Sokka paced on the deck of the ship, stretching his arms and legs. They had been at sea for an entire day now, a day he had spent sleeping in the cabin he had been provided with. He was slightly bothered to notice he was the only one with a room of his own, aside from the Princess. The sailors worked hard to keep the ship afloat, but they slept in the ship's general quarters, on one of the lower decks of the Barge. Not even the Princess's guards had sleeping quarters for themselves, having to settle with sharing a single, yet spacious, cabin for all of them.
It was quite a magnificent and large ship, but Sokka couldn't enjoy the luxuries it had to offer, for he was far too wary of everything still. He couldn't remember accurately what had happened to him after being captured by the Princess, for he had spent most the journey to the Fire Nation blacking out from the pain and coming back to his senses briefly before dropping unconscious again. His only certainty was that his time aboard this ship had been anything but pleasant, and thus he was instinctively uneasy while aboard the Barge.
His inherent caution didn't keep him from studying the ship carefully this time, though, which was why he had taken to wandering the deck. The Barge's prow was crowned by perfectly symmetrical golden spikes that both kept the ship balanced and threatened to tear through whatever obstacle got in its way. A tall tower stood at a certain distance from where Sokka was, and behind it were the two tall pipes through which the smoke from the ship's engines was released.
The Royal Guards performed rounds of vigilance frequently, keeping an eye on everything that happened on the ship. Azula had been in her particular cabin, the finest room in the tower of her Royal Barge, until she was told they were approaching their destination. She had headed towards the main deck upon those tidings, and she had spent the last miles of the voyage resting on the very same throne she had sat on when she had arrived to the South Pole.
Looking back, Azula acknowledged she had never imagined those events would prove to be as crucial in her life as they had been… she had expected to be facing an ordinary mission, a mere task she needed to fulfill for her father's sake. And she had been proven wrong on her assumptions by the foolish peasant that had been walking on the deck of her barge for a while now.
"Having fun?" she asked him when he passed near her. Sokka gave her one of his typical glares.
"Why do you ask?" he grunted.
"I figured you were enjoying yourself this time…" she said, staring at her nails. "The last time you traveled on my Barge you didn't have a chance to explore anything, so it would seem you're doing it now."
"Funny how you're conveniently ignoring what my situation was the last time I was aboard this thing," growled Sokka.
"You don't expect me to apologize or to feel sorry for you, do you?" she asked, raising an eyebrow.
Sokka frowned and shrugged.
"Not really…"
"Good to know. Because I wasn't going to do either thing anyways," she replied curtly, smirking a little.
"I never expected otherwise," said Sokka, scowling at her as he approached her. "Well? Isn't it about time you tell me who exactly is the man you want as my master?"
Azula raised an eyebrow again; her hands came together, fingers intertwined, as she stared at Sokka with disdain.
"You think it's 'about time' I do something? Since when do you call the shots here, snow savage?" she asked, pronouncing the last two words in a particularly poisonous manner.
"It's not like you've minded before…" he said, smirking. "I was under the impression we had quite a balanced relationship."
"I think I'll be the one deciding the terms of our… whatever this is," she said, refusing to use that particular word; Sokka chuckled at that.
"If you say so. But I still would like to know a little more about the man I'll be facing," said Sokka. "Isn't there anything you can tell me about him?"
Azula frowned, deep in thought.
"I guess it won't hurt to comply…" she said, sighing. "His name is Piandao. He used to serve the Fire Nation military as a very high-ranked officer, but he resigned from his post a long time ago and devoted himself to teaching the ways of the sword to those he deemed worthy of the knowledge."
"Huh…" said Sokka, folding his arms as he pondered the information. "You said he was the best sword master, didn't you?"
"Or so says his reputation," said Azula. "And because of said reputation, he believes he's entitled to be picky and extremely particular about whom he takes as his disciples. Truth to be told, I doubt he's half as difficult to please as he pretends to be…"
"What do you mean?" asked Sokka, frowning.
"He's known for disagreeing with the Fire Nation's ways, he seems to despise the Royal Family… yet he had no grievances when it came to accepting my brother as his disciple many years ago. I always guessed a great sack of money was involved with that."
"If that's the case, that's really low of him" grunted Sokka, frowning.
"Which is why I have my own bag of money in case he decides to turn you down," said Azula, smirking.
Sokka couldn't do anything but stare at her, dumbfounded.
