Doodles by me! You can consider it a quote from a future chap!
In the following days, many things happened. For one, Hala managed to convince most villagers of their plan. Though, they all agreed that timing was key; they had to wait. More information and strength were needed. They had to gather more allies than they currently had.
A few youths, elders, and mothers wouldn't be enough to take back their home and keep it thereafter. This would have to be a combined effort for all of the mining villages in the area. Getting the message out would take time and stealth.
It wasn't uncommon for villagers to travel between the small towns, however, so while slow, everything was still coming together nicely. That part of the plan would be carried out by a traveling merchant who was well known in these parts.
Only those who were trusted explicitly knew what was going on. In shifts during the night, Ayaan gave them tips on the art of hunting and traps. Thanks to his experience training the three gremlins, he'd become a much better teacher than he had been before.
"You have the basics down. I'm surprised how quickly you all learn." The young men and women preened under the praise. They had been participating in the training since Hala had given the news, eager to learn to fight for their home.
"Thank you, Lord Ayaan!"
"Um. Yes. You're welcome." He still needed to get used to them calling him that. "We will be going into more practical things now."
"Huh?" They noticed that glint in his eyes. Everyone came to know that as an instructor he was absolutely ruthless. He didn't cut corners. What the hell was mercy? Endurance, technique, speed, even fear, he trained them in all of these.
How did he train them in fear? Simple.
"For the next ten minutes, I will be the enemy. If you get hit by me, you may count it as dying."
"Oh, no." It was this that sent shivers down their spines. That look in his vibrantly sea blue eyes beneath the moonlight... There was a dangerous gleam in those usually kind eyes. When they first started, they didn't believe he'd put them through the wringer as he had. While they were thankful he was putting in such effort to drill the knowledge into their minds properly...
"Brace yourselves."
A demon. He truly was a demonic instructor.
These ten-minute rounds went on for a few hours, each group of villagers taking their turns to attempt to land a hit on Ayaan. All of them failed, obviously, though some managed to come close. Their naturally strong bodies proved useful in this training. The mothers, who were adamant about receiving the training for self-defense, flourished here.
Ayaan made his point clear. When he said any and everyone could learn to hit and be hit, he was not joking.
When everything was over and they dropped to the ground in exhaustion, Ayaan deemed it enough for today. "Good job, everyone."
"But no one even came close to you! Again!" Haru spoke up, still a heap in the dirt. He was allowed to join in the training, Hala hoping he found another outlet besides his earthbending, which he needed to keep secret.
But still, "You can't even go a little easier on us?"
"This is going easy on you," Ayaan answered, a bit confused by the question.
"Like hell it is!" Every single villager protested.
They understood why he was drilling these practices into their bones. They were grateful, they were regaining hope and strength, confidence in themselves again. Of course, not everyone was willing to join them in this, and there were others that they didn't tell at all due to a lack of trust. But they were glad that they were there.
Hala had her hands clenched tightly at her side as she watched their reluctance. She'd expected it. Years of this had done this to them. But... they thought like her. They had children of their own, families taken and lives destroyed. So, she explained every bit of the plan that Ayaan had told her about. Everything that could go right and all of the things that could go wrong.
"Do you understand what you're saying, Hala?" One of the older villagers asked, "If this doesn't work, then..."
"I know it's risky." She whispered. "I know you are all scared. I am, too. But if this could give my baby the life he deserves? If this could bring our families back to us and drive those sons of bitches out of our town, then... I'm willing to take that risk. The question is... Are you willing to do the same for yours?"
Her gaze hardened, looking each of them in the eye, "I would rather die standing firm than forcing my son to live the rest of his life on his knees."
Of the people gathered, the answer was unanimous. So here they were, training their asses off in preparation.
"I think the meaning of 'easy' changed in the last hundred years..." Aang whispered. The training Ayaan had given him was to attack a dummy with his staff. There were places marked on it for quick knock-outs which he had to hit until it became muscle memory.
It had a red mark on its face and a hay ponytail that looked eerily familiar... Meh, coincidence.
"No, no. I'm sure he's going easy on them." Sokka was in the cut taking notes on Ayaan's secret to manliness. While training had transformed his arms from thin twigs to decent sticks, it was still no match against Ayaan's fully realized branches.
"Easy, my foot!" They understood what they signed up for. But that didn't mean it was any less painful to be knocked on your ass every few seconds!
