, known as Pandora being such a full planet of, what some would consider, untouched beauty it still contained every ounce of danger and hostility that a planet could have. Irony in the fact that a rock, a small simple mineral, that was light years away would turn out to be the savior of humanity, for now. Irony, that despite being able to simply breath, a small one inch thick piece of glass now separated him and an atmosphere that would slowly, and violently suck the life from him. Despite the fact that his whole career leading to this point in his life, he still would wonder why, and feel nothing but irony.

The hustle and bustle of the causeway behind him was little to no distraction for a man, no a warrior, and a veteran of many battlefields and conflicts. Despite the masses of overweight men in construction gear, the dainty forms of administrative secretaries in their short skirts, and the average mechanic walking behind him, its distraction palled in comparison to his ability to purely lock it out of his conscious. Yet, honestly, if it hadn't been for the fact that he has spent the last 15 years of his life serving in various capacities with him, he would not have heard the man walking towards him.

"Hey, Major Ikaika, the Colonel is ready for ya now... Still catch yourself looking out the window like this?"

"Yeah, Ghost, I still do. It's interesting really, we've been what, almost 5 years now, and we've spent the last 20 in various forms of suck, and I still get sidetracked by this view. Ya know what I mean?"

"No, not really sir. I don't ever care for the landscape. Ya know me, I'm only here because you asked me to come here."

"Yeah, I know that."

Ghost, a hell of a man, if one would classify him as that. Really, he was a guy that surpassed any level of measurement. He went beyond any standard of training or system. His innate ability to make everyone in the room uncomfortable, and that's only if he wanted you to know that he was even there. Hell, you could be in the middle of Grand Central station, and he could be standing right next to you, and you wouldn't even know it. The man had an odd talent to literally disappear, to vanish into thin air, become an apparition... A ghost.

Ikaika, on many occasions, told the other Phantoms that he was glad as hell that Ghost was one their side. That's of course, whenever Ikaika felt like he needed to open up to them.

"Sir, the colonel?"

"Yeah, right, is everyone else ready?"

"Yeah, their all waiting outside Draik's office"

"Ok, let's go."

Turning his back to the scenery beyond the glass, he looked about the causeway to see yet another great sight of irony. The existence before him was one of necessity and efficiency. Little effort was given to the notion of comfort and the excessive. Every bolt, support beam, and personnel was just enough of required to make sure that this whole facility worked. The irony of it all was that the life that stood before him, the decadence and the simplicity, were to be the saviors of the human existence. It was these people that would make sure that Earth and her colonies would not yet again enter into a civil war over resources and life. It was these miners, workers, and paper pusher that would be the ones to ensure peace. And oddly enough, it was Major Ikaika and his ilk that would make sure the peacemakers were safe.

Ikaika made his way down the corridors, trying to avoid as many people as he could. While he found some solace and a small, minute level of enjoyment from the frightened looks, he still didn't like to mingle with anyone he didn't have to. His Phantoms were definitely the exception to the rule, and he'd like to keep it that way. He was about to round the corner to Draik's office when he saw the other members of his unit waiting there. He slowly nodded to them as they all stood up and followed him inside.

"Colonel, you wanted us?"

"Yes, come in. Take a seat."

Despite the fact that there were enough places for his whole entire team to seat, only three of them actually did. Ikaika, of course, took the middle seat. Twitch, actually much faster than Ikaika, took another seat with Bear sort of just dropped into his, almost breaking it, as usual.

Twitch, the kind of odd one of the bunch. He wasn't a Phantom in the truest of the senses. Sure, he was now apart of the Major's hand picked team, but he was picked from the staff already here on Pandora. Never having served a day in the marines back on Earth, Twitch offered a bit of expertise that was hard to come by. The man was a technical genius, understanding the inter-workings of engineering aspects and and computer systems alike. It was also his downfall, as he tended to supremely over analyse things, a lot. What was almost as abundance was the amount of patience the Major required for him to even become apart of his unit. Nevertheless he was there, and there they were.

Bear, on the other hand, was a beast of a man. Easily being one of the tallest personnel on the base, and most easily the largest. It was said that he actually beat a Na'vi in an arm wrestling match, never confirmed though. What was confirmed is that fact that he has an undisputed record against all the AVTR's that dared to challenge him. None have been able to best him yet. His dark past doesn't offer much, as most of it is locked away in some Kremlin vault.

"As most of you know by now, we've had a very valuable asset manage to find itself beyond these walls, and into the wild. This subject has been the focus of many years and dollars of RDA invest, and most importantly, my time. The details of the subject are here in this file. As you will see, this particular Na'vi is unlike any other. His strengths surpass anything we have previously seen. Dr Beck and I attempted to enact an indoctrination program onto him, which Dr. Beck believes had some impact. Yet, based on his escape, he may still retain some of his predisposed Na'vi instincts and thought processes."

Suddenly, a female voice came in from the back of the room. "Yeah, yeah, I'm sure we can get all this from the file. What is is you need us to do." With that Draik shot a glaring stare at the origin of the voice. Fuming at the blatant level of insubordination, it took all he had not to strike her down with a verbal wrath of God.

Eris, origin of said comment, was what some would consider the embodiment of a women's wrath, of which hell hath no. Some psychologists labelled her as extremely obsessive-compulsive, while others classified her as a narcissistic psychopath. Both of which were easily able to disqualify her for space travel, if it weren't for the Major's pull. There had actually been a time where Ikaika and Eris had been romantically involved. The relationship actually developed to the point where they both considered marriage. Yet, for some odd reason, they both saw that if you mixed a ruthless bastard with a psychopathic, over-precise she-devil, things would not end well for anyone, including themselves. That's not to say of course that old flames never shoot up, but they tend to be little more than one night stands.

"Well, Corporal "Eris", your mission is to find him, and bring him back alive."

"Aww, alive?" Bear spoke out in his heavy slavic accent.

"Yes, alive. We want to finish the indoctrination process that was started."

"Understood sir, we'll get to it immediately," Spoke the Major, trying to calm the situation down diplomatically. They all stood up and walked out the door. Once everyone was out and the bulkhead closed, Ghost turned to the major.

"Are we really to bring this thing back alive?"

The Major simply smiled and looked at all of them with a quick glance before turning back towards the original window he was looking out of. He started walking when he turned back to say, "Yeah, we will. But the Colonel never said -how- alive."

Na'vin Nos'feratxu

#123
The new arriving team had left the room just as quickly as they had entered. Their objective was simple but little did they know what they were truly up against.

Col. Draik leaned back in his chair maintaining a blank stare at one of his now bent and out of shape chairs from where Bear had sat.
"knock knock" but without actually knocking Dr. Beck opened the door and shut it behind himself. Dr. Beck had a rather unpleasant and irritated look on his face.

"Ah, Dr. Beck.  I was just about to call for you."  Draik had moved his gaze to the flustered looking Head Scientist.

"Colonel, don't tell me that's the retrieval team for Na'vin!?"  Beck was grinding his teeth, "They cant physically handle Na'vin! If they kill him then all my work, over 10 years of my life will be for nothing!"

Draik slowly leaned forward and rested his forearms on his rather large desk, "Let me remind you Doctor...  We have sent several of our best teams, only to have them slaughtered by this monster that you made."
Beck moved to the front of Draiks desk and slapped his palms down, leaning forward quite close to Draiks face.
"You don't get it do you... Na'vin is not like all the other Na'vi on this planet. He is unique, one of a kind! He was mine until you stepped in and lost him!"

Draik stood up slowly putting both his palms on his desk and leaned forward to meet becks face within inches.
"He's company property Dr. Beck, which means he is mine.  Mind you he has been trained, and has exceeded all of our expectations. His escape was the result of something we both have never seen."

Dr. Beck leaned back and put his arms down to his sides, dropping his gaze onto the desk as he remembered that day....

-Na'vin had bent steel bars several inches thick when he was a child. Which was something not even an adult Na'vi could do, little Na'vin became furious and uncontrollable.
His strength was nearly impossible to counter, AMP suits could not contain the little blue Na'vi.  Soon however, Na'vin began to accept the training from Draik and his army.
Na'vin stopped fighting the humans, and started learning from them, gaining their trust. As time passed and Na'vin grew larger, he was allowed to move freely through the training grounds.
Draik was so proud of his new and obedient killing machine, he gifted Na'vin with a Sabre that took millions of dollars to create. 

