Spoilers for the Kyoshi novels up ahead

Lei tried to hand a bandage to the pilots in captivity, but Wuli violently swiped it out of his hands. Anticipating this receptive attitude, the guerrilla simply placed the bandages on the ground. Whether or not these guys would pick it up themselves, would be entirely up to them. Although, he wouldn't be as prideful if he was in their situation, since many of their members, including Wuli himself, is losing plenty of blood. Based on past experiences, he knew that an untreated wound is all it takes to kill a healthy adult. One of the pilots even have an arrow still stuck in him, the least Wuli can do is allow them to stop all that bleeding. Without saying a word, he stepped away, perhaps they needed some time to process their captivity. As the strongest military power in the world, the United Republic never faced an opponent it has failed to defeat, nor has it it been common for its personnel to be taken captive before. To Wuli and his men, it is great humiliation that they are now in the custody of the very people they are targeting.

"You will never get away with this!" Wuli bellowed loudly. "Mark my word, your puny guerrilla fighters will be crushed under our mighty army! By then, the people of the Earth will be free from your oppressive terror!"

Lei stopped in his path, he gripped the sword's handle harder. After risking his own reputation to save his enemy, he didn't even get a 'thank you'. Part of him actually wanted to kill all these pilots and feed their innards to the birds. One thing is certain. If these men have met him in the past, their heads would be cleaved off and their innards fed to birds. "Such are the words spoken by a man who still thinks like child." Lei riposted. "When the Cranefish bird flies so high, it forgets that the ground is where all its food is."

The painful grunts of a nearby pilot grew louder. An arrow is still stuck inside his flesh, causing all nearby skin to display signs of inflammation. Clearly, there is now infection near the wound. The man named Wuli, being the caring captain, quickly went over to assist his squad mate.

"Save your energy, for I am far more idealistic and moronic than you are." Lei then walked back to the camp, not waiting around to hear Wuli's response. Right now, the prisoners of both the Acolytes of San Bao and pilots are separated to two groups. They were moved from the main camp to a secluded area in the forest, with a few warriors guarding them. Although the prisoners outnumbered the guards, the Kheshigs here are quite confident that none of them can escape. The fire-bending cultist would burn themselves to death if they tried to bend out of it, the oil flask that encased their hands would make short work of their already injured body. As for those pilots, the guards doubt that those men can do any harm. As non-bending men, they have zero close quarter combat experience. While powerful when piloting a metal flying bird, none of them have the skill or the equipment to kill a Kheshig warrior. If would be like a fox trying to fight a bear. These pilots would easily be torn into pieces even by the weakest Kheshig who have refined their combat skills since they were still young.

The nomads started a small camp fire and proceeded to cook some meat over it. They pulled out some dried meat from last night, attached them to skewers and roast them. The hungry captives can only watch with a starving stomach as the smell of food lingered around their nose. Of course, the vengeful Kheshig sparing them is already asking too much. Who knows what the guards would do using their giant scimitar.

As the guards enjoyed their food leisurely, the bison nearby turned its head to a small rustle in the bushes. While its human allies didn't detect it, the superior sense of smell and hearing allowed it to not only pick up the disturbance, but also identify its source. There he is, a little boy in brown deel and fur hat. Batu held up a single finger near his mouth in a shushing manner, implying to the bison to remain silent. After living with them for a long time, he knew these creatures can understand him very clearly. The question is whether or not the bison would agree with what he is about to do. There is a high risk that this bison would alert the guards, who arguably might not intervene.

The Kheshig warriors sat around the fire, drank their fermented milk to drown their displeasure. The enemy is right over there sitting under the tree. Yet, they are not allowed to kill them because some good for nothing guerrilla fighter showed up and convinced for the Khan to grant the acolytes mercy. They are dissatisfied immensely.

"That Lei fellow," a bulking air-bender groaned while eating his meat. "If he wasn't also an enemy of those stupid colony folks, I doubt he would be alive now!"

"Shh!" Another man tried to lower his friend's boisterous volume. "That man was just here, if he was listening right now, who knows what bad thing would happen!"

"What? Are you afraid?" The air-bender challenged. "He is just one man, we outnumbered him! Why should we bother keeping the stoopid cultists and puny pilots alive when we can just kill them and be done with it? The Khan just killed one himself today, you saw it!"

