N.B. – This chapter takes place immediately after "The Warriors of Kyoshi".
I felt the wind caressing every inch of my body as the sun shone down. Above me was a cloudless sky, while a crystal clear ocean was below me.
Below me?
I suddenly stopped, realizing that there was nothing below me but the endless water. I wasn't standing on a ship or any kind of landmass. It was almost as if I were… flying.
It was then that I realized that none of my extremities felt quite right. I could flex my fingers, but there didn't seem to be that many of them. I then looked down at the surface of the ocean, and was shocked to see not my own body, but that of a massive Dragon.
My… current body was long and scaled, like a serpent's, with purple scales. My rich, amber eyes were staring back at me, but the pupils were thin slits, like a cat's. My large head was bearded, with a wide, flat nose and long whiskers.
Two large wings emerged from my back, just behind my head, gently flapping in order to keep me aloft.
I then heard a whisper coming from nearby. Looking up, I saw some kind of landmass, possibly an island, off in the distance. My curiosity leading me by the nose, I flew towards it, taking note of how my body twirled and undulated as I soared through the air.
Given how fast I was traveling, I reached the island in no time at all. I started circling overhead, gazing down at the island. There were no buildings or people that I could make out, but as I made yet another pass, a white tiger emerged from a group of trees in the centre.
It was very large, almost as large as my Draconic body, and its white fur was covered in black stripes that formed intricate and beautiful patterns.
I stopped flying as it stared at me with one green and one blue eye, not making any other movement.
"Don't trust her" someone said from beside me with my father's voice. Looking to my left, I saw another Dragon, almost identical to me except for the fact that it was covered in blue scales. "Don't trust her" the blue Dragon repeated, staring at me with a predatory glare. It almost looked like it was smiling with its sharp, fang-filled mouth.
I looked back at the white tiger; it didn't say anything, nor did it make any movement.
"She'll lead you down the wrong path. Kill her".
I continued to stare at the tiger, not sure as to what I should do.
"Kill her!" the blue Dragon repeated in my father's voice, the furious tone very familiar. Just then, the tiger leaped forward, baring its fangs as it swiped its claws across my face.
My eyes bolted open as I sat upright in my bed, feeling out of breath. My whole body was covered in sweat, and I felt as if I had just finished exerting myself for days.
Running a hand through my hair, I looked around my quarters, reassuring myself that the dream had ended. I moved the covers aside before getting off of my bed. The cold metal felt amazing on my bare feet, and I shuddered in pleasure. Normally, as with most Firebenders, I maintained a greater than average body heat, but the cooling effect the metal had on my skin was very soothing.
I then walked over to the large, full-length mirror that rested against one of the walls, rubbing my neck as I did so. I stared at my reflection, at my amber eyes and well-muscled, athletic physique. Currently, I only wore a loose-fitting pair of pants, so my toned torso was bared.
I turned so as to get a good look at my back, gently pulling on my shoulder. I saw it being reflected back at me: my tattoo. It was a purple Dragon, and its long, serpentine body ran the length of my spine, while its wings spread out with the very tips touching my shoulders and its large, bearded head ran along the back of my neck.
I had received the tattoo to celebrate my promotion to Captain three years ago. That day was still clear, even after all this time: my father standing in front of me, raising me to the rank of Captain after a victory against an Earth Kingdom battalion as the soldiers cheered. That day had been one of the greatest of my life. My father had truly been proud of me, which is the thing I remembered most about that day.
It was one of few.
Thinking of my father reminded me of my dream. The blue Dragon I'd seen had spoken in his voice. But what did it all mean? Why did the blue Dragon want me to kill the tiger, and did it deserve to die?
My mind swam in questions and confusion until a knock at my door brought me back to the present.
"Come" I said, taking several calming breaths.
A Firebending soldier stepped through the door. "Captain Shan We", he said, bowing in respect, "we're approaching Kyoshi Island".
"Are we certain that that is where Prince Zuko went?" I asked, crossing my arms over my chest.
"Yes, sir" the other man replied. "We currently have no sighting of the Prince's ship; we might be able to glean some information from the island's inhabitants".
I nodded in agreement. "Have the helmsman bring us to the island shore. I'll make my way to the closest village with the twins".
The soldier bowed before closing the door behind him, leaving me alone once more. Turning to the mirror, I stared at my reflection for a few moments before drawing myself to my full height. Whatever the dream meant, now was not the time to mull it over; I had a Prince and the Avatar to find.
