A Legend of Korra Fanfic
By Sakura Martinez (aka SMTsukishiro)
Summary:
A promising engineering student. A mysterious woman capable of controlling the four elements. When their paths cross, the resulting collision not only changes their lives and themselves, but the fate of the entire world as well. [Korrasami AU]
The Legend of Korra:
The Schism
Chapter 25. Vesuvius
Morning came much too quickly for Opal, who had stayed awake up until morning's first light, updating her journal—adding finer details of their journey thus far, including the emergence of the girl Korra had made a priority finding. The young, aspiring historian knew it was not ideal to trade sleep in favor of writing, but she couldn't help it. She hadn't written a single line for the past few days. Anything substantial, at least.
With a sigh that was quickly followed by a huge yawn, Opal stretched her arms and stood up from her bed. She then walked towards her room's window, parting the wooden blinds. She wanted to see the small village as it awakened from its slumber; she wanted to observe as much as she could of Makapu's way of life.
As the youngest Bei Fong watched and noted her findings, a movement on her peripheral vision caught her attention. It was so quick, she would have failed to notice the man who seemed to have been looking straight at her had she not trained herself in the art of careful observation.
Opal frowned at the man, who quickly looked away and feigned disinterest—though as she continued gazing at the rousing village, she saw that the man continued to act so suspiciously. It bothered the Historian, though she quickly forgot about the rude man when her stomach grumbled and her thoughts wandered to the delicacies that she would find at the breakfast table.
By the time she had joined Korra and Asami for breakfast (for Kai was, at that point, still grumbling and had not wanted to dine with them), she had completely forgotten about that man.
The second time she felt something strange going on in the village, she was touring Makapu with Asami—the two of them agreeing to make the most of their stay.
They had checked the wares of each stall they came across with, looking at the items displayed (Opal occasionally cursing their scarcity of funds), and taking up on the generosity of some of the shopkeepers who gave and shared with them samples of their merchandise.
She and Asami were happily chatting as they walked along the village's main road when she had felt being watched once more. She thought it was just all in her head, up until the Prodigy nudged her.
It was a playful shove. Anyone watching would think nothing of it—which was what Asami had betted on.
"We're being followed," she whispered when she got close to Opal, her face a mask of smiles, full of teasing. The Historian couldn't help but think how great an actress Asami was. "We have been, since leaving that textile shop."
Opal nudged Asami right back, keeping up with their pretense. "I felt someone watching us too. Do you think it's one of Tarrlok's goons?"
Asami shrugged as they both tried to keep their pace as even as possible. "I don't know, but—" she looked around, eyes scanning their surroundings for anything that was out of the ordinary. She caught sight of a woman who quickly hid her face behind the newspaper she was holding and a man who quickly turned away when she caught him looking. "I think we should cut our tour short. This place has just turned a bit unwelcoming for us."
The young historian didn't argue with her friend, and as quickly as they dared allowed without rousing any more unwanted attention to themselves, made haste back to their lodging.
Councilman Tarrlok studied the plans he had copied from Hiroshi's office. He understood the basics of it and could come up with a couple of applications for it, but he thought—in a whole—that it was impossible to build on his own.
Converting the spirits to energy was one thing. Building this kind of weapon was another one altogether.
And yet, the fact that Hiroshi had made notes (albeit these notes were written in a code that was difficult to decipher) and was serious on this project, had gotten the University Councilman curious.
Hiroshi Sato rarely dabbled in weapons research and development. Apart from the armor and the guns the Industrialist supplied them with, Hiroshi had shown no interest in using his knowledge for combat and warfare…until now.
Tarrlok didn't know why the CEO of Future Industries would now branch off from what he knew the man specialized in, and quite frankly he didn't really care. What interested him more was the creation of this new weapon.
Well-versed as the Councilman was in multiple branches of science—given that he was an inventor himself—the blueprint sitting atop his mahogany desk was complex and far beyond his capabilities. And even though he really rather would not, he was left with no other choice but to seek the help of another if he wanted for himself the fruits of Hiroshi's labor.
