The DragonBorn

Chapter 47

Zeraphina watched from the deck of the Water Tribe ships, her father standing next to her as they waited for the gates. Varin could see that his daughter was nervous about the battle to come, but he smiled seeing her determined expression resting in her eyes. He placed his hand over hers, causing the girl to look up at her father.

"You are going to do great, my dear." He said confidently. Zeraphina smiled but sighed.

"I have my confidence in this battle getting us closer to the Fire Nation's defeat, but I fear of who I might find there, and if I'll have to fight them." She answered her father.

"Is it the Fire Nation prince you spoke about before?" She nodded, "Zeraphina, from what you told us about him, he seems like an honorable young man. But he's been lost for quite some time. I think you will be the one to help bring him back to the right path."

"And if I can't?"

"Then that will be his chance to continue on that path. A person can walk a path and stick to it, all we can do is help them towards a good one."

Zeraphina's lips curled into a smile, knowing that her father was right, but right now wasn't the time to dwell on the prince. She had a role to play in this war, and this was the first major step to ending it all.

After some time of sailing, the boats came up on a sea covered with fog and in the distance was a large statue of the previous Fire Lord, Azulon. Zeraphina borrowed her father's spyglass and looked through the lens, seeing the great statue in all its glory. She had only seen it in pictures drawn in scrolls, so seeing it like this would have been a treat if not for the upcoming battle.

"The Great Gates of Azulon." She said, "Seems like its time to get ready father." Zeraphina turned around to face her people, "All waterbenders, I need you to create a fog cover with Katara and the swamp benders. And prepare for fire."

"Fire? Why is that?" Varin asked but his daughter didn't answer, instead watching the fog cover their ships. As they got closer and closer to the gates, nothing looked out of the ordinary until suddenly loud bells rang in alarm. The dragons on either side of the Fire Lord statue let out plumes of smoke and raised large metal nets soaked with oil before setting them on fire.

Everyone was surprised at the unexpected obstacle and even more shocked when Fire Nation soldiers came out from the hidden caves on motorized boats. Zeraphina however was calm and collected while facing her people.

"Everyone below deck. Time for our back up." She shouted and everyone nodded, rushing below deck to prepare for their alternative vehicles. They went below deck and opened a secret hatch leading to an underwater vehicle called a submarine, named by Sokka of course. The waterbenders quickly took their place two to each side to make the machine sink and flow into the water, making it move without any signs of motors of machinery that could weaken their fighters.

"I will say, Zeraphina, you've made an incredibly intelligent friend." Varin praised Sokka, "To come up with a machine that can travel underwater with the help of our waterbenders is truly spectacular."

Zeraphina chuckled and looked out the glass windows to see the other subs and even Appa with an air bubble around his head continuing forward. 

"Sokka has always had an incredible imagination, combined with initiative and grit, it's amazing to see it come to life through this." She said, "However, there is a limited air supply, so before we land on the beach we'll need to resurface and rest while our air is being refilled."

"Understood, Zeraphina." Her father smiled, "I can't say how proud I am on you, my dear. I'm sure you'll make our people proud if you take the title of Chief from me."