A Joke
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Chapter 48
🕑 Added 2021-11-16 15:55:43 +0000 UTCChapter 48
***
With Katara by my side, we started 'searching' for Aang while in reality, I was guiding her towards the fortress.
Along the swampy mud, which Katara froze so we could walk on it freely. I saw a small piece of his glider and showed it to her. "It smells like it was burned a little."
She frowned. "Fire Nation?"
"Probably," normally I would joke and sarcastically say 'You think so?' Because it was obviously from the Fire Nation. But I kept these words to myself, knowing that Katara was worried and I didn't want her to feel even worse.
Still, judging by the footsteps in the swamps there were bound to be some scouts around here. If they get close I would notice in my map and try to walk around them. Still, none had seen us. When I fight with normal humans, I don't plan to use bending, essentially a spear is better anyway, since [Spear Mastery] can deal with humans easily.
The only reason I used waterbending most of the time was to fight gigantic creatures or those that I needed to keep my distance from.
One day, Katara will come to learn about my bending, probably. But that won't be any time soon, she was already insecure enough about herself, adding that one would make it even worse.
Also, I didn't want our enemies to know my abilities. This was the main reason, but no one needed to know these things.
It didn't take long before we came into a fortress that was a structure made up of multiple stone walls, surrounding a large pagoda tower at the center of the base.
[Pohuai Stronghold]
[A fortress of the Fire Nation, it is used as a major material depot. Its walls are coated with iron to protect it from earthbenders.]
Oh? Observe showed a lot more than I thought it would. Usually, it had limited information in such large structures. But I guess it has been leveling up since I used it quite a lot.
[Katara (Lvl 18)]
[A young waterbending girl. Knows some Waterbending, recently has had a growth spurt in her bending.]
She used to be Level 7 at the beginning of our journey. But it seemed like she had grown quite a lot. Giving her that waterbending scroll wasn't so bad after all. Hopefully, she will be at least Level 50 soon, that way she can be even more helpful in battle and truly stand by my side.
"So what's the plan?" She asked me, knowing that I was the guy who usually handled battle strategies.
There were a couple of hundred soldiers in there and those Yuyan Archers were dangerous even for me. I wouldn't fight such a battle as the chances of me losing were pretty high. Depending on the commander, winning in a head-on battle could even be straight-up impossible.
Using [Map], I checked who the highest leveled person was. Usually, this would be useless as it showed the strongest person and not the commander. But at least I needed to know who to take out first.
[Azula (Lvl 48)]
Oh… now that shows who the commander is. This just became even more troublesome. Azula, if this was the endgame Azula, that was deranged, and without a strategic thought in mind. Then that would be good.
But this was the smart and ruthless Azula, the one who single-handedly took down Ba Sing Se without an army. She didn't even have the arrogance that could be used against her after she took Ba Sing Se.
If Aang wasn't the Avatar, I would have let him in there a little longer. I was at a disadvantage in this battle, no matter how you looked at it.
"Well, this is the plan," I started instructing Katara.
***
Not long after that, Sokka walked to the front gates of the fortress, still wearing his Earth Kingdom green outfit.
"Stop!"
"Who is there?!"
Of course, the Fire Nation soldiers stopped him at the gate, and Sokka smiled. "I am Kuzon, a spy of the Fire Nation. There is some urgent news that I need to send to the Fire Lord."
"Wait here," said one of the commanders. Unlike normal, Sokka had used the transformation jutsu to darken his eyes and hair. While making his face a little more older-looking, around eighteen years old.
He did this while away from Katara's view. Because he knew that Azula was competent enough to recognize, or at least suspect him from some posters that were already made of him.
Soon enough, Azula herself came from atop the wall and looked down at Sokka. "Kuzon? I never heard of a spy named like that."
"I can explain everything, if you allow me to, princess," Sokka clasped his palm to his fist, to show his respect.
Her yellow eyes immediately narrowed on him in suspicion. "I don't think I have ever met you before. Yet, you know me. What am I to make of that?"
"My job is to deal with information, princess Azula," Sokka added respectfully, trying to sound as much like a Fire Nation soldier as possible.
"Hmmm…" Azula kept staring at him and then smiled slightly. "Okay, open the gates, let… Kazan? What was your name again?"
"Kuzon."
Sokka could tell that she was testing him, and he didn't want to say anything that would invite suspicion.
But as soon as the doors opened, he was greeted with a row of Yuyan Archers pointing their bows at him, and firebenders in front of them, ready to burn him alive.
'Did she figure it out?' - wondered Sokka, getting ready to pull his spear out of the inventory as soon as possible. But he still acted his part for now and put his hands up. "You can check me for weapons if you need to. Also, just to clarify, I am not a bender."
Azula came in front of the troops, with her hands behind her beck, as if daring him to attack her. "How did you know I was a princess? Not even my father's spies would dare spread such information."
Sokka bowed down on one knee, "It was due to the way you walked, Princess Azula."
"The way I walked?"
"Yes, you walked as if you owned this place."
She smiled. "You are quite competent, what was the information you wanted to give my father?"
"This is better spoken privately," he muttered, glancing at the soldiers behind her.
Azula chuckled, amusingly. "Send him to the cells, maybe that would be private enough for him. Also, try better next time, I have memorized the names of every spy outside of the Fire Nation."
Sokka didn't resist as the soldiers came and to imprison him. Instead, he stared Azula in the eyes and as the soldiers escorted him, he whispered to her. "Come and meet me when you are ready."
***
-Katara POV-
I observed my brother from far away and saw that he was captured. Seeing someone you love being taken away as a prisoner would be hard on anyone. But I kept my mind clear and tried to think calmly, reciting Sokka's words.
"If I am not captured, I will rescue Aang, if I am captured, then use the sewers to enter the fortress while everyone's attention is on me."
Those were his exact words. But it didn't calm me as much as I wished they did. Because plans do fail, and in this case, failure might lead to his death. He had no weapon on him either so he wouldn't be able to protect himself.
If it came down to it, who would I save? Aang or Sokka? Though this wasn't the exact situation, I couldn't help but think about it.
Essentially that was choosing between my brother and the rest of the world's safety… I didn't like the answer which came easily to me.
It seems like I was more selfish than I thought.
