Chapter 3: The "Greatest" Warrior in the South
Word Count: ~1,100
Silver was currently watching Sokka "train" the local toddlers in the art of war. It involved a lot of shouting and even more snotty noses.
"Now, remember!" Sokka yelled, pointing a wooden spear at a five-year-old. "The Fire Nation is ruthless! They don't care if you haven't finished your nap!"
Silver leaned against a snowbank, tossing an apple (shipped in from a distant Earth Kingdom trader and kept fresh by his Vitality aura) into the air. "Sokka, I think the kid just needs a diaper change, not a lecture on flanking maneuvers."
"Military discipline starts in the cradle, Silver!" Sokka snapped, though his war paint was slightly smudged.
Silver chuckled and looked over at Aang, who was showing Katara how to ride a penguin-seal. The kid was a natural, but Silver could see the sadness behind his eyes. Using his Chi-Vision, Silver saw Aang's internal energy—it was massive, swirling like a hurricane, but jagged with grief.
I'll cheer him up later, Silver thought. But first, I have a brother to tease.
"Hey, Sokka," Silver called out, spinning his Aero-Bo staff (currently in its walking-stick form). "If you're such a master tactician, why didn't you see the giant metal ship coming toward us?"
Sokka froze. "The what?"
Silver pointed toward the horizon. A black plume of smoke was cutting through the white sky. The Fire Nation had arrived.
The village panicked. Women grabbed children, and Sokka scrambled for his club. Silver, however, didn't move. He felt the cold metal of his staff and the Fire and Water energy humming in his veins. He looked at Katara and Aang.
"Go to the center of the village," Silver said, his voice dropping the playful tone. It was the "Eldest Brother" voice—the one that even Sokka obeyed. "I'll handle the greeting party."
"Silver, you can't!" Katara cried. "They'll see you're a—"
"They'll see a guy with a stick," Silver winked at her. "Now move."
As the massive bow of the Fire Nation ship crashed onto the ice, a ramp lowered with a heavy thud. Out walked a boy with a scarred eye and a look of pure, unadulterated angst. Prince Zuko.
"Where is he?" Zuko demanded, his voice cracking slightly. "Where is the Avatar?"
Silver stepped forward, picking his teeth with a splinter of wood. "Wow. Nice hair. Did you let a badger-mole style it, or is the 'angry porcupine' look back in fashion in the Fire Nation?"
The soldiers behind Zuko gasped. Zuko's face turned a shade of red that almost matched his armor. "Who are you?"
"I'm Silver. Local welcoming committee. We're fresh out of cookies, but we have plenty of 'get off our porch' to go around."
Zuko didn't wait. He threw a dual blast of fire straight at Silver's chest.
Sokka screamed, and Katara covered her eyes. But Silver didn't flinch. Using Osmosis, he absorbed the heat into his own body, and with a subtle flick of his foot, he shifted the Earth beneath the snow to slide himself two inches to the left. The fire sailed harmlessly past.
"Missed," Silver sang out. "You're a bit tense, Sparky. Want to talk about your feelings? I'm a great listener. I can even give you a massage—first five minutes are free."
"I will burn this village to the ground!" Zuko roared, charging forward.
Silver's staff clicked, extending to its full six-foot length. Time to show them that the South Pole still has teeth, he thought. He didn't use fire—not yet. He used the Aero-Bo to sweep Zuko's legs, spinning the prince like a top.
"Whoops! Gravity is a hater, isn't it?" Silver laughed, even as he kept a sharp eye on Aang.
The war had officially started. And Silver was going to make sure it was the funniest, most frustrating experience of Zuko's life.