Paradise of Infinity

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***

"Hey, are you sure this is the best way?" Nik spoke what continued to run in others' minds as they followed Pakku with hesitant expressions on their faces. Pakku was given... quite a conspicuous group.

Of the five individuals, only Pakku and Katara wore thick, hooded coats inlaid with fur that had bone and shell ornaments alongside blue gloves over their hands. While Nik wore a similar outfit... his limp stood out. Not to mention Suki and Mai who had nothing better than the Kyoshi attire and the red robes layered on with thick red coat to wear. Both the clothing provided warmth to the duo but that wasn't the point.

Yet Pakku paid no heed. Although he had demonstrated how his judgment is correct by just letting Mai and Katara take the lead before eventually saving them from one of the many traps, there lay an essential risk in what Pakku was trying to do—

Trusting the guards to let them enter the city.

This was a profound idea wholly concocted by Pakku alone and Nik sensed that even Yoki and Hama may not know of Pakku's course of action. After all, deceit wasn't beneath Yoki and Hama was naturally shrewd when it came to attacking where it hurt. However, Pakku was something else entirely.

Still, his worries didn't distract him enough from the sheer natural defense of this region.

Nik had a little experience in breaking people out. From his unsuccessful attempt to escape Esta's grasp to freeing Yoki and others, Nik already knew a little about how to set defensive parameters, and right now, they were walking in between the defensive perimeter itself.

In reality, large bodies of ice fashioned into monumental walls stood between the vast sea and the Northern Water Tribe. The port was established within the tribe but due to natural restrictions, the fleet of Fire Nation Cruisers could only stay close to the borders and not enter the gates. Meanwhile, there were a few water tribe guards, most likely waterbenders, stationed on top of these walls who collectively used their strength to part the icy, behemoth-like gates by a small margin but this was enough for smaller boats to enter.

Yet, this wasn't the end.

Walking within the outermost ice gate's internal structure, revealing that the waterbenders also used the icy gates for more than just a block but a temporary settlement, too, Nik and others soon came across a small cavern with makeshift ice benches pulled out as there sat three men in dark-blue overcoats made of hides with scarfs and caps made from animal fur covered their heads and faces.

*Khch*

*Khch*

*Khch*

The sound of their footsteps on the layer of crushed ice made to walk on easily were easy to alert the three men. Nik could hear their breathing but not too well since the echo of their footsteps was quite distracting on its own.

His grip around his crutch tightened naturally as he steadied his own breathing. Although naturally cautious, at this point, Nik had unfortunately gone through enough painful experience in a matter of months of his new life that he wouldn't easily back down from a potential battle.

Leading the group, Pakku was the first to emerge into the cavern with a stoic expression as he found the three youths already prepared for the battle with the tips of their spears pointed in Pakku's direction. However, it was merely a misdirection. Seeing the hooded figure and the stark difference in culture brought by Suki's and Mai's clothes, the guards attacked as their spears stabbed forward!

However, instead of the spears, it was the sudden blunt pillars of ice that emerged from the surface and shot at Pakku only for him to move deftly. His motions were a work of art that Nik didn't want to admit the stubborn old man is capable of as he easily overtook the control of those pillars of ice and turned them into a loop of water. Surprised, the guards couldn't avoid the water coiling around them as Pakku exhaled softly and the water turned into shackles of ice around the three guards.

"You—" of the three guards, the youngest one with a thick bush of beard exclaimed in shock as Pakku pulled back his larger hood. His aged face shocked the trio as the one on the right remarked, "Master! You've returned!"

"Hmm," Pakku nodded and commented, "Baiting the opponents using the spears but managing to waterbend with minimal movements... the loss of war really was hard on the three of you."

The ice turned into water and cascaded around the three waterbenders as the one in the middle bowed his head and grunted, "It affected us all, Master Pakku... but we were the ones who were freed early on but we still haven't heard a thing about Commander Yoki..."

The other two also revealed a look of mourning. They couldn't imagine anything good for those who still weren't freed as Pakku looked back and finally considered it timely to explain.

"I have trained this generation of waterbenders. All of us fought in the war and those who survived were captured. Of course, I was made to escape in hopes of encountering the Avatar. Still, the fact remains that I personally know every one of the remaining capable waterbender of the tribe."

And thus, it explained his rather casual approach towards the possibility of encountering other waterbenders but that still did not remove the obvious risks.

The trio soon warmed up to Pakku and others as they sat down. Pakku wasn't in a hurry to enter the tribe and needed to understand the circumstances the tribe was in.

"After we returned from our prisons, we outed Hahn as the traitor. While citizens of the tribe didn't know about his acts but the many captives like us heard it from our wardens as they gloated the fact," Sighed the eldest of the trio guards, "We were naturally angry. Hahn... didn't only cost us the war but friends. Comrade-in-arms."

Sensing the guilt in their tone, Katara couldn't help but encourage them to speak up, "Did something happen? We're here to help so we would need to know everything that is going on."

"Something did happen alright," one of the youths retorted with a hint of self-mockery in his eyes, "We did oust Hahn as a traitor. Princess Yue stood against Hahn that instance. How couldn't she? The bastard is the reason why Chieftain died in the war... but... we always felt that when the elders of the Tribe tried to reason with us that they were in cahoots with Hahn."

Pakku frowned for a moment but didn't interrupt. Whatever the three were building up to wasn't going to be pleasant and it seemed like it was their fault this time around.

"But rage clouded out judgment. We failed the teachings of feeling the flow of water and life as the moment Hahn was declared a traitor by what little of us benders returned from the prisons... the 'Chieftain' instantly employed forces of the Fire Nation."

The situation came to light and revealed how complex it actually was.

