Scorched Earth

土

Earth...

Fire...

Air...

Water

I knew Avatar Aang

He showed me the world outside my village and gave me a life outside of my parent's strict rules and orders. For that, I will always be in his debt. He was a good person, and an even better friend.

I don't care they say; to me, and to the people of the Earth Kingdom, he was a hero.

With the fall of Ba Sing Se, the Fire Nation swept across the rest of the Earth Kingdom like a plague, Using the power of Sozin's Comet, Ozai torched the land until no resistance was left and the remnants of the Earth Kingdom collapsed. In time, rival warlords and generals began fighting amongst themselves, setting up their own puppet kingdoms and nations from the ashes. It was a dark time for us, and many had thought the Fire Nation victory was complete.

But they were wrong.

Ozai thought that by burning our land, our homes, he could break us, but as long as there is hope, we fight on. There is a new Avatar born somewhere in the Water Tribes, and it's my job to help her. If she is anything like Aang, then I believe she is the one who can finish what he started.

I believe she can save the world.

Chapter 10: To Another Shore

Tarrlok awoke with a start as another wave crested over their small boat, soaking both he and his brother. Surprised, he gasped for air, sucking in a breath full of sea water instead, causing the young Water Bender coughed unceremoniously. Noatak sighed, knowing his brother was out of his element, he needed at least another year of experience before becoming a fully-fledged wolf tail. Now, with both their lives on the line, he would have to be extra careful if they were both to return home with their lives.

Kodiak, sensing Noatak's stress, nuzzled beside his master quietly, and the Water Bender smiled, petting the wolf gently.

They had been sailing for two days. Having escaped the prison compound, the brothers quickly made it back to the Water Tribe encampment where they had hidden their boats, only to find it abandoned; the rest of the Wolf Tails having dispersed already. Commander Hahn had left a message for Noatak to find, detailing how they were off to attack an Admiral's squadron that had made its way southward, and that they would rendezvous at the ruins of the Eastern Air Temple in a few weeks time.

Noatak did not look forward to the prospect of dodging Fire Navy blockades along the way. So that meant they would have to bypass the hostile territories of the former Earth Kingdom. Although the Fire Nation (or Phoenix Empire as some called it) controlled most of the continent, there were still vast stretches of desert, swamps and mountains where the last holdouts of the Earth Kingdom remained, which made slipping past the Fire Nation all the more easier.

"So, where are we headed Noatak?" Tarrlok asked as he took a look at the distant shoreline of the Earth Kingdom, which was dominated by steep rock cliffs and sharp rocks. It was getting dark soon, as the sun was blood red in the horizon, and Tarrlok looked uneasily behind them as dark storm clouds began to gather.

Noatak pointed to the shore, past the cliffs where the land started to flatten out. "It looks like there's a village there. We'll make a landing, get some supplies and make our way east."

Tarrlok nodded as his brother spoke, taking comfort from how calm he was, even in the face of disaster. It was one thing he admired about Noatak, he always had a plan.

The first cracks of thunder shattered the air as the brothers pulled their boat onto the beach; it was soon followed by pouring rain as the heavens drenched the land. It didn't take long before they were both soaked to the bone.

"A fine welcome to the Earth Kingdom, I guess." Tarrlok grumbled softly as he helped Noatak pull a tarp of leaves and branches over their boat to hide it. He was sorely tempted to water bend a dome of ice above them to protect them from the rain, but that would have made them visible for miles around.

"Better out here, than in the Fire Nation dungeon." Noatak replied as he tied the last of the ropes to secure the boat. Tarrlok cringed inwardly as he recalled his short stay there, and he couldn't help but agree with his brother's assessment.

Noatak also began using his spear blade to dig a shallow pit further down the beach. "Leave the armor and furs behind, we can't draw too much attention to ourselves."

Reluctantly, Tarrlok removed the Wolf Tail helmet and shoulder vest that distinguished them among the water tribes, but here, they would have stuck out like sore thumbs. Even if the Fire Nation's control didn't extend over the entire continent, it was better to be safe than sorry. They wouldn't be able to pass themselves off as Earth Kingdom peasants (the brown complexion of their skin saw to that), but at least they can pretend to be traveling civilians.

