Post by Teяa253 on Sept 21, 2008 3:16:27 GMT 1
the 5th installment of my Order of the Avatar Slayer" series.
The title is pretty bad, but oh well, it gets the job done.
obviously it focuses on the Water Tribes, and I will indeed say that you do get to meet two new faces (technically 3) --Koara and Lehran (and Altina)
so yeah, the story.
CHAPTER 5: THE SERENITY OF WATER
Lehran raced frantically back towards his village. He and a few friends had been off in a small arena about a mile out when they had seen some of The Order’s armies heading towards their little village.
Lehran had injured his knee in one of their spars a few days previous, so he still walked with a slight limp, for it had not yet fully healed. He was a shy fellow, so when he stated to lag behind he did not call out for the others. He did not want to draw attention to himself; being shy was something that his entire family was notorious for. They had been like this for several generations.
Lehran continued running (and slightly limping) until he reached the village. He could tell that someone had been there, but the damage was minimal. However, it was eerily quiet. All Lehran could hear was the sound of the light winds blowing.
Lehran scoured the village, but could not see any signs of blood or fighting. It seemed that they had been taken captive rather than slaughtered. Lehran ran to his own hut to see if any of his family was there. Naturally, there was no one, but it was even quieter in here, for there was no wind. He heard crying, and went into one of the back rooms. In her bed, still crying, was Lehran’s 18-month-old sister Altina.
She had on little furry shoes and little water tribe coat, but her legs were bare. The only logical story Lehran could come up with for how she escaped the capture was that she had been asleep and that their parents had put their trust in Lehran to return and collect her. Luckily they were right.
The nearest village was the Northern Water Tribe Capital City. Realizing what he had to do; Lehran picked up his baby sister, dressed her in some pants, and then set her in a carrier and put her on his back. He was obviously going to take her with him, for he could not leave his own sister behind.
The Northern Capital was about 4 or 5 miles away from Lehran’s village. However, Lehran was a talented waterbender, and so he was able to slide himself along the ice by bending a sheet of it and gliding atop the other ice. After all, he wanted to fine out where The Order’s armies had suddenly gone (he naturally assumed that since he had seen so many that they had planned an invasion) and to inform some of the tribe officials as to what had happened to his village.
When he got there he found that the city was indeed under attack. However, it seemed that most of the Northern Capital was under control of The Avatar Guard, so even the members of The Order that had been living there were being beaten out. Of particular note to Lehran was a really old woman who seemed to be overpowering a division all by herself.
She was waterbending, but also seemed to be bloodbending some of the stronger people to go against their own troops. She was doing incredibly well at first, but the longer Lehran watched, the more he could notice that she was getting overwhelmed. Lehran could tell that if she was hit she would likely not get back up. She was skilled enough so far though to not take any hits, but no one could tell how long that would last.
Lehran raced down and into the battlefield, gliding along the ice and using waterbending to jostle his way through friends and foes alike, bringing up icy defenses when necessary. He eventually made it to her and fought beside her.
“Koy,” she exclaimed, “What are you doing here, child?”
“Koara,” Lehran exclaimed, recognizing the woman’s voice, “why are you still on the battlefield? You’re too old for warfare.”
“I’ll be too old when I die,” she cackled, for because of her age, her voice was old and cracked, and was easily manifesting signs of old age. At 93, she truly was an old woman, and had the right to even call Lehran, a strapping youth of 20 years a kid.
“So can I help you at all?” Lehran asked, making a dangerous sidestep and almost dislodged Altina—lucky he had strapped her in safely. Like her family, the Serenes family, she was a very heavy sleeper.
“Just be careful with that sister of yours,” she replied, using a rather nasty bloodbending technique on the enemy in front of her, “eh, these Order members really need to learn when to let down. We’re clobbering them. They are no match for the South—Northern Water Tribe”
“You’re from the Southern Water Tribe,” Lehran exclaimed, dodging a would-be fatal blow and almost losing his footing because of his hurt knee, “you never told me that in the years we’ve known each other.”
