The Second Avatar

Chapter 11: Winds of Change

The battlefield lay quiet now, save for the groans of the wounded and the muted cries of the dying. The victorious Earth Kingdom guards worked tirelessly, lifting the injured onto makeshift stretchers and loading them onto carriages that had been brought in from the town. Fires burned low in the camp, their once-threatening glow now reduced to a dim, flickering reminder of the chaos that had unfolded just hours earlier.

A dozen or so waterbenders moved through the crowd, their hands glowing faintly with energy as they worked to stabilize the worst of the injured. Blood stained the ground, pooling in the cracks of the earth torn apart by Ru Tan's seismic destruction. The remaining bandits, bound and subdued, sat in sullen silence under heavy guard. Their defiance had been extinguished, and their gazes rarely left the frozen block of ice that encased their leader, Kiva.

Yogan lay propped against a sturdy tree trunk, his wounds bandaged but still raw. His head rested on the trunk as he stared at the darkening sky. Exhaustion tugged at his eyelids, but his mind was alive with questions he didn't yet have the energy to voice.

Ru Tan and Rilo stood nearby, their figures illuminated by the soft orange glow of the setting sun. Ru Tan, his now-trim frame clad in his loose-fitting robes, crossed his arms over his chest. His expression was a mixture of curiosity and concern as he turned to Rilo, who leaned against a broken boulder with his usual composed demeanor.

"You're quiet," Ru Tan said, breaking the silence.

Rilo glanced at him, his sharp eyes betraying a flicker of amusement. "I'm always quiet."

Ru Tan chuckled softly but didn't let the moment pass. "You've been watching him, haven't you? Yogan."

Rilo didn't answer immediately, his gaze shifting to the young airbender resting nearby. "He bent water," Rilo said finally, his tone calm but deliberate. "Raw and unpolished, sure, but it wasn't a trick. He bent it."

Ru Tan exhaled deeply, his expression clouding. "I saw it too. I haven't seen anything like it… not since the stories of the Great Warrior Wan."

Rilo's brows furrowed slightly. "Wan? The first and was the only person to bend all four elements."

Ru Tan nodded, his gaze distant. "Yes. Wan was the only human known to bend all four elements—air, water, earth, and fire. But he had some connections to the spirits. There were even rumours a powerful spirit was bonded to him. Although I never met him, it is hard to distinguish between truth and legend of his feats."

Rilo considered this for a moment, his fingers brushing absently against the hilt of his blade. "You're suggesting Yogan might be… like Wan?"

Ru Tan shrugged, his shoulders rising and falling heavily. "I don't know what I'm suggesting. But it's not natural. Airbenders don't bend water. They don't bend anything other than air."

Rilo turned his gaze back to Yogan, his sharp eyes studying the young monk's battered frame. "He doesn't seem to understand it either. When he used water earlier, it was almost… unconscious. Instinctive."

Ru Tan rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "That would explain the lack of control. His airbending is sharp, precise. But his waterbending? It was sloppy. Too much movement, too much wasted energy. Like someone wielding a weapon they've never held before."

Rilo tilted his head slightly, his gaze narrowing. "Do you think he knows what's happening to him?"

Ru Tan shook his head. "No. And that worries me. The connection between the elements isn't something that just… happens. If Yogan truly is like Wan, that means something or someone has awakened that connection in him."

Rilo's expression darkened. "Kezin."

Ru Tan turned to him sharply. "What do you mean?"

Rilo pushed off the boulder, crossing his arms as he began to pace. "Yogan's hatred for Kezin isn't just about betrayal. It's personal. Deep. The way he talks about him—it's like Kezin represents something much bigger. Something tied to whatever this is."

Ru Tan frowned. "What do you know about Kezin?"

"Enough to know he's dangerous," Rilo replied, his voice steady. "I've crossed paths with him before. He's cunning, manipulative. A waterbender with skill far beyond most. But there's something else—something darker. He's always been obsessed with spiritual artifacts, things tied to the old world of the Great Lion Turtles."

Ru Tan's eyes narrowed. "So you think Kezin is connected to Yogan's… abilities?"

"I think it's possible," Rilo admitted. "If Kezin was after an artifact tied to Wan, it could have awakened something in Yogan. Or maybe Yogan's connection to the Spirit World put him on Kezin's radar in the first place."

Ru Tan let out a heavy sigh, his expression troubled. "Spirits above, what a mess." He turned to look at Yogan again, his voice softening. "The boy's been through enough already. Almost losing his temple, his people… and now this."

Rilo nodded slowly. "He's strong, but this kind of burden could break anyone."

Ru Tan rubbed his temples, his frustration evident. "We need answers. But Kezin's out there, and Yogan's in no shape to keep chasing him. Not yet."