The Avatar—who was, up until that point, doing her bending stance exercises—took one of those stances and readied herself to fight for her life when the door to her room was flung open. She had thought that those who were hunting her and her companions had finally made themselves known again, and as such, had her fists already engulfed in flames. When it was just Asami and Opal—who quickly entered and immediately shut the door behind them, locking it in the process—Korra couldn't help but be exasperated,
"What are you two doing?" she asked as neither bothered to greet her nor explain why they had barged in her room like that. "Have either of you forgotten how to knock? I almost attacked you!"
Instead of enlightening her, the duo rushed to her window, quickly peered through it, before pulling the blinds down.
"Again, what are you two humans doing?" Annoyance seeped through her voice. "Explain. Now. I thought you would not be returning until much later."
"Well, that was the plan," Opal said, occasionally moving the blinds just enough to peek through it. "But I suppose, when you're part of the Krew, things like these are bound to happen."
"Um…what?" Korra was, understandably, confused. She looked over at Asami, hoping the Prodigy would, at least, make some sense.
But all Asami could do was open her mouth before Opal started talking again, her words were uttered in quick successions as though she needed to let it out before she ran out of breath.
"The Krew," Opal had said. "You're Korra and we're, like, you're crew. I figured it would be easier to call us that on my journals. Writing our names over and over again can be quite tiring, you know."
"Okay…?" What else could the Avatar say? Opal still didn't provide any answer to her earlier question. She raised an eyebrow as she looked at Asami who had sighed and sat herself down by the edge of Korra's bed.
"We were being followed." Asami finally explained why they looked and acted the way they did. "Followed and being watched, That's why we came straight back here."
Korra frowned and had to keep her temper in check. It was not the sort of news she relished hearing. She gave both humans a careful once-over, making sure they were not harmed.
"They did not try anything, did they?" There was a sort of protectiveness emanating from the question and the way the Avatar looked at them as she spoke, as though a positive answer would have set Korra off on a rampage.
"Apart from spooking us out and getting us to rush back here? No, they didn't get to try anything. They were just spying on us." Asami shuddered, she did not like the thought of it all. The Prodigy, of course, knew something like this could happen. It didn't help ease her nerves, however. "As for how long they have been spying on us? Well, your guess is as good as mine, Korra."
"This morning," Opal's voice was small, breathy. She turned around to face the two others in the room with her, eyes wide with remembrance and realization. "There was a man. I thought he was suspicious, but since he didn't really do anything apart from being creepy—which, in retrospect, is in and of itself strange—I just forgot all about it. But that, probably, is the first time people around here started snooping on us."
"Opal." Asami was quick to reprimand. "How can you not share something like this sooner?"
"Well, sorry. I hadn't slept much, and I was hungry, so I forgot all about him," was the younger girl's excuse.
"You weren't able to sleep last night?" the Prodigy's tone softened. "Why?"
Opal shrugged and though she was pleased with the concern her friend had for her, the young historian didn't feel that her revelation warranted any.
"Oh, you know, I was just doing some stuff…and things."
"You were up all night writing, weren't you?" It didn't come out as a question. It was more of a statement. "Opal…"
"Well, yeah…I haven't been able to for a while now." Opal huffed, crossing her arms over her chest. "Besides, I'm not the only one missing sleep, am I? You are too! I could hear you tinkering that glove of yours last night, right up until dawn."
"W-Well, that was important." The Prodigy didn't think she would be found out. She was certain she had kept the noises to a minimum.
"And so are my notes," Opal retorted. "Besides, I figured it was safe to lose sleep for a night, considering we planned on staying here until tomorrow."
As the two friends had their back-and-forth, Avatar Korra decided not to intervene. It was not just because her mind was preoccupied with the knowledge that they may no longer be safe in Makapu Village, but also because she didn't feel like she should get in between whatever tiff Asami and Opal were having.
It was only when the two humans had settled down did Raava's human incarnation deem it safe to speak.
"We can't stay here for much longer."
Both Asami and Opal's heads quickly snapped to Korra's direction. They were not at all expecting her to say that when she had been so adamant on following the mysterious girl's instruction.
