Part One: The Last Airbender

Chapter 3: Allure of the World

Solin II


It was mid-afternoon as Solin approached the great southwestern gate of Taiyang. Giving it little thought, the firebender ran his hands through his freshly cut hair. It was a weird feeling, one he hadn't known in years. He felt as if he was suddenly lighter and more mobile. Shuyan chuckled to herself at her brother's bewilderment, clutching the reigns of her steed as she walked beside him.

"How long do you think you will be gone?"

Solin took notice of his younger brother, clothed in burgundy fitted training-wear. At the age of fourteen, Zubao was quite tall, only half a head shorter than Solin. He still had plenty of growing to do, being far lither next to his older brother's built physique. Compared to his siblings, Zubao strongly resembled their mother. His eyes were a gentle amber rather than a piercing gold, centrepieces of a narrow, heart-shaped face. Atop his head was a neat top-knot bun, identical to Solin's before his haircut. Like Sheniang, Zubao's dark hair shone auburn in the sunlight.

"I'm not sure to be honest," Solin replied. "Months."

"You'll be okay right?" A soft voice asked from behind.

Smiling, Solin turned about to lay his eyes upon the voice's source. Between his two parents walked his little sister, clutching the hands of their mother and father and she beamed at him. Yiwan was only six years of age and had just begun her training, wearing fitted training robes like Zubao. She also closely resembled their mother, with a heart shaped face. However, she took after their father as well, having jet-black hair that hung down to her shoulders. Yiwan also had her father's golden eyes, though hers glowed with the innocence of youth rather than a hawkish and piercing flame.

"I promise I will." Solin assured sincerely. "You know how strong your big brother is! Nobody will be able to even land a scratch on me!"

Yiwan nodded with enthusiasm with a toothy grin. "Yes! My big brother is the strongest!"

"That's right." Solin warmly . His little sister's enthusiasm never failed to brighten his mood. He turned back around to face the nearing gate. The giant gate doors were held wide open for the Head Family, revealing the expansive plains outside of the city. Hanging steadily in the sky, the sun illuminated the golden fields of barley and wheat swaying gently in the wind, enriching the crops with its life. Carts carrying all sorts of goods and peoples entered and exited Taiyang through the high arches of the gate.

"It is finally time my son," Zuhong gestured at the world before them. "Go forth and prove yourself."

Solin approached his father and saluted him, fist in palm. "I will bring honour to our name."

He then walked to his mother, embracing her. "Goodbye mother."

"Be safe my son." Sheniang held Solin warmly.

Shuyan saluted and embraced their parents as Solin knelt to face his little sister. Yiwan gave him a gentle smile, before leaping forward, gripping him close.

"I will miss you big brother." She muttered solemnly.

"I'll miss you too Yiwan," Solin said as he gently hugged her back. "When I come back, I'll bring you presents from my adventures, that's a promise."

Yiwan continued to beam as Solin arose, turning to face his younger brother.

"Behave yourself Zubao," Solin grinned as he teased. "Shuyan and I won't be around for a while. Be good to mother and father, and watch out for Yiwan."

Zubao tried to hide his smirk. "The only thing you should be worried about is me surpassing you! I'll be training harder than ever now."

Grinning, Solin nodded at his brother. "I expect nothing less."

"I must be honest, I pity whoever has to face you." Zubao shook his head playfully. "They won't know what they're dealing with. Show them just how powerful we Yangs can be!"

Invigorated by his brothers assurance, Solin gave him a knowing glance before turning to the open gate. The vastness of the plains beyond Taiyang seemed greater than ever before. It was a world of possibilities and opportunities, inviting and invigorating to him. His mild trance was interrupted by a sudden clasp on his shoulder. At his periphery he glimpsed Shuyan pulling the reigns of her steed, gesturing forward to the road before them as she marched past. Sharpening from his wandering thoughts, Solin hurried to keep pace with her. As they crossed the cusp, he quickly glanced back one last time to see his family standing together, glowing with pride, hope, and love. Despite the radiating warmth of his family, a sudden unfamiliar pang of deep nervousness began to swell in his gut. He was always used to having a handle on whatever situation came his way. When he began firebending, it came so easily to him, even as a Yang. He never felt unsure when confronted with forms and techniques he had to master, or elders he had to spar. But this was different. The world before him was not the stronghold he had been bred inside. Out there the risks were real.

