Wandering Firebender
Thirteen: Familiar
Back in the Earth Kingdom; it's not where Elio wanted to be, but he'd have to manage. After being caught by surprise in the previous stop, Captain Po made sure that he was aware that their next stop would be a Fire Nation colony within the Earth Kingdom.
Elio wasn't too keen about stepping back into Fire Nation territory, but after what had happened with Princess Azula, he felt strangely less worried about being in those areas. After all, he was still able to pass through as long as he kept his head down.
Elio reached into his bag and pulled out the headpiece that Azula had gifted him. He held it up with two fingers and turned it to look at it closely from different angles. It was beautiful and well-crafted. His family only had a few belongings that matched the quality of this small object.
All things considered, he found it remarkable that he had something from the princess in his possession. It would no doubt be a reminder to him that he'd gotten the chance to meet her, and for a brief time he had somehow won over her favor.
He couldn't help but think that if things surrounding their meeting had been different, he'd probably be with her right now. He could only imagine where a partnership like that would have led…
"All hands on deck! Prepare for battle!" Captain Po shouted from above deck. Elio's eyes widened in surprise.
All the crew members below deck similarly perked their heads up, scrambling to get up and grab their weapons. Elio shoved the headpiece back into his pack and grabbed his staff, running up the stairs. They rushed out to see what was going on.
"Pirates!" Captain Po yelled to them, pointing forward. The crew turned their heads and saw another ship sailing towards them. It flew no flag, and the men on the ship were rowdily shouting with their weapons in hand.
"Pirates. I hate pirates," Wo groaned. "Hope your master taught you some moves with that staff, kid. Your life's about to depend on it." He warned Elio. Elio swallowed nervously and gripped his staff tighter as the two ships sailed closer.
As the ships drifted side by side, the pirates were the first to begin boarding by setting down planks to walk across between the two ships. Elio was ready to rush forward and knock the planks into the water, but he noticed some of them were swinging across ropes and landing on the deck of the Yellow Horizon.
Elio rushed towards the closest target: a bigger man with a sword. Elio swung his staff towards his head. The man ducked under it and lunged forward with his sword. Elio spun to the side and tripped the man with a sweeping kick, then jabbed him in the back of the head with the staff.
At the sound of a battle cry, Elio turned around just in time to block another attacker with a sword. He held his staff up to block the blade being swung at him. He took several cautious steps back and blocked each attack being swung his way.
The bigger man got up and tried to tackle Elio. Elio used his staff to vault over him, jumping off the man's back and swinging his staff downwards to attack the second man. However, he jumped back to avoid the attack. Now Elio was stuck between two pirates with swords.
"I hate not being able to use my firebending." He thought to himself.
Elio swung his staff towards the bigger man first, making him jump back. He slid his hands to the other side of the staff, lunging towards the other man and making him stumble. Elio then advanced towards him and swept his legs out with the staff.
The bigger man rushed towards Elio with the sword raised over his head. Elio twisted his foot and threw a kick into the man's stomach, holding the staff up to block the sword. He planted his feet again and turned his body, smacking the man in the side of the head with his staff and knocking him down again.
"We need to shoot the ship down and make some distance!" Captain Po shouted to the crew. Elio looked towards the pirate ship, eyeing the planks that some of them had used to cross onto the Yellow Horizon.
"Elio, no!" Wo shouted, watching as Elio rushed and jumped onto the side of the ship, running across the plank and boarding the pirate ship.
Elio's eyes scanned for a way below deck. He noticed a man rushing up above deck from some steps on the other side of the ship. That was his way in. He would just need to get past this one pirate with two curved swords.
Elio rushed forward to meet him, swinging his staff. The man slid on his knees under the staff. Elio felt his leg get cut by one of the swords. Elio hissed in pain and turned around to face the man. He smirked back at Elio, quickly spinning and attacking with both swords.
Elio stepped back to block the attacks, but he was quickly beginning to realize that he was outmatched in this fight. He would need to find a crafty way around these attacks…
Elio spun his staff around quickly, deflecting the attacks and creating a spinning momentum of his own. Sparks flew off his staff as they clashed with the swords. Elio quickly turned and stopped the staff then reversed the direction it was spinning, knocking one of the swords out of his opponent's hand.
