That's right Matheus Bezerra de Lima, I have FINALLY corrected all the words that says 'Korea' instead of 'Korra'! It is only thanks to your help, that I was able to fix it. ;)
"It's the guerrillas! That's them! Let's get out of here while we still can!" One of the captured pilots screamed in distress. He tried to climb back up and run away, but was shoved by Ganbaatar back to the ground.
"Save it!" Ganbaatar snapped. He is disgusted by how witless this man from Republic city is. Perhaps years of being far away from danger have softened these supposedly brave pilots. "What are you worried about anyway?" To him, it's just one man with a weapon, nothing to get too worked up about.
Temujin was caught off guard, he is impressed that a person managed to sneak past the perimeter. He had specifically ordered some of his men to patrol the surroundings so that no one can ambush them, but none of the patrols have reported a man like this appearing. After hearing what the pilot just exclaimed, he can assume that the man standing on the hill is possibly some sort of guerrilla fighter in opposition with the United Republic.
"State your affiliation!" Ganbaatar shouted at the stranger looking down at them. "Which state do you belong to? Who do you work for!?"
As the Khan' warriors and archers readied their weapons in case the guerrilla tries anything, Ganbaatar stood at the front brandishing his scimitar and shield. Even though this stranger appears to also be enemies of the United Republic and possibly the Acolytes of Vaatu. They simply cannot trust him that easily.
The Earth Kingdom, or whatever people preferred called it, is now in constant warfare between various factions, states and organizations. Different ideas and ambitions clash with each other, driving brutal conflicts which killed countless people each day. Here, you can never trust someone lightly, even if they are potential enemies of your own enemies. Right now, they need to know what these guerrillas are, and what are their intentions.
"I work for no warlord, if that is what you wanted to hear." The guerrilla calmly replied. He made sure to raise his volume to an acceptable level, so that everyone can hear it. "I only fight for the people of the now fallen Earth Kingdom."
Mayumi and Satchiko isn't sure what to make of this, they assumed that this man must be some sort of mercenary for another Earth state. He doesn't look bad, just a normal looking man in some sort of uniform and woolen hat. The dadao is a particular weapon they have never seen before, it has a shorter length than the Kheshig scimitar but has a wider width. It's built with a large handle that demands the wielder to use both hands to deliver a powerful swing.
"I think he is alone," a Kheshig said. There doesn't appear to be others like him up there.
They saw that the man took one step forward, which prompted everyone to be startled. Even though the guerrilla is indicating his intention to come forward, his minuscule action is still perceived as suspicious. This whole time Ganbaatar and his men refused to keep their eyes off him.
"I am coming down!" The man said. He tilted the earth with a stomp of his foot, and separated a piece from the ground. Using his legs, he made a small plate made of rock, and descended down the rough slope of the hill, sliding.
The Kheshig were obviously uneasy, despite there being a wide distance between them, none dared to lower their weapons.
Wuli watched as the man landed on the ground smoothly, he and his fellow pilots are now very close to the guerrilla. It's frustrating to see him so close, they were searching for them for months to no end. Each time intelligence would provide the last location of the guerrillas, just for Wuli and the squadron to find absolutely nothing. The only thing they were able to observe was the countless destroyed facilities, belonging either to the allied warlords or the United Republic directly. Despite how tiny these hinderances are, they do deplete some of United Republic funding. If it continues, it might actually undermines the United Republic's presence and interest in the Earth Republic
"It's nice that you have captured these men," the guerrilla said out of the blue. "Saves us the trouble of hiding away from them." He then walked forward with his dadao, not even slightly afraid that he is outnumbered.
"Hold it!" Ganbaatar halted the advance of the stranger using his scimitar. "What are you playing at here? You came out of nowhere and you expect us to just let you come near us with open arms?" He interrogated the man, doubting that he is harmless.
A group of armed warriors surrounded the lone man, and Mayumi can understand their suspicions. The man has a sword, and is an Earth bender. If he wanted to harm them with his bending, he can do it easily. After all the element of Earth, when applied correctly, is a strong counter to air benders.
"My name is Lei," the guerrilla offered. Instead of trying to defend himself by stating his intentions, he simply introduced himself first. "And I am not your enemy."
"Put down your weapon," one of the warriors ordered. His tone highlighted how tense this situation is. He gripped his shield as hard as possible, and used it to block his body. Even just a small chunk of earth is enough to send this warrior flying back.
"I can't do that," Lei said with a youthful voice. Since this is his first interaction with the Kheshig, he is trying to act as diplomatic as possible. "I never part with my weapon, even if it's just a piece of metal attached to the wood."
The tension is becoming a little thicker. Both side is at a sudden standstill, not daring to make another move. The reason why the Khan have yet to order the destruction of this Lei person, is because he still wanted to know more about him. If Satchiko was the one in charge, she would immediately trust this fellow, seeing how he has so far yet to demonstrate hostility.
Satchiko attempted mediate, but was stopped by her sister. Mayumi used her hands to block Satchiko's path, encouraging the younger sibling to avoid stepping into the bad side of everyone present. If Satchiko were to say one wrong wind due to her naive impulses, the whole safe journey to Ba Sing Se might be butchered.
