Chapter 2 The Warriors of Kyoshi = Kunai Shinobi
oOo
To the east of the Southern Air Temple, a singular, old, steam-engined warship was out at sea. Its destination was as evident as the dawn the ship was advancing. Behind one of the heavy metal doors, a grave reticence lingered, burning alongside the four candles, which gave the room its dim lighting.
There, Zuko sat meditating in peace in his quarters when his uncle peeked his head inside. "The only reason you should be interrupting me is if you have news about the Avatar."
Iroh entered with a scroll in hand. "Well, there is news, Prince Zuko, but you might not like it. Don't get too upset."
"Uncle, you taught me that keeping a level head is a sign of a great leader. Now, whatever you have to say, I'm sure I can take it."
"Okay then," Iroh prepared for the inevitable, shielding his eyes with his hand. "We have no idea where he is."
"WHAT?!" The banished prince did, in fact, not keep a level head. Instead, he let his impulses affect the candle fire, allowing it to rise higher. He stood up and turned to his uncle.
"You really should open a window in here," Iroh said as he fanned the heated air away from him. "Rumor has it the Avatar has been traveling with a Spirit Master."
"Even if Spirit Masters are known to erase their tracks, he won't be able to hide the Avatar from me!"
Iroh was more worried about inciting the wrath of the spirits.
According to the reports, the Spirit Master traveled with a small black creature. Their identity was unknown, presumably male. His black and white robes indicated affiliation to no particular nation. A weapon was suspected underneath the gray cloth by his side.
Iroh was interested in learning more about this Spirit Master on a personal level, so he requested information about him through the Order of the White Lotus.
A very secretive Grand Lotus currently protected the true identities of the Spirit Masters, so he had to keep in mind that he might not get an answer.
"Give me the map!" Zuko snatched the scroll, revealing the intelligence report marking the various locations the Avatar was spotted over the last couple of days.
Iroh continued to fan himself and sighed. "There have been multiple sightings of the Avatar, but he is impossible to track down."
"Then how am I gonna find him, Uncle?" He continued to study the map showing the zig-zag movements of the Avatar's travels, now heading to the lands of the Earth Kingdom. "He is clearly a master of 'evasive maneuvering'."
oOo
"You have no idea where we're going, do you?" Sokka diverted his eyes from the map to Aang. It comprised the South Pole, the Patola Mountain Range, and the southwestern Earth Kingdom lands.
"Well... I know it's near water."
"I guess we're getting close then," he commented as Appa carried them over an ocean of water.
Next to him, Dagaz caught a glimpse of the map. "I think we're almost there if we keep flying straight."
Sai was lying curled up on his lap and crammed in his saddlebags for snacks. He mainly stayed in his small size for travel convenience while Aang took them to ride hog monkeys and hopping llamas.
"How can you tell?" Sokka studied the map closer. "I can't figure out where we are on the map."
Dagaz shrugged and leaned back in a relaxed manner. "You've never left the South Pole before, have you?"
Aang looked at Katara, who was fixing Sokka's pants. He somehow wanted to catch the attention of the beautiful waterbender. "Momo? Marbles, please."
Momo crammed in Aang's clothes, found two, and placed them in Aang's open palm.
"Hey, Katara! Check out this airbending trick!" Aang started spinning the marbles in a circle, forming a small high-speed air ring.
"That's great, Aang," she said but concentrated on her sewing.
"You didn't even look."
She turned her head and repeated more cheerfully, "that's great!"
"But I'm not doing it now."
"Stop bugging her, Airhead," Sokka scolded nonchalantly. "You need to give girls space when they do their sewing."
That comment irritated Katara. She stopped and turned to her brother. "What does me being a 'girl' have to do with 'sewing'?"
"Simple. Girls are better at fixing pants than guys, and guys are better at hunting, fighting, and stuff like that. It's just the natural order of things."
Dagaz facepalmed. Sokka really shouldn't have said that.
"All done with your pants!" Katara happily announced. "And look at what a great job I did." She showed off the big half-fixed hole in his pants and threw it at his face.
"Wait, I was just kidding! I can't wear these!" Her helpless brother panicked. "Katara, please!"
"Relax, Sokka. Where we're going, you won't need any pants!" Aang declared with a big smile on his face while steering Appa.
...
Finally landing on a beach for Aang's next fun activity, they all got off Appa's back.
"We just made a pit-stop yesterday. Shouldn't we get a bit more flying done before we camp out?" Sokka tried to reason.