Rilo glanced back at the forest where Daiko had disappeared, his expression unreadable. "Kezin's not the type to stay in one place for long. If Yogan doesn't find him soon, someone else will."

Ru Tan straightened, his tone firm as he shifted topics. "For now, we focus on the wounded. We've won, but the cost has been high."

As if on cue, a group of guards approached, carrying Jian Lu on a stretcher. His leg was heavily bandaged, and his face was pale, but he managed a weak smile as Ru Tan approached.

"Still alive, old man?" Jian Lu asked, his voice hoarse but laced with humor.

"Barely," Ru Tan replied, his tone warm but weary. "You gave Sorin a fight to remember."

"And he gave me one hell of a headache," Jian Lu muttered, wincing as the stretcher jostled slightly.

Ru Tan turned to the healers nearby. "Get him and Chen to the carriages. We'll move as soon as everyone is stabilized."

The healers nodded, hurrying to obey. Ru Tan turned back to Rilo, his expression hardening. "Keep an eye on Yogan. If what we've seen today is just the beginning…" He let the sentence hang, the weight of his words sinking into the air around them.

Rilo gave a small nod, his sharp eyes flicking to Yogan. "I'll keep watch. For now, let's get back to town. We'll figure out what to do next once everyone's safe."

The two men stood In silence for a moment, the weight of their thoughts heavy between them. Around them, the remnants of the battlefield slowly came to life as the survivors worked to piece together what was left.

***

The Infirmary was quiet, the only sounds being the distant murmur of healers and the occasional shuffle of footsteps outside the room. Yogan blinked awake slowly, his vision blurry at first as he stared up at the wooden ceiling. The faint smell of herbs and salves lingered in the air, mingling with the faint scent of burning incense from somewhere nearby. He tried to sit up, but a sharp pain in his shoulder and thigh reminded him of the daggers Kiva had plunged into him.

He groaned softly, his body heavy and wrapped tightly in bandages. His right arm was bound to his chest, immobilized to protect his injured shoulder. His leg throbbed dully beneath the covers, the wound treated but far from healed.

Staring at the ceiling, Yogan's mind wandered to the events that had brought him here. The battle flashed through his thoughts: the chaos, the blood, the desperate clash with Kiva. But most of all, the memory of bending water for the first time lingered. He could still feel the raw, unpolished energy of it, the way it had obeyed him reluctantly, like a stubborn beast. It had worked, but it wasn't graceful or controlled—not like his airbending.

He frowned, his gaze distant. It had been a breakthrough, but it was far from the mastery he had hoped for. *Raava said I could bend all four elements,* he thought, her voice from that day in the Spirit World echoing in his mind. *Just like Wan before me.*

His thoughts drifted, unbidden, to Monk Nara. Her absence weighed on him like a stone, the unanswered questions gnawing at his heart. She wasn't with the bandits, so maybe she was with Kezin. The thought made his chest tighten with conflicting emotions.

*Should I be missing her as my master… or as my lover?*

He closed his eyes, a small sigh escaping his lips. In the end, it didn't matter. He missed her—her guidance, her wisdom, her touch. Her absence was a void he couldn't ignore, no matter how much he tried to focus on the fight ahead.

He opened his eyes again, his gaze hardening slightly. His thoughts returned to the waterbending. He had bent a second element—water. It was far from perfect, but it was a start. If Raava's words were true, this was just the beginning. He could bend air and water now, but fire and earth would come next. He could be like Wan, a bender of all four elements, the living embodiment of balance.

For the first time since the battle, Yogan felt a flicker of confidence. His path wasn't clear, but he felt the faintest spark of hope that he could live up to this supposed destiny. The legacy of Wan didn't feel so unreachable anymore.

His thoughts were interrupted by the sound of footsteps and the door creaking open. Jian Lu entered, limping slightly, his leg wrapped in bandages and his arm in a sling. His twin sons, Kail and Riko, followed closely behind, their identical faces bright with energy despite the long night.

"You're awake," Jian Lu said, a faint grin tugging at his lips as he walked over to Yogan's bedside.

Yogan managed a small smile. "I think so."

Jian Lu plopped down in a chair beside the bed with a groan, rubbing his bandaged leg. "You're not the only one feeling half-dead, kid. These two," he gestured to his sons, "have been at my side every five minutes since we got back."

"Because you're old," Kail said, crossing his arms with a smug grin.

"And slow," Riko added, mirroring his brother's stance.

"Old and slow, huh?" Jian Lu said, raising an eyebrow. "Funny, I don't remember either of you fighting off an eight-foot-tall brute with a club the size of a tree."

"We would have!" Kail protested, puffing out his chest.

