Chapter One - The Legend's Icy Grip
"And I beat the two front teeth off the skinny fella after he stole me rice wine! Ha! That's what he gets for tryin' ta pickpocket me stuff!"
The group of drunken men burst into laughter, or more like cackling to Lee's eyes, and slapped each other's backs until their hands stung. Lee grinned as he eavesdropped on his father and his rowdy friends. He edged himself closer to the thin wall and pressed his ear against it.
Well, learning how to carve wood gets boring after a while! Lee thought as he put down his nail and knife.
Maybe father won't know I stopped carving this chair, and he is drunk on wine so who really would care? Besides, his stories are REALLY interesting! I can tell Chong and Khan tomorrow, freak the pants of them and finish this boring job later. Lee reasoned to himself.
It's a real shame dad wo-
"The legend says that he has two sharp teeth that can suck blood an a strange ability to control people that's worse than an ogres!" A man slurred into the young boys thoughts. Lee's eyes widened into to brown marbles as he bit his lip in eager anticipation of the story. Legends were rare in this Earth Kingdom village; if there was one, it would have to either be a secret code from the army or not a legend at all, but a tale about a cereal criminal that everybody has to keep an eye out for.
"An ogre? Danso would be be related to him then! Two buck teeth and a the nose the size of a potato! Ha ha har!" The husky voice was rewarded with a loud punch and a whine of pain.
"If I'm an ogre ,then you're a badger-toad, mate!"
"Shut your mouth, all of you! I'm not finished with me legend of The Blood Fanged monster!" A voice hollered above the all the others.
"Yeh yeh yeh, it's all a bunch of baloney to me-i've never even seen such a stupid, made-up monster! A shriller voice called out.
Suddenly, a loud smack to the low table the men were gathered around silenced the other man.
"Shaddup! Let him finish the story! I've never got a decent one since that Traveller came along! Go on Gon!"
"Righto. Well it says he first appeared when the Fire Lord from a century ago ordered his son to go on the search for the Avatar. He was stripped of his title as the Crown Prince at age 14 until he captured the Avatar and brought him to the Fire Nation. Well after 3 years he found him, heck, he was just a twelve year old boy, and brought him back at 17 years Fire Lord 'accidentally' killed the Avatar! Well that Idiot Lord framed his poor son and used that as an excuse kill 'im and that enraged Agni. Well, he brought a curse to the Fire Lord's palace and that's where the Blood Fanged Beast comes in. Actually, the beast isn't even larger than a human, but it's face is terrifying all the same-a master of the duel daos, has an appetite for fresh blood, an' worse yet, it's golden eyes can manipulate you at night!"
An eerie hush prevailed as the men leaned in on the table to lap up the story.
"The monster slayed all the nobles in a real gruesome way and drained em' of their juices with it's pointy fangs . To this day, the monster lurks around in the palace, baiting in innocent and guilty alike people with it's brainwashing eyes and, according to some rumors, once in a while impersonates the Fire Prince as a creepy reminder to y'all."
Lee shivered and flopped back down against his carpenter table absorbing the whole tale.
"W-wait! So that's why that beast has Fangs?!"
"You nut brain! Didn't you hear the story? Yeh, the monster uses its fangs like a snakebat to slurp ya insides!"
I've never heard a myth like this told anywhere! The Fire Nation must have kept this a really good secret… I wonder what Khan and Chong will think about it.
"LEE!" A loud voice that belonged to Gon, Lee's father, bellowed out from the nervous mutterings among the drunkards.
Uh oh! I must have said that out loud! Dad's gonna really beat the Mickey out of me now!
"Come 'ere now!" A series of excited oohs and low whistles followed the angry father's words. Lee hesitantly rose from the floor and shuffled over to the group and stood to face his father.
"I told you to finish carving ya' wooden chair! What the heck do you think your doing snoopin' in our conversation!" Lee looked down ashamed, like a mouse caught stealing a piece of cheese.
"Eh! Look in me face! You want to face the cane again, kid?"
Lee shot his face back up to see his dad's glassy yet livid hazel eyes. He was sitting in the center of the circle, holding a half empty wine skin and his square jaw shaking furiously. The eleven year old boy nervously shook his head and mumbled an incoherent apology.
"And this isn't the first time I caught ya eavesdropping in our chat, young lad! Ya know very well the consequences."
Lee masked on his most heart-wrenching puppy eyes he could pull off, remembering how his friend Khan had done it to his mother once when he broke a precious vase.
"Geez, Gon, he looks pretty sorry to me! Give the poor lad a chance, mate." An older man with several lines ,a dark tan over his weathered face and kind green eyes said ,as he placed a calloused hand on Gon's meaty arm. A mutter of approvals echoed through the shanty room while Lee held his breath.
"Well I don't give chances people don't deserve it. 'Specially to those who are already given enough." Gon replied while carefully eyeing Lee, sending him on a guilt-trip.
