Chapter 9- It's Not Easy
Morning came… again on the steel ship. I woke to the knock on the door and Iroh's voice asking if I was awake.
"Yes?" I asked.
"Training happens at dawn." I groaned as I rolled out of bed. Why is this such a big deal?
"I'll be out in a little while."
"See you out. Zuko's been waiting and I have to say that it's not wise to keep him waiting for long." Zuko can just fuck his uncle. I tied my hair back and wiped the sandman's dust from my eyes. I was still a bit drowsy from sleep. I went to bed late last night. These fire benders could eat like you wouldn't believe.
And so I opened the door and walked out where Zuko was dueling with other fire benders. His uncle kept on shouting about his basics as he fought. But, I guess the shouting worked. He won, of course, and so Iroh scolds him.
"Here, she'll help me explain to you what I mean." Iroh grabbed hold of me and haves me sit on a cushion. "Now, listen. Fire bending comes from the breath and not the muscle." Zuko didn't seem like he was listening even though he kept a straight face.
"Every bender has their own unique way to get their power. We get it from the breath. Water benders control their power with their emotion. Isn't that right?" Iroh asked as he looked down at me.
I nodded vigorously.
"- The earth benders as they deal with moving the rocks with their meditation and the air benders as they combine it with dance." Iroh concluded. "And so, remember my advice and practice."
Yup, here's my cue. Zuko steps back and gets ready. And so I stand across from him.
"And Zuko, remember what I've said: if you don't remember your basics, you won't get anywhere in a fight." Iroh said at the last minute.
And then out of nowhere, I heard "Yeah! Go kick his butt!" I turned around. It was Myra. Just like she said, she was there watching. I turned back to the fight and so we started to talk fancy.
"You ready?" I asked.
"Always am." What did that mean?
"Then, get ready to dance."
"Ladies first." As I willed the water to come from the side of the boat, Zuko had already started making his own spirals of fire. I worked quickly with making the water fly through the air and blocking his every attack. He then jumped so high that he actually blocked the sun a moment. I ran away losing my concentration of the water and slipped on the water as he came down with his fist.
Fine, if he was going to be this hard, then let's try some more tricks. I started to make the spheres that floated in the air and brought them raining down on him. He was quick to avoid all of them except one. The last I kept behind me. And as he sped forward I moved from the spot and the sphere had successively hit its target.
I heard Myra hoot in the back and I smiled at the now soaked Zuko.
"You should be ready for anything, Zuko." Iroh said as he stopped Zuko's angry advancement. "That's what any good warrior should expect. You still have to learn that. Your strength cannot be your only aspect. Sometimes thinking outside the box will help."
I had my back turned to them and was communicating with Myra. I was jumping around giddily as she was smiling and waving. And suddenly, she stopped and I put on a confused face. What's wrong? Why wasn't she talking to me? She pointed behind me.
I turned around seeing Iroh and Zuko puzzled at me. Zuko shook his head and Iroh turned around to get his tea muttering something I could not hear.
"Hey, it was a private conversation." I said defiantly
"Yeah." Zuko said before joining up with Iroh. I ran back inside the ship to talk to Myra.
"Hey hey hey!" I greeted her.
"Hey yourself! That was awesome!"
"Well, it was our job to whoop him. Why not do it right?"
Another voice behind me said, "Oh, so you've met our other guest." It was Iroh. "Hello there Myra. I see that you've been rooting Riena here this morning."
Myra nodded.
"I'm sure that you're still practicing your bending. Don't worry though, you still get your chance to – how you say – 'whoop' our prince." I froze and saw that Myra, too, had turn frigid. Maybe our voices were a bit too loud. He left and Myra smiled at me, embarrassed.
"Next time, we better be far away before we talk about someone." She said. I agreed with her. And speaking of the little devil, here he was. Zuko came walking past. He glanced at us and gave me a look. I looked backed as if asking what he meant. But, he didn't stop to give an answer. He continued on his way. As soon his figure had passed around a corner, Myra too had to leave.
"Sorry, I got to help out in the kitchen again. Nita's been gone lately and it's chaos." She waved good-bye as she ran down the stairwell. "I'll see you later 'Kay?"
"Sure." Now what was I going to do? I was going to be bored to death if I had nothing to do. But then again, I could try to escape. Even if Myra hadn't been successful, that was because she wasn't able to use her powers. But, I still could and no one had been able to defeat me. It was morning and everyone would still be eating and that would mean that Myra would have to stay late. I sighed and made my way back to bed.
I don't know how long it was until Myra finally showed up. It was late into the night and almost everyone was asleep.
"I hear that we're heading toward the Fire Nation." Myra said to make conversation.
"Really?" I got worried. It seems that getting home wouldn't be as easy as I suspected it to be. I started to walk back a forth.
"Yeah, I heard Zuko and Iroh talk about it. Their going to make a short cut through the islands of the Kaui and we'll be there in a week."
"Oh my…" I sat down from my pacing.
"What's up? Don't you want to get off this awful ship?"
"Yes, but I want to go home! How am I going to find my way back home if I'm stuck in a cold, dark dungeon?"
"Who says that it's going to be a dungeon? Remember the first time you got on? I thought that I would be a dungeon and be tortured, but look at us now? We're in our own rooms and being fed well. Huh?"
"Maybe… it may not be that bad I guess."
"It won't be. Don't worry, nothing can separate us. Not even that dork of a prince." I smiled to make her feel glad. But, being homesick was just the reasons. Sure, I wanted to see my family again and I would rather be staying home waiting for my father to come home, and I was actually missing Xiao. What am I saying? Xiao is Xiao he's a jackass. I shook my head of my thoughts and continued with my plan.
"Myra, we're getting out of here."
"Riena, I told you already: there is no escape."
"That's because you never got you use your powers. I could and we'll get out of here as quick as possible!"
"And how, do you propose, we'll get home?" I hesitated. I didn't think of that.
"By boat? I don't think I've seen any lifeboats on board and besides the whole ship guarded. I don't think we would get far."
I sighed. She was right.
"You know what? You're right. We'll just wait here then?"
"Don't worry; I've got a Plan B."
