Chapter 98: Identity Theft is Not a Joke (2)
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"You want to learn airbending?" Aang curiously inquired as he, Sokka, and Nik rode on Appa alongside Momo.
The boy suddenly jumped as Appa continued to move and before Aang could simply find himself without any Appa to land on, he flexed his back as a small burst of wind stopped him from falling off and made him sit accurately on the spot between Sokka and Nik.
"Just the moves," Nik nodded, "I want to learn the difference between Airbending and Waterbending including various meditative studies." Lying came easy to someone who had to compliment someone as a thin and beautiful individual when really she was... well, 'thicc.'
Aang blinked and fell into deep thought.
"Isn't the difference simple?" Sokka leaned back on the saddle, "A waterbender bends water. An Airbender bends air. See?"
"Fair point," Nik nodded, "Then what's the difference between a spear and a knife when both have pointed ends?"
"Range of attack," Sokka scoffed.
"What's the difference between a dumbass and a Sokka?" Nik smiled and added, "None. It's a rhetorical question."
"Hey, no need to get so defensive when I got the answers right." Sokka shrugged with a smirk but didn't interrupt anymore as Aang began with a smile, "For starters, airbending is freer, sometimes too free to be controlled easily and that is why we have gliders that also serve as staff for us. Other elements have form, weight, or inherent temperature that comes from within ourselves but airbending is based more on one's imagination. Of course, we have many sets of moves from basic to advance levels."
"Well, what are we waiting for then?" Nik smiled as he got Aang to land Appa while Sokka groaned, "Are you really going to train in the middle of nowhere?"
"Well, technically, the first human establishment would be considered in the middle of nowhere." Aang pointed out and Nik added, "Which wouldn't have been possible if someone whined like you then, too."
"I'm not whining. Just that we should be looking for the rhinos since they are our major mode of transportation," Sokka explained with a sigh but he slumped against Appa's soft fur to keep himself warm and watched the two get ready for their spar. He wasn't much interested in scouting and all he said was just perfunctory lip service anyway.
"So, do you expect me to only use airbending?" Aang inquired, already adept at understanding the basic underlying context behind sparring sessions. This session wasn't to test each other's strengths and weaknesses but figure out the difference between water and airbending.
"Yeah, thanks again," Nik nodded with a smile.
"Please, don't thank me," Aang shook his head, "You've helped me many times."
"I insist," Nik shrugged.
"I insist harder," Aang added.
"But I already insisted it," Nik hummed thoughtfully.
"But I already insisted harder—"
"You both are enjoying this aren't you? Wasting time, that is," Sokka caught on quick as he began to laugh loudly. His words finally broke Nik's and Aang's calm and dignified expression into mischievous snickers as they both bowed to each other and began almost instantly.
Aang began with a rather outstanding blow from his mouth onto the snowy field and caused snow and ice to instantly form a shroud around them.
Nik had already felt a few more changes. After going through inexplicable experiences for quite a few times already in this world, Nik now felt something once again after close contact with Aang. Taking a moment since Aang wasn't even in the shroud anyway, Nik opened his status screen once again.
[Name: Nik Faran
Age: 20 (80)
Code: GC—EHG—98034
Authority Rank: 1 (5.96/100)
Paradise: Transmigration
Title: Transmigration Intern
Bloodline: Adonis' Ember (Common)
Physique: 2.3
Mental: 1.9
Energy: 23→ 24.8]
For some reason, Nik felt connected to Aang way more than he felt connected with Katara or Suki last night and this worried him greatly. Not only that, as Aang proclaimed his hearing getting extraordinarily better, Nik felt the same with his sense of smell. It was as if the two were taking on each other's specialty and growing at the same time.
It was at this point Nik suddenly created another slope of ice and a shadow filtered through the shroud high from the sky, instantly sliding off the slope with a wooden staff stabbed into the ice while Nik felt his senses tingle.
*Bang*
A gust of wind hit the back of his head. His balance, of course, after so much training would require a lot to crumble yet as he stumbled forth, Aang had disappeared once again. Rubbing the back of his head, Nik looked around once again. He felt before that the shroud would help both of them yet Airbending was more effective in such a scenario. And Nik was beginning to understand why.
*Swoosh*
A wave of his hand dispersed the mist using waterbending only to see Aang standing far away with a frown.
"How did you do that?" Aang inquired quickly as Nik replied with a genuinely confused expression, "How did I do what?"
Not saying anything further, Aang suddenly stabbed his staff beside him and exhaled deeply, "Airbending is an expression of freedom. My glider is a way to focus my intent through my airbending but an external item also limits one's creativity in bending greatly. I believe the same is the case for other bending arts."
"Like a tradeoff. Versatility for direction," Nik nodded since he was more used to bending with his fans, "And what were you talking about before this?" Nik questioned again. Something weird was going on and if Aang had some answers, Nik would very much like to hear them.
