Honor ~ Iroh II

CHAPTER ONE

1. Prelude

"No!" a male voice shouted angrily. "Too weak! You're too weak, Zaya. Get up, and do it again."

An eight-year-old girl was lying on the ground of a huge garden, under the scorching sun of summer. Zaya was laying on her stomach, bent in half, her face touching the burning concrete. Every limb of her body ached so badly that she couldn't even move an inch. As she was lying lifeless in the immense courtyard, she saw a pair of brown boots walking over and stopping in front of her amber eyes. She looked up, her vision blurred from exhaustion. The furious face of her father cleared up little by little, and she could discern his thick, dark brown eyebrows knitted together.

"Get up, Zaya. The enemy won't wait for you to be back on your feet to attack again."

With great effort, enduring the extreme pain coming from her stomach, little Zaya lifted herself, and, swaying slightly on her small feet, she stood. She grabbed the gleaming sword that was lying next to her, and took a fighting stance, as steady as she could manage.

"Don't deceive me again," her father said as he attacked her.

Her father brandished his Dadao sword right at her face. It had a curved blade and was longer than her Jian sword, which was a more common weapon. He could touch her more easily thanks to the longer length, and his more refined technique. Zaya was already out of energy, so even dodging her father's continuous strikes took a huge toll on her body. She couldn't hit back even if she found an opening – not that there were any – and her wrist started to tire from holding the heavy sword.

Her father, Zimu, was an influential man in Republic City. He founded his empire through metallurgy, producing and selling steel around the world, for civilians and militaries – the swords they were using were personally forged by him. He established his mansion, called the Zimu's estate by others, in the wealthiest district of Republic City where he lived with his wife, Neiko, and their only daughter, Zaya, as well as an army of servants.

Behind his official activities, Zimu was also the boss of one of the most wanted criminal organizations of the city, the Agni Kai Triad. It was a crime group composed of only firebenders, as opposed to the other two big organizations, the Red Monsoon, formed by only waterbenders, and the Triple Threat which regrouped firebenders, waterbenders and earthbenders.

Zimu was originally born in the Fire Nation, in a noble family. His ancestors have been serving the Fire Lord for many generations, until Zuko became the sovereign. He then banished Zimu's family while he was only eight years old because they were associated with a group of rebels.

In one night, Zimu lost everything: his parents, who couldn't stand being exiled, his home and his luxurious life. He embarked alone in a boat that brought him to the newly created nation by the Avatar, the United Republic of Nations. He arrived in Republic City empty-handed, with only a small backpack containing a few clothes. He wandered in the streets for two years, stealing food to survive.

One day, he snatched a bun from a random guy on the streets, and ran away. Usually, people didn't run after him for a small bun, but that man started chasing him. The man cornered him in a dead end, and claimed his food back. But, Zimu didn't hand it over, and attacked him instead. The man was wiser and stronger than a ten-year-old stray kid, so a single kick was enough to send Zimu flying. The young thief dropped the bun on the ground, and the man walked over slowly and picked it up. He blew on it, and took a big bite in front of Zimu.