Sokka's feet ached badly when they finally stopped at the gates of the city of Gaoling. Due to their need to hide the train-tank far from possible lurkers, they had been forced to leave the machine in the mountain range that stood several miles away from the city. The merciless midday sun was strong enough to decrease the energies of the entire Royal Procession as they marched towards the city. But that wasn't the only reason why the group was so disheartened: nobody had taken well the news about their fallen companion. Sokka still didn't know who Bao was for certain, but he knew it wasn't the Captain, since he had been the one to sign the letter Azula had received.
His wounds after his fight against the Hallowed Rock hadn't been as severe as he had thought. His neck had hurt for a while, but after tilting it forward just in the right angle there had been another crack and he had felt much better. The wound on his jaw made it difficult for him to chew, which had been a relief for the rest of the group. Sokka's rabid appetite was so fearsome that some had thought he would even end up eating the mongoose dragons if he was too hungry. But since he couldn't eat as much food anymore, their provisions and their mounts would be safe for a while.
The distance between Omashu and Gaoling was much shorter than the one between Yu Dao and Omashu, yet the road they took was much rougher this time around. They were forced to cross forests and deserts, and eventually they reached the mountains behind which stood Gaoling. They hardly found any villages or towns to delay their journey, but traveling through a mountain range in a train-tank was no easy feat. It took them the span of two weeks to arrive, at last, to their destination.
A soldier clad in the Fire Nation's uniform was guarding the wall that kept the city secluded from the rest of the world. The stone wall hadn't always been there, but the earthbenders who had defended the city from the Fire Nation's army had created it in an attempt to hold their ground against their foes. Yet it had only served its purpose for a short time, for the Fire Nation had conquered Gaoling just as it had taken over the rest of the Earth Kingdom. The wall had remained because the Fire Nation conquerors thought they were useful protection for the city from any possible attacks from Earth Kingdom resistance.
"P-Princess Azula!" the soldier jumped when the palanquin reached the city walls. "We had been expecting you! Welcome to Gaoling!"
Azula didn't utter a word. She glared at the soldier from within her palanquin and waited quietly until the gates were opened, allowing passage for the Royal Procession.
Sokka gazed about Gaoling in mild relief. He didn't know why this city hadn't been transformed in the way Omashu had, but he was pleased to see the heritage of the Earth Kingdom seemed almost intact. There were many soldiers in the city, and the civilians kept glaring at the Royal Procession as they went about their business, just as it had been in Omashu, but the atmosphere wasn't so disturbing here. This city wasn't as crowded as Yu Dao, but it had a much calmer environment to it, even with the menacing soldiers around. Sokka was quite intrigued by what the city had to offer, but he didn't have time to get a good glimpse of the marketplace, since he had to keep up with Azula's palanquin.
Soon enough they had made it past the more crowded areas of the city and they reached a territory comprised by large estates, owned by the wealthiest citizens of Gaoling. Sokka looked left and right as they walked up a long road, curious as to who lived in those domains, but it was impossible to tell if Earth Kingdom or Fire Nation people were residing there.
One of the estates caught Sokka's eye. A white wall surrounded it, and on top of the front gates of the terrain was a large banner with a flying boar drawn on it. Sokka raised an eyebrow at the unusual creature, but he didn't have a chance to ask the Royal Guards or anyone else about what the flying boar meant.
Sokka was starting to suspect they had only come to Gaoling to leave the city by the other end when the last estate appeared in front of them. It was, by far, the largest of them all, and its gates were flanked by Fire Nation soldiers.
"Welcome to Gaoling, Princess Azula!" exclaimed the men, opening the doors when the palanquin arrived.
Sokka was quite impressed by the magnificence of the gardens within this estate. Birds chirped, fish swam in ponds and butterflies fluttered by them with their uneven flying patterns. Everything seemed still and calm. Sokka guessed this was the home of the city's appointed governor, just like the ones they had met in Omashu and Yu Dao. The estate was beautiful, but it was just as unsettling for Sokka as the Fire Nation Royal Palace was. It was too opulent for him to feel comfortable in it.
A man in his thirties stood in front of the estate's main building. His brown hair was of the lightest shade Sokka had ever seen in a man before. His eyes were onyx, and his outfit was so fancy he seemed ridiculous to the gladiator. But the smirk on his face was enough for Sokka to stop staring at his clothes and start glaring at him defensively. Why would anyone smirk at the sight of Azula's Procession…?
"It has been far too long, has it not?" said the man, with a shriller voice than Sokka had expected from him.
The Palanquin bearers set down the vehicle and Azula climbed off after the curtains were opened. The man's smirk grew when he saw the Princess's figure, and the more that smile widened, the more uncomfortable Sokka became.
"Indeed, it has been a very long time, Governor Kuan," said Azula, icily.
Kuan's smile displeased Azula even more than it did Sokka. She had met the man several times before, and on each occasion he became more inappropriate. This time was no different. Azula's fists tightened when she realized he had looked her over without any shame whatsoever, basking in her womanly figure.
"You have grown into quite a beautiful lady, have you not?" said Kuan, still beaming.
"Have I?" Azula growled, folding her arms across her chest and forcing Kuan to look up at her enraged eyes.
Sokka didn't miss the way the man was eyeing the Princess. His distaste towards him increased rapidly. He knew he had no right to defend Azula, that she could stand up for herself easily, but he was very tempted to toss his boomerang at the man's head and be done with his disgusting behavior towards her.