Though, all protests died a blissful death the next second.
Training all day had made him sweaty, so Ayaan loosened his shirt a bit. He'd taken his bandages off since they were soaked. He took the band out of his wet, silver-white hair. The cool breeze relaxed him as he brushed some of the loose strands out of his face, combing them to the side with his fingers.
Some gazed with envy. The sweat from their workout caused his shirt to snag on his muscular figure. Some looked away, practicing their art of self-control because damn, the young man had no business being such a fine specimen. Others openly ogled him, knowing they had zero chance with him, but let themselves gaze upon his glory.
He was oblivious to the various stares he was receiving from the young singles he was training. Thinking about their progress and his trio's training, a small smile emerged. They were doing well, much better than when they first started. It was something to be proud of.
Utter Silence.
Our oblivious child noticed nothing. "You all did well, but overworking will not aid you. We shall continue tomorrow night. Use the paths to make your way home to rest." He said. He had a few things to do before he rested himself, so without looking back, he left.
Even more silence followed.
Until someone broke it. "...I want that."
"'That' is waaaay out of your league."
"You only live once, couldn't hurt to try, right?"
"Yes. Yes, it will. Aren't you engaged, sis?"
"He understands what I'm saying. Right, sweetie?"
"Yep." A man laying not two feet from them spoke, "Even I want that."
"Wow," The woman sat up, looking at her sister and her fiance, "Y'all's relationship must be extremely solid to be having this conversation."
"We're just being honest," They answered in unison.
Days passed like this, and everyone had gotten into the groove of the training. At night, they met up in groups. They practiced making traps, went over strategies, and even made talk about how they would manage things once all of this was over. They were fast learners, and by then, could hold their own against those with the minimum training.
The fire nation had been beating on their confidence and pride, it just took a little push from Ayaan to regain it. If before they were unsure, now? Now, they were just waiting for that perfect moment to strike back.
Over the days, they noticed how weak-willed they'd been prior. Taking the bullying and harassment without even thinking about fighting back... they'd been lily-livered cowards! These men weren't even that strong, they were lackeys! It was an embarrassment the moment they realized it.
There is no way I could face my loved one if I continued to take this lying down, they thought. We are miners, shopkeepers, and caretakers... we are no one's slaves.
When had they thought being so was acceptable?
When had they started to believe being so would keep them safe?
Embarrassing.
Just a push in the right direction was all they needed to see the truth.
Ayaan had no idea how much their respect for him had risen. The amount of money he had wasn't the only reason they called him 'Lord'.
Speaking of our boy, over the course of his time in this little town, he noticed that Katara and Haru seemed to be hitting it off very well. He was glad that she had another friend to talk to... but he wasn't sure about how he felt about all of her friends being male. He felt the urge to point his spear at the lad every now and then for some reason.
There seemed to be some sort of rivalry between Haru and Aang in regard to his sister's attention. They were definitely friends, too, but there was this silent competition going on. Sokka would just shake his head at them, his own thoughts drifting to a certain warrior.
Strange. It was very strange. His eyes narrowed. It gave him a very iffy feeling. But they were good kids, so he left it alone for the time being.
Before he could leave on his solo mission, however, he was approached by his sister, "Ayaan, can we talk?"
He nodded, waiting patiently for her to speak.
"About before... I'm sorry." She started, "When you said it wasn't as simple as I was putting it, you meant all of this, right?"
He nodded. "A plan is needed for every situation. A way to escape is needed should the plan fail. The safety of the people is the top priority." He answered.
"Just going in, bending left and right, wouldn't guarantee that, would it."
"No. It is not that simple." He said it again. Though this time, she understood why he was saying that.
"Is there anything more we can do for them?"
"At the moment, no. We need more information."
"What information do you still need?"
Her tone, for some reason, made his scar tingle. He had a feeling that he shouldn't be answering that question. But what was the harm in telling her?
"For them to fight back, they need their families. The earthbenders. They are in a place where they can not bend, we need a way for them to do so in order for them to escape, among other things."
'Though for some reason I have a feeling it will be more difficult than just that.'
He kept these thoughts to himself, though. "After that is done, we leave."
Katara dawned a look of understanding, though something was hidden behind her eyes. "We need to get Aang to the North Pole. All of us need a waterbending teacher. We can't stay here."
