A dull orange glow cut across the valley in the early morning hours. Yula stood with her arms clasped behind her back, as she watched her troops attempt to clean up the damage caused several hours ago. The Avatar had certainly done a number on them. Nearly all of the empire's mechas lay in ruin, little more than melted piles of scrap metal, while half the tanks had been either disabled or buried. The airships, meanwhile, had been damaged so far beyond repair they would be lucky to salvage any usable parts. Extensive damage, to be sure, but these armaments were a mere fraction of what the Dragon Empire possessed. In the end, this little attack had done nothing but ensure Zaofu's doom.
"The Avatar did quite a bit of damage," said Avan, taking a long look at the destruction around them.
"Yes, perhaps I underestimated her," she replied. "Still, it's a minor loss in the grand scheme of things. We'll reconvene with our other troops when we're done here."
"Speaking of which..." The Dai Li commander turned a glance towards the domed city. "Shouldn't we be taking Zaofu now?"
Before Yula could respond, another voice called out to her. "Yula!" Shayu ran towards them through a squad of earthbender soldiers attempting to dig out the buried tanks. She heaved out a tired breath when she arrived, doubling over with her hands pressed to her knees. "What on earth happened last night? I heard screaming and explosions. I tried to see what was going on, but your guards wouldn't let me out of my tent."
Yula held a hand to her sister's shoulder. "They were keeping you safe, Shayu. The Avatar and her friends made an attempt on my life last night. Fortunately, we were prepared to deal with them. They might have gotten away, but they won't be giving us anymore problems for now."
"What?" Shayu stared with wide eyes, puzzlement falling over her face. "Why would the Avatar try to kill you?"
"Because she refuses to accept change. While the world evolves, the Avatar remains stagnant. The world will never advance as long as she's there to drag it down."
"So what are you going to do about her?"
"I'll deal with her in time. Right now, we have to finish up here." Yula shifted her attention back to the Dai Li commander. Her expression darkened. "Avan, I want this city gone. Can you do that?"
He nodded. "No problem."
Shayu scrunched her brow together in concern. "Wait, what do you mean 'gone'?"
"Zaofu has become an eyesore," Yula explained, turning a fierce glare towards her sister. "After what they attempted last night, I want to get rid of it. This city was always a mockery of a nation, anyway. It doesn't deserve to remain standing."
"But people live here," Shayu insisted. "This is their home."
Yula scoffed, and reset her attention on Zaofu. The platinum domes gleamed in the early morning sunlight, as if to mock her with their brilliance. "A home they all abandoned. Now, it's nothing but an empty metal shell."
Avan took several steps ahead of the front line of troops. He breathed in deep and widened his stance, thrusting both fists forward. A great fissure split the earth apart in front of him and raced towards the city like an earthen lightning bolt across the ground. When the fissure reached the main dome of the city, it parted further and began to surround the outer sectors, until a gaping crevice opened around the entirety of Zaofu.
Kuvira rubbed her temples. The night had been long, with far too much wasted time after reuniting with Captain Hong Li. They'd been cautious making their way back to Zaofu, careful not to alert any imperial patrols. As far as the Dragon Empire knew, Zaofu had been abandoned. Best to keep it that way, until the security force was safely in the air and on their way out of here. They had all since gathered at the airfield, boarding and prepping airships for takeoff. The sooner they got out of here, the better.
"Alright, is that everybody?" she asked.
Captain Hong Li gave her a firm salute. "Yes, ma'am. Everyone's loaded up and ready to go. Ten airships, all packed to capacity."
"Alright, good. Go join them and get ready for takeoff." Kuvira turned a look towards the nearby control tower. "Go ahead and open the domes!"
Anraq gave her a thumbs-up through the control tower window, and pressed several buttons on the panel in front of himself. When the domes began to open, he hurried out of the tower to rejoin them down below.
"You're certain we won't have to worry about enemy aircraft?" Hong Li asked.
"Unless they can repair exploded engines in a few hours, then yes, you're in the clear," she said. "I'm not sure about anything beyond the valley, though, so be careful. You're still flying through Dragon Empire territory."
"I'll keep that in mind. See you in Republic City."
"Good luck, Captain."
Hong Li gave another salute and ran off to board one of the airships. Kuvira marched towards the back end of the airfield, where Zuko, Korra, and Azula waited along with Druk. Anraq caught up with her a moment later, slowing out of his run to match her stride. Now that the security force was set, they could head towards this ancient city of the Sun Warriors.
