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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 29

(Continued from Chapter 28...)

My thoughts, however, proved false; as it turned out, preparing my Na'vi friend Txe'lan for travel wasn't a 'logistical nightmare', not with the assistance of the Dragon Weyr. Carefully, the great construct converted the bed upon which our Clan Sister lay into a life-preserving capsule and then affixed it to a powerful Gravitic Sled. With that done, I asked among the members of my Clan for any able-bodied warriors whom wished to undertake the journey with us in order to provide protection for the capsule and its precious cargo from any threat we might encounter, including the Omatikaya, if it came to that. "My fngap tukru shall protect Tsmuke Txe'lan!" Cried Master Warrior Lompor, hefting aloft his massive psi-steel spear.

"And she shall have my fngap tsko swizaw," replied Master Hunter Oo'ano, gesturing to the powerful Photon Cannon borne atop his left shoulder. At this, I protested - I thought that experienced folk such as they might be better utilized here at the Homestead - but it was Lompor whom eased my fears. "Rutxe, ma Olo'eyktan, do not worry" he said, resting a hand upon my shoulder. "There are plenty of Junior and Senior Warriors and Hunters here whom will be able to see to the needs of the Clan in our absence..." As he spoke, there came the sound of several other voices. "She will have my tstal!" "And my txewk!" "And my tskalep!" In the end - along with Masters Oo'ano and Lompor - four senior hunters and four senior warriors chose to come with me, Ieesha, and Tsa'hik San'eya on our journey.

Eight would come with us, and eight would return; of that I would make certain. With those whom would protect us chosen, we checked weapons and equipment, and packed enough food and supplies upon the backs of sturdy Fa'li to last us the several weeks of travel to the territory of the Omatikaya; at that point we were as prepared as able. The night before said journey was to begin, however, something decidedly unusual occurred. As I was taking my evening walk - to check in with those of my Clan whom lived in their thípis outside the Weyr and also check upon the animals in our care - I was approached by Ieesha whom, I noticed, was adorned in her full riding tack. 'That's strange,' I thought, 'I don't remember putting that on her this morning. She must have done it herself... but why?'

Shelving these thoughts aside, I moved to softly caress her muzzle, politely saying, "Good evening, love? Do you need anything?" My beloved did not answer the question and, strangely, she allowed me to caress her only for a moment, after which she pulled away from me and lay down. Then, a feeling of pleading from her filled my thoughts as she chirruped softly, gesturing with her head to her back. Although she chose not to speak, her message was clear - she desired me to mount her - and so, after leaving a message with the Dragon Weyr to let Tsa'hik San'eya know that I would be absent for an as of yet unspecified amount of time, I vaulted atop my Lifemate's back and then attached the heavy duty clips of the riding straps to my Utility Belt in order to secure myself in place.

No sooner had I done this, than Ieesha got to her feet, performed a tremendous leap and then began steadily beating her wings to ascend into the sky and take us away from the Homestead. "Ieesha," I called to her over the noise of the rushing wind, "where are we going? Where are you taking us?" Again, my beloved did not answer my question, and at this, worry gnawed my guts. I can't recall for how long we flew - so impatient was she to get to wherever it was we were going that she took little care during flight; as a result I became slightly disoriented, losing all sense of time - but it must have been for roughly three hours or more. When, at last, Ieesha landed and I was able to dismount from her - as my disorientation passed - I found myself staring at the entrance of a place I'd never been to before: a great cave high within the Hallelujah Mountains.

The Pandoran twilight streamed into it, but after a very short distance, said light faded to almost total darkness. "Where are we, Ieesha?" I asked her when I was standing upon solid ground once more. "Where have you taken us?" As before - when I'd asked her questions during flight - she did not answer; instead, she merely gave a soft bark in her native tongue filled with a commanding undertone before making a gesture with her head. It was obvious she wished for me to follow her into the cave, and so - knowing that she would never willingly allow me to come to harm - I complied with her command. Feeling somewhat apprehensive, I cautiously entered the cave, Ieesha following behind me. Once we were inside, I stopped, and peered around, but I could barely see anything at all; unusual, glowing, natural crystal formations were the most meager of light sources, letting me see nothing in the inky darkness but Ieesha, as a moving, black shadow.

