Sorry for the almost two year wait. I was focusing on my other story. Don't really have much to say besides I'm back, and this time on a regular basis. Here's how the schedule will work:
Every first week of the month: The Wandering Shadow
Every second week: Beacon's Exorcist (My other fanfic)
Again sorry for the wait; however, now I do have a schedule, and time to write. So here we go!
Chapter 3: A Waltz Through the Bloody Horizon
Kel yawned as he turned over a hot coal in the fire. The flames whistled, churned and hissed at every hint of movement. The light danced from this single and small flame onto the skeleton of a town, a town that once was a bustling village. Sad to say this village harbored anti-fire nation insurgents, and had to be burned to the ground. Foreign stars twinkled in the dark sky above as Kel smiled. In a way this was liberating, being completely cut off from his old society that is. It honestly amazed him how the sky could have so many stars, yet be completely useless as a light source down below. Besides his little fire the town was completely covered in shadow. What few licks of color he could see was just the gray dust of ash against what used to be houses. I wonder... how long did these take to build? Kel thought to himself as he scoured over the dusty remains of the burned buildings. The villagers had long since left, they abandoned their houses and possessions long before they got here; however, it was still interesting to him. The plight of man to create, and to have more than they already did. Sadly Kel would not get much time to ponder philosophy. After all, with a watch partner as loud as his, who would even have the capacity for rational thought?
"Kel come here and look at what I found!" His partner yelled. Kel sighed quietly and rolled his eyes. Luckily, no one could see him glare at the girl in the pitch blackness of that village. "Hurry up!" She yelled again.
"I'm coming, I'm coming." Kel said as he walked up to the girl, if his memory served him right her name was Ty Lee. Azula's acrobatic partner and bodyguard was currently sitting right in the middle of a pile of ash. She was covered in muck and grime; however, in her hand she held a small rock that glimmered the way only a jewel would. "Where in the world did you find that?" He asked her. Ty Lee smiled as she pulled herself out of that pile of muck, and pointed towards one of the larger ruined buildings. It was probably the village chief's house, at least that's what he thought.
"What do you think Kel?" Ty Lee said as she slipped the jeweled pin into her hair. In a way she almost looked charming, the beautiful piece of jewelry almost offset the ugliness of the mud caked onto her hair.
"It looks amazing on you Ty Lee. Although, you should probably go wash off in the stream." Kel swore he saw Ty Lee blush a little; however, with only a small fire as their light source, he couldn't be certain. A few minutes later he was finally granted sweet release from that small fire. There were few times he liked seeing guards, this was one of those times. When Kel finally arrived at his small tent, he yawned and pulled something out from under his bedding. Thank the force the fire nation soldiers weren't nosy, or they would have found his black cloak. "What am I going to do with this?" Kel wondered as he slipped his hands through the black fabric.
"Has anyone found a black cloak yet? Who knows the avatar might have died in the fire." One of the patrols yelled. Kel was quick to hide his dark garb when he saw the light of one of the soldiers draw near; he sighed, this thing was too much trouble. The Fire Nation and many others were searching for this cloak, and Kel knew that he would be in some serious trouble if he was discovered with it. At best he'd have to kill everyone present, and at the worst he'd have to silence the entire area with his lightsaber. He knew what had to be done. Once he was sure that no patrols were nearby, Kel got out his cloak and started a small fire...
10 minutes later...
It wasn't that hard to decide which pieces of the cloak to keep. Kel knew that the black hood and face cover could be useful, so he kept those. The rest of the black cloak he threw into the fire. I guess I should be sorry. Kel thought as he watched the majority of his sith robes burn. This was one of the last things Dooku left me, I guess some would call this disrespectful to his memory. Kel chuckled when he thought about that. Respect? Memory? He didn't need any of that. This cloak was one of the last things tying himself to that bastard, and now it was gone. "Well that's one problem solved." Kel mumbled as he fixed the hood and face cover onto his grey gi. The fabric felt warm.
"Hey kid the Princess wants you in the main tent." A soldier said as he rudely entered Kel's tent, in a normal situation he wouldn't have let that soldier walk out with his head. However, this wasn't a normal situation. "Where did you get that hood from? It's pitch black." The soldier said as he accidentally tripped over Kel's bedding. If he hadn't burned the cloak that clumsy soldier would have surely found it. Kel got up and offered the soldier his hand, complete with a completely fake smile of course, and helped the man up. After thanking him the soldier bowed and made his leave. Once he was absolutely certain that he had all of his gear, especially his lightsaber, Kel straightened his back and exited the tent. Appearances were always important when trying to infiltrate an enemy army. Even the slightest change of clothing, such as his gi's new black hood, could have immense ramifications for his standing with the opposing party. Thankfully he wasn't trying to infiltrate a galactic senate, he was trying to infiltrate an army run by humans. When he finally did arrive at the main tent he was welcomed with outlandish stares from the main soldiers. They weren't used to him yet, which was quite understandable.
"It looks like you have helped yourself to the spoils Kel. Get anything good?" Azula said as she stared at the map of the various nations. He nodded and tugged slightly on his hood, it was time for him to get back into character.
