Wandering Firebender
Fourty Four: Roots
Elio and Iroh finally set foot on land; they were back in the Earth Kingdom once again. Elio looked across the open water, back towards the Fire Nation. He couldn't see it anymore, but he was still picturing the shape of it on the horizon.
"Come, Elio. We have another journey ahead of us." Iroh urged him. Shaken out of his thoughts, he pulled his things out of the boat and strapped them over his shoulders. He then fell in step next to Iroh as they made their way up the beach.
"Who are these 'friends of yours' that we're going to see?" Elio asked curiously.
"A special group of wise, remarkable men." He answered.
"Alright..." Elio said, still a bit hesitant. The journey continued on in silence for a while before Iroh spoke up again.
"What's troubling you, Elio?" He asked, noticing Elio's body language and contemplative silence. Elio glanced at him then back down.
"I...It was hard, seeing my family again that way. I really miss them." He expressed. Iroh nodded in understanding.
"When you try to do the right thing and you still hurt the people you love most, it can be painful. However, I have to ask, do you feel that you made the wrong decision, leaving the way you did?" Iroh asked curiously. Elio sighed and shook his head.
"No...no I don't. Even with all of the pain it's brought me, I can't imagine myself fighting for the Fire Nation. I definitely don't want to think about serving a life sentence...I can't help but think about Cindra and the Northern Water Tribe."
"I am not surprised that my brother wants to try attacking them again. When I failed to conquer Ba Sing Se in the past, it was considered a great humiliation to our nation. Ozai likely sees the North Pole as his 'Ba Sing Se' and wants to erase that mistake." Iroh reasoned.
"But we're gonna do something about it...right?" Elio asked hopefully. Iroh did not give him a direct answer.
"We will discuss that when we reach my friends." He decided.
It took almost two days of traveling on foot before Elio finally got to see the 'remarkable men' that Iroh was talking about. Elio and Iroh stepped to the top of a hill. Now he was able to see exactly where they were.
"Are those...that's Ba Sing Se over there, isn't it?" Elio asked, pointing across the landscape far ahead of them to the tall outer walls of the Earth Kingdom capitol.
"Yes, but that isn't where we're going." Iroh said, continuing down the other side of the hill. Elio looked down as he followed behind him and saw an organized set of pitched tents.
"This is it." Elio figured.
"Yes. Just stay close to me and I will explain everything." Iroh promised.
Elio and Iroh finally made their way down and walked into the camp. As they walked through, several men peeked their heads out from their tents. Elio quickly realized that the camp was full of older men all wearing blue and white robes.
They all seemed to hold some sort of respectable status. He wouldn't know though; he didn't recognize anyone here.
"Well well well! Look who finally decided to join us! Welcome back, great Dragon of the West!" An old man cackled as he came up to Iroh and greeted him by clapping his hands on Iroh's arms.
"Haha, hello Bumi. It's good to see you again." Iroh said with a smile.
"And you too! Ah, and this must be Zuko, your little nephew you told me so much about!" Bumi said, going to Elio and patting a hand on his shoulder, "Where's your scar at?" Bumi asked, leaning forward. Elio leaned backwards and stumbled a little.
"U-Uh, I'm not Zuko. My name is Elio, sir." He clarified.
"Elio? You never told me you had another nephew." Bumi said to Iroh.
"You haven't changed a bit." Iroh laughed.
"Well well, look who's a free man again. It's good to see you back with us, Iroh." Another gentleman, younger than the others but still more mature, greeted Iroh as he approached the formulating group.
"And you as well, Master Piandao." Iroh greeted him respectfully with a bow. Piandao bowed in return before looking at Elio and speaking again.
"Outsiders and non-members aren't usually allowed, you know." He said to Iroh.
"I'm well aware. But this boy has some very important connections and information that needs to be shared with the other Grand Lotuses." Iroh explained.
"Then we'll set up a meeting right away. I'll gather Master Pakku and Jeong Jeong." Piandao nodded his head, patting Iroh on the shoulder before walking away.
"Oh this is exciting, isn't it? The whole band's back together." Bumi cackled as he went his own way, leaving Iroh with Elio again.
