Walking in Circles <Wilderness, Earth Kingdom>

[iikagen]

Despite having only passed them once and several months ago, Iikagen was certain that the mountain range to the West looked familiar. Once more, he consulted his map and tried to find his place, but he didn't seem to be having much luck. The Earth Kingdom was infinitely larger than his tiny home islands, and it was difficult to truly grasp the scale of the distance represented by an inch on the piece of paper.

After walking a large circle around a sparsely-populated bamboo grove, he finally decided that the map was taunting him and attempted to eat it. He only managed to chew down one mouthful of it, though, before the bitter taste of the ink made him think it best to just put the map away for use as wiping material.

Iikagen instead decided to leave his course up to more natural, and concievably more helpful methods of direction considering his map-reading abilities. After finding a suitable stick along the floor of the grove, he drew out his best guess of the cardinal directions in the dirt and tossed th stick up in the air. It landed with its tipping pointing toward the southwestern quadrant of his crude compass, and so that was now his course.

The Igni had originally figured that this direction would carry him further away of his underlying goal; that of course being the location of a particularly canniving bounty hunter with the impressive rack. But the stick said otherwise, and Iikagen figured that tree limb had been around this country longer than he had and knew its way around.

****************************************************************************

A short while later in the day, Iikagen was still walking along what appeared to be a narrow, but well-worn path that skirted the edge of a forest as it snaked Southwest. He knew the area only vaguely, for he had originally landed in the Earth Kingdom in a port down a short ways South of his current location. From his now ruined map, he knew that a town called 'Kei Lan was somewhere ahead of him, and perhaps he could find something worth doing there.

His last week of travel had been dreadfully boring. Aside from stopping by a quaint farming village that was hardly worth the trouble of tormenting, he'd only met one other traveler on his backwater route. Iikagen grinned slightly and brought a hand up to touch the brim of his new straw sakalot, which was a souvenir from that encounter. If only the man had known where his long lost bounty hunter was, then maybe he wouldn't have had to kick him in the throat and steal his clothes...

Regardless, Iikagen plodded on with his newfound Earth kingdom disguise. The pants were a bit short, and he had cut off the sleeves of the shirt, but aside from that it wasn't too conspicuous. The hat covered his tattoos well to the casual observer, and the wrappings on his wrists and ankles weren't terribly out of place anyway. All in all, he could probably pass through most towns without a second glance.

But this lull in action was enough to make him want to forsake subtlety entirely just for the sake of having something interesting happen.

[xun]

I like these creatures much better, Xun patted the neck of his steed, a giant moa-horse. Satisfyingly larger than your typical ostrich-horse and for a man of Xun's size, allowed his feet to dangle at the animal's sides and still not touch the ground. Let along drag across it.

And as if it were a reward, the giant moa-horse was left to lazily plod along the quiet, backwater road at it's own pace while its rider meanwhile, was continuously tempted into a trance by cicada-hopper song.

With his side project becoming an absolute bust--failing to obtain hired man and womanpower to help track and capture the now wanted Fire Nation princes, Iroh and Zuko--Xun returned to his main duties. To neither of his wives nor his mother had he imparted the news of Omashu's falling to the Fire Nation but they understood that he would be away from home for quite sometime.

Omashu had fallen--without a fight?!---and those that could and those that decided were fleeing like vermin chased out of temple. Scattering towards Kei Lan, over to Taichi Dai, or for Gaoling and always for Ba Sing Se. They took traveled across mainroads or backroads or footroads or decrepit roads or made their own roads but just so long as they could get away from the Fire Nation.

And now, with his forest green and yellow-olive trim salakot or conical wide-rimmed hat over his head, Xun traveled this backroad, going around Omashu and towards Gaoling in civilian attire. A loose fitting long sleeved, bright yellow silk shirt with dark green, vinery design trimmings at cuffs and color with matching loose fitting thin legged, bright yellow silk pants with dark green, vinery design trimmings. Complimented with groin length sleeveless, buttoned left, forest green vest with yellow vinery design trimmings on edges and collar. A bark brown sash tied at his left as bark brown leather boots riding up to his knees. His proper work attire and 'utensils' however, were strapped and bundled behind his saddle yet what matter was that he looked more like a target than authority patrolling the roads. Omashu had fallen and there were opportunists hiding and scattered from the western coast ot Ba Sing Se thanks to the Fire Nation's shenanigans.

