Wonderland (An Avatar: The Last Airbender Fan-fiction)

Jumping Tracks - Chapter 3

I couldn't help but grimmace as the cart rumbled along the dirt path, the strange animal pulling it making grunting noises every so often as it struggled to tug us along. I cast a glance over at Masaru, his hands firm around the reins of the labor animal as he brought us closer to the city. He said that we'd ask around to see if anyone recognized me, but the more time I spent here the less I realized I knew about this place. It was almost as if I was in a completely different world. We left the ocean of grass a while back, and trees were beginning to pop up, the wide open fields dissapearing as we passed through small towns and got closer to the city.

I began to become tense about placing so much trust into this boy, I tried not to think about what may happen if no one ending up knowing me and I couldn't recall any bit of my memory. I stifled my fears when I caught Masaru looking back at me, his eyes leaving a burn on my skin as I turned away from him, edged with all of my anxieties. I laid back in the cart and looked up at the sky. We'd been going for hours now, and afternoon had past, the sun resting on the horizon in the distance. Masaru said it'd be a long trip but I hadn't expected us to be going from sunrise until sundown. I shivered, feeling a gust of cool air brush across my hands, kissing my skin with it's icy lips and leaving me chilled to the bone.

The frozen bite of evening air didn't last long when an inferno lit up in the distance, the town up ahead being ingulfed in flames. I screamed, sitting up and grabbing hold of Masaru, "What the hell is that?" he didn't say anything but instead hardened his grip and pushed forward. "So you're just going to continue into the fire?" I looked bewilderedly at him, but he said nothing. When I turned to look back at the town rising along the horizon, the fire had died down and a few men heavily decorated in armour and riding similiarly suited creatures were heading our way. I chewed my bottom lip and looked at Masaru, his face was hard to read but I could tell he was tense. I sighed and gave in, sitting back, and watched as the approaching men came to pass by us.

At least that's what I was hoping they were doing. But wishes never really come true. The men turned to blockade us, and my heart beat pounded in my chest. I was coming to terms with just how lost I was, I couldn't seem to understand anything in this world, the animals such as the ones carrying the armoured men were horrifying, they seemed as foreign and distant as the clothes I was given and the names that I'd been hearing. Even the land was bizzare and causing me frustration, when I pictured the world I saw something completely different than that of these firey eyed people. One of the men hopped off his saddle and approached us as Masaru pulled us to a stop, "Keep down and keep quiet..." Masaru whispered back to me.

I just nodded and sank back into the cart, uneasy as the stranger made his way over. The acrid scent of ash and burnt flesh wafted from him as he spoke to Masaru, "State your name and business." The man said, his voice raspy as if he had years of cigar smoking behind him.

"Masaru, my Father owns the farm at the edge of the Fire Nation down south." He spoke clearly with a hint of edge to his voice, despite how murderously the man stared at him.

"You're the son of that treacherous bastard, eh? They said his son never left the farm, so what are you doing here now?" He leaned forward, as if to wait for something to crack behind Masaru's steady poker face.

"I'm heading into the city, I need to pick up a few things for my father before we can start the fall harvest. My cousin Alesandria here came for the summer to help around the farm, her family lives in the city so I'm bringing her home before I do my shopping. Can we go now?" Masaru challenged the man, almost a hint of a snicker lingering at the tip of his tongue. The man seemed to only just notice me, and he turned to stare at me, his eyes narrowing underneath his helmet.

"You there, lift your head." The man ordered at me, and I looked up, making eye contact with him for the first time. His eyes bore steadily into mine, and almost instantly a shot of recognition lit up his face. "You... you're the... so how did you get out of there?" His surprise was reflected in Masaru's expression.