Chapter 14: The Second Culling
Some winter sports enthusiasts called falling into the snow "eating powder". Ariak was beginning to see why. He spat out a mouthful of snow and got to his feet again.
Sen was pacing back and forth, waiting impatiently for Ariak to be ready again. He had been in a fighting mood lately, and not just with Ariak. He'd harassed nearly everyone he knew at some point in the past few days. Suda, Ada, he'd even pried Whistler out of her bed long enough for a sparring match, and then he'd gone after Master Yakkul and even Kunik.
"Try something new this time," Sen commanded. "Even if you think it won't work, just try it."
"I don't think anything will work," Ariak grunted. He might have been able to hold his own a few weeks ago, but Sen's skills had since surpassed Ariak's.
"Just try it," Sen said. "I need to be ready for anything."
He heard the footsteps behind him easily enough, but the blow aimed at his head was a little harder to detect. Sen bent at the waist to avoid the strike, and he quickly put distance between himself and his new attacker.
Whistler got her staff back to her side and braced it against her shoulder. She was glaring at Sen, her frustration clearly visible.
"Well, apparently you were ready for that," Whistler grunted. "What's your problem, anyway?"
"Oh, you know, usual teenager things, hormones, girls, homocidal maniac threatening to kill me and everyone I love, homework," Sen said. "Not necessarily in that order."
"Your sarcasm is impressive," Whistler said with a nod. "I have taught you well."
"This is serious, Sen," Ada said. "Is there something wrong?"
Sen held up his hands, then pulled it back down to his waist. He paced back and forth a few more times. He looked around at his gathered friends. The fact that they had all clustered around him said that they were quite concerned for his well-being.
"One more time, to take the edge off," Sen said. Whistler and Ada shared a very unenthusiastic look. "One more, and then I promise I'll explain everything."
Ada shrugged. One more sparring match wouldn't hurt.
"Who do you want to fight this time?"
"All of you," Sen said. The members of Sen's team looked back and forth between themselves in confusion.
"All four of you at once," Sen clarified. He pointed at Suda and then swept his finger across the rest of them. "Every one of you comes at me at the same time."
Sen was quick to ready himself for a fight. It took a bit longer for the rest of them to get onboard, and then a little longer as they discussed strategy. Sen waited patiently while they prepared themselves. Eventually they all got into position around him. Whistler, quite characteristically, decided to begin at Sen's back, out of sight, while the rest fanned out in front of him.
"Hit me when you're ready," Sen said, beckoning them to strike.
The four challengers shared a quick glance and a nod. Whistler struck from behind with air, while Suda and Ariak stroke from the sides with water and earth. Ada shot right down the middle with her sword ready.
Sen dodged the first blows by vanishing underground. Gun looked at him curiously for a moment as the bolts of earth, water, and air passed harmlessly above the surface of the soil. Sen was quick to follow the set of rapid footsteps and track down Ada. He emerged from the earth just to her left.
Eliminating Ada and Suda was his first priority. They were the most coordinated of his friends, and if the two worked together, they could possibly overpower him through numbers. Luckily that synchronization came with weaknesses.
Sen's first strike went for Ada's feet, aiming to disrupt her stance. He knew that stance and footwork were the most important aspects of swordplay, and by controlling those, he could control Ada. With Sen on her left and her sword in her right hand, Sen had a moment before he was in reach of her blades. He quickly summoned a sweeping lash of water to strike Ada's legs out from under her, sending her falling to the ground.
Before Ada had even hit the ground, Sen turned his attention to Suda. The metalbending master was possibly the most powerful of Sen's companions, but his protective instincts were a glaring weakness. He was too concerned with protecting his friends, and watching Ada fall set him off guard. Sen sent a boulder flying at Suda's stomach, knocking him backwards. It would take more than one strike to take a juggernaut like Suda down, but it was a start.
Taking down the titan was temporarily delayed by Whistler's aerial attack. She came from above, putting gravity behind her strikes, and Sen was hard-pressed to dodge it. While Sen was on the defensive, Ariak attempted to seize the advantage, but Sen's reflexes were fast enough for him to neutralize the attack. He kicked up a wall of flame, just to obstruct Ariak's vision, while he dealt with Whistler.
