Promise

It had been over a month since the fortress had been taken. Kai, Tizo and Zoho went their separate ways.

Zoho had his duties to establish and maintain control of the region, which was the most political part of the war. With the fortress destroyed and conquered, it was necessary to get rid of potential threats and rebuild the fortress to serve the Fire Nation's purposes.

Tizo returned to the Fire Nation with his soldiers to reunite with their families, deserving more than a day off and, of course, a promotion in their military ranks for his actions. 

Kai led his own warship, now accompanied by all the Benders he had awakened, including the trio of Earth Benders. As smooth as the journey had been, the route Kai was taking would not lead to the Capital of Fire.

- Seriously, Kai, we can't use this route, the ship will run aground. - Huzo said, frustrated at not being able to go home.

- Let's take a steamboat and follow the river. - said Kai, ignoring Huzo's irritated look. - It'll be a quick journey, I promise.

- I hope so. 

Kai and Huzo travelled up the river, taking the opportunity to observe the landscape, but the further they went, the more it seemed that the trees were almost dead, there were few animals and the river took on an unnatural colour. 

- It looks like the river is polluted. - Huzo commented, annoyed by the smell.

- I have a bad feeling about this. - Kai said worriedly. 

As they walked upstream, they noticed a large factory spewing smoke into the air and waste directly into the river. The smell of the sewage was so horrible that it could easily affect your sense of smell permanently.

The stench was so bad that Kai and Huzo decided to keep going until they saw a village in the middle of the river, a space large enough for several large ships to dock around the village.

Thinking they had arrived at the place where Zoho was born, they disembarked at the small improvised harbour, attracting the attention of several people with their military attire.

- Rozo wasn't kidding when he said it was a modest village. - Kai remarked to Huzo, who was tying up the dinghy with a rope.

- I hate this walk, I'd rather be in the bloody forest a thousand times over... by the spirits, what's that smell? - complained Huzo, plugging his nostrils with his fingers.

- People here don't seem to care.

- Hello visitors, I'm Dock, welcome to this humble village. - said Dock, running towards the newcomers with a big smile on his face.

The old man called Dock wore a simple red hat, he smelled of rotten fish, he had a scruffy beard and his clothes were torn. It was easy to see that he had no teeth in his mouth when he spoke. 

Huzo, being more experienced than Kai, quickly realised that the man's act was more a way of disguising the questionable situation in the region. He had seen many such smiles on the battlefield, and this made him feel a sense of empathy for the old man.

- My name is Kai, this is Captain Huzo, we've come for a visit. - Kai greeted Dock in an amused tone, not wanting to be rude. - We're here to donate some coins to help this place...

Kai fell silent as he looked around, noticing how thin the people were, some with serious wounds, and what shocked him most was seeing some children eating what looked like rotten fish.

The pitiful sight of the people made Kai swallow dryly, a feeling of guilt overtaking his being. 

Everyone in the village had lifeless eyes, as if they had given up trying to live; even the children looked as if they didn't have the strength to cry.

The town was clearly dependent on fishing, but the river they were on was in a deplorable state, the wooden structures looking as if they would collapse one day for lack of repair.

- Huzo. - Kai called to his right hand man, very seriously. 

- No need to say anything. - Huzo returned to the dinghy and began to untie the ropes. 

- You know it could take months to get back, don't you? - Kai seemed concerned about the welfare of his soldiers, not wanting to abuse his command.

- When our men see the situation of these people, they will understand, after all, they are our people, aren't they? - Huzo smiled, turned on the steam engine and headed for the ship.

Dock was confused, he didn't understand what had just happened. For a man who had lived in such conditions for so long, the idea of being helped didn't occur to him.

- Would you like to buy some fish? We have all sorts of delicacies! - Dock lied, just trying to persuade the visitor to buy the rotten fish he had in order to spend money on medicine for the sick people in his village. 

Kai turned to the old man, his serious expression startling Dock for a moment as it was the first time he had seen someone with such an exotic appearance.

- Take me to the sick! - Kai said, taking off his uniform and rolling up the sleeves of his shirt, taking the opportunity to remove his hair from its ponytail and leave it loose as he preferred.

