Chapter 22: On the Road II - 96 AG

As morning light cast its gentle glow, Sozim found himself standing in a corner of a field, far removed from the throng of refugees. He watched as the soldiers began to excavate the earth before them using their bending, preparing a solemn resting place for those who hadn't survived their medical care. Typically, Sozim's mornings were greeted by the melodic chirping of birds and insects, bathed in the warmth of the sun or kissed by gentle rain. Today, however, they were filled with the mournful cries of grieving families, embracing their loved ones for the last time before consigning them to their final rest.

Among the mourners, Sozim spotted the soldier who had conversed with him the previous night. He tenderly bid farewell to his now lifeless brother, seemingly devoid of any other surviving family members.

Suddenly, a touch on Sozim's shoulder startled him, prompting him to turn around. It was one of the women who had assisted in the tent earlier, her visage marked by fatigue.

"In times of war, people come and go, my child," she remarked with a sigh. "Consider it a blessing that these folks have the opportunity to lay their loved ones to rest. Many do not; their remains are left in unmarked graves or consumed by fire, scattered across deserts and mountains. Do not let it weigh on you. You've already done all you can."

Sozim merely nodded, though his gaze lingered on the bloodstains still present on the woman's hands, which trembled mildly—whether from exhaustion or deep-seated emotions, he couldn't discern.

"Come, help us pack our supplies," the woman continued, withdrawing her hand from Sozim's shoulder. "Let them grieve in peace this morning."

With the woman's back turned, Sozim obediently followed her, ready to assist in any way she required.

---

Now, in the afternoon, Sozim trailed behind the procession of refugees, closely guarded by soldiers. He occupied the rearmost position, where wounded individuals were transported in carriages drawn by ostrich-horses.

The day blazed with the intensity of the midsummer sun, causing Sozim's body to drench in sweat, along with that of his fellow refugees and the soldiers themselves. His throat parched from the heat, Sozim decided to sip from his water pouch, aiming to conserve what little remained. However, a voice nearby interrupted him.

"Hey, kid, mind sharing some of that?" Sozim turned to the source of the voice, discovering it belonged to one of the soldiers overseeing the refugee column.

"Sure," Sozim responded with a hum, extending his water pouch to the man. "Just don't gulp it a—"

Before he could finish his sentence, the soldier had seized his pouch and drained it entirely, leaving Sozim with a frown.

"Ah..." The soldier then returned the emptied water pouch to Sozim, his countenance entirely devoid of remorse.

"Seriously?" Sozim retorted.

"What? We're protecting you here, kid. We need the water more than you do," the soldier quipped.

"Frustrating thug," Sozim muttered under his breath.

The soldier's temper flared in response. "What did you say?"

"I said you're a—" Sozim began.

"AMBUSH!!"

The shout emanated from the opposite side of Sozim's position, and before many soldiers could react, a wall of flames shot skyward from that direction, partially concealed by the carriages. Ostrich-horses neighed in panic, causing many ropes to loosen and carriages to topple over while the horses bolted.

Soon, panicked screams and cries, including those of helpless infants, pierced the air as smoke enveloped the area. From Sozim's vantage point, far from the forest's edge where his senses struggled to reach, a fireball streaked through the trees, igniting the vegetation and heading directly toward him.

Observing this imminent danger, Sozim urgently shoved the soldier who had drained his water pouch, pointing at the approaching fireball.

"You're here to protect us, right?! Protect us now!" he shouted directly into the soldier's face.

Although the soldier initially appeared flustered, he quickly regained his composure, clicked his tongue, and assumed a defensive stance. He stomped his foot into the ground, conjuring a wall barely sufficient to shield their line.

When the fireball made contact with the wall, it detonated, shattering the barrier into fragments. Sozim instinctively shielded his face from the flying debris. In the meantime, two tanks emerged from the nearby forest, escorted by a squad of firebenders.

