Avatar: shackled earth

The air in the mine was heavy, not just with the oppressive heat but with the weight of unyielding work and unspoken despair. Yet Tomo, undeterred, wore his usual grin as he swung his pickaxe. His body worked on autopilot, his mind racing with the possibilities of the eclipse he'd overheard. There's got to be something here. Some lead, some crack we can exploit.

Ariya, however, was less optimistic. As she glanced at Tomo from her station a few paces away, her jaw tightened. His persistence grated on her nerves, not because it was unwelcome but because it scared her. He's going to push too hard, and when he does, it'll all come crashing down.

Their break came at midday, a brief reprieve from the grueling labor. Tomo and Ariya sat against the cool stone wall, nibbling on dry bread. Ariya's eyes scanned the room, as sharp and calculating as ever.

"You're staring again," Tomo teased between bites. "Starting to think you might like me."

"Don't flatter yourself," she shot back, though her tone lacked its usual bite. "I'm trying to figure out if anyone here is worth talking to. So far, I'm not impressed."

Tomo chuckled, his gaze following hers. The miners around them were hunched over their meager meals, too tired to engage in conversation. All except one.

Near the edge of the room sat an older man, his grizzled beard streaked with gray. He didn't speak to anyone, his gaze fixed on the floor. Yet something about him caught Tomo's attention.

"What about him?" Tomo asked, nodding toward the man.

Ariya followed his gaze, her eyes narrowing. "What about him?"

"He doesn't look tired," Tomo said. "Not like the others. And he's sitting alone. Bet he knows something."

Ariya sighed. "Or he's just another poor soul trying to survive."

"Only one way to find out," Tomo said, rising to his feet.

"Tomo, wait—"

But he was already crossing the room, his grin as wide as ever.

"Hey there," Tomo said, plopping down beside the man. "Mind if I sit?"

The man didn't look up. "Do whatever you want, kid."

Tomo leaned back, undeterred. "Name's Tomo. What's yours?"

The man finally glanced at him, his eyes sharp despite his weathered face. "None of your business."

"Fair enough," Tomo said with a shrug. "Just thought I'd say hi. You seem… different from the others."

The man snorted. "Different, huh? That's one way to put it."

Tomo tilted his head, his curiosity piqued. "What's your story? You don't look like you've been here long."

The man's gaze darkened, his hands clenching into fists. "Long enough."

Tomo hesitated, sensing he was treading dangerous ground. But he pressed on. "You ever hear anything about an eclipse? Overseer Sho mentioned it the other day."

The man's reaction was subtle but telling. His shoulders stiffened, and his eyes flickered with something Tomo couldn't quite place—fear, perhaps, or recognition.

"What do you know about the eclipse?" the man asked, his voice low.

"Not much," Tomo admitted. "Just that it makes firebenders weaker. Thought it might be useful to know more."

The man studied him for a long moment, his expression unreadable. Finally, he sighed. "You're poking around in things you don't understand, kid. That's dangerous."

"Danger's my middle name," Tomo said with a grin.

The man didn't laugh. "You want to know about the eclipse? Fine. But not here. Too many ears."

That night, long after the guards had locked the barracks, Tomo and Ariya crept out into the moonlit yard. The older man was waiting for them near the edge of the fence, his face half-hidden in shadow.

"You're late," he said gruffly.

"Traffic was murder," Tomo replied, earning a glare from Ariya.

The man ignored them, glancing around to ensure they were alone. "Listen carefully, because I'm not repeating myself. The partial eclipse you're talking about—it's real. And it's coming soon."

"How soon?" Ariya asked, her tone sharp.

"Two months,i guess" the man said. "Give or take a few days."

Tomo's heart raced. "And it weakens firebenders?"

The man nodded. "Not completely, but enough to make a difference. During the last eclipse, the Fire Nation lost an entire battalion because they didn't plan for it. It's why they keep it quiet now—don't want anyone else getting ideas. They hunted down the records and the people who talked about it. It's why people like me keep quiet"

Tomo's heart skipped a beat. He had suspected there was more to it, but hearing Jiro speak about it so openly made the reality set in. This was no rumor. It was a reality, something the Fire Nation had kept buried in fear of its implications.

"Wait," Ariya interrupted, her voice sharp with skepticism. "How is this still known? If the Fire Nation destroyed every record of it—why would you even know?"

Jiro's gaze hardened, a shadow flickering in his eyes. "It's not something you forget easily. Some of us were there when it happened, despite how young i look, I'm an old man. We saw it with our own eyes. But those who lived through it... they had to flee, or they died. The Fire Nation doesn't like loose ends."

Ariya folded her arms, her gaze skeptical. "Why are you telling us this?"

The man hesitated, his eyes flicking to the ground. "Because I've seen what the Fire Nation does to people like you. People who fight back. If you're going to survive, you need every advantage you can get."

"And you're just helping us out of the goodness of your heart?" Ariya asked, her tone dripping with sarcasm.

