Prisoner of War

Conspiracy

The somber group climbed out of the underground tunnels.

"What now?" Rhea stared out across the lake.

Sokka took a deep breath. "We have to warn the Earth King."

The other nodded. Rhea followed suit.

Sokka led them back to the bank.

A line of Di Li cut them off, creating a massive stone wall. More Di Li did the same behind them. They were trapped.

Rhea reached for the dagger sheathed at her side. She didn't stand much of a chance against the earthbenders, but she wasn't gonna stand there and let them win.

She considered calling Azara, but there was nothing the armadillo-wolf could've done. They were trapped between a rock and a hard place... literally.

Long Feng, the man who had attacked them below the lake, who'd... Rhea refused to finish that thought. She couldn't focus on what they'd lost. She needed to remember everything they had left to fight for.

He stepped forward, flashing Rhea with a hateful look. She smirked. She had a feeling she was on his hit list now. Good.

Out of nowhere, a massive form dove out of the sky. It landed, grabbed Long Feng by the leg with its teeth, and threw him sideways into the lake.

Rhea watched as the man skipped across the water's surface.

"Appa!" Aang's voice drew her back to the huge creature standing before her. The Avatar rushed forward and hugged the flying bison's snout. "I missed you buddy."
————
Rhea leapt from Appa's back and landed among the earth king's royal guard.

They turned their weapons on her.

"I'm really sorry about this." She ducked one of the spears and jabbed her knuckles between the guard's shoulder blades. He collapsed. She took down the remaining soldiers in a similar fashion.

Aang, Rhea, and the others fought their way to the throne room, where the Earth King sat on his extravagant throne with his bear beside him.

Before they reached him, Long Feng appeared, accompanied by the Di Li.

Rhea glared at the royal advisor as rocky hands grabbed her wrists and jerked them behind her back like handcuffs. It was times like this that she wished she was an earth bender.

She tuned out most of the conversation between the others and the Earth King. Someone had to get them out of this, and it wasn't going to be Sokka's mouth.

Somehow, they managed to convince the Earth King to at least listen to them. Something about a bite mark on Long Feng's leg.

They flew Appa back to Lake Laogai.

Tooth moved to raise the platform leading beneath the lake, but it only revealed a line of rubble. The Di Li had gotten there first.

"The drill." Sokka suggested. "There's no way they can cover that up."

They mounted Appa and took off towards the outer wall.

Rhea's chest tightened when she saw the massive machination lying crippled against the wall, half its drill head imbedded in the stone. The Fire Nation has come so close to breaching her home... again. She'd heard about the drill from Aang and the others, but seeing it up close made her want to wretch.

She couldn't hear the others talking to the king. She was too focused on the mechanical nightmare that had been meant to destroy her city, her home.

Katara placed a hand on Rhea's shoulder and she jumped. "We're headed back to the palace. Are you coming?"

Rhea simply nodded and tore herself away from the horrible scene. She rode in silence with the others back to the Earth King's palace.
————
They met one of the king's generals in a dark room that had once been Long Feng's office.

"We found these among Long Feng's things." He pulled out a letter for Katara and Sokka. He handed Toph a scroll as well. "This was attached to horn of your bison." He handed Aang a tightly wound scroll.

According to the papers, Sokka and Katara's dad was stationed nearby, Toph's mom was in the city looking for her, and there was a guru waiting for Aang at one of the old Air Temples who could help him control the Avatar state.

"It sounds like we need to split up." Rhea noted. "Aang, you need to see this guru." She faced Sokka and Katara. "And I understand how much you two must miss your dad."

"Someone has to stay and help coordinate the attack." Sokka observed. "I guess that's me."

Katara met her brother's gaze. "No. I'll stay. You should go see dad."

"Really?" Sokka could barely contain his joy as she nodded. "You are the best. Sister. Ever." He hugged her.

Rhea smiled. "Thanks Katara. I would've offered, but... there's someone in the city I need to see."

Katara nodded her understanding.

"Well," Aang spoke up. "We'd better get started." He jumped to his feet. "We've got a lot to do."

A/N
I AM SOOOOOOOOOOOOO SORRY GUYS!!!!
I don't know what it is with this story, but I have very little motivation/inspiration to write it. I don't know why. I love this story, but I just CAN'T seem to write it.
Anyway, hope you enjoy the chapter. Apologies in advance for how long it takes me to do the next one. 😅
-Cheshire