And he and others like him were to help remind the people that the Earth King still ruled the Earth Kingdom and his law would be carried out even while the Kingdom was undersiege and regions were being occupied.

Now if only he could believe strongly enough in that himself.

And maybe if our own people believe that, the nattering of his once quiet moa-horse take note of the pedestrian in the distance, walking down the road towards him. Xun scanned the traveler from under his salakot and upon noting that it was a man and the intentionally torn sleeves, Xun's eyes cast over their surroundings without turning his head. A tug on the reins and a light squeeze, Xun steered the moa-horse from the middle to one side of the road to give a stranger enough room and maybe a better view upon passing. From here he seemed weaponless, maybe not a bandit and hopefully not a bandit scout, but the torn sleeves gave the man away as the type who brought trouble. A hooligan.

A hooligan headed to Kei Lan, smirking inwardly to himself as he tipped the brim of his hat to the stranger. Their kind seem to instinctively know where to congregate to cause trouble, wanting to sigh.

[iikagen]

Though he had spotted the approach of the ostrich-horse-looking creature long before it ever came into speaking distance, Iikagen didn't slow his course or even bother to spare a glance its way. He spent the minute or so leading up to their passing considering a number of different things to say to the passerby, but when at last they entered easy speaking distance he selected the option most likely to elicit an amusing reaction.

The Igni stopped squarely in the middle of the road several steps away from the rider, leaving barely enough room for the traveler to squeeze by unobstructed. Iikagen also swept off his had to reveal his tattoos and began fanning himself with it.

"Afta'noon!" he said loudly, ttempting to command the other man's attention before he could simply ride by. "You seen any drifters dat way? I swear I feel like stabbing somet'ing...." Iikagen put on a look of genuine frustration which completely ignored all of the moral problems with his request.

[linhyan]

Lin licked her dry lips slowly, as she focused on the small critter. The kitten cat-a-dillo was sleeping on a flat rock absorbing the noon-day sun. She crouched near the red rock carefully sketching the odd cat combination, one she hadn't seen before. It had the scaly skin of an armadillo but had the overall shape of a cat with long spear like ears. Lin quietly moved the charcoal piece over the paper attempting to make as little scratching noise as possible. She was half way through drawing the face when its small slitted eyes opened sleepily. Lin silently cursed knowing there was no way she'd be able to finish it now and sure enough it opened its eyes wide in alarm.
The kit-a-dillo made an odd hissing noise while it scattered off the rock as fast as the short legs could carry it. The small creature dived into a whole no more than 10 feet away, and peered out at her with slitted pupils. Lin sighed looking over what she had sketched . Mom will like it anyway... She was quite happy with the lines on this one, her drawing was improving quite a bit.
Lin hadn't realized how long she'd been crouching until she stood up. Her back popped and twinged several times, muscles in her thighs burned a little when they moved and her calves cramped. She stretched to her full 6 ft frame and moved her arms up even farther . Lin leaned over to replace her sketchbook in its normal spot in the fishermans style sack she had had since the start of her journeys. The charcoal piece was tossed in a canvas pocket before she slung it over her shoulder.
Lin reattached her rock bracelets with an almost absent minded gesture and after a moments thought attached some rock anklets as well. With everything situated she walked back towards the road through a dense patch of trees and away from the rocky clearing. As she neared the road a loud voice rang clear.
'"Afta'noon!"' Lin paused and blinked several times before continuing forward to the road. She reached the edge of the road and had time to register a man on what appeared to be a large Ostrich horse , then a man on foot. She turned and walked naught but 2 feet before the accented voice continued.
'"You seen any drifters dat way? I swear I feel like stabbing somet'ing...."'
Lin stumbled to a stop.
Her neck cracked from swinging it so fast to see the owner of the blood thirsty comment. He didn't just say what I think he said....

[xun]

Deciphering the man's ugly fake sounding speech, Xun rose an unamused eyebrow from atop his halted moa-horse.

Definitely a hoodlum, correct about his suspicion upon this traveler, though assuming such more from the man's facial tattoo's before understanding the desire for violence this stranger was vocalising.

Slowly, Xun's craggy features where becoming a scowl once someone--a woman?--stepped onto the road from almost out of nowhere. Xun's shoulder immediately raised up and a hand grasped the pommel of the jitte on his belt opposite the stranger next to him. to look between her and this man with likely murderous intent.

His hand almost eased its own grip due to the shock expression on the woman's face, more in response to the tattooed face man than himself.

