A/N: Aaaaannndd... I'm back! One broken finger, a fledging relationship (with a closet Avatard), and tons of work can't stop me! I hope you enjoy this chapter; its a long time coming! I had a blast writing this because I can't wait for my characters to get back to the Earth Kingdom... the Northern Ice Shelf is very restricting on Aidan's combat style and just generally cannot support the descriptive environments I love writing about.
Thanks for the reviews while I was on hiatus! I appreciate them greatly and they motivated me to type with one hand!
"Ah…"
Aidan and Kynthia shared a collective sigh as they melted into the hot spring bath. Kynthia flashed him a grin, hinting with a wink at the gawking patrons of the spring. Aidan glanced out of his peripherals: sure enough, each and every bather was staring at his unique tattoos… and multiple bruises. Training, for Kynthia anyway, had been going well, and a nice, warm bath was the perfect reward.
"As much as I like fighting and being an outlaw," Aidan said, sinking further down into the bath, "I can't really live without a few luxuries. I mean, when am I supposed to use all that bounty money?"
"Based off of what I've seen over the couple of weeks, you could use a few more camping… amenities, not to mention some cooking lessons."
"What are you talking about? My deer steaks are magnificent!" he fired back, smiling.
"Let's be honest," she grinned, rolling her head onto one shoulder to look at him, "it's the only thing you know how to do with food."
Aidan threw the back of his hand at the water, but before the wave could soak Kynthia, she had already frozen it into a sheet of ice. She watched it bobble in the hot bath for a few moments before turning back to Aidan.
"We're supposed to be undercover right now," she pointed out, "so why are we exposing ourselves out here in a public bath house? Anyone can walk through that door, Aidan."
Aidan yawned. They had entered the Tribe only days after the Avatar had driven the Fire Nation Fleet from its shore. The city was then still in a state of disarray: Bodies of soldiers littered the streets, hundreds of buildings had been destroyed, and the Tribe's senior princess had given up her life in order to replace the Moon Spirit. Everyone, from upper military brass to the lowliest peasant, was experiencing a wearily episode of confusion and panic as they struggled to comprehend how to rebuild their Tribe. Under this cloak of chaos, Aidan had convinced Kynthia to enter the Tribe incognito.
"We'll be fine; you worry too much," he said lazily, sinking into the pool so his mouth was covered. Kynthia rolled her brilliant green eyes and shook her head.
"Whatever, Aidan…"
"General!" a masked Water Tribe soldier shouted, sprinting into enormous ornate chamber, "General, the targets have entered the city right under our nose!"
The chamber was crawling with soldiers and the murmur that once held the frigid air ceased at the masked scout's shout. Nearly everyone turned and immediately ceased their investigations, curious at surprising update. The scout stopped with a skid of ice at the General's feet, throwing up a quick salute.
"General, the targets have ente-"
"I heard you!"
The grizzled, gray man stood hunched, frustration deep set into his visage. He slammed his fist onto the gigantic cube of obsidian that dominated the ornate chamber. The General stared down the glossy, black wall in front of his nose, lost in his thoughts, with large vein bulging in his temple.
"I thought I gave explicit instructions," he began in a quiet fury, increasing to a full blown shout, "that no one was allowed past the Gates!"
Snapping to attention, the masked soldier froze in place, unsure if the anger was directed at him or the general incompetence of the Tribe's domestic guard. The General pulled himself away from the obsidian puzzle and ran a scarred hand through his mane of grey hair. For a moment, he breathed deep and looked up at the masked soldier with his brilliant green eyes.
"Find them. Kill them both if they resist."
"But sir," the masked soldier said with an involuntary shutter, "your daughter…"
The General was an old man, but he was quick. In a split second, he had pulled the soldier down by the neck and hissed into the masked soldier's ear.
"If she's smart, she'll know what's best for her. If not, then she's useless to me as a daughter and as a weapon," he directed harshly, releasing him and pacing about the chamber, "He has poisoned her mind and I cannot risk her falling into the hands of my enemies. I have not come this far to lose it all!"
The General turned quickly and threw the messenger to the ground, who quickly scrambled out of the chamber and back toward the Tribe's Outer Walls. The General stood there in his quiet anger for a moment before whipping around at the gawking soldiers.
"BACK TO THE TRIBE! DOUBLE TIME!"
"I'm going to get cleaned up," Kynthia said, shaking out her chestnut hair back at their rented room, "You mind staying around for a moment?"
"Wait, wait," Aidan said with a grin, spinning Kynthia around, "Get cleaned up? We were at the bath all day."
"I know I'm slowly turning into you," she retorted, pushing him away with a grin, "but I still find the need for personal hygiene."
