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Neko

Neko

Friendly Local Cat
Zolan's feet dragged along the dirt trail he'd been traveling down since he ran away from home a few nights ago. He had hardly given himself time to truly rest since he fled from home. He was afraid of staying in one place for too long, fearful that he was being tracked, and he'd be captured if he stuck around long enough. It left him with little time to sleep, and his energy was rather low, so much so that he doubted even his fire, as bare basic as it was since he only had himself to work with, would hardly be able to aid him if he got into trouble now. The fate of his parents also troubled him, not knowing if they were dead or still alive when they'd be taken away, arrested for not telling the General where he was. An act of a traitor that had gotten them captured. He could only hope they were still alive, even if they were locked up in a cell somewhere.

Calling for Pele was also out of the question for the boy. The large dragon would draw too much attention and with the already wary state he was in, the last thing the young Firebender needed was to get the eye of someone that was looking for him. Even if she'd be able to help him travel faster, going on foot was safer. Zolan caught sight of a cavern close by and decided that would be his shelter for the night. Sleeping on a rock wasn't ideal for the teen, but he'd already been sleeping on solid ground the past few nights anyway, as much as he missed his cozy bed back home.

He walked into the cave, going just deep enough he wouldn't be seen from the outside and dark enough the light wasn't going to bother him. He slid down, back pressed up against the stone wall. He closed his eyes, allowing himself a few moments of rest before he'd gather wood for a fire to keep warm as night drew in before he'd eat some of the remaining food he had on him.

He didn't get to rest long before footsteps rushed towards where he was. Zolan leaped to his feet, tired as he was, and faced the entrance of the cave he had taken shelter in. Had someone already found this place before him and now, they were coming back? Or worse yet, were the soldiers following him? Had they found him so soon? So quickly? The young Firebender tensed, eyes fixed on the opening, mind racing, trying to figure out what he was supposed to do now. He had thought he was safe, but it appeared that wasn't the case.

( @Dodoco King @SilverRose44 )
 
Expectant mother Karasu had fled her homeland several months ago following her late husband's execution. Since then, she's been carrying on a more nomadic life, which has been quite lonely. Not only were her Mother and Father gone too, but her siblings scattered and taken as prisoners of war. Due to her pregnancy and being in the later stages, it was near impossible for her to go rescue any of them even if she was able to track them down as any form of combat would not only endanger her, but that of her baby as well. As such, Karasu has been extremely cautious, simply because the little one she carried was her husband's final gift to her.

While she hasn't crossed paths with any major combatants, Karasu has encountered her share of relatively dangerous animals, but was able to keep them at a distance with the use of her bow, throwing knives and certain fire-bending techniques. The only thing that was massive pain was traveling on foot while pregnant. Sure, a few traveling merchants gave her rides here and there, but she never really stayed in one place for long, mainly because she wanted to get to Ba Sing Se...preferably within the next week or two and finally rest while awaiting the arrival of her baby.

As it was now dark and the weather didn't appear the most friendly, at least to her, Karasu found it wise to go seek shelter, as sleeping in the rain or under a tree didn't sound all too appealing. Because she had been standing too long without a break, the expectant mother soon felt a sharp wave of pain in her feet. Because it was a part of pregnancy, she couldn't really do much other then sit down and rest. Probably wasn't going to be long until her back started hurting too and it didn't help that she had a quiver and a bow on her as well. Taking a deep breath, she continued on just for a little longer before coming across a dark cave. Once she was close enough, she proceeded to produce a fireball in her hand for a light source, even drawing her sword in case someone...or something...got too close. "Hello, is anyone there?" She called out, hoping to hear another voice. "I just need a place to rest for the evening. I promise I'll be gone by tomorrow."

Suddenly, she felt her blood run cold and Karasu tightened the grip on her sword. A few meters from where she now stood, were three men, their backs to her. Who were they? As to not alert them, she extinguished the fireball in her hand. A stealth approach to a dangerous situation was probably better for both mother and child. From here...hopefully these people would leave and not bump into her on the way out...or she gets the drop on them in the event they're a danger to someone. Now gripping her sword with both hands, she readied an attack.
 
There would be a storm tonight. The air smelled of petrichor and the billowing winds seemed to grow closer with every minute. Jumping to his feet, Wei grabbed his spear and began looking for shelter.

They'd been wandering aimlessly for a week, still shaken by the slaughter of his fellow Airbenders. Though it had been some months, his nightmares were still stained with blood and gunpowder. Why didn't Uryu tell them to break their vow of pacifism? Despite being outnumbered, they could have easily taken a few more mercenaries before meeting their mentor in the Spirit World. What use were the temple's teachings now that the blood of his mentors were on his hands?

Still, Wei hadn't killed anyone since leaving the Yidma. It was fair to say that they barely even fought since fleeing his temple. Their mastery of Airbending provided numerous ways to escape combat and on the rare occasion that escape wasn't an option, they tried to make the fights as painless as possible. Most soldiers were deployed to battle and quality mercenaries were dwindling.

Nonetheless, he kept light on his feet.

They continued their search for shelter, stopping only at the sight of an older woman. Rather, a pregnant woman.

What could she possibly be doing here?

Looking for shelter obviously.