"Now, now, now, we don't need to start anything bad." Khenbish tried calm everyone. "I'm sure if this fellow wishes to attack us, he wouldn't let himself be seen in the first place would he? He doesn't even look like a bandit!"
The adults processed his reasoning. Unlike the Acolytes of Vaatu, Fei's uniform has less wear and tear. There were signs of damage across his sleeves, but those were patched up by additional pieces of cloth. This Earth bender is lightly dressed, not a single piece of metal protection is on him. Even his head protection lacks an adequate helmet, which was substituted by a cap made of wool.
Batu watched as his father defuses the situation. While it is the mature approach to mediate, the boy would prefer to not waste his time on some stranger. He believed that they should kill the bandits, and quench their urge for revenge all those years ago.
The Khan went forward, and directed his men to stand down. This is an intricate situation, as the leader, he needed to be the one setting a new tone to how they interact with these guerrillas.
"We didn't capture these fools out of kindness," Temujin stated. His large stature towered over Lei, which did make the man to act more cautiously. "Those pilots are working with our enemy. They too shared a blame!"
The Khan pointed at the Vaatu acolytes in an accusatory manner. "Them, the cultist, are sworn enemies of my people, almost driving us to extinction! They are the reason why my people are targeted by the bi-planes, and they will receive punishment! We will kill them later, so don't you worry." He then glared at Wuli and his pilots with an ominous look, many of whom are badly injured by either arrows or the broken ankles. "As for them," referring to the pilots from the United Republic. "I think they are going after whatever group you are in."
"And you would be right," Lei affirmed, walking towards the United Republic pilots. His eyes narrowed as he looked down on Wuli, displeased with their actions of collaborating with the Acolytes of Vaatu. He personally have witnessed the horrors and atrocities that both organizations have committed all across the fractured Earth Kingdom. The acolytes would go as far as to massacre entire villages if they are deemed 'impure' by their standards. As for the United Republic pilots, many of them took part in wars and operations against anyone the United Republic wishes to destroy. They would often carry out air strikes against various towns and cities, bombing civilians who were unlucky enough to be in the crossfire.
"I think you are all very tired and angry," Lei addressed the pilots, trying not to sound to glad of their terrible predicament. "You are esteemed members of a military that is considered the strongest in the world, even rivaling the fire nation. I have heard of your exploits, if I am no wrong, you were after us for quite a while weren't you?" Lei then looked at his reflection through his large dadao blade. Years of roaming the Earth Kingdom, and surviving long marches, have darkened his skin tone. While many people on the Earth Kingdom have a light brown tone skin, his face is much darker. In fact, there is literally dirt smeared across his face. The harsh conditions of being a guerrilla means hygiene would always be a problem. Compared to the very people that is hunting them, Lei does not have simple privileges such as food or clean water.
"Since I am here, I can tell you directly that you couldn't catch us before, not now, and not in the future. Every time you came close to finding us, we always managed to slip away literally under your noses." Lei stopped looking at his reflection, and turned his face toward the pilots before him. "Yet right now I stand right in front of you, free like a bird, and you are powerless to catch me. It appears that the mighty Air Force of Republic City are not as legendary as what we were told. Perhaps we have thought too highly of you!"
Lei ended it with a smirk, he knew how these self-righteous and loyal United Republic pilots would react. Their unquestioning faith and loyalty towards their nation's values would definitely spawn their disdain.
It was a smart word play, simple, yet effective. Even Batu knew that it must have been very satisfying for the prey to dance leisurely right in front of the hunter and not be killed. The hunter can only watch hopelessly. Since the United Republic pilots are in the temporary custody of his people, it provided this Lei person to tarnish Republic city's reputation, even if it's just for fun.
Lei's words boiled the blood of Wuli and his fellow pilots. As defenders of United Republic, they cannot allow Lei to just get away with this. Under normal circumstances, they would have definitely taken drastic measures against his rude behavior by killing him and accomplish their assigned mission. But now, at the threat of Kheshig scimitars and arrows, they can do nothing. Nothing but enduring this painful humiliation.
"When we are free once again, we will return and destroy you!" Wuli yelled with strength and vigor. He refused to accept that Lei would blatantly denigrate the very organization which he swore loyalty to. "The guerrillas would be brought to justice for attacking United Republic facilities on the Earth Republic!"
"So tell me, Lei." The Khan asked in a semi-polite manner, completely ignored Wuli's indignant outcries. "You don't seem like a bandit, but you do look like a warlord trooper."
Temujin and the Kheshig warriors were never fond of warlord troops. They are labeled as lazy, ineffective, and the worst of all, are considered hounds of inept state governors and warlords. Most commoners of the countryside would often request help from warlord troopers to deal with frequent bandit raids, while they were times when a response was materialized, the overall effect is always underwhelming. To leaders of each state, whose ambition overshadows the wellbeing of the people, couldn't care less about some peasants complaining about how bad their lives are. Each Earth Kingdom state would rather employ their own soldiers to fight each other, just expand a few hectares of land in another petty land dispute. Often these minor engagements would cost a few thousand lives in bloody battle, leaving a whole field of corpse and vehicle wreckage. And such brutality, is just a tiny of life when considering the worst conflicts occurring in the continent.
