"THUNDER!" — a clap of thunder abruptly woke the princess.
Abruptly opening her eyes, Azula slightly changed her pose: while her hand crawled under the pillow, her gaze quickly scanned the room for enemies. The tense girl showed no signs of sleepiness. She was ready to rush into battle, using the dagger hidden under the pillow to parry the enemy's attacks.
Another sound of a thunderstorm brings relief. It's just bad weather. Listening, she heard the rain drumming against the ship's walls and the closed metal shutters on the windows of her quarters. Breathing in, the girl exhaled a small blue flame into the air. Quickly performing a breathing technique, she calmed down, beginning to painfully get up from the bed. The consequences of the exhausting workouts were becoming stronger and more unpleasant.
The healing breathing technique that Azula had somehow learned by watching the spirit's actions was no longer as effective and required more and more time. She gave herself completely to training, walking on the edge between irreparable harm to her own body and the most effective training. This had been going on for several days. She couldn't live any other way.
After sitting in the darkness of her private quarters for about several minutes, the princess decided to get up. She was wide awake. Besides, she definitely wouldn't be able to fall asleep with such a rampage of the elements. Ignoring the nagging pain in her muscles, she got out of bed, not interrupting the breathing technique.
Azula didn't want to be alone with her thoughts. Almost a week had passed, and such a prospect still scared her. The girl tried to distract herself in every possible way, just to not give herself time for stupid thoughts. Workouts were a great way out. Alas, the weather was not suitable for training on the main deck, nevertheless, she could continue to improve her skills even in her room.
The princess finished the breathing exercises only when the pain in every muscle ceased to be felt. After a quick warm-up of all her muscles, she accelerated her heartbeat, allowing a feeling of vigor to spread throughout her body. From such a brisk workout, the last hints of sleepiness and pain finally disappeared. Throwing her crumpled robe on the bed, Azula allowed her bare body to breathe and rest a little after the warm-up. At the same time, the thunder was getting louder, the sound of the downpour was intensifying, and the ship's heeling from the rough sea was becoming more and more noticeable. The rocking was too strong for an ordinary thunderstorm. It seemed like it was a storm.
"I need to figure out what's happening outside," — the princess set herself a task, beginning to put on fresh clothes and armor. Her intuition told her there were problems, and her mind only agreed with the paranoia.
She hadn't given the order: "get to the capital as quickly as possible." The captain, following the regulations, was obliged to go around the bad weather if possible. If this was impossible, he was obliged to warn her first. Of course, a storm could form right above them, suddenly and unpredictably. Maybe it wasn't a storm at all, but just an ordinary thunderstorm. To figure out this situation, the girl first needed to get dressed and go out. Only after that could she decide who to punish first.
Another deafening sound of a thunderstorm was especially well heard.
Her ship was made by the best shipbuilders. Everything that could be taken into account was taken into account, so Azula was not very afraid of some storm. But the rocking intensified while the princess was busy with her clothes.
"THUNDER!!!" another deafening roar sounded very close, as if she were right on the deck right now, and not in the safest place on the ship. The rocking continued to intensify, and it was becoming more difficult to put on her armor. She was already thinking, as usual, of ordering the maids to help her with the armor, although it would take more time, but fate decided everything for her.
"TUK-TUK-TUK," an unknown person knocked on the door of her quarters.
— My lady! The ship has run into a storm! — a low male voice was heard from the other side of the door.
— I already know that, you idiot! Follow the captain's orders! — Azula answered rudely, putting on her breastplate and getting angry at the stupidity of her subordinates.
— My lady! The captain is gone! He was washed away along with the first mate. Part of the crew is missing, part is killed by unknowns! The first officer of the guard has taken command. This could be treason or enemy sabotage!
Azula, in a flash, thought about the new factors, thinking through her next actions. Leaving the few remaining pieces of armor alone, she took the daggers and hid them in her boots. After that, with the breastplate hastily put on, she tensely opened the door, ready to fight for her life at any moment. Behind the iron door stood a pair of benders from the imperial entourage, who were in no hurry to attack.
— Take off your helmets! Quickly! — the benders obeyed. The girl recognized her subordinates at first glance. One was the youngest member of the imperial entourage, and the second was a more mature and experienced man. She had no doubt about the loyalty of both.
— Put them back on… — the soldiers silently followed the order.
— You! Adjust my breastplate! You, report everything you know, close the door, and help him, — the princess continued to give orders in a voice full of authority. The subordinates didn't even think of contradicting her.
One of the benders began to tell everything he knew.
As it turned out, their ship had sailed directly into a storm. In the wheelhouse, the bodies of the first mate and several crew members, not part of the imperial entourage, were found. From the traces, it became clear that they had been killed by a strong firebender, who was a master of the blade. There were terrible burns and sword wounds on the bodies; one body had been decapitated. They noticed this too late. Due to the constant thunderstorm and heavy downpour, no one had heard anything.
