The wheels of the carriage spun too slowly for Ty Lee and Mai's liking. Both girls wanted this matter to be done with as quickly as possible, for they had unwillingly followed Azula into the town of Hui Yi to look for her gladiator.
Ty Lee had done everything in her power to talk Azula out of such a crazy decision, and Mai as well told her she was crazy to even consider sponsoring someone in the Superior Gladiator League. There were several reasons why they believed this would be nothing but trouble: one of them was that the royals had no reason to get involved in Gladiator fights. Making slaves beat each other up was a very unpleasant activity… and why should royals find entertainment in this lowly business when there were important wars to fight against the nations that still resisted them? The gladiator business had been set up several years ago so that simple noblemen could entertain themselves somehow. The Royalty of the Fire Nation had such duties to undertake that investing their time in such low pastime would have been simply ludicrous.
The other reason, though, did nothing but fuel Azula's urge to hire a gladiator: no woman had ever sponsored a gladiator before. Sponsors in the Superior Leauge were exclusively male. There were female gladiators, but female sponsors were unheard of. Apparently, women in the Fire Nation were too delicate to witness two slaves sparring… it was either that, or perhaps their husbands refused to lend them any money to hire a gladiator. Whichever the reason was, Azula couldn't help but frown at the thought. She loathed this misogynistic culture: she would beat down any obstacle in her way to prove she was superior to all the men that kept thinking otherwise. And if having her own gladiator would help her achieve her goal, so be it.
Therefore, Azula had requested a carriage to take her all the way to the town of Hui Yi. She had selected this town because the Capital only held an Arena for the Superior Gladiator League, and any gladiator involved in said league was already sponsored by someone else. In order to find a good gladiator who had yet to be sponsored, she had to find an arena of amateur gladiators, and the closest one to the Fire Nation Capital was the arena in the very same town where she had dropped off the Water Tribe warrior from a few years ago. As the carriage pulled by komodo rhinos moved closer to Hui Yi, she wondered if that man still lived… it was unlikely he did, though. Given his circumstances, Azula didn't doubt he would have been turned into a gladiator. But amateur gladiator fights were wild and deadly; Azula had heard the average amateur gladiator survived only for six months, and the weakling she had dealt with down at the South Pole had lacked the build or skills to make it through two years at the rough regime of gladiators.
"Why did you drag us here, Azula?" asked Ty Lee, staring through the window in distaste as they entered the old town, which was a very low-class place in comparison to what the three girls were used to. The houses were old, the paint on their walls was faded and the tiles on their roofs were broken more often than not. The roads were bumpy, too, and the few people Ty Lee had seen looked sick, elderly or underfed.
"I didn't feel like coming alone," replied Azula, simply. "You two can help me select the most appropriate gladiator for me."
Mai raised an inquisitive eyebrow as she eyed her friend with concern. Azula was so logical and thoughtful about everything she did… this whim of getting a gladiator was nothing like her usual self. Three girls, a Princess and two daughters of noblemen, heading into a godforsaken town like this one was way too reckless a decision, especially for Azula.
"And how exactly would we do that?" muttered Mai. "Ty Lee and I don't have much knowledge either about gladiators or about skilled fighters…"
"Don't try to fool me," said Azula. "You're a skilled fighter yourself, Mai, and so is Ty Lee. Maybe you two don't show it to anyone else, but I've seen your prowess with knives and Ty Lee's chi-blocking tactics. So even if you want to pretend you're an ignorant about fighting, I know you're lying."
Mai sighed in mild resignation, but she still wouldn't give up on her efforts to prove just how useless her presence was in these circumstances.
"Nevertheless, it doesn't mean I can identify who's a great fighter and who isn't," she muttered.
"And besides," said Ty Lee, gulping. "I really don't want to watch an amateur gladiator fight. They're horrible, from what I've heard…"
"Toughen up, Ty Lee," said Azula, as the carriage finally halted. "Facing death first hand will make you respect it far more than never witnessing it in your life."
