Fixed some mistakes pointed out by Matheus Bezerra de Lima
By the way guys, for now on I will leave the question responses at the end of an chapter. So that it might limit the chance of spoilers. Enjoy.
A long file of Kheshigs marched on the rough dirt road, with bisons carrying many people on their sturdy. The melee warriors in suits of lamellar guarded the convoy's two sides. Archers stayed on the bisons, surveying their surroundings by making sure no one sneaks on them.
"Why are we not flying there?" Satchiko asked. She and Mayumi are on Khenbish's personal bison, who is also carrying Batu's entire family on him. So far, the spaces available on the massive saddle is rather limited, since the back of the seat is used to store the tent and their supplies.
"I don't know my child," Saran honestly answered while doing some sewing to kill some time. "The road to the trading town isn't that far, but I think it would be better to not fly for while. After all, the bisons do need some rest from the journey." Since they were just attacked by the Acolytes of Vaatu by air, remaining on the ground might be a good idea.
Mayumi watched Saran making a deel out of bison wool. She dyed it in the color of brown, which might be the standard color for their people and warriors. While there are deels painted in colors like blue, red and green. The color brown seems to be the most common and prominent, as higher ranking members such as the Khan and captain Ganbaatar are also seen in brown wool deels. Now that she thought about it, her mother have only taught her how to cook, but not sewing. It might be because Akahana is simply too busy, and cooking was the only thing she managed to pass on to Mayumi before shouldering the title of Kyoshi warrior leader of their village. Maybe when she returned to the island, she can get Akahana to teach her. But for now, that would not be her greatest concern. Her top priority is to make sure Satchiko gets to Ba Sing Se without trouble. The words of the Khan is still in the back of her mind, they challenged her mentally, but for now, maybe she don't need to worry about that.
Mayumi observed the surrounding. Many bisons carried people, both normal nomads and warriors. But she also knew that each bison also carries a substantial amount of weight ranging from heavy equipment and resources that is useful for humans. As the bison calves flew leisurely, following the laboring adults, Mayumi started to ponder what is the exact reason for the bison to save the Kheshig. How do the bisons benefit by having humans serving as their masters? So far, the only thing Mayumi knew about the Kheshig's interaction with the bisons is that they help feeding, caring and fend off poachers according to Sarangerel. But these things don't necessary need humans to do, adult bisons in her mind are more capable in protecting the infant bisons. And the Kheshig nomads have benefited more from this relationship as the bisons acted both as a war mount and a source of food(milk, not meat.). They even get to earn some money by selling the wool, a byproduct of the bison's natural shedding.
Mayumi looked at the head of the entire clan. There is the Khan, leading his people at the front and sats on top of the large grey bison. This beast still eluded Mayumi's knowledge about everything she knew about the sky bisons as a whole. According to Hakaru's books, the sky bisons are animals natural air-benders, making them one of the four original benders that have taught humans how to master the elements. It is said that it was they who have first taught the humans how to master air, since then, they have became mounts and an inseparable cultural identity to the monks and their air-acolytes.
What boggles the mind of Mayumi, is how the leader of this large bison colony possesses grey and silver fur. Nothing in the books have suggested such a phenomenon. There has also been no indication that bisons would choose their leader depending on their wool color. But this wouldn't be Mayumi's biggest question, the size of that large bison certainly drew her attention more. The beast dwarfed all the other adult bisons. Mayumi pondered, how did that thing managed to grew so big in the first place?
Satchiko decided climb on the back of saddle, and scale the crates of supplies to get a better look on the back. Since Batu for some reason is in a depressed mood, she doesn't want to bother him by asking unnecessary questions. The young air-bender, while brave, is now resting on the saddle. His face has a multitude of expression, sometimes it's anger sometimes it's fear, most of the time it's a face of guilt which Satchiko doesn't know what to think of it. Despite his mother and older sister's reassurance to the Kyoshi warriors, the state of Batu did made Satchiko a bit worried about his mental health.
When Satchiko finally climbed on top of the small mountain of supplies and equipment, she finally got a better look at the prisoners.
The pilots and cultists are connected to one single metal chain, preventing them from running away. Their hands restrained and tied, and were forced to walk instead of sitting on a bison. No Kheshig would sit next to them of course, so they make them march continuously without rest.
Lei continued to walk besides the captives. As the chain was attached to Ganbaatar's bison, it appeared that some of the prisoners are suffering from fatigue. Even though it might be inhumane to treat them like this, Lei understands that this fate is much better than being killed. When they get to the town, they will hand the firebenders to the local security, then, he would leave the Kheshig alone with the pilots as promised.
"Say," Wuli asked Lei. He is too exhausted from the walk, and have difficulty breathing. Which is why he didn't expend any energy to be mean or rigorous. "How come you are not tired? You have walked the same distance as us without stopping, but you look like you are having a walk in the park?"
Lei thought about it before responding. He doesn't want to say too much in case he would expose the location of his colleagues whereabouts.
"I walk, a lot." Lei blunted. Compared to the forces of the United Republic and warlord troops, Lei and his people never have vehicles in their ranks. While his enemies have trucks and airships to carry soldiers across long distances, guerrillas can only walk. Their journey was never a comfortable one, always doing their best to avoid United Republic military as well as soldiers from their Earth Kingdom puppet states. Above all of that, they still have to deal the reality that almost all the warlords, bandits and organizations such as the cult of Vaatu are hostile to them. The goals of the guerrillas, which is to destroy oil refineries of the United Republic, is a clear indication for many political entities that they are incompatible with their interests. The United Republic don't want their Earth Kingdom oil supply chain being disrupted. The warlords knew that many of their own citizens often harbors sympathy for the guerrillas, whose goals are linked to improving the lives of the common people. So it is imperative for them to destroy the guerrillas, so that their position of power is not threatened if their subjects found more favor in the insurgents.
Satchiko jumped off the bison and landed besides Lei, seeing how the guerrilla doesn't look like the evil type, she decided to approach him. Hopefully, she can get something out of Lei in regards to Earth Bending.
"Uh, hi there Lei." Satchiko begin in a friendly tone, hoping that she doesn't sound too bothersome. She is wary that the guerrilla fighter also has a weapon, but knowing that the guerrilla wouldn't do anything dangerous, she believe now would be a good time to talk with him. "My name is Satchiko, from Kyoshi island. Where are you from?"
Lei knew that he was asked a simple question. He tried to remember the name of his village, but no matter how much he tried, he just couldn't get hold of the name.
"I hail from somewhere...some where in the Earth Kingdom." His tone lacked any enthusiasm when talking about his vague homeland. Perhaps like many others, there are some things he doesn't want to remember about.
Satchiko isn't sure whether if proceeding with more questions would be a good thing. She wanted ask him more about Earth Bending, but judging by how reclusive Lei is, perhaps it might be better to leave this for another time.
Seeing that there's probably nothing else to say, Satchiko decided to head back to the bison Khenbish is controlling. She sped up a little so that she can catch up with them.
