Fire Nation: Kahn Village - Fading Fast (OPEN)

A man, about 26 years old, made his way through the town of Kahn. It used to be nothing but a small village, but progressed nicely over the years. He still remembered coming here as a child sometimes, and was feeling a bit nostalgic as he traced the trail back.

Sable was of average-height, slender, tall and handsome. He resembled his brother Noriaki to some degree, the jet-black hair the only identical trait however. One too-long bang fell over his right eye, and the rest pulled back into a very long, slick ponytail. Cerulean blue eyes peered purposefully into the distance.

His father, Kiari, was a close friend of the Fire Lord. This allowed Sable his current position as a royal guard and officer. Currently the gloomy firebender was off-duty. Just enjoying the sun.

An autumn wind blew through the streets of Kahn, bringing with it the scent of fallen leaves, cooler weather, and the ever approaching winter. People walking through the streets on their day-to-day errands wore jackets and cloaks to ward off the chill. Sano was no exception; his jet black cloak rustled in the breeze, concealing his attire and the weapons he carried. He didn’t worry about the effect the change in temperature would have on his Tiger-Wolf, By-Tor. The giant beast had a coat so thick that not even the frigid cold of the North or South Poles could reach his skin. He decided to leave By-Tor in the surrounding forest, he needed to hunt, and Sano needed to make his way through town without people gawking at the enormous beast.

His decision to visit this town was not made on a whim, he was following the road, checking each village and city he passed through for open bounties and mercenary positions. Since he was in a young metropolis, he was prepared to find both. He searched for the bulletin board usually found in or around the town square where such listings were posted on a regular basis and soon found it. As Sano stood still and read the different adds (most of which didn’t offer enough of a reward to interest the young merc) he noticed that, despite the chill breeze, the sun was strong enough to warm him through the cloak.

People hustled and bustled to and from their daily appointments, each one watched with scrutiny by Sano (whether they realized it or not). His danger instinct was sharp enough that he knew he was relatively safe here; nevertheless, he wasn’t going to let his guard down for a second. Only one person in the crowd caught his attention, a man with black hair and overly long bangs carried himself in a manner that reminded him of a military man; a high-ranking commanding officer by the way he stood and walked. He kept an eye on this one while he scanned the board for any job that he might actually be interested in taking.

((D= Sorry my reply too so long!))

Sable felt eyes on him, but was not particularly bothered; he did not sense and malicious or mocking intent. Only a curious, appraising stare. After a while, he had to wonder why the eyes lingered.

He felt a slight movement under his collar. His red sparrow-robin, Ki-Lee, had landed on his shoulder. He'd needed her to scout ahead to see whether or not he needed to spend the night and stock up on goods for the path ahead. Sable had never ventured past Kahn before, and could only wonder what the terrain was like. He was never the type of person to use maps unless his job required it. He preferred to see the world with his own eyes.

He fed her a crumb for a job well done. Time to stock up on supplies.

Remembering the eyes that had fallen on him, Sable searched the sparse groups of bustling townspeople. His eyes fell on a boy about average-height. Although he was young, he had a dangerous air about him. He was someone that was highly skilled.

Sable approached the boy, face stoic as always. "Excuse me," he said. "Are you perhaps, selling anything?"

Sano read the board for a couple of minutes, trying to decide whether twenty gold for the return of an escaped criminal was worth the effort of hunting him down and bringing him back alive. A live prisoner meant escape attempts, feeding, and transporting him back to the prison. No, not nearly enough gold to compensate for that much hassle. He was about to leave the square and head to the shops for some supplies when he noticed the man he had been keeping an eye on feeding a bird that had landed on his shoulder and making his way towards him. Small native birds were perfect for scouting; and that one had been rewarded, leading Sano to believe that it had performed its task well. What had it found? Was it By-Tor, an objective in the crowd, or perhaps some errand that might have nothing to do with anything? The mans approach seemed to suggest otherwise, ad his question when he arrived confirmed this.

”Excuse me, are you perhaps selling anything?" His emphasis on the word “selling” and the pause between said word and the word prior to it implied that he was a buying. Sano was cautiously vague with his answer.

”Perhaps; that depends on what one would be interested in buying.”

Sable made a faint sound of approval -- he was rather impressed with this boy. The kid was skilled as to not give away much information, although Sable hardly had the desire to buy illegal goods.

"I'm wondering if I can purchase food here. Traveling neccessities," he said. He was willing to pay whatever the cost, but he did not mention this aloud.

