Hello everyone, and happy Easter! I know this chapter was a little delayed, but here it is, the final part of the Ufanika arc! Now, if you enjoyed, please consider leaving reviews or favouriting and following, as I hope to exceed 200 favourites before the next chapter. Also, for anyone unaware, this is the link for the offical discord to see any spoilers, artwork, etc related to the story, or if you just want to chat with yours truly: /EDdUhUeY As for the name of the chapter, yes, it is an hommage to Whisky over H2O's story, specifically to his introduction of musketry.
The rest of the GAang didn't see Aang for the rest of the morning following his return alongside Mymy, who, when questioned, stated she had no idea what was wrong with him, only that she had taken him to see the glories of her civilization, whatever that meant. After breakfast, Diederik arrived, notably wearing a uniform similar to the soldiers they'd seen, consisting of a dark blue jacket with blue cuffs and a collar outlined with red piping and golden bars. There was also a row of gold buttons down the middle and white pants with an orange sash around his waist. He informed them he had prepared a demonstration at the nearby fort and requested they come. All of them agreed, and soon, the groups were headed through another portal and found themselves inside a fortified structure facing several large bodies of men. After peering closely, Katara, Sokka, and Hakoda quickly found Bato and most of the rest of their kin wearing uniforms similar to those of the other GIC units, save they had white cuffs and collars, they carried no flag, and they wore caps instead of the tall leather headdresses the rest wore.
"Goedendag heren!" (Good day, gentlemen!) Shouted Diederik once he stood in the center of the courtyard. "Vandaag hebben we de eer om op te treden voor onze gast, de Chief van de Southern Water Tribe en zijn familie. Laten we ze onze weg wijzen!" (Today, you have we have the honour to perform for our guest, the Chief of the Southern Water Tribe and his family. Let us show them our way!)
"Huzzay!" The soldiers cheered in response, including Bato's men, they noted.
"Begin de optocht!" Diederik shouted, and suddenly, music began to echo, and Katara found herself teleported back to when she first beheld the Ruskians. The instruments were the same, or at least the drums were, as they also used what appeared to be a tiny flute. As the music played, the soldiers began performing maneuvers as Officers shouted commands, and, here too, she noted almost everything was the same as how the Ruskians acted. Of course, she had little knowledge regarding such things, so they might've had vast differences she was missing. She found herself intrigued by their actions, how they held themselves, and how they moved so fluidly while maintaining such dense formations. Almost everyone, she noted, marched at the same pace, their feet landing on the same beat, and those out of step quickly tried to correct themselves as they paraded around them. "Hey, I don't mean to be rude, but could you explain the point of this? These formations look good, but it doesn't seem all that useful," Katara said to Diederik.
The man turned with a cocked brow while Mymy quietly fumed behind him. "I beg your pardon, but this is the essence of what creates good soldiers," he explained while gesturing to their feet. "See how they all march in the same time?" Katara nodded. "This is what ensures the unit remains together during an advance."
"Okay, but why is that important?" She questioned.
The Count shook his head. "It's so you don't arrive ahead of everyone else and get picked off piecemeal," he expounded. "Not to mention, it makes it much more difficult to run away when you know your friends and comrades are with you," Diederik concluded. She didn't know when he turned to her, but he wore a gentle smile.
"Y-Yeah, I guess you're right," she replied. Of course, as she and the others were such a small group, they usually didn't have to worry about sticking together, except for Sokka, who often had trouble keeping up. Although, when she considered how many soldiers must have been in each unit on display, she could easily see why that would be a problem. But, as she looked into his deep blue eyes, she felt enraptured by them and had to fight to turn away. As Katara quickly tried to find something to distract her, she focused on the uniforms of the GIC's soldiers. She noted how each block had distinctly coloured cuffs and flags, with each flag matching the colours of the units, with red, orange, blue, and white all making an appearance, with a wreath wrapped around the characters: GIC. Following the parade, the soldiers put up some targets at the far end of the courtyard, and they began shooting them with their weapons in volleys. As they did, Katara found herself teleported back to her encounters with the Ruskians, as the only difference seemed to be the way they reloaded. Instead of inserting a projectile into a breach, they first had to work a peculiar mechanism at the base of their weapons before loading the projectile from the end of the tube and using a steel rod to push it down before raising it and firing when commanded. The loading process took roughly fifteen seconds, save for their fellow Water Tribals, who were a tad slower.
