Chapter 20: Taking Off (2)

It didn't even take any skills to gather information about his surroundings for Nik. Apparently, once trusted, travelers are a great source to vent. The 'Tribe' in fact, is divided into many smaller villages, each of them equally torn and conditions similar to the village that Nik was in. Men volunteered for the war and the remaining members consisted of grown-up children and middle-aged women already considered widows.

But in the tradition of the Southern Tribe, it is considered a grave fortune for anyone establishing intimate relationships with 'widows.' The spirits of the husband will haunt the particular lover. But Nik didn't read too deep into this. To him, transitions such as these are mostly formed by overzealous men who would worry about their own image even after their death so as to prevent their wife, or wives, from looking for someone to replace them. But he also wasn't willing to just spit on the said traditions and earn the ire of the only decision-maker of the tribe as a whole.

Meanwhile, the mystery of how the village even procured many wooden shelves, mats, and earthen pots was cleared in the form of merchants that would travel to the shore of the Glaciers to trade for many daily-use items in return for precious furs and pearls.

Because of Sokka himself being taken care of by the many women of the tribe as a whole, including his younger sister Katara, Sokka came across as a sarcastic but genuine individual to those around him. He would eat heartily, something that couldn't be said the same for Aang. It was tough being a vegan where seafood is the only source of nourishment, apparently.

From the initial shock, Nik was left wondering at the amazing display.

In the center of the village was Aang moving around at a quick speed with children chasing after him as they laughed and cheered. Meanwhile, Aang seemingly 'sat' on a ball of air. Nik saw it clearly this time, Airbending, that is. Akin a top, Aang balanced his body on the sphere of wind, more like cool mist surrounding the village from the very beginning. This was the real deal. Aang really could control air and the feat simply felt... as Sokka so eloquently quotes: Freakish and magical.

"Isn't he cold at all?" Nik grumbled slightly. Next to him, acting her own age, unlike their chieftain, Katara smiled, "He does not feel the cold because he knows how to regulate his breathing to keep his body warm, or at least, that's what he said."

Nik glanced sideways. Katara and Sokka were the two individuals in this village his age. There were three more who looked almost 10 and the rest were still too young.

"Is it also traditional for a single woman to be wearing a necklace in a village?"

With the hoody pulled down, Katara revealed a blue choker around her neck with a hand-carved light-blue jewel strung along.

"Ah, this?" Katara stuttered for a second, "This is just an heirloom."

Nik nodded with a smile. It was clear to see that Katara was reluctant to speak on this matter as Nik continued, "Do you know how to identify a bender?"

"Nope, not a clue," Katara giggled, pointing at Jerkzu who chased Aang, "Jerkzu accidentally quenched the fire for dinner with the soup. Of course, he was spanked. Firewood's a rarity here, you know. But now we don't really need it for boiling stuff."

"Could you show a few waterbending techniques, too?"

Nik's request made Katara smile, but mostly out of embarrassment, "I seriously would. But... I'm not an expert. I can do basic things. Like, I can freeze water in a pot or boil it... or pull water out of clothes. It helps greatly in the chores, but to actively control water from a larger source can be too draining, and whenever I try it... I feel like my body is rejecting how I move.

That's why I always wanted a waterbending master to teach me."

"A master?"

"Yes, my father used to say that mastering an element requires a lot of discipline, hard work, and even more importantly: Guidance."

"Ah, I think I know about this kind of philosophy. My mother used to say the same thing," Nik smiled. Though betrayed, eventually, he had his memories still intact, and aside from 'punishments' from Esta and a few thoroughly depraved requests of a few customers, Nik also had a collection of 'happy' memories.

"Nature is the best teacher."

Nik smiled.

This was incomplete advice, of course.

'Thrust like rabbits and dogs. Show the force of a bull!'

"Well, my side of nature includes Otter Penguins and that hardly teaches me a thing," Katara replied with a shake of her head.

Nik shrugged. In the end, this was just a polite conversation and more often than not, Nature doesn't teach too good of a skill-set either.

"Can you tell me where you're really from?" Katara inquired and Nik pursed his lips. Last time he was lucky to have pulled the insomnia arc because later he realized that the people of that world had access to the 'web' that can help them find anything of their desire. He really doubted that would be the case in this village, too.

"I'm from a city named Red Delight."

"Red... Delight?" Katara mused before shrugging, "I only a know a little of the main continent. Is it in the Earth Kingdom?"

"Sure," Nik nodded, equally unaware of this world's demographical divisions.

"Are these Sokka's clothes I'm wearing right now?" Nik looked down at his outfit and Katara blushed slightly, "Ehm... no. Sokka said that you're too thin for his clothes..."

Nik looked at her for a moment and then looked down. Finally, he gazed at the markings on his coat and observed Katara carefully, making her fidget slightly as he turned his attention to other females and children. Only Sokka's coat was different and he inquired again, "Still, whose are these?"

