The Warrior - Book One [AtLA]

Five: Spirit, Spirit

𝐒𝐞𝐧 - 𝐁𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐎𝐧𝐞 - 𝐏𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐅𝐢𝐯𝐞

The Spirits seemed to have other ideas for me. I was restrained at a camp until about midnight when a familiar face was dragged into view and we were hauled off again. Tattered olive clothing is forced on us over our usual clothing and we're taking away in Fire Nation transport.

We arrive at a prison, after travelling along a pier and see that the prison itself is actually on the water.

"Earthbenders. It is my pleasure to welcome you aboard my modest shipyard. I am your warden. I prefer to think of you, not as prisoners," a prison warden starts, as guards flank us, "but as honoured guests. And I hope you come to think of me as your humble and caring host."

"I'm hearing honour being thrown around a lot," I mumble to myself.

"What kind of guest dishonours his host by interrupting him?! Take him below!" The Warden yells at me, shooting fire at my feet.

Everyone is surprised that I don't flinch much, but I'm dragged away none-the-less.

"One week in solitary will improve his manners," the Warden smirks as Haru looks after me in fear.

I was dragged along an entirely metal walkway, everything here was built from metal. It was silent for a long time, the empty metal space had its way of working even the most distant thoughts in my head. It was an entire day, or what I assumed to be a day before any commotion picked up. I could hear cell after cell being opened. The sounds of fighting reached my ears and when my door opened, a hand reached out to me. An Earthbender with a frantic look held a ring of keys and waved me up before moving to the next cell.

I run up the path I remembered, Earthbenders were everywhere fighting with coal. Aang, Sokka and Katara stood helping the others. Haru was right beside them. We reached the courtyard, where some of the adult benders threw the guards overboard. The barge making its way towards the pier where people start to return to their families.

"I want to thank you for saving me. For saving us," I overheard Haru thanking Katara.

"All it took was a little coal," Katara shrugs it off.

To give to two their privacy, I walk towards Aang and Sokka.

"Sen! You're okay!" Aang grins, standing beside someone who looks like Haru.

"Ah, you're the fearless one then?" The man asked.

"Fearless? I'm just getting really sick of the Fire Nation right now," I shook my head.

The man smiles before turning to his peers and declaring that they would free their villages from the Fire Nation. Without much more hesitation, we're back on Appa flying through the sky with our spirits rekindled as well as a lot of Earthbenders who found their strength.

After a fair bit of travelling, we were flying over an Earth Kingdom forest. Katara makes an off comment about the clouds and Aang jumps off the saddle. After a moment of Katara and Sokka peering over the edge, Aang plops down behind them, soaking wet.

"Turns out clouds are made of water," Aang grins.

While Aang Airbenders the water off him, everyone else gets soaked. I bend the water before it hits me and Katara is able to bend the water once it's on her. Bored, I look over the saddle and see something.

"Look out there," I comment.

When the others look to see what I pointed out, they see a dark patch of land in the lush green forest. It looked like everything had been burnt - it reminded me of ash.