Chapter 22. The Noise [FIXED]
The next morning, after a hasty breakfast and a quick circulation of chi through my body—a poor substitute for a full workout—I set out to check on the prisoners. They were fine, though the ice had sustained some damage. They'd only managed to penetrate halfway through the wall. Taking control of one waterbender and one soldier, I headed to inspect the portals. Manipulating water within human bodies is getting easier.
I can only take through the portal those I touch, and two people is my current limit. Now, I want to see what happens if I send them to the North Pole without the protection of my chi. The waterbender looked exhausted by the end of the journey, but nothing serious happened to him. The same couldn't be said for the ordinary soldier, whose life was already hanging by a thread. Too much chi had been expended. There are only two waterbenders in the settlement—Katara and Kaya—and they're still very weak. So, it's time to test the portal again, this time using my chi. Directing the soldiers toward the barrier, I watched as they both disintegrated in the air upon contact. That barrier is truly terrifying—it consumed two lives in mere seconds.
The next two ordinary people passed through under my protection, and everything was fine with them. The journey took more of a toll on me, though. All three of my chi sources, except the neutral one, were nearly depleted, but I could still manage. I'll be able to relocate the villagers within two days. I'm not sure when the Fire Nation soldiers were supposed to report back, but it's best to hurry.
It'll be interesting to see Master Pakku's face when he sees Kanna. The people accepted the relocation calmly. Some had relatives at the North Pole, while others simply didn't want to lose their lives. Everyone found a reason to leave the South Pole. Of course, it was sad for them to leave the lands where they were born and raised, but there was no choice. Continuing to live means there's a chance to return home someday. I think I know how to deal with overpopulation if the Fire Nation calms down by then—or if I calm them down. We could consider resettling some of our people back to the South.
On the first day, I managed to transport half of the tribe's population, which sent the entire city into an uproar. No one expected there were still people living there. Some reunited with their relatives, while others were shocked by the small number of people in our sister tribe. No one remained indifferent.
Pakku's reaction to seeing Kanna deserves special mention. I've never seen such a fiery gaze, not even from young men with passionate hearts. His attachment to her must have smoldered all these years, never fading, and the moment he saw her, it reignited. It even made me feel awkward to notice it.
There was enough space to accommodate everyone. I asked my father to house Katara, Sokka, and Kaya in the palace. I had to endure Katara and Yui's glares as they alternated between shooting icy stares at each other and glaring at me with resentment. Even though they're strangers, they already see each other as rivals. Such female intuition at such a young age is intimidating.
At first, the Southern Tribe's residents marveled at how far our tribe had come. We may still be far behind the Fire Nation, but we're making progress—and that's what matters.
I had to dispose of the remaining soldiers. I had neither the desire nor the time to keep them, and they were no longer of any use. To advance in waterbending—which I've decided to call the fusion of bloodbending and chi—I would need to consciously harm these people to practice. I'm not ready for that, and I hope I never will be. There are other ways to solve problems. The city is full of people missing limbs, and twenty-five percent of the population are elderly. There's plenty of room to work.