Title: The Southern Wolf
Genre: Action/Adventure/Humor
Summary: He had been plague by dreams for years. Dreams of going to great adventures, getting into lots of trouble, battling countless enemies, and meeting new friends. He had been preparing himself for visions that may never come to be, until said visions came true.
CHAPTER 3
The Southern Air Temple
---Uhg! Sleep now. Air Temple later.---
---AHHHHH! Getitoffgetitoffgetitoff!---
---Hey! Who took my blubbered tiger-seal jerkey?---
---Darn! No wonder the campire smelled so tasty last night.---
Sokka awoke at the sound of Aang's and Katara's voice. He have a habit of mentally waking up early while the rest of his body remains asleep, thus allowing him to be aware of his surroundings without anyone else knowing. It's a handy skill that allows him to eavesdrop on people's conversation nearby without getting noticed.
"I'm sure you'll like the Southern Air Temple, Katara. It's one of the most beautiful places in the world." Aang's excited voice said nearby.
"Aang, you shouldn't be too excited about it. I mean, it's been a hundred years." Katara's voice said hesitantly, which was appropriate considering what the Fire Nation did to the Air Nomads a hundred years ago.
"That's why I'm so excited. I mean, wow! I haven't seen my room in one hundred years."
Sokka then heard someone approaching him, probably Aang going to wake him up since he could barely hear the person's footstep on the ground. Besides, Katara have big feet.
He heard Aang picking something up, probably a small branch he could use to poke him. "Sokka, wake up! There's a rattle snake crawling on you."
Instead of panicking, Sokka's hand lashed out and grabbed the before his oher hand, which had been holding a single boomerang during his sleep, lashed out and slashed the wooden branch in two. "Huh? Where's my snake barbecue?" His mouth said out loud before his mind could stop it.
"O-kay. . . no more waking Sokka up with practical jokes." Aang said nervously, very glad that he used a brach instead of his hands.
Katara, meanwhile, was giggling very hard in the background. "Sorry, Aang. I should have told you Sokka have a bad habit of being armed even when sleeping."
"Um, I'll try to remember that." The young monk said promising himself to never ever wake the young Water Tribe boy like that ever again unless he wants a part of his body cut off.
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Zuko scowled as his battered ship was anchored onto the dock beside the much larger and much newer Fire Nation Navy ships. Walking down into the harbor with his uncle beside him, he said, "I want the ship repaired and fully restocked as soon as possible. We need to get back on their trail or else we might lose track of them."
Looking back at the battered ship, Iroh said, "Restocking will take half a day. May be a few hours at most. But the repairs might take a while. The Southern Wolf and the Avat . . ."
"Don't mention that out loud, uncle!" Zuko hissed angrily. "If anyone else knew we found the Avatar they would start hunting him down. It would just mean more competition for me. You must never mention . . ."
"Mention what, Prince Zuko?" Came the very familiar, and very unwanted voice nearby.
Turning, both uncle and nephew saw a unoformed soldier walking towards them. He was a huge man, in his late thirties, strong build.
"Captain Zhao." Zuko greeted out of formality's sake, almost making it sound like a curse. Internally, that was his intention. He really hates this man.
"It's Commander Zhao now, my prince." Zhao, the bastard, said smugly before turning to greet the lder man. "And General Iroh. It's good to see one of the Fire Nation's war heroes. What brings you to my harbor?"
"Hello, Commander. And that's retired general." The old man greeted pleasantly.
Zhao gave a nod and took a good look at the prince's old and battered ship and said, "It seems you're ship went through a tough battle."
Both uncle and nephew look at each other, trying to silently tell each other to make up an excuse to get out of Zhao's interogating voice.
Finally, Zuko turned to the commander and said, "Of course. It was a very hard battle. And, um, my uncle here would be very glad to tell you how it went."
"Me? Ehem! I mean, yes. ME. All I could tell you is that it was a feirce battle. Our enemies ambushed us and took out half the crew in minutes." It wasn't a total lie. The crash that resulted from the falling ice glacier had injured some of the crew the first time and the young Water Tribe boy incapacitated eight soldiers right after. Being a small ship, Zuko only has a total of twenty seven men.
