Author's Note: Hello everyone! Welcome to chapter two of Book Two: Earth! I hope you enjoy this as I expand the world a bit more and introduce more of my original plot. This chapter was harder to get ready for posting because it follows Mira and a bit of her own journey. It has a lot in it and I hope I did it justice.
This chapter does have some trigger warnings, they are as follows:
CW: Violence, gun violence, death, graphic details, violence against a woman, and violence against a child.
None of this is in excess nor does this mean the chapter is depressing. However there is a scene that could trigger people. I also want to specify this fic will not have any sexual violence. It's overdone and unnecessary. There are so many horrible things about war already, I will not be going there.
P.S. to the reviewer who asked if Mira should have a spirit guide like Aang and Korra and then suggested a dragon, get out of my head! I'm not gonna say I intend to do that/have but...yeah you guessed a future plot point omg XD You rock.
~Chapter 2 Start~
It had been weeks since we had taken the birds. It helped us travel significantly easier, which meant we could spend more time in towns collecting money and supplies. Today, we were seated in front of our birds, begging for money. Well, Iroh was begging, Zuko and I were doing our own thing. Zuko was I assume napping with his hat covering his face, while I was picking at the split ends in my hair; call it a nervous habit.
"Spare coins for the weary travelers?" Iroh asked as someone walked by.
The man tossed a few coins into Iroh's hat and went on his way. Most people who dropped spare change didn't look at us much, mostly rushing off busy with their own lives. The occasional person, or child, would point us out and either give us some spare change, or guilt another party into it. I remembered seeing many homeless people sitting on street corners in my time, and how I had ignored most of them. The media spun it as deserved, 'just addicts', and their lives worthless anyways, so who cares. I felt the shame slither up my spine at how my previous viewpoint had been classist. Homelessness wasn't my problem back then, it would never happen to me. I was beyond privileged.
"This is humiliating. We're royalty. These people should be giving us whatever we want!" Zuko complained, bolting up from his relaxed position.
Looks like I wasn't the only one facing my privilege. Despite all our different backgrounds, we still found ourselves begging on the street for money. No home, no jobs, nothing to our names. Nothing but the clothing on our backs and basic necessities. Iroh handled it humbly as Zuko and I acted as if it were just a temporary state.
"They will, if you ask nicely." Iroh similed.
"Pfft because you're royalty, are you kidding me?" I laughed.
"Excuse me, it's not my fault you were born a commoner." Zuko scoffed.
"How do you know I was even born a commoner?" I goaded, twirling my hair around my finger.
"Spare change for a hungry old man?" Iroh asked, interrupting our bickering.
A woman had walked up to us during our argument. She had pigmented makeup on and nice silk robes. It was clear she was better off, but she still regarded us with respect and gave us a genuine smile.
"Aw, here you go." The woman said, dropping a few coins into Iroh's hat.
"The coin is appreciated, but not as much as your smile." Iroh flirted.
The woman giggled as Zuko smacked his forehead. I couldn't help but laugh at the exchange myself. As I did, a bearded man with a sword wandered towards us, staring intently at Iroh. His clothing didn't stand out to me as nobility, despite the heavy air of pride he carried.
"How about some entertainment in exchange for...a gold piece?" He asked with a wicked grin, brandishing a cold coin in between his fingers.
"We're not performers." Zuko said through his teeth.
"Well, not professional, anyway," Iroh said, covering up Zuko's rudeness. "It's a long, long way to Ba Sing Se, but the girls in the city, they look so pretty."
Iroh had stood up and started to sing, the guy looked completely unimpressed, hand coming off his hip and hanging up in a 'what' expression. He looked around the crowd that had begun to gather and found something that seemed to spur him on; an audience.
"Come on, we're talking a gold piece here." He mocked, drawing his sword. "Let's see some action. Dance."
The man then began to slash at Iroh's feet and Iroh began to sing again. He kept aiming for Iroh's feet rather sloppily. I could tell he had training, but not much. Iroh managed to deftly dodge his attempts, but it still made my gut burn with anger all the same.
"And they kiss so sweet that you really have to meet, the girls from Ba Sing Se!" Iroh finished.
"Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha! Nothing like a fat man dancing for his dinner," The man laughed, "here you go."
The man tossed the gold coin at Iroh's feet. Iroh bent over and picked it up with a small smile. Sitting back down he added it to his hat. Zuko was seething from where he was seated, clearly close to jumping up and ramming the man's sword down his throat.
"Such a kind man." Iroh said as he watched him sheath his swords.
I didn't miss the way Zuko's eyes widened as he realized the man's sword was really two.