"I found this tattered old thing lying in one of the burned ruins." Kel said as innocently as he could, honestly it scared him how good he was at lying sometimes. As expected, Azula and the others paid no heed to his wardrobe's recent addition. After a few more moments in silence Kel spoke up. "So why did you call me here?" Azula shrugged and motioned for him to come closer.
"If you're going to work in this army then you'll need to know our plans." Kel nearly swore, he hated lectures. "I know you were a hermit Kel, but have you ever heard of this town right here?" Azula pointed to one of the symbols on the map. In slightly red ink read the word Castarn Pass. Kel shook his head. "It's a major trade hub for the western end of the Earth Kingdom, and we've received a report that the avatar was spotted nearby." Azula's sharp fingernails nearly tore right through the paper map as she traced a line from their position to the town.
"I'm guessing you want to take this town?" Kel asked her to the disdain of Azula's subordinates. Being an outsider did have its perks; for example, unlike the rest of the soldiers, he was given leeway when addressing Ms. Princess. Like Ty Lee and Mai he did not have to use honorifics, and was not forced to bow in her presence every fifteen minutes. After a few moments in silence Azula sighed and tapped her index finger on the wooden desk. This was a cue that signaled that they were allowed to sit down. When they were all comfortably seated Azula finally answered his question.
"Yes, me and my father both agree that Castarn would be an invaluable resupply point. If we want to take Ba Sing Se, as I intend to do, Castarn has to be under Fire Nation control." Kel rubbed his eyes as the light flickered in the nearby torches. This girl was a power hungry monster, but who was he to judge? It was only be a matter of time now before Castarn turned into another ash covered wasteland.
"Are you going to order the soldiers to burn Castarn?" He asked Azula. Odds are her answer would be yes. What other option was there? Castarn was an enemy held town after all. However, Kel knew he was wrong when he saw one of Azula's captains smile. They aren't going to fight? He thought as he studied the captain's smile. That was the smile of a soldier spared from the battlefield. Azula confirmed this after she placed a quill and some parchment on the table.
"No we aren't going to fight." Azula said as she dipped the quill into the ink. When she saw that Kel was still confused she explained. "Apparently the King of Castarn is quite the lover of gold, or so we've heard." Azula said as she scratched the quill against the rough paper. "Our spies have been in contact with him for quite a long time. We'll give him gold, and in return he'll secede Castarn and its surrounding territories to the Fire Nation."
Gold? How boring. Kel thought as he stared at the ink jar. Dooku always told him to never underestimate the greed of man, this was probably why. When Azula was finally done writing she blew on the wet ink and rolled up the parchment. After stamping it with the official Fire Nation emblem she handed the scroll to one of her captains.
"Make sure this gets to the king of Castarn. It's time for him to hold up his end of the bargain." The captain nodded and placed the letter securely in his left pocket. When that was done Azula opened a scroll that lay nearby, this one bearing a bright green seal.
"Is that a letter from the king?" Ty Lee asked. Azula nodded and threw the scroll into a nearby fire. The flames devoured the small piece of paper in seconds, turning it into a small pile of black ash.
"Is something wrong Princess?" One of the captains asked her.
"He wants the message to be delivered personally, not by a raven." Kel watched as everyone in the room rolled their eyes, they must have been expecting this. "Not only that," Azula continued, "until the deal is complete he doesn't want me, my bodyguards, or any party more than three people entering his city."
"What?!" Ty Lee yelled. "If he wants to do business with us he should at least have the courage to meet us in person!" Azula tapped a finger against the table. Not only was this a pain, but it was simply disrespectful! Ty Lee was fuming, she was so excited to finally see a major Earth Nation city, but now that chance had been stolen from her.
"If the situation was any different I'd have him burn." Azula growled as she watched the flames dance in the hearth. But her hands were tied, nobody would be burning tonight. "Well does anybody want to volunteer?" Azula asked. "You'll be heading into an Earth Nation city with only two guards. So think carefully before you-" Kel didn't need to think. His hand shot up so quick it nearly tore a hole in the roof of the tent.
"I'll go. I want to see what an Earth Nation city looks like." Kel said with the cheesiest, most innocent smile he could muster. Azula didn't respond, would she really send someone she barely knew to handle such sensitive matters? Then again, having someone as strong as Kel on the inside would come in handy if things went awry.
"I can't promise that you'll be allowed in the palace." Azula said. Kel smiled and clapped his hands together, he was longing for a change of scenery. However, the captains were far less happy than he was. For a brief second every flame in that tent grew a few inches taller.
"Princess!" One of the older captains yelled. "You can't really be intending to let this hermit serve as our emissary! I understand why you allowed him to accompany us. But his purpose is on the battlefield! Please, grant this job to someone with more tact, and knowledge of the situation." The man then bowed and apologized, "I am sorry for speaking out of turn." Kel smirked, loyalty really was an amazing thing.
