13.Differences
Checking my body for various kinds of damage, I found my sources, which looked quite "sluggish". In addition, the energy that entered them seemed to go not to fill the storage itself, but to revive them.
At that moment of collision with the barrier, I felt my considerable supply of magic dissipate in just a few seconds. After the blow, focusing more on my feelings, I rushed in the direction in which I felt the energy of the human world.
Now it has become clear why it was not possible to pass through the barrier. If I were a spirit inside, he would calmly let me pass in the other direction. But I couldn't get back into the human world using it... The barrier does not allow spirits to enter the human world, on the other hand, it is also impossible for people to enter the spirit world, this is such a "smart" protection.
The next moment, my spirit and body are no longer two separate elements – now they are an inseparable whole. It follows that the barrier did not know what to do with me... He felt a certain ambivalence about my person, although I felt my defenses straining under my pressure... With more strength, the passage would have been made. In my case, more is already a higher spirit, and without a feast that I could arrange for myself in the spirit world, it will take a long time to reach this rank.
Continuing to go through all the memories associated with the Avatar in my past life, I was able to find a mention of the solstice. In the world of the Avatar, at the winter and summer solstices, the connection between the plane of people and spirits is thinned, which in theory should give me the opportunity to enter it, being with the forces of the middle spirit. It is worth finding out from knowledgeable people the exact dates of these events, while this is one of the possible options for getting to the other side.
Finally, my thoughts came together, and I decided to check exactly where I was. The first thing I tried to do was open my eyes, and it took a lot of effort to do this seemingly common action. Still, until that time, I hadn't completely exhausted both sources, and just as I knew that nothing good would come of it, now I can't even lift my eyelids. I had to run the vital energy through the channels for a few minutes so that the body began to obey at least a little.
Soon, a picture of the traditional living space of the water tribes appeared to my eyes — the igloo. Despite the small area, everything was very comfortably furnished. Lifting up a little, I could see that something similar to fish soup with admixtures of spices unknown to me was cooking in a small vat. As soon as the fragrant smells hit my nose, I felt just brutally hungry, I even wondered how many times I had overslept my stomach with its rumbling, as if begging me to feed it as soon as possible.
At this time, ordinary-looking kids came into the house... who will decide the fate of this world in the future, or help solve it. The main thing is that they should be one of the main characters here. Although by entering this world, I have already begun to change the future...
It was easy to find out Sokka and Katara – they were exact copies of their prototypes in the series. Katara, a sweet girl, was drowning in a blue fur coat that was slightly larger than herself. She had still childishly plump cheeks, and eyes untouched by the harsh adult world. On my personal scale of affection, Katara has confidently reached the Yui bar, which already says a lot. Behind her, holding a bucket of water, was Sokka, who, already in childhood, walked with a kind of indifferent expression on his face.
The last person to enter the house was a grown-up version of Katara.
To be sure, I even looked from the little Katara to the older one several times, until I noticed some differences. Back in the animated series, I remember how Kaya, the mother of Sokka and Katara, looked, and this image does not overlap with the woman I see now. Yes, there are some similarities, but that's where they end.
What shocked me so much? This is a girl, and she can't be called a woman, she has a very well-shaped figure that even thick winter clothes can't hide. Full breasts of at least the third size, a rounded butt, which is outlined by a fur coat and all this is seasoned with a face very similar to Katara, only with a less round head shape. Hakoda is really lucky to pick up such a treasure for himself – it seems he is really kissed by luck.
It turns out that she is about twenty-one or twenty-two years old. As far as I know, in the water tribes, girls get married around the age of sixteen. And if Sokka looks about five years old, it means that in this world Kaya is much younger than her prototype from the animated series.
While my eyes wandered over the beautiful reliefs of Kaya, my mind forcibly analyzed and connected the facts. Kaya is too young here, I wouldn't give her twenty years, this is definitely the first big non-canon.
Next, the portal threw me out at the South Pole, which already looks more or less logical. Portals to the spirit world are located at the south and north poles.
It seems that there is also a Valley of Oblivion. Thus, trying to get out of that space between the worlds, I set myself the goal of going into the world of people, and already in which place I would be able to get out, I did not even guess myself. Of course, it would be nice if I found myself near the Oasis of Spirits, but it's worth admitting to myself that meeting the main characters of the cartoon is much better.
- "Ahem, especially with their young mom" - again, thoughts went in the wrong direction...
At the same time, Kaya saw me awake.
"I hope I wasn't staring at her too clearly" – I thought belatedly.
- Are you all right? – Kaya asked with visible concern, – my children found you unconscious near our tribe. My name is Kaya, and this is my son Sokka and daughter Katara. – she pointed at the boy and the girl in turn.
- Nothing serious, there is a slight weakness, but I think it will pass in a day or two. Thank you for your concern, – I said gratefully, – my name is Yuki, and I'm from the northern Water Tribe.
- You don't need to stand on ceremony with him, Mom, he looks very suspicious, - Sokka interjected into the conversation with a "belligerent" look, while boring me with an unfriendly look. – And how can you prove your involvement with the Northern Water Tribe? Moreover, they have not been seen here for a very long time.
