A/N: I am updating! Yes. Unfortunately, I will not have access to my computer until next Tuesday evening so don't expect anything before then. So sorry but blame my divorced parents and the fact that I do not own a laptop. Anyway, this chapter has left Korra/Kaji for more background, but I tried to make it entertaining so please read. There is a character from chapter... I want to say 4, see if you remember him. Anyway, enjoy and please review. The previous chapter reviews make me want to sing 'You've Got the Love' by Florence and the Machine from my rooftop. I won't do it because of safety reasons, but I can dream.
Disclaimer: I own nothing! So please don't sue, I just got some money for Christmas and I would like to keep it.
Previously on Events Unexpected…
"I am interested in the investment I made a few years ago with your underground. Now that I am to be Fire Lord, I wish to make it more… mainstream."
"The product has been taken well. The king in Ba Sing Se is still somewhat weary, but his courtiers will soon bring him around. They want nothing more than a return to the weak line of ascendancy that characterized Kuei's rule seven decades ago."
"Very well. I expect to form close ties over trade with Ba Sing Se. It will be beneficial to both our nations I believe," Kaji lowered her voice before adding. "How do you think the tragic passing of the Earth Kingdom's representative would affect good King Daoguang?"
"They were close as boys. I do believe our great King would be very displeased by the Northern Water Tribe's atrocities were he to pass," Izuru patted an Earth Kingdom lullaby into the cotton bedspread with her fingers. Kaji watched her scrupulously.
"I do believe we have run out of topics," Izuru mused. "I will be returning to Ba Sing Se as soon as we land at Republic City. I am sure I will hear from you soon, Fire Lord Kaji."
Izuru Kain had reached the Earth Kingdom capital of Ba Sing Se within a fraction of the time that it would have taken most. Fortunately, government agents were allowed access to the revolutionary new railroad system that had been making its debut within the past five years. The tracks had been laid out over thousands of acres of ground because of their ever increasing number of metalbenders. Now, all major metropolises and trade ports were connected by the skeletal spines of steel dotting the earth like the exposed wounds of some great forgotten beast. In a global perspective, the speed of the new trains was second only to those in the Fire Nation. Ba Sing Se was still sore about the fact that the Fire Nationals had stolen the blueprints for their inner city transportation system and perfected a massive, metallic beast they lovingly referred to as the first freight train. Still, when it came to efficiency, the Earth Kingdom's method was far superior to that of the southerners. And it was such because of one very simple reason: where the Fire Nation had to spend money and spare workers on the coal fields around the world for fuel, the larger continent had to only implement one resource, and one very abundant and cheap at that. They would only have to use their earthbenders. The men worked tirelessly, or so said the advertisements compelling wealthy patrons aboard, in two shifts, rowing the earth and turning the wheels of the contraption to move it along. For those inexperienced in metalbending, an entrepreneur had installed a thick band of earth in between steel bands of the wheels. It truly was a marvel to behold. There had been certain complications with the rate of pay, leading to a few riots and even less peaceable strikes, but the Dai Li had quickly quelled the indignation and restored order. Their actions were for themselves to know and outsiders to not question.
Izuru was shaken from her brief recall of the past by a rather harsh jolt that shook the frame of the car she was in. The posh seats and intricately carved table shuddered against their restraints, the small glass of clear liquid on the counter nearly tipping in the process, before everything stilled once more. The exhaled relief of the workers was far less raucous than the excretion of steam from the Fire Nation train. A genuine smile graced the cold woman's lips and, had anyone seen it, she would have blatantly denied it. But it was there, in all of her nationalistic pride.
She made her way to the palace quickly, using the smaller trains leading into the inner ring of the great walled city. Around her, passengers disembarked making their way to whatever mundane existence awaited them. Izuru never had been good at hiding her contempt for the peasants- or as they had started calling themselves, the proletariat. They were lesser beings than those above them, and yet they still insisted on challenging the word of the King and his council as though they were equal. The Dai Li agent thought back to what had led her to accept the deal she had made with a certain firebender, promising her of a secure state without permission of such nonsense.
