Chapter 55: Crescent Island - Arrival
The docks of Crescent Island stretched out like blackened claws into the ocean, carved from obsidian rock and reinforced with Fire Nation timber. Smoke from the great volcano rose lazily into the sky above, a single dark plume against the setting sun. Shrines dotted the coastline, their crimson banners fluttering against the warm sea wind, while further inland the temples rose, sharp lines of stone and fire, a monument built to honor Avatar Roku and the cycle he embodied.
The sound of boots meeting the wooden pier echoed as Zuko descended the gangplank first, flanked closely by Sergeant Rin and Azula, with Lieutenant Commander Donji and several officers behind them. His bandages were mostly hidden beneath his formal armor, though his posture betrayed the remnants of his injuries. The air was heavy, thick with the scent of sulfur.
Waiting at the base of the dock was a small group of men in crimson robes, their flame-crested hoods drawn back. Grand Sage Yoroku stood at the center, tall and austere despite his years, with Renji, the young scholar-eyed sage, at his side. Meitou**, the broad-shouldered traditionalist, and Duan, ever rigid and stern, completed the line. Their faces were composed, but there was no denying the flicker of surprise when they saw the Crown Prince himself stepping onto the dock.
"Prince Zuko," Yoroku said, bowing deeply, his long sleeves brushing against the wood. "It has been scarcely over two weeks since we last stood in your presence, at the ceremony of your investiture. To see you here, so far from the capital, is… unexpected."
Renji, unable to mask his expression, added quickly, "But welcome. Always welcome. The shrine of Roku stands ready for you, as it has for all princes who seek wisdom in the line of Avatars."
Meitou inclined his head, though his tone was weighted. "We had not been told to expect a royal visit. That you come here without escort from the capital…" His eyes darted briefly to Azula, then back to Zuko. "…it is unusual."
Zuko's steps slowed as he came before them, his amber eyes gleaming faintly in the shadow of the volcano. For a heartbeat, he let the silence hang, allowing them to feel the weight of his presence.
"Unusual, perhaps," he said finally, his voice steady, "but necessary. The path I walk is not one I will share with every general and courtier in the capital. You four know better than most why Crescent Island matters. Why the Fire Sages matter."
Azula shifted subtly at his side, her expression unreadable, though her gaze flickered with suspicion. Rin, silent and sharp, stood behind Zuko like a shadow.
Yoroku's lips curled into the faintest of smiles. "You honor us with your presence, Crown Prince. I had wondered whether your fascination with our order would fade once your crown was secured. I see now it has not."
Zuko met his gaze without wavering. "My fascination, as you call it, is not idle curiosity. What lies here, in these stones, in the fire of Roku's spirit… it is part of my destiny. I will not waste time explaining it. Only know that I came because I chose to."
The other sages exchanged looks, Duan's brow furrowed, Meitou's mouth set in a thin line, Renji's eyes brightening with excitement.
"Then we are glad," Renji said, almost eagerly. "We have studied long for moments such as this, when one of royal blood seeks not only power but knowledge."
Meitou added more cautiously, "And yet, we must be clear: knowledge comes with burden. The wisdom of the Avatars is not gentle. It can wound the unprepared."
Zuko's mouth tightened into something that might have been a smirk. "If I feared wounds, Sage, I would have stayed in the capital wrapped in silk and comfort. I did not come here for ease. I came because I know what waits for me is not gentle but necessary."
That silenced them for a moment. Even Duan, ever the rigid voice of tradition, gave a small nod of respect.
Grand Sage Yoroku finally gestured with his sleeve. "Then come, Prince Zuko. The temple of Roku awaits. Its fires have burned for generations, untouched by storm or war. And in its flames, perhaps, you will find what you seek."
As they turned toward the great stone stair that wound up the cliffs, the banners snapped in the wind. Azula leaned in slightly, her voice low, meant only for Zuko.
"You have them eating out of your hand already," she said with dry amusement. "Do you plan to tell them what this really is, or keep them guessing with riddles?"
Zuko didn't look at her. His eyes were already on the temple above, its spires framed by the bleeding sky.
"Let them guess," he said. "It will make their faith in me stronger when the truth comes."
