Fool's World: Enemy Action (ch. 33) (Patreon)

There was a pirate fleet brewing in the oceans. Admiral Zhao had heard about it in low rumblings and rumors to start with. A prison barge had been intercepted by the Fire Nation defense fleet and while he hadn’t seen it for himself, what he heard was chilling. The hold was filled with corpses and madmen. Fine Fire Nation soldiers were reduced to gibbering lunatics that couldn’t hold a simple conversation to explain what had happened to them. From everything Zhao had heard, those that died in the hold were the lucky ones.

While asking the madmen what happened proved to be a fruitless endeavor, Zhao had plenty of evidence to deduce who. A pirate that took the name of Angra Mainyu -- a pseudonym, Zhao suspected. It was he who had seized the ship from the exiled prince -- who then had the audacity to challenge him for one of his and, exiled or not, Zhao had been forced to part with a ship and its crew. It was he who attacked a prison fleet, seizing the ships, did something to the crew, and then spent the next two months harassing Fire Nation ships.

Reports varied, making it difficult to tell how many ships the pirate fleet now had, but it ranged from anywhere between three and thirty. The number of reported ships missing that Angra Mainyu had been seen sailing away with put the number at thirty, but where he was keeping them was anyone's guess as he favored smaller attack forces.

Zhao knew he was becoming a problem. More ships were found with the dead and the insane, each gibbering about the ‘Source of All Evil.’ Fire Nation food ships were being raided and seized by the pirate, and they had grown bold enough to begin raiding Fire Nation towns. A pirate fleet was a disruptive element, more so when they defeated the force he personally sent out to take the head of Angra Mainyu, but ultimately harmless. At least, so Admiral Zhao had thought.

“Kill the bird that sent this letter,” Admiral Zhao decided, looking over an order that Fire Lord Ozai had sent him.

“Of course, sir!” Zhao’s loyal soldier said, snapping off a crisp salute before leaving his office. Zhao held the orders up to the light to see that the lettering didn’t change with different lighting. On the paper were orders to divert his focus to capturing Angra Mainyu and personally delivering him to the Fire Lord. A high honor to receive orders from the Fire Lord himself.

Zhao heard a squawk as the bird was killed, followed by a splash when it was tossed overboard his flagship. His soldiers wouldn’t speak. Each had been handpicked by him, their loyalties tested several times over. Every soldier, from firebender to engineer, belonged to him. They were his personal army. The messenger bird would be reported as being felled by Fire Nation enemies -- it was a common enough occurrence that the excuse would be easily believed.

Still, he didn’t have a habit of ignoring the Fire Lord. His promotion to Admiral was too recent, even if his influence was growing.

“Poor timing. The Water Tribes will soon be laid low. I won't waste my time battling scum of the sea,” Zhao decided, tossing the letter up and burning it with a flick of his finger. All evidence of having received the communication was destroyed. Ordinarily, he would be happy to follow through with the order -- especially if the pirate Angra Mainyu was deemed important enough for the Fire Lord to take notice of.

Taking his head would increase his prestige and increase his standing amongst the other Admirals. Just not nearly as much as crushing the last remnants of the Water Tribes -- the Southern Water Tribes were a shell of their former glory, but the Northern Water Tribe had yet to be defeated. Their city in the north pole hadn’t tasted the fire of the Fire Nation in nearly a century, deemed a lesser priority in comparison to the Earth Kingdom due to the Tribes defensive posture.

A chuckle escaped Zhao as he brushed away the ashes of the letter before he stood. His command room was lavishly decorated with trophies of his victories -- A skull taken from a notable Southern Water tribe peasant that put up a half decent struggle, the badge of a Fire Nation officer he killed in an Agni Kai to secure his position as a ranked officer in the navy. There were fine silks, perfumes, and mosaic paintings on the walls. All taken as tribute from territory that was under their control.

He took a look at himself in a full length mirror to make sure he looked the part. So much of the game of power and influence was about appearance. His hair was bound in a tight bun, his fashionable sideburns were perfectly timed, and he didn’t have wrinkles yet due to his religious appliance of salves and creams to keep his skin healthy. Though, unfortunately, he did see that his hair was starting to gray, particularly at the temples, but Zhao thought it made him seem distinguished.

His armor was polished -- black plate highlighted with red, the traditional Fire Nation uniform. As a ranked officer, he didn’t have to wear that blasted helmet that his lessers were forced to bare. How it became the regulation was beyond him. Could barely see through those pinpoint holes, even if it did protect the face. The cloth of his armor was fine silk, his boots were soft and form fitting leather. He looked powerful. Radiant.

“This will work,” Zhao told his reflection, seeing an expression of confidence reflected back to him. The savages in the north and south poles would be exterminated. Waterbending would cease to exist, as it should. Firebending was the true art of the world and all others were pale imitations. It was a stain on Fire Lord Sozin’s honor that even one airbender, Avatar or not, had managed to escape the purge on the Air Temples. Zhao would not make that same mistake. He would go for the source of the foul art of waterbending itself -- the moon. Or, rather, the spirits that were connected to the moon.

