章 2: Prologue Pt.2
As I approached the Ancient city of the sun. I looked at the desolate ruins and sighed. Azulon had sent me here to embrace my destiny. But the city was abandon. The only things left were eroded stones and faded murals.
Walking through the abandoned city. My foot hit the ground and the stone slab pressed deeper into the ground. The sound of a mechanized click sounded and a volley of arrows ripped through the air in my direction.
Leaping off of the ground into a front flip. I dodged the arrows but landed on false ground. The ground crumbled underneath me. Falling into a pit of metal spikes, I blast a torrent of scorching yellow and green flames, launching myself into the air. Landing on a roof.
This place is dangerous. Running along the roofs of the buildings. I did well to avoid any more surprise booby traps. I soon stopped mid-way to the top of the city's primary ziggurat and found a mural of two dragons bathing a Sun Warrior in its fire. The mural exhibits multiple fractures and signs of erosion from the centuries causing the mural current state of disrepair.
Suddenly I feel a slight pressure on the back of my skull. It was like someone was watching me. Looking around, I saw that I was still alone and decided to shake off the feeling and keep moving forward.
I went through many buildings before I chanced upon a large area at the base of the pyramid in the center of the city, with a massive erected stone obelisk. Across from the Obelisk, there was a massive golden circle door that led inside of the pyramid with a large red gem above it.
Feeling the door, I looked for some kind of way to open it but found none. Residing myself to relaxing for the day. I find an empty house and set up a sleeping bag and a cooking fire.
I hunted through the city and found an armadillo bear. The massive thing took a bit of energy to put down. But I was glad to have a good meal for once. As I prepared the meal and began my cooking, It was hard not to notice the movement of the sun and its effect on the courtyard. The sun's rays shined through the top of the obelisk and its magnified light moved around the courtyard ground. I found it peculiar and familiar.
The next morning I watched as the sun traveled across the sky and it's focused light traveled around the courtyard, specifically a circular pattern carved on the ground.
"Celestial calendar.." I finally realized. It was the same calender used to open the sanctuary door at the fire sage temple... Across the large platform was a brass plate. Picking it up, I redirected the light of the sun to hit the stone above the golden door. The stone began to shine and the doors began to rumble. Sliding across the ground, the double doors parted to reveal a room filled with ancient statues.
"The Dancing Dragon…" I read the statue inscription aloud.
The statues circled the room and each statue was sculpted in a different form. In front of each statue I found that the stone slabs caved in every few steps. I eventually discovered that the dance forms of the statues triggered something in the room. Though I never found out what, it seemed that I needed another person to unlock the secrets of the room.
I stayed in the ancient sun city for a month after discovering the room. I practiced The Dancing Dragon technique more after I recognized it as a firebending technique of the Sun Warriors. I also studied the murals left around the city. Azulon and Avatar Roku sent me to the city for a reason. I wanted to learn all I could before leaving.
As I practiced more and opened myself to the fragments of Sun warrior philosophy that I rediscovered. I became close to the sun and the true essence of fire. My fire started to change and my technique began to improve. The Dancing Dragon technique taught me many things, the movements and the flow of energy was unique and enlightening.
One month became two and two became three and so on.
One day the subtle sounds of footsteps woke me from my sleep and attracted my attention. Following the noise, I was led to a gathering of Sun Warriors, a group of people thought to be extinct.
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"Who are you, people?" I asked.
"Who are you? You are the one intruding on our land." the man dressed as the chief spoke.
I couldn't argue with that, so I replied, " I am Kai Jeong, formally of the Fire Nation."
"Hmm, Kai Jeong. We have been watching you. Biding our time until you decided to move on. But as time passed the deeper your roots dug into the Sun City soil. So tell me, why do you stay in these ruins without friends or family?" the chief asked.
"A Master of mine believes I can find the alternate way of fire, here. A way of firebending without hatred and destruction. And I have nowhere to go, so I've decided to take my time and learn properly."
