Chapter 5: Words and Thoughts

Weighing all the risks and benefits, after careful consideration, she replied:

"Well... I agree."

"Great, you can relinquish control of your body now. Actually, I think you'd better sit down," Azula, having listened to the spirit, takes a meditative posture on the dusty floor.

At the moment, the dirty floor was the least of her concerns. With a sparring match looming and a military council following it, she couldn't think of anything else but appeasing the spirit. To prevent it from carrying out any of its threats. Sitting on the floor, she was already preparing to surrender control of her body to the spirit when she suddenly realized a small problem.

"And how do I do that?" Azula voiced her little problem, having no idea what to do next.

"Oh, right. I didn't explain everything. Okay, try to relax and do nothing, you'll enter a kind of dreamlike state. Watch everything that happens, but don't interfere," despite the suspicion in the speaker's words, Azula saw no other way out of the situation.

She wasn't exactly a fool. The princess remembered all the details of her strange dreams before meeting him. From the very beginning of that damn ritual, which had caused more harm than good. Recalling all the facts that Azula had been able to gather during her acquaintance with the spirit, she decided on such an act of trust, fully confident that if necessary, she would regain control of her own body. Besides, she would be monitoring his actions, as she had done every time before when she fell asleep. The only risk Azula was taking in this situation was earning small crumbs of trust from the spirit by demonstrating an act of trust to him. Remembering all of this and thinking it over, she made her decision, from which it was too late to back down.

"All right..." she replied, relaxing and leaning against the wall. Having been on her feet for almost two days now, Azula felt her weakness and drowsiness intensify. Yielding to these feelings, she extinguished the flame, closing her eyes.

The corridor was shrouded in infinite darkness, concealing the princess's body...

"Excellent," she said, and once again ignited the blue flame in her palm.

The blue light of the fire illuminated the bare walls of the corridor, revealing the smiling princess. She stood up abruptly, not quite Azula, and hopped on her feet before starting to stretch a little. Sticking out her tongue, she tasted the dusty air, behaving entirely unlike her usual self. Afterward, she began to play with the created flame, waving it through the air and passing it from hand to hand. Her face displayed a slight joy, and she was completely absorbed in her game, enjoying every moment of her life.

Her entire demeanor showed vitality and a desire for action, with no hint of fatigue. Without holding back, she was ready to jump and rejoice even in the most ordinary, and at times even dirty, things. If someone were to see her now, they would have their preconceptions about the Fire Nation princess shattered. This was quite different from her usual restrained behavior.

"Indeed, you can only realize the true value of something after losing it. Well, enough of empty thoughts. How do you feel?" Azula asked the bare corridor walls in a cheerful voice, stopping her play with the blue flame.

...

No one answered her.

"Oh, right, I guess it's not familiar for you to realize yourself... in this state. I myself didn't immediately understand how to communicate with you while being inside you. You see... Ah-haha..." Azula continued, then started inhaling a lot of air as if preparing...

"Achoo!!!" she sneezed powerfully from the dust that had risen in the air due to her sudden movements. The flame in her hand immediately extinguished, allowing the darkness to engulf the girl.

"Achoo! ACHOO! Achoo! A-a-achoo!!!" Azula sneezed repeatedly, unable to contain herself in the pitch darkness. Clinging to the wall, she took a few steps forward along the corridor, trying to get away from the dust cloud while still sneezing. After taking twenty steps, she stopped. Ceasing her sneezing, she once again ignited the flame, casting a blue light down the long corridor.

"It's so dusty in here. Anyway, you can take control of the body back. You see, it wasn't painful at all, as I said, I'm returning it to you intact," the spirit said, sitting down by the wall and relinquishing control of the body.

The flame extinguished again, and Azula rose from the dirty floor, igniting it once more. Standing up calmly, she tried to shake off the clinging dust and dirt. Understanding that it was futile, she still decided to ask, "Can I count on your mercy?"

"No," came the response.

She heard the grinding of teeth. In the blue light, Azula could see her hands beginning to tremble with indescribable anger. Right now, more than anything else in the world, she wanted to strangle the spirit with her own hands. But it was in vain. Azula took a deep breath, exhaling the blue flame, and spoke with a trembling voice, still trying to maintain her composure.

"You are so merciless to a young girl who made a mistake. I beg you, do not hinder me today; I will do everything possible to beg for your forgiveness," Azula continued, portraying repentance with all her might.

"What did I say about addressing me? However, I'll hold you to your word. I need you to do something. I think it's time to talk about it now," a faint glimmer of hope made Azula temporarily forget her anger and listen attentively to the spirit's words.

"About what do you... do you want to talk to me?" the lady responds with mild interest.

"In your country, there is a master swordsman who deserted the army. Hundreds of benders were sent to capture him, but they all fell to his blade. I don't remember his name or his whereabouts. All I know is that he's not a firebender. Have you heard anything about such a person?" It took Azula a moment to respond. Thankfully, the man she was describing was very famous among the highest-ranking military officials, and many generals' children wanted to study under him.

"That would be Master Piandao, the best swordsman in the Fire Nation. He's famous for his mastery. What do I need to do with him?"

