Capítulo 22: Chapter 22
Haru sighed when he turned his head back and he couldn't see Omashu.
He now was closer to Kyoshi's island. All he has to do is to reach the sea and cross it to the island.
He has to pass by two villages on his way. Haru looked at his hand, and the look was cold. A flashback of himself killing hundreds of men mercilessly flashed in his head. Was he turning into a monster? He didn't care by this point. It's not like he had no mercy. But when it comes to fighting, if you hold back in order to preserve the life of your opponent, you will be the one to die. The dead firebenders had known that. They would never hold back anyway.
"This is exactly why I have to end this war. And if it coasts few lives, so be it." Haru muttered.
Just because the Last Airbender show didn't show cruel killing scenes, it doesn't mean it didn't happen.
Before the avatar came, many died. Some people like Jet were willing to kill the civilians of the Fire Nation just to revenge.
Haru slappedhis ride. Very soon, he reached a beautiful terrain, full of grass and trees. There was a small well in the way. Haru jumped off his ride. He let it drink as he sat down. When Haru started to enjoy the view, he noticed something odd.
A hawk, a creature that shouldn't be living here, was heading in one direction.
Instead of circling in the sky to hunt, it was just flying in one direction.
Haru spent more time observing it.
Haru had remembered what Ron, the scout of Omashu, had taught him.
If the hawk is circling in the air, it means that it is hunting. If not, it means that it may be a reporting hawk.
Haru decided to look for more clues as he looked around him. There were few hills around.
'Someone is spying on me.' Haru came to this conclusion.
He decided to find out.
The ground beneath him started getting soft, and Haru sank.
-x-X-x-
An old thin man was on the top of the hill, staring down toward Haru. He knew that name, it belonged to the new crown prince of Omashu Kingdom.
Zong had already sent a report to the General.
He was going to make sure to punish this criminal young man.
'I won't let him slip from my eyes.'
As Zong was thinking about keeping his eyes on Haru, the ground swallowed the latter.
Zong didn't believe his eyes. He stood up and put his hands on the rock, which he was hiding behind.
'Where the heck did he go… I'm sure. The ground ate him…'
"You are looking in the wrong direction." Came a chilly voice behind him.
Zong turned. A young man appeared behind him, and a tunnel was next to him.
Upon having a closer look, Zong could tell that it was Haru.
His head sweating like crazy, Zong smiled and took a step back. Haru lifted his hand, and the ground softened under Zong, taking him down.
"Please, don't kill me!" Zong yelled. "I have done nothing to you!"
Zong's head was the only thing left above the surface.
-x-X-x-
[Earth Transfer up to level 6]
Haru ignored the notification as he stared at the scout.
"Why are you doing this to me? I'm just a harmless citizen who was picking up wood for my family." The man said with tears in his eyes.
Haru could sense the heartbeat of the man, and he could tell that he was lying.
"You are a scout, and you were spying on me. Just a minute ago, you sent that hawk, so stop lying."
"What hawk." The man lied. "It was just going back to its nest…"
"Yeah, listen, I know how hawks act usually, and I don't think it would go back to its nest without an animal between its claws. Also, lie to me again, and I'll snap your neck out of your head."
Haru clenched his teeth and grabbed the old man from his hair.
This wartime. There is nothing such as respecting elders.
The man swallowed his saliva.
Haru could sense that he became nervous.
"What is your name?"
"Zong."
"You know who I am? Don't you."
"No…"
"You are lying." Haru tapped on the ground. "Say my name."
Zong screamed. Haru bent the ground to apply pressure on his feet.
"Please… I don't know anything… Wa!"
"Say my name," Haru said with a cold expression.
He wanted to show that he isn't a person to mess with.
"Haru…" the man said, forced by the pain and fear.
When Haru had been Mike, he had always wondered when watching the movies: why the tortured people can't lie. But the answer was obvious. Your brain can't create lies when you are tortured and afraid. You would be confused, and honest.
"That's a good boy." Haru stopped the pressure. "You now know what will happen if you lie to me, again. So answer my questions."
Zong lowered his head and nodded.
"Is that a yes?" Haru said in a threatening tone.
"Yes."
"Alright. To whom you sent that report." Haru squatted and patted Zong's head.
Zong sweated, and he replied. "Zhao, General Zhao."
Somehow, this name sounded familiar, but Haru didn't remember where he heard of it.
"And… tell me, how do you know me? And why are you following me."
"I wasn't following you," Zong replied. He then seemed to get angry as emotions got him. "I know you because Zhao is tasked to be after you, you monster! Our people are dead because of you!" Zong yelled in Haru's face. "A great funeral is happening now while we are talking. I hope that they bury you dead! You fucker! Our troops will catch you and they will kill you!"
Haru rolled his eyes. "You think I allowed you to speak more." He lifted his hand and clenched it.
What a load of bullshit.
"You know, I realised your weakness. Your ideology is weak. You need to dehumanise your enemy in order to kill them. You can't do that without blinding yourself. A Nation like that is doomed to fall."
Zong started screaming in pain. "Fuck you!"
"Tell me, where is your base."
"I won't answer, you son of bitch."
Veins appeared on Haru's forehead. "You are not the first one to call me son of the bitch. But you will definitely join the last one."
Haru lifted his hand and swung it down. The man was swallowed by earth five meters down, with no air for him to breathe.
'I don't need for him to tell me where that base is. The hawk flew in that direction, so their base is obviously there. Thanks, Ron, your lessons were good.'
Haru went to the near river, where his ride was drinking, and he started cleaning his hands. "I got them dirty…" he washed them well, before standing up and turning his head in the hawk's direction. "Let's see, General Zhao is after me. Too bad for him."
-x-X-x-
There is no doubt that the army of General Zhao would be stronger than the 100 men army if they decided to go after Haru. After all, he defeated an army on his own. The Fire Nation soldiers would be worried. They won't just settle down and attack him with fewer numbers. Only a mad man would do that, and Haru could only think about Bumi.
Haru's ride slowed once it saw a town. Haru observed it from far. It went in the direction which the hawk went.
But it doesn't seem that there is a Fire Nation base here. Besides, they are way from the sea. Fire Nation tends to make bases at the sea.
Haru decided to get into the town and talk with the people. He then will see if he can learn anything.
A wise ninja in Mike's memories had taught him that the best place to collect info is public gathering places, such as cafes and restaurants.
"You and I are up for a good meal." Haru lifted his bamboo hat and patted his ride, which made a happy sound.
"You are happy because you feel secure in the human towns." Haru patted the animal. It seems to prefer towns. Who could blame it since it had been with Haru, fighting all these monsters?
The animal seemed to understand and nodded.
Haru smiled. Slowly, the ride moved in the town's direction.
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