Dao grinned happily as he saw the walls of their first target at last. The burly colonel turned to his officers behind him. "Right lads, that there's Bailing, and I've won us the right to lead the siege since their gates are closed. We got the princess' eyes on us, so make sure nobody does anything stupid like dying before we reach the walls, understood?"
"Yes sir!" they all bellowed, wearing smirks and hungry grins.
The colonel's grin morphed into a more serious frown. "You know the rules - walls and defenders only. We're here to capture this place, not raze it. The only reason the civvies will be screaming is because they're scared they might get hit, understood?"
"Yes sir!"
"You find anyone doing anything other than fighting the enemy - that's still not surrendered, mind you - you either stop them, or die trying." Because Dao did not want to deal with a pissed off Xing again. Lidai's disapproving frown made Dao feel bad and guilty. The boy's particular dislike for harming villagers and townsfolk…that scared Dao.
It made sense, considering Xing's orphaned past, but by the spirits did the boy know how to leave a trail of bodies that couldn't be tied to him. The last bunch of rapists Dao had freely (not out of pressure at all, no sir) pointed out to the 11th were found mysteriously hanging by a village square days after the 11th had moved on, their severed hands shoved up their asses and their dicks stuffed down their throats.
The camp physicians were confident that the poor sods were likely still alive up until they were hanged, though how conscious they were as they were violated with their own severed extremities was unknown.
Knowing Xing, Dao bet they were fully awake and aware of every moment of it.
Such was the price to pay for working with the Young Dragon that took Lidai's teachings and took it to an extreme end.
Not that Dao minded it too much; the boy knew where to draw the line between rape and seduction, and never intervened if appropriate justice was dispense before he got to the guilty. And the terror that spread really decreased the paperwork Dao had regarding his troops' misconduct.
With such punitive action being spread through whispers, it shouldn't be surprising then that Xing and his regiment managed to do rather well with the Earth Kingdom villages that knew of them. Dao had to admit that it made practical sense as much as ethical one, especially when he had adopted the same hard stance himself.
Having villagers actually sell you their stores instead of going through the hassle of confiscating the stuff was far more preferable, especially with the lowered risk of poisoning and such. Plus, if you were nice enough, their ladyfolk were often amenable to…business arrangements. And they could be very, very amenable.
Dao looked forward to seeing if the ladies of Bailing would meet such lofty standards.
"Right then, standard Earth Kingdom walls with their gates likely reinforced with earthworks. Get the ladders ready."
As ever, Dao took the position at the tip of the formation, with broadaxes in his hands. His personal guards each carried massive metal shields mounted on wheels that would protect their colonel as they advanced, and made for a fine surface to fight on if the earthbenders got too ground-shakey. About a third of his whole regiment were similarly protected, acting as shields for their comrades right up until combat could be joined.
Years ago, Xing had suggested the wheels, which admittedly made moving the things a lot easier. It still felt like cheating to Dao though.
Glancing over his shoulders to the banners of the other regiments just behind his, Dao almost cackled at the thought of Sho sweating his balls off from worrying too much as usual. Probably about casualties this time, he reckoned.
"Right then," Dao said as he focused back on the walls of Bailing. "Xing's got his fun, now it's time for mine."
The colonel raised his right axe high and then slashed it downwards. Horns blared the orders for the Fire Nation's 4th Regiment to begin marching. The sounds of siege shields trundling along as boots stomped in unison stirred Dao's heart. Behind them, other regiments would follow up to a distance, and then open up with firebenders and archers to suppress the defenders.
Dao would've told them not to worry about it, but Sho, the spoilsport, had been insistent. Stupid general's authority.
They got within engagement range, and the advance slowed a little as small boulders and rocky spikes thudded and pinged off the metal shields. Dao chuckled as he savored the impotent sounds of the enemy's retaliation.
As they drew closer to the walls, the hailstorm of rocks intensified, though only for a brief moment. Sticking to their end of the bet, the other regiments kept back and began to unleash a storm of their own, made of arrows and fire.
"Double time, boys!" Dao roared, the shields adding a bone-shuddering reverberation to his words. "Get ready to stick it in them!" The shielded formations of the 4th Regiment sped up, but just as they were about to reach the final stretch to the walls, a rumbling boom sounded from behind them.
