Looks can be deceiving
Etherealstar
Author's notes: To all the kind people thank you for everything. I am most blessed for that. This chapter goes out for all after such a wait due to exams. Thanks for everything. Love you all!
Disclaimer: Avatar and Avatar Manga is owned by Nickelodeon and Sitcom. All rights reserved.
Chapter 2: The Huntress be hunted
"Anything you'd like master Zuko?"
His eyes were trapped on the words of the book. He shook his head, caught with the life of the story.
"Nothing master? Not even a cup of tea?" the olden woman asked.
Sighing, he looked up from his novel and browsed the woman, "Saki-san" he breathed, "some green-tea will be nice." He said.
She smiled, "of course master. You sit tight, cozy up and read that intriguing book, I'll have your tea in no time." She paused to elongate her smile, "be back in a jiffy!" she said and in a whiff she was out his chamber leaving him in the dark room to be.
The candles flickered in the dim room casting a dull light on the pages of Zuko's old Journal. He never sat down to read the book, even though he had all the time in the world, somehow…he knew the book was about his childhood, but who he was now, was a man. A man who would rule side by side his father and if not become his father. Be ruler, and everything more.
He read through the pages taking in the moments of his carefree childhood. He was a wild child and he knew so from the way he wrote in his very untidy writing in his journal. Zuko smirked.
Engrossed deep in the words of his youth, something flickered in the shadow.
The candles blew and suddenly Zuko knew he wasn't alone.
All that Zuko knew, was that whatever flickered the candles…it definitely had a pulse. A pulse he would take.
Zuko pretended to bring out his enemy by playing their game. In pretense he kept his eyes on the book, knowing that every moment he sat quiet was a moment for the enemy to uncoil.
The tension in the room grew full of anxiety but Zuko, he maintained his composure knowing that not one man could possibly take him down. Roving his eyes to the single candle in front of him, he watched at how it crackled and burned with an endless life. Like his soul that was determine to be at the top, Zuko knew men would try to bring him down, and it was for that reason he knew his purpose was to eliminate all those who dare oppose him.
He listened attentively, focusing his energies into one. He listened and in an instant he swore he felt a pulse in the room. A small smirk, one known to be trademark of the young lord, crept over his face. The smirk of death as they called it, was often given to men who would die by his hands. And like his coy, yet foolish enemy in the room, they too would die, the same sad and crude death many had suffered.
Sniffing the air, Zuko furrowed his brows.
"Tea?" were his words.
The scent of fresh-green tea awaited his senses. Could it be that it was not a stranger who entered the room? And in the middle of his thoughts, a voice intervened.
"Ready for tea Master Zuko" the voice said.
Feminine, young, and different from any female servant he ever heard, he allowed the newbie to entertain him.
"Yes…" he said softly, sensing out the young woman.
Definitely, the person being woman couldn't hurt him and it was in that moment he made a foolish mistake. Zuko knew few women who practice ninja-hunting, and the few he did know were all exterminated, all except one. A single one he completely forgot about.
She chose to remain in shadows, using her young, alluring voice to calm his senses. To ease the tension in the room, to set a mood that would make her cohesive and in that, have him where she wanted him…dead.
She waited and played her cards carefully, knowing that her mission was everything. Knowing Zuko to be the smart-aleck he was, she remembered what Haru said to her. And it was then a painful memory of losing against Zuko made her etch her teeth and understand the seriousness of her one..and perhaps last mission.
Zuko yawned a bit and groaned at the soar spot on his back.
"Some tea would be nice" he said closing his eyes and leaning deep within the chair; with his back still toward her.
She poured the tea slowly, her eyes glaring at him with a potent venom. Thoughts of killing him was all that exceeded her. She breathed in, feeling her victory so close, so near. It was just a matter of time before the perfect mood between servant and master was broken into blood and death. The insignia of a true ninja.
Smugly smiling to herself, she was brought out her chain of thoughts when Zuko stood. She caught her breath when he stripped his shirt off and said: I need a massage maid, give me one.
Never had she seen Zuko taken off his shirt and expose himself of ripples and define muscles. Carved to almost perfection, Jun took in the sight of sear evil. She knew he was young and it was that reason Jun often refrained from him and younger men, but when the mission calls, she knew to play her cards.
She answers in a very high-pitched feminine voice, "but of course, my master"
She places the cup on the saucer and walks toward him. Each step weighs at her. She feels the air grow hot and her forehead and temples sweat. She knows the intensity of being just within a two feet distance of Zuko, but it was in instances such as these, that keeping one's cool kept them alive. Zuko lied on his chest and awaited the young maid to come to him. Placing his tea on the small table, she breathed in deeply and came to him. She felt her hands and they were sweating in apprehension. Wiping her hands in her beautiful kimono, she sat on the chair that Zuko lied upon. Never had she been this close to Zuko, and in such an intimate manner.
