Gathering Supplies

Tyren sighed, thinking of his measly two coins. "Well, nice try..." he thought. Before he could say anything, a strong voice echoed around the marketplace "Hey, you!" Two royal guards were shoving through the crowd. "Uh oh..." Tyren said, sinking into Chase's background. He would have taken off, but two more guards were coming up from behind. He was trapped. "Please stranger," he begged, knowing he didn't deserve it "Oh please stranger, cover for me, please..." Tyren lowered his head so his cloak hood covered his face.

Ryuterra was alarmed by the sudden noise. He saw people coming towards them, and he wasn't sure who they were, but they seemed angry. And they were dressed differently than most of the people Ryuterra had seen Chase selling fish to.
Ryuterra turned towards Chase and asked, "Umm... Is it illegal to sell dead fish?" Ryuterra was still unable to understand why anybody would want to buy a dead fish. But then he recalled the stranger's words, and realized that these angry men were probably looking for the man that had earlier knocked Ryuterra down.
"Maybe those angry guys are guards of some kind? Why are they looking for this stranger, if he is who they are looking for? What could he have done? Hmm... I wonder if there is a reward for finding him? Either way, I don't really care. Money is just worthless junk that people think has some kind of value."
Ryuterra had spent years trying to survive, and he had never needed money. However, it seemed to be important in gathering the needed supplies so that Chase could head to the "Fire Nation" that he had talked about. But Ryuterra didn't care for the money, and was glad to let Chase handle the dead fish and the money.
Thinking back on what the stranger had said, Ryuterra wasn't sure what to do. The stranger had seemed worried, possibly afraid. "Afraid of what? I wonder why those guard people want this guy. Or maybe it is illegal to sell dead fish, and those guys are actually here for me and Chase?"
Ryuterra tried to look calm as the guards came ever closer to where he stood.

The two oncoming guards stopped in front of Ryuterra. The rear guards stopped a few feet away behind, watching the situation. Tyren tried to sink down and slouched in between Chase and Ryuterra. "We are seeking a enemy of the Earth Kingdom." one growled "He fits the description of your skulking friend. Stand aside, boy." Under his cloak, Tyren raised a foot, ready to do some quick earthbending if nessecary. He would die before he went back to prison.

Ryuterra found it interesting that the guards had used the word "friend" to describe the stranger hiding behind him. Ryuterra realized that he had two options. "I could tell these people that this man isn't my friend and then move out of the way to let them do what they wish. Or... I could have some fun."
Deciding on the second option, Ryuterra said, "Enemy of the Earth Kingdom? Doesn't your description look more like that guy?" Ryuterra pointed towards a large crowd of people. Seeing the guards' confusion, he stepped forward a bit and said, "Wait, where did he go? He must have seen you coming and disappeared into the crowd. I understand that he might look like our sad little friend here, but that doesn't make our friend the one you are looking for. Shouldn't you avoid bothering the innocent and start looking for the real enemy? I saw him moving fairly quickly, I wouldn't be surprised if he knocked someone down in his rush to get away from you guards."
Stepping past the guards, Ryuterra stated, "Which way did this guy go then? He did look a lot like my friend there, but he must have seen the opportunity to disappear in the cover of the crowd. He could probably be almost anywhere in the city by now. Aren't you going to go look for him instead of bothering my friend?"

The two guys in the back and the one in the front who had spoken looked around dumbly. "Oh," said the one who spoke "Oh, well, don't worry, we'll get him. If you see or hear anything, their's a reward out." The soldier, still looking embaressed and confused, motioned to the two in the back. He took one more look at Tyren, who tried to look even more desolate, then walked off into the crowd. One huge soldier stayed, though. He was about 6' 2", and very buff. "Son," he said, stepping forward "I'm Lieutenant Fei of the Earth Kingdom army. This is my squad on detachment here. I was wondering if that man will just remove his cloak for us. If he is truly innocent, then it will be fine. I will leave and not bother you again. I might even buy one of those fish for my wife. My family moves with our squad. It's wonderful, though I always try to help out when I can." He was trying to sound fatherly and kind, and seemed to be a decent person, but it was obvious from his voice he was suspicios. Tyren, who had been about to breathe a sigh of relief, stopped and ducked his head even lower. He wondered if the word "reward" would influence his new "friends". He couldn't help but remember how he had knocked them over, and been rude to them.

