New generation benders

Herkio felt how the whole world just spun around him, he couldn't concentrate his gaze on anything. It started to ring in his ears and he could also feel how he slowly started to slip away. Everything started to become darker and darker and he knew he was going to die. But he didn't feel panic in some weird way. He almost wanted the dark to swallow him, drag him down to death. It all almost started to feel pleasant when something happend. It stopped, she didn't pull out any air out of him anymore. But since he was almost dead it was hard do breathe in since he didn't have any air in his lungs.

He felt how he hit the deck and it all hurted now. His head hurted. He needed air, quickly. With his last powers he forced himself to take a deep breathe, and with that he became more awake. He started to cough, and breath at almost the same time, he almost hyperventilated so he quickly could get air. He was still dizzy after a while, but it was much better. He closed his eyes again and breathed in and out constantly, but also shaking now, and still laying on the deck.
He could hear how they talk, the breathbender and the bountyhunter. And..did he hear Ela's voice? He slowly opened his eyes and looked up at Ela and smiled faintly. He wasn't blue anymore, but pale. "Hi..". he said weakly and tried to sit up but just sunk down again. His head still hurted, but maybe he could make himself feel better? He concentrated and started to bend his own blood so it would move faster, so the air would be transported quicker. And after a while he felt better. He slowly sat up again and took Ela's hand and also managed to stand up. But just some second later he almost fell down, but saved himself in the last second by grabbing Ela's shoulder. "I'm tired of getting injured" he mumbled, still with a weak voice.

Ela tried her very best to catch him in the midst of the fall.
"Wow! Wouldn't it be pretty obvious that he can't just make his heart beat faster without any penalties?" Her spirit laughed like a spiteful little child. Ela was worried enough about Herkio meaning that she could ignore the spirit.
"There's enough room here for Pema to land." Bipin said and used the whistle to call the large flying bison down. However Pema would take her time, she had been circling around above them for ages now. Kauri came up to them and opened up the bag hanging on her side. She brought up a furry little white... thing and gave it to Hye.
"Your flying monkey fell asleep." Kauri commented before turning around and started walking away.
"Hey! Thanks for your help!" Bipin called out after her and Ela wanted to just get Herkio on Pema so he could rest up. Kauri just waved as she walked off. Kauri and Daya are sisters... somehow that fit. However Ela didn't really know which side Kauri was on, maybe Kauri didn't know either. Pema landed in the water just by the docks and Ryuu came up to help Herkio onto Pema.

Bipin noticed how tired his dear Pema was, meaning that she wasn't so keen on flying anyway. That was okay though, Pema was a good swimmer. All they needed was to find a proper camping spot. Hye was cuddling with Popo and Bipin took some time to play with the waterm a bit of waterbending you know. It made him kind of happy to know that he could at least some waterbending as well. He looked back to see Ela standing around worrying and fussing over Herkio and he turned his head with a slight smile.

Herkio just wanted to rest, close his eyes and sleep. But he knew he had to stay awake for a while, because it he tried to sleep too soon without breathing properly he could get injured or even die. It was the last thing he wanted even if he wanted to rest. He leaned against Ela and tried to stand up without falling over again. He was starting to shiver more since he started to freeze. He hadn't been freezing in forever due to his thick clothes from the south ple. He was used to cold.
He heard them talk about Pema nad just nodded to everything they said. As long as they got away from the docks and could rest and eat. Even if he probably was the one that as most injured they all needed rest. He heard steps, people where running from the docks, no more guards dared to get close to the boat since they had seen what Daya had done to them. And nobody could fight her. He had been able to do it for a while before sh had almost choked him to death.
Herkio saw the spirit again, standing a bit from them and watching them. "Well, it seems you're a real bloodbender now then? You have used it several times now" the spirit commentated and grinned. Herkio didn't answer to it, just looked down at Ela, his face made him forget the spirit a bit. She would take care of him, the other would also. They had protected him against Daya. He got help to get to Pema and sunk down on her.

