Snippet #1007793

Chel, Southern Air Temple, Air Ball Arena

Depending on who asked, Chel might give different answers as to why she sat with a sketchbook by the Air Ball Arena. To the Elder Monks of the Southern Temple, she had been hired to make a new windmill and aqueduct system to assist with bringing necessary water up the mountain, and indeed she was sitting the right direction, with a perfect view of the cliff side and site she had picked to build. Though in reality, her plans were made, the materials had been ordered, and it was only a matter of waiting for the earthbending mason workers' team to arrive. She was still sketching quietly, though, using her rulers and compass as she muttered excitedly to herself.

The glasses hid where her gaze was resting, but the sketchpad revealed her real interests. The architect was instead drawing the young monks, as they moved about in a flurry of excitement and control, trying to score. She loved sitting here, with so many airbenders in action and thinking quickly like in battle without the fear and hate to cloud their judgment. Her favorite was the small one; the boy had a natural sense of form, and moved the air around him with a subtle, careful style. Unfortunately, he was young enough that the sheer speed and strength of the boys over-powered him too quickly. She was sketching out the stance he had made to jump over a boy while taking the air ball when a sharp whistling sound caught her notice.

Concentrating, she felt the breeze that whispered from the mountain range, and strengthened it. The breeze, becoming a wind, was just enough to stop the air ball from crashing into her and her sketching supplies and instead whiz just past her side; feigning surprise, she slammed her sketchbook shut in pretend fright to hide her airbending studies. Looking over her shoulder, she saw the group of players huddle together in the speed of terror to elect a representative to retrieve the ball. As Chel walked to pick it up, she found it was the very same youngest player who had 'volunteered.' "We're so sorry, Lady Mechanist!" he said quickly, though she was pleased to see more respect than fear in his eyes.

Kneeling down, she handed him the ball, and said quietly, "Your form is excellent, but the older boys beat you too easily with their stronger gusts. Stop trying to fight against their movements; instead, try to get behind players and aid or disrupt their bending to get the ball where you want to go." Standing up, she smiled at him and went to gather her things into a bag; she wanted to practice a few new stances in private. Walking away, she couldn't help but grin to herself as she saw the results of her advice turn the tides of the game, though while watching the players she hadn't been watching her path. Tripping on a rock, she stumbled down toward the cliff side. Monks of all ages saw and ran to help her, though a sudden "fortuitous" gust of wind allowed her to regain her balance before falling off the edge.

Chel's bag was not so lucky, however, and she scowled as it began its long plummet to the bottom, glider and all. She desperately wanted to save her bag, as it held all her work and plans--her whole life was in that bag--but she didn't want to betray that she was an airbender... In a split-second decision, she pretended to lose her balance again and dove off the edge. The rush of wind around her face was thrilling and terrifying--even more so because she had to use airbending to speed her fall to catch up to the bag--though she tried to concentrate instead on the task before her. She was already coercing a wind from the bottom of the cliff to pick up, and just as she reached the bag, she caught it with her legs and unfurled a piece of canvas from her waist. The wind from below caught it like a parachute, though it slowed her only slightly. That was supposed to be more effective, she cursed to herself, as the wind began to die down some around her. Suddenly, a shadow passed overhead, and she laughed in shock and relief to see a glider moving quickly to help her.