The interior of the Lady's chambers withheld the most elegantly crafted furniture. The canopy bed, draped in gold silk, had the posts carved from oak honing images of lillies and hummingbirds. The headboard featured two prancing mares with exquisite detail of artisan carpentry. Across the room a fire was stoked within the marble hearth; mantle beholding a collection of unique ore samples: viberant calcites, a raw cut emerald, moonstone and a large geode sliced open to display titanium crystals.
The noblewoman was seated at her vanity staring past her reflection as Jinora brushed through the waves of her ebony hair. With thoughts of the wolf rider filling every corner of her mind, the lady did not engage in conversation with her servant. Her memory was etching over the details of Korra's body when she was pressed against her back earlier that day. Grasping palms burned with recollection of the wanderer's sculpted abdominals and shoulders, softness of her brown skin was hot to the touch. Asami's eyes fluttered shut to remember how the swell of Korra's rump fit so perfectly against her pelvis. How the rolling motions of the wolf's stride promoted a rhythmic grinding of friction between their bodies.
"You may go now…" Asami wished to be alone with her betraying thoughts. Her conscience seemed to scream at her for the madness of her desires. If she should be thinking about anyone, it should have been of the prince. He was a fine man holding every characteristic that any noblewoman could ask for. She yearned to desire Prince Iroh with a great sense of desperation. It would make things exceptionally easier to manage. But the sinful craving for the savage woman remained, burning at her loins in a painful itch that fiercely needed to be scratched.
When Jinora left her, Asami prepared herself for bed. Dipping a cloth in a small basin of water to wipe the red paint off her soft lips then removed her ruby studded earrings. She rose from the vanity chair and slipped off the white silk robe that contained her naked form. Her pink nipples stiffened at the sudden loss of warmth to the cool air. Looking down, Asami's rosy petals were coated in a silk layer of wet arousal. She let out a shuttered breath of disapproval and fell into the softness of her bedding. Pulling the duvet over her lower body for warmth, the lady sighed and gazed up in the underside of the canopy of her bed.
Get over it. It was just a kiss.
Korra's words left a sting in her heaving chest. She was right, it was just a kiss. But to Asami, it was her first. Tears of frustration pillowed at the corners of her eyes as her bottom lip sucked in between her teeth. Her first kiss should have been like her second. Private, chaise and consensual. Now she will forever hold the memory of it being the butt end of a joke urged on with drunken appraisal. Stolen by a stranger. Maybe she wouldn't have been so angry about it if it didn't spark such a roaring flood of desire. But it did. Relentlessly so, even more now that she had made contact with the hunter again. Asami closed her eyes and made a decision.
"Korra…" She breathed with silent prayer as searching fingers traveled to the juncture of her thighs underneath the covers. In her mind, Korra was her lover. Touching her, kissing her as passionately as she did before. Forcing her tongue into the wet cavern of her mouth demanding submission. Asami's breath grew heavy with desire as her fingers dipped into the soaked lips of her aching pussy. Korra's face burned into her mind imagining her cerulean irises gazing over her naked form, open and vulnerable to her touch. She moaned as quietly as she could in the solitude of her chambers. Pads of her fingers rolled desperately over her swollen clitoris, searching to free herself from the clutches of Korra's spell. Electrical pulsations tingled through her body as she felt something tighten in the pit of her core. With a silent scream, her body buckled as an orgasm washed over her for the first time. The euphoric waves of rapture spilled with an overwhelming sense of relief for only a fleeting moment.
Her breath hitched at the pleasure it brought her. This was the first time she's ever succumbed to performing self coitis. She felt so much better, relaxed and spent physically. Though emotionally she was still in the same place. She wanted to coax herself again to another orgasm and another… a thousand more until all thoughts of Korra faded into a quiet death.
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Captain Lin Beifong was the best asset on the Republic's Guard Force. Even in her prime age of fifty, her strong leadership skills drove the backbone of the capital's defense. Always seen cladded in her steel armor, Lin had proudly wore her captain's gold shield on her breast plate. Her greyish hair fell just past her shoulders but was always secured in a braid that wrapped around the back of her skull. Her eyes were a pale green and her skin displayed a light complexion with two parallel scars angling down her right cheek to the lining of her jaw. Mako had heard multiple rumors on how she earned them. Though, none of the men under her superiority had the audacity to ask. With a personality as cold as the steel of a great sword on her hip, Lin was notorious for being a ruthless leader.