The nobleman's daughter had been the youngest child of three. Her hair was a sleek black, just like her father, but her eyes shown with the emerald light of her mother. The baby fat around her small cheeks and body had not yet fully receded even though she was nearing ten. Her brother had just returned from the front of a civil dispute between two territories to the west. His chiseled face was the epitome of the aristocratic soldier who saw only the battles of convenience; enough to give him his badge of honor and keep any real danger in the hands of the expendables below his rank. Of course, Ferran Kain had not known of such a thing; his humble air and benevolent spirit had been shown in his refusal of a lavish officer's tent for the squalor of the foot soldiers' quarters. That, however, was in the past and he was much too enraptured by his youngest sister- who seemed an entirely new child from the one he had left- to pay much attention to his father's proud interrogation. The middle sister, a fine young lady of fourteen, was sitting beside her mother. The two were perfect mirror images of each other; their eyes depicting green fields, their lips the lightest pink with a new gloss they had received, and their hair made up in long and lustrous curls of light brown. Saya Kain had been determined to fulfill her role as the elegant bachelorette of the house, to be married into royalty or another wealthy family since her brother and other sister were so obviously inept at that sort of thing. Her brother smiled at her antics, good-naturedly wishing his younger sibling would stop her pursuit of adulthood and enjoy her waning years of childhood.
The Kain family made most of their money, and had made it for decades, through good investments in stock and a handle on the blooming steel industry. The Fire Nation had uncovered a more effective method of steel production where a large furnace would superheat the tainted iron until all impurities were burned away, and then the searing white liquid would be poured into molds to become what it was destined to be. Most of the factories still remained in the Land of Kindling Flames, but they were lacking in the iron resource to supply the hungry maw of the cauldron. There, Tiĕn Kain had procured his fortune.
That particular night was to be a quiet one for the family. The social season had died down the previous week with the final ball. It was relaxing, nice even, to be able to sit in their extravagant lounge, full with tables, chairs, bookshelves towering to brush against the fine white plaster ceiling, and a large fireplace to keep them in a comfortable blanket of warmth. The family had just settled there after a boisterous dinner where Izuru had been chastised for earthbending her sister's chair out from under her to please her brother. Even though the girls were trying their utmost to display their aversion to each other, the evening was too benign to be convincing. There they were, all of them arranged in an array of laughing, squealing children running about their parents who could not keep the smiles from gracing their faces. That was the last time Izuru had laughed with true mirth, and that was the night that it had all turned to ash.
Later on she would come to find out that it had been a dissatisfied employee of a mine owned by her father who had burst into their house. His family had died from a disease that had been sweeping the area and had not had enough money to purchase the aid of a doctor. His family had died in his arms, driving him to insanity's awaiting grasp. Travelling the wild and treacherous terrain as though it were a stroll in one of the picturesque parks within the capital, he had made his way to Ba Sing Se where he had been told, lived the man who controlled the miners and their wages. It had been a false allegation as it turned out, for Tiĕn had not been aware that his advocates had been increasingly lowering the salaries of their workers in order to pocket the capital made. The naïve entrepreneur had chalked it up to an especially productive year. He had, as had his murderer, been killed by ignorance and cruel fate.
Izuru shut her eyes against the images of earth and blood sailing around her. Everything seemed so much bigger and scarier then. Her brother's skull had caved in, impacted with a stone nearly twice as big as his fist when the enraged miner had demolished the doors in an exothermic push of energy. Her father had tried to protect them, but he was no bender. His body was slammed into a wall with a cage of stone. Her mother and sister screamed and tried to fight the man, blind with grief and anger. They had fallen, paper dolls in the path of a komodo-rhino. Young Izuru's eyes went wide when she saw her father's body crack and break under the pressure of the rock pressing in on him until his eyes bugged out and his head went slack. She was the only one left, standing behind the table where she had just been demonstrating her miniscule bending skills by making two marionettes dance with each other. Her eyes, so pure green, were wide in fear and the inevitability of what would happen when the man turned from the corpse of her father and saw her. The jolting of the city train underneath Izuru's back had faded to the background of the memories.
