Burning Chapter 11: The Other Side

Despite having spent a significant amount of time going through the Royal Archives for useful information, one thing that I just couldn’t find was information on spirits. Sure there’d been a few scrolls mentioning them, but it was only in passing... Not dissimilar to that of the Avatar whom they’d gone out of their way to vilify.

Most scrolls seemed to refer to them as intelligent animals while some suggested that they should be exterminated immediately.

It seemed the Fire Nation had an interest in censoring anything that could be viewed as potentially problematic... Even from their Nobles.

It was frustrating, but somewhat expected. This was a Nation that viewed dragons as the ultimate Firebenders and then hunted them to extinction after all. Obviously they’d take a hard stance against spirits, most of whom weren’t viewed kindly as is.

Reading through another scroll, I sighed and placed it back on my shelf.

Another dud.

For a moment there, I thought I might have found something when the scroll mentioned strange monsters from another reality, but no, it was just referring to giraffes, calling them mythical creatures and speculating that they’d been banished from some other plane of existence.

Oh, I’m sorry, was a platypus bear too normal for you?! It’s just an animal that sweats milk, has venom glands in its arm pits, lays eggs and hibernates for several months! Giraffes though, that’s crazy talk.

Sighing, I leaned back in my chair. Sometimes I felt like I’d never get used to this world. As it stood, I already knew far more about the spirits than some of the higher ups in the Fire Nation through memory alone.

What I really needed was an unbiased source... One that hadn’t been influenced by a hundred years of war propaganda. Unfortunately, that was hard to come by.

I could only think of two places that might have the scrolls I was looking for. The only problem was getting to them. Wan Shi Tong’s library definitely had what I was looking for, but it was too far away. The Dragonbone Catacombs on the other hand were much more accessible, but also guarded by the Fire Sages.

Whatever was down there was bound to be worthwhile, but getting there was the trick.

Hearing a knock at the front door, I blinked. The only one that really came to my little house was granny Sanshō who liked to drop off food… Mainly curry. That couldn’t be her, could it? How long had I been reading?

Rubbing my eyes, I winced and pulled my hand back, realizing a little too late that I’d used the burnt one, having damaged it while trying to use blue fire. Nearly managing it, before the flames grew unstable.

On the bright side, I pretty much had the weekend to myself, giving me more than enough time to go through everything I’d copied from the Royal Archives.

It did leave Ty Lee a little disappointed and Mai somewhat relieved, likely glad that no one would be around to bug her. Azula on the other hand was a little more difficult to get a read on.

She could be pretty intense... Especially when something annoyed her, but there were moments where she was oddly thoughtful... Like with the burn salve. Now if only I knew where I left it.

Hearing another knock, I stood up. “I’ll be right there... Just give me a minute.”

Grabbing a roll of bandages, I hastily wrapped my hand, covering the worst of my burns, before heading towards the front door.

“Hey, gran–“

Stepping back, I narrowly managed to dodge a knuckled strike that’d been aimed at a spot below my ribcage.

“Oops, sorry, “ Ty Lee chirped. “You startled me.”

I startled her?! She was the one that was knocking. If anyone should be startled it should be me. It wasn’t just her at the door either, but Mai and Azula. What were they even doing here... No, scratch that, how the hell did they even get here? It’s not like I told them where I lived.

“Sorry, I didn’t... Mean to?” I hummed, getting a smile in return. “I wasn’t expecting to see any of you today... How exactly did you know where I live?”

“It’s quite simple, really. I had Ty Lee follow you,” Azula replied, smirking as she stepped past me.

That was a red flag if ever I’d seen one, but this was Azula I was dealing with. Doing something like this was pretty mild for her.

“Pardon the intrusion,” Mai muttered, stepping inside, a bag strapped to her side.

Darting in next, Ty Lee eagerly looked around, peeking into my room. “So this is where you stay? It’s so much smaller than my house... I think it’s about the size of my room. Is anyone staying in that other room over there?”

“No... I’m the only person that lives here,” I replied, glancing towards the door. It’d been a while since anyone had been in there.  “So, mind telling me why you’re here?”

Running a finger down one of the walls, Azula idly inspected it, before brushing the dust off. “That should be fairly obvious, we’ve come to collect you... You should feel grateful, not many can have the privilege of saying that they’ve played host to the Fire Nation Princess... Least of all someone of your status.“

Sharing a look with Mai, Azula nodded, drawing a sigh from the gloomy girl who handed me the bag. “Here.”