"People eat dead fish? That sounds... Disgusting." As Ryuterra had been surviving on his own for the past fourteen years or so, he had never really eaten meat, so the concept just seemed wrong to him.
"No, I haven't been living under a rock. Although I did eat one once. It was dry and hard though..."
To counter Chase's argument, Ryuterra turned towards the guard and said, "So what if I have never thought of the flesh of a dead creature as something worth eating? My friend was fishing without bait, but he was still able to catch fish! Perhaps you should be arresting him!"

"I only ate a rock once! Besides, eating dirt sounds more pleasant than your dead fish! How can you call that a meal?" Watching Chase eat the raw fish made Ryuterra start to feel sick. "A proper meal is made up of fruits and vegetables and grains, those gifts given to us by the Earth! Not the flesh of something that used to be moving and breathing!"
Ryuterra turned away from Chase, who was eating his dead fish. As Ryuterra turned past, he noticed that the guard was still standing there, but looked somewhat confused. He decided to ask the guard, "What do you think? Would you rather eat something dead, like a fish, or something given to us by the Earth, like a rock?"

Lieutenant Fei shook his head. "Lunatic peasants." He began to walk back into the crowd. Tyren, realizing he had been holding his breath, and let it out in a low sigh. He began to turn around and walk next to Chase, when suddenly, unexpectedly, Fei whipped around and stomped a foot on the ground. A small jut of rock rose up, tripped Tyren. He caught his balance, but his hood fell off. "That's him, men!" bellowed Fei "Seize him!" Six soldiers emerged from the crowd, four Chin-city guards carrying spears and two of Fei's personal soldiers. Tyren stomped his foot, and a jut of rock rose up at Fei. Fei dodged and sent a rock flying at Tyren. Fei's two soldiers raised rocks, ready to throw them. The four guards lowered their spears around the group. "Surrender now." growled Fei "You will never escape." He raised a hand and stomped a foot. A huge rock rose out of the ground, ready for throwing. Fei directed his gaze at Ryuterra and Chase. "Seize the criminal in between you, and you will receive the reward. I will even let you off. For you have already become criminal's yourselves, by aiding and abetting one. Seize him now, and redeem yourselves."

"So there is a reward... Interesting. Sadly, it's probably something worthless like money or dead fish. Something that Chase might enjoy. Maybe he wants the reward?" Ryuterra turned towards Chase and waited to see what Chase would do. Ryuterra was ready to follow his lead. If Chase wanted to grab the stranger and turn him over to the guards, Ryuterra would help. If Chase wanted to run away, Ryuterra would try to keep up. If Chase wanted to stand and fight... Well, Ryuterra didn't enjoy fighting, but he would be ready to defend himself. Whatever happened, Ryuterra was ready to help Chase.

"Oh, uh, I was just going to follow your lead." Ryuterra could see that Chase probably didn't want to give the stranger to the guards, as he had drawn a weapon. Ryuterra looked around at the guards, and saw that they were all armed, some with spears and some with floating rocks. Ryuterra couldn't be certain, but he guessed the rocks would probably be more dangerous than the spears. A spear could be knocked away, but the Earth was everywhere.
Looking towards Chase, Ryuterra noticed the weapon his friend was holding. It was not like any type of weapon he had seen before. But then again, Ryuterra had never really seen floating rocks before, so the weapon Chase held didn't seem too strange. Ryuterra reached for his sword, and held it with both hands, hoping he wouldn't have to fight. He was ready to defend himself, but he wasn't sure how well he would be able to defend if he was attacked by several people. Ryuterra stood still, waiting for someone else to make the first move.

Fei scowled. "Fine," he growled "You've sealed your fate. Guards, attack!" The four guards with spears charged Ryuterra. They were unskilled, but outnumbered him greatly. The two earthbenders struck at Chase, oblivious to the fact he might be a bender. They were skilled, though. Tyren moved forward to help, and had to dodge a piece of rock which burst from the ground at him. "That leaves you all to me, Tyren the Wanderer." Fei put a nasty emphasis on Tyren's full title. Tyren stamped his foot, and hurled a rock at Fei, who blasted it to pieces with a punch. Tyren followed it up with a quick jut of rock, and then send a line of destroyed earth at Fei. These swift attacks kept Fei from counterattacking, but Tyren couldn't seem to knock the lieutenant off his feet, though he stumbled and blocked attacks hastily.

