Toku grimaced. He didn't want to talk about it, but he didn't want to be a poor Firebender either. If what Faedric said was true, which it probably was, concidering he's one of the Fire Sages, it made sense that he couldn't Bend properly. He wasn't in balance at all.

"I'm not sure if I really am the Avatar," Toku admitted. "And I'm not even sure whether I'd like to be, if it turns out to be true. I feel I need real evidence. Other than some make-believe prophecy, that is. So far, I'm still just a nobody from the street, but my heart is conflicted. If I am the Avatar, I suddenly have this great responsibility, but I don't think I'm ready for that. At the moment, I have no idea who I am. Am I still a nobody from the street, or am I the Avatar?"

"Hm, I understand your hesitation. Everyone, even us Fire Sages, have great expectations for you. And indeed, you must fulfill them. The world need's its Avatar, and barring an early death there is no way out of the role. I can only surmise that that was the choice made, when the Avatar spirit fused itself with its first human body. The spirits are wise, but not always kind."

"You are the Avatar. You might perhaps think that failing our test said differently, but that is not true. Every nation has its ways to find the Avatar, without fail. Never have the visions of the fire sages failed us on such important matters."

"We knew you were the one, with certainty. We simply desired to test your immediate aptitude. For some Avatars, the other elements come quite easily. For you that is clearly not the case. But the other elements will come later. For now, we will focus on fire."

"Fire is a part of you, and always has been." Faedric's eyes widened, and he put his hand to his heart. "The Avatar can control all four elements, but it is their first they learn that comes most naturally to them. Througout your years, you have bent fire countless times. Fire pours from your limbs, over and over until it becomes instinct. And that instinct remains with you all your life."

"You have not lost that instinct. Your mind has merely clouded over it. But you can part that cloud. You can overcome the wall that blocks your path. You will!" He shouted, attempting to inspire.

"Take five breaths, make your stance, and bend as much fire as you can. Go!"

It was tough to swallow it, but Faedric was too convincing. Everything that had had happened to him the past twelve hours all pointed to the truth. They wouldn't have brought him here if he wasn't the real deal. The Fire Sages didn't waste their time on street urchins. And he couldn't remember Jael ever claiming anything which hadn't turned out true. He couldn't deny it any longer, however much his old self wanted to. It had only been a few hours, but the old Toku was gone, he slowly understood, and never to return. The lazy days were over. The days of innocence were past. Days of duty and training would follow. It wasn't for him to decide. He was the Avatar.

Toku adopted a wide stance, as he remembered learning long ago, and closed his eyes. He took a deep breath, his stance complete. He was the Avatar, he told himself, repeating it in his head as if it was a mantra. The second breath, he could feel his every limb focusing. He was the Avatar. The third breath, his nervousness was replaced by calm. He was the Avatar. Fourth breath, and he felt balance restoring. He was the Avatar. The final breath, and he could feel the familiar feeling of fire in his belly. His eyes opened and his arms moved, Fire burst from his hands; big and hot and bright flames, rising upwards like a spewing volcano. His hands spun around in circles above his head, and the fire grew into a small twister already twice the size of Faedric's demonstration. Toku was so focused he didn't appear to register anything else than the growing twister. And it kept growing. And growing. Toku was sweating from the heat. Such power. He'd never thought he had such power. But how did he stop it? He'd never handled this amount of fire before. It kept growing.

"How do I stop it?" Toku yelled. Faedric said something, but he couldn't hear him. The torrent overhead crackled too loudly. This was getting dangerous. Trusting his instincts, he made a movement with his hands as if to command the whole twister, and aimed it at the wall. Thankfully, it did as he wanted, crashing with great force into the wall. As it hit the relatively thin stone wall, the fires ripped a hole in it. As if it was an explosion, there was a loud bang, lots of smoke and dust, and the sound of stone bricks hitting the ground and toppling over one another.

