ATER Book 2: Air

Chapter 6: Finding Khanu Part 2

When I finally came to, my vision was hazy, and the scent of sickly sweet drugs wafted in the air. I could barely make out Salwa beside me, and when I reached out to her, I found out I was handcuffed. Whatever they did to us, it was bad. Her short, choppy brown hair was plastered to her face. Her tattoos were barely visible. Her Air Acolyte uniform was torn and frayed.

I looked down at my blue tunic. I'd changed back into before I'd left. Maybe it was because I wanted Khanu to remember our time in the South. I wasn't entirely sure. I'd still kept in the side braids and the one going down my back. I'd definitely beefed up as well. Hard core training does stuff to you.

I heard the faint mumblings of a tv, but I didn't know where it was coming from. My surroundings were very dark, and from the bumping and jostling every so often, I could tell we were in the back of a car.

I didn't regain consciousness for very long. The next time I woke up, I saw a face about 10 centimeters away from mine. He had a crescent shaped scar on his left temple, his face was prickly like he hasn't shaved for a while, and his vibrant green eyes marked him of Earth Kingdom descent. Who knew where he lived now.

"Zo," he murmured, "ze leetle gairl fenelly vakes up." His accent was not as easy to place. His breath smelled like rotting tea leaves, and his teeth were an ugly yellow. I reared my face away from his, but he only came closer.

"But vat do ve haf here, hmm?" he continued. He reached and stroked the side of my face, circling his finger to my lips. "Perwhaps ve stumbled apon somevon whoo knos anysing about a leetle gairl cawlled ze uhvutar, jes?"

I could feel my lips trembling when he got so close, he brushed them with his own when he whispered, "I could do a lot vith ze uhvutar. More zan yoo kno." He brushed a loose hair behind my ear before covering my moth and nose with a sedative-filled cloth, and I blacked out.

His insane eyes haunted my dreams. All I could hear was his strange dialect, like a song to the black nothingness of my nightmares. The next time I woke up, I could hear him conversing with another man. At least this one had no accent.

"Do you think that we've come across the Avatar and her friend?"

"Of cuorse! Vy else vould ve go to ze beech if haer ozer fwend vas a lier?"

"He could've been wrong."

"Nonsenze, he descwibed haer pewrfectly."

"Whatever. Just keep an eye on them both. I tried interrogating the other, but she wouldn't crack. Ended up breaking my nose."

"Of cuorse. Becos yoo don't kno how to approach a voman. If ze vant to be an animal, yoo treet zem az zuch. Ze'll lern how to play nice, don't yoo vorry."

"Oh, I don't plan on it." My stomach turned upside down. I had absolutely no idea what they planned on doing to us. A few thoughts came to mind, but I quickly pushed them away. I couldn't start thinking the worst. Not yet.

I was trying to form a plan when suddenly light burst into the car. The back doors had been thrown open, and someone was pulling Salwa and I out. The 2 men were so shocked they didn't do anything to keep a hold on us.

We were set on top of a pitch black animal that had sleek fur, and a familiar saddle. It was Zenith. Climbed on top, took hold of the reins, and we were running far from the car in less than 2 minutes.

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We were in the countryside in no time. Zenith stopped at a small house that was surrounded by flooded fields of rice. The man slid off Zenith, picked both Salwa and up like we were sacks of flour, and set us down in a bed inside.