Through the Earth Kingdom VII

erikai

Oct 23, 2010 9:47:08 GMT -6

Random Forest, Camp

Erikai heard the strain in Shtiyas' voice as he struggled on the word "all right". Standing up, he turned toface the other boy. "Thanks, its been a while since i've heard that come from someone other than myself." He gave Shtiya a half smile, then put his spark rocks back in their pouch on his belt.

"We can start with healing if you'd like. It might go faster, seeing as I already know some of the basics. Thats the first thing my mother tried to teach me." He reached up to his shoulder, and pulled the strap of his water skin over his head. "And, I don't think I need to carry this on my back for the time being." He placed it on the ground beside his pack.

He'd always wondered why his water skin had happend to be so large, he'd gotten it from his mother when she started to teach him about waterbending. Had she meant to get him one so big? Maybe she had somehow knew he would want to fight, and he would all the water he could to fight. Who knew? Only his mother could tell him, and she was locked up in some Fire Nation prison, with the rest of his family. He pushed the thought away, no need worrying about something he couldn't help at the moment. The best thing he could do, was train.

"So, healing." He said, turning to face Shtiya again. "What's first?"

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Anonymous

Nov 1, 2010 18:47:56 GMT -6

random forest, camping

Smiling, Shtiya nodded. He did feel sorry for Erikai. He hoped the other bender would find his family. It must be horrible to be alone, without a support network. Of course, Shtiya could say the same for himself – but he had chosen his path. It was different. The pensive look on his face eased when Erikai asked him where they’d begin. Despite the fact that the boy said he had learned ‘basics’, Shtiya felt it might be best to start at the very beginning.

“F-first,” the petite boy said, spreading his hands. “Is chi. Always chi.” He smiled, and his entire face seemed to warm. This was a subject he was well-versed in. When talking about healing, the waterbender was confident and graceful. The stutter, so common and evident in his speech, lessened considerably. “When we are b---ending to heal, we are not really bending the waters at all. Do you understand?” Stooping down, the slender boy picked up a sharp rock and drew it across his upper arm, opening a shallow laceration. He didn’t even wince.

“N-notice that whatever water I use –“ he took a moment to motion gently with one hand, pulling some water up to his palm. He applied the hand near the cut on his arm, and it glowed softly. The water pulsed but did not change form, and the cut began to close. “—the water r-remains. It is not used. The water is – it’s a c-c-…” looking frustrated he paused and finished healing the cut. “The water just causes the chi to make the healing happen. It is not the water that heals.” Pausing again, Shtiya looked up at Erikai’s face. “Did you learn this?”

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A Long Display Name Here

Nov 5, 2010 16:48:54 GMT -6

{{ ooc;; nee-chan, i apologise if akki's personality seems a bit different. it'll fix itself as time progresses if it is, i'm just a wee rusty with her. =P }}

Lawl Woods

"Are you comfortable with the consumption of meat?" her new companion queried. How to answer without seeming like a ninny? Akki thought about it briefly, and shrugged, nodding her head in assent. It wasn't really a lie; she was okay with eating meat... it was just more difficult to reconcile something cute and fluffy with dinner. It was all right if it was served already cooked, or cut up into pieces... she just could never bring herself to do it. The tanned warrior found herself apologising to the rabbit's spirit again. Koh forgive her, but she really was hungry. Hungry enough to eat that rabbit... the poor dear.

Rui seemed to be as uncomfortable with small talk as she was. That suited her just fine; silence was something she tolerated relatively well. The woman sipped her tea, burning the tip of her tongue slightly. It was hot, but it was definitely well made. Quality leaves used as well. She was a big fan of tea. Something about it just soothed the soul. In response to her own question, Rui seemed a bit taken aback. Eventually, he shrugged and said that he was uncertain.

Akki nodded, wondering momentarily if he was simply refusing to share. She dismissed the thought almost as quickly as it came. Even if he was refusing to share, she would not press the subject. In any event, they had just met. She would be surprised if any Galgori just layed out their thoughts mere moments after meeting. Indeed, it had taken her master months to even divulge that he had a family at one point, and years after to reveal why he was alone when they met.

With an unnoticable flush to her cheeks, the woman wordlessly accepted the bread Rui offered to her. He had heard her stomach's complaint, much to her chagrin. She ate sparingly, nibbling slowly at the edges of the bread. In her travels, Akki had found she was able to become more full and conserve her rations the more slowly she ate. The scent of the cooking rabbit began to fill the air, the smokey haze from the fire lifting to the clear night sky. Akki pressed her palm to her stomach; she could feel it about to rumble again.

When was the last time she had eaten? The woman couldn't remember. Not during that day, that was for certain; Akki had been travelling in the heat and wanted to find sheltered spaces before nightfall. There had been no time to stop and consume food. This stew was coming along nicely, and Akki could feel herself salivating from the scent.