Dr. Moon was still close to the Na'vi boy, although Na'vin never admitted it he still harbored love for Dr. Moon, she did raise him after all...
Unknown to the Humans, Na'vin had been planning for years to escape from them. Dr. Moon knew this somehow and did not wish to stop him.

Explosions, screaming and gunfire raged through a warm and very dark night. The side of an armory wall exploded out with devastating results as Na'vin ran through it with Sabre in hand.
Confusion and turmoil reined as Na'vin moved faster than the Human eye could see, like a train, he ran through walls. Meeting AMP suits only to split them down the middle before their drivers could react.
Dr. Moon was in her quarters as the deafening sounds of the Na'vi making short work of the base had awakened her. She put her mask on and ran outside as quickly as she could.
She witnessed armed men running into a dark sector of the base, the lights were destroyed, but they ran into the dark guns blazing. Their muzzle flashes lit the area which for one brief moment lit up the enormous and terrifying figure of Na'vin. The gun fire stopped, the flashes erased, and silence befell the area.

Dr. Moon stood afraid, not for herself, not for the men who she know now were most likely dead, but for what Na'vin had become...
She approached the large dark area slowly, falling over a man whos gaze was empty and lifeless. She stood up quickly and looked up..
Na'vin stepped forward into a small lit area of the battlefield revealing his eyes and face, which frightened Dr. Moon.

Just one of his arms was thicker than her entire body, his chest was wider than an AMP suit. He held the Sabre over his shoulder, it dripped with blood and hydraulic fluids.
His eyes were not his own, they were infused with a look of rage and great hatred. She remembered seeing these eyes before, in Na'vins father, long ago....
Na'vin stepped out of the light, and disappeared from the base without ever being found.


Draik slapped his desk, "We will get Na'vin back! and either he does what I say, or you will get to dissect him like a frog..."
Dr. Beck returned his gaze to Draik, "Colonel, we have invested millions into this Na'vi and the board has noticed... As of now, Na'vin is MINE."
Slamming the door behind him, beck walked out of Draiks office.... Draik was more than displeased....

   
NotW#82

Txura Rolyu

#124
Taking down the sturmbeest was thrilling. Hunting with another was always exhilirating but doing it with Premal was an even more exciting feeling. Seeing her flying again was rewarding in itself after helping to nurture her back to health.

I looked over at her as she and I flew along on the path back to her nest. Premal still favored her wing, but only slightly and at random moments. I looked up her long neck towards her head and felt an attraction to her. She caught me staring and gave me a stare. I flinched and stared ahead pretending not to have been staring, but she knew what I was doing. She chortled to herself and banked away from the setting sun. I followed and couldn't help by glance longingly again at her beauty in flight.

As the last rays of warmth left the sky Premal began her decent to her nest and I continued to follow. Just to show off I tucked in my wings and darted ahead of her straight for the opening in the canopy. When she saw me take off like a dart she attempted to make haste but couldn't catch me. My smaller size allowed me the luxury of not having to stop my dive as soon. Because of this I reached one of the branches only a few seconds before her.

"You really know how to dive quickly ma Atan," Premal said with a bit of an impressed tone after she gained some balance.

I grinned happily at her at the compliment. "I can't take all the credit though," I replied. "If it wasn't for my mother I would never have learned how to dive from a predator as fast as I do."

At the mention of my mother Premal seemed slightly saddened. She hid the emotion so fast though that I didnt know if it had even been there in the first place. To change subject Premal commented on the days hunt.  said. "It is good to be flying and hunting my own food once again," she said.

"I was only happy to accompany you ma Premal," I said kindly. "I hope that the sturmbeest was something to be favored. It isn't often that one is alone and easy to kill like that."

"Feasting on the sturmbeest was a treat," Premal said as her tounge tasted for any bits of meat left in her teeth, hoping to find the flavor again. After not finding anything Premal continued by saying, "I hope that we can hunt again tomorrow. It has been so long since I had somebody to hunt alongside and your company is greatly welcomed."

Inside I was bursting with happiness at the invitation to hunt with her again the next day. My work had paid off and I had impressed her enough for her to allow me to be in her company. My tail flicked slightly quicker as my body wished to explode with joy. Instead I remained as calm as I could. "I would love to join you for a hunt again tomorrow ma Premal," I said a bit rushed.

Premal only grinned and began to turn towards her roost. "Maybe you should try to be here earlier than you were today. I almost went on without you," she said with a bit of command.

I felt guilty about being late and I made note to myself to not be late again. "I will be sure to get her as early as I can tomorrow," I promised.

Premal entered her den and dissapeared from sight. I waited for some sort of departing comments but when none came I began to make my way back to the opening in the canopy. Before I took to the night sky I gave a loud screech announcing my departure. In my mind I invisioned Premal watching me leave hoping for my return the next day.
Quote from: Ekirä on March 30, 2011, 04:45:34 PMNeytiri: Now you choose your woman. This you must feel inside. If she also chooses you, move quick like I showed.
Jake: How will I know if she chooses me?
Neytiri: She will try to kill you.
Jake: Outstanding. *takes out an ikran-catcher and walks through hometree looking for women*

Txura Rolyu

#125
As I flew back to the cluster of floating mountains that was my home I started thinking about sharing my story of the day with Sulani as was customary. I was also rather eager to hear from her what she had done that day. Maybe she had come across a new hunting ground that was very promising. Maybe she had just had a slow day and if that was the case then I would make the end of her day a happy one.

I grinned thinking of her smiling and laughing and just being overall happy at my company. The bioluminescent plants below and the stars above were bright enough for me to see very far despite it being night. I spotted the floating mountain where the nest would be and I made a straight shot for it. As I alighted on the edge of the nest I poked my head in and shouted, "I'm back ma sa'nok!" What I expected was a startled cry at my arrival, but instead I was greated by silence. Sulani was not there.

The nest had nowhere to hide within it so a quick sweep of my head back and forth was all I needed to confirm that she wasnt there. It was odd and eerily strange not seeing her there. I decided to look around the outside of the nest. Maybe she had gone to the nearby stream to get some water. I hopped and fluttered my way up to the stream and looked around. She was not there either.

I made my way back down more slowly than I had gone on the way up. My mind was troubled and my heart was pounding with fear. Where is she?? She is always here at night., I thought. Is she hurt? Did she somehow get lost on a long return trip? Did the weather cause her to be grounded for a time and she needed to hold up elsewhere for the night?

All these thoughts flew through my head as I entered the nest again. I tried laying down and resting but my mind wouldnt stop racing. This was the first night I had slept alone in the nest. I never realized how hard it was to not have the warm company of somebody with you. I was scared for myself and for Sulani. I paced a few times and tried calming myself. Eventually I succeeded and I laid down.

I put the bad thoughts out of my head and focused on tomorrow. I would need to be on time to meet Premal for the day. As I started focusing my thoughts towards that my heart slowed and I began to get dreary. Before I fell into sleep I made the mental note to find a small snack, perhaps yayo, to greet Premal with in the morning for my tardiness the morning prior. With that I closed my eyes and slept.
Quote from: Ekirä on March 30, 2011, 04:45:34 PMNeytiri: Now you choose your woman. This you must feel inside. If she also chooses you, move quick like I showed.
Jake: How will I know if she chooses me?
Neytiri: She will try to kill you.
Jake: Outstanding. *takes out an ikran-catcher and walks through hometree looking for women*

Seze Mune

#126
From the depths of a dank miasma Premal roused, blinking, into awareness.  Something dark clutched at the edges of her mind, and touched her with cold talons.  She could not quite bring it into focus, but the uncomfortable feeling made her long for the warmth of the sun she saw outside her cavern.

She ambled to the opening and stuck her head out.  A lone yayo darted over the distant canopy, calling a warning, followed a moment later by a burst of anxious ayyayo squawking in fear.  Alerted to their anxiety, Premal cocked her head and grinned, not at all surprised to see Atan zooming behind the purple flock.  He broke off pursuit and landed in the glade beyond the poisonous bramble barricade which hemmed her cave's entrance.  A limp purple form swung from his jaws as he turned his head toward her.  Dropping the prey, he grinned and pointed to it with his chin vane in an obvious invitation.