Whistler leaned on her staff when it came to offense, using it for sweeping blows of airbending and for physical strikes with the heavy metal shaft. Sen moved in to face her at short distances, risking a few close calls with her staff, but setting up for his next move at the same time.
The next time Whistler struck out with her staff, Sen rolled with the blow, feigning a hit. Thinking that she had struck true, Whistler's sadism kicked in, and she immediately readied herself for a follow-up attack, planting her feet firmly off the ground. As soon as her stance had solidified, Sen slammed his foot down, calling up a pillar of earth beneath her that launched her into the air. Whistler always struck harder when she saw a weakness to exploit, and that extra aggressiveness overcame her defensive reflexes. With Whistler still in mid-air, Sen slammed her to the ground with a pillar of air from above, and he turned his attention back to Suda.
With Ada still down, Sen could not exploit his protective instincts a second time, but Suda was still reeling from the first boulder to the stomach. His experience as a bandit had taught him how to deal with fire, water, and earth, but Suda was still unprepared for airbending. A few whirling cyclones set him off balance and then a single hammer burst of air was all it took to knock Suda off his feet.
That only left Ariak, who, after getting beaten several times today and having watched all his friends get beaten in less than a minute, was not feeling too confident. Sen raised a boulder from the ground behind Ariak and struck him in the back with it. Ariak was best when his quarry was right in front of him; attacking from unexpected angles was a quick way to take him down.
Sen looked around. Ada was already back on her feet, but she showed no signs of wanting to continue the match. Whistler and the rest were still groaning on the ground. For a moment Sen believed he'd vanquished his entire team, but one member had slipped his mind
With a rumble from the ground below, Gun burst forth, catching Sen in his jaws playfully. He shook Sen around a few times before depositing his master on the ground gently. Gun sniffed at Sen as he started to laugh.
"Okay Gun, you win," Sen said. He had hardly expected his Animal Guide to want to join the fight. Gun rubbed his broad forehead against Sen a few times before returning to the soil. He didn't like to be above ground for long in this cold climate. Sen stood up and shook off some of Gun's slobber before it started to freeze.
"I was expecting that to go slightly better," Whistler admitted. They had all gotten their butts kicked separately, but she'd figured they'd be able to beat him together.
"Man, why are you the one who still needs practice," Suda grunted.
"Come on now, you're all really good," Sen said encouragingly. "I just know all your weak spots."
"That's very kind of you to say," Ada said sarcastically. "Now, I believe you owe us some answers?"
Sen waited for them all to regain their footing and gather in front of him before he continued. He also took some time to pick the appropriate words. He felt like this was quite close to being a momentous occasion. He needed to be able to give a speech if it came to that. For now, it was just him and his friends, so he kept his tone more relaxed.
"I've been thinking a lot lately, about what I can do to really prepare to be the Avatar."
Suda nodded. It was a difficult question to answer, enough to cause severe stress all on its own.
"For a long time now I haven't been able to come up with more than a handful of ideas. At first I was upset, I thought I was missing something."
Sen clenched his fists tightly for a second and then tucked his hands behind his back. He looked around at his friends before he continued.
"Then I realized: Maybe the reason I can't think of anything to do to prepare…is because there isn't anything left to do."
The Avatar looked them all over and nodded slightly.
"I think it's time."
There was a pregnant pause. Ada leaned forward slightly to break the silence.
"No more training," She said. "No more hiding. You're going to let the world know?"
"Yeah," Sen said with a smile. "I've got just one or two more things to do, and then –Yeah."
Though each and every one of them had a smile on their faces now, it was all for very different reasons.
"I can visit home again," Ada said.
"I'll finally get to be the hero I've wanted to be," Suda sighed happily.
"I can make up for my mistakes," Ariak said stoically.
"Man, we are going to beat up so many people," Whistler said, pumping her fist enthusiastically.
"I'm sure you all have some things you need to do to prepare," Sen said.
"The first thing we should do is break out Hanjo," Ada said, getting slightly ahead of herself.
"Well, if we're getting the whole team back together I say we start with the one that isn't in prison," Suda suggested. "We should call in Miyani."
