Operation Avatar

Halfway through her morning calligraphy practice Azora cut class, just like she did every other day. It was only too easy to excuse herself to the bathroom, climb up the cherry blossom tree by the east wall and jump down the other side. Once she was off the property her feet found their way to her favorite spot in the village: the cliff.

The cliff was the highest point in the village. From that spot everything was visible, from the temple to the docks and to the marketplace. There was a great stone statue that once stood on the cliff – probably a statue of a past reincarnation of the Avatar – but it had been destroyed by the Fire Nation long ago. All that remained of it was an eight-foot tall lump of eroded rock. Azora climbed up that rock, plopped down in a seated position, and waited.

She watched the waves crash against the shore and the fishing boats make their way to the docks. Everything was so quiet, so peaceful. Azora laid back and lounged on the rock. She could close her eyes and hear the gentle breeze brush over the grass. She wished she could bottle this peaceful moment forever.

“Hey, Azora!”

Peaceful moment: gone. Azora flicked an eye open. Shen was sitting about a foot away from her with an eager smile on his face.

Shen was her only friend, her only real friend, in this entire village. Everyone in the village seemed to have it in their mind that Azora was some sort of disease, but not Shen. When they were very young Shen, very boldly, came up to Azora and told her she was the most beautiful girl in the world and he was going to make her his wife. Azora was five, and Shen was seven.

In response to his proposal, Azora had pushed him down to the ground. But Shen came back the next day, and they had been best friends ever since.

Azora pushed herself into a seated position and looked at Shen accusingly. “You’re late.”

“Sorry. Bending class went late and I had some other stuff to take care of.”

“What stuff?”

Shen shrugged. “Just stuff.”

Azora raised an eyebrow. Shen wasn’t usually so vague and mysterious. Normally, during their meetings, he would tell her every little thing about his day, from what he ate for breakfast to the number of rocks that got stuck in his sandal while walking around.

“Shen, come teach me what you learned in class.” Azora grabbed a hold of Shen’s wrist and started climbing down the rock, but there was resistance on Shen’s part.

“Awww… Come on, Azora. I’m tired. Can’t we just sleep?” Shen attempted to lay down just as Azora had a few minutes ago.

Azora frowned. “But Shen, you promised.”

Shen peeked an eye open, and upon seeing Azora’s fallen face, crumbled. “Fine, fine.” He got up and followed Azora down the rock and they took their spots on the cliff side. They both took stances.

“First, the warm up,” Shen instructed.

In unison, they both extended their bodies, stretching their muscles. They spent several minutes going through a slow, methodical dance, stretching their arms to the sides while lunging in one direction. Reaching out front while arching the back. These motions warmed the body up. Within minutes Azora could feel her blood begin to boil. She was ready to get started on the real stuff: Earth Bending.

Azora was an Earth Bender. She discovered her ability when she was ten years old. She was so excited when she learned she could manipulate earth. So many possibilities opened up for her! She could train herself to become an Earth Bending master. She could become a warrior. She could travel. She could do so many more things than just become a wife.

Shortly after her discovery Azora went to Jada, pleading to have the opportunity to join the village’s Earth bending school. Jada slapped Azora across the face so hard that her eye was swelled shut for two weeks.

“Proper women do not Earth Bend. You will be no exception!” That was what Jada said. Since that day, Azora never brought up the issue of Earth Bending.

Until Shen offered to teach her, that is. He had been bending Earth since he was six years old. He was the most advanced student in the entire village, and he wanted to teach Azora what he had been learning. Azora was only too happy to take up his offer. So, for the past four years of her life, Azora had been secretly training to become an Earth Bender.

And she was good at it.