"Trial of combat," Kyuri called over the roar of voices in the room. Slowly, the talk died down, and Dragora and dragons both turned to face her. Even the matriarch, Zhenzhu, looked mildly surprised.
"I claim trial by combat," Kyuri said again when the room was quiet and everyone could hear. "For Prince Zuko's behalf as well, I claim trial by combat."
"Are you sure?" Zhenzhu said, leaning forwards in her throne and looking surprised. "For both of you? Do you… Understand your punishments?"
"I do," Kyuri nodded.
"Then trial by combat it shall be," Zhenzhu said, settling back again. "Who will stand against the accused?"
"Kyuri, what's happening?" Zuko hissed at her from the corner of his mouth.
"Sh!" Kyuri bit out, and Zuko pulled away from her in surprise. Every inch of her body was tense and her eyes were alert, scanning the room.
"I will stand against the accused," said Chay, rising from her throne and standing there in her luxurious robes. "It will be my pleasure to put this proud child in her proper place."
"Clear the arena!" Zhenzhu called, although it was rather unnecessary, being that Kyuri, Zuko, and Sangilak were the only ones standing there.
"Kyuri, are you sure?" Sangilak whispered in her mind, his voice choked. "You understand… you could die?"
"I understand, and I accept. Go Sangilak. If… I don't win… I love you. And… tell Zuko the same for me."
"… I don't like it, but I will."
"Sangilak, how can you hate it?" Kyuri said with a smirk. "You told me to look for heat. I found it."
Sangilak lowered his head and shook it. "Why must all my Dragora have a thing for royalty?"
"You're just lucky I guess." Kyuri turned to Zuko and spoke aloud. "Go stand beside the matriarch."
"Kyuri, tell me what's happening," Zuko demanded. "Please, what's going on? What's this trial by combat?"
"Just go," Kyuri said, shaking her head. She squeezed his hand and pushed him lightly towards the purple-robed woman. Zuko took his appointed spot, standing below the throne and to the right of the matriarch as Chay came down from her throne and Sangilak flew up to one of the unoccupied thrones, curling around it.
Everyone took their places, Zuko by Zhenzhu and Kyuri stood across from Chay.
"Choose your own weapons!" Zhenzhu called.
"I choose what I carry," Kyuri said, proffering the katana that were still in her hands.
"I choose my sword as well," Chay said, pulling a long blade from her hip and gripping it in gnarled fingers. For a moment, Zuko felt completely sure that Kyuri could beat this old woman, and then Chay straightened out of her hunched posture, revealing she was still at the peak of physical condition despite her advancing age.
"To the end, death or pardon, may it be," Zhenzhu said solemnly, and the room echoed as the dragons and Dragora repeated her words, verbally and mentally. Zuko's head rang with it.
"Death or pardon?" he repeated worriedly.
"Fight!" Zhenzhu boomed, and the two combatants lunged at each other.
Zuko watched with desperate eyes, knowing he couldn't interfere, but still wishing he could as the two women fought, Kyuri for her exoneration and Chay for her pride.
"You do not understand what's going on, do you?"
Zuko looked around in shock for the source of the voice. At first, he glanced at the matriarch, Zhenzhu. She old woman's purple eyes slid to him and her lips quirked in amusement. She jerked her head back towards the looming purple dragon.
"Did you say that?" Zuko thought at the dragon. One great orange eye blinked at him in affirmative.
"I did. You don't understand what's just happened, nor why we are so surprised."
"No, I don't."
"The girl's sentence for drawing her blades – but not using them mind – against the matriarch and calling a Gathering without authorization would be a combined twenty lashes. You would also die. She could have accepted this."
"Why would she accept lashes if this can get her out of it?"
"Because now, should she lose, she will die. She traded twenty lashes for her life. However, by claiming trial by combat for both your sakes, she has possibly saved your life. If she wins, you both live. If she dies, you both die. She fights not just for her life, but for your own as well."
