Ya I wrote this at four in the morning so I'm so sorry if it's not as good as it could be!:/ Here's chapter one! Enjoy!
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"Do you understand what you need to do?" Zuko was kneeling in front of the Fire Lord's throne. He'd just given him a new mission to complete.
Ya I understand that it's suicide, Zuko thought to himself.
"Well?!" His father's voice rose and so did the flames in front of the throne. Zuko squeezed his eyes shut as he thought of the impossibility of the task that had been laid before him, but bowed and said with confidence,
"Yes, father." After all impossible was what he'd been trained for.
Zuko brought himself back to the present. He'd been searching for the Water Tribe's hidden fortress for three weeks now, he had a general idea on where they should be. There was one problem, the general area he should have been searching was in the Forest of Terrorem. He was all too aware of the stories that had been told around campfires about what happened behind those trees. Zuko was not a superstitious man, but to him, no man or beast returning from the forest was proof enough.
He began thinking back to what he'd been trained for, if he was honest with himself he wasn't quite sure that he'd have what it took to survive, especially since he wasn't sure what he'd be facing. He took a deep breath in and breathed out slowly through his nose normally right now he'd be training but he couldn't risk it in case he was being watched. He looked over his shoulder at the trees looming over him but he didn't shake with fear as he would have five years ago.
"Zuko, I've decided to allow you to become an Ignis Furiis," The Fire Lord smiled evilly while he spoke. He said it like he was doing Zuko a favor, like he should have been over-joyed.
Zuko would've sworn that he died at that moment... because for him, that's when his will to live ended.
Training to become an Ignis Furiis was the worst form of torture known to the world. Every day of training was an eternity for those who had to endure it, you were to be burned, whipped, stabbed, and beaten for hours on end. If you fell unconscious your head would be submerged in freezing water until you came up choking for breath. After many other various tortures that still caused him to wince on thought he was forced to run... up and over hills for miles on end, then put up to fight trained soldiers. Grown men had succumbed to the pain and died the first day... Zuko had been thirteen.
He didn't despise his father, or his four years of training. When he'd started he'd thought of his father as a monster for putting him through that, but now he was somewhat grateful. He'd discovered his true strength; he'd survived and come out fighting. And he'd kept his honor. He hadn't begged for death as so many others before him had. He had been stronger. He sighed and turned his back to the forest and gazed at the small fire he had going.
Now, for the past two years the Fire Lord sent him on missions to get him information or in some cases he was sent to get someone out of the way. He always accomplished his missions and returned triumphant. His father was content with his successes, but never pleased. No matter what he did he was never good enough. He wasn't Azula. He snarled at the thought of his younger sister. Everything had always come easy to her, she had the skill and cruelty of an Ignis Furiis with not a day of training. She used her power to make others fear her, controlling them. She felt no guilt in harming others to get what she wanted and took pleasure in seeing her friends and enemies alike writhe in pain. So in other words... she was just like their father.
He looked up at the moon contemplating what his plan would be for the next day.
No more delays. It's taken him seven days to reach the forest and he'd spent the last two weeks walking around it searching for signs of wagons or any proof of life coming out. He hadn't found any. He was going to have to enter the forest but he would wait until morning when he had the sun his side.
But for now, He thought, sleep...
Sorry! I know it's pretty short and not very exciting but I wanted to use this chapter to really show where he's at mentally. Next chapter is Katara!
Fun Fact: Ignis Furiis actually means Fire Fury in Latin and Terrorem means Terror.
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Kmsitterley