Rui was the next to break the silence. "I assume it is appropriate for me to inquire about your reasons for being in this forest, as well? Are you… are you from this general area?" She didn't answer right away. Instead, Akki tore off another small piece of the journeyman's bread and nibbled at it, pondering how to respond. Her journey... how could she explain, even to a kinsman, the visit from Koh? If it was a visit, even. She sometimes doubted the legitimacy of what she had seen. Afterall, she had spent two days praying and fasting — it could've been a true vision from the Faceless One, but it could also have been a dream or hallucination from hunger. A minute or two elapsed before she answered.

"I am from a small Galgori village near the desert's edge, but I moved to a different village when I was small that was seven days travel by foot from our current location." She paused, the memory still painful. "The village is ... no longer. Two years ago, it was... erradicated." Her naturally husky voice grew huskier with emotion.

There was no need to say by whom.

After another short pause, the woman continued. "I am here to find my path," she said, simply. It was the easiest way to speak the truth about her purpose, without causing further inquiry. "I look to Koh for guidance throughout." She lifted her eyes from the stew simmering over the campfire to her kinsman's face. "Perhaps there is a reason for all meetings," she remarked softly.

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erikai

Nov 6, 2010 9:37:13 GMT -6

Random Forest, Camp

Erikai nodded when Shtiya mentioned chi. His mother had been a good healer, and had tried to teach him the art, but he'd been to impatient. She'd eventually given up trying to teach him.

His eyes widened for a second when Shtiya cut his arm, but returned his attention to his words, feeling that Shtiya knew what he was doing. The water began to glow, just like when his mother had healed his father when he'd broken his arm. The cut on Shtiya's arm began to slowly close while he explained more about chi.

"I understand what healing is, the manipulation of chi. But the question thats always bothered me is how? How is it that only water benders can tap into it? Is it water? Or something else? I suppose that's one of the reasons I had such trouble healing, because I never learned about the chi itself. I don't know if you know much about that, but, if you do, it might help me a bit."

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Anonymous

Nov 16, 2010 12:29:41 GMT -6

[OOC—apologizing in the PM wasn’t enough. Sorry it took me 6 weeks to notice this. I still have no idea how it passed my eye. Probably blindness, stupidity, trippy-ness, or a combination of the three D= I ain’t sure. Anyhoot, sawwy for not posting sooner. T.T]

"Then let us keep searching for the source."
“sounds like a plan to me.” Tenoko agreed. As a hunter, she was used to tracking smells, or other evidence or what-not of her prey, or her target, whichever it was. She sniffed strongly and frequently to make sure that she was still able to smell whatever it was that they were following. Furthermore, even when she wasn’t hunting, Tenoko still enjoyed the smell of the outdoor air and all of the beautiful plants and animals the world had to offer.

The priestess was still doing a good job at leading though, and so Tenoko followed her., if she went off course, the hunter would point it out, but luckily, that did not seem to occur—especially not based on Hinh’s conclusion, which was identical to her own.
"I think it comes from down there." Hinh said, pointing to her right.

Tenoko paused and sniffed the air.
“Aye,” she nodded, “I still smell it well enough.”
And she had, but she had also strayed a little when it was possible, and noticed that it wasn’t exactly coming from one direction either. It seemed to be just looming over the general area or something. What would make the smell though, apart from a fire, and maybe some cooked animals? If it had been some kind of forest fire, they would have surely seen the blaze by now—or smoke for that matter. Where was the smoke that produced this smell?

Tenoko continued following Hinh until she decided to break the silence.
“Maybe it’s just me,” she remarked, “but I think it’s coming from this general area. I can’t say that I have any clue what it is or where it’s coming from, but it seems to be looming around these general parts.”
these general parts… Tenoko had no idea where they were, but as usual, she didn’t care. Besides, trying to find the source of whatever it was they were looking for was much more dominant on the waterbender’s mind. The smell was certainly interesting enough.

~Tenoko~

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kagami

Nov 16, 2010 14:13:09 GMT -6

He made it! Paljor thought happily. After slipping out of his parents store in the middle of the night and carefully avoiding the gaurds he had been able to get past the Inner wall to the countryside. His brilliant plan had worked perfectly. Now, he mused, where to go? He hadn't got that far in the plan. He really didn't think that he would get this far. He supposed that the place to start would be to go to Omashu, that was still standing right? Either way, he decided, it was out of here. "I am going to get my house back he thought furiously! I want it back from those thieving fire nation soilders and that stupid former owner. He didn't even give me my money back that I worked so hard for!!" Okay, he thought calming down, no need to get on about that." A rain had started to fall. "Curses." he spat. "Now my supplies are going to be ruined!" He started walking at a brisk pace. All the supplies that he had with him were what he could get from his parents store, which, wasn't much. His folks didn't focus much on food, they focused on other supplies. But, he did have some cash. Not a lot but enough to scrape by for awhile. As he walked he remebered the stories he had been told as a boy of all the wonderous places and people around the world. Now he was going to experiance them. As he was remembering he drifted off. Not completley though for he was still not out of the woods yet. first he would have to get out of the area formaly occupied by the outer wall.
A few hours later the outer wall now came into sight. It was riddled with holes and chunks of open space. It was humiliating he thought. To be almost totally defeated. He passed the wall with no trouble. He was tired, wet, and hungary, BUT he was free. He skipped with joy at the prospect of leaving the city behind for a long time. He turned around for one last look and then left. The city's view fading behind him. Omashu, he thought, here I come!

