2 Chapter 2

Chapter 2

When the amalinders are 10 years old

Aahana POV:

Today was my 10th birthday. The day before Leo becomes very visible and Cancer has the power for the last time for the rest of the year. Tomorrow afternoon all 10-year-olds born under Cancer have to officially become part of the Shui Nation and be able to be trained with their abilities depending on what they are.

My mother, Tessa was waiting for me to come home from school for the last time. Hopefully, I will be able to bend water like the most powerful, rich people are able to. The better your powers were the more money you had and the better place to live. Well that was what happened in major cities that weren't taken by Feu. In our small town, Xiao not many people could be able to bend water. Most people that could bend water were from the major cities, not the small villages nearby. No one in our area had seen a water bender since the last Amalinder, Mi-pung who wasn't even from Shui.

If you could bend water from the small towns were killed or taken away never to be seen again. My mum had warned me that if I could bend water I might be taken away forever so you prayed Bai Jing, the water Goddess that I would have a basic power and not be taken away from her. Tessa and my aunt, Li Jie did this multiple times every day for the whole month.

Li Jie husband, Li Jun told his wife many times daily that the prayers would be answered like most of the time. The last time the prayers weren't answered was when everyone was praying that the Amalinders would return. Everyone never trusted the gods or the stars anymore. They only checked them when their child is born. They don't bother to check the bright star overhead because for 50 years it has been dark. The only people who still believe in the stars and the gods are the few who grew up like that or were hopeful that the Amalinders were going to return one day.

I walked down to our sacred lake where we were christened and maybe be able to bend for the first time. Many people from the year I was born in had become benders. Some say it was a gift from the gods many just say it was a coincidence. I know that the Gods are there waiting to send the Amalinders back. Many people my age just think it is an old urban myth that makes us happy and secure and is a fairy tale.

It was finally my turn to try. The told me to repeat the movements.

I brought my hands up together while stepping forward. I then stepped back bringing my hands backwards slightly. I then moved my hands in and downwards and then I stepped forward and pushed my hands outwards. The water responded to my movements and I felt like the water was an extension to my body. The wave pushed forward hitting the person walking on water in the middle of the lake. Everyone's eyes were on me.

I was one of the first people to bend water in a decade. My family looked at me with worry. Two older looking males came up to me. From the aura they were giving me I could trust them. One looked around 50 and the other looked like his son. "Hello, my name is Li Qiang and this is my son Wang Young. We are here to help any new benders able to become warriors to defeat Feu or able to enter the grand tournament and show everyone we are strong." the elder man said. I quickly agreed following them down the path to the road. I turned and saw Li Jun with tears in his eyes.

I couldn't bear to look at my mother or my aunt to see their reactions to me first bending water then leaving them like they hoped I wouldn't.

Lea POV:

I dressed in my finest gown. My parents were firebenders. If you were a male firebender in Feu you had to become apart of the army, either looking after other nations, conquering the places we hadn't or looking for anyone who could be an Amalinder or become a champion. If you were female firebender then you had to train to become a champion or be a stay at home wife to an army soldier.

From what my parents said to become a champion it was very hard and unlikely for me to be picked. You had to be the best person of your year and able to bend fire easily. My father was almost the champion until he met my mother. He was too distracted by her beauty he started falling behind everyone else. Luckily because of his earlier grades and fights, he came in a close second, being defeated by his best friend.

I went outside and saw the long line of this years 10-year-olds. We all went at the same time to make it easier for people in the army all to come at one time. When the line of children went past I had to join the end of the line. People kept joining until we were in the centre square where we had to try and bend the fire that was in the middle.

After about an hour I went up for my turn. I followed the instructions when a burst of fire went from my fist lighting the fire up. Many young children were staring at me in awe. A soldier came and roughly pulled my arm to the line of people who had lit the fire. Once it was my friend, Ines turn, nothing happened. I looked down. I got told what would happen if one of us lit the fire and the other didn't.

I am sorry Ines but we can not be friends or even be seen together anymore. I hope you have a good life. Tears rolled down my face. I knew what would happen if one of us didn't get in. She had a lesser chance of being a bender than me but I still hoped. She then went to another area to see if she was gifted with something else.

I looked over to who my competition was. Mostly buff looking 10-year-old males. Great. I looked like a weak looking 10-year-old girl who was short for her age. I knew even though I looked like I was weak, I wasn't. My dad had been teaching me how to fight my whole life alongside my mother so I could become the champion they weren't and bring honour to our family. Now all I had to do was pay attention for the next 6 years and beat the crap out of all the boys I have to go against.

Andrea POV:

I watched my mother Sofia talk to a woman I had never seen before. My mother beckoned me over to where they were standing. "Andrea meet my friend and your aunt, Aldina." she told me. "Hello." I said shyly. "Aah… you must be Andrea my older brothers child. It's such a shame he couldn't be here to see you grow up to a wonderful young woman. You must be what 10 years old now. That must mean you guys are going to the ceremony, right?" she questioned. "Yeah she turned 10 yesterday." my mother replied.

