Book One: Water – The Siege of the North: Part 2!
Chapter 10
Book One: Water - The Siege of the North: Part 2!
Hello there, peasants!!!
Here's the chapter of the week!
Thank you for waiting!
Without further ado, enjoy the chapter!
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- Location: Capital of the Northern Water Tribe - Agna Qel'a.
Pov. Zuko.
Invading a hostile city at night, even with a tight schedule, was...
Ridiculously easy.
Not to belittle the primitive surveillance system using the guards, but for someone who came from an era where cyber warfare was a thing, there was no big deal in breaking into the current location. I just had to time the guards and determine the safe areas to pass in just a few minutes.
Initially, I was going after Appa; after all, if I find Appa, Aang will probably be around.
However, my thoughts and decisions were interrupted when I overheard a private conversation between the sentries...
Looks like Sokka has been arrested.
The reason for this was Princess Yue's 'kidnapping' and consequently Sokka's carelessness in losing Yue to me.
Yes, my actions have put Sokka in a delicate position.
What surprised me was that neither Katara nor Aang was able to drop Sokka's accusations as they were outnumbered and all the inhabitants were annoyed with Sokka. Even Aang's status as the avatar didn't save Sokka from the displeasure of the Northern Tribe people.
So I went for the easy one...
Locate the palace prison, which would be the dungeons.
In the dark of night, my clothes served to camouflage me with my surroundings, me leaping from roof to roof and traversing alleys bathed in the dark of night, hiding when necessary, until I reached the palace.
Upon arriving at my destination, I could only wait and time for the guards; after all, security was attentive due to Yue's 'kidnapping'.
A few minutes passed and I thought I would have to make my own way with some 'casualties' on the Northern Tribe side until I noticed a figure near the palace stairs...
I couldn't help but curse the convenience only found in the fantasy world.
Pov. Third-person.
Returning to the palace in the middle of the night after waterbending to pass the time was Katara. The young girl from the Southern Water Tribe can only try to find a way not to think about what had happened earlier...
During Aang and Katara's training with Master Pakku, Sokka landed Appa quickly and ran towards Aang asking for help. When Master Pakku interrupted Aang's abduction and demanded answers for such behavior, Sokka just desperately told him that he needed help.
It was then that Aang picked a bad time to ask about Sokka's outing with Yue.
Pakku quickly glanced at Appa, and when he saw that Yue was nowhere to be seen, he used waterbending to freeze both Sokka and Aang and demanded answers...
A few minutes were enough for Sokka to say what had happened.
Master Pakku, like Aang and Katara, was horrified and immediately went to notify Arnook.
Everyone blamed Sokka's irresponsibility, but no one was more furious than Arnook, who ordered Sokka to be arrested as well.
Aang and Katara appealed to Arnook to release Sokka but to no avail. The Northern Water Tribe chief had stated that he would only release Sokka when he had his daughter back, alive or not.
As Aang and Katara left, crestfallen, the avatar promised Katara that he would not give up, and would rescue Yue so that Sokka would be acquitted.
So Aang went on a crusade, raiding every Fire Nation ship in search of any sign of Yue.
But Aang hadn't expected there to be so many ships, and the flame of confidence he had before was starting to be snuffed out.
Katara, even receiving waterbending lessons, due to her being on the roof of the Northern Tribe, and by extension the customs, ended up being left behind the battlefront, being reduced to just training waterbending in case of need eventuality.
She was returning from training with her head down, while thinking about what could happen to Yue and, especially, to her brother, Sokka.
When she was close to the stairs, Katara didn't notice a figure approaching behind her quickly.
Katara just felt a pressure point on her neck being pressed, plus a warm touch, as her vision darkened...
Zuko, disguised as a Blue Spirit, had used energybending to knock out the young waterbender.
After a few minutes, Katara woke up and found herself in a kind of oasis she had never been to before...
Tied up.
"What - ?!" said Katara, surprised by the current situation.
It was then that Katara heard the sound of footsteps next to her and turned around, coming face to face with a figure wearing a blue-colored mask that looked like the face of a demon.
When Katara wanted to scream she was soon interrupted by the masked figure, which used his hand to silence her scream.
The figure then looked Katara in the eye and could only snort in amusement.
