The villagers were busy cleaning up, so they didn't seem to notice his presence. I walked toward him with Banyu.
"Hey,"
"Hey," I replied.
"So, uh, I think I'll need your help to fight off those bandits. Traveling back to Aurelianos would waste so much time, so I decided to just buy a sword. Are you guys willing to help me?" I shared a look with Banyu.
"Yeah, just let us know where we should meet to discuss the plan."
"Temple of Asmos during the transition from cyrus to moone."
"Alright," I nodded.
"Thanks, see you two!" Then he ran away, looking around to ensure no one saw him.
"Is there something wrong, Luna Banyu and Luna Valentine?" We turned back and saw El Reena.
"Oh, hey, El Reena," we bowed.
"There's nothing wrong, El Reena," we shook our heads.
"Alright, have a nice day, you two."
"Yes, you too, El Reena," we bowed, and she walked away.
Oh yeah, each of the villagers here has a title that has different meanings. Let me make a list of it:
Air Benders
Married Male: Aer
Teenage (or unmarried) Male: Aero
Married Female: Ebree
Teenage Female: Bree
Fire Benders
Married Male: Akosua
Teenage Male: Akosuo
Married Female: Estella
Teenage Female: Stella
Water Benders
Married Male: Neo
Teenage Male: Neo
Married Female: Eluna
Teenage Female: Luna
Earth Benders
Married Male: Rok
Teenage Male: Ro
Married Female: Egaia
Teenage Female: Gaia
Banyu and I quickly headed to find Alas.
"Alas," we called him. He approached us.
"What is it?"
"Estevao asked for help. We're going to meet him at the Temple of Asmos during the transition from cyrus to moone."
"Knew it," he said as he casually walked away.
"Uh?"
"It's fine. Let's just practice bending again. Oh yeah, I learned to air surf with water bubbles."
"Oh yeah? You can do that?"
"Yeah!! Come on, let me teach you." We headed to the shore and practiced air surfing until almost transition time.
"We better go now."
"Yeah," we landed at the entrance, waiting for Alas.
"Come on," we walked outside the village and onto the main road.
"Have you told El Eliodora?" Alas asked.
"Nope."
"So you're going to keep this a secret?"
"Nope, I just forgot to tell her."
We eventually arrived at the Temple of Asmos and looked around for Estevao. Where is he?
"Hey, follow me," he appeared from behind and startled me.
We followed him to a secluded place. There was a small hut made out of straw, and the four of us went in. There was nothing inside; it was safe. Estevao closed the door, blocking the only path of light into the room. There was no lighting inside, so Alas made fire in his hand.
"Hey, guys, thank you so much for coming to help me," Estevao opened the conversation.
"Yeah, no problem."
"So what's the plan?" Alas asked.
"I've spied on them for some time, and they seem to shift guards in the afternoon. With only one person guarding my sister, I think we'll be able to win the fight and get my sister back."
"Alright."
"So we're going to do an ambush—"
"AAA!" Banyu screamed as the door behind us was slammed open.
A group of men in black outfits, black headbands, and black masks appeared. Alas extinguished his fire. There were five of them, one leading in front, who slammed the door open. They all looked similar. They pointed their swords at us, ready to charge. They must be the bandits Alas saw and the ones Estevao was talking about. They looked so agile and trained. Now what? Are they the evil spirits El Eliodora was talking about? Oh no, I'm not ready for this. The only way out was the door, and the bandits were all standing there. How did they know we were here? I'm sure no one was following us before. Alas unsheathed his sword. Estevao followed. Frick, I didn't bring any weapons. Alas moved forward, Estevao too, covering me and Banyu.
"Finish them," said the guy in front.
Five versus two—are you serious? Alas and Estevao charged. The sound of swords clashing horrified me. This was the first time I was in a real fight. What if Alas got stabbed in the stomach and died? What if Estevao got injured again? What if Alas killed one of the bandits and his son cried all night wondering where his father had gone? Ugh, I need to stop this. I mean, yeah, they've captured Estevao's sister, but still, they're human. I do believe that, apart from how sadistic they can be, they still have a conscience inside them.
"Ban, slice the roof open." Banyu collected water and made a big sword, which sliced the roof open.
