Here is the thirty-ninth chapter in Book 4 released on schedule. This is the final chapter in the Assault on the Northern Air Temple arc and is the battle that has been building since the end of the first chapter. However, there isn't much else to say here, the rest will be at the end, so just sit back and enjoy the 39th chapter in the fourth installment of Avatar: The Tale of Harry. Book 4: Family.
Disclaimer: As always I own nothing related to these two great works of fiction.
Chapter 39
Dominique stood on the top of Lahima's Peak looking out towards the Northern Air Temple and the approaching Principate forces in the distance as she waited to see if James would honor her challenge. She knew that he would, honor dictated that he accept. James would have no choice given how she had ensured that everyone heard her challenge. The only question was could she survive the duel.
As certain as she'd been with everyone back in the radio room, Dominique wasn't actually sure about that. While it was true that she was a trained warrior who began training before she entered the Elemental Academy and had spent her entire adult life in the Southern Army as part of her preparation for Chiefhood, she was still at a disadvantage in this fight. Against pretty much any other opponent she might have the edge, or at least a 50/50 chance of winning if they were at her level, James that was a different matter though.
James was also a warrior who had spent his adult life in the military, the Imperial Army to be precise and had been a commando and leader of a Terra Team at that showing his skill as that was not an easy command to achieve. He was just as highly trained, if not more so, than Dominique as she was not a commando though she did consider herself comparable to one. James was also an earthbender of the highest caliber with only one being his equal and that was the Avatar, and they were on earth.
That was why she had ensured that they would duel with blades, but Dominique didn't doubt that it would deteriorate to bending at some point. Had they been on the ice sheets of the poles then she would have the advantage as she was second only to her Uncle Ron in terms of waterbending skill now that her father was gone, but they were atop a mountain, so the elemental advantage lay with James. He was also a male and as such naturally much stronger than her, but Dominique's better agility should balance that out.
The only true advantage she had was her continued training. James had spent 7 years in prison following his heinous crimes that turned out to be tied to the rise of the Principate. While in prison, the Earthbending Supermax Prison to be precise, James would not have had much chance to train in his cell, though he would have been able to work out at least so his strength would still be there. Dominique had spent that time improving her combat.
That was why, overall, James probably had the edge because of his elemental advantage but that was it. Dominique should be able to hold her own against him and that was the main goal. She was the only one who could do it, that was why she was here. This was her role in today's battle.
All Dominique had to do was survive long enough for her friends to come rescue her while she distracted James. It gave the defenders of the Temple a chance of at least inflicting serious damages to the Principate forces before they retreated such that their victory was too costly to justify. There were a lot of ifs in her plan and Dominique knew that fate was not on her side, but she would make sure that she went down fighting, any warrior of the South would.
Dominique couldn't tell if the battle had started yet, she was too far away to see more than the Temple, but that hardly mattered. She had just seen a small machine flying towards her position. It took her a moment to recognize that it was a hummingbird suit, one of the most advanced machines in the world and critical to aerial combat. It was dark green with a golden laurel wreath in the center meaning that it was a Principate hummingbird. That meant that James had arrived.
Dominique just stood, stone faced and ready to face her childhood best friend, her sword still sheathed at her side, as the hummingbird came in for a landing. It gracefully touched down on the edge of the peak, a maneuver that only a skilled pilot could make, and the top hatch opened with an audible whoosh of air.
With a simple flip, James leapt out of the bird and land in a crouch on Lahima's Peak, his bending likely absorbing the impact, but Dominique could see any damage to the ground. As soon as he was out of the machine, the hatch closed and it lifted off to hover away from the cliff, likely there to rely orders back to James's flagship. Dominique had a radio with her, but she doubted she would be able to use it once the duel began.
James slowly stood and smirked at Dominique across the flat mountain top. It was a smirk she knew from their training days he always had before he did something he was looking forward to. That meant that he was taking this seriously, which was both a good sign as he'd honor the blade requirement, and bad because he would give it his all to beat her. It was an honor in its own right, a testament to his respect for Dominique's skill, and she would make sure he earned his victory today.
