"… From what we've been able to gather, the Rough Rhinos are heavily armed. They will injure or kill anyone who stands in their way."
"So I've heard," Azula muttered, frowning as her Captain delivered the information about their enemies. "You compiled information about each member of the group, as I commanded, didn't you?"
"Yes, I did," said the Captain, nodding.
"Very well. Let's hear it," said Azula, crossing her legs as she looked expectantly at the man.
Sitting on her throne-like seat on the barge allowed Azula to glare at all her subjects properly, but right now she was more intent on being completely briefed about the Rough Rhinos than on reminding everyone on the ship that she was the one in charge. The Captain had laid out a table on the barge's main deck, and Azula was currently sitting before it with her legs crossed, on the smoothest cushion available. The Captain sat opposite to her, searching through an array of scrolls to find the one in which he had written down all the information he had been able to obtain regarding the Rough Rhinos' members. As soon as he found the right paper, he spread it wide open and began reading.
"The Rhinos' leader is Colonel Mongke, as we already know," said the Captain. "He's the single firebender of the group. He used to serve under your Uncle in the army."
"Forming his own group was a clever call," muttered Azula. "If he had remained at my Uncle's service he would have gotten himself killed in Ba Sing Se to no avail."
"Indeed… if that had been the case, we wouldn't have a mission before us right now," said the Captain.
"It would have spared us the trouble, true… but despite it all, I need this mission," Azula declared.
"Of course," said the Captain, not entirely certain of why Azula needed a mission, but agreeing with her for the sake of it. "The Colonel is skilled at bending, but he also has a very sharp mind. His intelligence is no match to yours, naturally… but it would be best to be cautious with Mongke. He can be unpredictable, and any unpredictable firebender can be deadly."
"Naturally," said Azula, frowning. "You'll have to keep that in mind. You're likely to be the one who will face and capture them."
"You can rest assured. I will be wary of them all, especially Mongke," said the Captain, nodding. "Now, as for the other members, one is called Ogodei. He fights with chains that have steel balls attached to their ends. He's very skilled at capturing his opponents. There's also Vachir, a former member of the Yu-Yan Archers. According the information we obtained about him, he fights using arrows on fire…"
"How?" asked Azula, frowning.
"He has a torch of some sort on his bow. He uses it to set the tips of his arrows on fire," the Captain explained.
"So there's only one firebender, but this one fights with fire as well…" Azula muttered, thoughtful.
"Kahchi is the fourth member," continued the Captain. "His weapon is a halberd, a guan dao. He's the slowest of them all, apparently, but he's the most lethal in short-distance combat. His skill with his weapon is something to behold. Flawless offense, flawless defense…"
Sokka walked into the deck, overhearing the last words the Captain had just said. He raised an eyebrow, confused about what he might be discussing with the Princess. He had been looking for Azula for a while now, wanting to ask her about his opponents. Azula hadn't bothered looking his way throughout the entire voyage, and Sokka had decided to leave her alone for the time being. But with every passing second they came closer to Yu Dao, and he still knew nothing of the enemy he would be facing in the Arena. He had gone to her cabin first, and he had stood knocking on the door for several minutes, wondering if the Princess wouldn't answer because she had known it was him somehow, before a guard caught sight of him and told him Azula was on the deck.
He had hoped she would be alone, he knew better than to interrupt her if she was up to something important… and, indeed, the Princess was occupied. Sokka walked to the rim of the ship, sitting far from where Azula and the Captain were, but keeping an eye on them in hopes he would get his chance to talk to Azula as soon as she had finished her conversation with her guard.
"The last one is Yeh-Lu," said the Captain, frowning. "He's a bombs expert. His explosives are very dangerous, and they use them as a cover to escape whenever the situation is unfavorable for them. It's how they got out of Yu Dao when they attacked the city."
"Of course," muttered Azula, frowning. "So there's only one firebender, yet there are two more that fight with fire. It shouldn't be so difficult to defeat the ones who can't even bend the fire they're using to attack."
"It shouldn't, but we can't lower our guard around them," said the Captain.
"You'd best keep that in mind at all times," Azula declared. "It won't be easy to capture them. They're all skilled at riding their Komodo Rhinos, aren't they?"
"Very much so," the Captain admitted. "Their steeds are strong and fast, as good as unstoppable when they break into an all-out race. Their horns are deadly, their hides almost impenetrable."
"It won't be an easy battle," Azula muttered. "They're not just five bandits, they have five deadly mounts as well. You'll have to take ten men with you, at the very least."
"But that's…"
"Yes, twice as much as we agreed before, but now that you've briefed me about them, I fear there's no other way," said Azula, somewhat amused to think she was almost reliving her previous conversation with her father, but on the other end of it this time. "No need to worry, I'll be left with ten more guards to stand by me."
"Ten might not be enough," said the Captain, grimacing.
"Ten has been enough all along. It's always been ten guards in my Royal Procession," Azula stated. "And I wouldn't be defenseless even if I ended up on my own, Captain. I know how to take care of myself."
"Of course you do, Princess," said the Captain, nodding and bowing down his head towards her.
"Very well, then. Make sure you have selected the men you'll take with you by the time we arrive in Yu Dao," said Azula, standing up. "According to the ship's captain, we should be there by tomorrow afternoon."
"Yes, Princess," said the Captain, picking up his papers and nodding again.
Azula turned around, headed towards the ship's tower once more. Sokka jumped from where he was, extending a hand to try and stop her, but he already knew he wouldn't reach her in time.
"Az-…" he started, but he couldn't even finish calling out her name.
