Wandering Firebender
Three: The Fugitive (Part One)
"This looks like a good spot to land," Sokka pointed down to a clearing atop a hill, about a quarter mile walking distance away from a nearby town. Aang nodded in agreement, guiding Appa to land on the ground. He, Katara, and Sokka all hopped onto the ground.
"Okay, first order of business! How are we dividing up the tasks today?" Sokka declared.
"Who put you in charge again, Sokka?" Katara raised an eyebrow at her brother, folding her arms.
"I'm just making sure that we're proactive while we're here on the ground."
"Really? I thought we were just giving Appa a chance to rest." Aang said, turning around and sitting on the ground.
"Exactly! We're doing both! Okay, so Aang, it's your turn to get the camp together. I, of course, will do the hunting and gather the firewood. Katara, why don't you go into the market?" Sokka directed.
"Why don't we just all handle the tasks together? That way each task is easier?" Katara suggested.
"It's called 'divide and conquer', Katara. It's strategy stuff, I wouldn't expect you to get it. Just make sure you have your money pouch on ya, 'kay?" Sokka smiled.
"Uhuh. Alright, Mr. Proactive. At least it'll give me a break from your 'strategy'." Katara grumbled, turning away and walking towards town. Sokka sighed.
"I'm always being underappreciated." He groaned.
"I appreciate you, Sokka." Aang smiled.
"You're just saying that to make me feel better. It doesn't count."
Katara made her way down into the Earth Kingdom town. As she entered into town, she quickly realized that it was much bigger than what it looked from above. She wandered around and looked for the market, but she seemed to be a little lost.
Meanwhile, Elio, who had just entered into town himself a few minutes prior, was wandering around looking for a place to stay when he happened to notice a beautiful girl with tanned skin wearing blue clothes walking through town.
At first he was going to ignore her and continue on his own way, keeping to himself like he should have back in the previous town. But then he started to think to himself: "If I'm going to be travelling on my own, I might as well take the opportunity to meet some people and make a good impression. Who knows when it could benefit me later?"
Besides, she looked just as out of place as he did, so he decided to go up and introduce himself.
"Hey there! You lost?" Elio called to her as he approached her. She stopped walking and turned towards him. Her expression became a little sheepish as he approached.
"Yeah, uh, I am. I'm looking for the market." She said.
"Oh, hey, me too actually. You know where it is?" He asked.
"Um, no. I was hoping you would tell me." She admitted. Elio laughed.
"I have no idea! But I'll help you look." He offered with a smile. She smiled back and shrugged.
"Sure. Two pairs of eyes are better than one." She said before beginning to walk. He fell in step next to her, and they began searching for the market together.
"What's your name?" Elio asked.
"Katara. And yours?"
"I'm Elio. Nice to meet you, Katara. That's a very pretty name." He complimented.
"Oh. Thank you," She blushed just slightly and smiled. "Are you traveling too?" She asked curiously.
"I am. I'm out on my own just kind of wandering from town to town right now. What about you? You don't strike me as the type to be traveling out on your own." Elio presumed.
"I'm traveling with my brother and a…friend. It's just the three of us. Although, sometimes I wish it was just me." Katara rolled her eyes, thinking about her brother's obnoxiousness earlier.
"Heheh, I gotcha. Where are you from, by the way? I've never seen those kinds of clothes before." Elio asked curiously, noticing the intricate patterns and design of her blue clothing.
"I'm from the Southern Water Tribe." She answered.
"The South Pole, huh? Wow! I do not envy you. I hate the cold." He said with a chuckle.
"Yeah, you'd probably hate it back home then." She chuckled too.
"You must be having a hard time dealing with the different climate out here then, what with it being warmer all the time." Elio brought up. Katara tilted her head side to side.
"It gets a little rough sometimes, but it's not all that bad. It's actually kind of a nice change, not having to bundle up all day every day."
"Ugh, yeah, I couldn't do that. Oh hey, here's the market!" Elio pointed out. Katara smiled and nodded.
"Well well, finally, right? Thanks for walking with me, Elio." She smiled at him.
"No problem, Katara. You want any help taking your stuff back to your friends?" Elio offered.
"Oh! Uh, that's okay. You don't have to go out of your way." Katara said nervously. However, Elio simply smiled and kindly insisted.
"It's no trouble, really. I got nothing else going on today. You're shopping for three people, right? I can at least help you carry the stuff." He offered. Katara thought about it then nodded in agreement, smiling again.
"You know what? Sure! It's nice to actually meet a gentleman for once." She commented, making Elio feel a lot less self-conscious about how upbeat he was acting.
"Happy to help. Lead the way, Katara." He insisted with a smile.
"You won't accept water tribe money?!" Katara exclaimed in surprise. Elio overheard this and walked over with his own supplies in hand.
"What's wrong, Katara?" He asked.
"The problem is water tribe money's no good in this town." The shopkeeper answered, folding his arms and shrugging his shoulders.
"But it's all we have." Katara said disappointedly. Elio saw the look on her face and decided to step in.