Premal flutter-hopped her way over the brambles and into the clearing, finally walking up to Atan and bumping him playfully.  He stepped back and she turned to the morsel on the ground, swallowing it in one gulp.  It amused her that the ikran hovered protectively over her as she ate.

If flutter came to flight or fight, I'd probably have to protect him
, she thought.

"Does this make up for my being late yesterday?" Atan asked hopefully.

"Better," she said shortly.  He appeared somewhat crestfallen, so she added, "I appreciate your thoughtfulness, ma Atan.  Za'u. I think it's time we found something more than a snack to satisfy our bellies."

She reached into the air and pulled herself aloft so fast Atan found himself taken by surprise, and scurried to catch her.

Prey were not abundant in this part of the ayRam aLusìng today, something which Premal noted as unusual but not alarming.  It took them awhile before they each ran down and dispatched an ioang, sharing the vey with each other, much to Atan's delight.  With their bellies finally heavy with food, they leisurely made their way back to Premal's cavern.


Na'vin Nos'feratxu

#127
Filler Content and background of Na'vin Nosferatu
~Na'vin Chronicles~
-Continued...


After having passed out from the severe pain, Na'vin awoke to a somewhat familiar room.
He sat up from the bunk he was laying in, a sharp twitch of pain slapped him. Na'vins arm had been bandaged and wrapped tightly.

Memory flashed back to what seemed like moments ago, when Na'vin ripped his cage open to get to his mother....no... she was not his real mother.
What happened? Na'vin just turned 10 years old, only to have everything he loved erased, only to have everything exposed as a lie.

A crackle sound came from the Wall. A speaker emitted a familiar voice, an unwelcome voice.
"Well, well. How is my little blue Tarzan?"  Draik's voice echoed within the small room. Na'vin stood quickly holding an unusual gaze.
Na'vin had lost his will to speak, instead his expressions spoke for him...
"The room your in is solid concrete, over two feet thick! You  aren't  escaping  'this' cage  Na'vin..." Laughter in the background echoed through the small speaker.

The room had an open shower, a bunk and 3 white walls. The fourth wall was a mirror? With what looked like a door in the middle of it.
Draik and several of the Black suits stood outside this mirror looking wall and gazed at Na'vin. The Wall was a giant pane of Glass that enabled anyone to look in, but not look out when in the room.
Several scientists held monitoring positions around the monstrous cell.

"You're sure he cannot escape from this room?"
One of the black suits spoke while standing beside Draik.
Draik looked over at the man in Black, "He ain't getting out, don't worry."
After a brief moment of silence, the men in the black suits gave Draik a glance and began walking away. "Don't disappoint us Colonel... We need this to work."
An evac drop ship was spooling up outside, moments later the men in the black suits were taken out of the base.

Dr. Beck approached Draik, "The Board of Directors are a shady bunch aren't they?"
Draik glanced over at Beck waiting for his point... Beck continued; "Well you may have jurisdiction over Na'vin, but he is mine to train and study."
Surprising Beck and everyone else, Draik pulled out his revolver and rested the .50 caliber barrel on Becks cheek, Beck froze while holding a terrified face.

"Let's get one thing straight Doc, I don't care about the Na'vi, but you and I both know Na'vin is different and I want to know why, and can I use him."
Draik cocks back the hammer on the revolver click click, making Beck flinch,
"Either you do what I tell you or I'll feed you to the local wildlife. Got it?" Draik didn't even blink while he spoke.

Beck couldn't find words so he simply nodded. Draik withdrew his pistol and holstered it, returning his gaze back to the Na'vi boy.
No one else said a word, and as if nothing had happened, all the scientists and security continued their tasks.

The night settled in and everyone on base except for security personnel, had gone to sleep. Na'vin was under constant surveillance even while he slept.
Twitching and flinching, Na'vin began to dream. His heart began to race as vivid scenes of terror flashed in his mind. People, like him, ran from the Humans.
He could see everything around him turning black, engulfed in darkness... lifeless. Why was this happening?! What does this mean!

A voice broke through the chaos and grabbed a hold of Na'vin, "Escape...Txìng!!" and Na'vin ripped out of slumber in a rage.
The motion detectors within the cell turned on the lights and exposed Na'vin holding his head with both hand. The security crew was startled and confused as to what was happening.
Now slumping over, Na'vin fell to one knee still holding his head as if great pain echoed through his mind.

"What's happening?!" one of the security personnel alerted. "Check the systems! Whats wrong with him?"
A scientist powered up a computer, "His pupils are dilated, heart rate is through the roof... and hes changing?! His muscles and his anatomic structure is changing?"
Everyone began to watch Na'vin to see what was going to happen next. Beck and Moon had been awakened and made their way into the building where Na'vin was.
Draik hastily made his way into the building as well, "What did you do?!" Draik demanded.

Dr. Moon looked at Draik confused, "We just got here!"  One of the security personnel informed them that no one did anything to the Na'vi boy, no one knew what was happening.
Na'vin staggered to his feet... "Escape... Escape! (echoing)"  He snapped out of whatever was hurting him and stood up straight.
He grew larger and more defined. He had grown in an instance, something which has never been seen before.

Something was wrong... Everyone could feel it. Na'vin was not the same, and when he opened his eyes it only confirmed it. Na'vin was not himself, he was not in control.
A slow and steady smile crept onto his face, revealing teeth that were not normal. His bicuspids set the tone that he was a predator, which struck fear in many of the Humans.
Raising his damaged arm up slowly, he put his hand on the glass wall and began to push with little to no effort.
The wall began to bow outward... The glass began to spider cracks from the pressure.

Draik looked on with disbelief, "No way...that's impossible!"  He shouted out; "Gas him! NOW! put him to sleep!!"
Gas began flowing into the cell, engulfing the room. Before the gas could take effect, the Glass wall gave in to Na'vins pressure.
The 2 inch thick glass wall simply shattered in enormous pieces knocking a few people back. Everyone was now exposed to the gas except for the few who grabbed their masks.
The ceiling fans kicked on to vent out the gas, and allowed air from outside to come in. Everyone was running to obtain a mask for themselves and their colleagues.

Na'vin paid no mind to the Humans running about in fear and began making his way to the sealed door that lead outside.
Moon gave out a yelp, "Na'vin!!"
Draik had his firing team lined up on the second floor balcony of the building, over 40 men aiming at the Na'vi boy. Na'vin stopped and met their eyes...

Moon ran up to Na'vin, turned and faced the firing squad. "No! You will not shoot him! He is my eveng!."
Na'vin looked down at Her... She really did care about him.  Draik raised his hand to his team, "Wait!... Maybe he can be controlled after all...."
Dr. Moon turned back to Na'vin and looked up at his unusually large body, "I will still protect you, but you must wait here with me."

Na'vin understood what she meant... This was not the right time to escape, and she knew how to help him.
She had to protect him... the Last of the Nos'feratu.

To be continued...


   
NotW#82

Seze Mune

Premal's belly felt full.  The air beneath her wings was silky soft and warm as it rose from the heated ground; she stretched her wingtip primaries out, then splayed them wide as she extended her feet for landing.  She bobbled slightly, intentionally, to get a little bounce across the sward to her cavern.

Atan, as usual, was flying close on her tail; he was talking excitedly about hunting something large and dangerous for a change. Premal paid him scant attention.  More than anything, she wanted to sequester herself in a slice of sunlight as it pierced her shadowy home at this time of day.

As he alighted, a strange scent swirled up from the rush of air beneath his wings. Premal tensed, suddenly alert, and drew more dusty air in through her spiracles as her four eyes scanned the skies. Not for years had this scent wafted across her path, and even then the memories provoked anger and resentment.

The chattering ikran fell silent as he noticed the tokran's wary vigilance.  His curious and now somewhat anxious gaze followed hers skyward.  Keeping an eye on the skies, he sidled somewhat closer to her.  She hissed at him, keeping him at a distance.  He knew she wasn't angry, the hiss was more a warning for him to keep quiet and pay attention.

As one of the nearer floating monoliths slowly rotated toward them, Atan caught movement with the corner of his eye and a sharper hiss from Premal confirmed there was something seriously amiss.

A large boulder had been dislodged from the floating inverted obelisk and hurtled towards the ground.  When the boulder grew a pair of wings and began to flap quickly toward them, Atan startled and fell back slightly. 

