Nova flew hard and steady, wings cutting through the air as they left the cave behind.
Nussudle sat forward in the saddle, one hand resting against Nova's neck, the other checking that the strange object from the cave was secure. The system stayed quiet for once, its earlier tone lingering in his thoughts whether he liked it or not.
He was just beginning to relax when the light changed.
It wasn't gradual.
It was sudden.
The world darkened as a massive shadow passed over them, swallowing the sun in an instant. The temperature seemed to drop, the air pressing down heavier than before.
Nova hissed sharply as its instincts roared for it to dodge.
"What was that?" Nussudle muttered, already lifting his head.
He looked up.
At first, his mind tried to make sense of what he was seeing by forcing it into something familiar. Wings. Shape. Movement. Something like an ikran, but far too big. Too broad. Too heavy in the air.
Then the truth landed.
"Toruk!" he yelled.
The Fear hit him like a physical blow.
The great red shape tore through the sky above them, wings spanning wider than any ikran he had ever seen. Its body blocked the sun completely now, casting them into full shadow. The toruk's roar rolled through the air, deep and thunderous, shaking Nussudle's chest.
Nova reacted instantly.
The ikran banked hard to the left, wings folding and snapping open again as he dove between floating rocks. Nussudle barely had time to grip tighter before the force pulled him sideways.
"Nova, go!" he shouted, though the ikran was already moving.
The toruk screamed again, the sound sharp and furious, and dove after them.
Nussudle risked a glance back.
The toruk was closer than he wanted to believe. Its jaws snapped as it cut through the air, claws extended, eyes locked onto Nova with singular focus. This wasn't curiosity.
It was a hunt.
"Eywa…" Nussudle whispered.
Nova surged forward, wings beating faster, harder. The Hallelujah Mountains rushed past in a blur of stone and mist. Floating islands flashed by on either side as Nova twisted through narrow gaps, using speed and precision to stay ahead.
The toruk followed without hesitation.
It clipped a rock as it turned, stone shattering beneath the impact, but the massive creature barely slowed. It roared again, closing the distance, jaws snapping dangerously close to Nova's tail.
Nussudle felt panic claw up his spine. "It's too fast."
Nova angled upward suddenly, climbing sharply. The air thinned as they rose, pressure pulling at Nussudle's lungs. The toruk followed, wings beating powerfully as it gained altitude with terrifying ease.
"Nova—!"
The ikran didn't answer with sound.
He answered with action.
At the last moment, Nova folded his wings and flipped.
The world turned upside down.
Nussudle screamed as gravity tore at him. He clung desperately to the harness, muscles burning as Nova completed a full mid-air backflip, dropping beneath the toruk in one smooth, reckless motion.
For a heartbeat, the toruk overshot them.
Nova snapped his jaws shut hard.
Nussudle felt the impact through the bond as Nova bit deep into the toruk's side, tearing away strips of flesh. The toruk shrieked in pain, the sound raw and enraged, wings flaring wildly as blood scattered through the air.
"Yes!" Nussudle gasped.
But the victory lasted mere seconds.
The toruk twisted with shocking speed, slamming its wing into Nova and knocking them aside. Nova hissed in pain, barely keeping control as they spiralled downward.
"This is bad," Nussudle muttered, fear tightening his voice. That single hit disoriented the pair as they rapidly fell.
The toruk recovered almost instantly, rage burning bright now. It roared again and dove after them, wounded but far from defeated.
Nova didn't try to climb again after falling such a distance; instead, he dove.
Straight toward the forest.
The ground rushed up fast, trees swelling into focus as the canopy raced toward them. Wind tore at Nussudle's face as Nova dropped lower, faster, wings folding tight to build speed.
The toruk followed.
Branches snapped as Nova shot into the upper canopy, weaving between thick limbs and hanging vines. Leaves exploded around them as they tore through narrow gaps.
The toruk slammed into the forest behind them.
Not fully.
But enough.
Massive wings struck branches, tearing them apart. The toruk roared in fury as it forced its way through the trees, smashing aside obstacles that Nova barely slipped past.
Nussudle ducked as a branch whipped past his head. "Home Tree," he shouted. "Go to Home Tree!"
Nova needed no further direction.
They flew low now, skimming just above the forest floor, darting through roots and trunks, using speed and tight turns to their advantage. The toruk crashed behind them, snapping trees and leaving destruction in its wake, but it did not stop.
It would not stop.
Ahead, through the trees, Nussudle saw it.
Home Tree.
Hope flared in his chest as Nova pushed harder, wings screaming with effort. The clearing opened up suddenly, light breaking through the canopy as they burst into open space.
Nova shot upward at the last second, clearing the massive roots and landing hard near the edge of the clearing.
