Chapter 12: The Colonies – Part Two
Zuko couldn't think of many ways to send for help. Although he was safe at the moment, there was no telling if the assassin would return, and Zuko wanted to find out what had happened to his men. There seemed to be no street guards on patrol, and the rest of his men were located on an adjacent side of the massive city. Zuko had almost forgotten about them, and he sincerely hoped they were alright.
"Azula was with them as well, hopefully she is safe. I don't think I could bear something happening to her…"
Zuko remembered that his guards carried an alarm horn with them that would surely get the attention of his remaining men. There was a strong chance the assassin had found it and destroyed it, but he needed to check. The guards on the top floor didn't have it with them, so he quickly dashed downstairs. Arriving in the basement, Zuko noticed the horn sitting right beside his men.
"That's strange. Surely the assassin couldn't have missed that?"
In spite of his doubts, Zuko grabbed the horn and ran outside. He took a deep breath and blew the horn. The distinct blare travelled across the city rapidly, and he saw several homes light up after hearing the sound. Zuko waited with bated breath, the seconds ticked by, but slowly, he heard a reply.
Within minutes a group of guards from the other mansion arrived to meet Zuko. The Imperial Firebender leading the group promptly walked up to greet his master.
"My Lord, you signaled for our aid, what do you require?"
"I was just attacked by an assassin! They incapacitated all my men and fled the area. Is everyone else alright?"
"Yes my lord, the princess is safe, and there have been no disturbances. I will signal for more warriors to assist you."
The firebenders in the company launched a series of fireballs into to air as a signal to the other guards. Off in the distance, Zuko saw a flicker of lights in the sky, and the Imperial Firebender addressed his men in response. Even more men arrived in a timely fashion and began to search the mansion.
Azula accompanied them, and Zuko smiled upon seeing her safe and sound. She looked much less pleased, with her hair down and her face bereft of lipstick. "What is going on? You woke up the whole city!"
"I think an attack on the Fire Lord certainly warrants everyone's attention."
Azula's eyes widened in response, and she suddenly seemed much more awake. She went into a rant about the lack of security in Yu Dao, how it was a dumb idea to come here, and several other things. Azula only stopped once she noticed that Zuko's attention was elsewhere.
"Why are you staring at me?"
Zuko seemed slightly flustered. "I'm not staring at you."
"Well you were a few seconds ago. Do I really look that unsightly?"
"What? No! Actually… well… never mind…"
"What is it?"
"Well… I guess I was going to say… you should wear your hair down more often. You look good…"
Zuko turned away to conceal his reddening face from Azula. Unbeknownst to him, Azula was doing the exact same thing.
Zuko looked up at the sky and noticed the first rays of sunlight beginning to creep over the horizon.
"I can already tell this is going to be a long day."
The morning hours in Yu Dao were lively to put it mildly. The mayor had been alerted to the events of the previous night and had arrived on scene with the city guard, or at least, those that were available. It had been discovered that the patrol station near Zuko's mansion had been struck the previous night, with the guards being found in a deep sleep. The building was curiously unharmed, with it showing no apparent signs of being broken into. And although Zuko didn't voice it publicly, he suspected someone with access to government areas may have been involved.
The area around the mansion had been blocked off and a team of investigators had been sent in. The damage to the basement corroborated Zuko's account of the events, although with the assailant being an earthbender, any intrusion from below the property had been covered up. The drinks consumed by Zuko's men and the guards at the patrol station were found to be laced with a potent sedative. The substance was expensive, but not unobtainable, as it was used in the city's infirmary. And sure enough, it was found that some had indeed been stolen, with an anonymous order being placed for a refill.
However, not all of Zuko's guards had taken the drink. Those that did not described being attacked from behind and having an odd smelling powder shoved into their face before they passed out. The entire operation seemed orchestrated so as to cause as little damage as possible. Zuko was deeply puzzled as to what the assailant's motives could have been.
"My Lord, let me please offer my humblest apologies for what has transpired. I assure you that our city is not normally so volatile…"
"Spare your breath Morishita…" Azula nearly spat at the mayor, "If this had happened to my father you wouldn't even be drawing breath right now!"
"Azula…" Zuko rested his arm on Azula's shoulder in an attempt to rein her in.
"No my Lord, the princess is right. I have failed you. But rest assured we will find the perpetrator! I am under no doubt that those miserable harmony people are responsible for this!" After making his declaration, the mayor wandered off to speak with the investigators. Zuko turned away and let out a sigh.