“You learn something new every day,” Koara replied, sending a wall of ice to knock out a legion of attackers, “the tribes today are a lot more unified than they were 80 years ago.”
“Really now,” said Lehran, parrying an attack with a quick ice spear, and yet he obtained a small cut on his arm, “ouch; so what was different?”
“Well,” said Koara, and suddenly seeing more people approaching, “hold on. Let’s get our selves out of this fix.”
Koara suddenly lifted up a huge ice column similar to what an earthbender would do, and then melted it into a water whip which had them both bound together.
They were able to escape just in time, as enemy waterbenders had appeared that that could have put Koara’s escape tactic into jeopardy. If they had gotten hold of them while her whip bound them, it would have clearly meant trouble. They were on part of the wall of the city, and they were out of the way.
“Anyways,” said Koara, acting as if nothing happened, “until Xin-Shing set his own Water Chief and his wife here, things were pretty dandy. I did hear that Iresu, the good former chief’s wife, survived though, and is most likely at Ba Sing Se with the Avatar Guard.”
“The Avatar Guard,” Lehran exclaimed, “I’ve only heard good things about them.”
“Well,” Koara chuckled, “there’s not much bad to say about them, except that they’re outnumbered. The avatar is kept so hidden that most people don’t even know if it’s a male avatar or a female avatar.”
“Wow,” said Lehran, “either way, you make me want to meet them even more than I already do.”
“Well,” Koara laughed, “all we need is a boat and some waterbenders. I happen to have one of each—an old boat that once belonged to my husband and a strapping young waterbender named Lehran Serenes.”
Lehran laughed. “Okay then,” he said, “Lead the way”
Koara cut through one of the residences in the walls and got back out on the other side. She led Lehran to a small boat and in front of them the oceans were clear.
“Jump in,” she said, “my husband built it, and you might remember him as a fine craftsman to the end of his days.”
“Aye,” said Lehran, “he has helped our village many a time until that day he died. He was a great man, Koara.”
“I’m glad to know that even after death that he is still loved,” said Koara, easing into the boat after Lehran. She and Lehran worked together to bend the water around them to move the boat. They were far enough away (and the boat was small enough) that they were not seen.
“So,” she asked him “do you know whether or not that little girl is a bender or not? And what’s her name if I may ask?”
“Her name’s Altina Serenes,” Lehran replied, smiling, “and aye, she is a bender. She likes to play with water when she doesn’t have any other toys. And yet, the funny thing is, is when she drops it onto her clothes, she doesn’t take it out, so I have to help her.”
“Eh,” Koara chuckled, “she’s got plenty of time to learn.” She reached out and gently stroked little Altina’s hair. She had remained asleep through all of this, and was still asleep.
“So,” said Lehran, “how far until we hit land again?”
“It’ll be probably by sundown,” Koara replied, “but after about half an hour we should be out of the danger zone.”
Other than Altina waking up and Lehran and Koara getting dinner (and of course, feeing Altina as well), nothing happened on their trip. They ended up reaching a small village inn deep into the night, and luckily Altina, who had been playing with a little bit of water the whole time, was starting to grow tired again.
“Well,” said Koara, “I’m beat. I need some shut-eye.”
“That’s why we stopped at this inn,” Lehran laughed, undressing Altina into some lighter clothes. They would obviously be using them since they were no longer in the frigid North Pole.
“Eh,” said Koara, “stop trying to make me remember these things. I’m old and tired, and will forget them.” She paused, and then laughed.
Lehran chuckled too, and dressed himself for bed, lying down on the bed next to Koara’s, his baby sister Altina at his side.
“Well,” said Koara, “you’re the one who wants to join the avatar guard, so I recommend you getting some sleep.”
“Alright then” said Lehran calmly, and he shut his eyes. He was glad that he had run into Koara, and he was glad that his sister was safe. He still hoped that his family was safe, but he knew they were strong waterbenders, and wouldn’t be shaken by this.
He looked over at Komae, who was already asleep, and then back at his baby sister. It was here that he thought of just how calm the water tribes were for the most part, even their moves. He liked this about them, which was why he loved waterbending. He enjoyed The Serenity of Water.
