Chapter 14
Inside Active Volcano
Katara
When we reached the base of the White Lotus on the northern coast of the Fire Nation I realized why the base had remained hidden. It was built underneath an active Volcano. The base was quite the feat of engineering and I did not understand how it was built until we were introduced to two very different and spectacular benders. Emiko and Niko were not powerful benders in the traditional sense but they were inventive. Emiko was a waterbender from the swamp benders who had run into Niko when he fled from what was now the Fire Colonies. They were both in their late forties, and Niko was a lavabender. The base existed because of their skills, Niko carved the space for the hidden headquarters out of the base of the volcano sensing where the lava was beneath the ground and Emiko helped build a system of waterways around the base that kept it cool enough to be inhabited if slightly warmer than is comfortable. However, given the fact that most firebenders could not control lava and avoided active volcanoes the base was nearly as secure as Ba Sing Se had been before the invasion.
We found an old friend at the White Lotus base as well. Jeong Jeong the firebending master who had tried to teach Aang nearly back before we had gone to the North Pole was a member of the Order and had been hiding out at the volcano for the past few months. Jin Fang was the other resident of the base a retired general of the Fire Nation and a friend of Iroh that had long tried to curb the more destructive plans of the Fire Lord.
In short, we all had new masters. I spent my days learning from Emiko how water can act as a building material in ways we never imagined in the north pole as well as how to bend plants and where to look for water in a world that was not surrounded by snow. Jeong Jeong refused to teach Aang again saying that it was the will of the spirits that Zuko be the Avatar's teacher. The Firebender did, however, agree to train with Zuko for a few hours in the mornings.
Toph spent her time with Niko trying to understand and lavabending. She couldn't 'see' lava the way she could see earth and after some time of trying she gave up and instead helped teach Niko how to see with his feet. Jin was not a firebender he was a strategist with years of knowledge about how the Fire Nation military operated. My brother took to him instantly and they spent most of their nights looking at scrolls and talking about military plans and ideas for the coming invasion.
We fell into a pleasant routine at the White Lotus base and we were all getting stronger which felt good. It had been a while since I had a master to push my limits and to make me think outside the box. We were even able to go into a few Fire Nation villages to buy supplies, we used Fire Nation disguises of course and Zuko couldn't risk joining us most times since his scar was too recognizable.
It was during one such outing that we came across the puppetmaster.