*。☆。
★。＼｜／。★
˚ ₊ ♡ ❰  MIRACULUM ❱
*✧ ─── ❝ ❪ THE WAY OF CHI ❫ ❞

⋆ 🌪. CHAPTER NINE ✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:*
˚ ₊ ♡ 112 a.a ─── book two: earth

AANG AND KATARA SHARED A SERENE SPOT SIDE BY SIDE AT THE SHORE OF A SMALL LAKE THEY HAD DISCOVERED, WHILE UKI TOOK her place across from them. Sokka, in his element (also known as lazying about), was peacefully soaking in the water, drifting with Momo perched contentedly in his lap.

"Jin, is the ability to skilfully use energy, coordination and focused engagement, using muscular force and trained movements."

After Uki revealed herself to be quite knowledgeable on the spiritual side of waterbending, it didn't take long for both Katara and Aang to rope her into teaching them all about it.

And while Katara had already been an acknowledged master by Pakku, she was still very interested in improving where she could.

"The energy is rooted in the feet, issued through the legs, directed by the waist, and appears in the hand and fingers," Uki elaborated, rising to her feet with a fluid motion to demonstrate a traditional stance. "The feet, legs, and waist must act as one unit, with unified Chi. Advancing or withdrawing, you'll be able to obtain a superior position and create good opportunities to use your opponent's strength against them."

With grace matching the dance of water itself, she manipulated the lake's water, creating an elegant spectacle. As swiftly as lightning, a strike turned the liquid into ice, colliding with a rock pillar that protruded from the water. It created a wave that send Sokka and Momo toppling in the water.

She slowly manoeuvred her limbs around, to let her energy continue to flow through her body. When she was done she looked back at Katara and Aang who looked at the sight in slight awe. She chuckled before sitting back down across from them. "It is important to centre your energy, your chi. We are constantly combining things that appear to contradict each other in waterbending, but our adaptability makes use stronger. In doing so we find that what appears to be a contradiction is in fact two sides of the same coin and one cannot exist without the other. You step forward by pushing backward with your foot. To push to the right you must apply force to the left. "

Once again, Uki gracefully stood up, showcasing a quick set of waterbending moves. "It is very important to always move with Yi, or with purpose, in other words." The lake's surface echoed the rhythmic flow of her waterbending .

"How come Master Pakku didn't teach us about all of this?" Aang inquired curiously.

"I think a lot of benders have moved away from the spiritual side of bending. But it can become rigid when we lose touch with that side of ourself, or block our chakras." Uki sighed sadly, "But I think as an airbender, and the avatar you'll find coming into contact with your spiritual side a lot easier." She paused before gesturing towards the water, "Now you two go and practise. I believe Katara was going to teach you the Octopus form?"

The two kids nodded, and dashed off into the water, eager to try out the new information Uki had gifted them with. Aang and Katara faced each other, standing beneath a natural arch of stone that protruded from the water.

"Right, let me see you stance."

Uki watched as Katara observed the Air Nomad with scrutinising eyes before wading through the water and behind the avatar. "You're arms are too far apart." She grabbed his arms, "It's like Uki talked about, your whole body needs to move as one unit. You see if you move them closer you protect your centre. You got it?"

Uki did her best to stifle her laughter as Aang blushed at Katara's touch. "Thanks."

Katara nodded and moved back to her previous spot. "Okay let's see what you got."

Aang took a deep breath to centre himself before moving his arms in a circular motion to raise the water around him. a dozen streams are formed ━ like tentacles that he swirls around himself. He smiled proudly before focusing back on Katara.

As Aang skilfully weaved through Katara's rapid icicle assault, his movements showcased a graceful dance with the water. He caught the first projectile, deflecting it with ease.

With a fluid motion, he withdrew backward, simultaneously rebounding Katara's attacks in a mesmerizing display before sending his own attack toward the girl.

After a moment, Katara ceased her assault, letting her arms drop with a satisfied grin. "You make a fine octopus pupil, Aang," she teased, her laughter quietly filling the air.

Aang encased his body in a bubble of water, his arms waved gracefully, mimicking the fluid movement of tentacles, a playful expression etched across his face.

