The Lost Avatar

Part 1 - Chapter 1

Someone outside my house

"Hello, Asin!" called out an old uncle neighbor of mine, who was a 65-year-old baldish tanned man, while coming down from his home balcony towards his gate, stopping and leaning over it. He was a retired man who spent most of his time at home, wearing only a thin undershirt and a lungi, the garment worn by most South Indian men at home and to certain occasions, that was tied up halfway. 

"Yes, Uncle?" I answered, with a bag of groceries from the store nearby.

"I know you stay alone most of the time and nobody else knows that except me. Don't worry, my lips are sealed but listen carefully. For the past couple of days, I've been noticing some Chinese looking boy walking by our houses. He will sometimes see into our lane or pass by our homes then leave." He described intently.

"Really? That's odd." I replied.

"I'm telling you to just be careful. Call me if you feel unsafe. Or else keep your housekeeper for some more time." He said.

"Of course, Uncle." I said and went home as usual.

He's not wrong. I saw that guy a couple of times too. It seems unusual.

"I'm serious, Kova! I don't know who he is!" I said, trying to explain the situation to my spirit named Kova.

He's only a foot tall with a body similar to a cat but a face similar to a wolf. He is mostly neon blue but darkens or hides away his brightness whenever someone comes. Kova has been with every head of my family and is immortal, as most spirits are. Anyway, he is not believing a single word I'm saying as usual because he just wants to attract less attention.

"He will leave on his own, okay? Asin, he's a nobody." He said.

"Kova, I swear, if he is seen outside my house again then I will take him out and interrogate him!" I said.

"You will do no such thing!" he said.

"Yes, I will! You got my back?" I asked.

"Always, my lord." He said, sighing.

I kept on thinking throughout the afternoon. This boy looked no older than me and he could be Chinese or maybe just from the North-east of India. I think I had seen him bend a small ball of fire to use as a lamp to help him look around. To think if my neighbor saw that! How stupid can benders nowadays get?

*

"Asin, wake up! We must go! Come on!" said Kova while shaking me.

"Huh? Why?" I groaned, rubbing my eyes.

"Training night. Let's go!" he said.

"Oh...right." I replied, grumbling.

This grumpy mood arrives every time I go for midnight training, so people don't see me. But I always wonder, what am I even training for? There hasn't been a war between nations for centuries! And doing goodwill for non-benders is not allowed at all. The only time I will ever get a technically valid answer was if the Avatar ever comes. But it's been over a century. So, that seems highly unlikely...at least, in my lifetime.

We always train in a plot of dry land nearby that houses a few defense personnel too. Yet only one of those homes are occupied by a retired Colonel who is also an airbender. But he doesn't usually care about what's going on near the opposite side. There are even a few deer and peacocks that come to watch and Kova talks to them somehow. I can't obviously but I pet them sometimes.

"That's good, Asin. Let's go back home now." He said and climbed into my backpack.

We left walking after waving bye to the animals and reached our street soon when I immediately pulled myself back behind a compound wall.