FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

Disclaimer: Blah, Blah, Blah. I don't own Avatar; James Cameron does. All the Avatar stuff belongs to him. However, my Na'vi character, myself, the Dragon Weyr and its technologies, and the Pandoran animals of my menagerie are all mine. The Protoss - apart from my characters - all belong to Blizzard Entertainment.

Pandora's Templar

A Work-In-Progress Story by Coranth Dehanae

Chapter 26

(Continued from Chapter 25...)

* * *

From one moment to the next I awakened and yet... I didn't; I existed in a state of half-sleep, feeling all around me - and deep within my mind - a feeling of the deepest, most comforting warmth that I had ever felt... a feeling I knew oh-so-well... Even as my eyes fluttered open, even as I inhaled a deep breath of sweet air touched by the faintest hint of wood smoke, I leaned instinctively into the warm presence that filled my thoughts where the void within used to be, my eyes misting with tears of uninhibited joy. Ieesha - my Ieesha - was returned to me through incredible, near-impossible means and I was within her, my body sustained by her own like that of a babe within its mother's womb. At this moment in time - in mind and body - I was as close to her as I could be without making love to her or merging our souls into the swirling, burning effigy of a Twilight Archon.

Her amusement filled my thoughts at this, along with feelings of gentle insistence and desire. She wanted me to awaken, wanted me to speak with her, but - overwhelmed by the fact that she was here again and stricken with a myriad of conflicting emotions - all I could do was send a burst of happiness / joy / love / want / need / love / yours / yours / yours _ to her through our newly established bond. Her _understanding / acceptance / calm filled my thoughts in reply, and gently, I drifted off to sleep again. When I awakened - roughly several hours later - as my eyes fluttered I expected to see the soft, warm lighting of the Dragon Weyr's solar lighting system. Instead, I was met by a red-tinged darkness.

~It is light, sweet David,~ Ieesha insisted. ~It's just hard to see in your... current position.~ Her words were laced with gentle humor, and immediately, I sent a burst of affection / love to her through our bond, giving her the equivalent of a hug. Then, I tried to speak, but the Shah'haan Vr'in, or "Life-Links" were still effectively lodged in my throat, forcing me to notice the soreness in my jaws from being left open the entire night, or longer. ~Since I have reestablished our bond, you can still speak to me, sweet David, just not physically. All you need to do is direct your thoughts towards me. I can hear you as easily as you hear me.~ At this I sent a burst of affirmation through our bond to her, for I understood; this was part of the most basic of psionic training. 'Oh, Ieesha... I... I have missed you so much...' I thought to her.

A mixture of her happiness, joy, love and longing filled my thoughts at this - along with strong affirmation as she softly replied, her mental voice thick with the emotions. ~And I have missed you... by the Great Dragon's blessed heart have I missed you--!~ Her voice trailed off as she became choked with emotion and immediately, I sent a burst of affection / love / calm through the bond to her. When, at last, she calmed and was able to regain control of her rampant emotions, I softly enquired, 'I... I'm actually inside of you? You... ate me? Uh, usually, when someone is eaten by a dragon, said person usually ends up inside the dragon's stomach whereupon they're digested and--'

Coloured by her gentle laughter, her amusement rolled across the bond for a moment, before she replied, ~That is usually what happens, yes... when one is eaten by a normal western-type dragon. It is not so for we Omari Kirata, however.~ At this, I became puzzled, and through our newly established bond my reborn dragoness felt the feeling as if it were hers. 'I... I don't understand...' I replied, trailing off into uncertain silence. My beloved thought for a few moments, before replying, ~From the moment we Omari Kirata join with our chosen companions and form the bond of Dumisha our bodies and minds begin to change. Our minds gradually adapt and adjust such that we become more mentally "in tune" with our companions; a change which is normally slow, and gradual.~

At this I nodded. 'Right' I thought, 'but what about the physical change you mentioned?' Outside, as she lay within the Psionic Therapy Chamber, Ieesha blinked before she answered, ~That is far more drastic. Within our bodies, a special organic life-support chamber grows, a sacred place we call the Chall'vaen or "Hearthome." Through an ancient bonding ritual that my kin calls Ma'hirr'kayya - "To Take Within" - I... I brought you inside myself, sweet David; I swallowed you whole and then redirected you from my esophagus into the Chall'vaen. Inside it, there are a series of special tendril linkages called Shah'haan Vr'in - or "Life Links" - which I connected to your body. With these, I can... sustain you...~