Walking alongside his sister on the wide southwestern highway, they were by no means alone. The stream of ox-driven carts carrying goods, resources, and travellers steadily crept towards the great gates behind the two Yangs. The line of carts disembarking from the city was far sparser to compare. Refugees that couldn't afford to ride in carts trudged onward towards the City of the Sun, wrapped in rags and touting all the belongings that they could, eyes glimmering with hope in spite of their destitution as they drew closer to the brightness. Solin noticed one thing was constant amongst all who passed by the two Yangs, be they refugee or soldier, farmer or merchant; all faces were sure to rest their tired eyes on his sister. They stared in awe at the beautiful warrior, her crimson headband flowing gracefully in the wind. Murmurs arose from their ranks, as they shared whatever rumours and stories that they've heard of the Yang Heir, whispering various sobriquets and nicknames that she was awarded by the people.

"The Radiant Princess?" Solin nudged his sister, as he amusedly listened to the reverence of the masses. "Ah, 'The Sword of Dawn', now that's a good one."

Shuyan barely resisted from rolling her eyes. "It's a bit much isn't it."

"I don't know," Solin shrugged. "If the tales of your ventures are true, they seem like a good fit."

"Oh, please." A bright laugh escaped his sister. "They exaggerate."

"Even if that's the case, you certainly look the part." Solin gestured at her masterfully crafted Clan Armour before judging his own attire. The contrast was immense. Shuyan wore brilliant ornamented robes and armour, emblazoned in crimson and gold upon an obsidian base. On the other hand, Solin wore a fitted, dark grey tunic and pants. It was very plain, accented only by simple reddish-brown leather boots, bracers, and chest piece. While Shuyan had a noble blade slung across her back, Solin had a leather rucksack. His sister had the luxury of an ostrich-horse to carry her valuables.

"Fucks sake," Solin muttered. "Why do I have to wear this?"

"Don't worry brother. As mother and father said, be patient. You'll get your Clan Armour soon"

"Did you have to wear this?"

"Of course! You're supposed to keep a low profile after all, and believe it or not, the attire helps." A slight reminiscence glazed over Shuyan eyes as she remembered her first tasks. "I even had to cut my hair too, though not as short as yours."

"And why couldn't I get an ostrich-horse of my own?" Solin shook his head impatiently. "It'll take me weeks to reach Sanseong on foot."

"It's part of the whole tradition Solin," Shuyan shrugged nonchalantly. "I'm sure you'll find a way to hasten your travels."

Solin barely heard her words as he instinctively touched his forehead. "They didn't even let me wear the headband."

"You have to earn that." Shuyan clicked her tongue. "I know you're very…confident in your abilities, but it doesn't mean you're entitled to it."

"Very confident?" Solin feigned innocence.

"Hah! Don't even try it." Shuyan's bright laughter radiated around the two. "You know very well what you're capable of. Not a bad thing of course, so long as you keep it in check from arrogance."

"We've barely left the city and you're already lecturing me in mother and father's place."

"No, I'm not!"

"Yes, you are," Solin retorted with a fiery defiance. "You've barely been in Taiyang the past two years Shuyan, how would you know how much I've grown? You haven't seen how far my firebending has come. I can recognise it, our whole bloody Clan can recognise it, by the Spirits! They say I fight like Yang reborn!"

"Solin, please just listen! I know that I haven't been around often…and it's likely that I won't see you for months to come. I just…You're my little brother Solin. I want to make sure you'll be as successful as you can be." Shuyan paused as they arrived at a great fork in the road, the city far behind them. One avenue turned southwest, while the other curved northward.

