Here is the twenty-sixth chapter in Book 3. This is out on time, just about, so I am still on track to catch up with the upload schedule. The next chapter is also fully edited so that will be released tomorrow. I am still a few chapters behind so I doubt I will reach my goal of catching up by this Tuesday, but I should be able to catch up by a week from Tuesday as I am still pretty far behind. That's all for now, there are no questions to answer here so sit back and enjoy the 26th full chapter in the third installment of Avatar: The Tale of Harry. Book 3: Unity.
Disclaimer: As always I own nothing related to these two great works of fiction.
Chapter 26
It had taken Albus and Scorpius two days to reach the central hub of the Foggy Swamp Tribe where the majority of the small nation lived. It was a little longer than Albus had intended but they had first had to travel to the small port at the mouth of the main river leaving the Swamp, the farthest edge of the Foggy Swamp Tribe territory and get permission to visit the Tribe from the port village there.
That hadn't been too hard as the Foggy Swamp Tribe had always been a very relaxed tribe that enjoyed their rustic lifestyle while interacting with the wider world sparingly so there was little formalities at the entry point. It had been amusing to see a small, Swamp specific, joke shop at the port courtesy of Fred and George's joke shop chain, proving that there were present in all nations and that the Foggy Swamp Tribe was in touch with the wider world in some ways.
After getting permission to head upriver to the Tribal hub, something they didn't have to pay for as they were waterbenders and therefore 'kin' to the swampbenders, they set off in the traditional canoes of Tribe. Albus and Scorpius helped the swampbenders move their canoes up stream but for the first time Albus was able to truly respect the odd and unfamiliar Foggy Swamp Style of waterbending.
The rigid and powerful style allowed the canoes to travel fast and efficiently through the stagnant and unresponsive water of the Swamp that their own styles couldn't have managed. Albus knew a little of the style, Delphi had taught him and if he was being honest he had found it the easiest to master, but that was it. There were a few teachers at the Academy who taught it but it was an optional course that few opted for, though after this trip Albus might consider it.
It had taken a few hours of traversing the meandering river to reach the central hub that made up the capital of the Foggy Swamp Tribe. Located on the backs of one of the may tributaries in the vast Swamp, though not too deep into the vast vegetation. The capital comprised of several rustic huts, a few larger buildings that were the embassies of the other nations so they weren't made in the same style as the Tribe, a couple communal cooking areas and areas for weapons, livestock and canoes.
It was a nice, quiet place that Albus instantly liked. He got the feeling that he could get used to this kind of lifestyle, one where you were not judged for who you were but what you did and could contribute to society. Someday he might even consider moving here but not until he had made his mark on the world.
The village wasn't the only swampbender settlement in the Foggy Swamp Tribe but it was the largest and where the Chief was based. It was from him that they had to get permission to travel to Banyan Grove Tree along the Path of Remembrance and Revelations as it was known. It was also the only place where non-citizens of the Tribe lived as it was the only place with any connection to the outside world because of the embassies. Being an Ambassador here was either a punishment or a reward given the ease of the position.
Albus and Scorpius had already decided on the way that they would seek permission to travel the Path of Remembrance and Revelations first as that was what they wanted to do. As such, they had been taken straight to the chief's hut. It was time to meet the 7th, smallest and least active nation's leader. The man was seen as a mystery given the nation he led and it was still unclear how the Chief of the Foggy Swamp Tribe was even chosen.
Albus would have never guessed that the moderate, unassuming hut near one of the smaller cooking areas and that looked just like all the others would be the hut where the Foggy Swamp Chief lived. However, Albus guessed that it came down to the fact that the swampbenders didn't put much into station and prestige so they wouldn't do so with their Chief's hut as well. It was part of the reason why they seldom interacted with the wider world in terms of politics.
Albus and Scorpius pushed through a grass curtain and into the simple, single room hut. Inside was a bed role, a few pots, some well-kept hunting weapons and other useful essentials but that was it. It was certainly rustic and minimalistic, in keeping with the Tribe's reputation and barely more than the average airbender would have.
In the center of the hut, sitting cross-legged, was a man in a leaf skirt and a bark breastplate but he did not wear a leaf hat that was common in the Tribe. Unlike most swampbenders, his long snow-white hair hung down, all the way to his elbows and he had a matching beard. He had a distinctive hooked nose, slightly sallow skin, and Albus couldn't help but draw in a breath as the man opened his piercing black eyes.
"Welcome Albus, son of Avatar Harry, and Scorpius, son of former Crown Prince Draco of the Northern Water Tribe." The man said in an aged voice that only had a hint of the typical drawl that swampbenders were known for. "I am Chief Tobias of the Foggy Swamp Tribe. Please, sit down, we have a few things to discuss before we send you on your journey of remembrance and revelation."