"He's right," Katara agreed. "At this rate, we won't get to the North Pole until spring."
"You're the Avatar, and the world is in a sorry state, so you need to master waterbending as fast as possible," Dagaz added.
As a resident of this world, he couldn't turn a blind eye to its reality. The past was already altered, so he and his allies needed to navigate the future. They could make plans all they liked, but exactly how was still the big question. Currently, the future itself was too uncertain.
To achieve their own goals, they needed the Avatar to end the war and restore balance to the world. Frankly, they were using him, but it's the Avatar's job to restore peace in times of great upheaval and the destiny he chose for himself from the very beginning.
"But Appa's tired already, aren't you, boy?" Aang asked. His animal guide didn't react much, so he nudged him again. "I said, aren't you, boy?"
The sky bison groaned and faked a big yawn.
"Yeah, that was real convincing," Sokka said sarcastically, not buying their act.
"Look!" Aang pointed to an enormous aquatic creature in the distance. "That's why we're here."
Sokka gawked at its sheer size.
Aang proceeded to remove his outer garments. "Elephant koi! And I'm gonna ride it. Katara, you gotta watch me."
Dagaz sighed at his second attempt to impress Katara and decided to join him to pass the time. He threw his robes and weapons into Sai's saddlebags and changed his astral form. Aquatic fins and scales grew on several parts of his body to suit the underwater environment.
He always liked to swim with sea creatures, and they were extraordinarily friendly, as long as one didn't touch them carelessly. To them, smaller surface dwellers were kinda like creepy bugs were to humans. It explained a lot of legends in which they were prone to attack everything in sight as they were actually frantically panicking and couldn't help it since their bodies were generally too big and too heavy.
"Woah... you look great, Dagaz!" Aang complimented.
"It's one of my astral forms. I call it 'Fishman'."
"Yeah, couldn't be more obvious. Can we go now?" Sokka crossed his arms, displeased. He's gotten pretty used to bending and spirit magic since their trip together started at the Air Temple, so he wasn't that surprised anymore.
Aang didn't listen and jumped into the water. Dagaz shrugged and followed. Aang grabbed the elephant koi's fins while Dagaz was diving around next to them.
Suddenly, he sensed a familiar aura and halted as the elephant koi swam on the surface. He quickly hid behind a rock on the seabed and watched as a giant eel hunted for dinner. The 'Unagi', as the locals called him. In Japanese, the name just meant 'eel'.
oOo
Aang sped over the water surface, running away from the gigantic ominous fins, and crashed into Sokka.
"What was that?" Katara asked, worried. "And where's Dagaz?"
Aang looked around. "Dagaz?! Oh no!"
"He'll be fine," Sokka assured, remembering Dagaz' pseudo immortality. "If he saw that thing too, he should come back any second now. Time to hit the road."
Suddenly, warriors surrounded, blindfolded, and tied them up.
"... or... we could... stay a while."
oOo
Dagaz was swimming face to face with the Unagi and waved. ["It's been a while, hasn't it?"]
["Indeed..."] The Unagi greeted, a deep voice resounded in his mind. ["Although, I wonder... what was that? It didn't seem like an elephant koi."]
["It was a 'tiny human'."] 'Tiny human' was what sea creatures usually called 'children'.
The Unagi seemed annoyed and grumbled to himself. ["... the audacity to enter MY territory without permission. Land dwellers know well not to enter my waters."]
["And I'm fine, or what?"]
["That is a matter of course, Young Master."] He nodded. His aura changed to an ominous one. ["But next time, I will teach him a proper lesson."]
Dagaz sighed. He didn't really have against this vendetta. ["Just don't kill him. I still need him alive."]
He looked taken aback. ["Just what do you think I am? A monster?"]
He deadpanned. ["That's not very convincing, coming from the infamous 'Unagi'."]
["Ahem... would you like to go for a swim?"] He was quick to change the subject, slightly embarrassed by his title.
["Yeah... like old times... I'd love to."] He remembered the fun they had when the so-called 'Unagi' was still a hatchling sea serpent. He left almost eight years ago to assume this duty. It was an inherited legacy, something they had in common.
Their species aged very fast, and the 'Unagi' in particular changed generations every eight to ten years. This encounter might be the last time they would see each other, and they were both aware of it, so they wanted to have a little fun in the time the Unagi had left.
["There's a big canyon that way. Let's race to the entrance and back."] The old sea serpent childishly suggested.
...
