FicWad

Roses of the Valley

Chapter Thirty-Eight: Roses and Thorns



The Fire Lord gave all appearances of calm as he read through Norio's message, the height and intensity of the flames contradicting his demeanor entirely. His grip on the scroll tightened, the paper drying to his touch as he fought to maintain his composure.

Norio's messenger knelt before the Fire Lord, eyes wide as he stared toward his ruler. He had never even seen the monarch before, the power of the fire shrouding him inspiring a terror he had not expected.

Admirals Siyu and Zixin had already embarked on the Trident Campaign, their forces having ventured too far to recall.

Though the flames grew shorter, they maintained their strength as Azulon closed the scroll.

In dooming the fleets of Siyu and Zixin the traitor Kano had sealed his own fate. An agent would be dispatched to determine the success of the treacherous admiral's conquest; if he should lose his life in the battle for the Kun valley, it would be a more glorious end than he deserved.

Should he meet with victory, the Fire Lord would see fit to dispatch one of his sons to demonstrate the fate that awaited all traitors. Even if he managed to capture the valley, it would do nothing to forgive the indiscretion he had rendered upon the Fire Nation.

Azulon felt the strain in his eyes as he glared forward, enraged that he could not punish Kano's treachery personally. The flames stretched higher as his anger grew, concealing the Fire Lord in a veil of burning rage.



Slowly the night sky faded, conquered by the dawning sun as it rose slowly from the horizon. The stars disappeared, enveloped in daylight. The sounds of morning called quietly from the valley, birds chirping while creatures rose from their slumber.

The camp bustled with energy, the soldiers moving to sharpen their weapons and don their armor.

Alone in his tent, Seung secured his armor. Tying it carefully, his eyes maintained a determined focus as he stared at the map resting idly atop the table. His gaze fell to the cloth beside it, the same that Xiu had tied over the top of her head each day.

Tracing his finger along its edge, he lifted it in his hand. With a gentle smile he tied it over his right arm, turning quickly to exit the tent.

Waving both arms out he parted the cloth, men gathered at the entrance to his tent fully armed and prepared for the battle to come. He drew to a halt as he noticed one of his scouts in the distance, perched atop an ostrich horse.

The scout nodded grimly.

"Aiguo," he called for his lieutenant.

"Sir."

"Send the scout back to pull the others away from the river. Move all forces to the battleground immediately. Dispatch your fastest messenger to Bai-Jing."

"How much time do you estimate we have to work with, sir?"

"If Kano's forces had left their ships, someone would have alerted me directly rather than wait for me to step out. However, we'll be best prepared if we assume the Fire Nation has taken a lead over us." His mind raced to finalize his strategy, turning toward the soldiers as he began to issue commands.

Aiguo nodded, turning to flag down the fastest soldier he could locate.

The days prior to Kano's arrival had brought with them a powerful tension, the fearful prospects of loss at the admiral's hands preceding him. There would be no longer be any opportunity to prepare.

The day of the invasion had come.



"Lieutenant," Kano could not conceal his smile, his heart pounding as he imagined each inch of forest before him consumed by flame.

"Sir," Norio stepped forward.

"Disembark."

"Yes sir," he nodded, turning to issue the command. Much to his disappointment, their journey had gone unhindered.

The admiral grinned sadistically as the fleet took to the shore, each moving exactly as he had ordered. Excitement coursed through his veins, his eyes going wider as he felt his inevitable victory draw closer.



Chin-Hwa stood at the edge of the cliff, looking out over the valley. Behind him was a cave filled with civilians, an earthbender positioned at each side to ensure their safety.

"Can you see anything from here?" Min questioned the old noble as she approached from behind, looking out over that which lay in the distance.

"No. It is too far to recognize anything beyond scenery."

"We'll probably know when we see bits of fire," Xiu guessed as she stepped out of the cave, Li Mei at her side.

"I suppose so," Chin-Hwa nodded in agreement, his hand lifting to sift through his beard.

"Don't get yourself worked up; go wait in the cave," Min nodded her head toward the other citizens, dismissing the girls.

"If anyone's going to get worked up, it's probably you," Xiu chided, folding her arms as she neared them.

