Chapter 2: Good Spirits Must Be Mentors
Yee's recovery had been going well. At least, according to Jazaih. He had woken up in an unfamiliar place right beside a fireplace. He was covered in a light blanket and laid on a super thin futon. Two people were there waiting for him, apparently. A man with shaggy hair and purple robes, Jazaih and a younger woman in a dark green outfit. They both explained to him that he had been brought to the man by spiritual intervention. He was told he had been asleep for three days. They gave him the name 'Yee' since there was nothing else to call him and he could not recall his own name or own life for that matter.
Yee's mind was completely blank yet he felt eerily calm for some reason. He felt more curious about his situation rather than confused. Jazaih explained it's probably due to the interference of spirits. He sipped on the tea given to him as he watched the fire at the fireplace move to a certain pattern.
"So I won't be getting my memories back?" Yee asked. Mayan had gone out for an errand and only Jazaih was left to look after him.
"Probably. When it comes to spirits, things tend to stay permanent," Jazaih shrugged. He took a seat next to Yee.
"Do spirits tend to do that?" Yee asked before taking another sip of his drink.
Jazaih huffed. "Let me tell you one thing," Jazaih crossed his legs then continued. "When I mean spirits, I mean a few. Like a very small amount of them tend to intervene in human affairs. Most spirits tend to mind their business. Others either play around with humans or may be malicious to them. A spirit like Agni, for example, is so deep in the spirit world, they rarely involve themself in the affairs of humans. Though, the further a spirit is in the spirit world, the more they can see things ahead of time. Their probably bored with humans,"
"Huh," Yee responded. He tilted his head then turned back to the fireplace. "Why is the fire doing that?"
Jazaih turned his attention to the fire. "You're a fire bender. You must know that right?"
Yee's features squeezed a bit. It felt like something he should know already but couldn't get a grasp on.
"You know what a bender is, right?" the older man asked and Yee turned back to him.
"Yes, I think I do," Yee replied. "I think I know what benders are and spirits are but the other details of this world and my life are gone from me," He pouted a bit. "I wonder if I had a family that I'm forgetting," He sighed and laid back down on the futon. They sat in silence like that for a while.
"Honestly, I feel for you. I don't know what the spirits want but for the fact that you were brought to me and with a spirit guide… I feel like I already know what I am supposed to do with you," Jazaih finally said.
Yee turned his head to Jazaih and raised a brow. "And what is that?"
Jazaih took in a huge breath. Something told Yee that there were so many layers to this than he could imagine.
"You know what an Avatar is right?" Jazaih asked.
"Of course," Yee frowned.
"Just checking," Jazaih sighed. "One of the previous avatars, Kuruk had a lone mission in taking care of malevolent spirits. This was brought about by the lack of care Yangchen, his predecessor, had for the spirit world. She was more focused in the affairs of humans and barely had any say in spiritual affairs. This left the spiritual world to its own and malevolent spirits took root and enabled them to come over to our world. Though Kuruk paid the price for his involvement, he was able to keep the threat of the spirits at bay. However, after the last Avatar disappeared over ninety years ago and with no sign of them in sight, malevolent spirits have begun to take root again," Jazaih stood up, went to grab a cup of water and came back to his original position.
"But there were people who have always had connections to the spirits, some more than others. The shamans and sages," Jazaih shook his head and sighed. "Though, the only sages left are fire sages and they have an unusual alliance with the Firelord. Honestly, shame on them. Why their allegiance is not with the avatar is beyond me but I won't dwell on it for now" he paused then continued. "With the dwindling of waterbenders, it's really hard to purify spirits. We just have to exterminate them or keep them contained,"
"Um… what do waterbenders have to do with that?" Yee asked. He can't recall anything about waterbenders and purification from before. Though, his memories are largely vacant so he can't say much on that.
