[Let's Write!] An Avatar/X-Over Adventure!
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[Let's Write!] An Avatar/X-Over Adventure!
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[X]Head South, the priority is getting away from the homonculi for now, allies can come later.
[X]Forget alchemy, I want to learn some of those martial arts moves he knows.
[X]Head North, the Avatar was last seen there and its close to that Point Mako we learned about.
[X]Teaching me how to protect people (including myself). I like allies. 
[x]Head North, the Avatar was last seen there and its close to that Point Mako we learned about.
[x]Teaching me how to protect people (including myself). -- Rob Kelk "Governments have no right to question the loyalty of those who oppose them. Adversaries remain citizens of the same state, common subjects of the same sovereign, servants of the same law." - Michael Ignatieff, addressing Stanford University in 2012
[ ]Head South, the priority is getting away from the homonculi for now, allies can come later.
[ ]Teaching me non-combat ulility/combat avoidance techniques. 
[x]Head North, the Avatar was last seen there and its close to that Point Mako we learned about.
[x]Teaching me how to protect people (including myself). -- Bob --------- Then the horns kicked in... ...and my shoes began to squeak. 
Ah, always takes longer when I have to do that "research" thing.
“Even Rocky had a montage...” Day Ten, Western Plains of Earth Kingdom “Okay, let's stop here.” Ed managed to get his ostrich-horse to slow to a stop. I glanced at the horizon. The sun wasn't even near it. “Why?” I asked. “There's a culvert over there that should keep us out of sight for the night,” Ed said holding up one finger. “We need to rest.” He held up another finger and I didn't comment on how it was mainly him who needed to rest. Then again, riding an animal with an nonresponsive artificial leg was probably hard. “Third, we need time to start your lessons in earnest.” “Okay.” I slid off my mount and clucked at it, rubbing the feathery frill along its neck. “I think they're omnivorous,” I said, glancing at the teeth. “We might be able to save some feed if we let them hunt for themselves, or at least graze.” The plains here were mainly scrub grass. “Though if we leave them unattended they may run off.” “Good riddance,” Ed said not entirely under his breath. “Now, now, they're much faster than walking. Faster than horseback in fact.” I glanced to the shrinking mountains. “We probably made almost twice as good time as we would have otherwise. If that map was right its thousands of miles to the Northern coast, across plains and rivers and mountains...” Ed rolled his eyes. “Fine. Still feels weird riding a chimera around all the place.” He tried to dismount, but only managed to land facefirst in the dirt. I tried not to laugh, I really did. I think the mounts were just as amused. “Go on,” I said to mine. “Hunt for yourselves and we'll have some feed when you get back.” The dinosaur-like mount made a 'kweh' sound and ran off the moment I released the reins. His companion followed him. I hoped I'd see them again. Shaking my head I went to help Ed to his feet (and adjust his leg, which had been jostled loose by the long ride). Soon we were in the culvert, examining our meager rations. “We're going to have to make this last,” I said. “Unless you have a way to alchemy up food?” Ed made a disgusted face. “Ugh. Complex organic chemistry with multiple proteins and admixtures in specific configurations? Even if you were ready for that level of transmutation withut risking poisoning us the result probably wouldn't be palatable. Beside, you shouldn't rely on alchemy to do your mundane work anyway. Alchemy is an extraordinary method, and should be reserved for extraordinary circumstances.” “I think I'm pretty talented,” I said, unable to keep the petulance entirely out of my tone. “I've managed to memorize several arrays already.” “That's because you've stuck to very simple transmutations,” Ed pointed out before taking a bit of a hard-packed trail ration. He made a face at it but chewed in silence for a moment. “There are five different kinds of transmutations, in increasing order of difficult. The ones you need to know are shape transmutation, state transmutation, reaction transmutation and elemental transmutation. Though some types are more difficult within their type, or even more or less difficult that they exceed the general rules.” He waved his hands. “It's all very complex. But that's a good guide for now.” “Shape? State?” I asked. “Shape transmutation doesn't make any changes to the molecular structure of the object being transmuted. It only concerns itself with the shape of the outcome.” He picked up a rock. “Turning this rock into a perfect square, but still made of rock, would be shape transmutation. It's the simplest because its the easiest for our brains to picture and thus borrows the least from your Gate.” I nodded. “State transmutation doesn't change the molecules but does change the state of the object. Ice to water to steam is the example of state transmutation. Almost all the same principles as shape transmutation apply, but its more complex because a transition of state involves a change in the energy of the system and that energy has to be account for. Changing water to ice, for example, requires decreasing the energy in the water which means that you have to move that excess heat somewhere. Similarly if you change water to steam you have to add energy from some other source, decreasing the heat in the environment. Generally alchemist channel excess heat into the earth or draw it from the crust. Accounting for all that heat exchange is annoying, because if you don't balance the equation exactly the Gate will balance it for you.” I winced. “And burn you up or freeze you solid?” “Exactly. That's why state transmutation, while simpler than anything but shape, is much rarer. The rebound from an improperly balanced state transmutation will kill you, maybe even everyone around you. Though I know one or two alchemist who specialize in it.” “So what's reaction