~Azula~
The title is pretty bad, but oh well, it gets the job done.
obviously it focuses on the Water Tribes, and I will indeed say that you do get to meet two new faces (technically 3) --Koara and Lehran (and Altina)
so yeah, the story.
CHAPTER 5: THE SERENITY OF WATER
Lehran raced frantically back towards his village. He and a few friends had been off in a small arena about a mile out when they had seen some of The Order’s armies heading towards their little village.
Lehran had injured his knee in one of their spars a few days previous, so he still walked with a slight limp, for it had not yet fully healed. He was a shy fellow, so when he stated to lag behind he did not call out for the others. He did not want to draw attention to himself; being shy was something that his entire family was notorious for. They had been like this for several generations.
Lehran continued running (and slightly limping) until he reached the village. He could tell that someone had been there, but the damage was minimal. However, it was eerily quiet. All Lehran could hear was the sound of the light winds blowing.
Lehran scoured the village, but could not see any signs of blood or fighting. It seemed that they had been taken captive rather than slaughtered. Lehran ran to his own hut to see if any of his family was there. Naturally, there was no one, but it was even quieter in here, for there was no wind. He heard crying, and went into one of the back rooms. In her bed, still crying, was Lehran’s 18-month-old sister Altina.
She had on little furry shoes and little water tribe coat, but her legs were bare. The only logical story Lehran could come up with for how she escaped the capture was that she had been asleep and that their parents had put their trust in Lehran to return and collect her. Luckily they were right.
The nearest village was the Northern Water Tribe Capital City. Realizing what he had to do; Lehran picked up his baby sister, dressed her in some pants, and then set her in a carrier and put her on his back. He was obviously going to take her with him, for he could not leave his own sister behind.
The Northern Capital was about 4 or 5 miles away from Lehran’s village. However, Lehran was a talented waterbender, and so he was able to slide himself along the ice by bending a sheet of it and gliding atop the other ice. After all, he wanted to fine out where The Order’s armies had suddenly gone (he naturally assumed that since he had seen so many that they had planned an invasion) and to inform some of the tribe officials as to what had happened to his village.
When he got there he found that the city was indeed under attack. However, it seemed that most of the Northern Capital was under control of The Avatar Guard, so even the members of The Order that had been living there were being beaten out. Of particular note to Lehran was a really old woman who seemed to be overpowering a division all by herself.
She was waterbending, but also seemed to be bloodbending some of the stronger people to go against their own troops. She was doing incredibly well at first, but the longer Lehran watched, the more he could notice that she was getting overwhelmed. Lehran could tell that if she was hit she would likely not get back up. She was skilled enough so far though to not take any hits, but no one could tell how long that would last.
Lehran raced down and into the battlefield, gliding along the ice and using waterbending to jostle his way through friends and foes alike, bringing up icy defenses when necessary. He eventually made it to her and fought beside her.
“Koy,” she exclaimed, “What are you doing here, child?”
“Koara,” Lehran exclaimed, recognizing the woman’s voice, “why are you still on the battlefield? You’re too old for warfare.”
“I’ll be too old when I die,” she cackled, for because of her age, her voice was old and cracked, and was easily manifesting signs of old age. At 93, she truly was an old woman, and had the right to even call Lehran, a strapping youth of 20 years a kid.
“So can I help you at all?” Lehran asked, making a dangerous sidestep and almost dislodged Altina—lucky he had strapped her in safely. Like her family, the Serenes family, she was a very heavy sleeper.
“Just be careful with that sister of yours,” she replied, using a rather nasty bloodbending technique on the enemy in front of her, “eh, these Order members really need to learn when to let down. We’re clobbering them. They are no match for the South—Northern Water Tribe”
“You’re from the Southern Water Tribe,” Lehran exclaimed, dodging a would-be fatal blow and almost losing his footing because of his hurt knee, “you never told me that in the years we’ve known each other.”
“You learn something new every day,” Koara replied, sending a wall of ice to knock out a legion of attackers, “the tribes today are a lot more unified than they were 80 years ago.”