Jazaih looked at him wide eyed for a bit, smiled and then replied. "Ah yes. Lots of things to explain. Firebenders and waterbenders have this unique skill when it comes to feeling chi lines and working with spirits. Firebenders for example can feel for evil spirits in one's body or adjust one's chi lines to spiritual sensitivity. But for waterbenders, they can mend wounds and sooth spiritual pathways in not only a person but a spirit. However, this requires someone who is super-spiritually attuned,"
"Someone like the Avatar," Yee smirked.
"Yes, someone like the Avatar," Jazaih nodded in approval.
They sat in silence again for a while as Yee contemplated the load of information he received for a bit.
"So," Yee began. "What does this have to do with me? I mean, who even am I?" Jazaih gave a small smile.
"Well, I think you've been brought to me to aid in the affairs of spirits. You even have a guide waiting for you in the spirit world. He seems super enthusiastic to see you again," Yee raised a brow. Why exactly do some spirits want them in their business? Then his stomach growled and Jazaih chuckled.
"Worry not, Mayan will be here with food and once you have a nice meal and rest, we'll continue this conversation," he patted Yee's shoulder, stood up and went outside of the house.
Yee turned his attention back to the fireplace again. He thought about the spirits then his mind began to wonder again if he had any family missing him. The spirits won't just take him because they wanted to play with him right? He looked at his hands. They were smooth to the touch. He realized he wasn't sure what his face looked like. He stood up from his blankets and realized he was stark naked. Strangely, he didn't feel flushed or embarrassed like he thinks he should be. He wrapped himself with one layer from the blankets and looked around the house.
The room he was in was a conjoined living room with a small kitchen at the opposite end. There was a dining table in the middle. There were two doors at the adjacent walls of the living room. He went over and opened the one closer to the kitchen than the living room. It was a small bedroom with a bed big enough for two people. He quickly closed it as he thought about the relationship between Mayan and Jazaih. Whatever happened in that room stays in that room.
He opened the other door and it was just a simple washroom with a mirror and bathing area. He stood in front of the mirror to get a good look at his face.
Golden eyes stared at him. One's more fierce than the pair Jazaih had on him. His long hair was scattered in a shaggy mess, covering part of his face. It reached just to his tailbone and was super glossy, sticking to his skin. He pushed most of the hair out of his face and behind his ears. His skin was super smooth and glossy. Like a newborn who hasn't received any marks from the world yet. His eyes glazed a bit and he noticed a mist of red and gold surrounding his reflection. He heard a door from outside the washroom, snapping out of his trance, swing open and shut. Someone must have been back.
He walked outside to meet a confused and worried Mayan, staring at the empty spot near the fireplace. Once she saw him, she sighed in relief and motioned him to come back to his original spot and he did. She had been holding onto a dark brown bag and opened it as she sat next to him.
She pulled out three wraps of dumplings and handed it to him.
"More food is on the way, I'm having Jazaih peacefully prepare three komodo chickens I snagged off someone in return for a favor I'd done a while back. You'll be full tonight. You have my word," she smiled at him fondly. Yee smiled back at her and began munching his first dumpling. Strangely, he didn't feel too hungry even though he'd been asleep for several days.
"So… you really don't recall anything?" Mayan asked. A bit of hesitancy can be heard in her voice.
"No, not really. I can remember certain concepts of the world but my life seems to be a blank slate," Yee replied. He was halfway through his first dumpling and frowned when a bit of the filling fell on the blankets.
Maya chuckled and started rifling through the bag. She pulled out some clothes, light green themed and handed them over to Yee.
"Let's get you out of those blankets and into these clothes. I don't like the fact that a young boy like you is in your birthday suit with a bunch of adults you barely know," Mayan said.
"Strangely, I don't mind," Yee replied.
"And not strangely, I'm tired of this spirit bullshit," Mayan muttered and nudged the clothes at him. He took them but then looked confused on how to wear them. Mayan sighed and helped him out. He was fit with a light green shirt and a pair of dark brown trousers. She snatched the layer of blanket that had dumpling filling dropped on it, wrapped it up in her arms and tossed it aside.
