The Three Nations 1
[North Pole - Polar Wastes]
I missed.
I had aimed [Sokka's Boomerang] for Appa- a massive target in that big blue sky- in the hopes that it would be enough to knock him off balance and slow him down for Firebending or my other weapons. But I missed and hit someone else.
Sokka's panicked shout of "Hahn!' echoed out, and the confirmation came soon after.
Defeated {Head Chieftain Hahn}, 600 exp!
The 1st Squad and I watched as Hahn's limp body slid off to the side, still tangled in the reins like some yo-yo. His entire weight pulled sharply on Appa's 'steering horns,' sending the immense sky bison veering violently to the left, then into a frantic nose-dive. Appa streaked toward the ground, only managing to pull up at the last second and turn a head-on impact into a skidding crash that carved a deep trench in the snow. We wasted no time in sprinting toward the crash site, armoured Fire Nation boots and ostrich-horse talons pounding furiously across the tundra. And soon, what had been specks in the distance grew into silhouettes, then into sharp, clear shapes.
"1st Squad! Our top priority is to secure that bison." I roared, tossing them some loops of thick chains from my [Inventory, "Capture. But if it attempts to fly, gut it. That bison is NOT to leave this tundra! Understood?!"
"Yes, Commander!"
We closed in on them. The great beast was clearly injured from the crash landing, lagging behind Sokka and Katara, who were already making tracks southwards. The desperate fools thought that they could not only run the leagues of treacherous arctic tundras back to Agna Qel'a; they also thought that they could do it while outrunning us. No sense or reason, desperation was truly the only thing they had left.
Appa was the first to notice our approach, roaring as he slammed his broad tail in our direction.
The blast surged through the snow, throwing it up and out. Faster than I had anticipated, and faster than I could dodge.
[Greater Wind Blast], -208 hp!
HP: 1500 - 1292
The force was enough to kill a lesser man- likely rupturing eardrums and pulping organs from the shock wave. But for me, it was only enough to knock me off my feet, throw me back to make my own snow trench.
Normally, when a commanding officer gets knocked to the ground, the troops that follow him would be concerned. Undisciplined troops might even panic or desert. But [As One!] was very effective at what it did; the Lieutenant and her squad instinctively knew that I was okay. Chains rattled out as they immediately went for counterattack against the sky bison, and their ostrich-horses screeched their cries of hunger and hatred as their prey was almost in reach.
"HONK!"
On the sidelines, Katara began screaming incoherently, freezing the ground around her. "North! NORTH! Everyone, waxing crescent formation! And nobody pushes an Ice Wall!"
"Get away from Appa!" Sokka joined in, waving his club at us as if we were stray dogs to be scared off.
We largely ignored the Water Tribe siblings in favour of the vastly more important target.
Chains wrapped around Appa's limbs and neck, and though he fought against it fiercely, the steady diet of human flesh had made the ostrich-horses of the 41st Division grow big and strong. If some underfed sandbenders were capable of abducting Appa, then my seasoned veteran troops could easily as well. And they did. The chains tightened around the sky bison's six limbs, and he collapsed into the snow, unable to put up a fight.
With the chain and stake, we secured him to the frozen ground. All the while, the beast stared with big brown eyes, growling impotently.
My skull helm stared right back. "Stay down and stay quiet. Or we'll have the ostrich-horses have a leg or two."
Appa may have been able to understand human speech, but even without it, the threatening hisses from the hungry ostrich-horses that surrounded him were more than enough to convey the threat. He quieted down, but his basketball-sized eyes still kept staring defiantly.
Good enough.
"Two of you." I called out to the 1st Squad, "Head back to the command igloo and send a hawk. The 1st Regiment is to report in this location, and have them bring some sleighs and two pairs of draft ostrich-horses. We'll need them if we're to transport this bison anywhere."
"Right away, sir!" They saluted and immediately trotted off atop their ostrich-horses.
"The rest of you, keep that bison secure- dead or alive."
"Yes, Commander!" They replied, their guandao glaives at the ready at any moment to turn that sky bison mount into a sky bison rug.
Now, it was time to end this.
Steam escaped my helmet's slits as I exhaled and turned around. My full attention finally focused on two human members of the Avatar's retinue who were now alone, without their Avatar and without their brethren to even the scales. The two Southern Water Tribe siblings were in the centre of a patch of frozen ground. Katara had apparently fallen unconscious, either from hunger or exhaustion. Sokka shielded her body with his. His Water Tribe club raised at me like a swordsman expecting a duel as he watched me approach.
My large, armoured hand twitched with the urge to end their lives right there and then. But instead, I tossed them a pair of steel manacles, clattering against the ice right before bumping his boots' toes. "Put them on. The two of you are now my prisoners."
His grip tightened on his club, and he glared at me. "Over my dead body!"
"Your terms are acceptable." My laughter boomed as I readied my (Steel) [Meteor Hammer], swinging that heavy chain with the solid steel ball at the end in wide circles. Sokka's blue eyes were visibly and futilely trying to follow it, and I scoffed, "So, is this how you choose to die, Son of Hakoda? In vain?"
Sokka's face hardened into a glare. "Shut up!" he barked, raising his club. "Shut up and fight me, Fire Nation! Man to man, warrior to warrior!"
I opened my mouth to retort, but before the words could leave my lips, a roar shattered the frigid arctic air.
Appa thrashed in a wild frenzy, his massive body struggling against the chains. His panicked, desperate roars vibrated through the snow as the ostrich-horses around him reared back, honking their warnings. Snow sprayed into the air as he jerked and twisted, fighting in vain to break free of the chains.
Sokka's eyes widened. "What are you doing to Appa?! Stop it!"
My Meteor Hammer is coming to a stop, the chain resting in my trembling hands. Because I knew precisely what that meant.
"They did it… they actually did it…" I said, my rumbling voice low and full of pride.
Sokka clenched his fists, anger boiling over. "Who did what?! What are you doing to Appa?!"
Through the slits of my skull helmet, my green eyes met his blue. "Appa is Aang's animal guide," I said as Appa's thrashing slowed, his great furred body trembling as he let out a low, mournful bellow that echoed across the frozen tundras. "The bond between them is on a spiritual level. Do you not understand? If Appa is like this…"
"No… that's not possible…" Sokka's voice was barely a whisper as the realization sank in for him, and his token defiance crumbled. His club lowered, then slipped from his fingers, clattering to the ice.
"Yes…" I whispered, the smile beneath my skull helm cold. "We've won."
-o-
(60 Seconds ago) [Agna Qel'a]
Aang sighed as he pushed aside the curtain to the cottage, the one he used to share with Sokka and Katara- or at least, he had.
