Summary/disclaimer: Time for another chapter of Spark of War. Enjoy the 2000-word chapter. I don't own Avatar, Nick, Michael Dante DiMartino, and Bryan Konietzko do.
Hao was entirely quiet as he prepared for combat with the Earth Nation army. He frowned as he waited for Razor Claw to arrive. He was entirely happy to see the bird when the animal returned.
"She's a very stubborn bird," Hao stated while he shook his head. "I can't blame her. She's used to me being nice and feeding her often." Hao added to which he heard a familiar screech.
It made him smile as he looked the bird over. He watched the bird open her beak which housed the note. He patted the animal on the head and held up her treat which she took from his hand.
"You're a pain in the neck, little bud," Hao stated while he cracked his fingers. "I don't know what happens if I don't look after you," Hao added while he shook his head and tore open the note.
"General?" Hao heard while he waved his note back and forth. "It's important." The soldier stated to which he frowned at the moment.
He said nothing. It wasn't like he could blame his soldiers for bringing their issues to him. It was part of what being an officer meant to himself.
"Yes?" Hao asked as Razor Beak tilted her head and started to squawk to herself. "I'm sorry, it's been somewhat a long day," Hao stated while he started to think to himself.
"The supply lines have been a little slow, some of us think it's been enemy sabotage." The soldier reported to which Hao frowned.
'Their ambushing us? Blast it. I don't have men to patrol that much land. I don't think they have a plan.' Hao thought to himself while he started to rub at his temples.
"Do you know where the enemy is?" Hao questioned to which the soldier shrugged to himself. "Then keep an eye on it and let me know if something changes," Hao ordered before he dismissed the soldier for a moment.
Hao knew he'd have to speak to the camp captain later. He would have to make sure that their supplies continued to flow to their camp. The longer it happened? The longer they'd bleed out supplies which made sure their position would be vulnerable.
"I'll handle it, sir." Hao heard while he started to nod. "And what do we do with the soldiers we have?" Hao heard from the soldier as he raised an eyebrow to himself.
"Send them to the ships. We're not eliminating prisoners." Hao stated to himself more than the soldier. "I don't know what to do next. I'll have to talk to the rest of my staff and decide what to do best then." Hao stated to which the soldier saluted to himself before he shook his head.
He cleared his throat while he started to read Ty Lee's letter. He needed SOME type of good news, and this was something that always brightened him up.
"Dear Hao." Hao started to read aloud while he started to clear his throat. "I'm entirely over the moon to get your letter! Razor Beak went straight to me! I fed her some of the circus food, hope that isn't an issue. You know what she's like when it comes to long trips. I hope you're doing good; my boss is pushing me to be on my best behavior when it comes to this thing." Hao stated to himself while he shook his head.
'I swear if they push her too far? I'm going to lose it. Ty is the reason why they get paid so much money when it comes down to it. Still? It isn't like I can argue at the moment. If they wanted to do something like fire her, though?' Hao asked himself while he cracked a smile to himself.
Still? There was little that he could say or do to stop her at the end of the day. If it came down to it? He'd lose it on those staff who didn't seem to care about her.
He was entirely happy to get her letter when it came down to it. He was kept afloat emotionally as he started to think of how to stop these raids on the rest of the Fire Nation army. Hao cleared his throat before he started to pick a map.
He only wished he had the woman with him. He started to remember that she had indeed taken some sort of combat training. He wondered if she was as capable a fighter as those classes suggested.
'Sometimes I often wondered if I made a mistake in picking the military over certain aspects of life like this.' Hao mentally stated while he sighed as he raised an eyebrow.
He turned to enter his tent with his bird while he cleared his mind.
(With Ty Lee.)
Ty Lee balanced on one foot while she slowly hummed. It was nice to see Razor Beak again who had been rather talkative around her. The bird also had small amounts of her owner's aura on her. She had fed him with what good food she had managed to find. The Messenger Hawk was a rather nice animal.
'Hao used to say she was like a baby who saw me as a mom. That was adorable when we were younger. I wonder if she does see me as a mom.' Ty Lee thought as she started to sigh to herself while she started to flip into the air.
She was well aware that her friend was a soldier which meant that he wasn't around to see her. Ty Lee hadn't seen her friends in a bit of time. She was rather happy that Hao continued to talk to her so often.
"I and he have been friends since I ran away from home." Ty Lee stated while she cleared her throat. "Did nobody care when I ran away? It felt like it, but I don't believe it. They don't didn't just throw me away…" Ty Lee stated before she started to place a hand on her throat.
