Avatar: The Tale of Harry, Book 5: Duty

by stringdog

19 years have passed since the end of the Principate War and the world has lived in peace since then. However, peace is a lie and the emergence of the unthinkable brings a nation knowing nothing of war to the brink of it. Harry must do his duty as the Avatar to preserve peace and balance lest a nation be plunged into civil war. The world once again needs Avatar Harry one more time.

3. Chapter 2

Here is the second chapter in Book 5, released on time as promised. Again there isn't much to say in this note as chapter 2 is a direct continuation from the events at the end of chapter 1 so I will leave it here. There isn't anything to respond to either which means that it time to sit back, relax, and enjoy the 2nd full installment of Avatar: The Tale of Harry. Book 5: Duty.

Disclaimer: As always I own nothing related to these two great works of fiction.

Chapter 2

It started with a whisper, then a murmur, and then the dam broke and uproar at what Ekrizdis had just said ensued. Ekrizdis just basked in it as he suppressed a grin at the sound. It was like the wind, all it needed was a breath and it could become a gale with the right guiding hand and that was what had just happened. The truth was out, after 303 years it was finally revealed and Ekrizdis felt the great weight of all his forbearers lift from him in that moment.

"Silence!" Remus yelled, his voice augmented by his airbending and showing he still had strength despite his age.

Almost at once the entire room fell quiet at Remus's order. There were still a few whispers but that was it. Ekrizdis simply turned and looked the man in the eye. The Archabbot hadn't risen from his seat, he had simple barked the order and the room silenced. Ekrizdis had to respect the man's authority and command at being able to exert such control over the nation. It was the control that Ekrizdis wanted because it was rightfully his.

"How?" Remus asked once it was quiet and not breaking eye contact with Ekrizdis. "How is that possible? Almost all of the Air Nomads of old were killed on the Day of Sozin's Comet. The few who survived were hunted down in the months that followed by the Fire Nation. Other than Avatar Aang, no airbender survived Sozin's genocide according to records."

"And are records always accurate?" Ekrizdis asked in response his demeanor calm as he spoke. "Especially back then before the world became more industrialized and developed in the wake of that war."

"Seldom." Remus admitted. "That still doesn't answer my question though. How did Air Nomads from back then survive?"

"True I didn't, and I will of course elaborate now." Ekrizdis said with a smile, it was what he wanted to do after all. "But first to the records. Remember two things. Firstly, they were created by the Firelord, and he had a vested interest in confirming that all of us had been wiped out so that he could conquer the world. Secondly, the Air Nomads of old never kept records on every member of the nation, we are to nomadic for that."

"While my own study of our history lacks behind the scholars of our nation, I do know what you speak of." Remus said levelly. "The old Air Nomads did not keep accurate records, something Tenzin corrected after Harmonic Convergence."

"Precisely, back then those who rose to run the Temples and achieve great feats were recorded." Ekrizdis said with a nod though he would reinstitute that system if he got a chance as it was the true way to do it given the freedom of their nation. "The rest were just simple nomads who traveled the world and did what they felt was right for that is the very nature of our element, freedom. There was no need for records on them so why keep them."

"I can see your point on that fact." Remus deferred. "And I know that many believed that there were survivors of the genocide, a fact that the lack of records couldn't prove or disprove, but they likely went into hiding and slowly died out. I cannot see how you would have survived for 3 centuries."

"If I may, I have a possible theory on that." A man at the end of the National Council bench said in a slightly hesitant voice as he was interrupting his leader. "As to the survivors of the genocide that is."

Ekrizdis looked at the man. He was the youngest on the National Council, though given the deference to elders that the nation had kept, one of the few things it had managed to preserve, he was still at least 60 years old, if not older if Ekrizdis had to guess.

The man had round glasses, short gray hair, a stylish beard, and was not in the best of shape. He had a very academic bearing to him and the fact that he spoke on this topic showed he had a thirst for knowledge because he knew about it. That, as well as his position on the table meant that he had to be Wroxton, the Head of the Air House if Ekrizdis's reports were correct.

"I am all ears as to your theory." Ekrizdis said interested in hearing what the current nation thought of the status of the survivors of the genocide. "Academic pursuits and the quest for knowledge are noble goals that are encouraged amongst the Air Nomads who seek to answer such questions. I doubt that they are accurate but do indulge me."

