Chapter Seven The Earthbender
It was cold. He had been swimming for almost two days. When he left the northern water tribe he began swimming south, using his waterbending to heat the water around him and to propel himself through the water. He was resting on a chunk of ice he had frozen. He had dried himself easily but it was slightly cold this close to the North Pole he hoped it would be warmer tomorrow but he couldn't be certain. It would be a while before he reached some sort of land he would just have to keep moving.
He lay on the ice shivering thinking about Yue and the North Pole. He thought about the strange man's words and what they meant. He thought about his life and how many people had given up their lives to try to stop the fire nation. It seemed unstoppable, too powerful for any civilization to even make a dent into its thick hide of armor. He thought about what he was going to do. He had a plan to decipher the meaning of the old man's words but what was he going to do, sit around and wait for it to come to him? He would have to try to see someone who might know what he was talking about. Surly someone must understand the man's words. They couldn't be meaningless to everyone. As he thought about the forthcoming events exhaustion overcame him and he slowly drifted off to sleep.
He awoke the next morning and immediately started swimming. He was tired and hungry but he knew that the only way that he would be fed would be if he could reach a town or somewhere with a population of any animal or specimen that he could eat. He swam for four hours before he spotted land. He heaved a sigh of relief and headed to the peninsula that was jutting out towards him. When he reached the land mass he still had to climb the cliff that separated him from the lush landscape ahead.
He began to scale it but was too tired and fell back to the water below. He lay floating on his back for a couple of minutes before he tried again to no avail reaching the same out come as the previous attempt. He realized that the cliff was too sheer and he was too tired to climb it using ordinary means. He smiled to himself; he didn't just have ordinary means though did he? He froze a chunk of ice under him so that he was on a floating platform. He then slowly began to bend the water so that it was lifting him and his sheet of ice up along the side of the cliff. As he got higher the column of water supporting him began to become increasingly difficult to hold. He began to slip but held himself steady knowing that it would not be a nice landing if he fell from this height. As he began to reach the summit the water became almost impossible to hold and at the last second he reached into the reserves of his energy to throw himself upon the cliff. He lay there panting and then passed out.
He awoke the next morning well rested but hungry. He scoured the grounds looking for some type of animal. He found a couple of small rodents and then a larger one a little bit away. He decided this would be his prey. He used his knife to make a spear and then sent out to catch his prey. He moved silently through the bushes keeping his mind focused on the animal. As he approached he felt the beat of its heart and the blood moving through his body as it went about mindlessly eating in order to keep itself alive. He slowly approached it and raised his spear. The animal stopped, aware of some danger nearby. Nazca froze on the spot. The animal sniffed for a few moments then, sure it was safe began eating once again. Nazca tensed raised his spear and then stabbed. The weapon found its mark. Nazca watched horrified as the animal struggled as it took its last breaths. He felt the heart slowly dying; he imagined the pain that the creature must be feeling as it realized this was its last day to walk this earth. Slowly the blood stopped pumping until the animal was completely dead. Nazca sat there disgusted at what he had done. He had never killed being able to feel the blood and it was repulsive watching the animals blood come to a halt. He sat there for a moment wondering what to do with the animal. He was equally disgusted with this foul act as he was hungry and eventually he knew that no matter how disgusting this was he still needed to eat in order to live. He cleaned the animal and having no way to cook it ate it raw. It was no luxury and he decided the next time he ate it would definitely be cooked. Upon finishing the creature and scraping each bone for any meat and he then got ready to journey in search of civilization.
He walked for a couple of hours until he encountered a small farm with a man and his wife working there. He sat outside observing there motions wondering what division of the world he was in. With no clues available hunger took over and he emerged from his hiding spot. The man spotted him first.
"Well hello traveler, what can I do you for today?"
"Well I was venturing through these parts and I wasn't sure if it was safe for me to be here because I couldn't find any landmark that would inform me whose territory I am in?"
"Well you're in my territory but I assume that you want to know whether or not you're in the fire nation and the answer to that is no. This here is the earth kingdom."
