Mist
Chapter 10
Sokka stared at the Prince’s retreating form. He’d meant to rant and
rave a little more before Zuko left, but it seemed that wouldn’t have
done any good at the moment. It seemed as if Zuko was going to be off
“Word Whipping” some poor fool for a bit. Sokka had better things to do
than pretend to be intimidated by the very person who made him feel his
worst. Every time he saw the dreaded Fireling his very insides
squelched in a very uncomfortable manner. Sokka couldn’t decide on the
fact that it was nerves, or something inside him pulling physically;
wanting something that he didn’t want to explore at the moment.
Staring down at himself, Sokka sighed. He was still dressed in the
consort attire and it was starting to get chilly once more. The ocean
had weird ways with weather, and this was not one of the good times to
be caught out in the rain. Sokka was indeed more comfortable with
liquid than anything else, but still...he didn’t wish to catch his
death of a cold upon a Fire Nation vessel. Not even if it was the last
thing he ever did.
Stretching upwards, Sokka closed his eyes in an attempt to block out
the sunlight that was pervading his sensitive retinas. The consort
attire consisted of nothing more a small loin cloth, a smaller upper
shirt that was made of some gossamer webbing. Their was also a chiffon
like robe covering him with a lengthy belt made of leather. It was
etched with symbols clearly depicting the Fire Nation. It also had
small strings of beads threading through out his arms, and legs. Small
sandals also were attached to his feet.
On a woman, the clothing might look sexy for it would show off all of
the right assets for a female body. On a male, it looked slightly out
of place, if not way too showy. The clothing was downright gaudy.
“I refuse to wear this any longer...” Sokka said angrily to himself,
picking at a loose thread that covered his more private areas.
“I can take it off if you want.” A male’s voice whispered to him behind his right shoulder.
“Zuko stop being so-“ Sokka stopped dead when he looked to see that the voice did not
belong to the Fire Prince. It happened to belong to one of his larger,
and more menacing ship mates. A darker coloured man who looked to be
more than 35.
“Uh...excuse me?” Sokka asked, suddenly a bit frightened that an older
man that looked far stronger than himself; especially in this dress
like thing.
The other stared down at him with bright black eyes that shined in a
way that you wouldn’t normally see in others. He bent down, forcing
Sokka to step away from him and as he felt his heart flinch. The man’s
eyes crinkled, and he let out a smile large enough to make Sokka gag.
“Don’t look so worried my Lord. You look as if you’re about to have a
heart attack.” The larger man said and let out a loose roar of
laughter.
“I’m...sorry?” Sokka tried to fight off the weird urge to punch the
other silly, and run off screaming. This ship was filled to the brim
with weirdos, and strange people. Hopefully, this man wasn’t about to
freak him out again as badly as he had just done.
Then again... you couldn’t be sure with Zuko’s men.
“Wait, ‘your lord’?” Sokka asked out in a cracking yell.
~*~
Zuko tried to calm himself by breathing in fully, and then exhaling.
With the breathe that was released from his body, a small spout of
flame, and smoke was released as well. With that small flame, his eyes
light up with that golden colour that the royal line was so well known
for.
Even if one of his eyes had been burned so horrifically that it scarred
him for the rest of his life, the light that could shine through gave
all the impressions that he was NOT willing to give up on his power.
Zuko felt his fingernails heat up with the resounding attempt at the
Gouka to rise. He could feel the power it gave him. Demonic, yet so
alluring that he had to use it. Wanting something to strike out
against, Zuko peered around him. If only the man who had so sullied
Sokka’s good name was here. He would roast the other alive, and laugh
as his fat crackled and muscles cooked on his own bones.
Delightful...
“M’lord?” A voice asked out almost timidly.
Looking over his shoulder, Prince Zuko watched as one of the females of
the three that resided on his ship stood near him. Her head was bowed
in the customary position of respect as was required by a lower ranked
officer.
