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Emerald Dragon chapter 24
🕑 Added 2021-09-19 21:06:59 +0000 UTCChapter 24 -
"Harry," Aang said as the group walked next to a lake that they had come across in the forest that they were traveling through. "are you sure I can't convince you to teach me firebending?" Harry let out a heavy sigh as he stopped, causing the others to stop as well. Harry turned to the lake and with a bit of waterbending, shot some water up into the air, with the water came a big fish that Harry caught by the tail before using it to slap Sokka across the face before he tossed it back into the water with a quick apology.
"Ask again, and then next time that will be you," Harry warned Aang before he continued walking.
"Why wasn't it him this time?!" A red-faced Sokka demanded as he rubbed his cheek, he and the others followed after Harry.
"Because it's funnier when it happens to you," Harry answered honestly. "now shut up, Aang," Harry said, rolling his eye before the gang continued walking. Aang muttered a little but otherwise stayed quiet as they continued walking for another twenty minutes or so. "Oh fuck off," Harry said suddenly as he stopped waking without warning, causing the others to stop.
"What is it?" Katara asked. Harry didn't immediately answer, his gaze flickered all around before he turned to the others.
"I'm just going to go have a wazz." Harry distractedly replied before he went into the forest.
"A what?" Aang blinked.
"I'm having a piss!" Harry called back before disappearing from the gang's view.
"Oh," Aang said in understanding.
"I've got to ask, why was I hit by the fish?" Sokka complained, apparently still not over it.
"Because of hilarity?" Katara guessed with a shrug. "Maybe the fact that you keep calling firebending jerkbending, maybe the fact that you annoy Harry, maybe the fact that you snore very loudly, maybe the..."
"Okay, I get it!" Sokka cut her off. "I...I'm not that bad, am I?"
"CRAP!" A new voice was suddenly heard.
All heads turned to see Harry and a new person fall out of a tree, the new person quickly rushed to a standing position while Harry easily kipped up to his feet.
"You've been following us, why?" Harry asked, adopting a fighting stance. The gang, while not entirely sure about what was going on, also backed Harry up and quickly moved into their own fighting stances. The new person, dressed entirely in black, was quickly able to realize that he was outnumbered and outmatched.
"I...I don't mean any of you any harm." The man began quickly, raising his hands in surrender after pulling down his mask and hood. "Honestly!"
"Then why are you following us?" Harry asked calmly, prepared to fight at a moment's notice.
"I...I know who you all are," The man gulped. "you...you're the Emerald Dragon, and you...you're the Avatar." He said, pointing to Aang.
"Um...yeah, who are you?" Aang asked.
"I...I'm Chey," He answered, his gaze flickered to Harry for a second before he continued speaking. "I'm a former member of the Fire Nation."
"You..." Whatever Sokka was about to say was cut off by a dope slap on the back of his head by Katara.
"Just stopping you from saying something that will lead to you getting slapped by another fish." She whispered to him when he looked at her.
"What do you want?" Harry asked, ignoring the Water Tribe siblings.
"I serve a man. More than a man really, he's a myth, but he's real, a living legend, Jeong Jeong the Deserter. He was a Fire Nation general, or wait, was he an admiral?" He frowned.
"He was an admiral and you know Jeong Jeong?!" Harry blinked.
"Who the hell is Jeong Jeong?" Sokka asked.
"He's a legend," Harry grinned. "he was a great admiral, but then one day he left. He defected from the military and just upped and left the Fire Nation."
"So?" Katara asked.
"You don't just leave the military and the Fire Nation, not alive anyway," Harry explained. "once you're in, you stay in. He's the first-ever to make it out alive."
"And I'm the second!" Chey added proudly. "Jeong-Jeong helped me leave! Thought...unfortunately, you don't become a legend for being the second person to leave." He added, noticeably disappointed.
"Yeah, we get it, you're like Buzz Aldrin." Harry nodded thoughtfully.
"Who?" Chey blinked, the others looking just as confused.
"Never mind," Harry shook his head slightly, realizing that he had said that last part out loud. "go on with whatever you were saying."
