"What?" Surin's face lost all colour, making his dark hair even starker against his forehead. Sickly, was the best word to describe how Surin looked. "Come again?"
"The storm is already here."
"I'm not in the mood for pranks, Kendri. Neither is Zuko." Zuko nodded, puffing his chest out.
"I'm not joking. The Captain says to ready any emergency supplies you might have."
"What does it look like I'm doing? Throwing a party?"
"Whatever, Surin. It doesn't matter. We need to find some barrels." Kendri said, rubbing his forehead. "It's the only chance of survival any of us have."
"What about swimming?" Zuko piped up, from behind the two soldiers. "Can't everyone here swim?"
"Swimming doesn't matter all too much when you freeze to death, or when you're so tired you can't move your limbs." Kendri muttered. "I, for one, like breathing."
Father always said water was the savages' element. While people still needed water to survive, it just as easily could kill you. Always changing, never conforming; water was a confusing element, no doubt. People needed leadership and rules or they wouldn't thrive. That's why the Fire Nation needed to spread their greatness to the other nations of the world. It was for the other nations' own good, their own necessity. The Earth Kingdom itself was in shambles, and the Water Tribes practiced backwards traditions. The Air Nomads, with their self-governing army, were the most dangerous, as their way of life conflicted with everything.
"Is there enough barrels, or rafts, or whatever is on this ship for all of us?"
Kendri paused, a frown maring his nice features. "I...I don't think so. It's a limited supply."
"Limited? How so, Kendri?"
"Around eight barrels, give or take." Kendri said, eyebrows creasing. "That's...that's not enough for the whole crew."
"Then we need to go. Now." Surin threw the rest of the stuff onto the ground, and grabbed both Kendri and Zuko's wrists with his hands. "We can't waste any time."
He dragged them outside the room, and started sprinting down the hallway. Zuko struggled to keep up, his head pounding with every elongated step.
"Why are we running?" Zuko complained, his breaths coming out faster and shorter than before. He stopped moving, causing the other two to pause as well.
"We need to get to the supplies before anyone else." Surin said, not bothering to look back at Zuko. "The Captain will try and keep everyone calm, but that won't work once they find out how close the storm is. If we're going to have any chance of survival, like Kendri said, we need to get there first."
"That….you're going against your Captain's orders!" Zuko cried, scandalized that a soldier would ever contemplate such a thing. "She told us to remain calm."
"I am calm," Surin hissed, his breathing heavy himself. Kendri chose to remain quiet, for once. "And I did not spend hours cleaning your wound just for you to drown at sea. We are going to get off this ship."
"What about the other crewmates?" Zuko gasped. He couldn't believe what he was hearing. "Are you going to leave them to die?"
"He doesn't want to," Kendri sighed, from beside Zuko. The other soldier leaned against a wall, his eyes heavy with an emotion Zuko couldn't quite place. "But they wouldn't save him, were he to drown. He may be a medic, but that's why he needs to survive. If any of us were to wash up, and he wasn't there, chances are we'd die off pretty quickly. Zuko, you have to think smartly about this."
"I am!" Zuko ripped his hand out of Surin's grip. These two were speaking of treason, leaving their fellow men to die. It wasn't only traitorous, it was cowardly. "You can't do this! I won't let you. I challenge you to an Agni Kai!"
"We're non-benders, Zuko." Kendri face-palmed. "And half your face is gone. Is an Agni Kai a good idea anyway?"
"Hey!"
Surin rubbed Zuko's arm in a comforting way, as if that could get rid of all his troubles, and morals. "You don't understand. This isn't a combatant group. We're supposed to be transporting supplies, and instead, we were assigned as bait. They want us to draw the Earthbenders out, and they don't expect us to live."
"So? How does that relate to leaving your fellow soldiers to die? There's no honor in that. None whatsoever, and I want nothing to do with it." Zuko protested, close to losing his composure.
"Sometimes," Surin said, looking Zuko directly in the eye, as if to challenge his authority. Zuko was a Prince, these people should be groveling before him, and treating his word as law. Instead, they challenged him, and ignored him, and spoke of dishonourable things. "Honor isn't the most important thing. Zuko, we aren't going to let you die, and it's starting to look like this may be the only way to keep that from happening."
"How?" Zuko stomped his foot down, the resulting bang resonating through the hallway. "It doesn't make sense."