“Yes?” Zuko asked impatiently. He wanted to get back to his thoughts of
killing the man that decided Sokka wasn’t fit for this ship.
“My lord, I’ve been asked to ask you if we should set another spot at
our tables for the dinning area, or if milord would take his repast
with his other lordship in the private quarters.” The woman asked with
no shame, or blushing.
It was customary to ask this whenever a newcomer, or prisoner was
brought aboard. The only difference in this case was that Sokka was
also a man of power, and was to be respected in that way. Speaking of
power, he’d have to find another title for his officers to address the
Water Tribesman with since ‘Lord’ was becoming over used, and confusing
in his presence. The little things made up all of the difference.
“I will be dining in my own quarters, and I wish for the other’s
servings to be brought there as well. This is to be so until I say
other wise.” Zuko commanded the woman.
She bowed again out of respect, and started to walk away to let the
others in her area know. She seemed to be one of the cooks, or ladies
that worked with the crew that took on the food duties. Zuko gave a
small cough to gain the attention back to himself for a moment from the
young woman that had been walking away.
“Before you leave, tell me. What have your other officers of rank been
saying of the consort that the Gouka chose? Tell me the truth, less
your hair burn away with the rest of your skull.” Zuko said in a fairly
calm way even if his eyes were sparking like flint over iron.
“All I have heard, my lord, is that the Consort traveled with The
Avatar, and is also a great warrior even if he is not a bender of any
nature.” The other said truthfully. This time, she was not halted as
she began to descent back to the ship’s interior.
Zuko looked over the bow of his ship, and sighed. It was true that the
man the Gouka picked was very capable of defending himself. It was a
nice change instead of having to worry about protecting the Calmer.
Zuko closed his eyes and focused on the burning heat inside of his
body. He tried to bring it out in a way that would point him in the
direction of the man who had the gall to say such things about his
Calmer. He felt his very stomach begin to boil in anger. To writhe, and
twist inside of him as his rage peaked a certain point.
It was a strange moment when the Fire Prince realized he was
overreacting, and he had found the man who had said that. Mixed
emotions caused Zuko to take a fist, and clamp it over the other’s
forearm.
“If you dare speak that way again against my Consort, your arms and
legs will be burned from your body slowly, and with great amounts of my
enjoyment for your pain” Zuko said in a calm voice as his hand heated
up to leave a nice large hand shaped burn that was sure to be a third
degree.
“Y-Yes...m’lord.” The soldier stuttered out, and walked as quickly as
he could away from the psychotic Prince. His other hand covered his
smoking injury.
His very life was at risk at that very moment. The soldier had seen
what the Fire Prince was capable of. He had witnessed the other go on a
rampage like no other. Zuko had burned the very flesh from one of his
captains who was found out to be a spy from his sister. He had burnt
the flesh in his abdomen until his very flesh was gone, leaving a
smoking hole where you could see organs and such peeking through. Not
many had ever dared to defy Zuko afterwards.
“Well, now that I’ve taken care of that...” Zuko muttered to himself,
and looked around the deck for Sokka. He had another experiment he
wanted to try on the other. It was really more for fun and games, but
Sokka over reacted in such a way that it made Zuko want to see more of
the life sparkling so intensely from him.
Glancing over the ship, he gave a start when one of his older crew men
was speaking with the other. It was obvious that Sokka was
uncomfortable with the larger man, but it was also obvious that the
other man was aware of this fact, and it was making him laugh all the
more. The older, and much larger man’s name was Kiroki. He was a soft
hearted older man with a little more than normal weight. He’d been
brought aboard the ship because of his uncanny skills at speech. It
wasn’t a great skill, but was worthwhile when you had to dock at enemy
ports. His own firebending skills were mediocore at best.
“Kiroki...What are you doing?” Zuko asked, trying to look stern, and not amused by this little incident.
“Well M’lord. I was helping this other Lord here to learn not to be so
afraid of larger, older men; especially in preparation of when he’ll
have to start dealing with our politics. Some of our royal advisors
could use a run or five.” Kiroki said in the most serious of voices.
