Disclaimer – all original Avatar: The Last Airbender characters in this fanfic (excluding my OC's) are the property of Bryana Konietzko and Michaela Dante DiMartino.
Chapter 15. Betrayed.
The next day – Spirit World, Wuyan Temple.
After waking up and washing his face with cold water for a change, Huo noticed in his reflection that his hair was getting longer. He smiled faintly, thinking about his mother, who always cut his hair.
He also needed to talk with his dad about some new clothes. Huo had worn the same red-colored shirt and brown-colored pants with red sandals for weeks now, and they weren't exactly getting cleaner. However, that had to wait until later because now he had a more important thing to do.
The boy left his cave and waited for Shen'Rai, who arrived shortly after. As they talked, Huo asked the phoenix spirit if he and his siblings had any places they liked to visit. Shen'Rai told him about his journeys to the physical world, and Huo listened closely. When Shen'Rai finished, the boy asked if there were any places in the Spirit World he liked to visit.
After a few moments of thinking, the phoenix mentioned a few places that Huo had never heard of before, but not the temple Yuan'Shi mentioned. Huo was anxious that he'd need to ask a different question, but luckily, Shen'Rai reminded himself that there was one place he visited with one of his siblings. A place he stooped visiting thousands of years ago. Huo guessed it was the temple and asked Shen'Rai to tell him more.
The phoenix told him about Wuyan Temple and the vulture drakes, confirming the boy's guess. Huo pretended to be intrigued and asked if they could visit it. Shen'Rai actually agreed, and with Huo on his back, they left the realm.
After a long flight, they reached their destination. Wuyan Temple was a large, rock-made structure located on a gigantic tree stump. The stump was surrounded from all sides by large waterfalls, and Huo didn't even see the bottom. The temple was round-shaped with many large holes, and while Shen'Rai could fit and fly through one of them into the temple, the proper entrance was located on top.
Many flying entities, which Huo assumed were vulture drakes, circled around the temple, and the boy was intrigued by their appearance. Unlike phoenixes, which were slim and majestic, vulture drakes looked intimidating and were more robust-looking. They looked like large avian-like creatures with dark-violet feathers covering their bodies, a pair of giant wings, a long, thick neck, and a long tail. Their strong but short legs ended with feet with four claws, three facing forward and one facing back. The most distinctive things about them were their horns. Each vulture drake had five horns. Four spiral ones, which protruded from the back of their heads, and a slightly-curved one, which protruded from the tip of their beaks.
Huo was somewhat surprised that Shen'Rai took him here, considering the entities didn't look friendly. He even noticed that their beaks were filled with sharp teeth and long tongues. They weren't beings one would want to meet at night.
"They look dangerous," Huo noted, and Shen'Rai quickly reassured. "Don't worry. You're very respectful towards the spirits, so I know you'll be fine. Adult vulture drakes are intensely proud creatures, and you must show proper respect by bowing to them and waiting for them to bow in return if you want to approach them first. Although proud, vulture drakes can also be fiercely loyal and protective of those who have earned their trust. The young vulture drakes are playful and will usually come to you first, so you don't need to worry about bowing to them."
"Okay," Huo replied, feeling calmer.
As Shen'Rai and Huo reached the top, the boy spotted a vast, round courtyard with many tall columns with symbols on them. Aside from the columns, the courtyard was filled with large nests where the adult vulture drakes rested. In the middle of the courtyard, there was a massive staircase that led down inside the temple.
When Shen'Rai landed on the courtyard and Huo jumped down from him, the adult vulture drakes raised their heads and looked at them with their yellow-reptilian eyes. A few of those who flew around the temple landed in the courtyard and began to walk toward them. Just then, the boy noticed something interesting. When the vulture drakes landed, they leaned forward, and their wings folded in half and touched the ground. Huo looked closely and spotted that in the place where the wings folded, the vulture drakes had three-fingered claws, thanks to which they were able to walk on all fours.
While a bunch of the vulture drakes stooped, the largest of them kept moving forward. The vulture drake stooped a few meters away from the two with a silent growl.
Just like Shen'Rai told him, Huo quickly bowed his head, and the phoenix did the same. The vulture drake eyed them for a moment, especially Huo, and responded with a bow, which meant they had permission to approach.
"Go on," Shen'Rai said to Huo, who slowly approached the large creature. The vulture drake leaned its head forward and observed the boy curiously while nudging and sniffing him.
"Just keep calm," Shen'Rai advised. "She's simply curious."
"How do you know that's a she?" Huo asked, noticing that she was bigger than Shen'Rai and more robust. The boy could easily ride on her head.
"Females are bigger than males and their feathers are more vibrant," Shen'Rai replied. "Oh, and all the vulture drakes understand our language so be mindful of what you say. They can be easily offended."