Mako had a dream to be on the Guard Force ever since he was a young lad. Orphaned at a young age, he had done everything in his power to take care of his younger brother by working with groups of criminals in the city for coin. As he grew older, he learned that type of life would only lead to a dark cold cell, leaving Bolin alone and homeless. So he cleaned up his act and got a kitchen job in the Sato estate until he earned an apprenticeship with Hiroshi's personal security force. Now, Mako was walking with the Captain Beifong and three other warriors to investigate a farm attack that happened the night before. It was a dream coming true.
Lin wrapped her battle worn fist on the farmhouse door. The farmer answered with great urgency with relief written over his meek features. "Thank god you are here! I've been waiting all day for you too arrive!"
"What seems to be the problem?" Lin was quick to get to the chase.
"Bandits attacked my livestock in the middle of the night two days ago. Every cow in the pasture was slaughtered but they left the bodies. I know that they were hired by the rival farm down south just to intimidate me to sell. Lee has been breathing down my back for years!"
"Where are the bodies now?" The captain implored.
"I moved them to the old barnhouse. Let me show you. Sick bastards mutilated them." The band of warriors followed the farmer to the old barn just a few yards from the house next to a grain mill. The only light that showed their path was the flickering glow of an oil lantern clutched by the field worker's hand. When the barn door slid open, a wall of sickening stench bellowed from the interior. Mako threw his hand over his nose and mouth at the nauseating smell of rotting death. Lin and the other men grimaced in a similar fashion. Gagging at the pungent odor, Mako moved into the barn after his companions in discrepancy. The bodies of the cattle were heaped into the back corner with bloated stomachs. Lin took a handkerchief to shield the bottom half of her face as she approached to inspect them.
"It looks like the only thing they took were the hearts…" she observed as the stench stung at her eyes. "Why would they do that?"
"I told you," the farmer groaned barely being able to speak as he was forced to breath in the vile air. "These men are sick with madness!" Lin grimaced as she further inspected a brown spotted bull. It's lifeless eyes were wide open displaying the fear it had experienced in its last moments of life, greying tongue flopped out of his gaping mouth. There were no other wounds besides the single gash in the ribcage. The fat of the torn skin was already being feasted upon a colony of maggots within the cavity.
"I've seen enough!" Lin turned and walked out of the barn as fast as she could with everyone else following suit in her urgency. As soon as the farmer rolled the barn door to recontain the odor of rotting flesh, they regrouped near the grain mill. The captain rubbed at her chin with her brow furrowed in thought. "Those wounds were not made by a simple knife. It almost looks as if an animal did it."
"What kind of animal would target only the hearts of cattle?" Mako asked to himself out loud. "This has to be done by something with greater intelligence."
"Mr. Brog," Lin swung around briskly to the farmer, making him jump slightly at the sudden movement. "We will investigate the Mr. Lee's farm for further questioning. What is the name of the property?" As she spoke, a map was produced in her hands with a stick of charcoal."
"Elk Gorge Gardens."
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Korra cursed manically under her breath. She passed back and forth as a tiger locked in a cage that was one size too small, hungry for blood. She could feel her inner beast flare up in the pit of her stomach. Growls escaped her throat with the gritting of her pearly whites. She was going to get her knife back. And she was going to do it tonight. She didn't care about the consequences that would follow if she got caught. That bitch stole the only item she had that was sentimental to her. The noblewoman made a grand mistake and Korra was determined to let her know it. Korra waited until the night grew with the most darkness. The moon was young, only crecenting a small sliver of light into the sky withholding the shadows with the blackest dark. Perfect.
Naga crouched low to the ground, crawling along the walls of trimmed hedges in front of the Sato Manor. Her rider hunched on her back to stay as horizontal as possible as they sneaked past a few guards. Pausing in patient waiting every now and again so they can slip by without being noticed. They rounded off to the side of the grand structure of the household. Korra's nose twitched as a sweet, familiar aroma drew near.
Her scent.
A shiver erupted throughout the hunter's body as a reaction. The salivary glands in her mouth began to excrete profusely as the lady's pheromone thickened in her throat. The pit of her stomach fluttered with a feeling she wasn't used to. While becoming flooded with sensations of primal desire, her thoughts were interrupted by Raava's call.
