Book 2: ICE
CHAPTER 12:
THE AMBUSH
One girl went down as the first arrow flew into the camp. Everyone turned their heads towards the trees, the archers disguised enough to hide them from view. "I told you this was an ambush!" Prodito shouted at Kan. Aer, Jip, and the three other students ran forward, throwing a wall of air around them. An archer got behind the wall and shot one of the Air Nomads down.
"Jip, get her to safety." Aer shouted to her. "Me and the others can handle this." Aer leapt into the tree branches as the other two tried to create a big enough shield around for the remaining benders to gather their things and prepare to leave.
Aer ducked the moment she entered the trees, four arrows almost hitting her. She knocked an archer over with a blast of air and shot a ball of wind towards another. They were both knocked off, yet their bows had quickly wrapped around the branch and propelled them back up.
Aer had already left. The archers resumed their attack on the benders below, some arrows even penetrating the unstable air shield. One archer paced the trees, looking for the girl who had attacked them. "Where did that air head go?" Kizu shouted as he tried to cover an attack with an earth shield but it was useless. He ducked in pain as an arrow clipped his hand.
He wasn't the only one either.
Many of the benders were falling from the arrows.
"We have to move out now if we want to live." Prodito shouted to Kan.
"For once, I agree with you." Kan said as he shot a fire ball at the tree tops.
The archer dodged it and aimed an arrow at Kan.
There was a small shift to his right. He saw it out of the corner of his eye. He took aim and fired, pinning Aer to the tree. Her pigment bending broke and she was suddenly made visible. The archer aimed another arrow but was knocked aside by Jip. Jip ran forward and tried to pull the arrow out of Jip's over coat.
The archers had noticed the small attack and turned their bows to the small girl. "Forget about me Jip. Save yourself!" Aer shouted to her as an arrow sliced through Jip's shoe. She tumbled off the branch, gaining enough consciousness to create a pillow of air to catch herself. Hitori was over her in a moment. It was then that the sound of men could be heard.
"Kan, the rest of this army is coming!" Hitori shouted as she cradled Jip and ran towards the rest of the group that was already moving out.
"Kan, Aer is in trouble." Jip whispered to Kan as Hitori passed him. Kan turned on his heel, seeing Aer struggling to dodge the arrows.
"I'll get her." Prodito said with a smile as he leapt upwards to catch Aer from above. Kan threw a shield of water around him as an arrow almost nicked his eye. A cut was left in the ice mask and Kan tried to repair it.
Mizu looked out to the gray sea. "I must leave again." Mizu said somberly to the spirits in the pool. She knealt down where Ran-fo was napping quietly. She gently woke him and helped him onto her back, holding the pack in her hands. "Thank you spirits," Mizu said as she bowed to them. She repositioned the pack in her hands and leapt onto the water.
A platform of ice formed underneath them as they floated safely across the icy waters, heading for the same shore Mizu had landed on months before hand. She dropped the pack with a muffled thud onto the platform and laid Ran-fo down in the middle. She walked towards the back and began to move her arms around her. A current woke behind them and propelled them forward with great speed. "We should be back at the mainland in no time at this rate." Mizu said as she picked up the pace, navigating through the icy bergs around them.
The platform shattered as Mizu and Ran-fo were flung into the water. Mizu grabbed Ran-fo as he submerged and then caught the pack with the tip of her foot. She shot herself to the surface and looked around at the sky. Birds were flocking away towards the south as a large fin rose into the air, blotting out the sun. Mizu took a deep breath and swam forwards, dodging the fin as it smashed into the water, creating a large wave that spun Mizu under and threw her into the surf.
The Ungai was back for more and was not going to allow Mizu to escape.
Land was still too far to see and Mizu did not have time to create another platform of ice to save herself. She shot herself backwards across the water and then sent a water whip towards the Unagi's head. It cracked and the eel fell backwards into the water, screeching in pain. It hit the water hard and Mizu tried to hold herself atop a large glacial platform but it quickly sunk as more fins appeared on the surface and the Unagi's head was seen once more.
