Chapter 23: Southern Air Temple (1)

The Southern Air Temple was a relic now. Unlike expected, the halls and walls of the temple weren't collecting dust due to the high altitude and constant wind that whipped around. Spots such as these happened to be beneficial for training young airbenders and also keep them secluded from the outside world and its 'illusions' so that the young benders can cultivate in peace and greater spiritual focus, something Aang explained along the way.

Instead of dust, it was snow that was collected this high up in the altitude. Aang suddenly stopped as they walked out of one of the winding paths. On a smaller, connected hill was an area with pillars of wood, heavily damaged they were, and next to it was some form of cave system carved into the side of the cliff.

"Not the Airball court," Aang jumped down at a moment's notice while Katara whispered, "This place was attacked."

"But why wasn't it destroyed?" Sokka inquired.

"What do you mean?"

"The Fire Nation committed a genocide against the Air Nomads. That's the truth... and in line with that reason should be the fact that their structures are to be demolished, too. After all, there may be clues within the temples that would implicate the Fire Nation as nothing but tyrants. All I'm saying is, if it was me hunting a school of fish and found their special spot... I would have left it intact for a very specific purpose."

"Aang, be careful!" Katara shouted as Aang looked back while landing on the wooden pillars.

"Don't worry, I can jump even higher," Aang forced a smile, shouting back when Katara shook her head.

"No, Aang, there might be traps around here just like that shipwreck!" Katara called out and Aang's body visibly stiffened.

Meanwhile, Nik grew cautious and looked around. He had no idea how traps are laid so he had no choice but to be extremely careful in his actions.

The most efficient option Nik could think of at this moment was devouring the Temple alongside the possible booby traps but further pondering on this particular course of action, Nik decided to wait until he is given an actual reason than just a speculation to act upon.

"Leave the task of finding the booby traps to me," Sokka claimed confidently while Aang, too, carefully stepped down from the area of the wooden pillar.

"I can't believe it's really destroyed," Aang remarked as he sighed deeply. It finally began sinking that his hopes were empty this time around.

With slumped shoulders he jumped and returned to the group's side while Nik suddenly realized something as he looked at Appa flying towards the cave system next to the wooden pillars.

"Stop him," Nik hissed, attracting everybody's attention as Appa entered the cave with a resounding landing. For a moment, everybody held their breaths but seeing Appa spread his three sets of limbs as he began grazing on the weeds growing around him, they let out a sigh of relief.

"It doesn't make any sense," Sokka muttered, "They wouldn't booby trap such a location? Maybe I speculated incorrectly."

But he still held his club tightly.

"Maybe the cave system isn't something they want to booby trap and spook their intended target," Nik muttered, "What if the traps are inside the temple itself?"

"Why would the Fire Nation even do it?" Aang inquired, a little flustered and angry at the same time as Katara looked at the boy with a saddened expression.

"Maybe... the Fire Nation knew that one Airbender still remained and would likely return to the Air Temples... if there are traps ahead, then the target is none other than you."

"Come on, let's keep going. Since we're here, we might as well make sure if there are traps or not."

"Why?" Nik looked at Sokka strangely.

"If there are traps then there is also a chance to understand what happened to the air nomads," Sokka shrugged.

"Besides," Aang spoke up, "I'm ready to meet someone inside the temple."

Nik and Katara looked at each other, both somewhat unwilling to unnecessarily take risks either for a thirst for information or their cryptic sense of responsibility.

Aang took the lead as the group climbed the winding path and each step turned out to be a measured one. They didn't speak this time at all, their minds strained by observing their surroundings at all times, and finally, they came to a stop.

"Fire nation arrows," Sokka whispered as they stepped onto the entrance of the monastery with the hall riddled by many arrows that dug deep into the structure. The arrows pierced a statue of a mustached airbending monk, too.

"Monk Gyatso," Aang whispered as he stepped forward.

"Everyone, I want you to meet Monk Gyatso—"

"Aang, this temple is really filled with booby traps. I don't know how these were triggered—" Sokka began as Aang cut him off, his voice trembling as the boy gazed at the arrow-riddled 'body' of the man.

"He taught me how to airbend. When I would feel sad, he would bring me to the balcony to toss cakes and pies at other monks," his gaze turned glazed as he collapsed on his knees. His shoulders shuddered and his voice quivered, "He was always there when I needed him the most... but when he needed me... I—"

Tears streamed down the Avatar's cheeks as he held his staff against himself tightly.

Sokka pursed his lips.

Even Nik didn't know what to speak. If it was him, he would rather be alone than—

Katara quickly walked up to the boy and hugged him from behind, whispering gently, "It's alright, Aang. Everything will be fine."

'That works, too,' Nik thought when he and Sokka looked at each other. Nodding, they both left the area, entering the hall.

