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.

4. Episode 4

Chapter 7: A Spiritual Awakening

The gang arises to the gobbles and squawks of farm hens and other hybrid ranch fowls. Tae and Shina awake in their comfortably decorated room; a considerate gift from Jino as an unnecessary thank you for the teenagers taking care of the homely crew they ventured with. Shina sits upright in bed, instantaneously raring to move on with the morning's trifles. She leaps to her feet and gathers her gear efficiently without complaint. She tosses a nearby book at Tae who had already turned over to slumber a couple extra minutes. The Avatar moans aggressively but complies with the abuse and hops up from her blanketed nest as well.

Banto was stationed a room next door for the evening; a much smaller room with only a desk and chair alongside the single bed. He gets up and commences his routine morning stretches, paying careful attention to the sore areas from yesterday's skirmish. He walks over to the wooden scaffold housing the journal he he had been writing in, grabbing his headband which was draped poetically across the head of the reading lamp. He bundles it neatly along the curvature of his cranium and grabs his satchel to make his way out to the lobby area.

The weeds outside their barn house hotel reflected brilliant goldenrod hues along the sides of the town's structures. The teenagers exited the ranch once finally getting Tae to make haste and reassuring her that her wounds will heal in time. They meander around the settlement's many dirt paths until they reached a large farmstead mansion near the center of the village. Outside, Jino was tilling the ground and spreading seed along the perfectly carved troughs in the topsoil. He wipes some sweat from beneath his farmer's hat, then giddily smiles upon noticing the approaching younglings. They job over to him and immediately extend their hands in gratitude.

"Thank you so much for everything. We were unworthy of your hospitality, but you still welcomed us like family. We are indebted to you," Banto graciously rambles, bowing so that his rhomboid muscles lay horizontally in the air. Tae adds a bit more to the statement for supplementary appreciation.

"Yeah and sorry about ruining that hill by the villa and scaring the townspeople half to death, our bending training got slightly out of hand…" The man sticks his hoe into a lump of sod and waves his hand with unbothered chivalry.

"It was no trouble at all! We love getting new visitors here! Always adds a bit of excitement to our monotonous duties," the man explains, slightly tuckered from his early morning labor. "Plus we're all creatures bound to this planet, it's only reasonable that we share kindness to those that we can." The gang bows once more at the wise sentiments. They wave goodbye and continue trekking down to the edge of the square where Bentley is patiently waiting for a new locale. As they neared the beast, a couple of memorable faces peek out from windows and doorways to usher the group off. The grinning mugs belonged to the many individuals that Shina had brought with them, nearly unrecognizable with their swanky new clothes and washed hair from the nice families that took them in. Shina gives a slick smile and waves a regal yet humble farewell in response. A couple of the young, fledgling spirits fluttered by as well; the very same ones that clung to the crew like a waxed emblem to an envelope's lip. They cutely bounce in the air around the heroes' heads and produce tiny squeaks signaling their gratitude. The three hold out their hands in playful respite before nudging them off and continuing with their grand exit.

Finally, the trio was on the road again, making their way to their next destination eastward. While mounting Bentley's luxurious hide, they passed the time planning out various options they had in following up on Tae's Avatar training. They combine their knowledge on different locations around the Earth Nation using Shina's information from the few travels she's gone on and Banto's corporate data regarding his family's business partners. The crew passes the time with light-hearted banter as the stills of oak trees and backdrops of foggy mountain peaks scroll by like a slideshow. It appeared that their journey had taken on a new, pleasant sentiment; one of blithe charisma with companionable company. That cheerful feeling would not persist for much longer in their journey, however.

The throng of trees starts to thin out as the group's conversation peters out. They pass a bunch of curious scenery depicting unnatural damage in the woods. It begun moderate, a few smashed up boulders or some tree branches dismembered on the verdant ground. But, as they pressed onwards, it was evident that some recent turmoil had occurred in the vicinity. The three lean in close together and lay low on Bentley's back; the creature himself was also tense from the mangled environment. Eventually, they hear the commotion of people fighting somewhere further ahead towards the forest's conclusion.

With great haste they plunge onwards, Tae commanding their badger-mole mount like a rancher with their stead. Eventually, the group breaches an opening in the labyrinth of foliage and come to another Earth village just on the outskirts of the injured jungle. They peer around and see a group of citizens fighting one-on-one with one another in a sand-coated courtyard. A portion to the left were practicing hand-to-hand martial arts while another clan of brawlers were practicing using various weaponry from staffs and spears, to large, powerful mallets. The group encroaches carefully, witnessing the people as they grunt and shout with fortified exertion as they steadily continue their training.

"Wow, look at all of them go!" Tae admires with lustful exhilaration. "They look like an elite fighting force! This would make an awesome mover with the right director."

"I wonder why everyone's practicing combat skills," Banto asks, glancing around at the different types of warriors around. "They aren't a part of the capital city and don't seem to have much clout or else my parents would've spoken about them. What reason do they have to fight?"

"I think I've heard of this town," Shina exposits casually. "My mum and pop used to trade weaponry with the lot here. The city of Chao Li I reckon. Apparently, they train the folk here to become more self-reliant and capable in terms of protectin' their homes and families. It's more of a defensive measure than anythin' else." Tae turns to Shina with boisterous enthusiasm.

"You're parents are weapon dealers!?" Shina's face grows serious at the remark.

"Yeah, lots of good that does. Hand someone a blade and they feel entitled to use it whenever they can, regardless of whether or not they should…" Banto and Tae look at her funnily but leave the matter alone. It is evident that the girl wishes to discuss her family's history no further. Instead, The Avatar directs her attention at a large building looming atop an impressive set of staircases. An insignia rests comfortably above the doorway signaling that the facility is a dojo, a very impressive one at that. Tae hops off quickly from Bentley and starts scampering toward the structure.

"Well let's go check this place out and see firsthand what this town is all about." Banto calls out to stop her but realizes that the attempt was futile. He disembarks as well, and sternly instructs Bentley to stay put in the meantime. The badger-mole swats at him with his tail in a bothered manner. The boy ducks out of the way and jogs ahead as well; no longer would he fall victim to the beast's roughhousing. Shina hesitantly leaps off the beast and eyes him briefly before joining the other two. Bentley disregards the girl's disappearance; she is currently of no bother to him.

The three teenagers enter the building and analyze the surroundings prudently. Many young students were training in an organized grid, focusing their attention currently on mastering different stances to remain diligent to oncoming attacks. The people of the town in general all seemed to be heavily passionate about learning the ways of protective combat. A notable pupil in the corner of the row kept losing focus and messing up some of the techniques. Tae keeps her eyes pasted on him as he continues to alter his balance in hopes of alleviating the improper form. A sudden wooden cracking sound snaps Tae's attention toward the backside of the trainee.

"No, no Ling, you need to keep your mind unwavering when transitioning between stances. If you lose focus, then you lose the battle." An older gentleman with slick white hair steps around the boy as he rigidly corrects him on his training. The young boy nods bitterly and puffs his chest out as he works once more at perfecting his posture and footwork. The mustached man shakes his head disappointingly at the boy's next movement, choosing to walk away and analyze the other student's labor instead. The teacher takes a few, precise steps forward before announcing to the group of onlookers. "May I help you with something?" The sudden question was clearly directed at Tae and crew. The Avatar looks up surprisingly from her entrancement with the synchronized apprentices.

"Oh! We were just uh…. wondering if we could join in the training!" Tae fibs, flashing an obviously forced smile at the wise man. He gives her a death glare, noticing all too well a bold face lie when he sees one. He stands upright, resting his hands on the knobbed tip of his cane which was doubling as a precarious armrest.

"I don't believe I've seen your faces around Chao Li before. I assume you are all travelers?" the man asks with a composed yet commanding voice.

"Yes sir," Shina proceeds. "We were passin' through and noticed all the residents practicin' self-defense in the courtyard. We were curious if we'd be able to register to train as well." The man cautiously eyes the group of foolhardy teenagers with slight stratagem. However, he turns his attention towards his trainees who were patiently awaiting his response to the disruptive younglings.

"Well as much as I enjoy your disorderly conduct in my dojo," the man begins with notable sullenness. "Unfortunately, I do not train those unaffiliated with our village. This training hall is meant strictly for those of Chao Li." The man begins walking away to continue with his instruction. But as he reached the front of the pack of students, he glances over to the heroes once more and adds: "However, you are all welcome to stay and watch our combat practicum for the remainder of the morning if you so desire." Tae, who was previously irritable from not being permitted to train with the group, now exudes happiness at being allowed to witness the fruit of their labor in full effect. She bows and thanks the sensei for his understanding.

The three walk over to a couple of wooden benches along the timber-lined walls. Around the sitting zone were many priceless artifacts ranging from extravagantly carved pottery and ancient scrolls hanging along the various borders of the training hall. The whole room was riled with character and history, even the padded safety mats had clearly been around since before Korra's time even. Tae, Banto, and Shina relax on the viewing bleacher and carefully keep their gaze focused on the central arena in the middle of the room, where the fighting would occur.

"Disciple Nora, you are our first challenger. Our second one was originally going to be disciple Mungra, however due to a certain student's inability to concentrate at the previous tasks at hand, disciple Ling will take his place." The dojo master directs his hand towards the teenage boy who was already singled out once in class. The lad's face turns red with anger, but takes a deep, purifying breath before responding.

"Yes, Master Fa…" the boy abides with an annoyed tone in his compliance. The young teen reluctantly makes his way into the training circle, peering down at his socks while permeating the sacred battle zone. As the boy passes by Master Fa, the elderly gent knocks the boy's chin with his cane to force him to keep his head high when preparing for battle. The boy grits his teeth but leaves his nose pointed forwards. The second challenger steps up as well, a brawny girl with a short ponytail and freckles. She gracefully steps up to the cushioned platform with poise and dignity. The two challengers face each other and ready themselves for the commencement signal. The master encroaches up a small section of stairs towards a throne-like stool surrounded in potted plants. He squats down and lifts up a rubber mallet as he opens his mouth.

