Dragon of the West

Chapter 9 - Azulon's Plan

Welcome back for another chapter of Dragon of the West! We are going to be taking a short break from Iroh for now, and concentrate on what has been happening with his family back in the Fire Nation. We will see the beginning of Ozai's corruption into the monster he became as an adult, and we will see a key moment in the history of the Fire Nation. Read to find out what will happen!Chapter 9Ozai pulled away from his mother's grip. "I'm not a baby anymore, Mom! I can walk by myself." He was tired of being treated like he was still a little kid. Why couldn't she understand that he was growing up?Ilah looked on with disapproving eyes. "You may be the Fire Lord's child, but even you must obey your mother." She reaffirmed her grip on his wrist and led him on. "Please don't make a poor display in front of your father's guests. It could ruin everything he's planned for today. Do you understand?"Ozai just groaned. He really didn't want to show up to his dad's stupid speech. He had always hated stuff like that, and he hated it even more now that Iroh was gone. Ever since then he had hated his life. His schoolwork had tripled, he was getting private lessons from his dad now, and worst of all, Iroh had left him all alone.What had that good for nothing excuse for a brother been thinking? Leaving for the army like he didn't have any care in the world... Ozai would never have betrayed his brother like that."Your brother and I agreed that he lacked the strength and decisiveness required to lead a Nation." Azulon had told him the day after the funeral. "So he decided to go train incognito with his future troops to gain the vital skills he needed."Ozai hadn't bought that right away. His brother had never been impulsive enough to leave at a moment's notice like that. He would have considered it for a while and thought about every single detail. Slow and careful, that was Iroh's way. At the very least he would have told Ozai before he left.But the more his dad explained and elaborated on the decision the more it made sense. Iroh was a good guy, and wanted to be a just and kind ruler. But he couldn't be effective without power. And he had gone on his journey to get the power and leadership qualities needed to rule a nation. It made sense to Ozai."I made a mistake with Iroh." His father had said. "I gave him too much freedom, and he became soft. I neglected my duties to make him a man. But I promise to do right by you, Ozai. You will become the man you are destined to be, my son."Ever since Azulon had been teaching Ozai new techniques. It was high level stuff- the kind of things Iroh would have waited years to teach, and that was if he even knew them. Ozai now knew that Iroh wasn't even that powerful, at least not compared to their father. Ozai's dad, Azulon the Fire Lord, was incredible, both fighting hand to hand and with Firebending. It had only been a few days, but Ozai was already learning at an amazing rate. His dad said he was a prodigy, like his father, and his grandfather, and all of his forefathers."Royal blood flows in your veins, Ozai. It makes us stronger than others, makes us better. One day you and Iroh will be like me, will be like your grandfather Sozin. Powerful, more powerful than anyone else in the world. We hold the lives of millions in our hands, and they are ours to do with as we please. That is true power. And that is what it means to be one of us, one of the Royal Family."Ozai had protested. "But Iroh said that-""Iroh is weak." His father interrupted. "He is not strong like I am, like you will soon be. He is timid, and too scared of the consequences to really imagine the possibilities of what we could do. He doesn't know how to rule, and I fear he never will, no matter how much military training he goes through. That is why I am blessed to have you- my second chance. Should Iroh fail to-" Azulon stopped himself. "No. You are not ready yet. I will make your path clear soon, but not yet. For now, let us begin your real training."That was about as much explanation as Ozai got from his father about his future and Iroh's fate. He just hoped his brother was doing alright with his new military buddies. Not that he deserved it."Through here." His mother said, yanking him both by the wrist and out of his thoughts. They walked through a guarded ornate red door. It was the entrance to the local barracks, one of the largest in the Fire Nation.They walked into a massive room built to hold the entire local forces if needed. Inside was a large crowd of troops assembled for the Fire Lord's speech. He had graced these men by showing up personally to deliver something that he had said, "Would change the war and shake up the old ways to make way for the new."They all sat in orderly rows, quietly chatting before their great and glorious leader arrived. Ilah and Ozai took their places on the mats on either side of the largest mat. They were set at a higher level than the soldiers allowing them to look down at their subjects. Many of the soldiers looked up in wonder and pointed at the two royals. Naturally, most had never seen any of the family that ruled over them all, so Ozai and Ilah were celebrities."How undisciplined." Ilah muttered with contempt towards the soldiers. "I must put in a word to have these men receive proper training, because they are obviously lagging."Ozai took a seat on the mat to the left of the massive white mat that would hold his father. With a pang he remembered that this was where his brother Iroh would usually sit. Now, with Iroh gone, it was his to take. Despite the upgrade, Ozai didn't feel any better.He glanced around and noticed that there were a large number of generals and other ranking officers. Azulon would