[A/N] I've had this idea sitting in my head for a while now and thought I should finally put it to paper so to speak. I'm not exactly sure how long it's going to be, but I figure writing it will be a good way to relax and take some stress off my mind thanks to stuff that's been happening recently.
Let's get into it!
Captain Xing sighed as he and his contingent made their way down the dirt road on their way to the specified meeting spot. His back and thighs ached horribly from hours of riding his eelhound and his mouth was as dry as the Si Wong Desert. The only solace he had was that they had almost arrived at their destination, the forest already giving way to the poorly constructed buildings that were all too common this far into the colonies.
Looking around, he could just barely make out the shadowed forms of thugs and thieves peeking out from the alleys between the dilapidated buildings. A town like this was a breeding ground for ne'er do wells and the like, but it was also the place to go if you wanted to employ those kinds of people. Which was unfortunately what they were here to do.
The eyes of the civilians on the street watched them warily as they made their way down the street, which was understandable all things considered. The only reason most of them even lived all the way out here was to avoid military presense, so having what basically amounted to a Fire Nation military convoy marching through the main street of the town was bound to cause some tension.
"Are you sure about this captain?" The voice of Leng rang out behind him. His first lieutenant was similarly haggard, her long hair sticking to her forehead with sweat.
He sighed in resignation, "Unfortunately so lieutenant, these orders come directly from the top. I couldn't say no even if I wanted to." And he really wanted to. Xing felt the idea of employing mercenaries went against everything the academy taught him. There was no reason to dirty themselves shaking the hands of the dregs of society.
Xing shook his head in disgust as they arrived at their destination, a run down bar with boarded up windows and a door that was barely attached to the hinges. It was exactly what one thought of when they heard the term 'dive bar' and if he had it his way, he'd burn the place to the ground without a second thought. But he had his orders.
He slung his leg over the saddle of his eelhound and placed his feet on the ground. He turned to the soldiers under his command, "Leng, you are with me. Sergeant Yang, have the other's stand guard at the entrances. No one in or out understood?"
Yang threw his arm up in a sharp salute, "Understood sir!" He turned to the other soldiers in the group, "You heard the captain! Get off your asses, I want this building surrounded! No entrance should have less than two men guarding it! Get to it!"
Xing dug through the saddle bags on his mount as the sound of shuffling feet sounded out behind him. Finding what he was looking for, he pulled it out and was met with a wooden box clinking loudly with coin. He turned and handed it to Leng, the younger woman took it with hesitance as she felt the wight of the coins inside.
Leng turned to him in surprise, "Isn't this a bit too much captain? The amount of coin in this box could pay my salary fourty times over!"
Xing just shook his head, "From what the colonel had been told, the mercenary we're meeting is one of the most accomplished in the Earth Kingdom and demands to be paid as such." He sniffed in derision, "I don't believe it myself but it would not do to question the person who can order Colonel Shu around like that so I kept it to myself. As should you."
Leng nodded as they made their way to the dilapidated entrance to the bar. Xing lead, Leng flaking him as he opened the door with the creak of poorly maintained hinges.
The dim lights of the dingy bar burned his eyes even as the smell of cheap tobacco filled his nostrils. His eyes scanned his surroundings and he wasn't surprised in the slightest at what he found. Thugs and mercenaries sat at the numerous tables around the building, weapons carried openly on hips and even being bradished in some cases. Their eyes turned to meet the captain as he and Leng made their way to the bar at the rear of the building.
Reaching the bar, Xing beckoned to the bartender, a massive man with an equally large beard and an axe hanging on his belt. The mountainous bartender made his way over and Xing leaned over the bar to speak quietly, wary of the eyes watching them. "I am captain Xing of the 2nd regiment under General Hei of the Fire Nation military. We are here to meet with a bounty hunter by the name of Eiko. Would you happen to know where she is at the moment?" He slid a gold coin across the counter, the bartender grabbing it and holding it up to the light for scrutiny.
He grunted in apparent approval and turned back toward Xing, "Follow me." he walked around the bar and made his way up the stairs behind him, Xing and Leng following close behind.
The racorous noise of the bar disappeared behind them as they ascended the stais to the upper floor. Looking around, Xing could immediately tell this area of the building was much better maintained. Splintering wood was replaced with firm planks of dark oak, lanterns hung on the walls and provided light exceeding the lower floor which was lit up by nothing but candles and sunlight.
They made their way down a long hall in silence before stopping at a closed door. The bartender knocked twice before turning to them, "Don't make any trouble. I don't want to have to clean up the mess she'll inevitably make when she kills you." He rumbled, eying them before turning to make his way back down to the bar.
Xing turned to the woman beside him who gazed back in confusion before he turned and opened the door. The room that was revealed was mostly dark, lit up by numerous candles strewn about the small room, the ones closest to him flickering in the breeze created by the door opening. A large couch with dark red cushions sat against the wall opposite the door, upon which sat a figure who Xing assumed was their bounty hunter.
