Disclaimer: Chapter 1 was a success, at least for me it was. One mistake from Chapter 1 that I realized and will change is that Lieutenant Lee is actually Lieutenant Jee. Other than that I hope you all enjoy this chapter! Please read and review.
Rider On The Storm
Chapter 2: Pirates of Harbin
Percy's hands were on the black metal railing of the frigate. His hair swept from side to side from the strong ocean wind. His eyes stared out into the far distant ocean. The water glistened under the brisk morning sun, and white bubbly waters churned against the sides of the frigate. Dolphins jumped alongside the frigate, and one such dolphin flipped out of the water. The dolphin was laughing as it said, "Prince of the Ocean, I wish you safe travels!"
Percy waved to the dolphin and gave his father's blessing to their pod. Percy smiled, he always enjoyed dolphins, and they usually were very respectful and funny compared to eels. It was always nice to be reminded of his abilities and to know maybe his father had a slight foothold in this world. Especially if the dolphins in this world called him Prince. He was still a son of Poseidon, he was still Percy Jackson, and this wasn't some horrible dream, this was his new reality. Hell, he moved a fucking hurricane! He felt weird inside it, an odd terrible itch all over his body until he became one with the storm. All he really did was guide and move the eye of the storm by redirecting the pressure to where they needed to go. Now they were three days ahead of schedule. For some reason, he felt like he took the demigod version of steroids, his control over water was beyond anything he imagined before.
Four days ago, Percy was taking a shower, and it was freezing cold. He flinched and upon command, he made the water hot. With the wave of a hand, he could make droplets of water into knives of razor-sharp ice. Back in his world, he was never half this powerful while he was out at sea. Annabeth called it Hydrokenisis, the ability to control water. He could control hurricanes and had far better control of water than he ever had before. At a whim, if he wanted to, he could plunge their entire ironclad into the dark depths of the ocean. Not that he would, but as great as it was that he could control storms, water, and talk to sea creatures. The fact he still had Riptide and his picture of Annabeth Chase were the only few comforts keeping his sanity together. That had to mean something. This wasn't a dream. This was his new reality.
One week had passed since that awful hurricane. For the past week, Percy spent his life at sea trying to keep his mind occupied with anything that didn't revolve around his predicament. Much of that time he spent sparring with Zuko on the deck of the ship. They would practice their swordsmanship, steel clashing against steel, for hours. Often Lieutenant Jee would get into the mix to give them pointers. Percy found Zuko to be a competent opponent with the prince being better at acrobatics than him. However, Percy's Macedonian style and his experience outshined Zuko two times out of three. The rest of his time on board Percy listened to Uncle Iroh explain the four nations of the world. The Water Tribes, the Fire Nation, the Earth Kingdom, and the Air Nomads. They were split by their people's abilities to bend the four elements: Water, Earth, Fire, and Air.
Percy looked out at the horizon and saw more seagulls flying north towards land. Land that had been conquered by the Fire Nation roughly 95 years ago by the great Fire lord Sozin. Fire Lord Sozin plunged this world into a 100-year global war when the Fire Nation attacked the Air Nomads strategically, during a major cosmic event. Every single Airbender was killed in a massive genocide. Iroh told him that the lands of the Western Air Temple, The Southern Air Temple, and the Northern Air Temple were now a part of the Fire Nation. More squawking seagulls flew overhead, Percy was taken out of these thoughts by the approach of footsteps against metal.
Percy turned and saw Zuko wearing his shining black and red armor. He looked calm and collected. His ponytail flapped in the cool morning wind. Zuko broke a small smile, but his golden eyes still held a calculating edge.
"Good morning! We must be getting close to land," Percy said while waving and walking over to Zuko. "You know where we're going?"
"We're going to find the Avatar!" Zuko proclaimed menacingly with an outstretched fist that became covered in fire, only for it to disappear. Black smoke rose from his unscathed fist as he said, "But first we need to make port at Harbin. That storm should have delayed the Avatar for a week. He will be in the area in a few days. We'll make port very soon… I was wondering if you wanted to be a part of our crew?"
Zuko's face eyes turned serious, and he smiled warmly, it came off a bit awkward, but it was genuine. Percy became dumbfounded, he hadn't seen Zuko this genuine before. Zuko was being friendly! Percy stood across from the crowned Prince of the Fire Nation, he was at a loss for words.
"My Uncle is already setting up a cash account for you. You'll get paid like the other members of the crew, but I need you," Zuko said this somberly, which surprised Percy even more. "I understand if you don't. I wouldn't sail to the ends of the world with me either, but you have a lot of skill with the sword. Your fighting style is unlike anything I've read or come across before. You're more powerful than you let on and it would be a waste of talent."
