On the road, obstacles are inevitable (part 2)

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At dawn, I still decided to wake up the princess a little earlier than she usually wakes up.

"Ps... Zula. Zu-la. Wake up beautiful, a new day has arrived," in joy at the approach of my dream, I even lightly smacked the sleeping beauty on the lips.

- Ugh. Yoaru? What do you want? - The girl grumbled quietly, probably not noticing my actions.

"Azula, I need your clothes."

The princess's eyes growing wider, I could see the beauty of the golden eyes the girl possessed. They were as beautiful and mesmerising as ever.

- What? Is this another one of your stupid jokes? Or am I still asleep? - Sleepily replied the girl, not realising what was going on.

"No, it's not a joke, I need one personal item of yours that has a strong odour, socks will do," I explain to the girl.

However, my actions only caused even more suspicion with questions.

I had to hurriedly explain everything in detail to Azula. After the initial surprise, she quickly pulled herself together, and shocking her again did not work. The girl's self-control, as usual, is at an excellent level. When I told her why I needed her clothes, the princess, not thinking long agreed to my idea. Azula, as a girl is not stupid, and very much the opposite, knew very well the power of knowledge in the right hands. In the greatest library of the spirit of knowledge, it was possible to find a lot of interesting things on any topic. It was not surprising that as soon as the princess learnt about the existence of this place, she immediately wanted to visit it, and if possible, to appropriate it. And if mankind does not know where this place is, the spirits are another matter. With them, we had a considerable chance of reaching the library, and the princess clearly saw it as a chance that I saw as well.

Good thing Azula chose to sleep in the largest tent, which was regularly guarded by at least six guardsmen. Everyone else had to make do with sleeping bags and the open sky, including her friends. The princess didn't much like sleeping with them - cramped. In any case, no one could interfere with our quiet conversation. And after the conversation, something happened that I wasn't prepared for.

"Azula, there's only underwear here," I rummaged through the backpack the girl pointed to and found several sets of lingerie.

This wasn't what I was counting on. I even felt kind of awkward, if not embarrassed. It was as if I had become completely sick in the head after my death, rummaging through the princess's dirty linen. I'd never stooped to that, not even in the worst of times.

Looking for answers, I turn back to the girl. She's lying, slightly raised on the cot, smiling defiantly at me. I seem to have fallen into her trap, without expecting it myself. What game is Azula playing this time?

- Mm-hmm..." she stretches out imperiously, feeling like she's in the lead. - So the stronger my scent, the better? Yes? In that case, I have my own version of clothes that you will carry to the spirit of the forest, - the girl rises from the bed, undoes her belt, grabs her trousers and....

Oh, my God! What shame! What shame! What impudence!

Covering my face with my hand, I suddenly realise! It's useless! It's transparent, I can still see everything! Azula just took off her dirty boxer shorts and trousers. Then she handed me her dirty underwear with a cheeky smile. I don't know what to feel, I'm just shocked to the core!

"Oh Zula, you've put me in such an awkward position," I answer her confusedly, instinctively trying not to make eye contact. Where's the muting of emotions when you need it so badly? I want to laugh and go under at the same time. What kind of a trick did she pull so unexpectedly?!

- I'm glad my little revenge hit you. You'll probably only understand a small part of the shame I felt during the first few days of our acquaintance," Azula whispered to me, piercing me with her gaze like an arrow.

Oh, so this is revenge...

"Ha ha ha. I'm impressed. You're so mean, Zula. I mean, I could just take your socks and leave and there's nothing you could do to me," I accept the princess's challenge, meeting her smug look. There was no doubt in my mind that it was a challenge!

- Yes, you can. However, it would be uncultured, and the number of my socks is limited. More importantly, the rucksack with my spare clothes is in the rucksack outside. Do you really want to get me in trouble by flying things in front of the soldiers? Besides, I don't think the fox spirit will care what kind of stuff it smells. Panties are fine. My scent is strongest on them, and I have slightly more of them than I have pairs of socks. I don't need a sock without a pair," and she's not even trying to tell a convincing lie! How funny, ridiculous and calm. The emotions have finally subsided.

"That's enough. You just want to mess with me," I finally calmed down, I had no intention of playing her game.

