Responses to Reviews:

Phieillydinyia: It's a good question. I hope all will become clear soon.

RonaldM40196867: The world of Avatar, at least in the era of the Hundred Years' War, doesn't strike me as an especially capitalist society, and so I would have to say no, they don't have shopping centres. (Yet.)

As Always, Please Review, and we pick up the story with our heroes being picked up by a Fire Army scout unit...

Bumi sighed as they trudged through the valley, the sounds of marching clearly audible in the distance.

"If you want, I can get us there a lot faster," he offered to the scouting officer.

"My apologies if I don't trust your earthbending," the man replied. "You could throw us off at high speed or something."

"Alright," Bumi conceded, "but it wouldn't have been my fault if you couldn't hold on."

The man scowled at him.

After getting himself and Amisha captured by the Fire Nation, Bumi was on his way to meet their General, the man responsible for smashing the army of Omashu just a few days prior.

"So, this general of yours," Amisha asked. "What's he like?"

"Shut up, peasant!" One of the men shouted, but the commander motioned at him to be quiet.

"If she wants to know the man who will conquer her home, so be it."

"Well?"

"Where to begin? He's an excellent soldier, he has decades of experience and he treats us well. He's about the best general we could ask for."

"And about the worst for us," Bumi added.

"Precisely," the officer gave him a wry smile. "Why are you so interested anyway?"

"I have a proposition for him," Bumi said. "I suppose it would pay to know whether he would be inclined to accept."

"And how do we know this isn't an assassination attempt?"

"If I wanted him dead, I wouldn't have allowed you to take us prisoner," Bumi retorted.

"Bold of you to assume you allowed us to do anything," the Officer replied haughtily.

Once again, the group fell into silence, as the Officer led them up a slope. By now, the sound of marching was incredibly loud, and once they reached the top of the hill, and got a good look at the road, the reason became clear.

A huge column of troops was advancing down the road towards them, a river of red that extended off into the distance. Either side of them, men on Komodo Rhinos sat with spears, keeping an eye out for any threats. This was the Fire Army tasked with taking Omashu, and Bumi had never seen anything so awe-inspiring.

But, of course, it was awe-inspiring in the same way an avalanche is awe-inspiring, he reminded himself; it was still dangerous and he needed to stop it.

The Officer led them down the hill towards the line of men, and on their approach they were spotted by one of the cavalrymen. He shook the reins and his steed bounded over towards them.

"Halt!" He barked. "Who goes there!"

"Sergeant Li, commanding officer of the 32nd Firelord's Scouting Battalion," the Officer replied. "We have prisoners, important prisoners, from Omashu who have asked for an audience with the General."

The cavalryman looked down at them for a second, considering what he had just said. Then he turned his Komodo-Rhino round.

"Alright then," he said. "Follow me."

Together, they began to move down the line of troops, moving in the opposite direction to the flow of men. Many of them have Bumi weird looks as he passed by, and Bumi knew he had to look like an enemy in his ornate Earth Kingdom armour. A few jeers even floated towards him, but beyond that there was no trouble from the rank and file. Likewise, the rest of the cavalry did not bother them as their escort took them towards the general.

Bumi looked over to Amisha, to see how she was getting on; their eyes met, and Amisha gave him an almost imperceptible nod.

Eventually, a golden litter came into view, about halfway down the column.

"Is that him?" Bumi asked.

"No, it's the army cook," the Scout Officer replied sarcastically. "Of course it's him!"

The cavalryman escorting them had ridden ahead, and eventually slotted into the formation alongside the litter. He knocked on the door and Bumi saw it open a sliver. The cavalryman said something inaudible through the door and immediately a hand came through it and made a signal. The litter moved to the side of the road and the bearers put it down.

The man who now stepped out of the litter was much younger than Bumi had been expecting. He seemed to be in his late thirties or early forties, and was clean shaven, although he had thick dark hair that was clearly visible under his helmet. He was dressed in armour that was entirely black, except for the edges of the individual plates that made it up, which were gold. A large golden flame symbol adorned the front of his breastplate.

"I didn't know they had uniforms that colour," Bumi told Amisha. The cavalryman pointed towards them, and the general began to stride in their direction.

"I hope you've got your speeches rehearsed," the Officer said in Bumi's ear. "And don't even think about any funny business."

"Sergeant!" The general spoke for the first time. "I understand you've brought prisoners for me!"

"Yes, sir!" Li bowed. "We picked them up travelling alone through the mountains towards us."

"Really?" The general stroked his chin. "So, either you're stupid enough to think you can win with just two of you, or there's something else at play here. Which is it?"

Bumi stepped forward, and bowed. "My name is Bumi," he began. "I am now the next in line to the throne of Omashu, and I have a proposition for you."

"You think you are in any position?" The general laughed. "You don't know who you are talking to. I am the Black Prince of the Fire Nation, I don't need you."

"I know the defences of my city," Bumi insisted. "I sat on the councils left in charge while the army came to fight you, after all. Omashu's walls are still as strong as ever, despite the failure of our armies."

"Really, and what do you suggest?"

"I can get you in," Bumi said immediately.

"It's treason, then?"

"Yes," Bumi replied. "But on one condition."

"Two conditions!" Amisha butted in.

"Alright, two conditions. First, that I be put in charge of the city when you take it. I want to be your representative in Omashu."

"You mean puppet," the Black Prince pointed out. "Why would you want to do this, anyway?"

"The present king is an idiot who hates me," Bumi immediately said. "His downfall would be immensely satisfying to me."

"I'm glad to hear it, but what's your second condition?"

Bumi opened his mouth to answer, and realised he didn't know. He turned to Amisha. "Well, what is it?"

"You will treat the city well when you take it!" Amisha stated. "No looting, no massacres."

The Black Prince had the temerity to look offended at that.

"Please," he said. "We are the Firelord's finest, we do not indulge in simple butchery of civilians."

Bumi remembered Aang, but said nothing. "I'm glad to hear it."

"Alright," the general said after some consideration. "I don't think I'll be giving away any vital military secrets when I say that we have often struggled taking Earth Kingdom cities and forts because of their walls, so if you can get us in then we grant your demands."

Bumi bowed, suppressing a smile. "You won't regret it."

"You won't regret it, sir," The Black Prince corrected. "You're in the Fire Army now. Act like it."

"I'm sorry sir," Bumi had no problem swallowing his pride for the sake of the ruse.

"We shall accomplish great things together," the Black Prince declared. "You get a crown, and I get another victory to my name in the history books."

"We must be reading different history books," Bumi observed. The General looked at him, anger flaring in his eyes. "And what do you mean by that?"

"Oh, nothing," Bumi immediately rushed to soothe him. "It's just the education system in Omashu doesn't really cover Fire Nation victories.

"I suppose," the Black Prince conceded. "In that case, you'll need to learn."

He turned to walk back to the litter.

"Tell our new friends about my career," he shouted over his shoulder. "And begin with the attack on the Southern Air Temple!"