The large, heaving back of the dirty beast that stood with his face turned away from the youngest child of the Kain family was hunched over the hidden remains of her father. It shook violently and, at first, Izuru had no idea what to make of it. She knew that she should run, but if she so much as moved he would hear her and pounce. But what he was doing at that moment, it was somehow more frightening than his destructive outbreak seconds before. Izuru's tiny brain was finally able to compute the tremors running through the large spine and muscled arms of the demonic thing that had torn her happiness from her. The man was crying. His sobs became a pained howl by that point; horrible and wretched in their lamentation.
It was not until after they had quieted that his feet started to shuffle back from the wall and his final victim. The blurry brown eyes, bloodshot and only half alive, turned to focus on the still atmosphere. The table had been cracked in two by one of the doors and a chunk of wall. The bookcases had fallen, dragging each other down like legs of a giant tripping over each other. The chairs still stood, somewhat in the same positions as they had been, perhaps pushed to the side by fleeing bodies or an impact of smaller debris. And there, beside one of the smaller seats, cushioned with a pillow embroidered with lilies, was a small girl. His eyes grew wider, taking in the watery depths full of fear. Fear of him. He looked around him again. The bodies of two women, no, a woman and another girl and the other one, the boy no older than his eldest had been. The mahogany irises were drawn back to the crystalline emerald ones. His knees shook and buckled under him. His ears did not even hear the trampling of feet outside the corridor, nor could he feel the multitude of hands that gripped at him and restrained him. All he could see were those eyes. The child's world falling apart because of him. But he could not regret. Even then he saw his own family, lying cold in his arms. His body was carried out and locked into one of the police vehicles. As for the child; the Kain family had many friends, one of whom was a widow in her mid-forties and was willing to take in the unfortunate creature. Under her tutelage, Izuru had learned earthbending and metalbending. She had been sent to college and had quickly procured herself a job in government. No one could have known the hatred she harbored inside, the waves of red passion that called for revenge upon the lower class.
Izuru's frown turned into a smirk. Had the idiot thought that he was doing her a favor, not killing her as she stood there helpless? He would regret it, from whatever pit under the spirit world he now resided in. The train stopped and she disembarked. Before her was the palace. Two long structures protruded out of the main building, flanking the three arch doors in the center. The buildings had all been kept from their antiquity, their russet walls of brick and rock stood magnificently, reaching like mountains to the heavens. Green emblems and sigils of the finest jade were ringed in gold along the sides and the front of the behemoth building. On top, just barely visible to one who was standing before the protective walls, was the golden castle itself. The sloping roofs were glistening royally in the noon light. The sun may have allegedly favored the children of the Fire Nation, but his grace was not in short supply here. The buildings were hidden from view by the cool corridors of the inner bulwark, the final defense.
Once on the other side, and quite a few stairways up, Izuru could finally see the towering columns of white stone holding up the massive four-story structure. The two sweeping corridors that rimmed the entrance encircled the palace much as the arms of the wall had done. Their opulence was breathtaking, making Izuru slow her step ever so slightly so she could take in a bit more before merging into the depths within.
It had been there, in the shade of the corridors and spires reaching far beyond what any mortal hands should have been able to build, that she had first met the newly crowned Fire Lord. Izuru was early; the king was holding court in which he would sit upon his throne and dictate his wishes for the improvement of his country. Instead of moving directly to her office, the woman turned to her left and began to stroll aimlessly down a corridor. She had not done such a thing since she had come to be in the Dai Li.
Izuru had been under the tutelage of a few of the Earth King's advisors ever since her graduation from one of the most illustrious institutions within Ba Sing Se's walls. As such, she had requested a room in the inner circle. Being a noble, she had not thought it to be a problem. What had been surprising had been the unanimous decision amongst her teachers to allow her room and board within the very palace itself. Izuru had been dumbfounded, though her dull eyes- never having regained their childish glow ever since the' incident'- showed no sign of it. Her heart beat quickened as her eyes swept over the cool marble and jade passageways. They stretched into oblivion, infinite and incomprehensible.