"Sokka should have been back with Appa by now," he murmured, glancing out the window and at the empty horizon past the northern walls of Agna Qel'a, where Sokka and Appa had flown over just a few hours ago. He could almost hear Katara's voice calling his name, but he knew it was just his imagination. Just a few days apart made him really miss her.
Something just felt so wrong. Wrong enough that he had even taken a walk around the city to clear his head.
"I bet a nap would help…" He said to himself as he crawled into his bedroll.
It felt like he had barely closed his eyes before Aang woke up, his grey eyes flying open in panic as pain blossomed across his neck. Bright red stains his hands' blue airbender tattoos as he tries to staunch the wound with his fingers, but a [Kyoshi Katana] is very sharp and cuts deep.
Through the flashes of pain, Aang saw the sunlight streaming from the open window- his only way out- get blocked by the shadows of more Kyoshi Warriors. His tattoos glowed, and the Avatar State was awakened.
Suki hesitated mid-swing, and he blasts her aside with wind- just enough to clear a way to that open window, but…
Pain exploded everywhere as more Kyoshi Katanas came faster than he could ever have anticipated- faster than what any of his past lives thought was even possible: Gliding over his belly, slashing apart his thigh to the bone, spearing through his liver, severing the tendons and arteries of his wrist and his ankle. Pain exploded everywhere, but he kept going- taking another step to freedom and safety… only to slip over a puddle of his own blood and entrails.
Aang collapsed to his back, gurgling and gasping as the light from his tattoos dimmed, then flickered out completely.
In the corners of his darkening vision, he saw Suki- the same Suki from Kyoshi Island- stand over him. And behind her, the Kyoshi Warriors all stood, every single one of them with sorrowful expressions.
He tried to speak, but only blood came.
Gently, Suki knelt by his side, took his bloodied hand in both of hers, and whispered in a quiet, sorrowful voice.
"Avatar Kyoshi, please forgive this pitiful one's treacherous actions. For although the celestial forces of creation may have formed in her the finesse to wield your blades, the swiftness to follow in your footsteps and the voice to lead others to your teachings, they had, in their inscrutable wisdom, left in her the heart of a mere mortal girl- so soft and so very foolish. My Avatar... I am so sorry. I have worshipped you all my life, but now, I- I love Khan... more than I believe you."
Those would be the last words Aang would ever hear as the light in his grey eyes began to fade. And ultimately, it was only a few more seconds before the sound of wet spurting blood would slow, then cease entirely.
Gentle fingers would close the lifeless eyes of the Last Airbender, and the Four Nations became Three.
-o-
(Later) [Khan's Abode]
They, the six Kyoshi Warriors, knelt in perfect unison, heads bowed low before Khan in his red robes, the blood-soaked bedroll-turned-body bag lying between them, sealed shut. Aang's remains, wrapped tightly in the cloth- their grisly bladework hidden from view- an offering to Khan.
Suki's heart pounded in her chest as she spoke, her voice quiet but steady. "Our Khan… your humble Kyoshi Warriors present to you the body of Avatar Aang as proof of our mission accomplished."
The words felt like a needle in her throat, a betrayal. To everything she had once believed in, and to the reincarnation of Kyoshi herself. There was no forgiving what she had done.
Hauling the Avatar's dead body out of the city, riding alongside it on the sled back here… it gave her a lot of time to think about things.
Khan said nothing, his shadow looming over them. He was always so intimidating, even in his red robes without his armour. It was just as it had been when he was taller and more muscled than most people. It was only worse when he didn't say anything, when his intelligence and bookishness weren't obvious, and he was just a large and powerful man with a reputation for brutality and extreme violence.
She waited, expecting praise for the prize they'd brought back, maybe even disappointment. What if he knew that she had hesitated? What if he saw her as weak? But instead, Khan's green eyes just glossed over the bedroll entirely, and Suki blinked in surprise as he stepped forward, and without a word, he gently wrapped his large arms around her, pulling her into a warm embrace. Very warm.
"So stiff and formal. Did you all have a hard time?" he asked, deep voice tinged with affection and a touch of humour as he smiled down at her. "Well, you girls did wonderfully. I'm proud of you all."
The other Kyoshi Warriors rushed forward, joining the hug without hesitation, wrapping their arms around both her and Khan.
"Amazing work as always, Suki." He said, his large hand patting her red hair, and her breath caught in her throat. A too-faint memory of her childhood washed over her, from back when the sun was so warm, the trees were so tall, and another man so much taller than her, whose hand had also been warm, rested on her head. Suki couldn't even remember his name, but she remembered the feeling of being safe. She hadn't realized how much she missed that feeling of safety, of being cared for, until now.
Suki clung tighter to that feeling- to Khan- and the weight of guilt she had been carrying seemed to lift. The hollow space in her heart that Kyoshi's disapproval had left behind didn't feel so empty anymore. She felt whole again. Warm again.
"Are you okay, Suki?" He asked, green eyes shining with concern.
She didn't even know why she expected anything else. "I'm okay… It's just… been a long six days." She replied with a relieved smile, wiping her eyes, "I'm so glad to be back. We missed you a lot!"
"I missed you, too." His hand rested on her head again, and she leaned into it for just a breath longer, "Now, I bet you're all hungry for some hot food! You wouldn't guess what we found in a resupply caravan that we raided: elephant koi. Hahn had good taste."
Suki let out a small, quiet laugh. "Elephant koi? Really? You wouldn't believe how sick I am of seaweed with sea urchin bits," she said. The other Warriors chimed in.
"Yeah, the rations that they were handing out in the city were gross!"
"It was always served cold!"
"And greasy! How can something be greasy when it's not even fried!?"
"We were all sick of it the second day in."
"Yeah, you wouldn't imagine how much Suki whined about it."
"I did not!"
"Well, you girls still have good luck when it comes to food." Khan laughed, deep and rich, as he patted her shoulder, "I prepared it three ways. The rice should be done steaming by now, too."
'Yeah, it's good to be back.' Suki admitted to herself quietly, then, with a big smile, she said, "I call first crack at the rice!"
"Hey, no fair!"
"Dibs on the first piece of sizzling elephant koi, too!"
She and her sisters raced to the dining table, stepping over the bloody bedroll with happy smiles on their faces.
-o-
(Half a day later)
A new dawn broke over the Water Tribe capital of Agna Qel'a.
From the True North's tundras, the horizon came alive. The ranks of my advancing army stretched wide across the snowfields- the red and black of Fire Nation armour contrasting with the vivid blue of barbarian parkas. And ostrich-horse cavalry raised the Fire Nation banners amongst a sea of barbarian spears. Buffalo-yaks pulled sleighs of supplies, prisoners in chains walked ahead of their wardens, calls of our ostrich-horses echoed, and the rumbling sound of our collective marching rolled over the defender's walls.
The tundras were left empty as all of the barbarian clans of the North Pole gathered here for this inauspicious moment in history.
