A/N: An update... one day after a previous update. Unheard of you say. Well believe it. You guys are that awesome. It is to commemorate the wonderful finale of my weekend. Enjoy it cause I have no idea when the next chapter will be up. :) sorry for any typos and review!
Disclaimer: I own only this story, but not a lot of the characters in it. Those belong to the people who own Avatar (those wonderful, wonderful people who made all of this possible). So don't sue... you will get all that I own which is exactly nothing except my I LOVE MORGAUSE pins and I will bloody fight you for those.
Previously on Events Unexpected…
Kaji's hit took out the majority of the seal, the only part left being the small lower sweep of the circle encompassing the interior design and some bits of the wave furrows scratched with the precision of generations of skilled hands. Within mere moments it was gone as though it had never existed. The rest of the firebenders aimed lower than the one before, forming a sort of columnar gap in the large aegis.
Kaji stood on slightly shaky legs as she assessed her work. Her victims were either incapacitated or had been securely sent on their way to the arms of Tui and La in the Spirit World. Her men were also just about finishing up with the measly battalions that had been sent to face them. Only about ten benders were still on their feet and they were quickly retreating to the second wall.
"Secure the lower town," she called. "Then get the rest of the men in here so that we can begin the assault on the upper divisions tomorrow. We will take the capital in stages. No use to overextend ourselves before the bulk of our forces has been organized."
The North Water Tribe throne room seemed to have taken on a bluer tinge than it usually had, even though the color had always spanned the majority of the room. A thundering waterfall fell into rippling and frothing pools of water before they evened out and flowed to circumference the columns of ice that held up large, intricately carved beams depicting three phases of the moon; waxing gibbous, full, and waning gibbous. The inlet of the tumbling vortex of the element of life was flanked by two circular murals with the insignia of the Tribe cut into the painted blue glass. The beams coming into the room through the two windows were a muffled, shy tinge of forget-me-not, turning into a more somber cobalt as they moved into the interior of the room. Reaching outward, past the small streams, stood two more pillars, both much smaller in height but thicker in width, with the heads of bears carved into large circles of clear ice. The awe inspiring architectural wonders stood unobserved and largely ignored by the procession of people currently occupying the room. Had the energy in the room been diagnosable, it would have come off as putrid with panic. Most of the crowd remained close to the interior wall of the building, fearful of looking out of the windows lining the other side, projecting the perfect view of the expanse of military tents that colored the lower ring of the city vermillion and emerald. Closer, they would have been able to watch the winding line of refugees coming into the inner sanctum of the royal palace. It was a small comfort, almost non-existent in the wake of the fall of the external gate, but having two walls between the residents of the Northern Water Tribe was definitely more comforting than only one. As soon as the line reached a certain point in its journey into the citadel, the guards would leave their positions and return to fortify the second barricade. A few brave souls among the congregation of politicians, generals, and nobles dared to glance through the arches and out into the expanse of white below. They quickly turned away as the sights overwhelmed them and their nerves could not uphold their eyes.
Nearest to the window stood an aging man, the only man who had not taken his gaze from the downtrodden citizens climbing to 'safety' and the overbearing forces of soldiers that were all ready for a fight. Satren had been sixty years of age only a month ago. Now he felt like he was being crushed under the pressure of a century of misfortunes. His city was dying, slowly like a diseased animal struggling and bitterly clinging to its finally gasps of life. There was no more food left for them all, only enough to keep the troops nourished for another few weeks- though he doubted they would last that long- and his secret mercantile routes had been discovered and blockaded by the enemy. He could only fathom a guess as to how they had come to be in the hands of the Earth Kingdom general who had headed off the siege. The tunnels had been their lifeline, now having been severed and leaving them to slowly bleed and grow thin from hunger and worry. The frontal attack had come as a near consolation; with the fall of the palace, the people would be afforded the concessions of food and oil to keep warm during the nights. Satren inwardly grimaced at how low his spirits had fallen; to be thinking of defeat as a blessing instead of the crushing blow it really was.
"What are we going to do Chief?" one of his advisors came up to him and placed a hand on his shoulder. Maybe at one time it would have been a comforting gesture, but now it was only an empty and wasted effort. They would need a miracle to get out of this one.
