Chapter 1: The Visitor
Tulok I
Wherever Tulok thought he'd be at age 21, it certainly was not prison.
Prison was probably too harsh a word; the detainment facility was spacious and clean, with a peaceful atmosphere. Guards outnumbered the incarcerated guests by almost four to one, which explained why even the earthbenders among them were allowed to roam the courtyard at leisure, and why he was able to sit at the fountain's edge, hand trailing aimlessly in the water. All that was missing was spectators staring through the bars surrounding the complex, he thought to himself bitterly, and they'd be inside a zoo.
Shuhon Island Rehabilitation Centre had a modest population despite being active for twelve years. Many rebellious earth kingdom subjects from the colonies were sent here in the hopes that assimilation into Fire Nation culture would sooth their anger and they could be sent home, staunch believers in the occupation of their lands. Several Fire Nation citizens themselves had been sent here in the early days, when war and occupation were still fresh in people's minds, but this number lessened over the years until there were only a handful remaining. Despite its objective, most of the inhabitants were ignored unless they cooperated with the routine interrogations, which was the only path towards earning freedom.
A bell clanged, signifying that it was time for the midday meal, and voices around him rose in excitement. He stood, knees groaning having been in the same position too long, and joined the throngs heading inside.
The large hall where meals were taken had rows of tables and benches and not much else. A line had already started forming next to a table where guards had already started to dish out the same meal of rice and vegetables they had most days. He watched as a group strode to the front of the queue, pushing others out the way as they situated themselves next in line for food. The guards patrolling the lines of tables pointedly looked away as the other inmates whispered amongst themselves.
Tulok dragged his feet as the line moved. Ha Jun and his gang had already established themselves at the top of the food chain long before he arrived; Ha Jun's handsome face and fearsome reputation had ensured that very rarely did anyone stand up to him, and if they did, those he surrounded himself with had already incapacitated the offender without their leader having to lift a finger.
"Oi, pay attention. Are you taking this or not?" He had reached the top of the line, and the guard that spoke was holding out the food impatiently. He took the bowl with his meal wordlessly and flung it down at the nearest table, picking at the red uniform on his legs as he sat down.
It had been two years of rice and vegetables, of the itchy red uniforms that felt like they'd been stitched from sacks, and of monotonous days that bled into each other. Two years since he'd seen the ice and snow of his home. He pushed memories of delicate white flakes of giant sea crab out of his mind and prodded the salty vegetables so they formed a pattern on top of his rice.
Tulok glanced over to where Ha Jun and his posse had already draped themselves over one of the tables. Ha Jun was tall and slim, with tawny skin and long, thick black hair in a high ponytail. Whilst the group around him were loudly jeering as two of them wrestled over a seat, Ha Jun was very calmly sitting with his chin balanced on the knuckles of his hands, eyes closed. Suddenly one eye opened, looking directly at Tulok, who quickly spun his head round and pretended to find a stack of crates very interesting.
"Water Tribe. Get over here." He turned back to face the guard that had just approached him. He kept silent as the man appraised him.
"Someone wants to speak to you."
He felt his eyes narrow. "Why? I've not done anything."
The guard elected to take his bowl with the remainder of his food and toss it at the group sitting down the table rather than respond. He felt his eyebrow twitch and forced down his anger and he stood. "Fine."
Almost ten minutes of silence had gone by as Tulok sat at the table in one of the interrogation rooms, staring incredulously at the back of the Fire Nation girl facing away from him, hands clasped behind her back. She seemed to be slight and of an average height, dressed in simple but luxurious robes that implied she came from significant wealth. Her thick and long dark brown hair fell in gentle waves down her back, although some was pulled back with a gold clasp into a high bun. He studied her hair for another few seconds, then rolled his eyes and cleared his throat, which made her spin around immediately, the surprise evident on her face. She looked younger than him, only barely of age, but extremely pretty.
"Well? Aren't you supposed to be milking me for secrets?"
She gaped, and then furrowed her brow. "I was getting around to it." She then added in a slightly smaller voice "I read that several minutes of silence before you question someone makes them feel intimidated."
