"That's them, the guerrillas! Let's get out of here while we still can!" One of the captured pilots screamed in distress. He tried to climb back up and run away, but was shoved by Ganbaatar back to the ground.

"Save it!" Ganbaatar snapped. Perhaps years of being far away from danger have softened these supposedly brave pilots. "What are you worried about anyway? It's just one guy up there." He then turned to the newcomer. "You, state your affiliation! Which state do you belong to? Who do you work for?"

As the Khan' warriors and archers readied their weapons in case the guerrilla tries anything, Ganbaatar stood at the front brandishing his scimitar and shield.

The Earth Kingdom, or whatever people preferred called it, is now in constant warfare between various factions, states and organizations. Different ideas and ambitions clash with each other, driving brutal conflicts which killed countless people each day. Here, you can never trust someone lightly, even if they are potential enemies of your own enemies. Right now, they need to know what these guerrillas are, and what are their intentions.

"Sister, we need to be careful as well." Mayumi said. Satchiko only glanced at the newcomer, and then to Batu and everyone else. She saw how alert their faces are, as if anything can happen next.

"I work for no warlord if that is what you wanted to hear." The guerrilla calmly replied. He made sure to raise his volume to an acceptable level, so that everyone can hear it. "As for what I fight for? Well, that's harder to explain."

This man must be some sort of mercenary for another Earth state. He doesn't look bad, just a normal looking man in some sort of uniform and woolen hat. The dadao is a particular weapon she have never seen before. It has a shorter length than the Kheshig scimitar but a wider width. It's built with a large handle that demands the wielder to use both hands to deliver a powerful swing.

"I think he is alone," Khenbish said. "There doesn't appear to be others like him up there."

They saw that the man took one step forward, which made everyone startled. Even though the guerrilla is indicating his intention to come forward, his minuscule action is still perceived as suspicious. This whole time Ganbaatar and his men refused to keep their eyes off him.

"Alright I am coming down!" The man said. He tilted the earth with a stomp of his foot, and separated a piece from the ground. Using his legs, he made a small plate of rock, descending down the rough slope of the hill, almost sliding.

The Kyoshi warriors and Kheshig were obviously uneasy, despite there being a wide distance between them, none dared to lower their weapons. It could be a trick, a trap or even a ploy. Who knows, there could be thousands of them just lying in ambush.

The so called guerrilla landed on the ground smoothly. To Wuli and his fellow pilots are now very close to the guerrilla, it must be very frustrating to seeing their target being so close. They were searching for the guerrillas for months to no end. Each time intelligence would provide the last location of the guerrillas, just for Wuli and the squadron to find absolutely nothing. The only thing they were able to observe are the countless destroyed facilities, belonging either to the allied warlords or the United Republic directly. Despite how tiny these hinderances are, they do deplete some of United Republic funding. If it continues, it might actually undermines the United Republic's presence and interest in the Earth Republic

"It's nice that you have captured these men," the guerrilla in a suspiciously friendly attitude. "Saves us the trouble of hiding away from them." He then walked forward with his dadao, not even slightly afraid that he is outnumbered. Usually, anyone would be hesitant to approach a tribe of armed men. Yet this individual seems more invested in inspecting the United Republic captives.

"Hey, hey hey! Hold it!" Ganbaatar halted the advance of the stranger, blocking him with the scimitar. "What are you playing at here? You literally came out of nowhere and you expect us to just let you come near us with open arms?" He interrogated the man, doubting that he is harmless. A group of armed warriors surrounded the lone man. Such response are to be expected, sonce they knew nothing about this man. If he wanted to harm them with his bending, he can do it easily. After all the element of Earth, when applied correctly, is a strong counter to air benders.

"My name is Lei," the guerrilla tipped his cap. Instead of trying to defend himself by stating his intentions, he simply introduced himself first. "And I am not your enemy. I hail from a resistance group of likeminded individuals who oppose the United Republic."

"Put down your weapon," one of the warriors ordered. His tone highlighted how tense this situation is. People like Khenbish and Jargal also joined in, surroundings this strangers.

