Here is the 21st full chapter in Book 5, released on time as promised. As with the last chapter, this is the other side of the resumption of the war after 2 years of fighting but from the other side of the battle and how they are seeing the progress that has been made so far. This is also the shortest chapter to this point in Book 5 and the shortest in a long time but that will be broken by the next chapter though I will explain why it's so short when I get it and the upcoming arc that will begin after this chapter. However, that is all I have for here though so I will leave this pre chapter note off here and as there isn't anything to respond to that means that it time to sit back, relax, and enjoy the 21st full installment of Avatar: The Tale of Harry. Book 5: Duty.

Disclaimer: As always I own nothing related to these two great works of fiction.

Chapter 21

"This can't go on any longer." Ekrizdis said angrily to his war council in the Eastern Air Temple as he slammed his fist into the table for emphasis. "We have to do something big and soon or else this war will drag on for years if not decades."

It was the night before the two-week ceasefire for Yangchen's Festival that had been agreed to in the first Peace Summit and Ekrizdis had gathered his inner circle for a meeting in his War Chamber as he called the council room. The war had been dragging on for two long years and it had not gone as he had wanted it to go. He knew that it was likely to be a war of attrition, but he'd not expected the amount of love and support the Avatar commanded.

How could a man who's eldest son had turned out to be the worst dictator and villain the world had seen since Sozin and who the Avatar had been forced to personally kill have this much support? Apparently few blamed Harry for James's crimes, something that Ekrizdis had overlooked in his planning, a rare error for him when he was planning something.

He'd expected many to flock to his cause once he made it clear that the Avatar was supporting the wrong claimant and that the World Leaders were just an elite cabal but that had not been the case. Sure, he'd gained a good number of volunteers and several ISEK states had sided with him, but they were all ones like Yi and Skrit who had issues with the Avatar's actions against them in the past and weren't the best support as most were poor or in Yi's case had mineral wealth that wasn't valuable at the moment to Ekrizdis.

Similarly, most of his volunteers had consisted of a strange mix of criminals looking for the pardon's he offered to those who would fight for him or to avenge themselves against the Avatar, and those who held neo-Purist, neo-Enlightened or Principate views and held the Avatar responsible for destroying their respective movements and their leaders. All but those with Principate views couldn't be called part of those groups as they were long dead with few left from those days, but they were sympathetic to them and saw the Airbending Civil War as a way to get vengeance.

The criminals had been placed under Pansy's charge and were doing well as they fought with unsavory, underhanded, and unexpected tactics that skirted the laws of war. The philosophical units as Ekrizdis called them had to be split up to avoid clashing and sent to various places. Those who held Purist views had been given to Blaise to train as he was one of the last true Purists alive, the Enlightened wannabees sent to protect the Northern Air Temple, and the Principate lot were used to protect the lands around the Temples, bolstered by the Northern Mercenaries ground units.

With the numbers he had gotten and a surprise attack at the same time as his broadcast Ekrizdis had expected to take the Southern Air Temple right at and begin the war with a show of strength. However, Davies had managed to counter his attack though the Southern Temple, though he had suffered a good number of casualties in that engagement, and the World Leaders had a chance to support Luna formally and remind the world of Harry's accomplishments.

It had led to an upswell of support for the Avatar from the nations and some of that support was well trained. Between former Southern Water Tribal soldiers, who were widely regarded as the best warriors in the world, almost all the Kyoshi Warriors and the Xidi Militia that had joined the Avatar at his request Luna could counter his greater numbers with greater skill. Add in that the majority of the private industries in Zaofu, though not all as a few had come to his side, had also joined the Avatar and they had the tech advantage.

That was why Ekrizdis had tried to take the Western Air Temple a few months later with a land assault on the cliffs only to be thrown back by the Xidi Militia there. Luna had used that to attack the Eastern Air Temple but by then Ekrizdis had gained more support and repelled them and killed her son in the process though no one survived that engagement. He didn't know who had killed Hugo and whoever had had likely died as well, but it was a good advantage to take out that false leaders son.

Shortly after that Brocklehurst had repelled an attack on the Northern Air Temple as well and the stalemate between the sides had been established. After failed attacks on all the Temples it became accepted that no one could successful attack one, especially after all the airships became used as home guards for the Temples.

