— The lungs fill with air; thanks to it, we live, thanks to it, our fire breathes, thanks to it, the Chi inside us is constantly in motion. With proper breathing, the sea of Chi, or the stomach, becomes active; the slightest effort, and the Chi leaves our body, forming fire—Shu took a deep breath, raising her hand higher. In an instant, a golden flame ignited in her hand.
— Various offensive techniques allow for a more sharp and powerful flame in the right place with the right vector of movement. Most firebending techniques were created for combat…—the head abbess of the temple continued to speak until the princess interrupted her.
— That's known to everyone who went to school. I didn't come here for that. My patience is running out—Azula ended in an authoritative tone, reminding her of her status and the immense power that came with it.
— Everything in its time, my lady—Shu remained just as unshakeably calm. — Our bending is, without a doubt, the most dangerous and deadly. Fire is always with us, so we cannot be isolated from bending like other nations. Our people's bending is completely different; fire… it is alive and will live as long as the firebender himself remains alive. Healing with our gift is very difficult. Few have a predisposition for it…
— Do you believe that I am not talented enough for your fire techniques?—something in the princess's words made the abbess flinch almost imperceptibly. Azula was not going to tolerate any doubts about her genius.
— Not at all—Shu replied. — The technique you are interested in contradicts all known firebending. We call it the Chi healing technique. With your permission, I will demonstrate the work of this technique…
Shu extinguished the flame in her hand. The room became a little darker, but a second later, her hands began to emit a bright golden light, and a circle of golden flame appeared above them. Looking at the girls' reaction, I saw exactly what I expected to see. Mai remained outwardly calm; she was not a firebender, so she wasn't that interested in all this. But Azula watched with unconcealed interest, carefully observing every movement of the old fire healer. As did I, but if the princess understood little, looking at the world with the limited view of human eyes, I saw much more than ordinary people or even benders.
— Thanks to this technique, you can find out about other people's injuries, even those that they themselves are unaware of. Even if the wound is not on the body but on the soul. This technique helps to cope with any ailments—Shu took the hand of one of her assistants, beginning to move her hands over it.
And while everyone was focused on the bending being demonstrated, Shu continued to talk about the technique.
— This is the first stage of the technique; in the second, the bender learns not only to determine the injury or illness, but also to heal it with the help of their Chi, which penetrates the patient's body and helps fight diseases and regenerate wounds…
For more than an hour, the old woman told literally everything about this technique. The history of its appearance, its application, the reasons for its low prevalence among the people: the difficulty of mastering it and the need to know a lot of things for the best use of the technique. In short, there were more than enough reasons why no one knew about or even guessed at fire healing.
Her lecture was very informative. A long time ago, this technique was invented by one of the Avatars, whose statues can be found in this temple. Her name is now forgotten, but her contribution to the history of the Fire Nation was significant, especially for women with a gift for bending. This fire technique was completely non-combat, which affected its popularity among the people. Since people no longer remembered that there was once another way to bend fire. The cult of strength, the military structure of the country, all this was also added to the very high inaccessibility of the technique, as well as the low fame of the Temple and its location on the border of the country. Such a technique was not interesting to those who knew about its existence.
And, as the woman admitted, there are very few true masters of this technique in the temple—namely, seven elderly women, including herself. In addition, ordinary medicine did not stand still. It was much easier and more profitable for people to go to a doctor than to a temple. This also applied to the highest members of society. As Shu herself said, using this technique required a simply monstrous, off-the-charts level of control that was never necessary for a firebender. Which only added to the difficulty of mastering the technique. And all this comes with the need to know about diseases and how the human body is structured for the best application of fire healing techniques. In the end, it turned out to be a useful technique, but medicine can easily cope without it, and at a much cheaper and more accessible cost for ordinary people.
With the current level of education, people in power simply did not see any great benefit from such bending. Healing is healing; most of the world can cope without doctors, but I saw the enormous potential of the bending I saw. I even understood the principles of the technique much better than the locals, who simply lacked the education to appreciate the full power and usefulness of such a treasure.
And meanwhile, from conversations, the matter came to practice. Shu cut the hand of a young assistant, letting the girls examine the deep, but still just a scratch. After that, right before their eyes, she began to skillfully move her hand over the wound. The woman's hand passed over the scratch the first time, and the bleeding stopped. Another movement and the blood began to be drawn back in. On the third pass, the scratch began to disappear, the skin fused, and on the fifth, not even a scar was left.
After the peculiar lecture and visual demonstration were over, the princess was provided with all the necessary books and scrolls on fire healing. The temple inhabitants were well prepared for her arrival and perfectly fulfilled the girl's instructions. Having received everything she needed, Azula decided not to waste time and proceeded to practice…
Somewhere towards the end of Azula's practical classes, I began to feel tired. After all, I hadn't recharged from the girl since the morning. For the last half hour, I had been inside her. The head abbess Shu almost noticed my presence in the princess, but Azula lied to her about the consequences of a secret ritual that outsiders shouldn't know about. The energies of the princess and I are identical. Therefore, I was not perceived as an evil spirit; rather, I was taken as an anomaly or a consequence of the ritual. A small feature in the body of an already special princess.