Dock, still confused, tried to persuade Kai to buy some fish or something else he could sell, but Kai's insistence forced him to take him to a small area where a woman was lying with a cloth over her head, looking extremely weak. A child bravely approached Kai, clearly afraid of the stranger approaching his mother.

- Stay away from my mom! - threatened the child.

- Don't worry, I'll help your mom. - Kai said with the most reassuring smile he could muster.

Kai knelt down on the wooden floor and noticed that some splinters were bothering him. Preferring to concentrate on the weakened woman, he raised his small, weak hands and took a deep breath, green flames covering the woman, immediately frightening the child and the old man.

- WHAT ARE YOU DOING? YOU'RE GOING TO KILL MY MUM! - the child cried in despair, trying to hold Kai's arm, tears streaming down his face.

- Mr Kai, please don't do this! - Dock cried desperately, trying to grab Kai.

Kai ignored the unnecessary pleas and concentrated on the sick woman. In a magical moment, green flames shot towards Kai, covering him completely. The unconscious woman began to cough and stand up as if she were healthy. When she saw her little son by her side, she grabbed him and hugged him, crying with joy.

Dock was stunned. He had seen some kind of magic or miracle in his eyes. He watched the visitor, breathing hard, sweat pouring down his face, coughing a little, holding his chest with an expression of pain.

- What did you do to her? Are you all right? - Dock asked, but didn't know what to do because he still didn't understand what had just happened. 

Kai turned his face to see other people in a similar state to the woman a few moments ago. With an expression of frustration, he walked over to the sick people and began the same process as before. 

The people of the village gathered around and saw something inexplicable in her eyes, some surprised and others happy to be helped by a miraculous being.

Some time later, several boats arrived, carrying a number of Fire Nation soldiers, some carrying resources such as food, clothing, medicine or even construction materials. 

Huzo, noticing the crowd in one part of the village, ran towards them with some of the soldiers, seeing what their leader was doing and witnessing for the first time such a magnificent ability as the awakening of elemental powers. 

Huzo was even more in awe of Kai, but quickly realised that this process was seriously damaging his leader. He ran towards Kai and held him before he fell to the ground, almost losing consciousness.

- You idiot, can't you see you're killing yourself? - Huzo criticised Kai, unable to miss the person he had just healed regaining consciousness.

- H-Huzo... *Cof Cof Cof* I want you to distribute food to these people AND help renovate some houses, *Cof Cof Cof Cof* Order our Earthbenders to clean up the river as much as they can... - Kai commands, his words sounding more like a whisper as he falls unconscious in Huzo's arms.

- Damn it! Medic, we need a medic! - Huzo shouts to his soldiers who have seen the situation and are still alarmed.

***

10 days later...

Kai regained consciousness and quickly realised that he was on his ship. Looking around, he noticed a soldier sleeping in a chair next to him, drool dripping from his mouth, giving him a sense of déjà vu.

Deciding to ignore the sleeping soldier, he left his room and saw several soldiers who were surprised by his recovery. Without wasting any time, he ordered them to return to the village. 

When he arrives, he notices that the structure of the village has changed significantly; the people seem happier, with children running around everywhere. Kai smiles with relief.

- If it isn't Sleeping Beauty. - Huzo said, happy to see Kai on his feet.

- It's good to be back, I want to hear the news. 

- We're doing well, we've managed to help these citizens with almost all of our ship's resources, our earthbenders have cleaned up the water, but we're still a long way from resolving the real situation. - Huzo reported angrily, looking at the black smoke on the horizon that was being produced by the factory. - We can't compete with the damage caused by this factory. It's a miracle that these people have survived this long.

- Have you talked to the person in charge? - Kai asked angrily, noticing the frustrated look in his Captain's eyes. 

- Yes, but there's not much we can do... it's a metal moulding factory that produces weapons. We don't have the authority to stop their production, not even you.

Kai stared seriously and let out a heavy sigh of disappointment. A child noticed Kai's presence and ran towards him with a smile that only a child could muster. 

- Mister! Mister with the red eyes! - The child shouted, attracting the attention of several people.

- Oops, wait, you might get hurt. - Kai grabbed the child in his arms, careful not to hurt him.

