First Steps 5

The next day, we docked at the western coast of the Earth Kingdom, specifically a resort village that was home to a fire nation colony, Bajia. It was a small, yet beautiful pace, built on the shore and up over a small mountain covered in beautiful red leaved trees. It was a cozy, warm little place.

"Right, you fools all wait here while I go and speak with my brother and my uncle." Azula ordered after she gathered every crew member on the deck.

"But your highness, what if-" the captain made to speak up, only to fall silent when a blazing hot blast of bright blue flame shot past his face, singeing his beard.

"Did I say you could speak fool?" Azula rolled her eyes, "Besides, I only said you fools, I never said I would be going alone."

She turned to me, who was standing at her back, and gave me a predatory smile, "Zan, you will accompany me to meet with the two in case things get violent, you should be able to delay my uncle for at least ten seconds or so while I mop the floor with my useless brother," she said and I had to resist the urge to roll my eyes behind my helmet. Honestly, being her shadow was a pain in the ass, and there wasn't even anything good to look at with how much her clothes covered, I couldn't even get a good look at the kind of body she was packing, "Though, lose the armour, seeing an Imperial Fire Bender will put them more on edge I believe."

"Yes your highness." I dipped my head briefly, and before waiting for her to say anything else, I made my way back into the interior of the ship, towards my quarters. It was just an excuse to get out of the way so I could restore my armour in my inventory.

(Gained 1 reputation with Azula.)

I did roll my eyes this time. I have no idea why my reputation just went up with her. It had happened like that twice before though the past three days as well, for reasons I couldn't fathom.

"Relationships." I muttered, bringing up a screen I'd found out about a few days ago after I first gained a relationship increase with Azula.

​

(Relationship Status)

(Azula – Reputation: 16/100 - Affection: 2/100)

​

Honestly, she was a really weird girl is all I'm saying.

A few minutes later, I was done 'changing out of my armour' and made my way back out onto deck. I'd kept the red boots and vambraces, but changed out the rest for a simple pair of black pants and sleeveless, red top.

When I returned, Azula just stared at me for a few moments. To the point where I actually felt a bit self conscious, "...What?" I found myself asking.

Her eyes roamed over my body, lingering on my arms and shoulders, before a smile curled up around her lips, "Oh nothing, I was just making sure you were up to standard since this is the first time I saw you fully out of uniform," she mused. She kept staring at me for a second, before coughing into her fist and turning around, "Now come along Zan, it's time to go greet a pair of useless soon to be prisoners." And with that said, she marched off across the deck and down the metal rail path lowered down to reach the deck.

I rolled my eyes, but followed along 'diligently' for now. 'Status.' I thought, and my status screen appeared in front of me.

Name: Zan

Race: Human

Level: 4 (32/388)

HP: 2000/2000 (100 Regen per minute)

CP: 1560/1560 (65 Regen per minute)

Strength: 22 (24.2) (26.2)

Endurance: 20 (22) (34)

Dexterity: 19 (22.8)

Luck: 7

Stat Points: 0

Gacha points: 0

Perks:

Herculean Strength: Strength is increase by 10%

Endurance Beast: Endurance is increased by 10%

Dragon Blooded: Gain 50% resistance to all elemental attacks. Chi gains are doubled. Fire Bending gains multiplied by 1.5x.

Prodigious: You learn and pick up things at an accelerated rate, from theoretical to combat skills.

Super Immune: You are immune to all diseases and poisons.

Expert Swordsman: You learned under the sword master Piando.

Abilities:

Sozin Style Fire Bending(Expert - 30%): Save 10% Chi Points when using fire bending techniques. 20% Chi increase. 25% resistance to fire element.

Swordsman(Expert – 0%): Dexterity increased by 10% when wielding a blade.

Techniques:

Flame Punch: Firing blasts of fire from a punch. Standard Cost: 10CP

Flame Kick: Launching blasts and arcs of fire with a kick. Standard Cost: 10CP

Flame Dagger: Creates a vibrating, red hot blade of flame from the fist. Standard Cost: 25CP

Flame Redirection: The ability to redirect flames with physical contact. Standard Cost: 1+CP

Fire Stream: Fires a compressed stream of fire. Standard Cost: 50CP

Fire Block: the ability to block and extinguish fire. Standard Cost: Varies

Flame Burst: A small bullet of fire rapidly shot by thrusting out two fingers. Standard Cost: 5CP

Flame Shield: A sphere of explosive force conjured around the user to block attacks. Standard Cost: 100CP

Flame Whip: Whip's of flame created from ejection points on the bottom of the fist. Standard Cost: 40 CP

Lightning Redirection: A technique used to catch lightning and redirect it, and even enhance it further with the users own chi. Standard Cost: 0-?CP

I managed to get Lightning Redirection down after just an hour of training last night. And interestingly enough, it seemed that when someone using the technique caught the lightning, while redirecting it they could add their own chi to make it even stronger. And learning the technique shot me right up into the expert tier with the Sozin Style Fire Bending, thirty percent towards the next tier as well. And with it, the boosts I got form Sozin Style had increased even further.