"I never said he'd be the one doing the negotiating. Remember we still need to choose two other people." Azula said as the captain returned to his seat. "We need someone who is skilled in debate, and a person who can serve as their guard inside of the palace. Kel can act as our trump card if we need him." Azula then pointed to two of the younger captains. "I want you two to go." She ordered. The two men didn't even hesitate before they bent the knee.
"Yes, thank you Princess." One of the men said. "I will serve my role with..." Kel tuned out at this point and instead opted to watch a distant star through a hole in the tent's roof. So close yet so far away. Minutes turned into hours as Azula and the other captains grilled her chosen emissaries on their demands and policies. He probably would have fallen asleep right on the spot if Ty Lee didn't shake him awake. When the meeting was finally over and Kel was back in his tent, he smiled. So far his acting was working. Nobody suspected a thing. And tomorrow he would get to lay eyes on one of this world's most promising cities.
Well Castarn, Kel thought as he looked towards the west, I hope you don't disappoint.
The heavy iron safe closed with a hard clunk as Kel relinquished his grey gi and lightsaber into its dark hold. The early morning breeze felt strange on his barren body. He sighed, honestly he didn't think this was necessary, stripping down to the bare minimum, that is. However, he had to if he wanted to enter Castarn. Azula told him and the other two chosen captains that any newcomers, regardless of rank or nobility, were always met with a thorough search before entering the city. He wouldn't risk placing his belongings in the barracks, so he made off with one of the safes. When everything was in order Kel then used to force to bury the metal box deep beneath the earth. "Mr. Vitaii? Is everything all right in there?" Asked one of the servants standing outside his tent. It was time for him to get back into character.
"Oh yes Ma'am." Kel said as he watched the handmaid walk into the changing tent. She was a young girl, probably around his age with brown hair. She blushed a little bit when she saw his mostly bare body; however, that didn't last long. She was a professional maid of the Fire Nation royal family after all.
"Princess Azula requests that you wear these robes for your visit to Castarn." She then laid the small box she was carrying at his feet and opened it with a click. Inside lay a beautiful purple and green robe. Even Kel couldn't help but stare. The craftsmanship of this world's artisans was quite something. "Now raise your arms." The handmaiden said; however, Kel shook his head and slipped the robes on himself.
"No offense Ma'am, but I prefer to dress myself." He said complete with a seductive grin. "Did the princess send anything else?" Kel asked her as he lifted a hand to the handmaiden's chin. The maid, her face now crimson, nodded and quickly dashed out of the tent. Kel smiled as he tied the silk belt taught against his waist. One of the major focuses of Dooku's lessons was how to manipulate people without using the force. He would dump him in some of the seediest slums in the galaxy just to see if he could survive. Needless to say he picked up quite a few tricks along the way.
When the handmaid returned she was carrying a long, and obviously very heavy, box. She struggled with it for a few seconds before finally tripping and falling into Kel's arms. "Now, now, make sure you watch where you're going. If something is too heavy for you, don't hesitate to call." Kel said with a smile, his silver tongue never failed.
"Y-yeah." The handmaiden mumbled as she rested in his arms, a rosy tint now painted upon her cheeks. He could even smell a hint of perfume wafting off of her body, that was new. Kel smiled, he could rely on her now if he ever needed items from the armory. After all love was a powerful thing. When she finally realized what she was doing though, the handmaid shot up and dashed out of the tent. Probably to go and gossip with the other servants about what had just transpired.
"Now what did you have for me?" Kel mumbled as he turned to the long wooden box. Inside lay a beauty of a sword. The blade itself was pure black, probably made out of obsidian, while the hilt was covered in purple and turquoise leather straps. The weapon even came complete with a wooden sheath. All in all it was a fine weapon, and after giving it a few swings Kel knew that it would be more than adequate for battle.
"That's your sword kid." A soldier said as he entered the changing tent. "And I sure hope you know how to use it, considering you're supposed to be playing the role of a noble." Kel sighed as he tied the sheath to his waist. Why were the Fire Nation soldiers always so annoying? "The Princess wants you outside for the last mission brief, don't be late." The soldier then pulled something out of his pocket and tossed it to him. "That's your fake royal emblem. Make sure you have it on at all times." Kel nodded as he looked over the small silver medallion. Engraved upon the metal was what looked like a dove flying through the sun. All in all it looked convincing enough to fool a few guards, maybe even some spies if he played his cards right. When he was done inspecting the emblem pin Kel slipped it into his robes. His disguise was now complete.
"Where is the meeting point?" Kel asked the soldier. Instead of answering him the man just rudely pointed towards the center of their little encampment. Azula and her two chosen captains were standing there waiting for him. Both captains were each wearing a different emblem pin with an entirely different set of robes draped across their bodies. All in all they looked quite convincing. "Sorry I'm late." He apologized as he ran up to the group. "I couldn't find out how you tied these belts." Azula smiled, though Kel could tell that she was faking it.
"I'm assuming my servant Aurey helped you with that then." Azula asked him as she turned to a familiar blushing handmaid.
"Yes she did." Kel said with a bow. "She helped me a lot actually. So..." Kel then turned to the two captains. "What's our plan of attack?"
