Odette:

There was nothing around us except for the endless expanse of sand dunes and open sky. The wind blew loudly around us.

I had moved on from being shocked and heartbroken. Now, now I was just enraged, how could have Elise let this happen. She knew how much Fanindra meant to me. She was my family, the last traces of my past. I had grown up with my dragon since she had been a hatchling! She'd saved my life time after time…she was my best friend and I needed her, and Elise just let her go without a care in the world. She'd told me that it had been sandbenders. She could have stopped them, she'd had the power. But she had just stood by…I wondered if they'd paid her…

I approached Elise in an aggressive manner. "How could you let them take Fanindra?! Why didn't you stop them?!"

"I couldn't! The library was sinking! You guys were still inside and-" Elise swung her arms wide but I didn't want to hear it.

"You could have come to get us! I could have saved her!" I screeched.

Elise glared at me. "I can hardly feel any vibrations out here. The sandbenders snuck upon me and there wasn't time for -"

"You just didn't care! You never liked Fanindra! You wanted her gone!" I hissed, getting in her face.

Kole approached the two of us an attempt at peacemaking, and placed an arm on my left shoulder.

"Odette, stop it. You know Elise did all she could. She saved our lives," he said softly but sternly.

"Who's going to save our lives now? We'll never make it out of here," Alana said, looking around worriedly.

I couldn't believe them. "That's all any of you guys care about: yourselves! You don't care whether Fanindra is okay or not!"

I stalked off, sulking angrily.

Kole sighed. "We're all concerned, but we can't afford to be fighting now. We'd better start walking. We're the only people who know about the solar eclipse. We have to get that information to Eralith."

"You think if we dig out the giant owl, I'll give us a ride?" Alana asked as they started to walk off.

Disgusted with them, I walked off the other way and Kole grabbed my arm gently.

I threw his arm off me roughly. "I'm going after Fanindra."

I flew off and Kole called after me, running towards the spot from which I took off.

"Odette, wait!"

Ren:

Uncle and I were on our ostrich-horse, riding through a small cleft in the valley. Uncle was clearly in discomfort.

"Maybe we should make camp," I said, watching him worriedly. He was still pretty banged up from Athera's attack.

"No, please, don't stop for me!" he said in a pained voice and I winced.

Uncle let out several more pained groans, trying to hide it from me. I rolled my eyes at his sad attempt to keep it hidden and pulled the reins of the Ostrich-Horse, stopping it. Uncle and I dismounted.

Uncle groaned and took a seat on a large flat rock after I helped him down. The Ostrich-Horse perked up, pricking its ears. Clearly, it detected something unusual. I took a defensive posture.

"What now?" Uncle said, annoyed.

Rough Rhinos streaked through the foliage around us. Colonel Solomon's rhino stamped the ground forcefully, breaking the surface crust. I continued my defensive posture. Uncle brightened and placed a hand on my shoulder.

"Colonel Solomon! What a pleasant surprise!" he said and I quirked an eyebrow.

Solomon snorted. "If you're surprised we're here then the Dragon of the West has lost a few steps."

Solomon looked stern. He emphasized his remarks by making sparks with his bracers. His men readied their weapons.

"You know these guys?" I asked, uncomfortable.

Uncle nodded. "Sure. Colonel Solomon and the Rough Riders are legendary. Each one is a different kind of weapons specialist. They are also a very capable singing group."

"We're not here to give a concert. We're here to apprehend fugitives!" Solomon snapped and I resumed my defensive stance.

Uncle smiled. "Would you like some tea first? I'd love some. How about you, Kale? I take you as a jasmine man. Am I right?"

Solomon was fed up. "Enough stalling! Round 'em up!"

The dark skinned, pony tailed fighter swung his ball and chain at Uncle. Uncle kicked the ball away easily. The ball, redirected, wrapped its chain around the foot of another warrior's rhino. Uncle dodged the fire blasts by tumbling along the ground. He rose back up to swat the rump of the rhino that had been chained. The rhino ran off, yanking the dark-skinned warrior who had one end of the chain attached to his belt as well as its own rider. Uncle waved as he watched them go.

The archer shot a lit arrow at my back. I sensed the arrow, turned, and broke the arrow apart as it approached me. I then let a fire blast loose, which burned a hole in the archer's bow, a hand's width above the archer's hand. The blast passed through the bow and broke the string.