transmutation?” “Inducing chemical reactions.” Ed leaned back. “In effect you use chemicals and molecules already available in the target and enduce a specific chemical reaction to get your ends. For example, the transmutation you used to turn steel into rust was a reaction transmutation that made the oxygen react with the iron.” “That doesn't sound to complex, if I can already do it...” I mused. “That's because oxidation is probably the most simple reaction transmutation you can perform!” Ed barked. “Most chemical reactions, especially the useful ones, involve many molecules all reacting. You have to exactly balance dozens of variables, maybe even hundreds, and on top of that control the speed and balance of the reaction at every instant.” He laced his fingers into his hair. “Reaction transmutations can be divided into the four basic types such as single replacement and double-replacement and decompositions and synthesis, and more complex forms, and sometimes have two or three or a dozen reactions all occurring in a specific order!” He leaned his head back and grimaced. “Not to mention the need to successfully picture the composition of multiple chemicals in your head at the same time. And every variable you don't account for your Gate will!” He growled. “There is a reason it takes years, sometimes decades, to master even a single class of reaction transmutation.” “Okay, okay!” I held up my hands in surrender. “No messing around with chemicals until you say so.” He took a deep breath and looked at me again. “Elemental transmutation is the rarest alchemy.” He tapped the ground. “It's transmuting one element into another. Lead into gold, for example. Theoretically, with elemental transmutation you could do practically anything; transmute the nitrogen in the atmosphere into titanium or turn water into oil.” “I sense a 'but' coming.” Ed's frown deepened and he nodded. “With chemical reactions you're still dealing with molecules, smaller than we can see but still something that we can picture. With elements your moving around atomic particles, and we don't even fully understand the math for how that works. Heck, we can't even account for the electrons entirely, since Uncertainty kicks in at the scale of effect we're talking about. In effect, with elemental transmutation you are leaving almost everything up to your Gate to account for.” “And that's bad?” “It can be. The biggest problem is accounting for the mass. Titanium, for instance, has an atomic mass of twenty-two to nitrogen's seven. Plus nitrogen is much less dense and is more distributed throughout the atmosphere. So if you created a titanium knife out of atmospheric nitrogen you'd be draining all the nitrogen for a massive area around you, which would create a vacuum that would flood with gasses from outside and” he clapped his hand together, “crush you like a bug. Or maybe just flood the air with a poisonous admixture of the remaining gases and so on and so forth.” I felt a little light-headed. “And you do this for a living?” Ed grinned. “Anybody who wants can use alchemy, but it takes a special kind of crazy to actually want to.” He laughed. “For now we're going to stick to shape transmutation,” he said. “Which means I need to teach you about mass and physics.” He pulled a empty scroll from his pack and his inkbrush. “Pay attention. There will be tests.” I gulped. Day Thirteen, River Bank Western Earth Kingdom “Enough, I'm done.” I collapsed to the ground, gasping to catch my breath. Ed slowly moved out of his stance. “Come on, get up. This is nothing.” He walked over and kicked me in the stomach lightly. “Lust nearly beat you to death and you still fought!” “That was” gasp “different” gasp. “No it wasn't.” Ed crouched next to me and lifted me up by the hair. “It was exactly the same.” “I was” gasp “fighting for” gasp “my life.” “And you're doing that now.” He banged my head against the ground. “Unless you can call up that strength at will, it will desert you when you least want it to!” He stood up and crossed his arms. “Now get up or I'll get you up.” I groaned and moved my arms, trying to brace myself. “What does this...” I managed to push myself off the ground by a few centimetres. “...have to do with alchemy?” “Healthy body, healthy mind. Healthy mind, healthy alchemy.” I cried out as he planted his metal foot on my back and started pushing me back down. “No alchemist I know was fat or lazy. Now up!” Ed's grin turned just a bit malicious. “Plus, I don't complain when you make me ride that chimera. “Liar... hate... you...” Day Fifteen, Forested Hills Western Earth Kingdom “Well, we're officially out of food.” I shook the bag to emphasize this. “I don't suppose you know anything about scavenging?” Ed looked around the forest. The light here was filtered by the canopy. “Bit and pieces...” I admitted. “But I don't think my knowledge is good here anyway. The native species aren't really anything I'm familiar with.” Ed's stomach grumbled. “We're going to need money.” “Yeah.” There was a soft crunch as our ostrich-horses walked back into the clearing. I didn't even look around, used to the strangely loyal animals arrival. What I didn't expect was for the creature to loom over my shoulder and drop something in my lap. My eyes widened. “Is that... a rabbit?” “With flippers?” I asked rhetorically. I looked up at my mount and rubbed the side of his snout. “For us?” I asked. He made a kweh sound and rubbed at the side of my head hard enough to rock me sideways. I laughed. “Heh. Good boy, Rappy.” “Rappy?” Ed asked. “You named the chimera Rappy?” “Like a velociraptor,” I said. “Yeah, well I name mine Hemmy!” “Hemmy?” I asked. “Because it's a pain in my-augh!” His sentence went unfinished as his mount bowled him over with her long neck. “Stupid chimera!” Ed shouted in indignation. The animal paid his words no mind, using her massive head to push him back to the ground. “Let me up you!” 