Blood was forbidden, that was the rule. I am to hunt the air benders, the stragglers for the right to exist, I am to take the lives of those who escaped. "Don't run." I told the man. "You can join me or fall with the rest of our people." The man looked disgusted at me. I would too, he was the last air bender other than my family members. Sadly we carried the name of storm benders to make us less of a target.
He bent a massive gust of air at me. I answered by pulling my blade, launching a thin vacuum cutting through the gust and hitting crushing the man's lungs. He fell to the ground . "Why?" He tried to yell.
I sat next to the dying air bender. "I pulled a net of fish out of the ocean, to save them from drowning, yet I was late. They all drowned so as not to waste their flesh. I bring it home, to feed my children." His eyes widened, surprised at my knowledge. "Forgive me. I have to do this to save myself and my children. I was given a choice as you were. "
The air bender chuckled. "So you studied the work of Master Khed? I guess you're an Airbender." I lifted my hair showing the tattoo's.
"I only do this to preserve what is left." Showed my blade. "This has never touched a life, nor did my winds harm a child." The man's breathing became slower. "I remember playing in the temples, now I'm a man greying with age and with too many students." I took out a small book.
The Air bender looked at me as I read from the book. "Let the winds take you, let my spirit fly with the bisons and the past spirits. So forgive the world and let the world forgive you." I saw the light in his eyes disappear, showing no regrets.
I wiped my eyes, no matter how many times. The last moments were the hardest, the light of hope and leaving. I envied them at least when their hopes left this world, they died.
I sat in front of the fire lord both almost a century old.
I watched silently from the shadows. Too dangerous or too valuable to kill, my family still had one use so they kept us. Either to find and destroy any rebel actions or Being the fire lords drinking partner. "A bit salty but it's Fine Azulon."
He nodded, taking a swig of rice wine. "How are your children? Hopefully better than my sons."
I nodded that the bastard had turned his daughter into what I had become, a weapon and the only difference is that she thought he cared. "None of my grandchildren have mastered my storm bending, though Kojiro created his own sword form." That got firelords interest.
"What is this new form?" He said, stroking his mustache.
I smiled because his curiosity and ways to get ahead of life were impressive. If he wasn't the Fire Lord he would be a General or an Admiral. "He combined his heat bending with his blade. Now the boy can cut through steel if it was Papier." The fire lord stared with shock. "No worries, only some who trained for years could wield the ability." I spoke keeping the fact that any master air bender could learn the ability as well but it was better to keep it to myself until it was the right occasion. "So how are your grandchildren?"
"My son has gone out of line, I wanted to see if he could show some empathy to his brother's loss, yet he would take his own son's life. I am worried Davaa what will the Royal family look like if this continues?" I took one gulp of Rice wine and I gave a sigh.
Thinking about it, I told him my honest opinion. "Send him to look for the Avatar, he couldn't refuse because it's an honorable duty and he would know he was being punished." Azulon was stroking his goatee. "It would also give your daughter in-law time filter your sons influence from your granddaughter." thinking and He finally nodded.
"I will consider it Davaa. What do you think of our current situation in the war?" He said his eyes now concentrated on me.
I looked at him thinking for a brief moment. "Honestly besieging Ba Sing Se isn't the right course. The earth kingdoms are like bugs, a hard carapace hiding fragile and weak muscles. Best method to kill such a beast is to poison it or give it a wound deep enough that it becomes infected." He nodded and his eyes widened only an inch.
"Isn't that the point of the siege giving a wound that will cause infection to spread?" I chuckled as he looked at me offended.
I ate a dry cookie and continued after Swallowing it. "Each their own. The Earth nation isn't a Collective kingdom; it's more in line with a federation of bickering nobles, trying to enforce their influence the most." I finished by taking a gulp of my tea. "They Taste better after dipping them." Azulon was too busy planning.
He took bite and that almost cracked his teeth, he decided to dip it in his tea. "Davaa what is wrong with you? Serving the fire lord something like this." He said and then Realized that the Cookies tasted better after dipping them. "Air bender Cuisine?" He after taking another one.
I nodded. "Yea, well they're only a few hours old." Azulon stared at me Annoyed. "This is how we make sure to keep our teeth until we're 103." I smiled, showing my toothy grin.
He shook his head and stood up leaving the house.
I walked to my room, lit an incense in front of a drawing of my late wife, a warm smile I missed dearly. The warm touch of her hands and the aura of joy in the somber world I hid behind a smile. I changed into my nightgown and laid into my bed remembering the sunny skies of the air temples filled with monks, children and some traders.
Then the comet, Burning the sky like a new sun, followed by chaos and screams. I was only 9 yet the world was burning around me, then there were those I had taken from this grabbing at my legs the crying milk, asking why I did it. I screamed in the dream pleading with them to forgive me and to leave me, please spirits leave me! I did so, because I had NO OTHER CHOICE!