Azula's lips quirked, though her suspicion lingered. Rin, walking just behind them, caught the exchange and said nothing. His eyes, however, were wary, as though he already sensed the storm to come.
From the line of crimson robes, another figure stepped forward, his armor gleaming red and gold against the waning light. The man bowed deeply, his voice carrying the clipped edge of military discipline.
"Crown Prince Zuko. I am Commander Yosor, charged with the defense and operation of Crescent Island. It is the highest honor to welcome you here." He straightened, square jaw set with pride. "Your arrival was unexpected, but the men are already speaking of it. News of Nan-Hai spreads faster than ships on the wind. The soldiers here have heard the tales of your victory and of how you did it."
Azula's eyes narrowed slightly, but Yosor pressed on, his words meant as praise, not provocation.
"They say the battle began with you calling a second down upon the Earth Kingdom ranks as if from the heavens themselves. That you bent the flames not as a weapon, but as a sea, swallowing entire legions in waves of fire. And that, when the enemy tried to rally, you conjured a sea of fire.. The men here whisper the story like it's already a saga."
The sages shifted uneasily at those words. Even Meitou's stern composure cracked, his brows rising. Renji, wide-eyed, whispered as if unable to help himself: "A sun… born of firebending…"
Grand Sage Yoroku's gaze lingered on Zuko with new weight. "Legends tend to grow in the retelling. And yet… there is truth in them, is there not, my prince?"
Zuko met their eyes, one by one, his face set like stone. "Nan-Hai was fire. The Earth Kingdom wanted to see what the Crown Prince of the Fire Nation was capable of. So I showed them."
Commander Yosor's fist struck his breastplate in salute. "And the world will remember it. Even here, across the sea, your name rises like a banner. Men speak it with awe and fear. You have given them both, as a true prince should."
Azula tilted her head, her smirk sharpening. "Careful, Commander. Keep talking like that and my brother's head may swell too large to fit through the temple doors."
Zuko ignored her jab. His eyes returned to the sages, his voice calm but edged with fire. "What happened in Nan-Hai was not chance. Nor was it luck. It was necessity. The Fire Nation cannot win this war with half-measures. The Earth Kingdom is vast, stubborn, and unyielding. They need to be broken, not battered. Fire is not gentle, it is consuming. I made sure Nan-Hai understood that."
The sages murmured among themselves. Renji's hands practically shook with excitement, while Duan's lips pressed thin in disapproval.
"Such… displays of power," Duan finally said, his tone hard. "They inspire fear, yes, but fear can be fickle. Too much of it, and it corrodes loyalty as much as it enforces it."
"Unless it is wielded properly," Yoroku countered softly, his aged eyes never leaving Zuko. "The prince did not simply destroy. He conquered. And conquest, Sage Duan, breeds order where chaos once festered."
Commander Yosor nodded firmly. "My men speak of it as though the spirits themselves answered your call, Prince Zuko. Whether or not that is true does not matter. What matters is that they believe it."
Azula let out a quiet laugh, folding her arms. "And so my brother is already halfway to sainthood in their eyes. All because he set half of Nan-Hai on fire."
Zuko's gaze cut toward her, steady and unflinching. "Better they see fire as glory than weakness." His attention turned back to the sages. "You asked if the tales were true. They are. And I tell you this, what I did in Nan-Hai will not be the last time fire is reshaped into something greater than battle itself. You will see it again."
The words hung in the air like sparks ready to ignite. The sages exchanged glances, some wary, some intrigued, but all unable to deny the force behind his conviction.
Grand Sage Yoroku inclined his head at last, his tone measured. "Then perhaps the spirits guided your steps here, Crown Prince. For Roku's shrine is not only stone and flame, it is legacy. And legacy, like fire, is what we leave burning behind us."
The procession began its climb toward the temple, the sages leading the way, Commander Yosor at Zuko's side. Azula lingered behind him, her smirk never fading, though her eyes were calculating as ever.
Rin, walking at Zuko's shoulder, caught his prince's eye briefly. The sergeant said nothing, but there was pride in his silence.
The path to Roku's temple wound upward, and with each step, the chants of distant Fire Nation soldiers drifted from the base below, already whispering the tale of Nan-Hai's burning sun.
