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Bounty Hunters, Comrades and Alliances - Chapter One Hundred Twenty-Five
The team had finally returned to the royal sloop.
And the soldiers were now rushing about as they prepared for their departure to set sail for their return to the Capital.
Azula now stood on the upper-level deck before her stationary palanquin.
As her still foul tempered amber golden eyes glared down while she oversaw her soldiers making their preparations for their voyage home.
Just as she turned to glance over her shoulder when she saw her little girlfriend rushing up behind her with a scroll in hand.
She found herself unable to resist allowing her scowling lips to curve into the barest hint of pleased smile when she watched her serving girl quickly bounced into a respectful bow.
"Mistress! I brought you the scroll that you asked for!" Elle cried out in a lovably loyal voice as she bowed at the waist with her hand extended to her princess.
She proudly bent her head in a display of reverence as the princess accepted the scroll from her hand.
While the older woman stared down at her with strict amber golden eyes that gleamed in approval for her and her alone.
As a shy smile pulled onto her lips as she remained bent over in her bow.
The mighty princess gazed down with her lipstick painted lips curving into a gratified grin.
Just as Elle let out an adorable giggle when the older woman lowered her hand down to pat her upon the head.
As Ty Lee and Mai were now striding up behind their two friends.
"Well done, Elle." Azula remarked in a smoothly regal voice with her hand withdrawing from her blushing serving girl's blonde hair.
"O-oh my queen." Elle stammered in a love-struck voice with a hand on her reddened cheek while the older woman stood smirking over her.
Ty Lee gazed back at the two with a bright grin on her lips from where she walked beside her fellow noblewoman.
Mai stared on with bored tawny eyes as she came to a stop behind her leader.
As the princess idly glanced back at her childhood friends with her usual stony amber golden gaze.
Just before the four turned around to all gaze behind them to see the captain making her way up the steps.
Zoi now strode up the ramp with a brooding expression in her deeply aggravated eyes.
As the others gazed back at her with concerned looks in their eyes.
The princess stared back at her strongest soldier's frowning face with a hardened amber golden gaze.
"I take it that you are finished giving your condolences." Azula commented in a stern voice with her serving girl standing faithfully beside her.
Her amber golden eyes still expressed her bewilderment over the other woman's decision to visit the mother of the slain soldier.
"Yes, Princess. I am ready to depart for our return to the Capital." Zoi responded in a stoic voice as she gazed back at her leader's stony face.
"A-are you alright oneesan?" Elle pondered in a gentle voice as she bit her lip as she peered worriedly back at the captain from where she stood by her mistress.
The captain turned to glance down at her with a slight smile returning to her lips once more.
As the two other noblewomen gazed fondly back at their little sister's innocent face.
"It is kind of you to ask Elle. But you needn't worry. I will be fine." Zoi assured in a composed voice while she gazed gratefully back at the younger girl's compassionate face.
"Are we all set to leave Azula?" Ty Lee questioned in her typical chipper voice while Azula turned to smile back at her.
"Nearly Ty Lee. There is just one more matter that we have left to attend to." Azula stated with a smirk on her lips while her two childhood friends gazed back at her in confusion.
Only for all five of them to turn to gaze over the edge of the royal sloop when they heard the sound of something big barreling up the ramp of the ship.
The soldiers now stood on guard as they watched a large, quadrupedal creature come rushing into view.
As Team Azula now observed the shirshu climb up the ramp with his rider seated upon his back.
Until Nyla leaped up upon the upper deck before the group while the bounty hunter gazed down at them.
While Elle gaped up at the large animal from beside her princess with a look of innocent awe in her amber eyes.
"You must be June the bounty hunter." Azula said with perfect poise lacing her voice while she stared up at the woman's slightly smirking face.
Zoi stared up at the bounty hunter with stoic golden eyes from where she stood alongside her princess.
Mai and Ty Lee exchanged a glance with one another from where they stood behind their little sister.
"I am. And you must be Princess Azula." June replied in an unafraid voice while she stared back down at the princess.
"Wow! What sort of pretty animal are you?" Elle cried out in a lovable voice while her princess rolled her eyes over her.
Only to find herself letting out a yelp when the shirshu let out a snarl while it moved to lash his tongue out at her.
Just as she squeaked when she felt a strong hand pull her back by her collar.
