War for Peace (Avatar: The Last Airbender Fanfiction)

Chapter 8: Destinations in Mind

The morning after the heated conflict with the Avatar, Xisheng found himself thankfully free of Azula's teaching for just one sunrise, for she had more important things to attend to now that she had gathered the special team she had envisioned.

As Xisheng donned his uniform in the confines of the quarters he and the guards had been provided, he couldn't help but question their next move. The more things progressed, the more likely it seemed that Azula was going to do something that, from a Royal Guard standpoint, he couldn't condone.

After all, she had essentially put together a strike team. A small, mobile group of fighters designed to operate in exactly that fashion. But small and fast was the exact opposite of the Royal Procession, what with its barge and fifty Royal Firebenders.

The more Xisheng thought about it, the more it seemed like Azula was going to ditch the procession entirely so she could operate unhindered by their weight and seeming incompetence. And while Xisheng would be the first to admit that the Royal Guards had made complete fools of themselves when they had tried to arrest Iroh, there was still strength in numbers. Having more soldiers around still served to dissuade assassination attempts and the like.

But on the other hand, having that many soldiers around also called attention to themselves. What made it more obvious what the Princess' movements were if not a large boat and a procession of soldiers?

Besides, Xisheng had to admit that he was not lacking in faith regarding Azula's recruits. Ty Lee was clearly a skilled hand to hand combatant, and she had knowledge of some obscure yet very potent techniques. Aside from that she was extremely agile and swift, making for a deadly combination. And Mai? Xisheng had to admit that her abilities scared him a little. Someone as fast and precise as her could be a true menace on the field of battle.

After all, with her skills, if she really put her mind to killing someone, it would be all too easy to do so. One flick of the wrist, and someone had a knife buried in their eye or their throat. Someone like her could easily kill Azula, Ty Lee, and Xisheng in mere seconds if she caught them off guard.

Not that he was worried about something like that. Considering Azula's calculating nature, Xisheng was inclined to trust anyone that she did, if only because Azule didn't give her trust very easily. It was just a theoretical appreciation of the fact that Mai could be very, very deadly if she chose to be.

The phrase 'deadly but beautiful' came to mind, particularly since Mai had a certain grace to her that was absent even from Azula, who had her own majesty. Xisheng smirked to himself as he thought of a way to label them all. Mai and her grace, Ty Lee's acrobatic finesse, and Azula's Firebending majesty. They made a good team, each having their own thing like that. It set them apart, unlike a squad of Firebenders that all had the same training and the same military mindset.

The real question was whether or not Xisheng was included in this little squad Azula had formed. He got the feeling that he might have been, since Azula had gone out of her way to bring him along for the exchange, but then again that could have just been extra insurance on her part if a fight broke out. He didn't have any particular skills like Mai or Ty Lee that made him especially useful for a strike force. He was an all-around average Firebender and not a particular asset in that regard since Azula was already around, so his position on such a team was far from a sure thing.

Either way, Xisheng felt uncomfortable this morning for a different reason. He felt that there was something amiss among his fellow guards, but specifically in regards to him. Even now as he finished equipping all of the appropriate gear, he felt like the other soldiers that were awake right now were all staring at him. Not that it was easy to tell considering that he couldn't see them doing it.