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Chapter 17

"This is the best payday ever," a man said proudly.

Inara did not bother looking up. Her hands were stretched above her head in chains and her feet were chained to the ground. She could not move, could not bend, and she was in quite a bit of pain in her left shoulder.

"What do you think? Do you think she is worth more dead than alive?"

"Probably alive."

"Well, I hope we can collect quickly. She just gives me the creeps."

A slight movement caught Inara's eyes. She glanced out of the side of her eye and noticed Azula was too chained in the same way as she was. Something was different about her though. It was intriguing enough for Inara to actually look up. Whoever had captured them had fashioned a crude mask of what looked like wet rawhide. There was a strong smell of alcohol. Inara could not determine if it was from the men or if the rawhide was soaked in it.

"Hey sir, she's awake," one of the men said when he noticed Inara stirring.

She quickly surveyed what she was up against. There were seven men sitting at a table. They had wine and food out and they were all halfway in the cups. She could tell that they were all of the Earth Kingdom and did not seem to be the average rookie bounty hunter. However, every single one of them seemed like they had just won a great prize of some kind though.

She heard feet approaching. She turned a resilient look in the direction of the man who stood before the bars that separated her and Azula from their captures. A smug looking man stood before them. He wore nothing but black and he had his hands clasped behind his back.

"Shanxi," she greeted the man acidly.

"Lady Inara," he greeted her in return.

"You seem to be doing well."

Shanxi shrugged. "Better than you it appears. I seem to have caught the most prized escaped convict of all times right out from under your nose."

"She's more of a political enemy than convict," Inara corrected him for Azula's benefit. She looked over at Azula but could not tell what she was thinking behind her mask.

"She's insane," he said to clear up any more disputes.

Inara shrugged. "I can't argue that much."

"But this is sweet justice," Shanxi continued.

"Why?" Inara inquired just to continue the conversation. "She didn't cause the fall of the Dai Li. You are the ones who betrayed your own nation."

"She lied to us."

"She was the enemy. What did you expect? But you reap what you sow. Even the Assassins Guild would not admit you."

Shanxi glared at her. That was an obvious point of his discontent. The Merchants Guild and Assassins Guild had both issued informal but strong edicts proclaiming that all members of the Dai Li were never to be admitted. This left them vulnerable to the competition and disgraced.

"We don't need the Assassins Guild." He glanced over at Azula who was now smoldering in anger. "She is all we need."

"So I guess you ransom her off to Fire Lord Zuko and go retire in some cushy estate," she guessed.

Shanxi gave her a humorless smile. They had very few little to do with each other in the past. They were usually indifferent towards each other if they did cross each others paths. But he did harbor a deep resentment towards Inara for her success as a woman and with her title. He generally disliked anyone with any advantage in birth and he readily showed it whenever they came into close proximities. There was an occasion when he had openly insulted her sordid past but he only received a thrashing from a fellow merchant.

"You're not too far off the mark," he answered.

Inara silently watched as Shanxi turned the key in the lock and opened the cell door still carrying that humorless smile. He floated across the ground as any good Dai Li agent would. Here was a man who struck fear into the citizens of the great city of Ba Sing Se. Now he was chancing everything on the head of an insane princess. Oh how the wicked traitors fell.

"It shouldn't be too hard to collect on her bounty," he said as he circled Azula like he was sizing up an ostrich-horse on the market. "Even if I have to sell her to another more resourceful agent it will be worth my time. However, I never did expect to ensnare the infamous Captain Inara."

Shanxi turned his attention to Inara now. He circled her in the same menacing way he did Azula looking her up and down until he came face to face with her. He slowly approached her and he traced his finger along her jaw bone to her chin.

"Leave," he ordered his men.

"But sir…"

"I can handle two women. Go keep guard. I am intrigued that the captain is without her crew. Do you not imagine that Kerak or Taizo may be lurking about?"

The men irritably grumbled as they slunk outside. They were too comfortable with their wine and their food. One man swiped the jug of wine off the table as he passed. The door slammed behind them in protest of them not being able to sufficiently celebrate their fortunate catch.

Shanxi went to retrieve a chair. He came back and sat down before Inara and Azula. He looked at each of them curiously.

"A Fire Nation princess and lady," he mused. "I thought life as a Dai Li agent was hard. Only a Fire Lord would set up the ladies of his court as such practiced assassins."

"Assassin is such a base word," Inara returned.

"Is it true that all you children are trained to kill at early ages?"

Azula let out what may have been a muffled laugh. Both Inara and Shanxi could see pure amusement in Azula's eyes.

"Well I'll take that as a yes," Shanxi muttered.

"Don't mind her," Inara said. "She has her own sense of childhood games. Hide-and-seek has a whole different meaning to her."

"I would imagine. I have heard stories of her insanity."

Azula let out a muffled growl. She was angry with Inara and Shanxi talking about her like she was not even there. Shanxi was fishing for something.

"I hear that you have become very powerful in the Merchants Guild," Shanxi said leaving the topic of Azula's mental state.

"I don't see any reason my influence would be of any interest to you."