That was what had led to the current way the war was fought, small scale skirmishes in the air. These occurred by attacking patrols around the Temples where they were out of range of the airships or on the supply convos that both sides used to transport supplies two and from the Air Temples they controlled as they had to use international airways and not the airways over the other nations. They could still trade with the other nations, but they couldn't fight when that happened to avoid bringing them into the war as it may be seen as interference with that nation's trade.

All this had frustrated Ekrizdis. He had waited all his life to become the Ekrizdis and had managed it at a young age, 20 years younger than the previous record holder Ekrizdis VII, and for what? 9 years of needed preparations only to be rebuffed by that fool Remus, something that had been expected, and the Avatar of his rightful claim. Then the other electors, other than the two sensible ones, had failed to see the light and declared war on him by electing Luna over him to lead them. That was why he'd tried to win it early but had failed and the war had become one of attrition.

At this rate it was very likely that the war would not end for many more years. They were losing soldiers true, but they replaced them at roughly the same rate. It was expensive but both sides had rich backers so they could fight on without much of a problem on that front as well. The only way this war was going to end soon was to either do something risky and big or for the other World Leaders to get involved but if they did without good reason there could very well be a full-scale world war again as all the nations broke out into civil wars due to their leaders illegally getting involved.

No Ekrizdis was going to do the former to win this. He had been planning this since the start of the war when the Southern Air Temple didn't get liberated from the aggressors who occupied it. It was his contingency plan and one that had taken two full years to mature before it could be used. He needed to lull his enemies into a false sense of security, and he needed the time to personally backchannel in the ISEK to get what he needed for it. He didn't fight on the front lines, so he had been able to do it and now it was finally time. All that he had left to do was to let his war council, his inner circle, in on it.

"What do you propose?" Pansy said looking at him. "I know you have a plan."

"That I do but I didn't want to do it unless we had been at war for two years." Ekrizdis said as he looked around his group of loyal supporters. "I was saving it just in case we failed to take the Southern Air Temple at the start of the war and this thing began to drag out."

"Does this have anything to do with why you have been secretly going to the ISEK over the last 18 months?" Edgecombe asked. "You've been preparing something there haven't you."

"Yes I have been spending time in the former Fire Colonies there." Ekrizdis said surprising them. "Under disguise of course but yes many of them are in United Republic territory which is hard for me to be in. Just as we have bounties on Luna, Harry, Ron, Ginny, Bexley, Davies, and other major players in the false Air Nation, they have bounties on all of us except Pansy and Insomnus who they don't know about as the Black Airbenders were black masks in battle. Fortunately, I haven't been caught."

"Clearly." Brocklehurst said. "So, what came of this?"

"The creation of an auxiliary force that is ready for deployment on my orders." Ekrizdis said surprising them again. "A total of 3,000 men and women descended from those who had their land taken either by the Fire Nation or Avatar Aang when he formed the United Republic. They do not like the Avatar, or they want the Fire Nation to pay for its past crimes, or both and they have willingly joined us in our righteous cause. They aren't well trained, more warm bodies but in war numbers usually win out."

"I get that, it isn't good but sometimes overwhelming numbers is how it goes." Blaise said. "So, what is the plan with these people? I take it my mercenaries are going to be part of it."

"Yes and all the Black Airbenders as well so Pansy will be leading them in the attack." Ekrizdis said. "This is going to be a trifold attack."

"It is an honor to lead it." Pansy said. "These skirmishes, while fun as I get to slowly cut and kill those who follow that cunt Luna who arrested me and sent me on this path, are not enough. Luna doesn't leave the Western Air Temple, she's no longer a frontline fighter so I haven't seen her yet. I will be the one to end that bitch's life."

"And this time you will get that chance." Ekrizdis said. "Because our target is the Western Air Temple, and you are personally charged with finding and killing Luna while there."

"It will be my pleasure." Pansy purred in a way that showed she was getting some sexual gratification from the idea which was disturbing on multiple levels. "I'll make sure she dies."

"I know you will." Ekrizdis said with a nod at his faithful servant.

"Wait you are planning another attack on the Western Air Temple?" Brocklehurst asked. "The last one failed and was our worst loss of the war."