Zuko stared at the fight in awe as Kyuri whirled, blades clanging against Chay's. She was out there risking her life for his. She could have taken a few lashings and let him die, but she was risking her life for the chance of saving his. No one had ever done anything like that before, not without some sort of gain in mind. It made his head spin how much Kyuri, the ultimate pragmatist, must care for him to make her to something like this.
The fight was by no means as easy as he'd first thought it would be though. Kyuri ducked and spun and slashed and stabbed but she was by no means overpowering Chay. She was staying dead even, if anything, and at times being pushed back. Both combatants had already taken a handful of minor hits, slowly oozing blood through Kyuri's leathers or Chay's robes.
"Do not interfere," Zhenzhu warned. "Or her gamble will be lost."
Zuko glanced edgily at the old woman. How had she known that he was just considering rushing in and helping Kyuri? Surely together they could beat Chay? Thinking back to the fight in the prison yard, with the pair of them back to back, Zuko wondered if there was any enemy he couldn't overcome with her at his back.
"Ah!"
Zuko was jerked from his thoughts at the cry.
"No!" he shouted, and moved to help, only for a single talon to rest against his shoulder. He turned and saw Zhenzhu's dragon behind him, one claw warningly against his skin.
"Do not interfere," the dragon said calmly.
"But how can I not?" Zuko whispered, staring at Kyuri with pained eyes.
Slowly, Kyuri stepped back, her face crumpled with pain. She bit her lip so hard that blood trickled down her chin. With a sickening sucking sound, Chay's blade came free of her shoulder dyed red with blood from the midpoint to the tip. Kyuri staggered back, gasping in pain, her eyes wide. Zuko itched to go to her, to bind her shoulder, hold her, assure her that it would be fine, and then murder Chay as violently and gruesomely as possible…
Kyuri turned her head to the side and spat blood into the sand floor of the arena, looking up at the smirking Chay. Her eyes were icicles, stabbing deeply into Chay with such rage and hatred Zuko thought it was a wonder the woman didn't keel over dead right then. He watched with wide eyes as Kyuri's sword slipped from her wounded shoulder and she dropped to her knees, panting.
"No," he whispered. "No, get up, get up, what are you doing?"
She spat into the sand again as Chay advanced, sword raised.
"You are not fit to be a Dragora," the older woman announced as she raised her blade. "You have no respect for the laws that govern our lives. You may have the pride of a dragon but you will die like a dog!" the old woman shrieked as the sword came down.
Zuko closed his eyes, unable to watch. He listened though, couldn't stop himself, and that was almost worse.
The sound of a blade sliding into flesh…
A feminine scream of agony…
A body falling back and hitting the sand…
A brief struggle, then stillness…
With tears already pricking at his eyes, Zuko forced his lids up and looked. He gasped in surprise.
Kyuri sat straddling Chay, who was dead still, wide eyes glaring at her in hatred. One of Kyuri's seemingly unlimited daggers was buried in the woman's shoulder, right where the wound in Kyuri's own was. Another dagger was clenched in her hand, pressed to Chay's throat.
"Do you concede?" Kyuri growled through gritted teeth, her other hand covering her wounded shoulder and trying to stop the blood that slicked all the way down her arm by now.
"I concede," the older woman spat out, hatred dripping from her words like venom. Zuko knew that Chay's pride was wounded, and that perhaps made her more dangerous than anyone else.
"Dragora Kyuri is pardoned of all charges and Prince Zuko is to be awarded sanctuary for the time being," Zhenzhu proclaimed to the room at large as Kyuri got off of Chay and gathered her weapons, ripping the knife from the older Dragora's shoulder savagely and drawing a thing cry of pain from between wrinkled lips. "Young Dragora, you may retire to your rooms with your dragon and your companion to dress your wounds and change into the appropriate attire. When you have refreshed yourself, you may return, and we will hear what you have to say and decide from there what our next course of action is to be."
"Thank you, matriarch," Kyuri said, with a stiff bow.
"Now you may go to her."
Zuko barely noticed as the claw was removed from his shoulder and he flew to Kyuri's side with Sangilak, running his hands over her face, her arms, her sides, fretting over every place he saw blood.
"Are you okay?" he whispered.