"You're crazy, woman" he stated, not for the first time. "Well, you did say he would teach those he deemed worthy… maybe your brother was worthy, despite his lineage."
Azula snorted in derision, shaking her head.
"Finding my brother worthy speaks ill of whatever criteria he uses to decide who's worthy and who isn't… but if you're right about that, he's bound to accept you as well. I hardly know you, but what little I know says you're a thousand times the man my brother will ever be."
Sokka couldn't repress a slight blush until he realized she wasn't actually complimenting him, but rather insulting her older sibling. The story of Zuko of the Fire Nation was still something confusing for him… why had the prince been exiled? Why did his sister hold such contempt towards him? Why didn't she miss him at all? Even when Sokka used to fight with his sister Katara all the time, he couldn't stop missing her. Perhaps Zuko missed his sister even if she didn't miss him…? Well, he knew nothing about the banished prince anyway. He might be even crueler than Azula herself, for all he knew…
"I'm glad you think I'll have it easy, then," said Sokka. "Is he a ruthless teacher?"
"I wouldn't know," said Azula; her eyes grew colder at his inquiry.
"Why?"
"Because he was never my master."
Sokka stared at her, surprised, and then he smirked cruelly.
"Hehe, I think someone was found unworthy…"
The sudden change in Azula's façade surprised him. She didn't shift, she didn't move: she simply closed her eyes. But Sokka found himself regretting what he said instantly. He had no clue of what he was talking about, that much was clear…
"Uh… hey… don't be so mad, I was just joking…" he mumbled, troubled.
"It surprises me you think I could be found unworthy at all," Azula muttered, her voice trembling slightly. Was she angry, or was she sad? Sokka couldn't tell at all. "I guess I didn't judge you wrongly when we first met."
"W-what's that supposed to mean?" asked Sokka, blinking.
"Matters must be very different down at your Pole if you don't understand what I'm saying… perhaps if I had been born there, life would have been easier to cope with, on some level."
Sokka stared at her in shock, completely confused now.
"Okay, so this is the part where you clear up whatever it is you're trying to say…" he suggested, trying to smile positively at her. Azula ignored him as her eyes remained focused on the shore the ship was approaching rapidly.
"We are getting close to Shu Jing," she stated, disappointing Sokka.
"Hey! Don't change the subject!" he squeaked.
"Didn't you wish to know more about Piandao?" asked Azula, standing up. "Well, you're about to meet him at last. You'll be able to come to your conclusions about him now."
"But…" he said, yet she ignored his protests as she approached the edge of the ship.
As soon as the Barge was docked and the ramp was lowered, Azula climbed it down with steady footing. Sokka followed her, still worried about her reaction after what he had said previously, but they were stopped by a sudden call from the ship's captain.
"P-Princess! What are you doing?" he called, staring at her in disbelief.
"What does it look like I'm doing?" she asked, turning towards him, sternly. "I'm heading towards my destination, obviously enough."
"But you shouldn't go on foot!" exclaimed the man. "The palanquin will be ready shortly, just wait for a little…"
"There's a very steep climb ahead of us," said Azula. "I don't trust the weak palanquin bearers I've been provided with to lift me and bring me all the way to Piandao's home. They might even have me fall to the ground if one of them loses his footing. It's less risky for me to walk."
"B-but Princess…"
"My decision is final, captain. I will have half the Royal Guards come with me; the rest of them and the crew will stay on this ship" declared Azula.
The Princess resumed her strides; Sokka followed her without a word when he realized she wouldn't wait for the guards. Azula led the way uphill from the dock through the established path that led to the small town up ahead. Sokka looked at her with curiosity, for she had refused to take a palanquin when this road seemed a bit too rough for a Princess to walk through…
"Why didn't you ride the palanquin?" he asked, speeding up to keep up with her, and so that the guards behind him wouldn't overhear their conversation.
Azula studied him for a second before answering his question.
"I think I already told you Piandao has a very low image of the Royal Family. Showing up on his doorstep clad in honors, despite how well deserved they might be, could ruin our cause completely. I'm doing this mostly for your sake, so you'd better be grateful."
"I just hope it's really worth the bother…" said Sokka, stretching his arms.
"Also, walking is a good form of exercise," said Azula. "You'd better have enough stamina to make it through the whole hike."
"I don't think I'll disappoint you on that," replied the gladiator.
