31 The Unraveling Storm

At this moment, Unalaq occupied his throne with a visibly worried expression.

Two years ago, Gale declared war on the Fire Nation, falsely accusing the Northern Water Tribe of involvement. This lie was a direct affront.

Amidst the chaos, Unalaq publicly disavowed any connection with his former apprentice, distancing himself from Gale's actions that contradicted world peace.

In response, Gale remained silent, refraining from disavowing Unalaq.

Since then, Unalaq spent every day contemplating how Gale planned his revenge. Would it involve sending someone to assassinate him? He didn't know. Who could be under Gale's control? Unalaq believed he had everything under control, but Gale deceived him perfectly.

Recently, he learned that members of the Red Lotus were being released one by one, with the new dictator of the Republic behind it.

The situation worsened with each passing moment, as they now headed towards the Northern Water Tribe to rescue P'Li.

Putting his internal thoughts aside, Unalaq shifted his gaze to the corner of the room, where the former King Zuko was, having abdicated to allow his daughter to rule. His brother was also present. Both had come to warn him that Gale and his group were on their way.

"Korra is fine? Where is she?" Unalaq inquired.

Upon hearing Unalaq's question about his daughter, Tonraq hesitated to respond. However, in the end, he chose to tell the truth.

"Korra is hiding in a refuge of the White Lotus. They took her from the South for protection. Since Tenzin's death, she is now dedicated to training her spiritual side, seeking to contact Avatar Aang to learn airbending," Tonraq said with a sad expression.

Upon hearing the information from his brother, Unalaq turned his face again to delve into his thoughts.

"They will likely kill me," Unalaq thought, as his mind echoed only the idea that the members of the Red Lotus would eliminate him.

Again, something interrupted his thoughts. A guard entered the palace with an expression indicating that something bad was happening.

"Sir, they are here. A fleet of Republic planes and the members of the Red Lotus in a truck to cross the snow," the soldier said, stumbling over the words.

Everyone in the room went on high alert and rushed towards the palace exit.

As they reached the middle of the city, the horizon became the stage for the imminent confrontation. The Republic planes and the Red Lotus members approached, promising a chaotic scenario for the Northern Water Tribe.

Unalaq, with his waterbending ability, was ready to lead his tribe in defense. His brother, also a master of waterbending, was at his side. King Zuko, with his dragon and firebending mastery, was strategically positioned to face the aerial threat.

The Republic planes dropped bombs, creating echoes that reverberated through the mountains. Unalaq raised a water wall to protect the palace, while his brother conjured an ice barrier to counter the enemy attacks. King Zuko, mounted on his dragon, unleashed fiery blasts against the planes, seeking to neutralize the aerial threat.

The battle unfolded intensely in the skies and on the snow-covered streets. Planes were hit and fell, creating columns of smoke blending with the icy surroundings. The skill of the Northern Water Tribe waterbenders proved crucial in countering the aerial attacks.

The battle unfolded in a chaotic dance of elements, with water, fire, and ice intertwining on the battlefield.

On the other hand, Gale, leading the massive truck specially designed to navigate between the water tribe ships, altered its course towards the prison where P'Li was held.

Arriving at an isolated area of the Northern Tribe, they encountered a giant hole in the center of the frozen landscape. Upon closer inspection, they noticed a prison anchored by chains, suspended inside the hole, a security system effectively preventing any escape attempts by the prisoners.

All eyes turned to Ming-Hua, aware of her unique ability to climb the enormous hole and potentially free the other imprisoned member.

Upon realizing the attention directed at her, Ming-Hua laughed.

"You guys are funny," she said, jumping towards the hole with a disdainful expression, ready to face the challenge.

Ming-Hua, without arms, used her unique waterbending ability to create liquid whips extending from her shoulders, effectively becoming efficient extensions of her absent limbs. This peculiarity made her a deadly weapon, skillfully capable of climbing and facing challenges.

Approaching deeper into the hole, Ming-Hua encountered waterbending guards positioned in defense. With impressive agility, she began to move between the ice chains, dodging the guards' attacks. Her water whips, now transformed into fluid blades, cut through the air lethally.

Reaching the central area where P'Li was detained, Ming-Hua focused her attention on the prisoner. P'Li, a skilled combustion bender, had her hands bound and an iron protection carefully placed on her forehead to contain the dangerous powers of her ability.

With mastery, Ming-Hua used her water whips to cut the chains holding P'Li's hands, freeing her from captivity. Then, carefully, she removed the iron protection from the combustion bender's forehead, allowing her to use her ability without restrictions.

"Good to see you again, Ming," P'Li said, her voice filled with sarcasm and nostalgia.

Noticing the irony in the woman's words in front of her, Ming laughed.

"Let's go," she said, pulling the combustion woman in front of her with her water whips and placing her on her back.

The two quickly climbed the large hole towards the surface.

As they spotted the two figures emerging from the hole, the members of the Red Lotus exchanged a long hug upon reuniting. Zaheer seized the moment to passionately kiss P'Li, sealing the reunion with emotion and intensity.

