Disclaimer: Percy Jackson belongs to Rick Riordan, and Avatar: The Last Airbender belongs to Nickelodeon.


"Thoughts"

"Speaking"

This fanfic is an Alternate Universe (AU)

Explanations will appear as the chapters progress.


A little filler so to speak, but it relates to what is to come


Under the blazing midday sun, a small table was strategically placed under a large parasol, providing a small oasis of shade in the arid, dusty, and rocky coastal landscape surrounding the dungeon's exit.

There were a couple of very warm drinks on the table and they were 'sweating' slightly from the heat. Iroh, with his characteristic calm and wisdom, sat comfortably with a good-natured smile lighting up his face weathered by years of experience as he passed the time playing a quick game of Pai Sho with his old friend Jeong Jeong by his side.

At the other end of the table was Ijichi, who seemed a little more anxious than usual, as if he was mentally calculating the chances of success for the participants within the underground labyrinth known as a dungeon. And right next to him was Ozai who looked at his brother with a tone of repulsion in his eyes while Iroh played freely with Jeong.

Only a couple of hours had passed since the second part of the competition had begun, at this point all the participants were already inside the dungeon in search of the scrolls to be able to move on to the next stage.

"What are all those kids waiting to come out? I have better things to do" Ozai said while he enjoyed sitting with his feet leaning on a footstool with a delicious drink in his hand. "They should have more consideration for their rulers."

"Patience Lord Ozai, I ask you to be patient," said the ex-girlfriend of the crown prince who acted as 'supervisor' of those who passed each test in a polite and respectful manner.

"They are not worth my time," Ozai replied

"Are you afraid of losing the bet, Lord Ozai?" Ijichi asked with a mocking smile on his face. "If so, you just have to say it, it's understandable that you're afraid given how skilled Percy is"

The temperature of the place began to rise and the chair where Ozai was sitting seemed like it would burst into flames at any moment due to the large amount of smoke coming out of one of the armrests that was quickly blackening.

"I admit you have guts, you bastard," Ozai growled, wanting to burn his brother's assistant's face.

"So...?" Ijichi replied with a smile

"The bet continues... Hey, assistant!" Bring another chair and another drink right now like the last one and this time I want it double"

"Come on, brother, you have to be more patient" Iroh interrupted his brother's words. "This tournament is important, it's obvious that we have to be here."

"You're the only one obliged!" Ozai replied, "I already did my job by hiding the scrolls!"

"Are you no longer interested in dungeons?"

"They never did!" They are just a huge waste of time. What is the point of entering and killing a lot of monsters if they will respawn later?"

"That wasn't what you thought before" Iroh said before asking "When did you change your mind?"

"What do you mean?"

"Well... you remember that little adventure we had, when we ventured into the caves of the Dragon Mountains" Iroh commented, with a spark of nostalgia in his voice. "Good 'ol times! We almost managed to find the lost treasure of the Dragon King"

Ozai nodded with a soft laugh, his eyes half-lidded remembering those days of youth and daring.

"Yes... those days... were exciting" Ozai commented, his voice resonating with a strange feeling of nostalgia, affection and gratitude, something very, very rare to see in him. "Although we never found the treasure, the closest we came was discovering that small sanctuary with just a handful of coins, maybe it was just that, a legend..."

"Miracles exist," Jeong Jeong thought

"Ozai... Did you just smile?..." Ijichi said, looking in complete disbelief at the Fire Lord's brother, the same way that the other attendees and even the guards did look at Ozai, although with the guards it wasn't noticeable because of their masks "I didn't know you could do that"

"Shut your damn mouth or I'll kill you, fucking bastard!" Ozai returned to his characteristic attitude towards his brother's assistant, as if what happened before had never happened and glaring at everyone

"It was thanks to adventures like that that we became what we are today" Iroh added with a genuine smile, dismissing his brother's actions and returning to what he was trying to say before. "That is why we must support these promising young people as much as we can, they are the future of the Fire Nation"

Ozai snorted, earning a look from his older brother, while others nodded at the Fire Lord's words and and others were more skeptical of the monarch's hopes because of certain teenagers. As the wind blew gently, carrying with it the murmur of the nearby tide and the distant creak of the dungeon doors creaking.

"My lord..." Ijichi said, Iroh's words had awakened great curiosity in him since he had no idea that both members of the royal family had gone on adventures in their youth "... About that adventure you mentioned, can you tell me about it?" he asked, completely curious, what it could have been like to make Ozai act completely different for a brief moment.

"Of course Ijichi, it's a very wise question you just asked!"

"Agni, no!, now he's not going to shut up!" said Ozai as one of his own assistants finally brought him his drink "and to begin with the only one who was a child was me, Iroh and Jeong were already over twenty years old!" He complained before starting to drink his drink.

