Cost of Freedom (2)
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***
Nik scratched the back of his head, his lips moved but the sound was too soft to be heard from the distance. From the bushes, the trio was being observed by a dark-skinned youth wearing his hair shaggy. The skinny youth, however, failed to notice the morning dew on the leaves and at the tips of the flowers around him trembling.
---
"I feel it but... it wouldn't move and if I screw it up, whoever is spying on us will be spooked," Nik frowned as Suki was getting ready to leave. Katara instead frowned and stated sternly, "If you can feel it, you can bend it. How long are you going to keep by the fact that you cannot bend smaller droplets? If you think that, then you won't be able to do it in the first place."
"I get what you're trying to say but it isn't helping. The way you're saying it because face it, I've been a waterbender for less than two days, and I don't know how to properly wield it. What if the guy behind the bushed doesn't have any ill will? Why the need to use incomplete bending and risk fatally injuring him. Bending is dangerous, more so than hand-to-hand combat."
"Hey!"
Katara and Suki took offense in his statement simultaneously.
"Bending water can also heal," Katara scoffed.
"And fight me for real, I'll show you how dangerous hand-to-hand combat is!" She crossed her arms.
"Anyway, do we even have to do anything if all he's doing is observe?" Katara questioned.
Suki and Nik fell silent.
"Then should we just let the scout lead his team, possibly, back to us seeing that we are defenseless?" Suki then inquired sarcastically, causing Katara to roll her eyes.
"I hope this works," Nik mumbled as his gaze turned focused and somewhat intense. He had never truly tested the distance of his control on water but given that he had been a bender for less than three days, reaching almost ten meters with utmost concentration should be something happy to feel about.
"Wait, I don't think you should follow Katara's suggestion," Suki stated hastily, fully supporting Nik's ideal of learning control before acting but that was simply 'bull' from Nik who felt a bit nervous about acting recklessly. But despite the reckless nature of his actions, Nik wanted to try what he could do based on the raw, unrefined abilities he seemed to have obtained in that world of fog.
His hand suddenly flicked in the direction of the supposed scout as not only his sweat, something he'd been trying to micro-control, but the surrounding droplets of dew formed a considerable wave of water that shot in the direction where Nik had heard the scout stopping with rough pants.
It was too sudden of a move with Nik's focus fully invested over the attack. It wasn't even considered an attack. Nik simply wanted to try latching the scout up with water yet as he felt subconsciously excited for finding his actions work, his expression took turn for the worse—
*Chiiiiii*
The same ringing noise began, almost threatening to break his focus but it didn't last for long. The shrill echo itself turned into a distorted voice that lasted barely a second.
"---*chiiiii*--- can---"
*Splash*
"Aaghh!" Nik lost control of the water as it splashed onto the thick bush causing the one hiding within to gasp loudly. The bush shuddered and with hurried footings, whoever spied on the trio ran away.
"What happened?" Suki stood up instantly, cautiously measuring her surroundings while Nik rubbed his ears.
"The same thing," he replied, "A shrill noise... which I thought I wouldn't hear anymore."
"There is no reason to consider that the gifts granted to you come without any consequences," Katara crawled up to him with a worried expression, "You should probably stop—"
"No, it doesn't mean harm else it would not be so random and so simple," Nik shook his head. He had another reason to believe as such— his status screen. The only change registered was the addition of the skill and that, too, didn't mention any negative impact outright.
"Then let's leave. No reason to stick around and find out the consequences of your actions," Suki spoke up and Nik sighed, "And I almost had him..." with that he looked around and focused on a small droplet almost falling off of the edge of the leaf. A few seconds passed and Nik rolled his eyes. He lost that moment of concentration entirely.
'Maybe it's a more active kind of a thing?' Nik tried to articulate what he felt when he was in that state but failed to do that correctly. It was just a 'feeling.' Something he had for a moment and now it was lost again.
The trio didn't wait for long and took on the path once again. The Colony will give them a place to fully rest and they will have covered at least a third of their distance to Makapu Village.
As they had already calculated, it didn't take long for them to find earthen walls stretched across the distance as a perimeter with a gate covered by green tiles but a golden phoenix insignia printed on the gate itself.
"So this is the Chay Thang Colony," Suki mumbled as Nik stopped and inquired, "So, what are our stories this time?"
"Travellers?" Katara frowned.
