Ba Sing Se. Capital of the Fire Nation.
The flickering light of a candle cast a steady glow across the table, allowing to comfortably read the dry, ambiguous lines of the reports.
"Only Old Man Jian is worth sothing," I muttered, setting the papers aside and slumping back in my chair, exhausted.
For nights now, I've been poring over the reports handed to by Old Man Jian and Piandao. The deeper I delve, the less I want to continue reading...
The faction Azulon "gifted" to turned out to be a collection of sycophants and failures. They were experts only at sensing which way the wind blew, which is why they'd managed to stay afloat for so long. Just empty shells.
"Should've seen it coming..." I grumbled, massaging my temples. "During Azulon's reign, there was barely any progress in conquering new lands. Under him, the promising industrial growth stalled. They were coasting on what Sozin had already built."
Old Man Jian didn't want to upset , so he only revealed the full truth recently. Now I understand why he often speaks with disdain about the other mbers of our small group...
Over the years, Piandao has accumulated enough debts and connections to gather the freshest information for . Still, I think this is just the tip of the iceberg.
"I'll have to replan everything," I concluded grimly. "Soon, I'll need to involve Yo and Dria. They're the ones who can gather primary information and eliminate those who stand in my way..."
My thoughts drifted to Fire Lord Ozai. His actions stir a storm of conflicting emotions within . In the cartoon, he's portrayed as the main antagonist—a villain so evil they shove him in your face.
But just recently, he masterfully exposed a large number of corrupt military officers and officials who had been robbing their own country for years. The sches were so intricate, there was no way to uncover them. It's a sha they didn't realize who now sits on the throne...
Humans are inherently selfish and self-centered. Their own well-being cos first, no matter what the sanctimonious claim. Maybe they just enjoy the reverence they receive for their good deeds...
Ozai, so fiercely driven by power, is a perfect example that there are no purely good or bad people. Everyone has their own perspective, their own life experiences...
But his power isn't just about his personal might. If I understand correctly, the stronger his people are, the stronger he becos. He stands at the pinnacle of a pyramid, with the common people as its foundation.
He wisely distributed a small stream of funds across various sectors, with innovation receiving the largest share. I think even without a chanist, they could eventually reach tanks and airships—it's just a matter of ti.
"Right," I snapped my fingers. I'd completely forgotten about the chanist. Roku needs to find him as soon as possible, before his village is destroyed by floods. I can't leave his fate to chance. The world can't afford to lose such a genius.
My golden eyes fixed on the map of the world hanging on the wall, where all the Fire Nation colonies were already marked.
"Where are you rushing, Ozai?" I murmured. "The potion should last at least two more years, and with your iron will, you'll make it through all four..."
After arriving in the capital and sending Hama ho, I beca a silent observer of a whirlwind of events centered around the Fire Lord.
His actions prompted to reevaluate his character and more consciously engage with my involuntary allies.
My eyes drifted across the map as if my subconscious wanted to tell sothing. Statistical data flashed through my mind—the approximate population of the Earth Kingdom, their troops, and their strengths. Comparing them with those of the Fire Nation, I realized sothing...
"Ah, I see now," I admitted, ashad I hadn't looked at it so globally and strategically before...
The Earth Kingdom's army outnumbers the Fire Nation's, and many simply dodge service. anwhile, on the islands, everyone fit is mobilized. In case of a major defeat, there'd be no one left to replace the fallen soldiers...
The Earth Kingdom is fragnted, with each province defending itself differently. On the other hand, Dai Li's leader even encourages this, isolating the central region from the others.
Suppose there are several chanists across the Earth Kingdom, and they could create sothing to counter the Fire Nation. And the Fire Nation can't keep their shipbuilding secrets forever—human error is inevitable. Maybe in a year, five, or ten, but soday the Earth Kingdom would develop its own ships, tanks, and other military technology.
Take Lao, with his imnse wealth. Building ten factories would be child's play for him.
Ozai doesn't want to give the Earth Kingdom a chance to rise while the Fire Nation still has the upper hand. They need to conquer all territories as quickly as possible. If the Fire Nation is pushed back to the islands, severe famine will ensue, as most of their food cos from the colonies.
Ozai wants to accomplish much in the ti he has, things that will help his people in the long run. I'd like to call soone like him a friend, but... our views are too different.
"Too many thoughts for one day," I concluded, extinguishing the candle.
*
Gently massaging Azula's sprained ankle, I gave in to somber thoughts...
I'm no expert in politics, so I had almost no chance of imdiately noticing sothing wrong with my allies. But when it cos to energies and conquest, I consider myself knowledgeable.
Only Azula's blue fire brought back down to earth.
During our very first training session, I thoroughly checked the sources of the Fire Lord's children, finding nothing exceptional. Azula's blue fire, in terms of temperature and other properties, was no different from ordinary flas. So, I simply dropped the matter—there were other concerns at the ti.
Only today, at the edge of my consciousness, did I notice a small detail that prompted to conduct another, more detailed check of Azula's source.