Tulok was unable to prevent the bubble of laughter that rose up from his chest into his throat, and winced at how unfamiliar it felt. Nevertheless he ploughed on, propping his feet up on the table and raising an eyebrow. "You studied for this interrogation?"
"I conducted research!" She defended. "It never hurts to be prepared."
Great, he thought, internally scoffing. Half his lunch thrown away for this joke of an inquisition.
"Well then," he gestured with a hand. "Please proceed."
The girl winced, before visibly collecting herself and strode over to the table, sitting on its other side. Clasping her hands together, she looked directly at him for a few seconds before speaking. "Tulok, my name is Rei. I would like you to spend some time today telling me about the healers of the Southern Water Tribe."
There was a long pause. Tulok attempted to let the emotion drain away from his face and looked back at Rei, saying nothing.
After a few more seconds went by, she caught on. "I know you probably don't want to talk about home, but this information is really important to my research, so if I could just get a brief overview that would be wonderful. Please."
"Please?" He smothered his irritation and went on the offensive, choosing to smirk back unkindly. "Interrogation is not your strong suit. Have you considered seduction?"
She flushed a dark angry red and spluttered for a few seconds before managing to choke out a response. "You will get nowhere talking back to me in that fashion," she retorted, somewhat icily for a Fire Nation girl. "I am exceedingly determined to get the information I seek. I ask again – tell me about the healers of the Southern Water Tribe."
Tulok let the smirk fall from his face and shrugged, picking at his tunic.
"Fine." She huffed as she stood up. "I'll start you off." She walked over to her original position in the room then turned to face him, curiosity framing her features. He half-heartedly noted that the colour of her eyes reminded him of the sun shining through the clouds as it rose in the morning, then mentally slapped himself for being so soppy.
"Your name is Tulok, and you were born in Pana, one of the Southern Water Tribe cities on the eastern peninsula. When you were a child you were sent to live at the North Pole, in Agna Qel'a. It was during your return to the Southern Water Tribe that you were apprehended." Her amber eyes met his. "For thievery."
"I was kidnapped. Those soldiers had no authority in that port."
"The Fire Nation is on a mission to make the world a better place. They have a duty to apprehend those who are breaking the law."
"The law is no good if you're leaving innocent children starving! Don't you think two years is a bit excessive for some fish and bread?"
Her expression softened as she stepped closer to him. "You were stealing food for others."
"Of course I was! And look where that landed me!" He wasn't sure at what point he'd risen to his feet or started yelling. "I always do this! Stick my neck out for others and always face the stupid consequences." He roughly raked his fingers through his hair. "The Fire Nation thinks it's so generous, invading other lands to spread wealth and prosperity," he hissed. "But all you do is bring fear and punishment."
Her eyes never left his. "I know."
Tulok had been in the process of taking a large breath to continue to shout, two years of frustrations bottled up within him. But upon hearing Rei agree so quickly, he found himself just sharply exhaling instead. They stood in tense silence, listening as in the far distance the bell clang again to signal the end of the midday meal.
Rei's eyes flicked over to the door then back to his. "What the Fire Nation is doing is wrong. I know the atrocities they've committed and how fiercely they're attempting to warp the narrative and conceal the truth." She looked down at her hands. "I've tried to change people's minds, but the lies Sozin has fed us are too deeply ingrained. We need-" she was cut off by a sharp rap at the door. The door swung open to reveal the stocky silhouette of the guard that had fetched him.
"Your time is up." He glanced over at Tulok and frowned, before gazing back at Rei. "I'll come back to escort you."
Rei patted imaginary dust from her skirts and nodded. "Thank you." She turned back to Tulok and to his astonishment, bowed graciously. Too flustered to return the gesture, he kept his eyes on her until the last second as the guard yanked him out the room and down the corridor.
It could be a ploy, he thought to himself, or a ruse to gather more information. What did the Fire Nation want with a healer?
He had to stay on his guard, assume the very worst. Nothing good came from the Fire Nation.
Three days had gone by since Tulok's conversation with Rei. The days were starting to get longer, signifying the approach of summer. It was during these times Tulok liked to spend as much time near the fountain as he could, relishing in its shade and the cool water that flowed through it.
"What did they talk to you about?"