The Princess showed no signs of having heard him. She disappeared through the door he had passed by only a moment ago. Sokka was left standing where he was, his hand still raised towards her, her blatant rejection hurting him in ways nobody had ever harmed him before. There was nothing he could do, nothing…
The Captain caught sight of his figure, having noticed Sokka from the moment the gladiator had entered the deck. Azula had taken notice of him as well: her eyebrows had twitched as soon as she heard Sokka's footsteps. The Captain doubted Sokka planned to do any harm to her this time around. He figured the gladiator would have a good reason to come look for her… but Azula still wanted nothing to do with him. The Captain stood up and looked at Sokka, watching the way he dropped his arm slowly, his downcast eyes portraying the pain and loneliness that dwelled within him.
"What are you doing here?" asked the Captain, bringing Sokka out of his depressive daze.
"U-uh… I just wanted to ask her something, but, well… you can see how that went," said Sokka, shrugging and walking to the rim of the ship again, his eyes fixated on the water.
"You weren't really expecting anything else, were you?" asked the Captain, approaching Sokka and standing beside him with his back turned to the ocean.
"I know she can't forgive me that easily for what I did, but I'm trying to set things right. It'd be great if she'd let me," said Sokka, sighing and shaking his head.
"Unless you give her a reason to let you, she won't be interested in letting you," said the Captain. "If you're determined to earn her pardon, you should try harder."
"How much harder?" asked Sokka, grimacing. "She doesn't even want to acknowledge I'm alive, how am I supposed to do anything else to earn her forgiveness…?"
"I'm sorry to say I don't have all the answers to your problems," the Captain declared. "I just hope you have learned to never take a woman's heart lightly."
"I guess I have," muttered Sokka, sighing. "You think… you think she actually liked me?"
"She might have," said the Captain, shrugging. "I can't pretend to understand the Princess better than anyone. She's the only one who understands herself."
"Indeed," said Sokka, nodding. "She's beyond men like us, isn't she? Too far from us to grasp…"
"I have always known that," said the Captain. "Yet it seems you only learned that as of late…"
"And in the hard way," said Sokka, nodding. "I was stupid enough to forget my place in the world, stupid enough to only think about myself. And… and I said she was selfish, but even if she is to some extent, so was I… and I had no right to be. I'm just a gladiator, just a slave…"
"She didn't think you were just a slave," said the Captain. "And she doesn't think so now either."
Sokka frowned and looked at the man with confused eyes.
"How do you know…? You know what she thinks of me now?"
"Of course. She thinks you're the lowest form of life there is, that there's no way to make you pay for all the mistakes you made," the Captain stated matter-of-factly, making Sokka grimace.
"T-that's just wonderful," said Sokka, staring into the ocean again.
"And with that you can tell she sees you as much more than a slave," said the Captain. "To her, you were an ally. As you are now, it seems you are a threat. Yet she has never looked down on you…"
"Well, I wouldn't push it that far…" Sokka muttered, but the Captain ignored him.
"… Never treated you as she treats her servants. In her eyes, you've always been different. Even now, you are different. She can't behave around you in the way she would with any other slave. She can't order you around, can't make you kneel and swear eternal fealty…"
"I wouldn't be so sure of that," said Sokka, sighing. "I mean, if she wanted me to, I probably would…"
"But she won't do it. Because… because she respects you."
Sokka's eyes widened at the Captain's words. The man's head was hung, as if he had finally found the solution to a puzzle he had been struggling to solve for far too long… and the result happened to be disheartening instead of fulfilling for him.
"Even now, after whatever you've done… she respects the fact that you can hurt her. Before she was on her guard, wary of anything you might say or do, and always ready to counter your jabs. Now she stays far from you, keeping her distance, because being on her guard wasn't enough. You're just a non-bender, you're not that strong… but you could pierce right through her defenses in ways nobody had ever done it before. She's afraid of what you can unleash upon her. And I'd say she has every right to be."
Sokka sighed and nodded, his knuckles turning white as he clasped the rim of the ship tightly.
"You're a threat to her, she'd be a fool to take you lightly. And the Princess is no fool."
"But I am one," said Sokka, sighing. "I… I don't even know what I took our relationship to be. I got it all wrong, though…"
"I don't know what happened between you," said the Captain. "And I doubt I want to know. It might make me want to beat you to a pulp."
"Yeah, likely," muttered Sokka, gulping. If Azula's most loyal guard knew Sokka and the Princess had shared quite a passionate moment in the Arena's waiting room, he'd likely try to kill him. He wouldn't even need to hear the full extent of their conflict, just knowing he had kissed her would be enough for him to slay Sokka on the spot.
"But you said before that you would spend the rest of your life making up for your mistakes," said the Captain. "So giving up now…"
"I'm not giving up," said Sokka, shaking his head. "I'm never giving up. But it's just… hard. It makes me wonder if anything of what I'm doing is any use."
"It's more use than it seems on first glance," said the Captain. "For you to strive to set things right speaks better of your character than you think."
Sokka blinked a few times before looking at the Captain with astonishment.
"Okay, I hadn't quite realized this until just now, but… you're being nice to me. You're actually being nice to me!"
The Captain grimaced under his hood and huffed, shaking his head. This gladiator was the most irritating man he knew.
"I'm not being nice, I'm being honest. I'm saying what I think. The Princess was reckless while around you, she would push me aside and get away with all her urges if she pleased… yet during that time there was a spark in her eyes I had never seen in them before. That spark is gone now, and I don't know if it'll ever come back to her. But you're the reason why she had that spark in the first place. If there's a chance she can get it back, it'll probably be because of you."
Sokka's eyes widened at those words. He had no idea what Azula was like whenever he wasn't around, obviously… but he had never thought someone else would sense there was a change in her demeanor because of him. His impact on her life had been evident. He hadn't been imagining things when he caught sight of what hid behind the Princess's golden irises: the Captain had noticed it also.