"I've always heard stories about the Dragon Mountains, but I've never known exactly what is found in that place, according to legends it's a mysterious place that was once home to the Dragons."

Iroh nodded with a slight nod, as if he were reliving those moments in his mind before he began to tell the story.

"It was many years ago when Ozai and I were just young people craving adventure," Iroh began, his voice echoing with nostalgia for those bygone times. "It all started when we found an old map in the office of our father, the fire lord Azulon. Finding a map in her office was no big deal, since the war with the monsters was almost over, Bathsheba would soon be defeated..."

Ozai shook his head with a sigh as his brother continued telling the story.

"The Dragon Mountains are located to the east of Avatar Roku Island past the Hei Bai forest and northeast of Omashu, the territory is made up of a small mountain range in which it is too difficult to move and quite easy to get lost. At that time the entire area was plagued by monsters and followers of witches, my father had the area under surveillance because reports indicated that not even monsters dared to enter the mountains, something or someone prevented entry and those who dared to do so, whether they were monsters, humans, soldiers or witches rarely return alive. My father had the idea that our troops should pass through there and take the territory up to Serpent Pass to reach Ba Sing Se and thus have a direct passage with the allies of the Earth Kingdom that would lead us to victory-"

"However..." Ozai interrupted "Our father discarded the idea since we wouldn't be able to get out of that place alive either and explored other options"

"What is it about that place that makes it so dangerous?" Ijichi said, "I mean... not even today we pass through that place"

"I don't have a very exact knowledge about the details of the legends" said Iroh. "At least it's not like the locals in the area, But legends say that the Dragon King was an avatar that existed many generations ago, they say that his firebending was so powerful that it was capable of melting the steel of swords and armor in moments an his"

"His firebending was black or white, depending on the legend" Ozai commented before his brother became dramatic, taking a sip of his refilled drink, earning another look of exasperated annoyance from Iroh for a moment before he retold the story.

"They say that he collected a treasure so great for one man, comparable to that of a nation but so dangerous that he decided to hide it. For what reasons?... They are unknown but the legend mention that he asked his guardians to guard the treasure forever"

"Guardians?" Ijichi asked confused "What kind of guardians live for hundreds of years?"

"No one knows" replied Ozai as he began to drink his double drink that was filled for the fifth time "That's the point, if we knew the treasure would already be our property... maybe it was just"

"Exactly!" Iroh exclaimed, interrupting his younger brother this time. "The map indicated a series of passages that passed through the mountains that led directly to the Dragon King's lost treasure."

The umbrella on the table let the sun's rays pass through in intermittent beams, while Iroh continued with his story, captivating everyone with every detail.

"I remember Jeong and I spent weeks studying that map, planning our expedition. Although my father did not approve of our plan, it only increased our determination, in those days we felt like real explorers facing traps and deciphering the ancient writings on the map and one day we finally did it... While my father was immersed in an important meeting with the War Council, Jeong and me decided that it was the perfect time to carry out our adventure. We stealthily escaped from the palace, evading the guards and slipping towards the port where we found a ship in the process of loading supplies for the warfront troops to the shores of Hei Bai and the shores near Omashu..."

The memory and emotion of the story made him remember with precision the events of those days of adventure, as if he were living them at that precise moment.

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"That ship will be our ticket to the Dragon Mountains!" Iroh exclaimed with a mixture of excitement and anticipation, as they watched how members of the navy loaded containers full of supplies

Without thinking twice, the two friends infiltrated the port, cleverly hiding in the largest barrels. The heat inside the barrel was stifling, but they were both too excited to feel uncomfortable. They listened to the noises on deck as the ship began to set sail, felt the rhythmic movement of the sea beneath them, the waves crashing against the bow of the ship and the sound of the ship setting out on its journey.

"Are you okay Jeong?" Iroh whispered to the adjacent barrel, waiting for his friend's response.

"Here I am," Jeong responded "but your majesty, are you sure about this?"

"Come on friend, don't be so formal and don't worry!"

Suddenly they heard the sound of a pair of officers as they passed near them, afraid of being discovered, they both held their breath.

Iroh and Jeong stood motionless inside the barrel, holding their breath as the officers walked past them. They heard their voices talking about exploits in fighting monsters, mentioning creatures like centaurs, ghouls, and goblins that gave them a couple of problems. However, what especially caught the attention of young people was the story of a Bullvore.

"That thing was a real challenge!" said one of the officers with amazement evident in his voice. "¡It took us several hours to contain it and finally take it down! The Bullvores are dangerous creatures, more than two meters tall and with incredible strength"

Iroh and Jeong exchanged furtive glances... or so they thought, although they were in different barrels, the way of thinking of both friends made their eyes turn in the same direction, their ears attentive to every word. ThThey had heard of the Bullvores in stories and records dating back to the appearance of the monsters about 70 years ago, but rarely had anyone seen them in person and now they were aboard a ship where some of the crew had faced one of those beasts.

