As she spent more time with Xing, Azula was forced to admit that he was clearly someone worth respecting. She sparred and lost two more times to the boy, and though it was clear she was adapting to his style of combat, it was equally clear that there was still a significant gap between them.
Azula did not care that his firebending was deemed ugly or improper.
It worked, and it was highly effective.
But try as she might to learn by watching him, Azula could never move or think fast enough to react. Oh, she got some hits in, but those didn't stop him from stopping his fist an inch from her face, or blasting another crater right beside her neck. They both knew that if it was a proper Agni Kai, Xing would be the one walking away on his own two feet.
The firebending that most people knew, that she knew and mastered, was simply inadequate against Xing's once he got close. It was…impressive, seeing how he channeled such intense flames without the usual sweeping or flowing movements to regulate and unleash his chi.
Azula had tried replicating what he did, but she only managed the same weak licks of flame that came from the standard fire punches. Annoyingly, it seemed that Xing's firebending was unique to him. His officers admitted that nobody else could achieve what he did, though that didn't mean his moves were not worth adopting to some measure.
Indeed, it was rather intriguing watching the new soldiers being trained up to the 11th- to her 11th Regiment's standards. The firebenders and non-benders alike practiced a form of Xing's martial combat, slamming their fists, elbows, knees and other body parts against wooden posts. Men and women would literally break themselves against those posts for an hour or two.
"It's to toughen them up against earthbenders," Captain Kai had helpfully - if somewhat patronizingly - explained. "If we get really close to them, they can't throw rocks as easily unless they don't care about hitting their friends. But they sometimes manage to bring up a wall of earth...mostly low integrity but still enough to get in the way. Hopefully once we're done here, our newer soldiers will be able to break through rocks and soil without crying for mommy."
"How long would that take?"
The captain frowned for a moment in thought before shrugging. "Until they can break the posts within a few minutes. Asking them to break rock is unrealistic, after all."
"Yeah, that's the job for the firebenders," Captain Weikong added rather excitedly. "They'll start that training in a week's time hopefully, but basically we'll be putting up piles of mortared rocks, and our firebenders will work towards breaking them using this form to firebend."
The princess couldn't help but grin at that. "I look forward to witnessing that."
"I'm sure the colonel would be more than happy to teach you, your highness," Captain Ren said with a smile that Azula found suspicious. But it was a valid idea…
And so, Azula subsequently dragged Xing into putting her through the same training his soldiers were undergoing. Unfortunately, her brother had heard the news, and joined in as well. It was a minor annoyance, but she had to begrudgingly respect her brother's attempt to better himself, even by a small margin.
As reluctant as he was, Xing was an excellent teacher. Compared to the bumbling tutors back in the palace simply spewing what they read from scrolls, the colonel cared little about proper stances and instead preferred explaining why you had to turn into an uppercut or a kick needed to be swept in a particular fashion.
"Bear in mind, your highnesses, that this method was made in response to fighting earthbenders," he had explained. "So the emphasis is on speed and reflexes, as well as being uncomfortably close. We have to seize the initiative and force the enemy on a hasty defensive."
That focus on speed up close was an approach that worked rather well on firebenders too, the princess noted. Traditional firebending often relied on using the flames to extend one's reach, and like earthbending, had few practical solutions to a scrappy in-your-face combat that did not involve disengaging.
The moves Xing taught them were ruthlessly practical. There were elbow and knee strikes that were supposed to be charged with flames only on impact, and attacks aimed at various vulnerable spots to maximize damage. Incorporating firebending into the moves would take time, but already Azula quickly learned the different approaches to snapping wrists and ankles, and landing debilitating strikes to the eyes, neck and groin.
With the aid of some volunteers, she and Zuko also learned how to keep multiple opponents engaged and eventually defeat them, often using one opponent as a shield.
Xing also displayed how to use a curtain of flames to distract the enemy and leave them vulnerable to a flanking maneuver, something Azula was already acquainted with in her previous spars with him. It was surprising what one could achieve with just a brief burst of fire in a wide area. Supposedly, the soldiers made use of such distractions to aid in isolating groups of Earth Kingdom formations.
As she greedily learned from the colonel, Azula had to admit that her brother was doing a good job at keeping up with her. His firebending might be lagging behind, but here in the training grounds of the 11th Regiment, firebending was secondary and Zuko adopted Xing's moveset almost as quickly as she did.
Almost. She still consistently beat him in their sparring, though it was a much closer thing than if they were firebending normally.
Still, it was impressive to be able to impart such knowledge that elevated poor fighters like her brother to such a degree of competence. And all the officers of the 11th had unanimously agreed that Xing was the one who devised it; much as he might want to protest (for some incomprehensible reason), they had only helped him refine the techniques. Everything the new soldiers of the 11th were learning was the brainchild of a boy far too young to enlist.
Her thoughts of trying to best him turned into a desire to simply learn more from him.. It was why she kept her eyes locked onto him, trying to uncover more about the orphan commander.
For now, Azula focused on her lessons. And her tutor.
So far, she was slowly deciphering his body language. Like the ghost of a smile he gave to his officers, or the degrees of satisfied nods he gave when Azula or Zuko were able to see through the hidden moves of his battle reports. That she felt a stirring of…something whenever she gazed at him was disturbing, but it was a minor thing to be pondered on in her free time.