"You mean our plan of attack." The captain on the right chided. "We'll be the ones doing the negotiating. If everything goes well all you'll have to do is keep the king's guest house warm." The captain then turned to Azula. "Princess is there absolutely no way I can change your mind about him? I know his power is useful, but for someone like him to pose as a noble..."
"I told you already that Kel won't be at the negotiating table. He's just there as insurance in case something goes wrong." Azula said as she looked over her nails. "Since we are only allowed to bring in three people this is the best option. Your fake noble identities should be able to protect you from the prying eyes of any Earth Nation loyalists for at least a few days; and by then I expect that Castarn will be under our control." The captains just bowed their heads and nodded. However, Kel wasn't satisfied, he didn't like being pushed off to the side as just some glorified bodyguard. Sadly there were no other options.
"When will the king's transport arrive?" Kel asked. Almost as if on cue a hawk flew down and dropped a scroll into Azula's hands.
"According to our scouts..." Azula said as she burned the paper to ash in her hands. "They should be arriving within the hour." After that Azula turned to Ty Lee and Mai. "Can you make sure that this camp is gone by the time they get here? I don't want any soldiers still loyal to the Earth Nation ratting us out."
"Of course~" Ty Lee chirped as she rushed off to go help pack down tents. The sound of collapsing cloth and hammers followed soon after; and within just thirty minutes all that was left of their camp was some fire pits and the burned out remains of a village. As expected the Castarn transport arrived soon afterwords.
"Greetings my kings." The apparent leader of the soldiers said as he gave the two captains a bow. "We're here to transport you to Castarn per our lord's orders." The man then turned to Kel and bowed to him as well. "It is nice to see you here as well my prince." Kel nearly rolled his eyes as he watched the man's overly hammy performance. A show like this might have been enough to fool his soldiers, but Kel and the two captains could tell that this man knew who they were.
A Fire Nation ally huh? Kel thought as he looked over the man. It wasn't hard for him to sniff out traitors. Dooku said he had a talent for it. This man probably reported directly to the king of Castarn, most likely he was charged with making sure that their little deal went through without a hitch.
"Right this way my lords." The commander said as a group of soldiers walked up carrying three lecticas. The two captains hopped into theirs without complaints. However, Kel took a moment to look out at the horizon. In the distance he could see a group of birds fighting over the carcass of a recently gained kill.
How foreboding. Kel thought as he stepped into his transport. He knew he was a predator, but who was his prey? Only time could tell him. Soon after he sat down he heard the hammy commander yell for them to begin their trek to Castarn; and with that they were off.
"Why did you trust him with that job?" Mai asked Azula as they watched the transport party disappear behind the mountains. "That boy is a hermit, he doesn't know the first thing about acting like a noble." Mai said as she climbed on top of her lizard.
"Chalk it up to my morbid curiosity." Azula said with a grin. "If the negotiations go well then we get Castarn, but if they don't and things go south, then we may be able to get a gauge on that boy's full abilities."
"So you're throwing him in there just to see what happens?" Mai asked her as their lizards trotted down a rocky path. The breeze was gone now, replaced by the soothing rays of the warm sun. Azula didn't answer and just continued to grin. Experiments like this always excited her. Plus now she had more time to search for the avatar. A few minutes later Ty Lee riding atop her lizard trotted up alongside the two of them.
"I sent the rest of the soldiers off to their next post like you asked. They should be back in time to receive Kel and the others when they return." Ty Lee said as she snagged a ripened apple off of a low hanging branch. "I'm guessing we're back on the avatar hunt now?" Azula nodded and turned her lizard west. They were back on the hunt, and Azula knew just where to look...
Castarn Gates, 9:00 AM.
Sturdy. If there was a single word to describe Castarn, that was it. The city was built in layers going down, like an upside down cone, with each layer holding a different purpose. The only way in and out of the city was either via boat by utilizing the cities many canals, or by one singular massive gate. Needless to say he was taking the land route, and truth be told he was impressed. Earth bending seemed to be quite useful when it came to construction and architecture. The shear size, while nowhere near the cities he was used to, was still awe inspiring. This world's architects had imagination, he'd give them that. "Welcome to Castarn!" The commander announced as he fired what seemed to be a simple flare up into the air. A few moments later Kel watched as the giant gates seemed to just flow away and return to the Earth.
"Impressive, isn't it my prince?" One of the soldiers carrying his lectica said. "It's hard to believe that Ba Sing Se is over twenty times larger." Now that sounded more like a city he was used to, but Ba Sing Se would have to wait. Once the way was finally cleared their little caravan entered the city, or at least the inner wall. Here was where the infamous "searches" took place. A few men in brown uniforms quickly filed out of a nearby building and scoured over every inch of Kel and his belongings. Thank the force he decided against bringing his lightsaber.
"A blade?" Kel heard one of the searchers mumble as he inspected his recently acquired weapon. The man handed it over to one of his comrades for a closer inspection before they relinquished it back to Kel. "Let's hope you don't have to use it on anybody."
