Chapter 8
Running up on to the deck of Condors ship, Katara smiled at her friend frozen on the other end of the wooden deck. Condor smiled weekly back at her, but still remained frozen on the spot where she stood as a squad of solders piled onto to deck of her father's ship. They tried to hold Gouki, but he retaliated with an arsenal of fire attacks. But, being that the other men were fire benders or had spent a lot of time with them, his attacks were just blocked. Eventually the evil man was held back and it was safe for Iroh to walk up on board. He stood before the captured man and spoke in a clear, firm voice.
"You, Gouki Kuroihaato, are under arrest for crimes against the fire nation for over five years. On accounts of abduction, theft, treason, miss-use of power, assault and murder. You and your crew will be taken to the fire nation where your punishment will be decided." In the background, Condor gasped. She knew that for those crimes, her last living relative would be sentenced to death. Gouki was dragged onto the Fire Lord's ship by the many men holding him back and locked into the boat's prison cell. The old Fire Lord scowled at the vanishing prisoner then walked over to Katara with a smile on his face. "Well done, Katara, for keeping that steam up so long by yourself, we wouldn't have been able to capture him otherwise. And who is this young lady?"
"My name is Suzu Eika Kuroihaato, your lordship. But I am better known as Condor." Suzu Eika bowed low to the Fire Lord. In an odd way, she recognised him. "Sir, are you the man who helped me with a problem I had many years ago? When I was to dance in your palace when I was eight?" Thought made the Fire Lord, he then broke out in a smile.
"Ah, yes. The lovely girl who had to leave early. What happened to your mother?"
"She…Died. Father died too." Her gold eyes diverted from his with a hint of old pain in them. "No-one knows why Father died…" lie! A voice spat in her head, that is a stupid worthless lie, Condor. And you know it. Condor flinched invisibly at the sound of the voice and another thought. Was it not illegal to lie to the Fire Lord or any king, for that matter? Condor bit her lip and was about to speak when the Fire Lord spoke before her.
"Would you like to join us for tea?" She nodded and smiled weakly, even though she had never had tea in her life. Condor did tell him that though. With a cough, the eccentric Fire Lord exclaimed "NEVER HAD TEA!" the water bender from the fire nation cringed brightly as sever men looked over with expressions varying from annoyance to surprise to humour. Condor laughed it falsely of and followed after Iroh.
Smiling and sipping the sweet liquid, Condor thought over the event of that day. Moments before, she had tried to drink the tea too quickly, which resulted in a burnt tongue and a silly yelp that made baby Kazumi giggle. She couldn't quite remember what type of tea Iroh said it was, nor did it really bother her. It was sweet, calming, tasty and quite nice to just look at, and that's all that mattered to her for now. Maybe one day she would try lots of other teas, maybe make her own one. Condor's temporal attention then switched to the teapot that sat in the centre table. With a slight twitch of the wrist, she created her trademark bird, the condor, in the steam and made it fly about the room.
"Don't show off, Condor." Scalded Katara, without looking at her. Childishly, Condor stuck her tongue out at her then picked up her tea and sipped at it inelegantly.
In two more days time, the fleet would arrive in at the fire nations main docks. Apparently that night was music night. Condor sat on her own on the deck of her families ship on an empty crate in the shadows. She could here the laughter and the music and the joy of the people joining the festivities on Fire Lord Iroh's ship. For old times sake, she wore her armour that she wore in the war. The genuine silver breastplate was sculpted perfectly to her curved form and the thick leather in smoky red matched it in power neatly. The built in wrist and ankle pods contained ice that stayed frozen with sub-conscious water bending. Her hair was in its same, un-neat style, and she wore no helmet on her head.
"Miss. Kuroihaato. Would you care to join us for music night?" Asked Iroh walking onto her ships deck. Condor shock her head. She didn't feel like dancing today, she didn't sing and the only instrument she could play was her piano. That is what she told him. "Okay. I'll send someone to bring it up on to my ship." He smiled to her and called for some men. Condor led them to the dark room where her piano was and they got it up on deck quite simply. However, getting on to Iroh's ship was a different matter. The board that connected the two ships was only thin and the piano was a lot bigger than it. But Condor had a plan. She bended a bridge of ice from the sea between the ships and added a rough texture for safety. Placing a booted foot on her bridge of ice, she slid it back and forth, testing its friction and grip. When contented with its safety she flung a thumbs up behind her and aloud them to push the instrument on to the other ship. The rest of the night was fun for her.
