Heimat | Aang

THIRTY-EIGHT

Inhale. Exhale. Aang was conscious of his breathing. Air came in slowly, then it came out. A few moments were blissful as he only breathed in and out. Then came the pain. Soreness seemed to take over his entire body, but the most of it came from his head, where he presumed he was hit. The pain grew into a dull throb but after a while it seemed to blend into the background once more. Before he were to move, Aang focused on opening his eyes.

His vision was blurry. He could make out nothing but spots of colours here and there. He blinked once more, and slowly, the colours seemed to come into focus. He blinked one last time, his sight returning to normal.

The throne room was in shambles. Decorations were on the ground, broken, Dai Li and masked people littered the floor of the grand hall, the wake of battle revealing all destructions that happened during it. Slowly, Aang attempted to push himself back. It didn't take him long to manage it. With a small groan, he pushed himself up. He looked down at himself briefly, at his body void of bruises and wondered how he could have spent so many minutes—or perhaps hours—fighting without sustaining a single bruise. But he didn't let the thought grow. Another thought popped up the next moment, causing everything—the soreness of his body, the dull throb of his head, the bodies of the Dai Li and masked people on the ground—to fade back as this worry prevailed.

Where was Tapeesa?

He stood up, his gaze quick to scan the room, but there was no sight of her anywhere near. Slowly, he left the space where he laid, yet he had only made one step forward when he stepped on something that felt cold against his bare feet. Looking down, he realised it was ice.

He walked out of the room where he was the only one conscious and stepped outside, trying to find someone who could provide him answers. It didn't take him long before he ran across a bunch of Dai Li, urgently heading to the throne room. He headed right towards them.

"Where is-"

"Avatar Aang, you are awake," one of them cut him off, none of them stopping as they headed to the throne room. Aang had no choice but to follow if he wanted answers. "King Kuei has been abducted. As the one who was called here to protect him you are to aid in the search for him."

Aang's eyes widened. He rushed forward. "The King was taken? But I thought he was safe."

"After they broke through our defences they went for the King," the same officer told him. "We managed to repel their forces after calling for reinforcements. The merceneries are now secluded outside the palace and we are defending it."

"Mercenaries?" Aang asked to himself before he shook his head. "How did they get in the castle?"

"We are still searching for that, Avatar," he supplied. "We don't have much time to find the King before they break through our defences. Their numbers are greater than our own."

"But they lack the skill of the Dai Li, don't they?" Aang insisted as they finally reached the throne room. He didn't receive an answer to his question. And the sight of the fallen Dai Li in the hall served as enough of an answer.

"Look for the King, Avatar," the Dai Li said, and so the Avatar was left alone.

Aang left the throne room, headed for the room he and Tapeesa had stayed. He knew, for everyone, the priority was to find King Kuei. But he couldn't imagine searching for him when Tapeesa was missing.

The room they had stayed in was empty, his belongings right next to Tapeesa's still, not a thing touched, the bed still unmade from the moment they had jumped when they heard the first scream. When they had met again, he remembered she had asked about the King and he had told her he was safe, then he had asked about the staff which she had replied were safe as well. He remembered fighting, getting separated from her. And then he remembered nothing.