Chap. 16

The Gathering of Fire Part 2

"Wow." Chien breathed as he looked out onto the huge fortress.

"The Fire Lord spares no expense when it comes to prisoners." Jeong-Jeong said, nodding his head in agreement. "Especially those who have such connection to the Avatar."

"And I doubt the Sages will be happy to resume serving the Fire Lord after this." Fuego added, from his place on the cliff. The prison the group was looking out was built an island underneath a large outcropping of rock that stretched out over it. This location made it impossible for anyone to escape and very difficult for anyone to get inside without the small boats the soldiers used to get from the shore to the island.

"I hope you have a plan to get down there, Jeong-Jeong." Zuko said, looking down over the cliff. "It looks like a very long drop."

"Of course it is! If it wasn't I would've gotten the prisoners out by now." Jeong-Jeong snapped. "But don't worry, I have a way down. There's only one problem."

"What's that?" Fuego asked.

"The patrols go around the courtyard every hour." Jeong-Jeong explained. "They will need to be taken out before we can proceed safely through the prison."

"Well then, any volunteers?" the red man asked.

"I'll go." Chey said, only to be pushed back by Jeong-Jeong's second in command.

"We do not need your bungling on this mission." The man sneered as he looked at Chey.

"Well, then why don't you do it?" Chey asked back.

The man started to argue, but before he could finish, Zuko stepped forward and said, "Neither of you are going. I'm the only one here with any real stealth training, so I the best choice to go."

"Zuko are you sure?" Chien asked. "There's probably a big reward for you at this point."

"It doesn't matter." Zuko said. "I was given royal stealth training by the bets in the Fire Nation, if there's anyone who can move around silently down there it's me."

Chien tried to reply, but before he could get two words out, Pong jumped in front and began shaking his head violently back and forth.

"Pong, calm down. I'll be fine." Zuko said, trying to reassure his friend. But Pong only shook his head ever harder, and then finally brought out some parchment and wrote something out. Taking it, Zuko read the words aloud.

If they capture you, they will torture you until you die. You're too important to the Army to lose.

"That's why you're not going to lose me." Zuko said, handing the note back to Pong. Then, before anyone else could object, Zuko turned to Jeong-Jeong and asked, "How do I get down?"

"Follow me." The old Firebender said, moving to the edge of the cliff. Zuko began to follow, only to feel a hand clamp down on his shoulder. The Prince turned to see Fuego standing behind him.

"Don't worry, I'm not gonna stop you." Fuego said quickly. "I have faith in you. But you're right, this is a stealth mission, and you should take every precaution. So here."

Zuko's eyes widened as Fuego held out his gift. "Where did you get this?" the Prince breathed.

"Your uncle told us all about it." Fuego explained. "He also told us how it was lost, but I saw another one in the marketplace before we left. I thought you might need it, so…"

"Fue, you didn't need to do this." Zuko protested. "This thing…"

"Will keep you safe from those guards down there." Fuego said. "Humor an old man, and take it."

Zuko looked at the gift a moment longer, then shrugged and took it.

"Feels just like the old one." He said.

"Good. I hope it serves you just as well as that did." Fuego said.

Zuko nodded, and then walked off to where Jeong-Jeong stood, a rope in his hand as the others watched.

"Thank you." Aang said, as he took the hot cup of tea from Arik the farmer's hand. After the family had gotten off their knees, they had introduced themselves to the Avatar and invited him inside their home. Aang had returned their introduction, and even convinced Oscuridad to reveal himself to the family. They had greeted and invited the bat as well, and the two of them had entered the house, where the family had set up a fine meal for them, although Oscuridad was still suspicious.

The young Avatar took a few sips, nodded his appreciation, and then gently set it down next to the plate of food that the family had prepared for him and Oscuridad.

"Is everything to your liking?" Uli, Arik's wife asked from her spot near the firepit.

"Very much so." Aang replied. "We really appreciate your hospitality."

"Although, we are a bit confused by it." Oscuridad said, eyeing the family warily.

"Our home has always been open to the weary traveler, good friend." Arik said, as he pulled his son onto his lap. "To do any less for our fellow man would be dishonorable."

"And I respect that." The bat said. "But I'm just a little unsure as to whether or not this is hospitality."

"Osc!" Aang snapped. "These people have been kind to us."

"No, no, it's all right Avatar." Arik said, waving his hands in gentle protest. "Your friend has reason to be wary."

"And that's why." The bat replied. "You know who he is. The Fire Lord would be willing to pay quite a bit for him. And with all due respect, you don't seem to have all that much around here."

"You speak the truth." Uli said sadly. "This part of the island has been deemed farmland for the Fire Lord's Army. All who live here must grow the food, yet are denied from taking any of it for themselves. We must survive on the meager rations that the Fire Lord sends every month."

