Maximus: Non-bender, hand-to-hand specialist, and sharpshooter.

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The little girl slowly pulled the sled and then stopped it near the door of a rather moderate sized house. She opened the door and then yelled, "Mommy! I found a dirty hobo in the snow today!" A woman came rushing out of the house and took a good look at Maximus lying down on the sled.

"Where did you find him?"

"Just outside the city! Near the place where you and daddy used to take me!"

"...Bring him inside and I'll get some soup ready..."

"OKAY!", yelled the little girl as she was bending the snow to lift Maximus off of the sled and into the house. As soon as he was in, she closed the door and sat patiently as she waited for the soup to come. Her mother walked in and handed her a warm towel as she said, "Here...Put this on his forehead, so we could keep him warm." The little girl nodded and then placed the warm towel on his forehead.

"Let's leave him alone for now. Go play with your dolls, sweetie."

"Okay..."

They both walked out of the room and then went about their own businesses. Maximus slowly thawed out and regained conciousness.

"Where......where am....I...?"

He slowly sat up and let his eye sight regain focus. He saw dolls, paintings, and chests. He got out of the bed he was laying in and picked up one of the dolls. Maximus closed his eyes as he was remembering what had happened to that little girl in the village and then he threw the doll. As soon as the doll hit the floor, the little girl entered the room and they made eye contact. They stared at each other for a minute and then she walked over to the doll and picked it up.

"It's not nice to throw something that's not yours mister."

"Sorry...."

"Mister?"

"What...?"

"Why were you laying in the snow without any shirt or jacket? Are you crazy?"

"....Long story.....Where am I?"

"You're in the city of the Northern Water Tribe."

Maximus sat there staring at the girl and then her mother walked in. Maximus made eye contact with her to and then they stared for another minute.

"It's not nice to stare mister."

"Honey....Why don't you go play with your dolls? I want to speak with the man for a second..."

The girl pouted and then stormed out of the room.

After a minute of silence, the mother asked, "Who are you and where are you from? We don't get many visitors around here unless they're soldiers..."

"My name is Maximus H??...I...am....a traveler..."

"Traveler huh?"

"...Yes..."

"Well traveler Maximus...I'm going to have to ask you to leave......I know who you are..."

"You do?"

"Don't play stupid with me...I know you are a Fire Nation soldier...I am willing to let you leave and I promise not to tell anyone."

"You're letting me leave just like that?"

"Yes....well....I want you to never come to the North Pole ever again...Leave us alone. Please..."

"Fine....I'll need a ride though..."

"I'll lend you one of my boats. It's not large, but it has enough space for you."

Maximus stepped out of bed and stretched. She threw him a thick jacket and told him to meet her outside. As he walked outside, the little girl was hiding in the snow watching what he was doing. Her mother was standing on the edge of the snow and was holding the rope to the boat. The little girl started to crawl through the snow like a mole and ended up right near the boat. As they were talking, she slowly made her way onto the boat without them noticing and hid under a blanket that was covering a pack of supplies.

"Everything should be in that small crate of supplies. It will probably last you a week, and then from there....You're on your own."

Maximus nodded and then the woman let go of the rope. He used the paddle to push off of the edge and then drift off into the ocean. As soon as the city was almost out of view, Maximus took a deep breath and said, "I know you're in there...Come out." He turned around and then lifted the blanket. The girl was curled up into a little ball with her eyes closed. She slowly opened them and stared right into Maximus' eyes and smiled.

"Hi!"

"What are you doing on my boat?"

"I want to come along!"

"I can't do that...."

"Why not?!?!?"

"Because it's dangerous and you might die..."

"But I want to look for my daddy! He's fighting in the war somewhere and I think I can meet him if I tag along with you!"

"Why me?"

"Because I heard my mommy say that you were a soldier!"

"...You can tag along, but if you die, then it's not my fault."

"I know you don't mean that!"

"...Whatever...What's your name anyways?"

"Esther!"

"Esther huh....?"

"It's rude to ask for someone's name and not give their own name back in return."

"It's..."

"Maximus H??! I heard you say it to my mommy!"

"....Right....Get some rest...It's going to be along trip home..."

The waters were calm and the sky was darkening. Esther layed her head against the crate of supplies and used it as a pillow. She slowly closed her eyes and then became fast asleep. Maximus started to paddle towards the setting sun in hopes to reach land in the east.

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A lot of talking, but I needed to get somewhere....

