— We have arrived, you can get off me now, — the fox informed me after another jump.
Looking around, I realize I am now in a room, not in the middle of the night sky. I felt a slight dizziness after riding the spirit. The consequences of the fox's jumps across the desert hills. But, it seems everything is fine overall.
— Huh? Yes. Indeed, it is still at least a few hours until dawn, an amazing speed comparable to teleportation. You are full of talents, — I answer the spirit distractedly, climbing off her.
Convinced of this, I began to examine the place where I found myself. It was a room on top of a tower. There was a window in each of the six walls, beyond which the desert sands were visible. In the center was a large opening leading downwards, resembling an ornate hatch or even a drain, without any hint of a staircase. But there were many beautiful tiles with exquisite carvings. We certainly hopped to the library quickly. I did not even particularly notice how time flew by. In fact, how long were we racing like that? No one was in a hurry to give me an answer.
Holding my bag tightly, I kept looking around. What was happening was too astonishing. Even for me, who is a spirit myself and has repeatedly encountered things inexplicable by simple logic. Convinced that there was no danger, I allowed myself to relax and put my burden down. Despite the speedy journey, maintaining materiality for so long was somewhat stressful. It was a good thing I had time to recharge from my princess, otherwise, my strength might not have been enough.
Only a few hours, or even less, had passed since we left the camp. I understood this by looking out the window and at the stars, some of which were covered by clouds, but by the position of the moon, I more or less understood how much time had passed. Looking down, I saw sand. It was about fifteen to twenty stories, or about fifty meters, down to the ground. The fox silently watched me, giving me the much-needed time to collect my thoughts.
The journey was extremely swift: forest, plains, mountains, desert. Each of these points was accompanied by a transition from the physical world to the Spirit World, through special locations. A thicket deep in the forest, large overgrown areas among the plains, a cave in the mountains, and a certain oasis in the middle of the desert. Traversing hundreds of meters or a kilometer in the Spirit World, we could end up thousands of kilometers from the previous location. A very interesting way to travel. No wonder I felt dizzy from all this. The fox traveled too fast. Her maximum speed was like lightning. She crossed the desert in a matter of minutes. I did not even notice how during another jump of tens or even hundreds of meters up, we landed on a stone floor, not the desert sand.
— That was quite exciting. Are you not tired? — I address the fox, having stopped admiring the views of the night desert and fully regained my composure. It is strange how I could feel dizzy if I am just a spirit.
— Tired? That term is not appropriate, — the animal tilts her muzzle, showing confusion.
— Um…
— Spirits do not know fatigue. Terms like rest, fatigue, need for sleep, and others like them apply to humans and other living animals, but not to spirits, — the fox calmly explains to me, heading towards the descent.
— I see, — was all I could answer, recalling how little I know about spirits.
— Come, Master Wan Shi Tong has not received guests in a long time, — the fox told me before disappearing into the hatch. Not wanting to lag behind my guide, I grab the bag from the floor and hurry after her. But as soon as I approached the steep descent of the pit, I quickly spotted the fox's rear end, which was calmly walking along the vertical wall. Ahem, she cannot fly, but nothing prevents her from ignoring gravity like that. Amazing.
— Master Yoaru? — the animal turns around, looking for me.
— I am right behind you, — I quickly catch up with the fox, flying through the air with the bag of books.
We began to descend through the long tunnel of the tower. Very soon, we flew out—or rather, I flew out, and the fox simply continued to walk on the ceiling. In short, we found ourselves in a stunningly spacious room. The setting was simply breathtaking. From above, there was a view of the area bathed in soft light, with carved columns supporting intricate arches. On the walls, ceiling, floor, and columns, various images of owls were visible everywhere. And books. Everywhere you looked, there were hundreds and thousands of built-in shelves, whose shelves were completely filled with books. The bottom or floor was not visible, only countless stories, each of which probably contained over a thousand books, all waiting for someone to touch their wisdom.
It is amazing how a spirit could build all this.
The structure itself was quite interesting and practical, somewhat reminiscent of the Colosseum. A square building with an unknown number of stories, the center of which was so spacious that several dragons could fly here without any problem. And only two intersecting corridors, forming a cross, were in the center and connected the walls of each floor. They did not have books; rather, they served for faster and easier movement around the library for people. While the master of this building himself had wings, and his servants moved easily along the walls and ceilings.
Jumping from the ceiling to the first corridor intersection, the fox sat down and probably gave some signal. I only managed to feel a weak surge of spiritual energy. She must have called the master. I had no choice but to settle down next to my guide and wait for the great spirit of knowledge, putting my belongings on the floor, for lack of other alternatives.
— Wait here; he will appear soon, — the fox voiced my guesses as soon as I flew up to her.
Examining the walls of the library, I quickly noticed a mural made of small tiles. It depicted a large black owl with a white face — Wan Shi Tong. Looking at the picture, I started to worry even more. One could only guess at his power and strength. And this caused a feeling of apprehension and fear in me. Dealing with people is not the same as dealing with spirits. These can punish, severely punish.
But despite my attentiveness, anticipation, and preparations, the spirit appeared completely unexpectedly. I just heard a slight movement of the wind, and immediately understood: he was behind me.