He closed his eyes, but didn't fall asleep. He was just laying down at one end of Pema so he wouldn't take up all space. He soon felt how she moved and opened his eyes. He could see how Ela walked around him, tried to help him and smiled. "Thanks, but I just think I need to rest ofr the moment, come and sit down" he said before he looked towards Bipin. "That's good Bipin, but move your hands a bit softer, like they're a part of the waves". He lifted up his hand and did a slow movement with his hands that made a little tower of water come up. He then turned towards Ela again and carefully grabbed her hand and pulled her down beside him. He leaned his head against her shoulder. "I hope you don't mind, I'm cold" he mumbled. He wrapped one of his arms around her so they came a bit closer and closed his eyes.

Ela did sit down and wanted to cover his mouth when hr started giving instructions to Bipin, however she realized that Bipin needed the guidance. Hye was talking to her lemur and Ryuu had placed himself on the side closest to the docks, staring at the disaster. Ela wasn't phazed by Dayas temper, Daya had proved to be a great asset through the years. Suddenly Ela got pulled down next to Herkio and he placed his head on her shoulder. Her heartbeat doubled and she prayed that he couldn't hear it. Especially since she was sure that even Hye that was on the other side of Pema could, so she tried to ignore it. Not even acknowledging the bubbles and the increasing rate of nausea filling her right up. In her opinion he was a lot warmer than her and something she didn't realize herself the hand he was holding ((If he didn't let it go... then it just happened. xD)) was turning blue and purple slow and steady.

"Hey, Ikal, what happened when hou started using your bloodbending for real?" Akane asked whilst Ikal was healing Katsus wounds.
"I couldn't heal as good, I hurt people without meaning to. Father locked me up until he figured out a way for me to control it. Don't you remember?" Ikal replied and turned to Akane since he froze the water over Katsus wounds, burn wounds.
"Shouldn't someone do that to Herkio as well, then?" Akane said and Ikal stopped as if he remembered something very important.
"Yeah, someone should." Ikal turned pale. "Daya, you could break loose from him, right?" Daya nodded. "Did anyone see where they went?" He continued quickly. Daya spun around, flew up in the air and came straight back down.
"Down the river in that direction." Daya pointed. "See you at the capture-spot? Our things might still be there." Daya continued with a polite smile before Ikal nodded and started moving in the general direction that she had pointed out.

Herkio really enjoyed being so close to Ela, he could feel her heat, feel how she breathed in and out. He breathed in her scent and felt how it tickled in his stomach. He really liked her. She was quite beautiful, funny and brave even if she didn't know it. He just really liked her. So being so close was really nice. He could stay there forever.
He opened his eyes again after a while and looked at Bipin again who did a bit better now. "Nice" he smiled softly. "Try to make a ball now" he said and Bipin managed to do so. Now when he had a bit of the basics he was really good. "Can you make a whip? Get up some water and make a whiping movement, hard and quick. but don't hit us" he continued to instruct and Bipin also managed to do that, or almost. He actually hit Ryuu on the shoulder. "Sorry!" Bipin quickly said and sat down again. Herkio laughed a little bit, he seemed to be a little bit better now when he had catched his breath. But he still needed the rest.

He looked out over the water. He felt a bit weird, well he was injured, but it was more than that. It felt like he bended, even if he knew he wasn't. He couldn't explain it. Maybe it was because he had used bloodbending so much? "It's so weird" he mumbled to Ela. "I had just used bloodbending one single time in my entire life before this day. And now I have used it so much..It's weird. I can't really use it too good. I had to figure everything out as i fought against that woman". And he didn't wanna use it more. He hated it. "I hate it so much, it feels so wrong to take controll over another human, but at the same time...". He had opened his eyes again and looked at her and noticed something. Her hand was blue and purple, bruises. "Oh!". He let go of her hand. That hadn't been there before! Not over her whole hand. "Did I hold your hand so hard?" he asked confused before he realized something that sent shivers down his spine.
"Oh god..". He quickly stood up, almost falling over. "I did that...I'm so sorry Ela!" he said panicking a bit. "I didn't mean too!". It looked like he wanted to jump off the bison into the sea.

