Chapter 28 - The Sword Master
The heat was nigh intolerable, even for the most hardened of firebenders. Deep underground, amongst a maze of twisting tunnels and corridors lined several jail cells for the Fire Nation's most dangerous and most unwanted criminals. Firebending was strictly forbidden by the guard staff because of the volatile components wafting through the area. A mix of water vapor, carbon dioxide, sulfur dioxide, hydrogen sulfide, nitrogen, argon, helium, neon, methane, carbon monoxide, hydrogen, and several other compounds the Fire Nation scientists loved to rattle off, just to showcase their intelligence, spread throughout the underground prison. The slightest spark could cause an explosion at anytime.
This is why the guards rarely required excessive constraints for their firebending prisoners. After all, no one wanted to blow themselves up. And a simple demonstration upon arrival usually did the trick to dissuade most firebending attempts. Not that some didn't try of course, but the guards simply cleaned out the messy jail cell afterwards.
As if the constant threat of explosion wasn't bad enough, molten magma traveled throughout the prison, in the walls and in underground rivers. Wide sections of the bedrock were unstable and unpredictable. It was not entirely uncommon for the earth to shift unexpectedly, taking prisoners along with it since the condemned were locked within their cells, unable to evacuate fast enough.
Sometimes the deadly gases gathered silently within a chamber and a prisoner would simply die in their sleep, blissfully unaware of their lack of oxygen. Life expectancy was unpredictable. Few ever completed their prison sentences here. Such was the Magma Slags.
The sound of the metal door to his jail cell creaking open loudly did not cause the unkempt old man slumped against the wall to look up at his visitor. Neither did the rattling of his iron bars. A wooden bowl was dropped to the ground and kicked into the cell. It tumbled over, spilling a portion of the unappealing contents within onto the dirty ground. The sound of food caused the old man's ears to perk up as he rushed at the meal and leaned over it on his hands and knees while clumsily eating with his hands.
"Look at you," snarled Warden Poon as he gripped the metal bars of the cell. "You used to be the Dragon of the West. One of the finest commanders of the Fire Nation. Brother to our Fire Lord. But now, you're just a fat, disgusting old man. You do nothing, you say nothing. You just eat and roll around in your own filth like the pig you are." The warden frowned as Iroh continued to eat while ignoring the guard's words. He spit on the ground in front of Iroh. "You're a disgrace."
The metal door shut heavily as the warden left, disgusted. Iroh listened to the heavy footsteps as they faded away. Picking up the bowl of food and moving his messy, tangled hair out of his face, Iroh sat up and leaned against the wall again. He brought the wooden bowl up to his lips and ate with all the grace of the royal he was. The General's escape plan was already underway. No need to entertain barking pups in a pointless verbal sparring match.
Streaks of light raced across the night sky as Zuko, Katara, Sokka, and Jin lay on a hill watching the meteor shower above. They had traveled another day on Edel as they neared the coastline of the island they were on. Dinner had already been eaten when the first traces of stardust began.
"Wow, we have the Aurora Australis down in the South Pole, but I've never seen a meteor shower as clear as this before," admired Katara as the lights danced across the night sky.
"Kind of makes you realize how insignificant we all are," philosophized Sokka thoughtfully.
"We used to get meteor showers back at my Grandparent's ranch every now and then. On clear nights like this one, it always amazes me just how beautiful they are," appreciated Jin.
"I've never stopped to watch one before," commented Zuko sadly. "The attendants would mention them, my Uncle would invite me to watch with him, but I was always to busy with training or sleeping or finding something else to do." The Fire Prince sighed. "I missed a lot in my shortsightedness."
As the four of them observed the astrological event, Jin pointed to a particularly large meteor that appeared amongst the other lights. "Ooh! There's a big one!"
Sokka stood up at the falling star drew closer. "Maybe too big. It's not breaking up fast enough." They watched as the comet flew past them overhead and impacted across a nearby hill, snapping entire trees in half and tearing the ground asunder. Several fires began to break out amongst the devastated forest area.
On the other side of the woody landscape stood the town the team intended to visit the next morning. "The fire's going to reach that town!" stated Katara in alarm as she rose alongside everyone else.
Zuko was already signaling Edel with a small burst of firebending. The thunderbird landed next to the Fire Prince in a hurry as Zuko scrambled onboard. "We won't let it." Each of the other teenagers jumped on as well.
It took Edel just a few minutes to reach the meteor crash site as Zuko, Jin, and Sokka disembarked. Katara made her way to the front of saddle as she took the reins. "There's a creek just over there. I'll be back in a moment! Edel! Please take me over there." She pointed to the running steam of water as the thunderbird obliged.
Jin started to earthbend a large trench in front of the fire to slow it's spread while Zuko worked to quell the raging flames with his firebending and snuff them into suppression. The immediate inferno around the two benders calmed momentarily.
"What should I do?!" shouted Sokka as he watched his friends working furiously. The non-bender was itching to help, but he didn't exactly know what he could bring to the table with just a boomerang in his hands.
"I'm not too sure!" shouted back Jin as she quickly raised an earthen wall to deflect a falling tree away from the path of the fire. "Maybe just try not to get caught in the fire?"
Feeling a bit deflated at his inability to help, Sokka was about to return a witty retort when Zuko's voice rang out first. "No! Get to the top of that dirt hill next to you Sokka! You actually have an important job! Direct us!" exclaimed the firbender as he focused in concentration to control a newly rampant blaze. "There's a lot going on! We need someone to see the larger picture and let us know where to combine our efforts."
Nodding in acknowledgement, Sokka quickly jogged up the specified hill as he observed the wider situation. Jin was making steady work in delaying the fire on the left side, but Zuko was struggling in the center where the flames were the most intense.
Katara was already returning on top of Edel trailing a large bubble of water behind her. Sokka motioned to his Sister to release the water in the center near the Fire Prince. "Zuko move to the right side! Katara's about to bring the rain!"
As the firebender ceased his containment efforts, Zuko moved to the indicated position as he watched the waterbender fly in overhead. Katara spun the water around as Edel hovered nearby away from the thick black smoke. The waterbender twisted the water flat as she released it into a blanket of raindrops that drowned a large portion of fire in the center of the inferno.
"Excellent work Sis! Keep that up!" cheered Sokka as he pumped his fist into the air excitedly. As Katara left to gather more water, Sokka turned to the earthbender on the team. "Jin! Fold the land outward from the center, starting from where Katara just dropped the water. Don't let the blaze start back up!" Large slabs of earth from the burnt out sections rose and fell back on areas that were still burning to smash the fire between the earth.
"Zuko! There's too much smoke! Can you do something about that?" Sokka watched as the firebender seemed to touch the thick black smoke in the air with one hand and vent it out with his other hand up skyward and away from the firefighting teenagers. "Good! It was getting hard to both breath and see."
The Water Warrior looked up at the sound of Edel's squawk. The Water Tribe boy pointed to the right side of the fire. "Come in from the right and move to the center! Jin's got the left side handled!" called out Sokka with his hands cupped over his mouth like a makeshift megaphone.
As the waterbender swept over the remaining fire, Katara released a wall of water than made short work of the mostly handled flames. Zuko walked through the area last as he sensed any remaining fire patches and extinguished them swiftly.
"Good work everyone!" cheered Jin as the team came back together, covered in soot and ash.
"Does this happened every time with meteor showers? Or am I just that lucky?" grumbled Zuko as he finished checking for anymore spark ups.
"Can't say I've ever had to fight a fire after watching the stars," joked Jin with a hard earned smile on her face.
Zuko sighed. "I figured as much." He walked back towards Edel. "I need a change of clothes and probably a bath. We all smell like smoke."
"Don't firebenders always smell like smoke?" asked Sokka.
"Just because I'm a firebender doesn't mean I like smelling like the ashes of a campfire," muttered Zuko.
They went to sleep later that night, after they took turns using the nearby creek to wash off the ash and soot from their bodies and clothes. Fortunately, with Katara's much improved waterbending skills, drying their clothing after washing them was a simple matter.
Jin bit into a muffin as she glanced around at all the carefree smiles and unconcerned faces of the walking passersby. "Just think about it. These people here don't seem to have any idea how close they were to getting roasted by that firestorm last night." The four teens had decided to partake in a light breakfast at a small cafe within the town that they had saved the previous night.
"We did a good thing. That's all that matters. We don't need any accolades for that," concluded Zuko as he debated between strawberry or blueberry jam for his toast before finally deciding on the latter. "Actually, it's probably better that we don't draw too much attention to ourselves right now. The less people who know that we are here, the better. Otherwise, word might get back to my Father."
Taking another haughty bite of her muffin, Jin chewed a little before starting to speak with her mouth still full. "Yeah, but..." The earthbender finished chewing. "I mean like, some appreciation would be nice. That was a pretty large fire we put out last night. Plus, we got so little sleep because of it." She yawned as if to prove a point.
