Chapter 11: Burnt Flesh
Cold.
It felt cold.
Zuko slowly opened his eyes and attempted to survey his surroundings, but all he could see was darkness. The room was shrouded in shadows.
Initially, Zuko believed he was still unconscious, but as he sensed the pain gradually creeping through his body, he realized he was indeed awake.
Raising his hand, he anticipated a burst of flame, but to his dismay, there was nothing. Trying the motion again in hopes of a different result, he was met with the same emptiness.
It was only then that Zuko became aware of the intense cold enveloping the room.
Although not lethal, the cold was sufficient to temporarily impede his firebending abilities.
Struggling to rise and inspect the room for any vulnerabilities, he suddenly felt a force pulling him back to the ground. Glancing behind him, he was unsurprised to find chains binding his legs and hands.
His body had acclimated to the cold, allowing him to overlook the presence of the chains around his wrists.
Reclining against the frigid wall, he let out a sigh as he tried to recollect what had transpired.
He recalled entering the throne room of the Earth Palace. The place had always filled him with disdain. It served as a constant reminder of his past mistakes. It was within the catacombs of this palace that he had betrayed his uncle in a misguided attempt to earn his father's favor.
Then, something unexpected occurred.
He couldn't quite pinpoint it, but he distinctly remembered hearing Azula's cries of distress before everything faded to black.
Scanning the room once more in search of any clue that could aid in his escape, he observed its small size and metallic construction. If not for the biting cold, Zuko was confident he could have broken through the walls and fled.
But escape to where?
He didn't even know his current location.
Was he still in the Earth Kingdom or had he been moved to a new place?
He sighed once more. What was his next move? While he had faced similar situations before and always found a way out, he was usually aware of his surroundings and companions.
Speaking of which, what had happened to those who were with him?
He vividly recalled holding Izumi close as the world faded to gray. Where was she now? If any of the rebels dared to harm her, he vowed to make their final moments unbearable.
He wasn't overly concerned about Azula or his uncle; he knew they could fend for themselves. Hopefully, they had managed to escape the palace with his daughter safely in tow.
He prayed for their well-being.
A faint light seeped through a small crack in the wall nearby, illuminating the floor and allowing Zuko to better survey his surroundings.
He seemed to be in a cooler reminiscent of the one in the Boiling Rock but with distinct differences.
Now he understood the source of the intense cold.
Scanning the walls for vulnerabilities, he recalled a plan to dismantle the cooler's screws during a previous escape attempt from the Boiling Rock.
He identified some potential weak points that could help raise the temperature and restore his firebending abilities. However, they were out of reach due to his restraints.
"Fantastic," he muttered, observing a wisp of warm air escape his lips. "What should I do now?"
It was well past midnight when Zuko departed from the Palace and headed towards the outskirts of the city.
In order to maintain his disguise, he wore a full black outfit along with a Blue spirit mask. Additionally, he carried his twin blades, though he hoped not to use them, fearing his bending might be revealed in a moment of instinct. Approaching the old market cautiously, he paused and concealed himself behind some boxes upon hearing a noise and spotting a group of guards passing by.
Surprised by their presence in this area, as the outskirts were typically safer and less patrolled than the inner city, Zuko scanned his surroundings before resuming his journey towards the abandoned house indicated by his contact. Upon reaching the end of the market, he lamented the choice of meeting place, realizing the task of locating the abandoned buildings would be time-consuming using his usual method.
Opting to employ a technique taught by his uncle, Zuko relaxed, focused on his breathing, and closed his eyes to sense the temperature shifts nearby. His uncle had taught him that as a firebender, he could perceive temperature changes more acutely than others. This method reminded him of Toph's seismic sense, allowing him to perceive his surroundings without sight.
Quickly detecting the presence of approximately ten men a few houses away, he deduced they must be his agents.
He swiftly headed towards the house.
Upon arrival, he knocked in the prearranged pattern and waited briefly before the door opened. One of his agents welcomed him, ushered him inside, and closed the door behind him.
Zuko removed his mask as he ascended the stairs. In the room at the top, he encountered seven of his agents and one man bound to a chair with a bag over his head.
He signaled to one of his agents to remove the bag from the man's head as Zuko brought a chair and positioned it in front of his guest. Once the bag was taken off, it uncovered the face of a young man, perhaps in his early twenties, with dark brown hair. This man was not a firebender; the color of his eyes indicated that. He also was not of noble descent since Zuko was familiar with all of them and had never encountered this man before.