"I hope so too." Kel lied, in reality he was itching for a fight. These sort of checks always annoyed him greatly, and it wasn't just him. The two captains also seemed to be having a rough time of it over at their two check points. Maybe it was because of their age, or maybe it was because they just looked mean, but their inspection lasted much longer than his. When they were finally done the two captains got back in their lecticas and joined him at the outlet point. "Now don't you two look grumpy?" Kel joked, but they were in no mood for fun. There was one more hurdle that stood between them and the city now. That hurdle was a giant stone fort, this fort served as the outlet and inlet point for the majority of the cities canals. To Kel this fort seemed to be the Earth Nation's version of public transport. Earth benders would lift ships up onto the main platform via a stone elevator, the ships would then be filled with pedestrians before the earth benders returned the ships to the canals below.
"King Andras, King Besen, please allow me the pleasure of guiding you through our fair city!" Kel turned and saw what looked to be a rather plump minister bowing in front of the two captains. The man didn't even spare him a glance. "The king of our fine city requested that I take you two directly to the palace for negotiations." The two captains nodded and glanced back over to Kel.
"We're heading straight for the palace. You are to go directly to the royal guest house in the second quarter." One of the captains said as their party began to move forward.
"So this must be the young prince I've heard so much about!" The large man said as he gave Kel a very sloppy, and very disrespectful, bow. Kel scoffed. This man hadn't heard a damn thing, he was the prince of a fabricated kingdom after all; but this overly large minister didn't need to know that, now did he?
"I thank you for your courtesy. When I arrive at the guest palace I'll be sure to send you my regards." Kel said to the minister's joy. You won't be smiling for long my chubby little friend, a sith's courtesy can be a deadly thing. After that little transaction Kel and the two captains finally came to a stop. In front of their party stood two massive stone doorways, behind the left door was the king's personal canal and ship. While on the right was the archway entrance that led to the main walkway. It didn't surprise Kel at all that he was the one delegated to go right.
"Don't worry we'll be sure to call if something happens. Although I still don't see how a hermit like you can help." One of the captains chided as they clambered aboard the royal ship. "We're ready to go if you are!" He yelled at the earth benders above before turning back to give Kel one last death glare. A few seconds later Kel felt a slight rumble in the earth as the gigantic stone door shot up out of the ground and returned to its place. Those two were finally out of his hair.
"Are we going to the royal guest house now?" He asked one of the commanding officers walking beside his lectica. The man nodded.
"We expect to arrive before noon my prince." He said. Kel smiled and nodded before hopping out of his lectica. "My prince what are you doing?!" The man yelled, effectively stopping the caravan. The soldiers all turned to look at him with cocked eyebrows before Kel took a step forward.
"Your men look tired from carrying that hunk of garbage." Kel said as he pointed towards the lectica. "I think I'll give them a break." The officer just shook his head and ran up in front of Kel.
"My prince you are a guest of the royal family! We cannot allow you to walk, it would be an offense to your nation!" Kel just yawned and continued walking. He had a city to see, and he didn't want to see it from behind the curtains of a lectica. Plus out on the ground he could see everything. The twinkle of precious metals shining through the mud that caked the streets, the flocks of birds flying above his head, and most importantly, he could take in the full layout of the city.
"Huh, reminds me of Coruscant." Kel mumbled with a smile as he made his way down the stone steps. For a second he forgot that he was surrounded by an escort of Earth Nation troops, and just took it all in. Hopefully, somewhere in this massive nest of people and coin, he would find his prey, the avatar. I sure hope you don't disappoint. Kel thought as he watched the blood-red sun peak through the clouds. It was a good day for a battle and his new sword was thirsty for blood. And he was about ready to give a good long drink. Ah great. They're still following me. Kel thought as he quickly stole a glance to one of the back alleys. Two men, both wearing brown cloaks, had been following him ever since he stepped foot into Castarn. Odds were he wasn't the only one being followed. If his intuition was correct, which he knew it was, the two captains also had some men tailing the avatar was the main course, then his new stalkers were the appetizers. Kel grinned, it was time for him to set his trap.
Downtown Castarn, Second Quarter, 11:00 AM.
There was a saying in Castarn that you could find a piece of every man in the second quarter. This area of the gigantic merchant city had the most shops, inns and bars out in all of Castarn. The wealthy and the common peasantry all converged on this one area to mingle and trade; and it was one of the only places in the world where a common man could sit down and have a glass of tea with a noble. However, this area also saw the least nobles out of all of Castarn. To an outsider this lack of nobility would be quite strange, after all the royal family's guest house was in the second quarter; however, those mystified by the lack of nobles obviously didn't know Castarn's second common saying: that where one finds gold and silver, he can also find secrets. And nowhere was this more true than in the second quarter; the area was infamous for its gangs of mercenaries and rumored webs of foreign spies.
On the rare occasion a lectica procession did come through the quarter, the military always made sure to clear the streets; but even then it was almost certain that at least one of the nobles would be found dead or missing by the next morning. As a result of this high crime rate, whenever a noble did want to stay in the royal guest house, they would always have to arrive via the royal family's personal canal. Even the guest house itself was walled off from the second quarter, with the only entrance via land being a small, and closely guarded, steel gate.