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Last edit by kagami: Dec 2, 2010 13:50:54 GMT -6

erikai

Nov 20, 2010 12:22:06 GMT -6

On the Road

Jin raised his head to look at the sun's position in the sky again. It was a little past mid-day, still plenty of time to travel. He would make it to Ba Sing Se two or three days, he wasn't in much of a rush.

He'd left Del on the road that morning, giving him some of the reward money from catching Yudai, before saying farewell. He could have stuck with the man, but it didn't seem like their goals matched. Jin wanted to go to Ba Sing Se, and... He'd never actually known what Del had wanted.

Yudai had also disappeared, the night before, slipping away without a word. A shame, he'd really began to grow on Jin. Maybe someday he'd meet him again, hopefully on a good note. However much he'd liked Yudai, he was still nuts, and was just as likely to kill him as the next guy.

Reaching to his pack, he pulled out his waterskin. He took a long drink, then capped it off. It struck him that he was bored. After travelling with someone as spontaneous as Yudai, travelling alone was boring him. Maybe the next village would offer something more exciting, like Fire Nation troops attempting to take the town. Great, now he sounded like Yudai.

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Anonymous

Nov 22, 2010 20:29:27 GMT -6

Random Forest, Camp, with Erikai

“Chi is an active principle forming part of any living thing.” Shtiya looked serious, and he held the water between his hands as he spoke. “It is like… spirit. I’m n-not sure why Air Benders aren’t the ones who can u-—-se it, but the body’s comp---osition is mainly water, so that makes sense.” He now had a thoughtful air, drawing lips together for a moment and saying nothing. “The reason that this is so, to me, must be b-because of the pattern. Chi, like water, flows. It, like water, s---ustains life. Does that make sense?”

He felt like they might be doing more talking at this point than bending, so the petite young man sat down. Shtiya rubbed a slender hand over the usually-shaved areas on his head. Dragging fingers through the wolf’s tail, he realized it was getting long again. The sides were really not shaven at all!

Shaking his head, the boy smiled. “S-sorry. I got distracted.” He cleared his throat. “Anyway, to heal effectively, you need to understand energy flow within the body. If you sit down – go on. S-s-s-sit down.” Gesturing to the ground in front of him, the Waterbender waited expectantly, blue eyes smiling.

“Now. Breathe deeply, and s-start to focus on your breath. Extend the aw-—--areness to your heartbeat. Figure out and feel the flow in yourself first.”

———————

Lawl Woods with Akki

Benders went about here in the Earth Kingdom as well, eradicating villages of innocent Galgori, as per usual. Rui frowned to hear this. It was unfortunate for his people, and personally unfortunate for this young woman. When she said that she was trying to find her path, he glanced up at her, orange eyes sharp.

“Mmm,” said Rui. That was all he said. Lifting his small cup to his lips, he sipped his tea. “Perhaps.” He stirred the stew slowly, fingers long and slender, like the rest of him. He was not, personally, on any sort of mission so noble. Rather, Rui was traveling because he was uncertain as to what he ought to be doing. He had hoped, maybe, for guidance from Koh. He, too, was looking for his path.

Rui had a thoughtful, quiet air to him – something that made him seem rather dangerous, when coupled with the alertness around the eyes and general lack of expression his face usually wore. The firelight winked in the star-shaped scar as he looked up at Akki, unsure of what to say. While he did not really know it, his face was near expressionless. The Galgori had always been unsettling to others, and while he had assumed many reasons for that, none of them were correct. The stew bubbled between them and Rui reached forward, stirring it. Rabbit would take some time to cook.

There was always tea. The Fire Nation Galgori sipped from his cup, rolling the warm, roasted taste of green tea and rice across his palate. Genmaicha was a poor man’s tea, a simple tea. It was the tea poor families made to make the tea leaves last, mixing roasted rice with green tea leaves that would otherwise have made an unpalatable brew. He had been very familiar with it as a boy, and even now when he tasted it, the tea reminded him of his parents’ kitchen. “I’m sorry,” he said to his visitor, “that the tea is… sub-standard.” One hand toyed idly with the silky end of his long braid for a moment. It was the cheapest tea. Of course, Rui still had a nice version of genmaicha, with better leaves than he was used to. It helped, but it was a pity, serving tea like this to a woman. He was uncertain of how appropriate it was.

“I am aware,” he said, after a long, deep stretch of silence, “that social standards dictate that I ought to be filling the air with words, but I admit that I do not know what to say.” He didn’t wish to offend Akki, or make her think she wasn’t welcome. Rui found people tended to think he disliked them, or found him offensively quiet. It would be a pity to drive the woman away without even feeding her first. He tested the stew carefully, and, finding it cooked enough to eat, filled his only bowl.

“Do you have a bowl?” If not, they could share his. He did not mind eating after she had her fill.

