Rise of the Wolf King

The entire Northern Water Tribe was alight with excitement. It wasn't every day a new chief was declared. Kano stood on the terrace of his chambers, looking out at the city. Fireworks from the Fire Nation were being launched into the air, showering the glistening ice with brilliant colors. Below, people from all over the world were gathered in the streets. The excitement was palpable. It was almost overwhelming. And what was Kano to do but be swept along with it. As he listened to the almost surreal laughing and banter of the people far below, he couldn't help but feel that excitement course through his veins, tempered only by nervousness. He had never expected to become a Chief. His grandest ambitions saw him a minister or a general, but never a ruler. Now, he had surpassed them. And what was he to do with that knowledge, hm? Waste away this glorious day with misgivings?

The doors of his chamber opened behind him. He turned to find his mother and sister entering.

"You look very handsome, you know?" Suna said, examining her son carefully. "That wolf's tail suits you. You should wear your hair up more often."

"You know how much I hate it." Kano chuckled. Both his mother and his sister were dressed quite finely for this affair. His mother had ordered special clothing for the occasion. They were elegant, yet clearly spoke of the Water Tribe's culture.

Kano himself was dressed like a king. In fact, he had been dressed like a king by a trio of very unashamed servants. Whereas he'd normally be wearing a parka, he was wearing a flowing robe of blue silk lined with the finest fur and embroidered with gold thread. His normal clothing had been substituted with a new set, almost identical to the old ones. Though like the robe, they were lavish to the point of ridiculousness. When he was chief, he was determined to be rid of these excesses. All this was fancy, of course, but it was just about the least comfortable getup he'd ever been in.

"Noee!" Suki said, jumping up and down. She had a small leather pouch in her hands. Kano knelt down.

"What's that you've got there?" he asked, smiling.

"It's for you!" she said gleefully, handing it to him. He opened it and tipped it over. Out fell a green jade magatama on a fine silk necklace. It was quite beautiful. Smiling up at Suki, he wrapped his arms around her.

"Thank you." he said after a moment, drawing back and placing the necklace over his head. "I'll treasure it always."

This was a kingly gift. One which came more from the heart than from the depths of one's pockets. He was quite happy to see them both there.

"They're all waiting to see you, Kanoei." his mother said finally as he straightened up. "Best not to keep them waiting."

Kano smiled, chuckling under his breath. This was turning out to be quite a day.

The flagship docked on the outskirts of the city and came to a humming lull. A bright red flag whipped proudly in the crisp winter breeze as smoke billowed into the sky. The bridge of the ship gave a groan and detached itself from the vessel in a prolonged creak before crashing into the snowbank. A young man descended from the ship, flanked by a platoon of fifteen foot soldiers and another man who's features mirrored his own. They traversed the ice bank until they reached the massive gates of the impenetrable city, one of the young men marveling it just the same.

"I've always wondered how the Northern Water Tribe was able to turn itself into an unconquerable fortress. Perhaps we could learn from them one day...."

The other young man, who's features mirrored his exactly did nothing but snort, "Don't waste your time oogling after these barbarians brother. It's not worth my time or yours." The first of the pair halted in his step and looked his elder brother in the eye, "Careful with your attitude Kazuo. It's a mind like yours that's gotten our Nation into this mess. Pay mind that you do not continue to nurse that attitude again."

"Do I sense a rebuke from you Jianjun?"

"Call it what you want brother," Jianjun waved nonchalantly, continuing ahead of him,"But you know I am indeed right. Now come on, don't just stand there. Show some respect and haul your behind before we're late." The small league of soldiers followed after their major and disappeared into the city, leaving Kazuo standing there completly miffed.

"That little....."

ooOOoo

The interior of the main hall was, as Jianjun would shamelessly admit, breath taking. Everything was entirely sculpted from nothing but ice and snow, but it was what they DID with this element that made it so magnificent. The major openly marveled at the ice sculptures as they ranged from tiny seal-leopards to crystalline wolves. 'This must be in honor of the Aowaka clan no doubt.' Jianjun mused to himself. He briefly noted that his brother was nowhere to be found, most likely lingering with the crowds. Jianjun paid no mind to this and shrugged it off, his brother was a grown man.....but he would not let them embarrass their family.