There were more important things to work on, like adapting to Xing's combat style and understanding the old battles the regiment went through. And proving herself superior to her brother in those fields as well, of course.
It did not hurt that she did not mind basking in the genuine praise Xing rationed out whenever she did something he thought commendable. The weird excitement at receiving his acknowledgement was nice…maybe a bit too nice. But compared to the sycophantic and hollow words from court, or the patronizing ones from the high generals, perhaps it didn't hurt to seek genuine commendation for one.
*****
Admittedly, Colonel Xing's briefings were interesting and far from a chore, even with Azula's constant need to show off. Zuko found the young commander to be respectful almost to a fault, and for some reason it annoyed his sister to no end.
Xing was concise in his explanations of the 11th's strategies, and the prince found himself learning much about the different methods of waging war. Colonel Lidai had focused on more conventional set piece battles, preferring to force the Earth Kingdom formations into a defensive, and then chipping them into isolated, easily manageable groups or just overwhelming them by an exposed flank. It was standard, if not for the emphasis prioritizing the lives of his soldiers over a quick victory.
Their tactics became far more unorthodox when Xing's…suggestions were implemented. They feigned retreats that drew the Earth Kingdom armies into killzones, and overcame larger armies by picking away at their supply trains and foraging teams. On two of the occasions that Xing had explained so far, the 11th baited the enemy into a chase, only for a second element to strike in the rear and take out the enemy commander.
The 11th Regiment also began to adopt far less savory tactics, like night raids on enemy camps to capture or burn down supplies. Often, those same raids would be used to assassinate the enemy commander, or at least their officers. In one case, kidnap the enemy general before withdrawing and leaving the enemy to wither away.
From what Zuko understood so far, the 11th's stratagems relied heavily upon gathering accurate information on an unsuspecting enemy. Not surprising then that the battalion scouts were held to a high standard, and were paid almost as well as officers.
There were also improvised weapons, like clay jars of flammable dung from komodo rhinos and dragon moose. Those things emitted noxious smoke when burnt and thrown at enemy formations, and unless earthbenders quickly buried the flames, the fumes were potent enough to force units out of position.
"I'm surprised none of this knowledge made it back here," Azula once said whilst frowning. "If all this has been proven effective, we should be getting the rest of our armies to adopt them as well."
Xing's answer was simple enough. "Unfortunately, our tactics work precisely because no one else is using them. Most of these tactics and stratagems require a heavy element of surprise to be successful. Which is also why we try not to repeat their usage too often; it gives the enemy generals less chances to study what we have done and develop a counter to it. Barring the night raids of course."
Zuko had nodded in understanding then, but his sister had a point. "Surely the Fire Nation's army would benefit from adopting your night attacks at least?"
The colonel gave a nonchalant shrug. "That would depend on personal doctrines and preferences. I am aware that Colonels Sho and Yanshen have made effective use of them, but Colonel Dao for example prefers meeting the enemy head on." A disapproving frown flashed across his face. "Something about glory and merits."
"Well, there is that to consider," Azula conceded, though the look Xing tried to hide suggested he thought battle honors were a disgusting concept. She noticed it too, and leveled a demanding look at him. "I'd have thought you of all people would find glory to be worth chasing, Xing. Considering your promotion."
Zuko immediately knew it was the wrong thing to say when he saw the cold outrage in Xing's eyes. Both royal siblings tensed at the surprising change in emotion.
"I did not seek this commission," Xing spat out. "Glory was what got Colonel Lidai ostracized by rivals who envied his success. Glory was what caused General Shiluo to so blindly throw away hundreds of lives."
The boy calmed down right after and offered an apologetic bow. "I'm sorry, your highnesses… That topic is…a personal pet peeve of mine."
Thankfully, Azula was more amused than offended, waving it off casually. Zuko thought he imagined a some color in his sister's cheeks, but he definitely noticed her strange smirk. "It's alright, Xing. I suppose the downsides of glory is something for us to consider in the future…"
"What do you seek in victory then?" Zuko asked, ignoring his sister's annoyed gaze as he no doubt beat her to the question.
Colonel Xing paused in thought for a moment before answering. "One that preserves as many lives of my command, as Colonel Lidai espoused. The fewer the casualties suffered, the greater I consider the victory."
The siblings kept silent, allowing Xing to further elaborate. Zuko noticed his sister's judging stare though.
"People are a resource that takes a lot of investment. Simply wasting them for something so…abstract like glory is…wasteful. Every spearman and firebender left unharmed at the end of battle is another one that can be immediately brought to bear in the next fight."
The young commander broke into a grin as a thought seemed to have occurred to him. "Besides, that should be a testament to skill and discipline, no? To be competent enough that you can reliably send the enemy back with their tails between their legs without suffering the losses that everyone else goes through. To claim solid victories without wasting Fire Nation lives. If it means I have to starve or poison my enemies into submission instead of facing them in battle, I will do so. If assassinating their commanding officers breaks their will to fight, then I will happily lead the death squads to slit their throats while they sleep."
Azula seemed to like that, while the different perspective was genuinely refreshing to Zuko, despite it revealing Xing's more ruthless side.
Looking to lives as a measure of competence, as well as a resource. That was something nobody in the war council, or even Uncle Iroh, had spoken much about, if at all.
It was a shame Xing was not around to help argue the case when Zuko spoke out against General Bujing.