“...Thanks?” I hummed, not really sure what to make of all this. Opening the bag, I found a bundle of high quality red and black clothing.

Another thoughtful gesture from Azula. For someone like her, material like this was nothing, but around here, it would be pretty expensive. I had the distinct feeling that she wasn’t used to being friends with someone she couldn’t intimidate and was trying to buy me off instead.

“Hurry up and get changed. You’ll be going with us to the Capital today. I can’t have you wearing those rags you call clothes,” Azula noted, crossing her arms. “Maybe we can see about doing something with your hair while we’re at it.”

The Capital?

Wait, what was wrong with my hair?

“You do realize that only someone that’s been personally invited by the Fire Lord is allowed to enter the Capital, right?”

“Not like it ever stopped you before, considering where we first met,” Mai droned.

The Royal Archives, right... I guess there was no choice then. This was technically my day off, I may as well enjoy it. “Just give me a minute... I’ll be right out,” I hummed, walking over to my room, wondering if I could convince Azula to take us to the Dragonbone Catacombs.

...Burning...

Leaning against Appa’s saddle, I stared off into the distance, watching as the ground passed slowly below.

Several hours had passed since Hakoda and Zuko had been abducted. We’d tried searching for them on the beach by having both Aang and Appa create powerful gusts of wind that removed most of the sand, but that didn’t amount to much, finding a single Fire Nation helmet, before we hit sandstone.

We did however learn that, whatever it was that attacked us left without a trace. There were no bodies... No blood... No tunnels, nothing at all. It was here one minute and gone the next... An animal couldn’t do that.

It fits. The winter solstice was only a few days away, meaning the divide between this world and the spirit world was growing increasingly thinner. Something must have punched its way through the veil and grabbed everyone it could.

Why? I couldn’t say. It could simply be bad luck, the beach could have once had a temple or maybe it was something else entirely. Spirits weren’t always logical.

All that really mattered was that we got everyone back before anything happened to them. They were often temperamental at the best of times. Saying the wrong thing could mean the difference between life and death.

“Help me out here. How exactly is finding this burnt down forest supposed to help us get our dad back?” Sokka asked, before pointing dramatically at Iroh. “And why the heck is he coming too?!”

“Hey, don’t look at me,” Iroh defended. “I’m just here to get my nephew back.”

“The way I see it, if we work together, there’s a better chance we’ll be able to save everyone,” Aang said, briefly glancing back, before focusing once more on flying.

Sokka nodded along. “I get that. What I don’t get is why we haven’t restrained him. Look, I get that we can’t exactly use rope, because it’s flammable, but there’s nothing stopping us from using one of those Jennamite rings Bumi gave you.”

I mean... He wasn’t wrong, I did still have a few left, it’s just, using one on Iroh would be a waste.

“You have Jennamite?” Iroh asked, stroking his beard with great interest. “That is fairly impressive. I wonder if I could trouble you for some after this is over. I have heard that it has quite the unique flavour and was hoping to try and mix some with my tea.”

Case in point, he knew that it was edible.

“I think I have a few shards in my bag that I wouldn’t mind parting with.”

“What, no. He’s the enemy... Don’t just...” Watching as Iroh caught a Jennamite shard, Sokka slapped a palm to his forehead, letting out a tired groan in the process. “I give up. You three are impossible.”

Chuckling, I shook my head. Sokka didn’t know how right he was. Between the three of us, Iroh was probably the most normal and that was saying something.

Looking to see if I could bring Katara in on this, I found her staring off into the distance with a miserable look on her face.

Shifting closer, I nudged her with my elbow. “Doing alright?”

Looking up, she sighed. “Of course, why wouldn’t I be? It’s not like I’m the reason my dad got abducted by some crazy spirit monster. I’m completely fine, can’t you see?” She asked, her eyes glimmering with unshed tears.

“Katara...”

“No... I’m pretty far from alright. If I’d just kept quiet, none of this would have happened,” She snapped. “He was going to leave with the other warriors, but because I... Because I got so upset, he chose to stay behind and look where that got him.” Burying her head in her knees, her body trembled. “The last thing I told him was that I never wanted to see him again.”

