Chapter 9: Blood Moon, Part One

The moon's light was shining at its fullest tonight, illuminating the snow-covered ground with a gentle luminescence. The poignant natural beauty was somewhat upset by two figures tearing through the tundra.

Sen and Ariak were taking full advantage of the full moon's power, employing their waterbending at its fullest potential. For Sen, who excelled in his technique but was often lackluster in raw power, the surge of energy was an enlightening experience. He felt no different personally, but the air around him was pulsing with energy just waiting to be harnessed.

The two waterbenders tested their new potential with a duel that rocked the frozen ice sheets of the polar tundra. Enhanced by the power of the full moon, they were capable of feats that they could only dream about on any other day. Massive pillars of water and glacial hammers of ice tore across the tundra in a frozen clash.

Even with all this power at his back, Sen could not help but adopt a more strategic fighting style. Ariak was a straightforward brawler; his attacks came hard and fast. Sen was more patient and analytical. He never struck the first blow, choosing instead to wait for an opportunity, any opening in his opponents guard. While this lack of initiative occasionally left him vulnerable, when Sen did strike, he struck hard. Ariak would launch a dozen attacks to little effect, while Sen would use only one, and that single attack was devastating.

Ariak prepared to launch a flurry of ice spikes, and he took a step backwards to get into the proper stance. Sen's keen eyes zeroed in on a slight misstep, and he took his opportunity. He froze the snow beneath Ariak's feet into a solid layer of ice, throwing his sparring partner off balance long enough for Sen to strike. A pillar of snow rose from the ground beneath Ariak, catching him in the chest as he leaned forward to regain his balance. The snowy hammer launched Ariak upwards slightly, knocking him into the air.

Even as he struck Ariak, Sen also prepared to help him. He moved a large snow bank beneath Ariak, catching him on powdery snow as he fell to the ground. Ariak reoriented himself after his sudden fall and got to his feet, brushing the snow off of his coat. Sen allowed him the time to recover; it was pretty clear he'd won that round.

"You never disappoint, Avatar," Ariak said. He brushed the last of the white powder off his coat and walked over to Sen. He seemed to be in a good mood. Ariak was always very monotone, but Sen could hear some hints of happiness in his voice.

"I try my best," Sen said. He warped the snow and ice into a chair for himself and sat down. He had once thought he'd never get used to the cold, but now sitting on a throne of ice was no big deal. He wondered how he'd feel going back to warmer climates. Ariak remained standing as he spoke.

"It's been a long time since I've really been able to enjoy the full moon," Ariak said. The brief hint of joy faded from his voice. "When I was a Shorewatcher the lunar apex was dedicated to the most dangerous hunts or the council meetings."

"It makes sense," Sen said. "Criminals up here at their most dangerous at the full moon. Law enforcement should be vigilant."

"Your approval of the Shorewatchers continually surprises me, you know," Ariak said. He swayed slightly in the chilling breeze as he spoke.

"I wouldn't call it approval so much as acceptance," Sen explained. "I don't agree with their methods, but I can't deny that they've done good things for the North. I just leave it be."

Sen looked up at Ariak and cracked a slight smile.

"Besides, you were a Shorewatcher once," He said warmly. "They can't be all bad."

Ariak was as frozen as the tundra for a moment. Sen could feel the subtle shifts in his mood.

"We have not often spoken of my time as a Shorewatcher, have we?"

"I was waiting for it to come up," Sen said. "I know it must be very uncomfortable for you."

"Thank you for your understanding. This is a difficult time for me."

The full moon hovered overhead. Sen felt an uncanny familiarity with Ariak for a moment. He was in the same position that Sen had once been nearly two years ago; lost, deprived of his guidance, clinging to whoever could lead him.

"You know, Ariak," Sen said, standing up. "I don't want to push you to something you're not comfortable with. But I'm going to have to."

"Excuse me?"

Sen looked at Ariak and gave him a stern look.

"If there's one thing I've learned, it's that these problems catch up to you. Often at the worst possible time. I know that you aren't ready to explain what happened with your sister, I know that you aren't ready to face what you did as a Shorewatcher."

Ariak was unmoving. Sen gestured towards Ariak's chest, right in front of his heart.