"Of course I saw it!" The warrior hissed, trying to keep his cool. "I was right next to you remember?"

"Oh, right." The air-bender replied, bewildered. His friend covered his eyes with his hand to demonstrate his disappointment. The issue of whether or not to kill or not kill these captives is only decided by Temujin. What the Khan commands, they follow. For allies are as rare as the famed panda lily flower, and good ones that you can trust are even rarer. In this day and age, the Earth Kingdom mainland is nothing more but a dog eat dog world. The strong devours the weak, and the weak can only pray and hope that their deaths are as painless as possible. Even though Lei and his potentially rag tag guerrillas might be someone who is barely making any difference, who knows when their help might come in handy.

But what is still a mystery to the Kheshig is why Lei is demonstrating such compassion towards a people that have murdered innocent lives in cold blood. The acolytes of San Bao often are mistaken as bandits who target towns and villages. But they did it for the sake of their ruthless ideology. Entire populations were put to the blade, brutally wiped out, and for what? Many people around the Earth Kingdom suffered the same fate as the Kheshig. Normal bandit raids are already a severe problem for the Earth Kingdom, but a well organized genocidal cult is a threat much higher than regular armed thieves.

"That Lei," the air-bender said while looking into the fire in front of him. "He said that he cared so much about the people, yet wanted us to spare the cult freaks and those colonizers, what is his deal anyway!" He then smashed his bowl on the ground, startling the other guards and the bison. Even Batu took some time to look at the commotion. He remained hidden, concealing his face with leaves.

"If the great Avatar killer is still alive and standing here right, then he would have wanted us to chop off all those heads!" The air-bender bellowed. He pointed at the captured pilots and the acolytes with his mace. The prisoners trembled upon hearing that, as those two words in the air-bender's sentence shook their morale to the core. Many people wouldn't put those two words together and say it in public. Everyone, the Kheshig guards, the United Republic pilots, the Acolyte of San Bao, all felt a cold chill when they heard that name. Even the mighty warriors of the Khan can tremble when such a powerful title was uttered aloud. The word 'Avatar' and 'killer' are never meant to be placed together.

"Batzorig" The guard yelled at the air-bender in a controlled and disapproving tone. "Roaring his name to the whole world to hear is a taboo! It brings bad luck! Not even the Eternal Sky would be pleased!"

"I don't care Amgalan!" Batzorig yelled at his non-bender friend. "You think I believe that nonsense!" He then picked up another bowl from his bag to get some fermented milk from the boiling cauldron. "We have been traveling around the Earth Kingdom for years, have you forgotten that there are people who idolizes that man so much they decided to build small statues of him. It was simply because he got the guts to fight that incompetent Avatar and succeed, he managed to kill the unkillable! When was the last time a normal person can even do that!"

"Whatever the people build and revere is none of our business!" Amgalan said "Just because he killed the Avatar does not mean you should treat him like some hero! What is important now is that we don't make anymore enemies out those guerrilla fighters! That Lei managed to sneak up on us without anyone noticing, why do you think that is possible?" Amgalan asked the air-bender, who cannot deliver a single word to answer this mind boggling question. "We have men scouting out the whole area to make sure no one can make a jump of us, but he somehow did it. If he can do that, what do you think would happen to our clan if all of Lei's little friends wanted to kill us all? There could be thousands of them, and how many of us is there again? You want them to be your friends or another enemy on our already long list?"

As the two continued to argue, and the other guards tried to stop the escalating tension, the bison noticed that Batu is pulling an arrow out of his small quiver. He drew his composite bow backwards, aimed it at a bandit he had failed to kill before, Tufei. The leading fire-bending bandit is still unconscious, he is still in a state where he is completely vulnerable to attack. Batu doesn't know why he was so eager to kill Tufei. He was quite young when his village, his parents were beheaded by the Acolytes of San Bao. Many memories were too murky for him to even remember. Or maybe, he doesn't want to remember. It was all too much for him to bear. It doesn't matter if Tufei is his parent's killer, he wanted all of them to be dead.