Dao turned in time to see something zip over his head and cause an explosion of dust and dirt in a section of Bailing's walls. Remembering who he was working with, the colonel roared for his men to keep moving. Really, the boy and his toys…
Another boom, and this time the walls gave way in a small avalanche of cracked stone and pulverized mortar. A third crash of another impossibly fast projectile tore open a gap and created a mound of dirt that could actually be climbed up to the rest of the walls.
"Stupid kid's taking the fun out of everything…" Dao couldn't help grumbling. Still, it was only one small breach, and plenty more were needed to actually make a serviceable beachhead. "4th Regiment! Move your feet! Before someone else steals our fun!"
With the defenders more confused and worried about the sudden collapse of their bulwark, Dao and his men had an easier time setting up the ladders. Firebenders kept back to provide covering fire as siege shields were abandoned in favor of swords and axes, and the non-bending soldiers began to climb. Dao too joined the ascent, almost literally yanking himself up the rungs of his ladder to quickly throw himself over the walls.
Despite their confusion, the defenders put up a good fight, and Dao relished the battle. His burning axes crushed armor and shield alike to pulp the flesh and bone underneath. The hardened metal cleaved through boulders and earthbended walls, which then allowed Dao to hack apart the earthbenders behind them.
It would've been a glorious, memorable battle, if not for the enemy declaring their surrender mere minutes later.
Dao had to redirect his axes with a grunt of effort when he heard the desperate calls sounding along the wall. He snorted away his disappointment at another barely satisfying fight and then turned to the shaking soldier with his broken spear shaft before him. "Eh, what can you do, right? Good fight, boy." Keeping away the axes, the colonel offered a hand to the young defender, who eyed him with plenty of confusion before taking the offer.
"Now be a good lad and join the rest of the surrendered group, alright? If you want, I'm up for dueling later."
Leaving his troops to handle the cleanup, Dao looked over the walls to the Fire Nation army that was now marching into the opened gates. He found Sho, and quickly slid down a ladder to make his way over to his general friend.
"Oi Sho! What was that?"
The bastard had the audacity to give him a confused look. "What was what, Dao?"
"Don't play coy with me. The fight could've lasted longer!"
Sho rolled his eyes. "It's not my fault that Bailing's defenders decide to surrender when Xing blew open the gates."
"Fuckin'..."
Sho leveled a frown at Dao. "We're on a timetable, colonel. So it doesn't hurt if we're ahead of schedule." As the colonel continued to curse and grumble, the general finally sighed. "I tell you what, the next army we come across, I'll have Xing stay back and let you lead the battle."
Dao gave his friend a look. "Two."
Knowing better than to haggle, Sho conceded with a shrug of his shoulders. "Fine. Next two armies, you get the vanguard and Xing sits back unless things are problematic. I'll even let you lead the next two sieges, see if you can get the walls before Xing breaks them."
Now that made Dao's eyes widen. Was that a challenge? It sounded like a challenge.
"Oh, it's on. Where's Xing? Gotta set the terms for this. Xing? XING!"
Dao stomped away, all disappointment forgotten now that he had something else to look forward to.
The boy had a new terrifying weapon to play with, but Dao would prove he would not be beaten when it came to breaking down walls.Gao consciously kept his breathing slow and silent as he slowly crawled towards the lights of the enemy camp. He grinned as he saw the slumped silhouettes of the guards. The Earth Kingdom armies had finally wisened up and reinforced their perimeter defenses at night, but the troops were paying an unexpected price for the hasty adoption of increased patrols.
Just as how it took a significantly smaller amount of troops to man a fort and fend off an attacking force, so too did it only take a battalion or two to keep a whole enemy camp awake throughout the night.
All it took was for firebenders to make themselves known by hurling flames over the walls and everyone would have to wake up against the very possible threat of a night raid. Every now and then, the defenders would try sallying out to chase the harassers.
Often, these attempts would only be a small improvised force, which made them easy pickings for the troops of the 11th hiding in the darkness to surround and silence. Firebenders would quickly jump up to snuff out torches and lanterns to maximize confusion before the slaughter commenced.
If they sallied out in force, the battalions of the 11th would slip away into the night, taking out whatever enemy groups that were isolated enough. With the help of Gao and his fellows, the retreat had thus far been smooth and untroubled, despite how eager the enemy were. If the chance presented itself, a group of firebenders would also sneak into the emptied out camp to raze the enemy supplies.