When the patrol, in search of another missing patrol, found the bodies in the wheelhouse, he tried to raise the alarm. However, the alarm bell had been stolen by someone. The guards had to rush all over the ship and warn everyone. The first officer of the guard began to lead the crew and the ship. Starting to give orders, as he was the most senior officer, he ordered a pair of firebenders to report everything to the princess and then to guard her.
— On the way here, we saw several bodies of the crew and bloodstains. The number of dead is unknown. We ordered your maids not to leave their assigned quarters, — the soldier continued to report, skillfully wielding his hands, adjusting the armor on the princess's body along with his comrade; the ship's rocking didn't bother them at all.
— What orders did Wei Lung manage to give? — Azula demanded answers in an icy tone.
— When I was leaving the wheelhouse, I heard the captain of the guard order the crew to prepare the ship for the storm, and the members of the imperial entourage to search for traitors and possible enemies on the ship. The report is over, Junior Lieutenant Li Wei, — the soldier stood at attention, finishing his work along with his report.
— Your armor is adjusted. What are your further orders? — the other soldier said briefly.
— Escort me, — giving the order, Azula headed for the door out of the room.
Leaving the imperial dignitary's quarters, they walked down the corridors of the pagoda, to the wheelhouse. From the rare open windows, most of which were closed with steel shutters, one could see multi-meter waves, clouds, flashing lightning, and, of course, heavy rain. The howling wind was perfectly audible even in the deepest rooms of the ship. Pondering the situation and her next actions, Azula only glanced at one of the windows, getting information about the situation at sea.
On the way, they met with everything the guardsman had spoken of. Descending from the top floor of the pagoda, where the princess's quarters were located, Azula saw large bloodstains and rare bodies of subordinates on her way. Among the bodies were both benders and ordinary soldiers with crew members. The lower they descended, the more traces of the enemy there were.
If on the third floor bodies were rare, then on the second, they were in almost every corridor, painting the floors with their blood. It was on the second floor that the wheelhouse was located, in which they found the first officer of the guard — Wei Lung along with several officers of the imperial entourage.
— My lady? You should have stayed in a safe place, — the first officer bowed his head as soon as she entered the most important room of her ship.
— I know better where I should be when there are traitors on my ship who want to sink the vessel! — Azula quickly put the officer in his place, crushing him with her authoritative gaze.
— So, you also came to similar conclusions, — he noted, not showing any unnecessary emotions.
— Now we need to prevent the ship from sinking, the traitors were aiming for exactly that. I think they initially planned to die, but take all of us with them, — the chief officer shared his thoughts.
— We need to get the ship out of the storm as soon as possible, not allowing the enemies to sink my ship. Guarding the wheelhouse is your primary task; searching for traitors is secondary. What orders did you manage to give? — the girl continued to pressure him, having figured out something similar on her way to the wheelhouse.
— I have already sent other guardsmen to check the ship's crew in order to…
"RRRRAAAAAAAAAAAA!" — the roar of an unknown monster drowned out the officer's words, overpowering even the thunder and the noise of the downpour with its loudness.
— Princess?! — no one heard what the officer was about to say, everyone in the room was sharply jolted to the right, as if the ship had collided with something.
Azula, thanks to her agility and lightning-fast reaction, was able to stay on her feet, while most of those present fell to the floor. The girl actively twisted her head around. She was not at all interested in her possibly wounded subordinates. No, in the large glass windows of the wheelhouse she was looking for an enemy. But she saw nothing but waves and rain. There was no enemy ship. Perhaps these were the consequences of a collision with an underwater reef?
— Captain… — a trembling voice of a soldier quietly echoed in the room.
— MOOOONSTER!!! MONSTER ON THE PORT SIDE!!! — he began to scream, attracting everyone's attention.
Azula quickly approached the windows. The members of the imperial entourage hurried to follow her. Right outside the window, from the water, a huge head of a sea serpent was visible, which was almost a quarter the size of the ship. The head was on a large, thick neck that rose above the water. The rest of the body was hidden by the waves. The gigantic creature was swaying from side to side, stunned. There was no doubt that this creature had attacked the ship.
— P-p-princess, — the captain of the guard addressed her with a stuttering voice. Looking at him, she realized that he didn't know what to do. And something had to be done, and as quickly as possible.
— You, you, you, and you! — Azula pointed to the strongest benders, — you will go out with me to fight the serpent. The rest, along with the captain, will remain to guard the wheelhouse! Traitors can take advantage of the moment to seize the wheelhouse, — the princess began to give orders, remembering all the documented stories about the collision of warships with such creatures, drawing up a battle plan on the fly.
— But princess…
— Shut up and obey! The rest of the crew needs command. Do your job, and we'll deal with the monster. Soldiers! Follow me!
— Ah-ah-ah-ah, — the sound of an unconscious body falling did not go unnoticed.
