Avatar: Scorching Earth // Not Accepting!

Zasi felt comforted and slightly calmer when Kesuk squeezed her hand. She gave him a small nod as he somewhat dragged her behind him. She ran, keeping pace with him. Her mind was all over the place. How did the Fire Nation get to Pangbu? Did they know this island was full of refugees? Did someone tell them about this small island? Zasi nearly stopped, faltering on her steps as her mind traveled to the two firebenders in their custody. She focused back on running without falling, her mind still processing the situation. Could they have told someone? It didn't make sense though. The two looked like they had been on the run for a while. They had to have been refugees, right? Zasi felt her breath becoming labored, but she didn't dare slow down. They were almost to the camp when Zasi realized the firebenders were still trapped in their cells. She pulled Kesuk and herself to a stop. "I... I think... we should check on... the firebenders." Zasi panted, trying to slow down her breathing and her heartbeat.

Kesuk slowed to a sudden stop when Zasi stopped running behind him. "You don't think we should warn the rest of the camp first? The firebenders will be here any minute." For some reason, Kesuk wasn't at all surprised that she wanted to check on the firebenders. He himself wasn't sure whether or not they had anything to do with this attack. Everything he'd seen about them so far said that they were simple refugees on the run from the Fire Nation, like everyone else here; then again, two firebenders turn up on the island the day before the Fire Nation attacks? It was a little too convenient for Kesuk to immediately believe that they were innocent. For now, though, Kesuk would suspend his judgment. They had more important things to focus on. He wasn't going to leave Zasi alone in the middle of a Fire Nation raid, and if she wanted to go see the firebenders, so be it. They needed to warn the other refugees about the firbenders coming their way, though, no matter what they decided to do with the two currently stuck in their cells on the outskirts of camp. "Fine, let's go see the firebenders. We can warn people on the way. I doubt Yotem is going to let you free them, though, if that's what you're thinking."

Zasi let out a soft scoff, the stress of the situation getting at her. "Of course we should let everyone know. I was just thinking that is where everyone might meet up. I mean maybe yesterday was a one time thing, but I'm at least hoping to find someone." Zasi wasn't sure why she thought the others would meet back up. Everyone seemed to pretty much avoid each other even when everyone was together. One thing was for sure, they knew how to solve a problem as a team (for the most part). Maybe they could have ideas as to how to save everyone. She looked back up at Kesuk as he agreed to go with her. "Thank you!" Zasi wrapped her arms around Kesuk quickly before pulling away and grabbing his hand again. She began running again, headed towards camp. When she began to see the camp she shouted various warnings. "The Fire Nation is here! Pack what's important and go!" She kept shouting this as the pair ran through the camp. As they reached the other side of camp (close to where the cells are), Zasi glanced over her shoulder to see people jumping to action. He heart broke for all these people. They had already lost so much.

Kyori was finally stepping up out of her sleeping cot when she heard a distant cry, carried in the still, morning air, to the edge of camp where her stone tent was located. She knew this: it was a female voice -- slightly familiar -- and it sounded distressed. For some reason she didn't know, Kyori felt goosebumps rise on her skin and the hair on the back of her neck prickle with uneasiness. Pulling on her armor with a haste she didn't have on other mornings, Kyori stepped outside her tent and analyzed the scene before her. Towards the center of camp, it looked as if all chaos was breaking out. Shouting and screaming began to erupt. Mothers yelled for their children, quickly pushing them into the safety of the tents along with their immature confusion. Refugees were grabbing, throwing, and dropping everything ranging from foods, items, and weapons. Elders with horrified faces pointed up at the sky, a spot somewhere behind Kyori's back that she was unable to see. Kyori didn't want to turn and look, but the adrenaline rising in her body forced her to before she had time to think. Looking up above the treeline, Kyori's stomach dropped to what felt like hell. She'd only seen that much black smoke once. "Fire Nation!" she couldn't help but scream the words again, diving into her tent to grab her sword and sheath with shaky but urgent movements. It wasn't until she began running towards her destination that Kyori realized she hadn't actually known what to do or where to go, or that she didn't want to face this alone; her feet were taking her there before her mind caught up. She knew Li and Yotem would be at the firebender's cells, and that's why she was headed there. The thought of the firebenders they captured the evening before caused her anger to rise. She knew it all along, but fell for it just like everyone else. They are spies. Kyori unsheathed her sword as she ran, cutting leaves out of her way until she saw the stone cells through them, emerging to see the familiar faces of Li and Yotem with Zasi and Kesuk just arriving, too.