The weeks passed and she had discovered, or at least she liked to think she had, most of the secret corridors and hidden rooms of the vast expanse of marble and stone that comprised the royal palace. Izuru's eyes were shining with her recent promotion to head the newly restored Dai Li section of the Earth King's intelligence force. It had been her idea, so she felt that the position was well earned through her hard work and perseverance. Still, it was worth a silent tap on the back. Her self-congratulation was cut short by an unexpected sight. There was a girl standing in between two columns, seemingly soaking up the pale sunlight that was streaming through a rather thick cloudbank that hung over the expansive skyline. Her clothes were strange, a mixture of reds and rustic oranges; unlike most of the green and earthly browns that were seen amongst the populace of the Earth Kingdom. Her hair was black, nothing interesting about that shade, though it was held in a loose ponytail and was much longer than any noble's daughter would have allowed it to be. Izuru fingered her own hair, reaching just enough to cup her jaw line in the front and somewhat shorter in the back. What had struck her at first, despite the other inclinations of abnormality, was that the girl's face was not one Izuru recognized. To someone else, it would have not seemed that strange to meet a complete stranger in the populous capital, however Izuru had made it her primary objective to familiarize herself with all the visages of those permitted in the palace. This one was new.
"Are you lost?" her voice was crude, biting almost. The girl turned to look at her. She was young, probably four years Izuru's minor. Her body was starting to show the signs of puberty, but the childish physique was still prevalent. Two large dark pupils dilated to take in her face from behind the shade of the marble column. Izuru's own eyes narrowed at the glint of gold in the small irises.
"Me? Not particularly," the child replied kicking her foot out in a nonchalant manner. Seeing that Izuru was not planning on leaving but also confused as to what to do, the girl smirked and continued, "but it looks like you seem to be."
"I am not!" Izuru's temper flared. She did not know what it was about that annoying look that she was receiving, but it made it impossible to keep her usual cool air. "What is your business here?"
"Oh, finally taking me seriously are we?" the child's smile intensified until Izuru could see every pearly white tooth. "Well, if you must know, I am looking for a certain person."
Izuru found herself curious despite the nagging in her mind telling her to just earthbend the brat over the wall rising in the distance. "Who would that be?"
"I was hoping to find the leader of the Dai Li."
Izuru felt like she had been slapped in the face by a platypus-bear. The decision to reopen the circle of spies had only just been passed two days before. There was no way that a runt would know such a thing. There must have been a hole, someone had slipped through all of her precautions and made it public knowledge. She stepped back, panicking, something completely against her nature. She was calm; she was collected in the face of a stressful situation. But if word got out, then she would lose the advantage of secrecy, not to mention that many noblemen would question the King's choice and she would have to battle their arguments.
"Don't faint on me. No one outside of the King, yourself, your soon-to-be agents, and I know of this as of yet," the cheeky smirk was back. Izuru wanted to smack it off. Her heart was ramming against her ribcage; the pressure in her veins built up until she felt like her capillaries would explode.
"But how… you… it was a secre-" Izuru began to stutter. Her lips were quivering and a cold feeling was clawing its way up her tense spine.
"And it still is… unless someone decides to accidentally let slip that the Earth King is instigating the most feared and corrupt Dai Li once more. That would be quite the disaster," the girl chuckle lightly and brushed a stray strand of hair out of her face. Izuru's eyes glared daggers at the innocent façade the girl was putting on. So she wanted to play, Izuru growled in her mind, I am the greatest mind in the entire Earth Kingdom. Let's see what futile attempts at blackmail this brat has planned for me.
"What do you want?" Izuru grimaced.
"Well, Miss Kain- is it alright if I call you that?"
Izuru stared, unbelieving, as her name left the light cherry red lips of the fourteen-year-old. How the stranger had procured her name when Izuru had been adamant that only the king and her tutors should know her identity, she had not even the slightest inkling.