~Break~
We had been staying in a cave near the town we were visiting. We were able to set up a fire and keep warm and dry, so I wasn't complaining. It was also near a river so we could sort of bathe. We had just finished dinner and settled into bed when I felt Zuko begin to stir. Iroh let out a loud snore, already long asleep, and I heard Zuko start shuffling around. Opening an eye I caught him leaving the cave and I quickly moved to follow him.
"Again?" I heard him sigh as he turned to face me.
"Yes, again." I scoffed, placing a hand on my hip as I stared him down.
"Fine, come on. We need masks first." Zuko whispered as he took off running towards the town.
I followed him as we scaled the outer walls and ran alongside them. It wasn't long till we found the small wagon selling decorative masks. We dropped down and Zuko quickly grabbed the Blue Spirit mask, beginning to put it on. I looked around for another one, but came up empty handed.
"Looks like they've only got one this time." He smirked, placing the mask fully over his face.
"Guess so, time for an upgrade then." I laughed, grabbing a red version of the Blue Spirit mask and slipping it on.
"How do I look?" I joked as I modeled it for him.
"Just come on." Zuko said while shaking his head.
We scaled back up the wall and continued into town towards the local bars. It didn't take long to find the brutish man with the two swords. He was strutting down the street like he owned the place, most likely looking for someone to pick on.
We dropped down into an alley, following his drunk movements. Zuko grabbed a few pebbles and tossed them down the street, catching the man's attention. The man withdrew his swords and turned around, slowly advancing through the dark.
"Who's there?" He asked, swinging the swords around.
Zuko rushed up and grabbed the man's left arm, as I did the same to his left. He dropped the swords as we twisted his wrists, then threw him into a pile of crates. Zuko retrieved the swords as the man groaned from his place on the ground.
We quickly scaled the walls once more and began to head back towards the town's gate. I felt Zuko grab my arm and point left just as we got close. I gave him a curious look but followed anyway. He led me towards a few warehouses and closed up stalls. We dropped down and Zuko began to pick the lock of one of the warehouses.
"Wait, what are you doing?" I hissed.
"What does it look like? I'm picking a lock so we can get some food." He grunted as he continued to twist his pins.
"No, we can't just steal from these people. Not again." I put my foot down.
"Do whatever you want, I'm getting us some proper food." Zuko said, his tone final.
"No, Zuko. This is wrong. Taking swords from a full-of-himself danger to society is one thing, stealing from a town that has been nothing but kind is another." I spoke, taking a step back and removing my mask.
"Nothing but kind? We've been forced to beg for weeks! I refuse to eat their scraps any longer. Either be useful for once, or just leave." Zuko snarled, turning on me in rage.
"You know what...fine. Do what you want." I sighed, tossing my mask to the ground.
Zuko didn't follow and I didn't look back.
~Break~
I returned back to camp and collected my things. Iroh was still snoring, unaware of our nightly excursion. I felt my heart tightened at the thought of leaving; Iroh had said we were family. I had liked that idea, liked the thought someone would want me at the end of all this.
But that was stupid. What I needed to do now was find Aang and learn the rest of my bending. I was sick of being useless. The next time I saw Iroh again, I would be able to do more than rely on Zuko and his twisted idea of right and wrong.
So I mounted one of the birds and left. Praying I would get to see Iroh again one day.
~Break~
I had been on my own for several days now. I found it wasn't too hard to care for myself and my bird with what rations and money I had been able to take with me. We were coming up to a town where I had plans to stock up and head to the nearest river to practice my waterbending.
I was no longer able to use my firebending since that would mark me as an enemy of the Earth Kingdom. But, since I was without Zuko and Iroh, I could pretend to be another kind of bender. I figured, since I had the easiest time figuring out my waterbending, I would start there. It had been the element I had been able to bend on purpose, opposed to air which I did once accidentally, and earth which I hadn't been able to bend at all.
I walked up to one of the vendor's stalls, picking out a few good pieces of jerky, as well as a bunch of fruits and a few vegetables. I knew I was going to be sleeping rough and needed to sustain myself in the foreseeable future. So, I also purchased a small book on edible plants, and a fishing rod with a few extra hooks and string.
I had to start learning how to survive in this world. My knowledge from my previous life only had so many applications here. I knew little about the animals, plants, and people. So, I decided I would start by learning to take care of myself, instead of begging, stealing, or relying on someone else.
I didn't have much left over, but successfully purchased myself a cloak for when it rained as well as my own hat. They were both deep green, with brown filigree-like trim. The hat was different from what I was used to, fitting tightly to my head in a more rectangular fashion, rather than circular. I was able to trade in some labour for a free lunch so I wouldn't need to worry about cooking or fishing, and headed towards the river the cook had given me directions too.