Through gentle nosing, nudging and guidance with her muzzle, my beloved swiftly led me through the cave into a great stone passageway, from which we at last emerged into an enormous cavern hewn from ancient, weathered stone. The crystal formations glowed much brighter here, I noticed; they acted as a source of natural light that allowed me to see the place in its entirety. Dominating the center of the room was what appeared to be a fire pit, but it was long abandoned, its ashes no longer smoldering but dark and dead. Set a little way back from said fire pit, against the northeastern wall, was what appeared to be a nest; a shallow stone pit dug within the ground that had been lined with animal hides and then filled with the softest of leaves and grasses.

Near the nest, a collection of objects - several beautifully coloured stones, three pieces of volcanic glass, and a few obviously stolen Na'vi artifacts - rested upon a rock shelf. Beyond the shimmering crystals veining the stone walls an underground spring burbled gently as it emptied into a subterranean pool at the cavern's back end. The most impressive aspects of this place, however, were the cavern's walls for every inch of them was covered with line drawings! The first pictures I studied were shaky, and hard to discern; beneath them I could see writing: a series of claw-like runes formed from combinations of one to three scratches, and sometimes a dot, obviously made by a dewclaw. 'This... this must be the written form of Hi'i Kirr'ta!' I thought, amazed. 'Ieesha and her dragon kin had their own system of writing? Incredible...'

In wonder, I continued to examine the cavern walls. As my Lifemate had gotten used to her new body and had continued to work, she'd gotten better. Much better, in fact. I could only assume that my beloved's night vision had allowed her to work non-stop throughout the darkest hours. Stunned, I slowly turned this way and that in an effort to more thoroughly observe this amazing gallery of Ikran art. Some of her pictures were quite abstract, whilst others were very obvious. I beheld representations of Yerik, Nantang, and Talioang. One picture I saw could have been a Palulukan or perhaps an Angtsik. And there were Ikran everywhere. Many different breeds were now living here upon the walls within this amazing cavern.

There had to be at least two dozen Ikran surrounding us. Ieesha had created a whole world upon the walls of this place, as if she was full of stories and wanted to tell them all at once. Amongst the gallery, I espied her latest work and - as I beheld it - I growled, "Vi'thos!" From his place upon the wall, the Protoss Judicator Andorhal Vi'thos did, indeed, gaze back at me, appearing haughty and proud, yet bearing an aura of corruption about him. Beneath the figure was written the word, A'thet. That word, translated from her native tongue, meant "deceiver" and the Protoss Judicator had been all that and more, a truly vile being. Although I had never before seen the written form of her race's language, dear readers, due to the bond we shared I was immediately able to comprehend and understand it.

It was the portrait of the Judicator that finally enabled me to discern the nature of this place, and as it dawned upon me, I turned to stare at Ieesha, my eyes widening with realization. "This... this is your old lair, isn't it?" I asked, looking at her in wonder. "You... before you came to the Dragon Weyr to heal me - and to resume living with me there - this is where you lived!" Upon hearing my words, my beloved Lifemate nodded her head, a trill escaping her, the sound low and pleasant. "It's an incredible place, Ieesha" I replied with a smile. "Thank you for bringing me here to see it, but... why are we here? Why have you brought me here?" Again my beloved made no attempt to answer my question.

Instead, moving her head forwards, she briefly rested her muzzle atop my head for a moment and pushed down firmly, before withdrawing and emitting a sharp, commanding chirrup! The meaning of her unusual gesture was obvious - "stay where you are" - and thus, I did, as I wondered what she would do next. For a moment, my beloved affixed me with a steady gaze and then - once she was satisfied that I would indeed stay put - via telekinesis she carefully removed her riding tack, placed it upon another rock shelf, and made to leave the lair cavern. 'Hang on,' I thought, 'where's she off to?' Opening my mouth, I took a breath, intending to call out to her and inquire as to where she was going, but as I did so, she turned and loosed a deep, rumbling growl, followed by a short, sharp bark as if saying "Do not speak!"

