The Mysterious Traveler
Hey guys, back once again with another chapter.
I'm trying to get to the good stuff and have our character finally reach the Northern Water Tribe. However, before we do that, I feel that we need to touch upon one last thing before we do and that will be revealed by the end of the chapter.
Also, I already said this before but I ultimately decided that episodes The Blue Spirit, The Fortuneteller, Bato of the Water Tribe & The Deserter will not be redone this time around like I did with the Jet episode, though elements will be brought forth (The Great Divide was another I skipped over, but I think all of you can agree that won't be missed). I promise that June the Bounty Hunter will be reintroduced, as well other characters.
I probably already said this a million times but I have indeed settled on a romance for Severus and have figured out how it will fit into the story. I hope you all like it when we get to it.
Enjoy Chapter 26!
Chapter Twenty-Six:
The Course of Action
"Commander Zhao!"
The intimidating voice of the Fire Lord echoed across the large War Room, the red-orange flames reflecting off the pillars and walls as a small number of generals, commanders and other ranks of command attended the special occasion that their leader was holding.
In front of them, sitting on his throne with fierce determination and intimidating presence, was Fire Lord Ozai. His hands cupped the sides of the arm rests but never holding it. His back just inches from touching the steel of his seat. His head held high as it was concealed by darkness, the flames blurring his face from those below him.
On his knees and bowing, his forehead inches from the cold floor, Commander Zhao refused to break formation.
"You have served extraordinary well for your nation and proved yourself worthy of your rank. I can think of no one better for the role of Admiral than you."
A soldier walked forward, presenting a medal on a golden tray to the side of Zhao.
"Rise, Admiral Zhao!" the Fire Lord declared.
Obeying his leader's command, he rose and turned to the officer as he placed the medal on his right shoulder, the pin piercing the uniform and exited the other side as it was locked into place to keep it firmly on. He turned back to the Fire Lord and bowed, like the rest.
"Leave us!"
The men in that room exited through the large double doors as they were closed behind them, leaving Zhao and the Fire Lord alone.
"You wished to speak to me?"
Zhao nodded, "Yes, Fire Lord. I ask for permission to put together an invasion of the Northern Water Tribe."
The Fire Lord remained still on his stony throne.
"I am told of your plan to ambush the Avatar and this… one that many have dubbed The Mysterious Traveler."
"Sir, to be more accurate, intel says that his true name is Alexander Prince, and the rumors about his abilities have been proven true. These are very dangerous adversaries."
"Are you implying I am match for them?"
"Not at all, your excellency!" he quickly exclaimed. "I may speak of their dangerous power that they may have over our men, but I also speak about the power they may have over the people of the other side."
The Fire Lord's intrigue grew, "Explain."
"This war has been difficult for all sides; some have lost hope that it may end soon. But these two… they represent hope to those in the Earth Kingdom and to the Northern Water Tribe. Hope that they can win against us. While the determination is admirable, it is futile. They will lose. However, I fear the casualties that may come of it."
"Casualties, you say?"
"Casualties of our people, our nation. Ever since the Avatar and this Alexander Prince surfaced, we've had rebellions sparking all across the western parts of the Earth Kingdom. It was only due to Commander Rin-Shaw's brave and daring risk to burn the forests of Giapan down that resulted in one of these rebellion groups to be forced out. Even the Avatar and Alexander were forced to retreat. It was a win that proved that we could beat them."
"I believe there is a point to this," the Fire Lord's voice hinted a growing impatience.
"Commander Rin-Shaw may have won against them, but he lost a daughter in order to do so. He grieves for her and yet… he holds his post to Giapan instead of seeking vengeance. This presents an opportunity for us."
"How so?"
"While I hold command of the seas, I need someone to hold command of the land. Two sides working towards one common goal… to defeat the Avatar and this Mysterious Traveler. He may hold his burning desire for vengeance at bay, but it will never go away. If we give him the command he needs, that can work to our favor against them."