They were on the higher part of the staggered peak, the one where Korra had been defeated and taken captive by Zaheer 130 or so years ago. James's hands were by his sides and she could see the black glove that he wore on his left hand to hide the fact that it was actually metal and not flesh. It was a disfigurement James had suffered when Harry had been forced to duel and arrest him almost 8 years ago now. That was the only duel Dominique knew James had lost and the hand was a permanent reminder of that.
Other than that, James wore the now distinctive, dark green, greatcoat that came to his metal booted ankles. Under it, Dominique could see a simple green tunic and matching military style pants and she assumed that he had some sort of armor on under his clothes. Any metalbender would and James was the best of the best when it came to metal, so he had to have armor on.
The one big difference was that unlike the rest of the Principate forces, James did not have a laurel wreath on his chest the way his soldiers and Uniques did. No in his case it was an actual platinum laurel wreath the circled his head, his crown as signifying that he was the Princeps. A single axe, a departure from his usual duel wield style, hung at his hip, waiting to be used.
All in all, James cut a striking, tall, regal figure but Dominique knew he had always done it, she'd seen it firsthand growing up and had even looked up to him as a model for leadership and inspiration given her own destiny. That memory now caused her shame as the boy she'd been inspired by was now a monster willing to do whatever to win. That said, Dominique could see why he commanded such authority, authority he backed up with his abilities.
"Dom, what a pleasure to see you here." James said still smirking as he slowly approach but made no move to attack. "I got your message and how could I say no to my dear cousin's request. I haven't seen you is so long, but it feels fitting that this would be our first meeting since my arrest."
"I made sure you couldn't avoid coming here." Dominique growled hating that he used her childhood nickname, one only he and Victoire ever used for her. "You would have been a coward had you refused to face me. Your soldiers know how good you are but if they know anything about your enemies then they will know how good I am as well. They would expect no less."
"True you did do that, something I would expect from you and why I have always respected you Dom." James said simply and despite the situation Dominique knew it was the truth and couldn't help but feel a little pride at that even if she quashed it with her anger a moment later. "And a clever one at that. Father tried to do it twice before, once with Voldemort and once with Hermione, so it is a valid tactic."
"One that seldom works." Dominique said. "But here you are as I knew you would be."
"I am different from the others who have been called out." James said. "It sort of worked with Voldemort, at least he had the sense to come and face the Avatar but only after he had sent an army to soften him up. The latter was a coward who refused to face dad and cost countless lives because of it. I am no coward and I trust my forces to take the Temple and bring it into the warm embrace of the Global Principate while I show them that I am the stronger warrior against one of the few who are almost my equal. As such I am here for you cousin."
After everything James had done, he was no longer her cousin. The cousin she had grown up with, was best friends with, went to the Elemental Academy with and served as the Head Girl to his position as Head Boy with, the man who she had cross trained with during their days in their respective militaries and who she would never admit she'd fallen in love with was no longer alive. That last part was a secret she'd take to the grave given their relation but seeing him again reminded Dominique of her shameful feelings towards him. Thankfully, that James no longer existed.
In his place was a ruthless, cold, monster who killed without compunction or remorse and all to advance his twisted world view. Dominique didn't know how James had become the way he was, but he had, and he was too far gone to be saved. He'd proven that when he'd killed Albus. She had to stop him by any means necessary, if she could.
"Don't call me cousin, you lost that right years ago." Dominique snapped at James. "Back when you slaughtered a whole fucking town and all because they killed your second in command."
"Warmsley was brutally murdered in an ambush by enemies to my cause." James said, his calm demeanor slightly cracking. "They went from civilians to enemy combatants in that moment and I did what I had to to ensure swift and fair justice. Plus, it aided the Principate in the long run as it sped up my plans exponentially."
"Yes, you spread your twisted, warped ideology faster and then used it to take over the world." Dominique said. "I wonder what the people think of your countless crimes."
"They know that I have allocated for them and taken responsibility for what I did in the past." James said with a smile that unnerved Dominique. "That is all they care about. I am leading the world into peace and prosperity for centuries to come. There will be growing pains, but my sacrifices now will be beneficial in the long run. When I am done the results will speak for themselves."
"So, the ends justify the means then?" Dominique asked trying to keep the horror and sadness from her voice. "Because I remember a time when you would never subscribe to that idea."