Reaching out, I placed my hand on her shoulder, squeezing lightly. “It’s going to be okay... We’re going to get him back...”

“It’s all my fault,” Katara murmured.

“Rarely is anything ever solved by looking for someone to blame, least of all yourself. We must be the ones to take action if we wish to find a solution,” Iroh hummed softly. “Nothing good comes from pessimism. When your back is to the wall, I find it best to think positively. If you can do that, you will surely find a golden opportunity.”

Drying her eyes with her sleeve, Katara stared at Iroh with an odd look on her face.

“What, is there something in my beard?” Iroh asked, running his hand through it.

“No, it’s just... You’re oddly kind when you’re not... You know... Chasing us across the world,” She deadpanned.

Blinking at Katara’s statement, Iroh grinned sheepishly. “Well... You know how things are when you have a driven nephew.”

That was putting it lightly.

“Hey, guys... I hate to break up... Whatever this is,” Sokka said, looking back. “But I think we’re here.”

...Burning...

Compared to where we’d travelled over the last few weeks, this new village was just small... Easily being the smallest one we’d ever visited and that was saying something... And that wasn’t even counting the buildings that’d been destroyed by the panda spirits attack.

I genuinely wondered why the villagers hadn’t decided to just pack up and leave... Although, it was probably lucky that they didn’t. It also helped that we’d arrived a little before sunset, giving me enough time to prepare a few things before Hei Bai arrived.

Going through my backpack one more time, I made sure I had all of the essentials. Some water, a small amount of food. Rope, a knife, a pair of spark rocks and something to burn.

“So, uh, I know I’m the Avatar and it’s my duty to help restore balance and make peace with spirits,” Aang hummed, looking a little unsure of himself. “But how exactly is this supposed to get Sokka and Katara’s dad back... And Zuko,” He added, glancing at Iroh.

It wasn’t just Aang that was curious, but Sokka and Katara as well. As for Iroh, I was pretty sure he had an idea of just what I was up to.

“That’s a little difficult to explain,” I hummed, slinging my backpack over my shoulder. “To get them back, we first need to get to the Spirit World.”

“And this place can help me get there?” Aang guessed. “So, do I just meditate or something?”

“Not exactly,” I replied. “Even if it could, that method would take far too long... Years even. Luckily, there’s a way that we can bypass the wait period almost entirely by hitching a ride with a spirit returning to the Spirit World.”

“Wait. You’re not planning on using us as bait for some giant spirit monster so Aang can get to this Spirit World place, are you?” Sokka squawked.

“Not you. Just me. I need the three of you here in case something goes wrong. If that happens, it’ll be up to you to get us out.”

With Hakoda missing, there was no way in hell that I was going to let either of them be dragged to the Spirit World, leaving the other behind.

“Are you sure that’s wise? Spirits can be fairly dangerous at the best of times, but with the coming winter solstice, it is even more perilous,” Iroh noted.

“It’ll be fine,” I replied. “When it comes to spirits, this one’s a little more level headed.”

Although, it did have a tendency to turn into a monstrous mutated panda when angered.

“Avatar, it’s time.”

Seeing the serious look the village elder was giving him, Aang smiled awkwardly. “Oh, already?” He hummed. “Sure, I’ll be right out.”

Making his way towards the door, I followed by his side, ignoring the villagers who quietly muttered to themselves. Stepping through, the door creaked closed, leaving us in an almost completely empty village.

Passing through the town, we stopped by the village's main gate, waiting as the sun slowly set.

“So, what does this Hei Bai spirit look like?”

Glancing down at Aang, I scratched the back of my head. “It’s a little difficult to describe. It has four arms, two legs and it’s large enough that it almost doesn’t fit through the gates.”

“I guess we won’t miss it then,” Aang chuckled.

No it wouldn’t.

Waiting a few more minutes, the sun finally set, bathing the village in darkness. Sharing a silent glance with Aang, we both turned towards the gate when we saw what could only be described as a monster stepped through.

“You must be the Hei Bai spirit,” Aang greeted cheerfully. “I’m A–“

Letting out a shriek that made my ears ring, the spirit moved over us and began attacking the buildings.

“I thought you said that it wasn’t violent,” Aang muttered.

“I said it was one of the more level headed spirits,” I replied. “Not that it wasn’t violent.”