The Fire Lord betrayed no emotion, "You wish for me to promote him from the rank of Commander to Major General, giving him more control over the entire western front."
"Yes, sir."
"That is a high request, Admiral. If I were to do this, your plan will need be a success. Not just for the invasion to be a success but for the defeat of the Avatar and this Alexander Prince. And you are not the only one looking for the Avatar."
Zhao bit his tongue.
"My son also looks for him."
"Meaning no offense, your excellency. But Prince Zuko has failed multiple times trying to catch the Avatar. I, however, have not."
"But you haven't faced him yet either."
Silence followed.
The Fire Lord nodded, "Very well. For the service that Rin-Shaw has done for our nation, I will grant him the rank Major so he will be better suited for his duties to protect the entire western frontline. And your invasion plan has been approved."
"Thank you, sir," Zhao bowed. "With the fall of the Northern Water Tribe, victory will be ever closer once Ba Sing Se is ours."
"If you succeed where others have failed."
Zhao understood the meaning behind those words as he turned to leave, smiling as he prepared to set sail for the Fire Nation colonies as he headed for his ship, with a letter already in hand to be sent off by a messenger hawk.
"Focus! Don't let your sight off your opponent!"
Severus dodged Sokka's attack, moving with ease around the swing of his opponent's sword, holding his tight in his hand as he searched for an opening.
Jet watched them from a distance, arms folded.
"Always keep moving."
Sokka lunged his sword forward but Severus managed to dodge, swinging his own and striking him in the back. Thankfully, the blades were barely sharp enough to cut cheese, though Sokka did let out a yelp from the pain.
Severus felt something pressing against his chest and looked down, seeing a wooden knife in Sokka's other hand.
Jet smiled, "Nice!"
Sokka said nothing as he walked away, taking a drink from his water bag.
Severus watched him, trying to figure out what his problem was. What had happened last night was fresh in his mind and he feared that what Roku told him was overheard by Sokka. Plus there was what Katara saw in his dreams. Just how did she manage to see those memories he was dreaming?
He knew this was a problem that needed to be addressed but he didn't want to confront them about it.
"You two have gotten better. Soon enough there will be nothing more for me to teach you."
Jet approached them.
"About this Jeong guy. Can we trust him?"
The two were silent, deep in thought.
Sokka spoke first, "He's given us no reason not to. We've agreed to travel together to the land that Roku spoke of. Hopefully it'll serve as a better place for you guys to settle on."
"You talk as if you want to dump us there."
Sokka glared at him, "Meaning no offense, Jet, but you tried to destroy an entire village. I'm not exactly thrilled to be teaming up with you for these last three weeks."
Jet looked down, his face slightly red, "For what's it worth, I am happy you guys choose to stick with us and help us out. We'd probably be prisoners of the Fire Nation right now."
Sokka looked away.
Jet turned to Severus, "What was all that about the girl?"
Severus stared at him, debating over to tell him or not. The meeting they had with Jeong went by fast and simple. Jet had joined them, much to Katara's dismay, as he told them that they would be teaming up to travel to the land that Roku spoke of. Jet was hesitant at first, but ultimately chose to accept due to the state of his group. Though they had to keep his status as a firebender a secret in order for him to agree to it.
"Turns out she has the same abilities as me."
Jet's eyes widened.
"The mother wishes for me to train her."
"Wait, there's more of you?!"
Severus shrugged, "All I know is that she is like me and I've decided to help her… for now."
"But still, she's like you!" his excitement was almost contagious. "What if there are more?!"
"If there was, there would have been knowledge of it. She's the only one I've encountered."
"We're getting off track," said Sokka as he threw his bag over his shoulder, heading back to camp. "Jeong wants to get going as soon as possible."
"Oh, so Jeong is in change now?!" Jet called out to him, following.
"He's a capable leader who had the guts to fight against the Fire Nation where others didn't."
"Wait, he was Fire Nation?" Jet came to a complete stop.