"Hold out as long as we can and pray to Tui and La that someone comes to their senses out there and comes to our aide," Satren replied gravely. The only sliver of victory available to them now was international interference on their behalf.
"How our ancestors held off these hordes, I cannot imagine," the man beside him remarked. It had meant to be a joke but quickly converted into a wistful, disheartened observation.
"They were faced with only the Fire Nation which was divided in a war on two fronts. Here, it is a joint invasion between the Fire Nation and Earth Kingdom. They do not have to send supplies from the other end of the world and their force is greater by at least a factor of two if not more," Satren replied without even really thinking about the rhetorical nature of the statement his comrade had made. It was a simple list of facts that spoke clearly of how dire the whole thing was.
"And they had the Avatar."
Satren turned to look at his advisor, Makari he noted, with a bewildered look at the venom with which the title had been stated. Wherever Avatar Korra was, she must have had ample reason to have remained quiet up to that point. He had to believe that they had not been abandoned; not now, not yet. He had to keep that small flicker of hope within him lest he fall apart like the rest of his council, wailing and moaning in the background.
"Avatar Korra must have a motive in her absence," he said aloud. The huff that was Makari's response showed how unconvincing he sounded, both to himself and the other man.
"Either she has forsaken us like the rest of them in that infernal city or she is being held there by their political shackles. The Avatar is Tenzin's pet, Satren, and he is an extension of that council. No matter how noble the airbender is, neither he nor the girl will act without the approval of the majority and two of the four are the ones who are fighting us!"
"What do want of me?!" Satren finally bellowed. Silence immediately overtook the room as all heads turned to look at them. Satren's brows were furrowed, his teeth clamped together so hard that a metallic taste filled his mouth, and he looked for all intents and purposes like a wolf-fox ready to strike.
"I don't know Satren," Makari hung his head. They were all tense, liable to break and lash out any second.
"Father?" Satren turned to see his son, Prince Yun, making his way through the crowds of people. His son had taken to the battlefield with no lack of trepidation- Satren always having known him as more of an artist than a fighter- but the boy had soon proven himself in the face of overwhelming odds. The Chief rushed to embrace his son, glad beyond measure that he had not perished on the wall like so many of their warriors.
"Yun, you are unhurt?" Satren pressed a kiss to the boy's forehead, noting how warm it was. They all seemed to be feeling feverish with the waning food quantities allotted to them. Still, the Prince looked no worse for wear than the other soldiers and they were the ones best fed.
"I am fine Father," Yun reassured. His clear cyan eyes were strikingly light in comparison to the glassy and disheartened hues of the other residents.
"Chief Satren," another voice, deep and strong, came from behind the reunited royal family. A bulky man whose skin was somewhat darker than the rest of the tribesmen stepped forth from the crowd. He stood a good three feet above the tallest person there and his arms and chest bulged with tight muscles ready to be utilized for melee attacks and physical barrages. A long scar ran over his chest, starting just above his sturdy chin and going down the pectorals to taper off by his left hip. Dark hair, hung loosely over his face except where it was tied into four small braids held together by beads of varying shades of blue. His piercing eyes matched the dark indigo of his clothing, loose fitting pants and a sleeveless jacket that was completely unbuttoned and did rather little to cover anything really.
"General Khan," Satren greeted the only reason they had held on for as long as they had. "I would ask if you had any good news for me but," he indicated to the windows and what lay beyond, "I can see well enough that there would be nothing to say."
"Sir, with supplies getting to be so limited, I do not need to express how much we need to obtain some sort of food source and our fuel supply is critically low," Khan moved closer so that he would not be heard whilst addressing his chief. "As such, I have a proposition to make to you."
"Go on then," Satren nodded. He was ready to implement any kind of strategy, no matter how far-fetched.
"Let me take a small force through one of the tunnels. I know they are all collapsed or guarded, but I believe that, with a few well-trained waterbenders, we might be able to cut out an alternative route out of the glacier. From there, we can go to the surrounding areas, ask for assistance and support."
Satren stayed silent, mulling over the course of action. It was a risky venture, that was true, but there was really no time for caution anymore. There was also another, more pressing problem which he voiced, despite the urge to simply wave the request forward in order to do something, anything, that might break the siege, "Where will you go though. The outlying villages that are close enough for immediate relief have been taken by Earth Kingdom soldiers. No help will come from them."