"That's actually a good place to start," Sen said. "We can find her, and finish preparing while we wait to regroup."
"She's likely still in the South," Ariak said. "Kesuk has been dealing with her; we can likely contact him to find Miyani."
"Sounds like a plan," Sen said. A few other plans were proposed; Ada would get in touch with Ko Rin to track down Hanjo, Suda needed to wrap up his work at the hospital, Whistler would take care of any loose ends in the North. Sen nodded along in time with the conversation, but his mind was elsewhere.
The conversation went on for quite a while, well into the dark of night. The electric buzz of excitement was tangible in the air as they prepared to make their stand. Sen glanced up at the full moon overhead, and he smiled. It was time.
The full moon was a less inviting sight over the granite hall of the Shorewatchers. The North had been quiet in recent months, and the council of Huntsmen found itself scarcely occupied. It did not suit them well. The Shorewatchers were men and women of action, not well accustomed to sitting around.
Tinaaki had been reluctant to make any overt moves since his first meeting with the Avatar. He had been hoping to consolidate his forces, waiting patiently for the Avatar to make his move and spark the full-scale war against the Energybender. It got harder and harder to keep his men on a leash as the months went by. They were chomping at the bit, desiring a battle. Tinaaki was beginning to reconsider his position.
An idle discussion between impatient Huntsmen meandered on below Tinaaki's seat as two Huntsmen discussed recent crime rates. Tinaaki's attention gradually drifted, and he listened to the shrill wind howl outside the window.
Tinaaki had been behind his desk for a long time, but his hunter's instinct remained. He knew the sound that the arctic wind made blowing across the tundra. This was not it. The wind had a pattern. It had a goal.
The Huntsmaster held up a firm hand, silencing the discussion. As one, the Huntsmen quieted their voices and their breathing, taking the low, shallow breaths of a predator stalking its prey. With the chamber locked in silence, the unnatural howling of the wind outside was made more apparent.
Then the violence began. Crashing, screaming, shouts of pain. The Huntsmen scrambled to take up their spears. The grates were opened, flooding the Huntsmen's chamber with water, arming them further for the coming conflict.
"Who would be fool enough to attack us under the full moon?" Tinaaki wondered aloud.
"Who would be strong enough to succeed," Surma wondered. The sound of conflict had not stopped. There were many Shorewatchers here tonight, all of them well armed and vigilant. For an attack to go on this long was discomforting. It meant that their attackers were equally strong –or perhaps stronger.
"We are Shorewatchers," Tinaaki shouted. "Whatever happens, we stand our ground."
The Huntsmen made ready their defense, watching the door carefully for any signs of movement. A few expressed a desire to charge into the halls and fight their enemy head on, but Tinaaki held them back. A defensive strategy was more effective in this case.
With spears pointed at the doorway, the Huntsmen prepared to make their stand as footsteps echoed in the halls ahead. The door to the chamber soon slammed open. It was no enemy, but a haggard lieutenant, his coat torn and bloodied by battle, staggering through the door.
"It's Sarin," The lieutenant shouted. "The Energybender is here!"
Tinaaki took a step back.
"We need to retreat," Surma said immediately. "We can't handle the Energybender."
"We are at our strongest now," Tinaaki said, regaining his composure. "We must protect our people."
"If we stay here we are all going to die," Surma said. She prepared to lodge a further protest, but Kyros took her by the arm and pulled her aside.
"Take whoever will go with you and retreat," he commanded. "Some of us will stay to stand with the Huntsmaster."
"But you'll die," Surma protested.
Kyros looked at her, and his eyes said that he already knew the risks very well.
"Tinaaki's right, we're at our strongest now," Kyros said. They had most of their forces present at the hall, and their waterbending was at its strongest. If they were to make a stand at all, it would be best to make it now. But it would not do to be entirely unprepared.
"Find Ariak," Kyros shouted as Surma, Letho, and a handful of others began to retreat. "Find his companion, Sen. He is the one who can stand against this."
Surma and all those who retreated with her headed for the back of the room. The Shorewatchers had prepared for eventualities such as this. Their chamber held a hidden entrance to the ice caves of the glacier surrounding their headquarters. It was a treacherous path, not easily followed by anyone who did not know the caves well. Kyros watched them vanish into the icy cavern and then returned to his defensive post.