Yee looked at her for a bit. His eyes felt a bit heavy and suddenly she appeared to have a bit of blue and green mists surrounding her. He frowned and shook his head. The mist was gone. Mayan took notice of his expression and frowned.
"What is it? Something on my face?" She asked, puzzled.
"No. It's just, I think I'm seeing things," Yee replied."
"Like what? You can tell me. I don't judge," Mayan said and smirked.
"Well…," he hesitated then replied. "For some strange reason, you seem to be surrounded by some kind of mist. My eyes must be playing tricks on me," he chuckled but he didn't sound amused.
Mayan raised a hand halfway. "Oh! I know the answer to this one!" she said happily and with so much excitement. "It's aura. You're seeing aura. Jazaih has told me much about it. He's so going to talk your ear off about this once you tell him you can see it. I'm pretty convinced you two were destined to meet," she smiled at him fondly, like she was remembering something from the past.
Yee sighed.
"Yeah," he guessed he was really locked into this spirit business in every way.
ooo - - - ooo
Later, Jazaih presented the newly deceased komodo chickens for dinner and Mayan prepared them into a blend of soup and spices. Just the way Jazaih liked. She assumed firebenders liked hot and spicy things from spending years with the shaman. She was glad when Yee ate it with a smile and a bit glutinously as compared to the dumplings she gave him earlier.
Once they were done she shooed him to his spot at the fireplace and forced him to rest while Jaziah and she cleaned up the dining table and kitchen. Once they were done, they headed outside the house, leaving Yee to relax by himself near the fireplace.
"I went and talked to one of the handlers and told them about our predicament," Mayan said. She was leaning on the tree and she placed a hand on her stomach unconsciously.
Jazaih looked at her hand placement distractedly then shook himself and looked at her face. "So what's the verdict?" he asked, face more serious than usual.
"We will have to move to a colony near Omashu. Our contacts there have more resources which can help us keep the boy safe. People around here don't like firebenders. Can't blame them. I mean they tolerate you enough but they might not be willing to handle another," Mayan sighed. "And with our other addition," she dropped her hand from her abdomen. "We might need to stay in a place less likely to trouble us about our situation here," she remembered the burned down orphanage from her youth. That event really put the hatred of the pyromaniacs in the people of this village. Only Jazaih's help with the spirits and aiding the people has been what's keeping them at bay and also from tossing him into a well or something.
Jazaih contemplated for a bit and nodded his head in agreement.
"Is there anything else?" He asked. He might have noticed the look on her face that implied she had more to say.
"Yes," she replied. She took in a breath and released it. "News has arrived that two of the princes have died. One at the siege of Ba Sing Se and the other was assassinated by some Earth nation rebels," with this, Jazaih frowned.
"What? That wasn't us, was it?" he asked, exasperated.
"No. The group has theorized that either there's some sort of militia or rebel group that has been operating right under our radar that was responsible or the Fire nation is hiding one nasty bean from the rest of the world and using the Earth nation's dissatisfaction with them to hide their secrets. Propaganda most likely, if you ask me. Our contacts in the Fire nation are equally as stumbled as we are,"
Jazaih sighed.
"I'll start packing up in the morning. We should visit Bing and his mother too on the way out. I don't want to seem rude," Jazaih said. He stared at Mayan as her face crumpled with sadness.
"Yeah, I guess but Bing will live. He's a big boy now he'll understand," Mayan replied with a half smile. Jazaih smiled back.
"Yeah. I'll also have to confer with my guide tonight. I have to know if we should actually take this journey or not," Jazaih said as he began stretching his arms. A yawn escaped him and he began to blink slowly.
"You do that. I'll tuck in our boy and make sure he's comfortable," Mayan said.
Before they got inside, Mayan had one more thing to ask.
