---

Despite the festivities in the audience chamber, the back passages of the palace were deathly silent. Practiced footsteps left no trace nor sound as he passed, and those few unlucky enough to cross his path chose to see nothing. The long sleeves of his robes concealed the white knuckled grip he had on the scrap of parchment that called him to business.


A sharp turn and a moment’s pause - listening, listening - found a passage grinding open in front of him and, after passing through, the wall shut behind him. He barely paused to acknowledge the man who opened it, and instead hurried down the winding passage. Door after door after door, plain and monotonous and just enough light to keep his footing, passed but little mattered in this moment. Decades passed since he’d last heard the blood roaring in his ears. It wasn’t a coup, but the stakes were just as high.

Light filtered under the last door in the hall. He paused, collected himself and with a deep breath, pushed open one of the many hidden meeting rooms in the palace. Standing at attention as she studied the earth kingdom map pinned against the far wall, one of his most trusted agents waited for him. She didn’t move or falter at his approach and he didn’t acknowledge her either. Instead, he settled behind the desk and brought forward one of the candles. He touched the ragged parchment to the flame and watched as it burned away. Fitting.

He contemplated the woman in front of him. Much like himself, she was eroding. She stood a little shorter, a little thinner, less the immovable mountain and more a daunting cliff face. He supposed the same could be said for himself, but the earth did not yield unless it was truly sundered and neither of them were ready to break just yet.

“The ruby has been acquired. It is time to lay the groundwork for the next phase.” The man retrieved a sealed scroll from the desk and held it out for the woman to take. “Do not deviate. Like moths to a flame they flock, but their size is yet uncertain and so we will take their measure. Be safe, old friend.” With a bow and a twist, she was gone beneath the floor, the earth swallowing her.

---

---

---

---

At this point last year, the port town of Lazhou, Xing Jian was a bustling trade port. Visitors from both the Fire Nation and Air Nation left their mark through the blends of fashions and foods that have yet to depart from the port. But where the streets were once filled with people from various places freely intermingling were now mostly bare, the citizens doing their best to keep to themselves with eyes trained firmly ahead. The weariness was heavy on their shoulders and tired eyes, only picking up the pace to avoid certain areas. The ones that thrived were those who were willing to trade with the Earth Kingdom’s army while those who refused were harassed out of their homes. Mercenaries and swordsells were in high demand as protection services were hotly in demand as those that still had their money were determined to keep it at any cost.

The one place few would need a legit reason to go without question would be the bar at the Black Eel Inn. The ones who had finished their hauls were happy to quench their thirst after a day in the sun and others were eager to take some of the tension off with stories. Some were more eager to eat than to drink, others were sitting around and waiting for something. The place was bustling with conversation and laughter, making the troubles of the war seem distant.

In one corner of the lobby sat an old, wooden pai sho board. The old man sat at the board had craned his neck over so much he looked like he could fall onto it at any moment, grayed eyebrows knit together as his shaky hands hovered over the red boat tile. He grinded his teeth, stressed by his predicament as his eyes darted to his younger opponent. Her white and black robe rested over her brown shirt and black pants, long, brown hair resting on her back. She was much calmer, her cheek perched on her hand as she watched him.

“Don’t rush me,” The old man spat.

She opened her mouth to let out a yawn, her free hand waving in dismissal. “Everything comes to those who wait,” She murmured.

“You’re starting to sound like Old Man Bido. Keep that up, and you’ll end up like him with his dead-end fishery!” He huffed as he moved his hand to another tile.

The woman stifled another yawn, her green eyes roaming away from her opponent, though she hesitated as she noticed an Earth Kingdom soldier running past the inn. A strange sight at this time of day, especially as he decided not to stop by for a drink. She almost dismissed it before an entire retinue of soldiers ran by in a hurry. The direction they were heading in bode ill as well.

She straightened up considerably at the sight, hastily gathering her belongings before moving the old man’s hands onto the red boat tile and moving her own. “Next time, prioritize your defense, you left yourself open,” She advised, snatching up her pouch before making her way out of the inn.

Sure enough, the soldiers were heading in the direction of the Knotweed Fishery. The first had remained outside, shooing away any that decided to loiter. As the number of soldiers gathered, a middle aged man dressed in green stepped out of the building, crossing his arms as the soldiers gathered around. He looked more irritated than worried, watching as the first soldier approached him.

“We’ve received information that you’re harboring fugitives, Bido!” The soldier announced.

“Fugitives? You think even those desperate sods would want to hang around fish of all things?” Bido scoffed. “Stop looking for problems where there aren’t any and scram!”

The soldier looked back at the others and nodded. A majority of them stepped forward, getting into a ready stance. “If you don’t have anything to hide, then you won’t mind if we check.”

"Your kindness is much appreciated, Mr. Kang. I shall see this bounty put to good use."

It was in the spirit of a small triumph that Tianshi found his head bowing low, although for a man of his stature, even low was still quite a bit higher than most of the other patrons milling about the marketplace. Humility was an important virtue to internalize, however, and the nomad was not shy in showing his gratitude to the humble merchant to whom he had traded a relatively small number of copper pieces in return for his provisions. Regardless of how mortified the gentleman seemed to be at his overt display of thankfulness.

"It's nothing, ah, really, just, remember what we discussed, hmm? If you ever find yourself in Gaoling..."

"Miss Li shall hear your words. Of this I assure you."

Such an exchange of services was not one foreign to the monk. In his years of roaming across the world, he very rarely carried much in the way of currency with him. What little he did carry, he used only for nourishment and—increasingly, in an era of senseless warfare—charity to those less fortunate. It was by his word and deed that Tianshi managed to live and provide the necessities for himself and his bison. In a nation where distances staggered the mind and most souls never set foot outside their home villages, there was true value in bringing news from afar to them in an expedient matter. Even for those with fortunes allowing for the purchase of a courier service, the roads were never a sure thing. Banditry and corrupt officials were liable to intercept most correspondence before it arrived at a locale as far-flung as Gaoling.

And some words were better left spoken than written. Something the merchant named Kang had surely made his peace with when he uttered them to the sympathetic ear of a wandering monk with more need for rice than time. The hefty sack of grain found its way across Tianshi's thick shoulder, and he offered another, shorter bow of his head as his fingers coiled around the haft of his staff. Triumph could only sustain a man for so long, and he had more business to attend to before moving on to the next leg of his journey.

"Blessings upon you and yours in these trying times, Mr. Kang."

And so he was off, back into the bustling streets of an otherwise fairly calm fishing town. The smell was never something he had acclimated well to: even during his brief forays to the poles, where there was little and less to subsist on but the bounty one could pull from the sea. Complicated though his relationship with aquatic life and its subsequent harvesting was, there was still some small satisfaction to be had in seeing a settlement that had little struggle in providing for itself. There were places further inland that could not say the same, and he could not help but consider them as he felt the weight of the rice on his back. Perhaps there were some stop-overs to be had along the way to Miss Li's manse. The wind often took unpredictable routes to its destination, after all.

Something made readily apparent by the sudden rush of air that followed in the wake of a commotion yet unfolding. The nomad could only watch as a group of soldiers hurried to surround an otherwise nondescript building near the docks. An unfortunate thing to see. There was a time, he was sure, when the sight of earthbending troops made the people of the Earth Kingdom feel safe. But Tianshi had been robbed of the opportunity of living in such a time. Usually, when King Wei's military made itself known, only suffering followed in their footsteps, the common folk crushed beneath the weight of a mountain made manifest.

It was the way of the wind to dance around such obstacles. To take the path of least resistance, and flow around the mighty mountain. Even in the face of such a monolith, it had little to fear, free and unbound as it was.

“Fugitives? You think even those desperate sods would want to hang around fish of all things?”

A voice found his ear all the same, and the wind in Tianshi's step became a doldrum.

“If you don’t have anything to hide, then you won’t mind if we check.”

Another voice, louder, more demanding. The wind beneath his feet picked up once more. Only, rather than swirl about the sturdy mountain before him with ethereal grace, it led him directly towards the peak.

"Amitabha, proud defender, and a blessed day upon you and your number," The monk's voice came not as a gentle breeze, but as a proud gale, his stature and years of training doing well in helping him project his voice, "Might you honor a humble wanderer with the knowledge of what brings such valiant men here?"

Tianshi did not hold himself with particular malice, nor aggression, a walking stick palmed in one hand and a sack of grain hung over the shoulder opposite. And yet he stood tall and proud all the same. A curious sight, and one all the better to focus to the exclusion of their original target.

