ย ย ย the fire nation had taken EVERYTHING from him when they had taken control. when he had been a young boy, his family had lived in peace, away from the other water tribes. home had been a LOVING and kind place until the soldiers had found them. their house had been burned to mere ashes --- his mother and father KILLED in cold blood because of their attempts to plea for the lives of their children. his uncle, killed. his sister, killed. his entire family MURDERED before his own eyes. even to this day, erik knew the only reason he had lived was because his father had sent him off to do a chore. heโd been gone for a little while only to RETURN to the massacure of his family. heโd only been ten years old, still learning how to waterbend. he could only watch in horror before he had darted off and FLED.ย
ย ย ย over the next few years, erik had found safety in the southern water tribe. a family had been KIND enough to take him in, but it could never replace the gaping hole in his heart for the family that he had LOST. through his teenage years, he had continued to learn the art of his bending. he was a fastย learner, everyone said. it hadnโt taken much time for him to master the art of waterbending and there had been a few moments where he had allowedย himself to believe that things could be okay. the fire nation had yet to reach their boarders.ย
ย ย ย but nothing ever truly LASTS FOREVER. now an adult at the age of twenty-three, erik had been quick to volunteer for a scouting mission. there had been rumors of the fire nation making an attack on one of the water tribes, and erik would NOT allow his second home to be ripped from him. NEVER AGAIN. the mission went south on the fifth day. they were well away from the tribe when the attack had come. all around him, his brethren fell. and those that survived were TAKEN. he had been one of the few that had survived and taken prisoner. and so the horrors began again. they had been taken to a prison where erik had spent the next four years of his life. the guards were not afraid to abuse their prisoners for any LITTLE thing. he had watched as another survivor from his tribe had been beaten to death. and then --- something inside of erik just SNAPPED.ย
ย ย the ability had come suddenly. he was angry, frustrated and when and an elephant rat had curried into his cage, he wanted to LASH out at something. it feltย like waterbending, from what he remembered. but instead of controlling water, he found himself CONTROLLING the elepahnt rat. the moon had been full that night. another prisoner had seen it occur, and soon they had made a plan of escape. the young girl, hama, had learned she possessed a similar skill whenever the moon was FULL. trapped and caged, they practiced their ability for months on the same creatures until they were ready. the night of the next full moon had come and hama and he and used the technique they had deemed as bloodbending to control the guards to ESCAPE the prison. another year passed with the two of them keeping a low profile. over that year, they slowly grew in their new bending art, and erik had found that he could bloodbend WITHOUT the full moon present. ( hama was still tied to that, they had found ) once his skills had been honed, erik bid his goodbyes for the time being and set off to the firebending prison that held many of his fellow waterbenders. he killed without REMORSE with bothย of his abilities. and he freed the prisoners. from that day forward, erik ( having let his hatred and anger twist himself ) made a name for himself. erik lehnsherr --- the man who HUNTED down firebenders and ended their lives.ย
ย ย ย at twenty-nine years old, he found himself in the northern water tribe after a recent mission of his. he was TIRED, had collected a wound or two. ( nothing serious beyond a few scrapes ) this may not be hisย tribe, but perhaps they would allow him to REST. he could feel eyes on him as he came forward.ย โmy name is erik lehnsherr. i was hoping you would all be KIND enough to allow me to rest here for the night,โ he stated to the many eyes on him.