Chapter 6 – Escape, Part I

After escaping, Aiana and I just keep running. And running. And running. We ran all the way through the Gifted Embankment, and the Water Villages, and the Earth Populace. We ran into the woods that, as of now, were unexplored and unpopulated. It was late, so the two of us stopped and took a rest.

As I gathered wood to make a temporary camp, Aiana caught her breath. "Dude," she spluttered, "You owe me an explanation."

I nodded. "All right. I guess I do."

"Than start talking."

"Okay."

I told her the story of how I had discovered that the anti-bender revolt was once more active, and how I'd just ran back and met her. And than how the girl attacked me.

"She must be part of the revolution – her necklace bore the symbol of Yuri, and in our battle I was able to piece it together. The revolution is now targeting me because I know of their existence."

Aiana just stared. "That's bad. It looks like we need to tell someone about this."

I nodded. "You're right. But who to tell?"

Aiana had an idea. "How about, tomorrow morning, we go to the Water Library and tell my professor? He'll know what to do."

I liked that idea. "That's a good plan."

I gathered wood and used my firebending simulator to start a fire. "Hey, I was wondering something." Aiana said.

"Yeah?" I asked her.

"What is that?"

"It's a firebending simulator. One of my more successful experiments."

"Why?"

"Well, I have a mild obsession with fire. Most of my experiments revolved around trying to capture it. This machine creates friction in the air, which makes fire. The part attached to my arm is able to control that fire to some extent. It's synthetic firebending, although I've got a limited control over the fire and I can't make that much of it."

"Cool. So what else did you manage to take with you?"

"That's a surprise." I smiled.

She laughed. "Goodnight."

"Night, Aiana."

The next morning, under cover of the shadows, the two of us snuck into the Water Villages. I'm not sure how she decided to just give up her life and just follow me, but it seemed natural that we stick together since the attack.

"This way," Aiana whispered to me, and within ten minutes, we were in the Water Library.

Aiana knocked on a classroom door, and we walked in. A man, about fifty something by his looks, glanced up from his scroll. "Aiana? You're early. And who is your friend?"

"Professor Werm, there's something we must tell you."

And so we told him about the revolution.

He seemed troubled. He got up and closed the door. "This is very troubling, very disturbing news."

Aiana nodded. "So what should we do, Professor? Who should we tell?"

Werm laughed. "No one, my dear Aiana."

I was confused. "Why not?"

"Because you're not leaving."

The two of us paled. "What?" I asked.

"If you left, you might expose the revolution."

It dawned on me. "You're a part of it."

Werm took a necklace out of his pocket – the same kind of one worn by the girl who had attacked me. "Yes, I am."

He jumped out of his seat, and with a few fluid motions, water from pots around the room were coming towards us. Aiana raised a shield of earth around us, and I drew something from my bad – a sword. "Lower this part!" I yelled.

She did, and I ran out. Werm noticed me, and I swung at him. He stepped back, and covered his arm in water. It extended, and he used it on me as a whip. I narrowly dodged the hit by jumping over a desk, and, reaching into my gut, I replicated the move Aiana I had helped Aiana with. Suddenly, the water around Werm's hand froze, and the other water fell to the floor.

"What?" He asked.

I was weak. I fell to the floor, and as I did, someone broke down a wall to the room. Their face was hidden behind a mask, and a large red coat hid the rest of their body. The face turned towards me and Aiana, and it said, "Go."

Aiana picked me up, and we jumped out of the window. As we did, we could hear Werm shouting, "You!"

Aiana used the earth as a wave, propelling us through the streets of the Water Villages. Many people shouted at us, but still we continued. She ran out of strength somewhere near the Water Docks. "Hey, now what?"

I saw a ship, and could tell it was about to leave. I pointed towards it. "We get on."

She was taken aback. "You mean… Leave Utopian City?"

I nodded.

"We don't even know where the ship is going!"

"You don't need to come. It's me their after."

"Why don't we just tell someone?"

"Because we don't know who else is in the resistance. We might end up in another situation like with Werm – and it might be worse. Some guy might not bust through the wall that time and save us."

"Well, you're right. Let's go sneak aboard a ship."

I was surprised. "You're coming?"

She laughed. "You need me!"

She was right. "Okay than, so let's get going!"

And together, we set out to the ship. We would, of course, have to sneak aboard. But it was better than staying in Utopian City.