"But, Korra, what about what that girl said? You said she specifically instructed that Light Spirit to tell you to wait until the third day of our stay here in Makapu Village before setting out." Asami was the one who voiced out the same thought as the one in Opal's mind.
"The girl's message had an undertone of certainty to it," replied the darker-skinned girl. "She made it sound like there is no doubt of our meeting. I would have to trust that if we truly were fated to meet, then we would. Besides, your safety is much more important to me. I couldn't just keep getting all of us I trouble."
It was a valid reason and neither Asami nor Opal prodded Korra any further on the matter, though they asked if she was certain of it.
"I am," Korra's voice didn't waver. Looking in her eyes, Asami could tell she wasn't lying either.
"Well, if you're sure about this, Avatar Korra, then I guess we should tell Kai about our change of plans…again. Oh, boy…he will not be happy about this." Opal didn't relish the thought of having to tell the Avatar's Steward that.
"Or the fact that we made a decision without him," added the brilliant, young inventor, which really didn't help matters any. With a sigh, she pushed herself off the bed and said, "Well, let's get this over and done with, Opal." To Korra, she added, "We'll get our things packed and ready as soon as we have spoken with Kai. You should get yourself ready as well, Korra."
The wolf-tailed girl nodded and waited for them to leave before she allowed her shoulders to sag and for guilt to creep into her thoughts. For she did not just care about her companions well-being, but also of the people living in that quaint village.
She did not want what occurred to the Dragon Flatt Burroughs to happen in Makapu Village.
The Captain of the Town Guard wanted to scream in frustration. He did not understand why the United Republic Forces, the Republic City Defense Force, nor the Republic Police Department did not answer his urgent request for backup. None of the aforementioned organizations provided any explanation why they couldn't.
"And they say finding this terrorist is of the highest priority," the Captain scoffed. If he wasn't so worried of his village, he would have forgotten all about the dark-skinned, young woman and those that were with her. But he didn't want to gamble the safety of the village and its people and just hope and pray they would be left alone.
"Captain, the two other young women have returned to their lodgings." One of the volunteers reported, barging into the guardhouse, panting and sweating. He had, the Captain noted, ran all the way from his post—which meant there was either some sort of positive development or there was a setback. "I apologize, but I'm afraid we may have tipped them off. Rosey and Kojiro are still staking the inn out, but I wouldn't be surprised if our targets make a run for it before the day ends. We have to do something soon if we don't want them to escape."
The Captain pinched the bridge of his nose. So it has come to this. I hope our forces—whatever little we have—can bring this terrorist to justice. To his subordinate, he said, "Alright. Ready every one. We strike now."
Kai was, putting it mildly, not at all pleased. As Asami and Opal both had guessed, he didn't appreciate being left out of the planning and decision-making. Though instead of slamming the door on their faces or storming off to who-knows-where for who-knows-how-long, he, instead, gave them all the cold, silent treatment.
Quickly, he packed his meager belongings before making use of the window to leave his room and sneak to the stables where the Ostrich Horses and the Avatar's Polar Bear Dog were. He tried to be very careful on his way there to prepare the animals for their journey ahead, making sure no one saw him while also keeping an eye out for the suspicious people the girls said were spying on them.
Just as he had reached the animals and was about to go back to inform his mistress and her companions, Kai heard screaming—terrified screaming. Lots of it. It was enough to give the Ostrich Horses (and himself) a fright and for Naga to look and become more alert.
"I don't like the sound of that," the Avatar's Steward muttered to himself, frowning with worry. Turning to Naga, he added, "What do you think, Naga? Should we wait for them here or rush outside to join whatever is going on out there?"
The Polar Bear Dog barked and pawed on the ground. Kai took that as a sign that Naga was willing and ready to rumble. He nodded, letting the Avatar's pet know he understood. Taking his bo staff along, Kai rushed out of the barn with Naga in tow.
The Polar Bear Dog didn't hesitate in her steps as she bounded to the direction where she knew Avatar Korra was. The Avatar's Steward, on the other hand, took slightly slower steps, keeping his eyes and ears peeled, listening in to the gathering crowd. They provided nothing but speculation, save for the fact that the local law enforcement unit were involved.
