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Chapter Fourteen: The Chimeras


Two days after their departure from Jin Guo, Cade, Zuko, and Mihara arrived at the rendezvous point. The Shai Li were already settled into what seemed to be a good sized base camp, as far as Zuko could see.

He also saw people he knew couldn't possibly be with the Shai Li. Most seemed to be around his and Cade's age, and they all seemed as travel-worn as he felt.

Cade's sharp eyes focused on these people as soon as they came into sight. It was as if she were silently weighing and judging them for something.

"Madame!" Mihara called once Kosuke appeared at the edge of the camp. The Matriarch's apprentice dismounted with feline grace, gave her master a short half bow, and then threw herself into Kosuke's waiting arms.

Zuko stared in wonderment at the sudden show of emotion from both of the formidable women. Cade nudged his shoulder, making him look away from the Shai Li and turn to her. She was smiling slightly, but there was a sad touch to her eyes. "Kosuke practically raised Mihara from a babe in arms. Their relationship isn't really unlike what I had with Mimiko."

Well, that explained the sadness she was trying to hide. "You miss her," he said quietly.

"Yeah," Cade's voice was rough, but her smile widened at his words. "But she'd be sorely disappointed if I let that stop me." With that, she gave him a small half-smile and turned her attention to the Shai Li. "So how many are there, Madame?" she asked as Kosuke and Mihara looked at her.

"Not counting Jakome or Ki Lin?" Kosuke said, "Almost twenty. More boys than girls, but bending skills seem to be split pretty evenly."

"Good," Cade said, casting another measuring look at those in the camp. "Let's gather them up. I think it's time I talk to them."

Kosuke looked considerable proud of her just then. "Sounds good," was all she said before giving a sharp shrill whistle, drawing the attention of everyone within hearing range. "Time for orientation, pups! Gather by the stream within fifteen minutes!"





Zuko found his uncle resting under the shade of an old tree by the tiny sparkling stream that ran along the outside of the camp. Iroh looked up as his nephew neared and gave him a familiar smile. "How was your trip?"

Zuko rubbed the back of his neck. "Educational," he muttered. He found himself comforted simply by his uncle's presence, something familiar in the midst of all the uncertainty of the past few days.

"I see," Iroh said knowingly, running a hand down his growing beard. "And what do you like of Madame Kosuke's apprentice? Does she seem a proper heir?"

"She's...very good at what she does," Zuko told him, repeating what Cade had said in Jin Guo. Looking to change the subject, he sat beside Iroh and asked, "What exactly is going on here? Everyone keeps mentioning 'recruits' and it sounds like Cade's responsible for them."

Iroh chuckled and nodded. "Cade has been keeping herself very busy since we left her on the island," the old general said, his tone suggesting he was rather impressed with what Cade had done.

"But what has she been doing?"

"I rather think you'll find out in a moment," Iroh said, nodding to something behind Zuko. The prince turned and saw that Cade had positioned herself on top of a boulder by the stream and that most of the 'recruits' had found places to sit before her. There was a thin sheen of sweat on her brow, but other than that, she was the epitome of confidence. She took a deep breath and then began.

"You've all been told who I am," she told them. "And what I've been able to do for the army since returning to the mainland. My firebending abilities gave my troop the extra edge they needed. No doubt, some of you have figured out how I am able to bend fire like our enemy's army. For those of you who haven't...I am a half-breed. The daughter of an Earth Kingdom woman and a Fire Nation man."

There were a few scattered murmurs at this revelation, but no one was loud enough to make Cade uncomfortable. So she continued. "After I had been with my troop for a couple of weeks, our captain-" she broke off with a grin, as though she were suppressing laughter, "-our captain made the mistake of telling me how wonderfully useful I was-but that it was a pity there was only one of me."

Zuko saw a few looks of comprehension among the faces in the crowd. He was starting to get the picture too...

"My reply to the captain was simply this: 'Only one of me? Then I'll just have to find more like me, then, won't I?'" Cade said.

Those words made Iroh laugh softly. Zuko glanced at him and was surprised to see a gentle, reminiscent expression on his uncle's face.

Cade caught the old general's eye and winked.

"So for the past couple of weeks, I've been searching and sending out word that we needed people like me and like all of you. You all are the result of that search," Cade told the crowd. "Now, I understand that some of you, especially those who were born with firebending abilities, have spent your life feeling guilty or out of place..." she paused again before taking another breath and going on, "..but I want you to understand that I know exactly what that feels like. What you have to ask yourself is this; 'What is more powerful to you? Your guilt or your sense of duty?' If you can answer this, then please stand and say either 'nay'...or 'aye'."

There was silence.

Then one of the young women in the crowd, with light brown, almost blonde hair, slowly got to her feet. Her bright brown eyes flashed proudly as she spoke clearly, "Aye."

Another stood, a young man a few years older than Cade, with dark hair and eyes, "Aye," was his gruff response.

One by one, they all stood, and they all said, "Aye."

Cade never looked so proud.