"I have always wondered if your power and influence stems from your family's wealth, your romantic reputation, or your ruthlessness."

"Well I prefer to say it is nothing but rumors and gossip. Slander is a very dangerous tool. The tongue can be sharper than the sword."

"Yet I find that your reputation very intriguing."

Inara let out a bark of a laugh. "Reputation is an idol and false imposition. It is usually gained without merit and lost without cause."

Shanxi shook his head with a strange smile spread over his face. "I believe you are the exception to the rule. You see, I believe that you have far more influence over your peers than you let on."

Inara still smiled without mirth. "Be careful Shanxi. You are treading through hostile lands."

"It was you," he finally said. "I know it was you who single-handedly set up the ban against mine and any of my brothers' admittance into the Guilds. You left us out in the cold to scratch out miserable existences."

Inara's smile dropped and she narrowed her eyes at him. Her gold eyes burned with the fury of the Demons. "You've caught me," she darkly intoned.

Shanxi did not seem to notice what she said. He walked over to where a large, heavy cane leaned against the wall. He circled Inara holding the cane in a manner that did not bode well for Inara.

"That stick will not fix your predicament," she sneered.

"No, the princess will do that. This is all for pleasure."

Inara grunted in pain as the cane struck her shoulder. She gritted her teeth and held in the larger part of her screams.

"You did it to yourself," she growled through gritted teeth.

"The Assassins Guild is filled with nothing but lying knaves. They would have taken us."

"Damnit!" she cursed as the cane hit her again on the other shoulder.

"Azula will be our ticket out of the darkness," Shanxi said. "You will be fun to keep around."

He hit her three more times in the kidneys, ribs, and shoulders. Inara was mostly quiet besides the stream of curses that spilled off her tongue. Shanxi pulled back again ready to strike. "I will enjoy having a lifetime of this."

A loud crash from the other side of the door caused him to pause. The cane fell with an empty thud on the ground. He walked around looking at the door and then looked at her with a questioning look and she answered with her cold eyes. Hesitation passed over his face which caused Inara to smile. A long moment passed until they heard screams and more crashes and explosions that rocked the building.

"Who's out there?" they heard one of Shanxi's men yell from outside.

There were more screams of desperation from his men. They could hear footsteps quickly approaching and the door flew open. Shanxi turned with the insignificant knife drawn to find one of his own men standing in the doorway. There was blood oozing from his head and a look of terror plastered on his face.

"Report!" Shanxi ordered.

"I don't know," the man panted. "I don't know who it is. They came out of nowhere. We are surrounded. I think it must be a Dragon."

"Impossible, we're inland. Dragons are nothing but pirates. They wouldn't attack us this far inland."

"But sir, you haven't seen it. Wanfu and Donglin were swallowed up into the night. I saw it with my own eyes."

"And you didn't send anyone after them?"

"There are only seven of us sir and we were quickly reduced to five. What could we do?" The man then looked over at Azula who had remained rather calm during all of this. "It's her that they want. We should give her up. That will…"

"Nonsense," Shanxi said. "They have no interest into affairs of the state. It's not a Dragon."

"Someone help me! No!" they heard someone scream from outside.

Azula glanced over at Inara as she tried to recover her senses. Inara returned the glance with a tired smile. Azula showed no concern for Inara but rather their shared fates.

Inara nodded to Azula and turned to the Dai Lie with a cruel grin. "That makes four," she remarked coldly.

Shanxi began to take the threat seriously. "Have everyone fall back inside," he decided. "We're Earthbenders. Surely we can create an acceptable defense against whoever it is out there."

The man then ran to the door. He dared not to go outside. "Fall back!" he yelled "Fall back!"

The men had been waiting anxiously for the order. The door was thrown against the wall as one man raced inside. He showed the obvious signs of a battle with fresh blood soaking his clothes. The second man followed. He was white with fear. It was amazing that a former Dai Li agent would be reduced to this. Then the third and final man came. He tripped in the door and only half of his body made it inside.

"Help him up!" Shanxi roared.

The two men who just ran in reached out to him. They both grabbed his hands only to be pulled over flat on their bellies. Someone or something had hold of the man's legs and was pulling him back into the darkness. His comrades lost their grip. The dark force began to pull him back.

"No…no…no!" the man screamed frantically. He reached for his friends and clawed at the ground tearing his own nails from his fingers. "I don't want to die!"

Inara looked on at him with demented delight. These men deserved whatever fate they were received while on this world. She even thought she heard a small chuckle from Azula. The princess turned her head towards Inara again. Her eyes were bright. She was ready for revenge whenever she got the chance.

"Get him!" Shanxi yelled again as the men scrambled towards the fallen.

With frightful speed, the man was almost completely pulled out of the door. He made one last chance for life and grasped for the door frame. His bloodied fingers clung onto the frame with blood oozing out. The blood made a slick grip and with a loud scream, he lost his grip. He disappeared into the darkness screaming and then there was silence.

"Three down," Inara taunted.

