Chapter 21: Taking Off (3)

"Hahaha! Do it again! Do it again!" A boy shouted in excitement as the entire village was gathered around Nik. With an equally pleased smile seeing a child so happy, Nik took the coin from his hand once again and stretched his arms out.

"Alright. This is the water tribe coin, right?" he held the small blue-tinted coin in between his thumb and index before clenching his left fist and bringing his hand back.

Seeing this, standing behind Nik, Sokka narrowed his gaze once again and leaned forward, observing Nik's hands, both of them closed into fists.

"Will you stop that?" Katara hissed softly, pulling her brother back.

"He's using a trick, I'm sure of it," Sokka stroked his chin with a ponderous expression.

"Wow, great detective work," Katara scoffed.

"I'm sure he said that this is a trick in the first place," Aang stated innocently and Sokka instantly waved his hand, "Beat it, kid. You should just catch us some fish. You know, responsibilities to the world and people and all that."

Rolling her eyes, Katara punched Sokka's shoulder, "Why don't you catch us something. Aang hasn't eaten since yesterday. If anything, we need to find him and Appa something they can actually eat."

"Alright, which hand?" Nik inquired with a smile as the boy pouted and pondered.

"Um... right!"

Bringing his hands out from behind him, Nik opened his left fist and revealed that it was empty. With expectations, the boy looked towards the left hand and as Nik opened it, too, there was no coin to be found at all.

"Wait! I believe that I have cracked your trick!"

Sokka suddenly shouted, claiming with a proud expression as he stepped forward with a grin. Pointing at Nik's clothes, he scoffed, "The coin is stuffed inside the wrist of your glove!"

"Oh," Nik smiled and took off the gloves, revealing his hands to be completely empty as Sokka pursed his lips, unwilling to give up.

"It's inside your coat!"

He claimed again and Nik sighed.

"If it wasn't cold, I would have taken off my clothes to prove that the coin is really..." with a narrowed gaze and an eerie tone, he whispered, "Gone."

"Katara can take care of that," Sokka snorted, "Sister, your turn to shine. Warm him up!"

"What?!" Katara instantly shouted, slapping the back of Sokka's head as she blushed in equal parts fury and embarrassment and the women around their children pursed their lips. Even Nik blinked. Such confidence, he wondered, could allow Sokka to be one of the greatest pimps to have ever lived.

"I- I mean turn the surroundings warm. You did that, right? Keeping the camp warm during the blizzard."

Sokka muttered, rubbing the back of his head and Katara flinched, regaining her cool in a moment and nodding, "I can do that."

"Can I help?" Aang inquired, pointing at himself with a curious expression.

"Heh! Once that coat is off, your trick will fail."

Sokka crossed his arms and Nik nodded.

Katara took a deep breath before she began moving. Her stance looked quite rooted but her upper body seemed to be flowing, especially her arms. It wasn't aesthetically beautiful to look at, but Nik observed everything because the surrounding around him indeed began turning warm.

Aang waited for a moment before he began to move. There was a stark difference in both of their movements. While Katara barely seemed to know what to do, Aang moved quickly and confidently and he used his staff in seemingly perfect sync. His fingers dexterously rotated the staff from the middle like a fan and with his moves began warm gusts that moved the mist around them and everyone breathed lightly, amazed by the warmth after such a long time. Even Katara stopped, enamored by Aang's movement with her eyes following the movement of his hands.

Aang was airbending, sure, but Katara didn't want to miss the chance of seeing an actual and well-learned element bender in action, especially when the said bender is none other than the Avatar.

"This works, right?" Sokka revealed that he was a man of commitment. Equally amazed, but more interested in what Nik had to say now to cover up for his trick.

"Yeah, this works," Nik smiled, feeling quite relieved by feeling warm all over and he pulled his coat off from the top. He was given a thinner robe to wear underneath but that didn't mean it wasn't warm. The clothes of the water tribe happened to be made from the fur of animals, including Otter Penguins at times, too.

"Hah! Girl clothes, never gets old," Sokka snorted a chuckle and seemed impervious to the glares around him. Catching the coat that Nik tossed towards him, Sokka began dusting it off silently and searching it inside out.

"Hmm?" Where's the coin?!" A girl inquired curiously as Sokka mumbled something under his breath. Unsure, he looked at Nik and then at Katara's old tunic that he wore.

"It's probably in the sleeves of your tunic, right?" He inquired.

"No," Nik shrugged. Aang and Nik had yet to tell about his 'ability' but they didn't mind stretching the revelation of this information if it meant playing around with Sokka, especially Aang who had been on the receiving end of the constant scoffs and snorts from Sokka.

