Equivalent Exchange
Chapter Eleven: Crazy King Bumi
Omashu, city of legend, came into view about a week later. It looked like a series of triangles built atop a platform of rock and it stood as tall as most of the surrounding mountains. Clouds drifted near the tips of the strange city sections. It was easy to imagine that they were near enough to reach out and touch. A stone roadway, wide enough to fit carts or wagons, wound its way toward the isolated city, spanning a deep valley below. Omashu was in fact hewn from the very mountain it was perched upon, a city only earthbenders could create; a jewel among weather worn rock.
The rhinos had cut down their traveling time considerably and left the group good humoured at the end of each day. Occasionally, one of the animals, which were much better tempered than their appearance suggested, would pitch one of them off the leather saddle, sending, usually Jee for some reason, flying into some pine tree or other. He took it all with a smile, despite the scratches and bruises that covered most of his body.
It was amusing to watch the lieutenant try to win over one beast in particular, one that had taken a keen dislike to him. He stroked its head and fed it tidbits from his own bowl every evening, crooning to it sweetly, acting every bit like a besotted man trying to capture a woman's heart.
"Give up," Mai said drolly one evening as they camped in a small clearing at the base of one of the many gently sloped foothills that led up to the city.
It was cold, colder than anything Mai or Zuko had ever experienced. Their breath rolled out in heavy white waves and the two young people huddled together near the large, blazing fire. Mai wore her cloak on top of two layers of clothing and she was still shivering. Zuko had an arm wrapped around her and was trying to infuse Mai with a bit of his own natural heat. Iroh puttered around the fire making tea.
"I won't give up," Jee replied. "Not until she's mine."
Mai rolled her eyes and pressed herself tighter against Zuko.
"He's joking, isn't he?" Zuko asked his betrothed.
"I'm not really sure anymore," Mai giggled.
"Here," Iroh interrupted. "I've got some hot green tea for you, Mai. Drink up."
Mai held onto the cup tightly with both hands. The warmth felt wonderful and the fragrant steam drifting upward into her face both heated her up and piqued her appetite.
"I'll take care of dinner tonight. I cook a very good pot of rice now and we've got some leftover fish from yesterday," Jee said when he finally left the komodo-rhino he had not so affectionately named Kusogaki*.
The lieutenant worked quickly and efficiently and soon dinner was ready. Everyone gulped it down hungrily and then helped with the cleanup. The thought of bedrolls stretched out near the fire was alluring. They were all wrapped up tightly by the time the sun had completely set and dropped off to sleep soon after. The next day would be an interesting one. The travelers would get their first real look at Omashu and if things went as Iroh promised, they would be having a perplexing conversation with King Bumi.
"How old is Bumi exactly?" Zuko asked as they approached the stone roadway.
"I'm pretty certain that he's well over one hundred," Iroh replied. "When I saw him a few years ago, he was incredibly powerful and fit. You would never, ever guess his age."
"Hmmmm," Mai mused. "And why does he have the title of 'King'?"
"He's simply the leader of the city," Iroh replied. "Why he's called 'King' instead of governor or elder, I don't know."
"And you're certain that he'll welcome us?" Jee asked.
"I'm certain of very little," Iroh chuckled. "But, Bumi is a good man and he can read people very well. We might have more trouble getting by the guards outside the city gate. In fact, I think that I should proceed first and have a talk with the nice men."
The former general waved them back a bit and picked up his own pace. Mai, Zuko and Jee walked a bit closer to the edge and looked down, marveling at the view. The komodo-rhinos stamped impatiently, eager to go forward.
"Settle down, Kusogaki," Jee implored the one animal. "We'll get moving soon."
"Better hope she doesn't get angry and send you over the edge," Mai joked darkly.
Jee looked very nervous all of a sudden and stepped away from the animals. He moved forward a bit, putting Mai and Zuko between himself and the five rhinos.
"I can't believe I never thought of that," he groaned and slapped his forehead.
After a few more minutes of waiting, Iroh walked back toward them.
"What happened?" Zuko asked.
"One of the guards is going to the palace to make inquiries," Iroh answered. "We should know soon. Let's move up so we can see what's happening."
The group moved ahead so that they were in shouting distance of the one remaining guard, a huge, burly looking man, in full military apparel, helmet and all.
"What's he guarding against anyway?" Zuko asked. "I can't believe this road is every actually busy."
"Every major city has gates, Zuko. You should know that," Iroh replied.
"Yeah, but they're in the middle of nowhere," the prince continued. "Do you think the Fire Nation would ever bother trying to invade?"
"I do," Iroh said firmly. "True, Omashu is isolated, but it contains a large population and is known by all Earth Kingdom citizens. Should it fall, the people would be demoralized. Only Ba Sing Se would be left. And if the great walled city falls, I don't know if the Earth Kingdom people would survive."
