Fire...Air...Water...Earth... The Avatar has been revealed, and the world is ready to enter into an age of prosperity. But there are many forces unwilling to welcome her, or the new era she will usher in. As the Avatar and her friends struggle to maintain balance in the world, powerful enemies are emerging, set on ruining the new Avatar and everything she holds dear. She has but one advantage over her foes, and hopefully, it will be enough to save her and the world she cherishes. The Avatar's name is Usagi, a warrior of love and justice, and this is her story!

AVATAR

The Celestial Sailors

BOOK TWO: HEART

17: A Story About Kalkin

The warrior-woman Liath was busily cutting weeds when a startling sensation came out of the blue and struck her, causing her to bolt up in alarm. All her senses immediately went on full alert as she tried to discern where this feeling had come from, and what it was. A few paces away, her friend Bodmall, who had been digging ditches for their new irrigation system, also stood upright.

"Bodmall, did you...?"

"Yeah, I felt it too," the shaman confirmed. She removed her headdress, pensively running weathered fingers through her long dark hair.

"What is it?" Liath whispered. "What does it mean?" Bodmall frowned heavily.

"The Destroyer is manifest. I never thought we'd live to see this day..."

"I'm more worried about living to see the day after," Liath muttered. Bodmall nodded dismally.

"So am I, old friend, so am I."

…...

Rei sat transfixed before the fire, staring deeply into it, trying to divine some secret that was eluding her. Lately she had been getting very bad premonitions, sensations that a great disturbance had befallen her world, or that some long-forgotten horror had been brought back from the depths. As a fire priestess, she had learned to trust her intuitions, and often sought answers in a sacred bonfire. The flames seemed reticent at first, content to dance vaguely and leave her feeling pensive. She was patient, though, and continued studying the fire in hopes that she would find some meaning in...

There! It hit her all of a sudden: an intense feeling of dread, a malevolent shape rising up and swallowing the world in a blanket of destruction. It felt like she had consumed some wriggling slimy thing that burned as it tried crawling out of her throat. There was more, though: the Avatar had completed the quest for which she had been summoned, and would be returning to them shortly. Even without the flames guiding her, Rei felt her place was no longer here at the temple, but with the Avatar—with Usagi—helping her face whatever catastrophe was in store. She continued studying the bonfire for any further signs, but the flames began to wane; there were no more answers to seek. She gave the fire a graceful bow and put it out, then rose and sought out her grandfather. She told him everything.

"I felt something very similar," he confessed, rubbing his chin. "I couldn't say what it was exactly, but I could tell it didn't bode well for us. But if the Avatar has returned as you say, then there may be hope. Take what you've learned here and go to her."

"Right. I'll go pack my things while you call Yuichiro." Rei only had a few possessions she wanted to take with her, but when she returned, there were two other people there besides the air-bender: Wheeler and Nergal. She already knew what they wanted, but heard them out anyway.

"Yo! Your grandpa says you're heading off now. Mind if we hitch a ride with ya? I just got a letter from my friends telling me to meet up with them, and, uh..."

"I'm not the one you need to be asking," Rei said, indicating Yuichiro. He blushed a little as their eyes met—evidently he had warmed up to the young priestess during their brief time together—and said there'd be plenty of room on his bison for all four of them.

"Thanks, man, you're a lifesaver!" Wheeler exclaimed, slapping Yuichiro on the back. Nergal smiled thinly as he elbowed her, and approached Rei with a meek expression.

"So...you're going to see the Avatar."

"That's right." Nergal frowned anxiously. She wasn't quite sure how to express herself.

"I'd...like to hear things from her side. I want to decide for myself what's real and what isn't. I promise I won't bring any harm to her, or to your friends."

"I know you won't," Rei answered gently. "I trust you." She nodded solemnly, and with that settled, everyone mounted Yuichiro's bison. Rei and her grandfather exchanged a hug and some words; she asked him where Kotono and her company were.

"Oh, they left while you and Nergal were studying. They said something about needing to investigate some strange volcanic activity somewhere, and headed off."

"I see. Well, grandpa, I hope you can do all right here by yourself."

"Oh, I'll manage, though it sure was nice having so many people over here for company, heheh...especially all the young ladies!" He grinned and rubbed his hands together, causing his granddaughter to roll her eyes. She gave him a quick peck on the forehead and waved farewell, Wheeler letting out a yawp as they soared through the sky.