"At least you guys all did something," grumbled Sokka. "All I could do was shout at everyone."
"Don't sell yourself short. I meant it when I said we needed someone to direct us," assured Zuko as he spread the blueberry jam on his toast. "We were all focused on the flames around us, and it was difficult to see the overall situation. With you observing and directing, we were able to concentrate because we had faith that we could rely on you to tell us where to go and what to do."
Katara and Jin nodded in agreement with Zuko's reasoning. "I was busy flying back and forth collecting water. I didn't have to waste time figuring out where to drop it, because you were already there giving directions," added Katara.
Sokka poked at the smoked sea slug on his plate. "I know that the job you all gave me was important. It's just that, individually, you guys can do all this awesome bending stuff like putting out forest fires, raising ships out of the water, melting siege weapons, moving metal, or just basically fly around the battlefield." He stabbed his fork into the sea slug. "I can't fly around, okay? I'm just the one in the group who's a regular guy."
Setting the rest of her muffin back onto her plate, Jin was the first to attempt to cheer up the Water Tribe boy. "Hey now, come on Sokka. None of us see you as just a regular guy." She smiled. "You're the Idea Guy, right? The man with the plan."
"Hmm..." grunted Sokka in response.
The earthbender glanced over at Katara for some help. "You're a great fighter, Sokka," encouraged Katara. "You've never let not being a bender stop you before."
"Yeah, well, I'm starting to see just how little I can do without bending," snapped back Sokka grumbly.
Speaking up again, Jin offered sympathetically, "I once told you that I understood how you felt about not being able to bend because I used to be the same way. I haven't been a very good friend, not trying realizing that this was eating away at you this badly."
The Water Tribe boy rolled his eyes at the Earth Kingdom girl. Undeterred, Jin continued with, "I'm serious. You don't have any bending. But you are still the first to charge into a fight and the first to worry about how your friends are faring. You may see us as amazing and special because we can bend, but you're just as amazing and special because you don't let that stop you from fighting."
Piling on to Jin's encouragement, Katara also supplied, "Jin's right, Sokka. You bring skills to the group that the rest of us don't have."
His curiosity peaked, Sokka asked his Sister, "Like what?"
"Well, map reading for one," the waterbender answered swiftly. "You're our weapons master, trap maker, the idea guy, and you can keep a clear mind when you want to." Hoping to get some help in adding to the list, Katara glanced over at the Fire Prince.
Zuko had been listening to the waterbender and earthbender attempt to build back up Sokka, when he belatedly noticed Katara staring at him both pointedly and expectantly to add to the list she was crafting. The firebender quickly attempted to rack his brain for something else to add to the Water Tribe girl's list of Sokka's positive attributes. "Umm... yeah, everything that Katara said. Plus, sarcasm. You're really good with sarcasm. Since Toph's not here, you're the funny sarcastic one."
Katara waited a moment, but Zuko didn't seem like he was going to provide any more items. "That's all you have to add?"
The Fire Prince shrugged, not entirely sure what else she had wanted from him. It wasn't like Zuko kept a running list of Sokka's good traits on-hand at all times. "What? You already took all the good ones. And I already called him a respectable tactician with him directing us last night during the fire."
Katara shook her head before returning her attention to her Brother. "I'm sorry that you're feeling so down." She thought for a second as an idea came to her mind. "But I know something that might cheer you up."
"You do?" Sokka asked forlornly.
A short while later the four of the them arrived within a weapons store as Sokka examined, "Shopping!" His eyes scanned the rows upon rows of various armaments. "Thank you Katara! You do know me so well!" He started to run up and down the aisles like an excited little kid.
"Yeah, thank you Katara," grumbled Zuko as he already felt the monetary hit to their collective travel wallet. "It's just a good thing that we were able to recover some funds while we were raiding that military factory back at the river town."
"Oh, a little splurging every now and then is fine," replied the waterbender. "And if we can boost Sokka's spirits at the same time, then all the better. He'll keep being all mopey if we don't do something to cheer him up and get his mind focused again."
Zuko wasn't too sure about that. From what the firebender saw, the Water Warrior was fairly unfocused, being surrounded by all these various weapons to chose from. The Fire Prince watched as Sokka picked up a pair of nunchaku and swung them around amateurishly. Unsurprisingly, the Water Tribe boy knocked himself upside the head while making action sounds and stumbled into a weapon rack of spears and staffs. Undeterred, Sokka hopped back up with one of those staffs and gave it some practice swings until he tripped on a discarded spear and rolled forward onto the ground in a heap.
Giving a sympathetic wince for what Zuko was certain had been a painful tumble, the Fire Prince was granted a reprieve from observing any further antics from the Water Tribe boy when Zuko heard a "What do you think of these gloves?" from off to his side. Turning, Zuko noticed that Katara had tried on a pair of fingerless red and black leather gloves.
Thankful for the change in focus, Zuko answered practically, "If they aren't going to get in the way of your bending, then I'd say the gloves are a smart choice. A little extra protection on the battlefield is always important."
"Hmm..." considered the waterbender as Katara debated to herself whether or not she liked the feel of the fingerless gloves.
Helping Sokka pick back up the various spears on the ground, Jin arranged the weapons onto the nearby weapon rack. Staring at the polearms for another moment, Jin reached back out and selected a simple looking quarterstaff, giving the long reaching pole a couple of practice swings.
"Don't earthbenders normally use hammers?" asked Sokka as he questioned Jin's choice.
"Traditionally, I think so," replied Jin. "That's what most of the earthbenders I've seen use anyway." The Earth Kingdom girl glanced over at the assortments of heavy and sizeable hammers. She blanched at the thought of carrying such an oversized instrument of combat around everywhere.
Shaking her head in the negative, Jin added, "But I don't think I would like carrying a massive war-hammer around. That's just not me." For the briefest of moments, the Earth Kingdom girl imagined her little earthbending teacher carrying one of those monstrous war-hammers around and found herself quickly suppressing a snicker.
"What's so funny?" asked Sokka.
"Nothing. Just thought about Toph wielding a large two-handed war-hammer with her earthbending," laughed Jin. "I pictured her struggling to lift the weapon."
"Careful now," warned Sokka. "Knowing Toph, she probably would take that as some kind of challenge. And more than that, I just know that Toph would find a way to use one of those hammers."
Jin paled for a moment as her thoughts shifted to Toph attempting to incorporate large, two-handed traditional Earth Kingdom weapons into their daily training. "Uh... on second thought, let's just never give Toph the idea about war-hammers."
"Agreed," nodded Sokka. "I'm supposed to be the weapon guy anyway."
"What about Zuko's Dao broadswords?" asked Jin.
"Pfft," dismissed Sokka. "Those don't count. Besides, I bet I could wield those broadswords better than Zuko."
Opening her mouth to call out Sokka on his empty boast, Jin paused and decided not to say anything. They were trying to cheer Sokka up after all. Probably better to just let Sokka have this one. Instead, the Earth Kingdom girl gave the quarterstaff in her arms another practice swing. "My Grandpa used to use spears, back when he was in the Army. He showed me a couple of moves, here and there. I think a long pole like this could be useful."
"I guess," hesitantly agreed Sokka as he thought about it for a moment, his right hand resting against his chin in thought. "But it's still just a regular pole. How about you pick something more fancy. Zuko's paying for all this anyway."
Glancing over at the other polearms and quarterstaffs, Jin shook her head. "Nah, this one is the best. It's just a long simple pole of pure metal, you know?"
Sokka's head nodded along for a moment as he pretended to understand what Jin was getting at. Then, another couple of moments passed and his eyes widened in complete comprehension. Turned back towards the magnitude of other weapons in the store, Sokka rubbed his hands together with apprehension. "Alright, that sounds like a good idea. I'd better get serious and find something for myself too."
The Water Tribe boy picked up a guan dao and spun it to one side, then to the other, and finally over his head. Sokka looked impressive, up until the point that he lost his grip and the weapon flew upwards into the ceiling. Whistling innocently, the Water Warrior quickly inched away.
Next, Sokka grabbed a massively huge metal club and stressed his muscles as he attempted to pick the oversized cudgel up and brace it over his shoulder. Unfortunately, the momentum continued as the club fell backwards, taking Sokka with it as he tumbled to the ground once again. Jin gave a slight giggle as Sokka sheepishly stood back up. "Yeah, so maybe not a giant club."
Subsequently, Sokka spun a chain with a dagger on the end over his head until the chain wrapped around him and he yelped when the dagger poked his shoulder. He ran around with a fairly wobbly spear that didn't suit him. Thinking as the Water Tribe boy stood next to another weapon rack, Sokka grinned as he picked up a pair of Dao broadswords.
"No," denied Zuko as he quickly appeared nearby. Without a verbal response, Sokka merely shook his head vigorously with an affirmative 'yes'. The Water Tribe boy gave some mocking stiff swings in a simple chopping motion with a sword in each hand as the Fire Prince rolled his eyes in annoyance.
