Operation Avatar

Azora closed her eyes and a dry, ironic smile crossed her face. More had happened to her in the past two weeks than most face in their entire lifetime. She fell in love and lost it. She was beaten. She was kidnapped and starved. She discovered new powers, and she ambushed a small army of the Fire Nation. She narrowly escaped death, and now she had been rescued by members of the same Nation that had caused her so much grief.

My life is beginning to sound like the stories traveling acting groups put on, she thought as she imagined some beautiful actress playing out the events of her life.

Absentmindedly, Azora grabbed hold of the teacup and brought it to her lips, only to find the tea was cold as ice. Shocked, she set it back down. She knew she had been daydreaming, but it had only felt like a few minutes. Definitely not long enough for her tea – once steaming – to go cold.

“Allow me,” Iroh said as he reached for her cup, causing Azora to jump with surprise. She had completely forgotten his presence. She blushed when she realized she had completely ignored this man for at least an hour. Jada would be horrified, she thought.

“I’m sorry. I…Lost track of time.”

“It is no problem. It allowed me to come up with a new strategy in pai sho. Have you ever played it?” Azora followed his gesture towards a round wooden table with a grid and a number of round tiles placed in a seemingly random order.

She shook her head. “No.”

“Well it’s a very fun game. If you don’t mind, I would love to teach you.”

Azora glanced at Iroh through the corner of her eye. Everything he had done for her had been out of kindness. There was no hint of evil or hidden intentions. Still, Azora was wary. Because there had not been many adults in her past Azora could trust, she was finding it difficult to believe Iroh was acting out of the goodness of her heart. Some suspicious voice in the back of her mind prevented her from trusting him fully.

“How long will I be staying here?” Azora asked offhandedly. She didn’t want to insult Iroh’s hospitality, but she also didn’t want to get accustomed to this lavish life (compared to the last one she spent in captivity) if she were leaving in a week.

“As long as you like,” was his response. He held the teacup in both hands and said nothing. Azora wasn’t sure what was going on when, suddenly, steam started to rise from the cup once more. He placed the cup in front of Azora once more, and she took it in her hands. She was surprised to find it as hot – if not hotter – than it had been an hour earlier.

Iroh noticed her look of surprise and chuckled. “Just one of the tricks of being a Fire Bender.”

Fire Bender? That caught her interest. For a brief moment she considered asking him for training, but promptly decided against it. She still didn’t know if she could trust Iroh, and more importantly, she had to keep her identity a secret. If it was true she was one of those babies she overheard the guards talking about, she was special. She had the ability to bend all four elements. She was an artificial Avatar.

Azora understood her power came with risks. People were going to want her power and use it for their own gain. Azora couldn’t risk showing off her powers just yet. Maybe when she started to trust Iroh she would ask. But for now, all she wanted to do was sip her tea.

Suddenly the door to the room they were in slammed open. Azora looked around her shoulder with a start. A man, no, a boy, was standing in the doorway. His skin was pale, he had a single black ponytail at the back of his head, but most startling was the angry red mark that covered his left eye, deforming the side of his face. Azora couldn’t look away. What a strange birthmark.

“Uncle, they—“ the boy stopped speaking when he saw Azora was in the room. His face tightened and Azora noticed he was staring directly at her arms, which were bandaged from wrist to elbow. Self-consciously, Azora folded her arms closer to her body.

“The cook has been complaining about a lack of fresh produce and is requesting we stop at a port. He’d like to talk to you.”

“Ah. Very well. I will meet with him in a few moments.”

With a curt nod the boy left, saying nothing. Azora couldn’t help but feel insulted. The only acknowledgement he had given her was staring at her injured arms.

“You must forgive my nephew. He does not spend much time around kids his own age, much less young women such as yourself,” Iroh said.

“What’s his name?” Azora asked. She took a sip of tea and scalded her tongue.

“Prince Zuko of the Fire Nation.”

Azora’s eyes nearly popped out of her head. Thankfully she hadn’t said anything. That rude guy was a prince? Iroh excused himself and Azora was left with her steaming cup of tea. Now that she was acquainted with a Fire Bender and the prince of the Fire Nation, Azora had a feeling her life was going to get a little more interesting.