Chapter 3: Kuruk's Mission Must Be Continued

"Most spirits can not truly be killed," Lu Ten began as he snatched Roro from his incessant pecking of Yee's feet. He chuckled as he put him in his palms and began to stroke him gently. "Most spirits are bounded by something like an abstract, a concept or something tangible,"

"Like a celestial body. Tui and Agni," Yee added. He was sitting on a grassless surrounding with no form of plant life in sight. It was just him, Lu Ten and the annoying but cute Roro.

"Yes, yes. Trees too. Grassfields, desserts, the ocean, love, heartbreak, vengeance, knowledge, humans, animals, harmony, chaos. These sorts of things can give birth to spirits or transform them in ways unimaginable. So now, I have a question for you. Let's say you face a spirit like Agni and you manage to defeat them and kill them, what do you think will happen?" Lu Ten asked. Yee crossed an arm and rubbed his chin. He began to hum and he thought of the question. There was no way he was harming a spirit like Agni. He wasn't even sure that was possible but he knew this was more of a thought experiment so he disregarded his abilities for the moment.

"I guess we will be plunged into darkness? Oh and maybe no more moonlight too," Yee guessed.

"Yes yes but think a bit more on that," Lu Ten said. "Does that mean you killed the sun?"

Yee went wide-eyed at that and realization hit him.

"No. That may not even be possible. At least not at this moment in time," Yee responded. Lu Ten nodded. "But what about Agni the spirit? Will he still be dead? What about our world?" Yee asked. This was an interesting topic and he had never thought he'd be talking or learning about something like this, ever.

"Well, the answer is a bit mixed. So from what I understand as a spirit, Agni's spirit will die but it will be reborn again. You see, as long as the sun exists, Agni will never truly die but the recuperation will have effects on our world, " Lu Ten explained.

"Darkness, no light and no firebending for a while," Yee responded.

"Yes. That's correct. And most life will be destroyed too. Since we all need the sun," Lu Ten said.

"Ah, I see why Agni barely shows themself," Yee said.

"Yes, there's that and also because that's Agni's nature, just like the sun is so far away, Agni likes to keep themself far away from the affairs of humans. But even when they're so far away their light can always be seen and felt," Lu Ten said.

"Hmm," Yee hummed. He felt he could understand the nature of spirits better now. He guessed that this would also apply to beings like Tui and maybe even La. Another question came to him. "Do you think there would ever be a time where a great spirit would become malicious and we will have to be able to soothe them or have to choose to eliminate them?" He asked. Lu Ten was humming, he appeared to be considering this question with much thought.

"Well, I won't say it's likely such great spirits can do such a thing but I can't say it's entirely impossible. There were two times, to my knowledge, powerful spirits nearly threw the world into entire chaos. One you already know, Vaatu. He was sealed in the Tree of Time for his follies. Then there's another one you may not know. He was an adversary of Kuruk. His name, I dare not mention for your sake. Whatever truly happened to him, it is up for speculation. Though, I know there is one particular spirit who truly knows what went down," Lu Ten explained.

"Agni," Yee said. From the nod of Lu Ten's head, he knew he was right. Agni probably knows a lot of things from the past and even the future but whether they would be willing to part with that information, it is most unlikely. "So Kuruk was able to at least restrain this spirit at the end of their battle but he couldn't finish it off. It must have been very strong,"

"Indeed. It was. But for Kuruk, it was something he had to do, even if it cost him his life. Too bad certain spirits did not understand and chose to blame him and punish him so sourly," Lu Ten said with a shake to his head and a frown on his face.

"Koh," Yee said. This particular spirit, he was very curious about. He never truly understood the intentions or motivations of this being. That is if it had any at all. Lu Ten huffed.

"I swear that thing has an ego bigger than the amalgamation of continents. Serving out its form of justice when it clearly doesn't know what that truly is. To tell you the truth, I wish Kuruk just finished him off when he had the chance. Yes, that would mean the loss of Ummi but…" Lu Ten was saying.

