The Rise of Kyoshi (Avatar, The Last Airbender)

The Fifth Nation described themselves as an egalitarian outfit that disregarded the boundaries between the elements. According to the propaganda they sometimes left behind after a raid, no nation was superior, and under the rule of their enlightened captain, any adventurer or bender could join them in harmony, regardless of origin.

In reality, the most successful pirate fleet in the world was going to be nearly all sailors from the Water Tribes. And the food reflected that. To Kyoshi, most of the meal tasted like blood, the mineral saltiness too much for her. She did what she could to be polite, and watched Yun eat in perfect alignment with Water Tribe custom.

As Yun downed another tray of raw blubber with gusto, Tagaka cheering him on, Kyoshi wanted to whisper in Rangi’s ear and ask if they should be afraid of poison. Or the prospect of the dinner party stabbing them in the back with their meat skewers. Anything that reflected the hostilities that must have been bubbling under the surface. Why were they being so friendly?

It became too much once they began setting up Pai Sho boards for members of Tagaka’s crew who fancied themselves a match for the young Avatar’s famous skills. Kyoshi nudged Rangi in the side and tilted her chin at the merriment, widening her eyes for emphasis.

Rangi knew exactly what she was asking. While everyone’s attention focused on Yun playing three opponents at once, she pointed with her toe at two men and two women who had silently entered the tent after the party had finished eating, to clean up the plates.

They were Earth Kingdom citizens. Instead of the pirates’ mismatched riot of pilfered clothing, they wore plain peasant’s garb. And though they weren’t chained or restrained, they carried out their duties in a hunched and clumsy fashion. Like people fearing for their lives.

The stolen villagers. Yun and Rangi had undoubtedly spotted them earlier. Kyoshi cursed herself for treating them as invisible when she knew what it was like to move unnoticed among the people she served. The entire time, Yun had been putting on a false smile while Tagaka paraded her true spoils of war in front of him.

Rangi found her trembling hand and gave it a quick squeeze, sending a pulse of reassuring warmth over her skin. Stay strong.

They watched Yun demolish his opponents in three different ways, simultaneously. The first he blitzed down, the second he’d forced into a no-win situation, and the third he’d lured into a trap so diabolical that the hapless pirate thought he was winning the whole time until the last five moves.

The audience roared when Yun finished his last victim off. Coins clinked as wagers traded hands, and the challengers received slaps and jeers from their comrades.

Tagaka laughed and threw back another shot of strong wine. “Tell me, Avatar. Are you enjoying yourself?”

“I’ve been to many places around the world,” Yun said. “And your hospitality has been unmatched.”

“I’m so glad,” she said, reaching for more drink. “I was convinced you were planning to kill me before the night was through.”

The atmosphere of the gathering went from full speed to a dead stop. Tagaka’s men seemed as surprised as Jianzhu’s. The mass stillness that ran through the party nearly created its own sound. The tensing of neck muscles. Hairs raising on end.

Kyoshi tried to glance at Master Amak without making it obvious. The hardened Waterbender was sitting away from the main group, peering soberly at Tagaka over the edge of his unused wine cup. The floor was covered in skins and rugs, but underneath was a whole island of weaponry at his disposal. Instead of freezing up like everyone else, Kyoshi could see his shoulders relaxing, loosening, readying for a sudden surge of violence.

She thought Jianzhu might say something, take over for Yun now that the theatrics were off course, but he did nothing. Jianzhu calmly watched Yun stack the Pai Sho tiles between his fingers, as if the only thing he cared about was making sure his student displayed good manners by cleaning up after a finished game.

“Mistress Tagaka,” Yun said. “If this is about the size of my contingent, I assure you I meant no harm or insult. The soldiers who came with me are merely an honor guard. I didn’t want to bring them, but they were so excited about the chance to witness you make history with the Avatar.”

“I’m not concerned about a bunch of flunkies with spears, boy,” Tagaka said. Her voice had turned lower. The time for flattery was over. “I’m talking about those three.”

She pointed, her fingers forming a trident. Not at Amak or any of the armored Earth Kingdom soldiers, but at Jianzhu, Hei-Ran, and Kelsang.

“I’m afraid I don’t understand,” Yun said. “Surely you know of my bending masters. The famed companions of Kuruk.”

“Yes, I know of them. And I know what it means when the Gravedigger of Zhulu Pass darkens my tent in person.”

Now Yun was confused for real. His easy smile faded, and his head tilted toward his shoulder. Kyoshi had heard of various battles and locations associated with Jianzhu’s name, and Zhulu Pa

ss was one of many, not a standout in a long list. He was a great hero of the Earth Kingdom after all, one of its leading sages.

“Are you referring to the story of how my esteemed mentor piously interred the bodies of villagers he found cut down by rebels, giving them their final rest and dignity?” Yun said. The game tiles clacked together in his palm.

Tagaka shook her head. “I’m referring to five thousand Yellow Necks, buried alive, the rest terrorized into submission. The entire uprising crushed by one man. Your ‘esteemed mentor.’”

She turned to Jianzhu. “I’m curious. Do their spirits haunt you when you sleep? Or did you plant them deep enough that the earth muffles their screams?”

There was a hollow thunk as one of the game pieces slipped out of Yun’s grasp and bounced off the board. He’d never heard of this. Kyoshi had never heard of this.

Now that he was being addressed directly, Jianzhu deemed it proper to speak up. “Respectfully, I fear that rumors from the Earth Kingdom interior tend to grow wilder the closer they get to the South Pole. Many tales of my past exploits are pure exaggerations by now.”

“Respectfully, I gained my position through knowing facts beyond what you think a typical blue-eyed southern rustic should know,” Tagaka snapped. “For example, I know who holds the Royal Academy record for the most ‘accidental’ kills during Agni Kais, Madam Headmistress.”

If Hei-Ran was offended by the accusation, she didn’t show it. Instead Rangi looked like she was going to leap on Tagaka and cook the woman’s head off her shoulders. Kyoshi instinctively reached out to her and got her hand swatted away for the trouble.