"We're too young and ill-equipped to be merchants," Suki clicked her tongue in remorse since merchants are usually the most welcomed group in any village and possibly a colony, too.
*Boom*
Just as they were discussing, a blast in the middle of the colony by itself caused a mushroom of smoke that reached high enough to get registered by the trio. But it wasn't the only one.
*Boom*
*Boom*
*Boom*
Three more explosions occurred consecutively as the trio's steps grew slower. Their expressions were now dazed and doubt grew in their hearts.
"Is... anyone around us?" Suki whispered. Her breathing was slowly growing quicker and shallower.
"Not that I can hear," Nik replied while cautiously looking around, "Or see."
It took a few seconds for them to calm down and they began to walk towards the colony even quicker.
The entrance of the colony was unprotected and the trio slipped in without another thought and began walking towards one of the regions where the explosion occurred with the dust barely scattered away. Nik's frown deepened as the surrounding noises including the shuddering screams and wails made it all the more difficult to concentrate. Now he was beginning to realize the vices of his strange enhancements but he could only endure.
However, Suki and Katara only realized the gravity of the situation once they heard the shrill cries with many guards moving the rubble and even more citizens creating a crowd.
"Move! Move! Carry away the injured!"
"Fuck those terrorists! What freedom fighters? They're nasty pieces of arses!"
"Help! Mom, stay with me! Hey, I'm here, yes, I'm here..."
"My boy!"
"My cabbages!"
Shouts filled the region as Katara's eyes widened.
"Hey!" Before Nik or Suki could stop her, the waterbender hissed, "I obviously am gonna help! Be discreet and get me some more water!"
She began pushing through the crowd while shouting at the top of her lungs once she was stopped by a rather bulky guard that controlled the crowd.
"Move! I can help," she didn't wait as she uncorked her pouch and let the water from it cover the injured arms of a screaming citizen, and it began glowing. The results, although not instantaneous, were quick enough for the supervisor of the guards to have her bring into the fray as Katara began healing those she could yet she didn't look good. It wasn't the exhaustion. It was the lack of ability in helping those who were fatally injured.
Suki and Nik, on the other hand, observed their surroundings. Structures and pavement, of course, were ruined beyond belief. Items and stalls were destroyed. Many injuries, fortunately, were stabilized by Katara but it wasn't enough. She was alone and still human prone to exhaustion once she hits her limits. The citizens, however, were angry and already seemed to know the cause of the menace.
The Freedom Fighters.
Recalling the barrels filled with exploding jelly, Nik's expression turned a bit complicated, too.
Suki, meanwhile, had her attention attracted to a crying boy crouched near the crowd with no one paying him any heed.
"Hey, it's going to be alright," Suki walked upto the boy and crouched while patting his head.
"No *sob* *sob* it won't!" he sobbed as he looked up with his face covered with tears and snot, "My brother... he's only I got!" He stumbled with his words but it caused Suki to purse her lips.
"What about your mum and dad?" She whispered comfortingly as the boy cried harder, shaking his head.
"Leave him be, lass," one of the older men grumbled, "He'll cry out and be taken care of by the mayor... not our first orphan by those fucking idiots with a few screws loose. Just... let him cry out." Although he said that, matched with Suki's appalled expression, he could only look away with a sad expression, "You're new, aren't ya? Just take what you need and be quick to move on. Our home is a mess."
"There," Nik looked towards a nearby alley and then glanced at Katara and Suki.
It was clear that Katara would be much more helpful here and Suki wouldn't be needed if he's just trying to find out more about the Freedom Fighters. Anyway, when alone, he has more freedom... ironically, and could retreat into his space at a moment's notice.
With that, Nik walked up to Suki and bent down to whisper into her ear, "Keep a lookout for yourself and Katara. I just found something but I'll be back quickly. And I've already placed a barrel of water behind the crowd so if Katara needs it, just point it out."
"Wait, I can—" Suki called out as Nik smiled back, "You're not going to leave a crying kid alone, are you? That won't be too 'Kyoshi Warrior-like' of you."
"Finding who did this is more important," Suki bit her lips as Nik shrugged, "Then you better help here as much as you can. We already think that the Freedom Fighters did it. I'm just trying to find out if that's true or not."
"Stay... safe. And be careful," Suki finally hugged the boy, letting him cry out loudly as she called out while Nik nodded and walked into the alley as his gaze fell on a large circular metal lid before grumbling, "They had to enter sewers..."