Once again, I am so sorry this chapter is coming out so late but you know the usual real life stuff that I gotta deal with per usual.
This was originally meant to be a short chapter that leads into Kazumi and Azula arriving at the temple, but I once again underestimated the amount of words I can BS into a story so it ended up at the normal word count of my chapters.
With that said, let's get this chapter started!
It was hard to get much sleep last night on the account of what had happened with Kazumi almost walking right into the forest under the influence of the spirit. The veteran Spirit Navigator electing to just stay up for the rest of the night which actually was just a few hours away from morning anyway. So Azula didn't mind staying up with Kazumi for the rest of the night taking a few brief naps in between to keep herself rested. When she woke up, Kazumi was still awake and keeping herself distracted by sharpening their blades and weapons.
Kazumi didn't look tired, she looked furious. The silent fury on her face showed that she was by no means impressed by the Spirit's manipulation of her mind and is looking forward to cleansing it from this world. Azula didn't fault her, she would be furious too if a spirit messed with her mind like that. Her mind had had more than enough ghosts inside of it, she doesn't need some spirit meddling with it further.
When first light came, they had a nice breakfast and quickly restocked on some essential supplies they would need for the trip. The forest vegetation was far too dense to take Serenity with them, so they paid the very nice innkeeper some money to take care of Serenity while they were away, that was more than glad to do so. Serenity wasn't happy about it, but seemed more than comfortable with the nice old innkeeper for a few days at least.
Once they were fully prepared, they ventured into the forest where the spirit lurked. Azula couldn't help but feel her skin crawl just looking at the forest for a moment, feeling an ominous aura radiating from it, but she steeled her nerves and followed Kazumi into it without any further delay.
The forest was dense with thick vegetation which forced Kazumi and Azula to slash it away using their shortswords. The forest was dreadfully quiet for the most part except for the occasional sound of bugs and breeze of wind that passed them by. The trees were tall and had thick enough branches that they nearly blocked out the light coming from the sun. Azula couldn't help but feel on edge as they moved through the forest, the sun was still out and shining brightly on them but she couldn't shake the feeling that there was something off about this forest. It reminded her a lot of back in the Forgetful Forest when she first entered it: dangerous and merciless to the uninvited.
Azula almost wished they were back in the Forgetful Forest, at least they were familiar with that place. But here they were on something else's territory and she didn't like it, even if she knew that they had to get to the bottom of this.
Azula glanced over at Kazumi as she slashed at the foliage and vegetation to clear the way for them. She couldn't but feel a bit of worry for her mentor, Kazumi hadn't spoken much since last night and she barely ate anything at breakfast. Though considering what she saw in that dream or nightmare that the Spirit showed her, Azula couldn't blame Kazumi for not having much of an appetite or in the mood to talk. Kazumi's expression was passive and focused, like she just wanted to get this mission done and go home already.
The former princess wondered whether she should say something to Kazumi, but she struggled to really find the words to say. Should she ask about Kazumi's nightmare from last night? This hardly feels like the time or place to ask about something so personal like that. And what can she even say that would be right after what Kazumi saw in her nightmare that left her like this? Was there anything that could be said? She didn't know, but she wanted to try at least.
" Kazumi?" Azula quietly spoke up but that was enough to get her mentor's attention. Kazumi didn't stop walking or even turned around to look at her, but instead just turned her head enough back in her direction as they continued walking.
" Yes, Azula?" Kazumi's voice wasn't cold or harsh, but it sounded almost empty and distant. It was nothing like how she usually spoke.
" I was just wondering..." Azula tried to think of the proper words to say, but they seemed to die in her throat as she struggled to think of what she can say." I...never mind, sorry it was nothing." Azula went back on her question as quickly as she brought it up. Azula had never been the kind to struggle to speak her mind unless she was either scared of the person she was speaking to or genuinely didn't know what to say. This was the latter.
Kazumi didn't press any further, simply nodding and continuing on their trek through the forest. Azula mentally decided that she can figure out how to approach that uncomfortable topic later when they aren't in the middle of a spirit hunt. There was a time and place for things, and she would find it later.
For the next few hours, they kept moving through the forest at a steady pace. The forest itself was honestly eerie to move around in even during the day, the almost constant silence of the forest put her more on edge than if there was more noise radiating throughout the forest. But as the day dragged on, Azula became increasingly annoyed at how there was no visible sign of this Spirit Temple anywhere in the forest, in fact she questioned how any victim the spirit lulled into the forest with its manipulations ever made it very far. The forest itself was thick and without the use of blades, than it was impossible to get through all the vegetation without injury. Azula didn't want to think about what that meant for the victims.
Eventually they decided to stop in a small clearing in the forest to catch their breath and reassess their plan.
