====== 4 - Threat to the whole world ==========
Tui and La... These powerful spirits involuntarily came to mind, whose words seemed like absolute nonsense that only a complete psychopath who didn't know who I really was could believe. Become a global threat and ruin the harmony of the entire red world? Maybe I was so messed up after opening my fifth chakra that I entered a spiritual space created by my mind and started talking to koi fish, but only a moron would say that in all seriousness. I am a kind-hearted person.
Yes, how nice it would be if everything were so simple. To blame this problem on Aang, as I wanted to do from the beginning, and for everything to be fine. Well, yes, I would have to change his philosophy, but that's not impossible, is it? Unfortunately, Kuruk's example cut everything off at the root. I had no idea that this failed Avatar, in the opinion of many people, would become a real precedent for such an indescribable mess that no one could even imagine now.
If we continue to calmly carry out our standard plan, we will unleash a full-scale war. Aang will prevail, but he will die long before his friends, and as for me... Anubis didn't even offer the option of me sitting on the sidelines watching the war, then coming in when everything is ready and starting to live happily ever after. No! I am already wanted dead by creatures that are apparently impossible to fight with acceptable methods. There were only two options left: either return everything to the way it was, or brutally unleash my power on the world when it least expects it.
Literally like Oza's plan. I kept thinking, how can he talk so eloquently about peace for all nations and the total cessation of conflict when he plans to rain fire and napalm on my home continent from the height of huge airships? But apparently he's not talking. He was going to burn the birthplaces of spirits, their homes, the places where they are worshipped. But it was hard to believe that no one else would suffer, right?
He would destroy the world to be reborn as Lord Phoenix... no, wait, what does the rebirth mentioned in the canon have to do with this? Wang Shi Tong swelled up on the globe at this theory. Some of it might be true, but it was easier to ask about Oza's situation himself; there was no need to make categorical decisions now. Besides... the first option, which did not involve rolling back all progress, meant that I would part with Afka?
Lishichka was now sitting on my shoulder and looking at the scroll with utter indignation. It was unclear what she was feeling, but having established a spiritual connection, I sensed her resentment towards some of the spirits.
"Koh, you fool, what have you done to the world?" She didn't know what choice I had been offered. She just waved her tail indignantly and turned away, leaving the decision about the whole situation up to me. Oh yes, the cunning fox wanted to know what my opinion would be. Perhaps I could negotiate so that I wouldn't have to part with Afka. It was all worth discussing and thinking over a thousand times...
"What do you think now, Avatar and everyone who is stopping us, are they worthy of being kept in cages and prisons? - At that moment, Azula, standing to one side, casually glanced at my face. Her voice was so caustic.
"Shut your mouth before you fill it with sand," I said, but if before I was just trying to parody her bad mood, now I was being honest with myself. Azula wasn't intimidated by this, though; if anything, it provoked her, but I had already given the scroll to the fire sage and headed back. To the palace of the Fire Lord. To resolve a pressing matter.
"I understand your reaction, you want to tear and destroy, burn everything around you. With our support, you will be able to let yourself go. Come on, Dagoth, let's go together to... Kha. Pff, what's that? As soon as Azula finally lost her mask and turned into a sinister princess who, as is clear, was only interested in tyranny, her open mouth filled with grains of sand." "I'll get you, you... ugh!"
***
Whatever Oza's plan was, without any details, it seemed like it was full of holes. There are a bunch of assumptions that make me think it won't work. Take, for example, the land scorched by fire, where nothing will grow; the death of spirits who are truly necessary for this world — and if they are not killed, then where will they go? What to do with the swamp, which is the main gateway to the spirit world, and with the people who protect it? There were even more questions, but Oza, who appeared in my office, just smiled amusedly.
Most likely, everyone was ready for this. He suspiciously abruptly ended his conversation with Airo, and it was only after I learned the terrible truth that he was able to accept me. The guards also let me through without question, despite my frightening appearance. Now this man had simply taken out a bottle of wine and, without rushing to answer my barrage of questions, poured himself a glass and then looked at me questioningly.
"Would you like some? "
"You know, a small glass a day doesn't affect your body in any way. I am also committed to a healthy lifestyle and do not allow myself harmful habits, such as smoking, losing my mind because of ambition or alcohol. Some things are completely unacceptable, others should be in moderation... that is my answer. In moderation.