"Now, begin," the man bellows as he slams the cudgel into an ornate gong resting underfoot from his chair. The reverberation commands the students to act fast. Nora rushes in close towards Ling with near-blinding speed, setting herself up for some Hapkido-style combat. Ling keeps his elbows close, ready for the incoming barrage of attacks. The girl summarily unleashes a fury of punches and kicks, spiraling along the balls of her feet as she transitions effortlessly from arm-based attacks to ones harnessed with her legs. The skillful opponent bobs and weaves as the cyclone of limbs bombard the boy from all directions. She dishes out one final strong hook, which prompts Ling to think on his feet. He ducks the damaging fist and quickly grabs hold of the gal's defenseless arm. He then turns so his back is plastered to her gut and uses his impressive muscles to hoist the girl up and over his shoulders, tossing her down like a sack of birdseed. Regrettably for the boy, his combatant was no mere toy to fling about. As she sails over his head, the girl flips her arm around and grabs hold of Ling's moving mandible. She then flips around in midair so her face would eventually be directly facing the boy's. As she drops downwards, Ling attempts to toss her down and away, but the talented maiden had a firm grasp on the boy. She descends from her heightened position and forcibly kicks Ling in the stomach using the momentum of his own throw.

"Urk!" Ling spouts in a guttural response to the vicious strike to his abdominals. He stumbles back from the force of the punt, giving the girl a moment to close in. Ling was not out of the equation though. Nora moves in and whirlwinds through the air with some spinning kicks, which Ling evades with ease. Once she's inches from the ground, Ling primes himself with a powerful battle-ending punch of his own volition. This foreseeable blunder was a part of the crafty adversary's plan. Once she's nearly touching the ground with her feet, she abruptly tucks in her legs and, instead of landing, decides to roll along the ground underneath the approaching attack. She tumbles past Ling's feet as he stumbles forward from the exertion of his assault. Once she was just beneath and behind the boy, she lifts herself up with her hand like an extreme acrobat and whips her leg sideways. Her heel sails through the air and ferociously jabs Ling in his back with the roof of her shoe. The combined force of the side kick and his previously unleashed punch sends Ling tripping over the padded platform and falling on his rump in an astronomically unpolished manner. With the boy dizzied on the ground, Nora flips around and leaps on top of the boy's exhausted body. She keeps him pinned down for a couple of seconds, as Ling tries desperately to squirm away from the weight of his challenger. It was to no avail; the concluding gong sounded his defeat a moment later.

"The match has ended, please rise," Mater Fa announces as he regally strolls down the auburn-colored stairs. Nora quickly rises to her feet and bows to the master. She then eyes her groaning training partner and extends a hand to help him up. He shoos the gesture away, signaling that he could handle it himself. With hardened struggle, he eventually pushes himself to his feet after a couple of pitiable seconds. The dojo leader approaches the two disciples as they lower their heads in his presence. Even with a shadow covering his scowl, it was evident that Ling was seething with frustration and disappointment in himself. Master Fa turns to Nora first.

"An excellent display of focus and diligence," he begins in a congratulatory tone. "Your performance has demonstrated an aptitude for reading your opponent's attacks and maintaining poise as you counteract them." Nora smiles modestly and bows a second time to show her gratitude. Fa then turns to Ling and takes on an entirely different disposition. His comments at him were much harsher and raspier in delivery. "Ling, you're evasion was acceptable, however you lost focus of your opponent's movements multiple times and got blindsided because of it." He shakes his head disapprovingly and begins to stroll back to the front of the classroom, disregarding the boy's harrowing gaze in his direction. "If you want to improve, you must try harder. If you don't put in the effort in your training, then you will never be able to measure up to your peers." The words strike through Ling's soul like a scalpel to injured flesh. The boy's emotions boil as he nearly shatters his teeth from the force of his jaw. The boy turns and tersely stomps out of the dojo, drawing the attention of a few enquiring students. One of these viewers was the Avatar herself, whose face grew saddened by the lad's departure. Master Fa continues his lesson excusing the disturbance. "Now we shall move on to weapon training. Many dangerous criminals in the world will attempt to get the upper hand using various tools and devices, it's imperative that we too wield a guiding instrument of our own to level the playing field." The students all immediately break up at the announcement of weapon usage. They all scatter about the building to gather their chosen equipment, leaving Fa to look out the window with deep contemplation. Tae sits uneasily in her seat, attempting to gaze out the different apertures and doorways for any sign of the disheartened trainee. While she was distracted, Banto and Shina mindlessly converse with one another.

"Fascinating!" Banto announces, nodding his head astoundingly from the training ritual they had just witnessed. "The disciples at this institution are truly impressive! Training in both standard and weaponized combat is true dedication on part of those studying here. It's incredibly awe-inspiring to see such unwavering conviction."

"You're tellin' me," Shina concurs, gazing at all of the warriors as they locate their belongings for the next cycle of instruction. "I see why my folks were a necessity around here. These Chao Li residents probably fly through equipment faster than a rookie pro-bender. It's no wonder my mum and pop talked this place up so much." As the two teenagers shift into discussing the previous presentation, Tae promptly rises to her feet, to the surprise of her two companions.

"So uh, I'm gonna go to the little lady's room real quick, okay?" Tae announces all of a sudden. She wished to speak with the disheartened disciple privately; she couldn't help but relate to his plight to measure up with his more 'successful' peers. Shina and Banto stare at her conspicuously, signaling Tae to expand further on the topic. "I'll be back quickly. Banto, take notes on everything important while I'm gone. You can walk me through it all when I get back."

"Can do," Banto responds. "Though, I'm unsure if I'll really be able to capture all of the adrenaline-inducing action on paper, but I'll manage." Tae rolls her eyes and scampers quietly out of the dojo and out into the town.

The Avatar hurries down to the central part of town, examining the nearby houses and courtyards for the boy. The buildings in her radius were all charmingly simple being primarily constructed out of different types of wood from adjacent woodlands. Most of the buildings had an outside enclosure that contained some manner of combat equipment. A couple residencies to her left had small wrestling rings for grapple-based maneuvers too. One's on her right she observed having propped targets and stripped logs to practice weapon skills on; one wealthier abode even had their own gymnasium added on to the quarter's foundation. Tae studies the people as well, trying to look as casual as feasibly possible as she examines various pedestrians. Most of them were dressed in untailored clothing clearly designed to be light and breezy for maximum comfort. A handful of folks had bandages somewhere on their body; mostly covering small bruises and scrapes. Tae couldn't help but wonder if all the training they partake in is best for them seeing how bloodied and scarred most bystanders appeared.

Eventually, Tae dashes onwards upon failure to discern the boy's whereabouts. She decides to trace the edge of the town, glancing through the trees of the neighboring boreal forest while also checking back in the town in case he sneaks a subtle appearance. A couple minutes pass, and the Avatar begins to think that her manhunt is a lost cause. Just as the thought crosses her mind, she hears the visceral sound of grunts and panting coming a little way deeper in the forest. Tae sprints immediately inwards to examine the source of the unidentified din.

As Tae closes in on the vocal outburst's origin, she notices movement past some high standing bushes in her path. She crouches behind the obscuring set piece and ganders through a balding patch of leaves to check what's on the opposite side. Adjacent the brush, a young boy is seen thrashing around the forest. He lets out apish battle cries as he punches and kicks various components of the environment. First, a potent kick to some low-hanging branches, next an earth-shattering punch to the peeling bark of a large spruce. Each attack sends more scraps of timber and twigs sent fluttering in the air like confetti. The boy himself is scraped and bruised and filled with visible enragement. He pants furiously for a few seconds, then tensely turns and picks up a giant boulder nestled in the ground. With a bellowing shout, he hauls the formidable rock into the air and slams it down on another stone resting earnestly nearby. The two morsels collide and shatter with a powerful, crackling echo that darts through the trees like thunder. Tae watches in awe but quickly snaps out of it upon realizing that the boy was whom she was searching for.

"You're incredibly strong," Tae mentions from her undisclosed location. The boy lets out a yelp and holds his fists close to his face in response to the unforeseen presence. He glances around the littered expanse with unease.

"Who's there?" he asks shakily. "Friend or foe?"

"Just a friend," Tae calmly answers, stepping out from her verdant alcove. "I came because of what Master Fa said about you. You seemed really broken up…" The boy squints at the peculiar forest maiden before deciding that she wasn't a threat. He crosses his arms and jams his heel into a clump of leaves.

"Yeah well…" he starts, pacing away to a patch of grass nearby. "He's always like that. We have a history together so he tends to treat me differently from everyone else." Ling squats down and cross his legs on the ground and takes a couple of long breaths. He then proceeds with the conversation. "It's not a big deal, I usually just come in here and either smash some stuff to feel better of meditate for a while and collect my thoughts. Today, I opted for breaking stuff; tends to be a bit more fun." Tae hustles over and sits down next to him and continues to get to know the boy.

"It didn't seem like 'no big deal' to you, I mean your face was literally the color red. My friend is a fire-bender and even he doesn't get as red; it's honestly impressive," Tae adds with personable openness. Ling laughs boisterously before continuing.

"Yeah well, he's always like that…" Ling repeats, adjusting his position on the ground. "He's been like that ever since he took me in." Tae's eyes widen in shock.

"Oh wow, so he's like your father figure?"

"That geezer?" Ling huffs with playful surprise. "More like a grandfather. Actually, he's more like an overbearing coach. He always dumps a lot of 'wisdom' on me about how I should be trying harder and putting more effort in my training." He pauses bitterly and then looks up at Tae. "I guess you and your friends already noticed that plotline back at the dojo." Tae nods and then garbs herself with a more serious expression. She faces directly at Ling with passion-filled eyes.

"Well, you should tell him how his 'teaching' is making you feel," Tae advises kindly. "I mean meditation is excellent but I'm not sure if deforesting your town's borders is really a healthy method of stress relief." Ling glances up at her and then towards the remnants of his fury-induced bludgeoning of the nearby trees and earth. He scoffs light-heartedly and waves his hand.

"Yeah well, maybe if he wasn't always selling his soul to his dojo then I could find time to do that." He then opens his eyes boldly and smirks at the conversational girl with a flirty raise of his eyebrow. "So sweetheart, you now know a significant amount of details on my life story, how about introducing a couple of yours to me? Perhaps a name…?" He beams a smile with hopeful anticipation, getting a slight chuckle from the Avatar.

