Disclaimer – all original Avatar: The Last Airbender characters in this fanfic (excluding my OC's) are the property of Bryana Konietzko and Michaela Dante DiMartino.
Chapter 26. Capital City.
One day later – The Great Gates of Azulon.
So far, the journey has gone without any troubles. During the first night on the barge, Huo slept beside the packages, enjoying the cool breeze and sounds of the sea. Still, he was always wary, expecting Wei'Rai to swoop down and snatch him from the deck like a fish. However, nothing of the sort happened, and the barge reached the Great Gates of Azulon the following day.
Entitled by the Fire Lord himself, the Great Gates of Azulon were three gigantic statues that guarded the entrance to the Fire Nation's inner sea. A giant statue of Azulon stood in the middle with its arms opened and was flanked on either side by two golden statues of dragons.
"Woah!" Huo's eyes widened in awe when he spotted the massive statues. The boy stood right beside Tejum, who steered the barge.
"I had the same reaction, when I saw it for the first time," Tejum stated. "Truly an interesting invention."
"How does it work?" Huo asked curiously, and Tejum pointed with his finger. "See that line that's coming out off the dragon's mouth and goes into the Fire Lord's sleeve?"
"Uh-huh," Huo nodded and pointed at the second statue. "The other dragon has one as well."
"Exactly," Tejum smiled. "That's a net, which is currently lowered and submerged in water, allowing us to pass through. If we were enemies and the soldiers would spot us, the net would be lifted by a mechanism, located in the dragon statues, and lit on fire, preventing us from passing through."
"Could you swim under it?" Huo asked.
"Technically, yes," Tejum replied and chuckled. "But you wouldn't be able to outswim the guards on the jet skis. Speaking off, I'm sure they'll decide to inspect and search the barge. I'll stop and let them board."
"Okay," Huo nodded.
Before they reached the gates, Tejum turned off the engine, and the barge stopped. After a moment, Huo heard a sound and noticed two steam-powered jet skis heading straight toward them. Seating two guards, each jet ski had three blades on each side, hidden inside covered slots, and was a fearsome display of the Fire Nation's advanced war arsenal.
Huo and Tejum left the cabin and approached the taffrail to look at the jet skis. "Hello!" the elderly man called out to the guards, who noticed him and stooped right next to the barge. "Give me a moment, and I lower the stern ramp for you!"
"That won't be necessary!" replied a tough-looking female, who stood up and reached out, grabbing the taffrail. She swiftly climbed aboard the barge and nodded to the elderly man. "How are you doing, Tejum?" she asked while a second soldier, a tall young male, boarded the barge as well. The other two guards remained on their jet skis. "New decorations for the festival?"
"That's right," Tejum replied and turned his head toward the packages. "Shun always has a large order for us, but I always deliver on time."
The young guard approached the packages and gave them a closer look while the woman looked at Huo and arched her black eyebrow. "Who's the kid?" she asked, focusing on the tattoo on his forehead.
"A little muscle I took with me," Tejum replied with a smirk, placing his hand on the boy's shoulder. "He's helping me with the packages."
"Hmmm... I see," the woman nodded and crouched in front of Huo, looking at him carefully. "What's your name boy?" she asked.
"Huo," the boy replied with a friendly smile.
"You have a nice tatoo, Huo," the woman pointed out. "Do you know what it means?"
"I can firebend with my mind," Huo replied.
"That's right," the woman nodded. "That's a dangerous type of bending. You have to be careful or you can really hurt yourself and the ones around you."
"I know," Huo assured. "I'm careful with my bending. Fire is powerful and dangerous element."
"Good," the woman replied and turned her head towards the young male guard. "Everything in order?"
"Yes," the guard answered and approached them.
The woman stood up and looked back at Tejum. "Have a safe trip and say hello to Nezuni for me when you get back," she said.
"I will," Tejum assured and nodded.