"What's going on, Iroh? Who are these people?" Elio asked, looking around strangely. He was starting to notice that everyone's robes and tents were all the same colors and all bore the same symbol: a white lotus flower.
"Perhaps you are too young to recognize, Elio. You've never heard of the Order of the White Lotus, have you?" Iroh asked. Elio's eyebrows furrowed.
"No...should I have?" He asked. Iroh chuckled.
"Haha, probably not. The White Lotus is dedicated to seeking beauty, philosophy and truth. Members are not separated by national borders or political divides. You will find people from all over the world here." Iroh described simply.
"Wow. That's...incredible." Elio said, astonished by this. He was shocked to learn that such a secret society could exist at all.
"I think you would agree with a lot of the ideals here. However, the reason we are here is to tell the men you just met about the invasion. Come, I will show you where the meeting is taking place." Iroh said, placing a hand on Elio's back and leading him away.
Iroh took Elio to a large tent. The inside was set up like a small little home complete with furniture and a bed. Elio presumed that this was where one of the leaders would stay. Inside, four men were already gathered, sitting on the floor around a low table.
Two of the men were Bumi and Piandao. Elio did not recognize the other two, but right away he picked out that one of them was from the Fire Nation. Iroh brought Elio to the table and they sat down next to each other.
"None of us can prepare tea as well as you can, but I went ahead and made us some anyways." The other man that Elio didn't recognize said, pouring a cup for Iroh and passing it to him.
"Thank you, Pakku." Iroh said appreciatively, taking a sip from it.
"Don't forget our handsome guest now. Pour the young man some tea." Bumi said to Pakku.
"Ah, yes. Would you like some?" Pakku asked, speaking to him in a way that seemed almost professional.
"Sure, I'll take some. Thank you." Elio replied respectfully. Pakku poured Elio a cup as well. Elio carefully took it and sipped from it. He didn't recognize the flavor, but it was acceptable to him.
"Before we get into anything else, how are you feeling, Iroh? I'm sure you must be happy to be free again." Piandao began.
"I am. But more than that, I am happy to be among friends." Iroh said with a smile.
"We're happy to have you back, old pal! And you're looking better than ever! They must've really been feeding you in prison!" Bumi laughed, pointing out Iroh's improved physique.
"We have more important things to address," The man from the Fire Nation spoke up then pointed at Elio. "This boy is from the Fire Nation. Why have you brought him here with you?" He questioned Iroh.
"Now relax, Jeong Jeong," Piandao said. "I'm sure that there's a perfectly good reason for him being here." He said. The men all looked to Iroh. He sipped his tea again and turned his head towards Elio.
"Actually, I think it's best that we hear it from Elio himself. Go ahead, Elio. Tell them who you are and why you are here." Iroh encouraged him.
Elio swallowed nervously. Now he was the center of attention in a room full of experienced, older men. He ran his thumb along the side of his teacup as he spoke carefully...
"My name is Elio Chinen...I am the son of General Sol Chinen. And since I turned 16, I have done everything I could to avoid this war completely. But despite me trying to avoid trouble, I've still gotten dragged into situations more times than I can even count." Elio began.
"He has faced many obstacles, including my own niece and nephew. But through all of that, he has never let go of his resolve." Iroh added.
"I see." Pakku said, looking surprised but also intrigued.
"That still does not explain why he is here now." Jeong Jeong said, insisting that they get on with it.
"Right. Elio?" Iroh directed the conversation back to him.
"Yes, uh...the Fire Nation is planning an invasion on the Northern Water Tribe...on the day of Sozin's Comet." Elio revealed. Immediately, Pakku voiced his reaction and stood up.
"Impossible! That's ridiculous! The Fire Nation lost once already there! What makes them think they can succeed this time?" He asked.
"The power of Sozin's Comet cannot be underestimated, Master Pakku," Jeong Jeong said. "The Water Tribe is strong, yes, but the comet will increase one average firebender's power tenfold! They would stand a much more formidable chance."
"Not to mention my brother has overseen a great number of new technological advancements that the people of the Northern Water Tribe will not be ready for." Iroh added. Pakku's eyes widened; his expression conveyed his intense concern for his people.
"How certain are you of this?" Pakku asked Elio directly. Elio looked up towards the master and answered him confidently.
