Coast of the Fire Colonies

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The rest of the journey reminded me more of a holiday, or even a fairy tale, rather than an arduous journey. The everyday life on the ship had become much more colourful and pleasant with the appearance of Tai Li. And it wasn't even about the excellent semblance of sex we had every night in secret. But also in the appearance of a wonderful companion, with whom I could brighten everyday life and engage in the discharge of my mind through simple games and banal dialogue.

Tai Li was very curious and often asked me about everything, especially about spirits and the spiritual world. Her curiosity had no limits, sometimes giving me headaches. Although it seemed impossible, she would do the impossible. The situation would be quite sad, if there were no other girls on the ship, who would communicate with my beloved mistress. As it is, I just sometimes get so tired of talking to her that I take the very unmasculine act of running away for a stupid reason.

By the way, the very first night I spent together with Lee, we had an interesting conversation about relationships, in which, we put all the accents in the right places in a mature way. It was at night, right after each of us had had our share of fun.

- Who am I to you? - Leigh spoke, coming to her senses after our caresses. She was now lying on her bed, with the blanket thrown over her legs. I stood nearby, savouring the beauty of her naked body. Despite the undiscovered effects of the possession, I was wary of lingering in the girl for long.

- I wonder why such a question. You've been thinking about us a lot, though, and you finally decided to broach the subject of our relationship," I found my own answer. But I didn't know what to say to the girl, so I did something very rude: "And who am I to you?

- It's rude to answer a question with a question! - But, despite the girl's indignation, I continued to wait for an answer. I didn't have to wait long.

- A man I spend time with? A lover, I suppose? - hesitantly suggested the girl, sexily putting her finger to her lips. And after our "communication" she became much more self-confident, no longer shy for nothing.

- So you are a kind of mistress for me.

- That's it? - disappointed girl, and I immediately felt like a bastard. That's the thing about women.

- I know you'd like more. And I agree that you deserve so much more. But we'll only bring it up when I get a living body and become human again. I doubt that people will accept our relationship, let alone your family," I explain my sad position to the girl. However, if you think about it that way, there are advantages to it. It's hard to force me to get married.

- Yes... - my companion thoughtfully stretches out, agreeing with my opinion. - You know. You are so confident. I like it wildly, shall we do it again?

- Why not? - and afterwards we made love again.

We talked a lot after the lovemaking session. That night we finally realised who we were to each other at the moment, having solved all the questions and put everything in order. in a way that left each party satisfied. Of course, Lee wanted more, but alas, I physically could not give more. So we had to make do with little. By the way, it was thanks to the acrobat that I noticed a slight progression with my materialisation in the world, namely my materialised body was no longer cold as ice.

Perhaps it had something to do with Tai Li's perfect quality energy that I was feeding off of. Or perhaps it was because of something else. Whether it was or not, alas, I couldn't find out for sure. Without my newfound lover, I wouldn't have even noticed it. The girl had just joked once that she became hot like a firebender if she stopped feeling cold from me. And then I thought to check it on other people, where I found out this fact.

Of course, my nocturnal adventures remained a secret, but not for everyone. Azula had no problem guessing everything by comparing several factors, the key one being my happy behaviour. The princess was almost completely calm about it, and we didn't bother anyone, did we? Quietly and peacefully going about our business. Except that in her jealousy, Zula began to spend more time training her body and magic than her mind. Training in explosion conquest and fire healing still brightened the princess's day. I even suggested that the princess start training with the help of her friends instead of her maids, but she refused. And soon, something I had long suspected happened.

- Hee hee hee hee... Mistress, I can't take it anymore! Mercy! Mercy! - The maid wriggled under the princess, laughing and twitching hysterically.

- Be patient, I need a little more, - Azula was adamant, her training was more important than some maid's well-being.

- What are you doing here? - came a familiar voice full of surprise.

- Tai Li? - Azula also recognised her friend's voice, turning to her instantly. Caught in such a suspicious activity, the princess was confused, while I was just amused by the whole situation.

I was especially amused by the confused princess' attempts to explain to Lee what she was doing here. It's not torture or sadism, she's just practising on her maids, who were all silently watching. In Azula's defence, once she got herself under control, explaining to her friend what was going on here became much easier. However, that didn't stop me from teasing her for a long time. Zula, as always, is very reverent about her mistakes.

The princess didn't even chase her friend away, because the jealousy that had accumulated in the princess's heart needed an outlet. Azula overflowed with gloating, I could directly feel a sinister plan brewing in the girl's mind, I even became afraid for my mistress. She ordered Tai Li to replace the maid, and then the tickle torture began! The acrobat was far more fearless of such abuse. As I could tell, Lee was even starting to like it. I could exhale in peace. My attempts to change Azula's character for the better were not wasted, before she punished for lesser offences and much more brutally.