A little after their race, the Unagi showed him around the island's surrounding reefs. Multicolored corals that looked like mini-forests, a sandbank rich in seaweed, pods of small fish, crabs, and sea stars. It was a magnificent underwater world the Unagi was proud to protect. They halted and and watched as elephant koi hatchlings broke out of their shells and joined their pods.
["It's always wonderful to watch."] He commented. ["Ever since I became the guardian of Kyoshi Island, this is one of my favorite pastimes. Just patrolling the area and enjoying the sights, followed by a long nap in my cove."]
["I imagine you don't get much trouble."] Dagaz noted.
["Trouble like what?"]
["Like other creatures who can't enter your territory that easily with these warships around."] He further clarified."]
The Unagi chuckled. ["Yes, I suppose that is true."] He layed down as they arrived back on the shores of Kyoshi Island.
["Have a nice nap, 'Unagi'."] He winked and waved in goodbye.
He yawned. ["It was nice to see you again, Old Friend..."] He quickly fell asleep.
Dagaz laughed melancholically and swam up to the beach. Near the surface, he changed back into his humanoid form and walked along the coast, emerging from the water.
"Oompf!" He was immediately tackled to the ground by Aang.
"Dagaz! You're back!"
"Where were you?!" Katara asked. "We were worried!"
"I found the elephant koi habitat and lost track of time," Dagaz explained, not mentioning his Unagi-adventure. "I'm sorry for worrying you."
He scanned the area. It was just the three of them at the beach.
"Where's Sokka?"
Katara crossed her arms and grinned smugly. "He's in the nearby village, probably moping. They gave us a place to stay for the night."
"I see... What? Did Suki beat him up?"
"You know her?" Aang asked, surprised.
"This is Kyoshi Island. My mother always used to send me here for errands when I was younger." He was more of a 'diplomatic letter delivery boy', but they didn't need to know that. "So, of course, I know the Kyoshi Warriors too."
...
The Kyoshi Warriors.
In each village of Kyoshi Island, a band of female warriors provided protection for its inhabitants.
Traditionally, they wore tribal face-paint and green uniforms, similar to Avatar Kyoshi's garments, with two fans and a katana on their waists. Their armor was similar that of ancient samurai.
Suki was their leader in her village.
...
Kyoshi Island itself strongly reminded him of traditional feudal japanese culture. They had old-style kimonos, various dishes like 'sushi', and even Japanese-sounding names. It was very peculiar in an essentially 'Chinese' world.
Well... not that Dragonfire Island was much different. If Dagaz had to compare them, Kyoshi Island was the more culturally authentic one, while Dragonfire Island looked like it jumped straight out of a Japanese fantasy world.
The huts were all made of wood with steeply pitched thatch roofs to prevent snow accumulation. Much like Dagaz' home, despite the world being ravaged by war, the island's inhabitants were relatively well off. They were self-sufficient through farming, fishing, and trading.
As the name implied, this island was founded by Avatar Kyoshi herself. They even dedicated a temple to her.
The Kyoshi Shrine.
Avatar Kyoshi's green kimono, giant boots, headdress, and metal fans were kept safely in this sanctuary. But the highlight was most definitely the painting called 'The Birth of Kyoshi'. It was painted at the dawn of Kyoshi Island's founding, almost three hundred and seventy years ago, depicting the founding ceremony at dusk.
Kyoshi Island and Dragonfire Island shared a close relationship, mostly because they both stayed out of that nonsensical war. Well... that and the fact that Dragonfire Island revered someone Avatar Kyoshi greatly respected, Dagaz' ancestor.
Dagaz used to travel around the southwestern Earth Kingdom lands as Dragonfire Island's diplomatic ambassador. Over the course of last year, he returned to that duty, but right now, it wasn't his responsibility anymore as he was on a new mission.
oOo
A little girl from Kyoshi Island ran to the trading harbor. She told a fisherman, who told a trader, who told a market seller, who then told a customer that coincidentally was the cook on Zuko's ship that the Avatar was on Kyoshi Island.
The following day, the cook told Zuko and Iroh about the news while he served them steamed fish for breakfast.
"The Avatar is on Kyoshi Island?!" The angry prince exclaimed and arose from his seat, heading for the door. "Uncle, ready the rhinos. He won't get away from me this time."
"Are you going to finish that?" His uncle pointed at the fish.
Zuko snatched the dish away. "I was going to save it for later!"
oOo
While the villagers spoiled Appa with fresh hay and grooming service, the four young travelers enjoyed a variety of sushi and wagashi desserts (small puff pastries with various toppings and fillings).