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Last edit by Deleted: Nov 22, 2010 20:59:44 GMT -6

kagami

Nov 23, 2010 13:34:19 GMT -6

Paljor was excited, for the first time in his life he was actully seeing the former earth kingdom. When he had left the outer wall or should I say the remains of it. He had noticed a large lake. So large in fact that he couldn't see the other side. He decided to go north around it. He had heard tales of a thin strip of land called the serpants pass and didn't like the sound of it. Although the surroundings were cool he got bored easily and soon fell in to singing and playing with some rocks as he headed steadily towards what he hoped was a way around the lake. He soon got bored of singing and focused on moving rocks around and creating new moves and such. Then he had an idea if he could move rocks while he was moving then couldn't he stand on a large rock and move it that way his legs wouldn't get tired out and he would be able to go farther. "Brilliant." He thought. So he found a large flat rock made an indentation for him to stand but not be knocked over easily. He then proceeded to strain and groan till he got the rock moving. He then decided that this was much more tiring than walking and abandoned the idea. "That one is going to take some time and that is what I don't have right now." He thought a little crestfallen "Oh well!' He added happily there's always tomorrow. And continued walking happy as before.

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Last edit by kagami: Dec 2, 2010 13:50:31 GMT -6

erikai

Dec 2, 2010 15:08:27 GMT -6

Random Forest; Camp

Erikai chewed his bottom lip thoughtfully while Shtiya explained. It made sense when you put it like that. Chi was basically life, which was why it healed. It flowed like water, which was why only water benders could manipulate it.

"If only my mother had explained it like that, I might not have been a lost cause." He joked, while sitting down in front of Shtiya.

He nodded at the instructions, closing his eyes and breathing smoothly. "Just like meditating."He told himself. He focused on controlling his breathing for a moment, before extending his thoughts towards his heartbeat. He felt the rythmic beat as it sent blood pulsing through his veins. He could sense the flow of his blood, but another question was burning in his mind.

Breaking his concentration, he looked to Shtiya, "I can sense the flow of my own body, but there is one more thing I must ask. Is chi something physical, that you can touch, or is it something else?"

—————————————————————-

On The Road

Jin looked back over his shoulder at the small village. He hadn't made it to the small town yestereday, and had come across it this morning. He'd stopped and bought the few supplies he needed, before leaving, back on the way to Ba Sing Se.

There had been little mention of the Fire Nation when he'd passed through the town, and people were open and friendly towards him, assuming him to be a refugee of the war, looking for a home in Ba Sing Se. "Isn't what you are?" He asked himself. He puzzled over the question for a while, as the sun fell lower in the sky.

Finally, he stopped, and turned off the road, and made his way to a small pool of water just off the path. The sun was bright pink in the sky, and it was still warm enough for him to sleep without a fire, but he gathered some wood anyway. He piled it together, and reached towards his belt for his spark rocks, before remembering he was alone. Putting his hand above his kindling, he let out a small burst of flame, and it took up quickly.

As he leaned against a tree trunk by his fire, as the moon slowly slid over the horizon, he felt a strong with from the north. "Must be getting close to the sea, after I get across that, Ba Sing Se is my next stop. Hopefully I can find work, or something there."

Jin's head shot up, he'd heard something. His eyes scanned the camp, searching for the culprit. His fire had almost completely burned down, and the moon was high in the sky. "Must have been an animal." He reassured himself, before hearing it again. "Jin..."

"Who's there?!" He called, rising to his feet, his hand hovering near his chain.

"Jin....."

It seemed farther away this time, and he heard a twig snap somewhere in the woods. Narrowing his eyes, he strode across the clearing, creating a flame above his hand as he went. No one would be in the woods to see him firebend, so no use walking blind.

He continued following the voice for a way, before stopping. The voice called again, even farther away, like whoever it was was running. "Who are you!?" he yelled into the trees.Gritting his teeth, he extiguished his flame, and began running towards the voice.

He saw light up ahead, and he raced towards it, the voice calling more often, and louder. He burst free of the trees onto a cliff overlooking the sea. The moonlight was reflecting off the surface of the water, creating the light. He looked around for the person who had been calling to him. He screamed at the night. "Great, now I'm lost, chasing wind through the trees!" He shot a burst of flame over the cliff, letting go of his anger.

It had sounded like his mother....

—————————————————-

Earth Kingdom Forest

Hai planted his staff firmly on the ground, and pulled himself up the last couple of feet of the hill to the top. What he saw made him sigh. More trees. He'd been hoping to come to the coast of the sea, but it seemed he wasn't, "Out of the woods" yet.

Shaking his head, he made his way over to a boulder, and sat down on it's smooth surface. It was warm from the sunlight, and worn smooth by wind and rain. Laying his staff beside him, he crossed his legs and steadied his breathing.

He'd been in the forest for a few days now, alone and running low on food. He wasn't one to panic, but he was beginning to worry slightly. He could be hoplessly lost, and wandering in circles. Or, he could have just misjudged how long it would take him to cross the forest. Either way, he needed to continue on, in hopes of finding someone.

He had enough food for another day, at least. He wasn't skilled at hunting, but he could identify some edible plants, but he couldn't live on grass and berries forever.

