AVATAR: LIGHT THE WORLD (The Illevitus Chronicles)

BOOK 1

-Air-

Chapter 5

-For the Zillionth Time-

"Are you a mad woman!?" DeMungus was clearly feeling a bit better, there was more gusto in his voice that gave made him seem more troll-like if that were even possible. The day had just begun, the sun was rising over the mountains giving the sky many different hues and tones of lovely colors, but for Scar it was just about bedtime, "For goodness sake, if you're going to pass out, wake up the Avatar, please! So, we don't fall out of the sky!"

Scar felt another wave of sleep hitting her as she tried to focus on keeping them in the sky, "Oh dear… sorry!" She nudged Niko with her free hand, and with a stir and a grunt he woke up.

"No, I don't… want… to…" Niko seemed a bit disturbed, "Oh, where are we?" He looked around noticing the mountains that surrounded Zaofu were in the distance, and up ahead, like a great big monster starting to be revealed by the sunlight stood the outer wall of Ba Sing Se. Niko had been there once as a child with his cousin Lygin, Scar, and Boris. Boris often went on diplomatic endeavors for Thatcher, Scar would normally accompany him, but there was a one-off occasion were all three kids had gone with him. He could remember the long and arduous trek to the inner city, but now wasn't a time to reminisce. Scar was getting sleepy again and they all felt the metal slab under them tremble, "Scar, get some sleep. I got it from here on." He took the invisible reigns from her, "Lay back, relax, we're almost there!"

It seemed almost like a dream. Flying over Ba Sing Se was perhaps even more exciting than travelling through by car, yet something- more like a feeling- was nagging at him like he'd been here before and it was not a pleasant time. Well in truth, Niko has been to Ba Sing Se once before, and he had a blast. As a child it was his first time he was in a big city, and his first time away from his parents for more than a weekend. He fondly remembered his trip it was when he actually taught Scar how to metal bend for the first time, in their chateau with metallic serving plates and silverware, and they laughed for what seemed like ages until Lygin awoke from their laughter.

The Outer Ring was once the Earth benders' most prized asset of the city, yet since the rapid decline and near extinction of the bending style the city had to create a new way in and out of the city asides from the monorail. So they tore down a segment of the Outer Ring to create a road that lead in and out of the great walled city. This road was known as the Prince's Boulevard as the last line of the royal family in Ba Sing Se, Prince Wu, had ordered its construction not as a prince, but as a member of the government.

The slab was now flying over the Agyrian District, which was once vast farmland for the city; however, since the Boulevard was created and outsider trading was now a policy of the city, the district was used as recreational sports area. The sport of the metal benders was quite popular in the city, so over time as the land was developed into many arenas, event buildings and stadiums, which slowly caused the pastured fields and green acres became a thing of the past.

Niko was in awe watching the players below practice on the fields, "DeMungus, are you seeing this?" He looked back at the squat man who was lightly scratching his scarred exposed belly whilst letting out a nasty burp. Niko gave him a very indifferent look that complimented the next word he uttered, "Riiiight…?"

DeMungus looked over the side of the slab while casually picking his left ear for wax, "I'd rather honestly be looking at a double bacon burger smothered with cheese," he did however notice something strange out of the corner of his eye, "Hey, I think someone is air bending over there!"

Niko was quickly taken by that comment that he did a full ninety degree turn with the slab. The sudden jolt caused Scar to jolt awake, "What the hell, Niko! You ass… I was sleeping, soundly too." She happened to notice the air bender too who was falling down the wall. It appeared like he was trying to run up it, but with little progress. His air bending seemed to stop after a certain point, "Is that…? I think that's Zillion, but where the hell did he learn to air bend?"

The trio landed close to the very slender gentleman who was attempting to run up the wall. The slab hit the ground with a light thud, "Oy, that landing was quite nice, Avatar." The man named Zillion looked at the trio with a perplexed look, "Who's this guy?"

