A/N: Warning. There is a curse/bad pun towards the end of the first section. You have been warned.
The robed figure limped up to the gate. At first the Fire Nation guards stood alert, thinking perhaps there was at last some fun to be had. Ever since the town's spirit had been broken, duty had been dull. However, as they took in how much this man favored his leg, saw the bandages stained a dark red around his calf, the eye patch, the realized there was no real sport to be had today.
"Halt! Who goes there?"
"Just a weary traveler," the visitor wheezed. "Looking for a place to rest and buy some supplies."
"And how came you by your injury? Are you a soldier of the Earth Kingdom, wounded by the Fire Army?"
The man chuckled. "No, I'm no soldier. A lonely trapper, trying to scrape a living out of the hills until a bear decided to tryto scrape a living out of me. I'm not saying I wouldn't have tried to fight you off if I could, but being born with one eye no army would have taken me. I pray that you'll let me visit a healer and purchase some stores in peace."
The soldiers shared a glance. No threat, no spine, he wasn't even all the fun to bully. "Weapons check, and you can go."
"Of course. Thank you, kind sirs."
The man took off his outer robe, revealing the sturdy leather vest and baggy pants, his tough arms raising some suspicions from the guard. Noting the waterskin held on a strap over one arm, he nodded at the two sticks in the visitor's belt. "And what are those?"
"These?" He pulled one out, offering it for inspection. "They are merely-" Snatching it back before the soldier's fingers closed about it, Tarno flung the fan at the second guard before planting a foot firmly in the midriff of the soldier before him. Spinning, he thumbed open the waterskin and flung out an arm. A jet of water shot out, soaking the readied signal fire just as a flameblast struck it. It steamed, but refused to light.
"Sorry, no one's coming to save you." A hand gesture brought up the last of the water from the skin to block a fireball launched at him, before he pulled the second fan from his sash and attacked the first guard. Ducking under his block, the caught the man behind his shoulders, twisting him to meet his companion's next fireball. Unable to effectively block with one hand, part of his armor caught aflame and he dropped to the ground as Tarno released him. Transferring the fan to his left hand, he stepped on the fallen guard's back and leapt at the last soldier. Another blast of flame was blocked on the brass webbing, then the combat was too close for Bending.
Soon, Tarno was able to throw his opponent, then a heel drop into his gut and he was down. He spun as he stood to reach where the first fan had landed, raising into a fighting stance as the first guard finally beat the flames off his own scorched armor and stood.
An evil smile on his face, the sentrybrought his hands together, pulling them slowly apart as a ball of flame breathed to life. As his hands gently stroked it, it grew, the fire burning white hot in the center. "You're out of water to bend."
Tarno gritted his teeth, then took a deep breath. He let it out in a low hum, and took another. This time, he held both fans open above his head, stretching out to his full height. Lunging forward, he brought both fans down at once with a loud "HA!" of effort.
The Firebender's eyes grew wide with disbelief as a blue curve of Bent air slashed at him. He barely was able to form his fireball into a shield to mitigate the oncoming rush, and was slammed by the backlash into a tree behind him. He slumped to the ground, unconscious.
For a long minute, the Flawed Avatar stood there in silence. His mouth was twisted into a grimace of effort, his breathing labored. He hadn't yet moved from his position at the end of that last form. Finally, his breathing slowed and his body relaxed enough to allow him to stand upright. "I am in control. I am in control. I am in control…" his mantra continued until finally he shook his shoulders, blinked, and appeared to notice his surroundings for the first time. He walked calmly over to his final opponent, still unmoving on the ground, his chest barely moving to breathe. Tarno lashed out with a vengeful foot and kicked him in the side. "Get Bent." And with that, he retrieved his waterskin from the ground, removed the bandages stained with berry juice form his leg, and walked into town.
At the first public house Tarno came to, he walked in, found a mostly empty table, and vaulted onto it. He stood there, arms crossed for a moment. He let silence ripple out, allowed all eyes to take him in. He spoke softly and simply.
"In an hour's time, there will be a commotion at the well. Most of the Fire Guards will be there. Take the chance to escape their grasp, fight back while they have their hands full, warn them and curry favor, or do nothing. That is all."
He stepped down and walked out the door, ignoring the few calls. "What commotion?" "You'll get us all killed!" "Who are you?" Once outside, he paused for a moment and muttered a curse under his breath. He walked down the street to where a small group of children played marbles, and knelt beside them.