Kazuo would behave himself.

"Prime Minister Hakano, Master Tako..." He supplied, his hands clasped in his thick crimson robes, "Major Sun Jianjun, representing my grandfather General Sun Weishing and the Fire Nation for this momentous event. It is an honor to be in the presence of the Water Tribe to witness this." Jianjun dipped his head and gave the customary Fire Nation bow, his low ponytail shifting from his waist and falling to his side as he did so. After a time the major stood and gave them an appreciative smile....before almost being barreled over.

"GRAMP GRAMP! UNCLE TAKO!"


Kaira lumbered about the bustling halls in the main palace and yawned tiredly. He skillfully weaved his rather large frame through the scuttling servants and continued on his way, swaying his massive tail in his wake. Meanwhile, his master walked briskly ahead of him, her long ponytail dancing to and fro as she more or less skipped down the hall.

Headed for a wing he knew all too well.

Nakkoa turned a corner and descended down a flight of steps. Kaira followed after her absently and kept his ears trained to the amalgamations of sounds around him. Servants skittering, music playing, people coversing and his master whistling an old tribal tune. He keyed in on the lullaby and nearly tripped over his own paws when Nakkoa stopped suddenly. Going into a stance, his master bent the door open and barged in unannounced.

As she always did.

"No-No!" Nakkoa crooned and threw her hands in the air, "I thought I'd find ya here you little booger!" She motioned for Kaira to wait at the door and nodded respectfully to her aunt, before swooping the tiniest Aowaka into a bone-crushing hug.
"Suki! My lil' polarbear, I've missed you...and you've gotten bigger!" She aimed to spin the two of them around in a circle but thought better of it. Nakkoa released her tiny cousin and set her on the floor carefully. After ruffling Suki's hair, Nakkoa strode over to Kanoei and clapped a hand on her shoulder.

"I'm proud of you big head, you know that? After all that dreamin' and scheming....everything's paid off. And look at ya! You're the chief now kid!" Her lips curled into a genuine smile and twitched a bit. A sparkle of something began collecting at the corners of her eyes and she blinked them away. Kaira, who'd been obediently waiting in the entryway, whined softly and looked on. He knew what was coming next.

"When I was out in the army over the Earth Kingdom.."Nakkoa piped, "I was doing a little side project. I um....I found this really unique alloy over in one of the villages and got together with a weaponsmith in Omashu....." The waterbender set her messenger bag on the ground and popped open the flap. Her tanned hands procured a heavy bound package and held it out to the new Chief. Nakkoa unwrapped it slowly and it glinted against the light.

It was a set of swords; a pair of cutlasses hand-crafted with a single sapphire encrusted on each handle. She carefully handed it over to her cousin and reversed the blades. On the other side was his name engraved with the symbol of their ancestor nearest the large tips of the blades.

"I know you'll find good use for these Kanoei.," She murmured and gripped him in one of her infamous bone crushing hugs, "Couldn't have gotten a better man for the job, you hear me lil' bro? I know you'll do us proud."

Kano accepted one of the blades from Nakkoa and drew it. It was truly superb craftsmanship. This was a blade which would weather the ages. Sheathing it once more, he accepted the other with a smile and bowed his thanks briefly. It was at that moment that she seized him in her bone crushing hug, something he'd built up something of a resistance to over the years, and he found himself returning it while she spoke into his ear.

"Thank you, Koa." Kano said, chuckling. "That means a lot coming from my big sister."

He chuckled at the inside joke in that comment as they broke apart. He placed the blades on a small table standing at the foot of one of the powerful columns supporting the chamber. Their gold and blue hilts giving them a regal appearance as they lay there. Within moments, however, he was involved with yet another well-wisher, not that he minded. This time, it was Zai.

"When do I not?" Kano joked at the level head comment, chuckling. They enjoyed the mere company of one another for several minutes before Kano decided he wanted to make himself understood.

