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Post by dian on Aug 21, 2007 23:04:21 GMT -5
"A pity we have little else," Commodore Dian Tun looked over the starboard side of the war ballon. "Nothing but crossbows..." sounding somewhat disappointed. Uncertain if even a firebender's fireball could reach that far down before disipating or even be effective.
Just below him and the other four flying crafts, innumerable waterbened ice missles were launched from Shai City's main wall. Try as the Northern Water Tribesmen did, none of their projectiles managed to reach either of the five war balloons' altitude. Leaving the contraptions to slowly and ginerly sail over the walls without incident.
Now sailing over the crude, secondary ice wall the Water Tribesmen constructed during the first engagement, Dian's team began to lower their altitude. The firebender aboard his war balloon signaling to the rest of the awaiting fleet with his firebending. Signaling the success of their mission on one hand before then signaling for the prepartion and launch of four more war balloons.
"By dawn they shall see what has fully become of their city," Dian stated to Mao and the firebender as the fleet grew closer and larger in their view. "Their city being level behind the walls. Blockaded from outside the walls. Elements on one end and starvation on the other. If they truly have any intelligence, then these barbarians will put serious thought in option of surrendering." Nodding to himself matter of factly as four inflated balloons rose from the fleet's decks.
"Their pride and stubborness shall leave them with nothing should they refuse our offer of peace."
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Post by saghani on Aug 23, 2007 0:41:07 GMT -5
Saghani glared at the Southerner as he talked to him. What did this fool think he was doing? Was he honestly just trying to show Saghani up? By the moon spirit, these Southerners had no concept of war at all! Granted, Saghani was not beyond talking back himself, but this was absurd. He had told the man to get control or step aside, and somehow in that puny Southern brain of his, that translated to trying to conscript him into doing his job instead of simply stepping aside himself. The fact that he had complained about the Lieutenant not helping in the first place proved a lack of brain power, but this escalated his status to downright stupidity. Ignoring the utility bender and the other Southerner, Sagahni continued to glare into the defiant Southerner’s eyes as he spoke.
“Do you think this some game? Is this just a stage for you to perform some kind of chest thumping, alpha male idiocy?” He returned with deadly calm. “We are fighting a battle for our survival. Lives depend on our work, and perhaps the very battle itself. Yet, here you are, spitting out your witty little quips like we’re making quilts instead of weapons of war.”
Saghani paused for a moment, and then snatched the needle from the man’s hand rather than his companion’s.
“Clearly, you do not understand the gravity of this situation, and as such, your presence here will only hinder the work of those that do. Akiak!” A soldier carrying a bone spear stepped up next to the Southerner. “Take this man to the aid the healers. Perhaps he will learn to take his tasks more seriously if he has seen the damage that this battle has already done.”
With that, Saghani turned from the Southerner and sat down at what had previously been his station while the officer gave a tug on the Southerner’s shoulder to get him to follow. Meanwhile, many Southerners went back to work, Saghani’s point getting across quite sharply. Those that weren’t were just watching their comrade, wanting to see this conflict through until the man took his final step out the warehouse door. Saghani ignored them all, deftly thread his needle and got to work (thanks in part to a childhood filled with making fishing tools). He had given a direct order, after all. No soldier, no matter how idiotic, would attempt to actually disobey…
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Post by chamir on Aug 24, 2007 11:09:36 GMT -5
"Do you think this is some game?" Saghani scolded Chamir with the glare that would try and halt a charging tiger-seal. Chamir held himself together. Doing his damnedest to resist a swelling impulse for mischief. Holding back the mere urge to smile and nod in agreement.
Yet is life and death not the greatest 'game'? He uttered in his head rather than outloud.
"Is this just a stage for you to perform some kind of chest thumping, alpha male idiocy?"
But is not all the world a stage? His voice sounded off in his head again as his lips remained shut in a tight line. His eyes still half-lidded to fake boredom as his fist clenched. Partially wanting to strike Saghani. And partially to pound his chest and bark like some seal-hybrid.