"Hey, guys? Can any of you tell me where the well is?"
Several wrong turns later, and barely within the hour he'd given himself, Tarno pulled a bucket up from the well and used it to refill his waterskin. At this point in the afternoon, after chores were done but before it was time to start cooking dinner, it was mostly deserted. The few Fire Nation guards watched him carefully, but made no outward moves of aggression. Apparently their spy network wasn't as good as he'd thought. If there weren't more guards here, his plan wouldn't work out so well. Still, nothing for it but to try.
He began his slow dance, circling the well, moving from form to Waterbending form smoothly, gracefully. The guards noticed this and became more agitated, wondering if it was their job to worry about this or not. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed extra soldiers running from down broad boulevards, a runner making it to the guard station with a message for the sentries on duty. From the way their eyes snapped to him, it was obvious the message was the one he'd left in the pub. Right on time.
As the Fire Army began converging, the well overflowed. Tarno's dance had been pulling it higher and higher, and now gallons spilt over the stone edge, turning the dusty ground to mud, soaking his feet through his sandals, spreading out quickly.
Immediately, several soldiers launched fireballs. With a sweeping kick, Tarno bent a shield of water the fire sizzled out against. Again and again, waves of water were dodged, flames quenched. The first few fire soldiers fell quickly, but the veterans were working together and the tide of battle was turning.
Behind the army, Tarno noticed a family dodge out of their house, hasty bundles strapped to backs, children carried as they dashed for the town gates. He smiled. This one city, seized by the Fire Nation so recently, would be depopulated by nightfall. There would be no more slave labor from this town. Now if only he could make it out of here alive…
He knew what he'd have to do to survive this battle, knew it when he'd made this plan. Emotions warred within him, clashing like his eyes as he slipped off the eyepatch. Regret at what he'd have to do, elation at the anticipation, disgust at his own elation. He was of two minds, as he was about everything. The tragedy of being Flawed.
Today was a day stories would be told about. As he Bent air to deflect a fireball at another soldier, he couldn't stop a mad shriek from escaping his throat.
"And you wouldn't believe what happened next! Well, the demons he'd summoned out of the mist were holding down poor Moji, but he was still able to help Pato fight him off. Oh, I'll never know how they did it, but my brave Pato was able to drive that Flawed Avatar into the mist, and rescue his friends from certain death. I only fear that now Pato is back in the army, we're unprotected if the Flawed One comes back for revenge."
The little old lady sitting at the table put a hand to her mouth, eyes open wide in amazement. "You don't say… Oh, deary me, is no one safe these days? I'll try to spread the word. What did you say he looked like again?" She pulled a wisp of her graying hair out of her face, tucking it neatly into her bun.
"Oh, Obaa-san, I hadn't meant to frighten you. Don't you worry, if you see him, you just run to the nearest Earth Soldiers. They'll protect you. Well let's see… I told you he was tall…"
"How tall? What part of the doorway was his head past when he walked through?"
"Oh… I'd say, do you see that knot on it? Maybe a bit above that."
"Do forgive my interruption. Go on."
"Well, and the eyepatch of course, but that was just to disguise his eyes. And he wore a light colored robe, and his dark hair was kind of spiky on the top."
"Did you see which way he left town?"
"Well he was headed east, but who can really say? He might have doubled back through the mist. There's no way to tell, really."
"That's a blessing; I'm headed west. Thank you, my dear one." She counted out a few coins and pressed them with slightly shaking hands into Makka's. "For the room last night, for the breakfast this morning, and for the warning. I must be on my way to my grandson's, but if I ever stop through this town again I'll be sure to see you." Smiling up at the girl, the expression wrinkling her face even more, the woman took her cane and hobbled out the door.
She stepped into an alley across the way. There were a few minutes of careful silence, and soon a man walked out, headed the opposite direction of the old lady. He turned, smiling and nodding to Makka, who was now out sweeping the front of the inn.
Had anyone looked in his backpack, they'd have found a shawl very much like the one the old lady had worn. They would also have found a twist of horsehair, dyed gray, and a rag coated in make-up. A small ornamental knob which, attached to the simple stick he'd first found in the woods, and just now left behind in the alley, would look like an heirloom cane.
So let's see... Short dark hair, about five-ten if the girl's word could be trusted, and headed east. If the pattern was followed, he'd've turned north outside of town. Whistling a mesmerizing tune, he walked out of town towards the east, eyes cast to the dirt, idly scanning for footprints.