The little boy pulled the bow even harder, his tiny fingers pained as the string dug deeper into his skin. He wanted these people to pay for their crimes, to hurt the acolytes in the same way how they have treated his birth parents, who will never come back after being brutally murdered. After taking one last look at Tufei, Batu let go of the string.

Batu's arrow, while technically released by his bow, did not even get to fly out of his arm span. A single large hand managed to grab the arrow by its shaft, stopping it from being shot towards the bandits. He flinched when he saw it, and dropped to ground. Falling backwards by the shock of another person suddenly standing next to him.

"D-Dad!?" Batu struggled to comprehend. "What are you doing here?" He was confused, but mostly shocked. Khenbish didn't answer immediately, he helped Batu get back up on his feet, even wiped off some of the mud that have stuck itself on Batu's clothing.

"I was going to ask you the same question son," Khenbish said like everything's normal. "What are you doing here? You know the last time you run off without thinking, you almost got killed."

"I am about to kill those bastards of course!" Batu snatched the arrow from Khenbish's hands and proceeded to once again aim it at Tufei. The boy is still in rage, disgruntled that their leader spared these cutthroats. He doesn't care if his enemies are not weak and helpless, he wanted to end them now.

"Son listen, those people are already defeated, they are injured and are no longer a threat." Despite Khenbish's counsel, Batu refused to let go.

"What makes you think they are harmless?" Batu refuted. "They tried to kill us just because we are air-benders, and they even kill non-benders just because they are related to benders, in my eyes, they don't deserve to live!"

"But son, have you forgotten that I have taught you to never harm a man that is already defenceless, even if he is your enemy." Khenbish asked his adapted son. Batu dropped his angry expression, and tried to look at his father in neutral manner. Even though Batu was not biologically related to his new family, he was still treated like one. Whatever knowledge and wisdom Khenbish's parents passed down to him, he would do his best to pass it down to both Batu and Sarangerel.

"But..." Batu tried to argue. "You told me they killed your parents didn't you? Why are you telling me this now? Don't you also wanting to kill the people that have killed your parents?"

"I have told you before, there is no honor in continue kicking a man when he has already fallen." Khenbish said, looking at the pathetic state of those acolytes. Most of them are now reduced to men who no longer held the will to fight. Despite their fanatic devotion to the master, they knew they would die just by breathing in the wrong way. The Khan would immediately kill them if even one of them managed to anger him. "Even though it might feel good to kill them now, it will never bring back the the dead people. But our actions towards our surrendered enemies reflects who we are. I don't want you to go down that path."

Batu looked down on the ground. Part of him wanted to weep. The death of his birth parents has always been a stinging pain even to now. No matter how much he tried to bury that guilt, he cannot free himself from the fact that it was his possession of air-bending have attracted the cultists to their peaceful village.

"You are still just child, and I know you have been through a lot pain." Khenbish said reassuringly, placing a hand on Batu's shoulder. "But I don't want you to repeat the same act of cruelty like us foolish adults. It's not easy to take a person's life, it's even more difficult for you to mentally process what you have done after your act."

"Have you ever killed a person yourself?"

"Yes, plenty." Khenbish revealed. "But I don't want you to grow up knowing only hatred. Those bandits, whether they live or die, I just don't want you to stain your hands with blood. It's just...wrong. I mean just look at them."

Tufei and the bandits are now in a much weakened state. Without food, their faces grew sore and tired. While it's true that they have done unspeakable things, there is still a tiny aspect that still makes them a human. Perhaps such things are too complex for a little boy to understand. To him, the morality is white and black. Those that killed innocent people should not only be killed themselves, but they deserved to suffer an even worst punishment. But he will keep his thoughts to himself for now, as he doesn't want to disobey his father's words. At least not in-front of him anyway. He reluctantly nodded to Khenbish, and used his fingers to clean some tears from his eyes. Admittedly, all he thought about was vengeance. His simple mind often ignored how much weight there is when a person was killed, even if that one person is evil.

The bison watched quietly as both father and son left the area. This whole time, the squabbling guards did not notice the two Kheshig. Batzorig sunk down on the grass and crossed his arms, deeply frustrated. Despite his lower intelligence then the rest of his people, even he know being outnumbered is a death wish. The whole point of avoiding the wars between petty warlords and bandits is so that the whole clan would not be wiped due to opposing superior numbers.