"Come on, I'm not half as flexible as you Prince Zuko."
"I told you before, you can just call me Zuko. I guess you've made up your mind," said Zuko dejectedly as he turned around to walk back to the hold.
Percy rushed over to the only friend and ally he had met in this world. He placed his tanned right hand on Zuko's shoulder, causing Zuko to flinch in surprise, but Percy quickly said, "I'll be honest, I haven't a clue what my purpose is anymore, but you and your uncle have treated me better than most would have, given the circumstances. You're a very good swordsman, most people who duel me end up losing. I'd argue you're one of the best I've come across. So long as we continue sparring and continue getting stronger. The Avatar will be toast!"
Golden eyes gazed into sea-green eyes.
"Does that mean you will join me?"
"Of course, now how about a warmup before we get into Port?"
Percy was duel-wielding a spare set of broadswords. The blades were identical, and they connected in a single sheath. He was a novice at this style of swordsmanship, unlike Zuko who was an expert. Percy became interested in this new art of fighting after Zuko defeated him four times in a row with his own set of duel broadswords. Steel clanged with steel. Their blades were dull, but whenever they did connect, they left a lasting and painful welt.
Sweat dripped from Percy's brow onto the black metal deck of the ship. Large Fire Nation cruisers and five Fire Nation warships were passing by. They had been practicing for almost an hour under the watchful eye of Uncle Iroh and Lieutenant Jee. Iroh watched both teens parry and clash once again only for him to raise a hand and say, "That is enough!"
Percy sheathed his blades along with Zuko. However, Zuko angrily said, "What is going on Uncle?"
"You both have been training very hard. I'm very proud of you Zuko, and you too Percy. However, we're nearing Harbin, one of the oldest and most important cities in the entire Earth Kingdom!"
Percy walked over to the right side of the bow of Zuko's frigate. Iroh came behind him along with Zuko, the sky was azure blue, and fog hovered over large mountains in the distance. Having spent his entire life in New York City, Percy wasn't amazed by the massive port city as a demigod from Arkansas would. But he was very much impressed with everything he saw. Large docks stretched around the city for miles. There were forty Fire Nation Warships docked at port along with thousands of merchant vessels. Fire Nation Frigates the same size as Zuko's ship sailed to meet their craft at port. Strange hybrid animals were being loaded from fishing vessels onto the docks. Percy gasped as he saw dozens of men and women using levies to safely unload weird hippo fish creatures.
"What the hell is that?" Percy exclaimed in total fascination as their vessel sailed past the creatures.
"You've never seen a flying fishopotamus?" Zuko questioned.
"No, are they common?"
"Around Harbin and Xinquon they are. Right uncle?" Zuko bumped his uncle's side causing the old man to become composed once again.
"Yes, they're fun creatures to ride, they love to fly out of the water. You might enjoy it, Prince Zuko, it's very fun riding a flying fishopotamus," said Uncle Iroh with a large smile.
"There is no fun uncle, not until we find the Avatar and I can restore my honor." Zuko flicked his hand and walked away back to the ship's hold.
Percy looked at the prince in confusion as he couldn't comprehend why Zuko was acting so aggressively towards his uncle. Iroh looked crestfallen and sighed. He grinned a little bit as their ship passed by numerous other strange animals on the docks. Fire ferrets in large cages were being taken to the market along with fox antelopes. Thousands of rickshaws were being driven around the city, tens of thousands of people were milling the streets, large, blackened Fire Nation tanks were driving around the streets with armed guards following the strange mechanical contraptions. Percy was now taken aback, more and more strange animals, contraptions, and even the tall towers of Harbin came into view. The morning fog broke, and he saw hundreds of towers, none were even a fraction as impressive as the skyscrapers in Manhattan, but they held a certain oriental charm to them.
Percy and Iroh watched their Fire Nation ship arrive at a special military dock. Iroh turned to Percy and said, "We have arrived in Harbin. One of the greatest cities in the Fire Nation."
"Wow! How big is this city?"
"It's nowhere close to the size of Ba Sing Sei or the Fire Nation capital, but it's almost the same size as Omashu. We'll be docked here for a day before sailing along the coast to Pohuai for maintenance and repairs," Iroh explained as they watched the bow of their vessel lower itself onto the dock. "I'm happy that you decided to join us. I know things haven't been so well for you during the storm."
"I'm sorry, I just can't remember anything since you guys saved me. I would have likely died in that storm had you not arrived," Percy looked up at Uncle Iroh and smiled. His hair blew in the wind, he awkwardly balanced on his feet as steam shot up from the lowered bow.
