Book 2: Water

Chapter 15: Sounds of Deception

Nuo Ju, Shiwei, Oma Kingdom

The previous week Aloi and Rong Yan visited Giman at different times of the day and practiced soundbending with him. Such was an experience and each day they learned something new it was good exposure to both. Rong Yan learned more about the deception school of soundbending, while Aloi who thought she was a master of deception realized she still had been challenged.

Unaraq leaned outside of the inn they continually stayed in while they remained in the town of Nuo Ju. He sipped the mountainside tea that he and Tanaraq enjoyed. Tanaraq dressed up inside her room she had gotten ready for the day. Unaraq already prayed in his room to his gods, he felt bad because the entire time that he's been on a trip with Rong Yan to the north he hasn't found time to pray. Tanaraq bought a mountainside tea the innkeeper smiled at the girl and poured a lukewarm tea inside a wooden cup.

"Have you seen my brother?" she inquired to the innkeeper.

The old woman nodded and pointed at the door she replied, "He's right outside, dear."

She bowed her head to the old woman and took a sip from her mountainside tea and swished the contents in her mouth. She opened the door and spat the tea out she stood on the opposite side of the door a few yards from her brother. It had been a week and they haven't spoken she dearly missed her brother's antics and scoldings. She understood why she missed his antics she wasn't sure why it made sense to her to miss him for the times he would scold her.

Unaraq stared off into the distance while he observed whatever was in front of him. He had seen his sister exit the inn, from the corners of his eyes but didn't react. He ignored her and her presence this was the longest he had ignored before their father would have intervened and convinced them that they're family. His breath escaped his mouth after the previous sip of tea, the mist produced his mouth and dispersed in the air. The temperature today was colder than any day within the last two weeks it might have been because they were in the mountains and at a higher elevation.

Tanaraq peeked at her brother every thirty seconds, she wanted to check on him and see if he was alright. She's concerned herself with his well-being more often than before she slapped him in the face. He finished his tea and stepped to his right to head back inside the inn, Tanaraq quickly put down her cup on a stone half-wall and ran over to Unaraq.

"Unaraq wait!" she bawled, the man ignored her and attempted to reach for the knob of the door. Tanaraq pulled his wrist away from the knob and threw herself into his arms he stood there irritated because he didn't want to speak with her. She held him tightly and mewled in her sadness, her feelings poured out.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry!" she cried out to him, he felt bad for her she was a mess. He finally wrapped his arms around her, Unaraq rested his head on top of his sister's head. He wiped the tears from her eyes with his index finger and kissed her on the forehead.

"Please forgive me," she apologized, Unaraq petted her hair and responded, "I forgive you, sometimes painful things can teach us lessons that we didn't think we needed to know."

"I thought I lost you," Tanaraq frowned, "You would never lose me I promised mom when I was a boy that I would be big and strong for you. And to protect you from harm and I'm not going break that promise. You still have a lot to develop before you become a reputable and respected queen of the North."

"You're right I've noticed change myself recently and I welcome it," her frown turned in a smile she felt better now that Unaraq forgave her. Unaraq remembered something from when he was younger and he beamed because it was something his mother would tell his father.

At times when Amka felt like she had failed she never wallowed in sadness, she always smiled in determination. She often repeated this to herself, 'Think like a queen, a queen isn't afraid of failure because failure is a stepping stone to success," He then repeated it to his sister, "Think like a queen, a quee-" she interrupted him and questioned him, "What?"

"I said, think like a queen, a queen isn't afraid of failure because failure is a stepping stone to success," he repeated.

"Where did you read that?" she asked while she scanned their surroundings for a sign with the quote.

"Nowhere, it was something our mom said when I was younger. It helped her pull through the grayest of days," he answered Tanaraq thought about the quote that was once said by their mother. She pondered on what it meant but in reality, it was as simple as it was told. She desired to be the queen her mother was.

Rong Yan exited the door he saw his friends had hugged it out he guessed Unaraq finally forgave his sister for what she did last week. He made a run for it ignored greetings and ran as fast he could out of the village and toward Giman's shack. Several minutes later, Unaraq and Tanaraq bought and ate a meal together within the inn and their relationship returned to normal. Aloi had woken up, dressed and finally descended the stairs where she saw Unaraq and his sister cackled about whatever they talked about.

