FicWad

Roses of the Valley

Chapter Twenty-Nine: Raging Spirits



Yakone stood at the center of the plaza, guards positioned to either side of him as Arnook stared with an expression of suppressed fury. His wife sat to his side, her eyes revealing a disappointment in the actions of her fellow Tribesman.

Pakku's arms remained folded as he looked towards his student, scowling silently.

"Have you nothing to say?" Arnook broke the silence, his tone soft as he fought to maintain his civility.

"I shouldn't have to say anything," he answered smugly. "I did what was right."

"You acted of your own volition; you endangered our tribe for the sake of a rash ideal!" his tone grew heated, the waterbender's manner infuriating.

"Since when is humanity a 'rash ideal'?" his eyes narrowed.

"Our decision to imprison the Fire Nation soldiers was made after careful consideration; we had every intention of treating them fairly, of ensuring that they were not brutalized. You refused this and risked the safety of all those within our walls!"

"No, I released innocent people who did nothing to wrong us, who had no intention of causing us harm!" He stepped forward, stopping as the guards crossed their spears before him.

"You had no guarantee of their compliance! You violated our customs..."

"Customs don't take precedence over humanity!"

"Enough!" the Chief's voice rang through the plaza.

"Fine, whatever. Just toss me in the prison, set me to community service, whatever the punishment is." Yakone settled himself apathetically, having understood from the very beginning that there would be consequences for his actions.

"No." Arnook spoke gravely.

The waterbender's eyebrow rose, the statement taking him off guard.

"This is no longer a difference of opinion. You chose not to trust the will of our people; you knowingly and willingly defied my order. In doing so, you've proven only that we cannot trust you." His tone carried a great sadness.

"What are you saying?" his eyes narrowed, his heart beating faster.

"Yakone. As of this moment, you are banished from our tribe."

Silence rang through the plaza, all those within its walls understanding and agreeing with the Chief's decision.

The teenager stared, his eyes wide with horror as shock tore through him.

"No," he whispered. "No, you can't just send me away!" he glared, his body tightening with anger.

"I will grant you one hour to arrange your provisions. At that time, the guards will escort you to a raft." His tone was low, seeming deaf to the waterbender's protests.

"So this is what it's come to?! You'll just get rid of me; shut up the one person who tells you you're wrong?!" He started forward, struggling against the guards as they held him back.

"My decision is final." Arnook closed his eyes, a large part of him wishing that the situation hadn't come to this.

He struggled harder, the guards pushing against him to cease his advance. He fell back, his frame motionless as he lie on the ground. Rising slowly to his knees, he faced stubbornly away from the others.

"Fine," he muttered as he rose to his feet, the guards stepping to either side of him as he left the hall.

Pakku stared after him, glowering in disappointment at his pupil's rash decision.

There was little he felt compelled to pack. The intensity of his anger had pushed him to associate everything with bitterness, desiring nothing more than to forget the North Pole. The walk to the raft was a quiet one, people gathering and whispering as they watched him pass.

He could see his raft in the distance, glaring as he recognized the approaching figure of his mentor.

Pakku's eyebrow rose as he viewed the teenager's expression, easily reading the anger in it.

"You sealed your own fate; don't blame others for it," he warned coldly as they passed one another.

"Shut up, old man." His response was quick, having suspected the old jerk could not let such an opportunity to be condescending go to waste.

"Even after being banished, you still don't learn to watch your tongue," he scolded lightly, pausing as he looked back towards his exiled pupil.

"I don't need your lectures." He glared over his shoulder towards the veteran waterbender, slowing his pace slightly as the guards began to move ahead of him.

"I always warned you your arrogance would get you in trouble," he narrowed his eyes slightly. "You assumed you were right; and did something foolish because of it." He turned contemptuously, having nothing further to say to the teenager.

Yakone drew to a halt, his frame rigid with frustration. He whipped around quickly, lashing his arm out. A thick burst of water tore out of the ground beside him, rushing towards the pompous mentor.