"His skin, it's fresh like a newborn baby's. What could it mean?" She asked as they walked toward the house. Jazaih had a contemplative look.
"Honestly, I don't know. Maybe he had been reborn? He appeared to me in a swirl of fire on my way back. With all my years of spirit encounters even I was shocked. My mother didn't train me for stuff like this," Jazaih replied. Mayan shrugged. She gave up the line of questioning. Answers may or may not be available for the moment.
They both walked into the house and went ahead to do their several tasks.
ooo - - - ooo
Yee was dreaming. He had to be.
The place he was in was full of mist and there appeared to be no temperature.
He was staring at the varying trees surrounding him, there appeared to be multiple types and varieties of them there.
He noticed a small creature skittering on the path laid before him. It seemed to have been trying to get his attention. When he looked at the creature properly he realized it was a baby turtleduck. At least that's what he thought it was. He bent down and reached out his hand in an attempt to pick it up but it scurried away, a little from his reach. He chuckled. It looked cute as it quacked at him.
"I hope you aren't my spirit guide," he said in amusement. It huffed at him with exasperation.
He got up and stared at it as it began to walk ahead on the path. Once it realized he wasn't following it from behind, it stopped and gave him a piercing look. Basically saying: Follow me now dum dum.
Yee sighed and followed it.
They walked up the path for a while. Yee wasn't sure how long they'd been at it. Time seemed to work differently here.
They finally arrived, standing side by side, at a rock which served as a seat for someone who had their back to them.
"You're finally here," the stranger said as they fully turned to face the duo. The man had sideburns and his slick black hair was tied up in a top-knot. He wore mud green robes with golden lining on them. He had slightly golden eyes. They were more vibrant than Jazaih's but not as bright as Yee's. He looked to be in his mid twenties or so but either the facial hair, it was hard to tell.
The turtleduck beside him waddled over to the stranger then it was scooped up gently into the man's palms. The man brought the little animal to his face and they rubbed their cheeks in greeting.
"There , there little one. Nice to see you again," he said, then he turned his attention to Yee. He gave him a gentle smile. Yee smiled back but a bit awkwardly.
"Hello, I'm Yee. Do you know what I'm doing here and how I can get out of here?" Yee asked. He wasn't sure if he should be talking to some random person (or following cute animals around for that matter) but he had a feeling he was safe here in this man's company.
"Ha! You want to leave so soon?" the man asked with a hint of amusement in his voice. "Don't you know who I am? Or couldn't you guess?"
Yee frowned a bit. He squinted his eyes at the man then his eyes went wide with realization.
"You're my spirit guide," Yee asked. He thought the man was just another human he encountered, not a spirit or a spirit guide for that matter. The man chuckled.
"Yes, yes. That's me. Lil ol' spirit here to guide you through the tumultuous worlds of spirits. Though, I'm kinda new to this but spirits kinda see a bit ahead when it comes to certain things so I think I can get the hang of it," the man tattled off.
Yee quirked a brow.
"So… what exactly are you going to guide me to do?" Yee questioned. He decided to just take a seat on the ground, right in front of the spirit. He leaned back, relaxing on his palms which were laid on the ground behind him.
"You know, you're still so cute at this age," the spirit man said out of nowhere to Yee's surprise.
"Wait, you know me?" Yee asked. Maybe this spirit might have useful information from his past.
"I do. Since you were born. However, if you are thinking of asking me about your past, I'm afraid I'm not at liberty to tell," the spirit replied. He took a seat right in front of Yee in a cross-legged position.
"Ha, the story of my new life," Yee said. He sighed then looked at the turtle duck who was making itself comfortable in the man's lap. "So what exactly are you the spirit of?" Yee asked. The man's eyes widened then his face relaxed with a smirk.
"Nothing really, like I said, I'm new to this. Maybe I'm the spirit of lost kids, who knows?" the spirit replied.
"Uh huh," Yee responded. He wasn't impressed. The spirit sighed and rolled his eyes but he had an amused look on his face.
