II.
After Kukuh's First Week of Training
"Why did you summon me, grandfather?" Kuarsa asked.
"Why do you think, young one?" the old man asked in return, beckoning his grandson.
The young man walked up to his grandfather, who, having a bad day, couldn't stand up from his chair.
"How is he faring?" the old man asked.
"He is… catching on," Kuarsa said.
His hesitance was obvious, and though the old man had trouble hearing, and was getting slow of mind, he heard and understood.
"How long will it take him?" he asked, voice feeble and this time hardly audible.
Kuarsa heard; by now, he was used to his grandfather's condition, though he didn't see him that often.
"Eight years," he said, proud of his statement.
Many teachers had given up on first try, trying to teach the boy to become an earth bending master, but he hadn't. He saw potential in the boy who looked helpless on first sight, bending on instinct.
That on its own wasn't so bad, the problem being that the boy didn't really have that much of a bending master's instinct.
Kuarsa understood why that many teachers and renowned master had given up, but they didn't realize that the boy couldn't stay a halfwit when it comes to earth bending.
That is why he had taken the duty on him to train the boy, knowing that it would be a struggle, and that it would take a lot of time and patience.
His grandfather, being the person he used to be, harsh and unforgiving, shook his head.
"Too long," he said.
Like that, he could undo all feelings of pride.
"But…"
"Complain all you want, it's too long," king Batu said.
"Eight years," he huffed, "if only we had that much time…"
"Then how much time will you give me?" Kuarsa asked.
He wished to make his grandfather proud, like his father failed to do on many occasions.
So far, he had not failed his grandfather, never, though being a prodigy, that was expected of him.
"Four years, five at most," Batu said.
Kuarsa sighed, that would be challenging.
He felt the urge to speak out against his grandfather, but he wasn't given an opportunity. Kuarsa had to admit, even though his grandfather was old and frail, he still dominated the conversations the two of them had.
"And I advise you not to fail me," Batu said.
He moved his head closer to Kuarsa's, grimacing.
"If you do," he said, "we will all perish."
"Perish, but grandfather…"
"Yes, perish!" the king yelled, pulling himself back into his chair.
"Do you think we have the manpower to break the siege, prince Kuarsa?" he asked.
"Do you think that by some sort of miracle, the spirits will relieve us?"
"Do you think that I can work miracles to keep us all safe, far from harm?"
"Nuh… no…" Kuarsa said, backing away from his grandfather.
"Good," Batu snarled, gesturing Kuarsa to leave him alone.
"Get it done."
Kuarsa bowed and left the room, passing his father who had been waiting at the door.
He was grabbed in his neck, his face brought close to his father's.
"You dare lie to the king?" Su'at hissed.
"I don't know what you're talking about," Kuarsa said, assuming a calm posture.
His father tried to be like the king, an authoritarian, but he couldn't match Batu by far.
"Don't lie to me," Su'at said, releasing his son from his iron grip, adding, "son," nearly like a sneer.
"You know as well as I do, that there's no hope for the kid."
"How would you know?"
"I saw you train him," Su'at said.
He smirked, "He isn't catching on, and he'll never catch on."
"The perfect prince Kuarsa will fail, like I said he eventually would."
"We will see, father," Kuarsa said, walking away from his father.
"And quit your gloating already," he muttered.
His father didn't hear, he had entered Batu's room and closed the door.
Kuarsa wondered from time to time what his father and grandfather would discuss together. His guess was that they discussed matters of state, since his father was the heir to the throne of Omashu.
He shrugged, he needed to divert his attention to a more important matter, teaching the Avatar how to properly bend earth.
A Few Months into the Siege
On a morning, a surge of excitement went through the camp of the water tribe besiegers of Omashu.
Akkik left the tranquility of his tent to see what was going on, finding out, feeling conflicted.
"Greetings brave warriors!" an aged man, seated on a grey polar dog, exclaimed.
"We are here to support you in every way we can!"
Akkik waited in front of his tent, bearing a wry smile.
The man passed him, they glanced at each other for a second, but the man turned his face away.
He pursed his lips, sighing.
"Okay then," he mumbled.
He walked along the line the soldiers had formed, trying to get a glimpse of the chief of the Southern Water Tribe.
In the distance, he saw his father speeding towards the center of the camp, where chief Ghanak would be waiting.
He didn't hurry, there was no need, it seemed his father didn't want to see him anyway.
When he got to the center of the camp, he saw his father saying goodbye to chief Ghanak.
Adok turned around, scanning the area around him, until his eyes met with Akkik's once more.
"Ah!" he exclaimed, opening his arms and walking towards Akkik.
"My son!"
Akkik accepted the situation he now found himself in. He couldn't turn away from his father, disgracing him in front of such an audience, so he walked up to his father and underwent his firm embrace.