They continued in silence for a few more minutes, but Sokka wouldn't stop eyeing her with curiosity and concern. Just how upset was she after his stupid statement? What was so upsetting about it anyways? He was certain that the nature of their relationship, whatever it was, allowed him to annoy her and vice versa…
"Are you mad?" he finally asked, staring at her with slight guilt.
Azula frowned at turned to him, surprised.
"Uh, I'll answer you with another question… since when do you care if I'm mad or not?"
Sokka was taken aback by her inquiry, and he stopped on his tracks. What was wrong with him? Why was he asking something so strange? What did it matter to him if she was mad or not?
"I… I…" he mumbled, troubled.
"You are a very unusual man, that much is obvious" said Azula, smirking. "I'll assume you're only concerned since you fear retribution at some point if you anger me… and you'll pay if you ever offend me, don't misunderstand. But what you said back then didn't infuriate me, if you truly need to know."
"Right," muttered Sokka, still eyeing Azula with slight concern. Did she really mean that…?
"Well, now you can stop focusing on me and look around you," said Azula, and Sokka obeyed her, looking at the island with interest. "You'll probably be trained by Piandao on these very terrains. It will be better for you to start familiarizing with them right away."
"Good idea…" Sokka complied, and he halted on his footsteps when he spotted something that stood out amongst the green fields around him. "What's that?"
Azula stopped too and stared in the direction Sokka was pointing towards. A black rock surrounded by severely damaged grounds stood a few yards away from where they were walking. Azula took in the scene and continued walking, shrugging.
"I don't know. I'd never seen anything like that before."
Sokka stared at the stone with interest for a few seconds, wondering why such an uncanny rock stood in the middle on this island, atop a patch of blackened earth… but he was quick to forget about it as he sprinted to catch up with Azula. Before he knew it, they were a few yards away the town. He smiled at the thought of heading into the town, wondering if he might get something to drink since he was rather thirsty… but Azula suddenly grabbed the neck of his shirt and pulled him away from the main road that led inside the town.
"What are you doing?! What's your fixation with my neck, woman?!" he yelled. "Do you want to give me a new set of scars?"
"Sounds like a fun idea, but we can leave that for another occasion," she said, smirking as he glared at her. "I don't want to head into the town. It'll cause a ruckus I'd rather avoid if the Princess is spotted by the townsfolk."
"Huh?" asked Sokka, surprised. "Why's that?"
"Rumors would spread about me heading into Piandao's home," said Azula. "And I wish to avoid being the subject of chatter if possible. I don't want anyone knowing I'm up to something with a gladiator until you enter your first fight."
"Why?" asked Sokka again, but Azula didn't answer by doing anything but dragging him, still by the neck, to walk by the surroundings of the town. "You can let go of me now, you know?"
Azula smiled slightly, but she complied and released him. Sokka fixed his appearance, still scowling at the Princess, and he looked around, thoughtful.
"You said you don't want to walk into town… so where exactly does this Piandao guy live, then?"
Azula didn't respond with words, she merely pointed towards the cliff that stood at the other end of the town. An incredible palace stood atop it, and Sokka couldn't do anything but stare in awe as they walked towards it… was this Piandao some sort of nobleman? Was he paid so well for his services that he could afford living in such luxurious mansion? Would a man like that accept him as his student? He would find out soon enough…
After about fifteen more minutes of walking, they finally arrived to the front door of the mansion. Azula and Sokka arrived panting softly, although they both refused to show any weakness to the other. Such was the nature of the curious rivalry that had been born between them: they wouldn't waver, no matter how their bodies begged them for respite, because they refused to cast away their pride before one another. The royal guards behind them weren't as stubborn, though. They rested with their hands on their knees as they tried to catch their breath; one even had collapsed on the floor, wheezing as he finally had a moment to rest.
"So… what's the plan?" asked Sokka, standing up straight.
"The plan is you'll let me do all the talking," stated Azula. "You will keep quiet and only speak if spoken to, understood?"
"Uh… okay, I guess," muttered Sokka, as Azula took one of the knockers and struck the door powerfully with it twice.
"What will you… what will you have us do, Princess?" said the Captain of the Royal Guards, walking up to them, breathing with a little difficulty.
"You will stay outside," declared Azula, turning towards the man.
His face was blocked from sight, but it didn't need to be for the Princess to sense how affronted he was.
