This chapter is called "Hey, who took my horse?" for obvious reasons.
Red Lightning sped through the water like a caffeinated dolphin, faster than any craft Zuko had ever captained. Still… they were cutting it close. While the last cruiser lagged far behind, there were two ships looming within firing range: Blood Thunder and Slayer. Both were heavily armed, but drifted indecisively. Would it be treason to fire on the commander's wayward vessel? Said commander was in no position to order it.
"CATAPULTS AT THE READY!" Zuko ordered, eying the motionless ships they circled. A dozen men rushed to obey, locking down springs and setting the ammunition ablaze.
Finally, the Slayer made its move. It turned slowly towards the west, lumbering towards the wreck. It seemed more interested in rescuing the abandoned crew than hunting down the rebels. Moments later, the Thunder chose the opposite course, angling its streamlined body at the Lightning's heart.
Shit! Zuko silently cursed. The Thunder was the second-fastest ship of the fleet, second to the Lightning by only a small margin. The arced course they'd been forced to follow put them at a disadvantage. "Helmsman," he snapped, "level out our course." There's no hope of avoiding an exchange, but we may yet outrun them.
"Yessir," he answered, brow furrowed in concentration. He sliced through the semi-circle they'd formed, nearing the enemy vessel within reckless proximity. A blind man could strike them at this range, but it was vital that Zuko's crew touched shore first.
Even as these maneuvers were being performed, the prince's men were tearing off their armor, revealing civilian garb beneath. They grinned at each other, knowing that their mobile internment at sea was coming to an end.
FOOM—it seemed that the Thunder had finally straightened its priorities. They opened fire, sending a scattering of hot coals accorss the Lightning's deck. Such weapons were targeted at fragile human flesh, protecting the ship from damage. "RETURN FIRE!" Zuko boomed, "HEAVY ARTILERY!" Catapults twanged free, launching oil-covered boulders at the enemy. The fire-benders aboard lit the stones mid-air, creating a blazing meteor shower. As was common with these bulky weapons, five out of twelve shots missed. Those that did strike regrettably failed to tear the Thunder's hull, but the aesthetic damage elicited a cheer from Zuko's crew. They were acting like free men already.
Now the two ships were traveling in a column, with the Thunder not far behind. It seemed to pick up a momentary burst of speed, nearly ramming the smaller vessel.
"They are attempting to board us!" General Iro warned, pointing at the rear. A pack of battle-ready soldiers balanced shakily on the Thunder's prow, looking ready to jump. The catapults were too heavy to reposition in time…
"FIRE BENDERS!" the prince ordered, waving a squad to the stern. Ensign Sonjiro and six others sprinted down the deck, assailing the ill-prepared boarding party with a scathing blast. Several of them tumbled off the prow, to be gutted by the ship's razor-thin rudder. Their shreiks, traveling against the wind, barely reached the prince's ears.
A vengeful hail was launched an instant later—this time with burning stones. One, hilariously, fell back on the fast-moving ship, injuring several of its own crew. But another careened directly into the Lightning's smoke tower, filling the air with smog.
We're fighting blind! Zuko worried. This smoke-screen will at least hide us from them, but only so long as they remain behind us. Surely they would not be so foolish…? Quickly, he ordered eight of the catapults to be repositioned at port and starboard, while the other four remained trained on the rear. "FIRE, LIGHT ARTILLERY!" he ordered. We will gauge their position by their screams.
His gruesome plan succeeded: to the Thunder, a fireworks display seemed to tear out of the cloud enveloping Lightning. Several enemy fighters were caught offguard, and screamed in pain at their blistering wounds. An exchange of light fire ensued, neither side quite knowing where to aim their fiery barrage. Several of Zuko's men were injured—but there was no dearth of volunteers to replace them.
Finally, the smoke cleared, and their destination was in sight! The little town looked so sweet and pure on the shore, unwary of their coming visitors. The men whooped for joy, gleefully shedding the last of their military paraphernalia. Thunder began to wane in its pursuit as Lightning pulled farther ahead—this was it!
Just moments before the ship ran aground, Zuko initiated the last stage of the plan—and the last order he would give to these men. "EVERY MAN FOR HIMSELF!"
GRRRRCREEAAAAKKKK!
The ship's rudder collided with the sand, and Lighting came to rest on the shores of San Rokuyo. Soldiers bounded of the ship in a cascade of boyish excitement, bidding the sea farewell. Many of them still loved their nation, and, thanks to Zuko, most of them would enlist once again. But as for the perilous ocean—they'd had enough.
"Don't be late, Prince Zuko!" called Iro from the prow. Zuko rushed after him, watching curiously as his elderly relation leapt ably over the rail. He followed behind, eyes already darting around for an unguarded horse or place to hide.
Sonjiro, meanwhile, had opted to take shelter in the town, as had most of the other men. In their civilians clothing—and with local cooperation—they wouldn't be recognized. He rushed into a hut by the coast, only to walk in on a young woman being fitted for a dress. "Please!" he burst, blushing painfully, "Pretend that I'm your husband!"
"No problem, Cutie." She winked suggestively.
(Author's note: Sonjiro won't be leaving this village for a very looong time. ; ) )
Outside, Zuko was becoming frantic. There was no way he and his uncle could go unobserved—not with his scar and his uncle's fame. Iro, thankfully, had found a brown-dappled horse loitering by a house. A fair-haired child stood at its side, studying the newcomers intently.
"May we please borrow this horse?" Iro asked politely, as if they had all day to chat. The girl gave a quizzical look, but said nothing.
"Oh, just take it!" Zuko barked, snatching the reigns. Blood Thunder had just stopped off the coast, and the landing boats were being lowered.
"We do apologize for this," Iro said sincerely, handing her a purse of gold pieces. He straddled the horse behind his nephew and took off, leaving the girl with a load she really didn't want. It wasn't her horse, after all.
…
PEOPLE: Woah! You actually posted a chapter from the same perspective you'd left off on!
ME: Oh rub it in… do any of you know of a good site where you can upload images? I wanna try to illustrate this story! (grin) but sucks ass... they shrink down all my pictures…