Book 1: Fresh Water [Video]

[savedtheworld]

[Aang is peering into the journal so his face takes up almost the entire screen. He begins shouting into the book as abruptly as his image appears]

Hey! What am I doing here? I'm Aang! I'm an Airbender. Does anyone know what's going on here? I can't find my friends, my clothes or any of my stuff! I thought I was on my sky bison with everyone else going to see the Earth King. Now I'm here. Have anyone of you book people seen anyone I know?

[Aang has pulled away from the journal but continues talking as he sits in a patch of grass.]

This is a really weird place. But kinda peaceful. Definitely not weird enough to be the Spirit World. What is going on here?? And... have I always had these wings?

[Aang lifts up the book with one hand, squinting and examining it like some foreign object. This results in the picture showing his quizzical face from a skewed angle.]

Comments

[thebellthatbinds]

[Now that's really starting to ring a bell, the similarities between this boy's role as 'Avatar' and hers as Abhorsen are glaringly clear.]

I'm not sure...I have yet to attempt to enter Death but I think I can. If I'm able to, maybe you are as well.

[She can't help but huff a soft chuckle as she nods in agreement. Explaining matters that deal with alternate worlds or realms to those unfamiliar with them is always complicated. But very interesting all the same.]

If you don't mind explaining it I'd like to listen. I'm Sabriel by the way.

[savedtheworld]

Enter... Death? That sounds weird. Can you explain that, Sabriel? Nice to meet you by the way.

[thebellthatbinds]

I am Abhorsen, only those from my bloodline can enter Death, as well as deal with the Dead without being corrupted by the power that's required to do so. It's...complicated as well.

[savedtheworld]

That... does sound complicated. I can't imagine what it's like to actually go to death and be able to come back. [And he tries not to dwell on the subject; not the time to get emotional about the air nomads, his lost friends or Jet.]

[thebellthatbinds]

Well, I'm not sure if it's the same for every world but I can only go so far. That is to say... [Hm, how to put this.]

The Death I am familiar with is a river with nine Precincts and nine Gates. Once a spirit passes the Ninth Gate there is no returning. It is intimidating to think of but honestly? There's nothing to be afraid of.

[savedtheworld]

Wow, that sounds really... death-y. Sounds a lot different from the Spirit World. And that's not... scary? It sounds a little scary to me.

[thebellthatbinds]

Maybe so but when you reach the final Gate it's like it calls out to you and welcomes you home. Like rushing into the arms of everyone you love.

[Sabriel knows not only from reading about the Gates in her book but from having walked in Death herself and looking upon the Gate. Her spirit had felt it then, that yearning to go and follow the calling but it would not take her because it wasn't her time.]

[savedtheworld]

Oh. That does... that sounds nice. [some sniffling sounds. More uncomfortable thoughts are raised as he considers his own ultimate and unchangeable fate.] It would be... it's just not for me.

[thebellthatbinds]

[That sniffle doesn't escape her and instantly she regrets saying so much.] I- I'm sorry, I didn't mean to upset you.

[savedtheworld]

It's fine, really. It's fine. I just... I don't really think about it that much. It's always been obvious what will happen to me in the end. It's part of the duty of the Avatar. I just don't know what'll happen to everyone else.

[thebellthatbinds]

Well...I can't say for sure since I don't know your world but if they mean a lot to you then you'll always carry them with you no matter where you are.

[Sabriel's father had told her that much the last time she saw him and she truly believes it.

Now should she ask about what he means about his duty? She doesn't want to upset him again but she is curious...]

[savedtheworld]

Thanks, I understand. It's just something I'll have to deal with. I know I'll never forget any of my friends.

Sorry, Sabriel. I try not to get like this. Making people happy is a lot more fun!

[thebellthatbinds]

It's not your fault Aang, I should have been more sensitive about the topic. [A switch is in order here, although something he mentioned before in his entry catches her attention.]

You said you were an 'airbender', right? Is that a kind of magic?

[savedtheworld]

It's alright. [Aang fills his head with bending.]

You could look at it like that, but it's something that feels like nature. Bending is the way that you can control the elements around you and do almost anything with them. I'm an airbender mostly, but I can also bend three other of the other elements.

[thebellthatbinds]

That's incredible. [An element bender...sounds a whole lot nicer than a 'life/death' bender if she could be considered as such. But air bending, that sounds like a perfect match to use with a paperwing.]

So then, would you be able to control the air around a glider? Say something made out of laminated paper?

[savedtheworld]

Of course! I glide all the time! It's so fun.

[thebellthatbinds]

I've only done it once in my Paperwing but I loved it.

[savedtheworld]

Wow, you even glide too? You're pretty cool. We should race sometime! [The morbid thoughts pass with the wind...]

[thebellthatbinds]

That would be fun but I don't have my Paperwing here. [She crashed it back home anyway] And I can't use my magic to summon up a wind.

Can you glide here? What do you use?

[savedtheworld]

I haven't tried yet! I have a special glider that I can use with Airbending. It takes some work but it's a lot of fun!

[thebellthatbinds]

It must be nice to be able to airbend, I wish my Charter magic worked the same way.

[savedtheworld]

Why? What's your magic like?

[thebellthatbinds]

I draw it out from the Charter. It's like...an endless river of symbols and when you want to cast something, you reach in and pick out the symbols required to create your spell.

For example, if I wanted to retrieve a piece of paper from inside my bag I'd use the marks for 'finding, retrieving, and unfolding' while focusing on where the paper is to make it appear in my hands without physically going to get it.

[savedtheworld]

Whoa... that sounds really cool! Making things appear out of nowhere... that's definitely not like bending. I have to see some magic for myself.

[thebellthatbinds]

It's only good for small things that aren't too far away from me but it can be pretty handy. If I can get my Charter magic back some day I'll show you...and see if I can make myself a Paperwing too.

[Granted it might take her months, at least it would keep her busy.]