Avatar: Cry for Rebellion

Chapter 1

Rye flashed between the trees, not looking back at her once refuge. What was her past is long gone now. The images of the night was still fresh in her mind. Admiral Zhao had almost taken her life earlier that night. She had narrowly escaped just by what she's learned from watching him train her. She was only sixteen years old and wanted to be killed by the fire nation, her home nation.

"Free," Rye smirked to herself. Her life in the Fire Nation was rough. Her dad and uncle were called out to serve in the, so called, war. Both served for three years until their ship blew up in an accidental engine eruption. Her mom was never the same afterwards. She had to take care of her every time she went into a spiraling depression. No one helped her. It was as if Rye was alone in the world. She would have to steal food from the local markets and try to beg for medicine when needed. This sparked her rebellious side.

Before long, Rye had left her town. It was the middle of the night and their where no stars in the sky, but dark heavy clouds shifting over the moon. No one noticed she was gone, they were too busy with their lives until the news spread. A Fire Nation ship burned down one night. They showed the picture of the girl, who that town knew as a kid. From then on, riots broke out amongst groups of people all across the Fire Nation who wanted to stand up with her.

Of course, they all started to disappear. Fear broke out across the nation and many people kept their mouths shout. Rye didn't. She felt like nothing could stop her.

Rye closed her eyes after slowing her pace to a light walk.

"FIRE!" sounded out across Admiral Zhao's Fire Nation warship. All of the Fire Nation warriors below looked up, shaken, towards the large scale fire. The fire was raging wildly and uncontrollably on the end of the ship. The ship creaked from the heat of the fire, unable to handle a fire this big. It was built to withstand fire benders, but nothing this big. Everyone scattered everywhere in the mass hysteria. It was a blur, people going left, people going right, people jumping off into the safety of the water and land. Just then, the darkness erupted into bright lights. The fire had burst on the deck and burned down most of the back.

Rye laughed at the sight of the benders afraid of their own element. She sat on a railing on downstairs front of the ship and jumped to the ground lightly. She pushed her hands forward and shot fire at the boilers, watching as they melted to nothing, exposing the gases. In a matter of seconds, she jumped over the railing and ran up a corridor. Many doors in the corridor were open, probably containing the crew's quarters.

"Hey! What the hell do you think you're doing!" a man's voice hollered after her. "Get back here!"

Rye sprinted forward even faster, feeling the adrenaline take over. She felt like she was tripping over her own feet, stumbling up the stairs, "Zhao..." she whispered to herself. If she was caught this time, it would be the end for her.

"I said GET BACK HERE!" Admiral Zhao was stumping down the corridor and know on the stairs. She could make it out from his heavy footsteps.

"Almost.." she thrust open a door into a large fist. Rye fell backwards and was grabbed again by the fist; Zhao's fist. She bit her lip, looking straight at him with a nasty smile of delight.

He stared back, he was in such rage she couldn't make out if he was actually going to explode. "Caught," he spat in Rye's face.

After a moment's rest, she opened her eyes up again. She had not walked but a few steps in her deep thoughts. It was going to be morning soon and she had to find shelter for the night.

Up ahead, she could hear the gentle lapping off water on a river bank. This was the only probable source of shelter, so she took her chances. What if the Fire Nation was there? With her eyes locked sharply on what was ahead, she took a few steps forward, then burst into a run.

"Fire Nation!" she stopped herself from running forward another step. along the riverbank was a small Fire Nation trade ship, or warship from the looks of what was on deck. She froze, remembering what happened after she was caught by Zhao.

"Did I not tell you to LISTEN to me!" Admiral Zhao paced infront of Rye. "I told you not to screw up your life anymore that it already is. Now, look at my ship you rat," he scolded, mattering the words out. Rye looked at the ship. a minute ago, it was blazing and the fire's wrath was sinking the ship. Their were three large holes in the side from where the boilers exploded. Now that the fire was out, it was truly devastated and beyond repair.

"Personally, I think it looks much better ashed over," she said, looking at him straight in the face, "Besides, the interior was boorring and everything was soo dirty." Zhao's face by now was red and he was clenching his fists again to contain his anger. "You're coming with me so I can decide your punishment."

"Fine with me. Let me guess? Locked in the prison for a month but you'll let me free because they all think I'm too young? Good decision!" Rye jumped up and smiled, walking towards his office. Deep in her mind, she knew it wasn't going to be easy this time.

After coming to her senses again, she looked down. "Should I take the risk? It's just a small ship.. it won't be that hard if I get caught.."

The ship's anchor started to real up. If she didn't go now, there won't be another chance for shelter or even a ticket out of the Fire Nation. Rye's eyes flashed up as soon as she saw the sudden movement.

"I'll regret this.." she ran forward and went down the dock, watching the anchor's chain moving up. When she caught first sight of the anchor, she jumped off of the dock and grabbed the edge of part of the anchor. It was slippery, easy to lose her grip if she shifted a little.

As the anchor rose above the dock, she looked down at it. She was in the middle of freedom and life on the run. "Halfway there," she smiled and grabbed onto the hole where the anchor went. As the anchor slid into the hole and banged against the metal ground of the ship hold, she jumped through.

"Right there, get it!" one man yelled. Rye froze and looked towards the voice. It was a Fire Nation warrior. He started to walk towards her, then broke into a run. Suddenly he stopped.

"Why is he stopping?" she thought to herself, "Why not get me now."

The man bent down and picked up part of the anchor. A second man came out from the shadows and grabbed the other end. They both lugged it too a corner of the hold and left it there.

Rye gagged from holding her breath in the dead silence. She crouched down and looked about. There was some light showing from a door at the other side of the hold. They men who dragged the anchor away opened the door and banged it close. The light had disappeared and she was left to sit in the darkness.