Shanxi jumped into action. He stood before the door. He bent one…two…three large boulders out of the ground and threw them into three different directions. His remaining men threw opened the windows and started to spray smaller but still deadly rocks out into a large array hoping to hit anyone lurking outside. This continued for several minutes. They all screamed in their efforts to survive.

Then there was silence. They stopped fighting and whoever was out there seemed to have given up. The former Dai Li waited for a white flag or the long moan of a dying mercenary. Nothing came.

"Sir, do you think we killed him? Do you think we killed the dragon?"

"Shh," Shanxi shushed him as he waited.

Inara tapped her finger nail against the chain. It made an ominous tap…tap…tap that drummed in the men's ears. As small of a noise it was, it was deafening to them. They all turned their heads towards her with threatening glares for her to stop.

Inara smiled at them in her own defiance but her smile quickly fell. Her eyes were drawn to the window. There was a strange orange glow outside. The men immediately noticed and looked out too.

"What is that?" Shanxi asked.

A devastating explosion rocked the old outpost. There was a concussive force that crumbled the wall sending debris everywhere. The men were thrown to the ground and Inara nearly dislocated her bad shoulder again. A series of smaller explosions followed. They were too small to do any harm. All they did was create a lot of smoke and cause everyone to cough.

Then a black figure emerged. He immediately cut down the first agent to approach him. The others threw whatever their battered bodies allowed. The attacker dodged everything but that was all he could do. He scrambled towards the bars and fell into the cell. He ripped off his mask and Inara let out a sigh seeing the familiar blue eyes of Sokka.

Sokka had a fleeting smile of relief to see her alive.

"Release Azula," Inara said quickly before Sokka ran head first into battle again.

Sokka nodded. With his black blade, he ran over to Azula. He cut the chains that held her hands above her head and then he cut the chains that tethered her feet to the ground. Azula immediately leapt away from Sokka. She jumped over his head and landed nimbly on a large piece of wall. She menacingly crouched there and tore off the rawhide mask. She had the most evil smile anyone had ever seen with her gold eyes glinting in murderous desire.

"Watch out," Inara breathed.

Azula immediately launched herself at the former Dai Li Agents. They were once feared by the masses and eventually feared by Azula. She dismissed them from her sight in fear of them turning on her. They had humiliated her by her capture and now she would make them pay for this. Blue flames erupted from her fists and feet. She screamed and fire burst from her mouth.

Shanxi and the remaining of his men tried to scramble out of the building. They tried to defend themselves against the angry demon who rained brimstone and fire over their heads. There was no escape for them. Azula proceeded to systematically cut them down one by one. She was very efficient being trained by the best in the Fire Nation.

Sokka was momentarily frozen by her ferocity. He watched the most horrifying display of power and anger he had ever seen. The blue flames captivated him as they flashed before his eyes and his heart fluttered at every terrified shriek from the men.

"Sokka!" Inara yelled stirring him from his dream.

Sokka shook his head and turned towards her. He could see the pain plainly written across her face and the cane did not go unobserved.

"A Dragon?" Inara asked since he was still silent. "Is that the best you could think of?"

Sokka shrugged. "I figured if I used enough explosions and diversions they would at least assume there was more than one of me. But are you alright?"

"Never better," she replied with a small smile. "Now cut me loose."

Sokka was slightly embarrassed that he had not immediately done it already. He quickly cut through the chains around her ankles and then the ones over her head. Inara immediately started to fall. Sokka caught her in his arms and wrapped her up to keep her safe. She clung to him around his neck as she found her footing but they did not release each other then.

The sound of chaos that ensued around them did not register in their minds. Sokka held her close and she did not refuse.

"I thought they killed you," she whispered in his ear.

Sokka chuckled. "You know it will take more than that to get rid of me."

He ran his hands over her back and she arched in pain. He quickly released her and stepped back. Sokka took in a deep breath, looked down at the ground, and then looked back at Inara. Inara held her side where the cane had probably bruised a rib. But she knew real reason he had released her so quickly. She knew the reason why he looked at her with fear.

"It's alright," she breathed.

It was only then that they could hear Azula screaming in triumph as she continued to deal out death and destruction. They both turned and watched her fury and anger rain down horrifying justice over her captors.

Sokka leaned into Inara's ear. "Should we stop her?"

At that moment, Azula had succeeded in laying down the last man, Shanxi. She fried him with a bolt of lightening joyfully laughing as his body jerked sporadically. Sokka and Inara were silent as Azula turned towards them with her victorious sneer.

"I'd say no," Inara quietly replied.

Azula looked both of them and they quickly adopted severely neutral expressions. She laughed and spit on one of the lifeless bodies.

"There's nothing like revenge to finish off a day," Azula said.

"I don't think they killed your men," Inara said.

Azula shrugged. "Then murder is a close second."

"Well, let's get going," Sokka suggested.

Sokka located Inara's gear and threw it to her. He then immediately ran out of the building over the shambles of the destroyed wall. Inara and Azula followed him and he led them to the ostrich-horse that was waiting at a tree. Two unconscious men dangled by their ankles from the branches but no one mentioned them.

"We have to hurry," Inara said. "We have a lot of ground to cover.