"I'm just so glad to see you're doing well," the spirit said. He reached out and ruffled Yee's hair for a bit then continued to idly play with the happy turtleduck on his lap.
"Was I ever in danger?" Yee pressed. He wasn't sure if he wanted to know but any information is good information.
The spirit sighed.
"Yes, yes you were but you are safe now so don't worry," he replied finally.
"Then that's good," Yee felt satisfied. He wasn't sure but he felt he could let sleeping dogs lie for now. "So what's next?" Yee asked. He was ready to begin whatever this was supposed to be. He was clearly brought in for a purpose and he was ready to get into it.
"Ah, a fast one I see. Well then, let me properly introduce myself," the spirit adjusted and straightened himself even though it didn't do much to change anything. "My name is Lu Ten and I will be your guide for your spiritual journey," He bowed to Yee and Yee bowed back.
ooo - - - ooo
1 year later
ooo - - - ooo
"Hold it," Jazaih instructed.
Yee held his sword kata for a while. He was balancing on one leg, a sword in his right hand arced over his head and his left arm was half outstretched in front of him, the palm in a wait position. He was steady as a rock and didn't even flinch or waver. Jazaih inspected his form and nodded in approval. He and Yee were in an empty grassfield right outside their house.
When he decided to start training the boy in sword work, he was informed that Yee had already had some form of sword training, dual swords for that matter. He still wasn't sure if the boy could handle it but the results for the past six months have been good. It took time to teach Yee the way of the single blade but he picked it up so fast, there was nothing to worry about. Even his spiritual training was going faster than expected. It took Jazaih more than five years to get his act together but even his mother said he was quicker than most. It seems like Yee was going for the record. This amused Jazaih.
"At ease," Jazaih said and Yee dropped his hands and leg. He sat down in the grass. He indicated for Yee to sit in front of him and Yee followed suit.
"Now, let's see your chi infusion," Jazaih indicated for his student to begin.
Yee held his katana by the hilt in one hand and laid the blade horizontally on the palm of his other hand. He closed his eyes and took a deep sigh. Suddenly, a blaze of what appeared to be liquid fire surrounded the blade of the sword. Yee opened his eyes and held the blade handle with two hands, maintaining the blaze. The fire dripped onto the grass harmlessly as Yee held onto the blade. Jazaih gave another nod of approval as he inspected the aura surrounding the blade. The chi activation time was swift and the fact that Yee could control when the fire could burn was outstanding. He was very impressed with his pupil. He knew if his mother was here she would be trying to poach Yee from his tutelage.
Yee, seeing that he had impressed his teacher again, put out the fire and placed his katana on the ground between them.
"At first, I was worried you were going to have trouble with the training. You know with the memory thing and the way you are strangely disconnected from your emotions at times," JAzaih confessed. Yee smiled a bit at him then huffed.
"Well, you can blame the spirits for that. My spirit guide said it's because of the way I was brought to you. Most of my memory was burnt and my ability to form certain emotional connections have been compromised," Yee responded with a shrug. Jazaih raised a brow.
"And you look fine with that," he said.
"Yeah well, I feel like a go with the flow type of person. I don't like to dwell on things that have passed. Whatever requires my concentration, I put my hundred percent," Yee stated planely.
"You mean like the animals you always tend to play around with?" Jazaih teased.
"Well yes. Animals are always interesting creatures. I don't mind giving them my time," Yee replied.
"But Roro doesn't want to give you the time of day though," Jazaih said. Roro was the turtleduck spirit that appeared right around the time Yee appeared before him. The duck, a he, had personally made it its mission to annoy Yee or ignore him when possible. It was honestly a funny thing to see as lots of animals seem to love Yee's presence.
"Ha ha. Roro doesn't count. He's a spirit and an annoying one at that. I think I can live without his attention," Yee waved a hand in dismissal.
"Even though he is the cutest turtleduck you've ever seen?" Jazaih asked.