"I see." Zhao said smoothly, too smoothly for Iroh's taste. The old war hero also noticed Zhao's eyes taking a small glimpse at the boomerang sheated on the prince's belt. "Very well. Your men are welcome to my dock's supply warehouse for resupplies and repairs. While we wait, would you two care to join me for a spot of tea?"
Frowning at the idea of spending more time with the hated comander, Zuko immediately declined and said, "Sorry. But we are in a hurry and would need to sail out as soon as possible."
"Now, now, Prince Zuko. Please remember your manners." Iroh lectured at his nephew before turning good naturedly at the commander and saying, "We would be delighted to join you, Commander Zhao. Tell me, do you, perhaps, have jasmine tea. It's my favorite."
Seeing his uncle walk off with the commander, Zuko can't help but grit his teeth and follow.
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"HEy! Who took my blabbered tiger seal jerkey?" Sokka whinned as he overturn the sack of said jerkey only to come up empty.
"That was food? Sorry. I used it to light the camp fire last night." Aang said apologetically while steering Appa through the mountain skies.
Sokka groaned at that. "No wonder the camp fire smelled tasty last night!"
Katara, sitting beside Aang, would have laugh at the funny sight if her mind wasn't thinking of something else, something that Aang would find terrible.
"I'm hungry." Sokka complained once more, his stomach grumbling loud enough to be heard.
"Don't worry, Sokka. The Southern Air Temple have a huge fruits garden that blossoms all year round. There's sure to be lots of food there." The monk said enthusiastically. He then started describing everything he could remember about his home, he people that had lived there, his friends, the animals living around the temple, even some of the festivals that occurs yearly.
"Um, Aang, there's something I have to tell you first before we get to the temple." Katara begun softly, cutting off his happy tirade.
"Like what? I mean, sure I've been gone for the last hundred years but I'm sure not everything had changed."
Katara groaned internally at the monk's innocent expression. She really hated being the bearer of bad news. "Aang, the Fire Nation attacked the Air Nomads at the start of the war. As far as we know, he left no survivors."
"W-what?" Aang asked in shock just as Appa passed over the last mountain range.
The site that greeted them wasn't pretty. The Southern Air Temple, a huge monastey situated on top of a very high and vertically steep mountain accessible only by air, used to be a place teeming with life. Air bisons and lemur could be seen flying everywhere and the monks fly nesides these magestic animals with their gliders.
But now, the temple lay in ruins. No animals could be seen anywhere. Tens of scrapped Fire Nation battle tanks are scattered all around the temple. A hundred and more skeletal bodies in Fire Nation armor and Air Nomad tunics littered all over the place.
Katara gasped at the sight while Sokka grimanced just thinking of what Aang must be feeling ight now.
Aang himself was shocked. He blinked several times hoping all of this was just a dream but the site remained as it is. His home, the very place where he was born and grew up, had been desecrated.
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"Ah. That hit the spot. The tea was excellent, Commander Zhao." Iroh said pleasantly.
"Thank you, General Iroh. I do enjoy a good cup of ginseng tea." The commander said diplomatically, making Zuko, who's been sitting quietly by the side, almost gag in disgust.
"I'm quite partial to jasmine tea myself. It is my favorite blend." The retired general added.
Zhao gave the older man an oily smile. Then he turned to the pouting prince and said, "So, anyway, how has your quest coming along?"
"I don't think it's any of your business, Zhao." The prince said hotly.
Zhao gave a nasty smirk in return. "I beg to differ, my prince. The resappearance of the Avatar is a concern of all Fire Nation soldiers. Your men were quite helpful during their interrogation. Not to worry. None of your men were harmed, merely asked some questions. They were also quite vocal about a certain savage from the Southern Water Tribe that single handedly incapacitated half of your crew."
"Bastard!" Zuko raged, his uncle holding him back from attacking the commander.
"Commander Zhao, you would do well than to under estimate the Avatar's power. And if that's not enough, he is under the protection of the Southern Wolf, a most formidable enemy despite his young age." Iroh said gravely.
Zhao smirk. He had a comeback for that as well. "On the contrary, General Iroh, I feel you are merely over estimating that savage's skills. He is but a nobody from a tribe our nation had reduced to almost nothing. And according to your men, the Avatar is but a child and had clearly haven't learned to weild the rest of the elements. Capturing them as they are should have been child's play. Clearly, it shows these two years of exile had made you lose your fighting spirit."
