1.) Not dead
2.) Not happy with first attempt
3.) Enjoy
Avatar : Balance
Book One - Air
Chapter One
The clanking of chains mixed with grunts and groans, the cracks of whips and screams of pain were normal in this place. One of the guards made his way through the camp, he tried his best not to look at any of the residents. Their green eyes latched on him, his uniform, his face. The eyes of once proud earth benders. Solitary Confinement was at the back of the camp, it almost appeared to be a cabin, with its wooden walls, floor and ceiling. During the night, benders were unchained and allowed to sleep in similar rooms, larger, to hold more people but the smell of death was more pungent. They mined sciontine here, the metal that was their downfall, the metal that removed bending during the duration of contact. The metal that built the Ramor Empire.
Benders were the ideal laborers, earth benders could mine without the dangers of exploring a cave, bringing metal or valuable resources to the surface, water benders were the perfect healers and were versatile enough to serve many purposes. Fire benders burned coal and created enough energy to power the empire, Fortunately for him, no one had ever caught an airbender. He pitied them, wanted to help them. The luckiest benders, the more attractive or skilled were brought into favor with the higher class. More often then not they were forced to entertain the rich with their bending, he had heard that the beautiful and skilled benders were selling at a high price among the upper classes.
The entire Empire constantly searched for the avatar among earth bender children following Korra's death. Those two years were a frenzy, every person in the empire searched for the next, two sides clashed in the race to discover them. The Empire versus the White Lotus. Finally, the White Lotus believed they had found her. The reason for his placement within the Rokun Labor Camp.
E'Tali had been born in one of the more fatal labor camps three months after Korra's death, they couldn't just take her, that would be waving a flag to the Empire, "Hey this is the Avatar" and ending all hope. They had her transferred… here, where her survival was more likely, where she could see the suffering of her people and grow the desire to help them, That was fifteen years ago. The search had only strengthened from there, each year she was hidden was another year to grow and train, another year to become a larger threat to the Empire.
He unlocked and opened the wooden door that led to solitary, a slight girl with grass green eyes and short dark hair sat on the floor. Her skin had been darkened heavily from exposure to the sun and her arms and legs were toned from heavy labor. Dark gray metal shackles encircled her ankles, preventing her from running, or bending. "Come." She looked up at him through her hair, there was a look of defiance in her eyes. He couldn't afford to waste time, someone would notice the missing keys eventually. He needed her to go with him so he could get her out quietly. "Hurry up." He said quietly, grabbing her arm and pulling her to her feet. "Let go of me." Her voice was dangerously quiet. Had she not been so gaunt from eating next to nothing or overworked, she would've been an intimidating person. "I am with the White Lotus, I can break you out of here." She laughed, a surprisingly harsh sound in the tortured noises of the camp. "And I am the Chieftess of the Southern Water Tribe."
This was a high risk mission he needed her to take it seriously. "You can escape here now with me or you can continue your suffering here, Your choice." She took a deep breath, "Why would you even want me? I'm just another random earth bender. I'm sure their are plenty more that are talented and useful. I just make it a personal goal to annoy my captors is all." He sighs, "You're the only one in solitary and you are more valuable than you know." Removing the key from his pocket he unlocked her shackles. "Stay close and look meek. I can't have any screw ups or we'll both be caught." "Fine." She grumbles. The smell hits his nose first, again as he reenters the labor area. Checking quickly that E'Tali was close, he moved away from the laborers. He could feel their gazes again, he knew that E'Tali received the same treatment. Why was she with him? Where were her shackles?
Once they were out of public eye he pulled her close to him and whispered in her ear, "When we reach the gate you need to stand still and go along with what I say." "What are you going to say?" She whispered back harshly. "Hush" He pulled her along by her arm, forcing her to keep up with the brisk pace. The guards at the gate eyed him warily, "This bender is being transferred to Lamora." The guard eyed E'Tali, looking for anything in particular. "Why?" "This girl is nothing but a nuisance, constantly tampering with equipment. I just pulled her out of solitary." Fear settled like a rock in his stomach. "Show me your identification and orders, then you can go." "Of course."
He launched into a swift attack, he withdrew the air from them. knocking them out. The station that guard had occupied was close. Looking at the controls he opened it. "Time to go." Quickly he returned to E'Tali's side. She had tried to run, "I don't know or trust you. Did you really think you'd get far." He pulled a whistle from another pocket and summoned an air bison. "Yip yip."
With the Avatar safe in hand and high in the air, making way to their base. The mission was a closed success.
E'Tali's adventure will be interesting. I created this concept for a more original story. Tell me, how do you think she will discover her new team avatar?