Fire and Wind: Lessons With Royalty

There were a great many things that Azula disliked. Idiots, cowards, those who abandoned their honor, her fuddy-duddy uncle and especially her brother, and the list was growing every day.

The latest addition to that list, and one that didn't come as much of a surprise, was her novel hatred of sailing, a hatred it seemed her very body itself shared. Spending a week on the open sea was one of the worst experiences of her life, and she wanted nothing more than for it to end this very instant.

Unfortunately, it seemed she would not get her wish today.

“...a-and thanks to the recent blockade, we'll be on the sea for another two days at least, your highness.”

Azula stared at the sweating fool before her with a cool gaze, watching as the man floundered under the simple notion of delivering bad news to hjs princessg. Once, such a reaction would have brought her joy, but now she just found the display pathetic.

Azula’s nails tapped on her chair, “You're telling me that the Earth Kingdom, the nation with the weakest navy on the face of the earth, has managed to form a blockade around our colonies that we have not only failed to take care of, but is also effective enough to impede a Royal Battleship?”

He bowed low, and Azula found her lip curling at his cowardly demeanor, “It would seem so, your highness…”

Azula stared at the men, letting him sweat as the silence between them stretched. She could only imagine what was going through his mind right now. No doubt he was imagining the ways she might punish him for daring to deliver bad news to the Crown Princess. Perhaps he thought she might throw him overboard, broken legs bound together so that he was at the whim of the tides.

She wouldn't of course, not until they were close enough to land that she was confident enough they wouldn't need him at least, but she let him stee in his fantasy for another moment. That should be a sufficient punishment for now.

After a moment of watching the grow man literally shake in his standard issue boots, the princess spoke, “Very well.”

His fear gave way to surprise, “P-Princess?”

“If two more days is what it takes to ensure our journey continues without issue, then that is what it takes. I'm not in the mood to run a blockade today.” She waved her hand flippantly, “You're dismissed. But I expect you to inform me if there is any change in our situation. Delay or otherwise.”

The man could barely stutter out a proper response before he practically died from the room with his tail between his legs, shaking as if Azula were planning to set his beard on fire for his troubles. She watched him go with a lidded expression, and made a mental reminder to request more competent personnel. Between this and the raid on her chambers, she was beginning to think she was surrounded by fools and products of nepotism.

Turning to the nearby window, Azula gazed out over the deck, taking in the rolling waves beyond the bow of the ship as her mind turned to her most recent issue, of one could even call it that. The airbender was safe and sound in the brig, under constant watch and as far away from her weapons as could be physically possible. If Azula had it her way, she would have long since set a course back to Caldera to resent the thief to her father. She would make a far more exciting gift than her traitorous brother and uncle.

But Azula had her orders and she would not fail like dear little Zuzu had. Unlike her brother, she was more than capable of keeping a single airbender captive for the couple weeks it would take to capture and bring him and their uncle back to Caldera. And when she returned to the capitol with not only two royal traitors,but also a living airbender in tow, she was sure that her father would bestow praise upon her the likes of which she had never seen.

He might even give her a permanent seat in the war room as a reward for her exploits, a place to serve him as a true princess should, instead of galavanting around the eorl chasing traitors. Leave that job for the bounty hunters

Azula smiled at the thought of being beside her father once more, a bright spot in her otherwise dour morning, before that same smile quickly turned downward as her mind returned to her prisoner.

Never in her wildest dreams had Azula expected to find an airbender of all things on her journey to the Earth Kingdom. The most exciting thing she had imagined to find was a skirmish with a local militia or perhaps even a coup in one of the colonies, not the possible revival of an extinct race of benders. What could this mean for the war? Azula’s tactical mind considered all possible angles, racing as she tried to figure out whether or not this girl’s appearance could be detrimental to the glory of her nation.

It’s unlikely, she eventually decided. The prisoner, for all that she was an honorless thief, didn’t seem to be lying when she said she was alone. Azula had seen people like her before, had seen that look in her eyes when she proclaimed that she was completely alone in this world. The girl wasn’t lying or if she was, she had a natural talent for it on par with Azula herself.

One lone airbender, Avatar notwithstanding, would be no issue for the great armies of the Fire Nation to deal with on the off chance she somehow managed to escape. The greatest threat she might pose would be as a figurehead, someone for the brutes in the Earth Kingdom to rally behind like some sort of martyr in place of the Avatar.

Unless… Azula could use her first.

Azula paused as the idea came to her. The prisoner clearly held no loyalty to the Avatar or even the Earth Kingdom judging by her words the other day and judging by her weapons and bending prowess, she also wasn’t just a regular thief who got in over her head or something similarly benign.