"Y-you want that spark… to return," muttered Sokka, lowering his eyes. "You think… you think she was actually happy back then? You think I… you think I made her happy?"
"I don't think so. I know so," said the Captain, sighing. "Why you, of all people? I have no idea. I don't see anything special about you other than the fact that the Princess thought you were special. I don't get it, personally… but I care about the Princess's wellbeing. And if someone can make her smile wholeheartedly again someday, it's probably you."
"I… I get it," said Sokka, nodding. He didn't really think he would be able to make Azula smile again, her hatred towards him seemed to know no end… but just as the Captain wanted Azula to be happy again, so did Sokka. Even if he wasn't the one who could give her that happiness, he needed to make sure she could smile once more. Once that was done, he could step away from her life and leave her alone if that was what she wished for… but as it was, he would stay by her side no matter how painful it would be. Until he was sure she had found happiness, he wouldn't leave her. He couldn't leave her.
"Just… give her some space," said the Captain. "She needs it. Show her the respect she commands. The Princess might come to accept you again one day if you do so."
"Alright," said Sokka, nodding. "I'll do that."
"Good," said the Captain, relieved to see the gladiator seemed to have understood the message indeed. He stepped away from Sokka, thinking about fetching some food, but he stopped when he heard the slave calling him.
"Captain…" said Sokka, looking at him with earnest eyes. "Thanks."
"I didn't say all that for your sake. You should know that by now," the Captain grumbled.
"Of course not," said Sokka, smiling. "But that's why I'm glad. You don't really care for me, and you clearly don't like me, but you think I can fix this. You actually believe I can set things right again. And you're willing to give me that opportunity even if I don't deserve it. So… thanks."
The Captain sighed and slid his hands into his pockets, walking away and shaking his head. That gladiator was really annoying.
Sokka smiled to himself as the Captain walked to the door through which Azula had left not too long ago. Even though speaking to the Royal Guard hadn't been that much help, considering he hadn't made any progress with Azula altogether, it had served to cheer him up. The Captain trusted him to fix the disaster he had wrecked, and he actually believed Sokka could succeed! His support was quite refreshing. Before he had felt like a tiny stone waging a war against a mountain… now he felt like a large boulder. It didn't mean he would succeed, but at the very least, he felt invigorated. It had given him the strength to fight when he had been tempted to surrender.
He turned towards the bow of the ship, his stare lost in the horizon. The ship was already sailing through Earth Kingdom waters. They had passed by the last Fire Nation islands the several days before and slipped through the ship blockade only a few hours ago. Sokka seized the rim of the ship again, the salty wind playing with some loose strands of his hair as he made up his mind about waiting. Piandao had often told him he needed to be patient, and that had been a lesson he had never managed to learn… it seemed he would have to learn it the hard way. He would endure anything and everything, and stand in wait for as long as needed until Azula could find some happiness once more.
The city of Yu Dao was the first Earth Kingdom town to become a Fire Nation Colony. The Colony had been established decades before the Hundred Year War had begun. With the joint efforts of the Fire Nation and Earth Kingdom citizens, firebenders and earthbenders alike, the town had turned into a very busy city in no time.
Sokka stared in awe as he treaded behind the Royal Procession, baffled by the seemingly endless sights and sounds. The noise coming from the stores was something new for Sokka. He had become accustomed to the Fire Nation Capital's inherent tranquility. The elegance in the Fire Nation's main city made it pretentious and prestigious at the same time. Yu Dao was the entire opposite of that. It seemed prosperous and well-organized, yet also it was also boisterous with business. People were hard at work everywhere he looked, and everyone seemed happy about it. It looked like a good place to live.
Azula's Procession made its way through the busy streets, earning itself the amazed stares of the townsfolk. Word had spread quickly about Azula's visit to the Former Earth Kingdom, and the Fire Nation colonials were most curious to meet the Princess for the first time. Sokka followed the palanquin as they passed through the main street of Yu Dao. To his slight discomfort, the Procession seemed to become more crowded by the minute. He looked over his shoulder to realize that curious onlookers had decided to follow the palanquin, all of them eager to catch a glimpse of the Fire Lord's daughter.
The palanquin bearers set Azula down right before the Mayor's home. The plump man was standing in front of his house, a smile on his face as he stared at the palanquin, his daughter and wife flanking him. Their elegant clothes gave away they were members of the city's high class, seeing how everyone else around them wore casual and common garments. There was a chance that the Mayor and his family didn't always dress like that, but they had to look their best if they were to welcome Princess Azula into the Fire Nation Colonies.
The curtains of the palanquin were drawn back by two of Azula's men, revealing the figure of the Princess sitting within. She cast one of her arrogant glares at the Mayor and his family before standing up and climbing off the vehicle. She didn't miss the way the Mayor's daughter stared at her in admiration. Good. She should be in awe.
"Welcome to Yu Dao, Princess Azula," said Mayor Morishita, bowing down before Azula. His wife and daughter followed his lead, and soon enough, the entire crowd of curious onlookers that had surrounded the Royal Procession were bowing down as well.
"Rise," Azula commanded, and all the people who had been bending over, with their left hands extended and their right balled into a fist, straightened their backs and stared at her with curiosity again.
"I trust your voyage was pleasant?" asked the Mayor, smiling kindly.
"As pleasant as any trip on a ship could be," Azula replied.
"Please excuse the citizens for their enthusiasm," said the Mayor's wife, smiling as well. "It's the first time a royal visits the city in over ten years."
