Thanks to Lord of Kaos for help on this one.
Kuei fidgeted in his seat on the train and twiddled his thumbs. Travelling the world with Basco was very fun, exhilarating even, but it had been months since he set eyes upon his great city, or at least that’s how long it felt. He continuously took glances out of the window of the long train he sat on, always relieved by the removal of the drill, but often pained at the part of the wall that was still damaged from Iroh’s blast all the same. But with the damaged part of the outer wall and all, the city was still as beautiful, no, more beautiful than he remembered. He figured that he should see his city in a wide view though, he felt as thought it was his duty to greet his citizens before going back to his palace.
Once the train stopped at the centre of the city, Kuei asked the driver to wait for a moment, ran out immediately after, and held his arms out wide, as if he meant to give the entire city a bear hug.
“Ba Sing Se,” he yelled in his most audible voice, “Your king has returned!”
He continued to smile and look around, his chin held high, but his eyes aimed low. He shifted his gaze between many of the citizens. The citizens looked confused and most simply walked away after almost angered stares. Children stared at him for long periods of time, until their parents promptly pulled them away as if Kuei was a lunatic. He heard mumbles among the other sounds of Ba Sing Se, most of them were simply asking the same question that every king mourned to hear, and most never did considering the rareness of
this peculiar event: “Who is that?”
The Earth King stumbled back into the train, astonished by what had just happened. In blatant denial, Kuei continued to tell himself that it must have been because of his clothing; he wore the clothes of an Earth Kingdom commoner... that had to be why. He looked around to see that there weren’t many people in the train, and asked the driver to take him to the royal palace. The driver eyed him curiously, wondering what business he would have with the Earth King. After a moment of thinking, the driver shrugged, and then drove off towards the palace.
~
After an hour of more fidgeting, the Earth King leaped out of his chair, and rushed out of the train. He took a moment to acknowledge his great palace; the mere smell of it was fulfilling enough for him. As he walked up towards it’s magnificent, he was abruptly blocked by two lengthy spears held by two of the Royal Earthbender Guards—guards that surrounded the palace, were scattered everywhere throughout the palace, and placed close enough to the king that if an assassin was to get behind him, they may just hit the guards instead of the king by just a slight wrong movement to the left or right.
“May we help you?” One of the guards questioned, his voice wasn’t low, but it was very intimidating all the same.
“Ah, yes,” Kuei replied, then he threw both of the bags he carried to them, “Please take them to my quarters, if you will. Oh, and Basco requires a bath as well.”
The guard started to become angry and walked up towards him with his spear readied, “Who do you think you are?”
“The King?” Kuei replied sarcastically.
The guard started to move in closer, ready to slice this man into pieces, and bury his body under a mixture of rubble and his own blood, until he was stopped by his partner.
“Wait, I recognize him,” he, looking at them from the corner of his eye.
“The man? From where?” the guard replied.
“No, not the man, his face is new to me.” He pointed to Basco, “I’m talking about his bear.”
“From where?” he asked again, but now indication Basco.
“The 52nd Earth King was said to have a bear, but it wasn’t a mix with another animal, just a bear. It’s an uncommon sight indeed, and with the city having been conquered and re-conquered, who knows what could’ve happened. Ask him the name.”
The guard complied with blatant interest, “Hey you, what’s that bears name?”
Kuei smiled widely and looked at Basco, “Your reputation exceeds you my friend.” Then he turned to the guards, “Basco is the name of my fine companion.”
The guard who suggested about the bear nodded and they both put their spears back to their sides, slamming the dull part of it to the ground.
“Don’t you dare cause any trouble,” one of them hissed and threatened.
~
After navigating through the palace, and with much explanation to many guards, Kuei
finally found his quarters. Opening the door, he nearly fell to his knees and then some at who he was looking at, and more importantly, who was sitting on his throne.
The man smirked, “Kuei, it’s been a long time,” he said in his usually slimy voice.
It was impossible. The man sitting on the Earth King’s throne was a traitor. The man wearing the Earth King’s hat was evil. The man wearing the Earth King’s robe was scum, at best.
The man on his throne... was Long Feng.
~
Kozen silently walked through the corridors of the Boiling Rock. Being part of the Fire Nation, it wasn’t hard for him to get in without running into trouble with other guards, and still being able to show his face, even though his business was a treacherous one. The man looked through each of the cells, being more than tall enough to see, as he walked towards the coolers, where he knew that he would probably find her.
“She has to be in here somewhere...” he murmured to himself.
Once he arrived to the coolers, he noted that there was no way for him to look into it, so instead he simply started opening and closing doors, with the keys he stole from an “unfortunate,” as he called it, guard.
A smile touched Kozen’s usually emotionless face as he stared at the person huddled in the cooler. The man’s eyes shifted from the ground to Kozen, but he didn’t move in any other way. It wasn’t Azula, no, but he was the next best thing. The man he stared at, worked as a silent and efficient assassin for many years, and became greatly infamous on the day that he attacked the Avatar in the middle of a town during the two’s second meeting. His mouth couldn’t form any words because of the mere thought of how strong the rebels could become with him as an addition to their group, if he could convince him to. But for the right price, he surely would be able to.
The man he stood in front of, had no true name, or at least it’s not known. Many called him “The Third Eye,” others, “The Fire Eye,” but no true names. But there was one name that he was called often, a name that a young man named Sokka had given him.
Combustion Man.
