Avatar Rylon
Book 1 Trust
Chapter 2 – Defensiveness
15 Years after the discovery of the new Earth Avatar Rylon.
"Completely unacceptable!" A dragon like spirit with the face of male lion said angrily as it teleported right in front of the face of the president of Republic City who seemed unfazed by this show of annoyance.
"Let's all remain calm there is no need for this type of anger Shanto." The President said calmly staring into the eyes of the dragon like spirit as it teleported back to the opposite end of the formal table.
The room which they were in was huge state room with each of the four nation's flags hanging on the walls around them. The formal table in the middle of the room was a long rectangle table where The President of Republic City sat at one end, the spirit at the other and along the sides sat the four nation representatives two on either side.
"When the new Avatar was found all nations agreed upon this specific avatar learning cycle of him learning earth, fire, air and water before we would step in and impart our own spiritual guidance." Shanto continued.
"We of the fire nation had agreed with the air and water nations that our masters would teach the Avatar last as our masters have been preoccupied…and have not had the time." The fire representative said as she stood up. "He is learning to master fire bending now as we speak."
"But why hide this from us?" Shanto asked. "As your representative to the spirits I must be informed of the dealings you have with the Avatar if I am to maintain balance."
"If you ask me we've all had enough of you spirits meddling with our affairs." The Earth Empire Representative said standing up. "You spirits are more than happy to ignore us humans until you want something from us. You spirits do nothing to assist us or guide us and yet you stand here trying to dictate what we should be doing with our Avatar!"
"Your Avatar? Avatar Korra opened the spirit portals to ensure that both our world and your world would live in peace with each other under the guidance and protection of the Avatar. Our latest Avatar is to continue this and not just focus on helping your world but our spirit world also." Shanto argued.
"You can't come here and dictate to us what you want to do with the Avatar. His loyalties are firstly to our world and to the Earth Empire." The Earth Representative glared at Shanto who was furious.
"Please can we all just sit down and calmly discuss this as the civilized people and spirits that we are?" The Air Nation Representative said calmly as she glared at everyone.
"Yes in this time of peace we shouldn't be arguing about anything." The Water Nation Representative added.
"Yes I agree." The Republic City President said as he stood up. "Friends we have nothing to argue about here today. The Avatar is already a master metal, water and air bender and soon will be a master fire bender and will become a fully realized Avatar. The order in which he learnt the elements was of no great importance." Shanto grumbled to himself as the President turned to him. "Shanto my friend please understand that I am trying to look out for everyone's interests here, the 4 Nations, the Spirits and the Avatar. Please remember that we have listened to you and have respected the rights of your spirit world like you and your fellow spirits have wanted. Access to the spirit portals and physical access to the spirit world has been restricted to those chosen by the spirits themselves and we have respected this decision."
"Yes only humans of your choosing can enter the spirit world and yet you spirits are allowed to go wherever you like in ours." The Earth Representative sneered as Shanto glared at him but just breathed out calmly.
"You are right President, our spirit world and our rights thanks to Avatar Korra have always been respected but what we need now more than respect is trust, trust that both our worlds can depend on each other and trust that we both have the best intentions at heart."
"That is why when the Avatar has finished his fire bending training he will spend time learning from the spirits within the Spirit World." The President nodded. "Now if there is nothing else?"
"No I must depart now." Shanto said before quickly teleporting out of the room leaving only the President and the four nation representatives alone.
'You continue to allow that spirit to dictate what happens in our world." The Earth Representative huffed.
"As long as the spirits are happy keeping to themselves then they're not affecting us." The President said with a grin as the Air Nation Representative put her hands in her face.
"The spirits speak of trust and yet here we sit deceiving them!" She said shaking her head. "It is a lot to ask of my people to keep this quiet, we respect the spirit world."
"That is why only you and a few air benders know what we're doing or else some of you might go running to the spirits and once they know then we're stuck." The Earth Representative quickly said glaring at her.
"When we first brought this idea up the spirits warned us about the repercussions and I for one believe them and that we need to stop this project immediately!" The Water Representative said angrily slamming his fist down on the table.
