Avatar: Tale of Tae, Book 1: Shock

by alexr416

Following the demise of Avatar Korra; the Earth Nation seeks out the newest successor to the Avatar spirit Raava. A young earth-bender named Tae is thrilled to discover that she would take up the mantle of bringing balance to the world. In order to protect those dear to her, she decides to embark on her journey to discover what it means to be the Avatar to better ensure harmony.

3. Episode 3

Chapter 5: A Curious Encounter

The pitter patter of rubber heals intensifies as the two teenagers dash along the narrow rooftop. They maintain a rhythmic pace; persisting side by side to keep each other reassuringly in their peripherals. A gust of wind sends a foreboding shiver down their spines; a distracting sensation that needed to be ignored for the sake of their mission. The infiltrated establishment arrives quickly beneath their chins causing them to slide to a halt on a nearby overhang. The structure itself was massive, containing at least five stories with floors stretching just shy of an entire block. The business itself was one for art supplies, ranging from sculpting minerals to a variety of earth-based dyes and paints; it was a well-equipped warehouse. Even though it was an industrial-based enterprise, the storage bunker was just as beautiful on the outside as the other more comfort-oriented facilities. The friends bound over to the described holding house and look cautiously into the dark abyss that the unknown individual crawled into. With mild reservation, the two benders follow suit and squeeze into the small opening as well.

The opening connected to a large section of the storehouse's ceiling, ventilation tunnels and precarious bridges dangle provocatively above the machinery. The two find themselves standing along the grated catwalks, their footwear creating an echoing clang as they land. The sound reverberates across the unmoving workroom, ricocheting off of various packaging equipment. Tae and Banto freeze instantly in their tracks, realizing that their thunderous entrance may have cost them their stealth while broadcasting their location to the mysterious figment. They both frantically get back-to-back, panting quietly as they examine their surroundings. Parallel to their height are numerous walkways with aeration shafts and pipes that weave nonsensically throughout the ceiling's underpinnings. They wait like statuesque sculpts, listening intently for any inkling of a third party hiding in the darkness of the building.

A second later, a railing creaks from somewhere in the void. Banto and Tae face the heart-stopping noise, stalling their breath. Nothing occurs for a tantalizing moment, when a chrome blade whisks through the darkness, slicing the breath between the two teenagers. It slams against a pressurized contraption along the rafters, bouncing noisily onto the far end of the catwalk shortly thereafter. The two recover from almost getting carved; Banto being the first to react. He punches the area in front of him and a wall of embers scorches the cluttered labyrinth. The burning ignition drifts forwards a great distance, finally revealing a figure hopping along some horizontal bars. Banto, noticing the humanoid figure, fires multiple punches in their general direction. The bending lights the whole upper section of the room in a golden glow as it closely tails the marauder.

Tae decides to kick into action as well; she carefully watches the acrobatics of their assailant as they prance effortlessly along the metallic obstacles. Tae waits patiently for the proper moment to strike, lifting her arms subtly to not rouse attention. The foe leaps a much farther distance this time, to a predictable perch surrounded in cables and pipes. Tae seizes the opportunity and clenches her hands inwards towards her torso. This leads the entanglement of thick wire to quickly detach from their assigned positions and dynamically ensnare the figure's legs just as they land on the rectangular touchdown. The questionable character lets out a few powerless grunts and kicks their legs wildly but to no avail; they had been captured.

"So, you're the one who's been causing all of this ruckus across town?" Banto taunts upon blasting himself up to the stranger's location. A black mess of hair drapes down the person's face like spirit tendrils. Tae uses metal-bending to form a bridge up to the vantage point; cleverly choosing to keep her facade of being a normal earth-bending girl for the time being. Banto commences the revealing process by lifting up their captive's hair stating: "I've dealt with enough petty thieves already so let's make this brief if you could be so kind."

"Sorry hon, I don't reckon I'll be doin' any of that," the rogue finally utters in a raspy yet youthful voice. The tentacles of tresses get pushed behind the trapped enemy's back revealing a teenage girl, appearing to be roughly the same age as the two heroes. She has thin, honey-colored eyes that are jagged long-ways with a much pointier, ruggedly shaped facial construct. Her expression is stern yet enticing with a slight allure in her frowning lips. She wears black and grey clothes with hints of purple accented along her shirt and belt. She also wields numerous different types of weapons on what appears to be a utility belt, like the comic book supers would don. Finally, a plump backpack is saddled on her backbone that seems as though it's ready to burst with the slightest pressure. She flashes a false smile and continues to disrupt the cross-examination with her crooked tongue. "Do ya get your kicks trappin' young gals in dark corridors often, boy?"

"What? No I don't…stop that," Banto starts, getting uncomfortable by the girl's surprisingly playful words. She simply smirks mischievously at her successful bait and allows Banto to finish his thoughts aloud. "We're here to put a stop to your pilfering of the people in this city."

"Hm... it's not rocket science deducin' that you lot aren't from around here," the gal states cynically. "So I don't think ya have any right meddlin' in business that's not yours, hon."

"Apologies, but we aren't the kind of citizens who turn a blind eye to wrong doing." The high and mighty retort from Banto sends the mysterious female into a hearty cackle. She wipes a tear from her face and casually sits herself onto the steel outcropping; her feet still tethered to the nearby supports.

"I've dealt with plenty of folk like you, thinkin' they know what's best for everyone without stoppin' to consider any alternatives," the girl explains, composing herself from her brief laughing fit. "Why don't ya take a sec and ask yaself why some dainty little thing like me would put herself in such a predicament?"

"Dainty?" Banto retorts with a reactionary chortle. "You hardly fit such a descriptor. Why don't you stop fooling around and accept that you've been bested." The girl pouts at the boy's straightforwardness; won't even give the decency to play along with her repartee. She sighs and turns her attention to the masked character behind the boy.

"Now what's your story, love?" the girl asks conversationally. "Late to a costume party?" Tae opens her mouth to respond, but she's so unsure of the best course of action so she only produces a meek utterance in the place of words. Banto quickly steps in front of Tae taking command of the situation.

"Stop changing the subject! Are you going to come calmly with us to the local authorities, or is there going to be additional trouble?" Banto holds up a flame to his face, highlighting the serious conviction displayed brilliantly on his face. The embers reflect in the boy's eyewear as the girl just looks up blankly at the boy's stately heroism.

"Hm… well both options are rather temptin'… I'm gonna have to go with the alternative though." Out of nowhere, the lass reveals her hands from behind her back grasping two short swords. The blades cleanly slash through the cables binding her legs leaving copper tassels at her toes. She instantly rolls back onto her feet to create distance between the three teenagers. Banto's frustration boils; without reservation he punctures the air with two of his fingers. A spark of energy welts on their tips before zigzagging towards the armed ruffian. He makes sure that the attack is a low voltage power as to merely stun the girl and not gravely maim her. Nonetheless, she cunningly aims one of her blades towards the electric pulse, directing the attack into her foil and dissipating it with its rubber handle. With the wattage held hostage, she sprints towards the two teens; keeping the platinum saber hoisted in front.

Tae snaps out of her mesmerized funk and steps into the game. She grips at the electrified air leading slabs of metal to perk up from the floor forming make-shift booby traps. Undesirably, the crafty swordsman was remaining hyper aware now that she knew what the two were capable of. She skips along the raised shards of metal, avoiding every attempt to trip up her fancy footwork. Once closed in towards the gang, she thrusts the electrified blade directly towards Banto. He swiftly evades it; along with the follow-up strike from her secondary short-sword. A small squabble occurs; a performance of aeronautic flames and steel. The sneakthief is on a separate level from the gang, toying with them as they frantically bend in her direction praying that one of the uncoordinated attacks would knick her. Her dodging abilities were off the charts, along with her usage of her signature blades she was wielding. As austerely as they fought, nothing appeared to derail her combat aptitude.

A few moments later, the talented girl decides that it's time to wrap up their confrontation. She sticks her twin-swords into their respective sheaths strapped to her body. With intense velocity, she tears across the catwalk and gets right in front of Tae's face in the blink of an eye. The Avatar sticks her hand to the ground and allows the metal to encase her hand like a gauntlet. She then thrusts her fist upwards hoping to clock the gal with a slick uppercut. The chick unfortunately evades it with ease then follows up with her own barrage of jabs. She carefully locks her fingertips into a taut point and repeatedly prods them into the metal-benders joints. The speed of her onslaught was astronomical to the point where Tae could only dish out one punch for approximately six of hers. The expeditious aggressor squats low and knocks Tae's legs around too, making the Avatar crumble to the ground like a house of cards.