'Hemmy' seemed to take delight in using her mass to constantly push him down again. I smiled behind my hand. “I'll go clean this and make a fire,” I said, holding up the... whatever. Day Nineteen, North-Western Earth Kingdom Forest It looked okay. I knelt down an examined it from all angles. All the elements and compounds were accounted for? The equation was balanced? Exact mass calculated? I raised my drawing rod and ran my tongue over my teeth. I hesitated. It looked good. I glanced up at Ed, who stood with his arms crossed nearby. He raised an eyebrow at me but otherwise made no other sign good or bad with his expression. Well, if I was about to blow my arm off he'd stop me, right? I placed the rod down and took a deep breath before placing my hands on either side of the array. In the background I could hear our mounts shifting back and forth. The fire crackled. Ed's breathing seemed much closer than it had before. Distractions. This was the first array I had designed from the ground up myself. Sink or swim time. Close my eyes, filter out all sound. Listen to the voices inside. For a few days after the encounter with Tsubaki, the sound had horrified me. Now that I knew what they were, they made my stomach crawl. But that feeling faded over the last few days as ed really began to tutor me in earnest. “You have to remember those voices aren't an illusion. Your past isn't made up. It's real. Just because its made up of the lives of hundred of people doesn't mean each of those memories isn't real.” My mind flashed back to Ed's words as we rode. We talked to fill the silence of the long ride. Mostly I tutored him in the local language, but sometimes we strayed to discussions more philosophical. “Every brother and sister you remember? They lived. Every person you met? They existed. All those emotions and conversations and triumphs and moments of boredom all happened. They're no less who you are just because of what you are.” The babble of voices rose up around me as the array etched itself in my mind. I squeezed my eyes tight and clenched my jaw. Please, help me. From cacophony, chorus. My eyes opened and I stared down at the result as the blue lightning faded away. I was entirely in one piece. I let out a sigh of relief at that. Ed clapped and walked into my line of sight. “Not bad, not bad at all. Try them on.” I picked up the thin metal gloves, all that remained of the weapons we had scavenged from the fallen earthbenders. We were running out of raw materials. I had long ago transmuted the leather saddle-bags into jerkins with Ed's help a few days back. Our skin was now a healthy bronze from riding shirtless through the wilderness for six days straight, but any more exposure and they'd burn. At least it would help us blend in more. The gloves slid on perfectly. They were one piece and fingerless. I admired the mirror like sheen and turned to look at the palms. Etched in black against silver were two arrays. “Are you certain these will work?” I asked Ed, turning to him. “Don't you need a specific array for each transmutation?” He shook his head. “The equation is a balance between the array and your mind. The more you can do in your mind, the less specific you have to make the array. Lots of alchemists use arrays on stuff like gloves or gauntlets or even tattooed directly into their hands to avoid the need to waste time drawing an array.” He walked up to me as I stood. “Of course, it also has a drawback. It's less flexible than array drawing, since every equation you perform has to include the array as its starting point. The more you focus on the starting array, the more flexible you can get with that base.” He grabbed my hands and I fought down a blush. “The primary limit of these arrays is the material. The right is 'stone' and the left is 'steel'.” “So once I learn to use them, I should be able to reshape those but nothing else?” Ed grinned. “Ah. That's true, but thank your lucky stars that you have a certified alchemy genius as you teacher. Because if you can master shape transmutation, than those arrays will be much more flexible.” “R-right!” I pulled my hands away quickly. “So, I start practising with these now?” “No.” Ed stepped back and raised his hands. “Now you learn to fight while wearing them.” I did not whimper, anyone who told you that is a damn dirty liar. Day Twenty-One, Ruined City North-Western Earth Kingdom We raced two steps ahead of our mounts, pulling on their reins as we dashed into the questionable safety of a partially collapsed building. The rain had come suddenly, catching us far from any shelter and rapidly went from drizzle to monsoon. I collapsed against the wall, taking deep breaths. Ed groaned and slumped down himself, before beginning to unroll the pantleg over his mechanical leg. “Damn, its probably going to rust,” he said with a snort. “Hey, could you come over her.” He carefully removed the pins that kept the leg in place. “I need you to fix this up.” “Yeah, just a second.” I waved my hand towards him. “Need to catch my breath.” Ed nodded and waited in silence for me to recover from our final dash. Finally I stood up and walked over before kneeling next to him. I gave a look at the leg. “You could have at least drawn the array for me.” “You do it.” Ed gave me a significant look. “I... you think I'm ready?” “It's just more shape transmutation.” He grinned. “And you got talent, kid. Just b precise.” “Right.” I closed my eyes and placed my hand on the stone floor of the building. “Just be precise...” I muttered. The voices rose up within me, discordant and conflicting. Array Cutting Technique, I didn't so much think the name of the technique Ed had beaten into my head over the last two days as sing it in my head. The voices joined me in song, slowly at first, but then with increasing speed. When I opened my eyes the array was there on the ground, carved perfectly into the stone. Ed whistled. “Even I'm impressed.” He ran his fingers over it. “Okay. Looks good.” He placed his leg in the center of the array. “Fix 'er up.” Another flare and crackle of blue lightning and Ed was gleefully reattaching his limb. This was getting easier. My thoughts were interrupted by a shout from further into the building. “Who's there!” Ed and I glanced at each other. For the last ten days we had been avoiding any contact with the locals, but that couldn't