By the time their work had been done, the rain had passed, slowed to a light drizzle.

It was then that Kodiak growled low as both brothers gathered their remaining supplies and weapons into separate back packs. The two waterbenders stood up, eyeing their animal friend closely.

"What's wrong boy?" Noatak knelt beside the wolf and tried to see what was disturbing his companion. He had been with the wolf long enough to know when it sensed trouble, Kodiak seemed to have a sixth sense for danger, even if he couldn't pick up a strong scent. He squinted his eyes through the dark brush, hoping to see something, but his instincts told him enough.

"Tarrlok…" Noatak said, very slowly and deliberately.

The younger waterbender nodded, knowing the implication of his brother's tone.

"Run!"

Both brothers instantly bolted, running towards the cover of the forest.

The Marine captain cursed as he saw his quarry make a run for it. They were a squardon of five of Admiral Chan's elite bodyguards, each adorned in the crimson red and black armor of the marine guard, and they had been stalking the pair for some time, allowing them to lull into a sense of complacency while they set up an ambush inland, so that they would not have a chance to escape by sea.

The wolf, however, had somehow managed to sense their presence even as he and his men positioned themselves in the rain storm. But then again, the massive Mongoose Dragons that each marine used as a mount were probably too much for the animal to ignore. Each Mongoose Dragon was approximately fifteen feet long, and they were known for their quick reflexes that allowed them to traverse any type of terrain, whether it be scaling walls or skimming over bodies of water, which made them perfect for hunting refugees.

"What are you waiting for!?" The marine captain shouted at his men, pointing his sword at the pair. "Go after them!"

Before the Captain could even spur his own mount forward however, two rope darts shot out from the bushes behind the group, wrapping themselves around two of his guards and pulling them back in the darkness. Jets of flame shot out from the bushes behind the captain as the marines struggled against their assailant, but they were quickly silenced.

As the captain turned his mount around to face the new threat, a dark blur rushed the remaining marines, and a flash of steel glinted in the darkness as the marines found himself falling onto the ground, their saddles straps cut. Another hard slap of the blade made the Mongoose Dragon's screech in terror, running in all directions and dragging the unfortunate marines with them.

The Captain grunted as he shot a fire blast at the strap trapping his foot, then, screaming with rage he spun around as he got up, firebending a circle of fire around him to attack whatever assailant had ambushed his group.

The mysterious man backed away, and the captain got up to see his assailant face to face at last….

Except it wasn't a face he was staring into. It was a mask.

The Blue Spirit.

The marine captain widened his eyes in surprise. After Avatar Aang, the Blue Spirit was probably the most wanted man in the empire's history, especially after his role in sabotaging the Fire Navy's efforts to win the war, time and time again.

Without even bothering to say anything else, the Marine captain instantly lunged with his own jian, hoping to skewer the man where he stood, but the Blue Spirit was faster, dodging to the side flowing around his attack like water. Grabbing onto the man's arm, he quickly tossed the captain over his shoulder and flat on the ground in one smooth motion.

The last thing the captain saw was the silver glint of steel as the Blue Spirit unsheathed his dual daos, bringing it down on his opponent.

Oblivious to their good fortune, Noatak and Tarrlok continued running through the thicket of trees, unsure if they were being followed or if it was just a false alarm. Tarrlok cursed as he struggled to keep pace with Noatak, who seemed to weave expertly around each tree while he found himself stumbling and tripping on the tree roots and fallen branches on the ground. Still, he couldn't spare any time to slow down, let alone stop, lest the Fire Nation guards were right on their tail.

After what seemed like an eternity, the forest finally cleared, and the brothers soon found themselves on a dirt road; A sign, at least, of civilization.

"Think….think we lost them?" Tarrlok gasped, leaning against a tree to rest. He forgot the last time he had run so much, and having to do it through a dark forest didn't make it any easier.

