Ivan found himself running through a field, his sword in hand, as he rushed toward the dug-in cannons of the enemy, about 100 meters to his front. As he did, he glanced behind him to find the rest of his platoon following him, bayonets at the ready. "Forward soldiers! For the Tsar!" shouted Captain Dimitriev to his right as he gestured with his sword toward the blue-clad Kordish gunners, hurrying to get another round of canister on his unit before they closed to melee. After a few tense seconds, he made it to the earthen bastion just as his comrades rushed over the top.
Ivan followed suit, only to find his men engaged with the Kordish in fierce hand-to-hand fighting. He quickly jumped into the fray, lashing out at any Kordishman he could, making quick work of the first standing in his way with a feint and a quick thrust with his *spadroon as his men continued to pour into the position causing it to become crowded. (*spadroon: A long double-edged thrusting sword)
Ivan stood stock still, his eyes gazing at the man he'd just stabbed as the Kordish gunner dropped his sword and fell to the ground on his back, dislodging Ivan's blade from his chest. He watched as his blue and red coat quickly filled with blood while more poured out of his mouth. The man sputtered and croaked, his hand reaching out until, at last, his eyes glazed over, and his arm fell limp. Ivan shivered in place, his mind stricken with sorrow as he stared at the body. Not even noticing as two gunners rushed at him, with one slashing him in the chest with his *hanger and the other man hitting him near the top of his right thigh. "Ugh!" Ivan fell to the ground, his dark green jacket and white trousers stained red with his blood. (*hanger: A short, curved cutting sword)
He tried to stand up, only for his right leg to erupt with pain and prevent him from doing so. Instead, he slowly backed away as the two rushed after him, intent on finishing him off. However, before they could, more Guardsmen came to Ivan's aid, defending him long enough for several soldiers to pick him up and carry him back to friendly lines. As they did, he felt his mind beginning to lose consciousness. But, before his sight faded, he found himself lying on the ground as a young nurse came into view. Her stern amber eyes fixed on him as her porcelain skin glistened in the sun. "Well, don't just sit there. Get up!"
"Wha-!" shouted Ivan as he sat up, cold sweat running down his forehead, as he turned to find Major Dimitriev standing over him, his arms crossed over his chest as he cocked his brow. "W-What is it?"
"Come, your father wants to see you," he said as he turned to exit the tent, only ducking to ensure his plume didn't catch on the roof before disappearing out of view.
Ivan took a moment to gather his bearings. "What a miserable dream," he whispered before standing up and making his cot. Thankfully, he'd been so tired he left his jacket and trousers on, meaning Ivan only needed his visored fatigue cap, which he took before following after the Major.
Upon leaving his tent, Ivan noted the faint glow of the sun on the lower eastern horizon. He also regarded the various sentries and the installation of telegraph poles throughout the camp. Upon arriving at the headquarters, Ivan quickly made his way to the main tent, finding Major Dimitriev waiting for him. The two exchanged salutes before entering the main tent. Inside, he found his father seated with some of his aides-de-camp around the map table, with the rest of the space taken up with senior officers from various units. All was silent as his father stood up and addressed the gathered commanders. "Well, now that everyone is here. Let us begin," he paused to pull out a box which he opened to reveal many grainy black and white photographs. "Now, before I get to these, we have some business. First of all, I wish to inform you we will be throwing a parade in honour of..." his father trailed before he gestured to Ivan, with some other officers also glancing at him.
"Her Royal Highness, Crown Princess Azula of the Fire Nation," said Ivan, finishing his father's statement as others began whispering.
"Yes," Nikolai began where he left off, halting any further discussion between the officers. "Then, after the parade, she and her staff will join me to conclude the negotiations we started the previous evening," he concluded. "Now, any questions?" In response, Ivan, recalling his offer to Azula, raised his hand. "Yes, Captain?"
"When I spoke with the Princess, I offered to act as a translator. So would it be possible for me to accompany her?" he asked.
His father seemed to consider his words as the other commanders turned to him and then to each other with mixed expressions. "I don't see why not?" Nikolai replied with a slight grin before he cleared his throat and continued with the meeting. "Now, for the photos that our aviators took last night," he began as his aides picked up boxes of photos and began circulating them around. After waiting for a few minutes to allow each man present to have a glance, he continued. "Now, as you can see, our potential adversaries have built quite the fortress for themselves,"
"Ha, the 15th Artillery should take care of that!" stated a Major General, with others nodding in agreement or giving a slight chortle at his enthusiasm.
