Chapter 5: Escape - 94 AG

In the homestead of Second Prince Ozai, within the courtyard, a girl of approximately nine years old is diligently honing her firebending skills. Her graceful yet forceful movements create a spectacle of orange flames that dance and swirl around, embracing the entire courtyard and intensifying the already sweltering weather. Observing her with unwavering attention are the twin instructors, stationed calmly in a corner, meticulously scrutinizing each of the girl's actions, poised to recall any errors for future correction.

But as the young princess completes the final movements of her form, she stands upright and turns towards the twins. 

"Very impressive, Princess," Lo remarks.

"You're on your way to mastering firebending in no time," Li adds.

The princess furrows her brow, placing her hands on her hips. "In no time? What does that mean? This year? Next year? Be more specific."

"In perhaps three years," Lo responds.

"Three years? That's too long! I want to become a master this year," the princess grumbles.

"Learning firebending is a delicate process, Princess," Li explains. "Each move must be understood and perfected."

Curiosity sparks within her, and the princess inquires, "What about your other apprentice? When will he become a master?"

"Princess?" Lo is taken aback.

"I know you have another student," the princess twirls a strand of her hair. "I don't mind sharing my training, but tell me, is he as skilled as I am? If we were to engage in an Agni Kai right now, who would emerge victorious?"

"He... is not a firebender, Princess," Li states. "He's just an ordinary person."

"A non-bender?" The princess's expression darkens. "So you mean to tell me that a non-bender is worthy of training alongside me, a firebender and a princess?"

"Yes, Princess," Lo nods. "Although he lacks bending abilities, he possesses resilience and a quick learning aptitude."

Li concurs, "Besides, having him around helps with household chores."

The princess's eyebrow twitches in annoyance. "So, you redirect your focus from training me to him, all because you got free labor?"

"And because he's resilient and a fast learner," Lo adds.

The princess clenches her fist. "If we were to duel right now, who would win?"

"Of course, you would, Princess," Li assures her. "After all, he's still a non-bender."

"No, I mean if we were to fight without bending, who would come out victorious?"

The twins exchange a brief, quiet glance before answering, "You would, Princess," Lo says.

"I sense hesitation," the princess narrows her eyes. "Take me to him."

"Princess?"

Frustration overtakes the princess. "I said, take me to him!"

"We... don't know his current whereabouts," Lo hesitates to respond. "He went out to train."

The princess grumbles in annoyance. "Fine, I'll find him myself."

"Princess, we urge you to remain here and continue your training," Li quickly interjects.

The princess shoots her a stern look. "Why? Do you doubt my ability to defeat him in hand-to-hand combat?"

"Of course not. The boy is just—"

"I don't care," the princess cuts her off, turning away. "I'm going to consult Father about locating him."

—

In the main room of the estate, Azula kneels composedly before her father, while Lo and Li nervously occupy a corner of the room. Prince Ozai gazes at his daughter before addressing the twins.

"Azula, you wish to challenge Master Lo's and Master Li's other apprentice to an Agni Kai, and you request guards to assist in locating him?"

"Not an Agni Kai, Father," the princess clarifies. "He's a non-bender."

"A non-bender?" Ozai raises an eyebrow. "You're diverting your attention unnecessarily."

Azula persists, "I want to prove my superiority. He has distracted my tutors from my training."

Ozai's expression darkens as he turns to Li and Lo. "Is this true?"

Lo starts to speak, but Ozai cuts her off. "I've heard enough. It seems you're not fulfilling your duties adequately."

Turning back to Azula, Ozai concedes, "Very well, you shall have your chance. Master Lo, Master Li, if your other apprentice loses, you will cease his training immediately and focus solely on my daughter. But... Azula, should you lose... you are aware of the consequences."

"I understand, Father," Azula acknowledges with a bow. "I won't lose."

Ozai dismisses her with a wave of his hand. "Go. Master Lo, Master Li, accompany her."

Lo and Li bow with conflicted thoughts. "Yes, My Prince."

As Azula and the twins exit the main room, a small, confident smirk graces the girl's face.

—

As the sun dipped below the horizon to the west, Sozim found himself standing atop the damp sands of the beach. Before him stood a wooden statue adorned with intricate drawings depicting the chi paths within a human being. Beads of sweat glistened on his forehead, and the statue bore the marks of his relentless punches. At that moment, Sozim contemplated the instructions provided by Lo and Li.

