Book 1: AIR

CHAPTER 7:

THE CITY OF GANG HI

Zhong paced back and forth across the line of suspects. It had been a week since the mountain children had fled on their bison friend. The fields behind him were burning and the house being torn apart looking for a secret hiding place. "You are all traitors to this global institution that we have." Zhong spoke to the people.

"What global organization?" an old man of 60 asked. He had a small grey beard and baggy eyes. He had his hands tied behind his back along with his wife. They stodd side by side, the wife clearly shorter than him and their other son taller than both. He stood tall with black hair and long fingers. He had a solid look on his face.

"The army that takes all problems into consideration." Zhong retorted, rounding on the man. " I know these are peaceful times, but nothing will ever stop unease from spreading in this world. We are here to clean up whatever messes we may find. We are in the middle of an epidemic in which people are able to become demi-gods. You had a son who was spotted doing these heathen actions. Where has he gone?"

"I honestly do not know." The old man said. "We woke in the middle of the night to answer the door and these assassins were there. They barged in and turned our house over once before. Our son, Kizu, was not found. I don't know what happened to him."

Zhong stepped back and scratched his chin. "I believe you are right. You don't know where he went." The man sighed in relief. "But I think he does." Zhong turned to the brother, Tirji. Zhong snapped his fingers and men tackled him to the ground. "Now, boy, tell me. Where is your brother?"

Kizu walked out of the house and walked calmly into the market near the edge of town. He gave a fearful look to the woods as always and continued to the nearest food stall. He purchased the supplies he needed and walked back to the house with nothing out of the ordinary happening. At least not on purpose. The stones seemed to jump where he walked and water began to ripple without a wind or quake to shake them. Flames grew in height and trees seemed to bend slightly.

"Just keep walking, Kizu." He said to himself. "It's nothing." He got to the house and walked in. He shut the door and walked towards the kitchen, where Sergid's mother was preparing for dinner.

"Ah, good you've got them." She said in her slightly hoarse voice. "Just put them on the table dear and you can go off to your own things." He placed the basket of goods on the table and stole away. He went out to the garden and sat on a wooden bench. It rose beneath him and he quickly jumped off. It flexed itself again and returned to its solid state. Kizu looked to the ground and saw the grass bend towards him in request. He felt the air whip towards him as if begging.

"Please, leave me alone." Kizu pleaded with the elements. "My brother is probably in trouble for letting me go. He told me not to get in trouble." They did not care for Tirji's sacrifice. Kizu ran back inside and fell on his mat. He sat there until dinner was ready. He ate in silence as always. It was awkward being in his brother's firend's house. He did not know him nor the area. He finished his meal and went to bed as always. He did not go to school or work. He merely existed as a leech to the house.

"I'm all for taking in your friend's brother as they work out their issues, but there must be some purpose of his." Sergid's mother said as she made sure Kizu was not listening.

"I don't know." Sergid responded as he stared at his mother. "He only told me something was up at home and that he was sending his little brother to us for a while."

"And it has been a week." His mother shot back. "The boy is doing nothing but living here with nothing to contribute. Whatever is up at home must surely be over by now."

"I don't know." Sergid shouted at his mother. "I don't want that little imp here any more than you do, but Tirji is my friend and I want you to honor his wish."

"Fine!" His mother leaned off the table and crossed her arms. "But he goes to work tomorrow for sure or else he can make his living in the gutter like the other worthless people of Gang Hi."

Kizu heard all of this.

"What is our next move?" the Captain asked as he knelt before Zhong's feet.

"I suggest we get those assassins back into our sights and make sure they are on the utmost alert for anything funny." Zhong replied as he scratched his chin. "What we must do is go after that water girl. The northern wilderness of this land is very easy to hide in. The mountain kids have a giant bison with them now. We can find them easily."

"As you wish." The Captain as he raised his head to Zhong. Zhong walked past, kicking up dirt in the Captain's face.

"I want the ships ready to go when I get back."

"Where are you going?"

"I'm taking care of a prisoner of ours." Zhong gave a cruel smile back at the Cpatain and walked on towards Tirji. He grabbed his around the shoulders and thrust him to the ground. "One last time. Where is your brother?"

"I'll never tell you." Tirji shouted from his knees. Zhong placed his foot on Tirji's head and thrust him into the dirt.

"Let's try again." Zhong snickered as he scratched his chin.

"Try as hard as you want. I won't talk." Tirji managed through the dirt in his mouth.

"Oh. Trying to make up for the accident with your sister?" Tirji stopped squirming and remained still. "I know all about that mishap. Now, if you don't want Kizu to end up like her, you're going to tell me where he is."

"That's an oxymoron." Tirji whispered. "They'll both be the same."

"Than why prolong the inevitable?" Zhong crouched near to Tirji's ear. A wicked smile crossed his face. "Where is he?"