"Most theories are just that, theories." Wroxton admitted. "But I have dedicated my academic life to the question of why did airbending return after Harmonic Convergence as it one of the biggest unanswered questions in the world at the moment."

"That it is." Ekrizdis agreed. "Even we do not know what caused it. What do you think caused the reemergence of our element in the world after so many years?"

"My theory is that those who received it were descendants of airbenders." Wroxton said his voice going into scholar mode Ekrizdis noted. "Either survivors or nomads who had children with people who weren't airbenders. Over the generations airbending died out but the heritage didn't and so I believe that the spiritual shift of Harmonic Convergence awakened their latent airbending. The prime example of this is Bumi, the eldest son of Avatar Aang who was born a nonbender but became an airbender after Harmonic Convergence."

"I see, that is a good theory and one that should be pursued more." Ekrizdis said and meant it, it was a theory that made some sense and had a solid piece of proof in Bumi. "I encourage you to continue your work on it. The first Ekrizdis, the one who saved us and found the Lost Temple, now the Exile Temple, always believed that there were more survivors then the 200 who were he provided sanctuary for. I do not doubt that many of those nomads who were not at a Temple that fateful day shed their robes, hid their tattoos and melted into regular life."

"But not those at the Lost Temple." Remus said bringing attention back to him and the main topic at hand. "I have heard of that legend, but I thought it was just that, a legend. Let me guess, the first Ekrizdis found proof that it existed and used it as a refuge for the airbenders and then sealed it off from the world while the 100-year War raged. You were able to preserve the culture and history of the old nomads and have kept it up since then."

"That is exactly what happened." Ekrizdis said not surprised at all at Remus's deduction, the man wasn't elected Archabbot for nothing after all. "Astute, as I expected. We survived, grew and maintained the old ways that have since been lost."

"Of course, that is if I believe you." Remus pointed out showing his skepticism, something Ekrizdis also expected. "It is hard to believe that there are actually still airbenders today who are descended from survivors of the genocide and who have managed preserved the old ways. Thanks to Sozin, a lot of our culture was lost and Aang was not great at restoring it as he wasn't the most versed nomad in cultural affairs."

"I am more than willing to take a truth seer test to prove the veracity of my story." Ekrizdis said confidently as he knew he spoke the truth. "I am even willing to submit myself to the Avatar himself so that he can administer the test personally and confirm my claims."

"Oh, you can rest assure that Harry will be informed of this." Remus said seriously. "He needs to know about something of this potential magnitude so that he can confirm it."

"I look forward to meeting him." Ekrizdis said with a smile and meant it, if he got Avatar Harry on his side then no one would oppose him. "But that is for another time in another location I feel as he is not present this year despite being allowed to participate as he is an airbender. For now, I am here at the ANNC to discuss the future of the Air Nomads. Isn't that what this conference is for?"

"It is but as far as I am concerned you are just another airbender and I am the Archabbot." Remus said. "So, you may speak your peace but know that I am the leader of the Air Nation, not you, so in the end it is I who will make the final decisions on the direction of our nation for the year to come."

"So, you say." Ekrizdis replied calmly. "But I do not recognize your authority and I will get to that in time, but I am sure there are a few more questions that you have for ne. Both out of curiosity and to test me so as to make sure that I am speaking the truth."

"You are damn fucking sure that I have a few questions." An angry voice said to him from Remus's right and Ekrizdis turned to look at the speaker. "And you will answer them before we hear your preposterous request out."

The woman who spoke was in her late 70s or early 80s if Ekrizdis had to guess, the right age an elder of the Air Nomads should be. As she lacked the military baring she had to be one of the Temple Head Abbots.

Despite her age, she was still lithe and in shape, Ekrizdis could tell this even through the ceremonial robes she wore. Though age had taken its progressive toll on her, she had clearly been beautiful in her youth and had aged gracefully. Her hair was long, straight and pure white with now designs or adornments except for a single braid woven with a royal blue ribbon on the right sight that looked out of place on an Air Nomad.

