Chapter 15
Title: Tales Of Travelling (3)
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Third Person POV.
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Timeline: 98 AG (Eleventh Of March)
By the time the crew had been done with crescent island, it had already become sunset, so they decided to stay the night as well before setting sail the dawn of the other day
On the Eleventh day since their departure from the capital, at dawn when the crew was readying the ship for sail, they received a letter from the capital
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On the ship's open deck, where the royal bloods and friends are onboard, waiting for the ship to set sail, and planning for their next destination
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"So, any suggestions guys? " Asks Azula while looking at the map on the table, with everyone crowding around it
Seeing no one speaking up, all undecided, because of course they would be considering that they're on the last island that's Fire nation main capital Territory. After this, there are colonies and seiged villages around the northern and southern sides of the world
After some deliberation, and seeing no one else speaking up, Ty Lee speaks up after looking at the map for some time. "How about this place? " She points at a little dot on the map dubbed as Jang Hui
It is situated on a wide area of the Jang Hui River, thus gaining it's name that way. The waterway is bounded on both sides by small, gently inclined cliffs consisting of gray rock. At the foot of a cliff is a small dock made from wooden planks and bamboo stalks bound together with rope. Wooden skiffs are often moored here, and these watercraft provide access to the village. The settlement itself is built atop numerous wooden platforms, all of which are connected to other platforms by bridges. Walkways are constructed from wooden boards of varying length, though some bridges have planks of uniform size that span the width of the passage. Beneath the platforms are wooden support beams that extend down to the riverbed
Seeing no one objecting, Azula claps her hands, "alright! It's decided then. We head to Jang Hui village before heading towards Pohuai Stronghold. I think we've delayed it for long enough" She says, getting sighs from those around her. "Honestly, sometimes you get carried away with unearthing every rock you come across 'Zula" Says Kuzon, now that there is no one around to judge, he can just be the friend/older brother figure that he is to Azula
Azula, hearing this pouts a little "no I'm not! " She crosses her arms infront of her "i don't 'unearth' every rock i come across! " She says, earning herself doubtful looks from the others
Mai speaks up, "what about that time you pushed that boulder near the shores of Ember Island beach away, claiming that there were 'stuff' under it that could be interesting" She emphesizes on the word 'stuff' with two fingers on each hand stretch and compressing, earsing laughs from around the gathered crowd
"But there really was stuff down there! " Azula protests, "didn't you see all those cute turtle duck eggs that were about to hatch? " She questions, making Ty Lee nod, "yeah and they were hibernating obviously! What if you disturbing the process had a negative affect? " She questions, earning a sigh from Azula
"I think we should all agree that sometimes, Azula can be a little too interested in trivial stuff" Lu Ten adds, earning laughs from those around him once again
"Sigh let's just go" Azula says in a defeated tone
After a few minutes the ship starts setting sail, their next destination being Jang Hui village. Before they could start moving though, a messenger hawk came from the horizon, landing on the ship's deck with a letter attached to its foot
A soldier approaches and takes the letter, seeing its send from the Royal Palace based on the insignia, and being adressed to prince Lu Ten, and soldier immediately takes it to the prince's quarters
The soldier knocks respectfully, getting confirmation to enter before doing so and bowing to the sitting prince. "Your highness, this letter just came in from the royal palace for you, sir" He informs
"Alright, thank you" Lu Ten takes the letter and dissmisses the soldier, before opening it up and seeing the content within. His eyes slowly begin widening the more he reads, before he gets up and bolds towards Azula's room
Once there, he knocks and quickly goes in once he hears confirmation to enter. "Azula! Letter just came in from the palace! " He excitedly says, very much not like a grown 23 years old man but a little child, earning an entrigued look from Azula
"What is it? " She asks, getting up and coming closer. "It says here that Father just contacted the palace. He said that he's at western air temple and is starting to ready to come home!" He says with a big smile, visibly very excited
"That's wonderful news! " Azula says, excited as well but less so than Lu Ten, her mind already seeing the result of this news. "I guess you'll be going back then" She says, and only then does Lu Ten realizes that this is it. This is where he'll seperate from the crew
"Yeah, i guess I'll be going back" Lu Ten says, visibly his enthusiasm getting dimmed. "I guess this is goodbye then" He says, getting a nod from Azula, "i guess it is" She says, but then her eyes widen as she gets an idea. "Wait! What if we go to uncle? " She says, earning a suprised look from Lu Ten "what? "
"I mean, we go to Western Air Temple to get uncle, then you can return with him back and we'll continue our journey from there" She says, earning a confused look from Lu Ten
