A/N: Thank you, even if you considered having a look at this. I know this won't gain traction, but I like writing so perhaps ill keep this up. Ty to any readers who have simply had a look! I apologise for any grammatical mistakes or typos, this is loosely edited.
Update: I realised I've been spelling Dai Li wrong this whole time so Im sorry for that 😭 Part 5 will have the correct spelling
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I walked out onto the deck and stretched my arms up. I felt weighed down by the red protective armour seemingly everywhere on my body.
My hair flew free in the sea-cast winds as I began to walk. The metal floor creaked lowly as I approached the middle of the large deck. The small cluster of tables and stools stood half empty. I sat down beside a crewmate, slurping loudly on a bowl of noodles.
I looked out to the sea, an island approaching in the distance. My brows furrowed. I glanced around, and a few others noticed, too. I charged back across the deck to the captain in his small rectangular room. Picking up a stray rock, I threw it up at the window.
He turned around and opened the window. "What now, raven?" He grimaced. I scoffed.
"It's Laina, you nitwit! Why are you steering the ship to the island? I gave you the path and the coordinates. What is so hard to understand?" He rolled his eyes, wrinkly features exaggerated.
"New orders from General Zhao; he has asked us to dock for a storage pickup", I scowled and waved my hand. He closed the window and continued to steer. I eyed the other crewmates as they looked at me with disdain.
"Will you get over it? So what if I overtook you as a female and a teenager? Accept that I'm better," I said slyly, watching their ears practically burst with angry steam.
I returned to my table and sighed, taking a nap in the warm sun before we docked. My eyes lolled shut, and sleep overtook me.
***
A blaring horn sounded and woke me right from my sleep. I rubbed my eyes and noticed we had docked. I yawned and got up, tying my hair back with a small red ribbon. My hair was thick, and even in a ponytail, it reached mid-back. I traced the scar that travelled across the left side of my lip, pale and healed.
I ran over to another crewmate and helped lower the drawbridge. It creaked, reminding me of all the metal in these large ships. I peered down and saw the broad-shouldered General Zhao saunter up the ship. I refrained from contorting my face into a frown. Instead, I kept it blank, reminding him I'm not easy to smile. Smiling was reserved for people I liked.
"Ah, Miss Laina, a pleasure to meet again.' he said, something pretentious in his voice. I just nodded, my voice locked away until absolutely necessary. "Oh, Captain Lee, pleasure!" He called out to the Captain behind me. They mumbled something, but I didn't listen. Even if I tried, they were too quiet for my slightly deaf ears.
My ears; red and scarred.
"So, Laina, I'm afraid you will be transferred to a different ship," Zhao said in a nonchalant manner that caused me not to catch what he said at first.
I jumped and looked into his cold, flaming eyes. "What? But I'm stationed on this ship, and I run course. Do you know how hard I worked to get this position!?" That wasn't the real reason I was hesitant to leave.
The Dai Li hadn't gotten my finished report for this fleet, and they needed to know what seas the fire nation would track next. So far, we hadn't gone to Ba Sing Se yet, but I'd been getting orders suggesting we were moving closer to the Earth Kingdom capital.
"I heard you are a great tracker and can track anyone across the globe." He said, dismissing my outrage. I nodded slowly, wondering where this was going. "A certain Fire Nation citizen needs a person tracked and has asked for assistance in his journey. You will be transferred to the same position on that ship, and there will be no argument from your quick tongue. This is an order." I scowled but nodded, accepting it was out of my hands.
My report will have to be cut short.
I ran below deck, grabbed my small satchel, and slung it around my body. I caught myself in the mirror wearing the clunky Fire Nation armour. I ripped off the chest plate and armoured pants, feeling free. My black turtle neck hugged my body and stretched down my arms. My baggy pants and boots sighed in relief, finally able to expand without a barrier of steel armour closing them in. I stared at the jade charm that swung at my neck and the ruby bracelet clinging to my wrist. Both evidence I once lived a life far away.
I ran back up and met with those cold eyes again. He only grinned, and I almost gagged. He pranced onto the bridge, and I followed suit. The smell of the markets greeted my nose, cooking meat and sweet tanghulu masking the scent of sewerage and poverty.
I watched greedy hands grab for items and get batted away by watchful shop owners. Noise flooded the damp cobblestone streets; salty water washed onto land by the big metal ships. Men with shady offers leered at me, trying to pull me in. "Ay, pretty girl! That gorgeous body could be enhanced with this gel!" I ignored him, but I think the Fire Nation general was the one to scare him off.
"Seriously, do men always shout at you in the streets?" General Zhao questioned, not an ounce of sympathy in his voice. I kept walking.
"I suppose to any woman in these markets, yes," I paused, contemplating my next words. "Or on big metal ships." I finished, and he only raised an accusing brow.