"What's the matter now? Your mystery attacker will surely be dealt with."
"That's assuming Morishita is correct."
"You think the mayor is on the wrong track?"
"I don't know. This whole thing is strange."
Azula began to gently stroke her chin, deep in thought. "Tell me what happened in the most detail you can."
After Zuko had finished relaying his tale to Azula she began to share his doubt. "I agree it's odd that the attacker acted with such restraint. If they were going to go through all that trouble, why not simply eliminate your guards? Unless they were simply trying to scare you off. But why would an alleged Earth Kingdom nationalist settle for just that?"
"I don't know."
"And you're convinced that she intentionally passed up an opportunity to strike you down?"
"Yes. It was an obvious blunder. Even an idiot could have taken advantage of it."
"As intriguing as this all is, I'm not certain we have anything to worry about."
"I was just attacked! How could you say that?"
"Pay attention dum-dum! It's obvious that they don't want you dead. If I had to guess they probably wanted to spread some panic throughout the city. Although for what reason I am uncertain."
"I hope you're right."
"I'm always right Zuzu."
Before the investigation could wrap up, Zuko and Azula were quickly whisked away to participate in a tour of the city. Azula found the entire escapade torturously dull, and Zuko was inclined to agree. The purpose of the tour was obvious. The mayor wanted to convince Zuko that the people of Yu Dao were prospering under Fire Nation rule. They swung by many buildings from the Earth Kingdom days that had since been renovated, incorporating Fire Nation motifs while still maintaining traditional Earth Kingdom designs.
They also visited locations that were meant to show how valuable Yu Dao was to the livelihoods of people in the homeland. The mayor made sure they visited the largest axe factory in the world, which forged the hatchets used by most lumbermen back home. Zuko had already seen the graphs and spreadsheets that showed how well the colonies were doing, but seeing everything in person really stuck a chord with him. Even Azula was surprised by just how much Yu Dao contributed to the Fire Nation.
Of course, not everything was perfect. It didn't escape Zuko's notice that most of the shoe-shiners were of Earth Kingdom origin. And all the people with power were fully or partly of Fire Nation extraction. Still, even the colony's poor seemed content with their lives, and they spoke fondly about how they earned more money than they did in the Earth Kingdom.
If the mayor's intentions were to convince Zuko that the colonies were worth keeping, then he was doing a fine job. The more Zuko thought about it, the more certain he became that keeping at least some of the colonies was the right decision. But logic didn't ease his conscience.
"My predecessors conquered these lands and subjugated them. And now I'm about to maintain that control. Even if it's for a just reason, the results will seem the same to the world…"
Zuko's thoughts were interrupted by one of his men. "My Lord, wait for a moment!"
"General Mak? What news do you bring?"
"It is not what I bring my Lord. But rather it is what I don't bring."
Zuko squinted in confusion. "Explain…"
"I have received no communication from Admiral Chan, even though he was supposed to stay in contact with us."
Azula let out a small snort of laughter. "That's hardly worth noting General. Admiral Chan is one of the laziest men in the Fire Nation. He's probably been asleep for the entire day."
Zuko turned towards Azula. "Unfortunately so… perhaps I should have fired him before we departed."
"You're probably right Zuzu, although he isn't bereft of all quality." She leaned in slightly closer to Zuko. "His son is awfully handsome."
"When did you have the chance to make that observation?" Azula smirked at just how easily Zuko had become flustered. "He was at the party on Ember Island remember, the one we wrecked."
"Oh…" Zuko deflated, slightly embarrassed. General Mak took the opportunity to rejoin the conversation.
"My Lord, that is not all. We have received not a single messenger hawk from any of our bases on the continent for the past week, despite your explicit orders that they continue reporting on their status."
Upon hearing this, Zuko and Azula instantly tensed up. While Zuko contemplated what to do, Azula recognized that they had only scratched the surface of the worrying news.
"General… there's more isn't there?" Mak nodded.
"Yes princess, I regret to inform you that we have also lost contact with our agents in the Earth Kingdom."
Zuko felt his blood run cold. "And that means…?"
"In effect we are isolated. If something were to happen along the border, then we would have no knowledge of it." Zuko cautiously nodded and dismissed Mak. He turned to Azula with a worried look.
"I'm concerned with more than the border."