Korra… something is wrong.
The dark woman reared Naga to a halt, pausing in the darkness of the shadows. As the brisk chill of winds blew in, Korra could feel the air thickening with a dark power. A ghoulish scream rang through the hunter's ears, piercing through the thickness as a dagger to soft flesh. Screams of horror riding with the push of the cold winds. Korra's head snapped to the outskirts of the land.
You have to go.
"Why?" Korra protested with a whine turning her head up to the balcony of Asami's chambers. The longing in her gut pulled herself towards that direction but Raava expressed her demand further.
NOW.
With a curse upon her lips, the hunter urged Naga into a full sprint away from her previous mission. The obsidian blade will have to wait for now. Whatever Raava was leading her to better be important. Not caring about decrepancy any longer, the wolf rider carried straight through the line of sight of the Sato Manor's security guards. They hollered at her to stop and explain herself but they were too headfast to be bothered with the consequences of trespassing. They escaped with ease, leaping over the front gate of the complex and into the night.
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A young boy stood frozen at the cattle gate of Elk Gorge Gardens. He went to help his father investigate why the cattle was screaming in the dead of the night. His father's body bent backwards from a kneeling position trembling underneath a cloaked figure. The intruder's right hand equipped with a strange looking glove. Metallic claws wrapped around his joints as an exoskeleton; emitting a blue orb of light from the palm.
The boy watched in horror, unable to move. Dagger like claws stabbed into the man's torso, ripping and pulling at the oozing flesh as the victim squealed in pain. Twisting his wrist, the hooded man silenced the cry a breath later by tearing out his vascular organ. The muscle continued to beat in the silver talons as the blue orb continued it's life with a surge of blue electric pulses. The victim's body crashed into the floor to bleed out into the manuered earth below him. The hooded figure raised the beating heart, illuminating a white ceramic mask over his face. With his free hand, he removed it. Opening his jaws as the pumping organ was raised into the air, pouring the dark blood into his carnivorous mouth. Deep, glutinous gulping sounds produced in his wide gullet as the warm liquid fed his bloodlust.
The heart slowed to a stop when the last of the blood was emptied. The boy screamed as his flight mechanism finally kicked in, turning and fleeing from the monster before him. The blood drinker ignored him and continued his task by feasting upon the farmer's heart until it every morsel of flesh disappeared in a hungry swallow.
The band of warriors had just arrived in front of the farmhouse. When the she heard the boy's scream, Lin drew her great sword in alert. Mako and the other men drew their own tools of war to prepare themselves for the worst. The boy passed them with fear widened eyes spilling with tears. Mako was quick to stop him from running away with a firm grab on his arm.
"What's going on?!" Mako asked.
The boy couldn't answer at first until he recognized his Guard Force uniform. "I… It's him! The blooddrinker!"
Lin's steeled with shock. "Are you sure?!" The boy nodded frantically in confirmation.
"He… My father…" The boy's face contorted with emotion as the gravity of the situation clashed down on him.
"Get inside!" Lin commanded as she tore the boy from Mako's grasp, pushing him to the door of his home. "Lock up. Do not let anyone in until sunrise." When the boy was safely inside his home, the captain turned to her small army of three. "Not bandits. But a goddamn vampire! His name is Amon. He used to be a mage under the court until he started reveling in dark magic. Our steel swords won't stop him. Does anyone have any magical abilities?"
"I do," Mako raised his hand. "Fire Elemental."
"That's the best chance we have," Lin nodded. "Mako, the men and I will flank him while you attack. Do not. I repeat, do not let him get close to you. The second he does, he will use a spell to immobilize you."
"Yes, Ma'am!" Mako was terrified, but didn't show it. He wasn't expecting to be thrown into such a dire situation so soon into his service. They took off to the cattle field with haste while mentally preparing themselves for a battle. Entering the large coral, they didn't see any sign of life. Just heaped bodies of cattle and one human victim lying in the center of the field. Mako's grip on his short short tightened while silence stabbed through the air around them. His free hand flicked up and produced a small flame to illuminate their surroundings. If the vampire was still around he would be hiding in the shadows.
