𝙲𝚑𝚊𝚙𝚝𝚎𝚛 𝚂𝚒𝚡

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A week later, La'kea was leaning over the charts and map of the sea they were currently sailing. "You want me to do what?"

The helmsman and Lieutenant Jee were both standing across from the table, Jee cleared his throat, "Turn the ship east."

"I don't understand why you need me to do it," She frowned, running a finger from the figurine of their ship to the small Earth Kingdom town marked. On their way to the Water Tribe territory, they were doing standard combing through any towns along the coast. As a token of goodwill towards their truce, Zuko allowed her to accompany the searches, and in return, she helped pick apart the towns.

At first it had been unnerving, turning houses upside down, threatening the village people, seeing the fear in their eyes. But no harm was ever brought to them, as soon as Zuko grew impatient or was satisfied the Avatar was no where near, they left. So La'kea grew accustomed to it, and as she tore apart houses all she could think about was going home.

The more time passed, the more she imagined what it would be like. The Avatar might have had time to master the elements, but he was old and probably frail from living on the run. Together, they would be able to take him down, subdue him long enough to wrap him in chains. The prince would present him to his father, and be reinstated as the crown prince. As payment for his life debt, the prince would set her free, giving her a boat and supplies to reach her home.

"Well," The helmsman looked equal parts unnerved and frustrated, "The prince only gave us so much time to reach the shore. By the time we manage to reroute..."

"He would be angry," She finished for them, "And you figured I'd step in to save your skin."

"I told you it was a waste of time," The helmsman hissed to Jee.

Frowning, she crossed her arms, "I didn't say no."

Both men blinked in surprise, "So... You'll do it?"

"Whatever gets us on track the fastest," She tapped a finger against her arm, "The faster this ship moves the faster we capture this Avatar."

"Of course," The Lieutenant assured, stepping aside to gesture to the door, "We're ready when you are."

Zuko jumped back to avoid getting hit by the girl walking out of the control tower. "What're you doing?" He demanded.

She only rolled her eyes, like him inquiring about her intentions were bothersome, "I'm turning the ship."

"Turning the ship?" He looked between the girl and the control tower before following her down the hall. "What is the meaning of this?"

"It means exactly what I said," She waved a hand, "I'm turning the ship east, so we can reach that Earth Kingdom town faster."

The prince slowed slightly, taking in her words, "Oh, that's... Helpful of you."

Iroh blinked at La'kea walking up and down the side of the deck, Zuko standing by restlessly. "Now, what might you two be doing?"

"I'm turning the ship," She repeated flatly, marching towards the east side of the deck.

"That sounds very strenuous," The retired general observed, gesturing to his table, "Wouldn't you prefer gathering your strength with a calming cup of jasmine tea?"

La'kea did pause, glancing at the inviting brew, Fire Nation tea had become a comfort to her. "After," She promised, and placed herself in a center of the ship. The fastest course of action would be to push water at both the front and back in opposite directions.

Gesturing her respects, she breathed slowly, pulling her arms up to her sides. The ship rumbled as the water around it suddenly strained against the currents being made and the natural currents. If she was going by what her mother taught her, it was most sensible to take it slowly and push from the bow of the ship. But she was rushing, her mother wasn't here now, and Zuko was breathing down her neck.

Grunting under the sudden strain, La'kea inhaled as she twisted her body slightly, coiling up before she leapt forward. Spinning her clenched fists in a wide circle as the ship was forcefully spun on a dime.

Too fast, the crew scrambled as the ship started lurching to its side, tilting dangerously low on it's side. La'kea ran to the edge of the deck, planting her heels against the railing as the vessel continuing falling, and pulled her arms up sharply. The ocean shot up to greet the ship, crashing against the hull hard enough to right it upwards.

With a sigh of relief, she dusted her palms, turning back around to be greeted by the sight of the crew clinging to the opposite railing.

"My bad," She whispered.

Zuko was the first to explode, "Your bad! You almost sunk the ship!"

"But I didn't," The waterbender pointed out, she hated it but she did feel a little sheepish. Instead of taking the time to do it properly, she had tried to take the shortcut, something that would have earned her a scolding back at home. Turns out she was being scolded anyway by the prince.

The crew clambered back to their stations, anxious to get out of the prince's war path. La'kea just sat there exasperated, sipping on a cup of jasmine tea as Zuko stomped back and forth in front of her. Rattling on about how she almost drowned them all.

"Why don't you turn the ship next time," She jibed, "Weren't you the one that said it would be helpful?"

"That was before you tried to kill us," He retaliated, smoke escaping from his mouth.

"Now Prince Zuko," His uncle murmured, "I think you're trying to get upset over nothing. Miss La'kea manged to turn the ship and corrected her mistake."

Zuko grumbled under his breath, crossing his arms, "Next time you turn the ship, do it properly."

"Sure thing, your highness," She drawled, finally standing up as they reached the shore. Apparently the village was a ways inland, too far to go on foot but not so far they would need to camp. Quite a convenient location in general, except for La'kea, the fact that they would have to be riding on the komodo rhinos.

