Hira'a was an ordinary small city on the outskirts of the Fire Nation, more like a large village than a full-fledged city of the world's most progressive power. It was surrounded by low mountains, which were partially covered with dense tropical forest. The forest grew even near the settlement's boundaries. Most of the houses in the city were single-story, and the residents were mainly engaged in agriculture and raising livestock. The only local attraction was a small theater built in the center of the city square.
— Azula, why are you so gloomy? Is everything all right? — Ty Lee noticed her lover's state. At this time, the theater stage was playing out one of the concluding scenes of the play Love Among the Dragons, which was known in every corner of the country and even beyond its borders. The Dragon Emperor had just defeated his enemy—the dark spirit of water—and was now rewarding his loyal subject, who had previously given him her heart without hesitation, even when he was in a mortal body.
— Everything is fine. This place just depresses me. I wish the play would end sooner, — the princess replied with dissatisfaction, watching the performance with a look full of conflicting emotions.
"Ty Lee, do not bother her. Her mother was an actress. Love Among the Dragons was her mother's favorite play," — Yoaru whispered into the acrobat's ear, and she looked at her best friend anew. Now Lee saw what she had not noticed before. Her arms crossed over her chest, the tension in her shoulders, the intense gaze, the slightly furrowed brows—everything indicated that Azula was uncomfortable being there. Nevertheless, she was sitting nearby, having allowed herself to be persuaded to go to the theater.
— If you do not like the play, we can leave. You do not have to suffer for my sake, — Lee whispered worriedly, leaning close to the princess's ear. The last thing she wanted was for her beloved friend to suffer because of her whim. After all, it was her idea to visit the theater.
— No, — Azula answered reservedly, contrary to the acrobat's expectations. — I have not seen this play in a long time; I want to watch it until the end, — the girl finished, continuing to watch the performance with the same contradictory gaze. Sadness and pain, along with nostalgia for long-gone times, were visible in her eyes. If the princess were not a princess, she might have shed a tear, but Azula was her father's heir; it was not her status to show such weak feelings.
Ty Lee did not know what to say at that moment, nor did she know exactly what feelings and thoughts were gnawing at such a close person. She only dared to cover Azula's hand with her palm, demonstrating her support. The girl instantly noticed this, turning away from the play. Meeting Lee's warm gaze, the princess could not hold back her feelings and smiled gently in return. The girls watched the finale of the play with slight smiles on their lips and exchanged glances occasionally.
The performance ended. The two dragons finally kissed in the concluding act of the play, the audience erupted in applause, genuinely happy about the happy ending. The actors came onto the stage. They bowed. They began to accept flowers and words of gratitude, and the company of three noble ladies was already rushing to leave the place.
— How did you like the show? — Ty Lee cheerfully asked the others, as soon as they walked ten meters away from the city square.
— One continuous bore, — came the reply from Mai, whose voice was full of melancholy.
— So you are not a fan of theatrical productions? — Lee addressed her friend sarcastically.
— I have seen this play many times. I can confidently tell you: plays do not become more interesting when you watch the same thing over and over, — the most phlegmatic girl in the world explained her position to the acrobat melancholically.
— I never saw the point in such a waste of time, but it was not as terrible as it could have been, — Azula said the last word while exchanging glances with Ty Lee once more.
"The main thing is not how you spend your time, but with whom," — Yoaru reminded them of his presence in a didactic tone. And the girls followed the route to the house allocated by the local mayor, discussing the scenes and actions of the play they had just seen.
They had been living quietly in this backwater town for almost two days now. Azula, as usual, decided not to display her princess status. The visit of such a high-ranking person to such a remote town, which was not even an administrative center, would look too suspicious. This time, she decided to pass herself off as a high-ranking military officer on a secret mission. It becomes much easier to learn the truth of her interlocutors' thoughts when they are not bowing to a member of the imperial family. It was enough to introduce herself to the local authorities as a high-ranking lady from the internal troops for them to kindly inquire about her culinary preferences, simultaneously looking for a suitable building for the night. This was a standard procedure, which had become a habit for all those traveling with the princess. The inspection itself was the pretext for arriving at this location. Upon arriving in the city, the blue flame bender delegated all her inspection work to her subordinates, while she and her friends engaged in more interesting matters than interrogations, investigation, and reconnaissance of the local forests.
— …and remember that kissing scene, it was so romantic.