"Kids, stay back." Saran said to her children. "And you two, don't get too close as well." Satchiko and Mayumi also backed away a little. They observed this scene as the nomadic warriors encircles the man with weapons drawn at him.

"I can't do that," Lei said, not even the slightest afraid. He adapted a rather diplomatic tone, as if they are all just old friends who haven't seen each other for a long time. "I never part with my weapon, even if it's just a piece of metal attached to the wood."

The tension is becoming a little thicker. Both side is at a sudden standstill, not daring to make another move. The Khan have yet to order the destruction of this Lei person. Perhaps the leader too is curious about this newcomer.

Satchiko attempted mediate, but was stopped by her sister. Mayumi used her arm to block Satchiko's path, discouraging her from stepping in. If Satchiko were to say one wrong word due to her naive impulses, the whole safe journey to Ba Sing Se might be butchered.

"Now, now, now, we don't need to start anything bad." Khenbish tried calm everyone. "I'm sure if this fellow wishes to attack us, he wouldn't let himself be seen in the first place would he? He doesn't even look like a bandit!"

The adults processed his reasoning. Unlike the Acolytes of San Bao, Lei's uniform has less wear and tear. There are signs of damage across his sleeves, but those were patched up by additional pieces of cloth. This Earth bender is lightly dressed, not a single piece of metal protection is on him. Even his head protection lacks an adequate helmet, which was substituted by a fur cap made of wool.

Batu watched as his father defuses the situation. While it is the mature approach to mediate, the boy would prefer to not waste his time on some stranger.

The Khan went forward, and directed his men to stand down. "We didn't capture these fools out of kindness," Temujin stated. His large stature towered over Lei, which did make the man act more cautiously.

The Khan pointed at the acolytes in an accusatory manner. "Them, the cultists, are sworn enemies of my people, almost driving us to extinction! They are the reason why my people are targeted by the flying metal birds, and they will receive punishment! We will kill them later, so don't you worry." He then glared at Wuli and his pilots with an ominous look, many of whom are badly injured by either arrows or the broken ankles. "As for them," referring to the pilots from the United Republic. "I think they are going after whatever group you are in."

"And you would be right, me and the others are hiding from them." Lei affirmed, walking towards the United Republic pilots. Lei addressed the pilots, trying not to sound condescending of their terrible predicament. "You are esteemed members of a military that is considered the strongest in the world, even rivaling the fire nation. I have heard of your rather troubling exploits, if I am no wrong, you were after us for quite a while weren't you?" Lei then looked at his reflection through his large dadao blade. In it are a light brown tone skin, his face is much darker. In fact, there is literally dirt smeared across his face. The harsh conditions of being a guerrilla means hygiene would always be a problem. Compared to the very people that is hunting them, Lei does not have simple privileges such as food or clean water. "Since I am here, I can tell you directly that you couldn't catch us before, not now, and not in the future. Every time you came close to finding us, we always managed to slip away literally under your noses. Yet right now I stand right in front of you, free like a bird. It appears that the mighty Air Force of Republic City are not as legendary as what we were told. Perhaps we have thought too highly of you!" Lei ended it with a smirk, and it immediately riled up the pilot's undying loyalty.

It was a smart word play, simple, yet effective. Even Batu knew that it must have been very satisfying for the prey to dance leisurely right in front of the hunter and not be killed. The hunter can only watch hopelessly. Since the United Republic pilots are in the temporary custody of his people, it provided this Lei person to tarnish Republic city's reputation, even if it's just for fun.

Lei's words boiled the blood of Wuli and his fellow pilots. As defenders of United Republic, they cannot allow Lei to just get away with this. Under normal circumstances, they would have definitely taken drastic measures against his rude behavior by killing him and accomplish their assigned mission. But now, at the threat of Kheshig scimitars and arrows, they can do nothing. Nothing but enduring this painful humiliation.

"When we are free once again, we will return and destroy you!" Wuli yelled with strength and vigor. He refused to accept that Lei would blatantly denigrate the very organization which he swore loyalty to. "The guerrillas would be brought to justice for attacking United Republic facilities on the Earth Republic!"

"So tell me, Lei." The Khan asked in a semi-polite manner, ignoring Wuli's indignant outcries. "You don't seem like a bandit, but you do look like a warlord trooper."

