Chapter 18: Beneath the Stars
The soft crackle of the campfire filled the late evening air, a gentle warmth against the coolness of the night. The sky above was a tapestry of stars, each one twinkling like a distant flame, adding to the serene atmosphere of the open field where Yogan and Monk Nara had set up camp. Baiya, their trusty flying bison, lay peacefully nearby, his gentle breaths a comforting sound amid the quiet.
Yogan sat slumped on a log, utterly exhausted from the day's grueling training. His muscles ached in places he didn't know could ache, and every breath felt like a reminder of how much he still had to learn. Despite his fatigue, there was a satisfaction in knowing that he was making progress. Monk Nara, on the other hand, moved gracefully by the fire, brewing tea in a small pot while another pot simmered with a fragrant meal. Even now, after hours of intense instruction, she seemed untouched by the exhaustion that weighed on him.
As she stirred the pot, she glanced over at Yogan, her silver hair catching the firelight, creating an almost ethereal glow around her. "You did well today," she said, her voice calm but with a hint of approval. "The progress you're making is significant. In time, you'll add your own style and strength to the bending. The next few days will be about laying down the same foundation that was taught to me."
Yogan blinked, a little confused. "Taught to you? By who?"
She gave him a small smile, one that held mysteries he still didn't understand. "That is a story for another time, Yogan," she replied cryptically, then turned her attention back to the food. "But don't worry, I'll guide you through the process, just as I was once guided."
Yogan furrowed his brow, but he didn't press further. There was a growing sense that Monk Nara knew much more than she let on, and it piqued his curiosity. She had spoken of Wan—the legendary warrior—as if she had known him personally, yet she never explained how. There was always something she held back, something hidden in her past.
As he watched her in the firelight, though, his thoughts began to drift. Nara was still young, barely in her mid-thirties, and yet she was the most powerful airbender in the world. She carried herself with such authority and wisdom that it was easy to forget her youth. Tonight, though, under the brilliance of the stars, Yogan found himself seeing her in a different light. Her silver hair, always neatly tied back, now seemed to shimmer under the night sky, catching the starlight in a way that made her almost otherworldly. Her beauty, though subtle beneath her airbender robes, seemed more striking than he had ever noticed before.
He found his gaze lingering on her—her sharp, regal features, the way her long, elegant fingers moved with precision as she stirred the pot. His eyes wandered down to her figure, hidden beneath the layers of her robes. Her body, he realized, was that of someone who had seen the world, someone who had lived through adventures he couldn't even begin to imagine. His mind wandered to what she might look like without those robes, her form more defined by the firelight. He wondered, fleetingly, what it would be like to stand close to her, to—
"I can tell you're eyeing me with naughty thoughts, Yogan," Nara's voice broke through his wandering thoughts, startling him. She handed him a cup of tea, a knowing smile playing on her lips.
Yogan nearly choked on his breath, his heart skipping a beat. He could feel his face flush, warmth spreading across his cheeks despite the cool night air. "N-no! I wasn't— I mean, I was just—" He stumbled over his words, his voice cracking slightly in his embarrassment.
Nara chuckled softly as she sat down on her own log, the firelight dancing in her eyes. "There's no need to deny it. You're a young man with... certain interests. It's not the first time I've been looked at that way."
Yogan's face burned even hotter. His dark caramel skin, usually composed, felt like it was betraying him with the intensity of his blushing. He looked down at the cup of tea in his hands, trying to hide the fact that he couldn't meet her eyes. "I-I wasn't—" he began again, but the words felt useless.
Nara, with a gentle smile, leaned back against the log and sipped her tea, seemingly enjoying his discomfort. "Yogan, there's nothing wrong with it," she said, her voice soft but teasing. "If you're a pervert, then embrace it. Be true to yourself. Denying who you are will only hold you back in life."
Yogan's eyes widened. "Pervert!? I'm not—!"
"Of course you are," she interrupted, her tone light. "I've traveled the world, seen more than most. I'm quite familiar with the way people look at me when I'm not dressed in these robes. In the outside world, a woman like me draws all sorts of gazes. It's nothing new."
Yogan's mind raced, trying desperately to escape this humiliating conversation. "I-I was just thinking about... your training... and how powerful you are," he mumbled, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly.
Nara's smile widened, her eyes twinkling with amusement. "Oh, I'm sure that's exactly what you were thinking," she said, clearly not buying his weak attempt to change the subject. "But don't worry, Yogan. I'm not offended. I've learned that attraction is a natural part of life. There's no shame in wanting to mate with someone." She took another sip of her tea, as if discussing the weather.
Yogan nearly dropped his cup. "Mate!? No, I— I wasn't— I mean, I wasn't thinking that!"
She gave him a long, amused look, her silver hair shimmering like moonlight against the dark sky. "Sure, you weren't."
Yogan's heart pounded in his chest, the embarrassment overwhelming him. He could feel his face burning, and despite his best efforts, he couldn't stop blushing. He stared into the fire, avoiding her gaze as his thoughts scrambled for an escape.
"Yogan," Nara said after a moment, her tone softening. "It's alright to be who you are. There's no point in denying it. If you're attracted to someone, it's natural. You're young, and the world is full of experiences. Just don't let it consume you. Focus on your path, but don't be afraid to acknowledge your desires."
He nodded awkwardly, still too flustered to form a coherent response. His mind raced, trying to process the strange mix of embarrassment and intrigue. Despite her gentle teasing, Nara's words carried a weight of truth. There was no denying who he was, but still, the intensity of his feelings surprised him.