"I'll take your silence as a 'yes' then," the girl continued. "In return for my silence- which I pledge upon my honor as a firebender- I want ten minutes of your time."
Izuru's head whirred as she processed this. A firebender, here in Ba Sing Se. It was not unheard of, but hostilities were still high against the southerners. The nationality was not of imminent importance at the present moment in any case. Izuru knit her brows. Ten minutes was all the little whelp wanted. She had nothing to lose, and once the kid was done, she would ensure that some kind of tragic accident befell her on her way out.
"Your answer?" came the impatient, prodding remark from the firebender.
"Fine, but not here," Izuru acquiesced.
"Well, lead the way," the girl strutted to stand before her. The height difference somehow did not help to quell Izuru's nerves as the twin flames in the girl's gaze bore down upon her.
They walked through about twenty different passages, being careful to avoid any populated areas. The servants may have been deaf and blind to the comings and goings of the nobles, but Izuru held no trust in them. At last, she reached the old library where she knew they would not be overheard. Her hand skimmed a small, dusty shelf standing alone by a rather large, very solid-looking wall. A light green book caught against her finger and she pulled it out until the small string attached to its binding clicked open the hidden lock. Without a sound, thanks to the precision of the hidden door's carving, a small passageway was unveiled. Izuru was about to grab for one of the torches lying on the floor by the entrance, when a small hand grabbed her own. It was warm and soft, definitely of a child born of wealth, but also had a crudeness to it suggesting long hours of training and physical strain. Her green eyes locked onto gold, half hidden by pearly lids and long eyelashes.
"I can light the way," the girl moved past the startled earthbender, breaking the contact of their hands, and ignited her other palm with a minor inferno. Izuru did not think that she could have been surprised by anything at that point, but looking down at the infant blue fire that snaked around the girl's pale fingers quickly indicated otherwise.
"Fine," she grumbled, moving to go alongside the girl. The passageway was cramped and they had to brush shoulders in order to fit, much to Izuru's increasing irritation. The door swung in behind them, clicking into place as the book returned to its forgotten and dusty position on the dilapidated shelf of a rotting bookcase.
Their journey through the cobwebbed hall was ended by a small streak of light coming from a sliver in the wall. Izuru mentally noted that it would have to be fixed so that even such a miniscule crack no longer existed. The mystique held within the ancient walls around them had to be preserved; it would no doubt become useful sooner or later. For the time being, Izuru looked past the defect and easily slid the door open to come out into a rather dank and unused corridor that opened into a small garden, the only thing separating the cool stone path and the shiny grass was a frail banister of wood that connected the beams holding up the roof over their heads. Within the garden was a small picnic table underneath a green peach blossom. It was not the season for the pale gossamer flowers to bloom so the majesty was lost, removing any wonder from the mundane tree. Izuru brought her 'guest' to one of the seats. She took the opposite one, hoping the positioning would be even the tiniest hint foreboding for the young adolescent.
"Ten minutes," Izuru stated flatly, twining her long fingers together to form a sort of pyramid on which to rest her chin. Her elbows did not feel the rough wood of the table due to her long-sleeved robes.
"I believe that you are one of the youngest people to hold such an esteemed rank since the Hundred Year War," the Fire National began. Izuru nodded as though answering a question, despite the fact that the girl had meant it as a statement. Unperturbed, she continued, "I hold a particular interest in young prodigies."
"Time is ticking; you have none of it for flattery. Get to the point," Izuru snipped.
A flash of something dangerous crossed the molten orbs of the younger speaker. Izuru felt a shudder down her spine. She wanted to flinch, but at the same time she couldn't help but search for it again. To analyze whatever the hell had sent such a foreign stimulus through her veins
"Very well," the girl drew herself up, "I believe it would be mutually beneficial for both your nation and mine if we were to combine forces. I am, as you undoubtedly guessed, of the Fire Nation and have a claim for a high position within its court. You already have a high position in the Earth Kingdom-"
"What does my nation have to benefit from joining with you?" Izuru cut in. Her patience was wearing thin and she was seriously contemplating just killing the girl now and regretting it later.