"I'm most pleased to receive you here, in Gaoling," said Kuan, his smile losing its lecherous edge for a moment. "As you must have seen while you crossed the city, everything is perfectly calm here. The biggest happening we've had in months is your visit."
"I rather believe it's the biggest happening this city has ever seen," Azula retorted, still as cold as ever.
"Why, of course," said Kuan, chuckling and shaking his head. "How is your Lord Father doing these days? I had heard he was setting up an arranged marriage for you…"
"That deal was called off," said Azula, and she didn't miss the way the man's eyes glinted at her declaration. "How did you know about it?"
"Ah, word is that Admiral Chan is no longer an admiral and noblemen were quite curious as to how that happened," said Kuan. "Some of my acquaintances began delving into the matter. They didn't discover anything definitive, but they heard rumors about an arranged marriage… to Chan's son, was it?"
"Yes," Azula frowned.
"Why didn't it go through, if I'm allowed to ask?" Kuan said, raising an eyebrow.
"I wasn't interested," Azula retorted.
"Naturally," said Kuan, chuckling and shaking his head. "The Princess wants, the Princess gets, isn't it?"
"It should be that way, at the very least," Azula stated.
"In any case, I'm pleased you weren't forced to marry such an incompetent fool," said Kuan, smiling. "He would have never been up to your standards, I'm sure."
"Of course he wasn't," Azula growled. "Else I wouldn't have refused him as I did. A man who lives by his father's fame would never be able to sway me."
Kuan froze at Azula's statement. The fierce glare with which she was presenting him was letting him know she wasn't just talking about Chan's son: the man before her was no different from the one she had been supposed to marry several months ago. Kuan was obviously uncomfortable by what she had implied, but he kept smiling regardless.
"Of course, of course…" he said, nodding. "Very well, then, shall we come inside? My slaves will put your palanquin at good store, no need to concern yourself about that."
"Good," said Azula. "I assume you have accommodations for my entire Procession…?"
"Why, of course I do," said Kuan. "Why would you ask?"
"Mayor Morishita at Yu Dao had my men sleeping at an inn because he hadn't arranged anything for them," Azula explained.
"Oh, Morishita… that man is just incorrigible," Kuan sighed, shaking his head. "One would expect him to be better at management after all the time he's been in office, yet he's as clueless as a toddler in a lecture at Ba Sing Se University."
"His management regarding my Procession was his sole fault. He has handled Yu Dao properly," Azula declared.
"Yet I have handled Gaoling and I can give your men a proper welcome while he cannot," said Kuan. "Regrettable, isn't it? It speaks ill of his devotion to the Fire Nation's Royal Family."
Azula had been anything but pleased by Morishita's mistake, yet she had grown to respect the man much more than she could ever respect Kuan. Gaoling's governor embodied everything she hated about her father's noblemen.
"Nevertheless, you needn't worry. I'm a far more reliable host than Morishita could ever be," said Kuan, smiling. "Come inside and you'll see, Princess."
Azula didn't smile back as she climbed the steps that led towards Kuan's mansion, followed by her Royal Guards and her gladiator…
"Wait, wait, wait. What's this?" asked Kuan. Azula and her men froze as they glanced back at the Governor to discover whatever had displeased him…
Kuan was glaring at Sokka with utter disgust, as if he were a pest of some sort. Azula frowned and walked down the steps again, glaring at Kuan.
"He's my gladiator. Aren't you aware of the reason why I came to Gaoling?"
"So that was… that was true? You're sponsoring a gladiator?" asked the man, raising a derisive eyebrow towards Azula. "I was sure that was only an excuse for you to travel through the Fire Nation Colonies in your father's stead…"
"It might be, for all you know," Azula growled. "But that man is my gladiator, whether the idea appeals to you or not."
"Well, I do find it quite… uncharacteristic for the Princess of the Fire Nation to get entangled with something as lowly as the Gladiator League," said Kuan, making Azula's stomach sink at his claim. "And let alone with a slave such as this one."
"What's your problem?" Sokka mumbled, glaring fiercely at Kuan. He hadn't intended to intervene, since he felt it wasn't his place to speak, but the man was attacking him directly now. He had every right to stand up for himself.
"Oh, so the petty slave speaks? My apologies, Princess. It seems you have tried to bring a man out of scum by teaching him how to talk… yet I'm afraid it has been no use. Slaves will always be slaves, and slaves are scum, as we all know," said Kuan.
Sokka's clenched his fists and his teeth grinded together even though his jaw still hurt him a little. His rage seemed to please Kuan, but it shocked Azula instead, and not in a good way. Was Sokka going to try to kill the governor…? Personally, she wouldn't mind if he did it, yet it would mean a one-way ticket to prison for Sokka for his crime.
"Yet that scum is my scum, Kuan," Azula stated, making Sokka's fury settle down for a moment as it was replaced by utter surprise. "Anything you say against him, you're saying against me."
"Ah, please, Princess!" said Kuan, shaking his head in disbelief. "Do not lower yourself to the likes of this pathetic soul! It's only a slave, and he's probably not even a good one! I'm certain you could use a much stronger fighter, this one looks bland and useless."
"Want to see how bland and useless I am?" Sokka asked, raising his right hand towards his blade, his fury returning to him at full force at Kuan's latest words.
He released Space Sword from his sheath swiftly and pointed it right between Kuan's eyes, making the man gasp and fall on his butt, terrified.
"Sokka, don't!" Azula shouted, making him freeze. "Stop it!"
