Book 4 Air
Chapter 90 Flamin' Tea
The sight of steamed rice, miso soup, and various side dishes. Grilled fish, tamagoyaki, poached komodo chicken, tsukemono pickles, seasoned nori, and peppered komodo sausages were seen placed along the long table in the dining room. The four friends gathered along the table at their usual seats. Aang turned to the head of the table to see both Katara and the Fire Lord, Zuko have not arrived. Sokka quickly grabbed his chopsticks ready to devour the white rice, just then Aang called out. "Wait, Sokka. I think we should wait for Katara and Zuko to join us before we eat." Aang said humbly. Toph smiled by the kind monk's words.
Sokka huffed out as he placed his eating utensils down and crossed his arms. The four friends were then greeted by five servants who stepped forward and offered them two different drinks, hot green tea and chilled tea with lemon. Around the table the servant served the guests and then back away from the dining table and entered into a back room where the kitchen was barely seen by the airbender's eyes as he watched momentarily before sipping on his cup.
"Wah, where is Sparky and Sugar Queen?!" Toph whined as Aang smiled, "Don't worry, Toph. I'm sure they'll be here soon." The airbender said with reassurance.
The earthbender huffed out, puffing a pout as her bangs flew up out of her face then delicately landed over her eyes in annoyance.
Aang smiled as he reached over and placed a strand of Toph's bang behind her ear. The girl froze while blushing, "Wha-What are you doing?!" Toph cried out as Aang chuckled. "It must be hard to see with these bangs always in your face…" Aang said as Toph blushed deeper.
Aang leaned over more and caressed the strands of black hair away from her face. Truly…Why hide such beauty? Aang thought as he was highly amused by the girl's red face and pouting lips, "Mm…" Toph mumbled out as Sokka chuckled at the scene.
"Aww…Look at the cute little love-birds." Sokka mocked as Toph frowned angrily. She then kicked the ground, causing the carpet to suddenly shift knocking Sokka head first into the rice.
Toph smirked…She was impressed, there was actually metal underneath the hardwood ground. Long narrow pipes that maze all over the floors and walls of the palace.
Suki tried to hold back her laughter as Aang bursted into tears. Sokka lifted his head and wiped the grains of rice from his face.
"Hope ya got a mouth full, Snoogles…" Toph mocked back as she boastfully laughed at the young man.
"Argh…W-Where am I?" Sho mumbled as he was seen slumped on a dusty wall surrounded in a dark chamber.
The man slowly stood up as his head was pounding. Wobbling slightly, Sho tried to remember the previous night. Images were blurred in his head as he then wiped his forehead. The sleek wetness guided over his head as he then looked down at his hand. A thick dark color was seen in his palms. The scent of copper filled his nose as he wearily looked around.
Distorted and dazed the man walked down the hall then found a door leading somewhere. Pushing forward the man then fell to the ground as he groaned. Standing to his feet again, Sho looked down at the floor. Red palm stains were seen as Sho tried to process what he was seeing. Then he dawned on him. Blood…
He gasped as he looked down at his hands. Blood red stained his hands and clothes.
Quickly he patted himself over his body as he panted out.
He wasn't injured…So did that mean? Did he kill someone?! Sho was at loss with what happened. Gripping his head Sho cried out, his mind was spiraling rapidity, trying to remember who he killed.
Blurred images soon swirled in his head as he then became blank. "It…It doesn't matter…Heh…It…" Sho said to himself trying to find reason for his actions.
"I told you to kill anyone who gets in your way…You've done well, Sho."
Sho's eyes widen when he heard the voice, accept it wasn't the echo in his head. It sounded close…Also as if it was right be-
Sho quickly turned around to the door behind. The opened doorway shone nothing but pitch blackness in the depths of the secret chambers. The voice spoke again.
"Go now…and finish the Avatar…Remember…After this you will become Imperial…You will be immortal…"
The voice said in a praiseful tone as Sho gulped.
