End of the Hunt:
"Faster, Eyuta, faster!"
The Luxiyi raced along the canyon cliffs rapidly, kicking up tiny grains of dirt into the air as he ran. His prey was flying along the canyon below, smoothly winging its way between the rock columns. Eyuta was keeping pace, yet the canyon cliffs were starting to become unstable. The ground ahead of them was crumbling and shifting, worn away by the ages. The day was quiet, yet Jahn could feel trepidation. Hunting spirits was never a task to be taken lightly.
He hadn't really considered how he was going to corner the spirit, so he kept his eyes peeled for an opening. This chase had gone on for weeks now, leading Jahn all over the spirit world and back into this one. He'd been intending to return but this had forced his hand.
A screech made Jahn glance behind him over his shoulder. From between all the cracks and caves hidden away in the Great Divide, canyon crawlers poured into the canyon and set off after them in pursuit, clinging to the walls and swarming the ground.
"Fantastic," Jahn muttered. As though this wasn't difficult enough.
Eyuta had drawn level with the spirit by now, so Jahn shouted down to it, hoping he could reason with it.
"Great Qi-lóng, please stop! We need to talk!" he yelled, aware his words were immediately whipped away by the wind.
The Great Air Spirit turned one eye his way, showing it had heard. Qi-lóng didn't stop, however. If anything, it drove forward with even greater effort, pulling away.
The Avatar gritted his teeth. He needed to get ahead of it somehow, yet that seemed impossible now. Just as he considered his next action, part of the Great Divide ahead seemed to explode. From the explosion emerged a gigantic canyon crawler with burning red eyes, six legs and two sets of buzzing wings on its back. A sharp, hooked stinger glinted on the back of its abdomen, promising pain. It leapt from the wall just as Qi-lóng passed, tackling the giant dragon-spirit to the canyon floor.
Jahn watched in awe as the Elemental swiped at the canyon crawler with its tail, knocking it back. The canyon crawler jumped forward, clamping down on the spirit's tail with tremendous jaws. Qi-lóng roared in response, blasting the canyon crawler with a hurricane force gale from its own mouth.
The canyon crawler Queen managed to unfurl its wings, taking into the air slowly above Qi-lóng. Eyuta was almost on them now, but Jahn didn't want to get involved in the skirmish between the two titans. Instead, he looked down in the canyon and considered the hordes of canyon crawlers converging on Qi-lóng. If they reached the spirit, there would be too many to resist.
They were still emerging from the rocks all along the Divide walls, seemingly infinite in number. They clambered down the walls in a hurry, although some seemed to have a small set of wings akin to the Queen's. These canyon-fliers immediately took to the air, flitting around at random.
Jahn pulled himself up on Eyuta's saddle so he was crouched awkwardly, feeling very unbalanced as Eyuta raced along. As he drew level with the two fighting titans, he patted Eyuta on the side of his neck and leapt from the saddle, falling down into the canyon. Jahn spotted a canyon-flier just below him, so he kicked with his feet, directing his fall with some Airbending. He crashed into the canyon-flier, knocking it out of the air. They both plummeted down, the canyon-flier screeching loudly, attracting the attention of the others. They all turned around, flying with haste to where one of their own was in trouble.
The canyon floor was fast approaching, so Jahn twisted himself around and span quickly, igniting the air in front of him as he aimed for a huge stone column. He crashed through it, bursting it apart with Earthbending, continuing all the way through until he hit the canyon floor on the other side. Jahn landed hard, feeling the wind knocked totally from his lungs. He felt battered and bruised, yet he'd survived the fall. For an Earthbender, he seemed to spend an inordinate amount of time flying through the air lately, he thought ruefully.
His survival would be short lived, however, if he allowed the canyon crawlers to converge on him. They were scattering along the walls, turning the usual brown rocks into a mass of sprawling black limbs. Jahn slowly stood up, facing the oncoming threat as Qi-lóng fought the Queen behind him. Their struggle was knocking huge boulders down into the canyon, which Jahn grabbed with Earthbending and hurled at the crawlers on the wall. He managed to knock a good many down but their numbers seemed barely affected.