She was wearing a dark brown cloak with the hood raised, obscuring most of her features to the eyes of the captain and his lieutenant. Dark hair spilled out across her shoulders from under the hood and a content smile split her pale lips. An opening in the cloak reveal the opulent handle of a jian resting on her hip. The hilt was wrapped in red leather and Xing could just barely see the edge of the gold inlaid crossguard in the shadows of her cloak.
She was lounged back on the couch, her right arm was raised up to pet the head of an animal Xing recognized as a dragon hawk, the bright red plumage a dead givaway. The bird's percing yellow eyes stared daggers into them as they took the a seat on the couch opposite of the bounty hunter.
They sat in awkward silence for a moment, only broken by the soft trills of the bird as it's master gave it attention. It felt like several minutes before Xing finally spoke up, his impatience getting the better of him, "Are you the bounty hunter we were sent to hire? Eiko?" He questioned.
The woman across from them hummed in amusement before speaking, "I am. And I suppose you are Xing. I was told you have an offer for me, one that will be worth me trekking all the way out here into the middle of nowhere just to hear." Tone was equal parts amusement and annoyance as she continued to pet her companion, much to his pleasure.
Xinx held in his own annoyance and gestured to Leng who nodded. The leutenant reached out and put the wooden box on the table between them and opened it, revealing the treasure inside. The woman perked up and stopped petting her hawk as she gazed into the box in surprise, the candles on the table flickered unnoticeably. The box was filled to the brim with gold pieces, nearly twice her usual fee.
Xing smiled smugly at the woman's astonishment, "The Fire Nation is willing to pay you two hundred gold pieces for the capture or death of the Avatar. Half up front, the other half to be delivered upon proof of completion." The woman reached forward as if to grab the box but Xing snapped it shut with a loud clack, startling her. She looked at him in annoyance as he took the box back and placed it on his lap.
"But I have some misgivings." Xing spoke into the tense silence, "What exactly makes you so special? Special enough that General Hei himself not only knows your name but is willing to purchase your services at such a large fee?" He cocked his head questioningly, "Perhaps you could enlighten me."
Eiko stared at him from under her hood for a tense moment before nodding slightly, "Very well."
She raised her left arm, letting the sleeves of her cloak fall back to reveal winding tattoos of dragons running up the pale skin of her forearm, mouths agape as if ready to take a bite from her supple flesh. A golden sun peeked up from the sensitive flesh of her palm.
Xing watched in astonishment as smoke leaked from her fingertips and floated in the air on an invisible breeze. Eiko took a deep breath and held it a moment before letting it out. Leng gasped beside him as the candles around the room grew brighter with her breaths, before going out all together, plunging the room into darkness.
Eiko's voice rang out in the darkness, "As easily as you draw breath, I command smoke and ash. Although, that's not to say that fire itself doesn't also bend to my will." The darkness was pierced by a flare of bright light and Xing watched in amazement as winding trails of golden fire made their way down Eiko's arm before coming to rest in her palm. She held it there for a moment before flinging her hand out in a wave, a torrent of flames following.
Xing closed his eyes tight and brought his hand up to defend himself from the fire, beside him, he heard Leng scream in terror at the encroaching flame. He remained in that position for a moment, hand raised in a warding gesture and eyes clinched shut before hesitantly opening them at the lack of pain from the fire.
Upon opening his eyes, Xing was met with an amazing sight. The candles around the room had been lit once more, this time a bright shining gold. A glance behind the couch revealed what he suspected, despite both the couch and himself and Leng being in the way, the candles on the floor had been lit as well displaying an impossible level of control over Agni's chosen element.
"Was that enlightening enough captain?" He was jolted out of his thoughts by the question and he looked back to Eiko to find her smirking at him. He swallowed roughly, looking to Leng to find her in a similar state. He looked back to the woman across from him and nodded.
"Yes… Yes I believe that demonstration will suffice." Xing fanned his face lightly to get rid of the residual heat, "The Fire Nation would be delighted to purchase your services for the fee described." He placed the box back on the table with lightly shaking hands.
There was another moment of silence before Eiko leaned back on the couch and crossed her arms, "And what exactly is stopping me from taking the money and disappearing? We both know if I didn't want you to you would never find me." She questioned, ignoring her hawk as the bird trilled lightly on her shoulder for attention.
Xing took a deep breath and leaned forward to gaze into the eyes of the woman under the hood, only mildly shocked to find them to be a bright shade of gold, "From what I and my superiors have heard, you have never abandoned a contract once accepted. And in all your years of bounty hunting, you have yet to fail a contract. An impressive track record, and one to be commended. Said record has earned a certain amount of trust from my superiors. " He leaned back once more as the woman across from him deliberated.
Eiko looked up toward her companion as if asking a question. The dragon hawk chirped softly as if speaking and she nodded, looking back toward Xing. She stood and held out her right hand, palm emblazoned with the same golden sun as the other. Xing hesitantly took the hand and shook it, gazing into the golden eyes of the bounty hunter who smirked at him.
"I accept your proposition."
Xing couldn't quite shake the feeling that he had just made a deal with the devil.
[A/N] Hope you enjoyed. Akari's adventures will continue shortly in 'Still Alive'.
I'm thinking I'll be switching back and forth between these two stories as it suits me.
Till next time!