Sokka looked up at her, wondering if she really wanted to protect such a revolting man. He had disrespected her in the most sickening way, and now he was insulting him, too. Why wasn't she angry about it…? No, she was. He could see it… but she wanted to avoid trouble. The man was governor of a city, and if her gladiator dared slay the man during her visits to the Fire Nation colonies, she would be in for a mess beyond anything she wanted to put up with.
Sokka frowned but he dropped his arm and put his sword back in its scabbard, reluctantly. Kuan struggled to get back on his feet, his strange clothes making the feat far more difficult than it should have been. He glared at Sokka rabidly, and the gladiator had no qualms in returning the killer stare.
"You miserable savage! Brute! How dared you threaten my safety as you did?!" he exclaimed with bulging eyes.
"Kuan…" Azula started, trying to appease the man's anger somehow, but she was completely ignored. The governor seemed to have lost his temper and he was giving them quite a display of madness.
"I should have you killed! You useless, pathetic, mindless thug!" Kuan continued. "There is no place in my house for the likes of you!"
Sokka didn't move at the man's declaration. He continued glaring at him defiantly as the man's chest heaved. It was probably the first time someone had threatened his life.
"Kuan, there's no need…" Azula began, but the man interrupted her.
"I would have expected your slaves to know how to respect people of superior birth, Princess!" he exclaimed.
"Yeah, we do," said Sokka, with a malicious smirk. "But we also know who's worthy of respect and who isn't."
"Sokka…" Azula gasped, looking at him in horror. Sure, his words were completely spot-on, and in other circumstances she would have just laughed in Kuan's face at Sokka's words, but they were at the man's house. It was his territory. They were at a complete disadvantage.
"Is that so?" Kuan growled. "Then perhaps you need to learn what your place in the world is, you brute! I should lock you up in a dumpster, but I'll be merciful… you will be staying in the barn with the animals for slaughter, because that's the place where brutes like yourself belong!"
Azula's frown deepened. What Kuan was suggesting was similar to what she had done to Sokka recently, by locking him up with the mongoose dragons throughout their trip on the train-tank… and that displeased her. She had done it mostly for amusement back then, this man was doing it out of fear and spite. Azula knew Sokka wouldn't complain about spending time amongst animals, but she couldn't stand the fact that Kuan was calling the shots over a man that belonged to her.
"I do not appreciate you making a decision regarding my slave, Kuan," Azula grunted. "There are better ways to deal with this man than…"
"I will have none of this vermin threatening me as he just did!" Kuan declared. "He will be staying in the stables or he won't be staying anywhere at all! This is my home, and he'd best learn to behave properly if he doesn't wish for today to be his last day!"
With this Kuan turned back towards the house and walked into it, his head held high. Azula and her Royal Guards stood on the steps before the main door, looking at Sokka with concern.
"Sokka…" Azula muttered, taking one step down towards him, but he interrupted her before she could come any closer and before she could say anything else.
"Yeah, I suppose I had that one coming," Sokka said. He had an unusual look of satisfaction on his face, it seemed he was proud of what he'd done. "No need to worry. I'll be fine in the stables. Just have to find them, but I'll be okay. Try to keep the psycho at bay."
"W-what…?" Azula muttered, but the gladiator turned around, his hands in his pockets as he began wandering about the estate, looking for the barn Kuan had talked about.
Azula frowned as he walked away. Even though threatening Kuan had been a bad move, the man had deserved it. And Sokka was her slave… she was the one who should have decided how to punish the gladiator, not Kuan. She entered the house, followed closely by her men, and stormed through the halls, purposefully walking straight towards Kuan as soon as she found him.
"Kuan," she called out, her eyes ablaze with anger.
Kuan had been delivering orders to his butler, or who seemed to be his butler. He dismissed the man with a wave of his hand, and the butler bowed down towards him before leaving his master to his conversation with Azula.
"Yes, Princess? Is there anything you need?" he asked, his previous hysteria completely gone now.
"I do not appreciate your behavior towards my gladiator," Azula declared. "What he did was completely out of line, but if there's anyone who was offended by his behavior, it was me. I'm the one who should decide which punishment befits him, not you."
"I'm afraid that's not the case," said Kuan, sighing dramatically. "You are Princess Azula, you obviously understand that, in my house, you are but a guest. I am hosting you, and I will not tolerate that man's disrespectful attitude towards me. But you should be pleased to know I won't hold you responsible for his actions, Princess. You are not to blame for that savage's behavior…"
"As a matter of fact, I am," Azula said. "He is my gladiator. I picked him out myself. Whatever he does, I'm the one to deal with the consequences. It's what comes with being a sponsor."
"Well, well, I didn't know you really wanted to play sponsor that badly," said Kuan, chuckling and shaking his head. "Princess, there's no need to take this so seriously. You are completely above all these responsibilities you suddenly want to take upon yourself! As the Fire Lord's daughter, you shouldn't care for that useless thug's fate. He deserves what he got. Forget about him and go freshen up in your room, alright?"
Azula's fists tightened as she began regretting having stopped Sokka from killing the man.
"I will not be ordered around, Kuan," she stated. "Indeed, I am the Princess. My authority is well above yours, in this matter or any other. If you dare make one more decision regarding any of my men, I will make sure to convey to my father that Gaoling requires a new governor, one who knows what his rightful place in the world is."
Kuan's eyes widened in surprise as Azula stomped away, still followed by her escort of guards. The man turned to look at her as she turned on a corner and vanished from sight. She had just commanded far more authority than he could ever even dream of, and his stomach boiled in rage at the thought. A woman with such power, telling him what to do… it seemed her pathetic fighter wasn't the only one who needed to learn a lesson.