While he was stunned, Elio advanced with the staff again, putting the man on the defensive. However, as he was gaining the upper hand, he looked to the side and could see that the pirates were starting to get an upper hand on his crewmates.
Elio cut the fight short and ran the other direction, hurrying down the steps and into the pirate ship. As soon as he was below deck, he started firebending, throwing flames in all directions to set anything he could on fire.
He turned back around as the man came down to continue the fight with both swords in his hands again. His eyes widened in shock as he saw fire beginning to spread within the ship. Elio heard the popping of gunpowder behind him.
"What's wrong? Something out of place?" Elio quipped, smirking and spinning his staff in one hand. The man growled in anger and rushed forward to attack.
Elio stepped to the side and swung his staff sideways, bending the fire that was already spreading into a wave. It pummeled the man from the side, setting his clothes on fire. Elio rushed back above deck as the man's new main concern was putting the fire out.
"Fire! Fire!" Some of the pirates began to yell as they realized their ship was quickly going down in flames. Gunpowder in the ship ignited and set off explosions, making the fire spread faster and punching holes in the ship.
"Elio, get back now!" Wo shouted to him. Elio rushed back across the plank, jumping back on board. He turned just in time to see Wo get cut across the stomach by the pirate he was fighting.
"Wo!" Elio shouted in shock, rushing to his defense. As Wo fell to the ground, Elio quickly took a protective stance over him, knocking his opponent to the side and kicking him off the side of the ship into the water below.
"Are you alright?!" Elio asked, turning and kneeling by his side. Elio could see that Wo was bleeding, but Wo didn't seem to be panicking too much.
"I'm okay. He didn't cut too deep. How'd you do that, kid? How'd you get the fire started?" He asked. Elio looked back at the burning ship and the pirates all scrambling to save their ship.
"Gunpowder below deck. I just ignited it."
"Smart thinking." Wo nodded approvingly.
"Let's get this ship out of here before they try to board again!" Captain Po shouted. Quickly, the crew knocked the walking planks off the Yellow Horizon and unfurled the sails, leaving the burning pirate ship in their wake…
It was a relief to know that Wo would be okay. He didn't seem to be worried about it. The scare affected Elio more than it did him. Wo, as well as the rest of the crew, was just impressed with Elio and how he had single-handedly turned the tide of the fight.
As reward for a job well done, Captain Po allowed Elio to relax and take it easy for the rest of the journey to the Fire Nation colony town. Elio was happy to accept this reward; however he made it clear that he would be putting his share of work in when they arrived.
The Fire Nation had done a better job of training him for battle than he realized.
The Yellow Horizon made port in the Earth Kingdom once again. Though they were back in the land he wanted to get away from, when Elio stepped above deck he was greeted with a sight that looked more like Fire Foundation City to him.
It was something that looked more like home.
"Elio. I've given Wo an easier assignment since he took a bad hit during the battle. I'm assigning you to take care of his deliveries as well as your own. Try not to be gone all day this time." Captain Po said to him.
"I'll let you know if something comes up, Captain." Elio promised.
Elio went down and grabbed the cargo he needed to transport, dragging it behind him on a cart into this Fire Nation colony. He looked around at the people; they were either Earth Kingdom citizens or Fire Nation soldiers.
Normally, Elio would see this as a reason to be cautious, but he felt strangely relaxed here. He wasn't worried about the Fire Nation soldiers, and with them around, he had no reason to worry about the citizens either.
Maybe that was just him allowing his heritage and his bad experiences to rub off on him.
Elio reached a soldier's tent and pulled the cart up next to him. He politely opened up the front of the tent to let the person in charge know that he was there.
"Excuse me," Elio politely got the intention of the soldiers in the tent. "I have some cargo here for you. I have instructions to report to the man in charge." Elio spoke up. The men all turned their heads. One of them stood up and walked outside of the tent.
"What do you have?" He asked in a low, raspy voice.
"Uh, some food and supplies, sir. Where would you like me to drop everything off?" He asked.
"Drop the charade, kid. I know exactly who you are!" The man barked at him. Elio took a defensive step back, sliding his hand behind him to grab his staff.
"Do you?"
"Yes…" The man said, removing his helmet. He grinned happily. "It's good to see you, Elio!" He said. Elio's eyes lit up in amazement. He smiled, shook his head, and greeted the soldier with a hug.
