Ziggy's Corner: Okay, chapter seven, here we go! 15 reviews now, KOOL!
A few days after the Battle of Tara Gulf Sozen marched forward with his men, taking and burning the first of many villages in their way. None of them had any kind of materials needed to aide their ships at sea, and the food they took wasn't very good either. The Fire Lord began to understand why this nation was so interested in the events of his own country.
"My lord," a captain shouted, riding up next to him on his wolsh, a large, gray canine like animal used as a mount by the Fire Nation. "Sire, the advance units you sent yesterday report a major city just a few miles from here. They say it's heavily guarded, and that most of the citizens have been asked to leave by General Gai, but the prize is worth trying to pluck."
"How many units are on this land already?" Sozen snapped.
"About six hundred men so far, sire," he said. "We're expecting the forty third to arrive within two days though," he said, wanting to shift his weight, but knowing it would throw his mount into a fit.
Sozen thought carefully. The forty third division was fresh, and full of raw recruits, but they were recruits that numbered four times what he already had at his disposal. And no doubt that Gai had at least five thousand men at his disposal. "This city, are there any mountains or hills around it?"
"Not from what we have heard, sire," but there is a ford just east of it, one that makes for a good defensive position." The captain watched the men march passed and pulled out his papers, studying them. "Lieutenant Rajak has some artillery he could place by this area here," he said, running his finger along a medium sized part of the river. "I've also taken the liberty of commanding Sergeant Iswara's cavalry unit to take this small forest, just southeast of the city, and wait for my signal."
"That won't be enough," Sozen said. He studied the map and stroked his chin. "I want the second and third divisions here," he pointed to an area, "and have Major Makara bring up her artillery units over here, on the other side."
"My lord; that piece of land is not easily defensible," the captain said frowning.
"My cousin is not just going to send out his force to fight us," Sozen snapped. "We have to do something to make him come out, or bring out a small fraction of his force so we can take them out easier. Otherwise he'll bring in more soldiers, and we will never take that city." He looked at the map again, "This prize is too important to ruin with constant gun fire. We need it as intact as we can possibly get it."
"Yes my lord," he said with a nod. "I'll see to your instructions with the utmost haste." He left, and Sozen was yet alone once more. The dark king's eyes scanned the landscape, at the beautiful trees decorated with olive green leaves, a fresh sent of pine filled the air, and animals peeked around from their boroughs and holes to look at these newcomers to the land. The rivers were fresh and the water sweet to the taste. But Sozen could not see any of this. His hatred and lust for power, for land, and more subjects to enforce his view of what world peace was.
His army moved forward like a massive destructive serpent, until they had reached the city. He smiled as he looked at it. It was just as his agents had said. It was the largest city he had come across yet. Dozens of factories just for the ripe for the taking, factories that could easily be made to create new weapons and ammunition for his fleet on the east coast. The buildings were made of stone and granite, but had a light yellow haze to them. Their windows were light blue and frosted, pushed far back from the walls, so that no one could properly see into them. Sozen smiled.
"Captain," he roared. The captain road up to him, and he saluted. "I want you to have a message sent down to our ships in the southern coast. Have them travel back to the Fire Nation, and bring in some reinforcements. I want this city at all costs. Once we take it, we'll cement our holding in this land forever."
"Yes my lord," he nodded. Once his captain road off, and made preparations for the news to be."
Another officer road up to the king and saluted. "Sire, would you like to send a message to General Gai, issuing surrender?"
"Try," he chuckled, "I doubt that he will agree, but if it makes the men more secure in that knowledge that we tried a peaceful solution, then I give you permission." The other man nodded and road off, and Sozen stroked his chin, resting on a log.
He knew that there was no way Gai would agree to surrender, especially since his force was so very minute compared to his cousin's. But this was an encounter he had long dreamed of, and no doubt Gai had dreamed of for a very long time. It would not have surprised him for Gai to have attacked at once, had this city not needed guarding. Sozen frowned, his cousin had forced his hand yet again, had forced him to go on the offensive, while he sat in his mansion, all nice and cozy, waiting and preparing for the onslaught.
The weeks that followed saw more and more men on both sides huddle around the city, and there was no doubt in anyone's mind, that this would truly be the first major land based battle of the war. In the city, called Bhisma, there were over thirty thousand men, waiting for the attack to take place, while outside, Sozen had rallied over twenty-five thousand of his best troops. It was make or break time for the Fire Lord. Should he lose this fight, he would lose one fourth of his fighting corps, and the best of the best at that. It would take years for him to recoup from a loss like that, and could swing the pendulum to crush his country to ribbons. Should he win, it would be a major loss for his enemies, but no so major that they could not rally back from it. However; their faith in Gai would be gone, and his cousin would not be able to rally from it so quickly.
There were a few minor encounters, just as he thought. Gai had sent some troops to take the land Major Makara had occupied, and were dashed as her artillery and some cavalry units had pushed them back, but not without losses of their own. At one point Gai sent out a large chunk of his army, and forced his cousin to flee for a smaller village, until reinforcements could come. Why he hadn't been wise enough to push the offensive, Sozen did not know, but he wasn't about to split hairs. Gai's foolishness would end up giving Sozen Bhisma on a silver platter.
Around the globe the conflict spread. The southern water tribes were in absolute arms against his forces, and the Earth Nation's navy and his own vied for smaller islands between their respective nations. The Air Nation had decided to use what they could to help in the Water Nation's defense, but either could not, nor would not aide in the Earth Kingdom's case.
And there was news about the home front. Without their king, the people turned toward the bureaucrats for rule, and Sozen had been forced to return, just for a week to deal with that problem. He set up a temporary citizen's government, lead by shadow puppets who would answer only to him, and returned to the front with fifteen thousand troops, ready for combat.
