Snippet #1512509

Kazu lifted his eyes, and found his surrounding unfamiliar. He was in the middle of a large plain, knee high grass extended in all directions except four large stone pillars, one of which he stood on top of. Looking at the other pillars, Kazu could see three others, all atop a different pillar. He looked at them, all people he didn't recognize, yet they felt familiar. They all looked of different origin, and he was curious who they were.

A noise jarred Kazu from his sleep. He looked around, and found the mongoose dragon sneering into the darkness. Something obviously had him agitated. Kazu hopped to his feet, his scabbard in his left hand, right hand clasped around the hilt, ready to draw at any moment. He could hear muffled voices, then from the darkness three men ran out, all dressed in dark leather clothing. Their appearance was tattered and dirty, obviously rogues who pillaged travelers in the area. The first man drew near to Kazu, a long knife extended from his hand. Kazu drew his sword, swinging in a wide arc, dropping the man to the floor. His scream pierced the night sky as he clenched his stomach. Kazu dodged to the left, avoiding the knife swing of his second assailant. Behind him his steed was in a frenzy, making all sorts of growls and screeches. The third assailant followed Kazu's dodge, swinging a crude mace and his head. Swiftly parrying the blow, Kazu locked eyes with the man. With a swift kick, he broke the lock. The man with the knife, assisted his companion up, taking position together. A two-on-one assault, a smart plan had Kazu only a sword to defend himself. He sheathed his sword, and looked at his two assailants, obvious a little confused by his action, but still determined. He felt the familiar warmth swirl inside his body, making its way to his arms, and finally focusing in his hands, as if he held the essence of the flame in his palms. Kazu punched both fist forward, aligning them perfectly with his targets. To the men's horror, a large jet of flame came at both of them. The man with the mace managed to dodge to the side, his only injury a little charring to his clothes and hair. The other man received the hit full force, his clothes catching fire, and his body burned. He screamed in pain, rolling back and forth. His partners both down, the lone man dashed into the forest.

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The sun had risen some time ago. After his encounter, Kazu decided to press on and remove himself from the area. If news of a fire bender was spread by that man, it could certainly mean trouble for him. He had been on the move for some time now, and feeling the dryness of his throats, stopped at the first source of water he could find, a small creek bed completely covered by foliage. He dismounted the mongoose dragon, and tied it up close enough to get some water. He also indulged in the cool water, and took the time to stretch his legs. He couldn't keep his mind off of last night's dream. Who were those people he had seen? Could they hold some importance to him? He wasn't sure, but his mother had told him he was the Avatar, and what that meant for his was still unclear.