Hello there, friends. Welcome to the next chapter of Avatar: Immortal Dragon and now story time.
During the evening, at the airbending gates of Air Temple Island. A female airbender slams against the gates before tumbling out. She rubs her head as Meelo, Daw, Zaheer, and another male airbender look on.
"You call yourself an airbender? Disgraceful!" Meelo said sternly, he points to the gates, prompting Daw to run in with no greater success, "Be the leaf!" leaning over a prone Daw.
"But, I don't even know what that means." Daw said.
Zaheer calmly walks past them, causing the duo to look up curiously. He somersaults through the front panels and avoids every other gate. The rest of the group look on in surprise as Kya and Ikki walks up to them.
He who nimbly avoids the gates, before somersaulting through the final gates. Zaheer turns and clasps his hands in respect.
"Now, that man is a leaf." Meelo said.
"A student is only as good as his master." Zaheer said with a bow.
Meelo bows respectfully back to Zaheer. A slow clap was heard, drawing the attention of everyone as Aizen was standing there, a bottle under his arms.
"Bravo. Very nice." Aizen said, sending a wink at the surprised Zaheer before walking towards Kya and Ikki.
"That's the guy who saved me and Meelo." Ikki said when she noticed the look of her aunt.
"Oh really?" Kya said, "He's cute."
"Well, thank you." Aizen said holding out a bottle, "I brought a pretty decent wine. It's almost as old as me."
"Such a gentleman." Kya said as she accepted the bottle.
"Hey, Aizen." Ikki said suddenly, "Where's your sword?"
"...Has it become fashionable to bring a weapon when your invited for dinner." Aizen said confused, "Sorry, I've been out of it for a while."
"No, it isn't." Kya said as she guided him into the temple.
Night had started to set in as the group ostrich horse galloped through the black mountain range in the Fire Nation.
"How far now?" Bolin said as he was riding on the back of Mako's ostrich horse.
"Not far." Hanzo said as he steered the ostrich horse into a opening in the mountain wall after Genji and Asami.
They made their way through the cave until not long after they emerged out of the dark cavern and back into the light.
Those who had never made the trip let out a deep gasp at the breath taking view, though even Asami was still taken with the natural beauty.
Riding the Ostrich horse across the stone bridge leading to the temple. Unlike last time when nobody was around to greet them, it was quite busy with people.
A heavy atmosphere hung around the courtyard as the gathered Shashou, those who had been with them at the South Pole and a few they where unfamiliar with. But despise of the sad and dreary feeling in the air, each of the them stood stoiclly, standing around a tall wooden piar, on top of it was the deceased body of Master Roshi in the middle of the courtyard. Hands folded and his shield with him.
Stepping off the Ostrich horse, he patted it on the side before tying the reigns down before helping Asami down.
The group joined the others, solemnly listened as one of the other Shashou's speak. Genji was familiar with the words but it seemed odd to hear them for the man who was basically his father.
He had felt Master Roshi was eternal, and yet his death had come so suddenly.
"Great Spirit, wash the sins from this one and set him on the distant shore. Guide this one to where the traveler never tires, the lover never leaves, the hungry never starve. Guide this one, Great Spirit, and he will be a companion to you as he was to me."
The Shashou had stopped speaking at last, as he bend a fire bolt towards the wood. The fire set the burial pire on fire, the orange flames consuming the body.
At the Air Temple Island's dinner room, Aizen had just finished dinner with Pema, Ikki, Meelo and Kya.
"That was some great air nomad food, Pema. Though I'm used to it being spicier, but I blame that on Yang. She preferred things spicy." Aizen said with a smile, "No, allow me."
He moved to pick up the plates but Pema stopped him, as she told him he was a guest. So he allowed her to do it, instead Meelo and Ikki helped their mother as Aizen's eyes fell on a nearby newspaper add. Something about a new way for dad to carry their babies around.
"Do..." Aizen said perplexed as he picked it up, "Do men really walk around like that?"
"Yeah." Kya said, "I mean, dads do."
"Okay then." Aizen said with a laugh, "Chin the Great was Ba Sing Se's dad and I tell you one thing. He wouldn't be caught dead in a thing like that."