"If we'd been there," Riko added quickly.

"But you weren't," Jian Lu said, his voice light with mockery. "You were too busy worrying about me to do anything else."

"We weren't *worried*," Kail said, his cheeks flushing.

"Not worried at all," Riko echoed, though his tone was less convincing.

Jian Lu chuckled, ruffling both their heads. "Yeah, sure. Not worried at all. Thanks, boys. For not worrying about me."

The twins looked at each other, then back at their father, before breaking into identical grins.

After a moment, Jian Lu turned his attention back to Yogan. "How's the shoulder? And the leg?"

Yogan shifted slightly, wincing at the dull ache in both. "Better. That waterbender girl who came by earlier helped."

Kail's eyes lit up. "You mean Rilo's girlfriend?"

Yogan blinked. "I… don't know about that."

"Oh, she's definitely his girlfriend," Kail said with confidence.

"And not just her," Riko chimed in. "Rilo's dating, like, ten other girls too."

Jian Lu sighed, rubbing his temples. "Riko, he's not dating ten girls."

"He is!" Riko insisted. "I've seen him kissing them!"

"And I've seen him, uh…" Kail hesitated, lowering his voice, "…*having sex with them.*"

Jian Lu let out an exasperated groan, dragging his hand down his face. "Spirits give me patience," he muttered. Taking a deep breath, he looked at his sons and spoke calmly. "Rilo is not dating ten girls. He's not having sex with all the women in the world. And you two need to stop eavesdropping on grown-up conversations."

Kail and Riko exchanged glances, then looked back at Jian Lu with sheepish grins.

"Got it, Dad," Kail said.

"Sure thing," Riko added.

Jian Lu shook his head, a faint smile breaking through his frustration. "Spirits help me, you two are going to drive me insane."

The twins laughed, their voices light and carefree, and Yogan found himself smiling despite the pain. For a brief moment, amidst the laughter and warmth of the room, the weight of the battle and his destiny felt just a little lighter.

The Infirmary hummed softly with the sounds of low voices and rustling movements as the night wore on. Yogan remained propped against his bed, his bandages tight and his body aching, but his mind refused to quiet. Jian Lu's presence, along with Kail and Riko's childish banter, had lightened the atmosphere, but now the weight of recent events settled heavily on his chest again.

Jian Lu broke the brief silence with a low chuckle. "Old Man Rekama was supposed to visit you," he said, leaning back in his chair, his slinged arm resting on his lap.

Yogan frowned, confused. "Rekama? What would he want with me?"

"That's the big question," Jian Lu admitted, scratching his bandaged jaw. "He didn't say much, just that he had something urgent to talk about. But as usual, the old man's gone off somewhere. Spirits only know when he'll show up again."

Kail, sitting cross-legged on the floor, chimed in with a grin. "Maybe he's off bending another mountain. You know, just to keep in shape."

"Or maybe he's napping," Riko added. "He looks like he naps a lot."

Jian Lu shot them both a look, though his smile softened the reprimand. "Enough about Rekama's naps. What do you think he wants with you, Yogan?"

Yogan shook his head, his brow furrowed. "I have no idea. Maybe something about the battle? Or…" He trailed off, his thoughts drifting to the waterbending incident. "Maybe he saw something during the fight."

"Maybe," Jian Lu said thoughtfully. He sat forward, resting his good arm on his knee. "Speaking of the fight, the guards are rounding up the bandits as we speak. Ru Tan's already sent a messenger to the capital, asking them to take custody of Kiva and her crew."

Yogan's interest piqued. "The capital?"

Kail leaned forward eagerly. "Xi Lian! It's the Earth Kingdom capital, just a few days northeast of here. It's not the biggest capital, but it's pretty impressive."

"Yeah," Riko added. "Lots of soldiers, lots of benders, and lots of food!"

Jian Lu chuckled at their enthusiasm. "They're not wrong," he said, turning to Yogan. "Xi Lian's one of the smaller Earth Kingdom capitals, located on the southern edge of the continent. But don't underestimate it—it's a hub of trade and power. Ever since the Great Lion Turtles stopped protecting humanity, mighty Earth Kingdoms have risen across the continent, and Xi Lian is one of them."

Yogan listened intently, the history fascinating despite his weariness. "I didn't know there were multiple Earth Kingdoms," he admitted.

Jian Lu nodded. "Oh, there are. The Earth Kingdoms outnumber the Water Tribes three to one. Of course, the Fire villages and Air villages but you guys have mostly kept to yoursel, but the Earth Kingdoms have dominated the land, the earthbenders are more ambitious. Xi Lian might not be the largest, but it's rich in history and influence."