"I plan to go further to the north Chief," Khan replied steadily. "I have sent out encoded messages that have been returned to me with assurance that there is food and fuel to be had in the villages of the northernmost ring. The Earth Kingdom soldiers have not been able to bring their war machines that far due to the torrential weather."
"Who would you take with you? How long do you estimate to be gone?" Satren felt a familiar, and consoling, sensation spread through his worn limbs. It was the golden aura of life returning to him. The inner arctic rings were not the most convenient location to become dependent on, but it was true that they would be sheltered from the heavy metal infantry of the nations overtaking them. If they could create a network with the outside, they had a shot at regaining some supplies and perhaps creating an escape route for some of the citizens to relieve the pressure put on the remaining stores within the capital. The vast expanse of land would make it difficult to patrol, not matter how many men were sent to watch the borders.
"I was going to request for a group of five men. We need to be quick and unnoticeable. Of the five, I was also hoping that you would grant me your son. He has shown his prowess in battle and is adept at hunting and stealth. The others have also been selected and will be brought forth shortly."
Satren looked back at Yun who had turned his head down so his long hair hid his face. The boyish features still held to his face even in the wake of how quickly he had been forced to grow up. On the one hand, he held great trepidations about having his son undertake something so risky and fraught with obstacles; on the other, it was no less dangerous than staying would be, perhaps even less so if the second barrier were to fall. In the end, his son would have more of a chance of surviving this if he was on the outside of this war. Nodding his consent, Satren left Khan and Yun to go and gather the men they needed for their expedition. His last gift to the boy was a knife that had been given to him by his own father when he had come of age. Yun gripped the hilt with a deathly grip before embracing the old man and walking away so that the tears in his eyes would not be witnessed by anyone other than himself and his commanding officer.
The sun had set far to the south of them. Days were shorter up here especially now, even though they had begun to grow longer with the departure of winter. Out in the fields of grey snow, left dull without the illumination of the moon, hundreds of flames flickered in and out of existence from within the tents of the mass army that had congregated on the steps of the lower town. The huts had also been ransacked and converted into living spaces for the soldiers in order to fit as many men within the expanse as possible. A fifth of the fleet still remained out in the ocean, awaiting the need to be brought in as a reserve if the battle of the following day would need it.
Far above them, scaling the ice mountain that cupped the city like some sort of giant hand, six figures dressed in white snowsuits moved with painstaking speed to their destination. An outcropping of ice hid them from the view of the sentries that patrolled the perimeter of the glacial drop. There were a lot more of them now than there had been a few days ago, making progress all the more difficult. Still, they were able to make the journey to the small ice cavern without being detected. Once inside, the tall, burly man who was the leader did a quick role call to ensure all of his men had made it within. Khan had selected two girls and two boys aside from Yun. The girls were young and small, perfect for slipping past guards, not to mention both had excelled in waterbending instruction. The dark haired girl was called Tamao and she was a healer in addition to a good warrior. Shiruka, a petite blonde, was also somewhat versed in healing but her skill set lay in her knowledge of the landscape. She and her brother, Avir who had also joined them, had been raised in the outlying regions before they had come to the capital and offered much in the mission. The final addition was a sturdy boy, the eldest not counting Khan himself, named Keryuk. He had been brought for the extra brawn, even though it was a risk to have two big, conspicuous members on a secretive endeavor.
"Ready?" Khan knew that the only affordable answer was 'yes' and there was no turning back whether they were or not.
"Yes General," was the hushed reply.
"Let us get on with it then," Khan said before burying his hand into the solid wall of ice that marked the back of the cave. His hands liquefied the wall before pushing through it and creating a small, cylindrical dent in it. The new alcove was only a few inches deeper, but as the others joined in on the work, they were soon making their own little tunnel. Once the entire party was in and there was enough space to breathe, the two girls making up the back sealed the entrance to the little passage with a thin wall of ice. Hopefully it would be enough to conceal their escape were anyone to actually find the small cavern; camouflage being key to keeping the new route secret from the spies no doubt within the very walls of the capital.
