===== 17 - Iron Moth ==========
Before making any decision, especially a very important strategic one, any self-respecting admirer of an old conqueror will first plan their steps - but the problem is that this turned into a race with another equally good conqueror named Oza. I had already pushed the fact that we needed to capture Ba Sing Se faster to the back of my mind, and didn't even think about the speed of this ambitious conqueror's plans.
I contacted Tai Li again and urged her on as my chief executor of this part of the plan - without her, without the help of the Kioshi warriors, who had been training all this time and waiting exclusively for my signal, the battle against the Dai Li who had seized power could prove impossible, and the destruction of the walls of Ba Sing Se would be out of the question. It turns out that, in the best-case scenario, the most fortified city will be captured without a fight; I'm simply using the same tactic that Azula used. Based on this, I will have to make my own choice.
Here, we need to be more serious and pay attention to two things, because the choice is very, very important. First, what advantage will I gain in the campaign and do I really need it, and second, which spirits will I get rid of first and take their power, so that they cannot interfere with me later. It can also be assumed that I will meet all of them on the global battlefield, which means that I need to determine their usefulness...
And here, the Spirit of Rust wins by a huge margin over the rest... The logic behind this abrupt and criminal conclusion is simple: corrosion is required to create rust magic, and this is an advanced skill. With the help of this spirit, it will definitely be easier to defeat Old Iron, and then gain another metal control power. So, by subjugating one, I more or less easily - although not really - get two at once. The last one doesn't seem to give me anything, that is, the situation is like Yuna's, who was left out of the game because of unsuitable magic - and controlling rain is, apparently, water or, in extreme cases, the element of wind.But if we look at the options from the commander's point of view: eliminating the winged one will give me unconditional domination of the sky - this means quickly capturing all strategic positions, flying across the seas and quickly subjugating the infidels, which is probably what Oza had in mind. Against this backdrop, mechanised troops and even the fleet look pale. The problem is that if Rust exists, the production of airships will also be threatened, because it destroys the factories themselves. I imagine their attack as a massive line of flying balls that burn everything with fire, or simply create a frightening effect on their enemies, but this cannot happen if the production lines eventually start producing a couple of airships a month, or even a year, not to mention all the other troops.
But if there are a lot of them flying around, even the winged ones won't be able to destroy them all. At least, new ones can be produced and not sent into battle yet, and then they can fill the skies. In this case, protecting the production lines is the top priority. And the fourth option should have been chosen without hesitation.
4 - Intimidating (This option can be combined with any other. You joined forces with Azula and let her experience love, which means you can get support after your conquests. Suppress anyone who wants to submit to the spirits and force them to help you expand).
"Haha, I'll kill the weakest so I can bully the strongest later" — the idea is simple. But I had to find Azula, who was busy with her interesting research, and interrupt her like the worst kind of scum. It's worth mentioning that the girl who used to control fire simply by virtue of some natural talent began to look at magic itself in a slightly different way. You could say that I carried out my plan, and her hyperactivity and desire to bully someone else became focused on her desire to live up to the title of "Dragon."
As the girl herself said, killing the Dragon brought her only fleeting pleasure, but all the glory of being the true last victor of the winged race quickly grew tiresome, because it didn't actually give her anything. And the rumours that the dragon's slayer would gain its power turned out to be nonsense. She needed something tangible. Something great! She really liked the idea of turning the title of Dragon into reality.
"Come on, we need to go," I found the girl in the experimental hall, in front of a board with details of the flame's work, and caught her deep in thought.
"This is so wonderful, Dagoth," I said, keeping my hands in my pockets and approaching her from behind. She had a worried look on her face. "Fire has many forms, and because of its concentration, each technique can be approached differently. Weak and feeble, as it seemed to me, yellow-orange, it expends less energy and allows you to create even more fire. Blue is concentrated and suitable for precise strikes at medium range. But there are others Purple is the most concentrated and is usually created at the tip of a fire blade, which I had never noticed before.
She confirmed her words by clenching her fist and pretending to hold a dagger, although in reality she released a jet of flame. The tip, the hottest part, actually took on a purple, almost invisible edge. But then she changed its shape, and the dagger became almost half the size, but now it was completely purple. The sound of the roaring flame grew even louder... had she become stronger again? Apparently so, and her reasoning resembled Laghima's thoughts about the influence of energy on fire magic. I wouldn't be surprised if she figured out how to open the sixth chakra herself.
"That dragon created others too — green, white, pink! I want to know what each of them does, because I am the only one who can show the world such magic," she turned to me with a very cheeky look. It was hard to believe that she had become kinder and no longer wanted to destroy anyone. But there was something very remarkable... "So, where are we going?"
Coming up to me with her arms folded across her chest, she seemed somehow peaceful.
"Are you sure you're okay? I don't know, your expression looks a little... sick? - I squinted hard to understand why she seemed so unusual to me.
"I've gotten better. Stronger," she replied meaningfully, and then I understood. The fourth chakra began to open, as if some of the blockages in her body had already been cleared and there was very little left. "You know, I was going to use you to hurt Tai Li because that circus performer betrayed me. Her disobedience threw me off track, and I wanted to hook you up and preferably get engaged to you to destroy her heart.
"...
