Avatar: The Last Airbender: Legend

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Towards the end of the school year, a new epochal event shook the whole country. In every home, people were discussing what had happened, even in class, students allowed themselves to break discipline and discuss the hot news.

Prince Airo, the first prince and great Fire mage, had slain the last dragon in his wanderings. There was no reliable information about this event, because no one saw the battle itself, but the prince who arrived in the capital gave his father a gift in the form of a dragon skin. The heir himself did not publicise his feat, which caused even more excitement than if he had announced it on every corner.

The whispering people admired the modesty of their future ruler. The women sighed languidly, and the men proudly shouted congratulations in honour of his victory. Airo's name was already a household name due to his successes at the front. Now the prince was the talk of the town. Significant battle honours in the destruction of guerrillas and savages overlapped with great exploits, elevating the man's reputation to the heavens, putting him on par with his father and great grandfather.

Airo's many merits may have been exaggerated, but the soldiers in Lu Yang and Yu Dao were ready to claw at the throat of anyone who spoke ill of him.

Guan Yu was no exception, and like everyone else, he was contaminated by the discussion of triumph. It had been a very long time since anyone had defeated a dragon, primarily because there were hardly any living individuals left. There were enough strong masters of magic in the Land of Fire, but not everyone was able to find the mighty beast.

New streams of volunteers were pouring in to enrol for military service, and Liping City was not spared. The number of students in the school was threatening to double, and the recruitment offices could not even accommodate all those who wanted to enrol. Yu nostalgically recalled his early years of schooling, imagining a stuffy, cramped barracks. The cramped beds and the constant crowding in the first few months until he and the rest of his classmates got used to it.

-Next year, it'll be out of breath.

-Don't get distracted, Yu.

-Excuse me, Mr Tse. I'm just thinking of something else.

-I realise even I find it hard to keep studying, just thinking about how I imagine myself in Prince Airo's shoes, fighting a dragon.

After a moment's silence, Yu decided to ask the question that interested him.

-Mr. Tse, I heard that Viceroy Tao Qian is coming to Liping, along with the prince...? Is this true?

As if before diving into the deep waters of the Pona, the boy squeezed his eyes shut, waiting for an answer. A couple of seconds of silence were interrupted by the quiet laughter of the ruler's son. Patting the child on the shoulder, Tse smiled patronisingly, watching the sharply changing facial expressions of the younger one.

-Don't be afraid, it's not a secret. To answer your question, yes. Mr Qian and Prince Airo will arrive next week. My father is going to organise a grand celebration in honour of the arrival of such dignitaries, so we'll have a couple of days off,' mussing the boy's black hair, he leaned down and whispered confidentially, 'Maybe you'll even be able to see the winner of the dragon in person!

Not wanting to disappoint Tse with an answer, Yu smiled modestly and nodded contentedly. Even though he had seen Airo a long time ago, it was interesting to see how he had changed now.

Returning to practising the defensive stance, the cadet continued his joint training sessions with the Liping heir. Tse had begun to spend little time in his company lately, so the boy enjoyed their training in pleasant silence.

The prince's arrival was greeted with pomp. The streets of the city were decorated with many beautiful ribbons and lanterns. Dressed up people walked everywhere, wearing their best clothes. Every woman or small child had flowers in her hands. With different colours, they were a living wave of flowers that flowed to the entrance of the city. Cheerful teenagers raced across the rooftops, hoping to be the first to see the national hero, while the guards thundered their fists at them, smiling jokingly and enjoying the beautiful day. There were food stalls everywhere, and in the main square a large stage was again erected, where many famous artists were invited to perform. Not far from the city, a nomadic circus filled with strange beasts was set up, and statues of dragons were placed all along the bridge leading to Lipin.

In general, the Fire Nation had a strange attitude towards these mythical creatures. They were honoured, worshipped and respected, but killing a dragon was considered the greatest feat. It was believed that the one who defeated the beast in a duel became a dragon himself, so Prince Airo had the majestic nickname 'Dragon of the West'. It seems that the slain Prince Lord of Heaven lived on one of the islands between the Fire Archipelago and the continent with colonies.

This time, the cadets and the rest of the students were very lucky. Instead of those crappy uniforms, they were given excellent outfits that fit perfectly and did not restrain their movements. All the students who had caught the party in honour of the heir's arrival were able to breathe freely. No one wanted to spend such a momentous day in tension.

Walking through the streets of the city, Yu looked around lonely. Many parents were affectionately hugging their children that wore the same uniform as him. Fathers, mothers, brothers and sisters. This picture caused a tugging pain in the child's soul, putting eerie images of the past into his mind. Threatening to sink into sadness and melancholy, the boy quickened his step, trying to reach the entrance to the city as quickly as possible. But with every step he took, he felt worse. Unable to withstand the pressure, he climbed onto one of the rooftops where the townspeople's children were sitting.

After a couple of wary glances at the uniformed kid, the town kids went back to their conversations, thinking that he too had just decided to climb higher. Walking away from the edge of the houses, Yu took a deep breath, trying to calm himself down.

-If Petty Officer Ping were here...