With one of the opponents out of the picture, she dashes over to Banto who lobs a fireball aimed right for her forehead. She slides elegantly under the meteor, tightening the distance between them. Once at Banto's toes, she snaps her arms forwards and pushes the fire-bender's arms to the side; disorienting Banto while simultaneously angling the next blast of fire away from her. Next, she repeats her prior routine and injects the lad with her unyielding thrusts. The encore brings Banto down to his knees just as quickly as it did for his teammate, leaving the clear victor smiling cheekily.

"That was a mighty fine show," she commences. "Though, if I were you loves, I wouldn't be gettin' in my way again if ya know what's best for ya." With the message delivered, she escapes back out of the warehouse just as perfectly graceful as she had entered. Her silent departure was almost staggeringly silent compared to Tae and Banto's ungainly entry.

The pair groans as feeling returns to both of their enfeebled limbs. They jitter in discomfort as they persevere through the tingling sensation pinching at their nerves. Eventually, they stand upright and sigh with unimaginable disappointment at what transpired. Banto looks at his hands and forcibly extends his arm outwards. No matter how exemplary his concentration and form was, not even an ember would twinkle in his hands.

"Just as I suspected, that girl appears to know chi-blocking techniques," Banto states dejectedly. He throws his fists downwards in a tantrum-like manner and spins back to his masked companion. "I can't believe a girl, who couldn't even manipulate an element, got the upper hand on us!" He steps in place with frustration as he resorts to rambling a bit. "Well, next time will be different; there will be no discussion or babbling. We'll let our combat do the talking and provide justice for our principles!"

"Banto," Tae finally says, removing her mask slowly from her cowl. Banto stumbles back, facing her friend once more. He displays an embarrassed coloration on his face before proceeding,

"Y-yeah? Sorry, I got mildly carried away for a moment. Do you have a suitable follow-up attack? This ambush was relatively sloppy, I should've been better prepared for the unknown considering how vital it was for our morale to procure a successful first mission…"

"Banto!" Tae shouts, interrupting Banto's mindless monologue once more. Her voice carries across the entire building's processing zone, generating an audible bass tone. The boy pauses and stares confusingly at the girl's aggravated expression. Tae exhales and grits her teeth with exhaustive aggravation. "Why do you always have to…cling so tightly to your beliefs!?" The hissed inquiry loiters unanswered for a few seconds as Banto struggles to unearth its purpose. He cocks his head with naïve bewilderment, stepping slowly towards his clearly upset companion.

"Wh-what do you mean, Tae?" he asks, pleading to understand the bizarre reaction.

"I mean, whenever we've confronted someone, you always preach on and on about justice and what's right…" Tae starts, kicking her heal into the metallic catwalk. "...but you don't always know what's right all the time, Banto. You always act on behalf of the law and your own ideals but you never take any time to learn about the people we fight against. You just…attack them and try to apprehend them to solve the issue as quickly as possible." Tae takes a recess to recover her lung capacity. She turns to look at Banto whose face is drenched with anxiety. She detects the uneasiness and amends her remarks to reinforce that she only wishes for him to see her perspective on the matter. "I know you mean well and that helping people means as much to you as it does for me, but even those that act opposite the law or in contrary to your own personal beliefs might need help too."

Banto freezes at the lecture, reflecting on his actions and emotions. Since his father ostracized him from his home, all Banto wanted to prove was that he was undeniably good. He yearned to be praised as a savior and asset to the other quality citizens of the world and strip himself away from the title of 'monstrous curse' that his role-model casted on him. Banto's face tightens as he looks away from his partner's unbearable gaze. A couple seconds pass, and the fire-bender adjusts himself upright with newfound conviction.

"Tae….I'm so sorry," he announces with a shaky quality to his voice. "I didn't mean to let my views brainwash me. I'm not used to being a vigilante like this… I don't really know what's right." Banto ceases temporarily but regains his composure to finish his apology. "But one thing I do comprehend with certainty is that we're a team. As such, I never should have acted following my own agenda. From now on, we ensue with cooperative decision-making. I won't hold you back anymore, Avatar Rio." Banto smiles calmly at his friend.

Tae reflects the same expression right back. She had been so terrified that them not seeing eye-to-eye was going to be a source of conflict and friction. Instead, she had just been avoiding an opportunity to evolve together and understand each other better. The situation they are in is one they've never experimented with. Back home, they would sometimes bicker over stupid, inconsequential things like where they should eat or lecture material from the University, but it never escalated beyond playful arguing. The current conversation was one that they would need to grow accustomed to given that their lives were rapidly changing. Tae ultimately nods with affirmation to her pony-tailed assistant.

"Thank you Banto," Tae conveys graciously. "But you could never hold me back. I'd never had asked you to come if I felt you'd be a burden." She smirks to the lad who adjusts his glasses with a flushed face. Tae brainstorms for a brief moment before making her way over to the hoisted escape hatch.

The teens rest poised atop the adjacent building to the depot. They speak no vocals, instead opting to reenergize themselves in the glistening spotlight of the lunar body following their every movement. The Avatar and her trusty sidekick wrack their brains with mighty dedication. The previous encounter demonstrated how much more the two needed to do in terms of planning, training and problem-solving. Even with bending, they got shredded by the platinum-clad female warrior extraordinaire. Taking the marauder's abilities into account, Banto coordinates a new plan of action for the two to embark on.

"Tae I have a suggestion for our next strategy," he advises politely. Tae provides a cautionary gaze but Banto is quick to trade her some animated reassurance. "We won't needlessly assault her, do not fret. Instead, we'll actually converse with her and learn her motives, alright?" Tae grins mischievously to her associate.

"That's my partner!" she rags teasingly. "So what's the plan?" Banto opts to refrain from explicating his brilliant proposal. Instead, he enigmatically gestures for the girl to follow.

They scurry back across town; their feet barely skimming the ground as they soundlessly rotate back to their original point of entry into Faonu. They shuffle through some light shrubbery, pricking themselves on some sharp, elongated twigs. The two then appear in front of their slumbering beast of burden; still stretched in his coral of boulders. Banto bends over so his body is near the creature's massive snout and starts rummaging through his pocket. He circumspectly removes a tiny knife from the compartment, a familiar weapon to the Avatar.

"Is that one of the girl's knives?" Tae asks with awe and surprise.

"Indeed," Banto concurs clandestinely. "I covertly nabbed it when she first pegged them at our heads. If we can get Bentley to lock onto her scent then perhaps he can locate her by sniffing her out." Tae nods and struts over to the badger-mole's side. Badger-moles have acute overall senses thanks to them lacking in one entirely. Their smell and hearing abilities are heightened greatly, though nothing compares to their seismic sense. It can pinpoint any source of seismic activity along the surface, no matter how big or small. However given their target's preference to skid along rooftops, that specific capability will likely prove impractical in tracking her down. The pressure of Tae's approaching footsteps causes Bentley to sense the vibrations and raise his head.

"I think he can handle the mission," Tae declares, resting an open hand on Banto's shoulder. The lad then kneels steadily in conjunction with him offering the curved blade to Bentley's nostrils. The creature briefly inhales the weapon's aroma, before promptly smacking it with his paw and plopping his head back on the crumbly surface.

"Hey!" Banto bellows. "Can you please cooperate with us?" Bentley rises slightly and crawls in a tight circle. Tae steps back to give the monstrous earth-being a wide berth for maneuvering. While rotating, the animal insolently decides to flick his tail directly into the muzzle of the fire-bender boy. He instinctually grabs his optical utensil so it doesn't hop off his face from the girthy whip. The boy convalesces from the unprovoked strike before furiously criticizing the mount's antics. "Come on you worthless rodent!"

Tae giggles innocently. "Oh Banto, you know that's not how you get Bentley to listen…" She rounds the goliath's carcass and poses gallantly in front. She opens her mouth and produces a harmonious vocal like a mother's lullaby for her infant. Bentley's ears perk up to the divine tune as his vestigial eyes widen slightly. After a couple seconds of serenading, Tae reintroduces the platinum utensil to the animal's nose. He produces a second powerful snuffle and then lifts his frame up from his gravely recliner. With his combined senses strengthening his tracking skills, Bentley leads the way towards boundless uncertainty. The two excitedly clamber upon the tracker's fur and nestle closely while Bentley traces an imperceptible pathway.