Yogan exhaled softly, his gaze distant. "It's strange," he said quietly. "Living at the temple felt so… isolated. I didn't realize how big the world really was."

Before anyone could respond, a deep, gravelly voice broke through the air. "That's because you haven't seen enough of it yet."

All heads turned as Old Man Rekama entered the room. He was draped in dark brown and black robes, his face shadowed by the faint flicker of torchlight from the hallway. Despite his age, there was an undeniable strength to him, his posture straight and his presence commanding.

"Rekama," Jian Lu greeted, rising to his feet with a wince. "You're late."

"I'm always on time," Rekama replied, a faint smirk tugging at his lips. "It's the world that's early."

Jian Lu rolled his eyes but stepped aside, gesturing to Yogan. "We'll leave you two to talk. Come on, boys."

Kail and Riko hesitated for a moment, clearly curious about what Rekama had to say, but their father's stern gaze sent them scurrying out of the room.

"Goodnight, Yogan," Jian Lu said, his tone warm despite his limp as he left. "We'll check on you in the morning."

"Goodnight," Rekama added, his deep voice resonating softly.

Once the door clicked shut, Yogan sat up slightly, wincing at the sharp pain in his shoulder. "What's going on, Rekama?"

The old man stepped closer, and for the first time, Yogan felt a shift in the air around him. It was subtle but powerful, an aura of ancient energy that seemed to emanate from Rekama as he stood over the bed.

"I came to talk to you about Monk Nara," Rekama said, his tone calm but heavy with meaning.

Yogan's breath caught. "Nara? Is she—"

"She's not captured," Rekama interrupted, his voice firm. "But she won't be coming back for you. Not yet."

Yogan's brow furrowed, confusion and frustration flashing across his face. "What are you talking about? Why not?"

Rekama sighed, his gaze steady. "She spoke to me about your destiny, Yogan. You're the reincarnation of Wan, the vessel of Raava. Like Wan before you, your path is to see the world, to learn and grow. She cannot be your crutch as you do this."

"She's not a crutch!" Yogan argued, his voice rising. "I need her—not just as my lover, but as my master. My airbending training isn't complete!"

Rekama's expression softened slightly, but his voice remained resolute. "This is part of your training too. Nara has taught you most of what you need to know. But to reach the next level, you must grow as a person. You must find your own way, Yogan."

Yogan shook his head, his frustration boiling over. "She's abandoning me! Why would she—"

"She's not abandoning you," Rekama said, his voice cutting through Yogan's protests. "This won't be forever. But to become the person you're meant to be, to embrace the legacy of Wan, you need to let go of the life you had at the temple. You need to let go of Nara, of Kezin, of Renji. Nara and I will take care of them. You need to focus on yourself now."

Yogan stared at him, his heart pounding. The words hit like a blow, leaving him breathless and disoriented. As Rekama turned to leave, Yogan managed to whisper, "Why me? What did I do to deserve this?"

Rekama paused at the door, glancing back with a faint, knowing smile. "It's not about what you did, Yogan. It's about who you are."

And with that, he was gone, leaving Yogan alone with his thoughts. Tears welled in Yogan's eyes, and despite his attempts to hold them back, they spilled over. He pressed his palms to his face, his shoulders shaking as he questioned everything.

A knock at the door jolted him, and he hastily wiped his eyes. "Come in," he called, his voice strained.

Rilo stepped inside, his expression calm but perceptive as he took in Yogan's red-rimmed eyes. "How are you doing?" he asked, his voice quiet.

Yogan sniffed, shaking his head. "It doesn't matter."

Rilo didn't press further, though his gaze lingered. He leaned against the doorframe, his tone light. "I came to see if you'd join me."

Yogan blinked, confused. "Join you? Where?"

Rilo straightened, his sharp eyes gleaming faintly. "I'm leaving the continent. Heading back to a Southern Water Tribe."

Yogan hesitated, unsure of what to say. "Why would I go with you?"

Rilo paused for a moment, his voice measured. "Because it's also Kezin's hometown."

Yogan's eyes widened in shock, his breath catching. "Kezin's from the same Southern Water Tribe?"

Rilo nodded. "That's right. And… I can also teach you waterbending."

The offer hung in the air, heavy with implication. Yogan's thoughts raced, Rekama's words and Raava's prophecy clashing in his mind. The winds of change were blowing, and Yogan realized, perhaps for the first time, that Nara was right.

To carve his own path, he needed to leave behind the life he had known. This was the beginning of something new.

And so, with a heavy heart but a growing resolve, Yogan made his choice.

[A/N: Can't wait to see what happens next? Get exclusive early access on patreon.com/saiyanprincenovels. If you enjoyed this chapter and want to see more, don't forget to drop a power stone! Your support helps this story reach more readers!]