Smoke and fire. It was something of a norm for the villagers of Jang Hui. Unlike before, however, the fire was not one of pain and suffering but one of liberation. A divine judgment bestowed by the heavens.
The day their worries went up in flames. Rainbow Fire Day.
...
Avatar - The Last Airbender was certainly one of the greatest animated series and TV show to date. Whether it was the unique background and lore, or the cast and their development, it was ranked among the top.
Even though Cain had a fair share of ideas and plans as to what course would best suit his needs, he still took time to organize his memories, go over his plans, and expect any variables that might spring up.
The thing about plans was to never expect them to go without any hitch. Expecting so was nothing but arrogance by the narrow-minded and ignorance of the inexperienced. Cain didn't believe that he could just make a grand plan and reach the peak with just a single leap.
His thoughts were simple: this world was nascent and currently in turmoil. War was terrible, but it was also a precursor to growth, where personal power held more significance than an army of thousands.
And he was strong.
A veteran combatant who could stand shoulder to shoulder with many great figures of this world. Despite this, he wasn't complacent. While he might hold great power in his palms, his mind was still human, and the idea of growth never grew stale. There was so much he could learn and explore in this world, and it excited him.
With his talents supported by his peak human body and his perfect recall and Login-fueled comprehension, he could certainly hone his skills in both combat and strategy. But he needed time and guidance. First on his list was to learn to use his chi for more than just for life-energy sensing.
With the Chi Mastery perk, his Chakras were all open and overflowing with Chi, or cosmic energy.
It was about time he started his journey.
...
With the destruction of the factory, the Fire Nation Army stationed had no choice but to leave this place. Even if they came back in the future, it would take years to build a factory at such a scale. While the cause would be investigated, no one would suspect one soldier who was suffering from amnesia.
Cain had felt a little bad for giving him such a treatment, but then again, the man was no different from the rest who watched little kids fall ill and die all due to their desire to wage war.
Early in the morning, he was resting in his hammock. In his hand, swirling flames of multiple colors rotated in a display of beautiful skill.
In the show, Dancing Dragon was a firebending art used by those who learned it from the Dragons. They had to complete the ritual by presenting a piece of Eternal Flame to the masters, and if deemed worthy, they would pass on the secrets of art.
At first, Cain thought that he would've to do the same. But then he recalled that memory. While watching it as a show, it had been nothing more than fairy dust to his eyes, but when looked from the perspective of a Firebender, it was so much more.
Logic was such a neat trait to have. To be one of the smartest people in the modern world was by no means something to be swept aside. Having such a comprehensive ability, combine that with his Chi mastery and Combat Bender, and you are not looking at some abstract painting but a revelation, a truth of the world laid bare before you.
When Cain first saw, no, remembered those rainbow flames; he could see the essence of the spirit, the flames of the soul. Chi was overflowing within that masterful display of art, and he finally understood why dragons were original Firebenders.
Still, the display at the factory had exhausted him. It took too much Chi to raze a factory to the ground all by himself. Being an Avatar, a true blue spirit with the connection to the unlimited reserves of cosmic energy from the spirit world really hammered in the fact as to why guy glow-eye was so overpowered.
Cain sighed and put his feet on the floor. He still had much to progress, but at least the quest was close to completion.
He left his home and welcomed the touch of warm sunlight on his skin. A gentle breeze blew in his face, only carrying the smell of chemical waste from the lake but lacking the ever-present traces of smoke. He smiled.
He could see people mile about, busily carrying tasks of cleaning the river. But unlike before, where a grim shadow hovered over them, he could see relief and thankfulness in their eyes.
He walked up to the dock, where a number of boats were carrying loads of seaweed alongside trash. Unfortunately, they had no Waterbender to call upon; otherwise, the task itself could've been reduced to a day's worth of labor instead of a week-long process. But honestly, people were just happy that they were finally regaining a semblance of hope and clarity.
"Hey Xu, need some help." Cain called while waving his hand.
Xu, who was in the process of ferrying his boat, heard the call and turned around to look at the young man. He waved back and said, "These old bones will certainly appreciate it."
Cain smiled and took a net with him as he waited for Xu to arrive near him before boarding the boat.
"Alright, let's get to cleaning."
...
The end of the year was approaching, and Cain looked through a map that sat on his table.
Year 98—Year of the Horse was not note-worthy in any way. He had half the thought to just go wake up Aang and kick-start the plot. But Cain shook his head as he remembered that, while this might be the world of Avatar: The Last Airbender, that didn't mean he had to follow the plot or anything. The most important thing was to do what he desired to do, for the sake of growth and enjoyment rather than playing the protagonist in some fantasy.
Instead of following the plot, he will travel the world, learn and enjoy himself. Maybe do some casual heroing while on the way.
Having decided on his course of action, Cain picked a location to travel. Since he no need to pack, he changed into a simple wear and left his home. Looking one last time, he wondered whether he would return to this place in his life. Sighing he turned to leave.
Cain had no great attachments to the people of this village, so while he felt a bit nervous for his travels, it was more anxiety of the future rather than any guilt or sadness.
He bid Xu his goodbye as the man dropped him off at the shore to Fire Nation Bazaar. Watching the man row back to his village, he felt both warmth and anticipation. One day.
...
Gaipan was small village in the Earth Kingdom, which was captured and made into an military outpost by the Fire Kingdom. It was known to produce great lumber and had a rather small population.
From Cain's prespective, it might be the smallest village in the entire world. It barely housed a hundred or so people. And it was also quite far away.
As a Fire Nation citizen however, Cain need not hide from others or disguise himself. Using some of the stolen money from the Army Factory, he purchase a small boat and enough dry rations to last a few months.
It was travel by, and he had no great flying beast, so he would make do.
Once on the water, he looked at the bundle of a great number of books he had purchased. Since the journey was going to be long, he might as well spend time increasing his knowledge. Along the way, he could also hone his skills and practice firebending freely.
His main goal was the Spirit Library, and to get there, he needed to pass through a few villages. By his estimation, he should arrive in Gaipan right before the year 98. By late winter, he would finally find this library.
...
Over the days, Cain devoted his wholehearted attention to honing his skills and increasing his knowledge. He would wake up first thing in the morning and start practicing any moves he recalled from the franchise. He even started to try to learn the art of lightning redirection, which was actually a Waterbending art that dealt with the flow of energy.
He would meditate first and then start the process of growing his Chi by focusing on the flow of the world and spirit underneath. While results were apparent even after the first try, the truth was that he had barely even touched on his spirituality.
Then he would focus on reading history and whatever he could. He learned of Sozin's comet and the 600-day-long siege of Ba Sing Se. He focused on the history and traditions of other nations, and while sparse, over the years the Fire Nation had gathered quite the amount of relevant knowledge on other nations.
Cain would learn their culture and mannerism and understand their history, and he would find the process rather joyful. A serendipitous moment.