"Takara!" I heard a voice call as I sliced my twin fans to the left. Utterly focused on my training regimen, I turned to the right and sliced my fans upwards in an X, dispatching an imaginary opponent.
"Takara!"
The sound of my name finally broke my focus, and as I extended my arm in the middle of a manoeuvre, the surprise caused me to let go of the fan in that hand. It shot through the air before striking the door frame, imbedding itself into the wood as it sliced a few hairs from the top of my father's head.
I let out a yelp of surprise and shock, while my father didn't even flinch.
"I'm so sorry father!" I cried as I ran up to him, a mixture of fear and embarrassment written on my face.
"Takara", he said, firmly but gently as he stroked his bushy, grey beard, "when I allowed you to become a Kyoshi Warrior, I made you promise to train every day and to commit yourself to the path of the warrior".
"I remember" I said, thinking back to that day. It had been over a year now, and I still found myself fumbling and making mistakes almost every other day.
"However", my father said, placing his hands firmly on my shoulders, "that does not mean that you should allow your senses to only focus on one thing, even if you are training; in battle, your senses must be keen at all times, so that you won't be taken by surprise".
I nodded, smiling self-consciously.
"Now, I need you to help Suki and the others. There is much damage that remains from the Firebenders' attack".
"Yes, father" I said, moving to pull my fan from the door frame. I then closed both weapons, silently cursing my potentially disastrous fumble from earlier. I could have seriously injured my father, and I don't know what I would have done; ever since my mother had died when I was little, we'd only had each other.
I tried to push such dark and gloomy thoughts from my mind as I stepped outside, into the evening dusk.
Taking a deep breath, I started to head over to one of the damaged buildings that the Firebenders had recently almost burned down. Our village was still recovering from the attack, and almost half of the buildings were barely standing; at present, they were nothing more than charred wooden frames.
If not for the Avatar, then things would have been much worse.
Suddenly, I spotted a dark shape off in the distance. Squinting in order to make it out, I saw that it wasn't the Unagi; whatever it was, it was heading straight for the shore of the bay. With a horrifying realization, I knew what it was. "Fire Nation ship!" I cried, pointing to it. The people around me became instantly terrified, the memory of what the last Firebenders who'd come here still fresh.
I could only hope that we all survived the coming encounter.
I took in my surroundings as I walked, noting the recent signs of battle. The village directly ahead was barely standing; it looked as if it had nearly been burned to the ground, and that was how I knew that Prince Zuko had been here recently. Like my father, he had the unfortunate tendency to let his anger take control in the heat of battle, which left quite a lot of destruction in his wake.
I stopped directly in front of the village, clasping my hands behind my back. "I know the Avatar has been here recently!" I called. "Tell me where he went, and no one will be harmed".
Just then, a number of fast-moving shapes darted in between the burned buildings, and I counted at least five of them. Behind me, the twins tensed, clearly expecting a fight. I remained perfectly still as the shapes suddenly appeared, forming a semi-circle in front of us. They each wore fine green kimonos and brandished twin fans, and judging by their overall demeanor, I assumed that they were very skilled in their use.
"I seek the Avatar" I said evenly, appraising each of the painted women in front of me.
An older man with a bushy beard and grey hair then emerged from one of the ruined buildings, walking over to the fan-wielding warrior women. "The Avatar is not here" he said in a hostile tone. "Nor do we know where he is".
"He?" I asked, arching an eyebrow. "So he has been here".
The older man clenched his hands into fists, clearly irritated at the minor slip; since the Avatar had not been seen for a century, no one would know his or her gender unless they met them personally. "You must leave now. Kyoshi Island has remained neutral in this war!"
"Which is why I didn't bring my troops with me" I replied. Taking a moment to look at the burned buildings, I said. "This is quite a lot of damage. You wouldn't have encountered any Firebenders recently, would you?"
"Just you" the woman in the centre of the semi-circle, who I assumed to be the leader, spoke up.
"Really?" I asked, letting some of my disbelief slip through my stoic exterior. I looked down at the ground, noting the signs that a battle had been fought here recently. Crouching down, I placed my hand in the middle of a very large print, one that looked as if it bore clawed feet. It was deep into the dirt, meaning that the creature to whom it belonged was quite heavy; most likely, it had been a Komodo Rhino.
