Hey guys, I'm back with a new chapter. A lot of people have requested that I get the new chapter out for this so here it is.
The sky was a burnt orange color. Embers and ashes floated down like snowflakes on a soft breeze. She didn't seem to notice. Her leg felt like it was on fire, which wasn't surprising considering it actually had been not that long ago. A cut on her left arm left the limb dangling at her side, almost useless. She had tried using it, but with the pain it barely responded.
Her robes, once a bright mixture of yellow and orange, were now dulled with soot and dirt. They clung to her flesh because of sweat, and burned her along her leg where the clothing still smoldered. She leaned heavily on her staff, using it as a crutch. After a short while of hobbling, she collapsed against a low wall with a pain filled cry. Between her arm and her leg, the pain was too much, she couldn't keep running.
"Done running now?" came a male voice from overhead. She looked up to find two men standing over her. Both of them were wearing red armor, their faces covered by white skull like masks. One of them leveled a spear, while the other raised his hands into a bending position.
"Enough toying with her, let's just get this over with," the bender said. The one with the spear took a few experimental jabs at her.
"Na, look at her eyes, she's still got a little fight left in her," he said.
"She's wounded. There's no honor in it. Just kill her and be done with it," the bender said. The spear user raised his weapon.
"I'm gonna make her squeal like a stuck pig, and then I'm gonna watch what little is left of that fight in her eyes fade," he said as he took a step closer. Suddenly, a sword erupted from the center of the spear user's chest, it's gleaming blade piercing the man's armor as if it was nothing. The spear clattered to the ground as it's wielder grasped at the blade.
"What the?!" the bender shouted in surprise. The impaled man was turned and thrust forward, tumbling into the bender before he could do anything. She realized that there was a third man standing behind the first two. This one wore a gray cloak with it's hood up, hiding his face. He had withdrawn his sword, a katana, from the first man by kicking him into the bender, and now held the blade at the ready in a downward curve.
The bender threw off the body of the his comrade and shot a bolt of fire at the swordsman. But the swordsman easily dodged the blast, ducking under it and stabbing his blade into the throat of the bender. He removed it just as quickly, leaving the man to clutch at his jugular as he collapsed before sheathing his sword.
"Can you move?" the swordsman asked, turning his head to look down at her. She managed to pull herself to her feet, despite the screaming pain in her leg and arm.
"What...who?" she asked. The man stepped forward and placed a hand on her shoulder, steadying her so she didn't collapse again.
"There was suppose to be a boy named Aang here, about twelve or so, with master tattoos," he said.
"I don't know any of that, the Sisters were always in charge of the Temple, I haven't even gotten my tattoos yet," she replied.
"What is your name?"
"Renchin," she said.
"Alright Renchin, I want you to listen to me carefully. Due west of here is Earth Kingdom territory, you are to fly there, get yourself some different clothes. Blend in with the locals. Head for the city of Gaoling and I'll meet you there," he said.
"Why should I do any of that? I don't even know your name, why should I trust you?" she asked. The man lowered his hood, showing off his short brown hair and tanned complexion.
"My name is Ryou, and I'm the man that is going to save your life."
I jerked awake from the dream, sitting up in my bunk. When you've been alive as long as I have, it's not surprising that you start to pick up ghosts. Renchin was just one of many that haunted me. Running a hand over my face, I stood and dressed for the day. Today was Korra's first official day under my training. It was also the day that Tenzin and his family was scheduled to arrive from Republic City.
Despite the frigid temperatures, I was dressed relatively light, using only a light jacket that hung down to my knees. For what I was going to be teaching today, my clothing needed to be as light as possible so as not to hinder my movements. I didn't eat either, having learned a long time ago about taking a hit to the gut on a full stomach the hard way.
To my surprise, I found Korra waiting in the training yard wearing some padded gear in anticipation for our session. The scowl on her face, however, indicated that she still didn't fully approve of this.
"Good morning," I greeted. The Avatar gave a tired grunt. She clearly wasn't a morning person. I wasn't either, but after almost five centuries of rising with the sun it grows on you.
"The morning is evil," Korra said. I smirked at that, she wasn't wrong.
"We'll start off with basic forms," I said as I tossed her one of the wooden training swords. She twisted and turned it a few times, even taking a few practice swings.
"Weapons feel...strange," she said. Again, I was unsurprised. Up until now, her training had dealt with bending only. Bending just required hand and foot movements, the rest was up to the element in question.
"The key is to remember not to think of it as a sword or a weapon or even a tool, but an extension of your own body," I said as I assumed a ready position. Korra mimicked my stance, getting a feel for it.
"So like an extra long arm?" she asked.