When he got to the entrance of the hotel they had been staying in, he saw that Naga had jumped over the human barricade the town sentry made and had taken her place beside the Lady Avatar, growling, snarling, and snapping at any who dared to make a move. Behind his mistress, Asami Sato stood at the ready, her right hand covered by a strange, electrified glove while Opal Bei Fong had taken a fighting stance as well with her hands gripping an identical bo staff as the one Kai was carrying.
"You are outnumbered," the Captain of the Town Guard shouted towards Avatar Korra. "Surrender, now!"
"Why should I?" his mistress shouted back. "What have I done to warrant this?"
"You have the nerve to ask that, terrorist? After the number of lives you took from Republic City?" another guard shouted, enraged.
"Terrorist? Oh, so that is what this is about." Understanding dawned upon the Avatar. She shook her head and in a much calmer tone than before, added, "I'm afraid you have been misled. I am no terrorist and neither are my companions."
But even as Avatar Korra tried to explain, the town guards wouldn't hear any of it.
"Lies!" they shouted.
"There will be justice!" others called out.
It was as though these words served as a rallying cry, for even as terrified as some of the younger sentries were, they seemed to have renewed their vigor and courage. It didn't matter if Asami's hands were crackling with electricity or if Opal looked quite adept in handling the staff. They all looked just about ready to put their lives on the line just to apprehend Avatar Korra.
The Avatar's Steward couldn't help, at that moment, but to pin this unfortunately problematic and troublesome turn of events on that girl who had left those set of instructions that had caused them not to take the first ship back to the Southern Water Tribes' borders and on their way back to Nia Bayou. Silently, he swore he would give that girl a good talking to when the Avatar finally met up with her.
Kai—who was still very much inconspicuous, at that point—gazed at his charge. He knew without a shred of doubt that the Avatar could make these humans pay for their insolence; that not even an entire army could stop her, especially once she goes into the 'Avatar State' as the Legend of Avatar Wan stated. But instead of an expression filled with fury, Avatar Korra looked…remorseful. She didn't look anything like how Kai had been used to seeing her whenever anyone bore false witness against her (not that that happened all too often. It didn't. But there were times when Avatar Korra had crossed heads with the Chieftains and the Elders). It struck the young man then that she had no desire of harming these humans—that, as surprising as it was (for the Avatar Korra Kai knew was someone who cared nothing at all about humans—or anything else for that matter—that was not directly linked to her role)—she was actually valuing their lives.
The town sentry continued their advance. As reluctant as Avatar Korra was, the Mark of Air began to faintly shine. It was subtle. Unless anyone knew of the markings and their glow, none would take notice of it. Though she made ready to tap into Vayu's power, Kai saw that her stance was one meant not to hurt but to defend and provide distraction.
The young man couldn't help feeling relieved at the Avatar's decision. Despite wanting them to feel the Lady Avatar's rage for disrespecting her, he was glad that she chose not to face the town guards and, instead, flee. He didn't want to think of any further consequence on his part had Avatar Korra chosen to make a stand.
Still, there was one more thing he did have to fret over.
The Avatar's existence was a great secret the people of Nia Bayou had sworn (and had long since) kept. His mistress using her powers—even if it was just a fraction of it—would get people talking. They were already on shaky waters as it was with Asami and Opal—outsiders—knowing about (and fraternizing) with the Lady Avatar.
He had to keep people from finding out about Lady Korra. That was the shift in his mindset.
Thankful that he had slung over his shoulders his traveling pack, Kai hastily rummaged around its contents until he saw and grasped the item he was looking for.
Taking it out of his pack, Kai took one, final stock of his surroundings and gauged his aim. Once he was certain he had everything planned out, the young steward took one, deep breath and shouted, "My Lady, over here!" before lobbing a circular object right at the middle of the guards.
Korra immediately recognized Kai's voice and saw him amidst the crowd just as the round object the young man had thrown hit the ground. The Avatar knew what the item was. It was one of Kai's pranks, invented by the young man himself. Likewise, she comprehended what her young steward had planned.
