7 6.First Mission

Evading the patrolling guards fumbling through the forest was easier and harder than Aaron expected. 'Igi' slowed him down immensely with his limited stamina, speed, and general experience, but by dawn break, he'd gotten noticeably better. He didn't trip as often and made less noise when they found the main road that led to a port town. It had a boat that would ferry them south towards the southern water tribe, where the Avatar should hopefully be.

"What do you think the Avatar will be like?" Igi asked as they crested the final hill that gave way to the village.

"Why do you think it'll be a he?" Aaron raised a brow.

"My system told me,'" he ignored Aaron's pointed look, shrugging. "His name is Aang. Aang sounds like a dude's name to me."

Aang's name and appearance were supposed to be secrets only the Air Nation was privy to. Aaron fought to keep a frown from his face. He wondered how the 'System' as Igi had taken to calling his spirit, learned that. Was there a leak, or could they spy on people as Grandfather could?

"Anything else your 'system' told you that I should know?"

"Nothing off the top of my head. The information comes in bits and pieces. Anything comes up, I'll be sure to let you know," he said, scratching his smooth chin.

Aaron nodded, but internally he groused. He did not trust 'new Igi', and he hadn't the first clue how his 'System' worked. He looked, sounded, and behaved mostly like Igi, but his mannerisms, and his aloofness, irked Aaron.

Aaron was grateful that the spirit mostly remained silent until they reached the final hill to the port town. It was one of the few towns that wandering Merchants frequented on their tours around the Earth Nation. Only the truly desperate ones go as far as the Water Nation to circle off their trip, but the many Fire Nation ports near the Southern Water tribe could make the trip worth it.

It was risky taking the trip with a blunder-mouthed transdimensional spirit he barely knew, but it was the most direct path to the Avatar. Aaron had hoped he'd awaken somewhere closer to the Earth Nation, but luck hadn't been on his side.

Aaron let out a small sigh of resignation as he came to the gate but seized on the spot when he noted a retinue of Fire Nation men dressing down a bespectacled older man. The man was pleading, his stature shrunken, while a gesticulating teenager, proudly wielding fire, worked him.

"Holy shit," Igi said a little too loudly beside him, "Do we do something?"

"And risk what little anonymity we have?" Aaron said with a hushed voice. "Our mission is to help the Avatar save the world, not right every small injustice."

Aaron had seen the youth's red face before, probably on a drawing, but he couldn't quite place him. All of Fire Bending Young Masters sort of blended into each other. He'd be lying if he said he wasn't tempted to punch him, at least, but it wouldn't be worth it.

Aaron shook his head as he pulled Igi to the side. The other jerked at being tugged.

"Hey, don't do that…I am not a bag of groceries."

"We wait here and take the time to disguise ourselves adequately," Aaron said, already pulling off his knapsack. "Remember, we're seeking out the Avatar, not trying to antagonize the Fire Nation."

"I heard you the first time." Igi folded his arms and glared at him. "Are you going to let him just get away with treating that old man like that? You're a resistance fighter, isn't your whole thing defending the people?"

"That's a rather reductive view of what we stand for, but you're not wrong," Aaron said, as he tightened the tarp he threw around his twin Daos, "but I am not changing my mind."

Aaron contemplated changing his shirt but decided against it.

"If the Avatar were here, he'd do something."

Aaron's face twitched as he thought up a dozen different things to say but finally settled on a question of his own.

"I'll help if you can come up with a way to help this man, his village, without delaying us past tonight and preserve our anonymity."

Igi's face went white as his mouth flopped open, but Aaron was not done.

"Remember, I just butchered five Fire Nation soldiers one town over. And we can't very well lead my pursuers to the Avatar."

Igi bit his lip, and the silence stretched between them for the longest time.

"Well?" Aaron asked, raising a brow.

"I see your point," Igi muttered but did not meet Aaron's eyes.