And if the enemy was brave enough to ignore the harassment and kept to older, less rigorous security? The battalions would happily pick away at the more vulnerable patrols and find a way to slip in for some burning and stabbing. Then the defenders would still be forced to wake up, only now they'd be in a far worse state than before.,
Regardless, the overall result was a wary enemy who was forced to stay up all night, or even several nights, and were in poor condition for a pitched battle with the other forces of the Northern Pacification Army. Gao heard that some of the allies were complaining that the fighting wasn't fair, which was honestly stupid.
They'd prefer a 'fair' fight over an increased chance of living and winning? Gao had a girl and his parents waiting for him back in Yu Dao, so those pathetic, lonely virgins can take their 'honor' and fuck off with it, thank you very much.
At least the sentiment wasn't unanimous. Some regiments (most likely not made up of lonely virgins) were grateful for the dirty work the 11th Royal Regiment did on their behalf. Enough so that those in the 8th and 31st Cavalry took the effort to reserve prime camping spots for them when they had the chance. Gao was very sure that those people were particularly blessed with loving parents, spouses and children. They probably were good fucking partners, not like the honor-hungry, lonely virgins who probably saw their dicks as useless dangling bits only meant for pissing.
Gao didn't like those self-righteous pricks, but still, they were on the same side so orders were to tolerate them.
On the other hand, this bunch of Earth Kingdom soldiers were not on the same side, but the trooper felt bad for them. After the initial feint in the evening, they'd been forced to double their guards. Then when the scouts of the 11th stole away a couple of patrols, the whole camp was put on alert up until the night.
Poor fucks. Gao could sympathize, training in the 11th included a lot of trying nights as well. At least the Earth Kingdom fighters didn't have to go through naphtha endurance.
A cricket song flitted through the cold air for a few seconds, and then Sergeant Lo-Ching in front of Gao and his team gestured with one hand, and everyone reflexively froze and held their breaths in anticipation. Gao counted 23 seconds before he heard groggy activity from the enemy camp. The guards snapped up straight with their weapons at the ready as they looked about in confusion. Then shadows could be seen dancing across the tents, probably of soldiers rushing to the other end of the camp to meet a supposed probing attack.
Amidst the rising clamor, Gao heard the cricket song again, and Sergeant Lo-Ching snapped out another hand gesture. Gao and two comrades rose up a little.
It was time for the squad's earthbenders to do their work.
With practiced effort, the trio focused on the ground below and around them, and very slowly shifted the dirt away to lower the entire squad into a considerable depression. Now able to at least kneel comfortably, Gao and the other earthbenders began to work their way towards the camp, carefully displacing the dirt and rocks in their way, making it look like earth was flowing around a bubble that encapsulated the whole team.
The sergeant kept his head just high enough to take a peek and guide them, while the members of the squad of twenty kept their weapons and firebending ready. All it took was bad luck to spoil this attempted infiltration.
They reached the earthen walls, and were comfortably out of the guard's peripheral vision. Gao kept his breath even as the hard part came up. Sergeant Lo-Ching gave a nod, and the trio pressed their hands against the base of the wall. Slowly, very slowly, Gao and his friends (well, he liked them enough to count) carefully shifted the dirt wall to compact them and create a tunnel. It was grueling work for both body and mind; one accidental burst of chi, one misjudgement of the rocks embedded in the walls, and the earth tunnel would collapse enough that the enemy would get alerted to their presence.
Still, for all the taxing work, Gao wasn't going to complain. It beat having to actually use earthbending in combat, which meant having to duel other earthbenders. Gao was man enough to admit that he was not a strong earthbender, and he was ever grateful that the 11th Royal Regiment with its appealing pension and pay still took him in. They just needed him to move dirt instead of throwing boulders, and Gao would happily move all the dirt his sergeant ordered him to if it meant avoiding a straight up, 'fair' fight.
Like right now, as they finally reached through the other end of the wall. Their first breach of the walls was a small vision slit to take a peek of the interior. Confirming that they were not in any place too dangerous, the sergeant gave the order, and the earthbenders quietly crumbled away the rest of the earth and widened up the tunnel for everyone to slowly crawl out. They found themselves at the edge of a bush forest of tents for the enlisted. The earthen huts of the officers could be seen further in, along with larger structures that probably served as storage and stables.
The camp was a hive of activity, though it was all flowing towards the other end. Soldiers were hurrying along with their spears and shields and swords, overlapping orders filled the air, and nobody was looking at this part of the wall.
A glance to the side found another team making it through, and the sergeants exchanged hand language. "Get ready," Sergeant Lo-Ching whispered. "As usual, go as deep in, then burn our way back here."