last forever. The man who walked out of the back was carrying a wooden spear uncertainly in one hand. His eyes flicked between us. He was dressed in ragged green clothes and looked (and smelled) like he hadn't bathed for weeks. Then again, we weren't much better. “Who are you? What are you doing here?” He seemed uncertain who to point his spear at. “Woah! Hold on!” I raised my hands. “We're just moving through, taking refuge from the storm. We mean you no harm.” “Yes, I is pleasing myself to meet you!” Ed shouted. The man blinked at Ed's declaration. “My cousin is a little simple minded,” I explained. The man took a few more steps into the feeble light and took a closer look at us. Then his eyes widened. “Fire Nation!” he shouted. He backed up a half-dozen steps and brandished his spear more forcefully. “I won't let you hurt my family!” “No, no!” I waved my hands but that didn't seem to calm him down. Right, he probably thought I was about to firebend at him. “I'm not Fire Nation, I'm... and earthbender!” Time to use the other techinique Ed had drilled into my head. “See!” I slapped the 'stone' glove against the ground and blue lighting erupted in front of me, constructing a thick wall of stone. It didn't look much like any earthbending I had seen, but it just needed to not look like firebending. “See, earthbender, not fire.” The man relaxed, his spear dropping. Before he could say anything else a loud cry came from the other room followed by a woman's voice. “Wong? Is everything okay?” “It's... just some refugee earthbenders,” he called back. Nothing to worry about. He turned to us, clearly more relaxed. “What brings you to Taku?” “Is that what this place is called?” I said. He nodded. “If you're looking for the herbalist she's up at the top of the mountain, in the ruins of the old institute.” “Herbalist?” I asked. “My wife and I came looking for her, she's pregnant..” He blushed and coughed. “We thought it best to stock up on medicine before starting the long trip to Ba Sing Se.” “Ah. I see.” “But your cart is broken, so we will be slowed down considerably now.” He seemed to just need a stranger to unload his worries on so I let him continue. “We might not make it across the continent before the baby is born.” “Ah, maybe I can help with that,” I suggested. “Help, how?” “I'm good with fixing things.” It wasn't exactly a lie. “Money!” Ed shouted. I turned to Ed. “What?” I asked in Amestrian. “I heard the words broken and fix,” Ed said in his native tongue. “If you're offering to help him, we need money.” He turned back to the man. “You pay for help,” he said in his babyish version of the local language. The man coughed. “We... spent most of it on medicine. But if you really can fix the wagon, I'll gladly pay what I have.” He pulled out a handful of coins. I had no idea how much that was. “Only half that,” I said, repressing a surge of guilt. He may be a poor refugee, but then again, so were we. “And after I finish with your wagon, tell me more about that herbalist?” Day Twenty-Three, North-Western Earth Kingdom Hills “Yuck, I'm still covered in cat hair,” Ed said. “That's just because she liked you.” I smiled. Ed certainly had a... way with animals. “Well, overaffectionate cats just prove my point!” He pointed at his mount. “Chimera! Normal animals exist, so they are chimera.” Hemmy snorted and suddenly bucked, sending Ed tumbling to the forest floor. “Are you okay?” I asked, unable to keep from snorting in half-contained laughter. “Hate... chimera...” Ed sprung to his feet, shaking off the pain. “Fine, we'll stop here for tonight. According to that crazy old lady there should be a town less than a day's ride from here. We should prepare.” “Okay.” I slid smoothly out of my saddle and sent Rappy off to hunt on his own with a cluck of my tongue. Ed, meanwhile, had gotten out a bowl and a scroll. He filled the bowl with water from our skins and dumped a black potion in it. “What's that?” I asked. “Dye. Got it from the old bat.” He stuck his tongue out. “Many weeds died in that hothouse so we could have this.” “Dye?” “And old trick I used.” He quickly sketched an array on the scroll and placed the bowl on it. Then he leaned forward and dipped his long blonde hair into it. “Now, activate the array.” Raising an eyebrow I reached out with one hand and did so. Blue lightning raced across the bowl and a black stain slowly crept up his hair until the entire thing was black as ink. He pulled his head back. “See? Instant hair colour just like locals.” He gestured. “Your turn.” Day Twenty-Five, North-Western Earth Kingdom Trading Town “Sank yu very much!” Ed waved the man off. I resisted the urge to giggle at his mangling the local language. He was getting better, really, he was. Ed counted the coins in his hand, shaking his head. “Man, we could probably get a lot more for this stuff.” “These people are refugees,” I pointed out. “And it hardly takes us any effort.” I gestured to the blanket in front of us, which was covered with all sorts of pots, pans and containers. Ed had been a whirl of activity once we arrived at the small trading town, which straddled the delta between two merging rivers. All the money we had earned from the refugee man and our day's labour for the old herbalist had gone into buying a bunch of scrap metal, which I then transmuted into knives and other useful gadgets. Ed's guess that Earth Kingdom metalworking was way behind the Fire Nation proved correct and we were selling high quality merchandise for a steal compared to any of the other merchants in town, if they even had metalwork this good. In less than a day we had tripled our money, which was a good start to a warchest. “Still,” Ed rubbed his chin. “Ah, forget it. Once we get you up to elemental transmutation we'll just alchemy up some gold anyway.” He grinned and rubbed his hands together. “What happened to not abusing alchemy?” I asked. “And isn't that illegal?” “Illegal in Amestris!” Ed corrected me with an upraised finger. “And don't abuse alchemy except in extraordinary circumstances, and i count stuck in some continent where people can use alchemy just by dancing to be