I tried to ignore the worry settling into my heart. I had only been successful thus far because of the supplies I had taken. Now, I was on my own. I had to learn how to catch or forage for my food, defend myself without my firebending, and master the rest of the elements. No pressure or anything.
It was only about a ten minute ride till I reached the river. I dismounted and tied my bird to a tree; I had named him Ernie. I headed towards the water, slowly pushing past the rush of cold water that hit my toes. I rolled up my pant legs and waded in deeper. The water was cool, but refreshing as it tickled past my knees.
"It's ok, Ernie, I'm just by the river's edge." I soothed as my bird let out a small squawk.
I took a deep breath and focused on the water, trying to tie pieces of my chakra to the rushing current like tiny puppet strings. I felt the water rush past my thighs as the water obeyed my call and touched my fingertips as I raised them above my head.
"Not bad." I heard an old voice croak.
I dropped my hands in surprise, causing them water to fall down, drenching me in the process. I turned around to see an old woman laughing at me. I spluttered as droplets of water blocked my vision. I took a moment to look at her, dressed in Earth Nation coloured robes. She had her grey hair up in a delicate bun. Her smile was warm and her skin wrinkled and weathered through a long life.
"With practice, it's easier to keep focus, even when surprised." She smiled as she stepped just to the water's edge.
"Are you a waterbender too?" I asked, moving my wet braid over my shoulder.
"You could say that, how about you?" She asked.
"I'm rather new to it, but yeah I am," I smiled as I stepped out of the water and stuck out my hand. "My name's Mira."
"My name is Aiwon, I'm from the Southern Water Tribe." She smiled.
She waded into the water a bit, before raising her arms and summoning waves. I watched in awe as she wove them into swirls and then froze them. Her movements were second nature, commanding the water to her will. It was beautiful to watch an element so different from fire.
"Wow, that's amazing." I whispered, coming to stand next to her.
"If you'd like, I could teach you. There aren't many waterbenders anymore outside of the North Pole. I'd be happy to share any knowledge I have left with another waterbender." She smiled as she waited for my answer.
"I'd actually love that, thank you." I smiled, following her as she headed back towards town.
"Bring your friend, Ernie was it, along with you." She winked causing my cheeks to redden.
~Break~
She led me to her small, but warm home. I hitched Ernie outside and was now seated as she served me dinner. It was probably dangerous to trust a complete stranger, but when would I get another chance to learn waterbending? I was in the Earth Kingdom with earthbenders and firebenders galore.
"How did you end up all the way here if you're from the Southern Water Tribe?" I asked as I dug into her sea stew.
The stew itself wasn't all that different from a clam or fish chowder to be honest. It wasn't bad, although I wasn't entirely sure what it was made out of. I also didn't dare to ask.
"It was a long time ago, back when the Fire Nation was attacking the Southern Water Tribe to kill the next Avatar. They were convinced that he had been reborn and captured every waterbender they could get their hands on. It started as only a few at first, but as we were weakened we lost more and more. One day, I was captured protecting my sister, Hama. I was taken aboard a Fire Nation ship where they kept us in cages. We were starved and given dirty water. But, I was lucky. There was a relatively new Fire Nation soldier aboard the ship I was on and his name was Yuan.
He was in charge of feeding us and doing routine checks. He wasn't all that high up you see. At first, he ignored me. I suppose it was his way of coping with doing horrible things. He never seemed to quite agree with his fellow soldiers. He ignored disciplining us, and gave us extra rations. But, eventually, I convinced him to talk to me. It took almost a week, but I had opened that gate. Before I knew it, we were talking all the time and fell in love. We often talked about escaping together. Eventually, we got lucky. We had just entered Earth Kingdom waters, back when the Earth Kingdom had a stronger presence. They attacked the ship we were on and in the commotion me and Yuan escaped. We took one of the lifeboats and sailed towards Earth Nation shores. This was the city we reached first, and it was here we built a life together and started over. I did lose Yuan many years ago, but he went peacefully." Aiwon explained with a fond smile.
"Wow that...I cannot believe you had to live through that, I'm so sorry." I thought back to the time I was locked up and was so thankful they treated me so kindly.
"What's done is done my dear. Let us just be thankful you and many others did not have to suffer such a fate. Now, I'll draw you a bath and tomorrow we begin your training." She grinned.
~Break~
True to her word, we began early. She fed me and then we were off training. It started with basic forms, which I was able to follow a lot easier. Waterbending was a lot less offensive and more defensive. I rather liked it and found it soothing. Much like Iroh had me practice control, she had me practicing moving the water in specific patterns and motions. It was important that I learn to move the water as second nature.
It was like breathing, I needed to be able to feel the water wherever I was and it needed to be second nature. Unlike firebending, I wasn't able to just spark it from the air around me. I couldn't call it to me and if I found myself without water, I would find myself at a disadvantage.
