Avatar Page #14

GRACE:

They killed Sylwanin in the doorway.

Right in front of Neytiri. Then shot the

others.

(MILDLY)

I got most of the kids out, before they

shot me.

JAKE:

Jesus.

GRACE:

Yeah.

Jake realizes that Grace is on the verge of tears and

desperately trying to hide it.

GRACE:

A scientist stays objective -- we can not

be ruled by emotion. But I poured ten

years of my life into that school. They

called me sa'atenuk. Mother.

(turning to him)

That kind of pain reaches back through

the link.

GRACE sits down at the table, looks intently at Jake.

GRACE:

It's a job. Learn what you can -- but

don't get attached.

69.

GRACE looks at him with real PAIN in her eyes.

GRACE:

It's not our world, Jake. And we can't

stop what's coming.

CUT TO:

EXT. MOUNTAIN TRAIL - DAY

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.

JAKE (V.O.)

Iknimaya translates roughly as stairway

to heaven. It's the test every young

hunter has to pass.

TSU'TEY signals a stop.

UP-SLOPE AHEAD is an astounding formation. Thick vine-like

trees have trapped large FLOATING BOULDERS of UNOBTANIUM in

their gnarled grip.

A hundred meters above them more boulders are WOVEN into the

twisted vine-trunks. This is some sort of freak natural

occurrence -- like the mythical beanstalk, going up into the

clouds.

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 a

nearby mesa. A huge rockfall is set loose. The mountain is

drifting toward them, filling half the sky.

The Hunters dismount.

JAKE looks up at the beanstalk going into the clouds. He

turns to Tsu'tey, who is checking the young hunters' gear.

JAKE:

We doin' this?

Jake leaps to catch up as Tsu'tey and the hunters swarm up

the base of the beanstalk.

CUT TO:

70.

EXT. BEANSTALK - DAY

200 METERS up 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 -- the massive trunk dwindles to the size of

a licorice stick. A chunk breaks off a boulder as he climbs

over it -- 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 islands

above.

EXT. MONS VERITATIS - DAY

TINY FIGURES cross a causeway of vines connecting a small

island of unobtanium to the main mass of Mons Veritatis.

WIDE SHOT looking down a rock face bigger than Half Dome --

the sheer side of Mons Veritatis.

Banshees circle next to the cliffs, flashing in shafts of

sunlight. Waterfalls dissolve into nothingness below.

EXT. GROTTO/BANSHEE ROOKERY - DAY

A waterfall THUNDERS down into the void like a faucet of the

gods. Jake looks down the sheer cliff at the world far below

-- a view from Olympus.

A SHRIEK and the THWAP THWAP of leathery wings -- NEYTIRI'S

BANSHEE swoops in to perch at the edge of the grotto. She

dismounts and, like a falconer, covers its eyes with a woven

HOOD. It waits, docile, as --

She joins Jake and the hunter party. Tsu'tey leads them

through the cave until they emerge onto a CLIFF FACE. And

Jake sees --

The BANSHEE ROOKERY. HUNDREDS of banshees huddle on rock out-

croppings as far as the eye can see. They cling to the walls

with the fore-claws on their wings, or perch on ledges.

71.

TSU'TEY

Jakesully will go first.

Tsu'tey smirks at Jake, a challenge in his eyes. The two

teenage Hunters are scared but trying to act tough.

Tsu'tey scowls when Neytiri leads Jake out onto the ledge.

NEYTIRI:

(WHISPERING)

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.

JAKE:

How will I know if he chooses me?

NEYTIRI:

He will try to kill you.

JAKE:

Outstanding.

Out of sight of Tsu'tey, Neytiri 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 BANSHEES. They eye him as he approaches. Several SHRIEK

and take flight. Others flap their wings and yawn, showing

rows of fangs, in a threat display.

Jake unrolls a weighted leather strap, like a one-ended BOLO.

A LARGE MALE spreads enormous wings, SHRIEKS, and glares

straight at him.

Jake looks directly into its eyes -- and strides toward it.

JAKE:

Let's dance.

The challenged banshee HISSES and leaps at him, jaws wide as--

Jake times the lunge, swinging the bolo, feinting and then

slipping aside as the banshee's jaws miss him, SNAPPING SHUT.

Jake WHAPS the bolo across its snout. The weighted thong

whips twice around its long jaws, tying them shut. A MUFFLED

SCREAM and it SLASHES at his stomach with razor talons but --

72.

Jake is already leaping, over the talons and tackling the

banshee around the neck. It topples on its side, and he

SWARMS IT -- arms around its thrashing head.

Jake grabs its whip-like antenna and brings it toward his

queue but --

The bony head SLAMS sideways, and BAM! -- clocks him right in

the face, almost knocking him out and --

IT WRITHES, flinging him to the ground. He slides on the

rock and almost goes over the edge as --

NEYTIRI gasps. Tsu'tey laughs and yells mockingly.

The bolo is coming loose as the creature shakes its head, way

pissed off now, but --

Jake scrambles up and leaps straight at it. Claws rake his

leg but he gets his arms around its head and CLAMPS DOWN

HARD. They flop to the ground and he scrambles on top,

pinning it and --

Grabs its whipping antenna, locks it under his arm, and jams

the end of his queue into it. They FUSE together and --

The banshee stops struggling. It lies there panting. They

are locked together, literally eye to eye.

JAKE:

That's right! You're mine.

ECU BANSHEE -- the pupil like a deep black well.

Jake relaxes his grip and slowly, warily, slides his leg over

the creature's back.

Neytiri runs to him.

NEYTIRI:

First flight seals the bond. You cannot

wait.

Jake sits astride the creature, feeling its power. He grips

a hank of the beast's main, and --

JAKE:

Heeeyyyaaaah!

THWAP! THWAP! The banshee is off like a shot. Jake SCREAMS

as they PLUMMET off the cliff -- the banshee WAILS and --

73.

They fall together, spiralling out of control, and he is

almost tossed lose. The thing is SQUAWKING and SHRIEKING so

much he can't think.

JAKE:

Shut the hell up!!

It does.

JAKE:

Level out! Fly straight!

It levels out. Jake c*cks his head, only thinking "bank left"

and the animal complies. He settles the banshee into an easy

loping beat of its huge wings, while he catches his breath.

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