"Yeah, used to be an admiral before he went rogue and took a few others with him."
Severus' eyes widened as he cursed under his breath.
Jet's eyes narrowed, anger filling him, "So… he's a firebender."
Realizing his mistake, Sokka turned around, "What… how'd you know?"
"All Fire Nation soldiers are firebenders!" Jet's voice grew. "No one is allowed into their ranks without being one." He walked forward, getting into Sokka's face. "You knew and didn't tell me?!"
"Because we knew how you'd react," Sokka fought back. "And for what its worth, he's not like them."
"You want me to entrust my group's safety into the hands of a firebender?!"
Severus stepped in, quickly approaching the two, "Hey! Enough!"
The two didn't look at him.
"Either we continue on our journey alone or team up with these renegades. We need allies!"
Jet shook his head, "How do we know he won't hand us over or leave us behind in a fight?"
"Did he come off as that kind of guy to you?" Sokka asked. "And just to be honest, we're sticking our necks out more than you deserve to help you."
"Seeing how you prefer to keep secrets from me why don't you leave?!"
"What a great idea!"
"Hey!" Severus got between them. "You want to be angry with someone, put it to better use against Rin-Shaw or Zuko!"
The two stared each other down before Sokka walked away, anger radiating off him.
Jet took deep breaths to calm down before turning to Severus, "How do you do it?"
He looked back at him, "Do what?"
"Control yourself."
He stared deep into his eyes before turning to follow after Sokka, "I don't."
Jet stood there for a while longer before following, deep in thought.
The rest of the morning was spent preparing for the journey ahead, as it was decided by Jeong that for now on, they would not be making any stops except for rest or at night until they reached their destination. While some did not take a liking to that plan, they agreed it was the best course of action due to the rise in activity by the Fire Nation and the possibility of Rin-Shaw's retaliation, though Severus and Jet both agreed that they may have escaped his ability to go after them since they were far away from Giapan.
They began their journey before midday, setting off through the last of the mountains before hitting much flatter lands that made their travels far easier. It was just a matter of avoiding any Fire Nation scouts or patrols.
Sadly, Severus could feel the divide that had been growing since Giapan. Between Katara and the Freedom Fighters, mainly Jet; Aang and everyone else, due to his guilt and shame of failure; Sokka with him and Jet, for a number of reasons; and himself, with… he honestly didn't know. Or maybe he didn't want to know.
In fact, he didn't even know why he was doing all of this. He remembered when he chased after Jet back in the forest of Giapan. He remembered saving the little girl from Fire Nation soldiers. He remembered so much that he did that was so… not him. And he couldn't figure out why he did those things. None of it made sense, and he was afraid of what he'll find if it ever would.
The sound of the ship's engines echoed across the landscape as it docked at a harbor, its doors opening as it created a bridge between ship and the dock, allowing for the men and women onboard to cross onto land.
From the shadows emerged Commander Rin-Shaw and a few of his officials, making their way to a couple of rhinos in the distance, using them to ride for Pohuai Stronghold that wasn't far.
It surprised Rin-Shaw to receive a message from the new admiral to meet him at one of his bases of operations during his return to Giapan. He worried what this was about, considering that he failed to capture the Freedom Freedom, the Avatar and the Mysterious Traveler. Though he did hope that the results of having brought peace to Giapan would have at least allowed him to keep his rank. Then again, maybe he was mistaken.
The gates of the stronghold opened for him and his men as they unmounted their rhinos and approached the front entrance of the large building in the middle of the fortress.
"Commander Rin-Shaw," an official approached him, shaking his hand. "Glad you could make it. Admiral Zhao wishes to see you in his office, alone."
Expecting this, he nodded and turned to his second-in-command, "Stay here and stand ready. This won't be long."
The man nodded as he walked with the official into the building, being escorted to the office of the admiral. As he entered the large double doors after the official, he saw Zhao standing at his large table, with several other ranking officials.
"Ah, you've arrived early, Commander," Zhao turned to him.