"I cannot accept that, Princess. That mansion might host dangers for you!" he claimed, and she sighed, rolling her eyes.
"What will it take for all of you to realize I can take care of myself? I'm far more capable a fighter than you are, and I will be more than able to stand my ground against any man inside this building."
"The man inside this building isn't just any man, you know as much" said the Captain.
"I do," admitted Azula, as Sokka grew impatient behind her and walked up to the doors. "But he's also a highly ethical man in his own way. He wouldn't dare attack me, he would be aware of the dire consequences he'd have to face if he so much raised a hand against me. And he's become too much of a pacifist to cave into such pointless urges anyways."
"I… I'm sorry, Princess, but I cannot let you head inside this manor on your own," said the man, stubbornly.
"Why, that's fine by me, because you aren't supposed to allow me to do anything, Captain. In case you forgot, I'm the one who makes the decisions here. You'll be doing what I command you to do, and nothing other than that."
"But Princess…" The Captain would have continued to argue with the Princess, if only a frantic banging behind him hadn't interrupted their conversation.
Azula jumped and turned around, and she was shocked to see her gladiator striking the doors in front of him with savage force, both knockers at the time, with a very dumb look on his face as he gritted his teeth.
"What do you think you're doing, you idiot?!" yelled Azula, forgetting completely about her Captain.
Sokka blinked and turned towards her, still holding the knockers.
"No one was coming, so I thought maybe they didn't hear when you knocked…" he said, innocently.
"Did you see the size of that mansion?!" yelled Azula. "It's so big it would take ages for whoever's inside to come open up!"
"That's true, but it's so big it's likely they didn't even hear your weak knocking!" he squealed, stubbornly.
"And so you decided to strike the doors like a madman instead! That's truly the plan of a genius! Curse it, you've already made a fool of yourself and the rest of us as well by demonstrating how uncivilized you are!" she yelled.
"Oh, come on!" said Sokka, rolling his eyes "I don't think the big master will refuse to teach me just because I was knocking like…"
Sokka was interrupted when one of the twin doors swung inwards. He was still holding onto the knocker and he squealed as he almost fell to the floor, struggling to maintain his balance. He stumbled; once he had regained his footing he saw the shoes of the man who had opened the door. Slowly he raised his head, unsure if this was the powerful master Azula had been telling him about…
A man with a stern face stared back at him once their eyes met, a man with gray hair that matched his beard. He seemed disapproving of Sokka's strange pose… especially since he was still holding onto the knocker and was bent over as he looked at him.
"H-hey…" said Sokka, letting go of the door's handle and taking a few steps back.
Azula couldn't do anything but glare at him in utter indignation. How had he dared do something so foolish…?
"State your business," said the man, with a bored voice tone.
"I wish to have a word with Master Piandao," said Azula, stepping forward.
Azula didn't remember this man from her previous visit to this castle, but she wasn't the type to recall the faces or names of people she found inconsequential. The man seemed to analyze her quickly: the ornamental hairpiece on her head was quick to give away her identity as the Fire Lord's daughter and current heir to the throne.
"What do you wish to ask of him?" the man inquired.
"I wish to request for him to train this man," said Azula, pointing at Sokka. She also glared at Sokka when she turned towards him, telling him with her eyes to abide by the commands she had already given him or he'd face dire consequences.
The man at the door raised an eyebrow, probably certain his master wouldn't accept such a sloppy student, but he welcomed them into the house regardless. Azula glared at her guards' Captain one last time, making him freeze on the spot where he stood, and she entered the premises of Piandao's home followed closely by a nervous Sokka, who only started to feel tense as they walked through the house's garden. Would he really be up to the sword master's standards?
"Are you faring alright?" asked Azula, without looking at him.
"I… I guess. I'm sorry for what I did," he muttered. "I'm not very patient."
"You'll learn to be with Piandao, if he accepts to teach you," said Azula. "And you'd better learn everything he attempts to lecture you in, no matter what it is. I don't believe my brother grasped every bit of knowledge Piandao laid out for him… if he had, he probably wouldn't have been banished at all."
"Huh…" said Sokka. "Well, I think I'm a good learner, so if he takes me I think I can pull it off…"
"Good to know you're confident," said Azula, as their guide walked inside the main building.
They remained silent for the rest of the stroll. After a few minutes of walking, they finally reached a wide and handsome room where a man sat in front of a table, a brush in one hand as he held his sleeve up with the other. He didn't show any signs of having noticed their arrival. Azula stepped forward.