Following the first couple of volleys, smoke obscured the entire courtyard, at which point Diederik grunted before stepping forward into the smog. "Staak het vuren!" He shouted as loudly as he could over the clicks of the mechanisms and metal scraping on metal as the soldiers loaded their weapons. Once they finished loading, silence prevailed before Aang used his bending to sweep the smoke away, much to the confusion of the Genish. Turning to the group, the Count looked them over. "Let me guess, one of you has windbending!?"
The others quickly turned to look up at the wall and found Aang standing on it, his staff in hand. "Airbending, actually!" He called back. "But, don't mind me, just carry on."
She couldn't make out his expression, but Katara recognized that tone, as he'd used it many times the previous year. First, he used it to deflect when she asked if he was the Avatar, and it happened again when they visited Kiyoshi Island, and he told her the village girls' attention wasn't getting into his head. The last time was after they met Bato, and Aang felt afraid she and Sokka would leave to see their father. There was no doubt that Aang was hiding something. Turning to the Count, she took a breath. "Excuse me, Diederik, but can I go talk to him for a moment?" She asked.
Mymy, who'd remained silent until this point, stepped forward.
"Ik vind het prima. Wat zeg je ervan, broer?" (I think it's fine. What do you say, brother?) She asked, her tone sounding agreeable.
Diederik pondered before shrugging. "Very well, I don't see why not. But are you sure you wish to go? I'll be explaining how our weapons work in just a moment."
Katara shook her head. "No, I think I'll be okay. I'm not really interested in weapons anyway, since I have my own," she replied before turning toward one of the staircases and heading up toward Aang, leaving her family and the Count in the courtyard.
"Why did you agree with her?" Diederik asked as he turned to his sister.
The girl shrugged. "Why wouldn't I? Besides, the last thing you need is to be distracted by a pretty savage girl."
He pinched the bridge of his nose while Mymy beamed. "Why am I not surprised," he said before sighing and turning to the others, gaining their attention by clapping his hands together and re-activating his translation spell. "Now, my friends, I think it is time we get a little hands-on, as I am aware you aren't familiar with firelocks."
Hakoda cocked a brow. "Firelocks?"
The Count shook his head. "You'll know what I am talking about. Now come," he said, gesturing for them to follow him as he walked toward the formations of infantry standing at the order arms, the stocks of their firelocks resting on the ground. He then marched up to one of the infantrymen. "May I have your musket and a cartridge, Private?"
The man took up his weapon and handed it to Diederik, who then turned and presented it to his guests. "This is a Model No. 1 1929 GIC pattern Musket," he explained as they looked it over.
Sokka's eyes glanced at the flintlock mechanism toward the base. "What's this?" He questioned.
The Count smiled. "This is the flintlock, or in layman's terms, it's how the piece fires without a match," he explained as he moved his hand to present it better. "This is the cock," the Genishman said, pointing to a tall, thin structure attached to the plate on the right side of the weapon with a screw, which allowed it to move as the Count pulled it back further than it already was. "Then here's the flint," he pointed to the small piece of flint sticking between two metal bits which held in place and connected it to the cock. "And, finally, this is the frizzen," he concluded, gesturing to a tall, slightly curved piece of steel.
"Wait, does it work like flint and steel?" Sokka asked.
Diederik grinned. "Yes, mostly. Only, instead of trying to create a fire. All we need is spark."
"Why is that?" Zuko interjected as he folded his arms.
The Count smirked. "Why don't you find out?" He questioned as he turned to them. "So, would anyone care to try?"