Zillion noticed Scar's star-shaped birthmark and his expression softened, "Scarletta Hazlan, how long has it been now? Five years, maybe?" He walked over to the three with a smile, "Wow! You got quite gorgeous!"

Scar was blushing madly from the older gentleman's comment, "Oh Zillion, you flatter me, and yes… close to five years now, but things are quite different now much like my gorgeous looks."

Niko simply rolled his eyes, "Like how quick the blood rushes to your face?" Scar turned tail to face Niko with an intense fire in her eyes. She turned back to Zillion with a huge fake grin on her face. She gritted her teeth before speaking, "Excuse me, for a moment, Zillion!" She turned back to Niko and hurried him a few paces back, then in a hushed tone she spoke to him, "Could you please not do that! I actually like Zillion, like A LOT, so don't embarrass me!" She pinched his arm out of view of Zillion.

"Ow!" Niko winced, DeMungus was standing off to the side snickering under his breath.

Scar turned back to face Zillion with that fake grin again, "So Zillion, we have, a bit of an issue, it seems like my friend here is caught in one of your casted cuffs," she pointed to Niko's bound hands, "Luckily it hasn't hindered his bending, but it's not made of metal… at least a metal either of us can work with."

Zillion came closer to inspect his handiwork and after a few seconds he spoke, "Hmm… this is the crown jewel of all my projects," he scanned the bottom of the contraption and near his maker's mark he blasted a small puff of air into a tiny pin prick of a hole, and with that the cuffs fell off Niko's hands and to the ground.

DeMungus came closer, "Crown jewel? What exactly do you do for a living?" He seemed to be implying something dirty and immediately Scar turned to him and shot a mean look at the gross man.

Zillion was now the one blushing, "Well… you aren't wrong to insinuate that! This is a marital aid… for those who have more kinkier tendencies in the bedroom, which is why he could move his hands inside the thing, also it's lined with minkmouse fur inside to ensure no bruising." Scar looked like her head might explode, it was now a crazy shade of red that could rival a shiny apple.

Niko whispered to Scar, "Looks like you don't have to worry about me embarrassing you…" he paused, "because your sugar daddy seems to have that covered." She kicked his shin with such a force than caused Niko to reel in pain.

Zillion must have not noticed or he did and just paid no mind to the antics between Scar and Niko, "So asides from getting caught in a compromising position what else brings you to Ba Sing Se?"

Niko piped up for this one trying to get back to the task at hand, "Well, we have been banished from Zaofu, but that's a story for later… Hey I know we just met and all, but anyway you could teach me how to run up the wall with air bending?"

Zillion blinked then laughed very raucously, "What? Me? Teach a metal bender how to air bend? What are you like the Avatar or something?" He stopped laughing and opened his eyes to the very serious looks on Scar and Niko's faces, "Wait, you're not seriously the Avatar, are you? Shouldn't you be like a newborn child?"

DeMungus took the helm this time, "As strange as it might be, yes, this boy is the next Avatar?" Scar was a bit confused by this statement, she never quite told DeMungus that Niko was the Avatar, but then again, she might have but just forgotten from sleep deprivation. Either that or perhaps Niko had mentioned it while she was out cold.

The look on Zillion's face was priceless, it was a mixture of awe and a little touch of fear, "I'd love to teach the Avatar! Umm… but I have to be up front with you… I'm not very gifted as an air bender," Zillion scratched the back of his head, "it took me about six weeks just to run up about six feet up the wall with my bending."

Niko clearly wasn't worried about this by any means, instead he just grinned widely, and then began to shake Zillion's hand with a fierce gusto, "Gotta start somewhere eh? And if we work together perhaps, we could both unlock some new skills!"

The training- well if you could call it training- was more of a montage of errors on both student and teacher's part. The duo would both maybe get about two feet up the wall, only to fall back to the Earth in frustration, inevitably though their cries of frustration would turn into fits of laughter. Scarletta and DeMungus just sat there watching as the guys would hit the wall, then plummet back down, but neither seemed to be bored by the wash, rinse, and repeat aspect of it all. Occasionally Scar would take a twenty-minute power nap that would be interrupted by DeMungus jostling her awake and saying, "They got another foot up the wall!"