A crack of thunder exploded through the valley. A deafening rumble followed, as the entire city began to quake. Kuvira stumbled to catch her balance. Powerful vibrations ripped through the airfield, splitting apart the metal paneling beneath her feet. The glass on the control tower window shattered, and the antenna on its roof snapped in half.
"What in spirits name is that?" Korra said, as she attempted to steady herself.
Azula fell backwards against Druk, using the dragon to stabilize herself. "It's an earthquake, obviously!"
"Uhhh, hey guys? Is it just me, or are those mountains getting taller?" Anraq gazed up at the now half-open domes to see the open world beyond. The mountains behind Zaofu appeared to be growing, looming higher above them by the second.
"They're not getting taller..." Kuvira's eyes snapped open wide with panicked revelation. "We're getting lower. Zaofu is sinking!"
"What?" Korra called. "How is that even possible!"
Kuvira waved her arms at the airship fleet, only half of which had made it into the air so far. "Go! Get those airships out of here, now!" The remaining half soon lifted off the ground. All ten vessels sped towards the opening in the dome, following each one after the other.
Zuko climbed atop Druk's head and waved the others along to get on the dragon's back. "Everyone on, let's move!"
When everyone was seated in place, Druk soared into the air, racing towards one of the gaps in the dome. The quaking intensified, growing more violent the further the city sunk. The various sections of the dome had stalled, unable to open any further at this point. Still plenty of space to squeeze through. They could make it.
Sheer earthen walls began to rise up around the domes, as the ground swallowed Zaofu. A flood of dirt and stone poured in over all sides of the open domes, spilling into the city like massive waterfalls. The airship fleet engaged evasive measures to avoid falling rocks on the way up. The first handful cleared the top without issue, disappearing into the skies. The next few followed. So close. They could still make it.
In the end, not close enough. The final airship in line suffered a direct hit from a falling boulder. Its hull smashed inward and ruptured, causing the vessel to spun wildly on its way back down to the city. The ship crashed in an explosive fireball, only to be buried by a sea of dirt moments later.
"No!" Kuvira screamed, watching the scene with widened eyes. There had been people on that airship. People she knew, people she had worked with, had been friends with. She forced herself to look away, focusing on the open sky above them. "Faster!"
Druk pushed himself through the air, darting expertly around the falling dirt and stone. When at last they emerged free above the ground, the earth closed behind them, swallowing all traces of Zaofu with it. As they gained altitude alongside the remaining nine airships, Kuvira gazed down at the ground below. Avan stood there with his hands raised in the air. He had sunk Zaofu. Yula stood next to him, watching them as they fled. Even from this distance, Kuvira could see the sinister smirk carved across the Dragon Empress' face.
A tight knot bubbled in her throat. She looked back over her shoulder. No more city. Nothing but a barren patch of freshly dug land. Her heart sank, and the bubbling burst with a numb cough. "It's gone... Zaofu is gone."
They continued flying late into the afternoon, until the sun dipped low against the horizon. As Druk's wings began to slow and tire, Zuko guided him down below the treeline of a forest. The dragon landed with an exhausted grunt and curled up in a small clearing, allowing his riders to disembark. Within moments, Druk's breathing steadied and his eyes closed, fast asleep.
Kuvira wandered towards a nearby tree and leaned against it. Her legs buckled, but she managed to hold herself upright.
Korra approached, holding a gentle hand against her backside. "Are you okay?"
"No, I'm not okay," she uttered, with a nauseous quiver. "I was Zaofu's leader. Now it's gone. Not just taken over. Gone. Everything Su worked for, everything she built. I lost it."
"You didn't lose anything," Korra insisted. "Yula did this. This is her fault, not yours."
At last, her legs gave out. Kuvira sank to her knees and leaned against the tree. Her stomach churned, threatening to vomit. "That doesn't make it hurt any less."
Korra sat down beside her and reached out, linking their fingers tightly together. "We'll get through this, Kuvira. Zaofu might be buried, but we can dig it up again. When all this is over. We'll make things right."
"I want to believe that..."
"Then believe it. That won't be the last we see of Zaofu. Avatar's promise."
Kuvira looked to her girlfriend. When their eyes met, the despair in her gut eased the slightest bit, and soon she began to calm. With a gentle sigh, she pressed Korra's hand against her cheek and closed her eyes. "Thank you."
"You know I'm always here for you, right?" Korra said.
She nodded. "I know. I love you."
"I love you, too."
Azula plopped herself on the ground next to Druk and held her arms around her stomach. "Ugh, I'm starving. Do we have anything to eat?"