Kasei Hikawa took a deep breath, let it out, and mopped his forehead.

"Be careful, Rei. In all my years, I've never seen the flames cast such a dreadful omen."

…...

It felt like ages since Asanuma and Kotono had been sailing. Even though their last sea voyage had only been a few months ago, during the raid on Beryl's palace, it felt like much more time had passed. Perhaps it was because they were not heading towards something so dire this time, or with such high life-or-death stakes. Reports of "strange volcanic activity" could mean anything, and several members of their crew felt optimistic of the outcome. Maybe there was an angry spirit inhabiting the volcano, and it needed to be placated, or there were rogue fire-benders living on the foothills who were causing trouble. Serious matters all the same, but nowhere near the level of gravity that they had undergone before. The voyage could be pleasant, if they wished it, and the royal children definitely wished for a relaxing time.

Suo kept himself occupied for a little while with some self-appointed duties, but it was soon clear that the captain and crew wished their passengers would leave the work to them. Royalty, they stated, should not have to earn their way on a ship, least of all when they were already doing so much great work. It was an honor to ferry them to their destination—and anywhere else they wished to go, the captain added. All the same, Suo ingratiated himself with the crew, picking up gossip and news whenever he wasn't investigating the ship or checking on their supplies. He stopped after the first day and became fairly restless halfway into the second, despite Lark and Salamander's attempts at entertaining him.

"Do you think there are dolphins in these waters?" the young animal-trainer asked. As always, he had paired up with Asanuma, and they were busy trying to spot various sea creatures that swam past them. So far they had only seen gulls, though Salamander swore she had spotted a manta.

"I don't know," Asanuma replied. "It's been a long time since I've been out here. The last time we sailed through, I wanted to go fishing, but my dad wouldn't allow it. Then I wanted to go swimming, but my mom wouldn't allow that." Lark laughed.

"Imagine someone telling a prince he's not allowed to do things!"

"They were still my mom and dad," he grumbled. "And I get why they said it now."

"Oh? The swimming I can understand, but why no fishing?"

"Because it's illegal." Lark looked amazed.

"Seriously? How is fishing illegal?"

"My dad told me that a lot of endangered species live in these waters. Poachers used to come here a lot when he was younger, and his father, the previous Fire Lord, had to crack down on them a lot. They already drove the drill-nosed turtles to extinction and probably would've done the same for the four-finned whale. Besides, there aren't any edible species in these waters. The closest are a few bonitos, and we passed their schooling grounds yesterday."

"I see." Lark contemplated what he had heard in silence for a moment. "I guess you need to know these things when you become Fire Lord."

"Yeah, even though Tono will ascend the throne before me. It always goes to the eldest, whether it's a boy or girl."

"But what will that make you when you grow up?" Asanuma offered a lopsided smile.

"A Regent Prince. I'll still have authority, but I'll have to answer to my sister and whoever she marries." Lark made a face.

"Does that make you uncomfortable?"

"No, not really. I admire and respect my sister, and she's already proven herself to be a great leader. I don't think she'll pull her rank around me too much when we get older—right, sis?"

"What's that?" she called, as she laid out tanning. Asanuma smiled.

"I'm just asking how mad with power you'll be when you become Fire Lady."

"Positively despotic, why?" He laughed.

"Just checking." They went back to spotting gulls and whatever fish swam by, and the day wore on. Eventually, Salamander got tired of entertaining Suo and joined the boys, groaning wearily.

"Man, am I bored! We can't even throw a ball around here. What do people do on these long voyages?" Suo, overhearing her, laughed.

"We'll only be at sea today and tomorrow, Sal. I didn't hear you complain when we paid Beryl a visit, and that journey was much longer."

"Yeah, but I was way too excited to care. Arrgh, if I don't do something soon, I'm gonna tear my hair out!"

"I could always teach you how to read star charts."

"No thank you," she grunted. An idea flashed in her head, and she called out to Oboro, who was reading peacefully. "Hey, old man! Weren't you going to tell us how you and Avatar Kalkin became friends?" He looked up from his book, noticing her restless expression.

