Avatar: Rebirth

Chapter 10: The Face Stealer

Before me lay a floating stone path leading to a large, dead tree. It was hollow, for the front of it contained a hole. "This must be the place." The home of the spirit I was to confront, a spirit named Koh. I couldn't pin it down exactly, but that name seemed familiar. It was surprisingly easy to find this place, although it took quite a bit of time.

I began walking on the path, reminding myself that I must not show any emotion before the spirit. Although I wasn't too sure why. Raava didn't give me a lot of information.

I soon neared the tree's entrance. The plant had died a very long time ago, it's moldy, decaying bark falling off the trunk. All kinds of bugs crawled on its wooden surface, eating away at the fungi. This whole place had an eerie atmosphere to it.

I heard a loud screech behind me, making me jump a bit. I turned around and was relieved at what I saw. "Oh, it's just a curly tailed blue nose." I laughed at my silliness, a nervous laughter. "What is something like you doing in the spirit world? Must've wandered----" I stopped mid sentence, for the blue nose had turned around. I stared, frozen in place, at the smooth surface where it's eyes, nose, and mouth should have been.

It was faceless.

I inhaled slowly, trying to relax my body. I reminded myself I couldn't let my emotions show through. There was a new sense of urgency to this. I felt that the spirit inside that tree was far less friendly that I first assumed. He was probably a dark spirit.

I stepped inside the tree, the shadows engulfing me. A few moments passed and my eyes became used to the dark. Before I went any further, I made sure my face was as relaxed and emotionless as possible.

I wandered through a huge maze of roots and branches before I reached a large clearing, what seemed to be the center of the tree. I walked around the place, looking for the spirit. In the corner on my eye, I saw something twitch. I stopped in my path. "Hello?" I called out. No answer. "Is somebody here? I'm looking for a spirit named Koh."

"Welcome," an eerie voice behind me said. I could feel his breath against the back of my neck. I stood still as the creature circled around to face me.

I was met with a giant centipede-like being with a human face, appearing to be that of a clown's. I stared lazily into his eyes. "Thank you for welcoming me."

"I haven't seen a face as young and pretty as your's in years." His face changed, making me flinch, though I managed to keep a straight face. I was now looking at a beautiful woman with long, flowing black hair and rosy red lips. "Tell me, what is someone as lovely as yourself doing here." He swirled around me, brushing a few of his many arms against my body. It sent shivers down my spine. He chuckled. "It's been a long time since I've added a woman's face to my collection."

I gulped, my throat dry at the word. Collection? I now remembered why the name sounded familiar. I had heard about him only in stories, something parents told their children if they threw a fit in public to scare them into behaving. "If you keep crying and screaming like that, the face stealer will come get you tonight. He hates seeing people's emotions." I always thought he never existed, that he was only a character in children's nightmares. I was wrong all those years. Before me stood the infamous Koh, the Face Stealer. I wanted to run out of this place as fast as I could.

But I couldn't move a muscle.

Koh's voice echoed off the walls of woven roots. "How can I help you?"

"I have come here on behalf of the spirit called Raava," I told him.

"Raava? So the young spirit has finally realized the benefit of speaking with her elders." His face shifted to that of an old man.