Temujin and the Kheshig warriors were never fond of warlord troops. They are labeled as lazy, ineffective, and the worst of all, are considered hounds of inept state governors and warlords. There are even a saying made to describe an army of ineffective men, Shrimp soldiers and Crab general.

Most commoners of the countryside would often request help from warlord troopers to deal with frequent bandit raids, while they were times when a response was materialized, the overall effect is always underwhelming. To leaders of each state, whose ambition overshadows the wellbeing of the people, couldn't care less about some peasants complaining about how their violaged are being razed. Each Earth Kingdom state would rather employ their own soldiers to fight each other, just expand a few hectares of land in another petty land dispute. Often these minor engagements would cost a few thousand lives in bloody battle, leaving a whole field of corpse and vehicle wreckage. And such brutality, is just a tiny show when considering the worst conflicts occurring on the continent.

With the evolving dynamic of warfare, there has also been changes to soldier uniform. Some states would try to distinguish their infantry with more elaborate and modern decorations. They are often seen as trying to be be more modernized, abandoning traditional clothing in favor of suits mimicking to the United Republic. However, there are still some states who chose to retain their old uniforms. Designs still used in the Hundred Year War can still be seen across the Earth Kingdom. Regardless, since the states are in an all out war, they will be no standardized uniform in the foreseeable future. In Lei's case, his uniform looked similar to the former category, the obvious difference would be his wool cap, a distinguished feature. Now that he is closer, everyone can even notice a small green coin symbol is at the front of his hat.

"The warlords," Lei begin in an ominous expression. "Whether if they are friendly with the imperialist or acting on their own accord, are always my enemy." Lei said to everyone with determination. "And these pilots act as scouts for them."

His words were heavy. The warlords are constantly at war with one another. Although it is interesting to see how much effort a warlord would go to exterminate a group of guerrillas when bandits roam free in the lands. The current state they are traveling in might be another warlord that have interests with the United Republic. Bandits can raid towns and villagers. As long as key cities are not threatened yet, the warlord running the region will not care. But guerrillas and revolutionaries are different. They will actively do whatever it takes to bring the people to the other side and against the ruling elites. To the warlords, who enjoyed the power, would naturally see people like Lei to be a higher threat to their position.

"What is your goal?" Temujin asked cautiously. "What did you do that could make the United Republic and the warlords want to destroy you?"

"Livelihood, that is what i fight for." Lei plainly answered. It didn't even took long for him to formulate a response.

Satchiko and Mayumi looked at each other, they were expecting something even more grandeur like 'freedom'. Something that can complicate their simple minds that have been barely exposed to what the world has to offer. Yet, the answer was not what they anticipated for a seemingly idealistic guerrilla.

"What? Seriously?" Satchiko cannot help but snort. "You want to get rich?"

"Sister, shhh!" Mayumi said.

"I would rather tilt earth and continue my life as a farmer growing cabbages, then fulfill my own greed in the expense of others."Our goal is simple and straight forward, to build a world where common people don't starve! Do not die because of the ambitions of others." Lei said confidently in front of the crowd of Kheshig and captured people. "The common people living on this land, must endure wars, natural disasters, bandits as well as foreign interference. Not a single day went by without people being killed or families losing their lost ones because of the chaos we now live in. The people deserves better. They don't care about ideas such as loyalty to their nation or their state. They only wanted to live freely, without bandits, without starvation and especially without people taking away their livelihoods!" Lei then stared darkly at the pilots and the San Bao acolytes. "The only thing people wanted, is stability. The feeling of food inside your empty starving stomach might mean nothing to some people. But to this world, I feel that it is not only a right to have it, but is also an entitlement!"

It's just like those starving peasants in the state of Yi. They have no place, no future, and no livelihood fit for a human. To them, a life where food is not a worry is like a fantasy, something that can only happen if you dream about it in your sleep. While her own charity may performed out of emotions and devoid of prudence, she still felt something like that shouldn't be seen as regretful. Helping others is not a checklist, but a statement of your conscience.