Li Mei stared out over the valley, fighting desperately to dismiss the growing fear within her.

"They will be fine, child." The old noble rested a hand atop her shoulder, smiling as he reassured the girl.

She looked up, nodding gratefully to the kind old man for his confidence. Turning her attention back toward the lush landscape before him, she winced slightly as her imagination painted it in a devastated and barren light. Fending off such notions she narrowed her eyes, resolving to have faith in the others.

Xiu searched the valley carefully, wondering where her love might be as a sudden burst of wind pushed her hair back.

The citizens of Bai-Jing waited patiently from the cave, nervous chatter echoing throughout as they wait to see the fate of that which they had built over generations.



Jung stood silently between the edge of the forest and the entrance to the village, his shields bound tightly to his forearms.

The flowers felt the gentle nourishment of the sun as its light washed over their petals, the morning dew slipping into the air.

A vicious conqueror approached.

As if they had waited their whole lives to defy him, the roses of the valley bloomed.



Wen Lan stood at the center of Bai-Jing, her Earth Kingdom robe twitching slightly as a weak wind pushed against her from the west.

Nearby stood Shui, the armor that had been specifically tailored for him resting comfortably atop his shoulders as he felt the rising sun inspire a soft confidence in him.

Yakone remained hidden within the darkness of an alley near the village entrance, maintaining a vigilant watch. His forehead bore a mark of the northern Water Tribe, taking a gentle strength from it. A water skin rested at either side of his hips, the quiet of the village making him uneasy.

Beneath a peach tree near the Yang estate a saucer of sake had been carefully set.



The Earth Kingdom forces stood ready, prepared to intercept the Fire Nation at the location Kano had specified.

At the head of the formation was Seung, standing confidently while surveying that which lay before him. To the right stood a steep mountain slope that had served to their advantage in the past. To the left was thick forest, something that had proven useful to Kano in their last encounter.

Gang tossed aside the kettle of war tea, burping loudly as he sat upon Boots' new saddle.

The komodo rhino had been decorated in Earth Kingdom style armor, growling uneasily as he waited for some form of action.

The bodyguard patted the beast's side, having already fed it two kettles of the tea. Grinning, he stared forward as he awaited the enemy's arrival.

Bo stood near Aiguo, the Earth Kingdom armor permitting him to blend into the squad. His eyes remained focused, unwavering as he patiently waited for the battle to commence.

"Sir, from behind!" one of the soldiers called out, the forces around him turning to survey the impending threat.

Turning quickly into a stance, Seung's eyes grew wide.

The two komodo rhinos thundered toward them, a hundred men trailing behind atop whatever beasts they saw fit to ride.

"Lower your weapons," the general instructed quietly, straining his eyes as he attempted to confirm the identities of the riders. Stepping through the crowd of soldiers, he made his way to the rear.

The two beasts stopped suddenly, roaring with wild enthusiasm as they stomped at the ground.

Seung stepped out from the group, unable to conceal the smile the visitors had caused him.

The other riders drew to a halt behind their leaders, calming their steeds as they awaited further instruction.

Boots hurried through the crowd, soldiers diving out of the excited creature's path as Gang snapped at the reins in an attempt to soothe him. Reaching Seung's side, he realized the cause of the rhino's alarm.

"Just getting here now?" the bodyguard grinned as he folded his arms.

"Better late than never," Enlai smirked, his glaive resting over his shoulder. His steed had been adorned in crudely placed armor, each of the other creatures decorated in similar attire.

"We asked for some food and water at an Earth Kingdom outpost following a particularly long recruitment effort," Feng entered into the explanation, recognizing that the circumstances would prevent them from engaging in the typical pleasantries. "A general Chul offered us a considerable amount of supplies if we agreed to return to the valley and provide you with whatever aid we could."

"Nice guy. We would've come and helped out anyway, but he insisted on stocking us up," Enlai beamed.

"I see," Seung smiled, offering a sincere and silent gratitude to his superior. Chul had found a way to help him..

"Looks like that recruitment thing went pretty well for you," Gang smirked, nodding his head toward the riders.

"Yes," Feng nodded. "Our numbers have increased considerably. We are yours to command, general." The honorable rider nodded toward the earthbender.