"Overrated."
Aidan smiled at her as she exited into her bedroom and bended a door ice behind her. He quickly found his clothing and armor, but held the latter in his hands. With a twinge of laziness, he threw his ragtag armor on his fur bed and donned his hooded clothing.
"I'm heading out!"
Kynthia instantly let her wet hair fall past her shoulders as soon as she sensed Aidan leave the apartment. Quickly throwing on some Water Tribe clothes, she snaked up to her door, pressing her ear up to the cold ice.
Nothing.
She quietly placed her hand to the door and allowed it to steam away. Even though alone, Kynthia stealthily made her way into Aidan's room, her green eyes scanning for Aidan's rucksack. She knew it was close, somewhere in here, but Aidan wasn't one to leave something so important out in the open. The room was completely clean except for the pile of glinting obsidian atop the furs that lined his bed. Kynthia, with an eyebrow raised, picked up his broken armor and turned it over in her hands. It was hardly anything similar to what it had once been so many weeks ago. His armor then was complete and organized, now it was pieced and patch-worked together with its obsidian pieces shattered or entirely missing. Kynthia grimaced as she placed it back on the furs, knowing that's its damage was incurred solely in her defense.
For another full five minutes, Kynthia combed Aidan's room, but found nothing. With a disappointing sigh, she retreated back into her room to tie back her ponytail for the day and gather some money for the market. She quickly glanced at the mirror to check her hair, but in the instant that her eyes pulled away, she caught a glimpse of exactly what she was looking for.
I don't know why I put up with him.
She flew over her fur-lined bed and snatched the ancient tome off of her icy nightstand. She couldn't believe it. Kynthia's thirst for knowledge had become nearly unbearable over the last few days; Borealan's last words had been on her mind constantly; sometimes her mind went into overdrive, subconsciously creating new pages in Borealan's journal that she hadn't read yet. In a way, it wasn't the discovery of new information that intrigued her; it was the confirmation of her suspensions that she hungered.
She creaked open the dusty pages and became lost in her wonder.
So I took the boy under my care. I managed to secure a smuggler back to the Earth Kingdom and we arrived within days.
He was a very unusual child. Very curious, but oddly hesitant to enter an unknown situation. I believe he had a strange mixture of his mother's boldness and his father's analytical insight. He was easy to take care of, even for an old man. Often, I would meditate and write in my garden and allow him to roam the surrounding forest on his own. Of course, I kept an eye on him, but I made sure to allow him to make mistakes and hurt himself. Such things will make him a better survivalist in future, that I am sure.
Aidan is truly a living blend of his parents. Once, I angered him by taking away a small toy of his; the resulting fit caused the earthy floor of my house to buckle and crack. I haven't witnessed it myself, but I suspect his mother's Firebending blood runs thick through his bloodstream as well.
I was immensely sad to see him go. He was still young, five years old if I had to guess, but I managed to track down his family. I sent him to his aunt's on a one way ticket into the Fire Nation. This was just recent and I am still, with much worry and anxiousness, waiting on world of safe passage from Aidan's escort.
But enough history, I must pass this message onto you, the reader.
By finding and unlocking my simple puzzle, I suspect you are either a fellow Acolyte, the Avatar (if you exist), or talented team of benders. This is a dying message from one Acolyte to another.
The governments of any nation are not to be trusted. No single nation is purely good and vice versa. Darkness lurks in all men's hearts; if you don't believe me, then you need to research world history. If you comb deep enough, you'll find that even the 'peaceful' Air Nomads waged wars of their own in order to gain territory and resources. The Water Tribes have been separate for years: How could one part of a nation completely abandon the other? The Earth Kingdom refuses to completely unite under one banner even against the threat that is the Fire Nation…
Government and politics ruined Kavlak, my best friend in the world. We, together, could have accomplished so much together… We could have won the War… Ended the suffering.
They will try and find you. Run and hide and steal.
Kynthia stopped, her gentle hand mindlessly touching the calligraphy on the crumbling page. Borealan's recollection did not stop here, but some mysterious force was preventing Kynthia from reading on. Her eyes suddenly felt heavy, the flowing characters began to blur, and the last sound Kynthia heard was Borealan's journal thumping to the icy floor from her limp hand.
"I'm trying to say something with this, you know?"
"Absolutely, sir. Do you wish to court this woman?"
Aidan eyes jumped and he emanated a small chuckle. The bearded, smiling man behind the jewelry counter gently moved the betrothal necklaces aside, reaching beneath the counter and withdrawing a rack full of various bracelets and armbands.
"I understand," the merchant said without a reply from Aidan, "To court a woman too early is a recipe for disaster. But many men your age come in here and swear they've found the woman of their dreams."