"I am pleased to see you're doing well, Master Piandao."
Piandao moved swiftly the brush in his hand, finishing his calligraphy with a flutter without paying much heed to Azula's statement. He settled the brush down carefully, as to avoid dripping any ink on the desk, and he stood up, bowing curtly in Azula's direction.
"I am very surprised to find myself facing the Fire Lord's daughter once again," he replied. "You were barely a toddler the last time I saw you, if I recall correctly."
Sokka couldn't help but frown at those words as his imagination took flight. What had Azula been like as a baby? He could picture with ease a tiny, chubby child with a frown on her brow, her golden eyes gleaming with malice as she unleashed blue flames through her small hands…
"I was five years old at the time, Master Piandao," Azula stated. "Old enough to begin instruction under your guidance, if only the situation had allowed it."
"Indeed," said Piandao. "You could have made a good student, perhaps… but it is a little late to grieve over what happened so many years ago. I must say, you have grown to become the spitting image of your mother, although you carry yourself in a manner that's very much like your father's."
Azula flinched at the comment about her mother, her eyes blazing with fury. She was certain Piandao held a dormant despise for her family in general, but his ways to go about that contempt weren't the ones a regular man would take, Azula believed. Instead of being blunt about how he felt, he would resort to false paises, meaning to insult her instead. Comparing her to her mother was, by far, the most offensive thing he could have done. She wanted to be nothing like her.
"To what do I owe, then, the pleasure of this visit?" asked Piandao, his face solemn.
"You instructed my brother Zuko in the way of the sword many years ago," said Azula. "Back then you were considered the greatest sword master in the Nation, and I believe you still bear said title to this day, don't you? Hence, I'm here to request you to take this man as your pupil," she said, extending her hand towards Sokka.
Piandao focused his attention on the young man now, his eyebrows coming together slowly as he analyzed him. Bronze skin, blue eyes…
"What is your name?" Piandao asked.
"I'm Sokka, sir," muttered the gladiator, his own name still feeling foreign in his mouth.
Questions arose within the swordsman mind immediately, his face an unreadable frown. He turned once more to the Princess and said firmly.
"I need a word with you, in private. Now."
Azula stared back at him with determination and followed Piandao into the room he guided her towards. Sokka gulped, wondering if his foreign name already made him unworthy. He sighed and dropped to the floor, enjoying the feel of sitting down after what felt like hours of walking. The man next to him glared in irritation.
"So… what's your name?" asked Sokka.
"Fat," replied the man quickly.
"Fat, then…" muttered Sokka. "Could you bring me a glass of juice?"
Fat could only stare at Sokka with disbelief as the sitting man smiled broadly at him, acting as though his sudden request right now had been completely normal…
Piandao closed the door behind him once the Princess had entered the room. Given the look on his face, he seemed truly angry.
"What are you up to, Princess?" he asked, glaring at her.
"What would I possibly be up to? I'm merely requesting you to help Sokka become a swordsman," said Azula, feigning innocence.
"It seems unreasonable, though, for a Princess to request said services from me," grunted Piandao. "I believed you had come to ask for me to teach you again, and I figured I might overlook the fact that a woman has no business in swordsmanship, seeing as you're of Royal Lineage. Yet you have come to ask me to teach a Water Tribe man? Why do you bring such a man with you, if the Poles haven't been conquered yet? What are you up to, Princess Azula?"
Azula frowned. She had hoped her reasons wouldn't come up while dealing with Piandao…
"I cannot find any sense in this…" said Piandao. "It's simply absurd. That you'd wish to give proper education to a man that doesn't even belong to your country… it's not right. It makes me wonder if you're attempting to betray the Fire Nation in some way, and that's something I never would have expected coming from you. Explain this to me now."
"I don't see why this would bother you so much, seeing as it's not even a rumor that you feel no love for the Fire Nation anymore," Azula muttered. "If you truly believe I'm trying to bring down my father by using foreigners to form an army of some sort, you probably should side with me."
"I have no wishes to go against my country," said Piandao. "And I will not take part in whatever schemes you have created to overthrow your father."
"In that case, you will be pleased to discover I'm not attempting to seize power through a Water Tribe slave, since I don't see how I would accomplish that through him to begin with," said Azula, folding her arms over her chest. "I remain loyal to Fire Lord Ozai, and I will remain loyal to him forever, as it should be. My purpose with the Water Tribe slave is something different…"
"He's a slave?" asked Piandao. "How can he be a slave?"
