Hello everyone!
I apologize for the delay. I have been having some health problems but I wanted to get this one out there.
The story gained a lot of followers over the last week and a half, so I want to thank everyone out there who favorited, and followed my story! It means a great deal to me. :)
And as always, please continue to favorite, follow and review.
And just a friendly word of warning to anyone who is sensitive to the subject of rape. A graphic rape threat is made in this chapter.
With that out of the way...
Please enjoy the chapter!
Confessions of a Soldier – Chapter Forty-Nine
The princess stood by a tree with her arms crossed over her breasts while she sighed under her breath as she waited for her maid to finish behind the bush.
'This girl…has become far too great of a weakness…' Azula thought while her fingernails brushed her bangs from her eyes.
"I'll be there in a moment master!" Elle cried out from the bush while Azula rolled her eyes once more.
Although she wouldn't deny that it delighted her that her girlfriend was persisting in calling her master.
"Of course, you will peasant." The princess snorted with a pompous smile while she listened to the sounds of her maid stumbling through the brush.
Only for the small girl to emerge from behind the foliage while her golden eyes observed curiously when her pet squirted a gel-like substance on her hands before she began rubbing them together.
"Is that…soap?" Azula questioned with something akin to approval in her strict voice while Elle happily nodded her head.
"Sort of. It's called hand sanitizer. It's for keeping your hands clean when soap isn't available. It kills the germs just like soap…the only downside is that it dries out your hands." The blonde-haired girl explained with a bashful smile before she slung her bag over her shoulder while her girlfriend smiled in satisfaction.
"Hm. Such a hygienic pet." The princess purred with her red lips curving into a charming smirk while she stepped forward to peer down at her pretty maid's blushing face.
"I-I am glad that you think so princess." Elle mumbled with her thumbs twiddling as she averted her eyes from Azula's stern gaze while the royal woman now loomed over her.
Only for a stern hand to cup her cheek while golden orbs now stared down at her while she blushed under the firebender's domineering gaze.
"Oh, my little peasant…you are such a vexing little dear." Azula purred with a captivating smile while she traced a fingernail across her pet's trembling cheek.
"S-sumimasen Azula-sama…" The blonde-haired girl stammered only to gulp when she her back was shoved against a tree with two strong palms steading her shoulders.
And then she finally gained the courage to peer upward to find herself lost in confident golden pools that sent a pleasurable shudder down her spine.
"Whatever am I to do with you? You are such a…peculiar thing." The princess sighed with a finger twirling in her hair while she hovered over the overwhelmed girl.
"It warms my heart to know that you find me to your liking princess." Elle admitted with an adorable blush overtaking her cheeks while her heart began to race when Azula's hot breath washed against her cheek.
The beating of her heart only escalated when her princess stooped over her with her full lips curving into a proud smirk.
Her body trembled while two powerful hands grasped at her shoulder blade just as the much taller woman bent down to exhale against her quivering brow.
"Hm. Do you like that? When I pin you down?" Azula cooed in an irresistible voice with her dominant golden eyes staring down into her maid's wide amber orbs.
"I-I do." The blonde-haired girl squeaked with an anxious gulp only for face to turn even redder when her princess leaned down to growl against her cheek.
And then her eyes grew even wider when she felt a strong palm plant in her hair while she peered up into entrancing golden pools that softened for her and her alone.
"That's my girl…the only peasant for me." The princess remarked with a sigh lacing her voice just as her hand mussed her girlfriend's hair while the smaller girl cracked another one of her endearing smiles.
"That's so…and you are the only princess for me." Elle spoke with sweet laughter adorning her innocent voice while Azula's hand remained planted in her hair.
Only for her master to release an arrogant snort that she has long since come to adore.
"Foolish tiger monkey. Princesses are a greater rarity than peasants." Azula scoffed with a regal roll of her eyes while her palm ruffled her laughing girlfriend's hair once more.
"Wakarimashita Azula-sama." The blonde-haired girl laughed in a pure hearted voice as she smiled contently under the royal woman's strict hand.
Not a moment later the princess leaned down before her lovestruck eyes before she wordlessly crushed her red lips against her own in a breath-taking kiss.
The teenager stood paralyzed while Azula's hand grasped at her face while she happily sunk against the tree with warm air sweeping against her cheek.
The two engaged in their romantic kiss for what seemed like an eternity but was really only a few seconds.
The maid gasped with a deep flush on her cheeks while her master's smirking lips lingered upon her shivering skin.
"Mhm. You belong to me servant." The princess drawled in a seductive voice with her domineering eyes taking great delight in how her maid trembling beneath her lips.
"O-oh my princess charming." Elle swooned in a heartfelt voice with Azula's breath tickling her cheek while smug golden eyes peered back into her spellbound orbs.
"Damn right I am…and don't you ever forget it." Azula hissed with her forehead pressing against her serving girl's own while she held her timid girlfriend against her skin.
"How could I Azula-sama?" The blonde-haired girl inquired with a shy smile while her forehead rubbed against her girlfriend's heated skin.
Their foreheads met for a brief time while the peasant girl giggled under the royal woman's possessive touch.
And the princess just rolled her as in an attempt to act as if she didn't care about her.
But Elle knew that wasn't the case.
As soon as Azula and Elle walked away from the campfire the two noblewomen exchanged a knowing glance before they stood up.
Only for a terrifying shiver to travel down their spine when a hand suddenly seized Mai's wrist.
And terrifying hazel eyes pierced the other woman's soul while the soldier's nonchalant personality soon gave way to a murderous glare.
"You owe me a debt House Lin. How do you intend to pay me back? What are you going to give me…that will dissuade me from having you raped by a komodo rhino?" Zoe announced in a monstrous voice with her wrathful words causing the two women to turn around to gape at her in horror.
It was a statement so blunt and so ruthless that it only served as a reminder that the captain could exceed even Azula in cruelty.
"You'll get whatever Azula decides you get! Now let me go!" Mai snapped before she broke free of the other woman's grip while she quickly turned to walk away.
"C-come on Mai. Let's go back to our tent." Ty Lee urged in a rightfully unsettled voice while Mai hurriedly helped her walk away.
"Perhaps…I'll visit you in Boiling Rock? Food for thought House Lin. Food for thought." The captain taunted with her burned hand clenching in her lap while she watched the two intimidated nobles hurry up the hill.
The two friends shared an unnerved look while the acrobat shivered in fear for her companion's sake.
The very thought of Zoe paying Mai a visit at Boiling Rock was a truly horrifying thought.
One that she would have to broach with Azula when Elle isn't around to become upset by their discussion.
