Sokka breathed deeply as he walked down the alley, heading towards the inn Huang Li had indicated him to go to. After talking to him, the amateur arena's owner had scurried off to make sure his brother would be aware of the important meeting that would be taking place in room 24. Huang Li didn't actually know what business Azula had in mind, but whenever a nobleman took interest in any of his men he would have them meet on Room 24. His brother was already used to these developments, so he was bound to lend him the room without complaint.
Sokka wondered if guards of some sort would take his weapons from him before he even got to see the darned girl. It was likely to happen, but if it didn't, he would be ready to fight her… that is, if she had come to give him the rematch he had been waiting for. He carried his boomerang, his club and a knife he hardly recurred to, but he knew those weapons alone wouldn't be enough to overpower the Princess if things came to violence between them, just as he hoped they would. But the wound on his arm weakened him, despite the dart didn't have any poisonous substances on its tip. The projectile probably had punctured a muscle or something, which brought forth an irritating pain that would keep him from fighting to the best of his skill.
He crossed the street and glared at the high-class carriage that stood next to the walkway. If he had any doubts left about the Princess being here, they were dispelled immediately upon the sight of the vehicle. Nobody in Hui Yi owned anything of such value; the carriage was so out of place it was irritating. Sokka decided to forget about the carriage for now, though, and he turned to face the inn. Room 24, was it? He took a deep breath and pushed the building's front door inwards, walking inside without looking at anyone in the crowded vestibule or bothering to ask for directions, since they weren't really necessary.
He reached the stairs and continued upwards, ignoring the two girls that stood next to the stairway. The two of them watched him carefully, one of them apparently studious, the other one blushing slightly, but Sokka was so focused on the person he'd have to face in room 24 that he failed to notice them.
Ty Lee couldn't help herself to gape after the gladiator as he climbed the steps to the upper floor.
"What are you doing?" asked Mai, frowning disapprovingly.
"I know we just watched him do something really horrible," muttered Ty Lee, blushing even more. "But damn, he's hot!"
Mai groaned in annoyance and shook her head, amazed by Ty Lee's knack for allowing her hormones take full reign.
"You're unbelievable," she said, as Ty Lee stared on at the now empty stairway, waiting for the handsome young man to reappear.
Sokka was unaware of how the girl by the stairs was swooning over him, though. He looked for room 24 and found it on the top floor of the inn. He read the number over and over again, feeling his blood boil. What would happen when he entered that room? What would he say? What would she say? Would she try to kill him as soon as she saw him? Or would he be the one taken over by the urge to slay her? Well, he would find out sooner than later. He extended his trembling hand towards the doorknob, his insides twisting wildly as he thought of every possible outcome to this crazy endeavor…
The door creaked loudly as he opened it and entered the room. He tried to keep steady as he saw her standing by the window, her back towards him. Her long black hair ran down her back, a small knot stood on the top of her head, held together by a red lace and crowned by the same royal hairpiece she had worn back when they had first met down at the South Pole. Sokka hated to find his eyes studying her, hated to acknowledge she was still as beautiful as ever even though he hadn't even seen her face yet… but surely, she was still as deadly as ever as well. As he stared at her, he wondered if she felt half as nervous as he did about this encounter… probably not. It wasn't as if his face haunted her nightmares, as if she considered him the one to blame for all what was wrong in her life…
But he was wrong. The second she heard the door open, her heart had jumped in her chest. Why was it so exhilarating to meet the Water Tribe Warrior again? She couldn't let emotions sway her only because he was the sole man to ever show her respect without her forcing it out of him… the fact that she had found him attractive while he was in the gladiator pit didn't help either, it probably made the situation far worse. What would happen now? What should she say? Would he agree to be her gladiator? She deeply hoped he would…
After a few seconds, she finally calmed her nerves enough and turned slowly to face him. Sokka didn't know if to feel glad or disappointed to finally catch a glimpse of her face… he had half-hoped she would be covered in pimples so that he could stop finding her so mesmerizing, but of course, he wouldn't be so lucky. Her skin was as flawless as ever.
Her amber eyes clashed with his azure gaze once again after two years. They had only met once before, but somehow they had been expecting this reunion so badly that it didn't feel like they were almost total strangers. Both stood holding the other's stare, both wondering who would say the first words, who would make the first move…
"It's been a while," muttered Azula, unable to resist the silence anymore.
