You get used to the good life quickly. I'd completely forgotten what it's like to not fly, but instead crawl along on a ship that can't even reach half my usual flying speed. It's especially "great" when you're sailing against the current, or when the rowers tire out, and you're left relying only on the wind.
Driya found her calling. Her restless nature couldn't stand even a day without adventure. While everyone thinks she's in her cabin, Driya explores the ocean's depths, studying its plant life. Every new discovery adds more capabilities and functions to her ship. Sometimes, I feel sorry for Jong Jong's people, toiling away when the ship itself could move much faster without their help.
A waterbender who only uses their gift for war is a poor one. Luckily, I'm not like that, and the former admiral had nothing to do with it—it wasn't him who reminded me of a waterbender's potential. With a little hint from Jong, I began speeding up our ships with waterbending.
We can't sneak straight to the pole. Most of it is patrolled by the Fire Nation's sparse ships, which, making good use of their resources, have set up a decent watch. To get two ships past unnoticed, we'll have to approach the other end of the pole, where there are no settlements, only endless fields of snow. There, a team of benders, bear-dogs, and sleds pulled by buffalo-yaks will be waiting to take us to the capital.
It felt like Jong Jong had shed the shell of fatalism. As he admitted, he'd been living on autopilot for years, seeing no future for his squad. They'd chase him to the end, putting the people who followed him—good guys and girls who trusted him completely—at risk. Often, he'd thought about settling his people in some remote place and running from his pursuers alone. But Chey disagreed. Without the admiral, the group wouldn't stay united—they followed *him*. It would be too selfish.
Such conversations helped us get to know each other better. There wasn't much else to do on the ship anyway.
"Why did you decide to desert?" I'd always wanted to know the real reason.
"There's no single reason—it built up over years," Jong Jong began thoughtfully. "I was born on a small island with only one settlement. Life was… normal. I had nothing to compare it to back then. The main thing was, there was enough food. I was lucky—my bending gift showed up early. Every boy in the village dreamed of becoming a warrior for our nation, to punish our enemies with fire and sword," the admiral chuckled bitterly. "Then came the training years—no time for reflection. The army taught me to ignore certain unpleasant things. Power was more intoxicating than the finest alcohol, and the environment pushed me to be merciless. Before I knew it, I was an admiral. That's when the turning point came."
"So, what happened next?" I couldn't hold back, breaking the long silence.
"Next…" The admiral snapped out of his reverie, "I realized the true reality. With the new rank came more access. I saw military statistics, other archives. I realized the war wasn't just about resources or land—things we'd long lacked. The war had become an end in itself. Most production was for military purposes. The aristocrats held all the power—they were the admirals and generals. Only the Capital and their resorts, like Coal Island, prospered. The common people got only scraps. Some Earth Kingdom colonies had already surpassed our Fire Nation cities in development."
"Out of ten recruits, only five survive their first year in the army. I used to think that was normal. Many of us were ready to sacrifice our lives for our people's prosperity. But at my first military council, I learned how little they truly 'valued' their soldiers' lives. They'd send ten thousand to their deaths for a strategically insignificant territory without hesitation."
"Those councils had a strange harmony. Everyone sought the Fire Lord's favor. Results were all that mattered—war covered everything. I had a voice, could suggest strategies or ideas, but I couldn't condemn decisions. Only nobles had that privilege."
"Not much better than the Earth Kingdom, but not as terrible," I shared my thoughts.
"That's only half the problem," he shook his head. "My circle shared my views. Together, we fought for the common people and soldiers' interests. Things changed when some of us were initiated into the lower aristocracy. The Fire Sages always conduct those ceremonies. During initiation, the candidate must synchronize their flame with the Sages' fire—easy even for a regular firebender. But after those ceremonies, our friends changed—for the worse. They developed traits unlike them: greed, bloodlust, anger, and more. At first, we didn't notice. Power always changes people, we thought. We could bring them back. But when each of them, after similar ceremonies, became… different, we grew alarmed."
Strange things are happening in the Fire Nation—nothing like the show…
"Our investigation revealed the Fire Sages' power is stronger than ever. Only Azulon's iron grip keeps them from total dominance, but he won't last forever. Ozai's power grows, and the Sages favor him. We noticed a pattern: those who opposed their power ended up dead. Piandao was right—we shouldn't have dug so deep. Soon, my friends met the same fate. They crushed us from all sides. Some resigned. By the end of my service, I was alone."