"B-but I don't want to have anything to do with this…" whined Ty Lee, but Azula ignored her curtly as the driver of the carriage opened the door to help the girls out.
Azula couldn't help but frown when her feet hit the filthy ground. This was, most definitely, no place for a girl of her standards. Ty Lee seemed to agree with those thoughts as she looked around herself, utterly uncomfortable by their surroundings.
"Is that it?" asked Mai, as she got off the carriage and stared at the ragged building in front of them.
"Apparently," muttered Azula, her contempt evident on the expression in her face.
"I don't like this place… I don't like it one bit," muttered Ty Lee, gulping.
Her words reminded Azula that she hadn't come simply to judge if the town was decent enough for her or not. She didn't look at her friend as she replied.
"No one said you had to like it. We're not here on vacation or anything of the sort: we're here to find my gladiator."
Ty Lee sighed in resignation as she followed Azula into the worn-out building, with Mai treading right behind them. Azula detailed the wooden vestibule once she entered it: there was a man behind the counter on the opposite wall to the front door, and adjacent to said counter were two doors, which, Azula assumed, would lead them to the stands from where they would witness the gladiator fights. A chalkboard with the names of some fighters scribbled over it was hanging behind the man at the counter, who smiled at the girls as he saw them enter the building. Azula didn't take his enthusiasm to be genuine, there had to be an ulterior motive for his apparent cheerfulness; she didn't know this at the moment, but the reasoning behind his smile was that anyone who entered the premises of the arena would have to pay a fee to sit at the stands, and the man would be more than happy to charge the three of them for the proper cost.
"Welcome, ladies," he said with a joyous voice that that produced different effects on the three girls. Azula frowned, distrustful, as usual; Ty Lee smiled at him, glad to see a friendly face; Mai ignored him completely, only caring for whatever Azula decided to do now. "How may I help you?"
Azula scanned the board behind the man before answering his question.
"It's the first time we've come to an amateur gladiator fight. What are we supposed to do?" she asked, with her trademark authoritarian voice tone.
"I figured as much," he said, smiling kindly. Hui Yi's Amateur Arena had never been visited by high-class women such as these until today. "First of all, you must pay a fee to take your seats at the stands."
"Oh…" said Azula, surprised. She didn't recall having to pay to enter any gladiator fights in the Superior League. "And you plan to charge me?"
"Uh… why shouldn't I?" asked the man, confused.
"You… you don't know who I am, do you?" she asked, a smirk playing on her lips. "Oh, well. I suppose it wouldn't be appropriate to use my position to get out of paying all the time…"
The Princess slid her hands into her pockets, but she found no form of money within them. She wasn't surprised by that, although she had held on to the silly hopes that she might find a few coins hiding within her clothes. Ty Lee seemed to be facing the same situation as she checked the contents of her purse to no avail…
Mai rolled her eyes as she took out a pouch from her own purse.
"How much is it for each?" she asked.
"Uh… it's ten yuans per person," replied the man, surprised to see the girls struggling to find money. Apparently, high-class people didn't carry cash with them so freely.
Mai placed a few coins on the counter; the man immediately began counting them as Azula and Ty Lee thanked their friend.
"Gee, thanks for that, Mai!" said Ty Lee, hugging her happily.
"I'll make sure to pay you back," promised Azula.
"You'd better," replied the other. "You both should learn to carry money with you."
"The wisdom of a married woman speaking?" asked Azula teasingly, earning herself a glare from Mai.
"Ha ha, very funny," she grunted, as the other two smiled at her.
"Very well, everything's in order!" said the man behind the counter. "The three of you are free to pass through these doors and take a seat on the stands to watch the fight. You can also make your bets here, setting some money on the gladiator you think will win."
"Make bets?" asked Azula, raising an eyebrow.
"You could pay your friend back if you choose the right fighter," said the man, winking at her. Azula felt like punching him straight in the face for the gesture.
"It sounds like a nice idea, that way we wouldn't owe Mai anything," said Ty Lee, smiling.