The bandits looked stunned but still kept fighting. I quickly made a big bubble, big enough for the four of us, and lifted it up. Banyu helped me keep the bubble still while the bandits tried slicing through it.
"How did they know we were there?" Alas panted.
"I don't know. I'm sure no one was following us," Banyu replied, still catching her breath.
"Maybe they weren't following us but were just taking a night walk and heard some talking here, so they decided to barge in."
"Maybe…" Estevao nodded.
"But why would they randomly barge into a stranger's conversation?"
"Because who'd talk secretly at night in such a neglected place if not someone suspicious?" Banyu answered.
"You've got a point," Estevao agreed.
"We should just continue the plan in Aisling. With the portal closed, it's safe there," I suggested.
"Mhm," Alas said, though he still seemed to be thinking about how the bandits knew where we were.
Banyu and I 'drove' the bubble to Aisling, just in time before the portals closed. We're never allowed to use our bending outside the village except under lethal conditions, and even then only for self-defense, not offense. We're taught that every soul is inherently kind, and even criminals shouldn't be killed but rather awakened to their conscience. After all, they're just broken souls shaped by their environment, trying to prove their strength.
We landed on the beach and popped the bubble. Alas sheathed his sword and sat on the bench with the rest of us. The cloth on his arm was ripped, and his left arm seemed to have been sliced by one of the bandits' swords. He sat down beside me. I placed my hand on his arm to start blood bending, but he quickly pulled it back.
"What are you doing?"
"Trying to poison you…of course, I'm healing you. Here," I said, taking his arm again.
"It better work, or I won't trust you anymore."
"Don't you already not trust me?"
I closed my eyes and felt the blood inside his body. I directed more plasma toward the wound to heal it quickly. The wound closed, stopping the flow of blood. I lifted my hand from his arm and opened my eyes.
"My pleasure, brother Alas," I said with a smile.
"Stupid," he muttered, rubbing my hair.
"All right, where were we?" Alas asked.
"So, I was planning an ambush for tomorrow afternoon," Estevao said.
"Uh, okay," we nodded.
"But I might need to stay here for the night…"
"Oh yeah, that's totally fine. You can sleep at our house…but we might need to share a bed," I said. Our mattress could be folded to save space when used by one person but could fit two if unfolded.
"Oh yeah, that's no problem," Estevao replied.
"Guys…are there going to be killings tomorrow?" I asked.
"Yes," Estevao answered. I looked at him, feeling uneasy. No…please. I know killing isn't the answer. It never is and never will be.
"Uh, we are taught not to kill anyone, no matter how evil they may seem, because we believe they have a conscience inside them. Resuscitating their conscience is a better solution," Banyu explained.
"Oh, uh… I'm sorry. But, um, how do you think we should rescue my sister then?" Estevao asked.
"Two of us will fight and lure the guard away from the house, while the other two will rescue your sister," Alas planned.
"Sure. My sister might not know you guys, so I'll go get her," Estevao offered.
"I'll come with you," I volunteered.
"All right," Estevao said, smiling.
"It's late already. We better have a good rest. I'm going to sleep," Banyu said, standing up.
"All right, ai moone, Ban," I smiled.
"Ai moone, Ban," Alas said.
"Ai moone to you both," she replied with a smile and waved.
Alas stood up, so I did too, and Estevao followed. Alas walked away to practice his fire bending, while I moved closer to the water to practice my own bending. I needed to ensure I could create a strong bubble tomorrow without Banyu's help. I started making one while Estevao practiced making snow spheres. They looked impressive.
"Can you freeze things?" I asked.
"Well, yeah…what's up?"
"I have an idea. I'll put a blob of water on the bandits' feet and hands, and then you can freeze it. That should stop them easily."
"That's smart. Let's try it out."
"Okay, here." I directed some water to completely cover my foot.
"Uh, on you?" he asked, confused.
"Yeah," I replied.
He raised his arm and pushed it forward. The water instantly turned to ice. My foot was freezing. I tried lifting it, but the ice was rigid and wouldn't budge.
"It's working!" I said excitedly.
"Ahaha, yeah," Estevao said with a grin. He unfroze my foot and continued practicing his ice bending.
