I do not own anything nor do I make any money from this story. All rights apply.

Set after Avatar: The Last Airbender but before Avatar: The Last Airbender - The Promise.

A/N: This story is heavily inspired by Kingdom (Netflix KDrama). It's not a copy of the story but may have similar vibes.

UNDEAD NATION

ONE

"Cannibalism?" asked Zuko.

"Yes," said Sokka "people eating people."

Zuko studied him as he placed the report he had been reading on his desk. Sokka loved a good laugh but also knew what was an acceptable joke. In the couple of months since defeating Fire Lord Ozai, the pressures facing both Zuko as an unpopular Fire Lord and Aang as the wayward Avatar had become clear to the others. They all felt the burden of rebuilding nations so it was very unlikely that Sokka would come with idle gossip.

"And you heard the story this morning in the market?"

Sokka nodded and continued,

"Obviously, no one was giving the story any credit - I mean, people suddenly attacking and eating each other is a pretty wild rumour, but something had scared that villager, something attacked him. I'm not saying it was a person, and if it was, I don't think they were trying to eat him. Maybe bite him 'coz they didn't have a weapon, but really I think it's an animal used to drive an agenda."

"So you're saying his fear turned whatever attacked him into a person?"

Sokka nodded again as Zuko leaned back in his chair,

"Someone could be stirring up trouble, I'm not popular as Fire Lord," he said.

"I think someone is definitely stirring. Some of your father's cronies will be looking for a way to get your father back in power."

Zuko nodded.

"Also," added Sokka, "I think they might be using "monsters" to bring trouble to you and Aang - you did work together to defeat Ozai."

"I also think it's suspicious that's the rumour started in a small village close to Yangyang, where I happen to be going tomorrow," said Zuko.

Sokka didn't know that bit of information but he's mind was putting conspiracies together.

"Maybe a short detour is in order," he mused.

Zuko nodded. He had barely been in office and he already had to quell a potential rebellion. He had vainly hoped to establish himself in the palace before he needed to defend his position as Fire Lord. He had known resistance was inevitable, he'd shaken up the Fire Nation, 'weaken' them to the minds of some, but he knew his way was right, and he also knew his path would be tough. He also knew he wasn't doing it alone.

"A detour, it is."

Zuko and Sokka could tell the village was abandoned before they reached it, even the wildlife in the surrounding farmlands were gone. The air was heavy and Zuko could catch the occasional whiff of something burnt but couldn't immediately see anything. Leaving Zuko's men and their transport in Yangyang to travel incognito gave them opportunity to search the area as they approached. Zuko hadn't been entirely sure it was a good idea but Sokka had argued that they needed stealth and the two of them had more experience in hiding from enemies than Zuko's men, especially since both of them had been on the run from the Fire Nation before. They also didn't need a royal welcome to alert their enemies to their presence.

As they got closer, they could see the village was strangely fortified. Barricades, trenches and spikes encircled the village, and it looked like it was positioned to prevent something coming out the village and not going in. In contrast, the stilted houses were still in good repair so whatever had attacked the village hadn't been interested in destroying the village. It was seeming less and less like a rebellion to Zuko and more like an animal attack.

"This is either a really elaborate scheme, or there is something else going on," said Sokka as they stood studying the fortification.

"I don't think it's a plot to overthrow me," Zuko mused aloud. "Maybe it's an animal," he said changing the topic as he pointed to an obscured path through the barricade. "A crazed animal is unlikely to nativagate that path." It would also only attack people and have no interest in destroying homesteads.

Sokka made a sound in the back of his throat. While he was inclined to agree with Zuko's assessment, he couldn't shake the traveller's words from the morning before - people attacking and eating each other. Was this fortification for animals? Or was for people. He too was busy weighing up his theories to notice Zuko make his way toward the path. A loud crash caught his attention and he turned to see Zuko fall into a pit trap.

"Not good," muttered Sokka running up to the pit and looking in.

Zuko had landed on his front among the charred remains in the pit. He found himself face to face with a burnt skull. The flesh was gone and the bone had cracks from the heat. He quickly guessed what he had landed on and could see more bodies around him.

"Zuko?"

He heard Sokka calling him but was too winded to answer immediately but as he moved to raise his hand, a sharp pain emanated from his left side causing him to gasp and cough as ash swirled around his face. Not wanting to breath in human ash, Zuko scrambled to his feet quicker than his bruised body would have liked.

"Zuko?" Sokka pressed.

He managed to raise his right hand and grunt a reply trying to catch his breath as his side throbbed with every breath. Sokka could see Zuko was struggling and he hoped he was just winded. He trotted round to where Zuko was leaning against the side and gave the pit a quick lookover. An earthbender had created the hole, the sides were too smooth and the pit was too square. It was also very deep, the lip was high above a person's reach.

"Anything broken?"

"Dunno," hissed Zuko.

"Bleeding anywhere?"

"No," answered Zuko. "My ribs…"

Sokka winced in sympathy. That added to their pit trap problem, Zuko wouldn't be able to get out the pit without a ladder or steps of some kind while abled bodied. Even with Sokka's help, the pit was too deep . He should have asked Toph to come with them but she had made her thoughts on meetings and discussions clear and he really hadn't anticipated this level of trouble. Honestly, he had expected some disgruntled generals plotting a coup in a backroom of someone's house. He was about to speak when he thought he saw movement to Zuko's right but when he looked all was still. And it was then he noticed what was burnt in the pit.

"Are those bodies?"

Zuko nodded trying to grapple with all the new information - the abandoned village, the fortification, the pit trap, the bodies, the burning of bodies, Sokka talking about people eating other people. Were they really up against some kind of monster?

Sokka seemed to be thinking along the same lines.

"I'm going to find a ladder and get you out then we're heading back to Yangyang."

He didn't hang around to see Zuko nod but headed further into the village. They had stumbled onto something bigger than they initially thought and were not equipment for it. They needed to get back to Yangyang and to the palace for reinforcements. It was not the plot they had initially thought, but someone could use the unrest the animal caused to stir up some trouble.

However, finding a ladder was proving to be difficult. Most wooded items had been broken, sharpened and staked into the ground around the village. Popping his head into a couple of houses offered little to help, table legs had been broken off and beds pushed up against doorways. He vaguely thought of trying to use the steps leading up to the houses but they would be impossible to move. He was wondering if Zuko would be able to handle a rope with injured ribs when he heard Zuko scream. He looked back to see the pit trap ablaze.