==== 1 - Capital of the Fire People ==========
It was hard to imagine that I would ever be able to sail along the border of the Fire Nation and not have to fight anyone. That my escorts would be the most high-ranking members of the royal family, and that I wouldn't be in platinum handcuffs or an ice coffin. Indeed, the power of such a formidable combination as strategy forces enemies to change their minds and come to terms with someone whom everyone was recently prepared to hang in the main square of the capital. Most importantly, they had many opportunities to attack me, but no one took them.
As we approached the large stone gates, behind which, according to our guides, lay the capital itself, I saw a bunch of patrol ships. Hundreds of vessels of various sizes, ranging from frigates to battleships that had been recalled from the war, followed us with their eyes; the soldiers standing on their decks turned their gaze towards me and clenched their fists in utter helplessness. They wanted to wring my neck, but their fear of Azulu and the Master of Fire was beyond words. Only a small number of them were simply disciplined and didn't care about me.
I had a feeling that things would not go so smoothly. Although, to their credit, they had created an excellent smokescreen: when we entered the harbour and docked, it looked like a celebration! On the high watchtowers, from which invaders were once observed, the flags of the three nations were hung in honour of peace. The port city where we stopped was sparkling clean and decorated with all kinds of ornaments, from expensive lamps hanging from ropes above the heads of ordinary citizens to the expensive facades of buildings. More money had been poured into this place than into Omasha.
It was as if everything had been scrubbed clean before our arrival to show how happy they were to see us. But the face of the city itself, of the people, could not be hidden. They all crowded in front of the shore, forming a crush, each face expressing the same heaviness as the guards. Some shouted at me, others angrily held wheelchairs with half-dried people sitting in them. I quickly recognised my job and realised that they had decided to put pressure on me.
"Here we are. Let's go," Azula waved calmly, stepping down from the bridge. She didn't notice the atmosphere and treated the people as if it were normal. Four carriers, similar to covered carriages, were already waiting for us. I didn't know what they were called, but instead of horses, they were pulled by the physical strength of ordinary people. They were comfortable wooden structures carried by hand.
"I bet they won't touch you here. At least not now," Airo patted me on the shoulder, interpreting my hesitation as fear. It might have seemed like empty words, but he personally promised that he would risk his life if I was in danger. "Just act like you always do. You were called here because of your reputation and strength. That's the only thing that's truly valued in this country."
It was good advice. When choosing how to present myself: a pleasant and cooperative guy or the fearsome King of the Earth, I opted for the latter — such are the customs of the nation, nothing can be done about it. Putting on a mask of hostility, I finally followed Azula. My heavy footsteps echoed loudly on the bridge due to my stone soles, and my calm gaze instantly made the ill-disposed individuals pretend that they weren't even there. The noise made by the people suddenly died down. Those who had been crippled began to tremble, and those who had only heard rumours about me began to realise that they were all true.
Sitting down in a closed compartment next to the princess, I was forced to admire the interior. From the inside, it looked even richer: red curtains, gold ornamentation, the softest pillows and a tray of grapes, truly chic.
"The residents are very happy to see you. I hope they don't inconvenience you in your private palanquin," said the princess ironically, hinting at the name of the carrying device. Soon, Zuko and Airo sat down in their private palanquins. Silent Mei, in turn, sat down next to the prince and began to stare at him, while the porters lifted us up and carried us along the long road, which had been cleared of the crowd. We should have heard some kind of ovation or, conversely, condemnation, but there was a monstrous silence. I don't even want to talk about how the guys carrying me were shaking.
What could be said about the capital... beautiful and safe. At least for the locals — there were guards everywhere, and something else I had hardly ever seen before: tanks, mostly hidden from view, apparently so as not to upset me. Metal machines of death and marvels of local engineering, allowing the infantry to fight head-on against the mages of the earth, and indeed against any nation. Useless against me.
And the city itself was just a screen; in reality, it was divided into two parts: the main, most elite area was located at the top of a frozen volcano, accessed by a long and winding road, and that was where all the capital's money was.
Tall, high-quality houses, dense buildings and a whole network of tunnels going deep underground, as well as a bunch of rich people fighting for power and scheming out of nowhere — that was what the capital was like. I didn't want to get involved in all that, it was too much of a headache. I just waited for the moment when we would be taken to the palace and dropped off in front of the gates of what was now the most protected place of the fire people. It seemed like I had just been at the pole, visiting a place that was as similar as possible in meaning, and now here I was. Moreover, I now understood why Azula had turned up her nose at the chief's palace; compared to her home, it looked like an ancient hut, and, let's be honest, it was warmer here.
In front of the gates, we were also greeted by a whole squad of soldiers. Only now they were familiar faces.
"What do they want here?" Zuko raised an eyebrow.