The two guards turned towards the taffrail and climbed down to their jet ski. When all four guards left and returned to their post, Tejum, followed by Huo, entered the cabin and turned on the steam engine.
"You knew those guards?" Huo asked curiously as the barge continued onward, passing through the Great Gates of Azulon.
"This isn't my first time delivering decorations you know," Tejum replied with a slight chuckle. "I know my share of guards and they know me. We lived on a different island before, but when we learned about the inn, we decided to move closer to the capital."
"Why not move into the capital?" Huo asked, pointing toward the direction they were headed. "You wouldn't need to use the barge at all."
"While it would make things a lot easier and faster when it comes to our work, living in the capital isn't all sunshine and rainbows," Tejum replied as the smile vanished from his face. "Don't say this to anyone, but our nation is far from being perfect, despite what the ones in authority will tell you. Only the nobles and the royal family live to their fullest. The lower-class people living in the Fire Nation are kept under the thumb of the Fire Lord. They are left with nothing of their own, only allowed what our ruler graciously gives them. It's even worse for the people who live in the Fire Nation colonies."
"Huh?" Huo arched his eyebrow. "What do you mean?"
"People living in the colonies are regarded inferior to the ones living in the capital," Tejum explained. "Even children in schools are taught and even encouraged to discriminate the ones living outside the capital. Being called colony trash is not uncommon."
Huo silently listened to the elderly man, who turned his head toward him and smiled. "I'm not trying to discourage you from looking for your friends or anything like that," he assured and patted Huo on the back. "You just need to be careful around certain people. Sometimes it is better to keep your own opinion to yourself. Keeping a low profile can save you a lot of trouble."
Huo turned his head and looked at the vast sea before them. He inhaled and exhaled through his nose, getting slightly nervous. Finding Eilu and Shaku will be challenging. His father could advise him on where to look and how to behave, but there was only one way to contact him: meditation.
"How much longer till we reach the capital?" the boy asked.
"I think we'll get to the harbor tomorrow morning," Tejum replied, and Huo nodded, planning to meditate into the Spirit World during nighttime. "By the way, I didn't ask earlier since I didn't want to pry, but what are you planning to do after you find your friends? You said you lost your parents. Do you have a place to stay or other relatives who can help you?"
"An old friend of my father lives in the capital," Huo answered. "He's a blacksmith, and I'm sure I could stay with him." Of course, it was a lie, but he couldn't tell Tejum the truth.
"That's good to hear," Tejum replied with relief in his voice. "You're a good kid, it would be a shame if something bad happened to you."
Huo smiled, hearing the kind words. He thought about telling Tejum more about himself but decided against it. It was better to leave it like this and perhaps tell him the truth if he'd ever meet him again. Right now, he needed to wait until night to pretend to sleep between the packages and meditate.
Half a day later – Spirit World, Sin'Bey Forest.
Even though Huo didn't enter the Spirit World through meditation in a very long time, since he lived there and didn't need to, he managed to do it without any problems. Remembering his father's lessons when they still lived in the village, the boy could freely teleport himself to various places in the vast world of spirits.
Before talking with his father, he needed to speak with Wei'Rai. He didn't look forward to that conversation, but apologizing to him for what he said was the right thing to do.
Appearing in the mist-shrouded, verdant forest, Huo tried to firebend, and just like he expected, he failed since he didn't have a physical body. The boy walked through the eldritch forest and found the entrance to the realm of Keepers. Without bending, though, he couldn't enter it. Instead, he sat down in front of the cave and crossed his legs.
A growl from above made him look up and spot Sin'Bey, who became visible. The dragonfly lizard spirit clung to the wall head first and observed the boy with its red-colored reptilian eyes. "Hello, Sin'Bey!" Huo smiled and bowed his head. "I would like to talk with Wei'Rai. Could you tell him I'm here?"
Sin'Bey growled and climbed down the wall, entering the cave. "Thank you!" Huo said.
After a few moments, Sin'Bey reemerged from the cave and climbed the wall, positioning himself above the entrance in the same spot and becoming invisible once again.
