Chapter 18: Pentapox
Katara pulled herself up through the grate onto the quiet street above, her relief palpable as she could finally breathe in clean air again. Aang had forgotten to inform them that the tunnels he knew about were sewer tunnels. However, she doubted that knowing this in advance would have deterred her from the plan. Her determination to get into the city had overridden her concerns about the less-than-ideal pathway.
Throughout their journey through the tunnels, Katara's waterbending had managed to keep most of the debris away from her. Still, she could not prevent the overpowering smell from assaulting her senses. Just as she was inspecting her clothing for any signs of filth, an alarmed sound from Aang beside her caught her attention. Turning in the direction of his gaze, she watched in surprise as a large blob of flailing arms and legs emerged out of the grate behind her. The noxious odor emanating from the creature made her recoil.
Aang, reacting quickly, sent a gust of wind at the blob, causing debris to explode off, leaving her brother standing in its place. Katara could not help but smirk inwardly, thinking that he had unwittingly taken the brunt of her bending. It was a small, petty revenge for his reaction when she and Zuko had returned to their clearing. Sokka had not been angry at Zuko for their extended absence, oh no; instead, he had been annoyed with her. The stinky surprise had turned into a way for her to let off some irritation, even if it was childishly petty. She knew she could have easily bent the filth away from them both, but the little sister in her had been irritated and decided to indulge in a bit of mischief.
Katara tried her best to suppress her laughter as Sokka realized there was something on his face and attempted to remove it, without much success. Aang, seeing his plight, took pity on the Water Tribe warrior and showed him how to get rid of the little creatures. Tickling the little things to get them to release, they left peculiar little red dots on his skin where they had been attached, making him look rather comical.
"Who's there," someone called out, causing her laughter to die in her throat. The unexpected voice sent a shiver down her spine, and she held her breath, her senses on high alert.
Three Fire Nation guards rounded the corner, their torchlight casting eerie shadows across the narrow street as they approached the trio swiftly. Panic welled up in Katara's chest. They had barely entered the city, and already they were facing potential capture.
"What are you three doing out after curfew?" The lead guard, a tall and imposing figure, demanded. His stern expression left no room for excuses.
"Umm…" Aang, usually quick-witted, stumbled over his words as he tried to concoct a plausible explanation.
The second guard, with a raised brow, pointed toward Sokka and asked, "What's wrong with your friend there?"
Katara and Aang turned to see Sokka, who looked pitiful and utterly miserable. His clothing clung to him, damp and dirty from the sewer water. Red marks from the little sewer creatures dotted his skin, and a glistening layer of moisture on his brow made him appear as if he had been sweating profusely. The noxious odor of the sewer clung to him, creating an air of pure misery around him.
"He's sick," Katara replied with a convincing touch of concern, her eyes darting between the guards, trying to gauge their reactions.
Sokka, ever the opportunist to seize a moment for some dramatics, leaped into action. He grabbed his face and began moaning, doing his best to sound as miserable as he looked.
"We had taken him to the healer and did not notice how late it had gotten," Katara added, trying to keep the story plausible.
"What does he have?" the third guard asked, taking a step back from them, clearly wary.
"Pentapox," Aang added helpfully adopting a serious tone in regard to the supposed illness. Sokka continued his moaning, alternating from holding his head to itching his arms and body. "It's very contagious," Aang added.
"It hurts," Sokka exclaimed, pushing past Katara as he surged toward the guards coughing dramatically. This caused the guards to back up even further.
"And painful," Katara interjected, her nose wrinkling involuntarily from the lingering sewer stench that still clung to her brother's clothing.
"And... umm... deadly." Aang piled on, his voice carrying a note of grave warning. "I wouldn't get too close if I were you." He advised the guards, adding to the illusion of a dire situation.
Katara couldn't help but find the situation ironically amusing. The typically disciplined and fearless Fire Nation guards were now visibly scared of her brother, who, despite his own discomfort, kept trying to get closer to them all while dramatically begging for help and coughing in their direction.
As panic spread among the guards, they quickly lost their stern demeanor. "Keep him away from me." The second guard demanded, pushing the leader of their group in front of him as a makeshift barrier.
"Get him out of here." The first guard ordered; his earlier authoritative demeanor was now replaced by fear. The guards were clearly eager to distance themselves from what they believed to be a potentially fatal disease.
Katara wasted no time. With a firm grip on Sokka's arm, she exclaimed, "Of course, we will get him home right now." And proceeded to push her brother and Aang further down the street, away from the three guards. Turning down a side street, the trio broke into a run, following Aang as he skillfully navigated the labyrinthine streets, leading them higher through the levels of the city.
As time passed and they left the lower levels behind, Katara noticed a distinct change in the architecture and surroundings. Small, run-down buildings and narrow, winding alleyways gradually gave way to more substantial structures with larger streets. Intricate gardens lined the lined the fronts of homes adding a touch of greenery to the urban landscape. The atmosphere seemed to grow lighter, and the presence of Fire Nation soldiers became less pronounced as they ascended through the rings of the city. The contrast was striking, and it was clear that the upper levels of the city were reserved for the more affluent residents, something Katara had not fully recognized her first time visiting the city.