"Yes. Even though he is the cutest turtleduck I've ever laid my eyes upon,' Yee replied. Jazaih began to laugh. Seeing his student huff about his conflict with the little animal spirit has always been one of the greatest highlights of his days.
"Now, now. Stop teasing the boy, someone else wants to join in the fun," a voice behind Jazaih said. He turned to see Mayan was walking toward them with their baby Huno who was making grabbing motions towards them. Yee quickly stood up and went to snatch Huno from MAyan's hands. They rubbed their cheeks together and were giggling from the interaction. Mayan sighed then shook her head.
"I'm not even mad," she said as she sat next to Jazaih. Yee had taken a seat in a patch of grass a bit further from them. Juno was in his lap and she watched in amazement as Yee showed her a display of fire tricks. He was being careful, not letting her touch the flames. The risk of burning her tiny hands was high and Mayan would kill anyone who would harm their child.
"Someone seems to be taking their big brother duties seriously," Jazaih said. He had one of Mayan's hands in his. He was inspecting her rough hand and the back, he placed a small kiss.
"Save the romance for later, mister," Mayan snatched her hand back with a little laugh.
"Ugh. More news, I guess," Jazaih complained.
"Yes," Mayan replied with a smile. "The group wants to meet Yee," this caused Jazaih to freeze.
"Why?" Jazaih asked. As far as he could recall, they wanted nothing to do with the boy. In fact, Yee was the reason they had to move. Sure, the group has contact with firebenders and people from the fire nation but that doesn't mean they have much tolerance for them.
"I am not too sure but it has to do with this new group I just heard of. The White Lotus or something," Mayan responded. Her eyes were fixed on Yee and Huno who were holding an unintelligible conversation. The baby was just three months old after all.
"White lotus? As in the old pai sho tile?" Jazaih chuckled. Who names a group after a game piece? At least it's better than the group that calls itself 'the group'.
"I think so. It seems like they want to absorb us into this new group. But it seems like this White Lotus isn't new and has been in the workings for a while. They also have a network of their own and if we merge, we can become an even greater form of intelligence," Mayan said. Jazaih looked at her and huffed. Well, he'll believe it when he sees it.
"And the group has no qualms about that?" Jazaih asked. He picked up his sword, the one he and Yee were practicing with, and he sheathed it in his scabbard.
"Apparently so," Mayan replied.
"Ok, but what does that have to do with Yee?" Jazaih asked. That was still his main concern.
"From what I was told," Mayan crossed her legs, mirroring Jazaih's pose. "Once they learned we had a shaman and another in training, one of the new group's spiritualist became curious and wants to meet Yee. I think they want to meet him because he is so young and his origins are a mystery," Mayan finished. She looked at Jazaih and studied his expression. Jazaih was sure she saw that he wasn't buying it from his expression.
"Oh ho," Jazaih replied. He looked at Yee and Huno who were making their way back to Mayan and himself.
"What's up with your face? You look like you got unbelievable news. Did uncle Bing decide to get married or something?" Yee teased as he took a seat in front of them and handed Huno, who was making grabby hands at her father, over to Jazaih.
"We were talking about your firebending lessons," Jazaih said. He began to ogle at his daughter. Her amber eyes stared back at him with glee. "We were wondering if your spirit guide has talked about you moving on from meditation?"
They all sat there in silence except for Huno who was giggling from the attention she received from Jazaih.
"Now, you know damn well that's not what both of you were chattering about," Yee replied. He was trying to control the smile that was fighting for its way onto his face. Jazaih and Mayan laughed. Huno followed, she was just happy to be there.
"But seriously, we need to continue your training in the physical world. There's only so much your spirit guide can show you in the spirit world. Plus you don't know how to use your chi there so training with me here would be best," Jazaih said. He passed Huno over to Mayan and faced Yee properly. Yee frowned and sighed.
