Chapter 161: There is no war in Ba Sing Se
While it may have been hard to breach the outer walls of Ba Sing Se, it happened to be a piece of cake for Toph and Nik. Even after six years of its defeat, not many things changed in Ba Sing Se... not many things COULD change given the size of the city but when they'd arrived, Nik did hear the farthest whispers of the city not being called Ba Sing Se but Phoenix City instead.
The name hadn't been popular amongst the common populace or even Poppy would have known of it. While the woman was from a wealthy household, she has only entered Ba Sing Se once in her younger years and had met Lao, her former husband, there. Needless to say, entering it with Nik brought her some emotions... that would need venting.
The Outer Walls had three points of entrances, each of them connected by a raised mailroad over which boxes of earth that contained people could be moved through earthbending and when Nik saw it first, he couldn't help but reminiscent of trains in his homeworld, granted that the latter didn't utilize humans to push their heels and earthbend it forward.
The city was divided by two walls. From the outer wall to the inner wall, there was a gargantuan agrarian land that was supposed to act as a buffer for the actual population of Ba Sing Se should the outer walls be breached. But with the war supposedly ending, these six years had allowed the new tyrant to make full use of these fertile lands and spread out the population to focus on the cultivation of land.
As such, there were already numerous villages and outposts for the actual citizens of Ba Sing Se.
Mind you, the first to enter Ba Sing Se must go through that mailroad, have their identities attested within the inner walls, and then be allowed to move anywhere but for Nik and his group who had shown themselves in, it was just a matter of inconvenience and they soon found a settlement to their liking. Their cloaked visages didn't bring them any trouble since there were quite a few people who looked more than shady in these parts of the region.
Right, Nik, Michi, and others didn't think that they would be the only illegal immigrants of Ba Sing Se since the large area of it almost assured many misfits to find ways to enter the strongest and most prosperous city of the Earth Kingdom.
Temporarily settled into a tavern's room, Nik and others finally looked amongst themselves to discuss their next course of action.
Well, their main objective still remained to find the secretive prisons but this time, the problem was also how to show these prisoners out of Ba Sing Se. While the girls hadn't recommended him to use his personal space, even if they had, there was no guarantee that the prisoners would actually believe what he says and agree to enter it. So, this was an issue of its own right.
Then, Michi and Poppy had revealed their intentions of collecting information by setting up a shop of some sort. The truth was, it was as Nik had expected.
Staying in the Personal Space, training, or just loitering about took its toll. The girls, at least, Michi and Poppy, desired to have a routine of their own and Nik wouldn't deny that thought. Even he had come to enjoy being employed in his homeworld as it gave him something to do.
And finally, there were also bits and pieces of how the current Phoenix King's family was sighted somewhere in Ba Sing Se.
But whatever they wanted to do, either setting a shop, finding solutions to hiding and stowing prisons and whatnot, it couldn't be completed in this small rural region so close to the outer walls of the city that is constantly patrolled by Earthbenders.
Instead, they decided to travel for the day and finally found a larger settlement near the middle of this buffer land called Tozen Village... named after the chief of the village, Tozen.
Their arrival garnered very little attention until Michi gave a startled cry—
"It's a long, long way to Ba Sing Se~
But the girls in the city look so pretty~!"
Michi gazed at a balding old man who had his grey hair falling past his shoulder by a tiny margin as he covered himself in dusty old rags and sang with much fervor.
"What's wrong?" Nik questioned softly as she continued to gaze at the man, unblinkingly. By now, even the old beggar had found the group of travelers staring at him and his gaze gained a twinkle, "Ah, travelers! Would you spare a few coins to this old man?"
"Whatever you do, don't you treat him as a beggar!" Michi's hushed whisper left quite to be desired as even the old man in front of them heard it and chuckled, "Then treat me as the Fire Lord and fill me with meat and pint, why don't you?" Patting his large belly, the man laughed shamelessly.
For a second, Nik was about to agree. It was just food, after all, and Nik doubted the old man could eat more than him but the next second, he pulled his attention from food and focused on Michi's gradually rough breathing turning peaceful once again.
"Fire Lord Iroh... what are you doing here?"
"Why did you just do that?" Nik sighed deeply, his shoulders slumped while the old man in front of them couldn't help but smile wryly, "Indeed... why did you just do that... I was acting so well at that... sigh, this world truly doesn't appreciate good tea makers and actors..."
---
Iroh's slightly dull but otherwise cunning golden eyes fell on Nik. Tozen is a remarkably large and well-developed agrarian village compared to other outposts since it also acted as a storage for the various traders and farmers who would bring their crops to the inner walls of Phoenix City. As such, there was more than just one tavern that gave a bit more privacy.