Sitting next to me, Afka, whom I wanted to chase away so that I could make a more balanced and less emotional decision, glared at Oza, labelling him a simple show-off trying to impress with thoughtful words.
"We will not destroy all spirits — why do you think I formed an alliance with the North? Ordinary, insignificant spirits will, of course, be buried under a torrent of flames, and some places will, of course, suffer great destruction, but I would not destroy everything — I want to move to the realm of the earth, not turn it into a second, almost lifeless archipelago. Therefore... we will subjugate the truly strong and necessary spirits.
"Excuse me?" Finally managing to speak, I saw a picture in my mind of spirits in chains, like that panda, walking across the scorched earth and regenerating the destroyed soil. Well, it looked downright crazy, though quite realistic. And Oza just grinned as if I were a fool who couldn't guess how he would do it. So he explained:
"You've read about how the fire sages devised a way to fight the spirits. Do you think only Avatars can repeat it? We are its creators. Why else do you think the spirits haven't filled our country? So many dragons were killed, the sacred land of the spirits continues to be cultivated, and we live such a sweet life.
There are different ways to banish them... I knew about three of them. One definitely belonged to the fire people, since it was invented by the fire sages themselves — Kuruk should have used it. The second belongs to the water people, and Kuruk probably knew about it too. This method was even shown in Korra: the ability to change the direction of dark spirits, remove their curses and restore the so-called light. The last one, which was probably possessed by nomads, was most likely connected to some kind of prayer or direct communication with the soul, and was already possessed by Aang. Well, the element of earth was left out...
At least that's how it seemed at first glance, but if you think about it... did I test my drying ability on spirits? The ability worked not only on water, but also on qi points, sucking out energy. Before, of course, I was afraid to even touch spirits, but after reaching a new level, I could try it even from a distance.
Ozai told me the same thing, mentioning a method of fighting and threatening spirits. Of course, for that, you need open chakras; even with a special method, you can't just knock down even a weak spirit. In other words, without saying it directly, he explained why the power of the comet was needed — so that most of the soldiers would open their chakras, allowing them to destroy the spirits.
But I noticed the problem again: how long would the comet fly, and how long would it take to subdue all the important spirits? After all, it wouldn't have time to circle the entire huge continent of Earth, even on the Appa it would take more than a week to travel. Too crazy... but what if Oza reincarnates? Figuratively speaking, of course, the words about subjugation were not just empty words. What if he literally subjugates the comet Sozin, which, according to my guesses, contains a spirit? From the moment I got out of the library, I only had indirect confirmation of its existence, but what if it's true? Avatar isn't the only example; Princess Yui, in a strange way, took on ALL the power of the moon's spirit.
Then that's a problem... to gain the power of the comet FOREVER, most likely going beyond the simple chakras and limits of an ordinary human being. Now it's clear why Oza, in the canon, passed the throne to Azule. He understands this world completely, and he will become a being of a different order.
"I see you still don't know what decision to make, Sand Mage. I won't say I understand your weakness, but without direct evidence, I wouldn't act either. I have one way to show you the essence of spirits. That the world must get rid of them.
After this sentence, he fixed his gaze on Afka, forcing the already tense creature to shrink into her chair. He knew who she was, but magnanimously did nothing. Perhaps he did not understand her position and where she came from, but he knew for sure about the spiritual heritage.
***
The western part of the archipelago was the largest hotbed of volcanoes, with more than anywhere else in the world. It was this place that was usually mentioned by the nation of fire when recalling instances of unprecedented natural power, for it was here that erupting magma levelled entire settlements and destroyed cities.
When the locals spoke of injustice, they meant that Ba Sing Se alone took up only slightly less space on the world map than the entire inhabited area of the archipelago. They had to settle there in order to survive, and this problem... became their strength.Who else but me knew that harsh conditions force you to adapt? The inhabitants of the North Pole, where the territory is even smaller, created an impregnable fortress similar to Ba Sing Se. And the Fire Nation harnessed the power of volcanoes to create steelworks powered by pure natural energy — one of which Oza took me to see, and it appeared before my astonished eyes.
