CHAINS

Seria's POV

"Come on faster!" A voice shouted.

Faster? How can I go any faster?

Nonetheless, I forced my feet to move a little quicker. My limbs, tired and heavy and hurting, marched forward mechanically, my feet dragging along the ground. My hands were in shackles in front of me, the long chain clipped onto the saddle of the Komodo rhino ridden by one of the Firenation soldiers up ahead.

The sun was high and the day was dusty and hot. I'd been walking for hours and felt the effects of dehydration begin to creep up on me like a snake. We'd been travelling for two days straight now and I don't think I could make it any further. The soldiers had been riding the entire time. But me? I didn't get a rhino. Scum don't get rhinos. They don't get anything.

"Come on!" The soldier jeered again, yanking on my chains. I stumbled but managed to stop myself from sprawling onto the dirt at the last minute. A year ago I would've fought back, but now I knew better.

My stomach growled. I licked my parched lips wishfully. I hadn't eaten anything all day. In fact the only food I'd had in the two days of travelling was a piece of bread and a mouldy moonpeach.

I bowed my head in despair and let my hacked brown hair fall, hiding my face. I shuffled forwards, using the rhino's momentum to pull me also.

We walked for another hour or so before they finally decided to stop and make camp. It was midday and the burning sun was at its peak. They'd tied the chain around the tree; I didn't even have the strength to pull at it. The soldiers were sitting around a pot hung above a fire, steaming bowls of food in their hands. The idiots were laughing and joking and getting quite drunk by the sounds of things. I stayed quiet, hoping they'll ignore me.

No such luck.

Zuko's POV

I sighed trying hard to not blow up. We'd run out of food back where we'd made camp. Katara had asked Sokka and me to try and find some meat. Sokka had been bragging about how he was "the best hunter back at home" and yet, so far we hadn't managed to catch a single thing.

"Sokka can we go back now?" I said impatiently as I walked through the undergrowth behind him, swiping at some bug buzzing around my face. It refused to go away and I ran a hand through my hair in frustration. "We're obviously not going to catch anything."

Sokka's shoulders stiffened slightly and continued trekking through the forest more vigorously. "That's because you scared them all off!" he huffed as he went.

I resisted rolling my eyes and opened my mouth, meaning to come back with a sharp response.

I didn't get the chance as suddenly there was the sound of raucous laughter. Sokka and I looked at each other. It sounded nearby.

I looked up and sure enough there was a thin trail of smoke rising to the sky.

"Let's check it out," Sokka said, lowering his voice.

I nodded and we quietly crept through the shadows towards the direction of the smoke. To our surprise, we saw a group of Firenation soldiers sitting around a fire. There were Komodo rhinos chained up and a tent had been pitched.

"Whoa," Sokka said. He crouched beside me. "They're so close."

I said nothing. There was something on the edge of the campsite.

"Come on we'd better go–"

"Wait!" I hissed grabbing his arm.

"What?"

"Over there. Is that a… girl? Chained to the tree."

I heard Sokka's breath catch. "Yeah. Yeah it is."

I looked at the girl. She was in chains and wearing Firenation prison clothes. She had her eyes closed and looked as if she was trying to wish the world away. She seemed tired. Extremely tired and as I looked I was reluctant to walk away.

One of the soldiers stood up suddenly, an evil smile coating his face, and walked over to the girl.

"Uh-oh," Sokka mutters. I nodded in agreement: This can't be good.

Seria's POV

"Want some food, scum?"

I winced at the harsh tone and opened my eyes. It was General Chen. The guy in charge. The worst. Renowned for making the hardest prisoner cry and getting too involved with punishments. His appearance was enough to make people cower.

He was simply drained of all colour. The long white-blonde hair that had been drawn back into a ponytail only seemed to make his face harsher. His features were that of a handsome man, sharply defined, clear eyes, strong jaw, yet I knew better. Much better. And right now, that face beautiful enough to make the village girls swoon, had been made ugly by a sinister sneer of cold hatred.

Don't panic, don't panic, I told myself uselessly as my heart began to hammer. Maybe he'll go away.

"I've got some real nice stew here," he spoke casually, bringing a steaming bowl from behind his back as if revealing a prize. He brought the stew right under my nose. "Real good."

Damn, it really did smell good. My mouth began to water and, before I could stop it, my stomach growled. I winced as he grinned.

