| By King Bumis Heir | Genre | Rating | Reviews | Updates |
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Overview[]
Senlin, is still in Ba Sing Se. With his departure in the morning, he does something that no one has done in a few centuries.
Revenge.
Chapter 10: The Escape Part 2: The Assassination[]
Book 1: Air
Chapter 10: The Escape Part 2: The Assassination
Senlin places his arm around Haoke to keep her close and bends a pillar upwards to propel himself and the old woman through the large manhole. The sun had gone down for the day, the night had only just arrived. They made their journey towards the Upper Ring, strolling with confidence and boarding themselves a train towards the upper Middle Ring. Haoke and Senlin sat quietly on the train only a few passengers boarded at this time of hour. Another flashback plagues Senlin's mind, this time it was that fateful afternoon where it all came to an end.
General Senlin, with Earth King Ta Po and the other Earth Kingdom generals discussing war plans before Avatar Ku Tei interrupts.
Senlin and the other members of the Council of Five sat around the war room with Earth King Ta Po in the middle hearing what the generals were planning for the eastern province's next move. The large doors leading into the war room open up, Ku Tei storms in. In anger he points at Senlin yelling, "General Senlin, how could you?"
Senlin quickly turns to look at Ku Tei, Ta Po attentively looks over at the scene before his eyes raising his left hand in an open palm as he stood to his feet. Gesturing them to silence themselves he exclaimed, "General Ku Tei, what is the matter for this interruption?".
Ku Tei walks over towards Ta Po and personally hands him a scroll with a Northern Water Tribe seal. He tears the seal open and unrolls the report, his eyes widen as he begins to read the scroll. Senlin a little paranoid now knew what was going on and he knew the jig was up and that it was time to go. He crumbled the scroll up and threw it in the nearby brazier, he sighs and signals the guards.
"Guards by my order arrest General Senlin for treason!" ordered the Earth King.
The train ride was over and they walk off the train. Senlin begins to familiarize himself with the area around him. Haoke pulls out a large parchment that contained a map of the underground escape tunnels that were underneath the upper ring in any case that the Earth King was in danger and needed to be immediately evacuated.
She studied the map for a bit and stopped Senlin, "I think we're above one of the tunnels that leads to the royal palace," she said.
"That sounds dangerous, how do we know they aren't heavily guarded either?" Senlin asked.
"They aren't. I have connections within the palace, I've spent the rest of my days after the execution of my sweet boy studying every entrance, every exit, every secret route in, out, and around that palace." Haoke claimed.
"Earthbend a hole for us, here," Haoke added.
Senlin slid his foot to the left and jutted his hands forward with his palms facing inward, making a turning motion a hole formed. He jumped in first and caught Haoke in his arms when she jumped in right after him. Reaching into her pack she grabs a torch and lights it with a spark rock. Senlin moves his arms upward in a circular motion over his head closing the hole.
They follow the series of tunnels until they reach a dead-end room. Haoke examining the wall notices it that that particular wall had been earthbended a few times and whoever used this wall in the past was reckless. The earthbenders at the secret door in the Dixia hideout always cover the cracks of the wall so that it remains natural and not suspicious.
"Earthbend this wall, whoever patrolled this area recently failed to cover the cracks," Haoke said.
Senlin stomps on the ground and raises his arms up and then slams them down, sinking the wall. Haoke stepping into the darkroom first brightens it up revealing a weapon room. Polearms, great axes, claymores, swords, maces, halberds, littered the room. There were crates were makeshift explosives lying about as well. Senlin explores the room browsing through all the weapons that covered the walls and floor. He picked up a small dagger, strapping the sheathe onto his waist. He put away the dagger safely into its leathery cover.
One of the Mousha Quan, in the study room of the palace.
Senlin suddenly hears voices off in the distance and around the corner, he gestures Haoke to stay quiet as they both tiptoe closer to the talking men. Senlin believed them to be two patrolling watchmen who make rounds under the tunnels. They approached the corner, two men chattering they wore black clothing and leather armor that dressed their bodies. They stood in front of a large furnace that contained green flames. The flames reflected off the jennamite crystals underneath the furnace grate which gave it the color of the jennamite.
One of the black-uniformed men feels a little distrustful of the dark hallway, he had a gut feeling they were being watched. The man who looked back into the hallway whistles to his partner, catching his attention they both look at the hallway now. Senlin gestures Haoke to toss a throwing knife at one of the men on his signal. Both men were slowly pacing towards the dark hallway. A knife surprises one of the men and lodges into his chest, killing him instantly the other looks in shock and gasps. A small pillar of earth quickly and quietly breaks his chest wall and causes internal bleeding within.