"Back when I was naïve I agreed with that, but I know now that they do and as such I will do whatever it takes to achieve what is best for humanity." James said and Dominique knew he fully believed it. "A new world must be born from blood; it is only natural. It takes great men and women to know what needs to be done and are willing to do whatever it takes to ensure it. I have given up my soul and humanity to ensure that countless generations benefit. I will be deified for my actions when they are realized. You think other great leaders didn't do what I did on their path to unity?"
"Only the monsters and tyrants did that." Dominique said shaking her head unable to believe how far James had fallen and knowing that there was no hope for him, he was a true zealot now. "You are no different from the rest of them. Even the monsters of recent history used the same logic as you do. The only difference between you and Hermione is that you aren't a fucking coward and are willing to expand by force rather than hide and oppress those stuck under you."
"One person's monster is another's hero." James said clearly not effected by her insult at all. "Of course, the narrow-minded fools will make such comparisons between me and true monsters but so be it. If I must be a monster for the greater good then I will be that monster. I know that I am the savior the world needs and that my record will speak for itself when the dust settles."
"Only if you win." Dominique said knowing that her heart was broken hearing what James had become. "And I will not let that happen even if it costs me my life."
"It doesn't have to be that way." James said his voice softening showing the kindness that Dominique had known growing up. "You know me Dom, you were my best friend before all this. We helped each other grow and accept our destinies together, we could again. Join me and be on the correct side of history. You are talented, smart, and powerful, you could do well under me. Together we can make this world the best it could possibly be."
"I will never serve you." Dominique spat, disgusted at the offer and at James emotional ploy to their former friendship. "I only serve my people, the people of the South, and if necessary the world like I am now. You already have your fucking puppet there. I will never bow to you."
"I expected as much." James said with a sigh. "You are too strong to do that, it's one of the many qualities I always admired about you Dom. You are a born leader and in any other time you would have been a great Chief but alas you came about when the world was changed for the better. I thought I would at least offer and see if you would join me. I have Molly, she is a good cousin unlike the rest of you. She knew her place and how I was going to win so she joined me and has been rewarded for it."
"You recruited her to your cause early on didn't you." Dominique said trying to keep her anger at bay, she needed to be clear headed for the duel. "I saw what she's become. When this is over and you are in the ground or a cell without your bending, I will return to the South and reclaim my Throne. When I do, I will take Molly's head for her treason, if I am still alive by then."
"Naturally, you would do that, but you won't live past this day, so it is immaterial." James said without emotion and it chilled Dominique's blood to hear him talk like that. "As for Molly, she was the easiest of my Governors to convince. She was the only nonbender in the family, a podgy outsider looked down upon and pitied by the family. She thirsted for power and seethed with anger. It was easy bringing her over to the Principate. She showed her loyalty when she ensured that her part of the family wouldn't be a threat. Now she is where she always wanted."
"Yes, I know, I was there when she barged in, admitted to killing her own immediate family, and was part of the group that killed my father." Dominique growled. "I saw her treason first hand which is why I will make sure she pays. Then again you don't give a shit about all the death you have caused the family, do you?"
"Death is inevitable, warriors like us all accept that, and when there is war and the birth of a new nation it will happen even more frequently." James said though for the first time Dominique heard a hint of regret in his voice, but she didn't trust it. "I am saddened that almost my entire family, yourself included, couldn't see the light that I bring the world but alas y'all don't. All the deaths bar your father's are on your hands for not joining me and my noble Principate."
"Why not my dad's?" Dominique said as she tried to control herself. "What made him special?"
She knew that James was goading her, but she had to get answers. Of all the death and destruction that James had caused, her father's hurt the most. She had to know why. She could guess but she had to hear it from James's mouth to be sure and to know that James was truly gone. That way her hand wouldn't hesitate to take his life if it came to it.
"Because I did order his death." James said with as if it was nothing. "I had to order the deaths of all World Leaders so as to make my path to victory easier as I could replace them with my loyal Governors. Bill was a World Leader and had to be eliminated. I didn't expect Molly to kill her family, she was only ordered to incapacitate them, but I'm not complaining. The goal was to capture y'all and eventually convince you or at least ransom you in exchange for my victory. Only Bill was to die but alas y'all ruined it and now at least 6 members of the family are dead."
