Burning Chapter 20: Rotting Yonder

It was a little while later that I found myself walking down an old dirt road, passing through the village.

Buildings that had been completely destroyed now stood tall, without the slightest bit of decay. Entire houses had seemingly sprouted up throughout the night. Short cobblestone walls lined the old dirt path that led through the village.

There was even a small dock sitting on the river, although there weren’t any boats to be seen... Nor were there any people, or, well, anything.

Unlike all the places we’d been before, it was eerily quiet. There weren’t any birds, animals, crickets, there wasn’t even a cool breeze, despite the harsh storm last night. It was like the entire village had been frozen in time.

It was unsettling to say the least, although, not everyone felt that way.

“Hellooo,” Aang called out, sticking his head inside one of the buildings. “Anyone in there?” Waiting a few moments for a reply, he pulled back. “Guess not.”

Jumping over to the next building, he repeated the process, before pausing to wait for a reply that he was sure he’d eventually get.

The rest of the gang, however, wasn't quite as optimistic. Katara was more than a little weary of this whole situation and Ty Lee was on edge, looking around as if something was going to try and sneak up on us.

Sokka on the other hand...

“Remind me again why we’re still here,” Sokka requested.

“Aside from the obvious?” Katara asked.

“Yeah, I get it. Spooky village somehow pops up overnight,” he said, waving his hands around dramatically. “Scary.” Leaning against the cobblestone wall, he crossed his arms, “All I’m saying is that WE–“ and promptly hit the ground when it turned out that he’d been leaning against an old iron gate.

“I didn’t quite catch that.” Katara smirked, offering a hand to help him up. “Do you think you could say it again?”

Groaning, he took her hand, pulling himself up. “I’m just saying that we can’t stop for every mystery we come across.” Grumbling softly, he dusted himself off. “Who even puts a gate there to begin with?” He asked, looking around, before slowly realizing exactly where he was standing. “Oh.”

It was a graveyard that, much like the rest of the village, was in perfect condition. The tombstones were placed neatly beside one another, the grass appeared neatly trimmed and there was a cobblestone path that stretched from one end to the other.

There was also something else... Something faint like a pin being dropped in the distance, but still somehow audible.

“Do you hear that?” I asked, looking around to try and find its source. “It almost sounds like someone crying.”

“You sure you’re not just hearing Aang?” Sokka asked desperately. “I mean, even if it is someone crying, we probably shouldn’t... And you’re going towards it, great.”

Roku’s warning rang through my head. Something like this, an entire village suddenly reappearing overnight, could only be the work of a spirit. There was however, also a chance that someone else had also stumbled across this place.

Unfortunately, it seemed that the closer I got, the softer the crying became until it disappeared entirely, leaving behind silence and a single grave that looked out of place.

Unlike the rest of the graveyard, the tombstone in front of this grave was far more rundown, looking as if it hadn’t been tended to in decades, with a variety of white, pink and red flowers all growing messily atop it.

“Red spider lilies, anemone and asphodels,” Ty Lee hummed. “We learned about them in the Royal Fire Academy for Girls. Apparently the bulbs can be pretty poisonous, so you shouldn’t touch them.”

“So we’ve got a grave filled with poisonous flowers,” Sokka muttered. “Whoever planted these must have really hated whoever’s buried here.”

“Actually, they all have some connection to grief and mourning,” Ty Lee explained. “Them being poisonous is really just a coincidence.”

That, and the fact that it discouraged others from disturbing the grave.

“So they were sad then.” Sokka stroked his chin thoughtfully. “That doesn’t tell us anything!”

It really didn’t.

Hearing a creaking sound come from across the graveyard, I glanced back to see a small hooded figure staring back at us with their hand on the old iron gate.

Slamming it shut, they took off in a sprint.

“Hey, wait!” Katara called out, chasing after them. “We’re not trying to hurt you, slow down.”

“Katara,” Sokka squawked, running after her. “Don’t just go chasing after strangers.”

Sharing a quick look with Ty Lee who shrugged, I sighed and followed after them.

