"You wish to see me Your Excellency?" asked one of the magistrate's deputies.
"Yes. I wish to know what you think of the magistrate," said the inspector which sounded more like a command than a request.
"He is an improvement over the last magistrate that we have had. The last one was putting his hands into the treasury a little too much. And he was bribing some inspectors from Ba Sing Se to turn a blind eye. He even had a wealthy patron, Boss Soma, who owns all of the distilleries in town."
"But you said that is only an improvement. Are you suggesting that he has some serious faults?"
"No. None that comes to mind. He is a wealthy man to be sure, since he had the good fortune to marry into a rich family. He is a man of integ-"
"Are there are grievances that the people may have with him, is what His Excellency is trying to get at," the inspector's man, Dousan, said impatiently.
The deputy furrowed his brow in deep contemplation and simply denied any serious problems. "The townspeople like the magistrate. His wife started a soup kitchen to help feed starving families. The magistrate even started an orphanage. But everyone has to pay higher taxes," said the deputy.
"Okay, stop. How would you feel about earning some money?"
"Sure, some extra work never hurt anybody. What's the job?"
"Just say you'd do it."
"Okay. What's the job?"
"I want you to write a complaint letter about the magistrate of any evil deeds that he has done."
"What?"
"Surely there is some dirty secret that he has that he does not want others to know about, right?"
"No," the deputy held up his hand. "I change my mind, I won't do it."
A few of the inspector's bodyguards drew their swords and started waving them menacingly at the hapless deputy.
"The letter or your life!" shouted the inspector.
"All right! All right, I'll sign it! Just don't kill me, I have a wife and four children!"
"Then don't make them into a widow and orphans."
I'm sorry, Fa Zu! thought the deputy.
"For your troubles," Dousan threw a small bag of sovereigns after the deputy had finished writing.
"I won't take it."
"Then I'll have it!" gleefully said one of the bodyguards. The deputy frowned and picked it up, earning him the ridicule of everyone in the room. Ashamed and embarrassed, the deputy ran out.
"With this, I can blackmail him," smirked the inspector. "Send this to Hakuma!"
A few days later, the magistrate appeared before the inspector. It was hardly a social call.
"Ah, magistrate. I see that I finally have your attention," said the inspector.
"Yes, you do. Afterall you threatened my deputy's life by making him write that fake letter. I have already reported you."
"Which will fall on deaf ears."
"What was that?"
"You should not have trifled with me Fa Zu. I am a powerful man with lots of powerful friends. Did you think that a mere magistrate can overrule an inspector? Inspectors are those who have been appointed personally by the Earth King, who have earned his confidence in carrying out His Divine Will."
"You pervert that right and that will."
"All I ask is a special fee for those who wish to make a difference in the world," the inspector said dismissively. "After all the Earth King is the Son of Heaven, and the Father to His People."
"And enriching yourself in the process."
"Watch your tone peasant," said one of the body guards as he step in between the magistrate and the inspector.
"I will speak to this toad however I wish."
"Now, now. Honorable Fa Zu. Perhaps if you were to pay the bribe, the inspector will help the fools in Hakuma know it was nothing but a big misunderstanding."
"A misunderstanding? You threaten one of my deputies, blackmail me, and abuse your authority? In fact I don't need to deal with you. In fact I already reported you to Ba Sing Se."
"Oh, you mean this?" the inspector waved a scroll with his waxed seal ripped off.
"Let me see that!" demanded the magistrate.
The inspector opened the scroll and started to read the contents out loud in a mocking tone, "the inspector that you sent, by the name of Lu Biao, is conducting himself in a manner unbecoming of his high office. He is a villian and a parasite who is bleeding the people whom he is charged to serve, by demanding bribes. He has threatened my deputies to write fraudulent letters on pain of death. And have total disregard for the town whom I am charged to serve. You forgot to mention that I am a toad!" The inspector threw the scroll at the magistrate's head, who was now simmering with anger.
"All right, you've made your point," the magistrate said bitterly, "now name your price!"
"Fifty sovereigns and I will withdraw the charges made against you."
"Here! Take it!" Fa Zu threw a bag of sovereigns at the inspector's head. After the bag connected with the inspector's head the gold coins clattered across the floor.
"Why you insolent peasant! I will kill you for that!" the guard shouted drawing his sword. But he was not quick enough as the magistrate dispatched the guard with a quick-draw faster than anyone could blink. The young female servants in the room screamed and ran away from him in terror, as the guard's blood splattered across the room. The inspector's man and the other body guards also drew their swords, as the inspector scampered away to one of his servants, and used one of them as a shield.