"I'm Tae, nice to meet you. Ling, right?"

"Ling Shom, at your service," the boy introduces with an unnecessary bow. "You may indeed call me Ling, though." Tae shakes his hand with amusement. She then looks down at their cross-legged sitting position and addressed Ling with a new point of interest.

"You know, I wouldn't peg you as the type to meditate your problems away. You just seem too…"

"Too, what?" Ling pries pressingly. He fetches his own self-destructive conclusions before the Avatar could retort. "Too emotionally unstable? Too overly sensitive to have a clear head? Too dead set on dismembering this forest in a bitter rage?" Tae looks curiously at the boy.

"…Too distracted to sit quietly for a long duration of time," she finishes, long after her message begun. "Also, you're very talkative." Ling nods with an understanding approval of her analysis. He closes his eyes and expands on the subject further.

"Yeah well I actually use meditation as a way to clear my head from all of the distractions," he explains poignantly. "I tend to panic in the heat of the moment making my judgment somewhat…not good." He scratches his head cutely, letting his bulging biceps flex from beyond his sleeveless shirt. "Meditating helps clear my head to improve my judgment, plus breathing a bunch helps cool me down whenever I'm huffy about something I apparently screwed up on at the dojo." Tae nods with keen interest, puckering her face with exaggerated curiosity.

"Very cool, Ling," Tae states in an almost mocking tone. "If I were your sensei, I'd give you a gold star."

"That means next to nothing but I will graciously accept your made-up reward," Ling responds coyly, giving her a cheeky thumbs up. Tae and the brunette boy share a nice calm moment taking in the now peaceful forest breeze. They pass a couple moments talking about various nonsensical subject matters and enjoying the company. The blossom-smelling wind repeatedly clacks the branches above them together, stirring a very relaxing melody around their chatting bubble. The serenity persists for only a miniscule instant thereafter.

Without warning, cries for help could be heard from the heart of Chao Li. Many different voices permeate the now stagnant air, rousing the two teenagers to their feet from the woodland floor. They listen intently, hoping to gather some insight on what the rowdy yelling is about. Eventually, a deep voice from a burly-sounding man rises above the other muddled, senseless screaming. His bass voice rings clear and loud,

"Spirits! They're attacking our village!" Ling and Tae turn to each other instantly. The boy shakes his head in fear, his short, spiky hair waving meekly side to side.

"No, no, no!" he shouts with intense worry. "Why are the spirits attacking? We haven't done anything to anger them!"

"Ling, go help out the village," Tae orders with strong dictation. She pauses briefly upon remembering an important duty she must accomplish. "I'll be right there to help." Ling nods and quickly dashes ahead to see what dastardly trouble was afoot at the town center. Tae waits for him to be out of sight, then frantically scrambles to unlatch the buckle from her satchel. She slams her hand inside and withdraws a familiar mask and wardrobe, the tools of her trade. She takes a moment to look down at her costume, building up the courage and strength to don the attire. This was going to be her first true appearance as Avatar Rio; her debut call to action in the Earth Nation. The heaviness of that idea weighed on Tae as she clutches the clothing securely. The spontaneous ambush meant she had no time to consider the potential issues that garbing herself right now would have. For the time being, the people of Chao Li needed help and as the Avatar, she needed to be there to give it. With solidified purpose, Tae begins wrapping herself in her green-hued shawl.

Meanwhile at the village, Banto and Shina sprint to the window of the dojo to witness the commotion outside. They gasp in horror as numerous types of spirits fly around the town causing mayhem. Some roared at the faces of citizens, others smashed their way through different fences and other wooden constituents plaguing the town's infrastructure. Banto and Shina watch as the physically capable members of the village flee hysterically away from the various intruders. Shina and Banto gaze with frustration and confusion at the bizarre circumstance.

"These folks are trained to defend their village from harm's way," Shina begins, gesturing to the frantic individuals sprinting pass their window vantage point. "Why aren't they turnin' around and puttin' that practice to good use?"

"Just because they've taken the time to practice protective combat does not mean they were mentally prepared to use it when the time came," Banto informs, looking sadly at the terrified expressions of the families below. "It appears that their habitual practices were not enough, they don't have the confidence to battle a threat as mysterious and elusive as these spirits." Shina nudges Banto in the shoulder then pats her fist to her chest.

"Well lucky for this town, we DO have the conviction to battle these goons, yeah?" Banto nods in agreement. They turn to face Master Fa who was peering out a different window towards the tree-line nearby. He mutters to himself extensively as the two hearty younglings approach quietly.

"Why? Why is this happening to our home?" the dojo leader questions pleadingly. "Ling… where are you? We need your help…please, be safe…"

"Master Fa!" Banto shouts, interrupting the manic flow of his qualms. Master Fa turns around, creating a facial expression saturated in emotion; a look that the gentleman had never worn so openly before Banto's eyes. He gazes at them like a puppy lost and confused on barren streets. The fire-bender draws the man's vision towards the chaos outside and exacerbates his tone. "We must protect the village and figure out what's going on; for everyone's sake." Master Fa snaps back into reality and masks his worry with a look of sincere weightiness. He straightens his back and taps his cane compulsorily on the wooden flooring.

"Yes, my apologies for my momentary lapse in focus," the elderly man conveys politely. "Let's figure out what we can. I realize I shunned you away earlier for not being of our family here in Chao Li, but I hope you will assist us in our time of need."

"Ya got nothin' to worry about," Shina reassures aptly. "We're not settin' foot outside of this village until all your folks are safe and sound; that's a promise." Master Fa thanks the two graciously and the three of them charge out of the sacred enclosure towards the front gate.

Outside, Banto and Shina examine the full extent of the spirit attack. The bedlam appeared random and uncoordinated to the teenagers, like a bull-tiger unleashed from its holding pen to thrash wildly about without purpose. Many spirits crawled along the village streets knocking small things around or causing other types of minor inconveniences for the residents. There was no semblance of a reasoning behind their onslaught; no singular cause leading their pursuit. Master Fa joins the teenagers a few moments after climbing slowly down the staircase. He scans the houses carefully, focusing heavily on the few valiant warriors who were attempting to fight back. Eventually, his eyes locked on a target a couple of meters away.

"Ling!" he calls out, finally locating the boy near Chao Li's outer boundary. Ling was already deep in combat with a few spirits however and failed to take notice. His monstrous aggressor of a foe is a tall spirit with long, slimy-looking tentacles coiled outrageously around its body. Its face is jagged and fierce with a sharpened jaw that could pierce diamond. The combative student retains his resilient, defensive pose as he deflects the whipping tentacles approaching his face. After a couple of unsuccessful lashes, Ling reaches upwards and grabs a tentacle as it begun retracting towards the creature's body. He then yanks forcibly on the appendage tube and jerks the beast towards him with his incredible arm strength. The phantom rockets through the air, coming into devastating contact with the boy's prepared fist. The force of the blow knocks the spirit flying backwards, making it disappear out of sight to the darkened woods. Ling takes a deep breath and faces towards the dojo, locking eyes with the standing figure at the base of its entrance.

"Master!" he shouts back, happy to see him safe. The old man smiles warmly at the boy's presence. He moves to approach the lad, but his pace instead is halted by Banto's arm. The fire-bender turns to the master with a gallant quality in his movements.

"Master Fa, stay back! We can handle this," the lad instructs, making sure that the elder didn't try to advance into the fray too much. Master Fa stumbles onto his cane slightly before resigning to the rogue teenagers. He obeys the wishes of the young protectors but calls out once more to them as they moved to join the fight.

"Are you sure the few of you will be sufficient to hold them off?" the gentleman asks, with concerned bother. Banto and Shina look at each other, already fully aware of the answer they were going to provide. But, before they could comfort the man's concerns, a large crashing noise jolts the two teens. They turn towards a cloud of dust that had appeared concurringly with the blast and await its dissipation into the air. As the smoke clears, a large round spirit is shown knocked to the ground with crumbles of rubble bouncing off its unmoving form. Banto and Shina turn to each other, realizing with confidence the source of the remarkable feat of earth-bending that could cause an explosion of dirt that exuberant.

Amidst the town's rock-lined walkways, a large pillar of earth extends to the clouds. The present individuals scroll their eyes up starting from its base and reach a heroic figure standing gallantly atop its peak. The smoke drifts away in the wind to reveal a haughtily masked stranger gazing powerfully at the grounded spirit; their cape-like apparel blustering in the wind. Banto and Shina's eyes light up at their companion's grand entrance. Banto turns back to Fa and reinvigorates his assurance.

"It looks like someone came to help out," he states playfully. The man doesn't react to his words and instead longingly gapes at the unidentified hero standing parallel to the nearby roofs elevated by wooden supports. Banto and Shina quickly dash ahead to avoid any potential questions that the man may have.

Tae examines the range of tribulations in the area. She locates a tightly compact pocket of spirits causing trouble in the large market sector a few blocks away from the forest. With no time to waste, she slides down the sand-encrusted tower and springs towards the spirits with admirable velocity. Upon noticing the clatter of her footsteps, the spirits get agitated and begin gliding towards her location. With quick wit, the Avatar circles her hands upwards creating a wall of sand to manifest in front of her. She used her high-level earth-bending abilities to create a wall of rock and then instantaneously condensing it into the gravely sand barrier as it levitates. The sand veil causes the spirits to freeze in a blinded stupor. With them distracted, Tae launches over the wall using fire-bending and flings a barrage of fireballs down on the spirits from above. A number of them get blasted fiercely, leading them to retreat with their tails between their legs.

She lands strangely; her torso wobbles forward and she tumbles gracelessly over her feet. However, the fierce maiden knew she could not leave herself open to attack. She turns her mindless fumbling into a coordinated roll along the ground. She straightens herself out and scoots up to her feet where she then immediately punches the earth beneath her with a primal grunt. The ground in front of her begins to undulate like ocean waves projecting outwards at the spirits. Once at the right distance, she opens her stance and lifts her hands upwards causing two skinny pillars to rise near the entities and graciously thrust into their unsuspecting bodies. Tae continues to use her earth-bending abilities to keep the spirits at bay until all of the ones in her proximity were gone.