Gao's hand mindlessly went for the naphtha jars hanging off his belt. Once more he felt bad for this bunch of enemies.
The order was given a minute later, and both infiltrating squads began sneaking through the now emptied tents. A few soldiers were still stumbling out of their tent; the saboteurs quickly dispatched these unfortunates with blades and dumped their bodies back into the tents they came from. Eventually, Gao could clearly see the backs of the milling defenders, probably waiting for the Fire Nation's supposed raiders to break through.
This was about as far as they could make it, and so the order was given with a sharp snap of the sergeant's hand. The whole squad started by first equipping their jars of naphtha, and after lighting the cloth wicks, the noxious jars were flung as far out as possible towards the clueless defenders. Before the jars had the time to land and break, the raiders then turned about and began setting fire to the tents by firebending or torches. They were quickly bathed in the warm glow of a waking firestorm as they worked their way back to their insertion point. The firebenders took up the rear as usual since they could tolerate the heat, while Gao and his earthbending comrades rushed to the wall to apply the finishing touches.
With yells of confusion now rising to match the roar of the flames, the squad hurried through the tunnel, this time with the earthbenders pulling up the rear. Gao hurriedly undid the work he had done to tunnel in, loosening the dirt and allowing the ceiling to collapse in. With everyone now safely on the other side, the three earthbenders collectively forced a ripple through the wall to send it crumbling down in a particular way.
To an uninformed eye, it'd look like someone had been taking pickaxes and shovels to sap the walls enough to make it climbable. With the sentries gone, presumably to check on the fires inside the camp, Gao followed his sergeant's silhouette into the darkness, their path now a bit more illuminated thanks to the raging fire breaching past the camp walls.
Returning to base was fast enough, and Gao passed by the squads of the 2nd Battalions who would be taking over harassment duty. They'd probably have less to do though, with the Earth Kingdom camp partially lit up. Not unless Captain Toshi decided to actually storm the camp for some reason or another.
Gao headed straight for his tent instead of the mess tent. After all that earthbending, he prioritized some rest over a meal. Breakfast was a few hours away anyway. As he crawled into his bedding, Gao was glad once more for joining up with the 11th. He shared his tent with his squadmate Lim, a firebender, and his tent was grouped together with the rest of his battalion.
If he had stuck with the 'safer' option of colony guard, he'd be sleeping in a different area with the other earthbenders as a security precaution.
Being an earthbender in the Fire Nation was depressing enough when it came to job opportunities, but joining the town guard was one of the more demeaning choices despite the marginally higher pay. Segregated quarters, a not-so-subtle ceiling for career progression, the hidden risk of being labeled an Earth Kingdom saboteur or spy if things went bad… For all the supposed prestige of being a patriotic citizen, defending one's home as an earthbender could suck real bad.
Honestly, Gao and most of the earthbenders who had taken the risk of accepting the discreet offer of the 11th had expected about the same treatment, with only a higher pay to make up for it. But then the young colonel (spirits bless him) had walked the talk and treated everyone equally. Save for the different curriculum (because Gao couldn't throw fire obviously) they suffered in training together with the firebenders and non-benders, ate together, slept together, and fought together. Sure his peers initially gave him and the other earthbenders some squinty looks, but the shared experiences had made them all brothers and sisters in arms.
Some talented earthbender - Tian of the 4th Battalion, if Gao remembered rightly - was even sent back to the 11th's Home Island base recently for officer training. He'd be the first earthbending lieutenant of the Fire Nation military, and the colonel was vocally expecting more out of Tian so he could make the guy a captain of his own battalion later. And not an earthbenders-only battalion either, the guy might actually lead firebenders. Way to go, Tian.
Back in the colonies, you'd be lucky to make sergeant for longer than a few weeks before they replaced you with 'someone more deserving'.
So it came as no surprise that Gao found his loyalties leaning more towards the regiment first (with the wise and forward thinking crown princess of course, may the spirits bless her too), and then his home colony Yu Dao, and then the Fire Nation itself. The only small price right now was that the earthbenders wore the same markings as non-benders, and were prohibited from using their bending in the open, whether in the presence of allies or enemies.
From what he understood, the 11th were using the earthbenders as secret weapons; partly to keep the enemy from reacting properly, and partly to ensure none of the more virginous allies tried to cause trouble with accusations of spies and saboteurs. Gao knew enough about the world to see the wisdom in the secrecy, and like every earthbender comrade he didn't mind it at all.