The technique was very simple: stick your arms out behind you, creating a ninety-degree angle with your back and arms, then concentrate on letting your arms loosen up to capture the airflow created in that space created behind your back. It looked unbelievably silly, but Niko wasn't bothered by it in any way.

The sun was beginning to set on the Agryian District, the skies becoming a canvas of rich deep purples that cascaded into vibrant pink tones and then into orange and yellows as the sun was creeping below the wall, "Guys, you should probably take a break for today…" Scar yawned then they all heard her stomach growling, "AND I'M HUNGRY!" she belted out like a voracious man would.

DeMungus felt his stomach growling too, "I could eat."

Zillion, ever so focused, ignored them, "One more time, but with a slightly fixed angle." He pulled his arms behind him to form a seventy-degree angle with his back and arms, "Like this!" He then took a running start and burst up the wall about ten feet this time. Zillion fell backwards laughing maniacally screaming, "I did it! I beat my record!" He gracefully touched down on the Earth in the process he air bended to cushion the fall, "And I learned something new! Score!"

Niko was elated to see the air nomad Zillion feeling accomplished. In fact, it made him think about when he would be teaching others rather than being taught how to bend, "Great job! I'm going to try now!" He ran up to the wall with the same seventy-degree angle that Zillion was sporting, but instead of running up ten feet, he tripped at the last second. Niko furiously swooped his arms forward to avoid crashing when suddenly a ball comprised of just air was produced. His butt landed squat on the sphere of air, and instantly he began racing up the wall at top speeds.

Zillion stared in amazement, "Wow! Now that's something I need to learn!" Scarletta and DeMungus were roaring with cheers and applause for Niko who was clutching the air ball for dear life. His face was being blown back with such force tears were streaming from his eyes. He reached the very top and just like that the air sphere vanished. He fell forward onto the wall.

Niko got up quickly, dusting himself off, but in the process he stopped and gazed out beyond the wall at the middle ring of the city. It was a charming middle-class metropolis with bustling streets, tall buildings, and overlapping sky rails that were carrying commuter trains from various locations, "Wow!"

Scar appeared behind him with DeMungus and Zillion in tow on the metal slab they flew in on, "What are you looking-" but she stopped and stared in amazement at the majestic sight of the middle ring. Even the crass and uncultured swine DeMungus couldn't help but gaze in wonder at the beautiful society.

"If you all think this is amazing, wait until you see the Upper Ring and the newly crowned Capital District," Zillion jumped off the slab and stood next to Niko staring out with adoration, "Avatar Niko, was it?" Niko stopped his wonderstruck look to address the air nomad Zillion, "I can't thank you enough, if you hadn't come along, I might not had been able to accomplish such a simple task for another six weeks perhaps, and that softened landing- heck, I'd be dead long before I'd figured that one out!" Zillion beamed at the younger man, "I think you inspired me today, and for that I'm in your debt."

The young Avatar was blushing from humility, "Your welcome, man." He shook Zillion's hand once again, but this time Niko could sense a new powerful man behind the handshake.

Zillion looked down the wall a ways, "There is a tavern built into the wall, not too far from here, and it has rooms for rent as well!" The other three looked at each other smiling, "I'd love to have you folks stay at my place, but even if we flew there it would be very late by the time we got to my house plus… I live in a small cottage, so it would be rather cramped, and I'm certain after your long journey here you'd all prefer a real bed."

DeMungus was the first to chime in, "A real bed would be nice, haven't had one to sleep in since I left home three years ago." Scar and Niko looked at the bearded ruffian who was missing his one forearm, and raising his stump towards the sky. There was much that Scar and Niko had yet to learn about DeMungus, and Niko thought to himself Man, we should try and get to know him better.

The tavern was deliciously rogue, every type of ruffian and derelict you could identify was present. Pirates who sported eyepatches and cutlasses on their arm, gamblers with no luck getting slaughtered at the table by a solicitor or petty thieves who would distract the poor drunkard, and then, whilst distracted the cards would change, a classic setup in this type of underground area of depravity.

