"The universe is not only stranger than we imagine, it is stranger than we can imagine." --J.B.S. Haldane
Chapter 2
He climbed through the mist, the branches of the forest wet with dew until the trees opened onto a small plateau. Below him, a procession filed up from the burning remains of a village below.
It was a funeral.
He walked closer but no one paid him any mind. Mothers were weeping, holding their youngest children by their sides while the siblings left behind wondered where their older brothers and sisters had gone. The white they wore didn't seem right even though it was the color of mourning.
Turning his head, his gaze was drawn to a young girl, maybe 12, pushing the shoulder of a man on his knees weeping over a covered body. Stepping closer, he didn't mean to but couldn't help listening to what the girl was crying.
"Don't cry, Daddy, it's okay. I'm okay, see? I was always part of the Spirit World, please Daddy, I don't want you to cry."
She turned and looked at him and he stepped back, startled. Her eyes were so green. She reached from the bracelet around her wrist and then held it out to him.
"This is yours now. It's your turn to try, big brother."
Haru's eyes fluttered open as the dream flowed through his hands, fading into forgotten memory. Raising his head, the warm sunlight streaming through the trees greeted him and he smiled softly. He sat up, pushing back the blanket his mother had given him and shaking the sleep from his eyes.
Standing, he was immediately nearly thrown back to the forest floor by barreling youngsters. The group of misfits was eager and ready to move on.
A glint out of the corner of his eye caught his attention and he glanced down.
Around his wrist was the green-eyed girl's bracelet.
In a small house hidden deep in the woods of the Achlys foothills, a mother threw open the shutters and let the warm sunlight in.
As the rays engulfed her body, she smiled. "Good morning, father,"
Keilantra turned and was greeted by her son's warm embrace. So long had she waited to hold him again that she didn't think she could hold him long enough.
The moment was cut short as the sunlight seemed to begin to die. At first one could think it was simply a stray cloud slipping in front of the sun until the darkness deepened, becoming as night.
The Princess of the Night didn't have any time to prepare when the door burst in, framing the figure of a man for a brief flash before the light faded. Bracing herself in front of Tasuki, she stood strong.
"Who are you?" she demanded.
From the dust, a voice answered.
"Greetings, Keilantra, Daughter of Agni and Shasa. Greetings Tasuki, Son of Keilantra and the Eldest Ki-Lin."
Stiffening, Keilantra stepped back, an iron grip holding Tasuki behind her.
"I'll repeat myself. Who are you and how do you know us?"
"Where are the scrolls, Hime no Yoru?"
Keilantra willed herself not to steal a glance to the vase on the windowsill. A strange light was replacing the sunlight, glinting off the crystal embedded in Tasuki's forehead and outlining the stranger.
"I don't know what you're talking about."
The stranger tilted his head, pondering. "Well, he did say…maybe he won't mind…"
She narrowed her gaze as she felt his gaze center on her.
"So…cold…" she gasped.
The sword flashed twice and both Keilantra and her son fell to the floor. Blood stained the window and pooled on the floor.
Stepping over the bodies, the stranger glanced around then he saw it. The sword flashed again and the vase fell in pieces on the floor, the flowers it held scattering petals in the red elixir that gathered.
He bent and picked up the scrolls stolen from the Fire Temple, shaking the broken pieces of pottery off their delicate papyrus. As he read what was inscribed upon them, he laughed.
"No wonder,"
Turning, he sighed. "Oh, what a mess."
Haku stopped on the path and for a moment nothing on earth moved. He tilted his head and listened. The birds were quiet. No breath of wind was in the trees. He could only hear his heart beating and…he closed his eyes and listened harder, listening to the earth.
Soft, barely audible, and then it roared to life, sending him to his knees with its screech. The earth was screaming in agony.
Rushing forward he advanced into the clearing. The house seemed unharmed. Inside...inside the house he fell to his knee and pulled their cold forms to him.
There were only a select few in the room by the canopied bed. The palace healer stood, a grave look on her face.
"I can't name it nor describe it. The best thing for him now is rest."
Sitting on the side of the bed, a hand on the hand of his lord, Peris sat playing the part of the concerned patriot and son.
"Is there nothing to be done?"