Closing my mouth with an audible click, I complied. With that, my beloved left the lair cavern. 'To do what?' I wondered. After a period of about an hour - during which time I contented myself with studying the art upon the walls - my beloved returned to her lair cavern carrying within her mouth the carcass of a freshly killed yerik! Carefully, she lowered the freshly killed animal to the cavern floor and then, as I looked on, neatly and carefully she divested the animal of its hide with her claws, before spearing a chunk of meat - enough for a full, human-sized meal - upon one of said claws. Then, carefully balancing herself upon three legs, my beloved held the meat out towards me, offering it to me.

Knowing that I couldn't eat the raw yerik meat without becoming ill, yet unwilling to simply refuse her kind and thoughtful gesture - my throat suddenly dry - I rasped, "I... I thank you, but... I cannot accept this. If I eat it, I will become ill!" At my words, instead of withdrawing the meat and eating it herself, my beloved held her claw up to her muzzle and then - turning it this way and that whilst releasing a plume of brilliant, controlled blue flame from her maw - she cooked the chunk of meat for me, before offering it to me once more, a deep, rumbling growl escaping her. Her message was clear; I would not be allowed to refuse her a second time. Therefore, without any hesitation - even though I knew that the Pandoran meat wasn't compatible with my body and would make me ill come morning - bowing deeply to her in thanks, I accepted the cooked meal from Ieesha and ate it as she looked on in satisfaction.

Once I'd eaten her offering, my beloved sat back upon her haunches, affixing me with a beady eye, and I got the feeling that she was waiting for something. 'Wait a moment... She's just shared her food with me, so maybe I need to do the same for her. Could that be what she's waiting for?' I wondered. Unlike her I was no hunter of game, yet I had to offer her something and so - after searching through the many pockets of my Templar Robe - I produced, of all things, an MRE or 'Meal Ready to Eat.' It was a paltry offering compared to what she'd given me - merely one of many such meals; the basic field ration that a Zealot or Templar packed as part of his or her battlefield supplies - but, after preparing it for her, I offered it to her anyway. "I know it's not much" I said to her, humbly, "but... will you accept this?"

To my surprise and delight - with a happy-sounding trill - she did accept it. After she'd eaten it, however - wanting to give her something better than such a small, paltry thing - with the sharp bone dagger from my Utility Belt I slit open the carcass of the yerik she'd hunted from chest to groin, allowing her to feast upon it; a task she set upon with great gusto! Once she'd eaten her fill of the yerik - purring deeply with satisfaction - Ieesha flamed the remains of the carcass to naught but ashes and then, after carefully cleaning her face with paws and tongue she moved forward, took a piece of my Templar Robe in her mouth and tugged at it gently. "You... you want me to... take this off?" I asked, gesturing to the ceremonial garment. A nod and quiet chirrup was her reply. "Why?" I asked.

Her reply to my question was a series of soft growls, followed by a far more insistent tug upon my garment - as if she was saying, "Please remove it, now!" Not wanting to incur her anger - inhaling a shaky, nervous breath - somewhat hesitantly I complied. Removing my emerald-green Templar Robe from around my body, I carefully folded, and placed it on the chamber floor. Then, I removed my Khaydarin Amulet from around my neck, and un-strapped my Forearm Computer from my right forearm, carefully placing said items atop my folded robe. Now dressed only in my black tracksuit pants, and special midnight-blue Kevlar shirt I faced her again, asking, "Well, now what?"

In the manner she'd just used - taking pieces of my clothing in her mouth and tugging upon them gently - my Lifemate wordlessly bade me remove the rest of my clothing; my Kevlar shirt, leather shoes, utility belt, and tracksuit pants, and even my socks and underwear. As I undressed, she watched me intently, her deep midnight blue eyes filled with an expression of the deepest, most primal desire - an expression so intense that it stunned and frightened me - until finally, I stood naked before her. Taking a step forward, Ieesha lowered her head and then - after gently nosing my legs apart with her muzzle - she examined my privates for a moment, before she proceeded to sniff me, carefully taking in my scent!

Much to my chagrin, this action - coupled with the feeling of her warm breath upon my privates - caused me to harden within moments. Closing her eyes and curling her upper lip, Ieesha analyzed the complex molecules in her lungs, and then completed her analysis by curving her long, fine-pointed tongue deep between my legs and then slowly drawing back, in one agonizingly slow and sensual swipe, tasting everything I offered from my anus, my testes and up the entire length of my pulsing shaft, making me groan softly. 'What... what on earth is she doing?' I wondered. A moment later, however, when Ieesha backed off and then began to perform a strange dance - chirruping and trilling as she strutted before me, showing off every inch of her glorious new Ikran body, and occasionally flagging me, offering me only the barest tantalizing glimpses of what lay beneath her beautiful, long, and slender tail - I was struck by an epiphany, my jaw dropping and eyes widening in realization.

