Yin & Yang

Chapter 21.

Zuko paced his war room. Dey-Wa and Lee could not be found. After the letter had been delivered to him in the market, he had returned to the palace with the thought that maybe the men had stayed to defend the claim against them. Upon entering the doors, he ordered every room searched and the men brought to him. No word yet had been brought to him and he was growing anxious. His breath came out in a steady rhythm, black smoke escaping and then disappearing as he walked past it. He ran a hand over the top of his head and sighed. Katara could be in danger and no one had found her just yet.

The door to the chamber opened and he jumped. Turning and regaining his composure, he looked solemn when the two guards approached him and bowed. "My Lord, the palaces' northern wing has been searched. Neither of the men in question have been found. Also their bed chambers looks to have been cleaned of anything important. We believe they must have fled to the docks." The guards' gruff voice echoed in Zuko's ears. This wasn't the news he wanted to hear. "Lady Katara has yet to be found as well. We are still searching." He produced a scroll from his belt loop. "Also a messenger hawk carried this." He looked up and Zuko nodded, his hands folded behind his back. The two guards straightened and the first one read the contents of the scroll.

"Ah.. Toph. Find her immediately. She's blind and will most likely be on guard. Tell her I would like her assistance." The guards looked at him and each other questioningly. "Toph is a very powerful earth bender. Don't toy with her temper. It's worse than mine." He turned his head almost as though he were ashamed to admit the last part. "Dismissed." Waving them away, they saluted him and turned to run out the door. Zuko's brow furrowed and he sighed heavily. "Where are you?" It came out in a whisper as he walked to the door himself. "Some fresh air will help clear my mind."

Zuko stepped out into the open royal gardens. Serene sounds filled his ears. The few koi fish that were housed in the pond with a smaller stream running into and out of it kept the water clean. Water trickled down several steps that had been made of rocks into smaller connecting ponds for a total of four before it disappeared into the mountain again. Bamboo shoots spotted the area with taller grass surrounding them stood and seemingly reached to the sky up past the second story and the roof. Pink and purple flowers accented the red lilies around the middle tree and dotted it's roots. The cherry blossoms glowed in the early evening light.

The hallways around him bustling with servants and armed men, searching rooms or delivering news to the other tenants of a cleared wing. The palace was large and it would take a while for the men in question to be found. Every able-bodied staff member was in on the search. The Fire Lord had even dismissed his own trusted body guards to the search. He lifted his head to look up to the moon. It's light shining down on him like a lamp in the darkness. "Yue, help us. Protect Katara." No sooner than he'd murmured the words to himself, a gray-robed man hustled up to him. In a deep bow, he huffed.

"My Lord-" his breath caught in his throat and he coughed.

Zuko's robes shimmered lightly in the moon's light as he turned to the man. "If it's not about Katara or Dey-Wa and Lee, I don't want to hear it." Odd. Zuko thought to himself as he inspected the man. I do not remember this man's face. He also looks too robust for a servant. "You." He walked up to his bowing form and inspected him. "Stand up straight. Name. And which department do you work in? Particularly who is your benefactor in my Palace?" He walked a slow circle around the man as he straightened. Coming back around to his front side, Zuko inspected his eyes. His face was terribly familiar. The hair on his face didn't help. "You are obviously not from inside the palace. My servants do not wear white robes," he rose his hand and a flame lit, hovering over his palm.

His eyes widened a bit as Jet sneered at him. In a solid movement, his hands disappeared into the robes and he drew forth his hooked swords. Zuko responded by arching flames up from his feet in a kick that missed it's mark but successfully put a few yards between the two men. "Guard! Your swords!" Zuko called out as he landed. His hands quickly untied the sash on his yukata and he tossed it at Jet as he charged Zuko. Slashing the hooked blades as the cloth was tossed to him, Jet let out a loud roar. Two guards unsheathed their swords and tossed them to Zuko one at a time. Spinning to catch one, flames spout from his toes to block another attack. He caught the other sword to land one knee on the ground. Metal met metal as Jet's attack was blocked. "He's mine." Zuko growled out as more guards became aware of the scuffle. The swords flashed brightly from the moon's light and the small pond by their feet.