Having found an outlet for her jealousy and anger, the girl seemed to have calmed down. Spending less time on her training, and a little more time with her friends. And the joint training with Tai Li played no small part in this, you just can't hold a grudge against a girl like that for long. Her positivity is too contagious. The girls spent time together at meals and in the evenings, talking and playing some games, some of which the princess learnt from me. Sometimes I was present at their gatherings, but it was more interesting when I was not. Spending time with the girls was, of course, very pleasant and fun, but eavesdropping on their conversations was no less interesting. That's how I found out that in my absence, Azula and the girls are talking about guys.

And they don't just talk, they discuss what they like most about the opposite sex. What kind of personalities they would like to see around them in the future, and how they see their lives going forward.

Eavesdropping on other people's conversations, I learnt that Mei likes open-minded guys who are not afraid of their emotions and are ready to admit their feelings and weaknesses. Tai Li didn't really know what she liked, but the main thing she saw in her future partner was the fact that she had to be special to her boyfriend. Someone who always stands out from the crowd. As for Azula... things were still complicated there. The girl couldn't quite articulate what she wanted. Strong but weak at the same time, smart but not too much smarter than her. In general, Azula couldn't understand what Azula wanted, and I shouldn't have tried to get involved.

One thing I realised for sure: all these conversations were to help the princess decide how she felt about me. Not immediately, but I guessed her plan, which was covered by a very high quality deceit, while her best friends had no idea about the true intentions of the princess.

Weekdays on the ship began to fly by much faster and more colourful. My training and learning my new state, Azula's training in healing, fire, lightning and explosion, talking to the princess and Tai Li, and eavesdropping on the girls' conversations. Various games that all three of us played and more. Little things, but still nicer than being proudly alone. It all helped brighten up the boring everyday life.

Thanks to the same cutie Tai Li, I was even able to understand the workings and principles of opening chakras. It was much easier and at the same time more complicated than I had originally thought. To open them you don't need much: a certain character, a well-developed body, some knowledge of yoga and meditation, a strong psyche and some wisdom, as well as a special decoction of plants, the name of which Lee forgot. But, as the acrobat assured her, you can do without it. Except that Azula lacked something besides herbs. She never faced difficulties, everything was easy for her, the only princess showed firmness in her decisions. But opening chakras required other qualities. And I was not sure that the princess could overcome these weaknesses. But there was another candidate for my experiments...

- Lee, why are you being so persistent? We've had plenty of time to discuss many things, but just now you're pestering me with your chakra discovery. I don't want to acquire the skill of seeing creatures that can peek at me whenever I want," Mei replies to her friend discreetly, with some suspicion, when she's done with her gaze burningly agitating her for chakra training. Hmm, still holding a grudge about that incident. She's vindictive, though.

Tai Li herself wanted to make her friends open their chakras and improve their auras. It would be good for me, and it would be good for everyone, so what if the method is untested? It's perfectly safe, I'm sure of it. So the acrobat had no problem agreeing to help me talk May into this venture.

- May, you don't realise how much the opening of the chakras has changed me! My Aura has turned pink, I've become... - but Lee was not allowed to talk about the benefits of opening chakras again.

- No. I've learnt all that, there's no need to tell me a second time. I asked why now? - The girl frowned, suspecting something wrong. Oh that female intuition.

- Well, now we both have time, and also I just recently came up with the idea. And I thought, why not?

- Well, let's just say I agree. There's really nothing to do but suffer from boredom. What do I have to do? - After a little thought, the girl agrees. She really had nothing to do on the ship, only training and hanging out with her girlfriends brightened her leisure time.

- I knew you'd say yes! And as for opening the chakras, first, Yoaru will enter you....

- What? - The girl was taken aback by her friend's words. I should have prepared a speech with Li instead of trusting her to say that she knew Mei and would be able to persuade her friend.

- Yoaru will come inside you, what's not to understand? Don't worry, it won't hurt at all, you won't even feel anything, he'll be.... - but it was Mei herself who interrupted the persuasion.

- I've changed my mind. Forget it. I'm not going to do it," the girl said flatly.

- But, May...

- No, I'm not going to let any Yoaru into me, whatever you mean by that.....

Alas, the girl's further entreaties proved futile. Mei was simply sending us with our suggestions and perspectives, far away. My presence in the girl was an obligatory factor, without it the process of opening chakras would be delayed, and I never understood anything that is necessary for their opening. Alas, May was adamantly against possession. I had no choice but to leave my experiments for later and do other things.

I didn't pay much attention to where the ship stopped. In the meantime, the princess's ship had managed to visit a couple of villages that were quite close to Yu Dao, by local standards. Stop by the fortress of Pohai, where the famous Yuan archers were formed. There the princess ate the brains of the local colonel, stomping on his pride, while I was beating my arse exploring the walls of the fortress. I learnt about it from the girls' conversations. Also, the ship had docked in a small town to replenish supplies. I found nothing interesting or worth my attention, so simple everyday life of a simple spirit on a simple ship of Princess Azula.

