Finally, this chapter is done. I'm sort of not okay with it but I also like it. I just think it's an iffy chapter.
Thanks to all my reviewers, especially retad! I hate the words lie, lay, and laid and Word doesn't seem to be helping. kicks Word I'll see what I can do and hope to get it right in the future.
Disclaimer: I don't own Avatar. If I did, season 2 would be out NOW!
Chapter 7 – Malevolence
Given that the entire day had been hell and was steadily getting worse, he was surprised that this plan was so far running smoothly. The three kids had fed most of the animals and were gathering supplies that Lian pointed out. His uncle had returned to the ship and had sent back five men, all dressed in Fire Nation armor.
Of course, Lian hadn't been much help. Whenever she tried to walk, her legs gave out from under her. She stayed seated on a crate, head in her hands as she willed the lightheaded feeling away. Often times, she spaced out for a couple of minutes before returning back to reality.
Zuko still scowled but he watched with interest as his five men started dumping supplies into a wagon. Several of the items he was sure they didn't really need but he couldn't tell what was going through this wench's mind.
"You kids should leave soon if you're going to meet the Admiral," she said suddenly, tired eyes flickering over to the three.
He still didn't know how all of this would work. The Avatar and his allies were going to distract Zhao while Lian, a soldier, and he snuck aboard his ship and stole back the rhinos. It was fairly simple.
It would also probably burst into flames right in front of them.
She stood up, swaying on the spot. When she didn't fall over, Lian slowly made her way to the barn. Pausing for a moment, she seemed to regard the scene of carnage before disappearing into the darkness. Minutes passed and he wondered what was taking her so long when she limped out, Shing's scruff held tightly in one hand.
Lian dragged the sheepdog behind the barn, placing the corpse on a pile of stones. The woman kicked a pile of dried leaves and sticks onto the body, watching them settle over the dog. Swaying slightly, she violently threw a spark down at him, wincing from the stab of pain.
The spark flared as it landed on a leaf, growing as the fire began to consume. It ate hungrily, life blooming from the dead. Smoke rose into the air as the three kids stared in utmost horror at the cremation.
This was something Zuko understood. He watched the flames rise higher as the skin and flesh melted away, the scent burning his senses.
Shang trotted to sit next to the woman, head bowed low. He let out a mournful sound that echoed and was repeated by the other animals on the farm.
"Ashes to ashes," she whispered, watching the body burn away into a memory.
Lian led Tao out of her pen, one of the soldiers helping her slip the harness on. It was becoming incredibly frustrating to not be able to bend over without something hurting or a couple of stitches popping out. She backed the rhino up to the wagon, hooking her up as two soldiers led out the second rhino, harness secured. The rhino stood next to Tao as Lian attached her to the wagon as well.
Bao was let out as well, the young rhino lowing and playfully poking her with his horn. She gave him a small punch to the face to get him to quit while the soldiers tried to put a harness on him. Lian maneuvered him to another, smaller wagon, clipping the harness to the metal framework. He glanced around quickly, adjusting to this new job as she tied his lead rope to the larger wagon. Bao lowed loudly when she walked away, shaking his massive form.
She whistled loudly, the huge mastiff lumbering into view. He grumbled as she rubbed his head, sending him off with a grimace.
"Are we set to leave?" Zuko asked in a growl, watching her turn slowly.
"Should be," she grunted. "Tell your soldiers to find room in the big wagon. Bao's not old enough to carry a lot of weight."
Zuko climbed in, sitting next to the driver's bench. His soldiers followed suit, settling down around bags of what appeared to be flour and bottles of goat milk. Lian lifted herself up onto the bench, wincing when the burns on her shoulders stretched. It took another minute before she could regain her composure. Picking up the reins, she snapped the leather straps.
"Easy, Mei-Lin," she mumbled, pulling back on the other rhino's reins. The rhino snorted but slowed obediently, matching Tao step for step.
Bao's ears twitched and he trotted forward, eager to figure out this new job. The wagon swayed from side to side, almost like a ship on the water. Zuko's eyes traveled to the woman, spotting dark spots on the light colored shirt she wore. She shifted uncomfortably, rolling her shoulders in an effort to stop the throbbing pains.
"How do you know they'll be there?" Zuko asked, leaning against the support structure of the wagon.
"Zhao always heads to Guangzhou after paying me a visit," she responded, groaning softly. "Our port doesn't have all of the supplies he needs. Hopefully, he'll be there when the kids get there."
The wagons lumbered down the worn paths, the rhinos moving into a gallop when she whistled. Grunting, the three rhinos strained against the wagons, Bao having to slow down to avoid running headfirst into the large one.
At this pace, it'd take them forever to get there.
Shadows raced each other, dashing across the plains. The sun had set long ago, the moon taking its place as the rightful heir.
Zuko scowled as he watched the road. This trip was taking too long. Snorting, he sat up straighter when the wagons slowed and then stopped. "Why are we stopping?" he demanded.
Lian dismounted from her spot, hissing as she stretched the cuts engraved in her back. Ignoring him, the animal healer made her way to Bao's wagon, petting him on the way. The rhino had been keeping up well with his companions, a challenging feat for a young one.