As Nyla stepped back in fright under the heat of the princess's flames while the powerful woman glared tyrannically back at him.
"Foolish girl! Don't go near that beast!" Azula barked in a controlling voice as she pulled her handmaid back while her young girlfriend trembled like a disciplined puppy under her grip.
"The princess is correct Elle. Shirshu saliva contains paralyzing properties. It is best if you stand back." Zoi informed in a composed voice as she stepped up beside the two.
"O-oh…sumimasen. I didn't know." Elle stuttered in a sheepish voice as she still quivered under her mistress's unrelenting grip.
Ty Lee and Mai stared disapprovingly in the princess's direction over her tendency to treat their adopted sister like a pet.
Only for all eyes to be drawn to June once more while the woman jumped down off her shirshu.
"And this must be the 'golden girl' that I have heard so much about." June stated with a curious edge to her voice while Elle back stared at her in confusion.
As the four highborn women gazed back at the bounty hunter with questioning looks in their eyes.
"H-huh? You've heard of me?" Elle asked in a naïve voice as she peered back at the woman's smiling face.
"The rebels can't stop talking how afraid they are of the girl with golden hair that challenged the Avatar." June responded with her hands on her hips while the young girl listened in bewilderment.
The three noblewomen gazed on with astonished expressions in their eyes.
"Good. Let them fear us." Azula sneered with a cruel smirk appearing on her malicious lips while her hand remained on her serving girl's shoulder.
"I have even heard that they are willing to pay a high sum…to acquire you." June commented in a sly voice as she gazed back at Elle's timid face while protective looks overcame the faces of the highborn women.
Only for Elle to let out another adorable sound when her girlfriend yanked on her neck accessory once more.
"This girl is my pet. I own her. And I am not selling her. For your sake…I suggest you remember that." Azula spoke in a beyond possessive voice with her fist restraining her blushing handmaid to her side.
She glared frigidly back at the amused face of the bounty hunter.
As Ty Lee and Mai cast exasperated looks in their spoiled leader's direction.
"T-that's so! I wish no harm on the rebels but I can't join them because I belong to Azula-sama!" Elle chirped in a cheerful voice with a sunny smile on her beaming lips while her princess smiled smugly over her.
As her big sisters let out a sigh from where they stood around her.
And even the captain fondly shook her head before she returned her focus to the bounty hunter.
Just as June's face took on a more business demeanor as she turned to meet the princess's ruthless gaze once more.
"Let's get down to business. I hear that you have a job for me. If it's about your brother and uncle…I am already working on it." June remarked in a confident voice with her arms folded over her breasts while the princess's lips pulled into a pleased smile.
Mai turned to gaze off into the distance of the ocean with her usually apathetic tawny eyes momentarily betraying a flicker of emotion.
As Ty Lee turned to stare in her friend's direction with a sympathetic look in her eyes.
And then the princess released her grip on her handmaid while she stepped up beside her captain with the same scroll from before in her hand.
"My brother and uncle can wait. Right now, I have a more important target in mind for you to hunt." Azula stated in a smoothly authoritative voice as she held out the scroll while the bounty hunter arched a brow in interest.
Before June reached out to accept the scroll and then she wordlessly opened it up.
Azula and Zoi stared expectantly back at the bounty hunter's inexpressive face as she gazed down at the wanted poster.
Mai and Ty Lee shared an unnerved look with one another.
They both had a good idea of the identity of the princess's target.
Only for all of them to gaze at the woman in puzzlement when June's eyes widened ever so slightly in surprise.
"Absolutely not." June spoke up at long last while the team stared back at her in disbelief.
The princess now stared back with her surprised amber golden eyes now narrowing into an outraged glare.
As Mai and Ty Lee gazed on with shuddering expressions in their eyes after hearing the woman refer to the job as suicide.
Zoi gazed on with a stunned expression in her golden eyes.
"You refuse? I was under the impression that there was no bounty that you would not take up." Azula hissed with her utterly infuriated amber golden eyes glaring back at the bounty hunter's scowling face.
"Under normal circumstances yes. But going after Silah the Pale is suicide. And if there is one bounty that I have no desire to track…it's hers." June answered in a cross voice as she shoved the poster back into the princess's disbelieving hands.
The noblewomen and their young friend still gazed back at the woman in shock.