The chief smirked at Kai's words. He then threw a fireball at Kai. Kai bent backyards and slimly dodged the attack. But something happened when the attack passed him. The chief performs two moves and snatches at the air, causing the previous attack to return to him.
Kai was gobsmacked. "How did?"
"If you treat fire as wild destruction, you never truly learn control. Why would you, your only purpose is to destroy." The Chief explained. "Come with us, Kai"
I began to live amongst the people of the sun. It was hard at first but I've learned quickly. I progressed more as a firebender and also as a spiritualist.
In 98 AG. The Tribal Chief took me to sit in front of the eternal flame. There I took just a wisp of the eternal flame and walked to the mountain behind the city. At the top of the mountain was another platform that extended high into the air. I was finally ready to meet the Masters. The sun warriors believed that these masters knew the true essence of firebending and only under their tutelage could one learn the true essence of firebending.
Moving to the next platform, I presented my flame and patiently waited. The platform was between two massive rock caves that overlooked the ocean. As I waited, the sun warriors began to beat their drums and the caves rumbled. Two dragons soon rushed out to judge me. I was utterly shocked. I believed the last dragon had been slain. But now one of red and another of blue flew around me.
I watched them and began to see a resemblance between their moves and the moves of the firebending form learned from the secret chamber.
"The Dancing Dragon…" I muttered the name of the firebending form.
Performing the dancing dragon to completion. The Masters, Ran, and Shaw stared me down and passed their judgment. Their necks arched and they released a torrent of multi-colored flames that formed a massive tornado around me. Within the flames I saw the truth. Not just the destructive properties of fire, but the life-giving energy that flames possess, like the sun, fire has a place in nature.
After my time with the dragons, I realized the power of the sun within me. From that day, I trained with the dragon masters Ran and Shaw at sunrise every day. Masters Ran and Shaw showed me no mercy. After 6 months of rigorous training, The Masters took me to the sun and showed me a deeper truth. Like the Moon Spirit, the Sun Spirit had relocated to the physical world eons ago. A Sacred place deep under Sun City, close to the earth's core in a place of magma and diamonds.
There I discovered a Koi fish in a lake of magma and learned a story lost in time.
With that truth, I topped my dragon masters and I was rewarded with an egg from the blue dragon Master Ran.
In my time with the Sun Warriors, I became the sun. And with my baby dragon. I set out to travel the world and await my destiny.
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"Boy you have to wake up! Wake up or you will remain in a slumber forever!" Azulon shouted at Kai.
Kai's eyes snapped open and he found himself surrounded by Fire Nation soldiers. Kai spun on the ground and a circle of flames rolled out and backed the soldiers away. Soldiers that Kai had met before.
"If it isn't Kai Jeong. The fallen. You aren't supposed to be in the fire nations."
"Ah Yi… I thought you still be licking captain Zhao's asshole." Kai Spat.
"How vulgar, did your grandfather not teach you any manners." A cold voice resounded.
Kai stiffened. "Captain Zhao…"
"Little Kai. When your grandfather left, I was also punished. And I want you to know. If things could be different. They Would. Take him." Captain Zhao ordered.
The fire nation soldier's moved but Kai remained still. He did not resist. He and Zhao had a love-hate relationship and he refused to start his battle against the fire nation by killing the man he saw as an uncle. He also did not want to kill the men that once belonged to his grandfather.
"Zhao… When we go back. Can you make sure that Azula isn't there." Said Kai.
"You haven't heard… The Princess Azula is the epitome of cruelty since you were banished. Her heart is colder than the north, Kai. Between us, Fire Lord Ozai will happily take you back, as long as you abandon your pursuits for the Princess."
Kai turned his head up and just held out his hands to be shackled. He was taken to a ship and back to the Capital City.
