Chapter twenty one The Assassin's return

She stared ahead at the man, his sleek black hair resting softly on his head, a short scraggly beard on his face. He appeared older then he was but his height gave him away. He was around sixteen, the same age as her. Then he looked up and stared at her. She gasped surprised, he was blind. He began walking towards her, quickly closing the distance between them in a matter of steps. He stopped, his body pressing against hers, his face inches away from her own. His features were rugged and handsome, his eyes were a soft grey, the blue that they had once been still shown through. She lifted up her hand and traced the scar that passed through his eyes, still visible, permanent as it was. She felt his heated breath against her face, his arm reached up and lightly pulled her arm away from his face. His arm was, hot and was getting hotter. The man leaned in and kissed her, holding her tightly against him. She felt his body heating up, his breath tasted of ash. She pulled back from him and looked at him.

He tilted his head sideways, questioning, but as he did this a piece of his chin fell off, crumbling to ash. She gasped and tried to pull away but he had her in an iron clad embrace. The boy began to fall to pieces, crumbling to ash as fire sprouted from within. She wiggled and pulled, attempting to flee as the fire neared her but soon it was too late. It happened in a second, the fire was inching closer and closer to her, then as it touched her she immediately was engulfed in fire.

Ty Lee screamed.

Mai jumped up, startled, and rushed over, "What's wrong?"

Ty Lee shook her head, "Nothing, just a bad dream," she sat up, shaking off the images that burned into her mind. Just then Nazca pulled himself out of the water onto their makeshift raft, "What's wrong?" he asked worried.

Ty Lee shook her head, "Just a dream."

Nazca nodded, understanding, then he used waterbending to dry himself off. He turned and sat down, facing forward, and continued to push their raft with waterbending.

Ty Lee turned to Mai and asked, "Not sure yet, he's being real vague about it, but he'll probably tell soon enough."

Ty Lee nodded and sat back. She stared over at, Nazca as lay back on the deck, moving his hand lackadaisically. He wasn't as cute as before, he was scarred and his skin was blistered and peeling. She remembered before, his skin was soft and dark, and his hair was a sleek black. Now though only a small new growth of hair rested on his head. There was something about him however, something that she liked. It was just something about, then she realized it was his aura. It was black, but not a dull black no, a sharp intense piercing black, but there was something else, a white within the black, it wasn't grey, nor speckled it just seemed to be a part of him. She realized this must be why she liked him, the complexity, the unexplainable, his unique aura.

She sat up and gingerly crawled her way over to Nazca, careful not to tip the raft. As she approached she saw how badly burned his face was, the scar crossing over his eyes and the peeling blisters. She sat down near him and asked, "So where are we going?"

He shrugged like he didn't know and didn't care. Ty Lee frowned puzzled, "So where just drifting out in the middle of the ocean waiting to die."

Nazca sighed, "Right now I'm thinking."

"About what."

"Whether or not I should kill fire lord Ozai."

Ty Lee smiled, "And what makes you think it's even possible."

"I know it's possible, I'm just wondering if I should let the avatar do it."

Ty Lee thought for a moment then said, "I don't think that if Ozai was killed by an assassin that the war would end, Azula would just rise up in his place."

"So what's different if the avatar does it?"

"Because the avatar could step in and help restore the fire nation to what it once was."

Nazca nodded in agreement, "I guess you right, do you know of any place where we could stop and not be discovered?"

Ty Lee thought for a moment then said, "Ember island, no one goes to Zuko's old beach house anymore, it be empty for sure."

"Ember Island it is then."

Then he felt it, the water vibrating as it was pushed away from its hulking mass, "Mai," he called, "get over here now!"

Mai quickly crawled over to where he was, "What's going on?"

"Listen closely, you both recently escaped the avatar and have been sailing on this raft for over a day. Understand?"

They both nodded their head, "Why what going on?" Ty Lee asked.

Nazca shook his head, "I'll see you soon," and with that he dived into the ocean.

Mai sighed, "Great he just ditched us."

Ty Lee frowned puzzled, "He's not telling us something."

"What made you figure that out, the obscurity of his disappearance?"

Ty Lee shook her head, "I know but what is he hiding?"

Mai sighed, "He probably just ditched us."

"No," Ty Lee said a grin breaking out across her face.

"What now?"

"That," she said pointing forward.

Mai gasped as she saw it, a hulking fire nation boat, heading right towards them, "What are we going to do?"

Ty Lee shrugged, "What he told us to say, we were captured by the avatar."

Mai leaned back, "Let's hope it works."

As they approached the boat they could hear the churning of the waves as it sliced through the water like a sharpened sword. Soon a man called from the boat yelling something to his other crew men and a ladder was dropped for them. They quickly scaled the ladder to the deck where they were met by two guards and a man who appeared to be in charge, "Who are you, and are you doing out here?"

Mai said, "I'm Mai and this is Ty Lee, we worked with princess Azula until recently when we were captured by the avatar. We quickly escaped and have been on this raft for over a day."

The man's eyes widened and he knelt down, the other guards following suit, "It is an honor to be in the presence of Azula's right hand women, the famous Mai and Ty Lee. Guards!" he called out, "Escort them to my quarters, you can stay there until we reach a base near ember island." he said to them.

"Thank you," Ty Lee said. Then two guards came forward and lead them off.

One of the guards approached the man in charge as soon as they were out of sight and whispered something inaudible to anyone else, then his voice raised slightly and he said , "Another thing sir, the girls Mai and Ty Lee where labeled as traitors and recently escaped from the high security prison at the Boiling Rock."

The man nodded and then said, "Wait for them to get comfortable and then lock them in my quarters, we'll move them later."

The guard nodded and then was off, only three people hearing the conversation, general Shyu Tal, a guard named Siku and an assassin by the name of Nazca.