"Hello, Zuko here," said Zuko, removing his mask.
As soon as Katara saw Zuko's face, her eyes widened... before starting to frown in disgust and squirm more, in an attempt to break free of her bonds.
Zuko stared at Katara's futile attempt and just sighed tiredly.
"My time is short, so I'll be brief... I can free your brother" said Zuko.
When Zuko said the last word, Katara stopped squirming and stared at Zuko with a confused look.
"If I take my hand away from your mouth, will you hear me?" Zuko asked.
Katara stared at the prince for a few more seconds before nodding, which Zuko reciprocated by withdrawing the hand that prevented Katara from screaming for the next few seconds. The young waterbender just stared at Zuko, her brow furrowed, awaiting what the banished prince had to say with a suspicious look.
"Yue is with me... I can deliver her safe and sound after everything is over, but it will have to be my way" said Zuko, crossing his arms.
Katara just growled in response.
"You are responsible for my brother being imprisoned! Besides, you just indirectly admitted to participating in this Fire Nation attack! How can I even believe what you are saying?!" questioned Katara, fiercely.
Zuko just stared at Katara in silence before answering in the next second.
"You better listen, because I'm the one who holds the cards... I'm just stating which cards are on the table" said Zuko, seriously.
Katara raised an eyebrow.
"What does that mean?" Katara asked.
"It means that whether you believe me or not will decide not only your brother's fate; in fact, what is at stake goes beyond your own puny existence," said Zuko.
The banished prince then grabbed Katara by her clothes and lifted her, dragging the young woman to the oasis pond and stopping at the edge of the small lake where the Koi fish resided.
"That's what's at stake," Zuko said, pointing to the fish.
Katara just looked at Zuko like he was crazy.
"What do fish have to do with my brother's life?" asked Katara, not believing Zuko's claim.
Zuko snorted.
"Your brother? Think on a larger scale of importance… Do you even have any idea what these fish are?" Zuko asked.
Katara just stared between Zuko and the Koi fish, only for a frown of frustration to be the only thing on her face.
"... I can't understand! What do you want?!" asked Katara, having lost her temper.
Zuko looked Katara in the eye.
"Bring Aang and have him meditate here, the spirits will hear him. You have until dawn to do something, after that, I will be forced to attack the Northern Tribe again, but this time it could be the last day of this place" said Zuko.
The prince then placed two fingers on Katara's forehead and said with a serious tone.
"You'll only be knocked out for a few minutes. When you wake up, remember to bring Aang here, no matter what they say, but bring him here; take my words seriously if you want to see this place still standing tomorrow, with your brother free and Yue alive" said Zuko.
Before Katara could even respond, Zuko used energybending to block Katara's chi points, which served to keep her awake.
With Katara knocked out, Zuko just untied her and started back towards the same hole in the ice that allowed him to invade the Northern Water Tribe's spiritual oasis. The prince can only curse the situation that was escalated, after all, he couldn't convey Azula's plan for one simple reason...
If Katara knew that Azula was planning to cross 100 war tanks across the tundra, it was certain that she would not warn Aang, but Arnook.
Knowing Arnook from his actions then and now, Zuko was absolutely certain of two scenarios...
The first, and least likely, scenario would be that Arnook would organize his military force on two fronts and try to seize the tundra terrain for waterbenders and warriors, managing to hold off the invasion force for a while, but slowly ceding ground due to the disadvantage of numbers.
The second and most likely scenario... Arnook would capture Aang and trade the avatar for his daughter and the survival of the Northern Tribe.
Zuko knew that the second scenario was more likely to happen due to Arnook being a leader and a father, so it doesn't necessarily mean he was allied with the avatar if the safety of the Tribe and his daughter was at stake.
So the banished prince opted for the third option...
Arnook would focus on battleships while Aang could focus on the tanks before he go to the battleships.
If Zuko was relying too much on Aang, it was for one simple reason... He knew that among all the benders in the world, the avatar had the rawest power due to being intertwined with a primordial spirit.
Having successfully accomplished the primary and secondary objectives, Zuko decided it was time to leave the Northern tribe, starting to swim back to his ship silently, bending energy to keep him warm and full of vigor.