"Oh," Zuko said and hung his head, almost in shame.
They waited on the roadway for another hour before the second guard came back. He gestured for them to move forward.
"King Bumi has graciously invited you to visit him at the palace. There's another guard on the other side waiting to accompany you."
Iroh clasped his hands together in an expression of joy and threw an "I told you so" look Zuko's way. The two guards used their bending to open the massive stone gates and the group got their first real look at Omashu. It was spectacular.
"This place looks even more boring than the Fire Nation capitol." Mai immediately griped as she glanced around at the industrious looking people going about their daily chores, heads down and dressed warmly to fight off the cold.
There were patches of snow here and there, on the green tile roofs and in the narrow walkways that led from one level of the city to another. Because of Omashu's structure, a unique delivery system existed; goods were moved from level to level via a massive network of tubes and chutes. Earthbending moved the packages and crates upwards, while gravity took care of the downward movement. Everywhere Mai and Zuko turned, someone was lifting a box of something or other and putting it on a cart to take elsewhere. They had to admit that it was efficient and quick.
"How do you like the system they have in place?" Iroh asked everyone as they strode behind the accompanying guard.
"It's a marvel," Jee observed. "A boy could have some fun with that."
"Oh, I think a girl could have some fun too," Mai corrected the lieutenant.
Aside from the green roofs, there was little other colour in the city. What trees and shrubs existed were all confined to small gardens that extended outward from some of the homes and businesses. They were leafless and grey now but would provide patches of colour once spring arrived.
"This way," the guard instructed them when they approached a large construction in the lower centre of the city. "I'll get someone to take care of the, um, animals."
King Bumi's castle was, as they expected, the largest building in Omashu. Aside from its size, there was really nothing that made it stand out. It had five green tiled peaks and only a few small windows, most near the palace's upper floors.
"Kind of unspectacular," Mai whispered to Zuko as the guard guided them into the main foyer.
"Hmmm," Zuko mused.
It was certainly nothing like the Fire Nation palace which, besides keeping a lot of space between it and the neighboring buildings was far more ornate than Bumi's dwelling. Sometimes appearances could be deceiving; in this case they weren't. Understated was the best word for the palace's interior. Dark green carpet covered the floor. The walls were a pale green and wall sconces filled with a strange looking crystal provided the light. There were no paintings and no tapestries. There were no display cabinets filled with weapons or artifacts and the throne room itself was completely bare except for a simple green, high backed chair. A guard stood at attention on either side and on the throne itself sat the most bizarre looking man that Mai, Zuko and Jee had ever seen. Iroh had already seen him once.
His white hair, what there was of it, was wild and stuck out every which way. Some of his teeth were missing and strange brown splotches decorated his skin. His eyes were two different shades of green; one was large while the other protruded grossly and looked like a bloated grape that might explode at any second. Huge discoloured bags sat underneath his eyes. When he saw Iroh and the others, a maniacal grin lit up his unusual face. Iroh, ever mannerly, gave Bumi a traditional Fire Nation bow.
"The Dragon of the West," Bumi cackled and gestured for the small group to move forward, "And Grand Lotus."
"King Bumi, we are honoured that you have allowed us into your city and your home," Iroh began. "We have much to talk about."
"And so we shall. Now who are these young people?" Bumi asked.
Iroh waved Zuko and Mai forward.
"This young man is Zuko, my nephew and the Fire Lord's son. This young lady is Mai, Zuko's betrothed and a skilled knife thrower."
"Ah, so that's the burn your father gave you, huh, boy? Step forward. I want to have a look."
"What do you care what my burn looks like?" Zuko objected, his temper and sensitivity to the subject getting the better of him.
"Zuko!" Iroh chastised.
The prince set his jaw angrily but moved closer to Bumi. The old king peered intently at Zuko, examining every inch of him.
"That must have hurt," was all he said.
He waved Zuko away and beckoned Mai forward.
"Why are you here?" he asked bluntly.
Mai narrowed her eyes at the king and explained herself briefly.
"I stowed away on Zuko's ship back in the Fire Nation. I decided to join him on his banishment."
"And what do your parents think of that?" Bumi prodded.
"My parents think I'm dead," Mai replied icily. "We're all dead."
"My, she's a gloomy one, isn't she? Are you sure that you want to marry her, young Prince Zuko?"
"H, hey," Zuko sputtered. "Yes, I'm sure."
"Well, okay then. I wish you great happiness."
"Iroh, who is this other fine gentleman?"
"Lieutenant Jee; he served under me during my stint in the military. He's a good man and was willing to be part of Zuko's crew."
"Crew?" Bumi asked.
"Well, we left the Fire Nation on a ship, remember. We lost that ship about a month ago."
