Hi everyone! Thanks for reading and sorry for the delay, Fanfiction was down for a couple days and I was unhappy with how this chapter was moving along so I had to edit it a lot. I'm still not thrilled with the end of this chapter, but the next chapter should be coming really soon, and should be more interesting. Thank you for your continued support!
When I awoke the following day, I realized that the ship was no longer moving. With a jolt, I knew that we had reached the Fire Nation, and I quickly got up and got dressed, hurrying out towards the deck. Soldiers were moving busily up and down the ship, and I looked for the first time at my new home.
The sun was warm and bright on my skin, and the temperature so warm that I rolled up my sleeves. I saw lividly green grass, matched by a crystalline blue sea and sky. The bustling, pulsing city sprawled out before me, and I took a deep breath. This was where I belonged now. This was my home.
I pushed away thoughts of my parents and Naheel, and took a deep breath, trying to calm myself. It was better for them that I was here, I told myself. They were safe because I was here. I closed my eyes, feeling something welling in my throat, and turned away from the deck and hurried back to my chambers, quickly packing my few belongings in my bag and seeking out the Captain at the helm.
"Are you ready?" He asked, approaching me with a smile.
"Yes, sir," I replied, trying to calm down my nerves. I departed with him from the ship, and looked around in wonder at the city around me.
"We'll take a carriage," The Captain said, as we stopped before an open-windowed wagon. "I thought that you might like to see the city."
"There's so many people," I breathed, immediately looking out the side after we climbed in. Rongyu had seemed enormous to me, but the Capital City dwarfed that. Men, women, and children alike crowded the streets, dressed in many shades of red, black, and white. Quickly, I realized that I was sticking out of place, and looked down at my long dress in worry. Nearly all of the women here wore much less clothing than I was, and the modesty that I had become accustomed too seemed not to be an issue here. The midriff- baring tops and loose, open skirts Etka had gotten for me were commonplace, and with the hot sun and warm climate, it wasn't difficult to see why.
"Your village must have been pretty small, huh?" Etka asked, as we ascended a hill. All of the shops here, the smells of food and spices, it was overwhelming.
"Barely a fraction of this," I shook my head. "This is incredible, sir."
"Here we are," Etka said, grabbing the driver's attention before a gated house, surrounded by many like it. He got out of the carriage to pay the driver and I followed. We were in a more quiet part of the city, and it was obvious that Etka had quite a bit of money. "This way," He ushered me through the gate, and inside the single-storied, wooden house.
The Captain's home was built around a large courtyard in the middle in a U-shaped fashion. There were doors on the outside to each room, and an overhanging roof to protect from rain as the occupant went from room to room. A pond full of brightly colored fish lay in the corner closest to the house itself, and the center of the courtyard was paved all in stone, with grass bordering the sides. The back end opened up to a large open area, and was bordered by a stone wall for privacy. It was beautiful, and I knew the Captain had to be considerably wealthy to afford this.
We took off our shoes in the entry room, and Etka took me around for the tour. "My room is here," He pointed, and then extended his arm directly across the courtyard. "And you will stay there. The kitchen is this way, the bathrooms here, and the living space is all along this back wall."
"It's lovely, sir," I murmured and turned to him, bowing politely. "Thank you."
"I'll go and prepare something for lunch," He replied with a smile. "You can get settled in, and then expect to start training this afternoon. You still have a lot to learn."
"Yes, sir," I replied, crossing the courtyard to my own room, and slowly setting down my bag. My quarters were at least twice the size of my room on the warship, with plenty of moving space. The bed was large enough for three, and shaded windows let in a soft, yellow light. A washbasin sat on a bureau in the corner, and I peeled off my dress, which had already clung to my body in this heat. Splashing my face with water, I reluctantly looked through my pack and took out a sheer, pale red blouse and a solid wrap which I tied across my chest. I was able to tuck the dagger underneath the wrap, concealing it, but the gold chain was still visible. I didn't like it, but I didn't want to risk leaving the dagger around for the Captain to find.
