Title: Sacrifice

Word Count: 427

Warnings: Mention of blood, character death
Disclaimer: I don't own Avatar – The Last Air Bender. This was written for fun not profit.

He'd seen her before. Running through the forest, dark hair flowing free, dark skin glistening. He had never noticed her eyes, but he did now. Blue pools of light shining from behind a cage. At sunrise that light would go out. She was to be given to Huitzilopochtli, the sun god. As the Emperor's son he knew that it was a great honor for a captured one to give their blood to him, to ensure life for their nation. To have their heart eaten by the high priest. But he also knew he could not allow this to happen to her.

It was dark when he returned to open the cage, the moon high in the sky. "Come with me."

She looked at him in surprise. "Máax'ko?"

She didn't understand. "Shhhhh"

He beckoned at her with his hand. He had to move fast before they were discovered. When she stood staring at him curiously, he grabbed her arm and dragged her behind him.

"Run."

She stopped fighting him when she saw they were leaving the shadow of the pyramid.

It was then that he heard the pounding of feet behind them. He ducked low as he tore through the brush. She stumbled behind him, the shouts of their pursuers ringing in their ears.

"Ahhh!"

He stopped and turned at her cry. A thorn bush had scratched her bare breasts. She held him off with one hand as the other clutched at her bleeding wounds.

"Maloob!"

He tried to calm her. "I won't hurt you. It's not far now, follow me." She must have recognized his tone of voice because she began running again.

He just had to reach her territory and she would be safe.

He was running so fast that he almost ran right off into the ravine. A yawning gap lay between her land and his.

"When? What?" He had no time to wonder at this new development. He had to get her across somehow. Suddenly she began tugging at his arm and pointing up.

"The vines! Yes!" He tore down enough for her to swing over. She looked at him for a moment.

"Yum botic." She leaned in and kissed him before swinging to freedom.

Stunned he brushed his lips with his fingers.

He heard the dart before he felt it. A whistling sound in his ear and then a burning pain spreading through him. He fell to his knees. Vision dimming he saw her reach the other side. As the darkness enveloped him he thought….

The sun god would get his sacrifice after all.

End.

A/N: Katara is speaking Mayan.

"Máax'ko?" - Who are you?

"Maloob!" - I'm fine, OK!

"Yum botic." - Thank you.