"Oh, what a pleasant surprise, Admiral Liang!" Ayro smiled politely as soon as a familiar man stepped out in front of us. "What brings you ashore?" "Orders from the Fire Lord, former General Airo," the admiral replied in a tone that was not exactly friendly, meeting my gaze. "As a man who has already crossed paths with Mr. Dagoth and survived, I have been assigned to escort you. I hope you haven't brought any barrels of thermite with you this time?"
The same guy I fought in prison. Apparently, I had caused him some psychological trauma, judging by the way his eye twitched when he saw me.
"Your status has risen because you're one of the few who didn't suffer after meeting me? Well, well, you're also my debtor, it turns out.
Azula laughed at my statement. She genuinely enjoyed how my presence made people fall silent and my enemies flee. She felt a kindred spirit with whom she wanted to become closer. And there was one last thing I noticed very often during our journey on the ship:
Like a girl in love, she laughed at every joke, praised me for my tyrannical behaviour and stared at my evil eyes... although I saw it differently. The evil snake and dragon's belch wanted to get closer and win me over, because she was definitely up to something. All that remained was to figure out what exactly.
And yet she declared that I really couldn't move around the palace and beyond alone, which was understandable. I was like a time bomb: if left unattended, I would quickly explode. But even so, she managed to make an unexpected proposal.
"It so happens that there are several people here who need looking after, and my father probably wouldn't want Uncle Airo wandering around the palace and getting involved in political affairs, which he hasn't touched in a long time. If you don't want some old man as your escort, I can take his place," her eyes filled with cunning. With every second, they come up with something new.
"Choose:
1 - Even the walls have eyes (There are many people within the capital who would like to get rid of you, so you need protection, including to prevent an assassination attempt by those who disagree with Oza. You can choose Admiral Liang as your escort, which will reduce the risk of attack among the guards inside the palace, and your escort will always be thoroughly checked. Conflicts with ordinary residents will no longer bother you, but the higher authorities may get to you).
2 - Following the snake's tail (You can choose Azulu as your escort. Your food will always be carefully checked for poison, and your quarters will be searched for assassins. The presence of two "fearsome" people will keep all the aristocrats and high-ranking soldiers in check, but there is a risk that you will be bothered by the common people.
Please note that these choices are part of a larger intrigue, and the paths provided will save you from it, but you cannot escape all misfortunes.
Well, here we go. I haven't even made it into the palace, and I'm already getting dragged into big trouble. Well, since that's how it is... I think it would be better to solve the problem with the aristocrats at the root. The reason is that in such a monarchical country built on power, they have more influence over me, and I really don't want to constantly worry about whether poison has been put in my food. The only thing that spoiled the picture was that I would be with Azula, which is the same as sleeping in the same den as a bear. It seems like no one else will come in, but you already know the reason for all your future problems.
"In that case, I'd be happy if you showed me your home," I said very ironically and looked at Azula.
"I'm so happy," I got the same response, and we were finally separated. Liang, breathing a sigh of relief, followed Airo, and I trailed behind Azula into the palace. It was funny that the interior was mostly made of metal, and when I clattered my boots on the floor, everyone accompanying us immediately understood the reason for my smirk. Everything around me could become a weapon.
However, this would be useful in case of an assassination attempt. But now we were led through very long and beautiful corridors, which offered a view of both the inner courtyard with its pool and ducks and the royal gallery, which depicted all the previous Fire Lords.
"You could have been here, Uncle Airo," said Azula as we passed a portrait of a well-groomed man. From the meaning and the inscription below the portrait, I understood that it was Oza. He looked calm but powerful, surrounded by pipes and metal gears, symbolising his great technological progress. It was hard to imagine that this was a portrait of kind Uncle Airo.
"Choose your words carefully, Azula," Zuko hissed.
"What? I'm just expressing my regret. And at the same time, I'm very happy that the family is reunited. Now let's go, Father is waiting for us all," Azula quickened her pace and finally led us to what I thought was the throne room. At least, my senses told me that behind the door we were standing in front of was a beautiful throne and many lights with excellent guards. But as soon as the passage opened, I realised that even the senses can be deceived by unusual surroundings.The luxurious room, filled with gold, turned out to be either a ceremonial hall or a guest room. In the centre stood a table laden with delicacies I had never seen before, and each chair was indistinguishable from the throne of Boo-Mee himself — oh, the difference in culture and wealth. But the main thing was not even that. At the head of the table, in the most luxurious place, sat him... the man from the painting.
I was immediately surprised that he didn't try to intimidate me with the atmosphere and didn't meet me in his throne room, where his power was on full display. Oza looked quite... ordinary. Not like a villain, but simply like a ruler who nodded happily at the sight of us all.
"Father..." Zuko clenched his fists.
"My son," the man stood up proudly and raised his hands. "You can't imagine how happy I was when I heard about your achievements."
"Wh... - but everything suddenly became unclear. Ozai approached us all and embraced his abandoned son.
