Cause Some Trouble, Ch10
Back from my writer's block, aww yeah!
CAUSE SOME TROUBLE
CHAPTER 10-- MOMENTUM
One week later…
The wooden cart rattled to a halt outside of Akato Village. Its three passengers clambered out of the back to stand next to the bear ambling along beside it. Kuei glanced around, taking in the lush trees bordering the road and the clean smell of the air. It was a pleasant spring evening and he couldn’t help but feel optimistic. Zafirah walked up to the seat at the front of the cart and placed a few silver coins next to its driver.
“Thanks again, Mr. Liu,” Zafirah said.
“You’re welcome. I hope you find that cousin you’re looking for,” Liu said amiably.
“Yeah, sure,” she agreed. Liu clucked to his ostrich horses and the cart rolled off down the road. Kuei smiled at his map, and then at his companions.
“Well, here we are. The base is just under three miles to the west,” he said. Bosco growled quietly next to him, and he reached down to scratch behind the bear’s ear.
“And we made good time getting here, too,” Basam agreed. “Now all we gotta do is get in to see the general.”
“I don’t think that will be too hard,” Kuei said. “Why shouldn’t he see us? We’re Earth Kingdom citizens with important information for him.” Zafirah sighed and slung an arm around his shoulders. His heartbeat spiked at her sudden closeness.
“Now where would we be without that boundless optimism of yours, huh?” she said lightly. “C’mon, boys, we got a job to do!” She grabbed up her knapsack and started off down the road. For a moment, his eyes followed that light step of hers. He shook himself mentally and turned to adjust the packs strapped to Bosco’s back. Focus on the task at hand, he told himself. Focus on the mission, not on the way she walks… or the way her hips move as she walks…
…Spirits damn it all. To make matters worse, Basam jostled past him with a knowing smirk. Kuei sighed and slung his own pack over his shoulders.
The three walked on and passed half an hour in idle chatter, occasionally lapsing into an easy silence.
“Hey,” Basam said suddenly, breaking one such silence.
“Yeah?” Zafirah replied.
“I just had a thought. What if the Fire Nation got here before us?” he asked. Kuei froze in mid-step. Bosco let out a worried grumble and nudged Kuei’s hand.
“I hadn’t even thought of that,” he muttered. “The Fire Nation has control of the capitol now. That means they control the highest ranks of the military.” He chewed his lower lip, thinking. “They may not have reached this base yet. And that makes our task even more urgent.” They pressed on, quickening their pace.
It was a nice walk, at least. Mountains reared up through the trees in the distance, going from pale tan to dark and shadowed as the last light of dusk faded away. And if he was reading the map right…
Kuei smiled over at his companions. “So, I take it you two have never seen the sea before?” he asked.
“Clever guess,” Basam commented dryly. “Why do you ask?” Kuei’s smile just widened. An hour later, the trees bordering the road started to thin out a little. Kuei breathed deeply, enjoying the sharp smell of salt. He could hear the surge of surf against the rocks already. The forest opened up onto a cliff just ahead and Kuei could see the road narrow and hook around to the right. And there, beyond the cliff’s edge, lay the ocean.
The twins picked up their pace even more, dashing over to stand by the edge. Bosco trotted after them and Kuei followed, smiling widely. He came to stand between the two Sandbenders and glanced sideways at each. They both gaped at the sight before them with matching looks of awe.
“Welcome to the sea,” Kuei said, a little smugly. There was no helping it, really.
It really was an impressive view. The light from the rising moon glittered off the crests of the ink-black waves. Stretching all the way out to the horizon, it was like there was no boundary between the dark sea and sky. There was a light breeze rising up, tugging at their clothes.
“This is amazing!” Basam exclaimed, flinging his arms wide and laughing. He ran his hands over the top of his head, smoothing back strands of hair that the breeze had blown loose from his ponytail. “It just-it goes on forever! I never even imagined anything like this!”
“Neither could I,” Kuei said, “I’d never seen the ocean either until I left Ba Sing Se.” He glanced at Zafirah, eager to see her reaction. She stood perfectly still with one hand pressed to her mouth. Bosco whined and licked her other hand, hanging loosely at her side.
“It’s… beautiful,” she breathed. Then her face split in the biggest grin he’d ever seen. She threw her head back and cupped her hands around her mouth. “It’s unbelievable!” she hollered, then paused to listen to the echo. She punched her fists in the air and took a couple skipping steps back, laughing giddily. She whirled around to face Kuei, her eyes shining. “I never, ever thought I’d get to see the ocean, not in a hundred years!” she gushed. She beamed at him for a long moment, and then turned back towards the sea.
He just smiled at her, suddenly at a loss for words. The moon cast a silvery light over her face and lit up the enthusiasm in her eyes. Kuei was struck, then, with the urge to kiss her. He just wanted to pull her into his arms, hold her tight and kiss her. He swallowed hard and looked glanced back at the ocean.
They stood there for a few more minutes, then turned away and followed the road off to the right. It ran right along the clifftop, letting the twins admire the view some more. Zafirah was walking sideways at one point, prompting a laugh from Kuei.
There were guard towers along the coastal road, built right into the edge of the cliff. Kuei didn’t give them a second thought, though, until a bell clanged out from one of them. The four of them froze, startled.
“Halt! State your name and purpose for traveling on this road!” shouted a voice from the tower.
“We’re Earth Kingdom citizens!” Kuei shouted back. “We wish to speak to the commanding officer at this military base.” A guard emerged from the tower, and Kuei felt his blood run cold. Basam and Zafirah both swore loudly behind him. He was a soldier, all right, but not of the Earth Kingdom. He was a Firebender. “Oh no,” Kuei whispered. They were too late, after all.
A rustling sound came from the trees behind them, and they turned to see two riders on komodo rhinos emerging. Bosco growled low in his throat, his hackles rising. Kuei placed his hand atop the bear’s head.
“We have to stand down,” he murmured to his companions. “We can’t beat them, not with your Sandbending out of commission.”
“No way,” Basam snapped, raising his fists.
“Kuei’s right,” Zafirah said quietly. “They’ve got us outmatched.” The three of them lifted their hands in surrender. The guard took a few more steps towards them and narrowed his eyes at Kuei. Then a wide, unpleasant grin stretched across his face.
“Take ‘em to the base!” he shouted to the two riders. “The captain’ll want to see this.” The sentry went to fetch three lengths of rope from the tower. The riders advanced on the trio, their fists raised for Firebending, backing them towards the cliff and cutting off any chance they had of making a run for it. The sentry bound three travelers’ hands behind their backs and muzzled Bosco, then sent them off down the road with the rhino riders at their backs.
Kuei heard the sound of whispering next to him as he walked. He looked over and saw the siblings conversing about something, their heads together. Zafirah nodded at something Basam said and turned to Kuei.
“Hey,” she whispered to him. “What’s going on here? That guard was acting like he recognized you from somewhere.”
“No talking,” snapped one of the rhino riders. Zafirah fell silent, but her eyes remained on Kuei for a moment longer. She looked puzzled, and even a little suspicious.
They reached the base quickly. The Fire Nation banner hanging above the gateway sent a chill down Kuei’s spine. And as the heavy stone gate closed behind them, his shoulders slumped in defeat. How in the world were they going to get out of this? The riders handed the prisoners over to a trio of soldiers armed with sharp spears. The three men advanced on Kuei and his companions with their weapons raised.
“Move,” the shortest of the three commanded. The soldiers marched the four of them across the parade grounds and into the tower in the center of the base. They paused just inside the entrance. “Take the animal,” the soldier said to another guard standing at the doorway.