"Alright! Dessert for breakfast!" Aang happily started muching while Katara eyed a puff pastry. "These people sure know how to treat an Avatar. Katara, you gotta try these."
"Well... maybe just a bite," she began eating too.
"Sokka! What's your problem? Eat!"
"Come on, Sokka. Try the sushi! They're delicious," Dagaz tried to cheer him up.
Sokka sat in a corner, not even touching the delicacies. "Not hungry."
Aang looked at him, concerned. "But you're always hungry."
Katara grinned. "He's just upset because a bunch of girls kicked his butt yesterday."
"They snuck up on me!" Sokka defended.
"Right, and then they kicked your butt."
"It does serve you right," Dagaz grinned. "Tell me when you'll get your butt kicked again, I'd love to watch." He playfully riled him up a little.
"Who's side are you on?! Besides, sneak attacks don't count!" Sokka mumbled as he headed out, "...tie me up with ropes... I'll show them a thing or two." He returned for the puff pastries. "I'm not scared of any girls. Who do they think they are anyway?" He grabbed a bunch for on the way and grumbled as he bit into one, "hmm, this is tasty."
"What's he so angry about?" Aang asked. "They're giving us the royal treatment."
"Don't get used to it," Dagaz said. "We have to be on our way soon."
"Why? Can't we stay a few days?"
"It's risky for us to stay in one place for very long," Katara reasoned.
"I'm sure it'll be fine. Besides, did you see how happy I'm making this town? They're even cleaning up that statue in my honor," Aang looked outside and saw how they repainted Avatar Kyoshi's statue.
Momo grabbed a few desserts for himself from under the table.
Dagaz took a plate of pastries and placed it in Momo's reach. ["You don't have to sneak around, Momo. We're happy to share the food with you. Even Sai is eating at the table."] He watched as Sai transformed the end of his tail into a trident-shaped weapon, only to pierce food and eat from it. ["... well, in his own way."]
Sai's trident tail was his unique trait, so Dagaz named him after it as it reminded him of a Japanese weapon.
Momo peeked his head out and began eating next to Sai. ["I'm sorry. It's been a long time since I ate with people, so I've gotten used to the rules of the wild."]
"Well, it's nice to see you excited about being the Avatar for once," Katara said with concern in her voice. "I just hope it doesn't all go to your head."
"Come on. You know me better than that. I'm just a simple monk." Aang's fans shrieked when he looked out the window. He looked like he enjoyed the attention his status as the Avatar brought him. But that's only one side of the 'status' coin. The other side came with a lot of responsibility and certain expectations one couldn't run from for long, not even Dagaz.
After Aang sped out as fast as the wind, Katara and Dagaz shared a look and sighed.
...
Later that day, the Spirit Master took on the responsibility of carrying the basket as Katara browsed through the local market. "Thank you for being the helpful one."
"It's no big deal, Katara. We could even switch cooking duty if you want."
"You can cook?" She blinked.
"Is it that surprising for a guy?" He teased.
"No, no, its just... unexpected," she put some vegetables into the basket. "You seem to always be caught up with spirit-stuff. It doesn't seem like cooking would be your thing at all."
He chuckled. "I do have hobbies too, you know."
"So... what did you do before meeting us?" She awkwardly changed the subject.
"Mostly paperwork. I've been helping out my mother lately. And before that, I was studying a lot." He kept his answer vague, but enough to satisfy her curiosity.
At the mention of 'mother' Katara sighed and touched her necklace. "Sokka and I lost our mother when I was a little girl. This necklace is the only thing I have of her."
He looked away. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to reawaken painful memories." He could understand her pain as he lost someone precious to his heart too. He decided to reveal something about himself to make up for it. "Because of the war I never got to know my father, so I can't say I miss him. And the only father I ever knew was taken from me." He shrugged and smiled at her. "But that's why I treasure my mother. She's the only parent I've got."
Katara peeked at his comforting expression. "It's strange... somehow, talking to you, I feel... calm."
"Oh, really?" He narrowed his eyes, amused. "I get that a lot."
...
Aura manipulation technique.
'Aura' instinctively manifestated itself as emotions. It was a rare ability if people could actually see auras, most often in colors. But one could learn to manipulate their own aura to influence themselves and their surroundings.
The true nature of the technique was a part of chi-bending. Some call it energy-bending, a technique only accessible by the Avatar and the lion turtles who 'officially' held the necessary knowledge, but that was a misconception as everyone and everything held chi within themselves.
Some of its uses included intimidating one's opponent, imposing emotions, or erase one's presence entirely.