She ignored both of them before she could have turned the knob Unaraq called out to Aloi which stopped her in her tracks, "Aloi!" She sighed and lumbered over to their table where she mentioned she was going to head out to Giman's on the peak. "I'm going to Giman's to learn soundbending, I wanted to do something but it seems like you're busy," she mentioned.

"Well, there's always later if you'd like but I think today I want to spend time with Tanaraq," Unaraq smiled.

What Unaraq said about their mom resonated within her that she felt the need to get as far as extended greetings to Aloi. Tanaraq smiled and greeted the airbender like she hasn't done before, "Good morning Aloi, how are you feeling?"

Aloi wasn't sure on how to respond she stared at the girl who smiled at her like this was some sort of a joke from her male companion. She didn't want to be rude, she felt awkward and answered with hesitation, "I...err...I feel great...thanks for asking."

She turned around quickly nipped out of the inn, Unaraq had remembered that Rong Yan left first and he forgot to tell her about it. He then held a simpered expression on his face as he stared at his sister.

"What?" she scrunched her eyebrows and curled the corners of her lips, "I saw that," he said.

"Saw what Unaraq?" she tried to hide a nervous titter.

"You greeted her and asked her how she was feeling today," Unaraq brought up.

"What I can't ask someone how they're doing?" she inquired she grinned and attempted to hide it.

"You're trying to hide the fact that you've changed. When you two first met you two were trying to kill each other, you threw jabs at each other, and eventually almost did kill each other. And now you ask her how's she doing? I'm proud of you," noted Unaraq.

"Fine, fine after we had our confrontation I noticed she was just as skilled as I was. I could see the fire burning inside of her, while some women fear the fire, others are the fire. That's when I knew that separately we won't accomplish anything but together we can help Rong Yan save the world," Tanaraq admitted.

"Wow, I never would have thought that would come out of you," Unaraq disclosed to his sister.

"I've been thinking about what has happened today in the past two hours I think I'm going to treat you to a day of pampering. How does that sound?" he asked her.

"FINALLY!" Tanaraq exclaimed she was excited a princess like her deserved to be pampered by servants.

Meanwhile, Giman listened in on the sounds that surrounded him and his home he could see the sounds created by Rong Yan with his sonic sense. He pulled the wooden paddle out of the adobe oven with a freshly baked loaf of bread. He lightly shook the paddle so the bread could have slid off the paddle and onto the wooden plate. Rong Yan carried his hands in his pockets he was the first to have arrived at Giman's he never anticipated the arrival of Aloi soon after he appeared.

After five minutes of an enhanced jog through the mountainous environment, Aloi neared the shack she saw Rong Yan before she eyed Giman. She halted in her tracks, Giman noticed her and waved at the airbending girl and gestured her to come over. She felt hesitant but this was Giman she wasn't going to pass up a lesson because about how she currently felt about Rong Yan.

She neared toward Giman, Rong Yan stepped inside the shack Giman was behind him with the bread. He placed the bread down and used airbending to slice the bread up into twelve slices. He handed two slices to Rong Yan and permitted him to choose a fruit from the bowl which sat in the middle of the table. The bowl carried oranges, bananas, mangos, and moon peaches, he grabbed himself a mango and moon peach. He offered Aloi a seat across from Rong Yan, Giman pulled the seat back and pointed at the seat.

She sat down and Giman pushed the chair in closer to the table she grabbed a banana and two oranges and was handed two slices of baked bread. Giman extended both hands out for his new friends to hold while he commenced prayer. They each held his hand and lowered their heads and whispered prayers to the Air Nomadic pantheon.

He whispered, "May this food be dedicated to the four and One. The precious Gavala who is warmhearted and gracious. The merciful Nam allows us continuing to exist in the physical world. The loving Rati, mother to us all, the bountiful Sasya who allows us to consume his bearing fruits to sustain ourselves. The forbearing and righteous Tiandi for creating us in his image and creating the beautiful world he blessed us with."

"Bless this food so we may consume it, free from attachment and desire. So that it may nourish our bodies so we may work for the benefit of all sentient beings," he concluded the prayer and they began to dig in. Soon after they finished their meals thirty minutes later, they followed Giman to an open area behind his shack.