Momentarily Chamir's facade cracked. One side of his lips tugged upwards at Saghani accusing statement that Chamir was making quips as if they were making quilts rather than weapons of war.
That's a good one, Chamir wanted to give the Lieutenant that one as his own emotions jumped back and forth between annoyance, anger and mischief directed at Saghani's expense.
Chamir, annoyed an outraged by Saghani's accusation as he was in supposedly not understanding the gravity of the situation had to thank his lieutenant nonetheless as he tried to take his chewing out in stride. The exchange had drained Chamir of his fear and nervous as the bombing died down. Turning his attention away from the fact they were shut in this enclosure while the world outside sounded of unknowing chaos. Little idea of what was happening outside. For all he knew the city could have somehow have been breached and Fire Nation soldiers were wrecking havoc amongst the city. They were told nothing of what was happening outside though they heard everything outside the warehouse.
Reflexively, Chamir shirked his shoulder from the spearman, Akiak. Chin pointing to his parka and other belongings gathered at his seat now belonging to Saghani. At least the overbearing lieutenant was now working alongside him and his brethen as Chamir wanted. Though the situation could have gone better than this. After all, the making of these mines seemed so simple a task that more than just the two score men from the other side of the world could do this.
Rather than let Chamir retrieve his items, Akiak instead lowered the shaft of his spear. Barring Chamir's way and instead retrieved the Southerner's items himself before passing them off to Chamir. Chamir on the other hand tilted his head in Ryota's direction. A brief wink and a smile tugging at his lips came upon his face were tossed at the fellow Southerner.
Pushing his head through the collar of his anorak and sliding his arms through a grin bright enough to melt the warehouse came upon Chamir's face. His facetious nature no longer being held in check.
"Come Akiak!" Patting his spearman escort on the shoulder as he gathered the rest of his belongings. Mittens and leather belts holding the sheaths to his weapons.
"Our charmed lieutenant--blessed with life in an actual city and from fear of Fire Nation raid--must be left to his swift hands to help fashion quilts." Chamir then clenched a mitten clad fist and shook it wildly. "Quilts--of WAR!"
Laughing at himself as he took the lead in exiting the warhouse, throwing an arm around the spearman's shoulder. "We two men of four extra hands however, must cast ourselves aside. Two more men for two more weapons are not needed," he continued as they left. "These four hands and our four legs must expediently romp towards a different task of no less import."
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Post by nati on Aug 26, 2007 2:53:47 GMT -5
Much as it felt an eternity, and eternity of fire and blood shed, the sounds of ice and bone crashing together gradually became distant, and Nati was able to calm herself with breathing techniques. The loud wails of women and children in the shelter was overwhelming, some blocks had fallen from the ceiling, small windows of cracks showed a smoky night sky. Someone cried out in pain, Nati and another healer hurried over to a woman whose arm had been pinned to the floor by a small, but heavy block of ice. The woman's arm is crushed, bone sticking out at an odd angle, and the most Nati could do for the poor woman is to stop the pain, and call for a master healer to try and set the bones.
With her fleeting courage, Nati gathered the last of her wits and steps back out into the harsh, broken walls of her home. How many people have already been lost, when this crippled nation was just starting to walk straight, their walking stick had been kicked away cruelly by the youthful arrogance of the Fire Nation. Healers and warriors were talking quietly in a hushed, panicked tones, deciding the next best move for all of the injured. It had proved to he a bad idea to set the Infirmary, but they had not known such a devillish air bourne contracption could be used.
"We need to find shelter with reinforced roofs!" One man barked loudly.
"We can't move many in such critical condition...." Another said stated, The men started to argue, the women remaining quiet. Nati spoke quickly to a young warrior, interjecting her solution to the group through him.
"Let's head back to the healers' huts, we're well protected there." The idea was quickly agreed upon, and anyone and everyone is called to help pluck people from the water, melt away the ice crushing bodies, and move them away to the healers' huts deeper in the city. it is in the blink of an eye Nati finds herself in the warm familiarity of the healers' hut, where many of her years had been spent learning her craft. Beds were made out of anything that could be laid hands on, lain across the floor wherever the blankets and pelts were thrown, annoying Nati so much that she could not step easily, laid a sharp order to some younger healers to move the beds to the sides and allow a walk way down the middle. The room filled quickly with the deathly pale faces, some red with fever, some twisted in agony. Some women now joined the majority of injured, some healers and bystanders from the shelter caught in the fray.
