Little did Roku know that life on the sea would be more uneventful than life in the Fire Kingdom. Quan was constantly forcing him to go through every tacit he had ever learned, pointing out the most mundane details.

"You could always go for a flight," Quan teased.

Roku's stomach turned at the suggestion. "There's no way to control that beast. I could die before I had the chance to gain any experience."

Quan laughed, "He won't let you be harmed, humiliated, yes, but you won't loose anything more than pride." He turned to the sea, "Besides, I can understand why he wishes to shrink your head."

"What do you mean?" Roku asked haughtily.

"I mean that 'beast' as you call him is a better fire bender than you will ever hope to be. He is far more powerful than you, yet he will allow you to ride him. He is only seeking the respect he wholly deserves. In order for you to see how great he is, you must learn to see past your own nose," Quan said, reiterating the fact by flicking Roku's nose.

"Ow!" Roku said, rubbing the spot.

"I'll leave you to humble yourself," Quan smirked, folding his hands in his sleeves as he turned away.

Roku sighed and looked up. The giant red serpentine lizard twisted above him. "Wait… I'll try again. How do I call him down?"

"Simple. Concentrate your mind and call him to you. You have a connection already; you're just too stubborn to realize it."

Roku resented his master's tone, but concentrated on the red speck. He focused his entire being on trying to get the dragon to come, but didn't feel anything significant. "It's not working."

"So you believe. Wait, perhaps he'll decide to come to you after all."

"Why wouldn't he?" asked Roku, a tinge of anger in his voice.

"Because you're arrogant," Quan said simply.

Roku's face flushed but he returned to glare up at the speck. Slowly, the dragons form began to grow, coming closer to the boat.

"See? You must learn to be patient, Roku," Quan said, a smirk tugging at his lips once more.

Roku felt slightly as though he were on fire. His masters taunts were doing nothing for his temper.

The Dragon landed lightly on the large deck of the ship. His wise eyes turned to him.

Sighing, Roku stepped forward to try and fly again.