I spent the rest of the day buried in paperwork, skimming through it diagonally—general reports on the state of affairs, taxes, funds allocated for soldiers' wages, and so on. During my years in the army, documents like these had long since come to feel like an unavoidable evil that one could only accept and endure. At first glance, everything appeared to be within acceptable limits, though that proved nothing beyond the absence of either outrageously blatant abuses of authority or exceptionally skilled efforts to cover them up.
That evening, we gathered in the common room on the tavern's upper floor. The inn was small, so even after renting out the entire building, there still wasn't enough space for everyone. Part of our people had been sent to sleep in the barracks generously provided for "the Herald's escort."
"So then, gentlemen… and lady," I said as Ramis, his assistant, and my ever-faithful Suki took their seats at the table, "what have you learned?"
"Not all that much," Ramis shrugged. "At first glance, it's a fairly ordinary town. One of dozens scattered throughout the colonies. The locals' attitude toward us is neutral, though not as warm as in the older settlements.
"Trade caravans pass through the village roughly once every two weeks. The main imports are cloth, honey, and river fish one way, while metalwork and pottery go the other. The biggest problem is a gang of bandits holed up somewhere deep in the forest. They attack pretty much anyone and everyone, sparing only the local honey gatherers—the hunters who collect wild honey."
"The locals don't really have any complaints about the garrison," the Kyoshi warrior continued, "aside from their complete inability to deal with the bandits. And that incompetence is a little too… impressive."
"Hm. Maybe our major's getting a cut of the profits?" Jin, the sergeant's assistant, suggested with perfectly reasonable suspicion.
"That's possible," the girl nodded. "There are rumors that the gang is led by someone named Jet, and he's only sixteen or seventeen. That seems awfully young for the leader of a band that's been running circles around an entire garrison for years."
The bandit leader's name sounded vaguely familiar. Since I definitely hadn't heard it in this life, it was probably some association from canon. After thoroughly straining my memory, I finally recalled that yes, there had indeed been someone named Jet in Avatar. He'd appeared a few times, though I couldn't remember any details. Judging by the fact that he was a roadside bandit attacking Fire Nation patrols, he was probably one of the "good guys." Which meant that I, as a representative of the "villains," had every right to slit his throat.
"Of all people, we shouldn't fall into the trap of assuming youth automatically means stupidity," I jabbed at the commander of the Kyoshi Warriors, who herself had only turned seventeen a couple months ago. And I wasn't much older than her either… not much at all. "Besides, it's entirely possible he only took over the gang recently, and someone else was leading it before him."
"Maybe." She looked faintly embarrassed. "I didn't dig that deeply into their history. What are we going to do about it?"
"In principle, hunting bandits isn't our responsibility. We could simply move on."
Oh, now she frowned. It seemed the ideals of "protecting peace and order" were heavily promoted on Kyoshi Island after all.
"On the other hand," I continued, "it is our duty as warriors of the Fire Nation to protect our citizens and uphold the law. And if the local authorities can't handle the problem…" I allowed myself a slight smile. "Then perhaps we can assist them. Besides, I already have an idea for how to pull this off."
The next day, some rather interesting rumors began spreading through the town. People whispered that an important official sent all the way from the Fire Nation Capital to inspect the garrison had decided to tour the surrounding area and satisfy his curiosity about how ordinary folk lived.
Those who claimed to have seen the official insisted he was just some arrogant boy obsessed with exotic novelties. Why else would he disguise his own lovers and servants as the legendary Kyoshi Warriors? After all, everyone knew the warriors never left their mysterious island—and certainly wouldn't abandon it just to follow some Fire Nation brat around.
Suki, whose friends and subordinates had been the very ones spreading those rumors among the locals, appeared both thoughtful and offended. But the reasons behind her thoughts and indignation left me completely dumbfounded.
What offended her was that someone dared to think she was merely pretending to be a warrior.
What occupied her thoughts, meanwhile, was the implication that I traveled surrounded by lovers. Plural.
Not that such a thing was particularly unusual among the aristocracy. Rumor had it that Lord Ozai himself kept anywhere from three to five concubines. No, what unsettled me was that thoughtful look in her eyes. I simply couldn't interpret it or figure out what exactly was going through her head. And, as everyone knows, the unknown tends to make people nervous.
Ahem. Right… I'd think about that later. At the moment, I clearly had more pressing matters to deal with.
The rumor spread through the village like wildfire. What could you do? It was a remote settlement with almost no news to speak of, and suddenly there came such a "scandalous" story. So by the second half of the day, when the "pampered aristocrat finally deigned to open his eyes and pry himself away from his mistresses," every last dog in Gaipan knew exactly the sort of information I wanted circulating.
(End of Chapter)
Even the smallest flame needs fuel to endure.
If you wish to see this story burn brighter, consider leaving a review, a comment, or offering your Power Stones.
🔥 Bonus chapter at 100 power stones.