The Legend of Korra : Mark of the Moon

Sides

THE BRIGHT sun beat down against the thick forest, Bolin's eyes weary as he held them open in his fogging vision. His feet grazed on the grass as he trudged, his numb and tired body littered with bruises lain underneath his tattered clothes. Feeling blood seep from his shoulder, he pushed himself onward, trying to get out of the maze he was in.

"Hello?" His voice echoed. "Is anybody out there?" No response came. "Kinda beaten up here!"

He waited and huffed, mustering one last step before he collapsed on the ground and splayed himself on his back. The sunlight bled into his eyes as he breathed haggardly, his mind racing as he tried to figure what to do next. He sunk back and began to slowly go unconscious, giving into the pain when a voice came:

"Bolin!"
He groaned as he turned, seeing Naga's familiar large face. "Naga?"

"Bolin, what happened?" Mako dismounted the polar bear dog, helping him up along with Korra.

" I – Pabu!" Bolin smiled as the ferret scurried onto his shoulder. "Where'd you come from?"

"We've been searching for hours, but we couldn't find you, so I had Naga brought over from Air Temple Island." Korra petted the polar bear dog. "Guess nothing beats your nose, huh, girl?"

"What happened here?" Mako looked around at the corpses.

"A bunch a' masked guys attacked us and kidnapped General Iroh." Bolin winced.

"Dammit." Mako frowned.

"What were you two doing here?" Korra raised her brow.

"We were following a secret map Iroh got from the evidence to find the Mark of the Moon's hideout, but then we got stuck in the forest –,"

"Forest? You mean the one over there?" Korra pointed at a forest in the distance.

"No, the forest we're standing in right now." Bolin's brows stitched. "There're trees all around us."

"What trees?" Korra looked around.

"Korra, there're several trees around here." Mako gestured.

"I can't see anything." Korra paced around. "We're standing on a cliff and the forest's down there." She stepped up to a waterfall.

"Huh?" Mako and Bolin synchronised.

"Korra, what're you talking about?" Confusion etched on Mako's face.

"What're you talking about?" Korra frowned.

"Whoa, no need to beat us up to make your point." Bolin jerked back.

"What?"

"Korra, you're in the Avatar State." Mako's face stiffened with worry.

"I am?"

Korra stepped back and looked at her hands, frowning as she felt energy flowing through her as a warmth rose from her centre. She looked around, squinting as she saw small tubes of red energy rising from the ground as she scanned the area. Taking a deep breath, she paced around, seeing more of the aura encompassing the expanse.

"There's more red energy here."

"Red energy?" Mako walked up to her.

"I saw it when I broke down the invisible wall." She turned to him. "It must be causing an illusion of there being a forest."

"How do you know it's an illusion?" Bolin winced.

"It's the same like when I saw an invisible wall when everyone else saw one made of platinum – they're illusions."