The water stretched on beyond the horizon, ships pulling into the shoreline. I longingly looked out, wishing to be back on my boat. The horizon was obstructed by another massive ship, that of the Fire Nation. The sun was reflected–no–pierced on the sharp tip of the ship. A ramp was lowered harshly onto the cobblestone and kicked up rocks as it slammed down. Shadowed figures stood at the top, but the sun glowering behind them concealed their features.
Zhao went up, and I followed, attempting to hide all discomfort in my features. I had to be a blank slate. Boring is harder to read than interesting. Finally climbing up the ramp, I met with my new crewmates. I stepped out onto the deck and looked around. A rotund man greeted me with a large smile. I bowed courtly, no smile present on my face.
"Thank you for changing your post with such little notice. We appreciate your help in my nephew's journey," the smiling man said.
"My loyalty lies with the Fire Nation, and I'm happy to change my post to assist..." I trailed off, realising who stood before me.
Retired general Iroh, former in line to the throne. My heart beat a little faster, and sweat built at the back of my neck. "And what was your name?" He asked. I almost rejoiced out loud, knowing he hadn't recognised me.
"Laina Xu, sir." I breathed out.
Zhao stepped in front of me. "This is all very polite, but I should run you through some things." Iroh nodded, and I stepped back. Laina has been known to be... violent. If anything occurs, you can talk to me, and I'll see fit to what we should do with her."
I rolled my eyes behind his broad back, and Iroh noticed. He chuckled and turned back to Zhao. "I'm sure she will be fine," he said with kind eyes. Zhao sneered.
"We'll see." And with that final comment, he left, trudging back down the ramp. I released a held breath and unclasped my hands.
Another set of footsteps trudged up the ramp, and I swivelled around to see. I almost gasped at who came up the ramp.
Fire Nation uniform, red and black. The armour, hard and cold, shone in the sun. He was maybe 16. I wasn't sure. It had been so long that I wasn't counting. Was it even him? Or just some lookalike who reminded me of a past I once knew?
He had hazel eyes that appeared golden and a set line on his mouth. He only stared down at me. His hair was in the style of the banishment hair, which was seen as embarrassing. It told all those of the Fire Nation that they had been banished. The skin around his right eye was completely covered in burn scars, leaving a smaller crack for him to look through. It didn't detract from his looks, but it certainly made him stand out.
"This is my nephew, Prince Zuko." Yup, that confirmed it. He was who I thought he was, but he was much different from how he used to be. I remembered his thirteen-year-old self, happy, a little shy, and hopeful, without a ghastly burn scar and banishment evident on the top of his head. He now only sneered at me with cold eyes. I began to sweat again, worried he would recognise me as well.
I was different, too, from what he once knew. My ears were red and scarred, tucked behind my long hair. My hair always used to be cut into a short bob. I had now grown it to my lower back. My looks had changed as well, I suppose. I had grown up and grown into my looks. I wasn't as wide-eyed and puffy-cheeked, and my lips were not as large and confronting on my face. Now they had a white scar trailing down their left side, faded from hurt but remembered in memory.
And I guess I am a 16-year-old now, so...
"It is an honour to meet you", I bowed. "I promise to serve the best I can '' I finished, getting up from my low bow.
He looked at me with a certain disdain that threw me off. "Can you track the avatar for me?" He asked, stone-cold and serious. My jaw practically dropped. I couldn't believe what I was hearing.
He waited for a response. I, still evidently flabbergasted, picked up my jaw and got ready to answer. He continued to wait, and I felt like I was having a dream. "The avatar is gone... how can I track something that doesn't exist?" I replied, wide-eyed at this crazy request.
He sneered. "The avatar is out there, hiding, and I'm going to find him and capture him." What has caused him to start up on this wild goose chase? "Look, can you do it? I understand you studied at Fire Nation National University and that you have a keen interest in the elements." I was glad my fake degree at FNNU was still being believed, but how did he know about my interest in the elements? That was a solo research project very little known about.
"You are asking me to find traces of an avatar that could be 100 years gone, with very few artifacts to leave behind?" He nodded. I sighed. The inclination to decline was momentous, but then it was interrupted.
If I followed Prince Zuko, wouldn't that be more groundbreaking in my reports than some stupid storage ship slowly migrating to the Earth Kingdom? If I spent my time tracking, I would be able to learn the military mindset and moves of the fire nation and how this prince reflects it.
"Alright, I'll do it. But know–"
"–Work starts now." He cut me off. Steam was practically bursting out of my ears as he turned around to order the crew to undo the ropes and anchor from the port. I spun around and made my way up the stairs into the captain's room. He looked startled to see me as I sat down at the table next to the controls. The map laid out was detailed and showed where the prince had been. He had been all across the earth kingdom and to two old air nomad temples.
I whipped my head around to the wide-eyed captain. "Do you have any evidence, movement, or artifacts of the avatar?" He nodded and passed me a report, still confused about who I was, I assumed. The report included ambushes in the earth kingdom, rebellion groups of Omashu, uneasy activity bordering the islands in the fire nation and unsettled waters near the south and north pole.