My aunt and my mother lead me to the caves where I had my christening. We first were knocked out then woken up in the middle of nowhere. The room was so dark and I knew quickly it was a cave by the feel of the wall. I felt the wall move to my touch. I then used different senses and the walls to find my way out. I noticed the room get lighter the further I went.

Suddenly, I was outside in front of a large crowd of people. Everyone started clapping and cheering. I was the first one back outside. The leaders then put a rock in front of me and told me to levitate it then throw it without touching it. I moved my arms in weird movements but it must have been right as suddenly the rock moved up and flew over 10 metres.

Some fire guards nearby dragged me away. The ceremony was outside of the city of Virgo so if you had bending powers you were more likely to be taken to a smaller city to be taken as a prisoner. I was shoved into a small part of a city with a bunch of other people I didn't know. I am sorry Mama. I will see you again in this life...or another. People all around the area were giving me weird looks. Why would a small 10-year-old girl be put into an area like this? Some looked to the sky and then back to me giving me understanding looks. "Hey, my name is Alessandro. I am probably around your age. I'm 12. My father and mother are here would you want to stay with us seeing as you are new around here and your parents aren't probably coming?" a cheerful looking boy comes up to me.

Alessandro has beautiful brown hair, tan skin and curious green eyes. If everyone didn't look the same I would have thought him as handsome. "Sure. My name is Andrea by the way. I'm 10 years old now. I got put in here cause I can bend Earth. My mum couldn't bend Earth but from what people told me my dad did bend Earth." I said walking with him towards where his family was. "What do you mean by did?" he said stopping and grabbing my shoulders. He put his fingers under my chin so I could look up at him. "He died in the fight when Feu tried taking over Virgo. I wasn't born so I never knew my father." I said with tears in my eyes.

"I'm sorry. Well think of my family as yours now then," he said pulling me along to his family. "Mother. Father. Meet Andrea. She is new here. She is an Earthbender from Virgo who was captured after she bent Earth at her ceremony. She is 10 and she has no family here. Andrea's mother is not a bender and is living in Virgo but her father died before Andrea was born." he said looking at a mid 30's couple.

"Hello my name is Adelmo and this is my wife Alice. You are quite young to be here but what should I know I haven't been outside of these walls since I was 5." he said chuckling "My wife and I will teach you how to become an Earthbender so you can bring out nation peace. You are now apart of our family. Welcome to the family, Andrea." he continued.

Ki Hyo POV:

I was down in the kitchen under the royal dining room. I always was friends with the maids, butlers and guards. My parents never let me out of the castle afraid of what would happen to me if I am near anyone. No one outside of the castle knew what the princess of Gong-gi looked like. There were theories all around saying she didn't look like a person from Gong-gi so they kept her inside to keep the pride of the king and queen.

I stayed inside most of the time so I could learn to fight and protect myself. I was able to bend air at a young age. A couple years ago when I got mad I accidentally sent a gust of air down the hallway knocking out many maids, butlers and guards. From then onwards I had many tutors all around the land come and teach me how to bend air better. Now I was able to bend air better than most of my kingdom, use most weapons from around the world and be able to use machinery from around the world. My favourite contraption was a kite.

The kite was a tall as me and if you open it wide enough and catch the right wind then I could be able to fly. My tutors noticed home much I loved them so they made a special device so one was strapped to my back but able to come off if necessary but also so it could pull out so it could be hidden under the back of a shirt. They also gave me small dagger and sword which I keep in a holster at my waist.

Today was the day for all the 10 years old my age we tested to find out if they could bend air or if they had another power. My mentors already knew they I could bend air but I couldn't just go to the ceremony or else people would wonder why I wasn't there and I could be killed by a Feu Soldier for not attending.

They made sure everyone attended so that they could know who was able to do what and who they needed to go against the amounts we had. You can not fight an army that you don't know how many people are in. The maids came in with a beautiful purple gown beaded with white crystals all up the upper half. I stepped into the gown and followed the soldiers out into the courtyard where the ceremony was being held.

Every year I was not allowed to go out and see the ceremony but I found that if I looked out of my balcony then I can catch glimpse of the ceremony through the shiny surface of the grand clock. It was finally my turn. Everyone just thought I was another one of the rich kids that lived in the castle.

Luckily no one thought I was the crown princess until they called my name. Everyone was taking in my features. Wavy ginger hair, green eyes and pale skin. I looked like everyone else, except for one thing. My hair was wavy whereas most peoples were straight. I walked up and did the most basic wind formation that came to mind.

Everyone was in awe as it was a basic move to me but a complicated move for everyone else. I bowed to the people and walked off to the rest of the people my age. No one dared to talk to me. Finally, a soldier walked up to me and asked me to follow them back inside to the ballroom as my parents were holding a big ball for the rich as I had 'gotten' my powers. Fireworks were everywhere and everyone was celebrating.

Not far away in the work camp in Virgo watched a 10-year-old girl, sad. Andrea wished she could be over there celebrating that she got bending powers but instead she was in a work/prison camp.