"I'm fine," Kyuri said wearily as she swayed slightly. She raised her arms as if to sheathe her swords, only to stop suddenly and gasp in pain. "Ah… perhaps not as fine as I thought," she said with a self-deprecating smile.
"Give me those," Zuko huffed, taking the swords from her and moving behind her to place them in her sheaths. "Come on, I want to see that shoulder myself before I'm satisfied I shouldn't go slaughter the old hag."
"I'm going to survive," Kyuri sniffed. "I'm not that fragile."
"Says you," Zuko said, watching her sway pointedly. "You can barely stand."
"I can so," Kyuri huffed, making to place her hands on her hips, only to be stopped again by her wound.
"That's it," Zuko said, and he put one arm behind her back and swept one under her knees, scooping her up and securing her against his chest.
"Zuko, put me down!" Kyuri shrieked, drawing some chuckles from the watching women and some high-and-mighty sniffs from others. "I swear, if you don't put me down, I'll…"
The door swung shut behind them as they left, leaving the Dragora at a loss for what Kyuri was going to do.
"Ah, young love," Zhenzhu chuckled to herself, shaking her head. "Oh to be young, and to feel love's keen sting."
"Here," Kyuri said as they stopped outside the door to her rooms. She pressed a hand to the door and it swung open soundlessly. Zuko carried her inside and Sangilak shuffled in after them, going immediately to lie down on a gigantic blue silk pillow that was clearly made for him.
"I need water, and I can heal this in a second," Kyuri said. "Put me down by the bath."
"What bath?" Zuko said blankly.
"Behind the divider," Kyuri said, pointing to one blocking off a corner of the room. Zuko walked over and peeked behind quizzically to find a deep, wide pool there with a shelf supplied with soaps and towels to the side and a chair for laying out clothes beside it.
"Can you get out of all that by yourself?" Zuko asked, looking at the many buckles securing her sheathes in place skeptically.
"Let's find out, shall we?" she said, reaching down and unwrapping her sash. She dropped it to the ground and several knives and boxes of powders spilled out, along with a familiar figurine.
"I remember this," Zuko said, picking up the carved polar bear and examining it. "I thought you were molesting me when you tried to get it back."
"Like I said, don't flatter yourself," Kyuri said calmly as she unbuckled her swords and laid them aside.
"That was then," Zuko whispered in her ear, running a hand down her side. "Things have changed." He kissed the side of her neck fondly and felt her shudder under his touch. He pulled back, pleased with himself, and she shot him a glare.
"Don't flatter yourself," she repeated. Finally divested of all her armor and sheaths she reached back to unfasten her leathers and cried out in pain as the wound pulled and sent a new wave of warm blood down her arm.
"I've got it," Zuko said, immediately moving to kneel behind her and unfastening the top deftly. It slumped forwards exposing her breast bindings and toned stomach.
"I'll take it from here," Kyuri said, gathering her leathers about her and blushing slightly. "Could you lay everything out on the bed for me?"
"Sure," Zuko said, gathering the weapons and moving out into the main room. He heard a small splash as Kyuri slipped into the water and a pleased sigh.
Kyuri bathed and cleaned her wound quickly and then coiled water around her hand and raised it to her shoulder, sighing in relief as the water glowed and relief spread through her abused limb. She worked at it until only a thin star of scar tissue remained to show there had ever been a wound. Kyuri reached for new clothes only to realize she'd left her Gathering robes outside.
"Zuko?" she called.
"Yes?" he asked, poking his head cautiously around the screen. Kyuri shifted in the water. She was confident he couldn't see anything, but he was still looking at her and she was still naked.
"Can you bring the robes from the stand in here to me?" she asked.
"Sure," he nodded, retreating back behind the screen. Kyuri lunged out of the pool and seized the towels from the shelf, wrapping one around her body tightly before wrapping another around her hair. Zuko returned moments later with a folded pile of robes in his hands. He placed them on the chair, carefully avoiding looking at her, which Kyuri was thankful for. What she didn't know was that Zuko was glancing at her legs form under his bangs and wondering how on earth he hadn't noticed how beautiful she was when he first saw her.