"But she is already gone and her spirit would finally be free from its attachment to Koh," Yee interrupted. Lu Ten smiled. Yee wasn't too sure why but he thought maybe his spirit guide was happy someone had the same opinion as him. Yee really did think Kuruk should've finished off Koh sooner. Despite what most humans think Koh really isn't that useful of a spirit. His motivations are unclear and the only thing he may be useful for is maybe for information he has due to him being old. He heard Lu Ten sigh and Yee turned his attention to him.

"I've held you here long enough," Lu Ten said. He was lightly stroking Roro who was now napping in Lu Ten's palm. Yee was under the impression that spirits don't sleep but he guessed he may have been wrong. However, this was Roro so whatever was going on with him was a mystery to be solved. "Rest now Yee. Tell Jazaih to start your sword training soon. Your grasp on spiritual matters is applaudable and at the rate you are going, you are going to be more than I can ever hope for," he gave Yee a warm smile. For some reason, Yee felt a bit of that warmth reach him. It was strange. He couldn't truly recall feeling like this ever. He filed the thought of the feeling away for later. He bowed and let his mind and spirit slowly fuzz back into the human world.

ooo - - - ooo

Yee couldn't say he was excited, more like eager to join Jazaih on one of his missions. He has so much training and an eagerness to put all that work into practice was what kept him light on his toes as he walked with Jazaih to their destination. He had Jazaih's short sword strapped around his waist, though Jazaih told him he is unlikely to use it but it never hurts to be cautious. Jazaih has his own sword strapped around his back, his normal get up.

Yee was wearing a milk white overall with straps of red and yellow cloth hanging around certain parts of his clothing. Some were tied in a ring around his waist and the others were tied around his neck. He had a face covering which was strapped to his head above his nose but below his eyes. It was also made of straps of cloth but they were green. It was more like a curtain on his face than a mask. When the wind blew at his attire, it made soft but quiet ruffling sounds. It was a bit enjoyable to wear. Jazaih had the outfit made for him. He said it's what young apprentices tend to wear and when they become masters, they can either choose to keep wearing this design or wear something simple like Jazaih's purple clothing. Jazaih had told him the face covering was said to keep the innocence of a young apprentice and to veil them from the eyes of evil though Jazaih seemed to not truly believe that belief.

They came across a wagon attached to an ostrich horse and its owner who were resting at the side of the path they were following. He had a bag strapped to his back, probably his amenities. At first, the man didn't appear to see them heading closer but once he did, he waved to them and grinned.

"Hello there. You are the shaman I heard about, yes?" he got up from the ground he was sitting on and urged his animal to do the same. He was wearing simple farmer's wear. This and the empty wagon indicate he was probably on his way back home from selling his harvest at some village nearby.

"Yes we are," Jazaih said. They came to a stop once they were close enough to the farmer.

"Good, would you like a ride then? I feel like we are going to the same place if I assume your expertise is urgently needed at the moment," the farmer said. Yee looked to Jazaih to confirm his decision.

"What village are you headed to?" Jazaih asked. Yee nodded internally. Asking where they were headed instead of giving the location outright was indeed the safest method.

"Gonlo village. That's where I'm from and that's where my farm is at," the farmer replied.

"That is indeed where we are headed," Jazaih replied and with that, they joined the farmer on his cart and hitched a ride.

The farmer regaled them with tales of his life and then tales of his crops. He talked about how his good-for-nothing sons were just waiting in the wings to get their hands on his business and run it through the ground. He probably told them his name but Yee was only half listening to the man's speech and tales. He leaned on the edge of the cart and closed his eyes. He let the slight bumps the ride made lull him into a little nap. He was sure Jazaih could watch their backs in case they were in trouble. He doubted there would be.

The cart slowed down and Yee opened his eyes to take in where they'd arrived. It was a village, slightly bigger than the one they stayed at, which was surrounded by trees. It was like the trees served as a wall with a small opening for entrance into its domain.

The cart went through the passage and they were met with people staring at them as they passed by. The place was bustling, people gathered around, buying up stuff from open shops in the marketplace. Seems like it was designed for the market to be right at the entrance to get the attention of visitors and guests. The people appeared to be in a hurry, several customers skipped the haggling process and just went to buy what they needed. Perhaps the spirit problem they had was tied to this issue, Yee thought.

"I'll take you to our chief. Chief Hana. She lives not too far ahead. She should also be expecting you," the farmer said. Jazaih nodded and they continued down the path on their way to the chief's house.

