Hello everyone. Here I bring you one of my favorites, best and wanted stories that I have been planning on doing from very long time: Unknown Book: Titans. If you have seen previously my info advance, then you know what it's coming and where all this is going to begin. Well then, let's commence with the first part of this story…Volume 1: Skull Island (also known as Volume 1: Skullcrawlers). I hope you all enjoy it and have fun reading it.
1- Times of War.
Somewhere on unknown waters…
47 AG (Year 47 after the Air Nomads Genocide.)
The world was passing through one of its darkest moments. This was a dark age. More than 40 years have passed since Fire Lord Sozin began with his plans for world domination and the Fire Nation declared war on the entire world by attacking the other nations. The Air Nomads have been wiped out by the ruthless firebenders thanks to the power gifted by Sozin's Comet. Since then, the Fire Nation have been launching a massive coordinated invasion of the Earth Kingdom, slowly but surely advancing across the continent over the course of the next years, bringing destruction, tragedy and imbalance on many places, like the city of Taku. Seven years ago, the Fire Nation began raids on the Southern Water Tribe, destroying its city and systematically capturing its waterbending population, or that's what they thought. A few weeks ago, the espionage service of the Fire Nation discovered that there was still one waterbending master from the Southern Water Tribe on the loose, traveling with a fleet of her tribe in order to reach their sister tribe of the north looking for a better hiding place. To avoid that, a Fire Nation fleet started chasing them with intentions to capture that remaining waterbender and get rid of that fleet. After a long chase that lasted several days, the two fleets finally battled each other fiercely, but no one realized that they were in an uncharted corner of the open ocean and both ended drawn into a huge storm, trapped and sunken. Under the bright Sun and its enormous heat, a young man was crawling out of the sea water toward the sand, sore and exhausted, but still determined to get back on solid ground. He had light skin, amber eyes, short black hair and was wearing a Fire Nation military armor. He breathed hardly before checking out at his surroundings. He was on some beach, with so many small rocky islands and islets on the water and with plants growing on them everywhere, and over on his right he could see a ship stranded past the reef area, recognizing it as one of the ships of his fleet. That made him wonder what had happened to all his companions or…if they were still alive. But he had no idea of where he was, as he didn't saw and were on a beach like that before in his life. And it definitely wasn't like his holiday place on Ember Island. He stood up and walked forward that sandy ground starting his quest for any survivors. Then at the distance, he spotted two persons over a dune walking away, so he wasted no time and ran at them as fast as he could hoping they could be some of his teammates. He was arriving at the crest of the dune, but once there he saw that those persons weren't Fire Nation, but Water Tribe. One was a young dark-skinned man, with blue eyes, short tied black hair and wearing an armor of a Water Tribe warrior, which was what he was. The other was a young dark-skinned woman, also with blue eyes, very long black hair tied in three ponytails and wearing a typical battle suit of her tribe. The Fire Nation soldier showed an angered and challenging face at his enemies, as he knew that she was the waterbender that he and his battalion were looking for and believing of that thing of the storm to being her undoing somehow. The Water Tribe warrior and waterbender noticed of his presence too shocked and scared, just when he attacked them by shooting some fireballs at them. The warrior man acted quickly taking out a combat spear typical of his tribe and blocking the fireballs by swirling it like a staff. Now they two also gave him a bad look with their faces before the waterbending woman summoned some big water whips from the beach and launched a strong water stream at the Fire Nation soldier, knocking him down easily. He got up quickly and began running away from them, so the Water Tribe duo started chasing him too through the sandy terrain while he was going toward the island's mainland, right to some jungle full of strange plants. He stopped and launched a fire blast to his chasers before continuing into the jungle. He continued running through the wet, tropical environment passing over some river nearby. He was about to cross between some tangled branches when suddenly he dropped. He saw that a water tentacle from the waterbender grabbed him by the leg, but he quickly destroyed it with another fire blast. Next he used another one to ignite the branches and forced the duo to stop and deal with the fire while he escaped going up a hill. He kept running without looking back, even feeling himself tired of running as he went out the jungle to an open area. Unfortunately he was forced to stop as he saw that path leaded him right in front of a very high cliff from where one could have some great view of the island with some valley and river at the bottom and the sun barely touching the peak of the biggest and tallest mountain. Now he was trapped, as he turned around and saw the Water Tribe warrior at his left with another weapon at hand: a typical sword-like machete from his tribe, and the waterbender at his right with water whips on her hands. But even if he was surrounded by his enemies, the firebender was not going to give up so easily. He breathed deeply a few times before