Playing Waterbending (Avatar: Last Aibender SI)-Chapter 81

Zhao woke up, feeling sluggish and light-headed.

He shivered from the cold, and it didn't take him long to realize where he was, or why.

'I thought I was about to die,' he remembered, suddenly recalling the frozen body beneath the ice.

He quickly looked at the ground below him. The ice was so thick, so white, and covered in snow that he couldn't see through it.

It also made him wonder how he had managed to get through it in the first place.

But suddenly, Zhao remembered something.

He was a former commander with two decades of battle experience.

And it wasn't rare for him to see what desperate men were capable of.

He had seen plenty of people with strong fighting spirits pushing through unconsciousness, hunger, and dehydration, both from his side and the enemy's.

Zhao's depression and anger were suddenly replaced by something else.

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A feeling of accomplishment.

For a moment, he felt proud of himself.

After losing his honor and his title, this was one of the rare moments where he felt his worth returning to him.

'It's okay, Zhao. I'm going to pull this plan off. And I'll be named a general. I'll be known as the hero who conquered the North Pole. People will remember me more than the Fire Lord for my accomplishments.'

Zhao started fantasizing about honor and titles.

In the middle of that fantasy, Ryuk was there, inside a dog cage, receiving his rightful punishment.

As for the plan tonight, it was very simple.

The supply ship was meant to be attacked as bait.

They had planned to retreat as soon as the North Pole forces arrived.

Then, the North Pole soldiers would have a reason to celebrate.

That's when the Fire Nation fleet would launch a large-scale attack.

Which, of course, was also a distraction.

The real purpose was to force the North Pole to pull out all their forces, including those guarding the spirits.

Zhao would then sneak in and kill the spirits, and the Fire Nation fleet would defeat the now powerless waterbenders.

It was a perfect plan... with one sluggish detail.

Nobody had expected the waterbenders to sink the three ships, or so he had heard.

'How the hell did they create that massive whirlpool...? If anyone's known for pulling off new tricks, it's that bastard. He must have been here. He's the only waterbender with enough power to take out an entire unit on his own.'

Zhao quickly turned his head to the left, spotting his backpack. Inside were clothes that resembled those of the waterbenders.

Some might think it was stupid, after all, they had blue eyes.

But not all of them did.

In the Fire Nation, there was a common misconception that all its citizens had yellow eyes.

But there were people with brown, black, green—even blue eyes.

Of course, the stereotype held true for the majority.

But Zhao believed people wouldn't identify him as a Fire Nation soldier from a distance since he was in their usual attire. They'd need to get up close. And besides, he wouldn't be here long, just a few hours, until nightfall.

Zhao changed clothes, burned the old ones, and walked into the city of the Northern Water Tribe.

-x-X-x-

What can I say? Being an accomplished man gets you a lot of... unwanted attention.

I was sitting in the middle of a festival thrown in my honor, at a ridiculously long table.

Pakku was here. My brother-in-law's future father-in-law was here—yeah, the tribe chief. I should start calling him "Uncle-in-law." Hopefully, he won't get as mad as Sokka did. Well, it's not like I'm planning to screw his daughter. Sokka would, though.

Speaking of the two lovebirds, their eyes kept meeting, and Sokka would sneak in a few smirks. The princess kept up appearances, but her cheeks betrayed her, turning rosy.

I sighed.

'Young people...'

A hand settled on mine. Then another on my other hand.

Sitting beside me were both Katara and Toph. Katara had been holding my hand the whole time. She kept talking about how we hadn't gotten drunk together in a while and how we needed to get wasted.

As for Toph, she was hugging me for warmth. At this point, I could confidently say her eyes had completely adapted. She could see perfectly now.

"So, no fuck tonight either," Katara muttered under her breath.

"Unfortunately, no," I replied, glancing at the people watching me.

I needed to get out of here as soon as possible.

Because if I didn't, when the Fire Nation fleet attacked tonight, I'd be summoned.

And if I went, Zhao would kill the water spirits, and the Fire Nation's plan would work.

But if I didn't go, I wouldn't have a good excuse... without revealing my hidden agenda.

"Ryuk, do you hate me?" Katara asked, narrowing her eyebrows, her tone angry. "I even let you have another woman."

"That's not it—" I clenched my teeth, bending the water inside my body and forcing out sweat.

"Then what is it?"

"It's embarrassing to say," I muttered, pretending to hesitate.

"Oh, what kind of excuse—" Katara frowned, but I cut her off.

"Food poisoning... I'm trying to hold my shit together. Literally," I said, bending water in my stomach to create a groaning sound.

"Oh... let's go back. I'll treat you. I know a good herbal mix..." she offered, suddenly gentle.

And honestly, I was truly embarrassed to use that excuse.

It made me wonder how bad it would be if it actually happened.

"Katara... it's embarrassing. I'd prefer to rest alone."

Toph, who had been listening, grinned and teased, elbowing my ribs. "You shy around me all of a sudden? Don't like it when I see your weak side, huh? Stop being a man-child. Let's go."

I sighed. "Okay."

At least I was getting them out of the coming battle. I wasn't too worried about Katara, but Toph... she was another story.

At the North Pole—Toph's powers were useless. She couldn't see through vibrations, and she couldn't bend the earth. Maybe she'd stand a chance in the South Pole, since it's frozen land. But not here, above this frozen ocean.

I took Katara and Toph with me, and we headed back to our residence. Needless to say, Sokka didn't come.

Once we arrived, I excused myself to the gentlemen's room.

And instead, I just left the building and sat on the rooftop.

Faking an illness was incredibly embarrassing, I must say.

Time passed, and night fell.

Soon, the bells rang.

I saw everyone rushing through the streets, gathering at the southern border near the wall.

'Is it even right to call it the southern border? I mean, we're at the North Pole... If we go north, we'd end up going south on the map. Same with the south—we're still moving south...'

I stretched my arms and smiled, relieved I didn't have to go help.

The Fire Nation had pulled all their fleet and launched a full-scale attack. The logical response was to deploy every available force for defense. And at that same moment, Zhao would begin his mission, which would flip the tide of war.

-x-X-x-

Zhao looked down at the two unconscious guards he had ambushed, the ones who had been stationed at the pond.

Inside it, two fish circled each other, endlessly spinning.

"At last, my dreams will come true," he said, smiling.

This was the moment Zhao would become the greatest soldier in history.

He raised his hand, igniting a flame above it. A wide grin spread across his face.