Jahn's need to talk to Qi-lóng was still gnawing away at the back of his mind. He hadn't come this far to be stopped by these things. He inhaled deeply, filling himself with air as he cleared his mind. He pictured the crawlers, on both walls and scuttling along the canyon floor. He pictured precisely what he wanted, felt the energy rise within him.
Jahn unleashed the Avatar State.
His eyes flashed white as he span around, twisting his arms in an intricate pattern. The air around all swirled quickly, shifting dust and small stones with it. After a few seconds, Jahn's eyes flashed once more and he thrust his arms out in front of him quickly. The immense winds he generated tore down the canyon, focused into a gigantic stream of air by the shape of the canyon, ripping the crawlers from the walls and tearing the fliers out of the air. They all lifted into the sky and were pushed away by the hurricane-force wind, blasted back as if fired from a cannon. Jahn turned, his eyes still glowing, separating the energies within himself. Sparks flew from his fingers as he watched the Queen turn towards him, concerned for her children.
"Leave us alone!" he yelled at the Queen, pointing one hand at it aggressively. Lightning ripped forth, tearing through the air and hitting the Queen in one wing, burning a giant hole straight through it. The lightning carried on down its wing, clearly shocking the creature as it spread through its body. The Queen screamed once and fell to the floor, sparks flying from its extremities. After a few tense seconds, the legs twitched and the Queen stood. It looked at Jahn with a fearful expression, turning tail and fleeing. It scuttled back into the giant hole it had emerged from, vanishing completely.
Qi-lóng appeared to be in fair health, although it was observing its tail, which seemed to be steaming slightly. A strange purple smoke was emerging from the wound, evaporating in the air instantly. When it looked over at Jahn, the Avatar threw his arms in the air in exasperation.
"Goddam it Qi-lóng, weeks of bloody chasing you and I only wanted to talk!" he shouted at the spirit, angry at all the wasted time.
The dragon-spirit looked offended. It swished its tail, uncomfortable, sending the colourful smoke billowing into the air. It seemed to focus and the wound healed instantly, the smoke ending immediately.
Jahn instantly regretted his choice of words. The Great Air Spirit deserved more respect than that, yet his temper was fully justified. Even though the spirit had been hunted by the Spirit Eaters, Jahn was trying to help. "Qi-lóng. We haven't met, but I'm the Avatar. I tried to stop the Spirit Eaters from taking your life," he said at last, after a few quick breaths to calm down.
"I know your face, Avatar. I also know what you tried to do. I am still here, so you succeeded in that task. My fellow Elemental was destroyed, however, by the humans we sought to live in peace with," Qi-lóng said in an angry sounding voice. "How do I know you are not in league with them?"
Jahn frowned. "Ask the Air Nation. Surely you'd believe your own people," he said.
"Some of them have turned against me. I cannot trust just any human," the spirit replied.
"Do you know Master Tenzin? Master Jinora? Her children, Aana and Ioran? I'm sure they'd vouch for me," Jahn said hopefully.
Qi-lóng looked down on him, blinking at the mention of Aana's name. "I know the child. She is the most spiritual Airbender I have encountered for some time. I know you saved her life, Avatar, so I shall listen to what you have to say for her sake."
Jahn smiled, pleased. He spotted Eyuta in the distance, jumping down into the canyon carefully. "I've been chasing the Spirit Eaters down in the spirit world, making sure they don't kill any more spirits. They're not the issue anymore, though. They've done their damage; spirits and humans are killing each other and I need it to stop."
"This war is your doing, Avatar. Had you acted sooner, it may have been prevented. I advised that action needed to be taken, yet—"
"Don't give me that crap!" Jahn retorted quickly. "It wasn't from lack of trying, I can tell you. Get off your pedestal and tell me what I need to know without the lofty superiority," he scolded.
Qi-lóng frowned. Still, it lowered its head to Jahn's level, watching him with enormous eyes. "Ask, Avatar. I shall tell you what I know."