The ocean breeze felt warm on my freezing foot. I noticed a bright light from behind me and turned to see. A large whirl of fire spun in front of Alas—it looked like a fire shield. It was so cool. I walked closer, feeling the heat on my skin. It was so intense that I'd gladly choose the North Pole over a desert any day. The shield looked perfect, like something a fire bending master would create.
"Throw something sharp!" Alas shouted.
I pulled water from the sea and shaped it into spear-like ends, throwing them at the fire shield. They vanished upon impact, leaving small holes in the shield. Alas fixed the holes and strengthened the shield. I attacked again, and this time, the water spears didn't even leave a mark. When I attacked once more, the water spears were reflected back at me. Luckily, I reacted quickly and created a water wall to capture them.
"Woah!" Alas said, stopping his practice as he walked toward me.
"What do you mean, 'woah'? You almost killed me."
"That's sad because 'almost' is never enough."
"Heh."
"Just kidding. I like your water wall."
I shook my head as Estevao continued practicing his ice bending. He was crafting a semi-circular blade-like structure that looked sharp enough to slice through air. It was impressively thin and strong.
"Est, we should probably get some rest," Alas encouraged.
"Yeah, come on," Estevao said, taking a deep breath as he followed us to our house. I showered first while Alas prepared dinner. I heard him say something from outside the bathroom, but the sound of water drowned it out.
"What?"
"Are you deaf? I asked if you'll be eating."
"Nope."
"Kay," he replied.
After finishing my shower, I went to the dining table to say goodnight.
"Hey, guys."
"Hey, come join us," Estevao invited.
"Uh, no, it's fine. I was just going to say ai moone."
"Oh, all right then."
"Yeah, enjoy your meal…ai moone, Est, Alas."
"Ai moone," they replied.
I turned to leave, but Estevao called out to me again.
"You did great, by the way."
"You too," I replied with a smile.
I headed to my room, closed the door, and lay down. I was exhausted. Creating and maintaining a huge bubble and throwing water spears had drained so much of my energy. I realized I needed to work on my endurance. The bandits might not be able to bend, but they seemed well-trained and highly durable. But that wasn't what worried me most. I couldn't… I just couldn't kill someone. It felt wrong. The books had always told me to never ignore my inner heart, and winning a fight by bloodshed felt like nothing more than committing a sin. But how was I supposed to stop them? Reporting their crimes to the king wouldn't guarantee they'd reform, and they might continue their crimes after being released. What should I do?
I turned onto my side. I needed to make kiyo soup for the four of us tomorrow. I was sure it would help somehow. With those thoughts circling in my mind, I finally closed my eyes and drifted to sleep.
I woke up in what felt like a dream. Hu Master Li was beside me, pouring a glass of tea. I quickly sat up and bowed.
"Ai cyrus, Hu Master Li. I'm sorry; you could have just woken me up," I said apologetically.
"Ai cyrus, Luna Valentine. I didn't want to disturb your rest; you seemed tired," he replied. Oh no, had I been snoring?
"Uh, thank you for coming, Hu Master Li," I said nervously.
"Anytime. You seem troubled. What's on your mind?"
"Oh, well…" I hesitated before explaining everything. "We were collecting Pori fruits on Mount Portia when Luna Banyu found a twin Pori fruit. We asked El Eliodora about it, and she said an evil spirit—or spirits—might be after one of us. Later that night, we found Estevao, a man with an arrow piercing his stomach, near the portal entrance. His sister has been captured by bandits, and we're now trying to help him rescue her. But…I don't know. It doesn't feel right to kill or hurt the bandits. I just don't know what to do."
Hu Master Li sighed and gave me a small smile. "You truly value our tenets, don't you?"
I nodded. "But I don't know what to do."
"There is a king and a temple—"
Before he could finish, I woke up. Ah! It was just a dream. Why did I have to wake up before he finished? What did he mean by 'a king and a temple'? Morning light streamed through the window. I tried to go back to sleep, hoping to continue the dream, but it didn't work. I sat up, tidied my room, and went to shower and change before preparing breakfast.
