Chou, or Master Chou, as he liked thinking of himself as, was slowly making his way inland. His search for the Avatar seemed without end. He had traveled around half the world, and seen more Benders than any man alive, he’d warrant. With each encounter, a hope; a hope they would be something more. So far though, his hunt had gotten him into more trouble than it had been worth. Yet he would never give up. No less than a man gives up on his life, would he give up on finding the Avatar. And so his journey continued. 

There were Benders in Ba Sing Se, he had heard. Some Earth Bender who calls himself the Iron King, and who had other Benders under his command. It didn’t seem likely that it would be more than a dead end, but right now, Chou didn’t have any other lead to go by. He kept spirit by believing each step brought him closer to the Avatar. Now that he had left the coast, he chose to stick to forest paths. The roads, or what was left of them, were too dangerous. The main profession anywhere these days involved thievery, or worse, and there were always predators looking for prey. And Chou was just that. Old he’d become in his search for the Avatar, and he had no weapons but his fists. He only survived by his wits. Nobody respected seniority. Nobody respected anything. He shook his head and abandoned such thoughts. One had to keep spirits up. He began instead to focus on his surroundings. Around him was just forest, but ahead he could see it clearing. He must be nearing the edge of the forest. 

---

The crew of eight was getting tired. Their targets had proved a stubborn catch, but they had their orders. Everybody were grim that afternoon, and tired of the chase. Their Ostrich-Horses were starting to show signs of exhaustion, but Bei knew their hunt was soon over. He’d been a hunter since he was little, and he’d developed a keen emotional sense, which kicked in when the prey was near. There were one or more Benders among their targets, but they had two trained Chi-blockers and the others were equipped with bows. No half-assed Bender could stand against such a force. Bei had all the confidence in the world when they finally caught sight of the Armadillo-Lion. His companions let out a yell of triumph or challenge, maybe both, and spurred their Ostrich-Horses to a gallop. 

“Mind the beast”, Bei called to the others. “And don’t kill the Bender. The Iron King wants that one for himself. But he didn’t say anything about not hurting him!” He shouted, and the crew laughed. They readied their bows, and began firing arrows at the Armadillo-Bear, though the shafts fell well short still. They had to hurry. At the moment, they were riding on open ground, but some ways ahead lay a thick forest. They would lose their advantage in there. Bui signaled to stop shooting until they were within definite range. He could smell it now; the prey’s fear was always sweet.