"You should have known that we will not let ourselves be taken alive." Dominique said as she felt her anger settle into a deadly calm, the calm before the storm of battle as James words had confirmed he was gone and now she could face him without seeing her best friend but the monster he now was. "Then again, you must have known that when Albus stayed behind to face you on that train. He was not going to let you take him alive Of all the death you have caused, the most horrific is that you killed your own brother."
"I did not kill Albus, he killed himself with his own foolish actions." James snapped angrily and Dominique was glad that she had finally gotten through to him with something. "He chose to stay on that train, he chose to fight me knowing that he had no hope in a battle against me, he chose to take the train and my weapon with him rather than save himself. I did not kill Albus."
"Whatever helps you sleep at night I guess." Dominique said at James's rationalization for killing Albus as she slowly moved into a fighting stance. "Before we fight, answer me one thing James. What happened? How did you become like this?"
"You mean how did I become the Princeps and the herald of a new nation that will bring true peace and balance to the world?" James asked back. "Or are you more curious as to how I am capable of the things I have done to create, establish and maintain the Principate?"
"How did the boy I knew and grew up with become a monster and a tyrant who has strayed so far from his father's teachings that he is no longer recognizable." Dominique countered as she fought back tears that she'd been holding in ever since she learned that James was the Princeps and responsible for so much death and destruction. "What happened to my best friend?"
"I was always like this Dom." James said with a shrug, dismissing her out of hand and further driving his metaphorical dagger into her heart. "I grew up the son of the Avatar, constantly in his shadow and being compared to him and his great achievements, two of which came by the time he was 20. No matter how much I stood out, no matter how talented I was with metalbending or the fact that I surpassed him at it, I was always just my father's eldest, albeit best, child."
"The James I knew never saw his father that way." Dominique said shocked out of her pain at the revelation. "I knew of Albus's struggles, as a waterbender and a mentor in the Water House I saw it in him. I wish I'd done more for him, but I didn't, and I regret that. You though, you were never resentful the way Albus was."
"You only didn't realize because I kept a good façade even around you." James said. "I wish I could have told you, I really did, but you had your own shit to deal with, so I used that as a cover and helped you out during the Constitutional Crisis. Other than that, I did well in school, and, as you pointed out, I had the advantage of Albus strained relationship with dad to cover me, but I was always in his shadow. I needed a path, a goal, a direction to go in so that I could truly prove myself to be more than the son of the Avatar and change the world for the best. I needed to exceed my dad."
"Well, you failed in that." Dominique said gesturing around her the tears now falling but she didn't care. "I wish you had told me; I would have helped you the way you were there for me when I needed it during the Crisis and after Victoire's abdication of her claim but in the end you let it fester and drive you to the extremes it seems. You have now plunged the world into imbalance. You have started the worst war in centuries and have killed Spirits know how many people in the process. You really failed to change the world or follow your father's legacy."
"Oh, contraire my dear cousin." James said with a smirk that infuriated Dominique and showed again to her how the boy she loved and the man before her were not the same person. "I have done the exact opposite of what you claim. I have balanced the world. When this war is over, I will have accomplished what no Avatar has ever done before, true peace and balance. I have not only followed what my father wanted but made the world better, even if he didn't realize what he meant. I have truly exceeded him."
"What do you mean?" Dominique asked confused but no less enraged by what James was saying. "The Avatar would never sanction this; he would never advocate for, or endorse, something like the Principate."
"Ah but he did just that almost 18 years ago, on the day our Uncle Ron was sworn in as President of the United Republic." James said with a grin. "Right after the Unholy Triumvirate incident where I got my first true taste of battle and my first kill as Johannes was dead before Ron killed him. It was on that day that father spoke of unity, of bringing the world together for the better. I realized that day, watching my father speak to how the Unholy Triumvirate had shown one thing we could learn from them, unity, that true balance could only be accomplished through unity, unity of the whole world."
"That's what you took away from the speech?" Dominique said her eyes wide at it, she had been there for it as well and hadn't taken what James had taken from it. "I was present as well and I know that the Avatar was not advocating for the unification of the world, just greater cooperation between the nations."
