Shtiya followed Hideo quietly, watching behind to make sure they were getting away. He was desperately glad that Hideo wasn't making with more heroics. When the Earthbender reached the forest and kept going, Shtiya smiled a little. Good. Maybe he had the fear of the spirits in him, then.

He caught up with the younger boy at the clearing, noting that Hideo had already flung himself down, breathing heavily. Shtiya set the packs down, taking a seat himself. Wait, there was the vomit. He sprang back to his feet and went to the edge of the clearing, throwing up as quietly as possible. Staying doubled over for a minute or two, he gasped for air. Stress. Tension. The muscles in his neck felt like knotted wire.

Taking in cool night air, Shtiya straightened back up. All fine. They made it out. He turned and went back to where Hideo was sitting, getting into the packs so he could pitch the tent. A wounded man had no business sitting out in elements. The Waterbender pitched the tent in silence, making sure the ground was cleared of pebbles before spreading things out, driving the stakes deep with frustration. Once it was up, he threw their things inside and picked up the skin of water to rinse his mouth.

That done he pulled the tie out of his hair and ruffled his hands through it. Shtiya didn't know what to say. Obviously he couldn't chide Hideo — he knew perfectly well why the Earthbender hadn't been able to help himself. No, the fault was most likely Shtiya's. He should have insisted that Hideo stay in the inn, and he should've locked the door to keep him in there, and safe. Instead he'd not thought of that at all. He let out a heavy sigh.

"Come on," he said, not looking at the Earthbender. "You need to s-sleep without the clothes on. The skin needs air."

“I fell” She answered, her brow scrunching up into a scowl that his eyes quickly spotted. She was quick to anger, and the way her jaded eyes starred at the bowl of poison caused the man to worry. He knew all too well that those under the influence of the juice had little control over themselves, often doing or saying things that no normal person would even think of , for experience had been his teacher.

The stern look on his face softened as pain and regret wasted no time in making themselves feel right at home. Not too long ago, before all of this mess that he was in now, he was the same as the girl before him, only able to find joy when he succumbed to the false promises that the juice brought. It let him live in a world that existed long before he became the wretch that he was today, and though that world only lasted for a brief and fleeting moment, the joy that he felt was something he could not find anywhere else.

It had taken him a brush with death to finally realize the evils of the drink, and through some miracle bestowed upon his unworthy soul; he managed to resist the temptations it brought. Now, as he watched the girl run away in terror of her own thoughts, he wished that the spirits had held onto that blessing and bestowed it upon this, vastly more worthy, child.

The man rose, standing at his full six feet, and calmly made his way over to the Adiva’s side, the soft crunch of the sand beneath his feet giving the young girl fair warning of his approach. His voice soft and tender, as if he were the brother who was locked in the steel cage “Are you alright Adiva?”


Naps in the shade were the only thing that brought him any form of comfort these days, and even that only lasted for an hour or two, but the sounds of heavy footfalls wouldn’t let him have that in this spirit forsaken place.

“Are you Amin?” Barked one of the reds, who now stood in front of the tired desert dweller, forcing his tired eyes to slowly open up and meet their gaze. He was rather surprised to find their faces so exhausted; covered in the glistening streaks of fallen sweat, their mouths agape as they panted for air, and their chest plates rising and falling in the sync with their labored breaths, but Amin’s face certainly didn’t reflect any surprise.

The stone faced boy stood up to his feet, dusting off his clothes as he did so, and looked the guard in the eye before he gave a slight nod to confirm the man’s question. What in the name of Wong Shi Tong did they needed him for was a question that stayed inside his head, and though he was genuinely curious to find the answer, he didn’t want to waste his breath on filthy reds.

“Some sandbender wants to talk to you,” Amin’s eyes nearly doubled in size as a cold chill struck him like a bolt of lightning, running down his spine and causing him to visibly jerk as the hairs that covered his body stood on end. The cold quickly subsided, giving way to a heavy weight that only seemed to sink more and more into his chest, fear quickly over taking the young benders body, his trembling hands testament to that “he’s taken a guard hostage and is threatening to kill him unless he speaks with you.”

