In fact I had seen so little of any bending since The Avatar disappeared. I had always hoped that this time, I would see a villager raise the dusty earth and then I would realize, I am not alone.
Searching for Benders
I kept my head lowered and I watched my feet slowly make their way down the road
I kept my head lowered and I watched my feet slowly make their way down the road. I've always wondered what it would have been like to travel before The Earth Kingdom fell. In a nation of people who could shape the earth to their feet, it always seemed logical that the roads would have been well maintained. My thoughts were shattered by the noise I had dreaded since I left Ba Sing Se. The sound of grating metal slowly made its way closer toward me, and I prepared for the worst. I had barely finished concealing my deer horn knives in my sleeves when the patrol arrived.
I quickly turned around and my eyes narrowed with suspicion when the Fire Nation patrol approached, it was not a standard patrol. Bone white faces stared out at me while I stared at their unusual attire. In the weeks before I left Ba Sing Se, patrols such as this one confused me, but by now I knew what they were.
"What business do you have on this road?" was the greeting I received.
I took my time appraising the situation, even if they were all benders, if they were feeling belligerent, I would have to fight. The question was launched by an intimidating man, with a brilliantly polished chest plate, emblazoned with a sharply twisting pattern that my eyes just could not follow. The man was an inquisitor, searching for "illegal" benders. Personally, I would be surprised if he had found any in his entire career. When I thought I had discerned an effective answer, I delivered it.
"I'm looking for work in the villages along this road, your honour." I said meekly, not needing to disguise my fear, I doubted if I could have anyway. My words met with the desired response, the entourage proceeded to destroy the meaning of laughter. Luckily for me, the party had somewhere else to be. Their laughter continued as they headed in front of me. The laughter was not mirthless or devoid of humanity, it sounded as if the source of the sound was very much entertained by the thought of what it was about to do, which made it all the more chilling.
I followed cautiously behind the group but I lost sight of them as they climbed a large rise and descended down the other side of the hill. It took me a few moments to realise they had abandoned the road and it was then that I smelt the smoke. I had completely expected this, but I always hoped I was wrong.
Anguish robbed me of my caution and I raced to the top of the hill, almost launching myself over the surprisingly steep descent on the opposite face. I looked around furtively and cautiously edged closer and closer to the scene. I slid dangerously down the red, rich earth, catching my clothing on the sparse vegetation populating the descent but I was in a hurry, I was reckless. I lost my footing and tumbled to the edge of the village. The event I had dreaded most since I began watching the Fire Nation slaughter my people had occurred.
I had always felt morbid watching the Fire Benders, but even fire bending was a rare sight among the lower classes. In fact I had seen so little of any bending since The Avatar disappeared. I had always hoped that this time, I would see a villager raise the dusty earth and then I would realize, I am not alone.
But this time, my life was forfeit, to the Inquisitor and his men; I was indistinguishable from the villagers. I knew I was through, and panic gripped my mind, I could feel my heart beating through my ribcage and I was fairly sure it was visible as well. I swept my eyes over my surroundings, desperately searching for some mode of escape, but the only real escape route was back the way I came, and that route was little better than a sheer wall and two fire benders had already spotted me.
I quickly settled myself, there was no doubt scouts had already closed off the roads and begun waiting for any escapees anyway. I turned to face the advancing hostiles, step by step they came closer and step by step my hope died. Even if I made it out of here, descriptions of me would circulate everywhere; I would have no chance of retaining my anonymity. My only chance was defeat this entire detachment, single handed. I had no chance.
"Girl, if you surrender, this can be quick and easy." One of the masked assailants said while he poured fire from his mouth to emphasize his point.
"Your body will rest here and it will be as if we never met you, you won't know what happened, and it'll be as if you just stopped existing." Said the partner of the man who had spat fire at me.
As they came closer, I nodded my consent displaying as much of my fear as possible but that man had given me a better idea. I paid close attention to the armoured troops as they approached, I watched for the horns on their helmets to sway or for the secondary shoulder pieces to shift. I slowly raised my arms as they edged closer and closer. By the time my arms were parallel with my shoulders, they had had come too close, they had made a fatal mistake.
They both attempted to engulf me in flame. They both performed the same technique. They lead into a sliding punch with a deceptive punch, But I had seen it before, hell, everyone had seen it before, it was basic; they underestimated me.
I dropped my arms and my crescent knives slid into my hands and then I dove at the closest attacker, barely avoiding the second assailant's fire storm, I turned and locked my first targets elbow on my shoulder, with my back pressed against his chest. At the same time I buried my knife in the other guy's throat and closed my ears to his pitiful dieing screams, I wondered if he did the same when he burnt my people into bloody corpses. I wondered if he cared when their flesh sloughed from their bones.
I snapped the other guys elbow and as he pulled himself up from the ground, I whirled and slashed him consecutively across the face and torso with both of my knives before I drove the extended point of my knife up, under his chin. This is why I hate myself when I fight, I become something less than human, but I don't think it's just me. Looking down at myself, I realised I had an arduous journey ahead of me for I was covered in the blood I had spilled. I would be almost impossible to conceal the blood stains, no matter how well I washed my dun coloured clothes.
The time had come for my plan to be put into action, I checked my surroundings for potential witnesses and finding none, I summoned what little skill I had. I fell into horse stance and found my root, searching for that feeling of extension, the feeling of continuity that always helped me bend. I let my weight fall slightly and drew both my arms in towards me, feeling the earthen wall in front of me join my cause and then I let my weight rise slightly and fall slightly more while I threw both my fists at my comrade. A small opening in the wall exploded backwards. This small task cost me all the energy I had left and made a concerning amount of noise.
Looking around as I worked, I kicked dust over the bloodstains in the dirt and wearily dragged my victims into my gruesome hiding place. Looking over the clay rich earth comprising the terrain between the capital of The Earth Kingdom and The Northern Air Temple, I saw nothing to suggest I had ever been here. I was finally satisfied it was safe to retreat, so I made a bowing motion and closed the gap in the cliff face.
I did not have the skill required to do this, but I made use of raw energy. Now every little bruise felt like a bleeding wound and I doubted actually having my head split would feel very different to how my head felt now. I was exhausted and with trepidation I watched myself fall towards the two corpses I had brought with me. In their grotesque armour they had even managed to escape the repose of death. Although I knew they where dead, I feared them and although I couldn't help it, I was still disgusted at the thought of sharing a bed with two corpses tonight. But fatigue had taken its toll and I fell into a deep slumber.