Heimat | Aang

THIRTY-SEVEN

Tapeesa jumped awake, the scream that cut through the stillness of the palace enough to shake her from her sleep. Beside her, Aang had a similar reaction, moving to stand up by her side. The two of them looked at each other as a few moments after the scream, there was silence. And then absolutele chaos.

Shouts mixed in into one, things breaking from every possible direction, the attackers clearly not aiming just for one room but the castle as well. Tapeesa jumped into action a moment quicker than Aang did. She had no time to change out of her nightclothes or to set her hair in a way that would make things easier for her when fighting. She didn't even put on shoes as Aang beside her left the bed as well, shirtless, wearing just the pair of trousers he usually wore to sleep. They looked at each other.

"They aren't just after the King," Tapeesa told him as they started heading to the door. "There are members of the staff they are terrorizing. You heard the screams."

"I still do," he told her, moments before a few other screams were heard. "I need to go to Kuei."

Tapeesa pursed her lips. It always seemed to go this way. They were supposed to stay together and something happened, and for the benefit of others, they split up. It seemed this case would be no different.

"I will go in the staff's aid. Kuei has the Dai Li. I will find you in the throne room when I am finished."

Aang frowned but he knew, there was no other option. Moments before he were to open the door and the two of them would head off in different directions, he moved forward, closed the distance between them and pressed on her lips a kiss farewell. Tapeesa barely had time to reciprocate before he was pulling back. He sent her one last smile and then he was running out of the room. Tapeesa was outside a moment later.

She followed the sound of screams, running deeper and deeper into the castle. It didn't take her long to spot the enemy. A group of three masked individuals were running in the opposite direction than she was. The moment they saw her, they started to shout and one of them punched out fire her way. Tapeesa slid below the flames, jumped up in front of them. She hit two on the ribs and the middle one she kicked on the diaphragm, making him gasp for air. And with the rest a bit disoriented, she felt for the water in the air to create ice and stuck them against the wall. She left the middle one, the one gasping for air, untouched. And with his companions unmoving, she walked over.

"Now we can talk on even grounds," she said, eyes dangerously narrowing. "Where did you come from?"

He didn't reply, attempting to keep the rest of his group a secret, it seemed. But the more the silence lasted, the more anxious he got. At last, Tapeesa caught the way his gaze jumped to the corridor on her right just barely. Her lips moved to form a triumphant smirk as the masked man's gaze widened in horror.

"Thank you."

She knocked him unconscious and without a second thought, rushed down the corridor he had indicated moments before. The shouting seemed to have ceased somewhat, although she could still hear things breaking. It didn't take her long to locate the commotion.

The female staff of the palace lived in one room, and this seemed to be the place the masked people had decided to attack. Tapeesa didn't wait to see how many were inside. She only headed right for the room, landing a kick on the behind of the knee of the one standing in the front and then hitting him with all her strength in the back of his head. He fell down and at the loss of their companion, the two enemies that had been standing by his side turned to face her.

A barrage of rocks and fire was sent her way but Tapeesa was quicker. The wall of ice that formed in front of her was made on instinct blocking all kind of attacks. She waited until they were to cease their fire, but when it was clear there would be no change, she took a step forward, then another, the rocks hitting her shield reverbating off of it and hitting them both. With them distracted, she broke the shield in two parts and pushed them with all her strength right at them. Her shields slammed against them. They both fell down. Tapeesa jumped in the room.