"Exactly." With that, I began to slowly move her through the basic motions. Once she had that down, the speed was increased a little with each time. Korra was a quick learner. When it came to fighting motions, she was a natural warrior. To test this, just when she was getting confident in her movements, I would make a sudden change. She adapted quickly, just like I figured she would.
It was late morning when I finally called an end to the session. I hadn't broken a sweat, but my movements had been enough to keep me warm. Korra on the other hand was out of breath and sweating.
"That was tougher than I thought it would be," she said when she'd finally caught her breath.
"The way of the sword takes many years to master," I said with a smile, "but I can already tell you'll make a fine warrior." Her cheeks turned a rosy color, possibly from the air, but more likely from my complement. With that, we parted for lunch. It was mid afternoon when a sky bison appeared over the walls of the compound.
I admired the creature as I stood side by side with Katara, waiting for it to land. The sky bison had always been a majestic creature in my eye, although not nearly as majestic as the nomads who once rode upon their backs. I found myself frowning at the memory. The Air Nomads were gone, despite the efforts I had put forward to save them. Now, only Tenzin and his family remained.
The Airbending Master dismounted from his bison, along with three children of varying ages. The two girls were the oldest, appearing to be about ten and seven respectively. Clinging to, and gnawing on, his father's head was the youngest, a bald headed boy about the age of five or so. I smiled at the sight, having watched Tenzin grow up myself. It was nice to see him with a family of his own.
"Hello, mother. You cannot possibly know how happy I am to see you. Please, help me," he said as the boy rocked back and forth on his shoulders while clinging to his ears. Katara chuckled as she reached up and plucked her only grandson off of her son's shoulders.
"Unhand me, strange woman!" the boy shouted as he began to squirm around in her arms.
"That's your grandmother, Meelo," Tenzin said before he turned his attention to me. His look was one of awe.
"Master Ryou?" he asked, clearly stunned.
"Hello, Tenzin. It's good to see you again," I replied.
"You don't look a day older then the last time I saw you," he said. Katara flashed a jealous glare my way, but I simply smiled in response. The eldest of Tenzin's children came forward. She eyed me suspiciously before turning toward her grandmother.
"Gran Gran, I've been reading all your old journals and I've been wondering, whatever happened to Zuko's mom?" she asked. Ah yes, the tale of what had become of Ursa, mother of Fire Lord Zuko. I hadn't actually been there, you see.
At the time I was dealing with a pirate enclave that was operating out of the Southern Isles. Zuko had personally requested that I handle it, and had even given me a detachment of Kyoshi Warriors in order to handle it. After the War ended, the new tradition had been established that the best detachment of Kyoshi Warriors would be the Fire Lord's personal bodyguards. It was good working with Suki and I don't mean to brag, but there hasn't been pirate activity in the Southern Isles since.
"Well Jinora, it's an incredible tale...," Katara started, her eyes lighting up as she began to tell her granddaughter the story. At the moment, however, Tenzin's middle child interrupted. She talked at a fast pace while at the same time bouncing up and down in place. Both Katara and Jinora gave her an exasperated look, but she kept right on chatting as if she didn't notice.
Realizing that she wasn't going to get the answer she sought from her grandmother anytime soon, Jinora turned her attention to me. I had yet to actually meet any of Tenzin's children. The last time I had actually seen him had been about seventeen years ago, shortly after Aang's death. This girl had his thirst for knowledge, I could see that just by looking in her eyes. The way she looked at me was like I was some kind of puzzle that she was determined to solve.
"Have we met before?" she asked.
"No, we haven't," I replied. She tapped her finger on her chin.
"I know that I've seen you somewhere before," she said.
"If you've been reading my journals, then perhaps you saw a picture of him in there," Katara stated innocently. I shot a glare at her, and she just gave a sweet smile. Something she had found entertaining as she had grown older was putting me in situations where I would have to explain my...condition to people. I knew for a fact that there were multiple pictures, both paintings and photographs that depicted me in her journal.
"Thanks, Gran Gran," Jinora said as she ran off toward the sky bison, eager to dig in her pack and see what her grandmother was talking about. I closed my eyes and sighed, mentally bracing for the barrage of questions that were undoubtedly heading my way.
"I knew it, I knew I had seen you somewhere before," Jinora said as she walked into the room, holding an old leather bound book. We'd been preparing for the evening meal when she slammed the book down and flipped it open to a bookmarked page. The entry was regarding Aang's eighteenth birthday, and tucked in with the pages was a photo of Aang, Sokka, Zuko, and myself as we celebrated.
After plucking this picture out, Jinora flipped to the second bookmarked page. This one covered Aang and Katara's wedding. The photo was of the wedding group as they stood around the alter, and there standing amongst the groomsmen was the smiling face of yours truly.
