Katara, of the Fire Nation

Chapter 22

Katara tries to escape the ice that encases her, but Tikali tightens the hold around her and her hands clamp, unable to move. The creature wrapped around his arm hisses as Katara snarls a foul curse at him.

"You're supposed to be in the fire nation," Tikali tsks, circling around Katara like a vulture, "Sitting on the fire lords lap, like a good little bitch."

Katara grits her teeth and tries to squirm as the ice bites into her, both Tikali and the creature on his arm stare at her with predatory eyes.

"What are you doing here?" Tikali says, looking Katara up and down.

"You kidnapped my father," Katara snarls, "What, did you think I'd never find out?"

"So you think you'd come here and stop me?" Tikali laughs, the creature coils around his arm tighter, "I won the chiefdom, fair and square."

Katara pulls against the ice and Tikali laughs again, mocking her.

"Do you know why you're so invaluable?" Tikali asks, Katara stops struggling as Tikali grabs a piece of her hair and twirls it around her thumb, "Do you know why the fire lord wanted you so badly?"

"Because he thought I was the avatar," Katara sighs, rolling her eyes.

"You were destined to become the avatar," Tikali says, "Aang was supposed to reign as the avatar for seventy-three years, then, when he died, you were supposed to become the next avatar."

"So?" Katara shrugs, "Aang lived, and I didn't become the avatar."

"But a piece of that spark, that avatar flame, is inside of you," Tikali says, he runs his hands over the ice that traps Katara, "I bet you're wondering how I know this."

"I'm not."

"This is Norouge," Tikali says, ignoring Katara as he holds up the arm that the creature is wrapped around, "He is a spirit."

The creature slithers off of Tikali's arm and then onto the ice that encases Katara.

"I found him in the northern spirit oasis," he continues, watching the spirit as it wraps around Katara's neck like a rope, "He is the reason I knew that your avatar was close. He is the reason I knew you were close. I must say, I was disappointed when you didn't try and stop me for killing your father last night, I sent all my guards away and gave you an opportunity to come for me, I was defenceless after all. And yet you left, without even a hint that you were there, if it wasn't for Norouge I wouldn't have even known. Was my trap too obvious?"

Katara snarls as she pushes against the ice, trying desperately to free herself.

"Ah ah ah," Tikali tsks, waving his finger at her, "Don't go trying to escape, Norouge is not very fond of quick movements."

The spirit tightens around Katara's neck and spits a hiss at her.

"What do you want with me?" Katara asks, glaring at Tikali as the spirit relaxes its hold.

"I don't care if you live or die," Tikali says, "You're not that important, no, my goal is to unite the two nations and overthrow the fire nation."

"Why?" Katara asks.

"Why?!" Tikali echoes with a laugh, "Because they're one step away from starting another hundred year war! You have no idea how many people I lost to that war, I was forced into hiding because of that war. My mother sent me away, to keep my powers out of the fire lords grasp, she thought that it was I who was to be the next avatar."

"Zuko isn't like his father," Katara says, "aren't you tired of wars? He wants peace, just as much as you do."

"Peace will never come until the fire nation feels what we felt!" Tikali snaps, the spirit tightens around Katara's neck again and she snarls at it.