At the foot of an active volcano, spewing streams of hot steam and black smoke from its depths, stood a gigantic factory, through whose giant pipes red-hot magma flowed, forming a huge lava river that stretched far into the horizon and into the sea. Opposite the factory and the river of magma was an unremarkable outpost dotted with observation towers.
Some of the houses there were made of simple wood, some were still under construction, and there were only scaffolding frames. To bring me here and show me something, Oza had equipped an ordinary cart with a riding lizard and a driver, who delivered us to the place in a couple of hours. Stopping the cart a couple of hundred metres from the town, Oza, sitting in a luxurious royal seat, turned to me.
"I had to show you this in person. The foundation of our technological power, a factory powered by magma. Of course, it's not the only one. By the way, all the magma is directed into the sea, expanding the territory of our own island. In the future, one of my descendants will surely create a large island out of the archipelago.
"I don't believe that something like this could have been invented in this century," was one problem. Despite the grandeur, there was not a single living thing around. It looked strange, to say the least.
"Because of your explosive reputation, I didn't want to show you this at first. Especially after the floating prison incident," Oza scratched his beard and narrowed his eyes. "But it just so happens that this place will show you the true nature of the spirits. You see, several creatures recently awoke here, and all work at the camp and factory has been suspended. As someone I want to work with, let me show you.
Climbing out, Oza straightened his back and appeared in a completely haughty manner. I didn't think he ever left his palace, but it seems that was a simple mistake. Despite the coachman's shaking, we both walked hand in hand to the centre of the camp and focused on the smoking volcano. I could have sworn that something would go wrong the moment he saw me — and that's exactly what happened.
The neighbouring house, which felt empty, suddenly shattered into pieces, and a large dog-like creature with a burning mane ran out of the wall. The back of this creature was adorned with sharp branches that fell down and formed a tail, also covered with bits of flame. A couple more of these creatures suddenly appeared at the top of the factory and near the red river.
"Dark guardian spirits," whispered Afka tensely. "They must have been sleeping until the volcano began to be used as fuel for the factory. Dagoth, we'd better run. He's more dangerous than Hey Bai, whom Aang fought.
"If only you knew how many of my people they have killed," Ozai's empty voice rang out at that moment. "Endless attacks on the mines, during work and construction. Now you see the creatures our fire sages are dealing with, but there seems to be no end to them.
Placing his hand on a spirit running towards us, Ozai suddenly released a flash of electricity and destroyed its shell in a matter of seconds. The spirit literally disintegrated, as if it had been banished, which took... a second?
"...Why not subdue them? - struggling with surprise at such power, he tried to find a way out that would not involve genocide.
"How many people with open chakras will you find, Dagoth? "He smiled at me," "To see the essence of spirits and subjugate them, you need to at least open your heart. To see the essence and negotiate with the particularly strong ones, you need to open your mind. Do you understand now? Only some can be subjugated, the rest... will be subjected to genocide.
Still, he and his brother had a lot in common; they were both very persuasive and presented ironclad arguments. Yes, there was still a lot to decide, details to work out, and agreements to make with Afka, but I think I was beginning to understand what I would do. But Oza only wants to see me as a pawn in his game, and I had no intention of letting the spirits push me around.
Raising my hand and turning the ground beneath our feet into sand, I spun a cloud around the creatures running towards us.
"Even if the spirits are suppressing development and are going to fight, I can't ignore it. You've convinced me, Oza," said Afka, looking somewhat frightened. The spirits began to rapidly disintegrate, losing their spiritual shell. More than a dozen creatures that had scared people away disappeared after a single pass of the cloud of sand. It was unnecessary to say that Oza had the same surprised look as Afka. They were all struck by my personal magic of death.Standing in front of Oza, against the backdrop of the burning volcano, I stretched out my hand once more.
"I support the creation of a new world. But I will decide for myself which spirits should remain alive.
"We'll see," he replied with a smile, shaking my hand after all. My left limb was wrapped in sand, ready to repel an attack at any moment, while Oza's left hand, in turn, sparkled with electric discharges, ready to launch an attack if necessary. Afka, watching everything, froze in shock.
I'm sure this is just the beginning of the difficult choices Anubis has in store for me, but apparently, Tui and La were right. I will become a threat to the entire world... the spirit world.