Albus was speechless for a moment. He had heard that Chief Tobias was still alive but he had just assumed that was a rumor the few Foggy Swamp Tribesmen at the Academy were spreading to annoy everyone. Based on his age, he had to be ancient and Albus couldn't imagine living in the Swamp had a long-life expectancy.
However, would appear that they were right after all. Chief Tobias was the only living World Leader who did not participate in the Avatar's Council whenever it was called to handle extreme, international, emergencies, though he was always welcome at them. Tobias was also the only current World Leader who was a nonbender and who had begun his reign prior to the return of the Avatar. Having been Chief for 68, he was the longest serving World Leader and one of the longest in history.
He was also known as the father to Master Severus, the famous spy for the Order of the Phoenix within the Death Eaters' ranks who had turned traitor towards the end of the First Purity War to aid Korra against Voldemort. Severus had also killed his namesake Master Albus, was temporary High Chair of the Elemental Academy, and ultimately killed for his treachery by having all his blood ripped out of his body, right in front of Albus's father's eyes, during the last hours of the war.
At the thought of his father Albus glowered internally. He knew that what his father had said was a mistake, just as what he had said to him was, but still it hurt. Harry had never truly understood how it had been for Albus because Harry was the Avatar and the Avatar was a unique position in the world. Albus put his thoughts on his father to the back of his mind, he was here for his own adventure and to be away from his father. It was time to make his own adventure.
"Yes, we do your highness." Albus said as he and Scorpius sat down in front of Tobias. "We need your permission to take this journey through your territory."
"Oh no you don't need that." Tobias said with a wry smile. "Or call me any fancy titles, Chief will do fine. The Swamp will decide if you need to see something or not as you traverse your way to the Banyan Grove Tree. You see the Swamp knows if you need to take the journey or not. Should it decide against it then you will just walk to the Banyan Grove Tree "
"I've heard it described as such." Albus said. "Though I thought it was just a set path and not something that the Swamp chose for you."
"The Swamp is a deeply spiritual place." Tobias said. "Always has been and became more so after Harmonic Convergence. Remember, we are just living here at the will of the Swamp, well that and the ready access to water for our benders. So why are you here? Other than to seek enlightenment or answers from the Swamp of course."
"Now by enlightenment you don't mean what Hermione and that lot mean, right?" Scorpius asked with a note of worry. "Because I don't want that."
"Of course not, that is a perversion of the term in the highest degree." Tobias said with a hint of disgust in is old voice. "True enlightenment is a state of mind, a oneness with yourself, your destiny, your place in society and the wider world. That is all, nothing more, nothing less."
"Then what is their claim to enlightenment?" Albus asked. "Because they always claimed it back when they were active."
"The Enlightened claim that their intelligence makes them enlightened but they only see one path, theirs." Tobias answered. "Someone who has attained true enlightenment in the way we swampbenders, or in my case just a member of the Foggy Swamp Tribe, understand it in a way the Enlightened could never understand it. One, who like me has attained it from my decades of meditation under the Banyan Grove Tree, understands that there are many paths, ideas and views in life and all must be understood to make an informed decision on an issue. The essence of true enlightenment is to find out who you are and accept that, not enforce your views on others."
"Wise words." Albus said with a nod.
He had not expected the Chief of the Foggy Swamp Tribe to be so wise given the stereotypes of the Swamp Tribe but he was being proven wrong by Chief Tobias. Albus had a feeling that the Chief did this deliberately so as to be underestimated, something that Albus would not do.
"I have been around a long time." Tobias said with a smile. "Nigh on a century in fact. It is a shame that I was unable to save my son all those years ago as he could have made a great Chief if the Swamp so chose him for the role but alas his dislike for the Swamp and nonbenders led him down a dark path. We will always bear the burden of being the home nation for Voldemort, even if he never lived in the Tribe, but all nations have villains. So why are you interested in seeking the Banyan Grove Tree and the journey to it?"
"We met a swampbender who had moved to Hogsmeade and she suggested we do take the journey." Albus admitted but decided to keep Delphi's identity a secret. "Both Scorpius and myself have had problems in our life due to our parentage and we needed to find ourselves on our own. She suggested that we walk the Path of Remembrance and Revelations during our break between semesters to seek answers. So we are here."
"Yes a few of our expats suggest the trip." Tobias said with a smile, he had not asked about whether they had permission to be here and Albus wasn't going to tell him that he didn't. "In such a case we will celebrate tonight with a feast with our kin from the North and the South and regale you with stories of the Swamp before we send you off in the morning. Then your journey to the Banyan Grove Tree and if the Swamp so chooses, to self-discovery shall begin."
