Book 1 Chapter 3: Glistening Eyes of Beauty
Character: Ryan Gaia (Orion)
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-Sparring Square- 3 weeks later
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"Yaaah!!!! Aaaaah!!!!!!!" The clings and echoes of our cries caused birds to temporarily leave their nest and fly into the sky. "You have come a long way from your skills as a warrior. You still have only two flaws. One you can't keep your focus separate from your wants. Two you still haven't mastered your individual ultimate technique. You can get you sphere up to speed but you have no aim. Separate your focus from your wants and you'll find the dead on accuracy that you need." He sounded wise but I learned from my training with him that he was a little carefree and yet somehow stern. For three straight weeks I had camped out on that sparring square with Sokka learning all I could. A day passed. Two days passed. Four days passed and training went on. On the last day of week three of my training, Sokka approached me and said "There is a festival at the shrine and I have-" "I thought it was a palace..." I sneered out an interruption, yet he continued calmly "Whatever you call it there is a festival there and I have invited you. We'll make our way there now so you can get cleaned up and get ready for the ceremonies tonight. Sound good?" "Sure, what is this festival for?" "We are going to celebrate the day the Phoenix King fell at the hands of my good friend Aang. You should know him." "I've heard about him but never met him or studied him or anything....." "Your very strange for who you are." We stood there in silence because he knows I hated people telling me who I am. I am who I choose to be. I broke the silence with a sharp remark "May we leave now, I need a long shower, to relax my muscles" "and get rid of the stank" he lively jolted back. We both laughed.
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-Kyoshi Temple/Shrine/Palace/Place Where They Practice Kung Fu-
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I soaked in the water of a tub that was to small for me so my legs were scrunched up. After nearly 4 weeks of non-stop training my body was sore and smelled like a dieing animal. I got very ugly faces when Master Sokka and I walked in the palace. I finally got out and put a robe on and then proceeded to get dressed. I raised my hand and rose the Earth out of the ground forcing 4 girls wearing the Kyoshi make up in my closet peering at me while I soaked. I squinted at them and they squinted at me for a while. "Are you going to leave? I have to get dressed." I said coldly. "Sorry we don't get to see men in this place often, in fact Sokka and now you are the only two males in history to be trained in the Kyoshi manner. I looked at the girl whose was second from the left. She had rare eyes. Eyes that were grey, blue, green, and a fiery outerlaying. "Greystone. You, you have greystone eyes. They are the most beautiful eyes that I have ever seen." Even with all the make-up on I could see her blush. "Would you care to be my date at the festival tonight?" I asked impulsively. "I'm sorry but I already have a date. Maybe we could hang out at the main party though?" she looked at me back in my eyes and she stuttered "You have......too?" "Yes." I said as I returned back to my cold and unyielding personality. "Have a nice day and I bended the door open for them to leave. They basically had to drag girl second to the left and I felt that feeling of hesitation and curiosity through her feet.
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-The Main Outside Lobby-
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I walked up to Master Sokka bowing and taking a seat off to the side with the crowd as the fireworks went off. An announcer lady screamed out of nowhere "And presenting head of the Kysohi forces, only daughter of Legendary Sukki and Master Sokka, Suta-Shutaru!!!!" I clapped as she took a seat by my current Master and began a conversation with her father. "Finally it is with my great honor to present the current Avatar: Avatar Aang and his beautiful wife Katara!!!!!!! I stare everywhere and the crowd is going insane. I smile and he looks straight at me in the eyes and I look back at him. They took a seat next to Sokka. Music started to play and music was served, different little festivities were happening at different corners of the palace. As I walked around getting my way back at Sokka's side requesting permission to train I am aggravated by the fact that half the people here are people I asked for directions. I finally make it up to the booth and they are laughing about something clumsy that Sokka had done and heard Sokka say "Zuko couldn't make it tonight because he is with his son celebrating in the fire nation, but he will stop by tomorrow to be picking up a certain item that he requested from the shop. So how are you and my little sister doing?" As soon as I heard that last comment I nearly fell to the floor, Master Sokka, clumsy, lazy, yet skilled and witty was brother in-law to the Avatar???? Man. That's a big surprise. As I approached, Suta-Shutaru gazed into my eyes as she was getting up as well. I recognized