FicWad

"Go back," Jung's tone became harsher as he landed on the mountain path.

"No!" Wen Lan's feet touched upon a rock slope just before landing gracefully behind Jung, following after quickly. "You and I share the same goal; we shall turn them away together!"

"What if you get hurt?" he barked, the mask glancing back towards her.

"Then I will keep fighting!" she answered defiantly.

"I don't want you to risk it."

"And I do not want to sit in the cave, wondering and worrying about your safety!" she scolded as she ran alongside him.

"Then go back to the village."

"No!" she continued staring forward, matching his pace.

"Why not?" the mask glanced towards her again.

"Because," her eyes tensed, her face warming slightly. "I cannot sit in a village and simply hope that you are safe. I need to be there with you to help you as best I can, I need you..." She trailed off.

Silently, it continued staring towards her.

"...I need you to come back," she whispered, still running as her eyes rose towards the distant sound of battle.

The mask stared at her silently, the sound of his feet thundering against the ground flooding the path as they pressed on. He faced forward, picking up speed. "Stay close when we get there, I won't let you be harmed."

She glanced towards him, nodding as she focused on the path before them.

Pushing forward, the two made their way towards the resounding conflict.




"You sure you two're gonna be alright?" the merchant asked as he fastened another bag of feed to Shui's ostrich horse.

"We should be fine, now that we have a map," Shui continued examining it, carefully planning their course.

Li Mei remained in the distance, still trying to live down her mistake. She stroked Ryo's neck as he cawed loudly, becoming restless.

"Alright. Stay safe, keep to the main roads. And a bit of advice."

"Hmm?" the young firebender rolled up the map, placing it in his pouch.

"You saved my family from a whole mess of trouble. That's why I didn't give you two any trouble when I found out you were Fire Nation. But you should probably keep that to yourselves from hereon out."

Shui nodded, understanding the merchant's point. He bowed towards the man, waving towards his family as he tapped his heel against the ostrich horse's side.

Li Mei turned, bowing to the family and waving to the girls before following after.

"Alright. If we keep at the same pace you were moving at before, we can cut a lot of time off of the trip. That is, if we don't get lost or get the name confused," he glanced towards her as they continued on.

"I get it," she muttered. She had spent the last few hours completely embarrassed, hoping he would let the incident slip by without commenting on it.

"I should have known something was wrong when you passed through the mountains without even pausing."

"I get it," she growled.

"Hopeless," he sighed.

"Jerk."

Glancing towards her, he countered. "Mooselion breath."

"Stalker," she narrowed her eyes as she glanced at him.

"Brat."

"Kyo."

"Did you say 'Kyo'? What's a 'Kyo'?"

"The ostrich horse you're riding."

"Oh," he looked down, having never actually known the beast's name. "So?"
"Kyo. Buck buck."

"Wha-?" Shui didn't have time to finish the inquiry as the ostrich horse suddenly bucked back, launching him towards the ground. Landing facefirst, he looked up towards the bird, Li Mei passing it and giggling as she stroked its neck.

"I win," she turned her nose up confidently.

"This round," he mumbled as he stood, making his way back over towards the ostrich horse.

"Now you have to say 'Li Mei is the greatest, I would be lost without her wisdom'."

"Stop being a kid and give me the reins," he sighed as he stepped towards them. He noticed the two beasts suddenly quickening their pace as he drew closer.

"You've gotta say it first," she shrugged as she signaled Kyo and Ryo to go faster.

"Hey, I'm not kidding! Hold up!" he began chasing after them, picking up speed.

Li Mei laughed as they continued on, Shui yelling as he chased close behind. Her trip so far had been a lonely one, and though they had given one another wretched first impressions, she was grateful for the company.




"Keep driving them back!" Seung called out as he stepped forward, waving his hand in the direction of the opposition.

The Fire Nation had used the terrain to their advantage; the mountains giving them proper cover as they advanced towards the Kun valley. The strategy would have been a brilliant success, had Earth Kingdom scouts not discovered them earlier.

The battleground lay at the base of a steep rock slope, a stream running alongside it. Tall grass rest between the stream and thick forest, the Fire Nation advancing from the west as Earth Kingdom soldiers fought them from the east.