— No, I do not remember, I was yawning at that moment.
"Azula. The scouts have returned with a report," — the spirit interrupted the girls' conversation, being the first to notice one of the dispatched scouts waiting near the house provided to the princess.
No one answered Yoaru, but the conversation among the girls quieted down. As soon as the soldier from the Yu Yan Archers spotted the princess, he immediately moved to meet her. The dispatched scouts must have found something very important. Something that required the princess's immediate attention!
— Your Highness! — the leader of the Yu Yan Archers squad bowed, clasping his hands in a respectful gesture. — We conducted reconnaissance and gathered rumors as you ordered. In the process of executing the orders, the squad obtained information that might interest you.
— Speak, — Azula nodded calmly.
— Last night, the people responsible for gathering rumors discovered one suspicious thing that immediately put me on alert. One farmer claimed that people from the Water Tribe appear in this city with relative regularity.
— And what came of it? — Azula raised an eyebrow questioningly. — Are they…
— We found and detained them. They are waiting to meet with you at the camp, my Lady.
— Lead me to them…
A little later.
Azula looked at the suspicious individuals with a commanding gaze. There were two of them, a middle-aged man and woman. Both were wearing clothes that immediately marked them as people of the North. Fur garments on the Fire Islands… it looked strange, to say the least. This could not help but attract attention, as the islands have a warm climate year-round.
— So, I am listening, — Azula began coldly, sitting on a folding chair with one leg crossed over the other. Meanwhile, the two people from the Water Tribe sat obediently at a respectful distance, separated from the princess by several of her people. — I want to know everything from the very beginning!
From what the Archer Captain had already reported to the princess on the way to the camp, it was clear: these two had been living in the local forests for about ten years. The man in the mask was named Rafa. The woman was his sister and went by the name Misu. Both were indeed from the Northern Water Tribe, which they did not deny, and Misu was a waterbender. However, only Yoaru knew the latter, having identified the elemental bender with just a glance at the people's spiritual chakras.
According to the Archer Captain: neither the brother nor the sister resisted when his men found and detained them under his command. This raised hope that this meeting would proceed without bloodshed, but both the spirit and the other guards were ready to draw their weapons or use bending to protect the princess, not to mention the imperial personage herself. Due to the atmosphere and Azula's overtly dominant demeanor, the guests felt uncomfortable, to put it mildly.
Nevertheless, the woman obediently waited for a nod from the princess and continued to speak.
— In our youth, my brother and I were complete opposites of each other. I was quiet and obedient, and he was loud and daring. He often brought home things stolen from the most influential people of the Tribe: a waterbender's pouch, a guard's weapon, a general's war helmet. And every time I scolded him, forcing him to return the stolen goods. And he obediently did so, for all he wanted was to be acknowledged. And the people he stole from were always so flustered that they did not cause him any trouble.
— I can imagine, — the princess chuckled, recalling her own good-for-nothing brother. — Continue.
— One day, luck abandoned him, — Misu continued in a sad tone. — I found my brother lying in the snow, and his face was horribly disfigured. It changed his life… our lives, forever! I took him to the best healers of the Tribe, but no one could help him. And so I decided to do everything in my power myself. I went to the library and started studying all the books there.
— What happened next? — Azula commanded in a calm voice full of authority, ordering her to continue the story.
— I spent more than half a year studying the library and eventually found an ancient scroll that contained information about a powerful spirit who could give people new faces. And then I realized that I absolutely had to find him!
— The Mother of Faces, — Azula nodded, causing the woman in front of her to involuntarily widen her eyes.
— You know?!
— Libraries are not only in your Tribe, — the princess smirked, sitting with a perfectly straight back, a high head, and the condescending gaze of an empress. — So, you decided that you could restore your brother's normal face by meeting the Mother of Faces, and that is why you traveled to the Fire Nation, or more accurately, to a place known as the Forgetful Valley. — Azula shifted her gaze to an empty spot between the soldiers, paused for a few moments, and then continued as if nothing had happened: — As far as I know, women of the Northern Water Tribe are only taught healing arts. I am very interested in how you managed to get here and survive for so long without being noticed by the local authorities?
— You are right, — Misu nodded. — I taught myself. I spent years learning how to use my bending in combat.
Upon hearing the latter, the soldiers in the tent tensed up even more, and the Archer Captain, standing behind the brother and sister, tellingly placed his hand on his dagger, casting a quick glance at Azula, who merely smirked.
