The Highest Bidder
Chapter Thirty-Three: Powerful and Helpless
As Zhao's armada crossed the borders from the Earth Kingdom waters into the icy waters of the North Pole, I could tell by the fall of the temperature and the new landscape of icebergs that we were approaching the unfortunate target with an hour or two. It was mid-afternoon, and even after I had 'joined' Zhao's crew at day break, my resentment hadn't been disbarred. Iroh and I had our cup of tea, but it didn't calm me like I hoped it would. As iceberg after iceberg passed us, I freshly recollected about the mission, and kept repeating to myself in my head,
This is wrong. This is so very wrong.
To take out an entire civilization was a barbaric plan. I was letting Zhao practically walk toward the Water Tribe without so much of fight. My stomach turned with incredible hatred for what I was allowing. I had always had spiritual balance; each nation depended on the other for a natural balance. No more Waterbenders would upset the established order; and even if it didn't, Waterbenders were signs of compassion and trust. Just as I admired the powers of fire, I also respected the soothing and healing that a Waterbender could do.
Fire is a destructive element, but for those who understand its nature, it isn't a curse. It breathes, grows, and can spread; but it's energy and life. It is life that 'burns' inside all of us. However, if you treat fire like Zhao, the only way anybody knows what the Fire Nation can do is by burning down a forest or—I don't know—sending an entire fleet to attack the Northern Water Tribe.
I looked up at the sky, and even the clouds were slowly disappearing behind the large, puffing smoke that was made by the engine stacks. I frowned at such a grizzly sight, and was once more reminded that the only thing that the Fire Nation knew how to do was to destroy lives.
I think the only way that I was identified as a Fire Nation girl was the fact that I wore their colors. Well, that, and I sported the hot temper…But that's not the case…
"You should really smile more," said Zhao, coming up from behind me.
"Oh, I'm jumping up and down with excitement over here," I said glumly, still staring up at the sky.
"Your sarcasm is getting old, Mura."
"I wasn't being sarcastic," I retorted, looking at him. "I'm all kinds of giddy."
"The Fire Nation knows no bounds," said Zhao, as if he were giving a marvelous lecture. "We simply do what we're told by our great leader, and when we do our duties, we are rewarded for our loyalty. Of course, you wouldn't know of such greatness. You spent the first years of your life on a deserted island. You must have craved companionship."
"The only thing I craved," I said, stepping a few inches away from him, "were more trees that bore lemon coconuts in the spring time. And the island wasn't a bad place. It was peaceful and full of life."
"You must think that your country is cruel to attack a nation for power."
"Yep," I said apathetically.
"Well, don't think of it that way. Think of it as a new beginning."
I frowned at him.
"It's not a new beginning if lives are on the line," I retorted. "You will kill thousands, and for what? Just to put a flag in the ice and claim it for a Fire Lord who lets others fight his battles—"
Zhao grabbed my shoulders and turned me to him forcefully; he shocked me by pulling me toward him, his face only inches from mine,
"You need to learn respect, Mura. The Fire Lord is a masterful leader; he employs us to do what must be done, and when our mission is completed, history will be rewritten. The ends justify the means. You talk as if you are wiser beyond your years; you're not. You're sixteen, and you're just as ignorant and naïve as Prince Zuko." He released me and straightened. "I will return to the Fire Lord after this is finished; and you will come with me. Then you can tell the Fire Lord just what you think of him."
I said nothing in reply. What could I have said? We stood in silence. General Iroh appeared behind us. I looked at him, feeling less than significant.
"Truly," said Zhao, now calm, "this will be one for the history books, General Iroh. Just think, centuries from now, people will study the great Admiral Zhao who destroyed the last Water Tribe civilization. You're lucky you're here to see it."
"Be careful what you wish for, Admiral," said Iroh. "History is not always kind to its subjects."
"I suppose you speak from experience? But rest assured, this will be nothing like your legendary failure at Ba Sing Se."
"I hope not, for your sake."
"Tell the Captains to prepare for first strike."
As Iroh left us, Zhao turned to me.
"You know," he said thoughtfully, "I would think that since your life is also on the line, you would plead for me to let you go, or something to that nature. I mean, that's what you did when you were faced with the Fire Lord the last time. You pleaded for your failure to be excused, and you pleaded for your father's dismissal. Have you grown up since then, or are you the same shrew who couldn't do what she was told?"
"I really haven't changed," I said, stepping toward him. "I was twelve, and I was frightened that Fire Lord Ozai would kill my father and me. I would do the same here, Admiral, but, you know…I'm just not afraid of you."
He didn't say anything after that.
We came into sight of the Northern Water Tribe's icy gates. They were beautiful, and I lamented the idea that the city was going to be annihilated. The first ship of the armada catapulted a massive fireball toward the imperial city; it struck directly into the center of the water symbol in the center of a wall, blowing a destructive hole through it. Ice and debris fell from the large towers.
I winced at the impact. Iroh came to stand beside me.
