Omashu, the jewel in the western mountains of the Earth Kingdom, was no more. The once proud city befell a fate that many villages and towns in the western section of the Earth Kingdom had experienced years before. Omashu was now a territory of the Fire Nation. Given a new name by Fire Lord Ozai’s daughter Omashu, the city built in loving tribute to Oma and Shu, was now known as New Ozai. Its king, Bumi, sat in an iron cage unable to use his full Earthbending power as he waited for the time of neutral jin.
Citizens in the former Omashu blamed many people for the fate that befell their city. There were the usual suspects of the Fire Lord and the armies of the Fire Nation. Some even blamed the return of the Avatar for the attention to Omashu that he brought with him. However, one of their own was near the top of the list of people responsible for the fall of Omashu. He was a wealthy man with three daughters who spent time outside of Omashu from the time his youngest child was four till the time she was eleven. It was enough time for the wealthy Soun to mourn the loss of his first wife to illness, court and marry a second wife, set up a marriage contract for his youngest daughter and the heir to the Bei Fong family, get his youngest started on Earthbending lessons, and return home even wealthier. When the Fire Nation invaded Omashu, Soun struck a deal with the Governor that ensured his fortune would be safe by selling the freedom of his fellow citizens. The people of Omashu were none too pleased over Soun’s willingness to ally himself with their Fire Nation rulers.
Even though Soun had made a deal to ally himself with the Governor and his men, his family was not out in the clear. Soun, now a government official in the Fire Nation, had promised his daughters into service of the Fire Nation. Kasumi, Soun’s oldest, was promised to an aspiring healer in the service of the Governor. Nabiki, Soun’s middle daughter, became the betrothed of a young Fire Nation lieutenant who was very skilled with swords. Akane, Soun’s youngest, escaped betrothal to a member of the Fire Nation due to the marriage contract with the Bei Fong family but because of her Earthbending skills, she became the personal bodyguard of the Governor’s daughter Mai.
Mai, in Akane’s opinion, was easily bored and lazy. Soun had convinced his daughter to try to become friends with Mai for the good of the family and the good of Omashu. Akane was slowly making progress with Mai when the crown princess suddenly arrived in Omashu with someone who looked to be a circus acrobat in tow. Akane did not know what would happen to her now that Princess Azula had come to Omashu.
“Mai it’s very good to see you again,” Azula looked over at Akane with questioning eyes as she gave her a good looking over.
Akane was no longer dressed in the traditional greens of the Earth Kingdom. Instead, her new position in life had dictated that she wear the reds and blacks of the Fire Nation. The top was short with a banded collar and long flowing sleeves in a deep red adorned with black accents and knotted buttons at the shoulder while showing off a bit of her belly. The pants were the same matching deep red with a black belt at the waist and black cuffs at the ankles. On her feet was a pair of black cloth shoes with stiff leather soles. Over her chest, she wore a stylized version of the Fire Nation chest plate in black and red. Akane’s long dark hair had been styled into a high knot with a braided looping ponytail attached to it. Attached at her waist Akane held a very deadly jian sword in a black sheath.
“And who might this be,” Azula was now calculating how she could fit the young female soldier into her plans to capture her brother and bring him before her father.
“This is Akane, daughter of the highest ranking noble under the former king and father’s closest ally. She’s an Earthbender trained in the sword, my bodyguard, and a loyal and good ally,” it was easy to tell from Mai’s introduction that she cared more for Akane than she did to be in Omashu.
“With princess’s permission might I ask what brings you and your companion to Omashu,” Akane could sense Mai’s curiosity and her lack of willingness to talk of trivial things.
“Why we’re here to offer my dear friend Mai the chance to help me in a little quest. It seems you have found a place in her heart and just might be worthy of joining us on our quest. Imagine it one of their own faithfully and loyally serving the royal family of the Fire Nation,” Azula was quite amused at the prospect of seeing the looks on the faces of the Earth Kingdom citizens when she ordered Akane to use her skill as an Earthbender against them.
It was shortly after the Avatar and his friends had left the now renamed New Ozai that Azula left with her new band of loyal followers. There was Ty Lee the acrobat with the ability to block chi with a single punch, Mai who had deadly aim with her throwing daggers, and Akane the Earthbender turned loyal follower of Fire Nation with a deadly sword. At Azula’s command, the three deadly female mercenaries would strike fear into the hearts and minds of the entire Earth Kingdom.
“Your Highness, the last of the mongoose dragons have been loaded into the iron transport,” Akane gave Azula a short bow placing her right fist close to her heart as she awaited further orders.
It had been some weeks since they left New Ozai but Azula found Akane to be very loyal, trustworthy, and quite deadly with the sword. With the proper influences and training, no one would know that Akane used to be a carefree child of the Earth Kingdom. The young noble would soon be a loyal trained assassin under Azula’s control.
“Good, you can begin the procedures to pull out. Soon we will find the Avatar and destroy him. If you are a loyal soldier I just might reward you with the honor of having your blade deliver the killing blow.”
At her princess’s words, a dark predatory sneer fell across Akane’s face.
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(Posted Tue, 20 Mar 2007 03:42)
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らんま1/2 © Rumiko Takahashi
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