"Correct. Once we stabilize the situation here, we leave." He put emphasis on that. They could not stay here, but this win would be beneficial to them. "I'll be back by sunrise. You should get some rest, too."
"Okay. Be safe, alright?"
He nodded, leaving to wherever it was he was going.
'So, we just need to find them something to fight with? That shouldn't be too hard, right?'
He had no clue his iffy feeling would end up coming true soon.
...
..
.
Ayaan continued to stake out the fire nation in the town. There weren't any changes, as they were pretty much set in their motions and habits. Aside from the information he'd already gathered, however, they didn't seem keen to drop any more hints about the things he wanted to know. While they were stupid, their level of stupidity had unfortunately not yet reached that level.
There was this, and the tail he'd gotten in that time. He wasn't ignorant about it. It didn't seem like the boy was actively trying to hide from him, either. He was most likely no older than Aang. His right eye was green while the other was brown.
It alarmed him when he saw the child conversing with a fire nation soldier. Though that quickly became confusion when the firenation soldier ruffled his hair, giving him a piece of paper before leaving again. He seemed to look at his fire nation attire with honest disgust. It was baffling to Ayaan.
So Ayaan watched him for a while, pointing out the oddities that only someone looking for them would see.
This particular soldier did not speak with the others. He usually kept to himself and followed orders without question. No, it was more that he didn't speak to the others at all. He seemed to stealthily scope out things, going in and out of places that seemed reserved for higher-ups without getting caught.
He was extremely skilled. The other firebenders didn't seem to suspect anything at all. It was more that this person proved to be a firebender themselves that they didn't suspect anything. While he was quiet, he seemed to listen well, so they left him alone.
He must have been with them for a long time for them to be this comfortable around him. He's solidified his presence, thus they suspect him little to none as not being one of them.
'A spy. A very committed one, and a very, very good one. He is making his presence obvious to me because he knows I'm watching him. If not, I wouldn't have been able to single him out as I have.'
That... means he's dangerous. Extremely so. He and the child were communicating. The child was also watching this encampment, more than likely as a backup for the one infiltrating. They seemed to want to speak with him, so they made themselves known to him like this.
But Ayaan remained cautious. It was not easy to earn his trust.
Their plan to commune with him continued. There were even times when they would leave little notes here and there for him to find, and they would have bits of information on them. Hideouts he wouldn't have known about just by scouting, names of hidden leaders in the barracks, and other important things that surprised him.
Of course, he checked the legitimacy of the information himself. The others simply took it as Ayaan taking Appa out on his daily flight, something they were used to him doing. The trio knew that he was looking into something, as he'd let them know of the people he'd encountered.
When the eldest water tribe sibling checked the information, he was certain that all of it was accurate, scarily so.
The next night, they left another note for him. He read the note carefully, quickly noticing the difference.
"Hm?" This time, it was not a message, but a map. Looking at it closely, it was of the town, and there was an 'X' marked on a crossroad not far from where they were. What was implied was very simple to discern.
He paused. Ayaan would not rush into something without informing his family of his plans. If it was just scouting, which was not blatantly dangerous, then there was no need. Ayaan would not mindlessly put himself in a position he could not escape from. But all of his larger plans? Once thought out, he runs them by his family first.
Acting on impulse wasn't something Ayaan was fond of.
Though he isn't immune to those moments.
"They want to meet you?" Aang asked, Ayaan nodding in confirmation. "I think you should go! They seem friendly from what you've told us, right?"
"From what I've seen, yes."
"I think you should meet them, too." Katara said. "If they went that far to get your attention and give us the information we were looking for, there has to be some merit in working with them, right?"
"That is also true..." Ayaan was still thinking. "You're thoughts, Sokka?"
"We should still be cautious," Sokka said, "but I believe this is worth it, too." pursuing them as allies. Aang and Katara were also optimistic about it.
"It's better to make friends than foes," Aang said, the rest of the trio nodding in agreement, waiting for Ayaan's answer.
"Okay. I will be there at sunset tomorrow. I want to fly a bit with Appa and scout a bit more, so I will be gone most of the day."
"Got it," Sokka answered. "We got everything here."
Ayaan once again ignored the bad feeling tingling up his scarred arm.
...
..
.
After completing his scouting, which carried on well into the night, he let Appa make his way home while he went to the meeting place.
He was sure that today he would be getting more info regarding the rig, and that would greatly speed up his plan. He already had an idea of how to get them out, but they needed to get past the guards on the rig, as well as give the earthbenders something to fight with. Some type of earth...