Think not lightly of good, saying, "It will not come to me." Drop by drop is the water pot filled. Likewise, the wise man, gathering it little by little, fills himself with good.

The words of his master danced through his mind's eye just as easily as the wind had done a moment earlier.

May these drops nourish those in need.

Huo

---

Among the laughter and joy in the Black Eel Inn, a young man rested on a stool not far from the entrance, head leaned back against the wall as his fingers strummed an old banjo furiously. He did his best to match the tempo of the lively conversations in the room, a small leaf hat bent into a cup-like shape rested at his feet as those with a spare copper or two tossed a pittance to their makeshift performer. Most seemed to enjoy the novelty of the situation, but even Huo recognized the harsher stares. He knew the looks of suspicion... his cousins in the Southern Water Tribe shared a similar gaze when he had first arrived. These strangers would soften too, certainly. No one could resist a good song.

Huo clocked the shift in atmosphere as the sounds of footsteps outside reached his ear. His gaze turned briefly outside, to the earth kingdom soldiers. His fingers stopped strumming suddenly, sending a few confused stares his way. But Huo was too preoccupied with a sudden paralysis that overtook his system. The reality of Huo's situation had begun to solidify itself. He was a fish out of water here... and he had come to this village with a purpose. Starting trouble wouldn't help Huo find his contact... and he wasn't exactly confident in his ability to deal with an entire band of soldiers even if his newfound companion Ryschi had his back. So even as he heard the soldiers begin to order demands, the waterbender instinctively moved away from the source of the noise. He needed to follow the lead he had been given.

He needed to trust where the wind was blowing him. It had guided him this far.

Huo quietly slid the strap of his banjo over his shoulder, scooped his tips into a pouch on his belt, and began molding his handmade cap back into a wearable form as he meandered up to the bar itself. He found himself a spot in between two groups of individuals while waving in a friendly manner to the bartender. As soon as he has the bartender's attention, Huo's voice oozed with an infectious accented optimism. "Well howdy there, slim. I hate to bother ya... I was looking for a friend of mine, their name's Shunon. Would you be able to steer me in the direction I could find 'em?"

---

@Achronum

“No, please, Mr. Hanwei, this way.” Jin urged the old man to follow him, but it was like goading a wild canyon crawler without so much as a morsel of food to grab its attention.

“Oh, but is that not a chamomile flower? The tea we could make Tom-Ji.”

“It’s Temu-... yes, of course sir, but please we must keep on the road.” After a few pulls, he was able to finally get the man to follow him and away from the dandelion those crusted eyes had so readily mistaken for chamomile. “Please.”

“Oh alright you impatient little….” Mr. Hanwei then suddenly looked quizzically at Jin, his lip curling back and his sparse eyebrows furrowing. “Who are you again?” the man asked, those same crusty eyes looking into Jin’s own.

“I’m Te… I’m Tei, your grandson.” During the pause Jin’s eyebrow arose in contemplation as he tried to remember the names from the old man’s ramblings. “Now please granddad, we have to get to town. We’re travelling.”

“Of course boy, you don’t have to tell me. It was my idea.” Jin sighed with relief as the old man seemed to return to a perfect state where his delirium was not so great that it made him non functional, but great enough that he was not able to recognize stranger before him as being a stranger and was thus susceptible to whatever the earthbender told him to get moving.

As they walked with the young soldier’s hand — the young warrior’s hand holding onto that of the old man, Jin was able to spot a scar on the head of the man he was helping. It was mostly covered by hat and thinning white hair and easily mistaken as a birthmark or the likes, but it was a grievous wound. Perhaps that was the source of the fellow’s poor state of mind? He was old, but he still had most of his teeth and wasn’t all that wrinkly as other people so ancient their minds began to fray.

“We’re almost there granddad.” Temujin remarked with anxiety instantly leaving his face. The senior’s legs were shaking now, clearly exhausted even if his brain hadn’t yet caught up to this state of affairs. Jin could carry him there, but that would be quite difficult if every few moments the old timer once more imagined an entirely new scenario he was supposedly in.

As they began to enter the town proper, Mr. Hanwei got the confused look that once more told Jin that his thoughts had been shuffled, eliciting a sigh. What now?

“What is this, get off me, who are you?” he old man shook free of Temujin’s grasp, stumbling a little bit.

“It’s me, your grandson, Tei.”

“What are you talking about you idiot, my grandson Tei died when they attacked Yeonma.” Jin froze. Yeonma. Balls of stone and flame crossing each other in the sky, the strike on the colony was as vivid in his mind as if it was mere days ago. “Who are you?” the demanded was repeated, now with anger to it.

Jin sighed, closing his eyes with a deep breath before replying. “I’m a stranger, but a friend. You’re lost, and I’m helping you get to town. Please, I-”

He was cut off by a wave of the old man’s hand. “You’re one of them, aren’t you? Come to finish the job have you?” Well at least the scar suddenly made sense. “Well I won’t get on my knees and beg.” another wave of the hand, and Hanwei continued towards the village. Jin’s fists clenched and unclenched as he watched his brief companion head off towards the village, before he ran to catch up what little ground was between them.

Not quite getting into Hanwei’s vision in case he was still in that strange half-lucidity, Jin opened his coinpurse with a sigh and began counting. “One, two….” well, hopefully that was enough to get the man out. If it wasn’t then he would probably just get lost in town and die. He hoped there would be a kind soul or two to take care of him on the boat, but the cynic in Jin told him that this wasn’t likely. Worse yet, what would happen to him if and when he did at last reach the Fire nation? When Jin found him struggling in a muddy ditch by the roadside, he found on his chest a pendant that seemed to belong to some sort of family. Perhaps he still had some sort of kin in their homeland that would be able to take him in.

“Why did you have to come here?” he muttered sorrowfully, shaking his head. Hearing some new rambling, Jin rushed to catch up to Hanwei, pulling both of their cloaks tighter to hide his own green uniform, and the distinctive red of the old man in the chance there’d be people harsh enough to harass him over it in town.

Half-listening to Hanwei’s long story of how he had grown some beautiful pale roses in his daughter’s garden, Temujin was becoming distinctly aware that there was trouble in town. Soldiers, once comrades of his. Now just an ache in the depths of his heart.

Looking up at the commotion and making out a few of the words spoken, Jin realized that getting Hanwei out of town wouldn’t be as easy as he had hoped. “Sit down old man, wait here, don’t leave for anything unless its for me.” he walked off, hoping there was just enough sense in the geezer to stay put in the stool outside the shop he had stopped at.

For now the disgraced veteran simply crept a little closer as nonchalantly as he could. Somebody at least, wanted to give the soldiers trouble. He suspected it wouldn’t go all that well. Anxiety gripped him over what was going to happen. Was the old fellow just going to be stuck here? Jin couldn't abandon him, would he end up settling here just to take care of the man that would likely spurn his help every few moments? “Stubborn, mighty, great and strong, our nation brooks no wrongs.” he murmured the marching song under his breath, dark eyes darting side to side as he awaited an outcome of the proceedings. As he got closer, he realized it was a man of the Air Nomads.

Well, that was something. What was his game? What was one of the them doing here?

In the bustle of Lazhou, it was easy to miss things.

People missed the mice stealing back and forth in the shadows underfoot, missed the seagulls flying overhead, missed that they paid a copper more - or less - than they should have for their goods. The people in the Black Eel missed the bartender’s funny looks, missed the busker cheating at his own game, and often missed a clever move at Pai Sho. In these times, maybe they missed their homes, their loved ones, or just the way things used to be.

Another thing that was easy to miss was a stranger passing by. He wasn’t tall or short enough to stand out, and he looked like any fisherman after a long haul; his clothes were dull and damp, and the way he stooped under his tiny sack of belongings spoke of a long, hard day of working. A straw hat obscured his eyes, fraying a touch around the edges, but there were a hundred other labourers around town who looked about the same.

That was how Zai liked it; nothing to attract any curious eyes. Not that it was any intentional effort on his part - he really was out at sea all day, he really did reek of fish guts, and he’d have loved nothing more than to collapse out of sight somewhere for a nap. Problem was, he had a small matter to attend to first.

Grrrrr.

He clutched his growling stomach as he stalked through the market, scowling under his hat at the crowds. It was easier back when he was a stablehand; mucking out ostrich horse stalls wasn’t as hard as hauling in nets, and he didn’t need to get up before dawn to do it, either. Back then, he’d be off after nightfall and he’d have his pick of food merchants; now, he put in a full day's work before it even struck noon, and he was stuck waiting in lines no matter where he went.

