Thought Filled Camping

[princezuko]

Looked towards the forest again as he finished his part of the fish and then slid it away. And then he thought about it all that was beginning to come. However he had already been working out a plan in his head. What strategies would work best. Standing up as the man reached into his vest, his hand upon his sword, he eyed what the man brought out. Arrest Warrants. He’d had enough of this. And not to mention that the man brought his father, and then his old title and that of the crimes that his father charged them against. Some Father indeed.

“I’ll See my Father when I’m Ready.”

His amber eyes narrowed and with a spreading of his legs, he swayed his arms and went around in a massive circle. Thus did the fire of the roaring campfire Rush out in a massive wave, spinning and setting fire to the trees and grass around. With his power and anger fuelling it the flames rushed forwards into the forest and towards the men that Xun Xue Xola had placed around the Camp, and creating one massive forest fire. Smoke and debre became evident. However he didn’t stop there, his swords became drawn and he rushed at Xun, His eyes narrowed with determination, His blade going for a horizontal cut across the Chest.

“Your serving a Murderer and a Betrayer! I’d always heard that the Earth Kingdom People were Resilient! How quick you bend to the whipping of a new master!”

[mastabenda]

Zuko's fiery nature along with his savvy tongue incited a sense of pride in Iroh's heart. Iroh placed his nearly finished and superbly tasting supper to the side as he lumbered to his feet. He raised his arms, clasped his hands above his head and stretched his old body. He may have need to move swiftly in the now inevitable fight. His mission was a simple one: make sure he and his young nephew make it out of this situation alive. It was not his goal to punish this bounty hunter or his men, assuming this lurking hulk was not naive enough to challenge the Dragon of the West alone.

"It is a shame. We didn't have time for tea..."

Iroh said with a smirk. Then his visage turned much more serious as he placed his hand in front of his torso. He eyed his surrounding and studied them closely. While Zuko's attention was toward Xola, surely Iroh's attantion was on everything else. If the need arised, Iroh would surely intervene on his nephews behalf. However this was to be a test for Zuko and Iroh did not intend on spoiling the lessons to be learned.

[xun]

Dangerous as the situation was quickly becoming, Xun was inwardly pleased. This was more like the Zuko he was told about. And this was true to form of someone from the Fire Nation; he outwardly scowled.

Among the brushes that were fanning the flames came the sharp, panicked squawking of an iguana-parrot. Were Xun’s volunteers now to likely reconsider their deputized duties? Would this dispossessed prince’s behavior turn into a larger forest fire?

“Third time be the charm then,” one of them bellowed a charge then came blasting out from his cover, iguana-parrot flitting over his large red hat with a wide, upturned brim before resting back onto his shoulder. “And may it be the last time we be treated to the likes of yah!” Singing from its scabbard, the thin blade of his jian sliced the air then its tip began pointing at Iroh. Dropping from a tree, a thin whiskered man with long face landed beside him. Brushing back shoulder length brown hair, he revealed two large gold hoops hanging from his ears and large lips caressed with dirty pink lipstick. From his lime green vest he produced two daggers then stood sideways while holding one chest height and the other above his head. Just as quickly, other men were leaping or bursting from the foliage brandishing various weapons from broadswords and spears to sickles, chains, nets, a trident and even an anchor.

Offering Zuko his attention Xun did not let relief show on his face at the pirates’ decision to remain and fight, even though they were motivated by money and the now inflamed environment that encompassed them. Instead he scowled. With a shrug of his shoulder and plucking a knot behind him the, one end of the tetsubo slide from over to his shoulders until nestling between them and down his back. His fingers pulled another knot loose, the weight of the tetsubo slackened against his back. His hand grasped the weapon from behind him and glided it before him.

“As I thought your kind but destructive thugs!” Verbally countering Zuko’s disapproval. His palm pressed firmly down upon the tetsubo, the weapon standing taller than Zuko. He let the broadswords slam against tetsubo guarding him.

“I have yet to be proven wrong!” Twisting his waist and giving his tetsubo a deft kick. Swinging forward like an angry pendulum, the blow was meant to launch Zuko away from him rather than do actual harm.

As the pendulum seem of his tetsubo was coming back, with one hand Xun let the weapon swing behind his back and quiet settle across his shoulders. “Like the mountain my people endure, even outlast ages and dynasties, boy." His growl sounding like a rockslide. "Especially when one’s family is hostage.”

[princezuko]

Zuko had heard the sqwauk from with in the large forested area, and his amber eyes widened slightly. He knew that thing, and when the voice of it's master rang out, he just shoved forwards against the earth bender with surprising force. "So claims the honorable man working with pirates and assassins!" Zuko swore back. He knew what was to be coming. It was turning out to be something completely unwelcomed. However when he was shoved back he just glared back, his stance firm.


Looking towards the Captain and then towards the Magistrate again. "You should know, that your men are going to kill you as soon as it's to their advantage. They tried to do the same to me." He declared, pointing a blade towards him, and then stomped upon the ground a wave of flames coming forth at the summoning, and moving forwards towards the form of the Magistrate. A basic movement that had been designed to break the stances of the opponents in Agni Kai. Swinging his foot around in a vicious leg sweep, did the flames follow suit, going outwards towards the men that had so casually broke the cover. But when he had been accused of little more than a destructive thug, he turned his head and looked around, amber eyes slowly showing a revelation of sorts.

