The Unrivalled Expert in Human Nature

Chapter 5

103 AG

"We're really not going to discuss it?" Azula asked, taking advantage of a pause in her conversation with Wen. They were back on foot and walking down a long beach.

"Discuss what?"

"Last night."

"You mean the visit from Dear Old Mom?" he realized, "I don't really have anything more to say about it."

"Any normal person would." she couldn't believe she was bringing up the topic on her own, but for some reason she wanted to. He'd already tried to show her he wouldn't hurt her, but she was yet to offer an explanation for what came over her last night.

"I think we've already established that I'm not just any person. You're not the only one that has unresolved family stuff..."

"Let me try... Your parents didn't really like moving to the Fire Nation for you?"

"You don't get any points for that... That's obvious. I barely remember anything from before the Fire Nation, but they had to leave everyone and everything behind." Wen's words were positive, but his tone was angry.

"They took it out on you?"

"How about if I asked you what the deal was between your mother and you?"

"I have no problem answering that... My mother always hated me because I was naturally more like my father. She thought... Thinks I'm a monster beyond saving." Azula said, diverting her gaze to the sand they were walking on.

"Alright, that's harsh... Yeah, they took it out on me, blamed me. Especially, my mother. Dad would have, too, if he ever talked to me. They both acted like I enjoyed living a lie." Wen chuckled, "You know, Wen's not really my name... It's Kallik. I changed it when coming to the Fire Nation."

"That's horrible." Azula said directly before thinking it through, "What I mean is, I like Wen better. Is that why you didn't change it when you became a captain?"

"I thought about going by Kalli again. But it just felt wrong. All the people I met, all the things I did, I did as Wen. Kalli... It's from a life I could have had."

Azula tried her best to imagine how that situation must feel like, but she was having trouble. Her life was nothing like that. But then something strange happened... Wen's voice shivered a bit on the last word and it sent a cold dagger through her heart. She couldn't understand it, but she could feel it, right in that moment. The pain of it, the cold, the injustice.

It was exactly that unnamable feeling that had her distracted enough she almost didn't realize a knife flew right by her, missing her ear by less than an inch. In the time it took her to turn around, Wen, or should she call him Kalli now, had already engaged their attacker. The man didn't look like he was prepared for the scenario where his shot failed to hit its target, since Wen overpowered him immediately.

"Bounty hunter, looks like it." Wen concluded before searching the body, "You want to bet on which one of us he was after?"

"I..." she was surprised he wasn't even expecting a thank you for leaping to defend her, "I suppose it's me, since that fire last night might have caught his attention."

Wen didn't answer, he just presented the poster he found on the criminal. It was his face on it, although, by Azula's opinion, the drawing failed to capture just how handsome the captain was.

oooooooooo

"That's not good." Wen said, looking into the distance. His eyes were fixated on a giant metal bridge in front of them. Or, more accurate, a giant, collapsed metal bridge.