The Duel

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At the feast we were seated at the main table, where the chief himself and his daughter Yui were also seated, it was I who was seated next to the princess herself. The sisters were eating dinner, Bing was pecking at the food in front of me, but I wasn't really hungry, instead I was regaining control of my Ice Magic, in the North Pole amongst the ice, it was much faster. Now I had her ice copy on the table besides Bing, which I was trying to control, trying to mimic the movements of the ice phoenix.

- Doesn't look like it. - Bing replied, looking at the copy I had created.

- It's the same, don't lie. What do you think, Princess, does my phoenix look like the real one? - I turned to my table mate and directed my ice phoenix to the girl, it flew around her and then landed on her shoulder.

- Looks like it. - the girl nodded.

- No, it doesn't. - 'I'm much prettier. - Bing sat on Yui's other shoulder.

- Are you a spirit? - Yui asked, looking at the real ice phoenix.

- Yes, I am Bing Xi Feng, an ice spirit. And in you, I can sense a bit of Tui Moon Spirit power. - Bing turned her head sideways, looking at Yui.

- You're right, when I was born, I was very weak, I didn't scream like other children, and I didn't even open my eyes, it was like I was asleep. To help me my father turned to the Spirit of the Moon and Tui advised to dip me in the Spirit Pond where the Spirits of the Moon and Ocean dwell. Tui healed me, I opened my eyes, and started acting like a normal healthy child, but after dipping in the Spirit Pond my hair turned completely white. - replied Yui.

- La and Tui were always very kind and got along with each other, not like me and my brother, who were always trying to kill each other. - Bing said, and sat back down on the table, continuing to eat.

- I'm sorry ... um ... - Yui didn't know how to address me.

- My name is Hela.

- Hela, what's wrong with your arm? Do you need any help? Our tribe has excellent healers. - Yui asked worriedly, pointing to my left arm hanging in a bandage.

- We stopped at a town at the foot of a volcano on the way to you, and it turned out that the volcano was about to explode. To save the town, the Avatar bravely rushed into the volcano and put it to sleep. I helped a little bit there too, and my hand got burnt a little bit, but I'm a healer too, so it'll be fine, don't worry, Princess Yui. - I spoke up and Korra was sitting to my right and heard everything.

- It must be fun travelling with the Avatar, huh? - Yui asked sadly.

- It's interesting, but dangerous. We've fought Fire Nation soldiers several times, and once we stopped criminals who wanted to destroy an entire city by collapsing a dam and flooding all the civilians. You should have seen the Avatar freeze a huge wave of water with a wave of her hand, but Korra is not so good at smaller manipulations, that's why we came to learn the Northern Style of Water Mages. - I replied.

- Oh, our Water Mages are very strong, by the way, they have decided to welcome the Avatar, this is Master Pakku and his students. - Yui pointed to the ice stage where three mages, one old man and two men came out, they started to move synchronously and the water that was next to them in huge ice barrels rushed into the air, changing shape with the movements of the mages. Each mage could filigree control several tonnes of water, which they were demonstrating now, if Korra could normally lift a half metre diameter ball of water into the air, these mages were controlling balls of water six metres in diameter.

After the performance, Master Pakku began to approach us and we walked out to meet him. Chief Arnuk began to speak:

- Master Pakku, the Avatar has come to us and I would like him to be trained by the best master of our tribe, you.

- Well, first let him go to the healers and heal his arm, and then let him come to my classes. And even though he's an Avatar, he can't expect any favours. - replied the old man, looking at me.

- The Avatar is right there. - I pointed to Korra.

- Aha, I am the Avatar, I would be happy to learn from you, Master Pakku. - replied Korra.

- ... Unfortunately, in our tribe women are forbidden to learn Water Magic, so I refuse to teach a female Avatar, let Yugoda teach her Healing Magic. - replied Pakku.

- What?! I travelled all over the world to get here, and you're telling me you won't teach me because I'm a girl? - Korra asked in a high-pitched tone of voice.

- Yes! What kind of discrimination is that?! - supported her sister Katara.

- Our tribe has traditions and rules, and I, as a tribal elder, abide by them. - said Pakku.

- But these traditions and rules are unfair! - shouted Katara.

- For you maybe, but for us they are natural. That's it, this conversation is over, I'm going to bed, it's late. - Pakku turned his back on us and started to walk away.

- That Pakku reminded me of my grandfather, who was also an old, principled prick. - I commented, and Pakku heard this and turned to me.

