Sea and Sky

Chapter 13: In A Sense

Sea and Sky
Chapter 13: In A Sense

——

There was a small satisfaction in knowing she could control those around her. With a small dose of her favorite concoction, she could dull the senses, easily manipulate, and persuade those to do her bidding without so much as a small hand gesture. The higher the dose, the more they would submit to her command.

The most satisfying part of all - they would have no memories or recollection of what they'd done. Most often, those who fell prey to her whims woke up from a deep sleep, in a cold sweat with intense fear gripping them. It was like they'd never been drugged at all, but rather had drank themselves into a coma.

With the shift in weather from the humid days of late summer, a coolness had settled over Isle Ceren. It wasn't cold enough just yet to wear full furs. Smoothing the creases out of her skirts, Rana stood from the table. The velveteen texture of her autumn overcoat felt comforting to her as she walked the grounds.

Just the night before, Kilic's family had thrown a grand feast of epic proportions, and the weather had been hot enough to melt a turkey duck. In the late afternoon, the autumnal weather had shifted overnight to reveal the start of the cooling season. Her favorite season. The season of change, of motion, of endings. In the back of her mind, Rana could feel the conclusion of her own life drawing close.

Even if it meant that her own life may end, she was going to follow through with her father's plans. The first target - the Avatar.

Rana shuddered as a brisk wind picked up around her. She wasn't sure if it was the sudden coolness of the wind or the thought that her father had truly expected her to wed, bed, and then poison the Avatar that made her shudder.

There was something about Aang that made her sick to her stomach. Perhaps it was the fact that her own family bloodline was tainted with that of the Nomads, or perhaps it was Aang himself. She couldn't stand to be within a few measures of him. The fact that they'd shared a glider, bodies pressed together, made her want to peel the skin from her body and set herself aflame. She hated Aang to her very core.

With that thought, Rana smirked to herself as she walked. She'd get just that much more satisfaction at seeing him writhe in pain as her poison coursed through his veins. First his muscles would seize, then his breathing would fail, and then... his heart would stop.

But before all of that, she would have fun with her prey.

——

"We have news. The General has moved his battalions outside of his compound. They are headed westbound from Gao Ling."

Rana's ears perked at the Vizier's words. Her father was moving quicker than they had planned.

"My Lord... my father, he's mentioned interest in the West Lake and Great Divide. It sounds like he may be heading in that direction." Like offering bread crumbs to a flock of birds, Rana offered the small bit of info as if to entice them to action.

Kane nodded his head as he listened to her words, his eyes focused intently on her. It seemed the girl had a wealth of knowledge about her father, and she was offering it freely without hesitation. Perhaps the girl his son had chosen would be a worthy addition to their family after all.

When Kilic had first announced his betrothal to an Earth Kingdom noble woman, Kane and his wife Ceren had balked at this declaration. It was just after Ozai's war had ended, and perhaps their son had experienced some sort of life crisis or post traumatic stress induced mental break. They had initially refused to acknowledge the match, but at Kilic's pleading, they had accepted it.