The body guards and Dousan attacked the magistrate. With a yell, the inspector dispatched the bodyguards. But Dousan was much more formidable. They fought bitterly and fiercely, one fueled with anger and bloodlust, the other cool and determined to protect his master. Trying to decide the fight decisively, the magistrate did an overhead strike, but that made him fatally exposed at his mid-section, as Dousan moved swiftly to the magistrate's side, slashing him in the process. He immediately knew that the cut was fatal as the magistrate fell in a bloody heap.
The inspector threw his servant aside, who was now aghast that her master would sacrifice others to save his own skin. The inspector smirked sickeningly, as he drew his "gentleman's sword," and started stabbing the dying man. "This will teach you to raise your sword against your betters, you stupid peasant!" The inspector grunted from the effort. The inspector's man looked on with shame, as his master was now covering himself with the dead man's blood, as the inspector kept stabbing him again, and again.
"He's dead, you got him," Dousan roughly grabbed his master's sword arm.
The inspector stared at him with a surprised expression. And then brightened and shouted, "Yes! I, Inspector Lu Biao, have defeated a villainous man after discovering he was a corrupt magistrate! When I confronted him with the evidence that would expose him, he tried to cover up his crimes by attempting to murder me! But not today! No criminal will ever escape my righteous wrath! For I serve for a higher cause, for the glory of the Earth Kingdom! Ha, ha, ha!" The inspector started waving his blade around as though he had won a great victory. Dousan watched with an unreadable expression, then he turned and left the room.
"Go fetch the innkeeper and have him clear away this mess!" the inspector shouted after him. "From now on, I am acting magistrate, until I find a suitable replacement! You there! Bring me more wine!"
Word spread as fast as the wind about the magistrate's death adding more to the anxiety of the townspeople. For a few it presented an opportunity. Merchant Chang and the chairman of the mining company, were two such men who decided to visit the magistrate. When they met they quickly struck a deal, that gave the company a free hand against the miners who were on strike. The company now had the power to employ or un-employ their workers at will. Likewise they had the power to accept tenants or evict them from their land at will. For a company that gave the town its prosperity, the agreement gave the mining company significant power, that would not have been otherwise under the late magistrate.
"With this we can finally end the strike," said the chairman.
"And we're fortunate to have done it now, the workers at the steel mill were getting restless," added merchant Chang. "Now no one will dare start anything, unless they are willing to risk losing their homes, and their jobs."
"What will you do about Judge Guo Si?" asked the chairman, "the late magistrate had forced him into taking a sabbatical. The one who replaced has been a thorn in our sides for quite some time."
"Well, I'm not so sure. Judge Guo Si is not very popular," replied Liu Biao.
"If you need a little persuasion, we have money to spare," said merchant Chang.
"Say no more, I had intended to reinstate Guo Si due to a lack of evidence against him."
The chairman and Chang smirked.
The next day, the inspector walked triumphantly into the magistrate's office, but there was no one there to greet him. The inspector looked about with frowned expression.
"Where is everyone?" he growled.
Coming down the stairs, the magistrate's personal secretary approached him.
"Oh, Your Excellency sir. It's good to see you. We have a big problem."
"What is it, what are you talking about?"
"It's about the miners' strike. The mining company has hired a bunch of thugs to evict the miners in order to try to break them."
"That's all?"
"Well, it's serious," the secretary said with astonishment, "the chairman is nothing more than a petty tyrant and-"
"I have already spoken to the chairman. He is perfectly within their rights to fire the lazy nomads whenever he wants, or for whatever reason. And since the houses that they rent comes with the job, the company has the power to evict the nomads from their property."
"But the miners have children. A lot of families are going to become homeless."
"Then they will have to get another job live somewhere else. It's no concern of the magistrate!"
"But these men have worked the mines all their lives. Their fathers and their fathers before them worked in the mines. Why the school that they attended was oriented to teaching them about the principles of mining. They're professionals, they know no other trade, it would take time for them to learn new skills."
"That's unfortunate, but they will learn to adapt, and they could very well better off in the future," said the inspector in a patronizing tone.
"But there are not enough jobs! No one's hiring because-"
"That's enough, you're giving me a headache! I already talked about it all day and all night with the chairman! I will not rehash what the chairman and Chang have gone over with me!"
The Dousan's eyebrow twitched and he started boring holes into his master's back.
"But if you do not do something, there will be a riot," protested the secretary, "at least send some deputies to keep order."
"Good idea! Finally, you're on the same page as me! Dousan, round up some deputies and see that the evictions are conducted!"
"Yes sir," bowed Dousan and he briskly turned his back on the inspector and walked away. Not paying particular attention to the inspector ordering his new personal secretary around.