"Wait, one thing Chief Tobias." Scorpius said before they could fully be dismissed.
"What is it my Northern brother?" Tobias asked with a kind look. "We are open in the Swamp, please speak what is on your mind."
"You said that your son could have been a great Chief if the Swamp chose him." Scorpius said and Albus had to give his best friend's inquisitive nature credit, he had heard Tobias's words and needed an answer. "Surely he would become Chief upon your death."
"Ah I see, no that is not how we do it in the Swamp." Tobias admitted. "Unlike your Tribes, we in the Swamp do not pass the title of Chief on from one generation to another nor do we elect it. The Swamp chooses the Chief for life. I shall tell you of the process and the story of how I became Chief when I was 30 after Chief Beauvais died. Will that satisfy you?"
"It will, thank you." Scorpius said with a nod.
"Then I shall see you both tonight at the feast, you shall sit with me as my honored guests." Tobias said. "Until then enjoy our capital Huu and prepare for the festivities."
Albus and Scorpius nodded, rose, thanked Tobias, bowed and left. They had much to discuss and a lot to prepare for before they enjoyed the feast that night. Albus was starting to get excited about their adventure.
The night was a fun one for the boys, their first in a long time if they were being honest. They feasted on the rich and exotic meat and cuisine of the Foggy Swamp Tribe, enjoyed the fun rituals and entertainment of the Tribe and had a little too much of their bitter Swamp ale and got tipsy off it.
Chief Tobias regaled them with his stories from his long life while the boys and many other Tribesmen listened. At 98, Tobias was one of the oldest members of the Foggy Swamp Tribe and had been born back when the Tribe was still not an independent nation. He told them of Chief Beauvais, his predecessor who had reigned for 36 years and had been the one when he was 15 who had gotten the Swamp declared the 7th nation in the world. He also told them of his own journey to the Banyan Grove Tree that resulted in his ascension to the position of Chief.
Overall, it was a fun, relaxing night before their harrowing journey into the Swamp. Albus loved the stories, history and comradery of the Tribesmen. For once, he was just another waterbender amongst kin and not the son of the Avatar and all that that entailed. Albus was happy for the first time in a while. He loved this simple but challenging life that existed in the Swamp.
Soon he would be able to find himself during his journey towards the Banyan Grove Tree and based on the stories it was going to be a life changing experience. It would be a long, painful but rewarding journey and one Albus was sure he would never forget.
The next morning, after a disgusting breakfast designed to remove the hangovers Albus and Scorpius were suffering from, the boys stood on the edge of the Foggy Swamp village as they prepared to go off into the heart of the Swamp and head to the Banyan Grove Tree. It was time to begin the adventure that Albus had dreamed of for years; one with just him and his best friend, no expectations, no parentage, just them and their skills.
The boys had all they needed to survive in the Swamp, as well as the supplies to hunt should they run out of food. Albus was excited for the trip and looking forward to setting out on the adventure. They had to wait though, for the Chief of the Foggy Swamp Tribe wanted to speak to them.
"My brothers and sisters, today is an important day for two of our kin from our brothers in the Northern and Southern Water Tribes." Tobias said as he stood in front of Albus, Scorpius and the few tribesmen and women who had been able to wake up after the party of the night before to see them off. "Albus of the Southern Water Tribe and Scorpius of the Northern Water Tribe shall go out today into the Swamp and journey to the Banyan Grove Tree and see if the Swamp has any lessons that it wants to teach them. This is the known as the Path of Remembrance and Revelations. It is one many have walked before. Boy, are you ready to walk it?"
"Yes." Albus said with conviction, or at least as much as he could with the lingering hangover he had. "I am."
"Er sure." Scorpius said with significantly less conviction.
"You are ready to enter the Swamp." Tobias said with a kind smile. "Go to the center, the Path will naturally lead you there, and Banyan Grove Tree that is the heart of the Swamp, the spiritual center of the physical world. Should the Swamp decide that there is something that it wants you to learn or remember then it shall reveal it to your, do not fight this and let the Swamp be your guide along this Path. If the Swamp does not reveal anything, then your time in the Swamp is too soon and you will have to come back later."
At this Tobias paused to look each of them in the eye to make sure they knew this. Albus did. The Swamp was a mysterious place, one whose mysteries have never been fully understood, and today might not be their day in the Swamp but to not lose hope and return to try again.