Bentley charts a course along the outskirts of the city's forest, preferring to travel via the jagged shale patches as opposed to the mushy garden-like landscape cuddling the town's structures. He marches along this swiveling strip of rock-strewn soil that splits the woodland into two prominent sectors. The blind creature continues north until the sound of trickling water could be just barely heard dead-ahead of the gang. The aquatic musings grow louder with each claw's extensive lunge. Eventually, the group stumbles upon a decent-sized building that is visually abandoned; no traces of human transport parked anywhere along its unkempt driveway either. The colors splashed along the outer furnishings are faded and scratched away while the windows and doors have boarded-up wood panels that are markedly chipping away. The dwelling itself appears structurally competent, but the cobwebs and broken walling conveys that time will likely claim its cadaver eventually.

"What is this place?" Tae questions; squinting her eyes to better perceive the spooky mass looming along the river's edge. They skid off of Bentley's hide and approach the unpolished cabin with diligent prudence. Tae pauses to briefly spread a buffet of treats for the badger-mole, thanking him for his tireless service. They step carefully onto the rotted deck, causing an eerie squeak to escape the oaky stairway. Even though the residency was barren and withered, the daring teenagers feel as though they are being watched intimately from beyond the building's molded foundations. Even so, with dedication to their goal, the Avatar boldly strides to the slanted doorframe and slams the entrance open with negligent concern. A howl of wind undulates across the foyer with the uninvited entry.

"What are ya doin' here?" a familiar voice jeers from the far end of the room. The two crusaders peer inside to see the knife's combative owner glaring at them from a couple yards away. In her hand grips a long, platinum staff that extends from a central handle expanding outwards. Surrounding her was a peculiar variety of living beings. Huddling on some mangled furniture was a crew of beggarly-clad humans ranging from relatively young children to fully-grown adults. It was immediately apparent from their poverty-stricken disposition that they were living out in the grody shack. Among the group of humans were, surprisingly, a bunch of spirit creatures. The two parties appeared to be sharing the living space with one another harmoniously; at least as amicably as the rusty hovel would allocate. The colorful, quirky characteristics of the spirits juxtaposed the cohesively dirty appearance of the citizens beside them. Some fluttered with transparent wings while others had raised fur showcasing their potent distrust. Even with their clearly frightened faces, the Avatar took unhesitant action.

"Oh my gosh, are those spirits!?" she boisterously vociferates with infectious excitement. She unapologetically dashes closer and squats down, blatantly ignoring any semblance of boundaries that the strangers may have. She thoroughly examines a couple of the friendlier-looking spirit beings guarding themselves behind a few random pieces of furniture. "I've read about these little guys ever since I was little. There are so many stories about these spirits ranging from random, pleasant interactions to dramatic tales of horror and violence. But wow, either way they are precious! I never get to see spirits back home because it's, well, a mechanical nightmare for them. I was surprised we never witnessed any while walking around Faonu though considering it has a lot of nature incorporated in it. Why is that?" The onslaught of words astonishes the staff-wielding gal to the point where she lets her guard down almost instantaneously. She drops her weapon slightly and responds with puzzlement.

"Y-yeah, well… lots of spirits used to live around these parts but they were horribly forced out of their forest by the locals here," the girl details, placing a welcoming hand on one of the spirit creatures. It lets out a calming coo in response to her tender embrace. Tae casts a troubled appearance at the words. Banto too looks down in confusion at the mythical morsels. He recalls the panicked outburst from his father, unable to comprehend how he could view the tiny phantasms as any sort of threat. Of course, Banto knows that appearances can be incredibly deceiving when it comes to the peculiar, fairy-tale characters.

"What about these citizens here?" Banto questions, directing his attention towards a couple of the speechless onlookers. "Why are these people hunkered down in a pathetic cottage such as this?" The aggressive girl rises from her crouched pose and acknowledges the peaceful discussion they are having. She places her staff in a leather strap attached to her belt, continuing her narration.

"Some of these folks here were deported from big cities like Ba Sing Se or Omashu; forced to try and find a new place to call home. Others had issues with employment or struggled with havin' too many children and not enough yuans in their pockets. Well…lots o' folks around here don't gander too kindly at others who are different from themselves, especially in this pompous birdcage of a town…" The gal scoffs and shakes her head in disgust; almost unable to stomach the settlement they currently reside in. She turns back to the two talkative teens with a raised eyebrow. "So what are your stories? I noticed that ya removed your festival outfit, love" She gestures at Tae who plum forgot to mount her mask on her head. She touches her face in realization before accepting the lack of façade and pressing on.

"I'm…Tae. And this here is Banto," the girl introduces with slight faltering. She did not wish to announce her name as Rio without her mask as it would ruin her anonymity if the phrase 'Avatar Rio' ever gets spread around. Still, the girl had already witnessed her in regalia which may make things a bit tricky. "What's your name?"

"Name's Shina," the gothic chi-blocker finally utters passively. A second later, she tilts her head in deep thought, followed promptly with a widened expression of perplexity. "Wait, your name is Banto? Like…Banto Juro? Ha ha, of course! How could I not realize? Look at that fancy get-up ya got on!" She chuckles tastelessly at the boy, causing him to clench his facial muscles with a feral growl. She does not let up on the taunts however. "I guess that explains the stuff ya were sayin'. Your pops is pretty famous across our fair nation. He always preaches about improvin' folk's lives and savin' those in need and yet…" she extends her arms towards the cowering crowd behind her. "…folks like these continue to search for help. Instead, the great Rotoru Juro hunts for ways to spread his business and expand his fortune. The man never donates, never puts his money towards causes to reduce poverty. He just keeps dumpin' dough into his fancy mansion or hirin' more folks to earn him more money…"

A shadowy drape envelops Banto's face as he peers downward, the words of the disgruntled girl burning wildly in his ears. He remains motionless while Shina directs the line of discussion directly at Banto. "Is that why you're here?" she inquires sharply. "Pretendin' to care about the good of others just to haul folks like me away and get yourself a nice bountiful reward?"

Banto huffs out a spiral of flame from his nostrils as he exhales, like a saber-tooth moose lion would prior to charging its prey. He approaches the girl with seemingly malicious intent, lightly shoving the avatar to the side as he closes in on Shina. Tae notices Banto's tense persona and quickly calls out to him.

"Banto, wait!" However, the next sentences he pronounces quashes any worry that Tae had. He turns his head to face his companion and with a composed smile quietly states,

"Don't worry, Tae. I know." He moves towards the band of misfits, casting a grotesque silhouette to darken the floored strangers. Shina protectively reaches for one of her blades, prepared to defend her disheveled companions. To her shock, Banto instead bends down and bows on his knees. He droops his head downwards in an apologetic bow. Shina once again withdraws her weapon at the boy's actions, suitably frazzled by the gesture.

"Listen, I'm not here to apologize for my father and his false promises. I'm not going to pretend that my family is doing everything they can to be supportive to those in need…" Banto explains with a soulful gaze in his amber eyes. He turns to observe the different individuals coiled in the boarded room. "…But I'm not just another Juro on the assembly line. I'm traveling because I thought my help was more needed away from my hometown…away from my family. I'm here because I wanted to know why you were taking things that weren't yours, but I understand now. These people and these spirits were cast aside from society, by their own brothers and sisters of this nation. You saw that they needed assistance and started taking from the wealthy to give back to the poor, right?"

Banto pauses briefly and eyes the parcel of miscellaneous goods that Shina had on her back during their last encounter. The contests were strewn along the floor revealing a few small cans of paint and some brushes from the factory. The young, impoverished children had drawn some adorable depictions of the sun and trees using the pigmented palettes. Amidst the scribbles of acrylic were a few faces depicted with wide, beaming smiles. The fire-bender realizes how different and yet similar he was to these people. They too were pushed aside due to their appearance; due to aspects of who they are without anything else about them being considered. The boy was beside himself noticing the common traits he shared with his own father; doing what was 'right' with no empathy for those that might get hurt because of it. Banto briefly grins at the artwork, seeing that even when handed a bad deal, they still can find things to be hopeful about. Banto continues speaking.

