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

Chapter 50

Izara knocked on the door to the Fire Lord's office, and he told her to come in, his voice muffled on the other side. She strolled in, noticed that he had paperwork piled up, and looked a little stressed. Unfortunately, this wasn't an issue that could wait until he wasn't as busy. The earthquake had caused Zuko to spend many extra hours working to ensure supplies, resources, and labour were sent to the affected areas. But this issue was something that needed to be fixed now before the Fire Nation Supremacists relaunched an attack on the city. It might be likely that they would strike now, hoping that they would be weak enough after sending forces across the country to help with the rebuilding efforts. This was true, but they weren't weakened.

"My Lord, if I may have a moment of your time, I would like to discuss the Palace defences," she said, trying not to be a bother, but she also knew he would understand the urgency.

Zuko would have recognised her knock, which was the only reason why he let her in. Anyone else wouldn't have been granted permission to enter. Wen hadn't been in eyesight, so Izara assumed she'd gone home already.

"You can have as much time as you need. I am about to burn everything on my desk." He chuckled to lighten the mood, but she knew he wasn't really joking. Izara got the gist and smirked anyway as she sat down.

"So, since you now know what I used to do before I worked with Uzan, I wanted to properly assess the defences. And by that, I mean...sneak in and attempt to 'assassinate' you." She tripped over her words a little, unsure how to word this so that it didn't sound like some sort of strange ploy.

"Basically, you want to put the guards to the test and see if they catch you?" Her slow nod answered his question. "Why do I get the feeling that you will be disappointed with the results?"

She pursed her lips and shrugged in response, unsure what to say in this situation. The Palace guards were good at their jobs, but she just wanted to test it out. She had years of experience, so if anyone was going to get in unnoticed, it would be someone like her. Making sure the guards were ready for anything was part of the job. Even more so since people would recognise her, which is why she'd planned to wear plain clothing and hide her face and hair. She also had the unfortunate pleasure of knowing everyone's fighting styles well, which enabled her to fight them off more effectively. Someone from the outside would not have such an advantage. However, an attack from someone on the inside was unexpected but essential to prepare for.

"My idea is to test them every couple of days for a month or two. I will release weekly reports detailing their results so that they can see if they improve. This will also allow me to see if there are weaknesses in certain patrols and who is more efficient at specific positions." Zuko nodded silently as she spoke, listening intently to her plan. "If you don't mind, I would like to have a quick run-through now and see how they go. Catch them off guard, so to speak."

Instead of answering her, he just stared at her for a brief moment, and she shifted her weight in her seat a little, unsure of the reason behind his gaze. He sat back in his seat and licked his lips as Izara's shoulders slumped, expecting her request to be denied. Her hands fiddled in her lap, and she chewed her bottom lip nervously.

Finally, Zuko smiled and chuckled softly, breaking the strange silence.

"And you thought you weren't good enough to be a palace guard. Does this mean you're accepting my offer as well?" He asked in a loaded fashion, and she rolled her eyes at him but smiled.

"Yes, I'm accepting your offer." She huffed before she continued speaking. "You were right. I might as well use my abilities and knowledge for something worthwhile now that I have the opportunity. But I don't want anything crazy. Just a small team handpicked and trained by me." Izara grinned, and Zuko did the same.