"I agree. General Mak will inform Admiral Jee of our situation, and we should talk to the mayor." With that Zuko and Azula abandoned the tour and made for the mayor's residence.
Along the way they were stopped by one of the city guards. "My Lord, your presence is required immediately."
"We were just on our way to see the mayor."
"I'm afraid that will have to wait until later. Your presence has been urgently requested."
"By whom?"
"By emissaries of the Earth Kingdom."
The guard led Zuko and Azula to a pavilion near the city's rear gate. Several Imperial Firebenders where already stationed there, patiently awaiting their master. Despite their training, Zuko could tell they were a little nervous. A large crowd of protestors, likely a part of the Harmony Restoration Movement, were standing near the city gates. A smaller crowd of counter-protestors had assembled as well, and the two groups were being kept apart by a wall of guards.
"This looks promising already…"
When Zuko stepped inside of the Pavilion, he came face to face with a minister of the Earth Kingdom, who was flanked by two soldiers. The man was short and stout, with a thin black beard and a nearly bald head. He did not wear the typical garb of a minister, instead opting for what appeared to be a lighter version of the uniforms worn by Earth Kingdom generals. He seemed remarkably confident, and his expression was fixed in a slight smirk. Less could be discerned about his guards. Strangely enough they seemed to be holding their heads down, their helmets obscuring their faces.
The minister cleared his throat and was the first to speak. "Greetings Fire Lord, my name is Fan-Hui, and as I'm sure you've already surmised I have come to treat with you."
Zuko was somewhat taken aback by Fan-Hui's bluntness, but he decided to engage with him nonetheless. "Very well, I assume you have come to speak about the colonies?" Fan-Hui nodded. "Please, have a seat."
"That is fine. I do not intent to stay long."
Zuko raised his eyebrows slightly. "Alright, but I must say this is rather sudden. I sent several letters to the Earth King but I never received a response. I assumed he wasn't ready to meet."
"There was no letter."
"Well… I did send letters; quite a few actually."
"They must have gotten lost along the way. Fire Nation hawks are notoriously prone to illness."
"Right… anyways… where do you wish to start?"
"I assure you that this is not one of those meandering debates you are surely used to in the Fire Nation. I simply need you to sign away the colonies and agree to a withdraw date, preferably within two to six weeks."
Zuko nearly did a double take upon hearing the emissary's brazen demand. "Excuse me? What you propose is ludicrous! I will not hand over anything until I have talked to Kuei!"
Fan-Hui's expression immediately became far less pleasant. "His Majesty is unavailable to deal with such matters. You will treat with me and that is final."
"It's far from final, I will not agree to your terms until I can review them with your King! Last I was aware he had more than enough free time."
"I'm afraid your judgment is false. His Majesty will not extend the privilege to meet with you and that is final. I strongly suggest you cease with such foolish requests."
The temperature in the room immediately got hotter, and Azula moved closer to Zuko, placing her hand on his back. Fan-Hui seemed to notice that the Fire Lord's patience was quickly wearing thin, so he opted to proceed quickly.
"Let me be perfectly clear. This is not a debate, it is an ultimatum." Fan-Hui pulled a piece of parchment out of his uniform and unrolled it. "You will hand over all territory on the continent to the Earth Kingdom. You will allow citizens and military personnel of the Earth Kingdom within the aforementioned land immediately. You will remove all your vessels, naval and commercial, from our waters and at least twenty leagues beyond that. You will immediately begin paying reparations for the war, plus interest for every year it was ongoing. And you will immediately hand over those deemed to be involved in the desecration of our great nation, including Princess Azula. These terms are not negotiable."
Zuko's presence in the pavilion seemed to grow immensely. He moved in front of Azula, as if to protect her from the demands of the emissary. All the while Zuko stared at the man in front of him, his yellow eyes sparkling with rage. "I will agree to nothing you have uttered. I strongly suggest you leave… now."
Fan-Hui's mouth twitched slightly in agitation. "These conditions come directly from his Majesty. To so boldly refuse them is an affront to our nation!"
Fan-Hui shifted his position, and his guards moved to follow his movements. Ever so slightly they lifted their heads before once again lowering them. Zuko didn't notice them, but Azula prodded his back to get his attention. "Zuko…"
"Quiet!" Zuko whispered back.
"Zuko…"
"Whatever it is can wait till later." Zuko shifted his focus back to Fan-Hui. "My position remains the same. I will not submit to your ultimatum, and I will not concede anything until I have talked to Kuei directly!"
