avaTARD

[icefire]

Zi gave him a blank look, "Thanks for that. That was awfully helpful." She got back atop Nala, and waited for Ling to follow suit before taking off.

Now Ling had some conversation topic to work with, "Wow! That was cool!" He grinned his flirty grin, hoping to get under the air bender's skin. He loved getting under people's skin. Especially since they didn't know he was bisexual, and never would for sure.

[maya-bird]

“You’re welcome.” Kest said to the woman’s blank look. He eyed her warily. Her he was, traveling with two assassins, one whose name he didn’t even know. Not that ‘Ling’ was the man’s real name…or maybe it was. Either way, traveling with these two assassins unsettled him to the point of a dull silence. The man suddenly spoke to him, a coy tone to his voice.

Kest observed him with half lidded eyes, feeling suddenly ruffled. Ling eyed him expectantly, as if he was supposed to offer a reply. “Thanks…”He replied dully. “ The storm was an obstruction.” He leaned back on his hands, considering hosting an actual conversation. He cleared his throat, glanced at the woman, then back at Ling.

“That woman…do you know anything else of her?”

[icefire]

Ling decided to lay on his stomach on the saddle, elbows set down and his head perched, tilted atop his hands, "No. She didn't really say much. We were lucky she even gave us a slip saying what you looked like and stuff."

It was kind of weird for Ling, talking to someone he should have killed. It was almost like talking to a ghost for him. This man would be dead right now, if not for his sisters strange, uncharacteristic impulses. Ling closed his eyes to the sun, and let the wind ruffle his hair. It was too hot out here, in this vast sandy plane of doom. Er, a desert. Yeah, that's what it was, a desert.

Zi frowned at the sunny dunes. They seemed to stretch on for miles and miles.

[maya-bird]

“How peculiar.” Kest noted quietly, eyes lost in the dunes that seemed to stretch infinitely into the horizon. The Si Wong Desert hadn’t been frequented in his travels, but he had wandered about it a few times. Though nearly inhabitable, sand bender tribes spotted the desert. The camps were infrequent and usually hostile like the desert itself.

He took a swig of water from his the skin and pondered. The woman wanted Taritzu dead…did that mean she had a hit against other airbenders? Ling’s twin had mentioned a possibility of another scheme concerning genocide, but that could merely be conjecture. He ran a hand through his damp black hair, wishing for the cooler temperate climate of the mountains. Kest didn’t care for the heat. He frowned, again considering the thought of an attempt at genocide. It made him sick to think another group would attack the airbenders. He wrote the possibility off into this mind, then closed his eyes.

It was easy to imagine—except for the heat—that he was in the mountains again. A gentle breeze caressing his face, silence punctuated by nature, out in the wilderness. He had missed this. Kest then remembered Sath, and wondered where she had gone. It wasn’t his intention to have spooked her, and he felt a little bad.

His mind jumped to the assassins next. How odd of them…the twin really. She had spared his life, and for what reason? Kest figured she’d opt for payment soon enough, in one way or another. He scarcely believed the story of how the woman unsettled her, for she too was an assassin. He eyed Ling’s twin, absentmindedly remembering to ask her name sometime. For now, he didn’t need the information; it wasn’t as if he struck up conversation anyway.

Nala carried them swiftly over the dunes, yet the sand stretched on still. Minutes turned to hours, and soon a sheen of sweat enveloped his face, and he had begun to use his cloak as sun protection, despite the heat. He’d normally travel the desert at night—serene actually—to avoid this plague. Kest stared off into the distance, blue eyes roaming the harsh landscape. With the greenery he saw dotting the horizon they were nearly across the desert. An amazing feat, yet it had taken most of the day. They definitely needed to stop soon.

[icefire]

Ling had frequently tried to scatter naps throughout the flight. Though, it seemed too hot for even that. He managed to take a couple hours worth of trips to dreamland, thankfully. His sister seemed as though she didn't need to be relieved at all. She had always been the one that loved flying Nala the most. However she would never admit that, in her all of her stoic glory.

Zi, meanwhile, was almost starting to compulsively search the horizon line every few seconds. They had been here for hours, they had to be out of this soon. The sky was starting to grow dark as the sun slowly sunk, when she finally spotted it. It was a strip of green. Ling must have been preoccupied with something else, for he didn't proclaim in joy until a couple of minutes after she first spotted it. The green was starting to grow bigger, "Yes! Finally..."

