Wan Shi Tong

Book Three

Volume 8

Ch. 110 Wan Shi Tong

Pov.

-Kara-

We follow the bisons scent up until it had been distorted by others

"What is it?" Rhea asks as I examine the ground

"This is where the bison was taken."

Not only that, a sinkhole opened here not long ago

We search around for Aang's scent and find it along with the other three about half a mile from the sinkhole

We follow their tracks until the sun went down and we finally found the four

Toph had her head buried in the sand. Sokka was clearly hallucinating on cactus juice and Aang was resting on Katara's thigh and cuddling with the flying monkey. Katara had also fallen asleep sitting down

I grab Toph's foot and I toss her on top of Odin

After getting the other three, Rhea quickly began treating them with her magic as Odin raced out of the desert

By the time the sun rose again we made it into a jungle where I set camp not far from a waterfall where I decided to bathe

"What is it?" I ask Rhea who was holding a sponge

Her face was beat red, making it painfully obvious where this was going

"I-I can help you scrub."

…

"Whatever." I sit back

Her body was perfectly proportioned

Definitely worthy of a God.

Every time I look at her she reminds me of how much I hate being so clueless

…

"You okay?" She scrubs my back

"Yeah…"

She sent a shiver down my spine the moment she set her hand on my back

It's almost as if my body recognizes her touch

She continues scrubbing up until she got to my chest

…

She drops the sponge and sets her trembling hands on my chest

"What?" I ask, though it didn't seem to get through

"Oh Kara… I.."

Tears run down her cheeks and dribbled off her chin and into the water as she outlined the large scars across my chest

Does she know what did this to me?

"I.. I'm sorry I-I abandoned you." She digs her head into my chest "I'm-sorry-it-had-to-be-this-way." She sobs hysterically "I-really-am."

I stood completely still, waiting for her to compose herself

After almost half an hour of her sobbing in my arms she finally exhausts herself

She didn't fall asleep, even so I carried her out

"Rhea.." I lay her back inside my tent

Her arms were crossed so she was covering her naked top

Her thighs were squeezed shut so I wouldn't get a peek

She turns her head towards the lamp at her bedside waiting for me to take my leave

Seriously..

Who the hell is she?

Why can't she tell me?

Friends? Is that it?

Does she really expect me to believe that?

I stand up

She still had her attention fixated on the lamp, even as I backed out of her tent

I reach into my bag for the last cigar and I puff on it until the sun rose

Katara woke up about an hour or so later

"Kara!"

…

"Hey." I flick the last bit of my cigar aside

"How did you find us?"

"Odin." I call for my companion

He shakes around before joining my side

"Guess I should've asked, how did you save us? I was sure we were goners."

"Oh.. well…" I look over at Rhea, who was closing her tent

"Good morning." She bows her head.

"Wow, you must be a water bender." Katara stands up to greet her

"Y-Yes, umm.. yes I am." Rhea smiles

"She's an old friend of mine. I ran into her not long after retrieving my pup."

"This is awesome. We'll have no problem traveling with this big guy." Sokka pets Odin

"Oh so thats what were doing?! Were replacing Appa now?!"

"We're not replacing anyone, Aang." Katara tries comforting the boy

"With this big guy we'll get to Ba Sing Se in no time at all."

"Yes, we should part at once."

"What?! We should prioritize finding Appa!"

"Aang, we found the Fire Nation's greatest weakness, getting this information to the Earth King is crucial." Sokka gathers the maps he slept with

"You just want to abandon Appa like that?!"

"I heard some goons speaking of a flying Bison they sent off to Ba Sing Se. Your best shot at finding that pet of yours will be there as well."

"He isn't a pet! He's My Best Friend!"

"Whatever, kid. We'll find it only after this information is brought to the King."

Aang raises his glider and slams it into the ground, sending a blast of his air my way

I raise my hand and I manage to counter it perfectly with my flames

"Stop this!" Rhea steps in between the two of us

"Aang, please." Katara holds his hand

"We're finding Apa before we do anything else!"

He was trembling with rage and I could sense just how much he wanted to kill me

Even him. A monk, a mere boy at that.

"Please. Forgive him, he's always been this way." Rhea bows her head

Aang pulls his glider back.

He turns around before taking flight

"Seriously man?" Sokka sighs

"Right, let us gather our things."

