The next morning, Kahn was utterly bewildered to learn that his "thigh" had suddenly shrunk.
Last night, the Old Fire Lord had passed away.
Before his death, he made a shocking last-minute decision — instead of naming Iroh, who had been Crown Prince his entire life, he passed the throne to the second prince, Ozai.
Kahn froze.
"…Wait, what?"
The Crown Prince got demoted, and the thigh I was clinging to turned into a calf?!
But hold on — if Ozai became Fire Lord… wouldn't that make Zuko the new Crown Prince?
Heh, plot twist! Didn't see that coming, did you? I bet on both sides — profit guaranteed!
Kahn could only marvel at the absurdity of fate.
His once lowly "little brother" Zuko had just become a royal heir. Life truly was unpredictable.
Of course, while Kahn was joking around in his head, the Fire Nation itself was in complete chaos.
The news of the Fire Lord's death and Ozai's sudden coronation spread like wildfire. The entire nation was shaken.
Tension swept through the capital. Though martial law wasn't declared, soldiers now patrolled every street.
Civilians stayed indoors, schools closed indefinitely — which meant Kahn was sent home.
And for once, he didn't dare cause trouble.
The late Fire Lord had trusted Iroh deeply.
Even after Iroh's disastrous campaign and the loss of his son, the old man had only stripped his title, not his command.
That trust spoke volumes about his faith in Iroh's character.
But now, with Ozai on the throne, that balance had vanished overnight.
Even someone with no political sense could guess there was far more beneath the surface.
Kahn, who had grown up in a world full of historical dramas and conspiracy theories, couldn't help spinning a dozen plots in his head — betrayal, coups, secret assassinations.
It was all too easy to imagine.
Still, all he could do was worry. He had no power to intervene.
The following days were agonizingly dull.
Kahn stayed home, feeling like a prisoner.
Even in his world full of modern entertainment, being trapped inside for weeks was torture — let alone here, where the height of fun was boiling tea or reading scrolls.
He cooked, trained, read a little, repeated. Day after day.
"I swear, training a wild beast would be simpler…" he said helplessly.
Loneliness crept in. For the first time, he realized how lifeless his house felt. He even considered getting a pet.
But the thought of feeding it, cleaning after it, and finding it if it ran off? Ugh. Too much work.
A few weeks later, the capital finally calmed. The soldiers thinned out, markets reopened, and life resumed as though nothing had happened.
Still, Iroh and Zuko hadn't come to visit.
Kahn waited a few days more, but when nothing changed, he gave up and went back to the library.
That's when something caught his eye — an illustrated scroll describing three legendary creatures: the Fire Lord Dragon, Earthbending Mole, and Sky Bison.
Dragons!
Even though the scroll spelled it out, Kahn still stared in disbelief.
The Fire Lord Dragons looked just like the long, serpentine Eastern dragons from his homeland — except these had wings, like the mythical Yinglong.
They could breathe fire and soar across the skies.
Maybe not as divine as the dragons of legend, but still — they were magnificent.
According to the text, Firebending itself had been taught by the Fire Lord Dragons, which made sense given their reverence among Firebenders.
Then there were Earthbending Moles — massive creatures that tunneled through rock and earth, the first teachers of Earthbenders.
And Sky Bisons, the six-legged, fluffy giants that could manipulate air. They were both adorable and majestic, and the ancestors of all Air Nomad flying companions.
As for Waterbending… the scroll said it was inspired by the moon and ocean's ebb and flow. No magical animal there.
"Waterbending, buddy," Kahn muttered. "Why so antisocial?"
Still, the scroll sparked something in him.
He devoured more texts about mythical beasts — Flying Lemurs, Elephant Koi, Rhino Lizards, Ice Frogs, even Sea Serpents.
Each page widened his grin.
Originally, he'd just wanted a small pet to cure his boredom. But after this? Oh no — he wanted a beast.
Something smart, loyal, magical — a creature that could fight beside him, understand his words, and look awesome while doing it.
"This is basically Pokémon!" he said to himself, eyes shining. "I'm literally gonna become a Trainer!"
Of course, such beasts weren't for sale. The scrolls were clear — to bond with one, you had to find and tame it yourself.
So yeah… pure fantasy for now.
It reminded him of going to a computer shop with two thousand yuan and leaving with a ten-thousand-yuan dream build.
Reality hit hard.
For now, his "pet plan" was shelved. But that's when something unexpected happened — a knock on his door.
When Kahn opened it, he nearly choked.
"Uncle Iroh? You're not dead?!"
Iroh's cheerful expression froze. His hand, mid-wave, immediately turned into a slap that landed on Kahn's head.
"Watch your mouth, boy!"
"Ow!" Kahn rubbed his head, grumbling.
Ignoring him, Iroh walked straight in like he owned the place, heading straight for the kitchen — specifically, for Kahn's tea stash.
Kahn sighed and followed. "Make yourself at home, why don't you…"
Iroh brewed a pot of tea, inhaled deeply, and smiled with satisfaction.
"I came to tell you some good news," he said, stretching the moment for suspense. "And that is…"
He paused dramatically.
"I now have more free time to spend with everyone!"
He spread his arms wide, grinning. "How about that? Aren't you happy?"
"Yes, yes, I'm thrilled," Kahn replied dryly.
Inwardly, he knew what it really meant — Iroh had been stripped of command and reduced to a ceremonial prince.
Still, that was better than being exiled… or executed.
It was a small mercy.
After a few moments of quiet, Kahn frowned.
"Wait — where's Zuko? Why isn't he with you?"
Iroh's cheerful expression faded slightly. He took a long sip of tea before answering.
"Zuko…" he murmured. "He has quite a few problems of his own right now."