"Is there something you wanted to ask?" Lei said. Satchiko once again slowed down so that she is walking side by side. Usually, she never talk with people outside Kyoshi island, even if they are just tourists visiting her home. But in this situation, she felt she needs to be out of her comfort zone in order to acquire more knowledge about Earth bending itself.
When she looked around the area and make sure no one can hear, she quietly tell Lei about the innate ability she is born with. "I'm also an Earth bender, but don't tell the others."
Lei kept walking, his face didn't react much, it successfully concealed his expression that would otherwise draw attention from the Kheshig warriors behind him. He knew his presence in their ranks are only temporary, and a means to get rid of pilots after they handed the acolytes over to local authorities. It might be easy to justify handing some genocidal cultist to the local authority, but the pilots, they are much more problematic. Since the division and fracture of the Earth Kingdom, the United Republic has a significant influence across the majority of the states. Whether if it's political or power, the United Republic will always come out on the top. There could be heavy consequences for an Earth Kingdom state if the pilots are jailed in their own prison. This could definitely attract the United Republic's attention and fury, even if the pilots have collaborated with cultist.
"Why hide it?" Lei inquired. He clearly didn't know that Satchiko is an Earth bender, which is the last thing he anticipated. "This whole time you could have used bending against the fire benders and even out the odds, why did you hesitate?"
Satchiko don't very want to answer, she doesn't want to give off the impression that she was slacking and too lazy to learn Earth Bending when she was younger.
"I'm not a very good at it, all I know is bending little peddles, so I ignored it for most of my life. Ever since I was born, I only trained as a Kyoshi warrior, not an Earth bender." Satchiko explained meekly, and a bit embarrassed that she even needed to explain herself. "But sometimes I do felt not learning Earth bending was my greatest mistake. And if there is one thing I can change about my past, is that I can focus more on being an Earth bender. That way, I wouldn't be so useless when facing people who are already masters of their own elements."
It was a terrible excuse, a laughable one. If anyone else heard that, they would certainly mock Satchiko's inherent drawback. But Lei refrained from judging the Kyoshi warrior. Living in poverty for decades have already taught him what it's like to feel worthless in the face of those that have much more power.
While Lei saw Satchiko fighting the firebenders, he noticed that she was naturally at a disadvantage. He initially assumed that she was a non-bender, since she made no effort to demonstrate she can bend earth in the first place. Even though Kyoshi warriors like Satchiko did very well against bending bandits from a non-bender standard, this still does not change the fact that being a non-bender naturally lowers the chance of winning. If Satchiko continues to fight like a non-bender, and neglecting her Earth bending, then she will most certainly be doomed if facing a foe that is astronomically powerful.
"We cannot ever hope to change our past or what situation we are born in." Lei said while looking at the prisoners and pilots. "But we can change our future and our allegiances. What we choose to become is solely our own decisions. Regardless of the disposition you are given, or what element you have, you must always be the master of your fate."
"I..." Satchiko is quiet. She felt Akahana have said something similar about fate and destiny. Perhaps what Lei was trying say is that even if she didn't focus on Earth bending before, it's still better to start now rather than never.
"Lei, if it's ok for you, would it be ok if you teach me some Earth bending?" Satchiko asked, being sincere and respectful in her tone. Even though she doesn't know the full background of this person, she felt Lei's identity as an Earth bender can give her some tips before her official lesson at Ba Sing Se.
Lei pondered for a while as he tread across the poorly made road. Just stepping his shoes on it hurts his feet. From his point of view, this Kyoshi warrior probably have yet to see the true nature of the outside world. He have heard stories of certain Kyoshi warriors serving in the fire nation, but most of them probably relegated themselves to protecting their own secluded island. He does not wish to deny Satchiko's request, he simply does not see how much help he can very provide. After all, he is a guerrilla fighter targeted by almost everyone on the Earth 'Republic', not an Earth bending teacher. "I don't think the time available now is enough for me to teach you everything about Earth bending. Tell me, Kyoshi warrior, what do you know about Earth bending."
Satchiko wasn't sure what Lei is trying to accomplish by asking such an ambiguous question. Assuming that this is some kind of test, the naive girl simple answered anything that came into her mind about Earth bending. "Earth bending is about moving rocks without physically touching them, and if you are good enough, you can move larger rocks and chuck them at pirates!"
She then used her own two fist to demonstrate a few punching maneuvers. She imaged what it would be like if she was able to move a large chunk of rocks and throw it towards her enemies. When she finished her short lived presentation, she looked up and saw Lei, who merely maintained a neutral expression, neither satisfied or angered by her opinion on Earth bending. If anything, his face was completely unfazed.
"Judging by your answer," Lei slowly analyzed Satchiko's behavior. "You are the only one on Kyoshi island."
"What?" Satchiko was confused. What does Lei mean by 'one'?
"If there is another Earth bender on Kyoshi island, then surely he or she would have mentored you about Earth bending and what it truly means to be an Earth bender."
Lei picked up a small piece of rock and handed it towards Satchiko. He made her hold it in her palm, clutching it with her fist.
"In this short amount of time, I may not be able to teach you until you fully master the art. But at the very least, I can tell you a story about Earth bending, as well as our people as a whole."
"I haven't heard a story since my mum and dad used to tell them before I sleep." Satchiko held the pebble as hard as she can. But no matter how much pressure she applied on the small piece of rock, it refuses to crack. Her own skin is even hurting a little despite being protected by a Kyoshi warrior glove.
"There was an ancient story, about two lovers, Oma and Shu. They are from two different towns who are at war with one another. This war divided their people, so they can only meet secretly without their respective people knowing their relationship."
Lei felt his stomach was rumbling a little. But he forced himself to continue his walk, even though the last food he had was a piece of old bread from four days ago. "They observed the bending techniques of Bagermoles, and with the assistance of the original bender, they mastered Earth Bending and created a labyrinth made of countless tunnels just to meet each other."
"Badgermoles?" Satchiko commented. "That's the animal Batu said he was going to hunt, you are saying animals can also bend elements?" Unlike her wiser sister, she never paid much attention to know that certain animals also have bending abilities. It was Mayumi that took the initiative to learn more about the outside world, not her.
Lei nodded to affirm this. "Indeed, and with the help of the badgermole's guidance, Oma and Shu was able to continue their love despite the fracture and turmoil between their two warring village. Their love for each other was so strong that it endured even if the situation does not allow it. But unfortunately, their fate was not a happy one."
Satchiko widened her eyes. Even though she unexpectedly got herself into a story, part of her does want to know how this tale ends.
"Shu was slain in a battle between the two village." Lei's words made Satchiko halt her breathing. It came so sudden, like a hammer used to break a piece of glass. "His death greatly devastated Oma, who would then demonstrate a potent display of Earth bending in front of the two warring people. With her power, she could have destroyed the two petty villages and avenge her lover. But instead, she used her power to forge an everlasting peace. And with that the war was declared over. Together, both villages helped her build a new city where everyone would peacefully coexist. The great city came to be named Omashu, as a monument to the two lovers."