"Hold them off until admiral Kano arrives!" a Fire Nation lieutenant barked, waving a squad of assault troops forward.

"Cavaliers, meet them head on!" Seung motioned towards a series of armored ostrich horse riders, who immediately rushed towards the oncoming assault troops.

"Their general's the only bender, focus all attacks on him!" the lieutenant motioned towards Seung as a group of firebenders rushed to engage.

The cavaliers swept through the assault troops, their spears managing to take out most of their numbers. A few fell as they passed the benders, who stood their ground to release flames directly upon the ostrich horses.

A few shook off the flames, their armor deflecting enough of it that the fire was merely a nuisance. A few squirmed wildly, the flame igniting feathers beneath their armor, throwing off their riders in a fit of pain.

The firebenders continued forward, Seung waving aside his assault troops as the cavaliers turned to face a nearby squad.

"Let them come, I want you all focusing on their melee units!"

Two firebenders dove forward, twisting as they positioned their arms carefully. They landed with the intention of launching a fire attack directly into the general's chest, yet were greeted with spirals of flame tearing into them from the side.

"Amateurs!" Gang spit as he stepped forward, his clothing singing slightly as he dodged another firebender's attack. He countered by grabbing the bender's throat, lifting him and thrusting him headfirst into the ground. Standing firm the old guard grinned, eager for the next attack.

"Gang, hold off their benders as best you can. I want this finished before the Demon catches wind."

"It's no fun if there's a time limit," Gang grunted as he motioned his arms in a circle, dispelling a burst of fire. As two benders landed to either side of him he bent his knees, his arms crossing as a quick flare ignited on either side of him. Taking his assailants off balance, he extended his arms to either side as a burst of fire erupted from each, engulfing the two benders. He grinned as more approached him, his heart beating faster with glee.

"Push forward slowly, one step at a time. We want them as far away from the valley as possible!" Seung commanded as he walked the lines, inspecting the battlefield carefully.

"War Rhinos, forward!" the lieutenant screeched, furious at the fall of the firebenders.

Seung squinted, looking out towards the oncoming rhinos. He positioned himself carefully, laying his hands flat in front of him as he stepped forward, breathing sharply as he lifted his hands.

The rhinos charged forward, a wall of earth rising up in front of them. Each managed to barrel through it, shaking off the effects as another wall rose up to greet them. Two rhinos fell unconscious after slamming into it; three more fell after slamming into a third wall. All but one fell when the fourth wall obstructed their path.

Taking another careful step forward, Seung stabbed his hand into the air. As he did, a mound of dirt shifted just in front of the remaining rhino, a pillar of earth jutting out from the ground and stabbing into its chest.

It reeled backwards, the rider flailing his arms as he was cast into the air. As it fell, Gang turned towards Seung, grinning.

"Now I definitely want that rematch," he admired as he slammed a Fire Nation soldier face first into the ground.

"That is enough," the admiral sighed as he stepped onto the battlefield.

"The admiral has arrived!" the lieutenant screamed, waving his hands wildly towards all nearby soldiers.

Upon hearing this each Fire Nation soldier stepped back, their weapons still pointed towards the Earth Kingdom soldiers.

"Cease attacks, but stand your ground!" Seung called out as he stepped forward, noticing the sudden inactivity of the opposing side.

The man stepped forward quietly, his armor adorned with dragon patterns, his cape flowing in the wind. He looked to be middle-aged, his hair mostly black with faint traces of gray. The hair itself was straight and tied up carefully in a knot, his facial hair carefully trimmed. On each hand was a thick leather glove.

He lifted his hand to flick a bit of dirt off of a soldier's shoulder, folding his arms behind his back as he came to a stop in the center of the battlefield.

"I say," he nodded approvingly. "Whoever the Earth Kingdom commander here is, he's done a very impressive job. I don't think I could count all of your casualties on one hand," he complimented.

"Gang," Seung stepped beside the old guard. "Do you know this soldier?"

"No," Gang strained his eyes as he tried to recognize any particular feature. "Never seen 'im before."

"I must ask, who exactly is the commander here? I feel compelled to compliment the man!" he laughed heartily as he studied the Earth Kingdom soldiers.