I put on a matching long red skirt, which hugged my hips but flowed easily around my legs, making for easy movement. I stared at myself in the mirror, looking so different from who I thought that I was. My bared stomach pudged a little over the edge of the skirt, and self-consciously, I tightened the muscles in my abdomen and pulled the skirt up higher.
Leisurely, I walked out of my room and strolled over to the pond, sitting beside the bank and watching the Koi fish swim around. I was brought back to the thousands of times on our family boat, fishing in the freezing water. Where were they now? Had my father and brother returned to the sea, pulling in the day's haul without me? I was filled with loneliness, and I wished that it were in any way possible for me to see my family again.
"Lunch is ready!" I heard Etka call from the kitchen and I stood up, forcing myself to abandon my thoughts. I walked across the sunny courtyard over to the kitchen, and smelled something delicious. I found the Captain in the kitchen, extinguishing the fire from a stove with his hands and my eyes went to a tray on the table, complete with two plates of still-steaming dumplings. "I thought we could eat outside," He said, standing up straight. His eyes widened slightly when he saw me, and he quickly recovered, bowing his head and then averting his eyes to the lunch he had made. I felt my cheeks glow pink.
"That sounds nice, sir," I said, and the Captain picked up the tray and followed me outside. We sat on the grass next to the koi pond, and I tucked my legs underneath my skirt. "This looks delicious."
"Usually I have a housekeeper who comes in and cleans and cooks and such," Etka explained, passing me a bowl and a pair of chopsticks. "But she's left for the day." I waited until he began to eat before taking my first bite, and my eyes widened as a flurry of spices and heat filled my mouth. The steady diet from the sea wasn't nearly as flavorful as this single dumpling was!
"Is it alright?" I realized the Captain was watching me in apprehension.
"Its delicious, sir," I grinned, reaching for another. "They don't cook like this in the Water Tribe."
"I'm glad," Etka replied with a smile. We made light conversation during lunch, and I realized how relaxed I was. The gentle heat of the sun radiating on my skin and the delicious food put me at ease, and with the Captain, I forgot my worries. After we had both finished, the Captain stood up and set his plate on the ground. "We can clear those later," He explained. "Shall we begin?"
"Yes, sir," I stood, abandoning my plate beside his and eagerly adopting a fighting stance. The Captain gave a slight chuckle and moved my arms down.
"I know this part is going to seem incredibly boring," He said, standing before me and dropping in to a low stance, with his legs spread evenly apart and his hands at his hips. I copied him, and the Captain stood. "But the basics are the very essence of firebending. Without them, you have no control."
He walked behind me, observing my posture. "Bend your knees deeper, but keep your back straight. Don't lean forward." Suddenly, the Captain reached forward and placed one hand on my stomach, and pulled back towards him to straighten my stance. I felt my face grow hot and looked down at his hand against my bare skin.
"Firebending is mostly offensive maneuvers," He explained, letting me go. "The idea is to attack and attack until your opponent is worn down. But you first need to learn how to defend yourself, and that starts in the basics."
"But, sir," I asked. "I can already do this. You've seen me firebend before!"
"Yes, I have," Etka answered. "And I saw great potential, but you have no self-control, Anahi. When you lashed out at my men, did you have any control over what you were doing?"
I swallowed, realizing he was right. "No, sir," I said, ashamedly.
"While you do this, breathe deeply," He instructed. "Firebending all comes from within. When you support your moves from your core, you'll be much stronger." I thought of practicing on the Captain's ship, and how I had consistently failed to project my fire outwards. I inhaled deeply through my nose and exhaled, trying to focus.
"This takes time," Etka explained. "Don't expect to have it mastered quickly. It took me months in order to project a flame."
I sighed, feeling frustrated and discouraged and wanting more, and deepened my stance.