Chapter 10, finally I know.
LOK
#49
Enjoy
Afraid, Bolin's fingers fidgeted nervously close to his chest. The constant hard labor had made his fingertips numb a while ago, way past the point of raw but not bloodied.
It was much like how his bare feet were feeling now as he was led through the dark chamber along the familiar path towards the central chamber where the huts were. The silence that befell the cavern was nearly deafening, as though the other prisoners had stopped working right then just to give the two their attention. That did not make Bolin feel any better.
"Hurry up, I do not have very much patience to spend with you today." The cruel guard paused but did not look to Bolin.
Bolin restrained himself from talking back, since when did this guy have any sort of patience with him? Trembling slightly, he complied and moved faster.
He was led out into the light and Bolin naturally shunned his eyes away from the ceiling lights, the sudden light change always got to him. While his eyes teared up with precious water he could not afford to waste while not working, he did his best to follow the sounds of the guard's boots. The distinct crunch on the stone floor was very different from the soft patter of the bare feet of the prisoners. He had quickly learned the difference long ago.
He was not led far into the central cavern, down a path that led towards a level clearing where the guard had stopped. Bolin's eyes widened as the guard slipped up his mask to reveal a pale face with a mass of black hair. If he didn't know any better he would have guessed some fire nation decent.
"What now?" Bolin let the question slip before he could stop it, biting his lip and hoping he did not just incur another wrathful punishment. However, to the young Earthbender's surprise, the guard answered his question.
The guard's voice was swift, precise, cold, and unfeeling; having a relation to a blade of some sort... a scalpel. Yes, exactly like the surgical tool, Bolin thought. He also thought this man was a lunatic.
"I intend to inspect you. You have undergone the nerve treatment for four cycles straight. I intend to inspect your progress and then I will decide where to proceed from there."
Bolin's teeth clenched together as his body tensed, not from any sort of anger but from fear, he managed to squeak out, "Excuse me..?"
"I only need to see if you can survive the next treatment." The guard slowly slipped out his baton. "Unfortunately most never do. Actually... none ever do."
Bolin's eyes widened as the guard raised the wand to level with his neck, his voice cracked as he stammered, raising his hands up in surrender, "Now-now, w-wait a minute! I-I-I'm sure we can wor-work something out..."
Teeth flashed, Bolin could see a wicked grin on the psycho's face. His mind tried to tell his body to flee but it would not obey. He trembled in the same spot, the words running through his head that he was going to die here and his brother would never find his body or have closure.
The second that ticked by seemed like a long hour to Bolin, he could feel his heart beating to leave his body even if he himself couldn't escape.
"Hey!" a voice called out that took the cruel guard's attention. "Put your mask back on, you sicko."
Bolin managed to turn his head through the intense fear. Two masked guards were standing there, both tall but one was thinner than the other, the thinner one was the one doing the talking, "You know better to reveal your image to prisoners. That's against the rules."
"What... you're sticking up for some mud-grabber?" As the cruel guard put his mask back on.
"I don't care what happens to him, and I don't care what happens to you either if you keep pushing them too hard. But I do care what happens to my ass if the boss saw one of my underlings with out his mask. Got it?"
"Loud and clear." The freak raised his baton towards Bolin again.
"N-no! No please!" Bolin did not have time to back away as he crumpled to the floor, writhing in pain. His mouth was open but nothing came out but a high pitched whine. Even when the pain stopped his body jerked with a residual charge... and his body felt on fire. He could only hold consciousness for a few more seconds before everything darkened to black nothingness.
The fast-talker looked back at the rookie who was trembling, "I guess you haven't seen what happens when you play with that toy on your belt, huh? It sends a signal to the collars, it can shut off their bending but it also can punish if you encounter difficult ones." The guard looked back at the crumpled heap. Bolin hadn't moved at all.
"He's had it... doubt he's even alive now." The fast-talking guard tsked. "You wasted another one, you freak." And he turned to leave.
"What's going to happen... to the body?" The rookie's voice sounded absolutely shaken and his frame was still trembling.
"Eh?" The talkative one paused, "Someone'll come along and take him to the area where we keep the girls to work and they'll put him into the ground someplace... I don't know." he shrugged. "I don't want to touch it though." he added grossed out. "Lets go.. I think it might be smelling." And the guard had to forcefully push the rookie down the path to the guard towers.
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Korra stumbled along the trail she was sent on, her bare feet picking up small rocks with each step. It was getting darker in the caves as she walked on until she saw another trail and a light up ahead. When her vision adjust again, it wasn't exactly a trail but more tracks that led out of a pit of darkness to the right and into the place of light ahead.