"Thanks," Kyuri said as he left. He responded with a nod and left. Kyuri let out a huff of air, still feeling highly awkward as she moved to the robes and began pulling the layers on, tying the belt around her hips carefully.
She emerged and finally took a look around the room. It was simple, containing a large bed furnished with nice, clean sheets in the same ice blue scheme as her robes. There was a full-length mirror hanging above a vanity strewn with cosmetics and jewelry left behind by other Dragora Sangilak had been bonded to. The screen partitioning the room from the bath was painted with an elegant mountain scene. A simple table with three chairs stood in the middle with a candle in the center of the wood, presumably for reading the books in the shelf on the wall across from the vanity. The whole thing was lit from above by a simple chandelier, functional but pretty wrought iron.
"Thanks for helping me," she said as she moved to the vanity and hunted through the jewels. All the other Dragora had been dressed to the nines, as was expected at a Gathering. They were women after all, and every woman wanted to look as appealing as possible when they were about to go fight for their ideas.
"You're welcome," Zuko said, blinking as he mentally made a portrait of Kyuri while she fit a bejeweled clip into her hair, holding the top half back and leaving the bottom swinging free, the only thing her hair was long enough to do. He doubted he'd ever see her looking this dressed-up again.
"Before we go back in there, I have to ask you something," Kyuri said, biting her lip. "I've asked before but… We're going to be talking about how to take down your father, possibly kill him. Are you sure you're alright with this?"
"Kyuri, I've made my choice," Zuko said, moving to stand in front of her and taking her hands. "Some people might think I'm horrible for choosing anything over my family, but then… I don't really feel like Ozai and Azula are my family. When I think back on it," he said, contemplating. "I don't think I ever felt like they were. I just felt like I should love them, just because we were related, and so I convinced myself that I did. Kyuri, I'm with you to the end of this war."
Kyuri looked up at him and moved, planting a lightning-quick kiss on his lips. Zuko blinked in surprise as she coiled her arms around his neck and he placed his hands instinctively on her waist.
"Sorry," she said, blushing. "It's just… right when I think you can't get any more perfect, you go and say things like that and I just…"
"Me, perfect?" Zuko scoffed. "Not hardly. You're the perfect one here, Little Miss Dragora."
"I'm not perfect either," Kyuri said, shaking her head.
"Then we all can be not perfect together," Sangilak broke in snidely. "Not to be rude, but you two are keeping the Gathering waiting, and you're making my teeth hurt it's so sweet."
"Sorry," Zuko said to the dragon. Sangilak rolled his eyes in response and heaved himself off the pillow, making for the door. Kyuri and Zuko followed and they returned to the hall. The entered with much less drama and got onto Sangilak's back. He ferried them up to a throne and Kyuri and Zuko got off. Kyuri sat down while Sangilak coiled around her throne and Zuko stood to her right.
"You said you had information," Zhenzhu said when they were settled.
"I do," Kyuri said with a nod. She steeled herself and began to speak, conscious of all the eyes on her. She tried to be as eloquent as possible as she began to talk. "In a few weeks time will be the Day of Black Sun. On that day, there will be a full solar eclipse. You will have heard of the events in the North Pole where the moon was momentarily killed and the Waterbenders found themselves unable to bend. On this day, the Firebenders will be equally powerless for a period of time."
Zuko turned to stare at her at that. He hadn't known about this Day of Black Sun. His bending gone? That was a scary thought.
"On that day, there is an invasion being staged on the Fire Nation capitol. The Avatar means to take down the Fire Lord with the aid of troops from the Water Tribe and Earth Kingdom. Freedom Fighters led by Jet of the Earth Kingdom and natives of the Foggy Swamp will also likely be appealed to for aid. I ask that the Dragora and unbounded dragons present here also be appealed to. I want us all to fly to battle as we have not done as a group in nearly a thousand years. Ozai still has dominion over five dragons he is at perfect liberty to call out whenever he chooses. Should he bring them out, the best chance we have at victory will be gone."
"You speak as though we have a deadline," called Myeong. "Is there one?"