Uki, observing the friendly banter, couldn't help but grin. She swirled water around her fingers, revelling in the tactile sensation and letting the warm sun kiss her tanned skin. The rhythmic flow of water mirrored the tranquillity of the scene, and she felt a sense of calm wash over her. Momo, ever the curious companion, flew towards her, chirping happily as he joined in the light-hearted atmosphere. The lemur chirped as he chased around the small ball of water.

From the treeline, the distant strains of music began to weave through the air, catching the attention of Uki, Katara, and Aang. The melody drifted towards them, accompanied by the rhythmic beat of a drum.

As the source of the music drew near, a group of travellers emerged, clad in vibrant and colourful garments that seemed to dance with the wind.

The man at the forefront of the group played an Oud with skilful fingers, his voice carrying the melancholic lyrics of a ballad: "Don't fall in love with a traveling girl. She'll leave you broke and broken-hearted."

Rising from her seated position, Uki joined Katara and Aang at the shore, drawn by the allure of the music. The trio watched as the travellers approached. The woman on the Oud player's left wore flowing black garments and adorned a single flower in her hair as she played the flute beautifully, while the robust man next to her sported a white robe and carried a small drum. A straw hat shielded his round face from the sun.

"Heh-hey! River people!" the Oud player exclaimed, flashing a dazzling smile their way.

"We're not river people." Uki groaned out.

The man seemed unfazed, responding with joviality, "You're not? Well then, what kind of people are ya?"

"Just... people." Aang wavered after a moment of silence.

"Aren't we all, brother? Whoo," the Oud player mused.

Just as the introduction unfolded, Sokka, still clad in his white undergarments, burst onto the scene with a quizzical expression. "Who're you?" he inquired, while Uki, feeling a sense of wariness, crossed her arms over her chest.

"I'm Chong, and this is my wife Lily. We're nomads, happy to go wherever the wind takes us!" The man ━ Chong, introduced his fellow travellers

"You guys are nomads That's great! I'm a nomad." Aang smiled, bouncing on the balls of his feet.

"Hey, me too." Chong rejoiced happily.

Uki frowned, her hands falling limply beside her. Was he serious?

Aang, catching the redundancy, deadpanned, "I know... you just said that."

Suddenly, the majestic roar of Appa echoed through the air, grabbing the attention of the traveling nomads. Chong, breathless with awe, muttered, "Whoo... What is that?"

"That's Appa." Uki chimed, "our, erh sky bison."

In the wake of the introductions, the nomadic travellers decided to stay for a while. They all gathered around Appa, creating an impromptu campsite. Lily, with a gentle touch, began braiding Appa's hair, adorning it with small pink orchids. Meanwhile, Chong, lounging against one of Appa's furry legs, regaled them with tales of the places they had traversed.

Uki, initially sceptical, found herself drawn into the mystical aura that surrounded the nomads. Their peculiar nature and cryptic knowledge intrigued her, and the stories they shared

Sokka returned from the woods, a bundle of broken branches in his arms. Aang, eager to share the nomads' tales, called out to him, "Hey, Sokka, you should hear some of these stories. These guys have been everywhere."

Chong, the lead musician, humbly deflected Aang's claim, "Well, not everywhere, little arrowhead. But where we haven't been, we've heard about through stories and songs." Sokka, ever the sceptic, raised a dubious eyebrow in response.

Excitement sparkled in Aang's eyes as he shared their invitation, "They said they'll take us to see a giant night crawler." Another nomad chimed in, "On the way, there's a waterfall that creates a never-ending rainbow."

Uki, quick to interject, halted the burgeoning enthusiasm, "No, Aang. We can't accept their offer, we all know we don't have time."

Sokka quickly nodded in agreement. "Look, I hate to be the wet blanket here, but since Katara is busy I guess it's up to me. We need to get to Omashu. No side tracks, no worms, and definitely no rainbows." Sokka affirmed.

"Whoa... sounds like someone's got a case of destination fever, heh. You're worried too much about where you're going." 

"No...it's just that we have very important things to do." Uki protested.

"You've gotta focus less on the where and more on the going."  Lily proposed

"O. Ma. Shu." Sokka punctuated his words  clearly.

