Playing Waterbending (Avatar: Last Aibender SI)

The Fire Soldiers were tired of seeing their friends being murdered cruelly and coldly.

They wanted to take down the Waterbender who had been using guerrilla warfare to reduce their numbers, starting from their captain to the strongest ones.

Just as he had used ice spears to pierce through their defenses, they realized that they were no match for him.

Not to mention, ice was everywhere. It was like fighting a waterbender in the ocean, which led them to the conclusion that they couldn't defeat him. He could kill them and use the ice to escape in the worst case. In the best case, they might kill him, but they would pay a very heavy price.

"Listen," said a firebender, the oldest of those who remained alive. He turned to the youngest one, holding his shoulder.

"Yes, father?" replied the young firebender, fear burning in his eyes.

"You must run away to the main ship, take a small one, and head back to the Earth Kingdom. Find General Zhao and report back."

"But, father, we can kill the waterbender!" said the son, not wanting to abandon his only father, tears welling in his eyes.

"This is no time for emotions. Remember your training. If we all die here in vain, then there will be no honor. If you make it back, you'll have done a great service," replied the father.

The other firebenders nodded.

One of them said, "Go back. If we win, we'll catch up. If not, then, please, tell my wife I loved her."

Another one said, "Tell my daughter that I was lost somewhere. I don't want her to miss me."

"As for me, I don't have a family. Tsk… at least I won't have to use my hand every day," said one of the soldiers, earning glares from everyone.

"This was a heartfelt moment, and you just ruined it. Do you always have to do that?"

"Hahaha… I couldn't resist the urge."

"Anyways, son, go. We'll buy you time."

-x-X-x-

After hours of keeping my guard up against any potential traps, I stepped out of my ice barrier. I walked across the ice, slowly looking around. I tried to look for footprints and traces. I glanced at the dead bodies, trying to match the foot size with the footprints. Sure enough, most of them were different.

'There's a lead suggesting a man is missing. His footsteps are light, so he's quite skinny. I can assume that he's young, given that he's not as bulky as the older soldiers, meaning he probably hasn't finished his training yet.'

I walked around, tracing some footprints outside the battlefield.

Sure enough, there was a long trail showing someone walking in the opposite direction of everyone else.

Instead of running, I bent the ice to push myself forward, gliding smoothly.

I hoped I might catch up.

But I didn't.

At one point, the footsteps vanished.

The bastard erased his tracks. But how? He wasn't a waterbender. I knew it was possible, but it should be hard for that young soldier.

-x-X-x-

At the same time, a young firebender sat on top of a polar bear-dog, which was running for its life with the firebender's ignited hand near its face. The smart animal seemed to understand the consequences of attacking the human and ran in one direction. Whenever it slowed, the firebender would bring his hand closer. Whenever it hastened, he would pull his hand away.

After erasing his tracks, the young firebender thought about how the waterbender had tricked them with his footsteps and guided them into a trap. So, he thought, why not do the same? He could lead the waterbender to where the polar bears were, then erase his tracks, use a bear as a fast ride, and escape home.

It had been a few hours, and thanks to exhausting the bear, he had crossed what would have taken him days in just a few hours. Those animals were surely useful.

'I need to get out as soon as possible. Father, don't die. Or else I'll take revenge…' The firebender suppressed his tears as he kicked the bear. Everyone he had been living with and considered family was either brutally murdered or waiting to be killed, all thanks to a rebellious waterbender.

-x-X-x-

"The son of a bitch is lucky." I looked at the sea, at the horizon. The footsteps had ended, but the firebender was nowhere to be seen.

Tracking someone in the water is so difficult, as anyone could be lost at sea easily, let alone tracking someone.

Even if I went through the ocean to look for him, I could easily lose my way and end up on a random island, wasting time before eventually coming back.

By then, the firebender would have arrived at the Earth Kingdom, where many of their nation's forces resided. Not only that, but they would seek revenge and may send many troops to the South Pole.

I may have been Josh in my previous life, but that doesn't erase the fact that I had lived for seventeen years here and had some attachment. Katara could also suffer and get killed, as could Sokka.

I squeezed my brain, trying to come up with a genius idea. I wasn't a man with a very high IQ, but I knew I could figure something out.

I could wait here and fight any firebenders until the Avatar is awakened — if we ever find him.

I could go to the Earth Kingdom and try to find the firebender. I was certain I could arrive there before he did.

In the worst-case scenario, I could start attacking the Fire Nation troops to announce my existence and draw the Fire Nation's attention away from the South Pole, ensuring everyone here would be safe.

At the same time, I could hunt for wild beasts and accumulate experience, which would make it much easier for me to fight anyone who tried to chase me down. And let's not forget, being chased was like receiving free experience points. All I had to do was avoid biting off more than I could chew.

I held my head in both hands, not liking having to make a difficult decision. But the decisions that are hardest to make are the ones that have the most impact on one's life.