Not like it mattered, though. When the guy in front of him finally stopped chatting with the merchant - the tall, bald, totally-not-an-airbender dude was just asking for trouble looking like that, if you asked him - Zai really had only one option.

“Whatever’s cheapest,” he ordered, flicking the merchant a copper piece.

The merchant nodded and scooped a fist-sized clump of plain rice from a large, steaming pot into a cupped seaweed leaf, handing it over as he retrieved the money. Zai took it with a quick bow, eager to get on his way.

He only walked far enough to get out of the street before digging in, sliding down the wall of a nearby shop to sit in the shade at the roadside. Rice and seaweed weren’t much after a day of hard labour, but it was cheap, and it was hot, so it would do. The metallic lump under his shirt reminded Zai that he really could afford better, but that was a lie; he also could have gone home today with two fresh fish from his employer if he wanted to, but he got paid more if he left emptyhanded, and he needed every copper he could scrape together if he wanted a snowball’s chance on the Boiling Rock of getting on that ship.

As he ate, careful not to drop a single grain of rice, Zai found himself fiddling with something in his pocket - a new habit of his, although he wasn’t sure if he liked it. For the hundredth time at least, he pulled the object out, looking it over pensively as he chewed. It was the only trinket he possessed: a single Pai Sho tile, the white lotus, received in the strangest of circumstances. It had puzzled him since the day he got it. Why was it given to him? What did it mean? Was it worth something? He would have tried to pawn it ages ago if it was, but something kept him from parting with it - something aside from the probable worthlessness of the least useful tile in Pai Sho, anyway.

It seemed like he just sat down when a commotion on the street commanded Zai’s attention, and he jumped to his feet, quickly hiding his lotus tile away. He finished off his meagre meal in one bite before he dared poke his head out to see what was going on.

What he saw made him retreat back into the shade as quickly as he’d come out: Earth Kingdom soldiers swarming the Knotweed Fishery, looking for fugitives. Zai’s heart thudded against his chest; he could kiss that old woman who told him to steer clear of “Old Bido” and his “queer doings” when he first showed up looking for work, because it was on her advice that he never got wrapped up with Knotweed, but it was little comfort when the soldiers were within a few yards of him either way. He couldn’t risk getting caught when he’d made it so far - what he needed to do was get away, quickly.

But he didn’t move. Everything in him screamed at him to get the heck out of dodge, but he couldn't tear himself away. He was rooted to his spot in the alley, just out of sight, eyes fixed on the situation forming at the fishery as the tall airbender from before stepped up to the soldiers with nothing but a stick and some obsequious words. What did that pacifist lunatic think he was doing?

---

This was not the Earth Kingdom Tao knew. Or, at least, he thought he knew a different one, but would he have even noticed from behind the walls of Ba Sing Se? The other settlement he'd passed had been similarly downcast, but that was a small fishing village, and this looked as though it had once been a busy port in its heyday. The people trudged the streets like zombies and shied away in fear of every Earth Kingdom soldier they passed; no longer were they stalwart protectors, this was an occupation. Soon, the harbor would be another staging ground for the crown's blockade, or at the very least used to maintain a garrison in anticipation of a Southern Water Tribe offensive.

It wouldn't kill them to treat the kingdom's actual subjects better than their enemies though, would it?

Regardless of the town's status, Tao hadn't intended to stay long. The army was nonsensically mobilizing southeastward despite no sensible military target existing in that direction. Unless the Eastern Air Temple had grown bold enough to be considered a threat - which Tao doubted; they weren't just airbenders, they were women - something had to have occurred inside the Kingdom. Pessimistically? A small peasant uprising. Optimistically? The resistance proper had gained ground already. Ideally? The Avatar. Regardless, it seemed the most logical direction to travel. Gaoling stood in his path, and surely such a large city would have at least some resistance presence that could point him in the right direction, even if finding them was another matter entirely. It also let him stick to the coast, which was a boon in a land that may very well consider him an enemy now.

It wasn't a challenge to copy the other weary residents of Lazhou, and Tao guiltily preferred it that way. If everyone kept their head down like a fugitive, the real fugitives could blend right in. Which was precisely why, when a commotion broke out, Tao made like the rest of the commoners and walked the other direction. But then they started shouting about fugitives. Tao had no idea about the workings of this village. He had no idea if these soldiers accused anyone they could of treason as an excuse for a shakedown. He had no idea if this old man was even guilty. All he knew was that there was a chance the man was, and that could lead him to the resistance.

It also meant he couldn't let the man be taken in, but how would he possibly do that without ending up in a cell along with him?

Tao snuck closer to the scene, trying to blend in with the other townsfolk that were too curious for their own good and stopped to watch. He had to internally take back his earlier comment about airbenders, apparently, given some utter specimen of the Air Nomad race was currently his saving grace in a manner toeing the line of pacifism and tossing worldly detachment entirely out the window. Was he with the resistance too? No airbender would get involved otherwise.

But that still begged the question of what he was supposed to do. Tao might've been able to fake his way into the Earth Kingdom's good graces by exploiting his father's status, but he couldn't do that if he was openly opposed to them. Maybe he could save the airbender and leave the old man to his fate. He'd have to appear innocuous- damn it, he was becoming his father.

Yet, he had little choice. If things got hectic, they were at least near enough to the water that he wouldn't feel totally defenseless. So, he approached the imposing monk and offered his hands in a placative gesture. Not too supportive of the soldiers, not too against them either. He could do this.

"Sorry to intrude, um, sir," Tao announced his presence mousily, "Maybe you shouldn't get involved. I'm sure this is all a very big misunderstanding. These fugitives are probably steering clear of the city anyway." Hopefully they weren't actually out there and he didn't just consign anybody to internment, but he really needed either these soldiers gone or the monk to stand down.

---

@Asura

---

The flow of wind made its way through Lazhou, carrying with it the hope, scorn, regret, and anger of the people that called it home. It was not what Ryschi had expected when he was told to make for the fishery here, as he imagined port towns to be places of excitement, diversity, and creativity. Instead, this place felt like a well maintained prison and it wasn't long before the wardens had to check for contraband.

Rushing past the Inn that Ryschi and his traveling companion, Huo, were taking a moment to rest in, a group of guards made way towards the same fishery that they were supposed to go to later in the day. Shortly after, a women sped out of the establishment headed to same way and some commotion began to rise outside. "Hey Huo, do you think we should go che-.." Ryschi began to ask before realizing his friend had already stopped his pandering and gone to question the barkeep. He'll be fine if I go take a peek without him right? Yeah, of course, He's a grown man.

Slinking outside, Ryschi casually walked towards the fishery to investigate, glad that without his orange sash it would be hard to tell him apart from any other poor villager, and glad that Kimo was a good two hours out of town to avoid detection. The tension of the air grew thicker as he approached, sensing not hostility but pure, unwavering resistance coming from the core of the scene. The source revealed itself, a large man stood between the guards and an older gentleman.

"Might you honor a humble wanderer with the knowledge of what brings such valiant men here?"

Ryschi couldn't believe his eyes, he had never expected another airbender to find themselves here, especially at a time like this. There were a few more shifting winds in the crowd, people moving to act or preparing to follow suite, but he couldn't take his eyes off the monk. Was he brought here to scold Ryschi, or worse, force him to return home? He certainly couldn't take him in a conflict if that was the case, even beyond his physique. Ryschi knew that his style relied on forcing opponents to bend to the wind's will, overwhelming those that had no way to disperse his strong gales, but other airbenders were his natural weakness. Noticing how long he was staring, and that the situation was progressing with the advance if a neutral negotiator, Ryschi decided it was time to return to Huo and see if he had gathered enough intel. Last thing he wanted was for the monk to notice him back. A head of hair, an arm tattoo, and non-traditional clothing were all things that made him look nothing like a nomad, but Ryschi was certain that if he had been seen then the monk would know his origin.

On his way back, he made sure to avoid those that had storms brewing inside them. Years of chasing spirits, meditating amongst them, calming them, and seeking their understanding had helped him hone an eye for what others were feeling and as such, Ryschi could tell the difference between those that were concerned, or hiding, or just curious to see what happens and those that were waiting with bated breath for what would need to come next. He leaves this to them, and whispers a prayer for the safety of all who will need it.

Re-entering the Black Eel Inn, He began to try and locate his companion and upon spotting him, wasted no time winding through the crowd. Ryschi leaned over Huo's shoulder to whisper into his ear, "If you know where our contact is, we need to go find her quick. Otherwise, we may want to leave town for a bit and return when things calm down."