“Don’t hurt him!” Kuei shouted, panic flooding through him.
“Shut up, you,” the soldier snarled. The guard took hold of the rope tied around the bear’s neck. Bosco made a mournful sound as Kuei was marched past him towards a set of wide stairs leading down beneath the tower. He looked back over his shoulder as the soldier herded them down the stairs. Zafirah bumped her shoulder against his upper arm, drawing his attention.
“Sorry,” she mouthed, nudging him with her shoulder again. He just nodded stiffly, unwilling to think about what might happen to his beloved pet.
They halted before a heavy iron door at the bottom of the stairs. The air was colder down here, and it had a damp feel to it. The soldier at the front unlocked the door, swinging it inward with a screech of rusty hinges. It was a jail, Kuei realized. Two rows of five cells each stretched out on either side of the windowless room, which was lit only by glowing green crystals in brackets on the walls. The cells were more like cages, really, with metal bars forming the walls, and the floors and ceiling were covered in metal plating.
The soldiers took Kuei’s Water Tribe club and the siblings’ daggers, and then untied their bindings and shoved them roughly into three empty cells side by side. Zafirah was in the cell to Kuei’s right, and Basam was in the cell to the right of hers. Then two of the soldiers departed, leaving the third to stand guard over them. They sat in silence for what felt like hours, overwhelmed by what had just transpired.
“I can’t believe this,” Basam murmured suddenly. Zafirah reached through the bars of her cell and grabbed his hand, squeezing it. She glanced over at Kuei with the same speculative gaze as before; he knew she was mulling over the sentry’s words, wondering what he’d meant by them. He felt a sharp pang of guilt as he looked back into those warm brown eyes.
She and her brother are here because of me, he thought. That sentry did recognize me, and that’s why he arrested us. It’s my fault. I should have known that the Fire Nation would be looking for me. I should have-
The door creaked open again. The guard snapped to attention as a tall, solemn-faced Firebender entered the jail. He carried himself like a true warrior: back straight as a jian sword; chin held level, not lowered in deference or lifted high in haughtiness; eyes clear and calculating. He studied each of the three prisoners with a cold, dispassionate gaze. When he came to Kuei, his eyebrows lifted almost imperceptibly. That was his only outward reaction.
“You may go, soldier,” he said to the guard, his eyes never leaving Kuei’s face. A deep sense of foreboding welled up in the pit of his stomach at that stony gaze. The guard bowed and left. The Firebender slowly paced back and forth in front of the three cells. “I am Captain Hideki,” he said smoothly. “And you three… well, what an interesting bunch you are.”
“Your life must be pretty boring if three wanderers getting arrested is the highlight of your day,” Basam retorted with a derisive grin.
“Ah, but you’re not just any wanderers. We have quite the mix here,” he observed. “The lowest commoners and the highest nobility. Sand rats and royalty. There’s something almost poetic about it.” Kuei’s heart sank.
“What in the world are you talking about?” Zafirah spat.
“You got yourself confused, fire-brain,” Basam snorted. “There’s no royalty here.” The Firebender paused in his pacing and cocked his head.
“More and more interesting by the moment,” he murmured. He turned back to Kuei. “I do have to wonder what someone such as yourself is doing in the company of such scum. Are they your bodyguards?” Zafirah let out an inarticulate, outraged noise. Hideki shook his head. “No, I suppose not. So why, then, are you traveling with these savages? Surely whatever charms they may possess are far outweighed by the threat of their criminal nature.”
“They are my friends,” Kuei snapped through gritted teeth. He ventured a sideways glance at Zafirah, and the rage on her face was really quite terrifying to behold. Next to her, Basam sat with his fists clenched so tightly that his knuckles had turned a bloodless white. This Captain Hideki should consider himself lucky that those iron bars are there, Kuei thought with grim amusement.
Hideki continued on, unaffected. “Although, it does make a certain amount of sense,” he mused. “Earth is such a primitive element, after all. Not quite as barbaric as Water, but still quite rough around the edges. I suppose it makes sense that you, having been stripped of your crown, would descend to the same depths as the Sandbender savages.”
“Crown?” Zafirah echoed. “Okay, you are clearly one bird short of a flock, mister.”
“So he hasn’t told you, then? You really don’t know?” Hideki asked her. She just stared contemptuously at him. The captain turned back to Kuei and spoke again, his voice clear as a bell. “Are you, or are you not, the Earth King of Ba Sing Se?”
Kuei squeezed his eyes shut, his head dropping down towards his chest. Everything seemed to freeze around him. He felt his companions’ gazes on him like a physical force. He opened his mouth, trying to force the words out, but they wouldn’t come. He waited in agonized stillness for something-anything-to happen.
And then, Zafirah laughed. “Hah! Oh boy, do you have the wrong man,” she chortled, shaking her head. Kuei let out a breath he hadn’t realized he’d been holding. Basam snickered, obviously trying to restrain himself, but then he too let out a great, whooping laugh.
“No offense, Kuei,” he gasped, “But you gotta admit, it’s pretty funny!” But Hideki just kept watching Kuei, waiting for an answer. So Kuei gave him one.
“I am,” he said, surprised at how calm he sounded. Those two words cut through the twins’ laughter like a blade, plunging the jail into silence once again. “How did you know?” he asked. Hideki pulled a scroll of parchment from the back of his belt and unfurled it for the three of them to see. It was a wanted poster offering a substantial reward for the capture of the fugitive called Kuei. It didn’t name him as the Earth King, but it did feature a picture of his face, glasses and all.
“Now hold on,” Zafirah protested. “Fire Nation wanted posters always get posted at the Misty Palms Oasis, and we never saw one of those.”
“Of course you haven’t,” Hideki said levelly. “Princess Azula decreed that these posters were only to be given to commanding officers in Earth Kingdom garrisons. It wouldn’t do to let the people of this land know that their king is alive and wandering freely among them.”
“Naturally,” Kuei said quietly. “It might give them hope.”
“Exactly right,” Hideki agreed. “One doesn’t win wars by giving the unwashed masses a symbol to rally around.” Kuei clenched his teeth and clenched his fists behind his back, tugging against the rope. Some symbol he’d have made, anyway!
He chanced a look over at Zafirah, almost afraid of what he’d find. Her wide eyes were fixed on the scroll. Her lips parted as if she were about to speak, but no sound emerged. She looked back at him with something unreadable in her eyes; he could see her throat working beneath her now tensed jaw. She broke his gaze and turned that hard stare at the ground. He leaned forward and looked past her to Basam, who seemed confused and startled. While his sister’s gaze had been closed, as if there was a wall behind her eyes, Basam’s was probing and open. But he could guess that they were both wondering the same thing.
Hideki nodded once and replaced the scroll. “In the morning, the three of you will be transferred to our prison facility,” he said. “There you will be kept until arrangements can be made to transport His Highness back to the homeland.” Hideki spoke Kuei’s title with the faintest hint of a sneer.
“What about us?” Basam asked. “We’re nobodies, you said so yourself. Why keep us here?”
“True, but you’ve been aiding and abetting a wanted fugitive. You share his guilt,” Hideki said. And with that, he turned on his heel and left the jail. The guard didn’t resume his post; instead, he just closed and locked the door, leaving Kuei and the two Sandbenders on their own.
