Hello and welcome to ''A Flame in the Dark'', my first fanfiction to ''Avatar - The Last Airbender''.
Some information regarding this story: I already have completed this story in German, if you want to read it, check the German fanfiction website, you should find it pretty easy. Since the German version was quite successful, I decided to translate into English, because why not? I'm pretty sure all you English speakers/readers out there will like it as much as my German audience did.
The story will have 50 chapters, this first chapter can be seen as an introduction in which my OC/his background is explained, but there are already some parts which are plot-relevant later on.
Well then, I hope you will enjoy this story, if you want, leave a review with your opinion and/or questions.
With that said: Have fun reading.
''You can kill us, but you will never win!'' A whirring. A scream. A thud on wood.
The memory of the worst day of my life has manifested itself in my head forever. I see those horrifying pictures in my mind again and again. They're coming for me, attack me, try to devour me, try to break me. But my soul is strong! I will not let them break me! Every time I drive the dark thoughts away, I become stronger!
I need the strength! It's my biggest support for the task destiny has assigned me, a task I am committed to fulfill until my death. It's the will of the Spirits. They have put this duty on me and their actions are to be followed.
Almost 4 years have passed since that fateful black day and I'm not what I was back then anymore. I've recreated myself, my strength, my wisdom, my determination, I have reached complete control over all these things with the help of my master.
My past does not actually give away what I became. My birth was a normal event, 82 years had passed since the appearance of the Great Comet, when I arrived in this world. For 82 years, my country was in this pointless war it had started itself. The world was slowly falling apart, nobody believed that the war would ever end. Despite the misery that had struck the world, for the time being I never actually witnessed anything of it. My parents did their best to make the childhoods of me, my two sisters and my brother a pretty careless time. This would work for many years, my life was happy and comfortable. But in the tenth year of my life, I first experienced that change is a big part of life and will always play a part in it.
I was playing in the woods right outside my hometown's walls when I discovered something right underneath a tree. It was roundish in shape, colored black as the night and felt polished like a temple's pillars. First I thought of it as a special stone, but when I held it against the sun's light, I discovered that a little something, an animal, was inside. I was not able to tell what kind of animal it was, but I definitely realized that I was holding an egg. Since I didn't know if it was dangerous, I decided to not take it home with me, but instead to hide it in a cave I discovered a short time ago. After that, I searched for a scroll about animals in your house's library and therefore found out that I had found an actual dragon egg, even though dragons were classified as extinct for a very long time now. I decided not to tell anyone about my find and watch over the egg until the dragon would hatch. Some people surely would call me crazy staying this close to a mostly unknown and possibly dangerous creature, but I had read that young dragons were tamable, even by humans. From this day on, I visited the cave every day until the dragon finally hatched after three weeks. It was pitch black, had little grey horns and poison green eyes. I had informed myself extensively about a dragon's eating habits in its different growing phases, so I fed the little dragon, who ate directly from my hand. This was routine for quite some time, the dragon grew steadily and started to become too big for the cave. Over the time, I had informed myself over my dragon's nature and discovered two special powers it possessed apparently: Adaption to the environment to disguise itself and the ability to communicate with its tamer on a mental level. My dragon started talking to me and asked for permission to leave the cave, he wanted to fly. I granted him the wish under the condition that there would only be disguised flights, I wanted nobody in the town to see him. Mostly all day, the dragon flew over in circles over the forest, returning to his cave for sleeping only. I decided to give my dragon the name Pagan. One day, Pagan encouraged me to try and ride on him. I tried and after some difficulties to keep myself on his scaly back, I turned into an actual dragon rider.