summoning two flames on his hands, showing that he was ready for fight. There was a tense quiet moment of few seconds before the firebender shot two strong fire blast to his opponents but they dodged quickly. The warrior of the Water Tribe got up again and charged against his foe who launched at him some fireballs, which he intercepted with his weapon. The waterbender seemed to be going to grab the firebender again with her whips, but he used a fire shield to counter them and next he used his own whip of fire to strike at her, forcing her to defend herself and sending the Water Tribe warrior backwards with a kick. However, he got up quickly and charged again at the firebender while he knocked down the waterbender. Fortunately he saw that coming and dodged the strike and the next one. The warrior was going to stab him with his weapon in the chest but he grabbed it in time as he tried his best to maintain it far enough from him and it was not easy as his rival kept pushing at him. The firebender yelled before diverting the weapon to one side and giving his opponent a punch and another one on his face, making him to lose balance and fall to the ground knocked out. But then the firebender was grabbed by the water whips again, this time all his limbs trapped. She lifted him up into the air and then slammed him down hard on the ground, all over and over again. But then the firebender roared at her launching a fire breath that evaporated her whips and pushed her back, leaving her some burns on her arms as she could see. Next he was tackled by the warrior who went back and tried to hit him with his machete on the head, but he grabbed it as he was forced to stood almost on his knees. The waterbender tried to launch another water stream at the firebender from his side but he countered it shooting a constant flamethrower at her from his free fist. He tried to counter both attacks at the same time, even if he was starting to give while he let out a battle cry. But then…something unexpected happened in front of the three of them. One giant hand and arm, similar to one of a human but covered in dark brown fur, appeared from below the cliff and grabbed at one part of the cliff at their left, just one meter from them. That left the trio very shocked, speechless and stopped their fighting as another appeared from the right and grabbed at the other side. The trio turned their sight at the cliff as they saw a giant figure rising in front of them, looking at them with fierce eyes. That made both members from the Water Tribe drop the weapon and water in shock. Even in the machete's blade the figure of that colossus could be seen reflected, something that looked like a man, but it wasn't. It was something more animal, bigger, stronger…and mightier than anything that they had seen in life. They kept looking at 'him' in a mix of shock, amaze and fear while a mighty roar was heard all over the place…and the island.
Many years passed since then, and the war was getting worse and worse for the rest of the nations that opposed and tried to stop the ruthless Fire Nation. There was still no sign of the return of the Avatar: Master of All Elements and guardian of the world's order and balance, the only one who could defeat the Fire Nation and put an end to the war for good, and so many people started to believe that the cycle was broken and the Avatar was never reincarnated, but others still had hope, believing that the Avatar would be back one day and restore balance to the world. But those where only beliefs and the truth was that the Fire Nation seemed to have the upper hand on this war. But despite of what was happening in the planet, there were still places untouched by the war and where no person of any of the four nations had put a foot…and much less returned to tell about it to the rest of the world and unaware of what was going on out there, some of them undercover from the eyes of the world and every nation by some mysterious group conformed by people from all the nations, with a duty also important and they had to keep it hidden from everyone, especially in those hard times. For that, they pretended to be an organization that helped the victims and those in need during the war, allowing them to have better access to food, water, medicines, medical attention and other resources. But never intervene or help in battles, as they already had a great loss too when the Air Nomads were wiped out long ago.
75 AG. 25 years before the return of Avatar Aang.
It was a hectic morning in the shores of the Southern Water Tribe as each and every one of the warrior men of the tribe was making the necessary preparations in case for a new attack of the Fire Nation that could happen sooner or later, with the women also helping, especially since their enemies destroyed their city decades ago…and now they lived in iglus and tents. All this was witnessed by an old-looking man with a short light brown beard, moustache and sideburns, brown hair and wearing some Earth Kingdom like outfit, the same as his companion, a young dark-skinned man who had glasses, very short black hair and was carrying some kind of briefcase in his hand, which had some curious emblem on its surface: a symbol that looked like the symbol of the infinity number but with the edges more like triangle style, and under it was the name of 'Monarch'. The two of them were on a medium-sized ship that had just arrived there.
"Mark my words. There'll never be a darker time in the world. But we can't let it stop us." The older man expressed as he and his companion got off the ship walking on the gangway.
"Maybe now's not the best time to ask." His younger companion objected, not very convinced of their possibilities.