"He may not have realized the full scope of his message, my father is like that at times, but I did." James said. "Sure, it took a lot of thinking about the meaning of the Avatar's message and studying to codify my new path but once I had realized it, but I knew I had to set out on it and make it a reality. I knew that it wouldn't be easy and would have to be accomplished via subtly, trickery, patience, and guile before I could make my move, but I had the journals and books of Pyrites to teach me how to achieve it."
"The fact that you used the journals of a Death Eater shows that you were in the wrong." Dominique said.
"Really?" James asked. "And have you not studied Pyrites's writing as well? You have clearance to see them, and I know that they are used to train rulers in the art of information gathering and spy craft. Just because he was a sociopathic asshole who cared only for his own ass doesn't mean that there wasn't things he couldn't teach us."
"While it is true that in my education I have read them and studied them to see if his tactics could be used for good against evil, I would never use his lessons to do what you did." Dominique shot back hating that James was right about Pyrites's journals, they were a useful tool that she had been required to study. "And I know for a fact that he never advocated for mass slaughter like you did. He didn't oppose it, he was a fucking Death Eater, but what you did was not what Pyrites preached."
"A true leader uses more than one tactic; we both know that as we are both true leaders Dom." James said, and Dominique knew he was right on that front as well. "My actions that fateful day 7 and a half years ago were in part unplanned but once I realized I'd fucked up I used it as the catalyst I needed to ensure that I could accomplish my mission. When I am done, I will of course record how I achieved it, spun correctly of course, so that all may know what I did to unify the world into the Global Principate under the guidance of one leader, the Princeps. Me."
"Very well." Dominique said, accepting that he was truly gone and knowing she wouldn't get anything better from him other than the rantings of a zealot. "Let's see if you can honor you pledge to fight me without bending. We are done talking James. It's time to fight."
"I take it that you will not reconsider my offer and join me Dom." James said as he finally took a fighting stance, his hand on the hilt of his axe. "And I will honor your terms, I have done so before and will do so again. Honor is important and I am a man of honor."
"I will never join you." Dominique spat. "The James I once fell in love with is now dead, so I have no problems killing you now."
With that she attacked in the brief moment of shock her words caused. However, instead of drawing her new sword and charging, Dominique instead tried for some trickery as a hope to win the fight early while keeping her honor for the moment.
She went for her sword but instead of grabbing the hilt, she grabbed one of the small throwing knives that had been made with the leftover ivory and sheathed with the sword and threw it. She had been trained in throwing knives, so the throw was instinctual though the unfamiliar weight of the ivory threw her off a little.
Of course, James's reaction was also instinctual the moment when he realized the duel had begun. He instantly raised his hand to bend it away, a reflex from years of training that Dominique had expected, but that didn't work seeing as the blade was not made of metal. The throw had been slightly off due to the lighter weight of the ivory knife and instead of striking James, the blade merely sailed past his hand and cut a line into his upper arm. It wasn't deep but Dominique could see that it drew blood which was a surprise and a good start.
"Clever." James growled as he drew his axe and began to run at her. "Not using metal so I can't bend your weapons, but it won't save you however."
"We shall see." Dominique said as she drew her new sword and charged yelling a war cry as she ran.
They met in the center of the peak as James's axe crashed into her ivory sword with a thud and not the usual clang of metal on metal. Instantly Dominique knew that the sword wouldn't hold for long, especially against someone of James's skills and raw strength. The force of the blow chipped the sword, but it held as they locked blades, their strength pushing against each other for a moment.
"Interesting." James said she he looked at the blade then to Dominique, his cold brown eyes boring into her icy blue ones as they pushed against each other. "A clever idea using ivory for your blade to counter my abilities, not that I would have used them in this duel as I agreed to blades. Shame it will not work though. You know I am stronger than you do."
"Yes, you have already tried to bend, even if it was instinctual." Dominique grunted as she tried to hold the lock but was already feeling James's strength winning. "It will do its job though."
With that Dominique felt the lock break and knew that she would lose if she didn't disengage immediately. She let James push her and used that momentum to flip backwards and put some distance between them while aiming her booted foot at James's chin. She missed and felt the blade swing just under legs, close enough to flutter her pants. The fight was on.