Despite their short stature, the hooded figure managed to stay well ahead of us. Using their size to their advantage, they managed to slip into an alley between a few buildings that was too small for the rest of us.

Trying to figure out which way to go, I began to slow down, only for Sokka to come to a dead stop.

Backtracking, he made his way to the front of the alley where he waited for a few moments, before latching onto the back of the hooded figure's cloak as they tried to pass through.

“Stop struggling, I’m not going to hurt you,” He murmured, struggling to keep a hold of the figure, only to blink when the hood fell back, revealing a pair of pigtails. “You’re a girl?”

“Let me go!”

Lashing out with a kick, her foot was planted firmly between Sokka’s legs, causing him to drop her, before she took off again, only this time, she rushed into a nearby manor, slamming the door shut behind her.

Crumpling to the floor, Sokka let out a low, pitiful moan.

“Hey, Sokka... Doing alright?” I asked, making my way closer.

Grumbling softly to himself, he planted his face firmly on the ground.

Right, stupid question.

“Hey, what’s going on?” Aang asked, hopping off a nearby roof. “I saw you guys from down the street... Why’s Sokka on the floor?”

“Can’t talk, too much pain,” Sokka moaned.

“We found someone and Sokka caught her,” I explained. “But she managed to slip out of his grasp... she’s in there,” I said, pointing towards the nearby house.

“Then what are we waiting for?” Aang asked eagerly.

“Katara and Ty Lee,” I replied.

“Right,” Aang chuckled awkwardly, scratching the back of his head. “I’ll go get them. You guys wait here so long.”

...Burning...

Riding through a small Earth Kingdom village without burning it down to the ground first was a strange experience for Colonel Mongke... One that he might just have to correct once he finished his current task.

Although, with the way that was going, he might as well do it now, it’d certainly help blow off some steam.

One thing Commander Zhao hadn’t told him when they’d been negotiating the cost of his service was just how far north he’d be expected to travel. Don’t get him wrong, the coin was still good, but at this point, it didn’t seem worth the effort.

It didn’t help that he wasn’t as experienced with this part of the Earth Kingdom.

Coming to a fork in the road, he stopped. Looking over to a middle aged man who’d been tending a nearby field, Mongke grunted. “Which path follows the river?”

“Who, me?” The man asked nervously. “Uh... That would be the, uh, left one, but no one goes up there anymore. It leads to an abandoned village... Well, mostly. Old man Takeshi might still be there.”

An abandoned village... That sounded like the perfect spot for a deserter to hide out. It looked like they had their target.

Nodding to his men, they turned down the path.

“I’m serious, there’s nothing up there... Not for the Earth Kingdom or the Fire Nation,” the man continued. “There’s something wrong with it, the ground is bad. It should be left alone... For all of our sake.”

No longer listening, Mongke threw a quick punch at the man, unleashing a small ball of fire that sent the farmer crumpling to the ground.

The sooner they got this done, the sooner they could go back to doing what they were good at, burning down small villages for the Fire Nation.

...Burning...

Regrouping by the manor's front door, I looked back towards the group before slowly opening the door, letting out a gust of humid air.

The inside was fairly plain, despite the large size of the house. The entrance hall had a large staircase leading to the second floor.

There were a few paintings here and there as well as a sculpture, but other than that, it was mostly empty. There was, however, a faint unpleasant smell in the air, like that of a rotten egg although it was mixed with something sweet and floral.

“I’ve got a bad feeling about this,” Ty Lee murmured softly.

Sighing, I nodded. “It’ll be alright.”

Hearing a creak come from a little further in the house, we all stopped.

“Remember, we’re not trying to scare her,” Katara whispered, shooting a quick glance towards Sokka.

“Hey, I’m not the one that started chasing her through the village,” Sokka shot back, crossing his arms.

Sneaking further into the house, we passed the staircase, with Aang easily hopping over the creaking step, before finally reaching a sliding door that was already partially open.

Peeking through the opening with everyone trying to get a look for themselves, the room on the other side seemed fairly well lit with a table sitting in the center... A table that was currently occupied by a balding man with a wispy moustache,  a woman with her hair done up in a traditional bun and a boy around Aang’s age.