Nati was horrified when she glanced in the reflection of a bowl of water that her hair had come loose, russet hair tumbling down to her waist, and she had little time to braid them again. She would have to leave it, and carry on with her work, she could waste anything, including something as precious as time. It became apparent that they were short handed, some groans were not answered quickly enough, other running about quickly to fulfill the demanding needs of the sick.
She started to sing an old song under her breath, to try and calm herself and keep her hands steady.
"The maiden and the ocean, would ever be apart, as queen and her people, never meant to meet... "
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Post by chamir on Aug 26, 2007 17:36:35 GMT -5
A few moments Chamir stood outside the ice erected warehouse. Firmly wrapping the elongated cloth around his neck for a scarf. Pulling the hood of the cerulean blue anorak over his head. Finally, straightening his back and tossing his chin up, Chamir made a single goosestep forward.
Chamir had serious doubts that much in Shai City had changed. Easily remembering the way towards the healing huts. Being escorted by his latest companion, Akiak, he saw as a mere formality. Together the two trekked from the city's docks and towards the interior. More than once they detoured from the canal. House sized pools of water had widened sections of the canal or barred their way from it. In at least one of those a filled parka floated at one end of a newly made pool.
Other times their path was detoured by fallen structures. Ice and snow. Crumbled or melted. At least once his eyes accidentally caugh sight the heel of a boot or even a mitten or two buried under snowy rubble. Chamir continually attempted to ignore what he saw. His eyes at acknowledging rubble and ruin more than the occasional body.
"Not even when the city is asleep is it ever this quiet," lowering his voice upon feeling that it sounded much louder than he intended. A quiet room disturbed by the dropping of a pin.
"Fellow, Akiak?" Chamir whispered as they continued on. His eyes upcast, often looking upwards at the glacier shelf if not the star ridden sky rather than what was before him. "Do you know any good songs?"
Eventually, Akiak did finally start to speak to Chamir. Not about songs but rather about the wreckage strewn landscape. This was nothing like Akiak had seen during the last siege when the entire city was bombarded by siege artillery. The damage was aimed at various parts of the city. Whatever the Fire Nation did, this time the damage was more methodical. A straight line almost up the city's center as far up as to the palace steps.
As a result, Akiak and Chamir decided to ignore traveling up the city's center. Even tracking down a gondola who would likely be transporting warriors, healers and supplies up and down the city. Instead detouring along the outer edges of the city, almost as far as the shelters, before swining around to the healing huts themselves. Chamir humming all the while.
Nearing the healing huts the two greeted by a scattered line citizens. Able bodied and the limping. Some on the shoulders of comrades while others were on sleds or gurneys. Making for the same destination the two warriors sidled into the tail end of the waning procession. Awaiting entrance, and then assignment, into one of the huts.
"The balloons from earlier?" Chamir spoke to himself more than to the others around him. Remembering sighting one of those flying contraptions upon arriving at Shai City with Aden and the others earlier today. Further was he and Akiak informed by one of the retreating warriors the reason of their depatrue from the city walls. The makeshift infirmary just behind the wall having been bombard from above by the Fire Nation's latest war machine.
"Red eggs that deliver death..." Chamir further commented. Clicking his tongue behind his teeth while one of the healers sang to herself nearby. "If that is not an affornt to the natural order then I do not know what is," he morbidly quiped. "The Fire Nation are a depraved lot indeed."
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Post by ryota on Aug 27, 2007 0:43:17 GMT -5
All Ryota could do was wave goodbye as Chamir was redirected to the healer huts. Not saying a word, he kept at his task, sewing the leathery shell onto the frame of yet another tangle mine. The acerbic Northerner who had tussled with Chamir was seated nearby, taking up Chamir's interrupted mine-building task. Now was a good time for Ryota to ask a question that had weighed on his mind.