They arrived at the chief's house. It was just a normal looking home, at least, compared to the other houses in the village. There was a strange aura surrounding the house. It was a very dark blue mist with a tinge of grey swirling around it. The surroundings felt dull which was in contrast to the vibrant green and yellows used to paint the house. The flowers in the two gardens, located at each side of the house, appeared bent over even though the garden itself looked well kept and the sun was out. They still retained their flamboyance in spite of their strange condition.

"You see it? Feel it too?" Jazaih whispered to Yee as they disembarked their transport. Yee nodded in reply.

"Well, lemme introduce you to the chief and get this on with," the farmer got off his ostrich horse and headed towards the door to the house. He gave two loud knocks at the door and shuffling could be heard from inside.

A young boy who looked three or four years younger than Yee opened up the door and stared at the farmer before his attention laid on the shamans. His clothes appeared to be plain. His gaze lingered more on Yee, most definitely because half his face was covered after all. Yee wasn't sure who exactly this kid was. Maybe a relative of the chief. The boy's eyes widened at the sight before he gave a look that something had clicked in his head.

"Gran Hana. They're here," he screamed into the house. They were met with an older lady who looked well into her years. She also had plain looking green earth kingdom clothes like the kid. She welcomed the shamans in and pursued the farmer, telling him she'll come have a talk with his sons again just to get him to leave. They were brought to a dining room and were served tea and snacks by the younger boy. The boy sat beside the older lady and the shamans sat across from them. Inside the house was the same as outside. Decorated beautifully with glassware of several types yet the aura of the house was gloomy. The aura seemed to mingle with the people living here too. The woman cleared her throat.

"If you didn't know already, I am Chief Hana, the chief of Gonlo village," the woman said before she gestured towards the younger boy. "This is my grandson, Bei," Bei bowed his head at the introduction.

"I am Jazaih, a shaman and this is my apprentice, Yee," Jazaih said. Yee bowed at his introduction.

"Great," Hana said. "Now, for the matter at hand. There have been incidents of a spirit which has been causing villagers to go missing and once they are found, they appear to be in a comatose state. Our healers said that they all have some kind of poison in their system and if nothing is done soon, they might all die. We've tried appeasing the spirit then hunting it but it seemed that none of our techniques have any effect. The only thing helping us now is the strict curfew I placed on the village. No one else has gone missing for the past five days now but we can't keep this up for long. This village is a merchant village and lots of work needs to be done at night. Our way of life may be stamped out at this rate," Hana explained. "Please help us, guided ones. We won't let this go unrewarded," Hana bowed her head to them.

"I understand. Raise your head. A reward is not truly needed but food and maybe some grain would suffice," Jazaih said. Hana raised her head and gave them a pleased smile.

"Yes, yes. That can be arranged," Hana said enthusiastically. She appeared delighted in contrast to her solemn demeanor of before. Even Bei looked more excited than before.

"Take me to the ones afflicted. We will have a look at them and see if anything can be done for them," Jazaih said. Hana nodded and they all got up to leave.

They arrived at the village healing house.

Inside, there were several people laid across futons on the floor. There were a couple of healers walking about, checking on each patient and providing medical attention to them. Some patients seem to be doing better than others. The aura of the worst cases seemed to be dark while the best cases were blinking slowly from normal to dark. One of them, though, had appeared to be surrounded by the darkest aura Yee had ever seen. Jazaih had noticed and he led Yee, the chief and her grandson towards the patient. This one appeared to be the sickest patient of the rest. It was a young man, probably Jazaih's age, who looked like he was asleep but his skin was pale and grayish. His eyes had bags which were as dark as possible. They were met there by a middle aged woman who greeted them with a frown.

"I am Head Healer Lou. Forgive me chief but may I ask who these people are and what they are doing here?" the woman asked. She was looking intensely at Yee and her frown deepened. Chief Hana held up a hand.

"These are the shamans we requested for. I will not have you interrupting their work. Now step aside Lou," Hana demanded. Lou stood firm. Yee nearly smiled at her defiance. He looked to Jazaih who was rolling his eyes. He was not the epitome of patience at the moment.

"Chief, forgive me but I don't believe these charlatans…" Lou began but she was cut off by Hana.

