The Lost Waterbender (Avatar: The Last Airbender Fanfiction)

The Earth Kingdom

The next three weeks were full of training, preparations, and guilt.

Piandao helped me develop and practice a sort of fighting style that worked almost as well as the kind he originally taught me, but with more pivoting. It wasn't ideal, but it kept my weight off my left leg, so I didn't have too much of a problem with it.

As our trip loomed closer, I became more and more excited. Our cover story was that I was Piandao's niece. My family had settled in the Earth Kingdom colonies a few months ago and I stayed behind with my uncle while they got a permanent home. Piandao was making sure I arrived safely before he would return to the Fire Nation. When I returned with him, it would turn out that my family had moved somewhere other than where we were told to meet them, and we had no idea where they were. We were returning home until we heard from them. Not exactly foolproof, but it would work well enough.

Piandao gave me a set of nicer clothes, saying it would be less conspicuous. It was a long red dress tied off with a darker sash. The sleeves were long and droopy at the ends, embroidered with cloth the same color as the sash. It was beautiful, but I dreaded wearing it.

The day finally came. Piandao stored my sword in his chest, as it would look less odd as opposed to an eleven-year old carrying a sword. I was told to bring a much smaller bag with my clothes and a doll. It felt odd to be traveling like a normal girl with a normal family.

We rode in a carriage driven by Ryu to a port the opposite direction of the City of Refugees. I guessed this was the alternative area shipments were coming in.

The ship we were on was pretty small. It was made of steel and driven by a crew of about thirty men. I almost was nervous about getting on. My last encounter with a ship didn't go well.

We strode up the ship and were halted by an official-looking man in a Fire Nation army uniform. That was the second thing I noticed. The first were his thick sideburns that traveled all the way down his face to his chin. I had to pull my eyes away from them. "I assume you are the famous Master Piandao?"

Piandao bowed respectfully. "I am. This is my niece, Akaymi." He turned to me. "Akaymi, this is Captain Zhao. He has graciously allowed us a place on his ship while they journey to the Earth Kingdom."

I bowed. "Thank you so much, sir."

Captain Zhao smiled. "Of course. I would never deny the Fire Nation's most prestigious swordsman an opportunity to see his family. Speaking of which," he shifted his gaze to me. "Akaymi, I couldn't help but notice you posses a limp. Might I ask how that came to be?"

"I, uh, was born with it," I stammered. It sounded pretty unconvincing to me, but the captain seemed to approve. "How awful. Anyway, I hope you two enjoy your accommodations."

"Thank you, Captain," Piandao said. "Would you mind showing us to our rooms?"

"Of course not." Captain Zhao signaled to one of the soldiers on deck to come over. "Please take these two where they will be staying."

"Yes sir," the soldier spoke through his face mask. He turned and led us down the stairs to below deck. I shuddered at the memories that happened in this level of the deck, and my leg seemed to hurt more.

The soldier led us down a twisting hall until we came to the very end of one. He opened the door for us to our room an I sucked in my breath. The far wall had had a huge banner of the Fire Nation emblem that took up the entire space. There was one queen-sized bed covered in a thick duvet. There was a chest at the foot to put our clothes and supplies. It was a very simple but comfortable room.

"There is another conjoining room so you two can have some privacy," the soldier said. He allowed us to walk in before closing he door behind us.

I looked in the other room and found it with similar furniture, but a smaller space. I took that one.