The forest is so peaceful at night, a silent beauty of ethereal danger that only pulled me closer to its depths. The dark colours of shadows danced under the mysterious and magical light of the bioluminescence that glowed my pathway as I hummed softly to myself.

Upon hearing my voice the plants drew closer, breathing with the wind as I reached out and felt vines softly caress me, reaching out to my back as I stepped out of their reach. Tilting my head back I sighed contently, clicking my fangs together before opening my eyes. Pandora. My home.

Everything was a silent sigh on the wind with the distant songs of creatures of the night, singing their hunting songs as others slept safely in their nests. A pack of Viperwolves were not too far away however I was not worried about them, I had my bow and knife with me so I was hardly unarmed.

In fact I believe I was coming close to passing into Omaticayan land, where natives like me lived in Hometree, a bright community of warmth, fires, friends and family. I had none of these things except maybe for warmth as the forest seemed to radiate with heat as I walked towards a trickling river.

I did not mind though, I was used to being alone. My family and tribe had died out years ago and I had been the only one to survive. We called them metal demons, only I was too young to understand what it meant at the time.

They had come with gnashing teeth of harsh and cold material, biting through our little forest and destroyed everything, including my home. I remember standing there in the blaze of fire, these tall monsters heading close and closer to me until my mother had picked me up and carried me away, putting me safely into a little grove under the roots of our sacred tree, telling me to wait there as she went back for father.

She never returned. The monster had eaten its was greedily through my home and I had just sat there and cried, covering my face as it stopped mere inches away from me. The sound of short bursts of thunder rang in my ears and, petrified, I had run away after the retreating forms of my people.

They had quickly fallen over and I stood over them, confused at why they were not moving. The sweet innocence of my childhood did not allow me to see that they had passed through the eye of Eywa. These demons had come towards me and I had watched them, blinking as the sun began to sink below the horizon.

They had all lifted their long staffs that spouted fire, noise and metal at me and I simply stood there, accepting my fate despite not knowing what it was meant to be. However Eywa decided it was not yet my time.

A palulukan had leaped onto the demons, making them scream in fear and destroy them, tearing the limbs from the body but still they lived as they retreated to safety, firing their metal lightning at the palulukan who had saved my life.

As a child I was ignorant and unwise to why this had happened but aged brought me wisdom. Eywa needed me for something important. So the palulukan had bounded towards me, swept me up with his head and flipped me onto his back as I sobbed and he carried me away.

He had raised me, taught me how to fight and hunt as best as he could. I was not a strong hunter as a Na'vi will never be as agile, fast or powerful as a palulukan but I learned enough to keep me alive. I prayed my thanks to Eywa for this blessing.

However I was a strong fighter. I would wrestle with Palu, the palulukan, everyday become stronger until I had learned his weaknesses, his moves, the way he thinks and more importantly, how to defeat him. Sometimes it would work, other times it would not but still, there was always that chance.

Palu was dead now. He had been an elderly palulukan when I was a child, now that I was matured, Eywa beckoned him back to her now that I was old enough to look after myself. Every day I missed him. He had raised me, sheltered me, brought me food and water, he was closer to me than any friend and we would often share our bonds and go racing through the forest together at night to reach exhilarating speeds.

My mind drifted back to the present as I stood on the arm of a massive tree root that twisted down into a clearing hundreds of feet below. Everything was so peaceful, until the scream of an ikran filled my ears.

My head snapped up and I watched as the creature fell from the sky, tumbling with flailing wings as it tangled itself into the vines that snapped up around him, twisting tightly until he was unable to move. His pitiful wails filled my ears as I saw his saddle, he was calling for his rider. Where was the rider?

Then I saw him, limping through the foliage, clutching under his arm to stem the blood flow of a wound and I could tell that he was hurt badly. Sucking in a deep breath I began to step forwards, intending to help when I sniffed the air upon the changing of wind and froze.

A palulukan crept from the bushes down below, revealing himself in the clearing, making the ikran scream even louder to alert the male rider. I watched as the rider drew his bow and crouched down, still limping heavily but the palulukan was not intimidated. It licked its lips at this healthy meal before him.