'The flight back to her lair, her offering of food to me, and now this dance! It's a courtship ritual!' I thought as I observed her behavior. 'Ieesha wants... she wants to...' Now knowing exactly what she wanted of me, when she completed her dance and sat back upon her haunches, waiting expectantly, I returned her gesture by performing a long, slow, sensual kata to show her my body - not that of some muscle-bound body builder, but that of an athlete; toned and lithe from combat training followed by centuries of battle against the forces of the Zerg. By the time I finished my kata - my own version of her courtship dance - Ieesha was panting softly with arousal, the occasional whimper escaping her as, from between her legs, her essence dripped upon the floor, forming a small puddle from which her own scent rose, thick, heady and feminine, to fill the suddenly humid lair cavern.

Then, there was near-silence in the cavern - not a sound save for that of our soft breathing - until finally, finally Ieesha could bear it no longer; as I looked on she raced to her nest and then practically fell into it, rolling over onto her back such that I could clearly see her netherlips, flushed crimson and splayed with her arousal, her essence still running from between them to stain her crotch, tailbase, and thighs. And so, there she lay - wriggling and writhing for a moment with the sheer desperation of her need - until at last she craned her head to stare down her great body, affixing me with a desire-filled gaze from between her legs as from deep within her throat, she issued a lustful, purring trill, the sound low and seductive.

The sight of her laying there was too much - she looked so wanton, so ruttish - and... And then I was moving, making my way atop her, straddling her neck to pepper her muzzle with feather-light kisses, broadcasting to her every bit of my desire, every bit of my want. Ieesha's response was to reflect said feelings back to me - along with her own - a soft, keening whine escaping her as our tongues danced in passion. After thoroughly kissing her muzzle, I moved away from her face and began licking with my tongue, down her neck to her chest, and then along each of her forelegs, followed by her clawed paws. After that, I moved on, licking along her belly, and then over each of her muscular hind legs, all the way down to the second set of paws there.

With my tongue, I licked every inch of her body - giving her what was known as a 'trip around the world' - before I finally licked from above her golden tail-tip, all the way up to her tail base, and then finally to the treasure nestled between her legs. By now, Ieesha was keening softly from a combination of heightened arousal and sheer frustration! She wanted me to finish what I'd started, wanted me to lick the blood-engorged lips of her vulva and the heated flesh of her vagina, until her body shook with blissful climax. I could no longer deny her... Therefore, without hesitation, I buried my human face between her muscular thighs and began to lick her swollen sex.

I tongued her blood-engorged nether-lips, licked and nipped at her swollen, prominent clitoris, and repeatedly plunged my tongue deep into the liquid heat of her vagina to drink her essence. It tasted like a combination of honey and vanilla - sweet and rich - and I just couldn't get enough; I craved it so much, in fact that I became almost rough with my ministrations! My beloved didn't seem to mind, however; on the contrary, the harder I licked her, the more she enjoyed it as she moaned and growled her passion to the lair cavern's ceiling. All things that have a beginning, have an end, however, and eventually Ieesha opened her maw to release a great roar of passion as her climax hit!

She came hard and powerfully, bucking and thrashing against me - a gout of fire escaping her golden muzzle to scorch the stone above us - as her thick, sweet essence gushed from her vagina to splash over my face, and drench her nether-lips, thighs and tail-base! As her climax rolled through her, I didn't stop licking her; on the contrary, with reckless abandon I continued licking her through her orgasm until she could stand it no longer. ~Please, sweet David, please...~ she uttered quietly, desperately - at last making use of the bond we shared - as she panted and whimpered softly. Those were the words that I wanted - needed - to hear and with that, dear readers, I sheathed myself inside her.

