Mist
Chapter 9
Sokka turned his head in a way that would make normal humans think he
was breaking it along the way. It was difficult how a person like Sokka
could manage this, and still seem to be the most random person in the
world. Since when did he have to be the one bowing to another’s will?
“A flower. A bitch. A lover. A wife. And to top it all off...a mother.
This CAN NOT get any worse....” whined Sokka from his position.
“Probably not. Although in my case, this just can get better and
better. What I’m having a good time thinking about though, is you
having to wear the consort’s outfit. It’s a royalty all in itself.”
Zuko let out with a low snicker.
“Uh..what does a ‘consort’s attire’ contain then?” Sokka asked, his body turning to match his head’s angle.
“It is a light and airy clothing they wear so that it is easily
accessible. In polite society it is said that it is worn so that the
female, or consort can go for long periods of time without becoming
uncomfortable. Among commoners, it is said that it is made light, and
wearable so it is easily ripped away from one’s body.” Zuko replied
with a unnatural hungry look lighting his eyes.
Sokka tried to ignore the hungry stare, and concentrated on what Zuko
was talking about. All in all, he would be forced to wear something
girly, and something that was uncomfortable? “Can you show me what it
looks like?” Sokka asked, truly curious to see what he was going to be
forced to wear.
“Alright, but only if you try it on as well. What’s the point of
looking without exploring?” Zuko asked, while laughing to himself.
Only someone as sadistic as himself could find that funny in the slightest.
~*~
“I’m sure he’s fine Katara! He’s really strong, and he knows what he’s
doing!” Aang tried to comfort the distraught girl once more. She was
inconsolable. The Fire ships that chased them on regular occasions had
slowed, and for the most part...stopped. It made very little sense to
him, but he was going to have to keep up the strong facade for the
other’s peace of mind.
“Tell you what. We’ll go to the ship, and sneak on board. We’ll see
what’s going on, and rescue him!” Aang cried out happily as he thought
of his new, and wonderful plan.
“Are....are you sure Aang? What if WE get caught?” Katara tried to think of different scenarios.
“Oh...” Aang looked crestfallen, and sat back down. “We could use Momo as a spy?”
Katara was sobbing for the rest of the night. It had been almost two weeks since she’d last seen Sokka.
~*~
Zuko had decided to let Sokka rest for a while. He’d been teaching the
boy for a week, nonstop. They were still faintly heading in the
direction of The Avatar’s rumors, but it really didn’t have the wave of
energy it used to. Sokka was being trimmed, and whipped into shape by
himself, and his Uncle. Sokka was currently being made into the perfect
consort for himself and it was amazing the transformation it took.
Although, whenever allowed to speak his mind without being threatened
for his life, he would rant and rave at how all of this was ‘unfair’
and ‘disgusting’. His life, and spark of it, were quite interesting to
say the least.
“ZUKO!!!!” Oh look! Here comes the other now!
“I will NOT do this! NOT FOR ANYTHING IN THE WHOLE GODDAMNED WORLD! I
refuse to do this any longer! I said I would try this ONLY if you made
peace with AANG! I haven’t SEEN AANG around!? HAVE YOU!?” Sokka burst
out in a, by now completely normal, wave of anger and malice.
“Now, now. It’s not a time to lose your control. You are supposed to be
a picture of perfection to others; remember?” Zuko asked hiding his
smile behind a fist covering his mouth.
“I DON’T CARE! I was just going along with this so that you and Aang
could resolve things, and the world would go on its merry way! I DON’T
WANT TO BE YOUR CONCUBINE!!!” Sokka yelled out.
Zuko took a moment, and looked over the other. He was currently wearing
a better fitting shirt that one of the women had sewn in the sides of
his old one. Now, it curved to his stomach, but seemed to still be a
little awkward around the neck. His pants were now held tight by tucked
into a makeshift belt made of a canvas he’d ripped from another’s
clothing when they had gone to a wrecked ship. His boots were stuffed
with extra clothe he’d also gotten for him. The makeshift clothing had
to be washed every once in a while though.
That really was his favorite time of the week. Two or three times that
week, he had gotten to watch Sokka run around complaining about how
cold he was until Zuko had stopped him with a well placed hand. With
that hand, he’d let it crawl up to the other’s neck, and caress the
tendons there. Then on Sokka had turned to mush, and let Zuko wrap him
up in a thicker robe while Zuko let the Gouka heat up in turn to warm
Sokka’s flesh.
Afterwards, Sokka had jumped away as if burned. A bad pun, but it got the point across.
“Hello!? Are you even listening to me! I want off this ship NOW!” Sokka demanded.
The boy’s hair band had broken about two or three days ago, and let the
waves of hair from the top of his head flow down into his face. When
the band finally snapped with a restless ‘chck!’ Sokka had blushed
heavily, and tried to tie it back with a bit of string. Useless, but
cute to watch as the event took place. It seemed that Sokka was rather
self conscious about his hair. He didn’t like anyone touching it, or
looking at it for long periods of time. Zuko had guessed that something
had happened when he was younger to make him that skittish about such a
normal human feature.
“I’m listening, but if I were to drop you of now, you’d sink and drown
in a matter of hours.” Zuko pointed out in a very calm fashion.
“As soon as we get to land then! You’re NOT keeping your end of the
bargain, so I’ll not keep mine!” Sokka threatened, and stomped to the
side of the ship in an attempt to make himself look more serious.
“Yes yes, but if Aang as you call him, does get here, what shall you
do? You know if The Avatar does show up, then you really belong to
me.” Zuko purred as he walked up to Sokka.