After a while, Zuko finally made it back to his ship, immediately locating the bathroom hatch he'd left open and taking the rope tied to a hook from the backpack he was carrying. The banished prince then deftly spun and hurled the grappling hook towards the open hatch, starting to climb the rope just as he managed to plant the grappling hook on the hatch's edge.
In the dead of night, due to his dark clothing, prince Zuko looked like a shadow slowly climbing the rope.
As soon as he entered the bathroom of his cabin again, Zuko changed into his previous clothes that were carefully folded in one place and opened the bathroom door.
Just to observe that Yue was lying comfortably on the bed……
In his bed.
Although Zuko wanted to lie down on the warm bed after a long swim in freezing water for a long time, the prince, due to the adult mentality of the one occupying Zuko's body, felt aversion to lying on the same bed that currently had a girl with sixteen years old.
Zuko, making up his mind, sighed in defeat and headed to the corner of the room, sitting down and assuming a meditation posture, forcing energybending to bend his inner chi to relax his muscles and get some form of rest.
The next morning, the banished prince woke up with the sunrise, getting up from the spot and heading towards the bathroom, glancing briefly at the bed, seeing that Yue didn't seem to have moved all night.
After bathing and wearing his armor, Zuko approached the bed and faced Yue, while, for a few moments, he exchanged glances with the cutlery on the tea table.
It only took a few seconds for Zuko to speak.
"I beg your pardon if I made any noise when I entered the bathroom and consequently woke you up. I have two pieces of advice for you, Princess Yue... The first is if you want to pretend you're still asleep, make sure you remain in the same position you were before, breathing slowly and not forcing your eyes to stay closed, as it makes it very obvious due to the eyelids and the corners of the eyes," said Zuko.
When Yue opened her eyes in shock, the banished prince didn't even have time for her to process the statement as he immediately grabbed the sheets and pulled them; taking off the sheets that once covered the princess of the Northern Tribe.
"The second thing is, avoid picking up objects obviously prone to being used as a weapon, those are the first to be noticed missing… Especially a kitchen knife," said Zuko listlessly as he pointed to the knife that Yue had been holding under the sheets.
As Yue didn't react to the shock of the previous actions, it was time for Zuko to drop the sheets and walk away while making a small comment.
"I suggest bathing because today you will be walking with me on the ship," said Zuko.
"… Is this a request or an order?" asked Yue.
"Put it however you want, but you definitely won't be alone here in the room, especially after showing me that you have nervous hands," said Zuko, pointing to the knife still in Yue's hand.
The Princess of the North frowned and got up, dropping the knife on the bed and heading to the bathroom, but before she could close it, Zuko spoke again.
"By the way... leave the fork too," said Zuko, looking back at Yue.
The princess turned around and discontent could be seen on her face as she reached under her clothes, pulling out a silver fork that seemed to be part of the same set as the knife from before. Having been disarmed, Yue could only slam the bathroom door shut at the same time as Zuko just shook his head in disappointment and weariness, choosing to lean against the metal wall to wait for Yue.
A few minutes later Yue came out of the bathroom and fiercely walked towards Zuko, who just smiled amusedly at the princess's reaction. Zuko pushed himself away from the wall and offered an arm for Yue to hold, which caused the princess to raise an eyebrow.
"I'm escorting you properly, that's all, nothing more, nothing less," said Zuko, briefly, as he watched Yue's reaction.
The Water Tribe princess just accepted Zuko's arm and then started walking side by side with him, leaving the room and heading towards the ship's deck, where a table full of food was waiting for them.
While they ate, it was possible to see the sunrise from the deck of the ship, where Zuko and Yue were eating comfortably at the table, while being watched by several guards. After a few minutes, one of the royal guards quickly approached Zuko and crouched down to whisper in the prince's ear and prevent Yue from hearing.
"My prince, Princess Azula has conveyed the message to the fleet, advising that it is time to resume the attack... She has also given notice that she is arriving here to stay on your ship for the remainder of the siege," said the guard.
Zuko didn't show any reaction until he calmly drank a cup of tea before making a small comment.
"I will never distinguish each soldier with these armors, tell me… What is your name?" Zuko asked.
The royal guard looked confused but soon answered simply.
"Kuzon, my lord... Named after Lord Sozin's father," said the guard, identified as Kuzon.