Dousan did what he was told as he gathered the deputies, and after a brief self-introduction he marched them to what is known as the miners' quarters. The miners' quarters, is the section of town nearest the mines, and were little more than hovels and shacks. People lived there simply because it was the cheapest place to live in; if it was not for the miners who live there paying rent to the mining company who owned the land, it would be little more than slums. As they made their way through the miners' quarters, the younger deputies looked nervous and uncomfortable, which was to be expected. But what the inspector's man did not expect were the older deputies looking a bit lost.
"Everything all right Deputy Chung-Ho?" asked Dousan.
Chung-Ho looked up at the man, unexpecting someone new to know his name so easily. "Yes sir," he said simply, "everything is alright. I grew up in this town and spent my childhood not too far here, where my house sat below from the slag heaps. Every morning I would wake up and see it first thing in the morning. I used to think that after God had created the world, he created its refuse."
"Then you must of come a long way to get to where you are."
"Yes sir, I did."
"You understand my orders?"
"...I understand them perfectly..." Chung-Ho said with a tone that implied that he did not want to speak anymore on the matter, though his words conveyed obedience. He walked more briskly, looking straight ahead with his stormy grey eyes, and carried himself with an air of a well trained and disciplined soldier.
The hired hands, or thugs, that the mining company had were meandering around, as though waiting for something to happen. Evidently they were waiting for the deputies to arrive before making any move to evict the miners. Opposite the men were young men with sticks and were gathering stones. The young men were miners and were surprised to see the deputies approaching them. A few of them looked even relieved, Diusan felt a knot in his stomach, and found it more difficult to breath as he walked towards them. The young men's expressions changed when they saw the deputies walked past the hired men, and made their way straight toward them. The thugs gave each other knowing smirks and walked behind the deputies.
"What's going on?" asked Kenrou to his Uncle Kenichi.
Kenichi did not reply, but instead watched with alarm.
"Get the women and children back," commanded Oogi.
"Kenrou, get your cousin, aunt, and great uncle out of here," added Kenichi.
"Yes sir," said Kenrou and ran back to spread the word.
"All of you are to leave the premises immediately," said Dousan.
"The hell we won't!" a young man shouted and threw a rock at one of the deputies.
"Hey, we're warning you!" shouted the deputy Chung-Ho.
"Damn you Chung-Ho!" cursed one of the miners.
"Turncoat!" another shouted.
"Let's show them that we mean business," whispered one of the thugs to Dousan. He was missing some teeth, his face scarred, and looked like bad news, and he knew it.
"Do it," said Dousan.
A few of the thugs got in front and started Earthbending, sending a column of earth into the crowd. The miners were stunned to see Earthbending being used on used on them, and did not react in time as a half a dozen of them took a hit with squarely in the chest. The other thugs took out clubs and hurled themselves at the stunned miners. A few miners gathered their wits and started throwing rocks at the deputies and the hired men. But the Earthbending thugs stopped the rocks and hurled them back at the miners. The fight quickly became one sided, and none of the miners were benders, as they were picked apart by the deputies and the thugs. Finally the miners gave up and ran, with the thugs hounding them at their heels.
Dousan surveyed the scene after the miners were driven away. Evictors, who looked like looters, were going into the tenements, and emptying them out of the evicted tenants' personal possessions. Evidently, the chairman had the foresight to hire more people to fully carry out the eviction. Dousan could not help but appreciate the chairman's ruthlessness and efficiency. He gazed upon a scene as pieces of furniture were thrown into the dirt road down below, full of discarded refuse, as the evictors were throwing them from second or third story balconies. When they were done. Scavengers came and started going through the piles, taking anything of value. Most likely to fence it. So even if the miners returned, there would be nothing left for them to return to, except for an empty apartment that was once their home.
"If I were in the miners' shoes, I would have a heavy heart, and a burning desire for revenge," said Chung Ho as he stood beside Dousan.
"Not when they have empty stomachs to feed," said Dousan as he turned away, "eventually we all must pay what we owe. One way or another."
Meanwhile at the other end of town at a military garrison, a Royal Earth Kingdom officer was peering at the latest of the quartermaster's reports of their food inventory. They would have enough to feed his men for only three days. The latest shipment of food has been overdue for a month. He kept sending runners to his superiors with requests but received no reply. He would have to cut back rations by half, or buy more from the local market to fill the inventory. But with prices for food on the rise, he is not certain if he will be able to buy everything that he needs. He could have his troops buy their own food, but their pay will not arrive until next month, if it does arrive. The last time he and his garrison has been paid has been three months ago. Not to mention, the garrison's coffers are half empty, just enough to pay everyone their three months' pay. Three months' pay…it does not seem as much money now these days.
"Sergeant!"
"Sir?"