"Lot to unpack there..." Kya said.
"The Chin. Now that was a real man." Aizen said nostalgic, "Short of stature but man, could he make some strong drinks."
"...Holy fucking shit..." Kya whispered in realization.
"But seriously, what passes as a man today? Great Spirit..." Aizen said, shaking his head as he placed the paper down, "I read that the Fire Nation took out the Air Nomads. The fuck is up with that? How did a backwater country like that do it? I understand that Ba Sing Se did not lift a finger, but why didn't the Si Wong tribes help?"
"The Si Wong tribes?" Kya said confused, "You mean the sandbenders from the Si Wong Desert?"
"Yeah, those were the good guys. I mean, Great Spirit damn it. Before I was imprisoned we were ten and one, you know?" Aizen said as he felt his emotions swell as he started to lose it, "I led the Fire Lords 501st Legion onto Chameleon Bay. I saved Princess Ahri when she was taken to Tu Zin. I fought for my Nation! I fought for my Nation... And what did I get for it? Forgotten. Left to rot by my own brothers and sisters..."
He suddenly went silent, feeling bad for his sudden outburst as he lost control of his emotions.
The two sat in silence as Aizen turned his gaze towards the door leading to the kitchen, "You know, I wanted some rug rats of my own, with Ahri." he said with a sad nod, "A couple of little boys. Raise them up to be men. Now... now I got nothing."
"May I ask..." Kya said carefully, "Do you know why they betrayed you?"
"...My only crime was falling in love and being loved in return... I never wanted to hurt those people." Aizen said as he looked at Kya, "I never killed anyone who didn't had it coming to them. I'm not a bad guy."
After the funeral, the group stayed for the night before leaving early in the morning. Genji had taken Asami to a nearby lake down in the mountains. They where sitting under the shade of a beech tree, where Genji had spend much time during his training.
"Genji." Asami said softly, as she held his hand, "It's okay to cry."
"I want to. But I can't." Genji said, a grimace on his face, "I don't know how..." this had been the first time he had genuinely hated how his mutations suppressed certain feelings.
He turned away from him and in the direction of footsteps as Akali comes walking up to them.
"Hey there." Akali said, "Glad Hanzo found you in time."
Genji stood up so he and Akali could share a sibling like hug, before turning to the lake. "I can't believe he's gone." he said after he let go of her.
"Me neither." Akali said shaking her head, "Kenpachi found him in the armory, he was beaten bloody."
"Did he... Did he die with his weapon in hand?" Genji said and she gave him a nod, "Good, that's good."
"Why is that good?" Asami said.
"As long as a Shashou dies with their weapon in hand, they enter a paradise of the Great Spirit." Genji explained as he say back down, "It's an old religious believe."
"Yeah, most Shashou don't believe in that stuff, but a few of the older ones still uphold the old religious aspect of our order." Akali said, turning in the direction of the temple, "This place is going to be weird, without Master Roshi."
"What's even going to happen to this place?" Genji said, "He was the only one who did the up keep."
"I don't know, maybe we'll appoint a new Master." Akali said with a shrug, "Not sure how much good that will do, seeing as there are no more new Shashou's to train."
"What I want to know, is who killed the Master." Genji said as he began to think, "Only a Shashou would know how to get to the temple. Only a Shashou or an Avatar could take out a Shashou without the back up of an army."
"My taught exactly. It's why I came to talk." Akali said, "Whomever it was, they did not only kill Master Roshi, they took something from the armory. A sword that once belonged to Sojiro Aizen."
"So whomever has that sword, is the one who killed the Master." Genji said, "Or can point me to it."
"It's our only lead. It's what me and the other Shashou of the Ryu Basho are going to be looking for." Akali said, determent to hunt down the person who killed their father, "Take care Immortal Dragon."
"I will." Genji said, "See you around, Wise Girl."
Akali gave a nod, before she turned around and walked back towards the temple.
"Genji, I know your grieving, but I know where your coming from." Asami said, a bit worried by the tone he had adopted, "Remember, before you embark on a journey of revenge, dig two graves."
"Asami, you know I love you but that is a stupid quote." Genji said before he turned serious, "I'm going to kill way more than two people."
