Benders State
Huyu stood evenly on the water, silently cursing at the stinging cut across his chest. His body was already attempting to heal it; very useless considering anytime it closed, he'd move and reopen it.
There was part of him who hated when battles lasted like this. A normal person would be panting, out of breath, feeling sluggish or weakened, some sort of tiring sign. He wouldn't experience that. His stamina could probably hold out for days if he had to. Of course it would vary on his opponent and how much damage he would take.
Not that he was ever interested in trying
He sliced the air, his energy formed in a crescent wave, Kaimu sunk below the water, the attack crashed to a nearby tree, turning it to ice before it shattered into incalculable pieces; it was hail to the grass.
Kaimu rose up as if on an elevator, standing before Huyu quite properly.
"Is that really the best you can do? You've landed only a single strike, personally I find it disappointing. The limits you set for yourself are affecting the way you strategize. Use an attack too many times and your opponent becomes immune to it."
Huyu stabbed at him, Kaimu twisting to the right. He took a jolt for Huyu's side; breaking skin much deeper than before. Huyu backed out, clenching the hack; he gritted his teeth in frustration. The warmth of his blood was out of place compared to his icicle skin.
Huyu examined Kaimu's overall damage. It'd been reduced. Healed slightly.
'Every time he's slipped into the water…he's been mending himself. Only a little bit each time; but they build up.'
A move so obvious Huyu should've caught beforehand.
He lowered his sword, his eyes, watching the water settle. The ripple went still to a clear smooth surface. He found the perfect reflection of himself staring back at him.
'This is just going in circles. It's pointless. He can't defeat me with the simple blows he's landed. I can't beat him while having to monitor how much energy I release,' He could easily stop the bleeding with blood bending, but the thought didn't cross his mind; instead his eyes slipped to Emi defenseless on the floor, 'I…don't want to risk it though.'
"Yes yes. Whatever shall you do?" Kaimu asked, walking towards land, "I'm curious how much pain you'll allow her to endure before you're willing to expose your true self."
He was beside Emi, his head tilted downward, observing her.
'Why's he just standing there? He's going to hurt her!' Benjiro began to curl his fists.
"Stop moving!" The spirit boy was growing annoyed of the constant reminders, "What was the lesson you learned today with Huyu? Never mind you probably forgot. He's scared that he'll hurt her more and since your observation skills seem pointless, I'll point out that the last time he was near her he had some kind of internal conflict."
"She truly is a beautiful girl, such even skin with golden locks for hair, even an incredible personality. I only pity her choice in men. It's a wonder what she'll do if she realized what monstrous power you have little control over. How much damage you can do with a singletou-" The tip of the sword stroked the surface of her cheek.
"SHUT UP!" Huyu blew up, "SHUT UP AND GET THE HELL AWAY FROM HER!"
Kaimu was satisfied with this reaction.
"You have nothing to threaten me with. A Master uses a prodigy's level unless they enter bender's state, which you seem so determined not to do. I've surpassed the average prodigy's level, which automatically grants me the advantage."
Huyu gritted his teeth.
"With the distance you're convinced you need between yourself and this girl, I could easily damage that pretty little face of hers without concern of you intervening." Kaimu was through with threats.
He ran the sword with enough pressure for blood to trickle down her face, a scar running close to her mouth.
That was it.
Huyu's face was angered beyond calming, his energy seemed to leak directly from his, white steam begining to surround him.
"You want to see it that bad?" Huyu spread his arms apart, "Fine. I'll give in. BUT IT'LL BE THE LAST GOD DAMN THING YOU SEE!" He clasped his hands together, "RELEASE!"
A beam of light shot from the moon, blasting Huyu in what could've been described as a tube, fog clouded the view before creeping across the land. The water from the river seemed to rise before shooting towards him, encircling an invisible Huyu in a tornado of liquid. The light faded and everything was silent.
Benjiro felt the temperature drop, stepping into a freezer, he could see his breath; goose bumps marked his arms, a chill down his spine.
Part of him wanted to comment, think of something to say, but his mind was fully focused on his eyes, they stared anxiously for the mist to clear up, he tried to imagine what just happened.
"Now this should certainly be interesting." Kaimu was pleased that Huyu was finally regarding this with full effort, Benjiro's eyes were glued to the shadow he could make out of Huyu, widening as he could make at the transformation.
His hair seemed slightly longer, remaining spiked and white; his sharp hazel eyes seemed iced over in a fresh layer of frost. His veins were bulged slightly, a colorless color, his surrounding skin had paled by at least two tones.
Even Huyu's sword had been altered. Thinner and longer, the point had the thickness of a needle while his handle had a rounder base. Center of his forehead, he was marked with a crescent shape moon, at the tip, it seemed to cry. A single line ran down the side of his face, down his neck.