"Always remember, that water is everywhere, water is life. You can pull it from the plants, you can draw it from your sweat. Do not surrender just because you think you lack resources." Aiwon explained as she corrected my form.
I nodded and continued to practice until my arms felt like dead weight. She signaled it was time for a break and pulled out a packed lunch. Handing me some water and vegetable rice, we both sat down and began to eat.
"Where are you from?" Aiwon asked me.
"Somewhere far from the war. I miss it sometimes, but it's gone now, so I won't ever be able to return. For now I travel and learn what I can." I smiled, digging into my food.
"I'm sorry to hear that. I hope one day you will find a new place to call home." Aiwon said, opting not to dig further.
"Me too." I said with a small smile.
She often reminded me of Iroh.
~Break~
We spent almost a week on the basic forms. I had the control down within a few days, but she was thorough when it came to the forms. She would teach me about the theory and applications of waterbending as I practiced the forms, or channeled control. Today was no different.
"Remember that your bending follows chakra routes. Chakra routes are found all over your body, from your head, all the way to your toes. It spreads out like small webs, this is what allows you to control water." She explained in her sage way.
I nodded along as I continued practicing my water whip. I was determined to master waterbending as soon as possible, I had a feeling I was going to need it sooner than later. She continued to circle me, looking for mistakes. The corrections never came and so I pushed forward.
I took a deep breath and with the swell of my chest, I felt the water follow my finger tips. I felt so alive when I was bending the water. The cool rush and the feeling of harmony it provided me was unlike any I had ever felt. It felt right, as if I was slowly piecing the pieces of myself back together.
~Break~
I opened my eyes and found myself in my dream glen. Aang was standing there waiting for me with a smile on his face. I rushed over to him with a copy grin on my face. I had so much to tell him, so much to ask.
"How are you?" I asked as I approached.
"I am good. I see you have started mastering waterbending. Good for you." He smiled.
"Yeah, I got lucky. Found a bender from the Southern Water Tribe." I said.
"That's good. I also see you've left Zuko and Iroh." He quirked a brow.
"Yeah, well, it was about time I suppose. I was just spending the entire time lying to them and...Zuko and I had a fight." I shrugged.
"That is unfortunate, but not surprising. I wish you luck in mastering waterbending." Aang smiled as he took a seat.
I followed his movements and began to fidget.
"It's just...I've learned so much but I still feel so lost. I've wasted so much time on Zuko's boat I don't even know where to begin. You're already helping people while I'm...hiding out in a lovely old lady's house." I said, the words tumbling from my mouth.
"Sometimes, to help everyone, you need to focus on greater battles. The people you see fighting the war around you, they are doing something to stop the Fire Nation. You need to focus on your job mastering the elements, same as me. Once you've done that we both have to face the Fire Lord and Sadar, but neither of us can do that until we're fully realized Avatars." Aang explained with a serious expression.
"But time is running out. I've been in your time for months now, who knows where Sadar and his men are? I don't even know what his plan is. I know what the Fire Lord's plan is, but even that doesn't help me, by summer we are all screwed." I muttered.
"Is this why you left Zuko and Iroh?" Aang asked.
"I don't know..maybe? I mean, we definitely got into a fight but...how can I master anything else with them around? I'm...lying to them." I said with a somber expression.
It felt weird to admit it out loud. I wasn't sure how I felt about myself, Zuko, or Iroh anymore. They had both become precious to me, albeit in different ways. I wasn't sure how I could compartmentalism who I was anymore with how I felt about them. They were no longer part of the faceless masses of FIre Nation soldiers doing evil. They were real people who I had grown increasingly close too.
They were also the exact people I couldn't be around if I was to be who I was, the Avatar. At the end of the day, we were still on opposing sides of this war. Zuko had boldly proclaimed as much whenever the topic arose. Except...Iroh wasn't like that, he seemed to genuinely avoid violence and tried to steer Zuko away from it.
"You're thinking about Zuko, aren't you?" Aang interrupted my thoughts.
"What?" I said with a startled blink.
How the hell did he know that?
"How the hell did you know that?" I blurted out.
Shit, I should have used my inside voice for that one. Aang gave me a soft smile and tilted his head fondly.
"Whenever you think about him, you get this frustrated scrunch on the bridge of your nose. It grew more prominent as you aged." Aang laughed.
"Rude, true, but rude." I muttered giving Aang a fake glare.
~Break~
I had now been at Aiwon's for almost a month. I had surpassed most of her expectations and we were spending most of our days sparing. I was starting to be able to read her movements and intercept her attacks with ease.
