Avatar - Conquering the Elements-Chapter 143

Yui Bay. The city of Tienhai.

Along the cobblestone road, lined with new six and seven-story buildings, a multitude of people moved about. A large family passed by, their clothing dominated by green and crimson hues—a clear sign that both parents were from different nations. The youngest member of the family nearly collided with a tanned beauty whose lovely figure was concealed by traditional blue garments of the Water Tribes.

"Please forgive my son," his mother pulled him closer. "I told you not to run around like that," she scolded him sternly.

"It's nothing, I was too absorbed in my book," the girl awkwardly waved with one hand, as the other firmly held a book.

To some, this conversation might seem insignificant. But not to those who had witnessed the city's changes since its inception. Over the past year, the citizens of Tienhai had clearly "broadened their minds." The streets were no longer filled with wary groups of people constantly expecting some trick. After all, people of other nations walked right beside them! That's what every group thought.

Time passed, and people began to simply get used to living alongside their former enemies. It's hard to remain the same when you see people with different facial features every day, features not belonging to your ethnicity. When you work with them in the same factory. When your children simply ignore your prejudices and calmly make friends and play together. Sooner or later, you realize a simple truth that had eluded you for many days... They're no different from you. They have the same fears, worries, joys, and sorrows. And the only major difference between you is your place of birth.

"Fresh newspapers for sale! The latest news!" a boy called out, his feet beside an open crate of newspapers. The expensive fabric of his outfit didn't suit his line of work—unless, of course, you knew he was the son of one of the city's largest printing press owners.

The second wave of settlers keenly felt the bustling life here. According to them, it seemed as if this city lived several times faster than even the capitals of the Earth Kingdom and the Fire Nation. Various events happened daily, so there was always more than enough news.

The front page of today's newspaper proudly displayed a massive number: five hundred thousand. In just one year, the population of Tienhai had grown to half a million. And with each new month, the number of newcomers only increased. It wouldn't be long before the population reached a million.

"Damn the Triad!" cursed a man who had just bought a newspaper from the boy. The second page featured a full-width image of a charismatic older man with graying hair, a clear sign of his age. His golden eyes unmistakably marked him as a member of the Fire Nation. "A reward is offered for any information about the leader of the Triple Threat Triad," he continued reading aloud.

A month ago, a gang led by the firebending magician Lightning Zolt began wreaking havoc in the city. They engaged in any dark activity imaginable and were smart enough to avoid the police. With powerful earthbenders, waterbenders, and firebenders in their ranks, they could easily terrorize small and medium businesses. Not even hesitating to kidnap the relatives of their victims, they amassed huge sums of money.

The third page featured other faces with a bandit-like appearance. Below, citizens were warned not to confront these individuals but to immediately call the authorities. Besides the leader, their group included other unrecognized masters of their elements: Viper, Zolt's chief assistant and a skilled waterbender; Tokuga, a young martial arts master; Two-Finger Ping, a firebender; and Mushy, a weak earthbender who compensated with immense physical strength. These were just the most famous members of the triad; some identities remained unknown.

"Now these are people who should teach us about inter-nation friendship," sneered an unknown reader, also a plainclothes officer tired of listening to his boss's lectures about the stagnant case of the infamous triad. "Look how quickly they bonded..."

Apparently, the next five pages were once again bought by the wealthy Xuin Su. Owning a cosmetics company, she decided to invest in pharmaceuticals and was now seeking talented medical professionals. Some of her medicines had recently appeared in ordinary hospitals, though there weren't many of those yet—people still trusted water healers more. Even though it cost more, you were sure they'd do everything possible to save your life.

"Sell another one," the investigative officer returned the newspaper. He then walked quickly toward the roadway, where various carriages pulled by animals moved in an endless stream. There were goat-deer from the North Pole, Komodo rhinos from the Fire Nation Islands, camel-elephants from the driest lands, and a vast number of ostrich-horses and hound-eels.

"Over here!" he waved at a free employee of the passenger transport company—the local "taxi." Soon, a well-made wooden carriage pulled by a dragon-elk—a favorite domestic animal of the Fire Nation for hauling cargo—arrived.

Along the edges of the road, closer to pedestrians, only small carriages transporting people were allowed. In the center, only goods carriers moved, usually pulled by particularly large animals.

"Intersection of E-20 and O-5," said Nolan, our officer. Many streets still hadn't received names, so people made do with confusing numbers. "Keep the change," he tossed a silver coin.

"The fare is exactly one silver," the driver said flatly. But Nolan noticed the fleeting contempt in the man's eyes.

"When did everything get so expensive?" Nolan thought awkwardly, turning away. His gaze fell on two tall buildings. Once, he'd been on the roof of one of the skyscrapers... Looking down, he'd realized he hadn't made a mistake moving here. What other city could boast such structures? Where else could different nations coexist peacefully? Probably not just him, but many others occasionally felt a sense of belonging to something Great.

Tienhai—it sounds proud. This is where big money circulates, stores lack space for goods from around the world, and the docks never stop receiving new trade ships.

"I must do my job even better!" Nolan promised himself.