"You calmed the anger of our former enemy and agreed to cooperate with him. And my brother, Airo... it's been a long time," he showed sincere respect. He shook his older brother's hand, and it even seemed that they had reconciled.
Then he came up to me. We were about the same height, even our builds weren't that different, but as for magic... To be honest, I thought I had one more chakra than him, since only I and maybe the Avatar know the secret of the sound chakra. Love is also difficult to understand. I wouldn't say that Oza could truly love someone deeply, but in reality, he had six loves! Yes, it's hard to argue that he is powerful, but is it possible?
With whom did he form his bonds? Who did he trust so much that he swore to protect them until the end of his life? Did he really have an epiphany and stop looking at the world with illusions? It was hard to believe.
"Sand Mage - Dagoth, nice to meet you. The fact that you agreed to peace surprised me greatly, but it shows your wisdom. Still, I sincerely care about the fate of my people, and I would not want any further problems for them." Peace... yes, he continued to talk as if nothing had happened. How could he have opened the chakra of Truth? And words of concern... no, it can't be. Could he have literally tied his bonds to the country?
But... it's not impossible. Love, as Laghima's writings say, can be felt for something great, not only for people, but also for the world as a whole, for a group of people, or even for a forest. So, bonds can be tied not only to a person.
"You seem dissatisfied with something?
"Just surprised," I looked at the outstretched hand and slowly shook it. His grip, it must be said, was royal, his palm almost like a vice. I had to respond in kind, "You dared to offer me your hand. Some people fear it like fire.
"Yes, but I am fire," he replied meaningfully, showing how sparks ran down his other hand. He didn't make any special movements, but he was already capable of generating electricity, and at a monstrous speed.
Could it be that he was overestimating me and that I was safe right now? Was my image as a complete monster and scum preventing him from escalating the conflict? In that case, I had to do everything I could to keep him thinking that way.
When the tension subsided, he invited us all to sit down at the table. Admiral Liang did not eat; he went to talk to the guards surrounding us and carefully check everything.
"You know, I sense some rejection on your part. Can we drop the formalities? What do you say?" As soon as we put some food on our plates and started eating, Oza calmly met my gaze. The damn mage could read my emotions almost as well as I could read his. "I understand that you came here specifically to settle things, so maybe we should start by strengthening the foundation of our truce? Ask me anything you want!"
Azula and the other diners blinked in surprise at the Fire Lord's behaviour. He really did look too... friendly?
"All right. What are you willing to do?"
"...What a vague statement," he blinked, "But I think I understand. You mean my ancestors who committed genocide? Are you asking if I'm willing to do that too?
Yes, he had definitely read my mind. I nodded, prompting the man to respond:
"Let me first explain why it was done. I'm not going to justify genocide in your eyes, I just hope you'll listen," he said, putting down his cutlery and forcing everyone in the room to look at him. "Everyone knows that the next Avatar was supposed to appear in the Air Temple, The extermination of the nomads had a significant practical benefit, but there was also a spiritual side to it. Look around you, you can see electric lamps, factories that produce technology, all of which were difficult to achieve in the past. The nomads... they got everywhere, they stubbornly held back progress to please the spirits. Their holy places were not even far from the capital, although now there are mines for extracting useful minerals in those places.
"
"Sozin started it, and I had to adapt. I forced the new people to think about things in material terms: hundreds of schools were built for this purpose, scientists and engineers delved into technology, and the spiritual leaders of our nation are now deepening their understanding of magic and keeping information that is very inconvenient for the whole world. There is no point in me going down the same path as Sozin; the world will develop along the path already trodden. Of course, if you help.
"Your words would make sense if these schools were built everywhere!" Zuko flared up again. "The conquered lands are filled with poor people, many of whom have even forgotten how to work the fields. The standard of living is falling, even though all we need to do is give them a reason to respect us."
A waiting smile blossomed on Azula's face. She desperately wanted to hear her brother being scolded for interfering in the dialogue and contradicting his father. But Ozai only gave him an indulgent look.
"It's not so easy to rule, son. You've been trying to appear fair since childhood, but you know, that's not how the world works," he shrugged and took a sip from his wine glass, recalling the story. When we were kids, we went to the beach, and you saw an eagle hunting a crab-turtle and wanted to save it. But then, when the crab was safely in your hands, you began to hesitate. The hawk was looking at you with hungry eyes, and you realised that you had condemned it to starvation. You didn't know whose side to take. You hesitated in making a decision.
"Eh," Ayro exhaled, shaking his head meaningfully. Zuko was gripped by his own memories, and his childhood complexes began to surface.
"But there is no right or wrong choice, there is only what you decide for yourself. What you want to protect deserves to be protected simply because you have chosen that path.
"Shoken..." I recognised the familiar words of one of Laghima's opponents, and received a nod in response. Oza held a very firm and stern position. And so it was clear that convincing him of my views would not be as easy as I had previously thought.