Also, I didn't forget to tell Zula about the pool I found. Instantly coming up with a plan, the princess pretended to be tired after several hours of study and practice, which resulted in the girls being invited to relax in a special place. No one refused. On the way, they were told about this very special place, which was a healing pool in the depths of the Temple. Its waters were special; they contained a lot of spiritual energy and had amazing healing properties.
"What a magical place… do you feel it? This water, this pool, this whole place… it's full of energy! I advise you to perform the breathing technique I came up with; it definitely won't be superfluous. I will help you perform it as correctly as possible"—I suggested to Zula as soon as she was in the room with the magical pool, followed by Mai.
The girls, not being shy of each other, undressed and headed towards the pool of healing water. Their naked bodies did not escape my gaze. It's not that I was particularly trying to peek at them; it's just how the circumstances were. And being a spirit, I had long since gotten my fill of looking at naked women, but the picture was still aesthetically pleasing, and no matter how much Azula tried not to look at her friend, I still saw all the beauty of her body… it was beautiful!
The numerous training sessions had not taken away a single ounce of her beauty; the toned, slender body radiated a certain special femininity. A flat tummy, firm butt, small breasts, skin that looked soft and pleasant even to the eye. Of course, individually, Mai was inferior to Azula in almost all respects: smaller breasts, narrower hips, less plump lips, not as voluminous a butt… but in general, for me, she was much more feminine and prettier than the princess. Despite all her strength, Mai seemed somewhat fragile, while Zula… in most cases, she was too masculine. And that's not a trait I want to see in girls. But what could not be taken away from Mai was her obedient raven-wing-colored hair and her horribly cynical character, which I liked. I especially liked her eternally strict gaze…
And while I was once again evaluating the beauty of Azula's friend, they managed to undress and get to the water.
— What an unusual hot spring—Mai noticed, getting into the water with a folded towel on her head.
— Do you think so? I don't see anything unusual about it—Azula joined her, having decided to leave her towel on the floor. With her eyes, she tried not to look at her friend, since we now had a shared sight.
— It's hard to find the right words. It's just different, not like all the ones I've seen before—a calm answer followed from Mai, who was relaxing in the hot water with the same calm face. Her face gradually turned red from the heat, but remained just as impassive and calm.
— And how many hot springs have you seen?
— Enough…—after these words, the conversation somehow ended by itself, and the girls simply began to bask in the hot water.
And there was nothing strange about it; I had already gotten to know both of them well enough: it was normal for them to spend time in silence, even when there was something to discuss. However, I myself enjoyed the emotions that Azula was experiencing. It was pleasant…
"And your friend has a lot of old scars on her arms. So many stripes… they must be from frequent training with throwing knives"—I gave a comment as soon as Zula glanced at the girl with interest. At this time, Mai stopped basking in the water, beginning to examine her own hands.
— My hands are itching…—she scratches her hands, after which she begins to peer into them, finding something interesting; her pupils widen in surprise. — The scars, they… are disappearing?
— What? That can't be.
— See for yourself.
Azula moved as close as possible to her, beginning to watch as the thin stripes of scars disappeared from Mai's outstretched arms. The girls were not even a meter apart.
— How interesting…—that was all the princess could say, as she was mesmerized by such a magical sight. Coming to her senses, Zula also began to examine her body, noticing how small scars from her childhood began to disappear from her body.
"An interesting effect from bathing in water that is overflowing with a certain energy similar to both life and spiritual. How much time has passed? Five or ten minutes? This is truly a magical place. You should definitely perform the breathing technique. And thank you for helping me get such a close look at all the intimate places of your friend. Everything there is so pretty, but, of course, it can't compare to your beauty"—I added a few words of my own, reminding her of our shared sight.
Azula abruptly looked away and took a couple of steps away from her friend. This caused a look of confusion from Mai.
— Nothing…—the princess replied to her friend's look, deciding to change the subject right away. — What do you think is causing this effect?
— It's hard to say. The locals said that it's a healing spring. And they mostly talked to you; I didn't really listen to them—the girl turned her gaze to Azula, beginning to suspect something.
— We'll have to find out more about this place—the princess replied, moving a little further away from her friend and trying not to look in her direction.
— I don't think this can be replicated by human hands—Mai guessed her friend's thoughts.
Yes, building dozens, or even hundreds, of such springs would be a great idea. I think Azula also thought of something similar as a second thought. First of all, she would have wanted something like this for her palace. But we are not the only ones so smart, and it is probably impossible with the current level of technology. But that doesn't mean it will be impossible forever, but I've been thinking about this too much.