Aaron huffed as he produced a small bag from his knapsack and stuffed it with random clothes, and handed it to Igi.

"That's yours now," he said, waited for another moment, and then spoke. "The Fire Nation is more dangerous than you realize, and you must learn to pick your battles. I promise it won't always be like this."

The words were for his benefit as much as it was for Igi's.

Igi gave another reluctant nod. "I just thought…" he started but trailed off. Aaron would've pressed if he had the time, but he suspected it had something to do with what he'd said about in passing about getting stronger. Aaron reviewed both their appearances, looking for anything that would stand out before they turned to the main road.

The benders were gone. Aaron waited another solid hour before finally leading them through the village gates.

No sooner than they'd stepped into the town square did Aaron hear a voice that made him cringe.

"If you can't get me the results I need, I'll remove you, Dotoro. Uncle Zhao put me in full control of this small town. I let you keep your position to smoothen the transition, and you were supposed to deliver 10 gold Dragons every month," the voice said in a low, dangerous voice. The speaker was noticeably less red and more controlled now, but he still looked like he was one joke away from burning down the village.

The older man's hip hinged. "My apologies, lord Shin, but we're at our limit already. We're taxing every merchant that ports in the village and have increased the local income tax by 20%. I am not sure what else to do aside from charging each visitor, but that's against our customs. Red Water town has always been open to all citizens of the Earth Kingdom."

Though he stood at only 5 feet and two inches, the teenage Fire Nation Captain stared down the older man, his eyes as fiery as his bending.

"Are you asking me to do your job for you?"

"N-No, Captain," the man stammered. Merchants, soldiers, and other town folk watched the scene with fear and apprehension. No one seemed to move or breathe as they all collectively concluded it would be unwise to draw the ire of the tempestuous teenager.

Everyone was smart enough except Igi.

'"I just got a quest," he said, pumping his fist in the air. "About time."

Aaron felt like he'd lost ten whole years of his life from the sheer panic, and Igi was nonthewiser, eyes still glued on his 'status screen.' Every villager in the square turned to them, and Aaron wished the ground would swallow him to save him from the embarrassment to come.

"Who said that," the teenage captain snapped, voice sharp as a knife. Nearly everybody winced, and behind the boy, he saw the elder let out a small sigh of relief.

Brushing Igi behind him, Aaron stepped forward with a subdued smile. "I meant no disrespect, Captain. I just forget myself sometimes. I promise. It won't happen again."

The boy scrutinized him, his eyes sweeping over his lackluster clothes, subdued posture, and stance, before looking past him at Igi, who seemed still engrossed in his screen.

"Don't lie to me," he said, brushing Aaron aside, "It wasn't you. You look like you'd know better. It was him, wasn't it?" Igi blinked in surprise as the focus shifted to him before he suddenly bowed, but it wasn't low enough or quick enough.

"Forgive me, uh, captain. Big brother was just trying to protect me. I get lost in my head sometimes. I apologize."

Aaron sucked in air and shook his head. It hadn't even been a day, and the spirit was already more trouble than he was worth. He was even half-serious when he contemplated abandoning him.

'He had supernatural powers,' Aaron thought. 'I'm sure he'll figure out something.' Only the thought of facing his watching grandfather and his love for his former student kept him in the square.

"Somehow, I don't believe you," Captain Shin snorted. "I was once your age, and I know when someone is lying. I will grant you the same blessing my uncle gave me. Guards, take the boy to the local prison. One day with the worst of the Earth Nation ought to straighten you out."

Two of his soldiers stepped forward in practiced, machine-like movements, motioning to seize Igi.

"Hold on now," Igi yelled, taking several steps back. "I said I was sorry."

"Please, Captain," Aaron shot forward, blocking their path. "He's just a boy. I'll punish him myself. Lash him if I need to. He doesn't know any better."

Shin looked at Aaron again, seeing him as if for the first time. "What is your name, Peasant?"

"Lee, Captain."