Had any of you been there, dear readers, you might have wondered how it could have even been possible, or even thought the sight comical, or perhaps deeply perverted - a human man mating with an animal far larger than he - but together, Ieesha and I made it work. As I made love to her ever-so-gently, she felt every feather-light kiss and lick I placed upon her grapefruit-sized clitoris and her internal muscles, normally used to birth live young, clenched and rippled around me powerfully as I drove myself into her over and over and again - our shared passion rising and falling, rising and falling, rising and falling... until finally, we could withstand it no more! ~Yes, sweet David~ my beloved whispered softly as we neared our peak. ~Take me. Claim me, mark me; I am yours!~

The sight of her great body heaving and thrashing in ecstasy beneath me, her huskily whispered words... It was all too much; I spilled my seed within her then pulled out briefly to leave a splash across her netherlips - marking her as she had desired me to - before crashing back into her, deeper than before, as she, too, reached her climax, a brilliant surge of pleasure rushing through our bond as her thick, creamy mucus-like essence spilled onto my crotch and belly! As the climax - her second this night - tore through her, amidst it she raised her head upwards and vocalized her joy in a loud, lust-filled version of her new signature Banshee cry; a beautiful, wonderful and terrible sound that left me stunned, breathless, and nearly deaf! It was the Cry of Claiming; a sound released by a female Kirathian Dragon at the culmination of her first mating as a warning to other dragons that she had been claimed - thoroughly taken - by a powerful male!

* * *

Outside the lair cavern, two hunting Ikran - one old and scarred and the other young with hide unblemished - heard my beloved's scream. Upon hearing the passionate cry of my beloved Lifemate, they realized that they had accidentally flown into the territory of a Matriarch who was powerful indeed; a Matriarch deep in the throes of her mating rut, whom had just been claimed by a male of equal strength, as proven by the sheer volume of her Cry! Ikran Matriarchs would often kill other, lesser Ikran whom disturbed them during mating; that was, unless their mates didn't kill the interlopers first... As one, they turned and looked at each other... and then - peeping softly to each other like terrified chicks - they turned tail and fled like bats out of hell, abandoning the yerik they were hunting and had planned to share.

* * *

The night, dear readers, wasn't over yet. Again and again, I made love to Ieesha, with Ieesha and for Ieesha. We mated like animals, loved like gods, and desired like dreams... Sometimes she laid down in her nest such that I could take her from behind, holding her hips to brace myself as I pounded into her again and again, until I blasted my seed within her as she howled and came hard, her sweet essence gushing from her vagina to drench my crotch and thighs. Other times she braced herself against a wall of her nest such that she could kiss-lick over my body whilst I made love to her as I had done before, pleasuring her body with my hands, lips and tongue as foreplay, before raining feather-light kisses all over her face and muzzle as I drove myself into her again and again, until I spilled my seed within her as she keened softly with climax.

As we experienced sensations so powerful they left us shaking and breathless, our voices, moans and rapture were barely stifled by the lair cavern's walls about us; we neither knew, nor cared, if any other animals lived in the Hallelujah Mountains. All we cared for was each other. We studied each other's bodies as if we were two blind children learning to read Braille for the first time feeling things that only a lucky few ever truly felt for each other. After the second bout of mating, we held each other close... and sometimes I kissed her. At first it was just a brush of skin against soft hide, the most innocent and comforting of embraces, deft and barely there. But as I broke that contact, a gentle wingtip would pull me back toward her and our mouths, human and reptilian, would meet again in a heated, endless kiss.

Our breath mingling, souls melding, hearts beating. And sometimes she kissed me. I would become lost in the satin smooth feel of her lips against my own, how my body fit perfectly in the large curl of hers, how my hands played oh-so-naturally over her soft, golden hide. After a third bout of mating, we held each other close... until our gentle holding of each other became fierce, tight, and desperate. As we clung to each other, Ieesha whimpered softly, desperately, caressing my body with her great paws and wings and nuzzling my face with her golden muzzle whilst I softly caressed her body with my own hands as if to memorize her form. For moments that seemed like an eternity, we did this, until finally, a metaphorical dam burst within us and we wept like newborn babies - to each other, with each other, for each other.

