Chapter 8: Hubris
After I was clear of Jang Hui, I "docked" at the mountains facing the houseboat town and planned my next location. It had to be somewhere secluded, close to the water, and on the way to the Northern Water Tribes. I found a small little village, Makapu, which seemed to fit those requirements. Packing up my map and taking one last look at Jang Hui, I descended the mountain and set off to Makapu.
It took me two whole days to get to the village. On the first night, I stayed at a little island not too far from the main land. After taking the salt out of the water and the innards out of some fish, I started a fire and had a nice fish and water dinner. Luckily, the Fire Nation had yet to capture me. Then, I thought back to my fight against them at Jang Hui. I almost killed those soldiers; I probably would have if the townsfolk hadn't stopped me. Why did I go so far? Did the Fire Nation really deserve that kind of hate? Yes, they did, after what they did to my mother and what they were going to do to Nengoro? What had he ever done to them? Absolutely nothing, but they were going to put him on the front-line to die. But I don't have to worry, especially since I'll be able to bend freely without anyone caring once I reach the Earth Kingdom.
The next morning, I bended my usual small traveling wave and set sail towards Makapu. It didn't take too long to get to shore, but it was a pain to navigate through the forest. Knowing that it would be safe to waterbend, I created a water whip to act as a machete and cut through the deep brush. By midday, I finally got to the village of Makapu. It's seated at the foot of a volcano and is fairly large. Actually, it's a rather nice village, and I actually thought of staying there. Quickly, I told myself that I was headed towards the Northern Water Tribes, and tonight was only a layover. With that in mind, I proceeded into the village and asked someone where the local inn was. He pointed me towards the center of the village and that's where I headed.
When I arrived at the inn, I told the woman that I needed one room for the night. Unlike the guy at Jang Hui, this woman was not a whacko, and she kindly gave me a room on the first floor. The room was rather quaint, with a small bed, a chest of drawers, a table, a chair, and some tea flowers. Once I unpacked my things, I decided to explore the town. As I exited the inn, I asked the woman at the front desk about the town.
"Oh, if you're only going to be in Makapu one day, there's only one you must do. You must get your fortune told by Aunt Wu! She has never been wrong to date and is the reason our town is still surviving!"
"So, you're telling me that this woman can predict the future. Is that even possible?" I asked, skeptically.
"Aunt Wu has never been wrong to date. For example, today she informed me that I would have a skeptical traveler question her abilities. She said the person would be quite temperamental. Are you temperamental?" the woman inquired.
"I AM NOT CRAZY, IF THAT'S WHAT YOU THINK!" I blurted out without thinking. "Oh my, I'm so sorry."
"It's quite all-right," the innkeeper responded. "She said you might erupt in a fit of despair and anguish. Maybe you should get some sleep first."
I told her that would not be necessary, and I proceeded out of the inn. I faintly heard the woman say something about Fire Nation and safety, however, I didn't bother to listen. As I walked around Makapu, I noticed something and almost died. Two Fire Nation soldiers were on a bench having something to drink. I grabbed some man off the street and asked him why the Fire Nation was here.
"Well, they don't normally come here, but Aunt Wu predicted some would come today. However, she didn't say that they would be violet, and therefore, we have nothing to worry about."
Becoming quite nervous, I walked anxiously past the Fire Nation soldiers, hoping they wouldn't recognize me. One of them whistled as I walked by, and the other said, "hey baby, why don't you come over here and light my fire."
"That girl, over there?" the one who whistled at me asked. "Why she's probably a filthy little who-!"
I didn't let him finish his sentence. I took water out of some jugs near a house and threw it on the guy. The second soldier looked in shock at me and immediately took action. He shot some fire blasts at me, which I easily blocked with a water shield. I then created some ice spikes and threw them at the soldiers. I hit both of them, and they fell to the ground. As I was taunting to them, I felt a sharp pain on my back. I realized it was a burn, and before I could look at it, I fell down. A third Fire Nation soldier put his foot on top of me, grinning with delight.
"You know, girlie, we probably never would've known you were here if your hubris wasn't as big as a Hippocow, you probably wouldn't be in this predicament right now!"
As I was being dragged away, I thought about what he had said. But it wasn't my ego he was talking about, it was my temperament. If I had been more patient, I could've passed without a problem. I could definitely escape, but not now, while my back was killing me, I could not escape. If I didn't find a way out soon, I would be back in the Fire Nation, and my chances of escaping would be slim to none.