"Easy there Percy, sometimes you need to balance to stay well-footed, but if you hold on and keep going. You may end up better than you were before," said Iroh while moving back to the hold. He turned to look back at Percy and said, "Come let's get off this boat. It's good to set foot on land."
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Iroh's wise words seeped into Percy's mind as he set foot onto the docks. Their crew were hard at work resupplying their ship full of food, weapons, fresh water, citrus fruits, booze, and everything they'd need for a long voyage at sea. Lieutenant Jee was busy arguing with several wholesalers of supplies at the warehouses. Percy wore black steel bottom shoes that Zuko lent him, he was wearing the same clothes he wore after being rescued. He kept Riptide in a leather weapons pouch tied around his belt. His sheathed twin broadswords were strapped to that belt as well. Zuko huffed angrily as he led Percy out of the docks into the heart of Harbin.
"Uncle told me we need to buy you some clothes. Looking after you better pay off that's all I'm going to say," said Zuko with a menacing tone.
"Ugh, well, uh, thanks? You don't have to be my babysitter."
"You wouldn't understand."
"Understand what?"
Zuko and Percy both stopped walking in front of a large water fountain a quarter mile from the docks. There were elephant rats scurrying around the area picking up fallen crumbs. Children were running around the fountain and merchants were selling items from their storefronts. Zuko stood in front of the water fountain with the same crestfallen look he had before. His scarred face looked almost fragile like the littlest thing could destroy him. Percy tried to think of all the campers he faced during his time at Camp Half-Blood, but none were as indecipherable as Zuko.
"Every day it feels like I'm losing. My father did this to me, he gave me the mission to find the Avatar. If I find the Avatar and bring him back to the Fire Nation. I'll once again become next in line for the throne. I'll have my honor, but Commander Zhao wants to take it away." Zuko turned his head away to a thriving quarter of Harbin and smirked. "I see some interesting shops over there. Let's get you some new clothes. Afterward, we can get something to eat and explore the city a little bit more."
"Sounds like a plan!"
Unknown to both young men was a group of shady individuals watching the exchange from the shadows of a dingy pub. Most of them were shirtless, but a pale man with a tricorne hat and long gray hair glared at them. One of the shirtless men with a funny mustache and big lips was scratching his scalp. He softly said, "Is that the guy who hired us to get the Avatar?"
"Yes, yes, he is. And we have a lot of unfinished business with him."
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Percy walked out of the textile shop wearing a black long-sleeved shirt that had a Fire Nation emblem etched in gold at the front. Over the shirt was a crimson vest that had a few nifty pockets where he could easily store and access Riptide if he needed to. He had on well-fitting black pants and a brown belt that was holding his weapons pouch and his sheathed sword. He chose to get a pair of brown leather shoes that went up to his ankles, they were good-fitting shoes and looked like they'd hold up for a good while. Several Fire Nation women were giving him weird faces and pointing at him before fleeing away into the crowd.
"Damn, I hope I'm not wearing anything too goofy?" Percy felt perplexed at why all the women were giggling or whispering about him in the streets.
"Nah, you look like a million golden coins. They probably think you're about to join the Imperial Fire Nation Legion," Zuko said with a smirk. "Now that we have that out of the way. Saw a good noodle shop down the road."
Zuko and Percy walked down the paved and cobblestoned roads of Harbin. They saw fire throwers performing tricks, soothsayers spouting nonsense by the roads, and more elephant mice scurrying in the darkened alleys. Harbin was a very impressive city. There were shrines on every block, great towers full of people in the distance, and an amazing palace made of white stone and giant marble columns at the city center. There were many large billboards and banners on the rooftops of buildings. Some buildings had Chinese characters, and other words that could have been Sanskrit, but for others, it was like he could read it in plain English.
One of the banners read, "Earth Nation buried Yangchen!" "The Eternal Flame lights the darkness." "May he reign Ten Thousand Years." They walked by the forum of Harbin. It was a 2-mile-long rectangular structure that had a marble rooftop and floods of rickshaws, carriages, tanks, platoons, and regular citizens flowing through it. Within the structure was another mini city of shopping malls, places to chill, grocery stores, and various other open markets. He could see a mile away, along the side of the Forum the giant stone etched arc of triumph. The words read, "Fire and Blood." While Percy was observing these signs Zuko started talking about the history of Harbin and how it was once ruled by a very authoritarian Earth Kingdom king.
