**Wan. Northern part of the Fire Nation.**
I found myself with some free time and decided to use it to travel to the City of the Sun. No ship sails to such remote places, and few even know that the island is still inhabited by the oldest tribe of the Fire Nation. So, I had to hire an entire vessel, paying in advance for the round trip. It wasn't cheap, but luckily, being a tutor to the children of the Fire Lord pays well, so I didn't have to scramble for funds.
And now, here I am, steaming full speed toward the island I need. In my pursuit of mastering firebending, I've finally hit a wall. I'm hoping the dragons living on the island will help me break through this bottleneck.
It's a good thing the crew didn't ask unnecessary questions. As long as the client can pay, the rest isn't their concern. Upon arrival, I bid farewell to the ship's captain, reminding him to be back at this spot in exactly one week.
I didn't have to walk far—after about a kilometer through forested terrain, in the middle of a mountain valley, the City of the Sun Warriors came into view. At its center stood a massive seven-tiered pyramid. It was clear that thousands of people once lived here. But now, all the roads and structures were overgrown. Even the stone buildings, smaller replicas of the central pyramid, were engulfed by vegetation.
"Still looks pretty new," I muttered, after stepping on yet another trap, only to have arrows fly at me at high speed. The city is packed with various traps, which means it's still inhabited…
Slightly fewer than the traps themselves, there were masterfully crafted stone statues of dragons. Mostly, of course, the eastern variety, but some western types were also present. As I moved through the city, frescoes began to appear… also featuring dragons. Many depicted dragons sharing their fire with humans. Back then, they couldn't have imagined that this would lead to the genocide of their kind.
"I thought they'd spot me sooner," I thought. The narrow streets of the ancient city were practically designed for setting traps and monitoring intruders without any trouble. A group of five, including some gifted firebenders, began cautiously observing me.
Since they weren't showing themselves or driving me away, I decided to spend more time exploring the city. After all, it's fascinating to see how people lived years ago.
"Ah, that's it! I've been wondering what this reminded me of!" The architecture and buildings almost perfectly mimic the Mayan and Aztec civilizations. Judging by the animated series, the inhabitants themselves, in appearance and clothing, closely resembled people from these ancient cultures. "If you think about it, in my former world, their descendants are also extremely few, and their cities have long been abandoned, overgrown by wilderness…" Now it's clear where the creators got their inspiration…
"This is exactly what I've been looking for," I said to myself. In one of the squares stood a massive pillar, which was actually a solar calendar. Right next to it was a sanctuary with a sun stone. From what I know, when a beam of light passes through the stone and reflects off the calendar, it hits a red stone above the sanctuary's gates, causing the doors to open. I'm not waiting for the solstice, so I pulled out a small mirror I'd brought along and directed the light beam to the right spot.
Absorbing the light, the stone began to glow with an intense red light, soon triggering the opening of the stone doors. Inside, everything was just like in that episode of *Avatar* about the firebending masters. Massive statues demonstrated poses of the "Dancing Dragon."
"There's no way I can trick this mechanism," I thought, which means it's time to lend myself a hand. "Yo, I summon you!" With a small gust of wind, Yo appeared beside me.
"Shall we begin?" Yo asked… myself.
"Let's begin," I nodded.
While the Sun Warriors wait outside, unaware of what's happening here, I should take advantage. Starting to assume the necessary poses, I recalled my first firebending training, where I managed to enter that enlightened state.
"The rest is up to you," Yo said, disappearing instantly. His arrival was expected by Roku, after all, it's much closer from there to Wan Shi Tong's Library than flying from the North Pole.
Before a second passed, a pedestal with the sun stone appeared.
"Now, grab it and run. I'm not eager to end up in that trap with some mysterious liquid," I thought, taking the stone and quickly making my way outside.
"Halt!" one of the Sun Warriors barked. He and his companions were already waiting for me outside. Two men and one woman held their spears dangerously close to my body, while two others were ready to turn me into a well-roasted meal.
"I'm stopping," I said calmly. I could already sense their movements, so I wasn't surprised. "Don't think I came to steal it—just curiosity, interest…" I suddenly stopped speaking as I felt a faint pulse of life emanating from the golden egg. It was so tiny that even my chi sense barely recognized it.
"I don't know how you got it… But return the sun stone to us, outsider!" demanded the one who seemed to be their leader, with red stripes on his cheeks. They all wore face paint typical of the tribes that once inhabited the Americas.
"What kind of stone is this? There's clearly life still flickering inside!" My words sparked a wave of whispers among the Sun Warriors. Only the speaker remained silent, looking at me with an unreadable expression.
"Did they not know it wasn't just a stone? Or is there some secret here?" Questions swirled in my mind.
"Quiet! Take him to the Chief!" he quickly silenced the others and positioned himself beside my left shoulder.
In such a procession, we set off. While the Aztec-like warriors watched me vigilantly, I carefully examined the egg. It somehow reminded me of Unagi's eggs… I think there's a good chance this is a dragon egg. It's just strange that it ended up in such a place.
Soon, we approached one of the abandoned pyramids. The group's leader carefully pushed aside the vines of some plant, revealing a previously hidden door. It's probably better this way. I mean, if everything looks abandoned, the rest of the world will think no one's here anymore.
"What happened, Ham Gao?" Inside, a whole delegation was waiting for us. The person who asked the question was likely the tribe's chief, as only he wore a headdress with feathers. And his face resembled the one from the animated series.
