Disclaimer – all original Avatar: The Last Airbender characters in this fanfic (excluding my OCs) are the property of Bryana Konietzko and Michaela Dante DiMartino.
Chapter 40. A Lesson.
Fire Nation Capital, Hari Bulkan, Weng's Residence.
Huo entered the back garden with Azula, and even though he wasn't looking at her, he could feel the princess's eyes drilling a hole in his back. It was awkward, to say the least, and the silence didn't help as well. Once they found themselves in the center of the garden, Huo tried to turn around. "Alright, first, let's see what you can do, a simple spar should be eno-" before he could finish his sentence, Azula conjured a flame from her index and middle finger, attempting to burn the boy's back. Huo quickly jumped to the side, avoiding the flame, and turned to face the princess.
"Attacking somebody when his back is turned is not very honorable and princess-like," Huo pointed out, squinting his eyes.
"Oops! Sorry, I thought you were ready," Azula smirked meanly and squinted her dark gold eyes. "I assumed a firebender such as yourself is always prepared."
Huo inhaled and exhaled through his nose, deciding not to comment. He rolled his shoulders and neck while Azula backed away and took a fightning stance. Her smirk vanished from her face and the young girl became serious. "Come on then, don't hold back," the boy said, knowning that the princess would do everything in her power to burn him even without his consent.
Just like before, Azula conjured an orange flame from her two fingers. Quick and precise attack aimed directly at Huo's face. The boy snuffed out the flame with a quick jab and immediately leaned his head to the side, avoiding a second attack sent at him right after the first one.
Azula jumped and created a vertical flame arc with a kick. Huo avoided the arc with a quick side-step. Once the princess landed back on the ground, she immediately crouched, spun, and swept her leg, sending a flame arc across the grass toward Huo. The boy jumped over it, but at that moment, Azula shot another flame from her fingers.
Huo extinguished the flame in mid-air with a punch and conjured a blue flame from his other hand. Azula cartwheeled to the side, dodging the flame, and when the boy landed on his feet, she sent a fireball from both her hands. Huo noticed that Azula's flames were bigger than Zuko's. It wasn't a surprise for him since she had far better control over her breathing despite being younger than her brother. She had enormous potential, and if guided the right way, she would become a fantastic firebender.
Extending his hands, Huo took control of the orange flame, which turned blue in the process. He spun and redirected it back at Azula. The princess quickly did a front split and ducked under the attack. Immediately after, she sprung back to her feet.
"Nice," Huo nodded, praising the girl. "Good use of your flexibility. I'll repeat what I said earlier. The Dance of the Dazzed Phoenix, which I used in my duel with Lu Ten, would really suit you."
"I don't want to learn that goofy dance of yours," Azula replied, rolling her eyes. "You looked and behaved like a fool."
Huo smirked and just like during his duel, he exhaled and relaxed his whole body. He opened his arms and began to wobble from side to side. He knew it was an overkill, but the princess needed to be taught a lesson.
Azula narrowed her eyes and slightly lowered her stance. She deliberately goated Huo into using it against her. She wanted to see that style in action again to learn its weaknesses and take Huo down a peg or two. Her father would surely be impressed if she could at least burn him once. Maybe even he would call off this whole arrangement.
The girl carefully watched Huo, who wobbled toward her with his eyes half-closed and a wide smile. Azula attacked, sending a flame from her fingers at Huo, but the boy quickly leaned his body back and fell over on the grass, immediately rolling backward and rising to his feet.
With a crescent kick, Huo created a horizontal blue arc of fire. The princess jumped over the attack, but the boy propelled himself forward with fire jets and closed the distance between them in a second. The moment Azula landed on the ground, Huo threw a punch from close range, forcing the princess to duck under it at the last second. She even felt Huo's fist brushing against her hair, but to her surprise, he didn't firebend.
Huo placed his hands on her shoulders the moment she lowered her head and leaped over her. Azula tried to turn around but felt a sudden weight as the boy leaned his back against hers.
"Hey!" Azula almost fell forward but managed to move to the side. She faced Huo and extended her arm, pointing with her fingers at his face. The boy redirected her arm upward, causing her to shoot a flame at the sky, and smacked her right on the forehead with the edge of his hand.
"Ow! Hey!" Azula blinked and tried to take a few steps back, but Huo was stuck to her like glue. Every time she wanted to use her firebending, he either redirected her arm or blocked her kick. Each failed attempt ended with a chop on the head.
Azula was getting irritated because each chop could easily be a firebending attack, burning her. After another chop, Huo reached out with his other hand and grabbed her nose.