Despite this new experience, my life stayed pretty comfortable. However, this changed four years later. I was spending time in town with one of my friends, but when I returned home, both my parents and my siblings had disappeared. Just when I wanted to start searching, I saw the people exiting their houses and walking towards the market place. I melted into the crowd and reached the market place. But what I had to witness there froze the blood in my veins to solid ice: The crowd stood right in front of a big wooden pedestal. On this structure, my father, my mother, my sisters and my brother knelt, their hands and feet bound. I tried to scream, but no sound erupted from my throat when I saw who stood on the back of the pedestal: It was Fire Lord Ozai himself, a sword in hand. He stepped forward and spoke. My family's crimes were revealed and there is only one sentence for high-treason: Death! My father shouted at the Fire Lord, but he showed no signs of remorse and cut of my father's head with one strong blow. My mother screamed when my father's head hit the wooden ground. Only a few moments later, my mother's head followed, then the one's of my sisters. I tried to reach the pedestal as fast as I could, but too late: With a diabolical grin on his face, the Fire Lord also cut of my brother's head. Just when the headless corpse of my brother fell to the ground, I reached the pedestal. The Fire Lord looked down, right into my eyes. An incredible rage filled my body when I saw the endless evil in the monarch's eyes. I screamed as loud as I could:
''You will pay for this! One day, I will find you and then slice your throat!''
Apparently, the Fire Lord realized that I was also a part of the family he just executed, he ordered his soldiers to kill me. But my skill and speed helped me to evade the soldier's spears and disappear into the crowd. I reached my home without any pursuers and started crying, for a very long time. I had lost my entire family in the span of a few minutes, they were dead, would never return, I was completely alone now. At this moment, I swore to myself: One day, I would kill the Fire Lord for the murders of my family! That's when I remembered my father's last words. What exactly did he mean? I went into his study and found a conspicuous scroll placed on the table, it bore an unknown seal. I opened the scroll and started reading, but what I read was impressive: In this scroll, my father revealed his membership in a mysterious order which followed a special goal: To end the war and the restoration of peace in the world! Apparently, this order already existed for several thousand years and always acted from the hidden. My father addressed all of his children in the scroll, whoever read this should take his place in the order and continue our family's task. On the back of the scroll, there was a map showing the way to an old monastery in the mountains, the order's headquarters. I absorbed the scroll's content and realized: I had to follow my father's last wish and join this order, it was my destiny!
Sometime later, I packed the few things I still had and made my way to Pagan's cave in the forest. I told him what happened to my family and what would happen with us now. He replied that no matter what would happen, he would stay by my side, as a dragon never leaves his master! I told him the location of the monastery and started our journey. A few day later, we had found the monastery at last. It was an ancient complex with multiple buildings which looked as if they were carved right into the mountain itself. I stepped in front of the large gate, but before I could knock, it opened on its own. I stepped in, walked across the big courtyard right towards the apparent main building. When I stepped in, multiple old monks wearing long white robes welcomed me. They said they knew who I was and the reason I was here. They explained many things to me and accepted me into the order as a novice. I had many things to learn, they said and assigned me a master called Kyzel the Old to teach me. He was an old man with a long white beard, but apparently was the best teacher the order had. And so my training began. During the following months and years I learned everything I know today. One day the grand masters tested me and finally proclaimed me a master. I now had the privilege of knowing the order's codex, as every master had to follow it: The main goal of the order was, as I already knew, the preservation of the peace in the world. But there was a second big goal I didn't know about so far: Since its founding, the order had the mission to protect the Avatar, who they saw as the greatest peace keeper. After a new Avatar appeared in the world, the order elected one member to become the Protector of the Avatar. The grand masters had seen in their visions, that the war was about to experience some drastic changes which could be connected with the appearance of the new Avatar. They had waited for the word of the Spirits and then finally elected the Protector. Their election fell on me! Of course I was surprised, but I accepted the honor without questions, as you don't question the word of the Spirits. I now had a mission which would characterize my life. From this day on, I waited for the day my mission would begin.
The wait is finally over! The big day is here! The Avatar has returned! My task is now to find the Avatar and protect him or her during his or her mission to give the world back its peace!
But still, I will never forget my main goal in life: I will find and kill the Fire Lord and all his subordinates, it's the only way for me and my family to find the peace we deserve!
The revenge fills me, it's everywhere in my body, it shapes my actions, it won't calm down until I will have let it out!
The honor, it surrounds me, it controls me and keeps the revenge down. I possibly hold the most important mission in the history of this world in my hands, I will succeed of die!
Even through the darkest days and nights, my flame burns, always!
I walk in the shadows to bring light to the world!
My name is Yulizan!
I am an Assassin!
Next chapter: The adventure begins