"It's a long story," said Azula. "But he's likely to be the single slave native from the South Pole, if you must know."
"But for you to wish for me to train a…" started Piandao, skeptical at first… but the truth downed upon him quickly. "Of course. He's a gladiator, isn't he?"
Azula nodded slowly as Piandao shook his head in disapproval.
"This is even worse than I imagined," he stated. "I will not train a man for something as ridiculous as that gladiator drivel. That must be the most revolting idea the Fire Nation leaders have come up with so far… and I will have no part in it."
"Oh, you're impossible," said Azula, sighing in despair. "Stick to your ethics and morale, it doesn't bother me if you do. But as far as I knew, you only ever refused to teach a possible student if you found him to be unworthy of said teachings. Being a slave or a general wasn't an obstacle back then, or was it?"
"Times have changed, as you must know very well," said Piandao. "I will not pass my knowledge of the blade onto a man who will put it to use in a gladiator pit."
"Yet you passed it on to a spoiled prince without protest, in case you conveniently forgot that," Azula replied, her amber gaze fixated upon the sword master.
"Your brother's circumstances were very different…" Piandao muttered.
"Oh, certainly they were. You were merely hoping your teachings would sink in so he could lead the Fire Nation in a different way after all the other men in the Royal lineage had passed away… or perhaps for him to lead an insurrection of some sort in order to overthrow the Fire Lord."
Piandao's face grew paler upon her last phrase. He hadn't intended for anyone to notice the underlying intentions of Prince Zuko's training, let alone a girl who was only five-years-old when he was training her brother…
"It's not so difficult to read through you, apparently," she said, shrugging at the shocked look in his eyes. "If you want money, I'll be perfectly willing to pay for the instruction you give my gladiator. Do not make the wrong call, Master Piandao… you may not believe in the ways of the Fire Nation, but you cannot pretend to be an innocent man either. In a way, you were plotting against my father by hoping to use my brother against him. Do you wish for me to reveal said treachery to the Fire Lord?"
"Recurring to blackmail now, I see…" muttered Piandao.
"I wouldn't have done it if you kept to the principles you boast so much about in the first place" said Azula, matter-of-factly.
"Don't speak about my principles as if you understood the next thing about them," grunted Piandao.
"It is true I understand nothing, because I used to believe you would accept teaching anyone who proved to be worthy," said Azula. "If you find my gladiator to be unworthy of your teachings, I will leave and seek another master for him. But if you find him worthy, you will teach him. You will take him as your pupil."
Piandao folded his arms, thoughtful.
"If I find him worthy… what exactly are you expecting of me to teach him?"
"Anything he needs to know of the way of the sword," said Azula. "He will stay here, learning from you, for a few weeks as I head back to the Capital. Once I settle the terms for his first combat, I shall come for him. When that fight is done, he'll be returning here again, and thus will be the procedure henceforth if you decide to take him as your student."
Piandao nodded, agreeing. He hadn't enjoyed the unstable training regime he had been forced to abide by when teaching Prince Zuko. The boy had been talented despite his impatience, but he only showed up once every few weeks; it was a true wonder he had progressed so much during the years he had been his student.
"I understand," said Piandao. "That will come into effect only if I accept him, though."
"I thought we had already settled that, yes," Azula said, nodding.
"Very well. Let us see if your gladiator is truly worth the hassle, then," said Piandao, heading into the previous room once again.
Yet Piandao stopped on his tracks and stared, dumbfounded, at the scene unfolding before him: Fat and Sokka were sitting on the floor side by side, sipping the content of two glasses of juice.
"What exactly…?" asked Piandao, raising an inquisitive eyebrow as Fat jumped up in surprise.
"T-the man requested a drink. He's a guest, so I couldn't refuse…"
Sokka stood up as well and smiled guiltily.
"I'm sorry, sir… I couldn't help myself," he said, shrugging. "I was very thirsty…"
Piandao scanned Sokka with his eyes, walking towards him. Sokka must have been an inch taller than him, and his muscular build seemed pretty decent, although he was definitely underfed. Physically, he had potential to be a swordsman…
"Why do you wish to learn the way of the sword, Sokka?" asked Piandao. "What purpose would it serve for me to teach you?"
