The History of Renko: Book 2 Voyager (Avatar, BoyxBoy)

Chapter 24: Armadillo Bear Rush

"Grrrnnnng," Ahmad lifted himself slowly off the cold stone floor. A trail of drool hung from the side of his mouth. He was in a cell. At least, it looked like he was in a cell. He felt a hand on his back.

"You're awake," a male voice said. "You're an air bender aren't you?"

"What?" Ahmad's eyes adjusted to the dim green glow that lit the cavern he was in. He was in a small room lit by glowing green stones and a wrought iron door blocking the only exit. It was just himself and the other guy apparently.

"You're an air bender aren't you?" he asked again.

"Y-yeah," Ahmad sat up fully. He checked his person. Other than a torn wingsuit he was generally unharmed.

"I wonder if they knew you were a bender before they captured you."

"Wait, who is they?" Ahmad asked. He got a better look at his cellmate. He looked about Renko's age or maybe a little older with dark, almost black eyes that looked like onyx stones against his dark skin. And he looked built. He wasn't necessarily muscular just fit.

"I don't know who they are," the guy said. "I and all of the others who were captured aren't benders. We can't put up enough of a fight I guess. They were too stupid to notice that you're wearing a wingsuit like the other air benders I've seen."

"Well, whoever they are we need to get out of here," Ahmad stated. "What's your name?"

"Konba," he said. "And, yeah, I'm already working on that."

Ahmad gave him a look.

"What's that look for?"

"Nothing," Ahmad said. "Do you have a plan?"

"Now that you're here," Konba said. He stretched and his heavy frame became evident. "I have several."

Above the skies of Ba Seng Sei, Renko, Tiulo, and Kuzo flew out towards the outer wall. The sleeping populace below them had no idea that this motley crew and a shaggy-haired bison was above them. They split up from Koa and Pāru who were in a hot air balloon heading for the other end the city. Tiulo actually looked pretty comfortable sitting atop Lhasa's head as he steered her through the dark cold sky.

"Easy girl," he said to the giant beast as she grunted into the night air. "We'll find him."

"We're nearing the other wall," Renko said. "We should get lower so we can see the ground better."

Kuzo looked over Lhasa's side.

"What sort of clues are we looking for?" he asked Renko.

"Maybe a piece of clothing or something," Renko didn't sound sure. In fact, his concern had grown as the night continued.

"What?" Renko asked harshly as he caught Kuzo staring at him.

"Nothing, I just," Kuzo tried to gather his words. "We just haven't talked in a while."

"Sadly, we don't have that kind of time," Renko turned to look back at the ground. "We have to find Ahmad and still attend the summit tomorrow."

"Tomorrow is today," Tiulo said from his seat. "It's already passed midnight."

"Okay, then we will do it all today," Kuzo said.

"Yeah," Renko got lost in thought for a moment.

"Do you think his disappearance has to do with the Dark Hand?" Kuzo asked the two of them.

"The Dark Hand..." something clicked in Renko's head.

Throughout almost the entire time he had been in Ba Seng Sei, he had received odd visions and dreams. It felt like something or someone from the spiritual world was calling out to him. He started to get an idea. There always seemed to be a strong spiritual presence surrounding the Dark Hand. Whether that had something to do with their quest to divide humans and spirits he wasn't sure but maybe he could use that.

"Hey look it's the flare!" Tiulo pointed at a red flame that arched across the sky over the city. Burnt red smoke trailed behind it like a comet.

"Koa fired the flare gun," Kuzo said. "They must have found something."

Renko snapped back to his senses.

"That looks like the Eastern Wall," he said. "Let's go."

Kuzo stood and sent a bolt of lightning arching in the sky as a response. The thunder that followed woke many of the sleeping residents below.

Meanwhile,

As it was past midnight, the current young guard pacing the hallway of Ahmad's cell was overdue for his break. He clanged angrily on the cell doors as he walked by.

"Maaaan, where is she?" he asked grumpily. He tossed a pebble in the air and caught it as he walked. His little hallway held about a dozen or so prisoners in this eerie green atmosphere. He didn't know why Fogwai wanted them. He didn't really even know who Fogwai was. All he knew was that Fogwai was terrifying and his only job was to watch these prisoners.

CLANG CLANG CLANG

"Help! He's not moving!" Konba yelled towards the direction of the guard.

"Gah?" the guard ran toward the door and started shouting. "What? What happened?"

"This new guy, he just stopped moving."

"What a pain," the guard took his pebble and squished it in his hands. From the pebble, he shaped a key and used it to unlock the cell door.

"He's over in this corner, Konba said.

In the corner, Ahmad lay crumple don the ground with his eyes closed.

"Hey, wake up!" the guard tried to kick him awake.

"If you're sure," Ahmad mumbled.

"Huh?"

"I said," Ahmad sat up a little. "If you're sure!"

He kicked with his left foot sending a blast of wind knocking the guard against the opposite wall.

"Ugh, you brat," he tried to stand but Konba ran out him like an armadillo bear and rammed him into the wall. The guard crumpled to the ground.

"Nice plan," Ahmad dusted himself off as he stood.

"Not bad yourself, nomad," Konba said.

"Hey what the heck?" a female voice said down the hall.

Ahmad hopped out the gate to face her. She stared him down. She slammed her foot into the ground raising a large boulder into the air.

Ahmad fell low and swept the ground with his leg. A gust of wind blew and knocked the girl down flat on her butt. Then, Ahmad leaped into the air and kicked downward sending a column of air down that knocked her out cold.

Konba walked out with the key the last guard had used to open the cell.

"Let's get everyone out," he said.