And with that Lei's short story finally ended. Satchiko was left speechless by the ending. She expected a simple story about how people in the past learnt how to bend rocks and move it around. She didn't anticipate that such a tale would reveal so much in so little time.
"It's sad that those two couldn't be together," Satchiko lamented, even though this might just be a simple legend. But this story is clearly beyond her usual bedtime story told by her mother. Even a simple minded girl like her, who doesn't understand much of it, can feel the deep meaning around this story. The struggle to overcome all that seeks to separate you from what you love, and the willingness to endure and persist against everything that seeks to devastate you.
"Now," Lei brought her back to attention. "You must be wondering, why am I telling you this story, what does an ancient tale like this have anything to do with Earth bending besides the characters learning it from the badgermoles?"
This must be another test, Satchiko thought. Lei must be wondering if Satchiko have caught on to what Lei is implicating here. But before Satchiko got a chance to prove that she learnt something, Lei just answered it for her.
"Earth bending, is more than just moving rocks and throw it at your enemies and hope you win." Lei firmly stated. Part of him started to sound a little bit passionate about his message. "It is a culture, an art, the way people live. Everything is affected by Earth bending and what it has to offer. It is more then just throwing rocks, it is who we are as a people, as a nation. Earth Benders, are meant to be resilient. Just like that piece of rock you are holding onto, it is stubborn, and refuse to cracked no matter what."
Those were a lot for Satchiko to take in all at once. She doesn't know why Lei is able to tell that she is trying to crack the pebble with her hand. But she can at least partially understand Lei is trying to convey to her. To put it simply, her simplistic view that Earth bending is like a weapon is clearly not shared by everyone. Perhaps learning Earth bending outside Kyoshi island has its perks. Being exposed to new ideas and philosophy definitely helps her. If Akahana have never sent Satchiko out of her comfort zone, then she probably would have never heard about this story.
"I hope this story at least tell you something." Lei continued. "The people of the Earth Kingdom, are diverse but strong, persistent but enduring. Even if we are placed into a difficult positions like the war with the Fire Nation, or the countless civil wars we are in now, I do believe one day, the wars and conflicts happening in the Earth Kingdom would end for good. But for now, we will endure."
While part of what Lei said was very inspiring of, it also sounded rather ominous. Satchiko, being a Kyoshi warrior, are always expected to fight pirates whenever they come. Often times those were small skirmishes, usually Kyoshi warriors can easily outnumber them. The concept of war is something she doesn't very grasp easily. She only fights to protect her homeland, from small pirates raids. But large scale conflict is out of her imaginative capacity.
The Hundred Year War is certainly the most significant conflict she has heard of. Even though she isn't that good with the lessons at school, she does pick up a thing or two when she occasionally read the pages. It is said that the war was fought between the Fire Nation and the rest of the world. The fire Benders wished to take over the entire world. The Air Benders suffered tremendously and was wiped out in a cruel genocide, the Southern Water tribe was ravaged by frequent devastating raids, Ba Sing Se was conquered from within. But perhaps the most personal part, is that her current village, which was at that time ruled by a chief named Oyaji, almost burned to the ground if Avatar Aang didn't intervene.
"Lei, thank you for telling me this, it very does broaden my knowledge about this thing I am born with." Satchiko said, referring to Earth bending. She knew so little about it, but now, she at least have a small platform to cultivate her knowledge and skill on. She will use Lei's philosophy to serve as a foundation for the future. If being an Earth bender means being 'resilient', then she could try and work it towards there.
"It's ok, I didn't talk much anyway." Lei humbly accepted.
"There is another question I want to ask you, if you are fine with it." Satchiko carefully said, not trying to overstep any boundary.
"Go on."
"As you know, I have lived on Kyoshi island for a long time, and to be honest, I don't very know much about what is happening around the world. I heard stories from the Kheshigs and a Fire Nation boat captain about wars happening all over the place. Is it very that serious?" Satchiko felt she has already seen enough bloodshed on the mainland. The idea that she is going to see more unsettles her.
Lei's eyebrows narrowed a lot. Compared to Earth bending, he doesn't know how to explain heavy topics to a young mind like her. "Many people die everyday around here. Right now, everyone around us is walking quietly and nothing happens. The birds are chirping, and everything feels fine. But like what happened today, you could be ambushed anytime. I don't want go on and describe things in detail, but I hope you can mentally prepare yourself if you ever encounter anything that makes you feel uncomfortable. Think Satchiko, what would happen when bandits, soldiers or any army made of dangerous people managed to breach a city full of innocent defenseless people?"
Satchiko thought about this for a while. A few Kheshig warriors looked them from a distance. Lei felt they must have heard a bit about what they were saying.
Seeing that Satchiko is taking a line time to think, he felt he can fasten the process.
"What were the last couple of things you saw that terrifies you?" Lei asked cautiously.
This sentence immediately created images of Shui's burning body and that fire-bender being killed earlier. To her own surprise, the gruesome death of two dangerous people have trumped over her own near death experience with the Unagi. When she saw what Temujin did to the two acolytes, she didn't lashed out at him for such clearly unnecessary actions. From her point of view, those two were indisputably evil people, which does help her rationalize what the Khan did.
"Well, the last time I felt scared when looking at something, was when I saw Temujin..." She felt too ill to finish the sentence about the Khan dispatching the fire-bender bandit. But Lei understands.
"Now, think about what would happen, if an army of bandits managed to breach a city, and overwhelm its defenses, think, think what happens to the people living inside it." Lei does felt a bit guilty by making a teenager think about such horrors. But he felt he needs to make her be mentally prepared for possible challenges that she might not be able to handle. "The men, women, children, elderly, what do you think would happen to them?"
"They die, bodies littered over the streets." Satchiko was very direct by quoting Ganbaatar, Lei knew it took a lot of effort for her to put those words into one straight sentence without trembling. "What happened on that dead bandit today, would be repeated if not worse on so many people."
"So you knew," Lei said. He thought the teenager would need more time to realize the type of hell she currently in. Everyday, someone dies. Bandits, either some rogue band of cutthroats or organized ones like the acolytes of Vaatu would raid, kill and rob from the people. War between the warlords grind the souls of countless soldiers, driving the families of those soldiers broken financially and emotionally. This is a civil war, and in war people die. But the true extent and horror of war will never be truly felt if a person only read about it from afar, in a place that is safe and comfortable. During the Hundred Year War, countless lives were killed in the millions, all for the sake of Fire Nation ambition. Massacres and mass killing were so common, that human life became nothing more but a number on a piece of paper. And it's no different now, innocent lives are always being killed. Who knows, when thousands of people die each day on the now fractured Earth Kingdom, perhaps they are next. For Lei, he is just grateful that he is still breathing, still alive to fulfill a goal. Perhaps one day he can at least make some difference in this life he was given.
"Lei," Satchiko asked. "I know about what might happen, these people around us suffered the same thing when the Acolytes of Vaatu entered their home town. I heard that those bandits are evil, who wouldn't even spare little children because they believe they were impure. And because of that, I will make sure I am there to defend the innocent people if something like that happens."