He jolted out of his lazy stupor and looked over to his left, where Ha Jun had situated himself on the fountains edge. He twisted his head towards where Tulok was sitting. "What did they want from you?"
"I….nothing. They wanted to know about the water tribes."
Ha Jun stared him down 'That's the first time someone has tried to question you. You've been here for two years. Why now?"
"…maybe they're finally planning their invasion of the poles."
"Hm." Ha Jun gazed over at the opposite side of the courtyard where a group were playing pai sho. "It's not just about finding out about our homes, our defences. They want us to think the Fire Nation is so rich, so benevolent, even their prisons are a pleasant place to be. They want us to welcome them as they colonize us."
Tulok took a deep breath. "…have you ever met someone from the Fire Nation who wasn't like that? Who wanted everything to be the way it was?" He grimaced as the words spilled out, both uncontrollably and unsubtly.
Ha Jun appraised him coolly. "Sure. But they're not the ones giving the orders." He stood up. "You're the only water tribe in here. I'm always impressed that you manage to keep your head down and not cause trouble. There's a lot of good people here, but there's also a lot of vile ones."
Tulok kept his expression guarded, but couldn't help the challenging tone of his voice. "Oh yeah? Like you and your goons."
"Yes." Ha Jun responded without missing a beat. "But there's no real danger there."
"How can you say that? I watched your gang break that woman's wrist two months ago!"
Ha Jun's eyes flashed towards him, and Tulok flinched at the sight. He sighed, as though he'd had this conversion a thousand times before. "You'll find that all of the cold hearted men and women who arrive here listen more often than not to what I have to say. And that because of this, the majority of the time things are peaceful. Besides," he paused, and straightened his tunic. "I can't stand pointless violence."
For a while, the two of them stayed there in a tense silence, the gentle breeze almost seeming deafening.
"You know, you remind me a bit of my dad."
That was not what Tulok expected to hear.
Ha Jun was looking at the pai sho players across from them. "I mean that as a compliment. There is a saying that Earth is the element of substance, and that the citizens of the Earth Kingdom are persistent and enduring." He gave a small chuckle. "You seem steadfast, set in your ways. Always the same routine, never straying."
It didn't sound like a compliment.
"Ah but water. Water, they say, is the element of change. The people of the Water Tribe are capable of adapting to many things. When they meet an obstacle, they move around it."
Tulok shakily inhaled. "Why are you saying all of this to me?"
"Ah, haven't you heard?" Ha Jun smiled serenely and started to walk away. "When you say one thing, the clever person understands three."
A week later Rei was back, this time with an assortment of pottery. Tulok watched, both bewildered and amused as she laid out an assortment of different sized cups onto the table, then cradled a large teapot in her hands. Tulok cupped his chin with his hands as the teapot started to gently steam. "There." She beamed and placed the pot down. "Let's begin."
Tulok gingerly picked up a teacup. "What am I supposed to do with this tiny thing? This will only hold a couple of sips."
"Shush." Rei gently plucked the cup from his hand and placed it down in its original position. "We're having green tea with yellow rose. I'm excited for you to try it with me." She started filling a larger cup with hot water from the teapot. "Let's try talking about the Southern Water Tribe again today."
"As if I'm going to tell you anything to help…what, doesn't tea require tea leaves? Are we just going to drink hot water?"
Rei studiously ignored him as she continued filling up the cups. "I'm heating them up. It keeps the tea at the best temperature for longer." They waited for a few minutes and watched the steam curl in the air. She gestured at the largest cup, almost a bowl on the table, which had not been filled. "Would you do the honours?"
Tulok, obliged, clumsily bending the water out of first cup into the bowl. "This feels excessive."
"It is nice to take the time do some something properly." She measured the wilted leaves into the larger cup and gently poured the hot water on top before placing a lid on top. "What age did you learn how to bend?"
"When I was thirteen."
"Is that not a late age for waterbenders to begin their training?"
"I travelled to the North Pole for-wait what are you doing?" He gazed incredulously as Rei poured the seemingly brewed tea into the bowl next to it.
"It's too bitter the first time," she explained. "Now we go again, and the taste is better." She poured new water over the old leaves. She gestured again, and Tulok removed the hot water from the smaller cups. "Isn't it nice to prepare this together?"
