LIGHTNOVELWORLD Chapter 8: Chapter 8
Kao woke early, ready to enjoy one of the world's finest coffees, made from beans only found in the South of the Fire Nation.
The last couple of days had been exhausting, and the fact that they had crossed an entire ocean to reach here made them even more tired.
It was all thanks to one waterbender bastard.
'At least coffee can ease my mind. Once I kill that bastard, I'll get my special 100-year-old drink. I had kept it for a special occasion, like getting promoted, but I swear it will taste even better after killing that bastard.'
Kao thought, enjoying his sadistic ideas. By now, the ice around the anchor should have melted.
When he stepped out of his cabin, he found the soldiers staring at the ship with pale faces.
He stood at the edge of the ship and looked down at the men on the land.
"What's going on?" Kao asked.
"Captain… dud…" the man was barely able to form a sentence, looking confused about where to start.
"Dud what!?" yelled Kao.
"The ice is back," whined one of the soldiers, who was known to be well-composed.
"That bastard! He must have come back at night!!" said Kao. "Does he think we're easy targets? We'll cut off the anchor and leave the rest to our ancestors' souls and fate. Does that asshole waterbender think we're easy to push around? I'm crazier than him!"
"About that…" a soldier came from behind the captain.
Kao turned around and realized he was talking to the one responsible for the ship's maintenance.
"All of our coal is gone. And when I tried to use normal wood, I found that the engine has been damaged beyond repair. We can't move!" the maintenance soldier said, his tone full of despair.
Kao, boiling with anger, looked at him with wide eyes.
The soldier didn't repeat what he had said.
Kao felt like it was a nightmare.
He grabbed the maintenance guy by the arm guards and shook him. "Wait… wait. You just didn't have breakfast. Once you eat well and warm up, you'll figure it out."
He shook his head. "There's a lot of ice inside. I could see cuts in the pipes, and there's a leak. Unfortunately, it's beyond repair…"
"We can forge a new one, right?" Kao asked. "We have blacksmiths on the ship."
"Not possible in this icy land." The maintenance guy shook his head.
Kao laughed forcefully and hit his arm. "We'll figure out a solution. For now, ignite the fire and we'll eat."
"About that?" the maintenance guy rubbed his own cheek.
"Don't tell me…" Kao said, dreading the next words.
"All of our stored food is gone as well. All that's left are the snacks the soldiers kept under their beds."
In his long life, Kao had seen despair in the eyes of both young and old. He had been a fierce warrior, and he knew how much the enemies of his glorious nation had suffered.
But for the first time in his life, Kao was the one feeling despair.
'This is what I was doing to people.' He looked at his soldiers with sad eyes. "Bring me a map. How long will it take us to get there on foot?"
They weren't waterbenders, and they couldn't swim fast without risking being attacked by the monsters in the sea. They also didn't have the high cold tolerance of waterbenders, nor could they predict the weather.
The only way was to travel around to the Water Tribe by foot.
"We guessed you'd ask that, captain. It'll take about two to three days."
"Three days. No food." Kao felt like going back to the Fire Nation, hugging his mom, and crying.
"Let's not forget how heavy the armor is." remarked one soldier.
-x-X-x-
Somewhere else.
I was away from Sokka and Katara, enjoying my spoils. I couldn't show them the food or anything I had. I couldn't explain the existence of the storage. I couldn't just say that a spirit had given it to me.
But I guess when I go back to attack the Fire Nation soldiers, when they're at their hungriest and weakest, I could make an excuse by bringing some food back to the tribe.
I looked at the fire coming from the coal. Above it was a pan with a steak. I was waiting for the right moment to flip it. The rich aroma filled my nose, making me salivate. Man, it had been a lifetime since I had some nice grilled meat. Yummy. Yummy. The excitement washed away any small amount of guilt or sorrow I felt for the Fire Nation soldiers.
Thinking about the Fire Nation soldiers, I believed they should be in despair.
'What would I do if I had no food, no coal, and my ship was broken? The most logical thing would be to take boats and fill them with soldiers. But that wouldn't be enough for the whole crew. And if I were them, I wouldn't try fighting a waterbender lurking in the water. Plus, there are other dangers. Would they risk it? The other way is the safer route. They could walk to the Southern Tribe. It'll take two days or more if they don't take breaks. They may freeze to death… no, no. They can warm themselves up with fire,' I thought.
I rubbed my nose, thinking about two strategies. First, I can block them in the water. Second, I can hunt them in the wild.
'There's no need to hurry. They are trained soldiers with experience fighting other benders… but once drained, I'll have a higher chance. Also, I wonder how to use the accumulated experience. Using the points I have wouldn't increase my Waterbending. Maybe my Freeze or Hunting skills. But what I'm really curious about is Chi Bending. It makes Waterbending easier. I wonder what else it could do.'
[Using 600 Accumulated Points]
[Chi Bending up to Level 4 (300/800)]
[+ The ability to infuse Chi into your body. Increases power by 20%.]
I looked at my hands and used my new muscle memory, moving a mysterious energy with my mind. It felt as if I had grown a new limb. My hands suddenly felt tingly and hot.
[Chi Bending +2 XP]
I guess I found a way to train Chi Bending. I just can't use it too much right now because I have firebenders to watch out for.
'This form… it increases my power, but it's way more exhausting than Waterbending. I can use it in short intervals to save energy. On the other hand…'
I waved my hand, and water flew out of the cup.
'The response time for Waterbending has improved slightly. Slight improvements can add up. Interesting,' I thought to myself.