The Challenger to Aowaka

"I can't." Kano said softly, averting his eyes from his father. "I just can't."

Kano sat in his father's chamber, feeling Tako's eyes boring into the side of his skull. It was uncomfortable. He didn't know how many times they were going to have this conversation. He thought his father had learned the lesson the first time they had gone down this road. He just wasn't bloodbender material.

"Your grandfather introduced bloodbending to the Aowaka style for a reason, Kanoei." Tako said. "It is the last resort of the Aowaka Waterbender. Without it, you will never become the grandmaster of this school, you will never succeed me. It is your future I fear for, my son."

"Maybe I don't want that future!" Kano said, loosing control of his voice. "Maybe I don't want the power to force people to do things they don't want to do!"

"So you will set aside your entire heritage... for a selfish reason." Tako said, folding his arms. "Excuse yourself from my presence. I must consider this. We will speak of this again."

Kano didn't need telling twice. He was glad of any excuse to be relieved of this conversation. He stood and left the room, making his way down the hall toward the barracks. It always felt this way after the bloodbending conversation -- empty and hopeless. Kano had no idea what his father expected him to do. The last time he bent blood, he almost killed his father. How was he supposed to get over that?

He was just about to his room when someone crashed into him. The force knocked him over into the wall, making him hit his head rather harder than was wholly reasonable.

"Damn it, Tonu!" he growled, clutching the back of his head as his eyes watered from the pain. "What's the big idea?!"

"It's, it's!" Tonu stammered, straightening up. "A-a challenger!"

"What?" Kano said, looking up at him. "Another one? The Avatar was just here last week. Although, I suppose that wasn't really her challenge so much as it was mine..."

He had trailed off into musings of his own and he realized after a few moments that Tonu was staring at him as though he had two heads.

"Alright, alright!" he said finally, pushing himself up. "Take me to this challenger, then."

Kano followed Tonu into the training hall, looking around the huge room curiously. His gaze quickly fell upon their visitor. It was a young man not much older than he was by the looks of him. He was wearing a tattered cloak, what looked like an old set of Kyoshi Warrior garb, and a blue-black cloth wrapped around his head. The armor was missing a few pieces. He knew what it was supposed to look like. He'd seen his grandmother's set enough times...

"Earthbender, huh?" he said, passing Tonu and walking out into the middle of the hall. He couldn't imagine anyone but an Earth Kingdom citizen wearing the uniform of the Kyoshi Warriors, incomplete or otherwise. And he had never crossed paths with anyone brave enough to drop a challenge at the Aowaka school who wasn't a bender.

"Kanoei, Son of Master Tako, Grandmaster of the Aowaka Style of Waterbending." Kano said. It was a mouth full, but it was a term of introducing one's self before a challenge in the school. "Your challenge is accepted, Hakota-Zai of Kyoshi. These are the school's terms -- No techniques intended to do permanent bodily harm are to be used. You may admit defeat at any time. Otherwise, the first to be incapacitated is deemed defeated."

He stepped forward and performed a complex little move which liquefied a large center of the floor in front of them, leaving a perfect circle of liquid water in the middle of the room. He picked up every ounce of water and bent it overhead into the pool of the Wolf's Fountain. What was revealed beneath the now open space in the floor was a huge, solid stone medallion about fifteen feet across. It was also about five feet deep, but that wasn't evident at a glance. With another fluid movement, he bent the water beneath the medallion and forced it up until it was flush with the icy floor around it.

"Earth for you." he said before bowing to Hakota-Zai. He then assumed the opening stance of the Aowaka Style as always. "As you please."

There it was. Kano had faced a swordsman before and been amazed by their speed. He'd been expecting some considerable speed, but Hakota-Zai surprised him. He was much faster than he had expected him to be. Reacting quickly, he sent a trio of small blasts of water at his opponent before jumping onto a patch of ice to his left and bending it to carry him swiftly around the medallion of stone, cutting a path around it.

Fast! Kano thought, surprised. He had no choice but to spin out of the path of the kick. As he jumped off his icy ride, he slid across the floor, dragging his fingers along the frozen surface, bending the ice into a liquid and bringing it around as he spun, sending a thin whip of water back at Hakota-Zai. It didn't look like much, but if it hit you, it stung like hell. The Water Whip -- it was a good one. The Aowaka Style water whip was much finer than most others. Harder to reverse bend.

Kano saw the fan coming at his face and barely managed to duck under it. And the he saw the leg sweeping toward him.

Damn. he thought as the kick swept his legs out from under him. He landed on his back, trowing a wild swing at the ice directly under Hakota-Zai, raising a pillar of ice which shot upward right at the man's chin. He realized almost too late that the pillar was moving fast enough to do some permanent damage if it actually connected and used everything he had to slow it down to a less lethal speed. Even so, he barely managed it.

Kano jumped to his feet. The moment he did, however, he had to duck under a Kyoshi Warrior fan thrown at him. He liquefied a portion of the pillar he had raised and sent it at the fan, pinning it to the wall and freezing it there.