Huo heard footsteps, and in the darkness, he spotted Wei'Rai, who came out of the cave shortly after. The phoenix approached the boy with his eyes narrowed. "Hey, I came here to apologize," Huo stated and stood up while the phoenix stared at him silently. "But not for what I decided to do. I'm going to help my friends, and nothing will change my mind. Still, what I said about Shen'Rai was rude and uncalled for. I'm sure he'd never say something bad about you." The boy bowed his head. "I'm really sorry."
Wei'Rai inhaled and released a deep sigh. "When Chin'Rai and the other Keepers decided to become one being, Shen'Rai was the one who argued the most," said the phoenix. "When I told him to calm down and accept her decision, in his anger, he said to me that Chin'Rai decided to leave us because she was sick of my heartlessness."
Huo's eyes widened, and he lifted his head, looking at Wei'Rai. "That means, I said..."
"The same thing he did," Wei'Rai nodded. Huo felt terrible, but the Fire Keeper quickly added. "I'm not angry at you because of that. It really took me back, and I actually thought that he spoke through you. Shen'Rai was the most compassionate of all of us and always annoyed me by breaking our rules for the sake of others. You're just like him. You're compassionate, and kind, and you like to annoy me by not doing what I say."
Huo smiled awkwardly and blushed, not expecting such words. "Emmm... thank you," he replied, somewhat confused. "I'm glad you're not upset or sad."
"Oh, don't think you're off the hook just like that," Wei'Rai stated. "Once you return, you're going to train even harder to make up for the time you lost."
"I understand," Huo nodded.
"I hope you do, and since you want to search for your friends so badly, you need to remember a few things if you want to succeed," Wei'Rai said. "Never tell the humans what you know about our bending. Firebending techniques and forms which are available to them, even the rarest ones, are okay to use, but you know nothing about us and our bending. If I discover that you broke that rule, I'll take you back to the Spirit World without hesitation, and no amount of arguing will change that."
"Right," Huo nodded. "Oh, what about the phoenix?"
"What phoenix?" Wei'Rai asked, squinting his eyes.
"I pretended to be a spirit phoenix when I talked with Eilu's mom," Huo explained. "What if no one will see 'me' using it, but they'll see a spirit? It would help me with my search if I could pretend to be a spirit and use my flames to see. I'd even change their color to violet so no one would suspect I'm the spirit."
Wei'Rai arched his eyebrows and thought for a moment. "Fine," he agreed. "As long as they don't know it's you, I'm okay with it."
"Thank you," Huo replied.
"Keep your emotions in check," Wei'Rai warned. "The last thing you want is Yuan'Shi's attention. She surely sensed your earlier outburst and either didn't care, or she thought it was Shen'Rai. If she learns that you merged your spirit with his, I can't even imagine how furious she will be."
Huo nodded again. "And the last thing," Wei'Rai said while turning around. "I had a long conversation with your father about your 'search', so keep both of us in the loop."
"Oh, okay," Huo replied. "I need to talk with him anyway."
"Good luck, you'll need it," Wei'Rai said and entered the cave, returning to his realm.
Huo exhaled with relief since it went better than he expected. Now he only needed to talk with his father, but at least he wouldn't need to explain everything since Wei'Rai did it for him. Closing his eyes, the boy focused, and after a short while, he vanished, teleporting his spirit to Xai Bau's Grove.
Spirit World, Xai Bau's Grove.
Yan Zu sat on the grass in front of a large campfire, surrounded by small flower spirits. The small entities were using their roots to run in circles around the man. When Huo appeared not far from him, the flower spirits stooped and began to gaze at the boy curiously. The man looked at his son and quickly stood up. "Huo, are you okay?" he asked, approaching the boy.
"Yes," Huo reassured. "Wei'Rai told me that he talked with you about my search for Eilu and Shaku."
"Yes, he did," Yan Zu confirmed. "I wish you were wrong, but knowing Eilu, she probably got herself in one hell of a mess. So where are you now?"