As Sokka tried waving around a single sai next, he dropped the weapon to the ground as he noticed a sword rack up on the wall with a remarkable sword framed and positioned above several other standard looking blades. "Ooh!" The Water Tribe boy walked up closer as he inspected the steel with a discerning eye. "Now that's what Sokka's talking about."
The weapon shopkeeper, who had been strangely accommodating of the Water Tribe boy running amok within the shop seemed to just emerge out of nowhere from behind Zuko, who jumped slightly when the man spoke. "You have a good eye. That sword is an original from Piandao, the greatest swordmaster and sword maker in Fire Nation history. He lives in the big castle on the far edge of town. Follow the road, can't miss it." He started to walk away. "Oh, and that sword's not for sale by the way."
"That's what you need!" exclaimed Jin happily.
Sokka looked back up at the blade framed on the wall. "A sword?"
"No," replied Jin as she shook her head. "A master! Just like we talked about down in the South Pole. You'll be more sure of your skills if you receive some instruction."
"That's a great idea!" added Katara. "I wouldn't have been able to get to the level I am now with my bending if I didn't get some help myself. You should get a teacher too!"
"Piandao," contemplated Zuko softly. "So he lives here?" The Fire Prince looked in the direction of the road the shopkeeper had indicated. "I had no idea."
"Do you know Piandao?" asked Jin.
Zuko nodded as he patted the swords on his belt. "I learned how to use my Dao broadswords from him." Then, the Fire Prince looked a bit dejected. "Or at least, a little bit. Remember that I used to be pretty arrogant? Yeah, well, I can't say that I listened to Piandao as much as I definitely should have."
Continuing, Zuko elaborated, "When Father gave up trying to teach me firebending, he told me to go learn a weapon instead. Which, of course, for traditional firebenders is looked down upon in the Fire Nation." Zuko sighed. "Father always said that a proper firebender doesn't need weapons to fight and to use one is a sign of weakness." The Fire Prince gripped his hand into a fist. "Which was probably just another lie."
Calming himself, Zuko glanced back over at the road leading up the hill. "But enough about that. Piandao was ordered to the Imperial Palace to teach me, so I've never been to his home." He turned to Sokka. "He's a brilliant sword master, even if I only had the privilege of learning from him for a short time."
Sokka continued to look at the blade on the wall. "It would be nice to be a master sword fighter..." The Water Tribe boy turned towards his friends, his face full of resolve. "Alright, I want to talk to him."
Zuko and Sokka paused in awe as they looked up at the grand fortress-like structure that was Piandao's Castle. The large red roofed tower in the center of the compound gave way to several smaller towers and buildings below it. In the back of the facility appeared to be a large training ground. An eight foot tall wall with red shingles surrounded the entire area. This all rested atop a large mountainside bluff.
Glancing over at the firebender, Sokka poked the cloth bandage wrapped over Zuko's scar. "You sure that Piandao won't recognize you? All you have is that stupid bandage. You sure have listened to me and glued a fake beard and moustache to your face. That would have been a much better disguise."
Knocking the Water Tribe boy's hand away from his face, Zuko retorted, "I'm not wearing one of your ridiculous disguises. Have any of those ever actually worked for you?" The firebender shook his head. "Actually, you know what? It doesn't matter. This bandage is will work fine. Sometimes a simple disguise is best. With this, I can just say I got hurt with firebending practice. Besides, Piandao hasn't seen me in years and even that was only for a brief time. I doubt he remembers me."
"Hmm..." debated Sokka before accepting the Fire Prince's reasoning. "Just don't go ruining this for me. I really want to learn better swordsmanship."
Jogging right up to the front door, Sokka grabbed one of the large bronze door-knockers as he tapped it against the entrance a couple of times. Then, he stood patiently there for a minute as Zuko joined him. When nothing happened, the Water Tribe boy reached out and knocked a couple more times. Another minute passed and Sokka grew frustrated as he grabbed both door-knockers with each hand and started to bang them against the door loudly and frantically.
Zuko grabbed the Water Tribe boy by the waist and pulled him back. "What are you doing?!"
"I don't think they can hear us!" Sokka shouted back as he struggled against the firebender's grip. "Now let me go."
"We can hear you," greeted an old butler with a gray beard as he opened the door finally. "Can I help you?"
Zuko released Sokka as both boys looked guilty for making a racket. They composed themselves once more. "I have come to train with the master," declared Sokka as he bowed.
The butler eyed the lad critically. "You should know, the Master turns almost everyone away." The attendant held his hand out. "What did you bring him to prove your worth?"
Sokka looked at Zuko in a panic as the firebender shrugged with a similar clueless expression. "I... uhh..." The Water Tribe boy stood up straight as he patted his tunic looking for something to offer, but came up short.
The butler withdrew his hand and frowned slightly. "Very well. This should be quick." He turned back into the castle. "Come along. Let's get this over with." He motioned for them to follow.
Sokka and Zuko proceeded into the castle. Walking through a well maintained courtyard of green shrubberies and stone pillars, they reached the main structure of the castle and moved through the halls.
In the main audience chamber sat Piandao in a black cheongsam, his back to the center of the room. The sword master dipped a calligraphy brush into a small tray of ink and, carefully holding his sleeve with his other hand, wrote his characters onto a piece of parchment.
Sokka and Zuko approached the man and bowed. Sokka spoke first. "Greetings Master. My name is Sokka, and I wish to be instructed in the way of the sword."
Inwardly, Zuko mentally facepalmed while outwardly he struggled to maintain a composed expression. He knew should have gone over a cover story with Sokka before they came here. Then, the fool would have had a better fake name to use.
Piandao finished his character on the parchment and set his brush down next to his sheathed sword on the table. He still had not turned around. "Sokka you say? That is an unusual name."
The Water Tribe boy started to sweat immediately. "Oh, uh... really? Um, where I come from, the Fire Nation colonies, it's a pretty normal name... for Fire Nation colonials that is."
Zuko just stared wide eyed at his friend. 'That's the best you could come up with?!' he shouted inwardly while doing his best to remain straight-faced. The Fire Prince was already mentally trying to figure the best way to make a hasty retreat from an experienced sword master. He paused when the Master appeared to accept the answer with a slight head nod.
"Alright then, Sokka. Allow me the honor of guessing," pondered aloud Piandao as he inspected his drying calligraphy. "You've come hundreds of miles from your little village where you're the best swordman around. And you believe that you deserve to learn from the Master."
"Actually, I've been all over the world," corrected Sokka swiftly.
With his back still to his guests, Piandao rolled his eyes. Picking back up his brush, he whispered lowly to himself, "Yep, here we go."
"And I know only one thing for sure." Sokka knelt down on his knees and lowered his head. "I have a lot to learn."
Piandao paused at the response as a hidden smile spread across his face. "Oh really? You're not doing a very good job of selling yourself. You realize that, right?"
With his head still low, Sokka answered, "I know. Your butler told me that when I met you, I would have to prove my worth. But the truth is, I don't know if I am worthy."
Piandao placed his calligraphy brush down once more and placed his hand on his sword. "Hmm, I see. Well then," Piandao stood slowly, causing Zuko to tense up in response. "Let us find out together just how worthy you truly are."
Before Sokka could move or process the words the sword master had just spoke, the blade master closed the gap in no time at all. A flash of steel dashed across the Water Tribe boy's vision as a singular metallic clang rang out, echoing throughout the chamber as Zuko's swords locked with Piandao's blade just mere inches from Sokka's nose.
The Water Tribe boy felt the brush of Death whisper across his face from the Master's sword. The Fire Prince clearly felt a similar shiver of danger scream at him as he stressed against the weight of his opponent and stared at the calculating look in Piandao's eyes.
Piandao glanced down at the Fire Prince's dual blades. "Dao broadswords. An uncommon weapon."
"Sokka! Defend yourself! We're going to need to fight our way out of here!" shouted Zuko as he struggled against the pressure of the Master's sword. He couldn't move from his position without exposing himself to a counterattack.
Sokka gripped his boomerang in his hand before releasing the projectile and shaking his head. "No! I've come to train, and I'm not leaving until I prove that I'm ready to learn." He was still on his knees.
"You moron! I can't hold him back!" Zuko grit his teeth. "But I'm not leaving you here to die!" The Fire Prince stumbled forward unexpectedly as Piandao hopped backwards to make some space between the three of them.
"So one wishes to learn and one wishes to protect. Curious, very curious." The sword master sheathed his sword. "Perhaps you can be trained after all. And I shall be the one to train you, both of you."
Zuko and Sokka looked at each other, dumbfounded. Then, Sokka gave a huge smile in excitement. Zuko lowered his swords cautiously as he asked, "That was all a test? I felt like you were actually trying to kill us."
