Zuko had been in the center of Caldera when the explosion of blue light [nothing like any bending he’d ever seen] arced across the stone like lightning trapped inside veins of glass and split through the plaza like a thunderclap. The shockwave sent people scattering, and the scent of scorched stone filled the air. Within seconds guards surrounded the square, weapons half-drawn, waiting for the Fire Lord's command.
“Contain the area!” Zuko ordered sharply, his voice cutting through the chaos. “No one in or out until we know what that was!”
He strode toward the origin of the disturbance, a crater in the street, cracks spidering outward from where a boy knelt, hands pressed to the ground and eyes wild. The glowing sigils etched into the pavement were still fading, humming faintly with an energy Zuko didn’t recognize.
The boy shot upright suddenly, shouting for someone named Al, panic fraying every word. Before Zuko could speak, he slammed his palms into the ground again, and the earth itself responded as stone columns rose and buildings shifted unnaturally.
“Hold your positions!” Zuko barked to the nearest soldiers as several moved to attack. “Don’t strike! You’ll make it worse!”
He launched himself upward with a burst of flame, landing on a nearby rooftop as the boy tore across the cityscape, transmuting rooftops into bridges and streets into walls. The air filled with frightened cries from below.
Zuko tracked his movements, golden eyes narrowing. Whoever this was, his control was slipping and his power was dangerous.
“Yuyan Archers!” he called down, and in moments, half a dozen figures in crimson armor and masks appeared from the shadows of the rooftops, bows already strung. Their presence alone drew murmurs from the crowd.
“Surround the district!” Zuko ordered. “I want eyes on him from every angle. No one fires unless I give the command!”
tangentwithtanner
stormborns
dededos
