Gateway To Another World: An Avatar Story

Chapter 5

A few days later all of troops including Ursa, Sadao, and Aiya are gathered around one hundred yards outside of a small Acolyte stronghold. They are all in line in front of the main gate waiting for order from Ursa to attack.

"Now!" Ursa shouts.

All of the fighters rush through the gates and they all stop a few feet in. They all stood there in awe. They were expecting a fight like no other, but their assumptions were their only enemies. The stronghold was completely empty. 

After a few minutes of silence, Ursa says, "They must have known we would be coming a fled."

Moments later a fire ball the size of a boulder passes inches in front of Ursa's face. 

The Acolytes have trapped them in their own stronghold. Waves upon waves of Acolytes enter in their signature black clothes. The troops are completely surrounded by what appears to be nearly 100 Acolytes.

A Fire Nation soldier blasts a few Acolytes with fire and a short battle ensues. In the heat of battle, Ursa, Sadao, and Aiya escape the stronghold and now watch from outsode the main gate. The brave soldier and a few others are quickly killed, and the rest are subdued and brought to their knees.

The remaining eleven soldiers are kneeling in a row circled by a sea of Acolytes. From the crowd a smaller in stature but far greater in ego Acolyte emerges and stands before the soldiers. She takes off her hood to reveal her true identity, for she is Princess Azula of the Fire Nation.

"Do you know who I am?" asks Azula.

"Yes, you'r-" responds the first bound soldier.

"Stop that's enough. Now do you know who I am?" asks Azula to the next in line.

Azula asks every now prisoner in line, nine say yes, two say no.

Azula walks back towards the first prisoner to respond no. He wears a more fearful look than thought possible. Azula takes her right glove off and forms it into a fist. She bends a tight circle of fire around the entire fist and inserts it into the prisoner's mouth.

Ursa, Sadao, and Aiya see nothing but the back of Acolytes, but they hear nothing but the screams of a man experiencing his final pain.

Azula then walks up to the other poor soul to respond no. The prisoner is as pale as a ghost but appears more held together, almost brave in the face of death.  

"You won't win, the Avatar will return once again, and you will be stopped. Do your worst, coward," says the brave prisoner. 

Azula only smiles. She takes off her left glove and begins bending fire on her thumbs. She then shoves her thumbs into the prisoner's eye sockets, and as he screams a small amount of fire can be seen coming out of his mouth and nostrils.

Azula then walks towards the first prisoner to say yes. She grabs his head and stares deeply into his eyes. She keeps contact for a few minutes then the man begins to scream. He screams for what feels like an eternity, then suddenly he stops and stands up.

Azula repeats this with every alive prisoner. Then Azula leads the Acolytes out almost instantaneously, almost as if they disappeared completely.

Ursa, Sadao, and Aiya run back in. All three wear a face of shock. Ursa drops to her knees in front of the bodies of the now deceased prisoners.

"Ursa, Sadao I found a note," says Aiya.

Ursa and Sadao run over to Aiya who holds a small opened scroll. On the scroll reads a set of coordinates. 

"It's coordinates. Our cartographer is gone now," says Ursa.

Sadao responds, "There is plenty of towns in the area let's go to one and hope they have a cartographer who can help."

"Okay good idea," says Ursa.

"I know this might be strange Ursa, but do you know the woman? She looks like an older evil you. Sorry if that offends you or anything," says Aiya.

"Oh I know her. That is my Aunt Azula. She is the one my fire bending teachers compare me to when I'm not around. People try not to talk about my lineage before my Father too much at all. Her least of all. I also know my Father fears that I will become her one day. But I will never become that monster, my Father just doesn't care to get to actually know me," responds Ursa.

"We know of her, at least through stories. We also know you will never be anything like that monster," says Sadao.

"I figured as much considering your parents, and thank you Sadao. We better get moving before it's too late," responds Ursa.

The three then leave the stronghold and begin down the road south towards the the next avenue of their journey.