On the eastern front, the Earth Sages allied with a few Water Nation ships crushed his blockade, and were now rebuilding the temple, much to his dismay. His men had fought diligently, but not carefully enough, and so his fleet was dealt a heavy blow. He was determined to make those responsible pay for that loss.
"My lord," his captain said, rushing up to him, his breathe hard and labored, his eyes dilated. "My lord, it has begun."
Sozen opened his mouth to ask exactly what had begun, when he could hear men and women cry, and hear the blast of hundreds of flames heading toward the city. "Who authorized this?" the Fire Lord snapped. "We weren't supposed to attack for another week in a half!"
"I know my lord, but some of the men became restless over the night, as they claimed the saw a large attachment enter the city from the rear, and then a few hours ago, they claimed they could see movement, as if the defending army was beginning an attack of their own." He swallowed and looked away from his king's angry glare. "The officers tried their best to stop them, but the soldiers began firing at the city, and then your cousin ordered his own men to attack."
Sozen swore and looked at the battlefield. He hadn't wanted the battle like this, but that could not be helped. It was here, and he was now needed. "Get my mount," he said.
The battlefield was covered with bodies, blood oozing into the ground at a rapid rate. In one minute, there were over eight thousand casualties combined from both sides. Sozen continued to fight, watching his forces take some ground, and lose it. A glimmer of movement caught his eye, and he turned and smiled as he saw his cousin slamming flames at his own countrymen and women. Sozen turned his mount and clenched his broadsword tight, his heart matching his stead's hoof beats. He slashed Earth Nation soldier left and right, each second bringing him closer to his enemy, to Gai. His blade shone with dark energy, its dark orange metal gleaming in the sun's light. His cousin turned and looked, and side flipped out of Sozen's way, knocking him off his stead with a blast of hot air.
Sozen landed, listening to the cries of the angry and injured, and kept his glance at his cousin. "So, it all comes down to this," he growled.
"You talk about me like I'm the lord of Bosing Se," Gai sneered as he held a massive weapon of dark red violet. "I'm flattered."
"Someone of your ego always is," Sozen snarled. The two charged at each other, and metal smashed against metal, sending sparks flying from one end of the field to the other. Back and forth they weaved, parrying and countering each other's attacks, testing for strengths and weaknesses. "Fancy blade, you friend, the Earth Lord have it made for you?"
"Always jealous of things bigger than yours, aren't we?" Gai cackled. "I hear things are falling apart in your kingdom, that people are starting to call for reform, for a new king," he smiled and lowered his head, "or the return of an old one."
"You my dear cousin are as deluded now, as you were stupid when you borrowed my throne for a time," Sozen said. He twirled in the air and flung his blade behind his shoulder, catching his cousin's no-dashi blade. It was three feet longer than his own, and weighed a good ten pounds more than his, but it wasn't meant for a long sword fight, that was to Sozen's good fortune. Gai's sword was more for hacking and slashing than stabbing or running through an opponent. True he could use it to keep Sozen farther at bay than Sozen could with him, but all he had to do was look for an opening, and Gai would be dead.
Sozen had another advantage to this fight. His blade was a one handed sword, while his cousin's was a two handed blade. This could allow him to pull out a knife, or use his free hand for Fire Bending, if he wanted to. He smiled and rushed forward, swinging with his blade, and connecting with flesh as he caught Gai's wrist. His cousin screamed in pain, and dropped the blade, but not before he caught his cousin's cheek with it, and dropped Sozen.
The two armies seemed oblivious at first to their leaders, until a dud cannon ball landed near their bodies. At once fighting ceased, and shocked and horrified eyes fell on the two bodies. No one seemed to know what to do, and in that instant, the Earth Benders rushed for the safety of their city, a unit of their own cavalry raced by and scooped up Gai off the ground, and disappeared into the fortress city, into safety.
The Fire Nation soldiers looked at their fallen king, and felt panic rise in their chests. Every inch of their fiber told them to run, to head back to the ships, to flee to the safety of their homes, but a cry echoed through the sky that held them in place.
"We will not fly this day, though we retreat," it said in a gurgled tone. "Take the injured back to the village, and tend to their wounds. Then we will come back and make the Earth Nation suffer for their insolence; that is your king's promise."
They looked at the crumbled form of their king and blinked. It looked as if he was dead, but they understood that he was simply stunned, and perhaps severely injured. But he was alive, and if he was alive then so was his will, and if he meant to stay and fight, then so would they.
The captain rushed to his liege and carefully turned him on his back. His eyes grew wide. "My lord," he muttered.
Sozen looked up at him, blood flowing into his right eye, his face cut nearly in half, and he scowled. "We will never retreat," he groaned, his eyes full of hate. "Is that clear, captain. Even if the entire population of the Fire Nation has to invade to take justice for the day, we will never retreat. We will smash our enemies even if it takes us a thousand years!"
Okay, that's chapter seven. Chapter eight takes place five years after this, and Sozen decides its time to turn his deadly gaze on the Air Nation. The Air Benders are about to be betrayed, and their darkest hour is quickly arriving. Okay, reviewer time!
1225491: Thank you for your very kind words! I'm glad you are enjoying this work so far, and I hope you enjoy these chapters as well.
These chapters will probably be submitted a little after Christmas Day, but I hope to have it in before the 6th of January, as that is one day after the Christmas season actually ends. December 25-January 5, the twelve days of Christmas, it was actually celebrated like that in medieval times, a tasty tidbit for you trivia fans.
Okay I just wanted you all to know that I had gotten a cold earlier this month, and now my monitor is really nasty, it looks like it is going to fall right off, and the computer repair guy simply made things worse. I'll try to update as soon as possible, maybe in May, but do not hold me to that, as my time is not my own in updates. I just promise to do the best that I can.