extraordinary.” “So, do as I say, not as I do,” I added sardonically. “You have grasped the teacher-student relationship well.” I stood up. “Do you think you can handle the rest of the sales? I should check around town.” “For?” “News about the Avatar and the Fire Nation. It might take more subtlety than your language skills can handle.” He looked about to protest than closed his mouth and waved me away. “Try not to get into trouble.” “Yes, dad.” I rolled my eyes and walked away. The river port town was amazingly busy, the streets were packed with people. Most of them seemed to be gearing up to leave as quickly as possible and their was a constant stream of refugees heading East out of the city. I even caught some less than reputable looking men and women in blue dress with much darker skin tone than anyone else. I was just beginning to think of where I should start looking for information about the Avatar or Point Mako when a commotion drew my attention. There was a flare of fire in the distance and screams. I paused and looked down the street towards the docks and a debate went on in my head. Then I was moving. After all, I just was gathering information, right? Pushing through the crowd, most of whom were fleeing, was difficult. I considered restoring to alchemy to free a path, but decided against it. No need to announce my presence yet. Finally I managed to turn a corner to the docks just in time to almost be hit by a boy who went flying past my face. I slipped back into the shadows, hoping I went overlooked as the boy crashed into a wall with a grunt of pain. Amazingly, he managed to stand up again. The first thing I noticed was his eye, which was surrounded entirely in scar tissue which crept back to his ear. His clothing was nondescript brown, his hair was a mess on top of his head but the way he stood showed an unbending pride and discipline that belied his poor appearance. A snarl was stretched across his lips. “Zuko, what a remarkable coincidence,” a man shouted. I looked towards him. There were five of them, and each was mounted on a huge beast that looked like a cross between a lizard and a rhino, red armour plates affixed to their heads. The men were moving their rhino-like mounts to surround the boy on all sides. “You should just come with us quietly,” the leader said. The other four laughed. “Zuko, don't try to fight them here,” an old man who was leaning against the wall said. He tried to raise to his feet. “If you fight them you'll just-augh.” He collapsed to his knees, clutching his chest. I could see a huge, and extremely fresh looking, burn scar as his dirty shirt tumbled open. “Uncle!” The boy, Zuko I supposed, ran to the old man's side. “Don't try to stand,” he said. The leader shook his head. “How far the mighty have fallen.” “Shut up! He's ten times the man you are!” Zuko snarled, whirling to face the five men. He started to fall into a martial arts stance. “Zuko, you can't, too many people will see...” The old man clutched at his nephew's leg feebly, obviously fighting the pain to even stay conscious. Zuko suddenly looked conflicted. The leader sighed and seemed to make a decision, he gestured his men forward. [ ]Get the kid and old man out of danger and run away. [ ]I promised Ed not to get in trouble and this doesn't involve me. Make myself scarce. [ ]Where are the town guard? Go get help. [ ]MORTAL KOMBAT! EDIT: Also, since we're now firmaly into what I am considerng the "third arc" of the story, maybe I should name it. Suggestions? --------------- Epsilon
[X]MORTAL KOMBAT!
OOOOOHHHH! This could be fun!
[X]MORTAL KOMBAT! And then pump them for info! After all, they must know something if Fire Nation is after them as well! 
Quote:“There are five different kinds of transmutations, in increasing order of difficult. The ones you need to know are shape transmutation, state transmutation, reaction transmutation and elemental transmutation. Though some types are more difficult within their type, or even more or less difficult that they exceed the general rules.” Y'know, Ed, I can count really well up to five... and you didn't get there. Just saying, is all. (And Nin should be curious about the fifth type of alchemy, too.) Ah, yes: [x]Where are the town guard? Go get help. -- Rob Kelk "Governments have no right to question the loyalty of those who oppose them. Adversaries remain citizens of the same state, common subjects of the same sovereign, servants of the same law." - Michael Ignatieff, addressing Stanford University in 2012 robkelk Wrote:Ed can, indeed, count. The keywords there are "the ones you need to know".Quote:“There are five different kinds of transmutations, in increasing order of difficult. The ones you need to know are shape transmutation, state transmutation, reaction transmutation and elemental transmutation. Though some types are more difficult within their type, or even more or less difficult that they exceed the general rules.” ------------- Epsilon Epsilon Wrote:robkelk Wrote:Ed can, indeed, count. The keywords there are "the ones you need to know".Quote:“There are five different kinds of transmutations, in increasing order of difficult. The ones you need to know are shape transmutation, state transmutation, reaction transmutation and elemental transmutation. Though some types are more difficult within their type, or even more or less difficult that they exceed the general rules.”Y'know, Ed, I can count really well up to five... and you didn't get there. Just saying, is all. (And Nin should be curious about the fifth type of alchemy, too.) Ed mentioning that there's a type of alchemy he isn't describing should at least get Nin wondering about it, though. -- Rob Kelk "Governments have no right to question the loyalty of those who oppose them. Adversaries remain citizens of the same state, common subjects of the same sovereign, servants of the same law." - Michael Ignatieff, addressing Stanford University in 2012
[X]Get the kid and old man out of danger and run away.
[X]Get the kid and old man out of danger and run away.
[x]MORTAL KOMBAT!
-- Bob --------- Then the horns kicked in... ...and my shoes began to squeak.