"I am sure you caught the tail-end of my conversation with the village elder, Lee," he said, strutting forward in his freshly polished leather armor.

"If I was in the Fire Nation, I would've challenged the boy to an Agni Kai to satisfy my honor, but you're savages of the east and don't know any better."

He looked down at Igi and Aaron with mild disgust. "I will let this go if you promise me that he apologized properly this time and you contribute to the rest of the requested tax money. That's a 100 silver, I believe."

'100 silver, Fuck No,' was Aaron's first reaction.

He'd save up his money over months of tutoring, stealing, and completing odd jobs while he traveled. 100 silver was more than half of his savings. Traveling with the Avatar would no doubt be expensive.

'Well, there went my plans for new armor, clothes, and food.'

Aaron shot a murderous look at Igi, who nearly doubled over before he turned to the captain with a sigh.

"I am glad to contribute all of my traveling money. If it helps the town prosper and the captain overlook young Igi's behavior."

Aaron waited a moment to see if the Fire Nation Captain would have a change of heart before he removed his bag and produced two bags of silver containing 50 pieces each. Captain Shin lips curled up as he ordered his men to receive the coin.

Aaron thumped Igi in the head and was tempted to nearly kick him as the spirit muscled out an apology.

His hips hinged forward, his curly hair sweeping forward as he spoke. "I apologize, Captain Shin. I should've paid more attention to my surroundings and showed you the respect you and your fine soldiers deserve. I promise it wouldn't happen again."

"There's hope for you yet," Captain Shin said, with some mirth on his face. He turned to the quiet village Elder. "Thank your stars, old man. You're lucky the child couldn't hold his tongue. I imagine they won't be here next month." He snapped his fingers, and one of the soldiers handed him a bag of silver. He hefted it once with a thoughtful look. "Start collecting tax money from each visitor."

"Captain Shen–" the Village Elder said, but the youth raised a hand, cutting him off.

"The Fire Nation needs that money to keep supply lines open, ships fueled, and colonies patrolled. We all have to do our parts," he said with a voice that brooked no argument.

The Village elder balled his fist but said nothin further. Shin smiled again before passing Aaron and Igi one last look and marching out of his village with the rest of his soldiers.

Aaron tugged hard on Igi's hand as soon as Shin was out of sight, disappearing into the markets before anybody approached them.

They stopped at a small Inn with a gnarly old lady who charged them two silvers for a night. Aaron didn't rip into Igi until he'd shut the door, bolted it, and searched the windows for watchers.

"What in the spirits were you thinking!"

"It was a mistake, my bad," Igi raised his hands placatingly. "I'm kinda new to this, and my system just gave me my first mission. It just sort of slipped out."

Aaron's eyebrow twitched. "Slipped out? Damn it, Igi!" He stomped his feet hard. He thought he was smart, but he wasn't fooling anybody. "You do take me for a fool! This was about that Old man. You couldn't just leave it alone, could you? You claim to be older than you look, yet you make mistakes a child wouldn't have."

He threw his hands up. "And now you've drawn the attention of a Fire Nation Captain. Those kinds of men do not easily forget."

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to–" Aaron cut him off with a sharp look.

"You're on thin ice, Igi. Thin fucking ice, and you're going to pay me back Every. Last. Silver." His traveling budget has been slashed in quarter by one blunder. Sure he could steal, but that could draw unwanted attention, not that there was avoiding trouble now. When the Fire Nation comes into town asking about new arrivals that look like them, the entire town would point them toward the South Pole.

Igi gulped.

"I promise I'll make it up to you. You get first to pick at whatever high-tier loot I find."

"Loot?" Aaron could barely keep the edge from his voice.

"One of the many blessings of my System. I get them for completing missions. Don't worry, you'll see the first one soon enough," he said with an innocent smile, but Aaron's frown only deepened.

"Okay then. Out with it. What's this quest your System wants you to do?"