We had missed each other so much and that we had found each other at all; that we were again reunited... it was like a dream - some kind of fantasy made real. 'What if it is?' I thought, horror suddenly grasping me in its chilling grip. 'What if this is some elaborate fantasy, and in reality, I'm actually back inside the Dragon Weyr, with my Clan, yet alone? Or, what if I'm back in the Science Facility, on Earth, experiencing my last moments of happiness before the Government of Earth turns me into a Ghost? Or, what if none of this is real; what if I'm back at home, still a useless, worthless, fifteen-year-old failure? Oh, Adun...' Feeling my distress acutely, Ieesha whined softly.

~Sweet David,~ she said , ~we have held each other close and shared together our tears; now let us kiss and share each other's breath. This is real, we are here, and we are alive.~ She did, and as our two hearts - human, and dragon-turned-Ikran - reached out and touched, we kissed each other. The way that the first lovers on my home world Earth had kissed each other, with wonderful curiosity, raging passion, guiltless want and love. After a final bout of mating, we held each other close... caressing each other, gazing into each other's eyes without saying a word, because what we had was beyond words, beyond logic, beyond... everything. We didn't need to say the words 'I love you' to each other.

No words were needed, because we could feel the love we had for each other, and let it flow back and forth, back and forth, back and forth, over and over, across our bond. Sometimes, however, we would say the words, but even then they were not a profession of feelings, merely a reaffirmation of what we already knew: that we were as one again and still loved each other, truly, deeply, utterly, and completely. Later, before we collapsed peacefully into each other and drifted into sleep, Ieesha said to me softly, ~It is Ah'ma'hii.~ Roughly translated the word meant, 'Mergence'; the deepest bonding that a mated pair of Kirathian Dragons - or, in this case, Ieesha and I - could have with one another. It wasn't truly magic but it also wasn't psionic either; it was instead something so powerful that my Lifemate could barely explain it.

Far above and beyond a simple joining of the body, mind, and soul, it was something ancient, and primal; something through which we could never truly die as long as the other lived. Love, immortal. Love, in memory. Love, forever. The next morning, Ieesha and I expected to awaken next to each other such that we could look into each other's eyes. What we did not expect, was to awaken to the sight of an uncloaked Protoss Observer, buzzing about us like an irritating fly as via its internal speakers it played - of all things - some of the worst generic cheesy porno groove music we had ever heard! A deathly growl escaping her - with reflexes far superior to my own - Ieesha knocked the unwanted and definitely unwelcome thing from the air and slammed it to the ground with a heavy paw stunning it and silencing the god-awful sound!

Then, snarling softly with rage, she said, ~ What is the meaning of this? How dare you intrude upon my mate and I when we are sleeping! Why have you come here? Did you follow us?!~ Cowed before her furious anger, the little Observer chattered at her in terrified binaric, struggling futilely within my beloved's grip, until finally I tapped her on the flank. When she turned from eying the Observer as though it were her next meal to face me, I softly intoned, "Hey, come on love; let him up. You know he can't answer you when he's pinned like that!" Heaving a weary sigh, Ieesha looked once more at the terrified machine as it struggled beneath her paw... and then she looked to me... and then at the Observer again... before finally, she complied and released it.

Once the machine was free from her grasp, as it levitated into the air again to hover drunkenly before us - its circuits a little frazzled from its impact with the ground - Ieesha asked again, ~Did you follow us?~ Upon hearing her question, the Protoss Observer did not reply; instead, it just continued to hover unsteadily in the air before us and - upon seeing this - a moment later my beloved's rage filled my thoughts as she repeated the question, slower. ~Did. You. Follow. Us?~ When, at last, the little machine deigned to answer her question - dipping its golden psi-steel body to nod in assent - my beloved Lifemate's rage became supplanted by raw fury as she bellowed loudly, the sound almost deafening me and nearly causing the high quality electret microphones that served as the Observers ears to short!

Swiftly I attempted to calm and placate her but Ieesha would have none of it; ignoring me she butted her head directly into the drone's personal space as she yelled ~You filthy vae'ha! Did you witness our mating last night? Did you... did you archive it?~ Frantically, the Observer twisted its psi-steel body from left to right - performing the gesture for 'no' - and then attempted to display something via its small holographic emitter, perhaps images of what it had seen, but Ieesha wouldn't allow it. Utterly incensed, she smacked the machine with her tail before snarling, ~Then why - by Trag'Oul's Breath - are you here?~ The little Observer answered her question with a quote from an old psalm, "People wonder where you are and if you're real or not."

