Chapter Thirty Nine
Interludes Three
Long Feng. Ozai. Hakoda. Song. Tahno
I
Long Feng
The Grand Secretariat to the Earth King looked out over the outer wall of Ba Sing Se. The sky was dark and cloudy. Rain would fall that night. He inhaled the scents of the city behind him, basking in his power. Since the death of the previous Earth King at his hands, he had used Kuei as a puppet. He had ruled through him for decades. It wasn't always easy. The man was clever, very clever, and it was only through the Dai Li and strict control of the information flowing into the palace that the king hadn't discovered his misdeeds.
Footsteps sounded the approach of two men. Long Feng turned to see one of his agents escorting a young messenger. The man had a mustache, and a darker complexion prominent on the southwestern coast.
"I have a message for the Earth King, Sir!" The messenger saluted him. Long Feng nodded to Dai Li, who promptly removed the bag from the young soldier and tossed it to him. The messenger tried to protest, but was silenced by Long Feng's next words.
"I am the Grand Secretariat and chief advisor to He Who Carries Our Nation on His Back, The Beating Heart of the Earth, and Lord of the Impenetrable City, his majesty Earth King Keui. Nothing shall reach his ears except through me."
Long Feng opened the first letter from General Fong. He read it quickly. Apparently, the messenger, Haru, was friends with the Avatar, and the letter was little more than one of an introduction for the Avatar and his friends. He replaced the letter in the satchel and opened the second one, a missive requesting troops to retake Omashu. Long Feng rolled his eyes and replaced the second message. "I commend you for your swift delivery, Haru. I shall deliver these to the Earth King personally."
"Thank you, Sir." Haru bowed. "I've been instructed to deliver the response to General Fong personally, as soon as a decision has been made."
"That won't be necessary, Private. You're being resigned." Long Feng said, placing his hand in his sleeves behind his back.
"I- What?" Haru asked in shock.
"General Fong describes you as a talented Earth Bender. You will be joining the newest patrol of wall guards." Long Feng began to walk away from the messenger and the Dai Li agent. "Take him to the barracks, and inform him of the rules."
Long Feng entered the building on the top of the wall, and another Dai Li agent dropped from the ceiling and knelt beside him. Long Feng raised an eyebrow. "A missive sent by Major Wen, by eagle-hound."
Long Feng took the proffered scroll. He broke the seal and read the message.
Long Feng
Prince Zuko of the Fire Nation has joined the Avatar. I was unable to kill the boy before the Avatar and his companions arrived to save him and Lady Toph Beifong.
He along with the Dragon of the West was in hiding at the Beifong estate until confronted by Princess Azula of the Fire Nation. A battle ensued, and there was a report of Prince Zuko firing a combustive blast from his scarred eye.
We pursued them north from Gaoling after discovering their trail. He and the Beifong girl had left the company of the Dragon of the West and were on foot. We intercepted them and commenced the battle, but the pair proved strong enough to hold us back until the Avatar and his companions arrived.
It seems that the Last Airbender was given a vision, in which the son of Ozai was portrayed as a one-eyed dragon. The Avatar referred to him as such, and they fled together before we could execute the Fire Prince.
Forgive me, my beloved. Even now I am marching towards Ba Sing Se, by order of the fool General Long. I hope we shall be together again once I rejoin the Dai Li.
-Wen
Long Feng rolled up the missive and stored it inside his sleeve. Admiral Zhao would need to hear about Prince Zuko's union with the Avatar. He cared little for Wen, but she was a useful tool, all the same. Driven, power-hungry, and devoted to him alone.
II
Ozai
"Hail the Flame of Civilization, long descended from Agni himself, He Who Bears the Blood of the Dragon, and the Storm that Shakes the World, Fire Lord Ozai."
The council meeting wasn't meant to be a long one. Ozai had arranged a meeting of his governors and generals to promote Admiral Zhao to Field Marshal and allow him control of the eastern armies. He had other things to address as well.
"Rise," Said the Fire Lord. "Admiral Zhao, step forward."