" Is this Spirit Temple invisible or does it just not exist at all?" Azula said annoyed at how little progress they made today as she sat on a rock.
" Not sure. It could have very well been an illusion by the spirit but we can't confirm that." Kazumi said as she surveyed the forest. " The forest is too thick and dense for any sort of large building to be constructed here. You would need a small fortune to clear out the trees and settle the land necessary to build a structure like that along with maintaining it. I doubt our spirit has the resources needed to do so."
Azula couldn't disagree with Kazumi there, it seemed almost like this Spirit Temple didn't exist. Her thoughts on that were put on hold as she looked up at the darkening sky and could see that the sun was starting to fall. " Its getting dark, we should set up camp."
Kazumi nodded in agreement as the two of them quickly set up camp in their normal quiet pace, but Azula couldn't help but notice the somber feeling of it all. Dinner was a similarly quiet affair with the two of them eating some of the rations that they bought from the town before they left and heated up
Just as Azula was about to turn in for the night, she noticed that Kazumi was still wide awake and sitting by the fire with her sword by her side. " Aren't you going to go to sleep Kazumi?"
" I'll stay awake tonight and keep watch, don't want anything creeping up on us tonight." Kazumi explained as she gently poked the fire with a stick.
" Are you sure? It would probably be better if we both stay awake then or else-" Azula was about to suggest but was cut off when Kazumi raised a hand to stop her.
" Its fine Azula, just...go to sleep." Kazumi said in a low and tired tone, and Azula got the impression that her mentor just wanted to be alone.
Azula wanted to say something but decided that now wasn't the best time. "Alright...goodnight Kazumi."
" Goodnight Azula, sleep well..." Kazumi wished her as she stared into the fire.
As Azula laid down on her cot in her tent, she hoped that tomorrow would be better for the both of them.
Azula was woken up by a loud boom that instantly made her eyes snap open, her eyes slowly readjusting and she let out a groan at the discomfort at suddenly being woken up in the dead of night. She sat up after a few moments on her fur cot as she rubbed her hair and tried to figure out what disturbed her peaceful sleep. Azula got her answer not even a moment later as she heard the cracking of thunder outside her tent that was so loud that it could be heard for miles.
Azula let out a tired sigh as she knew that thunder that loud was one of the telltale signs of what it came with. After a few minutes of sitting inside her tent, Azula could see the first few drops of water start to come down from the sky as it started to rain. Azula and Kazumi's tents were a bit on the higher end of quality, which meant that they didn't have to worry about it leaking through when they slept but she knew that was the least of their problems if it started coming down heavily and water started to rise up to their waists since they were on lower ground.
Just our luck that it had to rain. I need to go wake Kazumi up and see if we need to move.
Azula quickly collected herself as she donned her armor and grabbed her sword, pulling up the hood of her outfit as she stepped out into the rain outside. The rain wasn't coming down heavily yet, more like a light pour at the moment but based on the loud booms from the sky, she was willing to bet that it would get worse soon enough. When she stepped out of her tent, she could see that the fire they set up was long put out without even a single trail of smoke, but Kazumi was no longer standing watch outside by where the fire was.
Azula presumed that her mentor had merely decided to turn in for the night, they did have a long day of trekking through this forest. But if that was the case then why didn't she come out after hearing the thunder?
She merely shrugged at the thought, perhaps Kazumi is a heavier sleeper than she imagined. But when Azula went to Kazumi's tent and pulled back the flap to gently wake up her mentor...
She found that Kazumi wasn't sleeping soundly in her tent. In fact, she wasn't there at all. She was simply gone.
What in Agni's name...no, no, it couldn't have happened again.
" Kazumi! Where are you!?" Azula shouted off into the distance, hoping to get some sort of reply. But all she got in return was the sound of the rain and thunder booming in the sky.
Damn it...where could she be?
A dozen questions with no answers raced through her head, a feeling of both panic and fear set in as her mind started to think about the worst possibilities. What if Kazumi was already long gone? What if the spirit already got to her and she was next? What if Kazumi was already-
No. Her mind stopped itself from going down that path. She couldn't believe it, she refused to.
Azula tried to stay as calm as possible, panicking wasn't going to get her anywhere. She needed to think. A quick glance at the inside of the tent showed that Kazumi's cot was undisturbed showing that Kazumi hadn't slept in it yet or the more likely scenario is that she fell asleep outside and that's how the spirit got to her. She still remembered how Kazumi was made to walk outside her own room back at the inn, and Azula didn't want to imagine that the same thing had happened again but the possibility had to be considered.
If she walked off from the camp on her own two feet then...
It didn't take long for Azula to find boot prints in the dirt, Kazumi was wearing her armor last time she saw her so that added some extra indentation to the boot print. But the rain was starting to come at an even stronger pace.