"If…If I slay the Avatar…I…I will become Imperial?" Sho questioned
"To kill the most powerful bender in the world will honor you the title of supreme ruler. More mighty than the any being on earth…"
The voice said encouraging the man to complete his mission.
The last ounce of sanity in the man's mind vanished as his over-whelming sin of greed took over.
"Yes…I'll do it! I'll…kill the Avatar…" Sho said as he chuckled wickedly.
"I see…Very well. I'll see her soon then." Zuko said as he then closed the door while Katara walked up behind him.
"What is it Zuko?" Katara asked as she finished tying her sash. Zuko turned to the girl, "They found my sister…Turns out she stable and is taken cared of by my mother." Zuko said informing the news he received moments ago.
"Oh Zuko! That's wonderful…" Katara said with a small smile as Zuko nodded his head.
"Go ahead to breakfast without me…I'm going to visit her for a while." Zuko said lightly as Katara blinked then smiled softly. "Of course…" Katara said as she leaned in and kissed the young man on the cheek.
"Take all the time you need…" Katara said with understanding. Zuko smiled lightly as he lowered his head before leaving the room.
Two doors opened from the dining room as the four friends turned to see Katara walking in. "Good morning, Katara." Aang said as the girl smiled. "Good morning everyone." Katara said warmly as Toph furrowed her brows. "Where's Sparky?" Toph asked as Katara was seen seating herself.
"Well, there has been some good and bad news…" Katara said with a pause.
"What's the good news?" Suki asked as Katara parted her lips, "Azula was found." Katara said as everyone gasped in surprise and tensed.
"How is that good news?!" Sokka exclaimed as Katara lowered her head and spoke out.
"She is stable enough to be taken care of by her mother…" Katara said repeating the similar words from Zuko's information.
Everyone slightly relaxed by the news that the fire princess was stabilized. Still it caused them to be very vagarious of the thought of the girl staying in the palace.
"So, what's the bad news?" Aang asked as Katara frown lightly.
"Zuko decided to visit her this morning…So we'll be eating without him, today." Katara said as she lifted her head.
Everyone nodded their heads then picked out their meals around the table and ate in silence.
Katara was seen nibbling on a nori strip as she then closed her eyes deep in thought. 'I hope everything will go well for Azula…' Katara thought sincerely.
"Uncle…" Zuko called out as he saw the old general down the hallway as he entered into the royal corridors.
"Ah, Zuko…Have you heard the news?" Iroh asked as Zuko nodded his head.
"Is it alright that I see her?" Zuko asked as Iroh rubbed his beard. "I believe so…But take precaution, my nephew. No telling how she might react seeing you." Iroh said as Zuko nodded his head then turned to the door and entered slowly.
The view of a girl was seen resting on the bed. Her hair looked dry and broken as he fanned out over the silk pillows. Her skin was a sickly pale white with dark circles under her eyes. It was heart-breaking for Zuko.
No matter how she used to treat him in the past. Even tried to kill him twice…Zuko still loved his little sister.
To see her in such a state was terrible.
Zuko then heard a soft voice called out, the young man looked up to see his mother with tear stained cheeks and a rosy tipped nose.
"Mother…" Zuko said with sympathy.
Ursa then wiped her face then turned to her daughter, "Azula…My dear…Zuko is here to see you, your older brother." Ursa said softly as Azula opened her eyes.
Zuko held back from gasping, the girl's eyes were a softer shade of gold. An angelic feature compare to her wicked metallic gold-bronze she once had. The frail girl tilted her head and looked up at the young man.
"Zu…Zu." Azula said in a child-like innocence as Zuko forced a smile upon his face.
"Yes…A-Azula. It's me…" Zuko said as he saw the girl smile wearily.
"My brother…and mother. You came to see me…At last…I'm not alone." Azula said genuinely as Ursa smiled warmly.
"Yes, my dear…You were never alone." Ursa said as she reached out and cupped her daughter's hand.
Zuko lowered his head as his bangs covered his eyes.
It was almost too much to bear for him to see Azula so weak…So vulnerable.
She was the princess…A prodigy…The one person he envied and admired.