Tulok looked at the delicate way her hands moved, straining the second brew into a cup with a small lip. From that cup she gently poured their servings. "It seems silly to wate time on something as simple as tea." He took the cup offered. "But I guess you do it well."
She flushed prettily, taking her cup in hand. "Tell me about the healers in your tribe."
"…there are no healers in the Southern water tribe."
Rei paused, her cup halfway up to her lips. A flicker of panic passed over her face before she smoothed her features and took a sip of tea. "You've not been in the South pole for some time now, Tulok. Things may have changed."
He took a sip of is tea, spluttering as it burnt his tongue. "Healing is only something taught to women and girls in the North. We do things differently in the South." He glared at the offending tea, waving his hand to freeze it solid at first, then thaw it back to a very cold fluid. He smiled and took another sip to sooth his tongue.
Rei gaped at the sight. "That…that was the most offensive thing I think I've ever seen."
He shrugged and downed the entire thing before placing his cup back down onto the table and pushing it towards her.
"This isn't a bar," she hissed, nevertheless serving him some more tea, making sure to blow on it before handing it to him. "Someone in that tribe must be able to heal. Please try to think."
"Why do you want to know so badly? With the state of the world right now, do you really think a healer will help for Tui's sake?"
Rei flushed again, the colour easily showing up on her pale skin. "It sounds silly to say out loud."
"Lady," he threw his hands up. "I've been sitting here for the past who knows how long at this stupid tea party, whilst you keep asking me to tell you about healers that don't actually exist!"
Rei seemed to shrink into herself, slowly rotating the cup in her hand. She took a small sip, then falteringly began to speak. "There's…a prophecy, from a disgraced Fire Sage, that speaks about this war. And there's a waterbender from the southern water tribe, a healer, that's supposed to be really important." Rei took another sip of tea and set her mug down, finally looking up to where Tulok was sitting. "I know it seems silly to believe in fortune tellers and prophecies," she continued softly, "this war has gone on for so long, for fourteen years! There must be a way to stop this before more people get hurt."
Tulok sat there for a second, taking it all in. "This…doesn't make sense."
"I know it sounds crazy," said Rei, "and there's no reason for you to believe me, but you're the first waterbender I've ever met and you-"
"No," he interrupted. "You're the one who doesn't make sense!" He was aware his voice had taken on the notes of desperation. "Why are you doing this? Why aren't you just standing by like everyone else in the fire nation?"
She didn't seem phased by his outburst, but her hands shook slightly as she reached for the pot and started to warm the water, hands glowing. "The Fire Lord spreads his lies in many ways. He has commissioned art and songs, and puts posters all over the cities. They're even teaching it in schools." She stood up and walked towards the large bag she bought with her, bringing out a scroll. "I'm fortunate in that regard then, that my father is the custodian of the library in Dizin." She looked down at the scroll, seemingly changing her mind as she put it back into the bag. "I've had access to records and information no one else in the Fire Nation has."
The room suddenly felt cold. Rei turned round and smiled gently, with sadness in her eyes. "I'll be back here one more time, and then I'll bother you no more."
They spent the rest of their time together in silence; Rei continuing to serve tea and Tulok watching her. A prophecy – how convenient, he thought derisively. There was no tangible evidence, no proof of anything, just the silly ramblings of some crazy old fool. Sure, he could believe she wanted an end to the war. No one but the rulers of the land and the leaders of the military wanted war. But a mission to end it? That was crazy, way out of the league of some soft-spoken high-born girl whose only expertise seemed to be the art of the tea ceremony.
Still, he mused, slowly swirling the infusion within the cup in his hand, it was good tea. And maybe this girl was crazy, but he could still feel the lingering warmth of her impassioned words in his chest.
The fight started as all fights do – over something incredibly stupid. This time it was over a small piece of wood which had been painted with the likeness of Tlalli, the embodiment of the earth. Naturally this was enough the make the earthbender portion of the prison go nuts; a third of them wanted to worship it, a third wanted to crush it, and the rest of them were just itching to throw some rocks around.
Tulok winced as a boulder flew over his head and shattered as it hit the wall. There was no use crouching behind rubble, he was going to have to make a break for it. Casting a quick look around the courtyard, he could see an entrance into the cell block.