"Tell me the entire story over dinner," Bumi suggested. "A guard will take you to your rooms. Don't be offended if I post someone outside your doors. Technically, you're still the enemy."
"No offense taken," Iroh soothed. "Thank you, King Bumi."
"You'll be notified when dinner is served."
He had stopped looking at them by then and was engrossed with a small bug making its way across the wide sleeve of his green robes.
Their rooms were simple like everything else in the palace, but comfortable; anything would be more comfortable than bedrolls and hard ground. Each room was equipped with a plain bed, one chair, a dressing table and a mirror. In addition, each bedroom had its own bath, albeit a tiny one.
Mai tossed her satchel onto the carpeted floor and then dropped gracefully onto the bed. Zuko flopped down onto the floor beside the bed and stretched out.
"So, what do you think?" he asked.
"I think he looks like a freak," Mai replied. "But there's something about him I like."
"Yeah," Zuko agreed. "And I think he's pretty sharp."
"What are we going to do while we're here? At least we had walking or riding to occupy us before," Mai stated.
"I don't know; I guess they're going to discuss White Lotus stuff most of the time."
"I think a lot of their talk will involve you," Mai said astutely. "I think your uncle has plans."
"I don't want to talk about all that," Zuko said sharply. "I just want to relax for awhile."
Mai sighed and closed her eyes. They fluttered back open when she felt Zuko's lips on hers.
"It's been forever," he whispered and deepened the kiss, pressing the length of his body against hers.
Mai ran her hands up and down Zuko's back and then shoved him off her. Her body, a tingling, warm mess of heightened nerves positively cried its disappointment.
"We can't," she said sternly. "Besides, I'm not ready."
"I know," Zuko breathed into her ear. "I'm sorry, Mai. I just , I well, I, you're beautiful and I …"
"You what?"
"You know what," Zuko replied. "I love you. If I didn't have you here with me, I'd be so miserable."
"You still are sometimes," Mai quipped.
"Yeah," Zuko agreed, "But not all the time."
His grin was almost cocky and Mai had to smile. She gave him another shove and he rolled off the bed onto the floor.
"Hey, what was that for?" the prince cried, his pride wounded.
"That was for getting me all excited," she retorted and flashed him a wicked smile.
"Hurumph," the prince snorted. "I guess I'm not wanted here. I'll see you at dinner time."
With that he grabbed his own bag and went next door to his own room. Mai stayed on the bed for some time afterwards imagining what it would be like when she and Zuko finally did go beyond kissing. It wouldn't be for some time, but a girl could fantasize.
With bodies bathed, hair washed and fresh clothes on, Mai and Zuko walked hand in hand to the dining room, a few paces behind Jee and Iroh.
"Young love," Bumi said wistfully as soon as the pair came into his view. "That's something I never experienced."
"Wonder why?" Mai said so that only Zuko could hear.
"Sit where you like," Bumi offered and waved a bejeweled hand around dramatically. "I hope you all like Earth Kingdom cooking."
"It smells and looks wonderful," Iroh replied immediately. "And is that jasmine tea, I smell?"
"It is," Bumi said. "I'll bet you thought we'd have green tea, didn't you?"
The old king snorted and chortled indelicately, slapping his hands down on the table so that all the dishes rattled.
"Green; do you get it?" he asked and broke out into more laughter.
"Hmm, very amusing," Iroh agreed and looked over at his nephew.
"Yeah, funny," Zuko finally said.
Mai kicked him under the table and covered her smirk with two delicate pale fingers. The prince gave her a withering glance and then turned his attention to the hearty meat and vegetables. The smell of the meat in particular made his stomach growl.
"Help yourselves; I won't bite," Bumi encouraged everyone and then made weird, exaggerated biting motions.
"Okaay," Mai said and filled her plate, passing serving dishes on down the table.
"Does everyone have food now?" Bumi asked.
His guests all nodded.
"Good. Now tell me everything from the beginning."
""Well," Iroh began, stroking his beard and sipping on his jasmine tea. "I suppose we should start with Zuko's banishment."
The prince's face blanched and his good eye narrowed. The subject would always be a touchy one for him, no matter the amount of time that went by. It wasn't just a banishment, it was a betrayal by the man who was supposed to protect him, love him and teach him; his father, Fire Lord Ozai.
Bumi listened carefully, occasionally asking a question or making a strange observation. By the time dessert had come and gone, the King of Omashu knew everything.
"So everyone assumes that you're dead; wonderful, wonderful, well for the Order of the White Lotus and any plans we might have it is, right Iroh?"
"Yes, Bumi. Organizing any kind of opposition force is much easier accomplished when your 'enemy' believes that you are dead."
"Young man," Bumi said, turning his attention to Zuko, "What do you think of all this? What do you think of the Order of the White Lotus? How do you feel about going against your father and sister and trying to put an end to this war?"