A flicker of movement flashed behind a bull. Mako immediately pushed his fire hand forward and threw a ball of flame in its direction. The vampire leaped out of the way with amazing speed, swiping and zipping towards the warriors. Mako could see his blood red eyes shining through the holes of the porcelain mask during the advancement. Lin took a step forward and slammed her boot into the earth. With a quake, the ground the vampire had tread on shifted to throw the monster off balance. He sprang to the side with quick evasion then sprang upwards into the sky and out of their sight.
"AAHHH!" Mako spun around. One of the men's body was sparkling with blue streams of electricity, shaking as the current took over him. Five daggered fingers pushed through the man's back and out of his chest, ending his life immediately. The fire elemental pushed a spray of fire upon his fallen comrad's body in hopes to burn the killer behind him. Before the flame could engulf both of them, Amon pushed the body forward quickly using it as a shield to get closer to him. Shoving the charring corpse in Mako's direction, he moved to strike him at an arm's length. The only other soldier under the captain's command rose to rescue the fire elemental from the advance. His sword slashed upon the vampire with a battle cry but only managed to slice a piece of his cloak as the blow was evaded. Crouching low against the burning body, Amon swept a leg into the shins of the warrior dismantling him from his stance. Lin sprang into action, punching down into the earth causing a heap of rock to clutch onto one of the vampire's legs, halting him from further evasion.
"Hmmm," Amon's red eyes flickered up at her as he rumbled in his throat. Before Mako could attack him again, the vampire reached down and clutched at the soldier's collar, hoisting him up to use him as a human shield. This time, Mako stilled his flaming hand. He wasn't going to sacrifice his comrade in order to defeat the monster. The soldier's body was frozen, but not in fear. The pulsation from the enchanted claws kept him from struggling.
"Put down your weapons," Amon commanded. His voice was deep but carried a dark calm to their ears. "Unless you want your friend to die here…" Lin cursed in her throat and let her sword crash into the ground next to her. Mako was reluctant at first but let his sword follow suit and extinguished the flame in his fist.
"Amon!" Lin growled. "I thought you left for good. Tell me… Why are you here?"
"The Blood Moon will rise," he announced and unmasked his olive face. "With the hearts of daywalking creatures I will become more powerful than you can possibly imagine. Walking in the sunlight as your equal once again. When that time comes… I will unleash my fury upon the Republic Capital." Watching Lin's expression of horror Amon's chuckled deep in his throat before sinking his teeth into the jugular of her warrior.
"Kill me!" The hostage cried to his companions with a strangled breath. The jaws clutching his neck sucked with hunger, draining his blood at a quick pace. Mako watched in terror as the soldier's eyes began to glaze over. "Don't let him get away with this! I will die for the capital! Hail to the Republic! Long live King Raiko!" Amon was filled with power as the blood filled his belly. His aura vibrated as a new feet of strength washed over his being. The earth clutching onto his leg cracked open under the wave of dark energy.
"MAKO!" Lin screamed to her new recruit. "NOW!" The fire elemental swung his arm desperately throwing a whip of fire forward but Amon was faster. He threw the soldier's body at him. Mako let out a grunt as the body was slammed into him with a powerful brute force, knocking the wind out of him as his back impacted the ground. Lin sucked in a gasp as Amon was upon her, slashing his glowing claws in her direction. She bent to the side, nearly escaping the blow. Pushing and pulling with all the strength she could must to avoid the vampire's attacks. But he was too fast. He punched into her armor and ignited his electric surge.
"FUCK!" She screamed in pain as the currents coursed through her until she passed out, falling into a helpless heap onto the floor. Mako struggled to regain his strength to haul the body of the soldier off of him. As soon as the body turned over, a crushing squeeze was upon his neck. Air was denied to him as he felt his body being raised to the air with Amon's red stare piercing into his widen orange eyes. Mako snapped his hands over the vampire's forearm trying to pry the crushing grip from his neck.
"I could use someone like you," Amon said with his fanged teeth glowing in the darkness. He pressed the enchanted claws against Mako's chest, immediately sending a clutching power freezing his body. The grip around his jugular released granting him the air his lungs desperately needed. The fire elemental's heart slammed with fear as the vampire opened his jaws to bite him.
But he was interrupted.
An arrow struck the vampire's arm, immediately making him release the man in his clutches to the ground. He snarled and recoiled back then turned to the direction from which the projectile came. Barreling towards him, a wolf rider wielding her bow fired another arrow from across the field. Amon twisted his body to dodge it but it sliced into the edge of his thigh. The wolf leaped over the fence and his attacker sprang off of her steed and drew another arrow from her quiver.
