Van (Qiang)
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Van gets a bomb dropped on him when he learns he's wanted for the murder of desert baron Xin Mao. And on top of that the formerly silent Lyra opens up and starts talking to him.
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Those forces of the universe were at it again. Those forces acts of coitus have gotten me into a fine mess of bull-spider crap. After Lyra said her bit of confession about how apparently I'm the only person who knows she exists. Which is a load. That pirate she thrashed damn well knows she exists, and so do the other pirates that the previous pirate was thrashed into. But, whatever. That's nothing.

During the long trek through the dense forest chocked path, I had even more time to mull over exactly how much crap I was in. Or whether or not I should even be headed to Ba Sing Se right now.

Now that I thought about it, something was off. I sort of noticed it before, but I was so angry at the slut Siyo-and I still very much am-I wasn't thinking too clearly. But, the parchment was off. It was handwritten and the picture was handdrawn. Or at least I think it was. I couldn't be sure without it infront of me, and I sorely wished I hadn't tore the thing up.

"I don't suppose you found two of those posters?" I asked Lyra. She looked at me and blinked. I rolled my eyes back at her. "Great, we're back to this now."

And then there's the matter of the bounty. Not that it was too high, it's just that there shouldn't even be a bounty anymore. Bounty hunting was considered illegal now and officially released wanted posters were only done to warn the public. Apparently the Avatar took issue with bounty hunters for some reason, so since he was close with the Earth King he had them outlawed. But, that's just how impractical the kid could be. The Earth Kingdom is massive. It's easy as hell for anyone to do what they want and disappear. Like a certain spear swinging guy I know. And bounty hunters at least maintain a long distance order. And since like the army, the police are lazy they do a lot of things under the table and use special wording to mask that they were asking for the same damn thing.

"Any information leading to the arrest will carry a 300 gold piece reward." If that isn't the same thing as telling a bounty hunter "But, if you bring us this dirtbag in chains, we'll give you far more than that", then my name isn't Van...and some other stuff behind Van.

Yet, that wanted poster was clear as day. A throwback to a year or so ago. "Dead or Alive". That kind of sign couldn't have come from the police. It was a personally made sign. The bounty may or may not have been real, but the intent is clear.

Someone out there want's me for killing Xin Mao.

As soon as that thought formed in my mind, a chill snaked up my spine. I stopped, gripped my spear which I had in a strap on my back. I would've died in the in the war if I didn't trust and hone sharp instincts. The Fire Nation loves to ambush and I've seen my fair share of sudden attacks. I even managed to learn the signs to see them coming. Like the sudden absense chattering animals and insects in the brush. Or how the air feels heavier and slightly warmer. Like sleeping on my feet, I thought I was pretty good at sensing an ambush. I felt I was probably one of the best and noticed things well.

Didn't stop me from not noticing that Lyra was gone. I looked around me and saw nothing. "Damn it!" She didn't have any waterskin so had nothing to bend, making her defenseless. Could someone have grabbed her? No, why grab her and not me? So did she just run off? She could've vanished at any time.

I felt another chill. Focus, Van. Deal with whatever might be out there now and find the brat later.

If you think someone is about to jump you, you only have a few options. If you suspect a direct ambush with men leaping from trees, you scan the trees. But, if you don't find whoever is there, you leave youself open to the guy(s) on the ground. Ideally you have one eye the threes and the other covers the ground. When there's just one, you really have no choice but to leave one open. I'd have to-

I yanked my spear free of the harness in a smooth, practiced motion I'd used dozens of times before, and swung it in an upward motion. The blunt end of my staff caught the arrow just behind the tip. It snapped like a twig. I twirled my spear in front of me. Two more arrows deflected off it. I didn't give the attacker a still target and started moving. I cut left as a fourth arrow struck the ground I was just standing in.

I was already processing two facts: This person was shooting through the trees. And each arrow was coming at a downward angle.

And I came to the obvious conclusion: archer in the trees.

If I had time, I would've cracked a grin at how typical this loser was being. But, I didn't because I had a strong feeling that the archer wasn't working-

A man a few inches shorter than me, sprang from the bushes behind me. Fire was trailing from his fist. He didn't get half out of his crouch before I smacked him in the face with the backend. Spinning on my heels, I avoided the errant fireblast. I stepped around him and grabbed him around the neck my free arm, forcing him into a standing position again. He wasn't wearing any kind of armor, unless a stupid brown and black shirt counts. So, the three arrows his partner fired went right into his chest.

The Firebender cried out in my arms then went limp. I heard a slightly muffled curse in the distance.

Now I grinned. "There you are." I released my grip on the man and whirled my spear into the crook of my arm and charged into the trees. Normally charging at an archer is a bad move, but while the trees around him broke line of sight of me from him, it worked double for him. That's why the arrows were coming so infrequently. If I knew preciesly where he was, he'd have to move and would be completely vulnerable. And to top it off I serpentined from tree to tree. He'd have to be able to predict my movements to a T to nail me now, and I'm not slow.

I didn't hear any movement head of me, so I don't think he moved, but I also didn't hear any limbs breaking or rustling leaves other than what I myself was making. What, was he going to wait for me? Was I running into a trap?

I slowed my run, hoping that I could react to any booby traps, when I heard a large thump. I slowed to a slow stalk, I guess. Not sure what you call a guy with a spear moving slowly through the woods. That's how people used to hunt for food. But, eventually I found the archer. He was laying on his back staring up at the tree he was in, but he saw nothing. His mouth gaping and his eyes were glassy. I'd seen enough dead bodies in my day to know one when I see it. I'd say that was another skill, but he was bleeding heavily from the mouth. I walked over and knelt besides his body. I saw the shard of ice protruding through the back of his neck and felt another chill, but this one wasn't confined to a part of my body.

This one was felt all over.

And without making any noise I could here, Lyra was standing next to me. In a suprise to myself, I didn't flinch an inch. I just stared at her. She was looking at the man's body. The look on her face seemed like her natrual, netural self, but something was different. It wasn't really her face. That wasn't actually different. It was what I felt behind it that made her eyes look more...eerie.

No, it was what I didn't feel.

Lyra just killed a man, and didn't even look like she cared.

Cold blooded killer chick

Mess with her and you'll find the larger portion of a icicle entering your brains and exiting your spleen.

hey guys

Ive been wanting to join this thing for a while now...but i figured i would need to read everything to know what was going on...it took 5 months but now im probably one of the few people that has read everything

so yeah... i conciter myself an ok writer (expect my spelling is terrible ) ..so if yall would like fresh blood in the thread id be happy to join i already have a character profile and everything..but im still working on the history