Avatar ... sniffle ... does not... sob belong to ME! weeping
Thought I'd make it a little more dramatic... Oh oh! Go check out my profile, I added another drawing done at work. It's a fight scene from a soon approaching chapter! gasp Can you guess who it is? Anyway... Bring on the KILLING! lol.
It felt like we'd been riding for hours on the … ostriches. Really, it was probably only one hour since the sun hadn't set yet. But the sky was getting darker.
Maybe Zuko's noticed we're missing… he said he'd-… he said he'd leave us in thirty minutes. He wouldn't actually do that, would he? I bit my lip uncertainly. I caught Hue watching me again, and looked away.
Iroh was talking about being old and tired. Then all of a sudden he fell off the back of the bird.
"Iroh!"
He lay there dazed, or stunned I couldn't tell. The soldiers picked him back up again and got him on the ostrich and they continued their journey. I watched Iroh closely, looking for signs that he was injured. The only thing I noticed was a smug little grin on his face, and he signaled with his eyes to the place where he had fallen. I glanced back casually and noticed one of his sandals in the dust.
He must be leaving a trail for Zuko! He knows he wouldn't leave us… I smiled at Iroh, reassured that we could be rescued so I sat back to wait.
Oookay… rescuing would be very welcome any time now. I yawned
I looked up at the sky, watching the clouds tinged pink from the sunrise. My eyes widened when I saw a nearly see through dragon soar through the sky. Iroh was watching too and let out a gasp; the captain noticed and asked what the matter was.
"It's these shackles: they're too loose!" The soldiers just stared at him. "My old bones are sore and these things shake and bump against my wrists." I couldn't believe Iroh wanted tighter shackles. What a strange man!
One of the soldiers went to tighten them, as the rest let their birds rest a few minutes. All of a sudden I heard a horrible yell from nearby and I turned to see Iroh had burned the man's hands on the shackles. He leapt off the back of the ostrich and shot flames at the others. The men all scrambled to catch their rides as the creatures ran off down the path, and Iroh took this moment to grab me and we leapt over the side of the path and slid down toward the bottom.
I heard a shout and saw the captain bending the earth around us. Dirt and rocks seemed to swarm forward to bury us and pretty soon we were nearly covered and couldn't move any more down the ledge.
Iroh had the worse of the dirt slide, and he couldn't move at all. On the other hand, I was only partially buried but my hands were still bound behind me so I couldn't free myself.
Wait a second… what's wrong with me! I can control stuff! Why am I acting like I can't do anything?
I could hear the soldiers coming toward us down the steep ledge as I concentrated on the dirt trapping Iroh and myself. When I tried to lift it in my mind, I winced, almost as if I had tried to lift something heavy the wrong way. I tried again like I was lifting correctly and was rewarded to feel the dirt lifted off my legs, freeing me. Slowly, my body began to slide downwards again and I struggled to free Iroh as well. I managed to free his shoulders and some of his back, but by that time the soldiers had reached us and I was too tired to lift any more.
A soldier caught hold of my arm and jerked me to my feet. The captain glared at me.
"Not from the Earth Kingdom, are you?"
I glared back, silently.
"As for you old man. You're too dangerous to be taken to the capital. I suppose we'll just have to take your punishment into our own hands." He smiled darkly at Iroh, trapped in the dirt. "And I know the perfect thing."
The soldiers picked Iroh up again, and we were forced into a large clearing with some large boulders along the ground.
"That one, in the center."
Iroh was led to a large, flat boulder on the ground and his hands were placed in front of him.
"What are you doing?" I asked the captain. He just smirked at me.
"Hue, if you wish you can take your prize and go."
"What?" I looked confused. Then realization struck and I tried to twist out of the soldier's grip. I managed to catch him off guard, slipping out of his grasp, and turned to run out of the clearing when someone tackled me and I fell to the ground heavily.
My worst fears were confirmed when I looked over my shoulder to see Hue on top of me.
"You are the cause of my dishonor. It's your fault I have been banished." He growled to me, then slapped my face with the back of his hand. The force of his blow knocked my face sideways and it slammed into the ground as I let out a muffled cry. I tasted blood on my lip.
"Now you will watch. The great 'Dragon of the West' will never firebend again!"
My eyes widened and I looked to see the captain lift a giant boulder in the air above Iroh's hands.
"No!" I tried to run toward the boulder, to stop it, but Hue grabbed my hair and I fell, crying out in pain. I looked up again just in time to see the captain pull the boulder down toward Iroh's hands with great force.
At the last second, I spotted someone take a running leap toward the boulder and kick it out of the way.
Zuko! Thank God. I was nearly giddy with happiness to see him, and I almost laughed despite being in the clutches of Hue.
Quickly, Zuko broke the chains binding his Uncle and they stood together to fight off the Earthbenders.
"Excellent form, Prince Zuko."
"You taught me well." He replied to his Uncle's compliment.