"To be honest, sir…" said Sokka, gulping. "Fighting has been the biggest part of my life for a long time, but so far, my skills have only ever been good enough for me to save my own life. When I tried to protect others I cared for, I only failed… I might be wrong, but if I were to learn to use a sword, I might become strong enough to fight for those I love."
"I see…" said Piandao, walking in circles around him. "Is that… mango juice?"
"Oh… yes, sir," said Sokka, smiling slightly. "At least, it's what Fat said it was… I've never had this sort of drink before."
"You must have had a rough time in the Amateur Gladiator League," asked Piandao. "Were you taken there right after you left your village?"
"Uh… yeah, if that's what you'd call leaving… being dragged away from my village sounds like a more accurate description of it," Sokka corrected. Piandao stopped circling him.
"Do you believe you're worthy of becoming my student, Sokka?"
Sokka stared back at the man, worried. He gulped again and lowered his gaze, unsure of himself.
"I don't know, sir. I might be… but it's not my call. If you don't believe I am, I wouldn't blame you for it. If you do, I'll do my best to become a better man. But, ultimately, it's not up to me."
Piandao found himself smiling before he even knew it. That wicked Princess had earned herself a gladiator far too good for her… he was worthy, alright. Was she worthy of him, though? That, probably, would be up to Sokka to decide some day, but meanwhile…
"I will train this man," he declared.
Azula was so relieved she let out the breath she had no idea she had been holding, and Sokka smiled cheerfully and bowed down in front of Piandao.
"I will do my best to be up to your expectations, Master!"
Azula raised an eyebrow, wondering why he wasn't so submissive when dealing with her… well, she hardly needed to ask herself that question, truth to be told. In any case, it was more interesting to argue with him non-stop, wasn't it?
"What will our first lesson be, sir?" asked Sokka, beaming.
"Relax, Sokka," said Piandao. "You clearly need to learn to be patient."
"Oh… uh, right. Sorry," said Sokka, scratching the back of his head with a clumsy smile in his face.
"I believe the Princess will be taking her leave now, won't she?" asked Piandao, turning towards Azula.
"Yes, I will be on my way," said Azula, and Sokka stared at her in surprise.
"Huh? How come? I thought you'd stay and watch every step of my training…" the gladiator said, looking slightly confused.
"I'm very flattered to see you'll miss me," said Azula, making him wince and shake his head in denial. "But I have important matters to deal with in the Capital. I will come for you in a few weeks, once I have established you as a fighter in the Superior Gladiator League."
"Oh… okay," said Sokka, now dreading the day Azula would return even though she wasn't even gone yet. "Then I'll be free of you for a few weeks?"
"Yes, you will be. Enjoy it while you can," Azula said, smirking.
"Fat, please guide the Princess outside," said Piandao. "Your gladiator will be well trained the next time you see him, Princess."
"I should hope so," Azula stated. "Good day, Master Piandao."
Sokka watched as she followed Fat through the door. Perhaps he would miss her, if only a little bit… especially since he wanted to know what exactly had she discussed with Piandao before the man had agreed to teach him. Although, truth to be told, all her secrets stirred his curiosity so much that, if he had a chance, he wouldn't even know what to ask. Would he discover whatever she was hiding someday…?
"Are you ready, then, for your first lesson?" asked Piandao, bringing Sokka out of his thoughts.
But he could think about Azula's secrets and troubles later. Right now, he would become the apprentice of the greatest sword master in the world. He nodded enthusiastically, pushing everything else away from his mind and focusing on the matters at hand.
"Yes, master."
Azula glanced back at the building once she was heading to the port amongst her Royal Guards. It was strange to think she was slightly reluctant to leave behind her gladiator: she hardly knew him yet she already felt a certain attachment towards him, something she didn't experience often. Was this the typical bond between a sponsor and gladiator? She forced herself to believe it was, although something within her was convinced of the opposite…
A/N: I'm very sorry for the delay and the likely delay with the next chapters! My country is going through some seriously troublesome times and I'm focusing on what's happening. I'm trying my best to get writing, but it is a little difficult when people are striking and banging pots and pans all over the place… not like I'm against these protests, but they interfere with my thoughts a little ^^U I'll do my best to keep writing despite it all, so don't lose hope! I hope you enjoyed the chapter, and thanks for all your reviews, favorites and follows! They make my day! ^^