At the end of our most recent session she gave me a proud smile. Her eyes pulled tight as she pulled me in tightly for a hug.
"You have come a long way, my child. My only hope is that you make sure to pass on what you've learned from me. I know the North Pole has successfully fought off the Fire Nation, but northern bending is different from southern. I never had children of my own, but I would be proud knowing that my people's style of bending lives on through you." She smiled, tears brimming in her eyes.
"I promise. Thank you so much for everything, Aiwon. I hope we get to meet again one day." I said against her warm shoulder.
"I do as well, my child, I do as well." She said softly into my hair.
~Break~
It had been about a day since she had declared she had nothing left to teach me. I had stayed mostly so she could get together a going away package for me. So I stayed, got a warm bed to sleep on, and plenty of food.
But the day had come and she was now handing me the package with tears in her eyes. I did my best not to let any tears escape, but failed as she drew me close.
"Promise me you'll never let them take you." She whispered as she pressed her bony hands into my back enveloping me in a hug.
"I promise." I whispered into her hair as I pulled away.
I mounted Ernie and took the package from Aiwons hands. With one last wave I took off down the road, where I was going, I wasn't sure. I just chose a direction and hoped it would lead me closer to either an earthbending teacher, or Aang.
Opening the package that night though, I was surprised to find a Pai Sho tile. It was the famed lotus tile Iroh had lost all those months before. I twirled it in my fingers as I wondered why on earth she had given it to me, before tucking it away in my pants and falling asleep.
~Break~
I had been travelling for a few days now, and found myself at another village. Only this time, it was one that the Fire Nation had taken over. I stared at the red banner strung up across the town's gates with a sigh. The town was barren, save for the lights inside homes. It was well into the night so I wasn't surprised.
What now?
I guess this was a good time to ask around for information on the Avatar so I could find him. There would be little hope in finding an earthebending teacher here. Steering Ernie through the open gates, I hitched him up outside the inn and headed inside.
It wasn't busy, but neither was it quiet. Several tables held a few groups of people who talked quietly to one another. The innkeeper seemed to also tend the bar and gave me a smile as I walked towards him.
"What can I get for you?" He asked, wiping down the bar.
"Something warm to eat and perhaps a bed?" I asked.
"Sure thing, thirty copper pieces please." He said as he held out a key.
"Can I also have some water?"
"Thirty-two pieces then." The innkeeper said, depositing the key in my hand.
I paid him and sat down waiting for my hot meal. I took a moment to look around the bar but didn't notice any obvious Fire Nation soldiers. It was strange to see their banners, but none of the dressed-for-war soldiers. I had come across a few towns like this before, and avoided them. But this time I was desperate. It was clear I was wandering deeper into Fire Nation territory and needed to find where Aang had gone, and fast.
"Here you go." The innkeeper said, placing a warm bowl of stew in front of me.
"Thank you." I said, taking the spoon and digging in.
I needed to figure out who to talk to here, see what was going on in this town to figure out what approach to use to ask for information regarding the Avatar. I had to be careful not to sound sympathetic towards Aang to Fire Nation soldiers and supporters, yeah supporters existed in the Earth Kingdom. Mostly hired thugs, but there were a few diehards who weren't Fire Nation out there. Mostly those taking advantage of the war to do whatever they wanted.
"Did Dina tell you? She just had her baby!" I heard a woman boast.
"How wonderful!" Her companion responded.
"I hope they get another shipment of ash bananas in, I love them." Someone whined.
"I'm telling you, they are looking for people to sign up at town hall, good starting pay too." Someone said, peaking my interest.
"I dunno...they raided ma's store last week, she would be awful mad if I joined up." His companion responded.
"That only happened because she couldn't pay, so they took supplies to cover what she owed. If you worked for them you could easily pay her taxes." The man answered back.
Their conversation grew quieter as they left the bar and I found myself mulling over the information. Could it be the Fire Nation soldiers I was wondering about? I had a lead, but it was still late and I was exhausted. I finished my meal and headed to my room to rest. I would check out the docks tomorrow morning.
~Break~
I awoke early, taking my belongings and grabbing a quick breakfast. I mounted Ernie and took him towards the docks, finding the town stretched down towards the ocean. It was a larger town than I had initially realized. The town was bustling now, several markets and stalls open for business. People were milling about, children playing, families shopping, and people working. Most wore the Earth Kingdom colours, but a few seemed to sport Fire Nation fashion.
Everything seemed normal for a town taken over in the middle of a war. Life moves on, whether you want it to or not I supposed. I reached the entrance to the docks and dismounted Ernie, tying him to a post. I gave his feathery head a small stroke as I walked by. I wasn't sure what I would be fine, but I was sure I would be fine since the Fire Nation didn't really know who I was yet. They only knew me by my association with Iroh and Zuko.