This open field of green grasses was empty you could at least fit three or four homes here but it was quiet and peaceful. The only sounds came from the life within the mountains, creatures both avian and terrestrial who lived harmoniously.

Giman noticed something was off about his two students they were conflicted about something and he felt the strong auras they emitted. Concerned he spoke up, "I'm sensing a strong aura between the both of you, you are conflicted with one another. What is going on?" Rong Yan turned his attention to Giman while Aloi ignored Rong Yan.

"How could you tell?" wondered Rong Yan.

"I have cognitive empathy I can feel your energies are conflicted with one another. What's going on?" he questioned both his students.

"You leave your emotions on the mountain path but here you are friends, you are partners," said Giman he turned to look at Aloi, "And you are his teacher."

Rong Yan sighed, "She's mad at me because I stopped her from fighting my waterbending teacher, they've been going at it since they've met. Calling each other names and finally, they both exploded, I threatened both of them. I told one I'd drop her off with her father and the other I told her she can find a way back to the Eastern Air Temple. I had enough of their arguments and disagreements, I was angry and you say things you don't mean when you're angry. I've tried apologizing but she won't forgive me."

"Aloi what's your side of the story," Giman said, she summarized what she felt, "I had been constantly berated by the Southern princess. She harasses me and I take it because I want to keep the peace between Rong Yan and the Southern royal siblings. She calls me disparaging names that hurt, she's racist and she's full of herself. She has such a huge ego you wouldn't believe it, I snapped and had enough and so I attacked her. He should have let me beat her to the point where she screams for mercy but he ceased the fight. He threatened to abandon me and he gave me his best wishes, but to her, she wasn't told to be abandoned. He said he would personally escort her to her father and leave, why can't he abandon her."

"Why would I abandon her? She's a princess for Tiandi's sake if I abandoned her don't you think the chief would make me enemy number one and send legions of troops after me?" argued Rong Yan.

"You should've treated her the way you treated me," Aloi countered.

"I DID!" exclaimed Rong Yan, "I don't know why you're in your feelings about something that happened three weeks ago. I already apologized to you and I apologized to her and she seems to have forgiven me easily. What do you want from me?" he reasoned with her and finished with a question.

"I want you to mean your apology, I want you to validate my feelings and be fair. You're my Avatar too, not just hers," said Aloi.

"I tried to but you didn't let me, you ignored me when I tried to apologize. I have validated your feelings and I was fair why do you think I threatened to drop her off too. I wasn't going to pick a side..." Rong Yan stated he sighed he paced over to Aloi he lowered his head.

He then added, "Look I'm truly sorry for threatening you but I need you to stop. If she harasses you ignore her please for me, you don't have like her just co-exist while we take her to the North. Then you don't have to see her again."

Aloi shed a tear from left eye she tried to hide it but Rong Yan noticed it and pulled her into a hug tightly he squeezed her. She sobbed on his shoulder and he whispered her ear, "It's okay, I will always be sorry. What I said, I said out of anger and I hope you can forgive me." Giman stood there and thought to himself, 'Wow I wasn't expecting this, I didn't even contribute anything other than giving them each an opportunity to share their side of the story.'

"Are you ready, Aloi?" Rong Yan inquired she wiped a tear from her eye and nodded.

Giman smiled and clapped the Avatar and his airbending master have finally made up and he couldn't be happier for them. He started the lesson and explained, "The Vibrant Ones, often used the deception side of soundbending for things needed to be solved. For instance, if there was an unexplainable crime where the culprit hasn't been caught, a Vibrant One was hired to use their abilities to solve the issues. Some were used by other nations as scouts and spies, some airbenders even left the temples to become something with which our society has exiled. Those few became assassins and used their deception side to mimic other people or even mute the sounds they created to make their mission much easier to complete."

"Your first lesson begins with the muffle. While stealthing you should be able to bend the sound within the air currents under your feet to mute the sound. But also you must remain undetected because even if you can't be heard, you can still be seen," instructed Giman.

"Muffle? That sounds like just putting on a sound barrier and mincing about," Rong Yan commented.

