Chapter 12: The Foggy Swamp

The choice standing before me forced me back down from the heavens to the earth. In the end, what kind of good outcome could there be for a person who chooses to stick to principles while simultaneously trying to grow in power? Should I face the consequences head-on or act "rationally"? Should I open my chakra or continue to slither like a snake? Why is there never an option to just explain things normally...

I wasn't the type of person to abandon a goal just when I’d finally discovered a more or less certain direction. Looking firmly at the back of the fleeing man, I heard a frustrated sniff. The little fox was watching me with silent approval, at least that was something; the pacifists were rejoicing because of me. Stepping out of the alleyway, I saw the resident who had run away shouting and pointing in my direction. As Anubis had said, there wasn't even a chance I’d get lucky.

"Vicious bandit," they began to mutter among themselves.

Fear appeared in others. Looking around, still hoping to somehow fix this misunderstanding, I locked eyes with that same merchant. Only one person knew my story and could help!

"...You should leave," he said, his gaze incredibly heavy. "I’ll ask the villagers not to turn you over to the Earth Kingdom soldiers. You’re no bandit, but you crippled our only bender, didn't you? I don’t want to think about what will happen if the Fire Nation soldiers invade here again. Now, I fear the future even more."

My legs felt as though they were encased in stone.

Could an Earthbender have protected this settlement? That coward wouldn't have even picked up a stick, but... could I seriously claim that? Only a few people here knew how to fight; now those very fighters were broken and certainly wouldn't be protecting anyone. If I have to make choices like this in the future, I have no idea how I’ll act. Always choosing Power might be too categorical; it would drive me down the path of a loner. That would be no better than my past life.

Accepting the consequences, I slowly looked around. I needed transport to get out of here, and out of everything available, the only thing in sight was a strange cross between a horse and an ostrich standing by the merchant's stable. Clearly a mount.

"Can I take this Ostrich-Horse?"

"Do you have the money to pay for it?" His gaze pierced right through me. I had to lower my head. In my pouch, the coins were strictly for food. "I don't give out supplies to beggars."

******

"I am writing this letter in a state that is less than prosperous. It turns out the path of an Earthbender is full of obstacles and responsibility; you are forced to answer for your actions even if you do not want to. A firm stance must be reinforced by the First Chakra; this directly affects one's bending. It’s hard to imagine a person who keeps every word and stands like a rock in every matter—does such a person even exist? The research value for your library is this: Bending begins to temper along with one's character, which means that within the walls of a cave or a comfortable dojo, one cannot unlock their full potential... I will write more if I meet a Guru on my way and question him."

Folding the paper into a scroll, I packed it securely and handed it to my fox.

"When you give this to Wan Shi Tong, bring back something to read. Our journey will be longer than I anticipated." Patting Afka on the head, I watched as she vanished, then sat down on my Sand Sailer. Without an Ostrich-Horse, a boat, or anything else, I’d have to rely on my own strength; thankfully, I had plenty. Since a breeze was hitting my face, indicating I wasn't moving like a snail, it was generally alright. The terrible part was that the next destination was an impassable swamp.

The Foggy Swamp stretched across a vast area to the west of the desert. It was also a place beloved by spirits, dangerous and... filled with bugs, so it felt like I’d be right at home there. But I still had to get there. The surroundings gradually changed; grass began to appear on the lifeless earth, which I touched for the first time in fourteen years, and then trees appeared. A forest.

"Real, living things."

I touched the trunk of a tree, mesmerized.

These were seemingly simple things that I had missed dearly. Riding past the trees, I didn't stop looking around and taking deep breaths of air. Sometimes this helped me notice the local fauna before it attacked me.

"R-r-raaaa!" A strange bear with a duck's bill lunged from the trees. Its mouth held rows of razor-sharp fangs, and the claws on its paws must have been venomous. Rising on its hind legs, it towered a full three meters high!

"Right..." Looking at the creature, I remembered something. "I’m low on food supplies."