"So I did. I guess now's as good a time as any to tell it. It's a long story, so it should keep you entertained for awhile." He asked that everyone gather around; Ku Sheng had been taking a nap while Kartta had been training. Several members of the crew who were off-duty also gathered around, as they wanted to hear about how the old warrior became acquainted with the Avatar. Oboro was given water and cleared his throat.

…...

The two Earth Kingdoms were in the middle of their worst period of national crisis. Skirmishes were sprouting up everywhere, and sometimes full-on battles occurred. One warlord in particular had united a lot of the smaller bandit gangs into an army, and had conquered and pillaged huge portions of both kingdoms. It got to the point where he could regularly contend with most of the king's units on an even basis. History books usually omit his name, but it was Durga, if that means anything. Anyway, King Endymion I and King Omar Furuhata called upon Kalkin to rid them of Durga once and for all. They didn't expect the Avatar to win all their battles for them, but if he could get Durga out of the picture, it would go a long way to keep both kingdoms from destabilizing. Kalkin agreed.

This was only a few years after he and I first had our...disagreements, mind you. Kalkin slowly started to see the plight of those around him, and he realized that he had been incredibly fortunate his whole life, while so many others had suffered around him. He started giving away what little money he had left, but even at the height of his family's wealth, it wouldn't have been enough. The only way he could truly help people was to be the Avatar—to restore balance and bring peace to the world. I thought better of him from then on, but we still weren't what you'd call friends—coworkers, perhaps, or acquaintances. Anyway, with all this in mind, he set out to confront Durga and brought me and a host of soldiers with him. When Durga heard that the Avatar was looking for him, he set off with ten-thousand of his warriors, practically his entire army, and the two forces met shortly. I was prepared for an all-out battle, but what actually happened took me by surprise. Kalkin offered a parley and was brought to Durga with only myself and two other retainers. Durga recognized him as the Avatar at once, and gave him an awful grin. I still remember parts of their conversation, decades later.

Durga said something like, "Well, Avatar, you have my attention. Are you going to surrender, or do I have to kill your army first?" Kalkin, for all his earlier faults, wasn't intimidated in the least. He looked at Durga like he was looking at a painting, and not the leader of a bloodthirsty horde.

"I would prefer not to engage in bloodshed, Lord Durga. However, this conflict must be resolved. I do not wish this entire country burned to the ground, nor its people slaughtered in the process."

"Do you think I care about any of that?" Durga leered. "My men are hungry for the spoil! I have united more warring clans than you can count, and I will not stop until my backside is perched on one throne while the other burns in my hearth!"

"As you say," Kalkin replied. "But I'll wager having the Avatar himself as your personal servant for life would be an even better prize." Durga tried not to look intrigued, just as I tried not to look disgusted, but neither one of us were very good at hiding our emotions.

"I wouldn't object to it," he huffed. "What do you have in mind? If you think giving yourself over to me will stop my conquest—"

"No, Durga. I won't give myself to you for free, just like you won't stop for free. Therefore, I propose a challenge. I will thumb-wrestle you for the fate of this country. If you win, then I will submit myself to you, and you can kill me, enslave me, torture me, or ransom me as you see fit. If I win, however, then you will stop your advance, turn around, and go home. What do you—"

But Durga was already laughing boisterously. He didn't think it was a very fair exchange—putting everything he had worked for on one silly child's game. Kalkin agreed, and revised his challenge: he would thumb-wrestle every single member of Durga's army for the same stakes. If even one person beat him, he would submit—but if Kalkin managed to defeat all ten-thousand of his warriors, then Durga would have to turn around. This was a much more enticing proposal, because as Kalkin pointed out, "I could get lucky after one or two hundred people, but ten-thousand? It would be impossible, don't you think?" So after a little more negotiating and defining all the rules, Durga agreed. Two chairs and a table were placed, and Kalkin set himself to his arduous task.

Needless to say, everyone on my side was sick with anxiety. We had figured that Kalkin would offer some non-violent solution to the problem before being forced into battle, but thumb-wrestling an entire army, one man after another? It was absolute madness. But there he was, sitting opposite a long line of Durga's men, challenging each and every one to a thumb-wrestling match. He even said that he could take two people at once, since doing it one at a time would take too long. Even so, going two men at a time, it would take him hours upon hours.

