Ren and the small EBA group continued to trek until the moon was high in the sky. Its silver light washed the forest around them in a ghostly glow. The kyoshi warrior boy zig-zagged through the trees until he came across an inconspicous gluster of trees. A piece of cloth dangled from a branch low to the ground and would have been missed if he had not already known it was there. Ren pointed a long slender finger to the tree and said, "This is where i found your friends. I suggest you guys spread out amongst the trees and see if you can find anything of value." With taht the group dispersed and Ren went about to help them search. He shuffled through some thick bushes and ferns without success. Right when he was about to call it quites and leave an item caught his eye. Just under a bush, concealed by a good layer of dirt was a shiny metal object. The sheen of the metal was covered in a soft layer of dust, taking the edge of its silver surface. Ren leaned down and dug up the item and brushed the tom of it off. His light brown eyes trailed over its surface, trying to figure out how to open it. It appeared to be a polished steel box with a small lock on the front. The key was no where to be seen, but that did not stop the boy. He took off his pack and dug within to try and find an item that would help open it.
OOC: Just to let everyone know, all of the benders in our group cannot Blood bend, metal bed or lightning bend. Those are reserved for extremely powerful benders and out group is still in the process of learning ^^
Ryuu squinted, sending a light pulse into the earth to search for anything strange lying on the stone floor. A bounce and a ring came back, near where Ren was crouching. Ryuu ambled lightly over, and leaned down, looking at the box. Not wanting to spook the warrior, he murmured, "Hey." He squinted at the box, suddenly realizing where he had seen one once before. It was a box that his own father had given to his mother! His mother had told him how his father had found it in a trinket shop, of which there had only been two, both claiming to be original. It was true, each was unique, and both had been beautiful. Ryuu squinted at the box, peering closer. "I've seen one of these before..."
__________________
"If he dies, then it will be God's will."
"If that was meant to be comforting, it was not."
"Everyone dies eventually. Once you are born, you begin to die."
"That was not comforting either!"
"It is the way of the Creed. Usually our deaths are violent but quick."
Ren glanced sideways at the boy with a curious light in his eyes, "Really?" A frown over took him, "Well, i guess we should get this open. It was buired rather hastily so it could be the information that your group of friends found." Ren had managed to find a small lock pick that he had bought from a black market salesman not to long ago. He wedged it in to the tiny key hole and wiggled it around until he heard a clink. The lid to the box was opened and Ren peered inside. A folded up note was all that appeared. The kyoshi warrior picked out the note and opened it up. Harsh scribbles covered the note. Some of it illegable but Ren managed to find a passage that he could read. It read:
June 27th-
It seems like her highness was right. The Firelord had failed. Its a good thing that we managed to come up with a back up plan. Those fools have no idea what is lying in wait for them. Princess Azula's escape from jail went as smoothly as expected. No one shall know of this incedent until its to late. Tomorrow we shall be sending out the order for all those loyal to the true Fire Nation to gather this August in the Earth Kingdom capital.
June 29th- The order was sent out yesterday. We have gotten a number of responses to the order and all are positive. We are on the move now. In mid August Princess Azula will finally have her crown back. The late Firelord Ozai was foolish to have thought that the avatar would not be able to stop him. The princess's plan was perfect and he should have followed it. Well, it doesnt matter. The True Fire Nation will prevail and only those loyal to it shall survive.
July 3rd- Her majesty is in position we are ready to move out. The avatar's assasination is approaching. All we must do is send out the order to our contact in his stupid E.B.A. to get the avatar to come to the Earth Kindgdom captial of Ba Sing Se on...
At that point in the letter it became illegable again. Ren's heart froze ten times over. What was this about the True Fire Nation? Firelord Ozai had fallen years ago. Princess Azula was rumored to be dead and yet this letter looked to have been written this year. Ren quickly went over in his mind at what date it was. Today was July 14th. Eleven days after the last entry he could read. The last Ren had checked, Avatar Aang was still alive. The threat to his life should be coming up soon. The kyoshi warrior snapped his eyes to Ryuu.. His hands trembled causing the paper to quiver. "Ryuu, read this..." Ren's voice sounded distant. Now more than ever did he wish he had never seen that group of E.B.A. members. He wouldnt be caught up in this new war.
Ryuu took the paper and scanned it quickly, reading with a fat eye. His eyes widened and the paper fluttered to the ground, freed from Ryuu's shocked fingers. He blinked, dazed before he leaped to his feet. "We have to get back to Ba-Sing-Se!" His lips worked faster than his mind. "The others are probably dead, silenced. We can't let the same happen to us!" He gazed back in the direction where Ba-Sing-Se lie. Home. He had been raised in Ba-Sing-Se, had grown up there, had trained there, until this mission had called him away from his home. And now he had to return with haste. Before anyone could get to him, or his sister, and silence them all.
