Chapitre 3: Chapter 3: The Attack
"Sure uncle, let's have some tea..."
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It took most of the evening before they finally escaped the maze of alleys. Ironically, it seemed Lady luck had finally decided to show up as, the first building they stumbled upon, was a full blown restaurant, a luxurious one at that.
And although their clothes were messy and they were drenched in sweat, just by flashing their wallets, which contained more than enough for a decent meal, they were let in.
The atmosphere inside was quite fancy, reminding Zuko of some of the restaurants in the capital, although some differences were clearly visible such as the green and gold colours instead of the red and gold, the young children running around and having an exciting time with their peers.
Zuko let out a small smile, while floating in the sea of memories, reminiscing, one that Iroh noticed almost immediately, before letting out one of his own.
Iroh POV
It was a welcoming sight for him, to see the once constantly grumpy kid, finally smile every now and then . Although he was not sure what kind of nightmare Zuko had experienced a few days ago, it felt like those few spirit-given miracles, that appear every so often. He had rarely seen Zuko smiling before, even more so after the Agni Kai, and it was not surprising.
The notion of someone's own father permanently scarring them, could affect anyone in both body and mind negatively. Yet it seemed Zuko had found a reason to let go of the issue, he may not have forgiven Ozai, there certainly was no forgiving such actions, but at least, he was able to walk and travel with a peaceful mind.
And, although Zuko had attempted to hide his change in fighting styles, Iroh was too experienced not to notice the slight changes. The precise timing of attacks, careful planning of actions, instead of recklessly charging ahead.
After ordering some tea for himself and some food for the two of them, Iroh followed Zuko, who chose to sit at one of the tables further out.
3rd Person POV
The two of them sat quietly in the corner booth of the restaurant, taking in the atmosphere around them. The soft murmurs of other diners and the clinking of plates and silverware filled the air. Iroh sipped his tea, while Zuko fidgeted with his chopsticks.
As they waited for their food, Zuko pulled out a small book and began to read. Iroh watched him for a moment before looking out the window at the busy street outside. The sun was setting, casting a warm glow over the buildings and people below.
Their food arrived, and they both dug in, silently enjoying the flavours and textures of their meals. Iroh nodded in approval at his dish, while Zuko ate with a focused determination, seemingly distracted by something, most probably because of the information the small book contained.
After finishing, Iroh took out the pouch of coins he held onto, and paid the worker generously, something Zuko wanted to refute, however his uncle's words stopped him.
"I know we are short on money Zuko, but an exceptional cup of tea must always be thanked for." Iroh said while waving his hands around for dramatic effect and making a face full of wisdom, towards which he could only sigh and head back to the Rose Inn.
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The Next morning
Zuko and Iroh stood at the edge of the bustling port, watching as ships of all shapes and sizes came and went. They had explored most of the town and after calculating how many teals they had left, Zuko soon realised it might not last as long as he had hoped for.
He needed to move forward, as he only had less than a year left to get at least a few of the more important objects he needed. However, finding a ship and crew was proving to be much harder than he had previously thought.
He walked around the port, scanning each ship for any vacancies, for the third time that day.
The sun was beating down on them, and their clothes were beginning to cling to their skin because of the sweat. Zuko was starting to get more frustrated as time passed, and the constant rejection was starting to annoy him.
As they approached yet another ship, the captain shook his head and said they were already being employed by someone. Zuko couldn't help but feel a pang of disappointment at his words.
They continued to walk around the port, their eyes darting from ship to ship. Zuko could feel his hope dwindling with each and every rejection they received. He wondered if they would even find a ship willing to be rented.
As the day began to draw to a close, the port began to quiet down. Many of the ships had already set sail, and the remaining ones were closing up shop for the night. Zuko and Iroh found themselves standing at the same spot they had started the day, with no luck in finding a ship.
Zuko let out a deep sigh, feeling dejected. Iroh placed a comforting hand on his shoulder and reminded him that they would find a ship they could employ eventually. Zuko nodded, trying to push the disappointment aside.
As they made their way back to their temporary lodgings, Iroh could not help but pat himself from top to bottom checking for something. Zuko's eyes narrowed down and he carefully watched his uncle's search sped up drastically, before coming to a halt.
"Uncle" Zuko called out, his voice dripping with annoyance. "What did you lose?" He asked slowly, while enunciating every word, to which his uncle replied with a quite utter, "-urse"
"Could you speak up uncle, I think I heard wrong" Zuko asked once more, but with less annoyance and more worry.
"The coin purs-"
"AHHHHHHHH-"
Zuko screamed out whilst punching the nearby wall, damaging his knuckles in the process, it would have been annoying walking back for something silly like the Pai Sho tiles, his uncle liked to keep in his robes, but the purse... the purse was something else entirely, it wasn't like last time where they only grabbed a few coins.
This time they took with them almost all of the money they had in hopes of finding a ship and employing it.
It took him a few minutes to calm down before he managed to ask, "Do you remember where you lost it?" Iroh thought for a moment before remembering an irregularity he noticed at the port,"If I am not mistaken, I believe I heard something fall into the water at one point. Though I thought nothing of it."
Zuko heaved a sigh of annoyance. The current, during early spring, was usually quite strong. Strong enough to carry a pouch of gold to the beach near the cliffs.
If it had indeed fallen into the water, it would most probably end up there, but just in case, he sent his uncle back to the port, to see if anybody had seen it. After that he quickly started making his way towards the cliffs.