"And with whose money, exactly, do you plan on placing your bets with?" growled Mai, irritated. "Who will pay up if you two lose?"
"I don't think I'd choose the wrong gladiator," said Azula. "But I would need to know them before selecting one over another."
"The fight that's about to happen is between the Dart Slayer and the Blue Wolf," said the man. "There will be more combats later, but you can simply bid on this one, I reckon."
"One fight should do," agreed Azula. "Well? Who's the better fighter out of those two?"
"Uh, I'm not sure, to be honest," said the man, chuckling. "The Dart Slayer is very powerful and he's been around for about three months: he fights using a scimitar and darts with some strange properties that numb his opponent whenever he hits them."
"Darts that numb people? Sounds like a combination of what we both do," said Ty Lee, smiling at Mai, who nodded in agreement.
"And what about the other one?" asked Azula.
"I really don't know how to describe him," the man admitted. "He's somewhat… strange. He has a few weapons, but they're nothing outstanding. I don't really understand how he's managed to survive for two years straight…"
"Survived for two years…?" repeated Azula. "Yet his fighting style isn't extraordinary?"
"No, well, not for someone like me," admitted the man. "I don't know much about martial arts, I'm just in charge of the money…"
"I see…" muttered Azula, thoughtful. She debated internally the situation and she nodded at Mai. "I'd appreciate it if you didn't mind giving him ten more yuans. I will bet on the Blue Wolf."
"In that case, I'll bet on him too!" said Ty Lee, cheerful.
Mai's mood soured more as she handed the money to the man. He smiled at her sympathetically as he wrote down the bets Azula and Ty Lee had decided to make, and he handed the list of bids to the girls.
"Sign your names here, and, once the fight is done, you can come back to get your money if you've won."
Azula nodded and took the brush from the man's hand, dipping it in ink before signing the paper. Ty Lee did the same, and the three of them took their leave, entering the stands a few minutes before the battle began. The man hummed a happy tune as he stacked the money along with the rest of the bidding funds, and it wasn't until later that he looked at the paper the girls had left on the counter. He scanned the second to last name, and as he did, his jaw dropped in shock.
"No way… t-that was P-Princess Azula?!" he yelled, growing pale as he realized he had charged the arena's entrance fee to the Fire Lord's daughter…
Azula led the way through the stands, and Ty Lee and Mai followed suit. None of them was fond of walking amongst commoners; they were being judged by every single person who saw them… and that was bound to be everyone within the stands, actually. Their attires stood out since they were far classier than what the people who attended the amateur gladiators fights could afford, although, if they didn't waste money in something as pointless as amateur gladiator fights, they probably wouldn't have much trouble with money, Azula thought.
They finally found an opening within the crowd, and they dropped on the creaking wooden seats, the three of them frowning when their rears hit the uncomfortable, hard planks they were supposed to sit on.
"Seriously, why did you bring us along?" asked Mai, irked. "You could've made it all the way here without us…"
"Quit whining so much," said Azula. "You're just mad because we're using your money."
"It's really cheap of you to be complaining about that, you know?" said Ty Lee, folding her arms. "You've got mounds of gold back home, don't you?"
"Don't YOU two have mounds of money as well?" asked Mai, the frown in her face growing with each passing moment.
"W-well, I guess… and that's why you can be sure that we'll be paying you back even if the gladiator we chose loses!" said Ty Lee cheerfully, but her enthusiasm wasn't contagious. Mai glared at her and turned to look at the arena as she muttered.
"This sucks."
Azula had ignored her friends' conversation as she detailed the grounds where the battle would take place. She had seen the sandy pit of the Superior Gladiator League a few times, and within it were several obstacles and objects the gladiators could use to make the fight more interesting… but this sand ring was completely different from that of the Grand Royal Dome. The sand in itself was filthy: blotches of black stained it in many places, making it look like nobody ever bothered to clean it. No objects or obstacles were in sight, apparently they were unnecessary here. Azula assumed that the only fun part about these fights was watching the combatants slit each other's throats.