Soon, a third skyscraper would be completed, planned to be even taller than the other two. From its location, it was perfectly visible how the builders worked at height, the green crystal steadily rising under their hands.

Later, Nolan found himself in a less favorable neighborhood. No, the government wasn't preventing locals from improving their lives. As far as he knew, large sums were allocated and paid out to them. Employment officers frequently visited, but to no avail. You can't force someone out of the slums if they don't want to leave. He felt sorrier for the innocent children who hadn't chosen where to be born.

Yesterday, he'd found an anonymous letter claiming that the gang he was after was somewhere in this area.

Touching his taser—the latest innovation—he felt more confident. Though he had no talent for bending, he believed technology would help even the odds. Besides, he wasn't foolish enough to attack powerful benders alone. Several strike teams were always ready to reach the crime scene quickly.

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Cautiously, in the shadows of dilapidated houses, he strained his hearing, eavesdropping on the locals' conversations.

"Hey, have you seen Karu? He owes me money for a week now," Nolan was already tired of these useless drunks' chatter.

"He's probably not going to pay you back," his drinking buddy whispered. The detective's professional instinct kicked in immediately.

"Did he leave or something?" the first slurred.

"He's, well..." the other replied very quietly.

"What?"

"They took him out," they hissed softly.

Nolan grew even more interested. Apparently, the debtor's body had been found outside the city—well-roasted. According to rumors, lightning had clearly been involved.

"Lightning Zolt loves punishing wrongdoers with his lightning..." Nolan thought. "So, I need the seventh house."

"Dark Shin!" he whispered to himself, spotting one of the Triad's recruiters. The man, vigilantly looking around, entered the very house Nolan needed. "It's time they paid for their crimes!"

He quickly walked to the other end of the street. A few minutes later, he stood beside the wall of an unremarkable shack, one of hundreds there.

"Somewhere here..." he quickly ran his hands over the bricks. "Got it!" he found the right brick. Carefully removing it, he revealed a small button.

"Now all that's left is to wait," he leaned quietly against the wall, checking his weapon. Throughout the city, almost every district had hidden buttons, so-called distress signals. They were all directly connected to headquarters. Within five to ten minutes, several strike teams of real fighters would arrive.

Six minutes later, a medium-sized airship appeared in the sky. At that moment, Nolan ran into the open part of the street, starting to signal with his fingers: seven and some other signs. He wasn't worried about being seen; there was always someone on board with binoculars monitoring the area, since no one could press the button by accident.

"Hopefully, they won't fry me today..." he thought. The healers were already laughing at him. Every time, he encountered a firebender criminal. Honestly, an unhealthy trend was emerging.

Running closer to the house, ignoring the residents' loud exclamations, he saw people in military uniforms descending on ropes from the airship.

At that moment, time sped up. Some Triad members had already left the house, starting to attack the descending figures with fire, stones, and water projectiles.

"I'm here!" he shouted. Why couldn't he ever stay put? His prepared taser was already aimed at the most unruly bender.

"One down," the unruly earthbender was already on the ground. Electricity one, human zero.

"Jen, take care of this!" the team leader appeared, immediately giving orders while generating his beloved lightning.

"Jen—a dangerous criminal who started his 'career' as a teenager," Nolan said more to himself, watching the calmly approaching old man.

"I used to cause quite a stir on my homeland islands," Jen smirked, sharply thrusting his hands forward, sending streams of flame toward Nolan.

"Another firebender!" Nolan thought, sacrificing his jacket, which took most of the flames.

Without sparing cartridges, Nolan kept shooting at his opponent, who was far too agile for a bender.

"Until I was sixteen, I had no control over fire, so I hardened myself with physical training," Jen said, as if reading Nolan's thoughts. "Looks like our duel is over," since Nolan's unusual weapon no longer released dangerous projectiles.

"I don't need it anymore," Nolan smiled, seeing the last resistor—the Triad leader—being arrested.

"Good work, Nolan!" said a burly man who effortlessly pinned Jen to the ground.

"Trying my best," Nolan wearily waved his left hand, feeling his right hand burning where the firebender had hit him. "Hello again, dear beige walls of the healing chambers..." he sighed sadly.

*

A large crowd had gathered in front of the registration point in Tienhai. There were always many people here, as they sensed which way the winds were blowing and wanted to become citizens of this city.

"Finally, a proper shower, right Yakone?" a sultry black-haired seductress purred, her voice alone making many nearby men uncomfortable.

"Yeah," the significantly matured Yakone replied indifferently, glancing back. There, among the crowd, his other companions were skillfully concealed. During his travels, he'd found many people who shared his worldview. It seemed as if fate itself had brought them all together.

Beside him stood his first and most loyal ally. Three years ago, he'd saved her from being raped by several earthbenders. Raised in a brothel, she knew her fate. But knowing and accepting were different things. Besides, at that time, she hadn't even had her first period. She would've been used as a toy if not for a waterbender who, for some reason, had been drawn to her location.

"The center of the world—this is where our movement will begin in the future," Yakone thought proudly. He also felt that he'd find new companions here.