Recent Content by Noteworthy

The masked man observed the young lady's mark for a moment, making sure there was not a single detail of the Fire Nation symbol out of place, which didn't take long considering how simplistic of a symbol it was. His mind wandered for a moment as he reminisced on the day he was first branded as an FNA soldier, at only the age of 9. It was his destiny to fight for the Fire Nation





"What is that thing?" the young boy asked. His large blue eyes gazed at the blacksmith who wielded a steaming metal rod, though they were only half visible behind his long jet-black hair. "Why have you brought me here?"

The black smith laughed deeply. He was a bald, husky man with a bushy grey beard who wore ash-covered leather overalls. The metal rod he held in his gloved hands had a circular block of cement attached to the end of it. The block was in the shape of the Fire Nation symbol and was glowing a bright red, having been held in a fire for quite some time. "Stop asking questions, kid. You're pretty young to be doin' this, but you gotta get it done at one point or another, so just lift up your sleeve and shut up."

The boy backed away slowly as the blacksmith began to approach him with the steaming metal rod. He didn't like where this seemed to be going, but he couldn't find a way out of the small dungeon they were in. "You better not touch me with that thing...I'll kill you, mister."

"Ha!" the blacksmith broke into a fit of laughter, then charged at the boy. "Stay still, junior. You're making this harder for the both of us."

Before the boy knew it, his right sleeve had been ripped off and he was being held against the wall at his neck by one of the black smith's thick, hairy hands. With the other, he began to slowly press the cement block of the metal rod against the boy's shoulder.

"Aaaagghh!" the boy yelled, wincing in pain. "I WARNED YOU!"

He gripped the black smith's hand with both of his and rubbed small flames into them. The black smith jumped back, now in pain as well, then attempted to swing his metal rod at the boy as if to knock him unconscious. His multiple swings were easily dodged by the boy who then sent a blast of flames into the man's round, bearded face. Within a matter of seconds his long grey beard had caught on fire and he was desperately trying to pat it out, but the young boy made the flames greater each time he tried to do so. The odor of burning flesh soon filled the air of the compact dungeon and the black smith began to roll around on the ground, clutching his incinerated neck in agony.

"PLEASE!" he croaked. "HELP ME, YOU B*STARD CHILD! HELP ME!"

The boy watched the black smith slowly die, keeping a solemn expression not making even the slightest attempt to rescue him. Once the man stopped moving and the flames died out, he found a wooden exit doorway and proceeded up a set of stairs, gently rubbing his new tattoo.





"Very well then." the masked man said in his velvet voice, lowering his katana from the girl's neck. "That's a shame. I was really hoping for some fun later tonight. Guess I'll have to pick up some worms elsewhere."

He walked away and sat back down in the bench, crossing his arms.

The masked man sat back and crossed his arms, having just finished cleaning the deep blood off his katanas. It wouldn't be long before they arrived back at the Fire Nation. These international flights were relatively short--much shorter than sailing, that is. He was pondering on how he could pass the remaining time when the young lady in front of him caught his attention. She seemed awkward. Nervous. Perhaps he would've found her to be pretty if she wasn't dressed in filthy Earth Kingdom attire.

"So, what brings you aboard, worm?" he asked intimidatingly while approaching her. It was a common term he used to refer to those from the Earth Nation. "A prisoner of war, are you? Adena has a lot of fun with your kind back at the Fire Nation. She brings them home like toys, practices on them like punching bags. Maybe I'll even get a turn...hm?"

The masked man now stood barely an inch away from the girl; the tip of one of his katanas was stroking the side of her neck very lightly. Being a few inches taller than her, he had to tilt his head slightly downward in order to stare intensely into her eyes. His were not visible, of course, but she could feel the stare burning into her skin.

General Kynu forced a smile and gestured his arms to the right. "By all means. This way, your majesty."

He escorted her to the West Wing of the airship into a narrow hallway, then used a silver key to open one of the doors on their left, revealing a bedroom. Considering its size, however, the room was more of a broom closet. It was dimly lit by a small candle in one corner, and included nothing else other than a folded dusty mattress with no sheets. As light from the hallway flooded into the room, two mice scurried out from beneath the mattress and disappeared again.

"Make yourself comfortable. FNA airships are famous for these luxurious suites, so I'm sure you'll sleep like a baby."