It only took mere minutes for their leader and their young friend to rejoin them up on their hill.
The royal woman quirked a brow over their fearful expressions.
"Can't you two even make it five minutes alone without me?" Azula questioned in a cold voice while Ty Lee stood with a hand on Mai's shaken shoulder.
"Y-you need to satisfy Zoe Azula! Or she is going to do something drastic when you aren't looking!" Ty Lee exclaimed in a distraught voice while Azula sighed as if it was a bother.
"Elle. Go sit in the tent. I will join you soon enough." The princess commanded with her palm gently pushing her maid away while the younger girl bit her lip in uncertainty.
"If you say so Azula-sama…is everything going to be okay?" Elle pondered in a fretful voice while she peered between all three of her highborn friends.
"Everything is going to be fine little sister…it's just more political drama." Mai assured as she set her hand on Elle's shoulder only for the smaller girl to hug her around the waist.
The noblewoman's stoic eyes softened while she placed her hands on the younger girl's back.
And Azula sighed under her breath while Ty Lee continued to cast her a pleading glance.
"If there's anything I can do. Just let me know oneesan." The blonde-haired girl muttered with a finger under her lip while the weapons experts gaze thawed even more after hearing those words.
"I'll remember that kid. Now go lie down in Azula's tent for a while. I'll see you again later." The markswoman commented before disconnecting from the hug while the teenage girl smiled up at her.
"Oyasumi nasai oneesan! And you too Ty Lee!" Elle cried out with an infectious smile while both of her big sister's now smiled back at her.
"Oyasumi nasai Elle!" The brown-haired woman responded with a practiced grin while she waved her the adorable girl off.
"Right back at you Elle." Mai stated in a fond voice with a small smile while she watched Elle dash towards the princess's tent.
"I'll be ready for a snuggle whenever you are Azula-sama…" Elle trailed off with a slight pout while Azula rolled her elegant eyes at her.
"Just go lay down Elle!" Azula barked with her cold eyes narrowing imposingly while she glared at her maid's lovable face just before the bashful girl disappeared through the flap of her tent.
After their young companion had went into the tent the princess turned away with another sigh following soon after.
And then the monarch began to walk with her liquor bottle in hand while her two lifelong friends took to walking after her heels in an unusually frightened manner.
It was only after she knew that her maid was out of earshot yet still within her line of vision did, she turn to glare at her flinching friends.
"Drastic Ty Lee? You mean like an assassination attempt?" The princess asked in a pitiless voice while she took a drink from the mouth of her bottle with an annoyed sigh.
"A-Azula! Zoe just threatened to have Mai raped by a komodo rhino!" Ty Lee shouted in a furious voice while Azula turned to glance at her with a spark of surprise in her golden eyes.
Mai shuddered in silent while her leader gazed at her with a scowl returning to her lips.
"Imbecile! What did you expect! That you would get away with stabbing Zoe in the back! What were you thinking!" Azula bellowed as she grasped ahold of the other woman's shirt while Mai stood limply under her icy glare.
And the acrobat swallowed down her fear while the royal woman glared between the two of them.
"I…wasn't thinking…the only thing on my mind was saving Zuko. I saw him in danger…and then I…" Mai responded in an unusually quiet voice while Azula released a snide snort.
"Why doesn't that surprise me! All you care about is Zuko." The princess snapped with a spark of bitterness in her voice while she shoved the other woman away.
"Y-your brother would be dead by now if Mai hadn't saved him. Doesn't that…bother you at all?" The brown-haired woman questioned in an imploring voice while the royal woman scowled back at her.
"It would. But not in the way that you two soft hearted fools are thinking." Azula grumbled before she took another drink of her liquor while her friends stared at her in surprise.
The two noblewomen were completely taken aback to hear the princess concede that she would be bothered to see her brother die.
Yet their royal friend continued before they had a chance to response.
"If Zuko died…I would mourn my brother for the boy he was. Not for the traitor he became. The only fate that awaits traitors is death." The princess remarked in a glacial voice with her frozen gaze now staring back at her two dismayed friends'.
But even so.
It did not surprise them that Azula of all people would be unsympathetic to the rebel cause.
"Azula." The markswoman began in a still downcast voice while the firebender turned to gaze at her once more.
"What." Azula answered in a foul tempered growl as she took another stressed out gulp of her liquor.
It was unlike her to drink in such an anxious manner.
But she could only muse that being trapped on one of the most remote islands in the Fire Nation would do that to you.
"I will ask again. If Elle was on the ground with a sword over her neck…wouldn't you do the same to protect Elle?" Mai pondered with a returning edge to her voice while Azula's golden orbs momentarily shimmered in just the slightest trace of emotion.
The princess mulled over the question with her lips pursing into a thin line before she turned to regard her friend once more.
"Elle isn't a traitor. She is loyal. She is true. All things that Zuko is not. Elle would never abandon me like Zuko did you." The princess declared with an angered puff of fire escaping her nostrils while her two companions' sunk in defeat.
"Azula…that's a low blow." The brown-haired woman protested lamely while her friend glared back at her.
"But true all the same!" Azula hissed with a regal scowl while she marched back to take a seat on a log.
"But would you do it Azula?" The markswoman pressed with her fists grasping at her sleeves while the royal woman plopped down the makeshift bench.
All the while callous golden eyes turned to peer over her shoulder at the large tent while her two friends' nervously seat down beside her.
"I would genocide an entire civilization to save my peasant. There is no atrocity that I would not do for her." The princess confessed with an uncharacteristic measure of affection in her strict voice before she took another drink in a sigh.
A unanimous shiver traveled down Mai and Ty Lee's spine while they gazed at the firebender as if she had just grown another head.
But even so.
It was a disturbing yet still touching statement to hear from their friend all the same.
"She…is such a lovely thing…when she turns sixteen…she is going to make for such a beautiful wife." Azula spoke with something akin to longing in her voice while her full lips began to smile one again.
The two noblewomen could only nod as they sighed alongside her.
Once more.
Coming from Azula those were surprisingly compassionate words.
But before they could go any further, they spotted an unwanted figure walking up the hill to sit with them.
Mai and Ty Lee turned to cast Azula a wary stare only for the royal woman to roll her eyes over their fear.
"Shall we resume our fire?" Zoe asked in a deceptively relaxed voice with her own bottle in hand while the other two noblewomen nervously watched her take a seat opposite from them.
"Just get this over with Zoe! I have a dazzling young girl waiting in my tent to serve my every need! I would much rather spend this time with her…than listen to the three of you idiots bicker!" The princess complained in a spoiled voice while she lazed back on her posterior with a huff.
