Age of Spirit

Downabbey's Canal, Hubyei Settlement

Large boulders of rock skimmed past Jydo as he barely dodged them by an inch. The journey from school to home was a rough run; his pursuers made it their mission to make it miserable. Jydo took a large path that led to the main road and a sure pathway home. However, he knew they wouldn't let him take that chance, so he swerved down Doto's shop and into the empty canal.

"Jydo! Are you sure that's a good idea?" his pursuer cackled widely and generated new boulders out of thin air; throwing them towards Jydo.

Jydo zig-zagged the empty canal and dogged as much as he could. His heart pumped out of his ribs and all he could hear was the boulders crashing down near him. However, he maintained composure and kept his breathing under control. Although he knew the run was about to end here, but not the way he expected.

"Hey, wait a minute—this is a canal!" a fellow pursuer mentioned.

"Well, what does that mean?"

"Watch this," the pursuer smiled and threw his hands out towards the end of the canal and called out the water towards him. It took quite a while, but in a few minuted a rumble shook the canal floor and the buildings surrounding it. Jydo gazed atop the surrounding building and saw birds flying away; it wasn't good.

"Let there be water!" he shouted as a wave of water washed into the canal. Jydo, while running, caught a gaze towards the impending wave and quickly turned around for a desperate escape. In a few minutes, the wave befell and surrounded him. Within impact, he passed out cold, and the wave thrust him towards the inner settlement.

"Hehe, he tried it. Weak—" the pursuers high-fived as they escaped the canal with their clothes dry.

-

Haza Karte was a prime lord who led the sixth sector of the settlement, Korra. He got promoted after his outstanding years as the 'Angel in Peril'. His office wall of fame gathered up hundreds of medals with outstanding awards; the settlement considered him the most prestigious in the settlement apart from Magistrate Typho Nusk who built it up by himself.

Haza was in his last decades but still had the skill of a fighter, and it shined through when he was around others. His work was dangerous, but only someone in his glory could take it up. A settlement officer walked into his office and knocked. It seemed casually important.

"Sir, we've got the refugees settled in the host cells!" the officer reported.

"Excellent work, let's make sure they have enough supplies," he stood up from his chair to acknowledge the officer.

"Sir, yes, sir!" He saluted but remained present. "If you don't mind me asking sir, who do you think will succeed you after the ceremonies?"

"Well soldier, whoever we deem fit for the job," he casually ignored it while checking his other files.

"Sir, what about your son?"

A pause took over the room, and an awkward silence soon followed. Before his attention could wither away he replied with a growl, "what about him?"

"N-nothing sir," the officer saluted and promptly left the office. Haza loved his son, but the society seemed to have more edge from him. After all, he'd been here for ages and rarely came home. With whatever was outside, some thought he was really dead. "And make sure the princess isn't outside the walls,"

However, this afternoon would be his day off after a long day at work. He prepared his bookcase and all its important files. Haza's building was the tall structure in the middle of a slum of homes and had several soldiers sitting at the top observing around the sector.

There were up to twelve sectors spanning across the settlement with each of their own chiefs and stories. They contained important buildings such as schools, hospitals, temples—all the necessities. One common thing they all possessed was the wall that forced them together. That gate was historic.

Haza headed home through a street that rode down from the office. He would observe the citizens doing business at the side of the street, others coming on to see what they could buy. He would stop at a woman's post before he continued to his apartment.

"Hey Vinnie," he acknowledged her. "What do you have today?"

"My lord," she bowed in his hesitance. "I have here normal rations, but I gathered new herbs and scurra meat," she smiled as she showed him around her post.

"Ooh, I'll have the meat for sure and five of the rations. Plus herbs wouldn't hurt either," he smiled back as he pointed to the stuff he needed. She put the items to little bags and packed them into a larger bag, making it easier for him to carry.

"Thank you, Vinnie," Haza gave her goodbye and headed to his apartment. He made his way over two staircases and came into his hallway. The younglings of the building ran around chasing each other, experimenting with their powers. The sight never failed to put a smile on his face. Except for the sight of his own son. Jydo laid almost lifeless at the apartment door.

"Jydo! What happened?" he rushed down to him.

"Th-they ch-ased me," he struggled to speak and coughed out puddles of water.

"My goodness," he set down his belongings and helped Jydo inside. He then went back to gather the groceries and his case, then shut the door. "Who chased you?"

"Chara and Meshack from school. I never provoked them, but they planned something," Jydo got up from his exhaustion.

"So you want to not go tomorrow?"

"No!" he retaliated. "I will prove myself once again! Once I get my powers, they will feel my wrath,"

"Now you know, revenge is not the way son," Haza helped him up as he set down the groceries at the kitchen counter.

"Not when everything is against you," Jydo spoke back almost in anger.

"Hey watch it,"

"Watch what father?" he retaliated. "All I ever knew is bullies, but all you know is medals and banquets with the magistrate,"

"It's not like that—"

"Then you don't know me at all," Jydo got up and rushed into his room. Shutting the door as he got in.

Haza felt a sore pain in his throat and wished he could do more. After all, that was his only son. He'd been so focused on the survival of the settlement, but that prestigious warrior life gave him the consequence of losing his fatherhood. He made a promise to oversee him in his late wife's wishes, but society called him more and more.

The moment went ignored, so he shuffled into the kitchen and began making dinner. Dragon meat was getting rare, and the herbs were almost impossible to find with no farms outside the settlement. There wouldn't be with the threat outside of the settlement.

The rations now became entirely engineered in the settlement camp, along with the drinks that people sold around the place. The luxuries of the past that included savoury grapes, nice seasons, and salts all disappeared once those wretched attackers almost killed everyone.

Haze carved the meat, placed it in the oven and got the herbs ready to go; fried and all. The rations only needed the red lamp posted by the oven and they rose to a nice crispy golden brown colour. The meal was complete and Jydo came in to take a piece of everything he could get. As always, Haza would try to take as little as possible to make sure 'Jydo grows big and strong'.