- Did you say something? - The old man asked, glaring at me angrily.

- Yeah, that you old arsehole, go on, don't be an eavesdropper. - I waved my hand.

- What's with the impertinent youngster? I am a master of Water Magic, insulting me is fraught with consequences. - Pakku looked at me sternly.

- Oh, I can beat a master like you with one hand, do you want me to show you? If you lose this fight, you'll teach Korra and Katara Water Magic, and if I lose, we'll leave the north, and I'll publicly apologise to you, you old prick. - I said as I approached Puck.

- You want a fight? Fine, come to the square in front of the chief's palace tomorrow morning and I'll show the rude boy the power of the master of Water Magic. - replied Pakku, and started walking away again.

- Don't miss the fight, old man. - I shouted after him.

- Eh... this conversation didn't go well. - commented the chief.

- Korra, it was you who decided to fly north, and I wanted to find a teacher of Earth Magic, we were flying here over the Earth Kingdom. - I said, looking at Korra.

- How did I know that this tribe has such stupid traditions that girls can't learn magic? Are you sure you can handle Pakku in your condition? - Korra nodded at the bandage.

- I can take that old fart down without my hands, you'll see.

- Thank you, Hela, because I wanted to challenge that Pakka to a fight. - said Katara, unhappy with my refusal.

- Yeah, that Pakku is a nasty one. - Korra confirmed.

- Oh, when you meet my father, you'll realise that Pakku is still a nice old man. - I remarked, and we asked to be taken to our rooms.

We were all lodged in the chief's palace, so that in the morning I did not have to go far to fight with Pakku. The old man was on time for the fight, and there were many spectators, including Princess Yui and of course Korra and Katara.

- Do you want to apologise before I beat you up, you insolent young man? - asked Pakku a question before the fight.

- What, old man, are you afraid you'll get sciatica during the fight, so you want to resolve our conflict without a fight? Let's get started, you're not going to teach Korra and Katara until I kick your old senile arse. - I waved my right hand, absorbing as much heat as I could from the surrounding ice.

Ice also comes in different temperatures, and Water Mages can only control warm ice that is at least fifty degrees, but if the ice is minus one hundred and eighty degrees, it will be beyond the control of the Water Mages. That's what I wanted to do now, re-subordinate all the ice so that Pakku couldn't use it for his magic. There was still a lot of water and ice nearby, but all the nearby ice was under my control, and the temperature around me was dropping fast.

- You're a strange Waterbender. - Pakku remarked, drawing water from a nearby canal to himself, and launched this mass of water at me in the form of a wave. But all the water froze on the way, and Pakku couldn't use the frozen water any further, so he had to get new water from the canal, which he immediately turned into icicles, and launched them at me.

- I'm an Ice Mage. I don't know how to control water. - I took control of Pakku's icicles and brought all the projectiles back, but Pakku couldn't melt them back into water fast enough, so I got a bunch of half-melted ice on my face. - I began to tear off pieces of the surrounding ice and fire at the old man relentlessly, trying not to hurt him, because I needed him alive. But Puck had to sweat to protect himself from the endless hail of ice shells that easily penetrated his ice shields, because my ice was colder, and consequently denser and stronger.

Our battle was like my first fight with Esdeath, when she just kept pelting me with ice from all sides, and I was trying to defend myself and not die. And now Pakku couldn't attack, only defend. I had regained enough energy to use Ice Magic at the same level, though my left arm was still not fully regenerated.

- Are you still warm, you nasty old man? - I asked, because in addition to firing ice shells, I kept lowering the temperature around me.

- L-okay, you win... it's so cold. - I heard from my opponent's side, visibility was nil because of the cloud of ice shards.

- Finally. - I stopped firing and Paku started to come out of the ice cloud.

- You didn't even move, just waved your hand? - The old man asked, seeing that I was still standing where I had been at the beginning of the battle. Pakku was trying to keep warm, for even for a North Pole dweller it was very cold next to me.

- Well, it's not good for me to move around, you see. - I nodded at my arm.

- I'll teach Avatar and her sister, but don't you want to learn Water Magic in addition to ice? - Pakku asked.

- As soon as my arm heals, I'll join you, but honestly, I've already tried to learn water, it's just my speciality. If anything, I taught Korra and Katara Ice Magic, but they have Water Magic abilities that I can't teach them. I hope you will be a good teacher to them, Master Pakku. - I bowed a little to honour the old man.