"These people needed help and you bestowed that onto them. I can't imagine any world where hard work and dedication like that goes punished." Shina gazes up at the boy with vision bathed in newfound respect. She stands up, prompting Banto to do the same. Shina extends her hand; the first time since they've met where it was not in possession of a weapon. Banto grasps the limb firmly and bounces it up and down.

"Huh, I guess ya are different that I thought," the lass states, nodding her head approvingly. "Though would've been nice if ya had led with that back at the warehouse." Banto blushes and ruffles his already messed up hair.

"Well my companion here helped me take on a new perspective." He gestures to Tae who was ecstatic about the development of her friend's behavior. Upon being referenced, she takes a small step forward and gives a cute wave. Shina examines the girl's more relaxed disposition before it takes on a slightly more serious expression. Tae suddenly approaches the two newly acquainted teens with a feverish passion to her gape.

"Shina, can we actually talk to you outside briefly?" The abrupt request surprises both Shina and her trusty sidekick who whirls around hoping she explains further. She however presses her lips tightly and says nothing more; leaving the question hanging in the air. Shina squints her eyes suspiciously but then shrugs nonchalantly.

"Sure I don't see why not."

The three exit the rugged shelter, briefly abandoning the spirits and other human inhabitants with their tormenting intrigue. They step outside and cruise a couple yards away from the building away from earshot. Banto is the first to speak up out of uncertainty for the girl's impulsive query.

"What's this about, Tae?" Banto asks, debating internally the reasoning of her shift in behavior. The Avatar ignores the question and approaches Shina instead. She clasps the girl's hands in her own and stares directly into her soul as if uncovering some deep-seeded truth within her eyes. Shina gets somewhat astonished but maintains her unbothered disposition.

"Would you like to come with us?" Tae eventually questions. Banto and Shina both share a mystified gaze as they look to the earth-bending lass. Shina backs her head away unsure of Tae's motives.

"Go with ya?" she solicits with playful inflection. "I just meet you lot and explain how I'm lookin' to help protect these folk and now you want me to come gallivantin' across the Earth Nation with ya?"

"Yes, I think you would be able to help us…well, help me."

"Help ya?" she inquires once more. "Help ya with what? What exactly are you tryin' to accomplish, love?" Tae exhales nervously, gripping her bracelet tightly. She looks to her childhood friend and conveys an expression laced with apologetic regret but also with dutiful conviction. Banto cocks his head trying desperately to decipher Tae's coded nonverbal ticks. A few seconds pass and Tae eventually provides a loaded answer.

"Well you see, I'm actually the Avatar." A brief pause ensues followed by additional bewilderment.

"What?" Shina asks with stunted deadpan delivery.

"Yeah that's a thing. So I was kinda hoping you could come and help train me alongside fighting skills are awesome and I really need to be better at not stumbling over my own two feet. Plus, you already proved to us that you share our belief in helping others; you'd be a perfect new teammate for Tae's Triad!"

"Tae's Triad?" Shina repeats with humored exaggeration in her voice.

"Yeah well originally it was me, Banto and our badger-mole as a trio, but with you on our team we could just label the three of us as the triad, I'm sure Bentley won't mind."

"Wait hold on, time out," Banto interrupts, waving his hands in an animated manner. "What are you doing, Tae? I'm in agreement that she shares our principles but you just want to commission her into our posy just like that?"

"That's exactly what I want to do, Banto," Tae states cheekily, ignoring the heightened worry in the shrillness of his voice. She rotates her perception back to Shina as she finally responds.

"I'm gonna pause ya right there," she commences, shutting her eyes and locking her palms together. "You're tellin' me that you're the Avatar? The one that the Earth Nation has been searchin' for the moment Korra passed away?" Tae nods enthusiastically swaying her wavy hair along the outline of her face. Shina claps her hands loudly and shakes her head. "Yeah, I'm gonna need a little more than that to believe ya, love" With the challenge accepted, Tae cracks her wrist with a sideways rotation, presenting her open hand upwards to the stars. A small spark appears in her palm and a sudden burst of flame extends towards the sky, crackling in the quiet forest. Shina widens her eyes; a heavily emotive countenance that's rare for her to produce. She defensively holds her arms behind her back at the sudden appearance of the intense blaze. She slowly widens her mouth as a succinct rebuttal slips out "…Wow…"

"Yep," Tae confirms bluntly. "I would love it if you could come with us. The way you fight for what's right and how you want to make the world a better place for everyone, it's exactly what we're about!"

"But… why me? I mean, there's likely tons of other folk around that would be more helpful for ya and your cause."

"I don't care, I want you!" Tae snaps her hand shut extinguishing the pocket-sized flare. Shina takes a long moment to swallow everything that was being thrusted her way. The girl had always been unsure of the direction her life would go; it has already been a winding, tumultuous ride already. But, at the end of the day, Shina knew that this was exactly the opportunity that she had been waiting for. She couldn't pass it up, no matter how jarring and spontaneous the scenario was.

"Alright," she eventually says plainly.

"Alright!?" Banto repeats with elevated intensity.

"Yeah, you lot are right. I do want to make the world better." She takes a second to recollect her thoughts. "Ya just started explorin' not too long ago, yeah? Well I can help ya navigate the Earth Nation; I know it well. But in return, I ask that you help me with somethin'."

"Of course, anything!" Tae expresses compassionately. Shina points her thumb over her shoulder to the disheveled cabin creaking behind.

"Can your badger-mole carry my crew back in there to a nearby town? It's not far off. I couldn't bring them myself because lots of them are weak with hunger or from injuries. I would be in your debt if ya helped a sister out." Tae calculates the amount of bodies in the structure and mentally compares it with Bentley's size. It was feasible, and Tae wanted more friends especially those outside of Ran-Wei that could help teach her about the world. She didn't need to think long before deciding.

"It's a deal!" She and Shina gallantly shake hands and smile to each other.

"Thanks, Tae" Shina speaks graciously.

"Actually…" the bubbly earth-bender utters brazenly. "…you can call me Avatar Rio."

Chapter 6: A Dual of Comrades

The late morning summons Banto and Tae from their cozy cradles. The events following the new dawn transpire rapidly and efficiently; per the fire-bender's preference. It begins with the two teenagers trudging through the recognizable brush for their furry associate. With wearisome convincing, they eventually managed to drag Bentley to his claws and steer him back to the hovel they had just parted with hours prior. There they meet up with Shina and her squad, all of whom were understandably reluctant to mount the striped creature. Eventually, with more coercion on Tae and Banto's part, they successfully gathered every human with their spirit acquaintances on the back of the gigantic carnivore. Bentley was not all too pleased with the novel arrangement, but with edible persuasion and melodic motivation he eventually complies. From there, the large parade of citizens begins the trek north-east to a nearby town as directed by their newly drafted cohort Shina.

"So why are we bringing these people to this random village?" Tae asks, while straddling the neck of her stead. Shina crawls briskly toward the top section of Bentley's back to converse.

"I heard from my folks that they're an incredibly welcomin' town. When my family used to travel down there, they said they would always offer them a place to stay completely unprovoked," she explains, finding a safe and comfortable position on the beast's active muscles. "At the time, my pops used to say that it was weird for them to be so invitin'. But for us, it seems like a perfect spot to get these folks some food, rest, and maybe even medical aid." Tae is immediately on board with Shina's plan. The Avatar casts a determined look forwards as her badger-mole reaches a thin section of river straight ahead. Tae tumbles off the monster and swiftly lifts up a chunk of land, puncturing a hole through its base so that the water can somewhat continue to flow under her manifested bridge. The animal fearfully makes his way across the connecting walkway with Tae quietly soothing the beast with a consoling hum. Shina takes the intimate moment as an opportunity to get close to the Avatar. She leans in to speak quietly so that only she could hear.

"So only you, me and the boy wonder over there know that you're the Avatar, yeah?" she asks whisperingly. Tae twitches her head subtly up and down but tries not to draw attention to their conversation. Behind them, the other individuals were all idly talking to one another, filled with a mix of emotions from their sudden relocation. Most were very excited to be out of the nearly decimated house they were residing in, though some of the parents worried for their kids who always seemed to be on the verge of barrel-rolling off Bentley's back. Shina continues her interrogation after establishing that no one is eavesdropping. "Don't ya think the Earth Nation officials are gonna come for ya when word start spreadin' of a masked Avatar ridin' around on a gigantic, scarred badger-mole?" Tae worryingly acknowledges the probable quarrels they have with a somber look. As is evident to most, Tae's spontaneous adventure is drenched in potentialities of failure with high possibility of making life increasingly hard for everyone. But, she does not have any reservation about the choices she's made thus far, so she chooses to hold her head high.