The group seemed put off at first, but eventually, Sokka nodded. "Why not?" He said before walking up to him.
"Very well. But first, I think we need to establish some safety rules, as this weapon is currently prepared to fire," Diederik explained before gesturing for Sokka to follow him, and the two proceeded past the infantry and stood between them and the canvas target. "Now, first of all, be sure to only aim at what you intend to his, understand?" Sokka nodded. "Good. And only once you've done that do you put your finger on the trigger. Now, are you ready?"
Sokka felt a little nervous, but he quickly stowed such feelings away. "I'm ready," he replied as Diederik handed him the weapon, which felt much heavier than he expected, and he pointed it down range and prepared to fire-
"Wait! If you shoot like that, not only will you not hit anything, but you will surely hurt your shoulder. Now here-" The Count removed his fingers from the trigger as he adjusted the weapon so the stock fit snugly into his shoulder and raised it before pointing to the sight. "This is the sight, use it," Sokka nodded and aimed the musket at the target. "Now, fire!"
BANG!
Sparks flew in Sokka's face as the cock slammed down on the frizzen, and a millisecond later, the firearm rocked back as smoke poured from the end and the small hole the frizzen had covered as it knocked forward. For a brief moment, he didn't have a clear line of sight, but as the smoke disappeared, he saw what looked like a fresh hole in the fabric of the target as it moved like still water when a water droplet fell into it. At the same time, the boy could also feel a soreness in his shoulder from where the weapon had recoiled. "Oh, that hurts," he said as he lowered it, careful not to touch the metal before handing it back to Diederik.
"Not a bad shot. Of course, it was only thirty odd feet, but good nonetheless," the Count commented.
When Katara reached the top of the wall, another bang echoed below. But, her attention remained on Aang as he looked on, idly watching the goings on. "Hey," She called, gaining his attention as he turned to her.
"Oh, uh, hey. What are you doing up here?" He asked, his surprise evident.
"I just came to check up on you. I mean, it's not every day you run off like that," she replied as she walked up to him. Or at least, she tried to, but as she approached, he moved along.
"Oh, uh, I just wanted to be alone," he replied. "There's been a lot of changes that I'm still getting used to."
Katara nodded, recalling Aang's strange behaviour over the last couple of days, not that she could blame him after what he'd been through. "I guess that makes sense," she paused in her advance, and Aang stopped retreating. "But that doesn't explain what happened this morning. You looked... Scared? Was it something you saw with Mymy?"
Aang sighed. "You could say that. Though I don't really want to talk about it."
The Waterbender sighed. She knew that tone and what it meant. "Okay... Do you at least want to join me and the others?"
The boy shook his head. "No, I just want to be alone."
"Okay, just... When you feel ready, we're here for you," Katara said, her eyes downcast as she turned and headed toward the stairs leading back into the courtyard.
As Captain Oleg Ivanov watched from his perch atop the rampart, he suddenly turned as one of his men reported something on the shore. "Guys, come!" The artillerist shouted.
Rushing over, Oleg took out his spyglass and peered where the soldier pointed as several other gunners gathered around. When he did, his eyes widened: It appeared to be a young woman. "Quick! Someone check it!" He cried as two men saluted before rushing into the fort, and he followed behind them, curious to see what it was. When they arrived, they found it was indeed a young girl, who they quickly checked over. A piece of cloth, presumably from her dress, was tied around the stump of her right elbow and stained red with blood, and on the edge of the water bounced several large chunks of wood, which seemed to be from the mast. The girl's appearance was matted, to say the least, with her dress rendered practically seethrough due to being soaked in the water for who knew how long. Thinking quickly, he checked for a pulse, and sure enough, he found one, though it was weak. "She's alive! Quick, let's get her to the doctor!"
"-And that's how you reload a musket," Diederik explained before presenting his weapon and firing as Sokka, his father, and Zuko watched on while Toph stepped away to get some air.
"It seems pretty complicated," Hakoda mused, stroking his stubby beard. "Are you sure these weapons and your formations are what we need to fight the Ruskians?"