her immediately. She was second to the left. She smiled and bowed in respect. So the daughter of my Master was one of the perverts in my bedroom? That's just creepy but in a good way. I'll ask to dance with her after I request it from Sokka. "Ahh, this is him. The one I was telling you about. He shows great promise if he'd learn to loosen up a bit." They laughed and I nodded Sokka to the side. "Do you mind if I dance with your daughter sir?" I asked casually. He squinted at me like he was about to hit me. Then he spoke "If it's ok with him then it's ok with me." I walked towards her and so was her date. He was a massive guy with his friends tagging along with their dates that I recognized as the other girls. He said "Who's this guy Shutaru?" "He's just a friend Argo." "A friend huh? What's your business here friend?" He looked at me long and hard and then I cracked back "I wanted to dance with Shutaru." Not the right thing to say. "That's it "friend" your going down. I challenge you to a duel winner gets the rest of the night with Shutaru." I realized instantly that no music was playing, everyone is staring at me and walking muscle bulge over here. "Let's make this a little more interesting. Your friends are also Earthbenders, correct Argo? All of you against Orion, if you win you get to marry Shutaru, if you lose you never speak to her again. Sound ok?" proclaimed Sokka. I immediately rushed to Sokka's side "You planned this you piece of work you......You don't like him and you knew he would challenge me to a duel....grrr." "You can do it Orion, just go a little easy on them will you?" As I walked away I heard him say to Aang "This'll prove it watch him." The crowd separated as my five opponents started chucking rocks at me. I easily dodged them not yet revealing that I am also an Earthbender. Finally I dove to the right, grabbed some ground, and chucked it at the chin of the guy on the far right. We started an amazing duel of Earthbending, however about 10 minutes into the duel they finally circled me and lifted rocks. "This is it, "friend" your dead." I turned around in what appeared to be slow motion and nodded for the ok from Sokka, he nodded back. With the utmost strain and confidence I created a sphere of rotating rocks and lifted them off of the ground. While hovering I danced on the rocks and created spikes. I didn't want to have to do this but with my pin point accuracy I got to injure them so they will give up and if that didn't work I knew what they fear. I spun faster and faster in the air, creating the Earth 15 feet below me start to swirl. Then I flexed my eyes to create a sink whole down to their waists. I was suddenly knocked on the ground by Sokka. "No, they are not worth it Orion, but focus like this is what you need, releasing the spike at accuracy would make you a master at this technique and we'll finish that tomorrow morning before you head out." "Head out, Sokka?" "Yes you are finished with everything that we can teach you here, tomorrow is your day of destiny. Sokka shouted "THE WINNER IS ORION!" Argo and his group started to complain how they were about to make a come back. "No, you would have been dead if Sokka hadn't stepped in." Surprisingly the Avatar spoke out. "Orion won this match right after you challenged him. He, like his mother, can see into your feeling and emotions. Including your fears. Orion show the audience what you were planning next." I swirled up the ground and made the Sea Urchin that lived in the bay outside and a scream of shock was let out by the crowd, not because of the beast, but because of the sheer size at which I had conjured it. Even the Avatar seemed semi impressed. I re-bended the figure back into the ground and left. I went back to my room. My mind was racing. How did the Avatar know my mother? How come she never wanted me to know? Do I not just remember? I took off the cloak on top to reveal that I was wearing a very nice dress garb. "You didn't have to do that for me you know." Whispered a voice in a dark corner. "That was very stupid and ignorant for you to do that," I looked down, one of the few girls that I felt for probably now hated me, "but very sweet. We only met today yet you would fight just for one night with me." I smiled and conversed back "I was planning longer than that but according to Master Sokka I am leaving tomorrow to continue my journey." I sat there and described what has happened to me and what I'm doing. "That's a very sad story and my heart mourns for you and your family. Are you doing this all alone?" I nodded with a yes. "I'll be glad to go with you if you'd like." "What about your duties as a Kyoshi leader?" "Right now our mission was to train you so carrying on as your master to make sure you don't lose your muster is part of the job." I gave an ignorant laugh "Hmm, sure, you're sure you just don't want to spy on me in the tub again?" Once again, not right thing to say. She retorted immediately and headed for the door, but I grabbed her hand and said "I would love to have your company on my journey." I had never met this girl, or her father, yet I felt the closest bond with her. I had dated plenty of girls in Ba Sing Se, but she was something else.
