"You found her?"

"Yes sir."

"Good."

The young prince walked confidently through the dungeons. He had frequented this place multiple times during his uncle's imprisonment and didn't need any guards to accompany him. He was taller, broader, his streaming black hair tied back only loosely. He wasn't wearing anything ornate or fancy; he didn't need clothes to show his status, his father had marked him noble for life.

Zuko frowned as he neared the entrance to the high security cells. A thin layer of smoke was beginning to carpet the floor, and as Zuko walked forwards the smog thickened, obscuring his vision to a mere four feet in front of his face. The Prince growled and increased his pace, throwing open the metal doors. His hands burned as he touched the handles and Zuko glared at the door, continuing through the smoke.

It was obvious now why there weren't any guards in here. Zuko covered the lower half of his face as he made his way forward, the way lit not by nice, neat lamps or torches, but by a raging inferno.

Coughing into his cloak, Zuko narrowed his eyes, bending away stray sparks with his right hand as his left held up his makeshift mask. He ducked quickly as something fell off the wall – a chain and manacle – but rapidly recovered, speeding his decent into the vaults.

A horrible scream came from within the largest cell. Zuko flinched as he heard it. Not sounding like mere pain – although the girl had to be near burnt to death in this heat – it felt like someone was having their soul ripped from them, torn apart by angry spirits.

"Silence!" Zuko called out, hoping vainly to be heard over the fiery mass.

As if on his order, the blaze died down to mere sparks on the ground. Waving away the smoke, Zuko entered the chamber, examining the girl in front of him.

She had dark hair, braided from the base of her forehead to halfway down her skull, after which is spread out into a tangled, sweaty mane behind her face. Her hair was badly singed and still smoking. Her skin was tanned, covered in tattoos along her legs and arms, even along her neck and across half of her face. She had a few piercings, crude things that were probably shoved in her nose, ears and eyebrow fiercely and without medical assistance.

Zuko flinched as he looked at her. Her hands and feet were scarred with burns. It was no wonder; she hadn't created all that smoke in a minute. In fact, with every breath she took smoke bellowed out of her nose and mouth.

Staring at Zuko with eyes of the darkest brown, she had a look of complete and utter disgust, as if she wasn't the one half naked and chained, hand, foot, and neck to four out of the six walls.

"Duram kalinger te'net van!"

Obviously words of absolute loathing, they were accentuated as the girl spat at Zuko's feet. The prince's eyes narrowed and lips pursed as he looked over the captive.

She was clothed in only a loincloth and a thin breast band. Her face was square; her jaw was set, her body muscular and lithe, still showing some feminine curve.

"Jilan Bei!"

Zuko's eyes snapped back up from where he had been inspecting her feet. All the burns were horrific, but not new. They were old. Healed.

The girl snarled, showing her filed teeth. Zuko glared in return. After only a few seconds, the wild captive got fed up with any game the prince might have been playing. She flicked her fingers at him – her wrists were chained, but she still had some movement – and several javelin-like shots of fire zoomed towards the man. Barely having time to react, Zuko threw his hands up defensively, cursing.

"Hatay Du kayrm!"

Zuko glanced up and saw the girl gathering her breath. He stepped forwards quickly and drew his small knife, placing it hastily on the girl's throat. Instantly she froze, eyeing the bright metal warily.

"Out." Zuko muttered.

The girl slowly let her breath out, smoke billowing in waves as she exhaled. Her eyes glared sideways at Zuko, the brace on her neck only allowing her to move her head a few degrees right or left.

"Do you understand me?" Zuko said, loudly and slowly.

"No." came the quick reply, and the captive turned her head away from the prince.

Zuko wanted to slap the girl. Instead he pressed the knife closer to the base of her throat, right where the brace ended

"I won't say it twice."

"Unde'stan'." Came the guttural reply.

"You live on Maraku."

"Fire Hill." The girl said, translating her word, ending fire without the 'e'. "Yes."

"Family?" Zuko asked, raising his eyebrows. The girl looked back towards him, his knife cutting a small line across her neck. In her eyes was a look of undistilled contempt. Any doubts Zuko might have had about her intelligence instantly disappeared. The girl knew exactly where this conversation was going.

"Wha' man wan'?" She asked slowly, her eyes glaring into Zuko's.

"I need your help."

"Ask." She said, her nose curling.

"Will you help me?"

"No fam'ly hur'. Man take help an' go. Good?"

Zuko nodded. "Good."

"Ge' chain off."

Zuko leaned in closer to the girl, his lips inches from her ear.

"Ask." He said contemptuously, his knife warm against her neck. Her head was bent back as she tried to get as far away from the object as physically possible with her restraints still on.

"Man nee' help. Kaeo no nee' life." She managed to gasp. "Off!" she growled.

Zuko frowned. He really couldn't afford to lose this girl. He shook his head and turned swiftly, taking out the keys and quickly unbinding the girl. First her neck fell, then one arm, then the other. She dropped to the floor, rubbing her wrists. Zuko noticed the scars on her hands as well as her feet.

As he squatted down to unchain her ankles, he was grabbed around the scruff of the neck. Drawing his knife again, his arm was held tight by Kaeo's spare hand.

"L'sen." She said softly, her accent making it hard to understand. "No hur' Kaeo. No hur' fam'ly. Rules, good?"

"Let me tell you something about rules, Kaeo." Zuko said, pushing her hands away from him. "Do not touch me. When outside, don't speak to me. When around others, don't speak to them. Speak only when someone asks you something. Understand?"

"Rules." Kaeo said, rubbing her ankles as they, as well came unshackled. "Kaeo an' man un'erstan' ot'er. Righ'?"

Zuko glared down at the girl, who wasn't even looking at him.

"I'll come back tomorrow." He said, and Kaeo glanced up and then away dismissively.

"Hel' man tomorrow?"

"No."

"When?"

"We're going on a trip."

"How fa'?" Kaeo asked, staring at the wall.

Zuko had already left. He didn't need to bother with the girl any longer than he had to. What a savage! A beast! But so much power. . .

The prince shook his head, glad the smoke was clearing as he got further away from the girl. Let her rot in there! He thought as he exited the citadel to prepare his warship. There was a need for her now.

Back in her cell Kaeo paced back and forth.

"Vanra." She muttered, glaring at the wall. What had she gotten herself into?