Kynu then left Princess Adena and proceeded to the control room of the ship. He was in a lighter mood than usual. Probably because it calmed him to know they would be on solid ground soon.

The man laughed at the Princess' anger with his head still down, endlessly taunting her. His mask lay at his feet, ripped from the straps but still intact overall. He picked it up and tied the ripped straps together so it would stay in place, disguising him once again with its comical expression.
"I wouldn't do that again if I were you." he remarked. "You of all people should know how important it is for my identity to remain anonymous among others."

The masked man gestured to General Kynu, Feng, and the other FNA soldiers who stood post by the windows in the room. Kynu glared at him with distaste when singled out. "I was curious when you first boarded the ship, but I think I've got you all figured about by now. You're just some kind of advanced soldier. No different from any of my men except you specialize in single assassinations. Ozai probably keeps you locked up in training most days and calls upon you when needed. Isn't that right?"

The man put both hands up mockingly as though he were surrendering. "What can I say, General? You caught me."
He faced Adena, staring into her eyes deeply and intently. She was one of the very few people that knew who he was.

"Oh please Adena, I mustn't take all the credit." the man said teasingly. "After all, if it wasn't for you the King's army would have been protecting the palace, rather than out hunting for some crazed Princess. So therefore you weren't completely useless, which I must congratulate you on. You were more like...bait."

He chuckled softly for a moment, picking up one of his katanas and wiping the blood off. It was beginning to dry, and he preferred to have his weapons looking sleek and shiny.

"And another thing." he said, raising a gloved finger. "I noticed that Ba Sing Se suffered some pretty significant damage--a portion if it, anyway--and I'm somewhat impressed. Especially when considering the low expectations I have for you. Perhaps when we get back to the Fire Nation, Ozai will have some type of treat​ or something prepared for you."

General Kynu held in his laughter, aware of the Princess' short temper, and turned his attention to the remaining katana that still lay on the floor. He observed the way it was covered almost entirely by dark, crimson blood. The combined blood of the Earth King and his guards. It almost shocked him to know that the very weapon he stood only a few feet away from had been used to eliminate the powerful ruler of the Earth Kingdom. How had the masked man defeated him? Did Tasuki even put up a fight? After the day's events, perhaps he lacked the pride to even want ​to fight back.

"Yo Jesse, what do you think about this one? I say she's an...8. For sure." Derrick jeered playfully, pointing to some girl who was walking down the sidewalk on the other side of the street. He incessantly tapped his cousin's shoulder, eager for a response. "I think I might even go talk to her."

Jesse half-opened his eyes, having dozed off for a moment, then squinted them to get a good look at the girl Derrick was pestering him about. She had light brown skin, strutting down the street in sparkly high heels, sporting a tight purple dress that complimented her curves.

"Dude..." he said, rolling his eyes and smiling. "That's a hooker. For sure. If you really like her that much just wave her over and get out your wallet."

Derrick turned to Jesse with his mouth gaped open, then back at the woman in disbelief. It was evident by his face that he was disgusted. "Aw man, that was a close one. See? This is what we need each other for. I save your ass, you save mine. I get you into therapy to keep you from going crazy, and you-"

"Keep you from sleeping with disease-ridden wh*res."

The two laughed hysterically for a little while there in Jesse's car, parked in front of the mechanic shop they owned together. It was one of the few worry-free moments they were able to have in times like these. The economy was down the toilet. Their neighborhood had one of the highest crime rates in the country. The bills came in constantly and piled into mountains. It all caused a great deal of stress, and seemed to never end. But for now, they could just sit here and laugh.

"Seriously man," Derrick said, his laughter calming into a soft chuckle. "I got your back. You got my back. No matter what, remember that. We're here for each other come hell or high water."

Jesse nodded slowly and the two bumped fists, resuming to rating women as they passed by. It wasn't too often they had emotional moments like that, but when they did, they never wanted it to linger for too long for the sake of their masculinity.

The masked man chuckled softly. "Don't worry about it, Adena. Luckily for you Ozai is naturally two things: A master of war, and one hell of a father."