-Mm-hmm. -You're just now figuring that out? I guess my memory didn't boost your intelligence that much," Zula began to sneer in her usual style, but I was no longer bothered by it. And time was starting to run out, as it was getting light and I still had an offering to make.

"It's dawn. Give me your underwear," I approach the girl, taking the thing from her hands. This only makes her even more amused.

- Go, there's a panda waiting for you," but no, I think I still have time for one fleeting thing.

Moving even closer to her face, I suddenly cover her lips in a light kiss. Yeah, she wasn't expecting this. Eyes open, a look of incomprehension on her face, shock! All my training in materiality, just for this moment alone I was worth training for.

"Mm-mm. My pretty little meanie," I say to her in a commanding tone, stroking the girl's thigh before walking away, leaving the lying girl alone.

- Again... tz. - Azula follows me with mixed feelings. From the tone of her voice, I could even sense her embarrassment.

"We'll talk about it another time," I leave the last word to myself as I leave the princess' spacious tent.

Except her underwear didn't have the ability to pass through matter. I had to drag it along the ground, over the edges of the tent, and then soar high into the sky, leaving the camp. I didn't want to attract the guards' attention with flying underwear. In the end, I left the camp unnoticed.

Making a deal with Azula was more difficult than I had originally thought. Compared to that, taking her item to the panda, along with an offering of honey, was a simple matter. Nevertheless, the night was coming to an end. In the afternoon, I managed to catch up with the princess's squad after making arrangements with Hei Bai. All that remained was to hope for luck and continue on my way. It's still a long time until the end of the season, but maybe I can get to the library faster than I can meet the mother of faces?

The routine of our journey resumed once again. The squad moved quite fast, all the soldiers were very hardy. I was no longer particularly bored. I flew around and scouted the area, recharging myself with Azula's energy every now and then. I, who had grown up in the midst of huge cities and blighted nature, was pleased to see such purity and beauty. At the same time, the towns and villages that Azula inspected along the way gave me more work to do.

I used to be fond of reading books, it was a kind of training for me as an intangible spirit. Nowadays I don't read books, no. I write diaries. I put on paper everything I know about the technology of my home world. This world already has a steam engine. All that remains is to teach people electricity, create radio, television, and help mankind conquer the sky, as well as other things I was familiar with from a trivial physics textbook. For encryption from prying eyes, I wrote in my native language, in two copies at once. One for myself, for the future, the other as a payment to the spirit. As soon as I started doing it, I was immediately surprised by the perfectly beautiful and delicate handwriting. Azula had spent a lot of time on calligraphy, and even her skills had been passed on to me.

I took a break from such work in the beautiful company of Tai Li. The girl craved my attention, especially in the evenings. With Azula in the near future I did not have a conversation and we could not find out the relationship. The girl was busy with the inspection and travelling while I was minding my own business, preparing the payment for Wang Shi Tong. However, if she wanted to, she would definitely make time for our conversation. Fortunately, we didn't encounter such a horror of crime as in the harbour town. Princess quite coped with everything on her own, very rarely turning to me for help.

I was mostly busy, paying attention to the acrobat, and rarely exchanging phrases with Azula, who seemed to be trying to avoid meeting me. I decided to let the princess think about the situation on her own, and I also went to work. It was time-consuming to remember the working principles of certain technologies, as well as possible variants of their recreation in this world. Considering that I could do it only when the squad visited cities. On the road, I had other things to worry about.

Our squad had been travelling from town to town for almost a few weeks now. The princess inspected everything she came across on her way: towns, villages, trade caravans, and random people on the road. Everything was going surprisingly smooth and quiet, especially considering the rather close distance to the borders. Well, for me it's close to a hundred kilometres, for the locals it's a couple of days' journey. No spies or earth mages have been detected. So far.

Geographically, we had travelled more than halfway across the border when what Azula had feared so much happened.

An ambush.

Not a particularly competent one, but an ambush. As usual, flying ahead and surveying the road, I spotted a pair of men in earth mage armour. Rugged, silent, pumped-up men with beards. They were sentries. They hid between the foliage of tall trees, watching for something in the distance where I'd come from. Azula's squad was heading that way, right this way.

