Book 5 Water
Chapter 13 Explosive
The view of the Fire Nation marketplace came into view as a cool breeze flowed through the city. The temperate seemed to dropped below freezing. Far colder than the previous winter months for the topical islands.
Iroh noticed the change along with the numinous phenomenon taking place when he saw crowds in the marketplace slowly dispersed away into the warm shelters of their homes.
Turning back to the small table, Iroh looked upon the two children who were happily enjoying a hot cup of cider while nibbling on freshly baked dumplings.
Feeling an uneasy stir within his stomach, Iroh decided it was enough time outside. Standing up from his seat, the old general stepped onward and raised his hand calling forth the guards nearby to register to their stations and escort the royal family back to the palace.
Iroh then asked the children to prepare to leave, Kuzon slightly complained of a strange sensation, as though his hands were being prickled over and over on his palms. Iroh narrowed his eyes slightly concerned. "It is probably the cold weather. Do not worry we'll be home soon." Iroh said as he turned to the street.
Kuzon sighed as he started to rub his hands together to break away the annoying tug on his fingertips. While Iroh and Kya continued down the path, the boy stopped in his tracks. Three guards halted behind him and asked if he was alright. Kuzon hesitated as he then looked up above him ignoring the guardsmen.
Watching the boy act strangely, the guards were on high alert. "Sir Iroh." One guard called out informing the general to come back.
Iroh turned and noticed Kuzon standing still, continuing to stare blankly at the rolling gray clouds.
Growing more concerned, Iroh turned to the head guard and order him to watch over Kya while he cautiously approached his grand child.
"Kuzon…Do you see something?" Iroh asked as the boy's mouth opened slightly.
"I don't know…" Kuzon said in a trace like tone while he remained captivated by the shifting clouds.
Iroh narrowed his eyes as he thought carefully of what to ask the young boy.
"Well do you sense something instead?" Iroh asked as he saw the boy give a sign of a response as he blinked for a moment.
"Yes…" Kuzon said as Iroh nodded his head.
"Can you tell me what you are sensing?" Iroh asked as Kuzon closed his eyes and lifted his hands up above his head.
"I can't tell…It's like it's calling to me." Kuzon said as his fingertips lengthened up as far as he could reach. The boy inhaled deeply holding his breathe with an uncertain pause.
Kuzon then opened his eyes as he exhaled slowly, his golden eyes glistened sharply.
"Pressure." Kuzon said finding it the only best way to describe the building force ahead his head.
"Kuzu! Stop playing around. Let's go home!" Kya cried out becoming impatient and worried about her brother's odd behavior as she stood close to the head guard while cuddling with her fur shawl.
Kuzon then reacted with slight aggravation, "What is it?!" Kuzon said in a stern tone as he then looked at the old man.
"Come Kuzon…Let us return home, it is probably nothing." Iroh said as he became greatly worried for the boy's wellbeing.
Kuzon continued to feel the prickling sensations in his hands as it become stronger as his arms unconsciously rose above his head again. The force above soon lessened as the boy opened his eyes. His fingers then felt almost numb, frozen at the tip.
Then as quickly as it came, everything suddenly stopped.
There was no sound of the winds current. Only the deep thumping sounds of a heart beating, pounding in his head. Kuzon was unsure what was happening. What were the skies creating above them?
Iroh then walked up to the boy, Kuzon looked up at the man. The old general gave a warm smile, "Come Kuzon, let us return home where it's warm. You two could get ill staying outside in such weather." Iroh said as he took the young boy's hand and walked down the path to the other child.
As the guardsmen stood by the three royal members, Kuzon repeated to glance up at the skies. The scene then back away at a bird's eye view of the marketplace.
Night fell as the moon rose over the sky shining her milky white light across the blacken sea. A dim light was seen in the porthole as the scene closed in. Katara was seen bathing in a large glass shower with luxurious curtains surrounding the ceiling.
A slender manicured hand was seen elegantly turning the golden knob to the right as Katara turned the hot water on full blast. Washing her body with enriched oils and lathered soaps, Katara sighed with content as she rinsed herself off and then stepped out of the shower.
Steam fogged the huge mirror as Katara wiped the glass away seeing her reflection. The woman smiled slightly before a sudden boom stirred the room, causing Katara to catch herself from falling.
Bracing on the counter, the woman gasped as she turned her head to the doorway. Her wet hair slapped against her neck as she then quickly slipped on a red night kimono robe. Katara then peeked out the doorway, another loud boom shook through the metal ship.