"We will make our stand," He said to Tinaaki.
"And we will win, old friend," Tinaaki said. It bolstered his confidence to have his most trusted friend at his side. "Between the two of us, what can we not handle?"
Tinaaki readied his hands. He felt the full moons strength surge through him. The Energybender was mighty, true, but was he a match for bloodbending? Tinaaki put his faith in the unholy power wielded at his fingertips.
Footsteps echoed throughout the hallway before them. The sounds of violence had faded away, indicating that the battle was waning outside. Tinaaki hoped that it was a victory for his men, but with Sarin himself on the battlefield, he doubted it.
The sound of footsteps reached their peak, and their new guests arrived. One figure in a grey hood stepped into the chamber. Tinaaki wasted no time.
"Kyros!"
The two joined their efforts and extended their grasp to the trinity of foes they faced. They reached out with arcane power, grasping at the heart of the enemy. The man in the grey hood was lifted into the air by their joined power, contorting with pain as they worked. Kyros let out a triumphant shout, and the two bloodbenders worked together to draw Sarin closer. The hooded figure contorted as he was drawn upwards, revealing his face. It was a young man, his face not marked or weathered. He was a scholar, not a warrior, and he was not Sarin.
"How do you do?" Dei Sensheng said, managing sarcasm through the biting pain. They'd learned the art of the decoy from the incident in Tunuk Bay. Dei Sensheng would hold their attention for a moment while greater forces made their move.
Not amused by his deception, Tinaaki pulled Sensheng in close to examine him. Sensheng flashed a slight smile.
"Were you relying on your bloodbending to save you? Funny."
In a flash of water and ice, the door to the chamber burst open as a trinity of figures clad in blue dove into the chamber. Casting up ice and snow to cloud their movements, the three soldiers evaded the initial volley from the defensive Huntsmen and met them head on.
"So were we," Sensheng said sadistically.
With swift, clawed gestures, the attackers twisted their hands, and in so doing took hold of the blood of the Huntsmen. Swift and merciless in their manipulation, the bloodbenders made quick work of their opponents, until Tinaaki and Kyros turned their attention away from Dei Sensheng and towards their new bloodbending opponents.
A battle between bloodbenders was a strange thing to witness, filled with swift striking gestures but little real impact. It was deceptively harmless looking to an uneducated bystander, at least until Tinaaki began to use his spear. While Sarin's bloodbenders possessed numbers, Tinaaki and Kyros were far more experienced, and quickly gained the advantage. Tinaaki wasted no time in using his spear to even out the numbers while Kyros kept the enemy bloodbenders under control.
Yet the deceptions and distractions orchestrated by Dei Sensheng were not complete. With TInaaki and Kyros' focus divided, a fourth figure in blue entered the room, swift as a knife, moving with hpredatory determination towards Tinaaki.
The Master of the Hunt attempted to shield himself from this new arrival, to prevent their hold on his blood. He did not. The figure in blue clenched their fist and Tinaaki felt his defenses crumble, and a malevolent grip chilled his blood. Kyros turned to aid his friend, but he fared no better against this new bloodbender's rage. Kyros as well was overwhelmed and held in place by the bloodbender's power. Sensheng stepped forward as Kyros and Tinaaki struggled in the painful grip of bloodbending.
"Esteemed gentlemen," Dei Sensheng continued sarcastically. "May I introduce Kida, youngest of the Red Moon sisters."
Kida drew back her hood, exposing her face. She was young, younger even than Ariak, and there was an obvious family resemblance to the bloodbender who had kidnapped Ariak, including the mania that gripped her features. But while the kidnapper had been rendered incoherent and manic by her desire for revenge, Kida seemed unnaturally focused. Her insane rage had been honed so intensely that it had become a sharpened blade.
"Oh, you recognize me," Kida said to Tinaaki, feigning surprise. "I'm surprised you actually looked my sister in the eye before you stabbed her in the back."
There was enough venom in her voice to strike a man down with words alone. She walked around Tinaaki like a hungry beast toying with her prey. Dei Sensheng nodded at her, and she ceased her circle.
