Chapter 16 The Royal Puppy
After giving his familiar a small piece of the meat, the two benders dug into the food. A few seconds into dinner however Kypher paused and called out to the darkness. "Come out. An encirclement won't help you, if you try to attack us..."
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Retu just jumped up and started looking around while Kypher remained seated and continued with his food. Seeing his friend act like this, Retu mimicked him almost immediately, while gazing around himself every so often.
"Your still there, how about you two over there come out. You seem to be the leaders of the group" Kypher pointed behind himself, after a moment of silence. This time however the figures encircling them moved. They seemed to be fire nation soldiers with their helmets on, and where prepared with a fighting stance, that would seem to be terrifying to a normal person. Unluckily for them Kypher just couldn't care less.
"You have a very acute sense of your surrounding, young man" A jolly voice spoke from behind him. A very familiar voice. "You can all relax" He spoke to the men around the duo, who followed after a bit of hesitation
"Uncle, what are you doing?" Another familiar voice spoke immediately to the first. Kypher started to chuckle at that.
"Why are you chuckling, peasant. You are surrounded." The second voice asked with anger. It seemed anger issues was the teen's problem.
"You don't get it, do you Zuko?" the first voice approached Kypher and sat down next to him. "If he wanted to, all of your soldiers would be dead. May I?" He asked Kypher for a piece of the meat on the fire. Kypher just nodded and finished up his piece. Seeing that he had guests, he decided to bring some more food.
"Shade, go hunt us a deer, please" He asked the alicanto, which was sitting on his shoulder, who instantly reacted and flew into the shadows.
"That's considerate of you, considering the situation. Thank you" Kypher just nodded back, at the large man next to him. Retu, on the other hand, looked like he just met royalty. Which in this case was not wrong.
"Retu." This stopped him from staring. "I would like you to meet your banished prince, Zuko, as well as the best tea maker in all of the fire nation, Iroh. Iroh, Zuko meet Retu" The old man stood up and brought his hand towards the frozen Retu, who just shook it. "Take a seat. All of you." All of them seemed to follow the request expect of a little puppy...
"How dare you say that I am banished. I-" The scarred puppy seemed offended and summoned a fire ball into his hands as a show of power. Kypher just brought his hand up and snapped his fingers, making the fire disappear.
"Shush child, you can complain later." The little prince was surprised by the direction his well planned assault was going to go. So he chose to close his mouth and sit down next to his uncle.
Kypher continued staring into the fire, which made the silence around the group slightly uncomfortable. Iroh decided to speak up.
"It seems you know of us, young man. Yet, we do not know your name. Proper manner dictate one must introduce themselves before asking questions" He asked Kypher
"Aye, I am aware of etiquette, yet it seems the royal prince himself does not wish to follow it, why must I." He answered back
Iroh sighed and reasoned, "I guess that is under our fault as the openers of the conversation."
"That would be correct. Sadly an impolite host, is an il-bred host, and my parents taught me better than that so Kai is the name I go by currently." Iroh smiled honestly as if thanking my parents for teaching me the correct ways
"Your parents must be wise then." He complimented. And as he said that the tension in the air lessened only for it to suddenly rise up again.
*SCCRREEEEEECCCHHH*
A large fawn fell next to the campfire and Shadd flew down from the shadows onto Kypher's shoulder. The jump scared soldiers, as well as Zuko, just looked at the dead animal then at the hawk, before starting to question their sanity.
"That is one strong alicanto you have there. I thought they were all extinct" This surprised Kypher, the old man, Iroh seemed to know about his bird.
"We can talk about Shade later for now, Retu you mind fetching the tea pot while I prepare the meat?" Retu just thanked Kypher mentally before heading towards Kypher's room to find the kettle, and calm down his racing heart.
"Now who among you, would like to help me skin the animal." One of the soldiers next to him rose his hand. "Great, tag along. As for the rest of you, take of your helmets and relax. I did say that I am hosting you for the night." Kypher grabbed the fawn by the legs, before throwing it over his other shoulder and walking towards a near by table, with the soldier right behind him.
After seeing the man leave, Zuko immediately ask his uncle. "Uncle what did you mean by that? And how did he extinguish the flame in my hand?" Iroh just sighed at his nephews antics, before looking at Kypher who seemed busy with the animal.
