𝔽𝕒𝕣𝕒 𝕥𝕙𝕖 ℝ𝕒𝕣𝕖 𝕊𝕥𝕠𝕣𝕞𝕓𝕖𝕟𝕕𝕖𝕣 : 𝕀𝕣𝕠𝕙 𝕀𝕀 𝕩 𝕆𝕔

Chapter 18- The Southern Air Temple

The Southern Air Temple, comes into focus through the clouds as Oogi flies towards the temple.

"There it is," dad breathes out. "The Southern Air temple. Isn't it magnificent?"

"So magnificent." I awe.

Two Air Acolytes, one of whom is sweeping, while the other feeds three ring-tailed lemurs. They turn in surprise as Oogi flies in, and as he lands, three Acolytes walk toward the bison, two of them carrying a large case.

"Master Tenzin, welcome."

My parents bow. "Good to see you again, Abbot Shung."

"Is there anything you need?" Shung asks delightly. "Water? Dandelion greens? Ah, perhaps you'd like to recenter yourself by meditating in the gardens."

"No, thank you. I'm fine."

"And you must be the honorable Pema." Shung chirps. "Please, accept these gifts."

Shung reaches into the case, and pulls out an odd contraption, which he hands to dad. "This is an ancient airbender head shaver we've refurbished just for you."

"Oh," dad says, unsure how to respond. "Okay?"

I look at the object. "Keep that away from the children."

"And Pema," Shung says handing mom a massive bouquet of flowers. "These flowers once filled the mountainside! Now, they can brighten up your room."

"That's...sweet?" Mom mumbles as she struggles to hold the flowers. "You didn't have to."

"Nonsense." Shung giggles. "Whatever you need is yours. Anything for the mother of the next generation of airbenders."

We all turn to my siblings who are arguing.

A female Acolyte hands a book to Jinora as a gift. No!" Ikki snatches away the book. "That gift is mine."

"You don't even like to read!" Jinora shouts.

"Naah!" Ikki teases, sticking out her tongue.

Mom who is slightly embarrassed. Wears a smile. "Yep, those are the worlds next generation of airbenders."

Meelo appears from behind the three Acolytes and jumps on Abbot's back, a lemur held in his hands. "Mommy, daddy, look. I found a lemur. I'm gonna name him Poki."

The lemur flies away, and Meelo jumps down from Abbot and forms an air scooter to chase after the creature.

"I have a question." I ask one of the acolytes. "How does mailing and receiving letters work around here?"

"Well, we have been training the lemurs on how to message from far distances, to the South Pole, to the earth kingdom-"

"How about overseas?" I ask delighted about the news.

"They're working on it."

I let out an annoyed groan.

✧༺♥༻∞༺♥༻✧

Dad takes my siblings and I to a room in the temple filled with hundreds, maybe even thousands of statues.

"The statue room." Jinora dazes.

"That's right, Jinora." Dad says. "The most sacred place in the entire southern air temple."

I walk closer to the statues. "Here you will find statues of every Avatar who ever lived."

I gaze at Avatar Kyoshi. "Wow, she's beautiful."

"Where are your brother and sister?" Dad neutrally asks Jinora and I.