"But I think it's better for you to do it now, instead of letting it come at you unexpectedly. I know it's going to hurt. But when it comes to this kind of stuff it's better to take the hit on your terms. Don't let it sneak up on you, Ariak."

His eyes darted and his lip shifted slightly, as if Ariak was thinking about saying something. It never came to fruition. Under the silver gaze of the full moon, the two of them stood in silence, Ariak standing on the edge of a decision, Sen waiting for him expectantly. He ended up waiting for a long time. Ariak's face never betrayed it for an instant, but there was absolute chaos inside of him.

"I will require time," Ariak said. "Not much. A day, at most. I simply need to…collect my thoughts. To speak to my brother. Just one day."

Sen resisted the urge to shake his head. Part of him wanted to lecture Ariak on making excuses. Another part wanted to let him have his one day.

"You'd be surprised what can happen in one day," Sen said. He'd decided to let Ariak off with a warning. "But if you think that's what you need, fine. We'll have this discussion later."

Ariak nodded and turned his back on the Avatar, turning towards the North Pole. Sen hesitated slightly.

"I'm sorry if I'm seeming harsh," Sen said. He had been a bit firm recently. He softened his voice and spoke on friendlier terms. "I'm just trying to do right by you."

"I understand perfectly, Avatar," Ariak said. Sen noticed that hint of surrender in his voice, Ariak's instant acceptance of authority. Sen would have to break him of that habit. Not tonight, though. Ariak just wanted one more day.

Having spent a good portion of the previous night gallivanting through the tundra, Sen woke up late the next day. His muscles ached. The temporary power surge of the full moon was gone, that much was certain. Sen was still exhausted even after a full night's sleep. He was not looking forward to his conversation with Ariak.

Sen went downstairs and found it oddly silent. He proceeded into the common room of Yakkul's home. He found Ada sitting alone, looking quite frustrated. She seemed glad to see him.

"Sen, good timing," She said. "There might be some trouble with Ariak."

With a heavy sigh, Sen rubbed the bridge of his nose in frustration.

"Something to do with the Shorewatchers, I'm guessing."

"How did you-"

"Because it's at the most inconvenient possible time, so what else could it be," Sen said with a shrug. "What's going on?"

"You remember Surma, one of the Huntsmen? She came for a visit," Ada said. She nodded towards another room, where she and Ariak were speaking. "She said it was a social call-"

"But the Shorewatchers aren't known for being social, are they?"

"Not by a long shot."

Sen sat down on the couch and contemplated what this could mean. There was no way that Surma was here on a friendly visit. Just last night the Huntsmen had been meeting to discuss all the most important matters that faced the Shorewatchers. Somehow, Ariak was connected to that.

This was not going to end well for any of them. Getting back in touch with the Shorewatchers would only make it harder for Ariak to distance himself from his unpleasant history. This would erase a lot of time and effort. Not to mention whatever new conundrum that Surma was bringing with her. All in all, Ariak was in for a rough time.

The two of them waited patiently for a while, sitting together in silence while they waited for Ariak and Surma to finish talking. After a point it became clear that they were going to be waiting for a long time.

"Suda's at the hospital?"

Sen wanted to know where the rest of his team was. There was a decent chance that the Shorewatchers might be bringing trouble with them.

"Maybe. He left when the Huntsman showed up. Just didn't want to be here."

"Fantastic," Sen said. "So we've got Whistler on hand, then."

"If we can wake her up," Ada said.

"Surprise, nerds," Whistler said. She launched herself through the air and landed on the couch between the two of. She hung her arms around their shoulders in a mock gesture of friendship. "I sensed that my presence would be inconvenient, so naturally I showed up immediately."

"Well you need to adjust your settings, because I was actually hoping you'd show up," Sen said. Whistler groaned. "We may have a situation on our hands. Could be nothing, could be something."

"Well I'm already out of bed," Whistler sighed. "Guess I can help out."

"I'll try not to give you anything important to do," Sen said. Whistler gave a quick thumbs up and then leaned her head back on the couch, trying to relax.