Zuko gritted his teeth. "Don't give out insults if you're not prepared to face the consequences, Zhao. I'm the one who's going to capture the Avatar and destroy Sokka the Southern Wolf. No one else is going to stop me from gaining back my honour!"
"Is that a challenge in Agni Kai, Prince Zuko?" Zhao was smirking now. It had been so easy to bait the htheaded exiled prince.
Iroh, seeing through Zhao's plan, tried to intervene. "Of course it's not, Commander Zhao. The prince is merely stating his plans for his quest. No need to loose your heads over such significant thing."
But Iroh's pleas was ignored as Zuko declared, "You and me, in Agni Kai. Pier. One hour!"
And with the challenge set, Zuko stormed out of the room to prepare himself, leaving the groaning Iroh and the smug looking Zhao.
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The pier was filled with expectators. No one wanted to miss the duel between Commander Zhao and the exiled Prince of the Fire Nation.
The duel is to take place on a raised platform used by the soldiers for just that purpose.
As stated in the rules of Agni Kai, both men are now taking off their upper clothes and would do battle using firebending and hand to hand to settle their disputes.
"Remember, nephew, Zhao's greatest flaw is his arrogance. If you stick to the basics, you may just win this one." Iroh said, giving Zuko some last minutes coaching.
"Don't worry, Uncle. I know I can win this." Zuko said as he gave his clothes and weapon t his uncle, the boomerang laying on tp of his cothes.
Iroh had to give his nephew points for confidence. But still, Zhao has been in twenty duels in Agni Kai and he had won all but three, one of which Iroh himself had been his opponent. Zhao is very good at firebending, almost too good. He really needs to investigate Zhao's past duels to make sure there was no foul play involve.
As soon as Iroh left the dueling platform, both Zuko and Zhao faced each other in the standard firebending stances.
"Are you ready to lose the last shred of your honor, Zuko?" The commander taunted smugly.
"That's still Prince Zuko to you, Zhao. We'll see which one of us would lose his honor today." Zuko shot back with equal venom.
Serving as the judge, Iroh shouted, "BEGIN!"
Being the more impatient of the two, Zuko attacked first, leaping towards the older man with several blasts of fire from his arms and legs.
Confident in his ability, Zhao stayed in place either blocking or redirecting the fire attacks successfully. As soon as he saw the younger man falter, he leapt into attack.
Zuko was barely able to dodge his opponent's attacks. Zhao was more powerful and has experience on his side. The prince's tenacity and greater speed barely managed to equalize the missmatch. It seems for every two dodge, the younger man was grazed by Zhao's flames.
The roar of the crowd was deftening but Zuko would only see his opponent and no one else.
For the next several minutes, Zuko did his best to dodge every attack Zhao threw at him. It was clear that the commander had been playing with the young prince the entire time and only dragging the fight longer than necessary to humiliate the younger man.
Zuko tried a burning sweep kick but Zhao managed to jump over it and make the first critical strike in the match, a flaming punch in the chest.
Zuko summersaulted away to lessen the blow but it had blew the air out of him, stunning him for a moment.
Zhao, now feeling certain of his victory, decided to taunt the young prince for a moment with a 'come hee' gesture. When Zuko refused to take the bait, Zhao leapt at him once more, thinking of finally ending the match.
Suddenly hearing his uncle's voice within the crowd, he took a split second to think of the best strategy to at least prevent himself from getting killed. Finally deciding tio heed his uncle's advice, he went back to the basics and took a very deep breath before releasing it in a huge breath of fireless heat as soon as Zhao was near enough.
Surprised by the unorthodox move, Zhao was stunned by the sudden blast of heat. It was just enough time for Zuko to gather all of his power for his next attack, hoping not to miss or else he would definitely loose. Fortunately for him, the flaming double palm attack hit the stunned commander in the middle of his chest, blasting him off of the platform into the crowd.
He had won. Zuko had beaten Zhao in Agni Kai. It took a few seconds to regain enough of his strength to stand tall and raise his fist to the cheeing crowd. It felt good to be appreciated.