She felt a wave of aura washing over her. The woman said nothing to herself as she took another deep breath through her nostrils. Ty Lee started to ponder if her friend was coming to the next show.
'Hao never misses one when I send him tickets at the end of the day. I almost wonder if he checks them over and over. He doesn't seem to care if he gets bade seats as long as the show is going on and we can talk.' Ty Lee stated to herself with a sigh.
There were so many weird questions floating around her mind. The many issues with this sort of thinking crossed her mind many times. She wanted something to do at the moment. If she traveled to her side? He'd probably battle alongside her. She had been told the last time she showed off her chi blocking? Hao had praised her skill and pondered why she had done so. She often wondered what happened if she hadn't met Hao at the moment. He was a soldier and she a performer, they had been on different auras.
Still? She was hopeful he rode the war out before it was too late. She wanted her friend to be ok and it bothered her how often she had thrown her desires aside and pressed the issues.
"I should try and see I can speak to him." Ty Lee stated while she frowned as she tapped her fingers on her arms. "I heard he's down by the seas and busy fighting the Earth army which means a lot of them are probably fighting and busy." Ty Lee stated before she closed her eyes.
She knew pretty blasted well it didn't break any rules in the Fire Nation Army. They were allowed time off as well as anyone else in the world.
It didn't help those rules that she had studied them so she was up to date on her friend's deal.
"Hmm." Ty Lee said while she hummed to herself and started to think of what to do next.
She leaned on the wall before she started to clear her throat. There was time to swipe a pair of tickets before the next show. She'd pass them to Hao and she also didn't want to bother the officer when it had come to his fights. She was well aware Hao wanted to come to each show that she and the circus had put on.
He had said so when it came down to it. She was interested if he considered being part of the rest of the circus. His talents seemed to still be centered on military matters which kinda bothered but it made sense. He had been a warrior at the end of the day.
"Things are weird." Ty Lee stated as she started to skip back and forth on the tips of her toes. "There needs to be something to keep my mind off my friend." Ty Lee added before she slowly opened her eyes.
She was pulled to Azula and the others. She hadn't seen the others for a few years. She wanted to think of what the two had been up. She hadn't been keeping in what they did. Her friends had been done with their parts of life and moved on to new sorts of parts of life. She was still kind of hopeful her friend hadn't been pulled to the dark side of power. She was well aware of the fact that he needed to handle it more properly when it comes down to it. He had more to handle when it came to it. He had a lot more on his plate when it came down to it honestly. Yet he needed better soldiers as of now when it came down to it.
She smiled when it came to it. She had a lot more plate when it comes as of now. He had a lot more on his plate. He had far too little when it comes down to it. She was honestly more worried about what to do next as of now. She tilted her head and tapped on her arms before she glanced at the roof of the ceiling as of now.
Yet he was honestly prepared for more battle as of now. he was a soldier and it had been honestly weird when it came to their topics. Both had a lot more at the end of the day which meant a lot more at stake as of now. Still? There was always a need for more soldiers and she was not one to back down when it comes down to it.
She was honestly ready to do as of now. She was aware of the fact that he was a soldier who had far more to do as of now. She didn't want to do anything if it came down to it.
She hummed and tapped on the wall with seemed as if she was prepared more interest.
He was prepared to face down the rest of the land if it was his duty. Still, she didn't want it to be don as of now. Ty Lee was not once more interested in the rest of her work at the moment. He was not ready for a war of this scale at the end of the day.
She tilted her head and seemed to tilt her eyes as well. She was far happier interested as of now. He honestly seemed a lot different as a soldier than he had been when it came to it. The more he battled the forces of the world, the more it pushed back against it.
She was aware of the flaws in the argument that she wasn't at the top of the food chain. The Fire Nation school often reminded her that their nation was the cream of the crop and that there was so much to conquer.
It wasn't what she wanted from this place, wasn't at all what she wished to control if she was honest. Ty Lee had tried her hardest to leave the life she had lived behind her at the time. It had come at a heavy cost, one which she often didn't accept now, that she didn't wish to live with.
Author Notes
Phew. Another chapter is done! I want to apologize for the lack of new chapters. I will be trying to update this story more. The next chapter will be in 2-10 months and will show a memory between Ty Lee and Hao. I may update Ty lee and Hao's ages if people find it weird. Until the 900–6500-word chapter.