"Fine." Kendri snapped. "Let me put this down for you. The people on this ship? They don't want to be here. The storm? Potential cause of death, as this ship is of very, very poor quality. Is it selfish to leave them here to die? Yes. Would they do the same? Yes. Only the Captain would be selfless, and even then, it's not guaranteed. Most of these men, they don't care whether you live, or you die, Zuko. We do. If you want to stick around while the storm hits, and drown, be my guest."
"I'm sor-"
"Just, don't bother, okay? " Surin cut him off, not wanting to hear any possible explanation. "Let's get going. I don't know how much time we've already wasted."
Kendri nodded, and Zuko's wrist was once again grabbed by Surin, who sprinted down the hallways, Zuko barely keeping up with him. Zuko couldn't see the obstacles in front of him all too well, and would occasionally bump into something, whether it be a random chair or a broken lamp, just strewn around.
Surin stopped just short of a huge door, and let go of Zuko's hand, momentarily freeing him. Zuko rounded up on the two men, but Surin had already kicked the door down, opting to enter the room. Kendri followed. Left with no other choice, Zuko went after them.
"This is extremely dishonorable-hey!" Kendri placed his hand over Zuko's mouth. Enraged, Zuko licked Kendri's palm. Kendri didn't even flinch.
"There's only one left," Surin whispered, running his fingers along a single wooden barrel, horror finally dawning on him. He shared a quick, meaningful look with Kendri, one Zuko barely caught out of the corner of his eye. "We were too late, the rest of the crew must've made off with it."
"Damn it." Kendri muttered. "Wonder who got here first? Heh, maybe Adima could've Surin. If she stopped kissing her kitchenware."
"This shouldn't even matter," Zuko wrestled free from Kendri. "Your Captain will keep you all safe. What was the plan anyway? What if the storm hadn't been here so soon? Would you have jumped ship then, too?"
"Yes." Both Kendri and Surin answered without a bat of an eyelash.
"The Captain can only do so much. Of course, there is the possibility that this ship will weather the storm," Kendri added, his shaking voice giving away his doubt. "But it doesn't look like anyone has any faith in that happening. Ergo, cut all our losses now."
"In the case that the ship does survive, and we abandoned it," Surin piped up. "We lie. Say we fell overboard. It's as simple as that."
Zuko wanted to rip his ears off, if only to stop him from hearing all these treasonous words. "That's immoral."
"It's survival." Kendri answered. "Which kinda takes priority, buddy."
"This doesn't make any sense," Zuko said. "Why are we jumping ship? Wouldn't it be safer to weather the storm on the boat?"
"Yes, and no. If we stay, there's a likelihood we'd go under. Additionally, this ship is...not made well." Surin explained. "If we leave, using this barrel, we'd float long enough to get to a near strip of land, and nothing would weigh us down."
"Captain Yera-"
"The Captain is in just as much of a predicament as us, Zuko. If the ship sinks, she dies, same as any of us. She's an honorable person, so she'd stick around. Us? Zuko, you have to understand, your survival must come first."
"It can't." Zuko whimpered, memories of that night coming to the surface. "My honor is the only thing I have left."
"You still have your life, Kid." Kendri patted his shoulder, awkwardly. "And you're what? Ten?"
"Eleven."
"My point is, you've got like at least ten years left. Let the grown-ups handle this, kay?"
"You're doing a terrible job of handling this! We're going to die dishonorably!"
"Ah, ah, ah. What did I say?"
"I'm not repeating what you said. That's beneath me." Zuko sneered, only half his face complying with his wishes to look somewhat menacing. "I won't stand for your mocking either. I am a Prince."
"Whatever you say, your Highness," Kendri snorted, despite the grim atmosphere. "Just trust us, alright?"
In this part of the play, the hero would be asked to trust the sketchy, shady character who would either prove his worth, or betray him. Zuko didn't know what Kendri's plans were, nor how the plot would play out. The best he could do was hope, and blindly put his faith in two borderline traitorous Fire Nation soldiers. If only he was smart like Azula; she'd know what to do. She always did have the right mind for battle strategies.
However, it doesn't matter much, anyway. Not really, as the storm could hit any second now. The waves were already crashing against the hull, but that could've just been Zuko's imagination. The wooden barrel plan, as much as it pained Zuko to admit it, was their best bet. In school, he learned how to swim and float, but Kendri was right; he wouldn't be able to swim forever. While wood was rarely ever used in the Fire Nation for everyday objects, ( some firebenders had...issues with flammable products) it was very buoyant, which is a word Zuko learned last week from his tutors.