"My worst lost." Blaise reminded them. "It was mainly the Northern Mercenaries that fought the Xidi Militia and while we took a good few of them with us they showed how their backwoods, inbred, rebel culture does breed a certain kind of fighter that is equal to me. Plus, their leader Dennis is no slouch and as a firebender he surprised us. Even a mudblood like him can occasionally do well."

"Sorry, it was more on you." Brocklehurst said with a bow of his head to Blaise. "But it was still a defeat that emboldened Luna to sanction the attack on this Temple."

"Which was easily repelled and served as their worst loss of the war." Ekrizdis said. "And led to the death of her own son which gave us a boost for a while. Similarly with Louis's death a few months back but they weren't enough. We need a decisive victory and I have it all planned out."

"Then continue." Edgecombe said eagerly, she'd really taken to the war and Ekrizdis's views, but he knew it was mainly for her own power as if they lost she'd be in prison, so she needed to be fully in it. "I take it that it will be a mix of the Black Airbenders, the Northern Mercenaries and this auxiliary unit but how will we win."

"In war, just as in any game, only the bold win and the bold take risks." Ekrizdis said simply. "So that is how we will win. We are going to take a huge risk with this, but it is already in the works, so we are going through with it."

"It is?" Blaise asked. "How?"

"I have sent an advance force to establish a secret path to the cliffs over the Temple." Ekrizdis said as he began to elaborate on his plan. "It is a stealth insurgency and will create as series of tunnels on the edge farthest from the Temple. They will slowly over the next two week excavate the tunnels so that the Northern Mercenaries can use them to attack the Temple directly bypassing the protected cliff itself, but I have a plan for that."

"Wait two weeks?" Brocklehurst asked as Ekrizdis watched his plan hit the older man. "You plan to attack on the day of the Festival?"

"I do." Ekrizdis said with a nod causing the others, with the exceptions of Pansy and Insomnus, to gasp in shock. "It is the perfect time to strike. They're guard will be down, and they will not expect the attack to come from within the rock because of how the last Western Assault happened."

"Wait all of this was part of your plan all along." Blaise said and Ekrizdis saw the recognition hit him. "The way we attacked was to make it look like that would be how we'd attack the Western Air Temple and by not attacking again you made it seem like we wouldn't try again because of how inaccessible the Western Air Temple is from the air."

"Correct." Ekrizdis said. "Our spies in that Temple have reported that the Avatar and those who can use Seismic Sense no longer use it frequently because of a lack of an attack on it and with how we have been respecting all the ceasefires to date, especially around the time of Yangchen's Festival, they don't use it then as we have held our word up to this point."

"We have held our word because of honor and the rules we laid out for this war at the first Summit." Edgecombe said. "If we break them then the other nations can get involved and we know that they support the Avatar and the false leader Luna."

"Honor is something noble fools use to make themselves feel important, you can't take it with you when you die." Pansy said scornfully. "It has no place in war, those who win do so by any means necessary."

"We are still acting in honor." Ekrizdis said to pacify Edgecombe and Brocklehurst. "We are defending the honor of the Air Nomad way of life by winning this war. Anything we do in order to accomplish that short of committing actual war crimes is within that honor. Plus, Avatar Yangchen understood that world was more than the Nomads and knew when to put aside things for the greater good, which we are going to win this war. She would smile upon us if she knew what we were doing because she would approve of this and be honored we were doing it on her festival day that celebrates her life and the peace it gave us. By doing this we will ensure peace for generations to come."

"Very well, if you believe that Yangchen would approve then I can accept this." Edgecombe said showing her clear deference to Ekrizdis. "And of anyone you would know as you have seen her writings that were saved by Ekrizdis I."

"I have read them extensively as she was a hero to me, and I try to model my life after her as best I can." Ekrizdis said fudging things a little, but it was for the good of the Air Nomads, so it was acceptable to do so. "I was seen as a scholar of hers and Guru Lahima so I know she would approve of my claim and plan."

"Alright then I can get behind the attack as well." Brocklehurst said agreeing as well but Ekrizdis could hear the reluctance in his voice and made sure to keep an eye on him as he was the one he was most concerned about as Brocklehurst's loyalty might crack if they lose ground. "But I am still worried about breaking the rules."

"The rules were made to set a guideline, attacking during the Festival is within them as far as I am concerned because we will recognize the ceasefire before it." Ekrizdis said. "My interpretation of the rules we set out is that the ceasefire ends at the end of Yangchen's Festival and not the next day as they say that they extent to the end of the Festival. That means that we will attack the moment it ends as the rules allow it."