"You will be outnumbered," Lei quickly said to her. Even though it was courageous for Satchiko to demonstrate bravery, he cannot see how she can defend a whole town against a marauding force of bandits or warlord troops. In the past, the guerrillas would always help remote villages with bandit problems but they will always do it together. "I urge you to not act recklessly, this isn't some game, unlike you, we mainlanders have seen too much bloodshed and horror in this world. As someone who have lived to seen humanity's cruelty, I will telll you that even if you are not killed and are simply captured, your fate would possibly be worse then the men that was already butchered."
Satchiko swallowed her throat. She can feel the gravity of Lei's prudent warnings. On Kyoshi island, the idea that pirates can successfully overwhelm a town and massacre its population is something that she cannot fathom. But things are different here on the mainland. Bandits operate in massive armies numbered in the hundreds and thousands. Even towns with large walls and defensive building are not safe from the scourge of death. Based on Ganbaatar's words, certain town and villages do not have an adequate defense force to protect it. Even if they did, somehow, the local garrison might abandoned the people. She doesn't know why such things occurred, but she knew the world is more complex, more nuisance than her own tiny world called Kyoshi island.
"Lei, why did you became a guerrilla in the first place?" Satchiko suddenly asked about Lei's unorthodox career choice, which probably has zero pay. "What change can you even hope to achieve?"
Lei pulled out his dadao from behind. He looked at the weapon, remembering that before him, countless others have wielded this exact blade to defend the weak and fight those that are unjust. This sword was forged by his ancestor during the Hundred Year War. When the Earth Kingdom's government armies cannot successfully fight against the better equipped and well trained Fire Nation, the guerrillas applied insurgence tactics against the more technologically advanced foe. They ambushed Fire nation patrols, destroying their supply lines and blew up their train tracks. Even though the guerrillas back then was not on good terms with the Earth Kingdom main army, they still did everything they can to maintain a United Front against the foreign invader. Even when Ba Sing Se fell to Fire Nation control, the guerrilla resisted, and continued to fight behind fire nation controlled areas and endured the war. And that paid off, Avatar Aang was able to defeat Ozai, and brought a conclusive end to the century long conflict.
"This sword I am holding, is blunt and the edge needs to be sharpened." He said firstly. "The guerrillas can trace their history all the way back to the Hundred Year War, when we were formed to fight against the imperialist Fire Nation. But after that, there was none of us left. During Avatar Korra's reign, the Earth Kingdom was technically not at war despite its peculiar situation with bandits in the country sides. We grew complacent, the Earth Kingdom itself became complacent. But then all of a sudden the lives of the people was tuned upside down when the Earth Queen died. While we are not fans of monarchs, it was at that moment when me and liked minded people realized that the work of our forefathers was never completed. The Earth Kingdom was never at peace, and the lives of commoners have never improved. Right now, bandits like the Acolytes of Vaatu attacked towns and cities to pillage its inhabitants. Greedy and selfish warlords fought one another to bid for only power, while expending many lives in meaningless wars, pirates and corsairs continued to raid coastal cities despite the tremendous efforts made by the Judge of Honghai." Lei stopped to catch some breath. He felt tired by just listing out the problems the Earth Kingdom is facing. "Lastly, the United Republic of Nations, a nations built upon the values of freedom, is now repeating similar actions like the Fire Nation during the Great War. Their military bases are numbered in hundreds around our nation, guarding their precious oil wells as resources taken from the people. Any Earth Kingdom state that doesn't fall in line, the United Republic invades them. With all these things are happening, the people suffer, and someone needs to at least do something about it."
"Is that why your people attacked the oil drills?" Satchiko asked. There were tonnes of information Satchiko might need Lei to repeat about. Like why would warlords fight each other for power, or who in the world is this Judge of Honghai person and what did they did about the pirate problem. Biggest issue of all, is what in the world is this thing call oil and why is it important to the United Republic.
"Yes," Lei admitted. He have to come clean in this. Even though attacking oil wells might seem wrong. Given the right context, surely Satchiko would understand.
Politics in the United Republic is a rather fickle thing. They would sometimes proclaim that they are bringing freedom to a specific region, just to replace one cruel ruler with another one. The only difference is that the new one in charge allows more freedom for United Republic enterprises to access local resources such as oil and natural gas. All they needed to do is pay some cash to the local ruler and they will let you extract the resources regardless of what the inhabitants think. It's hard to argue with such a particular entity, when they advertised their actions as beneficial to the locals.
"There is simply too much to do," Lei's tone is now more somber. He felt in his lifetime, he can never see his vision come into fruition. "But even still, I believe one day, long after I have departed from this world. The people of the Earth Kingdom can live in a nation that have unite under one banner. A place where a commoner would wake up in the morning from an intact home, not fearing about starvation. And when that person walks out the door, they would not need to fear that a bandit would come and kill them or a bomb was dropped from a bi-plane and landed on their house. I dream of a future, where food is plentiful, and events such as wars, genocides and mass killings are only something that people read about in books. If I can't have these things, hopefully, children would grow up living in something like this. If our forefathers can resist an invader and prevail, then I believe my comrades and I can also resist against the ever growing tides of disasters consuming our nation. Like the story of Oma and Shu, I dreamed that eventually, the Earth Kingdom would once again unite, and recognize that they are one people."
Satchiko thought about it. It does look like a good future, but also sounded rather unattainable. But it's still a good thing to have dreams about improving the lives of others.
A few Kheshig warrior in lamellar armor started to look at their direction, perhaps some of them have heard about the conversation and turned their heads to face there. To these hardy men, idealistic words are meaningless and unimportant.
"You can let go of that piece of rock you are holding now. Try to bend it." Lei advised. He felt people who wanted to learn Earth Bender shouldn't concern only with the element itself. Being knowledgeable in the philosophy and cultural aspects that molded bending and those that uses it is even more important in his eyes.
Satchiko followed suit, and attempts to levitate the small peddle and then throw it away without touching it physically. Her control was a bit wobbling, but since she did played around with small pieces of pebbles back home, she can still grasp the control to a basic level.
The pebble flew out of her hands quickly, and headed straight forward. She doesn't know where it would go, but at least she is doing Earty bending a bit.
Clank!
It accidentally hit the metal helmet of a Kheshig man. It was completely harmless, as the peddle couldn't even make a tiny dent in it. Satchiko's hands immediately curled up, afraid to be reprimanded due to her poor bending proficiency.
"Hey, watch it!" The man complained, he assumed that Satchiko was just playing with rocks, and throwing it around. Luckily he didn't saw her earth bend.
"You must remember, an Earth bender must be strong and endure all difficulties." Lei decided to conclude this tiny lesson he is giving to Satchiko. "But Earth Benders must also adhere to the concept of neutral Jing. Wait and listen before you act. Attack the enemy at its weakest, and try to avoid if they are stronger."