"Yes and no, a sound barrier protects the user from their soundbending moves while muffle requires you to prowl around while conjuring a barrier around your feet so your footsteps wouldn't emit sounds," rejoined Giman.

"As an exercise, Aloi you will begin first, I want you to spread apart from me. I will close my eyes and you use muffle to hide your footsteps. Your job is to tap one of my shoulders but if I hear sound in a direction I will turn to look," described Giman, Aloi nodded and jogged a certain distance. Giman shut his eyes Aloi conjured a barrier around her feet that muffled out the sound of her footsteps.

She prowled and pussyfooted near Giman he turned his left when he heard the snap of a twig. His sonic sense showed him the sound was nearby but not in the direction he heard it. Aloi paced to her right unseen by Giman. She tapped his right shoulder and said, "Gotcha!"

"Good job, Rong Yan it's your turn now," Giman told Rong Yan, he ran over to a distance.

He inhaled some air and concentrated on the sound around him. He saw soundwaves he could have used and muffled his footsteps. He snuck around toward Giman who turned to look in the direction he thought he heard Rong Yan in. Rong Yan stood in front of Giman and tapped his left shoulders when Giman opened his eyes he jumped back startled.

"Ahh!" he raised his voice as he jolted back.

"Before you two depart tomorrow from here I will gift you both some subtlety soundbending scrolls you can both study and master," Giman said.

"I would love to hear of your progression in the future maybe you'll send a letter or visit me when you have the time. Anyways, Rong Yan, this is another form of muffle in this move I will produce a sound and you bend the sound and mute it," explained Giman, Rong Yan nodded to the instructions.

Giman increased the sound of his clap only by just a little he made sure the sound was a bit loud but not as strong as a thunderstorm. Rong Yan focused on sonic sense he mentally imaged small waves of sound that emitted from Giman's hands as they crashed into each other. He suctioned the sound and caused it to disperse while Giman made what he thought was loud and slow claps. Aloi and Rong Yan heard nothing, they exchanged looks, "I guess it worked!" Rong Yan chuckled.

Aloi knew about this move but agreed to partake in it when Giman clapped she bent a ball of air around the sound that Giman produced with his clap. While Rong Yan did mute the sound he should've captured it in a ball of air.

"Now focus on the sound inside the ball put some force on it when you're ready, I want you to burst the ball of air. First things first," Giman instructed then he reminded himself of safety first.

Giman handed the sound grenade back to Aloi while he conjured a muffle barrier around all three of them. Then he thought about something, "Hand me the grenade," said Giman.

Aloi handed him the sound grenade he took in a deep breath and concentrated on the grenade itself, his hands trembled a bit and he split the grenade into two without having released the sound and burst their eardrums.

"There now you can both experience it together, Aloi you may go first!" offered Giman, she smiled and tossed the grenade into the air. She used to split it a thundering sound echoed from the peak of the mountain.

Meanwhile, in Nuo Ju Unaraq and Tanaraq laid in mud baths, cucumber slices covered their eyes and they even had mud on their faces for facial skincare. They heard a loud and thunderous sound echo the spa workers screamed and scurried somewhere safe.

The foundations of the spa center shook from the boom that was heard. Another thundering sound came from what they knew was Giman's house, "What is that?" asked Unaraq.

"They're soundbending again," Tanaraq answered screaming can be heard outside. A guard on the outside was startled, "WHAT WAS THAT?!" he shouted to his co-worker.

"I DON'T KNOW BUT IT SCARED ME HALF TO DEATH!" yelled the other guard, one of the workers from the village pointed at the mountains north of their village, "It came from the mountains it's the witchman!"

A guard ran into the spa and asked everyone inside if they were okay he comforted the spa workers, each young girl was a little scared. Unaraq sighed and then grinned, "It's just a thunderstorm coming in," he said.

"There are no clouds, boy. How could you be so sure?" the guard inquired.

"Weather is unpredictable, just because the temple's clergy predicted today will have clear skies doesn't mean there could be clear skies," Unaraq asserted.

"Well I do suppose you're right, son," said the guard he calmed down and thought about it further.

At the same time, Beiyin emerged from his home after he heard the thunderous claps that came from the mountains. He put his hands on his hips and thought to himself, 'It had to be the hermit there's no way there would be a thunderstorm here if there are no clouds present.'

