The Tienhai Mountains. Night. Yakon.
Not only was the city bustling with life at such a late hour, but unprecedented activity was also unfolding within the mountains. Vast and lengthy tunnels had beco the new ho for an organization not yet ready to reveal itself to the world.
"Tunnel number twenty-two has collapsed—no casualties," another report was added to the growing stack of reviewed docunts. "There's no escaping paperwork..." Yakon shook his head, flexing his joints and muscles using his life energy. It's worth noting that even now, he wore his mask, though it didn't seem to hinder him in the slightest.
The latest docunt detailed expenses. Building an entire base inside a mountain had cost a fortune, especially since everything had to be done in strict secrecy. The number of earthbenders in their organization could be counted on one hand. Of course, there were more, but excluding the riffraff and bandits who might run to the police, only a handful of trusted individuals remained. They had to rely on Xuin Su's connections, who managed to purchase drills and other materials through proxies. As a result, the stashes of many criminal groups, as well as the businesswoman's own substantial accounts, had been significantly depleted. Fortunately, there were still enough funds for provisions.
Hearing a sharp knock on the iron door, he paused his thoughts:
"Co in, Lieutenant," a man entered, his back straight, clad in a form-fitting protective suit. His eyes, hidden behind green goggles, regarded the world sternly. The only notable feature was his long, drooping mustache.
Yakon's visitor was the first trusted individual from whom he didn't sense a familial bond. With Xuin Su, for so reason, he was one hundred percent certain she was "one of his own." Gaining entry into his inner circle was incredibly difficult, but this man had earned his trust. The body's reactions rarely lie, and thanks to blood magic, Yakon knew the Lieutenant genuinely shared his ideals. When he joined the Equalists, the Lieutenant had left his past behind, even abandoning his own na.
"I think it won't be long before I can appoint him as my right-hand man..." Yakon thought, glancing at the desk piled high with reports. And there would be even more allies and tasks demanding his attention.
"Here's a list of entrepreneurs and inventors we're extrely interested in," the Lieutenant handed him another paper.
"So of them are definitely out—they're too close to heads of state," Yakon quickly scanned the list, imdiately crossing off half the nas.
"The rest are unlikely to be eager to work with us either," the Lieutenant reasoned calmly.
"We can always nudge them toward the right decision," Yakon smiled. "An attack on the family of so unknown benders, turning the victim into a fierce hater of all gifted..." His mind already began calculating future actions. "How's the training of the recruits going?"
"They're not much yet," the man shook his head. "I think we'll see the first results in two or three weeks."
"I want to watch their training," Yakon stood from his desk, transforming into Amon as he stepped through the doorway. His real na was known only to the organization's pillars—its founders—and the Lieutenant. The latter had never been overly talkative, always sticking to the point.
The corridors were lit by dim lamps, and trash lay on the floor, waiting to be cleaned up. Overall, it looked eerie, almost villainous, prompting a small half-smile on Amon's lips. To most of the world, they would indeed beco villains...
After seven minutes of silent movent through the base, they arrived in one of the largest rooms.
"Ha!" exclamations from the trainees echoed.
"Non-benders," Amon thought to himself, noting their mistakes.
To even the odds against benders, they needed the most advanced weapons and equipnt. Take, for example, the electric batons the Lieutenant wielded masterfully. The invention would wait years before law enforcent was equipped with them—bureaucracy and safety checks slowed everything down. Perhaps not without reason, as a slight increase in electrical power could result in a well-roasted body.
Second, but no less important, was physical training, which could also include martial arts. Weaknesses had to be covered by weapons and armor, while strengths should beco... even stronger.
Amon had gone to great lengths to find the right martial arts master, and it was even harder to "infect" him with his ideas. But looking at the future full-fledged cells of their organization, he knew the effort had been worth it. The chi-blocking technique had been tested on his own body... And even he couldn't bend for a few seconds. His other associates remained incapacitated even longer. As far as he understood, it all ca down to life energy, which helped him restore his power flow more quickly.
The master used only two fingers to pierce chi even through light armor. His new students would have to rely on their fists for years, as the chance of hitting the right point increased significantly.
It was unknown if they could learn the next level of mastery—paralyzing strikes. Ironically, blocking bending abilities was easier than paralyzing muscles.
"I hope they'll manage..." Amon knew that Tienhai's police and army included not only benders but also a large number of ordinary people. For the latter, chi-blocking would do nothing. "I should also dedicate ti to training."
*
Nomi Village. Yo.
Two months after the first breach between worlds, I was delighted to hear about the discovery of the first airbender. The adult man turned out to be a resident of one of Tienhai's "feeding" settlents. The relatively small farming village of Nomi supplied nearly twenty percent of the rice consud annually in Tienhai.
Without hesitation, I contacted Aang to personally witness the ergence of the first airbender. An hour later, we approached the settlent.
"Descending, Appa," Aang's voice was filled with excitent. From our height, the village was clearly visible, nestled in a ring of low mountains. The slopes of the nearby hills had been transford into terraces where rice was grown. Tiny figures of people worked there now.
Landing in the village center and causing a commotion, we imdiately began asking about the man who had awakened his gift. The right house was a bit farther from the main buildings.