With the hood of their cloaks pulled back, Nik and others looked at Iroh, too. The room was entirely occupied by them. While Nik and Michi sat together, Mai and others were looking at Iroh with their shoulders tense. Girls like Mai and Yue had heard of Iroh's reputation more than once. His greatest exploit in recent years was to assist his younger brother in taking down Ba Sing Se.
"So... ah, now I remember! You're the cute sweetheart who would follow Zuko back in the day... tell me, did you see him again?" Iroh looked at Mai, causing her lips to thin out, "And you're his boring old uncle... no, I haven't seen him and I have better things to do than him."
"Is that what I am? A thing?" Nik scoffed in mock offense.
"That's not right... a man shouldn't be treated as an object..." Iroh shook his head in tandem.
"Unfortunately, when you're this good... little can be done about it," Nik sighed.
"I've been there, young man. Back in my day... before I met the love of my life, I too—"
"I don't want to hear about some old man's humping stories!" Toph interjected with a hushed shout, pushing a loaf of bread in her mouth and chewing it off the next second.
"Mind your tone, Toph," Poppy pinched her daughter's nose as she squirmed slightly.
"She's right... we don't need to hear that—" Mai began when Michi shot her daughter a glare, "Mai, enough."
"Fire Lord Iroh... please excuse my daughter's disrespect. If it wasn't for you, Omashu would have been invaded long ago."
"Heh, I very much doubt that," Iroh chuckled, "I just saved my troops and Omashu's people the unnecessary bloodshed that would have taken place. And of course, I don't mind their words. It's the truth... back in my day, even I used to tense up at dallying tales of older men and women... especially women... shivering most of them."
"May I ask what you're doing here?" Michi sighed softly.
"Begging, as you can see."
"I can't," Toph shrugged and Iroh flinched for a second, "As you can hear?"
"Hmm... I guess," Toph nodded.
"Alright, enough!" Katara frowned, "Did you know there are prisons in Ba Sing Se where men regarded as dead are still forced to live their lives in complete solitude?!"
Iroh finally lost most of his cheerful demeanor. His eyes grew a tad bit serious and he shook his head, "I came to know about it... once you guys began to be a pain in Phoenix King's butt... yet, I'm not aware of these locations and I doubt forcing my brother would change that situation. Instead, I'm trying to locate these prisons... and my family."
"Lady Ursa and her children." Michi spoke up again as Iroh's eyes widened, "Did you see them? Are they well?"
"No... Fire Lord—"
"Iroh would do," the old man interjected.
"I see... no, Iroh. I didn't see them... Ukano's items included a letter to the Phoenix King stating that Lady Ursa and her children have been sighted in Ba Sing Se, or as we know it now, Phoenix City—"
"No... no," Iroh shook his head, "There is a Ba Sing Se still... a location called Old Ba Sing Se not far from here but that location is... dangerous."
Since they had yet to have a full grasp of the situation, nobody could say for sure if Iroh was lying or not.
After a long period of silence, Iroh picked up his cup of tea, and his shoulders visibly relaxed, "It's fine as long as they are alive and well... I must see to it myself. Besides that, what are you supposed to be?"
He looked at Nik and he frowned in return.
"What do you mean?"
"What do I mean?" Iroh chuckled, "You think I don't hear the whispers of dragons of past encouraging me to attack you? I'm not kidding, young man. Right here," Iroh touched his left ear, "They are still whispering. Saying Ra commands them... but I know better than to believe that the Sun wants you dead..."
"You have no idea..." Nik finally groaned but kept his caution around Iroh.
"I do... Ra doesn't kill. He devours."
That made Nik pause for a second and he took another look at Iroh.
"Alright," Nik huffed softly, "You don't know about the prisoners. We don't know about your family. It was nice to meet you, but—"
"If you do intend to rescue the prisoners, I do have men looking for them. They would appreciate talents like yourself helping them... Phoenix City is simply too large for a small group to cover." Iroh didn't let Nik complete and offered instead, "I'm still the Fire Lord and there are many who share my vision even if they do not share my origins." The twinkle in the old man's eyes returned, "But something tells me you have an experience dealing with... troubled young girls. If I want to find them and help them... I would require such talent, too. What do you all say? Help me help you."
A bright grin touched his face and he chuckled.
"I like him... he isn't lying," Toph pointed out and Nik rolled his eyes. He could lie and still deceive her Seismic Sense and that is why Nik didn't really use it to assess falsehood in others' words.
"If it is honesty you seek," Iroh contemplated for a second, "Then it's not just the whispers of dragons. I once traveled to a village named Makapu after you and your friends had rescued a group of prisoners. There, I met a lovely woman. Wu. She had a spirit on her back, too... compelling her to scheme against you. I don't know how she fares now but I do know she couldn't resist the urge of that spirit."