Gon's eyes were sceptical until the kind man, whose name was Chey, reminded him that he was exactly like the boy but soon grown out of his ways when he matured.
"Trust me mate, I know a good kid when I see one."
"Alright then! I'm only doin' this for you mate, and Lee! If I see you comin' near our chat again, Chey won't be able to convince me next time, understand?"
"Y-yes father."
"Now beat it!"
Lee cast a grateful glance at the senior before hurrying away to finish his carpenting. He moved the table back to its original spot, which would be too far to eavesdrop anymore and busied himself with the tedious cutting and scrapping.
Thanks, Mr. Senior for the save. I would be roasted if you didn't use your super convincing powers to help me out. Thank Ag-
"Lee! Come back here! I changed me mind!"
Spirits above have mercy on my poor soul!
Lee reluctantly went back to his father and awaited for the cane to swat his pale skin.
But none came.
"Not that kiddo, I got somethin' that gets you to do more leg work!"
His father's grin spoke of a task that would require something much more than a sprint around the small village.
Oh spirits above!
He pulled out a very rich-looking waxed and sealed scroll that shone in the lamplights dim brightness.
"This, ma' young messenger, is a very important job that probably would be the only useful thing a shrimp like you can do for me!" A burst of racious laughter erupted from the group, but Lee was too nervous to feel hurt by his Father's tactless comment. He waved the parchment in the air like a piece of bait.
"This message is to be delivered to the Fishing Village where a rich guy, uh, I mean an Earth Kingdom Noble lives, at Port Street, house 67. Just say that you are the replacement messenger after Li and when the guy takes it, run straight back 'ere and don't hang 'round tarvans. Got it?"
Fishing Village? Port Street?! This is worse than I thought the job would be!
"Uh… where's the Fishing Village?" Lee asked nervously.
"Oh crup, I forgot you are horrible at mapping… well, look at it this way: go straight until you see the pine Forest and either go through it, or take a detour 'round it and cross over the Creek bridge then you practically made it to the the Fishy Village. 'Round a 30 kilometre journey."
With that, Gon shoved the letter in Lee's hands and stood up to lead him to the door, making sure he wouldn't run to his friend's house or do some other crazy stunt. But Chey shot up out of his seat.
" Gon, why don't you stay here and enjoy the company and I lead the boy instead?" He placed a hand over Lee's shoulder and looked expectantly to the burly man. He waved his hand in a shooing manner.
"Whatever ya' want, mate. Make sure the rascal doesn't go any place else or I'll be in trouble."
Chey lead a fidgety Lee away from the hullabaloo and grabbed his weathered koala-sheepskin jacket from a chair near the wooden door. He handed it to the youngster, but, as he was about open the door for the chilling air to sweep inside the cosy cottage, Chey stopped Lee and faced him.
"Hey kiddo, watch your back and be wary of strangers. If I were you, I wouldn't take the shortcut through the pine Forest."
"But, why? I can come back quicker than if I use the shortcut and avoid strangers." Lee glanced at the jacket and bundled it back to the man.
"And thanks, but I don't need this thing. I might dirty it anyways."
Chey chuckled as fitted it over the boys small frame.
"No Lee, I know how cold it can get at night, wear it. Your safety is more important to me than an old jacket. And just take my advice about the forest. If it helps, imagine that the Blood Fanged Monster would live in the forest . Well, take care Lee"
Chey smiled a worried father's smile of comfort and patted Lee's back.
Why should I imagine a monster like that would live in the forest? Is it really that bad?
"EH! Chey! Come over 'ere! We're playin' another drinkin' game! Danso said he wo- OW! Why'd ya do that mate?!"
Chey then disappeared back in the safety of home, while loud burps, hollers, and cheers followed soon after. Lee grit his teeth and wrapped the cosy jacket closer to his frame as he mustered all his courage to ignore the ominous howling of the wind and the sudden snakebat screeches that made Lee golt.
Dad said this is an important job. I'll show him can do it! Then Mei Li will be super jealous that her own boyfriend never done a really important job like helping rich nobles! Yeh! I'll show 'em all that I can walk through a forest by myself!
But suddenly, a new and intimidating thought appeared, that happened to sound very similar to Mei Li came in.
That is if you will make it back! Remember how great Uncle Ron died? He got mauled by a platypus bear! Oh, but don't you remember the legend of the White Fanged Beast? What if he gets to you before the platypus bears? That'll be really ironic! You're too young to die, Lee!
"N-no! There's n-no such thing…" Lee whimpered.
Focus! Bloodsucking monsters never existed! They will never steal my blood! Nobody has the power to brainwash people! I will never be controlled if I meet the thing, even with its two deadly duel daos that could slice my neck off in a single g- !
ARGH!
Focus, please brain!
Lee took a shaky breath and took a step forward into the dark street.
Oh spirits above, why had this to be the very moment that the poor boy remembered that this is his first time leaving the safety of this village?!
He could feel the icy claws of the Legend's monster gripping Lee's conscience with an iron-tight grip.