"Don't barge in without knocking," I pulled Aang back as he intended to simply burst in. He's supposedly an adult, but still no brains...
"Sorry, sorry, I'm just too excited," the Avatar admitted awkwardly, using airbending to tidy his clothes.
Apparently, our conversation was too loud, as the door soon opened. A middle-aged man, slightly shorter than average with a small belly, stood on the threshold, staring at us—two strangers—with a tense question in his eyes. The tension was understandable; the village was small, and its residents were unlikely accustod to seeing unfamiliar faces. Especially when one of them, with an overly cheerful smile, looked at you—an ordinary farr—and the other's sheer physique inspired a sense of caution—that's .
"W-what do you need?" he asked, barely stumbling.
"We need you!" Aang pointed at him, causing our interlocutor to quickly lose color.
"What a guy you are... Aang," I muttered, finding no other words.
"We're airbenders," I began softly, pushing Aang behind —knowing him, he'd pull so stunt. "Apologies for the sudden visit, but the matter of new airbenders is truly important to us. Could you let us in? We'll discuss everything there..."
"Alright," the man replied, still eyeing Aang warily.
The interior of the house was... average, which couldn't help but please . It ant our efforts with Lao hadn't been in vain. Just five years ago, farming was considered the most unprofitable occupation. Maybe that's why there was such a tendency toward banditry and piracy—families had to be fed sohow.
Apparently, the family was preparing for lunch; the slls in the house were quite appetizing. And so it was. In the spacious kitchen-dining area, the rest of the family awaited. The man's wife was a lovely woman who had retained her beauty despite giving birth to three children. Beside her sat the youngest—a boy of about two years old. Next was the middle son, and at the end of the table was a girl who promised to grow into a real beauty.
"Dear, we have guests," the wife had already seen us, but the awkward silence needed smoothing... "Well, let's introduce ourselves first. I'm Kuon..." the children continued for him, followed by Kuon's wife's voice.
"I'm Yo—an airbender, and this is Aang, the current Avatar," only after these words did Kuon stop eyeing Aang warily.
Fifteen minutes were entirely devoted to the al. And I must say, it had been a while since I'd eaten such holy and cozy food. All of Wan and Roku's als took place in palaces, prepared by famous chefs. I'll admit, it's delicious there, but there's nothing personal or familiar about it. Here, the mother had cooked for her children, sharing her love. Yuki sotis gets such als, after all, her mother and Kaya are nearby, but not as often as she'd like. I'm an average cook, and despite much practice, my skill remains at the level of "edible, won't poison you." Gaia and Dria simply don't need food, and Celine and Shika can do without it too. Shika just enjoys trying different flavors; once I caught her eating super-spicy peppers... Her main food supplier is her older sister.
"Please show us your bending," Aang asked more calmly once tea was served.
"I'll try," Kuon replied uncertainly. Closing his eyes, he began to focus. After a few seconds, a small breeze swirled around him.
"Great!" Aang practically jumped up from the table, his movent breaking Kuon's concentration. The breeze knocked over the Avatar's tea cup onto his leg... "Ouch, hot, hot!" Aang began to dance comically, eliciting unanimous childhood laughter.
"So, what's this about?" Kuon asked.
"Airbenders are critically few, so we're glad for every new brother. Don't you want to learn to command one of the elents?"
After exchanging glances with his wife, Kuon finally answered:
"Honestly, I like everything in my life as it is, and training will take ti—I have a family..."
"We understand," I said, covering Aang's mouth with my hand first—knowing him, he'd say sothing else. "Then let us check your children; maybe so of them are future benders."
"No problem," he agreed imdiately, not intending to close new doors for his children. Glancing sternly at Aang, he made it clear that self-control was necessary.
While I examined Kuon's children, Aang whispered sothing to Kuon, well aware of my excellent hearing... or had he forgotten about it already?
"All three are airbenders!" I exclaid to myself. If not for future breakthroughs, his children would have discovered their gift in adulthood. Now, it would awaken in them in two, maybe three years.
"Mr. Kuon, I have good news for you," I couldn't ignore this. "There's a special fund called 'Air Revival.' Following it, every airbender receives a certain sum of money every three months, free of charge. The amount is quite good. In your case, you can safely multiply this amount by four, since all your children are future airbenders!" Aang was the happiest, while Kuon's family still didn't realize what a windfall they'd received.
"Are there any requirents?" Kuon was quite perceptive.
"Yes, the main condition is airbending training. No matter what talent you have, you must dedicate at least a few hours a week to mastering it. Initially, Aang and I will visit you to lay the foundation, so you can progress on your own later. Take your ti; tomorrow, you'll receive a copy of the docunt to read every clause yourself."
"Most likely, Kuon won't beco a master, but his children have every chance of becoming full-fledged Air Nomads," what luck—the man definitely had airbending ancestors.
"Think it over carefully. With the money you'll receive, you can hire new workers; they'll handle all the physical labor. You can spend your free ti with your family," a hit! Kuon's wife clearly liked the last words.
"We'll bring the docunts ourselves tomorrow," Aang added quickly.
We left with small gifts; Kuon's wife noticed how eagerly I ate...
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