"Stay here!"  Premal threw a tense command at Atan, who had gathered himself for launch.  The tokran crouched and sprang aloft, anger lending strength to beat of her wings as she flew a intercept course for the incoming animal.

If this is a threat, thought Atan, there is NO way I'll just stay on the ground!  He followed Premal and instinctively flew a wedge formation off her flank.

As the two leading animals approached each other, Atan could see them alter their speed and square off, facing each other. By now it was evident the other animal was uncannily similar to Premal in size and shape.  If Premal needed help, he was there to make sure she got it.

Na'vin Nos'feratxu

#129
Filler Content and background of Na'vin Nosferatu
~Na'vin Chronicles~
-Continued...


Dr. Moon stood facing the changed Na'vi boy. What was he? Or rather, what had he become?
Draik had a new and intriguing idea, one that would settle the score with all the Na'vi on the planet. A sinister smile eerily crawled onto Draiks face...
He had a plan for this... "Unique" Na'vi.  

Na'vin towered over everyone in the room. His broken holding cell lay in shambles... Na'vin seemed to be uncontainable. Although aggravated by this fact, Draik knew he could keep the Na'vi in check with Dr. Moon.
However in his current state, Na'vin was not himself.

The firing squad jerked back into formation to fire, Na'vin took an angry step forward towards Dr. Moon.  Draik snapped out of his thoughts and lay eyes on the Na'vi boy.
Moon looked at Na'vin in search of his sanity... His eyes were not his own, they were glaring and glowing brightly. His posture was aggressive but with a confident stance.
She could not find him in this state, so she called to him. "Na'vin! Look at me! Stop!!"

Na'vin was deaf to her voice, not even fazed by her scream. Draik yelled out an order, "Tranquilize!" A series of clicking and recocking sounds emitted from the firing squad.
The smell of aggression poisoned the air, Na'vins senses were at a climax. His instincts took over.

Na'vin grabbed up a large junk of glass, poised to throw it towards the humans who threatened him...
As Na'vin reared back to hurl the glass junk, he stopped. Frozen in place with a startled expression. Draik hesitated with curiosity, what happened?
Dr. Moon looked up to the Na'vi boy who's expression she recognized. "Na'vin?!"

The Na'vi boy looked down unsure of what was happening.  "Ready!....Aim!!"
Dr Moon turned to Draik, "WAIT!! He's fine! Don't Shoot!"  Draik hesitated once more, he was going to finish his command to fire... but he didn't, instead he became awe struck.
Na'vin turned towards his destroyed holding Cell and walked back into it. He sat down on the bunk with a submissive expression.
Draik didn't expect that... Moon looked at Draik with concern, he returned her concerned look with an irritated glare.

Morning had come, light covered the area with a bliss of Orange and yellow light.
Na'vin was escorted to an area outside, in the elements, unprotected by a roof. Several enormous chains lay across a metal looking platform.
Dr. Moon walked with Na'vin to this new area, there were over 100 men ready to shoot the Na'vi boy down if he even moved in the wrong direction.
Draik was waiting beside the platform, the chains that lay on it were so large and heavy, that only an AMP suit could handle them. Moon looked at Draik with disdain and confusion.

"What are these? You think these chains can hold him? This will be easier for him to escape from than that Holding Cell!" Beck carefully exclaimed to Draik.
With a light chuckle, Draik gave Dr. Beck a smirk, "I doubt it..."

Two AMPS suits outfitted Na'vins ankles with these chains, the cuffs snuggly fit above each ankle. Beck Looked on waiting for an explanation.
Draik proudly said,
"These chains are new, and are made of a material that we have been experimenting with for 12 years.  They are stronger than any steel, titanium or any alloy. In fact this metal is made with several different metals that once heated and shaped, they never break or lose their shape. These chains cannot be broken, nor can they be melted back down for any other purpose."

Draik really wanted to test his new found metal, and what better way to do that than with Na'vin? Draik also added, "Na'vin cannot reach outside of the platform, the length of the chain is equal to the length of the platform so as long as you stay off the platform he cant reach you."  Beck looked on curious as to why he didn't know about this new Metal. Most likely because it was kept secret, just like Na'vin.
Dr. Moon looked at Na'vin, who resembled a chained dog. Her heart broke as the child she raised was being tortured and chained up.

Everyone kept clear of the rim of the platform, Draik wanted to see how well this new metal held together. All the armed men on base were ready to take Na'vin out should this fail. Draik put a tranquilizer dart into his pistol when no one was looking.
Draik pulled out his pistol and pointed it at Dr. Moons head. "How does this make you feel?" Dr. Moon was absolutely baffled, "What are you doing?! Are you insane!?"
Also stunned Na'vin stood frozen, Draik had his rapt attention... "Too bad you cant save her Na'vin, it's your fault!" Draik yelled angrily.

Dropping the gun barrel down to chest level, Draik pulled the trigger. *BAM!*
Dr. Moon fell to the ground... Na'vins chest exploded with pain and sadness, "MOTHER!!! NOOOO!!!"

... nothing... Draik awaited the monster from whom he had seen earlier, but nothing came out. Tears rolled from Na'vins face as he looked on reaching for Dr Moons body.
She could have easily fit inside the palm of his hand. She was only a few feet away, the chains clinked while restraining the distraught Na'vi.
Draik looked on at the Na'vi... very disappointed.

Holding it back, Na'vin simply wept... Laying on the ground extending his arm, stretching as much as he could to reach her. Everyone was silent, many were actually empathetic at the site of the Na'vi boy.
Draik was displeased... However out of pity and frustration, Draik put his boot beneath Dr. Moons side.
Na'vin snapped with a roar of anger which startled everyone, including Draik. They were all indeed afraid of this one Na'vi.

Draik pushed Moon towards Na'vin little by little... *CLANG!!* The chains became taught, and held Na'vin only inches away from Draik.
Na'vin carefully but quickly scooped up Dr. Moon away from Draik, she was barely visible while Na'vin held her to his chest. Looking at Na'vin, Draik could see that fire within his eyes... He was controlling whatever it was that destroyed the Holding Cell. Na'vin was holding back....

Na'vin stood up and retreated into the center of the platform. He gazed at Moon looking for any signs of life.
"You're gonna have to give her back to us Na'vin." Beck yelled...

Na'vin looked up from his monitoring view of Moon, and met Beck and Draiks eyes with a "I dare you to come and get her..."
*cough cough*  Na'vin snapped back to Moon who lay coughing in his arms.

   
NotW#82

Reykoveyzä te Werufalä Haflak'ite

#130
Lutey dipped her head, sinking slightly in the air to avoid some low-hanging vines which dangled from above. She glanced to the right of her, the familiar, half-remembered shape of a floating rock giving her a sense of déjà vu. She had begun to recognise landmarks and outcroppings about an hour ago, though she remembered everything as – bigger – than it appeared now. She flapped her wings once, letting the warm, sluggish morning air do most of the work for her. If she remembered correctly – and her sense of direction had never been wrong – the old nesting ground was only a short distance from here.

Swallowing a little with nervousness, Lutey flicked her tongue out of her mouth, tasting the air. Premal could be around here. At the thought of her sister, Lutey shivered with anticipation. It had been so many moons since she and Premal had last met...and at their last meeting, both had sworn it would be their last. Snarling hard to banish the memory of flashing talons and a deadly battle of the skies, Lutey swung to the north-east. Yes, she recognised more now.

Perhaps, though, it was foolishness to assume Premal would still be here. She would have – should have – moved on long ago, the way Lutey had. There was nothing for either of them here. Only memories and bittersweet remnants of the happiness that they could have had.

But maybe Premal had been dreaming the same dreams as Lutey. Dreams of happiness and a sisterly love that had once been – reminders of the bond that ran deeper than blood, deeper than hatred, deeper than time. Maybe Premal had been driven back here by the same longing, the same feeling that something crucial was missing from her life.

Flaring the dark purple of her wings again, Lutey luxuriated in the sun's kiss on her thick hide. Raising her head to glance back over her great length, Lutey knew she must appear truly magestic. Almost toruk-like. Akìntey had told her that her purple hide and regal bearing was one of the first things that drew him to her.

