The Legend of Percy: Book 1 - Finding Purpose

6. Stupid Boys and Their Stupider Valid Points (Annoying the Princess Some More)

Azula, well, she didn't quite know what to think. She was coming to the disturbing revelation that she....couldn't figure out Percy. Now maybe that shouldn't have been a surprise. She hadn't been able to faze him really, if she was being honest with herself. Wow, when did I start lying to myself?

He'd gotten under her skin, and gotten more information out of her than she had about him. But two wars? Not only being part of two wars, but he won them? That was something Azula couldn't wrap her head around. He could mean battles but her gut feeling, that she was being hit over her head with more and more, told her he wasn't. Not to mention the fact that he'd won. The only real losses had been at the North and with Uncle Iroh at Ba Sing Se. At least, those were the only two that he would've been alive for.

She stood and started pacing around the clearing.

So who was this man? Now that she was really thinking in depth about him, without focusing on his savagery or annoyances, she realised he was totally different and unique from just about everyone she'd ever met. Not just in the fact that he could seemingly stand up to her. A feat that not even the top generals of the fire nation could manage. But, more importantly, he looked....odd. His complexion alone was something she'd never seen. Not in the records of the Fire Nation royal library, not in all her travels, however recent those travels were, and not in any descriptions from soldiers or generals. Or even her father.

His sun-kissed skin, with a strong jaw and nose. His sea-green eyes that shone ethereally, and more than anything. His hair cut which could only be described as messy. Yet another of his savage ways but it seemed...somewhat groomed? Azula could only really hazard a guess at what was used to do such a thing but especially when he first arrived, his hair was quite perplexing.

Not to mention his weird sword that he'd used back in Omashu. She figured it was well gone by now. She hadn't seen it since she'd ordered the guards to confiscate it and bring it along, so it must've been lost in the trip. But where would he get a sword like that from.

He was also quite tall. She never really had the opportunity to see it before but his intimidation was helped by the fact that when he was approaching her, lecturing her about war, he stood well above her. Azula hadn't noticed. It wasn't something you'd notice when he sat or lay around his cell all the time. And the only other time she'd seen him was atop an ostrich horse. This was...different. He was head and shoulders above her, and most likely a head above Zuko.

What was it he said to Ty Lee? 'I'm not from around here'. That seemed to be becoming more and more apt as the days went on. He definitely wasn't from around here, wherever there happened to be, and she believed him. All of him just screamed 'I'm not from here'. 'Foreign' was the word that was on the tip of Azula's tongue.

He said he was born on an island, obviously not disturbed by the nations. But what did that mean? Were there more nations out there? Surely not? Azula sat with her thoughts, idling letting her blue fire run along her fingertips. She noticed anytime she lost her focus, her fire turned red again. She tried not getting stuck in her thoughts but this was just too big.

If everything that he said was true, did that mean he didn't know the avatar? Sure that would explain a few things but why would he defend them so readily. None of this was really making sense, and she desperately needed answers. She was waiting to see what he did though, which was something she didn't do often.

Would he return? A small, different part of her wanted him too, to her immense annoyance, which she quickly extinguished. But surely he would use this time to run away. And what was his attachment to the ostrich horse? That was extremely odd to Azula. Everything was extremely odd to Azula.

Well, everything surrounding Percy. Her fire flickered red again, which she scolded herself for.

A couple more things were niggling at the back of her conscience though. Things much more important than being able to talk to animals, a thought Azula never thought she would have. He said he had the world on his shoulders, the only description of that she'd heard of was from the previous avatar, Roku, in the records of him.