He was sure he'd figure it out.
Coming to the place, he heard a light, chipper voice exclaim, "You made it! I'm glad you decided to come!" It was the kid from before. He was waiting for him in the alley.
He took his cloth mask off, revealing his darker brown skin and ashy-gray hair. He had two beauty marks under his brown eyes, and one under his green one. A scar went across his young face, from the edge of his cheek to across his eye. It was a blessing he didn't seem to be blind in that eye from how massive the scar seemed. Was it from a blade? It seemed old, healed over completely.
"I'm Qī! It's an honor to officially meet you, blessed one!"
"My name is Ayaan. Why do you call me 'blessed one'?"
"Well, I can see it!" Qī answered. "You have the aura of a blessed one! You're amazing!"
He looked upon Ayaan with pure awe, which the older boy wasn't exactly sure how to respond to, "Um. Thank you?"
That seemed to make the child's entire day. "He thanked me! A blessed one thanked me! I am going to brag when I get home."
"There was a reason for this meeting, right?" Ayaan asked, pulling the child from his happy little world.
"Ehem." He coughed, embarrassed at having lost focus. "Sorry about that... Yes. There is a reason aside from me fanboying. My brother should be here soon."
"Brother?"
"Yep. Him." Qī pointed to another alley, and just as he did the fire nation soldier walked out. Ayaan was immediately on guard, but the moment the young man came into view he discarded his helmet. He was much younger than he'd expected, most likely around Sokka's age.
And his face was adorned with many scars, though all of them were old, just like the younger child. Someone as young as them having scars like that, given to them when they were even younger than they were now... did not sit well with Ayaan.
While their scars came from different places, having that as a similarity did not sit well with him.
Now that he was up close with the fire-bender youth, he could clearly see his expression. It was similar to his own in Omashu when that mean guard was groveling before him: Unfiltered, pointed disgust. All of it was aimed at his fire nation attire. The very fabric appalled him to no end.
Fire nation sucks. Having to work with them for this mission sucks. The very air they breathe is tainted, making him want to gag. Having a super heightened sense of smell did not help. Absolutely revolting. Matching uniforms with them is disgusting, vulgar, and repulsing.
He's had to do so much damage control because of what they did. Stealing back money they stole from people, helping up people they'd push down, keeping them from doing vile things to the women... Now that was where he drew lines and made threats.
The residents of the area regard him as "the good apple amongst a bunch of trash."
There were two main reasons the others steer clear of him. Reason one, they know he isn't social. If they even look in his general direction he'll leave. His personality had been established in the long while that he was working undercover here. They had the common sense to respect his space.
And then there's reason two: He will royally whoop their asses if they cross his line.
Yes. He had done this many times before. How did he get away with it? He reported them, obviously. He had dirt on each and every one of them that he could use. Mans was a spy, he knew everyone's dirty little secret. It was one of the many reasons he was so disgusted by them.
To Wǔ, they were all abhorrent pieces of rotten ostrich-horse shit.
Remembering it all made his scowl thicken. Though his expression softened when he saw Ayaan and Qī waiting for him. Coming forward, he ruffled his brother's hair as he always did when he saw him.
"Hehe, hey! Stop treating me like a kid! I'm trying to look cool here!" Qī said, his cheeks puckered in a pout. The red-eyed youth just smiled, the child cleaning his throat to introduce him, "Ehem. This is my adoptive brother, Wǔ."
Said boy gave Ayaan a bow, his expression of awe mirroring his little brother's. It was as if being in his presence was something divine. There was a sparkle in his super-saturated brown eyes, which the younger of the two picked up on quickly.
"I told you he's the real deal, Brother Wǔ." He whispered in his brother's ear, "And I got a thank you. It was awesome." Wǔ looked at his brother in disbelief, the younger ego expanding at the sight.
"I'm sorry I'm late." Another voice startled Ayaan, grabbing his spear within the moment to point in its direction. A youth in the same attire as Qī was sliding across the ground at an impressive speed. What caught Ayaan off guard about it, however, was the fact that what he was gliding across wasn't the ground.
It was ice.
'A... waterbender?'
"Big Brother Liù!" The child was quick to introduce them, "Oh! Sir Ayaan, this is our eldest, Liù." The tall youth took off his cloth mask as well. He was a handsome man, probably older than Ayaan by a year or two. He had long raven hair, vibrant blue eyes, and a few scars on his right cheek.