In the right environment, one could develop this technique naturally, but there were already those who specialized in it... Dragonfire Island's 'Kunai Shinobi'. They resembled ninjas as they hid in the shadows and collected information without anyone ever being aware of them throughout all of history. Their trademark weapon... the kunai dagger.
...
Aang walked up to them.
"Hello, Aang," Dagaz greeted as Katara looked through the market stand.
"Hey!" Aang waved. "Uh-... Katara? I promised the girls I'd give them a ride on Appa. Do you want to come with us? It'll be fun."
Dagaz put down the basket for a moment as she filled it with tomatoes, cucumbers, nuts, and more fruits and vegetables.
She rolled her eyes. "Watching you show off for a bunch of girls does not sound like fun."
"Well, neither does whatever you're doing," Aang remarked.
"I am securing supplies for our trip," she retorted. "We told you, we have to leave Kyoshi Island soon."
Dagaz stayed silent. It was best not to interfere in this kind of situation.
"I don't wanna leave Kyoshi yet," Aang whined. "I can't put my finger on it, but there's something I really like about this place." Giggling was heard in the background.
A fan group of little girls was waving at him. One impatiently stomped her foot on the ground. "What's taking you so long, Aangy?" She asked.
"Aangy," the now irritated Katara scoffed.
Aang waved back. "Just a second, Koko!"
"'Simple monk', huh? I thought you promised me this avatar-stuff wouldn't go to your head."
"It didn't." He narrowed his eyes. "You know what I think? You just don't wanna come because you're jealous."
"Jealous? Of what?" Her voice pitched higher.
"Jealous that we're having so much fun without you."
"That's ridiculous!"
"It's a little ridiculous, but I understand."
Katara had 'annoyance' written all over her face. "Urgh!" She walked away.
"See ya later, Aang." Dagaz hurriedly followed her with the basket.
...
Back in the hut, Katara complained. "... can you believe him? He's so- so-"
"Frustrating?" Dagaz guessed as he put down the basket.
"Exactly!" Katara sighed. "I'm going to practice waterbending." She grabbed herself a bowl of water and tried to think about anything else but Aang.
Suddenly, Dagaz sensed a familiar 'tool' nearby. It was a 'magic tool' he designed for communication purposes.
["Young Master? This is Kei Lo. I've come with news."]
oOo
The Kunai Shinobi worked as spies for the Lord of Dragonfire Island and gathered information throughout the world, and if necessary, prevented Dragonfire Island's secrets from leaking. Dragonfire Island's ruling family was the longstanding 'Longhuo clan', a former warlord clan, long preceding the Fire Islands' unification under the Fire Lord Monarchy.
The Lord of Dragonfire Island was simultaneously the head of the Longhuo clan. Traditionally, the Kunai Shinobi were only loyal to the Lord, but there were those who swore their loyalty to the heir.
Kei Lo was a Kunai Shinobi who swore loyalty to the heir to the Longhuo clan. If he was reporting on official business, he never called him by name and only 'Young Master' to distinguish 'personal' from 'official' business, regardless of the fact that they were chilhood friends.
...
Kei Lo constantly traveled while erasing his presence, which took him years of endurance training to keep up for long spans of time. When he arrived near a certain village of Kyoshi Island, the symbol on his magic tool lit up, reminding him that the Young Master was in range of communication.
"Young Master? This is Kei Lo. I've come with news."
["Report."]
oOo
The magic tool was a crystal accessory, designed to absorb its creator's spirit magic whenever it was nearby. The symbol on it was engraved with the necessary enchantment and lit up whenever it was ready to serve its intended purpose... to communicate with Dagaz.
Since Dagaz could just respond with 'spirit speech', it was unnecessary to make the magic tool a two-way communicator. Unlike the Spirit Master, Kei Lo was a normal human and couldn't use spirit speech outside Dragonfire Island, so they came up with a way for Kei Lo's voice to reach him at a safe distance.
["The Young Miss has returned to the island."] Kei Lo began his report.
He put together some onigiri as a lunch snack for him and Katara and placed a plate next to her.
"Thank you, Dagaz."
He sat down on the table and enjoyed his own lunch. ["So she finished her spiritual training and was recognized as a legitimate Fire Sage of the sacred Bhanti Island."]
["Yes, and Prince Zuko is tracking the Avatar."]
["So he picked up on our trail and is on his way here... but that's fine. Unlike that scumbag Zhao, he's a good person at heart. He wouldn't hurt anyone on purpose."]