Noatak was also leaning forward, catching his breath as well, but whatever had startled Kodiak seemed to have passed.

"Looks like it." He replied cautiously, peering at both directions of the road to make sure that the coast was clear.

"What now?" Tarrlok asked.

"We find a place to stay for the night. I saw a village from our boat, so there must be someone using this road." Noatak reasoned. "Let's head east for now."

Dusk soon gave way to night, and the crescent moon bathed the land in an eerie glow, lighting the path as the brothers walked for what seemed like hours on end. Noatak and Kodiak led the way, while Tarrlok brought up the rear, nervously eying the trees for any sign of danger. For someone used to the wide open tundra of the North Pole, the narrow winding forest road felt suffocating. Not only that, each step seemed like a trial in itself, as the roads became bogged down in mud.

To a passing observer, they seemed like a pair of regular water tribe hunters making their rounds in the tundra, and although they were completely out of their element, Noatak hoped that it would be passable enough so that they wouldn't warrant too much suspicion.

Finally, after several more uneventful hours, the trio stumbled upon the lights of a travelling convoy.

Pausing ahead, Noatak and Tarrlok hid in the bushes, hoping to discern whether or not this convoy was Fire Nation or not. As the convoy got closer, they could make out the insignias and armor plates of the individual soldiers. Noatak breathed a quick sigh of relief as he saw that the soldiers wore the green lacquered armor of the Earth Kingdom armies. For once, their luck seemed to be holding.

Leading the way was a squadron of mounted lancers, each soldier riding on an ostrich horse.

To Tarrlok, who had never seen an ostrich horse before, it was an imposing sight. Each beast was at least ten feet tall, with long necks, wide flat tails and short stubby wings. Each one sported an intimidating plumed helmet, while their bodies were clad in heavy armor, like their riders.

Deciding that it was safe, Noatak and Tarrlok quickly emerged from the bushes, stepping in front of the squadron of Earth Lancers.

The leader of the cavalrymen, seeing the curious sight of two water tribe warriors and an arctic wolf standing in the middle of the road, raised his arm to signal a halt to the convoy. The other soldiers obeyed, but kept their weapons ready, in case this was an attempt at a bandit ambush.

The leader, a captain by the markings of his green armor, trotted towards the two water tribe warriors cautiously.

"My name is Lee, I'm in charge of this convoy on behalf of High General Giam. State your business." He said with authority in his voice.

High General? Must be one of the local warlords, Noatak thought.

"Excuse us sir," Noatak began calmly, "We're hunters from our village in the North Pole, trying to find our way home." Having been well versed in interrogations, the half-lie rolled off Noatak's tongue very smoothly.

The captain raised his eyebrow in suspicion. "Awfully far away from your home to be hunting." Indeed, the captain couldn't remember the last time he saw a water tribe member, period.

"My brother and I got stranded when our boat got destroyed by the storm," Noatak explained. "We've been here ever since, dodging Fire Nation patrols and making our way inland."

"I don't know sir." Another cavalryman pulled up beside Lee. "They could be spies for all we know. They've been trying to infiltrate our ranks for months now."

"We're not Fire Nation spies." Noatak said vehemently. "We just need a place to stay and some supplies, then my brother and I will be on our way."

The captain studied Noatak intently, as if trying to gauge whether he was telling the truth. But the look of fury in Noatak's eyes told him everything. As someone who had lost family to the Fire Nation, he knew that look anywhere, there would be no danger from them. Besides, no self-respecting water tribe member would ever help the Fire Nation, not after what they had done to their people. That last bit was enough to convince the captain.

"I believe you." Lee said finally, then offered the brother's a friendly wave towards the wagons in the caravan. "Come along, we'll see if we can help you out. Any enemy of the Fire Nation is a friend of ours."

Tarrlok thanked the man, excitement building in his voice as he relished the chance of finally sleeping under a warm roof. Even Noatak, who was normally reserved about these things, couldn't hide his smile.

For the moment at least, they were safe.

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