The wedge of the maul bounced off the metal. The trunk sank deeper into the mud. She struck it again. And again and again.
The thunder and rain drowned out her senses, leaving her with nothing but the painful vibrations rebounding up the haft of the maul into her hands. She struck again and felt a crunch.
Rather than the lock breaking, the trunk had splintered where the metal was fastened to the wood. But it was open. Kyoshi tossed the maul aside and raised the creaking lid.
Inside were two ornate metal war fans the color of gold alloyed with bronze. The weapons were packed in a softer wood frame that held them open while protecting them from rough treatment like the sort she’d just doled out.
A headdress made out of the same material rested in between them. It complemented the fans by mounting smaller versions of them on a band, forming a semicircular crest at the forehead.
Lastly, there was a plain leather pouch with a case that she knew contained makeup. A lot of makeup.
She snatched each item from its moorings. The headdress and fans were much sturdier than they appeared—they were meant to be worn and wielded in combat, after all. They and the pouch went inside her bag. The trunk served no further purpose and would be left in the mud.
With that, Kyoshi was finished. She was taken aback at how completely and utterly finished she was. How little she had put on display how much she’d lost, like the black night sky around the burst of a firework. She’d held on too hard to a treasure that might have been shaped like a home and a family, only to discover that her touch had dissolved it entirely. She wiped her eyes with her forearm and ran around the edge of the mansion, slipping and falling in the rain at least twice, and reached the stables.
There was a shock waiting for her.
Rangi was busy securing bedrolls, tents, and other bales of supplies to Pengpeng’s saddle. She looked up at Kyoshi from under the hood of her raincloak.
“Let me guess,” she shouted over the downpour, pointing at several waterproof baskets and sacks of grain. “You didn’t pack any food, did you?”
She reached down, grasped Kyoshi’s hand, and pulled her onto Pengpeng’s back. Then she hopped into the driver’s seat and took up the reins. “We’ll have to fly low and head southwest, out of the storm.”
Kyoshi’s throat was a solid lump. “Why are you doing this?”
“I have no idea what’s going on right now,” Rangi said over her shoulder. She flicked rain off her brow. Her face underneath looked like she was heading into combat. “But I’m not going to let you ride off on your own and die in this storm. You won’t last an hour without help.”
Kyoshi nodded, stricken dumb with gratitude to Rangi. For Rangi. She pleaded with the spirits that it wasn’t a final cruel trick, the form of her friend sitting before her. She maintained a safe distance so as not to dispel the precious vision.
The Firebender snapped Pengpeng’s reins with authority. “Up, girl!” Rangi shouted. “Yip yip!”
THE DECISION
The sunrise after the storm had no idea what Kyoshi had been through. It shined its warm hues of orange through the clouds like a loud boor of a friend insisting that everything would work out. The waves below flowed neatly under the steady breeze, making it appear that they were flying over the scaled skin of a giant fish.
Fighting the weather throughout the night had blasted them, body and mind. Pengpeng’s flight path was starting to ramble. But they were no longer in danger from wind and lightning. It was as good a time as any to address the other life-shattering piece of news.
Rangi rubbed at the dark shadows under her eyes. “You’re the Avatar,” she said. She spread her fingers and stared at the back of her hands, checking whether she was intoxicated. Or dreaming. “After all of this, it’s you. You really had no idea until now?”
Kyoshi shook her head. “I don’t know what went wrong with the search when we were younger, but from what Kelsang told me, it sounded like a complete mess. No one knew. Not even . . .” It was difficult to spit out his name. “Not even Jianzhu.”
“I’ve never heard of this happening before,” Rangi said. She closed and opened her fists to make sure they were still working. “At least not in Fire Nation history. When the Fire Sages reveal the Avatar, it’s a done deal.”
Kyoshi fought the urge to roll her eyes. Of course, in the Fire Nation the caravans arrived on time, and the identity of the most important person in the world was never in doubt.
“And then there’s a festival,” Rangi said, lost in thought. “According to tradition, there’s a celebration bigger than Twin Sun Day. We eat special foods like spiral-shaped noodles. School is canceled. Do you know how rare it is for school to be canceled in the Fire Nation?”
“Rangi, what does that have to do with anything?”
The Firebender stretched her elbows behind her back, her mind made up. “My point is that there are set ways this is supposed to pan out,” she said. “If you’re the Avatar, you need the trappings of the Avatar. We need to find masters who know what they’re doing to recognize your legitimacy and give you the right guidance.”
Rangi vaulted over the saddle edge onto Pengpeng’s neck and took up the reins. The bison dipped
lower over the shimmering water. Up ahead, a small crag jutted from the surface, a finger of rock poking through the ocean sheet. It was too steep for ships to use it as a dock, but there were a few level surfaces near the top, covered in soft green moss.
“I’m going to drop you off here, where you can camp safely,” Rangi said. “There’s a protocol in the event the compound came under attack and I had to flee with the Avatar. Those bags were prepacked; there’s everything you need for a week in them. Once I return to the village and figure the situation out, I’ll bring someone who can help.”
“No!”