The Scowl

60 AG, Southern Earth Kingdom

They had been hiking through the heavily vegetated island for almost two days now. Sleeping and eating was kept to an absolute minimum considering they hadn't been able to recover any supplies from the ship.

Jeong Jeong had spotted a small fishing village within an hour when they first arrived on the island. The village, although Azulon struggled to even award it that moniker, was situated at the base of the Spira Mountains. The long shadows of the nearby peaks made the tiny village almost impossible to spot at first.

They had to move on from the village quickly though. It harbored no boats large enough to cross the sea and both men doubted that any merchant vessels would bother with such an insignificant gathering of huts. Not to mention they were still too close to where they had been ambushed by the Water Tribesmen to stop for long.

That village was the last bit of civilization they would see for another two days. Finally, on their third morning, they stumbled through the underbrush and were blessed with the sounds of shouts and laughter filling the air. They cautiously poked their heads through a bush to see a tavern at the edge of a clearing, situated just a few hundred feet from the shore.

Jeong Jeong had immediately volunteered to go in the tavern on Azulon's behalf. Azulon had objected at first, thinking that the man was simple groveling to get on his good side. Jeong Jeong looked at him curiously before awkwardly stammering out that Azulon's face might be slightly more recognizable than his had quietly accepted his proposal after that.

It was in his second campaign in the Northern Earth Kingdom when he first saw the posters. They had been staying in an abandoned town just a few miles north of Taku. After nearly two weeks of nonstop marching broken up by the occasional fight, his men and him had grown exhausted.

In a fit of frustration over a lack of progress, Azulon had given up on sleep one night to meander about the small town. Plastered all throughout the town were posters depicting a visage that looked strangely like his own. It wasn't until he picked up one of the posters that he saw behind the ugly scowl, and he could finally recognize his own face. The words beneath the poster were no less flattering.

"Azulon- A man so vile his own countrymen recoil at the sight of him. A child-slaying, widow making coward who lazes upon a throne made of the skulls of those who dare oppose him. He is a monster that crawled from the forges of Hell to bring death to this world."

He had been feared everywhere he went since that day nearly thirty years ago. Conquered Earth Kingdom villagers were known to throw themselves from the nearest cliff when they heard he would be visiting their towns, rather than face the man who would no doubt subjugate them to his blood-soaked empire.

Azulon absentmindedly thought back to those initial posters as he waited for Jeong Jeong to return. That scowl haunted his dreams for nearly a decade, while his men all loved the posters. The idea that their Fire Lord was seen as a death bringing devil was seen as a great accomplishment by them. Azulon's face did half the conquering for them.

He waited for over two hours before finally his demons quieted, and he realized with a start that Jeong Jeong was supposed to report back over an hour ago.

It didn't take much of a military genius to guess what had happened to the other man. Azulon meditated for a brief few minutes, attempting to calm his inner fire before what was sure to be a battle.

He entered the clearing that held the tavern; his head held high and his hands tucked between his sleeves. His face betrayed no emotion as he felt the gaze of nearly thirty men all focus on him.

They had clearly been expecting him.

Jeong Jeong was tied to a post, beaten into unconsciousness. Azulon had to squint his eyes to see that the man was in fact, still breathing. Both Jeong Jeong's eyes had been swollen shut and blood seeped into his very tattered shirt.

"I am Fire Lord Azulon, Guardian of the Caldera, Destroyer of Taku, Son of Agni." The men in the clearing made no move towards him. Everyone there knew just how unnecessary an introduction was. "You will release Lieutenant Jeong Jeong and provide him with medical assistance until which point I deem no longer needed. You will also provide us with safe passage aboard one of the ships harbored nearby to the nearest Fire Nation colony."

It was a man standing close to Jeong Jeong who finally approached Azulon. Azulon had to bite back the gag over the man's grotesque odor. Clearly, he was not a man taking advantage of the bath house located behind the tavern.

"You don't seem to get it." He gestured back to Jeong Jeong with the knife in his right hand. "We was going to torture that Fire Nation lizard-rat just for the fun the of it." He turned back to Azulon and stuck the tip of the knife a mere few inches from his throat. "Now, we get to gut the King of all you Fire Nation scum."