When Hue realized a fight was going to start he decided he didn't want to be around to face the Prince's wrath. He grabbed my throat and arms, and pulled me after him away from Iroh and Zuko as the imminent fight erupted.
I stumbled after him in a daze before I kicked into fight mode.
No one's going to drag me off and do whatever they want to me! Not while I can still fight back…
I closed my eyes, and mentally sliced the rope binding my wrists behind my back. When my hands were free I reached around, grabbing the hilt of my sword, and spun away from Hue in a tight circle. As I turned, I stuck my sword arm out to the side and I felt it connect with something, like slicing a knife through butter.
I finished the spin and stood crouched down, one knee on the ground and my arm still out to the side. Almost immediately I knew what I'd done, and was afraid to look. But I had a strong stomach, and I knew I could handle it. I steeled myself and stood up, looking down at the body of Hue; there was a long, diagonal red line from his right shoulder to his left side and his eyes were still open. He looked surprised.
Bending down, I pulled my sheath from his belt, and after pausing a moment, I closed his eyes. I don't really know why, it just seemed right to do. He had also slung my bag over his shoulder so I took that too.
It was then I noticed the silence from the clearing, and I headed back; my sheath in one hand and my sword in the other, it didn't even have any blood on it. Zuko and Iroh had already defeated all the Earthbenders, and Iroh was had started putting his clothes back on.
Thank God! I don't think I could have taken much more of the loincloth.
They both turned to me when I stepped closer, and Iroh smiled.
"You're safe! I was worried Hue might have managed to make off with you." Zuko looked at his Uncle, surprised at hearing Hue had been there. "Where is he, if I may ask?"
I glanced at my sword. "He's… dead." I wiped the blade on my pants, to be sure, then slid it back into the sheath. I looked up at the two Firebenders, feeling somehow older, different.
I saw the surprise on their faces, and Iroh put his arm around me in a comforting gesture.
"I'm fine. I'm just…" I took a shaky breath.
"We should head back to the ship." Zuko stood apart, though he seemed to look a little concerned. "We've lost enough ground on the Avatar already."
Ok scratch that concerned part. He's just upset that he has to spend time rescuing us rather than chase the Avatar. Well, let's not keep him from his precious hunt then.
"Right you are. Let's go." I set off at a quick walk back down the path. I was almost mad Zuko didn't care enough to make sure we were ok.
I was stupid to have a crush on him. He can't care. I should have known better.
Unconsciously, I was nearing a run down the path as I headed toward the beach where the ship was docked.
"Hey!"
Zuko. What does he want.
"Wait!" I slowed down, breathing heavily, and fighting back the stinging in my eyes. Iroh was way behind us down the path; I had been going so fast.
"What?" I asked sharply. Whenever I get angry or upset, I tend to be a little short on words and like to be alone.
"Are you… alright?"
"Of course. I'm perfectly alright. We better hurry, the Avatar's getting further away." I said this last bit sarcastically.
"The Avatar can wait a minute." Sure he can. "Is this about Hue? If so it's alright; everyone's a little shaken after their first time."
"No it's not about Hue! I-" I can't just tell him, it was stupid of me in the first place to even consider he would like me; he's a prince for crying out loud! "It doesn't bother me at all. I don't know why, it's just how I was raised; I'm not afraid of death. I just want to get back to the ship, alright?"
Zuko looked confused, but nodded and allowed me to continue on my way. After I got on the ship I spent the rest of the evening in my room. A lot of it was spent reading, and thinking. I didn't feel guilty about killing Hue at all… I wasn't even shaken that I had just taken someone's life.
It may be that it was in self-defense. But still… I shook my head. What does it matter? He's dead, and I'm safe on Zuko's ship again.
The next morning, after I had showered and my hair had dried, I remembered my new clothing and unpacked it, stowing it safely beneath my own clothes in the dresser.
All of a sudden I heard loud shouting and footsteps rushing up and down the halls. I slipped into clean clothes, and rushed on deck to see what the commotion was all about.
I spotted Zuko at the railing with a telescope, peering into the sky.
My telescope… at least he's using it.
As I got closer, I heard Iroh arguing with Zuko about being so close to the Fire Nation border, and reminding him that he was banished.
"My father will understand when he hears I am after the Avatar."
"My brother is not the understanding type, Prince Zuko." Iroh stated firmly.
I followed Zuko's gaze and spotted a … giant creature in the sky?
"What the heck is that?" I pointed at the thing.
"It's the Avatar." He turned to the captain of the ship. "Full speed ahead. Follow the Avatar."
Iroh walked over to me. "Actually, that's the Avatar's flying bison. The Avatar rides it, along with his friends."
"I see… heh, I was going to say, that's a freaky looking twelve year old." Iroh laughed hard.
Zuko looked stern and focused again, just like the last time he encountered the Avatar.
"Prepare the catapult. We're going to shoot them down."