— Very well, Misu, I have heard enough. However, one question still bothers me regarding your brother. Can he even speak?
The woman noticeably tensed, yet almost immediately shook her head.
— No, my Lady. Since Rafa was mutilated, he has been on the verge of life and death. He does not eat anything and cannot do anything.
— In that case… — the princess shifted her gaze aside, lingering for a couple of moments, then returned it. — May I see what is under his mask?
The tension among the detainees and the warriors was so great that even Azula felt slight discomfort. Misu glared at her, and the soldiers glared at the woman herself. This continued for several seconds before the woman resignedly lowered her head.
— All right, but you are unlikely to like what you see there.
Misu's hand slowly reached for her brother's head. With a sudden movement, she removed the mask from her calmly sitting brother.
— Oh Agni, what horror! — Ty Lee could not help herself, covering her mouth with her hands in horror and shock.
— Mother of Agni! — one of the men could not control his emotions, but no one paid attention. Everyone was shocked by what they saw. With eyes wide open, people could not utter a single word! Not even Azula, or Mai! No one could remain indifferent! All the witnesses stared in astonishment at the place where a human face usually was, which the man simply did not have!
— He was definitely cursed by spirits! — someone in the tent uttered in shock, while the others collected their thoughts.
Instead of a face, Rafa only had continuous skin; there were no eyes, no mouth, no nose, not even ears. Everything was covered by skin, which made Misu's words about his state between life and death take on a new meaning. Indeed, how can one eat without a mouth? Or breathe without a nose? Neither the soldiers, nor Azula, nor her friends had ever seen a more gruesome sight in their lives.
— My Lady, would it not be better to… — but the Captain did not manage to finish speaking before the princess interrupted him.
— No, — Azula commanded in an authoritative tone. — You may return his mask.
After waiting for Misu, still cautiously looking at the soldiers around her, to return her brother to his previous appearance, the princess continued:
— I suspect this happened accidentally, however… this man was indeed cursed by spirits. More accurately, it was one specific spirit—Koh, also known as the Thief or the Face Stealer. He is one of those arrogant spirits who believes that humans are incapable of punishing the guilty themselves. Given your story, Misu, I suspect Koh decided to punish your brother for theft, and upon crossing into our world, he stole his face. You could say you are lucky, as there is information directly indicating a connection between the Mother of Faces and Koh, although the extent of it is not entirely clear, since…
Seeing the astonished faces of everyone in the tent, Azula merely smirked, recalling how inaccessible such information was to ordinary mortals. And it was not even about the libraries. Yoaru… he was the one who told her much that ordinary people never knew or heard of, but spirits did. Of course, she learned some things from the palace library, but that knowledge could not compare with the information provided by her overly talkative lover, who could not keep quiet and actively took advantage of the fact that almost no one could hear him. She had to exert considerable effort to maintain her composure when he once again intervened in someone else's conversation.
— All right, I have learned everything I wanted to know. Now, remove all the Water Tribe people from here; I wish to speak with her alone.
— But Princess, it is dangerous…
— Execute the order, soldier, — Azula pressed with her authority. The man was forced to obey.
— Yes!…
The soldiers hurriedly left the tent, fully understanding that the princess was quite capable of defending herself, and they were not leaving her completely alone. Just as the princess's friends started to head for the exit, Azula called out to them, saying that her words applied only to the soldiers. All of them knew that the girls were very capable of defending themselves, so they calmly left their princess alone with the strangers.
— Now, I would like to hear everything you have managed to learn about the Mother of Faces…
***
Feeling the pleasant coolness of the wind, I peer into the distance of the night sky again. Far, far away, beyond the forest, where the wind rustled the tree crowns, were signs of dawn. How quickly time had passed; how long I had waited for this…
The night city, as always, was pleasant with its silence, its tranquility, its serenity. There is something special about living in such a place. The views of the local forests and mountains are magnificent! Especially the sunrises. Watching them while hovering above the roof of the tallest building in the city is very pleasant and calming. Lately, I often like to meet them in proud solitude. Well, while there is time, I can recall how these days passed.
Even after the first conversation with the residents of the distant North, I was literally languishing with anticipation.