Nearby, Banto and Shina were doing their part as well. Shina uses her tactful refinement to maneuver past the spiritual limbs and then draws her extended staff to retaliate viciously. She twirls the platinum rod around her head as she thrusts it all around her to poke the enemies back when they closed in. A few times, a large spirit would slam its meaty fists downwards on her location, prompting Shina to leap into the air and slam the weapon onto their nonexistent skull. Her fighting caught the eye of a few families who were too frightened to move.

Banto focuses directly on the spirits who were flying around too rapidly for the less range-focused attackers like Tae and Shina. He propels himself in different directions with his fire and blasts diminutive, precise orbs of fire towards the unpredictable creatures. His prowess in his bending allows him to land every shot with near flawless execution. He notices a few larger entities stomping their way through a fountain in the open common area of the market territory. Banto craftily waves his two extended fingers through the air and summons electrical currents to surround his limbs. He then juts them carefully at the fountain's water as it deluges out of its containment bowl. The water catches the slithering bolt and thoroughly zaps the spirits who were roughhousing in its wake. They flop over like lifeless vessels, eventually vanishing as their vitality diminishes.

With the talented juveniles wrestled with the spirits, the disciples of the dojo build up their courage to take a stand of their own. During the fight, they had all separated to make sure their families and houses were okay, while also avoiding the platoon of mystic outsiders plaguing their town. However, upon viewing the actions of Banto, Shina and the masked heroine, they finally decide to shove their fears aside and enter the ring. From all corners of the town, tattered warriors come barreling out with a variety of weaponry, yelling fiercely as they prepare for combat. Many wielded spears, knives or other types of bladed weapons, but some exceptionally daring individuals rushed in with just their fists primed.

Meanwhile, the young acolyte boy was finally reuniting with his sensei. Ling clambers towards Master Fa, extending his hand to support his elderly teacher. The man accepts the assistance and then looks to his pupil with a combination of thankfulness and anger. He grabs the boy by the chin and looks at his worried face carefully.

"Why did you abandon your duties after your exhibition match?" Fa queries with negligible consideration. "Did it really bother you to lose to someone who put in such great effort in their training?" Upon hearing the words of his teacher, Ling begins to feel the blood simmer within his veins. He clenches his fists in a reactionary reflex to his anger. This time however, Ling doesn't run away, he stands tall and takes a humungous inhale through his nose before proceeding.

"Master… I ran because I was beyond upset. But…it wasn't because I lost the fight." He concentrates on his breathing before elaborating. "I was sad because you were treating my hardworking attempts like I didn't care. Even when I was giving it my all, you kept belittling my training without noticing how much time and effort I put in to all of my practices…" The boy pours his heart out to his master, struggling desperately to articulate his words for his olden caretaker. Tears form briefly in the coves of his eye sockets but he speedily brushes them out of his face with sniffling breaths. The man gazes at the boy with a look of utter regret and revulsion. His eyes wander a bit from side to side as he scours the innards of his brain for an adequate rejoinder.

"Ling…I had no idea that you felt this way," the man expresses looking at the downtrodden pout below the boy's twitching nose. "I never meant to discredit your training, I only meant to push you harder because I know how strong you are and know that you can be an even greater fighter than you already are."

"I know…" Ling retorts, sadly. "I just…wanted you to know that I AM trying. Sometimes I get distracted or mess up techniques but I've always taken your teachings seriously because I too know I can become a strong, dependable warrior someday. I just… I need some encouragement every now and then to know that the effort I put in has been paying off…" The man scrunches his eyebrows together with tearful resolution. His mouth curves upwards at the whimpering boy's resolute explanation. He drags the lad in close for an unprecedented embrace.

"You are already an excellent warrior," Mater Fa enlightens, speaking directly into his ear. "I apologize for not noticing how my criticisms were affecting you. I too, have much to learn." Ling remains still for a moment, taking in the shocking hug from his caretaker. He then returns the loving grapple and holds him tightly. Ling felt a weight topple off his shoulders like never before. He takes a conclusive breath, solidifying the peace and tranquility within his heart.

While many Chao Li residents were stepping into the fray to assist, Tae was finishing up her own brawl with the remaining spirits left unchecked. With a powerful kick, she sends a heavy chunk of land towards one of the more brutish entities. It skids along the outside of his body but doesn't land sufficiently. Tae takes the brief opportunity and launches herself upwards with an earth catapult. She fling herself above the pneumatic creature; bringing a couple of moderate-sized boulders up with her. Once she was properly positioned, she thrusts the chunks of earth downwards and domes the supremely unaware beings with a mighty smash. The last of the ghostly invaders vanish in different directions, leaving the town finally free of pests. Thanks to the combined efforts of Team Avatar and the fearless citizens who lent a hand, the town was safe from harm with only some minor damage done to a few buildings and minimal injuries to those present.

Tae pants from the tiring craziness of the tiny war. She checks quickly to make sure her costume had not blown off in the ruckus earlier; realizing thankfully that it remained lodged to her face and torso. Ling scrambles over to the Avatar's location and gawks at her with stupefying awe. Tae turns around, realizing that she was being thoroughly gawked at by her companion. This was the moment she had been worried about for a long while now.

"You…you bent two elements," the dumbfounded teen forces out, teeth jittering uncontrollably. "I saw you shoot fire before and now you're throwing boulders around..." Tae locks eyes with the boy. Whenever she was home reading, Tae would assign different voices for the various characters in her novels. She always enjoyed acting as the fascinating characters she learns about; envious of their excitable way of living. Now as the Avatar, Tae had been practicing with deepening her voice to a natural-sound octave lower from her usual speech. It started when she was first given the mask and told of its history. The idea of an intimidating figure inspired her to formulate a more strong-sounding identity for herself when masked. With the boy's looming questions pouring out of his mouth, Tae figured it was prime time to give her acting a try.

"My name is Rio," Tae announces loudly, making sure all of those around could hear her name and echo it across the Earth Nation. The protruding section of her mask created a profound resonance as she spoke, enhancing the uncharacteristically deepness in her speech two fold. "I am the Avatar."

The announcement takes everyone in the small town by shock. People started whispering about the implications of her existence and tossed questions around like mad. A few skeptical onlookers rejected the claim only for others nearby to chime in proclaiming how they saw her bend both fire and earth as well. Banto and Shina kept careful watch of everyone's reactions, pretending to be just as surprised as the rest for keeping face. Ling gasps for a substantial number of minutes, staring at the masked warrior with admiration and bewilderment.

The fanfare continues for a couple moments longer, when a loud crashing sound rings out near the edge of town. The senseless chattering ceases altogether as everyone turns to face the east side of town. Down the narrow walkway, an unnaturally tall figure stands forebodingly at the gate to the town. The being was noticeably muscular, his strong hands being the cause of the alarming noise. He had punched a massive chunk of stone out of a cobble edifice positioned near the edge of the village. As astounding as that was, it wasn't what drew the attention of nearly everyone honing in on the figure's outline. Atop his head was a pair of sharp, curving horns stacked piercingly upwards. Upon further examination, pedestrians could see he had a mountain goat's face with cloven hooves as bottoms for his girthy legs. The being smiles mischievously; chuckling calmly as he removes his undamaged hand from the remnants of his shattered punching bag. The goat man opens his mouth to speak as he places his hands comfortably at his side.

"Very impressive," he begins with a raspy, menacing feature to his voice. "A community of fighters, tasked with guarding their homes and families from destruction. It took a lot longer than I had hoped for you all to finish the clean-up, unfortunately. Then again, that's to be expected…" The cryptic words flabbergast everyone as they wait in suspense for some kind of explanation to reveal the creature's purpose for showing up. Rio, Banto, Shina, and Ling all had no words for the sudden appearance of the grotesque cryptid. Master Fa finally speaks up after a moment to recollect his sanity.

"Who are you?" he asks, refusing to beat around the bush. "What business do you have here?" The questions were sound; however the creature was already fascinated by a different focal point in front of him. He takes a step forward and squints his eyes at the cloaked masquerader some yards away.

"So you're the Avatar, huh?" the beast prompts, shaking his head disapprovingly. "I have to say, I'm less than thrilled. It seems you're still a fledgling bender judging from your mediocre performance just then." Tae feels the fire burn within her from the mocking comments. She spouts a quick flare of embers from her fingers as she steps forward. She rationalizes that for the time being, she needed information. She clears her throat silently to maintain her heroic personality by throwing her voice once more.

"We'll ask again," Tae starts, convincing herself that her intimidation tactic was having some sort of effect on the goat-man. "Who are you and why did you come here?" The creature's face stays perfectly still, not twitching even the slightest centimeter. He glares at the girl with perceivable authority. Eventually, he shrugs his shoulders and abides by the Avatar's yearnings.

"The name's Chung Shae, you'd be wise to remember it," he boasts, flexing his muscles as he gestures to himself in a heavily conceded way. He places his pointer finger to his cheek with a teasingly contemplative look. "As for why I came here today…well, let's just say I was seeing what you humans were made of. Much to my dismay, the strength and will of humanity did not meet my standards. Most regrettable…" Tae's emerald eyes remain jagged with irritation while the creature bashes on the resolve of humanity. She motions to retort back, but is shortly interrupted by her intelligent companion. Banto steps forward and articulates a few ideas clearly to congregate his deductions on what transpired.

"Judging from your appearance and speech, I take it you're a spirit…" the headband wearing boy explains thoroughly with cool-headed composure. "So that begs the question, what motive would a being such as yourself have to terrorize a random Earth village with a platoon of spirit soldiers? I would theorize a takeover but I highly doubt that would by wise given your stark numbers and mindless destruction." The buff spirit chuckles loudly at the boy's reasoning. He shakes his head and faces the crowd watching his every move.

"How clever little boy," the entity ridicules. "Well, I suppose there is a little more going on than what I claimed. However, I don't feel at liberty to share my motives with you all at this present moment." He pauses from his amused caricature and transforms into a sterner, more fright-inducing persona. "Just know that something big is on the horizon for you all. If this small squabble was the best you humans have at holding your own, I sincerely hope you put in more effort to prepare for what's to come."