Ever since Saghani had instructed them to revamp the tangle mine's design and function, Ryota mulled over how little sense it made. He figured that it sort of defeated the purpose to leave leather bombs filled with oil and pointy metal shards floating in the water. The propellers couldn't have been stopped in their tracks, as was the original intention, and the metal shards couldn't fly upward from the water's surface and still hurt anyone on those gigantic ships. The whale oil may have provided an extra boost on impact, but it surely couldn't fling the metal pieces quickly or with enough force to hurt anyone.
But all ponderings aside, he figured he should sate his curiousity and ask now. Almost instinctively, he kept on sewing even after his face turned halfway to Saghani, then he raised his query.
"Excuse me, Lieutenant? I need to ask you..." He paused to make sure his stiching wasn't veering off-track, then resumed. "How can we expect these mines to hurt anyone? If we leave them drifting in the water, that would make them useless if they were filled with oil and metal. Is there some other plan for them?"
A smile quickly came to his face after he briefly paused yet again. With a chuckle, he continued. "Unless you want us to stand on that big wall and throw them at the ships."
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Post by aden on Aug 27, 2007 16:20:18 GMT -5
As Kojaq walked briskly across the city toward the healing huts, he was shocked at how much damage had actually been dealt. The bombing had been intense, but had only lasted a short time compared to the full day of artillery bombardment they'd seen a few months ago. And yet, there was a swatch of destruction running in a straight line down the center of the city. Canals had broke and the lower levels of the city had been partially flooded. Walking across the mid-city was a trecharous trek through a foot of slush. Houses and and market areas had been leveled. Nothing remained of them except piles of snow and pools of water, littered with bone and fur.
However, despite the Fire Nation's best efforts, the effort to repair was already under way. Kojaq couldn't help but take pride in the fact that the canals that had burst were being dammed and reinforced, the debris of housing was being cleared, and some utility benders were even reshaping the rubble into ghosts of their former structure. From high up in the air, it would likely appear much as it had before. And despite the pain they might be feeling after the vicious bombardment, the Water Tribe would never let the Fire Nation see them bleed.
Near the end of the citys middle section, the middle-aged utility bender paused to help a man who rooting through the rubble of what was once his home. Kojaq cleared enough of the snow for the man to reclaim some of his belongings before continuing on his way. He hurried up the stairs at the base of the first ring of the city's upper levels and was immediately greeted by the sight of a mess of injured people, ci=vilian and warrior alike.
For a moment, Kojaq simply observed the gathered tribesmen. The huts themselves were filled and many were laid out and recieving first aid on the ground. In that instant, a sudden swelling of anger and rage overtook the normally calm man, and he turned around to glare at the Fire Nation fleet that was parked ominously out in the distance. The lights of their ships signaled their position, and the lights in the sky showed that the war balloons had almost rejoined them. Kojaq's face was livid and his fist clenched in silent rage as he considered just how cowardly these savages were to hide in their flying machines and rain death indiscriminately on a city of nomcombatants.
A few seconds later, Kojaq managed to get a leash on his anger and he blew out a calming breath. There was no need for him to get himself worked up. It would distract him from his duties, and on that thought, he turned his attention toward the healing huts and began to circle the building, analyzing its structure. A few other utility benders were already approaching, and with their help they could provide enough support and reinforcements to keep it shielded from the next bombing run.
****************************************************************************
The wall of ice before the three catamarans suddenly segmented, and a section of the thick wall suddenly sank down into water to reveal a pathway into the moonlit ocean. Aden stood near the front of his ship, keeping his arms down and parallel, hands angled flat as he continued to push down the massive block of ice while they passed over it. Behind him, the two other ships left the tunnel and made it out into open water. Aden, along with benders from all three ships, carefully allowed the ice to raise back up into place, sealing the way they'd come.
Before leaving, the torches that had lit their way in the dark tunnels had been extinguished, and a small marking had been sliced into the ice to note the entrance sould they need to re-use it to get back in. Aden, as well as most of the other men on the mission, couldn't help but look back toward the city and the FN fleet that loomed beyond their doorstep. Within a day's time they would see those faint spots of light much more closely....