Watching as it destroyed a house with nothing but a shriek, I threw my hand up into the air, sending a fireball soaring above the village, before detonating it, briefly lighting up our surroundings.

Turning around, the spirit suddenly appeared in front of us. Lowering its head, it let out an angry growl, almost daring me to do it again.

“I get it, you’re upset about what happened to your forest, but these people had nothing to do with that,” I said, refusing to back down.

“That’s right,” Aang chipped in. “The ones responsible are the Fire Nation. They’re our enemy too... So I guess that kind of makes us allies.”

The spirit let out a huff.

“We came here because we need your help. Some of our friends are trapped in the Spirit World and we can’t get to them,” Aang continued. “We need someone to help us get there so we can find them and bring them back. I know it’s a lot to ask, but...”

Lightly pushing its head against Aang, it pulled back, silently staring down at us.

Well that’d gone better than I expected... Why was the ground getting further away? Looking around, I found Aang sitting on the Hei Bai’s shoulder without a care in the world while it placed me on its other one.

“I think he’s willing to take us there,” Aang grinned.

Feeling the spirits body tense, I only had a moment to hold on before it took off in a violent sprint, just barely managing to keep myself on while Aang let out an excited laugh, using his Airbending to keep himself in place.

...Burning...

Blinking away the haze, I found myself splayed out on my back, surrounded by bamboo. Sitting up, I let out a groan. My stomach protested from all of the movement. That was by far the worst thing I’d ever experienced.

In other news, Aang was nowhere to be seen.

The Spirit World was a lot greener than I’d imagined... But then again, that might just be because this was Hei Bai’s land.

Holding my hand out in front of me, I took a breath, forming a small flickering flame that slowly shrank, letting off a lot of smoke.

It seemed that despite having my physical body here, I wasn’t able to properly control my flames. There was just something about the atmosphere here that was utterly alien and incompatible with my Chi.

Hearing the sound of twigs snapping as something heavy made its way over, I slowly turned towards it, only to end up coming face to face with Hei Bai’s monstrous form which was glaring down at me... More specifically, the flame in my hand.

“Sorry,” I apologized, snuffing the flame out. “I promise I won’t burn your forest down.”

Letting out a huff, he turned away, pushing his way through the bamboo.

“Before you leave, do you think you could help me find where I’m supposed to go?” I asked, following the spirit. “And how to get back... I’m a little out of my depth here.”

Turning towards me, the spirit let out a sharp whistle, causing the air to vibrate around me. Staring at me expectantly, it grunted and pointed off into the distance.

“That’s where I’m supposed to go?” I asked, getting a second grunt in response. Looking over where Hei Bai had pointed, I turned back towards him only to find him gone. “Thanks for the help,” I murmured, before taking my first step through the greenery.

Hiking through the bamboo forest, it slowly began to fade, being replaced by large mounds of earth and long dead wood. It didn’t take long before I was forced to climb a sheer wall made from stone and rotting roots.

Leveraging my hands in the grooves, I stepped onto one of the many roots, pulling myself up. Feeling the stone begin to give, I moved faster, lunging upward in time to avoid falling back down. The entire wall seemed to be one strong breeze away from collapsing in on itself.

Reaching the top, I let out a relieved breath. I had no idea how I was going to be getting back down, but I...

Oh...

The bamboo forest was gone. That shouldn’t be right, it was there a moment ago... And now it was a barren waste land.

I guess I was just going to have to find another way back. Hopefully Aang would be able to help once Roku’s dragon had shown him everything he needed to see.

Hearing a loud crack, I quickly backed away from the edge as it began crumbling. Feeling the ground continue to rumble, large cracks quickly spread to where I was standing.

“Oh come on!”

Taking off in a sprint, I quickly made my way further up the hill, stopping only when I was on solid stone. Breathing heavily, I watched as a large portion of the hill collapsed in on itself.

Hearing a loud ding, a Fire Nation helmet bounced past me before falling into the mix of earth and roots below. Turning around, I found the man it belonged to lying face down on the ground with a large boulder crushing his waist.

Wincing, I made my way closer to check if he was still alive... Although, that question was answered when he proceeded to try and pull himself forward.

“Easy there,” I hummed, crouching down in front of him as he arched his back to stare up at me... Only he didn’t... Couldn’t. “No.”

Stepping back, I stared at the blank spot where his face should be. A cold feeling found its way into my chest as I realized exactly what I was dealing with.