Just as the creature finishes his lecture to the present civilians, a large roar rings out behind the beast. A hulking, furry creature claws its way up from a ridge just beyond Chung's location. Tae and the gang immediately recognize it as Bentley. He quickly approaches the goat-man from behind, provoking him to turn and face the impending attack from the monstrous mammal. Bentley rallies close and quickly raises his gargantuan, sharp claws over head to strike at the creature. He swings his arm sideways in a slashing sweep, but it was to no avail. Chung plants his feet in the ground and catches the powerful mitt in his hands, stopping the attack dead in its track. Bentley's face widens with shock as his arm gets completely stalled. Chung Shae then ducks agilely under the beast's torso and lifts the mammoth-sized creature with his bulging muscles. Bentley lets out a grunt as he gets hoisted upwards, much to everyone's surprise. With a forceful push, Chung launches Bentley backwards leading him to roll onto his back and down the short hill. Tae, Banto and Shina watch in horror as their massive companion gets ceremoniously tossed away like a bundle of garbage. Chung turns back, entirely unfazed by what just happened.

"This has been fun, but I think it's time for my exit," he concludes with a cocky smirk. "I'll be biding my time in the spirit world; I hope you take my warning to heart." Just as he finishes his quip, Bentley rises once more from the pit and lunges at the spirit fiend with a snarl of anger. However, just as Bentley was nearing his body, a small portal opens up next to Chung; suspended unnaturally in the space beside him. The gateway's blue light contrasts brilliantly against the tan-hued environment drawing everyone's gaze efficiently. Chung Shae crouches down slightly as he swiftly steps into the mythical conduit, causing it to instantly zipper itself up and vanish from sight. Bentley slams his arms down on the ground beneath where the void once stood, unable to connect any of his smashing blows on the spiritual menace.

The surreal experience leaves the frightened witnesses with an overwhelming amount of questions to mull over. The entirety of the Chao Li inhabitants had just discovered that the Avatar exists; an idea that had been much for debate given the events during harmonic convergence many decades ago. On top of that, an incomprehensible threat has emerged with no warning or build up whatsoever. All of this happened in the span of one afternoon; a historic event that will not go unnoticed by the rest of the world when word spreads.

The power emanating from the portal had ceased and the town had fallen silent. Tae stands rigid and apprehensive, her limbs anchored tightly to her side. She wasn't prepared to have some indefinable danger waltz into her story and dismantle everything she was systematically working towards. The fact that the being was somehow able to conjure spirit doorways to travel was alarming; it means Chung could easily warp just about anywhere if he was so inclined. He could potentially faze into the Avatar's hometown and wreak havoc there if he wanted to; a petrifying idea that sends shivers throughout Tae's veins. Having found out how powerful and elusive the newfound enemy is, she realizes just how vital it is to keep her identity a secret.

Tae's daydreaming stops when she notices Bentley approaching her. She instinctively considers embracing him; a warming support to help soothe her woes. However, Banto cleverly steps past the Avatar and holds his arms upwards to stop the badger-mole's crawling.

"Still yourself, Bentley," he commands loudly to the mount. "Don't distract the Avatar." Bentley lets out an annoyed groan as he places a paw lightly on Banto's head and applies significant pressure to agitate the boy. He shoves the paw off in a bothered conduct, glaring at him as he makes it abundantly clear that he wants to visit Tae. The Avatar snaps into reality and realizes why the fire-bender stopped the creature's advances. She can't let them associate Bentley with Avatar Rio or else she won't be able to ride him out of costume; they'll discern her true self. Banto and the Avatar lock eyes, allowing Tae to signal to her companion that she understands his interference. She steps backwards, letting her robes blow magnificently in the wind as she addresses the befuddled natives behind her.

"I'm sure you have many questions for me," Avatar Rio acknowledges, speaking somewhat quickly to escape without people trying to stop her. "However, I have other important duties I must attend to…so…." Tae trails off a bit, recognizing that she has nothing further to say though she had already begun speaking. She considers whipping up some awe-inspiring decree out of thin air but shortly uncovers that she is not quick-witted enough for such a task. She instead looks around at the desperately awaiting faces, overworking her brain into forming some decent excuse for a finisher.

"Um… bye!"

She stomps the ground with unorthodox alacrity, opening a circular pitfall behind her. She leaps into the air and disappears into the crater, sealing it off as she slides down the hewed escape hatch. With the Avatar out of sight, Banto loosens his grip on Bentley's chain harness, causing him to whip Banto in the shoulder with his wispy tail. The townsfolk's voices rise with the departure of both the villain and the newly introduced hero.

"What…what does this all mean?" Ling nervously asks aloud to the whispering public. Nobody could dignify a sliver of an answer; only the scratching cadences of resting insects could provide a reply. Not a single soul perpetuated the lad's question; everyone was too preoccupied by the endless possibilities or what was to come in the near future. Master Fa steps up to the brawny boy and places his wrinkled fingers along his exposed shoulder.

"It means we can no longer ignore the existence of threats," the wise gent establishes. "We must continue to train so that our home can remain sturdy and dignified in the face of peril. The Avatar has made her appearance, which means the world is going to be changing drastically in the near future. We must wait patiently to learn how we proceed with these new potentialities." The brilliant teachings of the man reach multiple families who catch wind of his ideals. Many of them, Ling including, nod with affirmation to the master's speech. Ling pumps his chest and smiles self-assuredly.

"I will do whatever I can to keep our home safe." Banto and Shina give their approval to the dictations of both men, choosing not to sully the moment with their own input. A solitary minute passes, when a quirky teenage girl comes rocketing in to the crowd. She's laced with sweat and pants wildly as her auburn hair pokes rowdily in all direction.

"I secured the perimeter, it seems all of the spirits are officially gone," Tae fabricates, motioning for her friends to play along. Shina effortlessly steps forward to play along.

"Good work, love," she says, running one of her knives through Tae's greasy hair. "But ya missed all of the craziness here, the Avatar even made an appearance." Tae widens her mouth, selling her complete bewilderment.

"What!? I missed meeting the Avatar!?" she wines convincingly. She crosses her arms and slumps forward somewhat in childish tantrum. "I always miss all of the good stuff, why'd you send me on security duty, Banto?" The boy gets sufficiently thrown off guard. He glances around at the various faces attentively surrounding his own. He stammers out a reply with minimal refinement.

"I….I just wanted to ensure the safety of the good Chao Li people." Shina and Tae exchange glances at Banto's horrendous acting abilities. However, considering only Ling and Master Fa noticed her absence before, she figured that it didn't really matter. Ling inches forwards and bows to the clan of heroes.

"Thank you for helping us boot out those spirit baddies," he states joyously. "What are you all planning on doing now?" The group shares a dumbfounded look, concocting a reasonable explanation for their following actions.

"We're gonna head eastward from here," Shina motions, pointing out of the previously inhabited gateway. "The world's gonna need to know about what transpired here. Figured it'd be smart to spread the word of this impendin' threat, along with the Avatar's surprise appearance." Ling acknowledges the suitable retort and stares at the ground in a peculiar manner, almost as if he wanted to say something. Tae gazes at the boy, recalling what he spoke about in the forest. She remembers an important characteristic of the boy that the Avatar concludes would prove favorable for what she wanted to achieve. Ling was surely becoming an essential cog in the steam-powered machine of her long-term game plan. Without provocation, she pierces the silence.

"Actually, I was wondering if you wanted to come with us," Tae offers, peering hopefully at the boy. Ling's eyebrows wiggle unsurely at the out-of-nowhere proposal. He nearly chokes on his own saliva producing the follow-up to the inquiry.

"I'm sorry, what?" he begins, letting the idea fester in his head as he speaks. Shina gives a disagreeable gaze at Banto, who simply shrugs lightheartedly at the girl's straight-forward decision. Banto and Shina didn't really get an opportunity to speak with Ling so they have no inkling as to why Tae would offer a position on the team to a student frequently chided for his lack of attentiveness. Nonetheless, they chivalrously stood back and allowed the scene to play out.

"There's something I think you can help us do," Tae explicates, leaving the actual specifics of the thought out of the discussion. "I know this is sudden, but I just thought I would invite you anyway. I know I would've jumped at the chance to explore around the world if the opportunity had presented itself to me a long time ago." Ling stares blankly at the girl as she rattles on about him coming aboard the crew. He tentatively ponders his choices; his face drenched in nervousness and insecurity. The frazzled boy did not comprehend why this random girl would elect him to travel with; many other more talented students would be just as suitable for exploration. His mind grows overcast as he skims the gravel beneath his toes for a reasonable answer.

"I think you should go, Ling" Master Fa's crackly voice overpowers the young boy's thoughts. He eases close to his pupil's bulky frame; facing him directly as he speaks. "You've spent too long being critiqued by your cranky and unruly master. I think it's high time that you extended your training outside of my dojo; learn what the world around you has to offer instead…" He closes his eyes briefly and finishes off his preaching with a serious twist in his pitch. "…Even if it's the last thing you want."

The boy looks down solemnly, boundless perspectives danced around his head as he considers the words of his inspired master. Even though one side of the teen's brain is aching for him to move on and explore new avenues in his life, the other part of him is screaming for him to stay by his master's side.

"But… what about you?" he asks, with heavy confliction.

"I'll be fine," the man assures without worry. "Besides, your mentor is getting old. It won't be long before you have to journey on your own anyway." He chuckles genially; Ling does not take the morbid joke with similar catharsis.

"Okay, see, this is why you need me by your side…" Ling adds indignantly. "…someone at the dojo has to be present to make actual funny jokes." The tightly packed group all laugh at the playful banter. Ling smiles for a second, yet his insides were still fraught with anxiety about the possible new direction of his life. His hands shake for a brief moment, only for their tension to be relinquished with a deep, purifying breathing session courtesy of his meditative prowess. He turns to Tae, finally ready to move on.

"Alright Tae, I guess I'm game!" Tae giddily squeals and leaps onto Ling's hulking body, hugging his next tightly as he nearly topples over from the sudden weight thrusted at his chest. Banto and Shina waltz over to join in the welcoming ceremony for their acquired partner. Ling just chuckles at the display of excitement, curious what the eccentric teenagers have in store for him.