"It's an honor to meet you, Sir Ayaan." His voice wasn't as deep as Ayaan's. He was very soft-spoken, with a sort of elegance in his tone. He gave off the air of a noble. "We are known as the Phantom Unit of the Number Guard. You briefly met our juniors on Kyoshi, The Triplet Trio."
"The artisans? They work with you?" Ayaan was surprised. Though it explained why they seemed so well trained when they helped them escape.
"Yes. It is likely that you will meet more of us on your journey with the Avatar. Though our main focus is protecting those like you."
"Like... me? Why not the Avatar instead. He is more important right now."
"Nope. Our focus is on you! A blessed child! A child beloved by spirits!" Qī said, happily explaining. "Our clan, The Asrar Clan, basically worships people like you! Blessed children are very, very rare. Spirits are really stingy with their affection, you know? But when they give it, they give it, and you definitely have it!"
"Yes. It's said that to earn a spirit's blessing, you must have done something extremely noble in your last life. That, or you are a spirit in human form, an entity that garners great respect in our clan. Though we aren't too sure of the difference between the two."
All three of them seemed to regard him with this regal respect, sparkles in their eyes. It was different from how others would look at him. "...I'm a bit confused, but this makes us allies, correct?"
"Yes." The waterbender answered.
The young firebender gave a vehement nod, still ever silent.
"We are definitely friends!" The child jumped for joy.
"Why not the Avatar instead, though? They are an entity confirmed to be spiritually intuned."
"Well, way back in the past, the Avatar kinda screwed us over."
"Huh? How? Aang is too kind for that." Ayaan was so very confused.
"Not the current Avatar. It was hundreds of years ago. Ancient history."
"Ah. I see. But Aang is a good person."
"The Triplets told us he was good. We trust their judgment. And if you, a blessed child, is saying so, we believe it wholeheartedly."
"O...kay?" It was strange, but he'll take it. "I'm glad."
"Now," Liù said, regaining his focus, "for the reason of our meeting."
He took a piece of parchment from the sleeve of his garb, "Qī, if you would?"
"Sure!" The boy stomped the ground, and all of the dust particles rose into the air. Ayaan marveled at the sight as the rock beneath shifted slightly, becoming perfectly smooth and level. "There! All ready to go! Did you get the information?"
"Yes," Liù answered. At this, Ayaan spoke up.
"Is this information why you requested this meeting with me?"
"Indeed, Sir Ayaan." He confirmed. "While Little Wǔ has been gathering information from the inside with Little Qī as his backup, I took up the task of confirming that information. See, one of ours went on a mission to infiltrate the prison rig. She is an accomplished earthbender, like my little brother here."
The boy beamed at the praise. "Yeah! I'm amazing! But Yon is crazy amazing! ...And really tall."
"Yes, but we lost contact with her not long after she got in. Someone went wrong." Liù sighed. "It is the reason we were sent out in the first place. We managed to gather loads of info in our time here, but only a few days ago did we get what we were looking for."
Liù spread out the paper on the flat ground. Qī locked it in place with his earthbending. With everything set, the eldest of the trio took out a bottle of black liquid. Ink? He closed his eyes, taking a stance that Ayaan was unfamiliar with, but also was.
The ink followed his fluid movements, Ayaan watching in awe as steadily, the image of a map was drawn. Everything in the area was on this map. The amount of skill and memory it took to accomplish this feat wasn't lost on Ayaan.
And he concentrated on one area. A spot with an 'X' on it just off the coast. That was where the prison rig was. There was a route drawn by it, most likely the route the ferries took to get to and from there.
"This is amazing..." Ayaan commented.
Wǔ nodded, stepping up for his part in the task. He took a steady breath in before blowing it out. The heat dried the ink quickly, and just like that, a perfect map had been made. He picked it up carefully, rolling it and tying it before placing the now complete map in Ayaan's hands.
"Thank you, but do you not need it?"
Wǔ shook his head, gesturing to his brother.
"You can just create another?"
The firebender nodded.
"What of your friend? This 'Yon'?"
"We had planned to go bust her out once we got the info, but the more we found the more we felt that wasn't enough. Most of the earthbenders on the entire coast have been taken, the firenation was actively looking for them!" Qī answered. "We couldn't just let that be. But getting everyone out of there, added with the situation here, made things tricky."