Back on the peak of the Nuo Ju mountain, Rong Yan finished a soundbending move. After he successfully finished the move Giman walked toward and clapped at Rong Yan's success in the past half hour.

"This next lesson should be more fun, we're going to perform long-distance whispers. These are extremely useful in reconnaissance," said Giman.

"Aloi I need you to get behind the tree I'll demonstrate. I will cup my hands and whisper a message into to you,..." he paused he turned his attention to Rong Yan, "Pay attention closely I'm holding the whisper in my cupped hands. From there I will use airbending to push it in her direction behind the tree where the sound will reach her ear and deliver the message," he finished.

Giman cupped his hands around his mouth and whispered something into his hands, with a small gust of wind he pushed the sound in the direction of Aloi. A few seconds later, the reply from Aloi returned she whispered, "I agree," followed by a hearty chuckle. Rong Yan was baffled by the use of soundbending he remembered the mimic he learned back in the Jongmu Air Temple. It must've been similar to this although this seemed easier than the mimic.

"Now you give it a try," Giman told Rong Yan, he cupped his hands and whispered a bit louder than Giman into his hands. He copied the same movements Giman did and directed the whisper to his friend Aloi. When the whisper released he made a mistake the amplified it to a yell in her ear.

She screamed, "You screamed in my ear! You were supposed to send a whisper!"

"Sorry!" he shouted in return.

"There was one she taught me a year ago, it was similar to this one but more complex I might add. I mimicked the voice of Aloi to send a message to a friend who was yards away from us," he explained.

"That sounds like the Siren's Mimicry, I'm astonished you learned that first before you were taught long distance whispers," Giman said surprised.

After she composed herself she blasted air in his direction, he flinched and threw his arms in the air. A barrier of sound bounced the blast of air back at Aloi and knocked her over, Giman stared in surprise. What Rong Yan had just achieved was at a higher skill level than he couldn't normally know. Perhaps something within him triggered the sudden skill to conjure a shield to protect him.

"Wow I've never seen a novice soundbender be able to create a shield of sound like that," he complimented Rong Yan.

Aloi rose to her feet dumbfounded and stunned she ran over to Giman and Rong Yan confused she asked Giman, "What did he do?"

"He created an echo shield when you threw the blast of air he suddenly conjured one. The air reflected off the barrier and redirected back to you. Can you even do that?" he responded then returned an echo question.

"No I didn't think such a thing was possible," Aloi declined.

"The Avatar does work in mysterious ways, it has to be one of the past lives that must have protected him. Without having to trigger the Avatar State," Giman guessed, he placed his hand on his chin while the other crossed his chest. He stood there in thought for a bit and he wondered if maybe that was the theory behind what had occurred.

"It was just a natural thing for me to do that. Honestly, I didn't think I knew how to do much in soundbending," Rong Yan said.

Meanwhile, in the spa of Nuo Ju, the spa workers pampered the Southern Water Tribe royalty. Tanaraq stepped into a room where a large, muscular masseur would be working on her today. While a young beautiful woman implied to Unaraq, "Do you mind heading into that room now that your sister has been placed on the table?" He blushed and smiled at her, he rapidly nodded his head in agreement and darted into the room. His clothes magically disappeared and he dived onto the massage table.

He heard the lovely voice of another woman she introduced herself, "Hello my name is Shi, and I will be your masseuse today."

When Unaraq turned his head to eye the woman he saw a hairy gorilla of woman that towered over him. He was disgusted and uncomfortable she even had a large mole on her chin with three hairs that sprouted from it. Her lady-stache was sort of visible as well it was thin strip darker than her skin tone.

The room they were being massaged in was large, at the far end of the room was a fireplace where a kettle had river stones inside. The river stones came from the stream on the northeastern side of the plateau where the waterfall is.

The stream itself ends somewhere in the eastern side of the plateau, rocks were in boiled water where they rested. The masseur paced over to the kettle he used his arms to raise the stones out of the kettle and hovered them above Tanaraq. While his co-worker a masseuse bent some more stones out of the kettle and hovered them in a vertical position above Unaraq's bareback.