"It's the first time I visit the city. Their enthusiasm is perfectly justified," declared Azula, proudly. "I trust my accommodations are ready?"
"Oh, of course, Princess," said the Mayor, nodding. "I hope you find them to your liking. We have arranged for you to share our home during the week you'll spend in Yu Dao."
"Very well," said Azula, staring at the house behind the family. It sure didn't look like a place she would find to her liking, but it would have to suffice. It wasn't as if she was taking a vacation. She had better things to worry about than staying in a mediocre house. "I will need a place to store the palanquin while the Royal Procession stays here…"
"Uh… what?" said the Mayor, blinking a few times in surprise.
Azula glared at him coldly. Was he going to make her repeat herself?
"Was there anything unclear in what I said, Mayor Morishita?"
"N-no, well… but there seems to be one problem" said the man, gulping. The Princess already was frightening enough without those killer glares.
"And what might that be?" asked Azula, raising an inquisitive eyebrow.
"Well, as you can see… this isn't that large a house," said Morishita, grimacing. "We hadn't thought we would have to host your entire Procession…"
Azula frowned. He was going to separate her from her men? How was she supposed to lead them through their mission if they would be staying at another place?
"Is that so?" she growled, her eyes narrow.
"I'm so sorry to set back your plans as it is," said the Mayor, nervous. "But we only arranged rooms for you and your gladiator…"
Azula's eyes snapped wide open upon that claim. A few ways away, Sokka jumped as well. The others had to leave, but he could stay? Stay in that house, with that family… and Azula? Something about it was utterly foreboding…
Azula cringed before composing herself. Of course they would arrange a room for Sokka, but not for her guards… and she hated to realize it made sense. She was supposed to be touring with her gladiator, bragging about him and presenting him all over the world… The Mayor's house was definitely not large enough to house a Princess, a gladiator, twenty Royal Guards and eight palanquin bearers. Yet staying only with Sokka… the thought produced a burning anger in her that made her feel as if she had swallowed a chunk of lava.
And the worst part was that she couldn't show how much it bothered her to have to stick with Sokka. Doing so would seem absolutely absurd in the eyes of everyone around. She narrowed her eyes again before turning towards the Captain of her Royal Guard, who had been standing right behind her.
"I suppose that hood isn't thick enough for you to have missed what I've just been informed of," she said, raising her eyebrows.
"It isn't, Princess," said the Captain, bowing his head towards her.
"Then I suggest you get moving to find proper lodging for you all," she snapped at him, being brusque towards him even though she knew the man wasn't to blame for the unexpected turn of events.
"Oh, uh…" said a member of the crowd, a short man with an odd mustache that took a step forward towards the Procession. "I-If it please Your Royal Highness… I have an inn a few streets away. I have several rooms available… I think I can accommodate your men, if you'd like me to…"
Azula turned her cruel glare towards the man, who shivered when he realized the Princess had focused her attention on him.
"Well… I rather doubt he's not trustworthy" she said, analyzing him quickly. "There's little a short man like that could do to an entire battalion of Royal Guards."
"Indeed, Princess," said the Captain, smiling slightly under his hood. "No need to concern yourself about us. We'll sort this matter out. As soon as we find a place to stay, we'll let you know. We'll bring your luggage to the Mayor's house once we've settled this."
"Very well, then" said Azula, glaring at the Captain again before lowering her gaze, her hands balling into fists… "Gladiator!"
Sokka jumped again when she called for him as she did. Clutching his weapons and bags, Sokka stared at the Princess in mild fear. Her temper seemed to worsen with every passing second, and at this rate he would end up getting burned to ashes if she found no better way to ease her frustration.
"Don't lag behind," Azula grunted, glaring at Sokka and jerking her head towards the Morishita's house.
Sokka gulped and nodded promptly, trembling in expectation as he followed Azula into the house. Perhaps he would finally get his opportunity to talk to the Princess…
He didn't, of course. Azula focused on Mayor Morishita when she entered the house, questioning him about the city's situation. The man replied kindly to her questions, but had offered to speak at leisure over dinner instead. Azula didn't seem satisfied with his responses, but she didn't complain. The family led the two of them to their home's dining room, but to everyone's surprise, Azula refused to go inside immediately.
"Go ahead, Mayor," she muttered. "There's something I need to tell my slave. It won't take long."
"Of course, Princess. Take all the time you need, we'll be waiting for you," said Morishita, smiling as he guided his wife and daughter into the room, leaving a nervous Sokka and a rabid Azula in the house's main hall.
Azula turned to Sokka, her golden eyes as unyielding as ever. Sokka held back the urge to gulp or to take a step back. He couldn't falter right now. He owed her that much.
"I don't think there's any use in trusting you to behave yourself…" Azula grunted, staring at him. "Therefore I'll just threaten you into it. Don't do anything stupid while we're here. Don't break anything, don't touch anything, don't say anything and don't try to get into the Mayor's daughter's pants."
"Of course I-… huh? W-what?" Sokka asked, taken by surprise at her last phrase.
"You're prone to doing stupid things. I only listed the stupidest I could come up with," Azula declared, rolling her eyes. "I'm going to remind you that this trip is not, in fact, for your sake. You are the last of my priorities. You wouldn't even be here if I had found another way to sort out this mess. So if you dare do anything remotely off-limits…"
"I know, I know…" said Sokka, lifting his hands and showing her his palms in signal of surrender. "You'll tell one of your guards to stick his hand into my mouth and pull me inside-out to punish me for my misbehavior or something."
"Huh? Tell one of my guards to…?"
"W-well, I figured you wouldn't want to do it yourself, or would you?" said Sokka, smiling nervously as beads of sweat ran down his brow.
