Taking advantage of the dust from the soot we caught from the occasional soldier who had gotten close to boiler room along with the earth Shifu was able to smuggle in, I earth-bended the dust I had to spin it fast enough to make a saw before cutting my wrist restraints in half along with my leg restraints.
"CLANKSHHHH" I was loosed from the wall and ready to unbind Shifu. Halfway through his wrist cuffs the ship shook as a low rumbling came from somewhere below us. I paid no attention to the commotion as I had to stay focused on the task at hand.
Splitting up the earth between ourselves I began to work on his neck restraints while he cut the chains on his legs. The sheer amount of iron holding this man down was insane. For them to bind him by this much exactly how deadly must he have been to be this paranoid? "THONKSHHH! KRSHCLICKSHHH"
By now there were guards running up and down the hallway shouting out panicked commands. Shifu and I ducked down our backs against the wall on either side of the door out of site in case someone peeped inside.
"Make sure none of the prisoners escaped!" We heard one yell.
After about ten seconds I saw a shadow pop up on the parallel wall ahead of us followed by a shriek: "Prisoners from cell J Nine are missing!" It was a familiar females voice.
"WHAT?! You sure?"
At that the locking mechanism could be heard being disengaged as the door proceeded to open.
"Come see for yourself they're not huh-" Like a flash Shifu shoulder drove his elbow into her windpipe as I took a sharp turn towards the other approaching soldier. He fired off a couple flame blasts at my low figure but I easily dodged them before leaping legs first around his head making him fall on his back. The impact had him destabilized for a few seconds but that was all I needed as I shoved both of my thumbs deep into his eye sockets permanently blinding him. Only after hearing him cry out in agonizing pain did I notice it was Sazo.
"Looks like you won't be getting that promotion after all huh Sazo?" I spoke in a taunting voice.
"You! You're dead! I'll kill you!" his hands flared up and I hopped off of him as he waved his arms wildly hoping to scorch me.
"No it'll be me who takes your pathetic excuse for a life," I muttered. Not wanting to take too much time I used my dust saw to slice his throat as he writhed clawing at his neck on the floor.
Snatching the keys on his waist I made my way back to Shifu who was interrogating the female soldier.
I had opened a few cell doors and threw the set of keys to the prisoners inside. Light slowly returned to their eyes as they freed themselves. "Get as many out of their cells as possible and head to the soldiers barracks. They should have weapons somewhere inside. It's time for some payback."
When I got back to Shifu he was pretty much done. Both her arms were hanging limp at her sides most likely broken as he held the sharp end of her helmet between her jaw.
"I told you everything! Now let me go like you promised!" Her entire body was trembling from fear.
"When exactly did I promise you anything?" Shifus voice was cold as he drove the edges into her mouth ripping the tendons connecting her lower jaw to the upper portion.
"URRRRRR! UGGGGHHHHHHHHH!" Blood soaked the entire upper portion of her chest as it flowed from her mouth.
"We need to go, soon our window of surprise will close if we don't hurry." He grabbed the keys from her as well as her coin purse beside it.
Nodding my head I followed after him down the maze-like halls soon reaching double doors with a Fire Nation flag. 'The captains office?' I thought initially as Shifu unlocked the doors as we headed inside. Placing the metal flagpole through the handles he proceeded to lock the doors back. In the middle of the room was a table with what seemed like a map as well as small figures and flags in different places.
"This is where all the documents regarding all their plans as well as their battle strategies are held." He quickly ran over to a desk and began rummaging through cabinets.
I kept watch by the window just in case to secure an escapeway. I heard Shifu rustling papers behind me before calling out to me. "Look at what we have here~" Peeking over my shoulder I saw him holding a medallion I was all too familiar with.
Tossing it to me I was nearly taken off guard barely catching it with one hand. It held my family crest of a Shirsu in the center surrounded by Badger-Moles with emerald and gold accents speckled throughout it.
"This once belonged to my great great grand-father. I never thought I'd see this again." Placing the sash lanyard over my neck I ran my fingers over the molded designs.
