Chapter 36
Azula's newfound unsteadiness from nearly drowning in a shallow stream made the trip back to the coast take three times longer than it should have. The thief offered his arm to her a few times, but stopped once he realized her responses were only scoffs and glares.
The sun was just beginning to set behind them as they walked and it cast magnificent rays through the many tree limbs of the forest. Pools of red-orange light sparkled in the deeply uneven surfaces of rocks. Azula tried to be even more aware of her footing, convinced that any misstep would send her flying to the ground.
Safely, they made it to her spot in the tree line and she collapsed on the ground with her back against a tall oak. Many people had started gathering on the beach, setting up blankets and picnics to enjoy the fireworks spectacle to come later that evening. Azula was reminded of a competitive volleyball game she and her fr— she and people she knew had dominated. The princess forced it out of mind.
She managed to slide the metal flame out of the bandages clutched in her hand and underneath her seat on the ground, unnoticed by the thief who was staring excitedly at the activities on the beach.
Stretching to reach the guard's boots, she paused, unsure if they would come off as suspicious to this stranger. She knew they were standard issue military boots, but to anyone else, especially an Earth Kingdom native, they probably just looked like a more formal and sturdy version of casual boots. Azula grabbed them anyways and dumped the contents onto the ground, ready to reapply the healing jelly and re-bandage her aching foot.
He must have seen her hesitance, "Nothing in there interests me, don't worry."
She glowered at his admission of having gone through her things, "How reassuring."
She bent her left leg and started applying the cooling medicine, still not quite used to the odd feeling it created on her skin. Before wrapping it up, she also dabbed smaller amounts of the jelly on the various new cuts she received in the stream. It certainly wouldn't hurt to disinfect and heal them quicker. The cooling jelly instantly relieved the lingering sting of the cuts and Azula tidied up the dried blood with the used pile of bandages at her side.
As she unrolled a hefty section of fresh bandages and began the wrapping process, the thief spoke up with a nod towards her leg, "What happened?"
Azula focused on her task, not looking him in the eye, "An accident."
He snorted, "Right. Never mind. You're not one for small talk, huh?"
"No."
"Fine by me." He shrugged and placed his hands at his hips, still standing above her. "I'm gonna go check out the beach. I'll be back once it's dark."
She nodded and he shook his hair to make sure it adequately covered his eyes before setting off in a jaunty step towards the murmuring crowd. Azula was grateful he hadn't asked her to come.
She finished working on her leg and tossed the now empty roll of bandages aside. A smear of deep blue crept towards the horizon as the sun's glow continued to fade.
Azula tucked the flame back into its safe spot, held close to the side of her leg, along with the gold she had taken from the thief, and stared at a twisted ribbon. Its bright pink color contrasted brilliantly with the rocky grass. The princess's chest tightened at the sight and she was not sure she could attribute it fully to her watery experience earlier in the day. As she watched it turn gently in the breeze of the seaside, curling around a twig and whipping back and forth occasionally, Azula impulsively seized it with her right hand and held it in front of her face.
It struggled to set itself free of her grip and she looked upon it, conflicted.
Was this something she should keep? A reminder of a friend or whatever she was? She remembered the last time she saw Ty Lee in her cell. No. Whenever I look at it, I only think of one thing.
Azula scowled and used her left hand to set the ribbon on fire.
Betrayal.
The flame started out small, but grew to a surprising brightness as it devoured the fuel it was given. The princess watched as the ribbon was consumed, disappearing before her eyes. She let it fall back to the earth before it scorched her right hand and sighed when it finally ceased to exist.
A twinge of guilt was immediately suppressed.
Tending to her hair, she combed through several knots with her fingers. The black locks were still damp from their harrowing time in the stream and it took many passes to straighten it all out. Azula shook her head gently, wishing yet again for a palace spa day, and tied her hair in a half topknot using the elastic from the guard's uniform.
She stood up, a little shaky, and stretched her shoulders, flexing the blades back and forth. The bruised right one throbbed painfully and she rubbed it with her hand, frowning. Azula wasn't exactly used to having so many injuries all the time.
Thankfully it seemed as if her lungs had mostly recovered from being waterlogged. She still found it a little difficult to take very deep breaths without a burning ache in her chest, but figured this would go away after a night of recovery.
It had darkened quickly. The smear of blue had spread all over the canvas of the sky, smothering the fading light of the sun. But the path of lanterns and flowers was lit beautifully, weaving its way down the beach towards the docks and pier like a warm colored snake. A boy ran down its length screaming and shouting as his father tried to get him to calm down, but he eventually gave up and joined in, catching him by the waist and tossing him, giggling madly, into the air. The boy settled onto his father's shoulders and they made their way down the rest of the path to meet up with a woman and two more children already settled on the sand. The princess was struck by the scene, something akin to jealousy forming in her gut.
Is that what it's like for normal kids?