Regardless of what Zhao wanted, the moment the soldiers at the port saw Kai. The Captial City began to buzz with news of his imprisonment. Instead of taking Kai to the cells, Zhao walked him straight to the palace.
"Now, don't say a word and let me do the talking, kid. Hopefully I can get you assigned to my ship and this ends without an execution," said Zhao.
He then walked Kai into the fire lord's throne room. When the doors opened, Kai and Zhao immediately saw the Fire Lord, Azula, and two generals.
Kai and Zhao bowed and gave their greetings.
"Fire Lord, Kai Jeong was found in fire nation territory." Said Zhao.
"And why bring him here?"
"I thought it would be for the best, Fire Lord. To let him go would be to go against your decree." Zhao replied.
"Very Well… Azula what should we do with him?"
Azula's jaw tightened and she stared at Kai. All she could think about was the day her father burned her brother's face and banished him. To Kai, she knew her father would do worse.
"Imprisonment. Forever," she said.
This made the Fire Lord mad. The fire that surrounded his throne, intensified, and grew in height. "He will be executed as decreed. He will serve as a deterrent for anyone who chooses to not abide by my decree!"
Kai began to chuckle. "Are those your last words, Ozai… Then by order of Fire Lord Azulon, I shall no purge the fire nation."
Kai spewed scorching flames from his mouth like a raging dragon. Melting through his shackles, Kai took a fighting stance and engaged the guards in the room. Without mercy, he cut them down. Torrents of flames were launched with his fists, kicks, elbows, and knees. Intense colorful flames that terrified his enemies.
"Haaaa!" Kai dropped an ax kick on the floor that split the earth with a raging white flame that split the fire lords' throne in half.
Ozai lept from his seat and landed next to his daughter and two generals.
"What will you do captain Zhao?!" Ozai asked
Zhao looked at the outnumbered Kai and then at the Fire Lord before throwing a series of fire blasts at Kai.
Kai caught the first fireball and then the second and third fireballs added to the first before launching it back at Zhao. Zhao was blasted into the wall of the throne room as the left half of his body was scorched, Zhao cried in agony.
Fire Lord Ozai gritted his teeth as he watched the display. Kai immediately took his dragon stance and looked at his enemies. A Fire Lord, two generals, and Azula.
"Will you fight me, little Pheonix?" Kai asked.
"Will you fight my father?" Azula asked in turn
"For you? I'll incinerate the world. Come with me, Azula. We can still have a marriage blessed by the sun spirit."
Ozai watched the struggle in his daughter. Ozai stepped forward with a destructive punch and launched a meteor-like fireball. Kai ripped through and attacked the Fire Lord. The two engaged in hand to hand combat and exchanges of fatal streams of fire before the generals stepped in. Kai spits fire and created distance before pushing flames from his feet to rush a general.
"HHuuu" Kai launched a fire palm the crushed a general chest. He then spun low to dodge a kick from the last general. Kai swept the leg of the last general and put his lightning coated claws into the general's chest.
Snapping his head towards Ozai, Kai barked,, "I learned that just for you. You killed your father, now you pay!"
Kai launched at Ozai but a torrent of blue flames intercepted him.
"Azula... Don't do this."
"Why not?! This is your fault! All you had to do was stay gone. I would have found you as I promised."
Kai sighed before he shot forwarded and disabled Azula by blocking her chi. "You never understood the value of friendship. I tried to teach you, but you were always at the end of your father's robe begging for recognition."
"Ty Lee…" Azula whispered with tears in her eyes. She felt useless. Her bending was blocked and for a moment she wished she would have done things differently and maybe, she would be able to unblock her chi and fight Kai at this moment. She then thought of her two best friends Mai and Ty Lee. If they were here, could they fight, no, would they fight Kai, she asked herself.
Kai buried his pain of hurting Azula and faced the Fire Lord, a Master Firebender.