"Chief, it seems this person has figured something out about our sacred relic," Ham Gao whispered directly into the Chief's ear, but it didn't stop me from hearing it. The Chief's expression didn't change; he just narrowed his eyes at me. What's with all the secrecy?
"What brings you to the City of the Sun, stranger?" The Chief's strong voice held no hostility.
"To learn firebending wisdom from your masters," I replied immediately.
"He knows about the dragons!"
"We should kill him!" murmured members of the tribe, who were already not thrilled about my visit.
"Alright, I'll take you to the masters. They'll decide what to do," the Chief said, silencing his tribesmen with a wave of his hand.
This time, we left the city, heading toward the towering Twin Rocks. The nearby area near the Masters' Cave had its own unique atmosphere. Or am I just psyching myself out because dragons live here?
"Why don't you take your 'sun stone' back?" I finally asked the Chief.
"Our masters will explain everything to you, if they deem you worthy," the Chief replied calmly.
"And what if I'm not worthy?"
"You'll make an excellent meal for the masters!" Ham Gao laughed, his laughter grating.
"If only you knew I've already raised dragons of my own," I shot him a contemptuous glance but didn't comment further. "Well, time to climb…" Looking at the long staircase, I began my ascent.
Just as I reached the summit, two massive dragon bodies flew past on either side. Performing a brief flight, more like a dance, they hovered with their muzzles right in front of me. Their power was overwhelming! Definitely on par with peak-level high spirits. How did the Fire Nation hunt them? Did they gather the entire city? Or wait until they fell asleep?
"You smell of sea dragons," a strong male voice echoed in my mind.
"I thought they'd gone extinct long ago…" This one was more feminine.
"What do you want from us, strange being?" I didn't understand…
"Greetings, Masters," I said. Non-aggressive—that's good. Why not show some courtesy? "Why 'being'?"
"You smell of both spirit and human. It's unclear," I thought there'd be something else here.
"Have you encountered our sea kin somewhere?" the female dragon asked with genuine interest. She's the one with the blue hue. It's a bit unusual to see their unchanging faces during conversation; even their jaws don't move. It's all like with spirits, through thought-speech.
Without holding back, I told them about Unagi's children, not expecting such a wave of joy from them. I thought water and fire weren't on good terms.
"Our lineage continues somewhere," she said with relief. "Thank you so much for helping our brothers and sisters."
"What brings you to us?" the red dragon asked, now more friendly.
"I've come to seek your wisdom in firebending," I replied. They shouldn't refuse…
"We'll help you," he said after meeting the gaze of what I assume is his… mate?
"Before we start, I wanted to know about the egg still holding a flicker of life."
"I think a friend of dragons can be told this story," this time, the pause was longer. "In ancient times, when dragons ruled the skies unopposed, when there were thousands of us, among us was the lineage of the Royal Dragons."
It turns out the Royal Dragons weren't called the strongest for nothing. They were the first dragons to adapt to the human world while retaining both their firebending and chi. It was they who gave humans knowledge of firebending. They're also called Sun Dragons, whose scales glow under sunlight. The city, and the entire culture of the Sun Warriors, is named after them.
"The stronger and older we are, the harder it becomes for us to produce new offspring," he said with deep sadness. "Evil humans simply hastened our end…"
This golden egg is the last direct descendant of the Sun Dragons. The final hope for survival. As their name suggests, they draw sustenance from the sun itself; its rays give them life and strength. But the tiny life inside the egg couldn't withstand direct sunlight. The adult kin who could care for it have long since either died or fallen at the hands of other bending creatures. In those distant times, monstrously powerful beasts, once spirits, roamed these lands.
Together with the humans who worshipped them and other dragon species, a method was devised that still offered a tiny chance of birth. The red stone above the sanctuary's doors acted as a filter for sunlight. Then, through tiny stones in the wall, the sun's energy reached the egg itself. Over two thousand years have passed, but the heartbeat has only weakened with time…
"Can't we somehow infuse it with energy, drop by drop?" I, too, was eager to see the kings among dragons in person. "Like I did with the sea dragons."
"Our species are very different in that regard," the blue dragoness shook her head. "Once the egg leaves the mother's body, there's no way to help it; we'd only destroy the very emergence of life. Only by drawing from a natural, untainted source can the embryo grow," she said. I wonder if my neutral energy would work?
"Do you think this energy could be used?" I released my neutral energy outward and saw the dragons' massive eyes grow even larger.
"How did you do that?!" Two loud voices roared in my head.
"Not so loud, please!" It felt like my brain was being shaken and stirred.
"Forgive us, we'd simply lost hope for a miracle…" the blue dragoness said, slightly calmer. "Try infusing a little energy," she requested, her voice filled with anticipation and fear. After all, there's a chance we might kill the dragonling…
"Just a tiny, teeny-tiny drop," even my palms were sweating from the tension. Taking the smallest bit of energy from the source, I gently sent it into the golden egg.
One second passed. Two. Then… the heartbeat stopped.
The dragons' faces—or rather, their poses in the air—took on a mournful look.
*Thump-thump, thump-thump.*
The beating started again! And with each second, it grew stronger and more intense. Ran and Shao soared into the air, beginning a beautiful dance.
I stood there with a joyful smile, stroking the egg.
"I just hope this is the last egg I'll have to help," I thought. Otherwise, an unhealthy trend seems to be emerging…
Only the Sun Warriors didn't understand what was happening. They simply started beating their drums. The logic is simple: "If the masters are happy, we're happy too."