It wouldn't take long for the rain to wipe away the tracks, she needed to move. Now.
Without waiting another moment, Azula set off on following the tracks left behind by Kazumi.
She just hoped that she wasn't too late.
When Kazumi opened her eyes again, the first thing that she felt was the feeling of something...wet and cold? It took her a moment to gather her bearings and the sound of a loud boom in the sky to realize that it was raining down on them. She realized that she had dozed off in the middle of keeping watch, feeling a mixture of embarrassment and annoyance at the fact that she fell asleep when she was supposed to be on watch, perhaps Azula was right when she said that she should have gone to sleep for the rest of the night.
Kazumi reached to rub her eyelids only for her to realize that her mask was on and her hood was pulled up to block out some of the rain. Which she definitely remembered not putting on at all.
That was the first sign Kazumi got that something was not right.
Why is my mask on? What's going on?
Kazumi looked at her surroundings and realized that she wasn't at camp anymore. The spot where she and Kazumi had dinner was no longer there and their tents were not in sight.
In fact, she had no idea where she was at all. She was leaned up against a tree in a very small clearing in the middle of the forest, the only audible sounds that she could hear were the rain coming down. It was dark and difficult to see beyond what was directly in front of her, the clouds blocking out even the moonlight.
Kazumi immediately stood up and surveyed her surroundings, a dozen worried questions running through her head.
Where is Azula? Is she okay? Did the spirit lead her away too or is she still at camp? Does she know I'm gone or is she still asleep?
A few dozen questions raced through her head regarding Azula's safety, but one took precedence over all the others...
Is this even the real world?
She still remembered how the spirit from the night before mislead and manipulated her dreams, so she could not rule out that this was another one of them.
Kazumi's eyes darted around in fear as she wondered if this was another nightmare-it felt real, but she knew how lifelike the illusions spirits made could be. The rain, the feeling of the cold on her skin, the wetness of her clothes becoming damp, those all felt very real. She was armed and wearing her armor, unlike in the dream.
She didn't have time to think about these things, she needed to move and find Azula.
Kazumi started walking through the forest using some of her white flame to light the way in place of a torch or lantern, she didn't need to maintain much energy into keeping the flame bright to the point that even the rain drops couldn't smother it out. The forest was dark and difficult to see through, even with her light she couldn't see beyond just a few feet ahead of her.
Kazumi wanted to make her way back to the camp, but she had no idea where she was or where the camp even was for that matter. They didn't have a precise map of the forest due to how rough it was out here. She's honestly not sure moving in an unknown direction is the best option either, but she can't afford to stay put when Azula could potentially be in danger, especially when she didn't know if Azula was still asleep or actively searching for her.
She used her blade to cut through some shrubbery as she moved past in between the tall trees. Kazumi knew that she was still in the mortal plane because of how tired her feet felt, and her tired breath. Those were things that the spirit could not fake in her dream, unless these were also illusions in which case the spirit they are hunting is vastly more powerful than they originally imagined.
She didn't know how long she walked through the forest until she saw it. A light that shined in between the tall trees that made its way to her.
Kazumi was wary of it , but saw no other recourse except to go towards it with caution hoping to find something or better yet Azula who had awoken and restarted the fire.
But when she moved past the trees to see the source of the light, it was not what she was expecting.
The source of the light seemed to be coming from what looked to be a Fire Sage Temple. Kazumi had seen and been to plenty in her lifetime to recognize the intricate red and black design of the Fire Sage temples, built out of a mix of fine stone and wood that made it stand out in the rain. It was situated atop what looked to be a hill at base of a mountain, with stone steps leading up to it.
A Fire Sage Temple? All the way out here?
Kazumi looked at the temple from a distance with confusion and suspicion. She knew that most Fire Sage Temples were usually situated in large towns and cities, while it wasn't necessarily uncommon for one to be fairly isolated from any nearby towns, they still usually had some direct routes leading to settlements for supplies and some such. But this Fire Sage Temple was so far from any town or settlement that Kazumi wondered how anybody could live there.
She could see a light from inside the temple which showed that somebody was there. Kazumi was a bit wary about approaching, but as she heard the cracking of thunder overhead and knowing that it was going to get rougher out here, she needed to find shelter.
Without any other options, she headed toward the temple.
" KAZUMI! Where are you!" Azula shouted at the top of her lungs every few meters she moved forward, hoping to get some sort of reply but all she could hear was the cracking of thunder and the rain coming down on her.
Azula cursed under her breath as she moved through the forest and continued following the footsteps that were left behind by Kazumi, which were getting increasingly difficult to see because of the rain and how dark the forest was, this forced her to conjure up a ball of fire in her hand to both guide the way and find the tracks again. She wasn't moving as quickly as she would have liked to catch up to wherever Kazumi went because every now and again, she would have to kneel down and hold her flame close to find the tracks.