Mizu did another thrust of water yet it did no good. She flew backwards into the Unagi's tail and the eel fell downwards, ready to devour its long awaited lunch.
Aer was swung onto a tree as an arrow caught her heel in mid jump. She grabbed her head and blasted the archers back off the branch. Another arrow narrowly missed her and she swung herself upwards, freeing herself from the arrow. She spun around, lifting herself over to another tree. She slipped and fell, falling to the hard earth below.
"I got you." Prodito said as he flew in at the last minute with some earthbending and caught Aer. He then summoned an earth shield to his arm and used it to cover them from the hail of arrows from above.
"Where are we going?" Aer asked as she sat in Prodito's arms.
"Towards the ocean apparently." Prodito said with a huff. "I think mister Kan wants to use some ships to get us out of here."
"Well, that should go as great as the first time that he tried to do that." Aer said as she remembered the chilly ride over from the Eastern mountains. Catapults could be heard ringing in their delivery for the benders. Prodito dodged them and tumbled out onto the shore where it became quite clear there was nowhere to go.
"Now what?" Kizu asked as he checked behind them. He saw a flaming ball come streaking towards them. He threw his hands out and then thrust them backwards. A wall of trees took the blow and the leaves sprung into flames.
"Yeah, because a wall of fire is going to make this situation so much better." Tirca added with a snip. An arrow almost took her out as the archers Yu Yan Archers appeared among the burning branches. Flaming arrows now rained down among the benders below.
Then, a large stream of water rained down among the trees, extinguishing the fire. A large Unagi had appeared in the water, Mizu atop its head. "I had a hunch all this commotion was from you." Mizu snipped. "I was on my way back from the North Pole when I met my little friend here. He offered a ride and of course I couldn't refuse."
"What were you doing in the North Pole?" Kizu shouted to her. "I thought you went to that rock."
"We did, but I woke up in the North Pole with Ran-fo." Mizu said as she gestured to the boy clinging onto her back.
"Where's Bakiko?"
"Did you find out about your parents?"
"Yes, and they are alive." Mizu said happily, avoiding the question on Bakiko.
"Then where's Bakiko?" Aer asked with concern in her voice. Mizu looked down and tried to answer.
An arrow pierced Mizu's chest, knocking her backwards off the Unagi. The Unagi, finally free of its captor, took revenge upon Mizu, driving her into the icy depths of the ocean. Ran-fo bobbed to the surface.
"Mizu!" Jip shouted. The soldiers came around the beach, closing them off from retreating to the west. Hitori grabbed Jip by the arm and swung her around as Kan and the elder threw up a protective barrier of air.
"Leave her." Hitori said, no sympathy for the battle ensuing beneath the waves. "We've got to help protect the rest of the group."
Kizu and a group of benders rushed forward, throwing a large wave of water onto the attackers. Prodito then snatched the drenched trees from their roots and hurled the Yu Yan Archers away.
"Everyone, brace yourselves." Tirca shouted as she crouched low to the ground. She thrust upwards and then slammed her fist to the ground. The ground beneath them flipped over, toppling all of the benders into the dark caverns under the earth.
"They got away!" the commander shouted as he ran a sweaty hand through his hair. The Yu Yan archers approached the rest of the army, silent as they remained. "Who knows where they are now."
"Actually, we may have some edge over them yet." One of the soldiers said as he removed his helmet and braced the spear against his shoulder.
"Really?" the commander asked with harsh sarcasm. "And to what fact are you basing this miraculous event upon?"
"Well, that sir." The soldier said as he pointed a hand towards the rocks near the beach.
Mizu was lying on top of a flat rock, her chest pulsing rapidly to get air after her duel under the ocean. The arrow was still protruding from her chest and it was visible that she would not live for much longer. The commander had a wild grin upon his face. He gave the command and men raced forward, surrounding Mizu who was too exhausted to even lift an eyelid in reply.
"We may have another lead yet."