Zuko just nodded in approval... But the next comment made the guard freeze.
"While I don't recognize you by your face, the same cannot be said for your voice. You were the guard who wanted to take Princess Yue to prison… You notified Azula about the princess, didn't you?" asked Zuko, calmly.
The royal guard felt a chill go down his spine when Zuko stared at him with a cold gaze, although Zuko or the guard didn't move, the threat was perceptible in the air...
The guard must choose his next words carefully.
"...Yes, it was my orders from Princess Azula to notify her of everything you do," said the royal guard, bowing slightly.
Zuko just hummed in response.
"I understand perfectly," said Zuko.
The royal guard then let out a breath he had been holding, but the next comment and Zuko left him in shock.
"Such dedication is commendable, I hope you continue like this when we're on the ground," said Zuko, with a smile.
"... What?" asked the guard.
"Well, you don't expect me to stand here while my people are fighting on the front lines after breaching the wall," said Zuko.
"... You're a prince, you can't risk yourself –" said the guard, until he was interrupted.
"'Banished' prince I must stress, my death will make no difference; I have to prove to my nation that I should be referred to as a worthy prince. Also, my sister is the current heir," said Zuko.
It was then that Zuko stood up and patted the royal guard on the shoulder.
"As you are my guard, you will accompany me on the first raid of the morning... Let's not be late, the 'glory' awaits us beyond those walls of ice" said Zuko.
The royal guard was in shock and just gulped, while Yue remained with a frown. The Princess of the North was having complicated feelings towards Zuko, for even though he was an invader and was responsible for bringing her down from the sky, the Prince of the Fire Nation was nothing but cordial and respectful...
But now this same prince was about to invade her home and harm the people of the North, and that was a big no for Yue, prompting the princess to get up and prepare to argue with Zuko.
However, Yue was soon interrupted by a guard, who came running towards Zuko.
"My prince! Princess Azula's ship has arrived!" said the guard.
And it was at this moment that a warship considerably larger and more adorned stopped next to Zuko's ship, placing an iron bridge that united the two ships, creating a simple catwalk.
A group was seen crossing the iron walkway, this group was led by Princess Azula, who was sporting an amused smile as she was accompanied by Ty Lee and six royal guards.
As Azula approached Zuko she looked at the 6 guards behind her and gave an order.
"Fire the flare, start the attack again... At the end of the day I want to see these Water Tribe peasants on their knees, with a Fire Nation flag on every corner of this savage city of ice" said Azula.
Yue frowned and wanted to argue, but she was soon stopped by Zuko who grabbed her arm. When Yue looked at Zuko she only saw a look that said to keep quiet, or it would make her situation worse.
One of Azula's guards returned to her warship, and a few minutes later, a flare shot skyward.
At this time the ships returned the attack.
As the ships attacked Azula had taken advantage of this moment to approach Zuko with an amused smile, while casting a brief glance at Yue.
"Didn't know you liked wildlings, Zuzu, poor Mai, she is going to be devastated by your new preferences, though… This wildling could make a concubine or even a proper servant, just to think of a princess of those water peasants cleaning my floor makes me quite satisfied" said Azula, narrowing her eyes while having a sadistic smile.
As Azula approached Princess Yue, someone stood in front of her...
Zuko.
The two siblings stared at each other, Zuko with an apathetic look and Azula with a look that bordered on amusement.
"What's the matter, Zuzu? Afraid I might break your toy?" asked Azula.
When Zuko didn't answer Azula just frowned and started to get irritated; although Azula's irritation wasn't because of Zuko turning against her, but rather because of Zuko not answering her right away.
"... If I want the avatar, my exchange currency must be intact," said Zuko.
Princess Azula just raised an eyebrow.
"Do you really think these peasants will hand over the avatar, their last salvation, for a princess who isn't even a bender?" asked Azula.
"For other peoples, the art of bending is not so important," said Zuko.
Azula just snorted in response.
"I know that well, that's why they are losing the war," said Azula.
"So you can see they'll accept the trade," said Zuko.
Azula just shrugged.
"Accepting or not accepting, it doesn't matter to me... Mainly because I will bring this pathetic civilization into the fold of the Fire Nation, I was thinking of christening this place with a new name..." said Azula.