Yet, Aang shook his head, "No, nothing. I was probably mistaken."
The very next second Aang created a curving whirlpool that reached the snowy ground and sucked the snow only to discharge it from the other end pointed at Nik. Seeing the large wave of snow gushing straight towards him, not enough to hurt but certainly hinder, Nik didn't move and instead tried to copy Aang's movements by committing them to waterbending.
Nik truly wanted to try Hama's suggestion of learning from and observing other elemental bending styles. Of course, training the same moves for airbending later down the line in his personal space is a given.
Just as Nik tried to achieve the same result, he found that the snow wasn't so easily turned into a whirlpool and pushed back onto the glacier. Nik had to move more in comparison to Aang and this caused the wave of snow to finally smother him down.
*Kcch*
Easily pushing his hand out from the mound of snow covering him, Nik turned all of it into water and carried himself at a blink of an eye towards Aang. The makeshift tidal wave was also made to move while saving the time to balance himself. Grinning, Aang suddenly jumped...
*Swish*
Nik passed the region just at the moment as Aang was still at the first phase of the jumping, getting higher and higher only for Nik to roll down and send all the water in his control in a form of a whip.
"Whoa!"
Aang gasped, cutting off the coiling water grasping his left ankle with the side of his palm as a sharp gust of wind tore that section. The moment Aang returned to the ground with his footing as light as ever, he saw Nik's hands covered by small tentacles of water.
"What's that?" Aang inquired.
"Oh, tentacles. Katara gave me this idea last night," Nik smiled as Aang blushed slightly in embarrassment. Just what kind of things were happening behind the walls of the igloo, Aang now wondered. Yet, he shook these stray thoughts out of his head and waited for Nik's move.
"Look behind you," Nik smiled. His fists were clenched within the tentacles of water. The moment Aang looked back, he was stunned to see a small, sharp piece of ice floating too close to Aang's head for his comfort.
"I just learned that from you," Nik added as Aang recalled the clever 'pat' on the head with airbending.
"I didn't hear it forming," Aang pursed his lips as Nik shrugged, "Because I didn't make it now. I just make these kinds of small items while sparring with others."
Aang nodded and looked at Nik again as the tentacles of water slid down his arms.
"Besides, even with better hearing, there are chances that you can miss something if you focused elsewhere. For instance, if you were entirely focused on me, chances are that you would have missed the ice shard even if I pulled that one out of thin air."
"How would you know that?" Sokka inquired this time. Although stunned at Nik's progress, he still couldn't help but wonder how Nik would know all this.
"I just know. Sometimes I try not to focus on something and it eases my senses. That way, I can be more productive instead of trying to spread my senses out too thin. My hearing, to be specific," Nik replied, "Ask Momo about it. He ignores a lot of nonsense we talk about."
"You do?" Sokka looked sideways with a frown as Momo tilted his furry little head with his large green eyes unblinking.
"Anyway, Aang, will you show me some of the moves? Like basic training sessions that form the core belief of airbending?" Nik questioned.
He was now made aware that every bending school has a core belief that is the foundation of further basic and advanced techniques. For instance, waterbending has the core belief of going with the flow. Earthbending's core belief is to stand one's ground— One of the many reasons why the Earth Kingdom was the last to fall under Phoenix King's authority. The Firebenders have the core belief of desire and Nik felt that he touched on this aspect two times already— once with Suki and the other time with Katara.
Finally, Aang explained that the core belief of Airbending lay in being passive. Unlike what Nik had expected, Aang's words were pretty straightforward.
"Although an expression of freedom, monks realized that air lacks many aspects of other elements but it is also supported by these elements. So, we choose to never be the first to act. It's like this," Aang smiled and tapped his foot. With each tap rose a small pillar of ice about his height and he jumped on top of one of them, "I'm standing on this pole right now. Unless I have a reason to move be it external or internal, I will remain standing on this pole."
Then he chuckled wryly, "Though I never got used to this exercise because staying still without a reason by itself is harsh."
"What reasons can be there to stay still?" Nik questioned.
"To meditate? To sleep. To watch something interesting. But staying still just to be still is hard," Aang replied as he jumped down.
"And because of this, our basic practice involves weaving," Aang began as he moved through the pillars in such a smooth movement that it left Nik and Sokka impressed, the latter of the two was already interested in the more practical side of the bending techniques.
"Since our bending techniques reside mostly in reacting to our opponents, being able to evade and get enough time to form a response is something basic taught to every Air Nomad Acolyte."
For the next few minutes, Aang began to teach the basic footwork practiced by the Air Nomads all the time. Of course, the boy admitted that there were various pieces of equipment left out only found in the Air Temples to support the practice but these moments were definitely worth it for Nik due to Aang being the last Airbender himself.
