Tanza 6 years old, 14 BG
The roaring wind hissed against the thick fur of Juun, Master Kelsang's massive sky bison, as he glided steadily across the open ocean. Sitting comfortably right up on Juun's head between his large horns, Kelsang kept her hands loose on the leather reins, letting her great beast catch the warm air currents rising from the dark, endless waters far below.
As per the custom of the name itself, her master would be taking her around to study as an air-nomad; to learn the world over, while studying her lessons, to give her a wider grasp of other cultures and enrich her mind of other perspectives. The kind of think you'd expect from a monk culture.
Tucked safely back into the wide leather saddle on Juun's back, six-year-old Tanza sat perfectly comfortable, completely unbothered by the bumps and shakes of the long flight. Her lap was flat, serving as a steady desk for the leather scroll-case Kelsang had handed her at the start of their journey. Unrolling the heavy paper to study the drawings for her upcoming tiers of airbending, Tanza examined the sketched lines and foot placements with deep, quiet focus.
By looking closely at the angles of the arms and how the muscles needed to move, Tanza could practice the forms perfectly inside her own mind before she ever tried them on the ground. She was checking off her goals one by one, moving ahead of schedule through pure, hard work and careful study.
Though while she was studying the forms to her mind, a sudden heavy tilt of the saddle caused Tanza to pause from her reading, and look over from the side of the saddle.
Flying right alongside them was her own skybison calf, Hachi,
The messy, shaggy young bison was working as hard as his small body would allow to keep up with the giant adult. Hachi's six small legs were tucked tight against his belly to help him cut through the wind, and his broad flat tail flapped up and down to push him though the thick, misty clouds rolling below them. He was panting heavily, his tongue stocking out just a bit, but his dark eyes stayed locked onto the older bison, matching her movements step for step.
Tanza smiled a bit, and gave a nod, and returned to her studies. It was good he was mentally pushing himself to catch up, 'He doesn't want to give up, or complains even when the going gets tough.' Hachi was willing to prove himself as a reliable companion.
Up on Juun's head, Kelsang glanced back over her shoulder at the saddle, a warm smile graced her lips before she stared back ahead. Her student was indeed very thorough in her studies, and she was curious how quick she'll learn the rest of her tiers.
After a while longer, Tanza eventually tucked her scrolls away. A warm smell began to mix with the salty ocean breeze, quickly catching Tanza's attention. She steadily crawled to the front of the saddle to see where they were headed. Her master had mentioned that their first stop would be an island of the Fire Nation, piquing her curiosity about the culture and the people of the firebenders .
Before long, while looking past Juun's saddle, fur, and massive head, she saw dark, jagged volcanic peaks rising in the distance. They were finally approaching Shuhon Island.
Even from the air, Tanza's sharp eyes noticed that the waters around the main continent were completely empty of foreign trade ships, yet these outer islands were absolutely bustling. Thick black smoke rose from the brick chimneys of North Chung-Ling, signaling a heavy wave of production that caused a wave of caution to rise in Tanza's mind. It was highly suspicious.
No trade ships with the mainland, but the outer islands maintained a bustling trade? Coinciding that with Avatar Roku's advanced age made her deeply uneasy. She had never forgotten learning about the current Avatar, and she fully understood the massive deterrent and diplomatic tool that was the Avatar's role in global security.
As Juun and Hachi began their final descent toward the landing platforms of the harbor, Tanza tightened the strap of her pack. They were about to step foot into a nation that was quietly preparing for something big. She could only hope it was just the mainland isolating itself while keeping the rest of the world at arm's length via its outer islands. After all, much of this island's buildings matched very well with the traditional culture of Japan.
It was a very interesting similarity, she had to admit. If anything, perhaps she was just being paranoid. Could the Fire Nation simply be experiencing its own internal turmoil as Avatar Roku reached his advanced age?
Again though, that was likely wishful thinking. She had a strong hunch that the Fire Nation was actually waiting for Avatar Roku's declining health and advanced age to launch an invasion against the Earth Kingdom.
Whichever the case turned out to be, Tanza reasoned she should be fine.
After all, it wasn't as if they could mount a worldwide, multi-front war. Attempting to conquer the entire globe at once would be a catastrophic nightmare in terms of logistics and attrition numbers. No rational military command would ever attempt it.
With those thoughts settling into her mind, the heavy, rhythmic thud-thud-thud of coal-fired steam engines echoed through the stone foundations of the North Chung-Ling harbor as Juun and Hachi touched down.
The air down here was a thick, heavy mixture of salty sea mist, pungent sulfur, and the oily tang of black coal smoke blowing from a dozen brick smokestacks. It was a massive contrast to the clean, crisp, alpine air of the Western Air Temple.
Looking out from the high wooden landing platform, Tanza took in her first comprehensive look at the Fire Nation's maritime infrastructure.