Solomon let loose fire blast after fire blast at Uncle. Uncle deflected each. I ran up and jumped on the back of Solomon's rhino behind him. A brief duel ensued, with Solomon quickly being kicked off the rhino by me.

Uncle ran up to the ostrich horse, jumped up on the saddle, and rode over to me. I jumped from Solomon's rhino into the saddle as Uncle galloped by.

The armored warrior, riding in pursuit, threw a grenade at the fleeing ostrich horse. The grenade exploded ahead of the ostrich horse, but Uncle and I were able to ride through the explosion.

"It's nice to see old friends," Uncle said with a smile.

"Too bad you don't have any old friends that don't want to attack you," I snapped, trying to steer through the thick brush.

Uncle paused thoughtfully. "Hmm... Old friends that don't want to attack me…"

Kole:

I led the rest of the crew through the scorching hot desert, minus Odette and Fanindra. I was really starting to worry about her, but there was nothing I could do about it. Odette had to work through her turmoil on her own.

Occasional small plants dotted the dunes. We were all hot, dry, and tired, and we had only been walking for a few hours. Alana tried using Fang and his tail as a hat. As she slowed, Elise bumped into her, knocking Fang off Alana's head.

Alana was breathing hard. "Can't you watch where you're -"

"No," Elise snapped.

"Right. Sorry."

I turned to encourage the others. "Come on guys, we've got to stick together.'

Alana sighed. "If I sweat any more, I don't think sticking together will be a problem."

Alana tried to gently pull her and Elise's clothing apart, but Elise cut to the chase and knocked Alana down, disconnecting them.

"Kole, can I have some water?" the little girl asked me.

I sighed, knowing I was starting to run low. "Okay, but we've got to try to conserve it."

I bent water from my bag and suspended it between me and the others. I then directed it to each mouth except my own; I could go for a little while longer…the others needed it more than I did. Alana swished the water a bit, and then swallowed with a face. She clearly was not impressed with the taste.

"We're drinking your bending water? You used this on the swamp guy!" she whined.

Elise nodded. "It does taste swampy."

Fang smacked his lips before he let out a displeased bark. I motioned my sense of helplessness.

"I'm sorry, it's all we have."

Alana gasped. "Not anymore! Look!"

She pointed to a large cactus a little off our path. She walked up to it, cut a piece off with her knife, and drained the liquid content into her mouth. Fang did likewise.

"Alana, wait! You shouldn't be eating strange plants!" I snapped and grabbed Elise's wrist and ran over to Alana and Fang.

"There's water trapped inside these!" Alana held up some cactus for me, but I backed away, pushing Elise back as well.

"I don't know…"

Alana shrugged. "Suit yourself. It's very thirst-quenching, though."

I frowned as I watched Alana, her face suddenly changing. The pupils in her eyes suddenly dilated rapidly. Alana's expression became blank and she shook his head rapidly. Before I could panic, she started moving again, although things got really…weird.

"Drink cactus juice. It'll quench ya! Nothing's quenchier," she said in a strange voice and dropped to the ground. She moved across the sand like an inchworm. "It's the quenchiest!"

I took the proffered cactus bowl in my hand and poured it to the ground.

I looked at her blankly as she got back up, smiling drunkenly. "Okay, I think you've had enough."

Alana pointed at Elise. "Who lit Elise on fire?"

Fang ran in a circle and then suddenly dive bombed to the ground.

"Can I get some of that cactus?" Elise asked.

No way! I didn't need two crazy people out here. "I don't think that's a good idea. Come on, we need to find Odette."

Alana looked around in amazement. "How did we get out here in the middle of the ocean?"

"Uhhh…"

Suddenly, a massive, mushroom shaped cloud rose in the distance as we climbed over a dune. It looked like a bomb or something, and it was big. Just from here I could tell it had to be at least two hundred feet high. Dust that was kicked up blew over us rapidly.

"What is that?" I asked, feeling a small tremble of fear.

Elise looked around blindly. "What? What is what?"

Alana gasped, squeaking a little. "It's a giant mushroom! Maybe it's friendly!"