"You'll hunt the Avatar but you won't hunt a puppeteer?" Azula demanded in an interrogative voice only for her amber golden eyes to fume in anger when the woman pushed past her.
"There's a difference. The Avatar is a pacifistic boy. Silah is a psychopath rumored to collect the corpses of her enemies as souvenirs." June responded in a grim manner while the princess stared furiously after her back.
Ty Lee and Mai shivered over the reminder of the horrors that they faced in their encounter with the demented puppeteer.
While Zoi regained her composure as she gazed on with a spark of vengeance flashing before her golden eyes once more.
"D-dead bodies as souvenirs?" Elle inquired in a mousy voice with a confused expression in her amber eyes.
"June…I assure you that we will pay you richly." Zoi assured with a nod of her head while she gazed after the walking bounty hunter.
"What good is money to me if I am dead?" June retorted in a cynical voice as she gazed over her shoulder at the taken aback faces of the Fire Nation women.
"She has a point." Mai stated in an apathetic voice while Azula glared at her through the corner of her frigid eye.
Only for all five of them to gaze back at the woman as she turned to face them from where she stood beside her shirshu.
"The first rule of bounty hunting is to never take on a target that you cannot subdue. I have lived by this rule ever since I began my career as a bounty hunter. It has kept me alive. And I don't intend to stop now." June remarked in a businesslike voice while the princess's amber golden eyes flickered with aggravation.
Ty Lee shuddered from where she stood beside her friends.
She could hardly blame the woman for her hesitation.
And the scary thing was that she knew that June's reluctance was more than justified.
"I am not hiring you to capture her. This is a reconnaissance mission to locate her base of operations." Azula remarked in a regally cold voice with her callous amber golden eyes watching the bounty hunter intently.
And that was when she saw an ever so slight flicker of contemplation in the mercenary's eyes when the woman paused before her steed.
She turned to share a pondering glance with her strongest soldier as her captain gazed knowingly back at her.
And then the two firebenders turned to gaze back at the bounty hunter once more.
"Should you accept this mission…I am prepared to pay you triple the puppeteer's bounty in gold." Azula announced in a naturally imperial voice while the bounty hunter's eyes gleamed in newfound interest.
The two noblewomen and their young friend gazed at their princess in shock.
As June hesitated for the briefest of instances to hop onto her shirshu.
Only for Team Azula to stare on with disbelief in their eyes when the woman moved her body back into motion to pull herself up onto her animal companion.
Just as another voice rang out into the air.
"And I will personally match every coin that the princess pays you." Zoi called out without delay while her fellow noblewomen and her adopted sister gazed at her in surprise.
The serving girl stared at her friends with her mouth agape in astonishment that they could afford to pay so much just to hire one woman.
"Make that five times her bounty and you've got a deal." June announced in a brazen voice with a smirk forming onto her lips as she gazed back at the stunned faces of the highborn women.
The princess and the captain both narrowed their eyes back at the smug face of the bounty hunter.
Just as they turned to share another look with one another before they both turned to glare back at the Earth Kingdom woman.
While Azula found her lips creasing into a seething glower as she recalled the lunatic's final words in the infuriating note that she left her.
Sooner or later, I am going to seal your fate among my collection. Until then...my beautiful doll.
And that was all it took for flames to spew from her snarling lips while she stared imperiously back at the bounty hunter.
Only to let out a scoff not a moment later as she waved a dismissive hand in the air before her irate face.
"So, be it. Five times it is then. But you better bring me results June." Azula spoke in a callously hardened voice.
It was more than worth it.
Every single coin.
Just to get revenge against that puppeteer.
Her commanding amber golden eyes glared back at the woman's smirking face as she watched her hop onto her shirshu.
And then the creature rushed forward once more.
And not a second after that the bounty hunter snatched the rolled up wanted poster back from the princess's hand.
As the princess turned to stare icily over her shoulder.
"Oh, I'll bring you results Princess. I'll be sure to let you know what I can dig up. But I'm not going anywhere near that freak." June concluded in a firm voice as she rode past the group while the princess stared coldly after her.
And not a moment later Nyla bounded across the large warship.
The highborn women and their young friend watched the duo dart away until they soon vanished from sight.
As they all pondered if the bounty hunter would actually be succeed in locating the puppeteer's supposed citadel.
"Do you really think that she can find it?" Ty Lee asked in a pondering voice while she gazed back at the faces of her thoughtful companions.