"Ah. I understand Your Highness. Fear not. I won't keep you for more than a half hour. Would you care for some canned tuna?" The captain quipped just as she held out her burned hand with a can of tuna in hand while the princess's nose wrinkled in disgust.
"No! Why would I ever want to eat such a revolting peasant chow!" Azula snapped in a beyond entitled voice while she crossed her arms over her breasts.
"Suit yourself." Zoe sighed with a finger peeling back the lid while Mai glared at her through the corner of her eye.
"How can you even eat that anyhow?" The princess questioned in a clearly disgusted voice while the acrobat jabbed her shoulder with a scowl.
"It's not as terrible as you think. I've been socializing with commoners ever since I was ten years old. As a result, I understand them more than you do. And in turn they appreciate me more they do you and your friends." The captain commented in a casual voice with her brag causing the royal firebender to narrow her eyes ever so slightly.
"I am going to pretend that I didn't hear that and just tell you to move on with your business." Azula ordered with a thrust of her finger while she watched in revulsion when Zoe began to spoon out the raw tuna.
"Of course, my princess. There are three things that I wish to discuss. Let's start with the first…what did you call her power? The Component…" Zoe conversed before she released a small burst of flames to produce another fire at her feet while the three women gazed at her intently.
It was obvious that Elle was a delicate subject.
Both the princess and her two friends were very protective of the kind hearted girl.
"And what of it?" The princess almost hissed with a boot tapping the forest floor while an orange fire now burned at her feet.
And the soldier held the can of tuna over her heated palm while hazel eyes peered back at her.
"Her power counters the Avatar does it not? Well. I had an idea that may help you learn more about it. But I thought it best to refrain from discussing it before so many…eyes and ears." The captain revealed with a nod while the other three women stared at her in a taken aback manner.
"Elaborate Zoe." Azula commanded in an authoritative voice as she set her bottle in her lap while her friends still sat in an unnerved silence.
This was not the direction that she expected this conservation to go.
"There is a reclusive sage that is said to possess an understanding of all things mystical that I thought may be worth consulting on the matter." Zoe answered to the further astonishment of her audience.
"A…sage?" The princess repeated with her golden eyes taking on a thoughtful shimmer while she held a hand under her chin.
"That's right. Supposedly she is a seer. They say that she can see things that no one else can. Anyhow. It may hold no fruit but I thought it was worth mentioning." The captain explained as she chewed on a bite of her tuna while Azula stared down into the fire with a contemplative look in her cold eyes.
And Mai and Ty Lee sat gazing at their leader with a mixture of concern and curiosity in their sisterly eyes.
"No Zoe. I applaud you for thinking to approach…Elle's power from such an angle. Very well. Bring this…sage to me upon our return. And I will see if she possesses any worthwhile knowledge." Azula declared with a finger rubbing the underside of her chin.
Only for her eyes to narrow in rage when Zoe erupted in a belly shaking laughter that took her two lifelong friends' aback.
"Bring her to you? Princess you have to go to her!" Zoe exclaimed with an amused gleam in her eyes while Azula stiffened only to release an offended scoff.
"The Great Princess Azula does not travel to speak to peasants! The peasants come to me!" The princess boasted with a snort while the acrobat sighed beside her.
"They say that she lives in the Forgetful Valley and she will only speak to those who can find her hut. Many go to find her…but few can find her abode because the wood is so thick…like a giant maze." The captain insisted with her hazel eyes flashing in seriousness while the other three women listened in rising curiosity.
"I don't care where she lives. She will come to me! As her sovereign monarch it is my right to summon her!" Azula retorted with a finger pointing at Zoe's almost amused smiling face.
"Pardon me princess but that is comical. Considering that they say that she has been living in that hut for over a century. She probably doesn't even know who you are." Zoe taunted with a wave of her hand while Azula scowled back at her in disbelief.
"If she doesn't even know who I am then what good is she in regards to Elle's Component?" The princess demanded in a sneering voice yet while she reclined in her seat.
Yet even still.
She won't deny that Zoe stoked the flames of her curiosity with this…sage.
"The rumors say that she's…" The captain trailed off with a hand waving around her hair while her monarch rolled her eyes.
"So, she's a stir-crazy old crone that hasn't left her cabin possibly since my great grandfather's reign. How promising." Azula snorted in a haughty voice while the other woman shrugged her shoulders.
"It's just that…even though they say that she is insane…I have heard stories…that lay credence to possible truth to the seer saying rumors. I have even heard a rumor…that she spoke of having a vision of a monk emerging from an iceberg..." Zoe trailed off in a suggestive voice as she took another bite while Azula gazed at her with reluctantly curious golden orbs.
"So be it Zoe. I will…consider visiting this sage." The princess announced in a clearly piqued voice while she massaged the underside of her chin in a thoughtful fashion.
"Hm. Moving on to subject two. In my hunt for the Avatar…I encountered a great many nasty rumors about you." The captain commented in a nonchalant voice as she swallowed her mouthful while the royal woman's eyes narrowed in a terrifying stare.
"Rumors about me?" Azula asked in a merciless voice while her two-childhood friends shuddered alongside her.
"Yes. The public whispers that Princess Azula burns her own." Zoe replied with a hand on her knee while Azula's eyes sparked in renewed rage over the incident from many weeks ago.
"Azula…." Ty Lee muttered in a sigh while Azula turned to glare off into the trees.
For as much as Zoe terrified her the soldier was making a good point.
As she has noticed she tended to do. Until one provokes her wrath she mused while she turned to her friend.
Mai still sat with her tawny eyes never losing the hatred that she has for the other noblewoman.
"Look. Do with this what you will princess. But I do not recommend you ever do that again. In one single act you managed to take the admiration that the people had for you over your swift victory in Ba Sing Se and you've transformed it into terror." The captain advised in a helpful voice while her monarch turned to scowl at her.
"Who do you think you are Zoe! Those little brats were disrespecting my name! They should consider themselves lucky that I even let them live!" The princess bellowed with her lips pursing into an enraged thin line.
"I do not dispute that Your Highness. I contest the fact that you chose to make it a public affair. Had you chosen to punish them behind closed doors…the public wouldn't be telling horror stories about you." Zoe explained in an urgent voice with a nod while Azula's eyes still burned through her skull.
"I suggest you remember that I am the heir to the throne. Not you." Azula snapped with a puff of fire escaping her lips while she angrily glared down into the burning flames.
"That is also true. But it is likewise important for you to understand…that you cannot do anything as you please. Not if you want to maintain the love of your people." The captain answered in another sigh while the royal woman stomped her boot once more.