With the evolving dynamic of warfare, there has also been changes to soldier uniform. Some states would try to distinguish their infantry with more elaborate and modern decorations. They are often seen as trying to be be more modernized, abandoning traditional clothing in favor of suits mimicking to the United Republic. However, there are still some states who chose to retain their old uniforms. Designs still used in the Hundred Year War can still be seen across the Earth Kingdom. Regardless, since the states are in an all out war, they will be no standardized uniform in the foreseeable future. In Lei's case, his uniform looked similar to the former category, the obvious difference would be his wool cap, a distinguished feature. Now that he is closer, everyone can even notice a small green coin symbol is at the front of his hat.
"The warlords," Lei begin in an ominous expression. "Whether if they are friendly with the imperialist or acting on their own accord, are always my enemy." Lei said to everyone with determination. "While it's true that these pilots are the ones scouting for us, it is the local state's warlord troops who I worry about more. While they don't know where I am exactly, they still have us encircled. Trapped like rats being cornered with no where to run. Since our goals go against theirs, I have no intention to side with any of them."
His words were heavy. The Khan knew that warlords are constantly at war with one another. Although it is interesting to see how much effort a warlord would go to exterminate a group of guerrillas when bandits roam free in the lands. But now that he think about it, the current state they are traveling in might be another warlord that have sold the interest of his people to the United Republic. Last time he checked, the reason was about the warlord receiving an abundant amount of money in exchange for a certain tycoon to privatize local oil fields.
"What is your goal?" Mayumi asked cautiously. Knowing that words must be said carefully, she tried to unravel what Lei stands for. "What did you do that could make the United Republic and the warlords want to destroy you?"
Lei took a while to think about his response. Him and his comrades have been fighting for what they believe for many years. Even though they are still far away from their end goal, he doesn't want to make outsiders perceive their actions as unjustified and unfounded.
With a heavy sigh, Lei formulated his answer. He faced the Kyoshi warriors, whom he doesn't not know their real identity, and spoke his mind freely.
"Livelihood, that is what i fight for."
Satchiko and Mayumi looked at each other, they were expecting something even more grandeur like 'freedom'. Something that can complicate their simple minds that have been barely exposed to what the world has to offer. Yet, the answer was not what they anticipated for a seemingly idealistic guerrilla.
"What? Seriously?" Satchiko cannot help but snort.
"You mean you want to get rich by fighting warlords and the United Republic?" Sarangerel asked, confused by this notion. If he wanted to get wealthy and live a good life, why not go and become a bandit.
"Kids!" Saran motioned them with her hands, asking them to not jump to conclusions. As an adult, she can understand why young people might at first misunderstood. Their inexperience with the burden of an adult clouded their initial judgement.
"I would rather tilt earth and continue my life as a farmer growing cabbages, then fulfill my own greed in the expense of others." Lei clarified calmly. He did not felt any offense when the kids assumed his conscience. He has been through a lot. The only he wanted was to live out his day in peace, with a roof over his head, no wars, and not fearing that you would be dragged out to the streets to be killed or starved to death. He only wished to live out his days without any of these worries. But he knew, if others around him cannot have this life, no one can.
"My goal is simple and straight forward, to build a world where common people do not starve! Do not die because of the ambitions of others." Lei said confidently in front of the crowd of Kheshig and captured people. "The common people living on this land, must endure wars, natural disasters, bandits as well as foreign interference. Not a single day went by without people being killed or families losing their lost ones because of the chaos we now live in. The people deserves better. They don't care about ideas such as loyalty to their nation or their state. They only wanted to live freely, without bandits, without starvation and especially without people taking away their livelihoods!" Lei then stared darkly at the pilots and the Vaatu acolytes. To him, they are just like the ambitious warlords. They only seek to obtain what they wanted, while destroying the lives of all the commoners who that dwell in the now fractured Earth Kingdom. Like the warlords and the United Republic bourgeois, they all stand between him and improving the living conditions of the masses. "The only thing people wanted, is stability. The feeling of food inside your empty starving stomach might mean nothing to some people, but of this world, I feel that it is not only a right to have it, but is also an entitlement!"
Satchiko suddenly remembered the starving people she has met when she first stepped foot on this continent. They have no place, no future, and no livelihood fit for a human. To them, a life where food is not a worry is like a fantasy, something that can only happen if you dream about it in your sleep. She did thought she was doing the wrong thing when she unknowingly handed her own food to those people, endangering their own journey. But maybe, her actions, while performed out of emotions and devoid of prudence, she something that shouldn't be seen as regretful.
"What a whole bunch of nonsense!" Wuli spat at Lei to vent his frustration. "You say you wanted to improve the lives of the people? Don't make me laugh!" He then tried to struggle out of the rope, but to no avail. Even so, he wanted to teach this uneducated Earth bender a lesson about the great values of the United Republic.
"If you very care about the livelihood of the people, then you wouldn't be destroying oil wells across the Earth Republic! They provided jobs for the local, and the people needed those money to not be poor!"
