"Look here kid, we've been on this boat for the past five forsaken days sailing into who knows what kind of situation, with a deluded water bender, and a doesn't a know his head from a hole in the ground firebender, and all I've had to eat was this fish slop!" Varrick gestured to an empty bowl near his foot. "When I signed up for this adventure, or better yet, when you convinced me to clamber onto this rot-bottomed excuse for a boat, sure, I wasn't expecting a cruise liner, but a few creature comforts wouldn't be so farfetched now would it!"
"Varrick," Bolin said, "settle down, half the ship's trying to sleep.
"Yeah, yeah. You know what I could go for right now?
"Some peace and quiet," Bolin said hopefully.
"Some of Zhu-li's perfectly brewed green tea. The leaves tender and ripe, harvested at the height of their perfection, brewed at a perfect 58 Varrick degrees and served in a porcelain cup imported from the Fire nation, and embossed with Fire Nation dames doing the Phoenix Flight dance. Yeah that would just hit the spot," he said.
"Seriously," Bolin said, "I won't be able to stop them if they decide to throw you overboard."
"They wouldn't do that!" Varrick said, and waved the hand in which he was holding a compass. He had built it from a hairpin, a piece of cork, and a bowl they had found in the ship cabin. And then with a few grunts and scratches of his head, combined it all together one morning, plucked a few hairs from Bolin's head, ""To magnetize this little baby with" and proclaimed that it pointed "deader than a mole-mouse caught in a trap-north."
"I'm useful," Varrick said, but settled down against the side of the boat, resting his head back against the side. "I wonder if Zhu-li's looking at the same stars tonight."
Bolin rolled his eyes, but Varrick did sound serious for once. "You know," Bolin said, "I wonder that about everyone we've left behind."
"Who are you pining for?" Varrick asked.
Bolin didn't answer at first. He looked across the water they skimmed over, and attempted to find the path they'd taken from the long ago vanished woods and the threats of imprisonment. He turned, trying to see where they might be going, but water stretched away in every direction. It didn't matter. They would get there when they did. Recently though, he had a thought. Maybe everyone back at Republic City would learn that the train had blown up with him and Varrick on it. He worried they might think he was dead. His brother, Korra, ...Opal.
"Hey," he said, planning to tell Varick his thoughts. Suddenly, he stopped. "Do you feel that?" he asked, and looked around the boat. Baraz and Ahnah were still asleep. It had been left to Bolin and Varrick to keep watch over the ship, as well as a refugee waterbender who was manning the bow making sure that they were going in the correct direction according to Varrick's compass.
"Feel what?" Varrick said and peeled open an eyelid to look at Bolin. He ran a hand across his five' o clock shadow, and tugged at his mustache. They were starting to get a little long, Spirits, he wished he had a mirror, and Zhu-li to help him trim them, he was starting to look like a bat-monkey.
"I felt something," Bolin said again, and hopped to his feet. He walked to the side of the boat and peered down into the water, and with a sharp intake of breath he stepped back, hands raised, as if ready to fight. Varrick leapt to his feet, and backed away from the edge of the boat.
"What did you see?" he said, peering around Bolin's shoulder, but not daring to get close to the edge.
Bolin shook his head. "Couldn't be," he said. "I think I've been awake too long."
Varrick hitched an eyebrow, and came around to face the earthbender. "You're telling me you're hallucinating? Ah, great. Not only am I stuck on this boat sailing the seas-of-no-end, but I'm stuck on it with Bolin, the crazy guy."
Bolin didn't respond, and Varrick peered closer at him. "No, but seriously," he said, "What did you see?"
"I thought I saw Amon."
"What?" Varrick said, and stepped back so that he could see Bolin fully. "Run that by me again."
"I said, 'I saw Amon.'"
"Ha! He's dead. Blown to smithereens." He gestured wildly with his hands. "Rotting at the bottom of the ocean. Dead. Now, that kid, would make a great mover; Resurrection of one of the nastiest, dastardly fellows to grace the streets of Republic city. You know, Bolin, I like the way you think. I don't like the way you interrupt my sleep, though, to tell me these kind of things."
"I really did, see him though," Bolin said, and stepped passed Varrick, placing his hands firmly on the side of the boat and peering into the darkness.
Varrick came to stand by his side.
"I don't see anything," he said, and peered over the edge, not daring to lean quite as far forward as Bolin. Sure he could swim, but they were clipping along at a pretty good pace.
"It was just a flash, but I saw him, and I felt something too. Coldness," Bolin said. "Like all the heat had just been sucked away from my body. Crazy, I guess," he said leaning forward just a little farther.
Varrick watched him, and then looked down into the water once more. "He's dead. It's scientifically impossib-"
Something cold wrapped around Bolin's arm, and seemed to reach deep into his chest. He moved trying to shake it off. But his arm didn't respond right. He tried to bend his fingers, and nothing happened. With his right hand, still unaffected he grabbed his left one. It was cold to his touch, like he had buried his hand up to the elbow in snow and before he could do anything, his right arm surged forward, his finger bending and reaching for anyone in front of him.
Varrick jumped out of the way, barely avoiding Bolin's grasp.
"Hey, what's the idea," he shouted.
"Varrick, help me!" Bolin said. "Someone's bloodbending me."
"Can't be," Varrick said, and cast an eye around the boat, looking to the waterbenders. Ahnan and Baraz had awoken from Bolin's cry and were standing near the stern, looking back and forth at the strange display. The other members of the group rushed forward and raised their arms, prepared to fight.
A/N Well, thanks for stopping by. This is the first chapter in what will be a strange and evolving story. Though really, I couldn't get the idea of Zombie!Amon out my head and this is the result. Tune in next time to see how our intrepid heroes take on this threat from beyond the grave! And you know, comment, critique, loved it, hated it, let me know!