Disclaimer
I do not own any of the characters, names, or ideas from Avatar: The Last Airbender. They are trademarked by Nick. I do however claim ownership to all my original characters.
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Zuko's Redemption
Ch. 1 On the Walls of Lao Song
The calm breeze blew the unbearably hot air through the ruffled dark hair of the watching sentry. He stood in a leaning poster, resting his chin in his hand. His hands were long and veined, slightly wrinkled and gnarled from his duties as a watchman. He stood atop of the weathered walls surrounding the shell of the once mighty trade city Lao Song. The sentry however, had long ago learned the necessary skills for passing the time during watch. He let his mind drift away and his imagination whir as his eyes fell upon the road running parallel and just outside of the wall.
One hundred years ago, the road had connected Lao Song to Ba Sing Se, bringing desert riches of gold, spices, and minerals to the Earth Kingdom capital. The road ran along the edges of the Si Wu oasis, providing the largest fresh water source, and only reliable one, in the Si Wong Desert. The muffled still air drove fatigue upon the sentry; his eyes began to droop as he continued the game.
The road no longer faded away into the sand with its broken remnants just stones and weathered rocks. Instead, the mighty and majestic Ba Sing Se Highway stretched far into the distance, over the rolling dunes to the north and on across the vast Earth Kingdom to the high walls of the capital. To the south it continued onto the vast plain of Si Wong as far as a man could walk in three days time, until it ran through the Dragon's Pass in the Kiliku Mountains to the great southern seaports. Between the Kiliku Mountains and the northern edge of the great desert was only one haven for weary travelers, Lao Song.
He imagined the caravans of all creatures coming up the road, the ostrich riding traders ringing goods from the southern water tribe to exchange for spices and Earth Kingdom crafted bricks. However, almost all of the goods that went to Ba Sing Se were exclusively water tribe jewelry. The traders would wait for hours, sometimes outside the gate just to check in with the watch so that they could go and procure rest and replenish their supplies. The dialects and accents flew in the air, a symphony of human culture gathered in one place. Ba Sing Se may be the ruling city for the Kingdom, but here in the south and the Si Wong Desert, Lao Song was king.
The decaying walls and minarets stood proud again, tall and unblemished, like fingers reaching towards the sky, waving a peaceful greeting for travelers, and a sword for would be robbers and attackers. The market district was full of life again, the open air market full of fantastic beasts, smells of meat and vegetables, and vendors calling out, selling all manners of goods, luxuries, and services.
The mighty palace at the center of the city stood strong and beautiful representing the Earth Kingdom Prince's power and extravagance. The gardens surrounded it, fed directly by the springs that supplied the oasis created a sea of colors with a green background, which led to the reddish hues of the enormous sandstone building. What would it have been like, the sentry wondered, to climb the stairs leading to the palace one hundred –
"Watchman Yu! Do you not know your duties as a sentry of the Lao Song guard!?"
The sentry snapped immediately awake and to attention as the captain of the guard marched over with a face turned fuchsia in anger.
"What was your assignment Watchman Yu?"
"To watch over the Ba Sing Se Highway for friend and foe alike."
"And were you following orders, Watchman Yu?" asked the guard rhetorically.
"Well sir, I'm not as young as I used to be, and the sun warmed me…"
His voiced trailed off into silence. The glare from the Captain of the Guard became livid with contempt.
"Watchman, don't you know constant vigilance is needed to protect our mighty city from Fire Nation as well as thieves! Just because your part of the civilian watch program doesn't mean you aren't subject to me. While you serve under me, you will be attentive! Am I understood?"
"Very clear, sir."
"Back to your duties."
The young captain strode off, arrogance seething out in every step. Watchman Yu sighed. "If only he knew how great our city was," he sighed. The watchman looked out to the road, more of a trail now, which held only a few spots close to the gate where the stonework still held true. His eyes wounded with the road until it came to the city gate. He couldn't help but notice how desolate his homeland had become. The Market District and the three residential districts were all that was fully inhabited of the original fifteen. The mighty desert beetle symbol, the emblem of Lao Song, looked down from its fixture on the minarets, surveying the strong willed, but bleak population of the city. The watchman could remember his grandfather's stories of old.
He was already losing himself in another of his daydreams when the wind blew again and as sand hit his eye. As the tears welled up and distorted his vision he heard another of the guard yell, "Smoke! Fire! Off the Western Wall!"