29 Chapter 8. Kyoshi Island. Part 1.

Here's a chapter for the power stones

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Kyoshi Island. A strange place, if you think about it. And there's a feeling that trouble awaits us here. However, the main thing is to make a good first impression, I think.

Although to begin with - to arrive safely. The captain has already mentioned that there's a local chthonic creature there - a sea serpent. And we need to be very careful not to provoke an attack from an unknown contraption floating on the surface. However, Uli promised that there would be no problems with that. And I trust him.

So, I sat on the bow of the ship and breathed in the fresh sea air, which was already making me nauseous. Or rather, trying to understand, watching my poor benders, I remembered that breathing is very important in fire bending. But what about air bending, where you inhale air? I'm sure there's some connection. So I sat down, starting to breathe slowly and trying to feel something inside me.

Surprisingly, there was some result - the "wind" within me somehow slightly responded to my attempts. I can't quite characterize it, but it's extremely interesting. It would be nice to delve deeper, right now I feel like I'm blindly feeling the hood of a car and trying to understand what it is and what it's for with such a sparse sense of the world. But it would be better to see or fully feel this machine. Because otherwise, I won't be able to become stronger. I need to explore bending, damn it.

"Inspector, the Fire Nation ship is heading straight ahead. Moored in the same place it should be. There's no personal symbolism on board except for the main Fire Nation flags. And according to the map, there shouldn't be any military operations here," interrupted my thoughts the captain, approaching me from behind.

It's strange how it happens that when I sit and think about something of my own, they don't touch me and don't even speak loudly. Even Captain Uli. I don't know what it's connected to, but there's this slightly incomprehensible moment. But I'm grateful to them - I don't like being distracted from my semi-meditative thoughts.

And the captain can sometimes disturb me at important moments, although I never said not to touch me. Now is one of those moments.

A small ship, not designed for a large crew, without any recognizable signs, docked tightly to the shore and stood with the gangway open.

Our ship was much larger, with the necessary identifying signs, so without hesitation, I ordered to cut off that vessel's chance to leave.

The catapults were armed when the hatch of our ship opened and my whole band of poor souls began to descend with me at the head. We didn't have any ground transport, so we went on foot, but it still looked quite impressive.

"All right, take your guys and detain everyone on board until we find out who they are," I ordered two senior souls by rank. I'll take the remaining ten with me. It'll add to the impressiveness - they've bulked up a lot on purchased rations, they hold spears confidently, and the extra swords on their belts give them a certain elite look.

In any case, it didn't take long to walk along the paths, as we were already heading towards the slowly rising smoke. The firebenders are trying. In my head, the prospects were already outlining themselves unhappily - firstly, it's a breach of Lord Fire's word, and secondly, I'm already up to my ears in this guano and can't get out: if you've gotten into it, you have to pull your weight.

By the way, it was quite cool on the island. Not to say very much, but snow lay in some places with a decent layer, and it was quite unusual. As far as I know, fire benders are almost indifferent to cold, only at too low temperatures do problems arise, but plus twenty-minus twenty is normal, and there's no discomfort whatsoever.

In this regard, the benders are all more or less unpretentious, but fire benders are the most sensitive in terms of temperature. And theoretically, as an air bender, I should also not be very sensitive, and it seems like I'm not - I can walk around in my underwear when an ordinary person already wants to put on a sweater, but now there is some strange feeling. It's the only time when the temperature goes beyond the "normal" for an air bender, so it's probably because of this that the feeling is so incomprehensible. The sensation of cold on the skin, doesn't bother you at all, but it's as if you wouldn't mind dressing warmer if necessary, but at the same time, your body maintains a normal temperature.

Anyway, I was just pondering on the way. In reality, we were running with our whole "army" towards the central street, from where the sounds of battle could be heard. Weak, of course, but when I first rushed out onto the central street, I noticed four Komodo rhinos, each with two different benders riding on them.

A small, but decently strong squad, considering all the benders - which isn't such a rarity, but still. I wasn't lucky with the poor souls, all in all.

I dashed out just at the moment when one of the local fighters was knocked to the ground by a tail, and one of the benders was about to finish off the girl with a blast of fire.

I wouldn't have time to run up, so I decided to act differently - scare the hell out of everyone, tie them up too, and then figure out who did what and why. And for that, I didn't need much - just my lighter.

All these thoughts flashed through my head in a fraction of a second as I reached and pulled out my trusty copper friend, with whom we'd been through quite a lot. In slow motion, I saw the spark strike and a small red flame ignite, which in an instant flared up across the entire street, tracing a straight path between the girl and the bender with blue fire.

For a moment, the whole fight froze, and everyone stared at me. I even heard some whispering from the guy, something like "Shark" or something like that, but I couldn't make it out. Well, the official part, I've learned and even understand what all these words mean, let's go:

"In the name of the Inspector of the Fire Nation, you are all detained pending further investigation..." as I began to speak, my poor souls and Uli's subordinates quickly surrounded the entire battleground, pointing spears forward or assuming a fire attack stance, whichever they could, "...drop to the ground, hands behind your heads, otherwise we will be forced to use force..."