Sokka didn't reply, unsure of what to say. Anything he dared utter could have catastrophic consequences…
"I'll assume you agree to that statement," she muttered carelessly, growing a little impatient. If he wasn't going to talk, he would make this far easier for her… and naturally, as soon as this thought scrolled through her mind, he finally decided to talk.
"I don't, actually," he grunted, his voice surprising Azula. Had his tone grown hoarse after these years? She could recall he had almost been squeaky-voiced before… the time he had spent among amateur gladiators had changed him in more ways than she had noticed. "It's not as if I hadn't seen you at all during these two years."
"What is that supposed to mean?" asked Azula, raising an eyebrow.
"You wouldn't understand, I guess," said Sokka, folding his arms. "I'm pretty sure you can't even imagine what it's like to have your life, your home and everything you love taken away by an overpowered and arrogant Princess who doesn't give a damn about what she's doing, because all she cares about is taking over the world."
Azula couldn't help but feel slightly offended at his words, but she knew he was partially right nevertheless.
"Why do I have the feeling that you've spent ages planning what you would say at this very moment…?" she asked, trying not to show any weakness whatsoever.
"Maybe because I was," growled Sokka. "You're unbelievable… after what you've done to me, after all you stole from me, you have the guts to show your face in front of me as if what you've done meant nothing?! As if you had the right to simply walk into my life and do as you please?! What did you come here for, to make sure I've been suffering just as you wanted me to?! Well, congratulations! You fulfilled your goal! You've turned me into a disgusting monster! You've made me hate myself and hate everything I have to do to survive… and I simply did it because I kept fueling my rage towards you, hoping the day for payback would come soon…"
Azula hadn't been expecting a sweet reunion of any sort, but she didn't expect the man to pour out his soul to her in this manner either. She stared skeptically as he spoke, wondering if he would actually dare attack her.
"And you're planning to take your revenge right here and now?" she asked, playing with a lock of her hair. "Is that it?"
"N-no," muttered Sokka, lowering his eyes and even surprising himself with his words. "I… I've spilled enough blood today."
"Ah, so I'll be on your waiting list, then," she asked, smirking.
"You having fun?" asked Sokka, gritting his teeth. "You know, at times I've had to fight against six guys in a row… and I had to kill them all. I can kill you too, no problem at all."
"Your memory must have grown faint if you truly think so," muttered Azula. "I watched you battle that odd dart man today, and despite you're far more capable a fighter than you used to be, you're still no match for me."
"Wanna bet?" he asked, lifting his hand towards his boomerang.
Azula lifted her own hand, but to Sokka's surprise, she was showing him her palm… asking him to stop what he was about to do. He glared at her, unable to understand what she was thinking.
"Despite what you may think, I didn't come all this way so that we could fight each other again," she said. "I have better things to do than to seek out slaves that might hold grudges against me."
Sokka was taken aback completely by her words, but he didn't lower his hand yet. For all he knew, she might be lying.
"Then what are you here for?" he asked.
Azula folded her arms as she sought the proper words, in hopes he wouldn't reply to her in anger, although she was expecting him to have a hysterical outburst towards her at some point. But she'd have to endure it. She needed him, and it was rather convenient for him that she did. She only had to make him understand that…
"A few developments in my life have been considerably unkind to me as of late..." she began, but Sokka let out a bark of skeptical laughter, making her stop on her tracks. She had chosen the wrong words, hadn't she? "What's so funny?"
"Excuse me if I find your sad story to be nigh unbelievable," he said, his eyes ablaze with scorn. "I doubt I'll be able to relate to your pain, seeing as you probably suffer because your dad didn't buy you the baby dragon you asked him for or something."
Azula narrowed her eyes, his mocking attitude bothering her. But despite the way he was speaking to her, she couldn't trash him with her words outright. She had to endure everything he threw at her, she had no other choice if she wanted him to join her…
"I don't have petty issues like those, although it hardly surprises me that you'd believe those are the problems I'm enduring," she said. "Commoners aren't able to understand the plights of the highborn."
Sokka shook his head as he stared at her in disbelief, his arms folded.
