Hope you all enjoy this one. Once again reviews and critiques are always welcomed. A special thanks to IZaley25 and Daddy's Little Pyro for their reviews.
The Avatar's Redemption
Book 1: Awakening
Chapter 7: The Crossing of Two Paths
The bright hospital lights were beginning to singe Calais' eyes. Calais awoke to an unusual sight; he wasn't in the same bland old room at the hidden air monasteries anymore. Instead he woke up to a small hospital room filled with glowing, beeping monitors, which read a collection of numbers and letters, that were connected to different parts of his body. Calais started to get worried after he lifted up the blankets on his bed to see himself covered in bandages, but he was more worried that he couldn't remember how he got here in the first place.
Calais rubbed his temples as he tried to recollect what had happened to him. His mind was filled with different images that he tried to piece together and understand. Suddenly his eyes opened wide and his pupils dilated as he began to stammer, "I…I w...was in a war." Calais realized he must be in the Earth Nation; he began to fidget as he wondered what they might have done to him while he was asleep. He shrugged off these thoughts and looked for his robes. Calais found his upper robe hanging by his bedside and rustled through the pockets. Where were the scrolls he brought to show the Avatar?
Calais started to panic as his eyes scrambled all across the room but all he saw were those accursed monitors. What if an Earth Nation general had gotten a hold of them? What would he do to the scrolls if he found out the truth? What would the Earth Nation do to him and the other air benders once they found out he was going to commit an act that would definitely be considered an attack against the Earth Nation? Calais had to get out of there and warn Dalah, "AH! I'm so stupid. How could I think this would work?" He pulled off all the cords that were attached to him and struggled to get out of the bed.
The door to his room opened. Calais stared at it in terrible fear. Terran stepped through the door and shut it behind him. His eyes were fixated on Calais but he had an expressionless face. Calais looked down and saw that Terran had the scrolls in his hands.
Terran looked at the air bender with a bit of pity; he was in a foreign land and he risked his life for him but the other earth nation soldiers were still considering sending the air bender to the dead lands or the slaving grounds. Lucky for the air bender, he had found his silly little stories of fiction before the other earth nation soldiers had. They would have definitely thought the scrolls were acts of treason, but he knew the guy was just writing stories; he didn't mean any harm. I mean he did save them after all.
Terran walked over to the air benders bedside. He could see that the air bender was quite nervous, "Hey, how are you feeling?" Calais was shocked by the quite calmness in the Avatar's tone, "I'm fine, just a little sore." Terran did his best to seem friendly; he knew the General would be here shortly to question the air bender so he had to make sure the air bender didn't seem like a threat, "Don't worry you'll be back on your feet in no time. By the way my name is Terran." Calais responded with an uneasy tone, "I'm Calais. Listen I need to talk to you about something very important. It has to do with the scrolls your holding."
Terran smiled nonchalantly, "Oh these things? I read them. You've got quite the imagination, you know? It's a good thing I found them first though. The other guys might have thought these things were real." Calais shook his head, "No you don't understand, those scrolls are not some made up stories there real pieces of history of your past lives." Terran furrow his eyebrows in confusion, "I'm sorry what? My past lives? Listen maybe they are real to you but…" Calais didn't let him say anything after that, "Yes your past lives. They are stories about Avatars from the past and you share a connection with each and every one of them. I know it seems strange considering you lost your spiritual touch; I can see why it doesn't make sense. Didn't you read the scroll on it? I know there is one in there that explains it."
Terran was beginning to get worried that this Calais guy was crazy, "All right buddy, that's enough. Let me just…" Calais had to get him to understand, "Please just hear me out. The Avatar used to be a figure of peace and balance. The Avatar took care of all the nations and brought harmony; he didn't squander his time spilling innocent blood for the sake of conquest. The Avatar brought balance to this realm and the spiritual one. The Avatar tried to create a cycle of peace not a cycle of violence. Can't you see your abandoning your true role as the Avatar for one of a pity conqueror? You need to turn your back on this whole ideal of siding with your own nation and be the Avatar for the many not just the one, like Avatar Aang and Korra were. Don't you see that you can end this violence if you just be the right kind of Avatar?"
