Avatar: Fire Emperor Chapter 70 70 Departure, Rah

Azula had never once considered the possibility of Kahn carrying out this mission alone, and the idea caught her off guard.

After all, he had always hated dealing with troubleso matters.

Most of the ti, she had to drag him along by force, or he simply wouldn't bother moving at all.

But if anyone mistook that for cowardice or weakness, they would be gravely wrong.

Because whenever Kahn did get involved, he handled everything with unsettling precision, calm and decisive, never hesitating for a second.

It was sothing that had puzzled her for a long ti.

She could never quite figure out what was going on in his head.

Later, Kahn had sumd it up himself.

He called it "not seeking trouble, but never fearing it."

And yet now, the sa person who usually avoided complications was suddenly taking the initiative.

Even volunteering himself.

That alone was enough to surprise her.

If Kahn knew what she was thinking, he would probably laugh in exasperation.

Proactive?

He was being cornered by Ozai, that was all.

Returning to the matter at hand, the more she thought about it, the more workable the plan seed.

Vanishing for ten days still carried risks.

But with Azula remaining in the capital to cover for him, those risks would be greatly reduced.

As for Kahn's safety, there was even less to worry about.

The mission would take place entirely within Fire Nation territory.

At most, he might run into wild beasts, common civilians, or the occasional firebender.

Nothing worth worrying over.

Not at all.

Even though Azula had been the one to initiate this plan, being unable to participate now felt… slightly strange.

Still, she wasn't the sentintal type.

This outco benefited both of them.

With that, the two quickly made their decision.

They would move imdiately and set out the next day.

As for slipping out of the capital, that problem had already been taken care of.

Wolf would handle it.

That night, Kahn packed lightly.

He also briefly inford Iroh in the Spirit World that he would be leaving on a long journey.

He didn't reveal the true purpose, only ntioning that it was related to Azula.

Iroh didn't press for details.

He simply reminded Kahn to stay cautious and return safely.

He knew the two of them were always plotting sothing, and he had his suspicions.

But he had no knowledge of the truth behind Ozai's rise to power.

That secret remained between Kahn and Azula.

Even Zuko only knew fragnts.

Without Azula's consent, Kahn would never disclose it to Iroh.

But if this journey led them to Ursa—

If they uncovered the truth of that night—

Then Iroh and the others could finally be brought in.

The next day.

With Wolf's arrangents, Kahn slipped out of the capital without drawing any attention.

He wasn't alone.

A riding beast had been prepared for him—a komodo-rhino bird.

Unlike the heavy war mounts used by the Fire Nation army, this creature was ant for travel.

It resembled a giant ostrich, but without feathers, its body built with dense muscle, a mane running along its neck, and a long, powerful tail.

To Kahn, the animals of this world still looked bizarre no matter how many tis he saw them.

Thanks to his previous experience riding a war mount—and the fact that this creature was unusually docile—the journey began smoothly.

To avoid drawing attention, he had to steer clear of patrols and military outposts along the roads.

That ant abandoning main routes entirely.

He took narrow trails, cut through the wilderness, crossed uneven terrain, and sotis camped under the open sky.

For a firebender, surviving in the wild was simple.

Starting a fire for warmth or cooking took no effort at all.

And with proper control, there was no risk of igniting the surroundings.

Safe.

Convenient.

But it didn't take long for problems to appear.

Traveling through the wild ant encountering wild beasts.

Kahn himself wasn't bothered by them.

The mount, however, was another story.

Every encounter sent it into a panic, forcing him to spend ti calming it down.

Worse, in particularly difficult terrain, he sotis had to drag the creature along himself.

Why is this such a hassle?

Kahn sighed inwardly.

Back when he rode military mounts, everything had been prepared—flat roads, attendants handling the animals.

Only now did he realize how troubleso it could be.

And so, an old wish resurfaced in his mind—

To find a truly perfect companion beast.

He had once planned to search for one while traveling the world as an adult.

But now, that goal felt distant.

Uncertain.

Still…

Kahn's thoughts drifted to the Spirit World.

To the strange, powerful creatures that dwelled there.

Perhaps… there was another path.

For now, he pushed the thought aside.

The unexpected delays cost him ti, but after pushing forward relentlessly, he finally reached his destination on the sixth day.

As he looked ahead at the settlent coming into view, he knew this was it.

Ursa's hotown—Hira'a.

Hira'a was a remote village near the edge of Fire Nation territory.

Despite its isolation, it wasn't impoverished.

If anything, it looked cleaner and better kept than many of the worn-down towns he had passed along the way.

By the ti he arrived, the sun was already setting.

Smoke curled from the chimneys of every ho.

Children playing outside clutched their stomachs and ran ho for dinner.

Bathed in the warm glow of dusk, the entire village seed peaceful.

As if the war had never touched it.

Seeing that, Kahn felt a quiet sense of relief.

He had worried that Ozai might have eliminated Ursa to protect his secrets.

Or worse, erased the entire village.

But clearly, that hadn't happened.

At least, not in any obvious way.

The village was small.

If Ursa had ever returned, soone here would know.

The real question was whether they would be willing to tell him.

He didn't have much ti.

No matter the result, he needed answers quickly.

With that in mind, he led the mount into the village.

The few people on the road imdiately noticed the unfamiliar figure.

So looked curious.

Others, wary.

After days of travel, Kahn's appearance was far from neat.

He had also deliberately worn a wide straw hat to obscure his face, making him seem even more suspicious.

To avoid alarming them further, he kept his distance and spoke from where he stood.

"Excuse ."

"Do you know soone nad Ursa?"

"Ursa?"

The na triggered imdiate reactions from several middle-aged villagers.

"Ursa? Isn't she the magistrate's daughter?"

"She was taken to the capital years ago."

"I heard she married into the royal family, but she hasn't co back since."

"What are you talking about?"

"Didn't soone say they saw her return a couple of years ago?"

"Maybe, but I never saw her myself…"

Just hearing that was enough.

Kahn's spirits lifted instantly.

He had co to the right place.

"So that's how it is…"