This is a work of fanfiction. Avatar: The Last Airbender is owned by Nick and/or Brian and Mike.
Here's the next chapter. A little longer than the others, and I may make later ones even longer, as I have more story to tell.
Master Sage Yagi showed Riza into his office near the top of the temple. There, sitting on the floor was an old bald man in orange robes with a string of wooden beads around his neck.
"Monk Siangu, this is Fireprince Riza," Master Yagi said, bowing to the man. Siangu bowed back, a feat one might think to be impossible from the floor, but he managed it anyway.
"It is an honor to be in the presence of both the Avatar and the Prince of the Fire Nation. Kindly forgive me for not standing. I have been having joint trouble with my knees, and even the Healers of the Water Tribe cannot seem to fix them." He said. His voice was soft and melodious, and carried with it a great peace, as though this man could not be surprised by anything. Then he surprised Riza by adding, "It has certainly lowered my standing on the Airball courts." The image of this old, wizened man playing a children's game so shocked Riza that he actually snorted out loud before regaining his composure.
"I apologize for my lack of decorum, Master Siangu. It will not happen again." Riza assured him.
"Nonsense, boy! If you are going to live with us, you may as well be comfortable. There is no need to stand on formalities." The Monk quirked an eyebrow at Master Yagi, as if to ask 'what have you done to this poor child?'
"Prince Riza, there is no need for you to be so formal with Master Monk Siangu. Please, sit." Yagi gestured to a chair across the rug from where Siangu was sitting.
"Yes, Sifu," Riza said as he took a seat. Master Yagi sat down behind his desk.
"Now, the reason for all that hullabaloo in the kitchens, and the reason that I brought you up here to meet Monk Siangu is that you are about to progress to the next stage in your Avatar training. You have almost mastered Firebending, and so will be leaving us in a few weeks."
"What!" Riza cried, leaping to his feet, all thoughts of proper manners forgotten. Him, leave the Fire Temple? It was preposterous, it was insane, and he let both those old fools know just what he thought of the idea. Master Yagi grew furious at the flood of insults, and was about to do something about it when Siangu, with much creaking of joints, stood.
The Airbender was massive. He towered over both Yagi and Riza like a giant, and his presence seemed to triple. Where before he just sat unobtrusively on the rug, now he seemed to turn the room smaller, so that it pressed in on the two Firebenders. The only change to his face was that he was not smiling quite as much as before. Immediately the quarreling master and apprentice sat back down and quieted up. How could they not, when they were confronted with the fury of a typhoon wrapped up in a giant?
"I am sorry to interrupt your argument, but perhaps it would be better for young Riza to hear you out, Master Sage Yagi?" There was still nothing but deference in the monk's voice as he gazed calmly at Yagi, and then at Riza. Seeing that they were both a little calmer, he sat back down, and the aura of power left the room.
"Yes, um…" Master Yagi seemed at a loss for words, but quickly remembered where he had left off, "As I said, you will be leaving us in a few weeks to go live with the Air Nomads, and continue your spiritual training among them. You will also, of course, learn Airbending while you are living with them."
Riza looked downwards towards the kitchen, almost as if he was looking through the floor at the hubbub contained within. "Then why are they all here? I thought that I was going to live with them," he said.
"It is true that you will live with them when you go, however, I thought that it might be a good idea if they were to come and visit us for a time, to help you get used to their customs and ways in a more familiar setting." Yagi replied.
"And we, being nomads, found no fault with visiting our compatriots in the Fire Nation," said Siangu. "In fact, it has been a while since this many of us had left our temples for any length of time. We were getting complacent!" He chuckled, and then turned serious again. Or at least slightly less jovial.
Master Yagi glanced out the window at the setting sun, "It's getting late. Riza, you go get something to eat, and then I think it would be best if you retired for the night. I believe that we will all be very busy in the days to come."