Jet smiled at Zuko. "Ah so you remember me? That's good. Just so you know, I've been paid to kill you. I intend not to make my benefactor disappointed." He shoved Zuko away from him. He took a moment as Zuko recovered to remove his robe. More weapons shone on harnesses strapped across his body. The men circled each other, swords at the ready.

Zuko charged him, his booted feet rushing past the pond, startling the koi fish swimming idlely around. Jet blocked his advancing attack, his feet sliding on the ground. "I won't go down without a fight, Jet. I may be Fire Lord, but I assure you that I have not stopped training my body." He displayed his words by locking the handles to their swords together in cross shapes and pushing Jet backwards. His vision tunneled and all he saw was his attacker. The guards lining the halls and their shouting, rooting for Zuko, vanished. Being brought back to the world from Jet's smirk made Zuko realize that something was wrong. His eyes fell on their crossed swords, shadowed by something.

Jumping back, an arrow cut his pants at the knee and he looked up. Longshot.. Jet charged Zuko again as Longshot reached behind him for another arrow. Zuko summoned up fire to follow his blades. The flames licking at Jet's ponytail that flowed as he moved around to dodge the attacks. Jet started to laugh as their swords clashed. Spinning around, it was as though only the two of them existed. An occasional arrow flew by Zuko's arms and legs, barely nipping him for a cut or scrape on his skin. The metal on metal clashing and the occasional arrow thumping dully into the ground or piercing a bamboo shoot echoed into the hallways of the palace. Even if the assassins succeed in killing or wounding Zuko, getting out of the palace was not going to be an easy job.

Fighting in a circle with slight deviations to the outside, the two men fought each other. Landing small blows and cuts on their opponent and neither showing signs of tiring out, Zuko's fire bending gave him the upper hand. A solid thunk and a yelp, Zuko dropped his swords. His left arm limp, an arrow protruding from it. He leaped back and clutched his arm near the shoulder where he'd been pierced. Taking hold of the arrow shaft, he yanked it from his arm and set it on fire. He tossed the burning object aside and took up his stance. Legs parted, one in front of the other, his torso turned to the side and right hand raised whilst his left hand stayed chambered by his body. Blood dripped from his bent elbow and down onto the grass.

As Jet charged at Zuko, he transferred his swords to the same hand. Passing by arrows, he picked them up and threw them up to Longshot. Zuko followed his movements, sending out fire balls to the wooden sticks jutting up from the ground. Their swords clashed again, sparks flying from the metal meeting each other with the force of both men trying to hold their ground. Their bodies coated with a light layer of sweat, bare chests heaving and Zuko bleeding from his shoulder, Jet grinned widely. "You're about done. Just give up and I'll make it quick." Zuko replied by taking a large breath and throwing a flame out at Jet's face. The man stumbled back and ducked to get out of its range. A loud thud sounded as one of Zuko's swords pierced one of the wooden pillars surrounding the garden. Jet screamed out, his swords dropping to the ground, and gripping his forearm. His arm was torn open from Zuko's thrown weapon, exposing the muscle and bones deep inside. The blade dripped with Jet's blood and Zuko returned the grin to Jet.

"Not without a fight." He repeated himself simply before taking a few steps toward Jet. He stopped short when a dagger pierced his boot, barely missing his toes. Jet stood and stumbled back a few steps. Zuko looked up. Longshot readied an arrow to his left but his eyes widened as they fell upon Smellerbee.

Katara struggled in the woman's grip. Her arms bound by a rope above her elbows, wrists bound by rope and cloth covering her fingers, the rope reaching down to her ankles and then strewn up to tie around her neck. The slip-knot adjusted tighter when Smellerbee pushed Katara foreword. Her gagged mouth tried to shriek as Smellerbee caught her just as the rope became taut around her neck. "Enough of this." She stated simply and held a dagger point to Katara's jaw line. It poked her skin and Katara flinched. Zuko took a step foreword. "Ah-ah." Smellerbee said, disapprovingly to him as she inched the dagger closer to Katara's skin. Katara's eyes widened and then glared at the other woman. "A simple deal, Zuko. You die peacefully and I won't hurt her more. You best hurry though. The poison doesn't take long to get into the blood stream."