Chapter 43

Dear readers, first book is coming to an end soon and after that I will take a little break from this fanfic.

And according to the survey on the patreon, the next fanfic will be based on the world of the witcher, so if you also want to take part in it, you will find the link at the end of the chapter.

This is an additional chapter for power stones

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Standing on the shore with Katara, I awaited Aang, tuning into every sensation. It had been a week since Katara's capture, and all this time, she had been confined in one of the drill's cages, designed within to capture and hold important figures we might encounter in Ba Sing Se and who could be useful for something else. As I mentioned before, the engineers tried to account for nearly everything in the drill's design.

However, once the Fire Nation army managed at least to enter the city's lower ring and quickly fortified there, I took a rest and realized the time was drawing to a close to fulfill the responsibilities I had taken upon myself.

Thus, Katara and I set off in a small boat, practically a dinghy, to the other side of the bay. It was amusing to watch her attempt to use waterbending and do it subtly enough for me not to notice, except I was constantly using a bending block on her, so her efforts were futile. During the swim, I managed to rest and fully recover, so now I felt energetic and refreshed.

Azula wanted to send a squad of firebenders with me, but I decided it would be better to go just the two of us. This way, I could escape if needed and act at full strength in case of an attack by the Avatar, utilizing the full variety of my abilities without witnesses, which I had already ensured and prioritized.

"Were you acquainted with Freo, weren't you?" I asked, continuing to wait for Aang.

"What?" Katara jerked at my words. "You knew Freo?"

"Well, why 'knew'? I still know him. We might not see each other, but we communicated very well at our last meeting. He told me about you."

"He told you? But he's... we thought he was..." Katara began to whisper.

"Dead?" I finished her sentence questioningly. "Yes, he thought he would die too. He told me what happened to him. How the Avatar killed him, how he survived for a long time in the spirit world, about the instances when he miraculously survived... he told me a lot. And yes, you did kill him. But he... you could say he resurrected... though that's not quite the right way to put it... he was on the brink of death and life and was a moment from dying. But he survived.

"And he didn't kill you?" Katara asked me.

"No. Do you think because I'm from the Fire Nation, I necessarily had to be killed? Especially by him?" I asked her, and seeing the surprise on her face, I laughed.

"He hated firebenders. Not just benders! He was ready to kill anyone! Aang had to fight him! He was protecting your people from this monster!"

"Yes, I'm aware," I said, calming down and stopping my laughter, regaining my composure but continuing to smile – it's sometimes amusing to intertwine threads of truth with the nonsense I feed my interlocutor. "By the way, he's known to us as Chimamin Monsta, or the Blood Monster. However, at our meeting, he didn't kill me, nor could he have - his condition wasn't the best. Even at our first meeting, he looked somewhat better.

"So, you've met more than once!?" Katara was surprised again.

"Did I say otherwise? The first time, I returned his arm, and what a coincidence, I found him near death the next. And then, my destiny, which was meant to lead me to meet my current team, began.

"Why are you telling me this?" she asked after calming down a bit but still harboring a hint of hatred towards me.

"I'm just curious, as his students, have you achieved anything? Or have you abandoned everything he taught you?" I asked her, genuinely interested.

"And how do you know? Did he teach you too?" Katara asked me.

"Yes, he did. And thanks to his teachings, for example, I can sense you!" I shouted towards where I sensed Aang stopping with the earthbender girl.

"How did you know!?" the girl emerged from behind a rock.

"The same way you do, Earth Listener. What's your name, by the way? It's a bit awkward addressing someone without a name."

"Toph."

"Just Toph?" I asked.

"Toph Beifong."

"Wow! You're in the company of some notable individuals, Aang!" I addressed the Avatar, standing next to Katara with her hands tied. "So, Toph Beifong," I smirked at Toph, "you don't care much for your family, do you?"

"What do you mean?" she asked quietly.

"Well, telling your direct enemy, a firebender close to a princess, about your famous lineage. Suppose I tell Azula about your family. A little bird flies off, and soon nothing will be left of your estate, and your parents will be at our mercy. What will you do then?" I asked her.

"You wouldn't dare!" she yelled. "Just touch them, and I'll flatten you, got it!?"

"Be careful with your turns, Toph Beifong, I might take offense, and you're not the opponent who can compete with me. Only Aang can do that, right? Unfortunately, only in the Avatar State, which he has yet to enter... as for your parents, Toph, I won't promise anything. Maybe I'll tell, maybe not. Maybe something will happen to them, maybe they'll be forgotten..." My smirk involuntarily turned into a snarl, as for once, I wasn't controlling my facial expression, and I continued in a hissing voice, "though I wouldn't count on that if I were you, since you're part of my enemy's team."

"Toph, don't worry, we will protect your parents," Aang said to her, "I promise!"

"Herein lies the main problem with heroes trying to stand against an entire nation - attachments. If you have attachments, they are at risk because you can't be everywhere at once. And this problem extends to the heroes' allies as well. You're still such children... not thinking about what you're doing, not considering the consequences, neither short-term nor long-term. You just haven't learned this yet - too little experience, too much naivety. This was exactly what Freo disliked about you and what irritates me so much! Your inability to use your brain even a little... I even feel sorry for Sokka, as he was the only one among you who didn't suffer from this!"

I fell silent, reminiscing about the day on the barge when the Avatar interfered. That time, his naivety prevented me from finishing the job. Because of it, I ended up in the Spirit World. Maybe for the Avatar, it's a peaceful place, or perhaps I ended up somewhere wrong, but for me, it was a real survival school! Even though I learned a lot there, I would kill anyone who says I should thank Aang for it! Most cruelly! In the style of Chimamin Monsta!

Phew, got a bit carried away there...

Focusing on my body, I suppressed the surge of adrenaline that had been splashing in my blood due to the resurfaced memories. It's frustrating, after all!

Everyone present was silent, waiting for me to speak again, while I managed to control the hormones in my body. However, I quickly regained my composure.

"So, here's your friend," I nudged Katara forward, causing her to involuntarily take a few steps ahead. "Her bending is blocked and will be unlocked in about three hours, now get out of here, for your own good. Next time, Aang, it's far from certain that I'll take friends from your harem as hostages; more likely, I'll kill them on the spot. And I'm capable of that, I think you understand perfectly well. So, I advise you not to come near Ba Sing Se. I can easily sense you, no matter how you hide or disguise yourself. Our next meeting will likely not be so peaceful."

Turning around, I headed to where I had left the boat to return to the ship. I wasn't worried about attacks from behind, as I could sense all their movements through vibrations. But they didn't attack and quietly left.

Five hours later, I collapsed in my chair in the drill's cabin, stretching wearily. Travel is exhausting...

"How did it go?" Azula asked.

I noticed that everyone else was also listening, waiting for my response. Indeed, Freo was right, I had become a notable figure here. And not just here, it's worth noting.

"It went better than I could have even imagined!" I said with a smile.

***

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