"Sozin's Comet will return by summer's end, blessing the Firebenders with the power they once used to destroy the entirety of the Air Nomads – barring the Avatar of course. If we do not, then Ba Sing Se will likely fall. It is already known to be a prime target. Only a few weeks ago, the outer wall of Ba Sing Se was breached by a giant drill piloted by Princess Azula and two of her companions. It was only stopped from moving further into the city by the Avatar and his friends."
"Among which you were one," Myeong said with a smile.
"Yes," Kyuri admitted with a nod. "I was there."
A woman sitting in front of a grey dragon steepled her fingers. "You are the one who has been out there and has seen the true extent of the destruction the Fire Nation has caused recently. Do you believe this is our last chance?"
The room went quiet, listening to the verdict.
"I do," Kyuri said softly. "As does the Avatar. He has been working feverishly to master the four elements before the Day of Black Sun."
"And has he?" pressed a woman who sat before a bronze dragon.
"He has mastered Airbending. He has also mastered Water and Earthbending," Kyuri said. "He travels with a master Waterbender and master Earthbender to continue his skills. As of yet though, he hasn't found anyone to teach him Firebending, but is that surprising? It wouldn't be of any use during the invasion anyway."
Zhenzhu spoke then. "Too long have we sat in deliberation, arguing over petty points while the world spins on and the war continues in the world around us. We have grown idle, like stone statues who watch the ages past while sitting in silence. The time has come for us to take action. The Avatar has returned, the return of Sozin's Comet faces us, and we have the Day of Black Sun on our side. Victory has never been so possible as it is now. I approve of this plan to join the Avatar in battle and I move that now we put it to a vote. All who are opposed, say nay."
"Nay!" cried a smattering of voices, including Chay and group around her.
"All who agree that the time has come for the world to once again respect the title of Dragora," Zhenzhu called, "say aye!"
"AYE!"
The cry rocked the room and put Zuko back on his heels.
"And so, we go to war," Zhenzhu said calmly, though even from the farthest ends of the room the fierce light of combat could be seen in her eyes. "I have no delusions that we will all survive this war. These next few weeks of preparation may be the last some of these familiar and beloved faces are seen among us. Bear that in mind. Love your sisters and our winged soul mates. We will reform the old Wings, dust off the dragon armor, and we! Will! Fight!"
A cry of approval went up at the rousing speech, several Dragora rising to their feet and clapping, some stomping their feet. The dragons lent their approval in the forms of growls and roars, some spouting fire at the ceiling.
"You did it," Zuko said, bending to whisper in Kyuri's ear. "You may have just won the war."
"No," Kyuri said, shaking her head. "Let's not count our pigchickens before they hatch. Ozai's cunning, he may have seen the Dragora coming."
"He doesn't know how many of you there are though," Zuko said, staring around the room in awe.
He wondered if he'd ever be in a room containing so much raw power again.
Alright folks, as you can probably tell, we're getting close to the climax, and with this story winding down I'm starting to get ideas for another one. Two actually, so I'm going to leave the decision for which one a write up to you. I've mentioned one before in an author's note, but I'll give you summaries of both below. Please vote on my profile for which one you'd rather see.
Asuni: Asuni is a member of the Royal Guard, a group of elites who serve no one but the Fire Lord. They are the greatest of infiltrators, assassins, and spies. Asuni is being sent by Ozai to monitor his son during his exile. But how is a trained warrior to handle going undercover… as a musician? Asuni takes up playing the qin to hide her true goals, but can she keep her skills hidden as she unexpectedly become caught up in the greatest conflict of the century? And who's side will she chose in the end?
Azami: Sozin didn't start the war. Ozai did. A pocket of Airbenders escaped the Eastern Temple and among them is the Avatar, a girl who's been shunned for her invention of an Airbending technique that kills. The Avatar faces down forces from the Fire Nation while separated from all that remains of her people, accompanied by two almost-strangers, a pair of Water Tribe siblings named Sokka and Katara. (To be honest, I'm not too keen on this choice, because I feel like it would just be a rehash of Avatar Amaya, and, well, I've already written that)