Wuli then felt his collars are being forcefully pulled by a large man. Ganbaatar, now stared angry at this young pilot, using his scimitar to threaten him.
"Those weapons your illegitimate country sell to the Acolytes of Vaatu also earns quite a lot of money isn't it?" He asked, even though he knew it must have been very profitable business from a war profiteer's view. "When the Acolytes invaded our home and killed our people, who supplied them the bi-planes and mecha-tanks they used to tear down our walls?"
Wuli knew that Ganbaatar must be indicating that the United Republic is profiting off other people's suffering. But he does not believe that, he firmly stands by the notion that the United Republic's presence on the Earth Republic is better for the people.
"The United Republic is not here to destroy the lives of others!" Wuli defended in the face of being sliced to pieces. "It is our obligation and our duty to bring hope and freedom to the mainland! Whatever accusations against us are false, I refuse to believe your lies. I suggest that you halt your baseless attacks and reevaluate your actions!"
Ganbaatar growled at this, he threw Wuli towards a nearby tree, and forced him to ram against the tree trunk. When handling such an entitled fool, he will not restrain himself as he attempts to crack Wuli's head.
"While me and my people die and starve that day, you pampered and delusional fools only cared about how good it felt because you brought freedom to us folks! Ganbaatar sneered at Wuli. Khenbish watched with difficulty as Wuli now had a bloody nose, and blood is dripping a little from his forehead. Even though he disliked how entitled his Wuli is, it was still hard to see him being tortured by one of the clan's most ferocious warrior.
"Stop!" Lei demanded. "That man is no longer fighting, stop this at once!"
Ganbaatar stared at Lei, he thought the guerrilla fighter would approve of this. He expected Lei would understand how much trouble these self-proclaimed liberators have brought upon his people, and accepted that retribution is needed.
Temujin then narrowed his eyes on Lei, who noticed the renewed attention. "Why do you care about what happens to the meddler? My people and I, like the rest of the Earth Kingdom, loathe their presence to the core. If it wasn't for people like him, and their naive and dull witted Avatar, the Earth Kingdom might have still been in one piece. Sure, bandits would still have raided villages and cities, many people might still starve to death. But I can say for certain, is that the colony of the United Republic would not act as bold as it is today."
"How dare you label the United Republic as a colony!" Wuli bellowed quickly following what he perceived as an incorrect observation of the nation he served under. "I will have you know old man, that the United Republic is a sovereign state. Benders and non-benders, regardless of background, lived in harmony. It is a state that is-"
"A colony in disguise!" Temujin said, almost losing his patience with this United Republic national. He doesn't even know what ancestry Wuli belongs to, for his clothing lacked the cultural aesthetic from none of the four nations. Such a perversion, this Wuli is, acting so superior than the rest of the world, yet retaining none of the wisdom accumulated from the four bending nations. "The United Republic can act and deceive itself and others all it wants. But everything it tries to create is nothing more but an illusion. It can make itself act be like a nation as much as they can, but to me and everyone else, it's nothing more but stolen Earth Kingdom land. If the day ever comes, when all the Earth states once again ceased their wars with one state standing on top and consumed all the other states. What do you think that state would next, after it has reunited all the lands? Have you forgotten, what Kuvira tried to do, when she stabilized the rest of the Earth Kingdom?"
"It will never come to that!" Wuli said to Temujin boldly. "The United Republic will always prevail! Our values are too great for some random tyrant to trample over our sovereignty state!"
Temujin sighed heavily, he felt to argue politic. He just wanted to live out his life peacefully and fulfill his duty as the Khan of his people. He has no time to get into petty arguments with some naive pilot. While Temujin have stated what would happen if all the states miraculously reunited, he never truly cared about that. Ever since he left the Order of White Lotus, he was no longer that young idealistic lad who wanted to change the world for the better. He realized the only responsibility that deserves his attention is protecting his kinsman. Great grandeur goals like finding the next Avatar or becoming an ambitious warlord means nothing to him. Until the day his body becomes one with Earth Kingdom's grassy steppes, he will only devote his life to the protection of his people.
"So tell me," Temujin remodeled the conversation back to Lei. "Why do you care so much, they are your enemy. Didn't they wanted to destroy you, and you also wanted to destroy them?" He wanted to know why Lei is so lenient to the United Republic pilots, despite the conflicts between them. If it were up to him, he would kill them right here. He already slayed a bandit right now, and he can do it again. Keeping people like them alive would only cause future problems. "If you let those pilots alive, they might report your location, dooming this guerrilla of yours. If you are too weak to kill them, we Kheshig can do it for you. A few swing with the blade is all it takes!"
Satchiko trembled at the suggestion. Unlike Mayumi, she struggled to keep herself still. Fearing that she has to see even more bloodshed discomforts her tremendously.
"True honor does not come when you enact violence against those who are defenseless." Lei argued. "If we do not demonstrate mercy towards those that have done wrong, we are not much better than they are."
"Shut it!" Batu snapped angrily from the crowd. "Those bandits and the pilots worked together to attack us! We didn't do anything wrong to them in the first place, and they wanted to kill us anyway! The acolytes killed my parents and there's no way I will just let them continue to live! When we are done talking with you, we will kill them all, and I mean all of them!"