Pakku's eyebrow rose up slightly, the approaching water nearly taking him off guard. He twisted his body, leaning back as he motioned his palms towards the incoming water. His hands moved quickly, sending the sudden attack aside. He stood tall as he glared disdainfully towards the waterbender.

"One last treacherous act before you go?" he mocked.

"Just tired of hearing you shoot your mouth off; figure I'll put you in your place before I go." He lashed his arm from one side to the other, streams of water thrusting the two guards away from him.

"Fine," Pakku smirked slightly as he stepped into his stance. "If being exiled didn't teach you respect, this should."

Yakone gave the old jerk no chance to initiate, turning his body with tremendous force as his hands neared the ground. He pressed his palms in his opponent's direction, a strong wave of water tearing towards him.

Pakku met it calmly, bringing his palms forward before bringing them firmly to either side. The wave split in two, moving in rhythm with his body as he brought it to circle around him in two thick streams. He brought them together, combining them into the same attack his former pupil had unleashed upon him a moment earlier.

The calm was matched, the teenager maintaining his focus as he leaned back. His hands lifted quickly, a sheet of ice curling in front of him to deflect the incoming attack. He tightened his arms, narrowing his eyes as the shield of ice melted quickly to water. It tore along the ground towards the veteran waterbender.

He took another step forward, motioning his hands up carelessly as the approach water rose up. His palms faced one another as the water quickly took on a spherical shape. It rose skyward, freezing as jagged slivers of ice rained down around his opponent.

Yakone pointed his hands to either side, each darting towards the sky as two bursts of water rose up over him. They froze instantly, the sound of ice sliding across them ringing through the air. He thrust both hands forward, the ice flowing quickly into water as it raced towards his opponent.

Pakku evaded the basic motion easily, his hands tracing gracefully to either side as the ice around him rose up, changing to water as he began swirling it around them. The wall of water grew thicker as it brought the two closer to one another.

The teenager grinned, his arms waving quickly around him as he pulled a section of the wall towards him, the water engulfing him completely.

The veteran waterbender's eyes narrowed, having never seen Yakone employ the tactic before. He peered quickly to the side as the wall curved, forming a thick ramp of ice.

Yakone slid along it, focusing carefully as he prepared to strike his former mentor.

The trick did nothing to rouse him, Pakku's hands moving carefully to remove the ramp from the equation. He waved his hands to the side, the ramp melting as it tore out from beneath the teenager's feet.

He landed carefully, waving both arms forward as water began to shoot up from beneath his opponent, attempting to encase him in a column of ice.

The old man twisted his body, his palms moving with fluid precision as the liquid rose around him, dispersing suddenly in every direction. He stopped in his stance, grinning as he watched his former pupil.

"A shame; you have the talent, but you lack the discipline." He dodged to the side as thin shards of ice shot towards him. His hands moved quickly, countering with the same technique.

Yakone evaded each carefully, swatting some aside. He thrust his palms out towards the ground between them, launching another stream of water at his opponent.

Pakku gained control of it, launching it to the side. The maneuver left him unimpressed, having expected something a little more entertaining. His eyes grew wide as he caught sight of the waterbender, rushing in quickly from behind his simple attack.

The teenager stabbed his hands forward in rapid succession, glaring as the waterbending master blocked each.

He moved one hand back as he intercepted another of Yakone's jabs, a wave of water tearing up towards him.

Taking one step forward, the teenager dodged the technique. Recognizing the opportunity, he brushed both hands towards Pakku.

A burst of water slammed against him, forcing the veteran waterbender back. He lowered his arms, glaring.

Yakone smirked.

"I suppose now is an appropriate time to end this," he explained with a calm confidence, stepping back into his stance once more.

The teenager's smirk held fast as he waved both hands towards his opponent. Water rose from the ground to either side of him, combining into one powerful stream.

Pakku turned quickly, gaining control of the attack. He twisted his body, the water flowing around him in a thick circle.