"If there is anyone that can do it. It is June. She is the best bounty hunter money can buy." Zoi stated in a stoic voice while her fellow noblewomen nodded their heads.
"It sure sounds like it is going to cost you two a lot of gold!" Elle exclaimed in a jubilant voice while her big sisters gazed fondly back at her.
"I can see how it might seem that way to a peasant girl like yourself. But really, it's just pocket change to a woman of my wealth." Azula sighed in a haughty voice as she stood arrogantly studying the fingernails on her fist.
She delighted in the way that her servant girl stared at her in adorable admiration.
'Only Azula would boast about her wealth right after encountering a mob of hungry civilians who just condemned for the very same thing.' Mai thought as she let out a snort with her tawny eyes watching the two in mild amusement.
Only for the shout of Nako to break through the air while the team turned to gaze down to see what the ruckus was all about.
"Captain! There is a man out front who is here to see you! He says he used to be a soldier of yours!" Nako shouted from the lower deck as she rushed into view.
The highborn women and their young companion turned to gaze at the captain in bewilderment.
As Zoi gazed down with a curious expression in her golden eyes.
Azula arched a brow as she stared at her soldier with a questioning look in her amber golden eyes.
It never ceased to astonish her just how informal the noblewoman was with her own troops.
To the point that even her own former soldiers felt welcome to come visit her as if they were old friends!
"A former soldier of mine?" Zoi inquired in an interested voice while she moved forward to gaze down over the rails.
"He said something about being your former lieutenant." Nako informed in a diligent voice while the others listened in confusion.
Zoi now stared down with her eyes now marginally widening in recognition.
As her companions gazed at her with intrigued expressions in their eyes.
While the princess stared down with a flicker of aggravation in her eyes over the interruption in their departure.
And then the warrior quickly strode past her puzzled teammates while she began to walk down to the lower level.
Only for Zoi to come to a stop gazing down the entry ramp to see a familiar face staring back up at her from the pier below.
Azula and her subordinates stepped forward to glance down with piqued looks in their eyes.
Standing on the pier below was a young man of average height who looked to be around the same age as Zoi.
He was wearing the usual red colored Fire Nation garb.
He had dark brown hair that hung down over the sides of his face and bangs that draped down over his eyes.
He was holding a sack over his shoulder.
And an ornate bow hung from its position on his back.
And perhaps most distinct of all was the dark red tattoo that the man had over his eyes that signified his past affiliation with the Yuyan Archers.
He now stared up at the face of his former commander with detached golden eyes.
"Roden." Zoi announced at long last as she strode down the ramp while her comrades stared down from above in curiosity.
"Captain, it has been a while." Roden replied in a calm voice as he gazed stonily up at the captain's composed visage.
"It really has. Around half a year ago in fact. The last time I saw you was when I revoked your rank and you stormed away in rage." Zoi greeted in a difficult to gauge voice while she gazed back at the man's now scowling face.
The rest of Team Azula balked as they gazed between the two in rising confusion.
As the archer stared down at the ground with clear displeasure in his eyes as his former commander came to a stop standing before him.
Only for warrior to bewilder her comrades even further when her lips began to curve into the barest signs of a grin.
"But enough about that. It is good to see you comrade." Zoi remarked in a genuinely affectionate voice just before she swiftly enveloped the man in a crushing hug.
The three highborn women stared down from above with utter perplexity in their eyes.
As the man stiffened in the noblewoman's embrace as he gingerly returned the gesture.
"It is good to see you as well Zoi." Roden spoke in a marginally quieter voice as the woman patted him on the back.
"How has life been treating you brother?" Zoi pondered as she withdrew from the hug while her teammates still gazed down from above in disbelief.
"Well sister. I found some work with your mother. I have been working for her developing weapons for her for some time. And yourself?" Roden asked in an aloof undertone as he gazed back at the captain's stoic face.
"Let's just say that it has been a shitty day and I am in dire need of a drink. Would you care to join me?" Zoi responded with her hands falling back to her sides while she gazed at her former subordinate's stony visage.
The others still stared down with dumbfounded expressions on their faces.
"That would be quite convenient actually. As I was wanting to speak with you anyhow." Roden answered in a contemplative voice as he began to walk beside his former commander.
As the warrior eyed the soldier with a knowing gleam in her golden eyes.