They waited for another long span of time. Sen considered approaching Surma and Ariak's conversation to get a sense of what was going on, but that would be eavesdropping. Hopefully Ariak would fill them in once he was done speaking. Sen tapped his foot on the ground anxiously. That only agitated Gun, so Sen just put his feet up on the coffee table and waited.

After a long wait, Surma and Ariak finally stopped talking to each other and entered the room the rest of them were waiting in. Ariak looked deeply ashamed of himself. Surma had a look of concern on her face, partially for him, partially for the entire city.

"Hello again," Surma said, looking at Sen. Their last meeting had been less than ideal. "I wish I could visit under better circumstances."

"Is this not a social visit," Whistler said sarcastically.

"No," Surma said, with audible frustration. "No, it is not. I am here to give Ariak – and the rest of you- a warning. The Red Moon have returned."

There was an astounding lack of reaction from Sen and the rest. The name Red Moon meant nothing to them. Surma turned to Ariak, and he shook his head.

"You haven't told them?"

"Apparently not," Whistler said. Ariak shook his head again.

"I'll leave that to you, then," Surma said awkwardly. "It was good to see you again, Ariak."

Ariak nodded slightly and said a hesitant goodbye to Surma. He was left staring down a crowd of very expectant friends. It took Ariak a moment to place his words.

"The Red Moon are a group of slavers," Ariak began. Whistler's eye twitched visibly. Ariak began to pace back and forth as he continued. The stress was evident on his face.

"They used bloodbending to abduct their victims every full moon. This carried on for several months, until I found them and put an end to them. But that was all years ago."

"So how are they back now?"

"I don't know. It's been nearly a year and a half. Surma thinks they may be a copycat group. I'm not so sure."

Sen nodded slightly. That explained why Ariak was so personally worried about this incident. One of the only good things he had accomplished as a Shorewatcher might have been completely pointless.

"How did you fight a group of bloodbenders in the first place?" Ada asked. "I thought only your father and Kyros knew how to bloodbend."

"I caught up to them once the full moon had passed," Ariak said. "I-"

Ariak choked on his words and hesitated for a moment. He wrung his hands together nervously.

"I ambushed them. And I dealt with them."

"You mean you killed them," Whistler said.

"Whistler!"

Ariak closed his eyes and bowed his head. Sen could scold her all he wanted, it did nothing to change the truth of her words. Ariak had still been a loyal Shorewatcher then. He had followed his Huntmasters orders: aim for the heart.

At the time it had been a proud moment for him. He had wiped out a dangerous threat that no other hunter had been able to deal with. He had even been promoted to the rank of Huntsman for his work. All the pride and accolades seemed so very hollow now. The Red Moon had returned, and Ariak's efforts had meant nothing. Whistler could see exactly what he was thinking.

"However many of them you killed, it wasn't enough," Whistler said accusingly. She turned her back on Ariak and stormed back to her room. The remaining three watched her go in silence. Ariak took a moment to collect himself after her departure.

"Why do you keep her around?" Ariak was consistently shocked that Sen called Whistler a friend.

"She has her moments," Sen sighed. "Forgive her, she doesn't really like slavers. Or you."

Ariak shook off her cruel words easily enough. He didn't care much about what Whistler had to say anyway. He was more concerned with Sen's opinion.

"This case is obviously a matter of concern for me," Ariak said. "I asked Surma to keep me updated. Beyond that…any action we take is up to you."

Sen rested his hand on his chin and thought about it for a moment. Bloodbending slavers were obviously nothing to take lightly. Bloodbending was one of the most dangerous talents in existence, and abusing it to kidnap people was even worse. Sen's first instinct was to put the Red Moon down hard, but he had to second guess himself.

"Do the Shorewatchers have a plan to handle it?"

"Naturally. This is their top priority now. Kyros and Tikaani will be overseeing the hunt personally."

They were the only two bloodbenders the Shorewatchers had, so it made sense. No government wanted bloodbending to become a common talent, but they also couldn't eradicate it completely, lest a single rogue bloodbender become completely unstoppable. A handful of bloodbenders across the world acted as an internal police force.

"Did Surma give you any details about the case?"

"Very few," Ariak said. "Seeing as I am no longer a Shorewatcher…I am not entitled to receive information on their investigations. My father is handling everything."

"And what if he can't?"