Sokka, while appreciating the change in scenery, could not resist making a comment. "Looks like we're moving up in the world," he said, trying to keep the mood upbeat.
"Let's not get too comfortable," Aang cautioned, leading them down a side street, bringing them out to a dead end. Without hesitation, he jumped up onto a ledge and began to walk along it. Katara and Sokka exchanged a glance before following him. They trusted Aang's instincts, even if he seemed to forget they were not all airbenders and some heights were a bit daunting. Still, Katara tried her best to ignore the long drop on her left as they walked along, the moon providing their only source of light in the night.
The sudden rumbling above them caught everyone off guard. A cascade of rocks came tumbling down, narrowly missing the group as they huddled on the narrow ledge. Aang's quick reflexes came to the rescue. With a powerful blast of airbending, he redirected the falling debris off its path, averting disaster. As the rocks crashed harmlessly to the side, startled cries and shouts erupted from a small group of Fire Nation civilians below.
"It's the resistance."
"Guards."
"Protect the Governor."
Before they could fully comprehend what had happened, the situation took a dangerous turn. The shouts from below escalated, and the trio found themselves under attack. Aang, with agility and precision, led Katara and Sokka along the narrow ledge, leaping and airbending them to reach the next landing above them. This maneuver gave them more room to run and a temporary advantage over their pursuers.
As the trio sprinted through the dimly lit city, the guards' shouts echoed in the distance, growing closer with each passing moment. Their escape had turned into a frantic race to stay ahead of their pursuers while navigating the labyrinthine streets and alleys.
Up ahead, shouts erupted, catching her attention and she watched Aang's head swiveling around looking for a route when he veered off course to the left, Katara closely following, and Sokka trailing behind as they entered the alleyway. Up ahead she could see a chute, one the city used for their delivery system when the earth moved beneath their feet and she was suddenly looking at a wall. The impact was abrupt, Katara sandwiched between her brother and Aang, while a deafening scraping noise reverberated from behind them, plunging their world into disorienting darkness.
Zuko sat perched on Appa's saddle, his gaze fixed on the distant city, his expression anything but serene. Anger simmered in his eyes as he surveyed the sprawling urban expanse. He could not shake the unease that had settled within him, growing with each passing minute as the hours slid away. It was a sensation he was not accustomed to, and he had quickly grown to despise it – the feeling of being left behind. Even the white-winged bat-like thing had left him behind, flying off toward the city shortly after the group had left.
The moments when Katara had turned away to embark on the mission with Aang and Sokka haunted him. A hollow sensation settled in his chest, centered around her mark, leaving an empty place where her presence had once been. He had watched her leave, and it had felt like a piece of him had gone with her. The sensation was confusing, unsettling him, and the anticipation of her return only seemed to amplify this feeling. Time dragged on, and it crawled at an agonizing pace. His subconscious berated him for sounding like a lost pup, it was an uncomfortable vulnerability he had not expected to experience.
Despite the despair that gnawed at him, Zuko found a sliver of appreciation in the simple yet profound act of kindness Katara had shown him earlier when she helped him find a few hours of much-needed sleep. It had held immense significance for him, a precious respite from the torment his mind usually subjected him to. He remembered the peaceful moments she had granted him in that secluded clearing, a stark contrast to the turmoil that followed her departure. His mind had become a battleground once again for his inner demons. They took a new form, toying with him, tormenting him, using Katara's likeness as a means to further his torment. It was a new level of hell he was not prepared to face, so he had chosen to give up on trying to sleep at all.
His thoughts inevitably circled back to the sprawling city before him, and he hoped fervently that Katara would return safely. In a surprising realization, he found himself looking forward to her arrival more than he had anticipated. It was a new and unexpected feeling, one that made him yearn for her presence more strongly than he would have thought. But for now, he remained obedient to her orders, perched on top of Appa, waiting with a simmering impatience.
As the night dragged on, he grew increasingly restless, his dissatisfaction with this role mounting. With a growing resolve, he silently vowed that next time, he would refuse to be left behind. This passive waiting was not something he would endure willingly again.
In the pitch-black darkness, disoriented and uncertain, Katara tried to regain her bearings. Her breath was hard to catch, heavy from the mad dash through the city.
"Who's there?" Aang called out beside her. Then, a flicker of light pierced through the blackness as a torch ignited, casting eerie shadows on the narrow alley walls.
Katara blinked against the sudden brightness, and when her eyes finally adjusted, she realized they were surrounded by a group of people, earthbenders.
The leader, an elder man with a strong and determined presence, stepped forward, his torch casting a warm glow on his face, a face Katara found familiar. "Welcome, young Avatar." He said.
"General Tomachi?" Aang asked, then gave a small bow to the elder. "You have no idea how happy we are to see you."