Azula stared at him in utter confusion and disbelief. There was definitely something wrong in that messed up head of his…
"I hadn't thought of doing something like that to you, to be honest," she muttered, still glaring at him. "But I won't say it's not a good idea. I hope that looming threat is enough to keep you in check."
"It is, of course it is," said Sokka, nodding. "I'll make sure my presence isn't noticed! I'll be silent as a grave!"
Azula raised an eyebrow at those words. Sokka had changed a little lately… he was far more submissive than ever before. But underneath, he was probably still the same proud, stubborn savage she had met in the South Pole so long ago. Perhaps she should test him, to discover if he would actually stand by his claims and behave himself properly…
"We'll see about that," Azula countered, her eyes finally leaving him as she headed into the dining room.
Sokka blinked a few times before frowning, worried. What was that supposed to mean? He was trying to comply with what she wished… but her response had been as though he had refused to obey her. What was going through the Princess's mind? It was the question he couldn't stop asking himself, because no matter how much he guessed, he probably would never find the right answer. Back in the day that had only made him more curious about Azula… now it made him wary. Her rage towards him grew with every second that passed by, and any of those seconds might be his last if he wasn't careful.
He followed Azula into the dining room, and he took his seat next to her, considering the only empty spots on the table were at either side of the Princess. A group of servants entered the room, bringing dishes common to the Fire Nation with them and setting them down on the table.
"I hope the food is to your liking, Princess" said Mayor Morishita, as Azula took the first bite off her komodo chicken.
Azula frowned at the taste of the food. Granted the cooks had attempted to keep the meal as true to the Fire Nation as possible, but the ingredients weren't as fresh as the ones in the mainland. The spicing wasn't as strong either, making the food considerably weak in comparison to what Azula was used to. But she hadn't come here to sample the food they served in the Colonies. Complaining openly about it would serve no useful purpose.
"It will suffice," she declared, proving the food wasn't too enjoyable for her, but she would eat it regardless.
She cringed when she heard slurping sounds beside her. She glared at Sokka as he dug into his plate, devouring his food with way more enthusiasm than he should have.
"Could you try eating like a human being?" she spat at him, making Sokka freeze with a chunk of cabbage hanging on his lower lip.
He blinked before sucking the cabbage in, and he nodded shyly. Azula rolled her eyes and shook her head before trying to focus on her own food again… to no avail. Even though Sokka wasn't eating as wildly anymore, every single time he grinded his jaws he made more noise than Azula thought humanely possible.
"Eat quietly," she growled, her golden eyes gleaming with anger. Sokka grew pale. It seemed like every single thing he did would annoy her…
"So…" said Mayor Morishita, smiling awkwardly. "What prompted you to tour with your gladiator, Princess?"
Azula frowned at the question, her attention leaving Sokka at last, to his relief.
"I didn't require a reason to do so, Mayor," Azula declared. "He had already fought ten times, and I felt inclined to seek out more interesting challenges for him."
"I see," said Morishita, impressed. "He must be quite strong for you to have reached that conclusion."
"Strong?" asked Azula, raising an eyebrow. Sokka blinked a few times and looked at his sponsor sideways, worried. "I never said he was strong. He isn't."
"He's not strong? Has he lost his matches?" asked Morishita, confused now.
"He has only lost one, but he has been at risk of losing several times as it is," said Azula.
"Then… if he's not strong, he must have some extraordinary skills, right?" asked Kori, the Mayor's daughter. Azula's eyed her coldly, analyzing the young woman. Had she taken an interest in Sokka…?
"So you'd expect… but he doesn't. There's nothing special about this man. Not at all," said Azula, shrugging carelessly as she picked up some rice with her chopsticks and placed the grains in her mouth.
Sokka's eyebrows twitched at her words. He couldn't help but send a glare her way. Nothing special at all?! He was a great swordsman, and an amazing strategist! None of the fighters he had faced so far had been smarter than him! Yes, perhaps he didn't have that much physical strength, but that didn't mean he had no special skills!
"Then… why did you choose him as your gladiator?" asked Kori, surprised.
"Why, I chose him precisely because he had no talents," Azula replied, smirking. "I challenged myself to see if I could turn a talentless, spineless, useless slave into a gladiator, and it's clear that I have succeeded. He has already climbed to the 320th position of the Superior Gladiator League's Ranking after only ten fights."
Sokka had been glaring at Azula, her unkind words feeling like nothing but bitterness to him. But he wouldn't say anything. He couldn't say anything. She was playing him, trying to test if he was truly going to stay silent as he had promised. And even though he had a burning desire to stand up for himself, he wouldn't do it. The Captain had said he didn't think there was anything special about Sokka, but that Azula had thought otherwise. So even if Azula was claiming there was nothing special about him right now, Sokka knew what she truly thought of him. And he knew what she was trying to pull here… so he would keep his mouth shut, no matter how badly he wanted to defend his honor as a fighter.
"Impressive…" said Morishita, amazed. "The sponsor plays a very important part in the gladiator's performance, then!"
"People do underestimate the role of the sponsor," Azula muttered. "Our roles aren't merely to bet and represent the fighters. It's difficult for some people to understand that, including other sponsors I have met in the past."
"Is that so?" said Morishita, chuckling. "Well, you are proving them wrong, if that's the case. Being able to turn a man without talents into a capable fighter should teach everyone a lesson!"
"Indeed," said Azula, her eyes narrowing. "It's what I strive for."