Ridge and Khuzo, mercanaries

Reika and Shungo

Dirt road

--

"Can you at least loosen my-"

"No."

Khuzo went back to silently watching the road pass underneath them as they went along on the wagon. Reika tried to get comfortable, but Khuzo didn't mind her any attention.

Ridge seemed distant, moreso than usual, even the beautiful daughter of the wagon driver didn't seem to get him to snap out of his little dreamworld. He fiddled his hands about, and then went back to his distant dreamworld. As they travelled from Ba Sing Se, Khuzo slowly nodded off. When he awoke, the wagon was still going, but was now far from Ba Sing Se, and any other city or building. As they went along, Khuzo nearly nodded off again. In his mind, his mother's last words before he left home to pursue other adventures rang in his head:

"And remember Khuzo, everyone, even the greatest warriors, need to sleep sometimes..."

Her words suddenly came to and end, and so did his sleep. The wagon exploded, and flipped far into the air, cascading supplies and the wagon driver and his daughter along with it. Ridge shouted something at nothing, and then the wagon fell to the ground, deep into the brush off the side of the road.

Reika began to moan, and Shungo was clearly injured. Blood spattered everywhere, and Khuzo realized that it wasn't his. He kneeled up, and the sound of a large animal grunting could be heard from the road. Ridge climbed out of the wreckage. Khuzo crawled out of it and Reika lay where she was. The blood wasn't hers. That meant it could only be one of three people, and it probably wasn't the wagon driver. He and his daughter had managed to clear the wreckage, and now ran away in fright, with their heads ducked down low.

"What the..." Ridge moaned as he pulled himself up. Suddenly a massive, near giant catgator landed ontop of the overturned wagon. Ontop of it sat a large, tall man who wielded a spear. He had piercing all along his face and face paint or tattoos. He grinned and massive, extremely thick canines were exposed even further. They looked longer than his individual fingers.

"...Hmm...Ridgeback...How long's it been? Helping out mercanaries now?"

"Yeah...Yeah...Yeah I am...After you blackmailed me, got me sent to the Dark Pits, and left me to die as a slave..."

"I can see...you two know each other..." Khuzo said as he pulled himself up. He pulled out his swords. The man made no motion to lift his lightweight but extremely deadly spear.

"You must be Khuzo...The legendary Silent Walker...They say you're near impossible to kill, let alone defeat..."

"Well, I won't lie...I'm no pushover..."

"Ridge...Khuzo...Someone...Help me..." Reika moaned as she tried to clear the wreckage. Suddenly the spear dropped into her back.

"Agh!!"

"Reika!" Khuzo yelled and he jumped forward. The spear shot out of her back and flew at Khuzo. The two looked like they would have killed each other there, but an arrow from Ridge knocked the spear away. Khuzo came down on the rider, but the catgator suddenly twisted around and smacked Khuzo in the chest with it's massive, thick tail.

"ARGH!" he yelled, and he flew back into a nearby boulder. He breathed heavily, and got up, popping his neck as he did so. The rider and his mount jerked up off the wagon and scurried back up the road.

"Heheh...With Ridge here I figure I should take my time with this small little group," he said, and he sat, waiting.

"Reika, are you OK?"

"I just...I just had a spear shoved into my back..."

"Well you can speak so you're fine. Hold on, will ya?"

"No. I'll take care of this one. You go help her and find Shungo," Ridge said. He pulled out another arrow, after sticking two into his mouth.

"Ri...Right...You think you can take that guy?"

"I don't know. It's been awhile. We'll have to find out," he said calmly, and he jumped up and over the wagon. As he jumped again, the mount suddenly whipped around, and both Ridge and the mysterious stranger disappeared from view, but sounds could be heard, unmistakeable sounds of battle.

Khuzo pulled Reika out of the wreckage and helped her up to a safer place. He set her down, and then checked her wound.

"He deliberately missed a vital point. He's toying with us."

"Then don't...don't worry about me...find Shungo."

Khuzo had already left. As he approached the wagon, an arrow soared high over his head. Khuzo grabbed the side of the wagon and pushed up. Khuzo managed to flip the whole wagon upright and it flew back a few feet. He saw Shungo, severely injured, on the ground.

"Crap!" he yelled, and he tried to help him up. He was unconscious.

"Wake up!"

Shungo didn't move, and his breathing was hardly noticeable. Khuzo carried him over to his sister.

