Chapter 4: Unusual Situation - 94 AG

[Summer - 94 AG]

With an empty bag clutched tightly in his grasp, Sozim combed the desolate shores of Ember Island in the early morning. The sun had only begun to cast its feeble glow in the eastern horizon. A year had passed since his arrival, and his body had started to develop, with faint traces of muscle definition, though he was still unmistakably a young boy. What stood out most was the perpetual scowl etched upon his face, a stark contrast to the innocent and serene countenance he once possessed.

Standing upon the damp sand, he raised his empty right hand and drew in a deep breath. With a focused connection to his inner spirituality, he meticulously surveyed his surroundings. Before long, he raised his hand upward, as if extracting something from the very ground beneath him. Suddenly, turtle crabs emerged from the sand, their cerulean blood curdling as Sozim suspended them in mid-air with his bending abilities, a chorus of anguished screeches accompanying their ascent. With precision, he directed them into the bag, intent on preserving his haul.

As the sun continued its ascent, painting the sky with hues of orange and pink, Sozim retraced his steps from the beach. However, instead of heading toward the shack, he ventured toward a cave he had stumbled upon months earlier.

Inside the dimly lit cavern of Ember Island, Sozim gingerly placed the bag of turtle crabs on the ground before stepping back. His movements left faint trails in the sand, as he assumed an unusual stance unrecognizable to conventional benders. His left hand moved first, drawing the cobalt blood from the turtle crabs' bodies, draining them of their vital essence. The blue blood gathered in the air, coalescing into a small liquid orb under Sozim's control.

His stance shifted, and his arms moved rhythmically, mimicking the ebb and flow of waves. The blood followed suit, encircling him in a delicate, spinning ring. His arms continued their graceful dance, eyes tightly shut, but the ever-present scowl marred his face.

Once more, he altered his stance, this time emulating the techniques of firebenders. The spinning ring of blood remained in motion as Sozim thrust his hand forward, mirroring the fiery outbursts characteristic of firebending. The blood shot forth like bullets, freezing briefly before reshaping itself into aerodynamic projectiles that slammed into the rock wall ahead.

Although the impact was minimal, it left visible marks on the wall, each indentation deeper than the last—an enduring testament to Sozim's relentless training over the months. However, instead of displaying satisfaction, Sozim clicked his tongue in mild frustration.

Drawing a deep breath, he finally straightened up, taking the bag of desiccated crabs with him as he exited the cave, ready to embark on other tasks for the day. He walked toward the outside, greeted by the rising sun in the sky. Yet, on the distant horizon, an unusually large ship bearing the flag of the Fire Nation fluttered wildly. Sozim's brow furrowed, but he continued on his path, now leading back to the shack.

—

Entering the shack, he stood just at the front door. The shack is clean and tidy, he never did slack off on his assignment to maintain this place, as after all, this was his 'house' too. Walking towards the kitchen, Sozim got a big pot and put it on the stove, filling it with fresh water from the side, before putting all the turtle crabs inside. Kneeling, he grabbed some flint and steel, sparking the wood below, and a fire started to come out, slowly heating the pot above it.

With this task done, he left it alone for now, and walked toward his 'room'. It was not a room, it was more of a pantry turned into a bedroom, but he didn't mind it. There, his small bed, and at the corner of the room, a wooden human statue that has been finished, along with all the chi paths of a human's body.

He looked at the statue for a moment, but then, he sat down, and he entered a meditative position. He took a deep breath, and closed his eyes, before clearing his mind.

These months, he has to meditate to empty his head of thoughts after using bloodbending. Why? Because he could feel it, every time he controlled the blood of a creature, he could feel the urge to dominate, he could feel the homicidal madness creeping in.

Is this how all bloodbenders have to deal with it? Every time they use it, their state of mind slowly starts to get corrupted. Be it Hama, be it Yakone, be it Amon, be it Katara… is this why Katara banned it? Because just practicing it opens the bender to homicidal madness?

Sozim still practiced it, at first the reason was just 'in case anything happens', but lately… he started to feel… addicted to it. He saw the turtle crabs being puppeted by him, he saw the blue blood seeping through their shells, all of that felt exhilarating.

And he didn't like it one bit. He doesn't want to be a homicidal maniac.

