Avatar book 4: Air Ep 15 art

Hello Hello,

And here is episode 15 art…

Enjoy,

Biz

Link to other episode synopsis: [link]

Link to first episode: [link]

Episode 15 Lost friends & foes.

Iroh and Zuko are walking alone around the abandoned Sun-warrior temples (a large airship can be seen far in the background). The two can’t find anyone and decide to wait.

It is night and the two are sitting around a small fire on top of a temple discussing the problems of the Firenation and also Azula and Ozai. Both agree that the two are still dangerous. Out of the dark, the Sunwarrior chief and a few of his men appear to informally join the two, as if they had been expected. Zuko and Iroh ask for permission to introduce some old Sunwarrior traditions back into the Firenation (in an attempt to steer the aggressive culture of the Firenation back to its more passive roots). The chief reluctantly agrees, but worries that the increased interest would encourage people to snoop around here. Zuko agrees that the dragons are not easy to keep hidden, and states his sorrow that there are only two left. The chief smiles shrewdly, saying there are a critical small number of others also left (protected by the Sunwarriors). He also says that many eggs (the orb Zuko thought was a gold item (that seemed alive)) can be hatched at any time (they have the ability to remain dormant for a long long…. long time) but that the time was still not right. Zuko has the idea of turning the island into a conservation area that is off limits, as dragons have been found there (which will become protected on punishment of death). The Sunwarriors agree, and asks that Zuko makes sure that he tries to keep as many people off the island as possible, and that the decision to show themselves again to the world (if they chose too) remains the choice of the Sunwarriors. Zuko and Iroh agree.

Meanwhile, Azula is walking with a few very nervous looking guards along an open-roof walkway with high walls.

Azula looks even better then before and more stable, just tired and broken. The guards tell her that she is lucky that Mai has pushed so hard to allow her some time in the garden area. But the guards warn her that Yu-Yang archers are patrolling the walls and have orders to take ‘any’ measure necessary if she were to try anything.

Azula looks up at the blue sky high above and a small smile crosses her lips. There is some issue and the guards have to leave her for a moment alone in the long corridor. Azula is suddenly shocked to here the voice of her father coming from a low bared window near the ground.

Azula immediately has a relapse and looks scared and emotionally unstable. She acknowledges her father and pulls herself together as best she can to keep her voice stable, though she looks terrible. Ozai informs her that a plan is afoot and that she should be prepared to act fast and ruthlessly when the signal comes. He says she should ‘act’ as he knows she is capable of. Azula looks even more scared but acknowledges her agreement automatically. Ozai doesn’t see her expression so assumes she is with him 100%. He compliments her and says that their revenge will soon be at hand. Azula looks torn but follows her father loyally, almost as an automatic reaction.

The guards return and Azula looks much worse then before (obviously mentally torn), simply following the guards like a zombie.

Meanwhile, over with Aang, he and his group are back in Toll-Pi. They try to gather information from older residence regarding what went on during the time that the last Airbeinding siblings and the Firnation husband of the master of ceremonies were on the run from the Firenation authorities, almost 90 years ago.

For the Earthkingdome citizens it is a great tail of romance and sacrifice, unfortunately with an unhappy ending. (Flashback involved).

Aang also asks an older Firenation citizen who is a bit embarrassed to have to admit that the Firenation version the story is of the successful hunting down of one of the Firenations best known traitors who was bewitched by the last Airnomad witch. Both stories indicate that the Firenation / Airnomad pair died childless.
The group musses about how history changes depending on the observer, and how you should always be careful about information you are ‘told’, even if it is from people you know.

Aang is a little lost but then uses his training regarding auras and personality traits (which he learnt from the guru) to try and pinpoint someone who’s aura would have been likely to have risked taking in the Airnomad orphan. Aang also asks about people who would have had Airnomad personality traits and were in the right age group. A kind old Firenation man who used to be a soldier has a good memory for people and slowly an image emerges of a strange but sweet old woman and a young girl all those years ago…

Meanwhile, Ursa is once again visiting Azula, who is once again nervous and more unstable. Ursa is a little surprised when Azula opens up to her a bit after some tender words… Ursa sees a bit of Azula’s good side but when pressed… Azula shuts down, unwilling even remotely to betray her father (seemingly out of fear as well as other reasons.) The only thing that Ursa can get from her is that she suddenly really wants to get out of this prison, (to anywhere else, she doesn’t care where) something she has never directly stated before. Ursa looks concerned.
Aang and the others gather more information about the history of the old woman and the young girl. He is told that they used to live close to the village and would often leave for some unknown destination for some time.

The young girl grew up and never married, but apparently had a child of her own, a daughter. The old woman died and the girl she brought up moved further away from town with her daughter. They moved into the mountains in the direction where Aang was recently attacked by the Airspirit, only a few valleys over. After a bit more digging around the group finds out that the suspected ‘granddaughter of the last master of ceremonies’ is also rumored to have had children to an earthbending father, twins, a boy and a girl who should be in their late teens by now. Aang has directions, and believes he has the right lead. The group of youths makes to head out. Aang is so confident that he sends a message back to the northern airtemple, requesting that the young master-herdsman flies over with another sky-bison to help transport the family and scrolls when they find them.

Ursa is talking to Mai regarding Azula. The two express their concern for Azula and complain that Zuko is too inflexible on the matter. Mai plays devils-advocate and the two are not too angry at Zuko in the end, but still disappointed about Azula. The conversation moves on to Zuko’s and Iroh’s travels away to an unknown destination. Mai says that Zuko was being evasive but that they have just returned and are talking in another room in the palace at the moment, possibly about where they where. Ursa suddenly states that she knows about a way to hear what they are saying from a secret room only she knows about. Ursa states that sometimes it is necessary to even spy on loved ones, if it is for their own good. Mai is a little shocked but smiles cunningly, liking the idea.

The two women arrive just in time to overhear Iroh and Zuko talking about their experience with the ‘masters’ (Particularly regarding the influence it had on them gaining a new philosophy on life, and how neither thought that they were worthy at the time to receive the incites that the ‘masters’ gave)… Mai and Ursa are a little shocked, neither having been told… but after listening in for a while, Ursa suddenly seems to have come to a decision. (She never hears that the masters are dragons, only that they can look into your soul and if they deem you worthy, they give you incite, if not, they kill you.

End of episode.