The Dragon's claws

Chapter 1 The Golden Dragons and darkness

Author's notes: I don't own Legend of Korra. All I own is my OC's, the Tzhang family, Lord Jall and my main antagonist who for now will remain nameless.

There are some Game of Thrones references in this fic just so readers know.

This fic is set after book 4 and this first chapter is an introduction some of the antagonists in this fic, characters from the show will appear in the next chapter.

Fire Nation Capital City

As the sun started to set on the city, several men carried a Palanquin into the royal palace and as the elderly man stepped out and looked around, everyone bowed their heads to the old man, Aquisis Tzhang, the lord of Dragon Island, head of the Tzhang family, the richest man in the Fire Nation and royal advisor to Fire Lord Izumi.

Aquisis walked up the steps to the palace as the Palanquins carrying, his son Dalzic, and granddaughter Mya were brought in as his grandson, general Kanick rode into the palace grounds on a Komodo Rhino, wearing his finest military armour.

Aquisis was escorted to the throne room by one of the servants and knelt before Fire Lord Izumi as the rest of his family arrived and promptly knelt. The Fire Lord motioned for them to rise as she said "I'm glad you all arrived so quickly. Lord Tzhang, you wanted to discuss something of great importance, what is it?"

Aquisis answered "I want to discuss the future of the Fire Nation. I and other nobles think it is high time that your son return to the capital, take his place as the crown prince and marry. My granddaughter Mya and your son were friends when they were children and the Tzhang family are your biggest supporters. Joining our families together in marriage is logical."

Fire Lord Izumi was silent for a few moments and said "I can't command my son to marry Mya. He can make his own decisions in life."

Aquisis said "Your majesty, if your son doesn't come home and marry, your bloodline could end. I've rumours of people in this city who want to remove you from power in favour of turning our nation over to elected leaders. That would plunge our great nation into chaos and I will not let that happen if I can help it."

Fire Lord Izumi asked "Where did you hear these rumours?"

General Kanick answered "One my officers told me last night, he overheard a few of the common folk complaining about your rule in a tavern last night, and he told me this morning as I was going out for a walk with my grandfather."

Aquisis said "Your majesty, maybe we should send a message that thoughts of having a government of elected leaders ruling the Fire Nation instead of you will not be tolerated. We should have all those who think this imprisoned."

Izumi said "No. I won't be like Ozai, Azulon or Sozin."

Aquisis nodded and said "In honour of your upcoming birthday. We have a gift for you. Bring it in!"

Several servants brought in a large crate and placed it on the floor before they opened the box, revealing the contents to be a solid gold Dragon statue.

Izumi smiled as she saw the gift and said "I'm happy with this gift lord Tzhang."

Aquisis bowed and said with a smile on his face "It is a fitting addition to the throne room. I'm glad you like it."

With that the meeting soon ended and the Tzhang family left the royal palace and headed to their mansion on the other side of the city.

Aquisis Tzhang went to his office where other noblemen were waiting for him and as soon as he entered the room he said "The Fire Lord will consider a marriage between my granddaughter and her son, but she won't do anything about those who complain and wish for change."

One nobleman said "If won't do anything, perhaps we should, she is clearly too weak to be Fire Lord any longer."

Another nobleman interrupted and said "Be careful Sainu. You're getting close to speaking treason."

The nobles looked towards Aquisis Tzhang and the man said "I will deal with the rabble. After all, a dragon doesn't concern itself with the opinions of it's prey. It simply devours them."

Soon the other nobles left the room and as Aquisis's son Dalzic came in he said "Father. I have the profits and losses for our company this year. We're doing well in all areas."

Aquisis nodded and said "Good. It a good idea you had to start this trading company. We now have one of the top companies in the world Tzhang-Corp and our family control all the gold mines in the nation. The Earth Empire loyalists who are holding out in the Earth Kingdom need to learn what happen when they imprison one of our own. They held your niece in one of their prisons. I will have my men remind them to never cross a Tzhang."

Dalzic said "They should remember what your grandfather did during The War when the Salki family challenged his right to rule."

Aquisis nodded and said "The day we allow one of our family to be imprisoned and there aren't consequences, the less we command respect and the less feared we become. My grandfather reminded people why we are to be feared and Azulon welcomed my grandfather into his inner circle as what he done impressed him so much. It's why everyone knows of what happened in the history books, the extinction of the Salki noble family by the Tzhangs and now their old home of Calma is a damn ruin no one ever goes to."

Dalzic left the room and a servant came in saying "Lord Zuko wishes to see you."

Aquisis said "Send him in."

The former Fire Lord and father of Fire Lord Izumi entered the room as Aquisis bowed his head and said "Please sit down."

Lord Zuko did so as Aquisis asked "Do you want some tea or some food brought in?"

Zuko shook his head and Aquisis said "I assume, your daughter told you of this betrothal I want to make between my grandfather Maya and your grandson Iroh?"

Zuko replied "She did. I know a lot of nobles say it's high time that Iroh is married and has children. I also know a lot of these nobles are people you have given gold to when they come to you looking for loans."

Aquisis frowned and asked "What are you implying lord Zuko?"