Thinking of her beloved Akìntey, Lutey had a flash of doubt. Maybe her dreams of the past were just that – dreams. After all, Premal could be dead by now. Perhaps Lutey's true place was with Akìntey. Lutey sighed. She had never been so happy as when she found him. He would make the perfect mate – he was strong, loving, caring – and crucially, toruk. With him, Lutey could fufill her dream. Their hatchlings would only have a quarter of ikran blood. Then, when they mated with toruks, their children would only be an eighth ikran. Eventually, the curse that was Lutey's mothers weakness would be gone from Lutey's descendants, and a part of her would live on in them, purebred toruk at last, the way she had always wanted.

Groaning in frustration that she had left such an opportunity behind, Lutey veered sharply left, pounding at the air, climbing rapidly as she forced her frustration out into the world.

Eventually calming, she let herself drift again. No, she had done the right thing to come when she did. She and Premal were two of a kind, alone but for each other. No matter how loving Akìntey was, he could never truly understand her the way Premal always had. To truly understand what it felt like to be a weak aberration, you had to be one.

Though out of the two of them, Premal had always been the weak one. Oh, she had fought Lutey well enough when the time came, but never as savagely, never like a true toruk. Trapped within the body that was just a little too weak, a little too small, Lutey had always longed to be bigger, faster, stronger. Like sempu, before he left. But though Premal had always felt left out, alone but for Lutey, she was happy with what she was. For Lutey, tokran was not good enough. For the thousandth time, she cursed her fathers stupidity. Why had he done it? To mate with a creature less than half your size – to mate with your prey – he must have been so angry at himself when he came to his senses.

"And no wonder he left," Lutey snarled to herself, her wings making one quick, angry slash through the air. To produce such hatchlings! Weak and underformed, wrong-coloured weaklings that were, like their mother, fit only for eating.

And yet Sempu had never seemed unhappy. Before he went on that hunting trip – the one from which he never returned – he had loved his daughters. He had taught them to fly, laughing gently at Lutey's ferocious half-growling chirrups, at Premal's initial hesitancy.

Tearing her thoughts away from painful memories, Lutey glanced down with a shock. Wasn't that – the old nesting ground? Overgrown and changed, but still. The familiar, safe shape of the rock was the same. Lutey swallowed once and circled over it, before letting rip with a roar that shook the mountains. "Premal!"

She circled twice more, her heart in her mouth, her throat dry and tight. Would she come?

After a few minutes, Lutey realised that she had been holding her breath, and forced herself to breathe out, air rushing through her spiracles to send the leaves on the plants below dancing. She scented the air, and paused. There was a fresh smell here, a smell that took her back to years past, a time filled with bright sun and laughter. The smell of a beloved sister.

Slowly, Lutey turned toward the sun, hardly knowing where she was going, trusting in something – she knew not what – to guide her. Eventually, she came to herself again, and alighted on the side of a drifting rock. She sighed heavily, and looked downward, toward the distant forest floor, as the rock slowly rotated. She could see everything, as always; her raptor vision showing her the distant yerik in a clearing, the calling 'riti on the wind, the pair of flying creatures, one so much larger than the other....

Lutey blinked, her head whipping back, her gaze focussing in on those two creatures. One was small and insignificant, and Lutey immediately discounted it – but the other! So similar to Lutey's own build and shape, the wingspan that she knew would be the same as her own, the eyes she knew would be the exact shade of her own.

Stunned, Lutey pushed away from the side of the rock and fell downward for a short distance before she flared her wings. As she flapped her way toward them, she saw Premal turn – slowly, it seemed – toward her. As they came together, closer, closer, Lutey's mind flashed to the scene she had imagined so many times – the glorious reunion of two glorious beings, soaring together in a bright, light sky, with two young, strong toruk mates circling protectively above. Even as half of her mind drank in the sight of her sister, the other half wondered if Premal had her own Akìntey.

Drawing in breath, Lutey beat her wings once to stabilise herself, and called out to her hatchmate. "Sister!"

Premal looked back at her, and the two drifted slowly in a circle, facing each other. Lutey took in the expression on Premal's face, a little surprised at it. Premal looked chagrined, a little guilty, a little secretive. Like the time when they were young, and Premal had let a 'riti Lutey had caught go free.

"Premal," Lutey spoke again when her sister said nothing, hoping her tone would convey how she felt – how she longed for it to be the two of them together again.

When Premal spoke, it was not the tone of joyous recognition Lutey had imagined. It was careful, slow. "Lutey," was all she said, an admission of a sad fact, not a roar of welcome.

After a pause, Lutey let herself drift a little closer. "Is that all you have to say, ma tsmuke?"

"What do you want?" Premal asked. The words seemed weary, angry, and made Lutey feel hurt, cut to the quick, though she didn't know why.

Swallowing, reminding herself that her sister was bound to be prickly after such a parting as they had had, Lutey replied. "A reconciliation." When Premal again said nothing, just kept that secretive expression, Lutey pressed on. "I am close to – mating – with a toruk.  Akìntey. He – he is everything I ever wanted. I wanted you to come – and meet your new brother."

Premal's reply was stony. "No."

Lutey blinked. "Why? Do you have obligations here?"

"Yes," Premal's voice was curt, short. She clearly didn't want to elucidate.

Lutey frowned. Her pride was being wounded, here. She wanted her sister to meet her halfway, not be dragged. "Why?" she demanded. "What holds you at the place sempu left us and our –" she paused, her tongue suddenly heavy with revulsion at the word, "–mother died?"

Premal drew breath, but her glance over her shoulder gave her away. Lutey's eyes snapped to the ikran who was climbing slowly, laboriously, toward them.   Lutey's stomach plummeted, but she kept her face impassive. "What," she spat, "is that, Premal? Dinner to go?"

Premal again said nothing, only shifting her wings to stabilise herself, but Lutey had all the answer she needed. "Did you learn nothing from last time?" she snarled. "You are my sister, Premal, and I will not see you debase yourself!"

Now Premal met her glare, with angry eyes. "Debase myself?" she growled. "What will you do then, when you mate a toruk, and the pair of you go on killing spree after killing spree? What will you be doing when you bathe in the blood of the innocent? The blood of our mother's kin?"

Lutey flared her fore-wings raising them high above her head in a terrible display before she bought them smashing back down, slapping the air. "I am true to myself!"

Premal's head drew back, her teeth bared in a snarl. "You are true to lies and murder!"

Lutey's forked tongue flickered, black against the air, as she spat, furious. "Murder? I am toruk-kin! We hunt and kill as is our right!"

"You are not toruk!" Premal retorted, her tail thrashing through the air as Lutey's did. "You are tokran, as I am!"

"So embrace what you are," Lutey was suddenly calm again, pleading. "You are my sister, we were meant to fly and hunt together. Stop this pretence, and come with me. You cannot deny what you are."

"I am what I am," Premal said softly. "As are you. You cannot deny your ikran half. You are half peace-lover, just as you are half killer."

"I am all killer!" Lutey snapped. "Have I not proven that by now? I am trapped in a body weakened by my father's folly, but in my heart, in my soul, I am a stone-cold huntress."

Premal's head dipped a little sadly. "You are. I think that you don't have any love in you, Lutey. Its all gone."

"I have love." Lutey forced her sister to look her in the eye. "I loved sempu, and I love Akìntey, I think. And I love you. You're my hatchmate. Born together, fly together, die together, that's what we always said."

"Not any more," Premal slowly turned away, back toward the ikran. "Not any more."

Slowly, Lutey watched her sister greet the prey as a friend, and slowly, slowly, leave her. Born together, fly together, die together. Agonizingly, as though swimming through blood, she turned away. Her mind was focused behind her – on the weakling who would make Premal forget what she was. He would bleed. Thick, red, rich blood. Yes, he would bleed. And Premal would come to her senses, as she had done before. Born together, fly together, die together. As Lutey beat her way westward, she didn't look back, her mind full of the dark red of blood and the bright joy of childhood. And because she didn't look back, as a weak, feeling prey would have done, she didn't see the blue thing scaling a rock behind where her sister flew. She didn't see anything, didn't know anything, until the screaming roars began.
Irayo, ma frapo, ma oeyä smuke sì ma oeyä smukan.
Vivar 'ivong Na'vi! Eywa ayngahu!