"I don't know if it works," he muttered to himself. He had diligently followed every step and movement outlined on the scroll, committing them to memory. Yet, he remained unsure whether his efforts would yield the desired results. The intricate motions required were swift and complex. While he could practice them daily on the stationary statue, it paled in comparison to facing the ever-changing movements of a dynamic opponent, such as benders.

Folding the papers neatly, Sozim stashed them away in his pocket before assuming a poised stance in front of the statue. With rapid breaths, he unleashed a flurry of punches and jabs at the carefully marked dots and targets on the wooden figure, slowly chipping away at its form.

"Maybe it's too strong," he pondered aloud. "Or maybe it's too weak? Ugh, I just don't know."

One thing was certain: he needed a training partner for this endeavor. 

Just then, the tranquility of the beach was shattered by shouts echoing from the cliff above. Sozim's head snapped in the direction of the clamor, where he spotted guards standing at the precipice, seemingly signaling to others to join them.

For a brief, heart-pounding moment, panic surged through Sozim's veins as he feared they might be searching for him, for the boy who had disappeared a couple of months ago. He contemplated fleeing, but before he could act, a girl materialized amidst the guards, wearing a maniacal grin that caught his attention.

Sozim arched an eyebrow at the unexpected sight, and soon enough, Lo and Li also emerged, their expressions displaying a mixture of emotions. As he took in the bizarre sight unfolding before him, Sozim couldn't help but think that this situation might turn out to be even more challenging than being implicated in the disappearance of the boy.

—

The sun had sunk into the distant ocean, leaving Sozim facing the girl he'd spotted earlier, flanked by Lo and Li. The girl, adorned in Fire Nation princess attire, rested her hands on her hips and scrutinized Sozim. Surrounding them, a circle of guards stood vigilant.

"So... what's this, Aunties?" Sozim inquired, turning his gaze to Li and Lo.

"Don't ignore me," the princess interrupted before Lo and Li could respond. "You're my tutors' other apprentice, I see... you look ordinary, though your skin..."

"What of it?" Sozim arched an eyebrow.

"Nothing," the girl replied with a sinister smile. "Alright, let's duel."

"Duel?" Sozim frowned. "What do you mean?"

"It's simple," the girl declared, assuming a fighting stance. "If I win, you won't waste my tutors' time again. And if you win... Well, that's not going to happen."

"What?" Sozim turned to Lo and Li again. "I don't get it."

"Ignore them," the girl practically hissed. "Come on, face me."

Sozim remained perplexed. "Alright... but... what if I win? What would I get? And you're a firebender, and I'm not."

The girl chuckled. "You can't win. And I'm not going to firebend; I can defeat you without using my fire."

"I won't fight until you tell me what I would get if I win," Sozim shrugged, not even assuming a fighting stance.

The girl's frown deepened. "You... How dare you. Fine, if you win, you won't die."

"You'll kill me?" Sozim raised an eyebrow.

"You're disobeying the orders of the princess. It's treason," she threatened. "So prepare yourself to fight, or the guards will kill you on the spot right here."

Sozim's gaze shifted to the guards surrounding them, poised to unleash their fire. Sozim clicked his tongue before finally adopting a fighting stance.

His stance, it turned out, resembled that of the chi-blocking martial arts. The sisters promptly noticed this, shaking their heads, seemingly warning him against it. Sozim ignored their advice, thinking it would be good practice, even though his opponent was the volatile Azula herself.

"What's that?" Azula frowned. "My tutors teach you some strange martial arts?"

"You want to fight? Come on," Sozim replied simply.

Frustration etched across her face due to the boy's casual demeanor. She grumbled under her breath before making her first move, aiming a strike at Sozim's chest as if attempting to pierce it with her fingers.

Sozim leaned to the right, his stance shaken but recoverable, delivering two small hits to the girl's hand, targeting her chi points, as instructed. However, it appeared to have no effect; the chi points were smaller than he had anticipated.

"What a weak punch," Azula scoffed. She raised her leg, attempting a kick, but Sozim dodged it, losing his balance and falling to the ground.

Azula, turning around, attempted to hammer Sozim with her feet. He rolled through the sand to avoid her attack and swiftly stood up with a spin.

Changing his stance to a more conventional martial art that he usually practiced, Sozim delivered a quick jab toward Azula's face. She ducked and, using the momentum, tried to uppercut Sozim. He reacted by punching her chest, knocking her away. The girl groaned, her face twisting with rage and frustration.