Rin-Shaw bowed, "Apologizes for not arriving sooner, sir."
"Non-sense. You came after a rather bad storm. Luck was on your side."
"Sadly, not at Giapan, sir."
"Yes, you have my deepest sympathizes for your daughter, Commander. But, despite your loss, you managed to not only drive out a rebel force but also defeated the great Avatar himself."
"You're too kind, Admiral. But the win you speak of wasn't as grand as one thinks it was. The rebellion was led by children and the Avatar was never reported engaging us in combat. In the process of weeding them out, we destroyed much of the forest, a dam was destroyed and one of my soldiers lost their life. Some would say that this wasn't a victory."
Zhao smiled, "You're being too hard on yourself. You maybe looking at the picture of just Giapan itself, but I speak of a far grander picture."
"Sir?"
"Take a seat, Commander," he gestured to the chair next to him.
Bowing, he walked forward and took his seat, hands folded.
Zhao and several other officials did the same.
"You may see the win at Giapan as nothing to be proud of, but I see a victory that proved to everyone that the Avatar and this Mysterious Traveler are not invincible. You showed the world what happens to those who dare strike against the Fire Nation. An example needed to be made and you did what was necessary.
"Yes, a forest and a dam were destroyed, but these things can and will be replaced. What can't be is the failure our enemy suffered. They lost because of you. And our dear Fire Lord agrees."
Rin-Shaw felt a rush of pride inside of him, knowing that Fire Lord was aware of him, and also shame as well.
Zhao smiled as he stood up, "Rise, Major General!"
Rin-Shaw was caught off-guard, nearly forgetting to obey as he rose from his seat.
Zhao reached over to the large desk and picked up a medal, placing it on the man's uniform, "For now on, everyone on the western frontline will answer directly to you. From this day forward, you will no longer be Commander Rin-Shaw… but Major General Rin-Shaw."
Everyone in the room stood up and clapped.
Pride flowed through him as he struggled not to get emotional, "Thank you, sir."
Zhao nodded, "Now that we have that out of the way, its time to talk about our game plan."
Rin-Shaw nodded as he took his seat with the rest of them, while Zhao stood, grabbing a large staff as he approached a large map that was hung on a wall.
"The Fire Lord has approved of the invasion plan of the Northern Water Tribe. Our intel and sources say that the Avatar and his companions are traveling North, so it is logical that they are heading there to find a waterbending master. That is why I have called every Commander, Captain and General to this meeting. We will need a massive invasion force."
One of the generals spoke up, "Has the Avatar arrived at his destination?"
"No. I received word a few days ago that the Avatar was last seen traveling alongside the Northern River, which leads to the ocean that will be a straight shot to the Northern Water Tribe. However, my sources also believe that he maybe heading for the Northern Air Temple first."
He used the staff to point out the area on the map.
"Why would he risk going to that place?" another general asked.
"That remains unknown, though I highly suspect that he might be hoping to find more of his kind there. Thankfully, a trap has been set with the help of War Minister Quin."
The War Minister nodded, "I have an informant in place ready to help us know if the Avatar does indeed show up."
"Regardless, I will be traveling to the Northern Air Temple to speak with our informant."
"Are you sure that is wise?"
"Without a doubt."
Everyone nodded.
"In the meantime, I want every ship, man, woman, sailor, firebender, tank, rhino, right down the newest recruit or about to retire available for this invasion. Once I arrive back from the Northern Air Temple, we will converge."
"And if the Avatar is captured or killed?" a general asked.
"Regardless, the invasion will happen. This is the year that the Fire Nation will win the war, starting with the Northern Water Tribe or the Avatar."
Everyone nodded in agreement.
Zhao turned to Rin-Shaw, "Meeting adjourned, begin your preparations."
As everyone began to exit the room, Zhao approached Rin-Shaw.
"Major, a minute."
Rin-Shaw frowned, "Sir?"
"The Fire Lord agreed to your promotion on the condition of a task."
