Avatar: Legend of the Spiritbender

Nikon

"No, I do not. You'll have to lead the way." Nikon said.

Lien

That's something, at least, Lien thought, and began walking toward her home. She still had chores to do and they might not get done as soon as she normally did. Wow, when I look at it now, all the things the spirit said, even talking to her, sounds so crazy, even now I feel like I just dreamed it... if it weren't for this guy.

Nikon

"I presume we are here." Nikon said once Lien stopped in front of a house at the edge of the village. He let go of her hand and bowed to her.

"If you have any more questions, do not hesitate to seek me out. I will be at the tree we might under earlier."

Lien

Lien nodded and started to walk up to the door, but looked back at Nikon after a few steps. "Do you believe that I can do this," she asked quietly, not sure whether this man believed in her or just did as the spirit said.

Nikon

"Of course." Nikon replied. "I trust in Mauru, and therefore I trust you. You have a great destiny before you, one that I am sure you can fulfill. I believe that you can save our world, Lien."

Lien

Lien sighed and replied, "that sounds so simple. All I have to do is save the world somehow." She shook her head to clear her thoughts and said, "I guess I'll see you later." She walked up to her front door, and entered the house.

Mei ran up to her sister and hugged her. Then she pulled back and attempted a scowl.

"Where were you? Dad was worried."

Lien

Lien stumbled a little as her sister hugged her, and straightened out as she let go. "I was... asleep, under a tree. It was quiet, you know," she said, trying to sound convincing.

Mei giggled at her sister. She found it funny that Lien had fallen asleep.

"Only you would fall asleep until a tree Lien," she said, shaking her head and still giggling.

Ru (Lien's Father)

"Indeed..." Ru said as he stepped into Lien's view. "Sleeping under a tree? That was all you were doing?"

Lien

"...Yes, that was it," Lien said, her confidence in the lie falling as her father said it. "I know it sounds silly..." she faltered, unsure of how to continue the sentence, and just left it, hoping that nothing would happen to make him suspect what had really happened.

Ru

"Yes, it does. You weren't doing anything...indecent with that Hsiao boy, were you?" Ru asked suspiciously.

Lien

Whatever she had been expecting, Lien was not expecting that. "What? No, no, of course not! He's just a friend," she said, but almost laughed in relief. So that was what he thought, that she was with a boy. "Besides, I don't think he likes me in that way..."

((Mind if I skip to the middle of the night in a post or two?))

Ru

"Very well. Go help your sister with the chores." Ru said, giving his daughter a suspicious stare before walking away from them.

(Nope)

Lien

"Yes father," Lien said as he walked away. When he was out of sight again she breathed a sigh of relief, glad that she had managed to not reveal she might be betraying him.

General Narrative

In the middle of the night, soldiers entered Lien's village. They went from door to door, and dragged people out of their houses, Lien and her family included. All the villagers were gathered into the center of the village were a dozen soldiers wearing the armor of the Avatar's followers kept watch over them. Finally, after keeping the villagers waiting for nearly half an hour with no explanation as to what was going on, a man wearing an officer's uniform approached the soldiers and villagers.

"I am truly sorry for waking you all at such an early hour," Sato began as he observed the villagers. "But the Avatar requires your help. A known traitor to the Avatar was spotted here not long ago. Do any of you know his whereabouts?"

Lien

Lien's heart raced as the man mentioned a known traitor to the Avatar. Nikon, it had to be, he just came to town. She still wasn't sure about the whole mess she seemed to be in, but she didn't want Nikon to be captured. Her biggest problem now was not to seem too suspicious, not stand out, hopefully her eyes wouldn't get her noticed.

Mei looked at her sister, both tired and scared. She tugged on Lien's sleeve.

"Sister are we going to be ok?" Mei was afraid that the traitor might attack the village. Anyone who opposed the Avatar was bad news as far as she knew. "The traitor won't hurt us or the town right?"

Sato

"I believe I speak for everyone here, officer," Ru began when no one else in the village spoke up. "That, if the traitor was in our village, none of us have seen him or have hid him. Even though we live in the New Earth Kingdom, all of us are loyal followers of the Avatar."

"The Avatar is a monster and a fiend! He does not deserve our loyalty!" a voice from within the crowd shouted. Sato whirled toward the village and gave them all a menacing look.

"Which of you spoke against our Lord?" Sato hissed.

((You're welcome to introduce the commander now, MST.))

Lien

"Of course not, don't be silly," Lien said in a hushed tone to her sister. She then heard the declaration against the Avatar and her heart raced. Was that Nikon, or was there someone else here who hated the Avatar?

Lee Marro

The commander under Sato stepped forward, a glare on his face. "Step forward, slanderer, or I will burn you alive along with the rest of your village," Lee announced. To illustrate his point, he sent a wave of fire above the heads of the crowd.

Mei was about to calm down, but the fire over her head, caused her to cry out. She was still holding onto her sister's sleeve, but now she was silent.

[b]Hsiao, Hsiao's grandfather[b]

Hsiao's grandfather started to move through the crowd. His grandson tried to stop him, but the old man shrugged off his attempts and stepped in front of Sato and Lee.

"I spoke out, you cowards. I was raised as a boy with stories of what the Avatar used to do. And the current Avatar is a mockery of all that the Avatars before him stood for! He's nothing but a power-hungry dictator. Heck, he's worse than the Fire Empire and the New Earth Kingdom combined!"

The old man showed no fear as he spoke, and eyed both Sato and Lee as he finished, as if daring them to argue with him.

Lee

Lee stepped forward and grabbed the old man's neck, choking him. "You dare disrespect the Avatar, old man," he asked in a menacing voice, before tossing him down to the ground.

Lien

Lien watched as the man who had threatened them hurt Hsiao's grandfather, and felt her eyes tearing up. How could the Avatar's men do this to him? This was just cowardly and mean. She put an arm around Mei, trying to comfort her sister.

Sato, Hsiao

"That is enough, Lee!" Sato stepped in front of the commander and the elderly man, least Marro try to harm him more. Hsiao immediately broke away from the crowd and knelt at his grandfather's side, trying to make sure he was ok.

"Cowards, the lot of ya!" the old man wheezed before he broke into a coughing fit. "You should be ashamed of yourselves, picking on an old man like me!"

Lee

"Age means nothing," Lee said, refraining from attacking further. "Those who oppose the Avatar will be met with swift justice." He fell back to the other men of the Avatar's army, but not without a glare at Sato for trying to control him.