"Dangit! WAKE UP!" he yelled, and he checked Shungo's injuries. They were bad. He began performing first aid as best he could, and turned his head back up to Ridge's battle. Above them, on the road, Ridge calmly dodged a spear thrust and moved back with a swift jumped. He fired another arrow, but the catgator swerved out of the way.

"So, Ridge. Have you told them who you really are? Or, more correctly, what you "used" to be?" he laughed, and he kept up an offensive.

"Sorry, Tojo, but the man you knew died a long time ago. I went out in the Earth Kingdom and killed that smileball."

"Oh really, now? You can't even THINK of what you are? Or used to be? Comon', TELL THEM WHAT YOU USED TO BE!"

"DIE YOU SICK TWISTED FREAK! DIE!" Ridge suddenly yelled, and he shot one of the arrows from his mouth. A thick, toxic cloud of poison gas exploded and the catgator manuvuered it's master out of the way.

"Poison gas? Still up to your old tricks, Ridgeback?"

Meanwhile, down below, Khuzo tried to bring Shungo back from the end of the line. Reika suddenly grabbed his hand.

"Let...let me...see him..."

He knew of her healing abilities, and he brought him over. She started to speak again.

"...Water...I need...I need water..."

Khuzo grabbed a bottle from the wreckage lying around them and checked it. Cold, clear, pristine water. He handed it to her. She pushed herself up, and she pulled off the top. She began to waterbend, it surrounded her hands and she applied them to his chest. A mysterious glow began to circle them, and Khuzo stood back. Waterbending healing always seemed to have something very mystical about. His injuries suddenly got better, and his breathing returned to normal. Next she applied some to herself, healing her back.

"That's...That's...SO much better."

Khuzo smiled. Then he heard an explosion and looked up to see a thriving catgator tail come ove the side of the road and then thrash back to the road. Ridge was in for quite the battle. As Khuzo pulled out his swords, he came up to the side of the road, and then stopped.

This wasn't his fight. It was Ridge's. It was his time to fight, not his.

I didn't read it. Is it crazy?

His special ability.

How many people are going to try godmodding bloodbending before they realize it's not allowed?

IT'S NOT ALLOWED PEOPLE.

Ridge, archer

Khuzo, mercanary

Reika, Shungo, Tojo

Dirt road

--

Ridge fired the other arrow from his mouth and the area burst into heavy fire.

"Incendiary arrows? What trick can't you pull, old friend?"

"Stop acting like we're friends!" Ridge yelled and he put two more arrows in his mouth, and readied a third one

"You still do that? Two arrows in your mouth? Wasn't that your good luck charm? A kind of ritual? Remember our little ritual? Where we sang and danced around the corpses of innocent people, whose blood we spilled on their own land? Remember the fun we once hard, that while the battle still raged, we'd feed village crops the blood of their caretakers? How lush those lands became with that wonderful fertilizer! All because of us!" Tojo mocked, and Ridge began to lose it. His hat had come off, revealing the red tattoos around his eyes. His eyes, usually alive but at the same time somewhat dull, were burning with fury and hatred.

"When I left, I always said the farther I got from my past the better I'd be. How foolish I was. Thinking I could run from what I did. All those people. One day someone will kill me, Tojo. One day someone far nobler and more powerful will strike deep into my chest, but until the day where that person comes, where that vengeance is sought and rightfully found, I'll make sure every other bit of my past dies before it. That includes you."

"Oh, so noble, yet so foolish. You remember our master's words? Our nameless master? That all things in life were worthless, and that in the end, those with just a little bit more power got to crush those without it! That in the end, the reason we live and murder is because we are superior! Who is still alive, Ridgeback? WHO. STILL. LIVES?"

"I don't call being a pointless murderer or psychopath being alive! I'd rather not exist at all!"

"Then you can go to the same place where all your old enemies went. TO NOTHING!"

"ONLY IF I TAKE YOU DOWN WITH ME" Ridge yelled and the battle resumed. The fire formed long shadows that forged around them, flittering about with every move. In the shadows the fury and hate of every strike between the two combatants was obvious.

"Stop this nonsense, Ridgeback! You hate just as much as you hated the day you left, you just hate something else!"

"AND?! If I hate you, who can blame me?! I hate everything you stand for, but my hatred is towards something that deserves to be hated! Noone sane can disagree with that! What are you, Tojo?"

"I'm just a tracker! I was sent to find and destroy you, and even if you escape, it won't matter! I can find anyone!"

Suddenly the catgator reared up on Ridge. He jumped back, trying to avoid the catgator, but a bola wrapped around his legs. He fell to the ground.