"Well, technically... these are my clothes now..." Katara mumbled before clearing her throat, "But it's not so bad. I mean, other villagers also share clothes, and wearing this doesn't mean that you're not a man or anything. I just think that Sokka worries about this kind of stuff too much."

"Oh, yeah, of course."

Nik nodded and Katara groaned the moment he began drinking his soup.

'Great... just great. You had to listen to Sokka whining about his clothes,' she admonished herself while Nik found the clothes comfortable either way.

"Thank you for the clothes then," Nik smiled and Katara nodded silently, not looking up this time.

"Are you eager to return to your home?" Katara inquired in an effort to not feel too self-conscious at the moment. Hearing her made Nik sigh slightly.

"Not really. I think I have lived there for too long. It's not like I enjoy traveling too much either. I just want to find a beautiful place to settle in," Nik referred to his homeworld.

"I understand. This village is so small, even I feel cooped in a little despite the ocean being right outside," Katara chuckled, "But I'd still want to return to this place in the end. The cold and the ice make me feel quite happy."

Nik nodded. Not everybody he meets would be like him, permanently fed up with their homes, to be exact.

"Oh, I forgot to tell you that you can sleep in with Aang. We set up one of the spare tents for the two of you."

"Alright," Nik nodded.

---

"Hehe! Others told me that you wear girl clothes like others, too!" Aang snickered. A small lamp was set within the tent with fish oil serving as the fuel. The night had grown and everyone had returned to their residence.

Not minding the provocation the slightest bit fully knowing that it came from a child and about masculinity that had been tempered through the abyss, Nik shrugged. Seeing the kid looking around curiously, Nik finally tried to find what this world is all about without sounding too otherworldly on the matter. Given how he had heard Katara and Sokka mentioning the Avatar, Nik began similarly, "Hey, Aang, how does it feel to airbend? That's what it is called, right? Airbending."

Hearing the question, Aang's gaze brightened and the air around him moved in a short gust, making his body levitate as he quickly sat down, easily changing his position from lying to sitting up and once again demonstrating how convenient this ability felt.

"Airbending? It's pretty awesome! I get to control the air currents around me and because air is often in a state of flow, I don't even have to pull it apart forcefully. I can just go with the flow."

Aang smiled. The villagers of the tribe were more curious about the application of airbending so seeing someone else asking a deeper question made him want to talk.

"Okay. Now your turn, what's that bending ability that you used? It looks so cool to just appear out of nowhere! Although... Katara did seem more flustered than hurt when you fell on her. But you were only naked, not like you had horns or anything," Aang wondered and Nik thought for a moment.

With the world being magical and three witnesses of him arriving into this world without raising too much ruckus and just accepting the fact that he 'could' appear out of nowhere... Nik found that lying about certain abilities would only narrow his scope of action. After all, his homeworld had not revealed such a mystical nature yet and even if it did, Nik was clear on the matter that the certain amount of trust he could gain from villagers would not be possible back there simply because of what he will be facing for the second time now: Cultural Difference.

"It... is hard to explain," Nik finally traced his chin and thought of something, "Say, Aang, do you remember the way to that shipwreck?"

"Yeah?" Aang looked hesitant as Nik smiled. He had already realized what he lacked was simply a goal and while he couldn't find a good enough objective, Nik still had a job and found the need to be more initiative in his approach. After all, nobody directly controlled his routine and even if this was new for him, independence, that is, he didn't want to let go of the opportunity at all.

"I can show you what little I can do there," Nik stood up as he cautiously opened the entrance of the tent and peeked out.

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Looking back, Nik raised his index finger over his lips and beckoned Aang to follow him.

Picking his staff, Aang looked quite a bit hesitant as he, too, peeked out to find if someone was observing them. Seeing nobody, he followed Nik but quite a lot more stealthily than Nik himself. After all, Nik would still leave the soft sound of ice and snow being crushed under his foot but Aang left no such noise as if he was gliding over the snow.

As they walked out, Aang found Appa sleeping within a hollowed structure of ice in the shape of a circle that cradled Appa's large body.

"Hey, I really think we shouldn't go there," Aang spoke softly while Nik shrugged, "We'll return within a few minutes."

Nik hadn't been to the shipwreck himself so he needed a guide anyway because at the night it would have been only harder for him to reach that particular object for a personal reason.

"Have you ever tried it?" As they walked, Nik continued to dig for more information, "Other forms of bending. You're supposed to control all the four elements, right? Even Katara can do stuff without being guided by someone else."

Aang shook his head.

"I'm taught that bending is a mix of physical and spiritual aspects of life. If we walk the spiritual path without proper guidance, we might end up tarnishing and tainting it. So, the best and the safest way to bend an element is under someone's, or something's, guidance."

