Brothers Avatar

The Legend of Two Avatars

Book 1 – Family

Chapter 2 – A Startled Send-Off

"Welcome." Avatar Rinley said. Taresc was still in awe of the past Avatar. Rinley was much taller than he had expected, but that might have just been the effect being a spirit has on your image. He wore a billowing robe with straps of blue and gray of different hues flowing from every seam. His face was as gentle as a sleeping man, but younger than what one would expect for an Avatar, seemingly early forties. His hair was brown and thrown into a long ponytail and skin dark as well.

Xulo looked around and his became immediately irritated upon sight of his intruder, "Taresc!" he yelled.

"Uh, Hi Xulo." Taresc spoke with little conviction.

"I told you to stay back there, it's Avatars only here!" Xulo face was redder than fire and he turned back to Rinley, "I am so sorry, Avatar Rinley, this is my twin brother; Taresc." Taresc wove awkwardly.

Rinley's expression was both knowing and questioning, being able to sense the presence of two Avatars but being told of only one, "I see no problem with your brother being here," Avatar Rinley's eyes shifted to Taresc, "Unless you'd like to leave, Taresc?"

Xulo gaze lashed back to Taresc. Even as Taresc mind was yelling Yes, Please, Oh Yes, I would LOVE to, yes! but his mouth only said, "No, I'd like to stay, if that's alright with my brother,"

Xulo's eyes narrowed in annoyance, "No. It's perfectly fine."

"Very well, then" Avatar Rinley chose to stay quiet on Taresc's secret, "Xulo," Xulo twisted his head back forward, "Xulo, you have summoned me here to guide you, have you not?"

"Yes, I have. I was hoping you would give me a quest of some sort. Some way to fix the world."

"Before I can inform you of the worldly situation, there is something you must hear," Taresc moved back into the corner so he could make himself less of a presence, "What is needed of you is more difficult than you are prepared to take on, but the world does require it of you. It's imperative that you understand this as I assign you your task."

"What do you mean? Do you want me to be stronger?"

"I think-" Taresc spoke up, "If this is what you mean, Avatar Rinley—is that you shouldn't be brash upon hearing your assignment."

"Yes, Taresc, that's exactly what I mean." Avatar Rinley smiled at Taresc, "Can you promise me this, Xulo?"

"Sure, of course, I can do that."

"Good. Then we begin." All of a sudden the entire shrine room seemed to evaporate and the three were standing in golden clouds. Avatar Rinley then disappeared and only his voice was present, "The issue that surrounds your age is that of the Stormbenders…"

"The Stormbenders?" As Xulo spoke, they were transported back into the field in front of the shrine, surrounded by the five Stormbenders. "Honestly, I think we took care of them for the most part."

"I see you've experienced the Stormbenders for yourself," Suddenly the five stormbenders multiplied and they became ten, then 10, then 50, 100, 500. The Stormbenders were everywhere, they lay on the mountainside and they stand on the treetops. All around the brothers were an indivisible thicket of faceless Stormbenders, "But, you underestimate your foe," Rinley's voice boomed, "And the Stormbenders are not a foe to underestimate." From behind the mountains three giant figures, draped in shadows, appeared. "The Stormbenders are a worldly power, they have their hands spread around the world, wherever you go there's like a weight to the word 'Stormbender'"

Xulo turned around and saw the three giants looming overhead, "Who are those people!"

"Those three are the ones who lead the Stormbenders." From the shadowy details, Taresc was able to make out basic details. To right of the center figure was a male with the sides of head shaved and on the left was a girl with two buns on either side of her head. In the middle was an impressive looking woman with long flowing hair. "The Stormbenders vie for power and the only ones who keep them from achieving that are the White Lotus Executive Oligarchy." Taresc and Xulo knew that much about that White Lotus, having a guard come to town every month or so to check and see if order was present.

"So what am I supposed to do? It seems that the White Lotus has got a handle on things." Xulo was stilled unnerved by the surrounding Stormbenders.

"No, The White Lotus does little to eliminate the Stormbenders and rather throws them into shadows." Suddenly the Stormbenders disappeared and Xulo and Taresc were able to breathe. However upon closer inspection, it was clear the Stormbenders were simply watching from the forest, hiding in bushes and watching between the tree trunks. "Eliminating the Stormbenders is your job, for only you are the one who has to hand that can bring peace, not The White Lotus."

"I accept." Said Xulo and the wastelands and Stormbenders disappeared and the Brothers were back in the golden clouds.

"Very good," Rinley appeared again. "However, there is one last thing I must tell you, Avatar." Rinley's voice went deadly serious; all of him went severe. The wind that seemed to make the blue and gray straps on his robe flow stopped and Rinley's posture got rigid.

"Yes?"

"Avatar, everything you have and everything that makes you special will be attempted to be stolen from you when you are at your freest." The golden clouds got darker and gloomier as Rinley spoke, the clouds were gold no longer, they were swirling hazes of purple, red and black. "Avatar, realize that the one closest to you will try to kill you."