"What are the bullvores like? And how did they manage to defeat him, sir?" another officer asked with obvious curiosity.

The first one chuckled before answering, although it didn't seem entirely honest to both hidden friends, perhaps it embellished the little story a little. It was a combination of strategy and pure force of firebending, rookie, although we lost a few men, but thanks to Agni no one of great importance and in the end we managed to take him down and finish him off"

"Hurry up and tell it once and for all," Iroh muttered into his barrel, though his face scrunched at the way he spoke of the few fallen soldiers.

"A lot of attention rookie, the Bullvores can be described as a bunch of muscles trapped inside a bag of hard, elastic skin, which is why our firebending is not as efficient from the start or without several firebenders. Their heads are like a cross between a gorilla goat and a moose dragon, but much uglier. Their mouths are full of sharp teeth capable of tearing flesh and if that is not enough, they have sharp bones protruding from its entire body that function as sharp thorns, their hands only have three fingers, but sharp claws come out of each one, their are really quite easy to distinguish, especially because at the level of their stomachs some kind of disgusting and horrible arms emerge. Horrendous creatures to anyone you ask"

The appearance described by the officer fit perfectly with the description that Iroh had seen in books within the palace library, although these books could also easily be found in certain barracks or offices of the Fire Nation army.

"It was difficult to kill him, as I already said his skin is very elastic and hard so a sword was not an option, we had to burn him, it was just that, dodge his attacks and burn him to death."

"How pathetic," Jeong muttered

"Did you say anything boy?" said the officer while looking at the rookie who was shook his head quite confused. "I'm already imagining things, my shift is over, rookie, go keep watch or whatever you have to do, I'll go to sleep, I deserve it"

The officer, satisfied with his story and the rookie's admiration for his story, finally retired to rest, leaving Iroh and Jeong with the perfect opportunity to cautiously emerge from their hiding places in the barrels. With silent and agile movements, the two slipped out of their respective confined spaces, stretching their legs stiff from confinement.

The deck of the ship was almost deserted at this time of night, barely illuminated by faint lanterns that swayed with the movement of the ship. Jeong took charge of keeping watch while Iroh sneaked up on the supplies stored on another part of the deck near them. With skills learned from a couple of 'clandestine journeys', they quickly selected some food and drink rations before returning to their makeshift hideout.

As they silently devoured the stolen food, Jeong's concern about the Bullvore creature echoed in Iroh's ears.

"Your majesty, what would happen if we encountered something similar when disembarking or entering the Hei Bai forest?"

"Well... The idea of facing such a creature is terrifying but also exciting, a challenge that could define the success of the mission." Iroh let out a barely perceptible smile as he considered the possibilities

If they managed to find any trace of the presence of a Bullvore or even another monster, hopefully it could provide them with a clue as to the paths monsters use in the area.

"Either way we must investigate," Iroh added

"Is a treasure worth more than your own life?"

"You know I'm not doing it just for the treasure, Jeong," Iroh replied. "It's true that I'm excited to be able to find a treasure that is mentioned in legends, that an avatar from several centuries ago decided to hide something, I mean... Who isn't excited? However Jeong, if there really is a treasure it would be property of the fire nation and it would help us in some way to finance the war a little more and if my father's plan proves viable, let our troops pass through the mountain and we take the Step of the Snake can guarantee our victory... Anyway it's a win-win, I can't call myself a prince if I'm just in the palace doing nothing, it's best for me to experience the battles at the front, that way you win a war, not behind a table in a room or office"

"Well... I'm not excited, but if that's what he wants to do, I can't leave you alone" Jeong said

"HAHAHA Thank you, Jeong..."

"BUT!... If it turns out to be too dangerous then we will turn around and return to the palace. Is this a deal, Iroh" Jeong interrupted him.

"Do you really talk to your prince that way, Jeong?" Iroh responded with a mocking smile "but I think it's fair, we have a deal my friend"

As they quietly discussed future plans, a dull thud echoed from a barrel at the end of the hall. Jeong, accustomed to the usual sounds that are found on ships, thought it could be some kind of rat and did not give it much importance.

"What was that?!"

"Don't worry," Jeong said calmly, "He's just a damn rat, the officers never clean up like they should"

"Sure?" Iroh replied "I didn't think it was the sound of a rat, at least it's not a normal-sized one.

Iroh with a strange hunch, crept over to investigate.

With deft hands, he gently removed the lid of the barrel so as not to create a loud sound that would alert the ship's crew to the presence of stowaways on the ship, but upon opening the lid his heart skipped a beat as he discovered what was inside.