Not some frail little girl gravely ill in bed.
Where was her fire…that inner fire that fuels her strong spirit?
Zuko then turned to leave as Azula closed her eyes peacefully.
It would be best not to tell her he was leaving…She can sleep with content believing he was still there. Watching over her like his mother was…
Zuko opened the door then closed it behind him before leaning against the door frame as tears fell down his cheek and chin.
Pacing down the hallway, the man hastily clenched his fists as he ran up to the two red doors.
The sight moved to the dining table with the five friends eating their meals. Just then they heard someone cried out before the two doors were pushed aggressively opened. The man stood panting as he formed into a stance.
"Avatar! Prepare to die!" the man screamed out as fire shot from his fists.
Katara reacted quickly. She stood on the table and flicked her wrist calling forth the chilled tea at her fingertips before casting a stream of liquid at the man. Extinguishing his flame, and soaking him to the bone.
The scene happened so fast everyone was in shock and confused what just happened. Katara then water bend the hot green tea, forming it into a steaming ball before she suddenly paused.
"Explain yourself before I scorch your face!" Katara cried out becoming protective of both Aang and her friends as she narrowed her eyes angrily at the man who threaten the Avatar's life.
Just then General Jee entered from the back doors of the dining room and called out. "Sho!" Jee exclaimed as the man suddenly chuckled a dark and manic laugh.
"You can not kill me! I am immortal!" Sho cried out as he lifted his hand up and laughed again.
Quickly Jee charged at the man firebending around his form, locking him in a wall of fire to protect the children. Sho continued to laugh crazily as the flames flared close to his skin.
"Sho!" Jee cried out as he looked in horror as the man stepped into the flames. He screamed in agony as he then laughed again.
"I will become a God! I will be victorious!" the man shouted as the flames started to devour his clothes and burning his skin.
Suddenly a stream of tea splashed over his body quenching the flames from his clothes.
The man then flexed back by the liquid then glared at the blurred images in front of him. "You can't stop me!" The man shouted as he then laughed again uncontrollably as blood seeped out of his nose and mouth.
"Guards pin him down!" Jee ordered as the men raced into the room then tried to lower the man to the floor.
"No! Nah! Release me! You scum!" Sho screamed out as he was pinned roughly on the ground.
As the guards hurled the crazed man out of the room he shouted once more, "He will kill you…He will kill you all!" Sho shouted as the doors closed behind him.
Jee sighed in relief as he turned to the children. "Is everyone alright…" the general asked as they nodded their heads.
"Thank you for helping us…" Katara said as Jee then bowed to her. "No, thank you Miss Katara. Without your quick actions, Sho could have killed everyone." Jee said as Katara then lowered her head.
"We have been looking for him ever since he disappeared two days ago. I'm sorry I didn't inform you sooner. He was dangerous but we didn't know how deadly he could have been. But now, he'll be put in prison and studied." Jee said as Sokka spoke out. "You mean he might have what Azula has?" Sokka asked as Jee nodded his head.
"It seems that way…Besides that, I apologize." Jee said as he bowed deeply to the group.
"There's no need to apologize, General Jee. You didn't know and it couldn't be helped. The important thing now is that everyone was unharmed." Katara said as she stepped down off the table and bowed to the general.
Jee smiled faintly before lowered his head. "Of course Miss Katara…" Jee said as he then excused himself from the group.
Everyone then sighed as the scene drifted to the burned carpet and blood on the ground.
I hope this chapter was good…and that you all enjoyed it so far. Yay, Sho wad finally brought down. Who did Sho kill? Who will Koh used next to get his revenge? How will Zuko take the news about the attack? How is Mai doing? Stay tune for more and review!
REVIEW and COMMENT for quick updates!
Also an added note about the breakfast meals:
A Tamagoyaki (also called tamago or dashimaki) is a type of Japanese omelette, which is made by rolling together several layers of cooked egg
Tsukemono are Japanese pickles. They are served with rice as okazu (side dish), and sometimes with drinks as an otsumami snacks).