Fear gave way to pain, and the boy could feel his eyes glaze over with tears and his fist clench. He didn’t give the reds the satisfaction of seeing him like that, his head turning away as he controlled his emotions. It was only a second or two, but he knew that those reds were snickering at him…

“Alright take me to him….”
—-

They opened the metal box, and as soon as he stepped in he could feel the sweltering heat hit him like a wall of sand. How it was that people survived in this hell was far beyond the young sandbender, nor was it something he’d let himself fall into, and that’s exactly why he was here.

As soon as the hostage was let go, the steel sliding door was promptly shut behind them, the heavy metal lock’s heavy bolting sounds ringing behind him as his eyes adjusted to the darkness. The figure of what he considered his surrogate brother came into focus, and his body stiffened up, his jaw clenched, and his eyes started to glaze over once more…

“K-Kasim…”

[OOC--okie dokie. makes sense. we ARE in a village after all.
...who's Katara?]

"Indeed, nobody should."
Tenoko decided as well to keep the silence for a few moments, but then introduced herself. The woman sitting next to her introduced herself as Hinh--Hinh Thoi.

"I'm a priestess. Hinh is my name." She then joined her hands and bowed towards Tenoko. "The Seirei's blessings be upon you." She said with no emotion, and almost no tone.

Tenoko nodded, understanding that Thoi was apparently a name she had recieved because of her status as a priestess. Whatever the reason, she did not feel like questioning it, mostly because it didn't bother her at all. She had another name--a family name. Nagishima was her proper surname, but she more often than not, went by the name Dragmire, which had been her mother's maiden name (her own maiden name had been Ikegami). It was at this time that Tenoko noticed hinh's pale green eyes meet with her electric blue ones. Tenoko did not seem bothered by it, as eye contact was not something that bothered her. She was usually jsut too tired to keep her eyes open. thias eye contact only lasted a second, and Tenoko would not have likely thought myuch more of it. apparently Hinh had different opinions on the matter though.

"I apologize for... looking at you that way." she said.

"I didn't see any harm in it," Tenoko shrugged, and took another sip of her tea. She may not have been slouched with her head in her arms, but her posture was still very bad, and she was still quite hunched over and tired-looking. out of the corner of her eye she noticed the priestess spend a second looking at Tenoko's clothes. just like when she looked into Tenoko's eyes, however, Tenoko did not think much of it. Her outfit was simply a split, knee-length feathered dress over a pair of darker pants and heavy boots. on her arms she wore thick, braced gauntlets that covered her arms from her elbows to her fingertips. Apart from her head of course, Tenoko's elbows and her fingertips were the only areas of skin that the waterbender was showing with that outfit.

[OOC--here's an image of Tenoko that I drew forever ago if my description left anything out link ]

Tenoko got out a few more small coins to get another cup of the same tea. powerful memories were flowing through her mind right now, even to the point where it caused her to rip something from her neck using her left hand. It was one of those things that was there, but not something many people took time to look at--a Water Tribe betrothal necklace. Tenoko did not hate it by any means though--it was the one thing that belonged to her husband that she carried. on the back of the Water Tribe emblem was a tiny series of words...

gone but not forgotten,
although we are apart...
your spirit lives within me
forever in my heart.

She had carved it in there the day her family had been ripped from her. it still grieved her to think about-- though it had been over 16 years. Tenoko slowly closed her hand over it again and re-opened her eyes. at this point The pale green eyes then shot up to Tenoko's face.

"You are suffering... hurt." [Hinh] muttered. Then she took Tenoko's right hand [OOC--her free hand, as her left is the one clutching her necklace] , something she rarely, even never did, and held it with both hands.

"The war has taken more than your child, am I right ?" She asked, with a caring tone.

Tenoko slowly nodded. "much more." she answered, almost seizing her newly arrived tea and taking a large sip of it to calm herself; "it took everything that I held dear. I had a set of infant twins. Both of them were lost to the war. I had a husband--he too was lost that same day."

