Avatar the Last Airbender: Jedi Outcast - Book 1 - Prodigal Butcher

Chapter 14 - Dark Forces

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Chapter 14 - Edit

Ben and Katara raced ahead, their footsteps echoing in the cavern's hushed atmosphere. When they reached the camp, an unexpected stillness had replaced the earlier discord between the two tribes. When Ben had left, they had been in the midst of their evening meal. Complete silence was the last thing he expected. The tribespeople were now nestled in their bedrolls, with some already lost in slumber, their resonant snores reverberating through the cavern.

However, this newfound calm was short-lived. The elderly man had roused from his rest, and as Ben and Katara tiptoed closer to investigate, his voice erupted like a sonic boom, jolting the tribespeople from their slumber. "You damn fools!" His voice carried the weight of years of frustration. "What have you done... you killed us... you killed us!" His bellowing grew even more intense, and the very earth beneath him seemed to quake with his rage, even though his broken arms were immobilized in casts.

"Old man, what's happening?" Ben shouted, the rest of Team Avatar converging on the scene as the old man thrashed. He slammed his face into the ground, blood gushing from his nose as he maddeningly screamed, "No!" He pressed his back against the wall, scanning the area like a man possessed.

Ben rushed forward, strong arms gripping the man's shoulders as they grappled. After a tense minute, the old man began to calm down, his frenetic voice gradually subsiding. A small crowd had gathered around them, their curiosity piqued. The old man's voice was now a hoarse whisper as he struggled to regain his composure.

"Now... tell me what's going on," Ben demanded, his words crisp and authoritative. The old man's dry lips parted, and he leaned in close to Ben's ear. The old man's words were a harsh murmur, and as Ben listened, his eyes widened in disbelief.

He recoiled from the old man, his hand instinctively reaching for his lightsaber. With the weapon held firmly in his right hand, he spun around to face the gathering crowd, addressing both tribes and Team Avatar. "Everyone, pack up. We're going to finish our journey!" His voice rang out, startling the tribespeople, who began to heed the young Jedi's words. Ben turned to his team, taking a step closer.

"What's going on?" Aang inquired, peering over Ben's shoulder at the still-seated old man.

Ben started with Sokka, his voice steady and resolute. "Sokka, I need you to get the elderly and children on Appa. You'll be in charge of the reins." Then, he turned to Katara. "Katara, I need to rely on you today. You'll be on Appa's saddle, defending the people."

Finally, he addressed Aang, gesturing for him to follow as they herded the people into their designated areas around Appa. With everyone arranged, Ben raised his voice in a commanding tone.

"I apologize for the early wake-up call, but something of utmost importance has arisen," he declared. His purple lightsaber ignited, its eerie hue cutting through the darkness as he held it in his offhand. "The cavern's beasts are in this cave with us. The tour guide informed me that we've unwittingly entered their nest. We must fight our way out now."

Ben had been expecting the age-old tribal bickering to erupt into a cacophony of blame and argument. However, to his surprise, the tribespeople quietly fell in line with his command. He turned away from the two tribes, the young exile following the lumbering form of Appa as he approached the elderly tour guide.

His boots reverberated through the cavern, the echoes mingling with a strange, almost palpable tension in the air. But then it happened, so suddenly and unexpectedly that even Ben's quick reflexes were caught off guard. A leathery, grotesque tongue shot out from the abyss of the cave's darkness, a reddish-pink appendage that snaked around the old man's lower thigh.