"You are starting to annoy me Zoe! And I would rather feel my maid's soft hands massaging my body than listen to you nag me until my ears bleed!" The princess grumbled in a spoiled voice while her penetrating gaze pierced the campfire at her boots.
"All I am saying…is that you should take steps to reassure your people that you are not going to start executing them at random. That is all." Zoe concluded with her utensil scooping out another bite while Azula glared at her through the corner of her eye.
"Perhaps I will. Now if you don't mind. Could you be done with it already!" Azula snorted with another roll of her eyes while Mai glared at the soldier in question.
"I agree. Just say whatever hippo shit that you have to say and get out of our face." Mai stated in a voice of loathing while Azula turned to glare at her as well only for Zoe to shrug it off as she took a drink of her bottle.
"What have you done for your country Mai?" The captain queried in a tone of noticeable mockery while the other three women gazed at her in puzzlement.
"What?" The markswoman replied in a bladed voice while the soldier cast her a resentful glare.
"You call me Generalkiller and deride my honor. When they haven't any understanding of my devotion to this nation. So, I ask once more. What have you done for the people?" Zoe demanded with her burned hand tightening on her bottle while her audience stared at her in confusion.
"I call you Generalkiller because you butchered your commanding officer. Who just so happened to be a good friend to House Lin." Mai remarked in a colder voice while Zoe stared down into her bottle in a bitter manner.
"What have you done for this country other than prance around with paint on your cheeks!" The captain barked in an increasingly livid voice while her hazel eyes narrowed at the other woman's slightly baffled face.
The princess sighed as she gazed between the two with callous golden eyes.
All the while pondering if she should just kill one of them and be done with it!
"I helped Azula conquer Ba Sing Se! That's what I did." The markswoman retorted with a trace of anger in her voice when the soldier laughed broke out into roaring laughter.
"Princess Azula conquered Ba Sing Se! Not you! All you were was cheap muscle…because you were bored. Isn't that the sum of your whole miserable life?" Zoe sneered in a disdainful voice while Ty Lee held a comforting hand on Mai's enraged shoulder.
It had not escaped the notice of both Mai and Ty Lee that Zoe chose to compliment Azula while she insulted them.
Judging by the small smile on Azula's lips they could tell that it had the desired effect.
It kept the princess placated while she verbally tore them down.
"We don't have to sit here and listen to this from you!" The brown-haired woman shouted as she clenched her fists while the other noblewoman continued to laugh
"What have you done Zoe! Other than butcher people in mass!" Mai yelled as she gripped her fists in her lap while Zoe cracked a bitter smile.
"More than you could possibly fathom. More than anyone in all of the Fire Nation can understand." The captain muttered in a resentful tone while her princess quirked an inquisitive brow.
"Are you going somewhere with this Zoe? Because my little maid is supposed to massage my ass tonight." The princess commented with a smug smirk while her two friends whipped around to stare at her incredulously.
"A-Azula!" Ty Lee blurted with a twinge of a blush on her cheeks while Azula just smirked back at her.
"Ever since I was little…I have wanted nothing more than to be a hero for the people. The kind that they would speak about centuries down after I died. I wanted to achieve immortality in gloriam." Zoe confessed in a reminiscent voice that took the others aback while they sat in a stunned silence.
Not even Azula had expected her soldier to admit to such a desire.
The soldier stood up as she held her arm close to her chest in her sling while she peered off into the darkened tree line.
"To this end I took to arena fighting when I was nine years old. I fought my way through the ranks…and by thirteen I had won four consecutive championships." The captain explained in a passionate voice as she turned around to gaze at her bewildered monarch.
"Yes Zoe. I know of your arena exploits." Azula answered with her fingers curling up along her biceps.
"But that wasn't enough! I received training in swordsmanship from the Master Piandao and then I joined the military and I killed many formidable opponents. And soon I found myself under General Shoren's command. Until finally…my chance for immortality appeared before my own eyes…Earth King Jaran." Zoe narrated with a reminiscent smile on her lips while the three women listened in a transfixed silence.
Even Mai had begun to calm down as she listened to the tale with a spark of curiosity in her eyes.
"He was everything that a warrior could ever dream of…the man that made the Dragon of the West retreat. And the greatest earthbender that I have ever met. To be able to boast that one killed Jaran was the equivalent of an Earth Kingdom soldier being able to claim that they killed the Fire Lord!" The captain exclaimed in a voice of absolute respect while the princess's curiosity grew even further.
"Hm. I take it you fought Jaran? I have heard the tales about him. But sadly…I never got the chance to meet him. Was he as great as they say?" The princess asked with a finger rubbing the underside of her chin while the soldier turned around to resolutely nod her head.
"Greater. His earthbending was like no other. He could bend the earth in the shallow straits and capsize boats upon the shore. They say that he was touched with the earth. But I didn't care…as soon as I saw him. I knew that I had to kill him." Zoe spoke with a growing smile while her audience listened in amazement.
"That too…I have heard." Azula stated with a greatly piqued gleam in her eyes while Zoe gazed down at her burned hand.
"I remember it as if it was yesterday." The captain began while the flames of war began to burn in her eyes.
In her mind she could see it all.
She could still hear her superior officers shouting left and right.
A small fleet of ships headed into the shallow waters while earthbenders launched supplies of rocks at the firebenders on the shoreline.
And at the focal point of the largest ship stood a man on a deck.
He was a tall figure, lean and yet still muscular.
Yet far more limber than one would think of an earthbender.
He wore a green long-sleeved shirt and black pants, with brown boots.
His hair was black, and spiky, it flowed down his upper back in a small pony tail.
His eyes were a piercing green and he was roaring in determination.
The Earth King held out his hands as he shouted out a battle cry while several firebenders were sent soaring into the waters below.
"If you value your lives stand aside!" Jaran called out in a voice laced with vigor while he gazed down as the enemy shouted out orders.
On the opposition was a stout yet strong Fire Nation general.
His hair was greying and his golden eyes shone with a great fury at the enemy king.
He seethed beneath his helm just as he turned to the prodigy standing beside him.
His name was none other than the famed General Shoren.
"Zoe! Kill him!" Shoren bellowed with a wave of his hand while the young soldier began to walk forward with a helm in her hands.
The young soldier slid her helm over her face while her hazel eyes flashed in delight at the sight of the enemy king standing on the advancing warship.
With a spear on her back and a sword at her hip she continued to walk forward with her hair blowing in her eyes.
"Shut your mouth old man. I don't need you to tell me to act." Zoe remarked in a proud voice just as she stormed past her enraged commander.