She did not know how much else she would reveal, but she really did not want to have to go into the painful details of what she remembered, or worse, why she was alive. She did not feel worthy to remain alive while the rest of her little family had been taken that day. She furthermore, however, did not have the heartlessness to take her own life, and so just lived on--letting fate carry here where it would--perhaps this was what was happening here...


~Tenoko~

Hinh looked at Tenoko's other hand, which was holding some kind of hand-made necklace. Tenoko did not mind, or did not notice.

"I'm sorry." She said to her "And I apologize for bringing this painful memory back in your mind. I did not mean any harm or... disrespect." Hinh then let go of Tenoko's hands and drank the last of her orange juice.

"It's..." Tenoko started, sighing again lightly, "it's fine. I normally don't share that with people... but here... it just seemed like the right thing to do."

She could tell that this woman wanted to help her. She had once been a cocky young woman too prideful to ever accept help, but at this point in her life, when both her body and soul were so badly broken, she was willing to give anything a chance. She was not desperate for it, but if someone was willing to volunteer their services, Tenoko would not decline.

she took another sip of her own tea, and could hear Hinh now ordering some for herself. as Tenoko set it down, the priestess spoke to her again.

Tenoko..." She began saying, feeling maybe the words would come by themselves, and her mind of priestess would be able to find the right way to express what she meant. "As a priestess of the Seirei, the Great Spirits, it is my... duty to help lost souls find their way back. You are not what I would call "lost", nevertheless I wish to help you..." She said pretty calmly.

Funny... Tenoko had just been thinking that. go figure. Well, she wasn't about to say no, and so she slowly nodded. the bartender arrived with Hin's tea, thus giving Tenoko a time to respond.

"If you feel that you can help me," she said, "I would greatly appreciate it." her tone was sincere--she was accepting the offer, and not trying to challenge Hinh's abilities. "wounds, both physical and mental, don't do a woman like me much good..."

she started imaging how good she would feel if she actually got herself cleaned up. She was not sure she was going to do it, but it was a lovely little thought. She took another sip of tea and considered ordering yet another one,but for now, just wanted to see what else Hinh would have to say.

OOC--ah... now that name rings a bell. don't know anything about her, but oh well. xD

~Tenoko~

Adiva heard the man's footsteps before she heard his question, but knew what the words would be well before they left his lips. She wanted desperately with an angry, selfish retort, but bit her tongue. He was only trying to help. The truth was, she was ashamed. He looked at her with a pity that sank like a stone in her stomach. She wanted to lash out at him, if only to release the contempt she held for herself. Here she was making vows that would probably be drowned by her own vices. The juice.
Adiva noticed suddenly that she'd never replied. Turning to face the young man, she gave a weak smile.
"I'm coping. Just like we all are." Then came another silence. "I know this is a lot to ask of someone I hardly know, but I need your help. Someday we will escape, and on that day my skills will play some part in all this, but my addiction is preventing me from getting any closer to that goal. I tell myself that everyday, but I have no will power. This is why I need your help. I'm going to come back tomorrow and act as though I've been bitten by a poisonous creature of some sort. They don't know the biology in this area well enough to see through the lie. You'll carry me to the gate. Then you must convince them that I will get better, or they will kill me, because I will be of no use for three days. During that time, you need to keep me in the hut. Tie me up if you have to. Whatever you do, no matter how I beg, don't let me drink from the cactus nectar. I need to be free of this weakness in order to help our people." She looked into his eyes and searched for the compassion that she knew was there. How could she do this alone?