"You've got guts to talk about how miserable you are," he snarled. "You really don't see how ridiculous it is for you to whine about how troublesome your life is, do you? How hard must the Fire Lord's daughter have it! Oh, how difficult her life must be while she gets pampered by servants for twenty-four hours a day! You really have some nerve to come here to say you've suffered a lot… do you have any idea of what I've been through?! I've had to make a living by killing men, and by dying slowly in the process! I can't even look at myself in a mirror anymore! I don't recognize the sound of my voice! It takes every ounce of my willpower for me not to take my own life after the horrors I've seen, and the awful things I've had to do with my own hands! You think your life is hard? Think again, Princess. There are some things in this world you'll never have to face… some things you'll never understand because you live within your bubble of royal pains. Don't you dare come to me whining about how hard you're having it… it's so ridiculous it's revolting."
Azula's eyes were fixed upon Sokka, the expression on them completely inexpugnable. Sokka could tell she was thinking about something, but he couldn't read her thoughts at all.
"I have to say… you're wrong to believe being pampered twenty-four hours a day is fun," she muttered, making him stumble in surprise.
"The hell?! Is that all you got from what I just said to you?!" he yelled, staring at her in utter disbelief.
"I wasn't done yet," she muttered, though he couldn't help but glare at her in distrust. "When, exactly, did I say my troubles were worse than what you've been facing for two years? I don't think I ever claimed as much. On the other hand, yes, you don't really understand what problems I'm faced with. Certainly, I'm not working as a slave or a gladiator, but it doesn't mean I don't have my own issues I must resolve."
"Well, it's really nice of you to clear that up," said Sokka. "But turns out I really don't give a damn about whatever is troubling you. Because, hey… turns out the source of the misery I've been forced to face during these years is you. There's no one else to blame but you, Princess… and I hate you for it. You've made me… you've made me what I am now. And I hate myself even more than I loathe you."
So… was his new muscular build her fault too? Well, she didn't mind taking the blame for that, though she kept her opinion to herself this time. Letting him know he was physically attractive to her would probably unleash an array of trouble she preferred to avoid.
"Nobody said you had to like me," she muttered, and Sokka glared at her again.
"Yeah, no one said that," he said with gritted teeth. "But I'm thinking we got sidetracked here anyways. What is it that you want from me?"
"I think you're smart enough to figure that out for yourself," said Azula, her hands on her hips. "Why do you think someone from high society would be seeking out an amateur gladiator…?"
Sokka frowned and took a few steps back as his mind processed the information. He began shaking his head in utter disbelief as he looked at the woman in front of him, wondering if she was simply insane…
"No way…" he finally said, making her raise an eyebrow. "N-no way. This is absurd. It makes no sense at all…"
"Oh, so you're refusing to believe what I'm offering you… it's not as if you were saying no to being sponsored by me, right?"
"You're crazy!" yelled Sokka, still shaking his head. "The hell is wrong with you?! What makes you think I would become your gladiator?! Why on earth would I accept a proposal like that?!"
"Why wouldn't you, though?" asked Azula, pressing her back against the wall as she studied the gladiator in front of her.
"You have the guts to ask me WHY?!" bellowed Sokka. "Didn't I just say you're the one I blame for my every misfortune?! Didn't I make it clear that I hate you?!"
"Oh, you did… but I also told you it's not as if you needed to like me," said Azula, shrugging. "Sponsors and gladiators aren't meant to be friends, they're just with each other out of convenience. And it works wonders that way."
"Well, excuse me if I'm being brutally honest with you," he muttered, his voice shriller now due to his anger. "But I'd rather you burn me alive right here and now than work for you."
"Such an extremist…" said Azula, with a dramatic sigh. "So, I'm guessing you'd rather be under the orders of that pig, Huang Li, for the rest of your life, which won't be as long as you hope if a gladiator smarter than you shows up in Hui Yi. For all you know, you might die tomorrow… and you say that's more convenient than becoming a sponsored gladiator?"
Sokka stood quiet for a second, pondering her words. She certainly posed a complicated conundrum now, though not enough of one that he would feel compelled to accept her proposal… at least, not yet.
"And what's the big difference if I become your gladiator?" he asked. "I might die over there as well…"
"The Superior Gladiator League isn't as heartless as the amateur one," replied Azula. "You would have far more benefits than you can imagine."