"Hey, pass me that spear," Nik looked at Sokka and pointed behind him.

"I thought you weren't a warrior," Sokka inquired.

"Self-defense," Nik replied as he gripped the spear tightly. For some reason yet unknown to him, he had begun to feel a little ominous. He couldn't even shake off the feeling of being observed constantly.

The length of the hall was riddled with arrows and a few loose strings that affirmed the fact that the Fire Nation did leave traps in the Air Temples.

"What the hell is this?"

The duo came to face a giant gate with some form of contraption on its surface that was made of twisted tubes leading from two blowholes and three wooden insignia of the air benders with three swirling patterns within each of them.

"For a monastery, this place is really hard to explore," Sokka grumbled, belting his club as he pushed against the gate to no avail.

"I thought you were a warrior," Nik mused, "Can't even push a gate, eh—"

Nik came to a stunned silence as his gaze met with a furry little creature. White fur with stripes of brown and large green eyes. However, the most defining feature of this animal would be a set of large ears, almost as large as half of its body.

*Kremu*

The critter had his head moved sideways, its green eyes curiously observing the duo. Even Sokka who was annoyed by Nik's remark was now quiet.

After a moment, he whispered softly, "Nik... do you. hear it?"

"What?" Nik inquired.

"The rumbling of my stomach..." Sokka replied. But before Nik could say anything, Sokka shouted, "Food!"

The shout scared the critter away and the Sokka followed instantly.

"Hey, there are still traps!" Nik called out, rushing after them. The hallway was safe but the furry creature rushed away from the sight of the statue in front of which Aang still wallowed in sadness while Katara comforted him so that he doesn't break down completely and both of them were broken from their sentimental situation.

"Come here!" Sokka's eyes were bright, completely focused on his meal, something that he hadn't eaten before while Katara and the tearful Aang were stunned to see a scowling Nik following behind with a speed that the duo had not imagined Nik to possess in the first place. Even in his homeworld, Nik hadn't pushed his physique to its utmost after it had been reformed by Infinity and was bestowed a bloodline by the former.

"I'm sorry," Aang muttered, bowing to Gyatso's statue as Katara smiled, "I'm sure that your caretaker never blamed you for disappearing..."

"No... Monk Gyatso was my best friend," Aang exhaled before slapping his cheeks, "And I cannot let Sokka eat a lemur. It might be the only one around here!"

Aang followed with an even greater speed and a gust of air cleaned Gyatso's statue off of the collected snow and broke away the arrows on its body, leaving Katara behind.

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With a sigh, she stood up and bowed towards the statue.

'Well... I know how he is feeling,' Katara sighed softly as she traced the pendant on her choker and smiled.

Just as she was going to leave, her eyes were attracted to a small part of parchment somehow peeking out from underneath the statue and after a moment's thought, Katara decided to pull out the parchment and read its content. Her eyes widened and she quickly rushed up the winding stairs taken by her group while firmly holding onto the piece of paper.

---

"Nik, this is the guy who triggered all the traps!" Sokka laughed as they saw many spears and arrows on the stairway, too, with the furry little beast constantly maneuvering around them. Sokka followed equally dexterously. With how cumbersome it was to move in a place that lowered one's speed due to ice and snow, Sokka felt a breath of fresh air with how much quicker he could move. Nik, too, followed but he wasn't as agile as the two beings in front of him. He would slow down around the bed of arrows only for Aang to easily rush past him, too.

"Keep up!" Aang smiled before taking off.

Nik thought for a moment and then stopped to devour all the arrows and other cold weapons except for a single spear that was 'hidden' alongside...

'Oh... I hope Mitsuko's meals haven't gotten bad yet,' Nik groaned internally. He had forgotten all about the dry meals Mitsuko had packed for him.

Nik sighed deeply and closed his eyes before checking something and soon he felt relieved. He couldn't only devour stuff for Infinity but he was also given something extremely special aside from a new life by Infinity that is also granted to everyone else. He still hadn't ever stepped in 'there' but he had made use of the red scar around his left arm many times already.

"Hey, I thought you had gone ahead."

Nik heard Katara's voice and looked back.

"Oh, I'm just cleaning the stairs," Nik smiled as another arrow disappeared. Katara was amazed to see his 'ability' in action but it didn't feel too over the top. Not right now, at least. Nodding, Katara handed him a piece of paper.

"Ah, don't make it disappear or commit tricks with it. This should be important to Aang," Katara instructed and Nik shrugged before reading the content with a curious expression.

"Why would they even do it then?" Nik questioned and Katara shook her head, indicating her own lack of response to this matter.

Rolling up the parchment, Nik held it in his left hand before the letter disappeared and Nik gazed at his left hand with shock. Seeing his expression, Katara grew serious, "Please tell me that you're joking."