It would work. He would launch his invasion into the Northern Water Tribe, kill the moon spirits, darken the moon and put an end to all waterbending in the world. For his efforts, he would be lauded with honors and merits. He would stand head and shoulders above his peers and be elevated to heights beyond a mere Admiral.

Prince Zuko was a disgrace. General Iroh was a washed up old man and tainted with disgrace. Princess Azula was young, but she was also immensely talented. She would be Fire Lord Ozai’s chosen heir. It would be inconceivable to pick anyone else but her. As it was the royal family’s prerogative to marry powerful firebenders, with his accomplishments, he would be the natural choice.

Zhao smirked into the mirror. “Fire Lord Zhao,” he spoke the words of his greatest ambition. Azula would give him a child. A male heir. Possibly a spare. Then she would suffer an unfortunate accident early on in her life, leaving him as the ruler of the Fire Nation to raise their child as the first ruler of the world. For, under his guidance, this century long war would come to an end. The Fire Nation would rule the world… and he would rule the Fire Nation.

It was a nice dream. One that was so tantalizingly close at hand.

Zhao smirked at his reflection before he left his office, his hands clasped behind his back, striding through the halls of his flagship. It ran like a well oiled machine. Those that didn't meet his standards were expunged from his fleet. Highly disciplined and highly effective. His soldiers that saw him in the halls dropped into bows the moment they saw him, as they were trained to do. He arrived at his destination -- the command deck.

The bulkhead door was opened for him, revealing a room full of a dozen commanders. Each one possessed a small fleet of seven ships that augmented his own fleet of twenty. While he was reluctant to share in the glory of this momentous occasion, their forces were necessary for him to be able to take the Northern Water Tribe. All of them were those he developed connections with -- as friends, as a mentor, or as a student. They would share in his glory and thank him for it. As they say -- a rising tide raises all ships.

"Commanders," Zhao greeted them, his gaze sweeping over the commanders, searching their expressions. The Fire Lord was a cunning man. He knew of Zhao's intentions to crush the Water Tribes and gave his express approval and then he then sent that letter. Meaning that Zhao was being tested. It was likely that one, if not several, of these men received the same orders that he did and they were waiting for an opportunity to bring him down by accusing him of disloyalty and treason.

"Admiral!" They all greeted him in return, kneeling at a desk that was covered in maps -- sea charts, maps of the city, the arctic tundra that the city was based in.

"Today, we the Fire Nation, take one more step to ending this war for good. It is my intention to have it over within my lifetime," Zhao started, giving a speech he practiced and rehearsed in the mirror. Words were important, but so was delivery and gestures. With the right combination of them, those that receive the orders from the Fire Lord would do as he did and burn them. "The Northern Water Tribe has been an unforgivable insult to our glorious nation for far too long. They are not the Earth Kingdom -- proud, and stubborn. They are a band of savages that thumb their noses at us without daring to fight back."

As he spoke, he walked along the edge of the low table before he took a seat at the head of it. "That is our mission -- to destroy their last stronghold and reduce them to what their cousins in the south are -- savages living in huts adorned with bones and pelts," Zhao spoke, making the memorized gestures. His hands clenched in anger, and open palm when he gestured to them, a shake of his head as he dismissed them.

His gaze swept over the commanders, searching for expressions that would give them away. One commander did speak up, "There are rumors that the Avatar has gone to the North Pole."

Interesting. "I would consider it likely," Zhao spoke, as if he was any authority about the Avatar. A month ago, their paths had almost overlapped. If Zhao hadn't been dealing with the aftermath of Angra Mainyu, if he arrived just a few days earlier… Zhao would have captured him. That would have been a marked achievement. Given the cultural importance of the Avatar, it would be equal to the destruction of the Northern Water Tribe. "The boy is an Airbender. He must first learn water, then Earth, then fire."

It would be a stroke of luck if he was able to capture both the Avatar and destroy the Moon Spirits. He'd be lauded as a hero through the streets of the Fire Nation. "While the boy is dangerous, he is untrained. Airbending is a poor match for steel. With a hundred and four ships, he alone cannot hope to present an obstacle."

"I hear that the Northern Water Tribe has buildings made of ice," a commander said, a cruel grin on his face that Zhao shared.

"They do. The North Pole is nothing but ice and water. They used their bending to create a city, but they shall soon learn exactly how brittle ice is." Zhao spoke, picturing it so clearly in his head. Each warship was equipped with six catapults. If every ship fired at once, that was near seven hundred shots crashing down upon the ice city. The devastation would be extreme. Even with the waterbenders within the city, they would not be able to hold out long under that level of barrage. “In any case, we have learned the lessons of the last failed force that was sent against them eighty years ago and we have learned them well.”

The Earth Kingdom was the true threat to the Fire Nation -- that much, Zhao knew. For the past hundred years, it had been the Earth Kingdom that had stalled the Fire Nation, trading territory and strategic resources. With his accolades, he would likely be given permission to turn his attention to the final foe of the Fire Nation. He would need to begin to think of invasion plans to bring Ba Sing Se low.