That outta do it. he smiled, turning back.

Hakota-Zai was already prepared to attack again. This was just getting good. It was time for him to stop messing around, letting his sour feelings at his conversation with his father weigh him down. This was a fight that needed a little touch of heat...

He stamped a foot on the ground and twisted his ankle just so, raising a small chunk of ice. He surrounded it with his hands, moving them around it. First, it liquefied, then it began to boil. Before long, it was a mass of swirling steam. He could feel the heat coming off of it. He had developed a technique which rather mimicked the Dragon's Breath, a challenging technique in firebending. This was far simpler, just steambending stylized. However, it was still quite effective. He drew in a deep breath of air and blew into the churning steam, issuing it out toward his opponent in a cone of scalding particles.

Kano watched his attack nick the man's cloak, but the failure of his assault was the least of his problems. He watched Hakota-Zai roll toward him and remembered what happened last time.

The feet!

He raised the ice beneath himself and felt a hit connect with it. He'd guessed right. He turned swiftly, noticing that his opponent had pulled out his other fan. He'd wondered how long the second fan would take to show itself. Now that it had, he wasn't about to let it remain in play. He bent a corner of his platform down over it, completely encasing it in ice save the small bit in Hakota-Zai's hand. He could have pinned him, too, but he was enjoying this little fight a little too much to end it now. Re-liquefying what was left of the steam, he formed another water whip and slashed at Hakota-Zai's hand grasping the fan.

Kano was caught by surprise with his opponent's decision making. So far, there'd been very little earthbending. It seemed he just wanted a fist fight. When Hakota-Zai's elbow flew at his jaw, he stumbled backward, avoiding the attack more by luck than anything. His interest in removing the man's weapons from play was to try and force him to turn to bending, but he seemed wholly disinterested in it. And there was no way he was going to be able to take the man's arms out of play as he had with the fans.

Feeling himself loosing his balance as he stumbled back to the edge of his little raised platform, he just let himself fall, bending the floor just before he hit to take the edge off of the strike. He then proceeded to roll over backwards. As he straightened up, he bent a pair of water whips. If this guy wanted to be up close and personal, he was going to pay for it.

"Tell me something, friend." he said, letting his arms hang at his sides and the water whips trail down to the floor. "Ever heard of Aowaka's Hurricane?"

Kano smiled. He spun on the spot, sliding the tip of his left foot along the ground in a circle and then, suddenly and furiously, a torrent of water burst skyward, spinning furiously as he sank into the newly liquefied water at it's base. The entire Training hall filled with a cool mist, much like steam.

Deep beneath the floor of the training hall, Kano stared up at the shadow of his opponent moving on the ice above. He waited for the perfect moment, still concentrating on maintaining the funnel. And then...

Kano burst through the floor, freezing the ice beneath him before his feet landed and then sent a powerful beam of water at his opponent's back. It was perfectly aimed. He was absolutely certain that this fight was coming to an end. Aowaka's Hurricane was the perfect storm.

The cool steam beaded and fell like rain. The tornado of water fell and splashed across the floor. Kano collapsed to one knee, feeling as though all his energy had suddenly been ripped right out of him. He could barely breath.

A Chi-Blocker! he thought desperately, collapsing to the ground entirely, gasping quietly for air. He could feel the block sweeping through him. It was only a matter of time...

There came a sudden gentle clapping, dangerously polite from the other end of the hall. Kano had to struggle to summon the energy to roll his eyes around, looking for it's source. Of course, he already knew.

"Most impressive!" said a powerful voice, the voice of his father. "A Chi-blocker! That was a surprise. I'm impressed you were able to defeat my son, even if it was with the use of the coward's art."

"R--Run!" Kano tried to shout at Hakota-Zai, managing barely more than a gasp. He had performed the ultimate sin against the Aowaka Clan and he didn't even know it. The great secret of the lineage -- Chi-blocking was lethal to them. If Kano's father wasn't able to reverse the process soon, he'd die. Even so, he didn't want this individual who had fought so well to be killed. There was no way he could have known. But there was also nothing he could do to stop it if he didn't flee.

"Unfortunately," Tako continued, his voice calm. Kano knew the tone. Hakota-Zai was in mortal danger. "You have violated this house. For five-hundred years, no one who has used chi-blocking against a Son of Aowaka or a Daughter of Enama has lived to tell the tale. I intend to uphold that tradition!"

With an almighty shout, he brought spiked icicles up from the floor and down from the ceiling, out of the walls. They surrounded him like a whirlwind of furious, wingless birds, whistling as they went.

"G-go..." Kano's vision blurred and faded as he lay there. He could feel himself falling unconscious. He fought with everything he had to maintain consciousness. He knew if he drifted off, there was little chance he would ever awaken. He felt a sharp series of jabs along his spine suddenly. Tonu kneeling next to him. It was the Reversal, a form of chi therapy developed by Sunomok, the Wolf General almost five-hundred years ago, an ancestor of Kano's. It was a technique only the Aowaka Clan and their students knew. Tonu had saved his life, but it only stabilized the chi. It would be hours before Kano would be able to stand or bend again.