"He doesn't believe you," One of the women finally chimed, "Take off your tunic and let him have at it!"

Her words gained the approval of the public instantly.

Sokka narrowed his eyes. Fueling his 'subject's' desires was the least prioritized duty in his act as a chieftain but this worked well with his own agenda so he would be graciously allowing it.

"Your tunic, please," Sokka stretched his hand out as Nik pursed his lips.

"Well..." Nik grew hesitant, a little unwilling to just remove his shirt, too.

"Oh, enough," Katara snarled, walking up to Nik, "You don't have to remove your clothes if you don't want to. And you," she turned to glare at Sokka, "Can you be more sensible," she pumped her fist angrily and with the wave of her fist appeared a slight tremble of ice right beneath Sokka's foot, scaring everyone.

"Uh..." Sokka flinched before straightening his back and nodding, "Sorry. Here, your coat..."

He walked up to Nik and the surrounding grew awkward. Nik glanced at the boy who had asked for the trick and now happened to be looking down sadly.

Sighing softly, Nik smiled, "Alright, I will tell everyone where I hid the coin. Okay, just this once I will be honest."

Nik's words roused the spirit of the villagers, especially the children. As he took the coat from an unsuspecting Sokka, Nik gripped Sokka's hand, too, and let his other hand reach out for his right ear.

"It was always behind Sokka!"

Nik laughed as his left hand flipped and produced a coin in between his fingers while the red scar bound around his left forearm close to his elbow flashed for the slightest bit under the sleeve of the tunic.

"Hah! Sokka got fooled!" the boy cheered and Sokka gazed at the coin.

"What?! But bow?" he groaned, holding his face in his hands before pointing at Nik, "The coin was in your pants!"

"Nope, it was always behind your ear. You didn't notice it," Nik smirked as Aang snickered.

"You guys! That's his special bending ability! He makes things disappear!"

He finally narrated the events surrounding the now-missing shipwreck and Sokka instantly frowned.

"I... you hid it—"

"Well, there is a ship in my pants... but it's not a wreck," Nik stated before Sokka could finish and finally silenced the Chieftain of the village.

"But... I saw you make it disappear," Aang frowned, unable to comprehend the words of wisdom that made Sokka speechless, and Katara blush a little as she rolled her eyes, "It's nothing, Aang. Hey, we still have to find something for Appa, right? Come on, let's find something."

As Katara pulled Aang away, Sokka looked at Nik with a narrowed gaze, "So you are one of the magic freaks."

"Sorry for not telling you," Nik smiled and rubbed the back of his head, "I didn't know how I will be received," he stated honestly.

Sighing loudly, Sokka shook his head, "Whatever. Come on, I'm not letting the Avatar out of my sight to light up beacons all around the Tribe."

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For confirmation, Sokka and Katara did return to the location of the wreck to find nothing which gave substance to what Aang said about Nik. But after a few hours of salvaging, the group of four failed to find anything for Appa and Aang for that matter. The Southern Tribe isn't known for its berries and verdant forests. It's known for fearsome storms, icy waters, dangerous polar animals, and much more but not warmth and fruits, and vegetables.

"You what?" Sokka scowled, shouting rhetorically as he stood up. They had returned but Nik and Aang were busy with the village children asking for more entertainment.

"Aang has to leave. He just cannot live here and starving him will only make things harder. And... I want to leave with Aang. I will accompany him to the Northern Water Tribe—"

"I heard you the first time!" Sokka cut her off, his shout resounding in the village as everyone outside the sibling's tent grew silent.

Katara flinched before frowning, "What is wrong with you?"

"Hah— hahaha," Sokka chuckled, "What's wrong with me, she asks," he muttered under his breath.

"That boy out there didn't know about the fucking war, Katara. He doesn't know anything about Ozai. He doesn't understand that we will never see our family. Our father and uncles because you know what, the only two reasons why prisoners aren't allowed to leave after the end of war is either untimely death, or death by torture. It's war, Katara. War.

Northern Tribe... they let down their arms when the Phoenix King came knocking down their doors after he and his brother took down the Earth Kingdom. You want to learn from them? Those cowards?!"

He growled and Katara's body shuddered. Her hand swung in a resounding slap as Sokka's head snapped sideways. The mark on his cheek growing redder and the heat passing through his pain into a severe sting made him regain his cool.

"You don't get to say that Dad is dead. Not after all that talk how you would venture into the continents and find him. Not... not after you assured me of Dad's safety," Katara whispered, the lower rims of her eyelids growing wetter as she spoke with trembling lips, "Aang is the Avatar. If that doesn't prove to you that this world can change for the better... then I don't know what will..."