Within moments, earthbenders from the front of the column assembled on Sozim's side, preparing for battle as they erected a barrier that separated them from the Fire Nation soldiers.

"Move back, kid!" one of them yelled, forcefully pushing Sozim away and toward the injured individuals. He witnessed the wounded and the refugees huddle behind the overturned carriages, joined by the men and women who had aided in their recovery.

The Earth Kingdom soldiers hastily constructed additional barricades, forming makeshift fortifications. But their efforts were in vain as the tanks launched fireballs that once again shattered their defenses.

Witnessing the Fire Nation soldiers breach their defenses and engage in close combat, Sozim sprang into action. First, he leaped from the toppled carriage, rushing toward one of the Fire Nation soldiers. The soldier, bemused by the sight of a child charging at him, clenched his hand to incapacitate Sozim. However, Sozim swiftly sidestepped the soldier, launching a rapid flurry of punches at his side, rendering one of his limbs limp.

The Fire Nation soldier, taken aback by the unexpected assault, panicked, attempting to use his other hand to retaliate. Yet, before he could react, Sozim unleashed another volley of punches, rendering both of the soldier's arms useless, and soon, he attacked all of the soldier's pressure points.

The soldier collapsed to the ground, paralyzed and incapable of moving a single muscle.

"What have you done to me?!" The soldier's cry reverberated through the chaos, but Sozim paid him no mind. As he pivoted, he found himself confronted by a trio of firebenders hurtling toward him. Amidst the frenzy, he took a deep breath, channeling his emotions, releasing negative energy, and embracing positive energy. He cultivated a calm mind, adopting a poised stance. He fixated on the advancing men like a tranquil predator sizing up its prey, manipulating his fingers in the air.

His arms ascended, arresting the advance of the three firebenders who froze in their tracks, eyes widening. Sozim brought his hands together, and in a bizarre synchronization, the trio followed the motion. Their collective force propelled them into a violent collision, sending them sprawling to the ground in unison.

A sudden attack from behind deprived Sozim to use his breathing technique to control his mind. Swiftly, he spun around, his arms slicing through the air as if tearing the space itself. His assailant, unable to control his own body due to Sozim's bending, hurtled toward an unyielding wall with brutal force before crumpling to the ground, unconscious.

Once more, a threat materialized from the flank, leaving Sozim once again unable to practice his breathing technique. This time, a soldier neared, unleashing a stream of flames in his direction. Sozim dodged to the side, but the fire struck the overturned carriages, igniting them in an instant.

Clicking his tongue, he traced a circular path on the ground with his leg, manipulating his hands in the air. With a pushing motion, his attacker was sent hurtling, colliding with one or two firebenders before succumbing to the ground, unconscious.

At this point, temptation began to gnaw at his psyche, urging him to be more ruthless. Thoughts of bloodshed slowly sleeping through, and justifications swirled: "They're from the Fire Nation; they deserve it." "They would do the same to you." "They would burn you without remorse." Sozim shook his head, struggling to dispel these thoughts, but they persisted, albeit diminished when in the little time he had, he finally used his breathing technique to calm his mind.

Suddenly, a cry from near the carriages drew his attention. A Fire Nation soldier, distinctively dressed like the leader of the squad, clutched a sobbing child by the neck, his fist poised to strike. The boy's mother wept beside them, pleading with the leader to stop, but her pleas fell on deaf ears.

"Stop fighting!" the leader bellowed. "Or I'll kill this boy!" He gestured menacingly toward the other wounded. "And all of them!"

Observing this, many Earthbender soldiers ceased their resistance, though a minority remained defiant, only to be restrained by the soldier who had offered Sozim soup the previous night. This soldier advanced toward the Fire Nation leader, eyes narrowed.

"Release the boy, Fire Nation scum," he spat.

"Or what?" the leader sneered. "I'm here to find the men who served General Fong in his fortress."

"General Fong?" the Earth Kingdom soldier clenched his fists, adopting a combat stance. "What do you want with him?"

