Snippet #1734669

She ran as fast as her small body would allow her, Equalists were coming and she didn’t want to be around when they reach what they sought after. . . . Xue knew all too well what those monsters in human guises did to people when someone was in their way, whether they were a bender or not. Her parasol was closed up, and she was carrying it by its middle. Her arms were out behind her as she continued sprinting forward on her toes. She’d seen them not too far away, running through the trees, she heard them say something akin to ‘demon in the mist.’ A strange sort of fog that formed only at the tops of the nearby trees appeared and spread.

And she knew it. There was a Waterbender up there, and obviously, the Equalists were after him or her. She had only been out, minding her own business, taking a stroll in the woods because she wanted peace from the depths of Republic City. It was so busy, crowded and crammed, hard to move in streets, and loud. . . . Xue had just wanted some nature, at least for a little while. When she heard those familiar horns, she froze, Xue knew they were the horns of the Equalists, and she had heard them sound off enough in the city when they were pursuing someone after.

Even if her own bending abilities were safely guarded, Xue did not want to be caught up in their warpath, she did not want to be stuck in a battle that was not hers.

The Equalists were on ostrich-horses, so it Xue had to move as fast as she could in order to try to get away from them. It wasn’t impossible that they would assume her to be involved with the so called ‘Mist Demon.’

Deftly dodging trees as she darted along, Xue maintained her focus, her awareness, her face one of determination. She’d gone roughly two years avoiding the Equalists and trouble, and there was no way she was going to break that record now!

The trees are getting less dense, thinning out. It would seem I am headed for the edge of the forest. Soon I will be in the clear. Xue’s eyes narrowed a bit, Do I want to be in the clear when they come? Or would I be better hiding among the treetops? Making a split decision, Xue headed for a tree, it would be better if she could hide.

She latched onto the bark with almost as much ferocity as a feline and scrambled up the body to where the thick green leaves reach up toward the skies. Xue remained on somewhat of a low branch as she watched the Equalists scuttle on by themselves, headed for where the mist ended, for their demon.

Crouching like a cat, Xue looked around her for the nearest branch that lead toward the edge of the forest, to the open plains, and skies that melted into the horizons. Spotting her prey, she leap from branch to branch, landing on each on all fours, only to flee from the branch seconds later as she made her way on.

Why was she even doing this? Pursuit of the Equalists was a dangerous thing, yet there was this morbid sort of curiosity in her, she wanted to see them, wanted to know just what it that demon was. . . . And as of late, Xue couldn’t resist being an onlooker to the Equalists and their attacks on benders, and those accused of the arts. How much longer would it be until Xue herself was one of the ones fighting against them? How much more would she watch before she’d take action. . . ?

She wasn’t yet sure, but given how her heart was moving and changing, it might be soon.

After several more catlike leaps, Xue was at the end of the forest, and several people came into view on the ground, on-lookers, two who looked as if they were sparring, and someone who had landed right in-between the two. On his face was a mask, of what looked like a demon. By method of deduction, Xue assumed that he was the ‘Mist Demon’ the Equalists had shouted about back, deep in the forest. So he would be the Waterbender. . . ? Xue lowered her eyelids a touch and went on to look at the others, something told her that they themselves were not ordinary people. . . .

Probably benders themselves. Despite the Equalists’ best efforts to eradicate the art of bending, there were still many more benders around than people realized. If they are all benders, then that would make a rather large grouping, perhaps not large, but an unusual number at least. . . .

The heavy footfalls of the Equalists’ ostrich-hoses came. Xue looked back as she saw them traverse onto the scene, and she felt something in her . . . snap?

Is this the time? Is this the time where I find myself fed up with the Equalists, and strike back? Xue smiled a bit to herself and scoffed, what was getting into her. . . ? Wasn’t she suppose to be smarter than this? Eh, maybe so, but Xue was only seventeen and she never really had a ‘rebellious teenager phase.’ Unless you counted running away from home, perhaps.

“I suppose I shall be dim-witted this once.” she said, “No bending though, not unless I have no other option. . . .” Xue stood up on the branch, unsheathed her sword from its concealed position in her parasol, and dug the blade into the main body of the tree before she jumped off the branch.

The Iaitō blade dawdled Xue’s drop enough so that when she reach the ground, she wasn’t harmed. Xue wrenched her blade from the tree before she took off, and darted for the clearing.

She was going to fight, why? She didn't exactly know herself. . . .