The Fire Nation princess then gave Yue an amused smile.
"I was thinking New Azula, did you like it, peasant? I like it because of the city' color it reminds me of, well... Me" said Azula, creating a blue flame with one hand.
Yue frowned in response, which was not lost by Azula.
"Oh? Didn't like it? What a pity, but on the other hand I was never one to listen to the opinion of peasants defeated by me" said Azula.
Before Azula could continue to taunt Yue the ocean began to churn, causing most of the Fire Nation people on the deck of the 100 ships to become unbalanced.
Zuko ran to the edge of the ship and just saw a bright light across the sea starting to coalesce in front of the wall of ice.
The banished prince only frowned when he realized what it was, and he couldn't help but curse his luck, for although it seemed Katara did as he asked the ocean spirit still chose to retaliate, even though the moon spirit was still alive...
Wasting no time, Zuko chose to issue orders to the soldiers on his ship.
"Prepare the Blasting Jelly and the incendiary resin on the trebuchets, pass them on to the other captains, and await my command!" said Zuko, shouting orders.
The soldiers, even falling to the floor of the ship from the violent waves, followed the orders and started to move.
Azula, realizing that her brother knows something, soon shouted in a commanding tone.
"What does that mean, Zuko?!" asked Azula, crouching down to avoid falling.
"We pissed someone off," said Zuko.
It was then that the sea in front of the wall of ice began to rise, taking the form of a giant anthropomorphic Koi fish, which faced the Fire Nation fleet with a look of fury.
As soon as Yue saw the giant figure, her eyes widened and she got on her knees and started praising the figure.
The giant Koi fish made of water specifically looked at Yue on the ship and raised its arms. As soon as the giant creature raised its arms, two giant waves were created and lifted on both sides of Zuko's and Azula's ship, which was nearby.
The ocean spirit figure then approached Zuko's ship with one of the water arms extended towards Yue.
For Zuko, it was a double-edged sword.
If he let the ocean spirit rescue Yue, there would be nothing to stop him from killing everyone right after. On the other hand, if he prevented Yue's rescue, he would basically be painting a giant target on his head and drawing the spirit's wrath.
While Zuko decided... Someone decided for him faster.
*rumble*
Azula shot a bolt of lightning toward the hand of the giant creature made of water.
As soon as the lightning hit the giant creature... Nothing happened.
When Zuko looked closer, he saw that in the center of the creature made of water was Aang... Inside a bubble made of air that prevented him from coming into contact with the water, which dissipated the lightning harmlessly, as it matched it to the vast ocean connected to it.
"Well... There goes the idea of knocking him out with low-powered lightning in case the ocean spirit retaliates," said Zuko, whispering.
Although the lightning did not harm the giant spirit, Azula successfully drew its attention.
The ocean spirit then waved an arm and a wave was sent over the side of the ship, shaking it and knocking some people off their feet.
Ty Lee, who was doing her best to grab onto something and balance herself, had to work even harder because if she fell off the ship it was unlikely that she would survive in the freezing waters without being at least a firebender.
The ocean spirit then narrowed its eyes and raised one of its arms and then swung it and slammed the sea between the two ships, creating tidal waves that separated the ships in addition to creating a wave that headed towards the rest of the fleet and pushed them further away from confrontation.
As soon as Zuko's warship was pushed, everyone started to fall to the ground, as the ship almost capsized at once. The young Ty Lee, although she had an excellent balance, was the first to slip due to the abrupt movement added to a wet floor; Azula soon slipped next as she slid across the deck of the ship along with her brother, with Zuko grabbing Yue cradling her in his arms with princess style.
Both Zuko and Azula stopped at what would be considered the ship's fence, while Ty Lee also stopped for balance. When the ship was fully capsizing, the three jumped onto the nearest ice platform, as soon as they landed Azula fired jets of fire that propelled the platform as far away from the ship as possible, saving them from the freezing waters to the north.
"Azula, I think you just pissed him off! Any idea how we beat that?!" asked Ty Lee, with a startled look at the capsized ship.
Azula didn't answer and just narrowed her eyes at the giant Koi made of water. It was then that Zuko let Yue out of his arms and chose to speak again.