"Ah, here's where it gets interesting. I want you to become his student," the Spirit replied with a hint of amusement. After considering his words, Azula found this request quite advantageous for herself and her position. Away from the palace and politics, it would be much harder for the Spirit to disgrace her. The only issue was that the mentioned master was known for no longer taking any students.

"If I become his student, will you forgive me?" Considering the situation, the princess asked, thinking that she could find a way to become the old master's apprentice.

"No, as I've already told you, I'll only forgive you after a heartfelt apology that touches my heart. But... if you go to Piandao right now, I won't interfere with your sparring or military council. You just need to do it today, as soon as possible. You're a clever girl; you'll quickly learn everything from the old master. After that, we can move on to pursuing our common interests. Anticipating your question, I'll answer: we have common interests," the Spirit's speech made her think, but the benefit of his proposal was too great, suspiciously so.

"But what if my father won't allow me?" Azula cautiously asked.

"Tell a lie; you know what needs to be done to achieve your goals. Lord of Fire doesn't need to know where you're going. We'll be with this master for a maximum of a month, and then we'll move on to more interesting and useful things. It all depends on your genius and ability to learn. I suggest you prepare well before meeting Piandao," the Spirit calmly explained, saying more than necessary and even offering advice.

Did he intentionally slip up? Was it even a slip-up? Azula couldn't know for sure. There was too little information to understand what the spirit was aiming for. To understand what her interlocutor was scheming was impossible. All she could do was speculate and wander in ignorance.

"Have you already planned everything?" Azula asks cautiously.

"Piandao. Go to him today, or I'll ruin your day along with your reputation. You don't want to lose face in front of your father, do you? Become like Zuko...," Azula flinched at what was said, "...you don't want that. You will go to Piandao; the only question is with what status you will go to him. Don't make me doubt your intellectual abilities; you yourself have realized all the benefits of this outcome, or am I wrong?" Azula understood the hint perfectly; the spirit had clearly gotten to know her well.

The princess immediately realized that away from the palace, it would be harder for the spirit to damage her reputation and agreed to the proposed plan. Even though she didn't understand why, as a master of firebending and close combat, she needed to learn cold weapons from someone, even if he was a genius in his field. Assuming, of course, that Piandao's reputation wasn't exaggerated. However, her response was completely different from her thoughts.

"You are undoubtedly right," Azula said calmly, not displaying any extra emotions in her voice.

"When will you stop addressing me formally? Anyway, that's not important now. I don't want to explain simple truths that you've already figured out for yourself. Make sure you go to Piandao for training. There's no need for anyone else to know where you're headed. If you don't do it, I will. I think it will be easier for the exile to visit certain places that I won't mention now," suddenly, Azula felt something unknown stroking her head. It turned out to be her hand, which she had lost control of and couldn't regain.

"Be a good girl, and you'll get a reward, but if not..." Azula winced slightly from the slight pain.

The spirit, who had seized her hand, pulled her hair forcefully, but she remained composed, futilely trying to regain control of her limb. She only succeeded when the spirit finished speaking.

"Please don't do this," Azula replied with a trembling voice, genuinely experiencing fear or perhaps just pretending.

"Have we understood each other?"

"Yes..." the spirit's hint was crystal clear.

"In that case, go, the guards who have transgressed are waiting for you," leaving the last word to himself, the spirit fell silent after hours of insults.

After standing for a while in the palace's hidden corridors, Azula soon slipped away unnoticed, going about her business...

(***)

In one of the training rooms of the Fire Lord's palace, three people were preparing to spar. Two adult men and one young woman. Dressed in training armor, they eyed each other with tense expressions. Two against one. Unfair... for the two guards who were absolutely certain of their inevitable defeat against the brilliant princess.

A moment, another, a second, and then the next...

The princess's sharp strike was accompanied by a stream of blue fire. The opponent successfully defended himself with his golden-orange flames. Two fires clashed, and the shockwave sent the defending guard flying, stunning him and knocking him onto the arena sand. Azula was not allowed to finish off the vulnerable target by his comrade, who repeatedly struck towards the princess, each strike accompanied by a ball of golden-orange flames.

Blocking the attack, she counters, her opponent dodges, and then again and again... Azula quickly noticed that her opponent was trying to buy time for his comrade while circling her. Successfully. The opponents closed in on her, crowding her and no longer attempting to block her attacks with their fire. Did the encirclement make the battle more challenging?

Not at all!

Jumping over two fireballs, the girl performs a double somersault in the air, finishing with a kick to the sand of the arena, followed by a massive blue-white wave of fire. The opponent barely managed to evade it. Then, he sends a fireball at her. His comrade supports the attack, but the girl started to counterattack and evade much faster.

Twisting through the room, constantly breaking free from the encirclement, she successfully defended herself against the two firebending masters' onslaught. Whenever the two men tried to corner her, she would dispel their feeble flames with a confident block, immediately counterattacking. In most cases, Azula preferred to evade. No matter how assertive the two guards were, they were no match for the princess. She continued to toy with them, sensing her advantage and the opportunity to end the fight with her victory at any moment.