Admiral Zhao stepped forward and approached the dais. He knelt before the Dragon Throne. Ozai stood and raised his hands.
"Do you swear to advance our march of civilization?"
"By my honor, Fire Lord," Zhao said.
"Shall you seek to destroy our foes, and water the ground with the blood of our enemies?"
"With my own hands, Fire Lord."
"Would you give your life to the crown?"
"My very heart, Fire Lord."
"Then rise, cousin. I name you Field Marshal, and commander of my armies."
Applause filled the throne room from the assembled nobles and officers of the Fire Nation. Ozai motioned for silence and bid Field Marshal Zhao to sit at his left hand.
"There are more matters to discuss," Ozai said, "Interior Minister Xin Tao, you may give your address."
Minister Xin Tao stepped forward and stood before the Fire Lord. He bowed, and Ozai allowed the curtain of fire to erupt between his throne and the court. Xin Tao turned and faced the crowd.
"Prince Zuko has turned against the Fire Nation and joined the Avatar." Murmurs rippled through the crowd. "Field Marshal Zhao's spies in the Earth Kingdom have informed us that he has proclaimed himself The One-eyed Dragon, and started a rebellion in the Homeland and colonies."
His words were met with shocked silence. "The members of the movement are calling themselves the Subtle Rebellion, and propaganda has been spreading from the colonies to the homeland. The baseless rumors that stir civil unrest are being propagated by a woman known only as the Light-Bringer."
More silence, and then hurried whispers. "Industrial output to the war effort has fallen in the past weeks, and desertion has increased exponentially in the same time frame."
It was true that desertion had increased exponentially, but the numbers were few. Throughout the entirety of the war, only a few men had deserted and lived.
The minister bowed and retook his pace among the officials. Ozai stood and stepped through the flames. "My orders to the nobility are simple. Any attempt to aid this so-called 'Subtle Rebellion' will be met with immediate consequences. You are to ferret out any conspirators in your staff, and question them. The guilty will be sent to Caldera for further interrogation."
Ozai turned away from the assembled officials. "Get out."
III
Hakoda
"Bato!" Hakoda said as he saw his second in command. The taller man nodded in acknowledgment and walked over to him.
"Vanuk fell asleep on watch," Hakoda said. Bato's eyes grew wide, and then an expression of fury crossed his face.
"Keel hauling it is," Bato said, turning to go and wake the young warrior.
"No," Hakoda said, pinching his nose. "It's his first offense, and he's young. Besides, it wasn't murder. Just throw him overboard and make him swim back to shore."
"Yes, Chief." Bato said, "You're not going soft on me, are you?"
"No," Hakoda ran his fingers through his hair, "You just don't like him."
"Well," Bato said, "Can you blame me?"
Hakoda laughed. Bato had held a grudge against Vanuk since he found out he was dating his niece. "Just follow him in a skiff. Don't let him drown."
Bato dipped his head in acquiescence and stalked toward the starboard bow. Hakoda leaned over the gunnel and watched the moonlight dance across the water. A storm had blown through to the north of them a few previous days, and the rain had scoured the land of the dead remains of the winter's burden.
A squawk sounded above him, and a sparrow-seal landed beside him on the deck. Hakoda removed the message from the animal, and it promptly dove beneath the waves. He inspected the seal of the scroll, to ensure it hadn't been intercepted. It was intact, and Hakoda began to unravel it when he heard screaming and a splash. Bato's bellowing voice could be heard across the deck.
"YOU WILL STAND A PROPER WATCH!" His second shouted, followed by no small amount of profanity. "If you do not, I will fill your bones with lead and cast you into the open ocean! Do you understand!?"
A sputtering sound emanated from the water line. Hakoda winced, knowing from experience that Bato's throat would be sore by the time he got back to the ship.
"Swim!" Bato roared at the poor sentry, "The shore's only a few miles away!"
More spluttering from Vanuk. Again Bato screamed at the man. "Oh you're cold? Well, that makes it okay then! I'm sure the enemy would understand. 'Don't attack them! Their sentry's cold!' Shut up and swim, you blithering idiot!"
