The DragonBorn

Chapter 49

Everyone flew on Appa, heading to the nearby mountain looking down over the Capital city and the battle being fought below. Zeraphina's heart pounded hard in her chest at the thought of facing the Fire Lord once again. The memories of her seclusion and torment filled her mind and her breath nearly stilled at the image of Ozai's sinister smirk as it raced through her entire being. But she swallowed her fear and nerves, hoping that they could defeat the Fire Lord and end this terror for good.

"Zeraphina, is this the right place?" Sokka asked. The red haired girl nodded.

I may have been locked up most of my life, but I remember reading about a few secret passages in this very mountain." Zeraphina turned to Toph as they jumped off Appa's back, "Toph, can you feel anything?"

Toph knelt down on the ground to feel, "Yep." She answered, "There are natural tunnels crisscrossing through the inside of the volcano."

"Anything else?" Sokka asked, "Is there a structure somewhere?"

Toph stood up and thrust her hands deep into the volcano, "There's something big, dense, and made of metal deep in the heart of the volcano."

"Sounds like a secret bunker to me." Sokka cheered. Toph created an opening into the volcano and the group raced inside, ready to finally end this battle for good. They raced inside and saw a large tunnel traveling to the left and the right. Toph looked to the right and gestured for them to follow.

"This way! That one's a dead end." She shouted and the group ran.

"What would we do without you?" Sokka exclaimed.

"Perish in burning hot magma." 

"Yeah, pretty much." Sokka said watching as some of the molten magma flow beside his head. Zeraphina smiled at the sight, the bright burning magma reminding her of her own flames. Something bright and warm but could destroy you if she wished for it, never that she would wish harm on others without good reason.

They continued on their way until they found their first obstacle. A cavern filled with small geysers blowing scalding and molten magma air that could burn you with a single touch.

"The tunnel continues on the other side." Toph said.

"That should lead us straight to the bunker, right?" Zeraphina asked and Toph nodded.

"We'll have to be fast but careful." Sokka said before running into the cavern. However, he was stopped when a pillar of magma shot up from the ground. Aang reacted quickly and cooled down the magma until it was a pillar of bright red rock.

"How's that careful?" Aang asked.

"I was wrong, we have to be fast, careful and lucky." Sokka corrected himself.

"And that's why you have me." Zeraphina smiled and ran first. The magma and burning air shot all around her, but her being a DragonBorn, she was full of tricks. She bent the burning air away from her team and controlled the heat around them to make it easier to run across the area without becoming overheated or burned. They made it across easily without harm, but immediately ran into a cavern filled with a river of lava.

"There's no floor. It's just a river of lava." Sokka observed. Aang spun his glider and opened its wings.

"Climb aboard and hold on tight." He said. Sokka and Toph looked at each other and then at Zeraphina. They were concerned around how she would get across the river of lava, as it seemed only two people could ride on the glider with Aang. Zeraphina, seeing their concern reached down into her soul, contacting her dragon.

"Hakuryu, lend me your power for a moment." She whispered in her mind.

"But of course, Zeraphina." He replied, "I shall make a path."