With the little light there was, Taresc could see a terrifying air Xulo was forming. His face was the tensest Taresc has ever seen it, looking like it was not made of flesh and blood but rather stone and mercury. Taresc had never seen the look he saw in Xulo's eyes before, they were angry but not even comparable to what he's seen before. They were scared, but never as scared as he's ever seen them. They were hurt, but never a touch as hurt as he'd ever seen them. The only description he could even think of was Survival Murderous. "They're going to betray you, Avatar." Taresc never considered himself scared of Xulo, not even in his most tumultuous of fits, but when he looked into Xulo's eyes he felt true fear. "Do you understand, Avatar, do you know what that means?"

Two words have never wrung as eerie as they did from Xulo's mouth, "I do."

"Good," Rinley's face lightened up and the group was back in the shrine room, "surely you two have a lot to do now. Xulo?" He still shaking from before, "Remember what I said."

"Don't be rash? Yeah. I-I got that."

"Until we meet again, brothers." The room swirled with air and with a flash, Rinley was gone and all that remained was dimly lit room with a statue of Rinley.

"Taresc," Xulo seemed hesitant with each word, "let's go."

When Xulo and Taresc got out it was already dusk. Xulo's mind was racing as he and Taresc skated through the forest. He couldn't stop thinking about the betrayer he had in his life and the one that would try to kill him. His mind wandered into dark spaces, never before ventured, it was the first time he'd ever thought about killing anything or anyone. But, he'd do anything to protect what he loved, his family, his friends and most of all his new life as the Avatar.

"Hey Xulo," Taresc was desperate to get him out of this headspace, "How about those Stormbenders, huh?"

"Looks like they're not the local gang we thought they were." Xulo smiled at Taresc. Taresc could tell it was genuine, but he saw a new face behind the smile. One with its guard up, eyes always looking around and teeth always borne just in case.

"What's next?"

"Next, we head back to Dayue, pick up Minege and we leave."

"Well this is pretty quick, to where?"

"Minege will know, she's taking her mom's map and we'll figure it out from there." Xulo said, "Now that I think about it, what were you going to say to Fey?"

"What?" said Taresc.

"When I went to pick you up from chores, she mistook me for you and said, 'You can tell me what you were going to say when he's done with you.' what were you going to tell her?"

"Umm…" Taresc was planning on telling Xulo his Avatar secret eventually, but he assuredly wasn't now. Not with the chance of being seen as a traitor, trying to steal his status of Avatar and eventually committing fratricide. Taresc wanted to believe that Xulo wouldn't kill over being the Avatar. But if it was his life or Taresc's, Taresc would be spirit world bound in an instant, "It's a little personal, but I wanted her to tell me what happened to mom and dad."

"Yeah, I'd like to know that too," Xulo sped along, "Let's hurry so we can ask her."

Taresc didn't really want to know, Taresc was pretty sure that'd he never want to know, "I'm going the fastest I can, but sure, I can try!" Taresc was huffing trying to keep up as it was, "Xulo?"

"Taresc?"

"Why do care about being the Avatar so much?"

Xulo was silent for a second, "What do you mean?"

"I know it must be pretty cool to be the one and only Avatar, but is being the Avatar such a vital function in your life?"

"You don't know what it feels like to be the Avatar, Taresc, you feel this sense of higher purpose and the idea of someone else having it is… bad. It's a burden, but it's a beautiful burden, a burden I'd rather die than not carry. I just want to be important, Taresc, and do important things. I can't honestly imagine living the rest—"

Someone cried out. "What was that?" Taresc asked.

"It was a scream and it came from Dayue, come on!" Xulo sped up immeasurably towards the screams.

When the duo arrived they were met with a gruesome sight. Dayue was thrown into panic as the houses burned to the ground. Checking again they noticed the ones causing this violence were the Stormbenders. They worked together in demonic teamwork, the airbenders were spreading the fire from one building to the next and the waterbenders would freeze the doors, locking the citizens in their homes to burn. Taresc and Xulo wanted to jump in and save the village so gravely but they knew there were too many troops for them to take on. Amongst the chaos, Taresc was able to make a specific Stormbender, he was the leader of the squadron who blocking the shrine. "You!" Taresc pointed at the leader.

"There he is, there's the Avatar!" The leader pointed back at Taresc. All of the Stormbenders immediately stopped what they were doing and made a bee-line for Taresc.

"Xulo! Taresc!" Minege came rushing through the hordes of Stormbenders on Tanton and headed for the brothers, "Jump on, quick!" Taresc and Xulo were able to quickly leap onto Tanton's back as she ran by. The group was able to flee into the forest with Stormbenders chasing after.

Tanton dodged and swerved through the trees as fast as she could to escape the impending Stormbenders, "Minege, what happened?!" said Xulo.

"They came a little bit after I dropped you two off at the shrine, they came demanding to know where the Avatar was." The addled Minege spoke, "We told them we had no clue what they were talking about. They lashed out after that, they said that one of the houses had to be harboring the Avatar to they started burning the whole town down, they sailed the fire all around us, it was impossible for people to escape."

"Then how did you escape?" said Taresc.