— Shit! Li Wei! How dare you?! At a time like this! — his comrade commented, forgetting about discipline and subordination, but at such a moment no one would blame him.
The young guardsman of the imperial entourage, Li Wei, fell to the floor in a disgraceful faint. Meanwhile, the ship shuddered from another ramming of the monster, making everyone grab onto whatever they could to avoid falling. This time, the firebenders were able to stay on their feet. But this did not bring them joy. Everyone guessed that such a collision had probably caused a leak in the ship. Every second of delay could cost the lives of the entire crew.
— He will get his punishment! Command the crew, captain, and I will take care of the beast. Soldiers! Follow me! To the attack! — after shouting another inspiring speech, Azula led the guards into battle with the monster.
When the last guardsman left the wheelhouse, Wei Lung was shouting orders at the top of his lungs to the simple soldiers and the rest of the ship's crew. He had served on a ship before, so he was an experienced sailor and knew what to do.
Meanwhile, while the temporary captain, along with the entire crew, were trying to keep the ship afloat by any means, the creature was recovering to rush into another attack on the metal ship. The rain continued to pour down, the wind howled non-stop, thunder rumbled, lightning flashed, and the waves seemed to be rising higher and higher.
From the central windows of the pagoda, the main deck and everything that was happening on it was perfectly visible. In an instant, a bright flash of blue flame explodes one of these windows. The next second, Azula jumps out of it. Following her, with a half-second interval, other masters of firebending, who were in the imperial guard, flew out.
"RRRRAAAA!!!" — the monster roared again, getting ready to rush into the attack.
However, the Fire Nation people had already managed to prepare for defense. As soon as the monster's snout turned towards the ship, four masters of firebending began to act. Standing in a circle, they created a colossal fireball of blue-orange flame.
The creature noticed their actions. Reason flashed in the monster's large eyes, but no one noticed it. Deciding to change tactics, the monster opened its mouth wider. An instant. A colossal stream of water shot towards the ship. Such an attack threatened to simply sweep the small humans off the deck, or even flip the entire ship. But the people had already managed to prepare for its attack.
— NOW! — at the girl's cry, the benders synchronously made an attacking movement, firing the created fireball, whose size exceeded that of a small house, towards it.
Two colossal attacks collide. A lot of steam is formed, which blocks the view of the entire port side of the vessel. A few moments later, a bright blue streak of lightning pierces the cluster of steam. A clap of thunder echoes across the ocean.
"RRRAAAAAA!" — a cry full of pain signaled a hit. The lightning, released by Azula practically blindly, hit the monster directly! However, this strike was not fatal. The creature continued to scream and thrash in agony, raising even more waves.
A few moments later, another flash of light pierced the clouds of steam. But this time the lightning flew past. The monster continued to deafen everyone with its painful scream. Hiding from sight and somehow evading the lightning bolts thrown by the princess, it continued to roar in pain.
Lightning rumbled in the heavens, lightning rumbled in the sea. Balls of blue and orange flame flew over the sea, rarely hitting their target. The winner in this battle was still unknown; the creature was thrashing in agony, but was alive and presented an even greater danger.
The steam that was formed from the clash of the elements was quickly dispelled by the stormy wind. As soon as it dissipated, the enemies saw each other. The scorched snout of the monster looked at the ship with people, whose eyes were full of fear, with the purest hatred. A moment later, the monster rushed to the attack.
— SCATTER! — Azula shouted, instantly calculating the situation. The guards, obeying the order, used the reactive thrust of their own flame, becoming like fireflies that quickly slid across the deck. Azula used the same method of evasion.
A second or two later, the monster rose from the water dozens of meters high above sea level. Its menacing figure loomed over the ship rocking on the waves. A moment later, the creature's gaping maw slammed against the deck in the hope of biting through the steel plating. Everyone immediately heard the scraping of metal, the ship swayed, almost going under water, but no. The vessel withstood the blow, remaining afloat.
— FIRE! — the princess's next order was accompanied by a synchronized attack on the colossal serpent.
Regrouping, the four firebenders struck powerful streams of flame directly at the monster's snout. Another cry of pain was accompanied by thunder. Lightning struck the ship's lightning rod, and the monster thrashed in agony. Its entire snout was turned into a solid burn. Loosening its jaw, it began to beat its head and neck against the deck, as if trying to sink the ship with its weight.
Azula was about to finish the creature off with a precise lightning strike, when suddenly another part of the serpent's body, probably its tail, came out of the water. This made the girl stop. A huge wall of the creature's flesh was rapidly approaching, heading directly for the princess.
No way to dodge…
No way to defend…
No way to jump over…
Everything was decided in a matter of moments. The girl jumped, curling up, wanting to minimize the damage.
Successful!
Only the wall of flesh continued to move, approaching the walls of the pagoda. The last thing the princess's eyes saw was the rapidly approaching metal window shutters…