"I think it's a good time for a trade deal, the princess for safe passage out of here," said Zuko, shrugging.
Azula just stared at Zuko right away.
"Do you want to back off? No wonder our father did what he did, he hates cowardice" said Azula.
"I'm open to suggestions," Zuko said, gesturing to Azula as if he wanted to hear another viable idea.
When Azula didn't answer Zuko just snorted in response.
"That's what I thought," said Zuko.
It was then that the ice platform, which they were on, was lifted by the waters of the sea and the four people came face to face with Aang in the avatar state.
"... I vote for Zuko's idea!" Ty Lee said, raising her hand like it was a vote.
Azula just stared at the giant Koi fish with an apathetic look, although she showed a little concern for her current situation.
Zuko then lightly pushed Yue towards Aang, who was possessed by the ocean spirit. The princess glared at Zuko for pushing her, but as soon as she looked at the representation of the ocean spirit, she immediately kneeled and began to pray.
The ocean spirit extended a hand towards Yue, who soon climbed up like a platform, and turned towards the Northern Tribe. As soon as the giant water spirit turned around, the pillar of water that was lifting the ice platform that Zuko, Ty Lee, and Azula were standing on dissipated...
Leaving the platform at the mercy of gravity.
The Fire Nation youth then fell into the freezing waters.
Azula was the first to swim to the surface and Zuko was following closely, but he soon noticed something when he looked back...
Ty Lee was thrashing as she desperately tried to swim to the surface.
Due to Ty Lee not being a firebender, she was at the mercy of the extreme temperatures of the northern ocean, as well as wearing cold-weather clothing that became too heavy due to being completely wet.
Zuko really considered whether to save her or not.
If Zuko let Ty Lee die it wouldn't make much difference in his mind, after all, he didn't feel the responsibility to save or even care about her. Also, Ty Lee was somewhat faithful to Azula, although...
That loyalty has proven fragile.
After Zuko saw that Ty Lee had given up and seemed to have succumbed to exhaustion, he made a decision...
By the time Zuko decided, Aang had returned to the northern tribe, leaving Yue on top of the wall while he separated from the ocean spirit and exited the avatar state.
At this point, Aang was so exhausted that he fell to his knees and nearly passed out.
Katara was the first to come running toward Aang.
"Aang! You did it!" Katara shouted, her tone happy.
Following Katara was Arnook who ran straight toward Yue and immediately hugged her after getting close enough. Once Arnook spent some time cuddling his daughter, he turned to Aang and said in a solemn tone.
"With my daughter safe and sound, your friend will be released, thank you for looking after the tanks and protecting the spiritual oasis, as well as looking after the fleet, as the head of the tribe I thank you. However, as a father, after witnessing the lack of common sense and care, Sokka is forbidden to approach Yue," said Arnook.
When Katara heard this, she was immediately disgusted, but Aang soon grabbed Katara's arm, preventing her from going against the leader of the Northern Water Tribe, especially considering that he still had Sokka as a prisoner. Another person who was surprised was Yue, who went to understand the current situation, but she just bit her lips in resignation and accepted her father's decision.
Meanwhile...
Azula had come out of the frozen sea and was standing on a shelf of ice as she stared with an irritated glare at the capsized battleships and the number of the fleet that had been reduced by nearly half.
"... Dirty peasants, lovers of ice..." said Azula with an irritated tone.
The Fire Nation princess then began to do the iconic lightning bending moves and then shot toward the sky.
With lightning soaring towards the heavens, it caught the attention of most of the people present...
Including the secret Fire Nation strike force responsible for planting Blasting Jelly on the walls of ice, specifically located on the sides of the city of Agna Qel'a, and ignites them if they see a lightning strike towards the sky.
For Azula, the initial plan was to invade Agna Qel'a from two fronts, it was meant to be easy given the Fire Nation's numbers and resources. However, the princess had another plan...
If the 1st plan failed due to some unconsidered variable, the order was to bury the Water Tribe in ice and, while the waterbenders made their way out, the rest of the fleet would wipe out the survivors.
Although Azula would consider it a defeat as she wanted to capture the city and prove herself as the heir, the idea of ending it all was still acceptable.