Oh, the other downside was the secret training with the prisoners. That General Yama was an unbearable prick, like an elderly uncle that kept yapping and deriding, and couldn't be acted against because of his age and experience. His bending lessons were good, but fuck was the guy impossible to please. Captain Ren at least gave credit for accomplishing a hard task. Yama just treated everyone like they slept with his sister or something.
Still, discretion and the noise of the old badgermole was a paltry price to pay for the camaraderie, respect and, most importantly, pension and wages that the 11th offered.
None of his comrades has yet called him a spy, or potential traitor.
Nobody had held Gao's earthbending against him.
It was the kind of respect that Gao gladly obeyed orders and killed for. And if by chance things went to shit, he was pretty sure the colonel at the very least would have his and every other earthbenders' back.
As his exhaustion took him, Private Gao felt secure in the knowledge that he could sleep safely amongst the trained firebenders of the 11th Regiment.The progress of the Northern Pacification Army was going faster than expected. Clearly they had overestimated the Earth Kingdom once again. Cities and villages were forced into the fold of the Fire Nation by a small army of administrators, while castles and forts were cleaned out and awaited their new firebending garrisons. All in all, things were going rather well.
But Azula found herself frowning, particularly at the message tacked onto the report. "This isn't a joke?" she asked Ping, who had the decency to fidget a bit out of nervousness.
"No," the captain answered with a shake of her head and a brittle smile. "Mozi is taking over until Xing returns. Thankfully, there isn't much opposition around for us to worry about."
The princess quirked an eyebrow up and slowly stood from behind the desk of her royal office in the 11th Regiment's training complex. "I couldn't care less about the regiment's progress, Ping. It's its colonel that I'm worried about. Did Xing say where he went off to?"
Another shake of the captain's head. "Only that he's working on Avatar-proofing the plan."
That bled off some of Azula's anger. Avatar-proofing?
Uncle Iroh had helpfully sent news of Zuko's encounter with the Avatar to Azula about a week ago, masked under a regular report to a concerned sister. No doubt Xing had received the same message as well. There was much to unpack, from the fact that the Fire Nation's greatest threat being an airbender monk around her age, to the idea that this Avatar seemed…unprepared for his role.
But Xing had gone off on a ship to spirits knows where after receiving that information, and that he had Ping relay his departure personally to Azula instead of just settling for a letter meant that the boy was probably regretful about his action. Not that Azula would so easily forgive him, but… Avatar-proofing?
Ren's voice broke the princess from her musing. "Think he decided it by himself?"
Ping shrugged. "Dunno, but I'm not going to be surprised if it ends up being the spirits nagging him again. He gave us the new security measures to consider 'aerial security' right after he heard of the Avatar, and asked us to make it subtle. Mozi is still talking with General Sho, but they'll wait for your approval before making the news public."
Which meant that nobody knew if the Earth Kingdom knew about this new development. Troubling, but promising. If Zuzu had the competence to quickly apprehend the Avatar, this would be a non-issue, but alas, her brother was headed back to repair his ship. Now they had to worry about the possibility of a flying Avatar seeking refuge in enemy territory.
Still, Azula had kept the news from her father. With how secure their encrypted messaging was, there was practically no risk to it, and it would give Zuko that little bit more time to restart his hunt.
Before father decided to further punish his incompetence by opening Avatar hunting season to all comers, or something along those lines.
Much as Azula detested Zuko's weakness, Xing had been right; he'd been taking the right steps to rising above his incompetence, and that was something worth seeing through. If a recruit from the 11th could be turned into a proficient killer, then her brother could at least make for a half-decent prince. He'd still be far below Azula, but at least the dum-dum could be a useful tool to further her ambition.
Especially after father's ill-advised duel and exiling of her brother. That act had garnered a disturbing amount of sympathy for Zuko, something that got in Azula's way as she waded through court politics. The murmurings were faint, but they were definitely there. Her not-so-public attempts at off-handedly looking out for Zuko had garnered her some of these courtier's support, but having her brother return would make the work a lot easier.
Have dum-dum return, make a show of guiding him back into royal politics while rebuilding their sibling bond, then work on winning him over to her side. Give it a few years and Azula was certain he'd fully support her as heir, especially if she could foster his bitterness over father's punishment. It'd probably require her to offer the 11th to help search for mother (even if that likely meant finding her untimely grave), and if she could make him bitter enough, maybe throw in the opportunity to be officially adopted by Uncle Iroh, since they're so close to each other.