"Enough! Whenever you become chief you can go and kick out whoever you want from this village but this is my village and these are my people. I understand that they are your patients and you have a duty to them but I also have my duty. I brought these shamans here because we clearly have a spiritual issue. You and I are not equipped to handle it but they are, so I urge you Head Healer Lou, stand aside and let them do their job," Hana finished and Lou stood aside with a scowl on her face.

Jazaih moved forward and sat down right next to the futon of the illest patient. He urged Yee to sit at the other side and Yee did so.

"How long has this patient been like this?" Jazaih asked. He looked at Lou. Everyone turned to look at her as she took a while to answer. Yee looked at Hana, a vein was about to pop at her temple. It was amusing, if you asked Yee.

"Three weeks," Lou said, reluctantly and huffed. Jazaih rolled his eyes again and Yee saw Lou scoffed in annoyance at the action.

"Now watch me carefully Yee and tell me what I'm doing," Jazaih said as his palms glowed with wisps of flames. He began circling his palms above the patient's body like he was scanning for something. His flames danced in circular motions as they followed the path of his palms. His eyes were focused on the patient. Yee went into a semi meditative state. He allowed himself to see the chi lines of the body before his. He saw as the chi that produced the flames intermingled with the chi lines of the patient. The patient's chi reacted to the chi of the flames and Yee could see spots of dark purple spread across the chest and abdomen of the body.

"You are scanning for poisons," Yee said. Jazaih nodded.

"What else? Have I discovered something?" Jazaih asked. He still kept on with the motions of his hands.

"Yes, there is poison concentrated mostly below the neck and above the waist of the patient," Yee supplied. Jazaih nodded again.

"And?" Jazaih asked. Yee frowned. Was he missing something? He recalled what he had been taught. When examining someone as a shaman, check for aura. Check for chakra misalignment. Check for chi interferes like poisons or venous and also check for… spiritual energy. Yee relaxed a bit more and focused his eyes on the sick man. He saw wisps of super dark purple intermingled in the man's chi lines and within the poison spots.

"It was done by a spirit. There are traces of spiritual energy intermingled in the man's body," Yee said Jazaih gave a reassuring smile. Yee had stated the right thing. He heard someone in the background scoff, probably Lou, but Yee paid no more mind to it.

"So what is the next course of action?" Jazaih asked Yee expectantly. This was an easy one and Yee replied easily.

"Burn the poison,"

"You are not burning my patient," Lou squared up indignantly beside them.

"I know your hearing is fine. He said, burn the poison, not the person," Jazaih replied. "Help me get the man's shirt off," he told Yee and Yee did so. The man wore a light tunic so it came off way too easily. Yee heard a bit of shuffling beside them and turned to the sight of Hana and Bei holding back Lou who had a scowling on her face, eyes boring holes into Jazaih who paid her no more attention.

The flames in Jazaih's hands changed to the liquid like ones Yee had been so used to seeing in their training. He pressed his hands on the abdomen of the man and began to run his hand up and down the man's torso. Yee watched as the liquid-like flames pooled over the man's torso before seeping in and steam of purple mist evaporated out of the man. The sick man, who was breathing very slowly before, began to quicken his breathing close to a normal healthy person's breathing rate. His skin went from sullen looking to having a bit more flush. The eye bags were still there though. Oh well, you win some you lose some, Yee thought.

Jazaih removed his hands from the man's torso and looked to the chief and her grandson who were finally letting go of the Head Healer who stood and looked at the sight in shock.

"He is better now. I will have a look at the other patients with the worst of it now. However, if the spirit or spirits who caused this problem is still left unchecked, I'm afraid their condition may go back to dire," Jazaih said. He stood up as Lou rushed to the side of the freshly poison-detoxed man.

"Amazing," Lou said. She began mumbling in astonishment as she continued her examination of the man.

One of the other healers who had been lingering nearby handed over a clean cloth to Jazaih who had been holding out his hands because there was a tack of condensed poison stuck to it. He took the cloth and wiped his hands.

"Yee, I would need you to investigate the village further and report back anything worthy to me. I will stay here and help the worst of the cases. You are free to roam about. Get a souvenir for Huno while you're at it," Jazaih finished with a smile. Yee smiled briefly back.

