Chapter 21
Burning Blood
The ice around her arm weakening, Ursa tore her limb free from the ground, shattering the frozen water which had bound her. Fear gripped Katara as she the She-Bear rose back to her feet, grimly fixing the fallen water bender with her displeased gaze. Katara knew she had to move now, but as she tried to take action an even more debilitating pain flared up throughout her body.
Ursa had finally managed to established the fine tuned lock she needed, the recent massive injury she'd inflicted on Katara having been immensely helpful for zeroing in. "I've heard that water benders can wash away pain, cooling the inflammation that burns inside all injuries," mentioned Ursa as she began to move her hands and fingers, slowly at first, then faster and faster, as if she were stoking a great blaze. "Did you know an elite fire bender can do the opposite, fanning the body's own inflammation? This horrific technique of blood bending should have remained sealed, but you left me little choice."
"Blood bendi…?! AAAHHHHGGGG!" Even speech became near impossible for Katara as the pain inside her flared like an out of control wildfire, burning at her from the inside. It was like reliving all the wounds she'd suffered, but simultaneously and with far greater intensity. The shoulder Azula had shot, her battered face and the rest of her body which had been repeatedly knocked to the ground, the razor cuts along her back from the ice shrapnel, the impact from when the Fire Princess had punched her in the stomach and face, her hand and knee where Ursa had struck her with the flame darts, and most of all the severe burns from the She-Bears breath attack; all these injuries felt like they'd suddenly been reignited, their flames growing unbearably white hot as Ursa whipped them to more furious heights.
Indeed, her body was becoming fuel for that blazing pain. Overwhelmed by the inflammation, Katara's own immune system began to attack her; macrophages going into a rage filled feeding frenzy and blinding biting into the nearest injured tissue, rending it and even each other apart like sharks in blood filled water. This only made the inflammation worse, enraging the immune systems response even further, in a horrible feedback loop of self destruction. "Make it stop! Please make it stop!" begged Katara as everything went red and she curled up into a convulsing ball of pain.
The Fire Lady was taken aback. She'd never used her blood bending full force against someone, let alone a target with such severe injuries, and the results were as effective as they were unhinging. So this is why the technique was forbidden, thought Ursa guiltily. There were some powers mortals were not meant to wield. What have I allowed myself to become?
"A monster," came a voice from somewhere behind her. Ursa glanced quickly behind her, trying to spot her accuser. "Just like your husband and daughter. You all belong burning together in Hell. I didn't teach you our clans secret techniques so you could torture children." Ursa frantically looked over her other shoulder, but try as she might, she couldn't make out where her Mother was.
I can't afford _this_ right now! Thought the Fire Lady as she shook her head to clear it, brining her focus back to the writhing victim before her. Supposedly the attack could even kill if maintained long enough, but the thought made Ursa sick to her stomach. There was no need for such cruelty. The Witch was vulnerable enough now for the coup de grâce.
Without a word the Fire Lady quickly struck inward with both hands, her arms crossing over each other. While the pain was no longer being actively fanned inside Katara, she was still in no condition to defend herself from the flames rushing in from both sides. The water bender clenched her eyes shut tighter as she felt the inrush of heat.
No flames struck her however. Instead she heard Ursa gasp in surprise. Katara opened her eyes and saw that the flames had been redirected, making a V line straight for the Fire Lady. Grimacing at the incoming blaze, Ursa quickly crossed her arms even further as she stepped back, bending the angle of the flames enough that they formed an X, intersecting right in front of her and passing narrowly by on each side.
The She-Bear began to sweat, her view obscured by the fire. Her bloodshot eyes twitched a few times as she glared at the flames which had turned against her. She could feel an old and all too familiar paranoia starting to claw at the edge of her consciousness.
That was too close! thought Ursa, the nails of one arm beginning to dig at the other, a row of deepening red gashes emerging in their wake. Despite how distant the other bender must have been, they'd easily wrested control of the flames. The will she'd felt within the enemies' bending had been unbelievably strong and focused. She'd barely been able to redirect the flames to save herself. Could that really have been Azula? Whose chi had been so violently unstable and easy to counter-bend before? Who if she'd survived should be severely injured as well? Surely not. Perhaps the Avatar. Or maybe Mother was really…
"Weak as always Mother. You didn't put everything you had behind it," came a challenge from somewhere beyond the flames. "I'll admit I've done some pretty awful things, but never something so over the top as to make someone scream for mercy like that. Congratulations Mother, you've exceeded even my taste for cruelty." Azula had meant to deliver the last line with her customary taunting haughtiness. Ursa could detect an edge of angry indignation underneath it however. It was easy to recognize, it was the tone she herself used when disgusted. For a moment the Fire Lady was struck by the fascination every parent has when they see a part of themselves reflected in their child. But this was no time for such sentiments.
"We sin according to the opportunities our power affords us," replied the Fire Lady, maintaining outer composure despite her increasing internal imbalance. "The only reason you won't burn millions is because Zuko destroyed your airship fleet. One shudders to think what else you'd be capable of if you take the throne."
Katara couldn't believe she was actually relived to hear that familiar condescending tone. Turning her head, Katara saw Azula emerge from the surrounding inferno, the flames roaring away on either side as if in deference to their master. While she looked worse for wear physically, her stride and the dangerous gleam in her eyes radiated her old commanding confidence.
"Azula! Are you all right?"
"Of course I am Witch, I'm not the one screaming like a stuck chicken-swine with her head cut off. [_what_ did she just call me?!] This is no time to be slacking off!" reprimanded the Fire Princess. Katara felt a flush of embarrassment as Azula looked over her fallen form slightly longer than necessary with amusedly affected disgust, as if to say what are you doing still lazing about on the ground anyway?!
"On your feet Witch! Mother's weak enough now that she can't fend us both off at the same time! You take her left, I'll take her right!" Ordered Azula, motioning with a quick jerk of her head and hand signals that she actually intended to take the left, and wanted Katara to circle around behind Ursa.
Katara grimly nodded, heading for the opening Azula created for her in the flames, trying to not think about what she was probably going to soon be culpable to. She didn't like the idea of using lethal force, but that hadn't exactly worked out well for her. And there was no question anymore whether the Fire Lady was fighting no holds barred. Still, she hoped they could somehow end this with out anyone getting killed. The odds were looking increasingly bleak though. It was unnerving that she wasn't sure who that referred to. No, I can't afford to be unsure. I've got to believe in Azula and that I'm doing the right thing. I can't hesitate for a moment.
She didn't exactly like taking orders from the Princess either, but it seemed like trusting in the prodigies' strategic ability offered the best chances for now. She certainly didn't believe either of them stood a chance against the Fire Lady separately. Fire and ice would somehow have to work in harmony.
***
Next:
Chapter 22
Phoenix