The dark and dusky atmosphere genuinely added a new layer of tension to the room, Scar, was getting seductive looks and whistles from horned up patrons, which gave her the excuse she needed to cling to Zillion's arm, but even then, she was still getting harassed. One profusely drunken idiot even came up alongside Scarletta, and tried to cop a feel which elicited an unprecedented response from Scar. She metal bended all the jewelry right from his piggy face, "try that again, asshole, I dare ya!" Then, as if nothing even happened and there wasn't a man bleeding from his face on the floor, she resumed her damsel in distress look by clinging to Zillion once again.

The bartender was a young woman, probably in her late teens early twenties, with short saffron colored hair that framed her face around the edges, and then squat perfectly on the top was a think bouffant comb over of purple that looked absolutely stunning. She wore half-moon spectacles that sat the bridge of her nose, she was tall, but not nearly as tall as Scar. In fact, she'd just climbed down from the top shelf, like a pandamonkey, no ladder, just hands and booted feet climbing shelves. She smiled at the ragtag group, with a look that said, I'm gonna ignore what just happened because I get harassed daily, "Nice metalwork, I assume he'll learn to keep his hands to himself, or he'll have to live even more disfigured. Scar blushed in embarrassment, "No need to fret, first round is on me, looks like y'all need it!"

The young woman was quick to the draw as four pints of malt were produced within seconds, "They call me Kyri Leport, innkeeper's niece, revolutionary youth, and apparently… the maker of THE BEST mixed drinks from here to Republic City." Her confidence was on another level, but it was definitely from being at work as it reeked of that false enthusiasm most service industry folks carry with them.

The quirky young woman boldly poured herself a pint and toasted with the ragtag group of heroes, "So what brings you folks the Ba Sing Se way?" Kyri glanced around the bar to ensure she wasn't needed elsewhere; she then chugged her pint with the showmanship and grossness of a drunkard. "For most it tends to be business."

Niko spoke up first, "You'd be right in saying that," he too chugged his pint like a sloppy fool, as Scar rolled her eyes, "I have business here with the gentleman behind me!" He hiccupped like a baby, which caused a ripe laugh to come from the Kyri.

Zillion chugged his pint, albeit a tad slower than the other two, "We taught each other how to air bend up a wall today!" Kyri giggled, assuming it was some euphemism for raunchy activity. Scar attempted to chug her beer, but began to choke halfway. The others laughed jovially, at Scar's expense,

"It's not that funny…" Scar gasped, regaining her breath, "Anyway, Kyri we need a few rooms for the night. How much would it rack us up for, I guess two rooms?" The guys all looked at each other, but shrugged it off as they ordered another round.

"Including what your boys have racked up just now, about 57 yuans," Kyri began to pour the second round of beverages for the guys as Scar looked in her wallet and pulled out the correct number of yuans and left them on the bar with a few extra for tip.

"Ayy… these boys are going to be super expensive; I can see it now." The three guys clinked their mugs together and cheered to beds!

About three hours later Niko, DeMungus, and Zillion were all passed out in a single room, which for the price they payed was not shabby by any means. The space was like a small apartment, two rooms, one with two queen beds, and a living space with a small kitchenette. Niko was hanging off the side of the one bed, while Zillion was on the floor in front of the other bed, where DeMungus had relieved himself upon…

"Gross…" Scar said as she turned out the lights on the foolish guys, she went next door to her room, but as she was about to open the door the space to the right of her head became distorted. It rippled like something was trying desperately to breakthrough, and it did. Scar was staring into a rip in space. On the other side, blissfully unaware at how freaked out Scar was, was Kyri, "Are the guys passed out?" Scarletta had no response, her mouth opened, but made no sound, "I'll take that as a yea, and you probably have questions. All of which I can answer tomorrow! G'night!" The rip in space returned to normal.

"She's full of surprises that one!" Scar stated to no one.