"I will do anything my nation requires of me, sir."
Zhao smiled and nodded, "I believe that in order to gain complete control of the western frontline, it would be best to start… at the bottom."
Realization struck Rin-Shaw as he nodded, "Very well."
Unknown to them, a mysterious, masked figure by the window, slowly leaves, climbing down the walls of the giant building and managing to escape the compound by hiding under a wagon as it left.
A full week and a half passed before they finally arrived at their destination, and it was almost as painful as it took for them to cross the mountains. Jeong was strict about their movements and the time it took for them to do… everything.
Severus kept himself away from Kiri, despite her attempts to get him to try and teach her something about her magical abilities. He was still trying to adjust to the idea of being a teacher to her. Deep down, he knew he wasn't ready. He didn't want to be ready.
Once they had crossed into a valley, it soon became clear that they were drawing closer, thanks to Jeong's knowledge of the area. And the moment they walked up a large hill and reached the top, they were graced with a beautiful valley that lied between two mountains, with a large meadow, a lake that connected with the ocean through a river, a waterfall that remind of Severus of the one from America from his world. Or was it the other country next to it? And a small forest that was close by.
It was something out of a dream or some fantasy novel that seemed surreal. Everything about it was magical and beautiful.
Jeong himself was surprised by this, saying the valley wasn't this beautiful or life-like the last time he saw it.
They settled down and sent the day exploring their new home, at least that was what he kids of the Freedom Fighters thought it was.
Even Severus felt at peace and energic just being there. It truly felt like a paradise after more than a month of hell they all endured. And unlike the rest of the world, it was untainted by war.
The very thought immediately spun Severus into action as he began putting barriers around the valley to block the sight from view of the ocean, which took him hours to do. Once he was done, he double checked to make sure that his barriers would hold for a week or more. He wanted to go further around the mountains and the area leading to the south, but he concluded that it would take far too long and take more energy than he had to do it within a reasonable time before they were on their way again.
Everyone was either exploring the forest, where the Freedom Fighters began setting up their new hideout, or swimming in the grand lake. Some were even swimming in the river, enjoying the rush of the current. And then there was Jeong's gang, who took shelter in a large cave under the waterfall, using it as a new base of operations for them. The cave itself had tunnels leading further underground.
It seemed as if this place had something for everyone.
By the time the sun had set, everyone was regrouping in the cave, where they all agreed to come to a decision about their next course of action.
"Where were you, Alex!" Aang yelled to him as he walked over to them.
He didn't answer, taking his seat next to Katara, who smiled at him.
"I saw you doing your thing by the beach. What magic did you do this time?" she asked.
"Putting up a barrier to keep this area out of view."
Their mouths dropped and exclaimed in union, "You can do that?!"
"It's temporary and I only had time for most of the beach. As long as everyone avoids that area, we're fine."
"Ah, man!" a kid cried, overhearing him.
After Jet and the Freedom Fighters arrived, making Katara turn away in disguised and Jeong stood up, getting everyone's attention.
"We've traveled far and long, but now it is time to decide what we will do now. Roku helped us find this paradise but now it is ours to protect. He did so for a reason, and I believe part of is because of them," he pointed towards Aang and Severus, making all eyes focused on them. "For as long as I could, I tried to stay out of the conflict. But now, I am called to action by two Avatars, and I must answer. As do we all."
"What are we supposed to do?" a Freedom Fighter asked.
"That will depend on all of you. And them," he sat back down.
With eyes still on them, Aang struggled to find the courage to stand up and Severus was definitely not in the mood to deliver a dramatic speech. But in their absence, Jet of all people stood up.
"Most of you know me," he began, speaking as loud as he could over the waterfall, "and some of you don't. In truth, I thought my past and hardships meant that I was special. An exception to everyone else because of what I lost. But then they," he gestured to Aang and Severus, "showed me how wrong I was."
With the exception of Jeong, Katara and a few others, everyone was tuned into him.