“Tch. I belong to NO ONE.” Sokka ground out between clenched teeth.
“Of course not. You only are just very closely tied.” Zuko said, his
hands reached out, and brushed at the fluff of hair that tangled at
Sokka’s neck.
“Don’t touch my hair.” Came Sokka’s automated reply.
“I’ll do what I want. And when I want to, you have no say in what I
do.” Zuko growled out, and pressed his palms deeper into the brown ruff
that was Sokka’s hair. He pulled gently at it, and watched as the other
shivered.
“I said stop it!” Sokka tried to protest again, but was silenced with a
hiss of pain as the gentle grip suddenly turned painful.
“I said you DON’T tell me what to do. Understand?” Zuko growled out angrily.
He was becoming soft. but he needed to make this other teen recognize
him as the leader; recognize him as the one in charge of things around
here, and see that he was the only one who gives orders.
“....Whatever.” Sokka said, and turned away again, staring out into the ocean.
“Look at me when I’m talking to you Sokka.” Zuko hissed out angrily.
Reluctantly, Sokka turned to stare Zuko in the eyes. “What do you want?
To make fun of me some more? To make me look like an idiot? I’m tired
of bending to every one else’s will! Including yours! Your bargain
hasn’t even come through yet, and I’m stuck whimpering to your every
command!” Sokka snarled out in a nasty voice.
“You do so, because I am captain upon this ship. I am the Fire Nation’s
Prince, and heir to the throne. I will rule the must powerful element
upon this land, and I do what I want. You, on the other hand, are my
consort. Someone I do with as I please; to be used as I see fit. If you
don’t want to bend, than find ways around it. That isn’t my problem. I
will not cater to your whims, even if you do not do anything for
yourself.” Zuko said calmly, his hand fisting back into Sokka’s hair as
he stepped closer, invading Sokka’s personal space.
“You bastard. I didn’t mean it like that, and I don’t care if you want
me as your consort, whatever the Hell that means anyways. You said I
had power like yours, and I still don’t see it. I’m forced to obey
every one on this ship same as if to you.” Sokka spoke lowly. He felt
more betrayed by the fact that Zuko’s promise of power had been only a
lovely lie.
“Power? The men and women on this ship are not obeying you? That is
called ‘Insubordination’ Sokka. You have the right to tell them that
they will be thrown over board, charged with disloyalty to the Fire
Nation if they do not listen to you again. They are to treat you as if
they are speaking with me. I will not allow such acts to go unnoticed.”
Zuko’s cold anger was suddenly directed towards his crew instead of
Sokka.
“Well yeah, but they laugh or stare as if I’m the freak show on this ship.” Sokka pouted like a child to be put in timeout.
“Hrmmm.....” groaned out Zuko in a way that made the other think he was
either thinking, or moaning. It was obviously the first, but the second
thought strayed in.
‘What would he sound like when he moans?’
Sokka stood there staring out at Zuko, and suddenly turned with a bead of sweat running down his cheek.
“I don’t want to know what that sounds like! No!!!” Sokka tried to
convince himself with his own fists pounding into his head. As he
continued to pummel himself, Zuko calmly walked towards one of his
subordinates.
“You. Have you been obeying my Consort’s direct orders?” Zuko asked
blandly as if talking about the weather, or a small piece of business
on board his ship.
“Well, Sir...I can’t say I’ve heard much from him. From the gossip that
is surrounding our ship at the moment, I’d have to say that not many
do.” the soldier said not really understanding the danger he was
putting himself into by speaking such words.
“Oh really? May I ask one of the soldiers who haven’t then?” Zuko said, with an icy voice.
“Urr...” The soldier suddenly realized the mood that Zuko was currently in, and he stepped away inconspicuously.
“I can’t remember off...the top of my head....” the soldier tried to protect his fellow guard in some way.
Zuko’s wrath consisted of many chains, and pointy, hot objects. It was
very possible that the other would not survive due to the infections
from the many cuts, and abrasions he would suffer. Zuko was known to be
cruel on more than one occasion. No one really saw his true anger until
it was pushed overboard. Zuko was not some kitten one could play with.
“Let me put it in a way that your small cranium could handle. If you do
not tell me who is disobeying the man who the Gouka has chosen as The
Calmer, then I shall be forced to peel your skin away from your body
with no more than a utensil from the dinner table. After that, you
shall be kept alive by the most competent of healers. Then, I will pour
hot alcohol down your spine and when you lean forward to escape, your
chest will be impaled with hot nails.
“Have I made myself clear?” Zuko said calmly, his half closed burned eye looking sharply out from under the damaged lid.
“P-Perfectly sire.” The soldier said, and saluted quickly.
“It was a man of the indoor staff. He was speaking rudely on how
your....calmer was a ‘good-for-nothing slut, who would sleep with the
entire crew given the chance.’. That is all Sire.” The soldier said,
nearly sweating from the tension.
“I see...” Zuko resumed his position of standing straight and tall instead of slightly menacing.
“You may leave.” Zuko waved the man away with his left hand, and looked at the sleeve of his right arm.
“Thank you Sire.” The soldier quickly retreated, and made quick duty of
his chore, and leaving the perimeter as fast as humanly possible.
“A good for nothing slut. I will have to teach this soldier his lesson
if he is to ever see the sun, or any outside source as a matter, ever
again.” Zuko hissed angrily, and the Gouka flashed through him in a
wave of heat, and burning anger.
