The Officer And The Princess

Chapter 31

In the past two Months Sung had spent more time on water craft then he had in two years. Honestly he was getting tired of all the water tours as of late. In honest he was surprised he hadn't come down with a case of Scurvy yet, not that he was complaining. Though if he had the choice between riding a Refugee transport or a Fire Nation Naval vessel he would pick the Navy sea adventure every time. Quarters were cramped on those floating chunks of steel but space on the Ferry was a luxury, at least on a Navy ship he would have had his own room, it wouldn't have been a large room but a room none the less. Here Sung had spent the night sleeping on the top deck with some bastard jabbing him in the back with their un trimmed toenails that felt like daggers, it took every fiber of his being not to roll over and push the guy overboard. It was safe to say sleep didn't come easy that night. Though it wasn't entirely awful, on Fire Nation Ships no matter where you were you could feel a subtle Vibration in the floors from the ship's engine. It was strange how something almost unnoticeable had almost driven him mad.

The food was a completely different issue, they had served only one meal on the journey and it was absolutely Flavorless. He couldn't explain what he had been fed that night but it looked to be some type of grain meal that had been crushed then boiled in water until it turned into a tasteless porridge. Whatever it was it made the Fire Army Ration look like gourmet cooking which was saying something for meals meant to be served in bulk and keep for long periods.

He had been hearing rumors from his fellow Sardines that the Captain and his crew had saved the best for themselves but he didn't care enough to go investigate for himself, a few people had made a show of being warriors of the people, that they would sneak into the galley and get enough food for everyone and come back a culinary hero's, but one look from the guards had shut that idea down quicker then he could blink.

When they had finally made it to the immigration center at the edge of the city limits Sung was happy to be away from that Goddess forsaken floating annoyance and finally be on his way. He had spent the good bit of the Early morning going through the outer Ring of the city that was a sea of poverty and sadness. The people here more often then not wore nothing more then patched together rags and to say the smell was less then desirable was the understatement of the century, he had smelled worst yes but the scent among the Poor and forgotten ranked high.

Moving through the narrow lower city streets he had walked with his hand constantly rested on the hilt of his sword. The shady characters he had seen out and about had him on edge it didn't help that a fair few were eyeing him like a piece of meat. The last thing he wanted was to draw his weapon with so many eyes who would see no doubly bring forth a hoard of local law enforcement and question he wasn't ready to answer. But if need be he would defend himself, the Earth Kingdom had to have some kind of law about self defense right?

Trying to get some distance between him and the City outskirts Sung moved off of the Main Street and began traveling through secondary side streets and alleyways. It was in one of those Alley ways some two miles into his journey that he had a feeling that he had felt many times before. He felt as if he was being followed. To those who hadn't been in Combat Sung was never able to explain the feeling of impeding doom fast approaching, it was a type of gut feeling that seemed to warn him when something bad was about to happen. As he walked Sung kept his left hand close to his sword ready to draw it. Though he prayed to the Sun Goddess that today of all days a fight would not find him.

"Hey kid!" A gruff voice shouted from behind him. His prayers were not answered it seemed.

Bitting down on the inside of his cheek Sung reluctantly turned to see a monster of a man with a shaggy unkempt beard, with muscles on top of muscles, strange tribal tattoos all over his shirtless chest and arms. The man was not alone, with him were seven other men all with tattoos similar to monster man. As he smiled at them he quickly noticed they all had weapons tucked into their rope belts, ranging from daggers to what looked like the legs off of chairs. "Morning fellas!" Sung said giving his best impression of a helpless sap. "Fine day isn't it?"