Monk of the swamp

In the heart of the vibrant metropolis, Republic City came alive as the sun dipped below the horizon, casting a tapestry of twilight hues across the urban landscape. Neon signs, like beacons of modernity, flickered to life, illuminating the streets with a kaleidoscope of colors.

Skyscrapers, their windows aglow with the warm, golden light of offices and apartments, soared toward the heavens, their steel and glass facades reflecting the shimmering city below. The streets thrummed with the rhythmic pulse of life, as cars and taxis weaved through the labyrinth of asphalt, their headlights forming streams of light that wove through the urban canyons.

In the heart of the city's downtown district, a bustling market came to life. Stalls were adorned with fairy lights and lanterns, creating an enchanting atmosphere where the aroma of street food mingled with the chatter of locals and tourists alike. Street performers added their own melodies to the symphony of the night, drawing crowds of captivated onlookers.

As the city's nightlife awakened, bars and clubs opened their doors, their interiors bathed in the soft glow of neon and the pulsating beats of music. People of all walks of life, dressed in their finest attire, sought refuge from the day's demands in the promise of camaraderie and celebration.

Amidst this urban tapestry, two souls found themselves on a chance encounter, their destinies entwined by the city's radiant embrace. The night, with its shimmering lights and pulsing energy, became the backdrop for their unfolding story, a tale of connection and discovery in the heart of the city that never slept.

Amidst the vibrant cityscape described earlier, a harrowing event unfolded, casting a shadow over the glittering lights. A fierce and destructive war had erupted within the city's limits, pitting the enigmatic Avatar against the formidable Kuvira, a power-hungry force of nature in her own right.

The once-illuminated skyline was marred by flashes of elemental bending and earth-shaking clashes. Skyscrapers trembled as the very earth beneath them quaked with the ferocity of the battle. Neon signs flickered and shattered, their remnants joining the debris strewn across the streets.

Evacuation orders had been hastily issued, and the city's residents fled for safety, seeking refuge beyond the war-torn streets. Panic and chaos gripped those who had called this city home, their lives upended by the cataclysmic conflict between two forces of unmatched power.

However, amidst the chaos and mayhem, there was one individual who defied the evacuation order, the protagonist of our story. Unbeknownst to them, destiny had other plans. Perhaps it was fate or a twist of fortune, but they remained in the city, drawn by a force they couldn't comprehend.

As the Avatar and Kuvira clashed, their elemental abilities sending shockwaves through the city, our protagonist found themselves inadvertently entangled in the epic struggle. Their journey would be one of survival, discovery, and unexpected heroism, as they navigated the war-torn streets, dodging danger and encountering allies and adversaries alike.

In the midst of destruction and chaos, a unique narrative unfolded for our protagonist, a story that would be forever etched in the annals of the city's history, as they played an unexpected role in the outcome of the battle between the Avatar and Kuvira.

As the cataclysmic battle between the Avatar and Kuvira raged on, a curious twist of fate intervened in the life of our protagonist, a man by the name of Kayne. While many were evacuated from the city, Kayne found himself stranded within the urban confines, unable to escape the relentless clash of titans.

In the heart of the city, where the most intense battle had taken place, a peculiar transformation occurred. The earth beneath the combatants' feet had been so thoroughly churned and manipulated that it gave birth to an unexpected phenomenon—an enormous, murky swamp.

This unnatural swamp grew and spread, swallowing the city's streets, buildings, and infrastructure, turning the bustling urban landscape into a surreal, watery wilderness.

Kayne, separated from the evacuation efforts, was forced to navigate this newly formed, treacherous swamp. The once-familiar city had transformed into an otherworldly labyrinth of twisted trees, tangled vines, and eerie bioluminescent plants. The air was thick with mist, and the croaking of unknown creatures echoed in the distance.

In this surreal and perilous environment, Kayne fought not only to survive but also to unravel the mysteries of the swamp. He discovered hidden pockets of survival expertise within himself, learning to forage for food, build shelter amidst the twisted vegetation, and navigate the perilous waters that concealed unforeseen dangers.

As the war between the Avatar and Kuvira continued to wreak havoc in the city's remnants, Kayne's journey in the heart of the swamp would become a testament to resilience, adaptability, and the indomitable human spirit. His story, intertwined with the city's transformation and the battle of legends, would become a legend of its own—one of survival and unexpected heroism amidst the chaos of an urban jungle turned swamp.

Kayne is awake, seated. Confusion and fear play a role in jumbling his thoughts, leaving him mumbling.

"What the... ugh... and... he, uh..."

Huff! Puff!

He draws in some air, shuts his eyes, and exhales through his mouth to relieve himself.

Some days ago...

After the destruction and calamity of Kuvira's attack and the constitution of the third spiritual portal by the spirit encounter, Kayne meanders through the swamp for food and comes across a man. He is angered by the crowded presence of some spirits and has been driving them off for interfering with his peace and solitude as a monk or hermit.

"Get away from me, you sublime creatures!" he wails.

Kayne watches him from beside a huge spirit vein. The man isn't hairy, neither is he bald, but he definitely has not enough hair to earn both adjectives. He is dark-skinned, dressed in a yellow robe with a brown ribbon around his waist and scars all over his left arm.