Sozim reverted to the chi-blocking stance, took a deep breath, and fixed a sharp gaze on Azula.

"Give up?" Sozim asked. "You're wasting your time here."

"Shut up!" Azula rushed at him and leaped into the air, attempting a powerful kick.

Dodging the attack was easy, but as she landed, she moved swiftly. She spun on the ground, attempting to strike Sozim's leg, but he jumped to avoid it.

"Stop dodging!" Azula continued to grit her teeth, swinging another punch at Sozim, who deftly evaded it.

"You whine like a child," Sozim shook his head, leaping away from her. "Oh wait, you are a child."

"You look the same age as me!" Azula practically screamed, growing more frustrated. She raised her leg again and spun, aiming for Sozim's side, but he blocked it with his arms. He grabbed her leg and tossed her, and she collided with one of the guards, groaning in pain and seething with rage.

Azula struggled to her feet, pushing away the guard who had caught her. She glared at Sozim and rushed toward him once more, attempting to deliver a punch. Sozim noticed that she was quick in her strikes, but then he realized she wasn't trying to punch him; she was trying to firebend.

A burst of flame erupted from her fist, targeting Sozim. He narrowly dodged it, and the wet sand beneath them ignited, sending up a plume of steam.

"How dare you..." the girl murmured manically. "How dare you mock me!"

"Princess, stop!" Sozim heard Lo shout. "This is dishonorable! You used your bending in a duel—"

"SHUT UP!" screamed Azula. "YOU DID THIS! YOU TAUGHT HIM BETTER THAN ME!"

"Of course no—"

"I SAID SHUT UP!" Azula glared at Sozim before her grin widened. "I'll kill him!"

Azula took a deep breath and slammed her feet into the sand, her fist aimed at Sozim, ready to reduce him to ashes.

But just before she could execute her deadly move, she froze in place. Her eyes widened, and her body became paralyzed.

"I-I can't—" she stammered. "I-I can't... M-Move—!"

Lo and Li turned their gaze to Sozim, who extended his arm toward Azula, his hand seemingly gripping her like a monstrous claw.

"W-W-What—" Azula's face contorted with more rage. "D-D-Did Y-You D-Do!?"

"What did I do?!" Sozim screamed, rising from the ground. "You're the crazy one! I should kill you right here!"

Seeing this, the guards began to move, but before they could unleash their fire, Sozim raised his other hand with the same gesture, freezing them in place. Unlike Azula, Sozim extended his control further, forcing them to stand upright. As he lowered his hand, the blood drained from their heads, and within seconds, they all fell unconscious, collapsing onto the sand.

Azula witnessed it all, her eyes widening once again.

"H-H-How d-did y-you-u do this?!" she screamed, struggling fruitlessly. She breathed fire, generated flames with her legs, and ignited her hands, to no avail.

Sozim's grip on Azula tightened, causing her muscles to tense, as if her blood were freezing. Panic overwhelmed her as she felt her consciousness slipping away.

One emotion surged within her, one she rarely experienced: Fear.

"S-St-o-p!" she pleaded, tears streaming down her cheeks.

Sozim seemed out of it. His scowl now disappeared, but it was replaced by another expression. Ecstasy. A maniacal grin. The release of finally being able to use bloodbending on another human after all this time seemed to bring him pleasure. An unnatural pleasure.

"Sozim, stop!" shouted one of the twins. Hearing the shout, Sozim seemed to snap out of it, and widened his eyes. He undid the slow freeze of Azula's blood, but still kept her suspended. He tilted his hand towards the sky, and all of a sudden, Azula passed out, dropping to the ground.

"Stop, child. No more," Lo urged. "If you kill her, the entire Fire Nation will hunt you down."

"And if I don't kill her, it'll be the same," Sozim murmured darkly.

"No, we know how Azula and her father are, she'll insist on hunting you down personally, and Prince Ozai will shame her for losing. Right now, at least you can escape," Li continued. "We can delay them and divert their attention elsewhere; we can reason with them."

"You'll be killed too," Sozim said. "You let me stay in your home for a year."

"We can deal with that. At most, we'll be banished, but if you kill her, the prince will kill us," Lo shook her head. "Just go."

Sozim clenched his fist. "I'm sorry. I'll find you once all of this is cleared."

"Don't. We're the one who'll find you. Run," Li insisted. "Go to the docks. Find a ship to leave this island."

Sozim nodded and sprinted toward the direction of the docks, while the twins gathered around Azula, "taking care" of her.