"I'm glad you're all here with me." he said, looking around at them all. "It's... very hard for me to imagine what there is to come. I never dreamed of anything like this happening. Now that it is, I find I'm... not sure I know how to handle it. I guess what I'm trying to say is... Thank you."

As tradition dictated, Kano stepped out onto the terrace when the tenth hour after noon was reached. The city was alight with torches and many waterbenders across the city were making streams of glowing healing water dance around create wonderful effects in the light of the full moon. It shone down upon Kano brightly, illuminating him on the terrace. Far below, many faces looked up at him, awaiting his words. This would be the last time he would be seen by his people as a prince. When he descended from the Chamber of the Moon, he would be Chief of the Northern Water Tribe.

As he reached the icy banister, he reached out and placed his hands upon it, looking down at them all.

"People of the North." he said, his voice magnified to many times it's normal volume by the team of airbenders working behind him to amplify it. "Friends from afar. I thank you for coming here, for sharing this day with me. I thank you all for your well wishes and your gifts. Tonight, this place of water and ice becomes my kingdom. I am proud of this. I have always wished to serve my people. How better to serve than to protect them as their faithful leader?"

The dancers with their glowing water upon their rooftops had ceased. The chatter below had faded. He alone could be heard. Never before had he felt so powerful... or so alone. Yet his friends and family were nearby, watching from the chamber behind. And mixed in with the visitors from afar and their brothers and sisters from the South, his people looked up at him, waiting to hear the oath, the very truth of his promise to rule them justly and act wisely on their behalf. That was exactly what he was going to do. Not because he felt they expected it, but because he expected it of himself.

"Since I was a boy, the leaders I have known have been weak, even treacherous. There are those of you who wonder if I will be the same person in a different skin. I can make no oath that will speak louder than my actions. I will tell you, however, this -- I have sworn to myself that I shall never, EVER let greed, or desire, or the foulness of hate rule my decisions. I promised myself that I will endeavor in all things to hear my people and act justly with that knowledge. To myself, I made an oath that I would sooner die than break, that I would defend the North with my life's blood! And that is exactly what I shall do!"

There was a thunderous round of applause from the crowd. Cheering and a new round of fireworks went up, accompanied by bursts of fire from those of the tribe who were firebenders. The rooftop dancers sent up brilliant displays of healing water, bending it into lupine figures and all manner of starry shapes. He held up his hands, cold from their prolonged contact with the icy rail, to silence them. The sounds and displays died down quickly.

"Tonight, we stand with our brothers and sisters from all across this world and we toast to the future." he said finally. "This is not my night. This night belongs to you! Let us make the most of it! For tonight, well... TONIGHT, WE CELEBRATE!"

The roar from the crowd was deafening as the shows resumed. The dancers on their roofs made dragons and streams of unknown shapes dance in the moonlight. The fireworks showered the city with brilliant colors. Food and drinks went all around and benders put on all manner of shows. This was a party that would go til dawn... likely beyond.

Kano ascended the steps to the last landing. Beyond it, only one staircase remained until he arrived at the summit of the palace, the Chamber of the Moon. Music was echoing up from the streets. Even here in the heart of the tower, it could clearly be heard. When he reached the landing, though, a music of a different kind began. Powerful drums rang out from within the Chamber of the Moon. They sounded a sturdy beat that drowned out all other sounds. The acoustics of the chamber were such that the entire north would be able to hear them.

He began to climb the final steps. Twenty-three steps, he climbed, moving as tradition demanded, only with the beat of the drums. Twenty-three steps. Twenty-three beats. When he reached the summit, he placed his palms on the mighty wood doors and pushed. Into the chamber, they swung. He stepped inside. Behind him, the doors closed.

Kano found himself standing in the most bizarre of situations. The room, its floor studded with diamonds the size of a clenched fist, it's pedestal carrying a sapphire larger than his chest, was filled with figures robed in dark blue, all wearing masks that made them the personifications of the northern beasts. They lined the circular walls all around the chamber. The high domed ceiling overhead was cast into shadow by the moonlight descending through the great, circular window at it's peak. It was almost midnight. Soon, the full power of the moon would shine through that portal into the Jewel of La and the Scales of Tui would be illuminated, casting their light onto the dome, revealing, it was said, the secrets of the cosmos, though only to those who could decipher their message.

