Combustion: Legend of the White Lotus Chapter two: Escape
Styrke realized the voice. It was one of the watch keepers on the watch towers. The watchtowers were along the border of the city, where the path the group was walking on was. The city has two sections: the inner loop which is where the business district and tall buildings are, and the outer loop which is where the residential areas were. There was watch towers on the very border, and the watch keepers would relay messages to each other.
"Attack," the watch keeper repeated "invasion on the east side of town! Unknown assailants are currently on Leroy street!"
Icy dread filled Styrke. He could see it on his friends faces, too. Leroy street was where his family lived. And his parents probably hadn't left for work yet.
Styrke bolted, ignoring his friends protests. He had to get his parents to safety, to make sure they were all right. It took Styrke 15 minutes to dash back to his neighborhood, and what he saw took his breath away.
The houses were alight with fire the color of crimson, ash drifting into the sky like specs of twilight. The whole scene gave off dancing shadows, and as sickening as it was, looked beautiful to Styrke. But how could something be so beautiful When it destroys so much? That was a question he would be pondering for some time.
Styrke didn't need to see his parents corpses to know there was no way they could have made it out. He knew they were dead as soon as he saw his families picture lying broken on the ground by the crumbled house that used to be his families. His mother would never have left without it. But he was still trying to deny it. Like a fish as it is still trying to fight back even though it is about to die. He wanted to punish someone for this, anyone. Suddenly he was hit on the back, hard.
Styrke didn't black out though, he wouldn't let himself. There was a man there behind him in normal clothes except for the black mask he wore over his face. the man was surprised for some reason, but regained his composure and tried an earth bending attack on Styrke. Styrke easily deflected it and fire punched the man. He then lifted him up in the air by his neck and started asking his questions. "Who are you working for?" He asked.
"Im not telling you anything!" The mystery soldier said.
Styrke squeezed harder
"Okay! Okay, I'll tell you. His name is Odonis, and he is a mercenary who use poisons, chi fighting, and secret techniques to defeat his enemies. We are his army, select warriors. We have killed the earth avatar in his avatar state!" Now his voice was insulting, "now the cycle is broken! We are taking down your precious country, and there will never be another avatar again as long as the talisman of the four elements aren't assembled! It was especially fun killing these people!"
Those were the last words he ever said.
Sully and Merc found Styrke sitting down with his face in his hands.
"Hey" Merc said to Styrke " We will get through this."
Merc had a special ability. She could telepathically communicate to animals, and persuade them to do what she wanted.
She and Sully practically had to drag styrke, and together they went to the nearest inland water strip. Merc persuaded a whale to come up from the depths and take them to a different city. Sully was very surprised about this, and was opened mouth the whole time they got onto the whale. His job was to create a pocket of air in the water so they could breath.
Before they dove, they could see the white lotus flag being taken down and a strange flag with a skull and crossbones put up in its place.