Fan-Hui shook his head in dismay, but he did not seem upset, instead he was smirking. "That is too bad. I didn't want to do this, but it seems that I need to remind you of your place." Fan-Hui's expression became increasingly cruel.
"Do not forget Fire Lord Zuko, your uncle is in Ba Sing Se. It would certainly be a shame if something were to happen to him…"
Neither Azula nor the Imperial Firebenders could react quickly enough. Zuko felt a flash of white hot rage surge through his body as he lunged immediately and thrust his fists forward to unleash a massive plume of fire. The blast tore through the air and nearly engulfed the entire pavilion.
Fan-Hui cowered slightly, his confidence wavering in the face of Zuko's potent display of firebending. Luckily for Fan-Hui, his guards came to his rescue without a moment to spare. They erected a wall of rock in front of the minister to shield him from the flames. Even so, the earthen wall exploded under the immense heat, sending rocks flying in all directions and filling the pavilion with dust.
The attack left Zuko open, but just as he tried to regain his footing a series of stone gauntlets emerged from the dust and latched onto Zuko's legs and arms, temporarily immobilizing him. Azula spun around instantly and sent a flurry of fireballs into the dust cloud, hoping to strike down the earthbenders despite the low visibly.
While Azula continued to attempt to land a blow, Fan-Hui called out to Zuko, seemingly having regained some of his confidence. "How unfortunate for you, that we couldn't come to an agreement."
Fan-Hui called to the earthbenders, and they readily shifted their attention to the ground below Azula. They sent a series of small shockwaves throughout the ground, causing it to shake. Azula had to shift her attention to remain steady, and it gave her opponents the distraction they needed.
Although difficult to see, the earthbenders created an earthen dome around the minister and themselves, and they disappeared into the earth.
The dust began to settle as the Imperial Firebenders helped Zuko to his feet, just as the realization of what he had done began to set in. "I… I let my anger get the best of me… I should have shown restraint."
"It's too late for that now." Azula moved towards Zuko. "He knew full well that he was antagonizing the Fire Lord, and he got a reasonable response."
"Don't you realize? I might have just inadvertently started a war…"
"You may very well have done so. But I somewhat doubt he would've taken no for an answer anyways. That ultimatum was nonsensical. Not even uncle would've agreed to it."
Zuko looked increasingly mortified at his own actions. Azula understood, after all, he had made a serious blunder. But she also noticed how Zuko had placed himself in front of her when the emissary had demanded her arrest. She suspected he might have reacted the same way if the man had threatened her instead of Iroh.
"Zuko, next time I want to tell you something, assume it's important. Don't brush it off, are we clear?"
"Sorry, what did you want to tell me?"
"I recognized those two earthbenders. They were Dai Li agents."
"What are they doing posing as Earth Kingdom soldiers? I thought they were supposed to be barred from ever serving again?"
"I don't know, but whatever the case, I think we can safely assume that the Earth King isn't in a position to fix this."
"You don't think…?"
"I don't know."
Zuko dusted off his robes and attempted to regain his composure. He turned towards Azula, a slight smile on his face. "Thank you."
"What are you thanking me for?"
"I'm thanking you for standing up against those earthbenders. They really caught me off guard."
"I was only doing my duty."
"Still… thank you." Zuko awkwardly place his hand on Azula's shoulder. She tensed up at his touch, but she didn't move away.
"I'm sorry about last night. What I said was true, but I didn't take into account how you felt. I think we both have trust issues, and if we're going to be working together, we'll both have to take a chance with each other."
"Why are you saying this all of a sudden?"
"Well, considering I may have just doomed us, we're going to need each other more than ever."
"How do you know I won't turn on you like you turned on me?"
"I don't. But it's a risk I'm willing to take."
Azula crossed her arms and scrunched her face, clearly deep in thought. "Zuko, I'd like you to make me a promise."
"It's been a long time since you asked me something like that, but go ahead."
"Oh Zuzu… I was going to ask regardless. Anyways, I want you to promise that you'll stick by me whenever I ask you to." Azula placed a solitary figure on Zuko's chest. "And if you don't do that, I get to kill you…"
Azula felt Zuko tense up, but he didn't move away. "Can the same apply to you?"
"I don't see why not."
"Then I promise."
Azula simpered. "Hopefully you can keep that promise… for your sake."