Their heads faced sideways both siblings stared at each other often in communication with the other, their backs were lathered with lavender oil. They laid on top of wooden tables padded with pillows and a sheet covered the lower half of the bodies. Both of the massage therapists placed the river stones on the royals backs after the stones cooled down.

They laid there in silence for an extra few minutes before the massage therapists used earthbending to massage Tanaraq and Unaraq with the stones. Tanaraq and Unaraq moaned in comfort as the spa workers massaged them with the stones. The masseuse who worked on Unaraq removed the stones from his spine and then drummed eight stones along his spine repeatedly.

After doing so, she lathered more lavender oil on his upper back. The massage therapists then went on to work on Tanaraq and Unaraq's necks and shoulders. They massaged them with the stones on their necks and shoulders.

Thirty minutes later, they left the spa pampered. Unaraq felt clean and relaxed while Tanaraq was treated like the princess she was, and even left with a face full of makeup. The foundation she wore was a skin tone lighter than hers, the lipstick applied only covered the middle of her lips, her eyebrows were painted over and shaped thin and curved. They gave her a burnt rose blush color on her cheeks. They stumbled upon a blacksmith while she hammered away on a blade.

Unaraq peered at the items on display when he noticed a dagger made of whale shark bone. Some of the animals' remains from the South Pole were used for weapons, due to the thickness and strength of the bone. Whale sharks bones were commonly used for swords and two-handed weapons while animals like mantasharks had their barbs used as arrows if the wood was not readily available.

He grabbed his sister by the wrist and pulled her toward the smith's forge where he faced her and gave her puppy sheepdog eyes. She rolled her eyes, "Which one do you want?" he pointed at the whale shark dagger, it was thick and the dagger's blade curved a bit. It was wrapped in leather strips and had feathers of an arctic hare owl fashioned on the bottom of the handle. It was definitely of Water Tribe design.

They curiously asked the woman, "Where did you get this blade?"

"I made it myself, I picked up the craft from a warrior of the North. He taught me how to carve animal bones into weapons, I honor him by continuing his craft here. I'll sell it to you for five gold pieces if you want it?" she responded then offered them it as she nipped toward the two with the dagger in her hands.

Unaraq fell to his knees and kowtowed his sister like a lowly subject would to a queen, "...please!" he begged.

"Fine," she said while she rolled her eyes again, she opened her coin purse and counted the gold pieces she had. Unaraq gave her the biggest hug, "Okay big brother. But you owe me something."

"Oh yes, princess anything for you!" he said, he humbled himself after the smith exchanged the dagger for the gold.

He let out a squeal of satisfaction that Tanaraq had never heard before, he kissed the blade. The smith handed him the sheathe to the blade and he wrapped it around his left leg where he placed the dagger. It remained hidden, and it could prove useful if he was ever disarmed by an enemy.

Back on the mountain top, Giman and Aloi were inside of Giman's home where they prepared dinner and awaited the arrival of Rong Yan, Unaraq and Tanaraq. Giman told Rong Yan earlier of a small rotunda built by his parents that he used for praying to the airbender gods and Saint Khala. It was behind his home and only about ten yards from his garden.

The hexagon-shaped Air Nomad gazebo where there were shrines of the gods and blessed by religious practices. He sat in nomad position he hadn't communicated with his past lives, it has been a while but Giman told him of an ability that can be used to communicate with others. He recalled Avatar Anana had used this ability to speak with her companions. A blue aura emanated from his body, it separated itself from his physical form the short Southern Water Tribe woman had been summoned. She sat nomad style across from the Fire Nation man.

"It is good to see you again, Avatar Rong Yan, what is it that you require of me?" wondered the spirit of the woman.

"I have been advised by a Vibrant One to speak with a past life about specific abilities that could prove useful to me. He mentioned having a strong spiritual connection with only a handful of people. I remember you used this a few times in your life. I want you to give me the knowledge of spiritual projection," requested Rong Yan.

"I apologize young Avatar but this is something that cannot be given, it is earned," Anana declined.

"What do you mean?" Rong Yan inquired.

"I mean I cannot use energybending to grant you the knowledge it can only be earned through a high level of spirituality," Anana answered.

"I abandoned my gods to worship the Air Nomadic pantheon, I pray to them every day. What more could I do?" Rong Yan reasoned.