"King Umi raped and pillaged the surrounding lands to build that palace. Most of the people here were struggling and in poverty, but then my great-grandfather Sozin took the city by force. Maybe one of the few good things he did was to create a meritocracy system and invest in the people. Since then, Harbin has been one of the freest cities in the entire Earth Kingdom. A shining beacon of what can happen when people work together. It's my uncle's favorite city," Zuko explained pridefully as they watched several Fire Nation turret tanks rolling down the main street.
"Interesting, why does your Uncle love this city so much?"
Zuko grimaced and his face turned a little disgusted as he said, "It's where he prefers getting his ginseng tea."
"Oh," said Percy, he chuckled at the thought of Iroh going crazy at a tea store. "Has he ever had soda?"
"soda? What the hell is soda?"
"It's ugh this drink that's ugh," Percy kept stammering, he realized this world didn't have Coca-Cola or any other diabetic corn syrup drinks. "Coffee, do you guys have coffee here?"
"I've heard of it, but never tried it. Probably something you'd find in Gaoling or by trading with a bunch of sand benders. That's something, drinking coffee with sand benders. Out in the Si Wong desert, not a drop of water," Zuko took them over to a noodle house past a major street.
The establishment had a giant domed rooftop with candles around the walls lighting the insides. At the center of the noodle house was a giant circular counter that went around a tiny, ventilated kitchen. Percy took a seat his back facing the entrance to the establishment. Zuko followed suit. He ordered a bowl of beef-fried noodles. It sounded like it wasn't a hybrid of anything terrible. Hell, he heard people ordering bowls of skunkpigs and catgator. Zuko ordered a bowl of spicy miso ramen made with pork from the boar-q-pine. The cook presented their noodle bowls and gave Zuko a bow. Percy noticed the cook was a middle-aged woman who wore very greasy chef clothes that were once white but had turned grey from years of laboring in the kitchen.
"It is an honor to serve you, Prince Zuko," said their chef. "My name is Xin, and my family owes everything to the Fire Nation. Before Sozin freed our people, we were slaves building the city's palace and Forum. Because of the Fire Nation, my family has finally owned property and my brother opened a Llamapaca farm outside the city. This meal is on the house!"
"No need to be so courteous, we're just passing by," Zuko said with a small smile.
Zuko threw three gold coins onto the counter. Percy's eyes widened at the gesture. They were given free food, but Zuko had a humbling smile as he shoved the coins closer to the chef. He wasn't sure how much a gold coin was, but the surprise on the woman's face made her burst into tears. Zuko soothingly told her to keep the money, despite all her protests.
"I really can't take this, Prince Zuko, my family isn't poor," said the chef while wiping her tears with her greasy sleeves.
"Consider it a tip. If you don't mind, I want to eat these noodles."
"Understood." The chef gave a quick bow, took the coins, and went back inside the shanty kitchen to continue cooking.
Percy and Zuko ate their bowls of noodles in near silence. Percy kept thinking about the kind gesture Zuko just pulled, for the past week Zuko always had a bit of arrogance and fury with everything he said. However, it was heartwarming in a sense, seeing the angry Prince of the Fire Nation humbled and gracious. Percy found his beef noodles delicious, before he knew it, he had finished his bowl. He felt a weird feeling in his gut, right as he felt that he turned around in his stool and saw four shirtless men holding spears at the doorway to the noodle house. A man with very tanned skin, big lips, and goofy green attire pointed at Zuko.
"Well, well, well, if it isn't the disgraced Prince who wrecked our ship, and made us lose the Avatar," said the big, lipped man in the green attire.
Zuko got up from his stool and faced the intruders, he glared at them, and menacingly said, "You lost your ships because of the Avatar, not me. You betrayed the pact we had, not I, and you have the gall to come here and intimidate me!"
One of the shirtless men threw two smoke bombs at the floor of the restaurant. Blackened smoke engulfed the establishment and Percy tumbled out of his stool when he heard a rushing javelin soar where he was sitting before. It lodged itself into the Xin's kitchen. He took out his twin broadswords and deflected a spear strike. Zuko fired two plumes of flames at the doorway, burning alive one of the assailants. The restaurant patrons started screaming and rushing out the back doors. Zuko and Percy fled from the shop with the crowd of scared patrons. As soon as they got outside four men wielding crossbows fired 4 bolts.
It may have been instinct, but Percy raised his hands. The puddles of dirty sewage water rose high and froze before both Zuko and Percy. The crossbow bolts lodged into the ice wall, causing Zuko to widen his eyes in shock. The crowd of people looked at Percy a young woman screamed, "Water Bender!" She then ran away in terror. The assailants fired more crossbow bolts at the ice wall causing it to shatter into a million pieces. Before anyone could react three of the shirtless men rushed out of the noodle joint.