"Seems weird though," Gang nodded towards him, patting Seung's shoulder. "He's callin' you out."

Seung stepped forward confidently, a look of suspicion in his face. "I am Seung, of the Earth Kingdom army! Is your pause in attack an attempt at surrender?"

The admiral laughed boisterously, motioning for a soldier to approach him. "You misunderstand, Seung of the Earth Kingdom army. Such a long name, by the way. You should really consider changing it. Perhaps just 'Seung?' Anyway, you misunderstand. You see, you and that firebender there have managed to decimate all of my firebenders."

Seung stared suspiciously, Gang grinned with satisfaction as he folded his arms.

"And you managed to do it with merely one earthbender. I find that statistic to be rather insulting to the Fire Nation. So, I've decided to become involved." He removed his cape, handing it to the soldier before dismissing him.

"I offer you the opportunity to surrender now; I wish to avoid needless bloodshed!" Seung called out to him.

"Fascinating, fascinating! You see, Seung of the Earth Kingdom army, while you look to avoid blood, since it sullies your precious earth, I look to spread it." He spread his legs quickly, his hands moving in a quick circular motion as a wall of flame surrounded him, extending quickly and engulfing all nearby Earth Kingdom soldiers before spreading. He recalled the flames, twisting them into a spiral around him, shaping them to form the rough outline of a dragon.

The Fire Nation soldiers stood motionless, admiring and intimidated by the display.

"I am Kano. Also known as 'the Dragon Tamer.' Servant to Fire Lord Azulon. Where I journey, death follows eagerly." His eyebrows rose slightly as he noticed the burnt walls of earth lying before him.

Seung, glaring towards the enemy, spread his stance as the walls lowered down from in front of his forces. Kano's attack had managed to decimate all soldiers close to him, yet the general's quick actions had saved three fourths of his attack force.

"Most impressive!" Kano laughed. "I'm no longer surprised that you managed to give my soldiers such trouble! I wonder though," he motions his hands carefully, the dragon's mouth opening to a silent roar before moving skyward. "Do you think your forces will fare so well, if you are in a position where all you can do is delay destruction?"

"I don't aim to delay; I aim to stop it entirely." Seung lifted a fist, a boulder rising up next to him. Lashing his leg out, he punted the hunk of earth, watching as it rolled along the rocky slope.

This was the signal. As the rock rolled over the slope, several chunks of the mountain launched from it, earthbenders leaping out from behind each. Seung had intended for them to be used as a last resort, but was forced to play his hand early.

"Unfortunate; I expected to fight the legendary brute Dak-Ho, not someone who actually stood a chance," Kano muttered with a grin.

The earthbenders took their stances, each lifting the section of mountain that had just concealed them. They launched them forward, watching as they tore through the Fire Nation forces.

Kano's dragon dispersed into the air, the admiral diving to dodge a chunk of rock. He stood laughing, both sides resuming the battle from where they had left off. Turning towards Seung, he lifted a hand to his mouth, cupping it to increase his volume.

"I say, I didn't quite expect such resistance! I suppose I'll have to move onto my alternate strategy!"

"What's he talking about?" Gang squinted, listening carefully.

Seung glared, analyzing each word.

"I'm dispatching a small force to invade and slaughter everyone in that quaint little village in the valley! At the same time, I'll be doing the same along a different path," he explained as he sidestepped a boulder. "You can do as you like, but keep in mind that anyone you send against me will die rather painfully!" he laughed again, waving a small group of shock troops into the forest before running in himself.

With shock, Seung quickly formed a strategy. "Gang, take two earthbenders and three soldiers, cut off that invading party!"

"What about you? You're not going for his trap, are you?" he asked quickly, motioning a few earthbenders to fall in on his position.

By then, Seung had already managed to run in the direction of Kano, yelling out orders to his next in command.

"Good luck," Gang grunted as he rushed after the Fire Nation shock troops, his party trailing close behind.

"Sir, what do we do?"

The second in command was sweating as he stared out over the battlefield. Gang had disabled the majority of the firebenders, the earthbenders now doing well in pushing the Fire Nation back.

"Keep going, just stick to general Seung's strategy," he nodded.

"Sir, they're pressing forward, I think they're..."

