"You..." She recovered herself. "…are an even more interesting option than I expected..." she informed me cryptically, her eyes taking on a faintly anticipatory gleam. "And a dangerous opponent."
"Perhaps." I shrugged. "But the same could be said of you, Princess."
"Hmm..." Azula studied me thoughtfully for a moment. Then she crossed the room and settled gracefully into an armchair, steepling her fingers before her.
"Now then," she said, "tell me—how exactly do you intend to keep me safe?"
"That depends on what objectives you intend to pursue in the Earth Kingdom," I replied, placing just the slightest emphasis on you.
"I?" The girl caught the implication immediately, her voice turning sharp. "The order for this journey came from my father."
"Without question," I agreed, briefly closing my eyes. "But between the issuing of an order and its execution stands the person who chooses the tactical approach by which that order is carried out. That's true even of an ordinary soldier sent out on patrol. The heir to the throne, all the more so, has every right to decide for herself which path best suits the circumstances."
"I see you're skilled at flattery as well..." Azula crossed one leg over the other. "Aren't you afraid I'll tell Father about your disrespect toward his authority?"
Ah. Applying pressure now, were we?
Groundless accusations of a grave offense were still just that—groundless. To someone unaccustomed to this sort of thing, such a threat would probably induce panic and trembling. But I had no intention of shaking in fear and begging forgiveness while desperately insisting I'd been misunderstood.
"Why would I?" Another smile. "I have shown no disrespect. On the contrary, I'm doing everything in my power to carry out his order concerning your protection. Surely you'll agree, Princess, that it's rather difficult to protect someone when they don't even bother informing you what they intend to do or why. In any case, I doubt ordinary soldiers would make suitable escorts. We'd need people capable of at least keeping up with you in the midst of battle."
Azula froze again.
It was subtle, almost imperceptible, but her breathing hitched.
Only for a fraction of a second.
But I noticed.
"You mean your entourage? I've heard about them." She spent several moments considering. "Very well. It will be interesting to see what those much-advertised Kyoshi warriors are actually worth. But first, I want to see what you can do in a fight. Perhaps the Herald's reputation has been greatly exaggerated?"
Yeah. I had to admit it. Tof still came in second when it came to poisonous remarks.
"As you wish, Princess. The rules?"
"No restrictions. Use whatever you like." Yeah... confidence was certainly not something she lacked. "Come."The girl rose from her chair and headed for the door.
Our little tour ended fairly quickly in a spacious hall. A large, well-equipped training area. Weapon racks lined the walls, holding all manner of arms. Practice dummies stood nearby, fitted with protective gear, while cabinets displayed bandages and burn ointments.
They took training seriously here, which was only sensible. Though according to regulations, there was supposed to be someone present to supervise the spar and, if necessary, patch up the participants afterward—especially if things ended in what was politely referred to as a "combat draw."
Needless to say, no such person was currently in the hall.
Well then...
Throwing the match was unquestionably a bad option. Given the Fire Nation's cult of strength—and the princess's wholehearted devotion to it—after something like that, she wouldn't even consider me a real person anymore.
Winning?
That wouldn't be particularly difficult. The girl moved beautifully, with almost no wasted motion, which spoke of excellent training. But she lacked real combat experience. During our short walk through the palace corridors alone, she'd given me three opportunities to kill her. And the brief time we'd known each other was more than enough to make one thing perfectly clear: she would never have done so knowingly.
On the other hand, she might take defeat personally.
A draw?
A draw would be ideal, but I wasn't sure I could pull it off. Defeating her would be easy. Making her stop without inflicting serious damage...
Not with that temperament of hers.
My deliberations didn't stop me from selecting a sword that felt right in my hand. I passed on armor, however. The available pieces were too bulky and cumbersome. Besides, after wearing dragon-hide armor tailored specifically for me, every other suit felt uncomfortable by comparison.
Well then. As the saying goes, no battle ever unfolds according to plan. After all, I'd humbled the Ocean Spirit and challenged the Fire Lord himself to an Agni Kai. It seemed a little late to start getting nervous now.
Gathering my thoughts, I took my place opposite the girl, who was shifting impatiently from foot to foot.
"Oh? Finally done?" One eyebrow arched. "I'd thought you'd be preening yourself until morning!"
"Well, I have to look presentable for a lady—especially one as enchanting as yourself, don't I?" Hm. I liked throwing her off balance. This might end up being far more enjoyable than I'd expected. "Shall we begin?"
Instead of answering, the princess bared her teeth in a feral grin and lashed out with her leg. A stream of brilliant blue fire came hurtling toward me.
I stepped into it, the movement flowing seamlessly into a lunge, and struck at the empty air with my left hand as I exhaled. Chi obediently flowed through my paths, passed through the Fire Chakra in my chest, and burst from my outstretched arm in a wave of matching blue flame.
The two torrents collided in the middle of the hall and, unable to overcome one another, shot upward instead, rising into a blazing wall that cut us off from each other's sight. I sprinted forward, preparing to burst through the flames and surprise the princess. My hand pierced through the flames, and...
I found myself staring at a slender female hand emerging through the fire from the other side
(End of Chapter)
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