With the Water Tribe giving up the war and choosing to serve the Phoenix King under Hahn's actions, it actually reached one of its most productive eras. Trade was boosted through open ports and for a year or two, the Tribe had people of many cultures arriving from ships yet when Hahn's rule was threatened by the exposure of his deeds and he lost his local support, he chose to bring in the strength of the Fire Nation.

The thing was that even when he submitted to the Phoenix King, it was the Fire Lord who made sure to keep the situation calm. Two brothers had to divide responsibilities.

While the Phoenix King is still spreading 'order' within the Earth Kingdom, the Northern Water Tribe fell under Fire Lord Iroh's management. Fire Lord not only allowed Hahn to keep the heritage of the water tribe alive by not installing heavy-duty factories, which, in this climate would be ridiculous in the first place, but Iroh also only kept a few key officials and their guards within the Water Tribe to administer Hahn without delving too deeply into the role of managing the tribal lifestyle of the water tribe.

Of course, the waterbenders were not aware of such an intricate balance and as they admitted— Rage clouded their judgment.

Even after being defeated in the war, aside from the loss of waterbenders for certain families, the entirety of the Tribe remained wholly unaffected and the port brought in business every few weeks but the moment the Fire Nation Soldiers were involved once again, the barely peaceful warriors of the tribe instantly broke out into a civil war.

A war was quite an exaggerated term to describe the situation.

It began with random attacks on firebenders during their night patrol and things began to escalate until the tribe was temporarily closed off to foreign trade that lasted till now.

Constant curfews. Imprisoning other tribe members who would attack. And the worst part was that those Hahn had gained the support from over the period were the ones carrying out most of these tasks which caused a small bout that grew to the current tense situation.

Pakku felt a little depressed after hearing all of this.

"What about the Benders?" Pakku questioned.

"We were made to protect the borders and honestly, we were willing to do so. A few of us are helping others overthrow Hahn, however, our number is simply too small...

Of those who were captured, barely 15 of us lived... Not to mention that we fear the Fore Nation may attack us once again so the remaining brothers and sisters stay here and keep an eye on the fleet gathered outside."

"It's a fact that we don't have the means to outnumber the enemy or even come close to them. However, this is our domain and if it wasn't for the sudden opening of the gates because of Hahn's lies, we would have kept on defending against the Fire Nation." Pakku touched his long goatee.

"Still, overthrowing Hahn is only one of the objectives... Yoki believes that the Legendary Spirits Tui and La might be in danger."

"Huh? Commander Yoki is alive?!"

"Wait, Tui and La? Aren't they just legends?"

Questions arose within the trio as Suki promptly answered them. How Yoki and others were saved and their eventual journey to the Northern Water Tribe was only described briefly. Still, one thing couldn't be answered even now.

"What is a Tui and a La?" Mai inquired.

"An old legend," Pakku sighed, "It says that before the man could conquer the seas and beautiful oceans... the water was wild. It was ferocious as it was graceful. It was a giving as it took, too. Lives. People... adventures who sought the world beyond.

But the spirit of ocean and sea— La, was a master of its whims. It wouldn't make accord to mankind but there was a being who had La's attention. Its affection, too.

That is none other than the Spirit of the Moon— Tui.

Unlike the ravenous yet gracious La, Tui is benevolent, or said to be so. Seeing the plight of mankind, Tui chose to forsake their freedom and descend into the world of the living. In doing so, it also pulled La who could not endure living without the presence of Tui, and willingly gave the oceans to the humans and chose to restrict itself alongside Tui.

It is said that even now, somewhere, Tui and La are in a dance of their own. Much like the rise and fall of the tide. It is said that even now, somewhere, Tui and La are as lively as they were once free. Much like the life within the oceans and seas."

Once Pakku was finished, there was a few seconds of silence before Katara wiped her eyes and whispered, "They sound... beautiful."

Her body subconsciously leaned against Nik and so did Suki's, "To give their freedom for one another... what a tale."

"Did they actually lose their freedom by choosing to willingly give it up?" Nik muttered. It sounded beautiful but he seemed to be more intent in pursuing the understanding of the term freedom. Is it a sensation of life or simply a way to live? Or something else?

"Who knows," Pakku sighed.

"Barf."

A cold, cutting statement caused the atmosphere to stiffen as Katara and Suki felt Mai's cold stare landing on them before they quickly sat straight once again.

"If I wanted to hear a fairytale, I would have stayed with Aang."

Pakku nodded at Mai's words, "It is indeed a legend but Nik's incident has already revealed how dangerous spirits can be yet two great spirits are foreseen to be in danger. I cannot imagine what kind of threat we will face in the tribe but... let's find a good place to settle. Around comrades. We cannot have others known that we are here."

"Why not do the same thing all over again?" Nik suddenly inquired.

He wanted to take the initiative not only because most of his skills were known but also because they had the advantage to strike first and he knew what would hurt the Fleet of the Fire Nation the most...

The loss of the fleet itself.

Between another possible encounter with the spirits and facing firebenders, Nik now eagerly chose the latter, something he would have never expected if not for facing the threat named Koh.

Not to mention the fact that he needed to practice all forms of bending and while Earthbending can wait, he could improve waterbending, begin learning firebending, and play tricks using airbending. The last portion was actually Aang's specialty and was described in great detail within the papers he gifted.

"You're injured," Katara frowned momentarily.

"I have to get used to it, right? Besides, Bumi could do things without arms and legs. I suppose, I can take inspiration from him."

"He's nuts," Suki smiled wryly.

"Something we can all learn to be," Nik smiled.

Of the three guards, the youngest quickly led the group away and finally allowed them to enter the Northern Water Tribe.