Suspicious.

Ahead, the road was abruptly cut off by rocks and cobblestones scattered everywhere. The large rocks were scattered in such a way that it was convenient to hide behind them from an attack from the road. From a bird's-eye view it was all perfectly visible. The traders who met the party on the way said that the road was safe. The same was confirmed by the people from the town Azula had visited a couple of days ago. The princess's inspection had turned up nothing, and that information could be trusted. And that meant only one thing: this kind of relief had appeared quite recently, a day ago, maybe earlier.

It was all too suspicious.

There was no point in guessing who they were waiting for. Too many random coincidences. Confident in my stealth, I flew closer to the supposed ambush. Interesting. No matter how hard I looked, there were no people anywhere to be seen. Just rocks, stones, cliffs, and the occasional tree. But I couldn't be wrong, there was an ambush here somewhere! As far as I know, earth mages can't turn invisible.

I was right.

Soon I found a third man who had acted smarter than two of his comrades. Dirty with sand, dirt and leaves, the third mage simply blended in with the surrounding grass, small bushes and rocks. A kind of invisible man. But three still wasn't enough. And this "invisible man" was more like an extra sentinel, whose task was to make sure that the two sentries were not quietly taken away. And the beautiful view of the duo of sentries from his hiding place definitely confirms my fears of an ambush. We need to look for the main force, but I've already searched everywhere! There were no men wherever I looked!

I flew in circles again and again looking for their main forces. Flying lower and lower to the ground and looking at every bush and every rock. I found only suspicious holes in the ground where the wind was blowing. As I approached one of them, I heard a low whisper. And then I realised!

They are underground, and the pits are a kind of ventilation, which does not allow the hidden soldiers to suffocate. Clever, but predictable. Where else can earth mages hide but underground? After flying through the ground, I found the soldiers hiding in the newly created caves. All that remains is to count the number of mages, non-mages, their total armament and I can fly to report to Azula.

(***)

For Wei Huang, this day started like all other days - ordinary and calm.

The man was completely satisfied with his life as a soldier and especially satisfied with his high position. He was a fire mage, serving in just about the most prestigious place in the entire Fire Nation army - the Princess Guard. Better and more honourable than this place could only be the personal guard of the Fire Master himself. He got into such an honourable place solely due to his own merit and fighting skills, something he had never ceased to be proud of. For an orphan to be in the Imperial Guard was a great achievement. Only general's or admiral's epaulettes were higher, but that was too sweet a dream.

It was the third week since he had left the ship following the princess. He had only had to use the power of his magic a few times in all that time, and he was perfectly content with that. Having given more than fifteen years of his life to the army, he wasn't going to die because of his own stupidity, he was going to live to see a well-deserved retirement. Not like those young men who rush into battle, to become famous or, as is most often the case, to die. You never know when the occasional arrow will strike you in the eye. Serving under the princess's command suited him perfectly. The young girl was an excellent commander, able to keep the soldiers in tone. Frequent sparring helped to learn something new, but not everyone was in a hurry to use this chance. The princess was too gifted.

The squad moved at a normal speed along the road without hurrying and saving their strength. There was no sign of trouble. The sun was shining brightly in the sky, birds were singing in the distance, a light breeze caressed her hair, bringing freshness, everything was ordinary, even routine. Wei Huang, had long ago learnt to enjoy such routine everyday life. They were much better than the very moments when he had to do his duty as a soldier, risking his life in a fierce battle.

The routine promised to last a long time when a trio of Yuyang archers appeared on the horizon. They appeared ahead of the time of the change of attire. This meant only one thing. The scouts had spotted something on the trail. Perhaps another trade caravan, or perhaps an ambush. The army had long ago taught Juan to expect the best. It was much easier to live if you always prepared for the worst, more often there were reasons to rejoice.

This time, however, the Guardsman's worst fears came true.

Upon reaching the princess, the archers reported the ambush of the earth mages. Their squad immediately halted. After a bit of deliberation, Lady Azula chose most of the Imperial Guards, one huge mercenary, and Yuyang's archers to eliminate the enemy. He was among the attackers, as well as the men who brought news of the ambush. The rest were ordered to guard the supplies and the riding komodo rhinos.

