Day Two of the final five chapters of book 1. This chapter may be one of my favorites. It is quite an exciting chapter. Enjoy :D

Chapter 36

The Wall Breaks

The banging continued. Wei joined a group of warriors and benders heading to the wall. Koluk and I ran to help evacuate more people. I heard a crash and the sound of ice breaking; several holes had broken through the wall, and soldiers marched in; panic ensued throughout the city. I did everything I could to keep everyone calm. I could see hundreds of soldiers pouring into the city; we would be over whelmed. I ran as fast as I could to the wall. The water benders were taking a stance behind a small wall that sectioned off the city from the canals. I jumped over the wall with water and air bending and charged the soldiers. I heard Wei and several others shout my name. I ignored them. A few spearmen charged me but hesitated slightly when they saw I was a child. I punched one in the stomach and threw him to the ground. I snatched his spear and broke the wood part over another's head. The last spearman got a face full of snow.

I saw an opening in the wall right in front of a canal, so the soldiers had to go on either side. I got an idea and froze the water in the canal, hoping some soldiers would take the bait and go on the new, easy path I had made for them. Fortunately, a great deal of them took the bait and charged forward toward me. What they didn't know was I only froze the top layer of ice thick enough for a single person to walk on it. I raised my hands in a slow, strong, forward motion. The ice on my end cracked as I lifted up the water below it. The wave surged forward, shattering the ice under the soldiers' feet. Soldiers were tumbling all over the place. The wave crashed into the wall, knocking back any soldier that was about to charge into the city. I then froze the water so it sealed up the hole in the wall.

"Nice work, Hyriu," Pakku said as he charged a group of fire benders.

I saw to waves of water crash together with Fire Nation soldiers in between. I looked back and saw Wei in deep concentration, but with a slight smile on his face. We were on the offensive now. But soon, we were forced to retreat again after the Fire Nation sent in their komodo-rhinos and tanks. The rhinos were ridden by a fire bender, and each had two mini catapults strapped to their side. The tanks were manned by two fire benders. We went back to our wall. Water falls fell from it, and I saw water benders aiming the water at the tanks and rhinos. Some tanks had what looked like giant metal crossbows on them and shot the metal arrows into the wall and pulled it down. The army surged in.

I knocked one guy off a rhino with a ball of water. I froze another rhino in its tracks. I used my acrobatics to dodge the fire balls, and I sent attacks of my own. A tank came at me; I whipped my arms around creating tremendous power and flipped the tank upside down with water bending. The cab of the tank just turned right side up, and it came at me again. The fire benders in the tank kept me busy. I shot a ball of ice that jammed itself in the small opening that the fire benders shot from, which bought me a few seconds. I lifted up large shards of ice around the tank, so it couldn't move in any direction. The fire benders jumped out. I jump-kicked off a wall of a house and kicked one in the face. I spun mid-air and came around and smacked the other. They both went down. A third fire bender surprised me when he came out of the tank and punched fire at me. I dodged and twisted his arm behind him. I kicked him in the back, so he face-planted the ground. As he tried to get up, I jumped down from the tank and onto his back, forcing him to the ground again. I ran off to continue fighting.

Around mid day, my right shoulder had gotten a bad burn from a fireball that landed near me. I was making my way to the Healing Huts, but the only problem was I was in the heart of the battle. I kept my right arm close to my chest, so I wouldn't aggravate the wound. I used my left arm to fight off the soldiers that came at me. I was almost to the huts when several soldiers charged at me. I was in between two houses, and only the harsh battle was behind me. I lifted up a large wall of ice then melted it and turned it into a wave. I jumped atop the wave and rode it to the huts, water bending with my left arm and taking out many soldiers. I got my shoulder fixed up as best it could be, then went back out into the fight.

A few hours past noon, I got my bow out and started using it. I had replaced the arrow heads with just dull wood, so it just knocked the soldiers out. I stood in a small square, firing arrows as the soldiers came running. A large group of them came at me from all directions, and I didn't take them all out before they got to me. I kicked one guy in the face, then spun and smacked a guy behind me with my bow. I elbowed another guy in the face and hit him in the back of the head with my bow; he collapsed. I fired an arrow into a soldier's helmet, then picked it back up and shot it again at a guy's stomach. He bent over in pain, and I kneed him in the face. I drew another arrow and knocked out the last soldier with it. I notched an arrow and looked around; more soldiers were coming, but they were still a good distance away. I saw a fireball high in the sky, but I could tell it was going to land right by me. I took aim and fired my arrow at the fireball. The flaming rock split into a ring of burning rumble. The soldiers drew near. They encircled me. The ring of rumble rained down on them just as they charged. I looked around, seeing if any soldier was left untouched; none were. I climbed onto a roof and headed to the nearest skirmish in the city.

I did everything I could to push the Fire Nation back, or at least hold my ground, but some how they kept gaining ground. I saw Koluk here and there, fighting ferociously.

