Where There Is Smoke, There Is Fire [Avatar: The Last Airbender Fanfic]

Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Izara disembarked the boat holding the prisoners they had taken at the Harbour of Capital City. After taking a day to organise transport and completing all the necessary paperwork to move the prisoners, they received word back late last night that the Capital was ready for them. They had left at sunrise the following day, and after saying a quick goodbye to her Uncle, she hopped on the ship and left. It felt liberating to leave him behind, knowing she wouldn't have to worry about dealing with him anymore. He had done much for her, but she should have been brave enough to leave sooner. The Fire Lord's visit gave her the courage to do it.

This was all so sudden, but it didn't feel like the wrong move or like it was rushed. It felt like a good move. She would get away from her Uncle, get an excellent stable position where she would be respected and could actually use the intelligence that was slowly wasting away inside her mind from lack of use. It was good to feel like she had her independence back, but she didn't feel that pit of fear in her stomach that she would have to return to stealing food so she could eat. She had been scared to leave in case she had to rely on old habits to survive.

She had previously been to Capital City, but it was many years before she was taken under her Uncle's wing. It had probably been years since then, and things had changed drastically due to the Fire Lord's influence. She assisted in the prisoners' transport as best she could before she went on her way.

Now that she was alone, she realised she had no idea where to go or how to get to the palace. The Fire Lord had given her a few days to get everything sorted, but she had no interest in waiting long to get away from her Uncle. He wasn't too pleased about the idea, but she had said a swift goodbye while he was still getting his wounds treated and zipped away to get on the boat. Her Uncle probably kept his mouth shut about it since it was the word of the Fire Lord that he would be going against if he complained.

The Capital City had a completely different feel to it now. When she had been here previously, it was just before the War ended. It had been so strict, with an oppressive feel, soldiers marching in formation through the streets. Nowadays, there are soldiers scattered around, still ensuring the safety of the citizens, but in a much healthier way. The citizens interacted with them, and some children followed a soldier around as he did his rounds, giggling as they went. There were lively markets with fresh food and handmade things, such as clothes, jewellery, and household items. There was a surprising amount of tourism, as she recognised people with the colouration from the Water Tribes and even people wearing Earth Kingdom clothing. They even had stalls set up, selling various things from their part of the world, and they had lines long enough to suggest that they were pretty popular. One of them was an Earth Kingdom spice and tea stall, and at least 20 people were waiting to make a purchase. She made a mental note to come back and look later. All of this would be exciting to explore once she had a chance.

Her stomach rumbled on cue. She only had a little money, and since she didn't know when she would get paid next, she wanted to conserve it as much as possible. She purchased something cheap to eat and practically inhaled it. She must have been more hungry than she realised. Army rations weren't exactly gourmet, so it was a welcome change to have something with such fresh ingredients. It was only a rice ball, but it was enough to tie her over.

Going out on a limb, she decided that she would have to ask for directions to the palace. It was in view from every part of the city, but Izara wasn't quite sure how to get there. She asked the lady who had served her and tried to memorise the directions as best she could. It didn't seem too complex, and she used the visual cues the lady had described to find her way through. The City was just as big as she remembered, and it took her some time to find her way to the palace. Despite it housing the Fire Lord, it had a more relaxed feel than she expected. The guards greeted her politely, and one of them even walked in to show her the way to the Fire Lord's chambers once she'd explained her situation. They must have been informed to expect her since they seemed to recognise her name.