– Sokka shouldn't be rude to a person without getting to know him better, – Kaya said, but it was perfectly clear that the boy had only slightly reduced the negativity in his gaze, – I'm sorry for his behavior. It's just that usually visiting people are not too friendly to us, – she said with a slightly strained smile.
That's how she called the people of the fire nation in a streamlined way, who, it seems to me, still come here with not entirely good intentions.
And their mother is not a miss. When my gaze stopped wandering over her figure, I decided to look into her eyes, and despite her quite complacent attitude towards me, there was also a bit of well-hidden caution. Even her hand seemed to be holding something in the pocket of her fur coat...
Little Katara, throughout the entire conversation, only looked out curiously from behind her mother, while when I started looking at her, she immediately hid back. Some people were shy when they were kids.
- Let's talk after we eat. Most likely, you are hungry too, after all, you have been in bed for two whole days, – as soon as she mentioned food, my stomach made a very loud sound. I didn't even expect this from myself, but it defused the situation well. Katara began to giggle, Kaya began to put food on with a smile, and Sokka began to take a slightly less "belligerent" pose.
At the beginning of the meal process, there was a small problem, it was very difficult to move my hand: while the soup spoon was moving towards my mouth, it lost ninety percent of its contents... Kaya had to help me eat. I felt a little embarrassed at the same time. This feeling was doubly intensified when the children began to look at me with amusement, but an empty stomach dictated its terms.
I was really ashamed when I ate more than all of them combined, but maybe they planned to eat this food for several days. I have to admit, I ate like a dog, but I couldn't do anything, my body required energy.
As soon as my strength returns, I must definitely repay them for everything in multiple amounts!
After a delicious lunch, we had a long-awaited conversation in which we took turns talking about ourselves. And as the dialogue progressed, we can say that the ice has moved, yet only someone who grew up and lived with them all his life can know so many traditions and peculiarities of the water tribes.
In the evening, at the end of the conversation, we noticed that Sokka was already asleep, and Katara, who was sitting between me and Kaya, was lying with her head on my lap, while holding tightly to my waist with her small hands. Kaya, looking at us, seemed to remember something from the past, and did not move for several minutes. And I think I've figured out why.
– So she loved to fall asleep on Hakoda's lap, – she confirmed my thoughts.
From her story, I learned that the people of fire did not see the point in leaving the combat-ready part of the population here, so almost all the men were either taken to prison or executed on the spot for resistance. Two years ago, adult men were still with them, but it wasn't for long...
A month later, two ships of the fire nation sailed to them: they demanded to give them the conqueror of water, supposedly they know that they definitely have one. They do such things every few years in order to exterminate the Southern Water Tribe for sure. If there is no water mage, they will simply choose a random person in order to provoke the tribe to attack.
At that time, they came across soldiers who were too arrogant. They wanted to take half of the able-bodied men with them. People, knowing that the fire warriors might not stop there either, decided to give them a desperate rebuff. They were able to defeat them, but at what cost, only a few men survived and then remained crippled for life.
There were too many firebenders with them back then. It was already a miracle that simple hunters, who only slightly exceeded the number of the enemy, were able to win in the end. That's what it means to fight for your home and loved ones!
It turns out that only women, children, the elderly, the crippled and a few teenagers remained in the tribe. So, Sokka and Katara didn't even really have time to get to know their own father. Still, they were three or two years old at the time, not a very conscious age. It's very sad... I hope I can figure out how to use the portal, it's worth helping this tribe. They will definitely not survive another raid by the fire people.
There are differences in this world, and this is already a fact, so I should be prepared for unexpected turns.
I myself told about my life at the North Pole, without much emphasis on one thing. I think there will be time to get to know each other better. About my incomprehensible getting here, I just decided to keep silent, not to tell about my nature, and not to push everything in a row to Tui and La. But I'll be honest, there was a thought this time to dump everything on them...
***
I also had to spend the next two days in bed. The weakness recedes too slowly, and it was only at the end of the second day that I was able to eat and move on my own. It seems that I've spoiled someone's mood a bit with this. At least Katara looked a little disappointed.
On the second day, while Kaya was minding her own business, Katara volunteered to feed me, who was only happy to take care of me. Yet it was to her that I became much closer during this time. And it's worth admitting, I also began to feel them, if not as a family, then somewhere close, and this in just two days...
It's all very strange. Maybe because of a cartoon I once watched, my subconscious is playing with me in this way, or I have already got so used to the role of the son of the Leader of the Northern Tribe that I consider them to be someone native...
Katara was interested in the new face, and she really wanted to hear how people live in my tribe. And anyway, when she stopped being so shy, she became a bigger talker than Yui. Sokka was also there all the time, ostensibly protecting his sister, but Katara and I saw how sometimes he listened to my stories himself.
For someone who has read the whole library of water, where the authors tell at least half of the book their adventures, it is very easy to come up with fairy tales for children.
That's how the kids had fun, forgetting to go outside for two whole days.