— Yes… I think you're right…
At this, the conversation somehow ended by itself, and the girls again began to rest in silence. Neither of them was the most talkative. Such were their personalities, but it was my goal to change Azula for the better. Therefore, I continued to act.
"Since you are relaxing, ask her how she feels about all this: the trip, the recent events"—alas, Azula did not rush to follow my words or listen to them in any way; she continued to silently bask in the water.
"What's wrong? Are you angry that I saw your friend naked, and she doesn't even suspect it? Come on, you're above that. Nothing terrible happened; I've seen you naked more than once. Don't you want to discuss the latest news with her? Talk about what's going on? Come on! I know you want to"—I continued to push my princess onto the right path, being a simple voice in her head.
Not immediately, but she finally spoke to Mai about the topics I suggested.
— Mai…
— Yes?
— How are you?
— Great. Why? Is my face too red from the heat?
— It's fine…—awkward silence. — I actually wanted to ask if you like the trip?—Mai was even slightly surprised by her friend's sincere words. This was unusual, but even more unusual was the smile that followed the surprise, which was completely out of character for such an unemotional girl.
— I liked the last island; I can only hope that I won't die of boredom waiting for the next such stop—she replied with her usual ironic smile with a slight hint of joy. — It's been a long time since I've experienced such emotions. It's amazing that such secrets are hidden in our boring country…
The girls continued to talk about all sorts of little things, and I did not take part in this, busy studying the processes that began to occur with Azula when she was in this spring. The place was truly unusual and amazing. And while the girls were talking, I watched with interest everything that was happening to the princess's body. And a lot of interesting things were happening there. The energy flowed into the ladies' bodies, and not only healed, but also improved almost the entire structure of the body as much as it could. True, not like during the fire lotus ritual; it was less, much less. I think after such a rejuvenation, the girls will feel great for several weeks, and minor sores, such as scratches, have disappeared.
After a little while, Mai left the water; she was getting too hot, and Zula and I were left alone.
— Yoaru.
"Yes?"
— Can you repeat the fire healing technique?—Azula started the right topic.
"I won't know unless I try. I can try right now; I just need your body"—I answered the girl easily. I myself, although I had some doubts, was generally confident in my abilities. Unlike the princess, who was not getting anywhere with this fire technique.
— Good, we still have a little time…
We switched roles; she became the voice inside, and I began to control the body. On the third or fifth try, I began to get something, and my hands glowed with a bluish light, and a circle of fire from our standard flame also formed. This raised many questions for the girl, and I had to answer them.
Fire healing was not exactly fire healing, but rather a technique of manipulating Chi—life energy. In this matter, it was much easier for me than for Azula. After all, my whole body is energy. A firebender usually releases Chi from the body and creates fire; this is usual and natural. Here, however, inhuman control was required to pour your Chi into the patient instead of fire, without harming them. Control was never required for a firebender, so it was not surprising that Zula had problems with such a simple and at the same time complex technique. For a firebender, such a technique is extremely difficult, but here the problems are in the upbringing and already accumulated experience of bending. Of course, this is an extremely perverted technique, but other options for healing for firebenders have not yet been invented. Firebending itself is not very suitable for healing, but someone, apparently, really wanted to heal. For this technique to be useful, a lot of practice is needed, but I got the gist. And the gist was simple…
— Wait, are you saying that this isn't firebending?—the young lady said, slightly shocked, as soon as I finished my lecture and switched places with her.
"It's like with lightning. It's also classified as firebending, but lightning is not fire; the principles of how it works are a little different, but the gist is the same: Chi leaves the bender's body, becoming bending. It's the same here. I would call it not firebending, but energybending. You spend your energy, say, stamina, and create fire, lightning, explosions, and who knows what else"—I explained my position to the girl.
— Pfft, there's no such bending!—the princess confidently declared to me.
"I wouldn't be so sure about that"—I answered her with the same confidence.
This case made me remember one moment, namely the ending of the series. The monk deprived the Fire Lord of his bending with the help of super old energybending. I have no idea how he did it, but the fact itself proves the presence of such bending in the world. Energybending was interesting to me, but no one in the world knew about it or even guessed it existed. It will not be easy to get knowledge about this bending.
— Are you not telling me everything again?—the girl said in disappointment to her reflection on the smooth surface of the pool.
"No. I myself know little about it. But, as an example, you can take today's case. The fact that you have not seen or heard something does not mean that it does not exist at all. And now, let's drop the topic. I think we can master this technique. We don't have to stay in the temple for a long time; we can just attend a couple more lectures, ask a few questions, and not forget the literature prepared by the wisest. And on the way, we can hone this skill.
— Okay, I heard you, Yoaru.
"Since we've discussed everything, start practicing the breathing exercises according to all the rules; it won't take much time"—I reminded her of the not-so-important task.
Taking a breath and exhaling, Azula began to breathe...
A few days later, having finished her training and inspection, the princess left the island. The next stop was the capital of a long-established colony—the city of Yu Dao.