The Avatar Without a Name (Nacht/Zul) [IC][M]

[Nachthexe]

There was much for Shui to learn. Both about herself and the responsibilities that came with the unique role she found herself filling. Being the Avatar, the Chosen One, was undoubtedly a massive burden. Despite her eagerness to aid others in need all across the world there was at least one role Yolen was thankful she was not expected to fulfill. If she messed up then, well, it was forgiven. If the Avatar messed up then potentially the entire world was at stake. Balance itself laid in the hands of a single person - this woman - who had turned feral and only just now had learned of her true status. It remained a rather delicate state to be in, one that the young airbending master realized she too found herself in. The Avatar was, quite literally, in her hands now.

This I had never expected. She glanced at the feral woman, carefully interpreting her words as she spoke. She was not eloquent and, in fact, her speech would require much work. She could not hold it against the Avatar, though, as it wasn't like there were many people to interact with deep within the swamps. The waterbenders that were rumoured to reside therein only occasionally showed their faces at all, hence making many wonder if they even existed at all. The airbender herself only knew of them by sheer chance, just one of the unusual perks of her journeying around the world. It was often surprising what one managed to find.

"As the Avatar you are entrusted with the unique task of retaining balance in this world. What that means exactly you will come to understand in time." Yolen began, "You have a lot to learn yet, which is why you and I will venture around the world. Along the way you will be introduced to those who can help you realize your true destiny." Teachers. The Avatar was nothing without their teachers. While Shui had seemingly mastered the spiritual side it was evident that she had plenty to learn on the physical side. Communing with the Spirit World and mastering the elements were merely two pieces of the puzzle that fit together to create a whole. Naturally, the airbender herself was flattered at the prospect of taking on the Avatar as her own first student since obtaining mastery status.

Taking Shui to the temples was Yolen's obvious initial thoughts, yet she became hesitant. It seemed futile to once again shelter her from the world when she had spent her entire life sheltered from it. If she was to succeed in her goals then becoming socialized was simply another piece in the puzzle. "I think meeting some people could do you some good. Once we find our way out of this swamp we can head towards the Earth Kingdom." The airbender finally decided, handing the whole lead over to the feral woman, despite her strange mannerisms. There was much she would have to overcome, in time. She was the saviour of the world that many would be looking up to, after all. "I'm going to guess you've never been on a flying bison before. Once we're out of this swamp there will be a new experiencing awaiting you."

[Zulera301]

Shui was effectively a native of the swamps, although how she had ended up there when she has many of the physical features of a firebender, was a mystery for the ages. The last Avatar had originated from the Earth Kingdom, and so even if she hadn't looked it, Shui did not reverse the cycle, which meant she was in fact natively from the Fire Nation. Perhaps the story of how she wound up down here would be revealed in due time.

Despite her feral mannerisms and clear lack of education or even basic ability to properly grasp speech without speaking in broken sentences, there was an air of intelligence to Shui that had not only manifested itself spectacularly when in the spirit world, but also showed with the way she paid attention to Yolen's words and that she seemed more than capable of processing them and reacting to them accordingly.
"It'd be'n uhnur..." she nodded up at the airbender when she spoke of teachers, "t'be taut bah th'mas'turz." She knew that that was what they were, even if the word hadn't been used. She was a very capable bender of all four elements, but her style was without a doubt unique and very unorthodox, which also meant that she had a great deal to learn—and she was more than willing to learn it.

Yolen spoke again, and Shui listened attentively. What the Avatar lacked in social skills and refinement, she made up for in humility, but more importantly, potential. Her powerful spiritual connections meant that she could easily become an extremely powerful bender once she learned and mastered the tricks and techniques, and her calm mind and formidable spirit meant she would no doubt be an incredibly powerful bender once the time came, and after she became a fully-realized Avatar.
Her response to the first of the monk's remarks was simply a nod of acknowledgment.
"tha... sund 'zlike fahn." she gave a slightly toothy grin that betrayed a certain level of very kindhearted innocence. Shui may have been sheltered from people and civilization, but she seemed to have a fairly solid grip on the world and how it worked otherwise. "w'keep go'n'east... we git outta swamp'n fly..." she tried to enunciate her words a little better, already trying to take the notion of improving her speech to heart. She had a ways to go on that one, but in time she felt she could learn.

Shui's movements were consistent insomuch that she still had a weird courched walk, a slight all-fours crawl, and a few times where she looked almost like a frog with the way her arms and legs were positioned. She was a very lithe woman, and not only did her path keep them away from whatever creatures may have lurked in the mire, butalso something that kept them comparatively dry. wet or muddy feet normally didn't bother her (it helped that she had never worn shoes), but she thought of her companion, and similarly, she wanted to try and remain at least mostly clean so she could be presentable-ish, whenever she met her first other person. Being saviour of the world made her want to look like some sort of role model. The young Avatar had a long way to go before she'd look the part of a hero, but her heart was in it, and she had to start somewhere, right?

[Nachthexe]

Shui's origins remained a mystery but Yolen was confident that, with time, they could be uncovered. How had this woman, allegedly the Avatar, end up in the swamps? A disaster in childhood? Abandonment? Something else? Perhaps the feral woman herself did not even know the answers, but the Airbender remained at peace as she proceeded to follow her new companion out of the swamps. Where their journey began marked potentially the beginning of uncovering many other mysteries - mysteries that the Avatar herself would have to work towards solving.

With a nod Yolen acknowledged Shui's directions. East. They would travel East. The Earth Kingdom was vast enough that it was easy to make stops along the way and still stumble upon a potential teacher for the feral Avatar. First impressions, of course, were important, indicating that the woman had much to work on. It was unlikely that any of the great masters would agree to teach someone so wild at all. That was bound to be a problem, but as carefully taught the Airbender pushed it to the back of her mind. She would tackle each obstacle as it came towards her. Firstly, there was a journey to make.

It was the sunlight beaming through the trees as the forest became sparser that made Yolen squint. It left her disoriented slightly, yet it was promising. It indicated that they had finally left the swamp. The dry ground beneath their feet served as the last piece of evidence the woman needed before breathing a sigh of relief. The swamps were not the most hospitable place in the world. In fact, they were nearly suffocating. I must look so silly to this woman. The Airbender thought as she dashed out of the surrounding forest at last. Suddenly, she was surrounded by little more than clear sky and the green terrain around it. "Just wait until you see this." She indicated as she pulled out a tiny whistle, a bison call, and blew directly into it.

Almost as soon as the whistle was blown a breeze picked up followed by a large creature landing directly in front of its master. Yolen smiled as she pet the creature. "Amo, this is Shui." She said as she turned towards the feral woman. "Shui, this is Amo. She will be our mode of transportation into the Earth Kingdom and beyond."