Avatar - Conquering the Elements-Chapter 138

The source of this c𝓸ntent is frёeweɓηovel.coɱ.

*Yakone. Northern Water Tribe.*

The streets of the Water Tribe's capital were bathed in dim light, illuminated only by the unusually bright full moon. In one well-known restaurant, a lively celebration was underway. How could they not mark the occasion of a respected waterbending master's title being awarded? A diverse group, mostly young, cheered on the young prodigy.

"Did you know that our dear Yakone is the second-youngest person in the past century to receive this title?" one of the guests remarked.

"And who was the first?"

"Was it Princess Yue? Or maybe Katara?" others asked.

"Chief Pakku," Yakone said softly, though somehow everyone heard him. There was something about him that set him apart from the crowd. Perhaps a mysterious aura? Who knows... But some of those present felt slightly uneasy in his presence. At times, it felt as if they were sitting beside a predator eyeing them like prey. "As far as I know, he's the youngest master in the past thousand years, according to the records in the Library," Yakone added.

"I wish I had even a fraction of his talent," one of them sighed, and several others echoed the sentiment.

"*Train just a little harder...*" Yakone thought, once again realizing that most benders wanted results without putting in noticeable effort.

"*Now there's someone who could truly make wise use of his gifts,*" he thought, watching the young server tending to their table. Anyone else might not have noticed, but Yakone saw the envy in the boy's eyes as he looked at them. "*Some don't appreciate what they have, while others' efforts will never pay off...*" The world was truly unfair.

A fragment of Vaatu's energy no longer needed to exert any effort. After all, the child who had fallen into his grasp was already eagerly embracing his role as a sort of "Messiah." His own sense of uniqueness and his emerging talent in manipulation had led him to fully believe in his grand mission to balance the scales between the gifted and the ungifted.

After the celebration ended, Yakone returned to his empty home. A month ago, the only person close to him had passed away. His grandmother, who had outlived three chiefs, no longer had the inner strength to remain in this world. In the Healing Huts, she had been treated personally by Chief Pakku, who had been managing her deteriorating health. Perhaps it was the news that her beloved grandson had achieved so much—and could now surely hold his own and even rise in this world—that had finally sent her to her well-deserved rest.

"I'm home," Yakone murmured softly, his voice tinged with sadness. The small apartment constantly reminded him of the past, as he longed to hear her familiar greeting: "Yakone, there's food on the table, don't forget to eat!"

It was the death of the last person close to him that gave Yakone a strong sense of loneliness. It felt as though he was standing alone against the entire world.

After waiting for several hours and confirming that he was no longer being followed, he set off. Thanks to bloodbending, he had long since noticed his tail. Every day, shadows had accompanied his movements through the city. At first, he had been terrified, abruptly halting all his ethically questionable training. But the new possibilities wouldn't leave him alone, so in the late hours, when the surveillance waned or grew less vigilant, he ventured outside the city, to a place where his activities would go unseen.

"*Why is the Chief watching me?*" he asked himself each time, but never found an answer. Why did he suspect the Chief? Because no one else had the means to send powerful benders to keep an eye on some kid. Maybe the Chief was simply watching over a promising bender? Wanting to protect him from something? Or was this attention more sinister? One thing was clear—he needed to leave here as soon as possible. Further development would only grow more difficult...

Moving quietly through the city, he soon reached his temporary base. One of the villages, whose residents had long since moved to the city, suited his minimal requirements perfectly. The area was particularly valuable because various animals often roamed nearby. It was on them that he practiced his bloodbending.

"That's enough for today," he said wearily, ceasing to control an entire pack of wolves. Whimpering, they quickly retreated from the incomprehensible human whose abilities inspired pure terror.

"*It seems no one but me realizes what a treasure the healers' library holds...*" It was there that he had learned much of what he knew. There, too, he had come to a fuller understanding of the connections between life energy and blood.

Meanwhile, the world around him continued to move. Yakone, and not just him, was stunned by the bold steps taken by world leaders. The formation of an alliance, the construction of the new city Tienhai, which would operate under entirely different laws, the emergence of a second airbender, and the discovery of an entire herd of flying bison. It seemed like new developments poured in every day.

Yakone had also come to understand something... There were certainly many people in the world who shared his ideas. He alone was unlikely to achieve anything, but if there was a whole group of like-minded individuals...

And when he learned that the Northern Water Tribe was preparing to send its first trade ships, he immediately asked to join. A short journey would give him the opportunity to further deepen his mastery and help him find others who thought like him.

"*You shouldn't doubt the latter!*" Vaatu's fragment thought. After all, all carriers of his energy would be drawn to one another. There would be no conflicts or backstabbing to worry about.

Besides Yakone, there were many other promising young men and women scattered across the world. Of course, none of them could surpass Yakone in talent, but they possessed other necessary qualities.

Take, for example, Suyen Su, the noble daughter of the Su clan in the Fire Nation. Her family had survived Azulon, Ozai, and still thrived. Just shy of being one of the oldest families, they firmly led among the middle clans. It seemed her life should not have been difficult. But there was one detail... Suyen had shown no talent for bending. A single factor had doomed her life. She had not been cast out of the family only because she carried the blood of the Su clan. Besides, she could still be used as a bargaining chip.