He would need to begin recruiting earthbenders. Those with families that he could use as leverage against them. Perhaps some manner of security device on them that would kill them if they proved willing to sacrifice their families out of a misguided sense of loyalty. It was a thought that he would have to put a pin in.

“And what of the pirate Angra Mainyu?” Commander Lee, a student of Zhao’s, spoke up. Zhao had to suppress a smile as Lee looked to him. He was in his late twenties, a needle thin goatee, and a topknot of black hair. Out of everyone that the Fire Lord could have sent additional letters to, it was convenient that it was him. “This invasion force is going to provide opportunities for his fleet. He restricts himself to small coastal towns with small garrisons, but he will not let an opportunity like this slip him by.”

Another commander nodded, “True. Though, calling him a pirate would be a disservice to pirates. According to my men, Angra Mainyu is a monstrous spirit sent from the spirit world to punish the Fire Nation.”

Zhao scoffed, “Rumors and hearsay. Likely started by Angra Mainyu’s miscreants to strike terror into the lesser members of our armies. I do agree with you that Angra Mainyu is less than a pirate. He’s something far worse -- a rebel. One that we can crush with ease.” Zhao spoke, and Commander Lee leapt at the bait.

“The Fire Lord has grown concerned about him,” Commander Lee began, earring a few raised eyebrows. Zhao amongst their number. “Angra Mainyu has proven elusive and dangerous. Call him what you like, but in a handful of months, he’s gone from a complete unknown to a credible threat. Food prices are rising in the Fire Nation islands. For that reason, we have been ordered to destroy him and his compatriots.”

His tone was confident and smug to Zhao’s ears. The tone of a man that thought he had Zhao by the balls for any one of a dozen reasons. He believed that he was worthy of the Fire Lord’s attention, or he believed he had arranged a perfect opportunity to disgrace him. To sweep the rug out from under him, so to speak. A terrible misstep at the start of his career as an admiral.

“That is news to me, Commander Lee,” Zhao lied as naturally as he breathed. “I received no such notice of the Fire Lord’s intentions. Did anyone else?” He asked, his gaze sweeping over the commanders seated at his table. He saw blank faces while Commander Lee lost his confident air and began to seem nervous when no one immediately spoke up.

“I would think,” Commander Toa, an old mentor to Zhao after his former teacher lost his nerve, “that such an important matter would be given to the Admiral of our combined navy.” Zhao suppressed another smirk as there was a rumbling of agreement.

“I have the orders here,” Commander Lee dug his feet in, revealing the missive that was up his sleeve. He handed it to Commander Toa, who passed it off to Commander Ai, who then passed it to himself. Zhao popped the seal on the missive and began to read while Commander Lee began to speak. “I suspect that this missive was given to me in the eventuality that Admiral Zhao would elect to… ignore the orders of the Fire Lord.” The room stirred at the insult while Zhao read, keeping his expression blank.

That remark was worthy of an Agni Kai. To the death, if Zhao had his way.

Instead, Zhao finished reading the letter. It was short, punctual, and straight to the point. Send the fleet to crush Angra Mainyu.

“I see. Did anyone else receive such a letter?” Zhao questioned, lowering it to the table. He hoped that none would raise their hands, but Commander Ai did as well with a guarded expression. “Commander Lee… it seems you consider yourself rather important,” Zhao spoke, his voice holding a deadly edge.

Commander Lee narrowed his eyes while Zhao continued. “A fleet of a hundred ships to crush a single pirate? Don’t be absurd. The wording of the letter makes your orders clear -- you are to break off from this fleet to hunt down the pirate Angra Mainyu. Commander Ai will be accompanying you. I believe fourteen ships and two excellent commanders will be more than enough for a low life pirate. The rest of us shall continue as planned. After all… why else would I not receive a missive from the Fire Lord about the rerouting of the combined fleet?”

There was a long pause as he and Lee stared each other down. There could be others. The rest of the commanders might even suspect that he was lying. However, they didn’t care. To pivot away at such an important moment? When glory was on the horizon and they only needed to stay the course? It was unthinkable. Zhao was sure that some were intending to betray him after the fact to taint his victory while rising higher themselves. It was for that reason it would be such a shame that a good half of them would die in the incoming invasion.

Commander Lee worked his jaw, clearly unhappy with how this turned out. His gaze flickered to Ai, who seemed far more accepting of the outcome before looking back to Zhao. Zhao allowed himself the faintest of a smirk, trying to tempt the younger man into lashing out, but Commander Lee didn’t take the bait. Instead, he lowered into a bow. “I see. Forgive my presumptuousness. With your permission, I shall take my fleet and hunt down Angra Mainyu immediately.”

“You are forgiven,” Zhao said, planning to have him killed. Connections were only useful when they passed tests like these. “The rest of us shall prepare to set sail on the morrow. Perhaps, if you’re lucky, you may join us for the celebrations after we crush the Northern Water Tribe.”

With that, Commander Lee and Ai left the room and Zhao looked over his companions in the coming days. His destiny was so close at hand. He could almost taste it.

Things just needed to go to plan… and the world would never forget Fire Lord Zhao.