The Little Dragon

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February, 15th 2021

Kaida

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I woke up with a yawn. There was still a long time before the sun way up. Hyo was curled up next to my bed. I stepped over him and went over to the trunk where I put my water tribe maroon robe. I threw it on and looked towards the entrance of the igloo.

It was still a shock to see all the snow out there, no many how many times I see it. I sighed and closed the trunk. "I'll be back," I whispered to Hyo who gave out a sleepy sigh before his breaths returned to their sleepy state.

It was cute to see him like this because he didn't need to sleep. He was just doing it because he thinks it's normal. I stroked his head, I loved him. I loved Hyo with all my being. I am so glad I had him with me. Even though Hyo is new to my journies, he was someone that I couldn't replace.

What if his flames ever went out?

My heart squeezed. I walked over to the entrance. There were a lot of mysteries that came with Hyo's existence and that scared me. Nobody has had a living flame dragon that had its own soul, not until now. How long would he survive? Would he die when I die because my flames were the only ones to fuel him?

I walked down one of the side steps to see that the water benders were already chucking ice water at each other. If I am being honest, one of the reasons I challenged Pakku's students to a duel was due to the fact that I wanted to get good at fighting water benders. We were very much at odds against them.

It was good to see that this training session was going both ways because they will also learn how to fight against a fire bender. "Hey!" I waved my hand to grab Pakku's attention. He turned his head and nodded with a serious look on his face.

Seemed like he was in training mode. I dropped my expression getting into the mood for the fight. I walked up next to him, his students now in a straight line. I turned and faced all of them.

A grin slowly spread across my face. I cracked my chuckles, "so, who is going first?"

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I beat all of ten of them of course. I learned how flexible they were, which was very difficult to target. They moved like a snake and found it easy to dodge my attacks, which forced me to bend my fire and take into consideration their reaction moves.

"You are pretty young for a master." One of the students pointed his fish-kabob in my direction. I was sitting down and eating fish with the students for lunch. Pakku was summoned by the leaders and ordered me to keep an eye on the students.

"Is that what they are calling me now? Master?" I guess it wasn't too far off. I think I liked it here in the Water Tribe with all the nice titles they are giving me. If I stay here too long my ego is going to go through the roof.

"What else would you be? You beat all of us!" Another chimed in. I took a bite before I saw a large shadow overhead. Looking up to see Hyo smiling down at us before landing behind me. Snow went flying, talk about a dramatic entrance.

"Good morning Hyo," good to see he was up before noon. Was he going through his teenage phase? I raised a hand and he placed his head on it. I scratched his scales and he let out a deep purr in hello.

"Is that really a dragon?" One of the students said in shock and I nodded my head.

"As real as it gets, his name is Hyo." I put my forehead against his neck, giving him some love that he needed for working so hard recently.

"How did you come across him?" I looked down the line to see a moody student still upset that I beat him finally speak up.

"She made me," My eyes widen in shock. I snapped my head to the side to see him place his head in my lap before closing his eyes again. Looking back up at the students who still had the look of anticipation in their eyes. Did they not hear him? He spoke as clear as day.

My baby spoke his first words! I think I felt tears prickling my eyes. Hyo's first words, 'She made me' I need to make an album. I need to write to Baba, Iroh, and the gAang. This was an important day, where is my calendar? I need to mark this down.

"Master?" One of my students spoke up.

"Oh!" I snapped out of my train of thought. "Sorry, sorry, I zoned out. He was made from my fire." I stroked Hyo's head lovingly. He would not hear the end of his praises when we get home. How did he speak so well? He must have been practicing on his own. I bent down and squeezed his head into a hug. I was so proud.

"Made from your fire? How?" Of course, this was the follow-up question. It was still a question I needed to find the answer to myself.

"Well, I can make life with my fire, it's a technique my own master taught me." I raised a hand a little sparrow-frog sprung from my palm. It hopped off my hand and towards the students who flinched backward in shock.

"I just kept him around for a little longer and he became permanent." But I didn't know how permanent was permanent and it was a source of my never-ending anxiety.

"Master Kaida," I flinched at my name and the person who was saying it. I turned my head, Hyo still in my lap to see Pakku looking down at me with a serious look in his eyes. "Come with me we have guests." I nodded my head and patted Hyo to get up.

I dusted the snow off me and followed after Pakku. "I like this new master title I am getting." I teased Pakku as I walked alongside him. "Oh did you see the letter, I have you know in exchange for that letter I am now apart of the Lotus secret club."

His eyes widen and looked at me with shock, "I know," I tossed a strand of hair over my shoulder with sass. "Good to be working with you, please take care of me," Holding out a hand for him to shake. He shook it with a puzzled look on his face.

"I didn't think I would be alive to see the first female member of the lotus." He put his hand on my shoulder. Shock rattled down my body. The first female member? Me? A smile spread across my face like a cat.

"I didn't think you were that old, old man." I teased him again and he laughed. Who knew that this man, the same guy who refused Katara for being a female would congratulate me for being the first female in his secret element fan club. It felt good, the water tribe was really starting to warm up to me.

After we were all the way up the stairs and turned down a hallway I was shocked to see some familiar uniforms. "Wow, I haven't seen Southern Water Tribe uniforms in a long time," I mumbled to myself. Everyone was standing around a table that had a map of the Fire Nation placed in the middle.

"Ah, you must be Kaida," there was an older man, not as old as Pakku, who greeted me with a smile. "I have heard a lot about you." He held out a hand for me to shake.

"Hi," I shook his hand, "I'm Kaida, and you are?" I smiled awkwardly, I didn't want to come off rude but I was sure I had never met this guy before.

"I'm Cheif Hakoda, but you can just call me dad." Dad? Why would I call him dad? I looked at his facial features, and shock lit up my face.

"Are you-" This would be embarrassing if I was wrong. "Are you by chance related to Katara and Sokka?" He smiled and let out a laugh.

"Yes I'm their father, thank you for looking after my children all this time." He seemed sincere with his words, all the worries I had about meeting him melted away with his warmth.

"They looked after me more than I looked after them," I smiled sheepishly. I could see where Sokka got his charm from. Katara must look like her mother because Sokka is almost a split image from his father. "What are you doing here in the Northern Watertribe?"

"We are gathering soldiers that we will take into battle in a week, that and discuss tactics," he gestured a hand towards the table. "Sit, we have a lot to discuss."

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