"Why are we stopping?" Zuko asked again, eyes narrowed as she dug around in the cart.
"Precautions," she grunted, pulling out what appeared to be junk.
"Precautions for what?" he asked, glaring hard at her.
She merely pointed before them.
A great stretch of forest lay out in front of the wagons, some trees towering at what appeared to be at least a hundred feet. Saplings protected the entrance to a rocky and uneven path. Inside was pitch black, almost as though the night lived here and spread to the entire world when the sun disappeared. The hairs along his arm stood up suddenly, making him shudder.
Bao let out a grunt, eyes blinking as she put the blinders on him. She scooped out a wad of what appeared to be Scorpion Beeswax from a jar, slopping on his ears. The rhino snorted and shook his large head, nearly hitting her with a horn. Lian scratched behind his beeswax filled ears, soothing the rhino as he adjusted to the sudden blindness and deafness.
Lian tossed him several strips of cloth, the blinders and beeswax jar in her hand. "Tell your soldiers to put those on. They are not to remove them until they feel the sun."
Zuko blinked and chucked the blindfolds behind them. "What's going on?"
"I'll tell you when we get out of this forsaken place." Tao and Mei-Lin let her blind them and coat their ears with beeswax. The rhinos stood absolutely still, breathing deeply. "Do not look at anything that moves. If you see something move, turn away. Do not say anything at all, no matter what. No matter what you hear or feel. Try not to move suddenly either. Stay still, stay quiet," she finished. "Maybe you should just go to sleep."
The Firebender gritted his teeth and shook his head. No way was he being told what to do.
"Tell your men to sleep then. I can't guarantee anything from here on."
That confused him. He opened his mouth to counter but she hushed him and led the rhinos into the woods.
The first thing Zuko noticed was that it was completely silent. Lian walked slowly, guiding the rhinos over roots and rocks through the forest. She didn't make a noise, limping slightly. The rhinos were quiet as well, Bao still trying to figure out what was going on.
He took in a breath, nodding at his men. The five tied the blindfolds into place, settling back carefully. Zuko turned back to watch the woman, wondering why this forest was making her so jumpy.
Bao shook his head, taking almost baby steps as he made his way around blindly. Zuko frowned, wondering what had hit the rhino.
Something touched his shoulder and he fought to not jump. Controlling his breathing, he stared at Lian who shuddered but kept walking, their breathing echoing in the silence.
Biting his lower lip, Zuko didn't move when something caressed his cheek. The wind didn't, couldn't penetrate the trees at all; making him wonder what was going on. He felt what seemed to be breath on the back of his neck, the hairs there standing on end like a cat's. His hands fidgeted as he ignored the wind-like touches, staring straight at the woman.
He swore he heard something hiss in annoyance but the touching stopped. Almost sighing in relief, Zuko closed his eyes.
Nothing happened for about an hour, the slow pace never wavering. Lian stepped carefully through the woods, patting Mei-Lin's side to keep the rhino calm. She jerked slightly whenever something touched her, a bad sign.
Zuko leaned back, eyes still closed. Even though this entire place seemed off somehow, he felt confident he could deal with whatever tried to hurt them.
A piercing scream hit his ears, sounding as though it was right behind him. The Firebender jolted, nearly burning the cover on the wagon. Inhuman screeches rung in his ears, grating against his sanity. Zuko's eyes traveled over the small space, trying to find anything that would make such a noise.
He looked at Lian quickly, seeing that she showed no sign of hearing that monstrosity. Taking deep breaths, he settled back, squeezing his eyes shut. Something began to whisper in his ears, the voice sounding seductive. Promises echoed around him, threats murmured around his head. Zuko kept his eyes shut tight, willing the voices away.
"Let me out…"
"Free me…"
"Anything you want…"
The painful screams and howls continued for what felt like hours. Lian kept walking, tripping over a few roots as she yawned. She ignored the inhuman sounds, turning back to see if the soldiers had cracked yet. The woman couldn't see the others but Zuko looked sick. He was shaking, eyes held shut tight. Just a little bit longer though.
Zuko let out a relieved sigh when the screaming died down to empty silence.
The darkness opened up, taking on a sketchy shape. He turned away immediately, choosing to stare at the rhinos instead. Shadows moved in his peripheral vision, enticing him to stare.
Lian often stopped now, eyes shut tight as she made her way down the path like a blind beggar. They were almost out of this, just another thousand meters.
The prince forced his eyes shut, blocking out the images of the strange beast. The voices returned, louder and stronger than ever. Something brushed against his hands, feeling like coarse, greasy fur. He swore he heard Lian's voice tell him it was all right but he didn't respond. Stay still, stay quiet.
He welcomed the reassuring feel of the sun on his bare skin. Cautiously, he opened his good eye, sighing deeply when he couldn't see any trees. The wagon had stopped moving, Lian tending to her rhinos by removing the blinders and beeswax. She looked exhausted as she dumped the supplies back into Bao's cart.
"What was that?" he asked, seeing that even in the day the forest was a dark nightmare.
"Some spirits never leave," she whispered cryptically.
