Sokka couldn't believe how unlucky he was. He had been maybe three weeks away from the Palace before he was sent all the way to the Earth Kingdom! He wasn't even on the same island anymore!
He was with a group of maybe six or seven other males, each skinny and scrawny looking. They looked like they had never lifted a finger in their lives for anything. Three of them cried on the way to where ever they were going.
The cage was uncomfortable and smelly. The long bars were made of bamboo and the floor was made of metal. In other words, the floor was blazing hot during the day time and chilly at night, making it incredibly uncomfortable at any time of the day.
One of the scrawny men next to Sokka blowed his nose into his shirt and sniffed. The air was humid and musty. They were traveling on a dirt road, that much he could tell. The were in the Earth Kingdom by now. They had to be.
The boat ride had been horrible and the stench of eight men together was not a smell you ever wanted to smell in your life. It made your eyes tear up and you nose hair shrivel and burn.
The cart lurched forward as it came to a sudden stop. The two men up front jumped off of the cart while the one on the ostrich-horse continued to circle around the cage. The ostrich-horse squawked as he made his way around the men, plucking at any fingers that tried to stick out of the bars.
"The Boulder wants you to exit the cage," the leader said. He was the smartest of the bunch, which wasn't saying much considering he talked about himself in third person. He wore a giant gold belt around his waist and no shirt to show of his bulging muscles, which Sokka had to admit were pretty impressive.
Some one from the crowd of men yelled out, "Who's the Boulder?"
His cheeks started to heat up in anger. "Me!" He pointed to himself, digging his finger into his left peck. "Me! I am the Boulder. Now you have made the Boulder upset." He raised his hand dramatically to his forehead.
Geesh, Sokka thought. He's more dramatic than Katara.
Once they were all out the cage, the three men forced the group into a line and corralled them along the road. They went through street after street, watching as the people around them chose to act like they don't even exist.
Apparently, large men parading scrawny males through the streets of Ba Sing Se was pretty normal.
Street markets buzzed around them, trading items and swapping bargains for the best buy. Meats, vegetables, flowers, and fruits created a perfume that would call to any stomach. A seller motioned for a man to come to his cart full of hand woven rugs and clay pots.
A push on Sokka's back pulled his eyes away from the sizzling meat. His stomach growled in a pleading way. "Hurry!" The Boulder said. "We don't have all day. We've got a fight to attend."
Finally the men reached a wall of solid rock. Sokka looked at one of the men incredulously. "What are we supposed to do? Walk through it?"
One of the men, a giant shaped like an over-sized baby, growled at Sokka. He stepped toward the wall and took a deep breath. He raised his hands high in the are and squatted, then slammed his hands down toward the earth. In amazement the earth followed his commands and sunk into the earth leaving a giant square of black for them to walk through.
Sokka felt really stupid. "Oh," he mumbled out of the corner of his mouth.
Some gasped in shock, others squealed in fright. Sokka rolled his eyes. They wouldn't have lasted one day on their own.
The three men pushed the group forward into the dark. At first, there was just blackness, then a light appeared at the end of the hall. As they neared a roar started to echo through the tunnel. Sokka couldn't quite make it out. About twenty feet away from the lighted entry, he figured it out. It was a crowd
Blinding lights flashed down upon the rows upon rows of people littering the rocky stands. Hands clapped and whistles echoed around the giant rock stadium and on the main stage stood two fighters. One was a massive man with bulging muscles and huge teeth that were too big for his tiny mouth. In fact his entire head was too big for his body and overly large teeth. He wore a green loincloth over his genitals.
The other fighter was...just a girl. Her hair was tucked up into a giant bun with two pom-poms on the sides of her head and she had long bangs that hid her eyes. Her clothes were very standard and she had no shoes.
Sokka couldn't look anymore as the man charged head on with lifted rocks tailing behind him. He heard a man's battle cry and then it became louder. And louder. When Sokka finally looked up the man was headed straight for him, sailing through the air head first. Sokka let out a girlish squeal and scampered of to the side right as the man landed on the ground where he had been standing a second ago. A cloud of dust rose from the air at the man's impact and he let out a groan. He was then carried away on a rock stretcher to the medical center.