"Oh, really?" asked Sokka, raising an eyebrow. "Such as…?"
"For one, I really don't care about the money," said Azula. "I wouldn't have a problem giving you about half the winnings we get on each fight. You probably won't be at risk of getting killed, at least, not most of the time, since the outcomes of these fights aren't decided over death."
Sokka narrowed his eyes. That did sound far better than what he had to deal with on a daily basis at Hui Yi's arena…
"I'll ensure you are trained in combat by the best warriors of the Fire Nation," she said. "I'll be financing anything you need: armors, weapons, food, clothes. You name it, you'll get it. It's among the perks of being a royal, anything I ask I can achieve with ease. So… does that sound at least a little more appealing than what you've been dealing with so far?"
Sokka frowned and dropped his gaze, thoughtful. Indeed, those options were extremely tempting… but the one offering them to him was Princess Azula of the Fire Nation. He wouldn't even trust her to light up a candle with firebending, she was bound to burn the world down just to prove her prowess… How could he trust her? Why should he trust her…?
Because she might be his one-way ticket back home.
"I won't deny it sounds pretty good," muttered Sokka. "But that's not enough for me to sign on. I guess you could say I just don't trust you."
Azula's face grew stern with those words. Who said he had to trust her? This savage knew nothing of the world he lived in, did he?
"I can see you don't," she muttered. "What will it take for you to trust me, then, if that's what you need in order to accept my proposition?"
"Oh, no… don't fool yourself. I doubt I'll ever trust you," he said. "But there's something I want to know before actually considering what you're offering."
"What is it, pray tell?" asked Azula, disdainful.
"What… w-what happened to my tribe?" he asked, his voice shaking.
Azula was a little surprised to hear that question, but it only made sense for him to ask about his people at some point. It wasn't very likely that he'd hear news about the war in Hui Yi, of all places.
"Truth to be told, I don't know much about it," she admitted. "I didn't return to the South Pole after bringing you all the way to Hui Yi, so I wasn't involved in those battles directly. But according to what I've heard, your people are still standing strong and fighting against the Fire Nation battalion that was sent to take over the Pole."
Sokka's eyes grew wide; Azula could see hope in his blue irises.
"T-then… they're still there? T-they weren't vanquished or anything?"
"If they had been, you might have heard some rumors, don't you think?" she asked.
"I did think so sometimes," he muttered. "But I guessed maybe you guys thought so little of my tribe that you didn't even bother bragging about it. I also thought you might have killed everyone and that's why there wasn't any other Water Tribe slave besides myself…"
"From what I know, matters at both Poles are still ongoing," she muttered. "The war at the North Pole grows fiercer every passing day, since the waterbenders aren't easy to defeat when they're in favorable environment for them. And according to some rumors I heard… there seems to be a waterbender down at the Southern Water Tribe as well. It seems he's leading the warriors now, or so said the rumors."
Sokka's eyes widened even more. It was good to hear his friends and family were still alive, but that waterbender leading the warriors couldn't be anyone other than Katara…
"Is something wrong?" asked Azula, reading his expression.
"N-no… well, yes. There's still something else I want to know," he muttered. "You didn't send anyone after the rest of the warriors once you caught me… did you?"
"After the ones that fled? No, I saw no point in doing that," she muttered. "I thought that you were their leader. By taking you out, they would be in disarray, unsure of what to do, unable to organize themselves… it was like killing a beast by its head, if you know what I mean. But as it turns out, the beast suddenly burst out another head, so my efforts were seemingly in vain. You don't need to worry so much about your friends; I didn't hunt them down after catching you. But I don't have any accurate knowledge about what has happened down at the South Pole ever since. I can look it up, though, if you're really that desperate to know."
Sokka nodded, his heart leaping with joy. He still loathed her, but she had given him the best news he could have asked for…
"Is this all you needed to know before joining me?" she asked, folding her arms.
"It's what I needed to know…" muttered Sokka. "But I still have two more conditions."
"Two more?" asked Azula, irritated. "Exactly how whiny can you get? Do you realize what great honor you're being presented with? I'm even negotiating with you and you still ask for more? "
"If you want me to be your gladiator as badly as it seems, then yes," he said. "You can go find someone else if you want… but if you want me, then you've got to deal with my conditions."
