The Dragon Princess and the Wolf Warrior

Chapter 40 [~|~] A Day with Kesuk

"How do you like the Northern Water Tribe?" Kesuk asked Azara, noticing her amazed looks as he led her through the city.

"It's amazing here! Just a little too cold for my liking but I guess you just get used to it," Azara chuckled, glad Yue had given her a thicker coat.

"Yeah. Not quite as warm as the Fire Nation, huh?"

"I haven't been home in about three years, but yeah, definitely not," Azara replied as they turned a corner.

"What's it like in the Fire Nation? Just out of curiosity," Kesuk questioned, walking over a bridge.

"What specifically intrigues you?"

"Mostly if people are as stuffy there as they are here," Kesuk explained, shrugging his shoulders.

"I assure you that there are plenty of stuffy people in the Fire Nation," Azara laughed as they walked through the outskirts of the city. "Everything revolves around honor. Honoring the family name, honoring the Fire Lord and the Fire Nation, et cetera, et cetera." Kesuk laughed alongside her.

"And you obviously sound very fond about that."

"Hardly. Was part of the reason I left, though not the primary reason," Azara trailed off, thinking of home.

"We don't have to talk about it if it makes you uncomfortable," Kesuk interjected, worried that he had brought up some bad memories.

"No, no, it's alright, really. Just remembering home is . . . bittersweet. There's a lot of bad memories, but also some good ones. When people from outside the Fire Nation meet me, they instantly think I'm just like the other firebenders who are destroying the world. But then I remember there are a few back home who, like me, don't agree with what's going on. If only we were the majority, then we could end this stupid war."

"Well, if it's any consolation, I don't think you're a monster. You seem cool, no pun intended," Kesuk joked as Azara shivered once more. Laughing, Azara stared up at the wall of ice Kesuk stopped in front of. "The arena's through here," he stated, bending open a tunnel. 

He motioned for Azara to go first before closing the tunnel behind him. Azara stared at the arena, impressed at the size of it. "Any other wonders of your city I should know about?" Azara teased as Kesuk walked further into the arena.

"I'll tell you if you can beat me, how about that?" Kesuk questioned, turning around to face Azara. 

"Might as well tell me now. Save yourself the trouble," Azara replied, a confident smirk on her face. 

"I'm ready when you are . . . Princess," Kesuk added, a joking smirk on his face as Azara shot him a playful glare. Kesuk lowered himself into a waterbending stance, Azara studying his posture for a moment before lowering into a firebending stance. 

Taking a deep breath, Azara quickly bended a fire blast at Kesuk, who easily avoided it and sent a wall of snow back at Azara. Heating the air around her, the snow wall passed around Azara without touching her. "Is that the best you got?" she called, her hands raised and prepared for the next attack. 

"I'm just getting warmed up," Kesuk promised, turning the snow around him into water and sending a water whip towards her. Azara blasted fire through the water, jumping forwards. As Kesuk spun around, Azara jabbed and kicked at the water whip as Kesuk continued with his attack. 

As the water evaporated from Kesuk's hand as a result of Azara's fire attacks, Azara moved to take the offensive. Utilizing a fire whip of her own, Azara slashed at the floor in front of Kesuk, causing the waterbender to back up towards the wall. With a smirk and a well-aimed kick, Azara sent a fire kick at the wall above Kesuk's head, sending a pile of snow on top of Kesuk.