Ten became twenty, then fifty, then a hundred. Kalkin was beating every single one, and I began to hope, but Durga just sneered cruelly. He knew the odds were in his favor, and no matter how good Kalkin was, all it would take was a single slip, and he'd lose. With Kalkin out of the way, the two Earth Kingdoms wouldn't take long to fall, and Durga would have half the world under his control. A hundred-fifty. Two-hundred. Three-hundred, four-hundred. Kalkin was still winning at five and six-hundred, and wasn't losing steam as he passed seven-hundred, eight-hundred, nine. Finally, he defeated his one-thousandth opponent, a remarkable feat under any other circumstance...but he had barely just begun. Nine-thousand eager men stood waiting in line, all of them ready to claim the Avatar for their own, fresh and eager while Kalkin sat there growing tired.

He was offered a break and looked to Durga for permission. "Keep going," he growled, so Kalkin kept going. Twelve-hundred. Thirteen-hundred. Fourteen-hundred. Fifteen-hundred! It was astonishing! Sixteen, seventeen, eighteen, nineteen—two thousand! It was remarkable! I had never seen anything like it—and he still wasn't anywhere close to finishing! Kalkin was definitely getting weary by that point. His hands were sore, and his thumbs ached. He looked to Durga to see if he could take a break yet. Durga, who had been sitting there patiently, watching every single match, scratched himself and grumbled, "Keep going."

Kalkin kept going.

We had to spoon food into his mouth since both his hands were fully occupied. One of us kept flies off him, and scratched him if he got a bad itch. We put a straw in a glass of water so he could drink whenever he wanted to, but since he was not allowed to take bathroom breaks, he had to be very careful about what he took in. The day wore on as Kalkin defeated three-thousand people, and he was almost collapsing from exhaustion when he surpassed four-thousand. Not even halfway through, and the man looked beaten. His hands were almost destroyed, and he seemed pale and sickly. When he finally defeated his five-thousandth opponent, Kalkin looked over to Durga, his eyes begging for a reprieve. If there was any humanity in the other man, then surely...

"Keep going," he barked. Kalkin drew a deep breath...and kept going.

Fifty-five hundred...six-thousand...sixty-five hundred...seven-thousand...seventy-five hundred...eight-thousand! One after the other, a man for each hand, hour after hour, with no breaks in between. Even if one match only took five seconds, it would take him eight full hours of nonstop thumb-wrestling to get through Durga's army. We did everything we could to make Kalkin comfortable, but as long as Durga forbade him from resting, he was compelled, by his own word, to keep going until he won, lost, or fell down dead. And even after defeating eight-thousand men, I did not think Kalkin could win.

As soon as he had defeated eight-thousand, three-hundred fifty-five people, Kalkin let out a loud groan, and his right hand fell limp. All of the muscles in it had been worked far beyond their limit. His hand was cramping and convulsing uncontrollably, and there was little we could do to restore it. Durga broke into a fury and demanded to know what the problem was. Kalkin, despite his injury, smiled feebly, and assured him it was nothing. The challenge would commence; it would just take a little longer.

"Are you sure?" I said, breathlessly.

Kalkin looked at me, smiled...and said, "Yes, my friend. My creators, in their wisdom, saw fit to give me a spare hand. I think I can finish the job with just my left."

He called me his friend. In all the time that we had known each other, we never addressed ourselves as friends. Well, you could have knocked me over with a feather, and I nearly did fall down, I was that amazed. Somehow I mustered up enough dignity to sit down while someone came to massage Kalkin's hand. He kept going, too, facing a thousand men and more with only one hand. I guess my concern for his well-being gave him the strength he needed, because despite losing one hand and endangering his other, he made it past nine-thousand and stared down the end of a long, grueling road with more fortitude than I had ever seen before.

Well, his other hand finally gave out at ninety-four twenty-two, so he gave one last look at Durga. Durga just shook his head, so with all his might, Kalkin brought his cramped, mangled, trembling right hand back up while his left was treated. He had to switch them every fifty or so people, and neither hand ever got enough rest, but through some miracle, he made it through the last of Durga's commanders, captains, officers, and lieutenants, until there was no one left but the leader himself. Kalkin sat there patiently, saying nothing, both of his hands ruined, as Durga sat opposite him. The two men studied each other for a long time, Kalkin's face tranquil in spite of his pain.