We halted just before the towering, icy gates of Agna Qel'a, just beyond the range of their [Icicle Sprays]. Water Tribe warriors lined the icy battlements atop the thick walls and eyed my army warily. They had every reason to be afraid. We had, after all, crushed the Agna Qel'a Resistance's once-mighty force of 10,000. Their strongest and bravest had faced the enemies of Agna Qel'a and failed miserably. The snowfields now stained with their blood, and their bodies never to be returned to the Ocean. And now, they watched us arrive at their doorstep and feared that it was their turn.
I was certain that they were going to wish were here just to kill them, rather than our true reason.
Essin leaned on the edge of his claimed royal sleigh, the elderly barbarian leader in his finest barbarian blue parka and his tallest furred hat adorned with sigils of carved whalebone. He grinned a toothless grin at me, "Looks like those 'Northern Water Tribe' buffalo-yak droppings are ready for us, Khan."
"We weren't hiding." My deep voice reverberates in my skull helm. "This is a victory parade, not an assault."
"Aye, we're here to gloat and rub their failure to their faces! Hehehe!" He cackled excitedly, before squinting his glassy eyes at the wall, "And… Is that who I think it is?"
Following the direction of his squinting, I spotted a shape in a royal blue parka, bald head and long white hair, and remarked, "You mean Master Pakku? Yes, that's him."
"Feh, the only thing that brat's master of is the dungheap."
"You can be the one to break the news to them, Essin," I said to him, sensing that they knew each other, making the old man blink his wrinkled eyes in disbelief.
"You'd give me this honour?"
"Yes, gloat and jeer away."
He guffawed, deep and hearty. "Ocean Spirit, bless your kind heart, Hot Lander. 'Tis a fine gift for a tired, old man."
With a deep intake of breath, he shouted at the Waterbender master. "Hey, Pakku, where's the rest of your hair?!" He quietly glared at us, so Essin tried again. "C'mon, you and your tiny turd friends were making fun of mine just a few decades ago! Where's your sense of humour now, you little punk?"
Still, Pakku remained silent. And his glare was still as icy.
"Boy, hand me the special spear," Essin ordered his grandson.
The boy obediently handed him a steel spear with a lumpy bag tied to the end, and we all watched as the old man peeked under the bag's lip and let out an amused giggle.
"Look, it's your 'head' chieftain!" Essin hoisted the spear high as he yanked the bag off to reveal Hahn's severed head impaled at the tip. The dead leader's jaw hung open, swaying loosely with the motion. Murmurs rippled through the Water Tribe warriors at the sight of their former leader's head, confirming that their army of 10,000 had truly been slaughtered.
"So, you have defeated our army, Warm Landers." Master Pakku finally shouted out his reply, "Do you think that taunting us with that changes anything? That we'd fall to our knees in terror and surrender to you? Agna Qel'a will stand strong. You may slay our warriors and our chiefs, but you will never slay our spirit!"
"No, but I think this next one definitely will." Essin smiled cruelly.
At my nod, an oversized sleigh, pulled by buffalo-yaks, slid forward. On it was a towering frame of whalebone, the Fire Nation flag barely visible under a cloth cover. Another nod, and two of my men pulled away the cloth to reveal...
...Avatar Aang, his lifeless body hung by his wrists over the great red flag of the Fire Nation.
Every Water Tribe warrior gasped, and some actually did fall to their knees.
"What have you done…" Master Pakku's whisper cut through the stunned silence, right before it rose into a furious roar. "WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?!"
Essin, with a toothless but victorious grin, bellowed back. "We won, that's what we did! The Avatars have moved on to their next life, your army of ten thousand is dead, and their carcasses are being feasted on by the snow leopard caribous as we speak! And one more thing!" He turned towards Princess Yue. "Okay, girlie, your chance to say what you've been dying to tell them all this time."
Yue stepped forward in her royal purple parka-dress.
"My people, you must surrender!" she called out, her words laced with sorrow. "A Fire Nation Armada- larger than the one that sparked the Great War- is coming to Agna Qel'a. More than two hundred ships and forty thousand veteran soldiers are on their way!"
The Water Tribe warriors atop the walls murmured in disbelief.
Yue's voice cracked. "I'm sorry. I wanted to tell you all, but we… I knew you wouldn't listen. Not until Avatar Aang was gone." She paused, her blue eyes glancing at the dead Aang for a moment before shouting. "I'm sorry! I'm so sorry! But please, listen to me now. For the people who still live in Agna Qel'a, for those who can still be saved, you must surrender!"
The Waterbending master was not yet sold, though. "You lie!" His accusation rang out, sharp with anger. "We did not fall for your Fire Nation tricks when you used our Princess as your mouthpiece once, what makes you think we will now!?"
But I can see it. The way Pakku's eyes kept glancing over to the dead Avatar hanging from our banners. The gritted teeth, the minute shaking of his head as he stumbled around in denial at the edge of finally surrendering. Turning my head slightly, I called out, "Bring forth the prisoner!"
A collective gasp rose from the Water Tribe defenders as another familiar figure was pushed to the front of the ranks. Head Chieftain Arnook, once proud in his blue parka, now looked haggard, with manacles around his wrists and ankles. His face was heavily wrinkled, his eyes cast down, filled with the resignation of a defeated man.
"Head Chieftain Arnook!" the defenders could be heard gasping.
Arnook raised his head slowly at the corpse of the Avatar hanging from the Fire Nation flag, then shook his head with a sad, weary expression. "It's over, Pakku," he said to them, "The Avatar is dead. There's no point in fighting anymore."
Pakku's hands trembled as he gripped the icy parapet, his knuckles white. "No... this cannot be…" he whispered, his voice cracking. He squeezed his eyes shut, refusing to accept it. "You savages! Moon Spirit, damn you all!" he bellowed with fury, but ultimately impotent, slamming his fist against the ice.
The Water Tribe warriors stood frozen, shocked into silence by Pakku's outburst.
After a long, painful pause, Pakku's shoulders sagged. He opened his eyes, and the fire that had burned in them moments before was now gone, replaced by the reality of their total defeat. His voice was low, barely above a whisper, and yet it slipped through the silent air for everyone to hear.
"Open the gates."
"Master Pakku?!" The warriors on the walls cried out in sheer disbelief.
Pakku didn't look at them. He kept his balding head bowed as he repeated, louder but tiredly, "I said open the gates! The Northern Water Tribe… formally surrenders to the Fire Nation."
Seeing the warriors on the walls lowered their weapons and their heads bowed in surrender, I stepped forward, the sound of my armour echoing as I approached the open gates. "Agna Qel'a is ours," I said, my voice resonating across the frozen plains. "The Fire Nation reigns victorious!"
"VICTORY!"
"41st Division, parade formation!" I bellowed once again. "Raise our banners- and the Avatar- high. Let the entire city see their conquerors and their failed saviour! Onwards… march!"