*if i make a mistake in any of my Na'vi, please correct me :)

Seze Mune

#131
No longer astride her ikran, Wangari's heart was still soaring.  She had bonded to her ikran during what could have been the final moment of her life.  She still felt the adrenaline rush during tsaheylu, augmented by the shock of realizing that unless she gained immediate control, her ikran would abruptly break contact and snap her into the cloudless sky far above the forest canopy.

Bonding with a pa'li was a far paler version of the powerful bond created with an ikran - her ikran! She shivered as her mind replayed the sensations...wings, she had suddenly felt the tips vibrating with the rush of wind through them.  A powerful shoulder which was not hers, but yet somehow was, dipped towards the ground, and she realized the animal would use that as a centrifugal pivot in the spiral meant to unseat her when it suddenly leveled out.  

The force of the wind squeezed tears from her unprotected eyes. Her heart pounding with excitement, she closed her eyes and tightly gripped both ayswìn, imaging a radiant colorburst meant to startle the ikran and snatch her attention.  The animal's spiral widened, losing some of its force.  Wangari used that moment to whisper, "Tswayon 'engeng," and added an image of them flying together above the forest canopy.  The animal leveled out and angled slightly downward toward the canopy, the sudden g-forces nearly pushing the tsahìk numeyu from her perch atop the ikran.  

Her body rammed against the leathery hide of her ikran's neck momentarily, leaving her breathless.  She recovered her seat quickly and took in the sight of the leafy canopy undulating below them.  The thrill of her first flight erupted in a full throated whoop of delight.  The ikran shimmied uncertainly and Wangari reached out and stroked the warm, pebbly skin of her neck.  She smiled as she felt the animal's surprise and gratitude at the act.  

"Tiväpätxaw ngeyä kelku letskxe" whispered the joyful woman, building an image of them landing on the rookery ledge.  

The ikran banked, climbing toward the place from which they'd just tumbled. Wangari whooped again, waving exultantly as she sighted Na'vin tensed at the edge, watching her flight.

Not used to having someone on her back the ikran landed a little heavily, but Wangari bounced easily to the ground.  She broke tsaheylu and turned toward Na'vin, an exuberant grin playing across her face - then she gasped.  Eywa!  Only half a step away, Na'vin swept her up and kissed her fiercely.  Astonished, Wangari tried to gather her wits. This was not easy to do when she could barely gather her breath either, he was squeezing her so tightly.  In fact, there was nowhere else for her arms to go than to encircle him.  They crept up his back and held him, and when he finally leaned back slightly and looked smilingly into her eyes she did not break away.  

"What was that for? she asked when she could finally catch her breath.  

His ears flicked forward and he smiled, his head cocked to one side. "I thought you were gone...and you were not coming back," he said, his fingers tracing the contour of her cheek.  He felt her jaw muscles tighten slightly.

"You did not believe in me, that I could achieve my ikran? You believed I would fail?" The pressure of her arms around him eased.  Fair warning.  With a finger under her chin, Na'vin tilted her head and gazed directly into her unwavering citrine eyes. They were beginning to narrow.  He couldn't let that happen.

"After all we have been through together, how could I not be...concerned...when you went over the edge?"  She gave him a cool, level gaze, prodding him for a better explanation.  "I have never seen this before, ma Wangari; I was not sure what to expect," he said. I should have known..."

"Sran, ngal..." And that was where discussion ended. Na'vin pulled her closer, and kissed her more gently this time,  his arms holding her warmth against him.  The kiss was long and lingering, and Wangari closed her eyes and let herself be absorbed in his embrace.  Her heart still soared, but now for another reason. She felt his hand brush away her braids and he softly kissed her shoulder.  She lost track of all thought...and then jumped as a loud snort sounded behind her, along with a puff of warm humid air generously scented with ikran.

Na'vin laughed.  The ikran had inched curiously closer, stepping cautiously toward her new maktoyu.  Were the blue animals fighting? Eating? Grooming? Stretching her long neck toward them, the ikran strained to pick up a clue.  Focusing with her secondary eyes, she saw a sudden surge in the infrared heat billowing from the animals as they moved closer.  Another cautious step forward and she drew in a breath of pheromone laden air.  Ahhh...no fight, no food, no worries.  She blew it out suddenly, shaking her head to clear her olfactory. Her maktoyu jumped, causing the ikran to begin shifting her weight uncomfortably from foot to foot while ruffling her wings nervously.

Wangari felt Na'vin's arms fall from her as she turned to the ikran.  A sad confusion curled around her heart at the sudden change.  But this was not the place and now was not the time.  A part of her realized that.  Another part of her, a happier part, was still nestled within his arms.  She sighed.

"It's alright," she said, and reached a careful hand out to the ikran, which leaned slightly away from it.  

Na'vin walked up beside her and put his hand on the shoulder he had so recently been kissing.  As Wangari looked up at him, he said, "Now that you have your ikran, we need to find my tokran. Until then, I cannot fly beside you.  And this, I very much want to do."   Wangari nodded quietly with a smile as she looked at her ikran.  

"Wait..." The tsahìk numeyu contemplated her mount, then walked purposefully over to her and made a quick tsaheylu.  For several long moments she stood motionless, head down, one hand on the connection and one against the ikran's chest keel.  Then she turned and pointed into the distance.

"Ma Na'vin, there is a special hidden place, probably half a day's walk from here.  I believe we will find your tokran there," she said, patting the ikran's shoulder.  Wangari sighed again and the ikran looked at Na'vin.  She noisily vented her spiracles and Wangari laughed at the ikran's mimicry.

Two giant strides and Na'vin was again at Wangari's side.  The ikran ruffled her wings more nervously and drew back slightly.  Wangari reached out and stroked her leathery hide.

"Tam, ma sevina ikran.  Tam. Poanìl ke tìsraw seyki ngati." She could feel the ikran's uncertainty.

Two arms slid around her waist from behind, and she tilted her head and looked up at him.  He bent down, kissing her cheek.  As she smiled, he kissed her again and she turned in towards his embrace.  With one arm holding her at the small of her back, he pressed her head against his chest with the other and leaned his cheek against the top of her head.  The ikran stood stock still, a quizzical expression on her face. Wangari had not broken the connection, and the unfamiliar sensations flooding the ikran's mind kept her rooted to the spot as she tried to sort them out.

"Ma Wangari, txo mesayri livu oeyä txe'lanru, pumìl pivllxte 'uoti ngaru set. Slä nìkeftxo pum zene pivey."  He held her more tightly and then bent down to kiss her once again.

"If I am to fly with you, I must also have wings.  It is time now to find my tokran, before the day wanes."


With that, Na'vin released her and took a quick step to the rocky edge of the rookery.


Na'vin Nos'feratxu

#132
Na'vin stood ominously at the edge of the rookery. His toes hooked over the edge, the wind having no effect on him.

Ablaze, his body felt hot.. but not from the sun, not from the thought of obtaining Tokran, but from something that lingered within him after meeting Wangari the first time.
Misplaced until that feeling of loss overwhelmed him, Wangari took a fearless leap off the edge for her Ikran.
Na'vin knew the second she jumped, that he loved her... Through their encounters, all up to this point, he hadn't been able to understand what it was he felt.

No fear had ever stricken him before, until Wangari disappeared off that edge.
Only to have his heart burst with an overwhelming feeling upon her return with her new found Ikran. Na'vin could not contain himself, nor did he wish to hold back from her.
Na'vin was Naive of any proper way to approach a woman of interest. He simply took her in both arms and did what he felt within.

The edge howled as the wind gusted at Na'vins feet, a screech of concern Wangaris Ikran reflected Wangaris feelings... A long way down!
With one last gaze at Wangari, Na'vin jumped off the rookery.

Falling and gaining speed, Na'vin moved his arms and legs straight, as if a speeding arrow. Na'vins Saber firmly attached to his back, hardly waived because of its own weight. The wind had almost no effect on the Saber, nor Na'vin. Facing straight down, Na'vin gave a quick glance back to see Wangari on her Ikran. They had followed Na'vin off only moments after he had jumped off.
Na'vin had the urge to show off to Wangari, he wanted to show her what he could do.

Falling from so up high this fall could probably kill any other Na'vi, but Na'vin was the exception. Wangari knew the danger of falling from so high up, which explained her surprised face when he jumped off the cliff.
The ground got closer and closer, Wangari was getting very close to Na'vin but she could not reach him in time, she had to pull up to stop from hitting the tree canopy.
A smile of excitement and happiness was all over Na'vins face, he brought his legs forward but kept them tucked in to his stomach.