Ryuterra felt the pressure as four men with spears charged towards him. Seeing he was outnumbered, he realized brute force couldn't protect him. Deciding to focus on a different strategy, Ryuterra quickly put away his sword and watched as the men ran closer. Seeing his opportunity, Ryuterra knocked the spear out of the guard who had come closest and then grabbed him, holding the guard tightly in front of himself. Turning towards the remaining spear men, Ryuterra shouted, "You wouldn't hurt one of your own men, would you? Drop your spears and step away, and I'll give him back."
Ryuterra held the guard firmly and was ready to throw him towards any incoming attack, but was watching to see if the guards would fight, as the other guards seemed focused on Chase and Tyren, so there seemed a small chance anyone else would interfere.

The poor Chin city guards had never handled anything like this before. The one Ryuterra grabbed threw up his hands and cried "I surrender!" The other three stepped back. Unfortunately, the number of soldiers wasn't shrinking, they were actually gaining more. More Chin city guards, some wielding spiked clubs or swords, were joining the fight. It wasn't the clubs or the swords that would have made that much of the difference: it was the thick, round metal shields some carried. The shields slowed them down, but they could use them to block weapons and some bending blows. Also more and more of Fei's men were joining combat, all of them benders.

Fei backed up to take a breather, and three of his earthbenders attacked Tyren. Earth Soldier No.1 threw a huge boulder at Tyren. He blocked with a thick wall of rock, and tried to send the wall at ESN.2, but ESN.1, 3 and 4... four? Another bender joined the fray against Tyren. They had succeeded in cutting him off from his allies, and he was encircled. The battle against Tyren was hard, as rocks flew back and forth, pieces of earth rose up, and huge pits were made. But Tyren was outnumbered greatly, and tiring. He looked over at Fei. "If I surrender, will you let them go?" he shouted. Fei nodded calmly. Tyren dropped the rock he was about to throw and put his hands at his sides. Instantly a cone of rock rose up around him up to his head. "Back!" Fei cried "Back!" The soldiers broke away from Ryuterra and Chase the best they could. The way Tyren saw it they were going to lose eventually anyway, and better for one to be taken instead of three.

Ryuterra had released the guard he was holding. Sharing in Chase's curiosity, Ryuterra looked toward Tyren as he walked closer to the group. "I don't think they would want to give us the reward, even though they caught the guy they were looking for. Oh well, Chase looks like he had some fun. With that hook thing of his, I'll have to remember to not get on his bad side."

When Ryuterra was close enough to be sure he would be heard, he turned to Fei and asked, "That thing you do with the floating rocks, is that Earthbending?" Remember how Chase had been surprised that he had never heard of Waterbending, Ryuterra added, "Is it hard to learn? It looks really powerful."

Fei looked Chase up and down, scrutinizing him. His eyes then roved over Ryuterra, scrutinizing him. He looked like he was thinking for a moment, then spoke. "Meet me in the inn down the street, Jared's Jade, in about thirty minutes. I wish to talk to you on many matters. I will also explain the prisoner." Fei motioned to the guards. The rock surrounding Tyren shrank into the ground, and metal handcuffs were strapped on his wrists. They began to lead him away.

Ryuterra watched as the stranger that had knocked him down was now being led away by the guards. Ryuterra turned towards Chase and asked, "Where do you think they are taking him?"
Ryuterra couldn't help but wonder what this man had done that the guards were so forceful about catching him. However, Fei had said that he would explain these things. "He said to meet him down the street at an inn... Perhaps it will have good food, something actually worth eating, not just dead fish. Of course, they probably want money, and Chase is the one with all of our money. And he probably would rather eat his dead fish than waste money on overpriced food at an inn."
Ryuterra looked down the street. Seeing several buildings, he wasn't certain which one would be the inn they were looking for, but they could likely find it within much less time than half an hour. Ryuterra asked, more to himself than to Chase, "We have half an hour until we are supposed to meet that guy at the inn. What should we do until then?"

"Water sounds good for me. Do you have any stews without meat, and if not, do you have any bread?" In his experience, Ryuterra had learned beef was a type of meat, and "meat" was synonymous with "the rotting flesh of something dead." In all the years he had been surviving on his own, Ryuterra had never needed to rely on meat, and so he saw it completely unnecessary to pick up such a disgusting habit. "If I died, I wouldn't want something to come along and eat me... Why should I eat anything that died? And it just seems cruel to kill something just to eat it. I don't want something to kill me just to eat me. I hope I wouldn't taste good, but I don't know..."
Ryuterra had been so lost in his thoughts that he was suddenly slightly startled as he noticed the woman was gone. He wasn't sure how long she had been gone and what she had said in response to his question, but he decided to just wait and see what the woman would bring.
"Probably stew and water for Chase, and for me, water, and I really hope I get something to eat that doesn't have meat..."