"But then, wouldn't your journey and goal be delayed? I mean, were talking about the western air temple here. It's atleast a week away from here. One and a half week if we make stops to resupply and stuff" He says
To this, Azula just smiles at him, "dear cousin, it was never about the end goal. If one rushes for their end goal then they will never appreciate the journey they took" She says, "I'm not doing this entirely for the glory it will bring me, i also wanna do it because i want to savor every minute i spend on this road with my friends and family" She explains, earning herself a shocked look from Lu Ten
"You know, sometimes i think that between me, you and Zuko, it should have been you who was the oldest" He jokes, earning a tiny laugh from Azula, "yeah i get that a lot" She says
"So, it's decided? " She asks, getting a nod from Lu Ten. "Yeah, let's do that. I'll send a message for father to wait for us to come get him. He's been away for months, i think that he can wait one or two more weeks" He says, before going out to make a letter to be sent
Later that day, Azula and friends once again gather at the deck of the ship to be known about the change of plans
"So, that's it" Azula finishes, having explained the letter and stuff, before she adds, "though we are still going to Jang Hui" She says, earning nods from those around
"Wow. Guess our first time stepping out of the capital wasn't on earth kindgom soil but Air temples. Who could have predicted that" Ty Lee says, earning nods from those around
"You can't predict your path 100% of the time. Sometimes, twists and turns are inevitable" Mai says, earning nods from those around
And just like that, the road to the end goal is extended, making the gang head completely the opposite way from their main destination
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By noon they get to Jang Hui village and the first thing the crew notices is, "what's with the water here? It's looks so disgusting" Mai's eye brows scrunch in disgust. "Yeah, and it kinda smells too" Says Ty Lee, having a napkin on her mouth and nose
Azula's eyes are laser focused on the fortress they see near a rock formation a little further than the village on their path. "It's because of that" She points, earning the gangs attention who looks at the far distance, seeing the factory that's producing smoke without stop, and is also expelling mud like substance that's going into the river, having polluted this river area completely now
The ship gets near the village that's in the middle of the river bank, with those onboard coming down and start looking around, exploring the areas
Azulais with Lu Ten and Kuzon, Ty Lee having Dragged Mai away after seeing something in the distance
After walking for a minute, Azula speaks up, "Lu" She says, earning a nod, "yeah i know" Lu Ten says, having noticed the same thing
It is too quiet, this village. Everywhere they walk, they see malnourished or severely sick people walking around. And everytime the people look up and see them, looks of contempt or fear colors their faces before they scurry away
They make their way to a stall they see at the middle. There they spot Mai and Ty Lee, conversing with the stall owner
Azula gets close, before speaking up. "What's the situation? " She asks Mai and Ty Lee. "Looks like, it's the factory's fault" Mai Answers, eith Ty Lee resuming, "apparently, 8 years ago, that factory got deployed which manufactures metal for the military. Ever since, the river waters has suffered from the constant waste the factory expells" Ty Lee said, her spirit kinda dimmed too, sympathizing with the locals
Azula looks to Lu Ten, "Lu? " She asks, her facial more than explaining her current state of mind than her words
Lu Ten has a thinking look, his hand under his chin, before his eyes sparkle, "they don't need to specifically be here. They can just relocate somewhere else" He says, "sure, the relocating could need funds but that's no issue, considering their knowingly polluting this village" He says
"I'll go talk with the boss of the factory" Azula says, making those who know her shiver a little. "Just... " Lu Ten sighs, "just make sure you don't do permanent damage cousin" He says
"I'll come with you" Says Kuzon, getting a nod. "Me too me too! I wanna see this! " Ty Lee excitedly says, "this should be fun" Mai smirks
"Alright then, Girls and Kuzon. Lets go! " She says, before they head back to the ship in order to extract it's tinier boat and begin heading towards the factory
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Later that day, near evening where the sun begins to set, at Hari Bulkan, within the royal palace, inside the fire lords chambers, a letter comes pertaining an attack on one of their metal manufacturing factories around the outer islands of their capital
At first Ozai is furious and wants to find out the one desponsible, was it Water tribe soldiers? Have they or maybe Earth Kingdom troops somehow infiltrated the nation and started sabotaging their supply makers? Ozai didn't have to guess further, as in the next set of paragraphs the culprits got identified
It was Azula and her band of friends. Apparently they came unannounced, didn't make their identity known and demanding the factory be moved to another not populated area. The boss of the factory, not knowing who they were, started using force to kick them out, thinking they are from the nearby village or something
Azula didn't take kinda to this and so, she personally destroyed the factory all on her own!