The one left slowly dying in his misery is now tearing up because of the excruciating pain he is feeling. Senlin walks over to the seriously injured man and snaps his neck killing him instantly and ending his suffering. Haoke inspects the corpses of both men and the black uniforms they both wore.
"These uniforms belong to members of the Mousha Quan.." she disclosed.
"Mousha Quan?" Senlin questioned. Haoke nodded, pulling the collars of their uniforms she doesn't find any crow tattoos on their necks.
"They're Xinxian de rous of the Mousha Quan, they wear the Quan's uniform but they are initiates and haven't taken the oath to receive their tattoos," Haoke mentioned.
"When do they receive their tattoos?" asked Senlin, "When they take their oaths and are promoted to Bings, will they then honor Shan Yu and receive the crow tattoo. As they rise the through ranks multiple members continue to tattoo themselves with Mousha Quan art..they become the canvas.." responded Haoke.
Leaving the corpses in their final resting spots Haoke and Senlin, walked towards the furnace. Examining the area they realized it was a study room or an office for someone, the shelves decorated with books gave away all the guesses. A desk sat on one side of the wall near a small shelf of books.
"Those Xinxians, as you call them were rummaging through this entire office room looking for something. What do you think it was?" Senlin asked.
"Dead drop. They're superiors leave dead drops for them in strange places where no normal person would stumble on. Usually, contracts are left behind with a sack of gold containing a sum of coin." Haoke explained.
"Contracts? Sacks of gold? These men belong to an order of assassins.." Senlin acknowledged.
"Yes, the Mousha Quan is a band of assassins led by their mysterious leader, they call him Shan-Yu. No one's ever seen the man other than those who belong to the Quan." Haoke said.
Haoke began to inspect the shelves removing books and opening all of them looking to see if there was a scroll left in a small indentation made inside a book. Senlin noticed a loose brick on the wall. He reached for it and tightened his fist, the brick slid out floating in his grip he let it drop. Inside that small slit was the scroll and sack of money left behind by a superior of the Mousha Quan. The sack of coin contained pieces of silver but no gold coins, the scroll while small remained clean despite being stuffed inside of a hole with dust, dirt, and cobwebs. The scroll was sealed with the seal of the Mousha Quan, black dry wax with the seal of a crow stamped onto it.
Opening the Mousha Quan dead drop scroll.
Unscrolling the scroll she read, "Xinxian De Rous, on the wall behind you look for a brown book with a gold ribbon, it's on the seventh shelf, pull the book out of the shelf. The door will reveal itself to you." She handed the scroll to Senlin, who had turned around to face a back wall where he noticed a brown leather book fastened with a golden ribbon. He pulled the book out of the shelf to reveal a secret compartment, pulling the lever all the locks began to open up. The shelf slid open and behind it was a tunnel with stairs leading upward revealed itself.
"I think the Mousha Quan wanted to assassinate the Earth King." Senlin jested.
"If they were, their Xinxian de rous are dead, they shouldn't have sent fresh meat, for a high-risk task like this. No, they must've sent them to kill a high ranking member who resides in the palace." Haoke replied.
They relit the torch they had extinguished earlier when they had encountered the Xinxians from the Mousha Quan. Senlin pulls a chain lever, the cogs and machinations inside of the walls can be heard ringing in a matter of seconds the shelf they had recently opened slowly closes behind them. The dark tunnel that continued upward now only lit by the torch they carried with them. Senlin decided to be more silent with opening doors with earthbending. This time around he placed both hands on the wall and gently lowered the wall and sunk it into the earth. At the end of the tunnel are several doors, way in the back-illuminated by a little moonlight was two larger doors guarded by two men.
"Those large doors are guarded by two guards, I believe that might be the king's sleeping chambers," Senlin whispered to Haoke.
"Do you have any secrets up your sleeve that would be useful right now?" Haoke quietly asked, Senlin patting down his new britches for the rock that he used to escape with. He reaches into his pocket grabbing the big rock and using his fingers to crack it into two smaller rocks. He breathes in focusing on his targets. On one hand, he holds one of the rocks between two fingers and aims it at the heads of one of the guards. Senlin flicks the rock with his free hand at one of the guards, he shapes the rock enough so that it remains silent as it glides through the air and thumped the guard square on the temple knocking him over unconscious.