A manic laugh echoed through the stadium as the girl threw her head back and curled her fingers like talons. She then pointed toward the group of men behind Sokka. "Who dares challenge the Blind Bandit next?"
Sokka gasped as he saw her face. She was blind.
Katara gasped for air as she avoided Zuko's foot. He was really making her stay on her toes today. A fist swung over her head as she spiraled through the air in a delicate arch.
"You're getting better at this," he said with his chest pumping hard.
Katara smiled. "Well, I have a great teacher."
He smiled and ducked as Katara's foot sailed over his head. She wouldn't admit it to anyone, but she had a slight crush. It wasn't like it would matter or anything. She was only twelve after all and its not like he would notice her. So it was okay to have a crush.
Zuko charged forward and used his body strength to tackle her down to the ground. "That's no fair," she grumbled. He chuckled and stood up, offering a hand to help her up. She took it gratefully.
"Listen," he began. He put his hand on the back of his neck. "My dad is having a big dinner tonight with some really important governors from around the fire nation so no funny business alright?" He said it playfully, but there was a hint of honesty under toning his words.
She nodded and promised. He said he would see her that night. Little did they know that would be their last friendly encounter.
The dinner went by slowly. The appetizers were placed and removed as the half hour passed and Katara sighed. At this rate they wouldn't be done with dinner until it was time for breakfast!
Every governor of every major fire nation city was here. It put her on edge and made her teeth grind every time she went to fill up their glasses. They would stare at her with lust and malice pleasure in their eyes. She hated it. She hated them.
Dinner was served and placed. A large wild hog-monkey was placed in the center of the table with a plump fruit in it's mouth and side dishes spread around in large red bowls. The governors clapped with pleasure, stuck in a stupor from their unlimited spirits from Katara's pitcher.
One raised his glass. "Fill it!" he shouted out to know one in particular. Katara rushed forward to obey his command. The air around him swirled with alcohol and it made her eyes burn slightly and her nose wrinkle. Suddenly, the man grabbed her around the waist and pulled her over his lap. She screeched and dropped the pitcher, spilling glass and alcohol all over the stone polished floors. No one seemed to mind though. They were to busy watching Katara scream as the old man fondled her buttocks.
Katara couldn't stand it. Tears streamed down her face as the man assaulted her. The alcohol burned in her nose and she screamed as he dug his nails into her tender flesh.
Laughter and amused clapping rang in her ears.
She looked desperately at Zuko. His hands were balled up against his sides and his face was torn. She silently begged him to make it stop. When he made no move she let her head drop. It was no use. A loud slap rang out through the dining room and Katara screamed in pain. He had spanked her bare bottom.
"DON'T TOUCH HER!"
The glows of orange and yellow appeared over her and the man screamed, dropping her onto the wet floor.
The entire room was quiet.
Katara looked up in shock. Zuko was standing from his seat with both hands shaking in fists next to his sides. He looked so regal in that moment. Katara felt her heart constrict slightly.
Then the room turned to chaos. Shouting erupted as everyone stood up from their chairs. The food was completely forgotten as fingers started pointing about.
"Silence!"
Everyone stilled as the Fire Lord walked slowly toward his son. She could see Zuko's fear; could see the sweat falling from his brow. "Father, I am so-"
The slap rang through the room. No one said a word. Ozai raised his chin. "How dare you disgrace me this way." His words held a deathly power. "By dishonoring Governor Chin, you have dishonored me." He slapped Zuko again.
Katara looked at Chin with hatred. He had caused all this. He deserved getting his eyebrows singed off. They smoked as he stared at Zuko with anger.
"I shall teach a lesson you shall never forget."
Hands gripped both or Katara's arms and dragged her away. She wanted to fight or scream, but she knew that would only make the punishment worse.
The last she saw before the doors shut was the flames licking at Zuko's face as he screamed in pure unadulterated pain.