He stood there where he was, on the very edge of the circular pattern into which the diamonds -- the Scales of Tui -- were set. From behind him approached the Penguin and the Seal, those who had closed the doors. They took his robe and removed his jacket. His torso was left bare as they retreated with them. It was all part of the test. Any chief who could not withstand the cold was no chief at all...

"Kanoei, son of Takoei, son of Hakano."

Kano looked straight ahead. There, standing on the far side of the Jewel of La on it's pedestal, stood the Wolf. It spoke with a grizzled voice he knew well but did not dare acknowledge during the ceremony. The Wolf's arms were held out around the Jewel, upon which lay an armband Kano had only ever seen from a distance. It was the Band of the Chief, a sacred relic of the Northern Water Tribe. Where other kingdoms bowed to the power of crowns, this band was the symbol of a northern king.

It was a band of fur-lined heather onto which was sewn silk with a pattern of three white peaks on a field of blue, one each for chief, his wife, and his heir. This was meant as a blessing, a hope that the chief would find a mate and provide for the future leadership of the tribe. Upon this was set a plate of gold, oddly flexible, as though it were made of liquid. It flowed with the fabric and the leather beneath it as though it were made of the same stuff. Into this was mounted a large sapphire, identical in every way save its size to the great sapphire upon which the band lay. Once, the two had been one in the same.

"I am he." Kano said finally, looking into the eyes of the Wolf.

"Then step forward and be known." said the Wolf. Kano obeyed. He stepped into the light of the moon above and was illuminated by it's light. The Wolf looked skyward. "Great moon spirit, Tui, Yue of the North!" it called. "Hear us and take heed! On this night, we seek your blessing. Shine upon us that we may know your wisdom!"

The moon seemed to grow brighter. The Wolf reached down and lifted the band from atop the Jewel of La, raising it high about it's head. The moonlight seemed to concentrate upon the sapphire set into the band. Kano saw the light collect in the gem and then pass through, into the Jewel of La. Out from the Jewel sprang hundreds of beams, shining out in every direction toward the ground. Each beam met one of the diamonds and illuminated it. But instead of shining back out of the Scales of Tui, the light in the many white gems faded. Kano's eyes darted around. Had he failed Tui and Yue's test?

And then some powerful energy pierced through his back, freezing him where he stood. Had he been facing the opposite direction, he would have seen a great light collecting in the diamond directly behind him end then shoot into him in a single powerful beam. His eyes rolled up into his head as he stood there, utterly unable to move, speak, or even breath. It wasn't painful, but he had no words for the feeling. It was like every fiber of his body, mind, and soul were being filled by some other being. It invaded everything there was of him, yet he could not even grasp what it was. And then, just as suddenly as it had begun, it ended. His eyes rolled forward again in time for him to see the light collect within his chest and then, just as it had shot into him, it arced outward once more, directly into the Jewel of La. There it stayed for the briefest of moments before gathering and shooting skyward, through the gem in the band. Within moments, the light had disappeared. Only the gentle light of the moon remained. The gem in the band, however, continued to glow.

"Tui and La have spoken." said the Wolf, moving around the pedestal. "They have blessed your ascendance, Kanoei. And now, you shall be banded our chief! Kneel."

Shaken by what he had experienced, yet somehow invigorated, Kano sank to one knee. The wolf moved around to his left side and bent down. The Wolf wrapped the armband around Kano's upper arm and rose once more. The moment it was touched his skin, the gem's glow faded. However, it remained warm against his arm.

"Arise, Kanoei, Chief of the Northern Water Tribe."

Kano rose to his feet.

"All hail our chief!"

All of the beasts gathered around the chamber sank to their knees as Kano had a moment before. No one knelt to a Water Tribe chief. But this was a tradition. As the elders of the tribe, it was symbolic of the collective wisdom of the north bowing to his rule. He had learned what the appropriate response was carefully under the tutelage of his grandfather.

"Rise, all. You are my elders once again. May your wisdom guide me and may I lead you well."