"She's fine," Nik sighed. When Aang returned, he brought Wu's regard, too, "She says... that she is free and at peace."
"That's good... I should meet her again." Iroh smirked and sipped his tea.
"So... are we doing this?" Suki questioned.
"Depends," Nik narrowed his eyes, "While we travel and assist one another, I would like to see just how capable you are. It might not look like it but I'm a firebender—"
"Please, I know all about you. If you're seeking to train with someone, the least you can do is be direct even if not explaining much," Iroh hummed, "But I assure you. I don't know many things aside from the basic stances but that should be enough, right?"
"... right..." Nik muttered and looked to his side. Katara still looked a bit reluctant but she didn't say a lot of things. And others still kept their thoughts to themselves, willing to assess Iroh as they move along.
---
*Crackle*
The campfire didn't die out for the entirety of the night even after dawn broke through the horizon as Iroh continued to stay seated in front of it. It continued to flicker on even without any wood as the embers were reflected in his golden pupils while he continued to stare into it, seeing things that one could only imagine.
*Trc*
The sound of a foot stepping on a twig echoed in the lonesome night as Iroh's gaze flickered and he muttered, "What could you possibly want from me?"
"You're the reason I don't have a family..." Katara's cold voice echoed behind Iroh as he could hear the sound of ice freezing into icy crystals, "The Fire Lord... Phoenix King's brother... everyone calls you magnanimous of the two brothers. Why weren't you generous when you took my mother from me? Why weren't you generous when countless others lost their homes and families?"
Iroh once again stared at the flames that burned without any wood while Katara hissed, "And now you want us to help find your family?"
"I do share the blame of my ancestors..." Iroh muttered, "It would have been different if I avoided the fate of every Fire Prince that wage war as their right to the throne but I didn't... I was young and lost. Unfortunate was I when I opened my eyes to the... corpse of my son in my arms... he was so young... so noble..." Iroh's eyes began to warm up slightly as he continued, lost in his world, "Kill me if you wish to... spare me if you desire it. I have indeed destroyed too much. Yours is a tragedy not directly linked to me but I cannot shrug the responsibilities of my actions... all I can do is try and protect what I wish to hold dear..."
"Don't you assume for a second that I will have a change of heart because you went through something every father during the war did!" Katara hissed, "Your son died?" Her breath turning ragged, "What about many fathers of the Earth Kingdom and the Water Tribes? What about the Air Nomads that you cruelly decimated! Do they not shed tears? Had they not suffered?!"
Iroh's shoulders trembled and he finally turned to look at Katara with a gaze full of paternal instincts. His eyes revealed a sense of loss that he wouldn't usually reveal. A sense of loss that Katara shared. With her shoulders still trembling, Katara gritted her teeth, "Don't you dare pity me!"
"I envy you," Iroh's words echoed, "You've found people... they may never replace what you have lost but you aren't alone."
Her lips quivered, "You... you're a scum! How come the Fire Nation always finds a way to screw things up? If you're so lost, why didn't you stop your brother!"
"It was never my place to stop him..." Iroh revealed, his shoulders slumping slightly as he sighed deeply, "And you're right... this war is madness but you would be incorrect to assume that this madness only hurt the three nations... even the fire nation is hurting. The world is hurting. The war has ended but the wounds haven't even begun to heal... Right now, what the world needs the most isn't hatred but a respite."
"Oh, like you people know about that," Katara slumped behind Iroh and scowled as the icy shards flew past him and stabbed into the ground.
Curling up and hugging her knees, she scowled at the man as a chuckle reverberated from his throat, "For one, I know tea helps. And, it may not seem like it but I do brew a banging pot of tea. Would you care to have some?"
"No, I won't," Katara spat.
"Are you going to sit behind me and glare all the time?"
"Not while I'm training."
"Then let me make some tea, after all. It's a great beverage to wake up to. Isn't that right, Toph?"
Katara's head whipped behind her and found Toph looking at them eerily.
"How long have you been here?"
"Couldn't sleep myself so when I found you walking, I followed. Here, you can use this for tea."
She carved out a great earthen pot that made Iroh's eyes practically light up.
As he went on doing his tasks, Toph sat beside Katara silently until she eventually muttered, "I don't know who you were lying to... but half the things you said were lies..."
"Shut up... I don't need you to tell me that..." Katara mumbled, her tone downcast.
Soon, the scent of tea began to spread as Toph's nostrils flared for a second, "The tea does smell great."
"Ugh..." Is all Katara had to offer.
***
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