xlii. ❝a first fly for three❞
╰ au / extended storyline
( year thirteen and fourteen )

"NETEYAM will go first." Odessa smiled and walked towards her son, standing over her in an intimidating manner that didn't seem to scare him. He knew what she was trying to do — scare him.

Neteyam was freshly fourteen and had proved to his mothers and those around him that he was ready for his final few steps in becoming one of the people. He may be one of the people;by colour and where he was born, but he needed to fly with an Ikran and pass through the vision quest before he was one of them.

Neteyam, Kiri and Lo'ak and many other children who had proved they were ready, had climbed and climbed and swung until they had reached the grounds where the Ikrans called home. They stood where many had before them, where Odessa and Jake had stood once.

Now it was up to Neteyam, and if he failed, he wouldn't get a second chance. That's what all the children had been told in hushed whispers; this was life and death, one wrong move and it was over.

He passed his bow to his mother, Odessa taking it and moving out of the way so her son could move across an edge behind the waterfall like she had once done. Neteyam doesn't reach out to touch the water by his side, he continues on to where he can hear the creatures screeching.

Odessa was a few steps behind her son, as were the many others that would bond with an Ikran today. Neteyam glanced over his shoulder as he reached the end of the path and the begging of the open area. Odessa smiled softly, "You can do this. Remember; you must choose, but they must choose you too."

Neteyam nods, many elders told numerous stories about their bondings with their chosen Ikran. "And if it chooses me, it will try to kill me, correct?" He worries that no matter the knowledge he holds, he can't live up to what his family have set for him. His uncle, Toruk Makto. His mothers, both warriors that helped win the war again the humans.

Odessa's next words will sting against Neteyams blue skin. "Yes, it will try to kill you."

Neteyam took a deep breath, his eyes closing for only a second before they opened and he took the final few steps closer to the creatures that would either kill him or fly away. He took his green rope like vine, blue fingers wrapping around it and moving it so it whirled around like the blades on a helicopter.

The many banshees screeched at Neteyam as he made his way through the crowd. Some flew away, taking steps away to avoid him. He paused and looked around, his eyes landing on a light blue and green Ikran that tilted its head.

That was his Ikran, right there.

Jumping from a small rock, Neteyam landed on his bare feet with a small thud. He was steady, moving a few feet forward, weaving in and out between other banshees that had no interest in him. He came face to face with the Ikran he would hopefully soon call his own.

It stared him down, and he smiled. That was his Ikran.

"Come on," Neteyam smiled wildly, and then he charged forward. The Ikran moved, dodging the rope that he had attempted to wrap around its snout. Then the Ikran lunged, and Neteyam had just moved fast enough and swung his rope once more, successfully wrapping it around its snout as he did so.

He could hear his cousin and sister cheer for him.

Neteyam jumped onto the creatures back, his legs wrapping around its neck as he tried to keep it steady so he could make the bond. It proved harder to be when the creature twisted and turned and he rolled off its body.

"Don't be afraid warrior!" Vieten yelled to Neteyam. He was one of the many warriors that survived the war, and he had been asked to tag along on this adventure. "Make the bond!"

Neteyam breathed and threw himself back at the Ikran, his legs wrapping around the bottom of his large neck. He reached behind himself, grabbing his queue and attaching it to the end of the creatures. They became one right then and there.

"Stop, stop." He huffed, commanding the — his — Ikran to stop moving. He slowly moved his legs so the creature could stand and wasn't pressed against the ground or held in a tight grip. He then removed the rope had loosened over the short time, placing his hand on its head and moving it in a soothing motion. "You're okay."

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

Neteyam nodded, shifting his body and pushing his body forward. "Fly."

Then his Ikran went flying forward.

🌍.

"KIRI will go now." Odessa announced, watching as her daughter took a deep breath in. She knew that she was nervous, and that no matter how much she wanted this, she was scared of all the possibilities.