["There's one more thing, Ozai gave another 'order'."]
'Order' was their current code for 'new Fire Nation colony'.
["Where?"]
["... Omashu."] Kei Lo seemed to hesitate for a moment but Dagaz didn't think much of it.
["I see... so, it won't be until a few weeks since the necessary troops are still preparing for departure."]
["Yes."]
["Keep monitoring Fire Lord Ozai and his Generals. But from now on, update the Young Miss on their movements, since I'll be preoccupied."]
["Understood."]
oOo
Kei Lo retreated to the treetops and headed for a secluded part of the mountains. Since earlier, he sensed someone nearby, and they were silently tailing him. It was strange, since outsiders couldn't discern a cloaked aura.
They were persistent, so he had no other choice anymore than to step out of the shadows. Gold metal fan and dark kunai dagger clashed.
Kei Lo recognized her... Suki the Kyoshi Warrior. The Young Master once told him about her. She was the leader of her village's Kyoshi Warriors, and more importantly, not to be underestimated. The women in the Young Master's circle of friends and family were generally scary geniuses, and Suki was a non-bender who could match even powerful benders. A warrior in her own right.
He quickly erased his presence and hid outside her eyes and ears.
"Who are you?!" She yelled in one direction, then turned to another. "And what are you doing on our island?!"
It was strange. Kei Lo continuously and silently jumped from tree to tree around her, and her gaze followed his general direction. He sighed. Impressive... an aura genius. He suddenly came face to face with someone talented in sensing auras. To his advantage, she was an outsider, so she was untrained and unaware of what she was doing exactly.
He snuck up from behind and held her in a deadlock, one of her own metal fans to her throat. "Wouldn't you like to know?" He whispered in her ear.
Her heart jumped as she felt her cheeks heating up. "Who were you talking to earlier?!" When she turned around, he vanished again, leaving the golden metal fan at her feet.
So she was listening in.
Like a whisper in the wind, he answered her with a question of his own. "Are you that interested?" He chuckled. He had to admit... she intrigued him with her potential. He almost wanted to recruit her to work under the Young Master. "I'm sure we'll meet again... Suki."
As his voice echoed in her mind, she stood alone in the clearing... cheeks heated... leaving her with more questions that answers. What was that technique? It was like he was there one moment, and gone the next. And that dagger... it had a symbol on it. She could've sworn she's seen one just like it before...
But where?
oOo
During training with the girls, Suki was repeating routine motions while thinking about her encounter with the intruder, after which she felt the vast difference in strength. No, that's not quite it. But what? What was she lacking?
"Eh- um- Suki?" Sokka entered the dojo. This morning, the reality of his weak battle techniques were beaten into him by none other than Suki.
The Kyoshi Warriors stopped in their practice and she returned with her thoughts to reality. "Well? Hoping for another dance lesson?"
"No, I- well-" he stammered. "Let me explain."
"Spit it out! What do you want?"
He composed himself and knelt on the floor. "I would be honored if you would teach me."
"Even if I'm a girl?"
He looked away in shame. "I'm sorry if I insulted you earlier. I was wrong."
"We normally don't teach outsiders," she explained. "Let alone boys."
"Please make an exception for me." He kowtowed, conveying his sincerity. "I promise I won't let you down."
She got that he learned his lesson. "Alright, but you have to follow all of our traditions."
"Of course!" He replied eagerly.
However, she didn't feel like showing mercy to him, "and I mean, all of them."
...
The Kyoshi Warriors' almost deserted dojo was now occupied by Suki, giving her new student a private lesson.
"Do I really have to wear this? No offense, but it feels a little... girly," he slumped, sporting a basic Kyoshi Warrior's uniform. Clothing, armor, headress, face-paint, and a pair of metal fans.
"It's a warrior's uniform. You should be proud!" She encouraged. "The silk thread symbolizes the brave blood that flows through our veins. The gold insignia represents the honor of the warrior's heart."
"Bravery, and honor," Sokka said to himself as lifted his chest proudly.
"Hey Sokka, nice dress!" Aang complimented, passing by.
oOo
Back in the hut, Dagaz was sketching Sai as the shrunken spirit posed for him majestically, one might add. Katara was still practicing waterbending, and struggling. As Dagaz noticed it for a while now, so he spoke up. "May I give you some advice, Katara?"
"You know bending too? Is that how you got into cooking?" She teased.
He let out a chuckle. "In simple terms, water always changes direction no matter what you do. You don't control it, merely guide it, and you should get the hang of it."