"On a barge with an elderly man named Tejum, who's giving me a ride," Huo answered. "We crossed the Great Gates of Azulon, and we're heading towards the capital as we speak."
"That's the man who took over our inn?" Yan Zu asked, and Huo nodded. "Yup, he and his wife, Nezuni," the boy answered. "They're nice people who allowed me to overnight at the inn in exchange for helping with packages. No one I know saw me, so everything went smoothly, but I need some advice since I don't know where to start looking."
"Hmmm..." Yan Zu leaned his head and thought for a moment. "Since Eilu worked as a guard, the officers of the Domestic Forces should know what happened to her. Find a patrol and ask a first lieutenant or a captain. They should tell you where she is. Try to talk with female soldiers since the majority of them tend to have a soft spot for children. Just remember to be careful all the time and cover-up that tattoo with a bandana or something similar."
"Huh? Why?" Huo asked.
"Children firebenders, who can combustionbend, generally cause distrustfulness because of their lack of control," Yan Zu explained. "Adults can control their power, but children usually don't have enough training and discipline. Many of them lose limbs in accidents and no one wants to get blown up because of a tantrum. You can control it without any issues, yes, but no one except me and the Keepers knows that."
"Tejum said there's a festival coming," Huo remembered. "I can use a mask to cover my face."
"Good idea," Yan Zu agreed. "Many children will surely wear costumes and masks as well so no one will find you suspicious."
"Thanks for the advice," Huo smiled.
"You're welcome," Yan Zu replied and sighed. "Huo... I wish with all my heart that you succeed, but there's a possibility that Eilu and Shaku could be... gone. I'm not saying something like that happened for sure, but be prepared for the worst."
Huo's smile faded. He inhaled and exhaled through his nose, looking at his father intensely. "Deep down, I have a hunch that they're still okay," the boy replied confidently.
Yan Zu smiled and placed his hand on Huo's shoulder. "Let's hope your hunch is correct," he said. "Good luck, and don't hesitate to meditate into the Spirit World and ask the Keepers or me for help."
"Okay," Huo replied and took a step back. "See you later."
The boy closed his orange-colored eyes, and his spirit vanished, leaving the Spirit World and returning to his physical body.
Yan Zu exhaled and returned to his place at the campfire. He sat down on the grass and stared at the fire, thinking intensely. After a few minutes, a blue hue illuminated his face as the flames in front of him turned blue, causing the flower spirits to scatter. "Did Huo talk with you?" Wei'Rai's voice came from the campfire.
"Yes, he left the Spirit World a few minutes ago," Yan Zu replied and squinted his eyes. "I really don't like this plan of yours."
"It won't be safe and pleasant, but it has to be done," Wei'Rai replied. "If he wants to safe his friends, we might as well use it to, as the humans say, kill two birds with one stone. If it works, Huo will become much stronger."
"Power in exchange for his good heart?" Yan Zu asked and shook his head. "It's not worth it. I don't want him to become like me during my younger days."
"It may change him, yes," Wei'Rai replied. "And I know that makes me a hypocrite, but his chances of surviving will be much bigger with that power."
The next day – Fire Nation Capital, First Lord's Harbor.
Also known as Capital City or Imperial City, the Fire Nation Capital was the seat of the government for the Fire Nation, located on a large island in the nation's western region. Owing to its extensive defenses, the Fire Nation Capital was regarded as one of the most heavily fortified cities in the world, alongside Ba Sing Se and Huo could see why.
The entrance to the harbor was sealed by a massive sea wall flanked by two large towers. Each tower was armed with ballistae powerful enough to fire harpoon bolts through reinforced steel, and each harpoon was attached to a powerful motorized chain winch.
The tower guards and soldiers carefully observed the barge approaching the sea wall. Huo couldn't even imagine how anyone could be stupid enough to storm the harbor in a small, weapon-less barge. One harpoon could quickly deal with them for good.