He was the son of a Royal advisor to the Fire Lord Ozai. But, being the
rebel that more Firelings were, he wished to go ahead of his father,
and work for the royal son instead of the Lord. It made more sense
because the Prince was in fact sane, while the Lord....there were
rumors.
“I can see that. What sort of training are you putting him through?”
Zuko asked, starting to circle the pair, and looked pointedly at Sokka
while saying this.
“I was making sure he knew how horrible their breath can smell, or how
badly their robes can stink, or maybe even how revolting their faces
might be.” Kiroki answered with a half grin containing amusement.
“I see...but I will need my consort for the time being. If you would
release him to me?” Zuko laid out his hand for the other to take.
“Yes M’lord. If their be anything of me you need, please don’t hesitate
to ask.” Kiroki pushed Sokka’s prone body forward to be caught by the
other. Zuko stared down at the other with his good eye. What was he
thinking?
“Thank you. Dismissed soldier...” Zuko said with a flick of his wrist,
and he looked back down to the teen in his arms. He had noticed the
other curling slightly into his grasp, and he gave a most evil grin in
return. The boy was in shock or in a daze at so much information
pouring into his mind. Zuko was used to the teen being loud, and
obnoxious, but this was kitten like acting. Sokka was hiding away and
curling into body heat to escape the big bad man.
It really was to much.
The Gouka almost purred in pleasure as Sokka tried to burrow closer to
the Fire Prince with a small moan of mental pain. It was probably just
the reaction of teenage hormones, but Zuko could feel every puff of air
along his clothing that Sokka emitted. The other was a raging ball of
fury, and amusing reactions, but to see this side of him really was a
treat.
“Come on Sokka. This can’t be good for my reputation.” Zuko tried to
encourage the other into moving across the deck to the quarters below.
The Gouka was roaring, and clawing at him to throw the boy down where
he was and have his way, but Zuko would not let that be. His men were
much to impressionable for such beast-like behavior.
“...nnng...” Sokka groaned out, and squeezed his eyes shut even tighter
in an attempt to escape the world around him. He was really just too
tired to even care that the Fire Prince was literally carrying him
below deck and what it might have looked like to anyone else.
Kiroki was probably the most frightening man to have to deal with.
Large, overly friendly, and way to happy for his own good. It was good
to have some of the Icey Countenance from the famous Fire Prince. Sokka
could feel the heat radiating from inside of the older male that was
holding him upright. He could feel the huge and dangerous animal inside
of him trying to get out. Oddly, he wasn’t afraid of the great power
that mingled so seamlessly with the other.
“Zuko...?” Sokka asked with a barely audible voice.
“Yes?” Zuko answered as he pushed open the doors to the stairs below.
He was starting to feel the physical needs that his teenage body was
pressing against him; not that he blamed his body.
The very slim, and well made male that was his consort was dressed in
proper consort clothing and pressed against himself as if he were going
to be torn away in seconds. Zuko could feel his fingers clenching with
the need to burry themselves into Sokka’s hair that was currently down.
The itch to run his fingers over the contours of the other’s body and
find the scars that others had left. Find them, and claim them as his
own so that his Consort would no more need to feel their sting.
“Why are you so hot?” Sokka asked with a breathless sigh. The warm heat
that rolled over him so much wasn’t helping in keeping him awake.
“...It’s probably due to my incredibly well built body.” Zuko said in all seriousness.
“Oh...that can’t be it.” Sokka replied with a droop of his head.
Breathing in the other’s scent was becoming addicting. It smelled of a
refined incense almost, and a lot like burning wood; some ash tree, or
maybe even oak. It was a scent that was imprinted into one’s memory
whether you liked it or you didn’t.
“Come on. We’re going to our room...” Zuko said, and hauled the other a few more steps before Sokka whipped his head up.
“OUR ROOM?!”