Zuko decided to do something Azula never would; trust the people around him. If Surin and Kendri wanted him dead, or executed, or anything like that, it would've already happened.
"O-okay." He conceded, taking a leap of faith.
"Nice," Kendri smiled, a true genuine expression of happiness, and not a smirk. "Let's get going, then. We've got to get to the main deck. Time for some swimming lessons~"
Heavy droplets fell onto Zuko's head, wetting the bandages, causing them to stick to his face. He sneered, as he picked at the damp strips. "This is humiliating."
"Then it's perfect," Kendri snorted as he lifted the barrel onto the deck. Surin sighed beside him.
Zuko humphed, clearly unhappy with the fellow Fire Nation native. He frowned as he stepped onto the deck, alongside his two companions. The clouds were coloured darkly, and the winds blew in all directions, creating barriers of sound. Back on the mainland—in the Caldera, he'd heard of the wicked seas, of storms so malicious and evil that even the toughest, grittiest of men wet themselves. The legends, and myths of the sea's viciousness were not unfounded. The Water Tribe, the savages they were, worshipped the spirits responsible for the seas' volatile behaviour.
"Hurry, let's get to the side before Zuko rips your head off."
"Stop right there, Surin." All three of them whipped their attention towards the starboard side of the ship. Standing there, almost nonchalantly, was another soldier. Slightly taller than Kendri, he practically towered over Zuko.
Zuko shrunk into himself, leaning back into Surin. He glued himself to the other man's side. The hostility coming off the third soldier was overwhelming. His demeanour was dark, and guarded. A monster to the untrained eye, a nightmare for smaller children. Zuko was fine, though. Mystery soldiers didn't scare him….this one was just really buff and that threw him off.
The heavy rain blurring Zuko's already impaired eyesight did not help his heartbeat slow down.
"Don't you know it's dangerous to play outside right now? You could fall off the ship, and Agni forbid, drown."
"What do you want, Hyemi?" Kendri hissed, instinctively stepping in front of both Zuko and Surin. "Where are you here?"
"What do I want? It's nice of you to consider my feelings, Zuron. I want that barrel, and you're going to give it to me."
"Why would I do that, Hyemi? You're all bark and no bite." Surin clutched the sides of the barrel tighter, his knuckles turning white.
"Am I? If I remember correctly, you're a non-bender," The man grinned, and Zuko couldn't ignore the glaring similarities between this random soldier and Zhao, a bloodthirsty, power hungry Lieutenant. "And I'm not."
Zuko gasped. "Not a non-bender…"
The man stuck his palm out, and sure enough an orange flame sprung to life. It wasn't the strongest flame ever, as there was a constant onslaught of water which caused more steam then fire, but the threat was obvious.
"Hyemi, we don't want a quarrel," Surin said, cautiously, as if he also forgot about the man's firebending. "We are just using this barrel to...uh…"
"To escape? Leave us all to die? You were supposed to be our healer, Surin. Instead? Instead you're nothing but a coward."
"That may be true," Surin backed away, leaving Zuko exposed. "If I'm a coward, what does that make you? Nothing better than a bully?"
"It doesn't matter what you think, Surin. You aren't abandoning us to this fate if you don't have to suffer it yourself."
"That's crap, and you know it, Hyemi. You'd condemn us to die while you lived? Anyways, why didn't you stop anyone else? This was the last barrel. Others had to have left beforehand."
"It doesn't matter," The man—Hyemi, muttered. The steam curled around his fist, giving the illusion of size. "You won't leave us here, traitor."
"You're right…" Surin agreed, voice barely above a whisper as he turned to Kendri. "Take Zuko and go."
"What?" Kendri's eyes didn't leave Hyemi once. Hyemi growled, a low sound ripped out of his throat. Zuko shuddered, and it wasn't from the cold. "Surin what do you mean?"
"Get him off the ship."
"What about us?"
"You said it yourself, he's got at least ten years left. Besides, he has the best chance at survival in the Earth Kingdom. Just do it."
"You sure? Once he's gone, he's not coming back. He could die, you know. They aren't the most welcoming people ever."
"Yes, I'm aware." Surin covered Zuko with his own body. "Zuko?"
Zuko tore his eyes off the rogue firebender for a second, and made eye contact with the medic. "Yes?"