"Yes, yes, of course. No one here doubts your men's ability to turn those walls to ruble, Dima," stated Nikolai. "However, it's not just the walls that we should draw our attention to," he began as he held up a photo of the wall from above, showing men throwing what appeared to be boulders several times their size into the air quite a distance.
"That- That can't be possible!" shouted one man.
"This must be the work of sorcery!" shouted another.
"ENOUGH!" bellowed his father as he stood up and slammed his hands on the table, causing the room to grow silent. "While I agree with your sentiments, we should hold off on any accusations until we've discussed this with Her Royal Highness," he finished as the other Officers begrudgingly murmured their agreement. "Then it's settled. Now, return to your units to await further instructions," with that, he gestured for them to leave. But, when Ivan turned to follow the others, Nikolai gestured to him. "Ivan, come, I wish to speak with you,"
Ivan nodded before walking closer to the table. "What is it?"
Nikolai sat back down and waited for all the officers to leave. "It's about the Princess,"
"What about her?" Ivan inquired.
"You like her, don't you?" he asked as a slight grin appeared on his features while Ivan's cheeks turned pink.
However, just as quickly, he scowled as he glared at Nikolai. "Don't be ridiculous, Papa! I've only just met her!" he shouted in response.
Nikolai chuckled. "That may be true, but I can tell you do. Even if you don't know it yet," he posed as Ivan shook his head.
"Is that all you had to say?" he asked.
Nikolai smiled. "Yes," he said before getting up and embracing Ivan across the table. "Now, I'd suggest you hurry. Your Colonel is waiting," he whispered into Ivan's ear.
"What about the Princess?" Ivan said as he broke the embrace.
His father's face grew smug as he checked his pocket watch. "It is currently 6:52. So I will send someone to get you at 7:05," he said as he placed it back in his pocket. "Dismissed," Ivan saluted him before turning and marching out of the tent.
As always, Azula stepped out of her tent to find the camp still quiet, save for the few sentries who continued to make their rounds, not daring to glance at her as she passed. When she walked out of the main gate of the palisade wall, she was surprised to hear the faint burst of trumpets and drum beats echoing from the Ruskian camp. She then watched with interest as they exited their tents en masse before lining up in large formations with flags and banners held high and music echoing in the wind. She had come out here to practice her firebending, yet, so enthralled was she with the intriguing scene that the thought quickly slipped her mind. As she watched them go about whatever they were doing, she had to say the Ruskians were fascinating to watch. The men of the Fire Nation relied upon intimidation and power to cow their enemies. Yet, these displays didn't frighten her in the slightest. Despite this, they still seemed motivated and organized with a distinct air of purpose and duty. Then came a faint hum which followed the other instruments as she saw the Ruskian flag begin to rise on the giant flagpole she saw last night. At first, she was confused until she squinted her eyes to see it was soldiers singing along with the music.
"Боже, Царя храни!
Сильный, державный,
Царствуй на славу, на славу намъ!"
She closed her eyes, allowing the powerful piece to absorb her thoughts as it sent a chill down her spine. Even though she had never been one for music, she couldn't help but feel at peace as she heard this strange, foreign hymn echo over the plain.
"Царствуй на страхъ врагамъ,
Царь православный!
Боже, Царя, Царя, храни!"
The song ended on an extended note before Azula opened her eyes, watching perplexed as the men fell to their knees and took off their headdresses before bowing their heads. She could faintly hear voices, but it was too quiet to make anything out. After about a minute, they again stood and placed their headwear back on. They again stood in their large formations, with their weapons in hand as they continued going about whatever they were doing. As Azula continued gazing, she recalled what she'd seen in their camp the previous night and how it contrasted with what she was seeing now. Previously, she'd viewed them as unorganized and ill-disciplined, whereas this morning, they had demonstrated the exact opposite.