The Count nodded. "Indeed, if you wish to stand against them in battle," he replied. "But next I suppose we'll need to introduce you to cannons-"
Suddenly, a purple vortex opened beside them, and when it closed, a tall woman with orange hair stood in its place. Her regal dress largely concealed her figure, though the slight bags under her eyes were unmistakable, as was her interesting stance. "Diederik," She called before marching up to him despite the slight wobbles in her steps, and Mymy quickly began stepping away.
"Moeder? W-waarom ben je wakker? Ik dacht dat je nog aan het bijkomen was?" (Mother? W-why are you awake? I thought you were still recovering?) The Count sputtered in confusion as the woman approached before stopping once she stood before him.
"Diederik, wie waren de mensen die bij ons logeerden? En waarom heb je mijn wijn gestolen?" (Diederik, who were the people who stayed with us? And why did you steal my wine?) She questioned as she strutted over to him despite the occasional wobbles in her legs. When she reached Diederik, her eyes lit up, and a crooked smirk etched itself onto her face as she yanked him by the ear. "Nou? Ik ben helemaal oor." (Well? I'm all ears.)
"Het spijt me. Ik weet dat ik je wijn niet had moeten pakken, maar laat me nu alsjeblieft gaan," (I'm sorry. I know I shouldn't have taken your wine, but please let me go now) He replied, his face contorted in a grimace as she yanked harder for a moment before letting go.
"Dat is beter van niet, mijn schat," (It had better not, my treasure) The woman replied before turning to Sokka, Zuko, and Hakoda, and her hands glowed violet before she cleared her throat. "I apologize for forcing you to see that," she said, her tone and expression transferring seamlessly from wrath to pleasant. "So, I would imagine you are the guests my staff has been referring to?"
Hakoda nodded. "Um, yes, we are," he expressed, slightly tense at how the woman gazed at him. "I am Chief Hakoda of the Southern Water Tribe-" He said before pointing to the boys. "-And this is my son Sokka, and Prince Zuko, our ally."
The woman nodded before turning to Zuko. "A Prince, hm? Prince of what nation?"
"The Fire Nation, though I am at odds with my father and younger sister," he explained.
"Interesting..." She replied, a thoughtful look adorning her face.
"Um, excuse me, but who are you?" Sokka asked, and he recoiled slightly as her gaze snapped to him.
"Oh dear, where are my manners? I am Countess Helen Van Brederode, it is a pleasure to make your acquaintance," she said with a nod before turning to her son. "Diederik, waarom haal jij je zus niet even op en maak je de hulp klaar voor de lunch? Ik denk dat het leuk zou zijn om even bij elkaar te zitten en te horen wat jullie twee deden toen ik weg was."
(Diederik, why don't you pick up your sister and get the help ready for lunch? I think it would be nice to sit together and hear what you two did while I was gone.)
The Count nodded. "Ja, moeder," (Yes mother) he said before running in the direction Mymy had gone.
After lunch, Azula returned to her car alongside Mai and Ty Lee. The Grand Duke summoned her to speak with him later in the evening, and at the appointed time, she arrived at the door to the dining car. When she opened the door, she found Nikolai standing at the window. Of course, unlike last time, she had no illusions that he'd heard her enter as she closed the door. "Hm, no questions this time?" He asked, his eyes remaining focused on the Ruskian countryside.
"Well, what would I ask? You wanted to see me?" The Princess quipped with a smirk as she walked up to him.
The Grand Duke shook his head. "Hm, I suppose that's fair," he replied as he turned to her, a slight smile on his face. "Please, have a seat."
Azula nodded and sat across from him as he did the same. "So, why did you ask for me?" She knew he wouldn't call her for no reason, even if she didn't always know what that was.
The Grand Duke took a deep breath. "Azula, I've wanted to hear your answer to this question for some time, and I think I can trust you to answer truthfully," Azula's eyes widened, not expecting the sudden shift in his demeanour and tone. What did he want to know? What if he asked about her reasons for agreeing to their treaty? What if he wanted to know about the message from her father? What if- "What do you think of my son?"