Sensing that Huo wasn't a threat, the adult female turned around and returned to her nest. While looking around, Huo spotted two vulture drakes, who kept charging and slamming their curved horns against each other with a loud thud.
"Vulture drakes are fearless warriors and they love to fight," Shen'Rai explained.
While Huo was curious to learn more about the vulture drakes, he remembered why he came here. "Is it okay for me to enter the temple?" he asked, gesturing towards the staircase.
"Yes, just remember what I've told you," Shen'Rai replied. "Bow before approaching one of the adult vulture drakes and only if they respond with a bow. Don't break anything, and be very careful around their babies."
"Okay," Huo nodded and headed towards the staircase.
Huo walked through the vast, vine-covered corridors of the temple, observing the carvings on the walls, which were made by the vulture drakes with their claws. There was a lot of light thanks to the holes, which were used by the smaller vulture drakes to enter and leave the temple. Many of the young creatures his size poked and sniffled the boy as he walked through the corridor, making him chuckle.
When he turned right into another corridor, he spotted two vulture drakes. One was a female since she had vibrant, violet feathers; the other was a baby, which could fit on Huo's hand. The female looked at Huo with yellow-colored eyes and placed her claw on her baby, who wanted to run toward Huo. The boy stooped, and just like before, he bowed his head, waiting for permission to approach. "My friend Shen'Rai told me you understand our language," Huo spoke. "I didn't come here to cause trouble."
The female finally bowed her head and allowed the baby vulture drake to rush towards Huo. The boy knelt as the baby began to sniff his hands. "Hello," Huo said and noticed that the female also approached him.
The small vulture drake squawked and tried to playfully bite Huo's fingers with its toothless beak. The boy smiled and took the baby in his hands. He noticed that the baby had tiny horns, and he remembered what the two adult vulture drakes from earlier did, so he playfully poked the horn on its beak. The baby immediately began to hit Huo's finger with its horn. "You really are a fearless warrior," Huo stated and chuckled.
Despite the fun he had, he was curious about how Yuan'Shi planned to meet him here and how he was supposed to find her. His thoughts were quickly interrupted when he heard a thud right behind him. "Hmmm?" Huo turned his head and noticed that the corridor was completely closed off by a wall, which wasn't there before.
Shortly after, a second wall shot up from the floor and hit the ceiling, trapping Huo and the two vulture drakes in the corridor, with the only way out being a hole in the wall next to them. However, even that hole was suddenly closed by a layer of rock. Total darkness filled the small, closed part of the corridor at that moment. Huo quickly conjured an orange flame in his hand, giving him and the vulture drakes a source of light. "What's going on?!" Huo asked. The female vulture drake looked around and roared, sensing that something was wrong.
Huo heard a sound above them and noticed rows of sharp spikes, which began to emerge from the ceiling. "That doesn't look good!" he stated. When the spikes started to fall towards them, Huo shielded the baby vulture drake while the female lunged toward them and shielded them with her large body. Huo closed his eyes and felt the heavy body of the vulture drake pressing him to the floor after a painful boy heard many thuds all around him as the spikes hit the ground.
After a few seconds, the only sounds the boy heard were the beating of his heart and the squawking of the baby vulture drake in his arms. Huo opened his eyes but saw only darkness. He managed to squeeze out from under the large spirit and stood up. Once again, he created a fire in his hand and looked at the motionless female vulture drake.
Since she was a spirit, there was no blood, but the boy saw rough, gleaming holes on her body, and it seemed like she was unconscious. When Huo let go of the baby spirit and the little creature rushed to her mother, the boy looked around. Pieces of the spikes were pierced into the floor, and some were simply shattered.
The boy never expected that his trip to this temple would take such a drastic turn. What's more, he wasn't fully sure what had just happened. He needed to call for help, but before he could do that, a human hand came from behind him and covered his mouth. Maintaining the orange flame above his hand, Huo grabbed the hand and was about to defend himself with firebending, but he heard the voice of Yuan'Shi. "Huo, stay calm and speak quietly."
Huo froze, and when Yuan'Shi took her hand away, he turned around and craned his neck to look at her. Even though he saw her only once in his dream when he was in the pond, he remembered the orange-colored eyes and the pale face pretty well. "Yuan'Shi?" Huo asked silently.
Yuan'Shi nodded to the boy, who had to admit that she was really tall. With her pale face, hunch, and large left eye, she looked sick and a little scary.
"What's going on?" Huo asked silently, noticing that the woman looked around as if she was looking for something.
"I'm not sure, but I think you should be safe now, but either way, we need to hurry," Yuan'Shi whispered. "The vulture drakes and Shen'Rai will quickly realize something happened and they'll head to this spot."
