Chapter 29: The Aching Wolf
The vast Imperial Courtyard that lay before the Tribal Pagoda was filled with officials and generals. A long-awaited camaraderie was drenching the twilight. Once the sun began setting, thousands of Water Tribe families from all inches of the continent flocked to attend the purification rituals. The grand influx of different people swept the tribe into a joyous mood. Thanks to Sokka, the New Moon Celebration was also taking place along with the Moon Festival, so there was a dramatic increase in the tribe's census as well as a fusion of Northern and Southern citizens after hundreds of years. It was strange that the New Moon Celebration was taking place the day after a full moon- and the day after an eclipse, at that. However, the long years of waiting and being divided dominated the changes to the ancient festival and sent the two tribes shaking with excitement.
There was a lot of commotion and hype spreading around regarding the coronation that was to take place tomorrow. Those who have not yet seen the face of the new chief eagerly awaited the moment of meeting him, and those from the Southern Tribe who knew Sokka really well boasted on about how they individually knew and interacted with him back in the day.
The only emptiness in the highly festive atmosphere rested in Sokka's ironic absence. The rituals had to begin at this point for all activity to be concluded in time for the eclipse, especially now that it was four hours away, but there was no point in starting without Sokka. It was also very strange of him to not appear, considering how he was never late to matters that related to the Moon Spirit. Katara frowned as she still saw no sign of her brother.
"Where's Uncle Sokka, Mom?" Bumi inquired.
Katara, though unsure, replied, "He should be here soon, Sweetie."
"But... the festival... is starting," Kya said between bites of her moon cake.
Even by the time the members of the tribe took their places in the courtyard, there was no indication that Sokka was anywhere near the Pagoda premises. Katara wanted to leave and search for him, but it wasn't easy considering how she had Tenzin in her lap. She quickly sent for General Kano.
"You haven't seen Sokka, have you?"
"I'm afraid not, Lady Katara."
"It's strange," she said, growing tense. "He should be here by now. He even cancelled all the meetings for today."
"Prince Anyu sent some servants to find him."
"I'm aware, and we haven't heard back from them yet."
"Then I'm sure the councilman is simply caught up in something," he consoled. "He has been very stressed about certain matters, really, and has grown accustomed to straightening the matters out as quickly as he can."
She sighed.
"Don't worry, Lady Katara. I'm sure he will be here in a matter of minutes."
They were interrupted by the ceremonial gong. General Kano took his place in the outer ring of the courtyard. Kahuna Minnuk, donned in ceremonial indigo robes, made his way over to the center steps. He briefly glanced over to Katara in question of Sokka's absence, receiving a blank expression in response. He silently assured her that he would do everything he can to stall the ceremony for a few minutes, but Katara knew that no matter how long they stalled the event, Sokka's arrival had to be quick. Eventually, Minnuk raised his hands, catching the crowd's attention.
"Brothers and sisters! Mothers and fathers!" he began, his voice booming. "It certainly is a great honor for me to welcome you all to this sacred Tribal Pagoda. Let us rejoice in the name of the great Moon Spirit!"
While the courtyard shook with cheers and Minnuk's elaborate introduction, Katara kept her attention on the entrance. "Come on, Sokka. Hurry up."
Eight or so masked individuals stood in different corners of various empty buildings, clasping onto their bows and quivers. They hid from the guards in their professional manner and communicated only with their eyes. Although the rebels' estimated time of attack was immediately after the rituals when the waterbenders gradually began losing their strength, they took their places anyway and hid cautiously. Their leader, despite having boasted of this risky plan, signalled them to keep watch and dismissed them to turn to their tasks, but he was faced with the task of abandoning them for the sake of gathering more weaponry. Within minutes, he disappeared into the dark, guessing that his absence would do no harm considering the length of the rituals. Afterall, they still had time.
Little did the rebels know that another masked figure- tall, well-built, and agile- was accompanying them. The figure had been watching these rebels for quite a while now and knew very well of the leader's absence. This was the perfect time to strike.
He blended easily into the group with his pitch black attire, identical to the rebels; as per his calculations, no one noticed him. Once he was sure each and every one of them was immersed in solitude, he made his way over to his nearest cloaked companion. The rebel paused, glancing at the figure questioningly.
"Sir? Are you back already-"
The figure didn't respond. He glared deeply at the rebel and thrust the dagger that hid in his hands against the rebel's neck. He slit the rebel's throat effortlessly, muting his choked voice and watching him sink to the ground quietly.
The air was thick, and the second rebel over by the next building was slowly starting to doze off in tune with the last glimpse of the sun. He was paranoid of being spotted by someone and had mixed feelings about carrying on the task. He lay low and kept his arrow quiver next to him when the figure approached him next. The rebel jumped in surprise, believing the man to be a fellow assassin.