As the sun began to set, I felt like passing out of exhaustion; I had been fighting almost nonstop. I was sitting on a chunk of ice, catching my breath, when three swordsmen came around a corner and charged me. I unsheathed G.B. and met them in battle. I whipped my sword around like crazy. I disarmed the swordsmen and knocked them to the ground. A fire bender jumped out of nowhere and threw fire at me. I was still holding G.B., so I blocked as best I could with my right hand, but I was caught off guard and got a few burns.

Suddenly, pain erupted from my left shin and my right shoulder, my bad shoulder. One of the swordsmen had recovered. I dropped to my knees and G.B. clattered to the ground. The swordsman walked around to my front with the fire bender. 'This is it,' I thought.

A stream of water knocked out the fire bender, and a hand grabbed the wrist of the swordsman.

"Why don't you pick on someone your own size," Desu said.

"Master Desu!" I exclaimed.

"Sure thing, pops," the guy said and tried to swing at Desu.

Desu twisted the guy's arm behind his back, and the guy cried out in pain. I heard the sharp crack of bone breaking. Desu threw the guy into a wall.

"You alright, Hyriu?" He helped me up.

"Uh, yeah, nice timing," I said.

"I have always been punctual," he said.

Suddenly, the swordsman with the broken arm got up and picked his sword up with his left hand and slashed Desu across the side with it.

"Argh!" Desu cried out and slumped onto the wall of a building.

I kicked the soldier in the face as hard as I could. He hit the ground and didn't get back up, blood all over his face.

I grabbed Desu. "We need to get you to the healers."

"I'm fine, you look like you need to see the healers," Desu said.

"Fine, will you help me get there?" I humored him.

"Of course," he said.

I knew he would never accept the fact that he was hurt, so I had to humor him so he could get there. We soon arrived at the Healing Huts.

Yugoda saw us come in, "Oh my, what is it?"

"Sword wound to the side," I said as we helped Desu lay down on a cot.

"Really, it's just a scratch. I'm sure you have more pressing patients," Desu said, waving her off.

"Oh stop it, Desu," she said and looked at the wound. She looked at me with an odd face. "Hyriu, why don't you get yourself fixed up with Hushi over there."

"Alright, how bad is it?" I asked.

She hesitated, "It's hard to tell right now. Go on."

I went over to Hushi; she looked at my arm and leg and began wrapping them up. She also applied a paste to my burns. I watched Yugoda heal Desu. She got a grave look on her face and said something to him; he nodded. I walked over to him, despite Hushi's protests.

My eyes were watery. "Is he going to be alright?"

Yugoda looked at me. "Hyriu-"

I couldn't stop the tears from spilling down my face. "Desu, you're going to be alright."

He looked at me and sighed. "No Hyriu, I'm not."

I fell to my knees by him. "But it's my fault. You got hurt because of me."

"It's no one's fault, Hyriu," he said softly.

"But it is your fault," the Robed Man said to me as he appeared behind Desu. "One by one, I will destroy them all, and it will be your fault." He vanished.

"Desu, you can't…Desu?" I said questioningly.

He didn't respond.

"He's gone, Hyriu," Yugoda said.

"Hey, Hyriu, Wei's looking for you-" Koluk came in, but he stopped when he saw Desu and my face. "No, no," he whispered as tears formed in his eyes.

He was never taught by Desu, but he still knew him; we all did. Desu was family, a part of Hydronia that had always been there; now he was gone, just like that.

I couldn't stop myself; I grabbed Koluk and sobbed.

"It's my fault, it's all my fault. He saved me. I never even said thank you. I never said…"

Wei ran into the hut. "Hyriu? Ah there you are. What's wrong-" he began to say. "Desu."

Tears filled Wei's eyes as he saw his old friend, lifeless before him. "No, no, what happened?"

"Wei," I said, letting go of Koluk. "Wei, it's all my fault. He was protecting me. He saved me, and now he's, he's…it's all my fault," I repeated.

Wei grabbed Desu's hand and gripped it tightly, "No, no, no, no, Hyriu, it is not your fault."

"Yes it is," I wept. "He wouldn't have died if he didn't have to protect me, and he wouldn't have to protect me if I hadn't snuck aboard the raft."

Wei embraced me as we both wept for Desu. "Hyriu, these things happen in battle, in war. People will die no matter what."

Explosions could be heard outside.

"Come now, the time for grief will come later, after the fight," Wei said.

The three of us walked outside. The sun had set, and the full moon had risen. Water bending was at its strongest.

I looked at the moon my sadness replaced with anger and said, "It's time to show the Fire Nation why they shouldn't mess with the Water Tribe."

Farewell Desu. Will anyone else fall? Only time will tell, because I won't. Only three to go. Please continue reading, though by now I hope you want to know what happens. If you really like the story leave a follow or favorite. And I would love to know your thoughts on the story so please leave a review. I can tell you, you are not ready for Chapter 37: The Clashing of Wills, tomorrow.