At this Ieesha growled viciously and made to strike the machine again, but as she did so I touched her side, softly. "He's right, love; no doubt San'eya and the others are probably wondering where we are," I said. Then, turning away from her briefly to look at the Observer, I stated, "Please return to the Homestead, friend, and tell Tsa'hik San'eya that we'll be back soon." As the aerospace drone turned to leave, glaring daggers at its back, my Lifemate snapped , ~Yes, we'll be back soon. Now get out!~ Wisely - and quickly - the Observer fled from her presence! Once it had vacated the lair cavern Ieesha gently dropped her head to rest between her forelegs and then - as I caressed her face, stroking a hand soothingly down the bridge of her snout, from just below her eyes to the tip of her nose - she heaved a weary sigh, her resentment and bitterness filling my thoughts. "What's the matter, sweetie?" I asked her.

Longing flowed into my mind from hers through our shared bond, then, as she answered, ~I... I wish... I just wish it could be just us again, sometimes, you know? No Weyr or its machines to interrupt us; no Clan Tawkami or our duties to them; no animals to take care of! Just you and me, here in this old lair cavern, living a simple life with each other. Am I selfish, David, for wanting that again for us?~ After placing the softest of kisses upon her muzzle-tip, I slowly shook my head as I answered, "Nah, you're not selfish at all, Ieesha, but what you have to realize is that it can never be 'just us' again; not anymore. I'm not going to give up everything I've built here on Pandora - or my duties to my menagerie and Clan - just to stay in this cavern, or return to Aiur.

Besides, I enjoy being Olo'eyktan of Clan Tawkami and caring for Pandora's animals. Working with the Na'vi is certainly easier than the work I did for my people and Caste back on Aiur! You like it here, too, don't you?" When her affirmation filled my thoughts and she answered, ~I do, very much, sweet David, but...~ I gently continued, "My days of tense political negotiations in the Judicator Assembly, battle against the Zerg, and freelance adventuring are behind me, and I'm not going to give up my new life here for you, or anyone! Do you understand?" A soft, choked sob escaping her, Ieesha nodded slowly, her understanding filling my thoughts, as she softly recited, ~Va'sa, Chi'vah, Tae'ah'ni~ - Duty, Honor, Loyalty - before answering, ~I understand, sweet David, I really do, but...~

Suddenly, her longing turned to sadness as she looked up at me, her eyes misty with unshed tears as she continued, ~...Sometimes... just sometimes...~ Lapsing into silence, she closed her eyes - a deep, shuddering sigh escaping her - as, in a voice filled with understanding, I quietly replied, "I know, sweetheart; I know. Sometimes, I miss it, too..." A moment later - once she was able to bring her emotions under control, slyly, she said ~So... are you sure your want for politics, battle, and adventure has passed?~ Pretending to pointedly ignore the amusement flowing from her into my mind, I replied, "Yup, positive!" Her faux disbelief filled my thoughts as, with great sarcasm, she responded, ~Really? So, you don't deal with the politics of Clan Tawkami on a daily basis?~

Yawning softly, and snuggling back against her as we lay there together in her old nest, I grinned and then answered, "Nope, I don't. Not at all. The Clan mostly takes care of itself; I just settle any disputes. Nope, no more politics for me!" I let out a mock sigh of relaxation, and then began to whistle innocently as Ieesha - her sarcasm thickening - responded, ~Uh-huh, sure... So, what about the adventure you undertook with the Clan to retrieve their damsels in distress from the vile clutches of 'They Who Could Not See?~ Gazing at her solemnly - fighting to suppress my laughter - I softly intoned, "That wasn't an adventure; it was--an important rescue mission!" Gently pressing one of her smallest claws to the place where her lips joined at the right side of her muzzle - reminiscent of Doctor Evil from the 'Austin Powers' Films - Ieesha replied, ~Right... And what about the battle against those vile monsters? Admit it; you loved it!~

Puffing out my chest - really struggling not to give in and burst out laughing - I responded, self-importantly, "It... it wasn't a battle; it was..." and then I deflated as I continued, "... oh, alright, you've got me there, love; it was a great journey and a great scrap. Alright, I admit it: my desire for the excitement of adventure and battle hasn't faded, at all!" With a triumphant chirrup - as her amusement rolled through my thoughts - she exclaimed, ~Ha! I knew it!~ Then, becoming sly once more, she quietly said, ~Sweet David, there's just one more thing I want to ask you...~ Looking into her midnight-blue eyes, I replied, "Yes, what is it?" Her amusement still rolling through my thoughts, she coyly said, ~Your desire for mating. Has that passed as well?~