"We need to find King Bumi so Aang can learn earthbending somewhere safe." Uki elaborated hoping the avatar card would bring some sense to them.

Chong, with a carefree smile, acknowledged their concerns, "Well, sounds like you're headed to Omashu."

Uki, unable to contain her frustration, gaped at the man, her eyebrow twitching in irritation.

"There's an old story about a secret pass right through the mountains." Chong recommended.

"Is this real or a legend?" Katara couldn't help but voice her doubts.

"Oh, it's a real legend. And it's as old as earthbending itself," he proclaimed.

The nomad's voice carried through the air, weaving the tale of two star-crossed lovers separated by war and a mighty mountain, their determination leading to the creation of a secret pass. The melody wove a spell around them until Chong, with a sheepish grin, admitted, "Yeah, and I forget the next couple of lines, but then it goes... Secret tunnel! Secret tunnel! Through the mountain! Secret, secret, secret, secret tunnel! Yeah!"

"I think we'll just stick with flying. We've dealt with the Fire Nation before. We'll be fine." Sokka denied, moving the gather their supplies in Appa's saddle.

"Yeah. Thanks for the help, but Appa hates going underground and we need to do whatever makes Appa most comfortable." Aang smiled widely at the troupe and with that, the group was off again.

*。☆。
★。＼｜／。★
𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝙘𝙖𝙣𝙣𝙤𝙩 𝙩𝙚𝙖𝙘𝙝 𝘢 𝙢𝙖𝙣
𝘢𝘯𝘺𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝘤𝘢𝘯 𝘰𝘯𝘭𝘺 𝙝𝙚𝙡𝙥
𝘩𝘪𝘮 𝙛𝙞𝙣𝙙 𝘪𝘵 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣 𝙝𝙞𝙢𝙨𝙚𝙡𝙛

─ galileo galilei

IT WAS A BAD IDEA, VERY BAD IDEA. IF UKI ALREADY DIDN'T PARTICULAR ENJOY FLYING ON APPA, BEING ATTACKED BY THE FIRE NATION CERTAINLY DIDN'T MAKE the experience any better. It actually made it far worse. She had clutched onto Sokka's arm like her life depended on it, and she was ashamed to admit she might have shrieked when two large fireballs soared just above her head and into the cliffside.

Appa dove downwards between a small ravine and Uki scooted even closer to Sokka. "I really hate this." She spluttered.

As the small lake came into view again, Uki didn't waste any time in jumping off of the large Sky Bison. "Sorry Appa, I rather like my feet firmly planted on the ground."

The travellers were—to their luck—still at the riverside "Secret love cave. Let's go." Aang stated and Chong grinned widely at their decision.

Following after Chong and his troup, Appa and the kids walked along a wide path as he led them further inside the forest.

"How far are we from the tunnel." Sokka croaked tiredly.

"Actually, it's not just one tunnel. The lovers didn't want anyone to find out about their love, so they built a whole labyrinth." Chong said casually and Uki almost tripped over her own feet.

Sokka, seemed to be in the same state as he turned, his hands on the side of his head and his face terrified. "Labyrinth?!" He yelled in utter horror.

"I'm sure we'll figure it out."

"All you need to do is trust in love. According to the curse." Lily shrugged casually, complete calm as she twirled a beautiful flower between her fingers.

At this Sokka halted, eye twitching. "Curse?!" Sokka thundered.

Lily hummed in confirmation, unbothered by his display.

Uki grabbed Sokka by the arm, dragging him with her. "We kinda don't have any other choice Sokka." She said to the younger boy, even though she too, was very unsure about this.

Looking forward, Uki noted a moss covered entrance of what looked like a cave in the cliffside. Vines twisted around protruding stones almost masking the tunnel completely.

"Hey-hey, we're here!" Chong cheered happily, strumming is Oud.

Brushing some vines aside, Uki was pleasantly surprised the cave looked larger than she expected. Appa could easily fit inside here. Noting something glinting in the sunlight, she brushed a couple of flowers sideways to reveal a small plaque with writing on it.

"What exactly is this curse?" Sokka conjectured.

"The curse says that only those who trust in love can make it through the caves. Otherwise you'll be trapped in them forever." Chong stated matter-of-factly.