I scanned the Earth Kingdom reports, but they all seemed like normal rebellions from the Earth Kingdom. The unsettled waters in the Water Tribe were an interesting report. "Various Fire Nation ships have reported unsettled and wild waters, particularly in the south. What is this?" I asked, scanning the drawings of high waves and large icebergs.
The captain scoffed. "Just some uneasy waters? It's the rockiest waters there are. I don't even know how that made it into the report." He laughed, somehow telling me I was stupid for even noticing it.
The reports noticed rumbling and shifts in current. I closed the folder and looked at the map spread across the table. Right now, we were in a port not far off of Omashu, and the trip to the south would cause a bit of rerouting, but we could do it if the captain were competent enough. The previous places marked on the map were too obvious. Northern air temple, air nomad ruins, air nomad memorials. My bet was that the avatar would hide somewhere the fire nation wasn't in their element. The snowy tundras of the South Pole.
"Set route for southern water tribe, start from closest to the earth kingdom and then we will get as close to the north as we can," I said, beginning to mark out coordinates and supply stops on the map. The silence from the Captain told me he thought I was crazy. "Chart the course, or must I do it for you?" I said, turning my head around to face the man withered by age, an age which had been sped up from being at sea for too long.
"Who are you?" He asked, abrasive in tone.
I sighed, realising it was a bit crazy to barge in there, but my day had got me doing rushed and not well-thought-out things. "Sorry, I'm the new tracker and navigator for Prince Zuko. I had a sudden change of my job today, so you may not have known I was coming." He seemed to have recalled who I was.
He said, "Oh, you're that angry raven? You're pretty famous amongst the northern fleet."
I rolled my eyes and responded, "So I've been told. Any artifacts? I can't do a whole lot of detailed tracking without some form of physical evidence." He nodded and took a banana leaf, tied tight by string, from a compartment in the control deck and handed it to me.
I took the parcel from his hand and placed it on the table. Carefully, I untied the neat string and unravelled the banana leaf. One small piece of cloth lay inside; its orange dye was washed out by water, but the colour was still prevalent. I felt the fabric, and it was soft but not cotton. Linen? It was weak and fragile, but its material should be strong. I eyed the captain. "Where was this found?" I asked.
"Earth kingdom waters, about 10 kilometres off the southern water tribe border" Got it. This was a distinct material, that of the air nomads. Considering the last avatar was meant to be one, the society went extinct...
"I've got him," I said, running my calloused thumb over the now warn material. The captain turned in his chair, raising an arched brow.
"That's impossible."
I shook my head, disagreeing. "It isn't certain, but I think it's likely." He nodded, signalling for me to go on.
"This fabric was found close to the southern water tribe waters, adrift and worn. But not by years, by months. I believe the disturbances in the water have more to reveal under the surface," I paused, "literally. Think about it. The avatar is running from the fire nation, by Prince Zuko's logic anyway. Where would one hide if they were being chased by fire?" His face didn't change for a beat until it dawned on him. His eyes lit up, and I could tell he respected me more now. I wasn't the idiot he assumed I was.
"OK, I'll start the journey. Pass me the map with the coordinates, and I'll signal you when our first supply stop is so you can prepare to keep marking on the map." He said, flipping switches and turning wheels. I got up and grabbed the map, passing it to him. I walked out of the control room into the meeting room below it. This is putting my tracking knowledge to proper use, and the Dai Li might like the report on the Prince's hunt for the avatar better than storage ships on Earth kingdom water.
The meeting room was almost full as I clanked down the metal stairs. The room turned to me across the large table. The prince sat at the head of the table, in his usual look of glowering/anger. I paused as all eyes were on me, unmoving, and no mouths spoke a word. I swallowed thick saliva, apparently on edge. No one moved. I finally spoke. "Do you want me to curtsy when I walk in the room, your highness?" I asked sarcastically, in a facade that I hoped would hide my anxiety.
He rolled his eyes and gritted his teeth. "Have you set a route for the Avatar?" He asked, ice cold. The room went silent, waiting for my apparently well-needed reply.
"I have. I believe I know where your illusive avatar is." Hushed murmuring erupted in the room. They were all sceptical of the avatar being alive. "Where?" he asked, frantic and excited. I couldn't really tell.
"Where else would he hide? The southern water tribe," I said. The room got louder again, and accusatory glances pierced me from across it.
"Are you sure?" He asked, his voice silencing the room.
"Why else would I be on this ship? You should thank me; you're going to find this avatar." I finished, severing the glares from the men in the crew. I may not feel this confident, but it doesn't matter. Confidence was either real or fake, and no one could tell the difference. So long as that remains true, I would intimidate and climb the ranks in no time.
"OK, men, prepare for the cold. We are heading to the southern water tribe." He finished, dismissing the room with a wave of a hand.