Chapter One: Test of Merit
Of the four nations one stands among the rest as a big threat, the fire nation. The war of Nations is raging on still influenced greatly by the power of Sozin's comet, a meteor that passes every 100 years, currently a person by name of Ty sleeps on a cot, and it is late night, midnight. Another person by name of Raven, a wanted man his stomach growls, he notices a well sized fish on a spit near this man's fire, the fire was small, but steady, enough to keep away wild life, though it wasn't often they came around, unless they need the warmth. Raven did himself a favor and helped himself to the fish he was eyeing and fled the scene making his way toward Ba-sing-sei an Earth Kingdom strong hold. Raven made his way there at a decent pace, only expending half a day. He made his way to a tea shop by name of "Red Dragon". This tea shop was owned by an elderly man by name of Iroh. "Raven, are you well?" Iroh asked, Raven looked rough, clothes torn, wounded, and bleeding. "I am alright, I suppose…just tired."
Little did Raven notice that Ty was only tables away, reading a menu. "Iroh, I've gotta get going…" He stood and Iroh kicked the chair back beneath his legs making him fall back into it. "You will stay put, and enjoy your tea, you're in no condition to carry on, even if your reasons may be your own, your body can't take much more even though you are a wanted man. Truth be told he knew he wasn't in any sort of good condition, so, regrettably he stayed put and sipped down his tea. As he sat there, he reflected over a dream he had during the previous night, the night prior to his having stolen the man's fish, and to think, this very same man was now merely tables away. "Tell me Iroh, how are things in the Kingdom of Fire?" Iroh shook his head, "As you know, Sozin's comet passes every hundred years, as it stands, from what my sources can tell me, the Fire Lord intends to use its power to over throw the other kingdoms, it is your job, Raven, as sworn protector of your land to stop him." Raven nodded, feeling a little less winded as compared to when he'd joined Iroh half an hour previously, it was still light out, he could make it back to the Red Dragon Inn before curfew, that is, if he could get away from the fisherman. "Thanks General Iroh, but I must be going; I have…things I must attend to." Basingsei was a large city, within the walls of Earth's Great Kingdom. As odd as it seemed when Raven removed his shoes he could feel a slight tingle beneath his feet, as if he were truly connected to his birth element, or was this something or someone else? If it had been someone else then who? And if it had been something else, what could be communing with him in such a way?
Raven shook off the thought, gulped down what remained of his tea and, after placing two silver pieces on the table in front of Iroh he left the tea house only to be followed by the very man he wished to avoid. Once outside Ty trailed slightly behind him, he'd done this a multitude of times, to manage to track someone this far, a mile just outside town to a cave, little did he realize that this very cave would change the lives of not only themselves but also the lives of countless others. What awaits our young hero's future? Ty followed mere moments behind Raven, the cave was decently lit however it continued to become more difficult to navigate the further in they went, was a fish truly worth this much to him? To follow a person he did not know in to what would very well be a trap, or…was there more to this cave? Ty decided to follow after him a little ways further, for the sake of his curiosity. Where this man could be taking him? This question was short lived because a few meters further in the cave opened to a large inner sanctum, Ty stayed as hidden as possible and then It began… The earth beneath his feet began to quiver and twin pillars rose from the ground beneath the man's feet. What struck Ty as odd was the fact that this man only moved a fraction of the distance other benders would have to in order receive a reaction to their liking and yet, here he was just moving as if it where second nature. Was it? From what Ty could gather, this person was an obvious Earth bender, and a hell of a good one at that he thought it best to avoid him or risk the entire area coming down on the both of them, that would be no good for anyone, and besides, he would be at a disadvantage if he were to call him out now, but still, where could this guy be going? Ty asked himself this question and then, once again his mind was blown because as the traveler walked forward he seemed to sink and w- was that water he was seeing? Impossible, right?
Ty watched as this display continued furthering his way into the cave, he'd noticed that the stairs themselves where made of earth, and what the other man was sinking into was in fact a deposit of sand stone, a soft, earth-like material, a fine, smooth rock of sorts. Surely the cave would lead out if Ty where to continue following him, but was a fish completely worth it? He still could turn back and forget about the entire ordeal, as if it never happened. Then Ty got to thinking he'd worked hard for that fish, so, coming to the conclusion that he wanted to pursue this man, he did, the cave didn't go on much farther anyways, it would be a good idea to confront him after leaving. The cave seemed to stretch on for miles and then, finally Ty's moment of opportunity struck, the cave exit was mere feet away. "You, thief, I've got a bone to pick with you." Ty slammed his foot down and Raven turned his face to face him, "Are you, speaking to me?" he asked placing his feet in a modified horse stance, his front foot barely touching the ground beneath him. Ty took an opposing stance, solid yet fluidic, his feet loosely placed at slight angles, his hands flat, and palm down. He'd seen this stance before, he just couldn't remember as of where he'd seen it, definitely a water tribe, but, North or South…he couldn't remember. Raven made the first move, sliding his light foot back arching it in a round house kick, which in one motion sent a trail of earth stalactites flowing toward Ty. Who, as if on instinct he uncorked a white, medium sized gourd and water slashed at the spikes, cutting them away, removing himself from the immediate danger, just in a nick of time as well, one of the spikes was mere inches away from puncturing his pristine clothes. "You're pretty fast, I'll give you that, but did you expect this?" A pit opened just beyond Ty's instep and he almost lost his footing, instead however, water solidified and allowed him to follow up with a swift kick to raven's sternum. Raven clutched his stomach, taking a knee. Ty seemed a little more at ease now that he had what looked to be an even advantage. Ty knew better than to begin gloating now, it could very well cost him more than just a fish. Raven had to think quickly, if he didn't he may as well kiss his future good-bye. Raven ran his hand across the ground and brought up dust, which was enough to make the opening he needed to escape, just as he turned to run Ty send a jet of water toward him, it made contact and constricted the majority of Raven's leg movement. Unable to flee, Raven did the only thing he could think of, retaliate, he closed his right hand and this motion caught Ty by surprise, due to the fact he'd been so focused on his target he'd forgotten to watch after his own skin, rock itself had begun to swallow him whole, similar to the effects the water had done to Raven, constricting the ribs, crushing them, needless to say, they both lost consciousness.
They awoke sometime later, Ty was the first to wake, and he was in no condition to leave, let alone move. He did however manage to move his neck around, seeing that the fish thief in worse condition than he, he seemed, at least from the looks of it that water had entered his lungs during his struggle. Equally as painful where his ribs, for they had been crushed under no less than hundreds of pounds of pressure and yet still he could breathe? A young looking house aide entered the room in which the two slept. "How are you two fairing?"