"What a whole bunch of nonsense!" Wuli spat at Lei to vent his frustration. "You say you wanted to improve the lives of the people? Don't make me laugh!" He then tried to struggle out of the rope, but to no avail. Even so, he wanted to teach this uneducated Earth bender a lesson about the great values of the United Republic. "If you very care about the livelihood of the people, then you wouldn't be destroying oil wells across the Earth Republic! They provided jobs for the local, and the people needed those money to not be poor!"

Wuli then felt his collars are being forcefully pulled by a large man. Ganbaatar, now stared angry at this young pilot, using his scimitar to threaten him. "No one asked you to speak. You have two ears and one mouth, so stay shut!"

"The United Republic is not here to destroy the lives of others!" Wuli snubbed Ganbaatar, continuing to defend his beloved nation in the face of being sliced to pieces. "It is our obligation and our duty to bring hope and freedom to the mainland! Whatever accusations against us are false, I refuse to believe your lies. I suggest that you halt your baseless attacks and reevaluate your actions!"

Ganbaatar growled at this, he threw Wuli towards a nearby tree, and forced him to ram against the tree trunk. When handling such an entitled fool, he will not restrain himself as he attempts to crack Wuli's head.

"You pampered and delusional fools only cared about how good it felt we everyone else is below you isn't it!" Ganbaatar roared at Wuli.

"Stop!" Lei demanded. "That man is no longer fighting, stop this at once!"

Ganbaatar glared at Lei, a bit confused by this request.

Temujin then narrowed his eyes on Lei, who noticed the renewed attention. "Why do you care about what happens to the meddlers? My people and I, like the rest of the Earth Kingdom, loathe their presence to the core. If it wasn't for people like him and their naive and dull witted Avatar, the Earth Kingdom might have still been in one piece. Sure, bandits would still have raided villages and cities, many people might still starve to death. But I can say for certain, is that the colony of the United Republic would not act as bold as it is today."

"How dare you label the United Republic as a colony!" Wuli bellowed quickly following what he perceived as an incorrect observation of the nation he served under. "I will have you know old man, that the United Republic is a sovereign state. Benders and non-benders, regardless of background, lived in harmony. It is a state that is-"

"Shhhhhhh!" Temujin hushed, almost losing his patience with this United Republic national.

No one knows what ancestry Wuli belongs to, for his clothing lacked the cultural aesthetic from of the four nations. Such perversion, yet these men act so superior than the rest of the world. If the day ever comes when all the Earth states once again ceased their wars with one state standing on top and consumed all the others. What would that state do next after it has reunited all the lands? Retake what was stolen.

"So, tell me," Temujin remodeled the conversation back to Lei. "Why do you care so much, they are your enemy. Didn't they wanted to destroy you, and you also wanted to destroy them? If you let those pilots live, they might report your location, dooming this guerrilla of yours. If you are too weak to kill them, we Kheshig can do it for you. A few swing with the blade is all it takes!"

Satchiko trembled at the suggestion. Unlike Mayumi, she struggled to keep herself still. Fearing that she has to see even more bloodshed discomforts her tremendously.

"True honor does not come when you enact violence against those who are defenseless." Lei argued. "If we do not demonstrate mercy towards those that have done wrong, we are not much better than they are."

"Shut it!" Batu snapped angrily from the crowd, Lei turned to him. "These guys here started it first! We didn't do anything wrong to them in the first place, and they wanted to kill us anyway! The acolytes killed my parents and there's no way I will just let them continue to live! When we are done talking with you, we will kill them all, and I mean all of them-"

Saran covered the mouth of the little nomad, trying not to stir up further conflict. It's clear Batu wanted retribution, more than anyone.

"Even us?" One of the pilot suddenly faltered at the sharp words of Batu. Satchiko's forehead is sweating. That cold chilly feeling is now once again dancing on the back of her spine. The fear of death lingers in her heart. No, she doesn't want to know or witness what might happen next. It's too much for her, she was barely able to avoid looking at the Khan as he slew one of the captive.

Lei stared at the dead bandit in the ground. Lifeless, pale, deprived of all that is vibrant. When a soul left the body, all that remains is the empty husk known as corpse. Many people would see this sight and rejoice, for this cult and their followers have committed countless atrocities all in the name of their ideology. According to Temujin, the so called Acolytes of San Bao are known to incite violence against the 'impure' people of this world. Most would likely just dismiss them as another gang of daofei, just more bloodthirsty.