It would require careful and patient politicking and social engineering, but Azula was confident in her abilities, and that of her growing roster of talents. And she probably didn't have to worry much about wording things for father either.
Zuko would be happy being mediocre (not weak, at least), father got to be rid of him, and Azula would get to enjoy being crown princess without so much second-guessing from the shadows.
Of course, that all required Zuko's return to the palace, but with the Avatar now running around…
"You've no clue about what Xing might have meant by Avatar-proofing?"
"Unfortunately not," Ping confirmed. "I think if we knew, we'd probably end up stopping him. But…" The captain paused to fish something out of her belt pouch, a piece of folded paper. "Xing did ask me to deliver this to you as means of appeasement."
Azula took the paper and carefully unfolded it. She read through the message, quickly at first, then took a moment to fully process what had just been written before reading through it again, more slowly this time.
"Everything alright, Azula?" Ren asked.
The princess glanced up at the two captains, her two surrogate elder sisters. "Did…did Xing ever mention anything about Omashu?"
Ren and Ping exchanged confused glances before shaking their heads. "We just kept up with the news on the south, but no plans were made."
That made Azula frown heavily. "Xing just promised to give me Omashu after he's back and the northern campaign is over. As…as an apology."
Ping whistled while Ren's jaw dropped a little. "Well…that explains why he preferred quick raids over drawn out encirclements," the captain of the 4th Battalion remarked. "Also explains why he didn't argue much with Dao and the other battle-hungry nutters about the sieges."
Ren hummed thoughtfully. "Well, maybe he got something out of the spirits?"
Azula's frown turned into a scowl. "The spirits better be giving him flawless directions."
*****
Sometimes, Koshi had to remember that his colonel, a rescued orphan, did not fully lead 11th out of obscurity and orchestrated brilliant strategies by himself. No mere boy, however prodigious, could come up with so many ideas or peer into the future as Xing did. That was not to dismiss his feats, but it was also irrefutable that Xing had some help, in the form of the whisper of spirits that only he could hear.
And it required some reminding that such boons did not come for free.
There were many tales of invisible benefactors aiding a hero throughout their journey, only to exact a significant price at the end or sometimes even before the adventure began. Like the tales, Xing's capricious helpers were mysterious in their agendas, but thus far the advice they provided him had not only kept the regiment alive, but allowed the 11th to reach new heights.
Yet…yet Koshi couldn't help feel some guilt that it was a mere boy that had to shoulder all the burden of this exchange. These didn't seem like spirits that could be appeased by offerings or negotiations, but instead they clearly reveled in sending Xing to partake in senseless games, like the near-suicidal visit to King Bumi, or this seemingly pointless little expedition.
And as Xing's renown grew, Koshi had no doubt that the delayed price of survival and prosperity would gradually increase. All the bodyguard could do was to stick with his colonel to lighten what little burden he can. If he could, Koshi would gladly meet with these spirits and offer his life in exchange instead. Xing did not deserve to selflessly burn himself playing confounding games for the sake of his regiment.
Koshi took some solace in the fact that this time Xing had brought along an escort for his journey without any strong-arming required. Other than the bodyguards, the Han unit followed along the journey south. The crew of the corvette loaned by Admiral Daeyang would not join them ashore, but thanks to their tireless work it only took several days of speedy but boring seafaring before they reached their destination.
"Let's hope we have the right village," Xing sighed as he stepped off the landing boat and onto a pristine shore. He'd opted to skip the port, both to maintain a low presence and avoid dragging the locals into his quest. "You'd think such a small, mountainous island would only have a couple or so villages, but no…"
"So, you've no clue where we're supposed to go, sir?" Bofang asked as he scanned the shoreline.
"Other than being sure that it's on this island, no. Unless there's other places where they have people in white and green? Please don't tell me that's the case."
Koshi smiled despite the chainlink veil covering his features. "It's practically guaranteed that your description is of the Kyoshi Warriors, sir. We're on the right island. Now we just need to narrow things down."
"Without scaring the locals," Xing added, and he then picked a random direction and began walking.
Koshi, the other bodyguards, and the Han unit followed along in good order, weapons sheathed but otherwise fully armored. How they kept the villagers from running would be a problem for the colonel to handle.