"It's okay. You can have it," Chen said. He put the bowl on the ground in front of him. I didn't move, not trusting. "It's alright. Eat."

I tried to ignore my stomach. Tried to ignore the stew. But I couldn't resist. I reached out my chained hands cautiously towards the bowl, like some wild animal cautious of a trap. But when my fingers were almost touching the bowl, a boot slammed down on my hands. I screamed as my fingers were crushed under the general's heavy shoe.

Everyone around the fire laughed. At me. Heat flushed my face as I cursed myself. Why had I fallen for that?

"As if scum like you deserve anything," the General laughed. His boot was still on my hand and he twisted it. I bit my lip as my fingers were twisted. Tears sprung to my eyes.

The boot came off and I pulled my hands away quickly. I went to scoot backwards but he caught hold of the chain and drew me close. The general leaned into me and cupped my face in his meaty hands. "You know," he purred. I could smell the beer on his breath. "If you want to eat we could come to some… agreement." His hands dropped to my chest.

Indignation overcame my better judgement and I spat at his face.

"Argh!" he roared and wiped the spit from his eyes.

"Go to hell!" I yelled hoarsely and kicked him off of me, trying to roll away from him but was unsuccessful thanks to the chains.

Chen glared at me. "You'll regret that!" With his face twisted in anger, he grabbed the chain and with firebending, began to heat it. The chain glowed orange as the heat travelled closer to my wrists.

My eyes grew wide and I tried to pull away, stumbling back as far as the chain would let me. "No! No, please!" I begged struggling to get away, instantly regretting my reaction.

He just smirked and the glow travelled quicker. I whimpered as the glow reached my wrists. At first there was nothing, but was quickly replaced by a searing and unbearable pain. A scream tore out of me, as my wrists were on fire. There were more laughs from the soldiers and Chen, but I could no longer see them as a red had spread throughout my vision. I was drowning in the fire. There was fire all around me. And screaming. Shouting. From me?

But I didn't have time to find out as I slipped into sweet unconsciousness.

Zuko's POV

"Sokka we've got to intervene!" I whispered as the firebender put the bowl down, not trusting him one bit.

"He's just giving her some food," Sokka said uncertainly and I give him a look.

"Do you really believe that?" I hissed.

Sokka hesitates. "But we're outnumbered! We don't want the Firenation to find out about us. What if they find out that Aang's still alive? It's too risky."

Suddenly there was a yell and our attention turns back towards the girl. As soon as I see the guy's boot on her hand, I lunged forwards.

"Zuko!" Sokka grabbed me back. "Stay down. There's nothing we can do."

"Of course there is!" I want to shout it but it comes out in a hoarse whisper. I clench my fists as I watch the creep go closer to her.

She pushes him off. And spits. And I can't help but smile. But then something goes wrong. He's heating the chains.

"Sokka!" I hiss at him.

"He's just scaring her," Sokka says, but he sounds doubtful.

She screams, a sound that makes me freeze in horror, and I can't stand it any longer. With a roar of anger, I burst out of trees and unleash a torrent of fire-blasts at the guy who had heated the chain. Instantly he lets go to defend himself, shouting out as I burn his shoulder and he lands heavily on his back. I turn and see the girl crumple to the ground, unconscious. The soldiers were all fumbling for their weapons and into stance but I'm more than ready for them. I whirled on them and shoot fire in all directions, with a ferocity that I didn't even recognise. Sokka joined me and clubbed a few round the head, knocking them out.

With a last blast at the chain-heater, I turned to the girl and broke the chain with firebending. Gently I picked her up: She weighed next to nothing. The girl groaned and for a second her eyes were open. They were a bright, almost unnatural, blue.

"Don't worry," I told her pushing down the anger bubbling up inside me. "You're safe. We'll take care of things." There was a slight sigh from her. Then she black out again.

"Zuko! Come on let's go!" Sokka yelled at me, fending off two soldiers. We broke into a run. A tree next to me burst into flames as we ran back into the forest. It was a close miss. We zig-zagged through the forest and circled back round to the Western Air Temple to shake them off. We climbed on Appa and flew down to where we'd made camp. Sokka was shaking his head in disgust at the girl's condition, muttering about giving them a piece of his mind. Or his fist. I wasn't paying attention.

Finally, we arrived. I jumped off before the Bison touched the ground, still holding the girl.

"Katara!" I yelled striding into camp. "Katara I need you!"