"Quit it!" Azula smacked his hand away angrily and jumped back, finally creating distance between them. She was ready to attack but felt her hair tumbling down.
"Huh?" she touched the top of her head and realized her headpiece was gone.
"Hey, look what I found," Huo smirked, showing Azula her red-colored flame-shaped headpiece and a ribbon, which was used to hold her hair.
"Give that back!" Azula demanded with a frown.
"Come and take it, if you can," Huo teased, tossing Azula's headpiece into the air and catching it. He had to admit that the princess looked cute with her hair down.
With a growl, Azula lunged forward and conjured a flame with a side kick, but Huo easily extinguished it with a roundhouse kick and turned his back to her. The princess took a step forward, unleashing a barrage of attacks from her fingers, and each one was avoided. It was like Huo had eyes on his back.
Despite her age, Azula was a very good firebender, but more was needed to defeat Huo. If his style was good enough to deal with older and more experienced opponents like Lu Ten, the young girl had no chance.
She couldn't tell what Huo would do next since his moves were too unpredictable. As the princess tried to create a flame with a kick, Huo tripped her, causing her to lose balance and fall forward. She landed on all fours, but when she tried to get up, the boy pretended to fall over and sat on her back. "Ugh! Get off!" Azula ordered. Her arms couldn't support Huo's weight, and she was forced to lay on her stomach.
"I would, but your back is so comfy," Huo stated, giving Azula another chop on the head.
"Ghh! You're suppose to teach me firebending!" Azula pointed out, trying to wriggle out from underneath Huo, but the boy was too heavy for her.
"I am teaching you," Huo replied. "Have you learned your lesson?"
"What lesson?!" Azula asked, lifting and turning her head to look over her shoulder at Huo.
"To never make fun of someone's bending," Huo replied. "You didn't even manage to hit me once while I constantly hit your head and could burn you anytime I wanted. You ended up on the ground while I'm sitting on your back with your headpiece. It's pretty embarrassing to be defeated in such a way when your opponent is a fool, right?"
Azula went silent and stopped moving, but Huo noticed how she clenched her fists in anger and felt her trembling. With a sigh, he got up. "Just because your opponent has a silly-looking weapon or style, it doesn't mean you can make fun of them," he said, tossing Azula's headpiece on the grass. "Especially when they are able to defeat firebenders, who are stronger than you."
The princess remained on the ground and looked at her headpiece with a deep frown. Never before was she so humiliated. Even the most strict firebending instructors never treated her that way.
"We're done for now," Huo stated and leaned down, offering Azula his hand. However, just like he expected, she didn't take it and got up on her own.
Huo turned his head toward the entrance to the back garden, pondering what was taking the servants so long to bring something to drink. The boy guessed that Weng probably ordered them to prepare something fancy. The moment he turned his head back to look at Azula, the princess quickly swung her arm, throwing dirt in Huo's face. The boy shook his head and began to blink rapidly as pieces of dirt got in his eyes.
Azula used this chance and conjured a flame in her hand, trying to burn Huo's face. The boy immediately moved to the side, avoiding the hand, and extended his index and middle finger. He touched Azula's stomach, and an orange flame burst out from the girl's back. The princess gasped, and darkness engulfed her as she lost her consciousness.
With a groan, Azula slowly opened her dark gold eyes, squinting them immediately as the sun blinded her for a moment. The princess sat up and realized she was lying on a large, yellow blanket. She also noticed a plate with mochis, a bunch of white napkins, a pot with cherry juice, and two cups. Her red-colored headpiece was back on her head, and her hair was fixed, tied into a top knot.
"Did you have a nice nap?" Huo's voice came from behind her, causing Azula to look over her shoulder. The boy stood not far away and practiced fire kicks and fire jabs.
Azula frowned and quickly got back to her feet, but the moment she stood upright, her knees buckled, and she sat back down, feeling weak and light-headed. "Ugh! W-What did you do to me?" the princess asked. She remembered blinding Huo with dirt and trying to burn him, but he dodged her attack, and then he did something that caused her to lose consciousness.
"I depleted a large portion of your chi," Huo explained. "I said we were done but you wouldn't stop attacking me. Plus you had it coming for throwing dirt in my face. My eyes still smart."
"You were hitting my head, you stole my headpiece, and you sat on me!" Azula argued.
"You started it by trying to burn my back even before we began sparring," Huo pointed out. It doesn't matter to me whether you're a princess or not; if you're going to do mean things, expect me to be mean in return."