He frowned before taking off in the opposite direction Azula had, in search for his butler. This wouldn't stand as long as he had a say upon the matter.
"What are your orders, master?" the man asked immediately once Kuan found him and dragged him to his personal study.
"Go to Gladiator Rumble," he commanded him. "Find out who the Princess's opponent is and get in touch with his sponsor."
"Yes, master," said the man.
"Once you do that…" said Kuan, walking to his desk and bringing a bag of gold out of one of the drawers. He placed the bag on the man's hands before smirking cruelly. "… Tell him I want his gladiator to kill hers."
"Yes, master."
Azula's room was quite large and orderly, and it had some additional details, such as rose petals spread over her bed, which she didn't appreciate in the slightest. She was placing her clothes in the closet when she heard a knock on her door.
She grimaced after opening it and discovering Kuan at the other side of the door. The man was smiling, but she could sense a hint of malice in the gesture.
"I hope you found the room to your liking," he said.
"The flowers were unnecessary," Azula replied, folding her arms across her chest again to avoid having the man staring at her inappropriately once more.
"Ah, I believed you would appreciate that… you must have longed for a feminine touch, after spending such a long time amongst senseless men."
"My men are not senseless, else I wouldn't have chosen them to guard me," Azula grunted. "And I needed no such gestures from you. They make me uncomfortable."
"Is that so?" asked Kuan, apparently surprised. "I was certain you were treated in this way back in the Palace…"
"I would be treated this way, if I asked for it," Azula retorted. "State your business, Kuan. Why did you come here?"
"Oh, no need to be so cold," said Kuan, chuckling. "I realize my actions back when you arrived must have displeased you, but I had no choice. This is my home, and I won't tolerate hosting a man who does not deserve to be hosted. But believe me, I hold no grudges on the matter. I believe it best that we move on to our next occasion…"
"Next occasion?" Azula repeated, raising an eyebrow.
Kuan snapped his fingers and two small girls showed up beside him, carrying a long green dress that matched Kuan's own distasteful garments. Azula grimaced at the sight.
"I believe it would be fitting for the Princess to wear this dress at dinner," said Kuan, beaming.
"And I believe the Princess won't wish to wear that dress," Azula replied, frowning. "I appreciate the sentiment, Kuan, but it's completely unnecessary."
"Ah, Princess, what kind of host would I be if I didn't offer you a gift of this kind?" asked Kuan. "I'm certain it would look wonderful on you…"
"Most anything would look wonderful on me," Azula stated, proudly. "Yet it doesn't mean I'll wear everything I'm offered. Just as you are free to present me with this dress, I'm perfectly free to refuse it."
Kuan grimaced in irritation. He shrugged and shook his head before gesturing the servants to enter the room even though Azula had refused to humor him.
"Well, at the very least I hope you'll have no qualms about keeping it," said Kuan. "I had this dress made just for you. It would be a waste if you didn't accept it."
Azula frowned as the slaves placed the outfit inside her closet before taking their leave again. Kuan smiled at Azula before performing a bow so conceited that it seemed insulting.
"I shall expect you for dinner in a half-hour, Princess," he declared before walking down the hallway with his head held high.
Was this a battle of wills? It seemed like it was. And it didn't surprise Azula in the slightest that things had turned like this. It was the story of her life, dealing with men who believed they knew better than her, who thought themselves superior to her only because she was a woman. They dared order her around, diminish her authority as if she were nobody of importance, impose their wishes over hers… she hated it. She hated Kuan. She hated all the men who looked down on her as he did.
The bitterness she felt towards the man turned dinner far more unpleasant than she thought it could be. The food was just as bad as it had been in Yu Dao, an utter failure to imitate Fire Nation cuisine. But seeing Kuan at the other end of the table, smirking at her as he spoke about the crops that had provided the meal they were enjoying… she had to hold back the urge to light his glass of wine on fire when he claimed his table befitting gods. Even though she despised him, she couldn't let her hatred get the better of her. She couldn't dishonor herself by wrecking the simple rules of hospitality. She was supposed to be his guest, and even though she despised her host, she couldn't do anything about it. She couldn't shame her father by attacking one of his governors.
But she also couldn't bear sitting at the table for much longer. She excused herself subtly, thanking Kuan for the meal curtly while wishing she didn't have to stay in Gaoling for one more day. She left the dining room as quickly as she could before guessing Kuan would likely drop by her room later to pester her further, since that was the only thing he knew how to do. He could chase her through the entire estate if he wanted to… but there was, likely, one place he wouldn't go to, no matter what.
Azula thought about the matter for a little longer before making up her resolve and heading to the kitchens before turning towards her actual destination.
Sokka found himself missing his lizards after spending just a few hours with the hybrid pigs in the stables. The animals would snort at all times, their sounds a mixture of pig and cow, chicken, rooster or sheep, and the noise was starting to drive him insane. They would settle down every now and then, but as soon as one got startled by something as measly as a bug in the ground, they all would begin snorting uncontrollably.
He thought to stay over with the ostrich horses instead, but he regretted his decision almost immediately. The animals released their bodily waste every ten minutes, and with the waste came a very unpleasant smell as well.
"You really end up longing to be in a train-tank with all this stench and noise…" Sokka muttered, sighing as he dropped on a stack of hay that stood a little far from the animals. "And it's all because of that asshole …"
Gaoling's governor had definitely given him a very bad impression. The man was not to be trusted, he had no doubts about it. Just the thought of Azula being around the jerk, even while being guarded by her men, made his stomach jolt in fury. The way he had leered at her, the insinuations he had sent her way…
"Seems like you found the stables after all," said a familiar voice, making his eyes widen and making him to forget his previous train of thought.