"Cassian! I can't believe it! What are you doing here, man?!" Elio asked, leaning back and taking hold of his friend's arm.
"What am I doing here? What the hell are you doing here, dude?!" He laughed. "You're running deliveries now? What's that about?" He asked. Elio chuckled.
"So much has happened, dude. I'm a crew member of this ship called the Yellow Horizon. This is how we operate." Elio explained simply, gesturing to the cargo.
"Wow. So you finally ended up talking with your dad, huh? That's good!" Cassian said proudly. Elio swallowed nervously and nodded his head.
"Uhuh, yeah, thanks. Man, it's so good to see you. I was not expecting to run into any familiar faces today." He said with a laugh.
"I wasn't expecting to see your face! Not until I got back home," Cassian laughed. "But you know what? We need to catch up since you're here. How long are you gonna be in town?" He asked.
"I'm gonna be here tonight. I leave in the morning." He answered.
"Alright! Let's meet up tonight then. I'll buy you a drink. How's that sound?" Cassian offered. Elio nodded and smiled.
"I could really use a drink, dude, you have no idea," Elio said with an exasperated laugh. "I'll meet you here after I'm done with my tasks."
"See you soon! Oh, and put the cargo over there!" Cassian waved as Elio went.
"Got it! Thanks!" He waved back and went on his way. He had a smile from ear to ear at seeing his old friend again…
Elio returned to the Yellow Horizon and worked quickly to accomplish his remaining tasks for the day. As the afternoon began to transition into the evening, Elio grabbed his things and made his way up to the wheel where Captain Po was.
"Captain, sir." Elio spoke up to get his attention.
"Elio, are your tasks all finished?" The captain asked.
"Yes, sir." He nodded.
"Good… Is there something else that you need to tell me?" He asked, noticing how Elio was lingering there. Elio swallowed.
"Sir, I appreciate the opportunity that you have given me to be a member of your crew. It's been an unforgettable experience…but I will not be setting sail with you again."
"Ah, that big ol' eel monster spooked you, didn't it?" He asked.
"Yes," Elio answered with a breathy chuckle. "But it's been a combination of things, sir. This just isn't the life for me."
"That's fair, kid. Well, I wish you had told me before it was time to set sail, but since you got your tasks done we should be able to manage. I'll put the word out that we need men at our next stop."
"Very well. I'm sorry to spring this on you so last minute."
"It's alright, Elio. Hope things work out for ya." The captain said, respectfully shaking hands with him. Elio nodded appreciatively and turned away, walking down to exit the ship.
"You're leaving us, ain't ya, kid?" Wo asked him. Elio turned to see Wo standing by the edge of the ship. Elio nodded.
"Yeah. How can you tell?"
"You got your pack on you," Wo pointed out. "Sucks to see you leaving us, but I get it. It was a rougher ride than usual while you were here."
"It's been a good ride too. The life of a sailor just isn't for me." Elio said regretfully.
"It ain't for everyone," Wo agreed. "You know where you're headed now?"
"Nope. But I'll figure it out." Elio said with a small chuckle. Wo laughed a bit and watched him exit the ship.
"That's all any of us can do, kid!" Wo called down to him, waving at him as he walked away. Elio waved back and fixed his pack.
The life of a sailor was hard work, but that wasn't the reason why he was leaving. It wasn't even really about the Unagi; he was going to face deadly perils wherever he went. His main reason for leaving was because of his run-in with the Fire Nation.
Perhaps that was ironic to say, considering he was on his way to see his old friend from home. However, Cassian was an exception. If any other Fire Nation soldier were to recognize him or connect him to his father, his freedom would be at risk…
"There he is! Come on, bud, I know exactly where to go for a good drink around here." Cassian said when he saw him. He patted him on the back and led the way.
"Good. You're still buying, right? You said you'd buy." Elio reminded him humorously. Cassian laughed and nodded.
"Yeah, man, I'm buying. You look like you couldn't afford your own drink anyways," He teased, tugging at Elio's shirt. "Working on that trade ship has run you ragged."
"You have no idea! Man, I have some stories to tell you." Elio said with a laugh.