I slapped my forehead. "Let's just keep moving. I hope Odette's okay…"

"Friendly mushroom! Mushy giant friend!" Alana cried, ignoring me and waving her arms back and forth.

Odette:

It was now nearing sunset, and Kole, Alana, Elise and Fang were still trekking across the desert.

I'd looked everywhere for Fanindra and there had been nothing around for miles. My friend was gone. In a fit of rage, I had blown a massive crater into the ground, causing a massive mushroom shaped explosion that send dust flying out everywhere.

I was now hot, dirty, and utterly hopeless.

I landed behind the group, kicking up a small cloud of sand. Kole approached me as I kneeled.

"I'm sorry, Odette. I know it's hard for you right now, but we need to focus on getting out of here," he said. I would have been angry, but I no longer had the energy.

"What's the difference? We won't survive without Fanindra. We all know it," I said helplessly. I wished I could have said goodbye to Ren when I'd had the chance, but he probably would have just fried me to a crisp.

"Come on, Odette! We can do this if we work together. Right, Elise?" Kole said, cheery.

Elise was not so enthusiastic. "As far as I can feel, we're trapped in a giant bowl of sand pudding. I got nothin'."

Kole turned to his sister. "Alana? Any ideas how to find Eralith?"

Alana and Fang were both lying on their backs and staring at the sky, looking drunk. Alana smiled blissfully and pointed upward.

"Why don't we ask the circle birds?" she asked.

Several buzzard wasps circled above our group. Kole looked left and right at everyone. I was still sulking, and Elise staggered a bit.

Kole rubbed his tired eyes. "Ugh... We're getting out of this desert, and we're going to do it together! Odette, get up. Everybody hold hands. We can do this. We have to."

Kole took my staff and led me along. I held on to Elise's hand, and Elise held on to Alana's hand. Alana smiled and laughs as she pulled Fang along by the tail. Fang was trying to run in the opposite direction.

Kole:

The sun set behind an old, withered tree. Stars had appeared in the sky. I led the group over the top of a large dune, exhausted.

"I think we should stop for the night," I sighed, struggling to keep my eyes open.

Everyone behind me sighed and fell to the ground.

Elise licked her dry lips. "Is there any more water?"

"This is the last of it. Everyone can have a little drink," I said. I wasn't sure were we were going to get more but if we had to I would even resort to drinking Alana's cactus juice.

I opened my water flask and bent out an orb of water. Fang leapt at the water and tried to drink it, causing it to fall to the sand below. Alana panicked and scrambled towards the wet spot in the sand.

"Fang, no! You've killed us all!" she wailed.

I smacked the back of her head slightly. "No, he hasn't."

I placed my hand over the moist sand and bent the water out of it.

Alana smiled goofily. "Oh, right. Bending."

I bent the water back into the flask and gave it to Elise.

"Alana, let me see the things you got from the library," I asked her.

Alana reeled back and clutched her bag full of scrolls.

"What! I didn't steal anything! Who told you that?!" She yelled, offended. She spun and pointed an accusing finger at Fang. "It was you! You ratted me out!"

The little wolf bent his ears back and opened his mouth, making little noises like he was crying. He laid down and buried his head beneath his paws.

"Alana, I was there." I took Alana's bag from me.

Odette sighed. "It doesn't matter. None of those will tell us where Fanindra is."

I pulled out one of the scrolls and unrolled it, revealing a star map.

I rolled my eyes. I knew she was upset and yes so was I but this was getting ridiculous. "No, but we can find out which way Eralith is. We can use the stars to guide us. That way we can travel at night when it's cool and rest during the day." I sighed again for the thousandth time." Just try to get some sleep. We'll start again in a few hours."

Ren:

Uncle and I came to a sad little oasis with a melting iceberg and ramshackle buildings. The small village or whatever it was rested right on the edges of the Airion desert. Only a fool would go out into that place, unless he had a death sentence. Trying to stay out of the heat, Uncle and I went inside the bar at the ice springs.

Once inside, we move through the cool room swiftly and sat at an empty table.

I looked around, seeing nothing but drunks and freeloaders. "No one here is going to help us. These people just look like filthy wanderers."

"So do we," Uncle said, pointing at my shirt. He looked around for a moment before his face brightened. "Ah, this is interesting. I think I've found our friend."

he pointed over at an old, bald man sitting quietly at a Pai Sho table.