Kiri nodded, taking a deep breath, her eyes closing for only a second before they opened and she took the final few steps closer to where many of the Ikrans were still gathered. She took her green rope like vine, the same one that her brother had just used, thin blue fingers wrapping around it.

The many banshees screeched at Kiri as she made her way through the disappearing crowd. Some flew away, taking steps away to avoid her. Only very little did, more tended to just shift so she could pass by.

Jumping from a small rock, Kiri landed on her bare feet rather gracefully. She was steady, moving a few feet forward, coming face to face with the Ikran she would hopefully soon call her own.

It stared her down, and she smiled nervously. That was her Ikran.

"It's okay, we've got this." Kiri charged forward. The Ikran moved, dodging the rope that she had attempted to wrap around its snout. Then the Ikran lunged, and Kiri had just moved fast enough and swung her rope once more, successfully wrapping it around its snout as she did so.

She jumped onto the creatures back, her legs wrapping around its neck as she tried to keep it steady so she could make the bond. She reached behind herself, grabbing her queue and attaching it to the end of the creatures. They became one right then and there.

It was strangely easy for Kiri, as if she had known each move that the Ikran was going to do.

"Stop, stop." She stated softly, a command. She slowly moved her legs so the creature could stand and wasn't pressed against the ground or held in a tight grip. She then removed the rope had loosened over the short time, placing her hand on its snout as if she was silently apologizing for the rope that had been wrapped around it. "You're okay."

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

Kiri nodded, shifting her body and pushing themselves forward. "Fly."

Then his Ikran went flying forward.

🌍.

THE many banshees screeched at Lo'ak as he made his way through the banshees. Some flew away, taking steps away to avoid him. As they flapped their wings, he stumbled around and flinched slightly. He didn't feel a connection with any of them — which made him feel like an even bigger outcast — and the ones he managed to look in the eye flew away before he could do anything. None of them where his, and he wasn't theirs.

Jumping from a small ledge, and stumbling forward, Lo'ak knew them that he wasn't steady. He moved a few feet forward, in and out between other banshees that had no interest in him.

He stumbled, face to face with an Ikran.

"Oops" He flashed his teeth. The Ikran moved, dodging the rope that he had attempted to wrap around its snout. Then the Ikran lunged, and Lo'ak hadn't moved fast enough; their bodies clashing together.

He wiggled himself free, swinging his rope once more, successfully wrapping it around its snout.

He cheered, happy that he had been able to accomplish that.

Lo'ak jumped onto the creatures back, his flimsily legs wrapping around its neck as he tried to keep it steady so he could make the bond. It proved harder to be when the creature twisted and turned and flung him to the side.

The Ikran wasn't done and whirled it's head to the side and collided with Lo'ak chest. He gasped in pain and in shock, his hands slipping completely from the banshees body. It pushed him to the side, Lo'ak tumbling and grabbing into the edge of the cliff before he could fall to his death.

He needed to prove that he could do this.

Lo'ak blue skin welcomed the warm sun that shined down on him. He grunted, using his elbows to and feet to help push himself up over the edge so he could resume what he had been doing. Once he was standing, he jumped at the Ikran and wrapped his arms around it tightly. He pushed it to the ground and used his foot to help himself.

He reached behind himself, attempting to grasp his queue. It took him a moment, but he had eventually been able to grab it. He then attached his queue to the end of the creatures. They became one right then and there.

"Stop, stop." He shook his head, puffing his cheeks and commanding the Ikran to stop moving. He slowly moved so the creature could stand on its own. He reached forward and removed the rope that was loosely around it's face, placing his hand on its head and moving it in a soothing motion."You're okay."

"First flight seals the bond. You cannot wait, Lo'ak." Odessa steered them towards the edge. "Go! Think; fly!"

"Fly?" Lo'ak blinked, the words causing the Ikran to lurch forward and fly. "No! AhH!"

🌍🌍,
╰ authors note.

omg. lo'ak being clumsy <3
one more chapter then we're done act two and onto act three.