The Pawn |Katara

SIXTEEN

TW: Brief descriptions of gore and death.

Katara's arrival was a much awaited one for the whole palace, for then only the Avatar's arrival remained and there would be no need for the Fire Lord to send guards out to ensure any of his friends arrived safely. No one would dare attack them while they were in the palace, after all. Akira was set to leave his home in the early hours of the morning with a giant eel hound and take no guard with him. This time, he had no worries. Whatever happened, he knew he and Katara would persevere. He had seen her fight, they had stood side by side before. He had no fear.

Akemi didn't see him out of the estate for he left at the crack of dawn so that he would be able to reach the port in the southern side of the island in time for her arrival. As per her last letter, Katara was supposed to arrive some time during the afternoon and he intended on being there.

Contrary to Sokka, she had informed them she would be arriving to the Fire Nation on her own. She had been clear in her letters that she feared not the sea and that she had trust in her boat and her skills in navigation along with her waterbending abilities, so she would have no issue reaching them on her own. Akira thought they had no choice but to trust her on the matter. So he left his home bright and early, dressed in his official uniform so that she would be able to recognize him and realize he had come for her. As Zuko had requested, he headed for the Southern Port of the nation.

The more he rode, the more the large houses gave way to vast, green fields with fruit or vegetables and from some point on, barren land for as long as the eye could see. The south wasn't as wealthy as the center or the northern parts of the Fire Nation. They relied on fishing more than anything, their cities built along the shore. He knew he would be going a long way from his base and his home, but still, the people of the Fire Nation knew him.

He stepped foot in the Southern Port at around the time the sun started to set. He dismounted his giant eel hound, headed to the port of the city on foot, holding the reins to lead the animal after him. Most children on his way stared, some adults seemed to shrink back from him while others watched with wide eyes as he walked past them. It was clear to him they knew who he was, even though he didn't quite remember the last time he had stepped foot in these lands. He nodded at a few, sent amicable smiles at others, as he made his way to the harbor. A fisherman that had just been returning home noticed him on his way and stopped him.

"Lord Akira?"

Akira turned to offer him a smile and a nod. The fisherman instantly bowed his head.

"What made you come to our humble town?"

"I have come to fulfill the Fire Lord's orders," he explained as he looked around, where a small crowd had started to form. "One of his friends has come to visit our Nation due to the anniversary of the war that's coming closer."

"Master Katara from the South Pole, so we have heard," another man spoke. "The Fire Lord sent you?"

"He did," he confirmed.

"How about the situation with the bandits outside of our town, then?" a woman called out from the back. At once, a hush fell on the crowd as Akira looked for the source of the voice. The people moved to reveal a short woman holding a little girl in her arms. She looked up at him with wide eyes and yet the respect in her gaze was obvious. "Was that you too?"

Akira knew of what she was speaking of. A couple of months ago, letters had arrived from the South Port, from guards and civilians alike, that bandits were stealing their food, supplies and medicine. The blow was hard for a city as poor as this. Zuko had had too much on his plate then, but Mai had been vigilant, and only a few days after the report, Akira had been notified and the order was given. One he was all too ready to follow.