Sighing, he shrugged his pack off his shoulders. He was tired and sore, and the rock was nice and warm. It felt good on his tired muscles. Stretching, he laid back on the rock, letting the sun warm him, and he slept.

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kagami

Dec 3, 2010 14:01:46 GMT -6

On the Northern Earth Kingdom Coast

Kagami Hadn't expected such a smooth ride over to the Earth kingdom's north shore. Usually there were storms and passing boats could be destroyed. "Well so far so good." Kagami thought hopefully “Now to cross the peninsula to that prison." He gritted his teeth. "Those fire nation bastards are going to pay for kidnapping my mother. She never hurt anyone!" The last thought infuriated him so much that he accidently punched a hole though the wooden walled cabin of his small boat. As he was mending his hand he noticed a dark smudge on the horizon. He got on the cabins roof for a better look. It was tiny and far away but there was no mistaking it. "Land!" Kagami thought happily. He directed his course straight towards it... About an hour later he was pulling up his boat on the foreign shore, behind a rocky outcrop. "So those are trees." He thought. He had never seen trees before having been raised in a primarily ice and water zone. He started packing his supplies into a traveling bag. "Over halfway there now." He thought apprehensively. He pulled seaweed and branches over the boat and started walking south.

——————————————————————-

In the wastelands by the sea (west of Ba sing se).

Paljor was growing tired. He hadn't rested since he had gotten out of the house back at Ba Sing Se. He stooped a little longer along the path and made camp. The fire wood gathering was the hardest part because there were few trees in the area. He started to recite a story but soon his eyelids drooped and he fell of into a deep sleep... He woke up in the morning and had breakfast. "This traveling thing is easy." He thought gloatingly. "I could do this for the rest of my life!" He got up and examined his surroundings. There was a small ditch to his left some rocky outcrops far in the distance around him. "I am going to need a better look." He thought. So he stomped his foot and had a pillar of earth push him up to about ten feet. Hmmm... He could see over the rocky outcrops. He was alone and the lake was to his left a very distant tree line just at the edge of his vision. "The trees are probably a good choice as any and I am sick of the lack of them here so..." He got down and grabbed his pack and the remains of his breakfast and headed towards the tree line.

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Last edit by kagami: Dec 14, 2010 14:12:25 GMT -6

erikai

Dec 16, 2010 14:13:19 GMT -6

By the Sea

The morning sun slowly began to rise over the edge of the sea, and cast its red light over Jin. He was sitting on the ground, legs crossed and shirtless, meditating. After much cursing and bursts of flame, he'd clamed down enough to set up a makeshift camp. There was no fire, but his gear was leaned against a tree, and his sleeping pad was rolled out. Once he'd figured out that sleep would evade him, he'd went to the edge of the cliff and began meditating.

He took a deep breath and looked out over the great expanse of water before him, and he watched the sun slowly rise above the horizon. The voice he'd followed last night had sounded like his mother. Was it just the wind playing tricks on his mind, playing on his anger at losing her? Or was it her contacting him from the spirit world? He prefered the latter, it meant she hadn't abandoned him. She'd led him here for a reason, but he couldn't find an answer. He was now miles from the road to the ferries, and it would take him forever to walk around the sea to Ba Sing Se.

Shaking his head, he rose to his feet. He made his way over to his sleeping pad, and rolled it up, before attaching it to his pack. Feeling a light wind on his back, he reached for his shirt, which was hanging on a tree branch. Pulling it over his head, he turned to look over the sea once more. He'd have to go back to the road, it would be faster than walking around the sea. Something behind him rustled slightly.

He spun around, lashing out with his chain with lightning speed. It wrapped itself around a tree branch, and he saw a bird idignantly flutter into the woods. He was jumpy. While he was winding up his chain, he heard another noise. Footsteps. Coming towards him, from the west side of the coast. He debated running into the forest, but cast the idea aside, whoever was coming would see him. Keeping his chain in hand, he kept his eyes locked on the spot he thought the traveller would be revealed.

.............................

In the Forest

Hai's eyes fluttered open in the morning light. Stretching, he sat up. He'd slept on the rock all night, and it had been quite comfortable. Cracking his neck, he rolled off the rock. He reached into his pack, pulling out his water skin and a hard bisciut. After taking a swig of water, he began to eat the bisciut.

It was late morning by the suns position in the sky, he hadn't slept that long in ages. He took another drink from the water skin, before returning it to his pack. He had another bisciut, a piece of jerky, and a piece of fruit. Not the best rations, but hopefully enough to get him to the coast.

He pulled his pack over his shoulders, and picked his staff up off the boulder. He'd get to the North Pole soon, he could feel it. Just a couple more hills. Once he was out of the forest he was confident he could make his way to the coast, then, the only thing remaining to do, would be to get a boat. He'd cross that bridge when he came to it.