She fired again, but he dodged it this time. Korra growled in her throat and continued to fire with amazing speed. He was too fast. He zigzagged across the ground in a blur with each shot until all the arrows from her quiver were gone. Throwing her bow to the ground Korra stepped towards him with her fists clenched, teeth bearing in a snarl. She could feel the strength of his aura, dark and powerful. Her own chi started to swirl in her solar plexus to with Raava's light.
"What do we have here?" Amon asked with a smirk on his bloodstained lips. He could feel Korra's aura surging with a power that rivaled his own. He could barely contain his excitement at such a worthy opponent before him but he was in no mood to fight her right now. He could feel the sun's impending dawn just below the horizon. "As much as I love to get acquainted with you… Time has run out."
Korra lounged forward, eyes glowing with a bright light as the goddess's gift was activated for the first time. The power she felt was nearly overwhelming as her soul was engulfed with the luminous power. She reeled a fist back and threw a blow upon him. He bend to the side just in time, fully impressed with the wolf rider's punch when it cratered the ground he was standing on. Before Korra could attack him again, he leaped a good few yards away. Digging into a pocket of his cloak and threw a bomb at her feet. The sudden plume of smoke stung into her sensitive nose, filling her lungs with a burning sensation. She reared back coughing and choking on the fumes.
"Shit," cursing as she ran out of the smoky haze that impaired her senses, Korra growled with anger knowing that Amon had gotten away into the shadows. She looked around the carnage that littered the battle ground. A groaning man was struggling to pull himself from the ground. Korra ran over to him and helped him get on his feet.
"You okay?" she asked with a hoarse voice. Mako groaned in pain while rubbing the tender bruise that was left on his neck.
"Think so…" he rasped out, barely able to speak. "You saved my life… Thanks. You're Korra, right?"
Stricken with surprise, Korra recognized him as well. "Yeah… You are the guard at the Sato Smith in the village. How do you know my name?"
"My brother won't shut up about you…" Mako coughed and extended his hand out. "Mako. Nice to officially meet you." She took his hand in a strong grip, shaking it just once before releasing.
"So you're Bolin's brother," she stated the obvious and moved her attention to a groveling form on the ground. Mako ran over to his captain to help get off the ground as she winced in pain. Korra joined to help him but the elderly warrior swatted her hands away with a growl.
"Just what do you think you were doing running into danger like that?" Lin spat with anger at her. "This was official guard business! You had no right to intervene."
Korra grunted and folded her arms. "If I hadn't you'd probably be dead."
But the captain ignored her statement of the truth. Instead the woman stomped her foot and raised the earth around Korra's ankles. Shocked, Korra panicked and tried to pry her feet out but the ground clutched her boots unyielding. "You're under arrest!" The captain exclaimed as she gripped onto Korra's wrist, snapping a metal shackle over it.
"WHAT?!" She couldn't believe it. After what Korra did for them she was being arrested? "WHY?"
"For interfering with our operation." Lin announced and completed cuffing the hunter. "We can't have some vigilante doing whatever they feel like it. There is an order to these things."
"Is this really necessary, Captain?" Mako dejected. "She really gave that guy a run for his money."
"The law is the law!" Lin huffed and unlocked the earth from Korra's feet, shoving her forward with a grasp on her arm. She paused at the direwolf who was growling nervously as she was reprimanding her owner.
"Naga, down," Korra sighed. "It's okay. I'll be back. Just go back to the campsite and wait for me." Naga whimpered with distress and took off immediately to avoid any other trouble from the guard captain. The hunter did not want to take the chance of Naga getting hurt or worse if she tried anything. She needed her to be safe. Safe in the embrace of the wilds she called home. Now her freedom was being torn away from her all because she tried to help someone. In the back of her mind Korra was regretting her decision to even try, even though Raava was the one that led her to do it.
Don't worry, Korra. Everything will be fine.
As if Raava was hearing her thoughts, she left a calming warmth against the anger Korra was feeling. The hunter sighed as Lin pushed her onto the path back to the city she had came to loathe. Mako was quick to collect everyone's abandoned weapons and followed closely behind as the dawn's light broke upon the land.
