Ooooooh, its Zuko POV!
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Zuko POV
My eyes widened as I saw the beam of light shoot up into the sky. "Uncle! Do you realize what this means?"
"I won't get to finish my game?" Uncle Iroh looked disinterested, delicately sipping from his tea cup.
"It means my search is about to come to an end. That light came from an incredibly powerful source! It has to be him!"
Iroh sighed, looking quite exhausted. "We've been down this road before, Prince Zuko. It's just the celestial lights. I don't want you to get too excited over nothing. Please sit." Uncle smiled, "Why don't you enjoy a cup of calming jasmine tea?" he smiled peacefully.
"I don't need any calming tea!" I snapped, "I need to capture the Avatar! Houndsmen! Head a course for the light."
Just as I spoke those words, an ominous wind blew against my face and rattled the Pai Sho pieces on my Uncle's tea table, as if the very wind was warning me of my fate, traveling this path. No matter. The wind's warning was nothing of concern, for what could a breeze know of the power of fire. The last airbender will be mine, and I will reclaim my rightful place on the throne.
The seconds turned to minutes, the minutes to hours. The sun was setting. We wouldn't reach the Avatar's location until next daybreak. My impatience was impacting my mood and I was getting restless as the hours ticked by. Some firebending training would help me quell the disquiet energy inside me as we approached my fated battle with the Avatar.
"Uncle! I need to train. The Avatar will be skilled, and I need to be ready to face him."
"Very well. We will begin with the Duen Da technique. I trust you remember the sequence?" Uncle Iroh looked up from his tea set, with a seriousness he only gets when it comes to firebending training.
"I remember. Guards! Assume the position." Without hesitation, the guards stepped forward and assumed a fighting stance, positioned perfectly for the Duen Da technique. With that I quickly shot fire at both guards, arms extended. They both blocked the strike and charged to attack. One aimed at my feet to weaken my stance, while the other shot at my chest. I dodged both and blasted both with my leg and my arm. The guards were both unharmed, as they have practiced this technique with me before and knew what to expect.
"Again. Breathe as you feel the energy release itself."
I performed the technique once more.
"Again."
"Again."
"Again."
"Again!"
I charged as hard as I could at the guards, striking both with all the power I had. Uncle Iroh sighed.
"No. Power in firebending comes from the breath, not the muscles. The breath becomes energy in the body." He centered his hands, palms up, towards his lower abdomen. "The energy extends past your limbs and becomes fire!" One hand recoiled into a fist, the other palm facing me. His fist shot out with a precision that only comes with years of practice and discipline. A blast of fire shot out just far enough not to reach my face, but to warm it in the cold arctic air. Its heat was intense. He then centered his hands, palms down, once more. "Get it right this time."
"Enough, I've been drilling this sequence for hours. Teach me the next set, I'm more than ready." I challenged.
"No, you are impatient. You have yet to master your basics. Drill it again!"
I growled, angry at my Uncle's stubbornness. I lashed out on the guard behind me, striking him with fire. The guard was unprepared and was propelled backwards and fell on his back. Ignoring the initial pang of guilt, I felt from striking one of my bending partners, I turned to challenge my Uncle yet again. "The sages tell us that the Avatar is the last airbender. He must be over a hundred years old by now. He's had a century to master the four elements. I'll need more than basic firebending to defeat him." Uncle Iroh's eyes narrowed. "You will teach me the advanced set!" I roared, my temper getting the best of me.
Uncle sighed, "Very well. But first, I must finish my roast duck!" He pulled out a bowl of seasoned duck and began eating with a gusto. My eyes widened, and I recoiled slightly, out of disgust or out of whiplash from his sudden departure from the serious tone of the conversation.
Before I could reply though, another light flashed in the sky. This time, I recognized the light. It was a flare from a fire navy ship. One of the guards handed me my telescope and I peered through. In the distance, I saw an old model of a fire navy ship. It had deteriorated with its time trapped in the ice, but that wasn't what was interesting. What was interesting were two bodies flying out of the top of the ship, one body carrying the other. Even from a distance, I knew that had to be him. To jump those distances, you would have to manipulate the air to soften the fall.
"The last airbender, quite agile for his old age." My uncle stiffened. "Uncle, I found the Avatar." Turning my telescope towards the direction they were running, and I saw a hidden small tribe. "As well as his hiding place." My eyes locked on the yellow and red figure, the person who would determine my fate.
