The Fire Nation Prince

Chapter 77: Short Tales - Smoke Signals

The beach was silent save for the rhythmic crash of waves and the occasional snort of a komodo rhino shifting its weight in the sand. Lieutenant Commander Jee stood motionless, arms crossed, his eyes fixed on the tree line where the Kyoshi Warriors had vanished over an hour ago. His patience, though legendary among the crew, was fraying at the edges.

Behind him, the soldiers fidgeted.

”Spirits damn it,” Ren muttered, kicking at a shell. ”How long does it take to decide whether to bow or bleed?”

Barun grunted, adjusting his grip on his spear. ”Maybe they’re drawing straws to see who gets the honor of marrying your ugly face.”

Kujan scoffed, rolling his shoulders. ”Or they’re sharpening their fans for our throats.”

Ensign Lee adjusted his collar, his voice crisp with academic detachment. ”Lieutenant Commander, statistically, prolonged deliberation in such scenarios often indicates either internal dissent or strategic preparation. Given the Kyoshi Warriors’ noted discipline, the latter seems probable. Would you concur?”

Jee’s jaw tightened. The ensign’s tone, like a scholar observing insects, never failed to grate on him. ”It means they’re working on something. Whether it’s a surrender scroll or an ambush, we’ll find out soon enough.”

Lee’s nose twitched. He frowned, inhaling sharply. ”Do you smell that?”

Kujan waved a hand dismissively. ”We burn coal on the damn ship every day. Of course we smell burning.”

”No,” Lee insisted, his brow furrowing. ”I am well acquainted with the ship’s engines, Sergeant. This is different.”

Ren smirked. ”What’s next, Ensign? You gonna sniff out their hiding spots like a hound-dog?”

Jee’s hand snapped up. ”Enough.” His voice was low, but it cut through the chatter like a blade. ”Get on guard.”

In an instant, the beach erupted into motion. Three dozen soldiers shifted into formation, firebenders curling their fingers into ready stances, blades and spears glinting in the sun. Above them, the crew on deck nocked arrows and leveled crossbows.

”Lieutenant Commander!” A soldier shouted from the ship’s railing. ”There’s smoke, rising on the far side of the island, sir!”

Jee squinted. ”You certain?”

Lee pointed. ”Sir, look.”

Beyond the mountains, barely visible from their low vantage, a thick column of black smoke coiled into the sky.

Kujan’s grip on his flames tightened. ”What’s the play?”

Jee didn’t hesitate. ”Lee, with me. We’ll scout the delay and that smoke. Kujan, hold position. If we’re not back in an hour, bring two dozen men and remind these people why the Fire Nation doesn’t tolerate games.”

Without another word, Jee and Lee strode forward, boots crunching on shells as they vanished into the forest’s shadow.

Behind them, Barun cracked his knuckles. ”Took long enough for something interesting to happen.”

Ren grinned. ”Let’s hope they fight back. I didn’t come here to marry a pacifist.”

Kujan watched the trees, flames flickering at his fingertips. ”Oh, they’ll fight,” he murmured. ”Question is, will it matter?”

The forest swallowed them whole.

Lee moved like a shadow behind Jee, his boots silent on the damp earth, his breath steady despite the adrenaline humming in his veins. The scent of smoke grew thicker with every step, acrid and unnatural, not the clean burn of coal, but the reek of splintered wood and charred flesh.

Then, the trees thinned.

They crouched at the village’s edge, bushes clawing at their armor, and the scene before them punched the air from Jee’s lungs.

Chaos.

Kyoshi’s tranquil streets had become a slaughterhouse. Screams sawed through the air, mingling with the clang of steel and the wet thud of blades finding homes in flesh. Sixty, maybe more, Kyoshi Warriors and villagers fought in desperate clusters, their green and gold uniforms splattered crimson. Bodies littered the dirt roads like broken dolls: a warrior slumped against a well, her fan still clutched in stiff fingers; an old man face-down in the mud, his straw hat floating in a puddle of his own blood.

And the attackers…

Pirates.

Not the disorganized rabble of Earth Kingdom bandits, but hardened sea wolves in salt-crusted leathers, their faces scarred, their weapons brutal and efficient. They fought with the grinning cruelty of men who knew no law but profit.

Lee’s voice was a whisper. “Bandits?”

Jee’s jaw clenched. “Pirates.”

A scream ripped through the din. Jee’s gaze snapped to the left—an elderly man, white-haired and trembling, was dragged from his hut by a hulking pirate with a cleaver. The old man begged in a language Jee couldn’t hear. The pirate laughed, then swung.

The head hit the dirt before the body did.

Lee flinched. “Commander, what do we do?”

Jee’s mind raced. Orders warred with instinct.

The prince’s command had been clear: If they refuse, burn them to the ground or make them regret it. But this, this wasn’t refusal. This was an island under siege by scavengers, their discipline fracturing under teeth they hadn’t expected.

And yet, if the Fire Nation intervened now, would it undermine their threat? Would saving them today make them bold tomorrow?

But then there was the prince.

Zuko had come here twice in three weeks. Had stared at their shrines like they held secrets. Had demanded Suki specifically.

This island matters to him.

Jee turned to Lee. “Ensign. Tell me what you honestly think of the prince.”

Lee blinked. “Commander, we don’t have time for…”

“Answer me, damn it.”

Lee swallowed. Then, stiffly: “For three years, I thought Prince Zuko was a reckless fool. A spoiled brat chasing ghosts.” His fingers curled. “But this past month… his strategies, his foresight, he’s not the boy who chased the Avatar blindly. He’s playing a game even the Fire Lord doesn’t see.” A pause. “I’d follow him.”

Jee exhaled. “Most of the crew feels the same.” He nodded to the carnage. “So here’s our problem. We don’t know if the islanders were going to accept our terms. If we act now, we might compromise our standing.”

Lee’s eyes flickered. “Or waste whatever greater plan the prince has for this place.”

Exactly.

Jee made his decision. “Go back to the beach. Bring two dozen men.”

Lee hesitated. “And you?”

Jee stood, rolling his shoulders. The nearest pirate was lunging for a wounded Kyoshi Warrior, her fan cracked, her knees buckling.

“I’m going to ensure our future wives survive this.”

Then he moved.

Fire erupted from his fist like a comet, a roaring arc of orange and gold that slammed into the pirate’s chest. The man screamed as he flew backward, his tunic a funeral pyre.

The Kyoshi Warrior gaped. Jee didn’t spare her a glance, he was already spinning, flames coiling around his arms as pirates turned, their grins dying.

Let them see what Fire Nation steel truly meant.

[A/N: Can’t wait to see what happens next? Get exclusive early access on .com/saiyanprincenovels.]