The two of them entered into a small little restaurant and took their seats. The plan was to just get drinks, but they ended up ordering full meals to eat. Elio set his things down next to him, but his staff nearly fell and hit him in the forehead. He caught it and set it down on the floor by his foot.
"Haha! What is that thing? What're you carrying around a rod for?" Cassian asked humorously.
"It's not a rod, you idiot, it's a staff. I had some formal training with a master. He gave me this staff as a gift after my lessons." Elio explained. Cassian's eyes widened a bit.
"Wow. That's interesting. I didn't know there were any staff masters back home."
"Oh, it wasn't in the Fire Nation. It was just during my travels through the Earth Kingdom." Elio explained. Cassian nodded, intrigued by this.
"Sounds like you've been busy! So what happened between you and your dad in the end? What made you end up out here?" Cassian asked curiously. Elio swallowed nervously.
"Um… I… We had a falling out. I took on other work. I'm on my own now." He answered. Cassian's eyebrows furrowed.
"Jeez, Elio… I'm sorry. I guess it was always possible that would happen. Are you doing okay?"
"I'm getting by. Looking for work again. I had to leave my post on the trade ship today. One too many brushes with death for my taste." He mentioned.
"What kind of brushes with death?" Cassian asked curiously.
"Earthbenders, pirates, this giant eel monster called an Unagi." He quickly listed.
"Woah! That's crazy!" He exclaimed, "You've been adventuring, brother!"
"Yeah!" Elio laughed, "Oh, and hey, you'll never guess who I got to meet while I was sailing." He brought up with a faint smirk. This immediately drew in Cassian further.
"Who?"
"Princess Azula." He answered. Cassian laughed again.
"You did not! You're lying!" He exclaimed.
"I'm not. Hold on, I'll prove it," Elio said, reaching into his pack. He shuffled some things around and slid the pack over to Cassian. "Don't reach in. Just take a look inside." He instructed. Cassian looked inside and saw Azula's royal headpiece sitting in his pack.
"I-Is that hers?" He asked. Elio nodded with a smile.
"I helped her out while we were talking. She gave it to me as a token." He explained as he took his pack back. Cassian shook his head, both astonished and impressed.
"That is wild! So, spill it, what's she like really? Did you fall head over heels for her? Did she fall head over heels for you? Whose heels went over their head?" Cassian asked excitedly. Elio snickered.
"It didn't quite go down like that, but she was pretty interesting. She's very…focused. Very tactical. And she has a killer knack for reading people." He described.
"Man, you're so lucky. You wouldn't mind getting me an introduction some day?" He requested humorously. Elio smiled and shook his head.
"Maybe. I don't know, it might be difficult to slide you in, but maybe I can pull some strings." He joked.
"Shut up, you dork." Cassian and Elio laughed. Their food was served and they began to eat. Elio took this brief pause in their conversation as an opportunity to take the focus off of him.
"So, how has your time in the army been treating you? It has to be rough for you being assigned out here." Elio asked and observed. Cassian nodded, sitting up in his chair a bit.
"I'll shoot it to you straight, Elio. It's hard. I've been training every day since I've joined. We're required to always have our skills honed to the max. Which isn't so bad, but… I don't know, I obviously joined the army to fight in the war, but I didn't expect to get thrust right into it so quickly."
"Mhmm." Elio hummed and nodded in understanding, listening closely.
"Getting deployed here into the Earth Kingdom has definitely been the hardest part; having to leave my family behind. And these earthbenders are ruthless, man. I'm sad to say I've already watched a couple comrades die. They weren't close to me or anything, but it's been ugly." Cassian lamented.
"Yeah," Elio nodded. "I know what you mean with the earthbenders. They almost got me a couple times. It was bad, but it sounds like you've seen worse. I'm really sorry, Cassian. How are you holding up?" He asked.
"I'm good, man, thanks. You gotta do what you gotta do. Seeing how ugly the Earth Kingdom gets, I'm even more convinced that I'm on the right side. The world needs order, man, and if I can play a part in that, I'll keep fighting." Cassian determined.
Elio nodded silently, looking down at his food. He'd always known that Cassian felt very strongly about the doctrines of the Fire Nation, but to see him be willing to die for a cause that he didn't agree with tore at him.
"The world does need order. I agree with that." He nodded.