James followed up his attack with a swipe from his axe that would have bisected her pressing his advantage the moment she landed. Dominique bent back and allowed the blade to pass over her face, missing her nose by millimeters, and then she spun using her lithe frame to her advantage. She was trying to get behind James and bring her blade down on his back, but he had anticipated the move and quickly got his axe behind him to deflected her attack away.
Dominique was not going to be deterred. She was going to press her advantaged. She pushed forward, using her sword's narrowness and maneuverability to her advantage as she forced James onto the defensive with a flurry of quick, precise strikes from multiple angles. It worked and for a moment James was temporarily on the defensive as he countered each of the strikes with either his axe or his metal hand when he couldn't get his axe up to prevent the vicious attack.
When the blades clashed there was no ring or sparks from the contact due to the different materials. There was no way Dominique could describe the sound because it wasn't one that she had ever heard as the ivory struck the metal. There was of course the consistent chips of ivory that were dislodged with every block but that was it and that would become a problem in time.
There was another problem as well and Dominique didn't know which would fuck her first. James knew that she couldn't maintain the duel for a long time. They had spared together to many times for him to not know her style and how she relied on quick, precise moves with high mobility to win. It usually worked but if she couldn't win in the opening minutes then she tired quickly and would lost.
James had clearly been expecting this and was adjusting his strategy, sticking to a more defensive one to ensure she would tire out or her blade broke, whichever came first. Dominique needed a new strategy and she needed it fast.
Dominique retreated slightly to put distance between herself and James as she tried to gather her thoughts and breath with the rest bit. The attack hadn't lasted long, though with their verbal exchange to start with she had no idea what was going on with the battle at the Temple, but already she was feeling the fatigue her style caused when she couldn't win quickly.
While she was in shape and could hold her own in a battle, her fighting style had always been predicated on speed and agility to make up for her limited strength. She was top tier by female standards but most men with her level of training were stronger, so she had to win with her own advantages and not fight like a man.
That meant that she used a lot of energy to end the fight quickly, but James knew her too well and had matched her perfectly and now she was tiring. Meanwhile James didn't look like he had lost any breath as he smirked at her, taunting her by indulging her moment of rest. Dominique needed to end this, and she had to do it with force which unfortunately wasn't her forte.
With a yell, Dominique charged and then did something that all her instructors had told her to never do in a duel, she leapt into the air and brought her sword into both her hands for a powerful overhand strike right onto James's head. It was an insanely risky attack that might work and break James's defenses and allow her to at least wound him unless he decided to fuck his honor and use metalbending to kill her. He didn't but that didn't mean that the attack worked either.
No, her gamble failed. Spectacularly. Still in the air and above James, Dominique brought the blade down with all her strength and used the strike to flip over him as he raised his axe in intercept it, a little shocked from her reckless attack. Dominique's blade must have been cracked already or maybe she had underestimated her own strength. Whatever the case her blade met James's and shattered as she pushed all her strength into the attack, peppering James with harmless pieces of ivory.
The shattering also threw Dominique off her momentum and sent her crashing to the ground rather than finishing her flip on her feet as planned. Instinct took over and she rolled, turned, rose to one knee, and let muscle memory take over.
The battle was effectively over without her blade so fuck honor now, she needed to survive long enough to be rescues. She sent a jet of water from her waterskin right into James's gut at full force with all her power as he turned to face her, though she didn't have time to freeze it into a spike.
James for his sake took it in stride, as if expecting it. He flipped back with the water and pushing off the ground with his earthbending to mitigate some of the attack. While in midair, and upside down, he flicked with his free, artificial, hand. Dominique realized too late that James had summoned a rock and sent it right at her. It crashed into her chest and sent Dominique flying backwards.
Thankfully, it hadn't been at full speed, James's position meant that he couldn't put all his power into his bending. That was the only good thing. It was still a fucking rock that hit her cleanly in the chest. The wind was driven from Dominique's lungs as she was thrown back, hitting the rocky ground hard and rolling and bouncing along it like a rag doll.
She thought that she might roll off the side of the mountain and fall to her death, but she felt herself slam back first into a small rock wall before she felt the mountain fall away. The force of the impact drove what little breath was left from her and she heard an audible crack before her left shoulder flared with pain. The impact held her there for a moment, her mouth wide as the air left her, before finally it ended.