As sunset drifts into view, the team waits at the periphery of town waiting for their companion to gather his things. An orange wash blends the village's shadows into a comforting amber tint. The commotion from earlier had entirely subsided; townsfolk were back doing menial tasks around their yards and training courts. Tae takes advantage of the serenity to stretch her arms and legs, preparing to have them coiled up when atop their badger-mole. As she lets out a rogue yawn, the steadfast non-bending teen comes sprinting towards the group carrying a bag filled with an array of miscellaneous items. He huffs and puffs before explaining his untimely conduct.

"Sorry I'm late! I've never really gone anywhere since I was child so I honestly didn't have any idea how to pack travel luggage," he admits, out of breath from his uncoordinated resource gathering skills. Ling takes a sharp inhale and then gazes up realizing exactly what kind of nonsense he was getting himself into. "Hold up, you guys cruise around the Earth Nation on the back of a badger-mole?" The group nods.

"I find it best not to question how ridiculous it is," Banto states, shaking his head at the ludicrousness of their lifestyle. Ling just vibrates with animation, mouth curving upwards in a jazzed up grin.

"No man, this is just about the coolest thing I've ever seen," Ling expresses, opening his arms to gesture fully at the striped transportation beast. "I love animals! Plus, they usually love me so don't get jealous if I snag the spot of favorite human from you guys." The remaining three just roll their eyes at the boy's antics. Tae motions for Ling to hop onto Bentley's back. The boy first leans his neck forwards to have a quaint chat with their monstrous associate.

"Hey buddy, how you doing?" Ling coaxes in a high pitch voice. "You strong enough to lug a near 300 pound stranger on your back?" the scarred animal turns his head to face somewhat in the direction of Ling's voice. With precision, the animal sticks out its tongue and drags it unapologetically across Ling's chiseled face. The boy chuckles grandly. "Oh yeah, we're going to be best of friends."

With the entire squad mounted atop the furry vehicle, the voyage commences once more. Tae takes the time to truly reflect on the recent turn of events. She mentally recalls the snarky grandstanding from the goat spirit before he vanished. The eerie prophecy that Chung hinted about would not subside its chatter within Tae's head. Anytime she endeavors to avert her thoughts towards planning their expedition, the uncanny face of the beastly fiend would pop back up instead. No matter how hard she tried to ignore it, Tae could no longer deny the unarguable truth. Her entire world was soon about to change, and she needed to be a fully developed Avatar for when it does.

Chapter 8: The Wayward Child

The fading light from the infinite skies above dictate to the band of misfits that they needed to set up camp for the night. Throughout their journey prior, they were always able to come across villages to slumber in for the evening, much to their luck. However, the current trek ahead appeared continual with no sign of any unmarked locales making their grand appearance. As such, the gang decides to halt Bentley's forward march to set up an outdoor base instead. The four teammates disembark the goliath and commence rallying their camaraderie to split up and accomplish multiple jobs at once. Banto gathers up lumber from nearby trees to put together a sizeable campfire. Tae condenses everyone's belongings into an organized pile while also spreading their knapsacks across their pocket of the gorge to give equal space to everyone. She made careful sure that the ground was secure and level so that no one topples down any unforeseen dips in the earth. Shina employs her bladed tools to set up a makeshift tarp in case of unpredicted precipitation in the weather. She slices lengthy twigs brought by Banto and plants them into the ground firmly; occasionally with the assistance of Tae's bending ability. Then, she ties a large cloth, brought by Ling, across the multitude of supports to form a wide, ceilinged off area. Finally, Ling kindly provides exotic fruits along with poultry meat from Chao Li that he cooks over the newly created open flame. Since Banto was already completed with his simple task, he squats down beside the cook and probes his mind a bit.

"So, by any chance do you have any information about the region south of here?" Banto inquires, thirsty for any knowledge about their current destination. "I recall the zone being titled Hurricane Peninsula but honestly that's the extent of data I have on the promontory."

"Well I know people back home would tell me, 'don't go there, there's literally nothing along that whole stretch of land'", Ling responds, alluding that the trip is going to be abysmally boring and trifling. "So get hype for that empty chunk of land. Oh also this place is called Phantom Gorge, which I guess spooks some superstitious people out. They think the land is cursed or something." The notion of a 'curse' existing here rubs the fire-bending boy the wrong way given that the very word was thrown in his direction at one point. He riles a bit remembering his father's horrid face the night he severed ties with his family.

However, the boy knew he couldn't waste precious time reminiscing on terrible moments in the past. Instead he simply pouts at the regrettable news; they had such fortune running into so many helpful places to visit so he was hoping that luck would continue for a while. Unfortunately, it appeared that they would be forced to toil across unsettled territory. Ling rouses once more, holding out his hand to indicate his personable frankness. "So be straight with me, why exactly are we hiking all the way towards the Eastern Air Temple? Got a debt to repay or something?" Banto smiles at the curious remark, but instead opts to let the mystery linger a bit longer.

"Well… there's something that I'm certain Tae's going to tell you soon," he begins, shooting the inquisitive boy a roguish expression. "Wait for her to finish organizing our luggage and then ask her." Ling looks skeptically at Banto, but then bends his neck at the approaching footsteps nearby. Tae and Shina strut over to the campsite after completing their respective duties. Shina silently crouches down by the fire and stares longingly into the flickering sparks within the fire's mane. Tae plops down in an inelegant tumble then addresses the group.

"Alright alright, so Bentley is fed and resting by that rocky overhang. Our stuff is all situated by our individual sleeping zones, courtesy of yours truly…" Tae long-windedly explains, motioning to the different mentioned areas. "…and you seem to be cooking up grub which is just excellent!" Ling spins the charring meat around with his branch skewers, spreading the heat throughout. He shakes his head at the girl's rambling and interjects his own topic into the conversation.

"Yeah, yeah that's superb…" Ling states fastly. "…now Banto here tells me that you have something you'd like to inform me of. Feel free to move onto that subject at any applicable time…like now." Ling cocks his head inquiringly at the off-guard girl. She looks at Banto who just shrugs and sips on some water from their communal canteen. Tae breathes strongly and then proceeds to fill Ling in on their ground-breaking secret.

"Okay so, remember how when we were in Chao Li, I disappeared for a while during the spirit attack?"

"Yeah…" Ling replies, unsure of the direction the conversation was heading.

"Then remember how the Avatar showed up sometime after that?"

"I recall the circumstance."

"Now, remember after that when the Avatar vanished in a hole and then sometime following that I showed back up?"

"Yes, that all rings a bell." Tae stops her hinting and holds her hands out in the air like she was attempting to cup rain water in her palms. She waits for the puzzle pieces to connect in Ling's head but they were clearly not fitting together smoothly. She speaks up to help remedy the lull of silence.

"Does…any of that set off alarms in your head?" Ling raises his eyebrows and shakes his head openly at the earth-bender's words.

"I'll be honest," he exclaims. "Pretty much everything you guys do set off alarms in my head…" Banto snaps an offended look at the other boy while Tae nods with moderate agreement. Shina finally utters a bothered noise and fills in the gap of reasoning for Ling.

"She's the Avatar, genius."

Ling nearly lobs the hunk of meat to the Fire Nation at the girl's statement. His mouth forms a prominent 'O' shape as he waits motionless for someone to finally crack and admit that they were kidding. Much to his surprise, that did not happen at all. The girl in question quits beating around the bush and follows through with the disclosure.

"Yeah so I'm Avatar Rio," Tae clarifies, reinforcing the severity of the words. "We're the only people in the world that knows my true identity. Naturally, we would like to keep it that way." Ling quickly places the thoroughly cooked slab of protein on a slate of washed sediment. He flicks a speckle of sweat off his forehead and sits back on the lumpy ground to properly assess the weight of the recently revealed bomb drop. He glances around at the enclosure of prying eyes, realizing the kind of teenagers he was traveling with.

"If that's all true," Ling finally musters up the courage to articulate. "Then why am I here? What do I serve in all of this?" Tae glows with thrill, anticipating that he would eventually ask that very question. She leans back against a sandstone deposit and crosses her arms.

"Well for one, I liked chatting with you. Thought it'd make the travel more fun," Tae expresses, hoping to put the tense atmosphere at ease. "But more importantly. I've been thinking about what my next course of action should be, and I think it would be a good idea to try and get into the spirit world." The prospect warrants a perturbing glance from the fire-bending boy, making his body straighten out. Ling's face of unresolved confusion remains as he circles his hands beckoning the Avatar to continue.

"Okay, so how do I help with that?" he questions.

"Simple," Tae plainly declares. "With your meditation knowhow, you can assist me in traveling to the spirit world by helping me meditate there." The idea leaves the posse of fascinated people in a listless spell. Shina and Banto glance at each other; the latter once again shrugging at the suggestion. Ling moves nary an inch as he processes the statement. Then, with a enthusiastic energy, he starts laughing loudly into the air. He rocks his head back as his amusement echoes along the gorge's barriers.

"You think I'm going to be able to get you into the spirit world!? Just because I sit around to unwind sometimes!?" The boy's hilarity was ceaseless. "I mean, we can give it a whirl, but I think we're better off strolling up to an air nomad and letting them take command." Tae presents no perceptible reaction to the boy's emotional outburst; instead she smirks calmly at the boy's sentiments. She folds her legs into a loose knot and prompts the boy to mirror her position.

"Well, why don't we give it a try now?" Ling could not hide his astonishment at the girl's tenacious drive. He silences his laughter to see if the Avatar had more to convey, but instead she just sat patiently and observed the boy's movements. As a last ditch effort, Ling looks to the remaining two who had not bestowed their input yet. Banto speaks first, as he typically does.

"You really think this will be successful, Tae?" he inquires, scanning the girl's face for any signs of distraught.

"To be frank, love, I have my doubts that this guy can really be of use in this situation at all," Shina adds frostily. Ling shoots the dark-haired girl an affronted expression, putting a hand to his chest in a dainty way. Tae turns and says only a few, simple words:

"I might as well try and see what happens." Shina's face remains disapproving. She shakes her head bitterly, turning to Banto to see if he matches her attitude. To her surprise, he casually raises his arms in an indifferent way. She crosses her arms and eases back into her naturally formed seat, scouting around to make sure no one is around before they begin.

