Summary/disclaimer: Time for another chapter of Mask of the dragon. Enjoy the 2600-word chapter. I don't own Avatar, Nick, Michael Dante DiMartino, and Bryan Konietzko do.
(Fire Nation Royal Barge)
Azula wasn't used to being out of an armored vehicle or ship. The city that she walked through was unique to her. She pulled the cloak over her armor while slowly walking into the city.
There was a small noise as a small bird started to screech, its cry carrying into the city. Azula recognized the animal as belonging to Sachi who was busy scouting the city. The bird flapped its wings while she hummed to herself.
She slowly started on her way to the camp he and his soldiers had set up. If Azula knew anything about Sachi? He would be alone since it meant that his entire group was in danger of the Earth Nation army launching an attack. He'd end up leading a retreat if that was indeed the case.
"Princess?" She heard which caused her to look over her shoulder. "Is that you?" Azula heard the hooded soldier look at her.
She looked at a man who was cloaked with the only signs of such armor being their helmet which was covered with some dirt. It was a smart move to remove the crimson which seemed to be in all armor.
"Indeed," Azula stated while the soldier nodded to herself while the soldier clicked his tongue. "What is the situation with your commander?" Azula asked while she raised an eyebrow.
The soldier was entirely silent while he started to think of what to say. There was a lot of interest in if they could handle their issue. The soldier looked at the princess turned rebel while he started to clear his throat.
"We're camped out in the desert." The soldier started to say while he dusted off his armor. "Sachi was ready for a mission, but he told the rest of us to stay down. We haven't seen him for at least 2 hours. None of us know what he's up to. He told us to wait for reinforcements." The soldier added while he shook his head towards her.
There was entirely too much at stake for him to simply state what the colonel had said. If there was such a need to do so? He'd do so, but they were entirely focused on their mission which meant that the princess needed to know only the base facts that they were aware of.
"How many soldiers are there at the base?" Azula asked while the soldier started to think.
"Over a dozen at the moment, ma'am." Azula heard as she nods to herself while she cleared her throat. "There's an outpost where we are waiting for more reinforcements. I'm not aware of anything more than that." Azula also while she shook her head.
"How bad are things at the moment?" Azula asked as the duo started to walk through the city. "Sachi said that there were to be no delays on the mission. I had given it to him myself." Azula added to which the soldiers said nothing.
"I'm starting to believe you don't know anything except what the colonel had told you," Azula stated while she raised an eyebrow under her cloak.
"Because he wished to keep his plans more secretive as far as I know. There are plenty of soldiers who don't know the plan." Azula heard from the soldier. "The Fire Lord also has 5 times the loyalists that we do. We both know that there will be more soldiers than us." The soldier stated while he frowned to himself as he shook his head.
She knew that Hao was not trying to do something stupid. The soldier and her friend had been acting on her behalf and made sure the rest of her soldiers were either on a mission or they were safe.
'He's keeping them on edge so we don't need to worry for the other soldiers. I don't know what else to do. We need to speak with the other allies we have.' Azula stated while she frowned to herself before she started to think of what best to say next.
"This place was rather annoying when it comes down to it." She heard before she crossed her arms across her chest as she did so. "This place is something else at the moment. There are far too many places where to hide when it came down to it." Azula had been rather annoyed about what to do next.
Still? He had to clear his throat while he started to ponder what to do next. Azula was prepared to do more before it came down to it. There were plenty of soldiers in this area and her soldiers had a lot to do at the end of the day.
Still? it meant almost nothing to her if they weren't able to wait and collect their strength for another battle. They had to hit somewhere else and prepare for another battle with other people.
"This isn't going to end anytime soon," Azula stated while she cleared her throat and sighed. "There are many soldiers my father has in the rest of the army. I'm wondering what the best when it comes down to it." Azula stated before she rolled her eyes.
She had planned to do something when it came down to it. she had been interested in how the rest of her army. She pondered and rolled her eyes. Her father hadn't the power to change her destiny and his desire to rule the planet was bothering her before she frowned to herself.
Still? She had been rather interested in what she did next. Her father was not going to conquer the planet on her watch nor was she about to simply about to stay and let someone else handle his work if he fell and someone else became the leader.
"Hmm," Azula said before a familiar cry directed her attention into the sky above her.
There was a shrill cry as a messenger hawk circled the city and slowly started to glide down. She noticed that there was a small blue flame on its side which showed that it had been on her side of this war.
She said nothing as the bird roosted on one of the many roofs near her. The bird glanced at her and hopped down while landing on her shoulder. It let out a shrill cry which didn't at all bother the princess. This only reminded her that much had been done to protect and help the rest of the rebellion she had placed together.
She turned to the soldier behind her before slowly taking the note from her friend and slowly putting it down. She more or less seemed interested in the letter and what this particular messenger hawk had done considering they didn't normally seem to seek her own.
Then again? She wasn't normally in the area to get work down when it came down to it. She had been on the battlefields rarely, or at the very least? She had been in the middle of war rooms when it came down to it. She didn't know what was honestly going to happen next, this war seemed to be interesting to everyone, her soldiers, her father, and the rest of their world. This world seemed to be a lot odder than it had any real reasoning when it came down to it.