I glared at him. "You brought us here to gamble on Pai Sho?"

Uncle shook his head. "I don't think this is a gamble."

Uncle and I got up and walked over. When we got there, Uncle bowed low to the old man.

"May I have this game?" he asked.

Pai Sho Player nodded. "The guest has the first move."

Uncle placed the lotus tile in the middle of the board.

"I see you favor the white lotus gambit. Not many still cling to the ancient ways," the old man said, pleasantly surprised.

Uncle smiled. "Those who do can always find a friend."

Pai Sho Player nodded, his expression warming. "Then let us play. "

The old PaiSho player placed another tile on the board. Uncle quickly placed another tile as well. I sat down and watched intently as the two men placed tile after tile on the board in rapid succession. I was so confused by what was going on I wanted to slam my head against the nearby post. When they were done, the tiles formed the shape of a lotus, with the lotus tile in the center.

Pai Sho Player smiled widely. "Welcome, brother. The White Lotus opens wide to those who know her secrets."

I glanced between them, annoyed. I was tired of not knowing what was going on. "What are you old gasbags talking about?"

Uncle smirked. "I always tried to tell you that Pai Sho is more than just a game."

Uncle rolled a tile over his knuckles and clutched it.

Suddenly a booming voice spoke out through the bar and a big man with an ugly flat face and long black hair approached us. "I'm not waiting all night for these geezers to finish yapping! It's over! You two fugitives are coming with me!"

I gulped, glancing at Uncle as a smaller man came up to stand beside the first. I could have snapped him like a twig.

The Pai Sho Player jumped up. "I knew it! You two are wanted criminals with a giant bounty on your heads!"

I froze and snapped at Uncle. "I thought you said he would help!"

Uncle smiled slightly. "He is. Just watch."

the Pai Sho Player fixed his gaze on the two men and spoke loudly, catching everyone's attention in the bar. "You think you're going to capture them and collect all that gold?"

"Gold?" multiple men murmured, the world echoing through the bar.

All of the men in the bar looked up at the mention of the word 'gold.' Several of them pulled out knives and approach us around the Pai Sho table.

"Uh... Maybe we shouldn't," the small man said, intimidated as his companion glared around.

Two men jumped in front of the big man. The earthbender spun around and delivered a reverse roundhouse kick, bending a rock from the ground which knocked the two men away. The skinny man entered his stance and bent the earth underneath one of the assailants, causing him to sink into the ground up to his neck.

The big man handled a group of sandbenders. He had one lifted in the air with one hand and held back another sandbender with the other hand. He promptly kicked any other sandbender that came near. He twisted his waist and threw the two sandbenders he held. One went flying and smashed into the wall behind the bartender.

While everyone was busy fighting each other Uncle, the Pai Sho player, and I took the opportunity and ran out of the building unnoticed.

Kole:

While the others slept on the dune, I stayed awake and kept watch. Fang was burying the dreaming Alana under the sand. He jump away as I approached Alana to wake her up.

"Come on, get up. We need to go," I said gently.

Alana drowsily sat up as did Elise, who smacked her lips.

"Yesterday my mouth tasted like mud. Now it just tastes like sand. I never thought I'd miss the taste of mud so much," she said sadly.

I went to wake Odette up, but she interrupted me before I could touch her.

"I'm awake. I couldn't sleep," she said flatly, her brown hair blowing slightly across the sand.

"Well, we need to get moving if we want to get out of this sand pit," I said.

Odette and I spotted something in the sky at the same time. There was a large, dragon shaped object floating past the large, bright moon.

Odette sat up joyfully. "Fanindra!"

Alana was confused. "Fanindra? But why would Prince Falcon need her? He's the moon! He flied by his self!"

My smile fell sadly as I realized what was thought to be Fanindra turned out to be nothing more than cloud.

"It's just a cloud. Wait! A cloud!" I turned to Odette and handed her my water flask. "Here, fly up and bend the water from that cloud into my pouch."

Odette gave me an angry look before snatching my water pouch and taking off on her glider. In two passes, Odette quickly collected the cloud moisture. She threw the pouch down to me and landed angrily. I peeked into the pouch, seeing only a few swallows.

"Wow... there's hardly any in here," I said.