At this my eyes widened with astonishment. "Sustain me? What... like some kind of... mobile life-support system?" Ieesha did not answer my question at first. Instead, her hesitation filled my thoughts as she debated internally with herself for a moment. Then, finally she answered, ~Yes.~'Okay...' I responded slowly, thinking, '...how long can you sustain me for?' Once again, Ieesha hesitated to answer, but eventually her desire to be honest with me won out. Her answer both shocked and mystified me to my very core. ~If needed, I could keep you inside me... for the rest of my natural life. Sustained and protected by me inside the Chall'vaen you, too, would live that long, until we both died,~ she said.

'When would that be?' I queried. Via our newly established bond, I felt the shifting of her great mind as she thought for a few moments and then, in the physical world, she shrugged - a gentle shifting of her wings - before she answered, ~I... I do not know, precisely. When I took this new Ikran body, I... I modified it such that it possesses many of the internal systems of my original dragon body. I... effectively I'm still a dragon, but inside a female Ikran "shell" so to speak. We could live for countless millennia...~ Deep in my heart, I had always known this - that my beloved Ieesha and her kin had life spans which made them practically immortal when compared to those of human, or even Protoss kind - but to hear it confirmed saddened me.

Unless... 'Could... could I stay inside you? Would that be such a bad thing?' I asked her, softly. For a moment, Ieesha did not answer - through our bond, all I perceived was silence - but then, her horror filled my thoughts, gripped my guts and froze the blood within my veins to ice as a wash of her racial memories flooded through the bond, memories of everything that could, and had, gone wrong with the ancient ritual her kind called Ma'hirr'kayya... A dragon and her rider who had completed the ritual but then - unable to separate themselves from within the deepest layers of their bond - they had merged mentally into a single being. However, they weren't ready for the merger, and in the end, they had committed suicide.

Yet another pair; they had completed the ritual successfully, but had loved being so deeply bound together that the dragoness had never expelled her rider! Instead, dragon and rider had remained together forever, the human of the pair using the dragon's senses as his own, and using her as his mouthpiece whenever he needed to speak to others. Yet another dragon/rider pair; the first stage of the ritual had been successful and the dragon had swallowed her Lifemate, but the sick and elderly human hadn't survived the rigors of the journey into her Hearthome and had died inside her upon reaching it! Horrified at what had occurred, the dragoness slowly pined away, blaming herself for what had happened, even though it wasn't her fault.

And finally, the countless mistakes: dragons who'd attempted the ancient ritual but had neglected to perform the muscular contractions needed to bring their riders into their Hearthomes, resulting in the digestion of said humans and the death of their dragons... When, at last, the wash of memories faded, a shiver coursed through me as I gazed about the red-tinged darkness of my beloved's Chall'vaen. 'Okay...' I thought, 'so staying inside you would probably be a very, very bad idea.' Ieesha whimpered softly, her fear filling my thoughts as she quietly said ~Yes... yes, it would be. Come, I must expel you now...~ and expel me she did, effectively by performing the physical part of Ma'hirr'kayya in reverse.

When I finally emerged from her mouth, my beloved Ieesha - now a beautiful Pandoran Ikran - slowly and carefully tucked me into the safety and warmth of her curled body and golden wings, whereupon she began to lick-groom me clean of her bodily fluids, silvery tears of joy streaming down her face. Feeling weaker than a newborn kitten - as I lay there with her, letting her tend to me - I couldn't help giving her a wry grin as I rasped, "Well, aren't you a sight for sore eyes! I've got to say, big girl, I love the new look; it suits you!" At this, Ieesha chuffed softly with laughter that ended in a choked sob as she replied, ~You look like I feel, sweet David... you silly human!~

I didn't reply to her speech; I couldn't, for so slow and gentle was her licking that, inadvertently - as her long, soft, fine-pointed tongue rasped softly over my body - I slowly drifted into sleep again. My restful sleep, however, did not last long... Soon, I was abruptly awakened again as I heard a tremendous battering upon the doors of the room we were in. *BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!* Then, there came the sound of many, many Na'vi voices raised in terrible anger! "Open the doors, slayer of our Olo'eyktan!" "We will kill you, thing not of Eywa!" "Tawkami will avenge upon you, hiyik ioang!" As time passed us by, the voices became louder, and the battering upon the doors more insistent.