"The elders of Republic City have governed the world's affairs for the past six decades or so. Their overarching power has undermined the authority of the rightful rulers of the nations for more than half a century. I propose a ploy to take back the power."
"How?" Izuru was unimpressed.
"Gather allies in all corners of the world. Usurp the weak governments kneeling at the feet of the Council in Republic City. Rule under a true flag of peace, yet also retain the power to dictate the future of your nation without the necessary consent of a foreign body," the firebender arched an eyebrow as though it were the simplest thing. It seemed as though she was taunting Izuru with the relative obvious nature of her plan. The earthbender was astounded to say the least.
"That isn't a plan!" Izuru moaned, wondering why she was even wasting her breath. "That isn't even a half-assed idea!"
"Unfortunately, I have not yet gotten to know you well," Izuru snorted at the comment. The girl had acquired more information about her than she was comfortable with. "AND I also do not know whether I have your loyalty. Therefore I cannot reveal too much to you at such an early stage. You, of all people, should understand."
Izuru did understand. She hated to think it, yet her mouth betrayed her by spouting forth her growing interest, "So, what's in it for me?"
The wicked smile gracing the teenager's lips could have been described as nothing short of predatory. The glint was back, stronger and sharper with a heated intensity of someone wise beyond their years.
"Glory, gold, the throne of the Earth Kingdom if you so wish it," the girl shrugged as though offering the Dai Li agent a cookie instead of a country.
"Hmm, and if I choose to stay loyal to my King and his decisions?" Izuru gambled. She still felt the attachment of a human disciple to her God when deferring to her ruler, but her resolve slipped with every second she spent in his company. King Daoguang was a sagacious man who dutifully fulfilled his role, but his humanity showed past the divinity bestowed upon him through his blood like rust showed on the finest iron.
"Then I will leave and find myself another ally. But we both know that you won't refuse me," the girl's eyes pierced straight through Izuru's mind. It was as though she could read every electric impulse running through her head before even she knew it. "I know you still harbor resentment for his compassion toward the commoners. He pities their misfortunes, whereas he turns his back to the plight of the nobility. He saved your family's murderer from the gallows because he was 'a victim of circumstance.' Deep within your heart, you know that you can no longer be loyal to the man who betrayed you; you, through the mercy shown to the traitorous swine who slaughtered them like dogs instead of punishing him as he deserved."
Each word was worse than a white searing thorn shot into Izuru's back. Her family had been a subject that everyone knew to never bring up around her. Most had forgotten about it, discarding it with the other 'outdated' gossip of the past. The ones who remembered kept quiet so as not to face her wrath. And now this, this insignificant little thing was using it like some kind of demonic scalpel to carve out Izuru's sanity.
"Shut up!" Izuru screamed. Her fists were knotted together so tightly that her fingers were numb and her knuckles turned a ghastly white, depicting the marble that constructed her home. She willed her tears back into their ducts. She would not cry in front of this girl. She would not break at the words of a child.
"Come now. I did not mean it to hurt you," a warm hand pressed against Izuru's pasty cheek. Her eyes snapped up to where the Fire National wore an expression of compassion. Izuru would have almost believed it had she not been such a great liar. The eyes were all wrong, the small dip in the corner of the mouth revealing it for the sham it was. She wrenched her face out of the reach of the scathing hand, glaring at its owner.
"How do know about my family?" Izuru whispered. Her resolve was breaking in spite of all of her efforts. Her rage was no longer directed at the garden's other occupant, but moving toward the image of the Earth King in her mind. The memory of hearing that the convict would be jailed and then sent home.
"I make it a point to understand those whom I wish to befriend. It allows for a much smoother conversation," another shrug. Another bored look as though the girl did not realize that she was rending the earthbender in two. "So, we have a deal?"
Izuru looked at her clenched hands. Her fingers shook with the loss of blood flow. She was being offered a chance for revenge on all of those filthy bottom dwellers. She was being offered the chance of a Kingdom. Why not? She was already the head of one of history's most powerful societies. The Dai Li had once controlled the Earth Kingdom, why not again? And if the girl failed; she would make sure to not be found affiliated, her slate would be clean and she could start anew. Her emotions tugging at her, not fully giving her mind the space and time to think everything through as she would have done under normal conditions, Izuru raised her head high.