The boy approached Azula and sat on the blanket before her, crossing his legs. "Here's what's gonna happen," he looked sternly at the girl. "Once you regain your strenght, we can continue training if you want, but if we do, no more cheap tricks, no more attacks from behind, and when I say we're done, it means we're done. You have tons of untapped potential, but you need to be guided in the right direction. If you want me to make you a great firebender, you're going to listen to my instructions. Are we clear?"
Azula glared at Huo. There were no words to describe how badly she wanted him to grovel before in fear. She needed him to teach her firebending so she could put him in his place, and if he was willing to do it, all the better. As much as she wanted to burn his face right now, she needed to be patient and endure. The princess took a deep breath and turned her head to look away. "Fine," she muttered.
Huo sighed and decided to have a talk about their situation. "I know your angry because of the arrangement, but you don't need to take it out on me," he stated. "I'm also not happy to be forced into marrying someone."
"This whole situation is your fault," Azula said, looking back at Huo.
"How is this my fault?" Huo asked. "Your father decided that we have to marry each other, not me. I have nothing to say in the matter and you know that better than me. What do you expect me to do?"
"You can always leave the Fire Nation forever," Azula stated, and Huo chuckled. It's tempting, but I kind of like it here."
The boy grabbed an empty cup and poured Azula cherry juice. "Here," he offered Azula the cup. "Your body will replenish chi much faster if you drink and eat."
Azula felt thirsty and hungry, so she actually took the cup. She drank the content in one go and took a mochi from the plate. She calmed down somewhat and began to eat. Her plan to learn the weakness of Huo's style failed, but there was one thing she discovered. The princess swallowed a chunk of mochi and looked at Huo with a pleased smirk.
"What?" Huo arched his eyebrow.
"You can tell when someone is attacking even if your back is turned or if your eyes are closed, but that only implies to firebending," Azula stated with a smug expression. "That's why you didn't react when I threw the dirt in your face, but you avoided my attack effortlessly when I tried to burn you."
"Very observant," Huo smirked and nodded. It didn't bother him that she knew and, to be fair, it was better to confirm it than play dumb. Knowing Azula, she would try to prove her discovery by throwing something hard or sharp at him, so it was better to let her have this small victory.
"How are you doing that?" the girl asked curiously and Huo smirked. Telling Azula too much wouldn't be a good idea. Luckily, he could lie... more or less.
"When I was trying to survive in the Earth Kingdom, I got touched by a phoenix spirit," Huo said, pointing at his eyes. "After that, my eyes turned vibrant orange and I was able to sense when someone was firebending close to me. To me, it's like hearing a large gasp everytime a flame is being created. Fire breaths and I hear its breath."
"Hmpf," Azula sulked. She was clearly unhappy that Huo's ability was something she couldn't learn and use against him. "Stupid spirit."
Huo rolled his eyes. "Stop sulking and eat," he stated, pouring Azula more cherry juice.
Once Azula regained her strength and ate all the mochis, they resumed the training. Huo decided to teach her the fire whip technique, and to his relief, she didn't try to burn him. The princess was absorbing knowledge like a sponge and was very committed, just like he thought she would.
When the servant entered the back garden and informed Azula that her palanquin had arrived, it was time for the princess to return home. Weng asked Huo to walk Azula to the opulent palanquin, and the boy reluctantly complied. With a simple yet awkward 'bye,' the princess left, allowing Huo to inhale and exhale deeply through his nose.
"That wasn't so bad wasn't it?" Weng asked once Huo returned to the front door. "She'll be your friend in no time."
"I think my lifespan is too short for that to happen," Huo replied, massaging his forehead. "And there's a chance it will become even shorter."
"You have to think optimistically," Weng said, placing his hand on Huo's back and taking him inside the residence. "Your old man will give you some tips during dinner."
"Hooray," Huo rolled his eyes, not feeling very enthusiastic.
A few hours later – Fire Nation Capital, Hari Bulkan, Weng's Residence, Huo's Room.
During dinner, Weng told Huo about girls and what they liked. The nobleman explained that most girls liked getting flowers, sweets, and jewels. Huo recalled how his real father told him about his times when he was younger and how such stuff didn't apply to all women. It all depended on the girl. Some liked other things, but in general, each girl liked getting gifts.
With his belly full, Huo lay on his bed with Nurei nestled on the pillow right next to him. The boy thought about his 'costume' and how to obtain the materials needed to make it. There were a lot of shops in Hari Bulkan, and the money wasn't the issue, but keeping everything a secret definitely was. If Huo left to buy the materials, Weng would surely have his men follow him to learn what he was doing.