La'kea was vehemently against such a concept. She had stumbled upon the the beasts once in the lowest part of the brig, they were appalling to say the least. With a hide as tough as the hull of the ship, three horns capable of impaling someone, and a mean attitude to match. She would have to ride one of the beasts.

She eyed the temperamental creatures as they were led off the ship onto the beach, hand on the canteen of water attached to her belt. "I think I'll just walk."

"Get on the rhino," Zuko commanded, swiftly mounting his own rhino and grabbing the reins.

Mount the rhino he says, like that was easy. She cautiously approached the beast, only to jump back when it snapped it's teeth with a growl, and quickly started backpedaling. "I can walk, it's not that far on foot."

The prince's rhino was suddenly behind her, "You are impossible." He hissed, "You're not walking all the way to the village, you'll be dead on your feet by the time we get there."

She flung her arms out helplessly towards the beast, "I don't know how to ride these things!"

"Then stay on the ship."

"I'm walking."

"You little minx," The prince scowled, jumping off the saddle to grab her arm and drag her towards his rhino. "Get on."

"But I already told you-."

"I'll steer, you just sit there and try not to fall off." He jerked his head towards the mount, looking more than displeased. As the rhino lizard tossed it's head La'kea wondered if even that was going to be easy.

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The village was surprisingly large, still not quite a town and far from being a city. The houses were mostly the same, well structured but not elaborate, with washed out green roofs and dull brown walls. Except for one grand hall standing at the top of the hill, lording over the rest of the village.

When they started combing through the homes, disrupting the citizens and such, La'kea expected the village chief to come storming down the hill to see who was causing such ruckus. Zuko would explain why they were here, if they had nothing to hide they had nothing to fear. The chief would either back down, or would try to fight and be destroyed.

But that never happened.

Whoever lived in the grand house atop the hill was either clueless or didn't care, but they would have to start caring soon. The search party had failed to find this Avatar in any of the village houses or fields, leaving only the house to search.

Zuko dismounted his rhino as the team of fire bending guards and non-benders fanned out around the house. La'kea hovered not far behind him, sending ripples through the decorative ponds in front of the house to see if anyone was hiding underwater.

Just as the prince was about to give the signal to kick in the doors, a man stepped out, just shy of middle aged. "There's no need to break down my door," He said irritably. "I already told you everything I know. We have an agreement."

Everyone paused, glancing hesitantly at the prince while waiting for orders how to proceed. The prince frowned, the man was dressed in fine Fire Nation robes in an Earth Kingdom village. "We're looking for the Avatar."

The man folded his arms across his chest, exposing his tattooed forearms, "Is that all then? Search the house if you want, from what I've heard, nobody's seen your Avatar in a hundred years." Zuko's frown didn't lessen, something about the man wasn't sitting right. Despite being dressed in Fire Nation finery, he didn't look like a Fire Nation citizen. His dark hair, dark skin, and even darker eyes that revealed nothing, it all reminded him of-.

La'kea's sudden gasp from behind him turned everyone's attention to her. She was staring at the man like she had seen a ghost, sputtering as she pointed at him, "You're- You're an islander!"

That revelation surprised Zuko, the general similarities between the man and the girl were obvious now. However, there was something still off putting about him, like a rock stuck in the prince's boot, he couldn't shake it off.

The islander looked unsettled at his identity being revealed, "Yes..."

The prince motioned for the search party to start moving through the house, but waited outside with the girl and the islander man. After her initial shock wore off, Zuko had never seen her look so elated and bright as she rattled off question after question. Ranging from which island he hailed from to what his tattoos represented.

The man answered each question indifferently as he led them over to a stone garden by his grand house. The prince trailing after them as they sat atop roughly cut stone benches.

The mood suddenly shifted to a more somber one as she whispered, "How did you escape?"

Zuko felt the need to remind her that he was right there, but something didn't feel right in the slight shift in stance from the man. The islander frowned in confusion, "Escape? What do you mean?"

"I-" La'kea blinked hard, taken aback, "From the mines? Or did you work in the factories?" She inhaled slightly, whispering even lower, "Or was your freedom granted?"

The man barked a small laugh, "Girl, I didn't escape. I made a deal with the Fire Nation," He glanced over at Zuko and back at her, "Like you apparently did."

She deflated, hands folded in her lap, "I don't have my freedom yet, not really."

He suddenly recoiled, "That's unfortunate, but you should leave soon." The islander got to his feet, making his leave.

Zuko looked around the garden, fidgety over the sudden tension as the girl leapt to her feet, "Wait! What... What deal did you make?"

The man rolled his eyes, like answering her was suddenly a bothersome chore, "Trust me, girl, it'll only upset you."

"No!" Although her voice was even, Zuko noticed her hands clenched into fists were shaking slightly, "What deal did you make with the Fire Nation?"

The islander groaned, sweeping an arm towards the elaborate house. "For all this, and a life of peace," It suddenly clicked in the prince's head what was off about the man. Although he shared the same bottomless dark eyes as La'kea, there was no warmth behind them. Certainly no remorse even as he told his fellow islander what he had done.

"I told the Fire Nation where all the islands were."