General Iroh gazed at the men assembled before him. It took all the self-control he developed over his fifty-odd years of life to not make his confusion, sadness and disappointment show externally.
This campaign was to be the final blow to the Earth kingdom. The sacking of Ba Sing Se would bring the opposition to its knees! With this victory for the Fire Nation in his name, a smooth and stable ascension would follow.
He would be secured enough for the political and societal reforms he planned to put into effect the very moment the five-pronged Firelord's hair piece was placed into his top knot.
But before he could even touch land, a great storm whipped up out of nowhere; threating to consume his grand army and himself.
His invincible fleet was smashed and his men were drowned. What would he tell their families? What would he tell his father and the High General?
'Was this the doing of the spirits?' He wondered.
Was his prophetic dream all those years ago wrong?
'I saw myself fighting at a great wall....... I was able to beat back my enemies and was victorious........... I was certain-'
"General?" Iroh snapped out of his stupor and looked to his Commander.
"Apologies Commander Shu, you were telling me of the Ship's extensive damages."
"Uh....Yes, General, I was referring to Azulon's fury being in critical condition and the most devastated of all empire classes. We must dock and make repairs as soon as possible." The Commander looked genuinely surprised he was following at all.
"Will she be able to make it to the Crescent islands at least?"
"Yes General. She is a hardy beast but only bin capable hands. If captain Uzure was given command, I'm sure she'll last a day or two at most. No offence to you acting captain Chikan."
"None taken Commander." Captain Chikan nodded in agreement with Shu's suggestion. He was a younger, less experienced man compared to the previous Captain Zulmo who was currently unconscious die to his injuries.
From what Iroh had heard and seen, the young man was a competent Lieutenant and was a perfect replacement. However, he was still too green to manage a damaged empire class warship.
There was a pause as he looked around the room. He could feel the tension and unease from them.
'Well..... There's no use putting it off further....'
"Now that I've heard everything about the fleet, tell me of this....... Firebending Phenomenon." He leaned forward and stared at all the men present.
Immediately, all their eyes seemed to be overcome with shadow.
"General...... the reports started similarly on all ships. The Firebending crewmen in the boiler room were the first to notice.
After the storm, whenever they went to ignite or blast more fire into the furnaces, their flames seemed to be weaker, it took more effort to achieve normal levels of flame intensity and for some...... the ability has gone completely......" Admiral Feng made no effort to hide the tremor in his voice as he read the report.
Iroh began stroking his beard to relieve the built up stress within himself.
"What about you all?" His heart quivered as Admiral Feng, Commander Shu Captain Tokom, Chikan, Uzure, Lee, Yumao and his own son nodded.
"Y....You too Lu?" He asked, hoping his eyes were deceiving him.
"Yes father." With that, Iroh almost ripped his goatee from his face. He could only close his eyes and collect a calming breath.
When he opened them he could see them all staring at him.
"General..... what about you?" Commander Shu asked.
Too tired to formulate a response, Iroh held up his palm and summoned a massive ball of fire that illuminated the entire room. "I'm completely unaffected." He while sustaining the stout flame.
All the others looked at him with relief, reverence and awe. "As expected of the Dragon of the west!" Admiral Feng shouted.
"Now that everything has been discussed, I'll pass down my orders now." He said, dispelling the fire and darkening the room.
Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.
The men sat straight to receive their orders. "Admiral, I want this fleet turned around and on its way to Crescent Island post haste!"
"Yes General!"
"I also want an emergency rescue team out searching the Mo Ce and Boiling Seas any of our troops. You will be giving them the coordinates on the possible locations they may be found."
"It will be done!" Admiral Feng nodded.
"Good, Captain Uzure, I hearby assign you to the temporary position of Captain of Azulon's fury until she docks in the safety of Crescent island. I entrust her crewmen, troops and auxiliary staff to you."
"As You command General!" The old Captain Uzure cupped his fist in deference.
"Commander Shu, see to it that a detailed account of the situation is sent to the nearest communication towers and a suitable replacement is made for Captain Uzure."
"It will be done General!"
"Captains, have your navigators calculate all possible coordinates where our troops and remnants of or fleet may still be adrift and send them to Admiral Feng. Be sure to pay close attention to the firebenders of your respective ships and have the physicians note any abnormalities!
"I will be sending a Dragon hawk to Bhati island and the Fire sage temples myself and have them brought to our aid as soon as possible! You are dismissed!"
"Understood!" The Admiral, Commander and Captains shouted in unison.
The men got up slowly, and left the room, seemingly leaving Iroh and his son together.
"Leave us." Iroh waved his hand.