Hakoda rolled his eyes. He remembered his first time at sea with his father. He had fallen asleep on watch, and Chief Vurak had made him cling onto the anchor for seven hours. In the rain. It was the kind of mistake you only made once.
He went to his cabin, shutting the door and lighting the lantern. He had a message from Chief Arnook he hadn't opened yet. He opened the message he had received a few moments ago and read. It was from one of his spies in the Fire Nation colonies. No name was given on the message, to protect the anonymity of his agents if the letters were intercepted.
"Unrest in the Fire Nation. Prince Zuko has begun a rebellion, though no violence is thought to come of it.
Workers are slowing output, merchants are charging the navy more. News of the Prince's banishment and reasons thereof are spread by an unknown woman referred to as the Light-Bringer.
Contacts in the Fire Navy and Army report that deserters are moving east, or being jailed for refusing to fight. Numbers are unknown, suspected to be less than two hundred.
A mark has been spreading through Yu Dao. A dragon with it's left eye seared shut. First seen two days past, now commonplace.
Blue Orchid.
Hakoda blinked, and read the message again. Then a third time. He rolled the message up and placed it in a chest on his desk. Blue Orchid was a good man, around his own age. Smart, dependable, and creative. He hailed from a village far from Hakoda's own. He would've liked the man on his ship, but he was more suited to the role of the spy. He was born after the raids had ended, by only a few months. The Orchid was well suited for one reason: he was a firebender.
More than a few Fire Nation soldiers had deserted during the raids, faking their deaths and running off to join the Water Tribes. Most of them hadn't made it, but The Orchid's father had. A local chief vouched for him. Took him in. Lee had lived in that village for the rest of his life, and had a few children. One of them being The Orchid.
Hakoda wrote a quick response, coded it as an order for wool, and sealed the scroll. He then took out the letter from his northern counterpart.
"The Long Mind of the Sea, Guardian of the Ocean and the Moon, his noble eminence Chief Arnook of the Northern Water Tribe-"
Hakoda shut his eyes tightly for a second. Why did the other nations insist on such pomp and pageantry? And the titles? You couldn't be just a blacksmith, no, you had to be an esteemed member of the order of metal workers. The Fire Nation even gave their enemies monikers, pseudo titles of their own. What was the point in that? It was just a waste of time, and- Hakoda shook his head and returned his attention to the letter.
"Sends greetings to Hakoda, the Southern Fox, Fleet Admiral and High Chief of the Southern Water Tribe.
Due to legal precedent, the treaty signed by Arnook and Hakoda is considered binding under Northern law. As such, Sokka, Bearer of the Moonlit Sword, hero of the battle of Agna Qel'a, beloved of the Moon Spirit, and First Son of the Southern Water Tribe has been named crown prince and heir of the Northern Water Tribe.
For this reason, his noble eminence Chief Arnook has sent a detachment of waterbenders to join the Southern Armada in the Earth Kingdom for the duration of the war, as well as a number of benders and craftsmen to the southern tribe to protect and rebuild.
It is the prerogative of Chief Arnook to maintain power until he is no longer fit to rule, and upon passing the throne to Prince Sokka, the aforementioned Prince shall be named emperor of the Water Tribes and Living Soul of the Sea, provided that he has taken the mantle of High Chief of the Southern Water Tribe."
Hakods's mouth fell open. He shook his head, drank some water, and read the scroll again. He closed his eyes. What on earth had happened in the North Pole? He picked up the tube the scroll had been sealed in, and felt something rattle inside. He upended the tube and a smaller, rolled piece of parchment fell out. Hakoda unrolled it quickly.
"Hakoda,
The other scroll is pompous and long-winded. I decided that a more personal note would be more appropriate, but the council wanted to send a more 'official' message as well.
The gist of it is that since our agreement was carried out in good faith by both parties, the death of Princess Yue does not negate the treaty, and Sokka will take on the responsibilities of both parties.
We can negotiate further if you choose so, but I personally believe this arrangement is beneficial to both of our peoples. Termination of the treaty would be detrimental to all.