Wrapped over him was a fresh robe a deepened blue; it's ends and outline was pallid with the Water Tribe crest embroidered on the chest, the hood being exchanged for a high raised collar. He seemed practically glowing, a white energy cloud surrounding him.
'When the hell did he have time to change?'
"That's what shocks you the most?"
Kaimu raised his sword protectively, prepared for anything.
Huyu's eyes flashed towards him, daggers that would've pierced Benjiro easily, yet for whatever reason, Kaimu was invincible. He seemed overconfident.
Raising his sword, Benjiro needn't even blink, a moment Huyu stood on the river, the next he was on the opposite side of Kaimu, his sword outstretched as if finished of the attack.
'What?'
"Am I going to have to narrate this entire battle for you to understand?"
Glancing to Kaimu, Benjiro was astounded. Blood leaked heavily from his chest, two slices, an "X" scarred on his skin as his shirt became a scarlet damp rag, a metallic scent polluted the air; Benjiro grew nauseous.
Kaimu's mouth overflowed in a terrible site, a crimson liquid coated his lips as he rocked unbalanced on his feet, he fell forward, Benjiro caught the sight of another "X" strike on his back.
He'd struck four times in less than a second.
Huyu flicked his wrists; a fountain of blood spurted from Kaimu, enough to satisfy any vampire for life. Benjiro didn't want to watch, it made him sick.
"You can't even handle blood?" The spirit would probably be shaking his head if he could.
Benjiro didn't want to answer; he swallowed a gag in his throat, watching the body, partly expecting it to deflate like a balloon.
Huyu walked up him; the blood soaked his shoes without his acknowledgement. He raised his sword before stabbing it into Kaimu's probably stopped heart.
'OK! I think he's dead!' Benjiro didn't think it'd feel so odd to watch a person die.
"Just look how the blood gushes out in chucks as th-"
'Shut up.'
~Flashback~
Huyu tilted his sword behind him, blocking a bladed weapon, the actual form was a bit blurry; about four other men had his attention for the time being.
He elbowed one in the stomach, pushing his hand forward, the snow melted to a wave, sweeping a group away, he forced them to the ocean, sweeping his foot, he knocked another two down.
Takeo and Hajime were somewhere still on the original ship, battling those who were attempting to board, more than a handful for the two, but not impossible to defeat.
Huyu had jumped to an enemies ship, distracting the driver, they crashed to a floating piece of ice; the soldiers seemed unlimited now, Huyu could hardly see around the burnt red armor.
A fireball nearly hit, had he not twisted his torso from the impact; it singed the edge of the cloth, smashing to an unfortunate waterbender.
Wind gusted at his hair, a spear was thrown an inch from his foot, he sliced a man's neck before stabbing another in the thigh; the area was coated in the red juice, the pure whites snow stained as it forever continued to spill.
So why did he enjoy this?
Huyu felt the impatience build in him; his reflexes responding without his knowledge as more and more people fell.
A girl not much older than he grabbed his arm, her dark skin was a shade away from her hair, golden eyes. Huyu first guessed a firebender, when he felt a sudden jerk in his mind. An earthbender without a doubt. He raised the water beneath her, freezing her to ice as another waterbender sent a spike near his head.
He smiled; the excitement couldn't be contained. The moments he paused for a break his body would shake; something had changed. He could see more. No; feel more.
The usual strands of hair which would fall to his eyes were no longer a nuisance; his hair had spiked upward, clearly escaping the notice of those around him.
An arrow would've struck his chest, had he not noticed the firebender archer moments before, he sliced it in half, bring his sword around to strike yet another man.
Everything around was clear…the two behind him were weak, one in the middle had a stronger energy- an airbender.
'This is-cool.' Why the general had been so worried about, it wasn't clear.
His heart raced…the coldness left him as he lifted a pair up on an ice pillar before crashing it to the ground. A water whip, ice daggers, a bullet of water, all his attacks were blending together in his mind. One motion to another, he didn't even have to run through the full form.
"What the hell is this kid?"
Some strange man's voice.
That was the last thing Huyu could recall from that moment.
Huyu opened his eyes; not remembering when he'd closed them nor when he'd fallen to the floor.
General Shuji was standing above him. Eyes blood shot with a hand outstretched as though he were about to check his temperature.
"Uh…a little space please Pops." Huyu swatted his hand away; the thin glove felt uncomfortably warm to him.
'Since when did the water tribe get so hot?'
Huyu was on his feet fast, removing the extra layers of clothing, stripping down to a simple sleeveless tunic and dark pants.
'Much better.'
When he looked around, dead bodies littered the snow in piles.
"Who finished the job?" Huyu asked.
Everyone stared at him.
He raised his eyebrows when he realized his bangs were no longer there. He looked upward at his hair standing upward, faded from black, to pure white.