"We've all lost something… or maybe everything… to the Fire Nation. This war is the reason we all are here. The reason we've lost the people we love, the homes we took for granted." He paused. "But through it all, I found something that I took for granted more than I realized. Something I will never take for granted every again, because I almost lost it. This past month showed me that.
"I may not trust them," he pointed towards Jeong and his group. Then pointed towards Aang, Sokka, Katara and Severus, "But I trust them. And they say that we have a common enemy. So my course of action is this… until the day this war is over, I'm willing to fight alongside you to keep what I have from being taken away.
"My fight isn't over and I'll keep fighting until the end. Giapan was once my home to protect, but now… this is my home, and I will fight to protect it for the Freedom Fighters!"
His companions cheered and clapped, whistling their support.
Some rolled their eyes.
Fueled by motivation, Aang rose once Jet sat back down with his group.
"My name is Aang and… well, you all know that I'm the Avatar. And my course of action is to master all the elements so that I can finish what I was supposed to do a hundred years ago."
He paused.
"I failed you. All of you. What happened at Giapan… I was supposed to stop it. But I didn't. I couldn't. And I… am so sorry…"
He began to cry, tears filling his eyes and sliding down his face.
"Truly, I am."
He paused again, struggling to get himself under control.
"But I promise you this… I won't fail you again. I will end this war and bring peace. My course of action will be to get to the Northern Water Tribe and train under the best teacher they have. Then I will find an Earthbending teacher to master that one as well. And once I am done… I will be back to train under him."
He pointed towards Jeong.
"No matter how hard it will be, I will. That is my promise to you."
Silence followed as everyone started at him in awe, until someone began clapping and everyone joined in. Katara rose, tears in her eyes, as she too clapped for him, followed by Sokka.
Meanwhile, Severus quietly got up and walked out of the cave, the clapping echoing behind him as he walked into the darkness and under the half-moon, looking up towards the sky.
"Master?" a voice called out.
Severus turned around and saw Kiri, who was staring at him with curiosity.
"What?" he asked.
The girl blushed, "I said, master. That's what you are, right?"
Severus was taken aback, feeling odd, "I am not a master."
"But… you're supposed to train me…" her voice grew quieter.
Severus shook his head, struggling not to snap at her, "Go back to your mother."
"But-"
"Kiri!"
The two turned to see her mother rushing towards her, "Don't run off like that!"
Reaching her, she embraced her and turned her attention to Severus, declaring, "We're going with you!"
"What?" he frowned.
"To the Northern Air Temple," she responded. "If you are to train y daughter, she'll need to be with you at all times. And I will be there with her to help."
Severus wanted to protest, but he was too tired to argue, instead saying, "Do what you want."
He walked away and approached the campsite that Aang, Sokka and Katara had set up, curling up next to Appa, who groaned in his sleep, getting warm next to his fur. With the noise of the campfire and the peaceful wind, he fell asleep with a smile on his face.
But his peace was interrupted by the dream of the mysterious orb and whatever else that followed. Including someone calling his name, growing louder until he slowly awoke.
As his eyes adjusted, he saw Katara staring into his eyes from above.
"Alex, wake up."
Groaning, he leaned up and stretched, rubbing his eyes.
"What is it?" he asked.
"We need to talk."
"About what?" he slowly realized that it was still dark out, probably only been asleep for a few short hours.
"We're not going to the Northern Water Tribe just yet," she said.
"Why?" he demanded, though his tired voice didn't put the tone it needed to sound like such.
"Because… Aang thinks he found more airbenders," she explained. "He wants to go to the Northern Air Temple."
At the docks of a simple fishing village, Zuko emerged from the busy crowd, covered by a cloak and hood, heading towards his ship. As he boarded, he removed his cloak, ignored his uncle and approached the captain.
"Set a course for the Northern Air Temple!"
Coming up next:
Chapter Twenty-Seven:
The Battle of the Northern Air Temple - Part 1