"Then it's time to begin your training." Cade gestured to Kosuke and then Iroh, who both stood and stood at either side of her. "Along with myself, your teachers will be Madame Kosuke of the Shai Li assassins, and former General of the Fire Nation army, General Iroh."

The shock was palpable as she said this. Eyes widened and gasps escaped white lips as their attention turned to Iroh. Zuko stared at his uncle, a mixture of confusion and slight betrayal in his eyes. It was one thing to respect these people, and not to fight them, but here Iroh was, actively helping them fight against his own nation! Zuko bit back what he wanted to say and simply smoldered inside; he'd speak with his uncle later. Now wasn't the time.

Cade has ignored the shock and gone on. "There are two others who will be joining the camp shortly, masters of earth and water. With their help and the help of the army, we'll become a true asset to this kingdom. Our training will focus our skills to those of a skirmish team. We're small now, but we're powerful, and we're unexpected. Well, to put a finer point on it," she added with a grin, "they expect one Chimera. They won't expect more.

"Our real training will start tomorrow at dawn. For now and the rest of this day, settle in. And get to know one another. You're a team now." She paused, smiling slightly, "Dismissed."

The group-the /Chimeras/-slowly scattered. Some went back to the camp, others walked off by themselves or with a group, presumably to think about what they'd just been told.

But there was a group of about five that remained at the stream. Cade hopped down from the boulder and pulled the group, plus Kosuke and his uncle into a soft conversation that Zuko couldn't hear. He tried for a moment and then sighed in irritation. He sat back against the rough bark of the tree and crossed his arms, wishing he was anywhere else. He lowered his chin to his chest and closed his eyes for a few minutes.

"Hey Zuko!"

Zuko's head shot up to see Cade gesturing for him to join her. She and the group were sitting in a broken circle at the boulder, with Cade resting her back on it. He hesitated, wondering what they wanted with him, but his uncle's slight nod made him stand and walk slowly over to them.

Cade seemed to send his unease and made room between herself and Iroh for Zuko to sit. "There are some people you should meet here," Cade explained once he was seated. "Iroh was introduced to them yesterday, thanks to Kosuke."

Zuko nodded dumbly, not trusting his words. He felt some of his apprehension seep away when he saw not one hostile face among the group.

"This lout here," Cade said with good humor, gesturing to the person on her right, "is Jakome. His parents helped me with recruiting. I guess you could call him my second in command, not that that means much right now."

Zuko took a closer look at Jakome, recognizing his name. He had the dark skin and hair of someone of either Water Tribe, but his eyes were a strange bright copper. He was tall and had the look of someone not quite finished growing. His build was thin and wiry, though there was no hiding the strength in his arms. He had a face that looked like it spent a lot of time smiling. In fact, he was smiling brightly as Zuko looked him over.

"Jakome's parents are merchants," Cade added. "They own a ship that ports out of Ba Sing Se."

"I was born on that boat actually," Jakome said. "And lived on it for most of my life. My parents have a hobby of helping out refugees. An old habit of avoiding the law drawn from their previous, /ahem/, career."

Zuko raised an eyebrow, "Which was?"

"Go ahead and tell him, Jak," one girl said with a grin.

Jakome gave her a grin of his own and then looked back to Zuko. "My parents are former pirates, truth be told, highness," he explained. "Though they officially went straight when my mother was pregnant with me, they still have many of their shadier connections."

"Would some of those shady connections include the Shai Li?" Zuko asked darkly.

"Right on the mark, highness," Jakome laughed. "We also made Cade aware of a certain town not far from Ba Sing Se."

"What town?"

"Hsi Yang," Jakome said. "It's a haven of sorts for refugees from the Fire Nation. People who feel Ba Sing Se wouldn't accept them."

"I'll explain more about the town later," Cade promised. "Anyway, This is Ki Lin," she said, motioning to the quiet young girl sitting next to Jakome. Like Jakome, she had the dark skin and hair of the Water Tribes. She wore her dark brown hair cur short, but untidily so, most ending just past her earlobes, but the rest very uneven. Her eyes, like Cade's and Jakome's were unique. In fact, they couldn't seem to make up their mind about what color they were. They were an odd, very pale gold, but looked silver when she moved just right. She had a friendly sort of face, rather soft and sweet. Zuko found it hard to believe she was any sort of fighter.

"Ki Lin is our healer," Cade told him, answering his unasked question. "She has waterbending skills through her father's blood."

"I actually have more training in traditional healing than with my bending," Ki Lin said softly. "But I've a teacher now who's been helping me."

Zuko nodded politely, but his attention was already half on the next person. This was the girl who's prompted Jakome into telling more about his parents. She looked to be about 17 or 18, and her heritage was the easiest to read. She had black hair common to the Fire Nation, and her skin was well tanned, suggesting Earth Kingdom blood. But it was her eyes that really gave her heritage away. They were a clear green, but the green was ringed by gold. She smiled at him and he immediately thought of a cat. Her face was angular, her chin slightly pointed, and her nose small and straight. Zuko half expected her to purr.