"Such is the nature of the Swamp." Tobias said after a moment. "Regardless, head to the Banyan Grove Tree and meditate under it to seek enlightenment. There is no better place in the world for it. But be careful boys for the Swamp may be a great source of life but it is also a dark and dangerous place that can bring death and as shown by Voldemort, hides many evils in its vast depth. Alright your ready now head off and have fun."
With that cheery end to his speech, Chief Tobias took a step back and gestured into the misty morning Swamp. Albus and Scorpius looked at each other before heading striding forward and into the Swamp. The invitation had been made, they now had to take.
They were leaving the last bastion of civilization, if you could call the Foggy Swamp Tribe particularly civilized by the standards of the rest of the world, and entering one of the most dangerous, wild, spiritual, and truly natural areas of the world. Albus had been a little worried after Tobias's warning but now wasn't the time to worry. Now was the time to find himself.
As soon as Albus and Scorpius left the boundaries of the village and entered the fog that helped give the Swamp its name, the sounds of the village suddenly cut out. It was replaced by the eerily quiet of the Swamp. The only sounds where those made by the nature around them.
There was the trickle of stagnant water nearby, the rustle of wind blowing through the hanging vines and branches of the trees that inhabited the Swamp, the chirping of insects and the noises of other animals punctuated the silence. All the sounds were amplified by the silence. Albus turned to his best friend with a shit eating grin on his face at finally getting to what he wanted.
"How do I let you talk me into the shit." Scorpius said, his face worried about their mission. "You are crazy Al, you know that right?"
"That I am but you also know it will be fun." Albus said as he began to walk into the Swamp before turning his head over his shoulder to look at Scorpius. "Come on, you don't want to get separated as we make our way to the Banyan Grove Tree."
Scorpius grumbled, adjusted his pack and trotted after Albus as they began to walk into the heart of the Swamp. As the fog closed around them, Albus knew that they were now at the mercy of the Foggy Swamp.
The walk through the Swamp was an arduous one to say the least. Albus knew that the Swamp was a treacherous and beautiful place in equal measures but he had never truly experienced it until now. As they walked, they had to wade through catgator infested waters, fight off giant blood-sucking leeches and bugs, and watched as the Swamp churned on.
The boys seldom spoke, they were in too much awe of the majesty around them to speak much and there wasn't much use for conversation in the Swamp. They didn't run into any other benders but they did see traps and other indications of the swampbenders who hunted in the Swamp or who had left the village to seek enlightenment and live as hermits in the Swamp and not be disturbed. Given the thickness and vastness of the Swamp, a person could disappear in it and never be found unless he or she wanted to be found.
That had been why Voldemort, a swampbender by birth, chose the Swamp to hid out in while and to make it his base of operations. The place was so dense that you could search for 100 years and you would never find their base. In fact the old base of Voldemort and his Death Eaters had still not been found despite multiple attempts to find it. Albus had no desire to search it out, this time at least. This time it was just for himself and for Scorpius.
After a few hours of walking through the fog and marsh, Albus was beginning to think that the Swamp was not going to show him something this time when he saw a flicker in the corner of his eye. Turning sharply, Albus looked into the distance. He could just make out two figures shrouded in mist.
"Do you see that!" Albus said excitedly to Scorpius his voice sounding strange after hours of silence. "The Swamp is showing us something!"
"See what?" Scorpius asked with a worried tone. "Al, what are you looking at? There's nothing there."
"Come on." Albus said happily running towards the scene. "Let's check it out."
"Wait Albus don't..." Scorpius began before he suddenly cut off.
Albus didn't have time to check on his best friend, the Swamp was giving him a sign and he had to follow it. That was why he was here after all. Tobias had said not to fight it and Albus wasn't, he was going to embrace it.
It took a few minutes and a little hacking through the vines with a machete the Foggy Swamp Tribe had supplied him to reach the figures that the Swamp was showing him. When he did Albus came to an abrupt stop, dropped the machete, and stood still staring open-mouthed at what the Swamp was showing him.
In front of him was his parents. They were younger than he had ever seen them before, at least 10 years or so, but there was no mistaking his father's unruly black hair tied back in a headband, the twin swords strapped to his back and startling green of his eyes or his mother's fiery red hair and the extensive tattoos on her bare arms. In Ginny's arms was a newborn baby swaddled in blankets. The boy had a tuft of jet black hair and wide, bright green, eyes that stared curiously up at him. Albus was stunned to realize that the child was him.
"He's beautiful." Harry said with a choking sob as Ginny passed over baby Albus to him.
"He's just like you." Ginny said with a smile. "Right down to the eyes. James didn't get Lily's eyes, but he has."
"I know." Harry asked and Albus heard an excited tone in his father's voice that he hadn't heard before. "Mom will be so happy."