Chapter 4: Return
Kuei fidgeted in his seat on the train and twiddled his thumbs. Travelling the world with Basco was very fun, exhilarating even, but it had been months since he set eyes upon his great city, or at least that’s how long it felt. He continuously took glances out of the window of the long train he sat on, always relieved by the removal of the drill, but often pained at the part of the wall that was still damaged from Iroh’s blast all the same. But with the damaged part of the outer wall and all, the city was still as beautiful, no, more beautiful than he remembered. He figured that he should see his city in a wide view though, he felt as thought it was his duty to greet his citizens before going back to his palace.
Once the train stopped at the centre of the city, Kuei asked the driver to wait for a moment, ran out immediately after, and held his arms out wide, as if he meant to give the entire city a bear hug.
“Ba Sing Se,” he yelled in his most audible voice, “Your king has returned!”
He continued to smile and look around, his chin held high, but his eyes aimed low. He shifted his gaze between many of the citizens. The citizens looked confused and most simply walked away after almost angered stares. Children stared at him for long periods of time, until their parents promptly pulled them away as if Kuei was a lunatic. He heard mumbles among the other sounds of Ba Sing Se, most of them were simply asking the same question that every king mourned to hear, and most never did considering the rareness of
this peculiar event: “Who is that?”
The Earth King stumbled back into the train, astonished by what had just happened. In blatant denial, Kuei continued to tell himself that it must have been because of his clothing; he wore the clothes of an Earth Kingdom commoner... that had to be why. He looked around to see that there weren’t many people in the train, and asked the driver to take him to the royal palace. The driver eyed him curiously, wondering what business he would have with the Earth King. After a moment of thinking, the driver shrugged, and then drove off towards the palace.
~
After an hour of more fidgeting, the Earth King leaped out of his chair, and rushed out of the train. He took a moment to acknowledge his great palace; the mere smell of it was fulfilling enough for him. As he walked up towards it’s magnificent, he was abruptly blocked by two lengthy spears held by two of the Royal Earthbender Guards—guards that surrounded the palace, were scattered everywhere throughout the palace, and placed close enough to the king that if an assassin was to get behind him, they may just hit the guards instead of the king by just a slight wrong movement to the left or right.
“May we help you?” One of the guards questioned, his voice wasn’t low, but it was very intimidating all the same.
“Ah, yes,” Kuei replied, then he threw both of the bags he carried to them, “Please take them to my quarters, if you will. Oh, and Basco requires a bath as well.”
The guard started to become angry and walked up towards him with his spear readied, “Who do you think you are?”
“The King?” Kuei replied sarcastically.
The guard started to move in closer, ready to slice this man into pieces, and bury his body under a mixture of rubble and his own blood, until he was stopped by his partner.
“Wait, I recognize him,” he, looking at them from the corner of his eye.
“The man? From where?” the guard replied.
“No, not the man, his face is new to me.” He pointed to Basco, “I’m talking about his bear.”
“From where?” he asked again, but now indication Basco.
“The 52nd Earth King was said to have a bear, but it wasn’t a mix with another animal, just a bear. It’s an uncommon sight indeed, and with the city having been conquered and re-conquered, who knows what could’ve happened. Ask him the name.”
The guard complied with blatant interest, “Hey you, what’s that bears name?”
Kuei smiled widely and looked at Basco, “Your reputation exceeds you my friend.” Then he turned to the guards, “Basco is the name of my fine companion.”
The guard who suggested about the bear nodded and they both put their spears back to their sides, slamming the dull part of it to the ground.
“Don’t you dare cause any trouble,” one of them hissed and threatened.
~
After navigating through the palace, and with much explanation to many guards, Kuei
finally found his quarters. Opening the door, he nearly fell to his knees and then some at who he was looking at, and more importantly, who was sitting on his throne.
The man smirked, “Kuei, it’s been a long time,” he said in his usually slimy voice.
It was impossible. The man sitting on the Earth King’s throne was a traitor. The man wearing the Earth King’s hat was evil. The man wearing the Earth King’s robe was scum, at best.
The man on his throne... was Long Feng.
~
Kozen silently walked through the corridors of the Boiling Rock. Being part of the Fire Nation, it wasn’t hard for him to get in without running into trouble with other guards, and still being able to show his face, even though his business was a treacherous one. The man looked through each of the cells, being more than tall enough to see, as he walked towards the coolers, where he knew that he would probably find her.
“She has to be in here somewhere...” he murmured to himself.
Once he arrived to the coolers, he noted that there was no way for him to look into it, so instead he simply started opening and closing doors, with the keys he stole from an “unfortunate,” as he called it, guard.
A smile touched Kozen’s usually emotionless face as he stared at the person huddled in the cooler. The man’s eyes shifted from the ground to Kozen, but he didn’t move in any other way. It wasn’t Azula, no, but he was the next best thing. The man he stared at, worked as a silent and efficient assassin for many years, and became greatly infamous on the day that he attacked the Avatar in the middle of a town during the two’s second meeting. His mouth couldn’t form any words because of the mere thought of how strong the rebels could become with him as an addition to their group, if he could convince him to. But for the right price, he surely would be able to.
The man he stood in front of, had no true name, or at least it’s not known. Many called him “The Third Eye,” others, “The Fire Eye,” but no true names. But there was one name that he was called often, a name that a young man named Sokka had given him.
Combustion Man.
Last edited:
