GUARDIAN | ATLA [01]

1.02

Nera stiffened at the physical contact, before softening. Her arms remained hung at her sides, but it didn't seem to damper Aang's high spirits. "Aang." She replied. "Where're you going?"

By this time, a girl who looked to be Nera's age had come over, obviously following Aang. Katara watched the interaction, wary of the girl.

Nera kept her eyes on the boy wanting to know just what trouble he wanted to cause.

"Penguin sledding?" Aang said hopefully, and seeing the look on her face, he pressed his hands together. "Pleeease?"

Nera took a minute, then giving in she finally replied, "Fine." Aang flew off the ground with a cheer before she brought him back down to Earth. "But you can't go alone."

"I won't be alone. I'm going with Katara." He said, his spirits undampered.

"Can I Gran Gran?" said Katara spoke at the moment.

Now all eyes fell to the elder, two hopeful gazes, the other handing over the decision to the one with more knowledge.

"Very well. Be back before supper." The elder said.

"Alright! Come on Katara!" Aang said, pulling her towards the penguin he'd spotted.

As Katara was pulled along, her eyes briefly met those of the girl in the iceberg and a jolt was sent down her spine by the intense stare in her stormy eyes. The girl's eyes displayed the millions of battles strategies and tactics that were formulating inside her mind, like a hurricane of thoughts.

She seemed so gentle and peaceful when she was asleep. Now she was fierce and warlike.

Sokka may have been wrong about Aang, but this girl? Katara wouldn't be too surprised if she was a threat to the village.

Nera watched the two leave, reluctant to let Aang go off with no other supervision, but she needed him doing something while she talked to the elder of the village. After all, a bored Aang was way more creatively destructive when it came to finding entertainment.

Breaking her from her train of thought, the woman spoke, "Care for some tea?"

•••

Nera's cup remained untouched on the table as she processed just what she'd been told.

A hundred years?

"Yes. It seems you've woken in the midst of a war." The elder said, and Nera realized she'd spoken aloud.

"And the Air Nomads, they haven't been heard from..., Gran Gran?" Nera asked.

It was strange to call the one with the most wisdom, the one she held most respect for, by a name so...colloquial.

"They haven't reached out in a hundred years. No word has been received from them so they were presumed-"

"Extinct." Nera said, a nauseating pit churning in her stomach.

Gran Gran paused for a moment, almost forgetting that she was speaking with a child. "Yes, yes I'm afraid so." She said with a sigh.

Nera's knuckles were nearly white from how hard her hands were clenched. "But there's still a chance that they're in hiding correct? That they're still alive out there?" Nera asked, desperation tinging her voice. The emotion barely registered in her mind as she waited with bated breath for a reply.

Nera may not have heard it in her own voice, but Gran Gran did.

"Nothing can be said until someone finds them, but...be skeptical of placing all your faith into chance." The elder said carefully.

Nera blinked, and became aware of herself. She shook herself of her brief dip into her emotions, brought herself back to her mind. "Right. Thank you."

"Now drink your tea. It will help replenish your energy." Gran Gran said, changing the topic.

Nera brought the cup to her lips, discreetly sniffing out any alarming scents. When she found none, she sipped the tea, letting it enter her system.

"I have one more question, regarding your arrival here." Gran Gran said, and Nera looked up, her eyes telling the elder to continue. "What did you leave the air temples in pursuit of? Or...running away from?"

Lightning cracked across the violet thundering skies, illuminating the hand reaching out towards her through the heavy rain.

"Are you coming?" Aang asked, and for once he didn't appear to be smiling.

The cup nearly slipped right out of Nera's hands, the tea sloshing dangerously close to the rim of the cup. "I-I don't think that-"

The sound of a distant flare echoed from outside the snow structure they were in, causing the two to meet eyes, and duck out of the room.

In the sky, a bright red signal flare flew down towards the ground, and dread filled Nera's stomach when she realized it was the direction Aang had gone.

Creatively destructive, she thought.

A/N I know I didn't make no promises or anything like that but I still feel really bad for not updating. I just lost what had for this book for a bit, but I got my mojo back I think and I'm ready to keep writing. I also didn't realize people actually like the book. That's wild to me. So um, comment what you thought. I fully welcome constructive criticism. Is the character annoying? Do you feel like she's only processing stuff, not doing stuff? Tell me please, I really want to know. It helps me write. Thank you for your time.