Standing up, I looked back at the warrior women and the old man. "I will ask one more time: where did the Avatar go?"
For a long moment, no one spoke. The only sound was the wind blowing through the village, and I kept my gaze on the others as it gently caressed the exposed portions of my skin. "We won't be intimidated!" the old man said at last, pointing a finger at me.
I closed my eyes, sighing. "Very well" I said, opening them after a moment. "You have chosen poorly".
"I think we can handle three Firebenders" the young woman in the centre of the semi-circle said confidently as she and the others prepared for a fight.
"Who said anything about three Firebenders?" I countered evenly. I had the distinct satisfaction of seeing the woman's eyes open with surprise a fraction of a second before she started to make her move.
But it was already too late.
Beside me, the twins struck their feet against the ground, creating two rolling waves of broken earth that rushed towards the fan-wielding warriors.
The surprise of the twin boys being Earthbenders struck me a single heartbeat before the rolling wave of earth knocked me off my feet. I landed on the ground with a hard thud, grunting as the air was knocked out of my lungs.
Pushing past my stunned surprise, I lifted my feet into the air as I pushed off the ground with my hands in order to get back on my feet. Beside me, the other Kyoshi Warriors were also standing, and we had barely regained our bearings when the Firebender and the two Earthbenders were on us.
Dodging a boulder thrown at me, I picked up my fans. As I did so, I saw the Firebender leaping into the air towards me, bringing his fist down as he did so and creating a small explosion when he landed. I barely dodged out of the way, feeling the intense heat as I re-entered a combat stance.
I launched myself into the attack, brandishing my fans with as much skill as I could muster. It was proving difficult; the Firebender was extraordinarily agile, and was able to deftly duck and dodge most of my attacks.
He suddenly aimed a sweeping kick at my head, which I just managed to duck below. I spun in a circle, backing up a few steps. The Firebender stared at me with a calm, stoic expression.
I stared back at him, my gaze falling on his rich amber eyes which conveyed an inner fire that I had never seen in anyone before. I felt almost entranced by those eyes before I forced my attention back to the present. Focus, Takara! I scolded myself.
The Firebender's eyes suddenly widened in surprise. I found myself wondering what he could be looking at. The only thing I could think of, beside the Kyoshi Warrior face paint I had on, was my eyes. One was green, while the other was blue; they were my most unique feature, so I could understand my opponent's surprise. But somehow, I sensed that this was much more than mere fascination; he appeared deeply disturbed by my eyes.
Steeling myself, I took the opportunity to strike, slicing one of my fans upwards.
At the last possible second, he dodged, but not before the razor-sharp edge of my fan managed to cut his cheek.
He grunted, more out of surprise than pain, as the cut was very small, continuing to stare at me. Before he could do anything, Suki and two of my fellow Kyoshi Warriors moved to engage him, keeping him occupied and giving me a precious moment to recover.
Suddenly, a crack formed in the ground directly under me, which started to widen at an alarming rate. Looking to my right, I saw one of the twin boys in Fire Nation armour making motions with his hands, as if he were pulling something apart.
Stumbling a little as the crack widened even further, I leaped to the side before running straight at the boy. He quickly switched tactics, kicking man-sized boulders from the ground before punching them at me with incredible speed.
Obviously, despite their youth, these boys were skilled Earthbenders.
Yet another boulder came flying towards me, but instead of dodging it, I pushed off the ground with my left foot, landing on the large chunk of rock with my right foot before pushing off with it. I somersaulted through the air before landing directly behind my opponent, sweeping his feet out from under him in the same manoeuvre.
He fell onto his back, grunting from the impact. Just as I raised one of my fans for an attack, I noticed a stream of blue flame streaking towards me. I moved my fans protectively in front of me just as the stream slammed into me, sending me flying through the air before I crashed into the base of Avatar Kyoshi's statue.
I cried out in pain as my body struck against the charred wood, instantly feeling pain everywhere I could think of as I slumped onto the ground.
"Takara!" a familiar voice shouted from nearby. Groaning with the effort, I lifted my head and saw one of my fellow Kyoshi Warriors running over to me. I gingerly rolled onto my back, wincing as my muscles flared with pain. I suddenly found myself unable to move, as my wrists and ankles were bound by rocky restraints.