Odette grey even more angry. "I'm sorry, okay! It's a desert cloud; I did all I could! What's anyone else doing! What are you doing?"

Odette pointed her staff at me and I looked back with shock. "Trying to keep everyone together. Let's just get moving. We need to head in this direction."

I began reading the star map and continued to lead the group. After a few moments of walking, Elise suddenly tripped and fell. She rubbed her stubbed foot, groaning. Next to her was a wooden object sticking out of the sand.

"Ow! Crud! I am so sick of not feeling where I'm going! And what idiot buried a boat in the middle of the desert?!" she growled.

I started. "A boat?"

"Believe me, I kicked it hard enough to feel plenty of vibrations," she snapped, rubbing her toes.

Alana sighed as Odette stepped forward and swung her staff in a wide, horizontal arc, kicking up sand. When it cleared, a sand glider like the ones used by the sandbenders saw before us.

"It's one of the gliders the sandbenders use! And look! It's got some kind of compass on it! I bet it can point us out of here! Odette, you can bend a breeze so we can sail it. We're going to make it!" I said excitedly.

We all suddenly turned to see Alana laughing and as she buried Fang in a pile of sand. She turned towards us and gave two thumbs up as well as a large grin.

Ren:

We ended up in a small village near the edge of the desert. Uncle and the Pai Sho player from the ice springs entered one of the buildings and I followed closely behind. The Pai Sho player made sure than no one was watching before shutting the door. Inside it became apparent that the building was a flower shop.

Pai Sho Player turned to my Uncle an bowed, completely ignoring me. "It is an honor to welcome such a high-ranking member of the Order of the White Lotus. Being a Grand Master, you must know so many secrets."

The old man began leading us through the shop.

"Now that you played Pai Sho, are you going to do some flower arranging, or is this club going to offer some real help?" I growled angrily.

Uncle sighed and gave me a warning look. "You must forgive my nephew. He is not an initiate and has little appreciation for the cryptic arts."

I crossed my arms and grumbled under my breath irritably as the Pai Sho player knocked on a door in the back. A small window in the middle slid open and a man peeked through.

"Who knocks at the guarded gate?" he asked and I frowned glancing around uncertainly.

What?

"One who has eaten the fruit and tasted its mysteries," Uncle said and my confusion increased.

Who were these people?

The door was opened and Uncle and the Pai Sho player entered. I attempted to follow them, but the door was shut in my face and I stumbled back, startled. Uncle slid open the door's window.

"I'm afraid it's members only. Wait out here," he said and slid the window shut again.

I frowned and crossed my arms. It was totally empty in the shop so I had nothing to do. I leaned over to a nearby plant and sniffed it, recognizing the smell that reminded me of a certain young girl.

Odette:

The sand glider raced through the desert. I was driving it forwards by bending powerful gusts of air into the sail. Kole was standing on the upper platform and navigating using the compass and star map.

He tapped the needle and looked ahead. "The needle on this compass doesn't seem to be pointing north according to my charts."

Alana spoke dreamily. "Take it easy little boy. I'm sure the sand folks who built this baby know how to get around here."

Alana was sitting behind Kole and held Fang by the tail. Kole gasped when he spotted a giant rock sticking out from the sand in the distance.

"That's what the compass is pointing to! That giant rock! It must be the magnetic center of the desert," he said.

"A rock? Yes! Let's go!" Elise said, perking up happily.

Kole smiled. "Maybe we can find some water there!"

"Maybe we can find some sandbenders," I said darkly. Whoever took my Fanindra was going to pay. I wasn't sure how yet, but whatever they had done to her, I would do to them only ten times worse.

The sand glider reached the foot of the rock. It was now dawn and the sun brightened part of the sky. After a long while of walking, about and hour perhaps, we reached the top.

"Ahhh... Finally! Solid ground!" Elise fell flat on her back and moved her arms and legs back and forth, creating an earth angel in the rock surface. I turned and took in several strange, round caves that were in the side of the rock. Curious we entered one and found it to be pleasantly cool and nice after the sandy hot desert. Covered all around the cave's surface was a yellow, gooey substance that looked like honey.

Alana breathed deeply, sounding normal again, finally. "I think my head is starting to clear out the cactus juice. And look!"