"Even us?" One of the pilot suddenly faltered at the sharp words of Batu. He thought only the disposable Acolytes would be killed for their aggression.
Satchiko's forehead is sweating. That cold chilly feeling is now once again dancing on the back of her spine. The fear of death, lingers in her heart. No, she doesn't want to know or witness what might happen next. It's too much for her, she was barely able to avoid looking at the Khan as he slew one of the captive.
Lei stared at the dead bandit in the ground. Lifeless, pale, deprived of all that is vibrant. When a soul left the body, all that remains is the empty husk known as corpse. Many people would see this sight, and rejoice, for this cult and their followers have committed countless atrocities all in the name of their ideology. All across the Earth Kingdom, remote towns and villages are often targeted. Since they warrant the least concerns to local state leaders, the Acolytes can get away with it easily. Anyone found with even the slightest hint of 'impurity' was put to the swords, all for the sake of preserving the genetic relevancy of bending. He have heard that air-benders born with non-bending families are especially targeted. To the acolytes, they are the direct contradiction to their goal of keeping bending as pure as possible.
It wouldn't take a genius to know why these Kheshig loathed the Acolytes and their United Republic 'allies'. The first one constantly commit atrocious massacres against everything opposing their ideology, and the second one sold weapons and even aided them occasionally. He can understand the Kheshig's reasoning for wanting to kill the captives. The simple rage, and the urge for avenging loved ones killed because of some perverse idea of what is known as the 'Eternal Balance'.
"I know how much pain you are in," Lei said, soft toned. "And I know that feeling of wanting to take your anger upon the same group of people that have hurt you."
Temujin looked at him with a narrowed look.
"But I don't think my own morales can justify my inaction, should you kill those prisoners, I will intervene." Lei sounded determined. He appeared to be willing to save his own enemies from demise, even if risking his own life in front of so many people. A normal person would definitely not do this, Mayumi noted, and definitely it for an enemy.
"Arrogant brat," Ganbaatar wielded his scimitar and walking towards Lei with disgust written on his face. "I will teach you a lesson first-"
Khenbish placed his hand on Ganbaatar's chestplate, stopping the captain in his path. The spearman shook his head disapprovingly, imploring Ganbaatar to not act hastily. Despite having a higher rank as captain of the Kheshig warriors, Ganbaatar stood down, obeying Khenbish's wishes. Since they were both good old friends, the Kheshig spearman is the few people that can appease Ganbaatar's anger when needed.
"I will not start another conflict with you stranger, seeing I can still avoid it." Temujin remarked, knowing that his people bare deep hatred to the Acolytes for what they have done.
Temujin then said, in a warning matter. "Your willingness to demonstrate compassion towards your enemy is admirable. But personal experiences have taught me that your good conscience would be your doom."
"Why?" Lei countered. "Is it because you still suspect I have other motives?"
Temujin walked around Lei in circles. Contemplating what he can say to make this guerrilla to leave him alone. He cannot just kill Lei, that would be a waste, since the man is also considered his enemy's enemy. If Lei have not showed up, Temujin would have killed all the pilots and acolytes, and resumed their journey.
"I don't suppose you are friend with the prison Warden of the Earth empire remnants, do you?" Temujin asked, trying to see if he can find a compromise between the Kheshig and the guerrillas.
Lei thought about it. There are plenty of Earth Empire remnants scattered across the Earth Kingdom. Because of their weakened state following the ruin of empire, they have been reduced is small isolated strongholds that no longer have the ability to assert constrol over other territories. However, one of the enclaves are rather interesting. It was a large base built under a mountain. A natural impenetrable fortress, where even the most fierce bandit group cannot breach the entrance. Story circulated, that a female figure acted as the leader, people called her the 'Warden'. Because of that enclave's willingness to accept endless prisoners from other states, warlords tend to leave them along, seeing as that enclave is nothing more but a relic of the past and a convenient place to dump and excess prisoners.
Although a strange aspect of the underground base operated by the mysterious Warden is how none of the prisoners sent there ever returned. It's unknown what was the fate those prisoners have faced, since most of them are former bandits and rebels, not many people very cared about that.
"No, and if you want me to take the prisoners to her enclave, I don't think we can make it there without being noticed by the warlords."
"Hmm," Temujin resumed his thinking. He is reluctant to transport the prisoners himself, but Lei can't do it either. For the guerrilla are possible surrounded by warlord troopers who roughly knows there location.
Satchiko meanwhile, felt tired, and sat on the ground. The rotten smell of a certain body is starting to get thicker in the air, her throat felt very uncomfortable, as if she wanted to throw up. She couldn't handle it, being so close to a dead body.
She still haven't mentally recovered from the last battle with Shui. Now that she thought about it, she never even got the time to process the fact that she first saw a dead body. Shui, when she was killed by the Khan's throwing scimitar, still have her eyes opened to her. It's weird to see a pair of eye that is lifeless, and doesn't blink. But Satchiko at that moment was more interested in surviving, rather than comprehend what she has been through.