"AHAHAHA! Come on, Ridgeback! Is this all? All you can muster?!"

A shadowed figure suddenly came above Tojo. With complete and total silence, without a single noise, it landed on the catgator and shoved a spear into Tojo's neck, performing both actions at the same time.

"GRAGH!" Tojo yelled and he toppled over. The catgator immedaitely thrashed about, but Khuzo grabbed onto it's mouth and yanked up. Blood came from his hands from the sharp teeth, but Khuzo kept pulling. The creature suddenly began to yelp in pain and horror. It squealled and thrashed about as the top part of it's head, the mouth, the entire snout, rose higher and higher. Helplessly it tried one last time, but then a long, loud snapping noise came from it's head. The creature's head and snout had been pulled all the way back, until it had been snapped completely. It's legs gave in, and it fell to the ground, it's head was the final part to collapse. As it landed, Khuzo stood up further, his hands, still dripping blood, were out at his sides. His face was partially shadowed by the darkening sun combined with the towering blaze surrounding them, and the dust settled around the catgator, dead.

Tojo howled in horror as he flipped down into the brush surrounding the road. Blood spurted everywhere, and he yelled random curses and shouts at every direction. Khuzo turned to look at him, his hat had been blown off from the intense, gathering wind. His dark, emerald green eyes were surrounded by the black shadow cast over him. He watched Tojo, screaming in agony, take his final breaths. Finally, after what seemed an eternity, Tojo collapsed, disappearing from view, into the brush.

As Ridge undid the bola around his legs, he spoke to Khuzo without looking up. He too had been watching Tojo's spectacle. Finally, the silence was broken by his voice. Ridge spoke cooly and in a cold, serious manner.

"One down, eleven to go."

Book 1 Chapter 8 and 9: The The Apprentice

Characters: Ryan Gaia (Orion) and Suta-Shutaru

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-The Desert-

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I heard that after Ba Sing Se and Omashu fell there was a Earthbending School that led 12 14 year old's and one Master of Earthbending against a legion of 700 firebenders and 400 foot soldiers. I was in that general direction while passing through the desert and decided to take a little detour. Suta used the last of our money to get us a hotel so I had to work for about three weeks at a local pub washing dishes and that manor of labor to raise the submission fee to this four week school. On the day that I had earned my third and final paycheck I quit the job and headed towards the shrine where I turned in my money and went home. It was a peaceful day. I thought since I had a few gold pieces left I would treat Suta out to supper. I was standing in front of a mirror practicing how to ask her out but nothing really came to mind "Hey Suta, how would you like to go on a date with me? No, no, all wrong. Hi! How does a quick bite to eat sound Suta? Nah, I want it to be an official date. WHY IS THIS GIRL TRIPPING ME UP?????" then a voice came from the outside of the bathroom "I don't know Orion, but if we're going on a date like you've been practicing to ask me in there I need to comb my hair" and we laughed. I opened the door. "Hey Suta, how would you like to get some dinner?" "Sounds lovely, Orion where will we go?" she asked. "Well there is this really nice diner down the road here, we wouldn't have to call a carriage out here. Whoops I mean if you want to call a carriage then that's fine with me too..... I mean, I'll just stop talking......" she giggled "That's ok the diner down the road sounds fine." We were walking down the road and talking and laughing like we had never before. "And then he slipped and fell right on his face, in front of the whole palace, my mother said that it got the entire audience to laugh, my father is such a idiot. But he's a really good father, he's kind, funny, generous, wise, and" "Old" I finished for her. "I was going to say aged properly, but I guess that would be the correct term." We got a booth close to a window. It began to rain as we left, "Orion! How are we going to get out of this rain? Those are your clean set of clothes and you've got you first day of Earthbending school tomorrow and-" "And I'm a Earthbender, check it!" and I swirled a platform and umbrella of dry Earth out of the ground. She stepped on it and glided home.