Seung nodded, understanding that there was no opportunity to bask in the kindness of Chul or the gratitude to the riders. Quickly and boldly he began issuing orders, the two riders relaying the instructions to their subordinates as they quickly fell into position.

Returning to his position at the head of the formation, the general looked out over the battlefield. His muscles tensed, his eyes narrowing as the sound of distant marching carried toward them from the distance.



Norio glared, his grip on the reins of the komodo rhino tight as they made their way toward the battlefield.

The siege of the Kun valley had been divided into three points.

The first was that which Kano had regarded as the most important; the devastation of Bai-Jing. He had made sure to phrase his letter to general Seung in such a way that he would be able to ravage the village without truly defying anything he had stated within its margins.

The second point was the fight against the Earth Kingdom forces on the same battlefield as their last encounter. The battle was a diversion with a secondary objective; thinning the Earth Kingdom forces as much as was possible before the squads that had taken the village could move in to finish them.

Providing the general with an obvious declaration of where they would arrive as well as when gave an incredible opportunity to the Earth Kingdom, one that only a fool could poorly utilize. The enemy would lay various traps and strategies to ravage the Fire Nation forces that engaged them there, rendering it little more than a suicide mission.

The third point was the maintenance of the fleet, the ships anchored at the nearby river. Laying in wait for their commander's return, a skeleton crew of soldiers and deckhands guarded over them.

Norio knew that in delegating the second point to him, Kano was merely saving himself the risk of being mortally wounded. Yet he could not decipher where the admiral would actually appear, whether it be the first point or the safety of the third.

It was a moot point, the lieutenant gripping the reins even tighter as the forces pressed on. He had been sent to his death, one he had worked to prevent. Upon enlisting he had understood that his life could be sacrificed for the glory of the Fire Nation, yet to die for the obsessive goal of a sadistic madman was another matter entirely.

His eyes grew wide, recognizing what lay before him as they reached the top of a hill.

In the distance stood the Earth Kingdom forces, already laying in weight.

Lifting his hand, the lieutenant prepared to engage. The temptation to withdraw his troops was now beyond him, realizing that the general they had antagonized for so long would not permit them escape.



For a fraction of an instant, silence fell over the valley.

Norio lowered his arm, feeling the rush of wind as soldiers and firebenders hurried past him.

Seung yelled loudly as the soldiers gripped their weapons, rushing forward.

The battle for the valley erupted.



Jung's body remained motionless as he noticed figures approaching from the distance. No sound escaped him, his spirit roaring as he recognized them to be Fire Nation soldiers.

A sudden tension shot through his muscles, clenching his teeth as he heard a distant chuckle. Beneath the mask he glared, rage swelling within him.

At the head of the group marched Kano, a sickening smile spread over his face as his heavy boots pressed against the ground between them.



"I was worried for a bit there; figured that the admiral'd never leave," one of the deckhands muttered as he studied the Pai Sho board.

"That guy creeps me out," his opponent noted, folding his arms.

"He creeps everyone out," the navigator observed as he studied a larger map of the river, inspecting its accuracy.

"Yeah, well now we don't have to deal with him," he nodded as he moved the piece across the board.

"Until he gets back. That's an illegal move," the second deckhand complained, sliding the tile back to where it had originally started.

"No it wasn't, you can do that."

"No you can't.

"You can."

"You can't."

"Hey, is this legal?" he called for the navigator's attention, pressing his finger back to the piece to repeat the motion.

"I don't really..." his eyes went wide, interrupted by a sudden explosion. The ship shook slightly, causing the three to panic for a moment. Regaining his composure the navigator rushed to the deck, his accomplices trailing behind.

Reaching the rear of the ship, the three stared in shock. They were the first ship in the formation, each vessel behind them sinking toward the bottom of the river. Blast marks and tears from the force of the explosions littered various sections of each, smoke billowing toward the sky.

"Look!" One of the deckhands pointed out to the shore, the soldiers and crew of each bound to various trees.

"What the..." the navigator trailed off, turning quickly to inspect the ship for any damage.

"You should see this as a sort of compliment," an amused voice called from behind them.

The three turned to face him, eyes wide as they attempted to fathom the situation.