Piandao secured his sword to his belt. "You see, in their final moments, people show you who they truly are." Both the Water Tribe boy and the Fire Prince felt another chill run down their spines at the Master's words.
"So what are we going to do today?" asked Katara as she walked through the crowded town streets with her friend. "I don't think Zuko and Sokka will be back anytime soon." When she didn't hear a response, she turned to notice Jin staring into a shop window. Katara looked up at the sign. "Radiant Rejuvenation Spa," she read aloud.
Jin turned to her friend with a forlorn expression. "It's been a long time since I last when to a spa."
Katara looked in the front window, intrigued by what had caught her friend's attention. "I've never been to one."
The Earth Kingdom girl appeared mortified at what the waterbender had just said. "I wish I could change that, but we don't have any money. And every girl deserves to the right to pamper herself every once in a while." Jin seemed to get a wistful look in her eye. "Back in the Earth Kingdom, spas had these luxury mud baths you could soak yourself in as the stress melted away. They were messy but you always felt reinvigorated afterwards. I wonder what their specialty is here in the Fire Nation?"
The Water Tribe girl pulled out the group's travel purse. "We could find out."
Grabbing the wallet, Jin opened it to see a stash of Fire Nation currency. "I thought Zuko said we were low on funds."
"We were, but when we raided that military factory back at the river village, Zuko also broke open a safe in the commander's office that had a lot of money in it. We took some," Katara explained.
"And Zuko just gave you the group wallet?" asked Jin in surprise. She stared back down at the pile of cash in her hands. "And you're just telling me about this now?!"
"He thought we might need it while he and Sokka were training," replied Katara as she took the bag back from her friend.
Jin rubbed her hands together. "Oh that poor, sweet, innocent, naïve, little firebender. It sounds like he just unknowingly bankrolled our Girl's Spa Day." She grabbed her friend by the hand as she pulled the waterbender inside the spa.
Both Sokka and Zuko stood in a sword fighting ring, side-by-side, as they faced Piandao. Each of the boys was now wearing a similar black cheongsam to the one the Master wore.
"The first thing you must learn is that your sword is an extension of your body." Piandao drew his weapon as he slowly and methodically performed a sword form. "You must think of it as another part of yourself."
Sokka carefully considered the Master's words. "Kind of like a second head!" he shouted in his unique way of understanding. Zuko looked at his friend like the Water Tribe boy was an idiot.
Piandao paused in his movements as he looked at Sokka oddly too. "Well, it's more like an extra arm. An extra-long, really sharp arm." He resumed his demonstration. "The sword itself is a simple tool. It does not take a genius to swing and hack a piece of steel around. But in the hands of a master, it becomes the most versatile of weapons; capable of switching between offense and defense at a moment's notice. Just as imagination is limitless, so too are the possibilities of sword art."
Sokka made some similar motions to what Piandao had demonstrated without a sword in his hands. "Okay, I think I understand. Can I get a practice sword to train with?"
Piandao smiled as he placed a calligraphy brush in the hands of both of the teenagers.
The next thing either of them knew, they were kneeling in front of a small table with calligraphy stationary. The blade master began the first lesson's instruction. "The warrior must practice a wide range of arts to keep his mind sharp, fluid, and focused. The very first thing you will learn is calligraphy. Go ahead and write your name."
"Our names?" repeated Zuko as he stared at the blank parchment in front of him. He had been expecting something more challenging.
"Will writing our names make us better swordsmen?" asked Sokka looking up at Piandao.
The blade master put his hand on the Water Tribe boy's head and twisted him back towards the paper. "When you write your name, you stamp the paper with your identity, just as you use the sword to stamp your identity on the battlefield."
Sokka rolled his sleeve back as he dipped his brush in the ink pan. Sticking his tongue out in concentration, the Water Tribe boy prepared to write on the parchment. Moments before the Water Warrior's brush touched the writing surface, Piandao gave one last warning. "Remember, you cannot take back the stroke of the brush, just as you cannot take back the stroke of the sword."
Sokka paused as he hesitated to write. From his side, he heard the swift and sure strokes of the brush as Zuko cleanly and crisply marked his name onto the paper with confidence. Sokka's hand started to quiver as he began to sweat with worry. He sat back as he rubbed his chin with the hand holding the brush, stressing about how to start.
"You are getting ink on your chin," noted Piandao in amusement.
"I am?" muttered Sokka absently. Then, his eyes focused. "I am!" He looked back down at the paper. "I just need to put my identity on the paper, right?" He dipped his brush back in the ink and then brushed the ink all over his own face. Next, Sokka pressed his face into the paper and rolled his head back and forth across the page. Picking the resulting product up, the Water Tribe boy smiled as he displayed his work. There was a large inkblot that somewhat resembled a face.
Zuko merely handed his friend a towel. "You always do the unexpected."
Their next task was in the countryside. Both Zuko and Sokka were blindfolded as Zuko walked forward with his hand on Sokka's shoulder while Sokka's hand was on Piandao's shoulder.
"Landscape painting teaches a warrior to hold the lay of the land in his mind. To see what things are, where things are, why things are, and, most importantly, how to shape those things to his advantage. This will build your perception skills." Stopping his apprentices, he pulled off both of their blindfolds and whispered, "In battle, you only have an instant to take everything in."
Zuko fought through the blinding sunlight above as he studied the majestic view of the hillside before them. A mighty river flowed into a series of cascading waterfalls that dropped into a wide canyon. There was a lush forest to the left side and a meadow to the right. The Fire Prince heard his friend gasp in amazement at the view as the Water Tribe boy finished rubbing his eyes.
Both of the warriors felt the hands of their master grab their heads, turning them away from the landscape and towards a pair of easels with canvas, paints, and brushes. "Now, paint it," came the next order.
Sokka's jaw dropped in disbelief. He had barely managed to get a proper view in the time it had taken his eyes to adjust to the sunlight. However, Zuko rushed at the canvas and started to paint furiously while the image of what he had just seen was still fresh in the firebender's mind. Sokka attempted to look backwards once more, but Piandao turned the boy's head around again. "No peeking," the Master stated with a stern tone.
After ten minutes had passed, both boys presented their paintings. While Zuko's wasn't a masterpiece by any means, all the major features of the landscape were accounted for and mostly drawn to scale. Piandao nodded approvingly. "Good. Very good." Then, he looked over at Sokka's interpretation, which was childishly drawn in comparison with creative liberties abundantly taken. "I see you added a rainbow," he deadpanned.
Looking at his work and then back at his Master, Sokka asked worriedly, "Is that okay?" Piandao pinched the bridge of his nose as Zuko found himself having to hold back a laugh.
For their third exercise, the boys were back in the main courtyard of Piandao's castle-like home. "Landscaping taught you how to observe you surroundings. Rock gardening will teach you how to manipulate those surroundings and employ them to your advantage." The sword master handed each of his students a rake to get started.
Sokka studied the rake in his hand as he put his hand to his chin in thought. Not wasting any time, Zuko had already begun stacking several good sized rocks on top of one another. As he watched the firebender work, Sokka slammed his hand into his fist as he got an idea.
Running off to the side, the Water Tribe boy rolled a flat circular rock into the garden. Then, he piled on a couple more stones. Jogging to another side, Sokka picked up a sheet of soft moss and spread it out on the rocks he had stacked.
Piandao observed his students with interest as he realized Zuko had made high ground for himself. The bandaged teenager was standing at the ready atop the amassed construct.
Nodding in approval, the sword master shifted his attention over to the other boy as he pieced together that Sokka had constructed a comfortable chair. His butler, Fat, walked around the corner and gasped in shock at the state of the rock garden that the butler had spent months tending too.
Sokka waved lazily at Fat. "Hey, would you mind grabbing a cold water for me?" Fat's eye twitched in annoyance.
Piandao turned towards his butler. "I'll take a slice of lemon in mine, please." Fat groaned in resignation as he walked off to comply with his master's request.
As the day drew to a close, Zuko and Sokka faced each other on the training grounds with wooden training swords. Piandao sat off to the side under a tree. "It is time to put everything you have learned today into practice. The sword is part of you. Don't fight against it. Fight with it. Move with the flow of battle. Offense and defense. Or defense and offense. One can quickly become the other."
The Fire Prince mulled over the instruction he had been given. He couldn't recall for the life of him if Piandao had given the same lesson to him before. He really hadn't been paying the attention he should have been to the wise man all those years ago. 'Maybe if I had, then I could have been even stronger with the blade?'
Zuko shook his head as he dismissed the errant thought. That was in the past. He needed to focus on the now. And what Piandao had just said sounded suspiciously like a waterbending strategy, flowing with the battle.
The firebender weighed the single wooden sword in his hand as he gripped the handle. It was shaped differently than he was used too and he only had the one. Zuko tossed the blade back and forth between his hands a couple of times before settling on his right hand and prepared a ready stance.