"We'll cross that bridge if we get to it," she states aloofly. She glances backwards at the earth-bended structure she created minutes ago. "In fact, I can just make a bridge. So to be honest, I've got all bases covered." Shina chuckles coyly at the Avatar's casual attitude. She scoots back and reclines on her back, getting reasonably comfortable. She pipes up once more while facing leftwards towards some passing verdure.

"And why are you so silent, love?" she exclaims to Banto who was sitting arms crossed opposite of the girl. Banto peers up at the gal for a millisecond, but quickly turns back to face the fur beneath his toes. A few spirits start hopping around his body, their wiggling legs in overdrive. "Your pride still in shambles after I whooped your butt yesterday evenin'?"

"No, that's not it," Banto retorts, blindly taking the bait. He says nothing more and broodingly tucks his arms further beneath his shoulders. Tae glances backwards for a second, instantly noticing Banto's judgy squint. He clearly has something pressing on his mind, which is a rarity for him to not openly express. For the moment however, she opts to focus on the journey ahead.

A few minutes of tireless travel zip by and the mobile mob eventually spots a novel-looking village sprawled listlessly within a birch forest. A couple larger buildings are positioned along the exterior of the woods amidst a scraggily patch of lemongrass and speckled poppies. The countryside atmosphere was a refreshing change from Ran-Wei's oppressive city smog and Faonu's ostentatious culture. Many rural districts are sprinkled throughout the Earth Nation, though they've been slowly dissipating ever since technology took center stage as means of survival. Nowadays, you have to scour through steppes and meadows just to encounter a classic wheat farm.

They arrive at the foot of the hill and people immediately start pouring off the sides of their transporter. Tae, Shina and Banto hop off as well, leading the pack as they enter the humble village. They allow Bentley to tail the pack since the houses were spread much further apart from one another allowing ample room for their gargantuan team member. He sniffs around some woodland greenery as Tae and the others cautiously examine the quaint homesteads. A chipper voice eventually rings out from a wooden cabin a couple meters across a patch of tilled land. A man comes jogging up to the erroneous bundle of natives.

"Good tidings!" the gentleman greets with a slightly out of breath airiness to his voice. "A large group of lovely people such as yourselves must be searching for Ba Sing Se, yes? You just have to head north from here and you'll see the walls, can't possibly miss it!" The man was gentle with his words and overly helpful to boot. Tae inches forwards with compelled politeness.

"Thank you sir, but we actually wanted to come here believe it or not." The man's twitching hands slump down to his hips as bewilderment coats his face; he apparently doesn't hear responses like that very often. Shina enters the conversation with open arms and a surprising warmness to her speech, the likes of which had not existed in her lexicon prior.

"Ya see, we lot have been through a great deal and unfortunately have no place to exactly call home. Now I hate bein' a burden more than anythin' but this small crowd of kind folk just need a place to recuperate and call home for a while until they can get back on their feet. I know this is out of the blue and I do apologize, but would ya be willin' to let these wary folks hunker here a bit and recover to get their strength back? I would be forever indebted to ya for your unwarranted generosity if so…" The touching words reach the man's heart. He sniffles quietly and wipes a bit of moisture that was forming around his eyes and seizes the girl's hand with forceful gusto.

"Of course you all can stay!" the man preaches with a slight whimper from his overwhelming emotions. He bows and introduces himself to the large mass of people. "I'm Jino, the mayor of this peaceful town people call Birchley Borough. It's not much, but the citizens here are some of the kindest you'll ever meet! We would be pleased to help take care of these folk here. The spirits too! They're always welcome as well!" The man's exuberant personality was such an alien presence compared to the other Earth Nation citizens the gang had run into. They all bowed and thanked him for allowing strangers to take refuge in his modest town. Jino flipped his hand stating that it was no problem and added extraneously that a couple of teenagers shouldn't have to be responsible for the well-being of so many individuals. A couple of townsfolk had approached the group from the hullabaloo they were stirring with their distinctive party of spirits, tattered humans and a hulking badger-mole. The onlookers clued in and stepped up to assist the injured and elderly members of the posy foremost. Some assisted with the two families that had children with them, making sure that the younglings were healthy and fed enough. Eventually, everyone on board the beast was escorted away to their new cottages of respite. Shina watches satisfyingly as her temporary comrades were all brought to dashingly inviting homes with people and families that wanted nothing more than to help them. One mother with her 5 year-old son surprises Shina with an impromptu bear hug from her side.

"Thank you for always looking out for us," the woman says, lovingly squeezing the young teen's upper body. She momentarily blinks; stunned by the lady's unexpected affection. A couple tender moments longer and the black-haired lass was returning the woman's embrace with one of her own.

"It's no trouble," the girl states to the mother. "You lot have been like a family to me, so thank you too." The mother smiles and reaches down to grab her son by the wrist to direct him towards a contemporary-styled lodge. The young boy, clearly unsure about what was happening, played along and walked cooperatively. Then, he turns his head back and waves goodbye to Shina who was already saluting them off as well. Once the farewells were through, Shina struts over to Tae and Banto, the latter of whom was still being somewhat quiet from earlier. "So, what's the new plan then?"

"Well… I'm not really sure!" Tae boasts proudly. "We managed to help these people, what should be our next plan of attack?"

"I have an idea," Banto finally says, walking over to the chatting ladies. He briefly glances around to make sure no one is in earshot before proceeding. "Tae should do some training before we travel elsewhere. Her fire-bending techniques have gone neglected since we left Ran-Wei since there hasn't been a suitable opportunity to practice. Now would be an optimal time to get some exercise in while we have downtime." Tae nods in agreement at the boy's recommendation. Shina however puts a hand to her chin and thinks otherwise.

"Hmm….no," she states frankly. Banto twitches his eyebrow with slight annoyance at the girl's refusal.

"Why not, may I ask?" the fire-bender spouts with clearly forced civility. Shina begins pacing around the two friends like a lecturer would during an important business presentation.

"I've seen how you lot fight from before. Your usage of the elements is definitely nothin' to joke about, but your overall fighin' ability leaves a lot to be desired." She turns to face both teammates with a professor-like wisdom in her posture and language. "Before she delves deeper in developin' her fire usage, she should first prioritize her general combat skills so that she can integrate the bendin' more naturally into her movement. Especially since I've seen how klutzy you can be love, your footwork is like that of a one-legged wolf bat." The girl gets a saddened expression but does concur that she can frequently stumble over herself in the heat of battle. She nods at the contrary proposition to the sword-wielder's delight. Banto shakes his head and throws up his hands with bitter reluctance spitting,

"Fine, if you both like that plan better, then we can comply with Shina's wishes instead." He then follows up by turning and stomping briskly towards an opening in the tree line. His ponytail and headband flutter behind him as he rejects the prospect of saying anything more to the gals. Shina and Tae look to each other, unsure how to formulate a solution to Banto's mild anger. Eventually, the non-bender steps forward with promising assurance.

"I got this, love. Gather Bentley and our luggage and meet us in the field over there for trainin'." Tae firmly accepts the arrangement and scurries off to their badger-mole. Shina sprints up to catch up with the hot-tempered lad and unapologetically inserts herself by Banto's side. "So why are ya so heated hon? I know you're a fire-bender and all but this seems a little overkill."

"Don't worry about it; it's fine," the boy retorts in a very much not fine manner.

"Look, I don't want any animosity between us, so there's no need to be jealous that ya partner there liked my ideas better."

"I'm not bothered by that!" Banto snaps with mildly raised volume. "It's just that…we're out in the unknown trying to prepare Tae so she can maintain peace in the world or whatever but we have no solitary idea on what we're doing. On top of that, Tae is so childishly eager to do everything she can now that she's free from the restrictions of our home that she's blissfully unaware of what problems it may cause. I don't mean any offence in this but she let a random stranger we just met come travel with us and now Tae's following orders that you're putting forth as if you're an old chum from back home." Shina casually coils her arms around her waist.

"So ya don't trust me?" she engages, somewhat dejectedly.