He coughed, waving away the smoke. He couldn't believe what he just did. He'd never even seen anyone do something like that. Where had it come from? It felt like instinct. He could hear distant shouting, and hoped he hadn't caused too much of a scene. When the smoke cleared, he looked at the astonished faced of Faedric and Jael. "I am the Avatar," he said triumphantly. Triumphantly? It wasn't a triumph, was it? But it felt like one, and that was good enough for Toku.

Jael had turned back to watch his friend's second attempt at Firebending, but by the end he could only gape. A small part of Jael was wondering if Toku would get in trouble for breaking the wall (way to take the Fire Sage's command to "overcome the wall" literally). But mostly, Jael was simply impressed by his friend.

"That was awesome." Jael said, running over to congratulate.

Faedric too was looking at Toku with a sort of awe. But also, part of him was frightened.

The flames Toku conjured; they were far larger than Faedric's own. Faedric hadn't quite put his all into those flames he conjured. He could've put more effort into his breathing, his stance, his will. But it was not too far from his best. He was a firebending master, and this boy; he had outdone Faedric in an instant.

Faedric knew the Avatar was powerful, but he hadn't anticipated this. Faedric had much power politically, but physically someone had finally surpassed him. No, that wasn't quite true; the boy's form and control and theory were all pathetic. Faedric could still surely defeat him in a duel. But in the future, once Toku had been properly taught, that might not be the case. And that was, quite frankly, frightening.

No! Faedric could not be weak like this. He pushed any fears he had out of his mind. They didn't matter. As long as the Avatar was under Faedric's control, Faedric had nothing to worry about. Quite the contrary; the Avatar was a powerful asset to the Fire Nation. Faedric had to ingratiate himself now, to ensure that the boy remained loyal.

"You should be proud," Faedric said to Toku. "Your power is already at master level. There is still much to learn; a flame does not become a bonfire without kindling it first. But you have a strong foundation to work with. If in the future you have doubts about yourself, remember this moment. You have no need for those doubts."

This was the proper way to go about molding the Avatar. Wise, proper instruction that would make his learning one of quick progress and invoke an expectancy for him to do as asked. Followed by praise for success, which would inspire the boy to do well in the future. Sometimes humans could be rather simple.

A servant had come out to survey the disturbance. "Servant," Faedric said. "Tell the people gathering outside that there is no cause for alarm. I wish to continue my lesson with the Avatar, and do not wish to be disturbed."

He turned back to Toku. "We shall proceed to the next part of the lesson, yes?"

Toku was still ecstatic. Glancing at the hole in Faedric's wall, he couldn't help but smile. But when he thought about it, it turned to a grimace. Power such as this was dangerous. More dangerous than anything he'd gotten himself into before. What if he'd sent the twister it in the wrong direction and hit Jael? It could have killed him. That was something he didn't want to think about. If he'd been responsible for his friend's death because of a training exercise? It wasn't a scenario which was easy to dwell on. He had to learn better control. His instincts had always served him well, but when it came to life and death, he couldn't take any chances at all. This whole Avatar business was getting way too serious way too quickly. It wasn't just talk or theory. Everything was really real. He would have to change who he was entirely.

He thanked Jael as he congratulated him, but got an image of him burning alive. Pushing it away, he simply thanked him. Faedric's praise was different. Toku knew Jael would always have his back, but Faedric was a complete stranger, and a Fire Sage at that. Faedric's words warmed his heart. Maybe it was because Toku lacked a father figure in his life. His master was quickly becoming a runner-up for that position in his life.

"I'm ready," Toku said. He was going to take the training seriously and practice hard, he decided at that moment. It felt right, and he would have to, if he were to master Firebending. "There's a lot more wall to destroy, so we should get started."