As Zuko and Azula were on route back to the harbor, they ran into General Mak, who was once again out of breath.
"My Lord… princess… I… I have something urgent!" They understood his meaning and followed him to the pier. When they arrived, Mak took them onto a ship and showed them something they did not expect. Lying on the deck was a messenger hawk. The creature seemed to be in great pain. Its feathers were extremely disheveled, and it was missing a leg. A small note was attached to the bird's remaining appendage.
"It appears that his leg was torn off, although I don't know of any creatures that would do such a thing." Mak gently caressed the bird's head, trying to sooth it as much as he could. "The note carries an emergency seal, I though it fitting that you should be the first to read it."
Zuko nodded as Mak untangled the note from the hawk's leg. Mak handed Zuko the note before returning to caring for the injured hawk. Zuko broke the seal and began to read the note. It had originated from one of their bases along the northern coast of the Earth Kingdom. The writing was incredibly sloppy, as if the author had been in a hurry. Nonetheless, Zuko could still make out what it said.
"They attacked us at dawn… we were not prepared… we could not mount a defense… our communication has been severed… no help is coming… there are thousands of soldiers… we don't stand a chance… I saw more in the distance… they are marching south to Han Tui… please send help from Yu Dao… the Fire Lord needs to know…!"
Zuko felt a shiver down his spine as he read the note. He didn't know what to do. He didn't know what to say. He passed the note to Azula and buried his face in his hands. Azula's reaction was far more muted, but her lips curled in displeasure upon reading the note. She then passed it to General Mak, who had a similar response.
"My Lord… what are we to do?"
"This is my fault…"
Zuko was suddenly struck on the back, awakening him from his momentary despair. He turned towards Azula with an alarmed expression. "What was that for?"
"It's not your fault dum-dum. The note says they attacked at dawn, which was before your meeting with that miserable cabbage-slug. There's no way you provoked an attack."
"But… why bother with the ultimatum if they were just going to reclaim the colonies forcefully?"
"The ultimatum was a formality. If you agreed to it then the soldiers they had ready to move in could do so without technically being in the wrong. And if they attacked prematurely, they can just write it off as an error. But since you refused, now they will get a fight."
"So that's it… I… I don't understand. Why now? I was ready to negotiate. What purpose do they have in attacking us?" Something Fan-Hui had said reemerged in Zuko's mind. "Fire Nation hawks are notoriously prone to illness."
"They've been intercepting our hawks for weeks now… shattering our communication."
"Indeed, and now they intend to divide and conquer us. General Mak!"
"Yes princess?"
"Alert Admiral Jee immediately, and send word to as many of our officers as you can. Tell them to mount a defense, assuming it isn't already too late."
Mak turned to Zuko for confirmation. The Fire Lord merely nodded, a sullen look on his face. As Mak left to inform his comrades, Azula moved closer to Zuko.
"It will take a large army at least a day to reach Han Tui, and likely much longer to siege the city. However, we don't know the current positions of the Earth Kingdom's troops. Assuming they have someone competent in charge they will likely attempt to eliminate Yu Dao and nullify our ability to resupply the northern colonies."
Zuko raised his head. "Do you really think they could attack us so quickly?"
"They wiped out our communications. That lone hawk managed to make it past them, although not unscathed. In effect we have no idea what could be going on."
Zuko nodded and stood up. "I want to visit one of the watchtowers outside the city walls. It's the best chance we have to assess our surroundings."
Azula nodded and the two siblings left the boat and headed into the city. Eventually they managed to locate a guard who was more than happy to take them to Zuko's desired location. Once they arrived in one of the watchtowers on the nearby mountains, the guard handed Zuko a spyglass to view the surrounding land.
Zuko took the tool and peered through it with his good eye. He didn't spot anything, and as he continued to analyze the terrain he noticed nothing besides small dots on a series of hills in the distance. Zuko handed the device back to the guard. "I can't make anything out besides that forest on those hills."
"My Lord, there isn't a single patch of woodland within several miles of the city…" The guard let out a gasp after peering through the lens. "That isn't a forest… it's an army!"
Iroh approached his tea shop, a slight flare to his step. He had just returned from a wonderfully romantic date with a particularly tempting bounty hunter. He had been courting her for a while now, and she had always refused his advances. In fact, he had done it so many times that she seemed to find it endearing, and finally accepted his offer.