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-Atlas and the School of Uhsamo-

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"Ah yes, yes, your families honor proceeds you Ryan," he muttered "I prefer the name Orion..." "Very well Orion, you've signed up for advanced Earthbending class? Shouldn't you start with the six month intermediate first?" "I thought about that honorable Wong but I really don't have that much time." "Ok well Orion your set, fourth door on the left once you leave." I stepped out of the man's office, he was very kind, but a little bit of a pompous brat. I walked into the class room and I couldn't believe it, there were all kinds of ages there! The youngest was a kid with only his right arm he looked to be about 19 and the oldest there was probably me. "OK CLASS" a voice came from the ground below us and a huge elephant looking human jumped out of the ground and basically shouted "WELCOME TO ADVANCED EARTHBENDING! I AM YOUR TEACHER ROMULUS LET'S GET STARTED." "Losing weight" I whispered causing half of the class to laugh. "AH SO WE HAVE A SMART MOUTH HUH?" he said as he picked me up by the head and dangled me in front of him as if he were inspecting me. "Yeah that would be me, now could you let me go and I'll try to keep the obvious to myself. Yeah hello?" he just stared at me "Yeah starting to pass out here....fine have it your way" and I bended the Earth below him to sink by flinching my eyelids once more, I had no other choice he was ruining my Rocking Robe that the nurses and doctors had given me several weeks ago. A fight broke out between me and him which was difficult seeing he was a master of the fluctuation of his bending style. He grabbed the floor and whipped it out like a rug and when the wave of rock touched my foot I imbalanced and sent it right back at him. He was sent flying through the wall in the back of the room and I followed him. "Oh please master Atlas please forgive me for interrupting your class I-" "I already told you that I forgave you Romulus now pick yourself up." When I went in to see who he was pleading to it was a 15 year old girl who seemed to have much respect demanded by Romulus. "So this is the student who sent you through your own class? Romulus he's so much younger than you how can you let him do that?" "I don't know Atlas, but he's strong, your level strong, but he doesn't seem to know it yet." "What is his name?" "My name is Orion Gaia" "Ahh a Gaia now wonder you have so much untapped potential." She announced with amusement. "Third row second seat Mr. Gaia." "But I paid for-" "Third row second seat Mr. Gaia" she seemed a little scarier now so I just decided to take my seat. She repaired the wall and restarted what was a short lived speech about the determination it takes for Elite Earthbending. After the class Atlas approached me "So how old are you exactly?" she asked "Older than you," I retorted. "Your like 15 aren't you little girl?" This was one of those "wrong thing to say" moments popping up like the old days. "I, for your information, am older than what I look," "So your 16 not 15?" "No I'm twenty my skin is just flawless" "Except for that blotch of paleness under your eyes." Another "wrong thing to say" moment. "Well you are obviously the most ignorant person I have ever met, detention Mr. Gaia." Crap! I didn't know I could get detention at Earthbending school, awwwwww, and me and Suta were supposed to hang tonight. Oh well.

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-Detention-

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"Well you're through your fourth day here you have successfully landed your fourth detention congratulations, I think 6 in a row was our record here before so that's a goal to keep in your mindset Mr. Gaia. Come with me your detention will not be in the classroom today but rather out in the field." I wondered what we were going to do out in the field, considering that was basically a Earthbender's playground. "I have acknowledged your skills as a Earthbender and it is time for you to learn how to use your berserker form." "My ha-what?" "Your berserker form, there's one type of berserker trigger for each of the nations, of course the strongest belongs to the Avatar. Your berserker form allows you to draw unimaginable strength at short periods of times when you need it the most, you don't glow awesome like the Avatar, but the effect is about the same. You cannot how ever use it at whim like the Avatar. The Avatar is balanced which means all the stress in the world would not hurt him. However when you do not have air berserker to balance the Earth berserker it'll rip away at your muscles and destroy you if you have it up for to long, or use it too much in one time period." Before she stopped explaining what it was I already knew. The time against Argo and his men and getting away from Saosasu both of those times I felt my muscles twitching all over, both times I demonstrated amazing speed and power. "Now Orion let's begin!"

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-Back to the Motel-

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I headed home and remembered the training I had undergone earlier and felt exhausted. I walked into the room, in order for me to complete my training I had to take the job back to afford rent, and Suta-Shutaru was already asleep. I laid not in the bed across from her but got bold and climbed in bed with her. She woke, smiled and curled up next to me. We slept silently and warmly that night. I woke to the strong beating and yelling at the door. When I finally got there it was Atlas "No time for sleeping Orion, we need to make our way to the front, the Black Rose Society has begun an all out attack on the village looking for you." "Then we have no choice, I must confront Saosasu and end this." "But Orion it's worst than that, he's got an apprentice someone who is as strong as your brother maybe even stronger, with that kind of fire power what do we do?" I'll take those two on with Suta-Shutaru. You hold their main front off. Where is he hiding?" "Orion, he is hiding on the volcanoes summit, he and his student are drawing energy from it to kill you; he's already burned half the town down." "Then there's no time to talk SUTA-SHUTARU LET'S GO!" She was already dressed in her kimono and heading out the door. We ran to the front where the Black Rose Society was and as soon as we were first in line for this man slaughter they stepped aside and made a path up to the mountain. He wanted to finish me himself. "Black Lotus King Saosasu has promised safe passageway for you and Suta; you may approach." Said one of the soldiers who first stopped fighting. We walked the path they laid out for us and they folded back inwards, there was no turning back. I had a bad feeling about this, he was my brother and I could feel him growing stronger. I had trained a little since our last encounter and wondered if it made any kind of a difference at all. We got to the mountains summit and Saosasu was basically drinking the lava. A young man beside him closed the volcano back up and prepared for battle. "Suta be careful we can do this, we can win."