Only thirty yards. Piece of cake. I'll make a run for it on three.
He quickly glanced up at the perimeter, where the guards remained watching them. Often when fights broke out it took a while before any of them intervened. He remembered someone telling him a while back that they did it on purpose, like parents letting their children scream to tire themselves out.
One…two…three…four…five…
Fine, maybe this was a bit intimidating. He flinched again as more rubble flew through the air. Even two years of co-habitation with violent earthbenders was still not enough time to get used to the harsh dangers of their brand of disagreement. In the Northern Water Tribe, any fighting between peers, unless in competition, was quickly and effectively terminated by tutors.
"Well well…look what's been scuttling around outside of his natural habitat." A voice broke his train of thoughts and he started, rising from his crouch unconsciously. Two people stood in front of him, a man and a woman, wearing matching leers. He gazed quickly around.
"Guards won't help you here, boy," the woman jeered. "I think it's about time you stop looking down on the likes of us."
The man walked closer to him, tossing a small rock between his hands. "We just think it's awful rude of you to keep avoiding our company. No one likes those who keep to themselves." His grin turned sinister. "It's important to show comradeship in places like these."
"Let's all start to get to know each other nice and proper! Wouldn't that be nice?" The woman taunted.
"Never known you to take that much interest in getting to know people, Peiyin." She whirled around at the sound of Ha Jun's voice, who was standing off to one side, watching them.
"Why bother with him? The fight is elsewhere." Ha Jun motioned over to the bulk of the conflict.
"Rich coming from you Ha Jun! Let's finally have some fun with this one!" The male earthbender laughed.
"You gonna fight water tribe?" the woman jeered, widening her stance. Her companion grinned, still tossing the small rock between his hands. Tulok knew without looking that the fountain was over on the other side of the enclosure. Too far away.
As quick as lightning the woman stomped on the ground, bringing up a boulder the size of her head and sending it spinning towards Tulok with her fist. He threw up his hands bracing for impact and heard the crunch of an impacting boulder, but only felt small gains of rock smattering down from above.
He opened his eyes. Ha Jun was in front of him, right leg raised high above his head, rubble still falling from where the rock had impacted his foot. He brought down his leg quicker than anything Tulok had seen, and as it impacted the earth a colossal boulder sprang up, and was promptly kicked into the woman by Ha Jun's other leg, knocking her almost fifteen feet away.
Her comrade roared and rushed towards Ha Jun, drawing a small wave of earth with him and sending it careening in their direction. Ha Jun swiftly reacted, pushing Tulok to one side and then leaping over the dust cloud, allowing his feet to collide with the man's stomach and knock him prone. As his hands connected with the ground the man's torso seemed to sink beneath the dirt, until his entire midsection, including his hands and lower arms, was buried in it.
Tulok watched, astonished, unable to draw his eyes away from the sight. Insane as it was that someone as high up the food chain as Ha Jun had come to his defence, an tiny thought was beginning to cross his mind as to why.
"You'll pay for that," the voice lurched him out of his frantic thoughts as Peiyin appeared to his left. She kicked the ground in front of her sharply, and he felt himself lurch forwards onto his hands and knees, propelled by the shifting earth beneath his feet. He quickly rolled to his side as she kicked again, sculpting up from the ground jagged spears where his body had been momentarily, but in that short second knew he'd left himself without momentum to move again. He braced himself for the impact of sharp spikes on soft skin.
And watched as a tanned hand flew down in front of his eyes, swiping at the earth in front of him and sending a shock of earth flying towards Peiyin. She shrieked as it impacted, sending her flying through the air and across the courtyard, whilst simultaneously Ha Jun continued his spin towards the earth, landing in an awkward crouch, the brunt of the landing seeming to jar through his whole body.
They remained there for some seconds, surveying the remainder of the fighting, the ruined wall they were next to and the relief that they were both, for now, unharmed.
Ha Jun let out a drained sigh. "They're just going to make us clean this up anyway."
Tulok slowly got to his feet, particles of dirt and small rocks falling from his clothing as he did so. He put his hand on Ha Jun's shoulder, who was still in a crouched position, a small grimace on his face. He made to stand, but as soon as he put weight onto his right knee he gave a sharp exhale of pain, wobbling as he did so.