As on cue, growling and squawking were heard from both sides as the young vulture drakes found the walls, which weren't supposed to be there. Much louder growls were heard soon after, meaning that the adults heard the commotion and rushed to see what happened.
"Okay, I'm asking you one last time, are you sure you want me to use energybending on you?" Yuan'Shi looked seriously at Huo. The boy was confused and had many questions, especially about what just happened, but he came here with one thing in mind, and it seemed like they didn't have much time to talk right now. Huo squinted his orange-colored eyes and replied decisively. "Yes."
"Alright," Yuan'Shi took a step closer to Huo. The boy remembered how the lion turtle placed one of his claws on his forehead and the other on his chest, guessing that Yuan'Shi would do the same. The woman placed her left thumb on his forehead, but her right thumb touched his stomach. Still, Huo didn't ask questions.
An orange glow illuminated the room, and Huo felt his body getting warmer as if he'd swallowed a bunch of spicy komodo sausages. He also felt a tingling sensation inside of him.
Yuan'Shi pulled back her thumbs and took a step back. "Done," she stated, and her large eye twitched simultaneously as she licked her lips. "When you'll return with Shen'Rai to our realm, you'll have no more problems with the technique. Just remember that I warned you."
"Emmm... okay," Huo replied and cocked his head to the side. "Are you... okay?"
"Yes, I am," Yuan'Shi replied with a rather strange smile. "When Shen'Rai will ask, simply tell him what happened without mentioning me."
A solid thud drew their attention to one of the walls as the adult vulture drakes began to tear it down with their claws. Another sound drew their attention when the younger vulture drakes began to scratch the place where the hole was supposed to be.
"I need to leave without being seen," Yuan'Shi said as she crouched, touching the floor with her palm.
"Wait, what about her?" Huo asked, pointing at the motionless female vulture drake. Her baby was nestled right next to her head, squawking silently. "She's injured."
"Spirits are immortal," Yuan'Shi replied, glancing at the vulture drake. "And it takes far more to take down a vulture drake, so she'll be fine." With that, the woman simply stood up and hopped. When her feet touched the floor, she sunk into the rock, as if it was made from sand, and vanished underneath it without a trace.
Huo was perplexed, to say the least. He turned around and approached the vulture drakes, placing his free hand on the female's head. "Everything will be alright," he said, not knowing if she could hear him. The boy felt the air in the room getting hotter and realized the heat came from the external wall, which began to turn red from the fire. "Shen'Rai," Huo said.
The phoenix was literally melting the wall, and soon, the sunlight filled the room. The spirit quickly cooled down the molten rock by redirecting the heat and flew into the room with an adult vulture drake right behind him. "Huo! Are you okay?!" Shen'Rai asked.
"Yes, but the vulture drake is injured," Huo replied. After another loud thud, one of the created walls was destroyed, and two adult vulture drakes entered the room.
"What happened here?" Shen'Rai asked, and all eyes focused on the boy.
Huo explained everything that happened without mentioning the presence of Yuan'Shi. Shen'Rai listened closely, and his eyes were squinted in disbelief. When the boy finished, the phoenix took him to the courtyard, where the air was much cooler, while the vulture drakes took care of the female.
Shen'Rai paced around the courtyard, glaring and the ground and thinking intensely about the situation. "Are you sure you didn't see or heard anyone?" the phoenix asked, not looking at the boy.
"No," Huo shook his head. "Growling and squawking of the vulture drakes were the only sounds I heard."
The spirit didn't reply and kept staring at pacing around. Shen'Rai also felt that something different with Huo. The boy's life force felt rawer and more distinct. It wasn't like that before they came here. When the injured female arrived in the courtyard with her baby at her side, Huo approached them and bowed his head. "Thank you for saving me," he said. "I'm sorry if I did something wrong."
The female vulture drake leaned her head towards Huo and licked his cheek, making him chuckle. "She's grateful, in case you have any doubts," Shen'Rai assured, finally stopping his pacing. "While she saved you, you protected her child, which for a vulture drake is the most important thing."
Huo smiled and nodded to the female. "Well, I think we had enough sensations for today," Shen'Rai stated. He had to admit Huo was really calm, despite the dangerous situation. "It's better we go back."
"Okay," Huo agreed, secretly wanting to go back as fast as possible, and bowed his head towards the vulture drakes. "Thank you for your hospitality and sorry for the trouble," he said, and the vulture drakes growled silently in response. Huo got on Shen'Rai's back and waved to the baby vulture drake before the two flew away.
Sometime later – Spirit World, Realm of Keepers.
When Shen'Rai left Huo and returned to his siblings, the boy immediately gathered some leaves and rushed inside his cave to create a small fire. After he sat down, steadied his breathing, and calmed himself, he tried again to focus on the technique.