Azula's footsteps had been so silent he hadn't sensed her arrival at all. He gazed at the Princess in surprise, never having expected her to come see him.
"Y-you escaped the weirdo?" Sokka asked, surprised.
"It wasn't an easy feat, but I did," Azula muttered. "Don't take my visit personal… but this is the one place I'm sure he won't come look for me."
"Has he been bothering you much? He looked like trouble from the minute I saw him," Sokka grunted, frowning.
"So do you," Azula said, making Sokka blush a little at her reply. "He tried, but he failed to do anything other than irritate me. I'll never let a man like him get the better of me."
"Good to know," said Sokka, nodding. "He's… he's not a good guy at all. Why is he governor? He looks like a pathetic nobleman who can't even wipe his own butt…"
"He is a pathetic nobleman… and I don't know about the butt-wiping, but I wouldn't be surprised if that were the case," she replied. "He's the youngest of a large score of useless noblemen who are at my father's beck-and-call. His father is currently the Mayor of Fire Fountain City. From what I know, Kuan wasn't too pleased to be sent off to the Fire Nation Colonies, but the position of governor allows him to become wealthier through taxes and the sort, so he doesn't complain about it anymore."
"Sounds like a corrupt politician," Sokka muttered.
"He probably is," Azula admitted. "I'll suggest my father to investigate his finances when we return to the mainland. A man like him doesn't deserve the right to rule, even if only over a small city like Gaoling."
"Good idea," said Sokka. "Maybe that'll teach him a thing or two about messing with you, huh?"
"It should," said Azula, nodding. "You… you actually did ask for it, getting sent here for threatening Kuan…"
"I'd rather get tossed here after asking for it than get tossed here for no reason at all," said Sokka, shrugging. "He was going to send me here anyways. At least I gave him a good fright."
"If you look at it that way, I guess so," Azula whispered. "But you still shouldn't have done what you did. I could have sorted out this matter somehow…"
"No need," said Sokka, shaking his head. "If you had forced him to keep me around, the man would have been ten times as unpleasant as he already is."
"Which is something nobody would have wanted to see," she admitted.
"I just… didn't see it coming," said Sokka, shrugging. "I'd gotten used to it… to being a member of the Royal Procession, the gladiator. I'd forgotten the way noblemen usually treat slaves like me."
"He's one of the most conservative and elitist men in the circles of the Fire Nation nobility. He has his own slaves, but he treats them with contempt and derision. To him, everyone and everything is below him. Including me."
"You?" Sokka asked, looking at Azula with a confused stare. "What…? How could you be below him? How could he think you'd be below him?"
"Most men think that way," Azula muttered between gritted teeth. "Most noblemen, to be precise."
Sokka kept staring at her in shock, the troubled expression on her face making him feel at a loss for words for once. He wanted to grab that Kuan and smack some sense into him, to force him to respect Azula properly…
"In any case, I guess you have been getting along with your new acquaintances," said Azula, looking at the farm animals that were locked in their respective areas.
"I like the lizards better," Sokka sighed. "These ones are too damn noisy, and their stench is horrible."
"They're farm animals. It's a given they'll be smelly and loud," said Azula.
Just on cue, one of the wooly pigs began snorting, apparently because one of the moo-sows had crashed against it, and all the animals started squealing loudly, like an orchestra playing nothing but dissonances. Azula grimaced at the sound and Sokka sighed shaking his head.
"Told you!" he had to shout to make sure the Princess would hear him over the noise.
"How about you go elsewhere?" Azula called out. "This is downright unbearable!"
"Nah, I can put up with it!" Sokka yelled back, just as the animals' sounds began decreasing. "See? Their uproar didn't last so long this time."
"How will you manage to sleep if any of these pigs decides to snort in the middle of the night?" Azula asked, raising an eyebrow.
"That… would be unsettling," said Sokka, his eyebrow twitching. "Do pigs snore?"
"For all I know, they might," replied Azula.
"Spirits, save me," said Sokka, shaking his head. "But I won't go anywhere else. If one of the jerk's slaves spots me, they'll tell on me right away and I think I've caused you enough trouble as it is. Did he annoy you much because of what I did?"
"He tried, but I put him in his rightful place," said Azula. "You're my slave. I'm the one who should make the decisions that concern you, not him."
"I agree…" said Sokka, nodding. "In any case, I guess you didn't come to take me to a better room in the mansion, did you?"
"No. I already told you I came here because it was the only place I knew he wouldn't come find me," said Azula, rubbing her forehead. "As much as I might wish to burn you to a crisp most the time, I'd rather have your company than his. And that's not a compliment."
"No, no, of course it's not…" said Sokka, although he couldn't hold back a small smile at the thought that there were people in the world that Azula despised more than him.
"I guessed you weren't fed at all… were you?" Azula asked.
"A slave came by a few hours ago and gave me a shred of bread… That's the best I've had so far," said Sokka, shrugging.
To his surprise, Azula tossed a small box towards him. Sokka's eyes spread wide when he opened it, finding dumplings, roast chicken and vegetables in it.
"I know you usually eat three times what I just gave you…" started Azula.
"This is… this is great," he said, his eyes filling with tears as he tried out one of the dumplings. "T-thank you…"
"Don't think I did it out of the kindness of my heart," Azula growled. "You have a battle in three days, and you've been fighting badly enough as it is. I don't even want to imagine how you'd fare if you're half-starved when you enter the ring. I'll send a few guards with food for you when I get the chance."