/////////////
Kuei sat against the back wall of the cell, eyes fixed on the metal floor in front of him. He didn’t dare look at the Sandbenders in the two cells adjacent to his. It had been at least an hour since Hideki had left, but none of them had said a word to each other. He could see Zafirah pacing from the corner of his eye, though. She stopped after a while and grabbed the bars between their cells.
“So you’ve been lying to us this whole time,” she snapped. “You’ve been with us for, what, almost a month now? Living with us, sharing our food, our water, fighting alongside us-and you never thought to tell us who you really were?”
“Why didn’t you say anything?” Basam asked. The Sandbender rubbed absently at his wrists where the ropes had dug into his skin. “Did you think we’d, I dunno, hold you for ransom or something?”
“No, no, of course not!” Kuei said quickly. “At first I didn’t say anything because I wanted to travel as a common man. And then, with all the chaos of the Fire Nation attacking the oasis, and everything that happened after, I suppose I just… forgot about it.”
“You forgot?” Basam echoed. “You forgot about being the Earth King?”
“No, that’s not what I meant. It simply didn’t seem all that important, compared to everything else that was happening. It just never seemed like the right time to bring it up. Especially since there was nothing I could have offered along with it-no troops, no supplies, nothing of use.”
Zafirah snorted. “You realize how stupid that sounds, right?” she demanded.
“I do now,” he said miserably. Zafirah started pacing again, both hands pressed to her face.
“I just don’t understand it. How could you think that keeping this a secret was a good idea? You’re not just some wanderer, you’re the Earth King! That makes us, what, your subjects?” She sneered the last word.
“No! I could never think of you that way,” Kuei insisted.
“It doesn’t matter what you think of us, that’s just how it is,” Zafirah muttered. Kuei hung his head.
“I’m so sorry-“ he started.
“Don’t. I’m not in the mood to hear it,” she growled. She sat down against the bars, her back to him. Basam looked sadly at him from his cell.
“I just wish you’d told us,” he said. “We wouldn’t have treated you any different.” Then he, too, turned away.
Kuei felt a stab of pain as he glanced over at Zafirah’s hunched shoulders. Well, I couldn’t have messed this up any worse if I’d tried. I lied to the only friends I have, and now they don’t trust me anymore. Tomorrow we’re going to be imprisoned, and then I’ll be taken away to the Fire Nation…so I may never get a chance to make it up to them, he thought wretchedly. His mind went back to the celebration on the night after the battle, when he’d first acknowledged his growing attraction to Zafirah. The memory only made him feel worse. If I ever had a chance of winning her affection, it’s surely gone now.
/////////////////////////////
It was getting late, but Zafirah could hardly keep her eyes shut. She shifted uncomfortably against the iron bars digging into her back. She ended up sitting with her knees pulled up to her chest, arms folded over the tops of her kneecaps.
Shai was right, you can’t trust outsiders, she thought darkly. If he lied about this, what else is he lying about? What does he really want from us? It certainly cast a new light on the past few weeks. She found herself remembering his first night in the desert-the night he’d saved her life. Now it looked even more absurd. It was an utterly ridiculous notion: the Earth King saving the life of a Sandbender! There had to be another angle. He had to want something from them. Outsiders always did, and she had to imagine that that went double for royalty.
But maybe he’s telling the truth about everything else. It wasn’t easy to think of Kuei as a dishonest man. In the weeks she’d known him, he’d been nothing but polite and helpful. He’d worked just as hard as anyone else, ate the same pitiful rations they did, and slept in the dirt just like the rest of them, all without ever complaining. He didn’t seem to have a mean or malicious bone in his entire body.
And speaking of that long, lean body of his, there was one more problem. Spirits and ancestors, I’ve got a crush on the Earth King. This is awful! Zafirah buried her face against her arms, hoping Basam wasn’t awake in the next cell to notice her blush.
She felt like the world’s biggest fool. With everything that had happened, and with how close they’d gotten over the last few weeks, she’d started to wonder if there was potential for something to happen between the two of them. She’d even started to think that maybe he liked her a little. But knowing this, well, it changed everything. She was a sand rat and he was the Earth King. Not that it matters, since the Fire Nation’s gonna lock us up for the rest of our days, she thought darkly. She hugged her arms tighter around her knees.
Still, looking back, there were plenty of things that made more sense now. Before the battle in the desert, he’d said that there were people relying on him in Ba Sing Se, and that he’d let them down by fleeing. He’d told her that he wanted to redeem himself for this failure by fighting the Fire Nation with the Aqila Tribe. He hadn’t been talking about family or friends, she realized. He was talking about the entire population of Ba Sing Se. He was trying to redeem himself for the fall of the capitol.
All the little pieces were falling into place now: his high-class manner, the funny accent, his vagueness about his past, the pet bear, all those things he knew about the Avatar and the eclipse.
Riddle solved, Zafirah thought bitterly. She curled up on the floor of the cell and shut her eyes, trying to sleep.
/////////////////////////
The next morning, when Kuei awoke, the first thing he noticed was the tension in the room. The siblings were already awake. Basam sent an uneasy glance his way, and then suddenly became very interested in adjusting his arm wraps. Zafirah was standing at the back of her cell, leaning against the filthy stone wall and staring the floor; she’d spared him one glance when he first woke up, and the distrust in her pretty eyes seemed to cut right into him. Kuei stared miserably down at his hands. There had been plenty of silences in his weeks with the siblings: walking along absorbed in their own thoughts; quiet moments during meals; contemplative pauses in conversations around the campfire. But this was the first time he’d felt so acutely uncomfortable in their presence. He shifted nervously.
A different guard came by with bowls of grayish rice porridge. He slid them carelessly through slots at the bottoms of the cell doors.
“You got five minutes to eat,” he barked. Kuei glanced dubiously at the bowl, then picked it up and started in on the gruel. He was glad for a distraction from the unbearable quietness.
After the paltry meal, more guards came down to the dungeon. They came into Kuei’s cell first-one with metal handcuffs, and two with spears to discourage him from struggling. They bound his hands tightly behind his back and led him from the cell. Zafirah was next, and then Basam. With the trio cuffed and secured, the guards marched them up to the main floor of the tower and out onto the parade grounds.
“What have you done with my bear?” Kuei asked, turning to the nearest guard. He wasn’t expecting an answer-in fact, he wasn’t entirely sure he wanted one. But he had to ask, anyway.
“Captain Hikari’s decided to keep it till his next trip to the homeland. He said it’ll make a fine pet for the Fire Lord,” the guard sneered. Kuei’s heart sank at the thought of Bosco in the Fire Lord’s hands. At least he’s alive, Kuei told himself. Hopefully I’ll see you aboard the ship to the Fire Nation, dear friend.
A group of eight guards led them to a smaller gate at the rear of the base. A pair of rhino riders joined the guards, one at each end of the group. Two sentries opened the gate, and the procession moved out onto a narrow road through the forest that surrounded the base.
It was a nice day, with a clear blue sky and birds fluttering among the branches, but Kuei hardly noticed it. He stared at the ground, mostly, trying to keep his eyes off of the twins walking just ahead of him. He rolled his shoulders, trying in vain to alleviate the ache starting in his back from having his arms twisted behind him. He gritted his teeth in frustration, then gave up the effort.