"This ship looked to be the nicest of the group. We loaded the others up with blasting jelly so that they wouldn't give us any trouble when we took it," he stepped toward them, a confident smirk decorating his face.

The navigator reached for a dagger at his side, startled as a rope wrapped tightly around him. His gaze darted to his cohorts, each falling prey to the same attack. His vision trailed the ropes, noticing grinning figures to be at the end of each. Behind them other raiders climbed to the deck, scaling the side of the ship.

"Stop worrying; I'm not going to kill you. Heck, I'm not even going to hurt you. Just going to leave you for someone to pick up," he reassured them as he nodded toward the captured soldiers on the riverbank.

"Who are you?" the navigator demanded, clenching his teeth.

The warrior leaned toward the former crew member, gripping the hilt of his sword. Drawing it out he revealed a finely crafted jade sword.

"They call me Jadeblade," Haozen grinned, Onawa stepping up from behind him with an amused grin. Standing, he turned toward his daughter. "Get these three to shore; we've got to break this new girl in." He smirked as he tapped his knuckle against a metal wall, impressed by the sturdiness.

"Yes sir," she grinned, helping two of the pirates to drop the three at the edge of the shore.

"Lift the anchor," he nodded toward another pirate, smiling as he looked back over the sinking vessels.

Debts never sat well with Haozen. The village had offered him more than he would ever have asked; trailing the Fire Nation to the river and providing aid to them in their time of need was the least he could do to repay their kindness.

"Papa!" Ahnah exclaimed happily, amazed by the sound of her feet hitting against the metal as she hurried across its surface.

"There's my girl!" Haozen smiled, lifting the child to the air.

"Is this our new house?" she asked curiously, regarding ships as moving homes.

"Yes! I wanted us to have a very tough one this time," he lifted his hat from his head, placing it atop hers.

"I like it!" she lifted her hands to the hat, adjusting it so that she could see.

"Do you?"

"Yes!"

"And what do you all think?" Haozen looked out toward the pirates as they approached him, Onawa at the head of the group.

Each offered their approval of the vessel, suspecting that the metal that had constructed it would provide an incredible resilience against weather and combat.

"Good! Then let's get moving! Go inspect the engine room and get a feel for her! Watch the fires and keep them burning!" he grinned as he passed the orders, the pirates nodding excitedly as they hurried to go get a feel for the new ship.

"Father, what would you have me do?" Onawa stepped to his side, placing her hand atop the hat and shaking it to ruffle her little sister's hair.

"Most important thing of all," he explained, turning to face that which lie before them. "Name it."

"Name it?"

"The ship. It needs a strong name."

Onawa smiled softly, appreciating her father's gesture. Looking to the water before them, she nearly whispered her suggestion.

"The Red Unagi."

"Red Unagi," Haozen repeated, nodding gently. "What do you think?" he looked to Ahnah, still holding the child in his arms.

"Mmm...I like it!" the child beamed, the hat slipping and covering her eyes.

"Me too! The Red Unagi, then!" he grinned as he looked out over the morning horizon, the ship cutting through the water quickly as it made its way along the river.

Onawa folded her arms, glancing uneasily in the direction of the village. Hoping for the safety of those within it, she turned her attention back to the river before her.

The ship pressed on, tilting her head up as she felt a soft breeze caress her skin.



"Ah, Demon! A pleasure to see you once again!" Kano's etiquette was but a dam, holding back a powerful flood of rage as he recalled his last encounter with the Demon. The warrior's resilience infuriated him, Kazuki's defeat only furthering his anger.

Jung answered with silence, his body still as the soldiers drew to a halt behind their superior.

"I must say, I'm astonished to find you here! I expected this area of the valley to be empty, save the residents of the village! Tell me; did you anticipate my arrival and position yourself here to greet me?"

No answer escaped the Demon, his body rigid as he maintained his composure.

"Whatever circumstance brings you before me today, I must be grateful for it! I have not seen combat in quite some time; I anticipate that you will serve as a delightful warm-up before I encounter our good general Seung." He grinned as he watched for a reaction, the air between them nearly electrified with hostility.

The warrior offered none, only furthering the admiral's aggravation.