They continued on, making the small tunnel with a painful slowness that was making everyone a little jumpy. They would hit the vein of one of the main roads out of the glacier any minute now. It was one that was being patrolled as the others had been sealed with metal. Had it been ice or an avalanche, Khan mused, it would have made this a whole lot easier to accomplish. Unfortunately, it was what it was and no amount of complaining was going to change the state of matter that barred their way.
Voices coming from ahead alerted them to the presence of the camped guards. Khan held up his hand, motioning for them to drop low and crawl forward for a view. The salt and small stones that had been placed on the pathway to prevent erosion of the ice with all of the people that had travelled through it felt smooth against their arms and legs. The voices became more pronounced as they edged onward. The glow of a fire and the smell of cooking meat wafted to tickle at their starved senses.
"Can't we just take them on and steal whatever it is they're cooking?" Keryuk's stomach growled in emphasis of the hunger they all felt gnawing at their insides.
"Silence boy," Khan snapped. "They must not know that we have gone. It would put the entire mission in jeopardy.
"Fine," Keryuk relented.
"We move into the walls like before. Be careful not to make any noise," Khan instructed before they all stuck their freezing arms into the walls of ice and pushed into the glacial mass once more.
The fire played tricks on them from behind the thick barrier of ice that separated them from the road and its occupants. At times it looked as though they were heading away from it only to find themselves suddenly closer to the campsite than before. At one point it looked as though the sentries extended for yards ahead of them when in fact it was only the strange reflection off of the concave walls. Still, they were soon able to feel the hardened walls giving way as they came out of the hole they had dug. At a certain point in the journey, Khan had directed their efforts upward in a slight slope. The opening was thus well sheltered and hidden from the eyes of most, even with the unhelpfully flat landscape around them. Looking behind them, back toward the outcropping of ice and the steep fall into the city below, they saw that an entire block of tents spread in a closed, continuous line to encompass the entire circle of ice, only stopping at the far edges that ran horizontally on either side of the small crescent indent before dropping off into the sea as well. Luckily for them, as though Tui and La were sending their blessings to the little group of hopefuls, a strong wind was blowing and clouds releasing myriads of little snowflakes covered the entire expanse of night sky.
"Alright, be careful now. We are almost out of this, but we have to keep away from the villages until we are out of the outer circle, got it?" Khan instructed.
"Yes General," was the unanimous reply.
And so, like ghosts taken into the arms of the gale, the six figures disappeared into the white wastes, ready to sacrifice everything in order to save their city, in order to save their nation. The snowfall soon had them vastly disoriented, though Khan trusted the two siblings moving on ahead to know where they were heading. None of the other five noticed when one of their numbers stopped short and froze in his tracks. Yun had been sure that he had caught movement in the corner of his eye. The landscape was hard to map out what with the waves of snow being pushed into his squinting eyes. Still, there had been a shadow, a flicker of something animate and in motion. That was when the hand clamped over his mouth and nose, pressing a cloth smelling of bitter almonds to him until he felt like he was suffocating. His eyelids started to droop and his limbs suddenly felt as though they were made of lead. Then, as he fell into the arms of whoever had come up behind him, he lost all sense of anything and watched as the white world around him morphed into blackness.
Kaji awoke to a throbbing pain in her ribs. The one thing she was sorry for when it came to choosing the Earth Kingdom as an ally over the Water Tribes was the small detail of the lack of healers. She groaned as she propped herself up on her elbows, feeling the sore muscles pulling on the tender bones in order to give her locomotion. It was definitely not going to be fun fighting when her attention would be diverted between the wound and her opponent. Taking up one of the remaining vials of the snail sludge she had purchased at the exhibition in Republic City so long ago, she tentatively rubbed the purple area with two coated fingers. The swelling of the skin went down tremendously, but it soon became clear that the stuff was meant for epidermal injuries, not deep ones. Sighing she resigned herself to having to grit her teeth and deal with the minor annoyance.