Nussudle turned.
The toruk slammed down moments later.
It perched violently on a massive tree near the clearing, the trunk bending and cracking under its weight. The creature roared, furious and wounded, eyes locked on Nova and Nussudle.
Its tail was torn, bleeding freely.
It had not won.
But it had not lost.
Nussudle stared up at it, chest heaving, fear and adrenaline flooding his body.
"Toruk," he whispered again.
Above them, the great beast spread its wings and screamed its challenge to the forest.
And for the first time since becoming a rider, Nussudle realised something with terrifying clarity.
Some legends did not stay in stories.
They hunted.
The clearing froze.
Birds scattered in every direction, their calls sharp and panicked as the toruk's roar rolled across Home Tree's roots. Leaves shook. Smaller animals fled into the undergrowth. Even the wind seemed to pull back, as if the forest itself was holding its breath.
Nova stood rigid, wings half-spread, chest rising fast. Blood streaked along his jaw from the bite he'd landed, not his own. His tail twitched, tense but ready.
Nussudle slid off the saddle slowly, legs shaking as they hit the ground. He didn't take his eyes off the toruk.
It was closer than he'd ever imagined something that size could be.
The beast perched on the tree like it owned the clearing, its claws biting deep into the bark. The trunk groaned under its weight, fibres splitting with sharp cracks. The toruk's chest heaved, nostrils flaring as it tasted the air, eyes locked on Nova.
On him.
"This is bad," Nussudle said quietly.
Nova hissed, a warning sound, but didn't retreat. The bond between them was tight now, pulsing with adrenaline and instinct. Fight or flee. No room for hesitation.
Movement broke the tension.
From the surrounding platforms, Na'vi warriors appeared, bows raised but uncertain. Calls rang out as riders dismounted, pointing upward in alarm.
"Toruk!"
"Eywa help us!"
"What happened?"
Nussudle barely heard them.
The toruk shifted its weight, wings flexing, preparing to launch again. Its tail lashed, scattering leaves and dust.
Nova crouched lower, ready to spring.
"No," Nussudle whispered, hand pressing against Nova's neck. "Not here."
The toruk roared again, loud enough to rattle Nussudle's teeth. It snapped its jaws, then lunged forward. And stopped.
The system panel flared into view without warning.
Warning:Apex Predator DetectedToruk (Leonopteryx)Threat Level: ExtremeStatus: Aggressive - Injured
Nussudle clenched his jaw. "I know."
System Response:You have been identified.
His stomach dropped. "Identified how?"
System Response:Toruk recognises you.
"That's not possible."
System Response:You carry a legacy marker.
His thoughts raced. The cave. The reward. The object was now pressed against his chest.
The toruk tilted its head slightly, eyes narrowing. It didn't attack. It studied him.
That terrified him more than the charge.
The great beast leaned forward, jaws parting as it released a low, rumbling sound. Not a roar. Something closer to a warning.
Nova responded with a sharp hiss, stepping sideways to place himself between Nussudle and the toruk.
Around the clearing, warriors hesitated. Bows trembled in raised hands, but no one fired. No one dared.
Then a familiar voice cut through the chaos.
"Hold!"
Eytukan stepped forward, spear in hand, eyes fixed on the toruk. He didn't look away as he spoke again, louder this time.
"No one shoot."
Nussudle swallowed. "Eytukan…"
His brother glanced at him briefly, disbelief flickering across his face before he focused again. "What did you do?"
Nussudle didn't have an answer.
The toruk spread its wings wider, the movement slow and deliberate. Wind blasted across the clearing, forcing several Na'vi to stagger back. The tree beneath it cracked louder now, bark peeling away.
The toruk roared once more, then did something none of them expected.
It stepped back.
One claw released its grip. Then another. With a powerful beat of its wings, the great beast lifted off, rising just enough to clear the trees. It circled once overhead, casting its shadow across Home Tree again.
Nussudle felt the weight of its gaze linger on him.
Then it turned and flew.
The sound of its wings faded slowly as it vanished into the sky, leaving destruction and silence behind.
For several seconds, no one spoke.
Nova relaxed first, wings folding back against his sides. Nussudle finally let out the breath he'd been holding, knees threatening to give way.
Eytukan walked over, eyes scanning him quickly. "You alive?"
"Barely," Nussudle replied with a breathless laugh.
Eytukan looked up at the sky where the toruk had disappeared. "That thing doesn't just attack and leave."
Nussudle nodded. "I know."
The system panel flickered again.
System Response:Encounter recorded.
Nussudle closed his eyes briefly.
"Whatever that reward is," he muttered, "it just made things a lot worse."
System Response:Or a lot more important.
He wasn't sure which scared him more.