It was ironic really, next to the first quarter which housed the main palace, the second quarter was technically the closest one could get to nobility. However, even though the citizens were so close. Many of them had never even seen a noble in their entire lifetime. To them the nobility was a far off and almost mystical entity. Many of the young women dreamed of what a prince would look like. While the young men and soldiers bragged in the bars about the battles they fought, and how cool it would be to face one of the mystical nobles in battle. The second quarter, and the citizens in it, were practically an unknown factor, a place for nobles to avoid. And so the citizens went about their usual care free day; the bartenders and restaurant owners readied their tables as men and women by the thousands poured into the streets. While the young men who recently joined the city watch prepared themselves for their shift. It was here, in this early morning chaos, that the criminally inclined members of society found refuge. It was easy to hide in playing sight when part of a crowd of thousands. And when your party consisted of just four people, your group could be considered almost invisible.
"Wow that's a lot of people." Sokka said as he peered out of the inn room's window at the street below. "You're telling me that Ba Sing Se really has more people than this? I don't believe it." Katara sighed as she pulled her brother back from the window.
"You really should be more careful brother. We might be in the Earth Kingdom but there are still plenty of people who could be spies for the Fire Nation. What if they recognized you?" Katara said as she sat Sokka down and got out her medicinal water. "How's it doing?" Katara asked him as she unraveled the bandages which covered his arm. Planted right in the center of his bicep was a massive gash. Katara sighed as she bent the healing water onto her brother's wound.
"Ow! That stings!" Sokka cringed. Toph laughed from her spot at the other end of the room. "What? Do you think this is funny?!" He yelled. Toph just rolled her eyes and tossed a pebble at the boy.
"I do. I find it absolutely hilarious how the great warrior Sokka is tearing up over a little rock bug infection." Toph said as she played with a few pebbles in the air. She smiled as she morphed the tiny little rocks into shapes of all sizes.
"This wasn't a small infection! I fell into a freaking nest of the things!" Sokka yelled as he glared at Toph. The earth bender just shrugged and returned her attention to her pebbles; which only served to infuriate Sokka more. "We had to fly all the way out here to get a doctor! And you aren't the least bit worried? I could have lost my arm to those parasites!" Again Toph shrugged.
"I nearly lost all of my limbs to those things when I was growing up. So forgive me if I'm not that sympathetic." Toph teased, Sokka was nearly about to boil over; however, Aang stopped him.
"Guys stop! This isn't the time to be fighting!" Aang pleaded as Momo flew through the air above. Sokka bit his lip in pain and nodded, rock bugs really did hurt. "Did the doctor get all of them out Katara?" Aang asked her. Katara nodded.
"Yes, right now all Sokka needs is time to heal." Katara then returned her water to its flask and turned to Aang. "How's Appa doing?" She asked as her eyes darted up towards the roof.
"I just fed him," Aang said as he watched some dust fall from the ceiling. "Although I can't say that he's too keen on staying here for long. It gets hot underneath that tarp after all." Katara nodded as she scoured through her bags.
"We really should thank those innkeepers for letting us stay here." Katara said as she pulled out a small piece of paper and some ink. "I'm going to write them a thank you note." Sokka rolled his eyes.
"Don't bother, if the wrong person finds it we could get them in trouble." Sokka said as he pressed his back up against a wooden wall. "And avatar sympathizers seem to be so far apart nowadays. Plus, there aren't many people out there who have the resources to hide a big bison like Appa." Sokka said.
"Do you think they'd let us keep that tarp?" Aang said as he sat down next to Sokka. "It could really save us some trouble in the future." And that it could. The tarp itself was actually a sort of tent, which had many different layers that could be pealed off for different environments. Since they were in a city they had the brown decal on now. Effectively it made Appa look like part of the roof.
"Where did those innkeepers say they got it from?" Toph spoke as she hopped out of her bed.
"They told me they got it as payment from some merchant." Katara said as she blew on the wet ink. "Finished, now all it has to do is dry." She then placed the letter next to the window, and let it sit in the warm sun. Katara sighed when she got a glimpse of the city down below. She wouldn't show it, but she wanted to explore. And so she sat there for a few seconds, making a map of the city streets in her head. She saw the steam wafting from the roadside noodle stands, the children laughing and cheering as they ran through the streets, and she saw the parade of soldiers... "Wait what?" Katara said as she instinctively pulled the blinds open.
"What was that about not being seen?" Sokka grumbled as he walked over next to he sister. "What are you looking at anyway?" He answered his own question when his eyes landed upon main street. Sokka then turned to Aang and Toph and pointed out the window. "That's a noble's procession!"
"A noble procession? I heard that they wouldn't come near this part of town." Toph said as she and Aang peered over Katara's and Sokka's heads. But there it was, the long strings of soldiers could only mean that a noble was in town. "Do you think it could be someone from the Fire Nation?" Sokka looked at her like she was stupid.
