The Guider Effect ☼ Zuko || ATLA

A Sidequest

"So, where are you taking us?" Kireina quizzed. She was wrapped in chains and thrown onto the back of one of the soldier's ostrich horse. Iroh was atop of the one adjacent to her, still naked. She would be lying if she didn't see Iroh's...body... multiple times, Rein was uncomfortable to say in the least.

They had been traveling for a few hours now, the sun having disappeared and replaced with the bright moon. "We're taking you both to face justice." The lead soldier replied.

"Right, but where specifically?" Rein rolled her eyes at the man's vague answer.

"A place the General is quite familiar with, actually. He once laid siege to it for six-hundred days, but I would not yield to him."

"Ah, the great city of Ba Sing Se." Iroh chirped up.

"It was greater than you were, apparently." He responded snarkily. Rein narrowed her eyes at him, preparing to inhale a deep breath and throw him off his ostrich horse. Iroh let out a loud cough, gaining her attention. He shook his head and mouthed, 'Wait'.

"I acknowledge my defeat at Ba Sing Se. After six-hundred days away from home, my men were tired and I was tired." Iroh yawned. "And I'm still tired." Rein winced as his limp body fell to the hard dirt path beneath them. She watched as he kicked off one of his sandals, obviously leaving it behind for Zuko to track the two down. The earthbenders lifted Iroh back up, not thinking twice about the abandoned shoe.

"You guys can unchain me, you know. I'm not a bender, I'm actually being held captive by General Iroh. You'd be helping me by letting me go." Rein lied.

"And why are they holding you prisoner?"

Rein racked her brain for more convincing lies she could spew. "I may or may not have tried to blow up their ship when they docked in an Earth Kingdom harbor."

Out of the corner of her eye, Kireina saw Iroh smirk in his 'sleeping' state. "That's pretty ballsy of you." The head soldier chuckled.

Rein shrugged nonchalantly, "Would have turned out better if I didn't get caught. They've kept me hostage for months now and now I can finally escape but I'm being held against my will by another group of soldiers. You boys wanna be heroes today?"

All of the soldiers looked towards their leader, who stared long and hard at Rein before nodding his head. They called the ostrich horses to a halt then unchained Kireina and helped her down off the animal. She rubbed at her wrists, grateful to be free of the restraints.

"I can't believe they employ such gullible men in the Earth Kingdom." Rein smirked. She moved swiftly, blasting the benders with a gust of air, sending them flying in all different directions.

"Leave me with them! I am much too slow, I will hold you back." Iroh shouted to her. She nodded and sprinted back the way they came, using her airbending to propel her faster through the woods.