"Mmm!" Xun called the tattooed face man for attention. "No," came the rumble from his voice, then pointed his chin in the direction he was riding from. "Continue walking the road in that direction," possessing the voice of a rockslide, "you should reach Kei Lan before nightfall, before the fun begins. They make good knives and an abundant supply to use them on."

Maybe that was convincing enough to point him in the 'right' direction and maybe away from the newcomer. Either way, Xun looked at the woman from under his hat then pitched his shoulder at her--signaling "follow me"--before giving a gentle whip to his reins to urge his steed on.

"I hope you enjoy yourself," not giving the hooligan another glance, himself plotting that upon reaching the next town he would send a humming-pigeon to the authorities in Kei Lan to be on the lookout for a tattooed face man.

[iikagen]

Iikagen raised an eyebrow slightly as he leaned in toward the man on ostrich-horseback, as though he were genuinely interested in the answer. In truth, he was more interested in his physical response. The Igni wanted nothing more for the man to pull the weapon from his belt and challenge him out of honor or duty, or any reason, really... Anything that would provide him some good old-fashioned violent fun.

However, before the man even managed to finish suggesting the road to Kei Lan, Iikagen's attention shifted entirely to the presence of anew traveler on the road. Given his previous request for a drifter to stab, it seemed like a fortuitous arrival indeed.

"'Ey-oh!" he exclaimed in the middle of the rider's sentence. "Speak of de..." his voice trailed off as he studied the woman, and suddenly his tone shifted entirely as he continued, "Sweet jumping chile-bean!" Iikagen stepped quickly toward the woman, not so much in a threatening way, but more so out of sheer amazement.

He was crouched down a little as he took in the spectacle of this woman's ludicrously chiseled physique. The Igni even extended a hand as if to poke her exposed abdomen, completely ignoring her personal space.

[linhyan]

Well.......this is a bit awkward.. Lin-Hyan had caught the older man out of the corner of her eye pulling at his weapon.She had no doubt it was from surprise, since he stopped almost as fast as he started and re-sheathed it. Lin thought she'd made enough noise, she definitely hadn't made any effort to hide. Of course the loud tall man seemed to attract attention if not on purpose at least because of his tattoo's.
"Mmm!" Lin side glance at the man on the Ostrich-horse.
"No," the man rumbled, He gestured back toward Kei Lan "Continue walking the road in that direction,you should reach Kei Lan before nightfall, before the fun begins. They make go-"
Lin raised an eyebrow at the old man. Ok this isn't my problem... if I just sneak away- She had started backing away ,during the speech, from the two men. Lin-Hyan was confident the man on the moa-horse could take care of himself if the tattooed one wanted to make trouble. Her retreat was cut short when the long-limbed foreigner noticed her.
"Ey-oh! Speak of de..."
Oh just perfect.....
"Sweet jumping chile-bean!" Lin almost giggled at the odd statement. Almost. When he moved towards her though reaching his hand out,she reacted accordingly. Even if it wasn't threatening she didn't want him anywhere near her. In hindsight it might have been over reacting a little.
She moved forward in one swift motion first stomping her foot into the ground Then raising her arms with all the strength she could muster. A chunk of rock 3 feet in every direction around him went flying 15 feet in the air. Regardless if she caught him on the rock or not it would send a very clear message.
Lin let out a slow breath then stepped back with a slight smile, " You can look, but no touch."

[iikagen]

Iikagen's hand drew back ever so slightly as the muscular woman burst into motion. He wasn't sure what to expect, but when he felt the earth tremble beneath him he couldn't help a smile from crossing his face. At least for a moment, untilo he suddenly found himself shooting up into the air on a column of earth.

The Igni attempted to flatten himself against the rising dirt and steal the upward momentum from it, but it kept on rising higher than he would have thought. Before he could attempt to hop off, he was fifteen feet in the air and his elevator suddenly stopped. Iikagen didn't have the grip to hold on, and his body continued on up into the air.

With his arms flailing in tight circles out to his sides and his legs scrambling in a running motion, he managed to keep himself oriented upright as he experience a moment of weightlessness at the top of his flight.

The two travelers seemed so small from up there....

And now they were getting bigger again.

Iikagen started to come down from his brief flight, but he found himself drifting a little off center from the column of earth. His eyes widened a little, but still he had to admit this experience could be called 'fun' assuming he didn't break his legs on the landing.