Just as Wangari had pulled up her Ikran she looked down with great concern, only to see Na'vin slam his feet into a giant branch... No exaggeration, the Branch was enormous.
Due to where Na'vin landed and given his weight while flying at such high speed, the Branch swayed downward quite far... although high above the ground, the branch went down so far the limb was about to snap,
but it held together and proceeded back up with Na'vin still attached.

At the moment the branch had gone up completely, Na'vin used its now upward force to propel him in another jump, he leapt off horizontally rather than straight up, now aimed in the direction of where Wangari had pointed to.
A half days walk? Na'vin gave a quick "hah!" as he recalled the moment.  A half day? Na'vin was going to get there in a moments time!
With all his might, with all the new found energy he had, Na'vin reached the next branch and with one last look up to see Wangari over head, Na'vin lunged with such tremendous force, the branch beneath his feet (which was also quite large) exploded into pieces. The giant limb began its slow decent downward, crashing into other branches.

From limb to limb, Na'vin leapt over and over to new limbs, covering great distance. However he wanted to go faster, and finally coming to an open field, Na'vin disembarked from the trees and slammed into the field below. Putting his right hand around his sabre handle to stabilize it, Na'vin ran full out across the field. Fa'li were also in the field and became startled when Na'vin first landed into the field.
The began running in the direction Na'vin was also headed, however they could not outrun the Big Blue Na'vi!
Na'vin quickly caught up to, then passed the running Fa'li leaving them in the dust.

Wangari looked on at Na'vin, staying over head and staying in pace with Na'vin. No doubt in her mind that Na'vin was special, like no other that she had ever met.
In his mind Wangari was the most precious and special person he knew, he would do whatever it took to be beside her, and he would not fail to protect her.
The Hufwe clan needed Na'vin. They needed the true Olo of Hufwe Clan to come and save them, Na'vin Nos'feratu was the last descendant of the Nos'feratu blood line. Na'vin knew this, and wanted to take back what was lost to his family... No... What was taken from his family.

The Tokran would show the Hufwe people that Na'vin was one of them. Na'vin needed Wangari's help, in more ways than just finding the Tokran...
He wanted her to stay with him, he wanted to fly along side her. She was proud and very strong, Na'vin greatly admired her... She would do quite well as tsahik for the Hufwe Clan.

To be continued*

   
NotW#82

Seze Mune

#133
"If I am to fly with you, I must also have wings.  It is time now to find my tokran, before the day wanes,"  Na'vin said, and strode quickly to the edge of the rookery.  

With one last lingering look at her, he turned and leaned into the updraft that swept the floating monolith, his arms spreadeagled....and dove into the void beneath, as though he were a tokran himself.

Wangari reacted instinctively.  Already tethered to her ikran, she swung astride and urged the animal to careen over the edge. The ikran obeyed so abruptly that her chest keel dislodged nearby rocks and flung them into space, scarring her with a wide abrasion which began to weep blood.  Wangari felt the wound, but her mind was targeted on Na'vin who was accelerating toward the ground at an impossible speed.

Had there been time for a moment's reflection, Wangari's mind would have screamed in frustration and fear for Na'vin's life. Instead, she reacted from the core of her strength and determination.  It could not end this way!  Nevermind that the force of a giant Na'vi hitting an ikran at terminal velocity would have sent all three of them to Eywa's arms in a flash.

Having a body made for flying made her ikran adept at stoop diving and interception.  She read her maktoyu's intent perfectly; the ikran clamped her wings to her streamlined body and accelerated her downward swoop.  She gained on the Na'vi, but was unable to intercept him before he sheared through some of the thin uppermost branches of the canopy.  The ikran threw her shoulders into a shrug which barely opened her wings, but it was enough to level out over the forest.  There was no help for the blue animal now.  He was vey.

The sound of an impact twisted Wangari's stomach, and the agonized groan of a huge tree limb confirmed her worst fears. It was with utter shock that a moment later she saw Na'vin propel himself through the understory, in the direction of the tokran's nest.  He used thick, supple branches to catapult, and lianas to steady himself and change direction by swinging.  At the verge of a glade, he swung out over a herd of fa'li and dropped. The fa'li startled and scattered in panic, one young one tripping over his own gangly legs and falling squarely on another one. Wangari grinned and shook her head as she shadowed Na'vin on her ikran.

The floating mountains and their trailing lianas often made it hard for Wangari to guide her ikran through the tangle.  She relaxed slightly, which allowed the ikran to move more naturally; to the woman's delight, she found the ikran able to follow Na'vin with ease.  

Nawmatskxe

OOC: (was wondering I could possibly still join in or if its to late? If I can I'll catch up :))
Join Project Tribal here  (And yes, it will be a real tribe in the real world, NOT a role play tribe!) Feel free to PM me about it!

Seze Mune

Without needing to pace himself to Wangari's progress, Na'vin sped through the forest.  His path would lead him into the farther recesses of ayRam aLusìng, deeper than she'd ever been before.  It was in that direction that they'd last seen the tokran fly.   Na'vin was intent on his quest.

She suggested her ikran trim its wings and glide closer to the canopy.  It would not do for them to become prey for the tokran...unless...

Unless by doing so, they could draw the tokran out of its lair and into the open where they could lure it closer to Na'vin.  No.  It would be best if Na'vin could take it by surprise.  So she sent suggestions of caution and stealth to her mount which responded immediately though with a slight flare of fear when it realized the object of the hunt.

"Tam, tam, ma 'eylan," she thought, reaching forth to give it a comforting pat.  Gazing after Na'vin as she glimpsed him through the trees, her mind stumbled across a random thought telegraphed by her ikran.  Sulani.  It was a name, or the closest Wangari could come to the name nìNa'vi.  Wangari sent the ikran the sense of reassurance and affection and felt a wave of hope in response.

How she could help Na'vin in this, she didn't know.  And maybe she wasn't supposed to.  It was, after all, his own challenge.  Still...she felt a stronger sense of protection for Na'vin than before and she didn't know what to do with that.  If Na'vin were in danger there was no way she could just stand aside and watch.

"Fpeio kem sivi niktungzup, ma oeyä Na'vin,"
she thought.  Na'vin ran swiftly on, catapulting from limb to limb and sometimes using lianas to swing to the next branch.  It seemed he could run like this for hours without tiring.  And maybe he would!

Na'vin Nos'feratxu

The Sabre flopped on his back but with little to no impedance. Occasionally looking up and seeing Wangari flying above him, Na'vin gained his energy to push on.

Back and forth in his mind, Na'vin thought of the Tokran, Wangari and his people the Hufwe Clan. Never before had Na'vin had so much to fight for.
*CrAcK* .... *SNAP!*  A branch gave way to Na'vin landing on it. Several feet above the ground there was a small valley beneath Na'vin.
The branch slapped another branch as it fell downward, Na'vin maintained his balance and waited for the right moment.

The small valley had engulfed the large branch, Na'vin timed it just right and stepped onto the Valleys cliff side as the branch proceeded further down to the ground. A long way down....
With a smirk, Na'vin proceeded back on track after looking back up to see Wangari and her Ikran only slightly ahead of him.

As Na'vin ran, he heard behind him the final ~Boom~ of the large branch landing in the valley. This spooked many of the creatures around the area.
Hordes of birds and other land animals scattered at the echoing sound. Although this made no difference to Na'vin, another ominous sound grabbed Na'vins attention.

The Tokran must be near... Na'vin became serious and avidly began jumping up to the canopy of the trees. How to find the Tokran he wondered.
Perhaps Wangari might have an idea... Na'vin gave a sharp and loud whistle to grab Wangaris attention...
But she seemed affixed to something else in the other direction.

   
NotW#82

Seze Mune

#137
Flying low, Wangari watched Na'vins' swift progress.  The wind hissed beneath Sulani's wings which had been trimmed for flying close to the canopy. Leaves rippled below, mesmerizing her. She became dimly aware of a sudden alertness within Sulani and reached into it, questioningly.  In return, she received an image of a young ikran together with a sense of affection and concern.  