"If it were up to the spirits we would have never have been able to progress so far as they have always been anti-technology." The Fire Representative said calmly as the Earth Representative quickly nodded in agreement.
"Exactly! If they had their way we wouldn't have our MAGLEV trains, our airships, our amazing cities, our sustainable power sources and not to mention this project that we are so close to completing!" The Earth Representative pointed angrily at the Water Representative, "How would you like to be the Nation that stunted our progress?"
"The Water Nation will not be intimidated like this!" The Water Representative said standing up.
"Please my friends be seated." The President said standing before he walked over to a nearby window that over looked the modern Republic City. "The initial test is due to begin next week and Water Nation Representative I can understand your doubts but you have my word that if something goes wrong the entire project will be aborted immediately. However don't you believe in at least giving it a try first? This could make such a huge difference to our future." The Water Representative thought for a moment before slowly nodding.
"The Avatar will be returning to Republic city for the first tests next week." The Earth Representative quickly spoke out. "The Avatar believes that this a safe test and that it should proceed."
"Yes but with the ignorance of the spirits dire warning!" The Water Representative added folding his arms.
"We of the Air Nation believe in the Avatar and if he believes this to be safe and right for our world than my nation believes this also." The Air Representative said calmly.
"Let us hope that Shanto and any of his big wig spirit buddies keep as far away from the avatar as possible for the next week…" The Earth Representative grumbled.
"Nothing is going to stop this test…" The President said calmly staring out the window.
-x-
In the grounds of the Fire Nation Palace in the Fire Lord Zuko Remembrance Garden Rylon sat calmly beside the small lake that sat in the very centre of the garden. The lake was full of baby turtle ducks and young spirits playing with each other in the cool water.
Beside the lake in the bushes two glowing orange eyes glared out at the turtle ducks and little spirits.
"Don't even think about it Platinum or else you'll be one very wet dragon fly snake." Rylon said calmly not opening his eyes as Platinum slinked across the ground out of the bushes before a mother turtle duck squawked loudly and chased it further away from her babies over to where Rylon sat meditating. Platinum had grown into a fully grown dragon fly snake and had remained his silver and grey colour.
Rylon was now a young adult of 22 who had bright green eyes, short scruffy black hair, stood at 6'1 and was often wearing modern semi-formal Earth Empire Attire. To some it may appear strange that the Avatar would be wearing something like a long sleeved semi-formal coat especially since it could possibly restrict his movement and not to mention the hot temperature in the Fire Nation but it was because of what these long sleeves hid was why he wore it.
Rylon had only been in the fire nation for a few weeks after having completed his water bending training at both the north and south tribes by their greatest masters, some of which who had been taught by Korra herself. He had previously mastered air bending at the air bending temple near Republic city where he encountered more spirits then he had ever seen before in his life due to the close proximity of the nearby spirit portal. It seemed strange to Rylon that despite mastering air bending the most spiritual form of bending the spirits so far had no allowed him to physically enter the spirit world which they informed him they would only allow once he had mastered all 4 elements. Of course he had meditated into the spirit world before but with so many spirits now choosing to live their lives in the human world it wasn't as interesting nor exciting as it would have been if he hadn't already encountered and seen so many spirits within the normal world.
Before he had long to continue to mediate he felt someone approaching his position and just as he opened his eyes and turned around the person shot a huge fireball towards him causing him to instantly jump to the side where he was met with another fireball but instead of using his air bending or water bending skills he used what his attire had been concealing on his forearms. Out from his sleeves which had been pieces of metal armour two blobs of a thick viscous metal shot out which he instantly metal bended into the shape of a huge metallic shield that blocked the fireball causing it dissipate instantly and once it had the shield dissolved back into liquid form beside him as he took his fighting stance. It was then Rylon could see that it was his Fire Bending Master Master Ryzo standing there.
"Come on Avatar fight fire with fire!" He yelled running forward and jumping into the air before spin kicking a huge flame towards him.
Rylon quickly water bended some of the water from the lake in front of the fire which instantly evaporated it into steam which for a moment obscured the vision of Ryzo but he reacted quickly to Rylons air bending blast and managed to dodge to the side but before he had a chance to do anything he watched as liquid metal flew forward wrapping itself around both ankles before hardening pulling his feet together and causing him to fall flat on his face on the grass.
