The Call For a Master

Darkness covered the landscape around the Northern Water Tribe. Out in the tundra beyond, arctic winds whipped up, sending snow spiralling around in the half-light of the night. A lone figure moved in the wasteland, snow gathering around his thin body. On and on he fought against the torrential winds as they whipped at his face, leaving behind tiny cuts and indents that stung with a familiar pain.

But he didn’t stop. He continued his trek with his goal dead set in his mind – not that it was apparent to anybody who saw him. To them he was going off into nowhere on a fool’s quest to find nothing.

And then, he came upon it.

A slab rested upon the ground, with carving written upon it by Nelekar’s own hand. Carving that he had written oh so long ago, yet it seemed like only yesterday. The day that his Mother died.

The memories came back in a flash – first his father’s expedition, and then his foolish errand resulting in only death. And then the most important event there – his realisation of the Avatar state. The sign that he was the next in the cycle of balance, the cycle of the Avatar.

And, with that thought in his mind, he turned heel and headed back to the Northern Water Tribe.

----

As Nelekar stepped out into the wide open plaza within the Water Tribe, heads began to turn. Words were muttered as he walked through the crowds, and several cheers erupted from around him. He may be the avatar, but he was in no fit state to keep balance at the minute. But that was all soon to change.

Nelekar ignored the crowds around him and kept walking until he found himself outside a large building with big oak doors – a brass knocker rested against it, far higher than Nelekar could reach. Sighing, he brought his arm up in a wide arc, dragging a small clump of ice with it. He rose it slowly until it was level with the knocker, before thrusting it forwards.

As ice hit brass, a resounding sound echoed out through the town – the call had been placed. The call that all students had to make at least once in their lives.

The call for a master.

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Would anybody like to instruct the Avatar in Waterbending?

OOC If its ok with everyone else, I'd like to apply Kaedar to be his water bending teacher. Kaedar is a water bending prodigy and master, so I don't see any issues from my point of view.

OOC: If you want to do the training then just post rather than making OOC posts.

OOC yes but we'd have to show how Nelekar comes to having Kaedar as his teacher.

OOC: Just follow on from my post, introduce Kaedar to the situation... I called out for a Master, let Kaedar answer the call. Imagine you're actually there - you couldn't metagame your way into a situation.

Kaedar's eye's narrowed. His thought process began again quickly. "Aged hair shows experience yet form shows arrogenence. Opponent will attempt to surround, cut off supply with ice slash at earliest convience. Will then attempt wild snow thrust, employ ice shield. Daze enemy with blinding snow attack to eyes. Finish with snow spiral to abdomen." Within mere seconds, the old Water bending master had done exactly as Kaedaer had predicted, and within mere seconds more a large concentrated spiral of snow had thrown the master out of the building and crashing through the walls and into the plaza outside. Two other masters quickly reconstructed the wall with their bending, and Kaedar received a light appluase. The other masters expected this much, many paid little attention. This was the fourth master to challenge Kaedar today,, and Kaedar merely went to his lone table in the corner and crossed his arms as he sank down. While two more masters began to challenge eachother. However, Kaedar mrely watched from the distance, observing their every move....

Nelekar heard a crashing from nearby, and his ears perked up. Something was happening nearby - and he had a mighty good idea of what it was. He jumped up to his feet from where he had been sitting, and his head darted left and right.

"Now, where are you..."

Another crash indicated the direction, and Nelekar was off. He jogged round the building that he stood by until he found a side door, through which he entered.

A gasp escaped his lips at what he saw. Two waterbending masters were fighting it out, neither budging to the other's strength. Each performed such advanced moves that Nelekar was taken aback - not only by their strength, but by their finesse and control. He grinned as he watched the back and forth between them, but his eyes widened as a stray ice spear shot towards him.

Acting on instinct, he brought his arm up in a wide arc, causing the ice to fly off into the ceiling, sticking there with such velocity that a crack appeared in the ice roof. The battling masters froze and stared at him, and Nelekar lowered his gaze, staring at his feet.

"I rung the bell..." Nelekar said, his face turning red. Gaining a moment of courage, he put his head up and smiled. "I'm the Avatar - I'm here for Waterbending training?"

The old men stopped what they were doing. Many smiles grew upon them, and their arrogence grew even more. A burly man, huge and muscular, moved ahead of the other masters with ease. His voice was deep, manly, and filled with vanity. As he flexed his oversized muscles he began to speak in a booming voice, "I am the greatest Waterbender of the Northern Water Tribe. Im sure youve heard of me. Who hasnt? And i just want to say it would be my pleasure to have you as my student, you must be in awe arent you?" A skinny and boney man laughed at his counterpart. He spoke with condesation and amusement, "Ha! Kaesuu, you didnt even last a minute with Kaedar. At least I managed to hit him, you fell flat on your face before you even began to bend. Not that any of us are surprised, you bragged so much about your "superior skills to that of a child" (he said while making quotation symbols with his fingers) that you left yourself completely defenseless." Many of the other old men chuckled at this. Kaesuu felt a moment of embarassment and began to nod. He quickly threw a punch towards the skinny elder, and the weekly man went flying across the room. The boney man hastefully rose to his feet and his temper was clearly shown. The skinny man began to waterbend a wave of crushing snow towards the cocky brute. Immediatly, both men were constricted by a wall of ice. A stern individual in a simple blue robe stepped forward. The entire room fell silent. The individual smiled, and he spoke in a calm, collected, and warming tone, "Greetings avatar. I am but the humble master of this establishment. Might i say that it is a great honor that i welcome you here today. Please, forgive my.....associates for their behavior (the man frowned sourly at the two, but turned his attention once more to the young avatar). Now then, how may i aid you young avatar?" The man raised an eyebrow and waited for a response.

The Avatar bowed to the Master, his eyes filled with reverance. As he rose back to his full height, a smile was on his face.

"I wish to take the trials, Master. The true test of Waterbending ability - I want to become a Master," Nelekar said, and instantly regretted it. He was so young - how would the masters here accept him? He may have bending ability, but he was nothing compared to them... Or was he?

If his training at the Western Water Temple had taught him one thing, it was to never underestimate a foe. He quickly sized up the masters in front of him, gauging them for strengths and weaknesses. Physical strength was generally lacking in Waterbenders, but one Master seemed to have a lot of it. In reflection, his counterpart had less than average - a puny man, but Nelekar could sense the spiritual strength rising off him.

"I-If you would accept me, that is! I know I have much to learn, but is experience not the most important factor to bending? Is time not the best teacher?" Nelekar said, bowing once more. He wouldn't leave here without becoming a Master - that he promised himself.

The humble individual smiled happily, and bowed gently. Then he said in a warm tone once more, "Im sorry my friend, but i merely light the way to others now. Come come, let us decide who shall take you as their apprentice. Remember, the bond between master and apprentice is not only one that lasts with the many years of training and hardship, but the years that follow as well." The other masters quickly fell into a single file line. The Burly and Skinny men were the first two at the front of the line, while Kaedar was one of the last. Kaedar, for the while time, was merely reading and writing in his journal, ignoring the idiotic masters. Kaedar sighed when he rose, but he did as the elder told him. The time of choosing was about to begin.....