A yelp of surprise from nearby drew my attention, and I turned my head and saw my fellow warrior encased in a conical rock prison, with only her head exposed.
"I told you there would be consequences" someone said in a calm, even tone. I heard slow, deliberate footsteps, and the Firebender soon appeared, flanked by the twin Earthbenders. In his hand, he held my father by his shirt collar, his bushy grey beard looking a little singed.
"Father!" I cried, struggling against my restraints.
"Takara!" he said, his eyes wide with concern.
Taking a moment to look past them, I saw Suki and the rest of my fellow warriors trapped in similar earthen restraints. "Now", the Firebender said evenly, his face stoic and unreadable, "where is the Avatar?"
The famed Kyoshi Warriors certainly lived up to their name; the twins and I hadn't had that kind of a challenge in some time. However, even their lauded skill could not stand against us, and they were defeated in short order.
However, the only thing on my mind was the warrior who had cut me.
She was the first person in a long time who had ever managed to wound me in a fight, and she had only been able to do it because I foolishly let my attention be drawn by her unique eyes. My father had taught me since I was a boy that to be distracted in battle meant death, and it was something he had drilled into me over my entire life.
And yet, I couldn't stop thinking about her. Her green and blue eyes were exactly the same as those of the tiger from my dream, and her face paint was the same shade of white.
As the twins went about gathering the bound Kyoshi Warriors and who I assumed to be the village leader into a group, I thought back to the dream. In it, the tiger had stared at me with its alluring eyes before it had swiped my face with its claws.
I gently touched the cut on my cheek; that part of my dream had proven true. But what about the blue Dragon?
Shaking my head, I turned to look at the Kyoshi Warriors and the village leader. Clasping my hands behind my back, I said "Now, I know that Prince Zuko came here recently, and the only reason for that is because he was hunting the Avatar. If you tell me where he went, then I swear that none of you will be harmed; I will depart, and your village will remain intact".
The village leader snorted. "So we should just trust the word of a Firebender?" he asked, his voice dripping with disdain. "All you people ever do is burn everything in your path".
"Unlike most of my people", I said, doing my best to keep my emotions in check, "I am a man of my word". The village leader conveyed what he thought of that statement with his eyes, and I sighed; it would seem that more extreme measures were warranted. "Very well. If you refuse to tell me of the Avatar's next destination, then I will burn down each and every building in this village until one of you speaks up".
"And do we have your 'word' on that?" one of the Kyoshi Warriors asked sardonically.
"You do" I replied. Turning around, I proceeded to thrust a fist forward, sending a stream of blue flames at one of the ruined buildings. It was instantly set aflame, and within moments, it collapsed into a pile of ashes.
"Tell me where the Avatar is" I commanded, turning back to the restrained warriors and village leader. They remained silent, and I sent a stream of blue flames at another half-ruined building, and another, and another, until a voice called out "If I tell you, will you promise to leave everyone alone?"
I struggled against my restraints, but it was useless. The rock binding my wrists and ankles were too tight, and I could only wait and see what the next few minutes would bring.
One of the twins slid his foot across the ground, and I found myself being slid over to where my fellow Kyoshi Warriors and my father were placed. Looking over at my father, I saw that he was unharmed; his clothes and beard were a little singed, but luckily, that was it.
"Are you all right?" he asked me, the concern evident in his eyes.
"I'm fine" I replied, fidgeting a little. Glancing down at the front of my green kimono, I saw that it was singed as well, leaving the hem and some of the edges a little tattered.
The Firebender stared off into thin air, looking as if he was thinking deeply about something. Perhaps it had something to do about the way he stared at me during our brief battle; he had looked at me as if he recognized me, or my eyes, at any rate.
I couldn't tell what he was thinking about, and whatever it was, he set it aside before looking back at us.
"Now, I know that Prince Zuko came here recently, and the only reason for that is because he was hunting the Avatar. If you tell me where he went, then I swear that none of you will be harmed; I will depart, and your village will remain intact".
My father snorted, and I could see his disdainful expression. "So we should just trust the word of a Firebender?" he asked, his voice dripping with disdain. "All you people ever do is burn everything in your path".
The Firebender maintained a stoic demeanor, but I could tell that his patience was starting to wear thin; it was like he was growing tired at some kind of misconception we had about the Fire Nation. Eventually, he sighed and said "Very well. If you refuse to tell me of the Avatar's next destination, then I will burn down each and every building in this village until one of you speaks up".