"I agree," she hissed through clenched teeth. "And I will take you up on that offer of a kingdom. Don't think to cross me little girl, lest you be sorry."
The radiant smile gave her the inclination that her threat had gone unheeded. The kid had courage, Izuru had to give that to her. Whether the trait was a good one or not had yet to be seen.
"Well then," the girl stood and brushed herself down to rid her clothing of any dust or stray splinter of wood. "I believe that our business is done. I use many methods of communication but you will know if it is me. Make sure to keep in touch."
"Wait," Izuru stretched out her arm to grab the tight cloth surrounding the toned bicep of the firebender. "What is your name? It seems fitting that, since you know mine, I know yours."
The teenager giggled before turning and waving. Had Izuru not been listening, she would not have heard the utterance of one word, "Kaji."
Izuru smiled to herself at the memory of that afternoon. Kaji had left, not surprisingly knowing where they were and how to move about the sprawling palace. Izuru had learned not to question certain aspects of her 'leader,' content in leaving them for a later date. Four years had gone by since then, sometimes feeling as nothing and, at others, flowing like molasses. She did not remember when their objective had changed from a general reinstitution of power into a game for world domination, but the earthbender found herself not caring. Kaji had probably planned it to be that way from the beginning. It would be more fun that way anyhow. Now, Izuru centered herself around her upcoming audience with the Earth King. She didn't remember when she had stopped thinking of him as 'her' king. Kaji was the only superior she had now, and even that might change at any moment. Izuru had learned to let go of any affiliation, cutting the binds of loyalty and allowing her the flexibility to plot for her own survival. In her profession, it was the best possible mindset.
"Dai Li Agent Kain," the man by the doors announced before she was let into the magnificent throne room. In days past, the audience hall had been used by all but the most important persons. The throne room had been reserved for them, giving the respect earned by their deeds and continued support of the Crown. All had changed after the 'democratization' movement after the defeat of the Fire nation seventy years ago. Izuru couldn't help but wonder whether she was considered part of the rabble or one of the select few. Either way, it mattered not anymore.
"Your Highness," she bowed to her knee in front of the intricate dais. The steps leading up to the throne were covered at the top by a flowing green fabric that led up to two finely garbed feet and strongly muscled calves. The mark of royalty, light greens and gold, contrasted deeply with her dark material and bronze outlining. Still, the man under all of the extravagance and opulence was as much made of flesh and bone as she was. His long dark hair was wound in the ceremonial braid representative of his honor and glory. Deep set emerald gems resided within his eye sockets, gleaming in the faint light but also turning a murky black under the shadows. King Daoguang was powerfully built to resemble the ox sign under which he was born. His arms bulged under the tight silks as he gripped the arms of his throne. It was made for men much more petite than him and he looked rather cramped and uncomfortable. Many had laughed at the 'Kind Giant' who had ascended the throne after his father had passed, but no one would dare laugh in his face. The outlines on his forehead and around his eyes showed the strain of his responsibilities. The good king always seemed to have more difficulty in ruling than the tyrant, but Izuru felt him weaker for his pity and mercy.
"Rise Agent Kain. Tell me, what have you been up to since our last encounter?" the booming deep voice matched his massive build. The powerful chest and heaving lungs exhaled the air through vocal chords that shaped it into the heavy sound of a beating drum.
"I wish I had good tidings to bring," Izuru's head was still lowered in deference even though she hated every minute.
"Ah, but is there anything but bad tidings worth mentioning?"
"It would appear not, Your Highness," Izuru replied.
"Come then, I await your report."