"But then I suddenly realised: why the hell do I need you? Ha ha ha ha! - With a smile, she put her hands on her hips and laughed loudly," - I don't give a damn about that traitor or you, you're just not interesting enough for me to waste my time and nerves on you. The only thing that really interests me is magic!Oh... well, I could definitely say that it was the influence of her fourth chakra opening that changed her thinking. She finally understood what drives her forward and what holds her back — maybe it's not even about magic, but about where we are? All the nostalgia she felt when she first came to the academy had now completely evaporated, and she no longer thought about what fun and interesting days she had spent here. She was interested in something new.
It's just a shame that they laughed in my face and treated me like I was worthless trash. Well, at least they didn't abandon me halfway through and decide to focus solely on magic, so that's good.
"You're a real nobody, why did I bother chasing after you? - spreading her arms wide, she finally got to me.
"Shut your mouth," I said, throwing sand into her mouth and enjoying the wonderful silence. On that day, the academy was once again nearly burned down by the princess, and the teachers, including the new ones, began to fear the two of us, because when we left, part of the walls and floors of the building had been demolished. Black smoke and a large dust cloud hung over the building itself.
The students who saw us off then spread a rumour that we had fought violently, but when we left the academy, we calmly bumped fists as a sign of peace. Whether they really had a fight or whether it was done to destroy the academy again, no one ever understood.
***
An interesting logical puzzle: where exactly could the spirit of decay and rust be located, which affects all metals and factories, if there were so many of them throughout the archipelago that you could chew on them? Without Afka, I would never have guessed, because the problem is that the spirit is not yet active. Only later will it begin to strike the Archipelago with its teeth, but now it is just sleeping under the thick layer of earth, waiting for the ceiling to start shaking from the production lines.
Old legends left over from the air nomads, who once calmed this spirit, said that they were located in deep and long tunnels of a volcano. They dug deep into the ground, protected by magma and red-hot metals. Using the instructions and clues pointing to the right place, we quickly realised... this volcano was the capital.
Yes, it was difficult to forget that the capital was located within a natural barrier, the arches of a frozen volcano protecting it from the infantry, but beneath it there were still many underground passages in which one could even get lost. That was where, as far as I remembered, Oza planned to hide during the solar eclipse, and the monks had locked up a very unpleasant spirit a little deeper. Instead of killing it or at least chasing it away, they allowed it to sleep in such a dangerous place.
"I didn't notice that before," I thought, standing at the foot of the volcano, realising that the rock had a reddish colour. Red ochre, everywhere, as if someone had eaten a lot of iron here, then processed it and vomited it out. The ground was loose and weak in places.
But it was good that I didn't have to ask for permission to enter the network of caves. I didn't even ask Azula where the entrance was, because I dug it myself and, under the slightly frowning gaze of my companion, crawled down.
"You would make an excellent spy, gathering information for our enemies. How do you know about the underground passages?" she asked as soon as we descended into one of the passages.
"I can sense it. I know the location of all the magma flows in the vicinity, and even where the metals are. I can even pull them out of the ground at any moment to use in battle. Oh, by the way, I can see a bunker. It's thin, I'm sure I could break through it with my fist.
I answered these questions sarcastically, making Azula think at first, then smile. She just found it amusing and didn't bother trying to hide her secrets. There was only one thing I didn't like about the whole situation. Fighting with a whole city above my head sounded dangerous, didn't it?
"I remembered something," I said, catching Azula's attention. "Once, a whole cave almost collapsed on my head. So many rocks fell that I almost died. At the time, I was afraid that the whole of Omasu would collapse on me.
"Unlike the barbarians from the kingdom of the earth, we fortify our cities. There's even a plan in case of an eruption, everything will be fine here.
"No, I'm just saying that I'm usually unlucky in these matters.
Boom*
A blow from the depths of the earth stopped us both abruptly. It sounded as if huge layers of earth were tearing apart, causing an earthquake. But that couldn't have happened, could it?
"Eat, eat, eat, eat," came a shrill, collective voice from the depths, the sound of someone very hungry, an insatiable glutton, eager only to devour.
"Choose:
1 - Titan (The battle with Yoon turned out to be louder and more spectacular than you initially thought. Because of your bad luck, Rust has recently awakened and is eating away at the steel beams that reinforce the capital, causing soil erosion and weakening the volcano's foundation - hold the volcano on your shoulders to prevent the capital from collapsing)
2 - Lava Fighter (The battle with Yoon caused more problems than you initially thought. Rust's awakening has caused the volcano to prepare for an eruption, and it is about to engulf the capital. Divert the erupting magma and save the inhabitants of the capital. This option can be combined with the first one).
Warning: the spirit is immune to metal magic and high temperatures; using them will only irritate it and strengthen Rust.
"Ooh, yummy," I hadn't even made my choice when a swarm of strange dark yellow flies, speaking in children's voices, burst out of the ground and filled the cave, staring at me. Well, or at the silver beads around my neck. "Man, share your food.
"Give us the tasty treat! Give it to us!
"Get lost. It's a gift," I clenched my fists and instantly changed my attitude.
"I don't know what's going on here, but..." - and the interested Azula took a step back from me and covered her fingertips with electric discharges. "There's an important meeting in the capital right now, don't you dare interrupt it."