"I heard it straight from the mouth of Princess Azula. I have no doubt that she told me the truth." Elio answered. Pakku took in a deep breath and sat down again.
"Thank you for bringing this to our attention, young Elio. This is something we need to consider seriously." Piandao said, addressing Elio respectfully.
"Elio, why don't you step outside for a few minutes? Clearly we need to figure this out." Bumi suggested, speaking seriously for the first time since his arrival. Elio nodded and stood up.
"Of course. Thank you for the tea." Elio said, bowing respectfully before exiting the tent.
"He's a good kid. I am lucky to have found him the way I did; I believe that it was no accident." Elio overheard Iroh say to the others before he stepped out of the tent. All he was able to catch was Pakku passionately responding, but he was too far away now to make out the words.
Elio sat down and silently worried over what would happen next. Here he was in a camp full of strange old men hoping that they would be able to do something about the oncoming threat. Surely they wouldn't just sit by while the Fire Nation attacked, right?
From what he could tell, they were all interested in keeping the peace somehow. Based on Pakku's reaction, he seemed to be from the Northern Water Tribe. And while both Iroh and Jeong Jeong were from the Fire Nation like him, their vastly different attitudes stood in sharp contrast to each other.
Elio's mind drifted back to Cindra in the North Pole. If she had made it home safely, she too would be threatened by the invasion. He knew that she'd gone home to learn how to fight and train for this sort of scenario, but with the power of Sozin's Comet backing the Fire Nation, would her training be enough to save her?
From what Elio could see, things weren't looking good for the Northern Water Tribe.
Finally, Iroh stepped out of the tent. He found Elio and walked up to him. As Elio stood up and questioned Iroh, he could see the other men exiting the tent. They dispersed, walking off in different directions.
"What happened, sir? What did they say in there?" Elio asked. Iroh put a hand on Elio's shoulder.
"You're being given a tent where you can rest for the night, Elio. Tomorrow, Master Jeong Jeong will speak with you. He wishes to evaluate your skill and perhaps even train you." Iroh informed him.
"Master Jeong Jeong? You mean the cranky old guy?" Elio asked.
"Haha! He may be a little rough around the edges, but he is still a good man." Iroh said.
"Sure, I guess. But what about the North Pole? What's your decision there?!" Elio asked insistently. However, Iroh shook his head.
"I'm sorry. That is all I can tell you for now. I assure you, arrangements are being made. For now, try and relax. Get some rest." Iroh advised. Elio sighed and eventually nodded.
"Yes, sir."
Iroh showed Elio to the tent where he would be staying in. It was nice; bigger than the one he'd been carrying in his pack. After that, Iroh said goodnight and departed, leaving Elio to his own devices. Elio tried to take Iroh's advice, staying in his tent to think things over and rest his body.
His mind continued to race in circles well into the night; he went over the same thoughts and feelings over and over again. But finally, he did fall asleep...
Elio woke up from a deep, dreamless sleep early the next morning. He rubbed his eyes, ate a modest breakfast, and brushed his hair into place before stepping outside of his tent. As he walked out, he very nearly bumped headfirst into Jeong Jeong.
"Oh! Sorry, sir! I didn't realize you were coming." Elio apologized quickly. Jeong Jeong peered down at him silently for a few moments before answering.
"Have you gotten adequate sleep and eaten?"
"Oh, uh, yes sir, I-"
"Good! Then follow me." He interrupted, turning around and starting to walk. Elio cleared his throat and followed behind him. Something was off about this guy, but Elio was having a hard time pinning down what it was.
"Master, what is it that you have planned for me today?" Elio asked.
"Be silent! You will speak only when spoken to!" The master barked. Elio quickly closed his mouth and remained silent. He had a feeling he wasn't going to enjoy today's activities.
Jeong Jeong led Elio away from the camp. Elio peered back only once to see the white tents becoming smaller as they distanced themselves from everyone else. They climbed to the top of a tall hill; the tallest of those surrounding the camp.
"Remove your staff and extra clothing. You will not need it." Jeong Jeong ordered. Elio nodded and silently removed the strap for his staff, setting it and the staff itself on the floor by his feet. He then proceeded to remove his boots.
"Done." Elio said.