"Monarch is on the cusp of being shut down, Brooks. We're broke! If this war keeps on, we'll never get the chance to approval for our expedition. We have waited for so long. It's now or never! Besides, we have helped the people harmed by this war. They owe us and told us that one day they would return us the favor. Their own leaders said it very clear, I was there. I think it's about time for them to do it."
"I'm not very confident in our presentation. All of our materials are loose leaf. In one day, one day, I could have had all of this organized and bound."
"This war is going on for too long, Brooks. Things aren't getting better, quite the contrary. It's getting worse. And the Avatar is still missing. At this point he may never come back. Now it is up to us to do something to end this conflict once and for all. We don't have a day." Brooks' partner said seriously to him without changing the expression of his face. That was enough to convince him about their task.
Meanwhile, near from there were two dark-skinned Water Tribe teenage boys of blue eyes wearing some common outfits from their tribe. They were watching a new fleet of their tribe and many of their warriors getting ready for the next mission.
"Can't you believe it, pal? This is the day. I can feel it." The boy that had the shortest hair of them said excited. "Today is the day we'll start fighting for our tribe against the Fire Nation."
"What makes you so sure about it?" The boy with long hair asked with a smile on his face.
"Seriously? Come on, Bato. We're already at age and you know it. It had to happen sooner or later. Besides, we have already passed all the trials and been training for some time for this. The time has come for us to leave our mark on the world and its history and do our part in ending this war."
Bato sighed in defeat, knowing that his friend, his best friend was right. "Of course, Hakoda. You're right. Well, better sooner than later."
Shortly after their conversation, Brooks and his partner approached the teenagers.
"Hello there, young ones. I'm Bill Randa, and he's my partner Brooks." The older man introduced himself and his partner properly. "We're here to see the tribe's chief."
"Oh, of course, Mister. Follow us." Hakoda answered kindly as he and his friend Bato guided them to the chief's tent. Then he signaled them to remain behind and wait before poked his head into the tent. "Chief, are you in there?"
"Hakoda, what is it? I hope it's something important." The voice of the supposed chief of the Water Tribe responded from inside the tent.
"It is. There are two men outside who wants to see you. They seem to be from the Earth Kingdom."
Hakoda got his head out and stepped aside as the chief went out, who smiled as he recognized who their guests were.
"Oh my. It's you. Welcome back." The chief proclaimed shaking his hand with Randa.
"Thanks. You're looking well."
"We didn't know you're coming. We didn't get any message about this. Hum, I think we must've missed it."
"Well, it usually happens. It is possible that the messenger who was supposed to bring the message got lost on the way or that it would go the wrong way or end up eaten by something, in case it was a hawk. Believe me, it happened to me already. For the fifth time, twice."
"For the looks of here around maybe we arrived at the wrong time. Sorry if we are bothering you." Brooks tried to apologize.
"Of course not. Your organization has helped our tribe more than anyone has ever done. Just like you have done for our sister tribe from the north and the people of the Earth Kingdom we're trying so hard to protect." The chief said thankful.
"That's what our visit is about. I think it's time for you to help us now." Randa declared with a determined tone.
"The Southern Water Tribe will be honored to help you in whatever it can."
"Glad to hear that. It'll be quick."
Everyone entered inside the tent, including Hakoda and Bato. They sat down in the floor in front a small table with the chief in front part near to a small and warm campfire as they served some tea for their guests.
"Please, get yourselves comfortable, but let's try to get this as fast as possible. I have a war meeting later." The chief communicated with a serene but firm tone. "Don't get me wrong, but I hope that what you're gonna ask to us can also help us with everyone's situation. I mean…the world."
"That's the point." Randa confirmed as his partner Brooks took out what seemed to be some kind of map. But not any type of map, but one very ancient, more than anything that they had seen in their lives. It was in dark yellow with some drawings in black that looked like a path to follow through the sea and an island to reach. The most curious, interesting and also sinister fact of this it was that the island seemed to form some kind of shape, and one very recognizable: a human-like skull. "This is a map of an uncharted island in some unexplored and unmapped corner of the open ocean. It has defied discovery until now. Many ancient civilizations almost forgotten spoke of it in legends: Skull Island. The land where creation not finished. The land where spirits are not welcome. A place forbidden for them."
Hakoda and Bato looked intrigued by hearing this and looked at each other with some stunned like faces. They had heard about some legends, but no one like this. And that skull-shaped island wasn't something that gave the sensation of good omen.
"It's notorious for the number of ships and fleets that have gone missing there." Randa continued telling.
"Like…some kind of cursed place?" Hakoda asked confused.
"Or like some kind of sanctuary place far from the rest of the world that is supposed to be where all the ancient and most powerful secrets of the world are hidden?" Bato proposed next.