Calais had struck Terran's last nerve. Now he could see what type of person this Calais was. He was just some idiotic dreamer who didn't know what had to be done in this new world. How dare he criticize his actions? Terran knew what it meant to be the Avatar and although he understood he had failed at being the best Avatar he definitely wasn't going to let this guy's crazy beliefs get to him. Terran began to raise his voice, "How dare you tell me I'm the wrong kind of Avatar? After all that I have done for my people! After I saved them! After I lashed out at myself for not saving the people of the North! You have the audacity to question me? Maybe your so called "righteous" Avatars had the wrong idea because if this is how the world turned out while they were in control then they sure didn't do a good job. In this day and age the Avatar needs to be ruthless and that's what I will continue to be. I will continue to protect my people and kill anyone who tries to stop me! I AM THE AVATAR!"
Terran tried to calm down but he was just so furious he had a hard time not earth bending Calais out of there, "Listen, I should just kill you here and now for what you said, but since you saved my life I'll let you leave but if I ever see you again your dead. Understand?" Calais tried his best to not break down, "But…please….just…you can save us all if you just…" Terran's blood was boiling, "Just what huh? Abandon my people when they need me most! Get out of here now before I reconsider my offer!"
Calais was heart-broken. He had failed to do anything but get the Avatar mad. Calais put on his robes and left through the window. Calais half-heartedly walked the roof top; he had failed to change anything and now he probably endangered Dalah considering Dalah was most likely out looking for him. He had no way of getting back to the monasteries without his glider and he was a lost air bender in the Earth Nation capitol. Calais decided to sit down and meditate on what to do next. He was beginning to grow fond of meditating and as he sat down and shut his eyes he knew why. He lost himself from the world and felt as though the previous Avatars were guiding him to a realm of peace. Calais was somehow filled with a new hope; he wasn't done just yet.
Terran left the room infuriated. He told the General to not worry about the airbender, but the General didn't seem to care and he just told Terran to get some rest because he needed it. Terran went to an unused hospital room and shut the door and placed the scrolls that had belonged to Calais on the night stand. Terran released a large sigh of relief and shut his eyes hoping to forget his troubles and failures.
Terran felt as if the room was freezing over. He opened his eyes to see himself surrounded in darkness. The floor was that of a strange black slime with jagged rocks, all around him were distorted figures and objects, and black smog had filled the area. Terran was starting to have trouble breathing and he noticed that he was sinking. Terran tried to speak but nothing came out of his mouth and when he struggled to get out he sank further down. Terran kept sinking until the black slime was at his neck; it felt as if his lungs were being crushed.
The distorted figures moved closer and were speaking in shrieks and screams. They latched on to him and screamed in his ears in a grotesque voice, "Why have you abandoned us! Why do you hurt us! Help us! Help us!" Terran struggled to crawl out of the slime but he had no control over his body anymore. He was filled with immense fright as the creatures began to submerge him. He could feel the horrid liquid enter his lungs.
Terran was pulled out of the slim pit only to be greeted by another distorted figure. This one appeared to be composed of the slime and was tall and skinny. He had a mask with a yin and yang symbol for a face. His body oozed noxious gas and slime dripped off of him. The mask opened where a mouth would be and carnivorous teeth could be seen.
The monster spoke in a voice of death, "You have entered this realm only because your eyes had been opened. The spirit inside of you was awakened once again and you silenced it." The monster eyes lit up a bright blood red color, "You have abandoned this place and us. You harm innocence in the name of righteousness and for that you must pay!" The monster placed its hands on Terran's head. Terran's eyes rolled up and he began to see visions of all forms of people.
Terran saw all the people of the earth nation and felt their deep suffering, he saw all those he had killed and felt the pain he had caused them but ten-fold, he saw the families of those he had killed and was filled with their grief, and he saw the creatures of this realm struggling to survive and he was filled with their anguish. Lastly, he saw all four nations and felt the pain that each and every one had endured.
The monster spoke again, "Even when the truth had been laid in front of you by the one who chose the path to peace, you still chose the path of ignorance and destruction. You will witness the chaos you have wrought upon us all." Terran was filled with the pain of thousands of the innocent. He couldn't take any more and finally was able to let out a scream of pure horror. The monster spoke one last time, "Witness the truth young Avatar…witness it…witness what you have failed to do…witness your true failure."
Terran shot up in his bed and was breathing heavily with sweat rolling down his neck and face. He sat alone in his cold and dark room for hours without saying a word.
Well that wraps up this chapter. The next chapter will deal with how Terran copes with what he has just witnessed. Please Follow or Favorite if you like the story and want to read more.