Huo could send one of the staff members to the shops, but that was too risky. No one could guarantee that he or she wouldn't simply spill the beans once Weng started asking questions.
The boy suddenly got an idea and got up with a smirk. "Come on Nurei, we're going shopping!" he said. Nurei got up and flew over to Huo, landing on his head. The boy left his room and headed downstairs.
Once he entered the foyer and approached the front door, Huo spotted Weng in the corner of his eye. The nobleman entered the foyer as well and looked curiously at Huo. "Where are you going?" he asked, approaching the boy.
"Shopping," Huo answered. "I decided to buy something for Azula."
"Oh," the nobleman raised his eyebrows and smirked. "Listening to my advice, I see. That's good. What are you going to buy?"
"Honestly, don't know yet," the boy answered, scratching his chin. "I will browse the shops, and if I won't find anything proper, maybe I will make something myself. Simply buying flowers or jewelry feels dull. I know she likes sweets, but I want to give her something authentic."
"Well, in that case, I'll look forward to see what you'll get her," Weng replied. Huo was sure the nobleman would check what he bought to ensure the gift would be appropriate for the princess.
Opening the front door, Huo left the residence and approached the palanquin bearers, who bowed their heads. "Do you need a ride, young master?" asked one of them, gesturing toward the palanquin.
"Yes, I need to visit a few places," Huo replied. "Are you guys up for it?"
"Always," the man replied and smiled just like the rest.
Fire Nation Capital, Hari Bulkan.
Even though he didn't see them, Huo knew Weng's men were watching him. It wasn't hard since he slowly rode the palanquin. Still, the boy didn't care and was focused on his plan. A flower shop, bakery, toy shop, clothes shop, even a blacksmith. It appeared as if the boy was visiting shops at random and browsing, but each time he came out with a piece for his costume.
To be fair, he needed to buy something for Azula for his plan to work and pondered for a moment. The princess wouldn't be interested in flowers. Dools were surely a bad idea. She'd probably set one on fire and threw it back in his face.
Considering her character, Huo had a hunch that Azula would probably be more interested in a weapon. The more dangerous, the better. Weng wouldn't be too happy knowing that Huo bought the princess something sharp. Firebenders rarely use normal weapons since they can create their own weapon, but it never hurt to have something to defend just in case.
Huo had an idea of what to buy, but before that, he needed one more thing for his costume: a mask. He told the bearers where to go, and after a few minutes, they arrived at their destination. The boy left the palanquin and entered a decent-sized shop, which was full of masks, costumes, fireworks, and many other stuff.
"Welcome to my humble shop!" Huo was greeted by a middle-aged, skinny man with black hair tied into a top knot and brown-colored eyes. "Feel free to look around and if you need any help, don't hesitate to ask."
"I will," Huo bowed his head and began to browse. The shop had various masks, but the boy noticed a specific one that was perfect for his costume: a green bird-like beak mask with two openings for the eyes and two holes at the end of the beak. The color was insignificant since Huo planned to change the color with the paint he bought, but the shape was perfect.
Huo pulled the mask from the wall and brought it to the counter. "I want this one," he stated. "How much?"
"Twelve copper pieces," the shopkeeper answered, and Huo was surprised at how cheap the mask was. He reached into his pocket and placed the desired amount on the counter after counting the copper pieces.
"Pleasure doing business with you, boy," the shopkeeper said as he took the coins.
"The pleasure was all mine," Huo nodded, taking the mask. "I didn't expect the mask to be this cheap."
"It's all thanks to the lack of competition," the man replied. "There was once a shop in the Harbor City with a similar stuff as mine ran by a man named Shun, but after the incident, his shop got closed for good."
"What incident?" Huo asked, squinting his eyes.
"During one night after he closed the shop and was on his way home, Shun got attacked by some thugs," the shopkeeper began to explain. "The guards heard the commotion, but before they arrived on the scene, the thugs were gone and Shun was... dead. Poor guy."
"No," Huo's eyes widened. "When he was attacked?"
"I think it was around eight days ago," the man grabbed his chin and squinted his brown-colored eyes. "Or maybe it was nine. It's hard to tell, but it's something close to that number."
Huo felt a cold chill running down his spine. Mister Shun was one of the few people who saw his face. Was Weng behind this? Did he send his men to kill him to protect his plan, or was that only a coincidence?
Without a word, Huo turned around on his heel and left the shop. He still needed to get the gift for Azula before he returned home, but once he did, Weng needed to give him some answers.
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