Ela got suddenly confused, really. She looked down on her hand and noticed just now that it was all... bruised. What? It wasn't swelling up yet, that's a good sign right? Just when she noticed it she also realized that her hands had started... aching. They had gotten sore and started aching. No big, she just had to rest up a little and it'd be all right again. It was just... bruises. Were there bruises everywhere? Ela sat up on her knees and caught his hand in hers and pulled him back down.
"It's okay, stop panicking. I'm fine, just breathe." Ela said comforting enough and she kind of recognized it from when Ikal had to learn. However... Ikal had been locked up in a cave; alone. Father had given him food and drink so that it'd sustain the young boy but... not much else. As far as Ela know Ikal taught himself how to control it. She should've forced Ikal to help Herkio or something.
"Ikal could help you if he were here." Ela sighed as if she was blaming herself.
"Speak of the devil and he'll appear, Ela." A voice shouted from the shore and Ela turned her head to see Ikal walking on shore.
"If it wasn't because Pema was about to pass out I wouldn't have gone to shore." Bipin sighed heavily and Pema did seem to be incredibly tired. Bipin steered Pema to the riverbank.

Ikal was pretty sure they were all tired, meaning that actually teaching anyone anything today was stupid. But anyway, he could heal up Ela before it got worse and scream at them all to sleep. Really, he was on the run to and he had found time to sleep god damn it. Also, food. They should eat too. He could see that Pema had some on her back, but they'd probably need to restock. Why was he worrying about that? Maybe because his childhood love was all bruised because of some damn... newbie waterbender. No, Ikal wasn't in love with Ela any longer, he'd since long gone over to see her as a younger sister. Making it even worse, like really... why the fuck did she hold hands with someone like that?

Herkio was freaking out. He had hurt her. Her whole hand was brusised. And when he looked at her he could see more bruises. He had done it. He felt really, really bad. It was the damn bloodbending, he was sure of it. He should never have used it! It was a damn curse. It just hurt people, and now he had hurt Ela. What if he really hurt someone of them? What if he got angyr and accidently bended someones arm so it turned the wrong way. He was a monster...
The spirit appeared again, it was floating above the water, laughing at his panic. "Well you have to get used to that" it smiled towards him. "But you hurt her. She will be scared of you now probably. And you will probably hurt the others as well, you're a monster" it told him over and over again. He wanted to scream again.
Then she pulled him down next to her again. He quickly pulled his hand out of hers, still panicking. He wanted to hold her hand, but not now when he could hurt her. Would it always be like this? Would he never be able to touch anyone again without hurting them? He didn't wanna live then. He wanted to hug people, touch them.
"Somebody have to help me! I don't wanna hurt anyone!" he said and shivered a bit. He was really upsit. This wasn't exactly good for his current health. He was hurt, had been hurt many times during the last time, and his mind was tired and a bit broken thanks to the spirit driving him insande. And now this...He couldn't stand it all. He would go insande for real. And then Ikal appeared. He turned to him, his eyes where still panicking and he looked sick. "Please, you have to help me, teach me, something..." he begged and his spirit was just laughing at him. And soon Herkio couldn't stand it anymore. "Shut up! Stop laughing!" he yelled towards the spirit before he sunk down on Pema and burried his face in his hands again. He was a wreck.

Ikal climbed pretty easily up on Pemas back.
"Back off." Two words pointed towards the spirit, since Ikal wanted to get rid of it. "Won't have a lot to eat off if he kills himself, will you?" Yeah, Ikal could see that damn spirit. However he was pretty sure it should've gone back to the spirit-world right now. At least it should've gone back to its real spirit-form. Unless Herkio had a dead twin brother wanting to screw his life over from the other side of course. The only other explanation would be that Herkio wanted the spirit there, it didn't seem like it, at all. Maybe it was someone else who wanted it stuck there?