"I don't know," Ariak said. "The first time the Red Moon struck, it was difficult for the Shorewatchers to track them. They'd studied us very well, they knew how to evade us. After a few months, the Huntsmen suspended normal operating procedure; we were allowed to act however we wished. That's when I caught up to them."

"That sounds suspiciously like there was a spy in your ranks," Ada suggested.

"We thought so too," Ariak said. "But we conducted every kind of examination possible, even calling in truth-seers, and found nothing. The Red Moon were just very good at observing our patterns of movement."

"And with a year and a half to practice in secret, they may have gotten even better," Ada said.

Sen tapped his feet slightly. If the old pattern repeated itself, then the Shorewatchers might not be able to handle the Red Moon after all.

"I'm not eager to get any of us involved," Sen began. "I'm still hoping that the Shorewatchers will pull through. But if they don't, it might need our attention after all."

That significantly improved Ariak's mood. Ada seemed glad to have something to do as well.

"Don't anyone charge into danger right away," Sen cautioned. "But, Ariak, you should be keeping in touch with any contacts you have left in the Shorewatchers. Find out as much as you can. If we get involved, and I do mean if, I want to know as much as possible."

"I can help with that," Ada said. She stood up. "Ko Rin has some contacts in the North."

"Is there any place that guy isn't sticking his fingers," Sen jokingly questioned. It wasn't as much of a joke to Ada.

"I'm starting to wonder," She said cryptically. She left before Sen had the chance to question her. Sen turned his attention back to Ariak.

"I'll be looking into some things myself," Sen said. "We're all on the same page, then?"

"Yes. Prepare, but don't act," Ariak said with a nod.

"Good. In the best case scenario, the Shorewatchers will handle it," Sen said. "But we are going to be ready if it comes to us."

Ariak nodded, and the two parted ways.

The weeks went by, and the full moon drew closer. Word of the Red Moon's return had spread, and even though the full moon had yet to come, people began to cower in fear of the encroaching danger. The lights of the city were darkened as innocent citizens cowered in their homes. The full moon was tomorrow night, and tensions had reached their peak.

To see all this happening put a sickly feeling in Sen's stomach. Part of him regretted not getting more involved in the Red Moon case. If the Shorewatchers didn't pull through this coming full moon, somebody else was going to get abducted.

Letho had been kind enough to share the Shorewatchers plan with Ariak; they would have hunters standing guard at nearly every street in the North Pole, watching for any signs of suspicious activity. Kyros and Tinaaki were stationed at the very center of the city, equidistant from every point in the North Pole, ready to respond to the first sign of a threat. The preparations were already under way, and Shorewatchers patrolled every street.

Despite the tension in the streets, Sen found his way to Taina's tutoring session at his usual early time. He would not be studying his usual material today. Rather than a stack of books on architecture, physics, and mathematics, he had retraced his own footsteps and found the texts on the Shorewatchers that he had once given to Alrok, along with one other book on a subject that was a bit taboo.

The morning dragged onwards, and Taina, as usual, appeared to begin her preparations for the day. She walked over to greet Sen, but she hesitated slightly when she saw what he was reading. She offered him a polite but very brief good morning and then stomped back to her desk. She wasn't a very large girl, so her stomping was a bit lackluster. Sen returned to his book.

Most of what he found was historical texts, but not quite the history he was looking for. The books contained a great deal of information on important hunts and notable Shorewatchers throughout history, but Sen had little interest in any of that. He wanted to know where the Shorewatchers had come from, what their methods were, how their organization worked. He might have simply asked Ariak, but Sen had the feeling that Ariak didn't particularly feel like talking about Shorewatchers right now. Ariak didn't feel much like talking at all, in fact: Sen had completely abandoned his plans to have Ariak confront his problems at this point. There was just too much going on for them to have a proper heart-to-heart.

Alrok was the next one to show up. Sen surprised them all by waving for Alrok's attention and calling him over. Alrok seemed just as surprised as Taina to see that Sen was reading up on the Shorewatchers, but he didn't reject it quite as strongly. Alrok sat down next to Sen and picked at the pages of the nearest book.

"What's going on, buddy?"

"You read all these books, right?"

