Chapter 14: Origin of Lakogi
Day. Air Nomad monastery, Southern Air temple. Aang city.
It had been six months since the natives of Lakogi left their island and ascent to the home of the four air temples. All constructions remaining were finally complete due to help from the nations, leaving the air temples to be the Lakogian natives new home. The southern air temple city was named after the Avatar Aang who was born and raised, the hero who ended the Hundred Year war at long last. The city itself was thriving as Lakogian natives and tourists came to see a view of the life filled city. Raiku rode on his griffon Suba instead of meeting with his family in the air temple. He was on his agenda to ask the grand priest about the arrival of dark spirits. Suba landed on the gondola of the monastery as he got off from the griffon, now staring at a mountain that reminded him of his test to be a griffon rider. Suba nudged Raiku's arms with his head, leaving the snow-white haired airbender to pat him on the beak.
"That mountain reminds me of the final test to receive my coronation." he said. "I remember how it was. " Raiku now stared at Suba. "It was the first day I met you, boy."
Flashback.
Almost five months later...
In the island of Lakogi consistently; home of the once energybenders now airbenders, rest the Iego mountain. The home of the fast riding griffons, and the final test of Raiku's coronation as a Lakogian warrior. Besides him and others prepping for their final test in becoming warrior, there was Korra, Mako, Bolin, Asami, and Li Mei due to a maximum of five people to go with Raiku. Irrin, a short cut white haired man squad leader of the 105th scouts and the loose haired and goatee shinobi commander Bregnan walked out of the chasm as Raiku's teacher and mentor Nosauri arrived on her griffon. There were also three more that arrived with her as well. One was Master Sing Jian who had a dark stubble and wide sun hat among his shinobi garb. The other was long haired man name Yun Soon who was a calmer and understanding mentor. The last was a spiky haired man with a orange scarf surrounding his mouth and nose, with his headband on his left eye among his shinobi armor who was Hakasti.
"Hello, apprentices." Nosauri glanced at Korra and the others with a grin. "And to our guests." she said with her and the mentors giving them a bow of respect
"This will be your final feat to become a Lakogian warrior. To become a full fledged Lakogian warrior, you must found your griffon." Hakasti instructed. "Outside the chasm are a pack of griffons who have matured after cub hood. One of them will determine which one will be the rider. At this point, you must remain both focused and cautious."
"Remember to keep your eyes open when you encounter the griffon that will choose you." Yun Soon stated
"Do not use airbending once you're outside. The griffons outside will more likely become extremely aggressive during this final trial. Rely on using your cord to tie the mouth of the griffon that chooses you after you made the bond connection." Sing Jian added. "Least of all, good luck and be careful out there."
Squad leader Irrin glanced directly at Raiku with a still look on his face. "Raiku will go first." he said as Raiku took a deep breath and exhaled, making his way out with his old mentor following him until they were close to the exit of the chasm
"Be careful, Raiku." Nosauri warned. "One of those griffons would determine if you are what they choose." she said with Korra and the others behind him
"How will it know if Raiku's the one?" Korra asked Nosauri
"Because one of them will try to kill me." Raiku answered nonchalantly making his way outside
"Whaa-" Bolin was cut off when Li Mei placed her finger on his mouth
"Shh, sweetie." Li Mei whispered
Once outside Raiku was being eyed by twelve griffons, leaving one to place a step closer to the ground as it gazed at him fiercely. The griffon walked steadily on all fours, readying to charge only for Raiku to give off a shout which caused the griffon to back away. Another griffon prepared to pounce as he used the cord like a whip to hit the air, leaving it and a third one to back away from him. However; the fourth griffon slowly walked around Raiku in a circle, as the airbender cracked the cord like a whip and hit the air. Surprisingly, the griffon did not move instead emit a low growl as it looked at him viciously. Raiku cocked his head as he looked in the eyes of the griffon that continued to stare at him.
"Here we go." he muttered. "Come on!" he yelled out as the griffon let out a loud snarl. "You want me? Come on!"
The griffon growled furiously at Raiku, ready to pounce on ahead as the white haired airbender straighten the rope cord. It pounced head first at Raiku, leaving him to quickly slid away from the griffon. The griffon leaped using its leg, dashing back and forth to continue pouncing on Raiku as he leaped behind it. He used all his leg strength on the griffon's neck, having it fall on the ground with its beak tied. The griffon brushed left and right, attempting to remove Raiku off its neck. Raiku on the other hand kept his hold over the griffon whilst the creature itself stood up on its hind legs, dropping down so Raiku would lose his current hold over it. Irren and Bregnan stood in watch of the transaction whislt Sing Jian, Yun Soon, and Hakasti observing and studying Raiku's anticipations with his encounter of the griffon that chose him.
"Come on, Raiku! Finish the connection!"
"Make the bond!"
"The bond! Do it, now!" Nosauri shouted
"Make the connection, Raiku! Make the bond! Raiku, do it!" Korra yelled as Raiku pressed two fingers to the griffon's head, leaving a spark of green light to beam for only a second as the connection was made using energybending
"There we go." Raiku sighed, patting the griffon on the head as Korra and Nosauri crouched down beside him. "There we go, boy."
"You did it." Korra said, rubbing the griffon's neck as it stared at her after Raiku moved his legs off of it with Mako, Bolin, Asami, and Li Mei crouched over to them
"You got him." Mako grinned as the griffon stared at him. "He's a tough one, and a scrapper too."
"Where are its wings?" Li Mei asked in confusion patting the griffon. "I thought griffons had wings after they finished their cub hood."