Sokka drew his weapon and held it with both hands vertically to the left side of his body parallel with his head. If the Water Tribe boy had been thinking along the same lines as Zuko about Piandao's hint of flowing with the battle, then Sokka didn't show it. The Water Warrior appeared keen on getting started with the practical training instead.
Fat rang a gong and the two teenagers charged at one another, blocking and parrying the first couple of experimental swings as they got a feel for their swords. Zuko parried a strike from Sokka and using the momentum, spun around in a circle while crouching low and aiming for Sokka's leading leg.
The Water Tribe boy lifted his leg to avoid the blow and kicked out to land a glancing strike to Zuko's head with the side of his foot. Stunned for a moment, the Fire Prince barely managed to parry the follow-up sword strike from the right. Emboldened, Sokka switched to offense and pressed his relentless series of attacks. Zuko strained himself from the onslaught as he backed up and lost ground.
Knowing he had to recover, Zuko attempted a feint, but Sokka realized the change-up and blocked the real attack. Seizing the opportunity that arose, the Water Tribe boy interlocked his wooden sword tip with the hilt of Zuko's sword and flung the firebender's blade from the Fire Prince's grasp. Zuko looked shocked at the amount of progress that Sokka had made before begrudgingly accepting the unexpected loss at the hands of the Water Tribe boy.
Piandao raised an eyebrow as he took a sip of his drink with a slice of lemon on the edge of the cup.
Katara and Jin sat at an outdoor table of a cake shop with several fancy slices of various extravagant desserts adorning the tabletop. "You always need to complete a spa day with a delicious piece of cake. Or better yet, several pieces!" declared Jin joyfully as she raised a velvety piece of rich chocolate cake high into the air on her fork.
Taking a bite of her own piece of strawberry cake, Katara held her hand to her mouth as she chewed. "Oh, that is good!"
"And I'm feeling amazing after that hot rock massage. Mud baths may be cool and refreshing, but those hot stones were therapeutic and relaxing. I could literally feel my stress melting away," commented Jin blissfully.
"We definitely don't have anything like a spa all the way down at the South Pole. I wonder if our Northern Tribes have them," pondered Katara.
They continued the pleasant back and forth banter for a time as the two girls munched away gleefully upon their confections. Eventually, Jin decided to ask how her friend's relationship was progressing. "I noticed that Zuko could barely keep his eyes off you when you were wearing that Painted Lady get-up."
Katara nearly choked on the bite of pecan pie she was trying. "Jin!" she hushed her friend, despite the outdoor patio being sparsely populated in the first place. "He was just concerned about the villager's reactions. That's why he was sticking close by."
"Uh-huh," muttered the Earth Kingdom girl as she played with a piece of apple pie on her plate, clearly not buying her friend's deflection. "So you're telling me that you weren't the least bit impressed with his Blue Spirit outfit? Those blazing fire swords he was waving around when the two of you fought the soldiers together?"
The blush on Katara's face was rapidly brightening. "We were just trying to save the river village. They were in trouble and we had an important job to do. There wasn't any time for any romance."
The Earth Kingdom girl jabbed her fork into the apple pie in front of her as she leaned closer across the tabletop. "You'll never advance your relationship if you keep getting all embarrassed when other people point out how close the two of you are," advised the more street-smart friend. "Next you'll tell me that nothing happened during your joint rampage on that Fire Nation factory."
When the waterbender opted to shovel copious amounts of pie into her mouth instead of answering, Jin raised her eyebrow. "Bingo. I knew it. You two had another moment while you were causing all that mayhem." Then, more thoughtfully, the earthbender smirked as she added, "I don't know if I should be concerned about that or not."
Katara swallowed her food and took a drink from her glass of milk. She needed to try and turn the tables somehow, otherwise Jin would keep poking until she got all the details she wanted. "Well what about you?" countered Katara as she scrambled to came up with another topic, her focus latching onto the fourth member of their group. "You hung around Sokka all day at the weapon shop. Is there something there I should be worried about?"
The Earth Kingdom girl was confused for the briefest of moments, until she answered with, "Oh that?" Jin chuckled slightly as she quickly caught on to her friend's frantic attempt to regain control of the conversation. "I was just trying to help cheer him up. I meant it when I said I understood how Sokka must be feeling without the ability to bend. It's tough to watch your bending friends do all sorts of amazing things while you can't. I know all about that."
The rational part of her brain catching up to her impulsive question, Katara found herself tacking on a follow-up claim. "Wait, but you two were laughing a lot together back in that store."
Jin already had a response ready. "Are you saying two friends can't share a laugh together? Geez, Katara, if I didn't know any better, then I might think that you were trying to set me up with your Brother."
"What? No! I just thought... never mind," sputtered the waterbender as she stirred at the pie on her plate, not really sure where she had been going with that line of questioning. But at least, the Water Tribe girl had managed to end Jin's prodding into the latest gossip between her and Zuko for the time being.
As the check arrived and Katara was placing some money on the tabletop, the waterbender heard Jin mutter absentmindedly, "Though, now that you've pointed it out Katara, I guess Sokka is kind of charming, you know? In a lovable, goofball sort of way that is."
Coins clinked loudly on the patio table as several of the monetary pieces scattered off and onto the ground, Katara stumbling a step and fumbling with the wallet in her hands. The waterbender could scarcely believe what she had just heard or the fact that she had been the one to plant that idea in Jin's head.
Katara slowly glanced upward from the table only to see the most superior of grins on Jin's face as the Earth Kingdom girl laughed at the waterbender's predictable response to Jin's teasing. "Got'cha."
After their sparring match, Zuko and Sokka sat with Piandao in the middle of the training ring. "You both have had a good first day of training."
"I have?" asked Sokka unsure of how well he actually had done. "I thought I messed up every single thing we did today." He pointed to Zuko's painting that was hanging on the wall of the training ground. "You didn't even put my painting up on display!"
Piandao coughed into his hand. "Yes, well, some works of art are best viewed sparingly. But still, you messed up things in a very special way." The sword master smiled at his student. "Your way. I believe you both are ready for a real sword."
"Are you giving me one of yours?" asked Sokka excitedly.
"No," replied Piandao simply as he Water Tribe boy deflated a little. "Your sword must be an extension of yourself. So tomorrow, you will make your own sword." Sokka's excitement returned.
"But Master, I already have a sword," protested Zuko.
Piandao held up Zuko's Dao broadswords as the sword master partly unsheathed the weapon. "These are good blades. I imagine they have served you well." He shut the weapon closed with a click. "However, they have reached the end of their life." When Zuko looked like he was about to protest again, Piandao held up his other hand to stop him. "I can tell that you have cared for your weapon regularly. But there will always come a time when all the damage a blade accumulates stresses the metal beyond its the breaking point. This is the natural order of things." Piandao weighed the sword in his hand critically. "These blades... they have one, maybe two good fights left at best. It is time to retire these swords. They have served their purpose." Piandao eyed his student carefully. "For you are no longer the same person as you were when you acquired this weapon originally, are you?"
Zuko shifted under the sword master's scrutinizing eye, but said nothing. The three of them rose and walked to the smithy where an assortment of metal bricks of different types of steel, iron, and composite mixtures awaited them.
"Choosing the correct material is the most important step in crafting a sword. For what purpose are you creating your weapon? How will you use it in battle? You must trust the metal you chose with your life. If you fail to craft it correctly now, then it may fail you when you need it most. Choose carefully," announced the sword master as he stood over his apprentices.
Zuko and Sokka looked at each other and gulped. Each of them picked up a metal brick in each of their hands and tested the weight of each one. Then, they traded the bricks with one another. Piandao hid his smile. Zuko debated his choices with a grimace on his face while Sokka sniffed one bar and licked another.
The Water Tribe boy frowned as he replaced the metal bricks in his hands back onto the table. "Master, would it be possible for me to leave and bring back a material of my own to forge my sword?" asked Sokka.
A wide smile grew on Piandao's face. "I wouldn't have it any other way."
Zuko continued to weigh a couple of metal bricks in his hands. He had an idea about what Sokka might be up too, but there was something about these metal bricks on the table that he couldn't seem to figure out. The Fire Prince recalled the brief glimpse of Piandao's sword earlier that day. Whatever material the sword master's blade had been made of, none of these metal bricks appeared the same.
As he replaced the metal bricks on the table as well, Zuko's foot kicked against a small wooden box underneath the table. The nondescript shoebox seemed out of place within the smithy. Curious, the Fire Prince knelt down and picked up the ordinary looking container. He didn't notice the calculating look that Piandao was watching him with.
Opening the box, a dark colored metal brick rested within. Running his hand along the edge of the steel, Zuko felt a distinctive ripple pattern, almost like the waves on the seas. Surprisingly enough, the bar felt lighter than the other bars that had been on the table. 'Why didn't Piandao lay this metal bar out for us to choose from?' wondered Zuko. Glancing up, the firebender finally noticed the sword master staring at him.