Two gates at opposite ends of the pit opened then, and the crowd roared wildly. Azula frowned at the irritating noise, and she tried to ignore it as she saw two men walking into the sand. The one entering from the left wing of the stadium wore a green armor to cover his humongous body; the scimitar hanging on his back helped her identify him as the Dart Slayer. At the other end, a less burly man walked out on the arena: his helmet was shaped as a wolf's head, and it sheltered his head and neck; the clothes and armor covering the rest of his tan body were blue, reminding Azula of someone she couldn't quite place right away.
A man on his forties jumped onto a scaffold by the edge of the stands, bringing everyone's eyes to him as he yelled:
"On to the next battle, my friends!" he yelled, and another roar from the crowd told him people were expectant to witness the slaughter. "From the old Earth Kingdom's wastelands, a tough and buff fighter with several tricks under his sleeve… it's the Dart Slayer!"
The Dart Slayer yelled and roared just as enthusiastically as his supporters, making Azula wince at his attitude. She certainly wouldn't want a man like this one as her gladiator…
"And from nowhere we've heard about, the mysterious man that has proven to be a brilliant fighter many times before: the Blue Wolf!"
The Blue Wolf lifted a fist in the air, but not in a very passionate manner. He probably had been ordered to make a few moves to rouse the crowd even when he couldn't care less about what people thought of him; regardless, the multitude cheered him on eagerly.
"Gee, I think we picked the right guy, Azula!" said Ty Lee while the man on the scaffold kept rambling about both the contestants' skills. "He's so cute!"
"How can you say he's cute if you can't even see his face?" asked Mai, rolling her eyes.
"Just look at that build, Mai!" said Ty Lee, blushing as she stared at the Blue Wolf's features, mesmerized. "No matter if you're married; you'd have to be dead if looking at him doesn't produce at least a little fascination in you! He's so great-looking…"
Azula heard Ty Lee's words and wondered why the girl was so smitten over the Blue Wolf. Granted his muscles were well defined and his slender but strong figure seemed far better preserved that what Azula would have expected to see on an amateur gladiator, but that didn't mean he was strikingly handsome. Well, maybe he was, maybe he wasn't… it hardly mattered. He was bound to be a simple-minded brute beneath whatever looks he was concealing behind his helmet. Azula decided to reserve her judgment of him until after she had witnessed his fighting skills.
"… But will the Blue Wolf's long-standing winning streak last? Or will the Dart Slayer send him to the next life today?" said the man on the scaffold. "We'll find out right away! Let the battle begin!"
And with another roar of the crowd, he dropped back on his seat, the highest one in the stands. Azula figured he was the owner of the arena, judging both by the seat he took and his attitude… but she decided to focus on the two combatants now, since the fight had finally started.
The Blue Wolf hadn't unsheathed the weapons that hung on his belt and back, whereas the Dart Slayer already had his scimitar in hand, circling his rival while showing him a smirk of yellow teeth. In a quick movement, the Dart Slayer slid his hand into a pouch that hung on his belt and he tossed something towards the Blue Wolf, something small and sharp, not easy to see with the naked eye, but for what they knew about this fighter, it couldn't have been anything other than his fabled darts.
The Blue Wolf jumped out of the way and knocked a few darts over with a club that had been on his back; he swung it with such speed that most the crowd stared in disbelief. Azula's eyes studied his movements quickly as she began thinking Ty Lee's statement had been right: she really had selected the superior fighter. He was swift and effective with his every move, not overdoing anything as he calculated the situation quickly, trying to figure out how his opponent would attack next, where he should strike back…
The Blue Wolf kept avoiding the darts for a while until the Dart Slayer seemed to grow irritated to see his attacks were fruitless. With his scimitar in hand, he ran towards his opponent, who took another weapon from his back and parried his rival's attack with it. Azula frowned when she saw what the Blue Wolf was using to fight now. Maybe she was seeing things… but it sure looked like the blue boomerang she had seen a long time ago in the hands of that reckless Water Tribe Warrior. Could it be him? No, no… it was ridiculous. That boy was a foolish fighter; he had definitely not been skilled enough to survive for two years of battling against the wildest slaves… she couldn't recognize that boy's fighting style on the Blue Wolf anyway. It was likely his weapons had been given to a man who decided to use them after he had been slain on his first battle or something… it was a more logical conclusion than to think he was the same man she had met down South.