It was strange, the twists and turns his life had been taking lately. First came the fall of Ba Sing Se and the Avatar’s defeat, bringing him the greatest despair he’d ever known; then he’d traveled to the desert and met the twins, and in their company he was truly content for the first time since that horrible night. Then the Fire Nation attack came, and once again he’d watched helplessly as Ozai’s forces subjugated Earth Kingdom citizens. He’d set off into the desert with Zafirah and Basam after that, intent on helping them in whatever way he could. And when they reached the Aqila Tribe, Qamar was there with her bold plans of striking back against the Fire Nation. Her words had inspired courage in him, and their victory had made his spirit soar with hope. The Sandbenders had demonstrated their power, and opened Kuei’s eyes to the possibility of fighting back. They had given him the strength to make this plan regarding the eclipse. And this is what he’d gotten for the effort, on his way to a Fire Nation prison and then to the Fire Lord himself.
The Fire Nation had taken everything-from him, from his friends, from the people of Ba Sing Se, from everyone in the Earth Kingdom… from everyone in the world. They had the entire world beaten down in despair. He’d been oblivious to it until the Avatar had shown him the truth, but now he saw it all so clearly. They’d been taking and destroying for a hundred years now, and they’d just keep doing it until there was nothing left. And anyone who stood up to them would just get crushed. He’d seen it at the fall of the capitol, and the situation had just seemed so hopeless.
And then something new started to build in the pit of his stomach. It wasn’t hopelessness this time; it was sharper, hotter. He clenched his fists, wrists pulling against the rough metal cuffs. No, he wasn’t despairing anymore.
He was angry. He was angrier than he’d ever been. His hands shook with it, his face flushing red from it. And the worst part was, he couldn’t do anything about it. His hands were bound with metal, and his only weapon was gone. There was no point in trying to escape, or attack the soldiers. They couldn’t afford to kill him for it, but they could certainly make him suffer. But there was a story he remembered from the legends of the Earth Kingdom. An innocent man had been condemned to death by an evil king, and he’d taken the one act of defiance left to him: he’d sung a song of freedom. Kuei had been so impressed by the story that he’d immediately gone and memorized the song.
I can’t stop them from imprisoning me, he thought. But I don’t have to keep quiet about it. Buoyed by anger, he felt a sudden rush of boldness. He’d probably still be made to suffer for such a display of defiance, but it would be worth it. He lifted his head and straightened his back, taking a moment to remember all the words. He took a deep breath and started singing. It wasn’t a very poetic moment; that much was certain. He’d never been much of a singer and he was badly off-key. He hardly cared, though.
“What do you think you’re doing? Shut up!” the guard behind Kuei snarled. He just sang louder. Basam glanced back at Kuei over his shoulder, looking utterly baffled.
“What are you doing?” he mouthed. Zafirah was still facing forward, but Kuei could see a change in her posture; her tensed shoulders seemed to drop a little, and she tilted her head slightly, as though listening.
The guards were getting irritated now. “What is that racket?” shouted the rider at the head of the group. He called a halt, dismounted from his rhino, and started to walk back towards Kuei, sporting a deep scowl made all the more intimidating by the shadows from his helmet.
Just then, Basam turned towards Kuei and joined in on the song. He shot the Sandbender an astonished look, and the other man just shrugged. And then, even more remarkably, Zafirah turned around and raised her voice along with theirs. She stared at Kuei with an inscrutable expression as she sang.
It was a beautiful song: it spoke of mountains, and the enduring strength of rock, lasting beyond all of humanity’s struggles and toils. It spoke of the stones underlying all of mankind’s cities, and how they were the same beneath the feet of kings and peasants alike. The stone beneath them spanned all countries and all people; even the thick ice of the North and South Poles had rock beneath it. Kuei could see why it annoyed the soldiers so much.
“Stop that!” the lead rider bellowed. He drew back his fist to Firebend at them. Kuei shut his eyes--
Something whizzed past his ear, and then there was a metallic clang. Kuei opened his eyes again just in time to see the soldier drop to the ground, a sizeable dent in the side of his helmet. The remaining seven guards all tensed and glanced around for the source of the attack. No one moved for a very long moment, and then all chaos broke loose on the road.
“Fire at will!” came a voice from the trees, and a volley of arrows soared into the air. Kuei gasped and dropped to the ground, along with the twins, as the arrows flew over their heads. Three guards fell, but the rest blocked the volley with Firebending.
A swarm of riders astride ostrich-horses flooded out of the forest, surrounded by gray-and-green-clad figures on foot. All of them wore dark cloth covering their faces from the eyes down. The air filled with shouts and whoops and the crash of metal on metal. Kuei stayed where he was, kneeling on the ground, quite certain that he didn’t want to get involved in this while so defenseless. He looked over at the siblings, crouching next to him and wearing identical expressions of shock.
“What in the Spirit World is going on?” Zafirah shrieked over the din.
“I wish I knew!” Kuei shouted back. One of the masked figures ran over-a woman, judging by her build-and dropped down next to him. She whipped out a knife seemingly from nowhere and Kuei suddenly wondered whose side these people were on. “Wait, hold on-“ he spluttered. But the woman ignored him and deftly picked the lock on his metal cuffs, and then picked the siblings’ cuffs as well. With the three of them freed, she spared one last glance at the trio.
“Run,” she told them. Without a moment’s hesitation, Kuei grabbed the siblings’ sleeves and scrambled to his feet, pulling the two with him. The three of them tore off into the woods at full tilt, heading northwest and away from the base.
Kuei couldn’t have said how much time they spent running, but soon his legs were aching and he was gasping for breath. The thunderous sounds of pursuit nearly sent him into a panic, but then he recognized the two-beat cadence of an ostrich-horse’s gait. He paused and looked back, just in time to see one of the creatures bearing down on him. Its rider pulled it up short alongside him, the creature tossing its head and snorting in impatience. The rider leaned over and stretched a gloved hand down to him.
“Get on,” said a masculine voice. He grabbed the man’s hand and scrambled clumsily onto the animal’s back. He saw Zafirah doing the same from the corner of his eye. Around them he saw the rest of the dark-clad group. “Riders, we’ll go on ahead. Ground team, you keep our tracks clear,” barked the stranger sitting in front of Kuei. He turned the ostrich-horse and dug his heels into its sides. Kuei grabbed hold of the man’s waist and hung on for dear life as the animal took off deeper into the forest.
Their path twisted and turned through the trees, racing up into the mountains that extended out on all sides around the base. Finally, after what seemed like hours of riding, the ostrich-horse slowed and came to a halt outside of an unassuming-looking cave. Kuei slid off the mount’s back and landed on wobbly legs. The rider made a tsk-ing sound and dismounted with embarrassing ease.
“Sorry for the rough treatment, but it was the only shot we had,” he said breezily. Well, that answered absolutely none of the dozens of questions flying through Kuei’s mind. The corners of the stranger’s eyes crinkled above his face mask. He saw a thin, jagged scar cutting across the exposed skin, starting on his forehead and crossing the bridge of his nose before disappearing under the mask. “I’d go see to your lady friend, there, if I were you,” the man added, nodding past Kuei. He turned, saw Zafirah looking around in confusion, and walked over to her.
“D’you see Basam anywhere?” she asked distractedly. Kuei scanned the group of dark-clad people, but nowhere did he see the tan of the Sandbender’s clothing. He walked back over to the man he’d rode with, but Zafirah pushed past him and beat him to it.
“Hey, excuse me,” she said, “But there was a third person with us-a man, dressed like me but a little taller. Who’s got him?” The scar-faced stranger pulled down his mask to reveal a solemn frown.
“I’m sorry, but he fell behind. The Firebenders grabbed him before we could,” he said gravely. The blood seemed to freeze in Kuei’s veins, but the horror he felt was nothing compared to the anguish that twisted Zafirah’s face.
