Here is the next chapter! Sorry it took so long, but between my term paper and travel I was pretty much gone the entire week. But if anyone is interested on a twenty page paper on Medieval Catholic Churches I can send it to you. I am not expecting anyone to take me up on that.
Also, another story I've been working on is going up. If you like this one, check it out.
Chapter 3
It was difficult to walk through the forest but the mountain pass was impossible to use when swarming with Kuvira's soldiers. Still Bolin mused dressed in the simple Browns and greens of an Earth Kingdom peasant, it was a beautiful forest. The trees they walked under were massive, the largest so large Bolin doubted even ten men could wrap their arms all the way around them. Not to mention the ferns and moss that covered the forest floor turning everything into dizzying shades of green.
For now they followed the banks of a small brook which would eventually lead them to the lake Nangen sat next to. Bolin wasn't the only one who enjoyed the scenery. Ahnah had spent the journey with a bright smile on her face letting fingers play over blossoms when they passed them. They were the only ones who seemed to enjoy the beauty of the area around them, Baraz was too busy glaring at everything and Varrick had started complaining yesterday about how difficult it was to walk all the way to the city.
Honestly Bolin was just happy for the peace and quiet. Sure, the strange clicking noise from the spirits above them still creeped him out but he was starting to get used to it. But what Bolin was really happy about no one witnessing was his arm. The burns were slowly but surely spreading up his arm and closer to his heart, thickening as they went. Each time they spread a new wave of agonizing pain would wash over Bolin as his arm spammed with each jolt of agony.
Nothing any of them had tried had stopped it.
Baraz, who had been leading them, came to a stop holding up a hand that brought everyone to a stand still. "Someone's coming," he hissed, "Everyone hide, now!"
Ahnah grabbed Bolin and pulled his off the path while Baraz and Varrick disappeared into the brush on the other side. The pair sprinted through the bushes hoping to get away from whoever could possibly be wandering the forest at this time.
Luck however did not seem to be on their side. The two stumbled out of the forest onto the bank of a great rushing river and even more importantly into the path of two of Kuvira's soldiers. For a brief second Bolin dared to hope that they wouldn't recognize either of them but he was never that lucky.
The soldiers traded looks before launching their attack. Bolin blocked the first blast of dirt while Ahnah knocked the other projectiles from the air with water from the river. It was all going well for them until Bolin went on the offensive.
He kicked up a good size stone and sent it hurtling at the closest soldier. Then all of a sudden the agonizing pain returned. Bolin could only stare in horror as his discolored flesh began to swell and move before his very eyes causing his fingers to flinch. That flinch was all it took to change everything. The rock exploded into lava and Bolin could only watch in horror as the lava cut through the two soldiers necks nearly decapitating them.
The smell of burning flesh filled the air as Bolin raised his hand to stare accusingly at his very own hand. His hand which he had just used to kill two men. What had he done? It shouldn't have been so easy to accomplish. How was he any better than Kuvira in this moment?
"Bolin," Ahnah whispered reaching out to him. Her eyes were worried and that was what threw him over the edge.
"Don't touch me," Bolin gasped out stumbling away from her, his hand cradled to his chest, "It might get on you somehow and make you sick!"
Ahnah stepped forward cautiously, "That isn't going to happen. Just come here and I'll take a look at your arm."
"Stay away from me!" he screamed stumbling over the stones away from her, "I don't want to hurt you!"
Then he turned and fled before she could say anything else. Blindly Bolin raced down the river bank scrambling up and over stones to get away from that horrible scene. He only wanted to help people, how had everything become so wrong in such a short amount of time? Everything had been easier back in Republic City. There was none of this confusion about what was right and what wasn't there.
A stray rock caught his foot sending him to the ground. With a groan Bolin just decided to lay there for a while. Surrounded by the soothing sound of running water and heavy panting he could forget about the world and his problems...wait a second. Panting?
Raising his head Bolin turned to look across the river in the hopes of finding whatever had been making that noise. What he saw brought him to his feet as awe coursed through his body.
