Fire | Distorted Reality [ 1 ] | ATLA

12

"The blue spirit"

For the fifth time that morning, Aang's body was wracked with coughs and he rubbed at his stinging eyes. Next to him, Zuko was in much the same condition, but he was considerably paler than normal.

"What is wrong with you two today?" Azula asked them exasperatedly. "You're both pathetic."

Zuko was suddenly gripped by another spasm of coughs, so Aang spared him from answering, giving him a concerned glance. "It's probably all the ash and soot from the volcano yesterday," Aang rasped, trying to help Azula set up camp, but failing miserably. "My throat hasn't stopped burning. I can barely see."

"Maybe if you stopped complaining you'd be able to deal with it," Azula said dryly. "But I suppose I'll have to take care of the two of you for a while." Aang smiled appreciatively. "But only until you're better!" she quickly amended. Aang fell back into Appa's fur just as Zuko did the same.

"Azula was just as near the volcano as we were," Zuko said to Aang, but loud enough for his sister to hear. "How come she didn't get sick?"

"Because I'm a firebender, and firebenders don't get sick," Azula said to him pointedly. Aang frowned when he spotted her hidden insult, but ignored it.

"Well, no matter what the reasons are, me and Zuko are too sick to travel," said Aang weakly. "Azula, could you please help us?" He hated the fact that he was reduced to begging to Azula, but he reasoned that getting better was more important.

"I suppose," Azula said jadedly, getting the group's map and unrolling it. She first looked for their position on the map of the Fire Nation's Outer Islands-a riverbank surrounded on all sides by forest-and then searched for the nearest town. Since she was disgruntled by the fact that her brother was more proficient with maps than she was, it took her a few moments longer than expected to find one. "There's a town not too far from here," she finally said after a few moments.

"And...?" Aang asked hopefully, gesturing for her to continue.

"And I guess it won't be too much of an effort to find someone to help," Azula finally gave in, rolling her eyes. Aang grinned, but was seized by another spasm of coughs, and turned away.

🌊 🌳 🔥 🌪

"They are the greatest swordsmen in the land, Colonel," Bato argued. The waterbender and the Colonel of the Water Navy disputed atop the walls of an impregnable fortress located in what used to be the capitol city of the Fire Nation. Now, the city was a ruin, occupied by the Water Nation. "You are wasting their skills by making them act as mere guardsmen for the greatest military stronghold in the Fire Nation. There are thousands of soldiers already at your command. They should be after the Avatar!"

"The Kokkan Samurai are not under your command, Commander Bato. Your request has been denied."

"Their skills are perfectly suited to assassination and capture, Colonel Vyke. With the ability to slice an enemy to bits with seemingly a single swing of their sword, or to disable any part of the body, cut any tendon..."