"You got this from the jerk's kitchen?" Sokka asked. "Won't he be upset if he finds out?"
"He has no right to be. As much as you're a slave, it's a display of utter shamefulness that he would pretend to feed you with less than a loaf of bread. I would confront him about it, but I'm sick of arguing with a man who talks non-stop without saying anything at all. He wouldn't feed you properly no matter how I order him to, so it's best for me to take the matter into my own hands."
"Well, you're right about that," Sokka admitted, nodding. "Thanks. I'll… I'll do my best on my fight. I'll try my hardest to win."
"You'd better," said Azula. "Your record will suffer badly if this losing streak continues."
"I know… I know," said Sokka, nodding. "And a twenty loss streak would kick me out of the ranking, right?"
"It would," said Azula, frowning. "And if that happens, you can forget about our deal."
"Yeah, I guessed as much," said Sokka, hunching over as he ate.
"Try to sleep, if you can…" said Azula. "Just as you need food, you need rest."
"Right," said Sokka, nodding.
"I'll take my leave, then. I might drop by again if I need to escape from Kuan," said Azula, sighing.
"I'll be right here if that happens," Sokka replied, smiling weakly at Azula.
The Princess nodded before turning around, but the voice of her gladiator stopped her on her tracks.
"Thanks, Azula," he whispered.
Azula's hand balled into a fist at his words. She glanced at him from over her shoulder to find him devouring his small meal hungrily. She hated to realize that, despite their rocky history together, he was the one man who didn't see her simply as a trophy. To him, she was an actual human being. She wasn't just the Fire Lord's daughter, she wasn't a one-way ticket to an easy life in the highest circles of the Fire Nation… Sokka didn't care for such things. He was brutally honest, and he had hurt her like no man ever had… but even so, he wasn't like Kuan or the men who would only look at her and care for her beauty or the rank and wealth they would obtain if they were to marry her. Sokka was so much more than that.
She stormed away, forcing herself to remember what Sokka had said and done in the past to fuel her anger towards him again. She couldn't allow herself any more slip-ups when it came down to that Water Tribe savage.
Azula found herself doing the most unusual things to get away from Kuan. During her previous visits to Yu Dao and Omashu she had hardly ever wandered the cities, but if touring the town would spare her from enduring Kuan's presence, then so be it. She would spend most the day outside with her entire Procession, and she made sure to bring Sokka as well. She wasn't going to take any chances by leaving him with Kuan and his mindless servants.
Kuan seemed to know Azula was avoiding him, but he didn't stop the Princess, to her surprise. He would simply ask her where she was bound, and he would bid her a good journey once she had explained her plans for the day…
… But his behavior changed on the day of Sokka's combat.
"Oh, his fight is today?" Kuan asked, apparently curious. "Would you mind if I tag along?"
Azula frowned as she eyed the governor warily.
"I was under the impression you didn't understand why anyone would be involved with something as lowly as the gladiator business," she muttered, glaring at him.
"Oh, I was quite harsh on my claims simply to give you a good impression," said Kuan, prompting Azula to raise an eyebrow.
"A good impression, really?" she said, skeptical.
"But I am quite interested in the qualities of your fighter," the man said, ignoring Azula's disbelief. "I want to know why you chose such a man to represent you in battle"
"I doubt you'll find out the answer even if you witness this combat," said Azula, sighing before heading to the front door. "Come along if you really believe you can handle watching a gladiator battle, Kuan."
"Of course, Princess," said Kuan, smirking cruelly once Azula's back was turned.
Sokka was most displeased to see the governor tagging along this time around. He could tell Azula hadn't wanted to bring him either: the man had invited himself to watch the show.
Gladiator Rumble, Gaoling's arena, used to be a ring in which earthbenders battled against each other before the city was conquered by the Fire Nation. Sokka grimaced when he realized this arena would be just like the one in Omashu, starting from the fact that the ring itself was underground. He tried to calm down as he followed Azula into the cave, but Kuan's unexpected presence made him feel extremely uneasy.
"Your opponent this time is called Sands of Time," Azula whispered to Sokka when Kuan was a few ways away from them. "He's about as old as the Hallowed Rock, but he's not as traditional as he was. His stances aren't so strong, and because of that, neither are his attacks. He's not supposed to be too fast, so keep agility on your side and you might stand a chance."
"Got it," said Sokka. "Why are you telling me now…?"
"Because I doubt I'll be able to shake Kuan off, and with him around, I doubt I'll go to the stand-by room with you," Azula retorted, as they approached the vestibule's counter. "Are you ready?"
"Yeah, I am," Sokka assured her, even though he didn't feel so confident about the fight.
"So, what are the procedures in the Gladiator League?" Kuan asked, as Azula reached the counter.
"You're about to find out," said Azula, sighing as she began signing Sokka in for the fight of the day.
Sokka whispered what his weapons would be before heading down a flight of stony stairs and reaching the stand-by room… which was non-existent. There was an opening in the hallway, which led to the earth ring, but there was no stand-by room in Gladiator Rumble.
Sokka stood in his spot, his arms crossed as he thought about the fight at hand. After a few minutes, he heard a man speaking through a megaphone, and he figured it was his cue to enter the fighting area.
He walked through an earth bridge to reach the square fighting zone. There were no obstacles in the scene, but the bridge he had used to reach the ring was torn down immediately, leaving a deep chasm behind him. Sokka didn't have to think much to realize that being thrown off the ring meant an instant defeat.