Izuru outlined the state of the Earth Kingdom councilman, watching closely as the King's eyes progressively grew slimmer and the anger was burning brightly within the ebony pupils. His grief at the death of his friend was evident in his breathless exclamation, but he quieted himself to hear the rest of the tale. Izuru did not skip any embellishment where she could add it; her portrayal of the betrayal and vile treachery of the Northern Water Tribe was greatly exaggerated. Still, it garnered the desired effect. Daoguang's incredulity at the Fire Lord's death was only quelled by gnashing his giant teeth together to keep the sound in. Where he would have been cautious and curious about the new Fire Lord that had stepped forth, he was too blinded in sorrow at the loss of a great friend and amiable acquaintance to pay much mind.
"What is the course you wish to take, Your Highness?" Izuru inquired. Her voice was silky, soothing but not enough to let the man's emotions die down. She needed his irrationality now more than ever.
King Daoguang rose from his stiff, over-decorated chair and moved down the steps to stand before her. Only by his leave did she look up to see his face. The humanity broke through in every crease and wrinkle. The wetness behind his eyes and the tightness in his lips were anything but divine. He was mortal, and as such he was able to be manipulated.
"I would like to open up channels of commerce between this Fire Lord Kaji. Make it out to be our condolences for her loss and the loss of the Fire Nation. Within it, send an encrypted message inquiring into any knowledge she might lend us as to who perpetrated this crime. If it is indeed found that Satren is to be blamed, then I will have compensation or… well, let us hope the Chief of the Northern Water Tribe is in a mood for repentance."
With that, Izuru swept out of the room, moving through the familiar wings of her home. The marble was ever so inviting in its strong arms, willing to envelop her within the hidden tomes held in the old walls. Still, she had one more stop to make before she could retire and write to the Princess, no Fire Lord, confirming that the plan had gone splendidly.
The inner city was laconic in the light of the sun, lowering into the western hemisphere. Izuru wandered, as though aimlessly, along the bridges and grand houses. Her presence went unnoticed by most, her plain garb having been replaced with one to reflect a more wealthy air. Thus she was taken as just another noblewoman taking a relaxing stroll through the court. The house she was actually going to was located at the eastern side of the circle. It hugged the wall, leaving it accessible, through certain passages, to the outer city. Within it lived Count Fuwa, the fattest, most disgusting gentleman and the largest metal tycoon in the Earth Kingdom. He was known to hold business between the Fire Nation and Earth Kingdom, leaving him the perfect alibi for his 'extra' activities.
Izuru slipped in from a side entrance, moving stealthily along the ceiling using her earthbending. Her fingers loved the feeling of the stone moving under them, bending and swaying like a living mass of muscles, extensions of her own flesh. Within seconds she was hovering over the fat man's study where he happened to be enjoying a rather large snack. Izuru scrunched her nose as he took a massive bite of the leg of some kind of poor animal.
He gave a startled yelp when she dropped down from the ceiling and landed right before him. Fuwa quickly wiped the excess grease from his puffy lips, missing more than half of it and looking rather ridiculous in the process. Izuru grinned cat-like. She loved scaring the poor man, secretly hoping that one day his heart would no longer be able to sustain him and burst from the epinephrine. His usefulness was the only thing keeping him alive up to that point.
"M-miss Kain," he stammered. "I was not expecting you. You will be pleased to know that business is going well-"
"I could care less," Izuru waved him off. "The Dragon wants the wares to become a public commodity. The King still refuses to try it, but his resolve will be broken eventually. All I need is a few more loads, to appease the half of the court and advisors that have already become hooked, and then some more for the rest. As soon as we have Daoguang under our control, it will be easy to make the drug mainstream. That is all. I expect to have the appointed amount distributed to these men by the end of the week."
With that, Izuru placed a crisp list containing two columns of names atop the table in the one corner not currently occupied by food. Her accomplice grasped at the tiny thing with his meaty fingers, the paper slipping from his grasp to leave four tracks of oil along it before he was able to catch it. By the time he looked up, the Dai Li agent was gone. Shaking his head, the man continued with his pre-dinner meal and tucked the list safely in a chest pocket.
P.S. So yeah, background but some extra events might be the trend for a while until our characters meet again. Hope you enjoyed. REVIEW! Give me a reason to keep on living!