To the sovereign, the people is everything. To the people, food is everything.
As swarms of locusts swept through the drought ridden farmlands, they covered the skies and began to feast on whatever little that remains in the empty fields. Small specks of grain on the ground are consumed in mere seconds. Dried carcasses of once healthy farm animals are seemingly devoured without resistance, even the bones are being chipped away gradually.
With such conditions, nothing can be grown here. Both of them fought hard to protect their own food supplies, hiding it away from these ravenous pests. But their number knows no bound. Satchiko snapped open the metal fans, swatting countless dead as the sharp glinting blades sliced through insect bodies into halves. But it was no use. The swarm is too overwhelming, the ones she killed is like a few droplets in a vast ocean.
This only compelled them to walk faster, but the poorly maintained dirt road is rough, making this trip long and torturous. It is difficult to tread on such uneven grounds. The absence of any good infrastructure meant even wheel carts cannot easily travel through these harsh lands.
"Yuck!" Satchiko spatted out some locusts that flew into her mouth. She reacted with disgust. They are all engulfed into a storm of these bugs. While they are harmless, being pelted with these creatures are deeply irritating.
"Don't worry, they are not poisonous!" Mayumi used her hands to shield the face. But this reassurance did not in any way ease Satchiko's annoyance towards this phenomenon. Although these locusts are living beings, they do feel more akin to forces of nature that ravages these lands.
Their torturous walk temporally halted when they found a thick forest at night. An entire day of painful walking forced them to set up camp. It is rather surprising to the young warrior that the trees here have protected the nearby land from drying up. Upon entering it, they are finally protected from the giant swarms, but all their stamina have depleted.
"I thought walking to the temple was a challenge, but this made it look much easier!" Satchiko puffed, breathing loudly.
They both slumped down to the grass, taking a good rest before trying to set up a temporary sleeping environment in this wilderness.
"With such poorly maintained roads, I am baffled by how Governor Liu Yan is still controlling this state." Mayumi complained. She threw down her backpack, immediately began to build a tent. "What should have taken us half the day to travel have instead prolonged this journey."
Luckily, they have at least a few days until those monks are moving again. Mayumi confidently claimed that the Air Nomads are very thorough in their search for the Avatar. A single town would have many children, testing them all with the sacred relics would be time consuming.
Satchiko tried to quench her thirst by drinking from her own waterskin. But there is only one drop left. Her mouth is left wanting for more.
"Big sis, you got some water?"
Mayumi checked her own supplies but was surprised to discover only one mouthful remains. Despite being the responsible one, she is inexperienced with travelling. Thus, unwillingly expended most of the drinkable water.
"We need to resupply," she prudently suggested. They cannot just continue without this valuable resource.
Satchiko volunteered to be the one to search for more water while her sister constructs a makeshift camp. By Mayumi's suggestion, she walked over a few steep hills to reach the highest point in the area. The process itself was rather taxing, yet the thought of drinking more water serves as an effective motivation. She even suppressed her own urge to devour Mayumi's supply, wishing to work hard to earn her own refill.
As the golden fans cut through some thick bushes, a clearing revealed itself to the inquisitive warrior. There is some sand, leading to a giant pond of water connected to running rivers. No time was wasted. Satchiko refilled both waterskins to full capacity, even drinking directly from the river in a voracious manner. Unlike the waters from the ocean, it is fresh.
Upon lifting her face back up, she marveled at what is before her.
The pond itself ran clean and transparent across the area. With the moonlight glistening ripples of flashes on its pristine surfaces, birds can be seen flying, their feet leaving fine trail of lines behind them.
This scenery is beautiful. Surrounded by trees and other vegetations, this forest has certainly been more guarded against the drought than the desolated farmlands. What makes this even better is how the night is graced with the beauty of a full moon.
But even a calm serenity like this can be easily ruined.
Her eyes bolted towards her left. Something is rustling amongst the thick bushes. She quietly drew out one metal fan as the tip of an arrow revealed itself.
As a Kyoshi Warrior, she learnt how to deal with ambushes like this. Years of practice with her fellow sisters have been more than helpful. But her keen green eyes noticed that the projectile isn't pointed at her.
Satchiko turned to the center of the pond. A mother Turtle-Duck carries a brood on her shell, two adoration creatures. Even without thinking, she knew they are the real target.
