Chapter 91 - Chapter 93

A day had passed since Dragon decided to start his new life inside the southern air temple. Gyatso had taken the entire day yesterday to explain meditation and how to do it correctly. He had outfitted Dragon in some proper Monk clothing.

Dragon had also been offered to live inside the temple, but he had kindly refused. It might be strange to say that one day could bring change to a person. But it truly had brought about a change in Dragon.

He didn't want to live inside a house, he didn't want to sleep on a bed. He had made his home on top of the mountain top where he arrived. The winds up on the mountain top calmed him and they helped tremendously when trying to enter a meditative state.

Seeing the way the air nomads lived and how they were raised. Everything that met his eyes and everything he took in, it made him feel incredibly disconnected with himself. Suddenly the feeling of luxury started to anger him.

Thinking of all that he owned and still wasn't happy being himself. Then coming here and seeing people with nothing to their name, but seemingly at the same time have everything. It brought about a great change in Dragon, and a feeling of anger rushed to the surface.

An anger that was directed at no one but himself. Anger for essentially having control of three worlds, but still walk around feeling lost and depressed. An anger like a raging fire burned inside of him.

He was sitting in the centre on this mountain top and tried to connect with the winds passing him by. They were in contact with every part of his body, but he had never felt more disconnected from them than he did now.

He was sitting in the lotus position and tried to enter deep sleep meditation. It's when the mind empties all its content and you transcend barriers to become one with your element.

Gyatso explained that to become an elder for an air temple. It was required that you have entered this form of meditation and become one with the element of your soul. It is an extremely difficult state of being to enter successfully. And that is why there are so few elders in this temple.

The winds were strong and powerful, but calm and peaceful at the same time. As a former multi-elemental mage he thought this was gonna be easy. But when Gyatso had explained their techniques. Dragon understood that what they called bending the elements was nothing like magic.

If magic was forcefully taking command of an element and forcing it into submission. Than bending was the opposite. It was asking for permission and letting the winds naturally travel through you and live in balance and harmony around you.

Bending the element was the most powerful and purest connection to an element. If comparing only mastery of an element. Then a child air bender was a hundred times better than an adult wind mage in understanding and utilizing their element.

"I don't mean to disturb you senior Dragon. But as you are now, entering deep sleep meditation will be nigh impossible for you." Gyatso had appeared behind Dragon suddenly.

"Was afraid of that. I have been sitting here for thirteen hours but I have had no progress." Dragon opened his eyes to look out over the cliff and the beautiful scenery before him.

"Deep sleep meditation is nothing you progress towards. It is something within yourself that comes to you when you are ready. There have been people meditation for many years and still have had no progress, as you call it."

"You can't search for it. You should meditate on yourself instead. Who are you and where are you going. These are the questions you need to meditate on." Gyatso stood there with his usual kind smile.

"I understand, elder Gyatso. How about we go and find something to eat, I am starving." Dragon stood up and stretched.

"Great idea. I have something perfect in mind." Gyatso and Dragon made their way down the mountain towards the temple.

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A few days later on top of the mountain top. Gyatso and Dragon had just gotten back from an important meeting with the elders. It was to test if Dragon had the capabilities to air bend.

"Now that the elder council has tested you, you are allowed to practice the art of air bending. Are you ready, Senior Dragon?" Gyatso said with his hand hidden inside his sleeve.

"Yes, I am. Please show me the ways of an air bender." Dragon bowed in respect and Gyatso cupped his hands and bowed as well.

"Then please follow along with my movements." Gyatso took a stance and waited until Dragon adopted the same stance. Then he began doing simple martial arts movements. His body looked to almost transform into an element as he was moving around.

"This is the movement that you will practice every day. This is how we lay the foundation of all air benders." Gyatso kept repeating a series of movements and Dragon naturally caught on. Because of how long Dragon had lived and just how skilled and talented he was, it didn't take long until he could do the movements with closed eyes.

The two of them stood up on the mountain top and repeated the movement over and over again. Dragon hadn't even noticed the winds starting to flow along his arms and legs. The wind looked to be attached to him and every time he punched out, a small gust of wind would pass by the grass and trees and shake them slightly.

'What an incredible person. Not even an hour and he is already attuning himself with the element around him. With such a talent for bending you could almost believe he is the avatar.' Gyatso smiled for himself while observing Dragon that danced around with closed eyes.

This kept going for hours upon hours, and at this point, Gyatso was tired and had stopped the exercise. He was sitting on the side and watching Dragon dance around like he was in a trance. After another hour or so, Dragon's movements started to slow down and eventually he stopped entirely.

"You are a naturally born bender. But tell me, what did you discover when you entered that little trance." Gyatso asked Dragon that felt, sad, happy, confused and pretty much all emotions a human could feel.

"I think I figured out why I have been spiralling into darkness lately." Dragon sat down in the centre as he always did.

"And what was that? What did you discover?" Gyatso was very curious what someone like Dragon would have as their biggest flaw. Every human had flaws, and Dragon naturally had them too.

"Hate and fiery anger. I feel incredible hate towards myself. Anger and hate for all the destruction and chaos I've spread. I think I've suppressed it for so long because I don't want my family to see me like that. And I think to keep that side hidden has been what's eating me up from the inside."

"Good. And now comes the hard part of being a human being." Gyatso didn't need to finish the sentence because Dragon already knew the task that he was faced with now.

"Acceptance." Dragon looked up at the passing clouds, and they formed in his eyes, the last moment he had with Sylvia, where she was curled up in his bosom while sleeping soundly.

"It could take years for us to admit that we have flaws, and even more years to find them. And then the longest period of all is when you are forced to face those flaws and not bury them deep inside, but embrace them and accept them."

"When you can do that. You shall see that the deep sleep state will show itself to you." Gyatso as always spoke with a smile on his face.

"I will return to meditation. Do you mind leaving me alone." Dragon said in a tired voice. And Gyatso just nodded and started making his way back down towards the temple.

'Acceptance.' Dragon closed his eyes while memories of Sylvia and his sons passed through his mind.

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End