The Kyoshi warrior was proud, she was powerful, and one of the strongest among her fellow sisters. She was so excited when ever pirates attacked the island, that she would be the first one to rush and fight them. Using her metal fans, she would outwit, outsmart and outshine everyone. Most important of all, she loved to fight. Whether if it's sparing Mayumi or taking on pesky pirates, she would never miss a chance to participate in what she thinks is entertaining. Even simple things like beating fellow Kyoshi warrior Kazuki in a fight all the times does not bored her.
But the one thing she, or anyone else has not done, is to prepare her for the one thing overshadowed by the glory and thrill of a good fight.
Death.
Whenever the Kyoshi warriors engaged the pirates, they never tried to kill them. Unless it's Akunin, all Kyoshi warriors would prefer to capture the pirates rather than killing them. Whether if it's the net gun made from future industries, or their ability to chi-block, Kyoshi warriors have many tools to capture troublemakers alive.
When back on the island, Satchiko have a sense of feeling that fighting pirates are like fun and games. Her skills and trade of being a Kyoshi warrior is put to good use and practice, making herself feel powerful in front of people who dared to threaten her home.
But the complicated feeling of actually seeing a dead body completely shattered this illusion she has built for herself. Defending Kyoshi island against evil is an honorable goal to pursue. But the sight of an actually dead person, the horrific smell of a decaying body, massacres of innocent people, and the worst of all, the darkness of the human nature astounded her naive imagination.
It's one thing to read about certain atrocities in books, but being there to see it felt so...scary.
She cannot handle it. Not now at least. Perhaps this the true reality of the world she lives in, but she has only grasped it now. It's a place where a human life is no less insignificant than the grass beneath their feet, so perishable and meaningless.
She wanted none of it.
"Hey, you ok? You don't look too well." Batu voiced his genuine concern. He dropped his aggressive expression, and came to check on the wellbeing of his new friend.
Unlike Satchiko, Batu have traveled to many places. He got used to all the violence and horrors of this world, so that's why the smell doesn't bother him at all.
"It's ok Batu." Mayumi reassured with a difficult. "She is...tired." She hoped that Batu can temporarily brush this aside, and doesn't suspect anything.
Both Mayumi and Satchiko is obviously against killing people right now, but that would obviously go against what Batu wanted. This little boy, so cute and innocent, actually was the first one to advocate the killing of the Acolytes.
He probably wouldn't get any resistance, since most of the Kheshig adults wanted to avenge their fallen family as well. But the disturbing aspect here is because of how young Batu is. He is nothing but a child, but his tolerance of violence to avenge his parents surpassed even Mayumi's expectations.
"Hang in there, when we chopped off the heads of those stupid bandits and put them in soup, we will ask Subutai to fix you some herbs!" Batu happily assured. He is so helpful, yet so unaware how his words affected Satchiko.
The Kyoshi warrior did her best to not throw up. Trying hard not to imagine the scene of bandit heads rolling on the floor, she suppressed the urge to demonstrate her disgust. Even with the smell becoming more unbearable, she cannot afford to offend the very people that is helping her. They were gracious enough to save her and Mayumi, and even decided to escort them to Ba Sing Se. No, she cannot repay their kindness in that manner, even if what might happen next would come at the expense of her mental health.
"Lei, you are the one who wished to spare them." Temujin said. "We do not have an obligation to listen what you have to say."
The surrounding Kheshig nodded. To them, the bandit and pilot prisoners deserved to die after they attempt to harm their people. Such aggressiveness can only be handled with equally cruel measures.
The pilots and bandits in custody are worried. They knew the Kheshig have a notorious reputation to kill those who go after them. Wuli can only internally smack himself. If he didn't receive that radio intel while Tufei was in the same room as him, then the situation wouldn't even deteriorate to this level. If only he has resisted Tufei more when the latter demanded him and his squad to track the Kheshig. Ironically, they are the ones being captured, and the very group of guerrillas are now pleading for their safety!?
Unbelievable.
"If I am not wrong, you are encircled by the local warlord troops aren't you?" Temujin believed. "I don't have any room on my bison, since I don't have the leisure to alter my people's journey just to spare some cutthroats. You can't take them because it might burden your guerrilla. Frankly, I don't see any option besides killing them or letting them free."
Lei noticed the stern expression of Temujin's followers when they heard the prospect of letting the Acolytes go. It would be an outrage, as the hatred inside them cannot be quelled if these heartless cultist do not receive judgment.
"Why can't we just hand these bandits to the people of trading town?" Mayumi suggested carefully, stepping forward to the discussion. "My Khan, you wanted to punish those Acolytes, and you Lei wanted to spare them since they have surrendered, why don't we let the people in the trading town jail them? They have a jail right?"
"But...but that's..." Batu is struggling to get his word out. He wanted to kill the bandits right here right now. He doesn't care much about the pilots, but he feared that handing the Acolytes of Vaatu to someone else wouldn't guarantee executions.
"We are close to that place, perhaps we can setup camp here and walk there." Khenbish added. Much Batu's surprise, his father stood out to give Mayumi's suggestion a boost.
The Khan have thought about it. There are about twelve Acolytes of Vaatu and fifteen pilot from the United Republic. The uniqueness of this situation demands him to make a choice.