Still, the trio couldn't stay in one location for a long time and had to make the slightest bit of an effort to find the Komodo Rhinos... which they did so efficiently... on foot, alongside a Sky Bison well-capable of flying.
"What?" Nik finally looked at Sokka giving him the 'glance' while Aang was idly lying on top of Appa's head as they moved slowly, napping with a peaceful expression.
"Nothing... I didn't know you were on such a merry voyage until yesterday," Sokka finally clicked his tongue, "While I was stuck with kids, an old man, and a stuck-up has-been princess."
"Did you say that in front of Mai?" Nik inquired curiously while Sokka blurted, "Do you not see my uninjured body? I'm telling you. Before that indifferent exterior as a crazy, kife throwing addict!"
"Oh..." Nik was relatively uninterested, his mind continuously going over Aang's words and practice techniques while Sokka continued, "Anyway... tell me something. Is Rena um..." he hesitated a bit and then delivered, "Interested in someone else in that group of yours?"
"You mean to say that is she possibly in a relationship with someone else and whether your romp in the rugs last night was just a merry drunken incident?" Nik inquired in return as Sokka's shoulders slumped while he nodded with a soft sigh, "That's about it..."
Nik patted Sokka's shoulder with a chuckle, "Would it matter if she's in a relationship with someone else? You've stuck in something more important... probably shorter thing than a foot in someone's life. I'd say you have a shot regardless."
Sokka grew silent before mumbling, "It's larger than a spear."
"Oh, sure. Rena's hands are tiny. I thought the same thing." Nik nodded as Sokka glared, "Hey! Come on!"
Nik snickered instantly as he shrugged, "What were you expecting? Serious advice? Give me a break. You should ask about things like this with Katara. She gives awesome... advices." He hummed and added, "She's enthusiastic about helping others."
"She always is," Sokka scoffed and then sighed deeply again.
"What's going on?"
"Nothing. Still couldn't find anything concrete about my dad after months of traveling."
"If only you showed your expertise as you are now while finding the Rhinos," Nik smiled and Sokka looked at him with a bleak expression, "I liked you better when you could only make things disappear. You're being a sassy missy, Nik—"
Sokka's voice got stuck in his throat as he looked past Nik.
Nik stopped and looked in the very same direction beside him and found the blurry yet familiar back.
Thick tail, stubby claws, and an overall appearance of a tropical beast that would stand out in this frigid environment. A Komodo Rhino!
"There it is!" Nik's eyes widened in surprise. First coincidentally meeting Aang and others, and now finding a Komodo Rhino when really they just wanted to chill in this chilling north pole really made Nik feel a bit proud of his luck. Can things get any easier?
"Aang!" Sokka called out to the young Avatar, "We found one of the Rhinos!"
*Kreeeeeeech*
Momo suddenly issued a deranged screech for all to feel shocked as even Aang who had barely woken up plugged his ears in discomfort due to the close proximity. Not only that, even Appa began to slowly step back yet Aang could only groan, "Appa, come on. We have to keep moving. Yip-Yip!"
*Grnaaaagh*
Appa growled, his body crouching in a posture that only meant aggression. Even Sokka and Nik couldn't help but feel weirded out.
"It's just a Komodo Rhino, big fella. Remember? You overruled them yesterday," Sokka smiled in an effort to comfort Appa yet the Sky Bison didn't even glance in his direction and only looked at the lone Komodo Rhino warily.
"It might just be something strange," Nik muttered, "Let's be a bit careful. Aang, will you airbend to disperse the surrounding mist?" Nik inquired while forcing his senses to the extreme yet aside from various scents that he would rather not smell and the sound of the group's breathing intensifying... Nik failed to hear any breathing from the Komodo Rhino. This only made him frown harder.
"It's just a Rhino," Sokka shrugged while Aang waved his staff, manipulated a gust of wind to temporarily clear their surroundings to get better visibility on the beast.
"With horns that can stab an average adult to death but that's not the point," Nik raised alarm, "Something is definitely wrong here."
His words finally made Sokka a bit more serious. The youth grabbed the spear belted to his back while Aang jumped down with his staff clenched tightly in his fist.
"Where's the rest of them?" Sokka finally questioned.
The trio still didn't get closer to the lone beast with Appa and Momo acting weird. Not only that even Aang soon realized that the beast wasn't breathing.
"Is it dead?" Aang whispered softly.
*Swish*
The lone Komodo Rhino swung his tail sideways at this point.
"Oh, hell no," Nik was quick to make a decision, "I'm not going anywhere near that weird thing. I may be the Nut Cracking Messiah, but weird stuff isn't for me."
"You're a Nut Cracking— what now?" Sokka gasped.