He stepped back, readying his defense as he observed the old man's maneuvers. A powerful burst of water tore towards him, its unexpected velocity knocking him off guard.

The water surrounding Pakku grew stronger, its momentum increasing as he maintained the technique. Another burst of water shot forward, followed by another.

Each knocked Yakone further back, unable to intercept them at the force they were moving at. He resigned to dodging, hurrying forward to disrupt the flow of his opponent's moves.

The circle grew closer, wrapping around the waterbending master as he rose slightly off of the ground.

His former pupil simply stared, eyes wide. He had never seen the technique before.

Pakku shot towards the ground, the water spreading out in every direction with tremendous power.

He felt the water slam against his chest, felt the solid ice below slam into his back as he hit the ground. Regaining his senses, he stared hatefully towards the old jerk.

He approached calmly, passing the young waterbender nonchalantly.

"Maybe your travels will teach you to calm that tongue of yours."

"Get back here," he growled lowly, gripping the ice. "I'm not done with you!"

Pakku gave no answer, walking away calmly.

"Get back here!" he screamed as he started forward, stopping as the guards rose their spears to his throat from behind.

"That's enough," one commanded.

He glared after the victor, punching his fist against the ice. He rose stubbornly, storming towards the distant raft.

The raft had been packed with enough supplies to get him safely to solid ground. Villagers had gathered around it, staring silently towards the exile as he approached.

He grimaced, feeling each of their eyes as if they pierced through him. Throwing what little he had packed onto the raft, he settled himself on it. He turned towards the other members of the Water Tribe, watching as the guards who had escorted him pressed the butts of their spears against the small vessel to send it on its way.

Their cold stares tore through him, each increasing his anxiety as he floated away. Girls who had flirted with him, gossiped when he passed, now watched with an almost pitying distance. Woman and mothers who had scolded him for being so cocky watched with contempt. Men simply sneered, feeling the brat had gotten what he deserved.

"Fine!" he yelled as the raft drifted further away. "You want me gone, I'll go! You're all so paranoid about your safety that you'll get rid of anything you think is a threat, even if it's one of your own! I'm better off alone!" he turned away, icy walls surrounding him on all sides.

Miksa stared from the distance, his eyes conveying a great sorrow as he watched his subordinate suffer.

The benders lowered the water level, bringing the raft to the entrance tunnel to the Northern Water Tribe. The door rose quickly, the teenager bending to propel his raft.

He stared back towards the North Pole as it grew smaller on the horizon. His face burned as he clenched his teeth. Fighting the urge to look back, he sat facing the South.

Yakone buried his face in his sleeves, tears lining his cheeks as he sobbed quietly.



The two remained silent, the waterbender staring towards the ground as he remained pinned against the stone slab.

Seung closed his eyes, now fully aware of the story.

"...The soldiers were most likely redeployed upon arriving back in the Fire Nation, to enact the will of the Fire Lord. That's why they called you a murderer," he guessed quietly.

"Yeah," the exile stared at the floor, the word just as painful after he had explained himself.

The general motioned his hands firmly, the pillars and slab returning to the points they had originated from.

The waterbender rubbed his wrist, the pin having been uncomfortable. He looked towards Seung, curious as to what came next.

"...Before I was promoted to the rank of general, I served under general Dak-Ho. He was notorious throughout the Earth Kingdom army for his ruthlessness. So much so, that he was transferred to the relatively quiet Kun Valley in the hope that it would curb his brutality."

Yakone watched curiously, his eyebrow rising as he wondered where the general's line of thought was going.

"There were many times where he would order the death of someone, when such was far from necessary...I've always done my best to follow orders and remain loyal. But in those instances..." he smiled softly, unsure as to whether to be proud of his insubordination or not. "I would help those who were genuinely innocent to escape. In my mind, I regard such as merciful."

The waterbender studied the general carefully, squinting as he tried to discern whether he was telling the truth or not.

"On one occasion, I was ordered to kill a messenger. He meant no harm, and was young. You might know him," he smiled.

He looked curiously at Seung.