She quickly dawned on a comfortable pair of pants and a warm jacket before wrapping herself in an extra layer of furs. Fighting kept the chill out of her bones, but she wasn't fighting yet and required a little extra. The second wall stood over her tent, far enough to not be a danger through projectiles, but also close enough for her to see how sadly small it was in comparison to the one she had demolished the day before. Turning away, she went to find some breakfast before making the announcement for the start of the day's offensive strike. Hopefully, it would be the last one necessary to get her into the palace. Once she had Satren, it was only a matter of him signing the documentation and handing over his crown. Was it even a crown, she let her mind wander as she tucked into a very welcome warm bowl of miso soup, he is a chief so… what do chiefs wear? For some odd reason, the only thing that popped into her mind was a fancy and overly colorful headdress made of the feathers of exotic birds. Perhaps if the chieftain had been from the Earth Kingdom, that would have made sense. But she expressly doubted that the Chief of the Northern Water Tribe would be caught wearing something so tropical and, really, so ridiculous.
Realizing that it was time to rally the troops, Kaji left the lovely, warm tent that held the 'cafeteria' and stepped into the frigid air once more. Her keen eyes caught sight of General Hao Sung quite quickly. She jogged to him before he had the chance to dip into the makeshift war room. "It's time to end this."
His expression was one of comical surprise. It was quite obvious that she had startled him, making the firebender question his battle skills if he had not sensed her approach when she had made no attempts to keep her presence a secret from him. Regaining some composure he gave her a word of affirmation before notifying the runners to alert the forces that they were to prepare for battle.
Within the hour, a swarm of earthbenders and firebenders were approaching the second gate. The earthbenders had salvaged some more iron and steel from a few ships so as to make up for the lack of other useful materials. Behind the ranks and still bobbing in the small, cramped dockyards, the two Fire Nation ships readied their catapults. The first fireballs streaked over the heads of Kaji and her men; the resounding booms made from their impact on the wall shook the earth with the force of a minor earthquake. Waterbenders scurried to fix the damage but the cracks running along the sides of the wall only grew bigger until a section came falling down. War cries erupted from both sides as the forces collided, bodies pressing against each other and blood spraying to color everything a beautiful red. Kaji made sure to stay away from the small section of wall that had fallen, waiting for her foes to come to her where she had enough space to move and weave as her fighting style required. She was disappointed on that front however, as it became clear that the tribesmen and tribeswomen were intent on staying on the other side of the gap. It was a smart tactic, thinning the numbers of invaders since they had to squeeze through the small space in fours and fives instead of en masse. Something to remedy, Kaji thought as she went into her lightening stance. The current of purple electricity hit with such contusive force that those on the wall hurling ice spears into her troops were blown fully off of the structure. Her army split in two, converging on the new opening so as to surround the outnumbered waterbenders. Kaji took a running start before propelling herself onto the rampart with her blue fire. Two waterbenders came at her, one on both sides, but they were easily taken care of by a sweep of her leg and a burst of fire from her fist directly into the other one's chest. She didn't even care about their faces, genders, or ages; she just wanted to see them crumple before her. She wanted them to fall under the sheer magnitude of her power.
Below her, Kaji looked upon the writhing masses of soldiers. Some were dying, others mutilated and losing their blood through various cuts and burns. She was satisfied to find her firebenders doing well, holding their own and far better than the earthbenders who found themselves somewhat helpless with the absence of their element. Many were simply using their techniques to give their bare hands extra power in their hits or kicks. Her chosen general was also fairing well in the center of the carnage. Hao Sung wielded two long broadswords with which he sliced at his foes without restriction. Not one to be left out, Kaji hopped down from her perch and began demolishing anyone close enough to her that was dressed in blue or white. They had the waterbenders on defensive and were rapidly forcing them back to the final barrier standing between the capital and their forces. Many of the younger fighters had broken rank and started running for it, screaming when they hit the ice and were refused sanctuary for fear of letting in the invaders as well. One by one Kaji watched them fall. She was somewhat depressed that, after the first ten or so people she burned beyond recognition, no one seemed to have the gall to face her. Still, the numbers soon dwindled to none that were still standing. She had expressly ordered her men to keep the maiming and killing minimal, even though she was greatly hypocritical for it, so as to minimize the hatred toward the inevitable new regime that was about to be put into place.