He lifted his eyes to find a gray-haired man at the opposite end of the arena, and for once, he looked a little more true to the image he had of earthbenders. He was burly and strong, and to Sokka's relief, he looked quite stupid too.
"The fight will last ten minutes! May the toughest man win! Get ready… and RUMBLE!" the megaphone man screamed, making Sokka raise an eyebrow.
"Rumble…?" he muttered before releasing Space Sword from his sheath. "Well, then. Let's rumble."
Sands of Time began the fight by tossing a large boulder at Sokka, which he cut in two with more ease than he expected. It seemed the rocks in this ring weren't as sturdy as the ones in Ozai Arena.
More rocks flew at Sokka, and he managed to cut them all quickly, always wary of the ground under his feet in case his opponent tried to manipulate the floor underneath him to bring him down. Sands of Time tried to turn the solid ground into sand a couple of times, but Sokka jumped away right on time to avoid getting sucked into the traps his opponent had set up for him.
"He's quite pathetic, never attacking his enemy…" said Kuan, making Azula's eyebrows twitch.
She had been most reluctant to allow him into the sponsors' balcony with her, but Kuan had used his status as the governor to get the Arena's staff to make an exception with him. The opposite sponsor seemed a little unsettled by Kuan's presence, but Azula could tell that the beads of sweat that ran down his forehead had little to do with nervousness over being around the Princess and a governor… what was bothering the man?
But whatever caused her fellow sponsor such anxiety was none of her concern. Azula decided to ignore both men and focus on the fight below. Sokka was still playing it safe, guarding and evading his enemy's attacks.
"C'mon, that all you've got?!" Sands of Time screamed, leaping and striking his fists on the ground to cause the earth ring to tremble. Sokka's jaws crashed together painfully with every vibration.
"Th-that's j-j-just what I was going to tell you!" Sokka yelled, tossing his boomerang at the man and striking him on the brow.
Sokka was shocked to realize he had actually hurt an earthbender for once. There was even blood oozing out of the man's wound. He allowed himself a wild smile of pride before realizing his boomerang had fallen down to the pit beneath them, and his smile turned into a grimace. He would usually bet his luck on long-distance attacks during fights against earthbenders… how was he going to win now?
Sands of Time roared angrily before unleashing an array of attacks Sokka hardly knew how to parry. The man brought forth walls of stone and tried to squeeze Sokka between them. Since they weren't steady formations, Sokka kicked his way through one of the walls and got out of their reach, but a boulder struck him in the stomach before he could assess the situation.
The Blue Wolf stumbled and took another rock to the head, making him fall on his butt. He forced himself to his feet, but when he tried to take his weapon he realized his blade had sunk into one of the quicksand spots the earthbender had created previously.
"Damn it!" Sokka gasped before a large block of earth flew straight at him. He ducked just in time to avoid it, releasing his knife from his belt before lunging at the opposite gladiator once again.
But the knife wasn't as efficient to cut rocks as Space Sword was. Boulders were flying at Sokka from all angles constantly, and it was becoming increasingly difficult to evade them.
Sokka didn't grasp at his last hope until the rocks had backed him to the corner of the ring. Sands of Time lifted a huge boulder over his head, planning on using it to knock Sokka off the ring… but just before he could throw it at the Blue Wolf, Sokka launched his smoke bomb at his enemy and forced him to fall back and drop the rock when his eyesight was jeopardized.
Sokka took his chance to get away from the rim of the arena and he ran towards where he had last seen Sands of Time, his knife in one hand and his club in the other. The earthbender heard him approach, and he dropped on the ground, using his bending to bring forth a tall, hollow cylinder of earth to surround him and serve him as a shield against his enemy.
Sokka crashed against his rival's defense, and it didn't take too long for him to realize where Sands of Time was hiding. He brought his club down on the earthen walls, trying to tear them apart, but it was no use. Yet Sokka didn't despair. Even though the smoke was fading away already, Sands of Time had secluded himself in a small space which remained filled with smoke. Sooner than later, the despair for air would force him to bring down his protective walls, and if he didn't, he would probably choke in his seclusion. Sokka smirked. If everything went well, this battle would be his! He had done a good job at it this time around!
But he shouldn't have let his guard down as he did. Sands of Time knew where Sokka was thanks to his previous blows at the wall, and he created an opening at the opposite side of his protective wall, allowing himself to breathe fresh air again. He dug his fingers into the ground and brought forth a spike of earth a few feet in front of where Sokka was standing. The spike struck him on the chest and the impact sent Sokka flying back.
The Blue Wolf gasped as he jumped on his feet again, discovering his enemy was out in the open again. His plan had failed, stupidly so. Of course the man would get out of that toxic space. He had known just where Sokka was and he had escaped his protective cylinder through the opposite direction… Piandao had told him once not to believe himself to be victorious until the last blow had been delivered. He had been foolish to forget that.
And his foolishness came with a price. Sands of Time was attacking more harshly with every passing moment, with the obvious intent of striking Sokka down lethally. His eyes bulged savagely, and he smiled every time his rocks hit Sokka. The Blue Wolf tried to fend them off with his club, but even though this weapon was more efficient than the knife, it was still not enough to get an edge on his opponent.
Sands of Time surprised him by pulling out a large boulder from behind Sokka, hitting him on the back of the head with it. The Blue Wolf's eyesight blurred as he crashed on the soft ground, having a hard time to stand up again after that blow… but should he stand up? Maybe, just maybe…
Sands of Time shattered a rock on Sokka's back, making him squirm and grow limp at the attack, his arms spread wide. The earthbender cackled loudly and Azula brought a hand to her forehead, disappointed yet again. He had done so much better this time, but he had ruined his chances once more.