A cold wind blew through the gates, and for the first time in centuries, the proud coastal walls of Agna Qel'a flew the Fire Nation's banner.
-o-
(A few minutes later) [Royal Palace of Agna Qel'a]
We watched Eswar settle into the Royal Throne of Agna Qel'a. The grand carved ice, whalebone and stone was so large that it looked to swallow the young boy, but he held his head high, trying to carry the weight of the crown thrust upon him. Which of course, it was also made of ice and whalebone.
"You know… You're not half bad, Hot Lander." Essin began, the barbarian chief's usually boisterous voice unexpectedly quiet.
I crossed my arms and scoffed, "After all we've been through, now is-"
"Let this old man speak, lad." He admonished, his glassy blue eyes glancing at me.
A tilt of my helm in a nod, quietly telling him that the floor was his.
"You proved me wrong, Khan." The old barbarian chieftain quietly began, "When we first shook hands on this alliance, I figured we'd lose more than half our people just getting through that damned army. I knew it'd be a bloodbath, a real mess, and I was ready for it. Daubed myself with the Mark of the Fierce and joined my ancestors soon enough, maybe with a few more battle scars to show off. But… that did not happen, we cut through that army of 10,000 like fresh cod. And here we are, standing in this 'Royal Palace' where our ancestors once swore never to let a single chieftain rule over us all. It's not every day you get to say you defeated an army that size, took back a chiefdom and barely lost half a clan's worth of people for it. I'm still wrapping this old mind around how you managed to pull that last part off."
Essin chuckled before his wrinkled face grew solemn as he gazed at his grandson. The little boy admired the intricate carvings on the ice and stone throne.
"I promised my son that we'd see this day." He said quietly, "When we've not only reclaimed what was ours, but also ready to put everything back down the right river, and I'm still here- kicking, yakking, and probably gonna cause these city folk pukes more trouble for years to come. Khan, you've done the Northern Water Tribe- the real one- a good turn. So much more than what we had agreed upon. We've got the future of the tribe set in stone- well, ice. The Water Tribe owes you more than they'll ever admit. And for that, I'm about to do something that hasn't been done in a few thousand years, if ever at all…"
Essin turned back to me, his expression more serious than I'd ever seen.
"I promise you the first daughter of my line," he said, his voice solemn. "A bond between the Fire Nation and the Water Tribe. Between our bloodlines."
"You really don't have to," I said, raising my armoured hand slightly. "What we've done here is enough."
Essin waved me off with a dismissive grunt. "If I don't make the effort to tie you- the glorious bastard of a Warm Lander responsible for restoring our people- to our bloodline, all of my ancestors would greet me in the afterlife with a beating so fierce that I'd get ejected back to the living!" He jabbed a gnarled finger at me, "So don't ya dare decline!"
"I decline," I said simply.
"Bah! Too bad!" Essin scoffed, waving my words away like a minor annoyance. "She'll be your problem anyway!" He turned, barking an order at Eswar, who was still fidgeting on the throne. "Boy, get to making me a great-granddaughter to give to Khan!"
"Eh?!" Eswar squeaked, startled by his grandfather's outburst.
Essin let out a hearty laugh, slapping his knee. "But you'd better raise her tough, like that Lieutenant of his!" He jerked his thumb toward me. "She won't catch his eye otherwise, you hear?!"
… I give up. More likely than not, she'll turn out somewhere in the range of meek Princess Yue or pushy Katara. Future me can handle a girl like that.
It'll be fine.
-o-
Once the forward scout ships of the Armada spotted the city flying Fire Nation banners, the naval assault was cancelled- much to the relief of everyone in Agna Qel'a after seeing the size of the Armada. Even most of the Fire Nation Navy troops were relieved that they wouldn't be conducting an amphibious storming of a heavily fortified citadel. And after the grand admiral saw the great statue of 'Zhao the Magnificent' standing tall in Agna Qel'a, it was surprisingly easy to talk him down from killing the Moon Spirit.
All in all, everyone celebrated…
Except for Anya the Evil, who was reported to have pouted all day long at being denied her grand massacre.
-o-
(Three weeks later) [A small apartment in Agna Qel'a]
"Uncle, I'm heading out to the market," Zuko called out, tugging his furred blue parka from the hook and slipping it on with little enthusiasm.
"Be sure to pick up some more seaweed!" came his uncle's reply, likely still in his room. "And don't start any trouble, nephew!"
"Alright! I get it!" He shouted back before pushing through the thick fur of the front door… and immediately did a [Breath of Fire] exercise into his palms. It looked like another freezing morning in Agna Qel'a today. He noticed the slight drizzle of snow that was already coating the endless rows of icy apartment complexes and the sidewalks, like some powdered sugar frosting. But squinting up to the sky, Zuko saw that the sun was still climbing at least.
Good, he still had a bit of time before the noon rush flooded the market square with people; he didn't feel like dealing with the glares. And yet…
Zuko glanced down the frosted road that led to the marketplace, then to the opposite direction leading to another part of the city. He pressed his lips together, then walked down the path. He'd be late for the market, but he could put up with some quiet glaring today.
'Just for today.' He told himself.
Because three years ago on this exact day, he had been banished from the Fire Nation- removed from his honour, his throne and his entire nation. Sentenced to never return until he found and captured the greatest threat to the Fire Nation, he went on his journey relentlessly, searching the Air Temples and chasing every rumour. He did eventually find the Avatar, almost exactly on the other side of the world, at the South Pole, and he chased him across the world.
And where did that lead him?
Here. It led him here: At the towering monument of 'Zhao the Magnificent.'
As tall as a four-story building, it was an accurate depiction too, as far as Zuko could tell; it even captured the grand admiral's large sideburns and his unbearably smug expression as the monument's triumphant armoured boot was settled on a cube as if stomping down on some neck. And in this cube was… the remains of Avatar Aang, preserved in a tomb of ice and stone. The lid was crystal clear ice so that everyone could see for generations to come. As much of a war trophy as it was a mausoleum. He wore a more elaborate set of yellow and orange Airbender robes, practically swallowing the small Airbender's thin frame. Likely to hide the wounds that killed him. His eyes were closed as if asleep or meditating.
But Zuko didn't come to pay his respects to the airbender, though. He was here for himself.
They may as well have carved the epitaph: 'Here lies Zuko's hopes and dreams.' Because that was what this entire statue was about- a monument to his honour being stolen from him, and along with it, any aspiration of ever seeing home again. He had spent years chasing the Avatar, but now, staring at Aang's frozen form, all he could feel was… nothing. No satisfaction, no closure. Just a hollow ache in his chest where his honour should have been.
"This wasn't supposed to be how it ended."Zuko sighed, deep and almost painful.
Azula failed them, spectacularly.