Azula felt her mind tossed through a loop as her body recoiled from the unexpected question. "Um, pardon, I'm afraid I don't follow," she stalled while she tried to come up with something. How was she supposed to answer a question like that, especially when she wasn't expecting it? More importantly, what answer did he want to hear?
"Really? You're usually so quick," Nikolai began, staring intently at her. "But, if you need an explanation, I suppose I have nothing to hide, at least not from you," he sighed before rolling his shoulders back and relaxing into the wooden seat. "You see, my dear, I love my son dearly, but he has not been the same boy I knew, not since Bylowa."
Azula leaned forward, her expression questioning. Not once had Ivan mentioned this to her, nor had anyone else in the Ruskian camp, for that matter. So why did he make it sound so important? Of course, she knew he was likely baiting her with the silence, but she wanted- no, needed to know. She took a deep breath and asked the fatal question: "What was Bylowa then? Ivan never spoke of it."
The Grand Duke chuckled mirthlessly. "Not what, but where," he replied before pulling out what seemed to be a map, though it was far more complex than any she'd ever seen. There were many lines and symbols, none of which she understood as he pointed to a tiny dot. "This is Bylowa. It was a simple farming village in Dobrin until the Kordish destroyed it while they were building their Eastern Wall, a series of ridges, forts, and trenches stretching from the coast of the Median Sea in the South to the Braniatic in the North, with the most fortified areas constructed across central Dobrin."
Azula felt confused. When he said wall, her mind jumped to something akin to Ba Sing Se's great wall, but what he described didn't sound like what she knew. "So? I don't understand why that would be so difficult to conquer, given how quickly you captured Ba Sing Se."
The Grand Duke snorted. "You would think that, but how we construct fortifications differs from what you're used to. We don't use high walls and towers. Instead, we and our enemies bury them into the earth, exposing as little of the actual structure as possible while allowing cannons to fire from safe positions. But what the Kordish have done is they have created possibly the largest fortification in the history of our world, and we didn't know until we ran head-first into it."
The Fire Princess nodded. "I see. So, what you're saying is that they have this big wall. So what? Can't you just break through it?" She questioned. It may be better suited to resist the Ruskian attacks, but they had many more troops and weapons to spare, or at least, she presumed they did.
Nikolai sighed deeply before rubbing his temples. "That was what was supposed to happen at Bylowa," he explained as Azula paused. "We gathered our best troops, 200'000 regulars, the Zlachny regiment among them. We pressed them and captured several miles of front, but the second line proved too much, and out of two dozen bastions, we only captured nine after several days of fierce fighting, which we abandoned due to continued fire from their third line. The casualty reports were incomplete when I left, but I believe we lost 70'000 men killed and another 20'000 wounded. Ivan was one of those 20'000, and it is by the grace of God her survived."
The Princess's eyes widened, her breath hitching as she sat up, a chill running down her spine. "Wha-What!? H-How- Why was I not informed of this!?" She shouted, now understanding where that scar on Ivan came from.
The Grand Duke lowered his hand and looked at her, his gaze steely and unwavering. "He lost many of his comrades that day, and Dimitriev and Alexeev were the only friends he had who survived," he stated, his demeanour shifting as his eyes grew watery. "I almost lost him that day, Azula. And I wasn't there when he needed me."
The Princess was stunned as she watched this man look at her with tear-filled eyes. In her brief time knowing him, this was the most emotion she had seen from the elder Grand Duke, though she presumed this was where Ivan got it from. Still, it felt jarring to her to see a father speak of his child this way. If it were Zuko, her father would have likely laughed, but to see such raw emotion puzzled her: were all Ruskians like this? "Alright, but what does this have to do with what I think about Ivan?"
Nikolai wiped his eyes with a handkerchief and stared at her unflinchingly. "Because when he is with you, I see my little boy again."