"About?" Zoi questioned with a raised brow while watched her former subordinate frown in consideration.
Only for the voice of her princess to resound into the air.
While both soldiers glanced up to see Azula descending to gaze down at them from above.
As the archer stoically bowed in greeting under the princess's callous amber golden stare.
"Zoi. Are you seriously mingling with a soldier that you personally demoted?" Azula asked in a frigid voice while she studied the man with a predatory gaze.
As far as she was concerned.
If the soldier was discharged for any reason whatsoever.
Then potentially bringing him back on was nothing short of a liability.
And if there was one thing that she hated…it was failures and liabilities.
Most especially ones that bring even the slightest risk to her little girlfriend's well-being.
Mai and Ty Lee rose their brows as they stepped down to get a look at the man behind their princess.
While Elle peered innocently down at the archer with her usual welcoming smile.
And Nako for her part just shrugged her shoulders as she walked off to resume her duties.
She knew well enough that the recruiting of soldiers was none of her business and she wasn't about to presume otherwise.
Only for the captain to take her princess and fellow nobles by surprise when she held up a hand to speak for her former subordinate.
"It wasn't anything treasonous Princess. It was simply…a difference in views. And former soldier or not…he's still my brother." Zoi remarked in a reassuring voice while her princess gazed back at her in disbelief.
Roden stared gazed at his former leader's back with a taken aback look in his golden eyes.
Just as the warrior reached out to set her hand on her ex-second in command's shoulder while the man silently gazed back at her.
"If I can forgive this…bitch. Then I can forgive an insufferable bastard like you." Zoi declared in her usual crass fashion as she gestured in the direction of the now glaring Mai while the others listened in bewilderment.
She stared back at her former soldier with something akin to a reflecting expression in her golden eyes.
As the Fire Princess stared down at the two with perplexed expression in her callous eyes.
No matter how much time she spent with her strongest soldier.
She still couldn't understand the other woman's deep bond with her troops.
Only for the archer to glance off to the side for a fleeting moment as he arose from his bow with a brown gracing his lips once more.
As the famed warrior eyed him closely as she sighed under her breath.
"Don't tell me that you're still pissed about our little squabble?" Zoi inquired with a raised brow while the man stared off into the ocean's waters for a passing moment.
And for the briefest of instances a fleeting spark of anger almost seemed to flash before the archer's golden eyes.
Azula still gazed incredulously between the two as she eyed the back of her captain's head.
It was plainly apparent that the man was still holding onto measure of a grudge.
"No Zoi. It is in the past and it is behind us now." Roden assured with a shake of his head while a grin formed on the captain's lips once more.
And then the rest of the team watched in confusion when the warrior abruptly slapped the man on the back.
"Wonderful! So, what brings you back around?" Zoi asked as the man coughed slightly while she removed her hand from his back.
The former lieutenant straightened as he gazed back into the captain's stony golden eyes.
"Governor Yoko informed me that you were in need of troops. So, I thought that I would stop by and see if you had need of my skills once more." Roden explained in an unemotional voice while the captain calmly contemplated his words.
As the princess still gazed back at the man with an icy countenance.
If the man had any kind of skill at all.
Why wasn't he with the rest of the Yuyan Archers?
Only for Zoi to take her comrades to back once more when she shrugged her shoulders.
"You came at the right time. We've had some positions…open up lately…" Zoi trailed off in suggestive voice while a frown adorned her lips once again.
Ty Lee and Mai shivered as their thoughts once more went back to the soldiers that Silah massacred.
"So, I've heard." Roden stated in an aloof voice while he gazed on with a slight trace of sadness for his fallen former comrades in his detached golden eyes.
"Very well…Roden. Then I suppose…welcome back on board." Zoi announced in a lenient voice while the archer stared back at her in shock.
As Team Azula gazed on with surprised looks in their eyes.
"You have my gratitude Captain. I promise you that you will not regret this." Roden spoke up in a faintly happier voice while the captain released another sigh.
"Let us hope not Roden. Just as long as you understand…that Saro will be remaining as my lieutenant." Zoi concluded in a stonier voice while she gazed back at the archer's apathetic face.
Roden now turned to glance over his shoulder to see the other man gazing down at him from above in displeasure with a scowl on his lips.