"I don't doubt it; the Water Tribe produce a fine, and ferocious, stock of women," Aidan said with a grin, looking the armbands over as the shopkeeper laughed.
Aidan reached for an interesting-looking armband, but his eyes flicked instinctively to the man's face. The merchant's eyes were suddenly focused beyond the icy door to his small shop, concerned and narrowed. Aidan's stomach lurched and he spun on the spot; the jewelry on the counter was sent crashing to the floor. Water Tribe soldiers shattered the outside wall of the shop, sending shards of ice into Aidan's unprotected arms. Steam filled the room and deathly shadows sulked into a circle around the recovering ranger. Aidan's silver eyes narrowed into the silent fog around him as he whipped the blood downwards from his bleeding forearms.
"What is it that you want with me?"
The soldiers refused to answer Aidan's call. As one, they drew their spears and braced them forward. The few Waterbenders in the party braced forward.
"I will warn you now: If you attack me, I will be forced to defend myself. You will not live to see the outside of this shop."
"Acolyte Aidan, you are under arrest for detaining the daughter of a Water Tribe Senior General and various other crimes against the Tribe," a Waterbending captain stoically stated, "Please come quietly."
Aidan's fingers danced over the hilt of his curved, black dagger and a cunning grin cut underneath his hood…
Her emerald eyes snapped open and Kynthia's body arched, seemingly breathing in the first breath of the rest of her life. She gasped for a moment, her eyes watering, and struggled to comprehend where she was. This plane of existence was blank and boring; epic proportions of unobstructed whiteness dominated her blurred field of vision. In an effort to gain some reference, she glanced over her shoulder behind her, but found nothing.
"Ah, yes, my replacement…"
Kynthia whipped around, adrenaline racing. In a lightning fast strike, she seized the man's wrist and raced up his forearm, pinning his arm behind his back. It certainly did not last very long, to Kynthia's surprise; the man leapt with inhuman ease up and over Kynthia's shoulder and landed behind her. The man skillfully hooked his once pinned arm around Kynthia's neck and slammed her to the ground.
Kynthia rolled on her side, her mouth silently gaping for the air that had been swept from her chest. Eyes tearing again, she coughed and hacked, heaving to bring the air back into her body.
"I see Acolyte Aidan needs to teach you a few more things."
A strong arm hooked Kynthia's underarm and swiftly lifted her to her feet.
The slightly blurred image of the tall, lean man filled her vision. His skin was wildly weathered and tan. Kynthia hazard guessed the man was in his late forties; a salt and pepper beard was cut short across his face. His brilliant blue eyes were charged like lightening, but behind their sharp, analyzing gaze laid a caring softness. The man placed an armored hand on Kynthia's shoulder and smiled.
"I believe you know who I am."
Kynthia regained her breath, hacking a load of spit to the ground beside her. She roughly looked the man up and down, critically weighing out her guesses.
"You are certainly not how I imagined you… Borealan."
"You're sharp."
Borealan smiled again and drew his hand back. He paced away from Kynthia, staring off into the void as she tried to regain her composure.
"No, I definitely don't look like I did when I penned that last entry into my journal. This is how I always imagined myself; your appearance is of similar origin," he explained, "This place is my Spiritual realm to which you are always welcome."
Kynthia's eyebrow raised and curiosity surged through her mind.
"Why am I here?"
"Simple. You're meditating."
"I don't meditate…" she mumbled to herself, but Borealan's ears perked at this sound and he looked over his shoulder.
"It comes naturally, sometimes unexpectedly. But I am glad you are here; I have watched you read my testament with untested vigor."
Kynthia narrowed her eyes at the back of Borealan's silver mane of hair.
"Your curiosity burns stronger than the fire that fuels Acolyte Aidan's soul. I find it admirable; my downfall can be directly attributed to my lack of concern for other Acolytes and their worldly affairs. If I had simply tried harder and been more proactive in maintaining the balance, I could have lived to see the end of the War…"
Borealan stopped and turned to face Kynthia. His wild blue eyes now held a twinge of sadness and regret, and Kynthia felt her apprehension toward the late Acolyte melt away. Borealan must have sensed her guard fall; his electric eyes sharpened back to business.
"You need to understand a few things before you try a take on the world," he began, turning back around and waving his armored hand in front of him. A shadowy male figure appeared in a burst of smoke, but Kynthia couldn't distinguish who it was.
"You've been blessed with a great gift. Two elements working together in harmony is something truly to be feared… and controlled," he explained. The shadowy figure's smoky guise shimmered and disappeared; Aidan, clear as day and armored from head to toe, stood braced in his battle stance, silver eyes shining underneath his pitch black hood.