Basam was still in the hands of the Fire Nation.
//////////////
CAUSE SOME TROUBLE
CHAPTER 10-- MOMENTUM
One week later…
The wooden cart rattled to a halt outside of Akato Village. Its three passengers clambered out of the back to stand next to the bear ambling along beside it. Kuei glanced around, taking in the lush trees bordering the road and the clean smell of the air. It was a pleasant spring evening and he couldn’t help but feel optimistic. Zafirah walked up to the seat at the front of the cart and placed a few silver coins next to its driver.
“Thanks again, Mr. Liu,” Zafirah said.
“You’re welcome. I hope you find that cousin you’re looking for,” Liu said amiably.
“Yeah, sure,” she agreed. Liu clucked to his ostrich horses and the cart rolled off down the road. Kuei smiled at his map, and then at his companions.
“Well, here we are. The base is just under three miles to the west,” he said. Bosco growled quietly next to him, and he reached down to scratch behind the bear’s ear.
“And we made good time getting here, too,” Basam agreed. “Now all we gotta do is get in to see the general.”
“I don’t think that will be too hard,” Kuei said. “Why shouldn’t he see us? We’re Earth Kingdom citizens with important information for him.” Zafirah sighed and slung an arm around his shoulders. His heartbeat spiked at her sudden closeness.
“Now where would we be without that boundless optimism of yours, huh?” she said lightly. “C’mon, boys, we got a job to do!” She grabbed up her knapsack and started off down the road. For a moment, his eyes followed that light step of hers. He shook himself mentally and turned to adjust the packs strapped to Bosco’s back. Focus on the task at hand, he told himself. Focus on the mission, not on the way she walks… or the way her hips move as she walks…
…Spirits damn it all. To make matters worse, Basam jostled past him with a knowing smirk. Kuei sighed and slung his own pack over his shoulders.
The three walked on and passed half an hour in idle chatter, occasionally lapsing into an easy silence.
“Hey,” Basam said suddenly, breaking one such silence.
“Yeah?” Zafirah replied.
“I just had a thought. What if the Fire Nation got here before us?” he asked. Kuei froze in mid-step. Bosco let out a worried grumble and nudged Kuei’s hand.
“I hadn’t even thought of that,” he muttered. “The Fire Nation has control of the capitol now. That means they control the highest ranks of the military.” He chewed his lower lip, thinking. “They may not have reached this base yet. And that makes our task even more urgent.” They pressed on, quickening their pace.
It was a nice walk, at least. Mountains reared up through the trees in the distance, going from pale tan to dark and shadowed as the last light of dusk faded away. And if he was reading the map right…
Kuei smiled over at his companions. “So, I take it you two have never seen the sea before?” he asked.
“Clever guess,” Basam commented dryly. “Why do you ask?” Kuei’s smile just widened. An hour later, the trees bordering the road started to thin out a little. Kuei breathed deeply, enjoying the sharp smell of salt. He could hear the surge of surf against the rocks already. The forest opened up onto a cliff just ahead and Kuei could see the road narrow and hook around to the right. And there, beyond the cliff’s edge, lay the ocean.
The twins picked up their pace even more, dashing over to stand by the edge. Bosco trotted after them and Kuei followed, smiling widely. He came to stand between the two Sandbenders and glanced sideways at each. They both gaped at the sight before them with matching looks of awe.
“Welcome to the sea,” Kuei said, a little smugly. There was no helping it, really.
It really was an impressive view. The light from the rising moon glittered off the crests of the ink-black waves. Stretching all the way out to the horizon, it was like there was no boundary between the dark sea and sky. There was a light breeze rising up, tugging at their clothes.
“This is amazing!” Basam exclaimed, flinging his arms wide and laughing. He ran his hands over the top of his head, smoothing back strands of hair that the breeze had blown loose from his ponytail. “It just-it goes on forever! I never even imagined anything like this!”
“Neither could I,” Kuei said, “I’d never seen the ocean either until I left Ba Sing Se.” He glanced at Zafirah, eager to see her reaction. She stood perfectly still with one hand pressed to her mouth. Bosco whined and licked her other hand, hanging loosely at her side.
“It’s… beautiful,” she breathed. Then her face split in the biggest grin he’d ever seen. She threw her head back and cupped her hands around her mouth. “It’s unbelievable!” she hollered, then paused to listen to the echo. She punched her fists in the air and took a couple skipping steps back, laughing giddily. She whirled around to face Kuei, her eyes shining. “I never, ever thought I’d get to see the ocean, not in a hundred years!” she gushed. She beamed at him for a long moment, and then turned back towards the sea.
He just smiled at her, suddenly at a loss for words. The moon cast a silvery light over her face and lit up the enthusiasm in her eyes. Kuei was struck, then, with the urge to kiss her. He just wanted to pull her into his arms, hold her tight and kiss her. He swallowed hard and looked glanced back at the ocean.
They stood there for a few more minutes, then turned away and followed the road off to the right. It ran right along the clifftop, letting the twins admire the view some more. Zafirah was walking sideways at one point, prompting a laugh from Kuei.
There were guard towers along the coastal road, built right into the edge of the cliff. Kuei didn’t give them a second thought, though, until a bell clanged out from one of them. The four of them froze, startled.
“Halt! State your name and purpose for traveling on this road!” shouted a voice from the tower.
“We’re Earth Kingdom citizens!” Kuei shouted back. “We wish to speak to the commanding officer at this military base.” A guard emerged from the tower, and Kuei felt his blood run cold. Basam and Zafirah both swore loudly behind him. He was a soldier, all right, but not of the Earth Kingdom. He was a Firebender. “Oh no,” Kuei whispered. They were too late, after all.
A rustling sound came from the trees behind them, and they turned to see two riders on komodo rhinos emerging. Bosco growled low in his throat, his hackles rising. Kuei placed his hand atop the bear’s head.
“We have to stand down,” he murmured to his companions. “We can’t beat them, not with your Sandbending out of commission.”
“No way,” Basam snapped, raising his fists.
“Kuei’s right,” Zafirah said quietly. “They’ve got us outmatched.” The three of them lifted their hands in surrender. The guard took a few more steps towards them and narrowed his eyes at Kuei. Then a wide, unpleasant grin stretched across his face.
“Take ‘em to the base!” he shouted to the two riders. “The captain’ll want to see this.” The sentry went to fetch three lengths of rope from the tower. The riders advanced on the trio, their fists raised for Firebending, backing them towards the cliff and cutting off any chance they had of making a run for it. The sentry bound three travelers’ hands behind their backs and muzzled Bosco, then sent them off down the road with the rhino riders at their backs.
Kuei heard the sound of whispering next to him as he walked. He looked over and saw the siblings conversing about something, their heads together. Zafirah nodded at something Basam said and turned to Kuei.
“Hey,” she whispered to him. “What’s going on here? That guard was acting like he recognized you from somewhere.”
“No talking,” snapped one of the rhino riders. Zafirah fell silent, but her eyes remained on Kuei for a moment longer. She looked puzzled, and even a little suspicious.
They reached the base quickly. The Fire Nation banner hanging above the gateway sent a chill down Kuei’s spine. And as the heavy stone gate closed behind them, his shoulders slumped in defeat. How in the world were they going to get out of this? The riders handed the prisoners over to a trio of soldiers armed with sharp spears. The three men advanced on Kuei and his companions with their weapons raised.
“Move,” the shortest of the three commanded. The soldiers marched the four of them across the parade grounds and into the tower in the center of the base. They paused just inside the entrance. “Take the animal,” the soldier said to another guard standing at the doorway.