However that would have to be dealt with at another time. Turning his head to look towards the man he shook his head. "I care for this war as little as you do. It was started by someone else. And now my father sees to continue to build the empire. But he won't stop now that Ba Sing Sae is gone." He stated as he moved to the side to avoid being impaled by a pike. "The man that is the fire lord is my father. that is true. And for a lesson in obidience, he planted it on my face. If He does this to his own son. What do you think he's planning for your people?" He asked as he swung into a solid stance once more, this time waiting. Wondering what the verdict will be.

[xun]

"You should know, that your men are going to kill you as soon as it's to their advantage. They tried to do the same to me." Zuko harangued him.

"I'm use to that." A throaty laugh half-escaped from Xun as a low wall of flames washed across the camp floor towards him. The front end of his tetsubo shoved itself into the ground like a pole. "Occupation hazard!" His roar replied, the tetsubo ripping a trench before him to keep the flames a bay.

Was there even an earthbender amongst his own ranks; Xun worried about their ignited surroundings. Signaling any of the pirates hanging back he swiped a free hand about in an arc then shoved a palm forward, indicating how he wanted the two firebenders encompassed before pushing them towards the river. They seemed to understand well enough, yet Xun still furrowed at how current circumstances would be keeping the firebenders together rather than splitting them apart.

Answering Zuko he balked: "A brutal thug all the same," stepping back from the trench. Then, speeding forward the tetsubo stabbed into the trench and Xun continued pushing forward, pole-vaulting over it and the dying flames it held at bay. Twisting in midair, the tetsubo swung before him as he landed, slamming onto the forest floor where Zuko had been mere seconds before.

Xun continued the offensive, trying to split the boy from Iroh and edge him to the ring of pirates who were supposed to force him into the river. Exhaling in a loud, primal grunt he swung low towards Zuko, uprooting earth and dirt before the disposed prince's face. One foot rose and he pivoted on the other. The tetsubo swung back around for an overhead strike with both hands as he hopped forward with its momentum. The swing missed and he allowed the weapon to swing behind him, switching it from hand to hand. When it came around again he re-used both hands and thrust it forward at Zuko as if it were a spear.

[princezuko]

Zuko had seen the manuvere that was attempted and had swung his arm in one huge wheel, sending a ark of fire in terms of a circle towards a near by tree, and then quickly retreated hopping backwards avoiding the thrust from the spear shot forwards. With the added flames to the already ignited wood, it groaned and then the trunk shattered, falling to the ground, one that would have crushed them both if they did not move out of the way. Sighing he just shook his head before he looked towards Uncle and then towards the forest.

And thus did he sigh. He did not want to fight them. He knew that he had done enough damage. And even then, it seemed to be far to much to repair even now. And yet Iroh had never stopped believing in him. And thus did he eye the people from behind the burning trees and the logs and he stared at Xun Xue Xola And then he shook his head. And then he did the one thing that the Prince of the Fire Nation, the Heir to the throne would never do in those times. Uncle had given a signal. It was time to leave. And thus did he rush out and back down a way, jumping over one man in the process. He was not going to fight the Magistrate Further, He would not fight unless it was something that absolutely needed to be done now. Something that Uncle had shown him and something that didn‘t take. It still didn’t’ but he was trying to change. Trying to become better than what he was. When he thought that he had run far enough, he ran up a tree, four feet before he grabbed a branch and hoisted himself up, and then another, and another with surprising skill. Sheathing his blades with a almost silent wave.

And there he stood and watched, hidden with the safety of the upper trees, keeping a careful eye upon the fire, should it shift it’s path it would proof to be disastrous for him, fire bending or not. However in the place of seclusion, he faced some horrifying truth's, about his own family, about his own heritage, and about his own person.

[xun]

Xun made a quick skid away from Zuko on one foot, not wishing to withdraw towards the fire behind him. He held an arm before his face as the groaning, burning tree crashed to the forest floor, snuffing out most of its flames while sending dust, ash and branches into the air. From underneath his conical helmet Xun tried to peer through the smoky debris to Zuko on the other side of the fallen tree that lay between them.

Scowling at the boy, ignoring whatever difficulties his volunteers faced, Xun shoved his tetsubo into the smoldering timber and vaulted himself atop it to continue his chase. But Zuko was already leaving him behind before he even made it over. Xun dragged further behind Zuko who left him to dodge the disorganized piratical volunteers who were also trying to capture the prince. Almost on the prince’s heels Xun swung his tetsubo against the tree Zuko ran up with enough force to shatter and fell it. Yet disappointedly Zuko was already leaping to another tree. Then to another. And continued.

“I am quite sorry gentlemen,” Xun’s ears perked up at the sound of Iroh’s voice. “But it is my nephew’s bedtime. Perhaps we can do this some other night. Preferably a weekend.” The elder firebender then darted his legs to either side to him and squatted low in a sumo stance. Slowly pushing his arms skywards the flames that surrounded the field began to rise and increase suddenly.

Do your worst, Xun scowled and prepared himself.

Then Iroh pulled his arms back and swung them forward. The flames flew over everyone’s heads like an oncoming wave, causing even Xun to turn away and blink. He heard the loud clap of two palms clapped together and nothing further.

A moment’s wait, Xun and the others opened their eyes to found themselves left in a dark, steamy and empty field. Their prey gone.

“Fan out,” Xun spat through gritted teeth, a hand tightly clenched around his tetsubo. “I said fan out,” glaring at the questioning pirate captain. “You either quit or you’re paid after their capture,” Xun bit at him. “Make your choice,” then hunted off in Zuko’s last seen direction.

Xun has left the thread