The first thing in the morning was a kid screaming. "Wake up! The sun is up and the Rooster crows are screaming, "wake up!" The youngest with three. "Grampa! Are you going to show me that new bending technique?" I laughed as he ran around my bed jumping around, finally hitting his head on the ceiling forgetting that he was an air bender and not a jumping bean.
"Ow, the ceiling is mean." He huffed rubbing his forehead. I chuckled as Marla, my older daughter walked in yawning. "Mommy!" He jumped, hugging her head, like a sloth on a tree.
She sighed, speaking slowly. "Sorry, I didn't think he would run off like that." I stood up and took him. "Nirguu, Apologize to your grandfather." Nirguu said his apology and left me to my grooming, taking a blade and shaving cream.
I walked out for the routine we did regularly, which was meditation with our blades moving in the motions dragons would fly.
We did our exercise and I left for a war meeting, only to learn the madness. "This is insanity! Azulon was healthy as a dragon yesterday! How could he have passed away in his sleep?!" The council murmured.
The minister of affairs spoke, a thin man who had his son placed as minister of war. "We need to focus on succession." I agreed but what he said next made me almost swallow my tongue.
"Ozai is the only correct choice we currently have—." His name vibrated through my mind like a demonic whispering, after the meeting was finished I shattered an entire wall in my rage. My daughters gulped at the extent of my fury.
I stayed in the living room and went through multiple battle meditations with the Ozai, yet each one was a loss and I always lost an arm.
No matter how furious my winds, how graceful my movements, and even at my highest conviction.
I lost.
After the burial of fire lord Azulon, Ozai ordered the storm benders to him. "Fire lord Ozai." I was the only one who raised my head, I stared at the man's eyes.
The fire crackled as he spoke. "I want you to hunt down the last southern water bender." The fire rose and we left the room. My daughters marched behind me.
We entered a ship of the southern raiders and I sighed.
Sanaa sat down and looked at me "Father, what should be expected?" She asked before the men gazed at her and she gave them air kisses.
I gave the soldiers a glare and that straightened them. "Remember that breathing technique I taught you?" Sanaa and Marla nodded as the ship continued ripping through the tide and the steel crashing against the waves.
Marla sighed. "I hope Nirguu and his brothers are keeping each other entertained." She yawned as some of the men pouted at hearing about her son and husband. "I wonder if we will see children." She said innocently with no ulterior motive.
Sanaa puffed on cheek blowing a massive gust of air shocking the fire benders around them. "Of course, we're here to catch the water benders, not pillage are we now?" She grinned at the men and there they realized that these three outranked them and were to observe them.
The shore villages are the first targets, and the moment we make shore, the southern raiders run their hands burning and screaming with fury.
While they did so I walked inspecting and interrogating until I found the house where one of the raiders was being too rough. "Our orders are to capture not execute." He looked at us for a moment and we both stared down at each other. "Please step aside, Yon Rha." I ordered and he did what was requested.
The woman stared glaring at me. "I don't know where the water bender is." Her voice was shallow, she broke eye contact, her breathing became heavier.
I pulled my blade and showed it was nothing but a handle which I swung to cut the wall behind Kya. "Don't lie to me!" "I can promise the safety of the water bender. Only if you do as I say." I spoke, bending the air with my right hand hidden from Yon Rha, so that only we could hear each other.
She stared at me and then a child entered the igloo. "Katara, leave mama knows what she is doing." She looked at me as Yon Rha pushed the girl out. "You promise nothing will happen to the Water bender?" She whispered and I nodded. "I will tell you." I turned to Yon Rha.
"It's me, I'm the water bender." I took a bit of snow and threw it at the woman's face and the reaction told me everything. She didn't bend the snow, I chuckled.
I broke through the wall and brought the woman on to the ship. Marla and Sanaa were already getting know Kya as I learned later. "I Apologize, our father can be rough, but most of the time he is relaxed. His just angry that some big headed idiot is the fire lord now." Sanaa said with no inhibitions. "Though, honestly his been hinting the old fire lord to stop the war for years." Kya gave me a short look. "Yea, now there's no way he can stop the war by poking the fire lord." I tightened my jaw in rage, but even the air pressure around me rose, silencing Sanaa.
I stayed in the dungeon as the two left. She stared at me with eyes filled with rage and hatred, and I kneeled, hitting my head on the floor. "Hate me all you want. I'm just a slave to the fire nation, I can push my masters hand to whip me instead of those less deserving." I cried, I was nothing but a dog for a master I didn't even respect now! "Hate me for taking you away! Hate me for removing you from your family and punish me in anyway you wish." I raised my head showing tears pouring down. "I wear a mask that I hate, and I carry no pride in it. So curse me as much as you wish!" Kya just stared at me, her eyes shaking. She took a plate in the room and threw it into my face.
I stepped out of the cell with my daughter tearing up, hugging me. "We will return home, I will make her our prisoner." They nodded understanding. As I retreated to my Cabin, tears falling like stones.