“Don’t hurt him!” Kuei shouted, panic flooding through him.
“Shut up, you,” the soldier snarled. The guard took hold of the rope tied around the bear’s neck. Bosco made a mournful sound as Kuei was marched past him towards a set of wide stairs leading down beneath the tower. He looked back over his shoulder as the soldier herded them down the stairs. Zafirah bumped her shoulder against his upper arm, drawing his attention.
“Sorry,” she mouthed, nudging him with her shoulder again. He just nodded stiffly, unwilling to think about what might happen to his beloved pet.
They halted before a heavy iron door at the bottom of the stairs. The air was colder down here, and it had a damp feel to it. The soldier at the front unlocked the door, swinging it inward with a screech of rusty hinges. It was a jail, Kuei realized. Two rows of five cells each stretched out on either side of the windowless room, which was lit only by glowing green crystals in brackets on the walls. The cells were more like cages, really, with metal bars forming the walls, and the floors and ceiling were covered in metal plating.
The soldiers took Kuei’s Water Tribe club and the siblings’ daggers, and then untied their bindings and shoved them roughly into three empty cells side by side. Zafirah was in the cell to Kuei’s right, and Basam was in the cell to the right of hers. Then two of the soldiers departed, leaving the third to stand guard over them. They sat in silence for what felt like hours, overwhelmed by what had just transpired.
“I can’t believe this,” Basam murmured suddenly. Zafirah reached through the bars of her cell and grabbed his hand, squeezing it. She glanced over at Kuei with the same speculative gaze as before; he knew she was mulling over the sentry’s words, wondering what he’d meant by them. He felt a sharp pang of guilt as he looked back into those warm brown eyes.
She and her brother are here because of me, he thought. That sentry did recognize me, and that’s why he arrested us. It’s my fault. I should have known that the Fire Nation would be looking for me. I should have-
The door creaked open again. The guard snapped to attention as a tall, solemn-faced Firebender entered the jail. He carried himself like a true warrior: back straight as a jian sword; chin held level, not lowered in deference or lifted high in haughtiness; eyes clear and calculating. He studied each of the three prisoners with a cold, dispassionate gaze. When he came to Kuei, his eyebrows lifted almost imperceptibly. That was his only outward reaction.
“You may go, soldier,” he said to the guard, his eyes never leaving Kuei’s face. A deep sense of foreboding welled up in the pit of his stomach at that stony gaze. The guard bowed and left. The Firebender slowly paced back and forth in front of the three cells. “I am Captain Hideki,” he said smoothly. “And you three… well, what an interesting bunch you are.”
“Your life must be pretty boring if three wanderers getting arrested is the highlight of your day,” Basam retorted with a derisive grin.
“Ah, but you’re not just any wanderers. We have quite the mix here,” he observed. “The lowest commoners and the highest nobility. Sand rats and royalty. There’s something almost poetic about it.” Kuei’s heart sank.
“What in the world are you talking about?” Zafirah spat.
“You got yourself confused, fire-brain,” Basam snorted. “There’s no royalty here.” The Firebender paused in his pacing and cocked his head.
“More and more interesting by the moment,” he murmured. He turned back to Kuei. “I do have to wonder what someone such as yourself is doing in the company of such scum. Are they your bodyguards?” Zafirah let out an inarticulate, outraged noise. Hideki shook his head. “No, I suppose not. So why, then, are you traveling with these savages? Surely whatever charms they may possess are far outweighed by the threat of their criminal nature.”
“They are my friends,” Kuei snapped through gritted teeth. He ventured a sideways glance at Zafirah, and the rage on her face was really quite terrifying to behold. Next to her, Basam sat with his fists clenched so tightly that his knuckles had turned a bloodless white. This Captain Hideki should consider himself lucky that those iron bars are there, Kuei thought with grim amusement.
Hideki continued on, unaffected. “Although, it does make a certain amount of sense,” he mused. “Earth is such a primitive element, after all. Not quite as barbaric as Water, but still quite rough around the edges. I suppose it makes sense that you, having been stripped of your crown, would descend to the same depths as the Sandbender savages.”
“Crown?” Zafirah echoed. “Okay, you are clearly one bird short of a flock, mister.”
“So he hasn’t told you, then? You really don’t know?” Hideki asked her. She just stared contemptuously at him. The captain turned back to Kuei and spoke again, his voice clear as a bell. “Are you, or are you not, the Earth King of Ba Sing Se?”
Kuei squeezed his eyes shut, his head dropping down towards his chest. Everything seemed to freeze around him. He felt his companions’ gazes on him like a physical force. He opened his mouth, trying to force the words out, but they wouldn’t come. He waited in agonized stillness for something-anything-to happen.
And then, Zafirah laughed. “Hah! Oh boy, do you have the wrong man,” she chortled, shaking her head. Kuei let out a breath he hadn’t realized he’d been holding. Basam snickered, obviously trying to restrain himself, but then he too let out a great, whooping laugh.
“No offense, Kuei,” he gasped, “But you gotta admit, it’s pretty funny!” But Hideki just kept watching Kuei, waiting for an answer. So Kuei gave him one.
“I am,” he said, surprised at how calm he sounded. Those two words cut through the twins’ laughter like a blade, plunging the jail into silence once again. “How did you know?” he asked. Hideki pulled a scroll of parchment from the back of his belt and unfurled it for the three of them to see. It was a wanted poster offering a substantial reward for the capture of the fugitive called Kuei. It didn’t name him as the Earth King, but it did feature a picture of his face, glasses and all.
“Now hold on,” Zafirah protested. “Fire Nation wanted posters always get posted at the Misty Palms Oasis, and we never saw one of those.”
“Of course you haven’t,” Hideki said levelly. “Princess Azula decreed that these posters were only to be given to commanding officers in Earth Kingdom garrisons. It wouldn’t do to let the people of this land know that their king is alive and wandering freely among them.”
“Naturally,” Kuei said quietly. “It might give them hope.”
“Exactly right,” Hideki agreed. “One doesn’t win wars by giving the unwashed masses a symbol to rally around.” Kuei clenched his teeth and clenched his fists behind his back, tugging against the rope. Some symbol he’d have made, anyway!
He chanced a look over at Zafirah, almost afraid of what he’d find. Her wide eyes were fixed on the scroll. Her lips parted as if she were about to speak, but no sound emerged. She looked back at him with something unreadable in her eyes; he could see her throat working beneath her now tensed jaw. She broke his gaze and turned that hard stare at the ground. He leaned forward and looked past her to Basam, who seemed confused and startled. While his sister’s gaze had been closed, as if there was a wall behind her eyes, Basam’s was probing and open. But he could guess that they were both wondering the same thing.
Hideki nodded once and replaced the scroll. “In the morning, the three of you will be transferred to our prison facility,” he said. “There you will be kept until arrangements can be made to transport His Highness back to the homeland.” Hideki spoke Kuei’s title with the faintest hint of a sneer.
“What about us?” Basam asked. “We’re nobodies, you said so yourself. Why keep us here?”
“True, but you’ve been aiding and abetting a wanted fugitive. You share his guilt,” Hideki said. And with that, he turned on his heel and left the jail. The guard didn’t resume his post; instead, he just closed and locked the door, leaving Kuei and the two Sandbenders on their own.