They quickly left the beach and entered a sparse forest, and immediately Koshi's hackles were raised.
"Eyes forward," Xing ordered, clearly having sensed what he did. It took the small force some effort, but they marched on with forced casualness. Feigning ignorance was the bodyguards nor the Han unit's strong suits, but with the amount of counter-ambushes they'd conducted Koshi would like to think that they were doing a passable job.
Sure enough, the threat appeared as they got deeper among the trees, far enough from the shoreline to affect a hasty retreat. Figures descended from the treetops, their green uniforms breaking through the scant canopy cover. The soldiers immediately closed ranks and drew their weapons, though Koshi had to lead his bodyguards to form a protective ring around Xing who had rather recklessly walked too far in front.
A quick glance told Koshi that they were surrounded, but far from outnumbered, though the enemy's full strength might still be hidden. The ambushers were all in deep green dresses with lacquer armored cuirasses, spaulders and vambraces, their faces painted in white and red. They wielded war fans and blades and small shields, adopting stances that Koshi was unfamiliar with.
The vaunted Kyoshi Warriors. Supposedly they were an all-female order, carrying lessons taught by the Avatar Kyoshi herself. But considering the painted faces, Koshi couldn't exactly be sure about the claim of the former. That kind of rumor might be useful to make certain enemies complacent.
And even if he was truly surrounded by only women, the way these warriors held their stances was not something to scoff at.
"Soldiers of the Fire Nation," a voice called out, and Koshi almost winced as he realized it belonged to someone not quite an adult yet. She wore a more ornate golden headdress compared to the others, he belatedly noticed. A squad leader, at the very least. "Your kind are not welcome here."
Xing pushed through his protective ring to face the speaker. "Please, I've not come for a fight," he said, actually removing his helmet in the midst of enemies for probably the first time. The colonel then offered a quick bow and salute of respect. "I am Xing, and I've just come to-
The Kyoshi Warriors stiffened noticeably upon hearing his name, and their leader all but hissed as she leveled her fan at him.. "The Scorpion of the Fire Nation… In Kyoshi's name, your campaign of terror ends here!"
They lunged as one, though Xing had the presence to quickly bark an order before he dodged a strike. "Bruises only! Bruis- Ah fuck!"
Koshi scowled as he dove in to intercept a blade with his bracer, then sent a knee up into the armored plate of the attacker to drive her back. The spirits were cruel to ask for this sort of fight, but Koshi swore that none of the soldiers here would fail Xing.
"Form up!" he called out with his authority as a lieutenant to get the bodyguards and Han unit in line. "Closed ring! Bofang! Yan! With me!"
Leaving Kwan to keep the Han unit organized, Koshi rushed to Xing who was dancing around three of the painted warriors. He joined the fray with a flying kick that managed to graze a Kyoshi Warrior, while Bofang simply tackled another shoulder-first into the ground and Yan literally cut into a slash with his own short sword. The bodyguards went to work protecting Xing's back, leaving him to deal with the enemy leader unhindered.
These women were fast, and their fighting style was utterly alien, but the soldiers' battle experience more than made up for the disadvantages. Trusting in his armor, Koshi stepped into a slash from his opponent's war fan and felt the weapon rippling against his brigandine. Remembering XIng's orders, the lieutenant lashed out with one arm to grab at the woman's neck, though he had to quickly let go when another warrior lunged into the fray, aiming for his neck.
Koshi grunted as his initial opponent capitalized on that and slammed her shield into the side of his helmet. It lacked the force to knock him off the ground, but the brief disorientation was enough to put him on the back foot. Yan's blade darted by him an instant later, knocking the women back and resetting the momentum of combat.
Before the melee could devolve any further, a familiar blinding flash and its accompanying roar gave everyone pause. The Kyoshi Warriors were all frozen in shock as they stared at Xing, but the soldiers of the 11th were already consolidating and preparing to land decisive blows.
"Please," Xing called out loudly, with one hand around the neck of the enemy leader. "I don't want any casualties here…" The colonel raised his free hand and pointed it at a nearby tree, incinerating it with a gout of white fire. "Otherwise I'd have torched this whole place from the start."
The leader of the Kyoshi Warriors struggled to break free, scrabbling against his arm as she tried to use her legs as leverage. Xing's grip proved stronger though, and the young woman remained bending backwards at an awkward angle.
"We…will not…kneel…to the Fire Nation…" she gasped out, earning Xing's gaze which was both apologetic and annoyed.