Sokka had been stuffing himself to hold back from claiming Azula's influence had only served to drive him crazy, but he stopped eating for a moment to take a good look at the Princess. The Captain had spoken about a spark that had appeared in Azula's eyes after meeting Sokka… and that spark was nowhere to be found in her golden eyes anymore. But Sokka could sense something else this time, something that didn't have anything to do with him directly…
He had never understood why Azula needed him to become the top fighter in the ranking. He had stopped questioning her about it after a while, assuming he'd never get to know the answer and figuring it wouldn't be important for him to discover it anyways. Whatever she was supposed to accomplish through sponsoring the top gladiator of the ranking was Azula's business, he only wanted to go back home. But it was different now. Now he wanted to discover what her true intentions were, to decipher the secrets she hid so well behind her deadly glare. The way her eyes glinted upon Morishita's last sentence made Sokka stare at her with curiosity, his mind doing its best to unravel the reason why Azula had joined the Gladiator Business…
Azula noticed Sokka had stopped moving beside her. She shifted her eyes towards him, her eyebrows arching in confusion as he gaped at her. Sokka blinked a few times when he realized she was staring right back at him. He flashed her a toothy grin, trying to reassure her that he was just being his goofy self… Azula couldn't help but grimace in disgust at the sight of his smile, since shreds of food were attached to his teeth.
Sokka was utterly surprised by the horrified look on Azula's face. The Princess seemed to be about to hurl. Why the hell did I ever feel anything for this idiot? She asked herself before shaking her head and returning to her meal, somewhat relieved that his mouth hadn't been that filthy when they had kissed in the Grand Royal Dome's waiting room.
Sokka raised a confused eyebrow, not understanding what Azula's problem was now. He hadn't done anything bad! It was just an innocent smile!
"We'll be watching your gladiator's fight in two days," said Morishita, bringing both the Princess and Sokka out of their wordless exchange. "The Arena will be very crowded, most likely!"
"The Golden Eye hosts some really strong gladiators," said Kori, smiling at the Princess. "There's the Millennium Dragon, the Torch, Phoenix Flames…"
"You seem quite knowledgeable about the Gladiator Business…" muttered Azula, surprised.
"Oh, well, I… I'm just a fan, I guess," said Kori, blushing a little.
"Kori has always enjoyed watching the gladiator fights," said Mrs. Morishita, smiling. "She looks up to you, in fact. You're the first woman to ever sponsor a fighter in the Superior Gladiator League."
"Is that so?" said Azula, pleased to discover the girl actually admired her. Her previous distaste towards her faded away slowly. "Do you intend to become the second female sponsor in the Gladiator League?"
"I… well, I… I'd like to, but I don't have anyone I could sponsor…" Kori muttered, flustered.
"To find a fighter to sponsor you have to look for one first," said Azula, smirking a little. She was back in her comfort zone, her sense of superiority helping her to forget the sight of Sokka's filthy teeth. "I didn't have to search too much to find one. Just go to an Amateur Arena and pick the fighter that doesn't die. It's that simple."
"Is that what you did?" asked Kori. "Really?"
"There's not much more to be done," replied Azula, matter-of-factly.
"But from what I heard, you can't find benders in the Amateur League…" said Kori, confused. "Benders are sold directly to serve sponsors…"
"You want a bender?" asked Azula, surprised. "This one is no bender. He hardly can bend over, let alone bend an element."
"Why would I want to…?" Sokka started before catching himself. No speaking! He had to endure this!
"What was that?" asked Azula, raising an eyebrow as she looked at him threateningly.
"W-why would I want to… bend an element?" he muttered, focusing on his nigh empty plate again and lowering his eyes submissively again.
Azula found his obedient behavior bothersome, but she couldn't help but smirk at his words.
"Indeed, why would you need a fighter who bends?" asked Azula, raising an eyebrow and focusing on Kori again.
"W-well, I… I'm an earthbender, so I thought…"
"I'm a first-rate firebender, and I've got a non-bender with me," said Azula, lifting her chin.
"Yes, of course," said Kori, smiling. "I just thought that I'd be able to understand an earthbender better. You know, matching skills and all…"
"If you want to match your gladiator, you should wear matching clothes," said Azula, taking a sip of the juice she had been provided with. "For all you know, you might reach a better understanding with the fighter that you thought was the least like you."
"Right, that… that could happen," said Kori, smiling. "If I ever get a gladiator… would it be okay for our fighters to face each other one day?"
Azula raised an eyebrow and looked away, thoughtful. Kori stared at her expectantly, biting her lower lip as she stared at the Princess with nervous eyes…
"If your fighter manages to be fifty slots away from mine… I might take you on," said Azula, smirking at the girl. "Make sure to get a strong gladiator. There's not much fun in a fight that ends in a knock-out within three minutes."
"Of course! I… I will!" said Kori, beaming.
Azula couldn't help herself but smirk at her enthusiasm. Bringing more women into the business was a very appealing idea to her. This girl had seemed somewhat interested in Sokka before, but now Azula realized her true interest was the Gladiator Business. The way she stared at her in awe was somewhat moving. Perhaps the girl had also wanted to fight against the unjustified male dominance in their world, but she had needed a push to try to stand up for her rights… and Azula was giving it to her now. It was the first time she found a girl eager to prove herself, just like she was. It didn't seem like there were many traits they shared other than that one, but Azula didn't need anything else. That alone was more than enough for her to truly wish to pit their gladiators against each other someday.
Azula's unexpected smiles made Sokka beam as well. The Princess seemed pleased for now, at least, and she was able to smirk again. Why hadn't he cherished those smiles so much before? Why hadn't he admired the expressions on her face lately? Her entire being seemed to light up whenever she smiled. Her beauty was completely unparalleled. He would do anything to make sure that smile wouldn't vanish from her face…
Dinner was wrapped up without a hitch. When Sokka ran out of food he had also ran out of ways to embarrass Azula with his lack of manners, so she had no reason to complain about him anymore. Kori guided the Princess and the gladiator to the second-story of the house, leading them to their rooms.