It was a sunny afternoon the next day. The airship had touched down in a grassy wide open field in the Fire Nation, where Naga jumps and catches a ball with her mouth before making her way to Korra and Ichiro. As Naga drops the ball in front of Korra, her boyfriend airbends the ball away from the airship, getting Naga to fetch it back.
"While you're playing fetch, four of the most dangerous criminals are hunting you down." Lin told them, "We should get moving."
"Chillax, Lin." Genji said, laying on his back enjoying the sunshine, "Nobody knows we are here. Only a Shashou could track us down so quickly."
"Do I need to remind you, a Shashou is helping them?" Lin told her father.
"Yes, actually. You did." Genji said a bit louder than intended, "Because I have been a bit distracted lately!"
Naga returns and drops the ball, Korra pats her. "I think she wants you to throw it for her." Ichiro said.
Lin keeps looking down for a few seconds before glancing at Ichiro, "I'll pass, thanks." she said.
"We just got a call from the radio about another airbender." Asami said, coming down from the ship, "In a city called Zaofu, the home of the Metal Clan."
Lin visibly becomes uneasy and uncomfortable upon hearing the name of the city, something that wasn't lost on the residental Shashou.
"Something you want to share?" Genji said.
"What no!" Lin said uneasily, "I've never been there if that's what your asking."
"I didn't, but good to know." Genji said turning fatherly, "Come on, tell me that's wrong? Oh, does an ex-boyfriend live there and you two had a very nasty break up?"
"No!" Lin shouted.
"...Ex-girlfriend?" Genji said.
"No! Nothing of the sort happened!" Lin protested, "I just don't want Korra going there. I would rest a lot easier if she were back at Republic City."
"Sorry, if there's an airbender in Zaofu, then that's where we are going next." Korra said as she heads into the airship.
A few hours later, the airship is flying through the clouds and over the city of Zaofu. As the clouds past, a huge gleaming city made entirely out of metal in the shape of a lotus flower is seen. There are smaller metal flowers around the city too.
"An entire city made of metal!" Bolin said excitedly, as all four amazed teenagers look out the windows. The Earthbender turns and look to Lin, "You should feel right at home, Beifong."
An unexcited Lin is seated on a bench far away from the windows with her arms crossed. Ichiro looked at his mother, a hint of concern about her sudden behavior.
The airship proceeds to land at one of the stations controlled by metalbenders. A metalbender uses and bends a string of cable out of the crane and it loops itself around a hook under the airship to connect the metal cable to the airship.
Two other metalbenders subsequently bend and build an intricate stairway for the airship's passengers.
Bolin runs out excitedly, while the rest of Team Avatar walks out calmly. Lin is slumped on the seat.
"Your coming?" Ichiro said.
"What's there to see? It's metal. Big fucking whoop." Lin grumbled, "Just find the airbender and let's get moving. Don't tell anyone I'm here."
"Okay..." Ichiro said surprised, "Any good reason?"
"I don't need to explain myself to you." she snapped at him, "Just keep everyone save."
"Well excuse me chief." Ichiro said with a roll of his eyes as he followed after the others.
Team Avatar exits the airship, where they are greeted by a man in green and yellow robes and two Metal Clan escorts.
"Avatar Korra. It is an honor to meet you." the man said as he bows with his hands clasped, "My name is Aiwei."
"Thanks for having us." Korra said bowing back.
"Is this everyone?" Aiwei said as he gestures his hand to the group.
"Well my daughter is on the ship." Genji said bluntly, "But we're not suppose to tell anyone she's here. She's a bit of a grump, got that from her mother's side of the family."
"Your daughter?" Aiwei said, his eyes widening in recognition when his eyes fell on Genji, "Master Chirayus, finally you have come to visit."
"Yeah sure." Genji said slightly confused, "So, where is the airbender?"
Aiwei gestures for Team Avatar to follow him. The escorts close the gate after them and they descend down the dock.
Chapter 28. Which put Genji on the path of vengeance and shows a bit more of Aizen.
Anyways many thanks to everyone who reads, reviews, favorite or follows this story, much gratitude!
If you liked what you read, please leave a review and for now I wish you all a fantastic day and I hope to see you ladies and gents next time.