Chapter 36

The group had sort of settled into the room, mostly just sitting on the floor as there weren’t that many actual places to sit. The mother however had insisted that Kyoshi take her seat, which Kyoshi declined politely and took a seat next to Rangi on the floor.

“Can you tell us anything about what happened?” Kyoshi found herself asking, as a saddened look crossed the man face.

He launched into an explaination of what had been going on, and why no one was on the street. The balanced nation’s small army had come, quickly taking over. As this remote town didn’t get a whole lot of extra support for their defenses.

“At first the group didn’t seem that strong” He went on. When the balnced nation had come through the town he explained that the first bunch of men just seemed to be all talk. Talk that seemed crazy, talking about spirit conversions and other nonsense they had never heard before.

But then there were a few, only a few that weren’t normal. Not human was the words the husband used to describe them as. They had enough to overpower the defenses and take over.

“After that, that’s when they started putting in all the new rules.” He explained. “No one is supposed to be out after dark otherwise they would be taken away. My brother tried and saw the same fate. I still don’t know if he’s alive or dead”

“Do you know where they could be taking them?” Rangi asked.

He just shook his head. “We don’t know anything, though it’s rumored that thoese who are taken are brainwashed into joining them.”

Kyoshi thought on that for a second, could he be referring to people fusising woth spirits as the brain washing? She knew that spirits could corrupt thoughts. But people still had a choice, otherwise the spirit surly wouldn’t bond woth them. Unless Naruklok found a way around that, or he could still of just be killing hostages.

“Thank you for your hospitality.” Kyoshi said as she stood, bowing before the couple. “We’ll be off now.”

The couple had offered that they could stay there, saying it was the least they could do for trying to help. Even though the space would not be nearly big enough, the act of kindness filled Kyoshi’s heart with warmth.

“Thank you, but I’d hate to be the reason you’d get in trouble. We’ll be fine out there, if you could just help keep watch as we sneak out, it will be like we were never here” Kyoshi explained.

One by one they slide out of the house. Making sure the coast was clear first. Kyoshi being the last to leave offered her gratitude once more before slipping into the night to join the others.

“We should have taken their offer to stay in a house,” Wong whispered, probably realizing how cold it got often when the sun was completely below the horizon.

“We were not going to intrude on them like that, just keep going,” Rangi whispered ordered back to him.

It was then that there was a faint noise. Footsteps

They were barely audible, but it was definitely someone outside lurking in the shadows of the abandoned street. They had been found.

Rangi looked up at Kyoshi to see if she could tell what was going through her mind. But the tracks got louder, and louder until they suddenly sounded like they had spit. Definitely two or more people.

When she looked back to Kyoshi again she watched as she drew a circle in the air. So they would stand their ground, they had already been discovered so there was hardly a point at trying to simply slip out now. But at least they didn’t tie their tracts to the family that so graciously offered them information.

Rangi repeated the signal to the rest of the group, and so there they waited, all back to back, not sure which sound of footprints would emerge first.

Something bothered Kyoshi about that interaction, if the town was so locked down, how come they wandered in with no trouble. The town even seemed normal during the day as they were approached earlier.

One of the footsteps sounded like it would make their entrance at any moment. Then something clicked in her head.

They wanted me to come, they let me in.

But she hardly had a moment to think about it, one of the stalkers was now coming into the light.

“So she really lived,” He called out.

They were definitely waiting, he’s not even acting the least bit surprised. Kyoshi thought as she looked over her shoulder to see another man. One she had recognized from the meetings, one that if she recalled correctly, yelled at her too.

“Gotta be honest I didn’t think it was true” the second one said. They had halted in their paths. Standing a good distance away, still in striking distance though.

“You really thought she wouldn’t live, I heard she used her own blood to break out of the room. I doubt she would have dropped that quickly.”

The two almost seemed more interested in their conversation than with the group in front of them. Kyoshi took a moment to look at the others who were looking at her wide eyed, and a little freaked out. She couldn’t quite remember if she mentioned the specifics of how she got out, guess not.

“Are you too done yet?” Kirima asked impatiently. Kyoshi had almost forgotten that a couple minutes ago they were all wary about their mysterious followers.

“Well you’re not getting through if that’s what you’re implying.” One of the men called out, suddenly becoming much more serious.

“Or you could just hand over the Avatar and we let the rest of you walk, up to you” He explained further. Kyoshi glanced down at Rangi who had a very unimpressed look on her face.

“Oh yeah fat chance of that,” Kirma declared as she rushed forwards pulling water from a canteen and changing with a water wip.