Another person enters the town, a long grey beard, hollowed cheeks with world-weary eyes. Each line on his face told a story, he was a man that had seen alot of horrible things in his life, yet laughed and felt happiness. His journeys had now lead him to Kahn village, a part of the fire-nation he hadn't set his foot in since he was in the Fire-nation army.
People turned their heads after him, an emblem on his coat telling them whom he was and what he had once done to this village. On his bag a mark from the fire-nation army revealed his past rank, followed by a mark of honor for a sucessful battle, only few people recognized these marks, as they had been exchanged for new ones. The faces of the villagers filled with disgust and hatred, their glares felt like daggers. Itou was not welcome here, not at all.

He carried his bag over his shoulder, as he walked through the streets, he took in his surroundings. The hatred towards him couldn't have been clearer, and if glares could kill, he would have been lying dead on the ground the very moment he set his foot inside this village.

Itou notices a few strange persons on the street, the things they were doing was somewhat unordinary and strange, his glance turns to the other side of the street where a young man stood with a different guy, he could hear what they were saying. They were talking about something that was uninteresting to him, the man was just buying some wares.

A girl will long black hair down to the tip of her back looked around the city with pure aqua eyes. The crimson colors danced in front of her and she continued on looking for her special necklace. She dropped in on a fire nation fleet ship and she got a tip it was here. He cloths looked like the ocean had weaved them perfectly not missing anything. Aki saw a man talking with a vendor and she saw the necklace in a display case.

Aki ran over almost tripping and saw it, it's still in good condition. Aki asked the man, well more demanded "How much for the necklace?"

Itou stopped in the middle of the street, glancing around, and soon people started to flock around him, the street filled with angry voices, and cruel words. A mass had gathered around him, making it difficult for others to see, however the massive crowd attracted more people. A loud voice filled the street "You're not welcome here! Get out!" It yelled, enraging the crowd even more. Itous calming voice then filled the street afterwards "I'm not here to cause any trouble, I'm simply a tourist now wishing to see this down in a different light." the crowd didn't belive him but he managed to place some doubt in their hearts. The one who had taken on the leader role shouted "If he doesn't want to leave, we have to chase him out!" before he pulled out a knife. "I do not wish to fight you" Itou calmly said observing the man as he charged out towards him. Itou sidestepped, causing the man to miss. He continued to avoid the mans attacks with ease, not laying a finger on him.

Aki had no time for an answer she had to get it back. In a fluid motion she thrust her hand though the glass making a loud shattering noise. Aki stuffed the necklace in her sack and took off. She heard pounding foot steps behind her and guards shouting, “GET BACK HERE YOU LITTLE STEALER!!!”

Sable was distracted from his bargaining when the presence of malice drifted all about him. Villagers' eyes and expressions screwed into that of suspicion and distrust, then later formed anger and hostility. He turned to find a man, hefty and harmless-seeming, entering the village plaza. At once Sable's keen orbs fell on the old man's crest - the army symbol. His brow furrowed.

Is he insane? he thought. These villagers still harbored a deadly grudge at the soldiers that once terrorized their village in the heat of the war. And although the man was still a soldier of their own nation, the villagers often felt betrayed and ashamed by their military's tyranny.

So distracted he was by the scene, he did not notice a young girl approach the lad's wares. The shattering of glass ensued, and Sable turned swiftly only to find the girl darting hurriedly away.

The Hell ... ? he thought, suddenly enveloped with the sensation that his vacation was coming to an end.

A few guards chased after her, and Sable, not particualrly inclined to find out what all that was about, focused back on the old man. By then, almost half the village had surrounded him. Even young children were preparing to throw stones, arcing them over the heads of their angry parents.

Sable's form flashed in a burst of fire, spiraling around his body in a cloudy inferno of light and heat. He fire-whipped the flames throughout the cloud, particularly careful not to touch anyone, lest he be the object of their anger. The intent was to surprise and distract them long enough for him to gain full control.

A woman screamed. People doubled-back in fright, gasping and making sounds of shock and confusion.

"HOLD IT!" Sable commanded, leaping to the center of the activity, falling into a crouch in front of the old man. The villagers were silent, hesitant murmuring amongst them. Glaring; lots and lots of it. Sable glared back just as intently and stood. "As an officer and personal guard to the Fire Lord, I demand that this commotion cease."

"I am well-aware of the origins of your anger, but leave the past in the past. If this man is attacked again, you will be arrested and taken in custody. And believe me, I have no problem with throwing your asses in jail."