Sinking Feeling- A Kainora Fanfiction

Chapter 9

Over algae rich canals and gnarled trees Asami's airship made haste. Its turbines were buzzing at maximum speed. There wasn't any sign of civilisation as far as the eye could see. Only the thick brambles of the forest. They would reach Zaofu soon enough. Asami kept a steady hand at the wheel while Kai stared vaguely out the window. He held his head in his hands leaning on the table map.

"Asami, can you care too much about a person?"

Asami, initially surprised by the question, scratched her chin "Certainly. I remember when I just started dating Korra she used to do this thing which drove me up the wall. Any time after I got back with some bump or bruise, she would ask if I was ok. At first it was sweet, and I would always say 'I am, thank you.' But after a while I got really frustrated by it. It made me feel like I was some dainty piece of china and that she thought I would break after any little shock."

Kai sat up in his chair, "But all she wanted was you to be safe?"

"Well that is the thing. She didn't mean to irritate me. It's about to trust. She trusts that I am going to be fine and I trust her." Kai let out a long breath. He slumped like a suspect found guilty in a court. "Do you trust Jinora?"

"Of course, I do. It's just that...ASAMI!" Asami swivelled seeing two Equalist airships rising from the underbrush. Asami dived for the controls, whipping the wheel away from the oncoming predators.

"Kai, get on the radio to Zaofu!" Kai scrambled out of his chair and toward the radio room. Flinging himself into the tiny room. Hey grabbed the little headset and twisted the various dials.

"Come in Zaofu. This is the Future Industries Airship. We are under attack!" The tiny room shook left to right. Kai could feel the craft descending quickly, his body floating out of his seat. "Mayday this is an emergency. We are going down into the swamp! Is anybody out there?" Bracing for the inevitable, Kai hunkered under the heavy steel table.

The airship crashed into the swamp floor, digging a deep trench with its prow. The entire craft shook and tore apart as it dragged past trees and boulders. The glass viewing bridge, where Asami was piloting, shattered and submerged. They had disappeared below the canopy.

Kai's head was swimming and his knee was stinging but he crawled out from under the desk. The power was out in the small metal box. In the frantic descent the metal chair had smashed the radio equipment. Kai rushed to see if Asami was alright. The hallway felt alien. The ship was tilted on its side, forcing everything to starboard. The lights were out and the bright portholes were stained in mud. Kai balanced along the slanted wall through the dingy hallway.

Kai's heart began pumping when he flung open the door to the bridge.

"Asami!?!"

The airship had buried itself in a quagmire. Most of the glass walls had shattered and been lost in their descent. Opaque green bile seeped up from the river, swallowing more and more of the room, with no sign of Asami. Kai ran to the pungent water's edge and began searching for Asami. Sloshing his arms along the floor, wading deeper into the bridge, the black water began reaching higher and higher up Kai's body. He felt an ecstatic jolt when his hand brushed up against a boot.

Kai took a deep breath and dived. He felt his away through the murky soup until he found Asami's head. With a pistol grip he hauled Asami to the surface and dragged her up the deck to the yet submerged deck.

Her face was pale and her hair lay tangled over on her eyes "C'mon Asami. Breathe. Korra trusts you are going to be fine and so do I." Kai began compressions, hearing the unmistakeable crack of her ribs. He blew into the depths of her lungs, feeling water leak from her mouth. Kai tried compressions again and breaths again until finally she vomited to life. Kai gently rolled her onto her side, letting the river water that she had inhaled run back to the source. Kai sighed with relief when he felt her chest expand and contract faintly.

'What next?' Kai thought expecting her to wake up. While her heart was beating, she wasn't opening her eyes. Jinora would know what to do. "Jinora!" Kai yelled.

"Kai!"

Jinora appeared in the doorway, struggling to carry Taffy, who was hiding his face.

"Are you guys okay?"

Jinora placed Taffy on Kai and kneeled beside Asami. "Taffy is frightened but okay." Jinora put her ear to Asami's chest and delicately brushed the hair away from Asami's wound. Kai wanted to ask how she was but choked on the words. "She most likely has a concussion; we need to get her to a doctor. Can you find some bandages or cloth?" Taffy was clinging on to Kai's arm huddling to his body. Kai held Taffy's hands and placed them around Asami's.

"Taffy, you need to hold her hand. She is scared too. Can you help her?" Taffy stepped off Kai and allowed him to run out into the hall. Kai returned with an arm full of towels. "Should we move her?" Kai asked.
"We are going to have to. This room could sink more for all we know. We need a board or something, she could have sustained spinal injuries." Luckily there was a fragment of the console in arms reach. With the utmost care and Taffy holding her hand, they moved Asami onto the makeshift stretcher. "What happened Kai? Jinora asked surveying the destroyed bridge.

"Equalist airships came out of nowhere. We may have underestimated what Zakoo and the Equalists had in this swamp. Just before we went down, I radioed Zaofu. I hope they received it." Kai said as they lifted up the stretcher.

"We won't be able to hold out for long. Either the Equalists are looking for us and will find us soon, they know where we are and are waiting for the right moment or there is something in this swamp which will do it for them." They could hear the echoes of snarls and howls from the tree line as they navigated the slanted corridor.

Climbing to the stern of the ship, they found an intact bedroom and lowered Asami onto the mattress. Taffy kept a steady hold of her hand, rocking back and forth. Jinora sat at the desk near the window. Kai sat on the floor nearest the door. All that they could do was to wait for help to come. The creaks and howls from the foliage faded into background noise. They sat stewing in an awkward silence, waiting for something to happen.

Jinora couldn't hide her guilt, sneaking glances at Kai. Kai noticed but didn't know what to say. After a while Jinora broke the uneasy silence. "Is your leg feeling any better? Did it get hurt in the crash?"

Kai stammered for a second. He hadn't really noticed the dull throb in his knee. "Yeah, it's fine. Well, a bit sore."

Jinora sighed a little. "Oh dear. I hope I didn't make it worse."

Kai immediately waved his hands. "Oh no, no, no. You didn't. Really it's fine."

Jinora knelt down on the floor opposite Kai. "I am sorry. I shouldn't have done that. That was not proper for an air-bender. It was cruel and excessive and-"

"It was human." Kai put his head down. "I am the one who should be sorry. I never should have come on this trip. I should have had faith in you. I know you can handle yourself. It's just that I felt... helpless." Jinora inched closer. "With this bum leg, for the first time I couldn't do anything. The bad guys were right there and I couldn't stop them. All I could do was watch." Kai felt an honest trickle down his cheek. He looked and Jinora was right in front of him, with the same moist eyes. She threw her arms over Kai and they embraced.

Surging toward the crashed airship, trees cracked and creaked. The foliage erupted with distressed birds as many large things swung closer and closer. They could smell their prey, they were close. They began their chorus of screams.

Taffy jumped from the bed in panic. He tugged on the air-benders sleeves, hopping from one foot to the other. They stood up, listening to the demonic laughter.

"Kai we are going to get out of this. We are going to save Asami and we are going to bring the Equalists to justice."

Kai smiled eagerly, "Yes Master Jinora."