The Longing ⇝ BOOK 1 > LOK [Avatar: TLAB-LoK Watty Awards 2018]

33

Lyra (1)

We reached Silk Road Bridge just a few minutes before midnight. My father made sure that he had a clear eye shot on me just in case of anything.

My fever was getting higher and I was getting weaker. But I tried not to make it a distraction. I tried my best to make sure it wasn't noticeable, but I was walking as if I just finished a 100 miles and sweat dripped from my body.

I was holding onto my father's arm as we walked.

"I knew I should've taken you home." My father said.

"The night is almost over." I responded. "We'll be home soon."

As we continued walking, a man clothed in a matching coat and hat revealed himself from behind a pillar. "Psst, over here."

As we stopped next to him, he started right away. "Listen, I joined the Equalists because I believed in what Amon said. I thought he could make life better for us nonbenders, but I didn't sign up for this- this war."

Beifong was quick to get to the point. "What do you have on Hiroshi Sato?"

"He manufactured those gloves for the Equalists." He answered.

"I knew it." Korra said. I pointed my finger upward showing that I also knew it.

"And there are rumors he's working on something even bigger. Some new kind of weapon."

"We searched all of Future Industries and found nothing." My father said.

"That's because he has a secret factory." The man said.

"Where?" Korra asked.

"It's right underneath the Sato Mansion."

We all were shocked.

"H-how could we not have thought of that?" I rhetorically asked as I looked up at my father. "Do you think Asami knows?"

"I guess we'll find out. Back to the air ship." Beifong said.

>>>

I laid my head down on Korra's legs. She patted my forehead with a cold, wet towel cloth and I started to feel somewhat fresh.

"What's wrong with you?" She asked me. "You were fine earlier. Now you're sick? It doesn't make any sense."

I slightly smiled. "I had a complicated childhood."

"What happened?"

"This has only happened twice in my life... that my parents and I know of since they adopted me when I was three years old. We know nothing about me before that. Anyway, each time, I almost died. The first time, I was nine years old. It happens in 'stages' as my doctor likes to say it.

The first stage is I get really out of character, which for me is aggressiveness, like you witnessed earlier. I snap at people and I want to say these awful things to people. For example, like Asami today.

The second stage is a fever. As you can feel, my skin feels like I've been out in the desert for a whole day. And I sweat like a water bender trying to create a water.

The third stage is weakness. I start to drag on and it gets worse with time. I can't really do anything on my own. From sitting up to laying down.

The fourth stage is vomiting. In my opinion, it's the easiest. I only throw up maybe once or twice.

And the last stage is unconsciousness. Sometimes, I'll go in out of it. Or for hours and hours."

"That's horrible." Korra said. "What makes this an almost death experience?"

"This type of sickness does something to your body that isn't curable. On top of that, you become dehydrated and you don't eat because you're never hungry. You're main focus is staying lucid." I responded.

"So what do you do?"

"You wait it out and hope for the best. We were lucky because I survived both times."

"How old were you when this happened the second time?" She asked.

"I was twelve."

"Are you... scared?"

I sighed, "Kind of. It hasn't happened in five years. I don't know how my body w- will react now that I'm older."

"You're a fighter. You'll get through this."

I softly hummed. "I hope so."

The air ship then came into a stop. My father walked over to the two of and leaned down.

"I'm going to ask you once. I already know your answer, but I'm begging you." My father took my hot hands in his. "Please stay on the air ship."

I tried my best to smile for him. I tried to show him that I'm in no pain. "I'll manage down there."

My father sighed before picking me up and placing me onto his back. I wrapped my arms around his neck and laid my head onto his shoulder. Let's check out this secret factory.