have a much larger and dignified audience than he had planned. That is, Ozai considered, unless he did plan on it. It would be just like his father to want the important people to sneak in and see what he had to say. Especially if his message was as big and impactful as he had said it would be. The more Ozai thought about it, the more likely it seemed. Azulon wanted these people here.Azulon then arrived, under heavy escort from his various servants and guards. Even from the distance of his seat to the door, Ozai could see the fire in his father's eyes. He had something he wanted to say and he would stop at nothing to say it. Ozai could only hope the audience was ready, because he knew they were in for the speech of their lives.Everyone bowed before their Lord. He made his way slowly to his seat, eyeing every one of his subjects. He took his place on the enormous mat next to Ozai. He called out, "You may rise." Everyone returned to their previous position, every eye on Azulon.Slowly, he spoke. "My people, my friends, I have come to a decision. It has plagued me for a long time, what I am about to speak of. Many, many years ago, in the infancy of his reign as Lord of the Nation of Fire, my father Sozin was preoccupied with ideas. They were remarkable ideas, truly revolutionary. See, my father was a well-traveled man, even as a teen. He had seen much of the world. He had friends in the Water Tribes, the Earth Kingdom, and even the reclusive Air Nomads. He had seen these far away and diverse places, and he came to a conclusion after his travels. These people were not the equal to the Fire Nation. They were inferior in numerous ways, and it pained him to see his friends and neighbors living like savages. He truly cared, you see. He wanted to help these people. Sozin was a great, great man."He paused, as if waiting for someone to argue against his words. No one did, of course. That would certainly be their last mistake. No one could argue with the most powerful man in the world and escape with their life."Sozin," Azulon continued, "knew he had to help these poor souls. He had the power to help, and he could not resist helping others. It was simply his nature to help where he could. He surmised that spreading the superior culture and state of living the Fire Nation enjoyed would turn them from their simple lives to the greatness that we enjoyed and continue to enjoy today. He knew that the Earth Kingdom, as the largest of the three, would need the most work so he began his great work there. He came to them with gifts, with blessings. He attempted to share the greatness of his people, our people. Initially the people of the Earth listened, but Sozin's actions drew the attention of the only person in the world that could rival him in power. Roku, Avatar of that time. As great as Roku was, he was petty. He saw Sozin's actions as a threat to his own power. He was jealous and scared. In fear, he threatened Sozin to end the good he was trying to do. Not wanting conflict with his one-time friend, Sozin backed off. He knew it was wrong to abandon those who needed his guidance, but Roku could be a very intimidating man."Several boos from the soldiers woke Ozai from his entrancement in his father's story. He was surprised by how easy he had fallen into his father's smooth voice, lost in the story he weaved from thin air. The audience was similarly enthralled by Azulon's words. While Ilah had been annoyed by the slight rowdiness of the soldiers, the Fire Lord seemed amused by it. He was glad they were enthusiastic and involved in the telling of his story. He actually smiled slightly, something Ozai rarely saw his father do."Several years passed, and Sozin continued to leave his neighbors in their troubles, not wishing to ruin his friendship with Roku. But they were old men at the time, and death is merciless to those who have attained as many years as they had. Roku was dying, on his deathbed. He had one final wish before he met his time. All he wanted was to see his oldest and dearest friend one last time. So Sozin, desperate to give his friend any kindness he could while it was still possible, made haste to the island Roku called home. There, with his dying breaths, Avatar Roku said that he was sorry for what had occurred to them. He said he dearly regretted the rift he had created between them. He had realized that his friend had been right. He said that it was unjust to keep the greatness Sozin and the rest of the people of the Fire Nation possessed to themselves. He asked his friend to right the wrong, to help the other Nations when they needed it most. Tears in his eyes as his friend passed away, Sozin promised that he would do everything in his power to bring his dream, the dream of a peaceful and happy world, to reality."He paused to catch his breath after speaking for so long. A servant brought him some water and he drank as he gazed out at his subjects. Everyone was silent, barely containing their anticipation of what he would say next."So Sozin planned. He planned out how he would share with the other three Nations while waiting for the new Avatar to appear. He knew that if he could find the Avatar and receive his goodwill then nothing would be impossible between the two of them. They could achieve everlasting peace and prosperity within Sozin's lifetime. But alas, the Avatar didn't appear. He still has not appeared. Sozin realized that he would have to move forward without him. He began by trying to bring the prosperity he had promised to Roku to the people of the Air Nomads. If you know little of their ways, don't be ashamed. They have always been secretive and paranoid of the other Nations they kept to themselves and shied away from the cultures of others. As such, little