"First things first. I know about your loss; the Water Elemental was destroyed and I'm so sorry about that. Is there any chance to revive it? Replace it?" Jahn asked.
Qi-lóng blinked in surprise. "I may have been mistaken in questioning your commitment to your duties. You ask a wise question, Avatar. We are not all-powerful; our power barely begins to rival that of Raava or Vaata. Still, when one of us is destroyed, our energy is returned to the one who gifted it to us in the first place, so that it can be gifted to a spirit worthy of the title Elemental."
"Gifted energy?"
"Indeed. The Soul Shaper is the one who keeps spiritual balance. I believe you have already met; I can sense some of her power in you," Qi-lóng said.
Jahn sighed. "We've met," he confirmed. "So the Soul Shaper will restore the Water Elemental?"
Qi-lóng nodded slowly. "Whenever she sees fit. I am concerned that she is waiting for this war to end before this happens. It would be a tragedy for one spirit to rise, only to be destroyed once again. Balance cannot be restored until this war is over."
"Well I'm working on that. It's going to take quite a statement to get everyone to stop fighting though," Jahn muttered glumly.
Qi-lóng sniffed as Eyuta passed by it, walking over to Jahn's side. "Your choice of companion does not help your cause, Avatar. You say you stop these Spirit Eaters, yet your ally here is a literal version of that title."
"Eyuta doesn't hunt spirits anymore. We came to an understanding," Jahn said with a quick wry smile, stroking Eyuta's snout gently. "Which is what I'm hoping can happen between our two worlds. I'm the bridge, yet nobody seems willing to help rebuild it."
"You must win back the trust of both spirits and humans alike, Avatar. Both believe you have abandoned this cause, walked out on us when we most needed your guidance," Qi-lóng explained wisely.
Jahn clenched his fist, feeling the emotion rise as his thoughts immediately turned to his father. Walking out when he was needed? That sounded startlingly familiar. "Well I'm back now. How do I make everyone listen to me then?" he asked in a voice thick with emotion.
The Great Air Spirit raised its head, stretching its neck into the air. It flapped its wings and reared up onto its hind legs, an impressive creature through and through. When it fell back onto its front legs, it looked directly at Jahn with a determined expression. "You must find the culprit responsible for this war and ensure they are punished. Only then will we take you seriously, Avatar."
Wings unfurled, the spirit took into the air, soaring out of the canyon within a few beats of its gigantic wings. It took only seconds for Qi-lóng to vanish completely into the clouds, leaving Jahn stood in the Great Divide, unsure of his next step.
Anik watched Tilia closely. She seemed less irritable now they were out of Southern Water Tribe territory, yet the young woman was still far from her usual cheery self. He sat next to Kuan, eating the watery potato dish but barely aware of the taste. Tilia was over by the boat, bending small balls of metal into the water with aggressive speed.
"Reckon she's alright?" he asked Kuan without taking his eyes off Tilia. Kuan had barely been with them a few months but Anik reasoned that was plenty enough time to form an honest opinion.
His boyfriend scratched his head. "I wouldn't say she's coping well. I think all the fighting everywhere has taken a toll on all of us, to be honest."
Anik frowned. "Yeah, you're not wrong. Still, I think she's regretting coming down here. She left her family when she could have stayed with them, just to chase a rumour about Jahn. Now he's shown up in the United Republic, so it's essentially a wasted trip."
"Oh, charming!" Kuan said in an offended tone.
Anik chuckled. "Well, one good thing came of it," he said, taking Kuan's hand and giving it a light squeeze. "I guess the war's done more than just physical damage to some of us," he murmured.
They were currently docked at a small southern Earth Kingdom port at the bottom of some steep white cliffs. The town above was hustling with activity, so they'd kept down by the boat. The port was tiny, barely able to contain 4 boats, linked with the village above by a worryingly steep path carved into the side of the cliff.
"Hey, cheer up. I hear the town above is having some festival tomorrow in honour of the Avatar. Look, they've just started making these little Aangs!" Kuan said with a smile, holding up the unfried dough. He took a bite, immediately spitting it out again. "Urgh! Never mind, they taste horrible…" he complained.
