Blazing Crystal (Revised Version)

Chapter 3: Stubborn Water

Chapter 3: Stubborn Water

When I came to consciousness sometime later, I winced as pain immediately radiated through the back of my head. Groaning, I tried to move my hand to the spot of the discomfort, and when I hit the tender area I jerked away quickly. A sharp pain shot through me and I gasped in agony. When I opened my eyes finally, I found I was once again in a cold dark cell, only this time my hands and feet were chained to the wall. Thankfully they'd given me a cot to sleep on, but sadly no blanket.

Managing to finally sit up, I winced from the soreness of my body. How long had I been out? My stomach had hunger pangs, and my throat ached for water. As I sat in my cold empty cell, I felt myself curl up into a ball and tears fall down my cheeks. It was freezing... there was no warmth. Not even the small torch across from me in the hall gave relief. They'd stripped me of my water tribe coat leaving me in only my light blue shirt and dark blue trousers. My boots were gone showing bare feet, and I curled up tighter trying to warm myself. I knew why they'd taken my outer layers. They wanted to punish me. They didn't want their prisoner to be comfortable.

It seemed like hours that I sat in my cold cell with only the small light across the room to offer me comfort. As I sat in deep despair, I thought about my family. I was not sure if they were okay. I heard no movement in the cells around me. I called out to them just to make sure they weren't imprisoned with me. There was silence, and this provided me with comfort. If they were not down here, that meant they were probably safe. However, I also knew there was a possibility they were dead.

Were they okay? Did Zuko capture them too? Were we all on our way to the Fire Nation?

I prayed to the spirits that they were safe.

It seemed like a day passed by and still no one came to see me. This only made me thirst and hunger more. Maybe the Fire Nation wanted me to starve to death. It would save them the trouble of having to kill me.

More tears came at the thought of death. At least if I died though I'd be with my mom.

After a few more hours of just sitting in the cell staring absently at the ceiling from where I lay on the cot, I heard something. The sound of footsteps coming downstairs.

As heavy boots stomped against the steel of the ship, I heard the door to the brig open and more light from beyond the entrance entered the hallway. Wincing from the sudden increased lighting, I sat up and stared through the bars of my steel prison. I quickly shrunk back in fear as I saw a guard come in with what seemed to be a tray of food. He also held a canteen of water in his hand that was tightly shut.

When he came towards me he did not speak. He opened my cell with the keys Zuko had taken earlier and sat the tray on the steel floor in front of me. Then he undid the canteen lid and held it toward me. I recoiled from him, afraid he'd do something to hurt me. Though I couldn't see his face through the red helmet's visor, I could see a small frown. Not an angry one... concerned?

"It's okay," he said, his voice making him out to be maybe thirty. He sounded kind, and I was really thirsty.

With shaking hands, I took the canteen from him and sipped it thirstily. There was only a quarter of the small container full but I sipped it to its last drop. When the canteen was empty the guard took it away, and pushed my tray closer to my trembling form.

"Eat something," he whispered. "I'll be back for the tray later."

As he went to leave, I found my voice. "The... the Avatar... Is he here?"

The man glanced back at me briefly. He was uncertain if he should answer my question. But he gave me a kind smile. "No. He escaped with those two other Water Tribe kids." He frowned then when he looked over my terrified state. "They were your family, weren't they?"