"And die." Lily finished for her husband.

"Oh, yeah, and die. Hey, I just remembered the rest of that song. And die!" he recalled excitedly strummed a chord on his Oud.

"That's it! There's no way we're going through some cursed hole!" Sokka scoffed in displeasure, ready to turn around only to see smoke rise above the canopy of trees in the distance.

"Hey, someone's making a big campfire!" One of the travellers grinned.

"That's no campfire, Moku." Katara gasped.

"They're on to us!" Uki shuddered the thought.

"That's Fire Nation. They're tracking us."

Aang looked over his shoulder at Chong and the others, grey eyes swirling with uncertainty. "So all you need is to trust in love to get through these caves?" Aang asks

"That is correct, Master Arrowhead."

Uki watched as Aang gaze lands on Katara longingly, eyes shining with adoration. The Southern waterbender is oblivious to Aang's admirations.

"We can make it." Aang said confidently.

"Everyone into the hole!" Uki exclaimed when another explosion echoes behind them, more smoke rising in the air.

Cautiously they group walked inside the dark cave, and it seemed they were just in time as the Fire Nation caught up with them. Large metal tanks roll up to the entrance of the cave and to her utter horror, they fire grappling hooks at the cave. Unable to handle the weight, the entrance of the cave collapsed, sealing them inside.

Appa groans in displeasure, rising on his hind legs, frantically digging at the rocks. "It's alright Appa!" Uki tried to sooth the scared sky bison. "We'll find a way out."

Sokka nodded in agreement before turning towards an unbothered Chong "We will be fine. All we need is a plan. Chong, how long do those torches last?" Sokka asked.

"Eh, about two hours each." He replied "And we have five torches so that's... Ten hours."

To Uki's utter horror, Lily strikes a match and lights all the torches at ones. "No!"

"It doesn't work like that if they're all lit at the same time!" Sokka shouted, quickly yanking the torches out of their hands to put them out.

"Oh.., right." Lily smiled sheepishly at them.

Sokka just shook his head, completely disgruntled by their traveling companions. "I'm gonna make a map to keep track of exactly where we've been. Then we should be able to solve it like a maze and get through."

Uki nods in agreement with his plan, but despite his sound logic, for some reason, the Northern waterbender glanced around the cave nervously. There was something strange about this place. It was almost mystical and magical.

Taking the torch from Chong, Uki took the lead, deciding that while they might tell great stories their navigation skills were not. So yeah...her self-perseverance is far stronger.

Slowly the group moved deeper in the tunnel, the light of the torch casting a dim orange glow around them. Their shadows displayed on the cave wall.

Sokka was still scribbling on a piece of paper, despite that fact Uki already told him they have been going in circles.

"Sokka, this is the tenth dead end you've led us to." Katara declared, fed up with her brother's navigating skills.

"This doesn't make any sense; we already came through this way."

"We don't need a map. We just need love. The little guy knows it." Chong shrugged, pointing to Aang.

Uki groaned.

"Yeah, but I wouldn't mind a map, also." Aang replied awkwardly.

"There's something strange here. There's only one explanation. The tunnels are changing." Sokka speculated.

A low rumble shook through the tunnel as if confirming Sokka's statement, and Uki stumbled slightly.

"The tunnels... they're a-changin'. Ah, it must be the curse. I knew we shouldn't have come down here." Chong sighs in defeat.

"Right. If only we listened to you." Sokka fumed, clutching the paper he had drawn on tightly in his fist.

"Everyone be quiet. Listen."

Uki swallowed nervously as sounds echo around the darkness ahead. The earth shook and Uki stepped back slowly. Suddenly Momo jumped from Sokka's shoulder and flew into the darkness ahead.

For a moment silence consumed their surroundings as they nervously stare ahead. Waiting for Momo to return safely.

Shrieks bounced of the wall as Momo reappeared again, wide green eyes scared as he is followed by other creatures. It flies right in the group, sending them all in a chaotic craze. Sokka is knocked over, crashing into Uki who luckily manged to steady them both before they fall to the ground.

"It's a giant flying thing with teeth!" Chong bellowed.

"No! It's a wolf-bat!" Uki cursed.

Spirits, why does everything go wrong.

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