Kasim heard the door clang shut and gentle darkness covered him once more. He heard a soft and breaking voice. The voice of his brother. And the voice of a traitor. His hands grew stiff and the chain of sand fell to the floor, disintegrating.
"Amin. I am surprised they let you see me." His own voice still fell strangely upon his ears. Coughing, he went on, “We might not have much time. If you even have a shred of humanity left in you, then you must have some shred of guilt. You’ve always been like an animal - you care only about self preservation, but I know that you’re not heartless either. I’m offering you your redemption, brother.” The word tasted like salt in his mouth. “Look after my sister, Amin. Protect her and help her with whatever it is that I’m sure she is planning. When the time comes, aid the ones that you betrayed. I might die in this cage before I see that day, but I’ll bring your case before the spirits and perhaps they will forgive your actions.” Kasim stared at the young man before him, his eyes fully adjusted to the darkness. “Listen, when the guards come, tell them I’ve gone mad. I made you sit beside me and I cried, because I thought you were my father and I begged you not to leave again. You played along. Understand?”

What started out as a simple concern for someone he had been living with for the last few weeks had somehow turned into him becoming part of the girls elaborate scheme. He knew that she was addicted to the juice, and he was willing to help, but she wanted him to strap her down to a bunk for three days? Well, it didn’t seem like he had any say in what his part was in all this… and it would all happen tomorrow in the morning.

The man sighed, as his golden eyes looked up at the empty blue sky. Help their people. The words that she had just spoken to him echoed in his head as his gaze stayed up and fixed on the open blue. She thought he was one of her own. What would she think of him if she ever found out the truth, if she found out what he really was?

Well there was no use in thinking about that now. His gaze fell down on the girl once more as he thought about what she had asked of him once more “Alright, I’ll do as you’ve instructed… but for today we should probably head out to work, we don’t want the guards coming around with their whips now do we?” The man sighed and turned away from the girl, taking a couple of steps before he turned back to look at her once more. This girl… If he helped her with what she had planned, then maybe he could finally find some sense of peace with himself.



His words were harsh, yet he knew that they carried truth behind them. Ever since he had escaped that wretched man’s grasp he only cared about keeping himself alive… keeping his freedom no matter the cost. That’s why things were the way they were, why he wasn’t in the same situation that he found Kasim in, why he was a guard instead of a slave. And yet despite all of this, Kasim still called him brother, still offered him redemption, redemption that the sandbender knew he didn’t deserve.

He wanted to break down, to simply give into the confusing feelings that swirled around inside of him, but all he could do was stand there and listen to what Kasim had to say… nodding in agreement as he fought back the tears that swelled up in the corners of his eyes.

“I’ll protect her Kasim…” He got chocked up as emotions found themselves impeding the path of his words, yet he had managed to force them back down, “I won’t let anything happen to Adiva, Kasim.” He couldn’t say anything else. He couldn’t promise that he would get Kasim’s sister out of here, nor could he say that he’d get him out of this cage. That kind of thinking was childish… and naïve. The truth was that they would all probably die in this place. Even if the Avatar managed to stop this war, he had a feeling that this camp would still remain, and no one would come to liberate them. So, all he could do was make sure that Adiva was safe, keep her out of trouble with the guards, and away from their lecherous grasp.

Kasim’s instructions were clear, and Amin simply nodded as the sounds of coming footsteps caught his ears.



The scorching sun had finally set behind the desert’s golden dunes, and now the cool night air brought the camp some sense of relaxation, the tired laborers gathered outside of their huts enjoying the refreshing night winds. It was during this time that most of the guards went about the camp and looked for ways to have a little fun. Most of the time, fun meant beating up on a helpless child, or having their way with a girl who had strayed too far from her hut, and it was because of the later that Amin found himself sitting in the cool sand, his brown eyes keeping watch over the hut that Adiva was assigned to.

“So this is where your little mouse sleeps huh?” Asked a harsh and familiar voice, causing the sandbender’s eyes to widen with fear, and the hairs on his arms stand on end, the man laughed, as he placed a heavy hand on the sandbender’s shoulder “Don’t worry my little rat friend, I won’t take your little mouse… well not tonight anyways. Rumor has it that we got a few new female guards walking about, fresh meat from the homeland, so I’ll be quite content for a while.” His voice boomed once more as he broke into yet another fit of harsh laughter, and then he turned away. “You should enjoy your little mouse while you still can, rat.” That was all the bastard said before he walked away, and disappeared in the darkness of the night, leaving Amin there to watch the quiet hut.