She looked up, mirroring the action of her ikran.  Off the edge of one floating rock in the near distance, there appeared to be an airborne confrontation between three....animals.  Wangari squinted.  Two of the animals were larger than the third.  Sulani's attention appeared to be directed to the third one.  

Under the canopy, Na'vin was not aware of the impending battle.  Wangari sent Sulani an impulse to dive below the canopy and find him. No response.  The tsahìk strengthened the impulse, pushing the ikran which finally turned reluctantly away from the sight and descended steeply into a glade Na'vin had just traversed at top speed. Hearing pursuit, Na'vin spun on the balls of his feet and drew his blade in one fluid movement.  Just as quickly he sheathed the blade and stood waiting as he recognized the woman and her ikran.  

"Na'vin!" Wangari said as the ikran threaded through the trees to a small clearing near him.  

Na'vin's eyes held a questioning look and his brow furrowed with concern, but he didn't speak.

"Na'vin, I think the tokran has been challenged,"  she turned and looked up, Na'vin's eyes following her gaze.  They were closer than he thought.  His eyes narrowed as he judged the distance and the possible paths.  It wouldn't take long.  He could be there before the battle ended...    The thought sent a shot of adrenaline through him.  With a brief smile at Wangari, he turned and jumped to a low hanging branch and used it to catapult in the direction of the tokran.

Na'vin Nos'feratxu

#138
Glancing through the canopy whenever he could, Na'vin raced towards the rocks which floated near the agitated animals. His sensitive ears swiveled from listening to the sounds of challenge from above to listening for predators around him. He caught the scent of a Palulukan but it was not close enough to concern him.

The noise of an apparent brawl had taken Na'vin's rapt attention. A Palulukan would most likely not interrupt a fight between much larger predators. . . Na'vin scrambled to find a way up to the cliffs above. Rocks began to shower down after a heavy thud shook one of the floating mountains above. The cry of the Tokran was burned into Na'vin's memory, but this sound was much more angry than before.

Wangari's ikran fought for its head, trying to interrupt the neural link and hasten to the side of the smallest animal.

Furious hissing erupted above him. Hand over hand, Na'vin climbed the first liana that slapped his shoulder. Bits of dirt and small pebbles rained on him occasionally and twice a rock the size of his head clattered down, narrowly missing his hand, once catching his tail a glancing blow.  He grunted in pain, but immediately pressed it out of his mind.

Gritting his teeth Na'vin forced himself to move forward. Only now he was more aggravated, making him move more hastily. Again, the almost deafening roar of the Tokran broke into Na'vin's ears, he began to worry about what might be happening. One hand clasped the edge of the cliff, then the other hand. Na'vin yanked his entire body up over the cliff side. His chest filled with energy, his body ready for anything.  What Na'vin saw stopped him for a moment.

Keeping his eyes on the animals before him, Na'vin sank into a tense crouch. He was primed for anything.  There were three animals above and to the right of him and not one paid him any attention.
Until now, Na'vin had believed there was only ONE Tokran in the floating mountains. Now, before him, were TWO. They were a rainbow of colors, from reds and purples to blacks and greens with blue underneath.They faced off aggressively, snarling. A lone Ikran hovered nearby and off the flank of the familiar Tokran   The Ikran was young, he could see that. Anxiety showed in its movements.  Whenever it tried to advance past the Tokran, she blocked him - once snapping and growling at him before he hastily moved back.

He was wounded. Blood seeped from a gash on his chest. There was another one near his shoulder, and trickles of blood splattered his wing, dripping onto the rocks below him.

Na'vin could see signs of a scuffle in the field below them....scars in the dirt, ringed with broken plants. Perhaps that was what caused the ruckus he'd heard, and maybe where the ikran was injured.

As he watched, the other Tokran made a feint for the wounded Ikran. Her bloody talons slashed the air close by, but Na'vin's Tokran blocked the attack and used her momentum against her, knocking her off balance.
It became obvious that this unfamiliar Tokran was after the small Ikran, and Na'vin's chosen tokran had sprung to his defense.

This new Tokran was purple with dark red stripes with hints of blue spanning its wings and chest. A fierce looking creature it was, though the Tokran Na'vin had been chasing seemed much more dominant in appearance and standing. Na'vin was very attracted to this purple and green striped Tokran which defended the tiny Ikran. As he watched, the Ikran slipped slowly from its spot by its defender and fluttered weakly to the boulders below.  It flopped once or twice, then lay still and silent, apparently from loss of blood.  Seeing this drove the purple tokran into a fury, and its attacks against its antagonist became more fierce.

Just at that moment, Wangari and her Ikran burst onto the scene only inches from the sparring tokrans.  Both recoiled in shock, momentarily nonplussed.  This was the moment Na'vin had been waiting for. While both Tokran looked at Wangari for a split second, Na'vin broke from his crouch, exploding forward toward the tokran of his choice. It happened, at the moment of imminence Na'vin's inner self came out once more.

Smiling from ear to ear, Na'vin pounced like a palulukan. He closed the distance in only a few bounds but this caused enough noise to alert the tokran. She locked eyes with Na'vin for only a moment. Simply too fast, Na'vin was upon her. She could not react in time as Na'vin leaped up knees tucked up and arms sprawled out like claws.

Around her neck, a great weight like she had never felt before slung her off balance and forced her to keel sideways. The other Tokran jerked back again and began to see what was happening. Feeling shocked and outnumbered the other Tokran wheeled and dove, scratching the rock surface in attempt to gain momentum from  bounce from the ledge and get away. Instead she fumbled and fell of the ledge.

   
NotW#82

Na'vin Nos'feratxu

#139
Na'vin had his legs around the Tokrans neck, his left hand clenching the Tokrans side while his right hand made an attempt for the very long tendrils on the Tokrans head.
The Tokran was massive compared to the Ikran, Na'vin soon found himself being lifted up as the Tokran began to stand after having been knocked over.... Fierce, so very very fierce!

Na'vin was swung up as the Tokran stood up straight, however the Tokran stopped moving? Na'vin hesitated for a moment, as the Tokran turned head and looked Na'vin straight in the eye.
No fear... This was going to be rough, Na'vin felt something for the first time. The feeling overwhelmed him.
Growing up, Na'vin faced many foes, large and small. At first all challenged his strength but as Na'vin got older and much much larger, not even a Palulukan sated Na'vins strength.
This Tokran, was far more powerful than he estimated. Na'vin had hesitated too long, the Tokran whipped her neck sideways but Na'vin held tight.

Na'vin had seen his reflection in the Tokrans eyes, and for that brief moment they looked at one another they both knew who was the strongest...
The Tokran then slammed Na'vin into a solid rock wall with such tremendous force not only did Na'vin come off, but rock exploded from the impact and showered them both.
Spinning around with intense speed the Tokran was facing Na'vin who was hunched over holding the back of his head. The Tokran had almost knocked him unconscious.

The Tokran was looming over as if ready to start her meal. In doing so she had also hesitated for a moment, which gave Na'vin enough time stand...
Wangari had made her way back around overhead, she was in fear for Na'vin as he seemed cornered by the Tokran. She had to do something! But before she could finish the thought, Na'vin was smiling?
The Tokran looked on at her foe now puzzled. Na'vin was baring a genuine smile of happiness, which then lingered into a smile that became frightening.
"Attack!" the Tokran thought, her teeth out and her head going in fast to bite into the strange Na'vi.

Wangari had landed above them to look on and act if needed, but as the Tokran charged, Na'vin was almost laughing. His arms were stretched out like she had seen before when he faced the Alpha Palulukan many days ago. He looked almost the same as he did then, but something was different.
The Tokran was quick, the gap was closed and she was just about to end the fight by sinking all her teeth in Na'vin.

Na'vin slapped has right hand on the nose of the Tokran with such force the Tokran was stopped in her tracks. Na'vin stood like a fortress. With every muscle fiber displayed in his arm, he slammed the Tokrans head downward into the rock floor of which they stood. The Tokrans body soon followed to the ground. Na'vin retracted his hand slowly...
With a stunned but angry growl, the Tokran attempted to regain herself staggering to her feet attempting to stand back up. The impact was so apparently devastating the Tokran was impaired to the point that she fell right back over.
Na'vin stood ominously waiting when he should have taken this chance to tsahalu. Wangari looked on with frustration at this opportunity. "What is he doing??!" she thought. 

   
NotW#82