"Wow, that actually is you," Korra said as she looked over the pair of photographs. I gave her an annoyed look. Obviously by her reaction to the photos, she still hadn't fully embraced my story. Well, until now at least.
"Weren't you going to ask your grandmother about Zuko's mom?" I asked, hoping to change the topic. Jinora shook her head, her eyes wide and bright with curiosity.
"No. This is far more interesting. It's not a picture of your dad like I thought," she said as she held up one of the pictures next to my face, "it's a picture of YOU." I snatched the picture from her grasp.
"Some stories will be told when you're older," I said as I put it and it's partner back in their respective places. I hated explaining myself to people, and frankly my story was far too bloody to tell a little kid. Jinora pouted all the same, even if she didn't seem to understand my reasoning. Korra even gave me a look of disappointment. I guess being confronted with actual proof of my story was starting to change her opinion of me.
I awoke to find the compound in a state of chaos. The guards were running back and forth like chickens with their heads cut off. For being a disciplined force, the White Lotus was letting panic settle in way to easily. I looked over the confusion with a mild interest. Something had happened during the night for them to be in this state of frenzy, what it was though remained a mystery.
Tenzin and his family had gone back to Republic City the previous evening, leaving Korra behind. The Airbending Master's reasoning was that there was a lot of civil unrest in the city, and as a Council Member he was required to be present. This was also a reason for Korra to stay as far away from the city as possible. There was no way that they could guarantee her safety in a political climate that was that unstable.
Personally I found the reasoning pointless and redundant. What were they going to do once Korra had mastered the elements and was ready to go out into the world on her own? She would be the Avatar, but a sheltered Avatar, one with no understanding of the people or how the world worked. All of her previous lives, at least the ones I had encountered, had traveled the world for much of their lives, and as such understood the people of the world. The longer she stayed in this compound, the more damaging the effects could be on her relationship skills.
"Ryou!" the Commander shouted, gaining my attention. I turned toward him, my curiosity supplanting the annoyance I felt at his presence.
"Where is she?" he asked, his tone accusing me of some unspoken crime.
"Who?"
"The Avatar. She disappeared last night, and you were the last one to see her, where is she?" he asked again. I frowned, feeling betrayed but unsurprised. Korra was so eager to get started on her airbending that virtually nothing was going to stop her. The fact that she had left me behind also wasn't a surprise, she didn't seem to like me very much.
"How should I know? This is the first I've heard about it," I answered honestly.
"Korra has gone to Republic City," Katara said, speaking up for the first time and gaining both of our attention.
"She what? She was ordered to stay put!" the Commander sputtered.
"You don't have kids, do you?" I asked. He glared at me, but otherwise remained silent.
"I'll go after her," I continued, ignoring his look.
"Nonsense, we'll deploy the entirety of the White Lotus..."
"And make yourselves look like fools," I interrupted, "Your mission has been to protect and observe, Commander, nothing more. I've been a hunter for almost five hundred years. If anyone can track down a teenager with no real world experience, it's me."
"Ryou does have more experience in tracking down Avatars then anyone alive," Katara stated. The Commander looked like he was about to pop a vein in his forehead. But after a minute, he finally had to concede to Katara's point.
"Very well, you may go after the Avatar. But you are to report your position the instant you find her," he said.
"Yeah, yeah, if I remember," I said over my shoulder as I was already walking away to gather my things. I packed up my light travel gear and set out, heading toward the Port. Given what I knew about Korra, I figured there were only so many ways she could leave the South. Being as she had no money what so ever, virtually all those ways involved being a stowaway. The first place I stopped at was her parents' place. If she was leaving to start a new life in the city, it only made sense for her to stop and say goodbye. It also made sense for me to confirm she had passed through here so that I knew for sure I was on the right trail.
I knocked on the simple wooden door and was greeted by a broad man who towered a foot over my head. His look, the way he carried himself, I knew without a doubt that this man had one point been a warrior, and he had seen combat.
"Can I help you?" he asked.
"I'm looking for someone, a teen, blue eyes, three pony tails," I said. He narrowed his eyes at me.
"What do you want with my daughter?"
"I never said that I was looking for a woman, but since we've established the fact that she's been here, you mind telling me where Korra went?" I asked.
"What do you want with her?"
"Well for starters I'd like to get her morning sparing session out of the way, and we'll go from there," I replied.
"You're Korra's new defense instructor."
"Not exactly the title I would use but yes, I am."
"You're a lot younger then I thought you would be," he said. I sighed.
"Yeah I get that a lot. So is she around?" I asked. The man sighed before he stepped back and motioned for me to come in. I walked into the small hut, and found Korra sitting in the living room. She looked startled by my appearance.
"How did you know I was here?" she asked.