"They're what?" the second in command looked to the soldier, wondering why his eyes had suddenly grown so wide. He turned quickly towards the battlefield, his heart almost stopping as both sides calmed, staring in silence towards the base of the mountain slope.

There, draped in scars and wearing two shields stood the Demon, crouching as he landed. Standing just beside him in combat stance was a beautiful young Fire Nation noble.




"Ha ha, did you actually think I was going to trouble myself going to that village and killing everyone in it?" Kano laughed as he stood waiting in a clearing, the trees surrounding them on all sides.

"As a general, it's my responsibility to ensure their safety. Whether your threat was sincere or not, I must act to protect." He detached his cape, tossing it aside as he readied himself for what he felt inevitable.

"Well, you should probably anticipate failure. After I kill you, I am in fact going to murder everyone in that village. I would just rather do it without the worry that you'd arrive and spoil my fun," he shrugged.

Seung glared, taking his stance. He lifted his foot, slamming it down firmly onto the ground as a thin column of earth shot up before him. Crouching and sweeping, he segmented it at its base, catching the column over his shoulder. Spinning it around, he stopped as he faced the admiral readily.

"A staff made of dirt? Really, is that all you can offer to challenge me?"

The general remained steady, waiting for the proper moment to execute his attack.

The admiral stood in gleeful anticipation, his hands extended and tightened, his fingers burning with the desire to kill.

A calm wind passed, a leave snapping off of its branch.

The admiral shifted his weight slightly to the left.

Seung rushed forward.




"It's the Demon," someone muttered, gripping their weapon tighter.

"There's a Fire Nation girl with him. Maybe she seduced him over to their side," another guessed in a hushed tone.

"The Demon of War and an exile," the lieutenant chuckled. "It's as if the Earth Kingdom is offering us our enemies on a silver platter! Attack them," he grinned.

"Attack the moment he makes a move," the second in command whispered, panicking.

"You take the Fire Nation," Jung stood slowly.

"You say that because there are fewer." She glanced in the direction of the Fire Nation soldiers.

"I say it because I can deflect earthbender attacks; you can't."

"Fine," she whispered. "The moment I have finished though, I come to your aid."

"Fine," he answered.

She turned quickly, running alongside the slope and jumping into the fray. One lashed out quickly with a sword, missing as she ducked and swept her legs out to trip him. Pushing up with her hands, she jumped just as another stabbed a spear into the ground where she had landed. As she fell back to the ground she kicked another soldier in the face, landing on and snapping the spear that had just failed to impale her.

Jung rushed forward, lashing his arms out to knock aside boulders as they launched towards him. An earthbender stepped in front of him, preparing himself to raise a rock wall. Slamming a fist into his stomach, the Demon grasped him by the collar with the opposite hand, tossing him into a small ground of soldiers. Lifting his shield, he caught a pair of swords as they cut through the air, turning his body and lashing his other fist out to slam the assailant in the back of the head. He turned just in time to catch an oncoming boulder, turning and releasing it into another patch of soldiers.

Wen Lan stood firm, sidestepping attacks while motioning her hands to deflect others. A soldier stabbed his blade towards her, feeling her grasp his wrist before turning him around and kicking him into an oncoming soldier from the other side. She stepped backwards, slamming her elbow into the face of an attacker behind her just before kicking another in the face. She dove aside as a firebender launched an attack, spinning her legs out to sweep his feet out from under him. As he hit the ground, she twisted her body, cutting her ankle down onto his throat. Pushing against the ground she dove to the side, rolling to her feet before standing again, another squad of soldiers approaching.

A hammer tore through the air, Jung catching it with his palm before glancing at it. The soldier holding the hammer let out a frightened squeal just before feeling the Demon's fist slam into his face. Another soldier lashed his blade out towards the Demon's back, eyes going wide as Jung spun quickly, dodging and crouching, stepping back and smacking a shield into his chest. A wave of men approached, knocked back as he thrust his arm out, brushing them aside easily. A stealthy soldier managed to approach from behind, met only by the Demon's foot slamming into his chest. From the left, a rock managed to hit him square in the mask. He turned towards its source, the mask not even scratched by the attack. The earthbender who had launched it turned immediately, running as fast as he could. Jung lifted an unconscious soldier, throwing him at the earthbender, watching as the two collided and fell to the ground. Turning, he discovered more soldiers facing towards him nervously.

