Heads or Tails: Book 1 ~ Arin's Tale

The Call

Heads or Tails

·

Book 1 – Arin's Tale

I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender or Legend or Korra or any of the characters. Only the OC's.

Chapter 6: The Call

Opal's POV

Time: 191 A.G.

🪨🪨🪨🪨🪨🪨🪨

I wasn't sure how much time went by. Seconds, minutes. Possibly even an hour by this point, and still, nothing has changed. The kids were still in the middle of the courtyard, everyone remained where they were, all eyes watching our little Hana lying on the ground, somehow with a ball of water floating just above her hands.

It was different compared to the other kids' reactions: Hana's shock, Noren's awe, Nera's confusion. Her expression was something so strange to see; curious with hints of fear sparkling in her eyes at something new. A look that reminded me of when she first came to Zaofu.

It was still so quiet. The only noise to be heard was the wind whistling in our ears, and the groans of the bison's flying nearby. A chirp here and there from the lemurs. No movement asides from the water ball and the branches of the trees nearby.

Finally, after what felt like ages, Arin slowly works her way up to her knees – the ball of water wavers as she moves – her focus remains almost entirely on the magic being displayed in front of her, then right back up to her own two feet. The ball was still there, slight jiggles from her sudden movement, but it stays under her control. It was still there. Gasps come from the few people around me, and that's what broke my awestruck stare. It took a few blinks to bring me back.

This was real. It was actually real. Right there, above her palms, Arin was bending water! But how? Wait, is it real? Is it true? Can it even be possible? With Hana's presence nearby, there's a chance that it might not be. This would be a cruel prank if so. Normally it's Noren who is the prankster, never my youngest niece.

"Hana, are you – are you doing this?" There was no need to point, she knew exactly what I meant. A shake of her head, still staring at the water ball got rid of that small possibility.

"It's not me."

With her being the only waterbender in the Southern Air Temple, that theory was proven wrong. Leaving only one possible explanation left. It was real. Arin was waterbending. Even so, it left so many questions.

My attention left Hana, now on my youngest daughter. The girl we adopted, the girl that left so much wonder around her once more. She was almost memorized by the water. As if it was a new trick she was just now learning, which it was. The fear from moments before now gone, left in its tracks was pure awe.

"Arin, are you, are you bending the water?" My voice almost cracks just trying to get it out. Right in front of my very eyes and I still couldn't believe it, skeptical just like many others.

"I don't know." A shrug of her shoulders and the ball of water shook then drops, bursting with a small splash as it hit her hands from her lost focus. The trickle of water drips down her hands and onto the stone floor. She looks sad to see it go, but I knew her wide eyes were matching mine and nearly everyone's here. Although the water was gone, it was still stuck in everyone's mind. Arin could bend water. She was really bending water!

There were small murmurs coming from all over the courtyard; from the nomads, the acolytes, teenagers with their parents. Luckily there were no other outsiders that didn't live in the temple today as people were preparing for the festival. And although most were mere whispers, the ones near me could be heard plain as day.