Gateway To Another World: An Avatar Story

Chapter 7

The four reach the town after a short time of traveling. They have asked around and the only way of passage with the Acolyte threat is a guy who lives in both the town and Kyoshi Island. They have located this guy to a fortune-teller's shop where the townsfolk say he frequents. 

Upon arrival to the shop they see a teenager, aged 17, pale skin, black hair, dark eyes, and a lean/muscular build, napping on the ground.

Aiya pokes him on the head repeatedly until he wakes.

"What do you want?" asks the guy.

"Are you the guy who can take us to Kyoshi Island?" asks Aiya.

The guy sighs deeply and says, "Unfortunately it seems that way. I have to stay in town for work for the day, tomorrow I can take you. You're welcome to stay at my home for the night."

Aiya wears a confused look and says, "If you have a home why are you sleeping on the ground?"

The guy quickly says, "Maybe I'll sleep where I want to and maybe you'll be quiet."

The four all wear a look of shock after the guy's remark.

"Do you have a name?" asks Sadao.

"Yeah it's Hark, come I'll show you to my home," says Hark.

Hark walks the four from the shop down a few buildings to a run-down lodge. They all enter and Hark lights a candle in the corner of his dingy home.

"Okay in about an hour I have got to go, I have a night job now and I can not be late, make yourself at home. Also my job is not welcome to non-employees so if I'm needed you'll just have to wait until I'm back," says Hark.

Ursa and Sadao grow looks of suspicion and then make subtle eye contact to confirm their suspicions.

An hour goes by of the five mainly just sitting in solace. And as nights falls Hark disappears.

"Is it just me or is Hark a little fishy?" asks Ursa.

"I get the same feeling, his night job is definitely not a night job," responds Sadao.

As soon as those words leave Sadao's lips a scream of a woman in a house across the streets rings out.

Ursa and Sadao quickly run out of the house and into the house where the scream rang from. On the floor lays a crying woman with a bloody nose. 

"What happened, are you okay?!" asks Ursa.

"A man he came in and punched me in the face and got on top of me. He had been stalking me for weeks and tonight he tried to rape me," says the woman holding back more tears.

"Which way did he go?" asks Sadao.

"He jumped through my window and ran into the street," responds the woman.

Sadao and Ursa quickly runout of the house and down the street. The man sees them and runs into town square.

Before Sadao and Ursa can do anything, a shadow-like man pounces on the man from on top a nearby building. The shadow pummels the man. He repeatedly punches the man's face. 

Ursa and Sadao watch in near horror as they see blood shoot up and hear bone crunch.

The shadow then stand up, looks as Ursa and Sadao, and disappears into the night.

Ursa and Sadao run over to the man and see a bloodied and broken man. His face disfigured, his collarbone snapped, and his nose completed smashed. 

A healer quickly comes to the scene and begins work on the broken man.

"Who was that?" asks Ursa to the healer.

"We call him the shadow, he protects our town," says the healer.

Sadao and Ursa look at each other and return to Hark's home, and upon arriving they see Hark has returned. 

"How was work Hark?" asks Sadao in an accusatory manner.

"It was fine, rough but fine," says Hark.

Ursa looks down at Hark's hands to see his knuckles bloody and bandaged.

"What is with your bandaged hands Hark?" asks Ursa.

"I hurt them moving rocks, now stop with questions and get some sleep," barks Hark.

The five then sleep the night away as in the morning they can finally travel to Kyoshi Island.