Chapter 11: Mud, Boar, Help - 96 AG

As they continued their journey down the road, they stumbled upon a stranded carriage. Its wheel was deeply entrenched in muddy pools that had formed along the path. Only one man appeared to be in charge of the carriage, which was loaded with barrels, most likely filled with liquid, as one had spilled onto the ground, dampening the dirt. Nearby, the ostrich horse that pulled the carriage grazed on some grass, seemingly unperturbed by the situation.

Observing this, Iroh halted his approach to the town and instead made his way toward the carriage's owner. He sought to find a solution to the stuck carriage.

"Are you alright, my friend?" Iroh inquired calmly, bending down to inspect the wheel. "It appears your carriage is stuck."

"Yeah, obviously," the man responded, scratching his head and voicing his frustration. "You wanna help me or something? Otherwise, get lost."

"Of course, of course," Iroh murmured, stroking his beard. "Assistance is offered to those in need, my friend. However, it is also extended to those who show a degree of respect. If you hadn't asked politely and instead told us to go away, do you think you would deserve our help?"

"What are you saying, old man? If you don't want to help, just go away!" the man continued to scowl, using his hand to shoo Iroh away while fixating his attention back on the troublesome wheel.

Iroh sighed, disheartened by the response. It seemed his willingness to assist had waned, and with that, he turned away from the man, slowly retreating. Sozim silently followed him, refraining from comment.

"You changed your mind quickly," Sozim remarked. "I thought you wanted to help him."

"Not everyone is receptive to help," Iroh replied. "Many require assistance, but when it comes to deserving it, only a few qualify."

"And what do people need to do to deserve help?" Sozim inquired.

Iroh smiled. "Many things, my friend. But ultimately, it boils down to one simple act—asking. Politely, if possible. Of course, there are exceptions, like emergencies. In such cases, you can't wait for someone to ask, as it is, well, an emergency."

Sozim pondered this, gazing at the ground. "So, if I were to ask for your help, would you assist me?"

"Of course, my friend," Iroh chuckled. "Don't hesitate to ask."

Sozim hesitated for a moment. "I—"

Suddenly, Sozim halted in his tracks, leaving Iroh puzzled. His gaze turned toward the forest, near the carriage's owner, who had now distanced himself.

"Is something wrong?" Iroh inquired.

"There's a herd of... beasts," Sozim said, pointing in the direction of the man. "At this rate, they'll trample him."

Iroh raised an eyebrow. "Creatures? Running? How do you know?"

"I can control bodies, and I can sense it as well."

"Hmm, a valid point."

"Should we warn him?" Sozim asked.

"Well, he drove us away," Iroh shrugged.

Before they could turn back to their path, they observed the ostrich horse beginning to panic, struggling to free itself from the tether. The carriage's owner noticed, but his distraction prevented him from noticing the four boar-q-pines charging towards him, his ostrich horse, and the carriage.

The boar-q-pines appeared agitated, some displaying signs of injury, and their protective spikes were raised, a clear sign of their irritation.

"I suppose this qualifies as an emergency," Iroh gulped, rushing toward the carriage's owner. "Hey! Move away! Move away!"

The carriage's owner turned to Iroh, his expression now one of panic. Iroh pointed at the rapidly approaching boars, his face reflecting concern, causing the man to follow his gaze.

As he turned, his eyes widened. Instead of fleeing, however, he rushed toward his carriage, attempting to push it desperately.

"What is he doing?" Iroh muttered.

"Old man, now you want to help him?" Sozim sighed. "You go pretend to scare them off; I'll handle it."

"What's your plan?" Iroh asked as they both moved toward the carriage's owner.

"Just trust me," Sozim replied, moving toward the forest and taking cover among the trees. Seeing this, Iroh continued onward, positioning himself in front of the carriage and adopting a defensive stance.

"Boar-q-pines shouldn't be this agitated on this road," Iroh noted, his feet firmly planted in the wet ground. "Go away!"

A stream of fire erupted from his mouth, directed at the oncoming boars. Upon encountering the flames, the boars hesitated, oinking nervously in response to the fiery threat.

However, instead of fleeing, the boars simply froze in place, perplexing Iroh. They made no attempt to retreat or change direction; they just stood motionless. Suddenly, the boars collapsed to the ground, blood trickling from their noses. From the side, Sozim emerged, strolling casually toward the fallen creatures. Iroh frowned, puzzled by this unusual turn of events.