He dared a quick glance at her. There was something about Monk Nara—the way she carried herself with such confidence, the mystery surrounding her connection to Wan, and the life she had lived before joining the temple. She was unlike anyone he had ever met, and as he sat there, the fire crackling between them, he realized there was much more to her than he had ever imagined.
But for now, he would have to focus on his training and try—desperately—to keep his wandering thoughts in check.
Yogan was still blushing furiously, staring into the flickering flames as if the fire could somehow save him from the awkwardness of the conversation. But despite his embarrassment, there was a strange allure in Nara's words, an openness that tugged at his curiosity. Monk Nara was unlike anyone he had ever met—both in her skill and in the way she viewed the world. His thoughts raced, and the more he tried to suppress them, the more they wandered back to her.
She had been teasing him, yes, but there was something more in her words, something that lingered in the air between them. A subtle tension that wasn't easily dismissed. He risked another glance at her. She was seated gracefully, her silver hair glowing under the starlight, her features calm, almost contemplative. Even after the day's training, there wasn't a trace of fatigue on her face. Her beauty felt almost otherworldly, like she belonged to both the earth and the sky.
"You're still thinking about it, aren't you?" Nara's voice broke the silence again, though this time it was softer, less teasing. She set her cup of tea down and looked at him, her eyes holding a depth that Yogan hadn't noticed before.
Yogan opened his mouth to deny it again, but this time the words wouldn't come. Instead, he just sat there, awkward and unsure, his mind scrambling for some kind of response.
Nara smiled, a slow, knowing smile that carried no malice, only understanding. "I told you, Yogan, there's no shame in feeling desire. It's natural." She paused for a moment, her gaze never leaving his. "And in truth, I don't mind."
Yogan's heart skipped a beat. "What do you mean?" he asked, his voice barely above a whisper, the fire's crackling suddenly the loudest sound in the world.
Nara tilted her head slightly, her silver hair falling over one shoulder as she studied him. "I mean that I am open to the idea of… exploring that with you, but you're not quite at the level I need."
The words hit him like a gust of wind, and for a moment, Yogan didn't know how to react. His mind reeled, torn between disbelief and excitement. She was so calm about it, as if they were discussing the day's training rather than something so personal. He tried to regain some composure, but the weight of her words lingered in the air between them.
"Not at the level?" he asked, his voice cracking slightly despite his best efforts to remain calm.
Nara's smile remained, but her tone grew more thoughtful. "What I mean is that you still have much to learn—not just about bending, but about yourself, about the world. Your body and your mind must be aligned before you can truly understand the nature of intimacy. It's not just about the physical act, Yogan. It's about understanding the deeper connection—one that requires balance and maturity."
Yogan swallowed hard, feeling like a novice again, both in bending and in life. He had never thought about it that way before. In the temple, intimate relationships were rarely discussed, and when they were, it was in vague terms that left more questions than answers. He found himself oddly captivated by Nara's view of things—she spoke with such wisdom, as if she had experienced things he could only imagine.
Nara turned her gaze to the sky, her expression softening as she looked at the vast sea of stars above them. "In my travels, I learned much about the world outside the temple. There, coitus isn't frowned upon like it is here. People live freely, unbound by the constraints of tradition. I had… my share of fun during those years. There's a freedom in it, Yogan, a joy that comes with truly understanding your desires and pursuing them without fear."
Yogan sat silently, hanging on her every word. He had always imagined the world outside the Air Nomads' temple as harsh and chaotic, but the way she spoke of it made it seem alive, full of experiences that shaped her into the person she was now. He found himself longing to see that world for himself, to understand the kind of freedom Nara spoke of.
"Why did you come back then?" Yogan asked, the question escaping his lips before he could stop it. "If you loved the freedom of the outside world so much, why return to a place like this?"
Nara's smile faded slightly, her expression becoming more serious, almost distant. She didn't answer right away, and for a moment, Yogan wondered if he had overstepped. But then, she sighed softly and looked back at him.
"That's a complicated question," she said, her voice quieter now. She turned her gaze back to the stars, the firelight casting soft shadows on her face. "There are things in this world, Yogan, that even freedom can't erase. No matter how far you run, there are some parts of your past that will always catch up to you. Returning to the Air Nomads… it wasn't about leaving the freedom behind. It was about finding something I had lost a long time ago."
Yogan listened intently, his curiosity growing. He had never seen Nara like this—so vulnerable, so contemplative. It made him realize just how little he knew about her, despite all the time they had spent together. There was a part of her that remained hidden, locked away behind the powerful, composed figure she projected.
As she continued to look up at the sky, Yogan found himself wondering what could possibly make a woman like Monk Nara, who had tasted the freedom of the world, return to the traditions of the Air Nomads. What was it she had lost, and why was it so important to find?
The fire crackled between them, the warmth a contrast to the coldness of the night. The stars above seemed to pulse with secrets, just like Nara herself. For the first time, Yogan realized there was far more to Monk Nara than the powerful airbender he had always admired. She was a mystery, a woman shaped by both the world and something much deeper. And in that moment, Yogan knew he wanted to understand her, not just as a teacher, but as a person—someone who had lived a life far beyond the walls of the temple.
But for now, the night remained quiet, with only the crackle of the fire and the distant rustle of the wind.
[A/N: Read 5 chapters ahead available on patreon.com/saiyanprincenovels]