Pillars of Sand Chapter 5

A/N: And we return to Pillars of Sand after a bit of a... rough patch. I hate sand, don't you? Finally figured out how to write this chapter, though it's hard to be completely satisfied with it given how long it's taken. 

Hope people still enjoy it though!

Devil's Foundry update coming later tonight, it's being edited now.

Chapter 5: Familial Relationships

“You shouldn’t talk about your daughter like that.”

The man, Toph’s father, looked at my hand on his shoulder in surprise, before his expression hardened into one of pure contempt. “My daughter? My daughter is small, and blind, and helpless.” He stepped out of my grip, arm going around Toph protectively. “And here you are dragging her around Gaoling for your own amusement!”

Toph stared down at the table with a blank expression, unmoving.

I bit back a growl. Poor fathers were a… sore spot of mine. “She is anything but helpless. She’s an Earthbender.”

The man shook his head. “Is that how you got out of the house, Toph?” He shook his head. “Oh I knew the lessons with Master Yu would put ideas into your head.” He pulled the girl to her feet, and she rose without resisting. “Come now, there’s nothing left to worry about.” He placed his hand in her elbow, as if he was just going to lead her, but I could see the way she stiffened slightly, in her father’s grip. “I’ll bring you back home.”

I rose from the booth, causing Mr. Beifong—and his guards—to take a step back in surprise. The reason was simple. For Earth, I was merely a bit above average height.

But for this world, well. You hear about ‘modern diets’ and such, it never really lands until you find yourself in a small town in provincial, magical not!china and realize you’re a good head taller than everyone else, including the other magicians.

Or maybe that was just me.

I took a step forward. “Your daughter is the best Earthbender I’ve ever seen. She is more than capable of taking care of herself.”

“You clearly haven’t seen any Earthbenders then!”

I raised an eyebrow. “I took care of your Master Yu, easily enough.” I flicked a glance towards the man, who’d come in with the rest of the Beifong’s retinue.

He settled into a ready stance. “You won’t take me by surprise twice.”

I bounced on my feet as the rest of the patrons slowly drew back from us. “Who says I need the element of surprise?”

“You’d dare?” Toph’s Father pushed forward. “Trying to kidnap the daughter of the Beifong family? I’ll see you thrown in prison for this.” His eyes flicked to the three other kids sitting at the table. “Every single one of you, if you don’t stop this nonsense at once.”

I opened my mouth, only to let out a low breath. A quick glance to the side showed that Aang, Sokka, and Katara had no idea what was going on. To top it off, if they had to run from the Earth Kingdom and the Fire Nation… I didn’t see them lasting very long.

And Toph was still frozen, staring sightlessly at the ground.

The only other option was to fight my way out of the town. Maybe if I was outside, I could have done it, but there wasn’t any sand to work with inside this building, and I was still nearly exhausted from my match with Toph.

The excuses tasted like ash in my mouth, but I lowered my hands all the same.

Toph’s father, nodded, half to himself. “Trying to stop a man from taking care of his daughter?” He shook his head. “Guards, take her to the magistrate’s house for assaulting an upstanding member of Gaoling, maybe a night to cool her head will do her some good.”

I tilted my head as two of the men closed in on me. “I wasn’t aware speaking the truth was considered assault in this part of the Earth Kingdom.”

“You exchanged far more than a few words with Master Yu.” The man sniffed.

I gave a little laugh. “I suppose I did. Though it’s a pity you can’t trust an Earthbending master to fight their own battles these days.” Master Yu stiffened at that, but he didn’t say anything. In this world, there was a strong cultural bias for settling your problems yourself, especially between Benders. Maybe that was just an Earth Kingdom thing.

But at least I knew they actually would only keep me locked up for about a day. Or at least, if I was wrong, I’d be in a better place to do something about it after I had time to get my energy back.

I didn’t resist as the Beifong guards drew my arms behind my back and clamped a set of sturdy metal cuffs around them. They pushed me, none too gently, towards the door, even as Toph’s father pulled her to the side. I cast one last glance over my shoulder.

“Hey Toph, if you want to learn about Sand Bending, you know where I’ll be.”

Her expression twitched.

Beifong senior had a much more overt reaction. “I’ll have none of—”

“Okay that is just enough!”

Toph ripped her arm out of her Father’s grip stomping hard on the floor. Half a dozen pillars of earth erupted from the ground before I could even blink, pinning each of the guards to the ceiling. From the corner of my eye I saw Master Yu dodge the first blow, only to fall into a pit Toph had opened behind him.

With a flick of her wrist, she sealed him in the ground up to the neck.

Silence.

Toph snorted. “You’re all acting like you’ve never seen an Earthbender before!” With a twist another, smaller pillar of stone shot up, smashing my cuffs off. I shook off the little bits of stone, still blinking in surprise.

“I guess I’m happy you decided to go easy on me?”

“Please.” As she spoke, more of Toph’s ‘Blind Bandit’ personality came back to the surface. “Like these chumps could make me break a sweat.”

“Toph?”

Toph stiffened again at her father’s voice. Then she straightened, staring dead ahead. “I won’t be coming home for dinner.”

“Toph!” The man grabbed for her shoulder, but she easily stepped out of the way. “What are you talking about? What was that, using Earthbending like that! What if you got hurt! Please, don’t—”

“Jeez Louise! Is this guy still going on about Toph getting hurt?” Sokka’s words cut through the room. “She’s like, crazy good at this Earthbending stuff! Hell she even took on The Boulder!”

