For the Want of the Sun • Zuko

chapter four: Attack of the Sideburns

The ship creaks with the effort to stop, and I lurch slightly forward. The ramp falls to the ground, and I follow Zuko and Iroh on their way out. On either side of us there are ships, each marked with the emblem of the Fire Nation, though in slightly better shape than our own. After the whole water-battle incident, we decided to stop for some repairs. We definitely need it, considering the sizable dents on each side of the boat.

"Uncle," Zuko says. "I want the repairs made as quickly as possible. I don't want to stay too long and risk losing his trail."

Iroh looks disinterested. "You mean the Avatar?"

Zuko suddenly whips around, glaring. "Don't mention his name on these docks!"

"Woah, there," I whisper.

"Once word gets out that he's alive every firebender will be out looking for him, and I don't want anyone getting in the way!"

"Getting in the way of what, Prince Zuko?"

We turn, and my eyes fall on a man in the distance. He's dressed in Fire Nation armor, and his sideburns are way too long for me to have any respect for him. Zuko stiffens next to me and crosses his arms. "Captain Zhao," he spits.

The man smirks. "It's commander now." Ugh, even his voice is sleazy. He turns to Iroh and bows. "General Iroh. Great hero of our nation."

Iroh bows back. "Retired general," he says.

The man turns to me, and a smile pulls at the corners of his lips. "And who might you be, my dear?"

I try not to cringe. "I'm Y/n."

He nods in something akin to recognition. "Ah, yes, the servant. How lovely to make your acquaintance."

I don't answer, and he stares at me expectantly. "Oh, yeah. You too."

Zhao steps back, but his eyes stay trained on me. Then, he turns to Zuko. "The Fire Lord's brother and son are welcome guests anytime. What brings you to my harbour?"

"Our ship needs repairs," Zuko answers.

Zhao directs his gaze to our ship. "That's quite a bit of damage."

"Yes," Zuko says, and he holds a finger out in front of him. "Uncle, tell Commander Zhao what happened."

Iroh straightens. "Yes! I will do that. It was incredible, er-" He speaks to us lowly. "What, did we crash or something?"

"Uh, Yes!" Zuko says. "Right into an Earth Kingdom ship. Y/n saw the whole thing, didn't she?"

I nod fervently. "Oh, yeah. It was crazy. Just went boom, straight into the other ship." I gesture with my hands for additional detail. "Couldn't even get out of the way in time."

"Oh, really?" Zhao drawls. "You must regale me with all the thrilling details." He steps towards Zuko, getting in his face. "Join me for a drink?"

Zuko looks very uncomfortable, so I say: "Um, he's not twenty-one."

"Right. And, uh, we have to go," Zuko affirms.

"Don't worry my dear, we have non-alcoholic options. Are you quite sure, Prince Zuko?"

"Yes, we have to-"

"Zuko," Iroh says, placing a hand on his shoulder. "Show Commander Zhao your respect. We would be honored to join you. Do you have any Ginseng tea? It's my favorite."

They walk off, and Zuko growls. With a grunt, he sends an arc of fire through the air. I roll my eyes, grabbing his arm.

"Come on. You need some calming tea."