"How about Fire Nation money? Will that suffice?" He asked.
"Yeah, you got enough?" The shopkeeper asked. In response, Elio placed out some money; enough to pay for everything and still get some change back.
"You didn't have to do that." Katara said with a bit of guilt. However, Elio simply smiled at her again in a charming, giddy way.
"It's no big deal. Money can always be earned back, but if I just let you go hungry, I wouldn't be much of a gentleman, now would I?" He said. She giggled and shook her head.
"I don't know what to say. You're too kind, Elio. Come on, we should take these back to the others." Katara said, taking some of the supplies and walking away. Elio took the rest in his arms.
"Hey, kid," The shopkeeper spoke up.
Elio turned his head back to look at him.
"Nice going." The shopkeeper gave him a thumbs-up and a wink. Elio smiled and nodded before turning back to catch up with Katara again.
"So how far away are your friends? Are they here in town?" Elio asked as he caught up with her.
"No. They're just outside the city… So, Fire Nation money, huh?" She brought up. Elio swallowed nervously.
"Uhh…yeah. It's all I got," He admitted. "I already used up everything that I had."
"Oh, I see. I guess when you're travelling through an area controlled by the Fire Nation, you have to use what you can to get by." She thought aloud. Elio nodded.
"Yeah. Believe me, it's purely out of necessity." He said with a shake of his head. Katara nodded in understanding.
"I understand. Oh hey, hold on a second, let's make a stop here real quick!" Katara noticed a shop with scented candles off to their left. She crossed over the trail, deciding to make it her last stop before returning to her friends. Elio followed her over to them.
"How do these figure in to your travels?" He asked curiously, unable to see what practical use candles would have.
"Well, you know, a nice scent would create a peaceful atmosphere when we're camping." Katara mused, looking through different scents. Elio chuckled, briefly setting his things down.
"Yes, nothing says peaceful campsite like the smell of…jasmine bloom." He teased lightly, picking up a candle. Katara giggled and rolled her eyes.
"I won't tell you how set up your campsite, you don't tell me how to set up mine." She said, walking past him and looking through different scents.
Elio glanced back at her with a smile. He looked around cautiously to make sure the coast was clear. He then pressed the wick of the candle between his thumb and middle finger. He made a quick snapping motion and ignited the candle. He then turned to Katara with the candle.
"You know, actually, this jasmine bloom scent isn't bad." He said with a chuckle as the floral scent hit his nose. Katara turned and smelled it too.
"It's really nice. Much as I'd love to pick one of these out, I don't think the others are careful enough. They'd probably just smush it in their packs. So no jasmine scent for my tent, I'm afraid," She shrugged and blew the candle out.
"Besides, I wouldn't ask you to pay for anything else. I only wish I could repay you for being so nice." She said. Elio shook his head and put the candle down.
"Don't worry about it. Let's go ahead and take these back to your friends." He said, picking his stuff up again.
"Alright. I'll just warn you now though, they're very eccentric."
As the two of them walked out of town, one man who had just entered the shop left suddenly. He was a patrolman in the town. He hurriedly made his way back to his partner.
"We need to hurry and gather the squad. There's a firebender here in town."
Elio's expression turned strange when he saw a huge bison with an arrow on its head sitting atop the mountain he and Katara had climbed. As the two approached, a guy wearing similar clothes to her and a boy with an arrow on his head came over.
"Guys, this is Elio. He was kind enough to pay for our food today." Katara introduced him.
"Oh, really? Is that so?" Sokka raised an eyebrow at him, leaning in closer, "How suspiciously nice of you." He said as he inspected him.
"Pay no attention to my older brother, Sokka. He's a dork." Katara said, pulling him back by the ear. Sokka yelped in pain.
"Thank you for your kindness," Aang said, bowing respectfully. "It's nice to meet you, Elio. I'm Aang."
"Nice to meet you, Aang," Elio chuckled and bowed respectfully back to him. "That tattoo on your head, the arrow. What is that?" He asked.
"Oh, this? They're airbending tattoos." He answered simply.
"Airbender tattoos, really? Does that mean that you're…?"
"The Avatar? Yes, yes he is." Katara answered with a smile. Elio's eyes widened in astonishment.
"Wow! I-I had heard rumors of your return, but I didn't believe it! So you're an airbender?"
"Yep!" Aang smiled, spinning around and creating a ball of air under his foot. He balanced on it, keeping himself afloat in the air. Elio laughed in surprise.
"Amazing! It's an honor to meet you!" He said in disbelief.
"Yeah yeah, a huge honor. Everyone's honored to meet everyone. But if you don't mind, we do have to get back out there, traveling and stuff, so you should probably just get going." Sokka suggested, shushing him off. However, Aang spoke up.
"Actually, Sokka, Appa says he could use a little more rest before we start flying again. Can we stay on the ground a little longer, just until sundown?" He suggested.
"Great idea, Aang! Elio, why don't you stay for dinner? If there's one thing Sokka's good at, it's cooking meat." Katara added.