...

A Kheshig warrior munched on a piece of left over meat greedily, after the unexpected battle from today, him and everyone else need to replenish their stamina as soon as possible.

"The meat is a little dry," the warrior grumbled. Despite the hardy nature of these people, sometimes even they have something they are not satisfied about. They just had a good meal last night, with freshly roasted meat and other delicacies. It's hard to adjust after eating such good food.

He rested his bow and lamellar armor on the grass besides him, keeping a scimitar in case he needed it.

"At least it's still meat! Unlike one of Jargal's disgusting cooking, it's nonetheless food!" A nearby air-bending warrior shrugged. "You rather eat spoiled vegetables and grass before we became nomads? Remember back when we were farmers, we have wait for a whole year to harvest food, even then there is still not enough to feed our family's mouths!"

The Kheshig warrior stared at the piece of meat he is holding. Undernourishment was a huge problem in the past, and many children were not as lucky to reach adulthood. Most couldn't send their children to school. The cycle will repeat. Farmers will produce more farmers. Never advance, never change, never develop. But now it's different. Being nomads, they can hunt the animals. Meat now is so common that some even grow to get tired of eating the same thing. But still, they resented the old sedentary lifestyle.

Mayumi sat along the countless people on the makeshift camp. No actual tents were set up, just a few sticks and cloths assembled together to create shade. As they waited patiently for Jargal to return, Mayumi took spent some time with the Khan who explained all the problems one might encounter when entering the small trading town. Satchiko was with Sarangerel and Saran, who are all a bit further away from where she is.

"Petty merchants and pickpockets are the everyday nonsense we have to deal with whenever we go there." Temujin explained while drinking some fermented milk. "If you don't want to lose anything valuable like money, make sure you don't get scammed."

Mayumi nodded attentively like a student. Being the older sister, Mayumi took up the responsibility to listen to every advice the Khan dispensed. Since Satchiko is not as attentive, Mayumi has to be the one that handles these important details. "Well we probably are not going to spend our money anyway," Mayumi said candidly. The money given by her parents must be spent as resourcefully and possible. They can't expend a single coin on useless items at a small simple trading town. "I know Jargal is scouting ahead, but can you tell me more about who is controlling that town? It was prudent question, a wise one in fact. Here in the Earth Kingdom, you are not safe anywhere, even in a small trading town.

Temujin scratched his beard. "The town is technically protected by the militia of this state. They are not locals, and they originated from the well protected capital. Most of them are untrained and arrogant fools who always get into fights with my men. Personally, I think those self proclaimed soldiers are only good at being drunk." Temujin narrowed his eyebrows. "I suggest you two stay away from them as far as possible. Who knows what dark thoughts they would have when they saw you two running around without protection."

"Thank you for your concern my Khan," Mayumi said while addressing the man with his title. "I acknowledge your warnings, my sister and I will be careful."

"Just to be safe, stay near my warriors, I would like see if those fools would have the audacity to even provoke us." The Khan proceeded to drink. Just as Mayumi was about to get up and leave, a small shiny glint caught Temujin's attention.

"Wait, what is that you have in your pocket?" He asked.

"Oh this?" Mayumi pulled out a small throwing knife. She handed it to the Khan, allowing it to be examine further. "I used this and threw it at that water bender lady that blood bends."

The Khan examined the knife. This small blade is forged by the blacksmith of Mayumi's village, stainless and refined. A bit wasted on a throwing projectile. "Hmm, the designs are still the same…"

"W-What?" Mayumi asked. What did he meant by that?

"By the way," the Khan moved on. "During the battle with the blood bending Acolyte, why didn't you kill that blood bender?"

Mayumi felt she was being interrogated, but she calmed herself when she was reminded that she has done nothing wrong against the Kheshig. "My body was trapped in ice, I couldn't help my sister in battle." She admitted for failing as a guardian to Satchiko, who would probably have lost her life back then.

"Half of your body was frozen, if I recall correctly." Temujin raised the issue with the Kyoshi warrior. "I have seen many people throw knives for a living. I can tell just by the way you throw that knife, you are exceptionally good with your accuracy. I must give credit to the person who trained you."