His sister was caught soon after the Armada had arrived, foiling whatever plot she had hatched. Apparently, Lady Anya knew who she was all along. That disturbed child only wanted to toy and manipulate Azula for the cruelest of ends: To present the princess to her brutal giant of a father in person. As far as Zuko heard, Azula was led into the same room as the Giant before Anya pointed her out.
Zuko hadn't seen his sister since.
As for his uncle and himself… They weren't arrested, at least. Whether that was because Azula managed to hide their involvement or because the 41st Division commander didn't care for them, Zuko didn't know. But that didn't stop Zhao from eagerly exercising his authority as grand admiral to commandeer his ship and his crew, leaving him and his uncle stranded here in this frozen city. With little money and even fewer options to go elsewhere, the only 'plot' they had left was to do enough odd jobs and save enough money to go to a Fire Nation colony instead. Definitely better than constantly freezing here.
He stared one last time at Aang's face. The market would be crowded by now, but he couldn't avoid his uncle's shopping list forever. With a sigh, he turned around and…
"Look who we have here. Come to spit on the Avatar, did you, Fire Nation scum?"
… A crowd of rough-looking Water Tribe men and women with worn blue parkas and sullen expressions came flooding into the park. Their eyes locked onto him immediately, and he could feel their hostility simmering in the cold air from the hundred or so people.
"We won't let you intimidate us into silence!" one of them growled, his voice thick with disdain, and the crowd's shouts echoed in agreement.
Zuko scowled. He didn't know what this was about, but he didn't need this right now. Glancing at them briefly, he kept his tone neutral. "I was just leaving," he muttered, trying to push past them. But they stepped in front of him, blocking his path and sneered.
"What, you think you can just slink away? After what your people did to us? Where's your toughness now that your Armada has left port, huh?!"
Still, he tried to sidestep them, but another man clocked him from the side. He stumbled backward, catching himself before he fell, but the group closed in around him. Looks like he hadn't needed to start trouble- trouble had found him.
Zuko clenched his fists. He could feel the heat rising inside him, but he forced it down. Starting trouble would only draw attention, and the last thing he and Uncle needed was scrutiny from the authorities- from the Giant who ruled the city. Zuko muttered, "Just leave me alone."
"You didn't leave the Avatar alone!" one shoved him, and this time, another was there to catch him mid-dodge… with a fist.
He rolled with the blow, stumbling slightly at the force of it. That only seemed to incite their ire more as the next one hit him in the gut hard enough to lift him feet off the ground. Zuko exhaled explosively, thankful he hadn't eaten breakfast yet, pretty sure he'd have just lost whatever was in my stomach if he had. He forced himself to stay still and said through clenched teeth, "I'm not here to fight!"
"Justice for Avatar Aang! Take down the Zhao monument! Moon and Ocean spirits are with us!"
He steadied himself on his feet, keeping his hands at his side as he met the eyes of his attackers. Someone behind him punched him in the kidney, and he winced before a foot kicked his knee out, sending him to the ground. From there, the circle of men and boys closed in, kicking and stomping as he rolled to protect his vitals, trying to find an opening when-
Smoke exploded everywhere.
Before Zuko could even cough, he was yanked violently by his parka, and the next thing he knew, he was away from the mob. The size of it surprised him- a flood of blue parkas practically taking up the entire square that the Zhao monument stood in. More importantly, someone was standing between him and the coughing crowd. The green-and-gold kimonos and painted faces were unmistakable.
"You!" He exclaimed in surprise.
Suki and the Kyoshi Warriors stood above him, their katanas drawn and ready. The redheaded leader did a double-take, her blue eyes catching sight of his distinct scar. "Zuko?! Whatever! Just stay behind us!" Suki said before turning back to the crowd, "Khan gave you guys the benefit of the doubt. He said that you were just going to whine about things in public, but you just had to prove him wrong, huh?!"
The other Kyoshi Warriors also shouted at the angry mob.
"Yeah! You're all going against your unconditional surrender! Khan is still in the city, and you try to pull this? Are you all this stupid?"
"After everything that's happened, it's unbelievable that some of you still want to fight!"
"Do you know how much fighting and killing and dying everyone had to do to get this precious crumb of peace?!"
"I'm more interested in what they think, trying to achieve, tearing down the monument and beating up a Fire Nation citizen."
"Yeah, it's Zuko today, but what if it was someone actually important tomorrow?"
"Hey!" Zuko protested at the jab.
The mob just roared and jeered at them. Some even brandished clubs, and others bent water from the waterways to form [Water Whips]. Just too many of them… Even Zuko wasn't feeling like he could beat the odds of a hundred to one. And giving a quick glance behind them, Zuko noticed that they literally had their back to the wall. Someone from the mob shouted, "Fire Nation whores! You're going to pay just like the rest of them!"
"Oh, real classy last words, loser!" Suki scoffed before shouting loudly to the side, "Lieutenant, we're clear!"
"Honk!"
Ostrich-horses appeared on the nearby rooftops, their shadows stretching over the square. Zuko didn't get a chance to ask anything before the riders tossed wooden barrels over the crowd and burst, splashing thick liquid onto the crowd.
"Zuko, shield your eyes. We're about to disperse the crowd!"
He was about to ask why he had to shield his eyes for that, but then, the familiar orange light from firebending lit up the space. The ostrich-horse riders shot a long stream of fire at the angry mob. And the liquid that coated the people… it ignited. A tremendous firestorm immediately erupted, and a hundred people's panicked shouts turned into desperate, horrid screaming and begging. The fire was everywhere: On their hair, under their parkas, in their eyes and mouths. Most flailed, some tried to run for the waterways, some even tried to bend water onto it, but the fire just. kept. burning.
Zuko just stared on in horror. Didn't know if that single horrifying minute passed quickly or like an eternity, but once it did, the screaming died out along with the fire as it ran out of fuel. All that was left behind was a smoking pile of wretched corpses, burnt black and flaking flesh. Mouths yawned open in a scream. Limbs curled unnaturally.
Apparently, when they said 'disperse the crowd,' they apparently meant 'burn all of them alive.'
"And that's that!" Suki said in a chipper tone, grinning as she dusted her gloves. "Situation handled…"
"Rebel scum roasted…"
"And damsel-in-distress saved!"
"Smells like victory!"
"And pork!"
"Yup, good work, sisters!"
'This isn't war,' Zuko could only think hollowly. And he recalled the words of that 1st Sergeant back in Pohuai Port: The Fire Nation was waging war, but the 41st Division was waging something else entirely. Glancing up to his 'saviours,' he realized these weren't the same Kyoshi Warriors he had faced. Not the same girls in green and gold kimonos who had fought for their Kyoshi Island and Kyoshi Avatar. They had become something else- something terrifying. And Zuko wasn't sure if he was more horrified by what they had become, or by the fact that he was standing among them, still unsure where he fit in a world that seemed to have lost all sense of honour.