Huo sensed right away that it was completely different. He was actually able to distinguish one breath from another, pick one, and mute the others. Whatever Yuan'Shi did, it helped a lot. The boy focused and heard the breaths of five moving fires, which he assumed were located on Shen'Rai's tails.
The five fires reached a cluster of other moving fires, and Huo was sure that Shen'Rai had reached his siblings. Since he couldn't use the fires on their tails, Huo picked one of the nearby fires and focused on its breath. The boy synchronized his own breath with the one he heard, gazing into the fire, and after a moment, he could see the phoenixes sitting in a circle as if they were in front of him.
"So how's the situation with the boy?" asked Vin'Rai.
"We visited Wuyan Temple," Shen'Rai replied. "Before any of you say anything, Huo was very respectful towards the vulture drakes and they took a liking to him."
"You haven't visited the vulture drake spirits for a very long time," Nou'Rai noted.
"Yes, and it hasn't changed a bit," Shen'Rai replied and looked at Wei'Rai. "When did you last speak with Earth Keepers?"
"During the last Gathering, why?" Wei'Rai asked.
"When Huo wandered the temple, someone used earthbending to trap him in a corridor," Shen'Rai stated. "It just so happened that a female vulture drake and her baby were trapped along with him. Afterwards, sharp spikes were dropped on all three of them from the ceiling. Huo tried to save the baby and the female saved them both. Huo and the baby are fine, but the female got injured. And no, he wasn't scared. He was brave despite the situation."
Vin'Rai and Nou'Rai looked at each other while Wei'Rai squinted his eyes. "What?!"
"You heard me," Shen'Rai replied with a displeased tone. "Huo is not capable of earthbending, and neither are the vulture drakes, so it's obvious who was behind this."
"Are you saying that Earth Keepers were at the Wuyan Temple and tried to kill the boy?" Nou'Rai asked in disbelief. "I find that hard to believe."
"Honestly, it's hard for me to think otherwise," Shen'Rai replied. "Especially since you all agreed during the Gathering that Huo should be killed if it turns out that keeping his negative emotions in check would be too difficult for us. Don't you think that the boy went through enough? His mother killed his father and now, he has to live in a cave. He should be in the mortal world, living a normal life with a happy family."
"I have to get to the bottom of this," Wei'Rai stated and stood up. The phoenix spread his wings and flew away, heading towards the golden pedestal.
None of the phoenixes was aware that Huo heard every single word of their conversation. The boy felt as if all the energy he had before left his body. He stooped using the technique and only stared blankly at the orange fire with watering eyes.
Huo felt betrayed and had no idea what to do at this point since there was no real reason for him to be in the realm or in the Spirit World in general. He put out the fire with his bending, and without standing up, he turned around and literally crawled toward his sleeping bag. He sat down and began to breathe heavily. The tingling sensation from earlier became even stronger. With each breath, a small orange flame came out of his mouth.
"Betrayed," voices echoed in his mind as his anger rose and rose. "Kill... burn down... devour."
Huo kept breathing until he finally couldn't hold it any longer. He took a deep breath and screamed, holding his head while tears streamed down his cheeks. A stream of orange flame came out from his mouth, which quickly turned... blue.
A blue light illuminated the cave as the ground was covered with blue flames, which began to create shapes. Huo stopped breathing fire from his mouth and coughed a few times, gasping for air. With his vision blurry from tears, he looked at the blue flames. Maybe it was imagination, but the flames took the shapes of small vulture drakes. Huo could see every detail as if they were the actual spirits, only blue.
"Liars," the voices spoke again, but Huo heard the voices coming from the vulture drakes this time. "Burn them all... turn them to ash... devour."
The boy extended his hand towards the shapes, and one of the vulture drakes jumped on his forearm. Even though they were made of flames, they didn't burn him. However, without his initiative, a flame was shot from his hand, and it immediately took the shape of a large, blue snake with a horn between his eyes. The boy saw a spirit once, that looked just like that snake, which now wrapped itself around him.
"You deserve such a fate," Huo heard another voice, but this time, it was a voice he knew very well. The boy turned his head to the side and saw his mother, Hama, who sat on the ground right next to him. She wore her regular, everyday clothes and had a stern expression.
"Your father died because of you," Hama said accusingly. "You could've been an obedient son and done everything I've told you, and yet, you decided to be a firebender and ruin everything."
Huo stared blankly at his mother and noticed that the vulture drakes and the snake were also staring at her. After a few moments, they looked at him and began to speak again. "Betrayed... kill... burn them all... devour."
The boy turned his head and began to stare at the wall. He slowly smiled and began to chuckle. The chuckle soon turned into a burst of loud, sinister laughter.
Please R&R ;)