Approching the Western Air Temple

Posts : 33 Join date : 2011-10-11

The times seemed to fly by while at sea. The days easily blended together as the boat rocked to and fro, each night watching the sun set across the oceans waving surface and the nights of the north flow across the sky. She had grown up with the lights above her head each night but they seemed different now. Each night it was as if she was seeing a different part of a big picture. It was exquisite but also sad. because the lights changed it meant she was getting further form home. Now when night came she could barely see the lights at all. Still still rose with the sun and was greeted by warmer winds now. Still the occasional cool wind form the north but less and less. She went to see the ship hand who she had become friends with. He would tell her about his journeys aboard the ship, the things he’d seen but he also helped inform her about the world she was venturing into and how their progress on the boat was going. A very valuable resource and one she appreciated greatly. Because of his information she knew they were maybe a day from the possibly dangerous pass between the island mountain chain said to house the western air temple, and the main land of the earth kingdom.

Thoughts were whirling in her mind. She had 3 options. All of them brought happiness to her eyes and she had retired to the deck, by her spot on the railing. It was “hers’ mind you but it was always where she and Borock would sit and watch the ocean so she had dubbed it so. While there she smiled out to the ocean, it’s once dark blue waters getting much lighter. Maybe the waters of the north were just darker and colder then the rest of the world. She wouldn’t doubt it. The north could be cold and hard for anyone. But she knew beauty and happiness was to be found there, if you knew where to look. Anyway, her choices. She could stay on the ship, on course for the fire nation and maybe search for how firebending began or any special places the island nation had to show. Tempting, but then there was the western air temple. Said to the most unique for the way it was built, on the underside of a cliff, like a city, just hanging there. She wondered if she might be able to get a glimpse from the boat, or maybe she should just hop off the boat when they passed. Oh and lets not forget the great Earth Kingdom! Granted, she had been told there was a war going on, and that had been the elders advisement of why she should not leave. Better to stay and defend the north they said.And the earth was suppose to be some kind of cause of that. But just thinking of all the marvelous things there made her melt inside. She wanted to see it all so bad. She tried to make up her mind, but the decisions and opportunities played and endless game of tag in her head

She was completely disconcered with the stories and rumors of the route they were taking. She had almost forgot about them with the thought of the opportunity at her doorstep, all danger had been pushed aside. Thoughts of weather this leviathan was real or not, or if it’d be a problem, or if it was something else entirely had left her mind as she wondered in he happy place, looking over the waves at the beautiful blue sky, speckled with clouds. Far off thunder clouds could be seen, the rattle of thunder coming form her distant left, in the direction they were headed. They were heading into a storm as they approached the pass. Would that spell trouble, or would Nuo realize it before trouble was knocking her door down?

_______________________________________________________
Word Count:: 659

Posts : 23 Join date : 2011-10-12 Location : Seattle

Kel had stood, cloaked and hooded under a starry sky thousands of times before. And yet, even now, the burning spheres that illuminated the heavens above still astonished him with their beauty. Never had something perplexed Kel more than their presence, like millions of little fireflies frozen in place, so far away and yet so vivid they shimmered with the same spark as the sun itself. The stars framed the moon, which was so bright he could scarcely believe that the sun had just set two hours ago, give or take. It wasn't anywhere near as bright as it was when he had stayed in the water tribe at the north pole, but on the open waters so far from any formal kingdom, they still glimmered brighter than ever. The balance of nature still existed in many places he chose to look, and while there was little corruption to be found when he had visited the northern water tribe, it was his job in the absence of the avatar to maintain humanity's sense of that balance.

So there he was, standing hooded and cloaked in his fine robes, at the railing of the ship he was to take to an Abbey in within the Earth Kingdom. This ship wouldn't take him the whole way, but it was the only one venturing this far south from the tribe proper. That was good enough for him, he had met with some of the women at the abbey on a previous excursion to the northern Earth Kingdoms, and they were kind. It cheered them to be in the company of a traveler, and he would have many stories to tell them of his visit to the Northern Tribe. Truth be told, the Abbey had become something he cherished a little bit, and he resented it in a way. The more attached you became, the more it hurt you in the long run. He had to be strong for the world.

It was not long before the girl, Nuo, had arrived at her little nook on the same rail, some ten yards from where he stood. Kel had avoided her intentionally for the majority of the trip; young girls, despite his obvious lack of interest, tended to take large attention to him. Luckily, Nuo didn't seem too interested in him, from what he had overheard in the days that had flown past, she seemed more attached to ideas of adventure and exploration. He didnt start out his journey as Primus in an optimistic view of the world, he had seen it take away those dearest to him. Is this how he might have seemed in a perfect world? Giddy just over the thought of travel? Oh well he thought to himself, she'll get a reality check soon enough. She seemed prepared for the worst though. She would see the other side of a few good battles at least, he could tell.