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kagami

Dec 16, 2010 14:49:19 GMT -6

In the forest by the sea

Paljor was humming his favorite song as he pranced down the path. It was getting lighter and hotter by the minute. He took of his over shirt and saw that he was close to the forest. "Now" he thought "we are getting somewhere." He kept on walking. The forest was full of sights, sounds and smells. He heard a bird twittering. Then suddenly a couple birds flew out of the brush to his left. From what he could tell they were scared. 'Hmmm." He had thought. "Someone must be over there! Company!!" He started in that direction and within moments someone jumped out of the brush brandishing a chain. "EEEEPPPP!!!!!" Paljor thought startled He drew back as the person stepped forward menacingly. "Uhhhh. Hi.' He said to the stranger.

In the Northern forest by the ocean

Kagami was thoroughly wore out. He had trekked all day. But with one problem. He had been going in circles! Ugggghhhh!!! He flopped down on the ground. The sea was still in view too! He thought and then spat on the ground in disgust. So much for rescuing his mother, he couldn't even get through a stupid forest!!! He suddenly stopped breathing. Someone was close by. He could tell by the footsteps on the ground. And by the way they were pointing the directed towards the... Sea! "My boat!' He thought. He then assumed they were fire nation. Rage filled his limbs giving him extra strength. He stared running, following the footsteps. He was going to get him. He suddenly came upon a man. But he was running at full speed. He couldn't stop himself! "AHHHH Watch out!' He shouted as the man turned...

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Last edit by kagami: Jan 3, 2011 13:44:50 GMT -6

erikai

Jan 5, 2011 14:58:41 GMT -6

In the forest

Jin heard the footsteps, the snap of a twig underfoot. Whoever it was, they weren't worried about being heard. Was that whistling he'd heard earlier? He'd thought it had been a bird, obviously it was this unknown person. A man emerged from the brush, walking determinedly along the shore.

Suddenly, the man seemed to notice him, and let out a shriek. Jin started, wondering if he looked that intimidating. Jin let his hand slide of his chain, he wouldn't need it. This man seemed hardly capable of fighting off a mouse, let alone someone trained to fight.

"Uh, hi." the man uttered.

Jin just shook his head, chuckling. "I'm not going to hurt ya you know." Still laughing to himself, he made his way over to his pack, picking it up in one hand. "And who might you be?" He asked, putting his arms through the straps. Obviously some earth kingdom citizen. Maybe he could direct him to Ba Sing Se. "Names Jin by the way."

In the forest

Hai continued north, trusting his navigation skills to at least take him in the right direction. His staff stabbed into leaves on the ground, and kicked up dust. It seemed it hadn't rained here in a while. Strange so close to the ocean.

He came across a sandy patch of ground, at the base of a hill. "This must be a sanddune, I must be getting closer." He made short work of the hill, and stopped at the top. He stared, open-mouthed. There it was, the ocean. It seemed so close, yet he knew it was miles away. But it didn't matter, he'd made it. He threw his fist in the air and let out a whoop of joy. Almost there!

He made his way down the hill, and continued up the next. As the sun rose higher into the sky, the ground flattened out, creating a forested area. He could smell salt on the air, it almost seemed like a taste. He wished he could hear it, but the trees blocked the sound.

He was making his way closer to the shore with every step, but stopped suddenly. Was someone- Yelling at him? He turned his head to one side, and saw a man racing towards him. His eyes grew wide as the man gave no intention of stopping. Hai braced himself as the man barrelled into him.

He grunted as he hit the dirt, and slid on the ground, the mans momentum carrying him into a tree. With a thud, pain flashed into his head, sending colors through his vision. He lie there for a minute, dazed, before sitting up, holding his head.

"What is your problem man?" He grumbled, wincing as his fingers touched the swelling lump on his head. He bent down to grab his staff, before noticing it on the ground where the man had first hit him. He must have dropped it before he got hit. A bolt of pain flashed through his head as he took a look at the man. The blue clothes, the wolfs tail... It couldn't be.

"Wait, your a waterbender!"

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Last edit by kagami: Jan 5, 2011 14:59:59 GMT -6

kagami

Jan 6, 2011 13:45:17 GMT -6

The forest Next to the giant lake

Paljor watched the man. He had made no theatening moves the stood there for a split second, then, he relaxed and started chuckling then said "I'm not going to hurt ya you know." He then said that his name was Jin and asked Paljor what his name was. "My name is Paljor." He replied. From the looks of him he had been traveling a lot. "soo... where are you bound for I mean if you are because you look like you have been traveling." He decided to change the subject because it was getting awkward fast "I am bound for the coast or the nearest village." He continued. " I live in Ba Sing Se and my house got taken by fire nation so I am on a quest to get it back by helping in resistance movements, wel, if I can find them." He finished. Then noting the look on Jins face said "Wait don't you know Er Haven't you heard?' The look on his face continued "That Ba Sing Se has fallen?"

In the northern forest by the ocean

Great! He thought now look at what I have done! Kagami thought.I have plowed into a potential enemy! He doesn't look fire nation but he might be a spy. He then retracted this thought as the man got up. He was old and from the looks of it, starving or at least very hungry. The man was grumbling something but he couldn't make it out. He then helped him up. He wasn't a spy probably just another weary traveler like himself. They then both got there first good look at eachother. The man exclaimed "Wait, your a waterbender!" and kagami replied "yeah so what?" Kagami felt his stomach rumble. "want some food" he asked the weary traveler. Kagami started to unpack some food for himself. "I am kagami and may I ask who are you?"