"Yup just like yours and your mother's." Ginny said with a smile. A moment later baby Albus closed his eyes as if fed up with the conversation and Albus saw his father smile.
"He doesn't like us talking about them apparently." Harry said with a chuckle looking at his son. "Albus, my second son, I am sorry that I couldn't be there for your birth, there was a rouge governor in Malum I and I had to deal with the aftermath, but you will learn in time that as much as I love you I am the Avatar and the world has chosen me for that purpose. I won't always be there for you but I will always come for you no matter what. Whether you are a waterbender, an earthbender or a nonbender, I will always be there to support you and your brother James should you need it, even if it is only in spirit. I love you son."
"You sure about Albus as a name?" Ginny asked taking baby Albus back from Harry.
"Yes." Harry said with a sad smile of remembrance on his face. "Albus was a mentor to me back when I was starting out as the Avatar and he helped me through that first adjustment period in the Fire House. He was also the first death I saw of the now countless deaths we both have seen and/or caused, in my case the first of those also being that incident. I thought about Severus after what Master Severus did during the war but that name still carries a lot of stigma."
Harry paused as if deep in thought. He looked at baby Albus and Albus noticed a strange, sad look in his father's eyes. It was one that he had never seen before.
"Alas, Albus will always grow up in my shadow, something I cannot prevent and do not wish upon him but that will be inevitable given his parents." Harry said with a sad sigh. "In his writings, Tenzin spoke of the struggles of being the son and only airbender of the Avatar and I know his siblings had it worse off than he did. Albus will have to find his own path and not let others associate him with me, the same for James. No point in adding hardship by naming him after a former Death Eater, even if that man was one of the bravest people in history and who's actions during the Purity Wars exonerated his earlier activities."
Albus didn't hear his mother's response. A wind, no doubt from the Swamp, caused the vision to vanish into the mist but it had shown Albus what he had needed to see. His father loved him, had known of the hardships he as the Avatar's child would face and still cared for him deeply.
Albus fell to his knees in the muddy water, not caring about the cold filth now on his legs, and stayed there for a moment as hot tears flowed down his cheeks. He had been angry and said things he regretted, things he could never take back. He had resented his father for being the Avatar but it was clear that Harry was meant for the job, he was the Avatar the world needed. He, Albus, would have to live with that and grow as his own person.
That was when the revelation that the Swamp was trying to tell Albus hit him. He wasn't his father's son. He was Albus, a gifted healer, a kind hearted and generous soul and waterbender. He was not the Avatar and the only way to truly break from his father's shadow was to accept that he was his own man and not let anyone else tell him otherwise. It would be hard but Albus knew he could do it.
Albus smiled through his tears. For the first time in years he felt like himself and that he had a path of his own choosing going forward. What that path would be was still a mystery to him but Albus knew in his heart that it would be something that the world would remember him for as Albus and not as his father's son.
It was only then that he realized that he was alone in the eerie Swamp and that he had gotten separated from Scorpius. Knowing that his best friend was off on his own adventure of self-discovery, Albus got up and began to walk forward with a purpose he had not had in years. The Swamp would reunite him with Scorpius at the Banyan Grove Tree, he just had to follow his instincts.
Scorpius, meanwhile, had been distracted by a vision in a different direction. It had caught his eye as soon as Albus disappeared in the mist. Knowing that this was what the Swamp wanted, Scorpius went towards the vision.
He followed the path towards it only to stop still when he saw his own parents standing there in a tight embrace. He had never seen his mother so healthy and full of life and it brought a tear to his eye at the sight of his recently passed mother. Scorpius approached slowly trying not to disturb them or the vision.
"It's ok dear." Draco was saying in a soft, soothing voice. "I don't care about my pureblood line, you know that. I love you and always will. I know it is too hard on your health to bear a child. I don't care about blood anymore. Perhaps it is for the best that my line end after everything my father and his father put the world through. Why burden a child with my sins and the sins of my father and grandfather."
"No my dear, this isn't about me." Astoria said in her kind, sweet voice. "This is not about blood or your ancestors, this is about us, about us being a family. I know that you will make a great father and I want to give you a child that we can cherish and love together. I will not see our child grow old but we will finally have the family we have always wanted."
"But I don't want to lose you." Draco said with sadness in his voice. "I know that it is selfish but I can't help it."
"Now dear you won't lose me." Astoria said gently. "I will always be there with you and our child will be ours remember. Our child will remind you of me when I am gone and of the good times we spent as a family."
"But what of my past, of my family's history." Draco said and Astoria looked up and touched the scar that ran along her husband's jaw with a tender hand. "It is hard to avoid it."