"I don't know you," Banto corrects. "You seem trustworthy; I'm not worried about that. I just constantly fret that Tae is going to let the thrill of adventure get to her and her ignorance is going to get herself hurt or betrayed if she, and I, aren't careful…" Shina absorbs the words of the young boy with pertinent contemplation. She was so quick to join the bandwagon that she didn't wait to think about how it's going to affect everybody involved. She places a hand on Banto's shoulder and carefully responds to the reservations of the troubled teen.

"Look you're right, we're just startin' to get to know each other so ya don't really have any reason to trust me. But, what that friend of yours said is true; I wanted to travel with ya because I want to help folk like me that were hurt by the evils of the world." She faces back at Tae who is currently halted by some locals who were asking to pet Bentley. She benevolently offers them to scratch his head while Tae sings and gives him treats to maintain his calmness and composure. The young townspeople excitedly massage the beast's scalp, causing Bentley to rest his muzzle lazily on the ground for further attention. Banto watches this exchange as well, warmly smiling at his childhood friend. He knew without a doubt that she was going to be an excellent Avatar. "That gal is special, I can tell. Even if she's a little… naïve, she'll have us to keep her on track, yeah?" Shina slugs Banto in the upper arm, prompting him to wince in stinging pain from the playful attack.

"Yeah, I suppose I won't have to handle the burden myself then," Banto states, rubbing his arm. Shina grins heartily and puts her hands on her hips. This pose is briefly deterred when she raises her rounded fingers to her mouth and calls out to the distracted Avatar,

"Come on Tae, we got some work to do!" Tae perks her head to the words and then immediately starts scrambling to get some of the fallen luggage back on Bentley. As she grabs Banto's satchel, the open pocket regurgitates some of the boy's prized items onto the mustardy ground. She panics and starts shoving the contents back in the bag then tosses it inelegantly back on top of the badger-mole. Banto shakes his head with a light chuckle as the three heroes traverse an incline up to a wide-open knoll.

They reach the peak of the unimpressive mound, unloading their baggage onto the grassy terrain. From their prime vantage point, the three could see a large section of the village below. Lots of folk were catering to their farmland and attending to their crops with great diligence. A small clan of casually dressed citizens conversed amidst the birches on a couple of the many benches littered across the countless acres of land. A short distance northeast was a striking mountain range composed of intimidating stalagmites propelling outwards from the stony cliffs. Tae couldn't help but wish she had acquired a camera of some sort to document such scenic beauty.

After a short interlude, the teenagers commence preparations for battle. Tae removes her expensive-looking bracelet from her hand and places it gingerly on her satchel resting in the dirt. She ties her playfully messy hair into a small ponytail to keep the strands from interfering with her not-so-acute perception. Shina drops all of her weapons into a random patch of weeds near the decline of the hill, making sure they don't roll away and escape. She also disrobes her utility belt and bowls it a couple feet away from her feet to provide sufficient room for combat.

"Alright love, give me a good thrashin'," Shina offers, giving a little 'come at me' gesture with a wiggle of her conjoined fingers. Tae, who was readying herself in a crouched pose, rises at the invitation with slight misunderstanding.

"Wait what? You just want me to go to town, no practice or anything?"

"That's right; I'm testin' your current capabilities as a fighter. Also, try to leave the bendin' out of this tussle, yeah?" Tae resumes her scrunched posture and re-readies herself.

"Alright, if you say so!"

With the call to action, Tae rushes towards Shina in an admirable burst of speed. The whistle of wind in her ears draws her focus hypnotically towards her opponent. Once within range, the lass closes in and prepares a hard right-hook. As she's winding up, Shina initiates her own offensive approach. She instantly slides her left foot sneakily towards the landing pad for Tae's clopping feet. This brings her lower and closer to the ground so that the punch sails directly over her charcoal hair. Tae's heel clips the outside of Shina's meddling footwear and she stumbles forwards. The force of her attempt of an attack sends her spiraling into a tumble-roll that lobs her a few feet forward. Tae squints from the mild embarrassment and hops back up onto her toes, nearly toppling back over from the quick leap.

"Keep goin'," Shina instructs. Tae alters her strategy slightly and goes in for another attack. She cruises back over to her location for a second strike, her eyes glued to her adversary. Once she's within arm's reach, she stops her momentum and quickly juts out a hand in an attempt to jab her non-bending aggressor. Shina skillfully grabs Tae's wrist and thrusts it aside with minimal effort. Tae was not finished however. She follows up with a side-chop with her unbounded arm. Shina lifts her other arm upwards as well and knocks the dangerous mitt away from her torso. Tae was determined to land a successful hit; she couldn't afford to let her training session terminate. She continues the onslaught of arm based attacks, getting deflected or repelled by Shina's own mystifying arm movements. This progressed repetitiously for some time while Tae waited for a weakness in Shina's footwork to take advantage of. A minute later and Shina widened her stance beyond the normal extension she usually maintains. This was her chance. Once her hand was repelled away, she suddenly lunges her leading leg out, planning to land a kick on Shina's exposed knee joints to drop her to the crabgrass at their ankles. But, the gal picks the alternative and speedily brings her body to a prone position and swipes her leg strongly to the side. This knocks the Avatar's grounded leg out from under her and reintroduces her forcibly to the plant-coated earth. Tae groans at the striking pain courses up her body from slamming onto the hilltop.

"That was good, Tae!" the girl reassures with honest endorsement. "You adapted your fightin' style by goin' for my legs; which was how ya got the better of me last time when we fought at that warehouse." She rubs the space between her nose and mouth and produces an obnoxious grin. "Unfortunately, I wasn't about to let ya use that trick on me twice."

"Wow, you're so quick and precise with your movements!" Tae spouts with exhaustive dictation. Shina stands above the flattened earth-bender and aids her to her feet. Tae brushes some dirt particles off her characteristically worn-out pants. "I mean, what was I even supposed to do in that fight?"

"Well for one thing, you attacked too much," she explains with unfiltered openness. "Battlin' is not always about gettin' your attacks to land, it's also about protectin' yourself from your foe's attacks as well. Let your opponent come to ya, so that you can create some sort of battle strategy to counteract their assault."

"Wait, but that's not fair! You outright told me to come and try to give you a thrashing!"

"Yeah, that's rule 2 love," Shina elaborates. "Never let your adversary take command of the fight. It's your battle, so do whatever it takes to get the upper hand on your own terms." The teasing remark gets a small chuckle out of Banto followed by a cantankerous sulk from the vanquished Avatar. She crawls back to a fighting stance and prepares for another cheap trick to throw her from her pedestal. Shina relaxes her frame and reverts back to her more staid personality. "Alright enough toyin' around, let's get ya another amateur to test your fightin' form on." She immediately points her head towards Banto, who just glares back at her with seeded bitterness. He and Tae have had basic self-defense lessons since they were both children, but Banto had additional private training from personal trainers to finetune his fire-bending. He would hardly consider himself a mere amateur, but he plays along with Shina's playfulness. He would need to acclimate to her brand of humor eventually.

"Alright, I'll be the guinea pig I suppose…" he says in an unapologetically reluctant tone. Shina grins at the simple compliance and walks away a few paces to give the trainees some fighting room. Tae faces her crimson-clad companion, scooting her legs a smidge apart to hover closer above the ground. Banto takes a few deep breaths to control his inner fire, tightening his headband on his head to keep it tethered to his skull. The allies measure up their initial stances, awaiting the announcement to engage. Bentley lifts his head slightly, sensing the complete stillness of the two altercating teenagers. As they ready themselves, a recognizable voice bellows out over the bustle of the town below.

"Fight!"

With Shina's cry, Banto rushes Tae who has a slight hiccup in her kickoff. She jogs forwards, keeping an attentive focus on Banto's movement and directional path of his arms. The two reach about a yard apart when Banto leaps into the air going for a flying kick. The surprisingly agro option catches Tae off guard. Unable to form a counterattack, she rolls along the ground underneath the approaching heel and tumbles underneath the soaring boy. Once Banto lands after failing to make contact, he sneakily whirls around and goes for a spin kick to his left side. Tae, having just recovered with her evasive tactic, swiftly leans her body backwards allowing the foot to sway through the air in front of her face. With two strong-hitting moves out of the way, Tae closes in for her rebutting strategy. She moves in tight, arms at her side making her appear defenseless. Banto pushes out a potent left-hook, which Tae is prepared for. She ducks underneath and swings around to Banto's backside in a fast swivel. She moves to jab him forcibly in the ribs, but Banto is ready. He turns and snags hold of Tae's balled fist. With control of her movement, he whirls her around and wraps his arm around Tae's neck. He then cleverly grabs hold of her other arm to prevent any counterstrike. He tautens his bicep and constricts her airway, hoping to force surrender.

