Chapter 91. The Sun.
*Wan. Northern part of the Fire Nation.*
I found myself with some free time and decided to use it to travel to the City of the Sun. No ship sails to such remote places, and few even know that the island is still inhabited by the oldest tribe of the Fire Nation. So, I had to hire an entire vessel, paying in advance for the round trip. It wasn't cheap, but luckily, being a tutor to the children of the Fire Lord pays well, so I didn't have to scramble for funds.
And now, here I am, steaming full speed toward the island I need. In my pursuit of mastering firebending, I've finally hit a wall. I'm hoping the dragons living on the island will help me break through this bottleneck.
It's a good thing the crew didn't ask unnecessary questions. As long as the client can pay, the rest isn't their concern. Upon arrival, I bid farewell to the ship's captain, reminding him to be back at this spot in exactly one week.
I didn't have to walk far—after about a kilometer through forested terrain, in the middle of a mountain valley, the City of the Sun Warriors came into view. At its center stood a massive seven-tiered pyramid. It was clear that thousands of people once lived here. But now, all the roads and structures were overgrown. Even the stone buildings, smaller replicas of the central pyramid, were engulfed by vegetation.
"Still looks pretty new," I muttered, after stepping on yet another trap, only to have arrows fly at me at high speed. The city is packed with various traps, which means it's still inhabited...
Slightly fewer than the traps themselves, there were masterfully crafted stone statues of dragons. Mostly, of course, the eastern variety, but some western types were also present. As I moved through the city, frescoes began to appear... also featuring dragons. Many depicted dragons sharing their flames with humans. Back then, they couldn't have imagined that this would lead to the genocide of their kind.
"I thought they'd spot me sooner," I thought. The narrow streets of the ancient city were practically designed for setting traps and monitoring intruders without any trouble. A group of five, including some gifted individuals, began cautiously observing me.
Since they weren't showing themselves or driving me away, I decided to spend more time exploring the city. After all, it's fascinating to see how people lived years ago.
"Ah, that's it! I've been wondering what this reminded me of!" The architecture and buildings almost perfectly mimic the Mayan and Aztec civilizations. Judging by the animated series, the inhabitants themselves, in appearance and clothing, closely resembled people from these ancient cultures. "If you think about it, in my former world, their descendants are also extremely few, and their cities have long been abandoned, overgrown by wilderness..." Now it's clear where the creators got their inspiration...
"This is exactly what I've been looking for," I said to myself. In one of the squares stood a massive pillar, which was actually a solar calendar. Right next to it was a sanctuary with a sun stone. From what I know, when a beam of light passes through the stone and reflects off the calendar, it hits a red stone above the sanctuary's gates, causing the doors to open. I'm not waiting for the solstice, so I pulled out a small mirror I'd brought along and directed the light beam to the right spot.