"Let's go," Hissun said quietly, spurring the men of the ships into action as they began their long trip around.
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Post by nokose on Aug 28, 2007 15:13:46 GMT -5
Exiting the tunnel, three ships of warriors spurted into haste. Stem to stern oil lamps randomly winked out. Hiding the crews and vessels they worked for in an open arctic night that was daylight compared to the tunnel they emerged from. Swiftly the three vessels moved into a prearranged formation as they treaded further from their exit. The tunnel's opening being sealed behind them by the last ship to exit, the waterbenders performing the task slicing an identifiable marker should they, or anyone else of their kin, need to use the tunnel again.
Despite the distance they were from the Fire Nation fleet encroaching upon their homeland, many men still spoke in hushed whispers. Even the excited ones, ready for a fight, quietly stamped their feet upon the deck and lowered their chants. Yet were no less detered in their anxiousness for revenge and battle.
The word of Hissun's order was soon cast man to man and ship to ship. Under his boots Nokoseuhbholke felt the waves under him and the catarmaran surge forward. Enthusiastically the waterbenders on this duty began pushing the ship forward. Speeding it forward and almost ahead of Hissun's ship. A few warriors kept in reserve to take the rowers' places nearly joined in. Called back by Nokose to continue their rest along with the other reserve memebers while he chided the rowers who would tire themselves if they continued their pace. Though a closed lip smile slinking about his own face.
There neither fear nor cold bones among them.
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Post by dian on Aug 28, 2007 15:14:40 GMT -5
"They'll never be able to touch us!" Dian concluded with a grin that folded back his wrinkles. Leaping out of the war balloon's basked in a spry spurt of movement that mocked his waking body during most mornings. Bones feeling as heavy as iron bulkheads for a half hour at those times.
Guided by the numerous lamp lights held high by long poles, the war balloon docked at Dian's flagship. Safely secured and landing on deck, the three man crew were treated to thunderous applause. Dian, Mao and the accompany firebender recevied by the clapping, leather glove clad hands and leather heels stamping the iron deck. Dian swept his heavy cape behind him once getting clear. The draped it about him while shaking the cold from his bones. Thankful to be at a lower altitude that though still cold was warmer than the heights the war balloon had lifted him.
"Take your rest gentlemen," referring to Mao and the accompanying firebender. "You have done far from well tonight. And others shall continue our task throughout the night," he pointed back towards the wall of the Northern Water Tribe's Shai City.
As they watched four war balloons were now making their way over the wall. Likely laughing and mocking the barbarians feeble and failed attempts to down them as they lazily sailed into the city. The four floating eggs broke off into two, two balloon teams after passing over the wall. Each team breaking off to their right or their left as they moved into position to begin their bombing run.
"You're both welcome to go up again once they return," himself weighing that notion. Concluding that he would probably not join in the third flight. "But for now--what's say we go warm our bones for a bit?" Clenching his cape further tighter around him as he walked admist salutes towards the nearest set of stairs leading below deck.
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Post by saghani on Aug 29, 2007 1:15:53 GMT -5
The continued posturing of the defiant Southerner were ignored by Saghani as he got to work. There was no point in saying anything more to the fool. He would be taken down a few notches soon enough. If the mere sounds of explosions were enough to scare him to the point of shaking, the horrors they caused upon the soldiers they were intended for would be more than enough to shut him up. Saghani had seen it before during the last siege. Missing limbs, disfigured cuts and burns, and countless piles of the dead were more than enough to humble any man, much less an attention seeking clown like that fool.
The question of his comrade, however, was noticed, however annoying it was. Honestly, could these Southerners really not put two and two together? Did this Southerner actually think he intended to leave these things afloat in the water? Whoever it was that turned this band of simpletons into an effective fighting force was to be commended. Just getting them to stick the pointy end of their weapons into the enemy must have been a trial.