Her thoughts were interrupted by a hand coming toward her. She quickly ducked under it and brought her hand to point at the person's throat, index finger and middle finger flowing with heated chi were she to need it. The man held up a hand in surrender, the other one carrying a rather large black bundle over his shoulder. He was at least a foot taller than she was, strong build and light, pasty skin. Definitely not Water Tribe. Black hair hung in a messy ponytail down his back, stopping just under his shoulder blades. The bundle over his arm moved violently as though whatever was in it was trying desperately to escape its confines.
"Your Highness," the man said, bending at the waste but not kneeling due to the need to restrain whatever cargo he held in his possession.
"And you are?" Kaji asked, curious as to why he was approaching her in the middle of a battle. True, it was a battle that was practically over, but still.
"I am Daresh," he replied, "and I have something that you might find useful."
"Oh," Kaji raised an eyebrow. "And what would that be?"
"Chief Satren!" a soldier burst into the throne room. Satren looked at the young man, covered in a mixture of ash, blood and sweat that hid most of his distinguishable features.
"Yes, what is it?" he had seen the second battalion fall under the unending surge of firebenders and earthbenders. The boy before him looked like he was about ready to combust with fear and fatigue, his eyes rushing over the faces in the hall as though looking upon a pandemonium whose residents were ready to tear him into pieces.
"It's you- your son," the words froze the blood running through Satren's veins. His hands shot up to grab the boy by the shoulders and shook him violently until the youth became dizzy from the movement.
"What has happened?"
"The- the Fire Lord. She… she," he gasped for air as his eyes began to roll into his head.
"Tell me boy. What has the Fire Lord done?"
"She has your son. She is willing to spare his life in exchange for your unconditional surrender."
Satren released the trembling warrior, letting him fall to his knees before fainting on the cold ice floor. The room was abuzz with conversation. The nobles shouted amongst each other about what could be done and what should be done, but the Chief heard none of it but unintelligible bickering. His eyes had closed in mental respite, lying dormant for a moment so that the information could seep into his mind completely. His son was alive, for now. The initial horror died down slightly. Of course he would surrender. What was a kingdom without his family? His wife lay dead, Yun was the only thing left to him. No walls of ice and snow, no riches hidden in the form of the Spirit Oasis would compare to his son's life. Yun was captured. That meant there would be no help from outside. No hope left. What was the use of losing any more lives when the outcome was becoming all too obvious?
Prodding the boy back into wakefulness and raising his voice so that everyone heard him, Satren commanded in a voice befit of his rank, "Tell the Fire Lord that I will meet her demands."
Kaji was thoroughly pleased with herself. The man, whatever his name had been, had been a bounty hunter. To have offered her the entirety of the Northern Water Tribe for such a measly sum of money was almost laughable. As soon as he had unveiled the tied up Prince, she had seen her victory unfold. He had been paid, then promptly dispatched after he thought he was safely on his way, so in reality she had not spent a dime for the spoils of her conquest. Now, standing before the bowed form of the Chief and his son, along with the entire nobility- if the peasants could even be called that- she was ready to finish her role here and return to a place where the temperatures were about sixty degrees warmer, at the least.
"I am glad that no more innocent blood had to be shed for this, Satren," she said as she paced along the line of prisoners. Each looked upon her with eyes brimming with fear, it was almost palpable. The only ones without a hint of that emotion were the fiery orbs of the young Prince. Soon, they too would know it personally.
"Too much killing has gone on already," Kaji continued. "I will not be the one to prolong it. Renounce your title and sign over the rights of the Northern Water Tribe and I will let you, your son, and everyone here to live."
Satren's eyes widened. He had not expected this from the girl who looked as though she would happily have disposed of all of them without even blinking. His voice caught in his throat but, with some effort, he pushed past it and answered, "I will. Just, please, my people are starving and need to keep their families warm. They have done nothing wrong."
"Of course, they will be taken care of post haste" the smile gracing the Fire Lord's face was anything but warm. It held manipulative secrets that boded well for no one on the opposite side of hers. Still, whether she was lying or not was no longer something that concerned Satren. He had lost, his city lay in tatters and he was lucky that there had really been minimal damage to the residential areas.
"Now, please sign here," the girl procured a long piece of parchment. "It forfeits the Northern Water Tribe to an appointed representative of both the Earth Kingdom and Fire Nation until the people are deemed able to elect a new representative. That, also, will be determined by the joint legislative bodies of the Fire Nation and Earth Kingdom."