"This is similar to how you guerrillas operate, isn't it?" Satchiko stated the parallels between neutral Jing and how Lei acted during the last battle. Since Lei is a 'guerrilla', that naturally makes him a person that strikes the enemy when the moment is most optimal. The fact that he can conceal himself so well, only shows that all he needed to do is attack when the chances of success is highest. Earlier today, he revealed himself to the Kheshig when it's the safest.
Lei nodded. They continued to walk on the path. And from a far away distance, they can started to see a large walled structure coming into their view.
"Hey you," Ganbaatar came over and hand Lei a piece of garment. "Put this on, I doubt that warlord troops take kindly towards insurgents that might make a dent in their wealth!"
Lei put it on, it managed to conceal his guerrilla uniform as well as a large portion of his head. The only part still visible is face, but even that part was obscured so that no one may recognize him.
Ganbaatar then proceed to use some ropes and tied them around the mouths of the captives. Knowing that many warlords are essentially puppet states to the United Republic, these pilots would be the first ones to rat Lei out. If that happens, the whole Kheshig clan might be targeted as sympathizers of Lei's guerrillas.
"Keep your mouths shut, you collie." Ganbaatar insinuated. "Alert the guards and I will cut your throat, that man right there(He means Lei) might be some merciful idiot. But remember, we don't share the same value as him. I would be much happier if I can wash my blade with your self-righteous blood."
If Ganbaatar's warning couldn't convince Wuli to stay quiet, that rope tied around his head would. It pretty much rendered his mouth unable to make any audible word, causing him to have difficulty in breathing.
"We are arriving," Ganbaatar said to Satchiko, but not in a threatening manner like when he spoked to Wuli. "Get back on the bison, and remember, stay close to my men."
Satchiko nodded, she quickly leaped back on the large bison. Being a Kyoshi warrior meant her past training allowed her to climb up to animal's saddle with ease. She quickly returned back to her sister, who were wondering were she had been.
"I was just talking with Lei," Satchiko assured.
Mayumi only breathed in response. She focused her eyes of the trading town, which they will enter soon. Part of her felt a bit concerned that they are entering a place that might serve as a trap. They still don't know what happened to Jargal, or whether or not the town is even safe in the first place. But hopefully, staying near the hardy Kheshig warriors can help protect them.
...
The trading town is situated on small hill that overlooks the whole area. It has two medium sized stone walls that encircled the settlement. The outer one acted as a defensive structure, although signs of cracks and disrepair is very obvious, none of the guards manning it seemed to have any care to the state of their workplace. Broken turrets, ugly pavements, and the lack of maintenance would surely make the town prone to a attack. The town wall also have a large wooden gate, where the word 商城 is enshrined above it. Yet, the local garrison doesn't appear to be even slightly worried that the wall have fallen into disrepair. Some locals choose to use the top of the walls to dry their wet clothing, since it no longer served any actual purpose anyway. Maybe if the local leadership would have spend some money dedicated to the outer wall's repair, perhaps this town wouldn't have fallen to such a pitiful state.
The living conditions between the outer wall and the inner wall is not ideal. Locals are crammed into small humble cottages, barely enough to store everything essential to life. Most locals acted as manual laborers, hired by the more wealthy merchants and business owners who lived within the inner walls. Paid in minimal salaries, these workers would offload any wares and produces whenever suppliers like the Kheshig came to town. Unlike the homeless people, they still have some place to sleep in. Even though the pay isn't very enough for good social mobility, there is nothing the impoverished locals can do, as the local mayor's guards would keep them in check whenever the peasants revolt.
The luckier people would have more lenient occupations like owning a smaller business within the town. But actually owning even a small piece of land or a housing unit is almost unattainable for the majority. To save spaces, Earth bending to construct houses so that they provide the bare minimum of what keeps a person alive. Even though that came at the expense of adequate housing, it does benefit those renting these places out to the lower class citizens.
The town only has one large gate for those who wishes to enter. Usually, there would be a long line of merchants both poor and rich. The reason why this area attracts a large amount of people who wishes to trade, is largely due to its strategic location that borders three other Earth Kingdom state that has so far not attacked it. The state which this trading town belongs to, is not the state of Yi. Even so, this state is currently at peace with three other state bordering the south, right near this trading town. Perhaps in the future, the now peaceful area would be attacked by the other states, but for now, it remained a relatively stable area for traders to conduct their market exchange.
"Ah!" A farmer yelped loudly as he was brutally shoved to the ground. As the guards plundered his produces, his wife hurried over to check if he is okay or not.
"Like I said, if you don't pay your entry tax, you cannot enter!" The guard at the front bellowed loudly, making the poor farmer tremble in fear. "How many times must I repeat myself in front of you country bumpkins?"
"But I don't have any money!" The farmer defended himself. "Where do you expect me to have any coins on me when I can't sell my crops here? This is where the buyer is!" They have nothing except for the wheat he was about to sell in the town. Every year, he would come here to exchange his produce in return for a a small handful of coins, even then if wasn't enough to send his children to school. But now, they are barred from entry, their hope of earning even the minimal income has also vaporized in front of their eyes.
"The rules are the rules!" The guard sneered. He grabbed some of the food on the farmer's wagon, and stuffed some inside his uniform. The other soldiers didn't intervene, as their own code of conduct is just as greedy as their unit leader.
"The new mayor of this town have declared that all those who shall enter this place must be taxed according to the value of the items they wishes to sell!" The guard shouted, making the incoming merchants grumble at this sudden announcement. It's already a difficult feat to earn a living by trading with different Earth Kingdom state currencies, but this new taxation on their goods would decimate their profit by a tremendous margin.
Just then, two vehicle, a very expensive looking one and an armored truck, drove past the ordinary merchants and farmers waiting in a single long file. While the commoners use animals such as ostrich horses to pull their wagons, the cars are state of the art products, and can drive as long as there are oil inside the engines. The choking smoke emitted from the exhaustion pipes cause many nearby to cough. And the mere presence of the new arrival made the atmosphere very unpleasant.
Seeing the intricate design of the car, the guards immediately ceased their plundering. Their mayor have specifically told them to 'act' professionally' in front of these important dignitaries.
The car at the front stopped right next to the leading guard, who suddenly acted very well mannered in front of the newly arrived men. The exquisite vehicle, which is a Satomobile, has only two people, the driver, and another man in suit and ties. The later is clearly the one in charge. He wore a fine pair of spectacles made of gold, and he is seen holding onto a suit case protectively on his lap. Unlike the other people who wore green traditional clothing, these two men are in grey colored clothes that looked starkly out of place.
"Ah, Mr Choman. Nice to see you!" The head guard greeted the man in suit with a flattering tone. "Don't worry about us, we are only just dealing with some trouble makers who refuses to comply with our law."
Choman is a rather thin looking man, barely into his early fifties. His hair is well brushed, with his shiny black hair having a bit of gleam taken from the sunlight. He simply looked at the guard as if they are all unimportant beings, nothing about his face says anything about his character or emotions. Just a cold facial expression that lacks any initiative to communicate.