Walking across the docks gave me a feeling of serenity. I could feel the pull of the ocean and smiled. I would be fine, surrounded by an infinite source of water. I looked around and saw several ships, but nobody who looked like they were hiring workers. Taking a left towards a couple fish stalls and a warehouse I noticed a few men with swords standing around, hassling one of the fish merchants.
"You're missing a gold piece, you know if you can't pay you'll have to find something else to give instead." One of the armed men said, leaning against the wooden stall.
"You know the law, everyone has to pay their taxes." His companion said, picking up a few clams.
"Please, my daughter is sick. I need money for medicine." The fish merchant pleaded.
"So you do have money then." The armed man said with a grin.
"Haro, check his money box." The other man said, pinning the merchant with a stare.
"Please..." The man begged.
The armed man who was leaning against the stall moved and started rummaging around, bending over the counter. He pulled out a small tin and opened it, taking two gold coins with a wicked grin.
"Think of this as payment for making us do the work of getting it." He said, turning around and walking down the pier.
"Are you okay?" I asked, walking over to the man.
"I'll be okay, it's not me I'm worried about..." The merchant sighed.
"Maybe I can help." I said, rummaging in my clothes.
Finding my coin purse, I pulled out my last few silver pieces. I Held it out with a small smile.
"Here." I said.
"I couldn't possibly..." The man started to say.
"Yes you can. I'm healthy and fine, you need it more. Please, for your daughter." I said with pleading eyes.
"Thank you," The man relented, taking the coins. "But in return, please let me treat you to dinner and a warm room. I saw you at the inn last night, I know you could use one now."
"Sure, I'll help you out until you close up shop. Then you can show me where you live." I agreed.
I couldn't ignore a free meal and a warm bed now that I had no money to my name.
~Break~
I finally got to talk to Rune at dinner. His daughter was fairly sick, born with something wrong with her at birth. If I had to guess she had asthma, but without medications or clean air she had constant attacks. Rune had been all to help her by buying herbs at the healers, but ever since this had become a Fire Nation colony, he couldn't afford to buy her medicine consistently.
"So the Fire Nation took over your town? How long ago?" I asked.
"A couple months ago. They hired some mercenaries who had weapons we couldn't compete with. We surrendered almost immediately, and then the taxing began." Rune answered.
His daughter let out a cough from where she was resting in her room and I cleared my throat to avoid it being awkward.
"Who are these mercenaries then?" I asked.
"At first it was a tight knit group. They seem to need a lot of money and supplies though, their group seems to be growing. People from all over have been slowly joining up. Many of the town's guards have already enlisted." Rune explained with a somber expression.
"Who are these mercenaries?" I asked.
"I'm not sure, you don't see many of them anymore. Most left on a ship, only a few stayed behind." Rune answered.
"Why did the Fire Nation take over your town?" I continued to question.
"They have already claimed most port cities. They wanted to cut us all off from the capitol. At this point they pretty much rule the ocean." Rune said, picking at his food.
"That's horrible, I'm so sorry." I said.
~Break~
I awoke early that morning, ready to find out who those mercenaries were. I needed to do something, I was the Avatar for Christ's sake! So I mounted Earnie, heading back towards the docks to get an early start.
When I got there I found it mostly deserted. Most workers hadn't arrived yet. The sun was barely rising as I stepped towards the warehouse beside Rune's stall. I found several armed guards stationed out front, smoking. A couple were laughing and making jokes as a few simply smoked in silence.
I wandered towards them and looked out into the sea trying to listen to what they were saying. Most were just bragging about their latest haul, others were discussing family matters or their lives. I let out a sigh and leaned against the wooden rail in front of me. The ocean reminded me of my time on Zuko's ship. My heart clenched painfully and I realized how much I missed them.
"Hey, Dan wanted us to meet him on the outskirts of town. He wants help hitting some traveling merchants who avoided all our toll gates." One of the men said.
"Alright, might as well head out now. Yongo's group already hit the docks yesterday." His female companion agreed.
The name Dan stood out to me. It wasn't a common name here, but it was a common name where I was from. It's possible it was a nickname, but I had to be careful if I followed them. I couldn't afford to be caught by Sadar's men.
~Break~
I had followed them through town on Ernie. I wasn't sure if it was a good idea to bring my bird, but if I needed to escape quickly it was better I stashed him in the forest rather than town. Tying his reins to a tree, I walked out of the brush and towards where the armed group of soldiers had headed towards. I heard them before I saw them, all huddled around a couple men and women wearing Fire Nation clothing, but holding what looked like.
Guns.