"You said all who live here." Aang began.

"There are about twenty families who live on the land along with us." Arik explained. "We function as a council, dividing up the resources between us and trying to survive. I function as head of the council."

"Good story, but it doesn't exactly build my confidence about where your loyalties lie." The bat said. "If you captured us and turned us over, you could end a lot of the hardships you are under."

"True, but there would be no honor in it." Arik said.

"What about loyalty? Doesn't the Fire Lord demand absolute loyalty form all his subjects?"

"Loyalty to the Fire Lord is a far more complicated issue then you think." Arik said with a wry grin.

The guards at the prison were among the most bored in the entire Fire Nation Army. They were made up of troops deemed inappropriate for true combat, and therefore had been assigned to positions where they could do the least damage. The prison was the perfect example. Though the prisoners kept here where certainly dangerous, there was also no way for them to escape. The walls were huge and towered over all who saw them. And even if the prisoners could make it over the walls, they would still have to swim through the dangerous waters to shore, waters filled with all manner of dangerous sea beasts. So it only made sense that this prison would be filled with guards who function more as decorations then anything else.

Those guards down there knew their positions as well, and therefore made their rounds half-heatedly each day, as they prayed for some way off the island. One guard in particular lay against the wall, almost half-asleep, while his comrades laughed and played dice nearby. The four of them made up the night patrol this evening, and he was not good at staying up late. This nearly sleeping guard watched half-heartedly as his companions played. For a brief moment, he started to get up and retire to his bed, but before he could, a hand reached out of the shadows and pulled him close with barely a sound. The other guards continued with their game, that is, until they heard the sound of muffled yelling coming from within the shadows. Startled, the guards turned to see their friend, bound and gagged, suddenly fall to the ground before them. Startled, they forgot their game and moved to help him. But as they got close, a second figure came out of the shadows, a figure dressed in dark clothing, who wore the face of a laughing blue and white demon. As they looked on, one of the guards suddenly remembered a wanted poster he had seen, and gasped, "The Blue Spirit!"

The guards were startled at this, but gripped their weapons, and charged this strange figure before them. But the Blue Spirit merely reached behind his back and withdrew a long broadsword that he split into two with a quick motion of his hands. Before the guards could even begin to attack, the Blue Spirit suddenly whirled forward and shot past them. He stood behind them a moment, then turned to watch as their weapons fell apart. They stared at their broken weapons in utter shock, too surprised to even react as the Blue Spirit suddenly dove into their midst and with a flurry of punches and kicks, sent all of them down to the ground. They fell together in a heap, unconscious and unmoving.

The Spirit stood back up, nodded, and then looked over at the other guard he'd tied up, who began struggling even harder to break free. The Spirit just such his head, and then raised his hand up and sent a small burst of fire up into the air. That done, he turned down to the guard, grabbed his collar, and drew him to his feet.

"Please don't hurt me!" The guard begged.

"I'm not going to." The Blue Spirit answered, in a voice that was too muffled to clearly identify. "Not if you do what I want."

"W-What's that?" the guard asked nervously.

"My friends will be coming down in a few minutes, and we happen to be looking for someone." The Blue Spirit explained. "We have part of what we need now," he continued, reaching over to the guard's belt and pulling off the keys. "But we need one more thing. Where are the Fire Sages being kept?"

"What do you mean, more complicated?" Oscuridad asked.

"Let me ask you something, Dark One." Arik asked. "How long should a war go on? A few years? A decade? A century even? And if it did go on that long, who would keep fighting? Those who actually started the war, or the people under them, that could be sacrificed?"

"I'm starting to see where this is going." The bat said with a nod.

"No, you don't." Arik replied. "You don't understand what it's like. The whole world thinks the Fire Nation is full of mindless savages, and that all of us want to destroy the world. They don't know how the Fire Lord has taken our sons and daughters to fight for his glory. They don't know how most of us wonder why the gods have not destroyed the Fire Nation for what they did to the Airbenders and the Avatar. And they don't know how much we hate the man who did this to us. They don't know how much we hate the man who took away our honor."

Arik finished his speech, and looked at the two figures before him. Aang and Oscuridad stared back in shock. They had never suspected to find a person like this on this island. Someone that was as repulsed by the Fire Nation as Zuko and Iroh had become, someone that seemed to want to redeem his homeland. But even so, Oscuridad took a long hard look at Arik before he spoke.

"Arik," he began. "how many people agree with you?"

Arik chuckled, and replied, "Most of the Fire Nation. The Fire Lord forces all his troops into servitude. Many have lost children and husbands to the war and gotten nothing in return. Fear is the only thing that keeps them in line."

"Then how would you like a chance to seriously piss him off?" the bat asked.

"What did you have in mind?" Arik asked instantly.