Given her position at Remus's right, her vulgarity and the clear Southern Water Tribe braid she wore, there was only one person who it could be: Abbess Luna. She was the Head Abbot of the Western Air Temple and wife of Prince Ron, the Red Wolf of the Southern Waters, uncle to the current Chief of the Southern Water Tribe and the former President of the United Republic. Of all the senior figures in the Air Nation, Ekrizdis's folder on Luna was the thickest and that wasn't because Pansy hated her with a burning passion.

Luna was the heir apparent to Remus, at least that was the consensus his spies and informants had told him, but more importantly she was one of the 4 surviving members of the current iteration of Team Avatar. Of all the threats within the Air Nation that Ekrizdis faced, Luna was the only one he truly feared due to her extensive ties to powerful individuals on the global stage and her own proven track record with Team Avatar.

"I am more than happy to answer your questions, Abbess Luna." Ekrizdis said and was pleased to see a look of shock flicker across her face at his knowing her name though given her fame it wasn't hard to guess who she was. "Please, ask away."

"We shall gloss over the fact that you know a lot more than someone who has lived in exile all his life should." Luna began clearly already suspicious of him. "There are two things I want to know. Firstly, why didn't you show yourself after the 100-year war? The Fire Nation had been defeated, the Avatar was an airbender, and the Firelord was his friend. You had no reason to fear back then."

"That is what it would seem but the Ekrizdis at the time knew that it wasn't the right time." Ekrizdis replied as he talked about the first of two prior debates the Exiled Nomads had had regarding revealing themselves. "Ekrizdis VII, also known as Ekrizdis the Wise, was the man in charge at the time decided that the time wasn't right back then. There were those who wanted us to reveal ourselves, but he knew it would be too soon."

"Why was it too soon?" Luna asked. "Seems to me like that would have been the best time."

"Perhaps but the world had just ended a war that until the Principate War two decades ago was the worst war in human history." Ekrizdis explained. "The world needed to heal and return to normal. We couldn't add in the wrench that was our existence into the equation, especially after what the Fire Nation had done to us, it was too soon. It pained Ekrizdis VII to not reveal the truth to Aang as he was the last Ekrizdis born prior to the genocide, though he was very young at the time, so he didn't remember it. He decided to wait for the right moment."

"And that moment never came?" Luna asked still pressing him on this issue. "Seems a little fishy to me that it never came. How can someone known as the Wise not know the right moment to reveal your existence."

"Ekrizdis VII was the oldest and longest reigning Ekrizdis, dying at the age of 131." Ekrizdis responded. "He was already old when the war ended, and he never truly found that moment for us. His successor was known as Ekrizdis the Hesitant and did not want to change the world by revealing ourselves."

Ekrizdis had to pause for a moment to control himself. He'd read the records on Ekrizdis VIII and knew how she'd set them back decades with her delaying and excuses to not reveal themselves, but it was wrong to speak ill of the dead. He just took a calming breath and continued.

"By the time she died, Aang too was dead and Korra had not yet been found." Ekrizdis said when he was ready. "It had been decided to reveal ourselves to the Avatar or Tenzin at the right moment but that moment never seemed to come. Korra was isolated almost all her young life and by the time she came onto the scene she had other stuff to deal with that we felt she had to prioritize as we would become a distraction for her. As such, again we never found the right time."

"And what of Harmonic Convergence and the restoration of airbending worldwide?" Luna asked. "Why not then? I can just about understand why you waited after the 100-year War ended but I can't understand why you didn't when Harmonic Convergence and its aftermath happened."

"I take it that that is your second question." Ekrizdis said and Luna nodded at him. "Thought so. We wanted to, that was the second great debate we had regarding revealing ourselves. In the end it was decided that we would observe and wait, something that was made more apparent when Zaheer killed the Earth Queen and plunged that nation into chaos."

"That I do get." Luna said begrudgingly. "So, what did you do instead? I highly doubt you were silent after Harmonic Convergence."

"Of course, we weren't silent." Ekrizdis said. "We used Harmonic Convergence's blessing to recruit more and expand for the first time since the Ekrizdis I closed the Temple. We spent years gathering those who had been cast out, or not wanted, and who were airbenders and brought them back. We needed new blood, we needed growth and Harmonic Convergence provided that. Ekrizdis X, known as the Gatherer, was the one who decided on this strategy, and we spent a few decades focused solely on that."