It took the man a few moments to fully regain his senses before he could comprehend his current location. When he did, fear slowly began to show on his face.
"Hello," Zuko greeted, attempting to break the tension while pouring himself a cup of tea.
The fear in the man's eyes briefly shifted to shock and confusion before returning to its original state.
"I'm sure you know why you're here, my friend, so let's skip the formalities and get to the point," the crown prince stated as he took a sip from his cup, then set it down to focus entirely on the man before him. "I want to know everything," Zuko declared. "Who hired you, how he obtained his information, and why he started doing it."
The man in front of him remained silent for a few minutes before looking up and speaking. "I don't know."
Zuko sighed. "Do you truly not know, or are you choosing not to disclose?" he inquired as he rose from his seat. "Believe me, we have methods to extract information from you."
He began to pace around the man. The silence that filled the room was meant to unnerve his guest, but also to allow him time to consider his next words.
After a few more moments of silence, Zuko let out a sigh and signaled to one of his agents, who approached his visitor. The agent halted in front of the man and conjured a small flame in his palm. Not powerful enough to cause lasting harm, but sufficient to induce significant discomfort.
Zuko turned around and observed the fear etched on the man's face. He seemed to be teetering on the edge of breaking down.
"I understand this may seem intimidating," Zuko remarked as he advanced towards the man from behind. "So if you wish to avoid further pain, you better start talking."
The man swiftly turned his head, locking eyes with Zuko. "I've already told you," he exclaimed, fear palpable in his voice. "I have no knowledge of who hired me."
Zuko exhaled deeply. "Then where do you obtain your information?" he inquired. "Do you simply stumble upon it out of thin air?"
The man turned back and replied, "Every fortnight, I visit a specific location where I am handed a scroll containing all the instructions."
"And where is this scroll now?"
"It was taken by one of your men."
Zuko turned to his agents and promptly received the scroll mentioned by his guest.
Upon examining the scroll, Zuko discovered the rumors he was expected to disseminate over the next two weeks and the locations where he was to begin spreading them.
"Who provides you with these scrolls?" The Prince inquired, without lifting his gaze from the paper.
"What?"
"Do you just happen to chance upon these scrolls in the designated area?" Zuko sarcastically probed. "There must be someone there to deliver them to you, so I ask again, who is it?"
"A mediator," came the response. "He is always present, waiting for me. He is the one issuing the orders he receives from his superiors."
"Is he the same individual who recruited you?"
"Yes."
Zuko once again examined the scroll handed to him. The handwriting was unfamiliar. Zuko had studied every nobleman's handwriting in the country, but this one was unlike any he had seen before.
The handwriting was messy and unclear, unlike any nobleman's writing he had encountered. It appeared as if the writer intentionally distorted their handwriting to avoid detection.
Zuko closed the scroll and turned to his prisoner. "You're supposed to meet this mediator in two weeks?" he inquired.
The man nodded in confirmation.
Good. In two weeks, he could uncover the source of this significant information leak by finding this mediator.
Zuko instructed the agent who was still holding the torch to the man's face to step back. As he did so, the Prince settled back into his seat and observed his captive, already devising a plan in his mind.
"You excel in this role," Zuko began. "I intend to utilize your skills, and rest assured, the compensation for your work will be double what the mediator has been offering you."
The man met Zuko's gaze. "What if they come after me?" he inquired. "They will undoubtedly discover that I have betrayed them."
The Prince smirked. "Do not fret," he reassured. "You will be under my protection. No one will be able to harm you in any way."
Zuko stood up and slowly approached the man. "You'll receive your instructions in the next two days and you'll start your work immediately."
Turning to leave, he suddenly halted. "And understand this," he began. "Any deviation from the plan or any attempt to undermine my intentions will lead to your permanent demise."
Before he could depart, he heard the man's voice once more. "Why are you doing this?" the man inquired, barely holding back his fear. "You're the Crown Prince, you possess everything anyone could desire, yet you behave as if you are on the brink of losing it all?"
Zuko chuckled at the question. It was not his usual chuckle but a much darker one. It echoed his father's laughter. "Wouldn't you like to know," he replied before exiting the room.
As he descended the stairs, he encountered his most trusted agent. He had employed this individual almost two years ago, and never had he let Zuko down.
"Locate the meeting point of this man and his mediator," Zuko instructed. "Once you have, capture said mediator and deliver him to me."
"Understood."
Zuko nodded, opened the door, and stepped outside. The darkness persisted, accompanied by a gentle rain. Perfect. The rain would conceal his return to the palace effectively.