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Last edit by kagami: Jan 6, 2011 14:09:28 GMT -6

Anonymous

Jan 8, 2011 13:19:41 GMT -6

OOC: *musters strength* I have delayed this long enough !! It is time to get this RP back on its path and set the engine on !!

Although searching for the source of this scent was not exactly the most important thing to do yet, Hinh was determined to find it this instant and as soon as possible, to avoid the possibility of being assaulted by guilt later on, when the thought would occur to her that it could have been something very important and that she just... ignored it. She'd never forgive herself if it somehow turned out to be this very case. And since Tenoko had not objected at all, the priestess was definitely going to carry on until they were successful.

The Waterbender then made an observation on the situation. An observation that had Hinh slow down her pace a bit. "Yes... you are quite right." She replied while trying to think about all of this thoroughly. No doubt that they were in the area where the source of that smoke should have been, but they still couldn't see it and it seemed to just be all around them. Did that mean that it was actually something like a trap set by Firebenders ? Smoke was bound to draw some travelers, after all... But what purpose was there in trapping people like that ? It didn't exactly make sense. Hinh was beginning to worry a little.

Suddenly, her bare foot stepped on something that was rougher than usual, and hotter than the rest of the ground. Looking down at her feet, she saw that she was standing on a scorch mark left on the ground, most likely from a fireball as far as she could tell. The priestess stopped and took a step back, leaning a little forward to examine the mark. She was confident it came from a fireball and was not just some remains of a campfire or something of the same kind, because the ground itself had gone dark in an outward way - much like when a fireball expands fire when hitting its mark. "I think there was a battle here." She said, discovering tracking talents to herself.

Then she looked at the surroundings in this valley. She knew the geological organization of this location, she could remember it rather clearly. A good number of yards ahead of the direction she was facing, there should be some sort of crater or small canyon, with entrance to a cave. And, if she wasn't mistaking it for another site in another part of the Earth Kingdom, it was possible that people had set camp there lately, and that something happened to them.

Feeling slightly worried now, Hinh joined her hands forward and struck the ground with her feet, trying to focus her bending on the vibrations she could get. She was no ground sensor, but she would be able to feel it if there was anything other than ground in that direction. "Tenoko, you have seen more war than me." She said to the Waterbender. "Can you tell the difference between the scents of smoke from a fire and smoke from blasting jelly ?"

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Anonymous

Jan 13, 2011 21:15:05 GMT -6

Tenoko was back her trance-like state for the most part, but her eyes and ears were alert. If the priestess said anything or stopped, Tenoko would respond. Apart from that, she would most likely keep walking unless they were attacked again.

Eventually, Hinh did stop, and the waterbender’s senses snapped back into action. A brief glance around told her that there had been some kind of scuffle or conflict here. Incidentally, Hinh’s own words agreed with her there.

“Aye,” she said in response to Hinh’s conjecture, “there was definitely a battle here—firebenders were involved by the looks of it.”
She was not sure what had been the drive though, or who had been involved, or where they had gone. She sniffed the air a few times and made a few conclusions about the nature of the flames, the direction of the wind, and those sorts of things. The smell was still mostly the same kind of smell that they had been following. This seemed almost like a normal fire. However, this told them little other than that perhaps someone had set up a camp here before falling victim to a firebender attack or something.

"Tenoko, you have seen more war than me." She said to the Waterbender. "Can you tell the difference between the scents of smoke from a fire and smoke from blasting jelly ?"

“Aye,” the warrior responded, and she sniffed the air again just to make sure. This was the smoke of a regular fire. Blasting jelly smelled more like oil or coal. She was not personally sure what the stuff was made of, but it had to be something that was obviously flammable and/or combustible, and those types of things typically emitted similar odors.

“This is the smell of a regular fire if I’m not mistaken.” She continued, “if I had to take a stab at it, I’d say it was a firebender attack or ambush.”

But then again, her expertise was at tracing patterns in ice and snow, not rock and dirt. That was how things were in the Water Tribes anyways.

~Tenoko~

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Anonymous

Jan 19, 2011 16:38:59 GMT -6

Hinh struck the ground again with both feet successively while listening to Tenoko's answer. If the Waterbender said it smelled like a regular fire, then it wasn't what she thought it was. In her opinion, some people had set camp somewhere in the surrounding area, and had had the misfortune of being on the path of some Firebending thugs, or maybe just the kind of soldiers that had no honor and only lived for their own sakes as conquerors... Her fears were confirmed when she felt, on the other side of the valley they were in, something like a broken down structure, or perhaps charred ruins.

Although the priestess was not familiar with what a burned down campsite felt like through vibrations, there was no mistaking that those were remains of a conflict with Firebenders. It couldn't be from Earthbenders or the landscape itself would be more disfigured, and therefore easier to differenciate. As for Waterbenders, well Hinh couldn't figure a reason why any of them would suddenly attack a campsite - unless maybe against Firebenders, but then there'd be traces of Waterbending or something. The traces of Firebending couldn't be felt through Earthbending with the ground, though.