Azula felt like striking the man in front of her with a bolt of lightning. How dared he act so high and mighty? He was just a pathetic gladiator! And she was the Princess of the Fire Nation! How dared he…? But then she remembered she truly needed him. She wasn't bound to find another gladiator to her liking… even though she didn't like this one as much as she could have. He complained too much. Still, she sighed and muttered.
"What are those conditions, then?"
Sokka was surprised to hear her comply. He didn't expect Azula to be so keen to have him as her gladiator… she could have anyone else. Why him? Why go along with anything he asked for? It was suspicious, extremely suspicious…
"Well, first of all, I want to take 75% of the winnings, not half and half."
"Done," said Azula. "I don't care about the money, I already said that."
"Right," muttered Sokka. "The last one is, once I achieve whatever goal you have in mind to accomplish with me… you'll let me return to the Southern Water Tribe."
Azula stared at him, aghast.
"What?" she said, in such tone that Sokka could tell her patience was in shambles by now.
"You don't think I want to stay a slave forever, do you?"
"You don't think I care for your wishes, do you?" she asked mockingly. "Just how much more do you plan to patronize me?"
"Just a little more, don't sweat it" he replied, a feisty smile on his face.
"I refuse to agree to that," grunted the Princess. "It's ridiculous. I have no reason to go along with any of what you've asked of me."
"I thought so too," muttered Sokka. "Yet you seemed oddly keen to put up with everything I've said. Why? What makes you so desperate to have a gladiator? Why are you so intent on having that gladiator be me?"
"I have my reasons," replied Azula, lowering her gaze. Sokka frowned.
"Oh, really, now? What are those reasons, then?"
"They're none of your business" grunted Azula.
Sokka let out another bark of laughter as he stared at her in utter disbelief.
"And you still want me to just accept without questioning you at all…?"
"Indeed," muttered Azula. "I've given you enough quarter already for you to keep on demanding more from me."
"I'm sorry, but I can't do that. As I said, I don't trust you at all, and I'm not signing up on this crazy scheme if I'm not sure I'll survive."
"What do you mean you're not sure you'll survive?" repeated Azula, getting more annoyed by the minute. Why did this man have to be so difficult?
"You're refusing to tell me whatever you want to achieve with this," he said. "You keep avoiding saying why you need me. I don't want to get into this mess if I don't know what your goal is… because, for all I know, you might just be using me for entertainment. Your life might have become extremely boring lately and you're looking for any form of fun… and to watch me wither and die out in the Superior Gladiator League might just be the most enjoyable idea you've come up with in a long time."
"That's stupid," said Azula. "If I wanted to see you die, I would kill you myself. Believe me, I would enjoy it far more that way."
"Yeah, well, turns out you Fire Nation people are famous for being insane sadists. The more you play around with me, the more fun you'll have when you destroy me."
"Oh, you're such a fool," she said, shaking her head in disapproval. "Do you really think that if I simply wanted to have fun, I wouldn't be able to find something far more interesting than this? Gladiator battles aren't really that appealing to me. I have better things to do… and I'd get them done if I didn't need to tend to something right now. And the only way I can tend to it is by getting a gladiator."
"Well, I don't get it," said Sokka.
"Nobody said you had to understand anyway," said Azula. "The sole thing you're concerned about is that I might want to watch you suffer and die in the ring… well, it's not going to happen. I want you to live and triumph."
"Why, though?" asked Sokka. "What's the real goal of what you're doing? Just say it already, will you?"
Azula sighed and lowered her gaze again.
"I have two objectives, if I think about this in the long run," she muttered. "First of all… I need you to defeat someone's gladiator. And I need it done as quickly as possible. You'll have about one month to train to be up to the skill of this gladiator… then, you must fight him. And you must win, no matter what. Understood?"
"Uh, okay…" said Sokka, gulping. Who was this person Azula seemed to hold a grudge towards? Why did she need him to smash his gladiator so badly? "What about the other goal, then?"
"It's something… something I realized just now, actually," she said. "Truth to be told… if you achieve victory in your first fight, you might be the person I need to help me accomplish the biggest of my feats so far…"
"Right… can you be direct and say what you want already?" asked Sokka, growing impatient.