He cannot risk going against Lei's wishes of not harming surrendered bandits. If it was just Lei alone, the Kheshig can easily out-rule his presence and excute the cultist. But no, the Kheshig may be strong, but there numbers are few. Only about 70 can be considered a fully trained warrior, and most of are even air-benders. The worst part is that they don't know how many guerrillas are out there. If Lei's group can go as far as challenging warlords and United Republic forces, then there's probably at least a few thousand of them. But on the other hand, they cannot expect the authorities in the trading post to act responsibly. He have tasted the bureaucracy of many Earth Kingdom states. Corruption, inefficient, and sometime bailing out bandits!
Temujin looked at his own bison. The large grey beast made eye contact with the man and nodded once.
That was all Temujin needed to know. Even though he can't leave things up to chance, he have to move forward. He still have a promise to fulfill and a destination to go to. Ba Sing Se.
"Lei," the Khan called out, bringing the guerrilla fighter to attention. "As the Khan of my people I agreed to spare these lowly cultist, who in my opinion, even their death cannot atone for their irredeemable sins against others. But, they are to be handed over to local authorities in the nearby trading town."
"What do you want in exchange?" Lei asked, correctly predicting Temujin's intentions. He knew it is a bit unreasonable to just ask the Kheshig to spare the very people that have hunted them. Lei himself have heard many massacres committed by the Acolyes of Vaatu due to Earth Kingdom towns having air-benders or simply benders born from non-bending parents.
"Handle those pilots, and we have a deal! I'm sure compared to the fire-benders, these witless fools are much easier to move around, even for you guerrillas. For us Kheshig asking local authorities to jail United Republic pilots might draw unwanted attention from that Clooney state, therefore, you will bring those pilots with you."
Lei looked at Wuli and the remaining pilots. Their expressions highlighted their exhaustion and pain. Some he saw, are in dire need for medical attention. Even though the guerrillas have been encircled by warlord troops, Lei felt he can still provide some medical assistance to the injured pilots. The real problem is whether or not bringing the pilots along with them might expose their whereabouts.
It was at this moment, Lei thought about a great idea. An idea that can guarantee both the pilots not being brutally killed, while also helping his fellow guerrillas to escape the encirclement. But for idea to work, he needs to bring Wuli and the pilots back to his comrades.
"I wouldn't say people are fully irredeemable, everyone is receptive to change if you give them the chance. As for the pilots, I will make great use out of them!" Lei suddenly smiled unexpectedly. He extended his hand to shake Temujin's hand. The Khan wavered, but took it nonetheless.
"We will see about that, Lei." Temujin shook the hand, sounding unconvinced about Lei's optimistic humanitarian.
There were a few grumbling among the Kheshig, but even they knew that turning potential allies(Lei's guerrillas) into enemies are not a good idea. As much hatred they have towards the Acolytes of Vaatu, handing them over to someone else and not provoking Lei far out-weights their personal feud. Decisions like this can affect the survival of their entire people, and making choices for short term benefit is not the responsible thing to do.
"The master has sent his blessings, we are saved!" One of the firebenders said to himself. He put his two hands together, and closed his eyes to say a prayer dedicated to his master.
Click!
The bandit suddenly opened his eyes, he realized that a flask was chained to his hand. The container envelope both his hand, leaving no gap to the air. No matter how much he moved his hands, he felt it was locked in place.
"What are you-" the bandit asked in distress. Whatever treatment they are subjected to, he doubt it's a good thing.
Ganbaatar punched the bandit in the face, he then spat on it angrily.
"You were only lucky!" Ganbaatar growled.
Many other men then did the same thing to the other fire-bender bandits. Since Tufei is still unconscious, it was easy to lock his hands in the jar.
As Satchiko observed this, she can smell a familiar unpleasant smell that is more prominent than one emitted from the corpse. Whatever it is, she is glad to no longer smell the decaying flesh. But this change of the atmosphere fueled her curiosity to know what this is.
"If you try to fire bend, you will die!" Ganbaatar warned the bandits intently. Based on this sentence, it's clear that what's in those jars are the same substance the Khan used to burn Shui's body.
One of the bandits felt his hands are touching some type of liquid. It is sticky and smells terrible.
Satchiko remembered, this must be related to one of the Kheshig nomad's special weapon, the fire flask. The jar contains oil that would burn when it breaks, which would spread the fire more efficient than regular fire arrows. It also allowed them to take down those bi-planes the moment the engine catches fire.
"We will set up a temporary camp!" Temujin shouted to all to hear. He ordered Jargal, one of the best hunters to scout the town whether if it's safe or not.
Jargal then went back to his bison, which is still trapped in the bola. Before the air-bender can call for help, loud stomping sound approached behind him.
"Oh hey!" Jargal cried. He is surprised that the leader of the sky bison, the alpha, is paying him a visit. "Didn't see you there!"
The man bowed a little, paying his respect. Even though this bison is just an animal, he still treated him as if he is interacting with a superior.
The alpha only remained silent. It noticed what's happening and marched towards Jargal's bison. It proceeded to chew through the metal bola.
Compare to normal bisons, the alpha is 1.5 times larger. While he does appeared to be tamed and docile, few people would know that this bison is completely acting on its own will. Temujin knew this, and so are the Kheshig nomads, who are forever indebted in them.