He revealed his blood soaked katanas and threw them aside, then sat down on a side bench while the airship took off again. It was obvious by his casual body language that he found the day's events to be quite amusing. "Wait, you didn't think the Fire Lord was actually going to trust you to take down King Tasuki, did you? Ha! That's a laugh. You may be a General now, Princess, but you have to understand that these kinds of missions require someone...of a higher caliber. Ozai just wanted to test you with this assignment, probably for his own entertainment, but in the end he knew I was the one who would have to get the job done-"

"Wait," General Kynu interrupted, leaning in with his eyes wide. "So, you've done it? Is he-"

"Yes. It is done. King Tasuki is dead."

Miles behind the airship, Ba Sing Se was completely silent on this night. It was a night of grief and solemness. The heart of the city had been destroyed and eliminated. Without a heart, how can anything continue to live?



Draco stood at the dock for a moment, gawking at the enormous ship before him. He had never seen a vessel so large, other than the ones from the Fire Nation that attacked his home, and it made him feel uncomfortably small. But it was going to get him where he wanted to go, nonetheless.
"Well, as the monks said," he whispered to himself while approaching the walkway. "Each journey begins with a single step."
As he boarded the ship Draco began to see some familiar faces from the group he had met with earlier. Many of them were missing, though, which worried him. He could only hoped they hadn't backed out of the trip. A couple of the men who were already on board appeared far stronger and more masculine than he. Their faces were stern and serious, while Draco's was rather playful and boyish even in his adulthood. The last thing he wanted, though, was to seem inferior.
"Evening, gentlemen." he said in a voice deeper than his usual. "Ready to train hard, are we?"
His chest was puffed out and his face forced a tight frown with sharp, glaring eyes.

General Kynu flipped the side lever and the ship was closed again. He let out a deep sigh of relief and yelled at the top of his lungs, "We're good! Now let's get the hell out of here!"

He escorted the Princess and her female friend down the hallways and tried to keep his composure as she yelled. After all, it wasn't like he had just saved her life or anything. "Look, don't ask me any questions, alright Princess? All I know is that a few hours ago your father made be come aboard this flying death machine to Ba Sing Se, and if the whole city wasn't in ashes I had two jobs: Number one, find you. Number two, drop off-"

Kynu came to a sudden halt for a few seconds, then he ran down the hall to the control room where the Captain and Co-Captain were seated. "Turn this thing around! We forgot something! I want us at the center of Ba Sing Se ASAP!"

"Sir, it's nighttime. We can hardly see a thing as it is-"

"I've grown quite tired of your backtalk! Turn back NOW!" Kynu then faced the Princess with a small smile. "We have someone special for you to see."



The masked man sat on top of a collapsed building in the center of Ba Sing Se, his katanas concealed, and his hood over his head. He appeared to be waiting for something. To any normal passer-by, he even looked like Death himself. Suddenly, the loud sound of running engines came from above. The same Fire Nation airship which had dropped him off at this position had arrived for his retrieval. A rope ladder hung down beside him. Some Earth Kingdom soldiers began to gather around, standing in combat positions, but with a quick rotation of his arms the masked man formed a circular wall of flames around himself that spun endlessly. He then casually grabbed hold of the ladder and climbed it without any interruptions. Once aboard the ship, he brushed off his shoulders and looked around the room. He saw General Kynu, Princess Adena, and a young woman he was unfamiliar with.

"Well, well, well..." he said, turning towards the Princess. "Look at you, Adena, with all those battle marks. Didn't think you'd measure up so small against some Earth imbeciles."

The center of Ba Sing Se was nothing. Its buildings and people were turned to rubble and corpses. All that was left of the area was the Royal Palace, which still stood proudly beneath the sky that grew darker by the minute. The long, perilous day was at last coming to a close...and the city had prevailed for the most part...but at what cost? Several individuals began to roam the area, holding candles in their hands and tears in their eyes, searching for the loved ones they lost in the midst of all the madness. A masked man walked among them, but he felt no sadness. Nor was he carrying a sympathetic candle in memory of those who had perished. Instead, he wielded two long, elegant katanas. One in each hand as he strode through the rubble towards the grand palace.

The others paid him no mind. They were too engulfed in their emotions; too blinded by their own tears to notice that an armed assassin was among them. If they had given it a moment's glance, perhaps they would have noticed the spine-chilling way his boots intentionally stomped on the pale faces of the scattered corpses beneath him. Like dirt. Kicking them aside occasionally. All but one person let this strange sight go over their heads: One of King Tasuki's guards who was monitoring the palace entrance.