Koh…

The Face Stealer.

I needed to hurry, there was still a chance that he hadn’t gotten to the others yet. The quickest way to check would be to go directly to Koh.

Clenching my fist, I took a slow breath and school my face into an emotionless mask. Watching as the faceless Fire Nation soldier slowly grew weaker, I turned away. “I’m sorry I couldn’t have been here sooner.”

Finding an opening in the tree, I took a cautious step inside, slowly making my way down a set of stairs. Hearing a skittering sound coming from the ceiling, I glanced up just in time to see a large, centipede-like body dart into the shadows.

This was definitely the right place. Stopping at the bottom of the stairs, I glanced around, finding a few discarded Fire Nation weapons lying on the floor.

“I know you’re there, Koh.”

“You know my name, do you,” A deep voice hummed in the darkness. “It’s rare that I get a willing visitor, especially one of such an interesting nature.”

Feeling something tap my shoulder, I ignored it, choosing to stare straight ahead instead as a woman’s face suddenly appeared at my side.

“Fate truly does have a sense of humour,” He continued, circling around me. Blinking, his face changed to that of a moustached man. “To think that I went through all of the trouble trying to steal you away, only for you to willingly make your way here... Even going so far as to take the hard route.”

So he was after me then.

“What makes me so interesting?”

“Don’t play coy with me,” Koh murmured, sounding more amused than anything. “I know you’re not from around here. I felt you as you tore through this world... We all did. I’ve been looking for you for quite some time, only to find you travelling with the Avatar after his little nap. Oh, don’t worry, I doubt the others are as interested in finding you as I was.”

Somehow, that didn’t put me at ease.

“I’m looking for those that you took,” I said calmly. “They don’t belong here.”

Turning away, Koh casually made his way up the wall. His body lengthened and shortened at random. “No... I suppose they don’t. I will let you leave with them. You may find a few somewhat lacking.”

Moving across the ceiling, I followed after him, making my way across the room, before coming to a stop in front of a group of faceless Fire Nation soldiers.

“There are another two, but I decided to separate them from the others,” Koh noted, gesturing towards another part of the room where Zuko and Hakoda sat, tied up with bags over their heads. “I was hoping to save them for later.”

He... Spared them?

“Is it possible that you could return the others' faces?”

“Perhaps,” Koh replied. “Although, I would need to be given something of equal value. Since you’re a special case, I will make an exception for all of them if you leave me yours.”

Yeah, there was no way that was happening. As much as I wanted to do the right thing, the price was simply too high... Not to mention that he hadn’t actually said he was able to do it.

“I will have to decline.”

“A pity.”

Walking over to the duo, I placed a hand on each of their shoulders. “Zuko... Hakoda, keep calm and listen carefully. I’m getting you two out of here.”

Getting no response, I slowly reached towards the bags, only for Koh to suddenly appear directly in front of me, wearing Zuko’s face.

“Hmmm, I was sure that would get a reaction out of you,” Koh hummed. Blinking, it changed to Hakoda’s face next. “How about this one... No? A pity. The offer still stands. Your face for theirs.” Crawling up the wall, he watched with a cruel smirk on his face. “How about it?”

Feeling my hand begin to shake, I forced myself to stay calm. Getting angry right now was exactly what Koh wanted.

“You can’t give their faces back... Can you?”

“No... I can’t,” Koh answered, moving across the ceiling. “You can still have their bodies if you want. They’re of no further use to me. Rest assured that they’re happier where they are. The Firebender no longer has to worry about regaining his honour and the Water Tribes man won’t have to see his ungrateful daughter ever again.”

Feeling my eyes widen, I quickly schooled my face as Koh appeared in front of me. So that’s what he looked like when he lied.

“I have a question for you... My last one before I leave,” I said, watching as Koh circled me before moving back over to the ceiling. “Purely hypothetical, but if I killed you, would those whose faces you stole die too?”

“Getting desperate. I’ve seen where that road leads and it’s not pleasant, just ask your little Avatar friend once he learns how to communicate with his past lives,” Koh responded, showing genuine annoyance. “To answer your question, yes. If I die, they would as well.”

He was lying. Koh had no idea what would happen to them if he died. “But how would you know that... If you’ve never done it before?”

“You’ve already asked your final question. I think it’s time that you leave,” Koh muttered. “Before you overstay your welcome.”

