The Journey Begins

Hey guys WolverineNWT here sorry I haven't posted a chapter. I know it's been a while since my last one. I've been busy finishing up community college and I've also started another fanfiction called Count Dooku's Secret Apprentice. It's a Star Wars Clone Wars fanfiction that I'll be writing along with this one. Anyways If you haven't notice I've changed the rating for this story because I'm making it a lot bloodier and darker than the original TV show. If you want something to compare it to try a cartoon Game of Thrones without the massive amounts of swearing and kinky sex scenes in it but I may put a few couples together later on. The only similarity will be the violence and I may even dial some of that back. Well I hope you enjoy this chapter don't know when I'll post another one.

Delta and Chan had been traveling for a few days since their departure. They had stuck close to a river because it was a good source of water and it provided game for them to hunt which gave them extra food when they ate. Along with his sword Chan had brought a spear, a knife, a bow and quiver of arrows. He also brought some blankets that could be used for beds. All in all he had a similar kit to Delta minus Delta's waterbending. Delta had most of the same weapons except the spear. He had another weapon that his father had given him which he used to hunt animals to great effect.

His father called the weapon a rope dart. It had a metal tip and it had a considerable length of fibers attached to it which gave it a great range of uses. Delta had spent a lot of hours in the sun learning how to wield this particular weapon so he wouldn't do himself any harm from it. He had altogether seven to eight on his person.

It was the third day since they had left their village and they had a limited food supply. They could hunt game but that took a lot of time up out of their days. If they couldn't find any game they'd forage for certain foods that they could eat. As they broke camp Delta pulled out a map of the Earth Kingdom he had taken from his families' house. On it he saw the famed city of Omashu and her sister city Taku. Taku was located slightly northwest of Omashu. There was another city that was on here that Delta had only heard of from his father's tales around the fire at night, Cahokia. It was supposed to be a cross between a village and a city. Delta wondered how things worked in that place and wanted to see it, but it was to the east on the map, close to where his father had fought the firebenders all those years ago.

"What are you thinking?" Chan asked as he finished packing camp up.

Delta turned to him and then went back to the map. "Well based on this map there are a few villages between us and the nearest town. There's even an abbey somewhere to the east of us."

Chan stood thinking. "Well we haven't run into a village yet. Why don't we see if we can find one and spend the night there?"

Delta nodded in agreement. "Sounds like a plan to me. We're running a little low on food so we can see if we can buy or trade services for some food."

With that Delta rolled the map up and put his weapons back where they belonged. They struck out and headed out of the forest glade that they had been staying in and started heading east hoping to find some village or sign of life in that area. They hadn't gone too far when they saw smoke rising in the air.

"Look smoke," Chan said but Delta made a hushing noise. Chan fell silent and Delta dropped to his knee and examined the ground.

Chan knelt down next to him. "What is it?" He whispered not wanting to break his friends' concentration.

Delta studied the tracks in the ground and what he saw didn't encourage him. "Someone has been here ahead of us." Chan knew better than to question Delta's tracking ability. He was probably the finest hunter in their village.

"Who is it?" He asked. "By the looks of these prints, I'd say a scouting party of some kind," Delta said.

"How many?" Chan asked.

Delta shook his head "I can't be for certain, but I'd say no more than thirty and no less than fifteen."

The suggested numbers worried Chan. "So we skirt around the village and don't stay here for the night."

Delta gave him a look and Chan knew that look all too well. "If there's trouble at the village we need to see what's going on."

Delta said remembering his promise to the King. "Why do we need to worry about what might be happening in another village? We don't even know if these are bad guys or the King's own scouts." Chan asked.

"The King probably hasn't left our village yet so I doubt that they're scouts from his group. Also the footprints are different from the ones that his men make." This added detail of the footprints did little to quiet Chan's discomfort.

"So are we going to see what this is all about?" Delta nodded "Since the King's army has been disbanded after the war he doesn't have the men he needs to protect his villages. If this is a raiding party of some kind, then we need to be on our guard for anything."

Chan looked down at the ground and then looked back up. "Alright let's do this."

They followed the tracks to where they saw the smoke coming up and indeed it was a village, but not as they had hoped to find. It was being raided. Delta and Chan stayed behind a group of trees so they wouldn't be spotted by the men who were busy raiding the village. Delta saw a group of trees and ran towards them so he could get a better look of the village and the men. Chan was left to look at the scene of chaos unfold in front of him. He saw horrific things that he knew he'd never be able to get out of his head again.

Just then he heard a noise and he drew his sword only to find that it was Delta behind him. Delta saw the look on his face and knew that they were both changed men after what they had seen. For a minute Chan couldn't seem to find his voice. Delta knew what was going on in his mind because he was thinking the same thoughts.

Finally Chan said "How can they do that to these people?" His voice was slightly hoarse after not speaking for a while.

"Because they feel that they have the right and the ability to do so," replied Delta. "They need to pay for what they're doing," Chan said in a low growl.

Delta put his hand on Chan's shoulder and looked him in the eyes. "They will pay Chan, if not in this life then certainly the next. And we're going to help them get to that next level."

Chan looked at Delta and saw a fierce look in his eyes. "You got a plan for taking out these guys?" He asked.

"It's ready and rearing to go. I got a good layout of the village from my vantage point in the trees." Delta knelt in the ground where they were and drew a map of the village.

He drew it in sections and divided it into four. "This section that's facing us is the southwestern portion of the village. There are homes with thatched roofs the outside of the homes are made with straw and hay."

Delta pointed to the northern areas of the map. "I saw a few people trying to flee in this area. I'm guessing that there must be some place for them to escape raiders like this."

Chan could see the plan unfolding. "So it's going to be separate teams each taking a different section of the village and then we meet in the middle once every one of those men are dead?"

Delta nodded knowing Chan would catch on to the plan. "Correct. Since I got a good view of the northern area I'll take that section and see if there might be any survivors from this butchery. You stay here and take the village from the south."

Chan nodded knowing that he'd have to be very alert if they were to pull this surprise attack off. "What about the number of men in the group?"

Delta had gotten a better estimate of the number of men when he was scouting. "As I guessed earlier it's about twenty five guys and they all seem to have a spear, sword, or some other kind of close range weapon. I didn't see any bows so be sure to use that to your advantage before going in with your close range weapons."

Chan nodded then asked, "Did you see any benders in this group while you were scouting?"

Delta shook his head, "None, but all the same we need to be careful in case there might be one."

This news still made Chan feel a little uneasy, but he knew that if they didn't help these people, then then no one would.

Chan asked "Do you have a signal for attacking these guys?" Delta had already thought one out.

"I'll give four whistles that have these pitches," he whistled low to give Chan an idea of their sound, "and that'll be your signal to move in and take the southern flank."

Delta looked at Chan and said "Remember do not hesitate to kill any one of these guys. If you see someone being harmed by them you make sure that the person doing it is taken out. Dead men can't fight back."

Even as Delta spoke he wondered if he would be able to follow his own advice. "Don't worry about me D, I'll be sure to do my part, just make sure you don't run into trouble on your way to the other side of the village."

Chan held out his hand and Delta grasped it and then he left for the northern side of the village.