A better question was why she was outdoors in the first place. Gripping his spear, Wei waited for her to enter the cave before sneaking behind her. Fire aside, he had no idea how skilled she was with her sword and had no intention of finding out. They kept close to the ground, doing their best to avoid casting a shadow against the wall. Close quarters weren't his forte and unlike the Firebender, he didn't have any way of seeing in the dark. It was only when she extinguished the flame that they stood, realizing how dark the cave truly was. Even if he could see past her, he'd have no way of scouting ahead. All Wei could do was wait until she made her next move.

@SilverRose44
 
Now that the light source had been extinguished, Karasu was in the pitch-black darkness. Hopefully the three people she saw that had their backs to her did not notice her, granted she had already given herself away when she had called out to ask if anyone was there and stating that she needed a place to rest for the evening...and that she'd be gone by morning. But no one had told her to leave, or were those men just ignoring her? In her current condition, she was not exactly able to make any fast motions, let alone fight. Hell, to Karasu herself, it was already impressive that she was capable of fighting and fire bending while pregnant. She also did notice that her flames were a little more potent. While she wasn't sure why, but her first thought was the increase in her blood volume, which led to an increase in body heat for her. Maybe that was why?

Now what did these men want? Taking a deep breath, a sudden burst of flame surrounded the blade of her Katana and in a graceful, but swift motion, Karasu struck one of the three assailants in the back, prompting him to let out a cry of pain. But the flame extinguished before he hit the ground. In the darkness, she struck the second in the face with the hilt of her sword, before throwing a fireball at the third, putting him on the ground with a heavy thud. "I don't know who you are, or what your intentions may be, but I suggest you leave now. And if you even think about pursuing me..." As blood dripped from her blade, she ignited another fireball to show her fierce face. "I WILL TEAR ALL YOUR HEADS OFF MYSELF!" She shouted, her voice echoing due to the cave's rather tight space. "ARE WE CLEAR, GENTLEMEN?"

The trio looked at each other, nodding. Not wanting to try anymore, mainly due to their bruised egos and the fact that they were ambushed by a pregnant woman. If they were to even try to talk about it, not only would no one believe them, but would also likely ridicule them. Before long, they turned to run towards the exit of the cave...

Waving the blood off of her sword before sheathing it, she placed her hand on her back and took a deep breath. Feeling rather strained, she went towards the nearest wall and slowly sat down. "It's alright, little one...we're safe now..." She said, gently rubbing her swollen belly, which was followed up by labored breathing.

Hopefully Ba Sing Se wasn't too far out now...Only four more weeks...
@Dodoco King @Neko
 
A streak of flame revealed not only the cause for the woman's pause, but also how she managed to fare on her own. Though she was outnumbered, she dispatched them with ease and even provided a window for them to flee. As much as he wanted to approach her, the Firebender's threat gave him pause. Though she seemed tired, there was no telling what she would do to protect herself (or her child). For that matter, they weren't looking to get into a fight.

Putting their spear away, Wei knocked against the cave wall three times to announce their presence.

"Are you alright? I heard someone yelling."

@SilverRose44
 
Karasu's labored breathing came to a slow pause as she heard a knock against the cave wall followed up by another person's voice. With the fireball in her hand still active, she turned in the direction that the voice had come from. A few meters away, she saw another...traveler. Medium length hair...and too well-dressed to be a Bandit or a Mercenary. "Yes...I...I'm fine. Just...restless and very tired." She sighed. "Oh...and that yelling was me, mainly. Those people were after something and their intentions were likely malevolent. What they're after, I'm not sure."

She proceeded to slowly get up and back on her feet, even if it hadn't been very long. "I don't know where you're headed, but I'm headed to Ba Sing Se. And seeing that you're here, I can safely assume that you're seeking shelter from the brewing storm outside?"
@Dodoco King
 
"I sensed the oncoming rain, but I hadn't anticipated how intense the weather would be." Wei nodded.

If he was being honest, he hadn't thought too hard about where to go once the storm subsided. As fine of a place as Ba Sing Se was, being a bender in any big city was risky. His clothing very clearly screamed Airbender (albeit a very obscure faction) and even her own garments were rather dubious. As relieved as he was that the woman came out of the fight unscathed, they didn't like the idea of leaving someone to fight on their own, even if it meant breaking their vow of pacifism.

"That being said, are you sure heading there is a good idea given your current condition?" they asked, crossing their arms.

@SilverRose44
 
So far, it looked like the two had the same objective: seeking shelter from the storm outside. Karasu had found it likely that the storm would continue overnight and into the next day. Hopefully by then the rain will slow down as traveling in soaked clothing and carrying her weapons as well as a backpack on foot was going to be a massive pain for her. If she was lucky, maybe she could hitch a ride with a passing merchant caravan. "Well, seeking shelter in a cave isn't ideal for me either, but I'll take it over sleeping in wet conditions under a tree again." She replied. "And I could use the company. It does get lonely out here."

Taking a deep breath, she began looking around in the dark, her only light source being the fireball in her hand. When asked if heading to Ba Sing Se in her current condition, Karasu frowned as she looked down at her belly. "Well, I'm willing to take my chances. And it's either that or having my baby out here in the middle of nowhere and run the risk of being attacked by bandits or dangerous animals that inhabit this part of the wilderness...At my most vulnerable, might I add."

 
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