"That was a good match, Prince Zuko." Iroh congratulated proudly as he walk towards his nephew, bringing his clothes and weapon back to him.
It was rare times like this that Zuko actually produce one of his genuine smiles. "Thank You, Uncle Iroh."
Suddenly, the whoe crowd tensed as an enraged Zhao suddenly jumped back into the platform and shot a huge fire ball at Zuko's back.
Acting on instincts, Zuko grabbed the boomerang from his uncle and threw it at the approaching fire ball. The spinning boomerang slashed through the ball, splitting it in two that blew the edge of the platform on each side of him. The weapon continued to fly and had grazed Zhao on the raised right hand, only to fly on a return arc and stuck Zhao on the left shoulder, elliciting a cry of pain from the older man.
Adrenaline finally receeding, Zuko started feeling the commulative pain he had gotten during the duel. All he wanted was to pass out right there and then but through force of will, he took several steady steps towrds the down man.
"By Law of the Agni Kai, I have every right to take your life with out reprecussions for attacking me after my victory. But I won't." Zuko said emotionlessly at the seething Zhao, who knew better than to think he would get away from attacking the prince after his victory a second time.
The commander grit his teeth in pain as Zuko pulled out the boomerang so suddenly. "I and I alone will be the one to capture the Avatar and destroy Sokka the Southern Wolf, probably by driving this thing through his heart. You will provide me with everything me and my men will need to make that happen and neither you or anyone under you will question my authority ever again. Are we clear, Zhao?"
Zhao knew he either agree or die right there and then. Choosing to ive to fight another day, Zhao said, "Very well, You Highness."
"Good." Zuko smirked as he stood up, holding the bloody boomerang in front of the downed man. "This single blade managed to cut you in seconds. Imagine six of this blades in a hand of a master inside a thick fog, each blade flying all around you. Then, imagine the power of the four elements backing down the master of these blades. These are the people me and my men are going after. I will need all the help I can get. And you, Zhao, will provide me with that help."
"Yes, my prince."
There were whispers and murmering among the crowds. By the sound of things, the prince is going to a suicide mission going againts not only the Avatar, but also againts the new warrior, Sokka the Southern Wolf, who seems to have gained another title, Sokka of the Six Blades thanks to the prince's description.
"IS the prince really going after those monsters? He'll die!" one soldier said.
"He could but I don't think it would stop him."
"He's desperate. The Fire Lord wouldn't reinstate him as heir to the throne unless he brings the Avatar to the Fire Nation."
"I still think it's unfair. We finally have a decent Fire Lord-to-be and he got stuck with an impossible task."
"If anyone could do it, it would be Prince Zuko."
"But the Avatar have the Southern Wolf guarding him."
"According to the prince's men, he's just a young savage from the Southern Water Tribe. He doesn't sound like too much of a problem."
"Don't be so sure. Reports from the Eastern Seas confirms we have lost a dozen navy ships againts wooden ships flying the Southern Water Tribe flags. We must not underestimate them."
"That's one way to put it. I saw the damage done on Prince Zuko's ship. According to the prince's men, that Water Tribe boy had done it without the help of the Avatar."
"I still say Sokka of the Six Blades is a better title, if what the prince say about the weapons he use is true."
"Yeah. Could you imagine fighting someone who weilds six of those things like a master?"
"LEt's hope the prince succeeds. I like the idea of serving under a man with such determination."
"I agree. We'll help as much as we can."
Iroh, hearing the conversation all around him, couldn't help but smile proudly at his nephew. The young prince had not only won Zhao's unwilling support, but the men's loyalty as well.
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Aang stood erect at the ruins of the temple's courtyard looking at the sky. He could almost feel the souls lingering around the entire place. He could just imagine their voices shouting for justice and revenge for their gruesome death in battle.
He, Katara, and Sokka had explored the entire place and found nothing but skeletal remains and the lingering scent of battle.
"It's terrible." Came Katara's sad voice as she walk into the courtyard, a slemn Sokka by her side.
Sokka nodded grimly. "What I don't understand is why the vegetation and wild life haven't returned to this place? I mean, it's almost been a hundred years already."