He pulled up his hood, donned his mask, and stealthily made his way through the deserted market.
As Zuko opened his eyes once more, he was greeted by the metal walls that still confined him. He had lost all sense of time. Had he been here for hours or days? It must have been a long time because he had completely lost all feelings of pain that had been present in his body before.
He also felt like he had lost all his fire-bending abilities.
It was still bitterly cold in his cell, feeling like he had returned to the North Pole once of carrying Aang through the blizzard as his body slowly went numb flashed through his mind.
He missed him. Aang was a good friend, and he had hoped to meet him in Ba Sing Se, but fate had other plans as the Avatar was not there.
Zuko was now certain that the trap had been set from the beginning. Someone from the Noble houses still seemed to have a strong influence over the city if they had convinced the royal family to come there.
Or was the Earth Kingdom working with the rebels to overthrow him? No, that was highly unlikely since the insurgency wanted his father back on the throne, and the people of Ba Sing Se were not the biggest fans of Ozai.
As he sighed once more, he heard movement behind the closed door. As if on cue, the door started to open, and a small beam of light entered the room, momentarily blinding Zuko.
As his vision started to clear, he saw three figures standing outside the door, and one of them slowly approached him.
The man looked familiar. Zuko felt like he had seen him somewhere before, although he had not quite figured it out yet since the light from outside was still blinding him a little.
The figure came extremely close and knelt before Zuko, coming to his eye level. Before he could comprehend who was standing before him, he heard the all too familiar voice that made his blood boil.
"Hello son."
If Zuko still had some strength left, he would have immediately rushed forward and choked his father to death. He had always known that he supported this movement, but he had hoped that after their last encounter, his father would have changed his mind.
Turning to the two men with him, Ozai ordered them to leave. With little hesitation, they obliged and departed.
After that, a silence fell over them for a few moments before Zuko finally spoke.
"Have you come to gloat?" Zuko asked. "To rub it in my face? Go ahead and say you were right."
He knew that Ozai would seize the opportunity to scrutinize him for his failures as the Fire Lord. Ozai had once predicted that Zuko would likely be the worst Fire Lord in recorded history.
"No, I wasn't."
Zuko felt like he had lost what remained of his mind.
"What did you say?" He asked for reassurance.
"I was wrong,"
Zuko erupted into hysterical laughter. It seemed like his father had finally lost his mind, and Zuko was somewhat pleased to witness it.
"Are you done?"
Zuko stopped laughing after some time and looked at his father once again. Ozai looked serious, a sight he hadn't seen in a long time. More accurately, he hadn't seen Ozai himself for a long time either.
"What do you want?"
His father sighed as he slowly brought his hand forward and placed it on his son's shoulder.
"Do you remember what I told you the last time we saw each other?"
If Zuko still had some strength, he would have shrugged and removed his father's hand from his shoulder. "You told me that you regret everything you did," he responded. "It seems like that was yet another lie you told me."
Ozai looked down. "Not a lie."
Zuko did his best to stay awake, but it was getting harder by the minute.
"I told you that if I had the opportunity to fix everything I did, I would." Ozai reminded him of what he had once told him as he removed his hand from his son's shoulder and took a small cup. He brought it to Zuko's lips and allowed him to drink every drop of water from it.
It brought Zuko some strength back and allowed him to focus on what his father was saying.
"And I've found a way to fix it."
Zuko was taken aback by what Ozai was saying. What was he talking about? How could he possibly fix everything he had ever done? His father seemed to have sensed the doubt in his son's thoughts.
"I promise it will all make sense the next time you wake up."
"I'm already awake, and it makes zero sense," Zuko responded with apparent disgust in his voice.
"Trust me, Zuko," Ozai started. "Once you truly wake up, you will understand everything and once you do, find me." After that, his father stood up and started to exit the room. "And just in case I don't get the opportunity to do it later," his father said, not bothering to turn around. "I want to congratulate you."
Zuko looked up with his tired eyes. "Congratulate me for what?"
Ozai shook his head while a small laugh escaped his lips. What was his father congratulating him for? Was there something that Zuko had forgotten?
"It's your birthday, son," Ozai said before exiting and locking the door behind him, leaving his son alone in the darkness once again.
The rain had intensified by the time he reached the palace gates.
Normally, he would have been angry about being caught outside in the rain, but this time he was relieved that the rain had intensified. It would make it easier for him to sneak back into his room through the window unnoticed.