"It's more like the cursed place than the sanctuary, but we like to think it's much more than that, young one." Randa responded cordially.
"What? What do you mean?" Hakoda asked more confused than before.
"The first great battle between forces of the four nations that happened thousands of years ago in open sea wasn't some battle. They were trying to kill something." Randa revealed as he was talking about something from the past that happened long ago while Brooks took out some curious scroll that showed an ancient drawing of a shipwrecked ship that had strange, big and ugly marks on its hull, like if something really big caused them by attacking the ship. On the scroll was also something written 'Flagship Mysteriously Destroyed.' "I believe there's an ecosystem out there the likes of which we can't imagine. And the place to find it is this island. A place where myth and science meet."
However, the chief didn't look convinced about this, as he sighed in some worrying way.
"Randa, it's a fairy tale." The chief only said.
That answer truly was not what Randa and Brooks expected.
"Well, we are not sure about that. It may be real." Bato opined, making everyone else to look at him. "I mean, who knows?"
"Well said, pal." Hakoda supported putting a hand on his shoulder.
"Hakoda, Bato, please." The chief said formally getting the teenagers attention. "Let the adults talk about this."
"The very first leaders of the four nations that founded them didn't think so when they funded Monarch thousands of years ago." Randa protested gently after sipping his cup of tea.
"Believe me, I don't have nothing against it, but there are some important people that would see that as sheer waste, saying that ranks right up there with any operation related with the belief of life from outer space or the possibility of it coming by meteors."
"Yeah, but those guys are nuts. This is an opportunity for all of us, for the nations."
"Listen, chief." Brooks began next. "A coalition of important nobles, explorers and experts from Ba Sing Se have given the go-ahead to our proposal and are sending a mission to the island, accompanied by some small part of the Earth Kingdom's army for the required and needed protection. Once we told this to the Northern Water Tribe, they already accepted in joining them. They are going to send some of their forces too as additional military escort. We are almost already prepared for that operation. Also counting with your military support, of course. That's what we were going to propose you."
"Wait…what? For real?!" Hakoda expressed surprised, the same as Bato.
"A combined fleet of forces and ships from the Water Tribes and the Earth Kingdom?" The chief asked this time interested, as he didn't expect that part. "What're you hoping you'll find?"
"Resources, medicine, the cure for incurable and untreatable diseases, geological discoveries. Possible alternate fuels… anything that can help us to turn the tides of this war on our side." Brooks tried to explain himself the best he could. "Chief, look just…Listen, to be honest, we don't know for sure what's there, okay? But I will tell you what we do know. The Fire Nation is not going to stop at nothing until it finishes with all of us and it's only a matter of time until Fire Lord Azulon decides to send a fleet to that unknown part of the ocean, right where the island is and ended up finding it too. So whatever's there, you want us to find it first. Right?"
"We lost the Air Nomads long time ago, and the Avatar is long gone as well. Its up to us to do something." Randa added trying to encourage him. "This can be our chance, the key to put an end to this war, once and for all."
In that they were right, and was more than enough to make the chief of the Water Tribe to change his mind.
"Well, that makes sense for real. You could have started from there." The chief nodded in agreement to their words.
Brooks sighed in relief. "Thank you."
"Alright. You have my support. I'll send some of our forces to join you and the fleet. Of course, don't expect much of it. My main priority now is to ensure the safety of my people here, but…I'll send my best captain with you. He's a veteran fighting against the Fire Nation. Also, you can count with these two young men. As far as I know, they're eager to prove themselves." The chief expressed referring to Hakoda and Bato.
"Do you think you will be up to the task?" Randa asked to the teenage boys.
Hakoda and Bato looked at each other smirking before the first one gave their answer. "Of course."
"Glad to hear that. We will need all the help we can get." Randa answered smiling at them before turning his attention back at the chief. "One last thing you and your captain must know about: the place where the fleet will gather. It will be near Kyoshi Island, in a few weeks."
A few days later, on the other side of the world, in some harbor of one of the Fire Nation colonies in the Earth Kingdom was a special elite group of the Fire Nation army that had just returned from a mission on the battlefield. This group was a little different from the rest, like the names of their warriors, which were not like the rest, the special and exclusive resources that they had or their style of acting on the battlefield. But most important was the fact that they were and acted like family between themselves, something very rare among the troops of the Fire Nation.
"All soldier and base personnel. Final troop withdrawal will commence at 06:00. Pack your bags, gentlemen. You're going home." An informer reported to that specific group inside their huge naval tent before retreating.