"May I assist you then?" Bei was staring at Yee in awe. He had a look of excitement in his eyes. Yee looked to Hana for permission and she nodded in approval. "Great, I can show you around while we are at it," Bei began to drag Yee out of the healing house.

"Don't forget the curfew, Bei," Hana called out to them. Bei hummed loudly in acknowledgement and dragged Yee out of the place. Yee thought he should be mad at the dragging but he couldn't be angry at the cute musings and whims of kids younger than him.

Bei was excited.

For the past month, the normal vibrancy of the village he was born in has gone down hill to about ten percent of its usual gyration. He sighed. Profits were going down and the sullen atmosphere was not encouraging anyone at all. Once he heard they had a spirit problem on their hands, he had begun to think they were truly screwed.

He knew that kids his age shouldn't be thinking of things like money profits and matters of markets but he can't blame the merchant blood his parents passed on to him before they passed away a year ago. Now, he stuck to being his grandma's assistant, checking the market's business in the village and making sure things were going smoothly. He barely had time to play with kids his age and they, in turn, were wary of him. Well, it's not like the kids are playing much now, the cautiousness of parents during their current situation has made sure of that.

Bei was glad, the arrival of the shamans and watching what one of them could do gave him hope. He loved seeing the look of haughtiness be wiped off of the head healer's face once she realized the shaman's were the real deal and they were able to achieve what she had been struggling to do. She was one of those people who didn't bring much profit to the village but since medical services were necessary, Bei didn't complain much about it. He was just not happy at the way she bossed around people, including the chief, for amenities and provisions. If she didn't start charging the tourists who came passing through more and make some profit for herself, maybe she won't need to be so demanding for resources. Bei and her had disagreed on that and she was ever annoyed that a young child (her words) like him was in her business.

Bei looked at Yee and took in the sight of the younger shaman again. He could barely see the face of the older boy but his eyes were clearly fierce gold. Firenation ancestry, most definitely. Probably a colony kid? Bei wasn't sure. He was aware of those types of children. He wasn't sure what exactly it was but he didn't want to ask for such information if it wasn't necessary at the moment. Yee's facial covering did not hide his facial expressions fully though, so at least Bei could rely on that to determine the older boy's temperament as they walked.

They were walking down a path of houses, a bit farther from the marketplace and healing house. There were very few people around. Most were most definitely at the market trying to win that bread or at home, unwilling to be the next mysterious victim or patient for the healing house. Yee stopped and knelt down to his knees.

"I see, thank you," he said to what appeared to be nothing. His neutral expression slipped a bit with a tinge of worry. Bei looked around and noticed no one there. He scratched his head a bit before asking.

"Umm, who are you talking to?" Bei asked. He was rubbing his hands together in anticipation. He prayed the shaman apprentice hadn't lost his marbles or maybe he would actually have to ask for Lou's assistance. Yee chuckled, stood up then ruffled Bei's hair a bit.

"I'm sorry, "Yee said as he retracted his hand from Bei's head. He had a slight smile on his face and that reduced the worry Bei had slightly. " I can see… ghosts and intangible spirits. Though a ghost is in a way a spirit. Haha" he chuckled again.

Ah, that made sense. He was a shaman after all, an apprentice still but a shaman regardless. He deals with spirits and superstitious stuff everyday. Basically his work. Bei sighed in relief. He was glad that Yee would be spared the scrutiny of Lou for now. He gave a slight cough.

"So? What did they say?" Bei asked. Who was also curious who they were but decided that their information was much more important. However, Yee must have seen the expression on Bei's face and decided to ask that unanswered question anyway.

"It was a child," Yee's expression faltered a bit again before regaining composure. Bei gasped a bit. Of course, he knew little kids are not immune from death but knowing about the ghost of one in your closest vicinity is a little bit jarring. Also, from the way Yee had to kneel down to talk to them, the child must have been very very young. Probably way younger than Bei.

"Oh," Bei replied.

"They were telling me there's a shrine somewhere but they are too scared to go near it. It's making the other… children ghosts are scared," Yee said. His voice sounded uncomfortable and he seemed to be in deep thought. Bei knew of one shrine in this village but they were in the care of the Sururu family.