All of them removed their masks and stood as themselves. He recognized every face. They were all great leaders in the tribe. The Wolf, of course, had been Hakano himself.

"Come, Noei." he said, smiling at Kano, the ceremony now over. "There is a party waiting for it's patron."

Smiling, Kano donned his jacket and turned, leading the group out of the chamber. In double file, they followed him. Within a few minutes, he would be joining the festivities already under way in the Throne Hall. His duties would make demands of him in the morning. But for now, the new chief could enjoy his new position...

When Kano had descended to the Throne Hall, the Band of the Chief now proudly displayed upon his arm, the elders had accompanied him to the throne itself. The final act of the ceremony was his donning the robe of the chief once more after all present could witness the Band itself and assuming the throne. Soon after, he was allowed to join the crowd and all the formalities were over. He immediately became the center of attention in the festivities, but it wasn't the way of the Tribes to hassle others. After about an hour, once everyone present in the Throne Hall, mostly those who were either dignitaries or were particularly important to Kano or other members of the chieftain's house, had an opportunity to shake his hand and congratulate him, he was left to mingle as he willed. He pretty quickly tracked down an interesting professor who had come from the Earth Kingdom who was an expert in ancient bending techniques.

"... But Pa Lahkti really is a very fascinating subject." Professor Sun was saying, walking alongside Kano as they searched for an empty spot in the Throne Hall to carry on their conversation without being jostled around. "They say it's in the forgotten forests of the Earth Kingdom, beyond the Si Wong Desert. It's quite the trek, heh heh."

Kano smiled as the man chuckled. Pa Lahkti had once been the capitol of the Water Tribes. That was when the Earth Kingdom and the Water Tribes shared the mainlands, between the exodus from the south and the creation of the north by Aowaka. It was said to have been a city of white stone, the great storehouse of knowledge in the world. Only Wan Shi Tong's library even came close. Kano had taken an early interest in the fabled city. If there was anywhere where a solution to his family's troubles could be found, it was there. But, of course, it had been lost three-thousand years ago. Most considered it nothing more than a fable.

"Yes, well I'm sure someone will eventually find it." Kano said, taking a sip of the strange carbonated wine that had been brought from the Northern Air Temple where, apparently, there was a monk who rather enjoyed toying around with beverages. "Professor, if it's not too much of an imposition, could I possibly purchase copies of some of your rarer bending scrolls? I've heard your collection is quite impressive."

"You collect bending scrolls?" Professor Sun said, surprised, his eyebrows nearly disappearing into his hair.

"Well, I am a waterbender." Kano chuckled. "I've spent a fair amount of time and money curating a private collection, yes. I doubt it holds a candle to yours, but I'd be most appreciative of anything you have in the way of rarer bending techniques. Any element will do."

"Oh, I have about... a dozen or more that I'd be thrilled to have copied for you!" the Professor said gleefully, apparently thrilled with the fact that he'd finally met a world leader with whom he could have some sense of scholarly kinship.

"Excellent!" Kano smiled. "Just let me know how much you'll need in compensation. I'm sure I can arrange it."

"Oh, nonsense!" the Professor said, waving a hand as if to clear an unpleasant odor. "Consider them a gift. But I think the headmaster of the university would flay me alive if I didn't at least mention that they're looking for some donations to expand the scholarships."

"Well," Kano laughed. "Then I shall arrange a charitable donation for every scroll you give me. How does that sound?"

"Oh, my." the Professor said, suddenly looking a little hot around the collar. He had been joking insomuch as he hadn't expected Kano to actually offer such a thing. "I should think that would sound very good to the headmaster..."

Kano was just on the tail end of a chuckle at this when a young man about his age waylaid him. He was flanked by a pair of warriors. From the looks of them, they were of the Southern Water Tribe. Of course, there were many Southern tribesmen there...

"You must be the newly appointed chief of the Northern Water Tribe." He said, offering Kano his hand. "I'm Kanaryu Oshiro, Chieftain of the Southern Water Tribe. I guess will be working together a lot so we can work in the interest of both our tribes, and plus we'll get stuff done quicker or that's what i think. And you'll haft to forgive me for being so late, the Fire Lord has a blockade up on his waters and it was hard getting by with all my people, you know how the Fire Nation can be, right? There full of surprises."