"Earth… the element of substance and support. Unyielding, powerful, deadly, but also immobile, overly headstrong, blind…"
Aidan's image suddenly shifted forward, twisting his boots on the dusty earth. He stomped aggressively forward and threw his armored fist up and over his head, driving it deep into the earth. In a powerful display of bending, several pillars of jagged earth erupted in a straight line in front of Aidan's kneeling body.
"Fire… the element of life and passion. Aggressive, vicious, swift, but defenseless, rash, and bullish…"
Aidan leapt upwards, kicking fire out from underneath his boots. He swiftly threw a flurry of fire blasts before leaping backwards, his eyes scanning the empty void. Suddenly, he quickly took two steps forward, jumped into the air, swinging his flaming boot upwards as he perfectly executed a skillful back flip. He landed with a solid thud, his silver eyes flicking over the void as the dust settled around him.
"But when the elements are combined, the bender can do extraordinary things…"
Aidan spun low upon the ground, sweeping a crescent of fire low across the dirt, but Kynthia's gem-like eyes locked onto Aidan's dragging armored hand; a wave of curling white-hot magma rolled into his flared palm. It splashed and flicked up his forearm, singing his tattered clothes, but Aidan's face was dead set into stoic concentration. Exiting his spin, he swung his arm with the full force of his bodily momentum. The lava zipped through the air in the shape of a blade and sliced clean through a stone wall several feet away. Kynthia jumped, unprepared at Aidan's battle cry, as he sprinted off toward the barrier, teeth bared and eyes wild. With every thundering footstep, the ground beneath his boots instantly melted and ignited; the magma splashed up behind and around his heels, covering his calves in sliding red lava.
With another monstrous roar, Aidan smashed headstrong through the thick, stone wall. What didn't immediately crumble into dust and pebbles instantly pooled into puddles of glowing lava. Kynthia's eyes went wide in wonder; the dust clearing, Aidan's body was covered head to toe in magma, a web of crimson lines broken up by sheets of blackened crust. For a moment, he stood there, his featureless head scanning the surrounding area before he unnaturally froze. Within seconds, his figure disappeared like dust on the wind. Kynthia quickly turned to Borealan.
"That… that was incredible," she quietly exclaimed to the wise man, who silently agreed with a nod.
"True, very incredible," he said, pacing away from her, his hands behind his back, "But Acolyte Aidan is a calm and calculating Acolyte. He is highly self-regulatory and trains with fierce intensity, but it ultimately produces the discipline required to control his powers."
"You would know," Kynthia said suddenly, her emerald eyes shining with delight, "What can we do? Air and water?"
Borealan didn't say anything for a moment. His shoulders lowered and he turned his head, barely glancing at Kynthia.
"This," he said somberly, waving his hand forward, "is the destructive power of Air and Water…"
The hope and anxiousness in Kynthia's stomach melted to floor as the smoky image materialized in front of her.
"Please!" Aidan's figure roared, his forearms soaked with blood and lined with surgical-like lacerations, "Calm down! Please, stop!"
Around her, Borealan, and Aidan's figure revolved a colossal and fearsome winter storm unlike anything Kynthia had ever witnessed before. Piercing the animalistic clouds was a sharp, blue light, sourced from two glowing eyes raised ten or so feet above the icy tundra. They were narrowed in pure anger and hate; simply glancing at her doppelganger's eyes made Kynthia's stomach turn and fear.
"That's… that's me," she whispered, "I never… never knew what I looked like that night…"
Aidan's form continued to crumble in the snow and wind. Blood raced fast down his arms and face until, suddenly, Borealan stopped the horrific images with the wave of his hand.
"Truly, you know the destructive power of an Acolyte of Water and Air. Colossal storms, razor-like rain, roaring tornados… anything nature creates in weather you can easily imitate, amplify and guide," he gravely explained, turning around and gazing her eyes down, "But you require training. Otherwise, you will hurt someone you are close with… or worse."
His electric eyes flicked to Aidan's cringing, bloodied figure and back to Kynthia. Kynthia nodded in understanding, and the smoky image of Aidan and her storm disappeared.
"Now," he said, his tone business-like, "there is something much more important we need to discuss regarding your father and your bloodline."
He paused for a moment and Kynthia noticed him nervously turning his hands over in each other.
"Do you know the identity of your father's father?"
Kynthia's eyebrow furrowed. Any time her grandfather was brought up in conversation with her older brothers, it had always been certain that the old Water Tribe warrior had passed away in naval battle near the Fire Nation's blockade. To be honest, Kynthia hadn't given the issue much thought; her grandparents had always been non-existent and her father had always avoided the topic.