-Arnook
That was more appropriate. Hakoda despised the ridiculous pageantry of the sister tribe. He tapped his foot. He licked his teeth as he thought about the matter. Should they negotiate? Emperor of the Water Tribes? Living Soul of the Sea? It was quite frankly the most ridiculous… well it did sound pretty cool when he said it aloud.
He would have to talk with Sokka about this, too.
IV
Tahno
Ensign Tahno, formerly master chief petty officer Tahno, stalked into the bridge of the FNS Tsuyo-sa. A smaller ship, when compared to the empire class, but still a proud warship. It was larger than the Wani by far, and was manned by a crew of nearly a hundred. All of the ship's officers were on shore at the Lu Ten Naval Station, near the Southern Ocean. The majority of personnel and ships from the failed siege had been sent there for reassignment. Tahno thought it was odd, as much of that fleet had been dispersed less than a month ago.
Odd, but fortunate. Many of the would-be deserters had been assembled here, and they were moving that night. While the high officers and loyalists were in the stronghold, three ships would be stolen, fully manned, and sailed to the east. Lieutenant Tema, formerly ensign Tema, was in charge of the second ship, the Hokori. Captain Chet Lu, a staunch detractor of the war since losing her brother in the siege, was taking the Arashi.
Any moment now, Captain Jee would give the signal, and all three ships would head out to sea. Fully manned, stocked, and armed, the ships would be the first to ever desert the Fire Navy during the Hundred Years war. Jee would stay behind, as well as most of the rebellion. Theirs was another mission...
Tahno watched carefully for the signal, and suddenly there it was. A burst of fire, quick and bright as a shooting star. Tahno extinguished the light on the bridge, and the rebel crew did the same across the rest of the ship. They moved out to sea, waiting until they were out of sight of the port to relight the ship.
They stalled the engines. They waited, and in the darkness a ship's light began to shine, followed by a second. Tahno grinned and pressed forwards, sailing east towards the dawn.
As the sun rose the next morning, the former Fire Navy ships sailed in southern waters. New flags were raised on each vessel. A golden dragon, snarling on a red field, its left eye seared shut.
Tahno smiled to himself, knowing that Prince Zuko had no idea what was happening. He'd be furious when he found out about his nickname.
V
Song
Fire Fountain city was aptly named, in Song's opinion. That said, she didn't care for the statue of Zuko's father.
She had spent some time in the Fire Nation colonies, and found her way onto a ship to the homeland. She worked as a traveling nurse, stopping by factory towns and villages across the islands. She was going to a factory that morning, actually.
The front door opened, and she was let into a reception area. "Just one moment," The disheveled man who had let her in said, "The plant manager will be down in a few minutes."
"Oh, it's no problem!" Song said hurriedly, "May I sit?"
"Yes, of course, miss?" The man didn't know her name, but Song had one prepared. She didn't want to give her real name, in case it somehow put her mother in danger.
"I'm Nurse Guang Yi." Song said.
"I'm Duyi." The man said with a bow, before leaving her alone. Song sat in one of the short, wooden chairs and looked around the room, her bag of medical supplies on her lap. A large painting was placed on one wall, depicting a lone man struggling under a heavy burden; a great stone hoisted on his back. The man's face was a mask of determination and pain, and sweat covered his brow. To one side of the painting was an inscription:
Suffering builds character. - Fire Lord Ozai.
Song was astounded by the picture. Suffering builds character? Sure, adversity could help you grow as a person, but suffering? What kind of ruler would purposefully spread that message? The kind that burned his own son for speaking out of turn. A cruel one. Maybe even a mad one.
"Guang Yi?"
"Yes, that's me," Song stood to meet the manager.
"Are you looking for work? We have a few positions available," The Man said. "I'm Mr. Fu, by the way."
"Um, sort of, Mr. Fu." Song said, "I'm actually a nurse. I know that injuries are common in factories, and I've been stopping in and giving medical care to workers as I travel."
"That's wonderful," Mr. Fu said, "We don't have enough medical workers right now. Most of them are busy on the front."