"I would say the same young Avatar, but you seemed to have spoiled our ambush on the new governor of Omashu." General Tomachi stated.
"The new governor?" Sokka asked behind her. "Where is King Bumi?"
"Let's move away from this area and we can discuss the misfortunes that have befallen our city." The General stated, motioning for them to follow him.
After they had moved away from the area, as General Tomachi had suggested, he began to explain the recent events in Omashu. "King Bumi is being held prisoner by the Fire Nation in the catacombs beneath the city, but the guard around him is too heavy that we have been unable to infiltrate past them to get him out. And the one time that we had gotten someone past the guards, he was told to leave him behind and get his people out."
"That doesn't make sense," Sokka interjected.
"How?" Aang asked confused. "King Bumi is one of the most powerful Earthbenders in the world! How could this happen."
"When the Fire Nation attacked, he decided to do nothing." The General said. "We saw them coming and looked to him for orders, and he told us to do nothing. To let them come. He surrendered the city."
"How are they keeping him restrained if he is like Aang said, one of the best benders?" Sokka questioned.
"It was a clever and underhanded move by the Fire Nation. They have him restrained in a metal coffin with only his head visible suspended by a metal chain high above the ground." One of the other guards said.
"What can we do to help?" Katara voiced.
"We have given up on rescuing King Bumi. He has ordered us to leave him and flee the city." The General said.
"We have been sneaking citizens out little by little, but the General noticed the decreased number of citizens and envoked a curfew. The penalty for being caught outdoors after sunset is twenty lashes." Another guard stated.
"So you need a way for everyone to just leave at once," Sokka stated rubbing his chin in thought.
"What are you thinking?" Aang asked him.
"I think Omashu is about to have a pandemic on its hands," Sokka stated thoughtfully.
Aang smiled wide as he caught on to Sokka's meaning, casting a playful glance at the gathered Earth Nation guards. "Pentapox anyone?"
"What the heck is Pentapox?" The General asked.
"A highly contagious, highly deadly illness," Sokka explained. "Or at least that's what the Fire Nation guards will think."
"Genius," Aang stated with a smile.
Once Sokka had explained his plan the guards and general had discussed where they should meet to receive the 'pentapox' marks. The earthbending resistance worked diligently to disseminate Sokka's plan throughout the city. They used their network of underground tunnels, secret messages, and trusted messengers to reach as many citizens as possible. The people of Omashu had long yearned for a glimmer of hope, and now, it seemed to be within their grasp.
As the word spread, the citizens began to prepare for the evacuation. They gathered what few belongings they could carry, said their goodbyes to their homes, and gathered through the tunnels for further instructions. Their determination was fueled by the hope that they would finally escape the oppressive grip of the Fire Nation.
In the dimly lit cavern, the preparations for the citizens' escape were in full swing. The atmosphere was a mix of tension and anticipation as the newcomers from Omashu nervously received their 'pentapox' markings. Katara had taken if upon herself to assist the citizens in covering their exposed skin with the mock pentapox marks, ensuring they were prepared to move swiftly once the signal was given.
Sokka, on the other hand, had embraced his role as the instructor of "sickness acting." He took his task seriously, emphasizing that this was a critical element of their plan's success. He provided the citizens with amusing yet practical examples of how to convincingly act sick, drawing some laughter and understanding from the growing assembly.
Katara tried to suppress her laughter at her brother's antics, adding some much-needed levity to the situation. She observed the citizens slowly becoming more comfortable with their roles in this daring escape plan, thanks to Sokka's humorous instructions.
"And don't forget to cough." He was explaining to one of the new groups.
As Katara assisted a woman with her pentapox disguise, she noticed Aang standing to the side. His gaze was fixed on the tunnel leading to the city, and a longing expression marked his face. Setting her current task aside, she approached him, her concern evident in her voice as she asked, "What's wrong, Aang?"
"I need to find Bumi." Aang confessed, "I can't stand the thought of leaving him behind. I need to try don't' I?" he asked her.
"I will come with you." She offered.
"No," Aang exclaimed a little too loudly. "I think this is something that I should do by myself." He continued quietly. "I could not live with myself if something happened to you."
Katara gave him a quizzical look, concern etching her features. She understood Aang's attachment to King Bumi, but she was also worried about him going into such a dangerous situation alone.
"Aang, I know you care about him, but going alone is risky," she argued gently. "What if something happens to you? We are a team, and we need to watch out for each other. I don't want to see you get hurt."
Aang's eyes reflected his inner turmoil. "I'll be careful, Katara, I promise. But this is something I need to do. I have to try and get him out."
Katara sighed, her gaze softening. She knew she could not force him to stay, and she also knew how determined he could be. "Just promise me that you will be cautious, and if things get too dangerous, you will stop and come back to us."
He nodded with gratitude; his decision was made. "I promise."
With a lingering glance, Aang headed towards the tunnel entrance. Katara watched him go, worry clouding her eyes.