"The changes brought to you by the United Republic allows the people of the Earth Kingdom to experience greater freedom." Choman coldly said unexpectedly. "I hereby represent the Standardized Oil Company of the United Republic," Choman stated formally. His voice is devoid of unnecessary friendliness that would otherwise delay his work. Not a single word was wasted on greetings. "Here, I am to meet with the mayor to confirm our deal that will give my company full rights to operate on this region's rich oil fields."
"Ah yes, yes." The guard quickly agreed, without questioning a single thing Choman said. He knew delaying this clearly more important guest would anger the mayor. Last time he did something minor that displeased the mayor, his salary was cut to half. He was the lucky one. There was another guard who was caught stealing from the mayor's granary just to feed his kids, and his right hand was chopped off as punishment.
The guards at the gate all moved away so that the vehicle can go through. Choman's driver drove the car into the town, and headed straight towards the inner walls. The armored security truck behind it trailed closely.
"Hey, how come they get to go first!" A disgruntle farmer bellowed in discontent. Him along with everyone else has been waiting in line for hours now. The slow administrative process is already a long haul for them to enter the town, but it's an insult to injury when certain people are allowed immediate access without waiting in the line. "This isn't fair for us!
"None of my business!" The guard sharply barked. All the other famers became quiet, as they knew they can do nothing about this. Choman is a man from the United Republic, wealthy, powerful. Compared to him, they are just low lives who can be easily brushed aside without any consequences.
The leading guard then proceeded to pull out a bottle containing wine, drinking some to quench the stress he is having. The pay hasn't been good recently, with his state allocating more money to buy United Republic vehicles and weaponry to fight another Earth Kingdom state up in the north. While he is glad that he doesn't have to partake in actual battles, he is still annoyed that he has to be sent all the way to the south where the barracks have terrible living conditions.
"I am not getting paid enough for this." The lead guard said to himself. But right before he can taste some of that fine wine, the bottle was quickly snatched away by someone else. Reviving from his shock, he noticed that a man in brown fur clothing is standing next to him. He had a tough expression painted on his face, and wears a suit of lamellar as well as a brown fur hat to go alone with it.
"I see you incompetent dogs are still the same, bullying folks weaker then you." Ganbaatar said relentlessly. "If an army of bandit attacked this place, I doubt men like you will make any difference at all!"
A few other guard tried to come over and threaten him with their spears, but Ganbaatar immediately unsheathed his scimitar and pointed at all of them, catching them off guard with his speed. The men stopped, afraid to approach the warrior in steel. They watched Ganbaatar holding his sword with one hand while handling the wine bottle with the other. Slowly, the nomad emptied the bottle by drinking all the alcohol in it.
Burrrrrrp!
The Kheshig burped rudely. He dropped the bottle and patted his stomach. Now that he thought about it, it is still much more enjoyable if he had drank that more slowly.
"That was some fine wine," Ganbaatar complimented. "It's been a while since I had something besides fermented milk. By the way, what is this?"
Ganbaatar has always been a heavy drinker. Despite his wishes for Batu to not copy the same habit, he himself does take a fond liking into wine made by sedentary people. Since he is a nomad, access to alcohol made with wheat and rice is VERY rare. The only time he can get some is whenever they enter a town. But good alcohol is something he always sought after.
The lead guard was in rage. His blood vessels thickened, now even more visible on his face.
"You bastard!" He yelled. "I spent a quarter of my pay to buy that gaoliang liqueur!"
"So that is what it is," Ganbaatar's face brightened after the guard revealed the identity of this drink. "No wonder it tasted different, it's made of fermented sorghum." He have tasted drinks made of fermented rice, barley and wheat. But drinks made from fermented sorghum plant is the one he have never had before. "You got anymore of it?"
The guards looked at one another. This man shamelessly took away a bottle of wine, how dare he had the audacity to demands more.
The lead guard growled at Ganbaatar's rudely behavior. "That's it, you are going to spend the night behind the bars!"
As the guard attempts to use his baton to punish the man, he sensed a strong current of wind on his right.
"Where is Jargal!" A large bulky man with a grey arrow tattoo roared right in front of the guard's face. Some of spit found themselves on the frightened guardsmen.
The farmers and the remaining sentry watched in horror as a large bulky brute grabbed his target's collar and lifted him up. With one hand only.
"Batzorig," Ganbaatar called out calmly. "Put that gentleman down, he is not useful to us if he is dead." Ganbaatar then tried to savor the wine he just had. He wondered if this gaoliang liquor is a newly added addition to this small trading town. If there is, he would surely buy some with his savings. "Just put that warlord lackey down."
"Yes captain," Batzorig answered. He reluctantly placed the leading guard back on the Earth. But if it were up to him, he wouldn't hesitate to kill the man if needed.
Ganbaatar now approached the leader. "What is your name? Last time we were here, we never saw any of you."
The leading guard acted cautiously, he is still very close to the man with a grey arrow tattoo. "Just call me Suo." His voice was nervous. He thought the only thing that this job demanded him to do is to bully some disgruntle peasant into submission. Never in a million years did he even anticipate that someone would dare to act defiantly against a warlord troop.
"Look, who is that?" The crowd of peasants all huddle together as a large grey bison walked besides them. When the beast arrived in front of the gate, the guards did trembled a little. They knew this is a bison, but's larger and have grey fur. Just looking at it made them feel a fear, even though bisons are herbivores.
The bison breathed out of its nose, gas flushed out of it's nostrils as the creature glared at the guards as if they were caught in an despicable act.
"You all must be new here," Temujin said to the guards. He have never seen these faces before. Being here a couple of times have already allowed him to recognize the face of every incompetent man assigned to this job. The ones here must have been newly hired.
"S...S...State your business!" Suo yelled. Although his entire body felt fear, afraid to raise his voice. Usually when there are trouble makers at the gate, he can just confidently push them and they would back down. But these are no mere peasants that are trying to sell their vegetables, they are armed, and they have a bison. One even demonstrated air-bending, just who are these guys? From Suo's perspective, all it takes is for the alpha to stomp him into a bloody mesh.
"I can Temujin, the Khan of the Kheshig!" The old imposing man proudly declared for the world to hear. It felt weird since they have been to this trading town multiple times before. "Like many others, we are here to sell some goods, to feed our families and make end's meet, mind if you kindly let us and the others through? Your decision would affect whether or not we humble traders can sleep soundly tonight."
He asked Suo, who was the one in charge of this gate. He even asked him in a very diplomatic tone, hoping that this person can allow both his people and the others in line immediate access.
The traders, farmers and peasants, all eagerly nodded their heads at the Khan's proposal. Everyone in the line hoped that Suo would exempt taxing their goods.
"Only if you pay the entrance fee in accordance to the value of your goods!" Suo demanded.
"Oh very?" Temujin sounded unconvinced. He was also unsatisfied with that impulsive manner. "The last time we were here, there were no law that says people entering this trading town must pay a certain fee."
"Well last time was last time, now there is!" Suo bellowed. Despite his best attempt to put up a brave face, Temujin can tell that he is trying to stall. If Suo was blamed for letting all these people in without paying a fee, at least the other guards can tell whoever is in charge that he at least tried to resist. "The new Mayor of this town dictated that the money earned from this will be spend to improve the lives of the people."