"That they are." Kano smiled. "Kanoei of the Aowaka Clan. It's a pleasure to meet you, Southern Chief. You know, I'd been wondering when I'd get to meet you."

OOC: sorry for such a short post i just couldn't think of anything else to say.

Kanaryu Oshiro

"Probably not at all if the Fire Lord had his way. He was pretty stern on not letting me cross with weapons but we finally worked it out. Although I found it odd that he tried to convince me that the Earth Kingdom would attack the Southern Water Tribe, the first thing that popped up into my head was ‘why would the Earth Kingdom want to attack us? We’ve done nothing to them.’ I’ve got to say that our alliance is pretty much crumbling slowly, I feel like the fire lord is trying to control me… It’s good to be back in front of some real allies, the good ol’ Northern Water Tribe. With us working together the Water Tribes will be ten times stronger or maybe even more.” Kanaryu said with a smile on his face. He wasn’t real sure what to say or do, he hadn’t really been to these kinds of events and he never really interacted with others of equal power, he was just use to giving out speeches to his people and speaking to the fire lord because that was the only one of equal power, that he knew well. Truthfully, Kanaryu never thought that there would be another Northern Water Tribe Chief in fact he thought the position of Chief was cursed in both tribes, something always happened to them.

Mood: calm Condition: Healthy

Link: https://lastairbender.rpg-board.net/t396-kanaryu#2426

Kano nodded slowly. He'd never met Novai, though he knew him by reputation. The man had seized the throne from his own cousin and, or so rumor said because the body was never provided as evidence, had even gone so far as to have her killed. It was the kind of knowledge that wasn't common. His grandfather had told him everything he knew about the Fire Lord and his politics. But, when it came right down to it, the Water Tribes weren't treated as allies. They were treated as play-things, toys for the young Fire Lord to do with as he willed. It was something Kano wouldn't stand for. He wasn't going to let the Fire Lord have his way with the North... or the South for that matter. That was all there was to it. If it came to war... then it did.

But all that was an aside. At this moment, he had an excellent opportunity to have some one on one time with the only man in the world who was truly his political equal. He was going to take advantage of that opportunity. He turned to Professor Sun and inclined his head.

"I trust you'll be here for at least a while longer?" he asked, not wanting to give up this valuable source of information quite yet.

"The next few days, at least." the Professor nodded.

"Well, then, I hope you'll excuse me. I'd like to speak to my fellow chief for a bit." Kano smiled. "Please, enjoy yourself."

"You too, Chief Kanoei!" the Professor smiled back, raising his glass. "And congratulations to you!"

"Thank you."

Kano inclined his head politely once more and turned, gesturing for Chief Kanaryu and his accompaniment to follow him. He led them into the office off the Throne Hall. It was a fine old room filled with furniture from the Earth Kingdom. He'd come to rely on it for a few moments' peace here and there over the last few months. A fire danced merrily in the hearth. As he sat in one of the winged armchairs next to the fireplace, he gestured to the Southern Chief to feel free to do the same, indicating the other.

"So tell me," Kano said, settling down in his chair. "It sounds as though you're just about as displeased with the current state of the treaty as I am."

OOC: It's fine. I mean, you gave me plenty to work with. Let's see what you can do with this. ;)

"Treaties with the Fire Nation rarely remain equitable for long." Kano sighed, crossing his legs with a sigh. "It was probably Novai's plan from the beginning to use the small measure of aid he was giving us as a way to keep us on a leash and away from his battlefields. King Lei's acts were despicable, but they were of the past. We must look forward, for the sake of our people, and not allow ourselves to fall to the whim of yet another tyrant."

He peered deeply into the flames dancing in the hearth. They were bright and brilliant in the otherwise dark room. It seemed somehow appropriate that they were having this conversation in the presence of fire...