Anik chuckled under his breath. Chin Village was notorious for their annual Avatar celebration, still being held regardless of the current war ravaging the land. They didn't seem to let the war dampen their spirits, however, in both the metaphorical and literal sense.
The Waterbender looked down at this bowl, suddenly no longer hungry. He placed it down on the floor and looked up from the small fence he was perched on, aware Tilia was approaching. He smiled as she did so, pleased she was socialising again. "Hey there, long time no see," Anik joked.
Tilia gave him an unwilling smile. It disappeared from her face as quick as it came, replaced with her usual moody look. "Have you finished? We need to get some supplies from town and set off by the evening," she told him.
Anik nodded. "Fine by me. Kuan, would you mind staying with the boat? We shouldn't be long," he said to his partner, giving him a quick kiss on the cheek. Anik slid off the wooden fencing and nodded towards the steps carved into the cliffs. "After you, m'lady. I'd rather an Earthbender goes first…" the Waterbender said with a slightly concerned look.
They reached the top with no difficulties, although Anik was red in the face and out of breath. He managed the last few steps holding his thighs, a vein popping in his forehead. Tilia couldn't help but smirk as she watched him straighten up, breathing in deep. "A little out of shape?" she asked sarcastically.
Anik waved at her weakly. "Hey, this is what happens in a relationship. I should get out more," he joked. Tilia shook her head, her dark red hair swishing to and fro. They steadily made their way into the town, browsing shops and stalls for various items. After purchasing some required items, Anik stuffed them into his bag and patted it thrice. "I think that's everything. Anything you can think of?" he asked Tilia. When she shrugged, the Waterbender nodded. "Fine by me. To the boat!" he yelled as he pointed dramatically down the street.
Before they could even take a step, however, a woman screamed somewhere behind them. A man was running haphazardly down the street clutching his head, which appeared to be shifting as he ran. His entire body was becoming strangely plant-like, hands turning into gnarled stumps and vines twisted out of his skin. Before the man could reach them, however, he fell to the floor. Crawling along, he finally shuddered and lay still, a strange plant and human hybrid. When Anik took a step closer, a flash of light beamed from the body and a spirit emerged. A floating plant-like behemoth, it towered above them. Instead of fighting, however, it immediately jumped into a nearby stall-owner, causing the woman to drop to her knees in pain.
"NO!" Tilia yelled, jumping forward. She immediately lifted two metal vases from the stall and aimed them at the woman, knocking her down but having no effect.
"Tilia, wait!" Anik shouted. Looking around, he spotted a nearby ostrich-horse with two large urns on either side of its saddle. Feeling the liquid within, Anik bent the water out of the urns and at the woman, creating a sphere of water round her head. The woman clearly couldn't breathe, as her eyes turned wide and even more panicked. After a few seconds, however, there was another flash of light and the spirit jumped from the woman's body. Anik immediately withdrew the sphere of water, allowing the woman to cough up whatever water she'd inhaled and lie there retching.
The spirit lumbered away down the street, people diving out of its way as it ran slowly away. It turned a corner and disappeared from view, although the shouts and screams could still be heard even from where they were. It wasn't long until everything settled down, however, so Anik and Tilia finally relaxed and ran over to the injured woman.
She looked up at them, hair sopping wet, fear still clear on her face. "It's alright, don't worry," Anik said gently. "It's gone," he promised. As Tilia clutched the woman's hands, reassuring her, Anik walked over to the man who still lay prone on the floor. Another person who wouldn't get back up as a result of the war. It had already taken so many.
The villagers all gathered round as Anik nodded down at the man. "Somebody please make sure he's given a funeral he deserves. No mystic burial rubbish, no prejudices. He was killed by a spirit; he's a casualty of war so make sure he's remembered for the man he was, not what he looked like when he died," he said in an uncharacteristically commanding tone. He'd seen enough fear of anything spiritual over the last year. The man was deformed and different now but that shouldn't stop the Chin villagers from paying their respects.
