[-The Palace of Koori-]
"What was that you just said, Tsuneo?" I asked, masking my rage with a deceptive calm. Beneath my feet, I heard the creeping crunch of ice. My lips curved into a smile at the thought of the suffering this man would endure—after he had served his purpose, of course.
The man in front of me was a pathetic creature, not fit to exist in my Kingdom. Unfortunately, true fortunetellers were becoming excessively rare, and I had to settle for a pallid, greasy-haired thing that inspired the desire to bathe. Intensively. "Shall I repeat the prophecy in its entirety, Majesty?"
I cocked my head to one side playfully, one lock of black hair dangling in front of my face. "Let me tell you a story, Tsuneo." The stupid man nodded his head eagerly. I could almost taste his terror. I could see he found it difficult to swallow, as well as distinguish every bead of sweat on his disgusting face. "A wise man goes in to visit the ruler of the Earth." It did not take a genius—which, of course, I was—to see that the simpleton did not understand my tale. "He tells her some extremely important news, something that could affect the longevity of her reign. If she asks him to repeat it, would the wise man leave out important details?"
He waited for me to continue the story; when I did not, his eyes flickered nervously from wall to wall. The iron cavern he found himself in was not comforting, of that I was sure. I drummed my fingers on the side of my chilly steel throne; at least, I had been told that it was chilly. I didn't notice any particular difference between the temperature of my skin and the temperature of my seat. Where my fingers contacted metal, a frosty imprint sprung up. This worried me only slightly, because I had the flask with me in case of emergencies.
"Well? What does the wise man say, Tsuneo?"
Tsuneo ran his tongue apprehensively over his lips before answering. "He repeats everything his ruler needs to know."
"And are you a wise man, Tsuneo?" I asked quietly, my voice colder than any wind that blew across my lands.
"I believe so, Majesty," he responded nervously, his eyes trained on my face. I could see my every beautiful feature reflected in them, but the thought of staring into his eyes appalled me, and so I studied my reflection on the floor of my throne room. I really was beautiful, I decided, for all that I was short. Petite, perhaps, was a better word, with silver gray eyes the color of a blizzard. My hair, darker than the velvety winter nights, rested comfortably at my chest. The two frosted pink lips set in my fair, heart-shaped face curled into a stunning, cruel smile. Even my skin was flawlessly smooth, if a bit pale.
After letting him simmer in his uncomfortable silence for a moment, I flicked my eyes back to his unworthy face. "Then perhaps you should repeat to me what it is I need to know. Unless, of course, you are prepared to deal with the consequences." At the last word of my sentence, his eyes widened a little. An icy path of crystalline spikes shot up from the ground, covering half the distance between the man and I before either of us could blink. "And you should do so quickly, before I lose my temper."
The man was still staring at the frozen trail as though he could not believe his eyes, and it took me a moment to remember why: I had… dispatched my other fortuneteller last week. Well, at least this new one would learn to have a proper respect for me in the earlier stages. "The… the uh… p-p-p-prophecy," he stammered. When he looked at me for approval I narrowed my eyes dangerously, and Tsuneo cast his glance elsewhere. "'There… There will be one… One stronger than you, and all of nature will rejoice. They will reinstate balance in the world, righting that which has been wronged. They will restore the Benders to their rightful glory, and herald the dawn of the age of the Avatar." The man relaxed after he was done reciting it and stared up at me like a pet demanding praise.
"Perhaps you are wiser than I thought," I sighed, forcing my bored tone while studying my nails. A cracking noise filled the air when I exhaled violently; Tsuneo yelped. I glanced at him from the corner of my eyes and saw that my control was slipping, that the frost had crept onto his ankles against my will. That meant it was time for my flask, and my medicine—not that this impudent fool could be allowed to know I depended on herbs for stability. "Get out," I commanded. He gestured to his legs, the plea lurking in his eyes. I waved my hand and the ice melted, but only just, and Tsuneo slipped out the door before any more damage could be done.
While the scorching burn of herbs traveled down my throat and into my system, restoring my grip on reality, I pondered the possible meanings of Tsuneo's phrase. I could only come up with one answer: The Avatar had returned to the world to challenge my claim to power. I smiled—there were no doubts about who would win that fight.
A/N: I'm sorry! I know this is a day late. I blame... summer brain. Yes, I have officially forgotten about the days of the week. -hangs head in shame- But I have been very productive with all of my lazing about (not really)!
Tainted: I think they show Korra on if you want to watch the episodes that way! Maybe it depends on your country, though :\ And you like coconut? Hmm, not such a huge fan myself. I like the flavor but the texture doesn't do anything for me... oops...
Until next Wednesday (and when I say Wednesday, I actually MEAN Wednesday this time)!