"I want you to become the top gladiator of the Superior Gladiator League."
Sokka's jaw dropped in quite a comical manner. Azula, though, wasn't amused. Her stare was steady on his eyes, proving to him that she was serious about what she'd just said.
"Y-you… you're crazy, woman," he said, unable to believe her statement. "You… you really are crazy."
"That does seem to be the popular belief…" she muttered, playing with her fringe as Sokka yanked the short stubs of hair that grew on the sides of his head.
"You're insane!" he concluded, turning to her again. "How can you even suggest I become the top gladiator?! I'm not even the best in the amateur league of Hui Yi!"
"You're giving up before even trying?" asked Azula, disappointed.
"Please, cut the crap!" yelled Sokka. "You're talking about the Superior League! They have benders there and all! How on earth do you want a simple non-bender like me to beat them?! Maybe I'm good against people like me, but against benders I'll be toast!"
"Which is why you'll be trained so you can fight benders on even terms," said Azula. "You had a few tricks up your sleeve today against the dart man, which is proof you're smart enough to come up with ploys that might give you the upper hand even against the most skilled benders. Also, rules are very different in the Superior Gladiator League… and there are several non-benders amongst their top gladiators."
"And what makes you think I can be one of them?" asked Sokka, his eye twitching.
"What makes you think you can't be?" replied Azula. "Just imagine the glory you'd attain… the top gladiator, a non-bender. People would be in awe and they would hold you in high honors, no matter if you're a slave or not."
"That's likely, but still…" mumbled Sokka. "I don't know. It sounds fishy. But… if I manage to become the top gladiator, you'll let me return home?"
Azula's brow contracted as she pondered her options. She would rather have him prove he was worthy of the position of first gladiator of the Superior League during a few weeks or months… but she didn't have much of a choice at this point. It was all or nothing when it came to this slave, apparently.
"Yes," she said, and Sokka jumped, surprised.
"I… I thought you'd refuse," he admitted.
"Well, I didn't," said Azula. "Do we have ourselves a deal, then?"
Sokka didn't know what he was getting himself into… and he probably didn't want to know either. This was bound to develop into something beyond his control, something absurd that he wouldn't understand, since he didn't understand much about it already anyways. Why did Azula need a gladiator? Why him? What was the point of making him the top gladiator of the Superior League? He wanted the answer to these questions… but he figured he would find out soon enough if he was patient.
"Deal," he said, extending his hand towards her.
Azula stared at the hand, unsure if she should grasp it or not. It was a ridiculous notion, a Princess shaking hands with a slave… but he had seen her as equals back when they were at the South Pole. Perhaps she should return the favor now…
Both felt a thrill racing through them when their hands touched, no matter if Sokka's was covered by a glove. The most physical touch Sokka had had lately was when he had been forced to strangle a man to his death. Azula didn't happen to touch many people either, and for him to be the one she touched, of all people… but despite the turmoil of feelings within them, their eyes didn't betray them as they held the other's gaze, both facing this new challenge with determination and certainty.
An alliance was formed then, one that would last for many years, one that would eventually develop into something beyond their reasoning… because right now, the sole conviction they both held was that they had become sponsor and gladiator.
"Very well," said Azula, letting go of his hand. "Let's head out. There's a lot to do, and not much time to get it done."
"Uh… wait, what?" asked Sokka. "Head out where?"
"You don't expect us to stay in Hui Yi, do you? We'll go to the Capital and then I'll find a good master for you. You're free to bid farewell to this town if you think you're going to miss it."
It dawned upon Sokka that he was actually going to leave Hui Yi… somehow, the thought was so exhilarating that he forgot for a minute all his reserves about Azula being the one to get him out of the dreadful town. He had thought he would die here, but he had been given a chance to a slightly better life…
"I don't think I'll miss it at all," he said, smiling despite himself. "But I can't just head out. I have to get my stuff first…"
"Fine," said Azula, slightly exasperated by now. "Go pack quickly, I'll wait for you by the carriage."
"I won't take long, don't be so cranky," he said. "It's not as if I had much to pack anyway…"
"Do you want me to feel sorry for you?" asked Azula, raising an eyebrow.
"Uh… no?" said Sokka.
