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Chapter 37 (The Northern Air Temple)

Elua's POV.

We all are sitting on a few stone blocks along with many other people, everyone was listening to a man tell stories about airbenders. It was comforting to hear such stories about our home.
"So travelers, the next time you think you hear a strange large bird talking, take a closer look, it might not be a giant parrot, but a flying man!" The man says dramatically. "A member of a secret group of air walkers who laugh at gravity and laugh at those bound to the earth by it!" He says, concluding his story.

"Aren't Airbender stories the best?" Aang asks Katara and Sokka, smiling wide.
"Was it realistic? Was that how it was back then?" Katara asks.
"I laugh at gravity all the time," Aang tells her. "Haha! Gravity," He says with a fake laugh.
"Jingle, Jingle!" The storyteller says, holding out a hat with money in it out to Sokka. Sokka searches his coat, but when he opens his hands there is only some lint and a bug. The man sighs and walks dejectedly.

"Sorry!" Sokka yells after him. Aang runs over to the storyteller who is facing another audience member as he seeks more donations.
"Hey, thanks for the story!" Aang says as he walks over to him.
"Tell it to the cap, boy!" The man says holding out his hat behind him. A copper piece falls out of the hat and lands on the ground, which Momo promptly picks up and places it into the cap.
"Aw, much obliged little bat thing!" The storyteller says smiling as he pats Momo's head.

"It means a lot to hear Airbender stories," Aang says beaming in gratitude.
"It must have been hundred years ago your great-grandpa met them," I say smiling at the very old man behind the storyteller.
"What are you prattling about child?" The man asks me confused. "Great grand-pappy saw the air walkers last week!" He tells me, pointing to the old man behind him.
"Heya!" The old man says smiling. Aang and I look at each other with hope in our eyes, maybe we weren't the last Airbenders.

The Next Day.

We all sit on Appa as we make our way to the Northern Air Temple, hoping there actually were more airbenders.
"Hey, we're almost at the Northern Air Temple!" Aang says smiling as he looks ahead. "This is where they had the championships for sky bison polo," He states. Memories begin to flood my mind, making me smile.
"Do you think we'll really find airbenders?" Katara asks Sokka with a smile of hope.
"You want me to be like you, or totally honest?" Sokka questions as he carves a small piece of wood.

"Are you saying I'm a liar?" Katara asks her brother with a glare of annoyance.
"I'm saying you're an optimist. The same thing basically," Sokka tells her with a shrug.
"Hey guys, look at this!" Aang says excitedly. We all turn around and see the Northern Air Temple now in front of us. It sits at the top of a steep mountain, similar to the temple down in the south. However, unlike or temple there are people and things flying around this one, smoke is rising in lazy clouds from a couple of places among the towers and around the temple fly many gliders.

"Huh! They really are airbenders!" Katara says smiling. But, my smile turns into a frown and so does Aang's.
"No, they're not," Aang says unhappily as he crosses his arms
"What do you mean they're not? Those guys are flying!" Sokka says as he points to the people.
"Gliding maybe, but not flying," I tell him sadly. "You can tell by the way they move. They're not airbending. Those people have no spirit," I state. Suddenly, Katara and Sokka almost get their heads taken off by a glider as whoever is gliding over us passes over their heads.

We all look up and see a boy in a wheelchair, the glider attached to it.
"I don't know, Elua. That kid seems pretty spirited!" Katara says smiling up at the kid. The wheelchair glider makes another pass over us, this time Aang looks at him and a competitive expression falls over his face. He jumps into the air, unfolds his glider and takes off after the kid. The other gliders are now flying in a formation around Appa.
"We better find some solid ground before it finds us!" Sokka tells us.