"Go with Kendri, and do what he says, okay? Just trust us." That's all Zuko wanted to do, but—and he'd never, ever admit this—he was scared. Everything was happening so fast, and he couldn't concentrate on the events playing out in front of him.
"But...but what about him?" He pointed at the other soldier. The man hadn't fired any shots at them, but that was likely because he didn't want to burn the barrel. This ship was made of metal, and it was sturdy, but it was heavy. This piece of wood is the only thing that would float by itself.
"I'll deal with him. He won't do anything permanent. I'll be fine. It's just going to be a little scuffle, nothing big." Surin lied with such natural ease, it reminded him of his younger sister, and her endless falsehoods. Bright and young eyes filled with such malice. Jealousy was far beneath him, but something like envy always filled his heart whenever he watched her practice her forms perfectly without any effort. Dishonesty always astounded him, mainly because he couldn't lie to save his life.
"Surin, I'm not going to wait patiently. Just hand over the wood."
"Come on, Zuko let's go. Surin will be fine." Kendri grabbed the barrel completely from Surin, and gripped Zuko's shoulders. The rain assaulted his skull, droplets running down his forehead.
"O-okay." Zuko allowed Kendri to lead him towards the port side.
"Get into the barrel." Kendri ordered. Zuko complied, stepping tentatively into the wooden container.
"What's going to happen now? I demand to know." Zuko raised his voice, just to be heard over the loud, crashing waves.
"Zuko," Kendri looked him directly in the eye. Zuko's bandages were slowly starting to peel off his face, exposing his wound. It smelled disgusting. "When you wish ashore, promise me you won't introduce yourself as a Fire Nation citizen."
"Why not?" Zuko asked. Kendri couldn't expect him to cover up his heritage as if it were shameful. "I am proud of who I am."
"I figured," Kendri sighed, as he looked towards both Surin and Hyemi who were fist-fighting it out. "You have to promise me, Zuko. Once you reach land, wherever you end up, you can't introduce yourself as Zuko from the Fire Nation. I know you fancy yourself a Prince-"
"I am a Prince."
"-but you can't trust anyone. No one is kind to everyone. No one is inherently good to everyone. People suck. Big time. If given the chance, they will hurt you. Water Tribe, Earth Kingdom and Fire Nation alike. Your father is proof enough."
"My father would never hurt me."
"Kid, look in the mirror sometime. Your face has been burned off. You will never look like you did before. You're branded. No sane father does that. No sane person."
"My father-"
"Zuko," Kendri sighed, running his hands along his face. His black hair stuck to the sides of his head, sticking up in unflattering ways. "Just promise me, okay? I'm not even going to sugarcoat this. You may die out there. There's probably some fish in the bottom of the barrel, I don't know how fresh, or safe to eat, but you can cook it if you become desperate. That's a big maybe, though. You might die."
"Then why am I getting into this? Are you trying to hurt me?" Zuko accused.
"No. According to Surin, this is your best bet. Do you promise me though, that you'll be safe as you can be?"
"...Yes, I promise."
"That's all I needed to hear."
"What about you?" Zuko asked, genuinely curious. If this wasn't an elaborate plot to kill him, why wasn't Kendri using the barrel too? Didn't he want to live as well, if this was the only option as he claimed?
"I'll be fine, same as Surin. Besides, you can't stay here anyway. You wouldn't survive a day on the frontlines with your injury. For the matter, neither will Surin or I. This whole drowning thing only sped the process up. An excuse Surin can use to justify this."
Kendri grimaced as lightning shot through the sky. Zuko shuddered and curled into himself. The barrel was wet and uncomfortable. He just wanted to be warm, for his mother to tuck him into his bed, and give him good night kisses. He wanted to taste his uncle's stupid tea. He wanted his cousin, Lu Ten to be alive and laughing. He craved his father's love. He even missed Azula. He just wanted his family.
"Okay, I'm going to throw you overboard. Hold on, okay?" Zuko clutched tightly onto the sides. Kendri lifted him up like he weighed nothing.
Surprisingly, the barrel did not break upon contact with the water. Soon, it was filled with water. To avoid drowning, Zuko exited the barrel, not without some struggle, but easily enough. He clutched onto the top of the floating material, and watched idly as the sea dragged him away from the metal ship.
On to new beginnings , he thought as he drifted further and further, and consciousness became harder to hold onto.