"You dare! If I didn't need you I would have you flogged for such disrespect!" The high general called out only for his words to fall on deaf ears while the young warrior leaped over their ship.
And just like that the battle was afoot.
In the chaos of the ensuing battlefield the young House Song warrior sliced through several earthbenders and easily fought her way through the enemy fleet.
"To gloriam!" The young soldier declared as she propelled herself into the air with a burst of flame from her boots.
That was when her eyes caught sight of him.
The mighty earthbender was knocking lesser warriors aside left and right.
A shard of jagged rock cut through the throat of a gasping firebender.
The man soon fell over lifeless at the boots of the ever so slightly panting king only for his eyes to widen when he heard quiet footsteps behind him.
The mere fact that they were able to drop down behind him without him noticing sooner spoke volumes about the skill of his new opponent.
"Your life is mine Earth King!" Zoe shouted while she sprang at her opponent with her sword in hand just as Jaran reeled around to face her.
His green eyes widened even further after noticing that his young opponent was wielding spear and sword.
Blood stained her sword.
The blood of his lieutenant.
With the slightest movement he generated earthen gauntlets and a circular shield just as the young warrior's sword clashed with his shield.
He held her back with a grunt while the unnaturally strong teenager leaned in to stare into his eyes.
And with that a spellbinding dance had begun.
The Fire Nation forces even paused in their own battles to briefly gaze up at the incredible due in admiration.
"You are strong….and your fighting style is unconventional but effective." The Earth King commented in a taken aback voice while the young soldier sunk into a stance with her sword held out before her.
And then her boots began to burn with orange fire that propelled her forward once more.
"As are you Earth King. Not that it will do you any good! This is as far as you go!" The young soldier roared with her feet elegantly gliding along the ship flooring just as she bounded at the man once more.
Mere moments later her swing was once more blocked by Jaran's shield while he blocked a stab from her spear with his earthen fist.
Only to release a fierce cry of his own while his young opponent skidded backwards.
Her dark hair blew in her eyes only to narrow her gaze once more as she released multiple concussive blasts of firebending when her foe sprinted towards her.
But the Earth King was proving to be much stronger than any other opponent that has faced before.
He was…a worthy foe!
Not seconds later her eyes widened as she was kicked backwards by an earthen fist.
She slid across the deck only she landed on one knee panting ever so noticeably only to react with frightening agility when her foe made a swipe for her face.
"What is your name young warrior?" Jaran inquired with sweat on his brow while the sounds of war escalated all around them.
All the while Zoe stared up at him with passionate hazel eyes while she pushed back on his shield with terrifying might.
"I am Zoe of House Song, prodigy firebender." Zoe answered in a voice of deep pride while she gazed up to see Jaran jumping high above her.
The man landed atop a chunk of rock while he furrowed his brows down at her just as earth began to form around his entire body.
"So be it Zoe of House Song. You leave me no choice." The Earth King spoke with his shield in hand before he jumped into the air with a roar.
A plume of orange fire burst into the air and soon enough the two warriors continued their deadly dance.
The agile warrior blocked a great many swings from her mighty foe only to stab her spear when an opening showed itself.
This proved to be nothing more than a ploy on the part of Jaran.
Her spear met the man's earthen armor while her eyes widened in shock when the tip of her spear broke off in her attempt to pierce his flesh.
"Your head is soon to come Zoe." Jaran declared with his pony tail swaying over his shoulder only for Zoe to hold out her sword before her.
Her hazel eyes grew wide not with fear.
But with an unquenchable desire for the thrill of battle.
"Don't get too full of yourself Jaran. This has only just begun!" The young soldier called out before she swung her sword with a mighty heave into the defending warrior's shield.
And so, the two continued their dance.
With the older warrior finding himself increasingly taken by surprise when his young opponent back flipped into the air.
Many shards of rock were sent soaring into the air only for Zoe to release a stunning burst of flames that shot down the bulk of his rocks before they could hit his target.
And the shouts of the battlefield only grew even larger while Fire Nation soldiers fought against the outnumbered Earth Kingdom force.
Not even ten seconds later the Earth King stood clashing with the young soldier once more.
Only for his eyes to widen when a drop of blood fell down from his cheek to the floor below.
With uncanny speed the roaring Zoe swung again and again.
"Immortality is mine!" Zoe yelled out just as she began to flip through the air with her steel slicing into Jaran's shield.
She speedily ducked out of the way when an earthen boulder nearly crushed her leg.
And the limber Jaran kicked back at her chest plate while she released a suppressed cry of pain.
"I shall remember your name Zoe of House Song." The Earth King announced as he grasped a hold of his smaller opponent while the teenager grunted fiercely as she glared up at him through her helm.
And even though she didn't show it.
Those words delighted her.
Another moment later Zoe and Jaran's battle cries were heard by all as they swung at one another for what seemed like the hundredth time.
Only for the teenage girl to release a pained gasp when the gap in her armor was struck by a sharp earthen rock.
And now blood was seeping from her shoulder blade.
Her sword dropped to the deck of the warship with a clang.
And now she cradled her arm with her left hand while she stared back at her more experienced opponent with determined hazel orbs.
"This is the end…Zoe." Jaran spoke in a stern voice with respect for his young challenger while he gazed at Zoe's panting face.
Only for his eyes to widen once more when Zoe dropped into a crouched stance.
Before the teenager sprang forward with a furious shout escaping her lips.
All Zoe remembered from that moment in time was the legendary Earth King bending rock from the river floor that arose from the waterway.
She jumped through the rock with frightening agility and she even made it to her opponent.
Only for the battleship to explode with fire and rock raining down on all sides when cannon fire finally erupted the ships engines.
But even still she made one last swing on the man.
The injured firebender roared with her flames exploding in Jaran's face while his earthen armor finally exploded beneath the force of her released flames.
She vividly recalls taking great joy in the way his eyes widened in unfathomable respect when she breached his barrier.
Only for his gauntlet to rapidly reform.
And then he struck her in stomach with a devastating earthen punch.
The teenage soldier rasped upon the bloody earthen fist while spit poured from her open lips.
Only to find herself plunging through cold water mere moments later.
And thanks to his victory over her. The mighty Earth King went on to defeat the remainder of General Shoren's fleet.
And here she sits today.
Team Azula sat in a spellbound silence after hearing Zoe detail her battle with Jaran.
It only served to give even greater credence as to why Azula was wanted Zoe so badly.