Without a moment of hesitation I began to descend to the clearing, sliding down the roots and gripping on from time to time to slow my fall. Pausing I looked down and hissed, narrowing my round eyes as the palulukan swiped the rider aside easily, knocking him against a tree where he went still. The beast crawled towards the ikran, snarling as it prepared to strike.

I struck first. Leaping from my hold on the roots I gave a warrior yell, shrieking to alert the palulukan to my presence, drawing attention away from the ikran. The rider stirred and lifted his head slightly but I did not mind him, simply because I had landed on the palulukan's back.

The creature yelled in fury, leaping up and down as it tried to throw me off but I snaked with the movements, gripping on tightly then ducked low whenever the wide, armoured tail whipped around to try and knock me off its back.

Reaching forwards I grabbed one of the sensitive quills on the side of its neck as they bristled then gripped it tightly, making the hunter squeal in pain then writhe on the floor, rolling as it tried to shake me off but I clung on, snapping my fags before finally letting go.

I flipped off its back and turned, drawing my handmade bow and arrow which I then pointed at the palulukan, hissing in warning as I stood before the ikran as it hissed and struggled against its bonds. The male groaned, trying to get up but his wounds kept him grounded. Stupid male, he should lay still so that he does not daw attention to himself.

"Be gone, night hunter!" I snarled at the palulukan as it prowled before me, questioning whether it should strike. "You will find no prey here tonight." The creature snarled, swiping its claws at me but I did not flinch. Finally deciding that I was too much inconvenience for a bony ikran and scrawny male, the palulukan hissed at me one last time before disappearing into the trees.

With a soft sigh I listened carefully, making sure that it was definitely retreating and not simply trying to make me drop my guard before circling back. Drawing my knife I slowly approached the terrified ikran, soothing it softly and reaching out.

The male had finally come around after being knocked out and he watched me with bleary eyes, unable to focus completely as his head hammered. My knife cut the vines from the ikran once my soft and gentle voice had calmed it and I lowered my gaze, not meeting its eye as I stroked its face. "Be calm sky flier, there is no need to be afraid." I whispered as the ikran purred at me.

Finally I turned my attention to the male who was still not moving but watching me, blinking as his eyes began to slide shut. I crouched beside him, tilting my head curiously to the side. He was Omaticayan, I could be sure of that since his skin was cyan blue whereas mine was considerably paler and my markings were slightly different to his.

Reaching out I brushed my fingers against his lids and closed them as he sighed deeply, head rolling to the side as he fell into Eywa's arms to sleep. Using some of the flat vines I had cut from the ikran I bound his wounds as his mount nuzzled him, placing one wing protectively over him. "I must bind his wounds, do I have your permission to approach?" Asking the ikran softly the incredible creature looked at me then stepped to the side, allowing me forwards.

I bound the wound on his ribs and strapped up his leg as it was broken then looked to the purple ikran with a kind smile. "You will have to carry him for me, I am not as strong as I look." Helping to lift him up onto the ikran's back I held one of the queues, gently guiding him forwards as he carried his rider to where I was planning on taking them for shelter for tonight.

On the outskirts of Omaticayan territory there was a wonderful cave I had found and made my home. It was small and round, barely big enough to fit myself and my guests inside but the fine hairs of silver roots shone in the dark, throbbing with every pulse of energy that flowed through them like a glowing waterfall.

I placed the strange male onto these hairs and they shivered, reaching up to weave their way over his body and connect with the nape of his skull where his tendrils were plaited. They began to work their miracles, healing him gently with the energy of the forest.

I was silent as I stroked the ikran's body, relaxing him until he was fast asleep. Now I turned to look at the male properly. He was tall and lean but by no means lacking in muscle. His dark hair was shaved away either side of his head, leaving a wide stripe at the peak of his skull which was waved into warrior plaits.

His handsome features seemed to relax from the scowl I had seen him constantly wear when he was conscious, the full lips smooth like his skin except for his hands. He had warrior hands, roughened from the use of weapons and hunting.

Rolling my eyes I settled down in my spot on the moss, nestling my head onto an arm and glanced over my guests once more, assuring myself they were comfortable before falling asleep also.