TSU'TEY leads three direhorse riders up the trail two teenage hunters and Jake,
who's riding well enough to keep up. The horses' hooves CLOP
right next to a sheer drop into a misty canyon.
Tsu'tey signals a stop.
Jake takes this as a chance to look around.
Thick vine-like trees have trapped large
floating boulders of unobtanium in
their gnarled grip.
There is a thundering ROAR, like an artillery barrage,
and the ground shakes. Jake looks around at One of the
floating mountains grinding against the flank of nearby mesa.
A huge rockfall is set loose. The mountain is
drifting toward them, filling half the sky.
The Hunters dismount their horses.
Jake looks up at the beanstalk going into the clouds.
He turns to Tsu'tey, who is checking the young hunters' gear.
"We doin' this?"Jake leaps to catch up as Tsu'tey and the hunters
swarm up the base of the beanstalk.
The hunters nimbly climb along the vine-trunks.
They clamber over one of the unobtanium boulders
which is lifting this incredible tree.
JAKE looks down to the massive trunk
dwindles to the size of a licorice stick.
A chunk breaks off a boulder as he climbs
over it as it floats upward.
They reach the upper branches of the beanstalk.
Above them, the craggy underbelly of mons Veritatis looms.
Spray from one of the waterfalls hits them.
Some of the hanging VINES are brushing over the upper
branches of the beanstalk with a crackling hiss.
One by one the hunters grab onto vines as they pass.
Jake shrugs and leaps to a passing vine, his feet dangling
over nothingness. They climb toward the floating island.
Banshees circle next to the cliffs, flashing in shafts of sunlight.
Waterfalls dissolve into nothing below.
Jake looks down the sheer cliff at the world far below
a view from Olympus.
A shriek and the sound of the leathery wings of Lin and Neytiri's
banshee's swoops in to perch at the edge of the grotto.
They join Jake and the hunter party. Lin keeping close to jake
As Tsu'tey leads them through the cave until they emerge onto a cliff face.
Jake sees the banshee rookery. HUNDREDS of banshees
huddle on rock out cropping as far as the eye can see.
They cling to the walls with the fore-claws on their wings, or perch on ledges.
"Jakesully will go first."
Tsu'tey smirks at Jake, a challenge in his eyes.
Lin looks back to Neytiri who nods to the girl.
Tsu'tey scowls when Lim leads Jake out onto the ledge.
"Now you choose your ikran.
This you must feel inside.
If he also chooses you,
move quick, like I showed.
You will have one chance."
Lin whispered to jake as they walked backs against the stone wall
"How will I know if he chooses me?"
Jake takes a quick glance at Lin before turning back
"He will try to kill you." She whispers back
"Outstanding."
Out of sight of Tsu'tey, Lin takes his hand and squeezes it.
Jake feels a rush of emotion, but she breaks away like
it didn't happen. He is on his own, on the ledge with The Banshee's.