- You saved my mum, thank you. - The child clung to Kai's neck, not wanting to let go for anything in the world.

An older woman with long hair ran towards them with a worried look on her face.

- I'm sorry, my son sometimes doesn't understand...

Don't worry. - Kai interrupted the woman, placing the child on his lap and giving her a sincere smile. - It's just a child, no big deal. 

The other people noticed the presence of their saviour and many surrounded him, wanting to thank him as much as they could, feeling that it would never be enough to show their gratitude. Kai refused this kind of praise, only doing what he felt was natural.

Dock walked slowly, a few people making way for the old man who was now wearing newer clothes, capable of keeping him warm even on the coldest nights. He smiled differently from the first time, a smile of gratitude and admiration.

Though he didn't say a word, he bowed to Kai as far as his spine would allow, and the other people, eternally grateful, did the same. The whole humble village bowed to Kai, an image that took root in the minds of the soldiers who had helped the village during those days, giving them a new vision of their leader.

Kai was stunned, he didn't know what to do or say, he just felt a strange feeling in his heart. For a moment, a "click" appeared in his mind, a daring idea, but one that could save this village.

- Huzo, do we have a messenger eagle? - Kai turned to Huzo with a determined look.

- Yes, why?

- We're sending a message to the Fire Lord.

***

Two months have passed since Kai and General Rozo opened the way for the troops with the aim of creating a giant drill-shaped vehicle to pierce the walls of Ba Sing Se, away from the unwanted eyes of the enemies

An object of this size could only be built in a place that was safe and controlled by the Fire Nation, the same place where one of the best fortresses in the Earth Kingdom had been captured.

Ozai was signing some papers as usual, though his focus was on the gigantic vehicle that had entered the initial phase of construction that could take years to complete. Several generals were discussing plans for the protection of the region, anxious and concerned as they were charged with the responsibility of protecting and overseeing the entire process of the Fire Nation's new weapon.

- Lord of Fire Ozai, I bring you news from Kai. - A messenger handed Ozai a scroll with a messenger eagle on its arm. 

Ozai was curious, as it had been almost half a year since he had seen Kai, though the revelation that he was not his biological son did not change the fact that he was relevant to the Fire Nation and its purposes.

Reading the message, he was curious about Kai's proposal, which was unusual but had a relevant consequence. 

Kai's goal was to become a landowner in an area covered by rivers, a region where there was an insignificant village. The place was not suitable for planting, nor did it have resources such as iron for mining, a disposable place that only served to house a factory that formed metal for vehicles and weapons.

Kai's aim was to stabilise a tourist area that could offer delicacies from various species of fish, both freshwater and seawater, which could attract the attention of the nobility. In addition, as the region is surrounded by many rivers and streams, it offers the chance to create a perfect training ground for firebenders and other elemental additions thanks to Kai, a safe zone to practise other dominances under the watchful eye and guardianship of the Nation of Fire. 

Ozai found the proposal quite unique, as it was in his interest to have the other dominions under his control, and this was strengthened by Kai's ability. Ozai could tell that Kai was uncomfortable with awakening young Mai's fire in front of the generals, perhaps he didn't want those powers to be discovered, but now Kai was giving that ability away to be used constantly for the Fire Nation.

It wouldn't be difficult to obtain bending scrolls from other elemental nations, as there are several of them kept under the watchful eye of the Fire Nation, although the vast majority would still be fire benders, so it's a fundamental and gigantic long-term addition to Ozai's power. 

A smile appeared on Ozai's lips as he wrote a letter of reply, accepting the offer, provided he made a fair exchange to compensate for the loss of the factory.

***

A few days later...

Kai was helping to build a house for Xu, who had finally stopped switching personalities at every opportunity.

The earthbenders worked extra hours to divert the polluted waterway away from the factory in an improvised way, though it still needed daily maintenance due to the excessive amount of rubbish, but it served as practice in learning how to manipulate the shape of the earth with their powers.

Huzo and a few soldiers took the ship out to sea, fishing to bring healthier food back to the village by nightfall, a daily routine that depended on the luck of the fishermen.

The village had lost the grim tone that had accompanied it daily in the past, but there was still much work to be done to make it remotely decent in Kai's eyes.