"Humility is the most valuable trait of all. Please, above all, cling to that." A grievousness shone in Shuyan's eyes as she turned to look upon her little brother. "People like you and I…we've been blessed with the blood of the Sun Spirit, to have power that so many do not. Balance in this world has long been lost little brother, and we have an opportunity to bring it back. I'm not sure if you've realised the significance of our times, whether it's the weight of the war or the weight of the power in your hands, but when that realisation strikes, remember your humility. I know that this isn't what you want to hear, but we should not simply be in this for honour and accolades. Remember why we truly fight."

Solin was struck by his sister's sudden change in demeanour. The obvious question, begging to be asked, lingered in his lungs for a few beats.

"What are we fighting for?" He exhaled, barely above a whisper

Shuyan's unflinching eyes were ablaze. "For a better world."

To Solin, a sudden silence fell upon the plain, a silence disturbed only by the gentle rustlings from the surrounding golden seas of crops and flora swaying in the wind. All he could focus on was his older sister before him. For a moment he could see beyond the perfection of the cherished hero; the 'Radiant Princess', the 'Sword of Dawn'. Her golden eyes were no longer burning bright and with hope. Instead they were scorched with a deep guilt and dread. Her face, often so glowing and angelic, was haggard and worn by the weight of the world. A wave of guilt and shame rapidly washed over Solin.

"I…" Solin composed himself, deeply unsettled and feeling guilty for his outburst. "I understand."

"I'm not sure you do, not yet at least," Shuyan glanced west at the reddening sky as the Sun crept its way down the horizon. "I trust by the time I see you again, after all you may face, you will."

Solin turned west as well, staring at the vermillion horizon. Her words stung and soothed, ringing in his ears and throughout his being. Silence reigned for what seemed like an eternity. His thoughts began to swirl at Shuyan's words.

'A better world.' Such a simple phrase and goal, yet something about it was incredibly entrancing, even invigorating. Shuyan's demeanour however, even if just for a moment, was anything but. Solin shuddered at the thought of what he saw, the dread emanating from his sister as she dropped her perfect demeanour for barely an instant. It was something that Solin had never seen from his sister before, let alone thought about. All his life he looked up to her. She was the heir, always perfect and effortless in doing her duty. But in that moment, Solin felt that he knew his sister better than ever before. Shuyan still stood valiantly for their Clan and City before the enemy, unwilling to let the masses see her true thoughts and feelings so that they would not despair. Solin wasn't sure whether to be inspired by his sister's resilience or disappointed in her fatalism.

"I guess this is where we part." He muttered softly.

"Yes, it is," A momentary peace and warmth spread across Shuyan's face as she clasped her brother's shoulder. "Be safe little brother. Show the world what you're capable of."

"You too Shuyan," Solin saluted, fist high in palm before his eyes. "Bring us victory in Lu Se."

Shuyan returned the salute. "May Yang guide and protect you."

"And you."

Shuyan swiftly leaped atop of her steed, grabbing the reigns to turn the ostrich-horse before galloping southwest. Solin stood still for a few beats, watching his sister grew smaller into the distance, fading behind the thick cloud of dust kicked up by her mount. He struggled to suppress the vision of his sister, a hero fallen, instead driving his thoughts to wander to brighter things. Perhaps his sister's grim outlook was wrong. After a century of darkness, those with the power to make a difference could not give in to despair. Perhaps it was now the time for heroes to arise, to inspire and lead the masses to victory. Reassuring himself, the firebender then turned slowly to face the stretch of plains to his north. In the distance, the northern mountains faintly peaked over the lilac horizon. A fiery excitement began to stir in his gut, and a grin slowly crept onto his face. Finally, after all these years of training he would begin his adventure. Glory waited. Honour awaited him. Victory awaited him.