/////////////
Kuei sat against the back wall of the cell, eyes fixed on the metal floor in front of him. He didn’t dare look at the Sandbenders in the two cells adjacent to his. It had been at least an hour since Hideki had left, but none of them had said a word to each other. He could see Zafirah pacing from the corner of his eye, though. She stopped after a while and grabbed the bars between their cells.
“So you’ve been lying to us this whole time,” she snapped. “You’ve been with us for, what, almost a month now? Living with us, sharing our food, our water, fighting alongside us-and you never thought to tell us who you really were?”
“Why didn’t you say anything?” Basam asked. The Sandbender rubbed absently at his wrists where the ropes had dug into his skin. “Did you think we’d, I dunno, hold you for ransom or something?”
“No, no, of course not!” Kuei said quickly. “At first I didn’t say anything because I wanted to travel as a common man. And then, with all the chaos of the Fire Nation attacking the oasis, and everything that happened after, I suppose I just… forgot about it.”
“You forgot?” Basam echoed. “You forgot about being the Earth King?”
“No, that’s not what I meant. It simply didn’t seem all that important, compared to everything else that was happening. It just never seemed like the right time to bring it up. Especially since there was nothing I could have offered along with it-no troops, no supplies, nothing of use.”
Zafirah snorted. “You realize how stupid that sounds, right?” she demanded.
“I do now,” he said miserably. Zafirah started pacing again, both hands pressed to her face.
“I just don’t understand it. How could you think that keeping this a secret was a good idea? You’re not just some wanderer, you’re the Earth King! That makes us, what, your subjects?” She sneered the last word.
“No! I could never think of you that way,” Kuei insisted.
“It doesn’t matter what you think of us, that’s just how it is,” Zafirah muttered. Kuei hung his head.
“I’m so sorry-“ he started.
“Don’t. I’m not in the mood to hear it,” she growled. She sat down against the bars, her back to him. Basam looked sadly at him from his cell.
“I just wish you’d told us,” he said. “We wouldn’t have treated you any different.” Then he, too, turned away.
Kuei felt a stab of pain as he glanced over at Zafirah’s hunched shoulders. Well, I couldn’t have messed this up any worse if I’d tried. I lied to the only friends I have, and now they don’t trust me anymore. Tomorrow we’re going to be imprisoned, and then I’ll be taken away to the Fire Nation…so I may never get a chance to make it up to them, he thought wretchedly. His mind went back to the celebration on the night after the battle, when he’d first acknowledged his growing attraction to Zafirah. The memory only made him feel worse. If I ever had a chance of winning her affection, it’s surely gone now.
/////////////////////////////
It was getting late, but Zafirah could hardly keep her eyes shut. She shifted uncomfortably against the iron bars digging into her back. She ended up sitting with her knees pulled up to her chest, arms folded over the tops of her kneecaps.
Shai was right, you can’t trust outsiders, she thought darkly. If he lied about this, what else is he lying about? What does he really want from us? It certainly cast a new light on the past few weeks. She found herself remembering his first night in the desert-the night he’d saved her life. Now it looked even more absurd. It was an utterly ridiculous notion: the Earth King saving the life of a Sandbender! There had to be another angle. He had to want something from them. Outsiders always did, and she had to imagine that that went double for royalty.
But maybe he’s telling the truth about everything else. It wasn’t easy to think of Kuei as a dishonest man. In the weeks she’d known him, he’d been nothing but polite and helpful. He’d worked just as hard as anyone else, ate the same pitiful rations they did, and slept in the dirt just like the rest of them, all without ever complaining. He didn’t seem to have a mean or malicious bone in his entire body.
And speaking of that long, lean body of his, there was one more problem. Spirits and ancestors, I’ve got a crush on the Earth King. This is awful! Zafirah buried her face against her arms, hoping Basam wasn’t awake in the next cell to notice her blush.
She felt like the world’s biggest fool. With everything that had happened, and with how close they’d gotten over the last few weeks, she’d started to wonder if there was potential for something to happen between the two of them. She’d even started to think that maybe he liked her a little. But knowing this, well, it changed everything. She was a sand rat and he was the Earth King. Not that it matters, since the Fire Nation’s gonna lock us up for the rest of our days, she thought darkly. She hugged her arms tighter around her knees.
Still, looking back, there were plenty of things that made more sense now. Before the battle in the desert, he’d said that there were people relying on him in Ba Sing Se, and that he’d let them down by fleeing. He’d told her that he wanted to redeem himself for this failure by fighting the Fire Nation with the Aqila Tribe. He hadn’t been talking about family or friends, she realized. He was talking about the entire population of Ba Sing Se. He was trying to redeem himself for the fall of the capitol.
All the little pieces were falling into place now: his high-class manner, the funny accent, his vagueness about his past, the pet bear, all those things he knew about the Avatar and the eclipse.
Riddle solved, Zafirah thought bitterly. She curled up on the floor of the cell and shut her eyes, trying to sleep.
/////////////////////////
The next morning, when Kuei awoke, the first thing he noticed was the tension in the room. The siblings were already awake. Basam sent an uneasy glance his way, and then suddenly became very interested in adjusting his arm wraps. Zafirah was standing at the back of her cell, leaning against the filthy stone wall and staring the floor; she’d spared him one glance when he first woke up, and the distrust in her pretty eyes seemed to cut right into him. Kuei stared miserably down at his hands. There had been plenty of silences in his weeks with the siblings: walking along absorbed in their own thoughts; quiet moments during meals; contemplative pauses in conversations around the campfire. But this was the first time he’d felt so acutely uncomfortable in their presence. He shifted nervously.
A different guard came by with bowls of grayish rice porridge. He slid them carelessly through slots at the bottoms of the cell doors.
“You got five minutes to eat,” he barked. Kuei glanced dubiously at the bowl, then picked it up and started in on the gruel. He was glad for a distraction from the unbearable quietness.
After the paltry meal, more guards came down to the dungeon. They came into Kuei’s cell first-one with metal handcuffs, and two with spears to discourage him from struggling. They bound his hands tightly behind his back and led him from the cell. Zafirah was next, and then Basam. With the trio cuffed and secured, the guards marched them up to the main floor of the tower and out onto the parade grounds.
“What have you done with my bear?” Kuei asked, turning to the nearest guard. He wasn’t expecting an answer-in fact, he wasn’t entirely sure he wanted one. But he had to ask, anyway.
“Captain Hikari’s decided to keep it till his next trip to the homeland. He said it’ll make a fine pet for the Fire Lord,” the guard sneered. Kuei’s heart sank at the thought of Bosco in the Fire Lord’s hands. At least he’s alive, Kuei told himself. Hopefully I’ll see you aboard the ship to the Fire Nation, dear friend.
A group of eight guards led them to a smaller gate at the rear of the base. A pair of rhino riders joined the guards, one at each end of the group. Two sentries opened the gate, and the procession moved out onto a narrow road through the forest that surrounded the base.
It was a nice day, with a clear blue sky and birds fluttering among the branches, but Kuei hardly noticed it. He stared at the ground, mostly, trying to keep his eyes off of the twins walking just ahead of him. He rolled his shoulders, trying in vain to alleviate the ache starting in his back from having his arms twisted behind him. He gritted his teeth in frustration, then gave up the effort.
