Chapter 3 Sokka The Swordsman
Tonight we are relaxing and doing one of my favourite activities: it gets dark, the stars light up the night sky. And then the meteor shower starts, raining burning rocks from space. It takes my breath away, watching bright blue streaks glowing against the inky black sky. A voice besides me states, "Wow this really makes you see how small we really are."
"Big deal seeing nothing looks all the same to me." Toph says bored. That does raise some fascinating questions about, well life or the senses, or something I guess. She can't see anything but joined us simply to hang out.
"Um, that one looks a little differ… ¡AHH! ¡EVERYBODY GET DOWN!" Sokka screams diving to the ground hiding behind a boulder as a meteor slams into the earth just missing us, spraying dirt and debris around. I can still feel the heat radiating through the air.
"Woah that was way too close for comfort." I shakily say in a flat voice still in shock from almost getting vaporized by a space rock. Although it was still really cool, sure I could have died, but it was exhilarating. My blood rapidly pumping with adrenaline and who knows what else. We climb over the hill we were sitting on peering over at the massive crater formed by the meteorite impact the landscape smoking as a large fire blazing in the darkness. The earth around us was pulverized. The landscape of the Fire Nation is not the greatest to look at. It is bleak nd can be rather featurless. The black sand beaches are super cool though.
"Hey it's gonna burn that nearby town down." Katara shouts in horror. She and Aang want to help the town because of Katara's caring and Aang's Avatar hero complex thing. Katara starts directing us around, giving out orders like a general. I will say this: Katara would make a fantastic military commander. Aang and Toph begin earthbending channels to contain the raging inferno. Katara soaring through the sky on Appa bending huge water bubbles floating above her. As I was the sole firebender in the group, my problem was naturally the fire fighting. One tiny issue though, I haven't learned the technique on how to control a blaze of this scale. ¿Um… we might have a problem here? I have not progressed enough in my firebending training to come close to the level required. Firebending training starts by first learning breathing exercises, then after you master the breath control, you progress to he next level. Which is when you begin with basic firebending stances combing that with the breathing from step 1. Step 3 is actual firebending, shooting fireballs from your fingers, if you get burned than that's your problem. Yeah the Fire Nation teaching methods are a little crazy I will admit but it gets results, which is the only thing that matters. I do wonder how the other nations teach their benders. I will ask the group later as they would know. Whether they would share that info with me is another thing. Something says no. Sokka would probably assume I'm a spy and demand that no info could be shared or else I would give it all to the Army. He still doesn't fully trust me after a month.
I get help from Katara as she starts bending water directly from a nearby creek rather than the bubble thing, as water beats fire. Together we slowly put out the fire and save the town. Toph bending earth slabs rolling over the blaze smothering it. Yay us, also yay me for being confident that I can do this! It's learning firebending on the job, which is a great way, but extremely dangerous, to do as firebending requires self-confidence, which has been an issue for me.
"¿Anyway, where's Sokka as he's not here?" I asked her.
"I left him with Momo. I'm sure he loves that, being basically useless while we do all the dangerous and exciting fire fighting."
Yes Sokka was very unhappy when we came back to pick him up. Sokka seemed very depressed, which I can see why as he's the only one without any bending ability. The next morning we are all sitting in town watching the people go about their daily lives. It was completely surreal after what I did last night, stopping fire from turning the people I watch shopping, talking with friends and hanging out without any awareness of what happed last night into a crisp. Ok mission one of saving the town complete. Now onto mission two: cheering up Sokka and returning him to normal, which is "the meat and sarcasm jokes guy".
"I have an idea that will cheer you up." Says Katara. We then make our way to the local weapons shop, which excites Sokka as he loves weapons. That does make sense, as he's a warrior. As soon as we walk in, he excitedly grabs a pair of nun chucks. I'm not surprised when within 10 seconds, he knocks himself out. Anyway as we are walking around the store admiring the merchandise, Sokka notices a well-crafted katana. The shopkeeper explains, "I see you have a good eye, that is a Piandao creation." Wow, I knew it! Piandao is one of the Fire Nation's best weapons maker as well as a damn good soldier who deserted the Army for personal reasons that were never publicised. They sent troops to deal with him, but after 4 squads (9 people each) never returned, the military gave up and let Piandao alone.
Katara suggests that Piandao train Sokka in swordplay as the other team members learned their bending from masters. Everybody on Team Avatar can bend their element and are masters of it and I'm working on mastering my element of fire. Sokka who is the sole non-bender, doesn't have any elemental control and I think he resents that. However Sokka is not a Fire Nation name so Piandao might attack him on sight. I bring it up, but the Southern Water Tribe warrior just ignores me. I have yet to find a master firebender but then again so does Aang. But I think that it will all be fine as he's the Avatar. Although finding a friendly firebender master to train him, or us, may be a problem.
We walk up the long winding path to the big castle where Piandao lives, Sokka excitly bangs on the ornate door knocker. This huge guy answers stating he is the butler and Piandao will see no one. He introduces himself as Fat and invites us in saying, "Might as well get this over with. Youre going to be rejected but I will humor you." We walk into the room filled with calligraphy with a man sitting away from us drawing. "I assume you are here to learn the way of the sword or kenjutsu, the art goes back hundred of years back the original islanders. Let me guess, you are the best swordsman in your village and have travelled here to learn form me."
Sokka corrects him. "Actually I have been all over the world. And I do not think I am the best swordsman, I am unworthy to learn from a master like you."
Piando stands up and faces us. "Humility is a rare trait among us. You think you are unworthy. I believe that is exactly why you are. I will train you Sokka as my student."
Sokka wasn't seen for a week, until he came back to the camp asking us for help with something. My curiosity was peaked when I saw Sokka and Piandao standing by a forge with bellows, anvil and everything else to smiting swords. I understand immediately why the rest of us were brought along. Sokka needed our help in operating the forge as he cant do it all by himself. Ok this will be easy, I thought.
It was really fun working the bellows blowing air into the furnace, watching Sokka forge his own sword made out of the meteorite Toph earthbended up into position. Although can you call it "earthbending" if your bending rock from space. Hmm…¿Interesting concept isn't it? Back to the sword construction. Sokka pulls it out after about an hour of smithing, he is holding a gleaming pitch-black 60 centimetre (about 2 ft) sword. I see Sokka wasting no time in playing with his creation striking several poses. I laugh saying, "¡Personally I think it looks amazing, you could say out of this world!" Aang and Sokka laughed hysterically at my comment. Yes progress with Sokka. I think I'm growing on him.
Then Sokka tells Piandao the truth about everything for some reason. Nice going idiot tell a former Fire Army general you are from an enemy nation. Great idea there is no way that could go wrong. After a brief fight, something weird happens. Piandao congratulates Sokka for his swordsmanship and combat prowess before giving him a white lotus Pai sho tile for some reason, saying "Try Lee there are a million Lees in the Fire Nation. I knew where you were from when you interoduced yourself. Your name is local only the antartic." There is clearly something else going on here that I don't understand. I walk up to Sokka reminding him of my warning before he knocked on the door for the first time. I get a very close encounter with the space sword. But I did not get stabbed, so there is that.