Ling sure sounded bright. Zi wondered about the air bender they were toting, if he was awake. She didn't feel like turning back to steal a glance. Internally, she shrugged. It didn't matter to her, one way or another. They slowly crept up on the gradually greener and more rocky terrain of a desert's suburbs. The sparse bushes and prickly looking plants didn't look too friendly, so she didn't land until she started seeing small trees, and a small creek flowing nearby.

"Down, Nala." Zi was certainly glad to be out of the inferno.

[maya-bird]

The tiger dragon flared her wings out to brake, and they descended into the woodlands, however sparse they may be. She landed with a soft huff, and Kest suppressed a content sigh. A soft breeze wafted through the trees, rustling leaves, and a small stream gurgled nearby. He leaped from the saddle and landed softly, leaving his pack and glider on the saddle. Kest made a beeline for the stream, kneeling and splashing cool water on his face.

He rubbed the back of his neck, glad the heat was no longer a large concern. Though they were still on the fringes of the desert, the temperature had dropped considerably. Kest stood up and walked over to Nala, looking up at the assassins. Giving them the higher ground…not smart. He pushed the thought aside and considered trusting them. No, no. As soon as you trust them, you’re dead. “Is this our stop for today, or just rest?” He directed the question openly, knowing one of them would answer. Personally he thought they should move on, but Nala looked pretty ragged. Coarse fur coupled with heat didn’t make for a good combination.

[icefire]

Zi was the one to respond, her voice formal and curt, "Nala is too tired. The day in the desert is too long for a tigerlion, it's not what she's used to." She didn't even face him, too busy in taking off Nala's saddle for the night.

Ling nodded, "Yeah, she's right. We should probably stay here. We made great time though!" He grinned.

Zi finished taking the saddle off, only then looking over at Kest, "We'll start earlier tomorrow since we're stopping now. Before sunrise."

[maya-bird]

“Noted.” Kest replied, retrieving his pack and glider as the woman removed Nala’s saddle. He walked towards a taller tree at the edge of the small clearing and removed his pack. He set his glider against the tree then crouched on the balls of his heels and began rooting through his belongings. Kest gingerly removed the bundle of jasmine, to avoid unnecessary crunching as he dug through his rations. He had a few bundles of dried fruit and some nuts left, which should suffice for tonight. They’d reach the temple tomorrow and not have to worry about victuals, he hoped.

He did realize his water canteen was empty, and after storing everything back, set off to fill his water. As he crouched down to fill his canteen, a rustling across the stream alerted him. Kest observed the bushes with keen eyes, noting the sharp brown quills poking through. He stood up, then backed up slowly. A boar-q-pine, and a large one at that.

The creature grunted, waddling from the bushes and trudging through the stream. It’s beady eyes regarded Kest with idle concern, and its nose twitched as it scented the air. Kest backed up further, holding his hand up in signal for the others to see. The boar-q-pine suddenly squealed in alarm, and Kest figured it had scented Nala.

However, he was wrong. A hulking form shot from the bushes and whipped its head around to study the clearing. It stood at nearly ten feet tall, and antlers sprouted from the top of its head, large fangs from its jaw. The saber-toothed moose lion snarled, revealing rows of teeth longer than his thumb. Kest glanced from the boar-q-pine to the moose lion and backed up till he bumped into Nala. The snarls and stare off continued.

[icefire]

Things were uneventful for a few minutes, before all hell apparently decided to break loose. It appeared as though two animals had been going along their normal water-routines, and were now having a territorial dispute. Right in the middle of what was going to be their camp. Zi blinked, her eyes widening in surprise. Her eyes turned to the hulking form of Nala. She frowned in disdain, due to Nala wiggling her haunches in preparation to pounce. Of course Nala was going to attack, she was an animal and she was protecting her people.

There was nothing Zi could do as Nala pounced towards the two other beasts. She was completely torn in between bending to stop it all and hiding her secret from the monk. Her mind raced to find an idea to stop it all, when Ling, being the hot head he is, sprang forth and began to fire bend.

She growled in frustration at her brother's foolish, impulsive actions, "God dammit Ling!"

He cackled in response. Well, at least he was warding the animals off.

Ling grinned from ear to ear while he did fire kicks and twirls, successfully shooing Nala back, and chasing off the other animals. He gave a final burst of flame from his open tiger palm, and the saber-toothed moose lion went scampering off from the direction it had come. Ling turned back towards his sister, arms crossed with a triumphant look on his face. Zi scowled, with an exasperated huff, "You are SUCH an idiot." She wasn't going to proclaim openly why he was an idiot, but she was sure the airbender was sharp enough to understand.