"Well its back where it rightfully belongs. I've got everything important for now, go ahead and bust that window and we can get outta here." He had placed documents, letters, some extra coin, a military seal, as well as a few rare treasures taken from the prisoners inside a satchel that was lying in a corner of the room.
After kicking the window out I heard something bang against the double doors. Not waiting to greet whoever was behind them we vaulted outside then made our way downstairs to the side of the ship. From there we ran to one out of three of the siege boats and activated the crane to lower it into the water below. After it started to descend Shifu kicked the metal box breaking the mechanism so it wouldn't be stopped. Gazing from left to right I spotted a hacksaw from a toolbox that was lying nearby.
"Must've been doing maintenance on them before whatever happened." I mumbled to myself. To make sure we weren't followed I picked it up and began to cut the other two boats loose. Meanwhile Shifu who was keeping an eye out warned me that a group of five were headed our way.
"Got about thirty seconds till they make it here! Hurry my boy!" I was cutting as if my life depended on it and then "SNAP!"
'Yes! Done at last!' Running over to the ledge I saw Shifus head vanish from view as he dropped. As I heard shouting and fire blasts being sent our way I also took the leap down. Once over I felt the heat passing above my head as I drop-rolled what felt like at least twenty five feet onto the hood of the boat next to Shifu.
Lifting the hatch we both got inside and started to make our escape away from the prison rig and fleet.
"So.....where to now?" I asked, the engine roaring underneath our feet. "Are we going for Omashu on the mainland?"
"Hahaha! Eager as ever I see. Do not fret my young lord you have all the time in the world, your destiny will not go anywhere just yet." Shifu sat on the floor in his signature posture with his legs folded next to the drivers wheel.
"If we're not headed to the mainland, could it be...?" There was only one area that'd make sense as to where we were going. At least for now anyway. "Kyoshi Island."
"Yep. We're going to need food as well as clothes to prepare for our journey. Can't stay dressed as a peasant. It's demeaning."
'From the map I saw back in the Captains war room, there wasn't any markers on Kyoshi Island. So for the time being the Fire Nation shouldn't have any plans to move on the island at least for now. We should be relatively safe for the time being.'
"In the meantime till we get there I want you to start training on your core strength. Sit-ups and side-planking till we get there understood?" He closed his eyes; his fingers interlocked in his lap with his thumbtips touching.
"Yes Shifu." And for a whole week and a half we traveled southeast until we passed in between the land of Chin and Whale Tail Island.
I had kept up with the training Shifu had designated for me the whole time, only stopping occasionally to rest or eat by way of rock fishing by using a few stones to wiggle in the water to resemble a worm. It wasn't the tastiest since the only way to cook it was by the steam engine fire, but we were able to eat all the same.
"We are here young lord." Shifu had stated to me after waking me up. It was late slightly after sundown to when the sky was yellowish with a tinge of orange traces.
"Do you think the inhabitants will be accommodating enough to not attack us on sight? This is a Fire nation boat, they probably seen the smoke trail by now." I asked, stepping on the bow.
"Would you?" Shifu stood next to me. From where we were we couldn't see anyone visible on the shoreline but that didn't mean no one was there.
"Fair point." Once we made it to the beach I helped Shifu pull the boat ashore.
"What would you suggest we do now my young student?" He asked a grin on his face.
"Well," I took a few seconds to think of a scenario that could possibly happen soon. "By the context on how we arrived here I say we can walk till we get stopped by the locals. Or we can wait here for the locals to come seize us in the middle of the night. My go to would mostly be the latter."
"Hmm. And why would you rather the latter?" He crossed his arms waiting to hear my reasoning.
"Say for instance we leave the boat trying to get supplies, if this gets found out later we could be imprisoned for being traitors or fire nation undercover spies and not be given a chance to defend ourselves. If we get found here we can explain how we escaped as well as only stopped here to sleep for a few nights without burning all our fuel." There were many other ways it could go but objectively this was how I saw in all likelihood things occur.
"Fair enough."
In order to have proof as well as shelter we created one large earth tent next to the treeline with the boat a few feet away. It was still windy so I closed off the back end from where the breeze came in.