— Master, — the fox confirmed my thoughts.
Right, owls are silent hunters! Why did I only remember this now? Calmly, everything is fine. Turning around slowly, I saw a large black feathery mass. It was the figure of a colossally huge owl. The spirit was enormous, both in height and width, and the fact that he was so silent with such dimensions was even more frightening. With my height, I could only see his talons; I had to tilt my head back considerably to see his face. Five meters tall, at least.
— Ari… — I hear the spirit's quiet and somewhat raspy voice, which was filled with calm confidence and boundless wisdom. — You have brought a guest.
Bending down, Wan Shi Tong examines me with a piercing gaze from absolutely black eyes.
— Yes. He has knowledge, and he seeks knowledge, — replied the fox, who was calmly sitting a meter away from me and not worried about anything; I almost envied her.
When the spirit arrived, I was somewhat completely flustered, especially by his curious gaze. Under the weight of his eyes, I felt like a small mouse. Fortunately, he soon stood up proudly again, ceasing to look with such great curiosity.
— Good. I presume the guest you brought has a name, — damn, even he noticed my hesitation. I need to calm down and introduce myself.
— Ahem, my name is Yoaru, — I answer, looking into the owl's absolutely black eyes, in which my reflection was visible. The spirit remained completely calm.
— It has been a long time since I have had visitors, especially spiritual visitors. The last one was a human from the Fire Nation. He sought a way to defeat his enemies, and what do you seek? — mentioning humans, a hint of menace flashed in his voice, but it quickly changed to interest. Wan Shi Tong saw me as a spirit, not a human. At least, I hoped so.
I had nothing to hide; it was for this conversation that I had come here.
— I am looking for a way to become human.
— Oh? — the spirit drawled with surprise, continuing in his usual tone. — My library contains the information you need.
— Really? — I cannot restrain my emotions. After all, it is one thing to hope and guess, and quite another when the guesses turn out to be true. I am incredibly lucky!
— Yes. I was personally acquainted with spirits who desired to live the fleeting life of a human, just as I was acquainted with humans who became spirits. Such occurrences are rare, but they left their mark on history, eventually turning into tales and fables. I understood the latter and never understood the former, — the spirit spoke somewhat philosophically, briefly indulging in memories. — Perhaps you will satisfy my curiosity. Why do you wish to become human again?
He knows? Calmly, this changes nothing. I expected this; his perception is much greater than mine, no panic! Only calm and confidence.
— You are very perceptive. There are a huge number of drawbacks to a short human life, but despite this, it also has positive aspects. You are well aware of all this. I dare to suggest that most of the books were written and brought to you by humans, — what am I saying? I need to stop worrying, pull myself together; my destiny is being made right now!
— True, but how does that relate to my question? — Wan Shi Tong decided not to attach much importance to my hesitation. With his perception, I am unlikely to be able to hide anything.
Finally feeling calm, I continued the conversation in a confident tone.
— A human's life… it is more vibrant, rich in different colors, emotions, and events. How much a person manages to do during such a tiny life, how much he experiences, how much he goes through. A spirit's life is undoubtedly longer, but at the same time, it is boring and monotonous. I would not want the eternal life of a spirit when I have the opportunity to live the short life of a human. Furthermore, I am interested not only in a way to become human again. I am also interested in Avatar Kyoshi, specifically her long life. Two and a half centuries is a long time for a human.
— I see. You want to acquire the positive aspects of humans and get rid of their drawbacks. An interesting goal. Those to whom I posed this question answered something similar, but your answer is more satisfactory. Even though you were once human, I see that being a spirit has been beneficial, — the spirit answered calmly, having managed to think about my answer in a couple of seconds.
— Do you hate humans? — I inquire of him, noticing a specific emphasis in his speech.
— Hate? No. I dislike them. Arrogant, self-absorbed, petty, aggressive, striving for destruction and chaos. Humans constantly use knowledge to surpass other humans, tainting it with their nature, — the spirit spoke with contempt, but quickly calmed down and continued. — Not all, of course, but the absolute majority. The last human to visit my library started a fire in my domain; he wanted to find a way to defeat his enemies.
I wonder where the soul of that mentally retarded person is now, who decided on such a brave act. But it is better not to bring up this painful topic further. I doubt I can convince a spirit who is well over a thousand years old of anything. I just hope he does not convince me. But Wan Shi Tong had no desire to continue the conversation on this topic.
— However, we have strayed from the subject. I presume you are already informed about the payment, — the owl reminds me.
— Of course, I have a lot of knowledge that is unknown to you, — clutching my bag tighter, I try to pull out one of the books.
— What interesting words. Do you see all these books? I know everything contained within them, — Wan replied calmly, without any arrogance, taking my words too literally. This is what I planned; I need to pique his interest.
— Nevertheless, I know something that you do not know, — having said this, I hand him the book.
Smoothly running a wing over my hands, he made the book disappear. For a moment, I caught a certain gleam in his large, black eyes. As soon as I focused on my interlocutor's face, I saw nothing special. Wan stood immovably in place, radiating pride and majesty with his entire demeanor.