"I thought not…" Borealan said quietly, placing an armored hand on her shoulder, "I knew who he was the first time I saw your eyes. His eyes. Emerald, sharp, piercing, determined…"
Kynthia's mind fired with electricity, her eyes flew open wide. How could have she been so blind, so ignorant? The answer had been in her hands for the past few days and she had carelessly looked over it! She looked to Borealan, her green eyes pleading that she was wrong.
Borealan sighed. He gently squeezed her shoulder.
"It is true. You are the granddaughter of Kavlak, my best friend and worst enemy," he said gravely, "However, we must not worry about Kavlak; your father is the pressing issue at hand."
"My dad?"
"Yes," he replied quickly, suddenly looking around at the white abyss with wide eyes, "We are running out of time. Your father carries the same hunger for power that Kavlak abused. You have noticed this already, but I'm afraid you don't understand the scope of the situation. He used you as bait to find Aidan. You were used to find another Acolyte, another weapon, for him to add to his collecti-"
A colossal boom rocked the realm, shaking Kynthia clear off her feet. She struggled to gather herself from the bare, white floor as boom after boom increased its assault against Borealan's dominion.
"What's happening? Borealan!" Kynthia yelled over top of the crashes, but a reply did not fall upon her ears. The shaking, white abyss filled Kynthia's frightened eyes, and, suddenly, there was nothing but enveloping black.
"Aaargh!"
A monstrous force thundered into Kynthia's bedroom and she awoke, icy blades instinctively, yet crudely solidified around her forearm. Eyes hazy, she lunged forward at the intruder, but strong hands caught her wrists and melted the ice down to her skin with a hiss.
"You're not armored? What have you been doing?" Aidan's voice roared with annoyed surprise.
"What's going on?" she yelled, overtop of the continuing booms and crashes that emanating from the outside of the icy inn. Aidan threw her wrists down.
Her vision began to clear, and a sinking sight met her sharpened eyes. Aidan was bloodied and beaten; a neat slit ran the edge of his cheekbone and the shaft of an arrow unnervingly protruded from his unarmored shoulder. Underneath his torn and stained hood, Aidan's silver eyes were wild with adrenaline; his body was doing all it could to block out the pain of battle.
"The Tribe, they've sent soldiers for you and I. They attacked me when I was out; I tried to lose them, but it seems like they already knew we were here!"
Another explosion rocked the tiny apartment. Kynthia flinched, but Aidan seized her shoulders, staining her skin with his blood.
"This is your choice. Make it quickly. You can run with me, or stay here, surrender and return to your family."
The second thundering crash caused parts of the apartment break and shatter upon the icy floor, but Kynthia did not cut Aidan's gaze. Stay and lose him, or run and become fugitives, partners in crime, together. Memories skipped through her mind like laughing school children: warm nights underneath the summer night sky; her ongoing, relentless, yet exhilarating training; the feeling of freedom and trust Aidan always had given her. He alone had witnessed her Awakening and controlled her when no one else could. Aidan had always been there: a protector, a mentor, a teacher. The look in his frantic eyes was tinted with a pleading gaze and suddenly Aidan's silent message dawned on her. It was time for Kynthia to always be there.
"Let's get out of here."
Aidan grinned, but another explosion shook the room, reverting his mood to survival mode.
"Pile whatever you can into your bag, no time for armor! Hurry!" he shouted over top the assault, flinching as pieces of the ceiling crashed to the floor.
It was a blur. She began scooping whatever was in front of her into her bag. Kynthia stumbled clumsily around the room; the colossal booms shook the ground like an earthquake. Silently, she hoped she had gathered all of the important things: two sets of armor, Borealan's journal, and the measly remainder of their money.
"What's the plan?" she shouted to Aidan, who had his ear pressed up against the icy door.
Another blow rocketed against the exterior of the inn. Aidan jumped away from the door and accidently slammed into Kynthia. This was ludicrous; Kynthia could not believe the Tribemen's were destroying their own city just to get at the two of them.
"Well," Aidan said as he threw out a arm to catch her, "we're not going out the front."
He glanced over her head toward the far wall of the inn. His silver eyes narrowed.
"You think you could take that exterior wall down?"
"Please."
"Ok," he said with a grin, "We'll avoid them through the back and run toward the docks via rooftops. Get ready to bend some bridges and I'll hold up the rear. Sound good?"
A cracking blow rattled the room causing parts of the ceiling to fold and collapse to the inn's floor. Aidan quickly looked back at Kynthia.
"Time to go," Kynthia said quickly.