"Fine, we can begin next week if you want," Yee rolled his eyes in response. "But that's not what you were talking about before. So what is it?" Mayan nudged Jazaih, basically saying: Give up and talk.
"Haaa, alright. Alright. The group wants to meet you," Jazaih relented. He was still apprehensive about getting his young apprentice mixed up with the group's ever demanding needs. Yee cocked a brow.
"So… they finally want to get a whiff of me, ey?" Yee asked. He seemed to find this amusing.
"Of course. Who wouldn't want to get a whiff of your adorable self?" Mayan said. She was making weird faces at Huno then. Huno was amused.
"I mean, it's not like they told us to move villages away from our original one just because I managed to appear out of nowhere. Can't ever blame them though," Yee said. He didn't look too bothered by the thought.
Jazaih thought for a bit, if Yee has no problem with it then maybe it could be fine. He was a bit worried, what if this White Lotus tries to find out more about Yee? What if they find his family and the news is not favorable or likable at all? What if they interfere with Yee and the spirits get mad and a reckoning is all that's in the waiting?
Jazaih has always thought Yee's spiritual path is something destined and divined. Something that shouldn't be poked and prodded.
"Hmm. It's your decision. I won't stop you. Mayan doesn't seem to have any objections either," Jazaih said as he looked to Mayan and saw her reassuring smile.
"Sure. I'll meet them. I am very curious about the sudden interest," Yee said with a shrug.
Mayan exhaled with a small life and Jazaih chuckled back.
"We'll go tomorrow evening," Mayan finally said.
ooo - - - ooo
Jazaih and Yee followed Mayan as she led them down the path underground. Huno had to be left behind at a trusted neighbor's house. Yee was slightly worried about her for a bit but he knew Juri, their well off neighbor who has six children was more than enough to take care of little Huno. She's got servants and maids that will probably pamper Huno to death.
They went into a cave, walked down a path and came to a wall of rock. Mayan earth bent the wall down and sealed it back up once they all passed though. After walking down several paths, they finally arrived at an inner cave with a man sitting at a table made of rock. He was already with a guest who he shared a cup of tea with. He gestured for them to have a seat at the remaining empty stone seats set before him. The room was lit with little yellow lamps hung from the corners of the walls.
The other guest was a wrinkly old woman who wore dark blue robes and was adorned with feathers and light blue beads. One may assume at first that she was someone of the water tribe or related by her coloring but her entire attire said otherwise.
The man behind the desk cleared his voice and began to speak once everyone was sitting.
"I am glad you were all able to make it here this evening. I am called Keelo and this fine lady here is Ashima," the man introduced. Ashima bowed her head slightly and the group bowed a bit deeper in respectful response.
"I am Ashima of the Order of the White Lotus. Like your group, we have been undergoing clandestine operations for a couple of years. Aiding people of all nations. We became aware of your group for a while now and have become interested in your work," Ashima said. She took a sip of her tea. Her face produced a slight smile indicating her love for the drink before it went back to normal. Jazaih cleared his throat. Everyone turned their attention to him.
"Excuse me, I am Jazaih, a simple shaman," Jazaih began. "I am sorry for heading straight for the point of this meeting but I am confused on what you would want with my apprentice," Ashima hummed. Mayan smacked Jazaih's arm a bit. Keelo shuffled a bit in his seat.
"I understand your concern for my interest in your apprentice but I assure you it will not be anything detrimental to him. Ashima said before she took another sip of her tea. "I am also something of a spiritualist myself. I understand that the ways of the shaman are dying out and hearing of one such as yourself took my interest. Also, the fact that there is one training in the ways of a shaman is a rare occurrence. I simply had to meet with you both to see if such talks were true," she finished.
"And am I up to your expectations?" Yee spoke up. Ashima looked at him with wide eyes as if she had just seen him properly for the first time. She coughed gently and sipped her tea again.