The other guard startled running towards the bell to sound the alarm to the guards down below, stumbles to his feet in a timorous manner but then before his fingers could grasp the rope for the bell his head smashes onto the nearby wall. The second rock finally hits its target, Haoke runs over checking both of the bodies for anything useful and discovers one of the men had a key tucked away in his collar.
Haoke padded over to the door with the keys in her hand, placing the key into the keyhole and unlocking the door. She gestures Senlin to enter the sleeping quarters finish the job, reaching into her satchel she pulls out a dagger with her son's name engraved into the dagger. Haoke kisses the blade of the dagger before handing it to Senlin. Silently opening the door slowly another flashback surges into his mind.
One of the soldiers grabs Senlin's wrist putting it behind his back and grabbing the other to do the same. The other soldier releases the earth gloves around his hands to form bracelets arresting the traitorous general. Senlin kicking one his legs up backward lifts an earth wall, pivoting on one foot he drives the earth wall with that same foot towards the guards. Breaking free of the earth grips he attempts to take Ta Po's life. He jerks his head to the side a small rock emerges out of the floor and flings itself towards Ta Po.
General Tsuyo-sa who was the nearest to the Earth King catches the rock with his left hand. The force and speed of the hand fractures a few of the smaller bones in his hand. Wincing in pain Tsuyo-sa drops the rock, filled with anger to the brim. Senlin now surrounded makes a break for it all of the generals now circling him, he tackles Tsuyo-sa and leaps out of the open view of the war room. Ku Tei signals the men to halt, closing his eyes and exhaling his open again with a gleaming glow. He shoots himself out of the war room with fire jets. The flashback ends, he takes in a deep breath.
Ku Tei enters the Avatar State, and chases General Senlin.
He stood over the slumbering Earth King, dagger in hand he grips the hilt of the dagger tightly. This is it, this is the end. After this he's free. In the hallway, Haoke mutters to herself, "Justice for my sweet boy.."
Aroused from peaceful deep slumber Ta Po gasped as Senlin dug the blade into the Earth King's neck. With a sliver of life left he gazed into Senlin's eyes, shedding a single tear and hearing the gurgle of his blood escaping from his throat. The very last breath of air escaping his lifeless body forever. Senlin pulled the knife out wiping the stained blade on the lavish covers that lay on the king's bed. Handing the dagger back to Haoke, they began to walk away as the rush of crimson flowed from the open wound of the Earth King.
They followed the same paths they had taken before reaching their target to go back down into the tunnels. An hour later, they had crawled out of the tunnel that they previously had entered off in the distance the booming echo of the prison alarm bells had rung they had remained within earshot of the echoing bells.
Haoke gasped, "The guards found Ta Po's body, we gotta hurry!"
Calmy Senlin gripped Haoke's shoulder whispering, "That's not the palace alarm, someone spotted the empty cell in the prison I left behind and stumbled upon the corpse of the guard I stuffed inside.", "Come on, we gotta reach the hideout," Senlin added. They had begun to run towards the lower ring instead of taking the train back this time.
Baotu smiles, hearing the good news from Senlin.
Guards hoofed into each other racing to the empty cell left by one of their most dangerous criminals. The inside of the room was empty, food was spread across one part of the cell the corpse of a guard laid near the other side. The entryway was doorless on the floor of the hallway laid a warped metal door. Another guard brought in an investigator who was examining the cell and the nearby area top to bottom, writing every little detail on a small notepad.
The investigator was knelt before the body stood up with a conclusion, "There is no evidence in hear stating that earthbending was used. The only other explanation is he must have metalbended his way out. " the investigator concluded.
"How is that possible?" inquired the guard next to him.
"It's not impossible. History hasn't been kind to rare benders, they bend the elements within other materials. Similar to how master earthbenders can manipulate jennamite, it is a form of earthbending. As is, metal." the investigator hypothesized.
Senlin and Haoke hop down into the manhole on the ground, Senlin had softened up their fall by turn the solid ground into sand. Baotu aroused from his nap jerks his head into the direction to see Senlin and Haoke back in one piece. Crossing his fingers he sat focused on his makeshift throne.
"It is done," Senlin spoke.
"You can't be serious," Baotu said.
"Oh, we're serious. We even killed Xinxian de rous of the Mousha Quan." Haoke mentioned.
"The Quan infiltrated the Earth King's palace?" Baotu hissed.
"Aye, Haoke told me they might have gone to kill a target but we found a dead drop in the room we had dispatched them in," Senlin replied.