Alana grabbed some of the sticky substance and ate it. She quickly spat it out and made a disgusted gagging noise. "This tastes like rotten penguin meat! Awww I feel woozy."

Kole looked at her, irritated. "You've been hallucinating on cactus juice all day and then you just lick something you find stuck to the wall of a cave?!"

Alana shrugged. "I have a natural curiosity."

"I don't think this is a normal cave. This was carved by something," Elise said.

I frowned and examined the walls, noticing the strange shapes. "Yeah... look at the shape."

Elise frowned, her eyes growing wide with alarm. "There's something buzzing in here. Something that's coming for us!"

I heard it too and we all ran back out of the cave as a buzzing noise was heard. Elise and I screamed as buzzard wasps flew from the caves and attacked viciously. Several of the creatures emerged from the cave and begin flying above and screeching. I swung my staff down at one that approached and blew it back with a gust of air. A buzzard wasp landed near Elise. She sensed it and bent a pillar of rock up from beneath it, sending it flying.

Another buzzard wasp flew between Elise and Alana. Elise stomped the ground and popped a boulder into the air. She lifted it and smashed it down inches away from Alana.

Alana gasped in terror. "What are you doing?! That rock almost crushed me!"

Elise threw her arms in the air. "Sorry, I can't tell where we were in the air!"

A buzzard wasp flew past them.

Alana smiled. "I got this one."

She swung her machete wildly back and forth.

Kole sighed and slapped a hand to his forehead. "Alana, there's nothing there."

Alana looked back and forth, realizing she'd been attacking the air.

She shrugged impishly. "I guess my head's not as clear as I thought."

"We have to get out of here! I'm completely out of water to bend!" Kole said, looking in his pouch.

Fang was crouching on the ground behind Kole and I, frightened. He was suddenly snatched by a buzzard wasp and I watched as the wasp flew towards the rising sun with the wolf.

"Fang! I'm not losing anyone else out here," I growled furiously.

I opened my glider and took off after the buzzard wasp.

"Come on, we're going down," Kole shouted as I built up speed.

I caught up with it quickly and flew underneath it and rolled over, bending a gust of wind with a strong kick that forced the buzzard wasp to let go of Fang. Fang began to fall, but I reached down and caught him, tucking him into my shirt.

I glared as the Buzzard wasp tried to fly away. I glided close to the ground and closes my glider. Still flying forward, I swung my staff down and shot a powerful blade of air that split the sand. The buzzard wasp, now just a black dot against the sun, was hit by the attack, cutting it in two. It fell from the air and hit the sand with a dull thud. I stares coldly and walked back to the giant rock.

Fang followed, but was clearly frightened by my merciless act.

When I returned with my wolf, Kole, Alana and Elise were nearing the bottom. Kole turned as a wasp prepared to attack.

"On your left!" he shouted to Elise.

Elise smacked a rock and shot it at another buzzard wasp, which shrieked on impact. Buzzard wasps hovered around the foot of the rock and the sand glider. Suddenly, gigantic pillars of sand burst upwards, scarring of the swarm of wasps. They flew upward and back to their hive.

Alana, Kole, and Elise all shielded their eyes. When they opened them, several sandbenders were surrounding them. I landed in front of them, facing the sandbenders with a look of death in my eyes.

Ren:

I ended up falling into a light sleep in the flower shop while waiting. The door opened suddenly and Uncle stepped out, causing me to awaken and go into a defensive stance.

I looked around in confusion, my heart hammering. "What's going on? Is the club meeting over?"

Uncle nodded and patted my shoulder comfortingly as I came to my senses. "Everything is taken care of. We're heading to Eralith."

I started, surprised by this. "Eralith? Why would we go to the Earth Kingdom capital?"

The old Pai Sho Player stepped forward. "The city was filled with refugees. No one will notice two more."

"We can hide in plain sight there. And it's the safest place in the world from the Fire Nation. Even I couldn't break through to the city," Uncle continued.

The door opened and a man stepped inside the flower shop.

"I have the passports for our guests, but there are two men out on the streets looking for them," he said.

Uncle and I looked at each other and then ran to the doors small sliding window. We opened it and peered out cautiously. The two men who had come after us before stood outside in the street. The big man held up a wanted poster to a man walking by.

"You seen these guys?" he asked.

Uncle and I turned to each other and gave each other questioning looks.