---

@webboysurf

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---

The bartender had just finished giving another patron a drink when Huo had asked his question. The man paused for a moment, thinking to himself, though they were joined by the old man that had been playing pai sho. He was in a foul mood, shoving his way past Huo and plopping down onto his seat, arms crossed like a child who just got his toy taken away. The bartender gave Huo an empathetic look and a small wave to tell him to wait just a second, reaching over and bringing over a small cup for the old man.

"Another loss?" He asked.

"That darn girl ain't got no respect! First, she rushes me, then she tells me how 'ta win!" The old man raged. "Just 'cause I haven't won a game don't mean that she can be so haughty 'bout it! Shunon was much more respectful--that dern woman of his is no good!"

The bartender shook his head in what could have been sympathy, but the barely-held-back-smile said otherwise. He let the old man continue to rant, turning his attention back to Huo. "Shunon is likely finishing up a shift, so he's probably at the port," He explained, motioning towards the window and in the direction the soldiers had gone. "If you can't find him, I'm sure his sister or his friend know where he is, they all work for Old Man Bido over at the Knotweed Fishery."

---

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---

The soldiers had been thrown off guard by Tianshi's entrance and his subsequent questioning. They looked to one another, a little unsure of what to do, but the leader of the pack remained firm, letting out a huff at Tao's mention of a misunderstanding. He took out a scroll, clearing his throat as he unraveled it. "By order of his glorious majesty, King Wei, all who are found harboring fugitives are considered guilty by association," He read out the order before tightening up the scroll again. "We have it on good authority that this man here has been harboring these fugitives."

Meanwhile, the young woman had weaved through the crowd, nearly colliding with Zai as she tried to get a good look at what was going on without exposing herself. She let out a hasty apology as she stuck out her head, eyes darting to the many soldiers outside of the fishery. The sight of so many soldiers elicited a groan out of her, and she was already putting down her bag. She did, however, untie an elegantly decorated sheath protecting a sword. It had an assortment of flowers painted on, a small, wooden charm of some flower hanging off the hilt. The sword remained in place with a white rope binding hilt and sheath together, and with it in hand, the woman looked back at Zai at last.

"Look after my stuff for me, okay?" Her polite request was more of a demand as she gave the young man no time to give an actual response, straightening herself before boldly walking through the crowd.

Said crowd parted as she walked, converging once again when she was in the open behind the soldiers. She didn't stop, casually walking past the bewildered soldiers and putting herself between them and Bido. The man in question looked further annoyed, but she ignored them as she turned to the soldiers, offering a bright smile. "There are only fish and a grumpy old man here, my good sirs," She replied, her free hand waving them off. "Your accusation is a big one! But without any proof, I'm afraid you're only causing a commotion."

The leader narrowed his eyes, looking the woman up and down. She was a dainty looking thing, swallowed up by the black and white robe she wore. The black pants and sword at her hip almost made her look by a warrior, but her hair was more akin to a noblewoman's. Her face was also much too happy for the situation, the weight of the situation not truly dawning on her.

He made his decision, foot stomping the ground and the earth around him trembled before he brought up a boulder, holding it at the ready. The other soldiers followed suit. "Move aside, little lady, our business is with the fisherman," He warned.

Bido threw his arms up in defeat. "You better do something about this, Ena!" He barked, dashing out of the way.

"They're already bending, so from here on, this is self defense," She replied. "By the decree of King Yize the Seventh, bending is considered a first strike--you should've waited for me to act before you did."

One soldier looked to another. "Is that true?"

The other didn't seem sure. "Wasn't that was written in response to bar fights, though?"

The other soldiers seemed just as unsure, further angering their leader. He had nothing more to say, shooting the boulder forward. Ena swept around it and charged forward, sheathed sword in hand as she swung and thwacked the man's knee. It buckled and he went down, finding his face meeting the woman's knee. He was momentarily stunned, falling onto the ground.

"D-Don't just--DON'T JUST STAND THERE!" The leader screeched, angrily waving his arms. "Get her!"

The first blow had been dealt, and Ena held her weapon out. "If you turn around now, I promise I won't hurt you! But if you continue, I'll have no choice but to defend myself!" She announced, grinning.

Once again, the wave of doubt hit the soldiers, but it seemed less effective. Instead, the fight carried on.

The appearance of an interloper was not something Tianshi had expected. It was often the way of the common people to keep their heads down and carry on with their business in such situations. Some might have considered such cowardice, and yet the nomad would not tarnish their sacrifices with such misguided words: their difficulties were beyond the reckoning of those who would rattle sabers and puff their chests with bravado. Difficulties which would only be made worse if they drew the ire of the soldiers who oppressed them.

Perhaps that was what made the young man who approached him stand out so well. Despite being a small, slight fellow, he had the courage not only to make his presence known to the soldiers, but to directly contradict Tianshi's own words in encouraging *him* to stand down. Whether it was from some sort of misguided sense of patriotism, or a like-minded desire to avoid conflict, he could not say. But he could not allow the brave young man to interfere in his work. The longer he occupied the troops outside the establishment, the more time to escape those who might be within their sights. With a sternness in his brow, Tianshi's parted to retort toward the young man's words, and yet they seemed to die upon his lips as his eyes followed another encroacher making her way through the crowd.

"Amitabha..."

It was often said that the Air Nomads knew nothing of conflict, owing to the sanctity afforded to oaths of pacifism and their dedication to peace. An erroneous thing to believe. For one to strive to avoid conflict—and indeed, to de-escalate it—one needed to have a solid understanding of the flow that led those to clash against one another. The young woman carried herself in such a way that even a pacifist could see the trouble to come, like a storm brewing far over the horizon. When that storm crashed against the rocky shores by the fishery... it was almost inevitable that a fight would be had. Turning with grace, the towering monk bowed his head towards the young man who had interrupted him earlier.

"A thousand pardons for this, young man, but may I ask a favor of you? Please, hold this."

The heavy sack of grain that hung so easily from his shoulder swung about to hang, instead, before the pale youth. It was Tianshi's hope, of course, that the safety of such precious food be preserved. Whether the young man accepted it from him or not, however, it mattered little. The sound of earth breaking beneath foot and shouting indicated that he had little enough time to argue about tender morsels of rice. If the boy did not accept the sack, it would drop to the ground all the same.

And without its weight in his hands, Tianshi was free to contain the collision unfolding before him. His eyes snapped back to the young woman, brandishing her sword as if the scabbard did not still hang from its blade. He watched carefully as tensions reached their boiling point, and fate turned against them, a boulder hurdling through the air. He was already in motion as it soared forward, even as the girl danced around it and charged the man. It was neither of them he concerned himself with, however. In the span of a heartbeat, he was gone from where he once stood. The wind at his heels carried him into the path of the earthen projectile.

A resonant 'clap' followed as he caught the boulder with his unoccupied hand, the muscles of his arm tensing as he dissipated what energy remained behind it. His fingers were as iron as they gripped along its craggy exterior, lowering it to the ground from which it came. There may have been a battle unfolding, but the location of such a reckless battle was not lost on him: there were still people all around the marketplace, and rarely did stones care to slow for civilians. Much as the wind had carried him to intercept the stone, it carried him into the fray, the imposing monk positioning himself opposite the soldiers and the young woman. Unlike his initial approach, however, his staff came to rest in both his palms, fingers wrapped around it as he brought it to bear.

"I urge you to reconsider your actions! All of you! There is no need for this situation to spiral out of control and devolve into unchecked violence. No one else needs to be injured over this matter."

Leaning against a wooden pillar of a shop much closer to the scene, Jin crossed his arms. His eyes darted side to side as it seemed the soldiers were not relenting at the seemingly futile effort of the air nomad to intimidate them. A grimace came across his face as the mention of an order of King Wei came about. Mere months ago, if he had heard that said he would have joined the ranks of the soldiers present to restore law and order. Now? It seemed a cruel joke. What fugitives would even be in this little fishery? Well, actually that was an incredibly stupid question now that he thought about it. He had spent enough time outside of the army or his sheltered early life to know that any sort of crime could be hidden away in such a little establishment. But, what constituted a crime seemed to be ever more creatively interpreted between the Dai Li and the damn thugs that had stripped him of all he had.

