Sinking Feeling- A Kainora Fanfiction

Chapter 11

Even before Asami opened her eyes, she could feel the room spinning. The room she found herself in was dark and blurry. She tried to look around but felt the stab of a violent headache. From out of the corner of her eye she saw Kai approach the bed. She reached out groaning "Kai..."

"Don't try to move. You got knocked pretty bad." Kai said, bringing a canteen to her lips.

"What happened?" She murmured.

Kai had a hasty look out the window "I don't want to alarm you but we crashed in the swamp and now Equalist soldiers are on their way."

Asami was alarmed.

She tried sitting up but was put down by Kai. "Jinora said that you shouldn't move unless we can avoid it. It will make your head worse." Asami reluctantly took another sip from the canteen. "Don't worry, Jinora has a plan."

"Are you worried?"

Kai looked at his clasped hands. "I am a bit more than worried. We are facing long odds waiting for rescue." Kai relaxed in the lotus position, sitting tranquilly amid the wail of the night wind. "But I have faith. I have faith in Jinora and her plan. If she needs me to be the last line of defence. Then that's what I am gonna do."

Kai breathed in and out. He hardly felt any pain in his leg.

The pale moonlight was burning under harsh spotlights. Jinora stood on a small marshy island surrounded by Equalist hovercraft. Dozens of glowing eyes and sparking weapons flickered from the tree line.

From the vanguard craft, the Commandant stepped into view. "Master Air-Bender. You disappoint me. Not only did you interfere with my business on Axe Head Island but you have come here do the same. It is clear that the lessons I taught you were not clear enough." He sighed rubbing the bridge of his nose

Jinora clenched her fist by her side, digging her heels in. "I believe the feeling is mutual. Avatar Korra destroyed your laboratory on Axe Head Island, she destroyed your chemical factory in Omashu and she is coming here next. You have lost again."

Grabbing his bo staff, the Commandant jumped onto the island. "Is that so. I am sorry to inform you but your arrogance has blinded you again." Jinora raised her guard and stepped back as he moved closer. "Cures for benders get stronger every day. The Equalist cause, despite years of oppression, remains strong and we will one day fulfil Amon's dream."

Without a moment of hesitation, he lunged at Jinora. She narrowly dodged with a strategic palm of air. The Commandant stabbed again, finishing with a reverse sweep. Gliding from foot to foot, Jinora sidestepped the attacks. Incensed by his foe's lack of an attack, the Commandant increased the rate of his advances. Jinora matched by dodging in circles around him.

Equalist troops began dropping from the hovercraft and readying their weapons. "You are undisciplined and weak. The best thing one of your kind could expect is an honourable defeat."

Jinora stopped on the other side of the island, facing the Commandant and his highly trained squad of soldiers. "I am not weak. No matter how much you tell me. I am human. The same as you. We both feel pain and fear. We both fall down and fail. It isn't a failing, it's humanity. That same humanity which we share with our loved ones and lets us get right back up. That is something that neither you nor I can fight." She pointed out him confidently, "This is your last chance to surrender." The Commandant grimaced at the girl who stood before him. His cold eyes imagined her frail body breaking in his hands.

"You can't beat me. Not then and not now. All you can do is run." He barked.

With a familiar mischievous smile, she said "I am not running. I am waiting for them to catch up." Carried through the tree line under the smothering canopy ceiling came the demonic cackling, the rustle of tree branches and terror. Taffy and his gorillagators descended from the foliage onto the Equalist soldiers. Their formation and organisation deteriorated as these huge apes threw people asunder. The Commandant staggered from the pandemonium, scowled at Jinora. He kept his glare even as a large male began charging towards him. He transitioned immediately to face the creature, upper cutting and sweeping the gorillagator.

Jinora needed to buy more time. The Equalists were gaining back control of the situation.

"Captain, move your squad ahead. She is stalling us." The Commandant shouted to the nearest hovercraft. Jinora was preparing to form an indominable typhoon on the water's edge to swallow up the speeding hovercraft but the Commandant continued his attacks. She changed tactics, jumping out of the way and firing a couple of consecutive blasts at the Commandant to keep him off balance. Not even attempting to block the attacks, he heaved the fallen gorillagator onto his shoulders and threw it into her attack. She narrowly was able to redirect the trajectory of the creature when she saw the Commandant running behind it. He swung his bo at her ribs launching her into the water.

It was like one of her horrible nightmares. Light had failed to reach her, its beams unable to penetrate the murky blackness. She was sinking into the shallow river that seemed to be fathoms deep. The noise and commotion of the surface was indiscernible. Her limbs had given up the struggle and lay by her side. Had she done enough? Were her struggles worthy of the tattoos she wore?

No. She thought, clenching her fist. That didn't matter. All that mattered was that her friends' and her enemies' lives were in the balance. People were relying on her. Kai, Asami and Taffy were depending on her. She wouldn't let them sink into the Commandant's pit as well.

Churning her hands through the river water, she formed a vacuum. The pain in her muscles had gone numb as she was dragged higher and higher. With each pull the light became clearer and the nosie became sharper. Something had approached. Some shadowy shape overhead. She could hear the sound of metal tearing above her. She spluttered to the surface, lobbing herself onto the muddy beach. She coughed up river water laying back in relief. Su's airship had arrived with Zaofu's highly trained metal bending guards.

Metal benders swung down from the airship on metal cords flipping hovercraft and their Equalist crews. Su landed on the island next to Jinora. "Thank goodness you are okay. We got here just in time. Where are the others?" she asked, helping Jinora to her feet.

"They are in our crashed airship, a kilometre or two that way. There are Equalists heading their now. Once we apprehend the Commandant then we can rescue them."

Su looked around confused. "Who is that?"

Jinora looked around for the enemy commander but he was no-where in sight. "We need to get to that airship right now!"

Su retracted her cable, returning to the airship. "Taffy. C'mon boy we are leaving." Jinora called out into the ruckus. Her loveable panda-chimp friend bounded out from the carnage and joined her eagerly by her side. With a flick of her arms, she air-bended them up to the airship. It was now a race against time.