The description on the letter says that the factory literally combusted from the inside! But miraculously no one was hurt. They only had minor burns that could be treated back to full health in a few days
Finished with the report, Ozai turns the letter to ash in his fury. The flame pillar before him, that's obstructing him from the messenger kneeling before the throne, is grown taller and more intense
Ultimately though, there is nothing he can do. He may not like it, but Azula, even without her so called reputation that she wants to get in the war, is plenty popular just because of the false identity she's gotten as the avatar
Somwtimes, Ozai really questions why he made that rumor. But then reports flood in about another advancement in the frontlines and Ozai is once again in good mood
He sighs, knowing he can't do anything, so he just sends a command, "let it be." He says, "just send for another factory to be make. This time, in a place very far away from any settlement" He commands, "the fees of the construction will be paid from the royal Palace" He orders, getting a nod from the messenger who gets up and leaves as fast as he can, having his orders and beginning to plan on the construction of a new factory
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Back with Azula and crew. She returned, after giving the villagers a nice little fireworks show, and seeing Lu Ten already having begun on commanding the village men and their soldiers on the Recycling of the river's waters
And like that, they spend five consecutive days helping the villagers in freeing the river from the pollutions, and on their sixth day they depart, having ordered supplies To be delivered to the village and leaving the rest of the cleaning to them
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At the Western Air Temple, in one of the many inverted temples, on a boulder sits an elderly man in white robes with two others wearing similar garbs besides him. On his hand is a letter, freshly gotten from a messenger hawk. The contents of it explains the visit of the son the man, Iroh, has. It details for him to wait here. wait for one and half more week for Lu Ten to get here and then they can both return home
Iroh already knows about Lu Ten having set sail to find him, and now, with the current Sircumstences, Iroh of the White Lotus thinks it is best for the world that he returns to his home nation. He may try to drag the war for a little while longer. Atleast until the Avatar returns to bring balance back to the world
"Hmmm, it seems that my dear son is on his way to get me" Iroh looks up towards the friends he's made and those who share the same mantle as him now
Piandao, a bender who doesn't know he is one, and one of the members of the order of white lotus. An organization that accepts any person from any nation. Their goal? To be the ballancers of the world peace, right alongside the avatar
Piandao is from a noble house of swordmasters, his residence being at Shu Jing island within the fire nation.he is also Sokka's future swordmaster
The next person present is Jeong Jeong, a former Admiral of the fire nation military. The first one to defect and live, thus becoming a legend within the military and getting the nickname 'The Deserter'. He was a man who became disillusioned from his nation and firebending as a whole. Later after his defect from the military, he ran away to the earth kingdom, where he came across the order of the white lotus, thus becoming a member and ever since, been trying to keep the war from escalating, doing everything he can and waiting for the day of the avatar's return
Iroh gets up from his seat "i better get ready then. " He says, "farewell my friends, we will meet again" He says, earning nods and smiles from the two.
Piandao smirks, "i would come with you as well if i could, but it would become suspicious as to why a noble is with the prince of the nation" He says, "so I'll be heading back first" He then looks to Jeong Jeong. "I plan to head to Baruu Forest first before making my way back to the fire nation. Do you need a lift, friend? " He asks Jeong Jeong
"It would be appreciated" Jeong jeong nods, and the two head out after saying good bye to Iroh
Seeing them go, Iroh Sighs "So long, my friends" He says, before looking towards the horizon, where the sun is begging to ascend, "we shall meet again"
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Author's note/ just one more chapter left before we go back to the current time again.
Next chapter, by the time Azula and friends get to the Western Air Temple, it would be roughly 20 to 22nd of march, 8 more days before we go back to the present timeline
And i have a very special plan for next chapter~ 🤭
Look forward to it guys and please, leave comments and reviews about what you guys think of the story. It would be GREATLY appreciated and help motivate me to make more chappies~
Anyways!
Thank you guys for reading my book and have a great day/night
𝓣𝓸𝓭𝓭𝓪𝓵𝓸𝓸~