Status: New updates will be coming pretty quickly right now, but should slow down shortly.
Book One: Spirits
A Short Rest
Unsurprisingly, Karizibi woke in a cold sweat. She had yet another dream involving Huwei. The pale woman appeared before her with the paper lantern which once more burst into flame. However, this time, a dragon made of flame emerged from the fire, filling her vision. He began to dissolve into streaks, then arrows, flying directly at her. She tried her hardest to shake the dream, but the images lingered.
After breakfast, the caravan started to move across what the group recognized as the largest canyon they had ever seen. The bridge they were set to travel on extended so far that they were unable to see the other end. As they moved, a small group of men from the outpost traveled beside them on ostrich horses. Everyone seemed a little tense. It took them an hour to reach the mid-point: a mesa. The caravan stopped for a break, but the Earth Nation military men seemed to be yelling at the caravan master that they needed to continue. The group could hear a roaring off in the distance. Kari peaked out the door.
“What’s going on?” She demanded of one of the men.
“Hopefully nothing.” he replied, turning to speak to one of the caravan guards.
“Just tell me!” she yelled back. “I’m ten times more useful than any of those guards!” One of the guards turned to give her a glare. As the caravan began to move once more, she stood ready at the back door, fire clenched within her fist. Shu and Rika soon joined her.
“You girls should sit down.” Pong rolled his eyes. “I’m sure nothing’s going to happen. They have it taken care of.”
“If I had a ren for every time I heard that.” Kari muttered.
“Did you see that?” Rika suddenly pointed off into the distance.
“Is that a canyon crawler?” Kari asked. But by the time she could take a second glance, it had vanished.
The caravan, in the end, was able to cross the bridge without any trouble, much to Pong’s smug contentment. Everyone split their separate ways: Shu immediately headed into the town with the dagger recovered from Naoto’s chest, asking locals if they had seen anyone with a similar weapon. Pong decided to do some window shopping while Rikkako seemed content to people watch. However, as Kari exited the car, she couldn’t believe her luck.
“Sorry to disturb you,” she tapped Yoshiro on the shoulder. “Are you meditating?”
“I am.” He smiled, then dropped his voice to a whisper. “It’s the one airbender thing I managed to figure out.”
“Please teach me.” She quickly sat beside him. “I think it would be a huge help with-” she stopped herself, reminding herself that he didn’t know the full details of their quest. “With our quest for the Avatar.”
As it turned out, Yoshiro was an excellent instructor, but Kari’s perfectionist nature seemed to be getting in the way of her ability to relax.
“Am I doing it right?” she asked again. The airbender was finding it impossible to focus.
“You’re doing it fine.” he laughed a little. “You just need to relax.”
“Right. Relax.” Kari scribbled down a few more notes on a piece of parchment. The other bender simply shook his head.
The group met up at the caravan just as it began to move. Much to Shu’s amusement, Pong was sporting a new shirt.
“I heart EN?” she laughed. “Seriously?”
“I thought it was a nice souvenir...” he lowered his head. After several hours and many miles of jokes, Pong was happy they came to a stop in the evening and volunteered the first watch.
After breakfast, the caravan started to move across what the group recognized as the largest canyon they had ever seen. The bridge they were set to travel on extended so far that they were unable to see the other end. As they moved, a small group of men from the outpost traveled beside them on ostrich horses. Everyone seemed a little tense. It took them an hour to reach the mid-point: a mesa. The caravan stopped for a break, but the Earth Nation military men seemed to be yelling at the caravan master that they needed to continue. The group could hear a roaring off in the distance. Kari peaked out the door.
“What’s going on?” She demanded of one of the men.
“Hopefully nothing.” he replied, turning to speak to one of the caravan guards.
“Just tell me!” she yelled back. “I’m ten times more useful than any of those guards!” One of the guards turned to give her a glare. As the caravan began to move once more, she stood ready at the back door, fire clenched within her fist. Shu and Rika soon joined her.
“You girls should sit down.” Pong rolled his eyes. “I’m sure nothing’s going to happen. They have it taken care of.”
“If I had a ren for every time I heard that.” Kari muttered.
“Did you see that?” Rika suddenly pointed off into the distance.
“Is that a canyon crawler?” Kari asked. But by the time she could take a second glance, it had vanished.
The caravan, in the end, was able to cross the bridge without any trouble, much to Pong’s smug contentment. Everyone split their separate ways: Shu immediately headed into the town with the dagger recovered from Naoto’s chest, asking locals if they had seen anyone with a similar weapon. Pong decided to do some window shopping while Rikkako seemed content to people watch. However, as Kari exited the car, she couldn’t believe her luck.
“Sorry to disturb you,” she tapped Yoshiro on the shoulder. “Are you meditating?”
“I am.” He smiled, then dropped his voice to a whisper. “It’s the one airbender thing I managed to figure out.”
“Please teach me.” She quickly sat beside him. “I think it would be a huge help with-” she stopped herself, reminding herself that he didn’t know the full details of their quest. “With our quest for the Avatar.”
As it turned out, Yoshiro was an excellent instructor, but Kari’s perfectionist nature seemed to be getting in the way of her ability to relax.
“Am I doing it right?” she asked again. The airbender was finding it impossible to focus.
“You’re doing it fine.” he laughed a little. “You just need to relax.”
“Right. Relax.” Kari scribbled down a few more notes on a piece of parchment. The other bender simply shook his head.
The group met up at the caravan just as it began to move. Much to Shu’s amusement, Pong was sporting a new shirt.
“I heart EN?” she laughed. “Seriously?”
“I thought it was a nice souvenir...” he lowered his head. After several hours and many miles of jokes, Pong was happy they came to a stop in the evening and volunteered the first watch.