"That is a more literal interpretation but one I can agree with." Edgecombe said with a nod of her head. "But I doubt the Avatar and the other World Leaders will see it that way."

"I will make a statement once we take the Western Air Temple that it was in lines with the agreement as the attack was when the Festival ended here therefore the ceasefire was over the moment it ended for us hence the legitimacy of the attack." Ekrizdis said. "But it won't matter regardless."

"And why not?" Brocklehurst asked.

"Because we will have effectively won by that point." Ekrizdis said simply. "Luna will be dead at least, so too will Ron."

"You think that we can kill the Red Wolf?" Blaise asked. "He's considered the greatest warrior of the South since Sokka, it is why he earned the name after Hermione's defeat and he's the only one who's not been, or not going to be, their false Chief to earn it. The only warrior considered to have come close to him is the false Chief Dominique herself and she too has an honorific because of her skills and service in the Principate War."

"And how do you know that?" Pansy asked. "I thought you hated the South because they are blood traitors and illegitimate."

"They are both and that is why I refer to them as false Chiefs, but any good commander knows their enemy and after my father was arrested I made sure that I knew them." Blaise countered. "When Ron was announced as the Red Wolf I discovered that only Hakoda who was known as the Great Wolf, and Sokka who was the Wise Wolf had earned the highest honor in the South. To do so you need to show extreme skill in battle and either great leadership or tactics. It was the former that prevented William from becoming officially known as the Scarred Wolf though he is still sometimes referred to it. The only other Wolf is the She-Wolf, the honorific that Dominique earned."

"Yes and she certainly earned it, but we do not need to worry about the She-Wolf." Ekrizdis pointed out. "Which is good because she is a fearsome warrior who's mere presence on a battlefield galvanizes her soldiers, especially because she leads from the front. She will go down as one of the greatest Chiefs the South has ever had but she is unable to fight so we are good there. As for the Red Wolf, well I hope that you can handle him Blaise."

"Me?" Blaise asked. "I am good sure but in a one on one with Ron, I don't know. We are the same age and have had the same lifetime of training so it can go either way if we face off."

"Well, I want you leading the Northern Mercenaries in this battle as I am sending half of your forces." Ekrizdis said. "Along with the entire force of Black Airbenders and the auxiliaries. That is over 7,000 troops attacking. The Western Air Temple has a total of 5,000 troops defending it. We can take it and if you hold back and attack Ron when he's tired and you're still fresh you should have a chance."

"In that case I could beat him yes and if so I will kill him." Blaise said with a nod of agreement. "And my forces against the Kyoshi Warriors and ANDF in the Temple should be an even match so long as Pansy's force can cause mayhem all around it."

"Oh, we excel at that." Pansy said with a grin. "Trust us, we will make sure of it."

"As I expect." Ekrizdis said. "And with the auxiliaries holding up the Xidi Militia on the cliffs we will win."

"But what about the airships guarding it?" Brocklehurst asked. "They are still a concern for us. We can attack like this, but we can't get the Black Airbenders in without aerial support as they will likely go for the canyon as they can use it due to the wind currents that blow through it."

"You are right which is where the true risk comes in." Ekrizdis said. "I am ordering half the airships from the Northern and Eastern Temples, which based on numbers will match the Western Air Temple, to engage them from two sides. The ones from this Temple will approach from the east by going over the great ocean and the ones from the North will come down from, well, the north. They will also fly at a higher than usual altitude for the last bit to use the clouds and drop bombs that our Zaofu supporters have made us onto the airships of our enemies and the cliff itself to target the Xidi Militiamen there."

"That could work." Blaise said though Brocklehurst didn't look comforted by it. "And what about their planes? We can't use planes, not at high altitudes like that, only hummingbirds dropped by the airships."

"You have seismic sense users right?" Ekrizdis asked. "Ones who can help with the tunnels and run interference on the Avatar just in case he or his supports try it."

"Of course, I do, I can detail them to you right after this." Blaise confirmed. "And I take it they can be used to find the hanger that Harry no doubt created for the planes that are house in the Western Air Temple."

"Correct." Ekrizdis said. "I want a unit to go and destroy it, as well as one to free our prisoners and arm them to bolster our forces. Can you do that?"