Day Twenty-Five, River Dock Earth Kingdom Trading Town
“Sorry, Ed,” I whispered to myself and slipped around the corner. There were five men in total, forming a half-circle around the old man and the boy. The one closest to me was huge beefy man with a beard carrying a crescent-bladed spear, the next one was the only one in armour with a strange red face-concealing plate unlike the normal ghost-face that Fire Nation soldiers wore, then the leader who was a mean looking guy with a short top-knot and a nose ring, then an archer with face paint and finally a mostly bald guy swinging a chain over his head so fast it whirred. The one in the centre snapped his arms back and fire formed across his knuckles. He just became target number one. “Kill them both!” the leader shouted, and snapped his hands forward. Zuko settled into a martial arts stance, looking like he was going to try and deflect the incoming fire with his barehands. Brave of him. Stupid, but brave. I dashed out into the dockyard, keeping my body low and slammed my right hand against the paving stones. Blue lightning erupted from my palm and raced across the ground, constructing a wall of stone in its wake. The blast of fire splashed harmlessly against the rock even as a flaming arrow did the same. Zuko blinked and glanced in my direction. I was already moving, running across the top of the wall towards the centre of the enemy formation. “Earthbender!” Spear cried. The firebender had enough time to see me coming and snapped a quick punch in my direction, directing another jet of flame. Again my hand touched the top of the wall and transmuted a rod of stone from the side that deflected the stream away from me. Then I was running across that same rod, straight toward him. I hopped the slight gap, tucking my legs up to avoid another blast of fire which warmed my soles. Then one foot came down on the side of his rhino's horn, then I was driving a knee into his chin with all my momentum. His harness kept my blow from driving him out of his saddle, but only just. His head rocked back, his eyes dazed but not out. I grabbed his shoulder and used it as a pivot to swing around his side, using his bulk as a shield from Archer and Chain. Even so a pair of flaming arrows sped past his head on either side, almost skewering me. There was a cry from that direction and I risked a glance. Zuko had vaulted my protective wall and leaped into Archer, kicking his bow from his hands. I appreciated the help but. “You idiot! Get your uncle and run!” “Worry about yourself!” Firebender snarled at me. He snarled and drove an elbow toward me. I released his shoulder and dropped to the ground, a spike of flame burning a few dyed hairs off my head. “I didn't ask for your help,” the boy snarled. He drove the ball of his thumb into Archer's forehead, knocking the man senseless, but then was forced to jump away when Chain swung his weapon through the space his head had occupied. There was a hiss over my shoulder and I saw a small round object fly towards my wall. I had just enough time to wonder what it was before it exploded in a cloud of smoke and noise that knocked me off my feet with the shockwave. With a loud shout Spear charged through the whole now blasted in my wall. “Damn,” I said. “Stand still,” I ordered the boy, who gave me a look. Then I slapped my right hand against the ground again. Transmuted rods, each as thick around as my fist, sprang from the ground in all directions around me like a porcupine. All of them were angled low to the ground, their heavy rock forms lacing between the legs of the shifting reptiles. Spear's forward momentum abruptly ended as his rhino went down, its bulk snapping a few of the stone rods. His harness saved him from being sent flying ass over teakettle into the air. “Protect the old man,” I ordered even as I threw myself sideways to avoid another blast from Firebender. I didn't get to see what the boy did next, as I was too busy avoiding jets and balls of flame. I ran across the tops of my transmuted rods. Another his was all the warning I received before a small black object fell between the rods in front of me. This time the explosion sent me tumbling backward. I landed inside my rods, painfully cracking my hip and back against them. 'They have grenades?' I remember thinking. Acting on instinct I slapped my hand down and transmuted a rock dome over myself, thicker than normal. The dome shuddered as another explosion rocked it and I could feel heat washing over it. This was not going well. Time to start cheating more. The dome around me dissolved and I raced out from under it. Thankfully none of the enemies had freed their rhino-lizards yet. It appeared while those bombs could blast through rock, they were too indiscriminate to use next to their mounts. So, stay close to them. I ran, a stream of fire tracking just behind my feet as I bounced and skipped across and between the unbroken rods. Mask was my target, and now that I was closing on him I could see a harness on his hip with more of those grenades. He had one in his hand, which he tried to flip at me before I could get in. A quick slap and the rod I was running on reformed straight towards it, striking it dead centre and sending it flying backwards. Just as I thought, fuses not impact triggered. Mask ducked as the bomb flew over his head before exploding. The blast pushed him against his harness. It took him a few seconds to recover, seconds he did not have. In three steps I went from the top of a rod, to the shoulder of his rhino-lizard, to the head of the creature. It tried to throw me off but I had too stable a footing. Mask stared at from behind his face plate. His metal face plate. My left hand slapped into the mask. Blue lightning hissed. Mask jerked back, trying to scream but unable to with the seamless metal now conforming to his face. I grabbed the back of his head and jumped over him, then used all my weight to drive his face into the back of his mount. He went limp. I kept my hand on the back of his head just long enough to transmute an airhole into his mask, even as my other hand grabbed the harness from his side. “Damn you!” Firebender roared. He had given up trying to get his rhino-lizard free. The creatures bulk would have smashed through my rods at speed, but with their legs locked in the maze there was simply no way to get the momentum needed. He pulled himself free of his harness and jumped down to the ground and began to race towards me, firing tiny jets of flame