Unloved by her parents and receiving only scorn, she still found the strength to keep living. Books became her friends, knowledge her entire world. Her reclusive life might have continued this way if, one day, Suyen had not simply been sold off.

By then, no longer a girl but not yet a woman, she no longer suppressed the uninvited thoughts that Vaatu's fragment generously poured into her. The books she had read helped her decide on a future plan.

The following month, all five members of her family met their sudden end. The blame was placed on the cooks, who had served a delicacy at the family dinner. A rare fish, improperly prepared, could easily fell a Komodo rhino, let alone ordinary people with no knowledge of life energy.

And the last surviving girl, who had never been allowed at the family table, became the most sought-after bride. With vast assets and numerous servants, her peaceful life might have continued. But... she had already let in the dark energy that corroded her thoughts, transforming her into a new persona. Injustice. Prejudice against ordinary people. After a week of "therapy" from Vaatu, she realized she could not leave ordinary people to their fate. Soon, she began selling off the estates and restaurants belonging to her family. The money Suyen earned was to be invested in the new city in Yue Bay. She could clearly see that this place would become the center of the world in the not-too-distant future.

There were others whose difficult fates had pushed them into Vaatu's grasp. A boy in the Earth Kingdom, who had witnessed his entire family murdered before his eyes. The perpetrators had never been punished, as they were influential earthbenders in their city. A beautiful girl born in a brothel, who had known the dark side of humanity from a young age.

Vaatu's fragments rejoiced that people themselves created monsters. After all, many of his "charges" would have gone down the wrong path even without his "guidance."

*

*Main Base of the Order of the White Lotus. An unremarkable town in the Earth Kingdom.*

"Maybe this is for the best," sighed a sturdy-looking old man who, despite his considerable age, retained tight muscles.

Setting aside the fresh reports, he began to reflect. He liked where the world was heading. *Con-fed-er-a-tion*—what a word! But the essence of this new term explained it quite accurately. This year had been unusually good. Finally, they had rid themselves of the darkness that had plagued the Fire Nation for years. The Avatar had appeared. Alliances. Friendship.

He should be rejoicing, but he couldn't. Their brainchild, their organization, was being relentlessly suppressed. Pressure was coming from all nations—the Lotus was too powerful. He understood that no one wanted people loyal to anything other than the government on their territory... And even his people's assurances that they had joined the secret organization with pure intentions hadn't helped.

If he looked the facts in the eye, he had the means and resources to hide the most important part of their order. But people had come to them for an idea. And what could he tell them then? What enemy could there be when no large-scale war was being waged... He decided it wasn't worth distorting the White Lotus's core purpose.

"*Maybe it's time for us to reveal ourselves to the world...*" Fortunately, the other side wasn't opposed to such a development. Better to be visible—easier to keep an eye on.

Sighing again, he slowly picked up his quill. For a few more minutes, his gaze seemed to look into nothingness. Apparently having made up his mind, he swiftly and fluidly left his elaborate signature on the document. From now on, the peacekeeping organization White Lotus was no longer a secret. All its members were required to register.

*

*North Pole. Yuki.*

In the polar bearsdog enclosure, Kya and I, along with a couple of others, watched our little girl display some heroic strength. Hime lifted another of Balto's pups as if it were a feather. And they call *me* bad names! Now *that's* a real beast!

All would be well, but the girl isn't even a year old, and she's already running around on her own two feet. She even manages to chew through toys... Her teeth are coming in, so everything that catches her eye gets it.

We'd already be sounding the alarm, but no abnormalities have been found. She's simply outpacing her actual age due to her enormous reserve of life energy. Another little monster has been born. Ah, if only they'd given me more time... I'd have churned out as many kids as possible, ones who could take on Vaatu themselves. Why not? Celine, thanks to her open chakras, has already surpassed her mothers in strength. It's only a matter of time before she starts tossing them around. Now another anomaly is growing up...

Holding her burden firmly but carefully, Hime approached us. She stared at us with her big blue eyes. Just one look, and we already knew what she wanted. It's probably a special privilege of parents to understand their children not just from half a word, but from a glance.

"You can take it with you," I said, stroking her hair, which had already grown to her shoulders. "*Looks like Hime won't give me enough time for cuddles either,*" I sighed, mildly blaming my genes, which give my children extraordinary abilities.

Setting her burden on the floor, she wrapped her little body around my leg, expressing her joy. She can't speak yet, but she understands our words just fine.

"Let's go play with the animals," Kya said with a crooked smile, watching Hime and her new friend chase each other. You could say it was friendship at first sight. As soon as we approached the bearsdogs, Hime went up to one of them. The animal sniffed her thoroughly and then happily nuzzled her.

In general, bearsdogs have become an integral part of our people. Many families live alongside these fierce yet loyal creatures. Feeding them is tricky, but they provide nearly foolproof protection for children, decent transportation, and simply a friend whose fur you can stroke to relieve stress.