Only the one she had chosen to go after must have also been a waterbender since the water stopped in its tract. There the water swirled in a disoriented orb between the two, Kyoshi saw how hard Kirima was fighting against the other man’s bending, she pushed the water forward so that Kirima was able to gain a bit more control.

But the fear that had struck Kirima’s face, this man was most likely connected to a spirit. Maybe it’s because of what she remembered about Yun, or maybe she recognized the power that would be able to surpass her own.

“They aren’t normal,” Kirima said as she continued her pursuit.

Wong had also now rushed over to help Kirima, while Kenna seemed to be the new target of the other man. She might not have been able to heal with water but that girl sure knew who to throw some ice spikes.

Kyoshi and Rangi steered more towards Kenna, not wanting to leave her to the spirit fussed man when something happened that not one of them was able to catch in time.

Kenna had been sending a fortress of ice spikes at the one man when a couple of them suddenly veered off course. Now flying in the direction of the other minor battle. The other water bender who was fighting Kirima had decided to change their path, sending some stray spikes to stab Lao Ge in the shoulder, and grazing his side and leg.

“Damn, why did he go after the old man?” Kirima yelled as she rushed over to Lao Ge. In the sudden change in atmosphere the men had been able to leave, but that wasn’t anyone’s focus anymore. All of them trying to put what just happened together, except Kenna.

“I’m so sorry” Kenna cried as she tried to rush over to him. Lao Ge did not seem to phased however by the whole thing, he was of course holding his shoulder. But other than that he didn’t seem bothered.

“Why are you sorry” Kirima seemed a bit more frantic than usual. “I didn’t know he could take over other’s bending like that-“

“Those were your ice spikes?” Kirima asked, her tone dead.

Kenna didn’t dare to try and answer, her silence however was plenty. “Of course it was” Kirima muttered as she helped Lao Ge to stand.

“I can help-“

“No, unlike you I can actually heal. So I’ll be the one seeing it later. Let’s just get out of here.”

No one found any words to fill the silence. Wong was now on the other side of Lao Ge as they walked in front.

Kenna looked terrified, and Kyoshi wasn’t sure what to do. It wasn’t her fault, they had a good plan to escape. That change in momentum shifted the whole thing, catching them all off balance.

Though the fact that they fled bothered her a bit, maybe they realized they would be more helpful to relay information than dead.

“He will be fine,” Kyoshi finally said, trying to offer her words of reassurance. “And so will Kirima, eventually“

The group had wandered a far bit outside of the town before they decided to set up the camp. No one had really said anything as they set down their stuff.

A couple of limited words were exchanged between Rangi and Kyoshi, and Rangi set off to create a vivid fire. Kyoshi looked from the flames at Kenna, she just couldn’t tell what was going through her head.

Will she still want to help us after what happened? I would understand if she didn’t but that would scrap our whole plan. The thought of that made Kyoshi’s head start to spin.

As she came back from her thoughts she looked over to the left side of camp to see Kirima and Kenna arguing. From the words that she could pick up they were in disagreement of how best to help Gao Le.

“This is not helping anything” Wong commented as he took a seat by the fire.

“I agree it will get us nowhere to squabble like children” Rangi replied looking over the two bickering. “I really didn’t peg Kenna to be the defensive type.”

It was then that Rangi had looked up at Kyoshi who looked almost terrified. This was definitely stressing her out, probably stressing out everyone. Which would help no one.

“Just figure it out okay? Right now we just need to focus on the plan.” Rangi intervened, stopping the bickering between the two long enough for them to join the others.

“With the current plan we were going to leave tomorrow to seek out the portal, but I’m not sure if that should be delayed with Gao Le’s condition.” Rangi started.

They probably launched into one of the most productive conversations of the day until the realized someone was missing. She had apparently slipped out somewhere in the conversation.

“How does Kyoshi do that so quietly, she’s like 7 feet tall” Kirima complained, once they all realized it.

“I’ll let you know when I figure it out,” Rangi said, getting up to go find Kyoshi.

Luckily for Rangi, Kyoshi hadn’t gone too far. She could see her not too far away, just out of ear shot from the rest of the group.

“We were talking about maybe changing the plan around a bit to help Lao Ge out a bit?” Rangi suddenly spoke, making her presence known.

Kyoshi looked up but didn’t exactly respond. But she had stopped playing with a small flame she held in her palm letting it nearly go out. She definitely has something to say.

“We could still probably keep to the original plan if that’s what you’d prefer. I don’t think anyone would blame you for wanting to get this over with.”