"And it always will be because you bear a permanent reminder given to you by the Avatar himself to always remind you of your youthful indiscretions and wrong doings." Astoria said kindly. "But also, of how Harry gave you a chance at redemption and becoming the man I fell in love with. You were going down a dark path but the Avatar and his team spared your life, they offered you the chance to redeem yourself and after paying a debt to society that you had to pay and you took it. You came out of the Catacombs a changed man, a better man. Both Harry and Ron have almost killed you and that showed you that you were on the wrong path."
Scorpius just stared in amazement at the exchange. His mother had paused to kiss his father tenderly. It was a sweet and touching act that Scorpius felt lucky to be able to witness.
"When you returned to the North a few years ago I saw that change in you, I saw the good in you and that is what I fell in love with." Astoria continued after she had broken the kiss. "You had seen the error of your ways and forsworn your past views. I know that society will never truly see you as anything more than a former Death Eater, likely the last Death Eater when the time comes given Pyrites and Regulus's ages, and as Lucius's son but I will always see you as the man you became, not the boy you were. Our son will change your family's history for the best. I know it. He will face hardships, as can be expected give your side of the family, but he will be all that is good about both of us."
"Son?" Draco asked and then realization hit him and he swept his wife up in a deep embrace.
"Wait but you are sure you want to do this?" Draco asked when they broke apart and worry returned. "You know that the stain will accelerate whatever condition you have and eventual kill you."
"Of course I know the risks." Astoria said with a sad smile. "He is ours and we will love him for it. If I must ultimately die so that we can have a family and truly change how the world sees you then so be it. I will live for a while after his birth so for at least a little time we will be a family."
Scorpius watched as his parents embraced again before the vision faded back into the mist. He didn't realize he had been crying or that he was on his knees until the last of the vision, his mother's face, had faded from his sight. He had grieved his mother, her kindness and her selflessness for over a year, but finally he had a sense of closure.
She had given him life even though it had ultimately cost her hers in an act of love and self-sacrifice. She had seen his father for the changed man he was when he had exited prison and how much Draco wanted a son and had given it to him. His mother knew that Scorpius would be the best of his family, as she had always told him, and Scorpius swore that he would do everything he could to prove his mother right. It was the closure that he needed to move on.
As with Albus, it was a while before Scorpius realized he was alone while he came to terms with what the Swamp had shown him. Rising and moving forward with a confidence he had not felt in his life, Scorpius plowed on, moving deeper into the Swamp and towards its heart. He knew he would find his best friend at the Banyan Grove Tree and that Albus had had a similar vision to his.
There they could exchange stories, meditate and grow just as they had hoped would happen when they had ventured into the Swamp. Also see Delphi if she was there waiting for them and they could tell her about their visions. Everything was going better than hoped.
Albus and Scorpius made their separate ways through the dense Swamp towards its center, the Swamp subtly guiding them there. Neither knew where the other truly was but both knew that they would find each other in time. They had put their faith in Swamp when they set off on this adventure and hit had not failed them.
It wasn't long before Albus saw a light ahead of him that was cutting through the dense Swamp and he hurried towards it. Minutes later he burst out of the Swamp and into bright sunlight and proceeded to fall face first into a pool of stagnant, disgusting water.
Blinking the water and dazzling sun from his eyes Albus just gawked upwards, tasting the vile liquid still on his face, at the vast, towering, Banyan Grove Tree that was the heart of the Swamp. Albus had seen pictures of it but had never in his wildest dreams had expected it to be as huge as it was.
The tree's roots extended into the Swamp in all directions and Albus realized that the story that entire Swamp was part of the tree was actually true. It's trunk was taller and thicker than any building in the United Republic. It's hooded canopy of thick branches and vines towered well above any others in the Swamp. The entire area around the tree was bare, just the vines and roots of the great tree.
Albus's thoughts were broken by a loud splash followed by a string of curses. Turning, Albus saw his best friend face first in the very same stagnant pool that he had ended up in. Laughing. Albus ran over and helped his best friend up. For once Scorpius was smiling and not looking worried at all despite the swamp water on his face. He was happier than Albus had ever seen his friend. That happiness turned to awe as Scorpius's eyes fell on the Banyan Grove Tree.
"Holy fucking shit." Scorpius said as he took the tree in. "I never thought it would be that big."
"I know, took my breath away." Albus admitted as he took out a cloth to wipe his face. "Now come on let's get under it."
The boys laughed and walked up the vast roots of the tree to the elevated base of the tree where one could sit and meditate. As they walked, they exchanged their stories and the revelations that they had been given by the Swamp. It had been everything they had expected and more.