"The servants said your guards have already brought your luggage," Kori told Azula. "It's waiting for you in your room."
"Good," said Azula. Even though she wasn't pleased about parting ways with her men, this visit to Yu Dao wasn't half-bad so far. But this was only the first day. Only time would tell if the rest of the trip would proceed as smoothly as today.
Kori halted in the hallway and smiled at Azula, gesturing towards a door to her right.
"This is your room. Your gladiator's room is right in front of this one" said Kori.
Azula's eyebrow twitched at that. Sokka, right behind the two girls, did nothing but stare at Azula warily. She had been doing her best to keep him as far away from her as possible… and now she had no choice but to sleep in a room right across his. Sokka wouldn't be surprised at all if she told Kori to forget about giving him a room, that sending him to sleep with the wooly pigs would be enough for a savage like him…
"Well, I guess that's it for tonight," said Kori, still beaming. "I hope you sleep well. If you need anything, don't hesitate to ask me!"
"I will," said Azula, nodding. "Thank you."
"Y-you're welcome," said Kori, her smile growing broader after being thanked by the Fire Nation Princess herself.
Kori excused herself with a bow in Azula's direction, and she walked down to the first floor again. Sokka kept a wary eye on Azula, who waited until the girl vanished from sight before turning towards Sokka again, glaring at him fiercely.
"It seems I forgot to tell you not to make a fool of yourself. I was quite naïve to think you'd do that without being told."
"If you're talking about how I ate…" Sokka started, grimacing. "I'm sorry. I don't eat around high-class people often. I just ate and…!"
"And you were as embarrassing as possible," Azula finished for him. "You're still embarrassing me now. Go rinse that damned mouth of yours!"
"Rinse…?" asked Sokka, confused. "What? Why?"
"You have food stuck in your teeth, at plain sight! It's disgusting!" said Azula, grimacing.
"W-what?" said Sokka, confused. He ran his tongue over his teeth, noticing only now the amounts of food scraps between his teeth. "O-oh… is that why you looked like you'd be sick?"
"Do you really have to ask?" Azula growled, her nostrils flaring with anger. Sokka gulped and covered his mouth with his hand, trying to avoid having her see his teeth again.
"I'm sorry…" he mumbled, staring at her in mild panic, and she threw her hands to her sides in exasperation.
"You're sorry, you're sorry… is that all you know how to say nowadays?" she asked, staring at him in irritation. "Stop being sorry! Stop having reasons to say you're sorry!"
"I… I'm trying my best, you know?" he said, staring at her in misery.
The way his eyes fell made Azula stop in the middle of her scolding. There was something off about him… that urge to try and do things he thought would please her most, that constant apologizing when he normally would just stick to his side of the story and defend himself even if there was nothing worth defending…
"Well…" she muttered. "Almost isn't good enough. Trying isn't going to get you anywhere unless you succeed."
"If you don't start by trying, there's no chance you'll succeed," Sokka declared, frowning.
Azula couldn't hold back a small snort. Well, there was his combative side again. It wasn't as far gone as she thought it might be.
"I'm sorry for being an uncivilized savage," said Sokka, still covering his mouth. "And I'll try not to do anything that stupid again. Are we good now?"
"I'll be the one to decide if we're good or not," Azula muttered. "Just… keep in mind you're not the reason why we're here in the first place. I have told you time over and time again that you're just acting as my smokescreen."
"Is that why you're upset? Because your guards aren't here and you can't direct them properly with whatever it is you're doing?" asked Sokka, raising an eyebrow.
"I'm not upset," Azula grunted, her words coming off as quite a contradiction. "And even if I were, it's not something you should be looking into. You're here to fight as a gladiator, and that's the one thing you should focus on. Got it?"
"Got it," Sokka muttered, sighing.
"I'm not going to keep watch on you all day long, so try and keep to your best behavior," said Azula. "And don't even think about trying anything weird by crossing over the hall in the middle of the night!"
"W-why would I do that?!" said Sokka, blushing a little. "I'm not that kind of guy!"
"Excuse my bluntness, but I have a hard time telling what kind of guy you are nowadays," said Azula, narrowing her eyes. "Go get some rest… but get that mouth of yours cleaned up first, will you?"
"Sure…" said Sokka, disheartened, but nodding anyways.
Azula entered her room without another word, closing the door behind her with more delicacy than Sokka expected.
"Night," he muttered, sighing before turning around and pacing down the hall, looking for a bathroom.
He cleaned his mouth thoroughly, picking at his teeth to make sure they would be perfectly clean again. After he was done he looked at his reflection in the bathroom mirror, surprised at how different he looked. He didn't remember the last time he had seen his own face. He looked strong, but only on the outside. He looked into his own eyes, finding a kind of emptiness within them that he couldn't explain.
His interactions with Azula had definitely not gone as well as he would have wished they had, but it hadn't been all that bad. The Captain's words kept ringing in his head, telling him he couldn't give up as it was. The fact that Azula had finally looked at him was some progress already, wasn't it? Maybe he kept messing things up by making a fool of himself, but he'd do his best not to do that anymore. He could handle this. There was some hope left for his strained relationship with the Princess.
"W-where is A… the Princess?" Sokka asked, staring into the dining room with wide eyes.
The Morishita family was finishing their breakfast when Sokka had appeared. He had woken up only a moment ago, hoping to improve his table manners during breakfast so that Azula wouldn't be disgusted with him… but she was nowhere in sight.