"Excuse me, sir." the concerned guard said, stepping towards the masked man as he neared the palace. "You're gonna have to-"

His words were cut off as both sides of his neck met with the man's blades, slicing in either direction. Blood poured out of his open neck. His body collapsed. His decapitated head rolled away. The masked man used his robes to wipe blood off his katanas, then pushed the front palace doors open. At this moment his mind went into a euphoric, almost numb, state. The silence of the night became filled with the melancholy sounds of an orchestra. Yells and shouts from guards inside the palace were turned into fine melodies of violins and cellos. He, the masked man, was the conductor of this blood-filled concerto; his katanas were the batons. They were swiftly swung in all directions as he hummed along to the flutes in the background. His eyes were closed, and therefore he could envision the plethora of instruments surrounding him, each being played oddly-enough by an Earth Kingdom soldier who hastily played along to the rhythm...as though their life depended on it. This went on for over a half-hour, until each of the instruments stopped playing, one by one. The masked man sighed deeply and opened his eyes, expecting to hear applause and see roses fall to his feet. Instead, however, all he saw...was blood.

It was everywhere. Flowing down the staircases, splattered across the walls, stained into the carpets. Everywhere. It seemed that King Tasuki's palace was now the scene of a massacre. The dead bodies of his guards were scattered around the rooms in awkward positions, all missing a limb or two. A few even their heads. The masked man looked over the mess he had caused from the top of the staircase. Counting each of the bodies until reaching the number 31. Did he smile at this realization? Did he frown? Was he laughing? Was he crying? You couldn't tell behind his ridiculous mask.
As he proceeded into a room on the second floor, an old man in long brown silk robes appeared inside. He sat behind a small desk, holding up a pocket knife, shaking from head to toe. With how terrified the man looked, it was hard to imagine that it was Tasuki himself.

"You..." the King said grimly. "You killed them...you killed them all. And now...you're going to try to kill me..."

"No, your majesty." the masked man said. His voice was smooth, velvet, and almost calming. "I'm going to kill you."

Tasuki screamed at the top of his lungs as he revealed a small boulder from beneath his desk, split it into five pieces, and sent them hurtling in the man's direction. The rocks then burst into flames and were deflected, knocking the King backwards and burning him severely. He could only gaze helplessly as his assassin walked towards him, wielding two blood-soaked katanas.

"Who are you?" he whispered, his right cheek pressed against the floor.

Before he could be given an answer, his chest was stricken with a sharp blade, sinking deeper and deeper until escaping out his back. King Tasuki could feel himself disappearing, being engulfed by darkness, leaving his precious kingdom behind...

"MORE FIRE!" shouted General Kynu at his crew of FNA soldiers. "IF SO MUCH AS A HAND IS LAID ON PRINCESS ADENA, YOUR LIVES ARE AT THE HANDS OF FIRE LORD OZAI!"

This provided quite a bit of motivation, causing the fireballs to rain down from the ship more rapidly and in larger sizes. Some of the Earth Kingdom soldiers below were forming small boulders and thrusting them at the ship. This, of course, applied hardly any damage to the enormous ship, but Kynu still didn't like it at all and so he yelled down the open trap door. "What the hell are you waiting for, Princess?!"

His hopes of escaping rose high as Adena made her way up the ladder, but were toppled when she jumped off. What was she thinking? Did she not understand the gravity of the situation? For what reason could she possibly have turned back?

"You can't be serious..." the General said in disbelief as he realized the cause of the Princess' irrationality.

He noticed that Adena was standing beside her precious Komodo Rhino, and it was lagging her behind. "Interesting. Her compassion is quite uncharacteristic for a Fire Nation Princess. Well, so be it then."

With a powerful movement of his arms, Kynu sent a large blast of fire at a towering oak tree nearby. The entire tree immediately burst into flames and slowly collapsed, crushing over a dozen soldiers who could only scream helplessly before being suffocated beneath its weight. "Lower the ship! I want the back entrance perched on the edge of the cliff!"

"Have you lost your mind, General?! We need to get out of here! If we get too close to the flames our own ship could explode!"

"That's an order, dammit! Now do as I say!"