"Makes more sense, the Mousha Quan wouldn't have sent two Xinxian de rous after the Earth King. No, unless they were scouting and mapping out the palace for Shan-Yu. The Mousha Quan had Shashous to do a job this important. You two will go down in history as the assassins who put down Earth King Ta Po." Baotu conceded.
He stood up from his throne and walked over to Baotu while reaching into his pocket to grab the forged documents. Handing them to Senlin he gave the Dixia gang hand signs, Senlin repeated the hand signs in respect. They shook each other hands and smiled. Senlin and Haoke embraced each other one final time.
"Thank you, Senlin. You have avenged the death of my son." Haoke cried.
One last time he shot himself out of the manhole up above their heads, sealing the manhole shut. He read the documents to memorize the information forged on them. He grabbed the straw hat fastened to his back and tied the strings on the hat to his chin. The sun was rising over on the eastern sky, he carried a satchel over his shoulder. An hour passed as the sun continued to rise further into the sky, he gasped and looked up at the gargantuan walls of the city. Each time he had come to Ba Sing Se by cart or by foot the grand walls of the city had always taken his breath away.
The guard yells to the other earthbenders to open the gates.
"Halt! Papers please!" one of the men at the gates had questioned Senlin, he reached into his pockets again to hand him the documents.
The guard's eyes scanned the papers and then he nodded handing them back to Senlin. He blew a small horn he had strapped to his waist, the sound from the horn signaled for the men atop of the wall to retract the impenetrable walls of the city open. Senlin along with other travelers had exited the city, while others had only just arrived in the city. He was now a free man, and he was ready to devise his journey.
One of the royal servants woke up before Ta Po only to tend to the Earth King, he walked out of his chambers and waltzed over to Ta Po's with much gusto to his step. He had squealed when he had seen the dead guards, he tottered over to the doors shoving them open. He rushed to the bedside of the Earth King to find him pale over a pool of his blood. The blankets covering his bed were stained red giving the fabric a brownish shade. The servant squealed and then let it a cry so loud that the guards in the other hallways came crashing through the walls to find the servant on his knees sobbing. One of the four guards covered his mouth when he had seen the corpse of Ta Po staring back at him. Grabbing his horn he blew on it and the other three blew their horns in unison with the first guard.
The watchtowers near the palace catch the echo of the horns off in the distance. One of the towers begins banging on a gong, another joins and they both light the braziers in the tower. Each tower within the city lights a brazier until minutes later they're all ringing their respective gong and lighting their braziers. This had alerted the citizens in Ba Sing Se that the current sitting Earth King had finally passed away. Some citizens who praised the Earth King as a god had held onto their loved ones sobbing.
Meanwhile, in the palace, Ta Po's adviser stood on the platform with tears in his eyes but he had to keep everything together for the kingdom. Escorts were sent to Qiang Zhen's home to bring towards the palace and prepare him for his coronation. Scouring the entire palace they later find more clues a guard returns to Guwen the former Earth King's adviser, saluting the adviser with respect.
"Sir, we believe that General Senlin might have been involved in the assassination of Earth King Ta Po," he suggested.
"What has brought you to this conclusion, guardsman?" Guwen questioned.
"Well last night he metalbended out of prison, we believe he might have had ties with the Mousha Quan. We discovered two corpses of Mousha Quan initiates within your study room, sir." the guard disclosed.
"Metalbended out of his cell? That's impossible, metalbenders don't exist!" Guwen exclaimed.
"With all due respect, sir, Senlin IS a metalbender. The door was warped on the floor when the investigator inspected it." the guard assured Guwen.
A general from the Council of Five with a swaggering stride into the palace, the guardsman speaking Guwen salutes him and then leaves. The general salutes Guwen, "Lord Guwen, I have spoken with the others and few other officials. While we prepare Qiang Zhen in a secure location, we believe you should take the throne as regent lord until the coronation of the 42nd Earth King." he said.
Guwen got comfortable and sat down on the throne of the Earth King, a general knelt before the new regent lord. "Is there anything else I can do, Lord Guwen?" he asked.
"Mobilize the entire guard force here and around the city, stay alert. Arrest any Mousha Quan members. If they refuse to be arrested, then kill them we will wipe these eelhounds out." ordered Lord Guwen.
"Find their leader and bring him to justice too," Guwen added.
"Sir, the leader of the Mousha Quan is just a myth..an urban legend." the general guessed.
"He's out there somewhere alive and well, I want him dead. Send a courier to the scribes at the Ba Sing Se University, I'm requesting several thousand wanted posters of Senlin print and strewn about the province." Guwen reckoned.
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