Not that it concerned her. The entire world seemed to be crazy at this point. She couldn't damn well tell where the lines had been at the second when it came down to it. There was a lot more when she considered her tactics, a more human approach that she had to hide with a veneer of ruthlessness.
'All of this war and I'm forced to handle this war when it came down to her. Only my father seemed to question why there was any reason to be nice at the moment. It seemed to be interesting when it came down to it. Only he'd be this horrible to the rest of the world when it came to tactics. Anything that can control the entire planet.' Azula thought to herself before she hummed to herself.
It came down to what was done next by the Fire Nation. It had been honestly interested in what was going to happen at the tactics. There was going to be a tough war on her end at the time. The princess was well aware of the fact that the war would be harder than anything.
This had been a lot harder than anything while she said nothing and cleared his throat when it came down to it. She was going to be hopeful when it came down to it.
"We need to be ready for what my father's next move is. Inform the guards what comes down to it. There isn't going to be a siege sooner or later." Azula stated before she crossed her arms across her chest. "We need to be ready, there will be more soldiers when it came down to it. This place when it comes down to it. There will be more soldiers coming to try and kill us." Azula said while she sighed to herself.
There were going to be more soldiers when it came down to it. The second they stepped out from cover? The second they showed any real weakness to be exploited? That was when they'd strike like a thousand sledgehammers all smashing them to pieces.
She had been a lot more curious as of the time being… Whatever this had been done and dusted. Still? She planned on facing them for now. Her father was a monster who couldn't be a lot worse for the time being. She couldn't afford to let little things slow down the train she had been building up. She couldn't allow those things to determine what she was down the road nor what it could be if it wasn't for the fact that the war was coming faster and faster to a close.
She continued walking as she thought about how to best split this war for her forces and gain a victory somewhere. They had to hit hard and fast or Ozai's forces would pin them down and kill them all before they were able to do any real damage that mattered and stalled out her plans.
Risky? Sure, but it wasn't like they had much worse to do before now. This had been something to be decided on the battlefield and what little tactics her army had mattered more than the few soldiers they had. She knew they mattered just as much for now… But they were also important on whatever battlefield they attended and were sent to.
She also knew her officers would inspire her men to fight 20 times harder than her father had… They were soldiers who knew what the score was and what was at stake if they had failed to win the war with their enemy. She cared for them and them her, but they also knew what was going to happen if she wasn't able to win the war.
Still? this had been fun for them at the time being, hanging out, and relaxing. This needed to work or else they'd been relaxing for the time being. What little was done next had been something that needed to be done for now. She had been oh so little for now.
She had been curious when it was questioned for the second. What had her father cooked up to the control? What had he planned for the second what to question for now? It had been something odd for her to handle… She couldn't lie about that nor the time being when this had been said and done.
The soldier in front of her hadn't seemed to know what she had been in this way to do next. This had a lot more interesting options applied to it when this had been said and done for now. the war that was coming needed soldiers who could operate better on the battlefield.
The real question before now. What she had been used to had been outside the time being. What she did also know was that this had been slowly ripping the enemy to pieces slowly and surely. What needed to be done and dusted for now.
Still? if that was what needed to be done to bring this to heel? She'd do it. They had to be better than this, had to do better than before. It'd be a hard little part of history to swallow, but someone had to do it.
The easier they managed a victory? The earlier they rest. She knew many of her soldiers needed to be on the frontlines and many of them needed to rest at the second.
They knew it as well. They wanted more than anything to be put on the front when this was all done and dusted. The battle would be won and nothing was stopping her father from striking.
He wanted pain and agony and to burn the rest of the world into his little empire… Not on her watch. Not while she had still the will to fight. She'd fight back if she had to push herself through broken glass and crawl over the battlefield.
It was the worst part of this, to know that she'd need to throw lives away to win even a slight victory over anyone. It'd be a part of a victory that hadn't yet been decided.
Still? She was to win? Azula knew for a fact that she had to fight harder and stronger than she had before. It'd be an odd part of the battle to fight harder and stronger than she had before.
A laugh would come from her mouth if she was able to gain one from now. A laugh had to be done and dusted for now. This battle would be decided for now and it would be thought of for now. She looked at one of the soldiers next to her as she hummed and tilted her head.
She knew her soldiers would fight tooth and nail for what had to be done, what could be done before now, there was a lot more to question before now. It had been a nightmare to properly focus on this idea when it came down to it.
If anything? Azula knew before long that her father would properly be on them, they could not contend with the fury that was being thrown at them, the Fire Nation had far too much on their plate to properly focus on later when this was said and done when all of this was done and dusted.
Worse things were coming than what had been done to them, a lot worse than whatever was coming towards them.
He was still too tired to properly focus on them if it came down to them. He was not sure what would happen if anything else was done… Nor did he want to hurt them any worse than what had been done… She was not willing to properly battle her father if push came to shove, not yet anyway.
There was no escaping it for them, nor properly matching them in almost every single manner possible.
Author notes
Phew. Another chapter is done! I want to point out that the next chapter will be delayed and will be showing Azula and Sachi's meeting and a talk. Until the 2-10 months and in 900-6500 words. Lighting Wolf out!