It wouldn't take a genius to know why these Kheshig loathed the Acolytes and their United Republic 'allies'. The first one constantly commit atrocious massacres against everything opposing their ideology, and the second one sold weapons and even aided them occasionally. The very rage and the urge avenge dead loved ones are prevalent in the Kheshig. In fact, many tribesman even developed a fierce obsession to enact cruelty to their enemy.

"I know how much pain you are in," Lei said, soft toned. "And I know that feeling of wanting to take your anger upon the same group of people that have hurt you."

Temujin looked at him with a narrowed look.

"But I beg you to reconsider." He appeared to be willing to save his own enemies from demise, even if risking his own life in front of so many people. A normal person would definitely not do this.

"Arrogant brat," Ganbaatar wielded his scimitar and walking towards Lei with disgust written on his face. "I will teach you a lesson first-"

Khenbish placed his hand on Ganbaatar's chestplate, stopping the captain in his path. The spearman shook his head disapprovingly, imploring Ganbaatar to not act hastily. Despite having a higher rank as captain of the Kheshig warriors, Ganbaatar stood down, obeying Khenbish's wishes. Since they were both good old friends, the Kheshig spearman is the few people that can appease Ganbaatar's anger when needed.

"I will not start another conflict with you stranger, seeing I can still avoid it." Temujin remarked, knowing that his people bare deep hatred to the Acolytes for what they have done. He then said, in a warning matter. "Your willingness to demonstrate compassion towards your enemy is admirable. But personal experiences have taught me that your good conscience would be your doom."

"Why?" Lei countered. "Is it because you still suspect I have other motives?"

Temujin walked around Lei in circles, contemplating. To the Kyoshi warriors present, the Khan wanted to kill the captives. The Kheshig Khanate may be their 'allies', but both sisters would never approve such cruelty. Their upbringing alone played a major role, for Kyoshi island are not known for having strict punishments. Ever since they despised Chin's tyrannical rule, naturally the folks would have a laxer legal system. But that doesn't mean crimes and heinous actions do not happen. While not as excessive as the harsh laws of modern day Chin village, punishment on Kyoshi island do exist, and they remind violators in a very clear manner. The suspect is often being judged by a gathering of community members headed by the chief of the village. Usually are just fishermen, farmers or some homemakers gathering in one place to handle the case in question. Petty crimes like robbery are given very light punishments. In fact, Kyoshi island don't even have jails. However, crimes like murder is taken more seriously. While there is no execution, a Kyoshi warrior would amputate an arm or leg to ensure the person would never be able to commit another crime. But that is lenient when compared to what these nomads are going to do...

"I don't suppose you are friend with the prison Warden of the Earth empire remnants, do you?" Temujin asked, trying to see if he can find a compromise between the Kheshig and the guerrillas.

"Who?" Satchiko asked cluelessly, but no one answered her. The Khan and the guerrilla is still debating on what to do with the captives.

"You mean the Warden of the Ashes? No, and if you want me to take the prisoners to her enclave, I don't think I can make it there without being noticed by the warlords." Lei said. "She is more intimidating than Kuvira. I don't think people like me would get alone well with those people."

"B-but you are the one who wanted to spare-" Ganbaatar calmed down as he saw the Khan waving at him. In terms of negotiations, Temujin is the one most experienced. Perhaps the Khan's hesitant to kill the captives is to appease this unexpected newcomer. But why?

"Hmm, how unfortunate. She is very generous to allow anyone to dump unwanted prisoners there." Temujin resumed his thinking. Satchiko meanwhile, felt tired, and sat on the ground. The rotten smell of a certain body is starting to get thicker in the air, her throat felt very uncomfortable, as if she wanted to throw up. She couldn't handle it, being so close to a dead body.

She still haven't mentally recovered from the last battle with Shui. Now that she thought about it, she never even got the time to process the fact that she first saw a dead body. Shui, when she was killed by the Khan's throwing scimitar, still have her eyes opened to her. It's weird to see a pair of eye that is lifeless and doesn't blink. But at that moment the girl was more interested in surviving, rather than comprehend what she has been through.