The airship moved forward and lowered while Kynu ran down the halls until reaching the aft of the airship. He then pulled a lever which flipped the metal wall outwards, forming a walkway from the edge of the cliff onto the ship. The General was now at the same level as Adena, and could see her approximately 8 meters away, but that's not what caught his eye. What did, however, were five dozen Earth Kingdom soldiers rushing onto the cliff from the forest behind her. If Adena hesitated even for a moment, they would kill her and most likely ambush the ship. After all, there were only about 2 or 3 dozen FNA soldiers aboard.

"This is your chance, Princess! Move, move, move!"

General Kynu scanned the area below him with squinted eyes, trying to make out any sign of the Princess. It was difficult to see anything at a time like this. The sun had just set and the moon was gradually growing brighter in the night sky. Suddenly, large blasts of fire and lightning from the West caught his attention.

"There!" he shouted without hesitation. "Head West, Captain, she's on that cliff near the shore! Hurry, dammit!"
The enormous airship slowly veered to the right until hovering above the cliff where Princess Adena along with another young woman were standing, surrounded by Earth Kingdom soldiers.

"ATTACK!" Kynu screamed at the top of his lungs, opening one of the side windows and sending fireballs raining down on the men. Other FNA soldiers aboard the ship did the same, while Kynu proceeded to flip open the trap door and drop a rope through. It hurtled down until fully extended, forming a straight line for the Princess to climb up. The General was in a state of panick, unprepared for battle and only hoping the Princess would be able to escape.




Lieutenant Chung made it to the docks where some of the group that Tasuki had assigned him to escort had already arrived. The others were close behind, and he let out a sight of relief to see the large ship was already prepared for departure. Its captain, an old, dark-skinned man with a long scraggly beard, paced back-and-forth on the walkway whistling a merry tune.
"Captain Harushi," Chung said sternly as he approached him. He leaned into his ear and whispered to him for a little while. The captain's facial expression changed from confused, to scared, to confused again.
"No, no, that's ridiculous." he said, stepping away and shaking his head fiercely. "There's nothing in that direction, we'd be sailing pointlessly. Not only that, but I've been at sea for weeks now! It's about time I get some vacation on solid ground. I'm sorry, Lieutenant, but I must refuse."
Chung glared intensely at the captain and grabbed him aggresively by the collar of his jacket. "King's orders, Harushi. You dare to disobey them? I'll have you know he's not in the best mood this evening. Your punishment may very well be your last."
Harushi's eyes widened with fright and he quickly took a position by the entrance of the ship, gesturing to the gathering group with a wide grin. "This way, my friends! We have a long journey ahead of us!"

Lieutenant Chung smiled and felt at peace now that the King's group was no longer his responsibility. This did not last long, however, as he began to hear the loud sound of engines from above. He peered into the distance, and gazed in horror as an enormous airship with the Fire Nation symbol painted on its side hovered above a small cliff. Large bursts of flames were shooting down from all sides of it.
"Dear god..." he said in disbelief. "They've come for her..."

OOC: Firekeyblade, you're accepted.
It's been over a week and I'd like to apologize to everyone for my absence.
Think of the past week as an intermission, and we are starting Chapter 2. (:
Now, let's get back to the story, shall we?

IC:

General Kynu sat grimly in a metal throne-like chair, his eyes closed and his chin resting on his fist. He tried to detach himself from his current environment, convincing himself that it was impossible for him to actually be aboard some enormous machine...in the sky. The introduction of these new Fire Nation Airships was intended to be a revolutionary, incredible advantage in the war, but all they did for him was induce vomiting. At high altitudes, firebending became quite a difficult task and Kynu didn't like the idea of being practically defenseless in times of war. Since the very moment he boarded the airship he had been silently cursing Fire Lord Ozai for making him do so. Although the General played quite a significant role in the FNA, he was in no position to defy Ozai's commands, especially on an evening like this when the Fire Lord was displaying the epitome of rage for his failed attack. As Kynu opened his eyes for a moment and gazed out the window to see FNA ships sailing to the horizon, he couldn't help but give a sinister grin.

"If only those spineless men knew what horrors await them back in the Fire Nation..." he said with a chuckle. "Ozai will be far from lenient with their punishment..."

"Sir, I believe we're at the appropriate position."

Kynu turned his head to see Co-Captain Reeves facing him, standing at attention respectfully for the General. He was a fairly young man, and undoubtedly nervous about the flight, judging by his quivering legs.

"Are you sure, Reeves?" Kynu asked, but there was no need for an answer as he stepped up to the window and saw Ba Sing Se below them. The sun was setting, so it was a tad difficult to make out the collapsed buildings and lifeless corpses scattered across the center of the city, but they were still visible.