"It is not about who you worship, young firebender. It is discipline and mastery of the spiritual arts, there are two ways in achieving this. Mastering the Avatar State requires the mastering of the spiritual art as well, it is common Avatars can project their spirit at this point. While others go the rest of their lives never knowing how to do so. The other way is learning from Mun Jin himself," explained Anana.

"Have you tried to communicate with Avatar Mun Jin yet?" Anana questioned Rong Yan he shook his head.

"I urge you to summon him and ask him yourself," she said.

Rong Yan sighed and Anana disappeared. He concentrated harder but nothing happened instead Kwan Chun was called forth. The Air Nomad's height towered over Rong Yan, he spoke, "Avatar Rong Yan I've noticed you've tried to contact Avatar Mun Jin but it seems you're having trouble."

"Why can't I summon him?" wondered Rong Yan in confusion.

"Certain Avatars require higher levels of spirituality to contact. Unfortunately, Mun Jin is one of those the further back you go into your lineage of past lives the higher level of spirituality is required. You mustn't feel bad, if he truly wanted to speak to you he would," stated Kwan Chun.

"Most Avatars with basic spiritual levels can only contact up to Avatars of their nation, in my lifetime I could communicate with Ilah, Xi, Arrluk and up to Mun Jin but not Kaenakai nor Bhudev. While Avatars like Mun Jin could speak with the first cycle of Avatars," added Kwan Chun.

"Then my spiritual level has to be high then if I was able to communicate with Avatar Xi. I've never spoken to Avatar Arrluk so that would explain it. Maybe I'm not worthy enough," Rong Yan said he frowned a bit he felt doubt.

"Don't ever allow doubt to tell you the kind of Avatar you were meant to be. Such a thought will corrupt you, the future has been written all you have to do is work toward it," Kwan Chun related.

"I want to learn spiritual projection how do I do it?" questioned Rong Yan.

"I do not know, Avatar Rong Yan. Avatar Anana is right you must obtain it through mastering the Avatar State unless you find a way to communicate with Avatar Mun Jin," Kwan Chun shook his head.

"What if I had the help of a spiritual leader guide me into communicating with him?" asked Rong Yan.

"I do believe that may work, I suggest spending more time with the Jongmu Council of Elders," agreed Kwan Chun.

"I'm heading to the North Pole first maybe the North's spiritual leader could guide me into further summoning my other past lives. Or I could travel to the Baiyan Air Temple where I could touch things owned by Mun Jin maybe that could summon him," responded Rong Yan, he thought about what he did to summon Xi Tong maybe it could work if he did the same thing for Mun Jin.

Avatar Kwan Chun shook his head and disclosed to Rong Yan, "You will find nothing of Mun Jin in the Baiyan Air Temple. When he was a young airbending master he was exiled, he traveled to the Si Wong desert where he stumbled upon Wan Shi Tong's library. When Mun Jin passed on to the Spirit World, the knowledge seekers retrieved his belongings and have kept them in the library."

"So then how did he learn the other three elements?" wondered Rong Yan.

"Avatar Mun Jin's teacher was the Spirit of Knowledge, Wan Shi Tong himself. That is why only Mun Jin was the only Avatar who lived to master all four elements and their subskills," divulged Kwan Chun.

"When he trained with Wan Shi Tong, he learned a great many things from the spirit. That's what made Mun Jin, the saint of knowledge. If you communicated with Xi through his belongings, that might the only way you can be able to communicate with Mun Jin. However, I do urge you to attempt the spiritual guide route first," advised Kwan Chun.

"Thank you for your advice, Avatar Kwan Chun," thanked Rong Yan, he sighed after Kwan Chun's spirit disappeared. He remembered in a flashback what he said to Yong Ten when his master mentioned Mun Jin had mastered the elements and their sub bending skills.

He remembered he had baked pies with Yong Ten back in the Southern Air Temple when Yong Ten spoke to him about his past lives. Yong Ten responded, "He is one of the Avatars we revere and honor here in the Jongmu Air Temple. This is his birthplace, the statue in the eastern courtyard is of Kwan Chun. Another Avatar revered by all airbenders except the Baiyan Air Temple is Avatar Mun Jin. He who studied all forms of bending."