"Start sending everyone to receive their pay. I'm opening up the coffers."
"Yes sir!"
"One more thing."
"Sir?"
"Where is the nearest food wholesale house?"
"What do you mean?"
"Send our wagon train over there and grab whatever food there you can get your hands on. If anyone tries to stop you, nail this on the front doors." The officer gave the sergeant a handwritten note, the sergeant glanced at it. "And one more thing. Send a platoon to escort the train and help them procure the necessary supplies."
"What about the supplies from Hakuma?"
"They haven't arrived. And our stores are almost empty."
The sergeant did what he was told, personally leading the train over to the wholesale house, with the merchants and their customers haggling over the price.
"Soldiers? What are they doing here?"
"Probably here to buy supplies."
"Maybe now I'll finally get a good price."
The train stopped in front of the warehouse. The platoon that rode with them dismounted and stood at attention, their cold hardened faces staring straight ahead.
The sergeant stood on top of the empty wagon, behind his men as he shouted, "by Imperial Decree by Earth King Kuei! The citizens of this town will give a portion of their food, to the Royal Army of Hakuma!"
The people nearby gasped with astonishment and bewilderment. The initial declaration was also served as a queue for the soldiers to start storming the warehouse, grabbing whatever food that they could get their hands on.
"Each merchant and farmer will be given a promissory note, that the food that have seized by the army will be paid for on a later date! Provided that they have proof of purchase-" everyone started booing and hissing at the sergeant at that point, "-and other documentations! Of the assessed estimated total value of the goods that were bought by the army!" The sergeant then leapt down and nailed the notice onto the door of the warehouse.
"You can't do this!" shouted a young woman, "what are we supposed to do in the meantime?"
"Thieves!"
"Scoundrels!"
"Parasites!"
"What are you doing? I just paid for those!" protested a young mother with her children as the soldiers took away her freshly slaughtered poultry.
"Too bad, get a note from the sergeant," retorted one of the soldiers.
The young mother was too shocked for words. People nearby were started to get angry and tempers started flaring up.
"I'll have you know that the price of these cabbages are going up in price again," said the cabbage man to the sergeant as the soldiers carted all of the cabbages away.
"We'll pay you based on their assessed value," replied the sergeant.
"Okay, that would be ten coppers per head of cabbage."
The sergeant stifled a laugh, earning the cabbage man's glare.
"I lost my job at the mines and I barely have enough to buy food for my kids!" a belligerent Air Nomad shouted, as he tried to wrestle a bag of rice from two soldiers. The former miner was solidly built and twice the size of the soldiers.
"Well, our food stock is really low and we haven't been receiving any supplies! We'll pay you back later!" shouted one of the soldiers.
"I need this food now! My families haven't had a decent meal for three days! I can't feed them on hope!"
The soldiers leaned back with all their combined body weight, while the miner pulled in the other direction hoping to catch them off guard and yank it away. But because of this, the bag split open with all of the rice spilling out on the dirt floor. The soldiers and the miner stared at the spilt contents.
"Forget it, we don't want it now. You can have it," one of the soldiers threw their half of the bag onto the ground, they turned and walked away. The miner was stunned what had just happened, and before he could kneel down and start picking up the rice, a dozen people dove at it and shovel it into their bags. The miner tried pushing them away.
"What do you think you're doing, that's mine!" the miner shouted.
Soon a scuffle broke out as people started fighting over the spilled rice. The soldiers did nothing as they laughed and pointed at the spectacle. Taking advantage of the situation, some individuals started stealing whatever was not already seized by the soldiers. Some of the merchants tried to stop them, shouting for the magistrate's deputies who promptly ran after the vagrants. But as the confusion spread others started stealing from the army train.
"What's all this?!" cried one of the soldiers catching one the thieves red handed.
But the thief had a partner in crime, who took out a knife and stabbed the soldier in the back. The soldier cried out in pain attracting the attention of the rest of the soldiers, who drew their swords to aid their comrade. With the soldiers gone, more people started stealing, and the sergeant was quickly overwhelmed by the situation.
Meanwhile, word was spreading as fast as the wind about the recent developments in the warehouse.
"Hey, have you heard?" said a man running up to a neighbor of his.
"What?"
"The army is taking all of the food at the warehouse district. If you're low on grocery, you better get some quick before it's all gone!"
The man's friends and other fellows ran after him. But soon it quickly developed into a mob as the whole town started to panick. It was not long before widespread looting began.
Meanwhile far away, Asano Saito sat meditating in the traditional Air Nomad style, fists together, eyes closed, sitting up straight, cross-legged. He was in the middle of the garden of the Bei Fong Family compound, while Toph was practicing her Earthbending; she was never for one to sit still. After helping to establish the Kanto embassy in Omashu, he and his colleagues were allowed furlough. It was a security protocol to change personnel periodically, or have some system to monitor and track critical personnel.