She stepped back as another spear stabbed near her foot, running up along it before flipping backwards, her kick breaking the attacker's nose as she knocked out a second soldier on her way down. Stepping out to the side, she struck a soldier in the gut with her elbow, spinning quickly and launching her leg out into the face of another. She recognized her next attacker's armor as being that of a lieutenant, his fat face hardly fitting the rank. His blade cut through the air, missing as she turned her body. He felt her elbow thrust into his throat, falling to his knees before she hit the back of her fist against his temple. She winced as the tip of a sword cut against her leg, turning and rewarding the assailant with a punch between the eyes. Wen Lan stepped back, resuming her stance as she looked at the few attackers remaining. She had only sustained a few negligible cuts and scrapes, there was little challenge these remaining troops could offer.

Jung slammed his shield into the head of another soldier, stopping as those remaining bowed down in front of him.

"Please," the second in command pleaded, "we apologize for attacking you; we just needed to buy the general some time!"

"Where is he?" the Demon stepped towards him, towering over the soldiers.

The second in command motioned weakly towards the forest Seung had disappeared into.

"Help her," he looked towards Wen Lan. She didn't need their help, but he wasn't willing to take the risk. He ran towards the forest.

He looked towards the soldiers, realizing that their distraction gave them a perfect window of opportunity. "You heard him," the second in command nodded, gripping a weapon as he and the others rushed the remaining Fire Nation soldiers.

Wen Lan stepped back as they began overwhelming the few soldiers that remained, looking out over the crowd towards Jung. She ran to the side, following after as quickly as she could.




"I don't get it," Gang crossed his arms, standing over the two soldiers. "I thought there were supposed to be more than this."

"Maybe the general managed to intercept the others on his way?"

"Nah," Gang frowned as he thought carefully. His eyes went wide as he looked towards the others. "It's a trap!"

"What?"

"You guys detain these two, then get back to the battlefield! I'll go make sure Seung's alright!" Gang ran quickly into the forest, clenching his fists as he narrowed his eyes.




"Ha!" Kano laughed boisterously as he hit the ground, quickly taking a knee as he glared towards Seung.

The clearing was littered with chunks of earth and scorch marks, the two having managed a stalemate for a long while.

"You keep surprising me, Seung of the Earth Kingdom army! I figured I'd have you killed and gutted by now," he smiled as he stood back up.

Seung glared, still maintaining his stance.

"Oh come now...Surely a little conversation wouldn't kill you?"

"In this case," Seung stared, "I feel it might."

"Clever boy," the admiral grinned. "Well then, if it's all the same to you, I think I'll kill you now." He took his stance again, his hands moving quickly as his right arm was suddenly engulfed in flame, the fire peeling off and taking on the shape of a dragon head before launching towards Seung, the admiral's hands in constant motion.

Slamming his foot down, the general brought another wall of earth before him, extending his fist into it to slide it towards his opponent.

Kano dove to the side, lashing his hand out as another wave of flame tore through the air towards Seung.

The young general kept his arms bent at his side, stomping his right foot across his left as a pillar of earth stabbed up from the ground, dispersing the fire. He switched the motion, his left foot moving across his right as another pillar rose up just over the admiral's shoulder, tearing off a section of his armor.

"Oh my," Kano blinked. Narrowing his eyes, he looked towards Seung. "That's simply unacceptable." He growled, a vein forming on his head as a wall of flame tore across the ground towards his prey.

The general took his stance, faltering as a chain wrapped around his wrist, pulling him back. Not having time to investigate, he motioned his hand frantically, a small mound of earth rising to divert the wall of flame just enough to miss him. Glancing quickly towards the chain, he viewed a Fire Nation shock trooper binding him from the shade of the trees.

"I'm afraid I haven't been entirely forthcoming with you, young general." Kano smiled, recomposing himself as he flicked a bit of dust off of his armor. "You see, I have every intention of killing you. I don't particularly care if honor is involved."

Seung glared at the admiral, watching as three other Fire Nation shock troopers stepped out behind him, each holding a chain.

"For what it's worth, you put up an excellent fight," he shrugged as he took his stance slowly, grinning.