Solin's enthusiasm was somewhat dulled after walking the path for an hour. The mountains on the horizon didn't seem to get any closer at all, and it was drawing close to dusk. Luckily for him, the winter winds kept the Sun's heat at bay during the day. The plains could get quite chilled in the evening, but it was nothing Solin couldn't handle as a firebender. If his inner flame wasn't enough to keep him warm, he could always make a fire. Even still, the waning sunlight pushed Solin's thoughts to his warm bed with silken sheets. He immediately chastised himself.

Toughen up. It has literally been only a few hours. I can't be missing home already.

The entire adventure facing him was bound to take him out of his comfort zone after all, he'd have to face everything with vigour. Taking note of this, Solin resorted to muttering to himself words of enthusiasm and encouragement. He was certain he'd look like an absolute wanker to any soul passing by, but as far as he could see, he was the only person on the Northern Way for miles. His whispers grew in volume as any speck of self-consciousness melted away. There was no one to judge, so why would he worry? Solin almost laughed aloud at the ridiculousness of his actions.

"Come on Solin, seize the day. Endure and fight, as Yang would!"

I definitely look like a bloody idiot right now.

Suddenly, Solin halted in reciting his mantras. Perhaps it was the solitude warping his perceptions, but he was certain that he heard the rumbling of hooves gnashing against the gravel road. He hastily scanned the expanse before him. Not a soul. Shielding his eyes from the glare of the setting sun, Solin then turned to his back to see a figure in the distance coming towards him at a steady pace. As it got closer, the creaking of wheels became more apparent. It was a medium sized wooden cart, hauled by two sturdy oxen. A silhouette sat at the helm of the cart, reigns in hand. Solin urgently raised his arms, waving at the handler to draw his attention.

"Hail traveller!" Solin cried out as he waved rapidly.

The creaking of the wheels eased as the cart slowed upon nearing the warrior. Heaps of crates and burlap sacks were stacked quite messily on the back of the cart. Up close, Solin could see that the handler was quite an older man, above fifty at the least. His leathery face was the face of a man who spent most of his time in the outdoors, exacerbated by dark spots and blemishes littered across his olive skin. He was dressed plainly, in tan woollen trousers and a dull green tunic. Raising the front brim of his conical straw hat, the old man looked down at the roadside to examine Solin, scratching a scraggly grey beard all the while.

"Can I help ya lad?" He asked impatiently.

"I'm hoping that you can." Solin nodded politely. "Are you travelling north?"

The old man furrowed his brow, blatantly unamused. "Where else does this road lead?"

"Well, uh north." Solin stammered, caught off guard.

"There's your answer."

Solin re-composed himself and flashed a smile. "That happens to be where I'm heading as well."

"No shit," the man interrupted. "This road heads north."

"Right…uh," Solin was taken aback by man's bluntness. "Well you see, I was hoping that I would be able to have a ride. You've got plenty of room next to you."

"Hm…" The old man pondered for a few seconds, "Do ya have gold?"

"…why would you need gold? We're going the same way anyways, giving me a ride would be no harm." Solin retorted.

The man chuckled as he shook his head. "Ya're not convincing me lad."

"Well you're not convincing me to pay either." Solin shot back, growing frustrated at the situation.

"I'm not the one who needs to be convincin'!" The man argued as he grabbed hold of his reigns. "My job is to transport goods, not vagabonds. I think I'll just go on me way without a passenger, like I should be doing!"

"Wait, wait!" Solin jumped before the two oxen, hands raised apologetically. "Pardon my manners, I'm new to this."

The old man grunted. "That's no reason to behave like an entitled wanker."

"Listen, I'm not interested in paying in gold, but I can pay you in other ways."

The man looked at Solin aghast. "What the fuck are ya on about boy? I don't want ya to suck me cock, and I certainly am not going to bum ya."

"What!?" Solin yelled in exasperation. "Fucking spirits, that's not what I meant! By Yang, I meant that I could protect you. I am confident in saying that you are looking at a master of the martial arts. I'm sure you know as well as I do that with the chaos of the war, the roads further north have become ripe grounds for banditry. They're just waiting for carts like yours to go through. Easy pickings."

