Dragonfire | Mako

THREE

Kaida and Iroh rushed in pursuit of their attackers, down the corridor they had used to attack them and to the exit of the building. They got to the streets, empty because of the late hour, and as they followed them to a square, they managed to see clearly three people running away.

She could hear footsteps from somewhere behind her and from the orders being given left and right, she was certain Chief Beifong and her men were right after them in pursuit of their attackers. Iroh was running a few ways in front of her and as she tried to keep up, Kaida cursed her shoes and dress that didn't allow her to move as quickly as she normally would have.

A gust of air flew past her and she looked up to see Avatar Korra move past her, seated on a sphere of air. A few metalbenders passed by her as well, using their bending to swing from building to building, reaching their targets faster. They caught up to them a short while later and Kaida slowly came to a stop, not needing to act as the Avatar and the metalbenders captured the three escapees. She came to a stop beside Iroh and the siblings exchanged a look as Korra moved in front of the criminals.

"Why did you attack us?"

There was no answer. A person came to a stop on Kaida's other side and she looked up only to see Mako. He cast a short look at her before he looked away, and she looked over him briefly to notice Bolin had come.

"Answer me!"

She turned to face Korra once more just as Chief Beifong moved forward to stand by her side. She placed an arm on her shoulder, her gaze never leaving the three men.

"They'll talk."

Kaida watched them carefully, taking in their expressions - or what she could see of them in the dark - and convinced they wouldn't talk any time soon, she turned around, ready to go back where they had come from. "They won't talk any time soon."

Korra looked over at her, her eyebrows furrowed. "How do you know?"

Kaida came to a stop, her head tilting to the side as she vaguely turned to face the Avatar. "I'm a people person."

She had hardly moved when she heard the familiar angry hissing of fire coming closer. Her eyes widened and she whirled around to face the flames, her lips parted and she raised her arms instictively, when a body moved in front of her own and with a raise of his arms, the fire was extinguished.

Iroh took a few quick steps forward and attacked. Kaida blinked, shook herself out of her trance and looked around as she heard a few gasps and groans. From the buildings around them, people were coming, shooting them with fire, earth and even water. They had been ambushed.

Without giving it much thought, she jumped into the battle.

Chaos ensued and it was a battle unlike any she had been in before. Her opponents could come from anywhere, and although she was used to fighting against three opponents, she had hardly ever not encountered a firebender in her fights. Around her she could hear Korra's grunts as she fought, the whoosh of metal oddly comforting at the time. She somehow found herself fighting alongside Mako.

They fought back to back, each sticking to their own direction but even though she couldn't see him, she knew he was doing well. She focused on her own opponents, fire clashing against water and earth, creating steam and explosions. Steam was painful, she realised, almost as if she had gotten burnt with fire, and from the explosions flaming bits of rock had fell on her skin and dress. She was growing angry, and it was evident no matter what she did.

Her breaths came out shorter and she reminded herself again and again to breathe deeply and keep her emotions at bay. The urge to pause for a moment and feel the familiar burning of lightning as she created it in her stomach to finish this fight already was overwhelming but she managed, keeping her grandfather's warning in mind and not wishing to risk hurting her allies.