"You do realize we're in an Earth Kingdom city right?" He said. Toph rolled her eyes and flicked another pebble at him. This one landed right between the eyes.
"There's this thing called diplomacy. You might have heard of it." Sokka grunted as he rubbed his forehead. He swore that she sharpened that one.
"Don't worry Sokka, if the Fire Nation was here we'd know. Let's just wait and see." Aang said calmly as he watched the people crowd around the edges of the street. The soldiers marched on and on, but he didn't see any actual transport. Maybe it wasn't a royal procession. They waited and waited for the soldiers to pass, until finally they saw him.
"He looks too scrawny to be a noble." Sokka said as he stared at the boy in the turquoise robes. "He's stupid too. If what we heard about this place is correct, then he shouldn't be here. Heck he's even walking out in the open! How often do you see that?" The others stayed silent. This certainly was a strange situation, but something stranger was already in motion.
"Who are they?" Katara wondered out loud as she watched group of strange men clamber on top of a neighboring roof. They were wearing brown cloaks and had their faces covered. At first they thought the men were just trying to get a good view of the procession. That's when they saw the arrows...
"My prince I'm warning you, we should leave and fall back. This place is dangerous for people like you." The commander of the guards said as he walked up to Kel. The man was determined, he'd give them that.
"The guest palace is just down the road. Why would we turn back now?" The commander's face paled. Kel knew that what the man was saying was right, but he didn't care. Danger was the one thing he wanted right now. As he walked down the streets Kel looked over the faces of some of the onlookers. They stared at him like he was some sort of exhibit. What a perfect place for an assassination. Kel thought as he stared at the rooftops above. As expected his group of stalkers had now grown to at least twenty people. He smirked, only twenty? They obviously didn't know who they were dealing with.
"My lord please listen! We need to get out of here now!" The commander pleaded, but Kel continued on his way. The towering walls surrounding the guest palace loomed overhead; and it wasn't long before he and the group of soldiers were enveloped under its shadow.
They should be starting right about now. Kel thought as he scanned over the rooftops again. He smiled when he saw a man wearing a brown cloak walk out of the crowd and block his path. Right on schedule. The commander and the Castarn soldiers were quick to surround the man; within a matter of seconds they had half of the street aimed right at his head.
"State your name criminal! Blocking a royal procession is a capital offense!" The commander yelled, but the man stayed where he was. "If you do not move now we will be forced to take action!" He yelled again, but still the man was motionless.
"Then attack me, but you'll be jailed for treason if you do." The man said as he let down his hood. The soldiers and the commander all recoiled back when they saw what the man was wearing.
"Y-you're Dai Li!" The commander yelled before regaining his composure. "Why are you here? I thought you guys weren't due for your next mission for at least another week." Instead of answering him the Dai Li officer just walked past the commander and shoved a yellowed piece of parchment into his chest.
"That's a royal warrant. All the way from Ba Sing Se." The man said as he turned to Kel. The commander gasped when he read the scroll's contents.
"This is an arrest warrant!" The commander yelled before turning to the Dai Li officer. "What is the meaning of this?! All of my men are clean, I can promise you that!" Kel watched as six more Dai Li operatives walked into the street. It didn't take long before he was completely surrounded.
"We aren't here for any of your men commander." The officer said as he pointed at Kel. "We're here for the spy." Kel sighed and cracked his knuckles as the men came closer.
"Spy? What spy?" The commander asked again. Instead of answering him the operative just tossed the man a small bag. Inside it he found two emblem pins and a mound of opened scrolls. Kel didn't need to guess who the pins belonged to. Those two captains had it coming.
"Those two kings you received today weren't kings, and this prince isn't a prince." The officer said as he showed the commander another scroll, this one had the Castarn royal seal imprinted on it. "They were spies sent here by the Fire Nation to procure Castarn for a future invasion of Ba Sing Se. The king of Castarn was actively conspiring with them to sell off the city, and for quite the hefty pile of coin."
"Why were we not informed of this?!" The commander yelled as he flipped through the multitude of scrolls. "The king was a traitor? I can't believe it..."
"We couldn't risk any leaks, this was the only way to apprehend all of the culprits. The treasonous king of Castarn is rotting in a cell, and the two spies who were supposed to seal the deal went out in a burst of flame." Kel watched as the Dai Li operatives and the rest of the Earth Nation soldiers raised their fists to him. Now things were getting interesting. All of the civilians had rushed inside their homes, they had good instincts, he would give them that.
"You aren't the only one's with a traitor in their midst." Kel said as he leaned on one of the nearby buildings. "You see, I know for a fact that Azula burned all of the scrolls she got. So I have to wonder, who told you all of this? They must be close to the princess to be privy to that sort of information. Maybe one of the captains perhaps?" Kel asked the head Dai Li operative.
"Why? Do you want revenge for your princess? I'm sorry but that isn't going to happen." The man said as he raised his arm; however, much to the man's surprise, Kel just shrugged.