"I'm not here to conquer, just to pass a message…and hopefully offer some advice." The colonel looked to the soldiers of the 11th. "Weapons down."
They all did as ordered, and after silent stare, the enemy leader reluctantly nodded as her throat was freed. "Stand down, Kyoshi Warriors."
A tense awkwardness settled on both groups as Xing began negotiations. As a show of good faith (and probably to keep the meeting's content more discreet) the Han unit were sent to wait at the edge of the forest, leaving the colonel and his bodyguards against the favored warriors of an Avatar.
"Say your piece then," the leader said curtly, almost spitting out the words.
Xing still bothered to give another respectful salute. "If you do not mind, might I have your name?"
The young woman looked unsure for a moment, glancing back at her comrades before frowning disapprovingly at Xing. "Fine… I am Suki, of the Kyoshi Warriors."
Koshi swore that the boy visibly relaxed, as if he'd found his quarry. Typical of the spirits to play such games…
Xing bowed without any trace of mockery. "And as I mentioned earlier, I am Xing, though you've already heard of me, it seems."
"The atrocities you've committed are well known to us."
Xing smirked at that, but he didn't reply to the accusation. "In any case, I've come to inform you that the Avatar has returned."
The Kyoshi Warriors almost reeled back as one, though Suki recovered quickly with a frown of suspicion. "And we're supposed to believe you?"
As an answer, Xing shrugged. "He will likely land here. But he is being hunted, so I'd suggest you don't host him for too long."
Her frown increased, and the young woman finally gave in to the niggling question that must surely be nagging at the back of her head. "Why…why are you telling us this?"
This time Xing's smirk was wide, almost becoming a grin. "Because, it's in my interest if Kyoshi Island does not become…tainted by the war. I do not come asking for the island's submission, but I hope you're all at least open to…ah, employment negotiations in the future."
Even Koshi was wide eyed with surprise at that.
"Why would we ever work for the Fire Nation?"
"Because maybe there'll come a time when we're actually a better option?" Xing immediately answered. "Because maybe we might both be able to put aside our enmity to dispense a greater justice, at least for a while?"
What in the world was Xing insinuating? That there was a bigger threat than the war?
"You have your armies, why would you need us?"
"I don't," came the unhesitating reply. "But again, it'd help a ton, especially because we'll be likely dealing with Earth Kingdom victims. It'd be hard for soldiers like us to approach them, wouldn't it? Much better to have reliable, unfeared faces to look after them."
Koshi found himself frowning at the clues, his mind struggling to piece together this vague scenario being presented to him.
It surely couldn't be Omashu, the plans didn't call for any civilian suppression…
In the meantime, Suki shared a silent, concerned look with her warriors, one heavy with a promise of a weighty discussion in the future. Then her gaze returned to Xing. "Say that we believe you-"
"You don't have to. If the Avatar arrives on your island, you'll have some proof of my word's value. When the request for aid of the Kyoshi Warriors arrives, you are free to make your own judgment with all the news that will be bound to follow the request." Xing smirked a bit smugly. "I'll be sure to make the truth clearly known when that time comes, to banish all ambiguity of the cause you'll be offered to join in."
Suki's frown faded a little, but her suspicion remained. "If what you say is true, then…I can only promise to consider your words."
"Good enough for me," came the shrugging reply. Xing seemed happy enough and was about to turn to leave before he paused as if remembering something.
"Oh, by the way. If the Avatar gets chased by a Fire Nation force led by a guy a bit older than myself… If his name happens to be Zuko, tell him that I hope he compensates any damage he does to this island. Quote me on that. The faster you get the message over to him, the less fighting you'll have to deal with, hopefully."
Suki and the other Kyoshi Warriors could only offer confused looks at that, while Koshi found himself exchanging equally clueless looks with his fellow bodyguards.
"If he still persists in being…difficult, tell him that Azula has plans for this island, and she doesn't appreciate him ruining it." Almost absently, the boy leaned back to throw a sideways glance at his bodyguards and whisper too loudly.
"She didn't."
They left after that, with the confused Kyoshi Warriors watching over them every step of the way. Koshi couldn't help his curiosity once they were almost back to the boats. "What is it you're preparing for, sir?"
Whether the spirits bade him to be silent or whether it was Xing being unnecessarily obtuse about it, the colonel gave a wry smirk as he answered: "War. To drain the secrets of Lake Laogai. Hopefully it'll get me…get us a nice home."