Dominique flopped to the grown and gasped in pain, more pain than she'd ever been in in her life. She was winded, bruised, battered and had at least one broken bone but judging by the pain in her chest she'd at least cracked a few ribs. Still, she was alive and had been saved from falling off the edge of the mountain. That could only mean one thing. James wanted to end this personally and had saved her from going over the edge. At least he had the honor to look her in the eye when he killed her.
Dominique grunted in pain as she pushed herself up enough to be in a half sitting position and look over to where James was. He was standing a fair distance away, his right arm up as if he had just finished his bending. His axe was on the ground next to him. He was wet and panting a bit, likely from her sudden waterbending attack, but he was otherwise fine.
James extended his metal hand to his axe and it shot into his hand with his bending before he lightly tossed it to his real hand. With the axe in hand, he began to slowly walk towards her showing no signs of injury.
"I will give it to you Dom, you gave me a really good fight." James said with an appreciative nod. "The best anyone in the family has given me during the war but I have spared with you many times before so I knew you would. Alas, your blade was not strong enough as expected and you failed, though I would have outlasted you regardless. I also knew that you would bend in the end and given your lack of a weapon, I will not take it as a breach of honor that you used your waterbending. It freed me up to bend back. Now I have you at my mercy."
Dominique tried to speak but she couldn't get the air into her lungs at the moment as every breath hurt to take. At least she couldn't taste blood so that meant that she hadn't punctured a lung. It was a small mercy with her death imminent. James was closing in on her, idly swinging his axe as he walked.
"Don't speak, I know you can't right now." James said shaking his head. "I will make your death quick and painless. Contrary to what you think, I am no monster; I do not relish killing. It is a necessity, and while I have no compunction or regret in it, I take no pleasure in it either. It is time to die Dominique, you were a worthy opponent, but you pose to much of a threat to be kept alive. I will look at you as I kill you though, you earned that, and I don't want to forger what I've been forced to do today. Goodbye dear cousin and for what it's worth, I don't relish killing my best friend."
James had been walking as he spoke, looking her in the eye the entire time, and had just reached her when he finished. Without emotion he raised his axe above his head and swung it down to deliver the killing blow that would take her head from her shoulders.
"NO!" Dominique yelled closing her eyes as she raised her left hand to, pain flaring in injured shoulder, to stop the blade, bending anything she could in her desperation to stay alive.
There was pain, that was expected, but after a second Dominique realized that she was still alive. Opening her eyes Dominique looked up and stared in disbelief at what she saw. Her left hand was up despite the broken shoulder, James's axe biting deep into her palm and causing blood to run down her forearm and drip onto the earth. However, that was not what surprised her. No that was reserved for James.
He was standing there looking down at her with a look of shock and pain on his face. He was entirely rigid and struggling to move his axe, or any part of his body, but he couldn't move a muscle. That was when she realized why he wasn't moving and there was a strange feeling deep inside her. There was only one explanation, she was bloodbending him and doing it without the aid a moon, let alone a full moon.
As soon as she realized what she had done, her desperation allowing her to bloodbend James despite the lack of a boost to her bending, Dominique felt the intoxicating power of it. Naturally, she had studied the theory of bloodbending but actually doing it was something else. She literally had James's life in her hands and the power and pleasure it gave her was disgusting and amazing at the same time.
"Fuck, I didn't know you had it in you cousin." James grunted out his tone praising her abilities despite the situation. "You could truly be great if you joined me. I can teach you how to use your talents for the betterment of the world while not becoming blood mad at the same time."
"I have already told you that I will never join you." Dominique gasped and then put all of her strength into throwing James away from her. "Take a fucking hint cunt rag."
James flew backwards and across the peak, disappearing over down the slope that lead down to the lower peak taking his axe with him, so the blood now ran freely out of her hand, but it wasn't a fatal wound, so she ignored it. Dominique knew that she had gotten a reprieve, but she was in no condition to fight. That had been the last of her strength, as soon as James returned she would be killed.
That was when fate finally decided to smile upon her. Just as it seemed that all hope was lost and she would die the moment James came back, she heard the groan of a bison. Seconds later the bison landed right in front of her and a figure leapt off it. It was Teddy which surprised her as she expected Louis.
