7 First Steps 7
When we returned to the ship, Azula retired to her quarters quite quickly, a scowl upon her lips. Nobody wanted to get in her way when she was in such an obvious bad mood.
I returned to my own quarters after eating, and honestly, I just spent hours working out. The thing about my new body was that while I did get tired, after a bit of rest, my fatigue and even any injuries rapidly healed. The massive bruise I'd taken from Ako's kick for example, had healed up in minutes.
There wasn't much equipment I could use, but benching the metal clothing bench at the foot of my bed worked decently enough. Over and over again I did it, until my arms felt like jelly, then I stopped, until my body healed up and my fatigue vanished. And then I repeated that series of actions, multiple times for hours on end. It was mind numbingly boring and I didn't have the chance to go out and train on the deck.
But in the end, my endurance rose by one and my strength by two.
Name: Zan
Race: Human
Level: 4 (32/388)
HP: 2100/2100 (105 Regen per minute)
CP: 1560/1560 (65 Regen per minute)
Strength: 24 (26.4) (28.4)
Endurance: 21 (23.1) (35.1)
Dexterity: 19 (22.8)
Luck: 7
Stat Points: 0
Gacha points: 0
'This will have to do for now.' I mused the next morning, leaning over the ship railing. Along the pier leading to the ship, the nineteen fire nation soldiers that I used to be a part of, and the ship captain stood lined up on each side at the ready, awaiting Iroh and Zuko.
Azula herself stood at the top of the ship ramp, with Ako and Shen, the two other Imperial Fire Benders upon the ship besides me standing behind her.
'What should I do here?' I wondered as I looked up the stairs of the mountain, catching sight of two familiar figures making their way down together towards the ship.
(Quest Gained!)
(Zuko and Iroh are being led into a trap, that Iroh is well aware of due to your machinations. Decide on what to do! Pick a side.)
(Option 1: Choose Azula and go all in helping her capture her brother and uncle.)
(Option 2: Side with Zuko and Iroh, help them escape Azula.)
(Option 3: Help Zuko and Iroh escape without alerting Azula and risking your position with her.)
Oh, and of course I'd get a quest. Lovely. I rolled my eyes. Well, I'm definitely not full on siding with Azula. Odds are I wouldn't be a great big help to her against someone oh Iroh's calibre right now anyway, but I still don't want to full on join her side. Option two was tempting, I admit. I could readily join their side and get instruction fro Iroh possibly, but I'd end up at complete odds with Azula, and while I only consider that a small loss, it would put me at odds with Mai and Ty Lee as well and have me labelled a traitor to the Fire Nation and probably get a bounty put on my head.
Now, I don't give a crap about Mai, like at all. But running around with a bounty on my head could be a pain. And at the top of the reasons of them all, I don't want to be put at odds with Ty Lee. Not only is she totally the best girl in the series, but she's also my only hope to learn Chi Blocking, which is completely overpowered in this setting.
So the third option it was I guess.
I didn't have much time to think either way, because just a few minutes later, the pair of them arrived at the pier and made their way towards the ship. As they got closer and walked amongst the fire bending soldiers, I could see Iroh's eyes shifting back and forth to each of them, suspicious, awaiting an attack.
"Brother, uncle, welcome," Azula spread her arms out and greeted them with a wide smile when they reached the bottom of the ramp, "I'm so glad you decided to come."
"Are we ready to depart your highness?" the captain stepped out of rank and asked, while the soldiers lined up in rows of two behind Iroh and Zuko.
"Indeed," Azula nodded, "Set our course for home, captain."
"..Home.." I heard Zuko mumble. As one, he and Iroh followed the captain of the ship up the ramp.
"You heard the princess!" the captain shouted just as he was nearing the top, "Raise the anchors! We're taking the prisoners home!" he paused as he said that, his eyes widening as he realised exactly what he just said.
..I honestly couldn't believe there could be somebody that stupid. I mean, I was expecting it...but seriously?
"Your highness...I..." the captain trailed off.
That was as far as he got, before Iroh sprung into action, spinning blindingly fast he slammed a backhanded fist into the helmet of one of the soldiers, sending him flying dozens of feet back. Them slammed a kick into another, slamming him into the ground hard before he had time to react.
"Rah!" another shot forward, lashing out with a flame enhanced kick, only for Iroh to grab his flaming leg with one hand, lift him up and spin, slamming him into two more fire bender soldiers like a baseball bat before letting go, the force of his swing sending all three of them splashing into the ocean.
"Idiot!" I 'snarled', jumping over the ship railing just as Zuko darted up and passed the captain. I slammed a flame enhanced punch into the side of the captains face and sent him soaring into the ocean.
(Fire Nation Captain Defeated! Gained: 60 experience points!)