to force me to duck. I rolled behind Mask's rhino-lizard and considered my neck move. I could see Zuko now. He had just put down Spear with a flying knee to the back of the head. An arrow snapped across his face as he jerked back, not fast enough to avoid it drawing a red line across his nose. Finally he backflipped as the weighted chain swung through the air his legs had been. I snapped one of the grenades free of the harness, but had no idea how to light them. Then I smirked as I remembered I didn't have to. I dashed towards Zuko. Firebender gave a shout as I moved back into his line of fire. He hopped forward, landed steady on his feet and fired a wide stream of fire at me I had no hope of dodging. I didn't even try. The grenade whizzed through the air as I pitched it sidehand, leaving my hand even before I was fully out from behind the beast. The result was that it crossed the distance between us a lot faster than the Firebender's attack. He didn't even see the cause of the explosion as it lifted him off his feet and sent him tumbling head first into the unyielding stone rods scattered about. He didn't get up. When I reached Zuko I transmuted another wall between us and Archer and Chain, giving us some breathing room. “You're a stubborn one,” I pointed out. He made a dismissive sound. “We didn't need your help.” “You sure, five against one seemed bad odds.” “I could have handled it if I just...” He looked at his hands and lowered them. “If I just had a weapon. Even a sword.” “Is that all?” I grinned. “Follow me, then.” He gave me an incredulous look as I dashed around the corner of the wall, my right hand trailing against it. Archer was fast, he had three arrows in the air before I had even turned the corner. Alchemy worked at light speed, and another wall formed before they could reach me. I kept my hand on that wall as I ran towards Chain. Blue lightning constantly rippled across it as the back deconstructed and the front reconstructed, forming a mobile shield. I could hear Zuko following me. “You can't block us both!” Chain shouted. He had dismounted his rhino-lizard and was dashing sideways so that he was beyond my shield-wall. His weapon whirled above his head and then came at me in a grey blur. My left hand snapped up. The chain slammed into my metal glove... and deconstructed down its length in a hiss-crackle of light. Chain yelped in panic and dropped his weapon even as the last of it disintegrated. At the same time the lighting traced a new image in the air, two actually, since there was more steel than one would take. In less time than an eyeblink I was holding the handle of two curved dueling swords. “Will these do?” I asked, holding them back towards Zuko. His good eye was so wide I could see the red around it. “What? How? That's impossible!” “Don't look a gift ostrich-horse in the mouth. Take it.” He grabbed the twin blades, quickly testing their balance and apparently pleased by them. His eyes had narrowed and I knew there would be questions, but that was later. “Okay, I'm defence and you're offence, got it?” “...got it,” he said shortly. With his nod I split my shield and gave Zuko a chance to start running towards Archer. Again, Archer was good, sending out missile after missile. But I was one step behind Zuko and still carrying half my shield-wall alongside me. I gestured and transmuted, forming the rock into shells and curves that protected Zuko from the incoming arrows. Zuko and I didn't have the same natural teamwork as Ed, so he was forced to skid to a halt more than a few times to keep from crashing into a hastily erected wall. At one point the Archer almost got him when the man fired an arrow upward, then used a second arrow to knock it out of the sky so it fell point down at Zuko's head. Only a hasty grab of his collar and pulling him backward kept him from being skewered. But it was only a matter of time before we closed the distance. Once he was close, Zuko made short work of him. His swords bisected the bow in one motion, and then came in pummel first on the sides of the man's head in the reverse. Archer dropped like a stone. I pulled my hand off the wall and stepped away, shaking it. It was uncomfortably warm from all the transmuting. I glanced at Chain, who was staring at the two of us in terror. His hands snapped up into the air. “I surrender!” He shouted. “Hands on the ground,” I told him. He complied and a second later his arms were sealed into the paving stones at his feet. I turned when I heard a series of rushing feet. A dozen men armed with spears and dressed in green armour had appeared at the head of the docks. “Of course, they show up after the battle is already over.” I waved them over. The tallest one walked up to me. “What happened here?” “Fire Nation raiders attacking some refugees,” I said. I nodded my head towards the various unconscious or trapped rhino-riders. “I helped out. What were you guys so busy with?” “We had to gather our men...” The leader said, looking nervous. “But, our most profuse thanks Master Earthbender for stepping in when we could not.” I waved his thanks away. “Just figure out something to do with them. I'm leaving the town soon.” “Ah? Are you certain? The town could use strong men like yourself to-” “No!” I dialled back the anger a bit before continuing. “Thank you. Now if you'll excuse me.” After a brief detour to pick up the pack of explosives I'd dropped earlier in the fight I found Zuko and his uncle without much trouble. The young boy was trying to lead the old man through a dark alley. One might almost think he was trying to slink away without being caught. “What, no thank you?” I asked as I jogged up to him. Zuko stared at me, his scarred eye giving his look even more malice than his expression alone could convey. “I told you I didn't ask for your help.” “And yet those are my swords on your back.” I pointed to the blades. He grunted. “And if you keep carrying the old man like that you'll aggravate his injuries.” This made Zuko pause. He looked at the old man he was trying to keep balanced with one arm. His uncle did not look in good shape. He was sweating and breathing hard, his eyes squeezed shut in pain. Strangely despite his dishevelled clothes his beard was almost immaculately trimmed and styled, only a few stray hairs out of place. “Put him down,” I instructed while pointing at the wall. “I'm not going to listen to-” “Zuko!” The old man gasped. “It is not a weakness to accept when help is offered.” “...fine.” I helped Zuko