When I queried Ieesha, she curled herself tighter around me as she swiftly answered, "We are within the Psionic Therapy Chamber, sweet David. I... when I took you inside myself in order to heal you, your Clan's Healers saw me do it; they... they think I killed you!" Since I was still so weak, I couldn't just walk over to the doors, open them and then talk my Clan out of this foolhardy desire for vengeance against my love for her perceived crime. However, there was something I could do... Via our bond, I passed to Ieesha an idea, and - when she gleaned it as if it were hers - her eyes widened and then she chuckled to herself for a moment before commanding the Dragon Weyr to activate its internal and external broadcast systems.

When the Dragon Weyr - chastised, deeply sorrowful, and much relieved that I lived - complied, with said command, she gave a nod of her head; a silent signal for me to begin... and begin, I did! After lacing my voice with as much psionic power as I was able, I inhaled, then opened my mouth and began to sing "The Charge of the Blades of Aiur"; an ancient Protoss Battle Hymn that exemplified and glorified the fury of Protoss Templar Warriors at war, defending the Empire! The rousing song - to which Ieesha eventually added her own voice - seemed to do the trick; gradually, the battering upon the great oaken doors ceased as the vengeful cries from my Clan were replaced by a thundrous, rousing cheer, along with shrieks of joy and cries of sheer disbelief!

With the changing of my Clan's mood I ended the song as Ieesha bade the Dragon Weyr to open the doors of the Psionic Therapy Chamber. The first to enter said Chamber - their eyes wide with awe, for they had never set eyes upon the place before - were Tsa'hik San'eya and Senior Healer Yayo. Seemingly uncaring of Ieesha's presence in the room, the highly resourceful Na'vi healer bustled over to where I lay beneath Ieesha's wing and then - after performing a cursory examination upon me with his eyes and a Medical Bio-Scanner - he knelt down before me, his golden eyes glistening with unshed tears of relief as he stammered, "Ma Olo'eyktan, we... we thought that... we thought that you were..."

Weakly, I raised a hand to first touch his forehead, and then his cheek, bringing him to silence. "Fpom, ma Tsmukan, I know, but as you can see, I am very much alive!" At this, Yayo nodded as he replied, "Srane, I can see that... Eywa surely must have blessed you!" Chuckling, I nodded as I replied, "She certainly did, my friend; she allowed one I thought lost to return to us all, in order to save my life..." Then, gesturing to Ieesha, I recounted a brief summary of the incredible miracle that she had performed - at terrible risk to herself - to save me; of how she had literally taken me inside herself in order to heal me with her body. When I finished the tale - as more of my Clan entered and began to fill the room - Senior Healer Yayo stared at my beloved Ieesha with a look of such awe and reverence that she blushed, her golden cheeks pinkening as she bashfully lowered her head!

Once he was able to come to his senses, however, the Senior Healer of Clan Tawkami bowed deeply to her and then, when he straightened up he said, "Ma Tsmuken... I - we - cannot thank you enough for what you have done for us this day. I am sure I speak for our Olo'eyktan when I say this: ask anything of us and we of Clan Tawkami will see that it is done!" For a moment, my beloved reflected upon his words... and then, lowering her head to where I rested beneath her golden wing, she softly replied, ~All I want, Senior Healer... is to be with my beloved again.~ Then, looking down at me, she said, ~I ask again, sweet David: do you still want me? May I stay with you - be with you - as your Lifemate, again?~

Giving her a wry grin, I sat up and then gently pulled her head to me such that I could place a soft kiss upon the bridge of her muzzle. "Do you even have to ask?" I rasped softly. As tears of the purest joy streamed down her reptilian face, my beloved Lifemate slowly shook her head, a choked whimper catching in her throat. ~No... No, I don't. Not at all...~ she answered, for the answer to her question was one she already knew. As they saw my gesture of affection towards Ieesha, Tsa'hik San'eya, the Elders - and those others of the Clan whom had managed to squeeze into the confines of the relatively small room - stood in respectful silence, not wanting to interrupt this moment between their Olo'eyktan and his yawne.