Temujin looked at the unsightly walls that surrounded the town, he chuckled. "I will be the judge of that." He commented with contempt. He still doesn't know where Jargal is. "If all the money earned from taxing the people are used to improve the lives within these walls, then tell me Suo, about what is specifically improved"
Temujin challenged the guardsmen captain to explain this. Suo tried to avert his attention away from direct eye contact, for even he doesn't know the exact answer to this question.
"Well...it's..." Suo struggled to formulate a response. He knew the Mayor's questionable quirks when it comes to where the funds are allocated.
"Exactly!" Temujin declared, expecting Suo's lack of an answer. "Now, I will have a word with this mayor of yours."
When Temujin grew impatient and tried to guide his bison to the gate, the guards blocked him. Even until now, they still insisted to halt the Khan's advance.
"You know I can just kill you all pathetic lots, right?" Temujin said boldly. Even though the sky bison can fly over the walls, he wanted to make a lasting impression on these new guards. He wanted to make sure that whoever wishes to trifle with a Kheshig nomad, they should also not expect any mercy.
"You wouldn't!" Suo countered swiftly. "You must be from the Air Nation, I know you Air-Benders are pacifists, meaning, you don't kill!"
The other soldiers around him also realized, they lowered their guards and started to believe that their captain is right.
"We are Air-nomads," Temujin said to half confirm Suo's observation . "Just not the ones you were thinking about."
Before any of them can react, the guards were swiftly carried away by a small tornado. It picked them up and flung them aside, slamming into the stone wall.
"Nice work Batzorig," Ganbaatar evaluated the airbending. Compared to the air-nomads from the temple, the Kheshig are direct opposites to those detestable monks. Personally, Ganbaatar felt force is necessary if negotiations are not effective. Instead of using Air-bending as a last resort, he felt the art should be used the moment it is deemed a necessity, even if it was used to kill people.
Suo and his men recovered from the impact, some have broken tooth, and others bloodied noses. Suo himself received a laceration across his knee, a sharp edge of a brick managed to cut open his wound. He stayed on the ground, crying in agony.
"What are you fools waiting for?" Suo shouted at his men. "Get a bandage and help me!"
His men tried to go, but their injuries slowed them down significantly. They watched helplessly as the crowd moved forward without their permission. An entire convoy of bisons accompanied by more men in lamellar armor came into the view. Bypassing through the now wide and open gate, they entered the city all at once.
"Curses!" Suo muttered. He knew his superior would punish him for his failures. The moment the mayor notices that the guard captain allowed so many traders through without taxing them, his whole position and income could be on the line.
He also knew that he cannot conceal this failure. Everyday, the mayor demands Suo to handover all the taxes collected. Usually, he can even take some for himself without the mayor noticing. But not collecting the taxes of so many people would make things very obvious, especially when the Mayor is very greedy about every coin. If the mayor is going to find out, he might as well report what happened first and convince him how futile it is to resist. This situation of the 'Kheshig' is something more a mere trading town guard can handle.
"The mayor must know about this"
...
Satchiko and Mayumi looked around the streets of the trading town. They are currently in the outer district where all the normal people live. Merchants, farmers and people of other professions mingled and traded their goods. Most of the stuff sold here are just farm produces, barely enough to earn much coin. The fact that this is a trading town in the first place also baffles them. They expected this place to be flowing with more expensive wares found across the world, instead it looked like an ordinary town. Poor and underfunded. The houses looked as though they were hastily built just to not fall into pieces. The cracks are obvious, but at least most of the locals have a place to sleep.
The clothes the people wore are old and simple. Occasionally, some beggars would approach and ask the Kheshig some spare coins. Of course, the nomads often ignored them. Except for Sarangerel, who dropped a few coins in the ground for them to pick up.
"We don't have much coins ourselves," Batu hissed at his older sister. He shifted his body upwards, lifting his back up. "Why are you freely giving those coins away to lazy people? Money don't grow on trees."
"It wouldn't hurt to donate some money," Sarangerel said. She is appalled that the poor people are living on the streets, since it's very not their choice that they want to be like this in the first place. The lack of a viable income is a major problem countless people must endure. With a sluggish and backward economy, as well as instability across the fractured Earth Kingdom, many people are driven into poverty through different causes. But mostly from the unstable turmoil the continent is in.
Satchiko quietly agreed with the more mature Kheshig woman. Compared to Batu and the others, Sarangerel is more lenient toward outsiders in need. Even until now, she struggled with Batu's more disturbing personality when he suggested to boil the captives in cauldron, thank goodness that his sister wasn't the same as him.
As of now, Jargal and Saran were off with the other adults to sell the bison wool, leaving dozens of warriors both non-bender and air-benders to protect the countless bisons and the kids. At same time, Temujin lead another group of his men, as well as Lei and the captives, headed towards the town's center. Since they were unfairly delayed at the gate entrance, the Khan hoped that he can do a bit of negotiation with this new mysterious mayor and lift the taxes. If the Mayor refuses, they can alway threatened them. Unlike common lapdogs of a Earth Kingdom state, killing even an incompetent ruler can create create instability. Temujin knew this well, so he will lead the negotiations. But most urgent of all, is that they also need to find out if Jargal is held captive around here.
"I'm bored!" Satchiko complained. She opened up her metal fan to cool away the striking heat. Even though the sun is slowly begin to shift downwards, the temperature was still pretty intolerable for the island dweller. Usually the ocean breeze is more than enough to cool off the heat.
The four of them only remained in the seats of Khenbish's bison. It's a shame that the adults are able to go around town while they have to remain here. Despite Mayumi and Sarangerel both passed the age of twenty, it's still too dangerous for them to travel in this town alone. Unlike on Kyoshi island, a woman traveling alone here is dangerous. Unless you are prepared to fight off all the rowdy men, then maybe you can go around and visit the shops.
"Can't you just go with us?" Satchiko asked a nearby Kheshig man who is standing by. "It wouldn't take long, we just need a small stroll in the market and we are done. You know, stretching our legs?"
The man in question didn't replied at first, he is keeping a good eye of all the people passing the bisons, making sure none of them is stealing their belongings. Since they have not heard a word from Jargal, they have to be extra careful when dealing with the local security. In fact, they might be in a hostile territory right now.
"Hey!" Satchiko tapped the man's shoulder while still remaining in the saddle. It made him flinched a little. If he didn't control his arm, he would have accidentally hurt the Kyoshi warrior with his weapon.
"What!" Amgalan shouted. "I have to guard both you and the bisons! Until the Khan says so otherwise, you four are to remain here!"
This defeated Satchiko's attempt convince the man. It's unfortunate, they can't go anywhere around here, since the Kheshig feared that they may run into trouble without a Kheshig warrior accompany them. But at the same time, it would be unreasonable to have the few Kheshig warrior here to go with them just to look around town. They are already stretched quite thin. The Khan took a good portion of Kheshig that is officially considered part of his 'army'. Another portion would accompany their people to the markets, where they can restock their supplies. The rest are to guard the bisons. At this point, they cannot spare even one soldier for unnecessary activities.