The fiery shootout continued...

Watching as the three of them hurled colorful fireballs, I observed the battle, amazed by the colossal difference in their abilities. The guards acted directly, too directly, as if relying on their straightforwardness and the strength of their flames to overpower their opponent. It didn't work very well for them. Azula was more agile: acrobatic tricks and various mid-air somersaults with rolls on the sand often allowed her to evade, change positions, and counterattack her opponents instantly. While the guards couldn't boast such fast and agile bodies, sometimes barely managing to evade the terrifying blue flames.

Yes, I knew before that the girl had a perfect body, honed to perfection. Azula controlled her body with deadly precision, and it was evident, but what drew me in even more was firebending. I mostly contemplated why there was such a difference in their powers and firebending. With Azula, everything was clear; the strength of her flames was due to genetics, better Qi, and some control over her breath and immense hatred. I pondered something else. The simplicity of the attacks, the straightforwardness, simple fireballs, streams, and mostly that's all the guards demonstrated.

I saw how the fire shield was shattered by blue flames. But even so, Azula displayed much more than her opponents, who were also considered firebending masters. The girl used many more techniques than her opponents; in addition to fireballs and acrobatics, she added fire whips, chains, rings, compressed blades that melted the sand, fire wheels... Her arsenal of firebending techniques was much wider and based on controlling the form of fire, which was fueled by her emotions. Despite all this, she effortlessly blocked her opponents' flames. Meanwhile, her opponents acted overly straightforward.

It's not difficult to become a genius here if they give the title of master to such boors. I even became interested in where Azula learned so many techniques. I'll have to ask her about it someday, along with her knowledge of firebending in general; it's clear she knows a lot about it.

As I watched the humiliation of the guards, I continued to contemplate.

As we agreed, I didn't interfere at all with the girl venting her pent-up emotions in battle, remaining a simple observer. Azula seemed to deliberately brush against the edges of the guards' armor, unnerving them and making them fear, feeling the heat of her princess's fire. Yes, the girl loves to assert herself at the expense of others; I noticed that a long time ago. The guards understood perfectly well what would happen to them if one of the princess's fireballs hit their torso or head; it wouldn't be limited to minor burns. There's no guarantee you'd even survive, and if you did, life would be worse than death with third-degree burns covering half your body.

Azula is indeed a rather formidable person: intelligent, cunning, powerful, ruthless, adaptable... and I've teased her quite a bit, fraying all her nerves. I fear I shouldn't expect a warm reception from her body in the near future; it would likely end in a hundred percent betrayal. All I can hope for is that over time and through shared adventures, I can win her over enough that she won't kill me on the spot.

Was there another way?

Perhaps, but I'm not such a convincing conversationalist that I could make someone like Azula act as I needed purely through the power of words. Without control over her body and the threat to her reputation, she could simply ignore me until the Avatar appeared. Sensing echoes of her emotions, I quickly realized what she feared most in the world. It was these same emotions that often let me know when she was lying. Terrible feelings when a conversation partner apologizes, desiring with all their heart to turn you into a charred piece of meat.

It was easier to nudge her towards the necessary actions after that, but I have to give credit to the girl; she resists to the last. I even had to take control of her body again, enduring immense pain, to remind her of my presence and my power. I think that should be enough, and I won't have to experience that pain again in the near future. Those sensations are far too unpleasant, and they leave lasting consequences.

When she headed to the library, I felt a strong sense of relief. Continuing to threaten and mock her, with a simple desire to express everything I thought about such a princess in the most crude manner before my demise. I felt the same way when Azula visited the Fire Sages' temple... what can I say, I got very lucky. It all turned out fine; they didn't have any exorcism rituals, but I gained a vast amount of information about the Spirits, along with new questions. Questions I'll have to seek answers to myself, but overall, my hastily concocted plan seems to be working.

But...

Am I doing the right thing by sending the girl to Piandao?

Of course, instead of him, I could have sent her almost anywhere. I just need time to figure everything out and, so to speak, build a relationship with the girl... Or better to say, turn our relationship into at least a neutral collaboration? In any case, there's nothing for her to do in the palace; she would just be wasting time, training with the guards until the arrival of the Avatar, when she could see the world and learn something useful. And I can learn alongside her. Not a bad plan, with plenty of thoughts for the future.

The most dangerous aspect of this plan is leading the girl to serious knowledge that could give her the power to resist me. The Spirit Library, dragons, working with Chi, unlocking chakras, her uncle... all of this could end up very badly for me. First, I'll have to build a relationship with her, and for that, I'll have to try, especially considering the intense hatred she currently harbors towards me. It's terrifying... And the most crucial aspect of this endeavor is not falling for her lies. She's exceptionally skilled at deception.

While I was contemplating my future actions and how I'll make amends with the troublesome princess, she finished her sparring match. Should I remind her of my presence in case she tries to deceive me? I can, of course, sense the echoes of her emotions, but that doesn't make me immune to her lies.

Meanwhile, as I was lost in thought, the military council was getting closer and closer...

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