Remembering his uncle's cheerful face, the boy was able to squeeze out a warm smile. His guardian always tried to look positive and content with life, even though he had a lot of problems in the form of his friend's son. Constantly staying on duty and working hard for three, he never once complained that he had suffered such a fate. Although, as Yui had learnt, Ping had a bad relationship with his relatives. In fact, his family was Guan Li, what replaced his brother.

Deciding that his uncle would definitely not be upset on such a lovely day, Yu 'wrapped his snot on his fist' and quickened his step, almost breaking into a run. Feeling the gusts of river air, he enjoyed running along the rooftops he missed a lot.

'I wish I could jump into the water at a run.' Casting a wary glance towards the river, the cadet tried to put those tempting thoughts out of his mind. The temptation to throw off his uniform and dive into the cool water was too great.

Leaping onto the last roof before the bridge, the child watched with delight as the cavalry column moved towards the city. Riding huge komodo rhinos, the prince's procession slowly rode into Lipin. The mighty animals walked in a single formation, showing excellent training. The large horns on their muzzle and long claws inspired respect for these creatures, though Yu was now swallowing saliva as he recalled the fine sausages made from these animals.

'Soak in seawater - one week. Stuff the meat with rice and spices all day. Roast the blanks on low heat for one hour. Enjoy the flavour of fighting rhino meat forever!' Licking his lips and embarrassedly covering his rumbling stomach, the boy ducked slightly so as not to stand out on the empty rooftop.

The Viceroy and his family came out to meet the prince. The Fire Giant himself stood beside his eldest son, with the rest of the family positioned slightly behind him. Aside from the mother and daughter, there was another brother, Qie, standing there. Few people had seen him in public, it was said that he was more absorbed in clothes and jewellery than in the martial skills or diplomacy that the son of the Viceroy should be studying. The most frightening rumour was that Sun Quan was the one who had invented that uncomfortable uniform for them.

Shrugging his shoulders at the memory, Yu returned to his 'guerrilla activities'.

Riding ahead on the largest and most ornate komodo was Prince Airo. Since their last meeting, he had grown huge in the shoulders.....

-And belly...

With shock, the boy watched as the Dragon of the West changed. His beard had grown longer and thicker, and his belly was gradually taking on the shape of a barrel. He seemed to have grown more in width than height over the past few years.

Riding beside Airo was Viceroy Tao Qian. The gaunt old man was as skinny as a pole. Yu was afraid that any gust of wind would send him flying. Dressed in blue robes with white lotus flower patterns, the old man was dozing in the saddle, basking in the sun. Behind the back of the Fire Master's son rode a squad of loyal men.

At the head of the prince's personal squad was a man with the insignia of a captain. Dressed in a classic officer's uniform, he was the least distinguished of the company.

Behind him rode two unusual men. The first was a stout man with a thick beard that reached to his chest and a bald head that glistened amusingly in the sun. Attached to the big man's saddle was a guan dao. His neighbour was a strange guy with a cocky grin. Even from this distance, one could see him baring his teeth. A long braid dangled behind his back, and only a small weapon belt was worn on his torso.

The latter two were familiar to Yui with their style. A classic Yuyang archer dressed in a pathfinder uniform. The young man was looking around, searching out any danger with an attentive gaze. Next to him, however, rode one of the bombardiers of the Pohai Fortress. Closed armour with special insignia showed that he belonged to this little known unit. His helmet completely concealed his face and his armour his figure.

The entire procession rushed after the prince as he greeted Sun Jian. The joyful voice of the Dragon of the West could be heard all around. He laughed and smiled merrily as he introduced himself to Viceroy Liping's family.

The people frozen around him waited for Prince Airo to quench his thirst for companionship so he could start showering his guests with flowers and congratulations. While everyone gazed longingly at the Fire Master's heir, Yu examined his bodyguards, calculating their strengths and abilities in his mind.

The commander looked the most dangerous. He sat unarmed, which hinted at his mastery of magic or overconfidence.

The young captain felt another's gaze on him and began to search through the crowd. The other bodyguards reacted to his tossing and after a few seconds and the archer's taunts, the whole five turned towards the rooftop where a frozen Yuu had already straightened to his full height. Pressing his hand to his chest, he cocked his head higher, causing smiles to appear on the faces of the soldiers.

Attracted by the cheerful mood of the prince's men, the Viceroy turned towards the general attention. The familiar child he'd encountered in his son's classes elicited a wry chuckle.

Not to be left out, Prince Airo also caught sight of the boy and waved happily. Deciding not to delay the greetings any longer, he nodded suggestively to the Viceroy.

-Prince Airo, the city is at your disposal.

A joyous cheer erupted from all sides as soon as the last word was spoken. Happy people shouted the prince's name, throwing small wreaths or bunches of flowers at the feet of the soldiers. A few women ran out of the crowd, rushing past the sluggishly resisting guards and presented the rhino riders with a couple of bouquets.

All the while Yu stood proudly on the roof, not knowing where to go. He wanted to run away and hide from the hundreds of eyes that looked at the child frozen in one pose. But an inner voice told him that would be wrong.