I hope you all enjoy this chapter's rewritten version, as I was personally unsatisfied with its original format. But please, tell me what you think.
Upon entering the camp, Ivan started to note several things about the locals; The main takeaway was that almost none of them were clean-shaven (save the younger men) But, rather than appearing shaggy or unkempt, they all had straightened their goatees and beards. As for their camp, it showed that he had severely underestimated this world's technology. With the parked ¹Vezdekhods and steam engines showing Ivan, these people were almost on par with them. "So that's what all the smoke was from," he whispered as he passed a row of these armoured vehicles, which, while looking practical enough, seemed to lack any weapon, only featuring a large viewport on the small rounded turret.
When they came to the command tent, two guards opened the flap and allowed Ivan, General Bykovsky, and Colonel Alexeev to enter. The last to enter was Colonel Taojo, with Lieutenant Lee behind him. Once inside, Ivan took note of the sparse interior, which only held a single table and several chairs with a small map in the center. "So, now, where are we?" asked General Bykovsky as he looked over the map.
"We are here," said Colonel Taojo as he pointed at a flame marker, which stood near what appeared to be a large city, with several other flame markers standing nearby with a large one in the center of the group, with each piece seeming to have an associated title. Though he couldn't read them as they existed in characters, like those seen in works in the far east of Ruskia previous to their expansion into the area.
As Ivan studied the map, he realized this portrayed only a portion of what seemed to be a much larger continent. However, one seemingly minor detail intrigued Ivan, as he had seen these flame symbols everywhere around the camp, yet, there were different symbols inside the city. But then, it clicked: the weapons, the preparations. It all made sense! The Fire Nation was besieging the city, which could mean only one thing: This world, like his, was at war. "Excuse me, but who are you fighting?" he asked, causing everyone present (save his comrades) to look at him as though he had said something crazy.
His comrades then turned to the Colonel, who, up until this point, had proven to have a level head. But now, the man seemed confused as he cocked a brow at Ivan. "The Earth Kingdom," he said as though it was the most obvious thing in the world. "But, how could you not know? We've been fighting them for one hundred years,"
In response, Ivan, General Bykovsky, and Colonel Alexeev looked stunned, as most recent wars in their world had rarely lasted several decades. Then, the General sighed. "Well, allow me to make this clear: We are not from this world,"
Colonel Taojo, the Lieutenant, and the others in the tent stared at the group in shock as Alexeev cleared his throat and turned to face them before continuing where the General finished. "You see, our world is also at war, as our homeland, Ruskia, was cut off from trade with our allies by a vast naval blockade. So, we have come seeking resources,"
All those in the tent looked at them in utter confusion and shock as Lieutenant Lee glared. "You must be lying! There's no way that's possible!" he shouted before Colonel Taojo glared at him, silencing him.
"I am sorry for my subordinate's outburst," he began as he turned back to Ivan and his comrades. "But, I agree, it is incredibly far-fetched," he stroked his short black beard in thought before looking up at them with his good eye. "That said, I have never heard your tongue, nor have I seen such outlandish clothes,"
At this last remark, the Ruskians all prepared retorts but remained silent; as another Fire Nation officer came dashing into the tent. "Sir, Sir!" he shouted in a panicked tone as he ran up to the Colonel.
Taojo muttered something before turning to face the man. "Yes, what is it?" he asked sternly.
"They weren't lying. Come, look!" he yelled before turning and running back the way he came.
Then, almost as soon as he left, they could hear the beating of distant drums and the distinct chug of BTs. Nodding to each other, Ivan and his comrades turned to the Colonel and Lieutenant. "Now, I think we should go, yes?" asked General Bykovsky.
Then Colonel Taojo shook himself from his stupor. "Alright, let us see," with that, the group left the tent to find the camp nearly empty, and when they made it to the gate, they could understand why. In front of the walls stood roughly one thousand Fire Nation soldiers, all staring in awe at what they beheld in the distance: The whole Ruskian Army they could see advancing down the road in a wide column, with the cavalry and staff in front. From behind, they could also see the smoke and dust rising in their wake, but their gaze came back to the front when the staff began to ride ahead of the main force, arriving at the camp not long after before stopping.