"Good. Because it wasn't working anyway," she said. "Get a move on, will you?"
"Fine, fine…" said Sokka, glaring at her as he left the room.
Sokka sprinted down the stairs, his heart beating wildly. Once or twice he had thought about escaping from the gladiator barracks and head down to his Tribe on his own. There were only a handful of guards surrounding the arena and all its adjacent buildings, and he could have overpowered them… well, probably not. The guards were firebenders, well fed and rested, while he hardly ate two meals a day and was forced to overexert himself with the fights, which weakened him thoroughly. So leaving Hui Yi had been nothing but a dream he didn't even want to think about, especially since he believed his fate as a gladiator was well-deserved. But now…
Ty Lee couldn't help but stare after Sokka as he ran to the door, straight towards the barracks where his belongings awaited.
"So… he survived," said Mai.
"Why wouldn't he have?" asked Ty Lee, surprised.
"I don't know… I have the feeling there's something odd about Azula and this guy," muttered Mai. "She dropped that Water Tribe slave here two years ago, didn't she? And the Blue Wolf has been here for two years. He has tan skin, blue eyes… don't you think it could be the same person?"
"It could be," said Ty Lee, thoughtful. "So you think there's some bond between them, right?"
"There could be. I don't know," said Mai, shrugging.
"I hope not," said Ty Lee, sighing as she thought about the man that had passed her by a few seconds ago.
"Why?" asked Mai, although she was certain she didn't want to know the answer to the question.
"Because if there's nothing between them, then maybe I can go after him!" said Ty Lee, smiling broadly.
"You'll never change, will you?" said Mai, rolling her eyes.
"Don't be so stingy!" said Ty Lee. "Just look at him! He's so handsome that if Azula wasn't to take him as her gladiator, I'd be the one hiring him!"
"Did you forget so quickly about what you just saw him do to the dart guy?" asked Mai, skeptical.
Ty Lee winced and flashed her friend a guilty smile.
"W-well, when you remind me of that he's not so charming anymore… but still! Do you think Azula would mind if I got involved with him…?"
"Yes, she would mind very much," said the Princess, walking down the stairs and overhearing her friends' conversation.
"O-oh… y-you really would?" asked Ty Lee, blushing as she smiled guiltily.
"I don't want my gladiator distracted by anything," grunted Azula. "I want him to focus on his training and his fights, nothing else. If you want a man to fool around with, go find your own."
"Oh… so you won't lend me yours, no matter what?" said Ty Lee, pouting. "It's a bit weird to hear you consider him to be your property or something already…"
"He's getting sponsored by me and he's a slave, therefore, he belongs to me," said Azula matter-of-factly.
"I have the feeling owning such a good looking guy might make a mess out of you, though…" muttered Ty Lee. "You might be the one to end up distracted, if you know what I mean…"
Azula stared at her sternly.
"That's so ridiculous it's not even funny, Ty Lee," she said, heading towards the door. "Come on, it's time to leave."
"You really should hold your tongue once in a while," muttered Mai, and Ty Lee chuckled.
"You'll see I'm right, you'll see… want to bet on it?" she asked. "If Azula doesn't get smitten over him, I'll pay up ten thousand yuans, but if she does, you'll be the one paying me!"
"You're becoming a betting addict, you know?" said Mai, as they crossed the doors.
Azula stood next to the carriage; the driver had dozed off on it and hadn't realized the Princess was back. Azula's gaze was fixed upon the alley from where she expected Sokka to come from at any moment now. She hadn't thought it would take too long for him to say his goodbyes to Huang Li and the other gladiators, but she had no choice other than to wait for him to show up.
"But the thing is…" muttered Mai to Ty Lee. "Even if she were to fall for him, do you think he would be interested in her? It doesn't seem likely, if she's the one who got him to become a slave in the first place…"
"Well, I really don't know if he'll want her or not," shrugged Ty Lee. "I just wonder if he'd be interested in me…"
Mai sighed and shook her head, thinking her friend was definitely crazy in her own way. Just then, Sokka came out from the alley carrying a rugged bag of faded blue color on his back.
"I hope you said goodbye to Huang Li for me," said Azula, smirking cruelly.
"It's the first time he seemed happy to see me alive," muttered Sokka. "What exactly did you do to him?"