Mayumi humbly accepted the praise without acting too proud. She is glad that the skills Akahana have taught her have received recognition by someone outside their island. To her, she owned many of her training to her mother. Whenever pirates would invade, small throwing projectiles such as knives, kunai and shuriken are excellent tools to injure and then capture the enemy. Before she can reply this flattering comment, the next thing she heard from Temujin completely thwarted her attempt.

"But," Temujin sharply announced. From one word, she can heard the tiniest hint of disappointment. It's like the amicable Temujin have suddenly turned judgmental for absolutely no reason. She feared that there is something she has overlooked, something she has done that did not fare well with this ferocious Khan. "It is because your aim was so good that it allowed me to notice your weakness." The Khan unapologetically said while looking at the fire. His voice dropped the judgmental tone, replaced with a more concerning one.

"I...I," Mayumi stuttered. "What do you mean?"

Temujin took a sip from his bowl of fermented milk. There was a long silent, which was broken when Temujin finally revealed his answer. "You didn't throw the knife to kill that blood bender. "When that acolyte was charging towards your sister, your own family member, why did you not throw this knife at her head?" Temujin said with an accusatory tone while holding up Mayumi's knife by the iron tip. The sharp blade is strong enough to cut through fresh and bones when enough force was applied in a single throw. If Mayumi had aimed for Shui's head, it would guarantee a kill. "I know you two are Kyoshi warriors, a group of female trained fighters who are made of merely weavers, housewives and fisherwoman." Temujin stated, demonstrating his clear knowledge and understanding of the Kyoshi warrior's origin. He knows a lot of things, even though he never went to Kyoshi island due to the lack of incentives. But he still knows a lot about them. In fact, many people across the world at least know something about Kyoshi island and the famous women warriors. The achievements of the hero Suki made her own home and female warriors a rather iconic cultural heritage of the Earth Kingdom. "It is admirable, that women have taken up arms to defend their home from those who wish only bad ill towards them, I can say for certain, that the likes of you have fought pirates. Haven't you?"

Mayumi nodded, reluctantly. She doesn't know what Temujin would say next. Whatever it is, perhaps he is critical of how she fought.

"Tell me, Mayumi. Whenever the pirates attacked your home, how did you and your people fight them?" Temujin asked, he probably didn't inquired this out of curiosity.

Mayumi did her best to answer this question honestly. "We fought them, head on." She then cleared her throat and continue. "My fellow sisters and I defended our island against anyone who wishes to harm it. Every time pirates come, we will defeat them until they flee or they surrender."

"How many times have a bandit been killed?" Temujin asked. This topic was the only one Mayumi wished he would avoid. It was an uncomfortable subject to bring up.

"Well, our island was split up into three main groups of defenders, each one protecting one side of the island." Mayumi clarified, she can only tell her experience just by her own hometown. "Our mentors taught us, the new generation of Kyoshi warriors that killing pirates are always the last resort. We need to do our best to injure them until they can no longer to fight or force them into submission. Of course, as you already know, this is not always the case. Some people like that blood bender refused to surrender even after heavily injured. Occasionally, we would use chi-blocking or the net guns made by Future Industries to subdue our opponents."

She was nervous when mentioning the part that Kyoshi warriors also used the same equipment like the bandits. She expected that the Khan would lash out at her people for also buying weaponry from the United Republic, an entity they considered the great eyesore. But instead of hearing the Khan's angry reaction, Temujin only drink his fermented milk like nothing significant has happened.

"Go on," he commanded.

"Ah yes," Mayumi quickly resumed, not wanting to delay anything. "The reason why I decided to not aim for the blood bender's head is because my mother have taught me that killing is always the last resort, when nothing else can be done to defeat a dangerous pirate." Mayumi finished her lengthy sentence. At the same time, Temujin emptied his bowl of beverage.

"So, you never kill a pirate before?" Temujin asked.

"Y-Yes," Mayumi admitted. "With the exception one of person I know of, all the other Kyoshi warriors in my generation and younger have never actually taken a life before."

"Your leaders told you that killing a cutthroat is the last resort," The Khan reiterated, a little displeased but almost chuckled at what Mayumi said. "At least you are not like that Lei, what a hindering chap he is." Temujin commented. "It's ironic how I told my own warriors that killing a bandit is the first thing they should prioritize. When we were ambushed, my men would never hesitate."