But if this was Sokka of the Water Tribe…
Her heart skipped a beat at the thought. She gulped as she tried to keep her sudden emotions at bay. It couldn't be him, it simply couldn't. She shook her head, feeling like a fool by letting her thoughts bother her. It didn't mean anything if this man was the same one she had met all those years ago… it wasn't as if she was going to select precisely him as her gladiator, was she?
But wasn't she? As she saw him struggle against the Dart Slayer she realized his fighting style appealed to her far more than it should. It didn't help that Ty Lee's crazy ideas about the man being handsome were starting to slip into her head as she saw how his muscles tensed with every movement he made. Part of his chest was in plain sight, his armor didn't cover him completely, and the glistening sweat that ran down his skin made her mouth run dry all of sudden… She had to shake her head to return to reality, wondering what on earth was taking over her.
But her attention was quickly drawn back by the fight itself when the Dart Slayer, after his blade clashed against the Blue Wolf's boomerang several times, withdrew a dart sneakily from his pouch and stuck it into the Blue Wolf's shoulder.
The Blue Wolf jumped backwards after pushing his opponent away forcibly with one hand. The Dart Slayer fell to the ground and jumped up while the Blue Wolf walked as far as he could from his rival, his left arm growing numb instantly. Were the darts coated with some kind of poison? The Blue Wolf didn't know, but he decided he wouldn't take any chances. He removed the needle from his arm and some blood trickled down his arm. Judging by the fact that he couldn't see any liquids that proved his wound was infected with anything dangerous, he assumed he would be safe to continue fighting despite how numb his arm felt. He would have to make do with only his right arm for now.
The Dart Slayer continued tossing projectiles at the Blue Wolf now that his opponent had been weakened, but to his dismay, the Blue Wolf kept avoiding and knocking darts over with his club. The Blue Wolf's eyes narrowed as he assessed the situation quickly, or at least, Azula guessed that was what he was doing. The darts were deadly; he would need to force his enemy to fight only with his sword… so he would have to keep distance between himself and his opponent in order to force him to attack with darts until he ran out of needles. Another possible course of action would be to distract him with the boomerang and jump at him with the club when the Dart Slayer wasn't expecting an attack… well, that is, if the Blue Wolf was smart enough to think things through while catching his breath.
And to her surprise, it seemed he was smart enough indeed. Azula stared at him in awe as he tossed his boomerang at the Dart Slayer, who hadn't foreseen the attack, and he had to duck to avoid the blow. While he did so, the Blue Wolf detached something from his belt and rolled it on the floor in the direction of the Dart Slayer, who stumbled to regain his stance. And when he did, he found there was a small gray sphere between his feet.
He realized what was going to happen far too late to avoid it. The sphere began spinning on its own accord as it released black smoke on the section of the pit where the Dart Slayer stood.
The Blue Wolf smirked as he grasped his club, waiting… waiting. He was simply listening to the Dart Slayer's whimpers as he tried to find his way within the cloud of smoke. He moved towards where he heard the Dart Slayer's footsteps. Just waiting, waiting… and trying not to think things through. If he tried to reason with what he was doing, he would lose his center yet again, and he couldn't let that happen. He took a deep breath and grasped his club with a powerful grip as the Dart Slayer's figure finally began to take shape within the smoke…
The Dart Slayer stumbled and tripped as he finally managed to slip out of the smoke… but before he could make any sense of his bearings, a powerful strike hit his legs, knocking him over to the ground. His bones had just been crushed by the Blue Wolf's club, who had attacked his rival the very second he had left the smoke cloud. He repeated his blows, blood splattering all over the place as the Dart Slayer cried out loud in agony, realizing he had lost the battle even though he wasn't dead yet. He soon would be, at this rate…
The Blue Wolf stepped away from the shuddering figure in the ground, panting as he did his best to empty his mind before delivering the final blow.