"Long story. Actually, wait, didn't you pass through Makapu Village? I'm pretty popular there. You guys should head back once you have the chance and ask Warden Hara who the Nut Cracking Messiah is." Nik replied. He didn't blame Sokka for not having heard of his accomplishments since Nik didn't run after fame... but it would be pretty funny if the story of some stupid monicker such as a Nut Cracking Messiah managed to defeat a bunch of fire benders.
"We didn't stay there for more than a few hours," Aang replied and volunteered, "I can glide over there and see what's wrong."
"Be careful."
"I shall await your safe return, Young Avatar."
Nik's and Sokka's replies were snappily quick, being one of the rare occasions where they would rather let an evasive boy take charge instead of walking down to something strange themselves. After all, as the boy said, he can fly!
Aang nodded with a roll of his eyes and undid his staff with a tap of his foot the base for it to open into a glider in a blink of an eye.
Positioning himself in front of the glider, Aang kicked off with a large blow of snow suddenly covering Nik and Sokka.
'Hehe,' Aang smirked, clearly knowing what he did.
"Peh," Sokka spat a bit of snow while Nik swallowed his share as they both broke out of their layers of snow.
"I feel bad sending Aang there..." Sokka muttered.
"You shouldn't regret anything. Just go there," Nik offered with a grin.
"I'm fine," Sokka replied, "I don't regret anything."
As he said so, Sokka's eyes flickered for a moment and he didn't speak anymore. Meanwhile, Nik glanced in Aang's direction as the boy was almost upon the beast.
*Swish*
*Swish*
*Swish*
Ignoring the chilling gusts against his face, Aang finally reached above the Komodo Rhino. However, the moment Aang looked down, his heart was frozen with fear as he found the entire facial region of the beast... flat.
There were now eyes, nose, or lips. Nothing! There wasn't any blood that could indicate horrors needed to pull off a work of this nature as the beast's head continued to turn. sideways again and again as if lost.
It was at this point, Aang could feel a strange connection. He had felt this sensation before. While Aang expected to suddenly connect with Avatar Kyoshi all over again, what Aang heard was a cold voice that hid rage unknown to the boy in an acolyte's training habit.
"He's here."
This time, the message was extraordinarily clear and it wasn't due to Aang's own spirituality, the boy knew. This meant that the 'other' side went all out just to make it clear that someone is lurking nearby. Alert, Aang strained his senses but what happened next was simply too sudden.
*Pucchh!*
Aang looked back. He was quite a bit distance away from Nik and Sokka so it was hard to see what was happening yet he heard everything as if he was right next to them.
---
"R... un!"
A weak voice gasped within Nik the moment Aang overtook the beast. Nik had heard this voice enough times to know that it is related to whatever that is 'within' him. There was another thing Nik knew that this 'thing' wanted to survive greatly and if it said to run, Nik needed to run this instance!
*Pucchh!*
Nik looked down only to find a sharp, dark lance-like blade stabbed into his left knee. It was as if he never had a kneecap— that's how easily the blade tore into Nik's left knee.
"Huh?" Nik grew dazed.
*Graaaaghhhh*
He looked sideways to see Appa suddenly charging in his direction as his body was pulled 'into' the snow.
"Nik!" Sokka quickly rushed as he stretched out his spear instinctively and Nik grabbed it without a thought. The spear made from bones of beasts was sharp only towards the tip and quite blunt elsewhere so Nik didn't injure himself yet he and Sokka failed to estimate the strength of whoever was pulling Nik into the ice.
"Whoa!" Sokka gasped, his legs digging into the snow as Nik winced, "Let it go, Sokka! I'm gonna be fine!"
"Huh?" Sokka rolled his eyes but only pulled harder with his knuckles turning pale under the pressure, "Like hell I am!"
"I'm going to disappear, let go quickly!" Nik stated again. He truly would be fine yet Sokka shouted, "You've got a useless leg! Is that thing still attached?!"
Nik suddenly fell into a dilemma. Seeing that Sokka wasn't letting go, Nik quickly let go of the spear. He still didn't want to enter his personal space in front of Sokka so he would rather take his chances a few seconds later.
"Hold up!" Sokka jumped in as Nik's expression turned bleak yet for some reason... Nik continued to go deeper and deeper. Instead of darkness, the surroundings began to glow up while Sokka's eyes were wide, "What... is this?"
As Appa finally charged forth, its wide bell-like eyes cluelessly looked at the almost... perfect layer of ice with no indication of two men suddenly disappearing within. Not even a single mark could be viewed.
---
"Sokka! Nik!" Aang jumped down with a worried expression, "Hey!" He slammed his staff as his eyes flickered with a strange, literal glow for a moment with a sensation of unending rage filling his body. The strike instantly caused the snow to part as wide as five meters and as long as his eyes could see with depth surpassing 3 meters.
Nothing.
Nik and Sokka had simply... disappeared.
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