My eyes opened in horror. He was going to burn down our entire village if we didn't tell him how to capture the world's last hope for peace?
"And do we have your 'word' on that?" Suki asked sardonically; clearly, she felt that no Firebenders could be trusted.
"You do" the other man said quietly, and I thought I heard the briefest touch of regret in his voice. Suddenly, he turned to one of the buildings that was no more than a charred wooden frame and blasted it with a stream of blue flames.
I watched, transfixed as the hauntingly beautiful fire quickly burned the building to ash. So, it wasn't an empty threat; this man would burn down my entire village if he didn't get what he wanted.
I shouldn't have been surprised. After all, he was a Firebender, one who had attacked us without provocation. I shouldn't have expected him to be some sort of merciful Firebender.
"Tell me where the Avatar is" he commanded, his tone leaving no room for doubt.
None of my fellow warriors or my father spoke, and I stared back at the man with hate in my eyes. Despite his thick, finely-groomed sideburns which left his mouth, chin, and upper lip bare, his top-knot tied together with a metal ring, and overall handsome features, I saw him for what he really was: a murderer and a savage.
He proceeded to shoot another stream of blue fire at another ruined building, and it burned to ash a few moments later. He then burned a second, and finally a third. I couldn't take it anymore; I couldn't just watch as my home burned.
"If I tell you, will you promise to leave everyone alone?"
The Firebender stopped, turning to look at me with surprise. I couldn't bring myself to look at my fellow warriors or my father, but I could feel their eyes boring into me.
"I can tell you where the Avatar went" I said, staring defiantly at the man. "Just promise to leave my village alone".
"If you come with me, and give me the information I need, then I will leave your village alone. I swear this on the honour of my family and my nation".
Tears started to well up in my eyes, and I clenched them shut. "I'll go with you" I said, trying my best to not break down in front of everyone.
"Takara!" my father cried, struggling against his restraints. "You can't do this! I won't allow it!"
"That is not your decision to make" the Firebender said. He then motioned over to one of the twins, who released my restraints back into the ground. The amber-eyed man pulled me up, keeping a firm, but relatively gentle, grip on my arm. He took away both of my fans and my katana, examining the slightly curved blade for a moment. "A fine weapon" he said.
I clenched my teeth as I stared at him with the most intimidating look I could muster.
With that, he turned me towards the bay, and we started walking. Out of the corner of my eye, I could see the others being released from their restraints.
My father started running towards me, shouting "Takara!" The desperation in his voice made my heart ache.
The Firebender turned and pointed my katana at him. "If you follow me, then the deal's off" he warned. With that, we kept on walking, and I had a strong suspicion that I wouldn't be seeing my home for quite some time.
I led the Kyoshi Warrior up the lowered bow and into the ship. "Take us out!" I called as the sharpened bow was raised behind me and the twins.
As we made our way through the various corridors and stairs, I could feel the Cruiser moving as it backed away from the island's shore. Soon, we would be back out at sea, and hopefully on our way to capturing the Avatar.
The armoured soldiers and meandering crewmen stopped whatever they were doing to stare at my newly-acquired prisoner, and I could see her trying to keep a high head despite her situation. I found myself respecting this warrior woman; she had sacrificed herself so that her family and village might survive. And if she helped me to capture the Avatar, then she would be helping to end this war once and for all.
We eventually made our way to the bridge, and I had the Kyoshi Warrior stand in front of a map of the world that was hanging on an adjacent wall.
"Now, fulfill your end of the bargain and tell me where he went".
The painted woman scowled at me for a moment before she turned her attention to the map. After looking it over, she pointed to an area in the northeastern Earth Kingdom, surrounded by two dark circles. "There" she said, lowering her hand. "They're going to Ba Sing Se".
I placed a finger to my chin thoughtfully. "And why would he go there?" I asked, keeping my gaze on her.
"He's the Avatar" she explained. "He's the world's only chance to find peace and end the war. I overheard him talking about seeing the Earth King".
I nodded, not letting any of my doubt slip through my stoic exterior. "If the legends are to be believed", I began, clasping my hands behind my back, "then the Avatar must master the four elements. Since this Avatar's native element is Air, then the next one he needs to master is Water". I leaned in close so that my lips were only a few inches from the woman's ear. "And I don't think there are any Waterbending Masters in Ba Sing Se".