"Oh hey, man...any sign of troub-"
Even he, too, was interrupted as the figure harshly whacked the rebel on the head and knocked him out. He made sure the rebel was quiet as he went down, using the rebel's mask to muffle the whimpers that escaped from him. Target two, finished.
The third rebel was more vigilant, keeping his bow ready for use. It still wasn't hard for the man to sneak up on him though, for he easily grabbed hold of the quiver of bows and winded the strap around the rebel's throat. Three down, five to go.
The mysterious figure wandered beneath the waning sun, taking out the other three rebels he saw in his swift fashion. He made sure he was quiet in the process, tossing the knocked out bodies aside with caution. His methods were too harsh for his actual demeanor; he wasn't used to attacking with the object of such gruesome violence in mind. Nothing stopped him, though, for he had a drive and purpose in what he was doing.
His fighting was rhythmic as if every move was planned out, but it was also very stealthy and deadly. As he approached his last target- the second in command, he guessed- he didn't care to maintain the element of surprise so much. The rebel, facing the canal that led to the main plaza where the city folk were, sensed the man.
"Aren't you supposed to be in your designated area?" The rebel glowered, thinking he was a fellow rebel. "If that councilman is going to go down today, we can't have all of this wandering around."
The figure shot him a sharp look.
"What?" Though it didn't strike him at first, he eventually widened his eyes. The man, highly amused, knocked him down and pressed an arrow against the assassin's throat.
"Who...who…?"
"I'm sure you've heard of me before," he spat, revealing his face beneath the silvery blanket of moonlight. The rebel fumed in a mixture of fear and anger and venom before passing out.
"Well...that was easy." Just as the moon rose in the sky and its light drenched him, the man called, "Marshal."
Sure enough, the marshal stepped out from behind a secluded area. A few other warriors were with him. While the warriors whisked over to the fallen rebels, the marshal made his way up to the man.
"I have to say, Councilman, your idea was really effective. As always, of course."
Sokka slipped out of his dark cloak and straightened his parka. "I knew there was something up," he said. "No matter how strongly Kano thinks otherwise."
"I expected this slowness from Kano. Remember that day you arrived? The attack happened literally seconds after he said everything was perfectly safe. I'm surprised he's still in the advisory board."
"Never mind that. How's the situation at the pagoda? Is the crowd getting restless?"
"No, sir, but Lady Katara is."
"Does she know about our plan?" he asked frantically.
"No, which is exactly why she's worried. She sent numerous servants to look for you."
"That's my baby sister. Worried even when she doesn't have to be." He paused. "I want you to send word to Minnuk and tell him to let Anyu go on with the rituals."
"But sir, only the chief-"
"The rebel leader should be here any minute now. I have to be alert." And it wasn't just that. Something about leading these rituals made Sokka feel uneasy. He wasn't going to have every tribesman bear sympathy for him and penetrate his already broken conscience.
"There's also a chance that he can abandon his mission," the marshal reasoned. "His group is practically knocked out. The only time he'll be seeing them is in prison."
"He's the leader-"
"Some leader he is. He left his team just to get a few more arrows. He's not worth your time."
Sokka sighed. There was no way out of this, he presumed. "In that case, I'll send some backup. Don't let anyone know about this. We can't have mass hysteria."
"Of course, sir."
"And I need constant updates on whether or not he shows up."
In a farther building moved a devastated shadow. As the other warriors carried off the fallen rebels, the shadow remained hidden and scowled dangerously at Sokka. "Don't you worry about me showing up, Councilman. I'll not leave without finishing you off."
Hesitantly, Sokka slipped the ceremonial robe over him and made his way over to the pagoda. With every step he took, the moonlight shone gently on him as if cradling his face. He gazed up at the dark night, knowing this moment of peculiar serenity beneath the moon wasn't going to last long, and strangely, he felt as if he was being watched by a pair of most merciful eyes. It's all an illusion, he deemed disappointedly. Be rational, Sokka. By the time he reached further into the main plaza and caught sight of people, he cleared his throat and straightened up.
The guards who were expecting him quickly surrounded him before the commoners began cheering and almost attacking the councilman in their enthusiasm. Frenziness and chaos erupted everywhere and amazed Anyu. There had never been such fervor or enthusiasm for any chief before. Sokka, however, wasn't moved too much. He kept his attention on the pagoda's interior, his pupils restlessly searching.
"The chief has arrived!" someone cried excitedly.
Minnuk, who had been trying his best to stall the ceremony, concluded his rambling in relief and, upon spotting the warrior, announced, "Let us now begin the ceremony under the guidance of our great and fearless leader, Chief Sokka!"
Katara breathed a sigh of relief as her brother stepped in. While Kya and Bumi cheered, she observed his emotions. He smiled in reassurance as he saw her, wanting her not to worry, but Katara knew better. She knew this was Sokka's strongest test yet.
