3-part Mini-series

Dragons - I

"Very impressive." Iroh said to the Admiral, even though he was outraged.

"Isn't it sir?" Admiral Jong Jong held his hand over the new platoon. The 101st was an experiment organized by Fire Lord Azulon himself. Seasoned soldiers from the army went to every town and city in the Fire Nation and combed the streets for homeless children and orphans. They promised children a better life if they willingly joined the Fire Nation army. And after only six short weeks, over 100 children had joined. They all learned bending, lethal moves and military tactics, slowly being molded into true soldiers. They would live in the military and become great warriors.

Iroh pretended to be impressed because even he, the prince and the general of the nation, could not disband the platoon, not when his father had ordered its formation.

"You'd be surprised how…eager they are." Jong Jong continued. "They are energetic, willing to learn…"

"And you don't see anything morally wrong with teaching children how to kill another human being?" Iroh interrupted. The Admiral was temporarily speechless, not expecting his general to have something bad to say about his proud troop.

"Sir…it…the Fire Lord has commanded me to train these boys to fight."

"Yes, yes. That's very good. But what do you think about this situation? How do you feel about this?" Iroh asked, even though he knew the brainwashed Admiral wouldn't answer truthfully.

"Well…you'd be surprised at how some are perfect soldiers." Jong Jong changed the subject. He grabbed a handful of papers and quickly looked through them. "For example, there is…uh…ah! Here he is. The boy's name is Zhao, I think. He shows a lot of promise for military service. And has expressed desire to enlist in the navy."

"And I suppose as soon as the Fire Lord creates a children's army there, Zhao will be headed to the seas. Am I correct?" Iroh asked. Admiral Jong Jong was stunned that Iroh would say such things.

Without warning, a lowly private came barging into their office, panting.

"Forgive me sirs." He bowed on his knees, clutching a scroll in his hands.

"What is so important that you dare enter into our presence unannounced?" Admiral Jong Jong shouted.

"I'm sorry sir. But something incredible has happened." The private held the scroll out to Iroh.

Hesitant, Iroh took the scroll and slowly opened it. He read carefully. Then his eyes widened and his jaw dropped.

"I…I can't believe it!" Iroh exclaimed.

"What is it, sir?" Admiral Jong Jong asked.

"In…the Western lands…two dragons have been spotted!"

"What?" Admiral Jong Jong nearly yelled. It had been over a decade since anyone had even seen a dragon. "Are you sure?"

"Yes. It says that there are in the ruins of the Sun Warriors and…they want me to go and…" Iroh felt a lump in his throat. "…and slay them."

"Sir! What an honor. You must be so excited." The corporal and the private saluted him.

Iroh stared at the scroll, conflicted. He had never seen a dragon before, only read about them and heard stories. Many accounts described dragons as monstrous abominations of untold power. They had the ability to wipe out entire cities overnight and had more fire bending power than a hundred men.

But a few accounts described them differently. Some claim that dragons were heavenly beings that were as majestic as they were mighty, whose fire could not only take life…but give it back as well. They were supposed to worshiped, not feared.

Iroh spaced out, thinking of what the two creatures would look like. He suddenly felt a familiar tugging at his heart. It was the same sensation he felt when the ocean called his name, when Lu Ten played adventure games with his friends. Once again, Iroh felt the desire to see something mysterious, something that most people would never see.

"Sir?" The private interrupted Iroh thoughts. "Will you go?"

Iroh looked at the scroll and closed it. "I'm in." He said. "Others are coming?"

"Yes Sir."

"I will meet with them tomorrow morning."

"Very good sir." The private saluted and then left.

"My lord, you must be so excited." Admiral Jong Jong sung his praises.

"I am." Iroh said, just imagining what the animals would look like.

"If you slay them, then you will take their title! You will be even more renowned than you are now." Jong Jong envied Iroh, but his comment gave Iroh a cold slap back to reality.

Iroh just wanted to see the dragons. He was so excited that he would get his wish that he forgot that he was going to destroy them.

"…yes…" Iroh responded to the corporal with a faint voice. "…even more power…"

In recent weeks, Iroh had begun to regret his decision to become a general. Because, as it is said, power tends to only want more power. When he was young, Iroh wanted to be a great fire bender. He got what he wanted. Then he wanted to be a general. He got that as well. In his youth, he wanted to be Fire Lord more than anything, and that prize would eventually be his as well.

However, with Iroh's fire bending came violence. With his job as a general came the 101st and the pressure and reputation of being a warmonger. And if he became Fire Lord, he become the destroyer of hundreds and thousands of lives.

Now seeing such magnificent beast as a dragon would have its price as well. Getting what he wanted now meant that Iroh would have to kill them. He knew that he was doing things he did want to do and it sickened him.

In the moment that Iroh realized how disgusted he was at his new life, he realized two other things.

Firstly, his guilt did not come from his father or the army or the war. It was because of him. Everything that made him feel guilty, feel ashamed or weak was because of his own weakness. He was walking the path of the violent leader because he chose to walk it.

And second, the only person who could steer him off the path he was on was also himself…and only himself. No one else could save Iroh except Iroh…and no one else could save the dragons except the one who was assigned the task to slay them.

Iroh thought of the magnificent dragons far away…and began to think of a way to save them.