"He goes by the name 'Shui,' now."

His eyes grew wide, the statement shocking him. He had no idea the firebending idiot had been spared by the earthbender's hand.

"On another occasion, I spared two bandits from prison. Those two bandits, Feng and Enlai...And Shui. They helped to protect Bai-Jing when Kazuki infiltrated it. In instances such as those, I'm grateful I showed mercy. And though I can understand the reasoning behind your Chief's decisions...I feel your decision was admirable." He nodded slightly as he offered the words, dismissing any suspicions he had of the youth.

Yakone paused for a moment, taking in the general's words. He smirked slightly, Seung being the first to ever give any form of approval to his actions towards the Fire Nation soldiers.

"Thanks," he nodded, his smug grin returning.

"Now, it's probably best that we meet with the others. I suspect general Chul will want to review new strategies with me," he looked towards the end of the hall as he began walking.

"Right," he walked beside the earthbender, his air of confidence having returned to him entirely. "One question."

"Hmm?" he glanced towards the waterbender.

"How long've you and Xiu been an item?" he grinned.

Seung's face went red, his pace faltering slightly as he stared hard towards the approaching door.

Yakone laughed as they neared the end of the hall, a blue jay chirping in the distance.



Boots stumbled back, having taken another heavy blow to the skull.

Wen Lan's breathing grew harder, her arms aching from the attacks she had been forced to block. She hurried forward, clenching her teeth as she tried to take the spirit off guard.

Gousaru's arms moved with rapid grace as his staff swatted aside each of Bolin's advances. He lashed out with a low horizontal stroke, moving full circle to take both of his assailants' feet out from under them.

The teenager fell to his knee quickly, bringing the three section staff up to intercept the motion. His block did nothing to slow the spirit's maneuver, the force of the blow sliding him back.

The young noble turned her body, kicking off of the ground as the weapon drew nearer. She flipped backwards, lashing both feet out towards their opponent's head.

Bolin took advantage of the opportunity she had provided, gripping his weapon as he dashed towards Gousaru from behind.

The spirit darted back quickly, readying the staff as he prepared to overtake her. His tail struck out vertically, launching the incoming teenager back.

His evasion did nothing to surprise her, Wen Lan having anticipated the dodge. She landed in a crouching position, turning towards him in one fluid motion. Her muscles tightened as she rushed him, her hands thrusting forward in an intense series of strikes.

Gousaru chattered lowly as he lifted his bracers to intercept each attack. His tail shot towards her throat, the hand at the end of it opening in preparation to strangle her.

Her eyes grew narrow as her focus increased, leaning in to dodge the powerful fingers. She could feel the tail graze roughly against the cloth covering her right shoulder as she stepped in, her hands stabbing towards his throat.

He screeched loudly, flipping back to avoid her. He slapped his staff against the ground wildly, protesting the interference of the unfamiliar humans. A thunderous noise broke his tantrum, powerful footsteps charging towards him.

Boots slammed into the spirit, rearing his head back as he launched him into the air.

Gousaru flipped, landing near the wall that divided Rou's estate from the rest of the village. His horrific grin gave no indication of the attack's effect, his body exhibiting no signs of damage.

The komodo rhino slid to a halt, his claws digging into the ground as he growled at the opponent.

Wen Lan's hands remained in front of her, approaching slowly from the left. She squinted as she studied the spirit, anticipating another violent outburst. Sweat traced softly over her temple.

Bolin gripped the three section staff, stepping in from the right. Pain and fear coursed through his body, Gousaru daunting him even in stillness.

Boots disrupted the pause, snorting as he charged the villager's tormentor once again. His snout lowered, attempting to gore the resilient enemy.

The spirit stepped forward with incredible speed, both hands gripping the staff as he slashed it up just under the beast's jaw.

The komodo rhino let out a muffled cry, the attack hitting against his throat. He shook his head from side to side, snorting angrily as he attempted to dismiss the effects.

Gousaru gave him no quarter, stepping in quickly with another hard strike to the snout. His staff whipped through the air rapidly as he beat down on the mighty creature.