She grinned. Who would have thought this abominable thing would someday save my hide? She couldn't count how many times Kai had caused her problems because of his creation.
"Asami, Opal," she called to attention her two companions while diverting the energy she had already accumulated into the circular object that the guards did not put much attention to. "Get on Naga. Now!"
Deciding it best not to ask any questions nor worry if the Polar Bear Dog would let them climb on its back (Naga did, of course) they (reluctantly) scrambled atop Naga just as Korra let her powers loose (just enough that the people did not equate her as the cause) and had the balloon explode, enveloping a wide radius in a thick coat of multi-colored paint and an even thicker cover of smoke.
When the smoke cleared a few moments later, the Captain of the Town Guards could only mutter a string of profanities. The "terrorist" they had hoped to apprehend was gone without a trace.
"How do I get this man to shut up?" was the question that had been at the forefront of Councilman Tarrlok's mind for the past hour or so-and one he was still searching an answer for. So far, the logical and obvious solutions had borne no fruit at all. He had stopped bothering to hide his annoyance and had long forgone feigning interest in the eccentric man's ramblings; he had even let slip a couple of times that he had other businesses to attend to. Once, the Councilman even went so far as to directly state that their discussion had gone far too long already. But it seemed as though Iknik Blackstone Varrick was either too oblivious and self-centered to notice, or he simply didn't care. If it wasn't for the fact that Councilman Tarrlok needed his services, he would have long kicked the insufferable chatterbox out of his office.
But as it was, Iknik Blackstone Varrick was much of a product of the Great Republic University as Hiroshi Sato was, and next to the CEO of Future Industries, Varrick Global Industries was the best in its business (even though the company dabbled in more than just about everything one could think of) and, therefore, the only one Tarrlok could turn to in order for the stolen plans to be successful.
"So, anyway, Zhu Li gets mad at me for bailing out on our boy's mover premier to come out here to meet with you," the business magnate went on, not knowing of the internal struggle going on inside of the other man's head. "I mean, it's not even that big a deal to the boy. I've asked him, after all, and he was totally fine with me being here."
"I didn't know you have a son." Though not at all willing to get the ball rolling on another topic that may take forever to finish, the Great Republic University Councilman found that little tidbit a curious one—and one he could, perhaps, make use of in the future.
Varrick nodded, grinning. "I do. Not biological, of course. Zhu Li and I aren't even married yet!" the man laughed at the inside joke. "We found the boy working in one of the mines years ago and saw potential in him, so we adopted him and tried to train him into the business. That didn't end the way we expected it to, he is way too honest."
"I see…and what of him now? I take it he has something to do with movers?"
"That he does! He's a mover star." Was the inventor's reply, rubbing his palms together before leaning in and saying, "As much as I would like to talk more about the boy, I take it your business proposal has nothing to do with him or his movers?"
"No, of course not." Councilman Tarrlok scoffed, though he was relieved that they would finally get to talk business. "I need your services, Iknik."
The other man chuckled, shrugging as he asked, "What else is new?"—words Tarrlok chose to ignore and, instead, unfurled the rolled-up blueprint that had been sitting atop his desk since the start of their meeting.
Not really expecting much, and shrugging off whatever mysterious vibe the Councilman was going for, the famed researcher and mogul took and inspected the documents.
Whereas Varrick had been glib for most of his meeting with Councilman Tarrlok, upon reading the contents of the blueprint, he became much more serious. His eyes scanned every line, muttering under his breath things he found interesting and questionable. It took a while before his head emerged from the schematics.
"This is quite an interesting thing you got her, Tarrlok." Varrick looked anything but impressed. "I don't mean to disrespect, but I find it hard to believe you would come up with something this advanced and this crazy." A deep inhalation with Varrick leaning in and clasping his hands together. "So, tell me, who's the brains behind this?"
"Hiroshi Sato." It was pointless to lie. Councilman Tarrlok had a feeling the man already knew.
"Ah," was Varrick's reponse, his eyes lighting up before silence settled between the two men. "This is really a brilliant theory—though I expect nothing less from Sato—but it is just that: a theory. And I am being extremely generous in calling it that as well."