Every conqueror expends a certain amount of energy to activate a technique. Masters, however, use the bare minimum for ordinary techniques. After all, their energy density is greater, and they don't allow themselves to waste it.
Azula is undoubtedly a gifted bender, but... she still has to learn how much energy to spend on each technique. Many never figure this out, pouring as much energy as possible into every strike.
The catch was that Azula was expending energy at master levels—levels achieved by those who've spent most of their lives perfecting their control over their elent. That's what intrigued . There had to be sothing special about this unusual fire.
And I was right. Azula had one and a half sources!
There's a full firebending source and a small appendage in the form of a semi-functional airbending source!
Why didn't I see this the first ti? Because it doesn't even emit energy. I "see" through my sensitivity, so for , it simply didn't exist. Only when Azula actively used her elent did a minuscule response appear, which allowed to detect this "invisible" source.
Wan Shi Tong had no records of such a fla. Most likely, there were others like Azula in the past, but it wasn't docunted.
My opinion is that Azula had a predisposition to two elents, but a human body—unless you're the Avatar or so mysterious soul from beyond—would simply tear apart from the conflicting energies. Diluted blood from the forr Avatar Roku lost out to the blood of the Fire Lords. Though, if Ursa had been an airbender, the situation might have been entirely different...
Then a mutation occurred, with the fire source acting as the planet and the air source as its moon, amplifying Azula's flas and helping her expend less energy. I don't think that's the only advantage. Most likely, once she reaches a certain level of mastery, the temperature of her flas and the range of her attacks will skyrocket.
"Azula, are you okay?" Tai Lee asked worriedly.
"It's nothing, I'll be good as new soon," the princess replied confidently. She knew firsthand how effective my massages were.
Life energy is definitely a great force that people have abandoned in favor of mastering the elents.
"Next ti, I'll definitely win!" Azula promised.
"I'll try my best too!" Tai Lee said with a bright smile, happy to show off her skills.
Today, I decided to demonstrate the danger of neglecting martial arts. Azula probably doesn't even realize that she'll have no energy left for bending when her body becos her last weapon. Zuko wasn't involved this ti, as he's already been training with swords for a while.
Tai Lee surprised . Or rather, her honed movents did. It was clear they were part of a complete system that a teenage girl couldn't have created on her own. That ans she has soone teaching her all this.
"All done," I said with a smile, noticing Ursa relax out of the corner of my eye.
There's progress, even if Ursa doesn't show it. She's been paying more attention to Azula.
"Thank you, teacher!" Azula said, quickly running off to her friends.
This was their last eting at the Palace. Next ti, they'd et only at the Academy, in two weeks. The last days of vacation, by tradition, are reserved for family ti, which always takes place on Ember Island.
While the children were busy, Ursa and I sipped tea, discussing various news. I kept catching her pensive gaze, which was hesitant at first but grew firr as our conversation progressed.
"I'll bring more tea leaves," she suddenly stood up, then winced, clutching her back.
I quickly moved to help her sit comfortably.
"I think I stood up too abruptly," she said, smiling shyly. "This spot," she touched her lower back, "has been bothering for a long ti. I'm starting to understand the situation..."
"Maybe my massage could help solve this problem?" she asked hesitantly, biting her lip slightly.
In an instant, I engaged all my senses, trying to detect any surveillance. Looking at Ursa, I didn't know what to think—was this luck or a calculated move? There was no one watching us, which isn't very common.
"We won't know unless we try," I smiled. "But it's unlikely we'll fix it in one session. We'll probably need a whole course," I added. For a mont, triumph flashed in Ursa's eyes.
"Let's start by seeing how serious it is," I said, warming my palms slightly. "May I?" I asked, gesturing to her back, receiving a nervous nod in response.
Taking it as consent, I gently ran my hands over her tense back, which soon relaxed.
"Does it hurt here?" I whispered directly into her ear, standing behind her.
"A little lower," Ursa said, her voice trembling with excitent.
The lightweight fabric of her robe felt like silk, as if I were touching her skin directly. Sliding my hands lower, I began shalessly caressing the start of her hips, just as she'd asked.
Engaging my life energy, I began a real massage. My visits to that female monastery hadn't been in vain—I'd rembered sothing.
I kept an eye on the children to make sure they didn't see this impropriety while my hands glided over her back. Tomorrow morning, she'd feel much better, as if she'd shed a few years. I set my energy to comprehensively heal her body with a delayed effect.
"What's happening here?" I hadn't even moved away when Ursa's back tensed, and the scent of female satisfaction hit my sensitive nose.
First June, now Ursa. It's as if this world doesn't need an Avatar but a man who can bring happiness to won...
"Roku, thank you so much!" Ursa said quickly, her face flushing. "I completely forgot about one urgent matter. I need to go," she continued in one breath, hurrying away.
"I just touched your back," I thought, bewildered.
Looking away from Ursa's retreating back, I noticed i quickly turning her head, avoiding my gaze.
"Please don't tell she saw sothing?" Her natural stealth played a cruel trick on .
Managing to catch her eye, I pressed my index finger to my lips, receiving several quick nods in response. I hope i is smart enough to keep her mouth shut.
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