Chapter 13: Two Tests, One Day
Izu stood before Zu Ling, a desk of dark screech wood separating them. Izu stood at parade rest as he gave his report on the Spirit Guide. "So, Jo still hasn't told the Avatar," Zu ling settled into his chair, shaking his head. "I would have thought he'd have told her by now."
"How is she faring in Waterbending?"
Izu smiled. "She is about average, and will probably not get any better than that." Of course it was a big lie. Kirana had trouble only with things that came in double.
Zu Ling looked at him doubtfully. "Does she train with your brother or any other students?"
"She and Jo fight to keep their skills up, and Kirana does not practice so much with the students because they might let her win. The Avatar has even asked the royal family to ask people not to let her win, it made her stronger than she is."
His father gave him a look that said he didn't believe all of that. He wrote something down then stood up. "Lets go visit the prisoner."
Izu followed, but frowned. Zu Ling was the only person in the fleet that seemed to think of General Jackpher Ikara as a prisoner.
They found General Ikara on the bow of the ship. He was staring at the faint outline of the South Pole that was just visible in the rising sun. Zu Ling walked up to him with a smug smile and Izu held back, watching.
"You daughter is a disappointment, Jackpher," Zu Ling said, getting to the point.
Jackpher raised an eyebrow as he turned to face the younger man. "Really? I doubt that."
"She will never be above average in Waterbending and is becoming lazy with all the attention she's getting." Zu Ling was trying to provoke Jackpher, but it wasn't working. If the General needed to vent his anger, there was the work-out/training area in the ship and plenty of Firebenders on the ship. Jackpher had attacked Zu Ling only twice since caught.
"Zu Ling you are a liar and a murderer. What makes you think I'm going to believe any thing you say?"
"Izu can tell you, he's been spying on her for the past month." Izu looked the General in the eyes and nodded in agreement though his eyes said I'm lying. "See? Your daughter is too weak to beat me."
Jackpher's eyes light up with a dangerous blazing light. "My daughter will beat you, Zu Ling. She is stronger than you know and has several reasons to kill you without a second thought." Jackpher walker between them, heading back to his quarters or the training room, his anger, and pride and love for his daughter all showing on his face.
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Kirana stood in the middle of training arena, calming herself. She was about to start her final test in Waterbending. First moves would be called out and she would have to do them. Then she would have to fight them all; the three masters (Vicey, Drex, & Fox), along with the other dozen or so students. She let herself feel like the water, calm and soothing, but ready to strike at a moments notice. "Are you ready?" Master Vicey said more than asked.
Kirana opened her eyes with a challenging smile. "Duh." She settled into her fighting stance, and prepared herself.
"Water whip!" Kirana swirled her arms bringing up the whip and snapping it at the empty space in front of her.
"Wave!" She crouched down and stood up; forcing the water into a huge wave that rose above them and crashed down.
Kirana completed each move as it was called out with little difficulty. In her minds eye she envisioned what the water would do and her powers caused the water to do so. By the time the sun had almost reached its high peak, the moon had also started to appear. Kirana looked up at the sky with dread. For now the first test was over, but the second would come after she had rested and when the moon half-covered the sun.
Kirana flopped tiredly onto the snow as someone brought her a bowl of hot meat. She looked up to see that it was Izu. "What is it?"
He handed her the bowl of steaming fish and seal meat. "Zu Ling is coming up with a new plan, but I don't know much more than that."
Kirana nodded. "Thank you, Izu. How is my father?"
"As stubborn and proud as ever," Izu said smiling. "I'll sent Jo over, you'll want him with you during the second test. Good luck." Izu left.
Jo came when Kirana had almost finished her meat. "The Eclipse will make it hard for me to fight," he said, sitting next to her. Kirana blinked in surprise. She hadn't thought of that.
"You can still fight without 'bending, can't you?"
Jo raised an eyebrow at her challenge, and took it. "Don't you remember any of your Unzarin training?" he asked, making her laugh by the seriousness of his face.
Before she could answer one the students came over. "The second test will begin as the eclipse starts," he said. Kirana sent a glare at the Masters, but they weren't looking.
When the black moon had started to cover the sun. Kirana sighed and walked to the center of the arena.
The students surrounded Kirana in a large circle and two stepped forward. Kirana leaped at them, slamming a wall of water into one of them. Then she brought her hand up to the first one to rise and tapped them on the pressure point. The 'bender walked back to the circle defeated. Kirana brought her hands up to blast the wave away but remembered she couldn't bend fire to late. She was slammed to the ground.
Kirana leaped up and used a waterwhip. Her opponent blocked it and as he prepared for the next move Kirana moved in with powerful kick. He was blasted backwards several feet. Kirana pounced and taped his neck. "Dead."
Kirana continued to fight double until the Masters decided to send in three opponents. Kirana had Jo join her and they turned into a formidable team. But when the eclipse started to end the masters sent in almost everyone.
Kirana ducked beneath a waterwhip and called to Jo. " The eclipse is ending." He came over and Kirana surrounded them in an impenetrable shield of ice. There they waited. Warmth seeped back into them, and they felt more alive. Kirana released her hold on the water and it fell away to reveal Master Vicey with an Icespear.
"You may fight with a weapon if you wish," Vicey said bringing her spear point to bear on the Avatar.
Kirana didn't have her father's sword with her. She turned to Jo, but he was already handing her his sword. She nodded her thanks and took hold of the grip. Jo's sword was slightly lighter than her dads, but Kirana would survive.
She took her stance and looked at the Master with a challenging expression. "Are you ready?" In answer Master Vicey jabbed at Kirana's ribs than brought the point slashing upward. Kirana leaped backward, reprimanding herself for being surprised at the Masters speed. Parrying a blow Kirana feinted to the left and slashed at the spears staff. The blow glanced off and soon Kirana was in the fight of her life.
After several minuets of trading blows Kirana decided to use a trick she hardly used when fighting with the sword, fire.
Kirana executed three back flips to escape the Masters flashing Icespear. Calming herself she called on the Fire and her blade started to glow. Quickly the glow turned into a blazing nimbus of red-orange flame. Taking a running leap Kirana brought the fiery blade down crashing into the spear. It broke into two pieces. Master Vicey bowed to Kirana and the spectators followed suit, including the other two masters. "You are a Master Waterbender now, Avatar Kirana the Second. We are honored to have taught you. Use your powers wisely." Master Drex said.
Kirana bowed back and said. "I will, and thank you for teaching me despite the fact that I'm Fire Nation."