"You should be asking what he did to anger me instead," said Azula.
Ty Lee cleared her throat and looked at the Princess, begging her with her eyes to introduce her to the handsome slave. Azula glared at her and sighed, giving in for once.
"These two girls are my friends, Mai and Ty Lee," she said, pointing at both of them. "Mai, Ty Lee, this is… Sokka, was it?"
His heart lurched when he heard his name for the first time in two years. The surprise in his eyes was evident for the three girls, who stared at him in confusion.
"Did I get the name wrong?" asked Azula.
"N-no, no…" he muttered, "It's just… I hadn't been called by my name for a long time. Huang Li used to call me Dumberang, my gladiator name was the Blue Wolf… It's been ages since I'd heard my real name."
Mai didn't seem to care either way about his words, although Azula actually felt moved, despite herself. She wondered if he was thankful because she had called him by his rightful name… as for Ty Lee, her eyes were quickly filled with tears and she jumped at Sokka, clinging onto his arm while squealing:
"Oh, you poor thing! Don't worry, we'll make sure your life is much, much better than it used to be!"
"Speak for yourself," Azula snapped, as she opened the carriage's door, waking up the sleeping driver with her action. "Come on, let's go."
"I'll sit down next to you!" yelled Ty Lee, still holding on to Sokka's arm.
Sokka didn't find her strange fascination with him to be entirely uncomfortable, he was a man and having a girl so interested in him was considerably nice… but she was awfully clingy, something he didn't find too enjoyable.
Azula and Mai took their seats at one side of the carriage, both bothered by Ty Lee's behavior, but for her sake, they decided to keep quiet. Ty Lee jumped in afterwards and Sokka followed, dropping his luggage on the carriage floor after closing the door behind him. Azula stared with distaste at the old, filthy bag, which made Sokka smirk. Making her uneasy felt like just a small token of the payback he owed her for the two years of suffering she had forced upon him.
"Say… what's with this necklace of yours?" asked Ty Lee, returning him to reality. "Most guys don't wear this sort of thing."
"Oh, it's… it's something I used to wear back in the Water Tribe," he said, confirming Mai's doubts. He was definitely the very slave Azula had brought to Hui Yi. "It's pretty common down there."
"I see…" said Ty Lee. "You have some weird markings on your neck, though… what's with that?"
Sokka would have been bothered by the way the girl was detailing him, but the question gave him the possibility to glare at the Princess that sat across him.
"Maybe you can ask her instead…" he muttered.
Azula smirked at his words.
"You can't possibly be implying it was that painful… most men enjoy having a woman's nails on their skin."
Azula's insinuation made both Mai and Ty Lee blush, but Sokka didn't think much about the Princess's innuendo.
"I advise you to have a psycho with freakishly long nails clawing at your neck before saying anything like that" he grunted. "It took ages for those stupid wounds to heal, and don't get me started on the burn mark on my stomach…"
"I thought you were tough enough to bear such marks with pride," said Azula. "Apparently I was wrong…"
"D-don't act as if my toughness was to be doubted!" he yelled, angrily.
"Then be a man and quit whining so much," she stated with another smirk, to which Sokka had no answer at the moment. He hoped something useful would come to his mind… but to his dismay, no witty reply came. He was left to glare at Azula, who kept smirking proudly.
Ty Lee didn't cling onto Sokka for the rest of the trip and she only asked him a few questions, but they weren't anything personal anymore. She didn't know what the deal was between Azula and her newly appointed gladiator, but she could tell the guy next to her seemed to have a certain connection with the Princess. She was better off by not getting in the way of whatever weird relationship this was…
Mai thought the question she had asked Ty Lee earlier had answered itself after witnessing the way the slave had ignored Ty Lee and focused solely on arguing with Azula. No man she had ever seen around Ty Lee so far would stop paying attention to her, let alone to bicker with the Princess. And Mai was quite intrigued by that, truth to be told. She had the strange feeling that whatever relationship was brewing between Azula and Sokka wouldn't be anything similar to what had been seen between gladiators and sponsors so far.
The Princess, on the other hand, didn't think much of the current happenings, as she was busy envisioning what her next moves would be. She had her gladiator, but that was just the easiest part of her plan. The difficulties were only about to begin…