Adok released him shortly thereafter, taking a small step backwards to inspect his son.
"You've changed," he mumbled. "Have you gained weight?"
Akkik wished to answer his father's question, but he didn't let him.
"No," he said, smiling proudly, keeping his lips pressed to one another, "you have become a real man." He nodded.
"Yes…"
"I'm honored to see you again, chief," Akkik said, giving his father a courteous nod.
"Do you hear that men?" Adok asked, raising his voice significantly to make himself audible.
"True discipline! Embraced by his father, he still calls him chief!"
The men laughed, during their laughter, Adok closed in on Akkik.
"We need to speak," he whispered.
Akkik nodded.
He followed his father inside of chief Ghanak's tent.
Ghanak had left for a moment to give Adok and Akkik the privacy Adok had requested.
"I heard you finally listened to me," Adok said, once they were inside.
"If this is about Kala, I really don't feel like talking about it," Akkik said.
Adok grinned, walking over to a wooden cabinet where Ghanak stored his liquor.
"Why not?" he asked, carefully picking a bottle and filling a goblet with the strong smelling drink.
"I believe it's worth a celebration, though there are some things we need to discuss that are of the utmost importance."
Adok gave the filled goblet to his son, pouring himself a goblet full of the same drink.
"Really?" Akkik asked, clearly annoyed.
"Why don't you leave it all to myself? Why don't you get off my back for a second?"
"You will understand when the time comes that you've fathered your own children," Adok answered, drinking the booze in one go.
"Once you're a father of teenage children, knowing how lustful and foul you've been in your own youth, you will understand where I stand."
"Oh please," Akkik said, "don't give me that crap again."
"Crap?" Adok asked.
"If only you understood where I came from…"
"Yes, yes, blah, blah, responsibility and all," Akkik said, waving his father's words away.
"Indeed, responsibility," Adok said, keeping his cool, though Akkik saw anger growing within him.
"I don't know how you, a son of mine, could do without a wife for as long as this," he said, "and I hope you didn't defile yourself…"
"Come on… stop it already," Akkik said.
"But to be honest son, I don't really care, you've stayed pure, I hope, and now you've grown towards Manak's daughter. Once the two of you marry, I…"
"Marriage? Come on father, please, don't get ahead of yourself."
"Fine, fine, though I urge you to hurry," Adok said.
"A man of your age, around a girl as beautiful as she… it will only be a matter of time before your mind turns foul."
"And once the mind turns foul, the body will follow."
"Yes, yes, abstinence and chastity," Akkik said, repeating the two words his father had shoved down his own and his brother's throat.
Anoak had abided his father's teachings, though he was forced to marry at age twelve.
Akkik had tried to hold his father's teachings in honor as well, and so far, he had been successful. His father was right though, it was getting harder every day.
"Good, you remembered," Adok hummed.
"In that case, I don't think I need to tell you again, you're excused."
Akkik left the tent and wandered back to his tent. He had something to think about.
A Week After Adok's Arrival
Kala stood at a plateau, which served as an outpost, overlooking the city of Omashu. She had agreed on standing guard, there wasn't much else she could do in the army camp. The men sparred, and spent most their time chopping trees and crafting military equipment.
Besides, Akkik was acting rather distant ever since his father arrived, so she didn't feel like spending much time with him either.
Her father was busy too, stationed at one of the small harbors near Omashu with a small regiment.
"Such a peaceful evening, isn't it?" someone said from behind her.
"It's strange," she said, "I had expected the citizens of Omashu to be in panic, but it looks like they don't care."
"They're earth benders," the man said, walking up to her, "they don't panic."
"I don't believe that, chief," Kala said, "everyone panics."
"But they don't show it."
"True…" Kala mumbled.
"Why the gloomy attitude?" chief Ghanak asked.
"Akkik."
"Ah, yes, his father's visit has gotten to him, hasn't it?"
"Yes, but that's not all…"
"Oh?"
"He admitted that he loves me, that felt great, but I want our relationship to move forward, yet he…"
"He doesn't want to take the next step," Kala said.
"Aren't you a bit too eager?" Ghanak asked.
"What do you mean?"
"Do you realize that Akkik is a son of Southern Water Tribe's chief? He has been raised differently from how you were raised. Don't you know that Adok is the most strict man on the South Pole when it comes to tradition and morality."
"I don't follow…"
"Akkik's father was never meant to be the chief of the Southern Water Tribe, he just… got into the position by a stroke of luck."
"So?"
"He grew up and lived most of his life in the Northern Water Tribe and you know how prudish people are there," Ghanak said.
"You'll have to accept it. The two of us, we grew up in a more open-minded society, while Akkik and his father grew up in a more strict, conservative environment."
"I never knew this…" Kala said.
"Thank you for telling me. This isn't the first time you've…"
"You're welcome Kala."