Adiva saw none of the signs. The young man's amber eyes had turned to the sky as she'd spoken, but she'd assumed it was because of some reluctance to help her. Despite her doubts, he agreed and muttered something about whips, walking away. As she turned her back on him, she did not see him take one more glance her way.
He would help, but perhaps it was too much to ask of him. She only hoped that she would suffer the next three days with dignity.

After spending several hot, unbearable hours purifying and setting out the cactus juice on mesh cloths to evaporate into a much more potent powder, Adiva was alowed to take a break at the well. She waited in line for her share; a small cup of water was handed to her. It tasted cloudy and warm, but it was welcome on her parched throat.
Dark thoughts returned as she made her way back to the hut. The object of her addiction was everywhere - their livelihood now depended on it. Day in and day out she harvested it, yet it was the only source of release in this spirit forsaken place. Somewhere inside, she would have to find the strength to resist it.

As night fell, Adiva put aside some time to carve. She whittled little darts from whatever wood she'd managed to scavenge from the desert over time. When the time came, she would dip them in her poison and whosever skin they pierced would fall into a paralyzed slumber.
As her fingers deftly carved another curling sliver of wood away from the dart she was presently carving, a voice wafted in from outside. She knew it in an instant. It was that brute of a guard from the morning. Taking one more swipe at the wood with her sharpened stone, she dipped the dart in her bowl and crept to the entrance of the hut, peering around the wall.
“Don’t worry my little rat friend, I won’t take your little mouse… well not tonight anyways." The voice was a quiet growl, and whatever words came after were inaudible. Adiva drew her head back into the hut and pressed herself tight against the wall, heart pounding.
What was he doing here? Well that wasn't hard to answer, but more importantly, what was Amin doing here? That had been his shadow down there in the dry grass and sand, just sitting.
Adiva let her body loosen up once she knew the danger was past. She'd already placed the dart in her flute, poised to fire. Removing it, she placed the dart back with the others and sat on the ground near the entrance.
Soon the most beautiful music was drifting from the hut, carried by the night breeze. It was mornful and austere, rising and falling like a dreamer lost in sleep. Somewhere in the notes, however, there was a defiance. A coiled snake.

"This will not be a pleasant experience. You must know that, in order for your soul to completely heal."
"Don't worry," Tenoko replied softly, "I know all about unpleasant experiences. This should not bother me too badly, I wager."

Besides, in Tenoko's eyes, it would honestly take a lot of effort to find something more unpleasant to this woman than the stripping of her family form her. They meant everything to her, and without them, Tenoko just did not care about anything, really.

"However, we cannot begin right here. This is no proper place for a... spiritual journey. We need an open and calm area. It would be even better if it was empty."
"Very well," Tenoko answered. "Despite my many travels, I cannot honestly say that I am acquainted with this area, or of any region this size. I move around far too much, and furthermore am from the Southern Water Tribe--for this, I apologize. perhaps you know of a place?"

her tone was nice and polite, and she had seriously been trying to say this in the nicest way possible. She would be alright with wherever Hinh led her, and so again she was not bothered too much by it.

there was a slight interruption as the priestess' stomach called out for food, but Tenoko took no notice--she drew far more attention to herself with her ragged, worn look, and her battered blue clothing anyways.

"I was planning on buying supplies, after having a drink... But your soul prevails. We shall seek that place at once and begin as soon as possible... shall we ?"
"Very well," Tenoko answered, "Though do not feel the need to push other errands or necessities out of the way just for me--I'm not important enough, really..."

This was not a self-pity attempt, but again, another sign of Tenoko's indifference towards herself, even her self-esteem. She was just going with the flow of things.

~Tenoko~

"Thank you. As a matter of fact, I do know an empty place in town. I never actually went there, but I know that a temple is overlooking the coast, and people rarely go there." Hinh said, pointing in the general direction of the sea. "It might be just the place we need, and it would save us the trouble of leaving the town for an empty place."