Nik looked at him for a moment, only understanding the general concept. But Aang seemed to particularly emphasize the 'spiritual' part.

They continued to walk as Aang described the world, something that Katara or Sokka couldn't completely.

A world divided by elements and philosophies, namely into the: Water Tribe, Air Nomads, Earth Kingdom, and Fire Nation.

Unlike Sokka who had nothing but bitter recollections of the Fire Nation, Aang had a more balanced perspective.

"You have friends everywhere?" Nik inquired, slightly amused as Aang nodded.

"Yep! I was planning to meet with my friend in the Earth Kingdom but... well, I ended here."

"And you're really expected to help people?" Nik continued.

"I know," Aang spread his arms in dismay, "Why can't anyone see that I didn't ask for any of it? I like playing games. That's what I'm good at... not saving the world... how does anyone even do it? It's a world. It wouldn't just... crumble apart."

Nik blinked. It would seem that he touched a sore spot.

"We're here!" Aang jumped with a gust of air following him and Nik followed him.

Under the clear sky but misty surroundings, the duo finally approached the large metal vessel with thick plates of ice digging it up from the bow and surrounding it completely.

"Now what?" Aang inquired, but a bit cautious. He had decided to follow Nik but the situation seemed dubious at best and Nik silently gazed at the vessel.

"Um... if the ship suddenly disappears, would the ice around us break apart?" Nik inquired as Aang tilted his head in confusion.

"Aren't glaciers completely made ice? There should be ice beneath the ship, too."

'Maybe a waterbender should also have been present...' Nik pursed his lips, once again questioning his own decision. It was somewhat unnerving making decisions for himself without any guidance whatsoever. Even in his homeworld, Genta had helped him a lot, and so did Mitsuko.

'Well... to a new life of decisions and mistakes,' Nik couldn't help but let a smile creep up to his lips as he walked towards the ship, finding a discreet corner within the icy locks that held the ship exposed with rusted metal.

Taking off his right glove, Nik went on to touch the metal.

"Hey! Metal bending? That's so cool! I didn't know metal could be controlled," Aang misunderstood Nik's actions and even Nik grew confused. How the heck could someone easily bend metal? But maybe there really is someone out there who could do it.

"Ah... my hand is stuck," Nik mumbled and Aang's lips twitched.

The cold metal simply didn't allow Nik to move his palm at all.

But he didn't have to move his hand, right?

With a thought, the ship disappeared instantly alongside the slight rust stuck to his palm and Nik instantly ran back. He didn't know the consequence of such a large entity being devoured for AP and the trembling shards of ice that supported the ship in its position approved of Nik's caution since a few sharper edges of shaving fell into the surrounding area but that was the extent of it.

Aang still stood a distance away, stunned. His grip around the staff was quite loose and his lips parted in amazement.

"Now... that's what I should learn..." he mumbled.

"What's it called? Invisible bending?" Aang instantly shook his head, breaking out of his daze, and inquired in excitement, "Can I learn it? Will you teach me?"

Nik was similarly dazed. The only reason he simply devoured the ship completely and didn't go through with what is inside of it was that one of the booby traps that activated today. And now, he gazed at his status screen with slight incredulity.

[Name: Nik Faran

Age: 20 (80)

Code: GC—EHG—98034

Authority Rank: 0 (12.3277/100)

Paradise: Transmigration

Bloodline: Adonis' Ember (Common)]

He gained a little over 12 AP!

He turned around to look back at the empty spot where the ship had been and inquired, "Hey... Aang, do you think the Fire Nation has more of these ships?"

"Huh? They would, probably? Anyway! Please, please, please! Teach me what you just did. I'm the Avatar, I think I can learn any form of bending."

Nik turned to face Aang and inquired curiously, "Didn't you say you never asked to be the Avatar?"

"But I am one, right?" Aang coughed, controlling his excitement as he revealed a calm exterior.

"Anyway... it's not called Invisible Bending. That ship doesn't exist anymore... this is how my family use to clean trash. That's all."

"I am the keeper of nature. I would very much like to learn how to keep it clean," Aang bowed and Nik could barely hold a chuckle.

Feeling the reward in the form of AP for taking initiative made Nik feel good, not physically, but mentally. At this moment, he actually felt satisfied.

Nik had no intention of actually teaching something he didn't know about deeply himself. His only objective was to try and devour the ship. After all, he had only ever devoured smaller things but now he knew that ranking up his authority is quite plausible in this and his homeworld only if he makes an effort for it.

Unable to persuade Nik in the end, not knowing that this was something Nik got to learn only after his head separated from his shoulder once, Aang returned and the duo slumped in the tent, finally succumbing to sleep.

Despite the chill, Nik slept peacefully this time without any nightmares haunting him.

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