His eyebrow rose curiously as he felt the chain take on a sudden slack. He looked quickly towards the source, his eyes going wide at the sight.

The Demon stood silently, the shock trooper lying against the tree with pieces of bark littering his face. The tree had a sudden bald spot where the soldier's head had met with it, the chain lying idly on the ground.

"Ah, so this is the Demon I keep hearing about!" Kano looked excitedly towards the figure. "I was hoping to encounter you during this trip! I've been curious; would you be interested in joining the Fire Nation army?"

The Demon stepped forward, his body tense with anger.

"No? Oh well, killing you is just as much a badge of pride for me," he shrugged.

Seung stood slowly, the Demon stopping beside him. The earthbender took his stance, whispering quietly.

"Demon, I know you never side with anyone, but I assure you that this man will kill us both if we don't work together. I can bring him into a stalemate, so long as you disable those soldiers."

"General Seung," the Demon stood quietly, unmoving.

Seung glanced towards him. "Yes."

"The general Seung who offered to stop all efforts to locate me, even remove all wanted posters, should I refrain from entering this battle."

"...Yes," Seung admit, his gaze going back to Kano.

"The same general Seung who offered no threats should I refuse that offer?"

"Yes," he answered quietly.

"Friend and ally to lord Chin-Hwa of Bai-Jing."

"Yes," he nodded. "Always."

"I will take care of the soldiers," he said flatly, stepping towards the Fire Nation troops.

"Ah, you wish to play? I wonder, can you bend as well as the general?" Kano began moving his body carefully, his hands positioned in front of him to contain a small bead of fire.

Silently, the Demon continued on. Stepping a few feet beside Kano, he passed without a word.

Offended, Kano turned quickly, releasing a wave of flame. He lifted his hand to his face, backing away as the flames washed over a newly formed wall of rock.

"I'm your opponent," general Seung glared. "Or have you forgotten me?" He slammed his foot into the ground again, creating a second earth staff.

Kano smirked wryly, glancing towards the general. "Why, general Seung. I imagine forgetting you will not prove especially difficult.

There was sudden stillness, broken by the admiral's yelling as he rushed forward, releasing a fireball with each step.

Seung lashed the earth staff out quickly, each swipe deflecting another fireball. Lowering his helmet, the felt the flames wash over and disperse against it before rising back up. He turned quickly, launching his attack as the admiral drew closer. The general felt the staff break in two as Kano sliced through it, the divided ends smoldering. Dropping the pieces to either side, the two fell into an intense rhythm of attack and defense, neither side allowing any room for error.

The first soldier launched his chain towards the Demon, who simply grasped it. Pulling hard, the soldier flew through the air towards the approaching monster, who struck him down by the back of the head using his shield. The second stepped in with a spear, slicing it horizontally and feeling it stop against the other shield. The Demon swatted the soldier aside, approaching the third slowly.

"You've got great timing," Kano grinned. "I wonder though," he jumped back, turning quickly. "Does your friend?" He extended both fists, a spiral of fire rushing towards the Demon from behind.

"Demon!" Seung screamed, motioning quickly to form a wall.

Wen Lan stepped through the forest, staring in horror as the flames approached Jung.

Jung looked over his shoulder, turning quickly and holding both shields up, he intercepted and deflected the spiral.

Wen Lan's eyes went wide as a chain wrapped around him immediately after, the third soldier having taken advantage of Kano's tactic.

The Demon shook wildly, the chains already slipping. As he lifted his arm from the bind, the second soldier had collected himself and sliced the blade of his spear deep into his chest, pulling back and stabbing it at the Demon's stomach.

A last minute motion on Jung's part moved him aside enough that the spear heavily grazed his side instead of impaling him. He slammed his fist down into the soldier's head, crushing it. He turned towards the third soldier, who sliced a knife quickly against his arm.

The soldier pulled back a moment too late, the Demon grabbing and crushing his hands as the chains around him fell. He slammed his mask into the soldier's face, knocking him out in one hit.

Kano grinned, using the opportunity to launch another attack. He extended his fists, flames tearing towards and engulfing the Demon of War.

"Jung!" Wen Lan screeched, her body gripped with fear.