“Of course.” Pulling my hood up, I stepped backwards, moving away from Zuko and Hakoda’s bodies, discretely slipping a hand into my backpack. “I’d like to show you something,” I said, holding my free hand in front of my face.

“This better be good.”

“It is, trust me. The thing I wanted to show you, is…” Bringing my hand down, I revealed a scowl. “My angry face.”

Ripping my hand from my bag as Koh appeared in front of me, I threw it forward, shoving it and a mostly filled waterskin into the gaping void that occupied the space where his face had been.

Wincing as he bit down, his limbs circled around me, cutting off any hope I had of escape. Feeling his body begin to vibrate, it didn’t take me long to realize that he was chuckling.

“Keep laughing,” I grunted, giving a smirk of my own. “At least I’m not the one that allowed a Firebender to shove a waterskin filled with highly flammable lamp oil in my mouth.”

Using what limited amount of Firebending I had available to me here in the Spirit World, I ignited the sack in my hand, turning Koh’s laughter into shrieks of pain as fire poured down his throat, some of which spewed out of his mouth onto me.

Releasing his hold on my arm, he tried to push me away, only to find that I wouldn’t let go.

Clinging tightly to his limbs, I shoved a blade in the seam where his exoskeleton met what amounted for his head and held on while he thrashed around.

“IT BURNS! IT BURNS!” Koh roared.

Scurrying around the room in a pained panic, he climbed onto the ceiling, setting some of the old dry wood on fire in the process. It didn’t take long before the entire room was on fire.

Losing his grip, there was a loud crack as he hit the ground. “Water… I need water.” Crawling onto his side, a large hole opened, stretching across the room.

Hearing a sharp whistle as I was pulled into the void alongside Koh and the room's other occupants, the wind was knocked out of me as we came to a sudden stop, slamming into the burnt ground of Hei Bai’s forest.

Landing on my back, I found Koh slowly getting up with fire dripping from his mouth.

“Where is this? What have you done?”

I’m pretty sure I didn’t do anything… Hei Bai on the other hand.

Watching as he got ready to lung towards me, I held my hand out and took a deep breath, dramatically increasing the temperature of fire inside his stomach.

He’d made the wrong choice in taking this to the natural world. Back in the Spirit World, I didn’t really stand a chance.

Letting out a shriek, Koh fell on his side, curling in on himself. “STOP!”

Getting up, I kept my hand trained on Koh, not letting up for a single moment. “I wonder how many people have thought that very same thing while you were stealing their faces… How many lives you’ve destroyed. What you’re feeling now is only a fraction of the suffering you’ve caused.”

Letting out a pained hiss, fire was beginning to break through his exoskeleton. “There will be consequences for killing me. You will suffer greatly for it… Your very spirit will be poisoned.”

Picking up my dagger, electricity crackled in my hand, sending sparks flying off onto the ground. “Maybe… But if it means you won’t be around to steal any more faces, that’s a risk I’m willing to take.”

I’ll admit, killing Koh was a gamble… One with three outcomes. Everyone gets their faces back, they die or nothing happens at all… Either way, I couldn’t just stand back and let him get away with this.

Those that’d had their face stolen were little more than mindless zombies. If there was a chance this could return them to normal, it was worth the risk.

Taking the stance Mai had drilled into me, I pulled my blade back, ready to end Koh, only to be thrown to the side by a black and white blur.

Standing in front of the severely injured spirit, Hei Bai brought his fist down, smashing through its head, releasing a pulse of spiritual energy that washed over the area.

Groaning as I once more stood up, I found myself staring at Hei Bai who stood over Koh’s crumbling body.

“You didn’t have to do that, you know,” I hummed, standing next to the mutant panda. “But thanks… I appreciate it.”

Any consequences Koh mentioned for killing a spirit were now null and void thanks to Hei Bai landing the finishing blow.

Hearing a groan, I quickly rushed over to Hakoda and Zuko, both of which were waking up. Pulling the bags off their heads. I was relieved to find that they both had faces.

“What happened?” Hakoda groaned. “Last thing I remember… We were flying and then… Nothing.”

“It’s a long story,” I replied. Burning through the silk like substance Koh used to bind them, I helped him to his feet. “C’mon, we should probably get out of here before the others wake up.” I’d need to let Iroh know where his nephew was on the way back.