The siege of the north had begun.
A second fireball flew through the air toward the city. It landed, filling the canal with smoke, water, and fire. From above us, snow and soot mixed together, and ash fell from the sky. I sighed sadly, watching the entire place become marked by the Fire Nation. A third fireball launched from the trebuchet of a ship much further away from us, and it shattered a part of the city wall.
From over the icy towers, I saw the large, flying bison; and the Avatar was mounted upon it. A small tingle of excitement and relief swept through me. During the armada's assault on the Water Tribe, the Avatar took out a dozen ships, but there were far too many. For once, I felt bad for him.
He retreated back over the wall. On the water, small Water Tribe fleets were extinguished a ship at a time. Their efforts were noble, but still: we outnumbered them about a hundred to one. I glanced at the sky, hoping for some backup to appear. Perhaps I was hoping that the Ocean and Moon Spirits would launch a furious attack on the Fire Nation, considering that there was a large, full moon glowing above us.
Iroh must have followed my gaze, for he stepped beside Zhao, and said,
"It's almost twilight, Admiral. As your military consultant, I must advise you to halt your attack. The Waterbenders draw their power from the moon and it is nearly full tonight. You should wait and resume the attack at daybreak."
"Or," I said in contempt, "perhaps since Admiral Zhao has the full confidence in his Fire Nazi ships, they should continue the bombardment despite the full moon."
Iroh sighed despairingly, but Zhao merely gave me an amused smirk before turning to his general.
"Oh, I'm well aware of the moon problem, and I'm working on a solution. But for now, daybreak it is."
The front rank of the Fire Navy ships dropped anchor for the night.
Iroh pulled me away from the main deck as we walked down a corridor.
"You shouldn't antagonize him," said Iroh in dismay.
"Well, you shouldn't have advised him to stop the attack. When the sun rises, the Waterbenders will have no way of protecting themselves," I retorted scornfully, tearing my arm away from him. "You know as well as I do that Zhao doesn't just want to take this city. He wants to kill them all. Do you want that on your head? What's wrong with you?"
"Lower your voice, Mura," said Iroh gently.
"I don't want to lower my voice—I'm angry!" I said loudly.
"I know you are, but you can't let him know that it bothers you so much."
"Well, he already knows," I said hotly.
Zuko gestured for silence. We went through a door. Zuko was out of uniform and entirely dressed in plain, gray clothes. He was preparing a canoe to be lowered into the water when we entered. Iroh closed the door behind him. Zuko straightened and looked at the both of us.
"What are you—?" I stopped myself from asking the obvious. "You're going now?"
Zuko nodded slowly.
"It's now or never."
"Then I'm coming with you—"
"No."
He pushed my shoulder to make his point, to stop me from coming any closer to the boat. He apparently saw the hurt on my face, for a pained expression crossed his bruised features.
"You can't come with me. Zhao will know something's up. You must stay here."
"But I can't lose you again. What if you die out there? What if you're spotted?"
Zuko shook his head to deter my negative thoughts.
He made an effort to smile.
"You talk too much."
I sighed, obviously in defeat. Iroh approached Zuko sadly.
"If you're fishing for an octopus, my nephew, you need a tightly woven net or he will squeeze the tiniest hole and escape."
"I don't need your wisdom right now, Uncle."
"I'm sorry. I just nag you because, well, ever since I lost my son…"
"Uncle, you don't have to say it."
"I think of you as my own."
Zuko gave him a look of genuine concern and understanding.
"I know, Uncle." He bowed and saluted him with his arm over his chest. "We'll meet again."
Iroh rushed forward and gave him a bear hug.
"…After I have the Avatar."
Iroh stepped back. I rushed forward as well, unable to resist, and embraced him as well.
"Don't be gone long."
Zuko kissed me briefly on the cheek, and stepped away from me. Iroh placed a hand on my shoulder for me to step away from the canoe. We sadly watched him start to lower it in the water.
"Remember your Breath of fire," said Iroh. "It could save your life out there!"
"I will."
"And put your hood up, keep your ears warm!"
Zuko called back,
"I'll be fine!"
I smiled warmly and wrapped an arm around General Iroh's shoulder. We walked up to the main deck.
Night fell, and the armada didn't attack, just as Iroh had advised. Then hours later, the sun slowly rose over the horizon. Iroh and I stood still behind Zhao, who waited patiently for the sun to come out of hiding and rise with the Firebenders.
"It's daybreak at last," he sighed. "Let's write history."
I had never felt that it was possible to be powerful and helpless at the same time, but I did while I watched the Fire Nation armada catapult fire ball after fire ball into the city walls, unable to do anything about it without letting Shen Si Ling take over my mind and body.
The ships headed for the gates. The ship I stood on approached first. The bowsprit dropped, and it sliced open the Water City's main wall. The Fire Nation troops entered the city.
"The Water Tribe can try to resist the inevitable, but their city will fall today," Zhao announced proudly, a large smile on his face.