Both boys had never felt better after what they had seen in the Swamp. It was as if a great weight had been lifted from them and they were finally able to truly be themselves. Soon enough they were at the base of the tree and Albus sat down cross legged on the floor of the tree to begin meditating on what the Swamp had shown him.
"Sit Scorpius I have never felt such spiritual energy in one place and that's including the Spirit Wilds in Republic City." Albus said and his best friend obeyed him. "My mother described this place to me but I never expected it to be like this. She said she could do it justice and she was right."
"You're right." Scorpius said as he sat down next to Albus. "But shut up Al, it is time to meditate."
Albus nodded and closed his eyes and began his breathing exercise to start his meditation. In moments, the Swamp and spiritual energy overtook him and Albus was in a deep meditative trance, lost to the world around him.
How long the boys sat there seeking their own form of enlightenment and pondering on what they had learned was a mystery to Albus. However, they had completely forgot about Delphi with the rush of the discoveries in the Swamp and excitement at reaching the Banyan Grove tree.
"Howdy boys, have ya forgotten somethin'." A female voice with a thick swampbender accent called out breaking Albus and Scorpius from their thoughts.
Albus opened his eyes and saw Delphi standing in front of him and Scorpius on the tree's base. She was smirking down at them and there was something off about his friend that unnerved Albus but he ignored it, too excited to share his adventures with his only other friend.
Oddly, Delphi was dressed differently to how he had known her. Instead of her training healer garb, she wore a skintight, light blue outfit that Albus recognized as that of the illegal Northern Mercenaries. She had a sharp, straight blade that seemed to be coated in something was at her hip and two water skins strapped to her back. A cruel smile graced her lips and her eyes were cold and cruel.
"Delphi sorry we forgot to look for you." Albus said as he and Scorpius rose and took a step back from the woman that they had known for months. "We were too in the moment from the Swamp."
"Oh, I completely understand." Delphi said as he smile grew at that. "I remember my own quest down the Path of Remembrance and Revelations a few year ago. It revealed to me what my destiny was."
"And I assume you want to tell us that." Scorpius said as Albus subtly uncorked his water skin. The way Delphi was acting was starting to unnerve him and Albus wanted to be prepared just in case.
"Of course, as you are important tools for me to accomplish my destiny." Delphi cackled and for the first time Albus truly feared his new friend. "I was amazed you didn't recognize me given my distinctive looks, but then again you two were looking for friends and wouldn't see what was in front of ya until it slapped you in the face. Ya know me as Delphi but my full name is Delphini, daughter of Lord Voldemort, heir to his legacy, bringer of justice to his murderers, and slayer of Pyrites. I shall restore purity, benders rights and balance to the world. I will finish what my father started. First, though, I must eradicate the Avatar and his cycle from the world."
"We won't let you." Albus said as he began to summon out his water knowing that Scorpius was doing the same. Suddenly he couldn't move and pain racked his body. "W-What's happening?"
"Foolish boys." Delphi said her arm outstretched, a mad gleam in her eyes and a twisted smirk on her lips. "Even without my family's bloodbending prowess I could defeat ya two in pure waterbending with my arms cuffed behind my back. I am a trained pureblood warrior for purity, ya two are some of the most pathetic excuses for purebloods and benders that I have ever seen. Ya are what the mudbloods say we are but I digress. With you two I can exchange ya for ya father and then end him. So, ya are coming with us."
"Us?" Albus grunted out as Delphi lifted him and Scorpius from their position and led them down towards the edge of the Swamp. "You aren't alone?"
As they approached the edge of the Swamp, Albus saw two older men, one dressed as a swampbender and the other as a warrior of the Southern Water Tribe, coming out of the trees. They each held a set of platinum chains that Albus knew would restrain them.
"Yes us." Delphi said as they reached the men and bloodbent the boys' limbs into position so the platinum cuffs and leg irons could be attached tight enough to draw blood. "Ya see I am not the only being that wants to bring justice to the Avatar for his countless crimes. I found a few associates to aid me who are as equally pissed off at your father. Once he is done we can return the world to how it should be. We will fight over it and the winner will make the world in their image."
"Cresswell." Albus gasped in shock, the bloodbending being released as soon as he was restrained and causing Albus to collapse painfully onto a root. "I assume that's the swampbender. I never thought that a Purist and an Enlightened would work together."
"In the flesh." Cresswell said tipping his hat so that Albus could see that was indeed the man from the wanted posters. "The most wanted man in the world at your service. This is an alliance of convenience, it will end soon."
"And you must be the Water Enlightened." Scorpius said to the Southerner, his voice telling Albus that Delphi had ended her blood hold on him as wells. "The elusive one who they don't know about."