The party split up.

What Juan respected about the young mistress was her keen intelligence and indomitable courage. She did not need advice, she coped with all difficulties on her own. The girl, despite her young age, personally led the attacking squad, leading the soldiers into battle. The morale from this event was sky-high! Feeling the presence of a strong magician, the warriors were confident of their victory.

The time before the battle flew by like the wind. His task was simple, to keep the enemies away from the princess and the mercenary. And he was going to do it brilliantly.

It was awfully quiet.

The squad cautiously crept along, waiting for the signal from Yuyang's archers. Time flew by quickly and imperceptibly, the soldiers moved in suspense. Everyone was expecting a battle soon, tuning in for the fight.

Suddenly, in the silence, everyone heard a beautiful nightingale singing.

"Strange. For as long as I've lived, I always thought that these birds only lived on one of the islands in the Fire Country," a thought flashed through Wei Huang's mind.

But he had no time to think, as the princess instantly reacted to the birdsong.

- That's the signal. Take your positions!

Heeding his mistress's order, the squad accelerated, occupying the nearest hill. The soldiers led by the princess took it without any problems. The road spoilt by the earth mages was clearly visible from the hill. The soldiers quickly formed a protective formation around the princess, intending to protect her and the mercenary from any harm, even at the cost of their own lives.

Suddenly there was a prolonged whistling sound.

The sound was quickly interrupted by a distant, deathly wheeze. Wei Huang had time to see Yuyang's archers destroy another sentinel who was blending in with the grass and dirt, but it was too late. Before dying, pierced by a dozen arrows, the enemy soldier managed to complete his task.

The earth mages heard the signal to attack, there was nowhere to retreat to. The ground trembled, beginning to move. Rocks flew up, and huge slabs of rocky earth opened like deck hatches, falling to the ground with a clatter. Dozens of enemy soldiers began to appear from the ground. Who instantly began to erect barriers and build fortifications using magic. Standard earth mage tactics: entrench and shoot back.

- Berkrut, aim for the centre. I will need "tongues", I want to have survivors among the enemy, but let them be few, - Madam Azula gave the command in a stern voice with a note of sadism and anticipation.

Without answering anything, the mercenary takes two steps forward.

Juan was already beginning to guess what he was about to do. He had once witnessed this man's special fire magic. From the moment he taught the princess his magic, Juan began to consider the lady as the strongest fire mage in the world. Since against the conquering blast he could not imagine, there was no way to defend himself, just like against lightning. And his opinion was shared by most of the guards of Azula-sama's imperial motorcade.

- Hmm... - the silent mercenary takes aim. After which he sharply clenched his abs, leaning forward.

- Hmph!!!

The beam that escaped from the mercenary's head whistled towards the enemy. It only took a moment for it to cover a short distance. After that, a flash of light appeared amongst the enemy's fortifications.

It was as if time had slowed down.

Wei Huang watched mesmerised as the power of Berkrut's magic crumbled the rocks, obliterating the fortifications, turning the formidable rocks into small cobblestones, tearing people apart and turning them into fried pieces of meat. He could even see the look of incomprehension and surprise on the faces of the enemy mages before most of them were torn to pieces.

It all happened in a split second. Terrifying power. Wei Huang's astonishment was shared by everyone without exception. This was the first time the soldiers had seen the conquest of the explosion in a real battle, not in a lonely ocean.

The rumble of the explosion and falling rocks resounded for kilometres around. And afterwards silence, only light and distant wheezing spoke of the presence of surviving enemies. But Juan was sure, after something like that, no one would be able to continue the fight. Not even the Avatar would survive a hit from such powerful magic.

- A perfect battle and a perfect victory," the soldiers heard the satisfied voice of their mistress.

- Wei Huang! - the princess addressed him.

- Yes, Mistress!" the soldier responded on reflexes, stopping to look at the defeated group of opponents and getting ready to listen.

- Take a dozen guardsmen, examine the defeated, maybe someone is still hiding or pretending. Also gather all the survivors in one place. I want to get as many details from the captives as possible. And at the end, burn the dead.

- Will do, Mistress," the guardsman slammed his fist into his chest before proceeding to carry out his orders.