"I skimmed 'em," Alrok said. He had a reputation to maintain. Couldn't let too many people know he'd actually read a whole book.

"Is there one that talks about where they came from? Like, their founding?"

"Uhh, this one, I think, or maybe it was this one," Alrok said, picking out two of the books Sen had. "Definitely one of the two. Why do you ask?"

"I'm just trying to understand them," Sen said. The Shorewatchers still presented a complex problem for him. He agreed and disagreed with them in equal measure. He needed to figure out where he, and they, stood. Sen had a sinking feeling that he would be crossing paths with them sooner rather than later.

"Well, you know, good luck with that," Alrok said. He no longer felt quite so antagonistic towards Sen, but they still didn't have much to talk about. Sen was perfectly fine with him leaving. Alrok began to bother Taina, distracting the both of them enough that Sen could move on to the book that he was the most interested in.

Making sure to hide the title from anyone around him, Sen began to skim the pages of "The Art of Bloodbending".

The slight scrape of metal against metal was the only common sound. Ada was maintaining her swords, out of habit more than necessity. If anything happened with the Red Moon, she would be next to useless, but then again, so would anyone. Sen was the only one who had a chance of resisting bloodbending. As long as the full moon hung in the sky, the rest of them were effectively powerless to stop the Red Moon.

"This is a load of garbage," Whistler mumbled to herself. Thanks to their preparations, she had been awake much more than usual. It was not the lack of sleep that bothered her, though. It was the lack of action. Though her violent urges were more restrained nowadays, she was still quite eager to beat up a few slavers.

"Patience, Whistler," Ada cautioned.

"Don't you start lecturing me now," Whistler said, half-joking. She still wasn't used to taking orders from people.

The two of them had been working together to prepare for the coming full moon as best they could. Yakkul had left days ago, to assist the Shorewatchers in coordinating against the Red Moon, so he had left Kunik and Ada in charge. Kunik took care of the students while Ada, with Whistler's help, looked after the Avatar and his resources.

Ariak had been surprisingly uninvolved with the entire process. Ada made sure to give him his space. The only person he'd had any interest in talking to for the past few weeks had been Tlun. Even with his brother, he was restrained, never fully speaking his mind.

Tlun watched as Ariak paced nervously back and forth across the room. A large window gave Ariak a good view of the city below them. He could feel the tension and fear in the air. He had been a guardian of this city once, now he was merely a spectator to its suffering. But maybe that was what he needed to be. Apparently his work as a "guardian" he been lacking.

"I feel useless," Ariak admitted. He clenched his fists tight and pressed them against the windowsill.

"You still have the chance to do something," Tlun assured.

"It's not about what I can do," Ariak grunted. He turned his back on the window. "It's about what I should do. And what I shouldn't."

The day of the hunt still burned in Ariak's memory. All the silent stalking, the hunting, creeping up on the unsuspecting slavers from behind…and then striking for the heart, just as his father had taught him. It was the first time he had ever really used his spear. He could still remember the faces of the vile slavers.

"I feel like I should have a spear in my hands," Ariak said, clutching at an ethereal weapon. "Like I should be hunting the Red Moon down, not sitting here waiting for them to strike."

"That's only natural," Tlun advised. "You are a hunter."

"I don't want to be a hunter," Ariak said, frustrated. "I've been a hunter before, and nothing I did mattered! I stalked the Red Moon, I struck their heart, and it meant nothing!"

"Ariak, that's not true," Tlun said. "You saved people from slavery, it took the Red Moon years to recover from what you did. You did the right thing."

"It's hard to feel that way," Ariak shot back. "I did terrible –I've never agreed with what I've had to do, but I thought it at least had a purpose, that I was making things better."

He sighed and crossed his arms. Arctic winds were blowing outside the window. It was unnaturally cold, even for the North.

"Everything I did, all the lives I took, all for nothing."

Ariak looked at his brother. He was not sure what he knew, or pretended to know, any more. Ariak's world had been an uncertain place for a long time, mostly because of Tlun. The words that Sen had spoken to him weeks ago echoed in Ariak's head. Maybe it was better to confront Tlun, instead of waiting and dancing around the subject.

"Tlun…When are we going to talk about you? About Tsunatak?"