“Obviously we are not simply leaving them adrift in the water. That wouldn’t make sense. They will be used as projectiles,” Saghani replied without even looking up from his work. “The Fire Nation fleet that was defeated here in the last siege left many of their weapons behind. We will use these weapons to launch these at the decks of their ships, like they do with their projectiles.”
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Post by ryota on Aug 30, 2007 0:18:56 GMT -5
"All I needed to know..." Ryota said, quickly looking back down and resuming his tangle mine-making task. The new purpose for the mines made sense to him now, though the Northerner's rather thoughtless remark made it seem like Ryota should have already known. As if he already knew. He was never told about the Fire Nation weapons they procured, whatever those weapons were anyway.
But Ryota didn't allow such rudeness to bother him, and let the unkind tone and acidic words harmlessly fly over his head like a flock of sparrowkeets. Not once did he give rise to further rudeness and kept the same placid expression on his face the entire time.
He attentively kept to his task, letting nothing grab his attention while he continued to sew together the mines as the materials were given to him. Alongside his brethren of both the north and south, the objective would be reached soon and they would enter battle. Ryota looked forward to the upcoming battle very much.
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Post by aden on Sept 2, 2007 11:53:18 GMT -5
"On my count," Kojaq called over to the other men as he took his position amidst the center of the complex of healing huts. Over a dozen benders had been rounded up for the task at hand, and even more had been charged with duty of bringing enough water from the canals to be used as building material. Now, several benders in a line leading away from the trio of healing huts were suspending a floating stream of water between them while the utility benders ined up around the buildings.
"Three," Kojaq started, looking around beside him to see his fellow benders at thre ready, "Two. One. Now!" The small group of benders closest to the waiting supply of water heaved and pulled the water toward them. They flattened the end of the stream into the ground and then started guiding the rest of the water over the roof of the adjacent healing hut. In the center of the buildings, Kojaq and two others then used their bending to help support and guide the stream as it arced over the buildings and down onto the far side of the complex where a few more benders were waiting. They in turn guided the stream into the ground where it formed a thick and sturdy base.
"Set!" came the relayed call from around the building, and Kojaq was glad to here that there were no problems so far.
"Rotate!" he called out loudly, and there was a momentary delay while several benders along the outer edge of the buildings ran to their new positions. Kojaq and the other men in the center were still lending their bending to keep the arc of water in place over their heads. When another call sounding their readiness reached his ears, Kojaq shouted, "Now!"
Much like the first arc, a second stream of water rose over the buildings, was helped along the center, and then anchored into the ground on the other side. The process was repeated once more and within those few minutes, three arches of water, each of them nearly a dozen feet thick at their wekeast point, crossed neatly over the healing huts. The utility benders stationed all around the site were almost sweating with the stream of keeping so much water aloft and immobile.
"Hold it still, now!" Kojaq called as he relinquished his hold on the water. A few more benders joined the small group in the center to take over the load, while those few utility benders took a deep breath in unison. After a moment's pause to sync their timing, the men blew out a chilling breath and waved their hands along the length of the arcs. The center of the vaulted cieling started to crystalize and then rapidly spread down the length of each leg, eventually solidifying into hard ice and anchoring into the ground.
At last the benders all around the huts could stop the effort of holding up the structure after the frame was set. Kojaq inspected it carefully for just a minute before shouting to the others, "Good work. Now get some more water over here and put some layers of ice over the arches. I want at least six feet of ice, and put some debris over the top. Spikes, rubble, anything to absorb the shock. And when the bombing starts again, I want everyu last one of you on guard and looking for any sign of weakness in the structure. Not one bomb gets through!"
The utility benders replied with a salute and got to work immediately. Kojaq himself walked back between the healing huts one final time to scan the joint of the arches for weakness.
*******************************************************************************
With nothing to do at the moment, and with his turn in the line-up of propelling the ship a few hours away, Aden tried to sieze that opportunity to grab som sleep. However, the young waterbender found slumber impossible at the moment, and instead resigned himself to sitting quietly along the edge of the starboard pontoon of the ship.