He breathed in the fresh air of the sea. It was all quiet for now. Peace was a gift that he was thankful for.

Posts : 33 Join date : 2011-10-11

The Boat began to rock more and more as the winds picked up and the dark ominous clouds picked began to circle around them. Thunder cracked following the flash of lighting ahead. The storm they were entering was not a welcome greeting as they entered the channel between the Western Air Temples Island home and the Earth Kingdom’s Main land. The waters were rough and hammered the hull of the boat an the passengers were ushered into the vessel while worried crew hands rushed around the deck. No and here furry companion went inside, she did stop to take a last look at the dark clouds and the swirling winds and crashing waters. Both places, the island and the main land were in sight now, and a vast expanse of water between them, as if it separated two lovers for all time. Now this boat was trying to cross between them and the storm was a display of their anger. She went inside and stole a seat by a porthole so she could watch the crashing and almost angry dark green and blue sea do its worst.

Rain fell. It was loud and, as if someone was dropping millions upon millions of large rocks right above their heads on the wooden deck. Looking through the window she was normally put at ease by the sway of the sea, but not now. This seemed a bit more...well violent by all accounts. Appearance and motion and being so close tot he water, she felt...an ominous presence. Not just the storm and aura it gave off but the sea seemed...angry. Then to her surprise she could have sworn she saw a loop, a loop made from a body of...well something on the right side of the boat. She blinked and jumped up rubbing her eyes. Could it have just been a flash of lightning onto he waves playing tricks on her? Then again, no this time it was DEFIANTLY a fin attached to a big body! Nuo looked around frantically fro a crew hand, and caught someones attention, her expression shocked and frantic herself. What the hell was that?
“HEY! There’s something out there! To the right!, I mean...Starboard in the water!”

She was now glued to her window looking for more signs of the beastie she was sure she saw. She was met by a hard rock of the boat, she hit her head on the glass window hard, knocking her out, falling limp on Borock. The bump was caused by a hit on the left underside of the vessel by the monstrous Seronagi, a leviathan of the deep, nudging it’s smaller but large competition further from the earth kingdom main land. The Crew and Captain made a decision to head for the island home of the Western Air Temple for safety and started praying...fearing they would not make it...They boat was moving as fast as it could, fighting the sea itself, it’s powerful waves, literal walls in it’s path. And the Seronagi kept up it’s assault nudging and ramming the boat every few moments. The wooden vessel seemed to hold up at first. Borock and the constant hammering the ship was taking finally jared Nuo away, with a bit of a head ache of course. She rose, rubbing her head as the beast rose in front of her porthole. Her eyes were wide, at first thinking the storm and what she saw was a nightmare. Now forced back to reality as the beast rose before her and she got a good look at what had been many’s last sight. It was truly magnificent in... then one of the two visible ...well arms or tentacles launched for the boat, and ripped through it with ease, sending wood flying and passengers scrambling and screaming. Then the beast fell...forward onto the boat. Water had begun to fill the boat form the tentacles attack and the constant nudging had apparently began leaking water...bottom line they were sinking and now the thing was delivering a massive belly flop. Nuo, began moving her arms, trying to grab and pull as much water to her in a panic as possible, but she had no idea how much or even if enough existed to save her and Borock, but she tried to make a wall as the beast body split the boat in two.

She succeeded in saving them, at least a bit. The wall had exploded, but the water explosion had cast her and her furry friend backwards through a wrecked part of the boat, Borock going first taking most of the hit and her on him, out into the open sea. She swam up, gasping for air and fighting the raging waves, frantically kicking and looking for her pet. He burst form the waves not far from her and swam to her. She grabbed on and they moved through the water desperately. Wood and pieces of the boat were everywhere and then the Seronagi rose below them. Just a coil of it’s great body, hitting Borock in the belly and easily, as if it didn’t even know it had done it, lifted them form the water and cast them in the air and back to the water. Darkness took over, as Nuo looked after the beast underwater, getting a good look at it, as she blacked out....

She woke up, her sight burry, but ....sunlight? Was she dead?She saw men in yellow and orange, arrows on their heads. Carrying her and even more men taking Borock on a stretcher....well....maybe it was the after life....she didn’t have long to think it through as she passed out agin...maybe it was all just a bad dream.....