She opened her eyes again, and immediately rose her right hand to point forward. "Behind the hill that is just ahead of us. That is where the campsite was located. However, I am unable to find out where or what the smoke and scent are emanating from." She stated with a glance at the Waterbender, informing her with the details she had figured out. The priestess had felt it necessary to give her this information, because of what she had asked her. It was true that Tenoko had probably seen more war than Hinh, since she was a warrior of the Water Tribe. But it only occurred to the Earthbender later that she was probably more used to colder climate and more icy landscape.

Regardless of that, Hinh began treading towards the designated area, careful not to walk on any burn marks left on the ground, shards of broke weapons or material... and other such things. She was walking barefoot, so she couldn't just not be careful. At the same time, she was doing her best to keep her senses alert. The fact that there probably hadn't been any blasting jelly explosion during the conflict didn't mean that there wasn't a barrel hidden somewhere close to a flammable source, ready to blow up.

Eventually, she came to a stop when she finally came in view of what was causing this smoke and this familiar scent. There was a poor beast in the middle of the ruined campsite, trapped under what seemed to be charred wooden materials that still held a bit of fire, or at were at least releasing smoke. The beast looked dead, and had burned so much that it wasn't recognizable anymore... It had literally been cooked slowly and intensively. "Disgusting." The priestess muttered. It felt horrible to her that anybody would abandon a creature to such a miserable and painful end.

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kgal

Sept 8, 2011 17:34:59 GMT -6

It was quite a refreshing sight to witness the afternoon sunbeams gazing through the trees that shaded a large forest road. The slippery golden waves rippled over the dirt beneath Fu-Ling's feet in a way that she was unused to. There was a gentle breeze that wafted through the ancient bark and ruffled the mildewing leaves. The firebender smiled happily, taking a long breath of summer air through her nose. Now this was the life. Walking leisurely along the road, smiling to the simple Earth Kingdom natives that passed her.

The sensation was jarred by the odd paradox that she was currently confronted with: on the one hand, everyone she saw looked the same. Same clothing, same gait, same "I don't have the time for you" sort of air. On the other hand, however, every single person she passed was unique and different. Some people had a sad look in their eyes. Some seemed to have no expression at all behind behind their eyelashes and -lids. Some were women, old and frail, hobbling without dignity; some were men leading carts of produce, their strong muscles bulging, their eyebrows set with a purpose; some weren't human at all, but beasts of burden carrying passengers or traveling gear.

She'd had a traveling companion for quite some time, but he unfortunately diverged before the main road reached the forest. So Fu-Ling had been alone for a while. She disliked the way that some of the other travelers stared at her deep red tunic and the Fire Nation emblem she wore as a belt buckle, the way that they glared into her eyes as if they thought they were better than she was. Their opinion didn't bother her: after all, how were they to know better? They, the simple collective minds of the Earth Kingdom, without any proper schooling or tutoring. Instead, she pitied them. If only they understood the glory of the Fire Nation, instead of ignorantly resenting it.

But still. She could use a companion. She enjoyed having someone to talk to who had half a mind.

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Last edit by kagami: Sept 8, 2011 17:38:04 GMT -6

Anonymous

Sept 8, 2011 18:05:18 GMT -6

It was a good feeling to be part of a crowd again. Here, moving with all the other travelers on the forest road, Kohaku felt secure. In his plain brown attire, no one stopped him to ask where he was from or glared openly at him. Yes, a few had seen his pale skin and golden eyes and had known what they meant, but, perhaps out of simple courtesy, none had done anything more than stare for a short while. That was just fine with Kohaku. Anonymity suited him.

As he walked, the man kept his eyes moving, seeing all that he could. The Earth Kingdom natives were all moving with purpose; they knew where they were going,how to get there, and exactly what to do once they reached their destination. He envied them somewhat. It would be nice to know where he was going; he had been wandering aimlessly for far too long now.

Conversation. That was what he missed the most. Travelling alone meant having no one to talk to but himself, and that got old very quickly. The Firebender would like to have someone to talk to on his travels, someone with different ideas about the world. Unfortunately, he was no good at striking up conversations. Besides, no one seemed to have time to chat anyway. Oh well, he'd gotten used to being alone.

Something caught the man's eye: a flash of red. He focused, and discovered more than just a flash. There was a whole outfit colored with the red of the Fire Nation. Whoever this woman was who was wearing such clothes (he could easily tell that it was a woman) she obviously had great love for her homeland. Kohaku knew then that it would be best to avoid her. The Earth Kingdom natives didn't look too kindly upon those from the Fire Nation, and he didn't want to cause trouble by accidentally associating himself with "the enemy."

Still, the Firebender found it difficult to look away from the woman. It wasn't often that he saw others from his homeland in the Earth Kingdom (except for the soldiers, but they didn't count). He was curious as to what this woman was doing here, and why she felt the need to loudly proclaim her allegiance. But he wouldn't go up to her and ask. It wasn't that important. No, he'd just continue to stare and wonder, his usual mode of operation.

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