THE AIR MASTER {LOK/ATLA}

(XIV)

"Did you speak to Zaheer?" Tonraq asked Korra, as soon as she walked back in.

She looked very worried. "Yes. He told me to come to the top of Laghima's Peak at noon, alone. Once he has me, he'll release the airbenders over to you at the temple."

"I think I figured a way to play this so that the airbenders and Korra all come out in one piece," Suyin announced.

"How?" Lin asked.

"Zaheer doesn't know how many of us there are, so we have the numbers advantage. I say we split into two teams: Zaya, Mako, Bolin and Asami will take the airship up to the temple. Meanwhile, my metalbenders, Tonraq, Lin, and I will get in position below Laghima's Peak," Su explained.

I wasn't sure Suyin's plan would work, but at least we had to try. It was our only hope at this point. However, it didn't feel like we were coming out of this fight as winners.

***

"Radio the second you see those airbenders," Lin told Mako.

"I will, Chief. Good luck," Mako nodded in agreement.

"Be careful, Korra," Asami pleaded.

"I will," she said, hugging both Mako and Bolin at the same time.

She finally turned her attention to me. Without speaking, we hugged each other tightly. I fought back the tears in my eyes.

"Come back to us."

"I promise I'll get your family back."

"You are also my family, Korra."

Without answering, she simply smiled as she left the airship, and we finally took off. There was a deafening silence onboard, that was, until we finally were high enough to witness all the damage done to the temple. A structure hundreds of years old, completely in ruins. It was really sad, but also really terrifying.

"Must have been some fight," Mako observed, sighing sadly.

"Mako, did you see the airbenders?" Korra asked through the radio.

"Not yet," Mako replied. "We're just arriving. Don't turn yourself over until I get a visual on them."

Once we docked, we were received by Ghazan, the lavabender.

"This way," he said, as Asami, Bolin and Mako gave each other wary looks. He rolled his eyes with annoyance. "You want the airbenders, or not?"

Reluctantly, we followed him deeper into the temple. Suddenly, we stopped in a room, and my heart broke at the awful sight. There, in the middle of the room and tied with some metal chains, I saw Uncle Tenzin, beat down and unconscious. At the very back of the room, they had all the new airbending recruits.

I tensed automatically, and Mako had to squeeze my hand in support so that I wouldn't make a face and show how much it had affected me.

"Mako, what's going on?" Korra radioed.

Asami took the lead when she noticed how shaken up I was and took the radio from Mako so he didn't have to let go of me. "They're here. And so is the lavabender."

"Tell Ghazan to let the airbenders go."

"Not until you turn yourself over. This isn't a negotiation," I heard Zaheer say. "Wipe them out!"

"NO!" I heard Korra cry. "Wait. I'm coming."

"Stand down," Zaheer ordered. "We have her."