She flowed into a spin, building her momentum, and threw all of her force at the inn's outer wall. In an instant, a crack burst into the wall with the sound of gunshot and grew with its cackling laugh, forming a spider web of micro-fractures. Kynthia shifted again, slowly bringing both of her arms up and forward. With a sudden jolt, the fragmented wall crumbled and sunlight flooded the room's interior.
"Quickly, outside!"
Kynthia sprinted after Aidan's leaping form and dove through the jagged opening. A final, piercing blast rocked their apartment; its shockwave caught Kynthia unawares and she felt herself flying too fast, too far for the adjacent rooftop.
"Gotcha!"
She felt Aidan's hand snag the collar of her winter parka and suddenly she was lying on her back on an icy rooftop, coughing to regain her breath. Aidan seized her underneath one arm and swiftly pulled her to her feet.
"To the docks, now!" he shouted. He turned away and, with his good arm, fired a bolt of golden fire at their destroyed apartment. A few surprised, pained shouts emanated from the derelict structure.
Kynthia didn't even take the few moments to plan out a route. In an instant, she was sprinting in the blinding cityscape, swiftly sweeping her arms up and outwards to form rudimentary bridges and ledges. Behind her, she could hear Aidan's grunts and shouts and the heat from the constant blasts of fire bled through her parka hood and seared the back of her neck. Other than the crudely formed path to the docks, her mind was completely blank: form bridge, leap across rooftop, scan for enemies, repeat.
"I hope we're close, Kynthia!" Aidan roared, a tinge of unfamiliar fear in his voice.
She spun around and all the hope in her chest evaporated into nothingness. Hundreds of Water Tribe soldiers had joined the pursuit. Their dark grey forms crawled across the fire-blasted rooftops like angry army ants, each body flashing a glint of silver in the cold sunlight. Kynthia could feel their boot steps through the ice. Her heart sank like a rock: they were completely surrounded on top of this cramped rooftop.
"Aidan…" she began worriedly, drawing her dagger and going back-to-back with the poised Firebender. She felt him draw his bow and nock an earthy arrow, but he did not initially draw back the bowstring.
"Stay calm," he said quietly, "Wait for the officer…"
Kynthia's heart was anything but calm at the moment, but having Aidan at her back at least helped her clear her mind and remember her training.
The jingle of the soldiers' equipment grew increasing louder and louder until Kynthia found herself staring down a semi-circle of swords and spears. Many of the seasoned soldiers were stoic, unforgiving facades, but the greener recruits held an expression of confusion and conflict. Kynthia felt the same way: Why would the Tribe send its entire army after the two of us? Could Borealan's words already be realized in a physical form?
"The notorious Aidan and my daughter… what an unusual team…"
Kynthia's emerald eyes went wild in surprise and instinctively spun to face the sneering voice, but Aidan's strong forearm blocked her midsection and she stayed at his back.
"Yes, that dim look in your eyes… your mind is struggling to search, to reach for information concerning my identity… I'm sure you've only heard of me through her," the hooded officer said with a nod toward Kynthia, "and I imagine you already have a grudge against me."
"Ordering soldiers to arrest me in a crowded jewelry shop speaks louder about your character than anything Kynthia has told me."
Kynthia felt the air temperature drop a few degrees. The soldiers themselves seemed to become completely silent, and the only ambient sound on the rooftop was the whisking wind blowing past Kynthia's ears. All eyes were focused on the poised archer and the hooded general.
"What do you want with us?" Aidan interjected, anger and annoyance tainting his voice if even so slightly.
"Us? What is 'us'?" he asked with a mocking laugh, throwing his arms out and looking for an appeal out of his soldiers, "You have stolen my daughter away from me. I want her back, and I want you to pay for your crimes."
Aidan's eyes narrowed into silvery slits and Kynthia felt him widen his stance.
"You're lying."
The words escaped Kynthia's mouth before she knew what was happening. She slipped around Aidan's restricting arm to face her surprised father.
"I can tell; your last sentence, a complete lie," she stated blandly, "I've heard you use that tone a thousand times before…"
"You don't want her back; you want your weapon back."
Aidan's words sank like a dagger into the General's sneering façade. For a moment, Kynthia could tell he was thrown off balance by their comments, but then he reverted to a sinister growl.
"I see you've done a number on my daughter, Aidan," he noted insignificantly. He lowered his dark cerulean hood, revealing a mane of snow-burnt hair. His face was scarred and weathered from countless battles waged against the Fire Nation, but his piercing green eyes still carried energy and youth.
"But I wonder how much she knows about you? What have you told her, Aidan? That you are some righteous bounty hunter who has never hurt an innocent soul?" he asked mockingly, his eyes flicking to Kynthia, "Ah, yes, I can see it in her… You haven't exactly been honest, my dear boy."