"Who needs fire when I can do that?" Rylon grinned walking forward towards Ryzo who looked angrily up at him.
"Metal bending is not the answer to all of life's battles young Avatar." Ryzo said as Rylon quickly liquefied the metal band around his ankles and it disappeared back into the metal forearm armour under his long sleeves.
Quickly jumping up from the ground and brushing himself off Ryzo looked back towards Rylon and crossed his arms.
"Now show me the stances I taught you yesterday…" Ryzo was an older man in his early 50's with greying long black and grey hair with a short beard but despite his apparent age he was a highly skilled fire bender and lightning bender who was very nimble for his age. "No, no, no you need your arm up higher!" He grumbled moving forward and straightening Rylon's arm in the pose. "To be a great fire bender you need to make swift and quick motions with your arms and feet any pause or stutter is more than enough time for an expert fire bender such as myself to get ahead of you very easily. Now I want you to take a deep breath and follow through like this…" Ryzo instantly stepped forward and moved his first forward shooting a huge fireball out in front of him.
Watching him Rylon took and deep breathe and copied his movement producing a rather small weak flame in front of him.
"You need to feel it right down in your gut, forget this defensiveness you seem to rely upon and dig deep in to your aggressive side!" He said angrily. "You fight to win! You don't fight to simply wait for them to get tired they decide to go home!"
Meanwhile Platinum who was sunning himself nearby was watching his master with intrigue with what one could argue was a small grin upon his little face.
"Alright let's go again but this time no water, air or metal…" Before Ryzo could finish a women ran up to him.
"Sorry to interrupt Masters but the special train has arrived for the Avatar to depart immediately to Republic City so he can oversee the new tests."
"Interruption after interruption! You'll never even be able to light a camp fire at this rate, but go on then young fella and I'll see you back here in a few days where I expect some raw aggression!" Rylon nodded before running towards the garden exit. "Think of me if it makes you angry!" Ryzo called out with a laugh as Platinum quickly flew after his owner.
Running out of the Memorial Garden and into full view of the Fire Nation Capital which unlike that of Zaofu and Republic City was created using a more dense and dark coloured metallic substance which meant the huge modern city didn't give off the same silver glow that his home city did but rather looked more dull and lifeless. Every building top was covered completely in fire nation created solar panels that were used to power the entire Fire Nation with clean energy that ran everything in the kingdom except for the fire nation blimps and the Earth Empires MAGLEV trains.
It didn't take long for Rylon to reach the seaside train station where he could see an official from Republic City waiting for him.
"Greetings Avatar a pleasure to make your acquaintance." The man said with a nod. "I hope I did not interrupt your training as I hear that you have only just began here in the Fire Nation."
"No that's quite alright." Rylon nodded.
"Now please let us board we don't want to keep the other passengers…" Rylon looked at the train windows and saw some disgruntled citizens staring at him.
The MAGLEV trains were designed by the Late Lord Varrick and his wife Zhu Li and over the course of the past fifty years the designs have been shaped and altered to more effectively run with less wind resistance. Being of Earth Empire design and construction they were all coloured a brilliant green and gold and their sides were completely boarded with thick windows so passengers could enjoy the views it offered.
Rylon looked out over the ocean where the MAGELV train tracks extended across the ocean on a long straight railway track abive the water on a long bridge. Avatar Korra had assisted the Nations of the world in creating the rail system which went to every major continent and kingdom in the world including the Southern Water Tribe which was now blossoming into a huge city that could one day rival the Northern Water Tribe.
Platinum fluttered up beside Rylon obviously exhausted as he flew down landing and draping himself on his shoulders with a big sigh just as Rylon walked on board the train.
Once Rylon and the official were on board and sitting down the official signalled the driver with a small handheld device before the doors locked shut and the train slowly but surely began to pick up speed quickly leaving the Fire Nation capital behind them.
Looking out the window Rylon was excited that this was going to be his first official overseeing as The Avatar and that it was something that was so ground breaking that no one in the past had ever comprehended it before and he was going to be right there in the midst of it all.