The Betrayer
The man sat in his cold, dark cell, hunched together, looking over the board.
So cold...how long has it been now? It must be close to 3 weeks. Probably almost dinnertime.
The man continued to stare, all his attention on this one, small luxury.
I think I managed to move it last time, let me try again.
He moved his hand out again, focusing all his attention on the small piece sitting on his wooden chessboard, the one thing he was allowed to have in the cell. The pieces, not fashioned of clay like most pieces, were made of cool, black metal. The last thing his captors wanted was for him to get ideas.
Come on, move you gods-forsaken piece! His mind screamed as he poured all of his focus and emotion into the effort. As he did, all the memories flooded to the top of his mind, enraging him.
The prisoner, in his meditation, began to recall the words of his long-dead father. "Anything can be achieved by you, my son. You just need to focus, channel your wisdom and gifts." His father had lived that his entire life. As a lowly merchant, he had clawed his way up from a simple shop to a spread of various stores throughout the Middle Ring. He had invested wisely, seeing smart choices and winning bets, sensing them the same way his son could sense the vibrations of the earth itself.
On his death, the man's son worked quickly and efficiently to solidify his newly gained business. His father had taught him everything he needed to know, and within months he was considered one of the wealthiest men in Ba-Sing-Se. He quickly used his power to get in the good graces of the Earth King, advising the ancient man throughout his final years. He had watched over and mentored his son, an impressionable and innocent young man, convincing him that all was right in the world. He quickly gained leadership of the royal guard, easily advancing himself and shifting control away from the king. The naïve fool hadn't suspected a thing, all too willingly letting his chief advisor seize the power of the kingdom, becoming a mere figurehead, a puppet ruler. He quickly was able to silence the rumors of war spreading throughout the Outer Ring, He preserved his society, his utopia. Those fools of the Fire Nation could never break through his walls, and the one man who tried lost the only family he had left in the process.
The one thing I couldn't count on was the Avatar. He thought bitterly as he poured even more focus into his outstretched hand, attempting to do what none of his kind had been able to do for all of recorded history. That little brat and his friends have, within weeks, completely dismantled everything I fought to achieve for years. They broke the hold I had on the king, and I was thrown into the dungeon for it. After everything I've done for that fool! That sad, sorry excuse of a king.
And then that girl and her friends had shown up, disguised as allies of the Kingdom. My men learned quickly their true identities, however.
I brought her here, the young, arrogant bitch. I made her an offer, but she had been playing me from the start. She knew exactly what to do to turn my own men against me, and it worked perfectly. But she'll see, I'll figure this out, like I have everything in my life. I'll work my way back up and retake what is mine. The self-serving wench is gone, she left some fat, stupid general in charge. He's squandering it, all of it, everything I have worked so hard to preserve is in jeopardy! I have to get out of this cell, I have to try and salvage what I can and rise again.
The Betrayer, the people call me. That is the name I've been given for my crimes. In truth, they see it only fitting that I'm rotting in this cell beneath the palace for what I've done, bringing these tyrants into my beautiful city. The Impenetrable City had finally been broken through, but it will yet rise again, I will see to that.
At this point, he began to notice the piece, slide slowly across the board, falling off the far end. He smirked, knowing he had broken down a barrier no earthbender had been able to break, despite countless attempts over the last century. So, my plan begins to fall into place, the prisoner thought smugly. Soon, this city will once again be mine, and the Fire Nation will be cleansed from it, leaving me to rebuild my utopia. All will fall beneath me, Long Feng, King of Ba-Sing-Se, the first earthbender to cause even metal to fall to my will! He then flicked his wrist, pulling the queen back up onto the board. Then, with all his concentration, he spread both hands out, moving all the pieces back into place. Soon, he thought, hearing the guard walking down the hall, carrying his evening meal. Soon.