The Origin of Roh-Shan

Interrogation

"Look, kid. We just need you to say it, for the record."

Roh sat in a collapsible chair at a small table, facing three police officers. The green fabric tent was crudely set up, and a worn-out mat covered the trampled grass beneath them.

"I don't know for sure. That's what you can put on the record, because that's the truth. Are you trying to get me to lie?" She was surprised by her own bravery. It probably stemmed from the fact that she'd never really been afraid or intimidated by the police force, since her dad worked for the mayor. And even now, she knew they wouldn't hurt the daughter of a councilman. Now she'd been told they have Kota in custody but she's refusing to firebend. Roh's pretty sure they can't hold her without evidence.

"Everyone says you've been best friends with her for years. We don't believe for one second that you don't know if she bends green fire or not. You'd think that'd kinda be something you remember, huh?" He was playing tough guy, she'd give him that.

"Exactly. Don't you think it would be something I remember, if I saw it? And here I am telling you I don't remember." She should definitely be afraid of them now, and she recalled Maita once telling her that her lack of appropriate fear was stupid and a hindrance, not a strength.

"You expect me to believe you, a firebender, have never seen your best friend, another firebender, bend fire? Ever? I know your type, you prissy firebending teenage girls love to show off."

Roh was pretty sure he was confusing teenage girls with teenage boys, but she let it slide. "Yes, sir. That's what I'm saying. Her father banned her from firebending, so she really doesn't do it anywhere."

The man slammed his hands on the table, startling Roh. "You think you don't have to talk to me because your daddy works for the mayor, huh?" He said in a mock-whiny voice. He dropped back to his normal aggressive tone. "Mayor's gone, kid. And soldiers from the capital are on their way. Your daddy ain't got any leverage against the Fire Military."

"And I'll tell them the same thing."

"You won't need to." He stepped back and grinned wide, like he'd won. "If we can't get you, we'll crack her before that."

~

The tent was identical to the one Roh was in, but the scene was very different.

Kota sat with her left wrist handcuffed to the table, and her right wrist in the grip of a police officer.

"Just do it!" He growled, as if he could force fire out of her fist.

"I can't right now." She said, the strength slipping from her voice. She sounded guilty the first time she said it, and the tenth was no different. She knew how bad this looked. They already knew she was definitely a firebender when they brought the kindling test in, and it had sparked from her breath.

Another officer in the back had had enough, "Look, just give us one flame. One flame, and we'll let you go." She said.

"One orange flame." The male officer clarified. "Your fire is orange like everyone else's, isn't it?"

"Yes." Kota said.

"Then fucking prove it!" The cop in the back yelled.

"I... just really can't, at the moment." She defaulted. "I'm a really bad firebender. It takes a lot of focus to produce flame and I can't focus like this."

"Arrite." The officer holding her wrist let go. "Uncuff her." He instructed a junior officer, probably no older than Kota herself. His hands shook as he unlocked her left cuff, then stood at attention dutifully.

Kota rubbed her wrists and stood up. "I can go?"

The female officer gave a sharp, condescending laugh.

"Bring her in." The male officer called outside the tent.

Two more officers walked in holding the elbows of an elderly woman in a blue tunic. Tear streaks already striped her face.

"Kunru?" Kota recognized the gentle old woman as the city's healer, and only waterbender. A handful of times throughout their childhood, Kota and Dagon have had to visit her in desperation when some injury of theirs wasn't healing right on its own. She had recognized what was going on at home and was always so kind to them.

Hearing Kota say her name made the woman begin to cry all over again. "I'm so sorry. I'm so so sorry, Kota." She wept.

"Wha--" Kota had no idea. Had she told them about her fire? She was pretty sure Kunru had never even seen her firebend.

Then the junior officer dragged over a large tub of water, and the female officer produced a spring-loaded metal piston from her jacket, and held it to the elderly woman's head.

"NO!" Kota lunged forward but was swept off her feet by a large blob of water Kunru had bent out of the tub.

That's when she realized what they were going to do.

The water surrounded Kota's entire body except her hands before she could take a breath, suspending her slightly above the ground. Her eyes widened at Kunru, whose sobs and apologies sounded distant and distorted through the water. She squeezed her eyes shut.

Then, it froze.

It felt like time had stopped and for a few brief moments, everything inside the ice was quiet and peaceful. She wondered where this would go on her list of best ways to die. Somewhere near the top, probably.

Then the aching hunger for air in her chest reminded her this is a horrible way to die. Soon she couldn't even think about anything else as the primitive need for oxygen took over every last brain cell.

That's why they'd left her hands free. She would have to firebend to get out.

She huffed a small, firebender-heated breath without producing flame, and melted the area around her mouth and nose. Thinking she'd outsmarted them, she tried to take a breath before realizing the ice gave her chest absolutely no room to expand, only causing her to panic more and waste her body's resources faster. Her mouth and nose could have all the air they wanted, but without literal room to breathe, she was dead in the ice.

White splotches began to creep in the side of her vision, even though her eyes were closed. Bright blackness pulsated and flashed behind her eyelids. Her brain felt cold and her limbs tingled warmly as she felt consciousness slipping away. Her hands outside the ice went limp. Is this really how she's gonna go? After everything? She should've fallen to her death in the barn, so at least her last moments could have been enjoyed with friends like Roh.

Roh.

The thought sounded distant, and she wasn't sure if she was even still conscious, or alive for that matter, but wordless thoughts swirled into an image of her holding Roh on the floor of the barn, promising something. She couldn't remember...

Promising she wouldn't have to do this alone.

Kota felt her body force heat from her fists, not even sure if it was voluntary or a reflex at that point. Next thing she knew, her face was pressed into the wet mat on the floor, sucking in air so hard it hurt. Whatever form of execution they had planned for her, it couldn't be much worse than this.

Her body instinctively curled to allow her lungs more room and found herself propped up on her elbows, gasping for air and coughing when she drew in too much. She could only manage a few breaths like that before her arms gave way and she collapsed back to the ground, sputtering in the puddle around her.

She heard Kunru screaming about something, and felt cold handcuffs tighten around her wrists. The small comfort she'd found in connecting with the ground was ripped away as she was yanked up by her arms and dragged out of the tent.

~//~