"H-Has it gone?" Iroh heard a trembling voice behind him. It was the carriage's owner, his complexion now pale compared to his earlier anger.

"What were you thinking?" Iroh shook his head. "You could have been seriously harmed."

"The carriage and the cargo... it's all we have left," the man stammered. "Thank you, stranger. Forgive my rudeness earlier."

Iroh simply nodded, and the man turned his gaze to the lifeless boars, visibly surprised. "They're dead? How is that possible?"

"They likely succumbed to a heart attack," Iroh chuckled nervously. "Fear can trigger such reactions, you know."

"I suppose so," the man agreed. "Thank you again, stranger. Where are you headed?"

"We're on our way to a nearby colonial town," Iroh replied.

"Ah! I'm headed there as well," the carriage's owner said. "Would you like a ride? I own an inn there, run by my family. As a token of my gratitude, perhaps I could offer you and your young companion a room."

"Thank you for the kind offer," Iroh smiled. "We accept."

Iroh then turned to Sozim, who was now retrieving his skinning equipment. "Hmm... We might need something to transport those boars. I'll assist you in freeing your carriage."

"I... I would appreciate that."

—

As Iroh completed his task of assisting the carriage owner in freeing his stuck carriage, he made his way over to Sozim, who was diligently skinning the boar-q-pines. Sozim had already separated the quills from the body and placed the skin aside. Currently, he was meticulously chopping the meat into pieces and storing it in a pouch.

One could not help but comment on Sozim's skill in skinning animals, and Iroh did just that. "You certainly possess impressive skills in animal skinning."

Sozim responded matter-of-factly, "I've been making a living through hunting for the past few years. It's one of the few jobs I could do without being refused as a young boy, all while honing my abilities."

Intrigued, Iroh inquired further, "Abilities? What abilities are you referring to?"

Sozim replied, "The ones you saw earlier." 

Curiosity piqued, Iroh nodded. "Indeed, that ability of yours is quite peculiar. Is it a specialized bending technique? It seems more than just controlling bodies."

Sozim chuckled and explained, "I call it Bloodbending, technically a subcategory of waterbending."

Iroh expressed some concern, "A subcategory of waterbending? I imagine most waterbenders wouldn't approve. Their discipline tends to value peace, tradition, and maintaining a calm mind while working in harmony with water. But Bloodbending..."

Sozim concurred, "It's a deviation from their principles, I guess. While master waterbenders can do it, I'm different."

Iroh nodded in agreement, "Yes, you've made that clear."

Sozim continued, "I... can't actually waterbend. I can bend blood, but not water."

This revelation left Iroh astonished. "How is that possible?"

Sozim shrugged, revealing, "I've attempted to bend water many times, but it feels like the moon spirit and water itself reject me."

Iroh's furrowed brows indicated his deep contemplation. "And this bloodbending ability of yours, does it have any side effects?"

Sozim sighed and admitted, "Yes, it does. Sometimes, when I use it, I lose control over myself, as if I'm being possessed. It mostly happens when I target a human, but I fear that it might reach a point where I lose myself even when I target an animal."

Iroh's calm demeanor belied the complexity of his thoughts as he gazed at the bloodstained carcasses. "Hmmm..."

Sozim sensed that Iroh might have some insight and inquired, "Do you know something about it?"

Iroh responded cryptically, "I might, young Sozim. But it's a lengthy tale. First, let's head into town before nightfall."

Sozim agreed, "Alright, I'm just finishing up here. You can speak with the man; he's handling all of this, isn't he?"

Iroh acknowledged, "Yes, he made the offer." He then shifted his attention back to Sozim. "Young Sozim, you possess a strong will."

Sozim raised an eyebrow, seeking clarification. "What do you mean?"

Iroh explained, "Despite your youth, you're handling a problem that many adults would likely struggle with. Even if I were in your position, I might not be able to solve it."

Sozim responded with a wry smile, "That's not exactly reassuring, old man..."

Iroh chuckled and reassured him, "Don't worry, young Sozim. I will assist you with your problem, provided you deserve it."

Amused by Iroh's response, Sozim shook his head, saying, "Then I'm formally asking for your help, old man."

With a warm laugh, Iroh agreed, "Of course, I will help you. You certainly deserve it." He then turned away from Sozim and headed toward the carriage.