…

After a few minutes we had Odin ready and we were making way for Ba Sing Se

We journey for two days up until Odin grew tired

We set up camp and took the night off

…

"Mm-Mmh." Rhea whimpers in my mouth as I caress her thigh

We were out by the bonfire after everyone else decided to go to sleep

"W-wait." She moans

"What?"

"We shouldn't"

"What are you talking about? You came to me."

"I know… b-but…" she shamefully lowers her head

I reach for her dress

"Kara!" She stands up "I-I said.. we can't…" she tears up

"What the hell is wrong with you?!" I grab her arm

"I-I…" Her bottom lip trembles with fear

…

After realizing just how terrified she was. I decide to just back off

"Where are you going?" She asks as I head for Kataras tent

I glance at her one more time before just going inside

Katara was laying on her belly, reading a book

"Oh, hey Kara." She smiles

"What are you reading?"

"Oh this? It's the history of the avatar. I picked it up when we were in Wan Shi Tong's Library."

"Nice." I lay beside her

"It says here that the first avatar fused with the Goddess, Raava. In order to defeat her counterpart, Vaatu."

"Defeat?"

"Yes, they were born twins. So close that one can not exist without the other."

Meaning if one dies so does the other

"If that's so, then what happened to this Vaatu?"

"It said here, Vaatu was imprisoned in the spirit realm long ago when Raava joined forces with the avatar."

"How does Aang enter this Spirit Realm?"

"He meditates. Like what he did at the pond, by entering the Avatar state."

"Is it only possible for the Avatar to enter this place?"

"I don't.. I don't think so. I mean, long ago our worlds used to coexist together. When we were kids, gran-gran used to tell us stories on how her father used to venture into the spirit world."

"Really?"

"Mhmm." She nods "why the sudden interest?" She tilts her head

"Just… cause." I shrug

"She grew up in the northern water tribe with Master Paku. Maybe you could find out more about it there."

"Perfect." I sit up "I'll be sure to keep that in mind when we return."

"Actually, there's something I wanted to ask you" she says as I was half way out

I made eye contact with Rhea. Who was waiting for me by the fire

"Yeah?" I pull back into the tent. "What is it?"

"First off, thanks again for saving us."

"It was nothing." I shrug

"Also… How are you feeling? You know.. after losing Yue.."

"Me? I'm fine."

"Really? I-I can't imagine losing your wife must be easy…"

"Well.. I've lost plenty of family.. friends. Had many encounters with death myself before I met Yue. So really it isn't any different now."

"Oh.. I-I'm sorry to hear that. It's just.. Aang, Sokka, a-and I… We're all doing our best to get through this."

"She gave her life for the moon spirit. If anything, you should be proud of her."

"I-I know, but knowing we'll never see her again… is devestating." She sniffs "Maybe if I hadn't pushed Aang to find a water bending master we wouldn't have led the fire nation to the tribe, Sokka hates you for not stopping her a-and Aang…"

…

"He blames himself for not being able to bring the entire fleet down by himself"

"Yue did what had to be done. She saved the four nations."

"Still, it's a great burden on him. Being the Avatar he thinks he's supposed to solve everything, all the conflicts of these nations. Then.. we lose Apa, on top of everything, his best friend…"

"And it could have gone plenty worse but it didn't."

"I-I suppose so, but being so tough on him isn't helping."

"Tough? If he thinks hearing the truth is tough then he's in for a world of pain."

"He's just-"

"A boy?"

She nods

I crouch down to meet her gaze

"So.. what?"

"This world is a vike place, Katara. If he's planning to bring down the Fire Lord then he's going to have to kill him."

"Do you think that 'boy' can do it?"

She shakes her head

"Then don't tell me how to run my mouth. When it's the least of your worries.."

She nods

"Right…" I back off

"Then.. can you do it?"

"What?"

"Teach him…"

"What? To kill?"

"We had this talk with him before, but he completely blew us off"

"That's for him to figure out on his own."

"Please.."

…

"He's a monk, can't even bring himself to hurt a fly"

"You've done it before, right?"

…

"That's why it has to be you, you're the only one that can help him make these decisions."

…

With the strength I have now, I'm not so certain I can bring Ozai down myself.

But the Avatar.. he definitely has potential

"Fine, but I need you to do something in return." I smile

"O-okay.."

…

-to be continue