"It was the greatest battle that I have ever fought. And I know that I will never see the likes of such a battle again. Not unless the princess is willing to give me stimulation." The captain remarked with a disappointed shake of her head while her monarch released an arrogant snort.
"Please! Even the greatest earthbender is nothing compared to my perfection. And as I recall correctly Zoe you lost." The princess snorted with a haughty smile while she waved a hand before her face.
Although Zoe did just give her a splendid idea.
Perhaps…she could use her captain for training?
"I don't deny that princess. But I was young…and rash. I have learned much in the last eleven years…it's a shame that a rematch is not possible." Zoe spoke with a forlorn sigh as she took another drink of her liquor.
"Yes, it would be…given that Jaran died a few battles later. That reminds me Zoe. I sought to recruit you six years ago to capture the Avatar…and you declined. Why?" Azula questioned with her cold golden eyes observing the other woman carefully as Zoe swallowed down her liquor.
And both Mai and Ty Lee turned to their royal friend with a spark of shock in their eyes.
The fact that Zoe got away with declining Azula was even more astonishing.
"I had a more pressing matter to attend to. It was poor timing." The captain answered in a casual voice while she held her bottle in her hand.
And the two noblewomen shivered in fear when Azula stared at the other woman with a monstrous glare.
"A more pressing matter?" The princess hissed with blue fire escaping her nostrils while her captain nodded.
"My little sister was sick. And for a time, it seemed as if she wouldn't make it. She requested for me to stay. So, I stayed." Zoe confessed without shame while Azula's golden eyes flashed in surprise.
As did Mai and Ty Lee.
Team Azula sat staring at the ruthless soldier while she took another drink with her back turned to them.
"You refused me…for your little sister?" Azula asked in a calmer but still perplexed voice only for Zoe to gaze at her incredulously.
"Of course, I did. Sia means more to me than killing the Avatar." The captain insisted with her burned fist clenching in her arm sling.
"Charming. You have a sister. I can only imagine that she is just as big of a bitch as you." Mai stated in a cold voice while Azula turned to regard her with an annoyed glare.
"And you have a little brother House Lin. I can only fathom that boy will grow up to be just as big of a cunt as you." Zoe retorted with vigor while she sneered at Mai's glaring face.
Only for explosive blue flames to explode from the campfire while Azula's thunderous voice rang out into the air.
"Enough! Or I will flip a coin and kill one of you at random!" The princess roared with fire spewing from her lips.
All the while turning to scowl in the direction of her tent with a sliver of yearning in her eyes.
Just why was it that at times like this she always found herself longing for her pet to sooth her foul mood?
"In any case princess. I recall I once told you that I am an honest sort. Well…for the most part. There is one thing that I haven't told you." Zoe spoke with her hand gripping the bottle while Azula's callous eyes shone in curiosity once more.
"And what would that be?" Azula pondered with a sigh while she gracefully took a drink of her liquor.
In that moment when her soldier turned to meet her gaze, she knew that it was something of great significance.
"I told you…and everyone else that I killed General Shoren because he intended to surrender our post to Earth King Jaran. Well…I may have distorted the truth a little there." The captain admitted in a casual voice while her princess stiffened with a spark of anger in her eyes.
And the gloomy noblewoman just stared at her leader with a look that clearly said I told you so.
"Really?" The princess inquired in a sterner voice that would make most soldiers piss their pants.
But not Zoe.
Perhaps…that was why she found herself fond of the seemingly unshakable firebender.
"I killed him…yes. But not for the reasons that I told you. The real reason I slew General Shoren…was because he refused to yield. And then after I killed him. I allowed the Earth King passage through the straits." Zoe answered in a shockingly composed voice while Azula gazed at her with her golden eyes wide in disbelief.
Team Azula sat in a shocked silence while the princess's eyes began to spark with true fury that put her usual glare to shame.
"You what." Azula snapped with fire burning at her clenched fingertips.
"It's just as I said. I killed him because he refused to surrender…even at the cost of all our lives." The captain stated plainly without shame while her audience sat in a speechless quiet.
That too she remembered just as clearly as her battle with Jaran.
The young soldier stood with blood dripping down her shoulder while she listened to the old general's declaration in shock.
"What did you…just say?" Zoe asked in an unusually stunned voice while Shoren reeled around to glare down at her with something akin to madness in his eyes.
"I said we'll detonate the factory! And then Jaran and his entire fleet will be consumed in hellfire!" Shoren shouted in a voice long past reason while he began rushing towards the doors of the city power plant.
"But what about the people of West Harbor!" The young soldier called out as she rushed after her superior officer just as they raced through the halls of the factory.
"Forget them! There's no time to evacuate!" The high general answered in an enraged voice while his soldier stared at his back with horror in her eyes.
"W-what do you mean forget them! There is over one hundred thousand people living in West Harbor!" Zoe protested with her fists balling up at her hips while Shoren's golden eyes shone in tremendous rage.
"If that is the price, we must pay to win this war…then so be it!" Shoren bellowed just as he burst through the doors of core of the plant.
The young soldier stood with her mouth ajar in disbelief while her hazel eyes grew wide in unparalleled dread.
In that moment the old man rushed down the rails of the fuel chamber with her bending sparking alight just as he neared its most sensitive core.
And Zoe still stood frozen with her hazel eyes struggling to process what was happening.
It was only when Shoren neared its core did she hardened her gaze.
And then she drew her sword with her battle shout filling the chamber of the power plant.
"Z-Zoe what do you think you're doing!" The high general screamed with his fists lighting fire just as his subordinate sprang at him with speed that he couldn't follow.
"Traitor!" The young soldier roared just as her blade tore through her commanding officer's chest while his golden eyes remained agape in shock.
For a very faint moment Zoe stared up at Shoren with cold hazel eyes while he spat blood onto her sword.
"Y-you would allow…the e-enemy to pass through-" Shoren stammered in a dying voice just as the light faded from his eyes.
And he fell over lifeless with his body slumping against the rails of the deck.
Zoe stood over her slain commander with her mouth entrenched in an expression of disgust.
"Coward." The young soldier muttered before she turned away while she nursed her arm with a grimace.
And mere minutes later she personally gave the order to allow the Earth King through West Harbor's straits.
In the present Mai and Ty Lee gazed on in disbelief.
Only for Azula to seize Zoe by her shirt with unbridled rage in her golden eyes.
"You let the enemy through! After all that talk of killing anyone who betrayed the Fire Nation you allowed one of our greatest enemies passage!" Azula boomed with her teeth ground together in her fury.
Only for her fury to rise to newfound heights when the captain brazenly slapped her hand off of her shirt.