"I understand perfectly Captain." Roden remarked with a slight smile on his lips while he turned to gaze back at his once again leader's relaxing countenance.
Only for a cheerful voice to split into the air while the princess turned around to stare imperiously back at her handmaiden's cheery visage.
"That's the spirit oneesan! Live and let live!" Elle cried out in an adorably supportive voice while Zoi gazed back at her with a small smile on her lips.
The two noblewomen gazed back at her in fondness.
While the princess rolled her conceited amber golden eyes over her girlfriend's naïve nature.
As the archer now gazed back at the girl with his brows rising in curiosity.
Saro still glared back at the other man with an unconvinced expression in his eyes.
"And who might this be Captain?" Roden questioned in a faintly curious voice while the girl smiled brightly back at him.
"Hi! My name is Elle! I'm the team helper!" Elle chirped in a warm voice while her big sisters stared at her affectionately from behind her as the man gazed back at her in confusion.
As the princess stood with a regal scowl on her lips as she tried to squash her fondness for the younger girl.
"Hello." Roden responded in a bewildered voice while the girl beamed back at him.
As he eyed the girl's exotic golden hair with a sense of fascination in his eyes.
"This is my youngest sister Elle." Zoi spoke in a voice of approval as she set her hand on Elle's shoulder while the serving girl smiled sunnily up at her.
Azula, Ty Lee and Mai still gazed at the scene with protective expressions in their eyes.
"Your youngest sister? I thought that you only had one." Roden queried with puzzlement in his stoic voice while he watched his captain ruffle the smiling girl's hair.
"Not anymore. Now I have two." Zoi answered with a fond undertone to her voice while her hand settled in the giggling girl's hair.
The handmaid peered up at the taller older woman with a heartfelt expression in her gentle amber eyes.
As the princess coldly stared back at the joyful girl with ruthlessly possessive amber golden eyes.
Just as the warrior removed her hand from the emotional girl's head as she turned to face the still bewildered archer.
"Go get situated Roden. I will come to speak with you further soon enough." Zoi commanded as she watched the man nod his head in an emotionless manner.
And with that the former second in command turned to walk away into the bowels of the royal sloop.
The team excluding Elle stared after his back with varying expressions in their eyes.
The current lieutenant stepped up beside his squad leader as he waited for the other man to step inside before he spoke up.
"Captain…are you certain that it is good to bring Roden back on?" Saro pondered in an uncertain voice while his captain turned to face him.
As Azula arched another brow as she took note of the soldier's distaste for the other man.
"We are in need of capable soldiers and our selections are few to say the least. In any case, you don't have to worry Saro. Your position is secure." Zoi assured in a softer voice as she stared back into her friend's moved golden eyes.
"I appreciate that…Captain." Saro stated in a somewhat uplifted voice while the warrior patted his shoulder.
"Zoi, I want to have a word with you about this former lieutenant of yours." Azula ordered in a voice of absolute authority while she started to walk in the other direction.
The warrior nodded her head in understanding as she removed her hand from her comrade's shoulder.
And then Zoi moved to follow after her princess while the rest of Team Azula watched them walk off.
Several minutes later.
The princess and her captain were walking in the hall of the ship towards the royal war room.
Azula gazed back at her increasingly closer subordinate with a cold expression in her eyes.
"About five years ago…after I started taking up missions in your name as a captain of the Imperial Firebenders. I formed my own crew. Among them was a fellow arena fighter by the name of Saro and a former Yuyan Archer named Roden." Zoi informed in a reminiscent voice while the princess stared at her with a bewildered look in her amber golden eyes.
"Do you mean to tell me that instead of selecting your crew from distinguished soldiers…that you recruited a bunch of misfits?" Azula snorted in a scrutinizing voice as she eyed the noblewoman oddly.
Only for the puzzlement in her ruthless eyes to grow when the other woman nodded in affirmative.
On the one hand it bewildered her.
And yet on the other hand…
It was just like the warrior that she had come to regard as a sister to her to do something so…bizarre.
"Roden was my most talented soldier…he is an even better firebender than Saro and he was also my smartest soldier. Not only is he an expert firebender and a master marksman. In addition to that…he is a highly skilled military engineer." Zoi stated as she walked beside her princess while the woman scrunched up her brows in perplexity.
"If this man is so skilled…then why did you demote him?" Azula asked in a confused voice while she strode beside her captain.