"I..." Nik mumbled before sighing and shaking his head, "It was an accident."

"That letter is seriously gone?" Katara frowned and gazed at Nik intently.

Pursing his lips, Nik brought out the parchment once again, "How did you know?" He inquired.

"Sokka has the same look when he's trying something funny," Katara smirked and snatched the letter from Nik's hand, "And no joking around with this."

"Are you hungry?" Nik inquired.

"Just..."

*Gnghhh*

"... a little," Katara blushed and Nik nodded. Even he was hungry but showing Mitsuko's cooking would be equivalent to sharing it, too, and Nik really didn't want to share it at all. Maybe he was a bit selfish since Katara and Sokka had already done a lot for him, but he planned to return the favor in some other manner.

'And it's not like we're all starving to death...' Nik reasoned.

Instead of running, Katara and Nik walked silently while the echo of Sokka screaming: Lunch, made them feel awkward.

"I didn't know Sokka could act like this... he felt like a dependable leader... until now."

Nik opened up and Katara scoffed.

"Leader, him?" she chuckled, "Oh, no, he can rise up to the occasion if the situation demands it but I've known him to not like that at all. Being a Chieftain burdened him too much... There's this one day where Sokka had the bright idea to marry me off just so that he would have fewer responsibilities."

"Marriage?" Nik looked at Katara strangely and she frowned, "Why? Something wrong about a waterbending freak getting married?"

"Oh, no," he shook his head, "I was wondering how marriage worked in the Water Tribe, that's all."

Katara hummed in response, "I'd say it's pretty generic. Most marriages are held at night, and if possible, when there is a full moon and a clear sky since it is considered as a sign of good fortune."

"Then why didn't you marry?" Nik questioned.

"Because... I felt that if I married before trying to find a way to reach the Northern Water Tribe... I will never be able to learn waterbending. You heard it, right? Sokka planned to marry me just to get rid of a responsibility. I don't think my future husband would have been more sensitive," Katara pouted, "Dad used to tell me and Sokka stories about waterbenders. So did Gran-Gran... later down the line, I just happened to want the same skills for myself. Anyway, once I buried Sokka deep in snow, he took the hint to not raise the topic anymore."

"Nik, what about your family?" she continued.

She looked at him as he shrugged, "Passed away, for most parts."

"For most parts? What's that supposed to mean?"

"From where I come from... bodies aren't easily cremated or buried after death. So while the spirit has passed on... the same thing cannot be said about the corpses. It's quite distasteful to think of it in detail."

"That's horrible," Katara frowned as Nik sighed, "Well, the dead don't care about what they leave behind."

"Still, that's a terrible tradition if you don't mind me saying."

'Would have been a terrible custom... sadly, it's a terrible business instead.'

Nik pursed his lips.

They soon reached the end of the staircase and found Sokka holding his club while the furry creature hid behind Aang's head, its tail wrapped around his neck as it screeched and hissed at Sokka.

"Don't make me use my boomerang," Sokka warned as Aang stood him off, "This is a Winged-lemur! I'm not letting you eat him!"

"Aang, Sokka, I found something and you two should read this," Katara coughed, unfazed by their actions as she walked up to Aang and handed him the letter. Sokka huffed and belted his club before walking towards Aang only for the Lemur to jump and open his arms, revealing bat-like wings underneath its arms that allowed him to glide and land on Nik's shoulder.

"Hey, little guy," Nik smiled.

"Hmm... what is this," Sokka mumbled and read the letter in soft mumbles.

"Dear Aang... I leave this letter fearing that the Fire Lord Sozin has treacherous acts planned covered up by inviting the nomads to the Festival for Avatar Roku on the day the Roku's Comet passes by... all the monks have answered his call as a sign of peace and Sozin has indeed removed his men from the colonies... but I believe that this may be the last chance to have a word with you...

We failed you, Aang... the nomads claim to be enlightened but many failed to even account for a child's need. Still, in my heart, I hope that my feelings regarding Sozin are nothing but base and irrelevant delusions and I get to meet you soon.

Please return... Aang."

Aang had a deep scowl on his face while Sokka frowned, "Wait, are you saying that the Air Nomads willingly walked into a possible trap?"

"This is Monk Gyatso's writing. He knew something was going on but he still agreed to witness this festival for Avatar Roku," Aang breathed and folded the letter before placing it within his tunic and looked at Katara, thanking her with a grateful bow.

"Thank you, Katara. At least, I'm a little close to understanding what happened to the Air Nomads."

"I still don't get it," Sokka frowned, "How would he even know that something is wrong?"

"According to Monk Gyatso, spiritual enlightenment is much more than just... calm and peace. I still don't understand most of it, but one thing is for sure that Monk Gyatso's intuition was right."

Aang replied and turned around, "I just have one more thing to do and we'll leave the temple..."

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