"It seems I've found one," the leader grinned. "We merely seek information and then we'll be on our way."

"Lies!" another Earth Kingdom soldier interjected. "We know your tactics, scum. We've seen them before, and you'll repeat them!"

The Fire Nation squad leader sighed. "Fine. If you don't cooperate, we'll slaughter every refugee here."

Sozim could see the Fire Nation soldiers assume combat stances, readying their flames, while the tanks poised to assault.

"We'll see whose bending is swifter," the squad leader smirked coldly. "Our graceful firebending or your barbaric earthbending?"

For the first time, the Earth Kingdom soldiers had no response. They remained resolute but silent, offering no words to protect the refugees.

Witnessing this, Sozim began to extend his hand toward the leader, but before he could act, the leader made a move.

"Very well, have it your way," the leader's hand began to ignite, a spark of fire emerging from his clenched fist.

"NO!" In that moment, panic shattered Sozim's emotional control, and his bloodlust surged like a haunting specter from the past. His visage darkened, eyes narrowed, and his expression contorted into a scowl.

Before the fire could fully manifest, Sozim seized control of the leader's body. The leader's wide-eyed gaze darted around in terror, searching for the source of the intrusion but finding none. As if in a vise grip, the leader's body lifted into the air, his throat constricting. With a crushing gesture, Sozim caused the leader's heart to explode, blood pouring from his eyes, ears, and mouth, gasps echoing through the area.

Without delay, the lifeless leader's body plummeted to the ground, and Sozim turned his attention to the nearby enemy soldiers. Charging toward one of them, he delivered a swift punch to the chest, causing blood to erupt from the soldier's back, staining the ground crimson and further terrifying the refugees.

The Fire Nation soldiers reacted swiftly, rushing toward Sozim. The tanks aimed their barrels, launching fireballs through the air. With a scowl, Sozim spun his body as though drawing water from his surroundings, but instead, it was the blood of the approaching fire soldiers. Their blood drained, their bodies withered away, and liters of crimson liquid hung in the air, the pungent odor overpowering.

With a swift motion through the air, the blood flowed as if it were ordinary water. Upon contact with the fiery projectile, it solidified instantaneously and created a diagonal pillar of frozen blood. Witnessing that the fireball has been disarmed, Sozim's body whirled once more, his hands contorting to release the blood from its frozen state before propelling it toward the tank. The blood seeped into the tank's barrels, some evaporating from the intense heat of the barrel, but the majority found its way inside. Sozim promptly froze it again, gradually suffocating the hapless drivers within.

Reclaiming a portion of the blood, it encircled him in a crimson ring. Yet, when Sozim turned his attention to the opposite direction, all that met his gaze were the terrified expressions of the refugees, as the Earth Kingdom soldiers were already handling the remaining threat.

Observing the multitude of stares upon him, Sozim's eyes widened. Swiftly, he employed his breathing technique, restoring his composure and dispelling the thoughts of bloodlust. The blood surrounding him descended to the ground, forming a ring of blood-soaked earth at his feet. He stared at his trembling hands, spattered with crimson.

He persisted in practicing his breathing technique as he approached the young boy who had once been a hostage, now lying on the ground. Sozim extended his hand towards the boy, offering a faint smile. However, this gesture only elicited a louder cry from the child, who scrambled toward his mother, seeking refuge in her embrace. The mother, too, regarded Sozim with fearful eyes, a reaction he found entirely justifiable.

Sozim's countenance fell, and he redirected his gaze toward the blood-stained ground beneath him. Suddenly, the soldier who had spoken earlier approached him, extending his hand with a reserved smile.

"Thank you," the soldier uttered softly. "Without you…we'd be..."

"It's alright," Sozim murmured. As he met the soldier's eyes, he detected a hint of fear within them. With a sigh, he turned away, allowing them to address the remaining chaos, while he sat away in the corner, far away from the gaze of the fearful refugees.