"We should have gone with my parents," Batu complained. Since the majority of the Kheshig are solely here to buy specific supplies, they have no time to glamour around other stalls and shops. Saran and Jargal will trade the wool with one merchant, and return immediately.
"Why can't I be the one to protect you all," Batu huffed annoyingly. "Don't I count as a Kheshig warrior as well? If we walk around town and some weirdo tries to attack us, I can fight them as well!"
"No," Sarangerel immediately shut down that thought. She isn't discouraging Batu's bravery, but bravery without intelligence is audacity. She knew that her little brother has a tendency of trying to prove his worth. Living with him for years made her aware of what he wanted. Recognition and to prove he too can kill an enemy. But the biggest struggle for Batu is that he believes he is burden to others around him, a drawback that other Kheshig warriors must always look out for. He doesn't want that kind of attention, which is why he eagerly tries to demonstrate that he is strong despite his juvenile age.
"You are not strong enough yet, you may be an air-bender, but you haven't even earned your grey arrow. If one of the local guards tried to pick a fight with us what will you do?" Sarangerel asked seriously.
"But you are an air-bender as well." Batu refuted. "You too can kill anyone who tries to attack us!"
Batu then used his hands and funnel out a few small swirl of air to show off his air-bending. Even though they were insignificant when compared to an adult's, they were at least not as terrible when compared to Satchiko's earth bending.
"If we might encounter such problems, then it's better to just stay here." Sarangerel argued. "If for some reason the local garrison suddenly became our enemy, we need to fly away on the bison. It would be much easier to do that when we are on one like right now rather then wondering around a town where bad things might happen to unsuspecting people. Besides, if father and mother noticed that the four of us left, they won't be happy."
"They would never know!" Batu boldly declared. "We will just walk around a few street and come back. They won't even notice we are gone."
Mayumi doesn't know why Batu said all of that loudly. The non-bender guard Amgalan is standing right near their bison. If he wanted to inform everyone they dangerously exposed themselves to this town, they might get in trouble. The whole reasoning behind the Khan's warning to Mayumi is to beware that here on the Earth Kingdom, no place is truly considered a safe zone. Even in a small humble trading town like this, shady activities happen. If they wonder around without protection, a wide range of bad scenarios can occur. Such as being kidnapped or getting mugged. Or worse, being harassed by the local militia, which was considered 'incompetent drunks' by Temujin himself.
"Hehehe," Batu's voice showed that he is quite confident. Sarangerel immediately noticed that the boy has grabbed his bow, and jumped off the bison. "I'm going to buy some street snacks, too bad you three can't come with me! Ha!"
"Get back here!" Sarangerel screamed.
Amgalan noticed this development, but before he can grab Batu by the deel, the kid slipped through the town folks. Disappeared into the endless crowd of laborers working tirelessly for their tiny pay.
"I will go after him!" Satchiko assured. "Don't worry Sarangerel, I will bring him back I promise!"
Part of her saying that was because she is genuinely concerned about her friend, but she also wanted to do a little sightseeing too. Since there are no bandits and acolytes of Vaatu inside a settlement like this, she felt she can roam around town and quench some of her curiosity.
Mayumi can't help but feel defeated. Even her own sister immediately rushed out without even giving her a heads up. Satchiko already disappeared into the endless crowd of people, and if something bad happens, it would be difficult to do anything about it.
"Haven't those two learnt anything?" Mayumi said. She then turned to the Kheshig woman. "Sarangerel, you have been here before right? We need to go after them, fast!"
Sarangerel immediately used her air-bending, propelling herself onto a nearby roof by concentrating enough atmospheric air to carry her weight. Mayumi meanwhile, simply used her agility and strength to jump onto the same roof. Together, they both headed towards where Batu headed by hoping over one building to another.
"Wait, where are you..." the Kheshig guard stood helplessly.
Amgalan watched in horror. He was keeping a good eye on the four and the bisons near him. But he allowed all of them to just run off without any resistance. He slapped himself for being a non-bender, who couldn't even babysit a bunch of youngsters correctly.
Standing there to process this predicament. He decided to act fast. Calling the nearby Kheshig guards to spread thinner to cover all the bisons, he himself ran off and chase the four.
"I'm gonna be killed if the Khan finds out!" Amgalan muttered to himself, he is worried. He is sweating just by running in the full set of lamellar and metal helmet. "If the Khan didn't punish me, then Saran will kill me first!" He knew the terrifying temper when Saran is displeased. Whenever a warrior might have neglected Batu's protection or care, they would be severely scolded like Jargal(Jargal carelessly allowed Batu to fight an actual battle, endangering himself)
Author's note:
-Suo, depending on the characters used, means lock.
-The name Choman is generated by a name generator. I got a bit lazy, but I kind of like that name anyway.
-I have dedicated a good portion of this chapter to showcase how Lei tells Satchiko about Earth Bending. I felt viewing bending as some sort of magic system where people can use elements as weapons is simply not doing enough justice. I often interpret bending as a way to showcase how people live, work and develops based on the elements and how cultures and society built around them. For Air-bending, a user aggressive 'punching' air might be contradictory to the air-bender philosophy of avoiding the enemy attack. For Earth Benders, I referenced took inspiration from Uncle Iroh when he was teaching Zuko about all four elements and its people.
Anonymous guest: given how appart from tenzin and his close family and friend nobody in this fic has ever talked about Korra as a Good Avatar or said something good about her, everybody has criticized Korra and (appart from Tenzin) Nobody has espressed a good opinion on Korra, everybody has espressed a negative opinion on Korra. It seem (whatever is right or not) That Korra is an universally dislike if not hated Avatar, it seem that everytime some talk about Korra (appart from Tenzin or an airbender from canon) or she is mentioned is to say: that she did only mistakes, she is incompetent, that the terrible situation is her fault, she is the worst avatar, Nobody (again appart from Tenzin and Jinora) has expressed a positive opinion on Korra. it seem like only her friend liked her, everone else disliked her at best, so it's not so difficult to understand why people would rever the person that killed her.
Response: I actually introduced Tenzin and his family just so that I can balance it with the negative criticism towards Korra. But you are right, I felt I need to include more people to see Korra more positively that is other than her friends. Right now we are in the Earth Kingdom, and I haven't got much chance to write people who does like Korra and appreciates her accomplishments. I felt the negative criticism towards her cannot just overwrite her accomplishments(like throwing Amon into water and stopping her uncle by becoming a giant version of herself.) While it would be irresponsible to just say she is perfect and all that, it would also be unfair to say that she is a terrible Avatar 100%. It's like the case with Chin the conqueror in my response, I want to depict the way how different people can view a person in a different light. Different perspectives created different opinions. As for the whole thing with people building statues of the Avatar killer, I hope to explain this strange phenomenon in future chapters. I wanted to show what happened in the past to have a lasting effect on the world, not just a few chapters where everyone is sad and all.