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"Lady Asami…" Jinora nudged the woman who was lost in a deep slumber among the heap of tangled bedding. The maiden muttered with protest as she was brought out of a sweet dream she was deeply invested in. Her eyes peaked open for only a second before turning away from her servant, grumbling. "Come on, you have a lot of work to do today." Sighing, Asami lifted off the mattress and stretched out the heaviness of her limbs. Regardless of having to wake up, the noblewoman had never felt better. It's been days since she had a restful sleep and it was all thanks to Jinora's example. She grinned to herself as her servant helped her dress, tying the ribboned cords of her dark grey dress with care.
"You seem happy this morning, Lady Asami," Jinora smirked knowingly at her in the reflection of the vanity mirror while brushing the messy locks of her hair. Asami was painting her lips when she spoke. Pausing in mid swipe of her red lipstick, the lady's eyes darted at her for a moment before continuing her task.
"I'm just happy to go back to work," Asami assured. "My hands are itching to craft again." When she was ready for the day, Asami left her chambers and greeted Bolin who stood by her door.
"Good morning, Bolin…" She gave him a warm smile which sparked a happy grin from the burly delivery boy. "How was your night?"
"We had a little scare last night but it's nothing to worry about," He announced darting his eyes nervously away. Asami was taken back at his remark. Usually the nights are left uneventful. Mako normally would complain about being so bored that he had to fight tooth and nail not to fall asleep while at his post.
"What happened?" Jinora asked for her with worry written across her features. Bolin tapped his foot trying not to make eye contact as he broke the news.
"We had a trespassing incident…" He squeaked. "They say that a woman riding a wolf was spotted in the grounds in the middle of the night…" Asami felt her breath hitch at the mention of the hunter. Bolin was quick to try to lessen the gravity of the situation. "Sh-she was probably trying to visit me! I told her that I was staying here this morning… But I don't know why she didn't just ask for me at the front gate…" He hummed and rubbed his chin to think about the reason why Korra would do such a thing.
She was trying to get to me. Asami answered his question in her own mind. She was genuinely surprised at Korra's attempt to infiltrate the Sato Manor just to try to steal her blade back. All the noblewoman wanted to do was sharpen it. Korra didn't need to do such a thing. She had full intention of returning it to her… So I can see her just one more time.
Asami inwardly smacked at herself. Feeling stupid for thinking such a thing. But then her thoughts drifted to the activities she was doing in her chambers last night. What could have happened if Korra was successful in her mission to sneak in while she was… doing that? Suddenly, Asami felt her face heat up with a blush in reaction. She spun away from Bolin to hide it.
"Go get some rest Bolin," Asami commanded trying to regain her composure. "I'll take another guard with me to Sato Smith until Mako returns."
After breakfast with Jinora, Asami pardoned her from her service and took a guard with her to the shop. The smell of metal and smoke brought a smile to her face. Here, she was in her element. Being greeted immediately by the shopkeeper, Asami now felt like she returned home with welcome arms.
"Good Morning, Galdric," Asami bowed her head to him and ordered her security to stay in the front of the shop while she went to the back. Changed in her smithing clothes, Asami entered her personal workspace. All the tools available for the smithing market were at her disposal. She had built most of them herself but also ordered a few things here and there to make her life easier while honing her craft. She pulled the Southern Obsidian blade from her satchel and brought it to her diamond grindstone. Pedaling the stone to spin at the highest speed, Asami unsheathed the knife and pressed the metal of the blade to the stone at a careful angle. Rainbow sparks spilled beautifully to her delight as the rough diamond surface shaved the knife's dullness away. After a few minutes of work the blade was finally brought back to its former glory, ready to cut through Korra's kills once again.
Asami inspected the quality of her work to make sure it was perfect. She even went the extra mile to polish it with a solution that she personally formulated to give it a beautiful shine. As she worked a soft cloth over the obsidian steel, a knock wrapped on the open entrance of her shop. She turned around and was met with Mako's presence standing there. At first she was happy to see him, but then her eyes caught the red bruise around her neck.
"Mako!" She rose from her bench and approached him with concern observing his bruise as she fingered the collar of his dirty uniform. "What happened?!"
"I'm fine." Mako sighed out with exhaustion displaying his face. "Had a run in with a bloody vampire..."
"You're joking," Asami gawked in disbelieve. "You're joking, right?"