There were so many new impressions that by evening, I was emotionally exhausted. Finding a clearing with firmer ground, I tensed my muscles. With a few movements, I pulled up solid walls; with a cone-like motion, I formed a roof on my individual house. I made the windows in the form of grates and entered without a door at all. An Earthbender doesn't need one.

"Spacious." Earth was the most creative element. If there was time, one could whip up a mansion, but a one-bedroom was enough for me. Making a table and a stone bed just for fun, I tore some leaves to make it a bit softer. At the table, I dined on dried Duck-Bear meat. And when Afka returned with a small book in her teeth, I lay down with her in my arms and began to read.

Soft fur snoozed on my right arm, looking into the book along with me. Perhaps this was exactly what one could call happiness.

******

The wild and expansive swamp was surrounded on all sides by cliffs and thick vegetation; one could enter its thickets through an unremarkable mountain canyon. I walked through the gorge, filled with vines and trees, with genuine delight. Long roots partially blocked the path, but they were no problem for me. Perhaps that was also the reason I hadn't met a single person on the way—the trail I was following led to the terrifying swamp that everyone, without exception, tried to avoid.

Emerging from the canyon, I had to crane my neck as the trees here were incredibly tall. True thickets and swamp water with rare patches of dry land where strange horned toads sat. From everywhere came the sound of croaking and the endless chirping of insects. An atmosphere of life... but if before I could still try to find extra sand somewhere, now I could only rely on what was in my gourd.

"Even a map won't help me." Using sand whips to swing myself onto the root of a large tree, I looked around, lost. "Afka, you lead now."

"Snort." She made it clear she felt perfectly fine here. Vanishing behind a tree trunk, she appeared on the next one, leading me through tangled paths. Without her, I would have been lost within minutes. The foliage grew thicker, and the sunlight quietly vanished; the atmosphere began to grow heavy.

I was always on edge when in an open but dark place. Especially when unsettling sounds echoed from all sides, making me turn around every time. At one point, while I was gliding over a stream, something leapt from the bottom and tried to snap at my leg. A whiskered crocodile, resembling a catfish, opened its giant maw but was sent flying after a single swipe of a long sand-blade. Unfortunately, some of the sand fell into the water and sank right there.

"Confound you... Afka?" Freezing as I tried to spot my animal in the impenetrable darkness, I swallowed hard. The rustle of leaves, the cackling of toads, and nothing else. Was I out of luck again? "Stop messing around, you're a spirit, you couldn't have lost me!"

Bzzzzzz—

Sensing a buzzing on the edge of my hearing, I spun and swung a sand-blade on pure instincts honed over two years. A strange fly the size of a cat flying toward me was sliced in two. Many larvae fell from its abdomen, dropping into the water. In turn, the aquatic inhabitants of this place pounced on them.

"Arf!" came from behind my back.

"Phew, Afka, don't leave me next time..." But as I turned, I immediately shut up. I only saw a very large shadow darting among the trees. And that clearly wasn't the little fox that could fit in my arms.

[Choose:]

[1 — Run (A chance to survive will appear)]

[2 — Stay and fight (Conditions will force the development of Earthbending. The chance of survival will depend exclusively on combat skills)]

[3 — Head toward the silhouette (It blocks the exit from the swamp; if you flee, it will not follow)]

"Run? Survive?" The hair on my body stood up from the tension; my pupils instantly constricted. Who did Anubis mean, for there to be such a serious warning in his speech? And most importantly... where was Afka?

Rustle-rustle-rustle—

The foliage trembled from someone else's interference. Shadows began to appear not only in front but also on the sides; glowing dots began to emerge in the impenetrable gloom. They were watching me from all sides. No luck. Could it be that they had Afka? Hanging over the lake, thinking rapidly about how to proceed, I finally clenched my fists.

After which... I bolted from there as fast as my abilities allowed. For all I heard after that were breaking trees and a noise that filled my head with its unnaturalness. This SOMETHING was faster and craftier; the huge silhouette split into many small ones and then merged again. My experience told me to tear my muscles, but move.