Running down the hall, Katara entered onto the top deck where she smelt the thick smoldering black smoke cover the area as it discharged out from the steam stacks. An orange light then caught her eye as Katara saw a blazing fire flaring out from the engine room and small window.
Katara reacted quickly as she flicked her wrists and pulled the ocean's waves up along the port side. Hakoda and Commander Wei ran out to the deck and marveled at woman's powerful performance as two large waves of foam rose higher above the sides of the ship then poured down onto the burning metal.
A sharp hiss was heard as the darken metal cooled and the fire dimmed slowly. Once the fire was barely visible, eleven crewmen along with an officer entered the scene.
"Is everyone aboard Sergeant?" Commander Wei asked one of the men as he shook his head.
"I'm afraid Pein is missing Sir." The man said as the scene drifted to Katara kneeling down by the side of a blacken figure.
A low moan was heard from the charred man as his face appeared horribly disfigured. Katara expressed a deep sadness across her features as she then turned to the men behind her.
"He is still alive. Please prepare a warm bath and bed for him. I will tend to his wounds." Katara said softly as Wei ordered his men immediately to arrange the equipment needed.
Hakoda and two other men walked up to the burned man. Carefully they rolled him onto a cotton robe and lifted him up, carrying him into the ship.
Katara remained by the man side as he moaned in pain. She then reached out and held his hand tenderly.
Morning came as the sun shined down on the Southern temple as a light fog was seen hazing over the stone ruins.
Toph rose from the ground of her makeshift bed of spare blankets. The young woman as learned to sleep in more civilized bedding than her previous mound of solid dirt and earth tent during the time of war.
Lengthening out her arms and stretching with a big yawn, Toph moaned out before blinking her eyes. With a soft whimper, the girl reached over behind her back and fixed the cotton bindings that covered her small breasts.
Afterward, Toph scrabbled to find her green dress only to find a golden robe made of exquisite silk. The woman shrugged as she placed on the clothing to fight back the chill in the air.
Looking around, Toph also found a white ribbon. Deciding what to do with it, she then pulled up her long black hair into a messy pony tail and tied the ribbon in place. Strands of hair poked out from her hairstyle as Toph pulled back her bangs behind her ears.
Leaving the room, Toph then entered down a vast hallway with painted murals of flying bison and ancient scriptures of the Air Nomad culture. Toph momentary glanced at the faded artwork and thought to herself.
It must be hard for Aang to come here and see his home in ruins. Toph thought as she then walked out into an opening area where the sunlight peeked through the thick clouds and shined rays of light over the lavish green mountains.
The air was clean with a substance of moisture surrounding the area as Toph stood and inhaled deeply.
In the distance Aang was seen stepping along the pebbles up to the temple carrying a bucket of water.
The young man looked up ahead as he then froze.
For a minute, Aang could have sworn the woman he saw was a priestess. Noting from her slender frame, gorgeous black hair and piercing green eyes she would in fact make a very lovely Nomad priestess, almost erotic in beauty. After closing his gaping mouth, Aang then realized it was the earthen bender noblewoman. While taking a few more steps towards Toph, Aang wondered why she was wearing the traditional clothing of the once Air Nomad Priestess.
As soon as Aang reached the top of the temple grounds, Toph gave a rare warm smile as she spoke, "Do you need help with that?" Toph asked as Aang continued to be dumbfounded. Unaware of holding the bucket, Aang then blushed as he reacted modestly. "Oh uh-Wait what?" Aang said as Toph rolled her eyes losing her sweet charm that she expressed only moments ago.
"You idiot." Toph said as she then took the bucket out of the young man's hands.
"H-Hold up!" Aang called out as Toph stopped and turned causing a small splash of the precious spring water to slip out from the wooden pail.
"What is it?" Toph asked becoming rather pissed off at the young man.
Aang hesitated by the young woman's sneering face before speaking, "Where did you find that robe?" Aang asked as Toph's anger disappeared with slight confusion.
Thinking about it, Toph then clicked her tongue against her lips as she shrugged. "Beats me…I just found it lying around. What don't tell me this is yours?" Toph said with a patronizing expression.
Aang blinked as he yelled out in defense, "Of course not! It just so happens your wearing a priceless artifact worn from the High Priestess of my people!" Aang said as he pointed to the gold silk robe that hung loosely over the girl's shoulders.