She almost chuckled at their strange equipment as she noted how none of them wore armour of any sort and their uniforms seemed more ceremonial than practical, with much gold decoration. As for weapons, most seemed to carry strange thrusting spears and wore short, curved swords, save the commanders, who wore long, thin blades. Others wore more strange colours and patterns yet wore long curved swords. Speaking of colours, it felt almost wrong to see so many in one army, with blue, red, green, black, white, gold, and silver all making an appearance in one way or another. Why anyone would think this a good idea left her mind boggled. How could they tell themselves from their enemies? She supposed they could use their colourful banners. But, regardless, it seemed impractical. If they were benders, it might make sense. Though, now that she thought about it, she hadn't seen a single man or woman use bending. Was it possible they didn't even have benders in their homeland? "I wonder if-"
"Azula, there you are!" she was interrupted by the distinctive, ever-cheerful voice of Ty-Lee. "We've been looking everywhere for you!"
Azula turned to find the girl, followed by several soldiers walking up to her. "And why is that? Can't you see I'm busy?" she asked while gesturing towards the Ruskian army standing in formation quite some distance behind her.
Ty-Lee took a moment to gaze at the Ruskians. "Wow, I don't think I've ever seen so many people in one place," she stated in a daze before shaking herself out of it and looking at Azula. "Oh, right, sorry. I was looking for you because you weren't in your tent,"
"Why would I be? You should know I always practice in the morning," Azula stated as she crossed her arms and cocked her brow.
Ty Lee sighed. "I'm sorry, it's just...I didn't get much sleep last night," she explained.
"I see," Azula replied as she thought of what to say next. However, she was interrupted by the distinct sound of hoofbeats, and she turned to find several Ruskians riding toward her on their horses. Even from this distance, she could see that Ivan was among them, surrounded by men clad in red jackets and black pants, with their chests covered in gold lacing. She also noted how they seemed to have two jackets, the first worn on their person while the other was worn loosely over the left side like a cloak.
Once they got close enough, they dismounted, and Ivan walked up to her before reaching out, gently taking her hand in his, and kissing it lightly. Thankfully, she was ready for it this time, so she had a much easier time keeping control of her emotions. "Greetings, Your Royal Highness," he said as he let go and rose to full height.
"Wow, so you're the guy from last night?" Ty Lee interrupted, causing both Ivan and Azula to turn to her.
"Yes. I am Grand Duke Ivan Nikolaevich Asimov of the Ruskian Empire. Though, I am afraid I didn't get your name," he said as he genuflected.
"I'm Ty-Lee," she said as she took a moment to gaze at him. If Azula didn't know better, she would have thought she was examining him. Not that she would blame her, as he must have been the tallest boy she had met, and his peculiar hair and eye colour only added to his appeal. "Wow, I've never seen anyone like you before,"
"But you saw me last night, didn't you?" he asked as he cocked an eyebrow.
In response, she smiled. "Sorry, it was dark out, and my eyes were irritated from the dust. So no, this is my first time seeing you in the light," she said, though Azula could tell she was trying to deflect. "Anyway, it's nice to see you again," she said, bowing slightly.
Ivan chuckled. "Yes, indeed it is," he replied as he turned to Azula. "I'm sorry if I was interrupting anything, Your Highness. But, my father would like to speak with you and your commanders,"
"Now?" she asked as he nodded. "Very well. But, I should like to bring our commanders to affirm any agreement,"
Ivan seemed to consider this a moment before he looked back at her and beamed. "But of course, Your Highness. Then it would be official," he stated. "Besides, it would be an honour for them to attend this morning's parade after our negotiations conclude,"
"Good, I look forward to it," she said as she turned to the soldiers and Ty Lee. "Come, we need to find General Chi, General Xang, and the War Minister," she began walking back toward the camp, with the others following behind her.
Soon enough, Azula had gathered her commanders and set off for the Ruskian camp on their rhinos, followed by 1000 of the best soldiers at her disposal. Of course, Azula never had a great love for the large, horned creatures, but, unfortunately, they were the only option as her lizards had run away after her second showdown with the Avatar. "So much for being Royalty," she whispered to herself. This time, she rode alone, ahead of the others. As she rode up to the Ruskians (there were so many of them she would've spent half an hour going around them,) she noted how they stood facing her from both sides, their weapons held on the right side from the bottom, with the officers holding their swords pointed downward while their arms held firmly at their sides.