is known about the Nomads anymore. When Sozin tried to reconnect them back to the world from their far away hiding places they became fearful of his intentions. They attacked the peaceful Fire Nation ambassadors. The ambassadors, in defense, killed many of the savages that attacked them. Desperate, those poor people turned on each other in a feeble attempt to gain power over one other. Before long, the entire race was all but dead. It is one of the most tragic moments in all of history, and one my father regretted until his dying breath just a few days ago. All of those poor souls wasting their lives over nothing more than a misunderstanding. Is there anything as sad as that?"There were a few quiet mutterings of agreement from the captivated soldiers. They would agree to practically anything the Fire Lord said at this point. They were putty in his hands."Sozin had more success with the Earth Kingdom and the Water Tribes. They, like the Air Nomads, have mostly misunderstood our intentions, but we have made some progress with bringing them around." He cleared his throat. "Gentlemen, why do think I have told you this? As great and tragic a story it is, I have more than just entertainment in mind for telling you this. The reason is, I have thought long and hard about our great country in much the way my father did before me. I even came to a similar conclusion. I surmised that the people of our land were superior and enjoyed better lives than our neighbors to the east, north, and south. I felt great pride for our people but something felt.... missing. I couldn't figure out why, so I began thinking and thinking. I mulled over this feeling for a long time, trying to figure out just why I felt this way. Eventually I found an answer. I realized that as great as we were, we could be better. We can prove ourselves better. We must go out and prove ourselves, especially you, the soldiers. But then I turned my mind to how. If we are the best of the human race, how do we prove ourselves further, to the heights I know we can reach? Honestly, the answer came surprisingly simply. I said to myself, 'The only way for a Fire Nation soldier to truly prove himself as a worthy warrior is to defeat the one warrior nature has provided that surpasses a human.' Men, I hereby issue the greatest challenge our Nation has ever seen: Do you think you can slay a dragon?"There was an uproar from the crowd. It quieted down quickly as they remembered who had asked the question. Ozai was similarly shocked by his father's words. Slay a dragon? First of all, that would be next to impossible for practically any warrior. Dragons were notorious for not only being one of the fiercest and most dangerous creatures in the world, but just as cunning as the humans who attempted to befriend them. In addition to that, dragons also happened to be sacred to the Sages and to the spirits as the inventors of Firebending. It was unthinkable to attempt to attack one, and foolish to believe that you would have a chance. Even tossing up the idea to kill a dragon was incredibly bold and risky.Azulon was unperturbed by the surprise his audience displayed. "That is my challenge, my children. Kill a dragon and become infamous. It will be difficult, and you will likely die in the attempt. But it can be done." He seemed as if he were about to add onto that, but held his words. He continued with what Ozai suspected were different words that he had planned a moment before. "Be a hero to your people. Leave your mark on history. Make no mistake, this is an invaluable opportunity. Use it wisely." He rose to his feet and marched away without even a glance back at the crowd he had just thrown into disarray. Ozai and Ilah quickly got up and followed, the servants and guards hot on their heels.As Ozai followed the Fire Lord, he heard the hushed, excited whispers of the nearest troops. "I think he was serious." One guy said. "He actually wants us to kill dragons. Ha! Dragons. As if!" Another said, "You know, I think I might actually try it. If I succeed it would be an instant launching point for my career. This could save me so many years of work! I don't know if I can pass it up."Wow, Ozai thought. They might actually do it. Despite the risks to their lives and the potential consequences it would have with the Sages and possibly life after death, these men were still considering it. They wanted to become whatever Azulon wanted them to be. They were willing to sacrifice everything they had, everything they were, and everything they could be just to have a mere ghost of a chance of pleasing him.Ozai was impressed. He wanted power like that, the kind of power his father could bring to bear with mere words. But to gain that kind of power he would have to become Fire Lord. That was when people really listened. But he never would become Fire Lord as things stood now. Iroh was ahead of him in succession, and little could change that. He would always be on the outside of the job looking in.Ozai sighed. It would have to be just a dream. Becoming Fire Lord would be next to impossible for him as long as Iroh was ahead of him in the line to the throne, and he would have to accept that. It's not like there was a way to remove Iroh from Ozai's path becoming the Fire Lord. Was there?Is Ozai beginning to go from innocent but violent kid to cunning psychopath? The seeds have been planted by Azulon for Ozai's corruption, as well as for the second genocide the Fire Nation will commit. But how will this impact Iroh and his friends on the Fire Navy ship? Don't worry, we will see them in the next chapter, I know you missed them! Don't forget to favorite, follow, and review. But most importantly, don't forget to turn to the dark side (we have cookies!).-Darthlane