Unexpectedly, a woman entered the scene, standing as a bulwark between the wholly unintimidating Bido and the soldiers. From where she stood, the woman looked like she would be flattened into a pancake shape if she actually tried to fight them. So, Temujin decided there was only two possibilities. Either this woman was an idiot intoxicated with fairy tales that courage was enough to overcome any adversity, or she was a frighteningly skilled warrior that could make short work of these men. The former would be tragic, the latter would be fascinating to watch.

He rolled his eyes a little bit as she called upon law and the necessity of burden of proof. For now, he was inclined to think she was indeed a brave idiot. Did she really think these men cared in the slightest bit? Maybe, but enough to stop them from doing what they were ordered to do? Yeah right.

But he was surprised, impressed. Just as a rock was thrown at the strange lady, the moment after she had turned the offender into a heap of pain. Poor, dumb guy. He had probably made the same assessment as Jin had, but had not left room for the possibility that the reason she was so confident was because she actually could deal with such a threat. Or at least, part of it.

However, he couldn't be ignorant of the fact the violence had escalated. The air monk seemed to intervene with more of his kind's limp wristed efforts to prevent violence. Temujin appreciated it, but there was something more important to do; reducing the effects of that violence.

Thus Temujin ran to the edge of the scene, without intervening, and waved any gawkers away. "Go! Leave! Run! Do you want to be smushed by rocks? Get out of here!" he kept yelling, waving his arms. But, more than that he braced his fists and slammed a foot into the ground erecting a thin barrier of rock between the bystanders and the encroaching chaos. It would work twofold in protecting people from any projectiles that would inevitably leave the scene, but also it would remove the point of interest that attracted people to suffering like fruit attracted flies. His eyes darted to Mr. Hanwei who looked confused and terrified in his chair.

---

The massive monk apparently wasn't the only person who felt brave today, as an armed woman rushed out to the old man's defense. At least, Tao had assumed it was bravery. The words that left her mouth made it seem more like stupidity. Obviously the man didn't have proof, or he would've had the old man bound in stone and carted off already, but waving that in his face wouldn't deter him; he was there to obtain proof. Worse, she clearly knew the old man, so there probably wouldn't be any talking her down. That should've been Tao's cue to evacuate the scene, but the monk turned on him before he could make his escape.

The airbender was certainly polite and, in normal circumstances, Tao would've gladly entertained his humble request, but he could only assume it was a preface to him doing something drastic and the wayward Water Tribesman couldn't risk being implicated as his accomplice. Even if through something as silly as holding his sack while he- oh, blessed Moon Spirit, he dropped it.

"Hey, wait, I-" Tao staggered backward as the weight of the rice sack fell into his arms, far heavier than he'd been prepared to lift on such abrupt notice. He pulled it into his chest on instinct, which proved to be a mistake as the telltale tremors of earthbending shook his already unsteady footing to send him gracelessly down onto his ass. A muffled "Oof-" escaped him at the collision, but he had little chance to sit and recover; the telltale sounds of grinding rock and flying boulders told him he needed to move first and complain later.

Tao shrugged the sack off his chest to heave it onto the ground beside him and shot up to a combat base. Bitterly, he considered the rock wall that now separated the violence from the crowd and how he could've been on the safer side of that barrier had the monk not hoisted his burdens on him in the most literal sense. Polite as he was though, it was hard to blame the airbender, so Tao would have to settle for the woman. Typical.

It helped that the monk still seemed committed to talking the situation out, though Tao didn't think it would be worth much at this point. The woman had clearly made the first strike, legal citation or not, and the commanding officer's wounded pride would have the fishery torched before he admitted a mistake now. With a weary glance down at the sack, Tao scooped it back up and made for the edge of the water under the guise of a fleeing bystander. He would've left it, but of the three potential rebels he'd encountered, the airbender seemed to be the most likely to survive this encounter, so it'd pay to ingratiate himself to the man. Besides, the monk had asked.

There was no way the woman would be able to hold her own against that many earthbenders unless she pulled out some bending of her own, but she could have friends waiting in the wings, given her confidence. Tao needed to wait for the tide of battle to flow in her favor - or, more realistically, wait to see the monk's plan of action - then intervene with something decisive.

---

@Asura

The situation at the fishery was static, the stillness only adding to the tension - like a deep rumbling under the earth and an ominous puff of smoke, the impending eruption was only made more threatening the longer it took to finally burst. And, as if he were watching an unsettled volcano, Zai watched on with rapt attention, unwilling to tear his eyes away even for a second.

Until a woman nearly bowled him over, that is.

Zai whirled on the girl in surprise, the tension of the situation seeping into his own nerves. But she seemed unperturbed, more interested in her stuff than in him. Zai would normally have preferred it that way, and was honestly thankful for the chance to tear himself away from the disaster about to unfold before him. But before he could take his chance and leave, she caught his eye - or at least, her sword did.

Zai eyed the sword as the girl fiddled with her pack, openly staring at the exquisite craftsmanship. It had no place in a backwater town like this. The sheathe was decorated in ornate enamel, hand work he knew could take months to complete, and if that was any indication, then the sword housed within must have been worth a king’s ransom. He couldn’t see the blade - not that he knew enough about them to tell a decent sword from a fine one anyway - but his gaze fixed on the charm dangling from the hilt. A flower - no, a lily.

A lily…

Suddenly, Zai’s blood ran cold. He stepped back defensively when the girl turned to speak to him, watching after her warily as she dove into the crowd. Back when he and his father were still “guests” in Ba Sing Se, he had heard rumours about a criminal harassing the Kingdom, known only by the moniker “Laughing Lily.” They got the name, in part, for the lily-decorated blade they used in their crimes. The other part was for how they cackled as they cut their victims to ribbons.

There was no way to confirm that this was the criminal in question, but the way she nonchalantly challenged a whole retinue of Earth Kingdom soldiers didn’t make her look much better. The soldiers were his enemy, sure, but Zai wasn’t interested in figuring out why a supposed violent criminal was sticking up for fugitives - it was time to go.

A crowd had gathered in the street, which was good for Zai; unlike the girl, he slipped into the crowd subtly, blending into the sea of straw hats and weathered clothes. But with people pressing in for a view of the action, the crowd was difficult to navigate in the opposite direction. Zai had to fight against the current, earning himself a few annoyed comments as he bumped and brushed past people as fast as he could.

Unfortunately, he barely made it ten feet before bumping into someone who refused to budge. Zai blinked at the obstacle, which was the uniformed chest of a man tall enough that he had to tip back his hat to see his face.

An Earth Kingdom soldier peered suspiciously back down at him. “What’s the hurry?” He asked darkly. “You got somewhere to be?”

Zai stepped back, his momentary surprise quickly yielding to displeasure masking fear. “I don't like being around fights,” he answered flatly, moving to push past the soldier again.

The soldier stuck out his arm, which stopped Zai as surely as a tree trunk would have. “You sure you're not gettin’ away from somethin' else?” The soldier questioned, poking a stain on Zai’s shirt. The fabric glittered with fish scales, and Zai was suddenly very aware of the strong smell of fish wafting off of him. That wasn't good.

“I don't have anything to do with that fishery, if that's what you're getting at,” Zai replied coldly. For once, it was the truth.

“You're lookin’ awfully fishy to me,” the soldier countered. He poked Zai again, harder this time.

Zai glared up at the man, willing himself to stay calm - and failing. “It's a fishing village,” he retorted stubbornly. “What do you want from me? Because I left my birth certificate in my other pants.”

“Oh, that won't be necessary,” the soldier replied mockingly, “we just want to ask a few questions…” He reached out and clasped his hand on Zai’s shoulder. By his grip, this wasn't a friendly invitation.

Zai panicked.

Before he even realized what he was doing, he drew a sharp breath and grabbed the soldier’s wrist - there was no visible fire, but his touch rapidly heated the soldier's gauntlet. The soldier recoiled, cradling his burnt hand, and screamed in pain.

The crowd receded at the noise, and Zai used the opening to make a break for it. He sprinted to the nearest market stall - the alley beside it was a dead end, so instead he hopped up a pile of crates onto the roof of the shack. On instinct, he fell flat on the roof at the sound of cracking rock behind him; just in time, it turned out, as a chunk of the road went sailing just over his head.

“FUGITIVE! OVER HERE!” The burned soldier bellowed, alerting everyone in earshot, including the soldiers on the other side of the newly-erected wall. Every set of eyes on the street below turned to the young man in the straw hat perched atop the market stall, now in full view from every angle. Panicked, Zai leapt off the roof and landed on the other side, sprinting down the much-emptier adjacent street, past the Black Eel and toward the edge of town as fast as his feet could carry him.

