Spark [Prince Zuko - Book One]

❃Chapter Six❃

A few days had passed as the ship chugged through the chilly South Pole waters. Asake wasn't sure if the ship was going to last until they reached shore, but a miracle happened because they made it to the Fire Nation naval yard without any troubles. She leaned against the railing, watching as the naval yard grew bigger and bigger. A lot of people were bustling around the naval yard; she snickered to herself when she realized that they looked like minuscule ants. A few other ships rose up out of the water next to theirs, and some of the others looked worse than theirs did.

Prince Zuko shifted beside her, glowering in the morning sun. He crossed his arms over his chest, and his eyes narrowed just as the ship stopped moving. The impact caused her to bump shoulders with the Prince. She quickly said, "Sorry."

He said nothing to her as he pushed off of the railing. She took that as her cue to follow, and Prince Zuko led them to Iroh, who was standing near the gangplank. Zuko had been stewing about the broken ship since the accident happened. She knew that he was angry because his hands were closed into fists. Plus, he hadn't stopped muttering to himself about the broken ship while also barking orders at her to stop doing so much. She wasn't too happy that the Avatar got away, but she knew that holding onto that anger would not do him good at all. He was already a misguided boy with a lot of past trauma. He didn't need anything more than what he had already endured.

"Let's go," he said roughly.

Iroh fell into step with Zuko as she slowed to a walk behind them. Asake's mind wandered as they ventured off the ship, her feet coming in contact with solid ground. She felt the roots of her journey traveling underneath her, and her spirits brightened. She hated being on the water; she was the most seasick person on the ship, and nothing helped her. She slowly grew accustomed to the floating sensation and tolerated the way her stomach rolled, but she still felt like vomiting anytime there were strong waves.

A smile made its way onto her small face as she looked at the bright sky. There wasn't a cloud in sight, and the sun warmed up her whole body. A nice breeze blew through the naval yard, bringing along the smells of oil and motor parts and metal. She placed a hand on the hilt of her sword and breathed in deep. Days like these were Asake's favorite. Memories flooded her brain of a much simpler time when she would play with her father and governess on the sunniest of days, days like that one. Sometimes she wished she could go back.

Most of the time, though, she remembered that Father hadn't stopped her from being banished along with Zuko. He sat and watched her get hurt and did nothing about it. That made her wishes crash onto the solid earth.

"Uncle, I want the repairs made as quickly as possible. I don't want to stay too long and risk losing his trail," Zuko said, breaking Asake from her thoughts. He had spoken quietly enough that no one outside of the three of them would hear him.

"You mean the Avatar?" Iroh said, and Asake slightly giggled. He didn't seem to notice Zuko's hushed voice.

"Don't mention his name on these docks!" Zuko snapped, turning to his Uncle. Asake watched in amusement as Zuko fumed. Somehow, she knew that he would always get angry in almost every situation he was in. If things didn't go right, he was angry. If things went right, he was angry. All around, he was an angry guy. Sometime, she wanted to see him at peace with himself and the world around him. She hoped that she would see it soon. "Once word gets out that he's alive, every firebender will be out looking for him, and I don't want anyone getting in the way."

Asake spotted a man strutting toward them. He had a purposeful look on his face, but something dangerous glinted in his eyes. She frowned as he opened his mouth and said, "Getting in the way of what, Prince Zuko?"

Iroh and Zuko turned towards the man with identical looks of surprise. Asake stood behind Zuko, who dwarfed her in size. She was glad to be hidden behind him because the man did not look nice at all. There was something that unnerved her the way his lips turned up in a wolf-like smile.