"Dragon steel," stated Piandao, answering the question that Zuko had yet to ask. "Exceptionally rare. Exceedingly sharp. The secret of forging that material was lost when the dragons themselves were hunted to extinction. You could count the number of smiths that still know how to process the remaining Dragon steel on one hand."
"But why didn't you...?" started Zuko.
"Place it on the table?" finished Piandao. "Not just anyone can have that material. Each piece of Dragon steel contains a part of the mighty beast that helped to forge it. Dragons are proud creatures. Their swords even more so. They don't reveal themselves to those they deem unworthy. How curious that you should take notice of the last brick I have in my possession."
Zuko glanced down at the Dragon steel resting silently in his hands. No, that wasn't correct. The Fire Prince could feel the metal brick almost humming. And it wasn't cool to the touch anymore. A fire. Zuko could feel a fire sparking to life within the steel. It wanted to be forged. It desired to take shape.
Piandao shut the lid on the box in Zuko's hands as he took back the Dragon steel. "Go. Help your friend collect his own material. I have more preparations to make than I initially thought. It has been a long time since I last forged Dragon steel."
The Water Tribe boy was already waiting at the exit to the castle waving for the Fire Prince to hurry up. Zuko felt torn about just leaving the Dragon steel brick behind. A few minutes ago, he hadn't even know the material existed. And now, he felt as though he was leaving a piece of himself back in Piandao's castle. Zuko shook his head. He wanted to hurry up and help Sokka with the Water Tribe boy's task so that they could get back here as soon as possible.
An hour later, both boys were dragging an empty cart behind them as they returned to the campsite. Zuko noticed Katara and Jin already sitting around a campfire with dinner in the cooking pot. The firebender waved as they neared. "Hey there!"
Jin waved back as she looked up from the cooking pot. "What's with the cart?"
"Just a project for the morning," answered Sokka as they parked the cart underneath a nearby tree. "We're going to make out swords tomorrow and I have an excellent idea for what I'm going to use as a metal."
"Don't tell me you're going to use that meteorite from the other night?" laughed Jin. When the two boys looked at each other in surprise, Jin's laughter staggered for a moment as she was taken back for a moment. "Wait, I was right?" the Earth Kingdom asked, startled.
"Ah man, I was hoping I could surprise you two with my ingenuity," muttered Sokka, a little deflated.
"We are amazed," replied Katara, answering for both girls. "Only you would have thought to make a sword out of a meteorite."
"We could use some help loading several pieces into the cart and lugging them back to Master Piandao's Castle tomorrow morning, but first, thanks for cooking dinner. Sorry we couldn't return first to help out," stated Zuko as he sat down atop a rock surrounding the campfire. Stretching slightly to alleviate the soreness in his muscles, he harmlessly asked, "So, what did you two do today?"
Katara and Jin exchanged a look as they recalled the relaxing spa and tasty confections. It almost didn't seem fair to share the tale of their leisurely day when they realized that they had forgotten to save some of the cakes for the boys. "Oh, just some girl stuff," revealed Jin with a slight laugh.
Zuko looked at Sokka, but the Water Tribe boy just shrugged, not knowing what the girls meant. He was just as clueless as the Fire Prince. Dinner followed and then sleep.
As the morning sun rose, the sound of a rickety squeak from a wooden cart wheel echoed along the road as the four teenagers pushed the wagon of meteorite rocks up towards Piandao's Castle. Reaching the front doors, they paused for a quick breather as Sokka jogged over and grabbed both bronze door-knockers and started to wail on them against the door loudly. Piandao opened the gate himself.
The sword master raised an eyebrow at the newcomers. "And who are they?"
Katara and Jin gave a little wave in greeting as Zuko bowed at the sword master. "Oh, these are our friends. Just some other good Fire Nation folk," replied Sokka swiftly with a nervous laugh. Switching the subject quickly, he gestured to their materials in the cart. "Do you think we can make a sword out of a meteorite?"
The old blade master examined one of the rock fragments carefully with a scrutinizing eye. "Hmm... unorthodox, revolutionary, unprecedented." Piandao grinned. "We will make a sword unlike any other in the world."
The leathery bag of the bellows expanded as Fat pumped life into the fiery forge. Sokka used a large hammer and chisel to knock off pieces of the meteorite as Piandao had Zuko use his firebending to heat the raw Dragon steel brick that was to be his weapon. The Water Tribe boy quickly filled a bucket of usable space rock fragments as the Fire Prince infused the Dragon steel with his own flames.
Next, Sokka placed the buckets within the fires of the forge, working the bellows as he shoveled coal to increase and maintain the heat of the fire. Zuko did the same on the opposite side of the forge. It was challenging and grueling work, but they motivated each other whenever the other grew tired. Eventually, both raw materials melted into workable steel.
Carefully pulling the buckets from the fires with thick, heavy fireproof gloves, each warrior poured the molten metal into the molds of their weapons. Sokka's was a single, straight edged blade, while Zuko had two smaller, slightly curved sword molds.
Each boy immediately set to work pounding away at the red hot metal shapes of their swords with a blacksmithing hammer. Zuko worked one sword at a time. They hammered and quenched their blades repeatedly as they tempered the steel by hand. Piandao examined their works at the end for any imperfections before he placed the hot steel in the water bucket for the final quench as steam rose throughout the room.
By the late afternoon, the two boys knelt in the center of the main audience chamber, facing Piandao as Fat stood behind the Master with both completed weapons resting on a pillow in his hands. The shimmering sheen of pitch black obsidian, space steel in stark contrast to the bright silvery radiance of polished Dragon steel.
"Sokka, when you first arrived, you were unsure. You even seemed down on yourself," began Master Piandao formally. "But I saw something in you right away. I saw a heart as strong as a lion turtle and twice as big. As we trained, it wasn't your skills that impressed me." Fat knelt down next to the Master and handed him Sokka's blade. Piandao chuckled lowly. "Oh, no, it most certainly wasn't your skills."
Katara and Jin suppressed a laugh from the side of the room where they watched the ceremony unfold. Sokka shifted uneasily.
Piandao continued, "Instead, you showed me something far greater." He picked up the unsheathed space blade and struck out side to side with the weapon as he demonstrated some practice swings. "Creativity, versatility, ingenuity; these are the traits that define a great swordsman. These traits define you."
The blade master returned the space sword to Fat and picked up Zuko's freshly crafted Dragon steel Dao broadswords. "Your friend was a mystery at first. If you came here for training, then what did he come here for? His experience with the blade was not that of a novice. And yet, Sokka, you were able to hold your own in combat with him. Impressive growth for both of you."
Piandao gave some practice swings with the twin silver blades. "I saw that your friend wished to protect others and wielded his blade as a shield. An interesting role for Dao broadswords, which are much more suited for unrelenting offense. Intuition, swiftness, and perceptiveness; these are the traits that define your friend. And they will serve him well."
He set both Sokka's and Zuko's weapons in front of them. "You were not sure if you were worthy. I believe you two are more worthy than anyone else I have trained in a long time."
Neither boy reached for their weapon as they both looked down in shame. Sokka spoke first. "I'm sorry Master, but you're wrong. I am not worthy. I am not who I presented myself as. I am not from the Fire Nation. I am from the Southern Water Tribe. I lied so that I could learn swordsmanship from you. I'm sorry."
Zuko spoke next. "I never gave you my name and I attempted to hide who I was. I am Prince Zuko of the Fire Nation. I did not uphold the teachings you attempted instill within me as a child. And I shamed myself. I lied so that my friend would not be judged for my past failures. I, too, am sorry."
Both Katara and Jin gasped at their friends' unexpected honest confessions. Piandao turned his back on his students. "I am sorry too," the sword master muttered, with a slight, hidden smile on his face.
Without warning, Piandao spun with a sudden draw of his own Dragon steel blade as his weapon lashed out at the necks of his former apprentices. Both Sokka and Zuko scrambled to roll out the way as they grabbed the swords in front of them.
Katara pulled water from her waterskin as Jin ripped a stony piece of a rocky column from the wall and both girls fell into bending stances. Sokka raised a hand to stop them from helping. "No, this is our fight." Unsure, both the waterbender and earthbender momentarily stepped down, but did not fully release their elements.
Fat appeared next to the side of his master with his own blade drawn. The older men charged. Piandao was on top of Sokka in an instant, stabbing out with four quick jabs as Sokka deftly deflected each off to the side and attempted to counter. A modest turn of the head was all Piandao needed to avoid Sokka's counter as the sword master stabbed out again. Sokka rolled to the side to dodge.
Piandao did not give the boy time to think as he slashed at the legs of the Water Tribe boy, who managed to jump over the blade. Placing his feet on the wall behind him, Sokka used it as a springboard to launch himself at his opponent, but Piandao parried the reinforced thrust and knocked Sokka's sailing body off to the side with a push of his shoulder.