As the training resumed, a little girl had come to watch. Faedric noticed her, but the little girl was Suie, another of the Fire Sages, who could go where she wanted. She took up a seat beside Jael and apparantly only watched with half her interest. She was thin as a plank, and looked as she was about twelve, but carried herself like she was fourty years her age. Her dress was deep red of expertly woven silk, and small golden ornaments adorned her here and there. Her gaze went from the hole in the wall to Jael. "You are the Avatar's friend," she stated. Her voice was that of a girl's, but her tone was strangely adult. She went on, without waiting for confirmation from Jael. "It's a great burden. Your task is just as difficult as his," she said, nodding at Toku. "All the great Avatars had friends who supported them, you know. The cycle would have ended long ago hadn't it been for the brave Boguen, who sacrificed himself to save Avatar Ryosuk's life. But you have the air of a learned young boy about you, so I won't bore you with children's stories. Jael, was it? I am Fire Sage Suie. But please, there is no need to prostrate yourself. I'm not here in official capacity. You may call me Suie. Tell me what happened with the wall. And tell me of yourself. As a friend of the Avatar, you are an intriguing element to me."

Faedric was running Toku through an exercise of firebending while constantly moving through stances. Toku struggled to keep with the pace without missing most of the steps, but he kept trying. Being able to draw on much power while stationary was impressive. But doing so while in motion was far more difficult, yet totally necessary for much of firebending's practical use. It was a lesson in control and consistency, Faedric having decided that those were the current highest priorities.

Jael, on the other hand, was doing his best to maintain his composure. He was also trying his best not to give praises to the fire sage sitting right next to him, since she'd told him not to. He was honored enough to be in the presence of one Fire Sage. But for another to directly approach him; Jael had big plans for the future, but he hadn't quite conceptualized yet that he'd be standing side by side with the greatest people in the world.

She'd said he was important? That he was learned? He'd come across well; it was a very good feeling to know that. He'd need to not disappoint then.

Jael took a breath to collect himself. "Fire Sage Suie, it was the Avatar, my friend, who destroyed the wall. Fire Sage Faedric told him to bend as much fire as possible, and gave a rousing speech to motivate him. On just Toku's second try, he created more fire at once than I've ever seen one person create."

That was straightforward. Talking about himself was more...subjective. What should he say? "...I am Jael, son of minister Saizei and her husband Naizer, a merchant. I have spent my 16 years being taught the traditional classes by teachers that I found to be exceptional. My mandatory learning ends shortly and I feel that I have some measure of worth to offer the avatar on his travels. I have known him for several years and so he asked for my support."

Was that everything? Did he miss any important details, or would it be rude to drag things out? He should probably just finish. "I hope I have said enough to help your curiosity, Fire Sage Suie. Is there anything else you'd like to know?" He instinctively tried to bow before remembering to stop himself.

Suie noticed the boy's obvious nervousness, and wanted to giggle, but suppressed it. That was far beneath her rank, and it would lower her in his eyes. You never saw Faedric or Suenzei giggle like little girls, so neither would she. Being the youngest in history to take the seat of a Fire Sage wasn't always a walk through the park. Her age and lack of experience were often used against her, and many viewed her as less worth than the other Fire Sages. Thus she was forced to be thrice as cunning, was she to survive. In a lot of ways, people are only what they are perceived to be. If she would run around and play with the other kids, or giggle like a girl whenever she felt like it, everybody would see her as the little girl she looks like. However, as it is, she has been able to establish a well liked political face, and her opinion weighs just as heavily as any on the council. She had been forced to learn more quickly than anyone else, but has become adept at the game of politics. Faedric had been quick to volunteer to be the Avatar's trainer. A little too quick. Suie was no fool, and wondered what the muscle-head was planning. To win the Avatar's favor, surely, but to what end? Her servants reported plenty of information, but she could have use for eyes on the inside. She decided she would befriend this boy.

It was good that he was nervous, she reminded herself, as it meant he knew his place. Not to mention, it was logical. She was one of the five most powerful people in the Fire Nation, and he was but a commoner, whom had never set foot inside a palace in his life before last night, much less chatted with a Fire Sage. His speech was not poor, though, and he kept his composure well despite the circumstances. If trained right, he might become an excellent spy. And he need not even know that's what he is.