"You two little bastards are in for a world of pain!"
Percy raised one of his swords and said, "I see four future corpses!"
Zuko was still reeling from seeing the newest member of his crew water bending. He suspected Percy was a bender, but he chose to bend at the worst time possible. A small platoon of Fire Nation soldiers down the street were marching towards them. People were running away in terror and Zuko realized they needed to escape. Two of the shirtless pirates threw more smoke bombs at the ground causing the street to be filled with a large black plume of smoke. Zuko nudged Percy by his shoulder and both teens started running towards the docks.
Percy sheathed his swords as they jumped over abandoned merchant stands. Crossbow bolts flew lodging themselves into rickshaws and stands where they took cover. Percy realized there had to be at least a dozen men with crossbows on the rooftops by how frequently they fired each volley of bolts. Clay jugs filled with olive oil burst overhead under a merchant stand they took cover under.
"Why the hell didn't you tell me you could water bend?" Zuko's accusation made Percy shrink next to the disgraced prince.
"I hadn't a clue I could do that," Percy said, his lie felt weak under Zuko's angry glare. "How come you didn't tell me you had so many enemies?"
"That's beside the point! We need to get out of Harbin!"
With that, both men jumped out of the cover of the merchant stand and ran south towards the Harbor. Zuko led Percy off the main road into a small bazaar. They ran as if their lives depended on it. Fire Nation officers were blowing into their whistles. Some Fire Nation soldiers were closing in around the exits of the bazaar yelling out, "Stop where you are!" Others were yelling, "Stop in the name of the law!" Mayhem broke out in the bazaar. Citizens ran in terror or lay down as more Fire Nation soldiers entered the bazaar. Zuko took Percy by the hand, and both jumped onto a merchant's stand then jumped onto a terraced rooftop before jumping onto a red-tiled rooftop. Both young teens ran on the rooftops away from the shirtless assailants and the Fire Nation soldiers. Percy observed how close they were to being captured as he could make out almost 100 Fire Nation soldiers in the bazaar.
Zuko brought him over to the fire escape ladder on the other side of the building's rooftop. They both went down the ladder and took a very narrow alley road that weaved amongst numerous buildings. It felt less tense and unsafe the further they walked back to the docks. No one said a word. The silence felt awkward and terrible. His metal-soled footsteps against the cobblestoned roads were the only sound besides the ambiance of the moving city. Zuko looked conflicted as if he had the responsibility of the world on his shoulders. That is what worried him the most, the uncertainty of what would happen to him. Was water bending a crime?
"Zuko about what happened before, I swear I didn't know I could water bend!"
"Could you shut up!" Zuko pushed him into a white stone wall and looked at Percy with fury. "Don't ever say you're a water bender especially here."
Percy nodded and he felt a slight tinge of fear making its way to the forefront of his mind. Zuko released his grip and said, "I might have more of a use for you now than you think, but the last thing I need is for you to be caught and arrested."
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Both Zuko and Percy arrived back at their ship less than half an hour later. Both young men were sweating, and half exhausted from running across Harbin. Zuko saw his uncle and Lieutenant Jee sitting at a round table next to their ship. Iroh smiled as soon as he saw his nephew and the newest member of their crew. He rose from his seat with a warm cup of tea in hand and said, "Prince Zuko and… Percy. Why are you both back so soon? Did you both enjoy the city?"
"Have we fully supplied the ship Uncle?"
"Yes, and we have enough jasmine and ginseng tea to last us a fortnight. We even have roasted duck!" Iroh said this with a giant smile.
"Good, go tell the captain we are leaving Harbin and going straight to Pohuai Bay!"
Iroh looked at Lieutenant Jee in confusion. They both expected to stay in Harbin for a day, not to leave after docking for only a few hours. His smile faded and his face turned stone-cold serious. Something bad happened in Harbin, but it wasn't the time or place to question his nephew. He turned to Lieutenant Jee and said, "You heard my nephew! Raise the anchor and get the crew back onto the ship! We are leaving in fifteen minutes!" Lieutenant Jee nodded and ran across the wharf to the local pub to get the crew before they got carried away.
Iroh led the young men up the lowered bow into the hold of their ship. Percy wasn't sure what the rush was. Within minutes the entire crew was onboard and the last of the supplies were loaded onto their vessel. Two patrols of Fire Nation soldiers were on the wharf asking around. By the time the patrols got the location of their ship, they were already sailing out of the harbor. He watched all this mayhem from the control room of the vessel. Zuko was glaring at him the whole time. Iroh was finishing his cup of tea with a gentle smile.
"It looks to me like you boys have a lot of explaining to do!"