Chapter 4 The Deal

Something suddenly bashed Zuko on the back of his head. Sending him tumbling down onto the floor unconscious...

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"Uhhh" Zuko groaned whilst getting up, his neck feeling sore as if something had hit him there. He massaged his neck before realising something was wrong. "Where am I?" He muttered mostly to himself. The room itself was quite well decorated, noble-like, with silk green curtains and a large sized bed in the center.

Zuko felt like he was in a different world compared to the dingy cave he was in before.

He tried to remember how he got here but his thoughts were hazy. Suddenly, the door to the room opened and in walked a beautiful woman with a maid's uniform, and a tray in her hands. She walked up to him whilst placing the tray with what Zuko assumed to be clothes.

"Master Beifong wishes to meet you..."

Zuko's heart raced as he tried to piece together what had happened. The name felt familiar for some reason. He remembered the slavers, Toph crying in the crate, and then the blow to his head. But how did he end up here, with this woman in front of him and a master to meet? Was he still in danger?

"Wait... did you say Beifong?" He quickly asked as his memories reappeared in order.

'Beifong was Toph's family name. That means that 'Master Beifong is Toph's father?' He asked himself, before shaking his head. There was no point in thinking too much. He would get his answers soon enough.

He quickly got dressed in the clothes provided, feeling a need to be prepared for whatever was to come. He followed the servant out of the room and down a long hallway, taking in his surroundings as he went. The walls were adorned with intricate tapestries and the floors were made of polished marble.

Finally, they arrived at a large door and the woman knocked twice before opening it. Inside was a spacious room with a high ceiling and a desk at the far end. Sitting behind the desk was a man with long black hair and some questionable facial hair. He looked up as they entered and motioned for Zuko to approach.

"Thank you for coming," he said in a straight voice. "My name is Lao Beifong. The father of the girl you 'saved'." The man introduced himself while enunciating 'saved' as if unsure how to feel about the word. Zuko bowed respectfully, "My name is... Lee" He paused before lying, unsure of the man's intentions, "and I am glad I could be of assistance. Is Toph alright?"

"She is," Lao Beifong replied curtly. "But that doesn't change the fact that you caused quite a commotion and killed some people, regardless of the situation."

Zuko's heart sank. He had acted rashly, without considering the consequences of his actions. He had only been thinking of Toph and saving her from the slavers. "I apologize for my actions," Zuko said sincerely. "I was only trying to help Toph. I had no intention of causing trouble for you or your people."

"It is Lady Toph" Lao Beifong looked at him for a moment before nodding slightly, "I understand your intentions, but that does not excuse your behaviour. However, I'm willing to overlook the incident if you agree to a proposition I have for you."

Zuko raised an eyebrow, intrigued. "What kind of proposition?"

"Vanish. Disappear without a trace." Lao Beifong leaned forward on his desk, his eyes cold and calculating. "You can a have a ship and a crew. However I want you gone by the end of the day. You will leave this town and never return, and in exchange, you will not suffer the consequences of your actions. It is a fair deal, is it not?"

Zuko was uncomfortable with the situation. No wonder Toph decided to leave.

"I accept your offer," Zuko said, his voice low. "I will leave immediately and never come back."

"Good." Lao Beifong leaned back in his chair, satisfied. "You may leave now." Zuko turned around and walked out of the room, his mind racing with thoughts of what to do next. The free ship and crew were very useful to him, after all the compass couldn't be found without a ship, and he couldn't look for the other items without it.

He suddenly paused, before turning back, facing the Beifong. "I am not alone in your town. I travelled here with my uncle, who should be pretty worried. Also all of my belongings are at an inn"

Lao Beifong considered Zuko's words for a moment, before nodding slowly. "Very well, I will send someone to retrieve your belongings. Let a guard from the perimeter follow you and help you move your belongings. I believe your uncle will be there as well." He straightened his back before turning back to his paper work. "The boat you will take is called Lady Daisy. You will recognise it."

He motioned for Zuko to leave, something that Zuko wasn't obliged to do, but in the end he left the room without closing the door behind him. Petty? Sure. But he was a fire-lord in his past life. His pride would not allow him to be talked like that.

Zuko walked down the hallway, feeling relieved that he had gotten out of the situation without any repercussions. He could feel the guard's eyes on him as they walked towards the inn. He glanced over his shoulder and caught the guard's gaze. The man looked away quickly, focusing on the road ahead.

When they arrived at the inn, Zuko could see Uncle Iroh pacing outside the entrance. As soon as he saw Zuko, he rushed over to him, his expression one of relief. "Zuko, my boy, are you alright?" Uncle Iroh asked, his hand on Zuko's shoulder. "I'm fine, Uncle," Zuko said, giving the man a small smile. "We need to pack our things and leave town as soon as possible."

Uncle Iroh nodded, knowing better than to ask questions. He followed Zuko inside the inn, and together they quickly gathered their belongings. As they walked back outside, the guard from earlier approached them and grabbed a few of their things after which the group headed towards the port.

As they reached the port, Zuko could see the Lady Daisy waiting for them, her sails fluttering in the wind. As they approached, he could see the crew waiting on deck, ready to set sail. Zuko and Uncle Iroh walked up the gangplank and were greeted by the captain, a grizzled old man with an eye patch on his left eye and a thick beard adorning his face.

"Welcome aboard the Lady Daisy," the captain said with some slight pride. "I am Captain Blackbeard, and I will be your captain for this voyage."

Zuko nodded in acknowledgement. "Thank you, Captain. We appreciate your willingness to take us on board." Captain Blackbeard nodded. "Do not worry about it. Lord Beifong pays us well enough to not ask questions."

Zuko looked out at the sea, breathing in the salty air of the ocean, feeling exhausted. However the exhaustion didn't even hold a candle to the feeling of excitement he was feeling. Although Gao Ling was quite an unfortunate town for him, he had managed to get a boat and a crew. Although not loyal to him, he knew that at least he won't be ratted out to the fire nation.

"Where should we head to sir." Captain Blackbeard woke him up from his thoughts. He looked around before asking. "Do you have a map?" The captain nodded in confusion and proceeded to gesture to follow him.

Zuko and Uncle Iroh followed Captain Blackbeard to the captain's quarters. The room was filled with all manner of maps strewn around a large wooden table. Zuko stepped into the candlelit chamber, and his gaze rose to meet the captain's stoic eyes as if asking for permission. He cleared his throat and gestured to an island a week's worth of travel from the Southern Water Tribe. "We are headed here… right here," he said, pointing to a specific spot on the map from memory.

His uncle stepped in, curiosity in his voice. "And what will you be hoping to find there?"

A grin spread across Zuko's face. "The compass of greed…," he replied mysteriously.

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