Avatar: {Hybrid and Alien]

{42}

The disappointment that Asim got started to simmer down while he made his way back to the outpost.

There was so much that he didn't get answered as he hoped it would, though he understood what the tsahik had told him. If it was something sacred that couldn't be trespassed unless it was something serious, Asim accepted that. Although the seriousness of the other side of the coin wasn't answered, he still got another answer that got to explain why the creatures of the forest didn't attack him or think of having him for lunch. Whatever, or whomever, this Eywa deity was, it must have given him some sort of beacon that gave all the animals the signal to either back away or respect him. And who is not to think that it was something real when he has recently tamed a freaking mountain banshee? Without having to connect with the braid thing that the na'vi had? This made Asim feel like anything was possible, even with his friends if they thought about getting their own banshees to tame. With him having the mysterious ability to tame even the fiercest creatures close to them, they could complete this particular rite of passage so that they could fly without the chopper. To think that they would soon become closer to the natives of the world gave Asim a sense of happiness greater than he has ever felt before. The only thing that was left to do was get home.

***

Some time passed as he rode his banshee, steering it in the direction that he wished it to go, until he arrived.

Mikhail and Emeralda were outside maintaining the solar panels for the energy supply when they looked up. Their reactions were priceless as they saw the banshee diving at them, and even more so when they saw Asim riding on it when he guided the creature to stop and hover. "Dochreidte! Asim? What the heck are you doing on that thing??" Emeralda exclaimed as she and Mikhail have moved back and we're reaching for their weapons. "Calm down! Can't you see that I'm riding this beast?" Asim said with a sly smile, guiding the banshee so that it landed on the rooftop some meters from his friends. Once down, Asim got off from the banshee, which flew off to the trees, and he went to his friends. "Guess what this unfortunate super soldier managed to achieve?" Asim said to them. "Not getting yourself killed, I assume?" Mikhail guessed as he scratched his head. Asim frowned at him before facepalming. "No, dummy. I just managed to tame a banshee on my own! Without any help at all. Well...except Layontsin who made sure that no others intervened, but that's beside the point. The tsahik even said that I am some sort of chosen one of the nature goddess. Imagine that!" Asim explained to them with a smile in his face. Emeralda and Mikhail looked at each other, shocked by what Asim had said. "Well, if that's the case, then come down with us inside and tell us the whole story. Oh! And Kentaro was furious when he saw the note you left" Emeralda said, making Asim chuckle. "I'm sure he is. Well, I better go in soon so he can give me all the checkups for that" he said with a shrug before nodding and going to the ladder to climb down with them.

***

Of course Kentaro was not pleased, though he accepted that Asim were to stay and be given a thorough checkup by the medic himself. "You could have placed the note on the medic bay chair instead of the monitor. That way I wouldn't have gotten a heart attack when I realized you were gone too late." Kentaro said to Asim in a reprimanding way as he was preparing to perform a blood test, again, by taking some samples. Once ready with the syringe ready, Kentaro carefully inserted the needle into Asim's arm and the tube started to collect the blood. "Sorry. I know you look out for our health. But you have to know...this...is something that I have to get off from my chest. And the only way that I concluded was going to those that did know, outside." Asim explained, sighing as he sat there in the chair and watching how Kentaro took the blood samples. "And? Did you find what you were looking for?" Kentaro asked as he pulled the syringe out from Asim's arms and applied a bandaid on the puncture point. "...Not really. As I hoped. At least it explained why I seem to be the only one immune to falling prey to animals and other things that would normally end my life. Goddesses, deities, spirits, stuff like that. Gosh, I don't know how I'm supposed to cope with all this." Asim said, leaning his head back. "I am no expert in that area, as Shaka is, in just the slightest bit, but my best advice is to not to rush things. You will adapt to things as everyone does, just like your immune system and muscles. If you go too fast, you'll get sick." Kentaro said to him as he disposed of the things that weren't needed and placed the other ones in their place. "At least it's not related to physical health, but mental. And you know that very well" Asim said to Kentaro in response, moving his head back forwards as he got up. "Go get some rest, or go with the others while I get the results. Just don't stress yourself too much" Kentaro said as he watched Asim leave and go to his teammates.

Everyone was amazed by what Asim he has gone through as he told them, and even asked afterwards about joining this rite of passage. "You really think we can tame the banshees? Why don't we get to the chopper and go there?" Emeralda asked, excited at the prospect of Asim's experience sounding very tempting. "As much as I would have loved to take the easy way there, it doesn't work like that. You yourself have to climb your way there through the floating path. That way you are proven to be a hunter, as a true na'vi hunter does it." Asim explained to her and the others. "Have you given your banshee a name yet?" Shaka asked him. "No, not yet. I still have to think about it" Asim replied. "Please do not same it like a weapon's name, as Mikhail does." Emeralda begged, casting a sly glance at Mikhail. "What? What do you people have against me naming my machine gun Sasha?" Mikhail asked them in an innocent way, to which everyone laughed.

***

That night, a small windstorm was blowing. And it made sleeping difficult for everyone.

Asim wasn't handling it well as he didn't sleep comfortably, and worse as the same nightmare from before haunted his mind. This time it was the most intense he has ever felt, the cries of despair and the destruction in the dream feeling more real and palpable. He suddenly woke up with a gasp when the nightmare abruptly ended, sitting up and panting rapidly. Some shuffling in the upper level of the bunk bed was heard before Shaka's head peered down at Asim. "That nightmare again?" Shaka asked him, to which Asim shook his head. "No. This was different. Just...flashbacks of our old lives." Asim said, hiding the truth to his friend as he didn't want them to worry. "Whatever you say. Just let us know if it's urgent." Shaka said before he went to move and sleep again. Asim nodded and exhaled slowly, thinking for a moment before getting up to go towards the kitchen. There he got a cup of water to refresh himself and think what else he could do for the remainder of the night, as he felt like sleep has gone away thanks to the nightmare. Minutes pass by, the wind outside blowing across the outpost and the mountain as it picked up some dust and twigs. Asim relaxed on the chair and was trying to get some extra rest when he heard something. The tapping of a window from the outside, as well as what seemed to be the scraping of sharp things, is what he heard. Opening his eyes and looking in the direction where the sounds originated, Asim got up and went over to the windows. It was dim outside because of the light from the ceiling, so he brought a flashlight and shone it towards the outside. What he didn't expect was noticing the enormous dark figure and the two glowing eyes that reflected the light from the flashlight. "Crap!" Asim cursed, the size of it and the suddenness made Asim jump and drop his flashlight abruptly before realizing who it was.

It was Layontsin, having arrived and now both knocking and scraping on the window.