"Iroh... brother... ahh... you just said that a prince shouldn't be behind a desk. I'm a prince too!" said the occupant of the barrel, nervous at first at having been discovered, but thinking quickly of something to say and keeping his voice low, although he raised it a little at the end.

"Ozai!" Iroh exclaimed in disbelief as his brain caught up, before covering his mouth and looking around like Jeong in case he was heard before looking back at his younger brother. "What are you doing here?"

Ozai flinched a little before answering, "Well... I heard what they were planning to do and that they were going to escape today... so... I had my guards accompany me to the port since the morning... and... I ran away from them when I saw you peeking out from behind a box... and… you know… I decided to follow you… I want to go too"

The irony made Jeong smile slightly at what happened, but Iroh was still in disbelief at his younger brother's audacity and recklessness, so he reacted hit him hard on the head, before scolding Ozai so much that for a few moments he forgot that they were stowing away on that ship.

"They must be heavy sleepers" Jeong thought with a mix of emotions at not being discovered.

"What in the name of Agni are you doing here, you idiot?!"Iroh said firmly after scolding him and that worry made him ignore several things already said.

Ozai, still affected by the strong blow, also ignored the scolding and covered his head with his arms just in case his brother wanted to hit him again.

"I'm sorry, Iroh. I thought I could help and join you. Iroh! You can't be the only one who goes looking for treasure"

Before Iroh could respond that it wasn't about the treasure and scold him again for how reckless Ozai is for thinking like that, a sound of footsteps echoed. The three exchanged quick glances of alarm before acting quickly. In an instant, they hid back in the barrels, barely managing to close the lids before the ship's officers appeared on the deck.

Officers alerted by the unusual sounds scanned the area with confused expressions. One of them pointed towards the nearest barrels and approached cautiously, examining the surroundings. When they lifted a lid that was on the floor, they found crumbs of food scattered on the floor.

"Rats again?"Muttered one of the highest-ranking officers, displeased, and being the one who lifted the lid, he looked for the open barrel, noticing that some of what was at the top was missing. He grunted as he closed it again. "This is what happens when cargo or warehouse officers do not keep the supply or storage area clean"

The others nodded in disgust, checking the nearby barrels without finding anything more suspicious. After a few minutes of inspection, the officers walked away, leaving the relieved but alert stowaways inside their hiding places.

Once they were sure that the officers had moved far enough away, Iroh, Ozai, and Jeong cautiously climbed out of the barrels. Iroh looked at his younger brother with a mix of anger and exasperation.

"Ozai, seriously, you need to be more careful," after controlling his anger, Iroh told his younger brother firmly, although with a slight touch of kindness.

"I wasn't the one who screamed," Ozai replied.

"Shut up!. But seriously that is not a trip to go on vacation or adventure, we are on an important mission.

"It's true... it's not an adventure... your brother is right, your majesty," said Jeong.

The next few days became a mix of anxiety and caution as Ozai, Iroh, and Jeong remained hidden in the ship's barrels. During the day, they hardly dared move, only coming out of hiding when the deck was deserted and they could steal enough food and water to survive. The nights were even more tense, with frequent patrols by officers who forced them to remain still and silent, holding their breath until the danger passed...

Time seemed to stretch on endlessly as the ship sailed through Earth kingdom waters that had become dangerous in recent years, moving toward its final destination. Jeong, with his ability to assess risks and plan strategies, remained calm at all times…

In fact, almost the entire time Jeong was inside the barrel he was asleep, almost dead, to tell the truth. Iroh with his patience for an imaginary Pai Sho match and Ozai dying of boredom.

As the third day drew to a close, the ship finally reached its destination, with hearts full of excitement, the three stowaways prepared for the next step of their mission…or rather their adventure.

From their hiding places among the barrels, Ozai, Iroh, and Jeong watched carefully as the officers began to disembark the supplies on the shores near Hei Bai Forest. The air was thick with activity as sailors and soldiers rushed to unload boxes and barrels, meticulously arranging them on the beach.

The officers unloaded everything including the barrels that contained Jeong and the pair of brothers.

"We're going to need a lot of comfortable rhinos to transport all this to Omashu," commented one of the officers. "We have to do it quickly, I don't want a damn monster from the forest to kill us all or steal our supplies"

Cautiously the three crept out of their hiding places among the barrels and glided along the beach, moving with as much grace and skill as they could to avoid discovery among the unloaded boxes barrels and other supplies unloaded, although they came close a couple of times. Heading towards the forest, they dove into the undergrowth so they could quickly get out of the sight of the officers busy with the cargo.

Although they were moving quickly, one of the officers on the deck looked up suddenly, as if he had sensed movement in the trees. He frowned and narrowed his eyes, scanning the dark forest canopy for any sign of intruders. However, after a moment of intense searching, he shook his head and turned away, convincing himself that it had just been his imagination playing tricks on him...


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