"And that is what y'all have been doing ever since?" Remus asked. "Growing your numbers and waiting for the right moment?"

"Pretty much." Ekrizdis said as it was basically what they'd been doing since then. "We have grown and added to our numbers, taking in those who we felt unwanted by the Air Nation but still wanted to be airbenders. You see we have been keeping tabs on the world despite our exile that is how we know these things. There were plans by my mentor and predecessor Ekrizdis XII to do so but the Principate rose up and we had to put our plans on hold once again. Now, after more than 300 years the time has finally come. We are back and I am taking my rightful place."

"There you go again." Remus said his eyes narrowing at Ekrizdis as he spoke. "You know that your rightful place is within the Air Nation, we will accept you without hesitation as you have not violated our laws regarding admission. The chance to grow the Air Nation more than ever before and reclaim our history is one that we cannot turn down. Y'all are more than welcome to join and as the leader of the Exile Temple, I would be willing to accept you on the National Council as a Temple Leader. Your council will be invaluable to me."

"Ah, you see, that is not how it has to be." Ekrizdis said shaking his head. "There is only one thing that I will accept because it is my right and that is why I have come today. I am the true leader here and as such I will only accept full leadership over the Air Nomads and a restoration of the old ways. Once that is done, we can begin seeking the justice we so richly deserve against the Fire Nation for the genocide they committed against our people and the harm they caused us."

"The genocide is in the past and Zuko paid his nation's restitution by ending that senseless war." Remus said. "We are on good terms with the Firelord and the Fire Nation, we will not change that. Firelord Ursa and her people are not responsible for the crimes of their ancestors committed to your ancestors and as such owe us nothing. No one is left alive who even knew someone who was alive in those days so there is no reparations that need be made."

"That is where you are wrong." Ekrizdis snapped, his anger coming out for a moment as he remembered the generational pain that the Fire Nation had caused his people and all that they'd been forced to suffer because of Sozin. "They are responsible for the crimes of the past and until their descendants pay the decedents of their victims for their crimes they will never be forgiven for what they did. All of the Fire Nation and its people are still responsible for the crimes it is owed to us."

"Nothing is owed to us due to the crimes committed by other in the distant past." Remus retorted. "We do not live in the past but the present. The horrors and evils committed 303 hundred years ago and during the subsequent war were heinous and must never be forgotten but that doesn't mean you can subscribe their crimes onto those who didn't commit them."

"Of course we can." Ekrizdis said calming down. "They are guilty because of their ancestors' crimes. We will get what we are owed, and we will be given that but in time. First, thought, I must claim my rightful place as the leader of the Air Nomads. I am the leader of the true Air Nomads and descended from them in an unbroken like. I am the Ekrizdis, I just need it to be official in the eyes of the world and this is the place to do it."

"And why do you think you have that right?" Luna asked, anger clear in her voice. "You have no valid claim as far as I can see. The Air Nation is the successor to the Air Nomads, we are not the same as they were because we can't be. We have kept what traditions alive that we could and adapted to modern times where need or where we were lacking. Harmonic Convergence was a rebirth of a nation and that is what we are, a rebirth. We are not the nomads of the past; we are the Air Nation of the present."

"And that is precisely why I am the right leader for us, to reclaim our lost past that the Fire Nation stole from this world." Ekrizdis said before turning and addressing the whole room. "I am that link to the past, I am that restorer, I am the leader you know that you need."

"And why is that." Remus said. "Why should you lead when the Air Nation already has a legitimate leader in the Archabbot."

"It's simple." Ekrizdis said not turning but continuing to address the room. "I know the history of the Air Nomads, I know our traditions, rights, philosophies, techniques, and stories that no one here knows. I know things lost to airbenders for centuries. With me as your leader I will bring back the days of old, the days of the Air Nomads as we once were and thus bring balance to the world by restoring the Air Nomads to what they once were."

"The world is already balanced." Luna said. "That Avatar secured that with the defeat of the Princeps 19 years ago and we've been enjoying peace and balance since then."

"The world has long been out of balance, one that the Avatars can't fix." Ekrizdis said turning to look seriously at Luna. "That is because true balance comes from the old nations and their growth and adaption over the centuries. That balance was torn apart by Firelord Sozin and never restored. That is until now with me, the leader of the true Air Nomads, restoring our culture to what it once was. Only from there can we move into the modern world. Do not worry, we have a plan for this to maintain this balance. Follow me and we can do this."