He tried his best not to assimilate what he had done when he felt the man's skull shattering under the power of his club.
The crowd roared with joy as the Dart Slayer became nothing but a memory, another corpse lying under the scorching midday sun. Ty Lee had jumped into Mai's arms, hiding her face in the girl's shoulder as to avoid watching the gruesome scene, unwilling to be a witness of such an atrocious act. Mai herself had shut her eyes firmly, disgusted by the pointless violence.
But Azula, despite not feeling too comfortable by watching how a man killed another by breaking his head, was in too big a shock to care. The smoke bomb, the boomerang, the club… and the man from the counter had said this particular fighter had survived for two years straight. Maybe she was jumping to conclusions; it might not be him anyway…
All trace of doubts vanished when the Blue Wolf took off his helmet and waved at the crowd unenthusiastically, his features now in plain sight.
She didn't need to see the scars in his neck, the ones she had put there herself… she didn't need to pay attention to his warrior's wolf tail. All she had needed to see to confirm her doubts were his deep blue eyes, which glistened brightly under the sun.
When he turned to wave towards the zone where she sat, she felt time stopping as she came to a realization. This man, the only man who had ever acknowledged her as equals despite her being a woman… this man was a gladiator. She had come looking to sponsor somebody, and he had proven he had talents and expertise worthy of a professional gladiator. Her heart pounded in her chest as she stared at his features, wondering if he had been this attractive back when they'd met at the South Pole…
The man jumped on the scaffold again and kept rousing the crowd while praising the Blue Wolf's skills non-stop, as if he hadn't doubted he would survive back when the battle hadn't even begun. But Azula was too busy staring at the surviving warrior to care about the man's words. When the smoke finally cleared up, a few slaves showed up to remove the Dart Slayer's corpse from the grounds, and the Blue Wolf walked away, exiting the premises of the sand pit through the same door through which he had entered it in the first place.
"I-is it over…?" asked Ty Lee, tears streaming down her face as she pulled away from her friend's arms.
"Yeah," said Mai, feeling a lump on her throat after the horror she had witnessed.
"Azula… please, let's leave," begged Ty Lee, turning to the Princess and tugging on her sleeve. "I can't watch another of these awful fights, I really can't. Please don't do this, it's too dreadful…"
"Don't worry," muttered Azula sternly, surprising both Ty Lee and Mai. "We don't need to watch the next fight."
"What? Why?" asked Mai. "Please tell me you're saying this because you've decided you won't be part of something so gruesome…"
"It is sickening," admitted Azula. "But no, I haven't given up on my ploy, not in the slightest."
"A-are you saying…?" asked Ty Lee, staring at her in horror. "Are you saying you'll take that guy as your gladiator?!"
"Yes," said Azula, uttering that sole syllable with enough determination to silence both her friends.
She stood up then, and Ty Lee and Mai were glad to follow her and leave the stands of the horrible gladiator arena. Still, both of them were eyeing Azula with concern. Was she really going to hire such a deadly and heartless man to become her gladiator? Ty Lee no longer seemed to care about how great his looks were, aghast as she was after observing how he had destroyed his opponent's legs with such ease – she had already hidden on Mai's shoulder before he delivered the final blow. She didn't have to watch the end of the fight to be completely appalled by how ruthless he had been. He was truly terrifying… but so was Azula, truth to be told. They probably made a better pair than it seemed at first thought.
When they reached the vestibule, the man at the counter jumped at the sight and threw himself on the floor, bowing down to Azula.
"I apologize for my behavior, Princess!" he squealed, and Azula stared at him in disgust.
"What's the matter with you?" she asked. "Get up, this is ridiculous."
"Hey… where's my money?" Mai asked the man, folding her arms. "The Blue Wolf won. Pay up."