"What do you mean he studied all forms of bending? There are only four elements," wondered Rong Yan.

"Mun Jin lived through a peaceful era for some of his life, where he dedicated those years to mastering all forms of bending through his teacher. Legend has it he mastered how to bend lightning, sound, sand, even plants. He is known as one of the most powerful Avatars in history," claimed Yong Ten.

"That sounds like a load of hooey. Either he came up with or someone he knew made it all up," Rong Yan dismissed the idea of bending more than the standard elements. "You do not understand the intricacies of the bending arts. Did you learn nothing from Xi Tong?" Yong Ten questioned him.

Rong Yan tightened his teeth then frowned he now he remembered that he insulted Mun Jin about a year and a few months back when he and Yong Ten discussed it. He believed that Mun Jin mastering all forms of bending was a load of boar ox excrement. Now he realized how rude that seemed compared to his past life Mun Jin he was nothing.

Maybe that's why he wasn't able to have summoned his past life and now he felt bad, "I'm sorry Mun Jin," he apologized. He stood up and wandered back to Giman's shack he was late for dinner. But so were Unaraq and Tanaraq, they arrived fifteen minutes after Rong Yan arrived.

They ate dinner with Giman and laughed while they shared funny stories after their meals were over Rong Yan crossed and rested his arms on the table. Giman noticed this and brought it up, "Why the long face?"

"My actions from when I was younger caused the current consequence I'm in," Rong Yan answered.

"What do you mean?" asked Giman.

"I once discredited the achievements of a past Avatar, and when I need him the most he refuses to speak with me. The others say he's the only one that carries the answers I need," Rong Yan replied.

"I see, you dragged his legacy through the mud with the comment you made. Isn't it true that all past lives are aware of the things the current Avatar does?" guessed Giman, Rong Yan nodded.

"Maybe you should apologize maybe then Mun Jin will speak with you," Giman stated.

"Here these are for you," offered Giman he handed Rong Yan a small wooden box that contained soundbending scrolls for his journey ahead. Rong Yan bowed to Giman thanking him, "Thank you, Sifu Giman."

"It is my pleasure, Avatar Rong Yan. Thank you for making me your teacher for the short time we spent together," Giman commented. Rong Yan, Unaraq, Tanaraq, and Aloi headed back into the darkened mountain pass and toward the inn within Nuo Ju.

The next morning came, Rong Yan had been the first to awaken he paid the stablemaster for having kept Shen inside the stables for almost two weeks. He prepared the saddle and tucked the box of scrolls in his belongings. He guided the dragon out of the village where Tanaraq, Aloi, and Unaraq waited for their arrival.

Rong Yan noticed a squad of Oma Kingdom troops galloped in on their ostrich horses with a large iron-barred cage being pulled by boar oxen. They halted near the jail where the men from a week and a half ago who terrorized the town were being escorted into the cage. They were cuffed when they boarded the iron-barred caravan, the prisoners were forced to sit.

Guards then chained them to some of the bars all five men were stoic their rank patches and pins ripped off their uniforms. This was done publicly the citizens stared in silence, the traitors were finally going to be dealt with.

Beiyin hugged his friend, Shu, "Thanks we'll be hauling them off to Lintao soon. I have time to catch up, how's your dad?" Shu asked his best friend.

"My dad's getting better every day," Beiyin responded he placed his arm around Shu's upper back and they headed off in another direction. Rong Yan continued and pulled the reins of Shen toward the exit where Unaraq, Tanaraq, and Aloi waited in the shade given by the walls of the town.

"There you are, what took you so long?" Unaraq wondered, "I watched the soldiers from the capital pick up the thugs we had arrested last week," answered Rong Yan.

"Really? They deserve it, where are we heading off to next?" Unaraq inquired.

"Well I thought we should just head off to the North Pole at this point," Rong Yan replied he turned his attention to Tanaraq.

"I'm sure your father is near the North right about now," Rong Yan added.

"I can't wait to see Tulok's face again it has been four years since I last saw him," Tanaraq disclosed.

They climbed onto Shen's back, Rong Yan snapped the reins of his dragon and the beast darted into the skies. It was directed toward the northern direction it would take a week before they would reach the North Pole though.