"Considering the hurry in which we had to leave?" Zuko said. "No, we didn't get a chance to pack any supplies."
"We could always try looking around for some berries or something," Anraq said. "If there's a stream nearby I could get us some fish."
Zuko shook his head. "No stream, but I did see a town a couple miles east. We could always purchase supplies there."
Azula rolled her eyes and huffed a harsh scoff. "Oh yes, brilliant. I'm sure three of the most wanted fugitives of the Dragon Empire can waltz right into town without being noticed. Or the Avatar and the Matriarch of Zaofu. Honestly, Zuzu, I don't know where your head is, sometimes."
Anraq pursed his lips. "She does have a point."
"I didn't mean all of us," Zuko said. "Anraq would have to go."
"Wait, what?" Anraq's eyes widened. "Why me?"
"You're the most unrecognizable of us," he insisted. "Considering your change in appearance."
Azula took a moment to examine Anraq. True, he did look much different than he had while in the Fire Nation. For anyone who didn't know him as well as they did, he could pass as a completely different person. His clean shaven face alone took off at least five years from his appearance. "I suppose he does make a point. If the most updated information they have on you is how you looked as my bodyguard, you could go unnoticed."
"Okay..." Anraq muttered, with a lifted eyebrow. "But what if it isn't?"
"The only time you've been seen since we fled the Fire Nation was yesterday in Zaofu," Zuko insisted. "I believe you're safe."
"Okay, but what if I'm not?"
"Then take this." Zuko reached into the collar of his robe and pulled out the golden dragon whistle. He lifted the chain to which it was attached over his head, and passed it to Anraq. "That will bring Druk straight to you, if you need to make a quick getaway."
Anraq took the whistle and flipped it around in his fingers. Intrigue spread across his face. "Huh, I guess I can't say no to commanding a dragon. Alright, fine, I'll go. Need some new clothes, anyway. Maybe they have some Water Tribe garb for purchase?" He indicated the shredded shirt of his current outfit, and set the chain of the whistle around his neck. With a parting wave, he began his trek through the forest. "If I'm not back in a few hours, send out a search party."
The town that Anraq arrived in was small, nestled between a pair of sheer rock walls outside the forest. While the main area of town sat at ground level, numerous other dwellings had been carved into the sides of cliff faces, each connected by stone walkways that had no doubt been created with earthbending. A peaceful enough place at first glance, but still Anraq stayed on guard.
His concerns only compounded as he made his way along the road through the town entrance. Several imperial soldiers stood watch atop stone outlooks, shifting careful glares towards him. He held his breath on his way through the gate, but fortunately the guards looked away several moments later without incident. A relieved puff of air expelled from his lungs, and he continued through to the center of town. He found a small market, selling everything from fruit, to pottery, jewelry, and clothing. Perfect.
He started at the first clothing store he found. Not a diverse selection overall, with far more Earth Kingdom attire than anything else. Of course, he was in an Earth Kingdom town, so no surprise there. With a little searching, he did manage to find a replacement Water Tribe shirt for the one destroyed in the explosion. Wasn't exactly a Chief Sokka shirt, but better than walking around with his bare chest exposed.
Once he had a new shirt, he stopped in front of a food stand. To the merchant standing behind the counter he said, "Let's see, give me a couple bags of those nuts, some of that boar-q-pine jerky, uhh... that box of bottled water, one of those watermelons, and let's go with a bag of apples."
He didn't buy much in all. They'd only need enough to get them through a few days, or at least until they could make another shop. Hoisting the bags over his shoulder, he bid the merchant a good day and made his way back towards the town's exit. As he rounded the corner of a large wooden building, a trio of posters caught his eye. He focused a stern look at the building. A guard house, from the look of it. He stepped closer, eying the bulletin board out front of the building, specifically the three wanted posters pinned to it. One of Azula, one of Zuko, and one of himself.
Anraq groaned at the sight of them. Yula wasn't kidding around if a little town out in the middle of nowhere was on the lookout for them. At the very least, the picture on his poster was indeed one of him in his Fire Nation appearance, as Azula's bodyguard. With the goatee, topknot, and Fire Nation combat armor, the picture looked nothing like him now, with Water Tribe garb, clean-shaven face, and hair done up in a wolf tail. Sending him into town had been the right call.
"Hey, you."
Anraq stiffened and turned around at the voice. A heavyset man stood behind him, arms folded. "Uh, who, me?"
"Yeah, you." The man's eyes narrowed into a stern glare. "You're not from around here, are you?"