"Damn Dom, you are beat to shit." Teddy said to her. "Let's get you out of here and to safety."
"Yeah, I need it." Dominique said as Teddy took her into his arms princess style, which given her position was quite literal, and used his earthbending to leap into the saddle. "Let's get the fuck away from here."
He laid her down there, next to a bloody and unconscious body that was breathing really slowly in the back of the saddle. Dominique could check it later, she needed to see if they would get out alive first and pulled herself up and rolled over, screaming in pain as she rolled on her broken shoulder, and looked over the side of the saddle.
"Oh no you don't." James yelled and she saw him leap into the air with his earthbending and at the bison, he had clearly recovered quickly and was coming right at them. "I will not let any of you escape alive."
"Hey asshole, catch." Teddy yelled back as he threw his spiked platinum ball, complete with its accompanying chain, right at James, using his bending on the steel chain to accelerate it towards the Princeps.
James reacted instantly. Still in midair he punched the ball with his metal hand, and it exploded into several pieces. The chain was still moving however and hit James in the chest. He fell, crashing back to Lahima's peak cursing but likely unharmed due to his bending. Teddy didn't waste his opportunity.
"Yip, yip." He ordered the bison and it groaned as it launched into the air, turning instinctively, and heading north even without a rider on its head.
Dominique rolled over and was going to thank Teddy when she noticed the blond hair of the unconscious airbender, matted with a lot of blood. It was her sister, Victoire. She was clearly injured, and it wasn't good.
"What happened?" Dominique asked as Teddy made his way to the bison's head to steer it. "And why are you here and not Louis?"
"Victoire decided to fight Dhillon in midair." Teddy said as Dominique looked over the numerous wounds on her sister's body. "She won but at a cost. I have done what I can but I'm no healer. There is water back there though. I know you badly wounded yourself, but I really need you to do what you can to save Victoire. I don't know if she will make it back otherwise. Louis is fine but his bison was wounded so he's fallen back to a safe area to treat it."
"Fuck my wounds, they are superficial compared to Vic's." Dominique said as she painfully tore a strip of cloth from her shirt and wrapped her bloody left hand in it before making an impromptu sling with the rest of it to hold her arm in place, tying it off with the aid of her teeth. "Just keep flying, I will stabilize her and make sure that she doesn't die. Get us to the North as fast as fucking possible though, she will need Ginny's healing to fully recover, but I will not let my sister die."
Teddy just nodded as he bent the armor off the bison so that they could have more speed, adding in another yip to do just that. He knew his job and would ensure it happened, he loved Victoire as much as she did after all, she just had to do her own job as well.
Dominique pushed her pain from her mind and set to work saving her sister's life though with a head wound like the one she had Dominique was certain there would be problems for Victoire. She would have a long road to recovery, but Dominique would make sure that she lived to see that road.
That was the most important thing right now. She could think on what Teddy had said about her fight with the Flying Unique, her brother being alive, and her own battle with James later. Even the fate of the Temple and the others there could wait. They had lost the Temple as expected and needed to regroup back at the Northern Water Tribe as they prepared for the final battle.
However, all of that was not important right now. Right now, all Dominique cared about was making sure that Victoire survived until she could be treated by a real healer. They had already lost enough family members already in this war; Dominique was going to make damn sure that they didn't lose another one and she was sure as shit going to make sure that she didn't lose another member of her immediate family. Her father was bad enough, she was not going to lose her older sister as well.
This was what Dominique focused on as she set to work stabilizing Victoire with her healing. Everything else fell to the background. Her pain, their losses, what James had said, the future, everything, it all fell to the wayside as Dominique began to work while they flew back to the North.
That was longer than I expected but it had a lot of significance as it was a deep talk and duel between two of the major characters in Book 4. It also shows more about Dominique and James's past as best friends growing up, something that will likely be looked at in a spinoff at some point down the road but not now thought a chapter in Book 5 will discuss their friendship before James's crimes as well. However, that is all for this chapter so as always please follow and favorite both this and myself so that you can stay up to date with new releases (chapters and stories) and please keep the reviews coming as I do love to hear from y'all regarding my work, it means a lot to me. Until next time.
Stringdog