"That is quite sufficient, Jael. Your family sounds lovely. You seem like someone I could enjoy spending more time with. I'm awfully busy this morning, though I would be pleased if you could join me for tea later this afternoon. My servants will fetch you," she stated more than said, not sounding like Jael had much say in the matter. "I do worry about your friend, though. You should take care in watching over him. The Avatar is an entity we haven't calculated into the equation for sixteen years. His return isn't something everyone views with equal enthusiasm," she said, and glanced subtly at Faedric. Not enough to be crude about it, but just enough so she knew the boy would catch it. Whatever Faedric was up to, it couldn't hurt for them to be suspicious of him. It couldn't hurt her, either. With that seed planted, she rose. "See you later today," she said, and vanished with as little fuss as she'd arrived with.

The training session dragged on for a good hour or so before Faedric called it to an end and dismissed Toku without any remarkable words, except that it would be the same time and place tomorrow. Faedric retreated into his mansion, while Toku went over to Jael, panting from exhertion. "Being the Avatar already sucks," he complained. "I've never been this tired in my life. And never this hungry. Notice how we didn't get breakfast? I don't think our butler appreciates our stomachs as much as he appreciates Faedric's orders. Want to go find some food? There's bound to be something somewhere."

Fire Sage Suie had come and gone, but the few short minutes of conversation gave Jael much to process. It was somewhat like churning molasses; when he tried to start moving forward with his logic, his mind saw fit to quickly return to the fact that he had just talked to one of the Fire Sages. He had just talked one of the Fire Sages.

And it was only after the fact that Jael realized; the Fire Sage was even younger than he was. How was that even possible, to ascend to such high status at such a young age? His constantly increasing awe threatened to overflow. The sheer dedication one must require...she must've been raised and trained with nigh a moment's rest for most of her life.

She was also exceedingly polite. She had complimented his family...invited him to tea. Tea with a Fire Sage. Could it be believed?

Jael's mood at the moment was...pleasant. Jael wasn't the sort of person to become lightheaded with elation. He was happy, and his thoughts were a bit unfocused, but he was still grounded. Grounded enough at least to consider what else the Fire Sage had said.

She had said that Toku needed to be watched over. That not everyone regarded the Avatar's return with enthusiasm. That was troubling. Some people were going to start making things difficult for Toku? Who could the Fire Sage have been referring to? Could there be some secret organization lurking in the shadows of the entire world, seeking to assassinate the Avatar for the sake of returning the world to their twisted version of order? No wait, that'd be ridiculous.

He had to think about this logically. The Avatar maintains balance. So clearly, someone who would be angry about the Avatar's return is someone who wants to disrupt the balance, and has the power to do it. That means she was probably referring to one or more major powers amongst the four nations.

The Water Tribes are by most accounts peaceful. Some minor scuffles, but no major military campaigns. The Air Nomads are even more peaceful than the Water Tribes. So by process of elimination, the answer became obvious. Clearly the nation to be wary of was the one that was constantly at war within itself; the Earth Kingdoms.

From what Jael had studied, the Earth Kingdoms were never enjoyed the same level of peace the other nations did. Someone was always fighting someone, seeking to gain more power. They'd make up self-righteous causes, but they'd know deep down that the Avatar would disapprove of their actions. And that's why they'd seek to eliminate him.

Fortunately, Earth was the last element Toku had to learn. By the time he came to the Earth Kingdoms he'd probably be strong enough to take care of himself. He might even be a mite wiser by then too. In any case, it was good for the Fire Sage to have warned him ahead of time. He'd file that piece of information away for later.

Before too long Toku's lesson was over. An exhausted Toku approached Jael, saying they should look for food. Oh, and demeaning his title as Avatar again. Jael let it slide this time, if only because his friend truly was exhausted.

"You want to find food? Why don't we head back to the palace, they'll probably attend you." Left unspoken was Jael's desire to make it back with plenty of time to spare, in order to prepare for his later meeting with the Fire Sage. It was not something he was willing to miss, but he didn't really want to make a big deal out of it he didn't have to. The last thing he wanted to be was a hassle.