It was strange, the twists and turns his life had been taking lately. First came the fall of Ba Sing Se and the Avatar’s defeat, bringing him the greatest despair he’d ever known; then he’d traveled to the desert and met the twins, and in their company he was truly content for the first time since that horrible night. Then the Fire Nation attack came, and once again he’d watched helplessly as Ozai’s forces subjugated Earth Kingdom citizens. He’d set off into the desert with Zafirah and Basam after that, intent on helping them in whatever way he could. And when they reached the Aqila Tribe, Qamar was there with her bold plans of striking back against the Fire Nation. Her words had inspired courage in him, and their victory had made his spirit soar with hope. The Sandbenders had demonstrated their power, and opened Kuei’s eyes to the possibility of fighting back. They had given him the strength to make this plan regarding the eclipse. And this is what he’d gotten for the effort, on his way to a Fire Nation prison and then to the Fire Lord himself.
The Fire Nation had taken everything-from him, from his friends, from the people of Ba Sing Se, from everyone in the Earth Kingdom… from everyone in the world. They had the entire world beaten down in despair. He’d been oblivious to it until the Avatar had shown him the truth, but now he saw it all so clearly. They’d been taking and destroying for a hundred years now, and they’d just keep doing it until there was nothing left. And anyone who stood up to them would just get crushed. He’d seen it at the fall of the capitol, and the situation had just seemed so hopeless.
And then something new started to build in the pit of his stomach. It wasn’t hopelessness this time; it was sharper, hotter. He clenched his fists, wrists pulling against the rough metal cuffs. No, he wasn’t despairing anymore.
He was angry. He was angrier than he’d ever been. His hands shook with it, his face flushing red from it. And the worst part was, he couldn’t do anything about it. His hands were bound with metal, and his only weapon was gone. There was no point in trying to escape, or attack the soldiers. They couldn’t afford to kill him for it, but they could certainly make him suffer. But there was a story he remembered from the legends of the Earth Kingdom. An innocent man had been condemned to death by an evil king, and he’d taken the one act of defiance left to him: he’d sung a song of freedom. Kuei had been so impressed by the story that he’d immediately gone and memorized the song.
I can’t stop them from imprisoning me, he thought. But I don’t have to keep quiet about it. Buoyed by anger, he felt a sudden rush of boldness. He’d probably still be made to suffer for such a display of defiance, but it would be worth it. He lifted his head and straightened his back, taking a moment to remember all the words. He took a deep breath and started singing. It wasn’t a very poetic moment; that much was certain. He’d never been much of a singer and he was badly off-key. He hardly cared, though.
“What do you think you’re doing? Shut up!” the guard behind Kuei snarled. He just sang louder. Basam glanced back at Kuei over his shoulder, looking utterly baffled.
“What are you doing?” he mouthed. Zafirah was still facing forward, but Kuei could see a change in her posture; her tensed shoulders seemed to drop a little, and she tilted her head slightly, as though listening.
The guards were getting irritated now. “What is that racket?” shouted the rider at the head of the group. He called a halt, dismounted from his rhino, and started to walk back towards Kuei, sporting a deep scowl made all the more intimidating by the shadows from his helmet.
Just then, Basam turned towards Kuei and joined in on the song. He shot the Sandbender an astonished look, and the other man just shrugged. And then, even more remarkably, Zafirah turned around and raised her voice along with theirs. She stared at Kuei with an inscrutable expression as she sang.
It was a beautiful song: it spoke of mountains, and the enduring strength of rock, lasting beyond all of humanity’s struggles and toils. It spoke of the stones underlying all of mankind’s cities, and how they were the same beneath the feet of kings and peasants alike. The stone beneath them spanned all countries and all people; even the thick ice of the North and South Poles had rock beneath it. Kuei could see why it annoyed the soldiers so much.
“Stop that!” the lead rider bellowed. He drew back his fist to Firebend at them. Kuei shut his eyes--
Something whizzed past his ear, and then there was a metallic clang. Kuei opened his eyes again just in time to see the soldier drop to the ground, a sizeable dent in the side of his helmet. The remaining seven guards all tensed and glanced around for the source of the attack. No one moved for a very long moment, and then all chaos broke loose on the road.
“Fire at will!” came a voice from the trees, and a volley of arrows soared into the air. Kuei gasped and dropped to the ground, along with the twins, as the arrows flew over their heads. Three guards fell, but the rest blocked the volley with Firebending.
A swarm of riders astride ostrich-horses flooded out of the forest, surrounded by gray-and-green-clad figures on foot. All of them wore dark cloth covering their faces from the eyes down. The air filled with shouts and whoops and the crash of metal on metal. Kuei stayed where he was, kneeling on the ground, quite certain that he didn’t want to get involved in this while so defenseless. He looked over at the siblings, crouching next to him and wearing identical expressions of shock.
“What in the Spirit World is going on?” Zafirah shrieked over the din.
“I wish I knew!” Kuei shouted back. One of the masked figures ran over-a woman, judging by her build-and dropped down next to him. She whipped out a knife seemingly from nowhere and Kuei suddenly wondered whose side these people were on. “Wait, hold on-“ he spluttered. But the woman ignored him and deftly picked the lock on his metal cuffs, and then picked the siblings’ cuffs as well. With the three of them freed, she spared one last glance at the trio.
“Run,” she told them. Without a moment’s hesitation, Kuei grabbed the siblings’ sleeves and scrambled to his feet, pulling the two with him. The three of them tore off into the woods at full tilt, heading northwest and away from the base.
Kuei couldn’t have said how much time they spent running, but soon his legs were aching and he was gasping for breath. The thunderous sounds of pursuit nearly sent him into a panic, but then he recognized the two-beat cadence of an ostrich-horse’s gait. He paused and looked back, just in time to see one of the creatures bearing down on him. Its rider pulled it up short alongside him, the creature tossing its head and snorting in impatience. The rider leaned over and stretched a gloved hand down to him.
“Get on,” said a masculine voice. He grabbed the man’s hand and scrambled clumsily onto the animal’s back. He saw Zafirah doing the same from the corner of his eye. Around them he saw the rest of the dark-clad group. “Riders, we’ll go on ahead. Ground team, you keep our tracks clear,” barked the stranger sitting in front of Kuei. He turned the ostrich-horse and dug his heels into its sides. Kuei grabbed hold of the man’s waist and hung on for dear life as the animal took off deeper into the forest.
Their path twisted and turned through the trees, racing up into the mountains that extended out on all sides around the base. Finally, after what seemed like hours of riding, the ostrich-horse slowed and came to a halt outside of an unassuming-looking cave. Kuei slid off the mount’s back and landed on wobbly legs. The rider made a tsk-ing sound and dismounted with embarrassing ease.
“Sorry for the rough treatment, but it was the only shot we had,” he said breezily. Well, that answered absolutely none of the dozens of questions flying through Kuei’s mind. The corners of the stranger’s eyes crinkled above his face mask. He saw a thin, jagged scar cutting across the exposed skin, starting on his forehead and crossing the bridge of his nose before disappearing under the mask. “I’d go see to your lady friend, there, if I were you,” the man added, nodding past Kuei. He turned, saw Zafirah looking around in confusion, and walked over to her.
“D’you see Basam anywhere?” she asked distractedly. Kuei scanned the group of dark-clad people, but nowhere did he see the tan of the Sandbender’s clothing. He walked back over to the man he’d rode with, but Zafirah pushed past him and beat him to it.
“Hey, excuse me,” she said, “But there was a third person with us-a man, dressed like me but a little taller. Who’s got him?” The scar-faced stranger pulled down his mask to reveal a solemn frown.
“I’m sorry, but he fell behind. The Firebenders grabbed him before we could,” he said gravely. The blood seemed to freeze in Kuei’s veins, but the horror he felt was nothing compared to the anguish that twisted Zafirah’s face.
Basam was still in the hands of the Fire Nation.
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