Kynthia raised an eyebrow and slightly turned her head to catch Aidan's eye, but he was staring the General, his teeth gritted into a growl.
"Aidan, the bounty hunter… A likely story. Who is your biggest client, Aidan? Have you told her that? And who does that client hire you to catch and kill? If my memory does not fail me, I believe this is the first bounty you haven't outright killed."
"Aidan?" Kynthia asked, placing a hand on his shoulder to turn him, but he roughly shrugged it off.
"We need to focus and escape," he rapidly whispered, "Don't you see what he's doing? He's just stalling us!"
"You are a liar!" the General roared, throwing out an accusing finger, "You've been a Fire Nation assassin since you were of age! You've specifically targeted Waterbenders in an apparent Fire Nation campaign to rid the chance of another Avatar being born! It the sole reason you found my daughter!"
Aidan was silent for a moment. Kynthia could feel the air around him began to heat rapidly.
"Then how do you explain the Fire Nation patrol that nearly killed me?" Aidan asked through gritted teeth.
"Your rendezvous party to take my daughter back to the Fire Nation!" the General quickly fired back, but suddenly, and unnaturally, cut himself off.
In an instant, Aidan drew back his arrow and pointed it directly at the General. By pure instinct, Kynthia swiveled around to Aidan's back, her stance raised aggressively forward.
"You are right about one thing, General," Aidan began, "I am an assassin. I do take some contracts from the Fire Nation. I have seized Waterbenders before. But for all of your tact, you let something slip. How would you know about my rendezvous party and where we were planning on taking Kynthia? How did you find out top secret, high level information that was only exchanged in written, double-blind transaction from an unnamed Fire Nation agent to myself?"
Aidan's silver eyes shone down the shaft of his obsidian arrow. The soldiers, the village, everything was completely silent save for the whisking and constant arctic wind whipped Aidan's hood.
"I… I have a spy," the General began.
"No, General," Aidan growled, "You are the double agent. You have connections from your father, Kavlak. You are planning a coup of the Water Tribe and you will submit it to the Fire Nation's control!"
All of the soldiers, young or seasoned, were taken aback at Aidan's defiant accusation. Some literally stepped back, others gripped their pikes tighter and still others relaxed their Waterbending stances. Kynthia held her stance fast; Aidan had taught her never, ever let her guard down, no matter the situation.
"You lie!" the General roared, but his commanding façade was cracking. Kynthia could feel the morale dripping from the rooftop.
"I have served the Water Tribe my entire life! I have sacrificed so much for this day! I will not let you and my wayward daughter take it from me!"
The General garnished his intense shout with the drawing of his ornate sword and pointed it straight at Aidan's heart. Frenzied by the arctic wind, the General's stark white hair danced around his frantic, green eyes.
"Men, capture or kill the fugitives!
Aidan moved faster than a bolt of lightning. Before Kynthia even knew what was going on, the experienced archer had crouched, swiveled, and launched an arrow into a group of inexperienced soldiers directly over her head. The group of green men cowered and crumbled; Aidan vaulted over Kynthia's crouched form, digging a gloved hand into her cloak and roughly dragging her out of her surprised state.
"We're going, now! The docks!" Aidan shouted, throwing his bow over his back and simultaneously dodging a thrown spear, "C'mon!"
In the moments that followed, Kynthia could only hear the sound of her gasping breathes and only see Aidan's bloodied boots slipping across the rooftops. Something had planted itself in her back, near her left kidney. It was dull and hurt like a bruise with every staggering footstep, but Kynthia was running on pure adrenaline. Her tunnel vision, however, was extreme; the black corners of her sight threatened to close in completely, but Aidan's voice kept driving them back.
"Stay with me, Kynthia! We're almost there, c'mon!"
Flashes burnt themselves into Kynthia's eyes. Suddenly, Aidan's boots weren't skidding across hard ice any longer; the quick, methodic paces of his boots were booming on wooden planks. Aidan hand lost grip of her parka; Kynthia hit the floor hard, her strength completely sapped. There was a monstrous crash followed by Aidan's vicious, wolf-like growl.
"Leave this ship now or I will kill you all!"
Frantic boots thundered past Kynthia's slumped form, but Aidan's familiar heels came clicking into range. Kynthia felt her body hastily being propped up, but slow, gentle care was taken at her back.
"Kynthia, please, take this."
Kynthia just barely managed to open her eyes. Her sight was bobbing and there was seemingly no way to keep her neck from rolling over on its side. Aidan's glistening visage swept into her blurred view.
"Dagger, right hand. Pretend you're passed out. Slice whoever grabs you. Watch that door," he whispered with haste, "We are going to make it."