"Johannes Jonker at your service you pureblood cunt." The tall waterbender said with a sinister smile. "But I have fallen under suspicion as of late. Now it is time to reveal my true self at last. The time for hiding is over. The time for action is upon us."
"You won't get away with this." Albus snarled up at them. "Dad will stop you, you must know that."
"He will try." Cresswell said with a smile. "That is what we are counting on. However, he has failed to catch me before and he will fail again because I am too smart for him. Come on Delphini, let's get the bait back to my base and let the Avatar know about the swap. Our victory is almost at hand."
"Don't count you chicken pigs just yet old friend." Johannes said seriously. "We need to catch the Avatar first."
"We have his boy, he will come to us and surrender." Cresswell said. "We all know that."
"All true now come on let's move before we are discovered." Delphi said quickly. "There's already search parties out for these two, I am sure of it."
As if on cue there was a rustle from the edge of the clearing and a boy a few years older than Albus and Scorpius and dressed in the garb of a swampbender emerged into the clearing. Albus instantly recognized him as Bowker, one of the prefects in the Water House at the Academy and one of the handful of swampbenders who studied there.
He had been present at the village when Albus and Scorpius had left though they weren't close so they hadn't really spoken during the festivities. No doubt he had heard that Albus and Scorpius were technically missing and gone after them given his knowledge of their final destination.
"Thank the spirits I found you, everyone has been looking all over for you two." Bowker said. "Chief Tobias just heard that you had run off and has dispatched us to find you, I am the advance scout. I am glad to see that … what the fuck, is that Cresswell?"
"In the flesh." Cresswell said again with a smirk at Bowker. "Delphini deal with him, we don't need witnesses."
"With pleasure." Delphi said as she reached out and grabbed Bowker in a blood hold. "Even if it is a sin to spill bending blood, this is for a good cause. Father perfected this technique, let's see if I can do it too."
Albus knew what was coming before Delphini clenched her fist and yanked her arm violently back with a look of intense concentration on her face but he couldn't look away. Bowker screamed in agonizing pain before a fine red mist appeared was ripped out the front of the older boy's body. It wasn't as thick as Albus was expecting but then he saw that blood was streaming from Bowker's eyes, ears, nose and mouth and joining the mist in a macabre red blob.
Bowker's body fell forward and landed face first in a pool of stagnant water with a splash as the water began to turn red around it. It didn't move. Albus knew that his prefect was dead. It was the first time he had seen death and the sight made Albus sick but he held in his breakfast.
"Huh." Delphini said as if she had missed a shot in target practice and not just violently murdered a 16-year old boy, dropping the blood to splatter all over the nearby roots. "That's why dad practiced with animals before moving onto humans. I will have to practice more going forward. Still, it was fun and a huge turn on. Come on boys, let's go before more inbred swampbenders show. We have an Avatar to capture and bring to justice."
The two surviving Enlightened just grunted and hefted Albus and Scorpius onto their shoulders and walked off into the dark Swamp, Delphini cackling madly behind them and gushing over the murder she had just committed. Albus chided himself for being so foolish as to not see Delphi for what she was. If he hadn't been so sullen and desperate for another friend, he may have realized who she was and alerted the authorities. It was too late now.
Still Albus didn't lose hope. He knew that his father and the rest of Team Avatar were already on their way and that soon these three remnants of the past, these three evil monsters would face the Avatar's justice. He and Scorpius just had to hold out until then.
Well there it is, the journey through the Swamp, something that occurred in both Last Airbender and Legend of Korra and as such had to occur in this series as well. Naturally this is the most emotional chapter in the entire Book, though not the series, so hopefully I did the scenes some justice. Some of the scenes from this and the last chapter stem from Cursed Child or are inspired by them. This is the longest of the remaining chapters, the rest should be in the 6,000-7,000 word range but there was a lot to get through in this chapter so it couldn't be broken up. The last thing to mention is that there are events in this chapter that may be used to generate spinoffs such as Draco's redemption (maybe part a 3 spinoff redemption series with Regulus and Severus seeing as the former is already half uploaded), as well as a potential Chief Tobias origins spinoff/the story of how Chief Beauvais (who is based off a character with that surname in the Harry Potter canon) gained nation status for the Foggy Swamp Tribe. Naturally all of these are in the works and many years away from completion. As always, almost all names are based of named characters from the wikia but often with different personalities such as Tobias being drastically different to the canon version and Bowker is in the Cursed Child, that I kept from the play. Y'all can probably guess what the next chapter will entail so I will not ruin anything here. That is all for this long post chapter note, as always please like, favorite, follow, review, this story and any questions asked in reviews or PMs will be answered at the start of the next chapter. Until next time.
Stringdog