Speaking for the first time, Aang said gravely, "The spirits are restless. The earth has been stained. As long as death lingers here, no life could ever grow from this place."
There was silence for the moment, each one trying to shake off the lingering cold in the air. None of them could see spirits for the moment but all of them could feel the dead's syffering in the air.
Aang felt ashamed. As the Avatar, it's his duty to prevent things like this happening. Due to his selfishness, he had runaway, and thus got trapped in ice for a hundred years. He couldn't imagine how many more deaths he had caused because he wasn't there to prevent it?
Sokka saw guilt eating at his new friend. Somehow, he knew exactly how he felt. Feeling responsible for so many deaths is a burden that should not be shouldered by someone so young, so innocent. Just looking at him brought out several past dreams that he had the last two years, all showing deaths of people he never had met before. Each time he felt the guilt and the hopelessness of preventing said deaths, despite the fact that all of it have been just a dream.
He could see the same guilt in Aang's eyes and he decided then and there that he would not allow his new friend to shoulder all the burden alone. He took several deteermined steps towards the monk and put both hands on Aang's shoulder. "Let's go, Avatar. It's time you get back to work."
The airbender was surprised at his friend's sudden changed of mood. He could see the decisiveness in his blue eyes. Also, it was the very first time Sokka had called him by his title when for the past few days he calls him either 'buddy', 'dude', 'airbender', or his given name. Sokka must be serious to finally call him Avatar so Aang asked, "What do you mean, Sokka?"
Sokka took a deep breathe before staring straight at the Avatar's eyes. "You are the Avatar, the bridge between the mortal and spirit world. You are the master of the elements, deliverer of justice, worldwide peacekeeper, and overall conflict solver. What's more conflicting than all these restless souls lingering about?"
"B-but what should I do? I may be the Avatar but I'm still just a kid. I haven't even fully mastered my airbending yet. I don't know how to bend the rest of the elements. I don't even know where to begin looking for a teacher. Also, I never wanted to be the Avatar in the first place! All I ever wanted was to be just a normal kid and trave the world! Thanks to my selfishness, I ran away from home, got trapped in the ice fo a hundred yeras, and cause the deaths of thousands because of my absense! How could I be worthy of being Avatar? How? How!? HOW!? TELL ME HOW!!!"
SLAP!!!
Aang's incoherent babbling stopped dead on its track by the sudden pain on his left cheek and the set of warm arms that wrapped around him from the side a second later. He started crying in the middle of his rant and the slap from Katara had stopped that too.
Sokka, who was blinking at what his sister did, smiled proudly and said, "Good job, Katara. I would have punched him and he would have likely loose a tooth."
"I did what I had to, Sokka. And Aang, my brother's right, for once. You are the Avatar. You'll find a way. And we'll be there to help you." She buried her head in the monk's left side, showing support as best she can.
Sokka studied Aang's face intently, seeing it shift from guilt for his selfishness, to sorrow for the loss of lives, to acceptance of his fate, to happiness for his companions, and then, finally, to determination to make everything right again.
The older teen then gave the Avatar a smile as he said, "Tell us, Avatar, what must we do?"
Aang contemplated for a few minutes before finally answering in a voice that's deserving of his title. "We are going to give them a proper burial. All of them. And then, I'll see to guiding all these souls into the Spirit World."
Both Sokka and Katara disengage themselves from Aang so that they could stand in front of him. Then, both siblings gave the monk a respectful bow and said in unison, "As you command, Avatar Aang."
And with that proclamation, the spirits of all past Avatars rejoiced. A new Avatar had accepted his duty and joined their ranks as guardian of the world.
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Avatar temples all throughout the world reacted at the same time, signaling the return of the Avatar.
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"Bring news to the Fire Lord. The Avatar has returned." The chief Fire Sage ordered to one of the other priests as he watch the glowing eyes of the statue of Avatar Roku in the Avatar Temle in Cresent Island.
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"Father!" Shouted a white haired princess as she stepped out of the entrance of the Spirit Oasis in the North Pole.
"What is it, daughter?"
"Tui and La had showed me Avatar has awakened."
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"Spread the good news. The Avatar is alive." The Earth priest shouted in glee at Kyoshi's Temple as Kyoshi's ceremonial battle fans illuminate the entire chamber.
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