She still didn’t reply as the firebender spoke, though she didn’t break eye contact either.

Rangi just sighed as continued talking, maybe it would encourage Kyoshi to say what she was really thinking.

“I think Kirima and Kenna will be okay, they’re both just a bot more defensive than I think they both would admit to.” She explained further, Rangi took the next moment to just look at Kyoshi.

No matter how many times she puts on that makeup, no matter how long, her eyes will never lie.

“You don’t want to leave do you?” Rangi asked, putting it together. “You don’t want us to leave tomorrow, you want to stay and to help”

“I can’t just leave them, especially after seeing all this. We’re here, we-I can help. Besides if I fail it gives one more town a bit more freedom.” Kyoshi spoke softly, dropping Rangi’s gaze.

“Then well stay”

Kysohi looked up with a small smile. Spirits the crimes I would commit to see that smile more, rangi found herself thinking as they walked back to the camp.

Everyone seemed to have mellowed out, at least Kenna and Kirima, about how they were gonna treat Lao Ge. They must have settled on something, because he looked perfectly content. Like he didn’t have a care in the world.

“I’m not staying in a tent with the two love birds,” Kirima commented as she stood up. She then looked at Wong, decided she definitely wasn’t doing that. Then to everyone’s shock she then walked over to Kenna.

“Mind if I crash with you? Wong and Kyoshi are both big sleep talkers and I need some quiet.” She asked while keeping firm eye contact with the ground.

Kenna just looked surprised she was talking to her. “Yeah of course” she said as she extended the tent flap open for Kirima to enter.

The rest of the group just stared at each other, “did they just make up?” Rangi whispered.

“Not sure but it’s surely better than before.” Kyoshi whispered back, before waving goodnight to the others.

The camp had been quiet for hours, at least that what Kyoshi had thought, she really couldn’t tell as she was drifting in and out of sleep. She knew that Wong had agreed to first watch so it hadn’t been that long through the night if he hadn’t come to get her yet to trade off.

She turned over to her side, or at least she thought she did. Again not really sure if this was just a vivid dream or real life. When all of a sudden a cry broke the silence.

“KYOSHI”

Kyoshi bolted upright at the sound of her name being yelled, searching for where it came from. Squinting in the darkness until her eyes found Rangi.

“You can’t have her!”

“You can’t”

She sighed as she watched the tent door be pulled open to see a very distressed looking Wong. “Everything’s fine, I’ve got her” Kyoshi whispered to Wong as he left the two as they were.

Kyoshi found herself pulling the fire bender closer, her head now on Kyoshi’s lap. “Rangi I’m right here”

“You- you can’t, I still- I still have to-” She broke into a sob. Kyoshi sighed, Rangi hadn’t had a nightmare this bad in quite some time.

“I’m right here love” She began to coo, shifting so that she could hold the firebender’s hand which she took fiercely. Spirits, she has a death grip.

“I’m not going anywhere, ” Kyoshi repeated again and again as she tried to wake her. Trying to remember what Rnagi had told her when it was her on the other side.

“You’re safe, I promise. I’m right here” She whispered, from the change in tension in the frebender’s body Kyoshi was pretty sure that Rangi was awake now, but just kept repeating reassuring words until she spoke up for the first time since the night terror.

Kyoshi had finally laid back down, resting Rangi’s head over her heart. Knowing that the heart beating would eventually smooth her.

“Make me think about something else” Rangi had mumbled.

Kyoshi thought for a second. What could she talk about. She didn’t want to stress her out even more. She then thought to a time where she wasn’t stressed, surely that would do.

“Did I ever tell you how Kelsang would hide in the kitchen with me when he got bored?” Kyoshi asked.

“Auntie would always get so mad because he would make a mess with the flour and dough. Throwing it in wild directions to try and make me laugh” She went on. “Even though in the end I was always the one who had to clean it up, I never minded when he was there”

Kyoshi continued on with the story, which then led to another. Most including times that Keslage had tried to make her smile. Going out of his way to preform little air bending tricks. She liked to remember these times from the mansion, they were so much simpler. Though parts of her life now were so much better.

Soooooooo I’m trying really hard to write more. But hope you liked the chapter, I kinda feel like they’re filler chapters, but I also don’t want the story to end so I shall continue creating little fill in bits as I please. Also if you couldn’t tell I’m a huge sucker for the hurt/comfort nightmare trope thing. So I can’t promise this one will be the last🙃

Anyways if you have any suggestions feel free to let me know, I love incorporating your ideas into the story. If not just have a great rest of your day/night!