- Well, let's go to my school. - Pakku looked at Korra and Katara, 'I hope you're as talented as this boy. - The old man walked towards the Water Mage school, followed by a happy Katara and Korra.

- Thank you, Hela. - said the two girls as they walked beside me.

- You could have kissed me as a thank you. - I said to them, but they were already far away, even though they had heard my words. - I waved my right hand and cleared the square. I created some ice phoenix statues from the excess ice, and after looking at Yui, I created a ten metre statue of her, she's the princess here, no one will object to her sculpture, but I had an idea to create my own statue first, but that would be too brazen.

- It's beautiful. - Princess Yui came up to me, looking at her statue shining in the sun.

- It's all credit to the original, though the sculpture doesn't convey even a tenth of your beauty, Princess. - I smiled, and Yui blushed a little.

- I don't like it. - Bing sat on my shoulder, -You'd better put another sculpture of me, bigger, like in the south... or no, twice as big as in the south. - said the ice bird.

- You've had enough of the ones I made, the Spirits of the Moon and Ocean are honoured here. - I replied, 'So, now what should I do here? I've got Korra and Katara, but I have nothing to do. Princess Yui, will you give me a tour of your wonderful city? - I asked the girl and extended my hand.

- With pleasure. - She answered with a smile, and taking me by the hand, led me around the city, starting to tell me what was where.

To get around the city faster, she wanted to find a boat, but I just created a boat out of ice and guided it to wherever Yui pointed. We rode around the water channels for a couple of hours, and afterwards Yui took me to the top of the ice wall, where I could see the entire city in the crater.

- The villages of the Southern Water Tribe are no match for this beautiful city, home to such beautiful princesses. - I looked at the city from a height of seventy metres, and then at the princess, who apparently loved her city and her people, but for some reason now in her eyes was a kind of sadness.

- Hela, it's my birthday in a week. my sixteenth birthday, can you stay to attend it? - Yui asked.

- I think so. We'll be here for at least a month, since we've come to the Northern Water Tribe, we need Korra and Katara to thoroughly learn the Northern Water Mage Style. Princess, what would you like to receive for your birthday? - I asked.

- I don't know... I have everything, but I would be happy if you just attend this holiday. - replied the girl, and for some reason she fixed her collar.

- Well, if you think of something before the birthday, then tell me. I'll give you a tiara or a crown, you're a princess. - I said, and I heard a man's voice behind me:

- Princess Yui, did you show the city to our guest from the Southern Tribe? I was told that my fiancée is holding hands with a man. - A swarthy guy with rather long hair spoke up.

- Hahn. - Yui was startled and looked at me, 'Meet my fiancé Hann, he's my fiancé, we're engaged to be married. - Yui lowered her collar, underneath which was some kind of necklace.

- Oh, so this is the best warrior of the Northern Tribe? Nice to meet you, I'm the best warrior of the South Pole, would you like to exchange combat experience between the friendly Water Tribes? - I asked with a smile.

- Huh, you have something wrong with your arm, how are you going to exchange combat experience with me? - Hann asked with a smirk.

- Well, I hold my sword with my right hand, and my injured hand didn't stop me from defeating Master Pakku today. I don't want to humiliate you by defeating you with only one hand, but I'm so eager to see the skills of the Northern Tribe warriors that I can't wait for my hand to heal completely. Please, Hun, I'm so eager to fight you, or I might think I'm the best warrior in the South Pole just because there are no truly worthy warriors.... like you. - I said courteously.

- Haha, well, let's go to the training ground, where I'll beat you in battle... I mean, I'll show you what the best warrior of the North is worth. - Hann turned his back and walked towards the training ground.

- I'm getting impatient. - I said.

- Hela, why are you here? - Yui asked quietly, following me and her fiancé.

- I told you that I have nothing to do, so I decided to amuse myself by beating up your fiancé..... I see that there is a great and sincere love between you two, right? - I also asked quietly.

- My father told me to marry him, he chose my fiancé for political reasons, I don't like Hann... and Hann himself doesn't like me, he just wants to become the son-in-law of the chief, and after the death of my father, he will be the chief. - Yui confessed.

- Well, then you won't be offended if I trample your fiancé in the mud... I mean in the snow? - I asked.

- Hann is a really strong warrior, I'm not sure you can handle him without magic,' Yui said worriedly. - Yui said worriedly.

- We'll see how good he is. - I said, looking at the training ground that was a couple of hundred metres away from us.