Avatar: The Red Dragon

Chapter 5: The Special Power

Nanami had been attending the Royal Fire Academy for three weeks now and everything had been going without a hitch. She had settled in nicely and had been enjoying school life with Miya and Saki. The three girls became inseparables, hardly ever seen apart.

They also befriended Hiroki, a bespectacled boy their age, after a lot of reluctance on his part in the beginning (he was rather unfriendly - and still was sometimes). Hiroki came from a four-person household. His parents ran a grocery shop in the shopping district, and he had an older brother who did not attend the academy.

Nanami always arrived early to the classroom as advised by Professor Toh. It also gave her more time to chat with her friends. The four students were sitting close to each other: Nanami sat in the last row, near the window and behind Saki, while Hiroki was on her right, behind Miya. They were still talking when Toh walked in. Every student stood when he showed up and greeted him in chorus.

"Good morning to you all. I'm glad you understood what I told you; we haven't had any latecomers during the first three weeks. So, we are going to study Fire Nation history this morning, and then you will have firebending lessons in the afternoon."

Nanami tried to concentrate during the lesson but couldn't help looking out the window. The window overlooked the street, and she could see the Royal Palace from her seat.

"It seems my lesson is not interesting enough to get your attention, young girl," Toh remarked, as he passed between the rows.

Nanami looked up at him, embarrassed. Her cheeks flushed, as everyone looked at her.

"I'm sorry, sir," she mumbled.

"You will stay behind at the end of the lesson," he said, walking away.

Nanami looked down at her little desk to hide her embarrassment. It hadn't been too long and she had already been chastised and summoned by her teacher. This thought kept playing in her mind and made her so nervous she could not focus on the rest of the lesson, knowing she was going to be lectured at the end.

The class finally ended and the students went to the Common Hall for lunchtime. Miya, Saki and Hiroki went ahead to wait for their friend in the inner yard.

Nanami looked around her. Everybody had already left. Only the teacher was still there, sitting at his desk. She walked over and stood before him. Only the table separated them.

Nanami stood straight, arms held stiffly at her side from nerves. Toh looked at her.

"Do you know why you are here?" he asked with a slow and deep voice.

"Because I was not paying attention to the lesson," Nanami answered softly.

"Because you lack discipline!" he corrected loudly. "You will not achieve anything if you don't fix that attitude of yours. I've met hundreds of arrogant and impertinent students like you and I taught them what it meant to be respectful and disciplined. They never dared to retort after that. If you do not wish to suffer the same fate as them, I would advise you to correct your behavior on your own," he warned her.

"I'm sorry for not paying attention to the lesson, but I was neither arrogant nor impertinent," she argued, looking straight into his bronze colored eyes. "But I know that I lack discipline, I will work on that," she conceded.