I cast a look at the girl walking in front of me and held back a grin. 'I wonder how much experience she would be worth?' I wondered. If I caught any lightning she threw out, I could redirect it and most likely kill her with it if I needed to.

Not something I find myself wanting to do mind you, but it's an option if all else fails, and she does love throwing lightning around against her enemies that's for sure.

She led me up the stairs carved into the mountain, not saying a word. Which was fine with me, since I got to admire the scenery. To bad about those extremely covering clothes of her, some eye candy wouldn't have been denied by me while having to walk behind her so much.

When we got to the top, she led further into a spa resort, which I remember seeing in the show, though it didn't do it justice. It was a beautiful resort built over a large bridge atop a wide river known as the Su Oku River. Both Zuko and Iroh were busy apparently though, already in the middle of an appointment. But, it was quite easy to get led to their room, especially when Azula flared some blue fire in the attendants face and threatened to roast him alive.

"Well...this is..pleasant?" Azula noted as we entered the room her brother and uncle were staying at.

It was a simple, small room with two beds, a night stand, a table, a couple chairs for sitting on and a few plants spread about as decoration. Honestly, it was decent enough, but nothing special.

"Seems fine enough." I commented, looking around.

"Well yes it seems fine for you I suppose," Azula rolled her eyes and took a seat on one of the chairs, looking directly at me before frowning, "Actually, is it? I confess, I do not know anything of your background."

"No you're dead on, in fact this is better than anything I was used to growing up," I shrugged, "I'm an orphan who grew up on the streets."

"Hmm, is that so?" Azula crossed her legs and leaned forward, examining me with obvious interest, "What happened to your parents."

"Don't know, don't really care either," I replied, the ones of this life anyway, I'll always love my parents from my first life, "Can't miss what you never had, and I'm not so pathetic to enviously want them." honestly, as far as I'm concerned, it was better this way, at least I never had to feel guilty about them or anything like that and worry about them overtaking my real parents with my affection.

(Gained 2 Reputation with Azula.)

Of course something like that would increase my reputation with her. I almost rolled my eyes again. I tend to do, or want to do that a lot with this girl.

"A good attitude to have," Azula nodded approvingly, "And if I must say, orphan peasant or not, you're doing a splendid job."

"A splendid job of what?" I asked, because as far as I new, I hadn't done fuck all.

"Being at least somewhat interesting and not a useless flunky like the rest of those fools on that scrap of a boat," she grinned, "Impress me enough, and who knows, I may just find it in my heart of hearts to relieve you of the burden of being a peasant and promote you to nobility."

I raised an eyebrow, "You can do that?" I asked. Did she have that much power? I can't remember, but I suppose she could just tell Ozai and he would let it through if she gave a valid reason, maybe?

"Of course I can, keep in mind I'm the heir to the throne now Zan," she practically purred at me, "Promoting a trusted retainer above the common rabble to nobility is well within my power."

Well good to know, and it might be interesting to stick around for that as well. Though I won't lie, the main reason I'd like to stick around Azula, is because of Ty Lee, I'd really love to meet her. It does come with the trade off of having to deal with Mai though. I was never really a fan of her, and outright came to dislike her after reading the comics.

Though I really have no idea why Azula is so interested in me. I haven't really shown off anything that impressive I don't think.

I eyed the indicator of 'level 48' above her head. And I wondered, just how well did those levels translate over to everything?

As mentioned before, their levels are different from yours. When you level up, all of your stats increase by one and you gain stat points to spend as you please. But you have other avenues of growing your stats outside of levelling up. For others, it is an overall measurement of what kind of threat they pose to you through the combination of their physical abilities, combat mentality, all overall combat abilities such as bending and martial arts. They have no direct reference to your own level.

'Right, so that means I can't even gauge Azula's strength, endurance, dexterity and luck through generalising her level?' I mused. And going by that, my stats are actually on par with someone around the level twenty range, without taking bonuses into account...while at level four.

Still, what I was told basically meant that just like me, people could be stronger than their level suggested, since it was just a generalisation of their overall combat threat level.

More or less, keep in mind you are the only one with true stats though. As such, she does not have an ever increasing luck stat like you do.

That was good to know.

"Now, we'll probably be here a little while waiting for the fatty and the dumb dumb," Azula said, before pointed at one of the other chairs close to her, "Why don't you take a seat beside me and rest your legs for a bit."

"Don't mind if I do then," I nodded in agreement, "Thanks." I took a seat beside her.

(You have gained 2 affection with Azula.)

...What is up with this girl man?