"I've been handling meself just fine, thank ya very much."

Solin crossed him arms confidently. "Be honest mate, how often do you travel between Sanguk and Ba Sing Se?"

"Well," the old man squinted, pondering at what angle Solin was taking. "Depends on the season, but at least once a month."

"Makes sense. And how often are you stopped by bandits?" Solin raised an eyebrow as he tried to conceal a smirk.

"All the bloody time." The man's face reddened. "But they don't take everythin', they're decent enough to leave most of me freight alone."

"How honourable of them." Solin rolled his eyes, voice saturated with sarcasm. "Stealing is stealing, It's against the Royal Laws of your Emperor. Why lose gold to the benefit of criminals? With me around, I can promise you that not a single piece of gold, not even a single bloody grain of rice, will be taken from you."

The old man thought to himself for a beat before tiredly beckoning at Solin. "Ah bloody hell, if it'll shut you up then jump on."

"Thank you sir." Solin jumped onto the top of the cart in a single bound and took a seat next to the old man.

"No need for honorifics lad, I'm simply a serf. Call me by my name, Ho."

Solin nodded. "Of course."

"Well ya must have a name as well." Ho said gruffly as he whipped the reigns.

"My name is Solin." The firebender replied, cart wheels creaking once again as the oxen trotted forth.

"Solin, I see." Reigns still in hand, Ho glanced to his right at Solin, brows furrowed. "Now, tell me Solin, are ya one of them Yang Clan lads?"

Solin's eyes widened at the remark, and he felt his gut drop as he struggled to compose himself. Ho smugly burst into a fit of laughter.

"Haha! You should have seen ya bloody face! There's my answer."

"But…how?" Solin scratched his head, shocked at Ho's rapid conclusion.

"Well if ya're trying to blend in, ya're not doing a good job. Ya talk really bloody posh for one." Ho replied, still chuckling. "Which tells me that ya're probably of high birth."

"Noted."

"Two, ya clearly are Liehuonese, if not by loyalty then by blood. One look into ya gold eyes alone can tell me that."

Solin shrugged. "Not much I can do about their colour."

"And three. I don't think a highborn Liehuonese lad would be runnin' around in these parts of Luantu. Hell, I'd be surprised if there were any regular Liehuonese runnin' around here. So I'm either a bloody idiot, or you're probably from Taiyang."

"But that doesn't mean I'm of the Yang." Solin challenged, hoping to salvage some sort of angle to reclaim his anonymity. "Most citizens of Liehuonese blood in Taiyang speak with, as you say, 'posh' accents. I could've been any Taiyanger."

"Boy, take this how you will, but ya look like the bloody Sun Spirit himself." Ho exclaimed as his eyes bulged at the firebender. "At least how he's described in legends. Spirits, I'd have been more surprised if ya weren't a Yang after all."

"Hm." Solin couldn't help but feel his confidence inflate at the comparison. "I'll take that as a compliment then."

"Hey now, wipe that smug smile from ya face boy." Ho dismissed, unwilling for his words to be interpreted as flattery. "I've never seen a Yang before, maybe the whole lot of you look the bloody same."

Solin chuckled. "You tell yourself that mate."

Sunlight was barely peering over the western horizon as they continued northward. Solin was delighted at the pace the oxcart had compared to travelling on foot. The northern mountains of Sanguk loomed closer, and deep green forests could be distantly seen at their bases, a stark contrast to the rolling plains and grasslands to their south. Dusk now painting the sky, they were sure to stop for the night soon.

"Where in Sanguk are ya headin' for by the way?" Ho asked nonchalantly.

"Sanseong." Solin replied. "Yourself?"

"Ah, how convenient! I'm heading for the capital too." Ho smiled, almost relieved. "Going to deliver gold to me noble before heading back to me village. Let me guess, a Yang like yourself…must be meeting with our King?"

"That's…part of it, definitely." Solin internally debated on how much he could say to a serf. "I'm not supposed to be saying too much, especially to a farmer I'd just met, but I don't think you're going to be running to the Liehuonese with any information I may share."