“Please, you need not hide any longer. Come in.” Looking up, the man immediately locked onto the five of us, smiling. “We were just about to have breakfast, you’re all very welcome to join us.”

Jumping slightly when I heard a low growl, I looked over to Sokka who was holding his stomach with a sheepish smile on his face.

“What? I haven’t eaten yet.”

Palming her face, Katara let out a tired sigh. “Only you, Sokka... Only you.”

Sliding the door open, Aang stepped inside. “I’ll join you, but I have a few questions that I want answered first.”

“Are you sure that’s a good idea? Something’s seriously off here,” Katara whispered softly.

“We need to find out what’s going on,” Aang replied, before turning towards the man. “Is that acceptable for you?”

“Of course.” The man nodded. “It’s nice to have visitors again. Oh, where are my manners? I haven’t introduced myself. I am Takeshi, this is my wife Yamiko and my son Tobi.”

“Aang,” Aang greeted, sitting down. “And these are my friends, Sokka, Katara, Honō and Ty Lee. We came here because of a girl…”

“Ah, my daughter Kue, she is rather playful.” Takeshi smiled. “I expect she’ll be joining us any minute… Please, don’t let her absence stop you. Come sit. I imagine you are all quite weary from your journey.”

Gesturing towards the table, his wife slowly rose and moved over to the side of the room, stacking several cups and an extra tea pot on a tray.

Seeing Aang sitting at the table alone, I sighed and moved to join him, keeping an eye out for anything suspicious. It didn’t take long for Sokka, Ty Lee and Katara to join after, although the former refused to sit down.

“Yeah, I think I’ll wait right here until you’ve told us what’s going on,” Sokka murmured. “When we got here last night, this place looked like it’d been abandoned since the start of the war, but now it’s completely fine.”

Hearing a snap and a crash, we all turned towards the mother who was faced away from us with a shattered cup at her feet.

“Oh, dear,” Takeshi hummed softly. “Tobi, perhaps you could escort your mother to the restroom. I will see to our guests.”

Nodding, the son silently made his way over to the mother. Staying for a moment to clean up a little, he took her shoulder, leading her out of the room all the while being sure to keep her back to us.

“Is everything alright?” Katara asked cautiously.

“Yes, she must not be feeling well,” he said. “The war can be a touchy subject for her... For all of us, really. Our entire way of life changed, so we had to adapt and change our lives too, but we found our way. Everything is fine now, we’re all safe here.”

“But what about the other villagers?” Aang pressed. “And the village suddenly being rebuilt.”

“They are still around... They’re just shy. We haven’t gotten any visitors in years,” he said nervously. Getting up, Takeshi grabbed the tray and set it down on the table, pouring a cup of tea for each of us. “I would be happy to introduce you after breakfast.”

Looking down at the tray, I closed my eyes and exhaled slowly. Something had been bugging me for a while now. Despite the room being so well lit, I couldn’t see a single source of light. Not from the window, candle or anything, really.

“There is much that the dark conceals from you.”

“It is only in the light that you will see the truth,” I parroted Roku. Opening my eyes, I looked directly at Takeshi. “I see now, none of this is real, is it? This room... There’s no real light in here, it just looks like there is.”

“Huh? What do you mean?” Aang asked curiously.

“Look around,” I said, gesturing towards the lantern hanging from the ceiling and those that were lining the shelves. “Do you see it... What’s missing?”

Squinting as he examined the lantern, Aang's eyes widened. “Fire... There’s no fire, but there’s still light. How’s that possible?”

“I’m not quite sure I know what you mean,” Takeshi hummed. “We’re all here, your friends could attest to that.” Smiling, he gestured towards the cup. “Drink the tea if you don’t believe we’re real and prove it to yourself.”

It did look like real tea... Smelled like it too, but that didn’t necessarily make it true.

“I have a better idea,” I said. Pushing the cup back, I held my hand up in front of me. “Why don’t I turn on the light and we can see for ourselves?”