"If we break the treaty with the Fire Nation..." he said finally, looking around at Kanaryu again. "There is no way it will not come to war. I cannot imagine the Southern Water Tribe is any more prepared for it than the North is. Novai is not the sort to go easily on those who he believes have betrayed him. We will need more than a desire to be free of him to win..."

"Agreed." Kano nodded slowly. "However, we've no cause to go to war just yet. I intend to find a way to improve our odds before we find ourselves fighting the Fire Nation. But I don't intend to rush into a war unless I have no choice. For the moment, the Fire Nation seems to be behaving itself. After the attack on the Western Air Temple some months ago, they seem to have backed off a bit. I'm perfectly happy to leave it at that for the time being."

He emptied his glass and handed it off to a servant who had been standing in the dark corner of the room. Then he told her to go and tell the rest of the staff to join the party and enjoy themselves for the night. There was no sense in them sticking around to serve others who could just as easily serve themselves. Real parties didn't need waiters or any of that other rubbish. The food was served, the drinks were waiting, and everyone could get at it all easily enough. It was time for people to forget the formalities and enjoy themselves.

"You know, when I visited the Fire Nation last year, a good friend and I found a secret weapons factory underneath Caldera City." Kano said finally, turning his attention back to Kanaryu. "It was rather interesting. Some new form of long range explosive launcher. They called it a mortar. The fact of the matter is that while we're sitting here, the Fire Nation is doing everything it can to solidify its military superiority over the other nations. If we're going to contend with that, we're going to need a lot more than one or two allies. We're going to need a technological revolution that can match them. As far as I know, the only people who come close are the Air Nomads of the Northern Air Temple."

"Well, the Earth Kingdom certainly has the numbers to address the Fire Nation military." Kano nodded slowly. "And I don't doubt the Air Nomads would go to war if it meant protecting themselves from another onslaught. They've suffered more than enough cultural destruction for one existence..."

He stood up and walked over to the far corner of the room, pouring himself a glass of water. It wasn't the most festive choice, perhaps, but he really did truly enjoy a nice glass of cold water. He gulped down the glass he had poured and then poured another, turning.

"Care for anything?" he asked Kanaryu, pointing at the racks of liquor. "I have some really good stuff... or so I'm told." he looked at the cabinet with a doubtful sort of glance. He wasn't much of a drinker. He didn't have the first clue what was the good stuff and what wasn't so much...

Kano chuckled, placing the glass back down on the counter and turning.

"You know what?" he said, brandishing a finger at Kana with a smile on his face. "I have something I think you'll find quite delicious."

He walked over to one of the warriors standing guard over the doors and leaned close to him, whispering a direction. Granted, the man was of the Southern Water Tribe and didn't need to obey his request, but after a moment, he turned and left the room. Kano returned to his seat, beaming.

"I think you're in for something of a treat, my friend." he said to Kana, folding his legs as he sat there.

A man with the look of an aged piece of stone walked in, carrying a tray. He didn't look it, but he was the master of the kitchens and a legendary chef. This was probably the first time he'd been outside them in a decade. He even slept in a room off of them. There were some who entertained the possibility that he was somehow enslaved and forced to work there. The truth was that the old coot just loved cooking and there wasn't anything anyone could say or do to make him love it less. Everything he did, he did out of devotion for the place. Kano was surprised, frankly, to see him there in person.

"Master Kon." he said, standing and walking over to take the tray laden with a set of cups and a gently steaming pot of tea along with several cookies on a plate. "Here, let me take that."

"Nonsense, boy!" Kon growled. "Y-you just... JUST SIT!"

Kano was taken aback by this, but he wasn't entirely surprised. Being cooped up in his kitchen hadn't exactly done wonders for Kon's social skills. Nevertheless, he took his seat again and watched Kon work. He placed the tray down on the table that stood between the two seats occupied by Kano and Kana and proceeded to pour tea for the both of them. It was a dark brew, black in the relative darkness of the room. The fire light did nothing to reveal the rich, dark blue of the tea. It was unlike any other tea in the world. Once he was done, he backed away, bowing to the tray, it seemed.

"Your tea is served, my lords." he said.

"Thank you." Kano said with a nod.

Without another word, the old man turned and left. Kano watched him go and then turned his attention back to Kana.