"I know, it's terrible!" Song said.
Mr. Fu nodded. "Yes, but we've been lucky here lately, no one is injured at the moment."
"Well, I'm glad. Even if that means I'll have to go elsewhere, it's always nice to hear that everyone is healthy."
"Yes," Mr. Fu said. "But I know of someplace that might need your services. There's a firebending tournament today. In the town square beside the fountain. They're sure to need some first aid at the very least."
Song bowed to Mr. Fu. "Thank you for your time, Mr. Fu. I'll be sure to ask if they need help."
She left the factory, both disappointed and relieved. Nobody was hurt, which was good. Unfortunately, that meant that she wouldn't be able to tell them the truth about Zuko. She had been visiting factories and inns across the Fire Nation to spread the word about Zuko, the Forty First, and how Zuko had gotten his scar, telling his people that even now he was trying to end the war and bring peace once again. She was met with some resistance, but most towns had lost at least one man in that division. Everyone had lost a parent, a child, a lover, or a friend to the war.
She walked towards the square when she paused at a billboard. A familiar face was looking back at her from a wanted poster. She read the poster and said aloud, "The One-Eyed Dragon? But Zuko has both his eyes."
Another poster caught her eye, although there was no image. It merely described a young woman, spreading rebellious propaganda, known only as the Light-Bringer. Light-Bringer. Was that her? Her cover name could mean something similar, Guang Yi could be read as Light Gift, or to give light, but she hadn't picked it for that. She had just liked the name, taking it from two different women she had met in her home village as a girl.
"What was that?" A man said beside her. Song jumped. Had she said something out loud? Did she give herself away?
"W-" She cleared her throat with a cough, "What was what?"
"I'm sorry," The man said, "I thought you said something about the prince."
"Oh." Song said in relief, "Yeah, I did. The wanted poster calls him the One-Eyed Dragon, but he has both his eyes."
"Have you met him?" The man said curiously. He was a handsome man, with light brown eyes and dark hair. Song thought he was around her age, perhaps a year or two older.
"Yes, a couple of times actually, in the colonies."
"Is it true what they say about him?"
"What do they say?" Song asked.
"He's leading a rebellion. That he joined the Avatar."
"Yeah, it is," Song said, "He's a kind man. A bit short tempered though."
Song turned to go, although she wished she could have continued talking to the stranger. She started walking to the square. Where a competition ring was being set up, but stopped again when she realized the stranger was walking beside her. When she stopped again, the stranger kept walking. Song started again, and asked, "Are you competing in the tournament?"
"I am," The man answered, "I normally wouldn't condone showing off, but it's a good chance to hone my skills."
"I see," Song said. "I'm G- glad you're so humble." Song had almost given her fake name, but stopped at the last second. She would have to change it, lest it gives her away.
The man smiled a little, and Song couldn't help but do so in return. She liked his smile.
"I'm Song." She said without thinking.
"My name's Rui Shi."
Author's Note:
Hello all. I wanted to give everyone a look into what is going on with the other players in the world. This Interlude takes place over the course of two weeks, with Long Feng's POV The evening after chapter thirty eight
Zuko's (Really Jee, Tahno, and Tema's) rebellion is moving fast. Song decided to do what she could to help, by spreading word to the people of the Fire Nation, and helping in little ways. It's super effective.
I gave Zuko the nickname "The One-Eyed Dragon" for two reasons. First, I think it's pretty cool. Second, he's touchy about his scar and this will infuriate him.
Even though she's not given a POV in this interlude, I've expanded on Tema's background. I don't know why I'm telling you this now, because it won't be revealed until interlude four at least. (There will be several.) An important part of it was revealed in Interludes Two if you're interested, concerning her grandfather.
Rui Shi is a character from another fic, Sayary Minmato's Gladiator. It's one of my favorite works, of either original fiction or fanfiction. I was given permission to use him in this story. I'm glad, because I like him and Song together. So, a big thank you to her.
I actually finished this before posting chapter thirty eight, but I'm not going to put it up until a couple of days after.
2/7/2023