Kizu walked down the street, kicking a small pebble as he went. He kicked it and it got bigger. He stopped and picked another pebble. It too grew into a large rock. He finally abandoned the fun of kicking a pebble and just walked down the road, his hands in his pockets. He saw a wind chime, hanging lifeless in a doorway. He looked around him to see if anyone was around. "Once can't hurt." Kizu said to himself as he took out his right hand. He double checked and then had twirled his finger. The whindchime sprung into action, sounding a glorious note and spinning in a dazzling display of colors. He chuckled to himself and put his hand back into his pocket. He started to walk but he heard something.

It was a small laugh. He turned to see a small child in the window, giggling at the wind chime. He looked at the child and then around again. He resolved himself to that it was something to do. He lifted some water into the air with his hand and caused it to form droplets in the shape of a smiley face. The child's face lit up in excitement. He then morphed it into a small globe and caused color to go shooting through it.

Rainbows spun in circles and flashes of light made patterns of beauty in the globe. The child let out a shriek of joy and clapped her hands. Kizu gave a laugh and looked to a small shrub. He bent it into a person and began to form clothes for it from the air. They were transparent but still implied clothes.

The chilled awed. "You like that?" Kizu asked as he looked to the child. She nodded her head and smiled. He erased the shrubbery person and began to weave together a rope of air, water, wood, and earth for the girl. He made to give it to her, but it floated out of his hands. She made grasping motions for the necklace and it willingly floated into her fingers.

She had bent the energy.

Kizu's mouth dropped at the sight of this. "So, you understand me?" The girl looked with awe at her new toy and Kizu walked up to the window. "Are there others?"

The girl gave a timid look at Kizu's inquiring face. Kizu waited to her another noise.

"Yes." Was the small squeak she gave him as she gave a faint smile. She lifted a hand towards another street where Kizu noticed the dry cleaning hanging outside. He gave some steps towards it and saw water being sucked off of them. An old woman poked her head around the corner of the house to be sure no one saw her abilities and Kizu ducked behind a barrel. She was satisfied and gathered her now dry clothes and walked back inside through a side door.

Kizu turned and saw two men make their way down the road. Their heads were bent low and were whispering to each other. They looked to be in their early twenties and had hats hung low over their heads. The earth moved under their feet as if bending to their might. Only Kizu saw this. He spun back around to the girl who was watching the world just as closely as Kizu had now begun to. :Do you know of others?" Kizu whispered to her as he got in close to the window.

Two hooks locked around his neck and he was pulled backwards down a dark and misty alley. He thrust his hands up and fell forward as the hooks fell away. The assassin grunted and made another attempt. Kizu dodged it and heard more shrieks from the alley. He saw a large beast ride down with another assassin on board. He shot a spear towards Kizu who jumped onto the wooden beams above and swung down behind the rider. He dodged another hook and sent a burst of flame to the spearhead that just missed his neck.

He turned and sprinted down the alley, reappearing at the very house the child lived in. The shutters were shut and the streets were empty still. He darted to the left and began running towards Sergid's house. He saw a shadow pass behind him and stared up. A figure with a large black trench coat was running on the beams above his head. He saw dual blades flash in the semi-light and the figure leapt at him with a screech. Kizu fell and rolled in the earth, a rock shield covering his body. He threw his arms out and some stones flew into the assassin. He got back up and threw his arms behind him. The air propelled him forwards and he found himself sailing down the streets and alleys. He reached Sergid's house and ran inside.

It was empty.

He ran to his room and picked up his pack which was already packed. He had planned on leaving anyway. H e put it on and ran to the door. He flung it open and then ducked back in. He saw an assassin pass by the front of the street on his eel-hound. He turned the other way and paid no attention to Kizu as he slipped out. He ran to the center of town, hoping that a crowd would be there to hide him. No crowd was there. He was stranded in the open with nowhere to go. The shops were oddly closed at this time of day and no kids could be heard playing. "Where is everyone?" Kizu asked silently as he looked around him. He couldn't delay long and he headed for the gate at the end of town.

A cloaked figure jumped down in front of him and made at him with dual blades. Two more rode in on eel-hounds and the man with hooks appeared to the left of them. They circled him and a spear almost hit him. He dodged the swords and hooks and created a shield of air around himself in terror.

The assassins were thrown backwards and made one last lunge at him.

He sunk into the ground and the assassins collided. They rubbed their heads and looked down. The ground was solid. "Where did he go?" the hook man asked in his raspy voice.

Kizu flew out of the cliff side some distance from the town and rolled down the gentle hill. He had inadvertently made a tunnel of earth for him to escape through. He picked himself up and kept running, not caring which way he went. He decided to run inland, towards some mountain region where the large group after him would have trouble tracking him.

"So this is my destiny?" Kizu sighed as he turned behind him to Gang Hi, a city full of benders but him the only one that mattered. He readjusted his pack and kept going, the sun setting before him.