Avatar - chapter 50 (Patreon)

It was the evening of my third month in the library of Wan Shi Tong. The winds of the desert are howling outside, beating the walls of the library with such strength I was able to feel them through my seismic sense; during these three months, I had achieved a mastery over earth bending I found outstanding for the time I had invested, I had yet to bend metal, but I excelled in all the other sub bending styles, including lava bending. As for air, I have yet to show any progress, but I know it’s a matter of when not if.

But having mastered one element was more than enough, meaning I only had two more elements to master.

Of course, I hadn’t just focused on that, no. I had other plans for myself, and for those plans, I had focus on learning as much as I could about spiritual bending.

Reason why I was meditating each day for hours.

"How is the training going?" The ever-curious Owl inquired, snapping me out of my long reverie. With a smile, I stood of the ground to greet Wan Shi Tong, a spirit that had proven not all of them are assholes, "I have noticed your spirit becoming calmer, which means you are learning how to control your empath abilities, wise of you to do that while Vaatu is hibernating." he remarked once again, a month ago he had confirmed spirits hibernated every now and then, reason why Vaatu had been so silent.

The grey feathered Owl pulled a scroll of his feathers and tossed said scroll over to me. "This is a first edition, about empathic conditions," he chuckled, “I have no idea if this will help, but it won’t hurt to read it,”

I looked up to the Owl and smiled, “Thank you, my friend,”

“Anytime,” The Owl said, with something reminiscent of a smile, as he sat down beside me; the poor spirit was so lonely, he enjoyed watching me learn about stuff he already knew.

“Well, let’s see…” Before I was able to finish my sentence, I felt something touching the entrance, people… one, not.. Two, three… four, and an elephant? No, that was Appa, meaning…. Aang and his friends were here.

Soon after that, a crash followed, by a bunch of people Katara, Sokka, scaling down a rope inside the library, the moment their bodies entered the library, I was able to see them all, detailed them, Aang, Sooka, Katara, the mysterious extra, and something else flying around in the air, giving me mixed readings.

“Intruders!” Wa Shin Tong hissed, his feathers puffing in anger.

“Is the avatar the other one,” I provided him with some information.

“I will see them out,” The Owl stated in anger probably thanks to me, I had told him about Sokka’s plan to use his library, and thanks to that owl was now flying towards the new visitors ready to kick them out, while I debated whether if I should face them or not.

Fuck it, let’s say hi. With that resolution ahead, I stood up and slowly made my way to greet the team avatar.

A middle-aged man commented, judging by his tone of voice, while looking at one of the pillars inside the library, “Oh, it's breathtaking! The spirit spared no expense in designing this place,” he turned to look at the group, pointing at the pillar once more, “Look at those beautiful buttresses!”

Katara started to giggle for no apparent reason while the man continued to marvel at a design within the library.

“What’s so funny?” The man asked, clearly as confused as me.

“Nothing, we just like architecture,” Aang commented, and by the vibrations on the earth and water, I could tell he was holding back, trying not to laugh; well, regardless of what they had found funny, the party was about to end, for my feathered friend was about to make an entrance.

As if cue, the rustling noises of Wan Shi Tong flying echoed through the area, letting them know something was near; at this, Sokka and Katara run behind a pillar while Aang grabbed the unknown man hide behind another pillar.

“A rope,” I commented, walking over the bridge, “I suppose that’s a way to enter,” I hummed.

Wan Shi Tong looked at me, confused as to why I was here but decided to ignore my change of plans and walks over the bridge, examining the rope with a scrutinizing look. At this, I felt Aang craning his head around the pillar he had hid, looking at us with curiosity.

Before I got the chance to scare the crap out of Aang, my Owl friend turns his head around owl style and said, “I know you're back there,”

At this, Aang gasped and tried to hide again.

But, before he can do so, the unknown they had brought walks towards Wan Shi Tong with a wide smile, “Hello, I'm Professor Zei, head of anthropology at Ba Sing Se University,” Zei? Was he part of the canon? God, my knowledge is either lacking, or I have already changed everything around me.

Wa Shin Tong scoffed, “You should leave the way you came,” he added while pointing to the rope, “Unless you want to become a stuffed head of anthropology,”

Oh, dang, that hurt me. I not even being targeted; Jesus, this owl knows how to roast.

“Hmm, I don’t think he would fit with your collection,” I chuckled, getting a low lighthearted chuckle in response from the Owl.

Sooka seeing there was not one but two humans close to the twelve-foot Owl, approached the professor and asked while looking at the spirit, “Are you the spirit who brought this library to the physical world?”

Wan Shi Tong nodded, “Indeed, I am Wan Shi Tong, "He Who Knows Ten Thousand Things." And you are obviously humans, which, by the way, are no longer permitted in my study,”

Sooka looked at the Owl, and then at me, “And he’s a cat?”

“Maybe,” I chuckled.

Aang at this hovered towards his friend, and with a frown asked, “What do you have against us?... you clearly let him,” he pointed at me, “learn,”

“Well, unlike you… I don’t give a fuck about this war,” I did give a fuck, but on a minor scale, a much minor one.

“I know about you, Avatar Aang, I know what you seek, and I will not… allow you to use the knowledge of my library! FOR! WAR! PLANS!” Wan Shi Tong hissed, ruffling his feathers, ready to kill them if necessary, “My friend here informed me of your plans to use my library for nefarious motives, so leave… or die,”

“Guilty as charged, I told him,” I winked at the group, who was now looking at me with an array of different emotions; Aang was confused, Katara was angry, and Sokka, well, he was Sokka.