— How interesting. An unfamiliar language to this world. Hmm… A way to calculate time. Interesting. You came from beyond the void. Yes. I should have realized that immediately, — Wan Shi Tong spoke in a thoughtful voice.
There was something about his words… unusual. So unusual that the fox, who had previously been silently posing as a statue, looked at me in a new way. Did he understand something more than what I wrote in the book? Did my information security measures not work on him? Damn, how unpleasant it is not to understand anything. What is he talking about now?
— The void? — I ask the spirit, interested in the incomprehensible concept. The owl immediately looks at me with interest, leaning forward.
— A place or space located beyond the boundaries of the spiritual world. People used to go there, but no one ever came from there or returned. It was presumed that there was nothing there, only the void, but your existence refutes this, — Wan explains in a calmer tone. — You may use my library; Ari will lead you to the necessary books. But, I want to offer you a unique opportunity. I am very interested in all the knowledge you possess. Upon providing it, I will help you personally.
— Were you able to understand the information from the book? — I inquire cautiously, afraid to hear the answer. But the owl was merciless, confirming my fears.
— Yes. A language barrier is not an obstacle. Your defense is good, but for me, it is as if it does not exist. I presume you are quite young for a spirit, and you still think in human concepts and norms; you know extremely little about the world and the possibilities of certain spirits, — Wan answered with the tone of a wise mentor, but quickly returned to a relatively calm tone.
Only now, he could no longer hide his interest in my knowledge. Or he considered pretense unnecessary. I could not know this for sure. Such attention from him was frightening. Who knows what he is prepared to do for new, unique knowledge. How can I leave here alive? Or even better, unharmed. To oppose a spirit like him, with my capabilities, is simply ridiculous. I doubt I could even handle Ari, let alone Wan Shi Tong.
Such thoughts rushed through my mind during the few seconds of respite in our conversation. During this time, the bent-over owl continued to watch me carefully with his black eyes. His gaze was so attentive that it started to seem like he was looking at my thoughts. Fortunately, it only seemed that way.
— Regarding my offer. I will provide unlimited access to my library and help you master any of the knowledge I have accumulated, in exchange for all the knowledge you possess. This is a beneficial deal; I will share everything I have accumulated with you, and you, in turn, will do the same, — he speaks sweetly, and that made it even scarier. I can clearly feel the thin ice I so carelessly started walking on cracking.
— I am afraid I do not have time right now to study even one-hundredth of the knowledge you have accumulated, — I answer the spirit cautiously, preparing to fight for my own life.
— What can time mean to the endless life of a spirit? — the tone of his voice did not change at all; Wan Shi Tong remained calm. Is he trying to persuade me?
— The problem is not the duration of life; I am simply rushing towards the change of seasons. Reading books takes too much time, and the knowledge I need is too much. I do not have time to study it all, but I will definitely come back for it when I finish my affairs and become human, — despite my efforts, I could not say this absolutely calmly. The situation was too tense.
— So, the whole problem is the speed of knowledge absorption? — the spirit calmly inquired, straightening his back, and without waiting for my answer, he continued. — This is not a problem for me. I am capable of teaching you any of my knowledge, but it will not be very pleasant for you; the more knowledge you want to learn, the more painful the sensations will be.
That is somehow suspicious. Too suspicious. Which is what I voiced to Wan Shi Tong. He was not surprised at all, remaining just as calm and confident. As if I had already agreed to the deal.
— This ability is possessed by all spirits, without exception. It is even available to humans, though everyone has already forgotten about it, just as they have forgotten about energybending. Humans have an amazing habit of forgetting their history, — the spirit calmly continued his speech, once again indulging in nostalgia.
— But what about me?
— You are too young. It is no wonder you have not encountered such a thing yet. You must rarely communicate with other spirits. This method is comparable to communication between humans. I only need to touch your head to transfer all the information and all the knowledge you seek to you. I, in turn, will learn everything you know. This will not take more than five minutes. You only need to say: what do you want to know? — Wan asks calmly, leaning forward again to see me better.
His arguments were very convincing. After some deliberation, I came to the conclusion that this was an extremely advantageous deal. After all, I should not leave here empty-handed, and studying the books takes too long. Even if the owl allows me to copy them or even take them, which I doubt. The wise spirit was offering a very beneficial deal, but I am plagued by vague doubts. Which I ultimately brushed aside. The benefit was too tempting, and my knowledge… it is certainly valuable, but in the hands of a peaceful owl, it will probably just gather dust, like all his books.
— I wish to know everything on the topic of how spirits became human, and humans became spirits. Bending. Everything about every type of bending. As well as the history of the world and all significant events. I also wish to know the life of Avatar Kyoshi. Especially the reason or method by which she lived for over two hundred years and died young. And also, the deal is that I offer all my knowledge in exchange for all of yours. I wish to retain the option to return here in the future, to obtain the rest, in addition to what I have listed, — I decided to try to be audacious, driven by greed.
— Very well. I think we have an agreement. This is a beneficial and fair deal for both of us. Try not to think about anything…
Raising his wing, Wan Shi Tong overshadowed my sight...