The Kyoshi warrior was proud, she was powerful, and one of the strongest among her fellow sisters. She was so excited whenever pirates attacked the island, that she would be the first one to rush in and fight them. Using her metal fans, she would outwit, outsmart and outshine everyone. Most important of all, she loved to fight. Whether if it's sparing Mayumi or taking on pesky pirates, she would never miss a chance to participate in what she thinks is entertaining. Even simple things like beating fellow Kyoshi warrior Kazuki in a fight all the times does not bored her.

But the one thing she or anyone else has not done, is to prepare her for the one thing overshadowed the the glory and thrill of a good fight.

Death.

Whenever the Kyoshi warriors engaged the pirates, they never tried to kill them. Unless it's Akunin, all Kyoshi warriors would prefer to capture the pirates rather than killing them. Whether if it's the net gun made from future industries, or their ability to chi-block, Kyoshi warriors have many tools to capture troublemakers alive.

When back on the island, Satchiko have a sense of feeling that fighting pirates are like fun and games. Her skills and trade of being a Kyoshi warrior is put to good use and practice, making herself feel powerful in front of people who dared to threaten her home.

But the complicated feeling of actually seeing a dead body completely shattered this illusion she has built for herself. Defending Kyoshi island against evil is an honorable goal to pursue. But the sight of an actually dead person, the horrific smell of a decaying body, massacres of innocent people, and the worst of all, the darkness of the human nature astounded her naive imagination.

It's one thing to read about certain atrocities in books, but being there to see it felt so...scary.

She cannot handle it. Not now at least. Perhaps this is the true reality of the world she lives in, but she has only grasped it now. It's a place where a human life is no less insignificant than the grass beneath their feet, so perishable and meaningless.

She wanted none of it.

"Hey, you ok? You don't look too well." Batu voiced his genuine concern. He dropped his aggressive expression, and came to check on the wellbeing of his new friend.

Unlike Satchiko, Batu have traveled to many places. He got used to all the violence and horrors of this world, so that's why the smell doesn't bother him at all.

"It's ok Batu." Mayumi reassured with a difficult amile. "She is...tired." That would only be half true.

Both Mayumi and Satchiko is obviously against killing people right now, but that would obviously go against what Batu wanted. This little boy, so cute and innocent, actually was the first one to advocate the killing of the cultists. He probably wouldn't get any resistance, since most of the Kheshig adults also wanted revenge. But the disturbing aspect here is because of how young Batu is. He is nothing but a child, but his tolerance of violence to avenge his parents far surpassed even Mayumi's expectations.

"Hang in there, when we chopped off the heads of those stupid bandits and put them in soup, we will ask Subutai to fix you some herbs!" Batu happily assured. He is so helpful, yet so unaware how it affects Satchiko.

The Kyoshi warrior did her best to not throw up. Trying hard not to imagine the scene of bandit heads rolling on the floor, she suppressed the urge to demonstrate her disgust. Even with the smell is becoming more unbearable, she cannot afford to offend the very people that is helping her. They were gracious enough to save her and Mayumi, and even decided to escort them to Ba Sing Se. No, she cannot repay their kindness in that manner, even if what might happen next would come at the expense of her mental health.

"Lei, you are the one who wished to spare them." Temujin said, dropping his calmer attitude. "We do not have an obligation to listen what you have to say."

The surrounding Kheshig nodded. To them, the bandit and pilot prisoners deserved to die after they attempt to harm their people. Such aggressiveness can only be handled with equally cruel measures. The pilots and cultists in custody are worried. They knew the Kheshig have a notorious reputation to kill those who go after them.

"I don't have any room on my bison, since I don't have the leisure to alter my people's journey just to spare some cutthroats. You can't take them because it might burden your guerrilla. Frankly, I don't see any option besides killing them or letting them free."

Lei noticed the stern expression of Temujin's followers when they heard the prospect of letting the Acolytes go. It would be an outrage, as the hatred inside them cannot be quelled if these heartless cultist do not receive judgment.