Soon I began to guess that my humdrum routine would change to something more interesting. It began in a very ordinary way. The ship paused to visit another village of the Imperial Lady. It was large for a village, but not large enough to be considered a full-fledged city. I was doing exactly what I had been doing on other occasions. Namely helping Azula in her case, fulfilling my part of the bargain, so to speak. It wasn't hard for me. I flew over the wooden buildings, watched people work. Men worked in the fields, women tended livestock, some fished, and some washed clothes. All of them had one thing in common, namely great physical labour.

Watching the process of washing by the river, I involuntarily remembered how hard life is for people of low class in this wild era. And then there is winter, the life of peasants is even more severe. Such a thing is no comparison to the life of city people. The difference in standard of living is even greater when comparing the conquered lands, colonies and islands of the Fire Nation. Simply put: the longer the lands are part of the Fire Nation, the higher the standard of living for the people. And now we were travelling through lands not so long ago taken over. But that was not the only problem of the local population, the main problem I learnt only in the evening.

In any case, I found nothing interesting here, except that the village buildings were interesting to look at. Even the pillar with carved faces of the spirits the locals worship was just an ordinary piece of wood. Having finished my part of the exploration, I headed back to the ship to do my business.

In the evening, after I told Azula that I had found nothing, I noticed something was wrong. The girl didn't relax or go to bed, on the contrary, she kept frowning, sitting tensely and thinking about something.

- What was the matter? Is there something wrong with this village? - I told her, quickly realising what the problem was.

- Yes. I've learnt from the local headman that the people pay more tribute than they should, and that the locals are regularly robbed by pirates who feed on their crops. The scouts sent to question the locals confirmed this," the princess answered me dryly, feeling not the most pleasant emotions from such a thing.

- Somebody is abusing their duties," I said, enjoying my righteousness in a very old argument, catching the girl's frown. - I'd guessed that the colonies were where all the fun stuff was going on. And we're not even that close to the border! Just under a week's journey by sea from Yu Dao. I wonder what goes on in the border towns?

- You can laugh at your victory. You were right, I admit it. Are you happy now? - With a great deal of sarcasm, Azula says, feeling hurt, if not defeated.

- I'm not low enough to mock in this situation. I can see you need to talk, I'm willing to listen to you carefully....

Afterwards we discussed the situation. It turned out that the village has been suffering such attacks for years. The tribute was raised three years ago, and about two years ago the pirates started harassing them. They'd been dropping by before, but now they're much more frequent visitors. The locals even suspected that they were not pirates at all, but disguised spies, or even soldiers of the earth kingdom. Azula was far from naive, and even more so, far from stupid. She was well aware that similar and much worse things could happen in her future lands and among the future of her people. After all, Azula saw no one else but herself as the next fire master.

Corruption, intrigue, betrayal, it was all familiar to the girl who had grown up in the palace and seen her father's rise to Fire Master. The local situation had only shaken her worldview a little, though I'd expected a much bigger reaction, but something else had struck. The princess had thought of everything else on her own. The possible betrayal of the local governor, who has been sitting in his place for many years and spoiling people's lives, besmirching the reputation of officials, stealing from the imperial family, the people and perhaps still taking a paw from the kingdom of the land, at the same time possibly delaying the war on the nearest front and sending vital information to the enemy. From what the army, namely ordinary soldiers pay with their lives, not even realising that their superiors are sending them to certain death for a purse of gold coins. Azula guessed this, remembering the capital's military councils and the problems of the nearby front.

And here all this has been going on for quite some time, no one has done anything about it for several years. What irreparable damage one corrupt governor had done to the entire fire nation, one could only wonder. However, I knew from the girl's tone that I would soon be able to find out. It was only a guess, which the girl shared with me, but the local peasants had already written complaints and sent people to the authorities. It didn't end well, in some cases no one came back, and in some cases people came back with no tongue and a carved back. And as I've said many times before: the girl is far from being a stupid person, and it was all too obvious to me. It was no problem for both of us to guess what was going on. And the fact that the sabotage of her father's rule and orders has been going on for more than one year makes the usually reserved princess mad.

- Yes, the governor in charge of this village will be in trouble when we get to the truth," I said with a smile, seeing the bloodthirst in the girl.

- I haven't decided what I'm going to do with him yet," Azula said angrily, pacing angrily from side to side in her room like a caged predator.

- A simple tribunal is not enough for you? I can suggest a few types of particularly colourful executions," I offer with a smile, remembering the relatively lenient laws of this world and the scant moments of cruelty.

- Advise, I want to hear something useful before I go to sleep....