Setting Foot Into the Unknown <Earth Kingdom>

[Teiú]

Teiú rushed the girls to the northern exit of the town, in way to move to Tachi Dai. It was when the group of soldier appeared in front of him that his heart started bumping madly and he was caught out of his breath. Moving between the girls and the soldiers Teiú tried to figure the next action to be taken. These soldiers were dressed in full armor, what made Teiú think they were from the army, and not local militia. Teiú moved a step ahead to speak with the soldiers. It was then that he heard Xin running away carrying Setsuko with her.

"No, don't run!" Teiú shouted to Xin.

"What does this means?!" Shouted the leader of the soldiers. It was then that, coming from the other side of the village, the owner of the storehouse came, shouting to the soldiers "Get 'em, get 'em."

Teiú moved his head back to the soldiers just to see spear-tips coming directly to his chest. His reaction, then, was made out of pure instinct. Keeping his left foot on the ground Teiú rotated his body around, moving his hand in an arch, while letting flames let loose out of his motion. A fire wave stroke the coming line of soldier between the chest line and face. The soldiers, stunned a few moments by the unexpected occurrence stopped moving, time enough for Teiú to rush after the girls.

Though they were a bit ahead of him they weren't something to be called fast and the rebel reached them, the girls, before the shopkeeper could. Teiú turned to the old man and punched the air creating flames right in front of the new foe. The old man stopped charging at the instant Teiú shouted:"Step back!"

Teiú grabbed Setsuko and held her, with her chest in his shoulder. "Hold tight you, now!" The firebender to the little girl.

"Go, go, toward the alley and to the woods." Teiú, rushing Xin through a path between two shacks leading to nearby woods, to the east of the town. At that, the soldiers already seemed to be recovered and chasing them in their escape.

[xin]

There was a rush of adrenaline, it almost felt good, there was hope, she and Setsuko were almost out of the town but all too quickly the rebel caught up to them and Xin found herself being led away from her initial goal. The shop keep had rushed them and Teiu, using firebending held him at bay then lifted Setsuko into his arms, something she would have protested if the earth bending soldiers weren't already at their heels. She was forced to keep running, her feet didn't seem to want to move as quickly as they should be and she stumbled over the uneven rocky streets in the small town at least once.

She was tired of running and the only thought on her mind was being back home where it was safe and there were no rebels and no hateful towns with their dirty unhappy people. As they ran for the forest there was another ray of hope in her increasingly dreary life, red armor glinted near the line of trees, firebending soldiers moved to greet them, one of the men lowered his spear and raised his face mask at the questionable scene yet they were a good couple yards from the relative safety of the Fire Nation.

Turning to one of his fellow soldiers he furrowed his eyebrows at the trio and the earthbending soldiers just behind them. " Isn't that the girl from the poster and the guy from the one of the wanted posters...?" The other man curiously looked at the girl and the man that were moving towards them and he let out a small hum holding his firebending stance. " Yeah, I think your right..." The realization was a short one as their commander knocked the spear man in theback of the head, his mask falling back into place from the jostle and his hand extending forward.

" No time for idle chit chat, now go!" The first line of fire benders moved forward to greet the earth bending troupes and it was enough to force the green and gold clothed men to pause and whatever earth benders in the group to move foreward. Xin wasn't as intimidated though, she moved forward and one of the firebending soldiers dropped his stance to catch the girl incase she was really an enemy.

Flustered and scared she looked up at the skeletal mask with a hint of tears in her honey brown eyes. " I'm Xin Che Shi', please you have to get that girl away from the rebel, he's not a bad man, he's confused and-!." The commander walked over briskly and pulled the girl from the soldiers chiding him to keep his eyes straight.

" Miss Che Shi' we understand you've been through a trying experience, stay back and let us handle this." With nervous huffs of breath Xin stared at the town and the rebel, little Setsuko and the earth bending soldiers, there was a weight off her shoulders, not literally because the straps of her sack still ate in her shoulders but she was with her people and now a knot was in her throat, she was worrier about Setsuko, to some extent she was worried about Teiu. It was now out of her hands.

[Teiú]

Teiú's skin tone turned to almost white when the line of red-clad soldiers advanced from the woods. There they were, Teiú, Xin and Setsuko. Behind them a group of soldiers ready to crash, smash and break... in front, a group of warriors ready to burn, ignite and turn things to ashes. Xin, almost instinctively, seemed to Teiú, walked forward right before the Fire Nation soldiers spoke something. The shopkeeper, right behind the line of Earthbenders rushed away shouting "The fireheads, the fireheads". The rebel just stood there, not being able to listen to another sound other than the beats of his heart. Xin left and Teiú didn't move a muscle. The young man was feeling like a cat near water.

The shock was so hard that tears came down his eyes and his hands, holding Setsuko, were shaking visibly.

The commander of the Fire Nation troop advanced two steps and, with a harsh voice, said: "Hand me the girl and you may have a chance to survive all this."

"Are you kidding, commander? This is the spy scum who killed a high officer." Shouted a loud voice, from behind the red lines.

"Would never hurt her. I loved her... never hurt her." And this was what seemed to Teiú to be a thought, but after the commander moved slightly in response to the speech, it was clear to the rebel that the phrase was, actually, spoken.

From behind a loud roar alike an earthquake echoed. In front of Teiú the commander quickly stepped away and protected his head with his armored arms. Teiú held Setsuko tightly and rushed sideway, jumping over a poorly constructed wooden fence, supposed to serve as protection for a small wooden shack, while a wave of rocks broke the and through the road were all the persons in the scene were standing. Teiú yet distinguished the orders of the commander before runnign away like a cat-rabbit.

"First line forward, forward! Private Shang, after the spy, go, go, go!".

Teiú crossed the terrain and jumped the fence once again to return to the main street of the village. Private Shang was just after him and mimicked the rebel's every move. Teiú rushed up the village in the direction of the northern exit. However, Setsuko was heavy and Teiú was tired from the walking from earlier. Shang was about to reach him. From the north three spear armed soldiers up on ostrich-horses were coming to aid the soldiers engaging fight just going down the road. Teiú went to them shouting "Fire Nation, Fire Nation".

Private Shang took down the soldier that advanced first but was stabbed right at the chest by the spears of the last two opponents. The ostrich-horse of the unlucky Earth Kingdom's soldiers moved back enough for Teiú to reach the bridle. In a jump, which Teiú, later on, wouldn't know how to explain how he managed to get strength to perform, the young man got over the animal and forced him through the north direction with Setsuko on his lap. The other two soldiers, in a rush to reach the battlefield, failed to see the theft of their companion's ostrich-horse.

(Teiú leaves to: The Battle of Tachi Dai)