In mock anger, I growled, "You. Bath. Now!" and then made a grab for her wriggling tail! With a soft 'meep' of mock fear, she whipped her tail away from me and then - as she hurriedly clambered from the nest and raced to the back of the lair cavern - I leaped from it, too, and playfully chased after her! A short while later, drunk on our own happiness, we made our way into the subterranean pool at the back of the lair-cavern and there, as we carefully bathed each other to wash away the evidence of our previous night's mating - touching, kissing, and gently nuzzling each other all the while - I quietly asked, "Ieesha, about last night... What brought that on? Err, not that I'm complaining, mind you!"

At my question she blushed, her golden cheeks turning bright spring green, and then - nuzzling and licking me here and there whilst I carefully washed her face - she softly answered, ~I... I missed you, sweet David; I wanted to be close to you - to reconnect with you, just... just in case...~ She lapsed into silence, then - and as her worry filled me - I coaxed her gently to continue. "'Just in case' of... what?" I asked. Her body trembling despite the warmth of the underground spring water, she gently pressed her head against my chest, a whimper escaping her as she answered, ~Just in case something should happen on the Journey to the Tree of Souls, or with the Omatikaya...~

Now I understood. My beloved feared for me and swiftly, I moved to ease her fears. "Listen to me Ieesha" I replied gently, raising her head up such that she was forced to look into my eyes, "Nothing is going to happen..." Unfortunately, dear readers, we all make mistakes - it was the wrong thing to say to her - and as I spoke, she backed away from me, baring her teeth in anger! ~Trag'Oul damn you, David~ she cursed vehemently, ~you don't know that! Damn it... I've just found you again after helping you recover from serious illness! I don't want to lose you to some... some Na'vi Clan's hatred! What if their prejudice against you becomes so bad that they declare war on you, hmm? You'll probably be killed...~

Weathering the tumultuous mix of her anger and hurt as it rolled through our bond, as she lowered her head and keened - a soft, low, utterly heart wrenching sound - I stepped towards her gathering her head into my arms as I warmly channeled the Viking Gobber from the Film, 'How to Train your Dragon, "Oh, you don't know that!" A watery chuckle escaping her, she played along, channeling Stoic, ~I do know that, actually.~"No you don't" I responded. ~No, actually I do~ she said. "No you don't!" I replied finally, ending the 'argument' and then that was it; we both cracked up laughing, leaning against each other for support! A while later - once we were able to get ourselves under control - as our bath continued, Ieesha affixed me with a serious, steady gaze. ~I really am worried for you David~ she said.

"Look" I finally replied, "the Omatikaya may be prejudiced against me because I'm human but so far, that's all it's been - just prejudice. All they've ever done is give me the cold shoulder, but they've seen what I do and it's never escalated beyond that. It won't this time, okay? Besides, you're coming with me, and with you there - along with our Warriors and perhaps Falkor and Miracle if they want to come - no member of the Omatikaya will even lift a finger to hurt me!" I know, dear readers, that it seemed presumptuous of me to assume that Ieesha would come with me, but... that was how it was; ever since my bonding with her - oh so long ago, when she'd been a Kirathian Dragon - no matter where I'd travelled, she had always come with me.

I'd never asked her to come, and had never forced her to, either; it was just something she always did of her own volition. Since she'd become an Ikran of Pandora, this modus operandi hadn't changed; thus, when I made the journey with my Clansmen to the Tree of Souls to attempt to help Txe'lan, she would be making said journey with me. At my words, Ieesha nodded slowly. ~I hope you're right, sweet David.~ Then, a weary sigh escaping her, she glumly continued, ~Well, we'd best finish up here and get back to the Homestead I suppose...~ Nodding to her, I replied, "Yeah... better get back to the daily grind..." Then, giving her a gentle hug and a soft kiss upon her nose, I murmured, "Hey, it'll be alright. We'll make time again for each other soon, I'm sure of it!"