"You came to say goodbye to your parents before you left to head out into the world. It makes sense, that's what I did when I first left home. Although judging by the fact that you're still here, I'd say the boat you were going to take sailed without you on it." She looked down at the floor, trying to hide her embarrassment. Her whirlwind Avatar adventure was going to end before it even began. Or so she thought.
"Alright, get your stuff, let's get movin," I said. Korra looked up at me with anger burning in her eyes.
"I'm not going back to the compound."
"We're not." Now she looked confused.
"But..but..."
"Look, no Avatar ever got anything done by sitting on their asses in a snow fort. So get your stuff together, we're headed out of here."
"But, the last cargo ship left port hours ago." I gave her a look, making it clear that she was starting to annoy me.
"Who said anything about a cargo ship?"
"I can not believe I let you talk me into this," Korra said as she leaned on the railing. We were well out to sea on a fishing trawler, sailing north. The vessel, an older craft called the Silverbird was making good time. Black smoke billowed from it's single smokestack as we plowed through relatively calm seas.
"Korra, you'll find that working in exchange for passage is often a good way to get around when you have no money," I said. I had bartered our way on board, offering to work until the boat put in to Republic City or some other port on the mainland. I had done this several times throughout my life, so work for food or passage came almost as second nature to me. Korra, however, didn't feel as I did.
"I'm the Avatar, I should be able to get a ride for free," she grumbled.
"That title doesn't mean anything to anyone right now. You haven't done anything to warrant their respect and until you do, you're just another face in the crowd," I reminded her. Humility is the mark of a great warrior, and person in general. I was gonna remind her of that at every turn. She sulked a little more, but couldn't complain too much. This was what she had wanted, after all, to be free of the compound.
"Alright, either one of you two ever worked a trawler before," the Captain asked as he came up behind us. I nodded, while Korra shook her head.
"Young man, get to a spot on the nets and get ready, we're coming up on our usual grounds. Little missy, not to sound like a traditionalist but I'm afraid I'm gonna have to ask you to head below to the galley," he said. Korra frowned at the man, and then at me.
"But I can help up here," she protested.
"Sorry lass, but you'd just be in the way, and that's dangerous out here with no one nearby to help," the Captain said.
"Look, just don't argue with him, alright? We all gotta pull our weight around here somehow, and frankly you've never handled a fishing net before."
"Oh and you have?"
"I have, actually." She looked at me dumbfounded.
"Seriously?"
"I wasn't always a warrior, Korra," I said, giving her a smile. It felt strange, nostalgic almost to be standing on the deck of a fishing boat again. I'd almost gone back to it in the years after Kyoshi died, but had focused on traveling the world instead. The world was too wide a place to be stuck in one spot for a long time. Korra gave me a look, but finally let out a sigh of defeat.
"Alright fine, I'll do it," she said.
"Aye, that's good lass, but you'd better snap too. You see them gulls? We're coming up on our spot now," the Captain said, pointing out over the bow. Several sea gulls were circling a point over the water, a sign that there was a lot of fish somewhere below the waves.
Then suddenly, without warning, the flock of gulls scattered. They flew in all directions in a panicked motion. Something had spooked them. This didn't escape the Captain's notice, or Korra's for that matter. I was frowning as I studied the water, a chill running down my spine.
"What the? I've never seen the birds do something like that," the Captain said. I continued to frown as I scanned the waves, hoping, praying that I was wrong. Unlike the Captain, I had seen this before.
"I'd advise we change course," I said.
"Excuse me?"
"Change course, now, before it's too late."
"We may be fisherman, but we're not so superstitious as to turn tail at a sudden change in..." A low moan like nose came from somewhere under the waves, silencing him instantly. I closed my eyes and groaned, hating the fact that I had guessed right.
"What was that?" Korra asked.
"Change course, you say?" The Captain asked, ignoring her. I shook my head.
"It's too late. It's got our sent now."
"What does?" Korra asked. Water around us began to churn as some kind of scaly fins broke the waves and then disappeared again. Something huge was snaking it's way around the boat, surrounding us, entrapping us. Then, it's head broke the water. A massive snake like head and neck rose up, towering high above the waves as it looked down upon us. It's gray scales had water cascading down them, and it's eyes burned red like the rising sun.
"What in the name of the spirits is that?" the Captain asked in a mixture of awe and horror. The beast looked down upon us and unleashed an earth shattering roar, showing off it's rows of white, spear like teeth. I drew my sword from over my shoulder and stood at the ready, knowing that what was to come wasn't going to be easy.
"It's a Leviathan."
And that's a wrap for this chapter. Honestly I was stunned by the amount of support this story has gotten. If you guys like this thing, please feel free to keep reviewing and sending me PMs. Let me know what you like or what you want to see, and with that, I'll see you all next time.