"As you can see, we have some rather eccentric individuals here in the North." he chuckled. "But, more to the immediate concern. This tea was brewed from the leaves of the Spirit Tree which stands guard over the Spirit Oasis. It's quite a wonderful tea, if I do say so myself. Please," he held up his cup. "Enjoy."

He took a sip of the tea and enjoyed the light flavor and the faint natural sweetness of the tea. It was quite an incredible blend, if you could even compare it to other teas enough to call it by such a name...

Kano chuckled to himself.

"I'm sure Tui and La would enjoy a visit from the Chief of the Southern Water Tribe." he smiled, sipping at the tea a bit more. "It would be my honor to introduce you to th--..."

There was a sudden crashing outside that drew his attention. Muffled screams and the screeching of the music coming to a sudden stop followed promptly. An almost terrifying moment of uncertainty passed and then a very flustered young warrior burst into the room, looking around for him.

"Chief Kanoei!" she said, her face a vision of utter worry, almost fear. "Quickly!"

Kano placed his tea down and marched from the room, following the warrior out. As he entered the Throne hall, he noticed immediately that all the gathered guests had moved out of the center of the room, clearing a path from the throne to the doors, looking at the singular figure limping toward the icy high seat. Kano moved around the crowd and positioned himself in front of the throne, on the steps leading down to the floor of the hall from the chair's perch.

The man limping along was unmistakably an Air Nomad. His blue arrows were clearly visible. His clothing was torn and burnt. He was bleeding, his robes stained crimson. It was a grizzly sort of sight. Several guards moved to the front of the gathered guests, positioning themselves to intercept him if this was some assassination ruse, but Kano had no thought for such a suspicion. He didn't think any assassin would go to these lengths for the life of an as yet untested chief.

The man limped right up to the foot of the throne stairs and collapsed. Kano stooped and caught him, sinking down to sit on the steps.

"What happened?" he whispered, bending ice from the stairs, the newly liquefied water beginning to glow as he passed it over the massive slash across the man's chest. This close, he recognized him. The man was from the Western Air Temple. He was an instructor there...

"Fire Nation..." the man said. It was more an exhale than fully formed words. He was incredibly weak. "T-the a... attack... r-renewed. W-west--" he coughed horribly, yet he struggled to speak further. Such was Kano's concern that he didn't even flinch when the flecks of blood the man had coughed up splattered his face. "West-- tern A-Air Te-Temple... b-b-..."

"What?" Kano asked as the man drew a rattling breath. "What's happened to the temple?!"

His voice was barely more than a whisper, yet all in the room heard him, his question. The man's eyes fluttered slightly before they opened wide, filled with all that was left of him. In that moment, Kano knew yet refused to accept that this was the last act this man would ever perform. With an almighty effort, the man said: "It... burns..."

What was left of the air in his lungs escaped with the last word and he was gone. Kano just sat there, staring at him, his eyes wide in shock.

"My lord?" said a voice, faraway from him in his mind, yet its' owner stooped right next to him, whispering in his ear. "What shall we do?"

Kano just continued staring at the man, his empty eyes staring at the glowing icy chandelier hanging from the summit of the ceiling. Kano's gaze became vicious. His face contorted in fury. He looked up at the surrounding crowd slowly. He had eyes for one person in particular. He found him quickly.

Gently, he placed the body of the airbender on the ground and stood, his front stained in blood. He was covered in it, but he didn't care. He marched across the room to where Minister Jianjun stood. The moment he was close enough, he shoved a pair of fingers into his chest.

"You go back to the Fire Nation!" he growled to Jianjun, his tone venomous. "You go back and you tell that son of a bitch, Novai, that I and coming for his head! He wants a war? HE'S GOT A FUCKING WAR!"

This last sentence echoed through the chamber with a finality that seemed to put an end to all other sound. He looked around the room slowly, at every face and every nation represented there. He returned his gaze to Jianjun...

"You tell him that for me, Minister." he said slowly. "And you tell him that before this is over, I am going to make him regret ever having dared to raise arms against the world. I don't care what it takes... I will put an end to him..."