“Really now,” said Lehran, parrying an attack with a quick ice spear, and yet he obtained a small cut on his arm, “ouch; so what was different?”
“Well,” said Koara, and suddenly seeing more people approaching, “hold on. Let’s get our selves out of this fix.”
Koara suddenly lifted up a huge ice column similar to what an earthbender would do, and then melted it into a water whip which had them both bound together.
They were able to escape just in time, as enemy waterbenders had appeared that that could have put Koara’s escape tactic into jeopardy. If they had gotten hold of them while her whip bound them, it would have clearly meant trouble. They were on part of the wall of the city, and they were out of the way.
“Anyways,” said Koara, acting as if nothing happened, “until Xin-Shing set his own Water Chief and his wife here, things were pretty dandy. I did hear that Iresu, the good former chief’s wife, survived though, and is most likely at Ba Sing Se with the Avatar Guard.”
“The Avatar Guard,” Lehran exclaimed, “I’ve only heard good things about them.”
“Well,” Koara chuckled, “there’s not much bad to say about them, except that they’re outnumbered. The avatar is kept so hidden that most people don’t even know if it’s a male avatar or a female avatar.”
“Wow,” said Lehran, “either way, you make me want to meet them even more than I already do.”
“Well,” Koara laughed, “all we need is a boat and some waterbenders. I happen to have one of each—an old boat that once belonged to my husband and a strapping young waterbender named Lehran Serenes.”
Lehran laughed. “Okay then,” he said, “Lead the way”
Koara cut through one of the residences in the walls and got back out on the other side. She led Lehran to a small boat and in front of them the oceans were clear.
“Jump in,” she said, “my husband built it, and you might remember him as a fine craftsman to the end of his days.”
“Aye,” said Lehran, “he has helped our village many a time until that day he died. He was a great man, Koara.”
“I’m glad to know that even after death that he is still loved,” said Koara, easing into the boat after Lehran. She and Lehran worked together to bend the water around them to move the boat. They were far enough away (and the boat was small enough) that they were not seen.
“So,” she asked him “do you know whether or not that little girl is a bender or not? And what’s her name if I may ask?”
“Her name’s Altina Serenes,” Lehran replied, smiling, “and aye, she is a bender. She likes to play with water when she doesn’t have any other toys. And yet, the funny thing is, is when she drops it onto her clothes, she doesn’t take it out, so I have to help her.”
“Eh,” Koara chuckled, “she’s got plenty of time to learn.” She reached out and gently stroked little Altina’s hair. She had remained asleep through all of this, and was still asleep.
“So,” said Lehran, “how far until we hit land again?”
“It’ll be probably by sundown,” Koara replied, “but after about half an hour we should be out of the danger zone.”
Other than Altina waking up and Lehran and Koara getting dinner (and of course, feeing Altina as well), nothing happened on their trip. They ended up reaching a small village inn deep into the night, and luckily Altina, who had been playing with a little bit of water the whole time, was starting to grow tired again.
“Well,” said Koara, “I’m beat. I need some shut-eye.”
“That’s why we stopped at this inn,” Lehran laughed, undressing Altina into some lighter clothes. They would obviously be using them since they were no longer in the frigid North Pole.
“Eh,” said Koara, “stop trying to make me remember these things. I’m old and tired, and will forget them.” She paused, and then laughed.
Lehran chuckled too, and dressed himself for bed, lying down on the bed next to Koara’s, his baby sister Altina at his side.
“Well,” said Koara, “you’re the one who wants to join the avatar guard, so I recommend you getting some sleep.”
“Alright then” said Lehran calmly, and he shut his eyes. He was glad that he had run into Koara, and he was glad that his sister was safe. He still hoped that his family was safe, but he knew they were strong waterbenders, and wouldn’t be shaken by this.
He looked over at Komae, who was already asleep, and then back at his baby sister. It was here that he thought of just how calm the water tribes were for the most part, even their moves. He liked this about them, which was why he loved waterbending. He enjoyed The Serenity of Water.
~Azula~