*BOOM*
When explosions were heard, all the inhabitants of the Northern Water Tribe looked towards the ice walls in horror as they saw them crashing into the city.
Screams were heard as the city was buried under ice and snow.
The waterbenders, led by Pakku, tried to contain the disaster, but the ice just collapsed on the city, wreaking havoc and mowing down any unlucky souls that were in the way, burying them in ice and snow, or pushing them into the sea and drowning them in the frozen waters.
All this time, Aang watched from the wall, which seemed to be the only safe place at the moment.
Aang's gaze conveyed what the young man was feeling at the moment...
Failure.
"... No... Sokka is still in the palace dungeons!" said Katara, worried.
When Aang realized that fact, his eyes widened and he quickly turned to Katara.
"Katara! Get who you can and bring them to Appa, you have to get them out of here! We don't know if the Fire Nation will attack again after this!" said Aang.
"But and you?!" Katara asked.
"I'm going to rescue Sokka!" said Aang, with a determined look, using the glider and flying through the city that was being buried by the ice.
On the way, Aang tried his best to stop the ice and snow slides, saving as many as he could while at the same time heading to Agna Qel'a's palace to rescue Sokka from the dungeons.
Azula watched the result with a look of satisfaction as she waited for the ship to pick her up.
As soon as the ship arrived Azula climbed up the stairs and stood on the ship's deck watching with a victorious look, although with a little discontent in her mind because she didn't like having to 'destroy' to win.
"Die Fire Nation scum!" she shouted a voice nearby.
Azula didn't even turn toward the voice and just shot a jet of flame toward it.
When a thud was heard, Azula just turned around with a bored look and saw a tan-skinned youth with Water Tribe features on the ground holding the chest area that was burned.
It was then that Azula noticed what the young man was wearing and snorted in amusement.
"Genocide-era Fire Nation navy armor… You really outdid yourselves, though I feel I should punish the guards and sentries who didn't notice," said Azula.
"You… You're going to pay for this! My Tribe will be avenged!" said the young man.
The young man was Hahn, Yue's fiancé by an arranged marriage and who tried to lead a secret mission to ambush the invasion leader who turned out to be Azula.
Unfortunately for Hahn... The idea was doomed to fail from the start.
Azula just stared at him for a while, until she showed a face that showed fear... Although it was easily noticed that it was a fake face.
"Oh! I'm so scared, to make you believe me I'll tell you that I felt a chill down my spine... Please, you peasants won't even have the opportunity for revenge as long as I have my foot on your neck" said Azula, with a smile sadistic.
The guards then approached young Hahn, grabbed him, and hauled him to his feet.
"What will we do with him, Princess Azula?" asked the guard.
Azula considered for some time and noticed a knife, which Hahn had probably had with him when he made the assassination attempt.
"You didn't attack me with waterbending, perhaps you aren't one... I made up my mind, to find any stowaways on my ship with genocide-era armor and bring them here, as well as some chains" said Azula.
The Fire Nation princess approached Hahn with a look that promised one thing...
Death.
"My mother used to tell me stories about you peasants... She once told me that one of you discovered the secrets of the bottom of the ocean and became the Blue Spirit" said Azula.
Every word Azula spoke made Hahn aware and worried about what was going to happen to him and the men under his responsibility.
"… How about you go look for those secrets too?" asked Azula, narrowing her eyes as well as flashing a smile.
Hahn, despite his arrogant personality, was known as one of the most fearless warriors of the Northern Water Tribe. However, at this very moment, in front of this youngest Fire Nation girl, he felt the opposite of bravery...
Cowardice.
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Well, that's all, peasants!
Hope you enjoyed the chapter!
In fact, I hope you're enjoying this fanfic, after all, I just started writing it spontaneously, so thanks for any feedback!
This was the last chapter of 'Book 1: Water'.
Book 2 will depend on whether I still have the desire to continue with this fanfic because I honestly don't think it's good.
But again, I don't think any of my stories are good, I just consider them mediocre.
Anyway, until the next update, peasants!
*Note of clarification: Reborn as Thor will be updated this week, it turns out I didn't have much time to write the chapter considering that this weekend (March 25th and 26th) was my birthday; Just to clarify: I was born on the 18th, but I couldn't celebrate because I had to take an important exam on the 19th.