Placing her warm hands to his shoulder, he shivered and it amused her to see the reaction. She massages his shoulders, kneading in a soft circular manner. He exerted a soft groan and rolled his eyes.
'Feels good' he thought, burying his face deep into the couch. Jun took it he liked her massaging skills. Still, he was tense and she felt it in the restraint of his uptight muscles.
"Come now Master Zuko…let me massage your properly" her over-feminine voice said.
He refused to listen, but when she whispered the words lowly in his ear, it was then he caught the message.
Relaxing his tense muscles, Jun smirked. She leaned into him, massaging his shoulders perfectly. And it was then, Jun thought it was the perfect moment for the kill. Letting her left hand take over, she brought her right hand to her kimono, and slowly yet cautiously, she brought out what seem to be a blade. Long, beautiful and of course lethal, Jun smiled at the blade. Today the man who had caused her to be apart of Haru, would finally taste his death.
The mood darkened considerably and in all the time they spent together, Zuko listened to the pulse and felt her aura rising. Rising of what, he didn't know.
It was then she rose the blade above her head and out came the vicious cry of the ninja. Down went the blade and closer and closer it came to his back until suddenly…
Up went the fire.
A fire dart was sent toward her blade which flew out her hands. Zuko taking monopoly of the situation pushed Jun into the couch and jabbed her.
"Jun…we meet again" "My, I must say, you're indeed one hell of a woman" he confessed, "for a moment there, I thought my façade would actually drive me to my death, but lucky me I wasn't a second late"
"Bastard!" she gritted her teeth
"So I've been called, what's new Jun?"
"You would have died by my hands Zuko. You would have!" she tried to get up and fight but Zuko wouldn't let her. He held her hands and said in a low voice, "surely Jun, moving will only cost you your life and not to mention" he wrung her wrists painfully, "pain"
She cried painfully under his hold and it was then Zuko smirked, "like how it feels, feels amazing doesn't it?" he wrung her wrists harder.
She cried and bawled, but to no understanding, Zuko would stop.
"I want to hear the words Jun, the words no ninja should ever be forced to say, at least to their enemy" he said.
"Noooo!" she bawled.
"What, what was that, I'm not hearing you" he said in an uncaring manner.
"Nooooo!" she screamed on the top of her voice.
"No Jun, that's not correct, try again" he enforced with a firm ringing of her wrist.
She bawled, "I surrenderrr!"
He got off of her and clapped sarcastically. "Very good Jun, very good, see, that wasn't so hard" he said.
"Go to hell!" she said breathlessly.
"Already am" he said.
"You may think you have won Zuko, but you have won nothing. Nothing I tell you. As long as you remain secondary to your father, you will always be looked down upon" she laughed, "you're nothing but a wee boy, a boy who doesn't even defend alongside his father, what kind of a prince are you, a die-hard one or just a wuss?" and it was then Jun knew her words would both free her of the anger she felt for him, but bring her into far greater consequences.
Zuko looked at her, his eyes not blinking and his expression confused yet angry. He walked to her slowly and said, "what do you think you know shinobi (ninja)?" he gritted his teeth, his eyes violently flashing shades of amber and gold. Never had someone ignited him such on fire, his soul burned of fiery hate. Consuming him inside out, Zuko peered the one responsible for being careless with words. And at a price she said it, at a prince she'd she receive his punishment.
"Go ahead Zuko" Jun gritted her teeth, knowing she failed any possible future with Haru. "Kill me, isn't that what you want to do, isn't that what you want to be, a killer?"
Zuko glared at her and picked her up by the throat. She gasped for air and beat at his hands.
"You've convinced me Jun" Zuko said.
Jun had no idea what he was talking about. She could barely breathe and the little air she was getting was providing for her heart not her brain or interpretation.
"You're full of words…amazing, truly amazing. Equally, you're full of actions and I have to hand it to you for your persistence and valour. But there isn't a hall for valour nor is there a hall for persistence, so you bet yuh next time if I see your face again…around my fortress, or anywhere close to me…then I'll kill you…" he said.
"I d-ont care" she choked.
"And that pretty man of yours, what's his name, ah, Haru? I'm warning you Jun, play with fire and there's no turning back that goes for lover-boy too, understood?" he asked
Knowing she cared the world for Haru, she took particular heed on Zuko's cruel threat.
Nodding, Zuko whispered, "get out.."
And in a fluent moment of sorrow and pain, Jun ran out his room going back to her love, the one who would never accept her especially after her failure. In cruel ways, Jun felt more than defeated..she felt done for.
Zuko watched her leave and it was then the candles had died out.
Standing in the dark room all alone, he sighed, 'another enemy..another torn in my spine' he shook his head.
To be continued