The hairs on the back of Azula's neck pricked up as she sensed footsteps and soon she saw the earthbender approaching with a half-eaten kebab of roasted chicken and vegetables in his hand. Her stomach growled.
"Where's mine?"
He almost looked surprised and joked, "As if I'd reward your fucking attitude."
Azula nearly shouted at him, before he lobbed two items at her. The first bounced off of her stomach and rolled to her side and she managed to grab the second. A rice ball and… she reached for the shadowy orb, a piece of fruit.
"But you did almost die today. And I'm not a monster."
She shot him a look. Funny.
They sat in silence again, munching on their snacks as the crowd on the beach grew bigger and bigger. Some lights flared up on the docks in the distance, a few firebenders illuminated the structure as others paced back and forth.
"They're double checking the fireworks setup. C'mon. We can head in now."
He stood up and watched out of the corner of his eye as Azula did the same, subtly checking to make sure she was steady on her feet. As it appeared she was in no danger of immediately toppling over, he set off along the tree line.
Azula followed him at a slow pace, sweeping her gaze around to ensure they weren't catching any attention. They remained covered by the trees for a while, passing the main entrance by several hundred feet. She was about to question this, when he took a sharp turn towards the low wall surrounding the town. They approached and he silently parted the rock just enough so they could pass through. The gap sealed as soon as she stood next to him. It was odd to witness rocks moving without a sound. Unnerving somehow.
He mumbled under his breath, "Clothes, clothes, clothes…"
"They're in that shop near the entrance of the town."
He looked over his shoulder at her as they walked down a deserted side street, "I don't do shops. But I've been doing this long enough to know where to get good stuff."
They were headed in the opposite direction of the town's entrance. Passing through alleys and tiny back lots of the residential section. Azula figured she was going to get some new clothes, but had a sudden inkling that this guy had another idea.
"I don't want someone's dirty laundry."
"Relax, princess, I got it covered."
She bristled at the title briefly, before realizing it was merely a jab at her pickiness.
They walked for another five minutes before the thief stopped again, this time in front of a large abandoned lot adjacent to the sea. Scraps of wood and stone covered the property; heaps of sand had blown in past the retaining wall. There was a bit of rope strung up along irregular fence posts at the roadside with a sign that read: CAUTION: UNDER DEVELOPMENT.
He ignored this and proceeded to walk towards a huge beam of fallen wood that had likely been load bearing to whatever was here at one point. Heaving it aside, he kicked some sand away with his feet and beckoned Azula closer. A well-hidden rocky slab marked the entrance to whatever slumbered beneath this lot. The thief shifted it aside soundlessly and said, "Ladies first."
Azula didn't budge. She crossed her arms, "I don't think so."
"You're pretty goddamn difficult, you know that? If you weren't so—" he sighed, "never mind. Follow me, then."
He descended into the ground as Azula watched. She heard a voice boom out and the thief responded cheerfully. She peered into the hole and dropped down a steep distance into very dim candlelight, just as a huge bang reverberated through the air. The fireworks had begun.
In complete contrast to what lay above it, the walls and floor of this tiny room were entirely smooth. At first glance, it appeared to be some strange type of granite, but upon closer inspection Azula found it was just very densely packed sand. Makes sense, given the location. But how's the roof not caving in?
Above her, she saw someone had reinforced the rubble with more earthbending, resulting in a makeshift ceiling. She eyed it uneasily, not convinced it was structurally sound.
"It's not going to fall."
She turned to see the thief standing in front of another man who was sitting on an earthy chair with his feet up on an earthy block that served as a table. As she glanced around, she saw the whole room was full of slabs of densely packed sand onto which this seated man had piled a lot of stolen goods.
The first thing she noticed was the food. All kinds of food. Fruits, nuts, rice, vegetables, rice wine, tea, bread… on and on.
Then there were also random items to fill in the shoddy hideout. Some sort of bronze coated figure of an Earth Kingdom wrestler, burlap bags, several feet of braided rope, tableware, a few blankets, sunglasses, scrolls, books, herbal remedies, and piles of other things.
Four "tables" full of clothes and shoes rounded out the supply. Fire Nation and Earth Kingdom styles. She approached one of these and the seated man's voice boomed out again.
"So you brought a friend this time, eh? What's it gonna be then, darlin'?"
Azula continued sorting through the clothes, altogether ignoring the new man's gruff voice as muffled fireworks sounded off above ground.
The thief looked at her, "Ah, she doesn't talk much. We're just grabbing clothes today, boss."
He grumbled and looked her over, "Certainly could use some new 'uns that's for sure. Fresh stuff, that. Had some lads swipe most of it jus' this mornin'."
The two men chatted away in familiar tones as Azula listened. What is this, some kind of black market?
The clothes did look brand new. Some still had slips of paper attached indicating the price. She held up a few different items over her current clothing to check their fit before settling on a familiar look. A tight maroon long sleeved shirt, a lighter red and gold trimmed tunic style shirt with sleeves that bunched around the elbows, a gold fabric wrap belt to cinch the tunic around her waist, simple dark red pants, and black knee-high boots with gold soles to complete the look.