"You are not the leader of the Air Nation, I am, and I will not let this happen." Remus said and Ekrizdis turned back to see the Archabbot on his feet at last and giving off his full authority for all to see. "I will recognize you and your Temple as members of the Air Nation, I will even grant you a place on the National Council despite your words, but that is it. You are not, nor will you ever be, the leader of the Air Nation."

"You are not the legitimate leader; you never were and never have been." Ekrizdis said as he felt his oratory skills take hold, the very skills that had helped him ascend to his position back home as he'd been able to persuade many with his passionate speeches. "You may be wise, you may be powerful, you are certainly one of the few here who was around for the bi and tri-centennial anniversaries of the Genocide, but you are still not a true nomad."

Ekrizdis paused as he glared at Remus and let his words sink in. He knew that some would heed them, would be interested, and in the end some would come to his side. That would be the start, but he knew he needed more. All in good time though. Right now he just had to convince enough to begin the schism that would lead him to his rightful place.

"You are just the descendants of the rebirth of airbending because of Harmonic Convergence." Ekrizdis continued putting all his rhetorical skills to use as he addressed the room. "I am the descendants of true airbenders, of those who existed prior to the Genocide. I am the keeper of our history, lore and traditions, and until I pass that on only I can lead the airbenders of this world."

"You sound like a Purist." Luna said calmly as she too rose to her feet but took a combat stance which did surprise Ekrizdis, he wasn't expecting her to be the one to try and fight. "And I can say for certain that I do not like Purists. We ended them before, do you really want to bring that twisted philosophy and all the pain and death it caused back?"

"I am no Purist, just a realist who knows what is right, unlike you." Ekrizdis said simply. "But come on, attack me and see what happens. I can promise you that I am a better airbender than you will ever be. I am a prodigy, a master by the age of 10 and I know techniques long lost to the rest of you."

"You're an extremist, I can see it in your eyes, and we have dealt with your lot before." Luna said. "You may be able to beat me, that is true, but if you decide to make this a fight then you will make yourself an enemy of the Avatar and that is a fight that you will lose."

"I am still true to our history and our pacifism; I will not start a fight, but I will end it." Ekrizdis said with a grin ignoring the threat of the Avatar, Ekrizdis would deal with the Avatar when he was ready to talk to him. "I am very good at ending fights. No, I am simply here to tell you the truth. Airbenders have lost their way. The Air Nation is a perversion of the teachings and philosophies of the Air Nomads. It may have been done in good faith and to survive at the time, but this can no longer be allowed to continue."

Ekrizdis paused again as he surveyed the room one last time. It was time to reach the crescendo of his speech and drive it home. Afterwards, he could see what had come from the seeds his words had planted amongst the airbenders present for the ANNC.

"I am the Ekrizdis, the leader of the Exiled Nomads and the one who will restore the Air Nomads to what they once were before Sozin slaughtered us." Ekrizdis said with utter conviction in his voice. "I will not follow the false leader before me, but I will not fight him either. I call upon the nature of our element, freedom, to allow all the airbenders in the corrupted Air Nation to make a choice. Either join me and return to the Air Nomads or stay with this pollution of our teachings. Let us see who is better."

"Get out of here and never show yourself in the Air Nation again." Remus said forcefully. "You can keep that exile status all you want. All airbenders are free to make their own choices and I will not stop anyone who chooses to join you, nor will I expel them from the nation unless they take up arms against us, but never show yourself here again."

"Oh, I will be back Remus, of that you can be sure." Ekrizdis said with a smile at the Archabbot. "And when I am, you will regret it. Well, you will if you are still alive to regret it that is."

"I will take that as a threat, seize him." Remus ordered the room, likely commanding the representatives from the ANDF to take Ekrizdis. "You are expelled from the Air Nation, Ekrizdis."

Ekrizdis just continued to smile, the words of a false leader meant nothing to him. He had flustered Remus though, and he knew it. Judging by the murmurings and the looks on two faces on the National Council, he knew that he had convinced a few people of his right, including some that were higher up than he was expecting.