"Good evening!" greeted Nikolai, still mounted on the same horse he'd ridden earlier. Then, he swiftly dismounted before embracing Ivan, who had now made it to the front of the group. "Good job, my boy," he said as he turned to the Colonel.
"So, I assume you're the one in charge?" Taojo asked as he walked up to him.
Nikolai nodded in affirmation. "Indeed I am. I am His Imperial Highness, Grand Duke Nikolai Vladimirovich Asimov of the Empire of Ruskia. Who might you be, Sir?" he greeted.
"I am Colonel Taojo of the 5th Fire Bending Regiment," he began as his face shifted to a thoughtful expression. "So, is it true that you are all from another world?"
The question surprised his father, though only Ivan would have known. "Yes, indeed we are-" he said but was interrupted by the sound of something...big, and he and Ivan turned to see some form of gray, tri-horned, armoured beasts ridden by Fire Nation soldiers, who came up to them before dismounting and running up to the group and bowing.
"Uh, Sir- Nevermind, we have spotted a large, unidentified force making their way to our camps from the direction of Ba Sing Se," said one to the Colonel, who glared at them in turn. "What are your orders, Sir?"
Taojo then turned to Lieutenant Lee, who had remained with the group. "Lieutenant, take some of your men to investigate," he commanded as the man bowed his head before running off.
Thinking on his feet, Ivan turned to Nikolai. "Father, may I accompany them in their search? I believe it would be in our best interest to observe how capable they are in the field," he asked.
Nikolai pondered this before gesturing for an aide to bring him his horse. "You may go," he said to Ivan before turning back to the Colonel. "Is it alright that my son goes with your men while we talk?" he asked.
Colonel Taojo seemed caught off guard by the question but kept his composure. "Of course. But, if you wouldn't mind, I and some of my men would like to escort you to our main headquarters. I'm sure the Generals would wish to hear what you have to say more than I would," he replied as Ivan mounted his father's horse. He was a sturdy creature, strong, yet not too tall, with a flowing off-white mane and tail a shade darker than his fur, equipped with a beautiful green saddle with a gold trim and several awards pinned to the side. If Ivan recalled correctly, his name was Adriel.
"Thank you. Now, let us go," Nikolai said as the Colonel nodded before both walked into the camp as the Army began to disperse to set up their own. Meanwhile, Ivan caught sight of large groups of Fire Nation soldiers coming to see what had happened. Ivan could also see several other fortified camps with what appeared to be iron walls in the distance, which confirmed that this was a much larger force than he first thought.
After waiting several minutes, Lieutenant Lee returned with five of his men, and after mounting on their rhinos, or so they called them, the group set out into the desert. After riding a short distance, Ivan caught sight of a colossal stone wall on the moonlit horizon. "What is that!?" Ivan shouted over to Lieutenant Lee.
"That is the great wall of Be Sing Se, which means that the force our scouts spotted should be close!" he shouted as he gestured to the group to slow down.
Ivan followed suit, though his thoughts quickly returned to the wall. It had to have been at least one verst high if they could see it from this distance, and combined with its width, he could understand why such a thing might prove difficult or even impossible to breach. "Sir, I see something!" shouted one of the riders as Ivan pulled out his father's spyglass to have a better look. Sure enough, after following where the man was pointing, he caught sight of several hundred individuals, many of which wore clothes he couldn't recognize, save two at the head of the motley band. The first appeared to be an aged man, as the young Grand Duke could barely make out his gray hair and short gray beard, wearing what looked like some form of red and black dress. However, the other was much more interesting: she seemed about his age and dressed in a red frock with layered shoulders and collar, with one other girl and an unidentified person by her side.
"What did you see?" asked Lee as Ivan lowered his spyglass before putting it back in the saddlebag.
"I'm not sure, but I think they're yours. The clothing seems to match," said Ivan as he turned to him. "But, for whatever reason, a young girl seemed to be the leader,"
Lee and his men's faces grew pale in response as though they knew something he didn't. "We have to go to them. Now!" Lee ordered, and the group continued at a quicker pace.