Sokka ended up in the courtyard outside. He used a small post from the nearby wooden bridge to pick himself back up. Then, he scrambled up the same post. He ran from wooden post to wooden post as Piandao cleaved through each one cleanly, sequentially. Running out of posts, Sokka dove over his former Master, crossing swords with him again overhead. Landing in a roll, the Water Warrior jumped up to avoid another blade swipe, then dipped low to dodge a follow-up strike to his chest. Sokka parried the third blow as he jumped back again.
"Excellent!" cheered Piandao with pride at his student. "You are using your superior agility against an older opponent. Clever."
The blade master charged forward yet again, striking with a feint from the left. Sokka fell for it and only barely managed to bring his sword around to halfway parry the actual attack, gritting his teeth in pain as Piandao's blade sliced into his shoulder. The Water Tribe boy backpedaled only to impact a stony wall with his back. Another thrust from the sword master was just barely blocked by Sokka as Piandao's blade sank into the wall a few inches above Sokka's other shoulder. Sokka ducked as the blade swept where his head had previously been. Rolling, he quickly climbed the steps and readied himself while looking down on Piandao.
"Good, good. Use the terrain to your advantage. Always seek the high ground when you can," affirmed the blade master.
Sokka swung his blade low towards Piandao's head, but it was easily parried. Sokka jumped over the returning counter as he pinned his Master's sword to the elevated wall with his foot. Piandao strained his muscles to wrench his blade free, but Sokka would not let go. Shifting his stance to gain leverage, Piandao threw the boy off and the lad landed against a bamboo thicket.
The Water Tribe boy fled into the thicket as Piandao pursued. Several stalks of bamboo were cleaved without mercy as Sokka began to get a worried expression on his face. The Water Tribe boy had long since lost sight of the Fire Prince. He could only hope that Zuko was holding up against that sword wielding butler.
Reaching a particularly long bamboo stalk, Sokka pulled down on it and released to sling the plant upward at his former Master's chin, but it was cut in half vertically without issue.
"Yes, yes. Use your surrounding. Make them fight for you!" exclaimed the sword master. Sokka wasn't sure at this point if Piandao was enjoying the fight or just toying with him.
Sokka ended back up in the training ring. Zuko was still engaged in an intense fight with Fat, neither of them giving an inch. The firebender was currently not in a position to assist anyone else.
The sound of bamboo snapping was the only warning Sokka received as Piandao erupted from the thicket with a forceful thrust of his sword. Sokka leaned back automatically to avoid the jab. As he stood back up, the Water Tribe boy threw himself to the right to dodge the follow-up swing of the blade. Slamming his sword into the ground to catch himself, Sokka gripped the hilt with both hands and pulled his sword out while using the momentum to fling dirt and sand into Piandao's eyes.
The blade master appeared surprised by the unexpected tactic for a moment. Then, the man settled into a ready stance with his blade behind his back to counter any sneak attacks. "Very resourceful," he whispered in admiration.
Sokka prepared to attack again from the side, but as he stepped, his foot scraped across loose gravel and Piandao turned to him instantly. Catching Sokka's sword with his own, Piandao twirled the blades a couple of times as he spun Sokka's blade out of the boy's hands. He kicked Sokka backwards with a front kick.
The Water Tribe boy looked up fearfully without a weapon to defend himself as he lay on his back. As Piandao charged, Zuko seemed to materialize within the sword master's path, the firebender's appearance ragged from several slashes across his person, but still ready to fight. The Fire Prince locked blades with Piandao for the briefest of moments to halt the charge, but Piandao almost appeared to be expecting the interference. Breaking the stalemate, Piandao kicked Zuko away as well with a solidly planted side kick.
As Zuko flew off to the side, he shouted at his friend. "Sokka! Catch!" One of his Dao broadswords arced in the air as the Fire Prince flung the weapon at the Water Tribe boy.
Sokka caught the blade in a run and charged the sword master yet again, not willing to give up the fight. The Water Tribe boy swung the blade high, but the Dragon steel weapon almost seemed to resist his efforts, dropping the arc of his swing lower instead as Sokka strained against the unexpected resistance. Piandao blocked the conflicted sword strike simply, and kicked Sokka away once more.
Both boys were breathing hard as they stood back up once more, holding a single Dragon steel Dao broadsword in front of them to stand against their opponent. Piandao sheathed his own Dragon steel sword as he wiped his eyes with a cloth that Fat handed him as the haggard and disheveled butler appeared at the Master's side. "Excellent work, Sokka, Zuko. You each pass the final test." The two boys looked at each other, bewildered. "You can tell your friends to stand down now." Katara and Jin were in their bending stances again with their respective elements hovering next to them. "I think my house has taken enough of a beating."
"This was a test?!" asked Sokka incredulously. "Some of those strikes were aimed at my neck!"
"Do you recall what I told you earlier?" asked Piandao.
"In their final moments, people show you who they truly are," recited Zuko. "You knew who we were from the start. But you trained us anyway. Why?"
Piandao smiled. "Because you were willing to learn." His smile grew bigger. "Of course, it wasn't that hard to know who you were. Very few have a scar across their face like yours Prince Zuko and ever fewer as young as you. And Sokka, you were clearly Water Tribe. Next time, use a better Fire Nation cover name." He paused and thought about it for a moment. "Try Lee. There are a million Lees."
"No!" protested Katara abruptly as everyone looked at her loud outburst. She blushed as she covered her mouth with her hand. Zuko had a similar embarrassed expression on his face as Jin started to laugh freely. Sokka looked at his Sister oddly, confused at what just happened.
Piandao blinked. "Okay, then maybe Ping. There's a lot of Pings out there too."
Katara attempted to save face as she tried to keep the conversation moving. "But why would you agree to train someone from the Water Tribe?"
Piandao looked at all of them fondly. "They way of the sword does not belong to any one nation or country. Knowledge of the arts belongs to all, regardless of their place of birth." He picked up Sokka's blade from the ground and handed it back to the boy. "Sokka, you must continue your training on your own. If you stay on this path, I know that one day, you will become an even greater master than I am." Sokka swelled with pride.
Piandao turned to Zuko. "I know not how you have arrived on this path you are on, nor how you have obtained this diversity of friends at your side. But you appear stronger and wiser than ever before. I sense a new purpose drives you. One that will benefit the entire Fire Nation."
Zuko bowed regally. "You sound like my Uncle. I appreciate all that you have done for us Master Piandao."
As the four teenagers left the castle, Fat stopped them at the front gate. "Hold a moment. The Master wishes for you to have this Sokka. Something to remember both him and your training by." The butler handed the Water Tribe boy a small leather bag and then shut the door.
Curious, Sokka opened the bag and poured the contents out onto his hand. A single wooden tile fell out. "It's a... Pai Sho tile?"
Zuko examined the tile in his friend's hand. "Not just any tile. That's a White Lotus tile."
"Is that significant somehow?" the Water Tribe boy asked as he shifted between looking at the front and back of the tile alternately.
"I don't know. But that tile was the favorite of my Uncle and he played Pai Sho all the time. We even spent an entire afternoon searching a marketplace for a new one when he had thought he lost it," explained Zuko.
"Camila's favorite tile was the White Lotus too," added Katara.
"Yeah, when Grandma taught us the game, she kept bringing up formations centered on that tile," recalled Jin.
Looking back at the castle, Zuko, Katara, Jin, and Sokka finally noticed the large, elaborately carved White Lotus emblem carved on the front doors. They have completely overlooked and disregarded the symbol earlier. Sokka frowned as he raised the tile up, studying both it and the doors to Piandao's castle. "Does this mean I'm in some old peoples' club now or something?"
Katara and Jin pulled out their own respective White Lotus tiles from their bags of Pai Sho pieces they each had received from Camila. "If you are, then maybe we are too," noted Katara.
Everyone looked at Zuko, who pulled out a similar tile from an inner tunic pocket. "This was the extra White Lotus tile Uncle bought on that day in the market. He told me to never lose it."
"Weird," commented Sokka, not knowing what else to say. Whatever mystery they had just walked into, it didn't look like they were going to solve it right now. Scratching his head, Sokka tucked his Pai Sho tile away. "Well whatever, never mind that right now." He dug around in his pockets and pulled out a bracelet. With an prideful expression, the Water Tribe boy extended the gift towards the Earth Kingdom girl. "Here Jin, I got you that present you asked for, back when we were all getting our Fire Nation disguises."
Jin looked extremely surprised at the unexpected gift in Sokka's. She had just been messing with the Water Tribe boy that day that they were buying their disguises back in the Fire Nation colonies. She had never expected him to remember or even to actually get her something. She accepted the offered gift with thanks. "What is it?"
"It's a piece of the meteorite. When Zuko was working on his second sword, I had time to fashion that out of some of the extra meteorite fragments I had," explained Sokka. "I thought it would be a neat gift for an earthbender to be able to bend space earth."
