Akima Lycan: Avatar

Tree of Souls

Akima's POV

"So where are we going?" I ask Aries as we fly over the forest. Heading towards where the hallelujah mountains are.

"It is a surprise" he tells me.

"If you tell me, I will still act surprised" I tell him.

"Nice try, but you will have to wait until we get there" he tells me with a chuckle.

"Damn it" I grumble and he laughs. "Are we not being rude leaving my own party?" I ask him.

"It was your idea to go for a flight" he reminds me.

"Touche" I say.

"What does that word mean?" he asks me curious.

"It is used as an acknowledgement during a discussion of a good or clever point made at one's expense by another person. In this case my expense" I explain.

"Oh, I meant no offense Akima" he tells me.

"None taken" I assure him. "Can we go faster?" I ask him.

"Sure, if you think Aelia can keep up" he tells me with a smirk.

"We won the last race" I remind him.

"Wrong, it was a tie" he corrects me.

"Prove it" I tell him and he takes off faster. I have Aelia follow him. Staying level with him as I don't know where we're going. "Last to the floating mountains, loses" I tell him and make Aelia go faster.

"You had a head start!" he shouts. I just laugh. He soon catches up and we take turns on who leads. I end up in the lead when the mountains come into view. "Not this time" he mutters and over takes me. Winning the race and we slow our ikran down. We land on a rock letting them catch their breathes.

"Guess you won this round" I tell him with a smile. "What did you want to show me?" I ask him curious.

"Follow me" he says and has his ikran let go of the rock. I have Aelia follow him. We soon reach a bizarra geological formation. Arches of magnetic rock form rainbows of stone above a deep caldera. In the center of the caldera is a single, enormous willow tree, gnarled and ancient. It has tendrils like the tree of voices, but it's bigger.

I gasp covering my mouth. "Is this the well of souls?" I ask Aries. He nods gesturing to the tree, then his ikran and his heart. This is the Tree of Souls, the Omatikaya's most sacred place. Aries goes to land and I follow him.

We land and dismount unlinking from our ikran. "Why bring me here?" I ask him curious.

"You are Omatikaya now, you are one of the people" he tells me. As he runs his hands over the tendrils. Looking thoughtful. "A man now may choose you as a mate and you him if you choose" he states. "Atan is a good teacher and warrior" he tells me.

"He is, but I do not want him" I tell him.

"Takuk is a skilled hunter" he states as a tree spirit lands on his hands.

"I have seen better" I tell him. "Aries" I say grabbing his hand as he tree spirit flies away. "I have already chosen a man, but he has yet to choose me" I state. Looking into his eyes.

"He has" he tells me. I smile and we lean in closing our eyes. As our lips connect and I feel sparks. We sink down on the bed of moss, and ripples of light spread out around. I pull away from Aries looking down.

"Aries, my real body is far from here. In a shack sleeping in a link pod" I tell him.

"This body is real, this spirit is real. My love for you is real" he tells me. I kiss him again and he wraps his arms around my waist pulling be close. He breaks the kiss this time. "Kissing is very good. But we have something better" he states holding his queue out to me.

I lift mine and the tendrils stretch towards each other longingly. We allow them to connect. I gasp at the feeling. As I feel all his emotions and mine. The ultimate intimacy. The willows sway, without wind, and the night is alive with pulsing energy. As we complete the mating process. Becoming mates for life before Ewya.

When we finished I lay on his chest feeling tired. As he runs his long fingers through my hair. "I am with you now, Akima. We are mated for life" Aries tells me. I sigh contently snuggling into his warm chest.

"I know and I could not be happier" I tell him. "I love you Aries, always and forever" I states.

"As I love you Akima, just keep me close in your dreams" he tells me. As I start to drift off.

"Always" I say with a small yawn. "I will see you early in the morning" I tell him. He nods and kisses my forehead. I let sleep take me and I return to my human body. I sigh sadly, wishing I hadn't returned. That I could stay with Aries forever. But Grace is right, we visit and leave. That's the avatar way. And it sucks.

I get out of the link pod. I turn it off and go to my bunk. I notice everyone else is asleep. I get changed and do my teeth. Before calling it a night. Dreaming about Aries and our future. A future where I never had to return to my human body.

A/N

Picture above of the tree of souls.