Chapter 45

The palace of the Fire Lord was in an uproar.

After the falcon delivered the message about the battle, the main palace—which typically wouldn't be concerned with minor village occupations—gathered all the higher-ups for an emergency meeting.

Generals, commanders, and governors were summoned immediately.

While waiting for the Fire Lord to arrive, the higher-ups talked among themselves.

"What do you think this is about?" asked General Sai.

Commander Ruzo, sitting next to him, replied, "Did the Avatar wake up?"

"If he had, we would have heard about it before the Fire Lord."

"Hush… you don't want to sound disrespectful, do you?" Ruzo turned his gaze toward a specific spot where someone had just arrived. He whispered, "She's even more ruthless than her father."

Sai turned his head. A woman around 18 years old, with long, silky black hair, a curvy figure, and piercing yellow eyes, took a seat. She was the prodigy of the Fire Nation, a master firebender by a very young age and capable of defeating anyone as a young teenager. She sat down with a deadpan expression, yawning.

"What's this about?" she grumbled as she settled into her seat.

This was the prodigy, known as the "Widowed Prodigy." Despite her age, no one dared to approach her for marriage—not even governors or ambitious politicians. And for good reason. Though she was strikingly beautiful, she was also terrifying.

Of course, no one would dare use that title in front of her or her father. Well, no one would use it at all within the palace walls. The snitches were working overtime these days, and they didn't even need payment.

"We're still trying to figure that out, Princess," Sai said, forcing a nervous smile. 'Why, of all people, did she have to sit next to me? If I say something wrong, I might be executed… Though, I wouldn't mind if she stepped on me…'

"What are you thinking about?" Ruzo asked, noticing Sai's dazed expression. From this angle, it looked like a tent was forming in Sai's lap. Ruzo kicked his friend under the table, trying to snap him out of it before he got himself killed.

"Ah, right," Sai said, snapping back to reality. He scrambled for something to say. "I was wondering if Prince Zuko is coming back."

"The exiled prince?" Ruzo played along. "But I heard he's on a journey to find the Avatar and can't return until he succeeds."

Azula interjected, "Even if Zuko found the Avatar, there's no way my father would wake me up this early just for that."

"As expected of the Princess. Your reasoning is flawless."

"Your brilliance always shines, Princess."

Azula rolled her eyes. More sycophancy. She was already sick of it. But for the sake of her beloved father, she decided to endure the meeting. She'd also be lying if she said she wasn't curious about what was happening.

"The Fire Lord has arrived," a man in royal court attire announced.

Everyone in the room stood as Fire Lord Ozai entered.

Ozai took his seat at the head of the table.

"You may sit," he said.

The crowd observed him carefully. There were signs of anger and nervousness on his face. Dark bags had formed under his eyes, though he had tried to conceal them with makeup.

The room fell silent as everyone sat down.

"We will now begin the meeting," Ozai said, his voice firm. "I don't want to hear anything about finances or rebellions. We are here to discuss the matter at hand. I'll be direct. Recently, we sent a punitive force of 4,000 men, supported by our latest technology, to attack a village defended by only 100 earthbenders. Can anyone guess what happened?"

It was obvious something had gone terribly wrong, which was why the Fire Lord had called this meeting.

But seriously—how could a minor village cause such a stir?

"The earthbenders must have had help," someone suggested.

"Perhaps the Avatar has appeared," Ruzo said.

Sai shot him a wide-eyed look, as if his idea had been stolen.

Others began sharing their theories.

"What if I told you," Ozai said, cutting through the chatter, "that those hundred men, led by a single waterbender, managed to decimate a significant portion of our forces?"

"How is that possible?"

"It's impossible to imagine! A for thousands losing to a hundred?"

Ozai placed a document on the table. "According to the scouts' report, the earthbenders have developed a new form of bending called 'dustbending.' They filled the battlefield with an explosive dust so powerful it could send our tanks flying—unlike anything we've seen before, such as wood dust."

"So, they've developed a new explosive weapon and a new type of bending," said an old man with a beard that reached the floor. "We could steal their technology and use it for ourselves. Additionally, if they rely on dust, we can develop strategies to counter it."

"The other problem," Ozai continued, slamming his hand on the table, "is that after the dust explosion was over, 400 of our soldiers bravely charged forward, thinking the threat was over. But the earthbenders had also learned to bend metal. They toyed with our soldiers and tanks as if they were nothing. Do you understand what this means?"

The council was at an uproar, and they started whispering among themsevles. 

"The earthbenders… According to the reports, they were imprisoned in metal cells and subjected to hard labor for up to 17 years. It's no surprise they learned to bend metal."

"Then the small rebellion led by Ryuk is just a distraction," another official suggested. "If the metalbenders were the true leaders, they used Ryuk as a decoy to mask their knowledge and lure our army into a trap to test their new abilities."

Others nodded, agreeing with him. 

"Do you really think a bunch of brainless barbarians could invent a new type of explosive?" Ozai asked, his voice dripping with skepticism.

Azula raised her hand.

"Speak," Ozai granted her permission.

"It's true that earthbenders aren't known for their intelligence," Azula said. "But what we do know is that they've mastered metalbending and have access to a new recipe for a powerful explosive dust, which they'd abuse it to the limit. It doesn't matter who came up with it. What matters is stopping them from spreading that knowledge. Without our machines, these new benders could flip the odds in the war. Of course, I could easily defeat them myself, but our armored soldiers would be helpless."

Azula was confident in her abilities. She had fought earthbenders before and could easily deflect their attacks. She had even used to parry flying rocks with her hands. But facing explosive dust while wearing heavy armor would be a different story.

"So, everyone must understand," Ozai said gravely, "that we may be losing the Hundred Year War very soon. The Prison Rig must be our highest priority. Gather all soldiers from nearby bases. Command the navy. The operation will be led by a capable general."

"This is a full-scale attack," Ozai added.