The single largest wolfbat he had ever seen lay directly across the river from him, red blood from a wound staining its white fur. Even as he watched two smaller white wolfbats joined it along with some red faced creature. The creature jumped to the ground before rushing to the great white wolfbats side while the two smaller ones paced anxiously. It was only when the creature turned to spit blackish blood on the stones did Bolin see the creature for what it was.
It was just a girl. One who had her face painted red streaks across her nose and under her lip, decorated with yellow dots across the bridge of her nose and three trailing up into wild grey hair, but a girl none the less. What was a girl doing with these giants. The largest wolfbat raised its head and let out a low growl which caused all three to turn and stare at Bolin. A nervous smile rose on his face once he realized he had been spotted. Raising his non-burned hand Bolin sent them an awkward wave.
The wolfbats seemed confused on how to respond to that while the girl's eyes narrowed in rage. She quickly clambered onto the back of one of the smaller wolfbats making sure to keep her eyes locked on his as the great creatures started back into the forest. "Go away!" She called to Bolin, "We don't want your kind in our forest!"
Well, that was certainly rude. Still all Bolin could do was watch as the strange group disappeared from view back into the forest they had come from. No one would ever believe him when he told them what happened, honestly Bolin still couldn't believe what he'd just seen was real either.
"Bolin!"
He blinked turning to watch as his companions came scampering over the rocks to join him. Bolin let out a small delighted laugh when Varrick pulled him in for a tight hug and Baraz and Ahnah crowded around him with worried looks. "Thank the spirits your alright! What would I have done if you'd died?" Varrick demanded, "Mako would have burned me alive if anything happened to you!"
Bolin rolled his eyes at that before squirming his way out from the hug. He was grateful that no one felt like bringing up the two bodies they had no doubt passed on their way here. Although judging from the worried looks everyone was giving him they had seen the damage he had created.
Desperately Bolin decided to change the subject, "So how do we get to the village from here?" And seeing how no one answered it meant they were now lost. In a forest with crazy murderer spirits who would eat people.
The low clicking noise sounded from behind them causing Bolin to give a full body shudder, he turned slowly and finally got his first real view of the creatures that had been haunting him. It was a small white humanoid spirit with large black eyes. It's head tilted to the side before righting with a series of clicks.
Baraz reached out to pull Bolin behind him, a wary expression on his face. Huh, looked like everyone else could see them now also. "Remember what the official told us," Baraz hissed slowly edging away from the creature, "They'll take us to the monster in the forest...Ahnah! What are you doing?"
The waterbender waved her hand dismissively at him before kneeling down in front of the creature. "They're not monsters Baraz," she said and Bolin could hear the smile in her voice, "They're kodama."
Stepping around Baraz, Bolin hurried to her side before kneeling next to Ahnah to study the strange little creature. "What's a kodama?" Bolin asked watching as more and more of the kodamas appeared around them.
"They're tree spirits," Ahnah explained as Baraz and Varrick crept closer to watch the strange creatures also, "They appear only when the trees and healthy and content, we had them back in my village before Kuvira's men came. Don't worry they're completely harmless."
"What about the man eating part?" Varrick hissed.
Ahnah fixed him with a glare, "What part of harmless don't you understand?" She turned back to the kodama and smiled gently at them. Bolin wanted to ask more questions but before he could he heard a terrified scream coming from behind him. A bloody peasant lay in the shallows his face pale as he shook a terrified finger at the kodama.
"Monster!" He shrieked, "Get away from it before it calls its master!"
Bolin rushed over to the injured man's side. "Hey are you alright?"
"What? No, I am not alright! The wolfbat gods just tried to kill me!" The man screamed reaching out and grabbing the collar of Bolin's shirt and pulling him in close, "We need to get out of here! That little monster will bring its master here!"
"Master?" Bolin questioned.
"The spirit of the forest, he's their master. Has the body of a deer and a human face, well but it's red or so the stories say," the man rambled getting a distracted expression, "Or when it becomes the night walker..."