"Thanks, I'll give it a try," she nodded and returned to her bending practice.
He continued to work on his sketch of Sai. The spirit's small form reminded him of the moment he and Siya crawled out from their egg. The egg acted as something similar to an incubator as it gatherered the spiritual energy of chi from his realm in the spirit world for a few months before the twins hatched with each their own consciousness. Originally, Dagaz only intended to create one tentacled eel-cat salamander spirit but they somehow became two. Even Elder Luan was flabbergasted and couldn't properly theorize the reason for this phenomenon.
They may have adult bodies, but they were still young hatchlings by spirit standards and little kids by human standards. Unfortunately, they didn't talk yet, so he understood them by reading their aura, studying their gestures, or them showing him visions.
For trips to the outside world, he made each of them a collar, a magic tool cloaking their true appearance from unregistered strangers. Whithout these 'cloaks', they seemed more like normal animals than spirits. Of course, he left them to decide who they showed their true appearance to.
"I did it!" Katara heeded his advice and started doing a miniature water tornado.
Dagaz smiled. "There you go!" He reminisced when he started teaching his Spirit Master friends how to control spiritual energy. Oh, he definitely learned to hold back on complicated vocabulary... if only to avoid explosions.
Talking to him, she somehow began to feel like a student but saw in him a great friend... one she could trust. She felt proud of herself and returned to practicing her feel of her element.
"Katara, remember how the Unagi almost got me yesterday?" Aang came inside.
She felt annoyed again. "Yeah?"
"Well, I'm gonna go and ride it now. It's gonna be real dangerous," he bragged.
"Good for you," she retorted.
"You're not gonna stop me?"
"Nope. Have fun."
He crossed his arms. "I will."
"Great."
"I know it's great!"
"Oh, I'm glad you know."
"I'm glad you're glad!"
"Good!"
"FINE!"
Katara lost focus and the water splashed back into the bowl. She began to think that her fight with Aang was a little immature. After some time, she began to worry and stood up, heading for the door. "I'm gonna go check on Aang."
"Take care." Dagaz continued to sketch a fallen asleep Sai, who was laying on his back and drooling. He was really cute like this. Well, he did model him after an adorable but scarily fierce night fury... just without the wings. It's way more fun to jump n' run after all.
oOo
"Katara! You showed up!" Aang cheered, glad that she accepted his fun-invite after their argument.
"I wanted to make sure you were safe," she corrected. "You really had me worried."
"But back there you acted like you didn't care."
"I'm sorry."
"Me too." He looked down. "I did let all that attention go to my head," he confessed. "I was being a jerk."
"Well, get out of the water before you catch a cold, you big jerk!" She called.
"On my way!" He smiled and began swimming back.
Katara gasped as the ginormous fin of the Unagi followed him.
...
Under the surface, the Unagi spotted a familiar tiny human and swam up to the surface. He lifted him up to get a better look at him. ["The Avatar?"] He growled. ["How dare the Avatar enter my waters! Even you have no right to violate our 'contract'!"] He shot water at him but he held onto his fins.
The Avatar suddenly grabbed hold of a stiff tactile hair. The Unagi panicked at the creepy, crawly feeling and shook around. ["Get off me!"]
"AAAAHHH!"
He threw him near the beach. ["I'm going to teach you a lesson you'll never forget!"] Now, the old serpent was really angry and swam closer.
Another tiny human grabbed the Avatar and after shooting water a few more times, they were gone.
["Don't ever come back!"]
...
Of course, Aang and Katara couldn't understand his anger, nor hear him shouting about it. So after she rescued him and hid between the rocks, she spotted a familiar Fire Nation ship approaching Kyoshi Island. "Zuko."
"I want the Avatar alive." Zuko and his soldiers rode on komodo rhinos and exited the ship, making their way to the village.
Katara stayed hidden until Zuko and the Fire Nation soldiers passed them.
"Wake up, Aang!" She whisper-yelled. He was still unconcious, so she bent out the water blocking his breath.
He coughed up and opened his eyes. "Don't ride the Unagi. Not fun."
She was relieved he was alright.
oOo
Dagaz helped the children hide when Zuko arrived in the village. Sai was watching the intruders from the shadows and shared with Dagaz his sight, giving him visions of what was happening in the village while he comforted the scared kids.
"Come out, Avatar! You can't hide from me forever!" Zuko shouted.
Silence followed.
"Find him," he ordered his soldiers to ride ahead.
The Kyoshi Warriors ambushed the soldiers from above while Suki approached Zuko from the ground. Suki dodged a fireball before she was pushed back with the komodo rhino's tail and dropped her metal fans.
