𝐖𝐀𝐑𝐑𝐈𝐎𝐑𝐒

#.. TWO

"father, i've captured an airbender!" the prince said, his steps as light as a feather as he walked behind his father - the earth king.

the elderly man turned around, looking at his son with confusion. "what do you mean?" the prince looked back, a confident grin on his lips as two of his guards came forward, a young man in between them as they dragged him along.

the earth king scoffed. "very well, seungmin. but didn't i tell you to not go on the mission? you could've been severely hurt."

seungmin's lips parted, he eyed the airbender before looking back at his father. "but- but- i caught one. he might be one of the last airbenders alive and he's one of the mightiest! he has killed a platoon of over thirty men, isn't that right, general's son gunil?"

gunil struggled against the guard's hard grip, looking at seungmin with narrowed eyes. his wrists were tied up, a measurement they had to take so he wouldn't be able to bend his way out.

yet gunil used his mouth. the air he blowed out channeled through his opened palms, allowing him to fly out of their grasps.

before he was able to do something, seungmin acted out. as their floor was made out of earth stone, he was able to bend with it.

a stake flew up until it reached gunil, uppercutting him as he fell down on the floor with a groan and a loud thud.

"we'll cut off your hands if you continue with this" one of the guards said as the other used a piece of cloth to tie up the bender's mouth as well, before roughly being pulled to his feet.

king oh just sighed, shaking his head. "next time you'll listen to my orders, understood?!" his voice was loud and intimidating, even gunil shrugged.

seungmin immediately felt the confidence leaving his body, his gaze averting to the floor as he nodded. "yes, father."

he followed the two guards, that led gunil to their dungeon, that was held underground. only earthbenders would be able to enter, the cells surrounded by thick stone walls. so even if someone broke out of their cell, it would be impossible to leave.

the two guards threw gunil in one with not much care, not even bothering to remove the cloth and the restraints, knowing the airbender would probably find a way to escape with his bending.

yet seungmin stayed while the royal guards left, watching gunil. as he looked around and noticed that no one that worked for his father was around, he grinned and put his hands on the metal bars.

when seungmin was a small child, his father overworked him with trainings and trials, wanting his son to master earthbending and also every subbending technique.

so seungmin was one of the few who was able to bend metal, what he did right now. as the metal bars were wide apart, just enough to slip in, seungmin entered the cell.

gunil smiled at him while the younger removed the cloth around his mouth. "thank you for saving me, prince seungmin" the elder said, quiet, in case there was anyone there.

seungmin just sighed and returned a weak smile. "i'm glad my father fell for the trap." the prince wasn't like his father.

while his father was a mericless emperor, conquering city after city, leaving despair and destruction wherever he went, seungmin was a generous helper, trying to make things equal for everyone, disguised as his father's right hand.

when seungmin was up on that floating island as well, he saw gunil lying on the floor, breathing heavily as a troop of king oh's men laid on the floor, all dead.

he seemed to be pretty weakened, on the brink of dying. seungmin figured that he would be killed if another earthbender found him. so he "captured" him, explaining that he'll help him on their way to the zeppelin, that flew them to the air nomad's home.

seungmin saved gunil's life that moment. and he planned on continuing to save it, even if it meant that he himself would die. gunil was one of the last remaining airbenders, there are tons of earthbenders.

"i have to find my brother!" gunil suddenly remembered, sounding like he was panicking. the prince put a hand on the airbender's shoulder, an encouraging grin.

"once we get the opportunity, we'll run away and find your brother. it's time to end the tyranny."