She shuddered, and I could tell that she was re-thinking her obvious ploy. When she had offered to come with me, she must have planned on sending me on a wild turtle-duck chase.
She tensed noticeably, and after a long moment of probable internal debate, she slumped her shoulders in defeat and said "Omashu. He's going to Omashu; I overheard him talking about making some kind of stop there".
"Well done" I said evenly. "You're doing a great service to the world". I then motioned for two armoured Firebending soldiers to approach. "You", I said, looking at the one on my left as I handed him the warrior woman's weapons, "take these and lock them away somewhere secure. And you", I said, looking to the one on my right, "find her a comfortable room and guard the door".
The soldier with the weapons walked out of the bridge, while the other one wrapped metal manacles around the woman's wrists before escorting her out.
I turned to the helmsman and said "Take us north, to Omashu". The middle-aged man bowed before going about his task.
With everything taken care of for the moment, I looked at the twins and said "You two can go ahead and relax; it will be a few days before we reach our destination".
They both nodded, proceeding to make their way towards their quarters, while I made my way over to mine.
As I walked, I once again thought about this strange Kyoshi Warrior. She seemed to be very brave, and she was not un-skilled in battle, but it was her connection to my dream that concerned me most. What had the blue Dragon meant when it had told me to kill her? And why did it have my father's voice?
It certainly sounded like something my father would say, but there was no way he would have known about this woman before tasking me with following Prince Zuko.
I soon reached my quarters, closing the door shut behind me. I then sat at the desk set against one of the far walls, taking out a blank piece of paper. Taking my brush in hand, I dipped it into the inkwell before writing.
Father,
I have just left Kyoshi Island with a valuable prisoner, and I am continuing to follow Prince Zuko's trail and, hopefully, the Avatar's.
I strongly believe that the Avatar is making his way to the North Pole. The legends tell us that he must master the four elements, and that would make Water the first on his list. The Northern Water Tribe is the only source of Waterbending Masters in the world, so that is his only possible destination.
While I am following him, I believe that we should prepare for all possibilities. If you blockade the Mo Ce Sea, then you can cut off his only sea route while I pursue him on land.
I hope this letter finds you well.
Signed,
Shan We
I blew on the letter so the ink fully dried before rolling it up and tying it. I then walked over to one of the messenger hawks that I kept in my quarters. Opening the top cage, I held my arm out, allowing the crimson hawk to hop down onto it. After placing the rolled up letter into the canister on its back, I opened my window before saying "Take this to my father, Commander Zhao".
The hawk squawked once before it flew through the window, carrying my message with it.
The Fire Nation soldier escorted me through the ship, and I was treated to yet another round of humiliating stares from the other soldiers and crew.
Where before I was a curiosity when the man everyone referred to as 'Captain' had taken me to the bridge, I was now an entertaining prisoner. I heard it all as I walked: they mocked my kimono, my headdress, my face paint, everything.
Everything I wore was meant to evoke pride and respect: my kimono represented our warrior heritage, while my face paint was meant to be intimidating to my enemies. Only it was anything but right now.
The soldier escorting me was dressed in full armour, with a spiked helmet and white, skull-like faceplate. I suppose that was designed to evoke fear in those who fought him, and it also meant that his face was hidden; anything that might have shown him to be human and caring was covered up, leaving only the image of a terrifying warrior who would show no mercy.
Eventually, I was brought to a fairly small cabin in the middle of the ship. My escort opened the door before roughly shoving me inside. I stumbled a little, but managed to stay on my feet as the door was sealed and locked.
Looking around, I saw that the room I presently occupied was sparse, with only a bed on the far wall and two crimson Fire Nation banners hanging from the other two walls.
Pointedly ignoring the banners, I moved to sit down on the bed, staring down at the floor. I told myself that I had done the right thing. If I hadn't, then my entire village would have been burned to the ground, and everyone I knew or cared about would be gone.
That didn't make the ache in my heart lessen.
I thought about my father stroking his bushy grey beard as he lectured me on life and the way of the warrior. I thought about Suki and the other Kyoshi Warriors, and the endless hours of training we all went through. I thought about Taka, the elderly shop owner, and the free mango she gave me every morning.
Electing to try to get some sleep, I laid down on the bed, belatedly noting the sound of my manacles clinking as I did so.