Kayne doesn't possess the urge to aid him on an empty belly until he sees a stack of supplies on a flat rock beside him.

His eyes widen with excitement, and his tongue falls out, soaked with saliva. But still, he doesn't know or trust him to request it. He decides to sneak up and loot him of his supplies while the stranger is being distracted by the spirits.

The man continuously tosses twigs and pebbles at the intimidating wraiths. But the spirits grow more tangible, furious, and darker.

Kayne is close to his goal; he is now lying behind the rock with the attempt to take the food into his hands. "I'm sure it's meat," he stretches his lips into a hard smile like the grin of a mischievous villain. He reaches for it, then pauses to have a look out for the man, the owner.

Drruohh!

Kayne's face changes from greed to a pinch of shock, for he doesn't only hear but witnesses the tiny spirits merge into one being of a spiritual entity smashing the ground with brute force and anger.

Roar!

With a sound so noisy, both the man and Kayne know it's angered. It has grown hideous body appendages and a dark violet aura surrounding it.

Immediately, he knows what's going to happen. The monster-spirit-angry thingy is going to kill him. "What possibly caused the situation and why?" It raises its arms, looking and the size of a bear.

The man is shocked at what has happened. He stands with a bold stance for defense but rather intimidation.

"You can't touch me, spirit!" he roars back at it.

"No, it's going to kill him," Kayne judges from the situation and whispers the estimated outcome to himself.

He runs for it, fast enough to reach him. The man screams with some faith in himself to stop it. The spirit descends its arms without hesitation and... Wack!

Standing in front of the man is a pavement of rock that's stood stiff, shielding him from the hit of the spirit. He looks behind him to see the dirty-clothed earthbender in a yama-zukà pose.

"Get out of there!" Kayne screams at him.

He leaps and stomps his feet three times, followed by a non-contact punch to the air, breaking the rock of its link to the ground and thrusting it at the spirit away from the man.

He runs away, forgetting his boldness to join Kayne next to the rock.

"Thanks for saving me," his broken expression of a face is mixed with the flow of fear and relief as he speaks.

He stands and pants and groans with his arms resting on his knee. He turns to take a glance at Kayne to prepare for a moment of appreciation until he notices something weird. His food is gone but undoubtedly tied to Kayne as his first suspect.

"Why is my food tied to your waist?" he asks.

"Oh, I, uhhhhh..." Kayne's thoughts, stance, and words are stuck in dilation thinking of what to do in the next coming set of minutes.

"Puff puff! Get back here," the man wails from behind him as he sprints and pants.

They jump and flip through the swamp. The sun rays are desperate to gain a touch of the runners' faces but are being disrupted by moving shades of trees.

Kayne stops between the arms of two trees. He screws the top of his right toe into the ground like a drill in a clockwise route, sways his arm upward with his shoulder joint shrugging. Then he stomps his left foot like it was meant to quake the earth.

He bends a chunk of clay and quickly stiffens his fist between his fingers to dry it up. This is to shield the passage, but stupid to think he blocked the entire forest.

The forest, aside from the passage way, is not a concrete wall. The man digs out of the bushy forest and pounces on Kayne.

"Let go of my food, Ah!" they mumble and ramble as their joint bodies roll and stumble down into a pond.

"Splash!"

They both splash out of the water with arms swinging through the air to grab a vine. Kayne pulls himself out and gasps for breath. He spins his head in every direction possible to the bone.

"Where is it? Where is the food?" he asks in a suffocated voice.

"There you are!"

Both men cry in unison. The monk wannabe approaches Kayne close to the mud, desperately rushing to the sack of food hanging on a branch.

He has reached the shore, stretching his arm to grip the sack. Close but no cigar.

He feels a hard hand wrapped around his ankle. He tries defending it with the other leg, kicking off the fingers with the hard soles of the other foot's sandals, only to be seized additionally.

Kayne feels his body constantly dragged rearward towards the pool. The least his unskilled mind could project was to try and hold firm in the mud.

The man flings the young boy's body with an oblique turn and releases him to encounter a dry root anchored in the ground. Face dug into the wet dirt, his butt is turned over unfortunately to draw a punch. His dull, inattentive body is dragged reluctantly out of exhaustion only to witness without retaliation.

"I'm amazed at how you are. But I am more than a starving bear," he recites like a soldier but in fact resonates as a glutton.

"No one steals from Yohn!" he threatens a distinct jab, but he freezes.

Not to display his remorse on a worthless thief, but to draw attention to the situation, his arm is grasped by a vine.

Kayne slowly gets to his feet. He staggers back and forth with one thing in mind.

"I'll make you regret hitting me," he growls and jogs, slips, and falls. His leg and torso are afterward coiled by a spirit vein.

"What's this?" Yohn asks.

More and more. The spirit veins surround and tie them. Their freewill of movement is getting disabled as time flies by.

Kayne has his heart in his mouth. He knows he is on the ropes. His arms go numb, and his leg quits shaking...

"Somebody save me," his inner voice echoes as he begins to black out, eyes shutting and losing consciousness.