"Assume a wide stance," Jeong Jeong instructed. Elio made two fists and rested them at his hips, getting into a wide stance and bending his knees. "Wider!" He urged Elio. Elio shuffled his feet out a little more.
"Focus on your breathing exercises until I return." Jeong Jeong assigned before turning and starting to walk back down the hill.
"Okay...how long will that take?" Elio asked.
"Concentrate!" He shouted back over his shoulder before leaving Elio alone.
Elio sighed in annoyance; he didn't like Jeong Jeong's bitter demeanor. However, he could only hope there was a purpose to all this. So he relaxed into his stance the best he could and focused on his breathing, feeling the heat of the sun and concentrating on the flow of power within his body...
It was hard to say how fast or how slow time was passing, but Jeong Jeong hadn't come back in a long while, and Elio was beginning to get impatient. Considering his nasty attitude, Elio wouldn't put it past him to take him up here under the guise of it being training only to leave him there all day.
After being in captivity for over a month, what Elio needed was to practice real firebending again, not rudimentary exercises. He wouldn't be of any use to anyone if he didn't bring himself back to top form. Clearly, Jeong Jeong wasn't interested in helping him do that.
So Elio got out of his wide stance and turned his shoulders, shifting his weight into a firebending stance. He slowly lifted his front foot and lowered it, stepping into a training routine. He took in a deep breath and forced fire from his fists, not bothering to hold back.
He wanted to get right back in touch with his roots.
He got through about three different move sets before Jeong Jeong came back up to the top of the hill. From down in the camp he had seen Elio's forceful fire blasts and the smoke rising up high as a result. He angrily stomped up to the top of the hill.
"What do you think you are doing?!" He demanded, shaking Elio out of his concentration. He turned around and stood straight.
"I'm getting back in shape! I'm not going to sit here and do breathing exercises all day!" Elio argued.
"The Fire Nation still holds control of Ba Sing Se," Jeong Jeong pointed a finger towards the outer wall of the city. "Are you trying to lead them right to us?!" He yelled. Elio shrugged his shoulders, still leading with his frustrations.
"Then I'll go somewhere else to train! I need to get back into the habit!" He said.
"You have not had practice in over a month, and yet you are overexerting yourself! You have no patience!" Jeong Jeong reprimanded him.
"I know what I'm doing! Taking it easy is not gonna get me where I need to be in time! Sozin's Comet is really, really close!" Elio shouted back at the master.
"That is why you need to conserve your energy! If you burn out right before the comet arrives, you will be defenseless!"
"But if I don't have my skills sharpened, I won't stand a chance! You see how we keep going in circles here?" Elio pointed out. Jeong Jeong irritably growled and turned away from him.
"I knew it was unwise to bring a Fire Nation boy here. You know nothing of the big picture! You see only what is right in front of you." Jeong Jeong said, expressing his disappointment. However, Elio still had more to say.
"I know exactly what's going on! Sozin's Comet is arriving and Fire Lord Ozai plans on burning down the world! You all are here to protect the Earth Kingdom, yet while we sit here arguing, the Fire Nation is moving in on the North Pole, and no one will tell me what you plan on doing about it!" Elio summarized.
"What would you intend to do if given the chance? Hm?" Jeong Jeong questioned him.
"I wanna be there! As far as I know, they don't even know the Fire Nation is coming! Someone has to warn them at the very least!" Elio answered.
"What help would you serve at the Northern Water Tribe? You're rusty and you have a bad attitude. You will only do more harm than good!" Jeong Jeong declared.
"Well at least I'd be doing something! Unlike you! You've hardly said a word to me, except to express that you're a harsh, bitter old man!" Elio shouted before grabbing his things and starting to walk back towards the camp.
"Where do you think you are going?" Jeong Jeong asked.
"I don't have time to sit around and wait for you all to feel like telling me your plan, if you even have one. I'll go to the Water Tribe myself if I have to." He decided. As he attempted to walk past Jeong Jeong, the master held his arm up, blocking Elio.
"You aren't going anywhere. If you leave, you will put the camp in danger!"
"I'm not staying here! I made up my mind! Now don't try to stop me!" Elio threatened, trying to walk past him again.
This time, Jeong Jeong shot a flame out of his fist in front of Elio as a warning. Elio's eyes widened and he stumbled backwards. He dropped his things and got into a fighting stance.