Jin was quiet as she held the bracelet in her hands and felt the smooth sheen of the obsidian metal.
Katara spoke up as a thought occurred to her. "Wait, I don't think there's such a thing as space earth. If it's from space, then it can't really be Earth."
Sokka rolled his eyes. "Must you ruin everything?"
Jin laughed as she slipped the bracelet onto her wrist and adjusted the size with a simple wave of earthbending. Then, to everyone's surprise, she gave Sokka a quick two second hug before breaking away with an appreciative, "I love it. Thank you."
"Hakoda! We've got four Fire Nation ships closing in on our position quickly!" stated Bato urgently as he rushed onto the bridge. "They're in standard formation. Two battleships and two frigates."
"I was hoping to avoid any more patrols," returned Hakoda tensely. He picked up his spyglass and scanned the horizon. Noticing one of the battleships approaching while the other three ships hung back, Hakoda narrowed his eyes. "Something strange is going on here. We're far from the normal shipping lanes and patrol routes. There shouldn't be this large of a Fire Nation presence here. These ships are here for a reason, and I don't like it."
Hakoda placed the spyglass down on the counter. "Bato, prepare the men for combat. But do not engage without my express order or unless they fire on us first." He walked to the bridge exit. "We'll see if we can talk our way out of this first."
A short time later, the lead battleship was docked against Hakoda's ship as the Water Chieftain stood on his deck with a small escort of Water Tribesmen, all dressed in their Fire Nation armor disguises. Hakoda watched as an old man with scruffy white hair and a dark red robe walked along the flimsy plank connecting the two ships. This old Fire Nation man was flanked by two Fire Nation sailors dressed in regular armors, a Captain and a Lieutenant, going by their ranks.
The guests stopped in front of Hakoda as the old man bowed in greeting. "Do I have the honor of speaking to Chieftain Hakoda of the Southern Water Tribes?" asked the old man.
Instantly, there was the sound of steel being drawn as the Water Tribesmen behind Hakoda leveled sword, spear, and club upon the intruders. The two Fire Nation sailors flanking their leader immediately fell into bending stances as they prepared to defend themselves. However, the old Fire Nation man didn't appear fazed in the slightest by the hostile response. In fact, he almost seemed to expect it.
Hakoda held up his arm to halt his men from taking action as they lowered their weapons. "You appear to have me at a disadvantage, friend. You know me, but I do not know you."
The old man lowered his hood. "Admiral Jeong Jeong, recently reinstated by his Highness, Prince Zuko. Behind me are Captain Jee and Lieutenant Zuri. These two are the new leadership of the unit that used to be known as the Southern Raiders."
Again, the sounds of weapons being raised resumed. Hakoda narrowed his eyes, but did not have his men lower their weapons this time. "Pardon us if we don't take too kindly to any Southern Raiders. We don't exactly have the best history with your kind."
Jeong Jeong didn't seem disturbed in the least. "Trust will take time to build. While it is true that some of the men and women on the ships behind me participated in raids in the South Pole in the past, Captain Jee is newly assigned. He played no part in the purge of the South. The same applies to Lieutenant Zuri. Although, yes, it is true she has participated in the ordered raids along the Earth Kingdom coastline. Still, she now seeks redemption and has expressed regret over her past transgressions."
"That's all well and good, but why are you here? Why now? You didn't find us by chance," demanded Hakoda.
"I was sent here by Prince Zuko and by your daughter, Lady Katara. I am here to reinforce your assault on the Fire Nation Capital and to provide you with new developments going on in the Fire Nation that you may be unaware of," explained Jeong Jeong.
Hakoda continued to glare at the Fire Admiral. "And what proof do you have of these claims?"
Jeong Jeong raised his hand as several of the Water Tribesmen gripped their weapons tighter. "Only this," stated Jeong Jeong opening his palm as the ribbon of a Water Tribe necklace unraveled and caught in the air, the light blue stone with Water Tribe etchings hanging freely for all to see.
Hakoda recognize the necklace in an instant as he snatched the jewelry from Jeong Jeong, who released it without protest. "Why do you have this? What have you done with Katara?!"
Before Jeong Jeong could explain further, Aang flew out from below decks on an air scooter as Toph looked miffed for failing to restrain the airbender. "Jeong Jeong? It is Jeong Jeong! What are you doing here?!"
Jeong Jeong eyed the young boy with a critical stare as he spoke with unhidden annoyance. "Young Avatar. Still as rambunctious and undisciplined as ever, I see."
Aang rubbed the back of his head nervously. "I've gotten better!" he protested.
"No, he hasn't," denied Toph as she joined the assembled group.
"Enough! What did you do to Katara and Sokka?!" demanded Hakoda a second time, his own whalebone spear drawn.
"Katara? Sokka?" asked Aang as he looked at Jeong Jeong. "What's going on?"
Jeong Jeong ignored the Avatar as he instead turned his sole focus towards Hakoda. It was taking all his willpower not to adopt a firebending stance despite his years of experience screaming at him to defend himself. The Water Chieftain in front of Jeong Jeong right now was dangerous. Like a wolf that bared its fangs. The unassuming and measured restrain that Hakoda had started their conversation with was long since gone. Jeong Jeong had no doubts that to fight the Water Chieftain now would be a hard-fought challenge, one that even as a master firebender, the old Admiral was not entirely certain he would emerge as the victor of.
Attempting to diffuse the tense situation, Jeong Jeong elaborated slowly, "I have done nothing to Lady Katara. She, along with Prince Zuko, your son Sokka, and Lady Jin are currently on their way to the Magma Slags in the Fire Nation to rescue General Iroh from his prison. They plan to meet you all at the rendezvous point in the Fire Nation, just prior to the assault on the capital, on the Day of Black Sun."
"You seem to know an awful lot about our plans, firebender," stated Hakoda lowly. "Have you harmed my children?"
"You know your children better than I," answered Jeong Jeong. "Would they have revealed so much to me if I had harmed them? Would Lady Katara have given me her necklace to present to you, if she did not have some measure of trust in me?"
Hakoda's glare intensified for a minute as Captain Jee and Lieutenant Zuri shifted uncomfortably under the sharp scrutiny. The Water Chieftain eventually lowered his spear as his men looked at each other uncertainly before lowering their own weapons. "No, they wouldn't have."
"All the men and women under my command are deserters of the Fire Nation," explained Jeong Jeong. "We do not agree with the Fire Nation as it is now. But we will fight for change. We will fight for Prince Zuko's cause. Our interests align. If nothing else, allow that to begin conversation amongst our two peoples."
"So, it's true then? Katara and Sokka aren't returning to us yet?" asked Aang in disbelief.
"They will, but they have another mission right now, young Avatar," replied Jeong Jeong.
"Chin up Twinkle Toes," added Toph as she punched him lightly in the shoulder. "Now you have a chance to finish up learning your earthbending and improving your waterbending without any distractions." She cracked her fingers together. "And I have time to plot some revenge on these chumps for leaving me out of the fun of a prison break." Then, to ease Hakoda's apprehension further, Toph glanced over at the Water Chieftain. "Oh and by the way, I haven't sensed any lies from this old guy. He's been telling the truth this whole time."
Aang listened with rapidly fading interest as he watched Jeong Jeong and Hakoda proceed to the briefing room of the ship with their personnel staff to discuss matters further. His mind was a million miles away. 'They left me to travel with Zuko. Both Katara and Sokka. To travel with Zuko. To help Zuko. They're my friends, not his.' He had once been trapped in an iceberg for a hundred years, now Aang had been in a coma for two weeks, and that was all it took for his world to turn upside down again.
Warden Poon returned to visit his most important prisoner. At least that was as far as the Fire Lord was concerned. In Poon's eyes, General Iroh was a washed up, old has-been.
The warden dropped the tray of food in front of Iroh's cell as he entered. "I can't believe I ever used to look up to you. Our top general, the one everyone wished to serve under. After your failure at Ba Sing Se, it has just been one continuous defeat after the next for you, hasn't it? You were clearly not up to the task." The warden left with a dismissive expression. He was going to get one of his guards to handle the meals in the future. He had better things to do than watch a miserable old man everyday. If Fire Lord Ozai and Princess Azula wanted someone to watch this old fool, then they could send someone else. The Warden of the Magma Slags was a very busy person.
Iroh listened to the fading footsteps down the hall as he reached through the bars and grabbed a nearby green apple. Brushing the dirt off the fruit on his shirt, he placed the apple in his mouth and opened his prison tunic. Thick, folded sheets of bedding fell to the floor as the General flexed the muscles of an incredibility toned physique. Taking a bite of the apple, he held it in one hand as he jumped up to grab the top metal bars of his cell. Iroh started to perform one handed pull-ups as he continued to eat the apple. 'Soon,' the Dragon of the West thought.