____________________________________________________
Word Count:: 960

Posts : 23 Join date : 2011-10-12 Location : Seattle

The storm kicked up almost out of no where, turning the rift that separated the Air temple land from the main land into unparalleled turmoil. Kel had been in his fare share of bad weather, but this had to be one of the more memorable storms in his life. The boat was being tossed to and fro, constantly rising and falling, tipping in one direction and then back in the other at a moment's notice. It was a wonder the crew and cargo weren't thrown from it all together. He headed down to the ship's interior just after the girl and her pet had departed. This was the sea's true nature as he had come to know it; beautiful and entrancing, but deadly and unforgiving. It could make the change faster than you could blink an eye. The lightning would illuminate the rolling waves, and in an odd way, Kel was in awe of its strange beauty.

Down below deck was a different story however. The civilian passengers were all scared for the most part, many of them sea sick as well. None of them were learned travelers by sea it would seem, leaving Nuo, a handful of others aside from the crew, and Kel himself with the only sea-legs still functioning. He leaned his back against the wall on the right hand side of the ship, using Apheco as support, and tried to leave his crowded mind and find peace. It was like this for a long time, the sound of vomiting passengers and wailing babies. Occasionally a crew member would drop in to reassure everybody, but Kel doubted many of the men and women cared to heed the deck hand's expertise on the matter.

But then, the girl interrupted the ambient noises Kel had finally blocked out long enough to meditate. “HEY! There’s something out there! To the right!, I mean...Starboard in the water!” His eyes snapped open, and he took his weight off of his staff, leaning forward to approach one of the windows nearby. He didnt see anything at first, it was so dark beneath the water he could scarcely see anything beyond the greenish tinge left by what little light filtered through the surface of the water. But when lightning flashed again, there was more than enough light to reveal the truth of Nuo's claim. A great leviathan, tales of which had reached his ears long before the crew had decided to take this route. The Seronagi... For their sake, he hoped that rumors of it's destructive tendencies were greatly exaggerated. But he knew it was too much to ask for.

Within mere moments of spotting the beast, its tentacles were on the ship, rattling it like a toy. as it pulled them closer to its gaping maw, the scale of the monster was too ludicrous to be true. Kel was paralyzed, not knowing how to fight such a beast as this. You dont... a small voice in his head squeaked. YOU RUN! it was shouting now. Loud snapping and splintering was heard on all directions as the tentacles constricted the ship, water began to flood the interior quickly, and Kel made his way to the back of the boat where the beast had the least control. It was already badly flooded though, much of the structure was collapsing. He only hoped they were close enough to shore for the survivors to truly live up to that name and get through this. There was a lot of blood, and broken bodies were tumbling with the waves of the ship.

Before he could get much further, a terrible low rumble, like a thousand whales singing a song of terror was emitted above him. Through the splintered deck he saw the bulk of it bearing down on the ship. In one great blow, it severed the ship into a hundred pieces, and Kel was thrown underwater viciously. He saw the beast eat a few of the larger animal corpses that had spilled into the deep before losing interest in the rubble it had created and departing into the deep. With a few quick motions, he ascended to the surface and gasped for air, coughing up sea water. He swam over to a large floating platform of wood that still seemed to be buoyant and laid himself on it. It was unbelievable, this whole situation.

After catching his breath he noticed other survivors floating among the remains of the ship. "HEY!" he shouted, waving. He staggered upright onto the platform. "Ugh...lets see here..." he stumbled and fell over. There was no way he could repair this little raft of wood with ice when the sea was still so rampant. He paddled it over to where he had seen others. It was the girl, Nuo and her strange beast she had called Borock. The animal was tired, and kept her afloat on its back. "Oh gods you have a strange sense of humor leaving her alive in this situation..." he murmured after checking her pulse. The animal growled at his presence but seemed too tired to do much else. He helped it onto the makeshift raft and pulled her from its back. The animal laid there and whimpered; it had several splintered sections of the mast in it's skin. If they could find their way to shore it wouldn't be a problem. "You're on your own for now buddy"

He put his ear to Nuo's chest to hear a heart beat. It was faint but she was still in there somewhere. SHe wasnt breathing though. He sat upright as best he could with the waves tossing the raft. Thankfully the storm was quieting, but it was still all he could to to sit there in one place. He moved his right hand parallel to her torso, then up to her throat and away from her head. He drew a lot of water from her lungs before she sputtered and coughed. Her breathing was raspy but, she would make it.

He watched over the two until their little plank drifted to an island. The air temple. At least they had made it this far. He could see people gathering on the beach. Other survivors....and men dressed in orange garb. The monks of the Western air temple, nomads as they called themselves. When their craft finally landed, he stood up on the beach, shaking from the cold. He lifted the girl and brought her to the men. "Please...her companion...just over there..." They took the girl from him and placed her on a stretcher, doing the same to him as soon as she was out of his sight. Darkness crept in on Kel from every direction. He sensed it was time to sleep, and gave in.

» The Northern Air temple (main plot thread)