Flame of the Heart - Book 1 // Zuko

Chapter 8

"Zuko!" Shira cried.

She was seated in a prison cell, freezing to death when Zuko was brought in. His uncle was at his side as were two guards. She tried to stand up, but the chains held her down. Zuko rushed over to her side and wrapped his arms around her. She noticed that the left side of his face was bandaged up and she bit her lip. How bad was it?

"I'm so sorry," She whispered to him, "I wasn't able to stop him..."
Zuko shook his head and took her face into his hands, "Nonsense! You stopped him before he could hurt me twice! That is more than anyone has ever done for me."
"What have they done to you child?" Iroh inquired softly, giving her a sad look.

Shira shook her head, "Nothing yet.... The Fire Lord will be here soon to give me my punishment."
"I wish I could stop this," Iroh sighed, "But I have no power to and the Fire Lord is determined."
Zuko turned to his uncle, "Could you give us a minute?"
the old man nodded and stepped out of the cell with the two guards, leaving the two kids alone to themselves. The moment he was out, Zuko grabbed the girl's hands in his and looked into her big blue eyes.

"I'm going to get you out of here!" he said, "I'm not going to let my father touch you."
Shira smiled and shook her head, "There is nothing anyone can do Zuko. Don't get yourself killed trying to do something that will never be resolved except by fire."
Zuko bit his lip to hold the tears but they were too strong and he bowed his head so she wouldn't see him cry. Shira reached over and touched his unbandaged cheek.

"Zuko.... Let me see your burn."
Zuko's head shot up, "No! You'll hate it! It's ugly!"
Shira smiled sweetly at him, "Please? Unless it's still healing..."
Zuko shook his head, "It's scabbed over but.... It'll scare you."
The girl didn't seem to listen and slowly began to unwind the bandages. When she finally removed it, Zuko's other eye looked at her, full of pain and misery.... And disgust. Not at her but at himself.

Shira smiled kindly at him, but her tears were beginning to flood through. He was just a boy and his father had done this to him!

The girl looked around the cell and saw that her cup of water from her prison meal was still there. Reaching over, she grabbed the cup and saw it was half full. Carefully to note waste the water, she poured it onto her sleeve and began to carefully wash around the burn, careful to not irritate it. Zuko let out a shaky sigh at the cool feeling but soon his eyes fluttered closed and he relaxed at her soft touch.

When she finished, she had wiped away most of the excess puss and ooze that had formed underneath the bandaged and now it looked less red and enflamed. Placing the cup down, she slowly reached up with her hand and cupped his cheeks in her hands, careful of his burn. Zuko hadn't yet opened his eyes when suddenly he felt something soft and warm touch his face.... On his scar.

His eyes flew open and he realized that Shira had just kissed his burn!

"S.... Shira?" he whispered.

The girl slowly pulled away and looked up at him, "You're still handsome you know?"
Zuko's eyes widened at these words but before he could say anything in return, the prison doors opened and Iroh stepped in.

"Zuko, we must leave. Your father will be here any minute. You don't want him getting angry because you haven't left yet."
Zuko turned to Shira and would have done something else but the two guards entered and dragged Zuko out of the cell. The cell doors slammed on him and Zuko grabbed the bars.

"Shira.... I will find the Avatar and return. I promise."
The girl smiled and nodded, "Farewell Zuko."

Zuko was then dragged off by his uncle but didn't realize what Shira said until they were halfway to the docks.

"Wait.... she said goodbye!?" the boy whispered, loud enough for his uncle to hear, "Why would she do that?"
Iroh sighed, "You didn't really pay attention to your history lessons did you Prince Zuko?"

Zuko snapped his head in his uncle's direction, "What is that supposed to mean?"

"It means," Iroh replied, "That what Shira knows is that light and plant benders were seen as keepers of the peace. They were the next strongest thing compared to the avatar for they possessed two bending abilities at once and sometimes a third. Your father's father... my father, slaughtered the last of the light and plant benders. They were known as the Benders of the Inner Flame, or more commonly known as Peace Benders. However, Peace Benders do not get their powers from their parents. They are just naturally born with the power, no matter if their parents were fire benders, water benders, air benders or earth benders or even no bender at all.... Whenever my father found another Peace Bender, he had them scarred and then banished to the far reaches of the earth."
Zuko felt his heart stop at those words, "Scarred.... What do you mean by that?"
Iroh sighed and shook his head, "Zuko, there is nothing we can do to stop him...."
But Zuko was already gone, rushing off the docks and back to the gates of the city. However, the gates had closed by then and he knew that if he tried to go in he would get killed.... But he didn't have to wait long till the gates opened and out road three guards on horses. Two of them flanked one of the guards who had someone strapped to the horse behind him for the person was to weak to hold on themselves.

Zuko watched with his heart in his throat as they road past...... then he saw it. Even though the person was wrapped in an old white sheet, concealing everything, he could see the wisps of blond hair.... Shira.

The boy was about to follow when Iroh grabbed him from behind to hold him back from doing something foolish.

"It's too late Prince Zuko.... We cannot do anything now."
Zuko lifted his tear-filled eyes to see what he had hoped he would never see in his lifetime again. Through the white sheet, blood was seeping through.... Ozai had given the girl her punishment.... And in the form of a Z.... for Zuko.

The boy covered his face with his arm and tearing out of his uncle's arms, he rushed back to the docks without looking back.

Iroh sighed and looked at where Shira was tied onto the back of the horse. The blood seeping through the sheet, revealing the shape of her whip marks: Z.

"The poor child," he sighed, "She deserved better...."