"Do you know where I could buy supplies?"
"There a large village about a day's walk south of here and you could pretty much buy anything there but by the looks of it you don't look like you could buy any supplies let alone walk for a day."
"I'll do what I must."
The man stared at him for a moment then said, "Tell you what. You look strong enough to work for me. Working with just me and Kasinna ain't exactly a breeze. I'll offer you food, money, and a place to rest in exchange for your labor."
"Deal."
For the next week Nazca worked on the farm with Hardak and Kasinna, planting crops and tending the beasts. The food was good and he made some money every day. After the week was done he started packing up his belongings, a change of close that the farmers had given him and a bag to carry his supplies. He thanked them for their kindness and then began on his journey to civilization. He hadn't done a minute of honest work in his life, aside from helping back at Katara's mom and dad's place. It felt good to put his body to work in way that didn't involve murder.
That night he reached the village that was more of a city. He set up the tent that he had brought from the North Pole and fell asleep.
The next morning he awoke early and headed down into the village. He observed different markets of trade and different aromas that al where pleasing to his senses. He went in search of cheap food and a place to work. He bought the bare minimum knowing that he needed a sword if he was to continue on his mission. After buying supplies and finding nowhere to walk, Nazca decided to search the outskirts of the village for some farm work. When he reached the edge he followed a path hoping that it would lead to somewhere. All of the sudden he felt something, a distant quaking of the earth. So minute and insignificant he would have not noticed it if he didn't feel the vibrations of the water particles a short distance away. He headed towards the direction of what he believed to be the epicenter intrigued believing he would actually get to meet an Earthbender. As he walked he began to feel more quaking as he neared the source of the commotion. He reached out with his mind and found the Earthbender. It was too far to determine any details of this bender but at least he knew where he was. As he got the closer the earthbending suddenly stopped. He felt the bender walking away from the site hurriedly then as he was about to turn the corner that separated them she stopped and began walking. As the bender turned the corner he realized that it was a girl, a rather pretty girl at that.
"Hey," he said.
"What do you want?"
"I just wanted to see your earthbending, you are the Earthbender right?"
She stared at him as is she was appalled, "How could you even suggest that."
"Umm," he said not wanting to reveal his blindness, "I felt some one earthbending and you are the only one here."
"Well smarty pants, I also felt someone earthbending and I also came to investigate but whoever was here must have run away for some reason."
He shook his head, "My name is Nazca, how about you?"
The girl paused for a moment like she was about to reveal very personal information,
"My name is Toph Bei Fong." she said with a smirk.
"So Toph, let me get this straight. I felt an earthbender and you felt an earthbender. Then you where ahead of me so you reached here first and somehow when you attempted to spy on an earthbender who was probably deep in concentration he saw you before you saw him."
Toph stared at him, "Do you live under a rock or something? I say that I am Toph Bei Fong, BEI FONG and you still go on like nothing has even happened, like I didn't just reveal that one of the richest families in the earth kingdom has a secret daughter that is sanding right in front of you!"
"I just want to know who was earthbending," Nazca shrugged.
"I WAS EARTHBENDING!" she screamed.
"See I knew it."
She stared at him fuming, her chest heaving.
"Jeez there's no need to get so angry with someone out of town."
"Oh really and how far 'out of town' do you have to be not to know of the Bei Fong family."
"Oh let's say the South Pole maybe."
She stared at him puzzled, "You're from the southern water tribe?"
Nazca nodded saying, "Yep."
"What are you doing in the earth kingdom?"
"What all of the men from the southern water tribe are doing, going to war."
She stood there staring at him, "Are you a waterbender?"
"Yep."
"So why did you want to meet an earthbender?"
"Well I've never met one before and I just wanted to see what they are capable of so that I could learn there fighting style and learn how to fight one if the time ever comes where I need to know how to beat one in combat."
All of the sudden Nazca felt a group of people moving their way, riding on some sort of lizard. They were moving rapidly as if on some mission. As they approached Nazca realized that they were carrying a strange assortment of objects such as jewelry and dining utensils.