When Saito first visited the Bei Fong family it was to escort Toph home, which allowed him to enter the trust of Master Bei Fong. This current visit to Toph and the prominent Bei Fong family would have attracted the scrutiny of his Kazekage handlers, but he was there on business. Kazekage business to be exact.
"Miss Toph," said a woman with a plain face with her hair tied in a ponytail.
"Wait. I know that voice, Jodee?" asked an alarmed Toph.
Saito opened an eye to peek, raising an eyebrow as he did so and promptly went back to his meditation.
"Yes, it's me. My name is actually Ayame, I work for your family now."
"You were brainwashed by the Dai Li. How did you know my family?"
"The White Lotus helped me break out of the Dai Li's brainwashing. I was looking for work and your father was kind enough to take me in."
"Whoa, time out!" Toph starting rubbing her forehead, "how in the world did you meet my dad in Ba Sing Se?"
"Your dad is in the Order of the White Lotus," said Saito without breaking out of his meditation.
"What?! Okay, that's it, mom and dad have a lot of explaining to do! And this time, I'm putting my foot down and starting my own martial arts school!" Toph stomped towards the house.
"Wait, Miss Toph. I just came over to say thank you for what you and your friends did, saving the world and all. Serving your family is the least that I can do. Please understand your father," soothed Jodee.
"Well, if you say so," Toph stormed off and entered the house shouting, "DAD!"
Like a bull in a chinaware shop, thought Sai while meditating placidly.
"Is there anything I can do for you good sir?" Jodee asked Saito. "Are you interested in falconry?"
Saito finally opened his eyes and peered up at Jodee. Glancing at the house he tapped the ground to check that he and Jodee were alone. Even if they were, he was still wary of Toph. Even though she was blind, as an Earthbender, she had trained her other senses, and honed them into an extraordinary sixth sense. She was also a walking lie detector.
"I do not care for falcons, I prefer Golden Eagles," said Saito quietly, "I have heard that the Red Hawk flies at night."
"That is why they are called Kazekage."
Saito stood up and began to walk back to the house saying, "Meet me at dawn tomorrow at the temple. Be sure to bring incense and offerings."
"Understood," Jodee said with a bow.
Saito was there in the twilight hours of the morning, long before anyone was up and about in the big house. Jodee had the day off, so it was easy for her to step out unnoticed. As he waited, he drank tea. The hot liquid warming his body in the summer's cold mornings that one forgets about, mistaking that summers are devoid of cold weather, that is all sunshine and rainbows, with the occasional shower or rare downpour. Taking out one of Xi Ying's newest invention, that he called a pocketwatch, he checked the time.
5:58am
Snapping the lid down to protect it from dust and dirt, he deposited back into his pocket. Looking about to visually see if anyone was around. Scanning he saw some vagabonds slumbering under the trees, or along the walls of the temple, which was open to public at all hours. These people were harmless, for whatever reason they longer have a home and must spend their nights in the relative protection of the temple. In the morning they will go to work, in the hopes of saving enough money to build a new home. Saito scanned his eyes to see a young couple embracing each other as they slept; the young woman who slept next to her lover appeared to be pregnant.
At six o'clock, a child in priestly robes walked about the temple grounds banging a gong, shouting, "Now is the hour of the tiger! It is the third hour of the day! The hour of the tiger!" Saito remembered that in the Earth Kingdom, they count hours in two hour intervals, each hour represented by the animals of the zodiac. He checked his watch again.
6:01am, the kid is quite punctual, he thought.
One by one, the vagabonds roused from their sleep, still half asleep as they walked over the small spring reserved just for them, as they washed their faces to wipe the sleep from their eyes. Each one, if they chose to, took out a copper and deposited into a strongbox to make a small donation for staying there for the night. The young man who was with his lover approached him.
"If you will be so kind, will you please spare me some money. My wife is pregnant and we need some food her and the baby."
Saito stood up and took out his purse, he peered inside, seeing that he had only ten coppers. That was all the money that he had in the world. He glanced over to the young woman who shied away from his gaze. Mentally sighing, Saito walked over to the woman and deposited directly into her hands, and walked away. Not waiting for her her surprised expression, nor to hear her profuse thanks.
Jodee finally arrived after all the vagabonds had left, she quietly offered the traditional offerings of incense, food and a cup of tea. After she was done she wandered to the temple grounds, Saito quietly joined her, as they walked along the water's edge of the manmade pond.
"I see that you've grown fond of Lady Toph," said Jodee starting some small talk.