Odette:

I glared darkly at the leader of the sandbenders, a bald man with a beard confronts.

"What are you doing in our land with a sandbender sailer? From the looks of it, you stole it from the Hami tribe."

Kole frowned. "We found the sailer abandoned in the desert. We're traveling with the Avatar. Our dragon was stolen and we have to get to Eralith."

A younger sandbender next to the leader stepped forward and raised his voice and clenched his fist.

"You dare accuse our people of theft while you ride in on a stolen sand sailer?" he snapped.

"Quiet, Garth. No one accused our people of anything. If what they say is true, we must give them hospitality," the leader said.

"Sorry, father," the boy said.

Elise's eyes widened in shock and she reached forward and tugged my sleeve gently.

"I recognize the son's voice. He's the one that stole Fanindra," she said.

Kole glanced at him. "Are you sure?"

Elise nodded. "I never forget a voice."

Fanning the flames of my rage, I took several steps towards the sandbenders and brandished my staff threateningly.

"You stole Fanindra! Where is she? What did you do to her," I snarled angrily.

Garth was appalled. "They're lying! They're the thieves!"

I swung my staff down and obliterated a sand sailer with a blast of air.

"Where. Is. My. Dragon?!"

Ren:

We came up with a plan to get us out of the shop quickly.

Out of the door stepped a man pulling a small wood wagon with two large flower pots on it, Uncle and I hiding inside them. After he left, the two man seeking us approached the door. I peered out from under the stack of leaves and flowers I was hiding under and watched as the big man threw the door open. This caused a flower pot hanging overhead to fall and shatter. The man held up the wanted poster to the florist tending the plants.

"Hey you, where are these men? I got a tip that they're in your shop," he snapped.

The florist responded calmly. "As you can see, no one is here but us."

"We know all about your secret back room," the small man said smugly before turning to his companion. "Kick it down."

"Hey! That room was for flowers only!" the florist snapped.

Alex ran at the door and slammed his foot into it, knocking down the whole doorframe and the stone around it. I smirked, knowing all he would find was an empty room, save for a circle of mats and a Pai Sho lotus tile in the middle.

The big man stomped out of the shop, growling angrily. "Let's go back to finding the girl."

I froze, my heart stopping for a minute as Odette's face flashed through my mind.

Kole:

I glanced worriedly between Odette and the sandbenders. I had never seen her so enraged before, so murderous. She was scary. She was going to kill them, one wrong answer and they'd be done for.

"You tell me where she is now!" Odette snarled, eye face crazed.

The sandbenders watched in shock as Odette swung the end of her staff upward and destroyed another sand sailer.

the leader to the group turned to Gath. "What did you do?"

"I-It wasn't me!" he cried, frightened.

Elise jabbed a finger at him. "You said to put a muzzle on her!"

Odette became even more enraged, if that was even possible. She was starting to make Ren look like a saint. "You muzzled Fanindra?!"

Odette's eyes and arrow glowed as she began to enter the Avatar State.

Bad, bad, bad, very bad!

She twirled her staff around and demolished one of the few remaining sand sailers.

"I'm sorry! I didn't know that it belonged to the Avatar!" Garth yelled in alarm.

"Tell me where Fanindra is!" Odette screamed in an unearthly voice.

"I traded her! To some merchants! She's probably in Eralith by now! They were going to sell her there! Please! We'll escort you out of the desert! We'll help however we can!" Garth begged in fright.

The air around Odette slowly began to pick up and spin around her as she fully entered the Avatar State, pulling in sand and creating a small tornado.

Alana shoved the closest person to her. "Just get out of here! Run!"

Alana grabbed Elise by the shoulders and pulled her away from Odette. Elise, Alana, Fang and the sandbenders all fled for their lives. I, however, stayed and faced the danger.

The sand tornado grew larger and spread quickly as Odette slowly lifted from the ground. I made my way through the fierce wind and grabbed Odette's wrist. She looked down at me with anger and hate, but was only met with my sad expression. I brought Odette back to the ground and hugged her. Alana and Elise brought their hands down from shielding themselves as the wind became less violent. Tears were streaming from Odette's glowing eyes, and I was doing my best not to let go of her. The wind finally died down. Odette left the Avatar State and let her head rest against my chest.