The Unpredictable Fire Adventurers [General Iroh II x Reader] [Legend of Korra]

『a devastated sacred ground [1]

Protected by heavy coats and scarfs, the three of you venture deep into the northern tundra. It's hardly worth the view--a somewhat flat landscape blanketed in a thick layer of snow. You follow the map religiously until you arrive at a lone crater in the ground; inside it rests a forest untouched by snow but in a desolate state. 

Upon seeing the desecrated forest, all of you become certain of one thing. You should have never come here.

"It's hard to believe that so much damage was caused by mistake," you hum in wonder, "and that it isn't that guarded."

"The water tribe's pride must be hurt. They lost connection to the spirits," Iroh speculates as he gazes around the debris.

"They probably believe that it's best to allow nature to heal these wounds rather than man," Haku gives his own explanation.

"... Might as well explore then?" Iroh forces out a chuckle as he ventures deeper into the charred woods. 

Weapons lay scattered around while the bodies of the aftermath appear to have been removed. Craters were small ponds used to inhabit are now dried up and littered with suffocated fish. It's hard to tell whether or not this area was ever sacred; it looks more like a war zone now.

"That prince was stupid for doing this." Haku crosses his arms. 

"The barbarians were hiding here though," you try to come to the prince's defense.

"It's a sacred ground though."

"No, they were right in doing that!" Iroh wears a look of solid understanding. "If someone did that to my fire nation, I would have fought."

Haku frowns while crossing his arms. "Fighting isn't always the answer. Sometimes patience is key."

"Patience doesn't win wars," Iroh states with confidence.

Haku shakes his head and gives reason to his thoughts. "When the Avatar returned after a hundred years, he was able to end the war. It took patience and planning. He didn't just dive into the fire."

Although you don't have any personal ties to the conversation, you decide to provide your opinion on the matter. "I guess so... But if the danger was spreading quickly, I'd want to nip it in the bud too."

"It needs to be dealt with immediately," Iroh agrees with you.

"You two are so brash," Haku sighs, knowing you two to be a lost cause.

A silence falls upon you three as you continue to search the remains of the forest. As time passes, you become overwhelmed with some sort of emotion. 'It's probably the result of this area being sullied," you think to yourself. 

"Should we start heading out?"

You're currently situated at the bottom of a dried-up pond, and you glance up to see Haku smiling gently at you. He offers you his hand and helps you climb out of the pond; Iroh just watches silently as he has been for the past hour. For some reason, he has been on high alert with his eyes always wandering around as if he's on the watch for someone.

"Iroh, is something wrong?" you ask once Haku has you out of the pond. 

"... Something isn't right."

"Clearly--"

Before you can finish your reply, you hear a group of footsteps heading your way. Knowing this area to be forbidden, the three of you quickly head to the bushes in hopes of disguising yourselves. Thankfully, the debris from the fight gives you ample room to conceal your identities.

Once the unknown group comes into view, you analyze them with bated breath. There's a tall, slender man clothed in water tribe garbs with a hood masking his face. Surrounding him are a few men who resemble barbarians with one appearing to be the chieftain of the group.

They travel around inspecting the damage and chatting. When they finally finish, the water tribe man turns to them and hands the chieftain some coin; the barbarians leave and in comes another group in water tribe gear, but there's something different about them. All wear hoods to mask their faces, but it does not obscure the fact that they are not native to the water tribe. 

Two men, two females, and a genuine water tribe man. They're discussing plans and satisfied with the results. You can hardly hear their words, but when they travel closer to the bushes where the three of you are hidden, you are able to make out a few words.

"I must thank the red lotus for their support on the matter," the water tribe man states with a confident hum. 

"We need to make sure our people hold powerful positions if we are to succeed in our mission," one of the men responds. His voice is deep and charismatic; it's as if he can rule a nation through a dictatorship while his people believe it to be a democracy. It's frightening and you gulp out of fear.

"We need to get out of here," Haku whispers harshly into your ear. There's an uncharacteristic scowl on his face as he watches the group.

Iroh grabs your arm, having heard Haku's warning. You face him with a rattled expression, and he begins to quietly drag you away. The group had already walked away from your area, giving you leeway to escape.

You don't question them and follow their lead out the forest. During your trek out, your heart begins to pound hard against your chest. Something wasn't right back there. It's as if you three saw something you weren't supposed to see. What you do with that information might get you killed.

Just as you feel like you made it out of the area, you turn to ask Iroh a question. As your mouth opens, an arrow flies past you and hits the tree beside your head. You become pale as your body freezes.

Something definitely wasn't right.