"If this is no theory, however," the Councilman chose his words careful, uttered them equally so as well. "If the spirit conversion has been proven to exist and we have the capabilities for it, could you build this weapon?"
"Does the sun rise from the east? Of course it does!" Varrick replied in a loud, booming voice. "I am not called 'Varrick, the Inventor Extraordinaire' for nothing. I understand everything in this blueprint perfectly to make it under those circumstances—though what Sato's reason behind wanting to make something like this is beyond even my comprehension. A weapon of this caliber is dangerous…if this can be done. Again, that's a big 'if'."
Calmly, Tarrlok informed Varrick, "Spirit conversion is already possible, Iknik. We have done it."
If Tarrlok was hoping such revelation would cause the other man to lose his composure, he was wrong. Varrick wasn't even surprised.
The words: "I know" revealed why. "I've heard about your so-called 'Spirit Bastille Project'." Varrick shook his head. "You may have succeeded in converting the mythical sprits around us into usable energy—which, by the way, is astounding! Who knew, right?—but this is a different ballgame altogether."
"Why? What's so different about it?" Tarrlok didn't understand much about the blueprint other than it was a weapon that made use of the same concept of energy manipulation as the Spirit Bastille.
"This isn't just a simple conversion, Councilman Tarrlok. This isn't about the spirits any more. This is about manipulating a person's life force."
As fast as the Krew moved, they weren't fast enough to leave Makapu. Several times they were turned around, losing their way. It didn't help that by that time, everyone knew the town guards were after them leaving so few a chance to run around unnoticed. They were trapped.
"Now, what?" Opal whispered to her companions as all four (five, if you were going to count Naga) of them hid themselves in one of the many alleys of Makapu's ever-busy streets.
All of them did their best to hold their breaths as they hunched down, trying to remain in the shadows, however long possible. The putrid strench of rotting leftovers from the nearby food establishments, as well as the acrid smell of urine, made it difficult—not to mention gag-worthy—not to.
"We can't stay here for long," she added. "I'm already feeling faint."
"I would rather we slip out unnoticed," Korra replied before Asami could, her eyes searching—her brain, thinking—for a way out. "I don't want to harm any of those people that had been misled. They are just doing their job, after all."
Hearing Korra say those words stunned, not just Kai, but Asami as well. Both for different reasons that stemmed from one particular fact they knew of Raava's human incarnation.
"T-That's good then," Kai caught himself, wiping the surprised look on his face. "For a moment, I was worried you were going to do something that would have resulted to Nia Bayou's secret being revealed. We have to protect your identity, after all, my Lady."
"Then perhaps you should stop calling me that, Kai." It was said so very casually. "People will wonder why you speak to me and about me the way you do. Just converse with me the way Asami and Opal do."
He was being granted permission, yet Kai couldn't help stuttering out his objection. He was her steward, he knew her true nature as the Lord of the Spirits. He couldn't act so insouciantly towards her. His protestations fell on deaf ears, however, as Korra would have none of it.
"So," Asami spoke up once the discussion between the two were done. "Back to our current predicament. How, exactly, do we slip out of this village and towards Pohuai without being seen?"
"Will we still go there?" Kai asked. "That place could already have been notified of my Lady's—" The said 'lady' cleared her throat and gave the young man a meaningful look, "—I mean, K-Korra's presence here. They would have already set a trap for us there. That place is a stronghold."
"They wouldn't have. And even if they wanted to, they couldn't." Opal interjected despite not wanting to join in on the conversation. Speaking, after all, meant taking more frequent gulps of that filthy air. "It may still be called that, but the Pohuai Stronghold is no longer used as such. It has been turned into a tourist destination that houses some of the historical artefacts from the Hundred Year War."
"Well, there you have it," the Avatar said with a wave of her hand that created a small burst of air which momentarily cleansed the air of its foul odor and made everyone else wonder why she had not done so earlier. "It's not at all a dangerous place to visit."
"Please don't say things like that, Korra," the Prodigy sighed. "What would you do if the universe decides to prove you wrong?"