I chopped the ingredients for vermicelli kiyo soup and placed them in a medium-sized bowl. I also prepared two smaller bowls. As I worked, my mind kept drifting back to Hu Master Li's words: "a king and a temple." A king would likely just imprison the bandits, which wouldn't solve the root problem. A temple might be too lenient, allowing them to escape. How could a king and a temple be the solution?
"Ai cyrus, sloth," Alas greeted as he entered the dining room, pulling me out of my thoughts.
"Hey, ai cyrus," I replied, smiling as I gestured for him to sit.
"Alas, could you cook this for me?" I asked, grinning mischievously.
"Ugh," he rolled his eyes but took the bowl and began cooking.
"There," he said after a while, handing the finished soup back to me.
"Thanks," I said, scooping some into a smaller bowl and handing it to him with chopsticks and a spoon.
"Ai cyrus," Estevao greeted, walking in.
"Ai cyrus," Alas and I said in unison.
"Here, we made you vermicelli kiyo soup. I hope you like it. El Eliodora said it helps rebuild energy," I said, handing him a smaller bowl.
"Whoa, thanks," he said, taking it gratefully.
To save water for cleaning, I ate from the medium-sized bowl. The soup tasted so good—better than I expected.
"This tastes great," Estevao complimented.
"Oh, well, I'm glad to hear that," I said, continuing to eat.
"Have you talked about this to El Eliodora?" Alas asked me.
"No, I haven't had the time."
"Oh. Well, I'll talk to her after this," he said.
"Thanks."
After finishing, I cleaned the bowls and utensils using water bending. It wasn't to show off; it was just good practice for controlling water. We spent the rest of the morning practicing our bending techniques.
"We'd better prepare," Estevao reminded us.
"Yeah, let's go," Alas agreed. We gathered our weapons and exited the portal. It was my first real mission.
"Alas…" I began hesitantly.
"What?"
"I dreamt about Hu Master Li visiting me. He said the way out might be 'a king and a temple.' I mean, our king would just imprison the bandits, and that doesn't solve the problem. You get me?"
"Yeah, and?"
"But the temple would be too loose for the bandits; they could escape anytime. So what do you think Hu Master Li meant by that?"
"Don't tell me you don't understand," he replied, raising an eyebrow.
"Hey, I know you're smart, but—ugh, yeah, what does it mean?"
"We'll suggest to the king that the bandits should live in the temple, with measures in place to ensure they can't escape," he explained.
Why hadn't I thought of that? "Ooh! Okay, I'll just capture the bandits with bubbles and bring them to the king."
"Guys, change of plans," Alas announced as we continued walking.
"Yeah?"
"We'll capture the bandits with bubbles, send them to the king, and suggest the king punish them by placing them in the temple with no chance of escape."
"Wait, that's smart. How'd you come up with that?" Banyu asked, impressed.
"Yeah," Estevao agreed. "Sounds like a great plan."
Alas raised his eyebrows at me smugly, but I ignored him.
We finally arrived in front of the house and hid behind a tall, cracked brick wall. As Estevao had said, there was only one guard. He was dressed in a normal villager's outfit, pretending to be a man casually walking around his house while deep in thought.
"Okay, you guys go first. Go behind the house and hide," Alas instructed.
"Yes."
"See you. Good luck," Banyu said, giving me a fist bump.
"May the spirits be with us," Estevao added.
Estevao and I circled the house to hide in the backyard. Although the bandit also circled the house, he spent most of his time near the front, so we stayed hidden in the back. I followed Estevao closely. He carried a sword, while I only had a small knife hidden in my shoe for emergencies.
Not long after hiding, we heard the clash of swords. Estevao and I rushed to the house. The door was locked.
"Give me water," Estevao said.
"Okay."
I collected some water, and he froze part of it into the shape of a key. Sliding it into the keyhole, he turned it—and it worked! The door opened.
The house was quite large, bigger than mine and Alas'. I stepped inside quietly. There were seven rooms in total, six of them open. The last room, at the corner, was closed, making it look suspicious. I used hand signals to communicate with Estevao, and we decided to check that room.
My heart was racing. The silence heightened the tension. I tried opening the door, but it was locked again. Collecting a bit more water, Estevao froze it into another key and unlocked the door. He slammed it open.
Four men stood beside a girl. They were the bandits. Oh no.