"I don't really care actually. Don't get me wrong I'll still kill him, but you're trying to preach to the deaf if you think I care about that princess garbage." He said as he placed a thumb on the hilt of his new sword, it wouldn't be as clean as a lightsaber, but it would do in a pinch. The operative laughed as he raised his arm in the air; the men on the rooftops then lifted large boulders from the ground, and aimed them at him. They plan to barrage me from above? How utterly dull.
"You're an interesting on. I'll give you that, but this is the end of the line!" And his arm came down; however, just before the rocks went flying a large gust of wind pushed all of the Dai Li operatives and soldiers to the ground. "What?!" The operative yelled as he looked for the source of the wind. He found his answer in the sky, where what looked to be a large flying bison hovered in the air. Besides Kel, everyone present recognized the bison instantly.
"So when did you guys decide to start killing kids?" A girl asked them as the bison flew down to the ground. Everyone knew who she was. Toph, the great earth bender who served as a teacher to the avatar Aang. And that wasn't all, the great warrior Sokka, the water bender Katara, and even the avatar himself were all present.
"I don't know what all of this is about." Aang said as he hopped down and walked up to Kel. "But violence, if it can be avoided, is never the answer! If this boy did something to offend you then please give him the chance to defend himself!" Aang yelled, but the soldiers still did not ease their stance. "Why won't you..." Aang started, something was wrong.
"Avatar Aang! That kid is a spy for the Fire Nation! Get away from him!" The Dai Li officer yelled as he dashed to Aang's position. "He's danger-" The man didn't get the chance to finish his sentence before Kel's blade found its way to his neck. Aang didn't even see the boy move.
"One down." The boy said as he stood over the officer's corpse. Again the boy disappeared before suddenly reappearing next to another soldier. There was a scream, and then the man went silent. "Two down." At this point was when the Di Li and the soldiers started to react. Rocks began to fly like rain as they tried to strike down the boy. Kel smiled, he knew that it was possible to increase your speed artificially by using the force, but this was something else.
"Move it Twinkletoes!" Toph yelled as she hastily grabbed Aang and pulled him up into Appa's saddle. "Your bison wants to bolt! And we can't leave without you!" Aang didn't respond, he was still caught in a daze; however, Toph made him respond when she smashed her foot into Aang's toe.
"Ouch! Toph why did you do that?!" He yelled.
"Less talking, more flying!" Sokka yelled as he shoved the reigns into Aang's hands. "We need to get out of here man so hurry up and yip yip!" Aang nodded and looked down at the street below. What was once a beautiful city street was now covered in red. The cries of the wounded drowned out the battle cries of those still fighting. And while Aang wanted to stay and help, something inside him screamed to flee.
"What sort of spy can do that?" Sokka mumbled as Appa flew into the clouds.
"A Fire Nation spy. They're masters when it comes to horrors like this." Katara said as she looked over Aang and the others for any injuries, luckily none of them were hurt. Aang grimaced as his eyes turned back towards the bloody street, which was now a distant dot on the horizon.
"They were trying to capture that monster. And I helped him escape." Aang mumbled with tears beginning to stream down his cheeks. "Those men's blood are on my hands." Katara walked over and gave Aang a hug.
"There, there, we couldn't have known what that boy was." She said as she placed a hand on Aang's. "But we will make it right! The Fire Nation will pay for this!" She said. Aang smiled and nodded; however, Sokka wasn't satisfied with just that.
"We'll make the Fire Nation pay, but if we ever see that monster again I'm putting my sword through him!" Sokka said as he punched his fists together.
"For once we agree on something Sokka." Toph said as she tried to wipe off some of the blood that was stuck to her feet. "When I finally get Aang earth bending like a pro, we'll come back here and teach that monster a lesson. Now doesn't that sound like fun? Right Sokka?" Toph said; however, she was met with silence. "Sokka?"
"You all really should watch what jumps on your bison. Those long white hairs are quite easy to grab a hold of." Toph's eyes widened, she didn't recognize that voice. Katara and Aang heard the voice as well, and for a moment it seemed like time froze.
"G...guys..." They heard Sokka's whimper. Aang's heart stopped when he saw the source of the voice. It was that boy, that monster, who slaughtered all of those men. And he was holding his blade to Sokka's neck. The black sword was stained with fresh blood, it formed into droplets and fell down into Sokka's shirt, staining the blue cloth red.
"Shhh~ You don't want to lose your head, do you?" Kel said as he patted Sokka's head.
"What do you want?" Sokka asked as he tried to bend his neck away from the blade.
"What do I want?" Kel chuckled as he moved the edge of his sword closer to Sokka's neck. He looked up and stared at Aang, his golden eyes pierced through to the boy's soul. "Chaos."
Yeah again sorry for the almost two year wait. If you have been waiting that long then I apologize, but I can at least say for certain now that this story will be getting regular updates. Expect the next update sometime around next month. Not much more to say.
Again, sorry for the wait, but I'm back baby!
P.S. I know the Dai Li eventually betray the Earth Kingdom, but that isn't until later.
Anyway! Please rate and review and I'll see you on the next chapter of The Wandering Shadow!
Chapter Four: Return to Sender