Snapping my fingers, a small ball of fire formed in my hand, plunging the room into darkness.

“Hey!”

“What the heck?!”

“Where’d the lights go?”

Holding his hand out in front of him, Aang formed a ball of fire of his own, further illuminating the dark room.

“I guess all those Jerkbending lessons came in handy after all,” Sokka joked nervously.

Unlike the well lit room, this one was run down and decayed. The wooden walls were rotten and damp while the floor was missing a few planks. As for the cups, they were still there, resting on a broken down table, only they weren’t filled with tea anymore, but what looked like a mixture of mud and flowers.

Hearing a guttural breath, I increased the brightness of my flame and immediately wished I hadn’t.

Sitting across from us was Takeshi, only, he didn’t look like the middle aged man we’d seen only a handful of moments ago. Instead, he appeared ancient.

His skin was leathery and sunken, his hair white and he had a variety of flowers blooming across his body... Yet, despite that all, he still wore a wide smile.

Covering her mouth, Katara began to gag, while Ty Lee looked away. Sokka on the other hand took several startled steps back. As for Aang.

Shivering at the sight of the man, Aang leaned forward. “Takeshi?”

Moving in a slow, deliberate manner, Takeshi reached out. Pointed towards one of the cups, he pushed it towards us, his face locked in a permanent grin.

“Drink.” A deep voice echoed around the room.

“Yeah, that’s not going to happen.”

Swiping my arm across the table, a wave of blue flames followed, flinging the cups back while also setting the room on fire. Kicking the flaming table back, it collided with Takeshi’s body, causing the man to crumple to the floor.

“What the heck are you doing? We’re supposed to help, not kill him,” Aang yelled. Jumping to his feet, he heaved the burning table off Takeshi. “I’m sorry about my friend... I hope you’re... Alright...”

Lying on his back, his head was twisted at an odd angle and his chest had burst open, revealing that he’d been filled with nothing but an assortment of dried flowers and seeds. Takeshi was little more than a stuffed doll being puppeted.

Pushing myself up, I stepped forward, sighing as I looked down at Takeshi’s broken form. “He’s dead Aang,” I muttered softly, placing a hand on his shoulder. “From the looks of it, he has been for quite a while now.”

Suddenly, a loud thump sounded from upstairs, accompanied by a scratching sound, as if something was trying to claw its way through the ceiling.

“And that’s our cue to leave,” Sokka called out. Throwing the sliding door open, he turned back to look at us. “Unless you’d rather stay...”

“Way ahead of you,” Ty Lee said, all but sprinting out of the room.

Piling out alongside everyone else, I paused by the door, giving one final look at the decaying room, before unleashing a thin stream of blue fire that struck Takeshi’s body, setting it and the rest of the room ablaze.

Much like the dining room, the hallway too had degraded. Walls that were once light shades of yellow were now a muddied brown while the tapestry that’d decorated it were torn and faded.

Hearing a loud crash as something smashed its way into the now burning room, we quickly made our way back to the entrance hall.

Breathing a sigh of relief, Sokka stopped in front of the door, gripping its handle, he forced it open. “Okay. Let’s get out of... Here?”

Only, instead of being greeted to the outside, we were instead, greeted to another hallway, only this one was far longer. Rubbing his eyes, Sokka slammed the door shut, before opening it again... Repeating the process several times.

“I just... I don’t get it.”

Feeling something dripping on my shoulder, I slowly looked up to see the corpse-like body of Tobi clinging to the ceiling, his head spun around to watch us as seeds leaked from his mouth.

Flicking my hand upward, a small jet of fire followed, piercing through his body.

Crawling across the ceiling, there was a loud crack as one of the beams snapped in half, causing him to lose his grip. Hitting the ground with a heavy thud, Tobi’s body suddenly burst, spilling an assortment of smouldering seeds across the ground.

I was suddenly forced to look away when Sokka let out a startled yelp, having been tackled to the ground by Yamiko.

Pinning him under her, she forced his mouth open. Slowly moving forward, she opened her mouth and leaned down, almost as if she wanted to kiss Sokka, only to be thrown off him by a powerful gust of air.