Suddenly, the whistling stopped and then returned with greater ferocity. Tako had sent his fleet of icicles at Hakota-Zai like so many icy arrows.

Tako had not even scratched the surface of his power. He sealed every door which provided an escape for this villain and launched himself forward on a pillar of ice, straight at Hakota-Zai. Kano's eyes followed his father's movements. His mouth worked desperately, but no words were forthcoming. His voice was hoarse to the point of silence. Tonu was still kneeling beside him, though he made no effort to help the master. Anyone who infuriated Tako, the Blood Wolf was doomed without any more enemies.

Kano's father raised a huge wave of ice to follow him, sweeping along the hall toward Hakota-Zai. He intended to crush the chi-blocker between two walls of ice. But just as his attack achieved it's peak of power, the ice liquefied and the pillar pushing him forward disintegrated. Surprised, Tako fell, bringing up another pillar on which to land before turning and gazing around. Someone had interfered... someone incredibly powerful.

"Tonu..." Kano managed, looking at his friend. "Can you prop me up a bit? My cheek is frozen here."

"What?" Tonu said, looking around. "Oh. Yeah."

Tonu rolled Kano over and sat him up, bending a small pillar of ice to lean him up against. Now that he could see more than just what was in one direction, Kano clearly saw who had interfered...

"This fight is over, Takonuei." said the man standing in the newly re-opened doorway. The man was wizened and weathered. He was bent with age and leaned on a cane of carved wood for support, a cane which was carved with the crest of the Aowakas. He wore the clothing of an elder, marked with the moons of the adviser. This man was Hakano, the Wise Wolf. He was father to Tako, grandfather to Kano and he was easily one of the most powerful benders in the Northern Water Tribe, the first Aowaka to master bloodbending.

"This... challenger," Tako said, gesturing at Hakota-Zai. "used Chi-blocking against my son! For that, by the law of the Aowaka Clan, he must die!"

"It is the law of Xaal Osiris, not that of our clan which rules the North, Tako." Hakano said as he lazily bent the entire training hall with a single hand. "And it is his law which forbids this thing."

The walls, ceiling, and floor returned to their pristine state at his command. The doors reappeared, the excess water returned to the Wolf's Fountain. Even the earth medallion sank back into the depths of the floor, vanishing beneath a pool of water which quickly froze solid once more, making the floor as perfect as ever. Two tiny spouts of water carried Hakota-Zai's fans over to him and left them beside him as the floor shifted to carry his sword to him. Before long, all but the pillar of ice against which Kano sat had been made as good as new.

"Do you defy that law?" Hakano said, looking at his son through sharp eyes.

Tako looked over at Hakota-Zai, his face still hard with barely contained fury. He then returned his gaze to his father.

"No." he said finally.

Hakano nodded slowly and then turned, walking over to his grandson. Kano looked up at him. He tried to communicate his gratitude for ceasing this madness with his eyes alone, his voice too weak to use. He doubted that he succeeded, but Hakano turned and peered toward the doors into the barracks. A number of curious faces were peering into the training hall.

"Well," Hakano said kindly. "Don't just stand there. Come and help Kano to a place where he can rest."

The group of students didn't need telling twice. When the Wise Wolf told you to do something, you didn't make him repeat himself. They rushed across the hall and helped Kano to his feet, or rather pulled him. He wasn't in a condition to so much as twitch a toe. They took their time carrying him back toward the barracks. Kano didn't really mind and Hakano didn't seem to notice. Everyone was curious to see what he'd do to the chi-blocker.

"You wear the garb of my daughter-in-law's people, young man." Hakano said, approaching him. "I believe that you did not know what you did to my grandson, and for that, you have been spared. Know this, though: I cannot protect you from my son's wrath if you use your talents on our kin again. Do you understand?"

"Very well." Hakano said, nodding. "My son will argue this, but I have been told of your fight with my grandson, Kano, and a worthy challenger deserves worthy hospitality. As I am sure you are without your accommodations for the night, you will stay as our guest."

"Father!" Tako began angrily, but Hakano held up a hand to silence him.

"As I said, my son will argue this." he said, turning his attention back to Hakota-Zai. "You will stay and enjoy the hospitality of the Aowaka Clan. I am sure Kano will have words for you when he recovers."

It was here that Kano and his fellow students finally passed from the training hall into the barracks and out of sight of those remaining there. Kano suddenly felt extremely tired. He passed into sleep against every desperate urge he had to remain awake.


"So, tell me, young warrior," Hakano was saying as the group sat around the table in the dining hall, a fire burning in the mantle merrily, warming them all and bathing them all in a soft, orange light as they shared in a fine meal. "What brought you to the North?"