Ho shook his head seriously, eyes narrowed. "No bloody way would I run to those imperialist bastards. Murderous, the lot of them."

"But yes, I'm to meet the King Sanwangwang." Solin nodded. "Urgent business and all."

Ho nodded understandably as he pulled on his reigns to halt the oxen. "Let's stop before it gets too dark."

"I fucking hate winter." Solin muttered as he dismounted from the cart. "Days are too short, and nights too long."

"I hear that." Ho agreed as he tactfully climbed down from the helm. "We leave at first light. A little earlier would be better even."

Solin stretched his legs before clearing a space to start a fire. "Do you have any firewood?"

Ho pointed at a hemp sack towards the back of the cart as he drowsily walked over to where Solin was clearing, taking over for the firebender, diligently sweeping away any vegetation that could catch and spread the flame. Solin trotted to the back of the cart, and carefully pulled out a bundle of sticks.

"While ya're there, grab me shovel will ya?" Ho called out after him. "Just in case a highborn Yang like yourself doesn't know, we need to create a pit to contain the fire!"

Solin waved him off, carrying the bundle of firewood under his left arm. "Trust me, no tools will be needed for that. Did you clear out all the grass?"

Ho tilted his head slightly in confirmation.

"Stand back then."

The farmer, with a puzzled look, complied, grumpily walked away from the clearing. Once Ho was a safe distance away, Solin widened his stance and sharply breathed in. As he forcefully exhaled, he thrust his right fist forward at the centre of the clearing, unleashing a focused and dense blast of brilliant fire from his knuckles. The blast burst upon impact, creating an excessively bright flash of fire and throwing soil high into the air. The flare dissipating and dust clearing, a crater remained in the clearing, the soil charred black from the explosion.

"Bloody hell lad," Ho mused aloud, mouth agape. "Was that really necessary?"

"It was efficient." Solin smirked as he knelt over to stack the firewood into a neat formation. Once it resembled a pyramid in shape, he lazily pointed two fingers upon the structure and released a gentle stream of flame from his fingertips. He loved firebending, and admittedly always looked for an excuse to do it. It felt as if it was an extension of his soul. He felt complete.

"Hm. Seems like you're useful after all." Ho joked as he lay down a few feet from the firepit. "Now get ya arse to sleep lad. Early day tomorrow."

"You don't have to worry about me mate, I rise with the Sun." Solin raised an eyebrow at the sight of Ho lying on the ground without so much as a sheet to cover him. "Are you not getting a blanket?"

"A blanket? I thought you Yangs are supposed to be peerless warriors." Ho began to laugh at the firebender once again. "Don't tell me the weakness of the Yang Clan is the idea of sleepin' without blankets."

Solin felt his ears flush and hoped the darkness would conceal his reddened face. "O-Of course not! I was just looking out for you, old man. It might get colder through the night."

"Well if it does, I'll be sure to wake ya up to do some more firebendin." Ho quickly retorted as he closed his eyes. "Now please go the fuck to sleep lad."

Ho in his sloth rolled over, facing away from the light of the kindled flame. Hesitantly, Solin lay down onto the soft earth. It certainly was nothing like his silk lined bed back home, but something about it drew Solin in. Perhaps it was the nature surrounding him, the ambience of the world softly singing through the empty plain. The cool breeze, rustlings of grass, crackling fireplace and chirping of insects blended together into a soft symphony that soothed the senses. It was almost meditative. The firebender felt his eyes grow heavy as he looked above to the night sky, sparkling with uncountable stars, fragments of heaven watching from above, bathing him in a gentle radiance. The allure of the world was irresistible, and for the first time in a long time, Solin felt at one with the universe. Warmth filled him as he drifted off into a deep slumber. All was well. Destiny awaits.


A/N – Thank you for reading! Stay tuned for the next chapter.

Next up is 'Prince in the Tundra' from Aang's POV, followed by a chapter from Shuyan's POV