"Um...yeah, anyway, I know who you are. You escaped the Fire Nation as well...after me...but you're still more famous than me." He pouted for a moment before continuing. "Anyway, Jeong-Jeong is a Fire Nation legend and a genius firebender."
"A genius firebender that doesn't work for the Fire Lord?" Aang asked interestedly.
"I can see the cogs turning in your head, baldy." Harry glared at Aang, correctly guessing that Aang was still not over his idea about learning firebending.
"We're not going out of our way to find a crazy, old firebender." Sokka butted in.
"He's not crazy!" Chey replied, sounding incredibly offended. "He's a living legend! And he's the perfect person to train the Avatar! That's why I followed you, I want to lead you to him."
"No, no, and no." Harry shook his head. "Look, I'm all for meeting Jeong Jeong and all, but we don't have time for this."
"Why not?!" Aang whined. "I could learn firebending!"
"I already said that I will teach you firebending." Harry sighed.
"Yeah, but you said you won't until later, I want to learn now!" Aang protested.
"And I want an Avatar with hair! We can't get everything we want."
"Please, come on, Harry, let's just meet him!" Aang begged. "What's the harm?"
"You should come and see him, please," Chey spoke up. "he's a master firebender, he might even be able to teach you some things." He added to Harry.
"I'll teach you some things in a sec, mate, butt out," Hary told him.
"Harry," Katara spoke up. "I don't see any harm in letting Aang at least meet him. Besides, this guy could end up being helpful." Harry snapped his head towards her and was about to respond but paused, truthfully he wanted to meet Jeong Jeong himself, and the man's own actions had affected Harry greatly. Plus, he seemingly wasn't getting through to Aang, maybe Jeong Jeong could.
"Fine," Harry sighed, knowing that this would probably backfire in some way.. "but we're stopping by a lake on the way there," Harry told Aang when he saw the young Avatar's face light up with a smile.
"Huh, why?" Aang asked.
"Because this time it'll be you," Harry answered.
"Yes!" Sokka grinned.
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The group, including an Avatar with one side of his face being much redder than the other, followed Chey for several minutes before arriving at a settlement where they were immediately greeted surrounded by men wearing straw hats, light armor, wearing tribal makeup, and wielding spears.
"Fucking Potter luck," Harry said under his breath.
"Why have you brought these people here?!" The apparent leader demanded to know.
"Peace, Lin Yee, it's alright." Chey's voice was so calm that you wouldn't be surprised for believing that he wasn't standing in front of a bunch of guys with spears. "I've brought them here to see..."
"You know that he doesn't wish to be disturbed!" Lin Yee cut him off. "You shouldn't have brought them here."
"Yeah, what's wrong with you?" Harry agreed with an amused smirk on his face.
"This is the Avatar and..."
"We know!" Lin yee cut Chey off before huffing in an unamused voice. He looked to the other tribesmen and gestured them to lower their weapons. "Follow." He said before walking off.
"He's quite rude," Sokka whispered to the others as they followed until they were on top of a hill, they looked down and saw a small little cottage.
"The legendary Jeong Jeong lives here?" Katara asked.
"Go, you may meet if he wished to see you." Lin Yee responded. "You two only." He added, pointing to Harry and Aang.
"Is he expecting us?" Harry asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Yes, he was aware the second you all entered the forest." Lin Yee smirked.
"Cool, let's go." Aang said enthusiastically before rushing off to the cottage, Harry shook his head slightly before following after him.
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Harry and Aang entered Jeong Jeong's cottage and found the man sat down in the middle of the otherwise empty building, he was sat cross-legged, surrounded by a small army of lit-up candles. As soon as they entered Jeong Jeong looked up at them, allowing them a good look at his scarred face and white hair.
"Hi!" Aang said cheerfully, waving at him.
"Master Jeong Jeong." Harry respectfully bowed. "It is an honor to meet you."
"Oh..um, yes, it's an honor." Aang quickly agreed, bowing with Harry. "I am..."