"What's wrong?" Tulok asked.
"It's nothing." Ha Jun managed a small, serene smile. "I guess it's still smarting from my landing." He hunched over again, not quite able to keep his weight on both legs. Tulok moved quickly to support him.
He quickly pressed a hand to the affected knee, and fought back a gasp as he did so. "This is severely sprained. It's starting to swell."
Tulok had never seen Ha Jun look anything other than calm and composed, therefore the terrified expression on the other man's face was enough to make his stomach lurch.
"Shit," he hissed, trying to drag him behind the cover of the collapsed wall as much as he could. He leaned the earthbender against the stone, wincing with him. From this position, he could see the chaos in the courtyard.
Ha Jun chuckled darkly. "I wonder how many days I've got left in this place with a sprained knee."
Shit. Tulok looked around fervently. There was not a lot of time left to make a decision. Almost without thinking he ran his hand down Ha Jun's neck, still damp with sweat from the brawl.
Ha Jun looked at him like he'd just grown bananas out of his ears. "What the fuck are you doing?"
Tulok said nothing, pulling the water off his skin carefully as to not waste a drop, and letting it congregate around his hand. He moved the mass of liquid cautiously over to Ha Jun's knee, which was starting to swell. The water started the glow. Ha Jun by this point was silent. He wished he could look over but didn't want to break his concentration.
"It's a severe sprain but nothing is broken." He finally concluded, continuing the focus on the knee. "I should be able to get the ligament healed with two more minutes." He finally looked up to see Ha Jun staring at his knee in amazement. "Keep an eye out, make sure no one is seeing this.'
"You got it." Ha Jun replied softly, gazing at the shimmering fluid.
Tulok worked in silence, looking up occasionally to the courtyard where the guards had started to round up the disorderly inmates and subdue them.
"Thank you." He looked at Ha Jun, whose face was starting to gain more colour. "I promise I didn't know you could do this."
"Wait, what do you mean?" Tulok felt his head tilt. "And I should be thanking you for saving my skin out there."
"Your healing." He gestured at the glowing water. "I didn't know. It's not why I've been looking out for you."
"It never crossed my mind. Not everything in here has to be a transaction."
Ha Jun smoothly raised one eyebrow. "Well then why do you think I've been talking to you?"
Tulok felt himself flush. "Err…honestly? I thought you were into me."
For a split second, the surprise was clearly evident on Ha Jun's face before laughter rippled across it. Tulok scowled as he continued to snicker, finishing up the work on the knee and letting the water sink into the sand at their feet. "It's not that funny! I'll have you know there were plenty of girls in my tribe trying to get a necklace out of me," he sniffed, standing up.
"You're a cool guy Tulok, but those Water Tribe girls need not fear any competition from me." He chuckled, accepting the hand that Tulok offered him and getting to his feet unsteadily. They stood for a moment, appreciating the slightly odd and unfamiliar feeling of comradeship, when a throat cleared to the right of them. Tulok spun around to see the stocky guard, watching them imperturbably.
"You'll be wanting to return to your quarters now, inmates." His voice betrayed no emotion. "Dinner won't be served tonight as a result of this…spectacle." He gestured towards to the door that lead to the cells.
Tulok gazed quickly over at Ha Jun, panic erupting through his stomach like a herd of stampeding buffalo yaks.
"I doubt he saw." Ha Jun was back to his imperturbable constant. "You'll be OK."
The knot in his stomach said otherwise.
It took almost a week for Rei to once again visit Shuhon Island Rehabilitation Centre, enough time for Tulok's nerves to completely fray, and his fingernails to be bitten right down. Every day had passed excruciatingly slowly, every guard near him had seemed to linger before moving on.
This room, unlike the others had a window on the far side from the door. Through it he could see rolling fields, trees just beginning to blossom, the sun embraced by dappled clouds on its journey towards the horizon.
And in front of him, Rei. No teapot this time, and wearing robes that looked a lot more casual than before; a tunic of bright burgundy covering blush pink trousers. Her bag of scrolls and papers was next to her, leaning against the wall.
