𝐖𝐀𝐓𝐂𝐇 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐈𝐍𝐅𝐄𝐑𝐍𝐎 𝐁𝐔𝐑𝐍 ꩜ prince zuko

¹¹

CHAPTER ELEVEN

        WHILE AANG, SOKKA, AND Toph were off attending to their own missions, Katara and Yan took on the critical task of presenting the invasion plan for the Day of Black Sun to the Council of Five, the highest-ranking generals in the Earth Kingdom Army. At the center of the spacious room located in the Upper Ring, an enormous map of the world sat at a large table. On one side of the map sat the imposing Council of Five; on the other, Katara and Yan stood side by side to explain their strategy.

        "General Fong's base will serve as the launching point for the attack. In exactly two months, the army and navy will invade the Fire Nation on the Day of Black Sun." General How spoke as he used earthbending to slide three green rectangular tokens across the map toward a single red piece, symbolizing the Earth Kingdom's advance on the Fire Nation. Just as the figurines reached their target, Momo leaped onto the table, scattering the tokens playfully. Katara couldn't help but chuckle at the interruption.

        "Or we could send in Momo to do some damage." she laughed as Momo scampered across the map, knocking over more tokens in his path. When she noticed the generals' stern expressions, her smile faded; clearing her throat, she quickly apologized. Yan, standing stiffly at attention, tried to stay composed, but a soft chuckle escaped her lips and soon she was laughing too.

        General Sung, the officer responsible for the Outer Wall defenses, turned his gaze to Yan as he studied her. "What is your name, soldier?" he asked as the other generals looked over at Yan.

        Yan straightened, swallowing the lump rising in her throat as she cast a glance at Katara. "Yan Qiang, sir," she said clearly, done hiding behind a false name. A low murmur rippled through the generals; she could already guess what was coming next. "To answer your questions, yes, I am a woman; I disguised myself as a man to join the military. And yes, I know that women aren't allowed to serve in the Earth Kingdom army. I'm fully aware that I could be arrested for deception and insubordination. But if you choose to do that now, you'll be losing a capable ally, one who's already proven her worth."

        The generals fell silent and the discussion returned to the battle plan. General How repositioned the scattered figurines, prompting Momo to let out a startled screech before scrambling back to the safety of Katara's shoulder. "All we need is the Earth King's seal in order to execute the plan," he said as he slid a rolled scroll across to Katara.

        "I'll get these scrolls to him right away. Thank you, General How." Katara thanked the general as she and Yan bowed respectfully and exited the war room.

        Katara and Yan strolled through the city streets, the midday sun casting warm light on the stone paths. Yan's stomach gave a loud, unmistakable growl. "Ooh... I guess food wasn't exactly on my mind when I agreed to join you in the war room," she said with a sheepish chuckle, placing a hand over her belly. Katara laughed and glanced over at Momo who was perched on her shoulder.

        "Momo's probably hungry too. Let's see if we can find something quick to tide us over until dinner," she suggested as she scratched Momo behind the ear. The waterbender and earthbender wandered through the Upper Ring, scanning the quiet streets for a quick bite. Eventually, Katara spotted a bustling tea shop, its doors wide open as people flowed in and out. "How about here? We can grab a cup of tea and a snack before we deliver these scrolls to the Earth King."

        As Yan nodded in recognition — realizing it was the Jasmine Dragon — she and Katara made their way toward the entrance, the warm aroma of freshly brewed tea wafting out to greet them. "Table for three, please," she said to the hostess standing near the door who gave a polite bow before heading off to find a seat. Just as they began to step inside, Katara yanked her back and bolted out of the tea shop, pulling Yan with her.