The Dawn of Yangchen by F. C. Yee

Author:F. C. Yee
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Abrams
Published: 2022-07-19T00:00:00+00:00

LEGITIMATE BUSINESS

From above, Ma’inka always looked like a fish’s head to Yangchen. Open-mouthed, goggling. Bisected from the rest of the body. She could relate.

One of the eastern islands in the volcanic chain making up the Fire Nation, Ma’inka belonged to the Saowon clan. An old, proud Fire Nation lineage dating back to pre-unification history. Her immediate predecessor, Avatar Szeto, had skillfully managed the Saowon and their rival noble houses during a time of deep crisis in his homeland, and tempered ancient feuds into a lasting peace.

Yangchen thought she had lived up to Szeto’s legacy with a victory of her own the last time she was in Ma’inka. The message to her that Chaisee had intercepted had proven otherwise.

She circled the carved spires of Duke Zolian’s stone manor and landed between moss-draped walls and a reflecting pool that was developing a green skin on top. Her greeting by the servants was somber. They told her that while the duke had been informed of the Avatar’s arrival the instant they spotted her bison in the air, he was still finishing some business with the clan elders. She would have to wait.

For a brief moment, Yangchen wondered how future generations would look upon an Air Avatar challenging a Fire Nation noble to an Agni Kai. She’d win too; she was pretty certain of it.

After calming down, Yangchen left Nujian with the stable hands and was led inside the ancestral seat of the Saowon. In Zolian’s private study, Yangchen sat by herself, drank smoked tea, and swallowed her misgivings.

She’d made the gamble to drop everything and come here instead of meeting with Kavik like she’d promised. Trying to make contact at the safe house before traveling to Ma’inka was an option, yes. But Chaisee’s vantage point from the peak of Jonduri, plus the watchers she surely put on Yangchen after their conversation, meant sneaking back into the city would have been a long and laborious process. Time was of the essence here. She had to hope Kavik possessed enough sense to lie low with Akuudan and Tayagum until she returned to Jonduri.

The door opened and Duke Zolian entered. He’d lost weight since their last meeting, and his beard was grayer. Behind him was his heir and much younger cousin, Lohi, who held a large carved box in his arms.

A gift. She was going receive a gift to make it all better. The two men bowed deeply. “Avatar,” Zolian said, his voice cracking with relief. “You got our message. Thank the spirits, you got our—”

“Shut up,” Yangchen snapped. She’d shown all the tact in the world on her first visit, but circumstances were different now. “Shut up. Shut up. Shut. Up.”

Her command hung in the air. Until further notice. They waited dutifully, heads hung. Their shame a testament to how badly they’d erred, and how desperately they still needed her.

She must have seemed like she was drawing the moment out to exert her power, but really Yangchen couldn’t find any words. She tripped over every sentence in her head.

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