Ch 16 the puppet master
Olivier knew that they were behind schedule because of the many stops they did. Now, they were resting in a forest.
Sokka was giving a story, and screamed real high.
"The sword of Wing Fan was haunted! Ooaaaaaah!"
She briefly wondered if Sokka ever hit puberty because of his high pitched voice. She glanced around the campfire, and noticed everyone was bored.
"I think I like the man with a sword for a hand better." Aang said.
"Water tribe slumber parties must suck." Toph said. Olivier couldn't sympathize more.
"Wait, I've got one." Katara said.
"Let me guess, is this some friend-of-my-cousin-knew-some-guy-that-this-happened-to story?" Sokka asked.
"No. It's real. It happened to mom." Katara said.
Everyone straighten up and paid attention.
Talk about respect.
"One winter, when mom was a little girl, a snowstorm buried the whole village. A month later, mom noticed that she hadn't seen her friend Nini since the storm. So mom and others went to check up on Nini's family. When they got there, no one was there. Just a flickering fire." Katara said, in an uneasy tone.
"While the men went to check outside, mom stayed inside. Suddenly she heard a voice." Katara said.
Aang was watching all over the place, wondering if he would see the girl.
"It's so cold, and I can't get warm." Katara said.
Upon hearing the change in tone, Olivier quickly grabbed her sword, but then remembered it was just a story. Katara's new tone reminded Olivier of the undead army she fought in central command.
"Mom turned and saw Nini, sitting next to the fire. She was blue, like she was frozen. Mom ran outside for help. But when everyone came back in, Nini was gone." Katara continued.
Aang had his eyes wide open in fear, and Sokka was cowering behind a tree trunk.
"Where did she go?" Sokka asked.
"No-one knows. To this day Nini's house remains empty. But some say that you can still some coming from the chimney, like little Nini trying to get warm." Katara concluded.
The theme was so tense, that Olivier could cut it with a sword.
"Guys, did you hear that?" Toph asked, scaring Aang and Sokka, who held onto Katara for dear life.
"I heard people under the mountain." Toph said. "And they were screaming."
"Nice try." Sokka said.
"No. I heard something." Toph said, with slight emphasis.
"You're probably just jumpy from all the ghost stories." Katara said, but with a tight smile.
"It just stopped." Toph said.
Olivier looked at a large mountain, wondering if Toph was telling the truth or not.
"Now, I'm getting scared." Aang said.
"Hello children."
Everyone, except Olivier and Toph screamed in horror. Olivier pulled out her sword and got ready for a fight.
"Sorry to frighten you."
An old women appeared out of nowhere, having a smile on her face. It reminded Olivier of Joo Dee.
"My name is Hama. You children shouldn't be out here by yourself at night. I have an inn nearby, why don't come and have spice tea and warm beds?" Hama asked.
"Yes, please." Sokka said.
As they sat at a table, Hama briefly said that people were disappearing.
"When the moon turns full, people walk in, and they don't come out." She slowly said. "Who wants more tea?" she stood, suddenly smiling.
But everyone was freaked out. Except Olivier. She faced much worse than simple thieves. If someone attempted to snatch her this night, they'd have a rude awakening. Olivier slept well that night. She went with the others to go shopping.
She saw that Sokka had a glum look on his face. Probably didn't get enough sleep. She listened up as Aang and Sokka talked about the town.
"Weird stuff during the full moon. People disappearing. This reeks of spirit shenanigans." Sokka said.
"I bet if we walk around town, we'll find out what the people did to anger the spirits." Aang said.
"Then you can solve it licketty-split Avatar style." Sokka said.
Aang had a smug/I-am-better-then-you-and-I-know-it look on his face.
"Helping people. That's what I do." He said.
"Great if they're alive. Or if they want your help. But what will you do when they're dead, or in so much pain and agony that they're begging to die?" Olivier asked.
The conversation was cut short as Hama asked them to head the inn because she 'had some errands to run.' And will be 'back in a while.'
"This is a mysterious little town you have a town here." Sokka said to Hama, suspicious.
"Mysterious town, for mysterious children." Hama replied.
Inside the inn, Sokka looked around, suspicious about Hama. He opened a closet and a bunch of dolls fell out. Sokka pulled out his sword in response.
"The hell?" Olivier asked.
"Sokka, that's enough." Katara said.
Entering the attic, Sokka attempted to open a single door.
"Then why does she have a hidden and locked closet up here?" Sokka asked.
Olivier shook her head. Sokka was going to die because of his curiosity. Hearing some noise from downstairs, she pulled out her sword and went to investigate.
"I'm leaving." Olivier said, leaving the kids alone. She knew it was a waste of time. And that was the last thing she wanted to do at the moment.
Hours later, and Olivier found herself trailing the kids as they walked into town. Granted, no-one was suspicious of them. But this whole thing was still a waste of time.
They talked to someone who claimed to have seen the spirit. Olivier didn't believe it. But she was forced to follow the kids, as they ran into the mountain. For all Olivier knew, they were running into a trap, filled to the brim with battle-hardened fire nation soldiers ready to capture or kill them.
Jumping into a large opening, they found a metal door, which Toph quickly broke open.
"We're saved." Someone said.
Olivier noted the brutal stench. She saw that the prisoners were tied hands above their heads. Several were in a crucifixion form. She wondered a couple things. How long were the prisoners their? If they were fed water and food, what did the 'warden' do with the feces that would occur?
"I didn't know spirits made prisons like this." Sokka said.
"Spirits didn't make this prison. A person did." Olivier said.
"It was no spirit who did this." A prisoner said.
"What happened here?" Olivier asked.
"We were dragged here. Like some dark puppet master. It was a witch."
"She seems like a regular old woman."
"The inn keeper."
"Hama." Sokka growled.
Olivier ran thru the woods, following Sokka and Aang as they went to rescue Katara from Hama. Olivier gritted her teeth along the way.
Mustang better have fat paycheck waiting for me when I get back. If not, I'll kill him and take command of the country.
They approached the two water benders as they finished a duel.
"We know what you've been doing Hama!" Sokka shouted.
"Give up, you're outnumbered!" Aang shouted.
"No." Hama said. "You've just outnumbered yourselves."
Olivier noticed a twisted look in the old woman's eyes.
Shit.
She felt a stab of pain throughout her body, especially in the main blood vessels. It became clear to her. She was being controlled!
Olivier gritted her teeth in pain as she attempted to break free from the grip. But it was impossible. Next thing she knew, she had pulled out her Dao swords and started swinging it at Katara. Hama was using her, Sokka, and Aang as live weapons to fight Katara, and probably each other.
Olivier was frozen to a tree with water, thanks to Katara.
"That's over with." She muttered.
But her reprieve was broken as she was then thrusted towards Sokka with her sword pointed forward. Just as it started, it ended. She stood on the ground, feeling no pain. She looked around and focused on Hama. Her face was contorted in pain and surprise, as Katara blood bended her, saving her friends lives in the process.
Olivier watched as Hama was taken away, but she gave Katara ominous and sinister words.
"Congratulations, Katara. You're a bloodbender."
As she left, she laughed sinisterly.
Olivier only hoped that they could end the war fast. Who knew how many people would end up suffering from post-traumatic? What about the kids? They were practically on the front lines, fighting behind enemy lines. Would they be okay?