Search for the Avatar Begins

Tai bundled himself up tighter, the cold weather was hard to get use to. Jin had it a bit easier, the beating of his wings kept his body relatively warm. What wasn't warmed by the beating was covered in his naturally insulated plating. The village appeared in the distance a small speck in the distance. Tai checked the shield on his back, the earth would be scarce for him to bend unless he could work them more inland, that is if he had to resort to combat. Hopefully he could keep to himself and just ask around for information. A short time passed and Tai was finally close enough to land. Jin landed on a small island about a mile away from the village. His sporadic beating would keep him warm through the night, hopefully it would be long enough for Tai to find some information. Tai stepped onto his shield, using his bending to ride the disk to shore. His arrival was quiet no one seemed to notice him, luckily he timed his arrival with a vacationing ship stopping by for supplies. He slipped seamlessly in with the crowd and began asking questions, listening to gossip, and taking mental notes. So far his Northern Water Tribe outfit was working to his advantage, the only thing he still wore that was Earth Kingdom related was his Coin Necklace stuffed into his shirt. No one had caught a glimpse of it yet and he was determined to keep it that way.

An elderly man noticed the man asking around about the Avatar and slowly inched his way to Tai. "So you wish to know more about the missing Avatar do you?" the old man said in a raspy voice. "Follow me" he simply said as he turned around ready to lead Tai elsewhere.

Tai was some what astonished that he already found someone claiming they had information. Tai responded in a slightly shocked voice.
"Yes. Thank you sir."
Tai followed in suit, wanting to find out more information about the location of the Avatar. His normally careful demeanor was thrown out because of the man's age and his eagerness to make a name for himself.

"Why are you so interested in the missing Avatar boy?" the old man asked as he reached a door that he began to unlock, which due to his feeble body took longer than normal.

"Well sir, the sooner he's found the sooner this war will end. Anything to stop this stupid fighting. And I know if I can find him I can live up to my family name."
Tai waited for a moment as the man struggled with his door before speaking again.
"Would you like some help sir?"

Just as Tai said this the old man opened the door. "War will never end young one, as long as we all exist war will continue." the old man said. The old man entered his house and walked into a beat up run down kitchen putting on a pot of tea.

Now as for the Avatar." the old man ended his sentence abruptly before staring at Tai.

Tai had seated himself on the ground next to the tea table, which, despite the dilapidated kitchen, was in pristine condition. "Yes?" Tai asked inquisitively.

The old man simply smiled as he poured a couple of cups of tea. "Here drink some" the old man said as he handed Tai a cup. The man despite his old age was able to easily sit in the crossed legged position.


(Ready for your contact with the Avatar?)

Tai took the cup from the old man and nodded politely. "Thank you."
Tai took a sip from the tea, it was quite good, even from an obvious tea master. Tai looked around the small hut, looking for anything that would give him an indication as to where this man came from, why he was so helpful, and just how much he knew about the Avatar.

The old man simply smiled at Tai as he drank the tea. "You know I knew from the moment I laid eyes on you, you were Earth Nation." he said with a grin as he set down his tea. "But you have no hostile intentions, have a nice journey." the old man said as he walked out of the room.

Just then Tai began to slip into a what seemed would become a deep sleep. "An earth bender just as me" said a voice which seemed to lack an origin. "Do you wish to find me?" the voice continued.

"Avatar Chen?" Tai was very confused at this point in time. Was this all a dream? Who was that old man? What had he put in the tea? "Avatar Chen, is that you?" The voice was familiar but only vaguely, as if he had heard it in passing.

"It is I." the voice said still not revealing a location. Then an apparition hued blue appeared from no where, there stood a man in his late thirty's to early forty's. The man stood about 6'3" and a long black beard with white streaks hanging from his chin leading to his abdomen. The apparition placed his hand on Tai shoulder and smiled the wrinkles on his face crinkling as his lips moved.

"I knew someone would be worried eventually, I only wish it was sooner." he said his smiled not fading, Chen had been missing for about a month now. "I have been following you for a long time now and I am proud of you. A fellow Earth citizen, but I must tell you there are others looking for me, two firebenders. Find them and the process will be hasten, but Tai hurry this war is weighing a toll on the bonds of the four nations." Chen said his face fading into a more serious form.

"Thank you Tai, you must make this your priority, you are my only hope, you are my saving grace." as Chen finished this sentence he faded away into nothing. "Go now" the voice echoed before Tai slowly returned to reality.

Tai Shan awoke from what he could only describe as a strange dream. He knew what he had seen and heard and was ready to take this next step to ending the war. The young man stepped out of the now abandoned hut. It was at least midnight now, all but a very few stragglers were in their homes. Tai made his way to the water's edge about a mile away from the village. He rode silently to the small glacier where Jin still stood and fluttered.
"Ready to go friend?" Tai asked the beetle. An almost understanding chirp passed through the insect's mandibles. Tai climbed ontoJin's saddle and took off North towards the Fire Nation.