The men were excited about this new. That meant that they could finally have a well-deserved long vacation season and rest for its good service after a long time before returning back to the war. Some ones knew exactly what were their plans while others were still not so sure about what to do.
"Hey, Mills." A man called Reles asked to one of his teammates.
"Yeah?" The one called Mills responded back.
"How many letters did you end up writing her?"
"Ten, fifteen."
"How many did she write you?" Another man called Slivko asked next.
"I don't know, three, four."
"Wincing."
"Man, you got a lame mom." Another man named Cole answered while he was reading something.
Fortunately, all his companions knew that he didn't say that in purpose and took it as a joke, and they laughed at it.
"Thank you, Cole, for clearing that up. Thank you." Mills said. "I'll be sure to tell her when I see her in the next 18 hours."
"Yeah, you might have a lame mom. Right?" Slivko added, making everyone to keep laughing at it.
But there was one of them that was not happy for the news: their colonel, a dark-skinned bald man wearing a high-ranked Fire Nation armor. Let's say that he enjoyed with his duty, his job in the battlefield…what he did for his nation and people. So he didn't see those orders as something good, quite the contrary, as he saw everything from the deck of one of the biggest ships of the Fire Nation of there with a disappointed face. Next he was on his cabin and sat on his chair where he had medals and other awards in the wall, gifted to him thanks to all the achievements that he made on his years serving in the army of the Fire Nation, real treasures for him with no doubt. Then, a man wearing another high-ranked armor entered inside his room, his trusted second in command.
"Sir?" The man asked respectful at his superior while bowing at him.
"Chapman." The colonel answered back with a serene tone.
"You need anything, sir?"
"All good."
"Roger that." Chapman said as he was going to leave the room until…
"So what're you gonna do when you get back to our precious nation, Chapman?" The colonel asked next as he took a look to his medals.
"Oh, I'm already set up with the security forces of the capital. My wife and son all moved in, almost near of having such great views of the royal palace, just…waiting on me." Chapman responded. "What about you, sir?"
But the colonel was thinking again on the new orders. "All this for what? What's going on inside the Fire Lord's head?"
"Sir?"
That brought the colonel back to himself.
"Get out of here, Chapman. Go have some fun." The colonel advised, as he wanted to alone in that moment.
"Is everything okay?" Chapman said a little worried and confused.
"Tip-top." The colonel simply said remaining on his chair.
With nothing more to say, Chapman left the room. Sometime later, when night fell the battalion was having a nice walk under the rain still joking and laughing without caring about the falling water. Their colonel was also having a walk but he preferred to be alone that moment.
"Colonel Packard!" A Fire Nation soldier came running at him and bowed. "I was looking for you, sir."
"Yes, soldier. What is it?"
"My lieutenant has an important and urgent message for you. You have to come with me."
Packard followed the messenger soldier into a naval tent where his lieutenant for them. Once inside they bowed to each other in respect.
"What's that so important, lieutenant?" Colonel Packard asked.
The lieutenant gave him a scroll, which he untied and proceeded to read. "It's an important message from the capital. From the royal palace."
"News from Fire Lord Azulon?" Packard said without taking his sight out of the scroll.
"That's right, sir. He hopes that you and your men to be up for one last mission."
"Well, I would not be opposed to that, son."
"Your orders to head home are already processed. Sure you don't wanna take some time, sir?"
"I'm here to execute whatever orders I'm given, lieutenant. Besides, these are orders from the Fire Lord. So it's imperative that we do them. It can only mean something of great importance."
"Well, I think this could be your lucky day, sir. Our spies believe that the Earth Kingdom and the Water Tribes are preparing some kind of secret invasion operation force to our nation's capital. They are gathering a great fleet and the Fire Lord wants you and your battalion to stop them before they could have any chance."
"Well, that's great honor." Colonel Packard said cheered.
"Indeed. He and the generals said that you are one of the best."
"And we are. Alright, tell the Fire Lord that we're in. And one more thing, lieutenant."
"Yes, sir?"
"Tell him 'Thank you' for me. For this great honor and chance in a lifetime."
The lieutenant nodded as he and the other soldier bowed before leaving the tent. Packard was back in a good mood and in high spirits.
"Yes. The day has come. I knew it would come sooner or later." Packard said for himself. "Hum, I never expected to live enough to see it."
The colonel smiled as he went to tell his boys the news about their next and maybe most important mission until now.
So, do you liked how it started? Well you better get ready, because things are going to get even trickier.