"So, uh, is...he...ready?" Reeves asked quietly, as though he wanted no one else to hear.

"How should I know? Ask him yourself."

The young co-captain gulped loudly and his eyes widened with fear. "Eh...I'd prefer not to...I mean, there's no pressure, after all. Whenever he's ready, we're re-"

There was a sudden change in the atmosphere of the room. It was now thick and warm, yet chilling at the same time. Kynu and Reeves turned around in unison at the sound of footsteps edging closer. Entering now was a masked individual dressed in tight black-and-red robes and equipped with two katanas that were strapped to his back. Their mask included two eye-holes, a wide charming smile, and the fire nation symbol on its forehead (something like this). It was easy to assume that it was man, considering their masculine body structure, firm shoulders, and fairly muscular arms. Reeves stood frozen in fear while Kynu spoke.

"We've arrived. You know what you have to do. Meanwhile we'll go pick up Adena wherever the hell she is."

The man nodded and grabbed a rope that dangled from a hook on the ceiling. It hung down until forming a large heap of extension. He tugged at it a couple times, then firmly gripped it with both hands as he stood beside a small platform in the center of the room.

"G-good luck..." Reeves said as he reached for a lever beside him, then pulled it down, causing the platform to flip outwards and form a square hole in the floor.

The masked man dropped the heap of rope through the opening, allowing it to unravel until fully extended and straightened, then slid down it elegantly and landing on top of a building just outside the city's center. He then used large bursts of fire from both of his fists to propel himself further into the city. Back on the airship, Reeves flipped the lever upwards again, causing the opening to close. Kynu stared out the window as the ship began to move again, scanning the land for a sign of Adena.

"C'mon Princess...give us a sign..."

OOC: Hey you guys, I don't know if many of you are familiar with the MAP of this world, however, the dock is a LONG WAY from the palace (which is where a majority of us are coming from). Not to mention the fact that our characters still need to get through the Ba Sing Se WALLS. That's not so easy of a task, considering the city (as I said before) is in the middle of a LOCK-DOWN due to a prison escapee.

I don't mean to bother you guys or ask too much of you, but I'm gonna need a few of you to edit your posts. Obviously the trip from the palace to the dock isn't going to take DAYS or even HOURS but it just doesn't make since for you to go from the palace to the dock in one post.

So, those of you who are at the dock or have passed the wall, PLEASE EDIT YOUR POSTS ACCORDINGLY!

Thanks you guys.

EDIT: And as I've said before, make thorough posts. It kind of upsets me to see posts that are only a sentence or two. Please be descriptive.

OOC: I'm guessing we're all just gonna magically get through the Ba Sing Se walls when it's in the middle of a lock-down? lol
Was the Lieutenant Chung character just completely pointless? :P
And apparently we all have super-speed, getting across the entire city to the shore of the land xD

​

The dusk sky grew darker by the minute as it hung over the great ancient city of Ba Sing Se. The sun had set earlier than usual, which could be perceived as a bad omen in some cultures. But then again, what more pain and misfortune could be brought upon this tired place?

I pray the Princess will be found...at least it would allow these unfortunate people to rest their heads tonight, knowing she was behind bars... Draco thought as he took a few steps outside.

He expected to see them all scurrying through the streets helplessly, terrified for their lives by the news. It immediately came to his attention, however, that the entire city was intensely quiet. No civilians were anywhere in sight. Rather than desperate men and women, tumbleweeds rolled aimlessly across sidewalks in separate directions. The only noise that could be heard was the distant sound of marching boots.

"The soldiers." he whispered to himself. "They're spreading."

Surely enough at the Northern entrance of Ba Sing Se, large groups of Earth Kingdom guards and warriors were marching out of the city while others stayed behind to search the homes of regular citizens...as if anyone was going to hide Princess Adena in their broom closet.
Within a matter of minutes, Draco knew, dozens of them would be flooding into the outer villages and forests. If this manhunt were to fail, then the Fire Nation will have won the day's battle. Even if they hadn't managed to take the life of the King, they will have managed to take the safety of his people, and replaced it with a permanent fear.

Draco prayed over and over again that the Princess would be captured while he made his way towards the docks, but deep down in his chest he knew just how unlikely that was.