Chapter 11 The old man with the tea cup
Nazca awoke to the smell of soup. He heard a rustling and expanded his mind. He felt the old man over in the corner. He was stirring something over a nearby fire. The old man was rather fat but he was focused and relaxed. Nazca sat up and immediately felt his stomach growl.
"Ungh."
"Hungry?" the old man question.
"Like you wouldn't believe."
"Ah but I do."
The man handed Nazca a bowl of noodles. Nazca thanked him then dug in extremely grateful. After he finished Nazca sat back, no longer craving. He sat there agitated. He needed to relax from the ordeal and plan his next move.
"Do you have any tea?"
"Ah. A man with a taste for tea. What kind would like?"
"Ginseng if you have any. It's my favorite."
"Mine as well," the man said, pouring them both a cup. Nazca took the cup thankfully and had a sip. After a minute of relaxing Nazca was finally thinking clear again. He looked up and the old man and said, "Do I know you from somewhere?"
The old man laughed, "I asked you the same question yesterday before you passed out. However today I believe I have figured it out. I remember you being the soldier who I treated after the Avatar escaped from our ship during our journey to the southern water tribe."
Nazca sat up as he realized this was true, "You're Iroh."
"That I am," Iroh said with a smile.
"Where's is your nephew, Zuko?"
"He went off alone for a while."
Nazca thought about this, wondering if he could trust this man. Iroh noticed him concentrating and asked him, "If you are wondering if you can trust me I want to let you know that I already know one of your secrets and I have kept it that way."
Nazca stiffened, "What are you talking about?"
"I must be honest with you, during the week you were unconscious from the encounter with the Avatar something else happened with your eyes other than the fact that you where blind."
"I'm not sure I know what you are talking about?"
"You can stop lying to me, when you where unconscious your eyes went to the same state as the Avatar's as he entered the avatar state. I know that you are somehow connected to the Avatar and therefore very valuable to the fire nation, a nation that has labeled me a traitor."
Nazca thought for a moment then he said, "You're right, I am an avatar."
Iroh smiled, "I already knew something along those lines, what I don't know is how?"
"When the previous avatar Aang disappeared he had been frozen in an iceberg. The spirits of the past avatar hoped he would return but realized that he wasn't going to so sixteen years ago they blessed a mortal with the avatar spirit that mortal being me. I am not part of the avatar cycle but I am still an avatar and two avatar's mess things up."
"That would explain the situation," Iroh said.
They sat there for a moment and then realized something. "You're a firebender right?"
"Yes,"
"Could you teach me firebending."
Iroh smiled, "It would be my honor however I am following my nephew so we will have to practice and journey so we use our time wisely and use all of our free time for training seeing as firebending is the opposite element of waterbending it will be more difficult than learning earthbending."
Nazca nodded, "I know"
"Very well then let us begin," Iroh said.
They walked over to a small field where Iroh said, "Fire is known to be an element of destruction while it is also an element of life. Heat is a key element to life and we need it to survive. Fire comes from inside you and you release it through your breath give it a try."
Nazca stopped breathed in then punched creating nothing. He stopped and then tried it again and again there was nothing. He stopped and tried it again failing he sighed and said, "I guess it just doesn't really work for me."
Iroh shook his head, "Fire is not a passive element. It requires food to burn and for you to use your passion to create it. It is not stubborn like earth and it requires you to understand it and want to use it. You must release the fire within yourself to create it."
Nazca stopped and concentrated. He thought about the rage that he had buried. His angers with the fire nation. His anger with destiny and his anger with himself for leaving everyone he loved. And then he made fire.
It was an orange-yellow fire that went only a foot in front of him but it was still fire. And as he made this fire he felt a new world begin to open up to him and began to see knew things in his mind. He felt the fire that he created and he also felt the heat of his body and of Iroh's across from him. Nazca looked up smiling proud at his work. "Good," Iroh said, "Now do it again."
Nazca punched and once again created fire, this time greater than before. He smiled then focused and punched again creating a full blast of fire.
"Very good," Iroh said and then the training began.
They sparred each time Nazca cast fire it was stronger than before until Iroh finally said, "Enough, you have learned the art of firebending very quickly and have come to nearly master it. I believe that you have what it takes to be a master."
Nazca looked at him confused.
"You have shown great powers, powers beyond any normal man. I believe that you have what it takes to have a chance to prove yourself a master. Would you like to continue with a journey towards mastership?"
Nazca shrugged, "Sure."
"There is a game that you must learn and accept if you want to continue on this path, the game is called Pai Sho."
The next day Iroh and Nazca continued on the journey stopping only to teach Nazca Pai Sho and rest. After three days of travel Nazca had become extraordinarily good at the game one of their matches taking three hours long resulting in a narrow win by Iroh.
"Now," Iroh said, "what many people don't realize is that Pai Sho is more than a game, it is in fact a way of life. A way of philosophy and waiting for the right moment to strike, as a master of the game adapting to this culture will be very easy and you mostly already have however if you wish to become a master you will have to prove yourself I battle against another master, the other master being me." Iroh then stripped himself of his casual clothes and put on gear more suitable for fighting as Nazca did the same.
"Are you ready," Iroh said.
Nazca nodded.
"Good. This is not going to be one of our sparring sessions, it is a full out full power fight. It ends when one fighter falls or when I say stop. I want you to only use firebending to prove yourself with an unnatural, unfamiliar, and new element. That way I know your power for your other elements is superior." Nazca nodded, "All ready," Iroh said, "Then let's begin our Agni Kai."
Nazca and Iroh both took stance. Nazca breathed in and exhaled, his blood pumping through his veins he focused on the fire within him and let it grow. He made sure to not let it burn beyond his control but rather to the point of its strongest power. He then inhaled and released a torrent of fire at Iroh. Iroh stepped back and deflected the blow and released his own attack which Nazca blocked. Nazca once again kicked releasing a stream of fire at Iroh which Iroh blocked up and returned a wave of his own fire. Nazca blocked this and sent a pure blast of fire at Iroh that was hotter than before followed by an even hotter blast of fire that had a blue base. He jumped a kicked releasing another blast of fire that was completely blue and jumped again sending another blast even hotter. Then he landed and punched with both fists sending a giant wave of extremely hot white fire at Iroh. Iroh blocked the attacks each one becoming harder for him to attack until the last blast of white fire hit him and knocked him off of his feet. He rolled on the ground then said, "Enough."
He stood up and patted the dust off him then said, "You have just learned firebending and yet your fire is extremely strong and probably the hottest fire I have ever seen. You have achieved something that I though impossible, you created white fire."
Nazca raised his eyebrows, "Really, I felt it get hotter but it was white?"
Iroh nodded his head, "Yes. After seeing that performance I believe that you are ready to become a member of the order of the white lotus. Are you willing to accept the philosophy of the order and become a member."
"Yes,"
"Then I Grand Master Iroh of the fire nation declare that you Nazca of the water tribe are from now on to be not only a member of the order of the white lotus but also a fellow Grand Master, do you accept this position of authority?"
"I do,"
"Then rise fellow Grand Master Nazca."