The fateful day of the change of seasons was getting closer and closer, but that did not make me feel any better. The understanding that my fate would soon be decided only made me more nervous. The absolute powerlessness in this matter fueled the fire of my anxieties. On the very first day of arriving in Hira'a, I had flown over the entire forest from a bird's eye view, finding the necessary four lakes. However… the Mother of Faces grants the wishes of humans, not other spirits. That is why I personally could not solve this problem. All that was left was to hope for Azula. It is amazing how far my relationship with her has progressed. Only about six months have passed, and we are already lovers. All this time flew by so fleetingly. Once we were enemies, but now my fate depends on the princess. If she does not make the wish I need, Ari will undoubtedly devour me. Whether I will die completely or not, I am not particularly eager to check.
We learned a lot from Wan Shi Tong and the people of the Northern Tribe, but we were still in no hurry to move the camp into the depths of the jungle. Misu was well-oriented in the local thickets, and several times she guided the Yu Yan Archers squad for reconnaissance and memorizing the path to each of the lakes. Even following Azula's orders, they tried to tread paths, but that is difficult to do in the jungle. It is especially difficult if the grass, vines, and even trees grow back overnight or even less. We could have tried to burn the forest, but the spirits inhabiting it would certainly not be happy about that. And that would undoubtedly violate the main rule of this forest—do not disturb the peace and quiet. As for those who broke this rule, it is said that no one ever saw them again, and I am inclined to believe it.
These jungles were unusual, even special. The forest had an unusually high spiritual background. Almost the same as in Wan Shi Tong's library, which already spoke volumes. This was due to the four small bodies of water. They could be considered lakes, but they were more like crystal-clear ponds, too small for full-fledged lakes. It was unusually quiet and peaceful near them, and it was not surprising, as they were essentially small portals to the spirit world. And, of course, the spiritual background was highest near them.
This place had a sinister reputation; no one ever returned from it. As the locals said: the travelers were taken by the spirits. Exploring such dangerous jungles was a very risky endeavor, even for me. A couple of times, minor insect spirits attacked me—some mixture of wasps and something else. There was absolutely no time to examine the swarm of these creatures when they all suddenly rushed at me; I barely managed to escape. After that incident, I was afraid to fly through the jungles myself. Only high above the trees, where I would at least have time to see what was attacking me. To my surprise, the local spirits were not particularly interested in people. Among Azula's soldiers, only the Yu Yan Archers could move relatively safely through the forest; the others were too loud. Professionals are professionals for a reason, as no one had disappeared without a trace all this time, meaning that the scouts had suffered no losses thanks to their exceptional skills.
Time was slowly passing as usual. Having learned everything we needed, Zula and I prepared a plan and waited for the right day. The girls continued to train, rest, and spend time together in every way possible. The soldiers and subordinates were mostly either carrying out Azula's orders or twiddling their thumbs, not understanding what they were doing in such a remote area. Except for the Yu Yan Archers squad, of course. During these days, Ty Lee even managed to befriend Misu a little. For the emotional acrobat, her story was too tragic and bleak. After befriending the waterbender, Lee even persuaded Zula and me to try to heal her brother. We certainly tried; I was interested in testing my strength, but nothing worked. The Face Stealer's curse was too strong. But even with such an attempt, we earned some respect and gratitude from Misu.
The closer the day of reckoning approached, the more uneasy I felt in my heart. Such observant girls as Zula and Lee could not help but notice this. Azula joked ironically about my state; Ty Lee tried to be supportive in every way. However, in such a state, I was completely uninterested in the intimacy that the ladies had grown accustomed to. The girls took this with understanding, although Zula did show displeasure. She still looks funny when she is unhappy about something. A darling…
As for the supervisor assigned to me by Wan Shi Tong, I occasionally saw her watching me from afar. As if reminding me of the inevitable punishment for failing to keep my promises. This only made me feel worse. As I thought, Ari is constantly watching me, invisible to the eyes of both humans and spirits. I hope I do not get paranoia from this. However, whether she is there or not, I will be continuously watched regardless.
Even the absence of a body did not save me from the tormenting feelings and anxieties. Lately, I have been excessively prone to reflection. Lost in myself, guided by my own thoughts, I often lose touch with reality, not noticing how seconds and minutes fly by. Just like now, dawn was far, far away, but here it is, almost illuminating the whole sky with blue.
Time… a funny thing. It seemed that the closer this day got, the slower time passed. A funny illusion of the mind. Nevertheless, the future is inevitable; days passed, weeks changed, and the day I needed arrived with a soft pink dawn.
It is time…