Not surprisingly, I didn't sleep very well. I spent most of the night tossing and turning, plagued by visions of the Captain's face illuminated by blue flames.
I was suddenly awoken by a harsh knocking on my door. I sat up as my guard stepped through, his expression unreadable behind his skull-like faceplate. "The Captain wants to see you" he said, walking over to me and grabbing my arm.
"Why?" I asked. The guard didn't answer as he roughly pushed me out into the corridor, where I saw one of the Earthbending twins standing with his arms crossed.
The boy then led the way as we walked through the ship, eventually coming to the conning tower that rose above the deck. Eventually, we came to a door where the other Earthbending twin stood, and my guard handed me over to them before walking away.
I was gently ushered through the door, into an expansive room that contained several antique weapons and armour, as well as a full-length mirror, large bed, and a few intricate tapestries. And there, kneeling in front of a small table with a teapot and two cups, was him.
"Please, sit" the Firebending Captain said, motioning to the other side of the table.
Glancing at the twins, I proceeded to kneel. For a long moment, neither of us spoke, and I stared into his amber eyes as defiantly as I could.
"How do you like your tea?" he asked at last.
The question caught me off-guard. "What?"
"How do you like your tea?" he repeated, gesturing to the ceramic teapot and cups. Looking down at the teapot, I saw that it was a very fine piece, with the spout resembling a Dragon's head.
Ignoring the question, I looked back at the man's amber eyes. "Why did you bring me here?"
"If I recall", he said, heating the teapot with a blue flame, "you volunteered to come with me".
"I meant why did you bring me to your quarters?" I asked, my irritation growing. Why did he have to be so calm and composed all the time? "Why did you want to see me?"
He smothered the flame in his hand once the tea was ready. He then replied "I wish to have a conversation with you. Just because you are my prisoner does not mean that we shouldn't be civil towards one another".
I remained silent as he poured the steaming tea into both cups before setting the pot down. Civil? I thought to myself. How dare he?!
He took a sip of tea before asking "Were you not taught proper etiquette as a child?" Based on his tone, he didn't sound condescending or insulting; he actually sounded as if he was making sure of something before he proceeded.
"Etiquette?" I asked incredulously, finally unable to contain my feelings. "You threatened to burn down my village, took me prisoner, and now you're talking about etiquette?"
"Ah, yes" he said, setting his cup down. "I'm glad we reached an agreement before I was forced to do something… unpleasant".
"Unpleasant?!" I all but screamed. "You…"
He cut me off with a raised hand. "If you take a moment to calm yourself, you will see that I am not as monstrous as you might think. If you remember, I only burned buildings that were nearly destroyed in the first place. I could have chosen to burn buildings which probably contained your people, but I did not".
I opened my mouth to fire a retort, but closed it a moment later. He arched an eyebrow, and I looked down at the floor, grudgingly admitting that his logic made sense, to a certain extent.
"Now, you should drink your tea before it cools".
I looked back at my tea cup, and I had to admit that an inviting smell wafted up to my nose. Taking the cup in my hand, I raised it to my lips and took a tentative sip. I was pleasantly surprised as the delicious tea ran down my throat, letting out a small groan of pleasure. Licking my lips, I said "This tea is delicious!"
The Firebender might have smiled marginally, but it was hard to tell. "Thank you. I like to pride myself in my tea-brewing skills".
I took another sip, feeling the hot, delicious substance filling my belly with comforting warmth.
"My name is Shan We" the Firebender said after taking a sip of his own tea.
I looked back at his amber eyes, and after a moment, I replied "Takara".
"I am honoured to make your acquaintance" Shan We said, bowing his head in apparent respect.
I snorted, conveying what I thought of the irony of the situation; he takes me from my home, and he says that it's an 'honour to make my acquaintance'?
His expression didn't change, and he regarded me for a few moments. I awkwardly avoided his gaze, and once I finished my tea, he gestured to one of the twins, who opened the door. "Li will escort you to the galley. You can get something to eat there".
With that, I set my empty tea cup down on the table before walking out of his quarters, feeling his amber eyes on me the whole time.
There's chapter 2.
I don't know about the rest of you, but I think having Earthbenders on your side would be a Firebenders' greatest secret weapon. No one would expect it!
Please review and favourite! Constructive criticism is always welcome; I'm always looking to improve my writing.
DraekonGreycloak - You haven't seen ANYTHING yet ;)