Mayumi can sense that there is a contention here. She knew that Temujin would not hesitate to kill a person that is a danger to him and his people. She saw what he did to Shui, and to that fire-bender he just killed before. Anyone who wishes to even harm a single hair of a Kheshig, the Khan's would strike them down without question.

The vivid image of what transpired when the Khan killed the fire-bender on the spot is still clear in her memory. While Satchiko could not handle that overly gruesome scene, even the more mature Mayumi felt a bit disturbed by what she witnessed. But at least she can still cope with such act. After all the Khan's did committed it against dangerous people who wanted to harm Kyoshi island by capturing the two sisters.

"I am not looking down on you if that is what you are thinking." Temujin stated firmly. He gave the knife back to Mayumi while he retrieved an object from his garment. "What I am saying, is that you are underestimating the willpower of an enemy that does not fear death. They would jump off a cliff with joy if their leader commanded it."

When Temujin finally revealed the object he is pulling out, Mayumi can clearly see that it is Shui's water bottle. The same container looted from the woman who could have ended Satchiko's life. The eerie symbol is still apparent on the front. She doesn't know what this symbol very means, but she doubt it's a good one since it served as a trademark for those cultist.

"Such talent, yet she used it to spread death and chaos." Temujin glared at Shui's water bottle. Simply holding it in his hands took a lot of self-control to not crush it all into pieces. The very symbol represents the ideological urge that have laid waste to countless innocent lives just because of some ambiguous view of keeping bending pure. "Mayumi, I don't know what your perception of water benders are. Whatever people tell you about them, you know those water loving folks are not all benevolent." The Khan sighed, reminding the Kyoshi warrior about how terrifying blood bending was. "That blood bender who almost killed Ganbaatar is an exceptionally skilled one. Not only could she bend the flesh of many my warriors all at once, she also almost killed your sister had I not intervene. If you have killed that bandit when you got the opportunity, you could have ended it right there."

Mayumi felt her heart suddenly dropped into her stomach. Was she very that incompetent to the point of almost letting Satchiko getting killed? She thought that simply injuring Shui would stop her from reaching Satchiko, while not killing her.

"You said that before you ended Shui's life, she almost killed my sister, can you elaborate?" Mayumi asked with hesitation. She wanted to know what she have overlooked during with the battle with four bandits. Knowing what shortcoming the battle hardened Khan is criticizing her about may be essential to safeguarding Satchiko in the future.

"Remember Avatar Yun, does that ring any bells?" Temujin said, as quietly as he can.

Mayumi stilled, timid upon hearing this name. Back on the island, they never mention that name too often. He was the false Avatar, but he was also a very close friend of their founder Kyoshi.

"If I remember correctly, Avatar Kyoshi herself was at one point at the mercy of Yun." Temujin recalled. "It's hard to remember what the scrolls of the White Order said about that specific moment word by word. I unofficially left the order many years ago and no longer have access to their documents about the past. But it was said that the way Kyoshi killed Yun was not a common feat a water bender can do out the blue. Temujin gulped a mouthful of beverage. "You are a Kyoshi warrior, tell me, how did Avatar Kyoshi killed Yun."

"She did it because she had no other choice. She did not have the will to take his life, but she also knew that Yun must be stopped at all cause. Wait-" Mayumi remembered something in the story, something minor. While it is great that the master water benders can use special techniques to heal people, many people are not aware, that there are a darker sides to the element. While blood bending is feared and infamous across the world, there is still another rare technique that is just as dangerous if not more fatal. A deadly technique, used by Kyoshi to kill Yun, a friend she tried save but failed to do so. All the Earth Avatar did was placed her hand on Yun's chest, and froze his heart and lungs. That was all it took, a simple manipulation of the body's water and ceased all functioning that can maintain a life.

Mayumi's face went blank and horrified upon this realization. Was Shui proficient in this technique too? Was that what the Khan is trying to tell her about? She thought she has almost failed Satchiko when she was trapped in the ice and couldn't do anything. But when she can, her conscious decision almost doomed her goal. When Shui tried to place her hand on Satchiko's chest armour, she thought Shui was trying to take her sister hostage. Now did she understood what the Khan is talking about, and how much was actually at stake.