Sokka headed up front to where Minnuk was, trying to ignore the overwhelming emotions that hit him all at once. He stepped past separated crowds of Water Tribe faces he had never seen before. Hushed whispers harassed his ears.
"Was he the Moon Spirit's lover? When she was alive, I mean."
"Yes."
He pressed his lips together tightly, something strumming against his insides. He ached.
"He certainly lacks nothing in appearance and bravery."
"Amazing that he is now the chief, is it not?"
"Clearly, the Moon Spirit still has a thing for him. Fate can't conveniently make him the chief, right?"
The whispers made him think. These subjects of fate and future and coincidences… he realized he had been dwelling a lot more on them lately. He was losing his rational side.
"How could you say that? The Moon Spirit is holy and sacred. Her time as a human is long past. Whatever relationship the chief had with her, that is now nothing beyond respect."
He felt like someone reached inside of him, ripped out his heart, and tossed it into water as cold and unforgiving as their mindsets.
"Of course. How shameful it is to love a spirit in a romantic way...or for a spirit to love a human in a romantic way."
"He's an honorable man. He cannot help that his feelings linger. Letting go of someone is hard for any human to do. And as for the Moon Spirit, there is no way such feelings transcend her transformation."
"But it's not like he's the Ocean Spirit to court the moon."
"Quiet! Oh, how sinful! We're materializing our patron spirits!"
Anger, hurt, pain. How awful these words made him feel. He howled in agony within himself, feeling lightheaded as he approached Minnuk and tried to shove away the comments. Instantly, drums around the pagoda were being struck to form a ceremonial rhythm. Chants were piercing the air, and elaborate swirls of water encircled him.
Minnuk stepped aside and gestured to the steps. Sokka didn't think much about it at first, but as he spotted the life-like moonstone engraving of Yue on top of the stairway, he grew numb. The tiny hole on the pagoda's ceiling beckoned traces of silver moonlight and illuminated the moonstone. He felt like he could actually see the spirit and imagine her immensely long hair rippling from the gentle breeze. He felt like she was actually there. Dizziness hit him suddenly from the ethereal view, and he took cautious movements up the stairs.
The chanting grew louder. Every individual in the pagoda found refuge in repeating the chants. The beat of the drums grew thunderous. Within seconds, the Wolf Call followed, resulting in thousands of people echoing cries of devotion and focus.
Sokka finally reached the top of the stairway, standing face to face with the carving despite being a few inches taller. The sculpture represented her actual height so well that his mind was having a hard time grappling with the fact that she wasn't really there. He couldn't bear it.
"Now, Chief Sokka will pour the sacred water over the effigy."
Let's get this over with, Sokka thought inwardly though he didn't really mean it in all actuality. He stepped on the pedestal behind the sculpture and reached down into a nearby container of water. He grabbed the conch that floated in the water and filled it up. The Wolf Call grew louder, and benders swirled the water effortlessly around the room, creating beautifully abstract designs.
Though he carried such a heavy burden inside of him, Sokka tried to seem unfazed by everything. He held a solemn face as he brought the conch filled with water up to the sculpture, unaware that in the process, one of his tears had slipped into it. He felt something come over him- a fierce desire to serve the spirits. To serve Yue. A determination to uphold the reputation of the Water Tribes. A feeling that made him feel so powerful and unstoppable...even with all of this agony bottled up inside of him. He closed his eyes, mimicked the Wolf Call, and effortlessly let the water from the conch slip and drench the moonstone effigy from top to bottom.
The Spirit World was stirred at this point. As the earthly moonchants reached for the Moon Spirit, the water that drenched her moonstone figurine also began to drench her spirit. Yue realized that the scars she took for Sokka began to glow. In a matter of seconds, she was healed, and she forgot the effects of the eclipse.
"Let us all be cleansed! In body and mind!" Minnuk's voice said proudly.
A conch was blown, signaling the conclusion. Sokka felt brilliant light grace his features. This seemed to trigger something in him. He was overcome with a certain intensity. His mind grew clouded with his deepest of afflictions.
"That princess was special to him because she died."
"Your grief is understandable, but it should not impede with your future."
"Well, that's the least he could do to make up for not having a family and all."
"When are you going to let her go, Sokka?"
"She would have wanted you to move on."
"If he really wanted to make rational decisions, he would just get a life. You know, instead of weeping over a princess all day."
"Your family is your greatest weakness. Think of the many different ways I could destroy it…"
"Whatever relationship the chief had with her, that is now nothing beyond respect."
"How shameful it is to love a spirit in a romantic way...or for a spirit to love a human in a romantic way."
"There is no way such feelings transcend her transformation."
"It's not like he's the Ocean Spirit to court the moon."
"Their love was pure and true, so they found a way."
"It'll seem like they don't care, but...they'll die for their men."
As soon as all traces of light receded back into the moonstone, his surroundings faded to white.