"I know we promised him to you, Kida, but we do need to get something out of him first," Sensheng reminded her. They had a deal. Kida had sought them out weeks ago, offering her bloodbending in exchange for their help in finding Tinaaki –and Ariak. She wanted vengeance, and they wanted her knowledge of bloodbending to fight the Avatar. It was a vile arrangement, but it worked.
"Of course, Dei," Kida droned. "Take your time. I have so much to think about, after all. How to go about it…"
Kida playfully and murderously drew a finger along Tinaaki's chin, cutting through the skin with her fingernail. A drop of blood trickled to the ground slowly, and Kida smiled.
The open doors to the chamber echoed with light footsteps once again. The sounds of chaotic battle were fading outside. Kida had trained many of the Energybender's soldiers in bloodbending, and their power was decimating the Shorewatchers. Sarin stepped through the chaos, unmindful of the carnage around him. He entered the chamber, and the grey-ringed eyes of Sarin soon looked down at Kyros and Tinaaki with disdain.
"Where have the Shorewatchers been hiding the Avatar," Sarin asked.
"I have never met the Avatar," Tinaaki said.
"You are a poor liar, Huntsmaster," Dei Sensheng said. "Even with that aside, it's obvious to anyone the Avatar is here. He has to learn waterbending, and he's not been seen in the South, so he must be here."
"He's in the United Republic," Kyros said. "There are many waterbenders there. He's learning from them."
"You have a much better poker face, Kyros 'the Blood', but we know he came here. He thought you Shorewatchers could protect him."
Sarin scowled at the interrogation. This was a waste of time. He knew that the Avatar was in the North thanks to the Hssk, but the Mind-Eater would not risk getting close to the Avatar again. To ascertain Sen's exact location, they had to resort to more conventional methods.
"Enough of this," Sarin declared. He gestured to Kida, and she raised the two hunters off the ground slightly. Sarin walked over to Kyros and looked him in the eye.
"My promise to Kida guarantees her Tinaaki's blood," Sarin said. "But you can walk away from this, provided you cooperate. The Huntsmaster trusts you with everything."
Kida's fingers twitched, and Kyros' body twisted agonizingly. Sarin allowed this to continue for a moment before holding up her hand for the torture to stop.
"Neither of you are being noble, neither of you are protecting anyone," Sarin shouted. "If I do not know exactly where to find the Avatar, I will destroy every home and every life in the North until I find him! I will melt this frozen wasteland down to an ocean of blood!"
Sarin gestured once again to Kida, and she dropped Tinaaki to the ground. For a moment he thought he was free, but he had barely hit the ground before Sarin's hand grabbed his throat. A grip tighter than Sarin's hand closed around Tinaaki's very soul. The air began to howl with arcane energy, filling the room with the high-pitched shriek of Sarins Energybending. With a quick pull of his hand, a stream of cobalt energy burst forth from Tinaaki's neck.
"Perhaps that will remind you who you are dealing with," Sarin scoffed.
Tinaaki was free now, of both Kida's grip and Sarin's. But he could still do nothing. He could not feel the power of the full moon coursing through him. He reached out to the ice and water, and he felt nothing.
"My bending…"
"Only a fraction of what I will take from you before this is over," Sarin said. "Kida will watch you die tonight, Huntsmaster, but cooperate and I will ensure she does not make you suffer."
A bloodthirsty grin split Kida's angry features. Tinaaki felt limp, hollow, and powerless. Kyros was still in the grip of the bloodbender, and the other Huntsmen were long gone –or worse. Tinaaki was already on his knees, but he found a way to sulk ever lower. He remained silent still, however. Sarin leaned in closer to his ear, speaking quietly.
"It would be best for you to seek my mercy," Sarin said threateningly. "Kida is…inventive, in all the most terrible ways."
Tinaaki looked up at the youngest of the Red Moon sisters. Kida picked at her bloodstained fingernail and smiled viciously. Tinaaki had no doubt in his mind that she had thought of many creative ways to make him suffer.
"He is here," Tinaaki sighed. Kyros closed his eyes in shame. "He is in the capitol."
Finally satisfied, Sarin leaned in close. Kida took a few steps forward as well, focusing all her attention on Tinaaki. As soon as he spoke, her vengeance would be at hand. Kyros began to twist his fingers idly. Kida was losing focus. He had a chance to make a move.