"If you do somehow manage to travel to the Spirit World, we will be here to protect your bodies," Banto illustrates, tossing a miniature fireball into the blazing twigs in the camp's center. Tae nods, still persistently shutting her eyes and maintaining her lotus position. Ling provides a final look of reluctance, avoiding everyone's eye contact to think for himself if he wants to go through with this. A meager snicker later, and he eventually rationalizes that they probably won't even get in anyway. With that dismissive mentality, he matches Tae's form and sits directly in front of her.

"Alright Tae, now just concentrate on your breathing and let all of the outside distractions vanish from your mind's eye," Ling coaches, taking a few exemplary deep breaths subsequent to his teaching. Tae bobs her head once more, choosing to follow the boy's example. She stiffens her body to a chilling rigidity and allows the sensations around her to numb.

The world around grew silent, almost like all of the creatures chirping from the shadows were unanimously muzzled so that the teenager's could focus. The snapping pops of the roaring embers drowned out the lingering white noise and provided a relaxing melody for their concentration. Shina, Banto and even Bentley sit with cautionary stillness, analyzing different parts of Ling and Tae's bodies for any signs of movement. The meditating duo drifts off into a faded vision, one without picture and without sound. To the Avatar, it felt like a mysterious force was leading her by the hand, dragging her to an unperceivable abyss. Still, she thought and felt nothing, just existed alongside her pensive partner. The indescribable experience persisted for what felt like centuries until Tae's jade eyes eventually snap open; her eyelids practically pulled apart by a supernatural energy. Tae shoots her body upwards and instantly checks her surroundings; the sight alone nearly made her pass out. The cliff-side campsite was nowhere in view. Instead, a majestic setting unlike anything Tae could envision was painted before her. Her awe spread across her face while she took in the fantasy-like backdrop. She had successfully made it to the Spirit World.

Tae rocks her head back and basks in the heavenly spectacles encapsulating the world. Her feet nestle into a patch of orange-colored grass, spreading across a landscape liken to an abstract sculpture; bending and curving in unpredictable directions. Above her head, a bunch of oversized maple leaves spiraled down from above like fighter jets losing altitude. Many peculiar, bluish plants decorated the spirit garden, waving about in place as if being manipulated by a gust of air that Tae herself did not feel. Tae could hardly believe the beauty of their landing site, she smiled endlessly around her with each new unusual piece of décor she spotted. A couple of seconds later, she finally breaks free from the realm's temptations and whips around to her companion.

"We made it…we actually made it to the Spirit World!" Tae practically screams to the boy who was currently facing the opposite direction. His face exemplified a different opinion on the surroundings entirely. Ling steps backwards and darts his head in all directions, consumed by unbridled fear. The allure that was captivating the Avatar was, in substitution, haunting the non-bender boy with unnerving dread. He finally faces the excitable girl yet still kept his eyes focused on their environment.

"I…can't believe we actually made it…" he utters, pitched to a near whisper. Tae nods and peers around once more. Then, with brilliant vigor, she begins to prose auspiciously.

"Hah, that was incredibly easy! I guess this gal knows her way around a meditation circle." She opens her arms widely and begins skipping around the area. "I mean I've read so many stories about this world but never knew it would look like this! It's gorgeous!" Ling approaches Tae while keeping his peepers attentive to the suspicious looking vegetation around them. He jolts quickly at an unidentifiable noise ludicrously far in the distance before speaking again.

"Alright, yippee, we made it successfully to this wonderland of nonsense, now why don't we head back for now and…"

"Wait, what's that!?" Tae interrupts, prancing towards a mysterious scurrying creature near their location. Ling calls out to her to cease but it garnered no awareness from the enamored girl. He chases after her, terrified of losing her in a world far beyond his area of expertise. Tae hustles over to a small spirit insect, resting on a leaflet to one of the many bizarre flowers jostling about. She gazes at it with infant-like curiosity. The small creature twitches about on the leaf, nibbling at its edging, complacent with its high perch. Eventually, Tae moves in close and bats at the stem of the alien blossom, causing the being to stir. It sprouts a pair of jagged and dazzling wings which it uses to fly off away from the disturbance. Tae's eyes follow the bug with keen interest, snickering gleefully as its wings leave behind a trail of sparkly powder. Ling walks up from behind Tae and nudges her forcibly on the shoulders.

"That's nice and all Tae," he starts, harshly. "But we really need to get out of here, now." Tae recoils from the hit to her arm and spins around to glare at the frazzled individual. She eyes him suspiciously as she speaks.

"Why? Ling, we're in one of the most beautiful places in existence, why are you so afraid to explore it? This is a once in a lifetime chance!" Ling clenches his hands and pinches his eyes shut. He doesn't want to ruin the thrill and enjoyment that Tae is having seeing as she's the Avatar, but he couldn't help but feel petrified by the rarely visited dominion. He falters, and then raises his voice once more to complete his qualm.

"I just don't want you to get hurt," he expresses. Tae calms down her pensive behavior and places a friendly hand on the boy's large shoulder. She smiles confidently and talks with heightened surety.

"Ling, we'll be fine," she guarantees. "I've been training with Shina and Banto to handle combat without bending. You too have been honing your fighting abilities for just such an occasion. If anything problematic comes our way we can defend ourselves just fine." She stops talking, noticing Ling still showcasing apprehensive symptoms. She finishes with an addendum. "If it gets really bad, Banto and Shina can always wake us up. They'll be able to see if our spirits are in turmoil from how our bodies move and react to what we experience here, alright?" Ling's reservations endure, however he does feel mildly calmed by the options available to get back home. He nods to the plucky girl, gifting a hazy smile to his companion.

"The girl's right, there's nothing to be afraid of here!" A mysterious, high-pitched voice calls out from beyond some intersecting trees. Ling and Tae spin around towards the direction of the shout. Tae waits barely a second before yelling to the unknown presence.

"Who are you?" she asks, with impulsive delight. "Are you a spirit here?" A small chuckle reverberates from the identified hiding spot. A split second later and a small, humanoid figure emerges slowly from the shadows of the mythical branches. It was a regular, human boy; no older than 10 years of age. The child had long shaggy with the left side draping down past his pine-colored eyes. His outfit was darkish grey in color with purple accents along his long baggy shirt and pants. He wore a vibrant purple scarf with intricate patterning that dangles down his chest a bit. The boy approaches the two explorers with his hands cutely tucked behind his back.

"Nope! I'm just a human," he corrects with a giddy, innocent voice. "My name is Kianju, but Kian works fine too if that's okay." Ling and Tae stare at the petite boy, astounded at his brazenness to stroll around the Spirit World seemingly on his own. The boy brushes the tip of his shoe in some dirt before suddenly popping his head back upwards to further the introductions. "Oh! Here, let me introduce my friend." He twists around and cups his hands around his mouth to amplify his voice a bit. "You can come out now, it's safe!" From beyond the fairytale furnishings, a miniature creature soars warily towards the band of humans. The being was a wyvern of sorts with a lizard-like head containing bite-sized teeth. Its wings stretched a small distance outwards and its tail was long like a serpent with a tuft of glowing, purple fur on its tip resembling a cotton ball. The eyes of the creature were also similarly hued, being sunken into its skull-shaped cranium with nothing but darkness surrounding the round blots of colored pupils. The being shyly flutters over behind Kian, its eyes curved to depict its obvious caution. Tae bounces with exhilaration at the pocket-sized drake.

"Oh my gosh what is that it's so cute!" the Avatar spouts without a breath. She makes sure not to raise her voice too much in fear of frightening the guarded companion. Kian adjusts his arm so that his shoulder extends somewhat to the side. The creature lands casually onto the offered perch, snuggling close to Kian's wavy hair.

"This is Guaji, my spirit friend," he explains, using his finger to scratch the elongated bridge above the creature's snout. Guaji produces a sweet cooing noise to the tender touches, causing him to turn a soothing orange color in his tail and eyes. Tae's mouth widens with the appearance change and slowly eases towards Kian and the spirit.

"Wow, I've read a lot about spirits but I had no idea they were all so different," Tae explains holding out a hand to display her friendliness. The sitting reptile pokes his head forwards to assess the girl's motives, and then eventually allows Tae to lightly prod at his head as well. This morphs him back into his tangerine pattern and formats his eyes into a happy, upwards curve shape. Kian chuckles at his friend's acceptance and continues speaking.

"Yeah! I've come to the spirit world ever since I was younger. I don't know why but spirits seem to like me a bunch, so lots of them are my friends." He pauses as Guaji begins flying around Tae's head, causing her to giggle as he brushes up against her wavy locks. "Spirits are so cool! They have so many different powers and rare abilities that humans and animals in our world don't have. It's why I like to look around in my free time and meet new spirit friends!" Guaji continues his flight path over to Ling, assuming that he's trustworthy as well. He bends his wings as he cycles around Ling's prickly hair. Ling smiles warmly; extending a finger upwards which brushes up on the being's talons dangling below. Tae takes notice of Ling's drop in guard and places her hands sassily on her hips.

"See? This world is amazing!" she repeats, spinning around in hopes of exemplifying her point. "I mean, how's a cute little thing like that going to hurt you?" Ling frowns at the girl's perseverance in making him feel at ease in the strange world. He glances at Guaji who was hovering in place adjacent to his face, glowing with lime-green brightness. The spirit lets out a laughable roar that's so pathetic it couldn't even intimidate the meekest of toddlers. Ling shakes his head and modifies his stance somewhat.

"Alright, well THIS particular part of the world is cool," he stresses, peering once more around their huddle into the dreamlike wilderness. "Doesn't mean that everything in this place is going to roll over and give cuddly kisses." Tae scoffs at the boy's resilience in his apprehension. She begins strolling around unprompted, inciting Kian to follow behind her like a waddling turtle-duck. She stalls at one point to pick up a sizeable stick of enchanted-looking wood that appeared to have snapped off a close by branch. The staff acts quite agreeably as a suitable walking stick for Tae to use; like a vigorous mountain climber would on a beaten path. She then meanders off, needlessly enlisting the aid of her twisted pole to enhance her journeying abilities. Ling calls out to her once more but quickly came to terms with the face that Tae wasn't going to listen. He scampers up to them as they breach the small patch of squiggling trees.

