~*~
People of the Sun
The cry of land from the crow's nest was like the first spark in the endless darkness. The first breath of life after being below the temples of her home Uroza. Hope on the verge of death.
"Azera!" Came an excited cry from a shrouded figure rushing up from the underbelly of the fast ship that had carried them on this long journey. The swaying flame of fabric that was the young deity's only trusted servant Haran approached, bowing quickly to give respect before all those around to witness. It would go amiss if one of their young gods was seen too mortal even to her most favoured companion. Their people of the new world may be primitive compared to the god's ancestors who crossed from the motherland but the Urazi hold strong to their beliefs and worship of the gods and their gifts.
"You will approach the goddess as Sun Daughter, Haran you know this," the Dowager Zyn, the only other female bender on this journey scolded the young girl quietly. Her handsome face and sable hair were bared for all the world to see as a sign ineligibility. The quartet of thin golden bars pierced at an inward angle through her cheekbones for sons and a daughter born added to her power over the virgins. A man had claimed her, and sons given to her by the gods as such the right to equality was hers without question. Or was it that she claimed him as was the ways of us gods.
"Of course Sun Sister," Haran bowed again giving subservience through acknowledgement of rank.
"Land," the woman echoed the sailors cry after turning back to the shadowed haze of their mother land not seen by their blood for over 100 years.
"Do you think it will be like the stories?" Haran asked with obvious anticipation as she leaned out over the water.
"Filled with war and death?" Azera commented in disdain turning away from the sight hugging her arms around herself to sustain her body heat as it ever slipped away as they moved across the vast emptiness, "I hope not." Her gaze fell on not where they were going but where they were from and exhaled her turmoil.
Haran backed a bit at the comment and bowed low, "Of course, forgive me Sun Children."
Azera passed her by without acknowledgement but felt the younger lesser Fire Nation descendant fall in line behind her returning to the bowels of their great ship. As with most of the Urazi constructions it was a vast chamber separated by silk curtains to allow for airflow and privacy. As they passed through the narrow corridors to the private chamber Azera, Haran and Zyn shared all others stepped aside and lowered their heads before the goddess as they should.
As with many moments of Azera's life she was thankful for her people's customs that unmarried women covered their face and hair with silk scarves to hide their innocence. They weren't permitted to share their identity in public nor their words. It was thought that the longer a woman watched and remained silent the wiser she would be to serve her husband when he chose her.
As was per her rank and purpose Azera's chamber had actual walls of wood. It was deemed appropriate by the council before leaving Uroza six months prior. To keep her pure from all influences that would present on such a long journey surrounded by so many men.
"Why is she suddenly so hard on me?" Haran complained softly as she closed the door and exposed her own bare face and unwrapped the scarlet cloth from her dark brown hair, lingering for a mere moment on the metal pieces in her earlobes, "I mean she was fine with it only this morning."
"She doesn't want to show weakness in front of these, would I call them foreigners when we are from them?" Azera pondered as she too exposed her features in the privacy of her room.
Kneeling in front of the only reflecting glass on the ship two gold hoops through either side of her lower lip caught her attention. They were to show the world she is eligible for marriage and both parents consent received those months ago but on the never changing ships seemed like a recent past life.
"We will see how foreign they are when we land. I will almost miss the rock of the waves." Haran commented as she knelt behind the young god to comb out her locks.
"Fire is death out here," Azera ignored Haran's hiss of discontent at her heresy her grip intensifying momentarily on the goddess's mane, "I'll be glad to touch dry land again, be able to breath again. I am lost out here without my flame."
Haran ducked her head in respect to the Daughter's weakness; seldom shown, never acknowledged.
There was a soft knock on the door and a very young girl covered head to toe in neutral reds and browns stepped in with lowered eyes her very stance giving her a dancers' identity, "Glorious Daughter of the Sun, Sun Sister sent me to inform you that we will dock with the rising of the sun. Word has already taken wing to the Fire Sages on shore."
Haran thanked the girl and returned to tend her mistress's hair slowly working it into an intricate braid. Azera continued to stare at her reflection with it's golden eyes offset by the gold in her lip as well as the tunnels through her earlobes. They were recently upgraded to be about the size of her smallest finger displaying to the world her age with their size and rank through their metal. A girl made goddess due to the gift of fire neither of her parent's possessed. Now she was 20 and supposed to be willing to marry a man she'd never met from a land she'd never seen. A land she had only heard stories about, containing fear and madness at their core, one she never thought her people would ever really return to. Her ancestors had fled the Fire Kingdom to escape the shame the war would surely bring on the entire people.