Sokka arrived right on time to block the fireball with his own metal fans, saving Suki.
Zuko was pushed down from his komodo rhino. Suki and Sokka joined another Kyoshi Warrior in her mission to surround him. But he pushed all three of them back with his firebending skills. The Kyoshi Warrior was thrown into a house, Suki against a wooden pillar and Sokka landed on the floor after putting up more of a fight.
Dagaz was impressed. Although it's been almost five years since he firebent himself, he could tell that Zuko demonstrated a Master-level Firebending technique even Dagaz had difficulties mastering at first.
"Nice try, Avatar!" Zuko called out into the village. "But these little girls can't save you!"
"Hey! Over here!" Aang's voice came from the village entrance next to the statue.
"Finally," Zuko mumbled and started punching fireballs at him.
Sai jumped from shadow to shadow around Zuko, giving Dagaz full view of 'the Avatar vs. Banished Prince'.
When Aang closed the distance, he lost his staff but then found Suki's metal fans on the ground. He pushed Zuko back with the strong force he created using the fans.
Aang retrieved his staff and opened his glider. As he flew over the village, he saw the fire and destruction their stay on the island brought. He found Katara and Dagaz as they evacuated more children to hide from the Fire Nation soldiers.
"Look what I brought to this place," he blamed himself.
"It's not your fault," she defended.
"Yes it is," he refuted dejectedly. "These people got their town destroyed trying to protect me."
"Then let's get out of here!" She suggested. "Zuko will leave Kyoshi Island to follow us. I know it feels wrong to run but I think it's the only way."
"I'll call Appa," Aang looked down.
"It's called a 'tactical retreat'," Dagaz chimed in. "This is not the time to fight-"
"But a time to retreat," Aang finished, raising the corner of his mouth.
He seemed to have regained his spirits and ran to Appa laying in a barn among lots of hay.
...
Suki and Sokka hid behind a hut as the other Kyoshi Warriors fought off the soldiers. His friends were already waiting for him on Appa.
"There's no time to say goodbye!" Suki urged.
"What about 'I'm sorry'?" Sokka apologized.
"For what?"
"I treated you like a girl when I should've treated you like a warrior."
Before she could answer him, she had to block an incoming fireball. "Hurry and get out of here! We'll hold them off!" She left to help her friends.
Dagaz narrowed his eyes. Wasn't that supposed to be the moment they would develop a crush on each other?
Sokka climbed on Appa, who was waiting for him with Aang, Dagaz, Katara, Momo and Sai.
"Yip-yip!" Aang was at the reins as the sky bison took off.
As expected, Zuko called back his soldiers and they left the village on their komodo rhinos. Dagaz and Sokka looked back at the burning village with Sai and Momo.
"I know its hard but you did the right thing," Katara reassured Aang. "Zuko would've destroyed the whole place if we stayed. They're gonna be okay, Aang."
Sokka washed away his Kyoshi Warrior face-paint before Aang suddenly jumped into the water.
"What are you doing?!" She called.
Aang resurfaced, riding the Unagi. He used the Unagi to spray water over the village, extinguishing the fire, and drenching Zuko and his soldiers in the process. Aang swung himself upwards and was caught by Appa.
...
"Thank you, Avatar." Oyaji watched them from the window of his hut.
...
Aang climbed onto Appa's saddle where his friends waited. "I know, I know, it was stupid and dangerous."
"It was," Katara agreed and hugged him.
Aang sighed in bliss. He finally gained her attention.
Dagaz smiled, but then furrowed his brows. There was something they still didn't know about him yet. It wasn't something he wanted to keep hidden in the first place.
He contemplated how to tell them before anyone pointed out his racial features. It was hard to tell because of his spirit appearance, but Dagaz was from the Fire Nation.
oOo
Fun Facts / Trivia :
- waterbending and Kyoshi Warrior techniques may use the same philosophy, but while waterbending is based on the Chinese 'Tai Chi', Kyoshi Warrior techniques are based on the Japanese 'Aikido'
- Kei Lo is not an OC. He was originally a character from the avatar-comics 'Rebound' & 'Smoke and Shadows'. I played around and here comes 'Kei Lo the Kunai Shinobi' aka 'the MC's childhood friend'
- the 'Sai' is a japanese trident-shaped weapon, mainly used as dual weapons. Most people probably know it from the cartoon 'Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle', Raph's main weapons.
oOo
See ya next time, Panthosilea out