"Because Roden showed a concerning willingness to kill Earth Kingdom civilians with his tactics if it meant being able to kill the enemy. We had a disagreement over such tactics. So, I revoked his rank and promoted Saro in his place after he left." Zoi explained in a stolid voice as she faced her now disbelieving princess.
"What? That's it? You replaced him with a lesser firebender over that?" Azula questioned in a harsh voice while she stared at the other woman as if she had just grown a second head.
The most baffling thing of all was that it almost sounded like Zoi was describing the ideal soldier!
One who prioritized victory over anything else.
As a scowl appeared on the noblewoman's lips over the minor slight to her close friend's firebending prowess.
"First of all, Saro is not lesser, he is very passionate about improving his firebending skills. And secondly, I do not condone the killing of civilians, regardless of what nation they come from." Zoi insisted while her princess still gazed back at her with incredulous amber golden eyes.
"You are a strange woman Zoi. Only you would punish a soldier for endangering the lives of Earth Kingdom civilians." Azula remarked in a still perplexed voice.
Her regal amber golden eyes still stared back at the warrior's face as the other woman just shrugged her shoulders.
"I thought you would know me well enough by now Princess…to know that what will earn praise from other commanders will win no favor from me." Zoi spoke in a candid voice as she stared back at her princess's taken aback countenance.
And then she turned to gaze ahead as she resumed her walk down the hall while her princess strode in a baffled silence beside her.
Azula still gazed after her strongest soldier's back with an expression of bewilderment in her cold-hearted amber golden eyes.
Only for the princess to simply shake her head with a scoff exiting her pursed lips.
The arrangement of her warrior's troops was of little concern to her.
All that mattered was that they were efficient and that they performed their job without failure.
And just like that the two firebenders continued their walk toward the Fire Princess's war room.
Until their footfalls soon faded into but a distant echo throughout the halls of the warship.
And soon enough the royal sloop began to sail through the ocean towards their destination.
Hari Bulkan.
Meanwhile at Silah's Citadel on Hunter's Island…
An eruption of indescribably potent energy exploded from the roof of the citadel.
The broken remains of numerous humanoid puppets now lay destroyed on chamber floor.
As the auras of Silah and Vega sparked throughout the chamber as the two combatants slid back along the floor of the castle.
They stared back at one another in grudging recognition of each other's power.
While Neris watching in intrigue in her human form as she gazed between her partner and the hunter.
"It would seem as if we are evening matched." Silah stated in a calculating voice with steel cables retracting onto her back as she stood with her favorite puppet standing alongside her.
"Yes, it would seem as if we are at an impasse." Vega remarked in an inexpressive voice as she retracted her shadows while she studied Silah closely.
"What do you suggest we do about it?" Silah spoke in a heartless voice with her dark green eyes gazing out from underneath her shattered bone mask.
"I would propose a proposition." Vega answered in a dispassionate voice with her shadows spiraling before her face while Silah rose a brow.
"I'm listening." Silah commented in an intrigued voice while she watched a smirk start to form on Vega's lips.
"Perhaps it would be more prudent if we consolidated our forces for the time being." Vega announced in a contemplative voice as she crossed her arms over her chest while Silah listened in rising curiosity.
"And why would I agree to that?" Silah asked in a casual voice while she stared coldly back at Vega's apathetic face.
"Because I can assist you in adding Princess Azula and Zoi Song to your collection." Vega replied in a sinister voice while she watched Silah's dark green eyes shimmer in unmistakable interest.
"Perhaps…there is a way that we can work together after all." Silah responded in a coldly thoughtful voice as a malevolent smile began to form on her painted lips once more.
And with that…the puppets lowered their weapons while Vega stared on with a wicked smile of her own.
"Alright then. We'll join forces…for now." Silah concluded with a savage smirk on her features while she ran her tongue along her lips.
No matter what it takes…
She will seal their fates in her workshop.
And not even seconds after that the sound of Silah's sadistic laughter began to echo off the walls of the citadel.
As Vega gazed on with a widening smile on her lips as she observed the hunter in cruel amusement.
And just like that…the deadly alliance was born.
"You have made a wise choice. With the combined power of the three of us…there won't be anyone in this world or the next who will be able to stand against us." Vega concluded in a diabolical voice with a wicked smile upon her lips while Neris smiled behind her.
