Chapter 9
Rescued by a stranger
It must have been atleast 3 more days before we were rescued by a young boy who was with his father after a hunting trip. "Thank you so much mister we owe you our lives." "Please don't mention it we'll help you get back on your feet." Said the father who's named John. After we made it back to their home we were welcomed by John's wife Audry. We were given our own sleeping quarters and during dinner we told them our story from beginning to end.
"Well…that's quite a story Zack. I'm not sure if it's true though I mean those necklaces you speak of were stolen? So what proof do you have that they gave you powers?" "Yes they were stolen. The proof is a little harder to come by though. I used my powers numerous times, but the most noteable was how I freed the city of Loaka from the grip of Fire Nation troops." Joshua was too busy eating his fifth helping to join into the conversation. "Mmmmmmmmm this is good Ms. Audry best rice I've had in weeks."
We all laughed at this, but something made me worry about the necklaces being stolen. So many questions were flying through my mind that night. "Did the necklaces only work for us? And if so would we ever get them back? What if they worked for anyone who wore them? Would the theives put them on and use the powers to destroy?" I couldn't help but think of everything that could be happening right at this moment that are tied to those necklaces, but I fell asleep anyways.
The next morning John took Joshua and I to the Earth Nation Capital and we searched the merchants district all afternoon looking for the necklaces, but we found nothing. Then later that day after John headed home and when Joshua and I were looking for an inn, we heard a loud argument in the local blacksmith so we looked into it. "Please I beg of you don't burn down my shop!" pleaded the black smith. "Then do what I asked!" Joshua's eyes widened when he heard this voice and he turned to me.
"Zack that's one of the thieves!" he whispered to me. I grew very angry and rushed into the blacksmiths shop. "Leave him alone you thief!" The man turned to me and I froze. He had a mark on both cheeks one of Fire and the other of Water. Then I saw both of the necklaces stones joined together hanging from his neck. "Who you callin' a thief punk?" I fell backwards. "I uhh uhh I'm sorry for bothering you sir.." I tried to turn around and run, but he grabbed my shirt by the collar and held me there.
"Zack!" yelled Joshua as he ran into the shop. "Put him down you bastard!" Then Joshua froze in place when he saw the marks and the necklaces stones joined as one. "You want a piece of me kid?" "Listen I don't want any trouble so just let the boys go and I'll make you the coins you want." Said the blacksmith. The theif turned to him and dropped me. "Alright. All I need is to get some metal and you just gotta work it when I melt it down."
The theif looked to us. "Scram!" We both nodded and ran outside the shop and hid in a nearby alleyway. "How the hell did he join the stones!" "Calm down Zack." "Calm down! How the hell am I supposed to calm down! He stole our necklaces and joined them together! He's stronger than both of us put together!" Joshua sighed and we both thought for a moment until I came up with an idea.
"We can trick him! We'll earn his trust and when he's not looking we'll cut the necklaces off his neck and take them back." "I don't know Zack that sounds like it'll take a long time. Plus we don't even know if he'll be stronger the longer he has his powers." I never thought about that. "Well…we could convince him that he's strong enough to take over the whole capital and become King of the Earth Nation and then take the necklaces when his guard is down." Joshua agreed with me and we went back to the blacksmiths shop.
When we entered the shop the thief was still there and he was melting down all the metal he could get a hold of and the blacksmith was making the liquid metal into coins. "Counterfitting coins? Come on your better than that." The thief looked up at me with anger in his eyes. "You again! I thought I told youse two to scram!" Joshua gulped and I said under my breath "Let me handle this." I turned back towards the thief and told him about how Joshua and I used to own those necklaces and know their limits of power. "Go on..." said the theif with an interested look on his face. "Well what I'm saying is you could easily take over this city with those powers." "Yeaaaah….King Yamha of the Earth Nation I like the sound of that. Well it is a good idea and what do you two plan to do about it?" I gulped a bit. "Well it takes a lot of work to take over an entire city especially the Earth Nation Capital so we'll help you in your hostile take over and pledge our loyalty to you." The thief thought for a moment and then came to a decision. "Well you seem like you'd be useful in battle and you've used these necklaces before so I'll letcha join me. Whats yer names anyways?"
I bowed down and pulled Joshua down with me. "Lord Yamha I am Zackiriah last of Eqotoa. And this is Joshua child of the Sea." I heard Joshua whisper into my ear. "What the hell are you doing?" I replied "Saving our asses and getting back our necklaces so keep quiet and let me do all the talking." "Arise. If you are truly loyal you'll take a mark to your hands to prove your loyalty." I arose and nodded."What ever it takes my lord." He looked back to the blacksmith. "And you?" He quickly bowed to Yamha.
"I'll make ye anything ye want me lord." Yamha smirked at this. "Alright. All three of you hold out your hands." I held out my hand to Yamha as did the blacksmith. "Joshua come on!" Joshua reluctantly held out his as well and Yamha took two pieces of metal and fashioned them like the mark of fire and heated up to a bright red to place it once on our hands burning the mark into our skin. I bit my lip in pain and when the hot metal was removed from my hand there was no mark. "What the hell?" said Yamha.
I looked to Joshua and he nodded and with one swift move I trip kicked Yamha and Joshua ripped the necklaces from his neck as he fell causing the piece of hot metal to burn the mark into his face. Joshua and I tried to rip the necklace apart, but it wouldn't budge. "We don't have time for this come on!" Joshua and I ran out the shop and while both still holding the necklace jumped to a nearby roof. "Wow it works when we're both holding it." Said Joshua. Then I noticed the blacksmith talking to city guards and pointing at us.