They set him down on a nearby bench, and their painted faces glancing in his direction. "We could get you a healer for those bruises if you want. Or some Dew of the Mountain?"
"I'm okay." Zuko pushed away the offered can of drink. "I just… I just need to get to the market for some food."
"That's on the other side of the city, Zuko… Why were you here?"
"I was just visiting," Zuko said, gold eyes flicking to the tomb. "The Avatar, I mean."
"Of all days, you had to visit the monument..." Suki sighed, deep blue eyes looking at him with sympathy. He hated it.
"Yeah, of all the days…" He grunted sourly. "Destiny had a twisted sense of humour."
"It does. It sure does."
The cold wind whistled through the streets, and for a moment, neither of them spoke. Just sitting quietly with his bruises. Then more figures arrived at the scene. More girls, this time in purple parkas. The Kyoshi Warriors waved them over.
"Hey, Nessa. Did the princess send you to check on the situation?" Suki asked.
"Yeah." This 'Nessa' replied, her blue eyes glancing back at the twisted mass of burnt-black corpses, "Princess Yue… she had hoped that there'd be survivors. I hate being the bearer of bad news."
"The survivors are the ones that didn't come."
"I bet she knows that. I'm just worried that she'll be hard on herself for not convincing more of them to give up."
"Yue's got a big heart." Suki reassured, "We'll go talk to her later. In the meantime, could you…"
"We'll send them back to the Ocean. More than these stupid, traitorous rebels deserve to be honest."
Zuko hid a wince at the tone that the Water Tribe girl spoke in. Too angry, too hateful, and too Fire Nation. Khan was already taking the nation renowned for their compassion and warping them beyond recognition.
The six of them walked to the smoking corpse pile. And with a synchronized motion, they summoned a gentle wave that washed away the corpses and the ashes into the waterways. The only evidence that a large group of people had lost their lives was the deformed ice facades that had melted from the heat, and how the waterway's blue water had turned black with the ashes of a hundred unfortunate souls. But even that was being swept away by the gentle current as it headed out to the Ocean.
Something caught Zuko's eyes, though. Aang's ice tomb had also partially melted from the heat, and his airbender robes shifted to reveal a stitched-up cut over his throat.
"It was Commander Khan, wasn't it?" Zuko whispered as he watched the cleanup crew fix the tomb, "I can imagine how he would-"
"We did it," Suki said, and Zuko's brows rose as he tried to process the words.
"You? You were the ones who…"
"Killed Aang, yes."
Those words hit him like a punch to the gut. And for a moment, he sat frozen, staring up at her impassive painted face. The non-benders girls standing in front of him- the same people who had once worshipped the Avatar's previous incarnations- had been the ones to take that life? His mind raced with a thousand questions. How's? Why's? Why not me? But from all the questions swirling in his head, only one escaped his lips, barely a whisper. "Did… Did he die honourably?"
"No, we slit his throat while he slept, but he still managed to wake up just long enough to try and escape," Suki answered, far too casually. Just the simple fact for her.
Zuko slumped. "I see…" he said, and he certainly did.
He saw why no one was officially confirmed to have killed the Avatar. There was no honour to be found in the way it happened, and yet, it did anyway. The Avatar, Master of all Four Elements and the greatest hope for balance in the world... ambushed in his sleep and slain while trying to run away. Not given the dignity of a fair fight, not even an execution, just a violent murder in the middle of the night. Just a boy, running for his life. What was there to honour? And… would it have been like that if he were the one who did the deed?
He felt like throwing up. "I think…" Zuko paused to lick his dry lips, "I think I'll have some of that Dew of the Mountain tea if the offer's still open."
"Sure thing, Zuko," the redhead replied with a sympathetic nod and handed him a can.
He gripped the can tightly, then cracked it open, sipping the cool, sweet liquid. He drank quietly, letting the coldness of the tea settle over him like the snow-covered streets of Agna Qel'a.
Suddenly, a voice broke through the murmur of the city. "Honourable Kyoshi Warriors!"
A tall woman with long, flowing dark hair approached, and that was as much as Zuko could pick up before the Kyoshi Warrior formed a wall of armoured green kimonos between him and the newcomer, guarding him like some victim… or a prisoner. He couldn't care less at the moment, just glad to be able to sit down, nurse his bruises and sip his tea in peace after this long, long early morning.
"I'm with the Ember Island Players," the woman announced, "I was hoping for a moment of your time for an interview."
Suki exchanged a glance with her sisters before quirking a smirk. "An interview, huh? Well, buy us dinner first." She crossed her arms, her casual tone lightening the atmosphere, while the other girls in green kimonos giggled.
"Excuse me?" The woman tilted her head.
"Nothing," Suki replied with a small chuckle, waving a hand. "Just an inside joke, Miss…?"
"Ursa," she said softly, "I'm one of the ringmasters. My troupe and I were hoping to make a play, perhaps even a book, on Lady Anya's exploits. Your testimonies would be very valuable."
"Of all the people? Her?" one of the Kyoshi Warriors asked.
"We would have liked to make a play for Commander Khan, but… some other troupe managed to secure the right to that play first."
"Can't you just make your own version?"
"Fire Island troupes have a mutual understanding not to compete directly for new material."
"That makes sense." Suki murmured, then her tone became more upbeat, "Sure, we can definitely-"
"Suki… remember what Khan said about loose lips."
"Specifically yours."
"… like I was saying. We'll need to clear it with Khan first." Suki sheepishly said. "But if he gives us the go-ahead, we'd love to! He might even help you! He's a big on books."
"Oh, is he?"
"You wouldn't guess it, but he is. We can set you up with an 'interview' with him yourself if you want. Isn't that right, girls?"
"W-with the commander himself? You really would?" the woman sounded starstruck, "That would help our research immensely!"
"Yeah!"
"All day and night long."
"Suki's first interview tuckered her out, too!"
Zuko placed the can down and sighed. He had better things to do than listen to women yap and gossip, like getting that damned seaweed. His uncle was going to talk his ear off, too, if he was gone for too long. From hunting the Avatar to hunting a good bargain on seaweed, it was a massive downgrade, but he'll take things one day at a time. "Can I go now, Suki?"
She glanced back at him and grinned, "Yeah, just try not to get beaten up by an angry mob again, Zuko. Your face is ugly enough as it is without the bruising."
He only grunted halfheartedly at the jab, turning his back to them and beginning to walk away to the market.
"I'm sorry. But did you just say 'Zuko?' Prince Zuko?"
"What do you want from me, lady? I've got-" He turned around and immediately froze. His breath caught in his throat as the realization hit him like a bolt of lightning. Her hair, her eyes… that familiar worried look on an even more familiar face. It was impossible, but here she was, standing right before him. "M-Mother?" he whispered, barely able to believe his own voice.