Seijin's head perked up when she heard faint yelling from the refugees, which soon got louder and louder. Her body jolted into the bars in an attempt to see what was happening, but the cell and the foliage blocked her view of the camp. "Kohaku, can you see what's happening?" she asked, hoping maybe he could. The more she knew about the current situation the better she could handle it. Maybe they found out about the two firebenders? Seijin's eyes widened as they wandered into the skies. Thick black smoke stretched along the sky. The Fire Nation were here. "No..no," she whispered angrily to herself as she slammed her fist onto the wall of her cell out of frustration. She could've swore she was weeks ahead of them by now, but they always seem to catch up. Now all of these people would have to face the Fire Nation's wrath, again.

Seijin analyzed the possiblities. She needed to get out immediately. Breaking out of the cell might be possible if she could channel her chi right. But what about the refugees that captured her? What would they do with her? If she broke out then they might kill her if she didn't act quick enough, but then she'd be at the mercy of the Fire Nation if they left her there to rot. I'd rather deal with them than the Fire Nation, I guess, but what if I just sit here and offer my help? Would they believe me?. Seijin quickly recalled the previous night. Her honesty helped her out a lot and right now she needed to incriminate herself as little as possible. She grabbed her belongings and strapped them around her and waited in the front of her cell, both hands on the bars, ready to defend herself and to defend the others.

Kohaku wasn't sure which one he had noticed first--the screaming or the stench of smoke making his throat close up and breathing difficult. He remembered the countless times that he had been chased out of a safe refuge by the fire nation along with everyone else and his stomach turned uncomfortably, making him nauseous. Kohaku got to his feet, pressing his face against the bars to try and see anything outside. The most he could make out was a thin wisp of smoke, lazily floating over the tops of the trees. But he knew that it would become a billowing black cloud probably very soon.

"Only a bit of smoke," Kohaku answered Seijin hesitantly, trying to think of what he could do. He looked at his cell walls and sighed; there was no way that he would be able to break out himself. Perhaps a strong firebender would be able to use their bending to form an explosive power, but he could probably only manage to bake the earth and make it even stronger. Kohaku scuffed his toe into the ground, hugging himself. He shivered, even though the weather was temperate that morning and he could swear he could feel the heat rising, just from the presence of the fire nation soldiers. He had never felt so helpless and trapped--normally he would have had at least one plausible plan to get him out of harm's way. But he was in a cell, on the edge of a refugee camp with people who probably thought he was a fire nation spy and wanted to rip his throat out on one side, and the actual fire nation who also wanted to kill him and who he was previously running away from on the other. He could feel his heart hammering in his chest and his throat began to close up again at the thought of the position he was in.

Zasi and Kesuk made it to the holding cells. She saw that Lí and Kyori, or she assumed that she remembered their names correctly, were already there. She heard Lí screaming at the captive firebenders. He was in a stance, ready for action. Zasi came up to the cells, standing beside the upset earthbender. "Lí stop! We can't assume anything from them yet. Screaming is not going to help. We need to worry about the refugees." Zasi glanced at the two firebenders, who looked just as scared as the rest of them. She wanted to free them, but it was definitely not a good time to suggest it. For all she knew they were refugees, but what is everyone had been right and assumed they were spies? It was all too much to think about at all once with the current situation. She turned back to Lí, Kesuk, and Kyori. "We need a plan. A way to help people, or a way to get out of here. This is a small island. It won't be long before it's taken by the Fire Nation. We need to act fast." Zasi's mind was whirling with many different alternatives. She wanted to help and get people to safety, but she knew she couldn't save everyone. She felt a knot in her chest, making it hard to breathe. Stress and panic were pushing her senses on alert.

(Ahhhhh it's so short and I don't like it!)

As soon as Kyori slid into the clearing where the holding cells and the others were arriving, Li was screaming at the firebenders and crouching into a violent stance to end their lives using the stone that she herself summoned from the ground. "Li, no!" Kyori snapped, immediately countering his bending with her own, arms out and palms up, supporting the cells so they would not collapse into the ground. "We don't know anything for sure, you can't just kill them outright!"

Kesuk stepped up beside Zasi as she tried to distract the earthbender from his anger. Honestly, though? Kesuk couldn't blame him. At all. In fact, he would probably be furious at the firebenders too if it weren't for the logic that pressed down his anger. That, and Zasi was right: they had more important problems to deal with. The firebenders in these cells couldn't hurt them. The firebenders out there, though, were a huge issue. "Zasi's right, Lí," Kesuk started, ready to intervene if the earthbender tried to do something drastic to the firebenders. "Our first priority needs to be-" And then Kyori came in and rather forcefully took over the situation. "Okay, that works, too," he muttered. So much for trying to be the voice of reason. Kesuk stepped back a ways from the chaos. He was fine back here, thank you very much.

((Don't worry, I'm back to short posts too lol))