"He was going to detonate the West Harbor power plant!" Zoe yelled out in a snarl while Azula gazed back at her with her golden eyes scrutinizing her closely.
"Detonate…the power plant?" Mai inquired in an appalled voice while Zoe shook with her bangs sticking to her sweating skin.
"Is that true Zoe?" The princess demanded with her fist falling down to side while the soldier bravely met her gaze.
"Yes! He was going to detonate it above West Harbor! He said a hundred thousand people was a worthy sacrifice to win the war! I disagreed! So, I opened his heart!" The captain shouted as she took a bold step forward to glare into her monarch's stunned eyes.
Ty Lee was as silent as a mouse while she swallowed under her breathe.
Once again.
She felt like she may have misjudged Zoe.
Not that it changed how ruthless the woman was in her desire to kill her friend.
But even so…
"To knowingly throw away the lives of the people of the Fire Nation is treason! And I will not abide by such wholesale slaughter of my people!" Zoe exclaimed with a hand in Azula's taken aback face while golden eyes finally regained their composure.
"I must confess that you surprise me Zoe. I didn't peg you to care this much about commoners. I trust that is the entire story?" Azula remarked in a strict voice while she stared at the other woman's bitter face.
"Yes." The captain growled with her bottle in hand as she turned to stare down at the weapons experts still stunned face.
Only to take the others by surprise when she grasped Mai's shirt while the acrobat gazed up in concern.
"I saved a hundred thousand lives! What did you do! Other than put on paint because you were bored!" The captain bellowed with a hateful snarl while the other noble gazed up at her in shock.
She released the other woman with a disgusted scoff before she turned away once more.
"On that we can agree Zoe. Detonating West Harbor…would be an unfathomably stupid thing to do." The princess sighed with a finger twirling her hair before she fell back on her posterior once more.
"And that is why…I will not tolerate such a stain on my honor as a bomb to the back. Your house will pay in kind Mai. Or you will all pay in blood." Zoe concluded as she turned to stare down at Mai's now quiet face.
And the princess could only sigh once again while she massaged the bridge of her nose.
All the while aware that both of her lifelong friends were quite literally shaking in fear.
Now that she knew that Shoren intended on killing an entire Fire Nation city it would put a whole new perspective on the situation with Zoe.
And in hindsight she mused that it actually fit in with the captain's previous declaration that she would kill anyone who betrayed the Fire Nation.
"Elle asked me if a humiliation would…suffice as repayment for Mai's crime." Azula spoke with her arms folding over her breasts as her two friends gazed at her in surprise.
What surprised them was the fact that their innocent young friend had even said that.
But they knew well enough that it was only because Elle wanted to protect her oneesan.
"It…could." The captain answered with a returning sadism in her voice while the gloomy noble shuddered when she recalled her earlier threat.
"Nothing sexual of course…and that includes…komodo rhinos." The princess quipped with an uncaring wave of her hand only for her two friends' now to glare at her.
"Thanks, Azula." The markswoman growled in an offended voice while the royal woman just smiled at her coldly.
"There is one and only humiliation that will satisfy me…." Zoe answered in a thoughtful voice with her words creating a disturbing tension in the air.
"A-Azula." The brown-haired woman protested under her breath only for her royal friend to ignore her.
And Mai say in a dreaded silence as a bead of sweat dripped down in brow in fear of just what that may be.
"Name it. And perhaps I will…grant it." Azula responded without delay while her cold eyes flickered to her tent once more.
"I wish for House Lin to become House Song's vassal house…for a period of three years." The captain announced with a victorious look in her eyes while all but her monarch gaped at her for her gall.
'No. My…parents will never let me live this down. My entire family will be humiliated and mocked for my action.' Mai thought with her tawny eyes overflowing in guilt once more.
And Team Azula sat in silence.
Mai's entire relations with her family were all dependent on what her friend would say next.
"Done. But only if it will abate your mother agrees to that she considers it…just retribution." The princess declared with a cold smile while the weapons expert's shoulders slumped in despair.
She could only roll her eyes at the other woman's pathetic attempt at playing the victim.
Mai was getting off easy and she damn well knew it!
"Oh, I assure you princess…she will." Zoe agreed with a small smirk while she grasped at her items before she straightened to head to her tent.
"Very good. Then I can only hope that this is the last that I will hear of your whining on the matter." Azula snorted as she watched Zoe turn to walk away.
"I am as placated as a maid in your lap." The captain assured with a wave over her shoulder only for a ball of blue fire to nearly scorch her as she jumped out of the way.
"Shut your mouth you fool and be gone so I can go enjoy my full body massage!" The princess commanded in a tyrannical voice with hand extended in the air while the other woman chuckled as she walked away.
"Of course, princess. I will see you in the morning then." Zoe called out before she strode down the hill while Team Azula watched her vanish down the slope.
And into the dark of the night as she made her way off to her tent.
Once Zoe was gone both Mai and Ty Lee stared at Azula with worried eyes only for the royal woman to snap at them once more.
"What! As far as I am concerned, Mai is lucky to even be alive!" Azula snapped in a venomous voice just as she stood up with her arms crossed over her chest.
"I-I know Azula but…" Ty Lee trailed off with her hand on Mai's shoulders while Azula rolled her eyes down at them.
"I don't even want to hear any more of it! I have heard enough for one night!" The princess scoffed with her bottle in hand while she turned to stride off to her tent.
"Understood Azula…" Mai muttered in a defeated voice while Azula scanned her fingernails with a returning smile.
"Wonderful! Now if you two will excuse me for the evening. My little worshiper awaits her goddess." Azula huffed with her fingernail twirling in her hair once more while she began to sway her hips as she walked off.
The two noblewomen just rolled their eyes out of their leaders' line of sight while they watched the princess strut off with her robed ass swaying behind her.
They couldn't help but feel sorry for their innocent young friend knowing full well that Azula would tease the poor girl for two years before she makes good on her seductions.
As soon as the princess was within range of her royal tent her smile began to return in full force.
Her full lips curled into a confident smirk while she pressed a thoughtful finger into the bottom of her chin.
All of her prior rage and aggravation was already going away.
Such a lovely little dear indeed.
And she belonged to Princess Azula alone.
AN:
Alright, so first off.
Allow me to get to responding to the reviews.
Thank you very much for your kind words, Agent Banana and Tensazangitsu.
Yeah, for some reason I think it is likely that a woman as spoiled as Azula wouldn't be able to cook if her life depended on it. So, it seemed fitting.
Azula's words can have a debilitating effect on someone like Nako. So, it is helpful to have someone like Ty Lee to clarify that Azula isn't going to kill her.
