Ra'Ok

The ship continued on its way. As the sun dipped below the horizon an island finally came into view. Kain could see that the island was about as big as Agna Qel'a and was surrounded by walls in all directions. He saw hundreds of water nation ships around the island.

Everyone cheered as they too noticed the island. Meanwhile, Kain went around the ship, trying to find Unaq. He found him sitting on a crate, eating a piece of cooked fish. 

He brought over another crate and sat down next to him. Unaq looked at him grinning speaking, "We're finally here. I've been waiting so long to come here. Not only that, but we get to fight alongside some of the best warriors of the water nation. Kror, Balam and Ra'Ok, the main leaders of Na'Ok Thu and heroes of the nation. If only I could be a waterbender like them..."

Kain perked up hearing him mention Ra'Ok, "You know who Ra'Ok is?"

Unaq replied enthusiastically, "Yeah, Ra'Ok is one of the deputy leaders of Na'Ok Thu, right hand man of Kror. Did you know that he's actually our captain."

Kain replied with a deadpan expression, "Yeah I know."

"I was shocked too when I found- wait you know that he's the captain of the ship?" Unaq's face turned from enthusiastic to surprised as he stood up.

"Yeah, I talked to him for a little bit. He knew about me and my amnesia from the chief." Kain replied still with a deadpan expression.

"Wow." he sat back down sighing, "I hope that I get to actually have a talk with one of the leaders. They're the heroes that every aspiring warrior wants to be like. Their achievements are well known, even among the civilians."

"Please do tell me about their achievements then, please." Kain feeling a bit bored as the ship got closer to the island requested.

"Well Kror apparently capsized an entire fire nation warship using his waterbending in the middle of the full moon. During that same night, he fought no less than eight fire benders at once and dispatched all of them with ease." Unaq replied, turning enthusiastic again.

"Balam once hunted down a herd of whales by himself alone, providing food for an multiple merchant ships that had been attacked by the fire nation while passing through water nation territory."

Kain was thoroughly impressed hearing this. None of these achievements could be considered as simple by any stretch of the imagination. Even if the battles had happened during the full moon, when the waterbenders were strongest, their skill and waterbending strength were still far beyond what he could imagine ever doing.

That then left the last hero of Na'Ok Thu, Ra'Ok. He asked, "What about Ra'Ok? What was his greatest achievement?"

Unaq thought for a moment before answering, "He was captured by the fire nation and was held in a ship prison, but he managed to escape their grasp while being transported to The Boiling Rock. He slaughtered quite a lot of the fire nation soldiers in the way before jumping off the ship and swimming all the way back to Na'Ok Thu."

Kain was heavily impressed by this. But before he could say anything else he heard Ra'Ok's voice, "We're finally here. Get ready to land at Na'Ok Thu.

The pair stood up immediately as Ra'Ok maneuvered the ship right next to the port, and two sailors lowered down a bridge, connecting it to the port.

In front of the port was the wall that surrounded the island, however this part of the wall had a massive gate which was slightly open. He saw several guards sitting around the gate, looking at them curiously.

The passengers started disembarking at the port. Eventually only Unaq and Kain were left. Kain waited for Unaq as he scrambled around where he was just sitting, seemingly looking for something.

Before he could ask Unaq if he needed help he suddenly stood up, holding a ring between his thumb and his ring finger, "I almost thought I lost this. Mom would be so mad at me if I did. Luckily, I didn't lose it."

Curiously, Kain asked, "What's that ring?"

"That's my betrothal. I've been arranged to marry this girl called Amella after I return from the frontlines." He said a bit proud of himself.

Kain felt a bit uncomfortable hearing that. He was still not quite as used to the customs of the northern tribe. The customs there were so much different than the modern world, especially considering the independence of women.

Of course, he didn't truly want to just accept the customs until Katara came to change it herself. He hoped that Tamara would be able to find a way to change the water nation from the inside out.

This was one of the plans he had talked about with Tamara. He had suggested to her a possibility of a girl changing the traditions of the northern tribe from the inside by convincing people like her father or master Pakku that even women could be just as strong as men.

If all of the leaders had been convinced, then all of the normal civilians would also follow suit, changing their beliefs to a more modern view. But that would need the female waterbender to have enough power to actually prove that she was equal to a male.

Not that he could check up on her progress right now, but it was interesting to think about.

As Unaq had already found the ring, he found no reason to stay around for any longer, so he stepped on the board and disembarked the ship. Unaq followed quickly behind him, but both of them stopped as they heard a voice that was familiar to Kain.

"So, impressed? This wall took decades for waterbenders to build. But this is nothing to what's inside of the walls." Ra'Ok's said, looking around grinning. 

Kain turned behind, only to see Unaq nervously looking at Ra'Ok with admiration, "Yes sir, uh... I am ready to serve for our nation." he spoke, stammering.

Ra'Ok looked directly at him smiling, "No need to call me sir, just call me Ra'Ok. And don't be nervous about entering the city either. I think that it will be different from your expectations."

After saying that final sentence he walked by the both of them before holding up a hand sign, indicating them to follow him. Both of them got behind him as they entered the city of Na'Ok Thu.