"She is a wonderfully young woman," Saito replied.
"She created quite a stir when she came home with you."
Saito recalled when he first met Toph's parents. Her mother was very happy to see her daughter safely at home, while her father eyed him with great suspicion. They had thought that he was there to collect the reward to return her safely home. He and Toph had to do a great deal of explaining.
"Given the circumstances, I find it very odd that you should know about my identity. How do I know I can trust you Ayame-san?"
"I re-established contact with my handler in Ba Sing Se after the White Lotus helped me with my problem. After that I came here, I have been reporting to my handler who comes and goes to the Bei Fong estate. What about you?"
"R&R," Saito said a little too quickly. "It's good to know that I have friends about."
"How can you be sure?" Ayame furrowed her brow.
"I've been using Earthbending the whole time. As far as I can tell, we're all friends here. Speaking of friends, who has been visiting the Bei Fong family as of late?"
"Well, Miss Toph's siblings came for the spring festival and for Remembrance Day. All of her sisters have already married and have started families of their own. Her brothers have all returned home. Her eldest brother has taken up a career in politics. The other has married into a temple family and has been declared his father-in-law's adopted heir. A few members of the Li family, the Ho family, the Hu Family, and the Lo family."
Sai furrowed his brow, "Those are four most powerful families in the province. Are Toph's sisters married into those families?"
"Yes they are."
Saito stopped abruptly. With the Bei Fong family being married to these four families creates a powerful alliance. What other connections do they have with the White Lotus?
"Have you noticed anything unusual with Master Bei Fong's behavior?"
Ayame shook her head. "No. He is very conservative by nature. I don't think that we need to worry about the White Lotus."
"All the same. It's best to keep a watchful eye of anything unusual."
"What do you mean?"
"Don't leave any stones unturned."
Jet and Smellerbee were sitting outside of a cafe that offered outdoor seating under the shade of some trees. Nearby stood a defaced statue of Earth King Kuei, whose impressive size towered over everyone. At the dead of night, miscreants have vandalized it. Some of it was crude in which someone would paint a few unprintable words or political slogans. The town watch would try to catch the miscreants but would fail. And no one has been able to identify them since they would cover their faces. The mayor would send his men to clean the statue, but it would be vandalized again. The latest graffiti was more imaginative in which the statues hands and feet are painted red, and the word 'tyrant' painted across its chest.
Jet watched some men try to scrub the paint off, but unable to remove the stains, as he sipped his brew called coffee. He was told that the coffee beans were imported from the Osumi Islands, the eastern island chain that are controlled by the Air Nomads. The cafe grounded the beans here in the Earth Kingdom. His face went sour from the bitter taste, and sharply tapped it down unto the saucer.
"It takes some getting used to, Hajime-san," said Smellerbee soothingly.
"It's too bitter. And don't call me Hajime. Chigusa-chan," Jet reached over and ruffled her hair.
Smellerbee smiled, she liked it when Jet ruffled her hair. She also liked how he used her real name, Chigusa.
"The cafe here like to make their coffee very strong. Here, try it with some condensed milk," she offered. Jet tried it again with the milk, this time savoring the sweetness. "I heard that they mix sugar into the milk. A lot of it in fact."
Jet frowned, lightly placed the cup onto its saucer and pushed it away from him. He had just read about how people are forced into becoming serfs. Serfs are no different than slaves, even though they may allowed to own personal property. But their rights are their persons are bound to the land that they live and work on. Unlike freemen who may rent land or own it outright. Many serfs are made to work in vast sugar plantations in terrible working conditions. Sugar come from sugar canes, in the Earth Kingdom where they lack machinery to refine it, use human labor. The refining process involved boiling the sugar canes over a small bonfire to extract the sugar from the canes. If one was not careful, they could fall into the bonfire and get severely burned, or worse. Making one pound of sugar would be considered to a good day worth of work.
Smellerbee, recognized that this one of Jet's dark moods, she pushed hers away as well. "Want to go somewhere else? Maybe pay the king a visit?" she pointed at the defaced statue with a devious grin.
"Yeah, let's get out of here," he chuckled at the dark humor. Taking out his purse he paid for the bill.
Smellerbee walked close beside Jet as they made their way back to the inn, where they were staying in town. She wanted to grab his hand and lace her fingers with his, just like a couple would. Except for-
"I wonder what Yatsuha is doing right now," Jet thought aloud.
Smellerbee felt her heart pierced. "Didn't you two break up months ago?" she replied trying to keep her voice even.
"Yes we did. But my uncle still wants us to get married, even though she was the one who dumped me."
They walked silently for a while and they spoke at the same time. "Do you remember-?"
"You first," said Jet.
"No, you first. Hajime."