"That works for me." Tenoko replied. "I'm a wanderer. I'm used to travelling long distances, so a short distance would not be any trouble."
and she was, and her body showed it. Despite her fatigued and battered form, Tenoko's body appeared to be in good shape. Her body was very well-defined underneath her heavy gear. She was not busty or curvy, but rather, she was somewhat muscular if anything. She apparently ate enough as well, though Tenoko usually didn't remember when the last time she ate was.

"I think... we should make a detour, if you don't mind. Although it is not a bother, it would be better if I actually ate something before we start."
"I understand." Tenoko replied. "In all truths, I could probably use a little something myself."

Tenoko often felt this way, but she was fine with going hungry as well. She was well-used to it, but she never starved herself. She just had more willpower to ignore the times when she stomach was hungry, versus the times when she truly needed food.

[Hinh] stood up, and the grimace disappeared as quick as it came. Then, for no real reason, or maybe because the warrior looked pretty tired, Hinh took her free arm - the one that she'd been holding before - and put it over her shoulders, to help Tenoko stand.
"Sorry if it feels like I am... looking down on you. You look tired, and it looks appropriate to do that for your sake."

"I find nothing wrong with it," Tenoko stated in reply, using her left hand to replace her necklace back onto her neck. "besides, I am devoid of pride. I lost it long ago..."

she smiled, and, even standing, she still had her slouched posture. however, Tenoko, being about 6 feet tall when standing, was still decently tall when slouched. however,there was now a certain light in her electric blue eyes that had not been before--like there really was a chance that her soul could be saved.

~Tenoko~

Hinh gave her a shocked look as they walked outside the bar. Tenoko knew at once that she should elaborate.

"By that, I meant I had no pride for myself anymore." she said, "I will always have pride for the Water Tribes, even if my homeland is slowly driven to extinction. it has been too long since I have been there... Nowadays, I don't really have anything worth living for though. it's really not a big deal."

And she really didn't. She had a bounty on her head in some places--she wandered from place to place, incresing in skill, knowledge and experience, and never really staying in one place. Her parents were somewhere hidden in the Northern Water Tribe, but Tenoko never mentioned them, just like she never mentioned her older sister. However, there were two entirely different reasons for this. Tenoo did not mention her parents because threatening them was the one thing that would make her cave. They were in their mid 70s at this point, and Tenoko wanted them to be able to live the rest of their lives in safety. As for her older sister, Dento, Tenok did not mention her because she did not like her. Dento had been trying to kill Tenoko since about the age of 18. Furthremore, considering that she was 17 years older than Tenoko was, Tenoko had always been a little child in her eyes. She did not like that. However, now that she was stripped of her pride, there was very little she did care about, and so death would just be another step for her.

"Perhaps we should try starting on the way to a shop, or market place." She said while walking "I have the feeling it is a burden you are carrying to fill a void. The absence of pride is what makes me think so, but I could be wrong."

"I suppose I carry several burdens," Tenoko muttered, "I guess I just stopped caring--about everything, really. I just resigned myself to whatever fate has in store for me..."

Tenoko had not really been paying attention to where Hinh was leading her [OOC--I'm assuming that the lack of information otherwise states that Hinh still has Tenoko's hand], and so when she stopped, Tenoko spoke up.

"Is something wrong?" she asked curiously. "I thought we were going to that temple..."

~Tenoko~

(continued from here)

Hideo's encouragement worked, or rather, Shtiya just forced himself to focus on the buildings ahead rather than how he was feeling until he reached them. As soon as they entered the village, he breathed a very deep sigh of relief. Sleep soon. It was a promise. Loosening his grip on the other boy's shoulder, he kept an eye out for a place they could stay.

They made their way to the only building that looked like it might be an inn. Shtiya leaned against a wall, letting Hideo handle the procuring of a room for the night. He closed his eyes, but reminded himself not to fall asleep against the wall. It seemed like an eternity that he stood there, but he knew it could only have been a few minutes.

