I think I'll find another way
There's so much more to know
I guess I'll die another day
It's not my to go
--Die Another Day, Madonna
Mrs. Yoji continued to dig her way through the rocky wall at a slow distance. But even at slow and steady she still took frequent breaks. With a low grumble in her voice she tapped the floor of the tunnel to test her surroundings and regain her bearings.
"It seems our hard work has paid off," she said. "The edge of the cliff is a hundred yards ahead of us and the pressure against the surface has- erm has abstained." A silence followed her words as they all realized what that meant. "I am sorry for your loss, Ying. I'm…"
The awkward silence continued as words failed the woman. Still leaning against the side of the tunnel, Gakuto-Oki broke the silence with a slight cough as he shifted his weight forward.
"Mrs. Yoji, of all the woman I have met, I have to say that you are the most boring. But I think it is time we surfaced given the circumstances."
"Hmmph, I certainly agree but you'll pay for that joke dear."
With the remainder of her strength, Mrs. Yoji struck her fingers into the ceiling at an angle. She then stomped the ground and kick at the area she had struck. From the surface a cylindrically shaped chunk of rock shot out flying over the cliff's edge. As the tunnel's occupants surfaced they shielded their eyes from the blinding sunlight. Gakuto-Oki was the first to look back upon the temple to find it barren. He turned to console Ying but found only a hardened blood-stained face.
Still heaving from the strain, Mrs. Yoji motioned to Ying. "I… want you too… check for…sur-"
"It is brainless to even suggest that anybody could ever survive while caught in that."
Everybody turned to see a haughty boy with a young woman standing next to him. The woman obviously looked unhappy.
"They are gone forever," continued the boy. "They have been completely purged from their existence. You would even be lucky to find any remains. Okay, maybe somebody's remains."
The boy stepped away from where he was standing to reveal Siam's body lying next to an unconscious teenage boy. Mrs. Yoji gasped and started coughing hard.
The boy began to laugh in a sickly manner. But then he grabbed his head in pain. Shaking it off, he looked up with a smile but on a pale face.
"C-contrary to belief, she isn't dead. No… I have thought of a better idea for her. She shall live with the knowledge she has gained and the friends she has lost. Speaking of which, here they come now. River if you please…"
The girl twirled her staff open and flew away but not before grabbing the still smiling boy and the sleep teenager. As they escaped a volley of flaming arrows chased after them only to miss.
Suddenly a torrent of fire-nation soldiers scrambled over the cliffs edge and surrounded Mrs. Yoji, Ying, and Gakuto-Oki. Some produced balls of flame while others posed ready to strike with their spears. The ranks then parted allowing a female soldier threw the rows of soldiers surrounding the group. She took note of the captives then walked up to Gakuto-Oki who was lying on the ground.
"Where is the girl Siam? The one who murdered the inhabitants of the Western and Northern temple."
"Lieutenant Ma'am," said a soldier running up. "We found the girl lying unconscious on the ground, over there. We looked for the crystal but found only the necklace. Whether it was destroyed, taken or lost is unknown."
"Very well sergeant, bring her here and put her with the rest of the captives. What about the traitor," she continued turning again to Gakuto-Oki. "Were did the traitor fly off to?"
"If you mean that boy and the schizophrenic girl... Actually I do not know their current destination."
The female soldier knelt on one knee and looked him right in the eyes. "If I melted that caste of yours then would you be able to tell me."
Gakuto-Oki shook his head disgust. "If you melt the caste on my leg then it will start bleeding profusely and I will be very peeved and in pain. In any case I have no useful information regarding that boy except that his deeds are wicked and disregard human life… just as you are, ma'am."
"Hah ha ha. I like this man. It is a shame that he is a suspect. But enough of this sour treatment Lieutenant."
A man wearing red armor with black designs stepped through the lines. On his side was a hand and a half sword and a small dagger and on his shoulders he wore the rank of commander. He took off his helmet to reveal a scar slashed through his eye.
"Commander Tseng," said the female soldier. "The only people ever to survive disasters like this are the ones who committed it. He must have some intelligence that we could use."
"He may but I believe that he is telling the truth. Through experience you'll find true judgment of a man's words." The commander then turned to one of the soldiers "You, take your squad and follow the traitors movements. Find out what direction he is headed in and send a messenger hawk if he changes course."
The soldier snapped to attention and saluted his superior then signaled his men to move out.
The commander then turned his attention back toward the main situation at hand. "Lieutenant, I am putting the little boy in your charge. Take him back to the outpost and see that his wound is taken care of. After that food, bath, etc."
The Lieutenant glumly carried out the task she was given and lead off the small boy with several soldier trailing behind her.
"And you sir," said the commander pointing to Gakuto-Oki. "From your little speech a second ago I take it that you are a doctor. We shall see to it that you are given what you need to fix yourself up but I am afraid that you and um…"
"Mrs. Yoji will do just fine," said Mrs. Yoji in a peeved voice.
"My apologizes for the trouble we're causing you but it cannot be helped. Doctor you and Mrs. Yoji will be put in our holding cell until we can question you in a more… professional manner. And as for the mysterious girl… I want the medical stretcher brought and she carried to the infirmary. I shall accompany her and not let her out of my sight. It was bad enough she escaped the first time. Lastly men I want you to escort our guest back and assist them if they need it. And when I mean guest, I mean that if I hear of any misconduct it will either be your uniform or your life. Dismissed."
The soldiers carried out their orders and proceeded back down the mountain. Gakuto-Oki was offered a stretcher to which he refused assuring that his condition was stable. The remaining inhabitants of the mountain left leaving the mountain deadly silent. The halls of the temple that were once filled with the sound of joyful children and the humming of monks reaching nirvana were now filled with the hollow wind whistling through the mountains.
Author's Notes: Sorry for the wait… it took me a while to think up a couple parts for this portion of the book. So the wait is finally over but I think I'm going only a couple a week. Hoped you liked it. Please review (bows) thank you.