"Wish I was…" He fell into a silence as his lady continued to inspect the nasty bruise on his neck, tsking in her throat. "Lady Asami… Can I ask you a favor?" Asami paused and met his gaze to hear his request.
"I need to get someone out of jail…"
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Korra was slumped up against the wall of her jail cell. Staring at the iron bars that kept her from freedom. Drops of water echoed throughout the confines of the prison. The sound was starting to drive her insane and she had only been there for a few hours. She moved to the tiny barred window that was only placed there to show what prisoners were missing. Her hands gripped at the iron as she pressed her bronze face to the afternoon sunlight. She closed her eyes and took a breath through her nose to smell the outside world. The jail was musty and reeked with sewage runoff. At least with this she can escape her current reality for just a fleeting moment.
The cell door behind her opened with a thundering clang. She swung back to the very woman who had thrown her in it. The captain scowled at her in a pregnant silence before speaking.
"Get out."
The dark woman's face twisted with confusion and moved to speak but the captain shot at her first.
"Bail's been paid." Further confusing the prisoner even more.
"...By who?" Korra cautiously approached the open cell door thinking it was some sort of a mistake at first. But the captain said nothing only gesturing her to her freedom. The hunter didn't hesitate any longer and let the battleworn woman escort her to the front office of the jailhouse. Then she saw her rescuer signing a form at the secretary's desk. Her stomach flipped at the sight of her. Asami glanced up at her with a stern look but Korra could see a flicker in those spring ivy eyes. "You…" Korra swallowed a hard lump in her throat. "How…?"
The noblewoman placed the quill back into the inkwell before approaching the hunter. The smirk placed on her red lips gave her a mischievous look and she folded her arms, arching an eyebrow with a snort escaping her small nose. "You seem to cause trouble everywhere you go…" Her eyes dragged up and down Korra's body but then her expression sank back into a stern glare. "Though I guess I should expect that from… you."
"That's all I'm good for," Korra grinned at her. "Thanks for bailing me out." The hunter turned to leave but Asami shot out a hand, pulling her shoulder back to face her again.
"Not so fast, Wolfgirl." The lady bit down on her bottom lip as the hunter's eyes seem to peirce at her while waiting for what she was going to say next. "I'm not letting you off that easy. You owe me quite a lot of debt now. Don't think I'm doing this out of the kindness of my heart."
"I didn't ask you to bail me out…" Korra grumbled and pulled her shoulder away from Asami's touch. "How much was it? Vigilante justice can't possibly be that much. I'll pay you back." The lady cleared her throat and gestured to count each expense on her fingers.
"Four hundred silver for the bail." One finger. "Two hundred silver for sharpening that knife of yours with special equipment." Two fingers. "One hundred and sixty silver for the bar tab you left open." Three fingers. "Four hundred silver as a fine for trespassing." Four fingers. "And three hundred gold pieces for public humiliation."
"WHAT?!" Korra squawked in disbelief. "I can't pay that!" The hunter watched in horror as the noblewoman's face sprouted into a smoldering grin.
"I know…" She said with silk in her throat and grabbed the front of Korra's tunic, yanking her closer. "You are now property of the Sato Estate. You will work until you pay every single one of your debts off… down to the very last coin."
"Keh!" The dark woman turned her face away growling in her throat dread filled the cavity of her breast. Korra was a lot of things, but she wasn't someone who couldn't pay her way through life. She didn't want to owe anyone favors and she didn't want this noble to hold anything against her. If she refused to pay, Asami would throw her back in jail. She hung her head in defeat with a loud groan of misery. "Fine… I'll work off my debt."
"Of course you will," Asami released the hunter's tunic and contorted to the exit. "Mako will show you where you will be staying. That mongrel wolf of yours can stay in the kennel. Oh, and don't even think about doing anything… uncivilized. The more trouble you cause the more debt you will rack up, Wolfgirl."
"It's Korra!" The hunter spat out in anger causing the maiden to turn on her heels with a stone expression.
"I will call you whatever I want," said with venom on the lady's lips. "But you will refer to me as Lady Asami." She turned back away and left the jailhouse with her chin raised high. Korra growled quietly, clenching her fists as her situation grew dimmer. She now was moving from one prison to another… she couldn't think which one was worse. No… this is much worse than a jail cell.