Here's a nice teaser for my new fanfic. I can't wait to explore Lu Ten's story and hope this prelude will whet everyone's appetite for Lu Ten's adventures. I've always wondered what Iroh's son would be like and what the events at the Siege of Ba Sing Se would do to shape his future. Iroh is probably my favorite character in the series because of his depth and complexity and hopefully I can bring some of that to this story. The royal family of the fire nation as a whole is, in my opinion, the group with the most mystery and thus the best fodder for exploratory fanfic authors like myself. So enjoy! And know that I don't own any charcters from ATLA.
The soldier shrugged out of his pack as he reached the crest of the hill. The faintest gray smudge in the east was the only indication of the coming sunrise and he turned to face it. With a relaxed sigh, he eased his helmet off and set it beside his pack. Running his hand absently through his recently shorn hair, he settled back on his haunches and began loosening his padded leather armor, removing the bulky upper body equipment and undershirt until his bare skin puckered in the cool air of pre-dawn.
As pink began to wash the gray sky, he stood and faced the east. He settled into a deep back stance with simultaneous high and low knife-hand strikes. Holding his body in the strenuous, disciplined form, he closed his eyes. As he waited, he listened for the muted greetings of morning birds welcoming the sun, but only heard the occasional screech of the Fire Nation messenger hawks as they flew toward the vast camp a short distance to the west. Frowning slightly, the soldier slowly turned his focus inward, concentrating on his breathing. The slow burning of muscle began in his back leg and upper arms and he drew energy from that before switching sides. In moments, he felt the rays of the sun spread warmth across his face.
His eyes snapped open and simultaneously drawing the fire from his body and the sun, the Fire Nation soldier began moving through the basic fire-bending forms. Before long, steam rose from his shoulders and head as he worked through the movements. Short, controlled plumes of fire burst from his feet and fists in a staccato rhythm. As he worked his way through the forms, he built up momentum, a potential energy of fire that hummed through his body. A fierce grin split his lips as he savored the feeling of power.
The soldier reached the conclusion of the forms he knew, his energy culminating and coalescing into a sphere before him. His fingers spread and he gritted his teeth, grimacing as he strained to condense the flames into a continually decreasing volume of space. The air hummed and a bass rumble vibrated through his body as he forced more fire into the dense point before him.
In a small part of his mind, a voice that sounded strikingly like his father's admonished him for his experimentation; this much energy could easily backfire and kill him if he was not careful. However, he was nothing if not interested in exploring the limits of fire-bending power. New techniques would be needed if the Dragon were to conquer Ba Sing Se.
He squinted into the rising sun and sighted his target, a scorched hillside approximately 75 yards away, across a slight dip in the landscape. With determined control, his fingers massaged the sphere of energy before him and with a growling, forceful exhale, he released the ball. It flew straight to its target like a recoiling spring. In less time than it took to blink, a concussive force pulverized the hill, shredding earth and flora into unrecognizable bits. A second boom followed a heartbeat after the main explosion – the sound of his energy sphere releasing from his control catching up with the bombs incredible speed.
The soldier gasped for breath, suddenly exhausted. As he panted, he gathered his gear stumbled away from the site; someone on duty would be investigating the disturbance. As he dragged his undershirt over his head, he heard his name being called by one of the honor guard and sighed. He slung his leather chest guard and pack over his shoulder and grumbled his displeasure to himself as his name rang out over the scarred land.
"Prince Lu Ten! The General is looking for you!"
