The Avatar and the Fire Prince

Book 3: Earth, Chapter 10: The Desert

"We've got to get back to the surface!" Aang shouted as he and his companions zigzagged through the maze of towering bookshelves. An ear-piercing screech sounded behind them, and he grimaced fearfully when he looked over his shoulder to see Wan Shi Tong rounding the corner.

He stopped for a moment and motioned for his friends to continue running while he turned to face the owl spirit head on, gripping his staff tightly. He waited for the spirit to get just close enough, then whipped his staff sideways, slamming an air blast into the creature that sent it flying over the edge of the balcony.

Hopefully that'll keep him off our tails long enough for us to get out, Aang thought as he used a gust of air to speed himself forward to catch up with Sokka, Katara, and Zei.

"Sokka, we have to go!" Katara yelled at her brother as Aang came to a stop next to them.

"But we don't know when the next eclipse is gonna be!" Sokka replied, pulling his arm out of his sister's grasp. "The planetarium can tell us! It's the only way we'll find out!"

"Well, what are you going to do?" Katara questioned, hands on her hips. "Just keep putting in dates until you get an eclipse? The next one could be years from now! We don't have that kind of time!"

"Well... Maybe we can at least put in all the dates before Sozin's Comet!" Sokka argued.

"No," Aang said firmly, causing both Water Tribe siblings to look at him in surprise. "I'm sorry, Sokka, but that would take way too long. It's not worth risking our lives."

"If I might add," Professor Zei interjected. "There are other ways to acquire the information you seek. All you need to do is consult an astronomer—we have several at the university."

"See?" Katara said.

Sokka's brow furrowed, and he looked back towards the direction of the planetarium with uncertainty.

Before the warrior could argue further, however, a screech echoed from somewhere far below, and the ground began to shake even more violently than before.

"We have to keep going!" Aang shouted. "He'll be back before long!"

He waved them forward again, and they headed for the stairwell, climbing as fast as they could until at last, they managed to make it to the topmost bridge.

As they reached the rope that they had used to enter the library, Aang turned around to allow his friends to go first. However, he quickly realized Zei was not among them.

"Professor?" he called out, scanning the room anxiously.

"I'm not leaving."

At last, Aang spotted the man sitting down between the bookshelves across the bridge, surrounded by his stack of books and appearing strangely calm.

"I can't leave," Zei replied with a serene smile. "I've spent too long trying to find this place. There's not another collection of knowledge like this on earth."

He sighed, pressing a hand to his chest and closing his eyes.

"I could spend an eternity in here..."

"NO!" Aang shouted, shaking his head rapidly as he began to run towards the man. "I'm not leaving anyone behind!"

However, before he could reach the man, a large, dark shape ascended from below, and Wan Shi Tong landed with a heavy thud between them, his long neck bristling.

"Please," Aang pleaded. "You don't have to do this!"

"Yes, I do," Wan Shi Tong replied darkly. "Humans know how to do nothing but cause destruction and ruin."