The Ayram Alusìng (Hallelujah Mountains) rose all around me. The strong air currents whipped my hair with force, and every so often, the water from the enormous waterfalls cascading from the floating peaks drenched me as Raava—the name I had given my Ikran—veered close to the giant mountains.
"Come on, girl, faster," I said to my friend. She flapped her wings with power and propelled herself forward like a cannon blast. Grace must have already reached the Ikran nesting grounds; she and several other youths of the clan were performing their rite of passage, and I was on my way to provide support to my apprentice.
I reached the spot in a few minutes: a clear ledge outside a cave high in the mountains. The place was crowded with clan youths—over thirty of them. Though it seemed like a large group, it was actually a small turnout this time, as I knew there were usually between forty and sixty youths per rite.
Raava landed, and I dismounted immediately, breaking Tsaheylu with her. I greeted everyone, and they returned the gesture with deep respect. Being a Palulukan Makto (Thanator Rider) commanded that kind of reverence. But beyond that, I was the son of the Olo'eyktan and the next leader of the clan, so the respect was also a matter of duty.
"Aleyx." The three Gulkan in charge of the ceremony approached and greeted me. Their bodies were painted, and they wore the ceremonial garments preferred for such a ritual.
"Gulkan, we may begin," I told them. They nodded and began explaining the final crucial details of the process to their apprentices.
As for me, I signaled Grace to come over. She did so gladly, though I could see she was terrified; she couldn't stop jumping at every Ikran roar in the distance.
"Everything I've taught you will be put into practice here," I told her. "The Ikran that chooses you will want to measure you. It wants to know if you are someone strong enough to share its power, its wings, and its freedom of the sky. It will try to kill you—but you won't let it. You are strong, sensitive, and above all, you learn very quickly. Treat this as just another lesson. Remember: the most important thing is to make Tsaheylu quickly. That will calm it. If you don't do it in time and the Ikran becomes enraged, it will have the chance to kill you or hurl you off the cliff. And no one will intervene."
"That doesn't help much," she muttered. I suppressed the urge to laugh and scolded her instead. "It's not meant to help; it's meant to be practical. Now go, and don't make me look bad."
For two hours, youth after youth completed their rite of passage. Some took longer than others, but eventually, of the nearly thirty present, almost all had finished. Only eight remained, among them, Grace.
"It's your turn. Let's see if you actually learned something," Feki, one of the three Gulkan, said, choosing Grace to be next. I turned serious instantly. It would be an understatement to say I hadn't grown fond of Grace over these four months. I hoped she would survive the rite; I didn't want her to die.
She had proven to be an excellent woman—strong, determined, and possessing an immense connection to Eywa. So much so that I often wondered how she could be human, for connections that deep usually belonged only to the Na'vi.
"Remember what I told you," I mentioned as she stepped into the clearing where the Ikrans were perched. I watched her with intense focus. But contrary to what I expected, something completely strange and unprecedented happened.
All the Ikrans moved away from her. They didn't hiss, they didn't growl, and they showed no aggression. Instead, it was as if they were clearing a path for her. As for Grace, she walked with total confidence, as if something were guiding her.
The three Gulkan and I looked at each other in bewilderment. Nothing like this had ever happened. My own rite had been phenomenal, of course—my Ikran chose me without a fight, as if it had always been waiting for me—but I attributed that to whatever made me "different." But Grace didn't have the advantages I had, aside from her great knowledge and her bond with Pandora.
Grace kept walking until she stood before an Ikran of white color with red and brown tones. The beast extended its neural queue (Tswim) and allowed Grace to make Tsaheylu with it. All of us present stood there, frozen in shock.
"How could something like that happen?" Meriya, my mother, asked the moment we arrived back at the clan and I told her everything. Even I didn't fully understand it.
"Have her see me, quickly," my mother ordered. I stepped out of her tent and found Grace standing outside. "The Tsahìk wants to speak with you."
The look on Grace's face was one of surprise and fear. Before she could have a panic attack, I calmed her down. "She just wants to talk. I don't think anything bad will happen. Remember, you are one of us now," I reassured her, giving her the encouragement she needed.
Grace entered the tent carefully, trying not to make noise or do anything that might anger or startle Meriya. She, more than anyone, knew how the temperament of Na'vi leaders could shift in an instant for no apparent reason.
"Sit," Meriya ordered the moment Grace entered. Although she obeyed, Grace's attention was fixed not on Meriya, but on Me'ra—the Tsahìk's spiritual guide and the bridge between her and Eywa.
"I heard what happened." Meriya watched Grace closely, though Grace kept her eyes lowered out of respect. "My son speaks wonders of you—how quickly you learn, your great knowledge of the jungle. He sees something in you that I have not yet been able to observe. He sees further than others, and I only hope he is not mistaken about you."
Having said that, she looked at Me'ra, who hopped down from her perch and approached both women. "This is Me'ra, my spiritual guide. She has accompanied our clan for generations. She is the bridge between a Tsahìk and Eywa; she has guided many Tsahìk, and she will continue to do so for many more generations. Perhaps even with you."
Grace looked up immediately, breaking protocol and staring directly into Meriya's eyes.
"It is too soon to decide," Meriya continued, "but I see the possibility of it. Me'ra has told me so. However, I have not yet made the decision, as that is something the Olo'eyktan must also approve—and you must agree to it."
Grace remained speechless, her shock rendering her unable to talk.
"You don't have to say anything now. It isn't even decided. Aleyx must not know—at least not until you know everything that being a Tsahìk entails and decide if that is the life you want. Until then, act as normal. Now, go."