When the Earthbender came back with a key, he sighed, pushing away from the wall reluctantly. It had been so comfortable. Shtiya followed Hideo to whatever room they were staying in and dropped his bag just inside the door. At this point, he was not concerned with buying food or seeing a healer or even worrying about should he or shouldn't he sleep with clothes on, oh no. He only had eyes for one thing: the bed. Boots and clothes came off in an exhausted, zombie-like manner, and Shtiya fell into the bed, curling instinctively into a little ball. It felt so, so good to lie down.

The Waterbender hoped idlly that Hideo would also be tired, that way the bed would be warmer, but even if not — it didn't matter. Shtiya let out another long breath. "I feel," he said, "like I could s---leep for a week."

((It got lonely, Karena. I doubt you’ll mind the timeskip.))

Yeah, that one town…and stuff

Each step was agonizing, even if he wasn’t the one taking them. They weren’t really steps, by now the poor ostrich horse had gotten so tired that it was bouncing with each harrowing foot. Unfortunately, for the past mile, the old, sore firebender had been riding the mount; in an effort to save himself from the perilous job of walking the entire distance. His nephew, on the other hand, had a decidedly different idea and chose to walk alongside their “gift” while he rode it. In all honesty, he probably shouldn’t have been taken the free ride. Ba Sing Se was quite a ways away and if he ever planned on making it there, then he should at least prepare himself for the long trek. Wearily, he turned to his nephew; hopefully, he would be alright in his absence. No, he would be alright; he was strong man. Maybe, it was himself who couldn’t handle the separation… no, that was just silly.

The sun hung high in the sky as they made their way into the town. The buildings stood in their semi planned alignment, their shadows kept at bay, by the sun, hung themselves to whatever wasn’t being scorched by the almost ominous noon sun. The beast took another painful step on the dry ground, and this one gave the tired general even more pain than the one before it. With an annoyed grunt, he adjusted himself and saved himself from falling off. When his nephew called, he jerked his head around and found the pale man waiting for him a few yards ahead. Wow, he was going really slowly, and apparently Zuko took notice. But what could he do, their beast was tired. Had he asked the Order of the White Lotus in advance, then he probably would have gotten a more youthful and energetic ostrich horse, but for an afternoon’s notice, the beast wasn’t too bad. After a few more agonizing moments, he finally caught up with his nephew; pained, he struggled until he dismounted her, and then handed the reigns to the firebender beside himself.

“Here, you take her. I’m heading to the spa,” stated the old man as he moved his aching body over to the building next to the town’s largest building. Like his mount, he also struggled through the town. Unfortunately, he had a better reason for his suffering. Previously, he and his nephew were out training. It was a grueling experience for someone his age, and with his former body type. Thankfully, that had all come to an end. Still, his ordeal wasn’t over. Although his waist was much trimmer, he was still not up to what could potentially be his peak condition. His arms and legs both had defined muscles, but they were still flabby. His chest was a bit more pronounced, and his stomach was only a bit firmer. He may or may not be thinner in the face, that part he unfortunately couldn’t change. His large beard was good cover. It was long and unruly; rarely would anyone pay any attention to someone so unkempt; after all they could be disease ridden. Not that he was. Scratching his left forearm with his right hand, the master firebender could tell that he was indeed in need of a much needed bath and grooming session. He would never be found alive, like this, three years ago. Oh, the palatial life, although he didn’t miss it entirely; he would be lying if he said he didn’t miss certain entitlements it gave him. The royal spa, for one, was a spirit’s blessing. He’d go in everyday and enjoy bathing in the steaming pools, and loved the massages afterwards. That life was certainly a blessing. And yet, he enjoyed this one more; well not the extreme fear and worry of death looming at every corner, but he enjoyed the company greater than the company back home. In the Fire Nation, people only spoke with him to get to speak with his brother. It was always like that. Good company was difficult to come by in a place like that; those kinds of places tended to make people hungry for the proper social circles. And for someone like himself, it was a deterrent for every actually getting to know anyone. Here, he knew everyone in the group; their likes and dislikes, their daily habits and even their personal quirks. Everyone was unique, and lovely in their own way. Hopefully, they trusted each other; he did, at least.