"What makes you think that?"
"The way you're dressed. Don't get too many Water Tribe folk up this way."
Anraq cleared his throat, and casually took a step to the side to shield his wanted poster from view of the other man. Better safe than sorry. "Oh, you know, I'm just passing through. Kind of traveling the world, seeing the sights, finding myself... Boring stuff, really."
The man scoffed. "Well, be careful around these parts. Try to avoid walking by any guard posts, in particular. You might end up finding yourself detained and brought in for questioning as a suspect against the empire. You really don't want that."
"Oh, of course," Anraq said, lifting an eyebrow at the man. Detained and brought in for questioning? Definitely wanted to avoid that. "I mean, thanks, but why are you telling me this?"
"Because I've seen enough people get hurt by those imperial assholes." The man shifted a glance down the street, where a pair of Dragon Empire soldiers patrolled. "They're supposed to be here to add security to the town, and protect us, or whatever, but they're just a bunch of thugs who think they can do whatever they want." He scoffed again, and looked back at the guard station behind Anraq. "I used to be the sheriff around here, and that used to be my sheriff station. Now it's property of the Dragon Empire. They didn't need me around anymore, so here I am, out of a job and forced to watch the town I love fall to shit."
"Oh, well, I'm sorry to hear that."
The man held out one of his hands. "Name's Taw."
Anraq reached out to shake the man's hand. "I'm, uh... Sokka. Yeah, Sokka."
"Well, pleasure to meet you, Sokka. Just remember what I told you, and stay safe out there." Taw gave a parting salute and made his way down the street out of sight.
When Taw was gone, Anraq turned around again and gave the wanted posters one last look. He huffed out a deep sigh before finally continuing his march out of town. How much longer would those posters be up? How much longer until they stopped Yula and her empire? Would they even be able to stop her at all? Those impossible to answer questions gnawed at him the entire walk back into the forest. By the time the town disappeared from view, he had come up with a dozen new questions to worry himself. He really had to stop doing that.
Shortly after entering the forest, Anraq slowed his stride with a squint of concern. Footsteps that were not his own plodded along the road behind him, joined by a few incoherent grunts and snorts. Great, he was being followed. Turning around, he noticed five Dragon Empire guards standing there, ten paces away.
"Oh boy. Let me guess, you want my money?" With a sigh, he leaned down to set his bags on the ground. Better get this over with. "Unfortunately, I just spent the last of it on all this food. I guess I could let the apples go, but you'll have to fight me if you want the jerky."
One of the guards took a step forward. "You don't look like you belong around these parts. See, the empire has a very strict policy about suspicious looking individuals. We're gonna have to take you in for questioning."
"I dunno," said a second guard. "He doesn't look like he knows anything."
"Yeah, you're probably right," replied the first. He held out one of his fists, igniting a flaming dagger into his grasp. "Might as well cut to the fun part."
"Oh, so we're jumping straight to the cliché 'asshole guards' routine, huh? Alright, well don't say I didn't warn you." Anraq reached into the collar of his shirt and pulled out the dragon whistle Zuko had given him. "Now, before you get all excited and attack how about you try... this!" He blew the whistle as hard as he could, unleashing a shrill, nearly silent squeal of air. Letting the whistle go, he folded his arms across his chest and smirked. "Wait for it... wait for it..." He allowed several moments to linger, and dramatically pointed his finger towards them. "Now!"
Nothing happened. The guards glanced back and forth at each other, brows scrunching with confusion. They shrugged, and shook their heads, having no idea what Anraq was doing.
"Huh..." Anraq held the whistle again and squinted at it. "Maybe this thing's broken. Let me try again." He blew it a second time and waited, but still nothing.
"What's he doing?" one of the guards asked, turning a questioning look to the one at the head of the group.
"Hold on, I got this," Anraq insisted. He blew the whistle a third time, and again waited. "Just a second."
The lead guard groaned, and pointed his fiery dagger forward. "Who cares? Just get him!"
Anraq rolled his eyes and let the whistle fall back to his neck. So much for that. Oh well. Might be a little fun to knock their heads in. As he shifted into his bending stance, a dark shadow descended from above. Druk landed in front of him with a mighty roar, unleashing a jet of flames across the ground. The advancing guards immediately turned tail and ran in the opposite direction, screaming the entire way.
Anraq tilted his head back and let out a delighted laugh. "Oh man, that just doesn't get old." He gave the dragon a firm pat, and retrieved the supplies he'd set on the ground. "Come on, Druk, let's get back to camp."
