ATLA- Faith's Story

Chapter 17: The Northen AirTemple

The gang sitting around a camp site with several other groups, listening to a man telling a story of 'airbenders'.

Storyteller: (Dramatically.) So, travelers. The next time you think you hear a strange, large bird talking, take a closer look. It might not be a giant parrot, but a flying man. A member of a secret group of air walkers, who laugh at gravity, and laugh at those bound to the earth by it!

Aang: (The Storyteller, having finished his story, is going around collecting coins from the other travelers.) Aren't airbender stories the greatest? (Talking to Katara and Sokka, who are sitting next to him.)

Katara: (Excitedly.) Was it realistic? Is that how it was back then?

Aang: I laugh at gravity all the time. (Chuckling to himself.) Gravity.

Faith: (Starts Laughing a little.) Yes Katara they were realistic. Just like old times.

Storyteller: (Arrives in front of the gang, having already collected money from the rest of the audience.) Jingle, jingle! (Jingles the hat in front of Sokka, asking for money.)

Sokka searches inside his heavy cloak, and manages to pull out a bug, a worm and a few crumbs.

Sokka: Sorry...

Storyteller: (Upset and somewhat downcast.) Aww, cheapskates! (Walks away as Sokka puts the bugs back in his pocket.)

Aang stands up, grabs Faith's hand and runs after the storyteller, who is kneeling in front of an old man.

Aang: (Happily.) Hey! Thanks for the story.

Storyteller: (Holds out his cap.) Tell it to the cap, boy.

The Storyteller shakes his cap behind him as he kneels in front of an old man. The shaking causes a coin to come loose and fall from the cap. As Aang searches his clothes for some money, Momo picks up the coin and puts it in the cap as the Storyteller turns around.

Storyteller: Aww, much obliged, little bat-thing. (He pets Momo on the head.)

Aang: (Having given up trying to find a coin.) It means a lot to hear airbender stories.

Faith: It must have been a hundred years ago your great grandpa met them.

Storyteller: (Confused.) What are you prattling about, child? Great Grandpappy saw the air walkers last week. (He indicates to the old man he was kneeling in front of before. The old man makes a sound in his throat akin to a laugh, and waves a greeting to Aang. Aang has a shocked and disbelieving expression while Faith just stares at the man with wide eyes.)

In the morning Appa flies through the pearl clouds.

Aang. (Sitting on Appa's neck, steering. He is talking to Katara and Sokka, who are riding in Appa's saddle, while Faith is sat On Appa's head looking forward with a bright smile on her face.) Hey, we're almost at the Northern Air Temple. This is where they had the championships for Sky Bison polo.

Katara: (Moving to sit at the back of the saddle with her brother.) Do you think we'll really find airbenders?

Sokka: (He is whittling a piece of wood. The design is indecipherable.) You want me to be like you, or totally honest?

Katara: (Crossing her arms, obviously angry with him.) Are you saying I'm a liar?

Sokka: (He shrugs, unconcerned with her mood.) I'm saying you're an optimist. Same thing, basically.

Aang: (Excitedly.) Hey, guys, look at this!

Appa flies toward a mountain with a large structure on top. It looks very similar to the Southern Air Temple, with obvious spires reminiscent of a temple's architecture. Around them are several dark specks. The specks are revealed to be people, flying around the temple in plane-shaped contraptions.