"When I heard the screams, I immediately got on Tanton and I ran for my life. Mom—Mom didn't run, she stayed."

"Minege." Minege didn't respond, all she did was shook, Xulo asked again, "Minege, where's Fey?"

Minege could barely steer Tanton with the tears in her eyes, "She's dead." Minege whimpered. There was such a heavy gravity that came down when she said those words. Xulo shook violently with anger; tears ripped their way down his cheeks. Taresc sat there and put his hand on Xulo's shoulder. In that darkness, all they could hear were the distant shouts of anger or agony, the little sobs of Minege and Tanton's little quacks every time she stepped.

It was then a tiny glow began to beam out of the shadows, it was Xulo's eyes. First his pupils that flashed, then it was his pupils and his tears. Eventually his whole entire twisted eyes began to shoot out light, "Xulo, what's happening?" Taresc turned Xulo towards him.

Xulo then jumped off Tanton and upon landing a tremor appeared at his feet. With every step he took a crater appeared in its wake. "Minege, Stop!" Minege halted Tanton in her tracks. "Xulo, where are you going?" Taresc called out.

Xulo didn't respond however and continued to drudge forward. With a cyclone of wind, Xulo propelled himself upwards above the treetops and into the sky. Xulo brought in his arms and thrusted them up above his head as if he lifting the world in his palm. Giant pillars of earth sprouted from the ground at lighting-speed in a fan formation in front of Xulo. Higher than five stories tall, Taresc had never seen such powerful earthbending from Xulo. "Is he bringing up this barricade to block the Stormbenders?" Minege asked. It was just then Xulo brought up another set of spikes from the ground but at even faster rate, continuing in the fan formation.

"No…" Xulo bended another set, "He's not trying to deter them, he's trying to kill them!" Taresc looked back to see Minege with her puffy eyes. Taresc waited for her to say 'Stop him' or 'You should go get him' but it was obvious that at the moment she wasn't going to be able to manage the strength to ask for someone to not kill the Stormbenders. "I'll go get him."

"Xulo!" Taresc tried calling up to him but it was obvious he would have to do more to get his attention. Taresc needed to find some way to get up to Xulo's level and he needed to find it quick. Taresc tried to bend the ground underneath him as a way to launch him up to Xulo, but could only reach half-height. Minege watched from afar, seeing Taresc fail countless times, secretly hoping he'd maybe end up failing. She'd never actively want to contribute to his failure, but in her melancholic torpor she only wanted revenge. Taresc lingered on the top of the tree after his 5th attempt and was ready to give up; until he saw Xulo prepping to bend another row of earth spikes. Before he lifted his arms to the sky, he brought them back, way back; from seeing that, Taresc had gotten inspiration for a last-ditch effort.

Taresc stood himself on a branch with the pounding sound of Xulo's impending massacre on the horizon. Taresc jumped from the branch and slammed an indent into the earth. From the momentum of the landing, he was able to bend a boulder of earth from the ground and fly him up to Xulo. He flew through the air and jumped off the boulder and grappled onto Xulo's arm.

Xulo's head snapped to see what disturbed his rampage on the Stormbenders. "Please, Xulo, I need you to stop!" From this height, Taresc could see the fallen Stormbenders, nearly-fainted from fleeing Xulo's wrath. "Xulo, I don't know what's happening to you right now, but I can't let you be a killer, not of all those people."

Xulo's glowing eyes widened, "They will pay!" Xulo shook loose Taresc and quickly prepared himself for the last devastating attack.

"XULO!" Taresc feel to earth, as soon as Xulo heard the terror in Taresc's voice his eyes returned to normal and saw his brother falling to his death.

"Taresc!" Xulo's vortex of air had disappeared and he began to fall as well. Xulo dived quickly for Taresc and caught him in his arms. With every bit of his fleeting strength, Xulo was able to bend up a little slide of earth. Xulo was able to ride his way down the slide until he and his brother ended up tumbling to the ground.

"Are you two alright?" Minege rode close to them.

"I-I'm al-alri-alright." Xulo attempted to get up on his own, but fell to his knees.

Taresc helped him up and onto Tanton, "I don't know what just happened." Xulo draped himself onto Tanton's back, he was entirely devoid of energy. "What happened, Xulo, you weren't you up there."

The team started to move, "All I remember is that I was so angry at the Stormbenders and then I felt this rush of energy go through me, it was... incredible. It was like someone or multiple people, far more powerful than I, took control. When I came to, I was in the air and Taresc was falling." Xulo closed his eyes gently as he lazed on Tanton's back. "What did I do?"

"Go to sleep, Xulo," Taresc cooed, "we'll tell you in the morning, I'm happy you're back."

As Tanton continued to run through the forest, Taresc looked forward to see the new mountain range his brother had created. Taresc couldn't believe that the spires in the distance were all his doing, and worse of all he going to use them to kill. "Hey, guys," Xulo muttered from his slumber, "looks like we're starting our journey." Xulo said with placid frown apparent, it was true. Their journey had begun.

"We're going to make 'em pay, Taresc," Xulo's heavy lips managed, "we're going to make them pay."