place Uncle against the wall. “I need to look at your wound,” I told him as I knelt next to him. He nodded in resignation and I gingerly moved his kimono out of the way. I drew in a sharp breath at what I saw. “My God, how can you stand it.” I hovered my hands over the extensive burns which covered most of his chest. “This has got to be third degree burns.” I traced an eye down them. “And they're days old, untreated to boot. I think I see signs of infection creeping in.” I turned to Zuko. “He needs serious medical attention, and I mean now.” “It's... that bad?” Zuko looked aghast, though his scar gave even that a tinge of anger so it was hard to tell. “It's probably worse. If we don't get him to someone who can deal with this soon he may die.” “Die?” Zuko choked out. “He can't die!” “I'm not going anywhere, Zuko,” Uncle said, managing to keep his voice level. I have no idea how he did it. People with those degree of burns were kept unconscious because the pain was simply excruciating. The degree of self-control this old man had was frankly inhuman. Which meant neither of them was who they appeared to be. “Give me your shirt,” I said to Zuko, holding out my hand. “What?” “These burns need to be properly bandaged, now. I need your shirt.” I looked at the old man. “I need your kimono top, too.” He nodded. Zuko seemed likely to argue but one steady look from the odl man silenced him. I collected the fabric and placed it on the ground and then placed my hand next to it. I closed my eyes. This would be a complex transmutation. It took me a few seconds to determine what the array would look like in my head. Then I evoked the Array Cutting Technique. Another transmutation and I was left with clean bandages, the accumulated dirt and sweat of their journey having been discarded in a nearby pile. “This is going to hurt,” I told Uncle. He nodded, but his eyes were dancing with intelligence and wonder as he looked at me. I tried to wrap the burns as gently as possible, but it was simple impossible to do this nice without anaesthesia. Several times the old man almost passed out. I almost wished he had, then he wouldn't be screaming in pain. Zuko seemed caught the entire time between wanting to help and wanting to punch me for hurting his Uncle. Finally I was finished. “You're just like Al, always collecting strays.” I started as Ed walked into the alleyway. He had a large frown on his face. Zuko immediately stepped between his uncle and the new boy, matching Ed frown for frown. Oh great, now there were two of them. “Hold up, he's a friend,” I told Zuko. Zuko glanced at me, Uncle and Ed in turn then forced himself to relax. “I should have known telling you to keep out of trouble was hopeless.” Ed grinned. “You have Elric blood in you alright.” He gestured at the two 'refugees'. “What's the story? I just followed the trail of destruction, and then the screams to find you.” “I saved them from the Fire Nation,” I said. I glanced at Zuko, who was looking between the two of us with an angry scowl on his face. He probably did not like the fact that he couldn't follow our conversation on bit. “I haven't pushed because the boy is way too suspicious for his own good. But the old man is seriously hurt, and needs medical attention.” Ed crossed his arms and shook his head. “What do you propose we do about it? Neither of us knows enough medicine to help them.” “We could take them back to the herbalists,” I said. Ed considered that, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. Finally he turned to Zuko. “Why Fire Nation hunt you?” he asked in his stilted dialect. Zuko growled and crossed his arms. “None of your business.” Ed probably didn't get all the words, but he got the gist of it. “We maybe can help.” Zuko glanced at me, then at Ed again. “Zuko...” Uncle breathed. Zuko relented. A little. “They're not after me. Not really. They want Uncle.” “Why?” I asked. “...it's complicated.” He narrowed his eyes. “It doesn't concern outsiders.” “Right...” I groaned. [ ]Help them regardless, let them have their secrets. [ ]He obviously doesn't want our help, leave him. [ ]Help him, but only if he tells you the whole truth. [ ]Forget helping him, just wring the story out of him. I don't trust him one bit. No title suggestions at all? Maybe use the weekend break to knock around ideas and comment on the story so far (hinthint). As for Nin not being curious about the Fifth Transmutation, well she is a bit, but you people only gave her a one in Perceptive... ------------- Epsilon
[X]Help them regardless, let them have their secrets.
Besides, these things usually have a way of leaking anyhow. 
[X]Help them regardless, let them have their secrets.
For a title, how about "Mother Earth" ?
[X]Help them regardless, let them have their secrets.
[ ]Help them regardless, let them have their secrets.
As regards a title for this story... "Avatar: Elemental Melding" or maybe "Alchemical Bender" ... or if you are being silly: "How to bend in 5 easy steps" or even sillier: "Get Bent!" or maybe "Bending like Ed" Oh, and I really enjoyed that combat sequence. (Edit to add titles...)
[X]Help them regardless, let them have their secrets.
Like BA said. -- Bob --------- Then the horns kicked in... ...and my shoes began to squeak.
[X]Help him, but only if he tells you the whole truth.
-- Rob Kelk "Governments have no right to question the loyalty of those who oppose them. Adversaries remain citizens of the same state, common subjects of the same sovereign, servants of the same law." - Michael Ignatieff, addressing Stanford University in 2012
[ ]Help them regardless, let them have their secrets.
Seems IC for your protagonist. Not like you don't have your own secrets, anyway, and now you have a good reason to not to explain fully why you can bend metal. As for a title... hmm. Other than the obvious portmanteaus like Full Metal Avatar, nothing springs to mind. I'll give it some thought.
(Hopefully) Rejected Titles:
Rob Kelk "Governments have no right to question the loyalty of those who oppose them. Adversaries remain citizens of the same state, common subjects of the same sovereign, servants of the same law." - Michael Ignatieff, addressing Stanford University in 2012
Alchemist: The First All-Bender
-- Bob --------- Then the horns kicked in... ...and my shoes began to squeak. 
Hmm...
----- "so listen up boy, or pornography starring your mother will be the second worst thing to happen to you today" TF2: Spy |
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