Wen Lan darted towards him, her hands tightening as she prepared to defend the komodo rhino.

Bolin rushed forward, readying his weapon.

Boots moaned loudly as he collapsed. He had sustained an incredible amount of punishment at the spirit's hands. He breathed deeply as he tried to regain his strength, growling lowly in agitation.

Gousaru turned quickly, his arms lifting as the bracers intercepted the teenager's attack.

He pulled back slightly to offer a second strike, his eyes going wide as he noticed the spirit's leg rushing towards him.

He balanced effortlessly on his left foot as the right gripped the teenager by the face. His leg moved with incredible speed, slamming the opponent's head into the wall of Rou's estate.

Bolin fell to his knees, slipping quickly from consciousness. The three section staff slipped from his grasp, the teenager falling against the ground.

Wen Lan thrust her foot towards Gousaru's head, her eyes going wide upon realizing herself to be the spirit's only remaining opponent.

He evaded each of her attacks, his staff cutting through the air with tremendous force in attempt to strike her.

She maintained her focus, sweat falling gently from her face as she twisted her body to avoid his staff. Her muscles burned, the strain of the fight infecting her. A sudden interruption disrupted her concentration, staring up towards the top of the wall of Rou's estate.

The sound had caught the spirit's ears, his gaze turning towards the noise.

Gang yelled loudly, his leg ablaze as he neared the ground. The light of the fire illuminated the alley, the flames trailing the earth between them as he slammed his foot against it.

Gousaru screeched, dodging back quickly to avoid the attack.

The old bodyguard refused the opportunity, fire tearing through the air between them as he attacked in a rapid combination of punches. His pace had grown ferocious, the spirit's power enraging him.

His bracers lifted to deflect each advance, his body moving quickly as he avoided the fire. His tail shot forward, pushing against the gruff firebender's chest to allow him a momentary pause.

Wen Lan leapt out from behind her old friend, her eyes narrowed as she resumed his rhythm. Her leg cut through the air, her foot striking against the spirit's jaw. She took no time to celebrate the success of the maneuver, stepping forward as soon as she landed.

Gousaru gripped her by the face with his right hand, turning quickly as he threw her.

She gasped, bracing herself before hitting the ground. She rolled along it, stopping as she collided with what had been a merchant's stand.

The old bodyguard had collected himself, clenching his fist as he prepared to launch a second assault. His eyes went wide as Gousaru interrupted him, his mighty fist slamming hard against his face.

The spirit continued his barrage, striking repeatedly against the firebender before kicking him back. He had grown weary of the interruptions, unwilling to toy with them any longer.

Gang slid along the ground, shaking his head as he attempted to collect himself. He winced, sitting up quickly to engage his opponent once again. He glared as he realized the alley to be devoid of the spirit's presence, cursing under his breath.

The top of the archway buckled as Gousaru landed upon it. He sniffed the air, his wild grin constant as he studied the estate. His gaze stopped on the door of the main entrance, the same he had heard click shut earlier. Chattering with quiet delight, he dropped to the ground.

The villagers within could hear the heavy thud as his mighty frame landed, some gasping in horror. They held one another fearfully, praying to be spared of his violent bloodlust.

Rou's hand moved faster, the fan waving quickly in desperate attempt to conceal her terror.

A cold sweat formed over Zian's brow, hoping silently that his grandson was alright.

Li Mei stared towards the door intensely, her eyes straining as her hand rested on Zian's shoulder.

She knew her old friend wouldn't allow the spirit to harm them.

Gousaru looked up, motionless as he stared towards the shadowed entrance. He leapt towards it, stopping a few feet from the door.

A figure stepped out from the shadows, revealing himself beneath the soft silver light of the moon.

The spirit jumped back slightly, screeching loudly as he beat his staff against the ground. The presence of yet another obstacle infuriated him.

Chin-Hwa stood directly in his path, his frame firm with determination as he stared defiantly at Gousaru.