"And where exactly can I find him?"
"He is in-"
An earsplitting scream interrupted the powerless Huntsmaster. Kyros wrenched against the grip of Kida, tearing open his own veins to escape her grasp. Wracked with agonizing pain, but free for a brief moment, Kyros attacked, lashing out with everything he had, driving the Energybender and the bloodbender back, clawing at them with water and blood, forcing them away.
It was a brilliant moment of defiance against overwhelming odds, but in such circumstances even the most herculean efforts were meaningless. His enemies soon regained their footing, and Kyros was once again in Kida's grip. He was spent now, completely hollow. There would be no second escape, not for Kyros.
Tinaaki, in his cowardice, had made more of Kyros' valiant efforts. He was gone –fled down the same path as Surma and Letho. The path led out into the icy tunnels, lethally dangerous to those that did not know how to traverse them. He was out of the Energybender's grip. Kida let out a low roar of frustration as she saw her quarry had escaped.
Kyros sighed. With Tinaaki out of the equation, the Energybender would at least not know where exactly to look for the Avatar. There was still a chance for escape. There was still hope. For some.
The Energybender stepped forward, his face bent with displeasure. He knew Kyros would not be so pliable to interrogation as Tinaaki. He would not waste his time.
Kyros bowed his head. His only regret was in blindly following for so long. Tinaaki had nearly thrown away everything they stood for. At least, with his last moments, he had followed the right champion.
"The Avatar will stop you," Kyros sighed.
"No. He won't stop me from saving this world," Sarin said. He placed his hand on Kyros' chest. "And he won't stop me from doing this."
With a sudden, brief shriek of Energybending, Sarin pulled his hand away, rending Kyros down to his very essence. The hollow shell of a Huntsman collapsed to the ground.
"I apologize, Kida, did you want to do that?"
"He meant nothing to me," Kida grunted. "I want the Huntsmaster and his family. We should go after him."
Kida had agreed to join them only on the condition that they aided her in her vengeance against Tinaaki and his family. With her bloodbending behind them, Dei Sensheng had finally been able to plan a successful attack against the Shorewatchers. The North was no longer closed to Sarin; no longer a safe haven for the Avatar.
"We'd be wasting time," Dei Sensheng said. "We can't follow him through the caves. Our best bet is to use the Blade Ship to beat him to the North Pole. We'll be able to ambush him, and prevent him from warning anyone of our attack."
They perhaps could have pursued Tinaaki through the ice caves, but Sensheng had no interest in pursuing Kida's personal vendetta. He was here to capture the Avatar, and the best way to do that would be to focus on the North Pole. The Blade Ship would get them to port faster than any travel on foot. They would even beat the Shorewatchers that had fled earlier. There would be no time for them to warn anyone of the impending attack.
"If you say so," Kida said with a fake smile. Sensheng had the oddest feeling that she knew exactly how she was being manipulated. The bloodbender left Sensheng and Sarin to their own devices as she sauntered off to search the halls of the Shorewatchers blood-stained headquarters.
"We'll attract unnecessary attention, arriving in the Shorewatchers vessel," Sarin said. "There will be many still ready to fight us."
Sensheng nodded. Even with the Blade Ships' speed, they would not make it to the North Pole while the full moon was still overhead. Without their bloodbending, they would not be able to mount as powerful of an offensive. Any attack would still be devastating, but success was unlikely. They would have to plan very carefully. Sensheng paced back and forth for a few minutes, thinking over their options.
Kida returned to the central chamber, toying playfully with a spear.
"I never took that murderer for a sentimental sort," She said. "He kept his son's spear."
She spun the spear in her hands, testing the grip and the weight. She froze it suddenly and admired her own reflection in the blade.
"Won't it be so poetic when I cut Ariak's heart out with his own spear?"
Kida continued to play with her new toy. Dei Sensheng was slightly impressed. Her murderous insanity had actually given Sensheng a useful idea. He reached down and grabbed Kyros' fallen spear, and examined the Shorewatcher's uniform coat.
"I believe you're on to something," Sensheng said with a twisted smile.