A ways past the brush, Tae and Kian are immediately entranced by the sight just beyond their vantage point. A large sphere of light radiates from a couple paces in front of them, extending to a size rivaling an entire city. The shards of land surrounding the capsule thinned as it grew inwards towards the hardened orb; like a cocoon covered in silk. Countless openings coat the outer layer of the sphere, which pours even more light as a beacon would. Tae and Kian gape longingly for a couple seconds before Tae probes the boy for answers.

"Kian, do you know what that is?"

"No! I've never seen it before!" he explains with amazement. "I know my way around a lot of the Spirit World but this is my first time exploring this section of it." Tae and Kian dramatically look at each other and ache with unbridled enthusiasm. Tae grouts a devilish grin on her face as she leans in close to the boy.

"Let's go check it out!" she insists.

"Okay!" Kian replies earnestly. The two immediately start to dash towards the massive structure before Ling steps in and grabs Tae by the arm, forcing her to spin around and look at him. His face was riddles with animosity and frustration as he berates the girl.

"Tae stop!" he shouts. "You can't just keep rushing into things just because it seems cool. You have no idea what you're getting yourself into." Tae was getting equally as irritated, tired of Ling complaining about the same things over and over again.

"Ling, stop freaking out!" she bellows, her voice somewhat cracking from her spike in emotion. "We'll be fine! I've read an endless amount of books and documents about the Spirit World. I know what kind of threats are around here and I know a dangerous spirit when I see one." Ling sways his head violently, allowing his locks to jitter from side to side.

"Tae just because you read about something in some random book does not mean you know everything there is out in the world. You can't keep doing dangerous things out of excitement and promising everything will be fine when you don't have a clue what you're doing." Tae stomps her feet with exuberant power; a level of force that would've sent boulders skyrocketing if they had their bending abilities intact. She growls under her breath and finally unleashes a direct, verbal attack at her dissenter.

"Well what do you know!?" Tae belts, pointing a narrow finger from her free hand at Ling's face. "Do you think you have a better idea of how the world works than I do?" The comment simmers Ling's rage to a moderate fume. His expression mutates from a monstrous grimace into a feeble glower. He breathes shakily and rejoins eye contact with the aggressive teenager.

"No, I don't," he responds with distant gloom. "Tae…I don't know anything about how the world works." The melancholy comeback leaves Tae puzzled. She cocks her head slightly and quiets her ferocity.

"What…what do you mean?" Ling sighs deeply and proceeds to elaborate on the subject.

"When I was younger, my parents left me behind at the edge of a small village…" Ling sits back on a towering tree as a large maple seed sails downwards from overhead. The propelling feathers along the base of the kernel blusters the boy's hair to the side. "I was all alone for a while until Master Fa took me in. I don't remember much about my youth, just that I was scarred from being abandoned in the cruel wilderness. Apparently, it took years before I was fully trusting of him. Ever since then though, I was always at his side training in the village and staying loyally within the gates of Chao Li. But…because of that…now I know nothing about the world. All I ever learned about was fighting and focusing on training myself to protect myself from the dangers of the world so that I wouldn't get hurt again. Unfortunately, what specifically I was learning to protect myself from was left out of the lesson plan." Ling pauses briefly to take a few breaths. Throughout the entire spiel, he had evaded the gaze of his comrade. However, he mustered up his strength and stared piercing daggers at the listening friend. "When Master Fa told me to go on this journey with you, I think deep down he must've realized. He knew that I never got over my fear of the outside world and understood that I would've tried to refuse the offer out of worry and fright." He rises from his lounging position and finishes his expression. "That's why I'm scared Tae. I didn't spend my life learning about what's out there in the world, I tried my hardest to ignore it in favor of my endless training. I know how pumped you are about exploring the unknown, but the voice inside of me is screaming that we're going to get hurt if we jump at the chance to solve every mysterious encounter we come across." He steps forward and grabs the tops of Tae's hands, hoping that she understands why he's so adamant about this. "Please, take things slow, if not for your sake, then for mine. I'm just starting to see outside of Chao Li's bubble for the first time. It's hard for me to take all of this uncertainty at once…"

Tae's face, over the course of the exhaustive autobiography, grew more and more apologetic as the boy's anecdote progressed. She solemnly regresses into a repentant husk of what she was when Ling's ranting began. The aforementioned boy moves to lift his hands off of Tae's but the girl quickly grasps them tighter, dropping her walking stick in the process. She did not realize Ling's emotions ran as strong as they did, nor did she exhibit any signs of considering said feelings. That, of course, was not her intention, her own inquisitiveness about the Spirit World got the better of her and it skewed her judgment. She did not want her overzealous behavior to cause the boy trouble. She shakes Ling's hands while her lips quiver incessantly.

"I'm so sorry, Ling," she conveys wholeheartedly. "I brought you with us on this trip to be a guiding hand. Instead, I treated you with nothing but disrespect. Please forgive me…" She relinquishes her grip and smacks her hands together securely. She then lowers her body in an elegantly deep bow, thoroughly expressing her regrettable feelings on her behavior. Ling instantaneously snaps back into his more comical persona at the realization that Tae was nearing crying. He waves his hands wildly in front of his body as he speaks.

"Whoa whoa, it's fine!" he exclaims earnestly. "I don't know why I just dumped my back-story on you like that. Don't worry about it though, really. You're right that I do need to be more open to getting involved with uncertainty. Just…you know...maybe not all at once." Tae sniffles as she clears her eyes of any moisture. She chuckles shortly and opens her eyes to reflect the boy's own aqua-coated irises.

"Take things slow, huh?" she utters passively. "I think I can do that. Thank you for telling me, Ling." The meditative master's eyes glance around, nervous about how calm and cute Tae was being. He blushes slightly as he messes with his own hair, demonstrating that there were no hard feelings between the two heroes. He and Tae share an unspeaking, pleasant moment before a recognizable voice draws their attention from far away.

"Guys, come look at this! It's super cool!" a child-like call shouts from outside one of the gaping openings to the lustrous shell. Tae and Ling look up just in time to see the outline of his skinny frame disappearing into the expelling luminosity from within. Tae and Ling look worryingly at each other and the Avatar screeches out what they both were thinking.

"Oh no, Kian!" Tae bends down hurriedly and snags her hiking tool from the bizarrely dyed earth. The two teenagers instantly sprint off toward the glowing encasement, pushing aside a bunch of plant spindles out of their way as they frantically sprint into the shimmering ball of toughened skin.

Once within, the visuals and atmosphere shifted into an entirely new context. The inside of the colossal globe was littered with massive golden crystals, extending throughout the entire spherical room. Many large ones coated the central point of the area, reaching upwards far enough to almost scrape the tips of other gemstones piercing down from the ceiling. The light within didn't appear to have a specific source, it seemed like all of the fluorescent rocks were blasting streams of illumination all over the place. Tae taps her knuckles on one of the crystals nearby to the entrance. It produces an echoing clanking sound; the Avatar couldn't help but notice its similarity to diamond in consistency. Ling peers around the room for a couple of seconds before spotting a child midway through the crystalline ball.

"There he is! Kian!" he hollers; his powerful voice ricocheting off of the multitude of different surfaces. The boy spins around quickly from his distracted faze and excitedly waves to the two invaders.

"Guys check this out!" he shouts back, pointing to a particularly massive gem prodding towards the roof. "I've never seen crystals like these in all of the Spirit World. They're wicked awesome!" He peers back up at the lengthy entity, examining the rays of elucidation as they bend and weave throughout the forest of gemstones. Tae ignores the tempting sights around the boy and immediately beckons for him.

"Kian, come back! We shouldn't be in here!" Tae's vexed outcry mirrors the same trepidation that Ling had throughout the entire escapade. She can't help but shake her head upon realizing how unashamedly she was at switching to Ling's standpoint. Kian turns to them with a look of confusion, seeing as how Tae was the person who introduced the option to explore the peculiar location in the first place. He turns to Guaji, who's color was now a magenta color depicting his confusion. Kian shrugs and starts to head back to their location, much to Ling and Tae's relief.

All of a sudden, a misshapen silhouette zips by from behind the youngster and effortlessly snatches him up and drags him away. The swift movement passed in a mere second before the teens' muscles could even contract in surprise. Kian yells out for help as the figure rapidly escapes deeper into the glowing cavern. Tae and Ling both simultaneously respond to the brazen kidnapping.

"Kian!" they both scream with the full power of their wind pipes. They sprint inwards into the chrysalis of radiance, sliding along the smooth surfaces of slick jewel. The duo shimmies side to side as they run, avoiding the sharp corners of the obstructive crystalline hindrances that were blocking their path. After a couple of tense minutes, they come out to an unnatural clearing amidst the gemstone statues. A bunch of fragments from the alien rocks populate the ground beneath their feet. They gaze at the surroundings, an agonizing sensation of premonition overtaking their core. Eventually, a few pebbles of golden jewel sprinkle down from above their heads. The two teenagers hastily snap their necks upwards and discover the cause of the peculiar hail.

Clinging to the ceiling like a cavernous reptile was a spirit beast unlike anything Tae had read about in her extensive collection of literature. The entity was insect-like with its limbs bending sharply towards the iridescent floor. Its body was hairy like a mammal but its face had massive eyes like a moth with a creepy, disgusting mouth that extended across the entirety of its horrific face. Along its body, hands and feet were a bunch of golden crystals, matching unmistakably to the ones currently encircling the teens. In his jagged, topaz-like fingers was Kian, writhing and grunting trying desperately to break free from his grasp. The creature places the young, frightened boy on the side of a high rising gemstone gingerly. Without warning, his fingers begin extending and enlarging, spreading the pointed jewelry to encompass the boy's body. Once the material was expanded around Kian's torso, he releases his grip; leaving the boy pinned to the gargantuan gemstone in a vest of gleaming spikes. Tae frantically watches as the child gets trapped by the ghastly spirit and finds herself unable to remain silent.

"Kian, no!" she screams, letting her voice bounce along the marbleized background. The spirit instantly turns his head a full 180 degrees, causing a loud cracking sound to radiate throughout the stunning tomb. The beast begins clambering down from its heightened position and glares down menacingly at the human visitors. He crawls slowly near them, stopping abruptly to utter a simple cluster of fearsome words to the uninvited guests.

"My…three humans altogether…?" it hisses, twitching its head around like a bird stalking a rodent many meters away. "You'll all do wonderfully for my collection…"