An hour passed by, and Sozim exited his meditative state, standing up from his position. Walking towards the kitchen, he saw that the turtle crabs had been fully cooked, and turned off the stove. Just as he was about to drain the water, a knock came from the door.

Sozim placed the pot down, and he walked to the front door, opening it. There, he saw the twins standing in front, calmly looking at him.

"You've grown a little," Lo commented.

"That smell… turtle crabs?" Li continued, but then she frowned. "No seasoning?"

"Boiling it is enough." Sozim simply said.

"You have a strange tongue, boy." Lo scoffed. Both of them entered the shack, and they looked at the condition. It was tidy. "Well done, it seems you're working."

"I didn't see you coming in the usual boat," Sozim commented calmly, continuing to walk through the shack along with Li and Lo.

"Didn't we tell you? We'll be back with the second prince the last time we depart." Li said.

Sozim hummed. "Right…"

Sozim then grabbed the pot again, draining the water just outside, leaving the turtles.

"We heard some news when we were away," Lo stated. "The boy next door went missing."

"Yeah, apparently he ran away from home," Sozim added, taking out the crabs one by one on a plate.

"Do you have anything to do with it?" Li said, looking at Sozim's hands.

"You think I kidnapped him or something?" Sozim raised his brow. "You can look at my room if you want, there's nothing except the statue that you told me to make."

"Of course." Lo just hummed. "I was wondering, after all, he was mocking you during your training."

"He's a firebender, and I'm not," Sozim said. "You'd think I could do it? You have a lot of faith in me, Aunties." Sozim then took the plates, and put them on the table, beginning to eat one of them, peeling off their shells, steam coming out of it. "Want one?"

Lo and Li looked at the crabs disgustingly. ""No.""

Sozim shrugged, slurping up the meat. "Your loss."

Lo and Li just sighed at the sight, they thought about teaching the boy how to cook, because it was just sad to see him slurping up boiled crabs with no taste at all.

"We're here to say that we're not going to stay here for a while." Lo finally said. 

"We'll be staying at the second prince's residence, to train the princess." Li continued.

"What about my training?" Sozim raised his brow.

"You can continue your training." Lo pulled a scroll from her arm sleeve, giving it to Sozim. The boy opened it, and he saw drawings of chi paths, as well as drawings of a man hitting specific points of the path.

"What is this?" Sozim frowned.

"Chi blocking," Li answered. "It's the only way for us non-benders to fight against benders."

"You know how to do this?" Sozim raised his brow.

Lo shook her head. "We're old, child. Our body is not as nimble anymore."

"If only we were to discover the knowledge before this age… we would've mastered it." Li continued. 

"So you're giving me this… because you can't do it yourself?" Sozim asked.

"Yes." Lo nodded.

"If you can master it, then consider yourself as our successor," Li said.

"I don't understand." Sozim scratched his head. "If you know it, why don't you teach it to the princess?"

"We need successors. And she's not ours, she is the prince's." Lo answered. "If you want, we could adopt you as our child. So when we die, the shack belongs to you."

"I don't get it. At all." Sozim sighed. "So you helped me last year because you want… a successor? Just like that?"

"This shack… it's the only thing we have." Lo continued. "If we die, we don't want to give it to the nation."

"When we saw you on the beach, we saw you as an opportunity," Li said. "We're never married, we never had kids, all our lives we've devoted ourselves to the nation, and in the corner of our heart, we don't want our legacy to be just that. So we've decided. You're our last legacy, after we die, you'll have this shack."

"Seriously, what is wrong with you two? You took a boy who you don't even know to give your land to." Sozim chuckled. "So you want to be treated like you're my mothers?"

"No." Lo scoffed.

"Not ever." Li snorted.

"Why choose me? Because I'm the only one available?" Sozim asked again.

"Because I've seen your eyes," Lo said. "You don't like that you're a non-bender. We had the same thought when we were young. But… we still learned their ways, practicing their martial arts, even though we can't really use it."

"But with that Chi Blocking, you can stand eye-to-eye with benders." Li continued. "You'll be the one who satiates our thirst for that hope."

"But I'm…" Sozim closed his eyes, stopping himself from telling the truth. "Fine. Alright. Do whatever you want."

Sozim stood up from the floor, leaving away his crabs. "I'll train this scroll now, you guys can go."

As Sozim left, Lo and Li looked at each other.

"He's hiding something," Lo murmured.

Li hummed. "I agree."