Azula wiggled her toes in the boots to make sure they weren't as ill-fitting as the guard's that still sat at the tree line. She figured she'd get a few blisters from breaking these in, but they were far more comfortable than the others. That said, it would still take time to get used to any footwear at all. The majority of her life since the war ended had been spent barefoot.
Still, she was excited to change into the clothes. Real clothes that would make her feel like a real person again.
She walked towards the thief and other man, grabbing a small pouch she could fasten to her belt to carry her medicinal jelly and any money she might accumulate. The seated man was a tall, rather chubby looking person with a light tan and Fire Nation features. While he seemed not to care for his physique, his beard and mustache were immaculately groomed.
The boss watched her approach, but spoke to the thief at his side, "Pay up, Raider."
The earthbender reached into the small bag hanging from his belt and pulled out a few silver and one gold piece. Azula stopped this transaction by handing over two of her own three gold pieces, earning a grunt of satisfaction from the seated man.
He eyed her again, "Alrigh' then. On your way, doll."
She recoiled inwardly at that remark and returned to the back wall where they had entered, noticing a ladder pressed into it which she ascended quickly. The two men chatted for several more minutes, giving an eager Azula time to switch into her new clothes.
Although they smelled a little sandy, they fit well. Tucking her pants into her new boots, she stretched her limbs and tried out a few shaky forms to test the mobility, which proved good enough. Her old "clothes" were incinerated with glee.
She waited for the thief to reemerge, but then vaguely wondered why she was doing so. She had no need for him anymore. He had helped her get the clothes she wanted and now she could proceed to take a ferry to the Fire Nation islands with the last gold piece she had.
So, under the continued cracking and banging of the colorful fireworks, Azula began walking back through the town towards the main entrance and the tree line. She only made it a short distance from the loot bunker, when the thief called out.
"Fucking really? Just gonna ditch without a thank you again?"
She rolled her eyes and turned around, surprised to see him just a few steps behind her. "What do you care? I got my clothes, that's what I needed. We can go our separate ways."
His jaw was set and Azula could tell he was truly annoyed, "Where are you going?"
"I don't know." This was mostly true, after all.
"How are you gonna feed yourself? You're barely a stick and you definitely aren't suited for street life."
"I'll figure it out."
"C'mon, we could have a… a thing going. You've got the Fire Nation looks, you can get into places I can't. We could have some fun."
Azula looked at him incredulously, "Is that why you've been followi—"
He interjected, "Look, I saved your life, you owe me a damn favor."
She laughed bitterly, "I haven't turned you in, there's your favor."
A bright white firework exploded in the sky and made a static like sound, illuminating the earthbender into plain sight for a second. His fists were balled at his sides, fuming.
"You're a real piece of work, you know? After I helped you out twice. You can't even help me with one project?" He mumbled under his breath, "Fucking bitch."
Not taking this for one more moment, Azula jumped backwards and sent two orange jets of fire directly at the man's face. He reacted quickly and brought up a shield of rock from the street to block the attack, before sending it out towards her in a barrage of loose stones.
Azula managed to dodge out of the way, skidding to halt as she adjusted her stance. Her breath was already coming faster than it should have been and she could tell her muscles weren't ready for this level of intensity quite yet. The mental institute's guards were child's play. But this little shit deserved whatever she could give. Oh how she wished she could give him some lightning.
She whirled a disc of fire into existence and whipped it at the thief, who sidestepped it easily as it sped towards the retaining wall and exploded, leaving a scorched mark of impact. He jumped, and launched himself towards her using a rocky springboard, flicking his hands upwards. Azula felt the earth beneath her feet tremble and she jumped to hang off the side of a lantern post, just as a platform of rock rose from the ground, intending to trap and root her to one spot.
Great. The ground is off limits.
She watched him land in a somersault and pause, squatting on the ground to look up at her hanging on the side of the post. They glared at each other as the fireworks finale began, constant booms echoing through the streets of the town. The light from the explosions flickered in different colors across their bodies.
Azula flared her nostrils and exhaled. Her limbs were strained with the sudden burst of energy she had expended and it burned to breathe. I'm not going to win in this state.
She changed her posture and perched on the top of the post, staring down at the thief. He's not going to just let me walk away. Odds are he'll follow and ambush me later. If only I were up to full speed… He can think he's won for now, but I'll take him down soon enough.
Azula spoke as the fireworks died down, "Fine. I'll help you."
The thief stayed on the ground and snorted, "Sore loser, huh?"
She jumped off of her perch, "Don't push it… Raider."
"Right-o, princess. I'll meet you at 8 tomorrow morning and we'll board the ferry."
"To…?"
He stood and began to walk around the street, silently repairing the damage he'd caused. "We'll stop at a few places first to work out our dynamic, but the goal is Ember Island."
Azula maintained a neutral face as she felt her stomach sink. Wonderful.