"Would you like me to use my left hand or my right?" he asked. Durga nodded.

"Whichever is strongest." I don't think it mattered to Kalkin, so he brought up his right. The judges stood by for one last match. I stood there too, completely transfixed. By all accounts, he shouldn't have been able to move his thumbs at all, much less beat anyone. His arm was trembling so much that I had to hold it steady. We counted down: one, two, three, four. Durga immediately pinned him.

…...

"Ah, it seems we're ahead of schedule," said Oboro as he glanced up. A chain of volcanic islands could be seen off in the distance, the faint glow of twilight causing the ocean around them to ripple with gold and ruby light. "We should find a place to stay and head out in the morning, if that suits your majesties."

"Wait, what?!" Salamander blurted. "You can't just end the story there! What the heck happened to Kalkin? Did he really lose to Durga?"

"What do you think?" Oboro shrugged, then walked away. "We need to get ready to disembark. Suo, Ku Sheng, could you load up our supplies? Lark, Kartta, you too. Sal, you're with Kotono. Asanuma..." He stopped, looking down at the agitated face of the prince. The boy was at least mature enough to understand that time was of the essence, and the less of it they wasted here, the better. The needs of the citizens came first, and besides, if he had studied his history, then he would have known what happened.

But he had to know how the story ended.

Oboro sighed, his mouth slowly curling into a lazy smile.

"Kalkin beat him, my prince. He put forth all of his strength, slipped out of Durga's grasp, and defeated him in one last thumb-wrestling match. He collapsed shortly after, and was borne to the medical tent by Durga himself, who was impressed beyond the capacity for words. Kalkin had kept his word, so Durga kept his, and withdrew his forces. After that, he never darkened the doorstep of any nation, and we never heard from him again. Kalkin never regained the full use of his hands after that day, but word of his deed spread, and people began to rally behind him. He became a hero; the kingdom started to stabilize. Some people even said he did more for the Earth Kingdoms through peace than a million soldiers could have accomplished through war. The whole experience was humbling for him, and he became a better man for it. As for me, I swore lifelong fealty and loyalty to him. Any man who could accomplish what he did was more than worthy of that." Asanuma smiled.

"Thank you, Oboro. I'll go help everyone load the supplies."

"Good man. Kotono, might I pause to freshen my cup? Storytelling's thirsty work." Kotono smiled and gave him leave, then exchanged one last word with the captain. The sun sank lower, setting the entire ocean on fire.

…...

Wan Shi Tong had just finished organizing everything on the second floor's east wing when a terrible sensation overwhelmed him. A fear unlike anything he had experienced before, save once in his long life, hammered upon him with such force that he trembled from the shock of it. Cautiously he turned his head to the nearest window and stared out.

"Oh my... Apsu!"

Unable to say anything else, he stood transfixed, peering out across the distance. Suddenly his massive collection of knowledge—indeed, the entirety of the physical and spiritual world—all seemed so ephemeral to him now. The worst part was that, in spite of his wisdom (or perhaps because of it), he was completely helpless to do anything but watch, and wait.

…...

Reconstructing Omashu after its most recent battle was considerably easier with Avatar Usagi and Vainamoinen helping out. Alongside the city's many earth-benders, plus several air-and-water benders culled from various places, Usagi cleaned streets, extinguished fires, rebuilt structures, paved roads, and replanted upset trees and orchards. The city's metal structures were a different matter, though, and at first, hopes were grim for restoring them. Vainamoinen had been busy in the clinic until he got word of their dilemma, so he quietly set about wandering around the city, repairing plates, tiles, poles, fences, nails, bolts, anything that a blacksmith might have otherwise labored weeks to fix. Rumors of a "metal-bender" quickly spread, and the old man chuckled at his newfound celebrity status. People inevitably begged him to teach them the art.

"I'm afraid that now isn't the proper time, my friends. In some future scenario, perhaps metal-bending may be more common, but..." Suddenly, as he spoke, Vainamoinen bolted upright, like a cat who is suddenly disturbed. His eyes widened and he stared intently into the blue void of sky.

"Uh, sir?" his onlookers said, startled by the change. "Mr. Trout? Is something the matter?"