"Oh! Oh! Right away!" yelled the man, running behind the counter and pulling out far more coins than he needed to. "I'm very sorry for any inconveniences, I can't believe I was stupid enough to make you pay… I'm a disgrace."
"You probably are," said Azula, as she watched Mai collect the money they owed her. "But you can still be a little useful, despite how pathetic you are. Who should I talk to if I want to sponsor a gladiator?"
The man behind the counter put away the extra coins he had put out, and he stared at Azula in awe as he processed her words.
"W-well…" he mumbled, building up a reply. "I guess you should go up to Huang Li, he's the one in charge of the whole thing… but he's going to be busy for a while with the next fights. Once all the battles are done, you'll be able to find him in the gladiator barracks. They're right behind the arena; you can access them through an alley that runs right next to this very building…"
"So we have to wait?" asked Azula, irritated. "How many fights are there left?"
"Two, I believe," muttered the man. "Hopefully they'll be over quickly."
"They'd better be," grumbled Azula. "We'll wait here until they're done."
Mai and Ty Lee nodded and the three of them sat on a bench at one side of the vestibule. They didn't talk much, for both Mai and Ty Lee were too troubled after what they had witnessed and Azula was wondering what exactly she would do once she faced the gladiator again. This reencounter wasn't bound to go smoothly, she didn't expect it to… but she needed him. She would grant the gladiator whatever he wished for as long as he helped her fulfill her goals.
After an hour or so, people began leaving the arena: the matches were over. Azula stood up and gestured at her friends to follow her, which they did without a second thought, hoping to see this matter end as quickly as possible. They left the arena and walked down the alley the man from the counter had mentioned. Azula wasn't surprised to see the man from the scaffold chuckling and laughing as he counted the coins in his bag: he was the one in charge of this business, no doubt about it.
"Excuse me," said Azula, announcing herself. "I need to speak to Huang Li."
"I'm Huang Li," said the man, still too busy with his money to look at who he was talking to. "Whaddaya want, wench?"
Mai and Ty Lee stared at the man in shock, unable to believe the man had dared insult Azula in this manner. The Princess, though, did nothing other than smirk. This man most definitely knew not of what he had asked for… and he was about to find out, painfully.
"Care to say that again, useless scum?" she muttered, her serene voice concealing her anger.
Huang Li finally looked up when she insulted him. Nobody insulted him and got away with it… was what he had planned to say until he saw the three elegant ladies in front of him. The one who was glaring at him menacingly was wearing a golden hairpiece, to boot… he was done for, he knew it.
Huang Li couldn't do anything but squeal in horror as Azula grabbed him by the neck of his shirt and pinned him against a wall fiercely. It didn't matter that he was at least four inches taller than her and much heavier, she had more than the necessary strength to deal with him. Both Mai and Ty Lee, despite having been so shaken by gladiator fight, actually hoped Azula would beat the man to a pulp. They weren't as resentful towards the misogynist society they lived in as the Princess was, but there was a limit as to how much rubbish they were willing to put up with by stupid men like Huang Li.
Azula held the man in place with her right hand and coated her left with her blue fire, just so that Huang Li would understand the extent of his crime if he hadn't realized already who he was dealing with.
"I… I…" he said, panting. "I'm so sorry, Your Highness… I didn't notice it was you…"
"I should hope so," muttered Azula. "Regardless, I recommend you begin thinking before opening that foul mouth of yours from now on. Although I doubt you can do such a thing, you mustn't even have a brain within that thick skull… although, is it really that thick? Well, I'll find out if it is soon enough…"
As she asked the last question she raised her free hand towards his temple, and Huang Li began panting uncontrollably, fearing for his life.
"I'm so sorry, Your Highness!" he yelled. "I… I didn't mean to! I… I beg you, don't kill me!"
Azula didn't feel like sparing his life, to be honest… but she knew both Mai and Ty Lee had seen enough violence in one day to also witness how she slaughtered a man in the middle of an alley. She didn't recoil, but she decided to get what she was looking for before giving the man the punishment he deserved.