Once the bola was broken, Jargal's bison than allowed the man to climb on top of it. They then flew away, towards the direction of trading post, with the alpha watching them. Every time the Kheshig ever enters a town or village, they would always send scouts to explore it. And it's no different this time. In a time of great turmoil, blindly entering a town can be risky. It could be a secret stronghold for bandits, or worse, a base of operations for the genocidal Vaatu Acolytes.
...
Lei used his earth-bending to excavate a small hole in the ground. He tilted the earth without touching it, forming a rectangular pit.
Ganbaatar then used his boots and kicked the dead bandit's body into the hole. The lack of respect is apparent. He then walked off in a scoffing manner, allowing Lei to finish the burial by himself.
The Kyoshi warriors watched from a short distance. Mayumi forbid Satchiko to go closer, as she felt such a petrifying scene should be kept as far away from the teenager as possible.
When Lei finally covered the body with his Earth bending, he placed a piece of flat rock over it. The only word written was the name of the bandit himself. Since the remaining captives were cooperative enough when asked about their dead friend's name, which was done at knife point.
Satchiko cannot help but observe Lei's earth-bending. It was simple yet much better than hers. The movement was naturalized in what he was doing. Like an extension of his own body, Lei have free reign of the nearby elements he can control. Perhaps someday, she herself can also train to do Earth bending, like a normal bender.
"Let's go, we should get some lunch." Mayumi suggested. She then walked off, without waiting for Satchiko to follow.
The younger sister remained behind for a while. Aside from the bow dead bandit Tu, this mysterious Guerrilla is the second person whose Earth bending is observed by her.
Seeing how easy it is for Lei to move the ground and manipulate it, is a wake up call for Satchiko. There were countless times when she would wake up, eat and train at a dojo to better herself as a Kyoshi warrior, yet forgetting the fact that she was an Earthbender the whole time. This reality is true from the moment she was born, and will never change.
It's easy to fight non-bending pirates, but only after arriving on the mainland did she understand what her mother is trying to tell her. The world is big, and strong benders can easily overpower skilled non-benders by just moving a few rocks or drawing water from a nearby pond. While it's not impossible for a non-bender to defeat a bender, the harsh reality Satchiko faced since coming here only solidified her own weakness as a person who doesn't use bending.
The truth is, benders are born powerful, and non-benders are not. She was lucky enough to inherit Earth bending, but her lack of attention and appreciation of it is unacceptable.
Satchiko frowned, not sure what to do. She walked slowly towards a few makeshift tents, where the food are provided. Sky bison cheese, and left over meat boiled from cauldron are distributed among the people.
Since they are mostly waiting for Jargal to come back, they will fill their own stomach first. Luckily, the sky bison's milk can be pre-made into unripened cheese, a good source of protein for long distance travels.
Mayumi placed a slice in her palm. The cheese had a smooth and soft texture, while the smell isn't all that impressive, it could probably be enough to keep her fed for half a day.
"Hey Satchiko, catch!" Sarangerel tossed a piece cheese at her, to which the Kyoshi warrior almost dropped it.
"It's a byaslag, have one!"
Sarangerel then walked away with a whole plate cheese. She along with the other women are responsible for making sure everyone gets a slice, and no one is hungry.
"Eat up," Mayumi said, placing one hand reassuringly on Satchiko's shoulder.
The younger girl only stared at the cheese. She hoped that her sister doesn't know how much she now disliked the outside world. It's good to learn new things, but some things are best remained ignorant of rather than discovering.
Before taking a bite out the cheese, she discovered that Batu is no where to be seen. Swiping her head around the countless Kheshig sitting on the grass enjoy their meal, the little boys have disappeared.
-Lei means thunder in chinese/kanji. 雷
-Byaslag is the name for real life Mongolian cheese made from yak or cow milk. I never tasted it, so I'm not sure how to write it in this chapter.
-Author's note on the Kheshig nomads: Even though they are allies to our protagonists, I don't want to portray them as some sort of overly good people that can do no wrong. After being targeted in a deadly massacre from the Acolytes of Vaatu, solely due to having air-benders, it's only normal for them to develop natural hatred towards them. I do want to depict more about the human nature, and how much they wanted to exercise revenge on the acolytes.
-Why it took so long for me to upload this chapter: I do to firstly apologize for how long you have to wait to get this chapter. I don't to make any excuses, since I got a bit busy because of school. I felt can improve by having some sort of upload schedule, a structure that can help me to update more frequently.
-Questions and comments: I am open with any questions in regards to the story 'Legacy of Kyoshi'. Anything you don't understand or are confused about, like the lore and real life historical facts, please do feel free to ask questions. I will answer them to the best of my knowledge. I very don't want you any of guys to feel lost while reading some paragraphs.
-Spelling mistakes: I have made plenty of spelling mistakes due to autocorrect. Words such as 'rugged' was supposed to be "ragged" when I was describing what a person is wearing. Thanks to user Matheus Bezerra de Lima directly assisting me, I was able to fix the more painful mistakes. Like how I misspelled Korra as Korea.