The climb wound upward in a solemn procession, the temple rising like a spear of flame against the crimson sky. Its tiers of golden eaves gleamed as though kissed by fire itself, every curve sharpened in the dying sunlight. The path of stone was steep, winding in a serpent's coil up the mountain's back, and as they neared the peak, even Azula grew silent, her calculating eyes tracing the ancient carvings in the stone walls.
At last, they reached the gates of the Temple of Avatar Roku. Its doors loomed tall, lacquered in red and black, the dragon insignia of the Fire Nation curling across their surface. Fire Sages lined the entrance in disciplined rows, bowing as the Crown Prince approached. Commander Yosor stepped forward, his voice echoing inside the vaulted antechamber.
"Crown Prince Zuko, welcome to Roku's temple. The reception hall has been prepared in your honor."
The sages ushered Azula, Rin, Donji, and the other retinue toward the wide ceremonial chamber where incense already curled in the air. Musicians struck slow, reverent chords on deep drums, and acolytes lit rows of braziers so that golden firelight rippled across the high walls.
But Zuko did not follow them in. He placed a hand firmly on the sleeve of the Head Sage Yoroku, his grip unyielding. The elder blinked in surprise at the touch, but Zuko's gaze was steady, sharp with command.
"Not the hall," Zuko said. "I need to speak with you. In private."
Yoroku frowned, lowering his voice as they stepped aside. "What matter could not wait until after the reception, Crown Prince?"
Zuko leaned in, his tone dropping to something cold and absolute. "The winter solstice is tonight. I need access to Roku's private shrine immediately. And I must remain there alone until after sunset has passed."
The elder's eyes widened, his wrinkles deepening as though he'd been struck. "The solstice…" he murmured, his voice a wary hiss. "Ah, I see. You wish to cross into the Spirit World?"
Zuko did not flinch. "Yes. The border between worlds is thinnest tonight. I will use it."
Yoroku's voice sharpened, his natural suspicion slipping past his reverence. "How does the Crown Prince know such things? Even among the sages, this knowledge is guarded, preserved only in secret annals. This is not something a soldier or courtier should know."
Zuko's golden eyes burned like molten steel. "It is enough that I do know. You will not question how. You need only understand that what I do here tonight is for the good of the Fire Nation."
The elder stiffened, his lips parting to protest, but then he saw something in the prince's expression, something hard, something dangerous. There was no weakness in Zuko's gaze, no hesitation. Yoroku realized, with a sudden and almost fearful clarity, that this was a young man who would brook no refusal, not even from the temple. To oppose him now would mean making an enemy of the Crown Prince. And the Fire Sages could not afford such an enemy.
At length, Yoroku bowed his head. "Very well, my prince. If this is your will… it shall be done."
"Good," Zuko said flatly, though a faint smirk tugged at the corner of his mouth. "We'll need five firebenders to open the inner shrine. Go. Gather five more of your number. Discreetly. And tell them nothing beyond what is necessary. I don't want whispers reaching my sister, or anyone else, about my absence."
Yoroku's composure wavered again. He stared at Zuko, eyes narrowing with deep suspicion. "…Five benders to open the gread doors to the shrine. Once again my Prince, that requirement has never been spoken beyond these walls. Not even in passing. I must insist your majesty. Tell me, my prince, how is it you know this?"
Zuko tilted his head, the faintest grin cutting through the bloodied scabs still on his face. "Let's just say… fire has always whispered its secrets to me. Perhaps it finds me more willing to listen than others."
For a heartbeat, Yoroku simply stood there, unsettled. But he bowed again, lower this time. "As you command, Crown Prince Zuko."
Zuko released his sleeve at last, watching as the old sage turned and shuffled quickly away, robes sweeping across the temple floor, his face unreadable.
The Crown Prince lingered in the shadows of the temple's hall, his thoughts already sharpening to the night ahead. The winter solstice. The Spirit World. Roku. And perhaps… answers to the abyss that still haunted his dreams.
[A/N: Can't wait to see what happens next? Get exclusive early access on patreon.com/saiyanprincenovels. If you enjoyed this chapter and want to see more, don't forget to drop a power stone! Your support helps this story reach more readers!]