"Are you from Nangen?" Bolin asked. Once the man answered yes a delighted grin crossed his face, "Great, we're going there! We'll help you out!"
Before anyone could say anything Bolin hoisted the man onto his back ignoring Varrick's grumbles about being too nice or whatever. Or how Baraz just growled in frustration before turning away.
Ahnah coughed gaining all their attention. "This little guy said he'd show us the way to the village," Ahnah explained.
The kodama nodded excitedly before jumping to its feet and rushing off into the forest. Ahnah grabbed Bolin's arm and began dragging him after the creature knowing there would be protests if she let the men have even one moment to think. Where would they be without her?
Sure enough she could hear the scrabble of running feet as they struggled to catch up with her. In a matter of minutes they were walking calmly down the path after the kodama that was leading them deeper and deeper into the forest. Behind her she heard Varrick let out a yelp as even more kodama joined them creating quite the procession as they stumbled through the woods. The man on Bolin's back let out a terrified yelp at the sight of the creatures.
Bolin wasn't sure how long they had been walking by the time the trees started to thin. From Varrick's grumbling behind him it was clear the older man was convinced the kodama were leading them into a trap or something. As the theories became crazier and crazier Bolin couldn't help smiling at the familiar noise.
His smile dropped from his face as they stumbled into a great open clearing marked by small lakes connected by mossy strips of land. Bolin's eyes were immediately caught by the largest island which sat serenely in the largest pond. A tree more massive than all the others grew from it stretching up towards the sun while a small tree grew steadily in its shade.
It was beautiful.
"Thank the spirits! Some water!" Varrick stumbled over to the closest pond and began drinking greedily from it. With an eyeroll Bolin joined him leaving Baraz and Ahnah to talk quietly among themselves for a moment. Kneeling down next to the pool Bolin let the strange man down before he smiled as a kodama appeared by his knee.
"Hey there little guy," Bolin said gently, "You're not so scary after all. Thanks for helping us out."
The kodama shifted almost like it was embarrassed before fading away from view. It was actually kind of adorable. A noise in the distance caught Bolin's attention. He turned and noted a herd of cat deer in the distance walking further into the forest but that wasn't the strange part. No, what caught Bolin's attention was one massive cat deer thing in the back of the herd. For a brief second it reminded him of the giant white wolfbats but it sort of...felt different. It felt heavier than those giants especially when it turned its head to reveal a multitude of antlers.
Time seemed to freeze as Bolin stared at it, his mouth hanging open in awe. Searing pain from the spirit burn dragged his attention away as the skin on his wrist bubbled and writhed, with a hiss Bolin submerged his wrist in the lake water gasping as brief relief spread through him.
"Here," Ahnah knelt down next to him. She tore off a piece of her skirt before wrapping it around Bolin's arm, "Let's see if this helps."
"Thanks," Bolin whispered before getting back to his feet. They set out once again, the man on Bolin's back, as the kodama leading them away from the pool. It was amazing to see so many of the little guys following along with them and Bolin couldn't help the small smile that stretched across his face watching them play around them.
They came into a clearing where a massive oak tree stood, sturdy and strong against the wind. The kodama were running into the tree before disappearing from view. "That must be their mother tree," Ahnah breathed awe coloring her voice.
"Look," Baraz pointed ahead of them, "I think I see water over there!"
They rushed forward and finally stumbled out of the forest. A massive lake lay before them glittering in the light. Next to it sat a village blocked from view by great wooden poles which formed a protective wall. Add that to the bare mountain sides behind it, the village of Nangen was an impressive sight.
"We made it," Bolin whispered relief coursing through him as he stared at the village. Maybe everything would turn out alright after this.
Right, so before anyone says Bolin was out of character killing the soldiers remember he was not doing it. He is cursed, and the curse is taking over him. So Bolin will be doing some pretty horrible things under the influence of the curse.
Please review and let me know if you liked it.