The man met her gaze, his expression grim. "No. I'm helping because I want out of this hellhole as much as you do. And if you can pull this off, maybe—just maybe—you'll take me with you."

Back in the barracks, Ariya paced the floor, her arms crossed tightly over her chest.

"This is insane," she muttered. "We don't know this guy. For all we know he's leading us into a trap."

Tomo, lying on his cot with his hands behind his head, didn't seem fazed. "You're too suspicious, Ariya. Sometimes people just want to help."

She stopped pacing and glared at him. "And sometimes people want to get you killed. Did you ever think of that?"

"Every day," Tomo said, flashing his signature grin. "Doesn't stop me from living my best life."

Ariya let out an exasperated groan. "This isn't a joke, Tomo! If we trust the wrong person, it could cost us everything."

Tomo sat up, his grin fading slightly. "Look, I get it. You're worried. But think about it—what's our other option? Sit here and hope the guards just let us walk out one day?"

Her jaw tightened, but she didn't argue.

"Exactly," Tomo said, his tone softening. "We don't have a lot of options, Ariya. If this guy knows something that can help us, we have to take the risk."

Ariya sighed, sitting down on the edge of her cot. "You really believe him?"

Tomo hesitated, then nodded. "I don't know why, but yeah. I do."

She studied him for a moment, then looked away. "Fine. But if he turns on us, I'm holding you personally responsible."

Tomo chuckled. "Deal. You can even punch me in the face if it makes you feel better."

A small, reluctant smile tugged at her lips. "I might take you up on that.

The next day, Tomo and Ariya met the old man again, this time under the guise of a water break in a quieter corner of the mine. He introduced himself as Jiro, a former soldier from the Earth Kingdom who had been captured during a skirmish and forced into labor.

"I wasn't always a miner," Jiro said, his voice tinged with bitterness. "I used to be part of the resistance. Back when we thought we could actually make a difference."

"What happened?" Tomo asked.

Jiro's gaze hardened. "The Fire Nation happened. They had information we didn't. Knew our movements before we even made them. It's why I started studying the stars, the sun, and the moon. Figured if they were using celestial cycles to their advantage, I could too."

"And that's how you know about the partial eclipse?" Ariya asked, her tone skeptical.

Jiro nodded. "The Fire Nation has astronomers and strategists who track these events. But the knowledge isn't exclusive to them. Scholars in the Earth Kingdom have been tracking eclipses for generations. Problem is, most people don't see the value in it."

Tomo leaned forward, his curiosity growing. "So, what do we do with this information?"

Jiro glanced around, lowering his voice. "First, we need to confirm the exact date and time of the eclipse. Without that, it's useless. Second, we need to figure out how to use it to our advantage. Whether that means escaping during the eclipse or planning something bigger… that's up to you."

Tomo and Ariya exchanged a look.

"Easier said than done," Ariya muttered.

"Nothing worth doing is ever easy," Jiro said.

Over the next several days, Tomo and Ariya worked tirelessly to gather more information. They asked the older miners subtle questions about celestial events, trying not to draw too much attention. But their efforts were met with resistance.

Most of the miners either didn't know anything about the eclipse or were too afraid to talk. Some dismissed the idea as nonsense, while others warned them to keep quiet before the overseers caught wind of their inquiries.

"I told you this was a waste of time," Ariya said one evening as they sat in their corner of the barracks.

Tomo frowned, his usual optimism dimmed. "We just need to find the right person. Someone who knows something and isn't too scared to talk."

Ariya shook her head. "Good luck finding someone like that in this place."

"Hey, don't give up on me now," Tomo said, nudging her shoulder. "I thought you were supposed to be the tough one."

She glared at him, but there was a hint of a smile in her eyes. "I am tough. I just don't believe in chasing ghosts."

"Well, I believe in chasing anything that might get us out of here," Tomo said with a grin.

Their break came when a new miner was brought into their section—a wiry man with a sharp tongue and an even sharper mind. He called himself Kael and claimed to have been a traveling scholar before he was captured.

"You're asking about the eclipse?" Kael said when Tomo broached the subject.

"Yeah," Tomo said, his excitement barely contained. "You know something?"

Kael smirked. "I know a lot of things. But knowledge doesn't come cheap."

Ariya folded her arms, her eyes narrowing. "We don't have anything to trade."

"Everyone has something to trade," Kael said, his gaze flicking between them. "The question is whether you're willing to pay the price."

"What do you want?" Tomo asked.

Kael's smirk widened. "I'll let you know when I think of something. For now, let's just say I'm… intrigued by your little quest. I'll tell you what I know, but only if you promise to keep me in the loop."

Tomo and Ariya exchanged a wary glance.

"Fine," Tomo said after a moment. "Deal."

Kael leaned back, his expression smug. "Good. Let's get started."

For the first time in weeks, Tomo felt a spark of hope. The pieces were finally starting to fall into place.