𝙒𝙝𝙞𝙩𝙚 𝙁𝙡𝙖𝙢𝙚𝙨 ⚠ slow updates ⚠ *editing*

The Blue Spirit

Sorry for the late chapter, y'all! I'm giving you a heads up and tellin' ya this now before ya freak out when reading this chappy. So, most of this chapter will be on Zuko, and the rest of it will be a sick Hestia being tended to by our lovable Uncle Iroh.

anyway, I hope you this chapter~

words --- 3946

Someplace of importance...

A single messenger hawk soars through the storm clouded sky, right for a very imposing Fire Nation fortress, upward to toward one of the towers. It's a tri-level type of fortress, and its tall buildings gave a brilliant view of the courtyard, where there are a group of ominously painted archers stand at the ready.

One of the archers releases an arrow at the target, successfully hitting the bullseye. The archer then draws his bow again, releasing another three arrows, also in succession. The first arrow strikes the target dead center, the second split the first in half, and then the third arrow splits the second and completely impales the target to the stand.

Above their courtyard, in one of the towers, there be two men, Colonel Shinu, and Commander Zhao, having a very heated argument.

"Absolutely not!" Shinu grunts. "The Yuyan Archers stay here. Your request is denied, Commander Zhao."

The man was mad! Insane, if you will. Waltzing into his base, and simply asking to take his archers. Posterous! Ridiculous! This man was nothing but a load of ostrich-horse shit. 

"Colonel Shinu, " Commander Zhao barely is able to hold onto his patience with the man. "Please reconsider...their precision is legendary. The Yuyan can pin a fly to a tree from one hundred yards away...without killing it." His shoulders tense, and his hands grip one another behind his back with the annoyance of the Colonel's stubborn disapproval. "You're wasting their talents using them as mere security guards."

Colonel Shinu sneers at Commander Zhao, huffing out, "I can do whatever I want with their talents, they're my archers, and what I say goes."

Facing the Colonel, the anger boiling within him and the frustration overwhelms his calmness. "But my search for the Avatar is-"

"Is nothing more than a vanity project!" The Colonel cuts Zhao off mid-sentence, getting close to him and his face, he scoffs rather angrily. "We're fighting a real war here, and I need every man I've got, commander."

"But-"

"That's final!" Shinu exclaims furiously. "I don't wanna hear another word about it!"

Zhao fumes with the rejection of his request. Everything this week seemed to just set him off.

In the background, somewhere the cry of a messenger hawk is heard. And as soon as it's heard, the red-feathered bird swoops in under the terrain, where Colonel Shinu lifts his forearm for the bird to perch. He then reaches for the container on the bird's back. Reading the message within, Shinu blanches.

"News from the Fire Lord?" 

Instead of an answer, Zhao is handed the parchment to read. With irritation, the man snatches the paper, walking past the Colonel, skimming the letter.

Smirking, "It appears I've been promoted to Admiral. My request...is now an order."

Colonel Shinu grimaces, bowing in stiff respect, leaving afterward to prepare Zhao's command.

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"Well?" Impatient and brooding, Prince Zuko loomed over the ship's physician.