A challenger appears!

Akane dutifully followed his every move and order without a word. When he mentioned that the people they were robbing were from the Southern Water Tribe suspicion began to grow in her mind.

When she enter the tent her caravan it was decorated in furs and other marking from the Water Tribe. However on the wall was a symbol that she couldn't place and she could tell that it was not a water tribe design from her own memory of living in the North Pole. She look on top of a desk and spotted what looked to be a map of the North Pole at first upon further inspection she realized they had the markings of battle plans! The Water Tribe civil war this guy must be a spy for the North Pole. She looked for more items and found order for weapons and ships along with maps of water ways. She stepped out of the tent to tell SteelWolf what she had found.

"I know this is a spy mission for the North Pole" she stated in a neutral tone. Truth be told she did have a side picked in the conflict due to the fact it did not involve her until now.

"Inside are battle plans, orders for weapons and ships and maps of waterways" She informed him

"However on the wall there is a symbol that I know is not Water Tribe." she glanced down at the man at SteelWolf's feet and saw the symbol on his arm. "It was that symbol" she pointed to the unconscious man's arm.

He stood up, "This civil war is being funded by the Black Locus, which means Deathlock is back....hes...well not human" he said putting it bluntly. he got up and moved into the tent, the rest of his men came back with flags of the Deathlock's. As Artemis looked at the map he knew that this was not a large scale invasion, more like a small terrorist plan. " These guys are following orders from someone..but I do not know who as there are 8 members of the Black Locus, only 3 have shown their faces" he said as he went through more stuff.He told a few men to take the caravan to the hideout. He helped the girl in as they went for a ride back to the camp. Artemis to a deep whiff of his surroundings as he looked at her. He could tell she was wondering who Deathlock was." I am sorry... I should tell you that Deathlock...is a Demon. He was beaten a long time ago by Lodi and was sealed away in the afterlife but now since we see his seal on this flag...hes back" he said looking a bit worried.

Akane was probably struck silent for the first time in her life. However after hearing about Deathlock she decided she needed an explanation.

"SteelWolf, I want an explanation for what's going on right now." Akane ordered him in a very firm tone that clearly said no negations.

"Who are the Black Locus, how do you know them, why are you involved with the North Pole and who is Lodi." Akane stood firm with her arms folded over her breast waiting for his explanations for an anticipationing air.

"And I want it all to start with your real name."

He expected her reaction, though the other members of the gang did not. They glared at her but Artemis waved them off as he looked at her. " Ok I guess thats fair.....My name is Steelwolf based on the group but my real name is Artemis Enteiri the cousin of Lodi the man Slayer. The Black Locus are mercenaries of unimaginable powers they follow a man that no one knows who he or she could be. They have seeked power before and they have now fund out that Lodi has a distant cousin that is alive in the Elemental Kingdom where I grew up." he said as he was not happy to open up so easily but she was now invovled in the fight if the enemy had seen her.

"Lodi is a rogue bender who has been around since the first Avatar, with his rage he cursed his family and with each boy was born they would be cursed with his rage and become the new Lodi, until there was 4 boys born at the same generation, 2 were born in secret. Ahbwen and Ryzu were the two who died and when they died the spirit of Lodi came back from the ashes of the two. He came back and had already killed hundreds, Me and Kai were the others born and cursed but had the opposite effect. Then the Black Locus want to take Kai I assume and use his curse and get Deathlock I assume since his seals all over the place. Though....I was at the North Pole a while ago just on a trip for myself to visit it until I met the queen there which I decided to help her in the civil war." he said putting his hands up saying that he told her everything.

This was a lot to take in and she had to pause for a moment. She was not upset or scared at all just surprised, she knew she was getting into something when she came with the man now know as Artemis, but nothing like this. Her body loosened up in a more relaxed position glad, she nodded briefly and walked away. While talking through their camp grounds she could tell some of Artemis's men were giving her nasty looks for making their leader reveal his secrets, but she paid no mind to them.

Later on she went to Artemis when they were alone and asked him.

"What is your plan?"

He looked at her as she asked about his plan," well...my plan is to stop the demon from coming back to life and foil the Black Locus plan and stop the chaos from turning into a full blown war" he said to her. He told the man to move out with a wave of his hand. The others split in a second as they vanished into the dark of the woods. The Caravan followed as the two had taken the goods and tied the body to a pole to when he woke up he wouldn't be any threat to them if he tried to chase them. " Come, we have much work to do and more training if you want to get stronger." he said as he ran into the woods but slow enough for her to keep at pace.

The fire bender followed Artemis into the woods.

"So we're going to train?" She asked, drawing out her whip.

"Artemis, I know nearly everything about you, but you don't even know my name does that bother you?" It was ironic she was now the one with secrets here now.

he looked at her as he studied her for a bit then looked at her whip." Akane sato, u used to be part of a circus....please I know some info on you...come on I would not have talked to you if I didn't know anything about you" he said turning around as that explained why he had confronted her when she was giving out a challenge. " We will train when we get to camp and you have to go through a few trials before carrying the mark of the wolf. Through he did hide 2 of his goals that only Lodi knew about, he refused to tell her those goals as in time they would be revealed soon.

As they walked for another hour they came to a drop in the valley and she could see through the trees that there was a large camp with maybe 50 people walking around and tending to the new caravan that had arrived before them." welcome to your new home...or resort if you want to call it" he laughed a bit as this was his home ever since he left home.

Some how Akane was not surprised he had information on her.

"How did you get my name? I don't remember telling anyone in Omashu it." She still followed him as they travelled. Though she was not sure if she wanted to join SteelWolf yet, but she wanted to go through the trials just to see if she could do it.

"What kind of trials?" she questioned as they reached the caravan.

He looked at her as he could tell she had second thoughts about joining," You can leave if you want but once you leave your mind will be whipped of my existence and knowledge of the Steelwolf will be gone, so there are counter measures we must take to protect ourselves....no one here is forced to be here. everyone chose to be here" he explained as he ignored her other questions as the trials she had to face alone. Artemis turned as he walked towards a tent as the other men around him nodded towards him in respect and other stepping out of his way. he would respect her choice to leave but not many people would pass the trails and they were banished from group.