To say the day couldn't have gone worse would've been the understatement of the age, at least in the mind of the raven-haired teen as she led her troop back toward their camp. Of course, the War Minister had been too rash when he ordered the attack. Of course, the Avatar happened to be present to destroy the drill they had spent two years constructing, and she'd failed to stop him. Though, the last part wasn't entirely true. If she had competent help and the crew had reacted sooner, they wouldn't be walking back toward the camps in disgrace! "Oh well, time for plan B," she whispered as she turned to her friends standing slightly behind her.
The first to respond was a young woman with hair just as dark as the first, dressed in a red dress that ran from her neck to just above her upturned leather shoes, with sleeves which widened at the end. Over this, she wore a long, sleeveless dress which ended just above where her first did with an open front lined with white and a red belt with a gold buckle at her waist. "Ugh, does this mean we have to put on that stupid makeup?" she droned, her slightly darker amber eyes glaring at the young woman from under the shade of her bangs.
"Oh, come on, Mai, I think it looks cool! Right, Azula?" asked the other of Azula's companions energetically as she hugged Mai from the side and glanced at the young woman in question. In response, Azula rolled her eyes and didn't answer, voting to avoid such a pointless argument as she continued walking.
Once her companion pulled away, Mai wasted no time dusting off where the other girl had hugged her as the stone dust covering her from head to toe had rubbed off on the dower girl during their brief contact. "Ugh, now I need to get this washed," she sighed in mild disgust.
"Oh, sorry. I kinda forgot," said the dust-covered girl, casting the dower girl an awkward smile as she rubbed the back of her head.
"Nevermind, Ty Lee, it already happened-" Mai had said before pausing, her gaze quickly shifting further away as she sighed a second time, apparently in relief. "Finally, it looks like someone's come to get us," In response, Azula quickly followed her gaze, her eyes falling on what appeared to be three rhinos with two riders each and- Wait, what sort of creature was that!? She blinked, yet the strange, white creature was still there, leading ahead with someone riding it. By now, all the others had stopped, with the War Minister appearing relieved to see the rhinos, though she could understand why. He was an aging man who'd been walking for half an hour in the cold evening without the ability to bend. What more was there to know?
Soon enough, the riders arrived and, judging by the curious gazes centred on the young man atop the strange quadruped. It wasn't simply a figment of her imagination. As she gazed up at him, she had to use all her skills in despection to keep from cocking her brow at his utterly outlandish clothes. He was at least a year older than her, with sickly pale skin with a pinkish hue, deep-set grey eyes and, from what little she could see, short brown hair. On his head, he wore a strange black leather helmet with a wide, flat top and a bottom fitted to his head, with a leather visor slightly shading his eyes and fixed with a brass chinstrap. In the center was a large gold or brass plate in the form of a double-headed bird with heads turned in both directions with outstretched wings, with the bottom of the bird obscured by a band of knotted silver cords which ran from one side to the other. It curved upward, attached at the top on both sides, with the left side ending in short tassels and the right pair falling to his shoulder. Then, as if the headdress wasn't over-the-top enough, mind the pun, a large black plume tapered from the top with a silver and black badge at its base. Just who is this person? She asked herself as she continued to examine him.
He wore a short, fitted, dark green long-sleeved jacket with a two rows of symmetrical gold buttons ending just above the waist, with a noticeable line on the right side. It had a tall, yellow collar with two bars of patterned gold embroidery ending before they met in the center and red cuffs on the end of the sleeves. Below the collar, he wore a silver gold-trimmed plate with the same symbol as the one on his headdress. Beside the plate on his left hung a small silver cross attached to a yellow and black ribbon, while on his shoulders, he wore strange gold embroidered flat bars that bulged and rounded at the end.
Next, Azula allowed her eyes to wander to the sash with a complex gold and silver pattern wrapped around his waist with the long tails of his coat hanging down behind it. On his left hip hung a strange sword in a brass and leather sheath with a decorative brass guard hanging from it by some means she didn't care to understand. She also noted the slight bulge on his right with something brown and hard sticking out of the sash.