"Why can't we just hand these bandits to the people of trading town?" Mayumi suggested carefully, stepping forward into the discussion. "My Khan, you wanted to punish those Acolytes, and you Lei wanted to spare them since they have surrendered, why don't we let the people in the trading town jail them? They have a jail right?"

"But...but that's..." Batu is struggling to get his word out. He seems distraught at this idea.

"We are close to that place, perhaps we can setup camp here and walk there." Khenbish added. Much Batu's surprise, his father stood out to give Mayumi's suggestion a boost.

The Khan have thought about it. There are about twelve Acolytes of San Bao and fifteen pilot from the United Republic. The uniqueness of this situation demands him to make a choice.

He cannot risk going against Lei's wishes of not harming surrendered bandits. If it was just Lei alone, the Kheshig can easily out-rule his presence and excute the cultist. But no, the Kheshig may be strong, but their numbers are few. Only about 70 can be considered a fully trained warrior, and most of are even air-benders. The worst part is that they don't know how many guerrillas are out there. If Lei's group can go as far as challenging warlords and United Republic forces, then there's probably at least a few thousand of them. But on the other hand, they cannot expect the authorities in the trading post to act responsibly. He have tasted the bureaucracy of many Earth Kingdom states. Corruption, inefficient, and sometime bailing out bandits!

Temujin looked at his own bison. The large grey beast made eye contact with the man and nodded once. That was all Temujin needed to know. Even though he can't leave things up to chance, he have to move forward. He still have a promise to fulfill and a destination to go to. Ba Sing Se.

"Lei," the Khan called out, bringing the guerrilla fighter to attention. "As the Khan of my people I agreed to spare these lowly cultist, who in my opinion, even their death cannot atone for their irredeemable sins against others. But, they are to be handed over to local authorities in the nearby trading town."

"What do you want in exchange?" Lei asked, correctly predicting Temujin's intentions.

"Handle those pilots, and we have a deal! I'm sure compared to the fire-benders, these witless fools are much easier to move around, even for you guerrillas. For us Kheshig asking local authorities to jail United Republic pilots might draw unwanted attention from that colony state, therefore, you will bring those irredeemable pilots with you."

Lei looked at Wuli and the remaining pilots. Their expressions highlighted their exhaustion and pain. Some are in dire need for medical attention. They must act fast, or else. "I wouldn't say people are fully irredeemable, everyone is receptive to change if you give them the chance. As for the pilots, I will make great use out of them!" Lei suddenly smiled unexpectedly. He extended his hand to shake Temujin's hand. The Khan wavered, but took it nonetheless.

"We will see about that, Lei." Temujin shook the hand of the guerrilla, sounding unconvinced about Lei's optimistic humanitarian. The Kheshig have a very tight grip.

There were a few grumbling among the Kheshig, but even they knew that turning potential allies into enemies are not a good idea. As much hatred they have towards the Acolytes of San Bao, handing them over to someone else and not provoking Lei far out-weights their personal feud. Decisions like this can affect the survival of their entire people, and making choices for short term benefit is not the responsible thing to do.

"The master has sent his blessings, we are saved!" One of the firebenders said to himself. He put his two hands together, and closed his eyes to say a prayer dedicated to his master.

Click!

The bandit suddenly opened his eyes, he realized that a flask was encased on his hand. The container envelope both his hand, leaving no gap to the air. No matter how much he moved his hands, he felt it was locked in place.

"What are you-" the bandit asked in distress.

Ganbaatar punched the bandit in the face, he then spat on it angrily.

"You were only lucky!" Ganbaatar growled.

Many other men then did the same thing to the other fire-bender bandits. Since Tufei is still unconscious, it was easy to lock his hands in the jar.

As Satchiko observed this, she can smell a familiar unpleasant smell that is more prominent than one emitted from the corpse. Whatever it is, she is glad to no longer smell the decaying flesh. But this change of the atmosphere fueled her curiosity to know what this is.

"If you try to fire bend, you will die!" Ganbaatar warned the bandits intently. Based on this sentence, it's clear that what's in those jars are the same substance the Khan used to burn Shui's body. She know remembered, this must be related to one of the Kheshig nomad's special weapon, the fire flask. The jar contains oil that would burn when it breaks, which would spread the fire more efficient than regular fire arrows. It also allowed them to take down those bi-planes the moment the engine catches fire.