The Igni came down just beside the column of earth and he managed to reach out a hand to grab at the the edge. His hand slapped against the packed dirt, but once he tried to support his weight it simply pulled a chunk of it free. He slid down the side of the column for a few feet, using his feet as well to try and stop his fall, but he just didn't have enough traction.

Iikagen decided to abandon that plan and kicked off hard from the earth spire. He soared a short distance through the air and managed to hook his long arms onto a handful of thin branches extending from a nearby tree.

However, the branch was thin and weak and it bent greatly under his weight. Iikagen held on, though, and it slowed his decent for the next 10 or so feet until it finally snapped under his weight and he fell the last few feet to land flat on his back.

There was a dull thud as he hit the ground, and his hands were bent up at his sides while his back arched painfully from the ground. "Oooooow...." he moaned slowly, not bothering to make an aggressive move in response to the rough treatment.

The fall had been relatively minor compared to drops he had endured from the towering trees back home, but somehow the dirt seemed much harder in the Earth Kingdom.

[xun]

"Woah," Xun boredly stated, tugging the reins and calming his steed as the sudden appearance of a rising column of earth forcing its way skyward.

Serves him right, believing as the tattooed face man was sent skyward.

"Mmm!" Like the weight of a falling hammer, Xun gave the woman a firm, approving head nod at what she had just done. Even tipping his hat to her.

"If he dies," he then told her, "then my gratitude will not be my only offered reward." And from what Xun could assume and for all he knew, maybe there was probably some wanted poster of the man somewhere. Not a big reward maybe, but some money for bringing him in nonetheless.

Yet his sudden satisfaction at one less rogue in this existence slid away, much like the approving expression on his face as the drifter attempted to break his fall.

With an loudly annoyed sigh, Xun flicked the reins and his moa-horse strode forward. "You are welcome to follow," his voice rumbled towards the woman from over his back.

"Or wait at least one day if you plan to travel to Kei Lan." Not making the matter of the man a full concern.

[linhyan]

Lin mover her hands downwards directing the column back into the ground the best she could. There was some cracking but she hadn't damaged the road too bad. Way to think it through Li, mother would be proud.She snorted at herself. There were better ways to handle situations like that, although it had been quite amusing.
The man sighed loudly and moved his bird forward.
" You are welcome to follow." He rumbled. Lin-Hyan snorted and then put a hand up to her mouth to stifle it. " or wait at least one day if you plan to travel to Kei-Lan."
" Oh I think I'm quite done with Kei-Lan-" She caught up easily with the slow pace of the ostritch horse.
"-And I don't really make it a habit of following anyone, much less people I don't know their names." She smiled up at him crookedly before looking forward and humming slightly off key. The hint was quite open and obvious. It was about as subtle as Lin-Hyan ever would go.

[iikagen]

Iikagen remained quite still for a few moments after his landing, and it seemed like the others hadn't much bothered to check if he was even alive. From what he could hear going on around him, and from his peripheral vision, he gathered that the erthebending titan and the man on the ostrich-horse-looking-creature-thingy were going to skip off along their merry way.

....Now where was the fun in that?

Iikagen slowly rolled to one side, taking into account his luck that he hadn't landed directly on his travelling pack. It had been slung over one shoulder and hit the ground beside him, which was fortunate since there were several pointy objects inside. The Igni reached a hand into his pocket and pulled out a small piece of bamboo while he propped up his body on the other elbow. He shifted the hollow tube to his free hand and then reached into his pocket once more to pull out a few needle-like darts that he'd made himself during his many days on the road.

He sniffed the tip of a dart he had isolated and then fitted it into his blowgun. By the smell, the nausea-inducing paste that he'd coated them with a while ago had worn off, rendering the darts all but harmless... except in the case of a one-in-a-million eye shot. But that would have to do.

Iikagen rolled fully over onto his stomach with both elbows propping up his torso. He brought the blowgun to his lips and sucked in a deep breath through his nostrils.

The woman and the the rider were about 30 feet away by this point, but Iikagen wasn't counting on a shot to the jugular or any sort of vital spot. He just needed to hit any kind of skin to get their attention, and luckily the bender had on a shirt that exposed her lower back.

Lining up his shot to account for distance and her pacing, the Igni breathed out rapidly with cough-like convulsion of his diaphragm and sent the tiny projectile flying towards its intended target.

If it ddn't hit, perhaps the offense of shooting at her while her back was turned would be enough to spark some kind of conflict... If it did, however, Iikagen was already looking forward to the fun he could have messing with her head.

