The last of the air temples collapsed under the might of the fire nation invasion, the resistance been pathetically little. The air nation never shown the foresight of investing in a standing army and now their folly showed. One or two small flurries of activity displayed some futile last attempts of the nations survival, and yet no Avatar had been found.
The cycle should have continued on as it always had, an Avatar should have been born to the Air Nomads. Was it possible that there was a single remaining Air Temple left to be discovered, had they not scoured the globe in their search? Perhaps there was no Avatar, could the cycle have discontinued?
These questions concerned Hsiang more than his superiors. He had sited the problem to them weeks before, his fear that with a remaining Avatar outside of the Fire Nations control, problems could emerge. Hsiang had been mocked for his lack of faith in the military. The powers that were doubted any real threat toward their nation and that was their biggest flaw.
Hsiang had been made to sit out on the final battle because of fear that he was a sympathizer and a rebel. No proof had been found against him, but that didn't matter anymore these days. Hsiang had seen many of his friends seized for speaking something treasonable. It was now apparently a serious crime to suggest that the Fire Nation's way of life was not the only way. Of course it wasn't considered a crime to say that if you lived in the Earth, or Water nations, but then Hsiang lived in the Fire Nation.
The last of the flames lifted an air bender clean into the air and spun him over the abyss. The bender made no effort to correct his fall and was clearly not coming back after the landing. The Fire Nations victory was complete. Hsiang knew that next would come the award ceremony in which the on looking generals would award those whose valor had been noteworthy, and then would come the official rising of the flag.
Hsiang was disgusted at the pompousness of the festivities and turned to re-enter the ship. He was caught warningly by an Admiral who stared searchingly into the young Hsiang's eyes, then released. Hsiang told himself that he had done nothing which could warrant reprimand as he allowed the door to close behind him.
The Admiral had merely been trying to remind him of his place in society, like he needed reminding. Hsiang been born of humble birth had joined the army in the hopes of bringing glory to his family name. His family had been builders and during the peace times found it difficult to make a living while earth benders created structures within the Fire Nation's territories of equal splendor to that of his father. The cost of hand labor was not appreciated and with benders been available for hire, that meant his father found it hard to compete. Those who Hsiang's father served had always been strongly nationalist and openly spat out the names of non-fire nation nationals. Without their spite and hatred Hsiang's family would have starved years ago. Since the war began his father had found more work, but Hsiang knew that a day would come soon when Earth Nation slaves would take over the industry again.
The ship was not the kind designed to sail on waves. The prow of the ship was designed to sit on it's side and roll. The floor ran straight and the cured upwards towards a second door which, from Hsiang's current angle appeared to be on the ceiling. The boat had been set above the Air Nation's land and boarded sideways before been rolled over the edge. Strong hooks had prevented a sudden plunge into the bottomless depths and a series of relays lowered the vessel downward to a good vantage point of the field of conflict.
Hsiang had seen the fall of the Air Nomads but had not believed it. He was not willing to accept the destruction of the Avatar and knew that he or she was still a danger to his families way of life. The commanders were blinded by the power of office, it would be him to prevent the Avatar's vengeance.
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