The Sururu family were in charge of taking care of it and delivering any messages the spirits that occupied the shrine had. No one else was allowed to get near it. Now that Bei thought of it, he hadn't heard of anything from the Sururu family for over a month now. Their neighbors had reported there being strange smells coming from the house but everyone was too scared to go inside and check on them without an invitation. Apparently, there's a story behind that but no one was willing to share information on that to Bei. He and the other kids in the village were just told that they should never enter their house without an invitation and must always accept an invite from them. Bei recalled his grandmother complaining that if they were here, they would probably have been the ones dealing with this spiritual issue and the village wouldn't need to outsource outside help.

"Bei?" Yee asked, shaking Bei out of his thoughts.

"Yes, there is one but no one but the Sururu family, a family of shrine keepers, are allowed to go near there," Bei replied. Yee's contemplative look came back.

"I see. And has anyone heard anything from this family in a while?" Yee asked. Bei shook his head. "Just as I thought. Can you take me to their house?" Bei sighed and told Yee about the rules of interacting with the Sururu family. Yee let out a small laugh. Bei frowned.

"What?" Bei asked. He crossed his arms to emphasize his confusion. Yee smiled and the wind blew slightly faster, rustling the curtain mask Yee had on.

"If what I believe is true, then those rules will not matter anymore," Yee said. His head faced in the direction of the Sururu family's house which was a couple of houses from them. Wow, Bei has to know how Yee could do that. With that display the older shaman showed in the healing house and now the skill Yee has displayed to him, Bei was getting more and more intrigued with these shamans.

They headed off in that direction but Bei was walking behind Yee cautiously. As they got closer, the smell from that area greeted them in full force and Bei started to wonder how the neighboring houses could stand it. They arrived at the Sururu family house and Yee didn't bother knocking and just opened the front door. It was surprisingly unlocked and Yee walked inside. Bei, still outside, looked around at the few neighbors who were staring at them from their windows. One old man was shaking his head and another older lady spat on the ground. Bei gulped, decided to put his trust in Yee and walked in.

The smell was not the only thing that messed with Yee's senses as he entered the house. The aura of the place was so dark and misty that Yee had to suppress his senses for a bit so he could see inside the house. He noticed the ghost of the little girl who had told him about the shrine was now inside and she looked very scared. She was translucent and her dark robes made the place look more dreary than it already was. He also noticed there was a dark blue string tied to the wrist of the little child. He frowned and followed the string. The girl walked beside him and was shaking her head. They were in the living room and on their way to what looked like the kitchen.

"No no. Shrine. Got to the shrine," she pleaded. Someone knocked into him from behind but there wasn't enough force to push him over. He turned and saw it was Bei who was covering his mouth and nose because of the smell. He looked into Bei's pale green eyes and frowned a bit. Maybe he shouldn't have allowed the younger boy to follow him inside. He turned to the younger girl who was now trying her best to push Yee and his company out but to no avail. Yee found it cute. He still decided to persist and followed the string tied to the girl's hand. The little girl, in frustration, tried clawing the string off but that also didn't work.

As they inched closer to the kitchen, the smell got worse and Yee could hear Bei begin to gag behind him. Honestly, shouldn't he send the kid away. They were in the kitchen now and it was there that Yee saw bodies strewn across the floor besides the big dining table. All in very dark green clothing and all decomposing with flies celebrating around their bodies.

Well that was that. Yee had just walked into a crime scene. Go Yee!

Yee frowned. This was way more complicated than he imagined. He thought that the family was probably in trouble but this was way more trouble than he thought. He wasn't even sure that these were their bodies. He looked at the string and noticed it was tied to the wrist of one of the corpses. So this is the little girl's body. Same clothing and everything. He turned around to see the little girl consoling a kneeling Bei who couldn't hear or see her consoling him. Bei was staring at the bodies in shock, mouth gaping open and close like he was trying to say something but couldn't find in him to produce the words. Just as Yee was going to join the ghost child to console the kid and get him out of there, he noticed something roll and tap his shoe.

He looked down and saw it was a green and blue marble the diameter of a third of his pinky. He picked it up and then his vision flashed white.

Who is stronger? The dragon or the Phoenix?