Avatar: Macai's Journey

Chapter 46: Road to Redemption

Macai sits beside Rosh in his room in the Prompt Adjudicator as they sail in the open sea. For a moment, both of them say nothing. They look side to side across the room. Macai takes a deep breath, "Wow, it's going to feel pretty quiet around here now. Especially without Hazo."

Rosh shakes his head, "He made his choice."

Macai: "I respect his choice. This Nation is all he has ever known."

Rosh retorts, "That's no excuse, he's been around long enough to know better. But the older he got, the more stubborn he became in his ways. I can't imagine how many contradictions he saw."

Macai: "It isn't all grim Rosh. We had some good times and fought to earn rewards under our tutelage. Now we are alone, with no nation to protect us."

Rosh extends, "You can go back to them any day you like. Just remember they wanted to execute you."Macai: "I know Rosh, I know. I just, I don't know..." Macai stares off into space.

Rosh: "I get it man, it's a lot to take in. But things will work out, I know they will."

Macai nods, "And if not, we can at least say we tried." Macai shuffles through office papers, "Wow, I don't know what to do here anymore. Most of these evaluation papers are useless now."

Rosh: "If we survive, maybe Zuko will make new authorization papers with better and less toxic criteria."

Macai comments, "Now that would be something." Meanwhile, Samira and Aiya have another discussion in the Bridge.

Samira: "Well, this must feel different."

Aiya: "Kind of, Hazo was basically someone who gave me orders and a sense of direction. He also reassured me. But in recent months, I became more and more independent. The work isn't that much different, it's a bit more complicated since we have to hide more. At least the Prompt Adjudicator is fast for a ship its size."

Samira: "We have been really inactive recently, I wonder what our next mission will be." Macai steps in the room. Samira smiles, "Hey boss." Aiya waves.

Macai: "Ladies, at ease."

Aiya: "So, what's next Macai?"

Macai asserts, "I am going to visit an old friend and (to Aiya) I want your help to find him."

Back in the Field
It is a relatively sunny day. A steady breeze flows through the sky along with a moderate amount of heat. The grass is light green and the sky is cobalt blue. Macai wipes sweat off his face as he walks up a rural and narrow valley route. Rosh steps a few feet behind him and Kanna is a few feet left of his position. Dade is a little behind the rest of his team.

A waterbender leaps off an adjacent hill and lands directly in front of the team. A female waterbender lands behind Dade. Waterbender: "Should have known better than to have come here, MACAI!"

Macai smirks, "Listen, I'm here to see a friend. If I really wanted to fight, I would have brought more people with me here. Especially since the Fire Nation has very little intel about this location."

Female waterbender: "Or this is a part of another one of his ploys. Macai is known for being a trickster."

Macai chuckles, "A trickster, but seriously let us see Kett. I brought several of his old friends. I didn't bring any archers like Sonna with me. Everyone I brought is an old friend of his."

Male waterbender: "It seems like you both stopped being friends a long time ago."

Macai: "You could also take your chances and fight us. I'm still pretty confident in my abilities."