The Hardest Choice (malereader x avatar)

Book 2: Chapter 3

-Y/N POV-

I awake to the sound of seagulls and waves lapping against the ship. I take a moment to rub the sleep from my eyes before sitting up. I look around and see that Azula already left. I get out of bed and stretch, letting out a satisfying yawn. "I should probably put on some clothes" I think. I look around Azula's chambers. It's crazy that her accommodations are this lavish, even on a warship. The room is huge, with two beds, a large wardrobe, a door which presumably leads to a restroom, and several other things. The wall to my left has several windows. I look back to the wardrobe and see a set of nice clothes laid out. "How thoughtful".

I throw on the clothes. They're so comfortable and light-weight. The fabric is soft and breathable, and is dyed in beautiful colors. I realize how much I missed the comfort of living the life of nobility. Spirits, it's been years since I've seen my parents and my sister. I wonder how they are. I should go back to the Fire Nation soon, but first I have things to do. I walk over to the window and look through it. The sun is decently high in the sky, must be around 10. I guess it doesn't matter how long I slept, we aren't doing anything but sailing today.

I've got nothing else to do, so I decide to find a book to read. I locate a bookshelf quickly and browse through the various items. I picked up one titled "A Comprehensive History of the Languages of the Fire Nation". I spent a good portion of the day reading through it. I learned a good amount. Apparently, all languages in the Fire Nation are in the same language family, the Fire-ese languages. Ever since the Fire Nation was united, the majority of citizens speak Agnio as a common tounge; however, there are still many other surviving languages on the islands. "I should probably learn one some day" I think.

After I finish, I close the book and lay back down on my bed. I close my eyes and allow myself to relax and for my mind to wander. I think about why Iroh and Zuko may have left so suddenly and without me. It's decently suspicious, but I have no evidence as to there being foul play at the moment. I suppose I could ask some sailors, though I can't be too obvious about it. If there really was foul play, I don't want whatever happened to them to happen to me. I decide that I'll try to gather information as sneakily as possible later over the duration of this trip.

Time continues to pass, ever so slowly. Being on a ship all day is more boring than I expected. I groan and lay down on my bed. The boat rocks on the waves continuously. It's very nice weather, at least. I decide to go to the deck and practice my fighting.

I walk down and see a group of maybe 30 men gathered in a circle. In the middle are two men, who are fighting. I ask the nearest sailor what's going on. He tells me that the soldiers practice martial arts sparring on nice days in order to train. As he says this, I hear a loud "oooo" sound from the men. I look over and see one of the fighters on the ground, clutching his nose. The fight is called off and the other fighter wins. An older sailor then steps into the circle.

Older man: Another victory for Naiku! That's his third today, putting his all time record at 53-0! Is there anyone who wants to challenge him?

The men go silent, all of them trying to avoid bring conspicuous so they don't get challenged. I need a good spar though, so I walk up.

Y/N: [Smirking] I think I'll give it a try.

Several of the men laugh, including Naiku. They clear a path toward the middle for me, which I go through. Once inside, I see that the soldiers were surrounding a crudely constructed ring, probably about 18 feet in diameter. Naiku pops his knuckles and smirks. He is in training pants, without shoes or a shirt. His long, dark hair is tied up in a bun. I remove my shirt to match. I see his eyes widen a little bit. I may not be the bulkiest, but I have great definition. The older man speaks once again.