"Interesting..." Ozai remarked, giving no indication whatsoever of what he thought about what he'd heard. "And what would you say about the Avatar himself?"
"The Avatar..." I paused, choosing my words carefully. "More than anything, he reminds me of a platypus bear with its tail on fire running loose in a warehouse full of blasting jelly. He looks ridiculous, but at any moment he could trigger a catastrophe.
"On one hand, he's a child. Untrained, naive, prone to acting on emotion rather than reason or common sense. But he's also the Avatar, and he possesses enough power to wipe out an elite unit—or, in the Avatar State, sweep aside an army or sink a fleet. And hovering around him is that girl from the Southern Water Tribe, guiding all that power wherever she wants."
"Yes, I've heard of her. The last waterbender of the Southern Water Tribe. Tell me, Herald, how would you solve that problem?" A test? But why?
Still, all right.
"The simplest solution, in my view, would be to invite the remnants of the Southern Tribe to become our guests. Though I'm not entirely certain it would be effective."
"Explain," the monarch ordered.
"I see several factors at play. First, we don't actually know where to look for their settlement. The tribe is small, and the South Pole is a vast territory.
"Second, as far as I can tell, regardless of what those people claim, they care remarkably little for their own people and even their own families. Every warrior of the Southern Tribe left to avenge themselves on the Fire Nation without sparing a thought for leaving anyone behind to protect their homes or their children. The Avatar's companions are equally telling in that regard. By leaving with him, they deprived their own tribe of even the symbolic support they could have offered, choosing adventure and the vague prospect of revenge over providing real help to those closest to them.
"Finally, the airbender himself was raised in the culture of the Air Nomads, and their view of family is rather peculiar. From what I've been able to determine, their men and women lived in separate temples, meeting only to produce the next generation, which was then distributed among the temples according to sex—and always to a different temple from the one their parents lived in.
"In other words, the Avatar, as a monk, is equally likely to surrender if we capture innocents as he is to shrug indifferently, because death is part of the natural balance, and therefore everything is as it should be."
"An interesting theory," Sozin's descendant said, thoughtfully closing his eyes, "and not a particularly burdensome one. The base on Whaletail Island is only a few days' sail from the coast of the South Pole... I will give it some thought, Herald. As well as the other matters we've discussed. The official ceremony will take place tomorrow. For now, I suggest you get some rest."
"Thank you, my lord." I bowed and rose to my feet.
The audience was clearly over, and I had nothing more to do here. Besides, some rest really wouldn't hurt. That conversation hadn't actually been very long, yet it had left me mentally exhausted. My head already ached from the frantic calculations, the attempts to uncover the second and third layers hidden beneath every word, and the constant effort to predict my counterpart's reactions.
No. Enough.
I'd retreat to my guest chambers, summon some servants for tea, and simply lie there, sipping a pleasant drink and thinking about absolutely nothing...
***
Small Reception Hall. Immediately after Chan's departure.
"How curious..." The Fire Lord turned toward an entirely unremarkable section of wall. "And what do you think of him?"
"He reminds me somewhat of Iroh. The same composure. The same humanitarian streak. Spending so many resources on northerners ? It's pointless and foolish," the ruler's young companion said with evident disdain.
"True, that's how it appears at first glance. But..." Ozai replied. "You're mistaken about one thing. If necessary, he would personally slaughter every one of those children he brought back. Efficiency is all that matters to him. Had my brother been the same way, we would already have taken Ba Sing Se..." The man reheated his cooling tea with a thin strand of flame and took a sip. "And it would not be me sitting upon the Fire Throne."
"Is he dangerous?" came the mildly interested response.
"Without question. And powerful." Amusement crept into the ruler's voice. "A Dragon Slayer with blue fire and a flawless service record. Almost flawless."
"A dragon slayer? That could be nothing more than rumor..."
"Perhaps. But the reports regarding the color of his fire come from reliable sources, as do the accounts of his confrontation with the Ocean Spirit. Who would have thought the tales of those northern barbarians weren't entirely tales after all? And you still haven't answered my question."
"I don't have an answer yet," came the irritated reply.
"Well then, I'll give you time to find one. I have several assignments for you in the Earth Kingdom..." Ozai narrowed his eyes.
Not yet.
That sounded far better than everything that had come before.
Yes.
Much better.
***
Herald Chan. The Following Morning.
If I'd once thought reports were evil, I now understood the full depth of my mistake.
Reports?
Ha!
Compared to an official celebration marking the fleet's victorious return and the presentation of awards, reports were nothing.
This was Horror.
Yes, Horror—with a capital H.
I had always considered myself a reasonably intelligent man, and the original Chan's memories contained all the necessary knowledge of etiquette and ceremony. Unfortunately, the master of ceremonies responsible for organizing the "hero's appearance before the people" held a very different opinion on the matter.
And he was enthusiastically devouring my brain.
"No, no, Master Chan! Given your status, your bow before Lord Ozai must be executed at precisely fifty-three degrees, not sixty-four! Twenty-two degrees will suffice for court dignitaries. After that, you will proceed through the honor guard, emerge onto the balcony, and present yourself before the celebrating citizens and the religious hierarchs..."
(End of Chapter)
🙌Bonus chapter for 200 power stones!
🔥The next bonus chapter will be for 400 power stones.