Huo

---

"If you know where our contact is, we need to go find her quick. Otherwise, we may want to leave town for a bit and return when things calm down."

"Shunon is likely finishing up a shift, so he's probably at the port. If you can't find him, I'm sure his sister or his friend know where he is, they all work for Old Man Bido over at the Knotweed Fishery."

Huo's blood ran cold as he listened to the bartender, putting together the pieces of where this Shunon probably was. The figure who had run out the tavern earlier probably had some kind of connection with him, and the sudden attention towards the fishery meant that things were bound to spark momentarily. Part of him wanted to just stay at that bar and continue playing his banjo, laughing and singing with the patrons. But a quick look to Ryschi and taking his former words into account, Huo knew now wasn't the time to sit around. He gave a nod of thanks, put his leaf hat on his head, and walked out the front door of the Black Eel Inn. He looked back to Ryschi briefly to mutter, "The storm is already here. Best we follow the tracks now 'fore they wash away."

As soon as he stepped outside, the chaos was already immediate. A stranger ran past, being called after by a couple soldiers shouting about a fugitive. Huo lowered his head slightly as they passed, not making eye contact with them. His fingers flexed reflectively, his body ready to call forth the nearby waters... but he restrained himself. The sight of an erected wall in the direction of the fishery and the sound of boulders crashing and the dull thuds of impacts captivated Huo's attention. He needed to do something. Anything.

So, Huo began to push against the dispersing crowd, finding himself getting pushed back with equal measure. He looked to his left, towards the shores upon which this fishing village was built, and an idea crept into his mind. He pushed himself laterally towards the docks, until he was at the edge near the water. He took a deep breath, lifted his hands into the air, and dove into the cold water. The shock was different than he was used to back home. It was much colder, and it stung his eyes. It wasn't nearly as bad as the water in the Southern Water Tribe, but this would suffice. While sinking into the water, Huo whirled his arms around himself, pulling the water underneath and behind him in a consistent motion. The water obeyed his commands, swirling and crashing around him. Within moments, Huo emerged in the open waters riding atop a wave. He rode it down the length of the docks, to the border of the wall. He briefly looked towards a young man in flowing blue and white attire, hoisting a large bag of rice in his arms. He didn't appear to be an aggressor.

Huo's eyes shifted up towards the 9 soldiers and the two figures that stood in opposition. The more aggressive of the two was familiar, a patron of the inn who had left in a hurry only moments ago. She seemed to be more akin to a local, and seemed to be holding her own. The other Huo only recognized as seeming to dress a little similarly to Ryschi... most likely a fellow air nomad. The small wave carrying the waterbender lapped up onto the dock enough to deposit Huo, where he stood with his arms at the ready in a defensive stance. His eyes scanned the fight, watching the various soldiers as he arrived.

The nearest soldier turned to face Huo, boulder already hovering in the air and ready for a strike. The soldier hesitated at the arrival of another interloper, and Huo spoke softly. "Woah... woah... I think things round here are getting a bit out of hand, feller. I'm sure we can talk things-"

A singular movement cut off Huo's attempt at diplomacy. He recognized the shift in stance from his last encounter with soldiers at the shore. His heartbeat shot up, and his body acted on instinct. Two quick motions, and water seeped up from behind Huo in a tendril-like whip. Huo took a step forward, flicking his arms towards the soldier. The whip obeyed the command, blasting the earth kingdom soldier in the chest and knocking him into his ass. On the inside, Huo's panicked heartbeat echoed inside his head. His breathing remained surprisingly steady, and Huo took a step backwards. He pulled his arms back, and the water returned and flowed through the air between his open hands. He moved his hands to keep the water contained and at the ready, turning his gaze towards the soldiers. His mind focused on the faces of the scared citizens he had been pushing against seconds ago. "Please... leave the people here alone. Is this really worth it?"

If the situation was like a storm, brewing with dark clouds and ominous winds on the horizon, then it was not so much after Tianshi's plea that the parties involved cease that conflict that the first crack of thunder sounded. The earth itself seemed to tremble under his feet for a split second, close enough for him to feel yet far enough for him to know it meant him no harm. A glance in the direction of the disturbance informed him easily enough what it was: a large, artificial construct of earth seemed to ring the skirmishing ground, entrapping himself and the soldiers and young lady alike within. Or, perhaps, keeping those outside the area out, given the barking voice that seemed to follow its appearance. Perhaps one of the soldiers amidst the humiliated captain's party was more prudent than their commanding officer, ensuring that civilians would not be injured in the fray to follow.

Or separate them from the true threat making itself known.

An agonized shriek cut through the air outside the makeshift barrier, and a bellow that the fugitives—whom Tianshi had tried valiantly to buy time for—had been discovered. Worse yet, the path of non-violence seemed beyond them, based on the pain in the soldier's voice just beyond the barricade. A path that, itself, seemed to be evading even the nomad in the seconds that followed. The slabs of earth and stone hefted by the soldiers on his side of the barricade seemed to begin to fly, soaring in the direction of both himself and the young woman with her blade. Were he a more avoidant nomad, like the old monks in the temples, he might have chosen such a time to take flight. Evade and escape, before becoming entangled further in a conflict that was not his to fight either way. To simply fly around the storm and seek calmer shores.

Like a stubborn bison, he instead chose to fly right into its path. With an uncanny quickness, the staff in his hand seemed to flick forward once, twice, and then three times. A heavy stone that had hurdled towards himself seemed to change course at the last moment, instead colliding with the barricade with a heavy 'crack'. Another stone, directed towards the young lady, cut a sudden left, soaring well past her and into the barricade behind, and the third stone, smaller than the other two, flew off into the bay beyond, completely thrown off course by the swift burst of air that followed each of the monk's thrusts. Another volley seemed to find its way into the space between them, and with practiced precision, each projectile was thwarted by the timely intervention of the wind itself, often just enough to correct its course and see it safely disposed of.

Two of the men were not so foolish as to continue lobbing rocks ineffectually when the source of their disrupted aim remained, however, and so from the corner of his eye, Tianshi observed the textbook motions of earthbenders working in tandem, the men both assuming a sturdy stance and shifting their arms to hurl a much larger piece of earth toward him, such that his careful redirections could not see it so easily displaced. But as they made to stomp their feet in tandem, the root of their strength, the implacable earth below, left them. In the span of a breath, Tianshi's staff ducked low and then shot up, launching an updraft that caused the duo to hurdle into the skies. As gravity took hold of them and they seemed to drop back to earth, the end of his staff opposite to his thrust cut a sharp line through the air, bringing with it a powerful gust that carried them away from the hard ground below, and off into the nearby sea.

"I admire your courage, young lady, but I implore you to stand down. If you insist on harming these men, I will have no choice but to treat you much the same."

A sterner warning than perhaps most of his kin would be willing to give, but a necessary one all the same. He could not consider himself a neutral party in the matter, endeavoring for the safety of all, if he stood idly by and allowed the young woman to go about bludgeoning the troops she had provoked unchecked. The yelp of another soldier, apparently felled by the arrival of what looked to be a waterbender, cemented this in his mind.

With the speed of a viper-bat lashing out at its prey, the tip of his staff whipped forward suddenly toward the newest arrival, and with the snapping motion launched a burst of wind liable to send the man sprawling back into the sea from whence he came.

@Hero@webboysurf

---

"The storm is already here. Best we follow the tracks now 'fore they wash away."

Stepping out directly after Huo, the street was empty and then suddenly filled with a man running away, followed by four guards screaming for him to stop, followed by the citizens trying to escape the crime scene. It happened in a manner of seconds and the chaos had caused the two's approach to slow. Ryschi was about ready to reveal his airbending and get himself and Huo over the crowd when the waterbender broke off towards the shore. Ah, he wants to enter in a more discreet way. Alright, I can manage that. He then made for a nearby alley where he was out of eyesight and leaped up onto a nearby building, thrusting his open palms towards the ground causing hot air to hit the ground and then rise back upwards with equal force assisting Ryschi's ascent.

He jumped from building to building, careful not to reveal himself to any leftover guards but thankfully they all seemed preoccupied with other affairs. The nearest building to the wall gave him a bird's eye view. He saw a woman fighting the guards all on her own yet doing remarkably well, and the monk was also still there, trying to broker peace and doing no more than deflecting boulders from striking anyone. Ryschi was unsure who his target was supposed to be and assumed the guards were what stood between him and Shunon but right before he was about to leap in, Huo arrived and also attempted to dissuade the guards from fighting. One readied an attack, but was quickly knocked aside by his companion's reflexes and skill. It seemed a fight would be about to begin after all.