"...So we come out on the southern end of the Si Wong Desert. We cut through the Southwest part of it and wind up right on track. Shaves a couple days off the trip," Ryoko explained as they made their way through the Howling Wind Pass.

"What brought you here originally?" Jung studied their surroundings, the unwelcoming terrain hinting that his master had not sought the area out intentionally.

"Eh," she shrugged. "Some soldiers were after me just north of here; figured I'd lose 'em in the mountains." She slipped the tip of her pinky finger into her ear, twisting it slightly as she fished out a particularly irritating bit of wax.

"Hmm," he noted quietly. The explanation did little to surprise him, such was commonplace for her.

"Oh; we're stoppin' at Yon on the way t'Bai-Jing," she noted as she stepped over a large boulder.

"Why?" He was curious as to what the village had offered that captivated her interest.

"Last time I was there, they had really good sake." She grinned as she glanced back towards him.

He said nothing as they pressed on, the reasoning also commonplace of his mentor.

"They're alone," his lieutenant confirmed in a hushed tone.

Koro stood silently atop the ledge, glaring scornfully towards them as they continued.

Age and anger weighed the old man's features, years of combat and harsh living shaping his muscles. A large scar decorated his unshaven face, tracing from the bottommost part of his right jaw towards his eye. The eye itself was pale, hinting at its blindness. He proudly wore a Fire Nation do as a trophy, the handprint of the firebender he had taken it from burned into his chest. His pants were simple, his legs wrapped in bandages. A katar was strapped to each of his wrists, the tattoo of a dragon adorning each shoulder.

"Who are they?" His tone was low and gruff, the figures familiar to him.

The young lieutenant approached calmly, squinting as he studied the two travelers.

Small jewels decorating the rim of his finely crafted hat, the trophy of his encounter with an Earth Kingdom noble who had been foolish enough to cross through the Pass. He wore a sturdy pair of gauntlet, a large ruby decorating the right. The lieutenant eagerly awaited the opportunity to secure a match for the left. Upon his waist and legs were the fatigues of an Earth Kingdom soldier, tattered only slightly by the hazards of the mountains. A large gem of onyx was secured to the topmost part of his left greave, furthering the demonstration of his affinity for precious stones.

"The Demon of War." He answered in an intrigued tone, surprised by the warrior's unprecedented presence in the region.

"Hmm," Koro grunted. "The other?"

"Ryoko." He had recognized the woman from her wanted posters.

"They have bounties?" he considered quietly whether the two were worth bothering with. Criminals wanted by the Earth Kingdom rarely carried anything of value.

"She is. Wanted posters of late show his bounty to be decreasing."

"How much is she worth?"

"Enough," he answered simply.

"I said; how much is she worth?" Koro narrowed his eyes, glancing towards the lieutenant impatiently.

"Half of yours plus mine," he smirked, finding the silent pause as the old man calculated the value to be hilarious. His wit was quicker and sharper than his superior's; he enjoyed any opportunity to demonstrate such.

The old man was cunning, but incapable of recognizing the taunt. He nodded his head slightly after careful consideration.

"Enough. What other groups have the scouts picked up on?"

"The Emerald Scorpions and the Silver Sparrowkeets."

"Feh," he grunted disdainfully. "Take half the men and block the path towards the Northern end. Come in from both sides when they reach it; I'll come in from the back with the others." He motioned his hand towards the Northern end as he issued the command.

The teenager felt slight disappointment in the simplicity of the maneuver. He could not argue its effectiveness however, and nodded obediently. He turned to gather the other bandits, stopping as the old man called out to him.

"Hey."

The lieutenant peered over his shoulder.

"Don't screw it up," he ordered gruffly. His hand rose, the tip of the right katar tracing lightly over the top edge of the do. It was an unconscious action, one that represented the severe repercussions that awaited failure.

"Of course not." Hon Yan smirked, turning as he made his way towards the camp.









Hon Yan is copyright Booter Freak. Thank you very much for granting me permission to use him!