The Dragon Princess and the Wolf Warrior

Chapter 33 [~|~] The Deserter

Azara sighed as she stared at the kiosk in front of her, particularly the wanted posters with her face plastered on them. The poster stated that she was to be captured alive and unharmed and then brought to the Fire Lord directly. While the reward for her capture was still less than Aang's, she didn't doubt that there were people out trying to catch her.

"I bet we'll find something to eat here, the Fire Day's festival," Aang spoke, pointing at the poster for the festivities.

"While Fire Day is always a great time, I don't think we should go," Azara sighed, crossing her arms over her chest. "It will be extremely dangerous, Aang. There will be guards everywhere."

"Come on, this would be a great place to study firebending," Aang pleaded, swinging Katara to his side with the statement. "Azara, please, you said it yourself that Fire Day is amazing!" Staring down at the Fire Nation colony, Azara debated their choices.

"You want to walk into a Fire Nation town where they're all fired up with their fire?" Sokka asked as Azara raised an eyebrow at his statement.

"Well, a big part of Fire Day is masks. We should be able to blend in if we can find some," Azara conceded, Aang smiling as Azara sided with him. "But you guys have to follow my lead. No offense, but without the masks, you guys won't blend in at all down there."

"We'll wear disguises and if it looks like trouble, we'll leave," Aang told Sokka, who sighed.

"Yeah! Because we always leave before we get into trouble!" Sokka huffed as Azara walked off to change into her old Fire Nation clothes. 

Pulling a cloak over her head, Azara rejoined Sokka and Katara, who were similarly disguised. Turning to Aang, Azara sighed as she spotted the airbender with his shirt pulled over his head. "It's like you're a whole different person," Sokka scoffed, prompting laughs from Azara and Katara. 

"Alright, stay close. Follow me. Don't talk to anyone and do as I do," Azara ordered, leading the way down from the forest into town. "First, let's get some masks." Pulling her three friends over to a mask vender, Azara glanced over the available masks. 

Noticing a white mask with gold detailing on the forehead and around the eyes in the shape of a dragon's head, Azara quickly grabbed and put on the mask. As Katara switched Aang and Sokka's masks, Azara dug through her pocket and produced Fire Nation currency she had left over from her escape. Unsurprisingly, most Earth Kingdom stores refused to accept it. 

With masks safely covering their faces, Sokka ran over to a food vender. "What do you have?" Sokka questioned the vender, who presented bags of flaming fire flakes to him. Sokka shoved some in his mouth before spitting them out. "Hot! Hot!"

"Don't waste good fire flakes!" Azara scolded, grabbing the bag from him. Eating the fire flakes as they walked through the festival, Azara could not help but drift to memories of home as she stood around her fellow Fire Nation citizens for the first time since she had left Zuko and Uncle.

As Aang stopped for a puppet show, Azara looked around the festival, spotting a young girl pointing at a toy she desperately wanted. Her short arm reached out towards the plushie, which was hanging from the roof of one of the game vender's tents. At the sight, Azara's thoughts drifted back to the Fire Nation capital. 

Azara walked quietly next to her mother as they reached the Fire Day Festival. Several guards protectively encased the royal family, the citizens of the Fire Nation moving out of the way and bowing as they passed by. "Alright, what do we want to do today?" Iroh asked, placing his hands on his hips as they surveyed the Fire Day festival.