"Ha! The universe wouldn't dare!" Kai, once again, spoke confidently, his hands on his waist, his chest puffed out. It didn't impress those he was with, however, as all three, young women told him to lower his voice. "The entire balance of this world would have to be askew before something like that happens."
Neither Asami nor Opal knew what Kai had meant about the 'balance of the world' and it being misaligned, and they didn't have the time to ask either. For at that moment, the earth began to tremble.
It was faint at first—something that only Naga and the other animals felt—but then grew and escalated in strength and magnitude. Opal lost her balance, stumbling into the Polar Bear Dog and she didn't bother to get up after that, choosing instead to lean on the large, fluffy dog. Likewise, Asami couldn't keep her footing as well and ended up flailing towards the Avatar who helped keep her and Kai from falling in their haunches.
And then they heard the loud rumbling in the distance. It was not like the sound that preceded the fall of the Burroughs. Rather, it was something deeper—pent up and raging. Seconds later they saw it: a fiery, menacing explosion atop the mountain. Smoke permeated the air surrounding the summit as ash rained down from the heavens.
Mount Makapu has erupted.
The vials, bottles, and other containers housing her medical concoctions began to rattle. The cauldron's contents began slushing about as the herbs and other medicinal items hanging around her simple abode swayed back and forth from the earthquake that they were experiencing.
The owner of the house didn't care much about all of that, however. Those items could be remade and harvested again. Instead, she had rushed—as fast as her old legs could carry her—to the framed photograph sitting atop her bedside drawer. It was, after all, her most valuable possession—well, next to her pendant and the secret it held within.
The old woman had a feeling she would have to evacuate, as will the rest of the villagers living around the area. She knew this was no ordinary quake, and if the need did arise to leave, she wanted to, at least, save that photo.
Sure enough, the old woman's prediction came true. It didn't take long for the rumbling to turn into the precedent of an eruption. The volcano—which had been lying dormant for ages—had come alive, melting the polar icecaps that had coated it for as long as the people could remember.
As the old woman stumbled out of her hut and into the blinding white, snow-covered ground that was slowly being missed with volcanic ash, she saw the molten hot rage of Mount Erebus.
His hand quickly reached out to steady his daughter before she could lose her balance, though it was hard to keep himself from losing them as well.
The black-iron chandeliers that hung on the ceiling along the hallways swayed violently, which caused the old man and his daughter to look with caution, face both mirroring the expression the other wore: confusion and worry, masked by the practiced look of composure that only those of royalty would be able to pull off. All around them, however, were panicked servants, aristocrats, and the imperial guards who were doing their best not only to calm them down but ensure their safety as well.
"Master!" a voice rang out amidst the shrieks and frightful screams that accompanied the powerful tremors.
The old man's head snapped up, amber eyes searching for the owner of the familiar voice—one of his subordinates. He saw her as she made her way, running like a drunkard as she bumped (and subsequently apologized) to the others who were caught by the earthquake in the hall.
As dangerous as what she was doing, the woman didn't slow down her pace nor did she wait until she was in front of the old man and his daughter before blurting out for all to hear, "Mount Norikura has erupted!"
Unseeing eyes snapped open as its bearer felt the change in the vibrations around her. Foregoing the meditative stance she had taken for the past couple of days (she wasn't certain how long she had been in meditation, exactly), she walked out of her hollow, hoping to get a better "feel" of what these disturbances were.
As it happened, she needn't have had to take more than three steps for her senses to be assaulted and realization to dawn on her.
Disbelief, followed by annoyance, coated her features as she let out an exasperated sigh.
"What are you doing, Avatar? We're running out of time!"
Post Chapter Notes:
Well, we have quite a lot of character introductions in this chapter—though I suppose the last four are "re-introductions" depending on how you look at it.
Anyways, I hope you guys enjoyed this week's update, I certainly had fun writing it a while back (especially the bits with Opal and Varrick). Next update will be next Tuesday, as always (provided my internet connection stops being all shitty and stuff), so I hope you all will join me then as well.
Until then, dream on; fly on!