Boiling Point
Boiling Point

Time passed.

Lu Ten lost track of the time, his hands bound in a manner which prevented him from using them or his feet for Firebending.

In the same regard Ozai didn't come back, in all likelihood because Lu Ten caught him off guard that day by using his own father's technique, a technique Ozai never truly mastered as Iroh did. This left Lu Ten to his solitude, reflecting on many things ranging from his youthful stupidity to his flesh and blood whom he didn't know how they were fairing. Zuko, after all, was under Ozai's thumb while Ursa was who knew where with the other.

There was also no getting around the fact Ozai only kept him alive for his satisfaction, almost as if he enjoyed the fact Lu Ten knew there were those out there who grieved for him and whose lives were forever changed simply because Ozai decided that his nephew should be eliminated. He also knew Lu Ten would feel guilty, for things he should let alone things he shouldn't. In the back of his mind, he still wondered if Ozai figured out about the affair, or at least in regards to Lu Ten and Ursa's most recent actions.

The sound of metal indicating a soldier was near doing something didn't make Lu Ten look up as he didn't plan on giving the men the satisfaction of watching him eat what they brought. He didn't even look up when the newest soldier said, "Consider yourself lucky." The man followed up with, "You're being transferred to Boiling Rock."

Lu Ten's head darted up, his eyes focused on the man. "Boiling Rock?"

"It's where Fire Lord Ozai sends the undesirables like yourself."

The word undesirable made Lu Ten's throat tighten, as there'd not been a place under Fire Lord Azulon. After all, Fire Lord Azulon considered every Fire Nation individual as having an essential role to play. His eyes narrowed, mentally contemplating the ramifications of the knowledge he just required, but in the back of his head, he heard his grandfather's words. "A Fire Lord who does not recognize the worth of his own people is no Fire Lord."

Of course, Ozai was Fire Lord in name only, as Lu Ten knew full well how his uncle's claim to the throne wasn't a legitimate one. In the back of his mind, he wondered if this were some ruse going on where he was led to his death, but then the soldier said, "By the way. Never caught your name."

"Lee," Lu Ten muttered, not wanting to give his real name away despite the fact after his birth there were a few who named their children after him for the good fortune they thought this would bring their children.

"Well, come along Lee."

Lu Ten followed, watching the man carefully and pondering why the man didn't recognize him, but then, in the eyes of the Fire Nation, the one known as Prince Lu Ten was, in fact, dead, having died during the war. "One might argue I don't recognize the Fire Nation anymore either if this prison for undesirables is any indicator of what the Fire Nation is like under Ozai." A thought crossed his mind. "Hey. How long did it take for the prison to be built?"

The soldier's eyes blinked but then smiled. "Can you believe he managed to have that built within the first few months of him becoming Fire Lord?"

"Not really." Lu Ten muttered. "That doesn't tell me how long it's been built."

"A few months now."

"So, about six months ago?"

"Yes. That's about right."

In some ways, Lu Ten's mind felt numb, but he didn't say anything else as he was loaded into the transport to be taken away to the prison unless one counted the return farewell to the over ecstatic soldier who honestly held no clue that something was terribly wrong with the situation. "How could he when he didn't even know that a supposedly dead member of the royal family was right there in front of him?"

The trip remained uneventful, yet another journey on a boat without any idea of where he was going beyond the fact it was yet another prison for him to remain in on the whims of his uncle, waiting every single day for Ozai to change his mind and have him killed. Eventually, they arrived at an island – about a week's journey, but Lu Ten recognized the place as the sight of the boiling volcano island lake that everyone in Fire Nation avoided. "Well, I guess this is the perfect place to have built a prison."

"So you recognize that this place isn't one you can escape from?" one of the guards said.

"Oh, I wouldn't say that." His eyes remained focused on the boiling water below the gondola which carried individuals between the main island to the lake in the middle of the volcano. "Definitely wouldn't want to fall into the water, but I wouldn't want to be here if the volcano decided to suddenly erupt."

The guard laughed. "Oh, come on. Everyone in Fire Nation knows the volcano's not erupted for many a year and instead we get the boiling waters instead."

"The thought is still there." Lu Ten muttered, stepping off the gondola and being led into a side room. Someone shoved him a change of clothes.

"Sacrilege, only stripping you of the armor and not the full uniform when you decided to disgrace the Fire Nation Army soldier."

Lu Ten's mouth almost snapped open, for in his youth he would have smarted off about the person thinking that was the reason he was sent here. He didn't though, not wanting to cause any ruckus, but found himself surprised when the bindings were removed from his hands, allowing him to stretch out his muscles. In truth, he felt confused regarding why they allowed him to do so.

"Oh, don't even think about Firebending here at Boiling Rock. It will get you sent to the cooler. And yes, the name means what it implies."

In the back of his mind, he wondered if Ozai purposefully designed the whole prison after he'd proven quite capable of breathing fire on him, but brushed it aside. He instead changed into the garb of a prisoner, knowing full well a former prince wasn't likely to find any allies in this place given the fact he was the kin of the person who stuck so many in here. In Ozai's mind, it was likely the perfect place for his nephew.