Forbidden | Avatar the Last Air Bender

Chapter 11: A Narrow Escape

An adventure awaits

Tasha's POV

It was a warm and humid night. The ship was docked beside a fishing village, for the crew to restock on goods. I remained in the ship, feeling uneasy and uncomfortable, and I felt as if my inner self wanted to tell me something, but I didn't know what. My heart somehow felt unusually empty and troubled; as if an impending danger was about to befall on us.

It has been a week since the incident at the North Pole, and I was still recovering emotionally from it. Yes, it's been a week, but old wounds do take a long time to heal.

We had just finished our fire bending training, and the rest of Zuko's guards were off the ship to have a meal at a small earth kingdom fishing village.

"Aren't you going to have your dinner?" A voice called out from the door.

Looking to my side, I glanced up to see Zuko leaning on the wall, his arms folded, with an indifferent expression on his face.

"Nope," I turned back and sighed. "I'm tired."

"Suit yourself," Zuko muttered and walked off.

I rolled around in my bed, burying my face into the pillow, desperately trying to get the heavy feeling off my shoulders.

As if on par with my predicament, I heard a loud explosion. It sounded as if it came from outside of the ship. Just as if my body was acting on instinct, I leapt out of my bed and jumped into my fighting stance, grabbing my daggers along.

"Who's there?"

I shouted, feeling the surge of adrenaline rush through my veins.

There was an uneasy silence. I ran out of my room, through the empty corridors of the ship, footsteps resonating throughout the hollow rooms.

And at that time, I suddenly felt extremely petrified. This feeling made me feel as if I was all alone, to fend for myself.

Where was Zuko, I thought.

Without warning the ship tilted backwards forcefully. Losing my balance, I fell down and scraped my knees on the cool metal floor.

"Spirits!" I cursed under my breath, trying to regain balance. The ship jerked again, and this time I spotted water filling the ship from the sides of the corridor that I was in.

Oh no, this can't be happening, could it? The ship was... sinking!

I recovered quickly, adrenaline pumping through my blood. I started to find my way out of the ship, by running through the endless corridors that never seemed to end. It was a tough and tedious run for my life, as the ship filled up with water from the sea.

Thankfully, I managed to reach the ship's deck, although I was drenched in sweat, and panting uncontrollably. Blood flowed out from certain deep gashes I had obtained from falling down, but it was nothing to worry about. I could heal myself later.

Briefly thanking the spirits, I climbed up to the top of the tower of the ship and stood there, finding the attackers who blew up the ship.

To my unmistakable horror, I realised that there was a huge barrel of explosives right under my nose, a string of fire leading towards it.

Keeping my cool, I narrowed my eyes and bended some sea water up to enclose the ship in ice, preventing it from sinking further.

"Tasha!" Zuko called me from the deck. Filled with immense relief, I glanced back down at him. The expression on my face must have been once of fear, because Zuko immediately widened his eyes in surprise the moment he had his eyes on me.

I was so scared, because I felt so insignificant. I thought I would die, alone.

"We're under attack! Hey, let's go!" He jumped up and grabbed my hand, pulling me down.

"It's going to explode any minute now," I commented, jumping back to the deck with Zuko beside me.

"Tell me something I don't know?" He remarked sacarstically.

"Prince Zuko, stay close to me!" I grabbed his arm and brought him nearer to me.

I raised my arms up high in the air, bending a huge bulk of sea water up to surround us. Circling my arms in a spiral motion, I managed to create a reasonably thick ice ball which protected Zuko and I.

We should be safe from the explosion, I hope.

"Are you alright?" I managed to choke out, whilst catching my breath.

"I'm okay. But you're injured-"

"That doesn't matter now. Did you see our attackers?" I asked again, this time I gave a more solemn expression.

"No. But I know who planned it!" Zuko scoffed, folding his arms in frustration.

"This is all my sister's work. She wants me dead." Zuko continued, furrowing his eyebrows in a state of angst.

"Your sister?" I frowned at him, slightly curious.

"Princess Azula. It's a long story, but just know that my sister hates me. And she wants me dead. I'm wanted by the fire nation now, and I have no idea how and why. Can you believe it? I'm The Prince of the Fire Nation as well as a wanted man! I saw the wanted posters in the village with my very own eyes - it was a huge reward for me - dead or alive. Seriously, that ruthless girl, she'll do anything to get her place on the throne! Even if it means killing her very own-"

All of a sudden, I heard a loud explosion to my right, and the ice we were enclosed in cracked. In a spilt second we were sent flying in the ball of ice due to the impact of the explosion.

I panicked and felt my arms weakening.

"I-I got this." I stammered, fear eminent in my eyes. Using all of strength to bring the ice back together, I straightened and forced my fingers back together, to making the ice rejoin itself.

The ice shook for a couple of moments and bobbed up and down, before the movements slowly ceased.

"We're safe..." I heaved a sigh of relief.

I cut a door for us to get out of the ice. Unknowingly, water splurged in as the ice got cut.

Instinctively, I bended the water back up and froze it, allowing us to get out of that icy cell.

As we got out, I almost fainted in shock at the scene before me.

The ship had exploded into flames - and this meant that we had no where to go. Even Uncle Iroh and the soldiers were nowhere in sight.

I muttered a few curses on how cruel everything was for me.

"Argh!" Zuko shouted, throwing a few fire balls at the water infront of him. "I hate you Azula!"

"Prince Zuko, calm down."

"What we need right now is to plan on how we're gonna get out of this mess," I frowned, folding my arms.

"But first we have to run," I grabbed his hands and bended a stream of water into ice, creating a pathway for us.

We ran as fast as we could to shore. Upon reaching the shore, I heaved a sigh of relief.

That was one hell of a life and death situation, I thought. Thank the spirits I didn't die, at least.

All of a sudden, a strong pair of arms suddenly grab me from behind and forcefully push me into the bushes.

"What the-" I shouted, but soon a hand was placed over my mouth and my screams became muffled, not allowing me to retaliate further.