"You want to train, child? Fine. Show me your true limits!" Jeong Jeong said, getting into a fighting stance as well. Elio, fired up and irritated, hardly hesitated before making the first move.
Elio stepped forward and shot a fireball at Jeong Jeong. Jeong Jeong maneuvered the fireball around him and let it go off to the side. Elio threw another fireball and then did a spinning fire kick. Jeong Jeong extended his palm out to block the fireball. He then used the same hand to send out a fire slice attack that canceled out Elio's fire kick.
Quickly, Elio realized that this master was on a totally different level. But he still had to prove himself.
Taking advantage of his superior speed and agility, Elio moved sideways and spun again, throwing several more fire kicks. As Jeong Jeong blocked his attacks, Elio got back to his feet and jumped into the air, sending a continuous blast of fire down onto Jeong Jeong as he flipped over him.
Elio knew he was dealing with a master; he didn't expect to do much damage. But from observing Jeong Jeong's shakiness as he created a ball of fire to protect himself, Elio could see that he was catching the master by surprise. He couldn't let up now.
When Elio landed on the ground, Jeong Jeong sent out several rings of fire at different heights. Elio hopped over the first, ducked under the second, and threw an upwards kick that created a thin pillar of fire to protect himself from the third. Elio flipped forward and sent down a blazing fire slice through his foot.
Jeong Jeong moved to the side with a quick spin, easily dodging Elio's attack. He got into a stance and moved his hands to build up power before creating a wall of fire between him and Elio. Elio, having done this move before, knew how he could bypass it.
Elio took in a deep breath and carefully advanced, bending the fire in front of him to either side and walking through. Seeing that Elio was not deterred by the defensive wall, Jeong Jeong quickly dispelled the fire.
"I thought you said you didn't want the Fire Nation to see the smoke." Elio pointed out. Jeong Jeong scoffed.
"The Fire Nation will not care about two firebenders out in these plains." Jeong Jeong responded.
"Then what was the point of that argument?!" Elio demanded.
"To test your reaction. You acted brashly...but your heart is in the right place," He answered. "Iroh was right about one thing. You do have resolve." He commented. Elio's eyebrows furrowed strangely...
Then all at once it hit him.
"You were testing me." Elio realized. Now realizing this, he felt much more self-conscious about his defiant attitude.
"Yes," Jeong Jeong confirmed with a nod. "Your confidence in your skill serves you well. You do not require anymore training from me." He decided.
"Really?"
"No. But! It is your attitude that you must watch over. You must decide for yourself: are you a firebender? Or are you Fire Nation?" He asked. Elio looked at him in confusion.
"Is there a difference?"
"Of course there's a difference!" Jeong Jeong barked, "A true firebender knows the dangers of fire and carries himself with the utmost discipline so that he may never destroy himself and everything around him!
"The Fire Nation does not know this discipline. They know only how to consume, to overtake. This is all they were taught, and for one hundred years this is all they have done," He described.
"If you wish to fight on the right side of this war, you must be a true firebender and not give in to the savagery that the Fire Nation has promoted." Jeong Jeong concluded, pointing at him. Elio nodded in understanding, but there was something that he disagreed with.
"I am a true firebender. But I am also from the Fire Nation: born and raised. I will not be ashamed of where I come from even as I have to go against them...I have to believe that they can change." Elio said. Jeong Jeong sighed.
"Perhaps if the Fire Nation does not win this war, they can have that chance..." Jeong Jeong responded slowly. There was silence between them for awhile before he asked a question.
"So, Elio of the Fire Nation, what are you going to do? Where will you stand in this war?" He asked. Elio swallowed and stood straight again.
"I'm going to the North Pole," He decided. "I will warn the Water Tribe about the invasion and help them to prepare. With me on their side, they will stand a much greater chance."
"Then you will leave in the morning and begin your journey." Jeong Jeong said with a nod. With that, he turned around and started to make his way back down to the camp.
Elio's chest swelled a little with pride; he felt motivated, important, and like he had a sense of purpose. With this lift in his spirit, he followed the master down the hill. He was excited to get back to his tent so he could pack his things.
Tomorrow he would begin his biggest journey yet...