Out of pure impulse, she quickly picked up a pebble near the riverbank. Admittedly, there was some hesitation. But similar to using a throwable knife, she threw the rock at the arrow, hitting her target.
"Ouch!"
A voice cried. Judging by that reaction, it must have been very painful, an indication that she managed to hit the bow wielder directly. The raft of Turtle-Ducks is instantly startled. Satchiko is relieved upon seeing them fleeing the area. She decided to confront the one who dares to harm such innocent creatures.
Crossing her arms, she marched towards a cluster of bushes where the hunter resided. Satchiko also snapped open her two metal fans, assuming a defensive posture. Whoever is hiding behind those sets of vegetation must be a brute that cannot be reasoned with.
Instead, she received a rather perplexing sight.
"What was that for!?" A little boy yelled indignantly. Satchiko looked downward as he crawled out from hiding, one hand pressing onto a bruising forehead.
Satchiko is shocked. She just attacked a little child. He does appear to be only eleven years of age judging by his now scrawling expression. The brown fur hat and deel robe does suggest he isn't an ordinary farmer's kid. It's strange, how is someone so young be allowed to wield a bow?
"Hey! I am asking you a question, why did you do that?" The shout of the boy brought Satchiko back from her initial confusion, she still needs to handle the current situation.
The Kyoshi Warrior refocused herself but is also determined to get some answers.
"You were about to shoot at that family of turtle ducks, why would you practice archery on them?" Although intimidating, Satchiko tried not to raise her voice. She is dealing with a kid much younger after all. "Don't you know that the mother has babies on her?"
Yet, the logic he presented is surprisingly hard to refute. While lacking in eloquence, this stubby kid's blunt words made Satchiko unable to argue.
"Hey, I was not practicing, I was just hunting for food, wouldn't you do the same if you were hungry?" The boy in brown clothing snapped. He is definitely not pleased with the lecture she gave.
"But they did nothing to you!" Satchiko replied somewhat fiercely. "You can't just harm something that are they minding their own business!"
"Well, that is true, but unless you are one of those freaks from the Air Temples, you definitely have eaten meat, right?"
Satchiko is immediately rendered speechless. She isn't sure if this kid is a secret genius or an accidental scholar. Regardless, she faltered. Fish is meat. A lifetime of eating fish has made it her most penchant food.
Noticing that she is pondering, the little boy continued to speak.
"Animals didn't do anything to us, yet most people still eat them anyway." The boy made sure that he emphasized the last bit more, eliciting Satchiko's hypocrisy. If that was his intention, it worked pretty well. The older girl is no longer interested in refuting, as memories of the dead Elephant-Koi persisted in her mind. Her greed for the fillet has driven her to such transgression.
In order to not bring further disrepute to their family, Satchiko admitted her lack of awareness.
"You are right, I have overlooked the flaws of my words," she said candidly. "I rammed an Elephant-Koi towards the beach, never once have I considered it as a living being that deserves respect."
Instead of lingering on their philosophical differences, the boy is suddenly intrigued by her account.
He stood in amazement. "You killed an Elephant-Koi alone? That is cool!"
Seeing the excitement in his eyes, Satchiko isn't sure how to read the situation. As an energetic and impulsive youth herself, she lacks the foresight in dealing with children. Mayumi's presence would certainly be more beneficial.
"Uh yeah, and I almost lost my life to the Unagi," Satchiko continued with a neutral tone.
While it might not have been her intention, the jaw of the boy dropped even lower. While Satchiko only revealed vague details about how she was almost devoured, it only further fueled his great awe.
The boy decided to adapt a friendlier tone, discarding the earlier confrontational expression. His face now appears surprisingly gentle and childish.
"The name's Batu," the boy introduced himself. "From one warrior from another, you are pretty good."
He enthusiastically offered to shake hands, which Satchiko reluctantly accepted.
"My name is Satchiko, from Kyoshi Island." Usually, it was Mayumi who speaks first. The older sister would demonstrate the usual etiquette of stating the names of their parents. But since Satchiko possesses no penchant for formalities, the informal greetings will suffice.
"I have no idea where Kyoshi Island is, but it's probably a very nice place!" Batu replied.
