[ The problem is really that Mako has never had a proper bending teacher outside his own mother. Zolt taught him lightning, but Zolt taught through fear, yelled at Mako until he got it right. There was nothing gentle about his training there, and his training with his mother was cut short entirely too soon.

He is, maybe, a little out of his depth. All he has to draw on is his own experience, and Mako has a hard time putting that into words.

What is he doing to control the flame? He has to think about it for a moment, stopping it from burning down too far on the stick, and then sits up straighter. ]

I'm using my chi to control it. You used to be a nonbender, so you're probably not used to being able to even feel your energy like that. It should feel like an extension of you, or like it's flowing inside you.