A thief of her caliber, not to mention one with such an unorthodox style of fighting, could be a great asset if used properly, and Azula hated to waste potential assets, even if they took a bit of molding into the right tool for the job.

‘Yes…’ A cruel smile spread across Azula's face as she began to make her way towards the brig. ‘That might just work.’

~~~

Azula pushed open the door to the brig fully expecting to find her prisoner asleep or staring at the wall in boredom.

She was instead left surprised as she walked inside and was met with her prisoner laying on the floor with the top half of her tunic discarded to the side, eyes closed and breathing deeply as she did sit-ups at a rapid pace.

Flummoxed by this unexpected development, Azula took a little longer to get ahold of herself than she usually would have. As she did so, she took a moment to study the girl’s body. Her torso was littered with scars both small and large with the largest being a fist-sized burn scar on the right side of her abdomen where the flesh had been ruined, turning a deep, glossy pink as the rough shape of a handprint was left just above her hip

Azula would admit she was surprised to see such a scar on the girl. Given her skill, there weren't many who could lay a hand on her in such a manner. Perhaps she had gotten it when she was younger.

Underneath the scars was a body that was lithe yet well-muscled. There was a thin layer of fat on her body, but it was undercut by the tight muscles resting just below the surface. Azula had seen a similar physique on her childhood friend, Ty Lee before she had run off to join that roaming band of performers but this girl was much more cut.

The overcast clouds outside the window drifted apart for just a moment, allowing the light outside to catch on the sweat covering the airbender's body, and Azula allowed herself an appreciative glance. Very cut.

Stowing these observations away for later, Azula made her presence known, “Why are you wasting your energy?”

The thief froze in the middle of a sit-up and her eyes snapped open, finding Azula standing only a few feet away. After a tense moment of staring, she huffed, continuing her exercise, “It's not like I have anything better to do.”

Azula watched as she continued to lever herself up and down at an impressive pace that was only made doubly so by the fact that she hadn't slowed in the slightest since the princess had entered unheard.

“I know that we are not feeding you enough to sustain such rigorous physical activity.” Azula observed idly, “You must realize that you won't be able to keep this up for very long.”

The thief eyed Azula as she continued to do her sit-ups, “I know that, I'm not stupid. But like I said, what else am I supposed to do here?”

Azula raised a delicate brow at her tone, “Perhaps you could meditate or nap. I've found it does wonders to keep a belligerent attitude in check.”

“Oh, did I offend your delicate sensibilities?” The other girl sneered, not missing a beat in her exercise, “Well I'm sorry, princess, but I don't know how to meditate and I'm in no mood to nap. I think I'll stick to what I was doing if that's fine with you.”

Azula stared at the airbender as she leaned back once more, continuing her sit-ups like Azula wasn't even there. The princess had to admit that her form was immaculate, with not a single wasted movement as she levered herself up and down on the cold floor, but that was inconsequential compared to this new information.

“You don't know how to meditate?” Azula asked slowly, “I was under the impression that your people were all rather spiritual.”

“All of my people are dead and have been for a hundred years.” The thief said as she continued her exercise, “And I never had a reason to learn to meditate. I was more focused on making sure I had a full stomach and a warm place to sleep.”

Azula clicked her tongue. A bender like the one before her being unable to even meditate was a travesty of the highest degree. Without the knowledge of how to properly control her chi, her potential was stunted. Though her display against Azula was admittedly impressive, she would plateau long before she reached her peak if she never learned the ins and outs of her own body.

“Sit up.” She commanded, stepping towards the cell. Pausing, the girl gave her a suspicious look and Azula's eyes narrowed as she failed to immediately follow the command, “Now, Thief. Or else you will go even hungrier tonight and perhaps even tomorrow depending on my mood.”

The teen's lips thinned at being deprived a meal, before she slowly sat up, shifting around so she was sitting on her knees with her hands folded in her lap. She stared at Azula with narrowed eyes, “There. Now what do you want?”

“Now, you will keep your tone respectful or I will burn out your tongue.” Azula gave the filthy floor a disgusted look, before slowly sitting down as well, crossing her legs underneath her, “I am going to teach you how to meditate.”

The thief's eyes widened, “What?”

“You heard me perfectly fine; do not make me repeat myself. It's a waste of my valuable time.” Azula folded her palms in her lap, meeting the girl's distrustful eyes with a steady gaze, “Follow my instructions carefully. I will try to simplify them a bit since it's clear you are uneducated in the finer points of spirituality.”

“I'm sorry. I didn't have much time to talk to spirits while fighting for my own survival every day.” The girl spat scathingly.