"Yeah. But enough with the downer stuff. Look at us, man! Two men taking on the world, forging our own paths. You're dating the princess now." He added at the end for comedic effect.
"I most certainly am not, but yes to the other two things… There actually was this one girl." He started to bring up.
"Uh oh. I know what that look means. What was her name?" Cassian asked with a chuckle.
"Haha, her name was Ty Lee. She was a circus acrobat. She actually convinced me to join her in the circus for awhile."
"Haha, oh man, you must've really fallen for her to do that!" Cassian laughed hard. Elio blushed in embarrassment and shook his head.
"Yeah. Well, you know I really wanted to perform with firebending. She gave me the chance to do that. And it was great. It was really great." Elio said with a sigh.
"You're one of the most technically proficient firebenders I've ever met, Elio. If anyone could do something like that, it's you… What happened?" Cassian asked, noticing the hints of sadness in Elio's expression.
"Earthbenders, man, what else? They didn't want a firebender in town. I told them that I came in peace, but it didn't matter. They attacked us as we were leaving town. I fought them off. Ty Lee took a hit… That's when I knew I'd have to leave so they'd be safe." Elio recounted.
"Oh, Elio…" Cassian's eyebrows furrowed in deep concern. "That sucks. The Earth Kingdom! Urgh!" He growled angrily, "These people are so vicious, Elio. I swear it's like they only know how to fight. There's no use trying to talk sense into them." He leaned on the table, gesturing passionately.
"Yeah… I don't know, Cassian. It's savage, yes, and frustrating, but from what I've seen on my travels, they're people too, you know? They're proud and very stubborn, yeah, but they just don't want the Fire Nation in their home." Elio tried to make a case for them.
"Yeah okay I get that but at the same time if what we're offering them is better than what they have now, who are we to deny them the chance to be better? That's what began this war, and that's what's gonna end this war." Cassian pointed out.
"I suppose you're right about that," Elio said, finishing his food. "I can't tell you how good it's been to see you again, man. I've been traveling around for so long; I really needed to see a familiar face."
"I was about to say the same thing," Cassian smiled, finishing his food as well. "Where are you staying?" He asked.
"I'm not. I'm afraid I have to keep moving tonight."
"I see. Well, be safe on your journey. Where are you going next?" He asked Elio curiously as the two of them exited the restaurant. Elio shrugged.
"I'm not sure now. I just have to figure out my next step, I guess."
"Elio… I know it isn't what you wanted, but I could use you in my division. Just say the word. I'll pull the strings." He insisted. Elio shook his head.
"I can't. I'm sorry."
"Why not, Elio?" Cassian raised his voice, "Why is it so hard for you to stand with me? To do something about ending this war?!" He questioned, gesturing back towards where the army was camped out. Elio winced and sighed.
"I've thought about it…but my time here in the Earth Kingdom has only given me more reason to not want to fight, Cassian. Moral implications aside, I just don't have the stomach for this war." Elio expressed. Cassian sighed.
"…I don't blame you, Elio. I'm sorry, man, I shouldn't be yelling. I just, ugh, this means a lot to me, but you know that. I want this war to be over just as bad as the next man. But I want the world to be in a better state coming out of it than when it went into war 100 years ago."
"Me too," Elio agreed, turning towards Cassian. "I'm gonna miss you, man."
"We'll see each other again, bud." Cassian said, embracing Elio. Elio hugged him back tightly and sighed sadly.
"Be safe, brother." Elio said to him as they let each other go.
"You do the same. And hey, say hi to the princess for me." Cassian teased him one more time, linking arms with him one more time before letting him go. He watched as Elio turned and began to walk away with his staff in hand. Cassian turned and walked back to his quarters in the camp.
"Is everyone settled in for the night?" Cassian asked the soldier guarding his tent.
"Yes, sir."
"Good. You're relieved. Get some rest."
"Thank you, sir. You also have a letter waiting in your tent, sir, from General Sol." The soldier informed him.
"What? Uh, thank you, I'll look at it right now." Cassian stuttered before entering into his tent. Why would Elio's father send a letter directly to him?
Cassian saw the rolled up letter sitting on his table. He recognized by the seal and ribbon that it was the real deal. He swallowed nervously as he opened it up and held it up to read. His eyes scanned through the message…
"Oh, Elio… What have you done?"