"I can." Blaise said with a nod. "They will be ready within 24 hours."

"Good then that is settled." Ekrizdis said with a grin. "When the bombs drop, followed by our hummingbirds and the Black Airbenders who will be on the airships, that will be the start of the battle. The moment you hear the explosions Blaise, burst out and attack the Temple proper and kill any who try to fight you, along with your other missions, but don't harm the noncombatants. Pansy's team will run interference so that there is pure chaos in the Temple. Lastly the auxiliaries will be sent to destroy the Xidi Militia."

"And this will work?" Brocklehurst asked still a little worried. "I am concerned for Temple defense."

"Do not worry, the Northern Air Temple is hard to attack from the Southern Air Temple which will be the only one able to counter it." Ekrizdis said. "And they won't because Davies will have to bolster his defenses once we take the Western Air Temple and bring it back into the fold by liberating it from those currently occupying it. To assuage your worries though I will make sure that once the airships are done with their mission they return to their base Temples."

"Thank you that does help." Brocklehurst said with a nod of his head. "And I do see how this would work. My last concern though is the Avatar, he won't go down easy and will likely flee if he has to as he knows that he must survive the battle. Add in the timing of the attack and he will try to use it to claim we broke a ceasefire, and the World Leaders can come to his aid now."

"He is a high priority and if we do kill him we have won this war, but I do not expect that as history and fate has dictated that I must face him in this war." Ekrizdis admitted. "He is the most annoying part. However, if we kill Luna, Ron, and Ginny then he will be too distraught to do anything, and we will have cut the head off the main defenders. Add in Bexley, Dennis, and Quirke and we will have destroyed them. All they will have left is the Avatar, Davies, and the Southern Air Temple. We will have 3 Temples and I will make sure my attack is seen as legal by the general public to keep the other nations in check. With that, we can actually have peace on the only acceptable terms I have for it."

"When you put it like that then I can see this working." Brocklehurst said and Ekrizdis knew that he was finally coming around to what was about to happen. "I can agree to this plan. We take the Western Air Temple and remove the threats there and this war is ours."

"I am with you until the end Ekrizdis." Edgecombe said, her loyalty and commitment to the cause was something Ekrizdis didn't have to worry about because he knew she meant her words. "In two weeks', time the Western Air Temple will be protected from the evil that currently resides there and returned to the true Nomads and our true leader. Then it will only be a matter of time before the Southern Air Temple capitulates and Davies surrenders to us. Then we can bring back the neutrals and the rightful ruler, the Ekrizdis, will finally restore the Air Nomads after 305 years."

"And I will do just that, you have my world." Ekrizdis said with a grin.

"I am behind you." Pansy said. "I swore my fealty to you when you saved me and opened my eyes, my bending and life is yours and I will continue to serve you until my dying breath, as will Insomnus."

"You're paying me well and I don't like the Avatar so me and my mercenaries are behind you until the end of the war." Blaise said as Insomnus just nodded at Pansy's words. "But I must get ready for this coming battle so if that is all I will take my leave."

"That is, you are all dismissed to return to your tasks." Ekrizdis said. "And begin our own preparations for Yangchen's Festival, I intend to honor her and pray for her guidance during the Festival, and we must keep up appearances."

"It will be done." Edgecombe said as she rose. "By your leave Ekrizdis."

"This meeting is over." Ekrizdis said dismissing them.

The others just nodded as they rose, or in Insomnus's case floated higher and left or flew out the window to attend to their tasks leaving Ekrizdis alone in the room. He just smiled as they left. Everything was going according to plan and he knew that it would work. It was a risky move, one that had taken 2 years and thousands of lives on both sides to accomplish but in two weeks' time he would launch his final major assault of the war and take the Western Air Temple. Then, at last, the Airbending Civil War would be over.

A nice little place to end the chapter as we get a bit of a catch up of what Ekrizdis has been up to during the war, his views on it, and his plans for the future. As y'all can tell, the next arc is about to explode as the war shifts into a new focus. However, that is all I really have for you at this point, stay tuned for the next arc to begin in earnest. However, that is all I have for y'all so I will leave this chapter off here. As always any questions in PMs or reviews will be answered before the start of the next chapter (as well as replied to if possible). Please follow, favorite and review, all are greatly appreciated. Until next week.

Stringdog