Just like most people, this little boy also has no idea where her home is located. On most maps, that remote piece of land isn't even depicted. But on the other hand, she is slightly wary of Batu himself. Although friendly, the little boy is clearly no normal kid. He is armed, likely a somewhat experienced archer paired with that knife near the waist.
They stopped talking when a rumbling sound interrupted this moment. Satchiko knew where it's coming from. She hasn't eaten anything since they got off that ship. Despite the new provisions, she still hasn't got a chance to consume it.
"You can come back to my camp, I'm sure the Khan wouldn't mind having guests." The boy suggested. "Our Khan loves to have visitors. My sister can make some very good cheese! For dinner, we are having a lot of staff, like roast ribs, roast legs and roast intestines. We even have fermented milk and Buuz!"
"Buuz?" Satchiko asked with a confused expression, she never heard of any food named that before.
Batu clarified that it is just another version of the famous Earth Kingdom meat buns, a food that is usually steamed in the preparation. Once again, Satchiko's naive nature reared its head. She has no idea about the cuisines of the mainlanders, but it is clear that her father is more knowledgeable on the intricate traditions of such cooking.
"Who is the Khan?" Satchiko inquired. "Is this some sort of title your people use for village chief?"
"Village? Chief?" Batu is confused. "No, we don't live in villages."
Satchiko is unsure what to make of this. Still enduring the hunger in her body, she wanted to taste those food so badly. Even though the need for water is secured, food shortage is definitely another problem. But she cannot just leave. Mayumi is still waiting behind her.
"Thanks for the invitation," Satchiko replied with courtesy. "Unfortunately, my sister and I must go to another town, it's very important."
"Oh, that's too bad," the boy said with empathy. "We were going to have such good food tonight. So much meat!" He even described the different types of spices and grills that will be employed to roast the food.
Satchiko tried to suppress her imaginations. In this world, food is very alluring. She was never a person who lusts after the opulence. But the very essence of life itself is sustained by what people can eat, saving them from hunger.
Thankfully, the rustling sound from the nearby bushes diverted her attention. A woman in armor and green clothing emerged.
"There you are Satchiko!" Mayumi revealed herself. There are a few tree leaves and grass sticking in the long brown hair. "What took you so long?" She is surprised by the sight of another person, noticing Batu standing nearby. "Oh, who may you be?"
Batu's reaction is rather comical, exactly expected from a little juvenile.
"Satchiko, look! It's a bigger version of yourself!" Batu pointed at Mayumi.
The two sisters glanced at each other. Although his statement isn't technically true, the face paint and identical armor does support this notion. Many people often joked about the similarity inside their family, remarking the iconic brown hair that have persisted for generations. The height difference and the absence of a golden headdress on Satchiko is a very good distinguishing method.
"Pleasure to meet you," Mayumi greeted.
The elder sister exchanged a few friendly words with the young boy, and Satchiko concealed the fact that she just hurled a rock at Batu earlier. She already got herself into one trouble with that governor, and Mayumi shouldn't bail her out of a second one. There is a fear that this 'Khan' might be offended by her audacity to strike one of his own.
"We appreciate your kind hospitality, but as my sister said, we can't spend too much time here." Mayumi said with courtesy.
"I'm curious, what is so important about that town you are heading to anyway?" Batu asked while scratching his head. "What could be more important than food?"
"Well, you see, we wanted to go to Ba Sing Se, but our ship can no longer use its original route." Mayumi began to recount the previous mishaps and events that led them here. "There are people who might be able to assist us."
"But it's so far away!" Batu exclaimed.
Mayumi nodded in response to Batu's statement, she too acknowledges the challenge they are trying to overcome.
"In the last town, we heard news about a Sky-Bison that is travelling to another town inland." Mayumi elaborated. "If we can request the owners of that flying beast, my sister and I can easily go to Ba Sing Se."
"They are monks, we think they might be trying to find the Avatar," Satchiko added. Batu's face suddenly scrawled. "What's wrong?" Satchiko asked again.
Batu's expression instantly soured. A stern person who is disgusted by the mere idea of those Air Nomads.
Both sisters are slightly concerned, afraid they have somehow offended him.
"Nothing to worry about," Batu replied. But both Kyoshi Warriors did not buy his act. "I just don't like those baldies." He kicked a nearby rock, which dropped into the lake and sank right into the bottom. "What makes you think they would help you?" Batu suddenly asked in an interrogative voice. "Just because they are peaceful and friendly in the books, doesn't mean that they might help you for real."