"I won't… if you help me with something," she muttered. "Can you do that?"
"A-anything! I swear, I'll do anything!" he squealed desperately, making her wince. He was truly disgusting.
"Good," muttered Azula. "I want to speak to the Blue Wolf in private. Where can I find him?"
"Oh… t-the Blue Wolf?" asked Huang Li. "H-he's in here, but the barracks… they're no place f-for a Princess such as yourself!"
"What are you trying to say, Huang Li?" asked Azula, bringing her fire dangerously close to his face.
"I mean…! I can set up a meeting between you both!" he squealed, terrified. "I will, I will! But not here! This is no place for a Princess! T-there's an inn across the street, m-my brother owns it! I'll send the Blue Wolf there, t-to room 24! Wait there, I'll have him meet you there right away!"
Azula frowned, the fire on her hand still dancing hazardously. Huang Li's eyes were almost overflowing with tears by now, as he believed he would lose his life to her left hand… and his fear of death caused him to scream when her right hand began burning the cloth she was gripping firmly.
Once she burned the fabric she was holding, Huang Li collapsed on the ground while smacking his chest, trying to smother the flames that still burned his clothes and his body hair.
"Make sure you set this up, then," Azula said. "I will be waiting. Room 24, you said? If your gladiator isn't there in ten minutes, I'll be burning more than just your shirt next time. Am I clear?"
"C-crystal clear, Your Highness!" squeaked Huang Li, bowing even though he was still patting his chest.
Azula looked down on him, feeling compelled to deliver another strike at him… but she held back. If he didn't send Sokka to her on time, she would make him pay for it afterwards, when Mai and Ty Lee weren't watching.
"Let's go, ladies," she said, walking down the alley once more, headed towards the inn Huang Li had mentioned. Mai and Ty Lee followed her, but not before glaring at the man that still lay on the ground, panting as he tried to catch his breath.
Huang Li's legs still trembled when he entered the barracks in order to find the Blue Wolf, Dumberang, Sokka of the Water Tribe. He found him washing his clothes after having taken a bath himself, a ritual he performed every time he was done with his combats for the day. Huang Li tapped the young man on the right shoulder, surprising him.
"W-what's the matter?" asked Sokka, clearing his throat. He hadn't spoken in what felt like ages… but seeing Huang Li looking this troubled was too unusual not to comment on. Something strange must have happened to him, judging by the look on his face and his scorched shirt.
"D-dum… Blue Wolf," he said, avoiding using his ridiculous nickname for Sokka. "Someone… someone wants to talk to you. You must m-meet her in the inn across the arena, room 24. Go, or else she'll kill us both…"
"She?" asked Sokka, standing up as he frowned. "Who is this 'she', exactly?"
"She… I… I was a fool," said Huang Li, shaking his head. "I called her… how could I call her wench? I'm the worst, I… I'll pay for this… and I'm sure I will… I don't know why she spared my life, b-but she threatened me with that blue fire…"
Sokka's eyes opened wide, and he dropped the cloth he had been cleansing.
A dangerous woman with blue fire who had let Huang Li live for reasons unknown after he had insulted her… it couldn't be, could it?
"W-wait… why?" he asked, frowning. "Didn't you ask her why she wanted to talk to me?!"
"How could I have questioned her?!" cried Huang Li "She's so beautiful and terrible… I had nothing to say to the Fire Lord's daughter. All she wanted was to see you, and that's all I can do… i-if I'm lucky, maybe she won't kill me when she's through with you…"
Sokka wanted to keep questioning the man in front of him, but he decided against it immediately. His worst enemy, the woman he kept thinking about, the woman he wanted to kill, had requested his presence. A smile formed on his features as he realized his hopes to take revenge on her might actually come true now.
He took some spare clothes from the pile of objects that belonged to him and he clad himself with them, buckling up, weapons included, to meet Princess Azula of the Fire Nation. For two years he had waited for the chance to cross paths with her again, and now she had sought him out herself. Maybe this was his lucky day after all…