Chapter Seven: A Revelation Or Two
When they landed Kirana leapt into action. Lifting her left hand, she shot a fireball into a man's chest, causing him to collapse on the deck. Leaping upward, she gestured outward and a wall of flame blasted three men of the bridge. "Nicely done," Master Youn said from behind her. Kirana ignored him and climbed up the railing.
"Either I freeze the catapult or you knock it off the ship while I start to clear the next ship," Kirana said in a no-nonsense voice.
"I'll nock it off deck." Kirana nodded and fell of the railing. The water felt like thousands of neadles stabbing her. She gasped as she resurfaced. Youn was staring at her with and open mouth. "Are you crazy!" The Avatar smiled and started to swim.
Kirana could have easily frozen the water around her and simply walked to the other ship, but she wanted the physical challenge swimming in the ocean brought on. When she reached the side of the nearest ship she froze the water. Bending down close to the edge of her ring of ice, Kirana brought her arms up, building moment and the size of the wave. When she was satisfied with her work she let it go. A fifteen foot wave crashed on the deck with Kirana ridding it.
She landed slightly heaver than she anticipated and stumbled into one of the men. He caught her and held up. Kirana broke his grip and stepped backward, ice forming along her arms. The Firebender waved back the other men on the ship, this was his fight.
Kirana let the ice harden and spread to her fingers, ready to fling it like daggers if need be. The man fell into a stance that reminded her of a Unzarin Warrior. She narrowed her eyes and shot three daggers out at him. The man simply sidestepped them and let flame leap from his hands. Kirana caught the bought and redirected it.
They were soon locked in an intense battle. Kirana was the graceful dancer and the Firebender was the vengeful storm. But, the fight did not last long for Kirana soon recognized the fighting style of her combatant. It was Jo, the betrayer. With a yell of rage, Kirana rammed into Jo and knocked him over. She ripped his mask of. He grabbed hold of wrists and locked his legs around her knees and rolled them. "Kirana, I did not betray you! Please listen to me," Jo whispered in her ear. She growled and broke the wrist lock.
Slamming her fist into his face, she slipped out from under him and started getting rid of the other Firebenders. She froze all of them.
Jo stood off to the side and waited for his nose to stop bleeding. "Kirana, please, I did not betray you." He stepped forward, but the hate in her eyes stopped him. "My father made it look like I had. He's a mastermind, but with a few loose screws." Jo tried to smile, but Kirana simply crossed her arms.
"And why should I believe you? How do I know you haven't gone over to the dark side?"
"All you can do is trust me. You know I would never betray you, it go's against my morals and oaths." He stepped forward and held out his hand.
Kirana glared at him. It was true, what he said. Cool logic and the truth always ruined a good fit. She took his hand. "You will report to me by any means possible." She turned from his as Master Youn landed beside her. He had seen everything but had decided not to interrupt. "Let's go," Kirana said, turning to Master Youn. He bowed his head.
The last ship they landed on was the worst. Zu Ling was on it.
Kirana flipped backwards to avoid a fireball as they landed (Youn used air to jump across the water). Hissing like a snake, she swept her arms outwards and Zu Ling jumped over it. But Kirana had great control over Fire and a small whip came flying out of nowhere and wrapped around him. Master Youn moved behind Zu Ling while Kirana stayed in front of him. The Flame Whip constricted, and then Zu Ling "ripped" his way out.
Kirana yelled as she cart wheeled to avoid the lightning bolt. She stared in horror at the older man. She leapt to the side as another lightning bolt crackled by. She probably should have gone Avatar, but she couldn't control when she did and did not enter the state. She fell backwards and rolled avoiding more bolts and flame. &, she swore. If only she could get close enough she might be able to stop him.
"Now Youn!" she yelled and rushed Zu Ling.
The older man's punch nearly knocked her out and sent her realing. She didn't see exactly what happened to Youn, but she saw him hit the deck. "Now that wasn't very smart, Kirana. I expected something better," Zu Ling said, nealing beside her. Kirana felt a slight pull inside her, felt a very small taste of the Avatar's powers, and then it was gone. She wanted to rage and scream, she couldn't go into the Avatar state. Zu Ling smiled. "Poor little Avatar, all reputation and no real power." Kirana spat in his face and swept his legs out from under him.
"Youn, catapault!" Kirana rolled onto Zu Ling, pinning him. She let a choice string of curse words fall onto his ears and slammed her fist into his nose. It broke, and blood gushed out like a fountain. Ick. With a quick movement Zu Ling was unconscious. Youn stepped beside her. But before anything else productive could happen Izu kicked Kirana, and she fell into that black abyss of nothingness.