Suddenly, music erupted from behind the ranks of soldiers. Then, not a moment after, she saw the Ruskians turn their heads and eyes to her in unison as the officers snapped their swords in front of them. As for the soldiers, they took their weapons in both hands and extended them forward. To say she was surprised would be an understatement. Never had she seen such a masterful display of unity and discipline, even from the Imperial Firebenders. Sure, she saw how they kept formation previously, but this was on an entirely different scale. All it took was a wordless command, and now hundreds, possibly thousands of men, were all gazing at her in unison as the music played in the background. Their trumpets bleared, and drums beat away, pushing her to move faster to the beat as she held herself high, her eyes straight ahead, facing several men who stood before her. She recognized both Ivan and Nikolai among them and the others she somewhat recalled from last night. She rode up to them before dismounting and walking up to them. "Greetings, Your Highness," said Nikolai as he and the others bowed respectfully. "It is good to see you again,"
Azula begrudgingly did the same. "I should say likewise," she began as she rose. "Now, let's skip the formalities and get straight to business, shall we? I should like to ensure there is no opportunity for any misunderstanding," she stated coolly, summoning an air of authority.
"But of course, if you will follow me," he said as he bowed while gesturing for her to follow before turning and leading her towards the same tent she had entered last night.
When the procession arrived, all those present entered the main tent, with the Ruskians entering first, followed by Azula and her delegation. The Fire Nation soldiers stood guard nearby, just as she had ordered them to, should anything go awry. Upon entering, Azula found the interior to be the same as the previous night, with only minor additions. These included hand-drawn pieces on the map with flame emblems and several small wooden boxes which also sat atop the table. There was also an ink pot and a writing board with a piece of paper. Nikolai proceeded to the other side, along with his aides, while Azula and her companions sat on the chairs that the Ruskians seemingly prepared for them. "Well, now that we are all here, I have something to ask of you, Your Highness," he began as he opened one of the boxes and took something out of it. For a moment, Azula tensed, ready to spring into action should Nikolai or the others attempt to harm her. Instead, he pulled out several thin pieces of paper before laying them in front of her. As she gazed at the black and white pictures, she and the others were stunned to find they were depictions of Ba Sing Se. Not only was this enough to cause her concern, but what caused her to pause was that these incredibly realistic art pieces depicted a birds-eye perspective. To Azula, this meant one of two possibilities: These Ruskians either had a secret force of Air Benders or, more likely, a flying machine.
"How did you get these?" asked War Minister Chin in an accusatory tone.
Nikolai, however, retaliated with a glare of his own. "I will only tell once you answer my question," he said as he picked up one of the pictures, this one showing an Earth Bender in the midst of throwing a boulder, which was heading almost directly toward whoever made it. "How is this possible?" he asked firmly.
For the 2nd time in under a day, Azula's pupils widened in shock as she comprehended the gravity of Nikolai's statement. She stared directly at him, looking for any sign of deception. Yet, much to her astonishment, she couldn't find a single deceptive tell, meaning that what he'd just said was the truth. He didn't understand what the picture showed, which meant he didn't know of the bending arts. However, there was only one way to tell for sure. Azula stood up and cleared her throat, causing everyone in the room to gaze at her. "What you see before you is Earth Bending, Your Imperial Highness," she replied. But just as she knew he was about to speak, she continued. "It is the art of harnessing the earth," she paused as she allowed Nikolai and the others to comprehend. "In bending, there are four elements: Fire, Air, Earth, and Water," she explained as the Ruskians continued to listen. "However, we believe that, due to our advances in technology and philosophy, we should be the ones to show the other nations the path to prosperity," Azula continued, citing the speech for her last year of school. "I am Azula, Crown Princess of the Fire Nation and the greatest Fire Bender the world has ever known," she lit the tip of her finger with a blue flame to demonstrate her mastery over her element. "Now, does that satisfy-" she paused as she noticed the Ruskians staring at her with fearful expressions, their hands on their swords. She turned her head to find the soldiers at the entrance holding their weapons at their shoulders, with what she now realized was a hollow pipe in the center, which seemed to be why the spearhead offset to the right.
Nikolai, for his part, remained in place, staring at her slackjawed. "Господи, помилуй..."
Notes: I am sorry for the delay, but I've been rather indecisive about which stories to focus on. That said, I believe this story is of the greatest value, so I have decided to put my other projects on hold. So expect more chapters shortly.