"A troubling scenario," he whispered as a sadistic grin crept over him. "I have every intention of decimating the very village you seem poised to protect. In a moment my men will march forward to destroy it; if you make any movement to stop them it will leave you entirely vulnerable to my attack."

Silence.

"So I must wonder...Which do you regard as more valuable? Your life, which I will succeed in taking regardless, or the lives of the peasants you seem so intent upon guarding over?" He took another step forward, his eyes wild with excitement as he guessed the answer. Lifting his hand, he commanded quietly for his soldiers to march on Bai-Jing.

His gaze remained fixed upon the admiral, stifling a growl as the soldiers passed him nervously to either side. Inwardly he reassured himself that Wen Lan would be fine; that the number of soldiers approaching the village would not be enough to overwhelm her.

"Pity." Kano nearly spit the words, sneering slightly. "I was so hoping you would do something stupid."

The sound of marching faded into the distance, the two facing one another silently.



Chin-Hwa's eyes went wide, gazing out over the valley as he noticed slivers of flame dancing in the distance.

Xiu and Min nearly shoved the old noble aside, staring toward the far-off battle as their bodies tensed.

A nervous muttering sounded from the cave, the civilians closest to the entrance attempting to gauge that which was occurring from the stiff frames of those near the cliff.

Li Mei lifted her hand to her mouth, eyes going wide as her heart pounded, feeling as if her legs had been stolen from her.

The battle raged in the distance, its intensity and rage shrouded by distance.



The leader of the squad marched ahead of the ground, silently motioning his hand as he commanded a small group of firebenders to set fire to the buildings. They would sweep through the village slowly, engulfing everything within it in flames.

Yakone smirked from an alley, peering out toward an ignorant pair of firebenders as they drew closer.

Before long they had reached the center of Bai-Jing, a woman and Earth Kingdom soldier in strange armor standing before them.

"Surrender yourself to the Fire Nation and you will be shown mercy," he called out nonchalantly, desiring nothing more than to fulfill his mission without resistance.

Wen Lan narrowed her eyes, the cloth of her robe brushing against her skin as she shifted her weight. Though she said nothing, her stance conveyed her answer.

Shui followed suit, his foot tracing along the ground as he brought his hands up.

"I will not warn you again; stand down!" he ordered, finding little honor in fighting a girl and a teenager.

The two said nothing, unblinking as they stared down the soldiers before them.

"Take them," he sighed grimly, motioning the soldiers to his right forward. They advanced upon the two without hesitation, readying their spears as their heavy boots pressed hard against the firm earth of the street beneath them.

The young noble remained motionless, drawing in a slow breath as she readied herself.

Beneath a peach tree near the Yang estate lie a saucer. Empty, a tiny leaf from the tree fell upon its edge.



"I promise you that this will be excruciatingly painful." Kano smiled pleasantly, neither party having moved from their spot.

Jung remained quiet, refusing to permit even the slightest hint of cooperation to the invader.

"You've done a magnificent job of standing in my way. Yet even from this position I can see that my soldiers have entered the village."

Silence.

"Ah!" his eyes lit up with a tender excitement. "It just occurred to me! Perhaps you're merely frozen with fear! How inconsiderate of me not to have suspected such!"

Stifling an angry growl, he glared at the admiral.

"Well then," he chuckled as he peered toward the ground. "I suppose we've both had enough of the ominous standoff. What say we move on to the main event? The sooner I kill you, the sooner I may don your mask as a testament to my magnificence." His eyes trailed up from the ground slowly, his mouth lifting into a maniacal smirk as he imagined the Demon's head split open upon a rock.

Having enough of his ranting, Jung spread his legs. His feet pressed firmly against the ground, feeling the soil dig between his toes. A mixture of excitement and nervous tension coursed through his arms as he lifted them, every ounce of him determined to bring an end to Kano's terror.

"Excellent," the admiral grinned as he took a step back, entering into a humble firebending stance.

The tension in the air had long reached its zenith, neither party permitting any further delay.

Psychotic excitement filled Kano's eyes as he rushed forward, his fingers curling into a makeshift claw.

The Demon of War launched toward his opponent, fists poised to strike as his spirit howled to the morning sky.

The battle for Kun valley intensified, the two souls raging against one another as each refused to give way.