And yes, AurelLor, Elle is a special girl. But you'll know that by the time you get to this chapter. :D
With that out of the way, I will begin my afterword.
In regards to Zoe's rape threat.
As you all well know by now. Zoe is fiercely loyal to the Fire Nation and the people in it.
But once provoked she becomes a terrifying person to deal with.
Just as before with Zoe's previous threat of a 'tribe' attacking Mai in the woods, her goal was to terrify Mai and make her feel like prey.
Now I will say this. For the most part that is just Zoe's rage talking. Rape isn't something that her soldiers engage in.
But she was rightfully furious about Mai's murder attempt, and she wants Mai to feel entrapped.
With that said, Zoe is now for the most part abated.
There are ten great noble houses that serve the Royal Family and keep order within the Fire Nation, and while they may vary in how much power, and influence they hold.
Generally speaking, one house does not command another house.
House Song, is the strongest house in terms of their army and seat. House Lin, Mai's house. Is probably the second or third strongest in terms of their army.
But they more than make up for it with the favor they garner by being friends with the Royal Family. As we have seen with Mai's mansion being directly across from the royal palace.
But even so. House Song is the strongest because they are the most independent, they have amassed their own legion and fortified their seat, Fire Mountain to become the most impenetrable city out of all of the noble houses.
The same cannot be said for the House Lin seat, which is in Ash City.
So, just to clarify. In my story, Mai's house adjacent to the royal palace is a show of their prestige. It is a home that her family lives in when they reside in the Capital City.
But her father, Governor Ukano rules from the House Lin seat, Ash City.
I am trying to keep up with the fire themes of the Fire Nation, and keep everything connected to titles of fire.
The point I am trying to make is that there is no higher dishonor for a noble house than to subject them to being a vassal house.
In essence, Mai and her entire family are now subordinate to Zoe and her family. This is a great humiliation for Mai, and it will affect her relationship with her parents too.
As of this moment, Zoe is content to know that she will be be able to torment Mai as her vassal for a period of three years.
I won't go into any details that will spoil the plot. But this is going to be highly humiliating for Mai.
So yeah. Zoe understands the ins and outs of the situation she is in, what with being unable to kill Mai due to her relation with Azula and how it would upset Elle.
And she is satisfied for the time being.
From this point onward, we'll see Zoe and Mai slowly become a little bit less hostile to one another, and we'll see what direction their relations will take as they are forced to continue interacting with each other.
However, the question remains.
How will Zoe's mother, Governor Yoko take to this ruling?
Yoko is even more ruthless and much more unforgiving than Zoe herself is. And we have yet to see Yoko's reaction to Mai's attempt on her daughter's life.
And I hope that you all enjoyed the deeper insight into Zoe's character, as well as her battle with Earth King Jaran.
Which is another thing that I want to go over.
As the story goes on, we'll touch on more about Jaran and how significant he was back when he was alive.
Given the fact that he is already dead, the only way we can learn about him is through flashbacks and in stories that other characters tell.
That being said, it will eventually be revealed why Jaran decided to launch an offensive to kill the newly crowned Fire Lord Ozai which ultimately resulted in his own premature end.
In my story verse, Jaran is most likely the strongest earthbender with Toph, the late Bumi and another character coming up just after him.
He was kind of like the Azula of earthbending, his skill was so great that it overshadowed every other earthbender on the battlefield.
In this version of events. Jaran is the true Earth King, and the meek one we knew in canon was just a pretender.
One of the reasons why Jaran was so strong was because he could use his earthbending over vast distances that no other bender could do.
Look at it this way, Jaran had the widest range and reach out of any earthbender.
Whereas Toph, has a greater depth perception and she can control the small elements in the soil better than Jaran could.
It's just a difference in style in the end.
Toph may surpass Jaran eventually, but as of right now in the story she has yet to do so. Jaran was someone that Toph greatly admired as she grew up, he is a role model to many earthbenders.
And we also got to see how much of a beast young Zoe was.
Even as a young teenager Zoe had great physical power and an unusually high stamina. Her fighting style is unlike any other firebender and that is a large part of why she posed the highest challenge to Jaran back then.
If Zoe had been an adult, she may have even won the battle.
Zoe is a warrior that craves glory and recognition, and we'll get to see more of that in the coming war chapters.
We also saw how loyal Zoe is to the people of the Fire Nation.
Zoe is greatly admired by the people for her heroics and how she treats the average person. But she has earned great disdain from commanding officers and now we know why.
General Shoren was going to detonate a Fire Nation power plant, in the process killing thousands of innocent civilians to halt the enemy advance.
Such a move would have been praised by Fire Lord Ozai and maybe even Azula before Elle started to teach her the meaning of compassion.
But that was where Zoe drew the line.
If anyone should turn their blade against the people of the Fire Nation, she will cut them down.
Not many know the story behind Zoe's actions, and many officials just hate her for how she slew her commanding officer.
Other high generals, such as General Bujing despise her for this act because they fear that she cannot be controlled, and that she may do the same to them if she accompanies them to the battlefield.
This will play a significant factor in the later stages of the story, and we'll get to see how Zoe clashes with the more traditional Fire Nation leader.
Zoe doesn't approve of tactics that throw away the lives of loyal soldiers, and she doesn't tolerate someone like General Bujing who was prepared to use new recruits as bait for the slaughter.
Zoe is very much against tradition, where as the older leaders of the Fire Nation are. We'll get to see more of this clash later on.
Mai has been forced into a position where she can no longer help Zuko without risking the lives of her family.
So, Zuko will discover that he cannot count on Mai's assistance a second time. And he will also come to understand that there is consequences for his actions that will affect his standing in the eyes of the people of the Fire Nation.
The same can be said for pretty much anyone in this story.
A big theme in my story is that there are consequences to every action.
As Azula will come to understand with her decision to burn the two bullies back in chapter seven.
The girls were cruel and they most certainly deserved it. But public displays of punishment can have a positive and negative affect for all involved.
Even Iroh himself. Who has turned over a new leaf and is now trying to undo Fire Nation tyranny, still has people that despise him.
For all the good that Iroh tries to do, he cannot erase the fact that there are people who were hurt by his actions back when he sieged Ba Sing Se.
In some way or another, each member of the Royal Family is responsible for causing suffering to people under their rule. And this will all become more evident as the story goes on.
And lastly, regarding the sage. She is going to be a highly instrumental character, but we won't be seeing her for quite some time.
Anyhow, I think that about covers this chapter.
Stay tuned next time.
Chapter Fifty! In the Tent!
Happy New Year everyone!