Zuko was silent for a moment and answered "You are a man who wants your family gain more power and status with each generation and this is the way get your family into royalty. People like you come and go all the time Aquisis. You're nothing new."

With that Zuko stood up to leave as the head of the Tzhang family started to sing in a low tone of voice, but Zuko heard him "And who are you, the proud lord said, that I must bow so low? Only a Dragon of gold that's the truth I know and with scales of black or scales of gold, a dragon still has claws and mine are long and sharp my lord, as long and sharp as yours."

Zuko turned around to face Aquisis as the nobleman looked Zuko in the eye and finished the song "And so he spoke, and so he spoke. That lord of Calma. And now the rains weep over his halls, with no-one there to hear. Yes now the rains weep over his halls. With not a soul to hear."

Zuko didn't say a word as he left and Aquisis said to a servant passing by "Have my guest brought here immediately."

The servant nodded and soon a young man in clothing worn by Earth Kingdom nobles entered and said "Lord Aquisis."

Aquisis said "Please sit down Lord Jall."

The nobleman did so and Aquisis asked "I assume you've heard what King Wu, your second cousin intends to do in the Earth Kingdom?"

Lord Jall nodded and said with anger in his voice "He plans to do away with the monarchy all together and let the Earth Kingdom be ruled by elected leaders as he wants to spend more time focused on his new singing career. I won't all that to happen. Wu is abdicating the throne and as his second cousin and by right of my royal blood. I am the heir to the Earth Kingdom throne and that is a throne I intend to claim as my own. No matter who in my homeland opposes my right to rule."

Aquisis nodded in approval and said "When the Earth Queen was assassinated by the Red Lotus, the commoners rose up and nearly burned down the great city of Ba Sing Se, they killed nobles all over the nation, you were lucky to get away and come here for help. Our two families always had good relations even during The War. Your family were wise to accept our rule and were rewarded for your aid to the Fire Nation. People will no doubt oppose you becoming the new Earth King. I will have my best men accompany you to Ba Sing Se and I will ensure you get your crown."

Jall smiled and left the room as Aquisis summoned his 'problem-solver' who was guarding the door, a tall man in Fire Nation military armour and wrote down four names on a sheet of paper before giving it to the man and said "I want those four people dead. As soon as possible."

The man read the names and said "It will be done my lord." Before he left the room.

As he left, Aquisis' grandson general Kanick came in and sat down as his grandfather said "I want you to get your best men, wear all black attire and patrol the city. Find these commoners who complain and want elected leaders, remind them of their place. Kill the leaders of these rallies and dump their bodies into the sea."

Kanick looked a bit uneasy at this order and Aquisis said "If we don't stop the commoners complaining. We could end up with a revolt against the Fire Lord. The future of our family will be determined in these next few months. We could establish a dynasty that will last for 10,000 years. Or we could fade into nothing as the first Fire Lord did. Do you understand?"

Kanck nodded and Aquisis smiled as his grandson soon left the mansion and headed to the nearby army barracks.

Later that same day in another part of the city, a crowd was gathered to listen a speech by the leader of a group known as the Fire of Democracy. The man stood on a small platform as he began his speech to a crowd of a hundred people. "Fire Lord Izumi should listen to the will of the people. We are sick of tired of nobles and royalty making all the decisions and having all the power. The Earth Kingdom is going to have elected leaders rule the nation. The Fire Nation is the last monarchy ruled nation in the world. It's time we embraced the future and stopped clinging to the past."

Everyone applauded but then a truck filled with men dressed in all black, wearing masks armed with weapons arrived on the scene and the men broke up the gathering going on and took the leader of the Fire of Democracy group away before the local military showed up.

The truck drove to a nearby dock where the men forced the man they abducted out of the truck and got him on his knees before the leader of these men took out a sword and decapitated the young man quickly.

The leader took off his mask and said to the others "Dump his body into the ocean and go another patrol, make sure no more of these rallies are going on."

The men nodded as General Kanick headed back to the mansion confident that by nightfall all the whispers of elected leaders ruling the Fire Nation would be silenced and soon the rest of the nation would get the message loud and clear.

'It was like grandfather always says'. Kanick thought to himself, 'We're Tzhangs, the golden dragons and a dragon doesn't concern itself with the opinions of it's prey. It simply devours them.'

The Spirit World - Wan Shi Tong's Spirit Library

A tall man in black robes sat at a table reading a book from long ago, as the knowledge spirit Wan Shi Tong appeared and asked "I assume you'd got all the information you need?"

The man nodded and said "I want to thank you for allowing me seek knowledge here which has helped me understand my abilities and my potential, and the knowledge on recent events your knowledge seekers acquired will help me in my quest."

Wan Shi Tong said "Your thanks is not necessary. Unlike others you only seek knowledge for the sake of knowledge."

The man said with a smile "Knowledge is power." With that the man was gone from the library and in Republic City.

The man said to himself "So much has changed. In order to allow new things to grow, old things must be torn down."

With that the spirit disappeared into smoke and soon found a body to takeover, an earth bender all by his lonesome. As he took over, the eyes of the earth bender turned red and the man had complete control of this man's body.

The man thought to himself 'One element down, three to go.'

Author's notes: Well that's chapter 1 completed please let me know what you think of it. Read and review, no flames though ok.