𝐖𝐀𝐓𝐂𝐇 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐈𝐍𝐅𝐄𝐑𝐍𝐎 𝐁𝐔𝐑𝐍 ꩜ prince zuko

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CHAPTER SIX

        YAN AND ZUKO SLIPPED past the earthbender guards stationed at the entrance to the inner city, careful to avoid their watchful eyes. Zuko kept his head down as he followed close behind Yan, staying near the shirshu that still regarded him with visible distrust. He cast brief glances at the towering city walls but never dared to stare too long. At last, they entered the crumbling Lower Ring of Ba Sing Se where the air was thick with a sharp, acrid stench.

        "Stay close. There are looters and thieves around here," Yan warned Zuko. He nodded and moved in step beside her, his eyes scanning the broken streets. The narrow alleys were lined with crumbling shops and hollow-eyed citizens, their faces gaunt with illness and hunger. The sight turned his stomach; he had never imagined people lived like this in the Earth Kingdom. Then again, he had never set foot outside the Fire Nation until now. This was the peace his country was bringing?

        "Anyway, do you have any clue where your uncle might be? This city is massive; he could be anyway," she asked as they made their way toward the monorail station. They wove through the steady stream of people, Yan keeping a firm grip on the shirshu's saddle to prevent the animal from straying. The transit platform was more crowded than usual; people were always trying to leave the Lower Ring. The dense crowd made it hard to move, and for a while, Yan and Zuko struggled to push their way through. Eventually, they emerged into a small clearing near the edge of the platform just as the monorail rumbled back into the station.

        "Last I heard, he was somewhere in the Upper Ring. Do you think we'll be able to get there?" Zuko asked as Yan guided him onto the monorail. They found seats near the door, though in truth, they occupied several; the shirshu sprawled across the floor at Yan's feet and no one dared come close. Passengers gave the creature a wide berth, casting nervous glances as they packed into the remaining space.

        "We'll get there, don't worry your royal head about it. We just need to drop Xian off at my house first. I can't take him into the Upper Ring; he's not exactly fond of Fire Nation soldiers." she reassured him, Zuko gave a silent nod and the pair fell into a quiet lull. Around them, hushed whispers stirred, but Yan paid them no mind. Xian lay still at her feet, only occasionally thumping his heavy tail against the train floor. When the monorail reached the Middle Ring station, they were the first to step off before the crowd could catch up.

        Zuko stayed close behind Yan, his eyes scanning their new surroundings. The Middle Ring was noticeably cleaner — less disgusting, for lack of a better word — than the Lower Ring. Gone were the dirt roads; in their place were streets paved with white flagstones that faintly reminded him of the polished porcelain floors of the Fire Nation Palace. The buildings here were taller, better maintained with elegant green-tiled roofs that spoke of modest wealth and a life far removed from the squalor they had just left behind.

        Before he realized it, he had come to a halt beside the earthbender girl. She stood in front of a fairly large house, then quickly moved toward a side gate tucked just to the side of the building. With a firm grip on Xian's reins, she opened the gate, glancing around with wary eyes as if she were expecting someone to be watching.

        "Is this your house?" Zuko asked, a little too loudly. Yan shot him a sharp look and he immediately clamped his mouth shut. She led the shirshu into a small garden tucked behind the house, quickly unfastening the reins and removing the saddle. The gear was stowed away in a wooden crate and she stepped back out, locking the gate behind her. She whispered for Xian to stay as he trotted after her and stood just behind the bars, watching her with quiet obedience.

        "Alright, we can go now," she said, her voice heavy with exhaustion. The journey to and from the Fire Nation had taken its toll; days of travel, restless nights, and the constant pressure of staying unnoticed. All she wanted was for this to be over. But wars involving the Fire Nation were never simple and never short. Zuko gave a silent nod and they made their way back to the monorail station. Sitting side by side, neither spoke; by the time they stepped off at the next station, not a single word had passed between them.