Now they were returning to face their mother land in hopes of establishing peace and trade. Azera was sceptical on this, although the stories of her people made them seem selfless and courageous but she was sure that from the other side they could be seen as traitors, deserters, cowards. Now with them crawling back looking to pay homage and beg peace could only be seen as weakness. If she was the ruler of a land filled with fire she'd see weakness.
There was nothing she could do about it, she was a pawn. She knew she was a pawn. A bargaining chip to be used to gain favour. To be offered up merely to sweeten the pot. She was a deity to her people blessed with fire, fathered by the very sun himself, the most powerful goddess of her time but that didn't matter. The strongest God ruled their people. Goddess's merely bred more gods and what better to offer this man then the prize bitch.
The Fire Sages had sent the very rare message across the ocean throughout the century keeping their promise to the refugees. Their latest one informed them that the war was ending, there was a peaceful ruler of the fire nation, the return of the sacred Avatar and the dawn of a new age. Now was the time to bring their new glorious land home, to bring prosperity to their people. It also conveniently was a time where the new ruler was young and unmarried. The current rise of his nation meant now was the time to solidify his reign with an heir and they were striving to offer him the cow to bear it.
She could feel her flame flare within at the prospect of being collared and owned so far from home. There was the chance that he may choose another from his own nation but ever since the news had been delivered she was chosen, groomed for this ever since it was seen that she was the master of her generation. Offer him the best we have so he can't say no was the plan.
"I should be at home." She said quietly to her angered reflection.
"But this is a great adventure Az, we are blessed to be part of it!"
"You are intended to return home."
Haran's expression twisted to sadness. Now that they were here the prospect of losing her best friend was solidifying before them.
"I…I could stay with you," the maiden offered as was proper.
Azera looked into her companions eyes and felt a flare of envy and weakened for a moment. The need of the selfish god in her nearly caused the command to release, 'Yes stay with me, it is your place.' The terrified girl in her pleaded in fear, 'Please stay with me.'
Instead she smiled, "Haran you are precious to offer but I have no need of you. I am sure one I am married to Fire Lord Zuko I will have far more acceptable servants."
"You get what you deserve," Haran smiled back tears brimming in her eyes. They both knew the young girl's heart was with the next God of Uroza. A marriage prospect sought after by any woman of their culture, to be Sun Queen.
"Perhaps he'd let you visit," Haran suggested in all innocence.
"Hn…"Azera shrugged sceptically and gestured for Haran to kneel next to her as to make peace with the setting sun.
~*~
part two
~*~
Azera's future rose with the sun a new beginning as they came to a new shore. Everything would start and end this day of her life.
"Are you ready to do your duty for the Urazi?" Zyn asked calmly standing over her charge who was kneeling before her.
"Of course Master," Azera lied bowing down. As well as being her chaperone Zyn was the one who had taught her over the years how to use to godly abilities.
"You lie my student."
"I do."
Zyn merely nodded at the young woman's honesty. The girl had no choice really she wouldn't be allowed to return with them if she dishonoured her purpose and her people. In fact her own tutor would be the one to kill her.
Become a Queen or die.
There was nothing left to say, Zyn lay her hand on the girl's head before exiting to assist her twin brother in the arrangements to go ashore. The Sages had already orchestrated a private meeting with the Fire Lord.
Azera sat for a moment focusing on her breathing appreciating the silence of her servant trying to center herself for the task ahead.
Uroza may have rich customs and resources but they are isolated on their own islands. With lush vegetation and mineral deposits the volcanoes rule with power only the gods can contain, and even then sometimes it is too much. Years after an eruption are hard, trade would ease their burden when catastrophe strikes.
She had to try, it was her place to better her people's lives with the price of her own. She had to try.
"I'm ready." She stood hiding her face behind scarlet silk. As she stepped free of her stifling wooden tomb into the sea air the scene before her caught her breath.
A volcano swallowed the horizon and the ship was greeted by a trio of Fire Sages along with at least two dozen soldiers in startling uniform.
"For your protection Daughter." Oron, Zyn's twin reassured her as he stepped up beside her. Even as a woman being blessed meant such a powerful like Oron still owed her respect.