The rain was really starting to personally annoy her but not for the reasons she would have liked for it to be. The continuous downpour of water made the tracks left behind by Kazumi harder to see, slowing her down even more. She could practically feel her worry grow with each passing moment, scared at the possibility that she might have already lost Kazumi.
But Azula pressed on regardless, no matter how soaked her clothes became or how her boots became dirty with mud and dirt that she stepped on.
Azula was running out of time, the tracks were slowly being wiped away by the rain.
But she would not fail Kazumi. Not here, not now.
As she headed deeper into the forest following Kazumi's tracks, she wondered where this spirit was taking her. The forest was far too thick and dense for there to be any sort of buildings out here, then again she supposed that Kazumi's family managed to build a house in the Forgotten Forest that was one of the most inhospitable forests she had ever been in her entire life. But that was with the permission and aid of the Mother of Faces, and she doubts there is another group of Spirit Navigators living out here.
She didn't know how long she walked and followed the tracks before she saw it.
What in Agni's name...is that light?
In the distance, Azula could see some sort of light that was shining in between the tall trees. Azula was shocked to see any sort of light that it practically stood out like a beacon in this dark forest.
For the briefest of moments, Azula thought that it might be Kazumi and that was her fire- but then remembered that Kazumi's fire was a beautiful white and the light was a distinct orange like normal fire.
Azula briefly pondered on whether she should go to the light or ignore it. That was until she realized that Kazumi's tracks lead to the light itself, which made it her direction too. She carefully approached with one hand on her blade at all times, as she went toward the light and moved in between the trees to get a better look at the source of where the light was coming from.
But what she saw was not what she was expecting to see.
" Is that a Fire Sage Temple?" Azula said to herself, surprised to see a structure like that all the way out here. She easily recognized the design from the many Fire Sage Temples she had seen and been to in her life. The building didn't look abandoned, if anything it looked well-maintained from a distance. She could see a light coming from inside the temple which meant that there was somebody inside.
Azula didn't know why but she got a sort of...strange feeling looking at the temple. Something that made her instincts scream at her to avoid it...
But the tracks that led to the temple...
Which made Azula abruptly follow it without hesitation.
And that is the end of the chapter folks. Hoped you all enjoyed the taste this chapter gave on spirit fuckery, since that is going to be at a high starting next chapter along with some painful revelations. I am a little embarrassed it took so long just to get this chapter out, but hopefully next one won't take so long. But again knowing me, it'll be another month before I update so no promises.
Next chapter is when things really start to escalate and we get to see just how far I can take this mind fuckery.
Now let's answer some reviews shall we?
To Griffin Strange:
I am definitely not a huge fan of the Spirit Temple comic. While I wouldn't say that I 'hate' it per say, I can't say that I liked it very much either since like you said, it did virtually nothing for Azula's character besides her getting told how terrible she was by illusions. The comic felt like it was trying to be a middle-ground for Azula fans and hates, whether it succeeded or not is debatable.
Can I just say that I absolutely hate this narrative in the comic that acts like Azula needs to 'atone' for all the 'awful things' she's done. Don't get me wrong, Azula certainly isn't the nicest person and she's got regrets, but I hate seeing this narrative pushed in stories where there are plenty of other characters who get a pass for their wrongdoings and actions( Zuko, Mai, Ty Lee, Ursa) or when they do the same exact thing as Azula. And I hate how its presented in the comic like its somehow all Azula's fault that she was unloved and acted like she 'deserved' to be abandoned. Give me a break.
Let's just say that Azula in this arc is going to have some choice words for those illusions who try to blame her.
I agree that characters like Zuko, Mai and Ursa lie to themselves more than Azula ever did. Thank you so much for the compliments! And yeah, I won't lie when I say that I feel like I need to push myself to write when I look at how long its been since the last update. But slowing down sounds good.
:)
To FanGirl:
That is the question that will be answered in this arc, among others.
To Lord 770:
Glad you liked the chapter! I wasn't quite going for Silent Hill atmosphere, but looking at the chapter again, I think it fits.
Kazumi is definitely going to teach Azula at some point how to flirt with men as one of the many skills that will come in handy during her life. I'm glad you like the bond growing between Azula, Tira and Serenity. The two animal companions of Kazumi have certainly taken a backseat in terms of story, but I still want to include them to some extent.
Oh yeah, Azula is afraid of losing Kazumi and would 100 percent burn the entire forest to the ground if it meant saving her. But if you think that's extreme, you don't even wanna know how far Kazumi is willing to go.
With that said, I will see you all in the next one.
Angel Out.