In the not-too-distant future the end of humanity would soon be upon them.
It was bound to be a beautiful apocalypse.
And she just couldn't wait to see it.
AN:
So, rumor is starting to spread around the Avatar world about Elle awakening her power against Aang. This means that Ozai is very likely aware of it by now.
I wanted to give June a cameo or two in the series, as she is a minor character that I like and many other people seem to like.
Now, while June is largely known for being fearless and willing to take on anyone.
It is important to remember that Silah is a much more deadly foe than the targets she took on in canon, because even if Silah and Aang are of a similar level of power.
As June stated, there is a difference between hunting a pacifistic boy and a super powered serial killer such as Silah.
Even if Aang, Zuko, Iroh, Katara, Toph, or whoever are stronger than June. She knows what they are capable of, and that they wouldn't do anything horrid to her.
Silah's bounty is about the same as Aang's, so the base reward is about equal for each target.
But Silah has an ominous reputation that precedes her, people that go after her do not come back.
As a result, all that people know about her are the horrible rumors that spread around about what she does to people that she defeats.
Up until Team Azula survived their encounter with her in the Forgetful Valley, there wasn't anyone other than Mava that actually knew what her powers are, what she does, etc.
June's hesitance to attempt to bring Silah directly in could be compared to Bronn in GOT/Song of Ice and Fire declining to fight the Mountain. June knows that it is a fight that she has very little chance of winning and that is why she initially declined Azula's job offer.
However, as we saw Azula was able to convince her to do some recon that doesn't involve capture and we'll see how that goes.
As for Roden, we have a new secondary character who was a former member of Zoi's crew.
He is Zoi's lieutenant, and the most skilled soldier that she had under her command, before she stripped him of his rank and cast him out for his lack of regard for his comrades.
I wanted to introduce another subordinate of Zoi's, to flesh out Zoi herself a bit more and to expand some on Saro who has played a largely minor role thus far.
I also wanted to expand upon how Zoi formed her own crew, and some of her backstory regarding how she came to be in the Imperial Firebenders.
Zoi joined the Imperial Firebenders around five years prior, and she began to dedicate herself to missions in the name of Azula whom she admired.
However, instead of selecting proper soldiers, Zoi decided to recruit a group of misfits. These misfits were raised up into the Imperial Firebenders upon Zoi's return to the capital in chapter 18.
This explains why when Zoi was furious after Mai tried to kill her, that her soldiers were willing to obey Zoi over Azula as long as it did not endanger Azula's life. And that is because Zoi won their loyalty by giving them a place amongst her crew. So, their devotion to her was more personal than their instilled loyalty to royal figures that they have never met.
Right now, Roden will only appear sparsely but we will see him more often and learn more about him when we return to the battles of the upcoming war arcs.
And finally, Silah and the new villain Vega have formed an uneasy but dangerous alliance.
At this point in time, we know much more about Silah than we do Vega. All we know about Vega is that she can manipulate shadows and she serves a foreboding dark force.
While Silah and Vega may seem similar on the surface, and while both are evil, they are actually quite different.
Silah has no loyalties to any side, she is a deadly wild card who is looking to both survive all conflicts and indulge her twisted past times while she is at it.
Whereas Vega has loyalty to the force that she serves, and she wishes to bring about the end of humanity for reasons that have yet to be stated.
And Silah herself, has no desire to destroy humanity, she just wants to hunt those who are strong enough to entertain her along the way. But being a supernaturally powered serial killer, she lacks the ability to feel emotion about the prospect of it in the way that a normal person could.
And since Silah is a person of tremendous power, Vega wanted to bring her in to prevent from having to clash with her in the future.
We'll see where this lethal alliance goes and if it is an alliance that Silah is going to stick with.
The Shung Wu mini arc is over and next chapter we will return to Royal Caldera City. This means that Mai is going to be parting ways with Team Azula next chapter, as she has prison time to do for her assassination attempt on Zoi.
This also means that we won't see Mai much for a few arcs, but we will see her here and there. And she will return to more frequent prominence at a later date.
We are going to see how Elle takes to this, which likely will not be positive at first.
However, it will also serve to shake up the team dynamics a bit, and give Elle a chance to bond more with other members of the team, especially Zoi.
Anyhow, that will be all for now.
Stay tuned for next time.
For chapter one hundred twenty-six! Return to Caldera!