"We could not get in without losing another, and she could not get out on her own. From what I saw, the rig is raised high above sea level. One way in, one way out, and is completely made of metal."
"Yes, I saw that while on Appa. The guards are also fairly well-trained."
"Yes. But from the info Little Wǔ got, the entire thing runs on coal instead of water-based power."
"Coal...?" Ayaan's strategic gears were turning. The others were on the same page as him.
"If Yon can get access to it, even three pieces, she could probably take them all on herself. But it's deep. Only someone on the inside could get to it, and getting it from point A to point B is a challenge."
"I could probably get her that! I can sense earth really far down!" The child suggested, but both of his brothers immediately, vehemently, denied his thought.
"Absolutely not." The eldest said. The quiet firebender shook his head so violently one would think he was trying to snap his own neck.
Qī pouted, "Okay, okay. Just saying, I could. I'm stronger than I look, you know."
"Of course I know, you are our youngest. But I'm not putting you in danger like that. Never." The child sighed. "Instead, you'll be here when we finally strike back on those fire nation scum. Does that sound good?"
The child lit up again, "Yes! It'll be you and me, right Big Brother Wǔ?"
The fire bender was smiling like a villain when he nodded. The thought of letting loose all of his frustration on those bastards sounded like a dream. He could finally ditch those disgusting garbs and take out the trash in this place.
While those two were cackling evilly in the background, Liù and Ayaan continued to converse. "Rallying the villagers quietly set up the perfect opportunity to truly makes things right here. But the rig is the problem. We need a solid way in and out to make this work. Your group's flying bison provides that."
"Yes. Appa can get to and from there easily. And once inside, your insider can give us the information she's gathered. If she's there, she most likely knows exactly where the coal is and the fastest route to get it to the others."
"Yes! That should speed everything up with the rescue. If we can get to the coal, all of the earth benders will have ammo to work with."
"Once all of the guards are taken care of, we can use the ferries to get the earthbenders back to land."
"And everything should solve itself from there thanks to what you've set up here."
Ayaan was silent for a moment. Everything about this plan seemed to fit well. A safe way in and out, a way to help the earthbenders fight, and a plan for after they get home that's already in motion. Everything seemed well... but... "What of the mental state of the earthbenders there? They are probably being oppressed even worse than the people here."
"Yes... that is worrisome," Liù said, patting Ayaan on his shoulder. "But hopefully, they love and miss their families enough to stand and fight, just as the people here did."
The sun was high in the air by the time their meeting was over. They needed to get back before anyone suspected anything, and Ayaan's aching arm told him he needed to get to home base as soon as possible to check in on his family and the others.
But before he left, "What would be our Plan B if something were to happen to Plan A?"
He felt the need to ask.
The others thought on it, before Wǔ his open palm with his fist. Liù and Qī were quick on the uptake, understanding what he was conveying.
"Then someone would need to get captured to get in. Then we'd locate Yon and continue from where we can with the original plan. Aside from being an earthbender, the easiest method to get captured is to simply assault a fire nation officer." The waterbender stated, earning an evil smile from his youngest.
"Yeah! Punch one of them in the face! As hard as you can!"
The quiet firebender nodded, even going as far as to give both his brother and Ayaan a thumbs up of approval. Yes. Hit them very hard. They deserve it.
"Thank you for this," Ayaan said.
"Of course," Liù said. He put his fingers up to give a distinctive bird call. To his request, a sparrowkeet perched on his shoulder. "This is Fleet, our messenger bird. If we gather any more information, he's the one who will get it to you. May the spirits guide you well, Ayaan."
Ayaan nodded, watching as they left. Wǔ faded into the dark alleys, Liù sped into the distance, his icy trail evaporated as he went, and Qī sank into the ground, leaving no evidence he was there at all. Within a breath, they were gone, truly living up to their name of "The Phantom Unit."
Ayaan had left for their home base on such a positive note. He was eager to share the now set plan with his family, Hala, and the townspeople. Everything they'd been patiently preparing for was about to begin.
But when he got there, Hala was a mess of tears on the floor of her house.
"Mrs. Hala!" Ayaan was quick to go to her, but she was inconsolable. "What happened?"
"My son...! Please, not my boy... Give him back... Give me back my baby...!"
In the time that he'd been away, Haru was taken. What made it worse?
He couldn't find Katara, either.