"Do you remember home? I mean, not in my uncle's country in Kai. But our home, WuDong Village."
"No," Smellerbee said slowly. "I hated it there. The villagers always hated us. They called us bastards, simply because we were half-nomad. The only home I had there were my mother and father. And you, and Long Shot, and Sneers, and Pipsqueak, and the Duke. When we left for good. I was relieved."
"Did you-" Jet said hesitantly, "did you dream about what we, I mean, I tried to do in the valley?"
"When we tried to destroy it?"
"Yes."
"No. I haven't," Smellerbee lied. She was having trouble sleeping at night having nightmares of Aang and his crew in the Avatar State bringing his wrath upon her. She would wake up screaming in a cold sweat. Some nights she dreamed of all the faces of the village children throwing rocks at her, calling her a bastard. Or the cold stares at her when she asked her aunt and uncle to stay with them when her parents died. They turned away, telling her to trouble someone else. She was six at the time. She never forgot that. Some nights, she dreamt that everyone who hated her, lied dead at her feet. And she would go everyone's homes and shout and called for them. But no one would answer. It frightened her and she would wake up, and go to Jet. Jet would ruffle her hair and to tell her it was all a bad dream, and let her sleep next to him.
"Oh," said Jet, his voice a little deflated. The rest of the way they were silent as they made their way to the inn.
It was safe at the inn, since the innkeeper and his wife are what Mao calls, foreign agents. Though not a member of the Kazekage and therefore not operatives, they are agents since the Kazekage solicit aid from them. In the innkeeper's case, he is classified as an agent who is reliable enough to sell information to them. Jet trusts them as much since their Kazekage's dossier shows that they are exiles. The innkeeper packed up his family and moved, after years of discontent living in the Earth Kingdom. The innkeeper even finds Earth People repulsive.
"How are things in Harima?" asked Smellerbee pensively.
"Hmm? Oh you mean the coal mining town. Yeah, it's like a powder keg waiting to go off," replied Jet quickly. When he and Yatsuha had returned from their posting, they had broken up; neither of them are willing to talk about it.
"Oh."
At the door of the inn, someone came walking toward them. It was Saito.
"Hajime, Chigusa, come with me," Saito said briskly as he walked in the direction of the stables.
"Where are we going Sai?" asked Smellerbee trying to keep up with the two boys as they were walking rather quickly that she had to break up into a slow jog.
"Our handler just gave me our orders from Lord Shingen. Suspected bandits are attacking Air Nomad settlements and we are to stop them."
Jet and Smellerbee were visibly surprised but they became very grave as they let the information sink in. Riding out of town they were stopped by a certain blind Earthbender.
"Where are you going?" asked Toph genuinely concerned.
"Sorry Toph, I don't have time to talk. I have urgent business that I have to attend to."
"What is it Sai? Maybe I can help."
"This is Kazekage business. I cannot let you come along."
"Kazekage business! White Lotus business! I am sick and tired of everyone keeping secrets! It's bad enough my parents kept me locked up and never told me anything! I don't want to put up the same crap with you! Don't you trust me Sai?"
If Saito was the least perturbed by Toph's outrage he did not show it.
"All right, you can come," Saito sighed. "I can never say no to you can I?"
"No, you can't, you can never say no to me," declared Toph as she grabbed Saito's hand and lifted her up to ride double with him. And with that they rode off.
A few days later, Saito laid flat on his back on top of boulder gazing at the blue skies, the summer sun bathing him in a warm embrace. Resting his leg over his knee, he sucked on a reed that he pick up from the side of the road. Closing his eyes letting his other senses see and hear things that he usually ignored. His mind wandered, thinking about Toph and wondering what she was doing at that moment. He concluded with himself that he rather like the little blind girl. Despite her blunt, stubborn ways, she had a certain charm about her she was no nonsense, direct and to the point, and very confident. And yet she has moments where she is very cute. He remembered the time when she and Katara had their girl's day out and they had just come from the spa. It is shame that she is blind, yet that that has been one of her greatest strengths. She is not blinded by vanity, or easily led astray. Instead she is able to see the truth and acts with earnest in pursuit of it. She is like the lady justice, in which she is blind and exact swift and fair judgement.
She would make a good mother, thought Saito but mentally cursed himself and thought that if anyone heard him that they would think that he would be odd. Saito quieted his mind once more, but his trance was short lived as he sensed the galloping of ostrich horses.
Bandits.
"They're here," Saito sat up and collected himself.
"How far out?" asked Jet.
"Fifteen minutes Hajime-san."
"Oh right, get ready!" shouted Jet as their companions get into position that overlooked the road.