Breaking away from the hug, P'Li cast her gaze towards the blue-haired man, notably attractive.

"Who is this?" she asked, expressing her curiosity.

Zaheer stepped forward to answer.

"My love, this is Gale. He is a new member of the Red Lotus. I've known him for almost two years; he freed me, and everyone here is free thanks to him," Zaheer said, extending his arm towards Gale.

Knowing who the man was, P'Li once again exchanged glances with the other members, who subtly nodded, indicating they considered Gale trustworthy.

"Thank you, Gale. Thanks to you, I could reunite with my love," P'Li said, casting her gaze towards Zaheer, who responded with a smile. Gratitude and joy permeated the air, creating a moment of connection and recognition among them.

Gale simply responded with a smile, when a voice sounded on his transmitter.

"Mr. President, we have severely wounded Zuko's dragon; now he is lying on the ground, bleeding," the soldier said, with sounds of gunfire and screams in the background.

Gale did not respond, only looking towards the members of the Lotus. They entered the huge truck and headed towards the battlefield.

As they arrived at the battlefield, the scene was chaotic. Zuko's dragon was down, injured, and Unalaq was fiercely fighting the invaders. The snow was stained with the intensity of the battle, and the sound of fighting filled the air.

Gale jumped from the truck along with the members of the Lotus. He joined the front line, his eyes focused on Unalaq. The battle was at its peak, and every move became crucial for the outcome.

The snow under his feet became a battlefield, witnessing the violent dance of the elements. Gale faced skilled waterbenders, using his abilities to dodge, block, and counter-attack.

P'Li, using her unique combustion ability, dragged hundreds of soldiers from the Northern Tribe into eternal darkness. Zaheer, devoid of bending any element, surprised by dominating the battlefield with cunning and strategy. Ming, a skilled waterbender, reaped her enemies with a sharp water whip. Ghazan, a master of lava bending, transformed the scenery into an erupting volcano, leaving his mark on the battlefield.

In a matter of minutes, all the soldiers of the Northern Tribe lay dead on the ground, their cries of pain echoing in the air. The battlefield became a bloody scene, permeated by the lamentations of agony. The roar of the planes ceased when they realized the danger of inadvertently hitting the members of the Red Lotus. Tense silence hung over the field.

The Red Lotus, Zuko, and Unalaq exchanged intense glances. Zuko carried a look of hatred directed at Gale, who perfectly understood why the man despised him so much.

Gale rolled his eyes as he scanned the environment, searching for Korra's father, but his efforts were in vain. It seemed like he had either fled or perhaps lost his life in the chaos of the battle.

Without wasting time, P'Li began.

She advanced forward, employing combustion bending towards Unalaq.

Unalaq tried to form an ice wall, but P'Li exploded it with her combustion bending, sending him flying away from the battlefield.

When he finally reached the ground, his condition was deplorable. It seemed like the explosion hit his hand, destroying it and revealing the bones of his wrist.

He screamed in pain on the ground, agonizing.

Zuko turned his gaze towards the man, regaining his senses. He advanced determinedly towards the members of the Red Lotus.

Zuko advanced, his determined fiery gaze aiming to avenge the injury caused by P'Li. The dance of the elements began as Zuko channeled fire around him, preparing for the imminent confrontation.

P'Li, quick and agile, unleashed combustion bursts towards Zuko. He skillfully dodged, slashing the air with his dancing flames. Ming-Hua, with her liquid whips, tried to ensnare him, but Zuko, agile as a firebending master, skillfully evaded, countering with fiery explosions.

Ghazan, the master of lava bending, transformed the landscape, creating incandescent pillars in Zuko's path. The Fire Nation prince, however, seized the opportunity, directing the intense heat to melt the approaching lava, dissipating it with mastery.

Zaheer, a non-bender, agile and strategic, used his physical mastery to dodge Zuko's attacks, employing every acrobatic move to stay out of the reach of the flames.

Gale watched the fight with fascination, finding beauty in the battlefield scene before his eyes. The smell of blood in the air comforted him, now as comforting as the scent of the incense he enjoyed so much for meditation. He understood that, if he wanted, he could eliminate Zuko and Unalaq at that moment. However, as a master manipulator, he preferred to conduct the orchestra at his whim. As a bloodbender, his power was almost infinite, but still, he knew that the real obstacle in his path was the Avatar.

Returning from his thoughts, Gale turned his attention back to the scene in front of him. Zuko was completely defeated, blood dripping from all his orifices as he crawled towards his nearly lifeless dragon, lying on the ground. The organization members observed the scene with cold looks before redirecting their attention to Unalaq. The battlefield was immersed in tension, the fate of the Northern Water Tribe hanging in the balance.

Gale, sensing the anxiety among the members regarding Unalaq, spoke bluntly.

"What are you waiting for? Torture him as you wish. He's yours," Gale said as he walked towards the dragon.

Hearing Gale's words, Unalaq, who was agonizing, simply went into shock.

"Gale, what are you saying, please don't..." Unalaq said as four figures appeared in his vision.

Noticing the members of the Red Lotus, he pleaded pitifully, but the people continued in his direction.