"This is Myeisha," Cade said. "She has the best training of any of the Chimeras, save myself and Rispah," she nodded to the girl on Iroh's left.

"Firebender?" Zuko asked. Myeisha nodded. "Where did you get training?"

"My uncle," she said. "He took me in when my mother was arrested. Gave me training so they'd be hard pressed to take me too."

"Why was your mother arrested?"

"For having me."

Zuko blinked. "Oh."

"The Fire Nation on a whole looks at half-breeds and those that birth them as traitors, Prince Zuko," Myeisha said, her voice soft. "There was no pardon for my mother."

"Was she...?"

"She's got a life sentence in a prison in the heart of the Fire Nation," Myeisha said. "So there's a small hope that she can be freed. Madame Kosuke has told me that the Shai Li will do their best by her."

"And your father?" Zuko asked before he could help himself.

"I don't actually see him much," Myeisha mused. "My parents' affair wasn't exactly a timeless and passionate romance, highness. My mother was a soldier stationed in my father's town. It was an affair born from mostly loneliness and convenience."

"Oh." It felt like he was saying that a lot.

"I see him every once in a while," Myeisha said, smiling slightly. "And he knows about Mother. He's upset and worried for her, but he's married now, with another daughter and son. There isn't much he can do or offer me, so I've managed mostly on my own, with my uncle's help."

"It seems that a lot of the Chimeras are in similar situations," Cade said. "Most are born from affairs, though some here are born from marriage. There's even a couple with cases like mine," she added darkly. She shook herself out of that train of thought and attempted to smile. "So, the last two here," she said, nodding to both Rispah and the boy sitting beside Kosuke, "are both children of the Shai Li, Tarin and Rispah. Their mothers were both Shai Li assassins, though Rispah's father was a trader, and Tarin's was a soldier."

Well, that made sense to Zuko. Rispah was the girl who had first stood at Cade's speech, the first person to say 'aye'. She wore most of her light brown hair in a bun near the top of her head, though there was a curtain of it hanging down just past her shoulders. Her eyes were a bright, cheerful brown, and seemed slightly familiar to Zuko, though he couldn't imagine why. She was at least a year younger than him, but despite her childlike and innocent face, something told the prince that she knew exactly what to expect from life.

Tarin looked to be around Rispah's age, and his hair was only a shade or two darker than hers. His eyes were purely Fire Nation, a rich gold in color and slightly angled at the corners. He was very thin, and didn't look especially dangerous, but Zuko caught sight of a knife hilt hidden just under the boy's sleeve, and saw the outline of another at his ankle. There was clearly more than meets the eye when it came to him. He smiled thinly when he saw that Zuko had noticed his hidden weapons and nodded to the prince.

"These are the people directly below me, they outrank the other Chimeras in experience and trust," Cade explained. "If anyone bothers you or Iroh, these five or any of the Shai Li will help you, alright?"

I'm just supposed to trust these people because you do? Zuko almost said it aloud, but thankfully stopped himself. What was he even doing here? These people shouldn't be offering help! Technically they were still enemies, no matter how the rest of the Fire Nation thought of him and Iroh.

Cade saw a hint of the prince' thoughts in his face and felt a stab of irritation and a little hurt. She opened her mouth to snap at him, but quickly pulled back on her temper. "...Iroh, why don't you show Zuko around the camp? I don't think I'd be wrong to guess you could use some rest, would I?" she asked the price. He blinked in surprise, but nodded slowly. "Your tent is next to Iroh's, just over there," she said, pointing to the last row of tents near the stream. "I believe that my Chimeras and I should spend some time with the new recruits and see what to make of them. If you need me, you can find me anytime."

Iroh got to his feet, giving Zuko the signal to stand as well. "Thanks," the price muttered gruffly.

"Thank you for your help and hospitality, Cade," Iroh said sincerely, bowing slightly to the Chimera. Cade waved him off, blushing slightly at his formality. The old general turned and led his nephew towards the camp.

Leaning against a tree that they passed by, was Mihara. She gave Iroh and Zuko both a dazzling smile as they walked by, but it quickly faded as she shared a worried look with Cade and Kosuke. She joined their circle, taking the space where Iroh and Zuko had been sitting. "This is going to be harder than we thought," she said softly.

"We never thought it would be easy," Cade reminded her, a thoughtful look on her face. "I only hope that some time in Hsi Yang will help his attitude."

"And if it doesn't?" Kosuke asked.

"Then we go back to the original plan," Cade said, shrugging. "Have we had any luck in finding the Avatar?"

Mihara shook her head. "All the rumors and reports say that he's in Ba Sing Se at this point," she said, a bitter tone to her voice when she spoke of the city. "We'd be lucky to find him in that mess, assuming that we weren't turned away at the gate."

Cade nodded, understanding Mihara's bitterness and Kosuke's hard look. Ba Sing Se was a city that not even the Shai Li had managed to penetrate yet. They did have a few agents there, but no one in a useful position. "We'll just have to keep our eyes and ears open then."

"We don't exactly have a lot of time," Kosuke said sharply. "If the rumors are right, then the comet is already drawing closer..."