All was going according to plan. There were still a few more things left to do before the next phase, the first being getting out of here safely so that he could do those things. They were about to see a true master of airbending at work.

Several airbenders, almost certainly members of the ANDF, were closing in on him. Ekrizdis didn't hesitate. Instantly he began to twist his arms and body in a pattern that none of them had ever seen as he pulled the air flowing through the room around himself as created a gale force wind with him at the center of it. It swirled and spun with increasing force as he fed it, but he kept it small. No one could get near him.

As soon as it was at its maximum speed, Ekrizdis thrust out his arms. The ball of high-speed air around him exploded outwards in a 360-degree circle. It flattened those trying to seize him and pinned everyone to their seats or toppled them if they weren't sitting on a bench. By the time the dust cleared, he was gone.

The stage had been set and now it was time to see what happened. Ekrizdis couldn't wait. The restoration of the Air Nomads had begun.

-break-

"What the fuck was that?" Luna ask as she shakily got to her feet and looked around. "I've never seen airbending like that. Is that fucker actually for real?"

She was getting too old for this shit, and she was going to be bruised in the morning and not in the way she liked to be bruised after Ron had his way with her. At least nothing felt broken, that was a good sign but still, that had been some powerful airbending.

The blast had knocked her back into her chair and together they fell backwards and onto the hard ground. She had been preparing an air ball to send at Ekrizdis or whatever his name was when he had begun bending.

She had never seen airbending so fluidly and naturally. It was as if he was one with the wind, something she had never managed in all her years, and the way he sped it up, condensed it and then fired it out in a circle had stunned her in more ways than one. Whoever Ekrizdis was, he was certainly talented, that much was without question.

The name itself rang a faint bell in her mind as if she had heard it before but a long time ago and hadn't known what he meant back then. She knew that if she meditated on it she would figure it out but right now wasn't the time for that. They had more important shit to deal with right now.

Everyone was slowly getting up. Those on their feet had been blown back and flattened. Those in their seats had been pressed against them. The entire National Council had been blown over like her as they sat in wooden chairs and not benches. Fortunately, the high-backed chairs had helped but Remus had been standing when the blow hit as well, and he was 21 years her senior.

Luna turned and breathed a sigh of relief as Remus was helped to his feet by Davies. He looked shaky and ruffled, and there was a nasty bruise on his cheek, but otherwise he seemed to be ok. Still, he grimaced as he sat down.

"Archabbot?" Luna asked, her worry still there.

"I'm ok Luna." Remus said with a small smile at her. "Bruised and I will go to the infirmary when we end today's session, which given what happened will be soon as we won't get anything done after that show, but I have been through worse. Remember, I have fought in several battles and a few wars in my long life, a little air is not problem to me."

"Very well." Luna said still concerned for her leader, mentor, and friend.

"As for what that was, I have no idea." Remus said before turning to Wroxton who already up and picking his chair up from the ground. "Wroxton, over here, can you tell us what that was?"

"Archabbot." Wroxton said as he came over once he was done. "I think I can."

For the moment they were alone while the rest of the National Council was tended too. Edgecombe was apparently knocked clean out and Cho was currently helping her. Bexley was up but already coordinating with the ANDF delegates to sweep the Temple and the surrounding area to try and find Ekrizdis, but Luna knew he was gone. Davies had gone over to Brocklehurst to see if he was alright after aiding Remus.

"Well, what was it?" Remus asked.

"I believe that was a move that is called air sphere explosion." Wroxton said with a thoughtful look on his face. "It fits the descriptions I have found in old records on the Nomads at least, but it was described as an incredibly complex move that while powerful could only be performed by someone who had been a master for at least a decade. That is because it requires the airbender to truly learn how to commune with the wind and that in and of itself is a technique we've lost."

"Do we have any idea how that move is performed?" Remus asked. "Seems like something that could be useful."

"Alas the actual sequence of the move was not recorded and as such it is one of many moves that is considered lost." Wroxton said with a shake of his head. "Part of why the requirement for airbending mastery is at least a variation of an old move if not a new move completely is that we just don't have that many known moves from the past and have to redevelop our bending from what we do know or what we can create."

"I know, it is a sensible policy and one that has not changed since Tenzin became a master as it was apparently an old policy from before the Genocide." Remus said. "It has helped each successive younger generation and now airbenders have many moves at their disposal. It is also why we have seen an uptick in those opting for more nontraditional professions like the military or police, we have members that have made moves suited for those professions."