"I know." Bolin replied, noticing a birthmark on its left hindleg. "This one looks different than the others because it's got a birthmark here on this leg." he said pointing at the birthmark on the left hindleg
"I think Acaro said that griffons get their wings between four or five months." Asami stated rubbing the griffon's stomach, leaving the wingless griffon to purr. "It also tells them apart from gender. If it has a birthmark on left leg, it's a boy. If it has one on the right, then it's a girl.
Korra looked at Nosauri with a pondering look on her face. "Is there one more thing left to do or is this it?" she asked Nosauri
"All that is left is for Raiku to name it." she chimed
Raiku smiled down at the griffon. "How about Suba?" he said as the griffon now called Suba starting to wag its tail. "You like that name, do you boy?"
"I like it." Korra said. "It suits him. Does it, Suba?" she asked Suba who licked her face in response as he laughed
Nosauri motioned Raiku to remove the rope cord which was tied to the beak. "The bond is complete." she said with a smile, then smiling back at Raiku. "Your coronation will begin tomorrow night, Raiku of the North Wind clan."
Flashback end.
"Is there a reason why you are here, young Raiku?" an old and wise voice asked
"Huh?" Raiku looked at the direction of the voice, only to find grand priest Yomuth wearing a orange and yellow monk robe. "Grand Priest Yomuth!" Raiku quickly bowed in respect
Yomuth waved for Raiku to stop. "No need to bow in hesitation. Tell me, what brings you here to the monastry?"
"There have been talks and sightings of angry spirits coming to the physical world." Raiku explained. "I spotted one in the Northern Water tribe outside the spirit festival."
the elder priest stroked his chin troubled. "It appears that the spirits are now in harmony. Reminds me of the history in Lakogi." he said taking a seat on the bench left of Raiku
"Yomuth?" Raiku inquired
"Do you know the history of Lakogi?" the old man asked snow white haired airbender
"Only how we became airbenders from the knowledge and power of the four air nomad families using energybending."
"That is half of it." Yomuth replied. "Before the arrival of the air nomad families during the Hundred Year war, and the era before the Avatar, Lakogi was the home of spirits."
"Wait... Lakogi was the home of the Spirits before us?"
"During our arrival actually." Yomuth stated. "At first we saw these spirits as threats for a time, but they proved to be our undoing which lead to a short battle. Whilst some believed the spirits were a certain threat, most believed that we could be in harmony between the physical and spiritual world. Although we were given energybending by the lion turtle that bestowed upon us, we could not be taught of how to use it properly. It was from the spirits and the griffons that rode in the skies of Lakogi that taught the use of energybending."
"I never seen any spirits until last night."
"That is because the spirits vanished after the era of the Avatar." Yomuth placed his hands together. "Once the time of the Avatar was born, all spirits over the world went back to their spiritual homes." Yomuth laid his hand freely in the air as he stood up from the bench slowly for his age. "Waterbenders discovered a forbidden but dangerous act which you know as bloodbending. The earthbender that accompanied Avatar Aang on his travels, Toph Beifong discovered the potential of metalbending. Firebenders discovered lightningbending by studying the ways of how waterbenders bend their element. Airbending can ascend to energybending by studying the fighting styles of how firebenders bent fire at a certain point from either the fire nation or from the island of the sun warrior Avatar Aang and Firelord Zuko ventured to.
"We could use energybending just like in a fighting form of firebending?" Raiku asked in a stunned tone. "Is there any of us that could do that?"
"There is only a few that could, but there are beyond reach." Yomuth replied, now heading back to the monastery. "The arrival of the spirits could mean only one thing;" he paused side glancing at Raiku over his shoulder. "Harmonic convergence." he finished going inside the monastery
"Raiku!"
Raiku then turned to the direction of another voice, presumably young and feminine hearing footsteps his way. He saw a girl two years older than him with over the shoulder white hair wearing the crest of the 105th on her chest, carried by Lakogi shinobi armor with Captain Irrin and a couple of men. One was in his mid twenties with a ponytail, while the other was a middle aged man whilst both of them wore shinobi armor.
"Qaleria. Dunra. Hogu." Raiku gaze shift to Irrin. "Captain Irrin, sir!" he said in salute crossing both his arms and bowing in respect. "What brings you here?"
"I came here looking for you." Irrin stated. "You're needed in one last mission."
Raiku raised an eyebrow in sudden confusion. "Last mission? I thought I was done when I was with Nosauri. I wasn't there to be another."
"Not precisely. The rest are scattered in the Earth Kingdom and Republic city." he explained with both his hands behind his back. "You were closer, so I chose you. We'll be sent on a recon mission."
"To where?"
"We received intel that the North Water tribe navy has sealed off the Southern Water tribe from leaving or entering." Irrin said. "Command believes they could be a possible civil war starting. If left unchecked, it would be a war against other nations including ours." Raiku's eyes slowly widened fearing that a civil war, or an all-out war to be precise
"What now?"
"I need you to grab your gear and meet us at the launching bay west of Fei Lung in fifteen minutes." Captain Irrin ordered. "Leave your griffon. We'll be using a sky bison to head for the South Water tribe."
"Yes, sir."
In an outpost west of Fei Lung, Raiku dressed himself in shinobi armor as he grabbed his griffon mask from his last mission. He sheath his sword behind his back, before equipping the lightweight vest which housed equipment for the mission. Outside, Raiku and the squad stood in attention as Captain Irrin made his way toward his squad
"We have a job to do. Time to get this show on the road." he said as they got on the tempest war painted sky bison and headed to their destination in the South Water tribe