The megaphone man jumped in the judges' balcony and got ready to call out the finale of the battle just as Sokka's left hand slid into the unstable ground slowly…
"And the winner is…!" the megaphone man squealed… just as Sokka's hand gripped something within the quicksand next to him.
The megaphone man was rendered speechless when Sokka bolted to his feet again, Space Sword held tight in his hand once again. He had suspected the quicksand wasn't too deep, and he was pleased to discover he had been right, or else he would have never recovered his main weapon.
Sands of Time had been so busy rejoicing in his triumph, as Sokka had been when he thought victory was his, that he hadn't noticed he hadn't been proclaimed victorious yet. He had his guard down as he lifted his left fist into the air in celebration… and he dropped his hand when he realized his opponent had gotten up again. Sokka lunged at him, a snarl on his face as he grasped Space Sword with both hands and aimed straight at his opponent's left arm…
Azula's eyes opened wide when Sokka cut the man's hand off in one swift movement and forced him to fall on the ground after swinging his sword horizontally and tearing off half of the man's armor.
Sands of Time stared at his bleeding stump in horror, terrified by Sokka's fierceness, suddenly fearing he might be the one who would die today. The Blue Wolf lifted his sword again, glaring at the earthbender intensely…
"T-the time is up!" the man of the megaphone exclaimed, stopping Sokka just as he was about to deliver the finishing blow.
Both the Blue Wolf and his sponsor froze upon that exclamation. The time couldn't be up yet! Sokka had been about to win! He was about to knock out his opponent!
"That was… revolting," said Kuan, grimacing but not only in disgust. He had been quite enthusiastic when Sokka had been feigning unconsciousness, in hopes the gladiator would never wake up again. Seeing Sokka make such a comeback had shocked and angered him.
Azula didn't care for what he had to say, though. She gritted her teeth, hoping the judges would take Sokka's comeback to be so impressive that they would grant him the victory… but she had a bad feeling about it. Sokka had managed to defend himself quite efficiently at first, but as the battle advanced he had been struck way too many times. Would the judges let him triumph…?
"The judges will deliver the verdict!" exclaimed the megaphone man after a few minutes, handing an old man the speaker as he finished talking.
"Both fighters showed great prowess…" started the judge. "… they gave us quite a fight to behold. But there can only be one winner, and after pondering the matter, the judges have decided to award the victory to Sands of Time."
Azula snarled in anger and shook her head, outraged. That comeback should have been good enough! Sokka had cut the man's hand off, for crying out loud! But the verdict was delivered, and there was nothing she could do about it as it was. She shook her head in disapproval again before turning to the sponsor next to her.
"Well played," she said bitterly, handing him the bag of money of her bid.
The opposite sponsor gulped and nodded while accepting the money, looking at the city's governor with fear in his eyes. He would have to surrender the money he had just earned to make up for failing Kuan, wouldn't he…?
Azula walked away before she could witness the way Kuan was glaring at the sponsor of Sands of Time. She was beyond frustrated by that result. This was the way her opponents had felt whenever Sokka won by a small margin, wasn't it?
She found Sokka in Gladiator Rumble's rocky vestibule. He had his head held a little low and he was slightly battered, but he was in much better shape than he had been after his fight against the Hallowed Rock.
"Azula…" he muttered, looking at the Princess with regret in his eyes, fearing facing her disappointment.
"You did a lot better than last time," Azula admitted, making Sokka smile a little.
"You think?"
"But that's not enough to get those damned judges to grant you the victory," said Azula, shaking her head. "Next time try not to lose the sword. It gives you an advantage against rocks."
"I'll do my best not to," said Sokka, nodding.
"For a moment there, you did something about as absurd as you always used to," said Azula, looking up at Sokka. "Never did I think about a fighter faking a knock-out…"
"It felt somewhat like cheating…" Sokka admitted, smiling guiltily. "But it was my only chance to get him."
"It was. If only I had decided the fight would last fifteen minutes instead of ten…" said Azula, shaking her head.
"Well, no use mulling it over anymore…" said Sokka, shrugging. "You didn't do anything wrong. I should have thought about that strategy sooner."
"You should have," Azula agreed. "Where did that idea come from?"
"Piandao once told me not to believe myself to be victorious until the fight was over," said Sokka. "Which I did when I thought I'd caught him in a smoke trap of his own making. If I was stupid enough to lower my guard by thinking I had won back then, chances were I could lull him into that same stupid sense of security I'd fallen into, and beat him thanks to that."
Azula couldn't help but smile at those words. He was finally starting to fight like himself again.
"And it could have worked… try to keep all that wit in mind for your next fight," she suggested, before leading the way outside Gladiator Rumble.
Sokka smiled and chased after Azula, still feeling somewhat dissatisfied by losing, but pleased to know she wasn't as upset at him this time around.
Kuan watched them walk away with gritted teeth, his fists balled tightly around the money he had taken from Sands of Time's sponsor. That wretched gladiator was a lot harder to kill than he thought he would be. Killing the useless slave should have served him to show Princess Azula her rightful place as a woman, but his plan had failed. How to get his revenge…? Well, perhaps he couldn't claim it yet, but he was a patient man.
He glared at them until they vanished from sight, and he vowed silently to himself to get back at the Princess and her scum gladiator one day.