"I know who you are," Jeong Jeong cut him off. "I know who both of you are."
"I'd be surprised if you didn't," Harry admitted. "I..."
"Why have you come here?" Jeong Jeong asked impatiently.
"Master, I need to learn firebending," Aang answered. "I was hoping that you could teach me."
"Only a fool seeks his own destruction. Why would you ask to learn firebending when you haven't mastered the other elements?" Jeong Jeong asked.
"I...what? How did you know?!" A surprised Aang gaped at him.
"Everything from your posture to the way you talk lets me know." Jeong Jeong answered. "You are not ready."
"But Master, please, it's my destiny to..."
"Destiny?" Jeong Jeong scoffed derisively. "What would you know about destiny? What would a boy know about destiny? If a fish lives its whole life in this river, does he know the river's destiny? No! Only that it runs on and on out of his control! He may follow where it flows, but he cannot see the end. He cannot imagine the ocean." Harry smirked and leaned over so his mouth was next to Aang's ear.
"Got told," Harry whispered before pulling away.
"Besides, if you want a firebending teacher then why not ask him?" Jeong Jeong gestured to Harry. "The 'Emerald Dragon' is surely competent enough to teach you what you need to know."
"He won't teach me." Aang pouted.
"And why not?"
"Yeah, Aang, why not?" Harry asked with a smile on his face, clearly enjoying this.
"He...he says that I'm not ready. Because I haven't mastered the other elements." Aang mumbled.
"Yeah, I remember saying that like it was less than an hour ago." Harry helpfully commented. "Hey, Aang, when did I say that?" He asked innocently. Aang didn't even glance towards Harry and simply ignored his comment.
"Anyway, it's my duty to master all of the bending disciplines."
"To master the bending disciplines, you must first master discipline itself. But you have no interest in this, so I have no interest in you!" Jeong Jeong spat out angrily. "Now, get out!" He barked.
"Please, I have to learn. This could be my only chance!" Aang begged.
"No!" Jeong Jeong shouted angrily. "Are you deaf?1 How can I teach you if you refuse to listen?! Before learning firebending you must learn water and earth. Water is cool and soothing, earth is steady and stable, but fire... fire is alive! It breathes, it grows. Without the bender, a rock will not throw itself! But fire will spread and destroy everything in its path if one does not have the will to control it! That is its destiny! You are not ready! You are too weak!"
The words had barely left his mouth when the flames of the candles shot up into the air, illuminating the whole hut before everything sunk into darkness. A second later light returned, one candle was lit in front of Jeong Jeong, a tree just behind him, and standing in front of him was none other than Avatar Roku who was standing where Aang had been. Roku was standing tall with his long white beard and hair, he stared down at Jeong Jeong with an unimpressed look.
"You believe me to be weak?" Avatar Roku asked, his voice piercing through the air.
"No! No! Of course not!" Jeong Jeong quickly backtracked his anger vanishing, it had quickly been replaced with a healthy dose of fear. "I did not mean that! I..."
"I have mastered the elements a thousand times in a thousand lifetimes. Now, I must do it once again. You will teach the Avatar firebending." Avatar Roku ordered, Jeong Jeong bowed his head, about to speak when Harry cut in.
"No." Both men turned to face him, having apparently forgotten that he was there.
"What?" Avatar Roku asked in a cold voice.
"Look, he's twelve years old and not ready, he'll hurt himself or someone else...maybe both!" Harry exclaimed. "Let him master the other elements first, just like you did, it'll be far more beneficial in..."
"I have already made up my mind." Avatar Roku cut him off before turning to Jeong Jeong. "Do it." He ordered.
"I...I will teach you." Jeong Jeong sighed just before the room returned to normal, revealing Aang.
"Really?!" Aang grinned so hard that it looked like his face would split.
"Oh fuck my life." Jeong Jeong and Harry muttered at the same time.
Comments
Christian Jeffress
Awesome! Thanks for another excellent and enjoyable chapter 😁👍
Erinnyes
*retrieves popcorn* well this should be good!