It was four in the morning and the sun had not risen yet. Condor snuck around the Fire Lords ship seeking out its brig. She slipped passed the guards and scanned each cell.
"You're up late, Condor" Growled Gouki from his prison. The teen walked up to her brother's cell and stood in front of him.
"I couldn't sleep, so I came to see you." She said flatly, running her hand over her hair.
"I heard you playing your piano earlier, on this ship."
"How can you be so certain it was me?" Gouki shook his head and his eyes ran un-shyly down her body. He then slipped his strong arm through the bars and cupped the back of her head in his hand. Pulling her closer to his cage till her metal covered bust was pressed against the cages cold bars, he forced another kiss onto her lips. Condor pushed away from him in shock. "No... I've got to tell you that tomorrow we'll be arriving in the Fire Nation. You most likely have only a handful of days to live so I'd think about what I had done, if I were you." Condor then turned and walked out of the room in silenced sadness.
All were donned in formal robes for the trial of Gouki Kuroihaato. He stood in front of Fire Lord Iron with a steely blankness in his expression.
"For the murder of many, abduction, rape, stealing and crimes against the Fire Lord, I order you as guilty as charged. You shall be burned at the stake until dead in three days time." Gouki struggled in anger as the guards dragged him away in an odd silence. His sister stood plainly in his view in a blank state, she was blatantly trying not to have any emotion an the Fire Lords judgement. This was never one of her stronger qualities. Both siblings knew that now there ancient line would end and there name vanish. No more of the Kuroihaato Slave trade. On Sunday he was to die.
When Gouki and Condor next saw each other, it was the night before Gouki's execution. The guards had been sent away by Condor and the silence was very loud. Gouki was the one to brake it.
"Condor?" His started softly. "I'm sorry for all of the people I've hurt and lives I've wrecked. Especially yours. I've been thinking a lot whilst I've been locked up."
"I know, Gouki. But why? Why couldn't you see earlier. Even if it was only when the Fire Lord first arrested you? Why couldn't you see it then?" Whimpered Condor desperately. She wished for him to live, almost as much as he himself.
"I was dumb and blinded, Condor. Blinded by the beautiful young lady that you became." He lifted his hand through the bars and cupped it on the cheek. "You are wise, caring, beautiful and so very, very strong. And I fell so weak to lust. I needed you, my angelic sister." Gouki's hand moved around to the back of her neck and he pulled her face close to his. To the pint of her nose brushing his. "I need you to be all mine..." His voice faded away as Condors had completely vanished. With a final pull, he kissed he gently on the lips. "Grant me one final time, Suzu Eika. Just one final time before I die. Please." He concluded softly. Condor was utterly confused. It was her way to grant a dieing man his final wish, and this was Gouki's. But he wished for her to giver herself willingly to him. It was either to be unfair on him, or to be cruel to herself. In the end, her decision was made. She slipped the key from her belt and unlocked the door, slipping in and locking it again behind her. "Thank you, Condor..."
Condor and Rocci walked side by side, recollecting those recent events in silence. Condor had left the court yard where her brother had only just been killed and headed to the crew of the ship that was now hers. That ship, called the DarkSwan, was then given to the captain. Her piano was presented to Iroh, with instructions of how to play it, and the interesting artefacts from Condors cabin had been given to Katara. The blanket was now fully Kazumi's. Turning to the young earth bender, she told her.
"There is nothing that I can give you, Rocci, other than your freedom and a promise. I swear that I will work to free the slaves and end the evil that is slave labour." Rocci smiled up to her wise friend.
"And to make sure you keep it, I'm sticking with you." She smiled and Suzu Eika smiled back, she then straightened herself and her armour out and faced the old friend of her family, Captain Ben.
"As a last order, I want you to free all of our slaves. Take them back to there homes. If they have no homes, find them one. Okay?" She ordered. Ben saluted at her and smiled. With that Condor and Rocci left, taking only a small amount of money and many amazing memories.
