ATLA Little Bender

The Deserters Arc-3

"Widen your stance. Wider! Bend your knees. Now, concentrate." Jeong Jeong's voice could be heard even along the lake.

Elaria could only assume that Aang had done as instructed.

"Good, good!" She was trying to ignore the duo by meditating. The girl had barely glanced at Aang or his teacher since they both placed themselves at the lake. She's cross with both of them at the moment, one for trying to tell her what to do and the other for breathing in her general direction.

"Wait! What do I do now?"

"Silence! Talking is not concentrating!"

As much as she tried to resist Elaria could only snort as Aang proceeded to be told off by Jeong Jeong. The deserter could only compare Aang to the bored Sokka, sympathetic Katara, and the snickering Elaria.

Was it so wrong to enjoy his suffering?

Besides she could give some forgiveness over his arrogance instead of him being taken down a notch. Or few.

She barely listened to the deserter already having heard his lessons a thousand times from the Academy, tutors, Masters; and lastly from her grandfather himself.

She didn't care to think more about that right now.

She smiled as Sokka and Katara broke out into laughter.

Elaria found herself struggling to feel comfortable. To be fair she could breathe without her mask on but there was something strange about everyone in this camp being able to see her face. Her own people barely saw her, and now they searched for her. Yet these people.

These criminals. Deserters walked around her and ignored her. Aang had been paranoid over nothing.

That much was clear.

The warmth from the sun sunk into her bones and the slight breeze of the wind tickled her nose like a blossom. Everything should feel peaceful. Safe. Bright.

Alone.

The others had taken to keeping themselves around Aang but Elaria couldn't help the annoyance in hearing his Master's voice.

There was something particularly annoying about him.

Not in the way of Jet, or Bato or those Pirates.

Not the disappointment of her father either.

A new wave of sour disgust at the back of her throat. She sighed, running her hands over the braid Katara had done for her.

She came to a river, watching the waves glisten as though they held gems. The shade reminded her of Katara's eyes whenever she got excited. Elaria could feel the building disgust heal as her toes dipped shyly before she sank to her knees in the shallow end of the river.

A breath of relief escaped her. It felt as though she were near Katara.

A familiar hand covers her mouth, the other arm wrapping around her waist. Elaria screeched and pulled away. Kicking and shooting rays of air around. Her eyes zoomed around her. Catching the sight of Fire Nation Soldiers being thrown away.

The man who held her grunted. Before a sudden scalding sensation centered around her abdomen. Tears fell from her eyes and her face turned red. Elaria could barely discern the scalding white pain that came over.

"Well, that explains things," The voice of her captor. Zhao, decimated any safety or warmth that settled into her soul. Elaria stopped bending impulsively and tried to claw at him. Her nails painted red.

Zhao grunted, the pain increased, "You keep fighting and you'll be going back near death, My lady," he mocked her.

Her throat went raw with how she screamed. Saliva and tears going down her chin, collecting around his grimy, sweating hand. Zhao finally stopped but Elaria gagged and chocked on the scent of her skin burning.

"Looks like you got rid of any witnesses," Zhao muttered in her ear. Around them laid groaning and still soldiers. "Let's say that we got attacked by the Avatar," his words were a suggestion but came out as a command.

He bought Elaria forward. Half dragged, she could only stumble dizzy and drugged from the pain, as they walked up the river. Farther from the camp. She collapsed onto Zhao but had tried to land in current besides them.

Elaria would rather drown than be near Zhao.

The man only gripped her tighter and smacked her. Pulling her against his chest he held her in his arms. "You say anything at all, and I'll proclaim to the whole world that you are a filthy Airbender breed," Zhao hissed at her.

She spat blood in his face.

"Why won't you then?" Elaria clenched her teeth; it took all her energy to force her sneer at the bastard.

Zhao smiled at her. She felt disgust when she noticed the glint of sadistic pleasure in his eyes. "Because you are my betrothed, my future wife, the First Fire Lady, Regina, of the Fire Nation," Zhao's eyes seared through her, "I, of course, will be beside you, taking care of everything while you look after our children and rest from your illnesses,"

Elaria did her best to lift her hand and claw at his amber eyes but could only grunt as her wounds burned when a breeze passed them. Zhao's sneer turned soft, as he coddled her head to his neck despite her attempts to lash at him.

Her ear prickled at the sound of a commotion. A voice yelled nearby, "Admiral! You've found her!"

Zhao's heated grip around her waist was a loud warning.

Not.

A.

Word.

Elaria bit her lip to swallow her pain.