𝑰𝒕'𝒔 𝑵𝒐𝒕 𝑨𝒍𝒍 𝑹𝒐𝒔𝒆𝒔

Chapter 17

When she woke, there was a charred scent in the air. Katara blinked blindly, the gray smoke obscuring her vision and stinging her eyes.

Raising her head from the cold stone with effort, she peered through the dim lighting to see the Elites and the Emperor on their feet, staring through the bars at the smoke coming through the crack under the door leading back upstairs. Shouts and screams and the clash of metal against metal reached their ears. Had rebels attacked the fort while she was unconscious?

"It would be seriously fucked up if we burned to death down here," said Lt. Ensei.

Katara stared at the door, hoping she wouldn't have to die today. There wasn't much left to live for, but the things that were still there tugged at her insides. Sokka. Suyan.

They stayed down there, on edge, for an hour or more. Frequent blasts shook the walls, probably Fire benders attempting to defend themselves. Then the earth shifted under them; had the rebels brought escaped Earth benders with them this time?

The Elites held onto the cell bars. Katara could barely sit up, her ribs aching from Zhao's beating.

Then the door opened.

A green figure ducked in, took a look at the surroundings, and saw two cells filled with Fire Empire Elites. He turned to go, but not before Katara took a chance.

"Warrior!" she called, in a raspy voice. "Warrior!"

He turned back, a white, painted face, and she recognized Kian.

"Katara?" he asked incredulously, hands still taut on his sword. His eyes darted to the Elites behind him and his face was dismayed. He thought he had just destroyed her cover.

She shook her head. "They already know."

Outside the sounds of battled filtered in, but inside the dungeons, it was dead silent.

The door opened wider, and eight more green warriors slid in. She spied four Earth benders among them.

"Holy shit," swore Lt. Ensei.

"We'll get you out, Katara," said Kian, ignoring the Fire soldiers. Kian made a motion with one hand and two of the Earth benders moved forward, bending and buckling the stone underneath the bars of the cage to create an opening large enough for Katara to crawl through.

She dragged herself forward, but her body protested. Face grim, Kian ducked underneath the twisted bars to help pull her out. Katara hissed as bruises and cuts scraped the ground, and Kian muttered, "Sorry, but we gotta move quick."

Katara nodded in agreement, understanding the need for haste. A crash sounded somewhere above them, and the entire structure of the fort shuddered. Dust and clods of dirt rained down on them from the dungeons' low ceiling. It was coming down, and soon.

The group headed for the door

The cells were silent behind her. The rebels didn't give the imprisoned Elites a second look.

Katara stopped limping, and pulled back on Kian's arm. "Please release them. Please."

"You're crazy," Kian said, eyes forward, pulling her along.

"Kian. You can't leave them here to die like caged animals."

"I can and I will."

"Fuck, Kian!" She knew she was wasting what precious time she did have, but she could feel six fiery gazes on her back. They wouldn't beg, and so she would beg for them.

"We don't have time!" Kian roared. "They'll fight!"

"They won't, Kian. None of them can bend," At least for the moment, thought Katara, "they'll come quietly."