"Ah, dear brother, it seems our grandfather told you the truth. How do I know? I sent him to tell you. He was a member of the Black Rose Society but the old man was weak and couldn't strike down his on flesh and blood."

"Shut up, I hate you so much, all these people I care about are being taken away from me by you. I don't care what my grandfather was, or my first master, or my parents. I don't care what they were because up until and even now they are my guardians, my protectors!"

"But you fool, who is here to protect you now? Not your silly godfather? Not your silly godmother? Your godbrother? Anyone? No. It's just you and me and we all know how this fight goes down, with your death."

"Gaaaaah" and it was on. I slung the rock from volcanoes mouth at Saosasu but he easily dodged. I had to play it safe until I could get close, real close. Meanwhile I noticed his un-introduced apprentice was starting a battle with Suta. She was clearly on a different level than he was. I had never seen her fight before, but she was much faster than his bending stances were. I made my way over to her. If we could finish one off we could finish the other double teaming him. Not the most honorable way to fight but being out classed simply by Saosasu left me no alternative. I raised the apprentices feet which had thrown him off balance and took advantage of Saosasu on the other side by double teaming this new guy first. We fought and fought him around the volcano keeping Saosasu away and then I had my chance I went on the offensive and threw Saosasu off balance as well. Then everything seemed to be in slow motion, the volcano started to erupt, Saosasu immediately retreated while his apprentice shifted his hands upward which meant one thing- a spike. As fast as I could I threw myself infront of Suta and pushed him close to the edge of the volcano and he let out a horrific laugh. "Hahaaahaa I killed him, Orion, Master he is dead! Hahaaahaa!"

Me?

Without her?

Suta?

Dead?

No. My chest began to glow and disintegrated the spear that pierced my chest and sealed and recovered all my wounds, it was the same color and healing feeling I got from Jijia-su, he helped me. I shifted my hands towards the volcanoes mouth and pushed the apprentice into the mouth. I grabbed Suta's hand chokingly and pulled her out from the rim of the volcano back to the city. I raised my hands, my strength, my Earth to the highest possible extent and created a wall vast enough to block the lava. My muscles weren't twitching. I did all of this without my berserker.

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-Town-

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Suta and I started walking back to town. I noticed that my robe was scorched and the rocks on it were so hot still that there was smoke drifting from them. Not to mention I now had a gigantic hole in the back of it where his spike pierced me. When we reached the city, the members of the Black Rose were gone. I saw a few dead on both sides but what saddened me the most was the guy who only had one arm in advanced Earthbending had his other arm burnt. I went up to him and he was crying in pain. "Don't worry," I said "My burn made me stronger." And forgetting that I had never unwrapped it I slowly pulled off the bandages revealing deep, black, luminous scars. The boy seemed to stare at it in marvel and looked kind of disappointed when I wrapped it back up again. I said goodbye to the boy and caught up with Suta and asked her how she was doing. "I'm fine thanks to you," she said while staring at the hole in the clothing in my chest "but my sword was melted in half." "What? How did that happen?" I asked. "The apprentice could bend the lava. He was an Earthbender but he was bending lava." "Yeah, my brother is a firebender and lava is nothing more than really, really, hot rock, which means it gives power to both. I think it's time to return to Ba Sing Se." She looked surprised. "Why Ba Sing Se?" "It's my homeland. If I go to my parents or masters grave or maybe even the house that this started at I can find some evidence that my brother has a weakness." "Oh, ok, I'll get our things together." "Hey! Not so fast Orion! You and your girlfriend aren't leaving here without me!" it was Atlas. She had a satchel over her shoulder. "I think I'll join you in fighting the Black Rose's." I grinned. What I needed for sure, another head to worry about. "Ok, I guess, better make sure it's ok with Suta though."