__________________
"If he dies, then it will be God's will."
"If that was meant to be comforting, it was not."
"Everyone dies eventually. Once you are born, you begin to die."
"That was not comforting either!"
"It is the way of the Creed. Usually our deaths are violent but quick."
Ren pressed his clammy had to his forehead before his thoughts managed to clambor back together. "Sorry guys, but this is where i hop off the train. Im not getting any further in to this mess than i have to." THe boy stood and grabbed his pack. "Im not a bender and i dont have any ties to E.B.A." He tossed a farewell look over his shoulder to the rest of the group, "Not that it hasnt been fun but im going home now. See you guys later... or rather, i hope i never have to meet up with you guys again." Ren stiffened for a moment as he thought his decision over, shouldnt he just help these guys out? He shook his head and began to march away.
"Hey!" A sliver of anger flitted through Ryuu's mind. "What kind of warrior are you, chickening out when the real trouble begins? How would you like to find out that the Fire Nation rises again because of you leaving us?" Ryuu spat on the ground and turned, starting to run back to the nearest town. Maybe with the rest of his money from the E.B.A. he could buy himself a fast horse, get back to Ba-Sing-Se, tell the king, and see his sister again.
__________________
"If he dies, then it will be God's will."
"If that was meant to be comforting, it was not."
"Everyone dies eventually. Once you are born, you begin to die."
"That was not comforting either!"
"It is the way of the Creed. Usually our deaths are violent but quick."
Ren stopped dead where he stood. Him, a chicken? There were a few things that the boy was but none of them were chicken. He was an oppurtunist and talented but he was certainly not a chicken. That was pretty much how the Kyoshi warriors got him to do anything. It was how he was conned in to becoming a warrior in the firest place. They had challenged his courage and being easil enraged that way he proceded to becoming a Kyoshi warrior. The boy whirled around and stormed after Ryuu. His light brown eyes blazed with fire. "Ill show you whose a chicken," he seethed. He easily caught up with Ryuu and harshly slapped him on the shoulder, "I know the fastest way there now follow me." The boy turned a sharp right and headed through the woods. It didnt look like he knew where he was going but he knew exaclty where he needed to be.
Ryuu chuckled to himself. Apparently, he had said exactly the right thing. He spun on the ball of his foot and raced after Ren, easily keeping up. He pumped his arms, gaining speed, until he was just behind Ren. "We...getting....any....horses?" He asked as he ran, taking breaths in between, not slowing. It was a good thing he was so used to stealing bread and running away from the fit guards, or he would never had had enough stamina to keep his current pace for long.
__________________
"If he dies, then it will be God's will."
"If that was meant to be comforting, it was not."
"Everyone dies eventually. Once you are born, you begin to die."
"That was not comforting either!"
"It is the way of the Creed. Usually our deaths are violent but quick."
Ren grinned devishly, "Horses? To slow. We are getting Fire Salamanders or whatever the heck they are called." The beasts he was talking about were large lizards, larger than a horse. They were completely black with a few red stripes on their backs and were the fastest land animal any person had ever seen. Ren knew just where he could find them. A man deep in these woods owed him a bunch of favors since Ren had been constantly saving him. The group of benders and warriors trekked a great distance until they came upon a lonely hut in a small pasture. Ren lifted his voice in to a yell, "Hey old man. Wake up. I need a favor. A light in the hut sprang to life and a gruff looking old man stumbled out of it. His eyes were bloodshot while his gray hair teased his face in a messy way. "Huh, what?" the old man grumbled. "Wel my oh my. Ren! Havent you grown!" The old man chuckled deeply to himself. "Yeah, yeah. Listen, i need you to repay me the favors you owe." Ren eyes were dangerously serious. The old man tilted his head to the side wondering just what the boy meant. "We need about... six of your salamanders pets." The old man's eyes shot open wide now, "Youve got to be kidding! Thats nearly a third of my whole stock!" "You owe me a lot of favors," Ren reminded sharply. The old man grumbled again and shuffled away to get the beasts saddled. Ren turned a sharp smile to Ryuu who was standing next to him.
Ryuu raised an eyebrow and smiled. "Glad to have you here, Ren." He looked at the creatures that were soon led out, and his jaw dropped. He had heard of the beasts, sure, but he had never seen one in person. "We'll reach Ba-Sing-Se before two days have seen the dawn," he murmured, almost to himself. "We can't wait for the others Ren, shall we just head off? I'm sure they won't miss our trail. They are part of the E.B.A., after all, and if nothing else, they should know tracking." He sat on one of the lizards, impressed with the saddle, and the feel of the leather reigns.
__________________
"If he dies, then it will be God's will."
"If that was meant to be comforting, it was not."
"Everyone dies eventually. Once you are born, you begin to die."
"That was not comforting either!"
"It is the way of the Creed. Usually our deaths are violent but quick."