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Post by nati on Sept 4, 2007 11:17:55 GMT -5
Her hands seemed to move as if controlled by strings, applying pressure to a wound, moving in small circles to heal with her gift, even her breath was being dictated by another forces. It felt as if her mind had reseeded deep into her body, just an empty shell working, working.
She heard whispers from men that the centre of the city had been bombed in a nearly perfect line up the middle, she tried to remember where the shelters where placed in the city, which one her family had gone to. Nati chewed her lip a moment, pulling away dried skin before dripping her hands into some water, and applying them to slight burn on a woman’s leg.
“Don’t think of them.” The voice in her head told her, and even if she wished to cry, Nati had no energy left for tears, only to keep on working and tending to the sick. But there was a pain at her temples, the start of a pounding headache, her limbs felt sore and heavy, and her throat dry. Nati quickly realised she had the starting symptoms of de-hydration, since it had been a while since her last drink. Knowing a ill healer is a useless healer, Nati started to make her way to find something to drink, but she was a little fainter than she realised, stumbling against the wall. Nati regained her balance quickly enough, but found herself leaning forwards, one hand resting on one knee whilst the other hand leant heavily on the wall for support.
She feels herself unwillingly sliding against the wall, dropping to the ground and bowing her head, putting her hands to her face, after a moment, she fumbled for her water pouch, and thirstily drained the entire pouch. Her head didn’t feel any better, Nati decided it must be tiredness.
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Post by chamir on Sept 4, 2007 13:11:51 GMT -5
"Now that's impressive," Chamir lightly elbow nudged Akiak as they awaited orders from the healers. Outside icy portholes of the healing hut, utility waterbenders were suspending gallons of water above the healing complex. Making arcing streams of water from them then crystalizing them into ice. Creating large, parabolic poles of ice over the complex that look like the frame work for a tent.
By their foreman, the utility waterbenders continued streaming more water into the area. Adding flesh to the bones, a thick dome of ice was begin constructed onto the ice frame. Covering the entire healing complex area in an giant, domed shaped ice tent or igloo. While the benders went about their work of providing the healing huts with a defense structure, covers were being taken off the lanterns inside the hut, illuminating it further. Though the area would obviously become darker due to the large structure above and around them, they would no longer have to worry about the light from their lanterns attracting attention from the war balloons.
Chamir breathed a small sigh of relief, followed bby a brief prayer that the structure would hold, for now this crowded place was somewhat safe from the air raids. Himself and others looking outside having spotted to bulbous silhouettes in the night sky as the dome was closing around him.
Akiak stepped aside for a moment, catching Chamir's attention while his escort moved to avoid someone. They both looked at one another for a second as one of the healers began to slump to the floor, draining the contents of her water pouch as she knelt there. Liking having overworked herself.
"Uh," an uncertain breath, searching for what to say as he knelt on one knee beside the woman, Akiak doing so in front of her "Even heroes," a measured voice eased from Chamir, his palm upwards hand hovering above the ground before her face to offer assistance, "need their rest..."
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Post by nokose on Sept 4, 2007 13:16:38 GMT -5
Their journey from the tunnel to the sea was dreadfully peaceful, a chilly and silent slide across calm waters and floating icebergs. Those still awake went about their duties or attempted to sleep as they awaited their shift. Others say around and tried to carry on converstations, unable to fall asleep.
Nokoseuhbholke sat with a small collection of these restless men aboard the unlit decks. There was far too much time ahead of then as they milled awake in the middle of the evening. A few trying to pick out faces and objects in icebergs, as one would with clouds, while others gazed at the stars. None of them finding any strong distraction with these activities.
Eventually, a couple of restless older warriors came over to their huddle. Cheerfully greeted and made room for amidst them. After scant conversation the two men began streaming water from over the deck's side, with it the two settled the globules of water on the deck, freezing them into plates of ice and then took off a mitten to create lines up and down and across the plates. Many of the others began to grin in delight, momentarily fading away their anxiety as to why they were here. Quickly they began streaming more water from the ocean, divided them into smaller globes barely bigger than a thumb, froze the bits of water in discs and began marking them with symbols before laying them upon the frozen gameboard board made from ice.
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