"I don't want to tell you this, since you just got here. Trust me, that blood bender is just the tip of the iceberg for all the mess on this land." Temujin added, trying his best to not cause further distress on the female warrior. "Your selflessness and bravery is honorable, a great attribute a person can have. But if you truly wish to protect your sister in this dog eat dog world, do you naively thought that you can accomplish that without killing someone who wouldn't even spare a life of a child?"

It was a direct challenge to every Mayumi have been taught about. The difference between Temujin and Lei is now as clear as the sky. One wanted only death to those that would harm his people, whereas the other wanted to give those evil people a chance to redeem themselves. Weird isn't it?

The Khan's suggestion that Mayumi should take a life when needed opposed her own practices. Even without rules and conduct she must abide by, her morale conscience is also not receptive to such actions. Despite being competent warriors of Kyoshi island, she and her sister have frankly never killed a living person. They protect, they attack, but unlike Akahana's generation, the younger ones never openly seek the deaths of their enemies. Perhaps such cultural differences is the reason why both of them are dismayed at Batu behaving like a normal Kheshig, who advocated the death of the bandits even after capturing them.

Mayumi took a deep breathe in, the thought that Shui could have killed Satchiko due to her own decision is a great revelation she doesn't want to face. But at the same time, she still doesn't want to stain her hand with a person's death. Perhaps she now better understood why Lei was so against killing the cultist prisoners. The weight of life taking is heavy, and witnessing it without intervening is also a great burden. But if Temujin didn't kill Shui at that moment, that bandit could have ended Satchiko's life by freezing the heart and lungs. "Are you sure that was what Shui tried to accomplish? Killing my sister in her last moment?" Mayumi unwillingly asked. Part of her is still adamant to admit that Shui mastered such dangerous technique.

"Judging from that witch's attempt to place a hand on your sister's chestplate, I can say for sure that she wanted to freeze the blood. You do know there is actually water inside us right?" Temujin then casually grabbed a piece of meat that was cooking over the fire, and begin to devour it.

Mayumi stared at the fire, unsure what to make of this situation. "What should I do if we got into a similar situation like last time?" She pondered. "If my sister's life is at risk, what should do?"

"You kill, even if you don't want to." Temujin stated bluntly, not even mentally prepare Mayumi before saying it. "I know you have a code of conduct that you follow, and taking a human life by itself is already a morally wrong act no one should do. But if you knew that a bandit will go on and kill a person you deeply cared about, would you not destroy them before they succeed? Think about it."

As expected Mayumi did not give an immediate response, she is still in limbo of what she truly believes in. Stepping aside from the campfire, she's going to get some more food, and contemplate about everything. Right before she leaves, she thanked the Khan for all his help so far, including saving them from the bandits.

"Subutai," Temujin addressed the physician without even looking at him. He knew the identity of the man just by listening to the sound of the shoes encroaching. "What are the status of Khiimori?"

"His work of breathing and heart rate is returning normal, and the skin regained some of its warm after his bleeding has stopped. But I have yet to see improvement in his consciousness, what's more we may need to restock more vital herbs while at the trading town. While we were lucky enough to not sustain any casualties today, those still injured by the blood bender still need some medical herbs. However, I see that Jargal has yet to return from his scouting mission."

"Something tells me that we might not be able to sell our wool this time." Temujin's instincts kicked in. Being alive for a long time allowed him to sense that something is not right here.

As Temujin glanced into his bowl of soup, he labored on the thought that Jargal might be in trouble or have suffered some setbacks. However, he still believed that the hunter would not easily be caught, especially when the Kheshig often prefers to maintain a distance with an enemy.

Question from anonymous user:

1. Considering that this story is called the avatar after Korra, will the avatar reappear?

-Time will tell.

2. Considering that is called the legacy of kyoshi and kyoshi is among the characters listed, will the avatar reconnect with his/her past lives?

-Spirits are nuance and mysterious.

3. Will we see a ideological clash between kyoshi warriors and the Dai li. After all Kyoshi created both groups.

-Yin and Yang are different, but they complement each other. Just like light and dark, order and chaos.