She turned to face him as the door swung shut, wringing her hands gently in front of her, and he saw hope in her eyes. His heart sank.
He walk over to one of the chairs but did not sit down, instead choosing to grip the back with both hands. His eyes found the table.
"So, this is your last visit?" he asked. She gestured at him to sit, but he did not.
Rei bit her lip. "It is as I said."
"Then ask your questions."
She said nothing.
"You know, don't you?" He stared resolutely at the table.
He heard her softly exhale. "I understand why you were reluctant to tell me."
"You have the wrong person."
"How many southern water tribe healers are there?" she asked, although the tone in her voice suggested she knew the answer.
"One." He confirmed, and allowed the word to sink into the air around them, the atmosphere heavier.
"And," she paused and bit her lip. "Do…you think there will be others after you?"
He wanted to tell her yes, that plenty of southerners would make the journey up north and learn the protected art of healing. That surely one among them would have what it took to find the Avatar. But he couldn't seem to force the words out, and instead gripped the chair tighter, and remained quiet.
Rei swallowed. "Then I have found you. The healer who will find the Avatar and who will help end this war."
They stood in silence for what felt like centuries. The air felt stagnant and thick, and in that moment he wished she'd brought tea that day.
He finally looked up. Rei had turned back to her bag, and was rooting around inside before bringing out a small scroll.
"This was written many, many years ago." She began softly. "At the time it was disregarded for being nonsensical, given the Avatar at the time was alive and doing perfectly fine. And so it sat in our library along with all the other abandoned artifacts gathering dust. Until I found it and realised that it's talking about now. It's talking about you." She unfurled the scroll and started to read in a faltering voice.
"…and after years without balance, from the south, a healer comes and the Avatar is freed from a cold and unforgiving shell. Their healing hands bring back the body from death, and their gentle words bring back the mind from fury, and their pure heart revives a lost nation. And so peace finally settles upon the land…"
She looked back at him. "I believe the Avatar can save the world. That they can bring balance to the four nations."
"You're volunteering me for 'gentle words' and 'pure heart'?" He responded back with a disdainful tone.
She jolted, as if shaken out of a stupor, and laughed slightly. "I'll admit you're not what I expected Tulok. But I think you're more pure of heart than you give yourself credit for. After all," she smiled earnestly at him. "You've listened to what I have to say."
In that moment, as Rei stood in front of the window, bathed in the crimson light of the setting sun, it was as though she was shining herself. He stood, transfixed, the sound of his blood rushing thorough his body rising to a crescendo, and goosebumps rippling across his skin.
"I understand that this is a terrifying situation to be in, to hear that you and you alone are the key to finding the Avatar and freeing the world. And there's nothing I can say that can make this feel any better for you, except that I will stay by your side until the very end."
The ringing in his head grew louder as a flush crept across his cheeks and down his neck.
"I'm tired of being the person who tries to do the right thing and gets punished for it." He started, taking a single step backwards. "I just want to get out of here and go back home, and have nothing to do with this mess."
Rei hung her head. "You've made your decision and—"
"—but if the Avatar is on my way home I guess I can drop by and free him or whatever."
"—I respect that wait what?!" Rei's head shot up and she flung her arms out to the side as if to steady herself.
Tulok sniffed and crossed his arms. "You heard me."
"By the sun and stars!" Rei shrieked softly and spun around. "Thank you thank you thank you! Oh Agni's joy!" She immediately went to her bag and started rifling through them. "I collected as much information as I could on potential locations, we have plenty to go on!"
"Right." He paused and licked his lips, his mouth suddenly feeling very dry. "So when am I being released?"
Rei crouched over her scrolls and shuffled through them more intensely.
"Rei. I'm being released aren't I?"
She looked up, smiling nervously. "I don't have anywhere near enough authority to release a prisoner."
"How am I getting out of here then?!"
The nervous smile wavered. "I have a plan on how we can get you out of here, undetected."
"Oh spirits." He slumped into a chair. "Oh La and Tui."
"It'll be fine! I've got maps!"
"This is stupid. I'm stupid."
"This is cunning! We are being cunning."
"What have I just done?"
Rei ran over and grasped both his hands in hers. "This is the start of the most wonderful adventure!" She smiled brightly, and the world spun.