[xun]

"Oh I think I'm quite done with Kei-Lan-," the woman easily caught up with Xun's contented steed as it meandered down the road. "-And I don't really make it a habit of following anyone, much less people I don't know their names."

Eyes more on the road ahead, the woman's smile at him went unnoticed, but the comment managed a quiet nod from him. Though the off-key humming did tug his eyes in her direction however.

And on first sight, this woman's physique, and clothing, was rather eye-opening. Especially as he was assimilating into Ba Seng Se's culture.

"That is an excellent motto to exist by," shaking his head, but less at the woman suddenly than at a new concern. He uttered an unsatisfied "Mmmmm..." at this thought as he looked at this woman again.

He prayed that none of his daughter would ever turn out in this woman. From her taste in clothing to her physique. May fate grant his daughters the bodies of their mothers and not one taken from their father's.

"I was named Xun. I call myself Xun. People call me Xun," he stated plainly. "And you can call me Xun, Miss..." letting the sentence hang, suggesting her to answer.

[linhyan]

"That is an excellent motto to exist by," He shook his head ever so slightly . And made a thinking sound before glancing at her again
Lin-Hyan smiled wider and prevented herself from giggling but only just.
"I was named Xun. I call myself Xun. People call me Xun," His speech was rather plain but not unfriendly. Many of the older types disapproved of her completely so Lin appreciated it.
"And you can call me Xun, Miss..."
" Lin-Hyan Li. You can call me Lin or Li...or just Hyan for that matter." Lin scrunched her nose at the last one. Mom called her that still even in letters.
She shrugged before looking up at him." I answer to any of the-ow!" Lin jumped then reached behind her just underneath where her pack was. What she pulled out if her skin made her frown then scowl as she saw what it was.
Her hand came back with a small dart. She held it up to her eyes and a quick sniff inspection told her there was some kind of wierd poison residue on it.
The look of disgust on Lin's face was quite apparent as she whirled back around holding the thing before her. " Really now ! " She yelled back at the bandit. " Can't you just find a fight some where else!?"

[iikagen]

Iikagen grinned slightly when he saw his targtet react to the sting of the dart. He was almost worried it would snag on her pack and make him play a larger portion of his hand in order to provoke her. The Igni shifted more of his wait to his supporting forearm and grunted exaggeratedly as he walked his long legs underneath him and eventually stood straight up.

"Maybe?" he asked as much as stated. Iikagen rotated his upper body around in a wide arc before settling into a balanced stance, twiddling the blowgun between the fingers of his hand like a baton. He watched his own handiwork for a moment before turning his gaze toward the muscular woman.

"But where else can joo find dis antidote?" he asked while groping inside his pocket with his free hand. The Igni eventually pulled out a small wooden phial and pinched it between his thumb and forefinger. The little hand-carved container actually contained the bit of remaining toxins that Iikagen had made a while back, but as far as he wanted this woman to be concerned, it was her only hope to live.

He looked back at the phial and rotated it around, inspecting it as if with a newfound curiosity. "Just a little left," he commented. "See if joo can snatch it from my hand." At that Iiky closed his fist over the phial and then extended his hand toward her, opening it back up to present the 'antidote' on his flat palm. His face was plastered with a wide grin.

[xun]

"Hold." The rumble of Xun's voice being less of a statement and more of a command. Clamping down Lin-Hyan with a hand that engulfed her entire shoulder.

Though addressing her, Xun's eyes glared upon the grinning hooligan from underneath his salakot with outright annoyance. Originally intending to just ignore the man but now with this antic...

"You become too active," saying lowly enough for just her to hear, "and your blood will pump faster." Almost clenching his teeth at telling Lin-Hyan that. As if he was confirming the badly fake accented hooligan's bluff and indeed she was posioned with something threatening. That would not bold well if true. And this man would likely not hand it over easily.

"Why should we believe you?" Having yet to wheel his mount around to face the meddler. His hand upon her shoulder reaching out for the offending dart. "Who is to say that it just won't clear out her bowels or leave her unconscious the rest of the day?" Carefully turning the object over in his hand, observing then sniffing it. Yes, there was something on it or it was dipped in something but it was not familiar to him, though Xun could boast no immense knowledge of posions himself.

"And how can we sure there is anything in there or you even have an antidote," for a brief moment regretting calling the man's bluff. "Then again you would likely carry an antidote given how often someone as incompetent looking as you would prick yourself."