The architecture of the port was imposing and sharply angled, built from dark volcanic stone and reinforced with heavy iron braces to withstand both tectonic tremors and rough ocean waves.
The buildings featured steep, tiered roofs covered in dark charcoal tiles, their corners flaring upward in elegant, aggressive curves that closely mirrored the traditional castle towns of feudal Japan.
Bright crimson banners embroidered with the stylized, flame-like emblem of the Fire Nation draped down the stone facades, snapping violently in the coastal wind.
Down along the stone piers, the ships of this era were a fascinating marvel of early industrial design. They weren't the colossal, fully armored ironclad warships of the modern era, but rather transitional vessels. Massive wood-and-iron hybrid merchant ships and naval cutters rocked against the wooden pilings.
Their hulls were crafted from thick, dark cedar wood, but their bows and waterlines were heavily plated in riveted black iron armor. Instead of traditional sails, many of these ships sported squat, iron smokestacks that belched thick rings of soot into the sky, their massive paddle-wheels churning the dark harbor water into white froth.
The crowd moving through the docks was a dense, highly disciplined sea of people. Nearly everyone wore practical, multi-layered robes and tunics dyed in deep shades of crimson, maroon, and burnt orange, trimmed with dark ash-grey borders.
The local sailors and dockworkers were rough-looking, sun-bronzed men with their hair pulled up into strict, traditional topknots secured by simple metal bands or pins. They moved with an intense, purposeful urgency, hauling heavy crates of sulfurous coal, dried fish, and iron ore off the ships.
Interspersed among the laborers were naval guards patrolling the elevated walkways. They wore rigid, lacquered red leather chest pieces and pointed helmets that shadowed their faces, their hands resting firmly on the hilts of curved broadswords sheathed at their hips.
Even the civilians walked with a distinct, military-like posture, shoulders back, steps synchronized, and faces neutral. There was an undercurrent of intense national pride and order that permeated the entire port.
Tanza adjusted the strap of her pack, her sharp eyes taking mental inventory of the entire harbor layout. While the sheer amount of iron production and coal storage confirmed her dark suspicions about a looming military buildup, she couldn't help but admire the flawless logistical organization of the port. Every crate was cataloged, every guard was alert, and every ship moved on a strict schedule.
"Quite a difference from home, isn't it?" Master Kelsang remarked softly, stepping down from Juun's head and offering Tanza a look, to which Tanza nodded as she saw the stark difference of the entire island to her home back at the monastery.
While she stood, her bright yellow and orange robes caught the wind, immediately standing out against the dark, iron-grey tone of the harbor. Taking the effort to leapt with some grace, and landing with a cushion of airbending, she joined her master; the young Hachi let out a low rumbling snort, his large ears twitched nervously as let out a huff.
"Hmm…" Kelsang made a small frown, her own eyes surveyed the ongoings of the people, "Come, we need to secure the bisons at the harbor stables and find a place to rest for a bit, but leave soon…"
Tanza nodded in agreement, as she saw what Kelsang saw as well, especially from the naval guards patrolling the elevated walkway right above their landing strip.
The guards had stopped in their tracks. Their hands rested heavily on the hilts of the curved broadswords at their hips, and their eyes were locked onto Kelsang. Even through the shadows of their pointed, lacquered red helmets, Tanza could feel the cold, sharp glare directed at them. It wasn't just a look of suspicion, it was a quiet, deeply rooted animosity.
Looking further down the stone pier, Tanza noticed a senior harbor official holding a wooden ledger. The man had stopped writing entirely. He glared at Kelsang's robes, his jaw tightening as he spat a dark glob of chewing tobacco onto the stone flagstones right near Juun's front paw, before turning his back on them with a harsh, deliberate scoff.
To the ordinary eye, the monks were peaceful guests. But Tanza's sharp mind knew the purpose of the cold reception from the soldiers, especially after the brief history lesson from Kelsang on the ride here.
The 'Guiding Wind' faction from forty years ago was the reason these people were giving her and Kelsang such hostile reactions. Those radical airbenders had deeply embarrassed the Fire Nation crown, and it was clear this country had a very long memory.
'They haven't forgotten, and they certainly haven't forgiven…" Tanza mused, keeping a calm face while Kelsang palmed her shoulder in comfort. 'The Fire Lord is keeping his outer borders open for trade, but his military is being conditioned to view us as hostile targets… not good at all…'
Before they could even take a step toward the harbor gates, however, the senior official with the wooden ledger turned back around. He locked his jaw, adjusted the dark sash of his uniform, and marched directly down the stone pier toward them. Two of the armored naval guards stepped down from the elevated walkway, their boots clicking sharply against the stone as they fell into lockstep behind him.