"That is yet to fully be seen but you seem to have the temperament I expect to see," Ashima replied. Yee cocked a brow. He wanted her to expand more on that but decided to let that line of questioning to die out.
"So, what else are we supposed to do here?" Jazaih said after the room had gone quiet for a bit.
"Nothing really but I would like to become something of a contact for both of you. If you do not mind. Hopefully, when it comes to spiritual matters, you can aid me and I can also aid you with anything of the sort," Ashima said. She set her cup down onto the table and stood up. "I am done here," she pulled out a tile from her pocket and handed it over to Jazaih. Yee couldn't see what exactly it was. "If you need anything from me, contact a shop in Umei, a colony of the Firenation. Present that tile to the shop owner and I'll be able to assist you,"
Keelo stood up and earthbent an open wall for Ashima and him to pass through. He picked up the cups and earthbent the table and empty chairs away. He bowed and both he and Ashima took their leave. The wall closed back up behind them.
"Well, that was uncathartic," Mayan said as she and the others stood up. She earthbent the remaining chairs away. "Well, time to go home. I don't know about you guys but i already miss my Huno bunny so much,"
Jazaih and Yee nodded in agreement.
ooo - - - ooo
Another year later
ooo - - - ooo
Jazaih was impressed. In fact, when Yee told him that his spirit guide wanted to teach Yee lightning bending, he wasn't even apprehensive about it.
Yee had shown talent in not only swordplay, aura detection, chi blocking, chi manipulation and spiritual knowledge but his firebending pertaining to the ways of a shaman was outstanding. Not many firebenders could achieve this feat. The style Sozin promoted had become prominent in the world today and the every other style has face obseletion. Though, the fact that Yee had this air of absolute calm around him may be why he was able to master his spiritual studies so well. There's also the fact that Jazaih noticed that Yee may have also had some form of sword training or the other before his time with him. Perhaps the spirit didn't want the boy to be too helpless after he had been wiped. Jazaih decided this didn't matter too much. He would take whatever made his time easier.
Yee was working his final set of katas for his shaman firebending forms. He moved his arms smoothly through the air as he placed his legs gently on the ground as he moved through the forms. For his final move, he outstretched a palm in front of him and produced a stream of fire from his hand. The fire looked like a normal flame at first but then the flame became thinner and longer. It became a needle point and was launched at a nearby rock which was placed for this purpose. A small hole was made by the impact and anyone could see through the peephole created from the needle point flame.
Jazaih couldn't help but smile. He couldn't help but clap.
"Perfect. You know, if you learnt lighting bending, even I would have problems stopping you," Jazaih said with amusement in his voice.
"I don't think there would ever come a time I would have to fight you," Yee said. He also seemed to be amused. Jazaih clapped his shoulder and laughed.
"Well, let's see, we've worked through all I can possibly teach you in just two years and you have already mastered the forms I taught you. You're a bit clumsy with the style taught by those Sozin loyalists but that really doesn't matter too much in our line of work," Jazaih said. It was true. He tried teaching Yee the firebending forms he learnt when he was in the Firenation but Yee had not grasped the forms too well. It wasn't too necessary to their work so Jazaih decided to just let it be. Yee can just go and learn about that on his own. Apparently, his spirit guide was a firebending master when he was alive so that may also be good for Yee.
"Yeah. So what's next?" Yee asked. He was stretching now. The aches of running through the katas for hours was finally catching up to him.
"Now, you are going to join me in my next mission. This will be your first introduction to shaman work. Make sure you get prepared for tomorrow afternoon. We will be investigating rumors of a malicious spirit two villages over. I think you are ready for a joyride," Jazaih said. A smile cracked across Yee's face. Jazaih could tell that he had been waiting so long for this moment and Jazaih was going to make sure the wait was worth it.
"As long as I can kiss my darling Huno goodbye before we go, I'll be more than prepared," Yee responded.
Jazaih rolled his eyes. Why Yee had to make it sound like he was going to war and he may never come back, no one will ever know.