It only took her a moment to absorb all this and more before the young man dismounted by lifting himself over the side while the other riders caught up, leaving very little space between them while he gazed down at her intently. As the Fire Nation soldiers arrived, Azula gave them a cold glare as they got off their rhinos and ran up to her before cow-towing at her feet. "What is the meaning of this?" she asked coldly as she cocked a brow.
"Forgive us, your Highness," said one who she could tell was an officer.
However, she said nothing in reply as she turned her gaze back to the strangely attired young man, who was the only one still standing. She cocked an eyebrow at him, yet his mind seemed elsewhere as he continued standing there with confusion written all over his face. "Excuse me, but who are you?" she asked sharply in an annoyed tone which seemed to cause him to react, though he said nothing. She turned to the soldiers still prostrate before her in response as she gestured at this strange young man. "Can someone tell me who in Agni's-"Suddenly, without warning, her whole body stiffened as she felt something warm and firm grasp her hand, and she turned to find the young man pulling her hand towards him while he bent forward.
Too stunned to do anything about this breach of personal space, she watched in silent horror as he brought her hand to his face and wordlessly used his lips to peck it. As soon as the soft, warm muscle gently kissed her knuckle, she felt her face heat up, as her breath hitched in her throat and her heart rate increased. For the first time in her life that she could remember, Azula felt utterly numb as the young man released his grip on her hand before taking off his headdress (exposing his predictably short hair) and bowed his torso while putting his right arm across his chest before he introduced himself. "I am His Imperial Highness, Grand Duke Ivan Nikolaevich Asimov of the Empire of Ruskia, Your Highness. Now, who might you be?" he asked as he rose, still holding his headdress
When they arrived, it seemed the crowd had spotted them and stopped as they waited for their arrival. The young girl from earlier was still at the front with her entourage, which allowed him to see more clearly. Her golden amber eyes stared up at him (from what he could tell, she was about 5') as her symmetrical, long, raven bangs blew in the slight breeze, with the rest tied in a wide, flat bun with a red flame ornament holding it. Up close, Ivan also noted that her pantaloons and boots had a thick coating of stone dust, though he couldn't be sure from where. As for her dress, he could see the gold details on the collar, which matched her perfectly, giving her an air of authority and regality. "What is the meaning of this?" she asked sternly as he and the other riders dismounted, before bowing, leaving Ivan the only one still standing.
"Forgive us, your highness," the Fire Nation soldiers said in unison, though she seemed more focused on Ivan as she pierced him with a questioning gaze.
As for him, he now understood why they had looked so grim. If this girl was royalty, he could most certainly understand her frustration. However, this only gave him more questions than answers, such as What was she doing here? Why were the girls (the ones whom he had misidentified earlier appeared fully immersed in the same dust that coated the leader's boots.) And all the others coming from what he knew to be their enemy's stronghold? And why-
"Excuse me, but who are you?" her sharp tone cut through the air, dragging him from his thoughts and reminding him of the situation in which he had found himself. Again, he looked down at her as she continued to give him the same questioning glare, only this time, all those who could see shared a similar gaze as though he had done something wrong. When he remained silent, she turned to the riders. "Can someone tell me who in Agni's-" It was then, when she outstretched her hand, that Ivan did as he had always done when meeting a lady of the court: He took her hand in his, bowed, and kissed her hand lightly... Only to find that she had stiffened as soon as she felt his hand touch hers and even more so when he kissed it as if none had ever done it previously. Even though it had barely lasted a moment, he would never forget how soft, warm, and delicate her hand felt.
When he again rose, he found that all those around stared at him in stunned silence, so he continued with his introduction, taking off his shako and bowing, this time with more flourish. "I am His Imperial Highness, Grand Duke Ivan Nikolaievich Asimov of the Empire of Ruskia, Your Highness," he declared. "Now, who might you be?"