He pointed at them with his charcoal pencil. "Hold it right there, monks, not a step further!" The harbor master called out, his voice rough and strict, with an underlining tone of deep resentment.
"This port is currently under strict review for the upcoming festival. All landing slips are reserved for licensed domestic merchant vessels and military transports!" He steadily narrowed his eyes as he approached them, the guards flanking his sides. "I'm going to have to ask you to take your beasts and clear the platform!" He ordered.
Kelsang frowned a bit in concern, subtly moving Tanza behind her as her student gave the other men cautious looks. The young nun took a step forward, keeping her posture relaxed and nonthreatening. With a firm but humble tone, she spoke, "Sir, we have traveled a great distance from the Western Temple. We won't be long. We ask for at least an hour to give my student's bison a break, as he is entirely exhausted from the flight," she reasoned with the man.
Tanza, though, kept her attention on the way the guards tightened their fists. There was indeed a bitter resentment left over from decades ago, something only time would heal.
But the harbor master did not even look at Hachi. He simply scoffed. After tapping his ledger with his charcoal pencil, he spoke again, "The regulations are clear, Nun. The outer islands are for trade, not for vagrant airbenders to quarter their livestock." He shook his pencil at them. "I'll give you one hour to restock your water skins and clear this space, or my guards will have to assist in removing you and your beasts from my harbor!"
The guards behind him shifted their weight, their hands loosening the safety straps on the hilts of their broadswords. Tanza mentally remarked that while these people did indeed share some Japanese cultural similarities, she had yet to see a single katana on them, just those heavy, curved broadswords.
The harbor master left without another word, and though the guards cast lingering gazes on them, they too eventually returned to their posts. Tanza's thoughts drifted back to their situation. 'An unprovoked eviction… based on prejudice, I can safely assume…' This was an inevitable conflict based on what she had learned.
Though her master was right to stick to her doctrine of pacifism, getting into a pointless fight would only get them kicked off the island or worse. 'But she's right, Hachi's stamina needs recovery…' She glanced back to see her aforementioned bison, who was still looking incredibly tired from the long trip. 'If we are forced back into the sky, we'd have to try and encourage Juun to carry the young one in the saddle with me…"
Not to say that would be a bad thing, but they desperately needed to restock and let their bisons rest on solid ground for at least thirty minutes to an hour.
But before either of them moved to enter the market to restock, the heavy rumble of a massive creature sliced through the air, drowning out the steady thud-thud-thud of the coal engines.
Tanza's bare skin instantly registered a massive, violent shift in the low-pressure wind currents above the pier. It wasn't the broad, heavy displacement of a flying bison. This was something sleeker, faster, and packed with immense power.
Every single dockworker, sailor, and armored naval guard stopped what they were doing and looked up at the sky. A wave of profound awe and hushed reverence swept across the crowded stone platforms as a brilliant flash of crimson cut through the heavy black smoke of the harbor.
Swooping down from the volcanic cliffs of Shuhon Island was a magnificent, long-bodied red dragon. Its massive, leathery wings beat with a powerful rhythm, sending strong gusts of warm wind rippling across the water and rustling Tanza's linen robes. Riding smoothly upon the majestic creature's back was an elderly man dressed in fine, high-quality crimson robes with subtle gold embroidery along the cuffs. He had long, silk-white hair and a neatly trimmed white beard that fluttered in the coastal gale.
With effortless grace, the red dragon glided down toward the large, open-air harbor platform specifically reserved for giant air creatures like dragons and sky bisons. The beast landed with a light, fluid touch on its sharp claws, its long tail curling elegantly behind it as it let out a soft, low hiss that sent a wave of heat rolling across the stone pier.
The very same harbor master who had just aggressively threatened Kelsang and Tanza instantly dropped his ledger. He rushed toward the newly arrived dragon rider, his face pale with sudden nervousness.
Tanza stayed perfectly still, but her curious eyes stayed on the newcomer. He looked quite noble, given how he was dressed, and the fact that he rode a dragon had to mean he possessed a massive status symbol or mastery. Though, if she hadn't already been familiar with flying bisons, she was sure she'd be far more surprised to see a dragon.
The salty sea breeze swept across the bustling harbor as the old man slowly stepped off his dragon, who helped by ducking low enough for him to reach the ground with nary a trouble.
Meanwhile, a sharp, synchronized snap echoed through the docks. The harbor guards, and even the harbor master, stepped forward in perfect unison. With rigid precision, every guard brought their right hand up in front of their chest, curling it into a tight, vertical fist. Simultaneously, their left hand snapped flat, palm pressing down onto the top of their fist, with their fingers pointing sharply upward toward the sky. They bent at the waist in a deep, formal angle, holding the flame-shaped salute in absolute silence.