The healer shook his head. "This illness has come on so fast. I can't…"
The ailing Fire Lord's eyes fluttered and glanced about the room, settling on Peris.
"The country is yours now. Guide her."
Peris placed both of his hands over the Fire Lord's. "I will, Father."
A messenger entered the room and bowed. "A man to see you, Prince Peris."
Ozai nodded. "Go."
Peris kissed his father's hand and followed the messenger out. It was a reverently silent room he left.
Entering into his study, Zyperis narrowed his gaze in the darkened atmosphere. A strange being, human of appearance, stood to his left. Dressed in a colorless sleeveless tunic and pants cropped at the knee, his skin was pale and his hair a bright shock orange, spiked to one side. He was standing on tip toe, one hand reaching to touch the dragon emblem in the Royal Fire Nation coat-of-arms.
"I thought I said not to kill anyone."
Startled, he turned and smiled sheepishly. "Sorry, couldn't help myself. It makes things so much easier."
Zyperis crossed the room and sat behind the Fire Lord's enormous desk overflowing with decrees, edicts, and miscellaneous items to be signed. His gaze remained on the other.
"Next time, you will control yourself. My plans have been too well placed for someone of your stature to be messing them up."
The other turned and mumbled something under his breath.
Zyperis smiled. "How could I forget all that you owe me, Seisui?"
A shiver crept through him. "Well, it sure took you a long time to collect and besides that, why couldn't you remember that we Abyss are extinct?"
His smile grew wider, causing the other to tremble again.
"I couldn't, since I made you that way."
Seisui nodded and walked over to the open window. Zyperis took a paper in hand and glanced over it before setting it aside.
"On your way out, send the general standing outside the door in."
He nodded and stepped out. Moments later, the general of the Fire Nation army stepped in.
"General Xiang, I have a few questions."
"Of course, my Lord."
"Why do we let spies live?"
Xiang blinked before straightening his posture. "I don't understand, sir."
Peris sifted through a few papers. "The former general Jeong Jeong must be tracked down and killed."
"We're trying, my Lord."
"Stop trying. Do it." Peris snapped. "I'm ordering the 15th regiment and two YuuYan to focus solely on the elimination of Jeong Jeong and any followers he may have gathered."
"Yes, sir."
"Also, the YuuYan named Yashamaru is an Earth Kingdom spy."
Xiang blinked and glanced towards the door, more than anxious to escape.
"His name is Arasoi and he lives in this village." Peris placed a scroll on the front of his desk.
"Send a group of five assassins to kill him and take the village for the Fire Nation."
"Yes, sir."
A moment passed and Peris glanced up. "Why are you still here?"
Hurriedly, Xiang bowed and ran from the room.
Imitating his father's movements, the brown-haired boy sighed in frustration when the rock barely trembled.
Chuckling, his father ruffled his hair. "You'll get it. Now let's go. I can smell supper form here."
Shiroten didn't follow immediately. His gaze fell on the sun setting over the western forest. As his head turned, a strand of hair fell in his face. He glared at it with as much hatred as he could muster.
Raising his hand, he blamed the bronze skin that his light had given him and the sandy hair that shadowed his gaze. He'd worried so long about his mother. He didn't know he'd have to give up so much.
He spat a thin stream of blood into the dirt as the Earth bullies went back towards camp leaving their catcalls fading with the wind.
Korosu sat up and sighed, smearing the blood on his chin with a torn sleeve.
"Here, let me."
A young woman sponged the blood from his cut lip and checked his face for any other cuts before sitting back.
"You know, not all of us are like that."
Korosu ignored her offer and stood alone. "Someday they'll see we're all human."
She smiled then offered her hand again, this time in greeting.
"My name is Jin."
This time, he accepted her hand. "Korosu."
Her smile grew broader and she took his arm in her own. Together they walked back towards camp.
Katara watched the moon rise in the dark night, her body outlined against the horizon. A sudden sound alerted her and she spun. Nakara, the little blue dragon, fell out of Sokka's bag with a piece of red cloth caught in her teeth.
Quickly, Katara caught the playful dragon, gently separating the cloth from Nakara's daggered teeth. Her heart leapt into her throat as she wondered if he knew what it meant. It was incomplete but she could recognize it.
Carefully sewn to red cloth was a betrothal necklace.