The Kyoshi Warriors moved to give them space. And the woman, Ursa, looked at him fully now, her eyes widening with recognition, her expression softening into something tender, memories of warmer days. "My Zuko?"
She stepped forward, and he almost took a step back himself if he wasn't frozen in place. Then another step, and then another. Before Zuko knew it, he was pulled into a tight embrace, her arms wrapping around him with a warmth that nearly brought him to his knees. Zuko's chest tightened, but this time, it wasn't from fear or anger. It was from the flood of home that he had almost forgotten. Home…
A rush of words tripped over themselves to come out of his mouth, coming out as a stammer.
"It's okay. I'm here," Ursa tearfully whispered, her voice soft against his ear. "I've always been here, Zuko."
And for the first time in what felt like forever, Zuko allowed himself to believe it. Allowed himself to hold her close and never let her leave- just like he wished that he did the night that she had disappeared from his life.
…
Suki whispered, "We'll tell Khan to expect you sometime this week, Ursa."
Zuko's eyes snapped open.
He suddenly found a new purpose in life: Keeping Khan away from his mother.
-o-
[Khan's Abode, Agna Qel'a]
The air in my master bedroom was thick with the musk of sex and of women yearning for my cock.
But honestly, I'd rather be reading books right now.
Agna Qel'a was a far cry from the Earth Kingdom ones, who had sparse libraries scattered across so many little provinces. But here? All the written knowledge of an entire bending nation was located in this one city. Most of it is ancient. Some were forbidden. Already, my Intelligence and Spirit stats were progressing thanks greatly to my new perk [Bibliophile]. Reading pages almost at a glance, and being able to absorb and comprehend the ideas that were written. Even rereading the books I already have in my possession yielded knowledge I had missed. So much knowledge, so many possibilities for their practical applications, especially in city planning. In fact, I had a newfound appreciation for how Agna Qel'a was built. So much so that I was going to have the city planners of Agna Qel'a publicly executed for this travesty.
However…
"That's it, fill her up to the brim." Princess Yue breathed. The thicc, snowy-haired princess was completely naked as Suki swirled her slender fingers around the princess's pink pussy. Both of them are watching from the sidelines. "Fill her full, then just keep going. She's enjoying it so much."
"Yesss~!" Katara cried out, "I am! I really am! I'm cumming!"
… There were worse things to happen, someone than to have the Katara of Avatar fame grinding and bouncing her recently virgin pussy around one's cock. And she wasn't the only one. Eager girls with lustful eyes and scant clothing over their smooth, creamy skin lounged all around my master bedroom. Panting breathlessly from their orgasms. Princess Yue, Suki, the five other Kyoshi Warriors girls, the six Moonflower Sisters, Azula, and Katara are the latest additions.
It was getting quite crowded, but having an abundance of wet pussy all yearning for me was a fine problem to have.
"C-cumming again!" Katara groaned as I yanked her braid.
Brown-toned skin on a slender frame- the start of taut muscles from her travels as she pressed against me, and her pert little chest bouncing with their sensitive nipples that made her squeal and moan and made her cunt tighten deliciously. And as expected of Water Tribe stock, Katara was soaking wet- her silky inner walls slick with the arousal that made sliding cock in and out of her a very easy motion. It was as if her body itself was being accommodating by making it as easy as possible to fuck her hard and fast. After having sampled both Northern Water Tribe and Southern Water Tribe princesses, I had to admit that I had gained an appreciation for Water Tribe girls. Their milk-chocolate skin made their dripping pink slits stand out even more, like chocolate-dipped strawberries. And just as sweet.
Aang was a very lucky man having this tight, little Water Tribe pussy. If he hadn't died, that is.
I actually thought that I was doing her a kind favour by giving her friend a proper and dignified internment, which was in contrast to most people who died in this war, whose bodies were simply left for the scavengers. Personally hand-crafted Airbender robes, a respectful interment ceremony, and even a short biography, which I had arranged to be copied and sent to all major settlements. Avatar Aang will be remembered with respect.
Unfortunately, Katara didn't take it too well; the news sent her into a manic spiral.
For giving her the biggest orgasm she's ever had so far...
[Katara] Reputation: 20 - 30
[Katara] Obedience: 50 - 65
Obedience is already halfway to maxing out, and to think, it was in the deep negatives until just a few days ago.
A meaty slap rang out as Nessa's palm slapped Katara's ass. "You want your stupid brother treated well, don't you?" The other Water Tribe girl demanded, "By all accounts, he should be banished to the Polar Wastes for he did. And that's only Water Tribe punishment, I bet Fire Nation punishment would be much harsher."
"I'm sorry! I'm sorry for not recognizing your awesome might, Fire Nation, sir!" Katara half-shouted and half-moaned. "I'm sorry for not surrendering! For accompanying the Avatar! I just got so swept up in things! Honest! I'm just a stupid, cowardly Southern Water Tribe slut who didn't know any better!"
Another slap on lightly toned brown ass, another squeal from lightly toned brown Southern Water Tribe girl. Followed by another, and another, and another.
"Sorry isn't good enough!" Nessa growled, "You're going to be spending the rest of your life making up for what you did as Khan's Southern Water Tribe cocksheathe. You might never fully make up for it, but by the Moon and Ocean Spirits, you're going to try by being his breeding mare! You're going to bear a daughter for each Moonflower Sister that didn't make it! So, move those hips faster, slut!"
"Yes, YES!" Katara moaned out as she obeyed, hammering her pussy down the entire length of my cock, "I'll do it! I'll be the Khan's Southern Water Tribe cocksheathe! I'll be his breeding mare! I'll be anything he wants me to be!"
Leaning back, I let Katara do the work. Certainly, some lewd new words she had learned from Suki, or maybe Yue. It was hard to tell at this point.
The novelty of hearing Katara's voice scream out such vulgar things aside… I could sense that Nessa still harboured deep frustration toward the Water Tribe siblings. It was personal- to have your hero betray you and everything they claimed to have stood for. But it was good to see Nessa handling her PTSD well. Katara's BDSM was her favourite kind of therapy sessions. Being able to endlessly hurl abuse at the girl. Yes, the world would be a better place if every girl had their 'popular girl' bullies handed over to me to be made into sex slaves.
"Aren't you going to thank him for accepting your virginity?" Nessa demanded, reaching between us and pinching Katara's swollen pink clit.
"Thank you, Khan!" Katara squealed, still frantically fucking her soaking wet pussy onto my cock, "Thank you for claiming my worthless virginity! And thank you for permitting me to be your cocksleeve!"
Well, if Nessa wanted to find cathartic release by turning Katara into a submissive Water Tribe slut who'd readily bend over and beg for me to take her holes, then I wasn't about to complain. I can only imagine what Katara's companion perk will be.