"If all the farmers here share your views, then I think we can work out a very good deal."

"I believe I know what you are speaking of." Arik said. "And I am sure that the other farmers will be happy to help you. Just give me some time to talk to them."

"If you can do it, that would be great. But I wouldn't tell them everything at once." Aang suggested.

"Of course." Arik said. "I understand discretion quite well."

The two Elementals nodded, just as a pair of footsteps began to move through the small house. They turned towards the sound in surprise, though Arik chuckled a moment later.

"Do not worry, that is just another friend resting in our home. I told you our house was a resting place for all weary travelers. You can trust him."

"He is just a sweet old man." Uli explained. "He says he has been looking for someone for a very long time."

"That I have." An accented voice said from the side. Aang and Oscuridad turned to see an old, brown-skinned man enter the room, dressed in necklaces and strange yellow clothing. There was a scent about him, a scent that reminded them both of bananas and onions. He looked down at the Avatar, and smiled.

"Uh, hi?" Aang said.

"Hello, young Aang." The old man said. "It is good to finally meet you."

"You know who he is?" Oscuridad asked, slowly moving towards his sword.

"Yes. The gods were quite clear on that, Nightstalker." The old man replied.

"The gods?"

"Yes. They came to me in my meditation and told me to come here and wait for the Avatar. They said to me, Pathnik, your task is almost upon you…."

"C'mon, it's this way." Zuko said, as he made a turn down another the hallway.

"Are you sure this is the right way?" Chey asked, as he followed the red man down the hallway.

"He'd better." Jeong-Jeong replied. "Unlike you, he actually heard the directions to the Sages' cells."

"Then maybe you should be quiet and follow him." Fuego answered, as he made another turn. The group had been making their way through the prison for close to half an hour, moving through the twists and turns of the passageways Zuko had led the way, as he had been the one to get the info from the guard. But despite his reassurances, some of the group was starting to worry about the length of time the journey was taking.

"Maybe we made a wrong turn somewhere." Chien began, only to be silenced by a hard look from Pong.

"I don't think we did, since we're there." Zuko said, as he suddenly flattened himself against a wall. The others followed suit, as Jeong-Jeong whispered, "What is it?"

"Two guards, shouldn't be less then a minute." Zuko said, as he reached behind his head and pulled the Blue Spirit mask down over his face. Fuego nodded, but whispered back, "Lemme give you a hand this time."

The Blue Spirit nodded, and with a silent count of three, the two Firebenders leapt out and rushed the guards. Within seconds, the two guards lay at the floor, unconscious.

"Very nice." Jeong-Jeong said, as the rest of the group moved up to the door.

Fuego nodded, as Zuko pulled off his mask and slipped the key into the door. It opened with a clang, and the group quickly walked inside. The Fire Sages lay sleeping inside, chained to the walls. Fuego quickly moved over to one Sage in particular, clapped his hand over the Sage's mouth, and awoke him.

"Shh, Shyu.' The red man said, as his old friend started awake. "We here for a jailbreak. Nod if you understand."

Shyu looked up at Fuego, and as recognition flooded his eyes, the old Sage nodded. Fuego pulled away his hand and Shyu whispered, "How did you find me?"

"Help from above." Fuego replied, as he took the keys from Zuko and undid Shyu's chains. The Sage got to his feet, rubbing his wrists, and then saw the group assembled before him.

"Prince Zuko?" the old Sage whispered, as he saw Zuko's scarred visage.

But before Zuko could reply, one of the other Sages began to stir. Quickly, the prince pulled his mask back on, just as the other Sage awoke.

"Huh… What is this?!" the Sage said in shock.

"It's a jailbreak. IF you want, you can come along." Fuego offered.

"GUARDS! GUARDS!! SHYU IS ESCAPING!!"

"Dammit." Zuko swore, as he moved forward, and with a quick punch, knocked the Sage unconscious. But it was already too late. The sounds of armored footsteps filled the halls behind them.

"Guys, get ready!" Fuego yelled, drawing his spear. As the guards came down the hall, they were suddenly bombarded with a wave of earth from the stone floor.

"Or, we could just let Chien work." The red man said again, as the Earthbender moved out of his stance.

"Come on, get that stone out and let's get out of here." Jeong-Jeong said, as he and the others began to move close to Fuego.

"Stone?" Shyu asked.

"You'll see." The red man answered, as he drew out the Thunderstone he'd been given. But as he began to activate it, one of the guards began to slowly get up, though no one noticed it. He saw the Blue Spirit, and using what little strength he had, let loose a fireblast at the fugitive. Zuko saw it out of the corner of his eye a second too late to avoid it, but it did not strike him. There was a scream and a gasp of shock as Pong intercepted the blast and fell backwards into Zuko's arms, just as the magic of the Thunderstone spirited them away from the prison.