Mayumi was a bit confronted by that bold statement, as everything she knew about the Air Nomads are precisely learnt from their father's collection of literature.
"But Batu, we very need their help." Satchiko said in a reconciliatory tone. "While they are occupied in searching the Avatar, I'm sure they are willing to at least assist us."
Batu reacted as any child would do, erratic and impulsive.
"They don't care about you!" He burst out. "All they do is meditate and tell others how kind they are while everyone else is mean and angry! If those monks are as good as you say, then why don't they help me when I needed them the most!?"
Satchiko and Mayumi both sensed intense anger, not directed to them, but towards the Air Nomads. Without establishing the context, they cannot fully understand his fury.
"It's ok, we don't need to talk about them." Mayumi intentionally left out direct mentions of those monk. Ignorant of the background history, they remained cautious. Satchiko also realized Mayum's verbal cue.
"It was nice knowing you, Batu, but we have to go now." Satchiko said. Mayumi then performed a respectful. Batu doesn't quite understand this etiquette but did slightly lower his head.
They have spent too much time here. Both sisters still need depart for their next destination.
"Let's go Satchiko." Mayumi turned to leave.
"Wait," Batu's voice halted their steps. "I hate those blue arrow heads, but I don't think they should be the ones to help you get to Ba Sing Se. You want a Sky-Bison? I will get you two a Sky-Bison!"
This caught Satchiko's interest, but also caution. She isn't certain if he is offering help due to kindness or out of spite for the monks.
Mayumi is the one that tried to steer back sensibility to this conversation. "Batu, we appreciate your amicable gesture, but our journey is truly paramount to my sister's endeavor. I may not understand your personal grievance towards the Air Nomads, but I do not foresee how you may procure a beast of such caliber without their assistance."
This is a question that Satchiko also wishes to ask. Mayumi stated repeatedly that the Sky-Bisons are almost exclusively part of the Air Nomad culture. Only the monks of those temples can own one. How is a little hunter boy able to get one of those beasts?
Batu exclaimed, asserting that he is completely serious on the matter. But before he can utter another word, Mayumi suddenly shoved Satchiko away with a palm strike.
"Ah!" Satchiko fell to the ground. Before an explanation can be uttered, a bola entangled Batu's arms, unbalancing him.
She quickly rose back up. A few more spinning bolas are sent towards them. Mayumi unsheathed her curved blade and cut off some strings from the projectiles.
With no time to think, Satchiko snapped open both fans and tried to deflect the incoming bolas. Upon realizing that these projectiles can entangle the limbs, she changed tactic, dodging them entirely.
"Get me out of this thing!" Batu struggled to free himself. The strings between the two metal cords are tight, making it hard to tear through with the bite of his teeth.
Just like all projectiles, it will eventually be expended. After enduring many bolas being thrown at their way, Mayumi have a clear idea of their origins. She retrieved one throwable knife from her robe and threw it at a group of dense vegetation.
The blade pierced through flesh. A painful grunt was heard.
"Reveal yourselves!" Mayumi demanded.
Four hooded figures emerged from hiding. Satchiko grew even more wary as the strangers are obviously hostile.
"You lot have some explanations to do!" Mayumi pointed her blade at them. Satchiko guarded Batu.
The four that ambushed them all wore strange robes that does not exhibit any similarities with the four bending nations. But the cowls do have their respective corresponding colors.
A young woman in red robe stepped forward. She revealed more of her face. It was unremarkable, but they did notice a strange tattoo near the side of the neck. It's possible this person with a dark ponytail is the leader.
The atmosphere suddenly became very tense.
Satchiko, being the naturally impulsive and boisterous person she is, taunted them. But unlike normal pirates they fought in the past, these four strangers remained unfazed.
The four stood in silence, none of them are demanding riches. But the lack of weapons did not go unnoticed by Mayumi, who immediately recognized the danger they pose.
But the words from their possible leader baffled the Kyoshi Warriors. The young woman in red cowl spoke in a strange sense of compassion. It was a tone not expected from someone who just ambushed strangers.
"The Master is a loving and benevolent man. Drop your murderous weapons and accept the righteous path, the path of the Eternal Balance carved out by him."