"May I?" he asked what seemed to be himself. Yet further up, Kypher nodded, before continuing with his current task. Zuko was just staring in confusion. towards Kypher before his uncle.
"How" he mouthed. Iroh chuckled in return before grabbing a stick near the pit and moving the charcoal around.
"Easy. A person with a strong sense of surroundings can easily over hear something over a big distance." Iroh looked back at Kypher who did not react. But he continued, "He also released a sense of confidence, even in a dangerous situation, which meant that, you people where no threat to him." He said while pointing at all of the fire bender soldiers "As for the fire." Everybody leaned in to listen carefully. Iroh smiled and stated. "I don't know" The feeling of curiosity surrounding everyone was spontaneously replaced with disappointment. Kypher on the other hand seemed to find the moment funny. "What? Disappointed you couldn't learn of a technique hidden for centuries."
"It is an important technique, and therefore, should belong to the royal family." Zuko stated. Kypher started to giggle before, it turned into a full on blown laugh. Iroh also joined an chuckled a bit, before sighing and ignoring the situation.
"And how will you take it from me?" At the moment Zuko seemed to realise what he said. " I am sor-"
"Will you beat me into submission, will you blackmail me with Retu's life? Will you become like your father? " He asked with a serious gaze. "Let me show you something..." Without lifting a finger, the air around the group started to heat up and the temperature rose till it felt like their skin would melt. It was horrifying.
"You are a disgrace to your nation. You were banished from your home, and you hunt for the avatar to take back your honour. What do you know of honour? You are a child, looking for honour, as if it was a tangible object you may take as you please." Kypher just insulted the prince over and over.
And while the prince looked to be writhing in pain, yet what hurt him the most where the words that came out of Kypher's mouth.
"STOP!" It appeared that Iroh had had enough. "We both know, he wasn't taught well." Kypher just nodded back before. Placing the meat into the fire and controlling the flames to be less powerful.
"I pity you Iroh." was all he said before gazing into the fire. Everybody was afraid of the young man. And there was no more conversation after that, until...
"Hey Kai, Where do you want the kettle with the herbs." Retu asked after appearing with a tray of cups and a filled kettle.
"Bring it here" He asked his friend, before giving the kit to Iroh," Iroh, I hope you can show me the reason why they call you the greatest tea-brewer in the west" He asked with some excitement. Iroh chuckled at the behaviour before accepting the challenge given to him. After a while of tea making Iroh handed out the cups to everyone around the campfire. "Hope you enjoy it." He said before sipping on it himself and nodding in satisfaction.
Kypher was not disappointed at his tea. It might have just been, one of the best tea's he had drunk in his current lifetime.
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It was only until after dark that they had decided it was time to sleep. Retu took everybody except of Iroh, towards another temple dormitory and had shown them their rooms.
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Outside
"I am sorry for my outburst, Iroh." Kypher apologized to Iroh with a slight bow. He was in the wrong after all. "It is fine. I am at fault as well, for not teaching Zuko the proper ways." He tried to bow, but Kypher stopped him
"It is for this reason I pity you, and commend you Iroh." He added. "I know Zuko is a handful, and Azula... well lets say, my first impressions were not good."
Instead of answering, Iroh looked at the view surrounding them, "What will you do when you find the avatar." Kypher asked with curiosity. He always wondered what was going inside the Grandmaster's head.
"Play Pai Sho and drink tea of course." He said with a smile that Kypher knew, was fake.
"You should play with Retu he loves the game." Kypher added with a gentle smile.
"Is that so? I guess, I guess I must show him the way" Iroh responded with a snort. Silence surrounded the conversation before, "How were you able to find an alicanto?"
"I found him on a small island, west of the fire nation?"
"What were you doing out there?" Iroh asked with surprise. Kypher just smiled at the old man before turning to leave. "I'll leave that to your imagination, Iroh. Do not worry about your nephew too much, the avatar will change him, for the better..." he called out before disappearing, leaving Iroh by himself, at the edge, with a bewildered look.
After some time, a sigh escaped form him before he also retreated to his temporary quarters.
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Hey guys, hoped you like it thus far. Check out my other fan fiction HTTYD: The White Wolf.
Cya tomorrow...
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