«So how was it?» asked Azula, her eyes bright with excitement.
«Not bad», I said with a small smile.
Of course, I couldn't look at her and not smile, seeing how happy she was, but this performance was no way. I'm no critic, but I've been to the theater once in a previous life, and when you compare, the difference is huge and not in favor of the local performance. But Azula's smile and eyes make me smile whether I want to or not.
A moment. Consciousness has slowed. I don't have to turn around to realize what happened. I felt it. Something exploded behind us, close enough to hit us. A few moments to think and the plan is in place.
Pulse and the wall behind me begins to rise. Slowly, but I should be able to make it. I grab Azula tighter, pulling her against me and pressing her face into my chest. A slight sweep of her hands and two fingers look behind my back, the other two to my left side. The heat transfer began.
Time accelerated to a familiar state. I was knocked down a bit by the shockwave, but nothing serious. Azula was unharmed as the wall held back the shards and I absorbed the heat.
I looked back. The building we had passed was gone. In its place, a crater. The nearby buildings were slightly destroyed and now actively burning. I looked at Azula and nodded in agreement. I ran to the nearest building and started to absorb the fire. A few seconds and it's done. Move on to the next one.
It took us a few minutes to put out all the fires, and then we started pulling people out of the buildings. If we had done that right away, without putting out the fire around us, there would have been a lot more damage. As it was, even though a lot of people were badly burned, there weren't many of them. They won't be hard to heal.
One day and they'll be as good as new. I was busy administering first aid to these people while Azula scrambled around trying to find someone who could.
The fire department arrived quickly, followed by the paramedics and the police. And the questioning began, who, where, when and why? So as not to get anyone in trouble, especially myself, we had to communicate with the local police. But almost immediately Lin arrived and we were quietly released.
«Are you okay?» I asked Azula as we drove back to the hotel.
«Tired», I could really hear it in her voice, «I want to go home.»
«What about the tournament?» I asked in surprise.
«Tired», Azula mumbled and I wondered.
I didn't like many things in the city, because everything reminded me of Aang. Especially his big statue. The shops are nice, of course, and the culture is unusual, but I don't want to be there. It's uncomfortable.
«In the morning or now, but alone?» I ask, thinking about how to carry everything I bought.
«Let's tomorrow at dawn», with the tiredness came also sleepiness, and therefore, the end of the sentence she finished already leaning her head on my shoulder, «I want to sleep.»
«Okay, honey», and I kissed her on the forehead.
We were there in a minute. Azula was already asleep, so I carried her in my arms. After putting Azula to bed, I undressed and lay down next to her.
***
As Azula had requested, we left at dawn. There really wasn't much to pack. Four muscular movers took care of it, and as soon as we were on board, we set sail. Did I regret not finishing the tournament? Not a bit. There were better things to do.
«Finally», Azula spoke in a whisper, but I heard her, «We'll be home soon.»
«You could have said you wanted to go home sooner.»
«I wanted to win», she shrugged in my arms. We stood for a moment in silence, «What are we going to do at home?»
«I want to poke around the library», I shrugged.
«Eh», she sighed, it wasn't our first year, «What is it this time?»
«I'm interested in a topic», I wanted to cut off, but Azula turned and gave me an unfriendly look, «Spirits»
«Why?» she raised her eyebrows in surprise.
«So we can have more wizards on the island.»
«We already have seventy percent, why more?» I raised my eyebrows in surprise and looked at her, «I read the reports.»
«Eh, you should have hidden them», I shook my head, «In short, to make everyone on the island stronger, because you know that the stronger the mage parents are, the stronger their children will be.»
«Yes, you can't argue with that», she spoke up and lit a blue flame on her hand «But why do you need this power?»
«Because of the Avatar», I involuntarily clenched my hands, but quickly calmed down, «What happened to me back then could have happened to anyone, and only luck saved me. What would I have done if you had been in my place? I'm afraid to even imagine. But I won't always be able to help you, or my strength won't be enough. That's why I want to make everyone on the island stronger so that they can protect you. Yes, we have a lot of mages now, but to be honest, they're weak.»
«I understand that, but is that why you want the spirits?»
«I've been to various libraries around the world a few times, and in the main library of Fireland I found some references to spirits «, I looked at my hands, which immediately included Azula's, «One of them said that spirits and humans once lived together. I don't know the details, but here's a point that stuck with me at the time. Spirits could possess humans for a time. Yes, humans didn't control their bodies, but by doing so, they gained the ghosts' powers and were disfigured as a result.
«Hardly anyone would want that kind of power», Azula muttered doubtfully, «Not at that price.»
«From what I understand, it was done to ordinary humans and then they had a war amongst themselves, but what if it was voluntary? What if the deformities don't happen?»
«That sounds...» she twisted her hand to find the right word, «Crazy or something.»
«Eh, I know, honey», I brought her hand back to mine and hugged her tighter, «But the idea keeps me going, and when you think about it, it's not so crazy. I want to try it.»
«I won't leave you even if you turn into a monster», she turned to me and kissed me, «I'm just asking, don't take any unnecessary risks, okay?» she asked with a soft smile.
«Okay, sweetie.»
One thing I didn't tell her. I don't only need the spirits to strengthen my men, although that is the main reason. The old scrolls had a lot to say about those times. Including how the Avatar came to be. Rava and Vatu. Two spirits who had been fighting since the beginning of the world, and human intervention had cut the process short.
It didn't say much more, but to defeat Vatu, Rava and man merged. At that moment, I realized how I could get revenge on him. But to do that, I needed power. Not ordinary power, but spiritual power. I have it, but I don't know how to control it. So I need to find someone who can. We have to find a spirit in the spirit world. Only the first Avatar sealed the entrance to the Spirit World, and only he can open it.
Now I have another task. I must learn energy magic. The last person to have this ability was Aang. There are rumors of other users of this skill, but I'll have to find out.