"Princess Azula already had her breakfast," said Mrs. Morishita. "One of her guards came to find her once she was done, and she left the house with him. She said she would return for dinner."
"Oh… Okay," said Sokka, nodding even though he felt somewhat disheartened. "Do you know where she went?"
"If the guards are staying over at Fon's inn, she might be there," said Mayor Morishita. "The inn is right down this street, you turn right and you'll find a building with a big sign that says 'Fon's Inn'."
"Uh… thanks," said Sokka, smiling gratefully as he took his seat and began eating carefully.
He hated having to think of how he ate. Digging into the food right away was something he enjoyed thoroughly. But for Azula's sake, he'd have to hold back his urges and do his best to pretend to have manners even when he had none. He sat properly and did everything he could not to make too much noise while eating.
Even when the Mayor had given him the information pertaining where Azula was, Sokka didn't go to the inn to find her. He went to the house's backyard and spent the whole day practicing his sword stances. He felt the urge to go find Azula, but he knew better than to jump uninvited into her meetings with her guards. She clearly didn't need him around her while she dealt with her mission, and he wanted to do his best not to be a burden to her. Unless she asked for his help directly, Sokka would stay out of her way.
But that train of thought wouldn't work so well on the next day.
"She's gone again?" asked Sokka at breakfast, aghast. "B-but…"
"Your fight is in a few hours, isn't it?" asked Kori, frowning. "Maybe you should go look for her… what is it with her and her guards anyway?"
"I have no idea," said Sokka, truthfully. "But she'll have to leave that for later. I've got a fight to deal with, and she's supposed to be there too. So… where was that inn again?"
After getting the instructions, Sokka went upstairs and dressed up in his armor before heading out to look for Azula. It didn't take him too long to find the inn, seeing how the Palanquin was sitting right outside the building, with some curious passersby that stared at it in awe.
The innkeeper was cleaning up the front of his establishment, a nervous smile on his face. Sokka raised an eyebrow and approached him.
"The Princess is in here, right?" he asked.
"Oh, yes," said Fon, smiling at him. "She told me she wanted nobody to disturb her meeting with the guards, though… including me. I've been sweeping the front door for two days now."
Sokka blinked in surprise a few times before nodding, patting the man on the shoulder.
"Don't worry, she won't harm you if I go inside," She'd rather harm me instead, he thought.
"Good to know," said the innkeeper. "I'll just keep on sweeping, then…"
Sokka entered the inn, closing the door behind him as he did. The inside of the building was quite dark, so it took a moment for his eyes to grow accustomed to his surroundings… and before he did, a spear nearly struck him between the eyes.
"HEY!" he squealed, his wide eyes staring in dread at the weapon's sharp edge.
A guard, clad in his usual red robes, dropped the spear as soon as he realized who Sokka was.
"Oh, it's just you," he said.
"Y-you almost killed me!" Sokka exclaimed, terrified.
"The Princess told me to slay any trespassers," said the guard, shrugging. "But I figure you're not one I should kill."
"I shouldn't be… though I'm sure she wouldn't have minded that much if you had," said Sokka, shaking his head as he looked inside the inn's vestibule.
The vestibule happened to be a tavern as well, judging by the looks of it… but nobody was eating or drinking in it. Azula's men sat before the tables, some dressed in their red uniforms and some wearing such casual clothes Sokka had a hard time realizing they were just her guards… though he identified one that was on the corner table in the establishment. His black hair and golden eyes gave him away as Azula's Captain, and he happened to be sitting right across the Princess, both focused on a map, from what Sokka could see. He made his way towards them almost unwillingly, afraid of how Azula would react if he were to interrupt an important conversation.
The Captain lifted his eyes towards him and raised an eyebrow, a gesture Azula didn't miss. She turned around and caught sight of Sokka, a confused frown on her face.
"What are you doing here? And why are you…?" she started, staring at his getup before realizing there was one explanation to his sudden appearance and his outfit. "Oh… oh, darn. I forgot completely about… damn it all."
"Princess…" said the Captain, staring at her worriedly.
"Captain, I'm afraid I have a gladiator fight to deal with right now," said Azula, sighing in irritation. "You already know your orders. You and your men know what to do, so get it done as quickly as possible."
"We will, Princess," said the Captain, as they both stood up from the table.
"Remember to return here for further orders as soon as you find a good lead on the Rhinos," Azula commanded.
"We will, Princess," the Captain repeated, nodding.
"Very well, then… let's get this over with," said Azula, turning around towards Sokka again and leading the way out of the inn.
Sokka looked at the Captain apologetically, but the man didn't pay him much attention, busy as he was readying himself for whatever journey he had ahead of himself. Sokka didn't understand why it seemed like only half of Azula's guards were wearing their uniforms, but he figured he could ask later. He treaded after Azula, who seemed quite displeased as she walked towards the exit, but not before staring at the table in which her palanquin bearers were sitting.
"Well? Will you get moving?" she asked angrily, and they jumped out of their seats, scrambling outside as quickly as their legs could allow them.
Azula rolled her eyes as they left the building, staring at the Palanquin as she waited for the bearers to be ready. Sokka stood behind her, taking note of her bad mood right away.
"So… what's going on?" he muttered, earning himself a sideways glare from the Princess.
"Something important. Very important. And I shouldn't miss out on it, but I have to take you to your fight. Yes, you're a useful smokescreen… but this is a waste of time for me."
Sokka's eyes fell again as he stared at Azula. She climbed on the palanquin, not bothering to give him another look before doing so. Sokka followed the vehicle slowly, with his head tilted down as he held his helmet tightly in his hand, his every hope shattered by Azula's words. Progress? He had been kidding himself. There had been no progress. She still hated him. She still wanted nothing to do with him.