(1) Augmentum | Zuko

Chapter Ninety-Three

Rana stands close to Noivern who waits for her, she's perched on the city wall, her tail swishing behind her as her eyes scan over the water. The Fire Nation is out there somewhere. She can't see them yet, but she can feel them. She knows that sounds ridiculous, but it is like she can feel them coming. She glances to her right, the wall is lined with Water Tribe warriors, their faces painted for war. They have a good chance here. If they can just hold them off until the sun goes down. She turns to look further along the wall to the other end where Aang sits atop Appa. Katara and Sokka standing to Appa's left. Sokka looks back at Rana, the two of them sharing a look of fierce determination. They are the oldest of the group. It is their job to protect Aang and Katara. To protect the two children thrust into war. She lets out a breath and turns to look back out across the water when, in the distance, she can now see a single ship. It launches a fireball that hurtles directly at the centre of the city wall. It strikes the water symbol in the centre of the wall and blows a massive hole through it. Many defenders are blown backwards into the city by the concussion, along with huge chunks of ice and debris. Another fireball is sent flying through the air towards the city. It lands in a canal with an explosion of smoke, water and fire. The Fire Nation crew are then launching another fireball from the trebuchet on the approaching ship's foredeck. It strikes the right side of the city wall, shattering a piece of it. Noivern recoils and roars as the smoke and exploding ice create havoc around him. Rana runs towards him and then swings herself up onto his back, settling into the saddle.

"Let's go" Rana pushes and Noivern launches off the wall towards the Fire Navy ship while the defenders on the wall try to reorganize.

......

Noivern moves at speed through the sky, Rana at his reigns, a stern look on her face. As Rana and Noivern approach the Fire Navy ship it fires a few more fireballs at them. The last, Rana air-blasts out of the way. The blow changes the trajectory of the fireball and it goes wild, harmlessly striking the ice cliff way to the left of the city. "I'll take it from here" Noivern begins to invert himself allowing Rana to just fall off of the saddle into a free fall. Rana holds out her arms, a flap of material catching like wings between her arms and her side. She looks like a giant human Momo. She uses her tail to steer herself as she closes in on the ship. Dodging several more fireballs, Rana arrives on the foredeck, dropping down and pulling her sword from her back. She throws it out in an arc, sending a rainbow-coloured blast that blows much of the deck crew away. Rana then hops up onto the arm of the loaded trebuchet and begins to walk down it. A huge Fire Nation soldier blocks her way, however, and she is forced back up the arm. Two more soldiers have climbed the trebuchet, however, and appear behind Rana. They all swing mighty hammers at her and miss, damaging the trebuchet. Finally, Rana jets into the air and with a mighty blow blasts the trebuchet into a dozen pieces. Rana pounces over to the other trebuchet on the deck. Using her sword, she breaks the chain the stops the trebuchet arm from overextending and then fires the trebuchet. The arm overextends and the weapon shoots its fireball into the deck, straight through and into the water below. Rana runs back up the deck to two more trebuchets, Fire Nation guards in tow. She ties the chains of two trebuchets together in a bow knot, then runs over to one of the machines firing mechanisms and kicks it into operation. The activated trebuchet draws the one it is tied to across the deck towards itself. When one strikes the other they disintegrate into a pile of useless junk. Rana grins widely as she runs over to another trebuchet and is observed by a large Fire Nation warrior. She is about to strike the firing mechanism with her sword when she sees the warrior approach. She narrowly avoids multiple hammers attached to chains that attempt to strike her. Hiding behind one of the trebuchet's girders, Rana is quickly ensnared by two chains that wrap around her. Noivern suddenly lets out a sonic boom, breaking the chain and sweeping the warrior out of the way. Ran frees herself from her now loose chains. "Noi!" Noivern lands on the edge of the ship, Rana runs over and hugs Noivern's neck. "Thanks for the rescue" She whispers fondly. Suddenly the ship starts to vibrate violently. A huge spear of ice breaks through the foredeck straight into the sky. The Fire Navy ship has been surrounded by Water Tribe skiffs full of water-benders. Together they lift the Fire Navy ship out of the water on a bed of ice. Noivern and Rana take off the now heavily listing deck. As they rise above the now wrecked ship, Rana's expression turns to horror and surprise as she looks in front of her. The horizon is full of Fire Navy ships as far as the eye can see. "You have got to be kidding me"

..........

Noivern lands at the base of the Citadel steps. Aang, Yue and Katara run down to them. As Noivern lands he lies down on his belly, his feet too tired to keep him up. Rana looks small and dejected in the saddle. She slides off and lets out a heavy breath.

"I can't do it" She whispers. "I can't do it" Her voice breaks a little as she sinks to the floor. 

"What happened?" Aang asks her.

"I must have taken out a dozen Fire Navy ships, but there's just too many of them" She points out. "I can't fight them all" She buries her head in her arms in despair as Katara sits down to comfort her.

"It's okay" Katara assures her. "You're not doing this alone" Rana lets out a breath

"No" She agrees softly and looks at Katara. "But I know what I have to do" She whispers and lifts her head to look at the others. "Zhao will be leading them when they attack" She offers. "I have to face him. I can't let him hurt anyone else." Katara and Aang share a worried look.