Chap. 3

Zuko paced the floor of the throne room, as Jhee finished his report, his brow furrowed in thought.

"Agua believes that the barnacles are a part of what is causing these disappearances, but he is unsure as to exactly what it is." Jhee said. "He plans to do more research and come back with more definitive results."

"And the meantime, more and more of my soldiers will vanish, or else the port will be unguarded." Zuko said. "As much as it pains me to ask Jhee, are there any others that are willing to take the post?"

"A few sir, but it will take a great deal of money and convincing at this point." Jhee answered. "Rumors have begun to spread that the port is haunted, cursed by ghosts of past royalty unhappy with your choices concerning the rest of the world."

"Another chink for the dissenters." Zuko muttered. "And all I have is a cat that refuses to tell me anything, because he has to have the exact answer."

"That's always how 'e's been." Said a third voice, as Fuego, the Knight of Fire, spoke from the side of the room. "The cat's a paranoid, always sees monsters everywhere. 'e's researched 'em for years. And 'e never wants to be wrong. Thinks 'e isn't doing his job if 'e's wrong."

"He isn't doing his job now." Zuko snapped back. "People are vanishing on my watch, people are blaming me for something I know nothing about, and he won't even give me his suspicions! I have enough to deal with! I don't need this too."

"I know Zuko, but Agua needs to research because there's a lot of things out there." Fuego said back. "I know it's frustrating mate, but do you want to go on suspicions and be wrong?"

".......... Fine, you've made your point." Zuko said, finally coming to a halt. "But there are too many possibilities to this question; even a few steps toward narrowing it down would be helpful."

"I'm sure Agua will tell us when he knows something." Jhee said. "Fuego is right- better we go in prepared then half-armored."

"Just be patient Zuko." The Fire Knight said. "All great rulers have to do that sometimes. And they have to deal with rumors too."

Zuko nodded, just as the doors opened, and Iroh walked into the room.

"Forgive my intrusion nephew, but I...."

"Uncle, you know you never have to apologize for entering here." Zuko said. "I know enough to value your thoughts. Now, what do you have to tell us?"

"I have some new information about the disappearances . It isn't I that need to speak Zuko. I have brought a messenger. Two in fact." Iroh said, as he motioned with his hand. As he did, two figures stepped forward, dressed in clothes of brown and silver- Tierra and Trueno, the dog and squirrel Knights of Earth and Thunder.

"Guys! I thought you two were moving around the Earth Kingdom." Fuego said.

"We were bro, but apparently, we've got some of your problems over there too." Tierra replied.

"What? You mean there have been more abductions there?" Zuko asked in disbelief.

"I'm afraid so." Trueno said. "There have been reports of people vanishing all over the Earth Kingdom. But like you guys, it's always near ports, or settlements near the sea. And I've even heard reports of there being Airbenders that went to get supplies at docks not coming back to the Temple."

"Dis is some serious shit here boys." Tierra said, his muzzle flaring at the words. "Der's no way your father could organize something this big Zuko."

"We don't think so either." Jhee said. "Our latest disappearance left behind some odd mementoes."

"A helmet full of barnacles and a trail of them leading back into the sea." Iroh said. "I heard the report earlier."

"We've heard similar information in the Earth Kingdom." Trueno said. "I haven't heard from the Airbenders though. But aren't Aang and Katara coming in from the Southern Temple in the next few days?"

"And Sokka is traveling up from the South Pole." Zuko said. "Oh Darya, the oceans... have there been any reports of abductions in Water Tribe territory?"

"If there are, Agua would've told us when he came in." Fuego asked. "It's too coincidental for 'im to leave it unsaid."

"Where is da catboy? Buried in his research again?" Tierra snorted. "Great, dat'll only be a week."

"But he's always been right." Trueno chided. "And I'm sure he will be again."

"He'd better be." Zuko said. "I can't leave those ports unguarded, and if people are disappearing from all the Nations, then we all need to figure this out, before something even worse happens."

The man strolled through the streets in his usual way, outwardly ignoring the amazement he felt as he looked the town. This place was unlike anything he'd ever seen before- the buildings, the dress of the people, the smells.... it vaguely reminded of his time in the East, but not of any specific port. No, it was almost like a mix of them as if they'd been....

"Hey watch it!"

The man halted in his path, as a man driving a cart moved on by, yelling at him to look out. But the man watched him leave despite the insults. After all, he had never such creatures as the huge scaly rhino that was pulling it. He briefly wondered how such a creature could be bred, imagining something that involved a man forcing the lizard and rhino too....

Suddenly, his mouth was dry. He needed a drink, more then perhaps he had ever had in his life. He looked about and luckily spotted a small stand nearby, with all manner of bottles. Strolling over, the man reached into his pocket, placed down some money, and asked for a bottle of the only drink he needed. But the shopkeep merely looked at him strangely and asked what it was.

The man's eyes goggled in disbelief and asked him how he could not have the drink.

"Because I've never heard of it."

Undeterred the man asked again. The shopkeep started to answer, but then took a look at the man's money. Turning over the coins in his hand, he asked, "What kind of money is this? Whose this woman on it? Haven't they come out with the new Fire Lord coins yet?"

Now it was the man's turn to look confused. Still, he was smart enough to take his money back from the man before he drew too much attention to himself. After all, a wanted man doesn't last long if he cannot keep quiet. He quickly turned to leave, but had barely gotten a few feet when the shopkeep yelled at him, pointing at the bottleneck that was sticking out of his back pocket.

The man swore, and immediately began looking for a place to run. But all he saw was a group of men in red armor coming towards him- obviously the law around here. The man reached for his sword and drew it, looking ready to battle. The soldiers merely stood in front of him in a line, giving him ample time to count their number. After coming to a conclusion, he still held his ground, ready to fight. The guards seemed impressed, and began to advance again, until the man seemed to look behind them, and scream in horror.

The guards immediately turned around, giving the man a chance to leapfrog over one of them and hit the ground running. He heard the men chasing after him, and looking up, saw a banner hanging down from a overpass, as well as another cart coming towards him. Thinking quickly, he increased his speed and as he came close, grabbed the bed sheet and used to pull himself up and over the cart, landing on it's opposite side, as the guards were stopped in their tracks. The man kept moving, thinking he had won. But unfortunately, he realized the lack of pressure in his back pocket, and turned to see the bottle lying on its side on the ground. Turning around, he ran to it and had just gotten his hand around it, when a burst of flame suddenly whizzed past his head. Shooting back up, he saw the guards coming towards him again, only now their hands were glowing with flames. Thinking over his options once again, the man raised up his hands and spoke a single word....