Tanza quickly noticed her master offering her own form of respect via the traditional airbender monk style. Kelsang's left arm was folded neatly behind her back, while her right hand was held vertically in front of her face as she leaned into a respectful bow.
Catching on immediately that this man had to be Avatar Roku for even Kelsang to bow like that, Tanza mirrored her master's actions flawlessly. She was standing directly in the presence of the world's ultimate military deterrent, and he was quite old, as well.
Avatar Roku
He returned the harbor guards' rigid, flame-shaped salutes with a slow, gentle nod, waving his hand to signal them to rise. The harbor master straightened up immediately, his face completely pale as he clutched his wooden ledger against his chest, sweating profusely under his heavy uniform.
"A-Avatar Roku," the harbor master stammered, his previous arrogant posture completely vanishing. "We... we did not expect your arrival today, Lord Avatar. Had we known, a proper naval escort would have been prepared-"
With a hand raised from Roku, "There is no need for such formalities, Harbor Master," Roku interrupted softly, his voice calm, deep, and carrying the natural warmth of a grandfather. He offered a reassuring smile, though his wise eyes briefly scanned the tense faces of the guards. "I merely sailed over from my island to visit the local Fire Sages at the temple up the ridge. A simple, personal visit. There is no need to disrupt the port's schedule on my account."
As Roku spoke, his gaze drifted past the official's shoulder, his eyes lighting up with genuine surprise and pleasure as they landed on the bright yellow and orange robes of Kelsang and Tanza.
The harbor master noticed the Avatar's gaze and swallowed hard, realizing he had just spent the last five minutes trying to aggressively evict two peaceful citizens of the Air Temples right in front of the world's highest diplomat.
Roku bypassed the trembling official entirely, stepping toward the two airbenders. Seeing their traditional clothes immediately warmed his heart, bringing back fond, distant memories of his youth spent training at the Southern Temple alongside his old friend, Gyatso. Dropping the formal protocols of his own nation, Roku folded his left arm behind his back and brought his right hand up vertically in front of his face, executing a flawless, highly respectful Air Nomad bow.
"Greetings, Sister Monks," Roku said warmly, his eyes crinkling with kindness as he looked at Kelsang, then down at Tanza. "It is a rare and wonderful pleasure to see the children of the wind so far from the mountain temples."
Kelsang bowed deeply in return, a visible wave of relief washing over her shoulders. "The honor is entirely ours, Lord Avatar. I am Master Kelsang, and this is my acolyte, Tanza."
Roku smiled kindly as the young girl rose from her own bow. He was deeply struck by her incredible poise. Unlike normal children who would be trembling in fear or babbling at the sight of a massive red dragon, Tanza stood with absolute, unshakable calmness. Looking down into her wide, dark eyes, he saw a look of pure, curious wonder, the perfect, innocent expression of a child completely awed by a living legend.
Yet, beneath that wondrous stare, Roku sensed a brilliant, quiet focus that felt far beyond her years. She didn't look away or shrink back under his gaze; she stood perfectly straight, observing his posture and his face with an intensity that showed a rare, deep respect for his authority. He could see that she truly understood the immense gravity of the position he held.
As his wise eyes lingered on the young girl, a sense of profound peace washed over the old Avatar. He knew the resentment from the 'Guiding Wind' faction still ran deep among some of his people, but he wished for nothing less than absolute peace between his nation and the airbenders.
Roku straightened up, turning a calm but firm gaze back toward the trembling harbor master. "Harbor Master, it seems Master Kelsang and her acolyte have traveled a great distance, and their young bison is in dire need of rest. Please ensure their beasts are given the finest stables and provisions our port can offer. I shall be taking personal responsibility for our guests during their stay."
"O-Of course, Lord Avatar! Immediately!" the official stammered, bowing so low his nose nearly touched his wooden ledger as he scrambled away to bark orders at the guards.
Roku turned back to Kelsang and Tanza, his grandfatherly smile returning. "If you are not in a great rush, I would be deeply honored if you would walk with me up the ridge to visit the local fire monks. The path is scenic, and I am certain the sages would welcome the chance to share a warm pot of tea and stories of the temples with fellow spiritual travelers."
Kelsang blinked in surprise, her eyes widening slightly at the immense hospitality being offered by the Avatar himself. She glanced down at Tanza, then gave a respectful, happy bow. "We would be honored to join you, Lord Avatar. A walk is exactly what we need after such a long flight."
Beside her, Tanza maintained her brilliant mask of innocent, wide-eyed wonder, nodding politely as she fell into step beside the global legend.
As the small group began their slow walk up the stone ridge, away from the smoky, whispering docks, Roku looked down at the tiny girl walking beside him with such measured, dignified steps. He felt a quiet warmth in his chest, completely unaware that beneath her childish smile, Tanza's mind was abuzz with thoughts running a mile a minute.