As they rounded the corner Nazca asked Toph, "Who are they?"
"They're raiders. They steal anything they can get their hands on. I had a run in with them before; hopefully they remember what happened the last time they tried fooling around with me."
"Well let's just hope they pass us. I really don't want to get in a fight right now."
"What are you scared?" Toph said smiling.
Nazca just shook his head. The thieves continued moving along the path towards them. When one of them saw Nazca and Toph he yelled something to the others and they laughed and began to slow down. As they approached Nazca was able to make out the group better. There where at least twenty of them, four of them being women. They came to a complete stop and then the lead man yelled, "Hey there sweetheart how you doing?"
Toph glared at him, "Don't you remember what happened the last time you want to pick on the poor helpless blind girl?"
The thieves laughed but Nazca stared at her, "Your blind?" he whispered.
She nodded.
"Actually sweetheart," the lead man said, "We do remember."
Then suddenly four metal chains shot out at Toph, catching her hands and feet. They pulled her back towards the caravan and dragged her aboard, then tossed her in a metal box.
Nazca upon seeing this immediately into a fighting stance and welcomed the inevitable.
"C'mon," one of the thieves said, "She caught us by surprise last time, save yourself the trouble of a beating and surrender. There are twenty of us and one of you."
Nazca laughed, "Bring it on."
Six men jumped towards him and drew their swords. Nazca mimicked them pulling out his knife.
"You think you can beat us with that!?"
Nazca nodded smiling. The men began to circle him and Nazca let them. One man positioned himself directly behind Nazca believing he didn't stand a chance. The man raised the butt of his sword and struck down at Nazca's head. Nazca felt the blow coming and deflected it then returned the blow knocking the man unconscious.
"You're gonna have to do more than maim me to stop me from fighting," Nazca said with a smile.
The men stared at him with surprise as five more joined the fight. They circled him once again and then all struck in unison. Nazca ducked and rolled away cutting on man in the hamstring causing him to collapse in pain. Two men nearest to him charged at him swinging. Nazca easily blocked their blows kneeing them both in the groin as he did. He then continued on to take out the remaining seven men, maiming all of them. He faced the caravan that now consisted of six men and four girls.
"Surrender the girl to me."
"No!" one of the men said.
"Wrong answer."
Nazca took a deep stance and then began reaching his mind to its limits, finding any drop of water in the area. He soaked up small streams and ponds raising them up. Then once he believed he had enough water he brought it all into a giant ball in front of him.
"A waterbender," one of the girls whispered. Then upon further inspection of Nazca she said, "And he's also blind."
"NOW, SURRENDER," Nazca boomed.
The remaining men, sensing defeat, laid down their weapons and released Toph. Nazca searched the bodies and picked up his favorite sword then turned to the thieves and said, "Now if I hear that you guys even lay down a foot in this village I won't be so kind the next time we meet. Now gather your wounded and be gone."
They did as they were told and left.
"So," Toph said, "you're a blind waterbender and I'm a blind earthbender, makes a good team don't you agree."
Nazca smiled then said, "How do you see seeing that your blind?"
"I sense the vibrations in the earth using my feet, the question is how do you see?"
"Well it isn't as easy of an explanation. You see there are water particles in the air that I can sense and I can also sense when an object or body breaks through them separating them. I also can sense blood because it has a basic liquidness to it."
Then all the sudden Nazca realized that his hand had been cut somehow.
"Ouch," he said.
"What?"
"I seem to have gotten cut, here I'm gonna go rise it off so that it doesn't get infected."
He brought some water over that he had gathered and then separated all of the dirt particles from it, then sensing it was clean brought it over and washed his hands. When he had finished he realized that he was no longer cut. He frowned confused. He took his knife and cut himself again then washed his hands in the water again. He watched as his blood flow slowed down and how his hand sealed itself together healing himself. He gasped amazed.
"What is it," Toph asked.
"I can heal."