"That slap looked better than the Avatar," Sokka scoffed and rubbed his cheek. His words making Katara smile but tears streamed down her cheeks.

"Hey, I'm sorry for talking about Dad like that... Of course, I know what you said. But we cannot leave, Katara. What about everyone here?"

Katara's gaze flickered and she sighed deeply.

"I'm sorry for slapping you..."

"Don't worry, I'll get my chance to be even, too," Sokka shrugged as Katara chuckled.

For a moment, Sokka grew silent and inquired, "Let's say you did leave with Aang. What did you have in mind? You know, a plan? You did have one, right?"

"Yes," Katara smiled, "To help Aang defeat the Phoenix King and end his rule of tyranny... and learning waterbending."

"So... dying. That was your plan?" Sokka cringed and Katara pursed her lips.

"Then let me ask you, genius. Why do you want to stay here when the greater portion of our meals still comes from the fishing done by others in the village? I only accompany you... because you're just bad at it."

"It's... complicated," Sokka scratched his temple with a sigh and mumbled, "I guess I overreacted too much. It sounds like a blast, honestly, accompanying the Avatar and bearing some Fire Nation soldiers up..."

"But you can't, right?" Katara inquired.

"But I can't," Sokka smiled sadly.

Meanwhile, outside the tent, Aang had his body supported up by his staff and his physique leaned towards the opening of the tent.

"Do you hear something?" One of the women whispered and Aang nodded. But his expression wasn't too great either.

Climbing down his staff, Aang walked towards the entrance of the village with his shoulders slumped, and seeing him like this, one of the women nudged Nik's shoulder, gesturing him to follow Aang.

"Why?" Nik inquired strangely.

"Go on, you both are travelers. Travelers connect."

The woman stated as if this was some sort of law... but Nik couldn't deny the fact that he adored the villagers around here. Of course, he also knew this was because of the sheer lack of men around here so everyone was pleasant to look at.

With a sigh, Nik followed Aang out of the village and found him slumped against Appa's furry body. He had set the staff on the ice and had his hands behind his head.

"I'm guessing you heard something bad?" Nik inquired. It wasn't a hard guess, after all, and Aang was pretty easy to read, too, since he usually wore his emotions on his face.

"Yeah..." he mumbled.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Nik inquired while sitting next to Aang as he groaned.

"I'm just hungry... it's never a good thing to hear troublesome things when you're hungry. Right, Appa?" Aang called out and the furry seat of the duo trembled lightly with Appa's thick growl rumbling in agreement.

"Katara and Sokka were fighting because... there might be no way to help others. But I don't even know what's going on at all."

"That makes the two of us," Nik smiled.

"But aren't you a monk? Your teacher must have told you something to tackle this kind of situation, right?" he continued and Aang hummed in deep thought.

"I guess... the monks did say that whatever happens is for a reason yet unknown to us."

"There you go. You were in an iceberg because it was meant to be," Nik shrugged.

"No, that's not why," Aang sulked, "I wasn't meant to be hidden for hundred years, it just doesn't feel right."

"You're 12-year-old right?" Nik inquired and Aang nodded.

"Well, personally, I wouldn't push any responsibility on a set of shoulders this young," Nik smiled and Aang's expression turned slightly better.

"But I speak from experience that life is hardly fair. You can either live your nightmares or take one step at a time to change your life for the better. Whether you succeed or fail shouldn't affect the process of it. Maybe... even after failing once, you might receive a saving grace."

"You could be a monk, too, you know," Aang smiled.

"Yeah, I'm called multi-talented often. From an officer to a monk, I can be them all," Nik chuckled in return.

Aang nodded and pondered slightly. If he wasn't affected by Nik's advice, he wouldn't have even praised him. To Nik, Aang was a similar mystery with dubious origins, and the fact that he was patient enough to not test out things other than airbending and waiting for the right 'time' to start exploring his own strengths made Nik realize that while Aang was relatively innocent, he was strangely wise at times, too.

"That's it!"

Aang suddenly gasped.

"Hmm?" Nik looked at the boy who jumped up and had his staff following with a gust before he caught it and stood straight.

"One step at a time. I have mastered airbending. According to the legends, my next destination of practice has to be the Water Tribe. And... according to Katara, only the Northern Water Tribe should have waterbenders. But even before that, I shouldn't turn a blind eye to situations where I can help."

Aang looked towards the ocean and smiled, "The villagers are in need of food. So, my priority should have never been being eager to return to the Air Temple. If I have been away for 100 years, I can be away for a few more days."

Nik looked at Aang strangely.

"You're going fishing?"

"No, I'm going to bring food from the nearby islands."

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