Anyway, Ikal wasn't there to play around so he thought of forcing Herkio to take a dip, but right now Herkio might as well freeze himself below the surface and die. Ikal didn't want to take care of the moody ball of spiritual messy sadness Ela would become if that happened. When Ela cried it was like someone stabbed her.
"Get a grip." Ikal said and hit him over the face instead. Ikal wasn't going to be nice to him. "And sleep or something, your bison is pretty much dying from sleep deprivation, as you all are. Akane gave you damn energy pills and you've been unknowingly bending since you got strangled by a maniac, stop freaking out and calm down." Ikal paused for a moment, letting it sink in. "Or I'll make you." He continued as he got jerked back pretty violently. He looked up at Ela who looked pretty pissed.
"Stop threatening him." She hissed angrily. "Now." Ikal rolled his eyes.
"I am done, I can't scream in someones face while healing you up, can I?" Ikal said as he pulled her down from the bison. He caught her and brought up some water around her bruises.

The only thing Ela could read off Ikal was that he was pretty pissed off but when he pulled her down Pema he seemed worried but still angry. Like he was disappointed or something. Ela was just boiling with anger somehow. Ikal had no right to talk like that to Herkio.

Herkio heard how Ikal said 'Back off'. He slowly took the hands from his face and looked out over the water. The spirit was still grinning, and still looking exactly like him, but it slowly disappeared. It was content for now. And with the spirit disappearing, he actually calmed down some, even if he still looked like a wreck and still was one. But he wasn't freaking out as much. He was about to say sorry for how he acted when Ikal suddenly hit him over the face.
He felt like yelling at him at first, but that actually made him think a bit clearer and he calmed down a little more. He took deep breaths and listened to Ikal as he threathned him, but didn't answer him back. Well until he was done atleast. "I'm calm down" he mumbled and slowly stood up again, but his legs where shaking. He really needed to sleep now. The pills almost had the opposite effect now, making him more tired.

He heard how Ela was angry at Ikal, for him? He turned to them. "It's okay. I deserve it. I shouldn't freak out anymore. I just need sleep. It has been a long day". He mumbled and watched Ikal heal her. He got off the Bison, as Ryuu, Hye and Bipin already had. He just laid down at the ground, not caring that it was a bit hard, it wasn't cold atleast. And soon he was asleep, he was sleeping rather peacefully and quietly due to the things that just had happend.

The others just shot angry glances, Bipin took care of his Pema. Pema was literally snoring as fast as she was safe on the ground. Pema snotted, snored loudly and drooled all over. Bipin loved her, she was always loyal... Ryuu was too but still a bit unpredictable. Bipin took off Pemas large saddle with the help of some earthbending and fell asleep pretty much next to her. Pema blinked a little and placed one of her large feet over Bipin, giving her little friend shelter.

"Don't even get why you'd hold hands with him." Ikal mumbled and Ela didn't catch it at first, her energy levels had dropped.
"You have no right to know." She muttered and yawned unwillingly. She tried to stay awake to properly be mad at him but couldn't as she yawned again and rubbed her eyes.
"Yeah, whatever, you should sleep." Ikal said and Ela kind of passed out on his shoulder.

Ikal caught her, let her sleep but placed her on the ground instead of his shoulder. It hurt like hell after a while. He found Elas backpack, took out her sleeping equipment and tucked her in. Ikal knew that Ela wouldn't wake up, Ela was a deep-sleeper sometimes, right now she was slightly snoring. It was kind of adorable, like a purring cat or something. Ikal himself was kind of surprised when he found one of her mothers blankets in her backpack too and placed it next to her. Ikal was about to go to sleep on the ground a few meters away when he got thrown some kind of sleeping mat and looked up at Ryuu who held another one.
"Help me get this one under Herkio and you can keep that one." Ryuu said and Ikal had no idea how to help him. They did their best not to wake Herkio when the placed the sleeping mat underneath him. Hye gave Ikal a blanket and placed another one over Herkio.
"Good night." Hye said with a smile before she went of to bed. Ryuu lit a fire and Ikal kind of just watched him do it before drifting off to sleep. When he woke it was... oddly peaceful and the fire hadn't gone out yet even though the birds were tweeting like mad around him.