As they all nodded, Anik pushed through the crowd and moved over to Tilia. He gently took her hand, pulling her to her feet and leading her away from the woman. When she protested, he shook his head. "Come on. The town needs to deal with this themselves."
"How did you know how to save her though?" Tilia whispered.
"Spirits kill if they stay in a body for too long. If you make them feel as though they're in danger even inside the body, like by drowning them, they panic and leave. It's the only way to get them out," Anik said, his face disgusted.
Tilia made a small 'oh' noise and looked down at the floor as they walked back towards the cliffs. She squeezed Anik's hand and gave him a quick smile as thanks. "Look at you, all grown up and serious now," she said with a hint of sadness in her voice.
Anik didn't respond. She had a point. Growing up had always seemed like an optional part of life, yet here he was playing the hero and being the wise one. The casual, flippant Anik who had travelled the spirit world seemed like a different person now. In one way or another, war made casualties of them all.
The messenger hawk landed on his arm and fluttered its wings, picking at one with a hooked beak. He took the letter from its leg and placed the hawk down on its perch.
The scroll was tightly rolled so he unfurled it with both hands, holding it up to the light to read it better. So the Avatar had cleared the Cooling Caves as expected. It wasn't a surprise but it was good to know that his son was performing as expected. If Jahn was easy to anticipate, he wasn't a threat.
Rizem crunched the parchment into a small ball, throwing it in the fire with a lazy throw. He watched the flames dance and the embers rise for a few moments, considering his position. The caravan hadn't been the most comfortable method of travel, yet he'd required a discreet way out of that village. The kid, Kolu, had more than certainly dropped the Spirit Eater hint by now, which meant Jahn found his letter and would be searching for him. Kolu had proved himself valuable; Rizem had a knack for finding the right people for the job and the Earthbender had certainly acted his part as an unwitting pawn. The bandits had been very conveniently after the crystals for a specific reason. Jahn passed the test but had shown his hand too early. He shared Rizem's flair for the dramatic, it seemed.
He hadn't seen his son for quite some time. Not since the Red Lotus incident. As Rizem had evacuated Republic City, he had witnessed his son arriving at the City Hall with the Airbenders to discuss the future of the city. Rizem had instantly seen the resemblance; Jahn shared his hair, his jawline, his physique. His eyes were his mothers, however. Rizem's own were a dark green, akin to the tunic he wore. He hadn't stayed long to watch. He'd headed from there to the morgue, where Scarlett's body had been taken immediately upon the Republic City Police's arrival at the scene.
The Red Lotus had proven fairly useless, although they had shown him the lengths his son was willing to go to stop any threats. Furthermore, it had turned out that provoking the spirits to fight wasn't so easy. If Vehrin hadn't gone rogue…
It had soon dawned on him that he'd required more direct methods. Upon leaving Republic City, he'd gone to seek wisdom in the place he'd always found it: his own father.
The hawk screeched loudly; Rizem's head snapped round to glance at the disturbance. The wagon shook slightly, indicating a thief. He grabbed his knife in one smooth movement and threw it inside the wagon without even standing up. When he heard a squeal, he knew his aim had been true.
Finally standing, he dusted off his clothes and picked up his jacket. Pulling it on, he slowly walked over to the wagon and peered inside. A spirit was pinned to the ground at the back of the wooden wagon. Rizem clenched his fist as he climbed in, taking another knife from his belt. "You shouldn't steal from your betters," he growled.
Once the spirit had been taken care of, he kicked dirt over the fire and pulled the ostrich-horse over by the rope round its beak. It was time to leave. He had a schedule to keep, which didn't involve killing pointless spirits. As much satisfaction as it gave him, it was a waste of time. His sights were set on a bigger target.
"Come on," he said to the ostrich-horse softly as he led it over to the wagon. He whistled to the messenger hawk, which flew over and perched on his shoulder, looking inquisitive. Rizem looked at it through his peripheral vision, aware of its curious look. "Oh, I'm taking you home," he explained. "We're Fire Nation bound."