Azulon closed his eyes briefly before placing his hand atop the man's wrist and lowering the knife. "I won't give my demands a second time."

The man shot forward, anger fueled his attack as he brought down the dagger towards Azulon's chest. Azulon's palm shot out imperceptibly fast. The flames that erupted from it barely knew life before engulfing the man from head to toe. Azulon pinched his nose shut as the stench of burning flesh filled the air. The man's screeches could be heard for miles as he scrambled for a few feet before collapsing in a burning heap.

The crackling of fire ceased soon enough, and the clearing stayed quiet for a few moments afterwards. Azulon quickly grew impatient before making his way towards the still tied up Jeong Jeong, who had been awoken by the dying man's screams. His swollen eyes widened as much as they could upon the sight of his Fire Lord standing just ten yards from him.

One of the men guarding Jeong Jeong finally awoke from his stupor and shoved his knife up against Jeong Jeong's throat. The other man assigned to guard him had dropped his spear and was now backed up against the tavern's front wall, shaking with what Azulon knew all too well as fear.

Azulon raised an eyebrow in questioning over the threat being made against his comrade. The other man raised his other fist to help steady his suddenly shaking hand as he pressed the dagger in enough to draw out a droplet of blood.

Azulon moved his right arm in a semi-circle before pointing at the man with his index and middle finger extended. The cold shiver ran through his body in an instant before lightning shot from his finger tips and hit the man dead on in the chest.

The man could barely gasp before he was on the floor, involuntarily convulsing as the electricity caused his muscles to contract and spasm. He was writhing in the dirt for another few seconds before his life ended.

It happened quickly after that.

The twenty-five men that hadn't been killed or abandoned their weapons all charged at the source of their nightmares. An armament of weaponry was split among them as their battle cries echoed into the early morning air.

Azulon wasted no time. A circle of fire sprung up around him and instantly grew into twenty-foot walls. Before any of the men could even hope to run for cover, the flames moved outwards. Their battle cry morphed into cries of agony and suffering as they were lost in the flames. The fire spread only a few feet past the wave of men, enough to catch a few trees and the tavern on fire though.

Azulon crinkled his nose in dissatisfaction. He muttered something about having bad restraint before he closed his eyes and breathed deeply, feeling out for the flames before extinguishing them as he breathed back in and opened his eyes. The tavern had gained a nasty looking scar across one of its walls, but it was no worse for wear. The trees had made off even better, with only a select few branches being destroyed.

With no more obstacles in his path, he finished his walk to Jeong Jeong and the still cowering man. Although Jeong Jeong's swollen face could hardly give off much emotion, Azulon could swear he was wearing that same of expression fear that was painted clearly across the shaking man's face.

Azulon did not dwell on this for long before shaking the cowering man's shoulders. He gave a yelp of terror and attempted to flee, but Azulon gripped the back of his shirt and threw him back to the ground. "Can you organize a voyage to the nearest Fire Nation colony?"

The man gave a small nod, his breathing far too shallow to even attempt to speak.

Azulon shooed him away to prepare for their journey before making to untie Jeong Jeong. He convinced himself that the young man kept his eyes downcast due to the swelling, although he knew he was only lying to himself.

They left aboard the sturdiest ship they could find. It was crewed by eight of the most terrified sailors there ever were. They tended to Jeong Jeong's injuries and prepared food without a word of request from either Fire Nation passenger.

The voyage to the colony of Sonsu took two weeks. None of the Earth Kingdom men spoke to Azulon. Neither did Jeong Jeong.

Azulon lied to himself again, trying to believe that it was his injuries that kept him below deck the entire time.

The scowl returned to his dreams.

AN: Thanks for reading the second part of where we left off in chapter 8. Hope you enjoyed.

Word Origin:

1) Spira: Swedish word for spire. Although it can also mean scepter, steeple, or a mace.

2) Sonsu: Adapted from the Turkish word for eternal.