He descended to the base of the palace and began ascending slowly.
While climbing the wall, he halted abruptly upon spotting a figure at a nearby window, seemingly unaware of his presence.
Who would be awake at such a late hour? Could someone in the palace have discovered his absence? Unlikely, as there were no guards patrolling the city on his way back. After waiting a few moments for the figure to leave, he resumed climbing towards his window.
The wet and slippery walls made the ascent challenging, with each step posing a risk of a dangerous fall.
Despite the difficulties, he managed to reach his window without incident. As he entered and began removing his gear, he sensed another presence in the room. Before he could react, the candles illuminated, revealing the identity of the unexpected visitor.
"Where have you been?"
Zuko was relieved to find out that it was Azula, not his mother or father, who had noticed his absence. Though he remembered seeing her eavesdropping on his conversation with an agent the day before, it did make sense that she was the one to notice his absence.
Turning to face his sister, who was in her usual nightgown sitting on his bed, he replied, "I was out."
"Where?" She was clearly irritated by his lack of response.
Zuko sighed. He didn't want to deal with this now. Exhausted and struggling to stand, he wanted to end the conversation quickly. "We'll discuss this tomorrow," he said, hoping to come up with a plausible explanation for leaving the palace at midnight and get some much-needed rest.
"No, we're going to discuss this right now." Azula stood up and blocked him from reaching his bed.
Zuko looked at his little sister and saw determination in her eyes. That was bed. It meant that whatever he said wouldn't stop her from getting what she wanted now.
"Azula, I told you that we will discuss this..."
"No, we're discussing this now!" She said, cutting him off. "You've been behaving strangely lately. Spending almost all your time alone and only communicating with someone if it was necessary." She continued, not giving him a chance to interrupt. "Because of your behavior, everyone is concerned about you. Mother hasn't slept properly in weeks, Uncle already fears the worst, and I have to worry about your safety every time you leave the palace."
She took a moment to compose herself.
Zuko remained silent all this time. He knew that sooner or later someone would uncover his suspicious activities. He had hoped that it wouldn't be Azula since it had been becoming harder to deceive her, not because she could see through him but because he had grown to deeply care for her. She was his little sister, his best friend, and he knew that he didn't want to deceive her. He couldn't.
"Zuko," he heard her say as he lifted his eyes to meet hers. "I don't know what you're going through, and I'm afraid that what you're doing could harm you, and I don't want that." She said, "I just want to ensure that everything is okay and that you're not in danger."
Zuko pulled her into a tight embrace. He knew that he would have to disclose everything to her eventually, but he hoped that it would happen under much better circumstances.
Some time later, two guards arrived and escorted him to the courtyard.
As they led him outside for the first time since his capture, he beheld the sky, awash in red and orange hues. It mirrored the day he battled Azula in their decisive Agni Kai, reminiscent of when Sozin's comet last graced their world's orbit.
He had only now come to realize that he had taken simple life pleasures for granted. Being outside, feeling the wind touch his face, seeing not the still walls that had surrounded him for the past few days but beautiful colors, and being able to fill his lungs with air brought a smile to his face.
A smile that screamed that he wasn't ready to give any of this up. But he never gets what he wants or deserves because fate would rather have him fight for it. Fate left him powerless, all his effort and determination amount to nothing in the face of what can't be changed because time waits for no one, not even for the Avatar. And though many might think it's cruel and unfair, time is the most precise measure of a persons worth. It brings life and meaning to the world.
But everything must come to an end eventually. And his time is now.
It appears that pragmatists are a prerequisite to die young. However, he is not prepared to die. He still has much to do.
He still has to become a good father, friend, and brother to those he will have to leave behind. This pains him, yet he acknowledges that he brought this upon himself by choosing this path.
As the guards escorted him to the center of the courtyard, Zuko experienced a sensation so unfamiliar that he believed he had finally lost himself—the feeling of freedom. Ironically, this feeling emerged just as his time was nearing its end, but Zuko was grateful to have experienced it, knowing it would never come again.
The guards that brought him here take a few steps back and join the others that were already waiting for them here.
He glances upward once more. The orange hue of the sun is nearly faded; it is his time to go. Death looms near, and time is but an impending beat of utter silence.
Zuko closed his eyes and released his final breath as the flames began to consume him.
It had been so long that he had forgotten this smell. He had forgotten what burnt flesh smells like, and as the scent filled his nostrils, only one thought occupied Zuko's mind.
Today was his birthday.
How ironic for him to leave this world on the same day he had once entered it.