The monk strode into action suddenly, taking Ryschi by surprise and causing him to hesitate further as two guards were blown away into the water. When he arrived at this town, Ryschi had hoped to find his contact and figure out what needed to be done before he fought on behalf of the rebellion and potentially ruined any element of surprise they were relying on but now that seemed impossible if an airbender was fighting back. At least fighting was something he knew how to do quite well, and he jumped off the building and over the wall to join in. His target was a guard on the far side, but before he could even line up his attack, the monk acted again and knocked Huo away as well. His target changed.

Ryschi brought hot winds into one palm and cold winds into his other, and with a swift motion the two air currents swirled against one another. This attack is more effective under different circumstances, Ryschi hadn't built up enough heat for one current and was too focused on his target to chill the other, but as he landed he expanded the swirling sphere outwards. The border of the tornadic sphere approached the guards, the woman, and the monk with a speed and force enough to rattle their stances and unbalance any who were distracted. This would buy Ryschi enough time to act, and he lowered the center of his gravity and took a wide stance like one would expect from a firebender. A strong step towards the monk, followed by a palm thrust aimed at the large man sent a gale at him that would be capable of punching a tennis ball sized hole through the raised rock wall if taken directly. Ryschi knew that the monk would be capable of defending that though, and was only doing it to show he meant business.

"What do you think you're doing big guy?! Years of airbenders sitting back and watching the world suffer, and the moment some individuals that have nothing to do with you decide they want to stick up for themselves, you decide to intervene against them! You just swept two guards into the sea but I'm almost convinced you're on their side! How pompous of you to decide that now you want to get involved and try to tell these people how they can and can not protect themselves! This is their fight, not ours, so pick a side and shut up or get out of here with your naive idealism!"

---

@Asura

---

---

---

---

Ena was a little surprised at how many people wanted to talk things out. They must not have been keeping up with the news, clearly they would be more aware that once an Earth Kingdom soldier decided to act, there wasn't any stopping them? Or had the Earth Kingdom propaganda already gotten to them? So many coastal villages were affected by the attacks that it was hard to believe, but she wasn't sure what other explanation there could be. That said, the woman's jaw dropped at Tianshi's words, her free hand slowly raising to point at herself. "You think I'm harming them--they're the ones randomly deciding to show force to an innocent fisherman!" She shot back in disbelief.

Her attention was brought back to the forefront when a wall suddenly separated them from the rest of the town. Oh, boy, that wasn't good, that didn't leave her much room to work with. The fishery was definitely going to get damaged--she could already hear Bido yelling. The arrival of the waterbender was just as surprising as his clothes were. Well, that could be a good surprise! She managed to get behind a soldier and trip him up, hoping to turn the tide with the waterbender. Her eyes then followed the newcomer as he was launched by the monk and back into the water where he came from. Okay, no friend there, either, and another airbender had joined to yell at the other one.

"Alright, I'm on my own, then. No problem, business as usual..." Ena muttered to herself, turning her attention back to the soldiers. Ula said she was sending help, where the heck were they?!

Fortunately a portion of the wall was lowered and another soldier hastily ran in, stopping before the leader who was still on the floor. "Sir! A fugitive has been spotted in town!" He reported. "He managed to burn Gong's hand--I'm certain he's a firebender!"

"Shunon!" Ena gasped as she heard the story. She wasted no time withdrawing her sword from its sheath, the intricate pattern of lilies on the blade gleaming as she held it to her side. Her eyes were now focused on the gap and it was her only goal. She rushed forward, no rock or soldier could stop her. Her dodges were effortless and she threw herself down into a slide between the last soldier's legs, her blade slicing back as she passed him. There would be no harm to the soldier, but his pants did drop to his ankles, much to his embarrassment.

"Don't let that woman get away!" The leader finally managed to get to his feet, pointing a finger at the pair of airbenders. "Don't you two go interfering with our mission! I'll remind you that anyone caught helping fugitives are guilty!"

He paused when he looked at Tao holding the bag of rice. "Young man, get going! This is no place for an innocent civilian!" He barked. "The rest of you, arrest the airbenders!"

Three of the soldiers pulled down the wall, the area clear of civilians who decided that it was better not to get involved. They then followed in the direction the woman had ran off to, while the rest turned their attention to Tianshi and Ryschi. They attacked in sync, the earth beneath the airbenders trembling as walls were erected around them, their intention to trap them clear.

Ena successfully scaled a building and got onto the roof, looking around. It gave her a better view of the situation and she could see the soldiers chasing a young man wearing a straw hat. He was heading towards the textile district in the marketplace. Finally, something was going right. She sheathed her sword as she hopped down to the ground close to where the textiles and fabrics were hung up for sale, trying to predict when Shunon would get to her. As soon as she heard someone, she sprinted forward, grabbing a limb and flipping them both forward and into an alleyway obscured by a rug.

Once they rolled to a stop, Ena let out a huge sigh of relief, immediately sitting up. "This is bad, I think they know about the fishery. What should we do, Shu--" Her words stopped as she looked at the young man, realizing that aside from the hair and eyes, he was not, in fact, the man she thought it was. "You're...not Shunon. Ugh I should've known he wouldn't come back," She stated the obvious, lightly bumping her fist to her forehead.

After a brief pause, she gave him a grin. "Fugitive, huh? You must be waiting for The Shufang, the boat that's been sneaking people out of here," She guessed as she stood up, brushing dirt off her pants.

Huo

---

Flying is just controlled falling. It is an art of airbenders to manipulate the currents of wind around them to lift them high into the air, flipping and gliding as seamlessly as a bird in the sky. Huo had always found the birds of the swamp to be the most graceful of creatures, and what little envy lived in his heart was reserved for those who could ride those currents of wind and sail high enough to truly observe the world as it was.

Huo was falling without an ounce of grace as the winds had betrayed him... no, an airbender. A nonviolent nomad using violence. Huo had not been expecting the sudden shift in behavior, a sudden enemy he had failed to notice. Huo must have missed something... had the airbender not just launched two of the earth kingdom soldiers into the ocean? Did he believe Huo to be working for the soldiers? No, even he knew that didn't make sense. He must have missed something, clearly. Was the nomad trying to abscond with the residents of the fishery with the swordswoman? It seemed unlikely, given his warning. Though he was offering a kindness to her that was denied to him... perhaps he had trouble hearing in the chaos? It could explain why the soldier had ignored the waterbender's plea. He'd have to work on projecting.

All of that was a less immediate concern, as Huo smacked into the rippling waves of the sea. The force had knocked the breath out of his lungs, filling the vacuum with water. Huo's eyes shot open with sudden panic, before instinct took control. A simple wave of his arms, and Huo pulled a swell of water under himself to shoot back up to the surface. His head bobbed up for air, and he spit a stream of water out of his mouth like a stone fountain. He was facing away from the shore, staring at two earth kingdom soldiers who were just regaining their own senses after meeting a similar fate. Huo sighed as he addressed them. "Y'all aren't very welcoming around here, y'know that?" Huo lifted both arms quickly and slammed them back down on top of the water, launching two streams of water to blast the soldiers farther into the sea. Last thing Huo needed was more surprises. The two streams of water jetted Huo backwards towards the shore at a slower rate, before he twisted his body and waved his hands in the water to swell a small wave to slow his approach. About five feet from the shore, Huo simply breastroked until he could stand and walk out of the water.

Huo stood at the very fringes of the fight, not far from the Tao the bag of rice, dripping with seawater. A bit of seaweed was tangled in his unkempt mane. He watched for a moment as the earth kingdom soldiers formed a wall around Ryschi and the airbender assailant Tianshi. Huo took a pause to catch his breath, lifting his hands to his chest to help center himself. With a spin and a flicking of his arms, Huo shot a concentrated whip of water out from the sea towards the nearest soldier. Huo took a step back and pulled the arms back, just as the whip coiled around the soldier's leg and yanked him off his feet. The soldier slammed into the earth face first, and the whip of water floated near Huo. He took a defensive stance, the water nearly licking his heels as he was ready to make full use of his environment this time around. Unlike Chi, Huo had at least one person ready to fight by his side.

Huo called out in a very loud voice, clearly overly projecting to make sure his friend could hear him. "Ryschi, can you tell yer friend in there to cool his gourd? The water round these parts is mighty cold and salty."