The weary, aching old, disheveled man made a right at the first building he reached, and then he walked in-between the two building with the dried up, flaking green paint. After passing the town’s largest building he made his way to the one right beside it. Before going in, he paused. He wasn’t in the best garments to enjoy the only luxury this town provided. His clothing was marred by burns, and dirt; not to mention that it reeked of sweat and ostrich horse. Then again, the last time he stopped here they washed his clothes for him while he relaxed. Oh well, he needed a good, relaxing experience after all it could possibly be his last.

The banished prince was left a little puzzled by his uncle’s actions. Sure, leave him with the girl. The somewhat sun burnt man eyed his elder with a smile on his face. His yellow eyes then turned back to the beast, and he eyed her with the same look.

“You know, you’ll soon be all alone with that old man.” The firebender continued to look at the mount, almost as if he was waiting for her to reply back. Yeah, like that would ever happen. She grunted, not that it really counted, but it caused the young man to reply, “Yeah, I know.”

With that, he turned around, and then tugged the animal to follow him back to the place that the group had rented. It would be a little strange coming back after being out training for so long. From what uncle had said, he was a lot better than he was before. His bending was calmer, more controlled, and he had better control over it. That being said, it was still firebending, where rage and anger once fueled it now breathing and passion provided the fuel. Apparently, at least, according to uncle, that’s how the Sun Warriors used to bend; when they lived of course. Unfortunately, it still wasn’t enough, he knew that Azula could still beat him, even uncle agreed. She was just too perfect, too skilled and too better informed to be bested by him. But regardless of that, he would still get his son, Nikuro, back. His bending may never be on par with Azula, but he would triumph when the time came. He knew he would; the pressures he was under would help him and not hinder him as she might believe.

So much had happened in that training session. Uncle had told him so much; it was almost like he didn’t expect to make it back or that he would never see his nephew again. No, he shouldn’t think like that. Uncle would survive, he would survive and they would see each other when all of this was finally over. Sadly, even the end of this didn’t sound comforting. Hopefully, by then, he would be able to undo what his nation did. A hundred years of war did little to the Fire Nation, but did horrors to the rest of the world. According to Sokka and Lakano, the two tribes stopped worrying about the other in lieu of their own existence. He knew first hand that the Southern Tribe was nothing more than a collection of women and children, while the Northern was a bit more prosperous. Still, that didn’t make it any better. They were so frighten by their prospective genocide that they closed themselves off from the rest of the world. His nation, on the other hand, decided to spread its influence all around. The worst hit were the Air Nomads, just ask the Avatar. No wait, no one could; after a couple month pause in a hundred year effort they finally shut him up. Then came the Earth Kingdom their damage varied. But nonetheless, it was the same as the Water Tribes; people stopped caring about others. They stopped trusting everyone, both their order less army as well as their neighbors. The future Fire Lord knew that it was impossible to turn time around and to undo this evil, but as uncle ‘that didn’t mean that nothing could be done.’ From what he was told, he needed to work with the other nations in repairing the damage that his family wrought. If he just abandoned the Earth Kingdom, then it would remain in shambles centuries more. Hopefully, when the time came, the Fire Nation would work together with the other nations to create a time of peace, and to finally do what the Fire Nation civilians had been told that they were doing. He couldn’t do this alone, but that alright because he wouldn’t.

The ostrich horse let out another grunt. Zuko looked forward and saw the humble abode that the group inhabited. Sure, he reeked, and looked like a mess, but he knew that Karena would be there to welcome him. It would be nice to see again, after such a long time apart it would definitely be nice to see her. As he approached the home, he noticed the door open. The sun was bright, and his eyes were still not used to low levels of light, as such all he saw was darkness within the building. He lifted his pale hand to his eyebrow ridge and tried his best to limit his eyes exposure to the blinding noon light. It helped a little bit, but his eyes were still unable to properly make out the full image. Faintly, he could make some scene of the picture he then saw. The figure by the door looked kind of like his fiancée. As such, the banished prince called out,

“Karena?”