Toph then turned as she smiled with arrogance, "So? It's not like I'm doing anything bad. We do what we can to survive…One's persons leftovers is another person's salvation." Toph said as Aang heated up with anger.
"And some people should learn to have respect! You have your own clothing; wear that instead of tarnishing the last thing left of an ancient culture!" Aang said as he glared at the young woman.
Toph narrowed her eyes as she turned her head slightly, "Tarnish, you say?" Toph said coldly and irritated yet, inside she was deeply hurt by the young man's words.
Toph then turned her head forward and started to walk into the temple. Her hips swayed as she carried the bucket full of water. Every step caused the pail to wobble in her hold. Aang became grew tired of the girl's disrespectful behavior as he clenched his fists.
'How dare she…' Aang thought as he stomped up the hill to the woman.
Toph made it halfway to the room before hearing the young man call out. Growing aggravated by the airbender's unrelenting need to push on and not let things go, Toph quickly turned and flung the pail of water into the young man's face and clothes.
After she soaked the airbender, Toph then threw the bucket as hard as she could on the titled floor before huffing out with irritation, "Idiot!" Toph yelled out.
Aang's eyebrows furrowed downward angrily as he then water bended the water into Toph's face wetting her whole body.
"No you're the idiot!" Aang yelled back acting childish as Toph tremble in both anger and severe cold from the water.
"Argh! I can't take this!" Toph shouted as she then turned and stomped down the hall, inconsiderately breaking the title flooring with every step.
Aang lowered his head as he yelled out with frustration while he left down the hall out onto the grounds.
As water dripped off the tip of his nose and down the rest of his body, Aang was unaware of the guru walking up to him.
"Oh my…You look like you were licked by the huge tongues of twenty bison." Pathik joked as he chuckled lightly.
Aang grunted out with annoyance as he crossed his arms. "It's Toph! She's so stubborn sometimes. Why doesn't she show respect to my people and culture?!" Aang said speaking out his thoughts and frustrations.
"You cannot change the will of someone's thoughts and emotion. No matter how much the wind howls at the mountain, it will not bend down." Pathik said wisely as Aang blinked thinking about the guru's statement.
The young man closed his eyes as he exhaled a heavy sigh.
"Yea…That's Toph alright. No matter what anyone said…She always resists." Aang said as Guru Pathik hummed out a sound of understanding.
"It is true she may be as stubborn as earth itself, but when she is close to you. She feels safe to let down those walls of obstinacy and then becomes a normal girl." Pathik said as Aang's heart filled with a sense of exoneration when he heard the old man's words.
Coming to his senses, Aang then wiped the dripping water from his face as he then air bended the droplets off from his skin and dried his clothing. With a small smile, Aang turned to Pathik and bowed to him before turning back to the hallway.
Pathik simply smiled and stepped inward into the opening of the hall and grabbed the wooden bucket. Holding the pail lightly, the old man made his way down the hillside to the small spring on the cliff side.
The sight of the Fire Nation Palace came into view as the scene drifted to a bedroom where a boy was seen waking up. Kuzon sat at the edge of his bed and rubbed his eyes as he then stood up and shuffled to the window. Still half-asleep Kuzon couldn't make out the strange white blur blended with the evergreen pine. Confused and tired, Kuzon then turned back to his bed and landed on the soft warm sheets.
Just then a loud joyful shriek woke Kuzon up as he leaped up in surprise. "Kuzu! Kuzu!" Kya cried out as she then jumped on his bed.
"Wake up Kuzu! Wake up!" the girl shouted as Kuzon groaned.
"Kya…What is it? Can't it wait till later?" Kuzon mumbled as he crawled under the blanket.
Kya stopped hopping as she then took away the blankets covering the annoyed boy. "Kuzu! You must come see!" Kya said as Kuzon sat up and moaned. The boy's hair was ruffled and matted as he gave a displeased expression. "Right now?" Kuzon groaned out as Kya nodded her head. Giving a bright smile, Kya then grabbed her brother's hand and pulled him out of the room.
Hastily following his sister, Kuzon complained, "Argh…Kya! What's the rush?" Kuzon said as Kya just laughed, "Hurry! Hurry!" the girl said as the two children ran down the corridor and into the vestibule.
Once in the royal garden, Kuzon first noticed the freezing temperature before gasping out. A small visible puff of warm air escaped his mouth as he stared in wonder what was in front of him.
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