Chapter Nineteen  - 1373 words

*Hometree*

Jake sits, eyes closed, as Neytiri and another young hunter paint his face and body in preparation for uniltaron – the Dream Hunt.

"When your spirit Animal comes, you will know." Neytiri says to him. Their eyes meet with emotion neither can conceal any longer.

Grace stands with the crowd at the ramp to hometree's lowest level. Jake barely sees her as he goes down the spiral. She tries to follow, but is barred by a hunter.

Below, seemingly in the womb of the earth, Jake walks slowly chanting in a low monotone. Squatting, he washes the smoke over himself his palms.

Mo'at's fingers unwrap a piece of wood riddled with holes. She catches the end of a glowing purple worm, and draws it out of the wood.

"Oh wise worm, eater of the Sacred Tree – bless this worthy Hunter with a true vision." Mo'at places the worm on Jake's out-stretched tongue. It twists on itself, lighting his mouth before he closes it. She indicates he should chew. He does.

Eytukan opens an earthen jar and removes a writhing black arachnoid, the Pandoran equivalent of a scorpion. He places it against the back of Jake's neck and presses. The insect drives its stinger into Jake's skin. He grimaces.

Mo'at and Eytukan step back, leaving Jake alone in the circle. Neytiri watches intently, joining in the low chant.

Jakes eyes open. He looks around at the faces – they seems to transform, becoming threatening. He looks down at the palms of his hands. His hands recede, his whole body, the ground and instantly the circle of Na'vi recedes, as if to a distant horizon, leaving vast ground in between. Space is utterly distorted, and sound as well – echoing, thunderous.

Jakes pupils are dilated black. He looks around and the onlookers are gone, replaced by a ring of the glowing trees, stretching into tendrils, legs becoming roots which spread outward across the ground, a thousand glowing dendrites which connect his muscles but - in his vision Jake stands serene on a floating mountain cliff. A great black shadow covers him, the unmistakable silhouette of a diving Leonopteryx; the Last Shadow.

Jakes writhes in the dirt, his back arched as his muscles seize. He foams and thrashes, his eyes rolled back in his head, while time itself has accelerated – clouds scream around the mountain tops, mist boils through the forest. He feels the wind blowing through him as Jake claws the ground, moaning, staring blindly.

He flies over the landscape of Pandora but the forest is blasted. Fired flicker among trees that are burned black and lifeless in a smoky twilight.

A great winged shadow is cast below, rippling over the devastated ground. He looks down at the shadow and realizes he is casting it.

The Great Leonopteryx is flying lordly and terrible over the land. It lets out an almighty shriek which seems to echo to eternity.

Jake is on his back, gasping – back in his body. He weekly rolls up to one elbow and looks around the room.

"It is finished." Mo'at says. Neytiri's face is flooded with relief. The faces of the clan elders look at Jake expectantly.

"Did your spirit Animal come?" Eytukan asks. Jake looks from Eytukan to Mo'at, Tsu'tey and the elders. How can he tell them what he has seen?

Mo'at puts her splayed fingers against his face, seeming to peer into his troubled soul.

"Something has come." She says to Jake. "It will take time for the meaning to be clear." She says to the others.

Mo'at steps back, and Eytukan motions for Jake to stand. He gets up, weakly.

Eytukan emerges with Jake and the others. The entire clan is gathers, waiting to hear what has happened. Jake looks up at the Leonopteryx Skull Totem, which seems to stare down at him.

Grace watches, her eyes brimming. Proud. Relived. Amazed.

Eytukan places both hands on Jake's chest and holds them there. "You are now a son of the Omaticaya. You are part of the people."

All the member of the clan press forward, crowding around and putting their hands on Jake's shoulders, back, chest – hands upon hands, until he is connected to everyone.

~*~

Jake and Neytiri run silhouetted in the nigh. Behind them waterfalls cascade down in the silvery light. Polyphemus rise behind the trees.

Neytiri dives from a rock, slicing into a mirror of water. Jake follows her and underwater they over glowing anemones. They seem to float in a cosmic dance above a luminous garden of waving shapes. Tiny purple fish swirl around them. Their hands come together, fingers twining, as they float weightlessly, as if between worlds.

~*~

Laughing, they run together into a stand of willows. Their trunks are as gnarled as bonsai. Long faintly glowing tendrils hand straight down in pastel curtains. Underfoot, a bed of moss glows faintly. It reacts to their footsteps with expanding rings of light. It is an exquisitely beautiful spot.

The willows stir, responding to their presence. She holds up her hands, letting the tendrils caress her.

"This is a place for prayers to be heard. And sometimes answered." Jake puts out his hands and the tendrils play over his fingers, his palms, his forearms. His eyes go wide as he hears whispering of ancient Na'vi voices.

"It's like – a sound you feel." Jake says still completely awed.

"We call this utraya mokri – the Tree of Voices. The voices of our ancestors, who live within Eywa." She explains.

A few woodsprites circle around them, some alighting on their shoulder and arms.

They stand, very close together now. Her eyes are intense, almost luminous. He feels drown to them. But she pulls back a little.

"You are Omaticaya now. You may make your own bow from the wood of Hometree." She looks away. "And you may choose a woman." The Amazon warrior is trying so hard to sound casual. Jake suppresses a smile.

"We have many fine women. Ninat is the best singer -"

"I don't want Ninat."

"There is Beyral, she is a good hunter -" Jake puts his fingers on her lips to stop her.

"I've already chosen. But this woman must also choose me." She takes his hands and their fingers intertwine, moving gently over each other.

"She already has." Neytiri whispers.

He puts his face close to hers. She rubs her cheek against his. He kisses her on the mouth. They explore each other. Then she pulls back, eyes sparkling.

"Kissing is very good. But we have something better." She pulls him down until they are kneeling, facing each other on the faintly glowing moss.

Neytiri takes the end of her queue and raises it. Jake does the same, with trembling anticipation. The tendrils at the ends move with a life of their own, staining to be joined. The tendrils intertwine with gentle undulations.

Jake rocks with the direct contact between his nervous system and hers. They come together into a kiss and sink down on the bed of moss, and ripples of light spread out around them.

The willows sway, without wind, and the night is alive with pulsing energy.

~*~

She is collapsed across his chest; spent. He strokes her face tenderly.

"Neytiri, you know my real body is far away, sleeping." She rises up, placing her fingertips to his chest.

"This body is real." She touches his forehead. "This spirit is real." Her eyes are luminous, honest, infinitely deep.

"When I was first your teacher, I hated all the Sky People. But you have also taught me." Whispering she says. "Spirit is all that matters." She lays her head down, against his chest, listening to his heartbeat.

"I am with you now, Jake. We are mated for life."

"We are?"

"Yes. It is our way." Innocently she asks. "Oh. I forgot to tell?"

He rouses up, making her look at him. "Really, we are?"

"We are." Jake considers this.

"It's cool. I'm there." He lays his head down, and her arms enfold him, sheltering him as he sleeps.

~*~

Jake's eyes open in the darkness. He just lies there, thinking. In his coffin. In another world.

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