"Um, well, I don't look forward to any of it," Zuko replied honestly. "I feel like a traitor. But, I'm starting to see just what my country is doing to everyone and it's definitely not right. It's not really a war. It's more like a bully terrorizing people. I wish there was another way. I wish my father could understand. But in his eyes I'm a traitor and a loser no matter what. And my sister; she just wanted me out of the way."
"So you're willing to help us?" Bumi continued to probe. "In less than three years, Sozin's Comet will come again. We're certain that Ozai will use the power of the comet to finish off what he's started. The Fire Nation will have untold power on that day, the power to annihilate my people and destroy our land. We can't let him do that."
"Do you think that I can stop my father? He's a much better firebender than I am. Azula's much better than I am? What can I do?"
"You are powerful too Zuko," Iroh said and gave his nephew an encouraging smile. "And with intensive training you will grow more so. Along with Mai, who is a force to be reckoned with, and other members of the Order, we stand a chance. And who knows? Maybe the Avatar will decide to show up."
"Fat chance," Zuko sneered. "He's like a hundred years old."
Bumi turned his crazy eye on Zuko and glared.
"No offense," the prince quickly amended. "I'm sure the Avatar is a really great fighter."
"I'll show you exactly what a one hundred and ten year old man can achieve. Come with me!"
He led them to what could best be described as an indoor arena. Zuko immediately thought of the one at home where he had suffered the most painful and humiliating moment of his life. While the arena in the Fire Nation palace was shiny and polished, with flags hanging dramatically from the ceiling, Bumi's was dilapidated looking, as though no one had used it for years. Stands lined both of the stadium's longer sides while there was a special seating area for royalty and dignitaries at the end through which the group entered. The only decoration was the Earth Kingdom symbol carved into the stone here and there. While the rest of the palace was green, the stadium was a combination of browns and sandy colours, much like the earth that Bumi and all other earthbenders manipulated.
"Down there," Bumi ordered jovially and gave Zuko a shove.
The prince stumbled down the stairs that led to the arena floor and then turned around to watch Bumi. Mai, Iroh and Jee peered down from one of the side balconies. His betrothed smirked at him. Before Zuko had a chance to gather his thoughts, Bumi had torn off his robes along with his unusual crown and leaped down onto the stadium floor, landing a few feet in front of the young man. His eyes bugged out; Bumi's body rippled with muscles. If not for his face, Zuko would have put the king at about forty years old. He shot a glance up into the balcony and tried to catch Mai's eye. She was doubled over with laughter, her long black hair hanging down like a curtain on each side of her face.
"Ready?" Bumi asked.
"For what?" Zuko asked.
"Use your bending, boy; I'll throw a few rocks your way."
It had been a month since Zuko had even used his bending for anything other than starting a fire. He felt rusty, but got into a fighting stance anyway. His knees were bent and his arms were stretched outward, fists clenched loosely, ready to deflect earth with fire. Bumi's first shot hit him right in the gut. Winded, Zuko fell to the ground on his behind, an angry look on his face.
"I thought you said you were ready," Bumi cackled.
"I never said that," Zuko protested as he jumped nimbly back onto his feet.
A shower of small boulders came hurtling through the air at the prince. He was ready this time and either dodged the projectiles or burned them up before they could hit him.
"That's better," the old king stated as he proceeded to send a hail of dirt Zuko's way.
All his years of training both in bending and basic martial arts came back with a vengeance. Zuko's muscles seemed to have their own memory and his body jumped and twirled, dodged and slid gracefully. It looked like he was dancing; and with the fire exploding from his fingertips, the dance suddenly looked dangerous and exotic. Mai was entranced with the display. She'd seen Zuko bend many times, but never with such abandon, at least not without his life in danger. Mai could see the potential for greatness there. Perhaps one day, he could stand on his own against Azula or Ozai; perhaps.
"Good," Bumi praised Zuko. "I'm no firebender but you've got some skills there. They could be better, though. So get used to this place. You'll be doing a lot of training here; all of you."
"Great," Zuko replied with a grimace.
He was happier with the idea than his face and voice indicated. Training you could lose yourself in. Training made the body ache and the mind feel numb. It was better than thinking about what had happened over the past eight months and what might happen in the future.
"Hey," Mai greeted him when he finally rejoined her. "I guess I know what we'll be doing here now, don't I?"
"Yeah," Zuko smiled.
He wiped his arm across his damp forehead and then looked into her eyes, recalling all the good that had happened and was yet to come with her. Yes, some things were worth remembering. Some things he could look forward to.
*means misbehaved child in Japanese
A/N: I needed something a little more lighthearted after the last installment. I'm sure you have an idea where things are headed now. Thanks for reading and reviewing.
Alabaster