"Now remember the plan. Longshot will signal the attack with a volley of arrows. Sai and the Earthbenders will cause a landslide stopping their ostrich horses. I and our riders will sally forth, and cut off their escape and attack them from behind. Pipsqueak and everyone else will take attack them from down the hill on foot. Got it?"
The ostrich horses and their riders can be heard from the road as they made their approach. The riders wore a wide array of armor, a lot of it was ill fitting, most of them wore little more than their armour with padding or clothes underneath. They were wild and undisciplined, but most of their company were battle hardened veterans from the war, and would not hesitate to attack, and pillage a defenseless village.
Long Shot raised his bow and drew back a nocked arrow, along with his fellow archers. At the last moment, they loosed their arrows and struck home into the first few riders causing the bandit leader to halt his mount.
"Ambush!" the bandit leader shouted but he was too late to stop his men before they rode further into the trap.
Saito leapt out of cover and led the charge and immediately began using his Earthbending. The other Earthbenders followed his lead and their combined effort put the bandits into disarray. Pipsqueak and Jet attacked just as planned and the bandits were immediately put to flight, with Jet in hot pursuit. The bandit leader, however held his ground and attacked Jet.
"How dare you oppose us! I'll kill you for that!" The bandit leader yelled and swung at Jet with his sword, Jet countered and easily dispatched his opponent. Saito immediately followed up with Earthbend, with known as the decapitation technique that would sink one's opponent neck deep into the ground. The bandits who followed their leader's example to stand and fit were just as easily dispatched. Only a handful managed to escape.
"Should we go after the rest?" asked Saito pointing at the dust cloud of retreating bandits.
"No, let's head back," replied Jet quickly, "but gather all of the armor and weapons. No sense leaving them here."
When they returned back to the stronghold, Lord Shingen was there waiting for them at the front gate. And he did not look too happy. Jet put on a brave face as he dismounted from his horse.
"Uncle! We intercepted forty bandits and we defeated him with only ten men! Look, we even caught their leader!"
Lord Shingen looked down at his nephew from his nose and eyed the prisoner.
"My lord, do you wish to question the prisoners?" Saito asked cautiously.
"Yes. See that it's done."
"Yes my lord," said Saito as the prisoners were led away.
"Uncle?" asked Jet. "Didn't I do well?"
"Yes, you were very brave Hajime. But you were reckless!" shouted Shingen which attracted some nervous glances in the camp. "You attacked with only ten men without telling anyone! Would have happened if you got your men killed?!"
"But they-"
"Let me finish! The first rule in any army is that you obey your superiors! You are a junior officer! Your superiors count on you! How can they depend on you if you do things without telling anyone what you are doing?! Your men's lives are in your hands! How would you take proper responsibility if they get killed, and you and your men are not there when I need you the most?!"
"I'm sorry uncle."
"Go to your tent and reflect on your actions! Do not leave there until I send for you!"
Jet obeyed realizing his error. His shoulders were slouched as he trudged off. It was the first time his uncle has yelled at him like that. And it frightened him.
"And straighten up and walk like man!" shouted Shingen. "You're not some spoiled child! You're an officer and a gentleman!"
Jet immediately straightened up and walked with purpose.
"At least it shows he's eager," Saito said as he approached Shingen from a nearby tent, wiping his hands clean of blood.
"I would have praised him if had he told me of his plans. It would do no good if he does things on his own, it would reflect badly on everything. But enough that. What have you learned from the prisoners?"
"They said that they're bandits and they dress like bandits. But..." Saito trailed off.
"They're not bandits," finished Shingen.
"Take a look at this scroll." Saito presented an unsealed scroll to Shingen who began to read it.
Officers are henceforth authorized to take defensive, or punitive actions, against persons that they deem to be a threat to His Majesty, and to His Dominion, both within and beyond the legal boundaries. Officers may also procure material, or conscript persons that would aid in the protection of His Majesty's Dominion without needing to offer compensation. These powers are granted to the most trusted officers or their lieutenants, provided that they obey their governors, and do not raid or pillage the King's Subjects or His Allies.
Shingen rolled up the scroll.
"It's similar to the contracts that we made to recruit privateers to fight against the Fire Nation. Except it authorizes broad authority for Earth Kingdom army officers to raid and pillage any settlements. And it effectively makes them the Prosecution, Judge and Executioner of people that they don't like," Saito continued.
"That column of bandits that Hajime just defeated, where were they headed?" asked Shingen slowly.
"There are half a dozen herding settlements and farming villages down that road. Each with thirty to forty people."
"...My nephew just saved two hundred people." Shingen crumpled up the scroll.
"Yes sir," Saito said solemnly.
"Send for my officers at once." Shingen ordered sharply.
"Yes sir!" Bowed Saito.