Avatar - chapter 44 (Patreon)
Content
After my little display on the Barracks, I took my time to decide where to go next while I let things cool down a notch, I had to be certain who I wanted to teach me the bases of Fire Bending.
Those bases would cement my style, marking me forever.
Jeong Jeong, Iroh or the dragons.
Jeong Jeong, also known as The Deserter, is a very strong, enlightened, and somewhat embittered firebending master who had the ability to bend fire with his mind.
On the other Hand.
Iroh, also known as The Dragon of The West, was also a very strong, enlightened individual, but unlike Jeong Jeong, Iroh knew how to create and redirect lighting, and many other things.
Both had a lot to offer, and both had a lot of reasons to deny me any training, at least from their parts.
Jeong Jeong thanks to his bitterness against his element and nation.
And Iroh, thanks to his full time job as his nephew’s spiritual guide.
Now as for the dragons, well… they taught Iroh, and Zuko in the future, they were known as original fire benders, but… they also had only taught people who already had trained beforehand to begin with.
In short, my best shot was Jeong Jeong to get the base style, he, unlike Iroh, would be a bit easier to manipulate out of his shell. Iroh on the other hand, didn’t have any doubts of his mission.
And…. After getting my fire base, I could learn from the dragons.
With that task at hand, I had but one thing to do, go back to the earth kingdom… and find my master.
-We have other options- Vaatu growled.
I stopped cold on my tracks, as I focused on Vaatu, “Like what?”
-You learned and made your own style by observing Tui and La, do the same again…. with me your talent is unmeasurable! You will master the elements faster that the pipsqueak Raava choose to merge with!- Vaatu growled once again, kinda ordering me around.
I sighed, “Not that I don’t like the idea… but, you do realize there is a giant turtle that dislikes humans in the Fire Peninsula, right?”
-I never said I wanted us to go there… You learned water bending from the Moon and the Ocean… is time to learn from the Sun spirit- Vaatu stated.
“Alright… I’ll take the hook… where do I have to go?” I had to admit, I was… quite interested in this so-called Sun spirit.
-He like the Moon and the Ocean is in this pitiful place humans call home, as for where exactly Ra is right now… well I can’t tell for sure, but I can feel him… I can feel his presence in the North- Vaatu answered.
Ra, like the God of the sun, well, color me impressed, “So, do you think this Ra will accept to teach me?” I inquired as I walked north, what can I say… Vaatu is a master salesman.
-You have… something that makes most spirits calm and friendly… besides… Ra like La and Lui have no sides, chaos or harmony they help- Vaatu answered.
“So… Lui, La and Ra,” I chuckled, “creative names there,” I laughed.
-I suppose, the spirit of the skies and the air, Shu, will make you laugh as well- Vaatu chuckled, nice to know he has a sense of humor.
“Wait… La, Lui, Ra, Shu….” The names were starting to make sense… so much that I had to take a guess, “Is the spirit of the Earth… Seb?”
-Yes… have you met her?- Vaatu inquired with curiosity.
“No, just took an educated guess…” I answered.
-Oh yes… with your strange knowledge… your mind is a maze of misdirection I found most fun… some much information… though most of it is incomplete… or broken- Vaatu sighed.
“Well… if you like to read… we can visit the spirit library later,” I chuckled, “You won’t find anything too advanced up there, mostly bad puns and bending ideas,”
-I will take you on that offer- Vaatu replied.
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[Aang POV]
I had an awful feeling… that was eating me away, I had a feeling that something more powerful that Ozai was lurking in the shadows, two days ago I felt a tug… my soul felt the pull of a thousand lives.
All of them shaking in fear, but of what?
Who was responsible for this feeling? That was eating me away. Without any explanation I felt my body… and spirit getting ready for something they knew but I didn’t.
“Aang are you okay?” Katara asked as she and Sokka walked in my tent, with concern written all over their faces.
“I feel like something bigger than Ozai will come up…” I muttered.
Katara immediately hugged me, “I think the stress of this Avatar business is getting to you, maybe it's your mind playing with you… don’t worry for now…”
Perhaps Katara was right… perhaps all of this was my mind playing games with me… I had been stressed with taking down Ozai after all.
“Maybe you are right…” I smiled at her.
“Besides… who can possibly pose a bigger threat than Ozai,” Sokka added with a chuckle.
And for some reason… the image of Akira with a blur on his face came to my mind… invading my thoughts for a full second.
Yeah, Katara was right… my mind was playing with me.
“I think I just need a good night of sleep,” I yawned.
“Add me to that package,” Sokka smiled, falling asleep a second after that… I really admire his ability to fall asleep at command.
“Sleep well, I have some stuff clean before being all done,” Katara smiled.
“Thanks Katara… sometimes you are the only one that gets me,” I smiled at her.
“The feeling is the same Aang, now go to sleep,” Katara said as she walked out of the tent.
Days like this, I thank the universe for giving me friends like them, two strangers that became my family…. all in the span of a few months. For that I would be forever grateful.