The daily work lasted until nightfall, when all the soldiers and villagers celebrated the completion of the construction and the restoration of most of the village. Huzo was very lucky that day and managed to catch a school of fish for the village, adding to the celebrations. 

Kai talked to Xu or Dock, because the old man still couldn't control his 'brothers' sometimes.

- I can't believe it! So you're Zoho's childhood friend? - Kai said in surprise, almost spitting the food out of his mouth. 

- My 'brother' Dock was Zoho's best friend. - Xu said with tears in his eyes from laughing so hard. 

- What a coincidence. - Kai enjoyed himself, sometimes almost choking on his food.

- So that idiot sent you here! - Xu took the opportunity to mock his old friend, his eyes sparkling with nostalgia. 

- If it's not a nuisance, why did Zoho leave this village? - asked Kai, unable to contain his curiosity.

- Ahhh... it's complicated. - Xu's voice sounded melancholic, a sudden sadness taking over his cheerful demeanour. 

- No need to talk! - Kai warned, worried when he noticed Xu's change in mood.

- There's nothing wrong, it's just that I haven't talked to anyone about it for a long time,"- Xu stopped eating the fried fish in his hand. - Zoho left because of her mother, some say she drowned in the river.

Kai's eyes widened in surprise at the revelation, and he realised why Zoho didn't go home, because she didn't have the strength to go back to where her mother, her only family, had died.

- We didn't even manage to give her a proper tribute, we just buried her and moved on. She was a good person. 

Xu's sadness and melancholy infected Kai for a moment, making him lose his appetite.

- KAI! KAI! - Huzo's voice was heard and made Kai stand up ready for battle. 

- Stay here! - Kai ordered and ran out of the house, looking in all directions, alert for any threat. 

- Over here, Kai! - Huzo shouted, giving his arm to a messenger eagle and pulling out a scroll with his other free hand. 

- For the spirits, Huzo! I thought it was an attack. - Kai breathed a sigh of relief, but was still irritated by the way Huzo had shouted as if it was an attack.

Huzo laughed a little, noticing some strange looks from the naive villagers. Kai noticed this and decided to go down to the riverbank for a more private conversation with the curious.

Kai read Ozai's reply, relieved that the land was now his, as well as the unusual military promotion he'd received, but his joy was short-lived when he realised how he was going to compensate for the factory's withdrawal.

- So? What's the Fire Lord's answer? - Huzo noticed the concern on his boss's face.

- We need to open up the west coast passage completely. If we do that, Ozai will invest resources in this village to turn it into a tourist attraction and an elementary training academy.

- That's partly good, but going down the west coast means that... - Huzo was worried, his face turning white with fear.

- Ozai wants the head of General Fong, the second greatest earthbender in the world.

- This man is as monstrous as the king of Omashu. - Huzo was terrified, knowing the general's fame. - Do you think we have a chance?

- Zoho once told me that he had fought him, but was defeated. - This revelation from Kai almost caused Huzo to lose his balance. 

- That monster is more powerful than Zoho?! We're dead! 

- Don't give up too soon, Ozai has appointed me General, now I'm in command of Dozo's troops. - Kai spoke seriously as he read the last parts of Ozai's letter. - Let's get ready to leave in a week, refuel and head west.

Huzo listened attentively to the orders of the new general, not wanting to interrupt. He looked back at the village, genuinely concerned about leaving the villagers alone, but knowing it was inevitable.

- I need some time alone to cool down, you can enjoy the rest of the evening. - Kai dismissed Huzo and stood alone on the riverbank, just wanting to feel the wind on his face. 

As the minutes passed, a mist began to form around Kai and he felt something familiar, a feeling similar to the one he had once experienced, one like Koh's, only weaker.

Kai set fire to his hand, ready to fight a spirit or anything mystical that came along, confident that he now had his fire bend at his disposal. The mist slowly began to dissipate in front of Kai, revealing a beautiful brown-haired woman, wearing white make-up with red detailing, a white dress and hat, as if it were a wedding dress. 

Kai, who was involved with the local community, quickly recognised the mystical figure in front of him.

- The Painted Lady. - Kai whispered in surprise, but didn't let his guard down.

next chapter: Azula's letters