Vainamoinen didn't answer. His focus was completely invested in something else, something...distant, and powerful.

Something very, very powerful.

"She is here," he whispered fearfully to himself. "So she has found a way through, at last."

"Um, Mr. Trout, sir?" The people called out to him again, and Vainamoinen broke out of his stupor, clearly shaken by his experience. He stared back at the crowd grimly.

"I apologize, but I must leave here at once. The world will soon need the Avatar as it has never needed them before, or perhaps ever will. Excuse me." The crowd parted before him and he stormed through the city with a speed unmatched by any human. He wasted no time with greetings or ceremony as he found Usagi, helping mend one of the larger buildings, with Setsuna and Anshar by her side. The boy was telling Usagi about his sister, regaling tales of how they had grown up together. Vainamoinen was in a hurry but decided to wait and listen.

Suen and Anshar had spent only part of their childhood on Whaletail Island, the place of their birth. The rest of the time, their family went on countless trips to other countries. Their parents had wanted to give them a worldly education, so they immersed their children in many different cultures. This was how Suen had first met her four friends...and how, during an uneventful tour of the northern Earth Kingdom's Provinces, their parents had been killed in a battle and the two siblings had been separated. Anshar had been picked up by monks from the Northern Air Temple and taken back to Whaletail, but soon another battle broke out, and he was forced onto the mainland. He ran into the riverfolk of the Southern Swamp, who eventually took him to Omashu, where he rode out the rest of the wars in a neutral country. Usagi couldn't help but see the similarities between her life and Suen's, and felt a little more empathy towards her. If she had been in the same situation, she probably wouldn't have handled it any better. She then asked what kind of a person Suen was, which prompted a huge brotherly grin.

"She's the kindest person in the entire world," Anshar exclaimed as Usagi helped solder steel pipes together. "When we were growing up, she always looked out for me and always had time for me. Sue's the kind of person who'd give you an extra slice of cake when your parents weren't looking, or would help you with your homework even when she was tired."

"She sounds wonderful," Usagi observed. Too bad her own brother would never heap acolytes like that to his peers. As Anshar went on promoting the merits of his older sister, Setsuna noticed the old man waiting patiently on their behalf. Vainamoinen had a grave countenance about him, so she excused herself and stood up, ready to leave at a moment's notice. Usagi just looked over and smiled casually.

"Oh, hey there Marin—"

"Avatar, it is time for our departure. We must leave immediately." He touched her shoulder, and though his grip was gentle, it carried the weight of supreme urgency on it. Usagi's offer of protest was cut off when she looked into his stormy eyes.

"Um, all right... Where are we going?"

"To your destiny." She flinched.

"Oooh...kaaaay, um...does my destiny have a direction, or..."

"We are leaving, Usagi," Setsuna told her, coldly but patiently. "Master Vainamoinen will guide us to where we need to go. Right?" He nodded and withdrew a little.

"Conclude what affairs you must and bid your friends a brief farewell. We may have time yet but every moment will be precious. The boy will be coming with us, too."

"I will?" he said. Vainamoinen nodded and smiled, though his face was heavy with care. Usagi still didn't understand what was going on, but the urgency in his voice, and the trust she had put in her new companions, compelled her to act. She finished her work on the building, excused herself, and found Naru and Umino with a civilian cleanup crew. There was so much she wanted to say and do, but Naru understood her friend's urgency, and gave her a tight hug.

"Just take care of yourself," she said, touching Usagi's face, "and come back soon."

"I will. Come on, Umino, you too."

"Uh, m-me?" Blushing and stammering, he awkwardly returned her hug.

"Take care of her for me, will you?" she whispered in his ear. He nodded stiffly.

"Uh, y-yes ma'am! I mean, yes Avatar! Ah, I-I mean, yes Avatar Usa—"

"Just Usagi, okay? I'll come back when I can." Crestfallen, she forced herself not to look back as she hurried back to Anshar, Setsuna and Vainamoinen. A number of Air Nomads had heard of their plight and had volunteered their fastest air-bison to aid them. Vainamoinen bonded with the creature immediately, and was even murmuring to it in a language it seemed to understand. Setsuna greeted Usagi with a nod as they all mounted, and the air-bison took off like a shot.

The end of "A Story About Kalkin"

Next time: "A Reunion of Friends and Foes"