Kynthia tried to nod, to acknowledge, to signal Aidan, but it was all in vain. Aidan's hands gripped her shoulders tightly, and through her spotty vision, Kynthia could make out a mixed expression of panic and worry etched across his dirtied face. She weakly clung to the dagger and watched Aidan turn and sprint through the cabin's single, wooden door, slamming it behind him. The single candle that lit the dingy room flickered weakly. Shadows played like characters in Kynthia's disillusioned vision, but she could not even summon the energy to fight the hallucinations. She could feel the life leaking out of her body. This was not how it was supposed to happen. Not her in this ship's cabin, leaned in the corner, sitting on the floor like a torn sack of blooded flour. The dagger clinked to the floor. Kynthia let her head roll back and slam into the wooden wall.
It had been nearly one month. Twenty-six days, exactly. Kynthia had kept record in Borealan's journal, on the back cover. Twenty-six days since she was rescued from those pirates. Twenty-three days since Aidan had given her water and his trust. Twelve days since Aidan had defended her against the Warden and his men. Eight days from her Awakening…
And here she was. Back at that twenty-sixth day. Blankly staring up at the interior of shoddy ship, bloodied, surely dead, and totally helpless. She wanted to speak, to yell or scream. She wanted the world to know that she existed, that she died here in this ship; Kynthia wanted last words, but the poison seeping in her veins devilishly smiled and turned away her chance. A single, involuntary tear leaked out of her dry, green eyes.
Kynthia's eyelids rolled shut. The floor shook and shifted underneath her; the candle's dim light extinguish with a hiss. She slumped over, falling out of the corner and curled up, oddly comfortable on the half-rotten floor in her cold, bloodied parka.
The dark was familiar and deceptively loving.
"Right there, see them?" Aidan asked, his arms wrapped around her waist.
Kynthia grinned and nodded. The small, white speck in the deep blue sky was growing at an increasingly fast pace. She turned her head slightly and leaned ever-heavier into Aidan's chest. She felt like she could simply drift off into the blissful realm of sleep; the sun warmed her front side and Aidan's Firebending blood, as always, warmed her back. She felt him inhale the smell of her hair.
"I'll go get her," he said, "You stay here and greet them when they land."
"I think I know how to be a good host, Aidan."
He smiled, but rolled his eyes, and briskly walked back into their small Earth Kingdom villa. Kynthia threw up a wall of deflecting air as the bison landed.
"Kynthia!"
A young woman clad in a deep, flowing blue dress nearly knocked Kynthia off her feet. She laughed in the woman's hair, squeezing her tight. They broke apart and Kynthia neared said something, but some other worldly force stopped her. The flowing breeze slowed and froze, the sun ducked behind a cloud, and suddenly the scene was melancholy and monochromatic.
"What's wrong?" the woman named Katara asked, leaning forward to place a caring hand on Kynthia shoulder, but she drew away.
"Who are you? What is that? Where am I?" Kynthia asked frantically, leaping backwards. Her hand instinctively went for the knife on her belt, but there was none to be found.
"Kynthia, it's us, your friends! Are you feeling okay?" the woman asked, stepping forward slowly.
"Stop right there," Kynthia yelled in a halfway attempt to draw Aidan from the villa, "Not a step closer! I'm a Waterbender, don't make me defend myself!"
"Kynthia!" Katara yelled, now backing away, raising her hands up.
"Kynthia."
Aidan had suddenly appeared in front of her, her wrists seized in his strong, gentle hands. She could have sworn she was standing only a moment ago, but Kynthia found herself flat out on her back.
"Aidan? What's going on?"
He grimaced slightly as he placed Kynthia's hands at her side. She was now motionless, having awakened only moments before in an ecstatic state. In that brief instant, she hadn't said a single word, but her emerald eyes shone with alarm and confusion. Aidan quickly calmed her, but still the concern remained. Convincing himself that he was helpless to help her dreams, Aidan gently pushed her flowing brown hair from her face and pulled the animal fur blanket a little higher on her form.
You need rest. That is all I can give.
With a grunt and rubbing his wound at his shoulder, Aidan slowly rose from the bed and slumped down to the floor, leaning against the tall, feather-down mattress. He was filthy, sore, and caked in the dried blood and charred dust of his former enemies. But, for now, that was behind him. Aidan closed his eyes, breathed deep and let his head fall back against the mattress.
Sleep had just nearly made its conquest when Kynthia groaned and shifted. Aidan would've hardly noticed it, but her hand swayed down from the mattress and rested right in knave of his neck. He weakly opened on eye, smiled, and allowed rocking sleep to take him away.
A/N: Love me, hate me, review me!