A moment later, however - when I shifted beneath Ieesha's wing to face them - one by one, all of the Elders of Tawkami bowed gently to Ieesha in reverence as Tsa'hik San'eya stepped forward. Her aged eyes misty with unshed tears of relief and joy, the Spiritual Leader of Clan Tawkami knelt before Ieesha, a hand outstretched hesitantly toward her. "Iee'zha, may I... please, may I...?" she stuttered. My beloved Ikraness, after peering gently at her thoughts, realized what the Tsa'hik desired to do and - with a gentle nod of her head and a smile - granted her request; she gently pushed her golden muzzle against San'eya's open palm. In awe and wonder, my Clan's Tsa'hik of Eywa softly stroked my beloved's snout with her palm, and at the attention, Ieesha started to purr, gently.

Then, a short while later - as she continued to caress my beloved Lifemate - she gasped softly, her eyes widening, as Ieesha deigned to converse with her, speaking directly into her thoughts! ~I have much to thank you for, ma Tsa'hik~ she said softly. ~You chose my David as the new Olo'eyktan of this Clan, Tawkami. Along with his self-appointed duties as Caretaker of Eywa's Children, you gave him a greater purpose, unfettered by hurt and betrayal. In a way... you saved him and for that I thank you deeply!~ Humbled by my beloved's words, Tsa'hik San'eya bashfully lowered her head. "He saved us Nawm Iee'zha," she softly insisted. "He saved us all..."

At this, my beloved Ikraness nodded regally. ~I am aware, ma Tsa'hik; I know of how his Nantang, Falkor, defeated your old Olo'eyktan, Ema'zu. I also know of what he has done for the Clan...~ Upon hearing her words, the Tsa'hik gently interrupted her, "Srane, he brought us to Txra'kon We'er - his home - and he has helped us and taught us so much..." At the Tsa'hik's mention of the Dragon Weyr, a frown creased her muzzle. ~Yes...~ she murmured, a soft growl escaping her, ~the Dragon Weyr. I will be speaking with it again, soon...~ Alarmed by the dark tone of her voice as well as the soft growl she'd emitted, San'eya fixed my beloved with a worried gaze. "Forgive my ignorance Kxayl Txra'kon, but, why do my words anger you?" she asked.

The frown upon her muzzle deepening, Ieesha held the Tsa'hik with a steady unwavering gaze for a moment, before she responded, ~Ma Tsa'hik, what do you know of current events?~ As Clan Tawkami looked on, The Tsa'hik of Eywa thought for a moment, before she answered, "Sometime after our battle against 'They Who Could Not See' our Olo'eyktan was stricken with a mysterious illness, the cause of which we do not know. All we do know is that one of our Senior Healers - a good man named Yayo - said that he stumbled from the Kx'lin'ik of Txra'kon We'er clutching his head in pain! This was before the illness started to afflict him; Txa'vit had gone there during our victory celebration, you see, as he felt he could not celebrate with us whilst our females lay so ill..."

From where I lay beneath Ieesha's wing - drifting in and out of a light doze - I piped up, "Oi... 'Txa'vit' is right here, you know! Please do not speak about me as though I am not present!" At my words, Tsa'hik San'eya turned her head away, letting out an embarrassed cough, whilst Ieesha lowered her head to give me a playful nudge! ~Hush, you; we know you're here, silly human! Now, you just relax beneath my wing and concentrate on getting well, okay; that's an order Templar!~ Grinning up at her, I nodded weakly, a chuckle escaping me before I responded, "Yes, Ma'am!" Then, I closed my eyes and resumed my doze as Ieesha returned her attention to the Tsa'hik.

~What you do not know, ma Tsa'hik~ she said quietly, ~is that Txra'kon We'er is responsible for David becoming ill...~ Then, she brought San'eya up to speed on everything that had happened starting with my visit to the Clinic during the victory celebration. Suffice to say, once Ieesha finished briefing the Tsa'hik, the expression upon the Na'vi woman's face was utterly thunderous! Hissing with anger, she leaped to her feet and whirled away, beginning to pace in agitation. "Why, Iee'zha? Why? Why would Txra'kon We'er do this?" she asked. Heaving a weary sigh, my beloved Ikraness slowly shook her head. ~I do not know~ she answered, ~but I intend to find out!~