“I don’t know why you’re doing this, but it stops now!” Aang snapped, glaring down at Yamiko’s twisted body.

Letting out a raspy breath as she stood, seeds and dried flowers spilled from Yamiko’s gaping mouth as her jaw dislodged. Looking between us, she took a lumbering step forward, before being thrown into a wall by another blast of wind.

Breathing heavily with his back against a wall, Sokka eyed Yamiko’s body for a few short moments, before looking down at his chest.

Letting out a disgusted grunt, he began brushing off the mixture of seeds and flowers that the woman had vomited. “Just once I’d like for us to go to a village where nothing weird or disgusting happens, is that too much to ask?”

As if answering him, the house let out a loud groan, before it began to shake. Large cracks grew across the walls as pieces of the ceiling clattered on the ground.

“It’s collapsing,” Katara realized. “We need to get out of here!”

“That’s what I’ve been saying since we got here, but did anyone listen? No,” Sokka muttered, heaving himself up.

“Now’s really not the time for that,” Katara said.

Looking for a direction that might possibly lead out, the ground suddenly split open, cutting us off from the rest of the house, growing wider by the second.

“Hallway it is,” I hummed.

Using a small ball of fire to help light the way, we quickly made our way down the hallway as the house continued to collapse behind us.

Much like the rest of the house, the hallway seemed to be in a state of decay, but there was something else about it that made it feel wrong, other than the fact that it should have led outside.

Iit was long... Far longer than it had a right to be, appearing more like a long tunnel than anything else with these strange segments where the walls seemed to be unnaturally grafted together.

Slowing down as we seemed to be reaching the end of the hallway, we were greeted by a solid, cobblestone wall that sealed off what I was guessing was the only exit.

We’d effectively been forced into a dead end.

Looking back over to where I could hear the hallway collapsing, I felt a sense of unease. Flicking my fingers forward, a thin whip of flame shot out, lighting up a portion of the hallway.

A few seconds ticked by with nothing happening, before I saw it.

Moving into the light, a long, gangly arm reached forward, pressing up against the ceiling, before nearly a dozen more followed suit, grabbing onto anything they could find, before dragging a large body forward, breaking a portion of the hallway.

Coming in contact with my flames, the thing seemed to freeze for a moment, before suddenly jolting forward.

Pushing against the wall with all his strength, Sokka slowly slid backwards. “Why won’t you move?”

“That’s not going to work,” Katara said, pulling him out of the way. “Maybe I could cut through it with my water... Or Aang and Honō could blast it open with their fire–“

Forming a quick bolt of lightning in my hand, I rushed forward, shoving it into the cobblestone wall, exploding a chunk of it, creating a small fist sized hole.

Glancing at the thing that was charging towards us, I looked back towards the wall. There wouldn’t be enough time to make it larger. We were going to have to fight our way out–

“Psst, in here.” Moving one of the wooden panels, the girl Sokka caught earlier... Kue, poked her head out of a small hole in the wall. “Quick, before it gets you too!”

Seeing what was happening, the spirit seemed to grow even more violent in its attempt to get to us, going as far as to break several limbs as it dragged itself forward.

With no other options, we quickly began filing in, with Katara and Aang ducking through the hole, followed by Ty Lee and finally Sokka.

Feeling the spirit practically breathing down my neck, I quickly climbed into the hole, making it nearly halfway through, before several arms latched onto my legs and waist.

“Well, that can’t be good,” I hummed softly. Gripping the wooden wall as it began to pull me back, I looked up. “Keep going. I’ll find my own way out.”

Throwing himself forward as the wall began to give, Sokka grabbed onto my forearms. “I’ve got YOUUUUU!!” And was promptly ripped out along with me as the spirit made its retreat. Dangling in the air, he looked down at the ground which was rapidly passing by. “DON’T LET GO!”

If I had a free hand, I would have been palming my face right about now… Either that or zapping the spirit with as much lightning as I could muster… Probably that last one now that I think about it.

This made things far more difficult.