After a few hours of sleep I could feel the chains on my wrists starting to get tugged on. Instead of opening my eyes or making any movements I simply let whoever it was do what they wanted. Not hearing anything from Shifu I figured he was following my lead. Soon I could feel rope wrap around my shoulders and chest. Once I was bound from attacking anyone did my new captors openly speak.
"You can stop pretending to sleep we know you've been awake for a while now."
When I opened my eyes I could see a young woman with her face painted kneeling over me. She helped me sit up with her hand under my chest.
"Thank you." I said as I looked across at Shifu who was already sitting with his back against the wall guarded by three other young women who also had their faces painted and held fans in their hands. "We simply wished to show you we have no hostility nor pose any danger to you."
"Not that a young boy could pose a threat to the island, I'd say you were successful. Now, tell us, what exactly are you doing here?" The woman sat next to me, keeping her focus on Shifu in case he made any move.
She could tell that there was more to him that met the eye. In her mind if anyone was dangerous it was most likely him. And who could blame her? If anything not only was she correct, she was wise for not letting him out of her sight.
"We are citizens of the Earth Kingdom mainland who was captured and sold to the Fire Nation. I've spent the last two and a half years in their Prison Rig and almost two weeks ago now we escaped together....."
"And you've come here to escape recapture." She came to the logical conclusion sparing a glance at the chains I still had on my arms before glancing over the medallion around my neck. "You're a noble?"
"....Yes," I eyed Shifu to see if it was okay to divulge this much. "I am the Fourth son of Holon the head of the Bàolì clan."
"We have heard of a few noble families that went missing some time ago. But to think that they were under Fire Nation captivity, I am truly sorry for what you had to go through." I could hear the somberness in her voice as she listened to our story.
"Has any news of any else being found surfaced at all?" I asked with the expectation that none were but the hope that something even if it was little popped up.
"If our sources are correct I believe your third uncles concubine was able to avoid capture by fleeing to your fathers main estate on Yue Island. However I would take it with a grain of salt."
"It seems as though she was the one that has betrayed your family young lord. Almost as if she knew your family would be attacked while they were on holiday, she alone was able to escape and live in luxury in what would be rightfully YOUR manor." Shifu had once again garnered the attention of everyone in the small room.
"Like I said, take it with a grain of salt." The woman muttered to me. "Might I know the background of your companion?"
"He is my Shifu. If it weren't for him I most likely would not have been able to escape nor even have the opportunity to make it this far." I stressed the point of the reason of his importance to me.
"Hahaha the young lord exaggerates my presence. I am merely an aide who recognizes his potential and has directed his focus to a goal in which he can be proud of." Shifu explained as he shook his head. "Our plans originally were to stop here to rest for a few days before moving on. If you would be so kind as to allow us to trade some garments for labor perhaps before leaving the island in a day or twos' time we would be most grateful. I doubt our previous captors would let us go without giving appropriate chase."
The woman looked at the other three before nodding her head. "We will bring you two to the village and discuss your circumstances to the village chief. He has the final say so in such matters."
With that we were led to the village deep inland which took perhaps thirty minutes by foot. One of them had gone ahead of us to announce our approach when we made it into the square. As we made it to the chiefs home I could smell the different kinds of freshly cooked food.
'I could go for a home cooked meal.....No! Control yourself. You can eat later.' I battled inside my mind.
Unknowingly to me my stomach betrayed my indifference and began to growl. The women who I came to know as Kyoshi Warriors began to softly laugh. It was without a doubt embarrassing to say the least.
"This must be the young noble along with his advisor." A man who seemed less older than Shifu but still experienced came down a staircase to speak with us. "By all means you may release them from their binds. I have heard of your trek here from enslavement and I empathize with your situation. As for your request I will give you fresh garments worthy of your status free of charge. You may stay here in this village as long as you wish."
"You must be the village chief." I said as the loose rope was undone. With my arms free I greeted him in the same likeness I greeted Shifu when we first met. "I, the fourth son of Holon the head of the Bàolì clan, greet the chief. May you have life many days."
"I welcome you both to our humble village on Kyoshi Island. If there is something you wish to ask please, all you need to do is ask." The chief bowed in kind.