Avatar: Macai's Journey

Chapter 52: To Kill An Avatar Part 1

Macai walks through the small Fire Nation City Hebanentu, located about a three-day walk from the Fire Nation capital. The buildings are light brown with several dark red stripes and Fire Nation flags paraded throughout. A decent number of civilians travel throughout the town and Macai advances toward a relatively large two-story private building with a dark red fence at its borders. The front door is grey dark brown, and the building has several dark brown markings throughout it. The doorknob is gold, revealing decent status among the home occupants.

Macai knocks on the door and the retired Captain Hazo opens it. Hazo looks a bit older, with a few more wrinkles on his face since his discharge. Macai: "Hazo, it has been some time. I decided to take your invitation and see how you were doing."

Hazo smiles, "Macai, I've missed you. Please come, sit." Macai enters Hazo's estate. Hazo's home has light yellow walls, a light brown wood floor, several pictures hung up, and a large black table in the common room. Macai sits on the opposite side of the table from the retired captain. Hazo pours Macai a cup of vanilla tea and makes himself a cup of peanut roasted tea.

Hazo: "Try my vanilla tea, I have a special recipe."

Macai points at Hazo's cup, "Your tea smells a little different."

Hazo nods, "Aww, yes I have peanut roasted. I remember you saying you didn't like that flavor as much."

Macai: "Well, that's true." Hazo takes a sip of his tea.

Hazo: "Please, drink Macai." Macai takes a sip of the vanilla tea and grins.

Macai: "This is delicious." Macai takes a bigger gulp of the tea and Hazo smiles. Macai raises his eyebrows, "Wow, this is some of the best tea I've ever had. I didn't know you were a teamaster."

Hazo: "There are a few things you have yet to learn about me."

Macai looks back at Hazo, "I remember how you told me about the importance of compassion and how we should learn from different elements. I remember how you mentioned how you respected Iroh deeply."

Hazo: "That's right. I greatly agreed and resonated with Iroh. Many respected me as an officer because I grew close to my men and tried to show mercy to the people from the other nations."

Macai: "Do you regret not joining us?"

Hazo reveals a disturbed face, "I couldn't have stomached fighting against my own nation. While I often understood Iroh and even Zuko I wasn't brave enough to stand against my people. I believed that the people of the Fire Nation could make our important decisions alongside each other. A divided nation is a dead nation Macai."

Macai: "Then it's a good thing we quickly resolved this conflict."

Hazo asks, "Did you? Your faction overthrew the past hierarchy and now others look to overthrow your new order. The divisions have not stopped, they are just beginning."

Macai ensures his mentor, "With love and unity we will handle each conflict."

Hazo sighs, "Your Firelord is using Kyoshi warriors to assist him with domestic conflicts. People will never stand for that. He is working too closely with the Avatar, not prioritizing the interests and needs of his own country. I'm worried Macai, very worried about the future of our state."

Macai: "Challenges arise for every new nation. Give us time to figure this out."

Hazo replies, "It won't take much time for everything to go crumbling down. Be careful. Please commander, you know Zuko well. See where his heart is and make sure that he is putting the needs of his own people first." Macai looks down at his table uneasily. Hazo pats him in the back, "But enough about this talk, I made some Ginota ribs and I have some sushi in the fridge. Please have some, I cannot eat it all and do not want things to go to waste."