Katara hissed at her brother. “Sokka! Be quiet!”

“No, no.” I rubbed my wrists. “The kid’s got a point, it’s pretty clear that out of everyone here, Toph is probably in the least amount of danger.”

She crossed her arms, putting on a stage grin. “And you better believe it.” She took a deep breath, before glancing off to the side. “I’m done with all of that noble stuff. Okay? I hate it. You and mom wouldn’t even let me get a pet badgermole.” Piece said, Toph marched past her dumbstruck father and out the door.

“Psst.” Aang leaned over. “I think that’s our cue to leave.”

I nodded leaving the restaurant as quickly as possible. I pressed a handful of coins into the grip of a stunned waitress. “For the damages.” I didn’t wait long enough for her to count out my change.

On the way out the door I heard. “You know, I think she’s probably right about that…” from an immobilized Master Yu. “The badgermole bit, I mean, did you know they were the first Earthbenders?”

Toph was waiting outside for us. She didn’t glance back, though, really, why would she? “Ready to blow this joint?”

Aang blinked. “Wh—just like that?”

Toph snorted. “Let’s get one thing straight, I’m not leaving with you or the rest of your little calamity kids. I just want to learn me some Sandbending.” She shifted, half turning towards me. “Are you sure we can’t just ditch the sideshow and, I don’t know, just go off into the desert or something?”

I gave a small chuckle. “Having come from the desert, I think I can safely say ‘no’. Plus, I’m not the type of person who would let a bunch of kids fight a war against the Fire Nation all on their own.” I was kind of a champion of hopeless causes after all. Why not add one more to the list.

“Ugh, whatever, let’s get out of here before dad decides to call the actualcity guard.” Toph turned and started walking down the street.

“Uh, Toph?” Aang took a half step forward. That’s not where our camp is.”

“Well where is it?”

Sokka pointed. “That way.”

Toph tilted her head. “Which way?”

I sighed. “This way.” I started walking. Toph spun when my feet started to hit the earth.

“Well why didn’t ya say so!” She jogged past the rest of the kids. “Now let’s go! And can we pick up food on the way?”

Behind me, I heard Katara—at least, I assumed it was Katara—whack Sokka on the back of the head. “She’s blind, idiot.”

“I forgot! She doesn’t act like she’s blind.”

“Some food might be okay, as long as we get something to go.” I glanced back over my shoulder. “The two of you might want to get some new clothes as well.”

Sokka looked down at his blue hunter’s garb. “What’s wrong with our clothes?”

“Let me put it this way, didn’t you just say you were on the run from the Fire Nation?” They nodded. “Have you seen anyone else in Water Tribe blue since you got to Gaoling?”

Sokka’s mouth dropped open. “That’s how they keep finding us!” He grabbed his head with both hands. “I’m such an idiot! Of course they weren’t tracking Appa.”

“Appa?” I asked.

Aang nodded. “My sky bison.”

I blinked. “Sky… bison?”

“Yep!”

I sighed. “Let’s just go to the market already.”

*~*~*

“Uncle, there!”

Iroh, The Dragon of the West, member of the White Lotus, and uncle to one impatient young prince and one even more impatient, younger princess, looked up from where he was examining a handcrafted Earthkingdom tea set. “Where what, nephew?”

Zuko jabbed his finger. “There!” Iroh tilted his head, catching a sight of blue clothes in the crowd. Ah, would that be the Water Tribe children again? He was hoping they’d have left Gaoling by now.

Oh well. Iroh straightened. “Please set this aside for me, my good man.”

“Uncle, they’re—”

Iroh placed a hand on Zuko’s shoulder. “An eager hunter spoils the hunt.” He smiled. “And it would be a shame to let someone snap up this tea set while we were gone, it really is exquisite craftsmanship.”

The merchant puffed out his chest. “It’s a Ba Sing Se original! Brought it all the way out here with my son’s caravan.”

Iroh felt the sting of old pain in his chest, but smiled on anyway. “I thought I recognized the craftsmanship.”

“Heh, you’ve been?”

Iroh nodded. “Only… briefly.” He chuckled. “My family keeps telling me I should go back.”

“You really should,” the man replied. “It’s a beautiful city after all.”

“That it is.”

“Uncle!”

“Now, if you’ll excuse me.” He patted Zuko’s shoulder once more. “We have some old acquaintances to catch up to.”

Zuko was moving almost before Iroh could wave goodbye. The older man had to half jog to keep up with the prince. He wasn’t as young as he used to be either. Still, they caught the two right in front of a food down the road.

Iroh was about to suggest approaching with caution when Zuko practically sprinted the last few meters on his one. “Stop there, Water Tribe!”

“Huh? What?” The one with the ponytail turned around, revealing a taller Earth Kingdom woman holding some meat on a stick.

The long-haired man at her side glanced over his shoulder. “Did you mean these clothes?”

The woman plucked at the sleeve of her garment. “Sorry, we got the last ones! Isn’t it such a lovely color?”

Iroh could only chuckle at the expression on his nephew’s face.

*~*~*

Meanwhile, atop a flying bison and many miles away, Katara plucked idly at the sleeve of her new Earth Kingdom browns. “I miss my clothes already.”

Sokka laid back on the dense mattress of Appa’s fur. “Hey, it’s not all bad. I think I grew an inch since we left.” He wiggled his feet. “It’s nice to have pants that go down to my ankles.”

“So.” Tay La asked. “Why does Appa have six legs again?”

Aang glanced over his shoulder. “Why wouldn’t he have six legs?”