“Well there is a first time for everything.” Azula responded cooly, “Now then, firebending comes from the breath and I imagine airbending is much the same. Copy what I do and go from there to find what feels right for you. Mediation is personal; no two people have the same technique, but many are somewhat similar.”

As she spoke, Azula turned her hands upwards in her lap and breathed in deeply. A bright blue flame appeared in her palm, growing and shrinking every time she inhaled. Her eyes drifted shut as she continued her instructions, sinking deeper into her meditation with every breath, and yet still keeping enough of her mind to continue her instruction. She didn't open her eyes to see if the thief was following along. So long as she was listening, that was good enough for the moment.

“Focus on your breathing. Block out all outside stimuli; the only thing that matters is the air entering and leaving your lungs, stoking the flames of your life with every breath.”

It was an exercise that Azula had done a thousand times and would likely do a thousand times more. The fire burning in her palms blazed vibrantly, glowing and dimming like a candle being deprived of oxygen, and yet never fully going out or even coming close to it.

“Your bending is an extension of yourself and as such, you need to be utterly aware of its potential at all times. Every wasted ounce of chi is a battle lost with yourself.”

Azula didn't lose. Most wouldn't expect their princess to have any knowledge of the spiritual side of bending, especially since it wasn't covered in the academy, nor with her numerous royal instructors, but Azula was perfection incarnate and she had worked hard to become such. Everything she did in life, she strived to be utterly perfect at it, with not a hair out of place.

She refused to take half measures in anything in life, and especially her bending. And that meant there could be no stone unturned when it came to the nuances of the art. One cannot be perfect if they do not know themselves and what they are capable of, and Azula knew herself inside and out.

Azula opened her eyes and was pleasantly surprised to see that the thief had followed her instructions. Her eyes were closed, the perpetual scowl marking her face becoming the barest whisper of what it had once been as she gave herself to the task at hand.

Azula watched her shoulders rise and fall, took in the swelling of her bindings as her chest expanded with each breath she took, and felt a semblance of surprise at just how well she seemed to be doing. Few could manage such a deep meditation on their first attempt. It seemed all of the tripe about airbenders being more spiritual than most may hold some weight to it after all

Deciding to follow suit, Azula closed her eyes and entered her trance once more, focusing on the fire in her palms and within herself as she fell into a meditative state alongside her prisoner.

Minutes later a sigh bright Azula out of her meditation, and her eyes slid open smoothly to meet those of the girl across from her. The airbender was shifting from side to side, clearly uncomfortable from sitting on her knees for so long, before she paused as her eyes met Azula’s.

The silence stretched between them, tense and somewhat distant, before it was broken by the princess.

“What is your name, Thief.” She inquired.

The scowl, which had faded almost completely in her meditation, returned to the airbender’s face as her walls slammed closed once more.

“Why?” She asked tensly, and Azula favored her with a loose shrug.

“Is it wrong to desire to know the name of the stranger who is going to be occupying in the coming months. I would like to know what to regard you as should I ever desire to.”

The girl stared at her for a long, tense moment. Her eyes moved across Azula's face, steely and searching for any sign that this might be some sort of malicious trick.

“...Seng.” She finally said, and Azula smiled. The name was oddly fitting.

“Wonderful. Now I have a name to put to the face that will be unwillingly staying aboard my ship for the foreseeable future.” Azula stood, and Seng's eyes followed her as she stretched, “I will ask the chefs to bring you something more filling than stale bread. Perhaps some unseasoned gruel or something similar, so you have something to look forward to.”

Seng stared at her even more suspiciously, “Why? I thought you'd want to keep me weak and starving so I don't try to escape.”

“Oh you're more than welcome to try.” Azula said dismissively, “I'll admit, our little fight the other day was the most fun I've had in weeks. Though I warn you, I won't be going back nearly as much as I did that night.”

“That was you holding back?” Seng's voice was skeptical. It was clear she didn't believe Azula.

“Of course. Firebenders are weakest at night and especially so under a full moon. You just so happened to appear at the worst time for those of us who rise with the sun.” Azula’s gaze flickered to the girl, “If you'd like to test your mettle against me when I'm at full strength though, then I would be more than happy to oblige you. Though I warn you, you will be coming away with more than just a nasty scar.”

“As for why…” Azula hummed, “I have plans for you, Thief, and they wouldn't be very achievable if you were starved half to death. Not to mention, I need you in good health for our eventual return to Caldera. I can't present you to my father unless you are in good health. It wouldn't do to have him believe I defeated you at anything other than your best.”

“So you do want to use me for something.” Seng accused, and Azula raised a brow.

“I suppose you'll just have to wait and see.” Azula's eyes glittered cruelly as she turned towards the door, “Have a good day, Thief.”