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Zuko stood on the beach near the cliffs, his eyes scanning the sand for any sign of the lost pouch of gold his uncle had lost. It would have been cold, if not for him being a fire bender, while the sound of waves crashing against the shore filled his ears. He had been searching for half an hour now, but it felt like an eternity.
Just as he was about to give up hope, he spotted a glint of gold in the sand. His heart leapt with expectations as he rushed over and dug through the sand to uncover the pouch. It seemed to still be intact, and he let out a sigh of relief.
'At least, nothing bad happened' He thought to himself. Zuko tied the pouch to his pants before looking at the ocean one more time. It was a beautiful view, the ocean waves mixing with the bright moonlight, of the full moon. He shook his head.
As he began to make his way back to their camp, he heard voices coming from one of the caves nearby. Curiosity getting the better of him, he cautiously made his way towards the source of the sound.
As he got closer, he could hear the voices more clearly. It sounded like a group of people were arguing about something. Zuko hesitated for a moment, wondering if his curiosity was worth going even closer. Not even a moment later a scream came from inside, which steeled his resolve as he moved closer,
Peering into the cave, Zuko saw a group of men spread out around a small fire. Behind one of them was a wooden box, that seemed to be shaking. A though popped into Zuko's mind.
Slavers...
One of the most hated types of people across the world. And most of them were either earth kingdom deserters, or fire nation pirates. Either way, they did not look like novices, the wooden box being a testament to that.
Zuko assessed the situation. He had not brought anything except of one of his uncle's Pai Sho tiles, some string, a candle, and a -
'Wait, why do I have his tile?' He asked himself in confusion, before remembering he had grabbed it when it fell out of his uncle's side pocket. He wanted to laugh, but the situation did not allow him to make a sound. As long as he was unarmed, it was better to use a surprise attack.
He took a slight breath before acting
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Slaver 1 POV
It had been a long day for the group, a kidnapping was always hard, especially when a rich target was concerned. While chatting around, waiting for sunrise, a question of price arose among the slavers, "How much do ya reckon she'd fetch?"
"She's blind," one stated, "so there won't be too many takers."
"Ah, but she is a Beifong. That implies a big chunk of cash," came another reply. "Plus, she's a ki-"
Their conversation was cut short as a shadow suddenly loomed over them. In an instant, a hand reached out and snatched one of the slavers by the scruff of his neck, pulling him up into the air. The other slavers were caught off guard, their hands flying to their weapons. But before they could draw them, the figure revealed itself.
It was Zuko.
The slaver struggled in his grasp, cursing and yelling. But Zuko was unfazed, his eyes cold and calculative.
"Do you know how much I dislike your kind?" Zuko growled.
With a quick motion, he tossed the slaver aside, sending him flying into the other men. They stumbled and fell, momentarily dazed. Zuko took advantage of their confusion and grabbed a sword from one of the fallen men.
The slavers scrambled to their feet, drawing their own weapons and surrounding Zuko. He stood tall and fearless, his grip on the sword steady. The flames from the nearby fire casting shadows across his face and scar, making him look even more menacing.
"Who are you?" one of the slavers demanded. "What do you want?"
"I want nothing," Zuko replied, his voice low and dangerous. "But I will not stand by and watch as you take advantage of innocent people."
The slavers were stunned for a brief moment, giving Zuko an opportunity to strike. He rushed ahead and his blade struck the opponents' swords with a loud clang that reverberated through the cavern. His sword locked with theirs as they began a fierce fight.
Zuko's movements were fluid and precise, each strike hitting its mark. The slavers were taken aback by his skill, and soon found themselves struggling to keep up. Zuko darted in and out of their defenses, his sword glinting in the dim light cast by the bonfire. With each strike, his opponents grew weaker, and soon, they had all fallen to the ground, dead.
Zuko stood over them, his chest heaving with exertion. His body unable to keep up with the skill of his mind. Something had to be done. Zuko swore to train his body without stop after today.
He looked up, in the direction of the human sized wooden crate, before walking over to it, and using the dull side of the blade, he broke the lock. He took a look at the contents of the crate and paused.
He was not surprised by the fact there was a girl inside the crate. No. He was surprised by who the girl was. Or more so who she will end up becoming.
It was surprising to see the usual brute of a woman, actually huddled up in a corner with tears in her eyes. She had created such a strong image in everybody's eyes that seeing her like this, suddenly reminded him that she was just a child. A very young one at that.
Zuko approached her gently, extending a hand. "It's alright," he said softly. "You're safe now."
She seemed to have calmed down and her white pupils began darting around rapidly and unfocused without knowing where to go.
Something suddenly bashed Zuko on the back of his head. Sending him tumbling down onto the floor unconscious...
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Hey guys!! New chapter is out! I'm also trying to see if there is a need to space out, the words, cause I'll be honest it was getting annoying fast.
IF you have any ideas you think, would be a cool addition to the story. Please let me know by either joining my discord server or through here, though i am not able to reply most of the times.
Proof Reader : Joanjudo
Discord: https://discord.gg/EZAz5P5UMb
Cya in two days,
Karito out...
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L’AVIS DES CRÉATEURS 
Karito_
Karito_ Discord: https://discord.gg/EZAz5P5UMb
État de l’alimentation hebdomadaire
-- Classement
Power Stone 
-- Power
stone