"Mmm, meat." Elio and Sokka both hummed at the same time.
"Well, I'm not one to brag, but I am pretty much a master at all things tasty meats. Alright, he can stay, but he has to help collect the firewood." Sokka stipulated.
"Sure! Elio, how about you and I collect the firewood?" Katara suggested.
"What? Nuh uh, it's my job to collect the firewood today, I'll go with him." Sokka spoke up quickly.
"Oh, really? It was your job, was it? Then where's all the firewood at, Mr. Tasty Meats?" Katara teased him with a smile and her hands on her hips. Sokka stuttered.
"Wha- I-I was doing the hunting!"
"We'll be back soon, don't worry." Katara waved, Elio simply shrugged and followed behind her.
"Unbelievable!" Sokka groaned, "Try to be a good leader and everyone just steps in with their own ideas." He grumbled, going back to getting their things together.
"It's alright, Sokka. I think you're doing a great job." Aang smiled.
"You're just trying to make me feel better. It doesn't count." Sokka huffed.
"Sorry about my brother, Elio. He can be a bit overbearing sometimes. Very untrusting." Katara apologized on his behalf. Elio chuckled and shook his head, continuing to collect suitable firewood.
"It's alright. He's just looking out for the group. I don't blame him. You gotta always have your guard up when you travel."
"Oh, you almost sound like him now." She chuckled, mildly teasing him.
"Haha, well, you do have the Avatar with you," He pointed out. "So where are the three of you going, really?" Elio asked curiously.
"Well… We're taking Aang to the North Pole so he can find a waterbending master. I'm going to try and teach him the basics, but what he really needs is a master. So we're flying that way." She explained.
"Wow, the North Pole? All the way across the world." Elio realized with a shake of his head.
"Yeah. It's a long way to go. But it's important that we get there as soon as possible. The sooner Aang learns all four elements, the sooner he can stop the Fire Nation."
"Yeah. I gotcha. The sooner the better," Elio said, taking in a deep breath. "So wait, you're actually a waterbender?" He realized.
"Yes…the last waterbender of the Southern Water Tribe." She answered.
"I see," Elio nodded quietly. "I'm sorry." He said.
"It's okay. Thank you." Katara smiled reassuringly at him, and he smiled back before continuing with what he was doing.
What were the chances that he would run into someone so important? Someone the Fire Nation no doubt was ceaselessly pursuing? Enemies of his own country… What should he do? Would it be right to continue interacting with them? Or should he take his leave?
"I, uh, think we have just about everything we need." Elio said nervously, trying to come up with a quick decision.
"Yep. Thanks again, Elio," She said appreciatively. "You've been super nice and helpful."
"Y-Yeah, happy to help." He smiled.
"So, are you travelling somewhere too? You seem to be." She asked.
"Uh, yeah, I'm travelling inland." He answered.
"Anywhere specific?"
"Uhh…"
Elio paused for a moment as the trees began to shake, their leaves rustling louder and louder. Katara glanced back at Elio. Elio suddenly realized what was happening.
"Katara, get out of here!" He shouted, throwing himself to the ground. A huge boulder flew over his head, nearly hitting him.
"Ah!" Katara shrieked. The both of them scrambled to run away as several earthbenders came riding through the trees, moving the earth itself to pursue them.
"Go, get out of here! They're after me, not you!" Elio urged her, trying to push her forward. He grabbed onto her and pulled her out of the way of another oncoming boulder.
"What do you mean?!"
"Just go! I'll hold them back!" Elio pushed her forward now. He then turned around to face the approaching earthbenders. Katara turned around with her eyes widened.
"What are you doing?!" She shouted at him.
Elio took in a nervous breath before sliding his hand from left to right. He created a line of fire and raised his hands up, turning the line into a rising wall of fire. Katara's eyes widened in shock as she realized that Elio was a firebender.
"Go! Run!" Elio yelled back at her, sidestepping the boulders being shot through the wall. Katara turned and ran away.
Elio took his stance and began throwing attacks through the wall of fire; kicks and punches became fireballs launched at his attackers. He heard the earthbenders shouting and creating their own walls of rock to block the fire.
Suddenly, one earthbender appeared to his left; he had gone around the wall. He stomped on the ground, creating a shift in the earth and sending it towards Elio. Elio used his fire as a boost to jump over it, spinning and throwing a fire kick.
The earthbender fell back in surprise and fell to the ground. As Elio landed on his feet, the earth suddenly rose around him, locking his body in place. He grunted in surprise and tried to pull himself free, but he was too late.
"Not bad, firebender, using the forest as fuel for your firebending. You must be quite the soldier." One of the earthbenders said.
"I'm not a…" Elio's protest trailed off as he looked around and realized what the earthbender was referring to. His firebending moves had set portions of the forest on fire, and it continued to burn around them.
"Dan, put out the fires," The leader ordered. "We're taking the prisoner back to town. I think it's time we finally send a message out to the Fire Nation, and now we have the perfect man to make an example out of." He smirked.