Then, it seemed, all those looking at him deferred to her as she regained composure. "I am Crown Princess Azula of the Fire Nation," she stated as she stared at him with utter confusion and red-tinted cheeks before turning to the riders and clearing her throat. "Rise," she commanded. "Now, would you mind telling me why you were so late? We've been walking for over an hour,"
"Forgive us, your Highness, we were distracted," Lee begged as any hint of his pride vanished in Azula's presence, which intrigued Ivan.
In response, a slight though noticeable smirk appeared on her red lips. "Oh? Did a wild swarm of tiger bees come and assault the entire Army? Or was it a sally from a large force of brave but foolish Earthbenders?" she asked in a condescending tone as Ivan stifled a chuckle. While he didn't understand what those things were. The way she had said it and the implication nearly made him burst.
Lee then pointed to Ivan in response. "Well, about half an hour ago, he and his army showed up, and, well, when we return to camp, you can see for yourself, Your Highness," he finished, barely keeping his composure.
Then, she turned to Ivan with a questioning glare. "And what army is that exactly?"
Ivan, uncertain why these full-grown men were afraid of a delicate-looking girl, opted to answer her directly. "That would be the 10th Ruskian Army, Your Highness," he stated. But, just as she was about to question further, he continued. "As to how we arrived, I shall explain that once we return to camp and meet with my father,"
While this momentarily caught her off guard, she quickly recovered before nodding and turning back to Lieutenant Lee. "Alright, now where is my mount?" she asked.
In response, the other riders seemed on the verge of falling to their knees and begging her to spare them. As though she was going to do something horrible to them. So, Ivan decided to do something he had long dreamed of doing. "I am sorry, Your Highness, for we thought that your men were perhaps the enemy, so, unfortunately, we did not bring one. However, I would be honoured if you would ride with me,"
All eyes again centred on Azula as she turned to Ivan. "I suppose I could use a ride. So I believe I will take you up on that offer," she said before turning to the old man and the other girls. "Mai, Ty-Lee, and War Minister Chin, you can ride with the others. The rest of you will follow,"
"Yes, Azula," said the girl covered in dust in a cheerful tone while Ivan walked over to his Adriel and took hold of his reigns.
"Whatever at least it beats walking," said the other girl in an annoyed tone, or at least it sounded to him.
"Of course, your Highness," replied the man with the grey beard as he bowed.
"Alright, I'll help you up," said Ivan as he mounted his horse using the stirrups and held out a hand to Azula, who took it before he pulled her up on the rear of the saddle. The horse seemed uncomfortable with her as the stallion turned his head and stared back to look at her. "It's alright, Adriel, you've got nothing to worry about," he said as he leaned forward and patted the stallion's mane, which seemed to calm him down as Ivan turned him around.
"What did you say?" Azula asked in a questioning tone.
"I told him that he has nothing to worry about, as you seemed to make him nervous," said Ivan, noting the others had also remounted.
"And what's wrong with that? Surely he should know to comply with his master," she said, which caused him to glance back at her. "Besides, I've never seen anything quite like him,"
Ivan shook his head in amusement. As he turned, pressing his legs into the sides of his mount, signalling him to move. "He's a horse, your Highness,"
"Just a horse?" she asked in a confused tone.
"Yes, just a horse," Ivan replied with a chuckle.
"So, back there, when you kissed my hand, what was that for exactly?" she asked sharply.
At this, Ivan nearly burst out laughing. "Wait, you mean to tell me no one has kissed your hand before?" he asked as he turned to her, and when she vehemently shook her head, he took it as a sign of admission. "I see. Well, for your information. Where I am from, the kissing of the hand is a typical greeting between a gentleman and a lady,"
"Interesting," she said as her sharp gaze morphed into a mild curiosity. "Now, where exactly are you from anyway? I don't recognize any symbols you wear, nor does your home sound familiar. It was, Ruskaya, right?" she asked.
Ivan chuckled at her incorrect pronunciation. "Well, your Highness, Ruskia is...not of this world," as he turned once more, he found she did not appear phased, which slightly unnerved him. "But, I will explain later. For now, I want to get back to camp," he said before turning back to face the desert and steer.
Legend:
¹Vezdekhod: A small tracked all-terrain fighting vehicle.