"Wait, what do you mean commune with the wind?" Luna asked recalling what Wroxton had said at the start. "I've never heard of that term before."

"It is not used often as it is a high-level airbending technique that like air sphere explosion has long since been lost." Wroxton said repeating a bit of what he'd said before. "Many scholars and talented airbenders have tried to recreate it but none have been successful in truly matching what scant descriptions we have. My theory is that it is partially an innate ability similarly to how some waterbenders have an affinity for healing or earthbenders with metal and lava, it's just something only a select few airbenders can do."

"But what is it?" Luna asked still a little confused on what it was.

She loved knowledge just as much as the next airbender and was a gifted spiritualist, but sometime Wroxton could get way to academic with people when he was talking about a passion of his. It was what made him perfect for his position and his research had greatly benefitted the Air Nation over the years. However, it was also what made him a bad fit on the National Council and would likely never become Archabbot because of it despite his age making him a good candidate once Remus died.

"What? Oh yeah got carried away a bit." Wroxton said sheepishly. "It is an ability to sense the currents of the wind that billow around all of us as if they were a part of you. At least that is how it is described."

"That just sounds like traditional meditation." Luna said. "We can all do that."

"Yes all airbenders can of course feel the wind but actually communing with appears to be different." Wroxton said. "It appears to be a deeper connection and can greatly augment an airbenders abilities but is likely draining at the same time."

"Well, that was powerful airbending we just experienced." Remus said. "Honestly, I think only Harry in the Avatar State could have exceeded that, at least in in my experience."

"Given the fact that we likely saw both techniques, something no known airbender has seen in centuries, I would deduce that Ekrizdis is telling the truth about his origins." Wroxton said helpfully as he was still in scholar mode it seemed. "Now that stuff about what the Air Nation has become is something I don't agree with but from a purely academic perspective I believe he is indeed a direct descendant of the old Air Nomads."

"Thank you Wroxton." Remus said in a dismissive tone. "But I think that it is time we wrap today's session up. We can discuss this over the next few days but I for one need meditation."

"Agreed and I need to call Ron to inform him on what just happened." Luna said as Wroxton just stood there still likely still thinking on what had just transpired. "Remus, you know what this means though, you know what we have to do."

"I do." Remus said with a sigh. "This and the threat we just saw in the form of his views, which he can back up with bending we can't match, have the potential to be disastrous. He has to be informed and we are going to do this in person or else we might not be able to convince him to help out. As soon as the ANNC is over, we will meet Ron and go to him."

"Huh?" Wroxton asked sounding completely confused at what was going on around him. "What are you talking about Archabbot?"

"The world has just been thrown out of balance by this revelation and if we do not hurry then peace may fall next." Remus said seriously. "That means we need to talk to the Avatar. He may be retired but he has a duty to the world and Harry will always do that duty when it is needed from him."

"I hope that this is the only sudden revelation we have to deal with." Luna said as she looked out the window as the sun began to set. "But somehow I doubt that. Fate never works lie that unfortunately. I wonder what else is out there that is about to rear its ugly head? I'm sure fate will tell us that soon."

"Whatever it is one thing is for certain." Remus said somberly. "The latest great threat to the world has just revealed himself to us. Once again, we must face it. Once again the world needs the Avatar."

This feels like a nice place to end this chapter with a good ominous note and a small cliffhanger. Don't worry, that revelation is next up as we still have a few more chapters before the Avatar returns to this series, I wasn't lying when I said that Book 5 is the longest opening before Harry finally appears, as is keeping with his retirement at the end of Book 4. There really isn't much else to say here other than to remind y'all that all names in this chapter are of characters taken from the wikia (if you don't recognize them like Cho) so they are all canon names I believe but are almost all minor characters with basically nothing on them so naturally I have used the names and expanded on them. Also, as these are airbenders, all those names are of Ravenclaws, the house affiliated with air in the Harry Potter series. However, that is all I have for y'all, as always any questions in PMs or reviews will be answered before the start of the next chapter (as well as replied to if possible). Please follow, favorite and review, all are greatly appreciated. Until next week.

Stringdog