The DragonBorn

Chapter 48

Zeraphina quickly helped Sokka and Katara get Hakoda onto Appa's back so they could take him back to the battlefield and hide him well so Katara and Zeraphina could help heal him. They found an abandoned part of the battlefield they could recover in and laid Hakoda on the ground, being extra careful as to not irritate the wound. Hakoda released his hands from his wound as Katara took her water to heal the injury.

"How does that feel, Dad?" Katara asked.

"A-a little better." Hakoda grunted through his pain. Zeraphina knelt down next to Katara and took a handful of her white flames and combining it with Katara's water. The water shown with a brilliant white glow and the fire surrounded the outer edges of the balled liquid. Hakoda's face immediately started to relax feeling the pain fade away faster than before.

"That feels so much better." He sighed and sat up to try and sat, "I need to get back... to the troops."

"You're hurt... badly." Katara said.

"Katara is right. There's no way you can fight in this condition." Zeraphina added.

"Everyone's counting on me to lead this mission, you two. I won't let them down." Hakoda tried to stand up again, but the pain was too much for him to take alone.

"Can't heal him any faster?" Sokka asked the girls.

"We're doing everything we can." Katara said.

Zeraphina sighed and looked over at Sokka, the both of them having the same idea, but Sokka was still nervous about what he wanted to do. She placed a hand on his shoulder to give him a silent reassurance. Sokka looked up at Zeraphina and saw her smiling, a smile that never failed to give courage to anyone who sees it. 

Sokka looked back down at his father with determination in his eyes, "I'll do it." He said with firm confidence.

"No offense, Sokka, but you're not exactly Mr. Healing Hands." Katara said.

"No." Sokka stood tall, "I'll lead the invasion force."

"Don't be crazy, Sokka." 

"Maybe I am a little crazy but the eclipse is about to start, and we need to be up that volcano by the time it does." 

"You can do this." Hakoda said with a proud smile on stretching across his face, "I'm proud of you, son."

Katara sighed, "I still think you're crazy." She smiled up at him, "But I'm proud of you, too." She turned to Zeraphina, "Zeraphina, I've got it from here. Go with Sokka to make sure he doesn't get himself hurt."

Zeraphina smiled back and nodded, removing her flames from Hakoda's wound and following Sokka onto Appa before taking off to join the fight. As they flew over the battlefield, they saw that the invasion force was struggling just a bit, but they kept going no matter what. Appa crashed into the enemy, flipping over the tanks the Fire Nation used and growling loudly to announce their return. Sokka jumped to the back of the saddle and shouted to the entire invasion force.

"Listen up, everyone! I want the tanks in wedge formation! Warriors and benders in the middle. We're taking that tower and headed for the royal palace!"

Zeraphina jumped off of Appa and joined the formation, but instead of joining the benders in the center, she stood in front of the tanks, her hands stretched out and summoning all of the fire she could muster with the coming eclipse. The majestic beauty of her white flames surrounded the tanks and the benders and warriors in the center were both terrified and stunned by their appearance. Zeraphina's father however was even more proud of his daughter, seeing the strength she grew over time, and now, fighting for the freedom of the four nations from a tyrant who wished for its destruction.