"We will set up a temporary camp!" Temujin shouted to all to hear. He ordered Jargal, one of the best hunters to scout the town whether if it's safe or not.

...

Lei used his earth-bending to excavate a small hole in the ground. He tilted the earth without touching it, forming a rectangular pit.

Ganbaatar then kicked the dead cultist's body into the hole. The lack of respect is apparent. He then walked off in a scoffing manner, allowing Lei to finish the burial by himself. When Lei finally covered the body, he placed a piece of flat rock over it. The only word written was the name of the bandit himself. Since the remaining captives were cooperative enough when asked about their dead friend's name, which was done at knife point.

She but observed Lei's earth-bending. It was simple yet much better than her's. The movement was naturalized. Like an extension of his own body, Lei have free reign of the nearby elements he can control. Perhaps someday, she herself can also train to do Earth bending, like a normal bender.

"Let's go, we should get some lunch." Mayumi suggested. She then walked off, without waiting for Satchiko to follow. The younger sister remained behind for a while. Aside from the now dead bandit Tu, this mysterious Guerrilla is the second person with Earth bending she has met.

Seeing how easy it is for Lei to move the ground and manipulate it, is a wake up call for Satchiko. There were countless times when she would wake up, eat and train at a dojo to better herself as a Kyoshi warrior, yet forgetting the fact that she was an Earthbender the whole time. This reality is true from the moment she was born, and will never change. It's easy to fight non-bending pirates, but only after arriving on the mainland did she understand what her mother is trying to tell her. The world is big, and strong benders can easily overpower skilled non-benders by just moving a few rocks or drawing water from a nearby pond. While it's not impossible for a non-bender to defeat a bender, the harsh reality Satchiko faced since coming here only solidified her own weakness as a person who doesn't use bending.

The truth is, benders are born powerful, and non-benders are not. She was lucky enough to inherit Earth bending, but her lack of attention and appreciation of it is unacceptable.

Satchiko frowned, not sure what to do. She walked slowly towards a few makeshift tents, where the food are provided. Sky bison cheese, and left over meat boiled from cauldron are distributed among the people. Since they are mostly waiting for Jargal to come back, they will fill their own stomach first. Luckily, the sky bison's milk can be pre-made into unripened cheese, a good source of protein for long distance travels.

"Hey Satchiko, catch!" Sarangerel tossed a piece cheese at her, to which the Kyoshi warrior almost dropped it. She placed the slice in her palm. The cheese had a smooth and soft texture, while the smell isn't all that impressive, it could probably be enough to keep her fed for half a day. They called it the Byaslag.

"Eat up," Mayumi said, placing one hand reassuringly on Satchiko's shoulder. But she only stared at the cheese, hoping that her sister doesn't know how much she now disliked the outside world. It's good to learn new things, but some things are best remained ignorant of rather than discovering.

Before taking a bite out the cheese, she discovered that Batu is no where to be seen. Swiping her head around the countless Kheshig sitting on the grass enjoy their meal, the little boys have disappeared.

-Lei means lightning.

-Byaslag is the name for real life Mongolian cheese made from yak or cow milk. I never tasted it, so I'm not sure how to write it in this chapter.

-Author's note on the Kheshig nomads: Even though they are allies to our protagonists, I don't want to portray them as some sort of overly good people that can do no wrong.

-Questions and comments: I am open with any questions in regards to the story 'Legacy of Kyoshi'. Anything you don't understand or are confused about, like the lore and real life historical facts, please do feel free to ask questions. I will answer them to the best of my knowledge. I very don't want you any of guys to feel lost while reading some paragraphs. Please try to ask questions that doesn't involve me spoiling. Maybe ask things like historical times inspiration I take from real life, I would love to answer those. If you do want big questions want spoilers(the plot is always subject to change, keep in mind.) and future plans, please use a account. I can't have one on one conversations with guest accounts. Besides, I would love to answer any questions you have. Oh, also I am very lonely. :( I got ptsd and depression from fighting in the second Emu war.