The climb was brutal.
Roots, rocks, and sheer cliffs carved into the side of Pandora's floating mountains. The Na'vi hunters scaled them with ease, their bodies fluid, adapted to every surface.
I followed, each step heavier than theirs, but unshaken. My nine-foot frame moved with precision, fingers digging into stone when necessary. I could have flown. My powers begged me to leap into the sky and soar, but I didn't. This was their way. If I was to walk among them, I had to earn it.
The hunters watched me from above and below, their golden eyes narrowing, whispering among themselves.
"Too heavy. He will fall.""Not one of us.""Eywa will not allow it."
At the front of the climb was Neytiri. She hadn't looked at me once, but I could feel her presence like an arrow aimed at my back.
Finally, we reached the nesting grounds. The plateau spread wide, the wind howling between the floating peaks.
Dozens of Ikran circled overhead, their wings glinting in the sun, their cries sharp and wild.
One of the hunters stepped forward, his voice loud, proud."Here, demon, you will prove yourself. The Ikran chooses—or it kills. If Eywa does not claim you, your blood will feed the stones."
The others laughed harshly, but there was tension in their voices.
I stepped forward, the wind tugging at my hair. My eyes locked on the beasts above. Their wings cut through the sky like blades, their screeches echoing in my bones.
And then… one descended.
Massive. Its wings stretched wide, scales shimmering green and black. Its golden eyes locked onto me with pure hunger.
It dove.
The hunters shouted. Some raised their bows.
But I did not move.
The Ikran slammed into me, claws raking, jaws snapping. Its strength was monstrous—but to me, it was no more than a gust of wind. I wrapped my arms around its neck, holding it still. Its wings beat furiously, dust and wind whipping across the plateau.
Gasps filled the air.
I met its eyes, unflinching. "Fight me if you must. But I will not break."
The beast thrashed, roared, tried to throw me from the cliff—but still I held. Not with brute force alone, but with patience. With calm.
And then, something shifted.
I felt it—the hum. Eywa's voice, faint but clear, weaving through the creature's spirit.
"Bond."
I released one hand, lifting the queue of my braid. The hunters muttered in shock, some shouting warnings.
The Ikran snapped at me, teeth inches from my throat—then froze.
The moment our queues connected, the world exploded.
A flood of sensation crashed into me—wind, sky, hunger, freedom, rage, joy. My heart slammed against my chest, not alone but joined with another.
The Ikran screeched, its cry piercing the heavens, and I roared with it, our voices one.
The hunters shielded their ears. Neytiri's eyes widened for the first time, disbelief flashing across her face.
I leapt onto its back, the bond complete. The Ikran launched into the sky with a thunderous beat of wings, carrying me higher and higher.
The wind tore past my face, the clouds parted, the world below shrinking. And for the first time since I'd arrived… I felt free.
Below, the hunters stared in stunned silence.
"He did it.""Eywa… accepted him?""No… more than that."
When I returned to the plateau, the Ikran landing with a screech, all eyes were on me.
I dismounted, resting a hand on the beast's neck. Its eyes, once filled with rage, now glowed with fierce loyalty.
Neytiri stepped forward at last, her voice low, sharp, almost accusing."No demon could bond like this."
I looked at her, calm but unyielding. "I told you. I am no demon."
For the first time, her gaze softened—just slightly. A flicker of doubt in her certainty.
And from the whispers of the hunters, a new word spread.
Not demon.Not protector.
Rider.