My blood ran cold and I realized who it was that ran the town I had found myself in. Looking around I didn't recognize any of them, which means they most likely wouldn't recognize me. Moving closer I found that only the pale skinned people from my time had guns. They stuck out strangely amongst the locals. They carried themselves in ways that no one here did. With a pride that was both undeserved and overflowing. If given a chance, Sadar's men would just as easily turn on the locals as they would me.
"Make sure your group heads towards the river. We don't want to give the merchant group a chance to escape like last time." One of the men said.
"Sure thing, Dan." A young man said, grabbing his sword and leading three other men off.
"The rest of you wait there, we will be watching from the tree line. Sara is already in the sniper's nest." Dan said, turning to the remaining group of soldiers.
"Yes sir." They spoke in unison, heading down the road.
"When will we be able to stop playing in the dirt with the primitive people here." The young woman standing beside sighed.
"I hope soon, Kurt says that Sadar is already working on the next phase of his plan." Dan answered.
"Did he and Sadar make it to the mainland?" She asked.
"Not yet, they are still trying to negotiate travel there. They are waiting for us at the furthest port near Ba Sing Se. Until then, we are to hold position and send them supplies." Dan answered as he stepped away.
Cocking his gun he turned to the woman with a grin. He motioned with his head for her to follow. She turned to the remaining people behind her and made a hand gesture I didn't recognise. On cue, all of them wandered towards several trees and brush, guns drawn.
I wasn't so sure about my plan anymore, but if they were using guns those merchants were in serious danger. Having a sniper meant they were ready to kill, had no issues with it either. Sniper's aren't put there to be noticed or to miss their shot.
I hunkered down into a bush and took a deep breath. I was the Avatar, they had needed MY power to get here. Which meant I was probably their biggest threat. They had hoped I was dead, that much Aang had told me. With both knowledge of their weapons and my bending ability, I could easily become a wrench in their plan. I had to be careful, I needed a plan.
~Break~
I had been waiting in a bush for what felt like hours. I wasn't sure how everyone was able to be so silent and still, I still hadn't seen anyone except the soldiers waiting on the road. I had long given up trying to pinpoint the sniper, and instead repeated in my head to zigzag if I needed to act.
As I repeated my internal mantra, I saw a carriage drawn by several birds heading down the road. A few armed guards stood to the side, escorting them through Fire Nation territory. The carriage was packed with bags, hide pelts, and various items for sale. It also had a large boarded up window and I realized this carriage probably also doubled as a stall.
They were stopped by the soldiers before them. The one leading that group held up his hand, demanding the merchants get out. The guards escorting the merchants drew their swords, holding them up.
"There's a toll for using this road, in case you weren't aware." He snidely said, daring the guards to attack.
The merchants refused to leave the carriage as the guards stepped in front of the militia of people extorting them.
"I'll give you to the count of three. One...two..." The man counted in a bored manner. "Three."
A shot rang out and I saw one of the guards twist on the spot, before falling to the ground. Blood was already staining the ground he laid on and I covered my mouth to stop my gasp from escaping. I could feel the blood pounding in my ears and held my breath.
"The next one goes between your eyes, big guy." Dan said, stepping out of the brush with his gun out.
"Who are you?" A merchant asked, stepping out the carriage finally.
"We're contracted mercenaries, we've taken control of the town down the road, and thus the road. If you want to live, you'll pay us either twenty gold coins, or half of your wares." Dan explained, his gun clicking as he cocked it.
The merchant before him looked at the gun with a strange look. He didn't seem to believe that the gun was really anything more than a pretty clubbing weapon. He looked back up at Dan and sighed.
"Without that gold, we will not be able to afford the ferry to the capitol. We will leave your road and take the long way around." The merchant ordered, turning to step back into the carriage.
The guard stared at his fallen companion, and then back at the merchant. He didn't move and looked at Dan and his gun.
"No, you're on your own." The guard said, dropping his sword and stepping away.
"Coward!" The merchant yelled, turning on the guard with a red face filled with rage.
"You hired us to protect you from random thieves and attacks. Whatever they use to fight...I'm not dying for your greed." The guard spat back.
"Aww, looks like even your protection thinks you should just pay." Dan laughed.
"You greedy little thieving shits! I demand my money back then!" The merchant yelled, stomping his foot.
But the guard was already walking away towards the river, ignoring the merchant.
"Last chance." Dan said in a sing-song tone.
"Eat turtle-duck shit." The merchant responded.
"Wrong answer." Dan said, shooting the merchant point blank.
The merchant crumbled to the ground as the shot rang out. I flinched, unable to turn away from the slaughter before me. Dan kicked the merchant's body, before motioning for his companions to come out.
"You three, get the rest of them out of the carriage. The rest of you start collecting the stuff in the carriage." Dan ordered, motioning his gun towards the carriage.