Tlun bit his lip, and took a few steps backwards. Ariak stared forward, disappointed but not surprised. Tlun had always had a problem with running away. A sharp, cold breeze raised a flurry of snow outside the window. The snow moved –and not only because of the wind.

Halfway across the compound, Whistler's hands twitched rapidly. She instinctively reached for her staff, but she did not make it in time.

A single whip of water crashed through the window in a flurry of broken glass. In less than a second the tendril of water wrapped itself around Ariak's chest and pulled him backwards through the broken window. Had Tlun not taken those few steps back, he might have been able to grab Ariak and hold him in place, but as it was, Tlun only grasped briefly at Ariak's arm before he was torn away. Stunned by the sudden activity, Tlun only managed to scream for help.

Ada was the first to dive into the courtyard, with Whistler close on her heels. There was no time wasted wondering why and how the attack had come before the full moon. Without the full moon overhead, there would be no bloodbending, and that meant they had a fighting chance. Ariak was being dragged across the courtyard by disguised slavers, towards a truck equipped with large, heavy treads.

Ariak was restrained, but not helpless. He could not see his captors from his position, but he struck out at them all the same. Though his aimless attacks were largely ineffective, they did delay the Red Moon slightly.

Quickly noticing that they were being followed, two of the Red Moon broke off from the rest and prepared to stand their ground. Ada drew her swords.

"I'll handle it," she shouted. "Keep after Ariak."

Whistler nodded. When the time came to clash with the two Red Moon slavers, Whistler leapt right over their heads, soaring right over the fight. The two slavers were briefly confused by her agility, but not for very long.

Ada struck the two slavers hard and fast, wishing to return to the pursuit as fast as possible. The new blade Yakkul had forged for her cut through the air like a bolt of lightning, slicing right through the crude fisherman's spear that one slaver wielded. That was the most resistance Ada ever encountered. The two were not well-trained opponents, and she went through them quickly.

Whistler was giving chase to Ariak and his captors, but it was difficult to keep up. They had the advantage of waterbending, and could shape the frozen terrain to their advantage. Whistler could easily go over and around the walls they created, but even that cost her time and distance.

Ariak's captors tossed him into the truck with a heavy throw, slamming him against the metal interior. Whistler lunged forward just and jammed her staff between the metal doors just as they closed, briefly keeping them from latching closed.

The truck jerked forward as it began to drive away, and Whistler's grip on her staff slipped. She kept the metal rod firmly in place between the doors, but she was not in a good position right now. It wouldn't take much for her to fall. The Red Moon realized this as soon as they realized their doors hadn't closed entirely. From the inside, they threw the doors wide open, releasing the tension that held Whistler's staff in place. She fell to the ground as the truck drove away.

A crowd of curious spectators and investigating Shorewatchers had gathered along the streets. Some gave chase as the truck sped away. Whistler picked herself up off the ground and stood in place. There was no point chasing now. The best thing to do was regroup, and try to deal with this mess.

Suda was the last to return, to see the mess that had consumed Yakkul's compound. Shorewatchers and local police were fighting for control of the crime scene. Dozens of people were scouring every inch of the scene, trying to examine every footstep and shard of broken glass. Suda tried to find a familiar face. Ada, Whistler and Tlun were all being interrogated, so he looked around until he found Sen.

The Avatar was standing in the middle of the chaotic mess, resting his hand on his chin. The courtyard of Yakkul's home was crowded with people, but there was an oddly empty space around Sen. There was a storm brewing inside Sen's head. People could feel that, and they gave it a wide berth.

"You alright, Sen?"

The answer was obvious, but Suda still had to ask. This was a bad situation, especially for Sen. He was still dealing with Hanjo's continued captivity; he would not be happy to see Ariak imprisoned as well.

"We'll all be better once we get Ariak back," Sen said. He seemed to be talking to someone other than Suda. Sen tilted his head slightly to look over his shoulder.

The chaotic investigation was cut like a knife as Shorewatchers and local police stepped aside in kind. From the wound in the crowd stepped forth Tinaaki, flanked at his right by Kyros the Blood. They stepped into the small circle of space that Sen had created and stared down the Avatar.

"What's become of my son?"