As if sensing his teacher's mood, Chey entered the cabin with jasmine tea. Without a word, we decided to continue after a cup.
"Nothing held me back from reckless actions. I never started a family. My parents were long gone. No friends left. But I wanted to give the next generation a chance to fight. So, I decided to infiltrate a Fire Sage Temple to uncover how they change people. Those meant to serve the people were harming them," he ended with an ironic chuckle. Corruption among spiritual leaders existed in my world too.
"My subordinates likely included their agents. I warned my most trusted that I'd do something illegal, so they should disavow me. I wanted to protect them. That same day, strangers attacked me. Luckily, I hadn't slept—I sensed trouble. Ten Yu Yang archers and five strong firebenders would make even a master sweat. I regret buying a house on the outskirts, where hardly anyone lives. Fighting back, I ran toward the shore, where my prepared ship waited."
It's all so tangled. I wish it were like a movie—a clear villain, unmistakable, looking evil, doing dirty deeds, showing how bad they are. You'd know who to punch. But here, it's murky Fire Sages, an unclear Ozai, deranged aristocrats—the deeper you go, the worse it gets…
"I was a hundred meters from the ship when the firebenders intensified. Their flames turned a sinister mix of black and blood-red, radiating menace. Defending became harder. Some attacks hit me," he removed his outer garment, turning to show a horrifying black burn on his back. "I don't know what kind of fire it was, but after being grazed, I couldn't control my bending for a year. The residual energy's long gone—no way to know now."
"I was lucky some fools disobeyed my last order," you must've been a good commander, "In the end, with my people, we fought off the attackers. Then came years of survival. We learned what we shouldn't have. They'll never let us live."
The conversation left many unanswered questions—less frightening than unsettling. Such enemies won't let you get bored. More training, more open chakras!
You can't actively practice firebending here, but it's not just about techniques.
"Breathe evenly! No one's rushing you!" my teacher snapped. I don't blame him. It's day three, and he's teaching me to breathe "like at least a regular firebender." "With improper breathing, you lose energy when releasing. How did you even learn lightning redirection with such fundamentals?"
"I stood under natural lightning strikes, trying to figure it out."
"Radical, but effective," he admitted, knowing my healing abilities.
Three weeks later. Northern Water Tribe Capital.
A perfectly timed double backflip helped me dodge a stream of fire. Show-offy, sure, but I'd always wanted to learn such acrobatics. My teacher's on fire today—no holding back.
Breathe, focus, and now! Redirecting Jong Jong's lightning back at him, I felt like a kid with a new toy. I'd done it before, but redirecting natural lightning—somewhat "impersonal"—is different from a bender's creation. Sadly, the difference is significant. That's how I got fried the first time. We agreed to use only firebending. As an honest person, I stopped maintaining my water shield. Maybe it was foolish, but the motivation was endless!
My teacher's favorite move is raising a pillar of flame. Now, timing it right, he raised four pillars, trapping me. If he could, he'd raise a fifth right under me, but we're not killing each other—just training. Still, I lost again.
"Enough for today. You're wearing out the old man," you've fallen in with a bad crowd, teacher. Other waterbenders taught him to convincingly act like a frail elder to avoid work.
"Next sparring's with all elements. Prepare for a rematch," I smiled confidently. With my full arsenal of three elements, I win seven out of ten fights. Somewhere, I'm making up for it. With only firebending, my teacher's still too much for me, but it's only the first week of full training. There's plenty of time.
We arrived in the capital ten days ago, but tensions only recently eased. The Water Tribe grew accustomed to living alongside the former admiral's people. The first few days, we dealt with hotheads eager to show how "happy" they were with the arrangement. We set up patrols to deter them, but it didn't solve the root problem. Tensions rose, and the council decided: if you can't beat them, lead them.
They opened training grounds where benders—and not just the gifted—could settle scores. By the gods, they'll make me joke about their orientations someday. The way those guys look at each other, all fiery-eyed—it's unnerving. Through good beatings, people started releasing stress, and the tension in the air began to fade. There's no friendship between the peoples, but cautious neutrality is already a success.
Pakku and Jong Jong's good relationship would be hard to notice if I didn't know what to look for. I know they're both White Lotus members, but when did they meet? How do they communicate over distances? Luckily, I haven't shown my other elements to the people. If one person can communicate with the outside world, there's another. I don't need the Fire Nation fleet at the capital's gates right now. Jong Jong knows what would happen if he slips up, so no worries there. More importantly, only here can his people, despite disagreements with the locals, live peacefully instead of just surviving.