Several soldiers pulled out a young woman clutching a small child. I felt my throat clench as they threw her onto the ground, the child still tucked against her breast. My heart rate spiked, my hands started to shake and I couldn't stop myself from breathing harder. Dan circled the woman as his men ransacked the carriage. He nudged her with his boot, and when she didn't respond he smacked her across the face with his gun.
She let out a desperate cry and everyone began to laugh. Dan stopped before her, thinking to himself as his female companion stepped towards him. She whispered something to him and he seemed to shrug, handing her his gun and stepping away. The woman knelt down, grabbing the woman's face, twisting it around, before stopping.
"She seems healthy enough." The woman said.
"Fine, take her. Dispose of the child. I'm so sick of funding Dr. Gabriel's supposed studies." Dan scoffed.
The woman motioned for two soldiers to grab the woman's arms, wrenching the child from her grip. Her shrieks pierced my ears as she fought against the people holding her back. The man who had taken the child, started to move towards the river. My eyes widened as I realized what he was going to do. He bundled the infant up, ensuring it couldn't move, before dropping the crying child into the river.
"No!" I shrieked, my hand coming out and bending the water.
The child plunged deep into the frozen river and I wove my hands around, grasping the child and pulling it from the frigid waters. I wasn't sure if the child was still alive, so I rushed out, moving the water to me. I knocked several soldiers out of the way, until the sopping bundle was in my arms. I was breathing heavier now, staring at the gaping people before me. Dan was the first to move, pulling out a combat knife and stalking towards me.
"Looks like we have a wannabe hero in our midst." He laughed.
"How cute, and she's all alone." Another man cooed.
Dan lunged at me, and I let out a kick of fire, scorching his arm and knocking the knife from his hand.
"You little bitch!" He shrieked.
I didn't waste any time, bending the water with one hand and attacking the men holding the mother hostage. The woman shrieked, ducking down once she was free. Dan gave me an angered look and lunged at me again. I jumped out of the way, dancing around him. I used his anger against him, learning to read his movements as we danced around.
He lunged against, and I twisted, hitting him in the gut, and sending him skittering back with a blast of fire. Some of the sword-wielding soldiers shook themselves out of their shock, and advanced on me as well. I sent out a few kicks of fire, twirling to avoid several attacks from Dan. I moved further down the road, away from the carriage and woman. I was winning, but I needed to take them all out so I could escape with both of them alive.
As Dan charged at me once more, a stream of water froze between us halting both of our movements. I turned and saw the woman from before holding out her hands with a glare.
"Enough, Dan. You're playing into her trap." She said.
"Fucking benders! Just piss off, Angie. I don't need your help!" Dan huffed.
"Then you're an idiot. It's not our fault you aren't a bender, but you should still have noticed this girl just bent water and fire." Angie sighed as she walked towards us.
"What?" Dan spluttered.
"She's obviously the Avatar. Sadar did mention she could have survived." Angie said with a sick smile.
Before anyone could respond, several shots rang out. Angie held out a gun, pointing it towards the mother. More shots rang out as she twisted, shooting her the soldiers who had joined them from the town. Turning towards me, she raised her gun as chaos erupted around me.
"Sorry, we can't have anyone know you exist. Be a good girl and die this time." Angie said, cocking her gun.
The image of the crumpled woman bathing in her own blood was etched into my mind. As my adrenaline spiked, I raised a wall of ice, blocking her bullets, and ran. I clutched the small child to my bosom, muffling some of it's cries. I heard several other bullets ring out from behind me and tucked into the trees. Splinters of wood were flying around me and I realized the sniper must have been following my movements.
Reaching Ernie, I hopped on and tugged on the reins. We ran as fast and as far as we could, never stopping until I could no longer heart gunshots. My heart wrenched as I realized they had killed everyone because they had seen me bend two elements. They had killed dozens of people over the fact I was the Avatar.
The guilt I felt when I realized the mother probably would have survived if I hadn't intervened. But the child...would have been dead. I found it hard to wrestle with whether I did the right thing. But as the child fell asleep against me, I knew there was a victory here, no matter how small.
~Break~
I had left the child in a small town. A small church of some sort sat at the heart of the city. They took in many children orphaned from the war. My heart lurched as the infant clutched my finger and gave me a toothless smile. Despite the fact I had saved the child, I had failed to save anyone else. I had failed, but somehow, looking at the tiny child as I handed them off, I knew that in some small way, I had helped.
But I knew what I now had to do. I needed to find Zuko and Iroh, I needed to be the change the world needed. I had no way of stopping Sadar on my own, that much was clear. It was time I went home.
~Chapter 2 End~