Satren took the pen and paper that were offered to him. It was a clever way of phrasing their complete takeover. The people would never be allowed to elect another representative. The ruling nations would simply deem them unstable until another excuse could be found. Still, it sounded far better than 'we will be exhibiting complete control over you and your people and there isn't a damn thing you can do about it.'
"Don't sign it Father!" Yun had somehow managed to spit out the gag in his mouth and was imploring him to fight on. If they were all to die, then they would; as long as they did not bow before the monster standing before them with her cold golden eyes and murderous smile.
"Silence," a man walked up from the ranks of soldiers aligning the back of the throne room and gave Yun a piston kick to the center of his chest. The clavicle snapped under the pressure and he shrieked as the sharp pain of his bone piercing his muscles and jutting out of his skin wracked his frame. "That is no way to speak to the your conq-"
"Enough," the man stepped back into his ranks, bowing for his indiscretion to his ruler. Kaji turned back to Satren and pointed to the parchment. "The faster you sign it, the faster he will get medical attention and your people will get fed."
The pen hit the crisp white sheet, scrawling a view characters that symbolized Satren's familial name and the one given to him at birth. Kaji's hand snatched it from him as soon as the pen was lifted off of the final letter. Her deft hands rolled it up with ease and tucked it in a holster on the inside of her sleeve. She then turned to the guards and pointed to the line of prisoners before ordering, "Take them to the ships and secure them in the brig. Split them so that the Chief is far from his advisors and his son is separate from them all. Half go to the Earth Kingdom, half with the Fire Nation. I want the boy. The rest you may divide to the best of your judgment. Dismissed."
With that, Kaji turned and beckoned forth her comrade in arms. General Hao Sung looked at her with uncertainty, trying to ascertain her motives for calling him. She did not answer, choosing to sweep out of the room and onto the balcony that hung above the heads of thousands of tribesmen. The citizens gazed up at her with eyes sunken and dead. They felt the shame of having failed their ancestors and allowing one of the Children of Agni to take their homeland, but it was an empty shame that was forgotten almost instantaneously when a regiment of Fire Nation soldiers began handing out loaves of bread to the rabid people. Hands closed over the simple grain product as though it was carved out of pure gold, only better because they could use it to fill their empty bodies with the nourishment they so needed. And to give food to a hungry mob garnered their rapt attention. After waiting a few moments for their inflated stomachs to fill for the first time in days, Kaji moved up and proclaimed in a clear, ringing voice, "I present to you, your temporary Magistrate, Hao Sung. His will is now law, his wish your command, until it is deemed fit to remove our presence from this nation. Until then, if you behave yourselves, you will have everything you need supplied from the Earth Kingdom or Fire Nation. But to be sure, if there is word of any insurrection at all… you cannot even begin to imagine the consequences. That is all."
General, no Magistrate, Hao Sung stared at the back of the Fire Lord in complete disbelief. She had just appointed him the ruler of the Northern Water Tribe. She had given him control over the fate of all of these people that he had not even thought about before the invasion itself. Kaji herself smiled at his expression, knowing he would be an ample puppet; even if the strings were pulled indirectly, she was still that much closer to global control. She had done what the Fire Nation under Sozin, Azulon, and Ozai never could accomplish and it was sweeter than the droplets of honey that were taken from the vulture-wasps of the deserts.
Unbeknownst to the fallen capital, five figures huddled out in the snow, having escaped the invisible barrier separating them and the inner ring of the north. For the four children and their leader, there had not been a fall yet. For them, there was still time to gather the forces they needed in order to save their people. For them, it was not a time of surrender yet.
P.S. Gasp, what will happen next? Where is Korra? Who will fall to Kaji after she goes back to the Fire Nation? All questions that will be answered a lot later on... well the Korra question is next chapter so hold on for that one. Reviews are greatly appreciated and I print them out and dance with them and throw them in the air like those weirdos do with money in the gangster movies. Yes, right. Anyway... I'm just going to leave you now and stare at my beautiful, new I LOVE MORGAUSE pins I bought off of ebay. Those of you who haven't watched Merlin should. It is amazingness on a screen. Fare thee well, fair reader.