Still reminiscing about his night out as he unlocked the door to the Jasmine Dragon, Iroh stepped inside and begun to hum a little tune. He found his establishment devoid of any light. Jin must have closed for the night, and Katara and the Avatar were nowhere to be found.
Iroh conjured a tiny flame in his palm and made his way around the building, lighting up the candles on his way. The soothing scent relaxed his breath, and the light illuminated a small note on the counter. Recognizing Jin's calligraphy, Iroh picked up the paper and began to read it.
"I'm closing up shop tonight; haven't had any customers in at least an hour. Don't feel pressured to pay me for the full time. After all, if there are no customers then there's no money. P.S. The Avatar and his girlfriend have left the city. They said to tell you that they'll be back another time."
Iroh placed down the note and frowned. He wondered what could make Katara and the Avatar depart Ba Sing Se so suddenly, especially considering that the Avatar had traveled all the way here to speak to him. Iroh briefly wondered if he had taken too long on his date, but he suspected that at least Katara would have more patience than that.
Still contemplating what his friends motives could have been, Iroh picked up a cloth and began to polish one of the decorative tea pots on the table. It wasn't long until he felt another presence nearby. Most people would never have noticed, but Iroh wasn't most people.
Sure enough, Iroh placed down the teapot just as several men burst through the floor. The intruders flung a volley of stone gauntlets at him, forcing him to create a fire shield. The stone gauntlets shattered upon impacting Iroh's defenses, and the intruders seemed to hesitate for a moment.
Iroh backed up and took a moment to analyze his assailants. If their unique application of earthbending didn't already give away their affiliation, then their conical hats and dark green uniforms certainly did.
"My my, what are agents of the Dai Li doing in my humble establishment?" The men ignored Iroh's remark and redoubled their efforts, sending even more stone gauntlets in his direction. Iroh created a larger shield and expelled it forward, causing the gauntlets to crumbling into dust as they fell to the floor.
"Ouch…" Iroh winced, "Careful of the carpeting, I paid good money for this place!"
The Dai Li converged upon his position and raised several thin pillars of earth out of the ground in an attempt to corral him. Iroh narrowly avoided them, but the Dai Li were far more agile, and he was forced to retreat to the other side of the building.
Iroh knew he could easily dispatch several Dai Li agents, no matter how skilled they were. However, he didn't want to get on bad terms with the Earth Kingdom again. Besides, Zuko was already having enough trouble negotiating peace, and he didn't want to make things worse.
"I think this situation calls for a tactical retreat!"
Just as the Dai Li agents were about to strike again, Iroh opened his mouth and spat scorching hot flames in their face. The Dai Li agents shielded their eyes and gave Iroh just the opportunity he was looking for.
The firebending master spun around and blasted a hole through the wall. A cloud of dust flooded the room, masking his escape. The old man leapt into the ally and bounded away, his touch leaving slight scorch marks on the pavement.
Iroh sighed, "It seems like I'll have to reclaim my tea shop yet again…"
As Iroh was making his way toward the city walls, he bumped into a creature he was very glad to see.
Nyla let out an alarmed whimper as the burly old man crashed into his side. Iroh fell on his butt as the Shirshu began to sniff the air wildly. It due time, the animal's rider appeared on the scene.
"What's wrong Nyla?" June glanced over and spotted Iroh sitting on the floor, a slight smirk emerging on her face. Iroh noticed that she was still adorned in the black dress she had worn to their date earlier, and he couldn't help but smile.
"Well well, what have we here?" June walked over to Iroh and crossed her arms, awaiting an answer.
Iroh rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. "It seems that I am no longer welcome in this city, and I would be most appreciative if I could get a ride out of here, preferably as quickly as possible."
Iroh caught a slight glimmer in the bounty hunters' eyes. "I don't have a bounty…" he hastily added.
"The thought never crossed my mind."
"Sure it did."
"Okay, it definitely did." June hopped onto Nyla and turned back to Iroh. "Well, what are you waiting for?"
Iroh hastily got behind June, causing Nyla to sag slightly under the extra weight. June leaned down to console her mount. "It's alright my snuffly wuffly, you can do it." Nyla raised his shoulders and bounded off toward the exit, just as a squadron of Dai Li agents appeared.
Fortunately, Nyla made short work of the men, instantly paralyzing them with his toxic tongue. With no more obstacles in their way, the trio fled the impenetrable city.
Author's Notes
Special thanks to DylanTheDemon, who helped me with the fight scenes in this chapter.