Yes, it's stupid, but my squad and I, roughly speaking, are more like military police than soldiers. So we know these phrases, and even now it's an arrest of rioters, not a war. Because we don't have military actions with the island, that's how the cookies crumble.

"What the hell, you're getting in our way!" the guy who almost burned the girl yelled, jumping out of the saddle and stomping towards me, starting to shout, "I'm catching the Avatar, I don't give a damn who you are..."

He didn't have time to finish speaking, the guy was shouting so fervently at me that he didn't notice how two of my poor souls approached and skillfully brought him down to the ground with one swift movement. Similarly, my people detained the other Fire Nation warriors; they didn't approach the local fighters - they won't surrender, and I'm not sure my poor souls will win in this battle, categorically. They just pointed their weapons and didn't attack first, and neither did the others.

"Take off his helmet," I said, looking at the guy who was trying to get up. One of my subordinates quickly removed the pot, and underneath it was a very familiar face with a scar, "Prince Zuko? I didn't expect this from you; you must know what agreement your ancestors had with Kyoshi Island. And you blatantly violated it, for what?"

The guy blushed and paled, but didn't intend to speak. It's understandable; he messed up big time if you think about it. Luckily, there was no blood yet, and, Agni willing, I'll sort it all out. The Fire Nation already has a not-so-great reputation, and here the ancient agreements are violated by the prince himself, albeit an exiled one, but not abdicated.

Although it's not like anyone cares about it, Lord Fire will decide - he'll find where they violated the agreement, I'm sure it happened, and often, but still, honor and dignity are significant things in my country, and to violate such an agreement without a really important reason is political suicide, at the very least.

"They attacked us first," the exile finally said, "and then we started fighting back. And who the hell are you, and where did you get that blue flame?"

"I'm Inspector Aki," I nodded, introducing myself, "maybe you've heard of me under another stupid nickname 'Kira'."

I don't know where that came from, but it's already quite firmly attached to me. Not once or twice have I heard from pirates who wrote off one look from me and called me only that, not otherwise.

And now the second name worked, Zuko's eyes widened in surprise, and from the local fighters, I even heard a surprised sigh.

Well, the stories about me are really scary. One is scarier than the other, starting from the realistic one that I'm a well-trained warrior, to something like "spirit of the seas and oceans" and so on. The drunk pirate scum can come up with anything. And their eyes light up, and the speed is not human, and generally a demon in flesh. Just lack horns.

"My captain's son lives here, who recently got married, and I sailed to this island solely for relaxation and trade, and in the end, I have to deal with this unexpected shit," I said, still looking at Zuko's slightly widened eyes, and then straightened up and went on to one of the painted girls, "so, who's in charge here?"

"We won't tell you anything, you're from the Fire Nation," stepped forward the girl I fought with Zuko.

"Really?" The circus is starting to annoy me a bit, looks like there are a lot of smartasses here," I thought, "then within a week, Lord Fire will have information that Kyoshi Island has violated the agreements, and within two weeks, there will be a small fleet, by war standards, which will be enough to wipe everything here, execute the warriors, leave our people, and declare this territory the new Border of the Fire Nation," I didn't raise my voice but spoke quite clearly as I slowly approached the individual, "so let's resolve this conflict here and now, and not tear up the old agreement based on the mutual respect of two strong individuals, shall we?"

The second part of the message didn't reach the brains of the female fighters because they didn't bother to respond with words; instead, they attacked with cries and shouts. My poor souls know that if I want action from them, I'll indicate it directly, otherwise they shouldn't intervene, so they just stood there and prepared to enjoy the show.

However, to my deep surprise, after the girl assumed a certain stance with fans and attacked me, I felt dizzy. She used almost the same style as me, the base was very similar, albeit with some differences.

Of course, the level of combat was still slightly above average, and they still had to try to reach me. But it still turned out quite decently, and again, above average, so my poor souls would be enough for them if they weren't overwhelmed by a crowd.

But not against me. I still didn't draw my rapier, acting with my hands, you could say directing their style against them, gradually knocking them out one by one with simple counterattacks in their style. And damn, what could they oppose - we delved much deeper and more qualitatively into the style with the master, not to mention the fact that I'm just faster than them.

I had to deal with the leader the longest, but it didn't take much time either, and she ended up in the hands of my poor souls. They quickly grabbed all the incapacitated female fighters and detained them.

"So, someone in this village bring me the elder, mayor, or whoever you have here," I said loudly, shaking my hands and then muttered more quietly, "Let's figure out what the hell is going on here."

And it was at that moment that a bald guy in monk's robes landed on some flying nonsense right in front of me on the street.

"Release them!" he shouted with a ringing, almost childish voice.

Looking at him, I even froze, not because he was damn Avatar, but because I felt something. Something incomprehensible is happening, as if some kind of disgust woke up in me at the sight of the Avatar.

But what bothered me wasn't that, oh well, maybe it's bending acting up or maybe I just don't realize it; what bothered me the most is that I'm going to have to fight this guy now.

The poor little village is already burning, and after a battle between two airbenders, one of whom is trying hard to pass as a fire bender, it will be even sadder and more disastrous.

Hi, now for every 200 power stones there will be a chapter.

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