A cold draft came out of the darkness and she shivered. Heeding the warning of the wind, she kept going straight towards the light.
A warning... Korra's thoughts went back to her earlier warning that she deemed to be from her past lives. The images in her head became a little clearer as she recounted them. Four in all, ripples of water, a dark colored crystal that seemed to be vibrating on a table, a red flag of a mountain on fire, and all of them swirled into an incinerating blaze that had burned her mind. Not only that but her body was not hers for a moment in time. She'd been lucky her outburst was brushed off.
It was no coincidence that she felt the urge to deal with this problem, Korra felt she was being guided into this. To save these people and not just Bolin-
"Hi!" A high pitched voice echoed on Korra's inner thoughts. "Over here!"
"Huh?" Korra blinked to realize she had made it to the end of the trail... it was a small cavern with lights strung about and a well with water being pumped from it into a narrow wooden channel, not even a half a foot deep, which women sat on their knees along the flow with their hands in the water. On the other side, women were pouring rocks into the water, which the women with their hands in the water would feel over and disintegrate into fine sand... leaving behind precious stones and metals that are of value to be placed in carts on the other side.
In the middle of the line, a couple of women appeared to be waving at her. Both dressed in oversized-poncho shirts and pants, a grey haired woman and a younger woman who looked to be ten years older than Korra and it was her who had called to her.
"Hello, you must be Korra," The older woman bowed from her seated position when Korra approached. " Oda is my husband, I am Sheishen, and my daughter is Ola. Please sit with us so we can show you what you need to do." The woman gestured to a spot in between her and her daughter.
The woman sounded so casual, like someone inviting one over for a cup of tea, it unnerved Korra just a bit. However, she reluctantly sat between them on her knees, "What exactly is going on around here? Why are you doing this? Why are they making you do this?" she asked loudly.
"Who else will, dearie?" An elderly woman near the front answered. "If it is not us.. then it will be another poor soul..."
"What else can we do?"
"It's all I've ever known."
Answers chimed in down the line, each making Korra more infuriated than the last. How could the proud Earthbenders be so broken, so enslaved?
"I've grown up doing this, I don't remember doing anything else." Ola spoke to Korra.
"What do you mean? How long have you been here?" Korra asked and her heart clenched up.
"Since I was very little." Ola answered simply. Korra's eyes widened and in her gut she realized just how long this organized kidnapping had been going on.
"Okay ladies, back to work," the eldest of the bunch laughed and simultaneously dunked their hands into the water.
Korra slipped her hands into the water as well, her eyes closing as she felt relief to be touching water again.
"Watch me, Korra." Ola smiled to her and picked up a rock underwater. Cupping it in her hands, she seemed to be carefully crushing the rock little by little, letting the dust and sand float away with the river to leave behind a sliver of red stone in her hand. Her three fingered hand. Korra bit her lip and could not imagine how painful it must have been to loose even one finger.
Looking over at Sheishen, Korra also realized that the woman only had one arm! Quickly looking down the line, it seemed the other ladies had their appendages intact. She turned her attention back to Ola, "What happened to your hand?"
Ola's expression turned solemn for a moment.
"I mean if you don't want to talk about I understand." Korra feared she might have offended her.
"No, it's okay... it was just an accident." That's all Ola would say about it.
Korra placed her hand on the woman's shoulder. This only furthered her resolve to set these people free, they couldn't live like this. Sure they've survived and made the best of things but there is a difference between being a slave and being free.
A tell tale crunch and Ola suddenly dunked Korra's hands back in the water, "Guard!" she whispered loudly and the room went silent except for the sound of rushing water.
Korra glanced over. It was a guard alright, but the man was hauling something... the closer he got she coudl see it was actually someone...
"Oh no..." Ola whispered. "Not him... he can't be dead... Korra I'm so sorry." She had better vision in the dark than Korra, but her words made the Avatar's heart stop beating.
No. Not everything she's done to get here, to get to him...
It can't be over now...
The guard entered the lit chamber dragging the limp and lifeless body of Bolin... it was pale with a large burn spreading from his neck over the once visible veins.
A tear unwillingly streamed down Korra's cheek.
End chapter 10
Sorry it's been a while, been working on other projects, but I haven't given up. By not giving up I mean I still have every intention of continuing.
Comments and advice are very much appreciated as I am always trying to improve!
Til next chapter... sorry to leave you with this tearjerker..