"You've become an extremely strong boy. Too Strong, you must be dealt with!" The Fire Lord lept in the air and flapped his arms like a flaming bird. Two walls of fire attempted to close Kai in. Kai flexed and struck a pose causing the flames to pull in and form a fire sphere around his body. Kai moved through two forms and the flaming sphere turned into a fire ring the spun around Kai's body.
"We can do this all day!" Kai shouted.
"Yes we can!" A voice shouted from the throne room doors.
More generals, admirals, and soldiers had appeared. Kai immediately swallowed the fire ring. Ozai's eyes went wide as he jumped behind a pillar. Kai's gut swelled and he spits out purple, green, and yellow flames the blew many soldiers back and forced the firebending masters present to protect themselves from the deadly flames. Kai hurriedly grabbed Azula and fled the room filled with wild flames.
When the flames died down. Ozai issued an execution degree for Kai Jeong. Outside of the palace. Kai left set Azula in an empty hall before leaving the palace and battling his way to the waterfront and back on to Zhao's ship.
"Stand down little Jeong. Do not make us traitors. We have families! Your grandfather understood this and he covered us when he deserted. But you. The only way you could cover us, is by giving up. Any other outcome means death for us and our families." A white-haired man spoke.
"Master Chief… I'm sorry, but I can't go back. I can only move forward. I can through you off or I can take this ship and you can help me. There's a way into the city, if you help me, we can save your families…" Kai looked around at the hesitant faces. "If your time under my grandfather meant anything! You will help me! This ship is the only way out of the capital."
"There are others!" the Master Chief shouted.
"But this is a ship without enemies! I was there when Azulon gave the order. When my grandfather deserted, you were all demoted and put under Zhao's command. If you are anything like your former commander, you all understand that our nation is sick, and the Earth Kingdom will never cross the sea to attack. We are the only chance the fire nation has at having a future free of blood in a peaceful and balanced world."
The master chief ground his teeth.
"Kai!" Ah Yi appeared on the deck of the ship as he shouted.
Ah Yi sent two fireballs before the master chief grunted and blasted Ah Yi off of the ship. "Tell the first lieutenant to get us out of the bay!" he shouted.
The crew smiled and began to prepare the ship. "What of Zhao's men?"
The master Chief chuckled, "Besides that ass licker, Ah Yi, there are a few others. They will be dealt with. So how do we get our families off of the island?"
"The volcano tunnels that run under the city." Said Kai.
The Master Chief raised an eyebrow.
"Trust me Long Wei. I will not fail you. Just get us off the bay. The sun is going down. So kill the light and we'll go dark." Said Kai.
Sometime later, Zhao's men were thrown overboard and Kai was sailing in pure darkness, close to the rocky shore of the fire nation.
"Long Wei. Drop the anchor." Said Kai.
A moment later the ship stopped.
"So what's the plan?" Asked Long Wei.
"Gather all the men with families. And I'll explain on the way." Said Kai.
When the group of men was running on the backside of the volcano that surrounded the capital. Kai was telling the of the underground tunnels. The plan was for every man and woman to collect their family use the swears to travel north. Kai would be waiting at the entrance where the swear connects to the volcanic tunnels. From there, Kai would lead them out of tunnels and back to the ship with about 7 hours of darkness to cover their escape.
"Do you all understand?" asked Long Wei.
"Yes!" the soldiers replied.
"No clothes, food, water, pictures, nothing! You get your families and you come back here. When we are free, we will go to Admiral Jeong Jeong, a true commander. Now hurry." said Long Wei.
The group ran hard for an hour. Kai and the soldiers worked together to move an old metal door that covered the entrance to the tunnel. From there Kai led every to Capital City.
Kai waited alone for a while until a female soldier returned with her brother and parents. The next person to return was Long Wei, and the rest of the soldiers trickled in. With the extra time added to the trip by the families, Kai only had roughly 5 hours of darkness left.
Kai pushed hard south but when the sun rose, A warship was on their tail. Close enough to give chase but too far to attack.
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