As the hot wetness of Katara's primo water tribe pussy continued to engulf me, I grunted, "I'm about to cum, Katara."
"You should be happy that you're about to fulfill your only purpose in life."
"So, slam those hips down and. Get. Pregnant!"
Katara's reaction is immediate and intense. With a final, desperate push, the water tribe girl slams herself down onto me- her pussy so wet that it practically squelched as her lithe brown body seized, as if every muscle clenching as she came and came. The rhythmic squeezing and milking of her inner walls was all it took to send me over the edge, too, and I made sure to dig the tip of my cock as deep as it could go into her tight pink hole before I released inside her, my seed spilling into her womb in thick, hot spurts. I feel her shudder, dainty toes curling as her narrow pussy's tight interior convulsed as she cries out, her climax washing over her in a powerful wave… followed by a wave of my cum coating her Water Tribe womb.
Nothing like giving one of the main cast a nice deep creampie.
Katara was panting, her body still trembling from the force of her orgasm. "Thank you," she gasps, her voice barely above a whisper. "Thank you for making me feel…for making me feel so much."
"Not stopping just yet," I told her, just as I picked her by the waist and began moving her myself.
"But I just- Ooooh~!"
Surprisingly light, it felt like I was using a sex doll, and Katara loved every second of it.
"O-oh spirits yesss!" She moaned, throwing her head back, pushing her chest out and presenting her budding breasts to me.
Good, she was settling in nicely into her new role as fucktoy.
It was three princess bonanza. Katara certainly counted as one, being the daughter of the head chieftain of the Southern Water Tribe. The other was Princess Yue, and the last…
"Mmmf! MMFF!" The gagged and blindfolded princess of the Fire Nation tried to shout.
Princess Azula was chained to the chair in the corner. Completely naked save for her blindfold and some bunny ears. Her dark hair was a mess. Her flawless pale skin was coated with sweat. The hours of her being bound there were taking their toll on the not-so-poor girl.
The Kyoshi Warriors, in casual Fire Nation red robes, surrounded her like a group of panthers toying with a trapped mouse in their midst. Their nimble fingers danced over her exposed skin, tweaking and tugging at Azula's pink nipples. They taunted and jeered into Azula's ears, the sort of spiteful jibes that only girls could conjure.
"You're going to be begging Khan to pop your cherry."
"We're going to make you hate every second that this scheming little cunt of yours isn't wrapped around his cock."
"It's cute that you thought you were that smart, but that's alright, you still have this body of yours."
"This is what you were meant for. Born for. A sex toy for your betters."
"You were never destined for anything more, ex-princess Azula."
Each teasing sentence punctuated by a swift, hard spank on her juicy rear, now red and aching. And vindictive laughter would ring out as they watched her writhe and jerk as they alternated between dripping hot wax and trailing ice cubes on the Fire Nation princess's bare and flawless body. Bound securely with the best bounds and BDSM gear I could craft, Azula could do nothing but endure in the face of such humiliation. For how long? Not long, I'd bet.
Katara's punishment may have been debatable, but Azula of all people truly deserved hers.
Following her discovery on Zhao's flagship, I subjected her to a furious pain that actually succeeded in making her confess- spilling every sordid detail of her plot. And I would have been impressed by the sheer amount of planning if I hadn't been fuming at the grief she had caused everyone. Not only did she escape her cell and infiltrate the Armada, but she also intercepted my correspondence with Admiral Zhao and even managed to forge an order for me to engage that Water Tribe army of 10,000.
No one was pleased that they had been pawns to her plot. Least of all myself.
A waterproof paper seal over her royal pussy that read 'Don't open till marriage.' But left her urethra and clitoris exposed for teasing- the aphrodisiac syrup that was generously applied to her sensitive nub only helped drive her crazy. Well, crazier. It also worked wonders. The proud Azula, having her throbbing pink clit stimulated over and over again until she pissed herself, was a degrading enough act that- when paired with the usual pain- reliably raised her Obedience. It was a miracle considering how little else worked for so long. Of course, her Affection was still locked at -100, but I was content to max out her Obedience first. And the Kyoshi Warriors were all too eager to help, revelling in having the bitch who caused us so much trouble as their toy, and the fact that Azula was the actual Princess of the Fire Nation was only the cherry on top.
All of this was the Kyoshi Warriors' ideas, of course. But the ice cubes were Yue's idea, showing her commitment to joining the Kyoshi Warrior ranks. Suki was so proud.
"Mmmf! MMMFFF!"
Of course, I notified Fire Lord Ozai of her capture for the brownie points.
He was pleased that I had caught his daughter, even half-joking in his letters that he should have sent me to capture the Avatar months ago. He was even more thrilled to hear that, when I reported steady progress in making her obedient again, I was glad that I was making full use of the gift he had given me. I no longer batted an eyelash at him, happily talking about Azula as if she were a prize animal or a trinket. In fact, everyone in the Imperial capital had been saying that the Ozai has been in the best mood, smiling and laughing and throwing feasts.
A happy Fire Lord Ozai… truly horrifying sight to see. Thank the Spirits that Aang wasn't here to witness it.
"You girls are going to keep my hands full…" I muttered.
Suki smirked, glancing over at me. "Don't forget, you still have that date with your shirshu-riding mercenary, too."
"June was serious about that?" I raised an eyebrow, casually using Katara as my onahole as we held our conversation.
"Yeah," Suki continued slyly, the teasing tone clear in her voice. "You promised her a candlelit dinner in the royal palace, remember?"
Yes, my cool, reserved goth girl mercenary with her long flowing black hair, dark eye shadow and leather outfit… was a sucker for warm, intimate moments. I chuckled, leaning back slightly. "The full princess treatment." I muttered, "She acted like she wasn't interested."
"Please," Suki scoffed, rolling her deep blue eyes playfully. "Anyone with half a brain could see she's looking forward to it. She's a hopeless romantic underneath all that tough exterior. Almost as bad as the swooning noble girls in our book."
"Noted. I'll be sure to find a way to get her flowers." I said with a thoughtful look… right before giving Katara's brown cheeks a slap, "What are some good flowers in the local area?"
The narrow walls of her wet cunt squeezed down tight as she answered, "P-pepperberry flowers are in season and MMmm~! They're very pretty!"
"You dumb slut, pepperberry flowers are not for romantic occasions!" Nessa argued, "Here you go again running that mouth again over Northern Water Tribe things you don't know!"
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry for- Glurgk!"
Gripping Katara by her hair loopies, Nessa forced Katara's mouth down onto my cock, choking her with our combined juices.
The Great War still needed to be won, and the knowledge of a million books needed to be collated. But for now, it looks like the honeymoon days of frantic sex with women from all over the Four Nation was going to continue for a while longer.