"Is that what they told you?" Azera's own voice never ceased to amaze her when confronted with the opportunity to speak. As a god she may speak her mind, as a woman only do so when spoken to. Haran once told her that how she sounded in public wasn't who she was in private. In public even Haran believed she was a god.
Oron avoided speaking to her because of this feature. No man likes to be destroyed by a woman so that she had not only the power but the mind to do so unnerved him. Weakness in her eyes, something unworthy of her glance. Her soul was not for them.
The leader of this delegation as he so flamboyantly put it, a word far to civilized to represent their culture, bowed his respects and took a silent leave of her presence.
The winds whipped through her white silken layers as she stood there on the portal between her past and future Haran just a step behind. She chose to meet this new world in a full shell of fabric showing no flesh, not even the most modest of hands and feet. Although the sash that artfully wound around her torso and arms hugged her tightly is felt secure and safe, stiff against her spine. Where her oversized sleeves draped over her hands she felt comforted by the fact that no one could see her hands clenched in fear and anger.
She had even donned her most concealing of masks that would drape far enough down to cover her throat and chest, blending seamlessly with the fabric that artfully hooded her hair. A gold wound torque settled hidden around her throat, there the nicks around the outermost ridge told the level of her god gift. As per custom one could only see the beginning and ending nicks so where you stood was your own knowledge and that of your teachers.
In choosing how much to show this new world Azera claimed the power permitted to her by rank. She was clearly showing her people that she believed this match below her and was shielding all of her being from this Fire Lord Zuko. If it was up to Oron she'd have donned her warrior face and exposed as much as permitted which by their standards was probably indecent in this Fire Nation's culture. Only her eyes were visible and she had complete control over who got the joy of viewing them.
"Inhale. Exhale. Find your center." Zyn hissed at her pupil as she sided up next to the intended who followed the instruction and then followed her master off of the ship.
The first steps on land were sickening, the sudden absence of constant rocking left Azera's mind reeling freezing her body in place fearing any motion would send her toppling in front of these foreigners.
"Inhale. Exhale. Find your center," Azera herself whispered almost silently thankful for Haran at her elbow, fearful of what would happen when she was gone.
They were greeted by the Fire Sages with whom their history went back to the near moment they fled this place and who had kept the secret due to an oath made to the being known as the Avatar. It was a long and complicated history that was now reduced to tales and hearsay.
As Oron greeted the Sages the women remained silent as was their place but that didn't mean that they were idle. Azera's gaze took in all the unadorned features, the bare lips of the women and felt fear settle more firmly in her core. How was she to tell an individual's position in this place if they gave no indication. The Urazi displayed their person's blatantly to claim all that was their due from the hierarchy that their culture revolved around. Here though in this Fire Nation it seemed they claimed no rank.
Azera inhaled deeply as Zyn led the trio of women to where the palatine bearers waited patiently after the initial introduction of the men. The rise and sway of the muscular men settled the young woman's nerves with their similarity of the sea that led her home. Alone on her swaying platform, Haran following on her own accord, there was nothing to do as they made the way up to the volcano's ridge through what the Sages had called Royal Plaza a great structure of marble and steel. Clearly for ceremonial use but also reeked of highly defensible build when partnered with the funnel of the closed harbour.
As they exited the stone corridor the nearest Sage sided up to her carriers to inform her through the silk curtain that this was Harbour City, a place for all those who worked in the city to live and be close to the heart of the capital.
"Where is the heart of the capital?" Azera inquired despite the panic Oron displayed in his open litter at her sudden allowance of conversation.
"Within the volcano Sun Daughter so that our heart may remain close to the heart," the old man replied without hesitation.
Azera was careful to hide her smile from her voice, "You've done your research of our culture Lord Sage."
The white haired man chuckled, "I am no Lord, my Lady. I am a but a poor man who enjoys history."
"It sounds peaceful but the Fire Nation must have been at the heart of their war in those times if my own history serves me well."
The man seemed taken aback as most often are before smiling, "You have also done your research as well Sun Daughter."
"Do you know what they intend for me?"
His smile faltered, "Yes."
"Then you will not fault me for studying your history, though I do admit I didn't think our customs would be so distant in only 100 years."
"Intending no offence Sun Daughter but your ancestors weren't exactly at the heart of current Fire Nation History."
"True. You will educate me on what looks to be a lengthy journey to your capital."
"If it please you my Lady." The man bowed his head as he walked along side her carriers.
~*~