"Are you ready to concede defeat, partner?" Banto mocks, awaiting her to double-tap and admit being trounced. Tae winces but chooses a superior idea. She stomps down onto Banto's foot, causing him to call out in agony. She then spins around to kick at his chest while regaining airflow. Banto simply smacks the foot away from his body and hops backwards to give more room and writhe a bit from his injuries. The battle appeared to be very equal, both sides giving it their all with little opening to land decisive blows. Eventually, Tae rallies towards Banto, but has to pause briefly at the sight of Banto's next battle strategy. For whatever purpose, the fire-bender begins twirling in an extravagantly poised pirouette. The twirl was not any type of battle technique, he literally appeared as if he were a part of a dance ensemble. He rotates with grace as he eases his way towards the flabbergasted Avatar. She forms a bemused expression, and then shoots out a quick punch to stop Banto's relentless spinning. The boy was waiting for this moment. He bends his body back and balances on his one leg to evade the blow. He then takes hold of Tae's arm with a forceful grip. He crumples his body into a condense form and uses the rigidity of his compact shape to flip Tae over his body and onto the ground. The sudden attack knocks the wind out of Tae as she slams inelegantly into the dirt with a prominent thump. Banto stands upright and brushes some rubble from his jacket with a cocky grin. Shina steps forward, with an impressed look on her face.

"And that's the battle. Very nice strategy, Banto. You used Tae gettin' distracted easily as a tactic to throw her off her game. That little twirl of yours was a mighty spectacle to see." She turns to Tae who just accepted the bitter earth as her tomb. "A fast learner he is, yeah?"

"Yeah, he get's that a lot…" Tae grovels, upset that she lost to such a silly plan. Banto adjusts his collar and smiles with an incorrigible flare. The boy then frugally aids Tae to her feet, lifting the smaller-framed girl with minimal effort. She checks her body carefully, only noticing a few scrapes and bruises with negligible overall damage. Shina surprises Tae by slamming her hand on the girl's shoulder.

"Well, you did great too, love," she encourages, jostling Tae as she sustains her pouting disposition. "You both were even for a while there, and your movements were much cleaner and more poised than in our rumble. Plus, you have me to help ya smoothen out your combat so you can rejoice!" She shoves her head in front of Tae's face and grins directly into her eyes from point blank. Tae attempts to maintain her saddened grimace but cracked at the jolly liveliness of Shina's compliments. Shina straightens her back shortly thereafter and hops back with a skip in her step. "Now, let's go over some basics to get ya fightin' right!"

From there, the afternoon progresses into a full-blown combat seminar with Tae as the focused pupil. Shina would instruct her on her various battle techniques and strategies while Tae did her best to focus on the explanations with attentive concentration. After Shina details a type of approach or defensive pose, Tae would practice demonstrating the fruit of her preaching's to the best of her ability. To nosey onlookers, it was a peculiar sight. Two young ladies darting all over the hilltop, rolling and weaving around violent attacks; it was something unusual for the typically calm and serene village. Their limbs smudged and bruised from the harsh battering of the dual, their clothes concurrently starting to pattern with mud stains and stretch tears. The daylight was beginning to descend into the horizon's glow when Shina props her elbow outwards signaling the end of Tae's tutorial. She takes a deep breath before finishing her lesson with a final sliver of advice.

"Just remember to keep your stance low and your mind sharp, ya never know what an enemy might do so don't let them trip ya up, yeah?" Tae huffs and puffs but snaps a thumbs-up into the air, prompting a perky grin from her battle partner. The Avatar promptly squats down and takes the closure of her instruction as an opportunity to finally relax from her matches. Shina, however, was not quite ready to call it a day. Without twisting her neck, she points a finger at Banto who was busy writing in his journal. The boy glances upwards in surprise at the sudden attention being drawn to him. Shina puts her hands on her hips and bends a tad forwards, speaking with her archetypal good-humored attitude. "How about you, guinea pig? Wanna have a small round of battlin' to give Tae here a little break?" Banto shuts his diary immediately, and leaps up to his feet.

"Alright, but let's make this the concluding skirmish of the night. We shouldn't overstay our welcome. Not to mention, we should keep moving to keep the wandering eyes of the public off our trail as much as possible." Shina nods at the sound words coming from Banto. He strolls over to the opposite point of the hill ready to engage. Meanwhile, Tae sits cross-legged on the ground, watching idly as the two prepare for their tussle. She enjoys the serene moment of peace with her two companions, three including the four-legged kind. She closes her eyes for a brief recess and passionately unwinds as the evening breeze cools her off from her tireless duals. She breathes in and out, feeling the sounds of the environment peter out as she drifts listlessly into a placidly light stupor. For a couple of minutes, it felt as if she could sail off to sleep at the drop of a Pai Sho tile.

As she slowly rocks in the calming air atop their grassy watchtower, a sensation stirs from an undisclosed location. Tae opens her eyes slowly and glances around the mountain top. Shina and Banto had already begun their battle and Bentley was still sleeping unfazed along the mound's edge. She checks down at the village, but everyone appeared to be doing normal activities. The earth-bending lass decides it's nothing to concern herself with and zones back out into her meditative trance. A second later and the stirring returns, this time more vividly. An echoing voice rings within the canals of her ears, like the tedious buzzing of a microscopic insect. She clenches her eyes a bit tighter, focusing on the peculiar sound banging on her eardrums. With intense concentration, the presence finally let's its voice be heard with clear eloquence. Tae gasps with manic vigor at the utterance's words,

"Tae! You must help!"

The phantom holler summons the girl drastically to her feet. She stands hunched over, a twitching quiver in her hands as she heavily wheezes. The curious reaction from their companion pauses the showdown between Banto and Shina. They look at each other with worry, prompting Banto to run over to Tae. He notices the uncannily serious facial expression on his comrade and waves a hand in front of her face.

"Hey Tae, are you alright? What happened?" he asks with caring bother. Tae shakes her head and looks at the boy with uncertainty in her gaze. She revaluates their surroundings to ensure that nobody nearby was in desperate need of assistance. The normalcy of Birchly Borough was at its peak; only Tae remained the outlier with her unignorable fright. She clears the lump in her throat and explains to the best of her ability.

"I…I think I heard a voice," she begins, staring longingly at a nonexistent point above the tree line. She taps on her forehead hoping to summon the enchanting call once more to no avail. "I'm not sure what it was, to be honest. It felt like it was miles away and yet creepily right in my ears too." Tae has never had such an out of body experience like this before; it was an incredibly jarring and concerning prospect that there was something in her head that she couldn't explain. She looks to her wise associates for guidance but they were just as bewildered as she was.

"Ya heard a voice, love?" Shina asks, verifying the story. Tae nods with worrying certainty, peering back down towards the audience of chalk-barked trees viewing their training dojo from below. Shina puts a hand to her chin and ponders the strange experience vigilantly. "I wonder where it came from…and why." Tae falls silent for a moment, sullenly watching her hands vibrate back and forth. She finally circles back and looks to her partners with a nervous face.

"I think…" she begins, warily. "I think it might've been Korra; it was definitely an adult woman's voice anyway." The alarming declaration grants the two others looks of pure confusion. Banto wobbles his head and places a finger to his temple.

"Wait, you mean the previous Avatar?" he clarifies. "The one you're always reading about? Are you suggesting that she's attempting to contact you?" Tae slowly bobs her head up and down, wondering if what she's signifying is correct.

"It was hard to tell…" Tae elucidates additionally. "It felt like I was on the verge of dreaming, but then just as the voice called out to me, I woke back up. I don't know what it means…" She frantically looks to her two friends and exclaims to them anxiously, "What do you think I should do? How am I supposed to figure this out!?"

Banto could tell that Tae was incredibly frazzled. He had seen her get this way numerous times during school hours and occasionally in his family mine during the training period for her job. He glances around, attempting to find a solution somewhere in the confines of his brain. Eventually, he realizes that right now he just needed to be a pedestal that she could lean on for support. He confidently looks to his friend, and places a hand delicately on the top of her head.