[maya-bird]

Kest sidestepped the lunging Nala, then regarded the whole scene with a slightly tilted head and narrowed eyes. He hadn’t assumed that either of them could bend, neither had given any indication. He usually could tell from personalities if one leaned towards bending; their personality spoke of it so. He had thought Ling impulsive, but neither arrogant nor vengeful, like the extreme firebenders. Nearly two decades of peace still harbored some fundamentalists’ firebenders.

Fire loosed from Ling’s movements, curving and brushing the animals back into the brush. His twin shouted angrily at him, and he eyed her with slightly veiled contempt, wondering what bending trick she could pull from her sleeve. When Ying’s twin proclaimed him an idiot, he couldn’t help but to agree.

Kest chuckled. “A fire bender,” He leaned on his glider, running his fingers along the torn membranes again. “multi-talented.” Snapping his glider shut, he resumed a standing position, looking to and fro from the twins subtly.

Kest scratched the stubble that seemed to certain to fledge into a bear, regarding Ling’s twin casually. He really ought to learn her name someday. But for now, it wasn’t essential. He waved thanks to Ling and resumed washing his face at the stream.

[icefire]

Zi just shook her head and sighed. She pinched the bridge of her nose, as she habitually did, and went over to the saddle they had taken off of Nala to pull out her bedding. Tonight, she was extra paranoid, and instead of earthbending a proper shelter, she took to the trees. She scaled a particularly twisted one with many branches to hold on to, and shook a sturdy looking branch to make sure it was just that. She threw down a sheet and tethered it to three separate branches, making a triangle shaped hammock. Pleased with herself, she crawled back down the tree to relax a bit before slumbering.

She looked to Ling again, and it appeared as though he had done almost the same as her: a basic hammock hung between two smaller trees than her own. Zi decided hers was better because it was higher from the ground.
----
Ling waded across the creek and hopped up on the other side, looking for firewood. He surveyed the area with a keen glance, and picked out a few decent pieces. Arms full once finished, he carefully waded his way across the stream again. The water felt refreshing flowing up to his knees, though they wet the hem of of his pants. He stepped out onto the other side and strode into their temporary camp.

Fire was a good idea seeing as he had made the beasts afraid of it, so he was definitely one for using it. He shaped a fire pit out of a few stones and put the wood in, lighting it with his bending. No use in hiding it now.

[maya-bird]

Kest watched idly as Ling and his twin set up hammocks in higher branches of the trees. He’d consented to vanish later, so he’d have time to meditate before resting a few hours. Watching the twins bustle about, he suddenly was struck with a feeling of uselessness. How odd. He was never one to feel useless, for everything had a place in time, and he always did. Or so he figured.

But what was he doing right now? He was supposed to be warning Taritzu, true, and resting on one’s journey is completely necessary. However, he wasn’t contributing to the group. No, he isolated himself out of---spite? He ran a hand through his hair and suppressed a frustrated scowl from smearing his face. He needed this isolation. Maybe with more sacrifice he’d become whole, he’d reach enlightenment. Yet he was trying so hard for enlightenment he was about to run himself into the ground.

Enlightenment—peace. Something supposedly unobtainable to the average person. Or was it the other way around? Kest narrowed his eyes and watched the twins again. They didn’t seem troubled, and they were assassins. They killed for a living. He shoved down a feeling of disgust and half-heartedly reminded himself they were helping him.

The twins seemed content enough, if not a little confused about this whole business. And Kest hadn’t seen them meditating, focusing. They weren’t trying so hard, but he was. Should he be? He nearly blanched. This is what he wanted, what he’d always wanted. Kest knew that enlightenment couldn’t be snatched and captured like some sort of bird, that it was achieved easier, with simpler means. Happiness.

He looked at his reflection in the stream, his tired eyes and perpetual frown. His face was angular and his eyes hungry, like he’d been trapped in a cage lately. Yet it was the exact opposite. Isolation was supposed to help, but only twisted him into something he normally wasn’t. It’s for the best, he reminded himself coolly. Warn Taritzu, find your parents, and you’ll be back on your path to enlightenment.

Kest wondered, as he watched Ling lighting the fire, if this path was truly his. He attempted to lighten his eyes as he walked over to Ling. He’d originally planned to ask if he needed help with anything, then switched to his usual clipped sentences at the last minute. “Thanks, Ling.”