"Lower the gate!" Huo heard one of the guards shouting. A moment later, the massive sea wall was slowly lowered and submerged in water, allowing Tejum to steer the barge into the harbor, which was large enough to hold twelve Empire-Class Fire Nation battleships or numerous smaller ships at a time.
"Wow!" Huo's eyes widened in awe when he spotted five cruisers and two Empire-class battleships. Their barge looked like a tiny raft in comparison. "What's over there?" the boy asked, pointing towards an open space with a red-colored road in the middle. He also could see many vehicles and a large tower.
"That's the Royal Plaza," Tejum answered and steered the barge to the right. "It's a place where Fire Nation Royalty hold rallies for the people of the Fire Nation. It is also the only way in or out of the city from the sea."
"We're not docking there?" Huo asked.
"Heh, no, we're not important enough and we're not soldiers," Tejum chuckled. "Non-military vessels have to dock there," the man pointed towards a side area of the harbor where boats with cargo and transports were allowed to dock. The area was filled with other small vessels currently being unloaded, and Huo also noticed many guards and dockworkers.
When they got closer, Tejum spotted an elderly man waving to them on the pier. "That's my client," he said and turned the barge stern-first towards the pier. When he docked and turned off the steam engine, he and Huo left the cabin.
"Hey, Shun!" Tejum called out, approaching the stern ramp and unhooking it. When the ramp was lowered, the man standing on the pier boarded the barge. He had a slim build with a bald head and brown-colored eyes. "Hello, Tejum! Long time no see!" the man greeted with a friendly smile.
"You haven't changed, Shun," Tejum stated and gestured toward the packages. "I have your order. Feel free to count."
"Heh, I don't need to," Shun assured. "You and Nezuni never made a mistake when it came to the amount."
The bald man looked at Huo. "And who's this?" he asked, arching his gray eyebrows. "Don't tell me it's your grandson."
Huo bowed his head with a smile and performed the custom Fire Nation greeting. "No, heh, that's Huo," Tejum explained. "He's helping me with the packages in exchange for a ride."
"Ah, I see," Shun nodded and looked at Tejum. "In that case let's not waste any more time. Nezuni will be worried if you'll take too long to return and will probably blame me for that. I have my cart ready so we can do this right away."
"Okay," Tejum nodded and looked at Huo. "Ready?"
"Yup!" Huo replied.
The two men and Huo quickly loaded the packages onto the cart. This one was much bigger and had a mongoose lizard harnessed to it, which intrigued Huo. When they finished, Shun exhaled and looked at Tejum. "And done," he said, reaching to his belt, grabbing a pouch, and handing it to Tejum. "Your payment, feel free to count."
"Don't need to," Tejum replied with a smirk, taking the pouch. Huo could see that both men trusted each other.
Tejum looked at Huo and smiled. "Well, that's it," he said. "This is the part when we part ways, Huo, but before we do, you deserve something." The elderly man opened the pouch and grabbed three silver pieces. "Here."
Huo looked at the coins, confused. "But you already gave me a ride," he pointed out. "That would be too much."
"Nonsense," Tejum assured. "Think of it as payment for being a great company during the trip. You can buy yourself something before you find your friends."
Huo's eyes widened. "Can I buy a mask?" the boy asked, turning his head towards Shun.
The bald man smiled and shrugged. "Sure, I can sell you a mask and give you a ride to Harbor City for one silver piece," he offered. "What do you say?"
"That would be nice, thank you," Huo replied. He took the pentagonal-shaped coins from Tejum, who chuckled. "Good luck, Huo," he said, heading back to his barge. "Maybe I'll see you again someday."
"I would like that," Huo replied and bowed his head. "Thank you for everything!"
Huo watched Tejum getting on his barge and closing the ramp. When the sound of the steam engine reached his ears, Huo exhaled. He made it. He was in the Fire Nation capital, but his search for Eilu and Shaku had only begun.
Please R&R ;)