---

@Hero@Kronshi@Achronum

There was a feeling of satisfaction, a job well done as the last bystanders disappeared from the scene. It was the same feeling as a victory at a battle. Yet nobody was hurt from his actions. Quite the opposite in fact. A grunt of annoyance came from him however as some soldiers removed part of the barrier. He hadn't put too much effort into it, but it was still annoying. Any loose rocks or wind blasts or whatever would all go past and damage property of people. But at least nobody would die. Well, with that done he jumped on the wall, now choosing to simply observe the fight, curious as to who would win. With no dog in the fight, it would be an entertaining experience.

It was then that his eyes fixed themselves on what he had been missing. The lily-blade. Pupils enlarged, his heart beat like a hurried drum. When compounded with the obvious skill the woman had with the blade, the soldier had only one conclusion to draw.

"The Laughing Lily."

Temujin threw off his cloak, looking down on the three medals gleaming on chest, pinned to the worn green uniform he wore. The Kingdom had betrayed him. But he couldn't betray its people. Maybe the authority issuing the medals were vile, but they still meant something. His promises to his homeland, his nation, they still meant something. He could not simply allow a murderer to frolick about like this.

Jin was no Dai Li agent to be able to somehow crawl along a smooth wall without even using earth bending. But with a few buffs of effort he followed Ena all the same. As she climbed up on a roof, he slammed a foot into the ground to push himself up at level with the roof of another building on a long pillar of dirt. She was looking for something and seemingly followed.

A victim, perhaps. As she jumped down so did he. She was incredibly fast, and he had to work to catch up. Jin used his bending to accelerate his travel, leaping from rock to rock that he pushed out of the ground as a sort of series of springs to keep him going faster than his legs could take him by themselves. He entered the market, looking about. Curses, she was nowhere to be seen!

No, the fluttering rug, that had to be it! Sprinting through it he stared at Ena, the supposed lily bandit. If the stories were true, he was at great risk. He took a deep breath, bunching his hands into fists at his waist. Then he slowly widened them into flat lengths as they rose to his clavicle, making a dense layer of earth as impromptu armour around his legs and waist. As remarked before he was no Dai Li agent to make delicate form fitting gloves of stone and the like. But he did make big crude boxing gloves of rock on either fist. “You, boy, get out of here. This one is a killer. The Laughing Lily.” Then his attention turned to Ena. Jin had survival instinct enough to feel himself in great danger, imagining Ena cackling as her blade ended his life. But there was a duty to stamp out the evil of this reviled bandit. “Drop the sword, hands forward, and this can go quietly. Your terrorizing of this land ends now.” He hoped the bandit would surrender, but knew will enough it would be a one in a million chance. He also very much hoped the kid there had the wits to run off rather than be taken hostage.

Suddenly, he winced, remembering the old man. Who was taking care of him now? A pang of guilt hit him, his hands lowering ever so slightly. But, he was just one man. Who knew how many lives she took? Again the fists came up, ready to hand out a beating.

Zai’s ears were filled with the thundering of his own heart as he ran, but the threatening rumble of earthbending behind him was even louder, heralding the pursuers hot on his heels. He weaved in and out of the streets, criss-crossing alleys, overturning carts, and doing everything else possible to obstruct his pursuers and obscure his own path.

Stupid! Stupid! was all he could think as he ran, gritting his teeth against his own reprimands. Running away was the WORST thing you could have done! The worst thing! Idiot! How will you get home now?!

His escape from Ba Sing Se was at the forefront of his mind, and Zai didn’t like it. That had taken every mite of luck and cunning he had, and he’d still be in a worker camp somewhere if he didn’t have help. But Lazhou had no great wall, and these were no Dai Li; all he had to do was make it outside of town, then maybe--

“Ah--!”

Suddenly, Zai tumbled painfully to the ground, rolling into the dark of an obscured alleyway tangled up with someone else. If not for the brief stun of the fall, he’d have engulfed himself in flame; he was certain he was captured. But when he saw who had captured him, he kind of wished it had been a soldier.

He jumped to his feet, already in a defensive firebending stance by the time she got her words out. The alley behind them was blocked with crates, but out through the rug wasn’t an option either given the sound of approaching earthbending. Zai was ready to torch the woman and try to make his mistake when she finally uttered a familiar name: Shunon.

“Shunon?” Zai repeated breathlessly, leveling the girl with a suspicious glare. His tone turned quickly from surprised to accusatory. “How do you know Shunon?”

Before she could answer, an Earth Kingdom soldier burst through the rug obscuring them from the street, caking himself in crude earthen armour and looking for a fight. But in another surprising turn of events, the soldier claimed he was there for the girl, not Zai.

Zai shuffled a step back, closer to the crates boxing them in, glaring between the girl and the soldier. It was literally a choice between a rock and a hard place; the soldier also thought she was the Laughing Lily, but an Earth Kingdom soldier could never be trusted. Granted, the girl was a serial killer and Earth Kingdom herself, but for the moment at least it seemed they had a common enemy. Most importantly, she apparently knew where Shunon was - and no matter how suspicious she was, Zai wanted to find out.

Shouts and footsteps were approaching quickly up the street. Making up his mind, Zai turned on his heel and kicked the crates behind him; thankfully, they were empty, and toppled noisily like a house of cards.

“Come on!” Zai commanded; he didn’t leave room for discussion, grabbing the girl tightly by her sword arm and yanking her over the toppled crates. As soon as they were both clear, he spun and shot a blast of fire at the crates to cut off any pursuers, setting them immediately ablaze. He pulled the girl at a sprint down the street and through more alleys, making for the edge of town.

---

This had quickly become a disaster. Okay, it was a disaster from the beginning, but it had become more of a disaster. Another waterbender zipping by him nearly caused Tao to drop the rice he'd been hauling from shock, and again he almost dropped it out of petulance as the imposing monk blasted the waterbender back into the sea from whence he came. Whose side was this guy on, anyway? Whose side was anyone on?

The swordswoman was probably with the resistance, as was the fisherman. Probably. The waterbender seemed to be with them too, unless he was with the Southern Water Tribe - his attire certainly didn't look like it came from the north, anyway - and took the attack as an opening to strike against the Earth Kingdom for his own interests. The large monk was a puzzle, or perhaps a very vocal advocate of nonviolence and nothing more, but his newly arrived airbender comrade... was not his comrade and had decided to argue with him now. This was so confusing.

Then came the mention of a firebender, and the woman abruptly left the fishery undefended. The second airbender or the waterbender must've been her backup, or this firebender was extremely important. Regardless, too many foreign benders in one place definitely meant fugitives, which meant resistance activity, which meant Tao was on the right track, but he'd made a fatal error. The large monk was definitely not with them and Tao had hauled this rice for nothing.

When the soldier barked his orders, Tao didn't hesitate to follow them, especially when the second waterbender's reemergence occurred dangerously close to him. Once the strangely-dressed bender's water whip had retracted, Tao extricated himself from the scene of the violence with the haste of a terrified civilian, head down and hand at the ready to redirect any whips swung in his direction. Despite her recklessness, the woman was a more pressing target. He needed to give chase. To that end, Tao set the rice bag down gingerly once he'd fled beyond the boundary of the protective rock wall and took off into the streets. His idea seemed a bit less viable once he realized he had no idea where anything was in this town, and the woman would know her way around far better than him even if he did. Following the soldiers would be too obvious, not to mention counterproductive if that was what the firebender intended to flee from, so Tao took to the alleyways as he followed the sound of shifting stone.

When he heard the roar of a sudden inferno, the waterbender broke into a full sprint, rounding the corner just in time to nearly topple into the swordswoman and a man he didn't recognize. Seeing no earthbenders in immediate pursuit, Tao widened his stance preemptively in case the probable-firebender got antsy. The waterskin on his belt popped open as his hands raised and liquid flowed out in twin strands that coiled around his fists. With a sharp exhale, they froze into segmented gloves, not unlike those the Dai Li employed. Not the warmest - excuse the pun - welcome, but he didn't think fugitives were liable to stop running for pleasantries.

"You're with the resistance, aren't you," he greeted, more accusation than question. One fist remained aimed at the duo, while Tao aimed the other down the alley they'd fled from in case of pursuers. "I know there's no time, but I need to speak with them. If not now, then later. I can tell the soldiers you fled in a different direction." Or just freeze them, but innocent misdirection was probably safer until this woman gave him some confidence that she wasn't going to get herself killed and the fugitives along with her. Even if it was getting a bit distasteful.

---

@Obscene Symphony@Hero