Spark [Prince Zuko - Book One]

❃Chapter Six❃

Asake sighed as the ship slowed down near the Fire Nation naval yard. A lot of people were bustling around the naval yard; she snickered to herself when she realized that they looked like minuscule ants. A few other ships rose up out of the water next to theirs, and some of the others looked worse than theirs did. 

Suddenly, the ship stopped moving. The impact caused her to bump shoulders with the Prince. They were standing right next to each other as they waited to get off of the ship. She quickly said, "Sorry."

He said nothing to her as he led them to Iroh, who was standing near the gangplank. Zuko had been stewing about the broken ship since the accident happened. She knew that he was angry because his hands were closed into fists, and his eyes were narrowed. She wasn't too happy that the Avatar got away, but she knew that holding onto that anger would not do him good at all. He was already a misguided boy with a lot of past trauma. He didn't need anything more than what he had already endured. 

"Let's go."

Iroh fell into step with Zuko as she slowed to a walk behind them. Asake's mind wandered as they ventured off the ship, her feet coming in contact with solid ground. She felt the roots of her journey traveling underneath her, and her spirits brightened. She hated being on the water; in the beginning, she would get sea sick and nothing would help it. She slowly grew accustomed to the floating sensation and tolerated the way her stomach rolled, but she had always hated it and always would hate it. 

A smile made its way onto her small face as she looked at the bright sky. There wasn't a cloud in sight and the sun warmed up her whole body. A nice breeze blew through the naval yard, bringing along the smells of oil and motor parts and metal. She placed a hand on the hilt of her sword and breathed in deep. Days like these were Asake's favorite. Memories flooded her brain of a much simpler time when she would play with her dad on the sunniest of days, days like that one. Sometimes she wished she could go back.

Most of the time, though, she remembered that he hadn't stopped her from being banished along with Zuko. He sat and watched her get hurt and did nothing about it. That made her wishes reverse.

"Uncle, I want the repairs made as quickly as possible. I don't want to stay too long and risk losing his trail," Zuko said, breaking Asake from her thoughts. He had spoken quietly enough that no one outside of the three of them would hear him. 

"You mean the Avatar?" Iroh said, and Asake slightly giggled. He didn't seem to notice Zuko's hushed voice.

"Don't mention his name on these docks!" Zuko snapped, turning to his Uncle. Asake watched in amusement as Zuko fumed. Somehow, she knew that he would always get angry in almost every situation he was in. If things didn't go right, he was angry. If things went right, he was angry. All around, he was an angry guy. Sometime, she wanted to see him at peace with himself and the world around him. She hoped that she would see it soon. "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."

Asake spotted a man strutting toward them. He had a purposeful look on his face, but something dangerous glinted in his eyes. She frowned as he opened his mouth and said, "Getting in the way of what, Prince Zuko?"

Iroh and Zuko turned towards the man with identical looks of surprise. Asake stood behind Zuko, who dwarfed her in size. She was glad to be hidden behind him because the man did not look nice at all. There was something that unnerved her about that man.

"Captain Zhao," Zuko said disgustedly. 

"It's Commander now," Commander Zhao said proudly. He looked toward Iroh and bowed. When he started to rise again, he had on a sort of smirk that made Asake's skin crawl. "And General Iroh, great hero of our nation."