Silently the hidden and exposed guards slinked away. When he was certain of their privacy, Iroh got to his feet, his son soon followed. The two embraced each other.
"Are you alright son?" Iroh asked softly as he stared up into his son's eyes.
"I am, Father!" Lu Ten nodded with a firm look on his face.
"After that storm raged, I regretted allowing you to serve on that ship."
"I'm fine father." Lu Ten said again. But Iroh could see pass his words.
"You aren't, your bending.....What of it?"
He looked up at his son who put some distance between them and summoned a ball of flame in his palm. It was weaker, comparable to back when he was around twelve years old.
"And your lightning bending?"
"I haven't tried." Lu Ten had a stiff look on his face.
"Then we'll test it out after you clean yourself up." He said as he wiped the coal stains he gained from their embrace off his cheek.
His son released a mousey chuckle at that. Iroh could tell his son was putting on a brave face, he was still frightened over his diminished Firebending.
"Don't fret, I'll drag fire sage shyu's wrinkled, red hide from the fire temple to treat you if I have to." Iroh smiled and patted Lu Ten's in an attempt to sooth his heir's fears.
He turned away from his son and looked up at a rather detailed map of Ba Sing Se. He didn't wish for him to see the doubt on his face.
"Go, I expect you on the deck in an hour." He said not looking back. His mind was abuzz with thoughts and he barely heard his son leave.
'Should I take him to Sun warrior island to meet the masters? Is he ready?' Iroh wasn't sure.
"Haaah....... I need some tea...... a large pot of tea....."
--------------------
Later that day, Iroh stood to the side and watched his bare-chested son moving through each fire kata and displaying various basic firebending techniques.
With each one Lu Ten performed, he seemed to grow unusually weary. By the end of the performance, his son began making the signature forms of the lightning generation technique.
Iroh's eyes narrowed as he focused on the small arcs of lightning crawlling along his son's fingers and snaking through the air.
'Too small.' He noted.
The lightning arcs were far too small compared to what his son had performed even upon his first attempts at the art years ago.
Lu Ten seemed to share the same sentiment as he began working through more circular motions to strengthen the technique. However, based on his son's sweat covered body and tight face, he was reaching his limit.
'His stamina has dropped by a half.......' Iroh noted as Lu Ten directed the skinny, orange bolt to the grey skies. It barely reached 20 meters and sputtered off with a zap and not with the loud crackle as was usual.
Lu ten fell to the cold deck, his chest heaving in exhaustion. Iroh rushed over, waving away the royal guards.
He grasped Lu Ten's sweaty shoulder and looked down at his son who in turn, looked up at him with clear fear.
"What's happening to me father?" Iroh got to a knee and gripped his son's shoulder tighter.
"We'll fix this son. I promise you." Lu Ten looked at him and smiled, though his eyes were filled with dying hope as he nodded.
Prince Lu Ten is a man just entering manhood at nineteenth summer solstices old, but all Iroh saw in that moment was his 10 year old son looking up at him as he told him of his mother's death.
In that moment, he decided to take his son to the Sun warriors as soon as possible. 'Perhaps the Sun Chief could help him? Or the Sun shamans. If not them then, the dragon masters.
Iroh exhaled a foggy breath. 'What is this strange condition? To affect so many firebenders.....even my son who is of royal blood.....'
Many thoughts raced through his mind.
'Was it caused by the storm?'
'Was this the spirit's doing?'
'Is this an isolated phenomenon of the remnant fleet? Was all the fire nation affected? All benders perhaps? Will this condition progress until no one is able to use Firebending?'
Frigid winds blew over them, making even Iroh shiver and bringing him a bit of clarity.
"Come son; let's get you in some clothes." He said as a particularly cold gust of wind washed over the deck.
'What's with this weather!?' Yet another thing on his list to worry about.
'Could the sun be weakening, hence causing a drop in firebending ability?' He doubted it. If that was the case then he'd be affected too.
As he helped his son to his feet, Iroh could hear the Admiral calling out to him as he ran up to them. Before he could turn to look at the men, Iroh noticed something shocking.
'Is that......a mountain range?'
"G..... General! We've spotted land!" Admiral Shu huffed.
"I can see that." Iroh said as he and his son looked at the jagged mountain peaks jabbing at the sky in the distance.
They were still far out from the land, but they could see the mountainous terrain from afar.
"That isn't Crescent island! We shouldn't even be there for an other hour at least!" Lu Ten said, his worry about his diminished abilities forgotten for the moment.
Iroh looked at the snowy peaks of the landmass soaring up at the uncharacteristically grey skies, he felt the frigid swirling winds and the steady uneasiness he's been feeling ever since the storm's passing and thought:
'I'll need a bigger tea pot......'