"Don't worry Tae; we're going to figure this thing out, okay?" The simple words managed to reach Tae, and she eases up a little bit on the worrying. She gives a shy smile in response, signaling that Banto gave a somewhat exemplary response.

"Ya know…" Shina disrupts, crossing her arms with an idea solidifying in her mind. "If ya tried meditatin', maybe you could connect to Korra with some spiritual relaxation." The notion raises the heads of Banto and Tae, the latter responding with a seemingly hopeless tone in her scratchy voice.

"Maybe…" Tae utters. She shakily inhales and exhales as she works to renounce her shivers. No matter how dedicated she was to improving, she couldn't stop freaking out over the possibility of her being called to action on only her first week of being the Avatar. The looming likelihood of her failing as the world's spiritual leader made tiny beads of sweat well up on her forehead. She read an unmanageable amount of literature depicting the journey of Korra, Aang, Kyoshi and a plethora of other Avatars and she always clued in to a common pattern. No matter who they were or what they accomplished, there were always people who thought poorly of the different Avatars, viewing them as failures or disgraces. Tae strives to be the best Avatar she can be but she isn't sure that she'll be able to measure up to the others. Nonetheless, she knows she has to try. She takes a final sturdy breath and clears her mind. "I'll at least give it a try."

Tae sits cross-legged on the ground; clearing her chaotic emotions and allowing the natural calmness purify her mental pandemonium. She rectifies her posture and burrows her hands deeply into the trench beneath her folded limbs. Her heart pounds against her ribcage producing a distracting commotion within her chest. She tries furthering herself from the environmental disruptions around her, but they keep sneaking through her sensory barriers. Banto and Shina watch silently, hoping that the Avatar manages to solve the riddle of the eerie voice. Eventually, Tae opens her eyes; her disappointment immeasurable.

"…Nothing," she states, completely dismayed. "I'm too stressed to relax. Nothing I do is calming me down and I don't even know what to do next!" Banto reaches forward; ready to give another heartwarming speech to cheer her up, but Tae was not having any of it.

"Don't fret Tae, we must focus on…"

"I don't even know why I came on this journey!" Tae cuts short. "I don't have any plan. I don't know how to be a spiritual leader. I can hardly handle one roadblock and we've literally traveled to two towns!" The rise in anger from the Avatar causes the ground beneath her legs to shake. The tremors vibrate the hilltop, causing minor panic from the Shina and Banto. Bentley notices the earth's tumultuous convulsing and rises to his feet in case of it becoming dangerously unruly. Shina steps in now to try her hand at quelling Tae's emotional outbreak.

"Love, ya just started your journey. Ya got no reason to worry…"

"Oh, and the best part!?" Tae interjects once more with bubbling fury. "I abandoned my family on a whim to ride around on a stolen badger-mole just to disappoint, not only my family and hometown, but the whole stinkin' world!" The final eruption unleashes a powerful burst of earth-bending to explode out from Tae. Cracks of disturbed ground bolt out like a school of unagi snaking their way through an ocean's current. The fissures branch outwards towards the two defensive teenagers who leap backwards to avoid being trapped by the rocky terrain's jagged teeth. Banto watches his friend as the earth girates all around her forming pockets of cracked land and mineral pillars poking around close to her now standing body. Her eyes are clenched while she berates herself with cruel words and self-conscious reservations. Banto realizes that she's not going to stop unless someone does it for her. Without missing a beat, Banto leaps into the air and shoots out a geyser of flame from behind him, propelling him into the air. He lands on some of the earthly pedestals Tae accidentally created and skips along them to get close to Tae. One pillar rockets upwards from Tae stomping aggressively into the ground that he needs to evade. He points his hand downwards and sideways to roll in a whirlwind of flames that grants an extra bit of aerial momentum for him to hurdle the rock mount effectively. He lands in front of Tae and without thinking, grabs Tae hard by the shoulders and stares directly into her shut eyes.

"Tae, stop!" he roars, inches from the girl's face. She rips her eyes open in revelation of what was happening around her. The neatly sculpted hill they were just training on was utterly disfigured by totems of bedrock and shale. Cracks lay dormant reaching out towards Shina and Bentley who apprehensively huddled a couple meters away near the downward bend of the mound's lid. She blinks at the destruction with a blend of mystification and doubt.

"Whoa… did I do that?" she solicits in a daze from her blind rage. She examines the wreckage; an abundance of misplaced minerals haphazardly strewn about the lemon grass. Banto nods in acknowledgement of her violent tantrum. Tae looks around in slight horror, speaking up to correct her behavior. "Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry guys."

"Don't be," Banto says with a slight smirk. "You know, you used to always berate my own fallacy about being as perfect as I can be. I believe one of your infamous quotes was 'Banto, if you worry about every little thing, you're gonna make yourself go bald from stress-induced hair loss'." Tae recalls the snarky remark from when they were younger. Banto had just started operating in his father's mine and even though he was doing a great job as a new employee, he kept complaining about himself claiming that he's going to hold the company back. At the time, it bothered Tae a lot since he was near flawless in everything he did, to the constant praise of those around him. Tae couldn't fathom why he would have any reason to belittle his own self-worth. However, now she realizes that everyone has things that they're uncertain about, even those that excel in a majority of their pursuits.

"Yes I remember that…" Tae replies calmly. "Of course, I think I said that out of jealousy of your luscious hair. I always wanted gorgeous locks down to my hips. But when it gets too long, I usually wind up getting it caught in places and need to cut it for my own safety." The two chuckle to each other wholesomely. Banto stands upright and looks at her longtime friend with empathy.

"Tae, you always told me that I could do no wrong back home, yet ever since we started this expedition I've been making countless errors in judgment." He shakes his head remembering the different tiny mistakes he's made since they begun. "As goofy as you can be, you're one of the most passionate and inspiring people I've had the honor of befriending, and I truly cannot fathom a different individual being blessed with being the Avatar. I'm confidant you're going to do exceptional things for the world, Tae. I couldn't be more thrilled to be a part of this journey and experience all of your future accomplishments."

Tae's bottom lip starts to tremble at the exuberant words from her partner. She quickly wipes a pellet of water away from the corner of her eye and smiles beamingly up at Banto. The fire-bender volleys the pleasant emote back with one of his own. The value the two kids share for one another is unspoken but has existed since they were mere youngsters corralled from the rest of the world. The two were always so different, but rejoiced in their own respective interests and supported the other's fervors with unrelenting drive. The mushy atmosphere was blatantly pummeled by Shina strutting into the picture.

"That was a mighty fine speech ya gave there, boy wonder," Shina jokes teasingly. "Sounds like you two have a long history together, awfully cute how much ya care for each other." She grins with bouncing eyebrows, filling Banto with tickling alarm.

"Hey, you better not mean that in the way I'm interpreting you phrasing that!" Banto shouts angrily at the weapon-wielding girl. She cackles to herself, making Tae let out a hearty laugh as well. Shina composes herself once more shortly after and begs an important question. "So Avatar Rio, ya got a plan for tomorrow? Assumin' the townsfolk don't kick us out from you destroyin' their tranquil yard." Tae ponders for a quick second, and then peers over at Banto who raises his hand like a petite schoolboy.

"Can I make another suggestion?" he asks. Tae shrugs nonchalantly and answers.

"You seem to be good at those lately," she compliments. "I clearly have no clue what to do, might as well rely on my subordinate's brain juices." Her eyebrows dance along her forehead expectantly; Banto groans at the facial jig. "What's the plan, Banto?" The boy repositions his glasses on his nasal bridge and points to the east.

"I propose we travel to the Hurricane Peninsula, from there we can journey south to the Eastern Air Temple. There, someone may be able to help connect you with the mysterious voice through 'heightened meditation' or whatever."

"Or maybe I'll be able to travel into the spirit world!" Tae announces excitedly. "The spiritual energy there is said to be the most powerful and enlightening. Maybe entering the spirit world can help me connect to Korra or any other spirits in need of my assistance!" Banto nods, happy beyond description that Tae was full of hope once more. Shina looks over to Bentley and then back at her two teammates with rising thrill.

"Well, the Avatar has spoken," she decrees with fanfare. "Let's get ya into the spirit world, love."