Chapter 13: Chapter 13

By the time the banners of the Earth Kingdom army came into view in the afternoon, the 11th Regiment had hunkered down as well as they could. For many veterans like Kai, seeing the larger force milling about before pulling back to set up camp was rather reassuring. It almost felt like the bloody old days again.

Xing stared at the enemy camp, and then gave an order that was once a familiar request. “Get the Earth Kingdom prisoners up here.”

“Including Yama?” Ping asked, almost by rote.

The boy smirked as he went through the regiment’s little ritual. “No, Yama’s been with us too long,” he said aloud, drawing chuckles and grins from those in the know. “Old coot probably can’t tell between Ba Sing Se and Omashu by now.”

“I heard that, you insolent brat!” came the expected reply from the prisoner’s tents. Right on cue.

Despite that, General Yama was brought out along with the others to have a look at the banners. “Recognize any of them?” Xing asked.

The prisoners squinted and exchanged mutters, but only one, a young captain, seemed to have some idea. “The banner with the ice mountain… It looks similar to the emblem of Duke Li of Chenbao.”

“Family?” Mozi asked.

The captain shrugged, but a scarred lieutenant spoke up. “Duke Li has no sons old enough to fight, but… It could be his younger brother.”

There was a thoughtful hum for a moment before Xing asked, “If that’s the duke’s younger brother, how much do we want to keep him alive?”

The captain spoke up again. “Duke Li and his brother are close, but everyone says the duke spoils his only family, which in turn makes the brother…a challenge to work with.”

Kai and his colleagues chuckled at that, while Xing gave an amused nod. “So, you guys probably won’t like him sticking around for too much. Got it.”

The prisoners were returned to their camp, the Yama pool was raised yet again (it was growing to the point where if the old badgermole ever identified a banner, the winners would be able to buy a comfortable life in the colonies) and everyone eagerly awaited Xing’s next orders.

“We’ve got a few hours before sundown. Koshi, Kai, prepare for a parley. Just in case they’re reasonable. Mozi, make sure everyone stays on their toes.”

Kai didn’t bother to hide his triumphant grin over a pouting Ren as he went off to assemble his battalion. In short order, Kai and some handpicked soldiers joined Koshi and the bodyguards to form a respectable honor guard behind Xing and Mozi. The lieutenant colonel carried a flag of truce as they marched out into the plains.

Movement was detected across the Earth Kingdom camp, and soon they too had a large group moving out under a white flag.

Xing had everyone stop at roughly the halfway point between the two camps, and they waited patiently for their opposite number to arrive. Kai could make out two generals, a gaggle of high ranking commanders, and heavily armed guards, all on ostrich horses. Impressive, if not for the clashing color schemes from each commander and their color-matched guards.

The Earth Kingdom party came to a stop at a respectable distance away, enough for them to quickly dismount and start throwing rocks if things went dicey. Kai noticed their surprise as they saw Xing.

The young colonel greeted first, offering a polite, nobleman’s salute. “Good afternoon, gentlemen. I am Colonel Xing, of the Fire Nation’s 11th Regiment. Thank you for coming out to meet us.”

One of the generals, a lean, neatly groomed man that bore an air that screamed ‘aristocrat’ gave a derisive snort. The ice mountain emblem was proudly etched on his armor. Probably Duke Li’s brother, or possibly even a favored champion. “Come to discuss your surrender, boy?”

The other general, an older, gruffer man with a milky, scarred eye, raised a hand to hold back his colleague, eyeing the Fire Nation group warily. His armor was more worn, and lacking any insignia. A lesser noble, or a smart man. Or both. 

“I know of the Defiant 11th. I know of you, boy. We thought you dead at last.”

Even with Xing’s back facing him, Kai could imagine the colonel’s wide smile. “Ah, fortunately for us, we are too stubborn to simply be buried. I’m sorry if that inconveniences you.”

The older general scowled, while some of the colonels and captains behind him expressed similar displeasure. “Say your piece then and let us be done with this useless meeting.”

Xing gave another polite bow and salute. “I am here to warn you against trespassing any further. If you know of us…of my regiment, then you should know of what we are capable of.”

“Nonsense!” the younger general shouted. “Your little band is clearly outnumbered. Don’t think whatever reputation you claim to have is going to scare us away. Even if you think to trap u-”

“Wenli, enough,” his co-commander cut in sternly before fixing a glare at Xing. “You are greatly outnumbered, boy. And whatever tricks you think to play will not work on me.”

Great, a hardy boulder of a commander. His men would probably be just as stubborn. Kai frowned at the realization that there would likely be a lot of bloodshedding to get things resolved. Hopefully the princess isn’t too squeamish…

“I will have to refuse your offer, general…” With no reply from the scowling man for a few seconds, Xing continued on. “...but since battle between us is inevitable, know that we will accept any surrender given honestly.” 

Kai heard his little brother’s voice harden to a cold edge. “Also, know that until such a surrender is received, we will use any means at our disposal to defeat you.”

While the scarred general continued to scowl, his younger counterpart chuckled with heavy amusement. “Kids these days… Run along back, boy. I’ll see if I can get my warriors to not go too hard on you.”

With the parley ended, Kai noticed Xing tensing up as he marched back at a fast pace. 

“This might be a bloody fight.”

“You think they’ll be that dangerous?”

Xing nodded. “The one-eyed general might be at least. He was wary of us, instead of dismissive.”

Kai nodded his agreement at that thought, and felt himself frown at the effort needed to break a stubborn opponent. About halfway back, Kai took a glance over his shoulder and saw signs of heavy activity from the Earth Kingdom army. By the time they returned to camp, Mozi and the other captains were ready to receive new orders.

Xing wasted no time in giving out orders. “Welcoming phalanx. Have the troops pace themselves, they outnumber us enough to afford reserves. Distribute naphtha jars across the battalions. Have the princess back at a safe distance, at least until the skirmishing is over.”

“What’s the rules of engagement?” Rufen asked.

“Standard. None of them warrant headhunting, and none are that special that we need them alive.”

As Kai and the others organized their battalions, Xing hurried off to the workshop to break out the toys.

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*****

It seems that there was a downside to being well known. Azula watched as the regiment exploded in a flurry of activity, all the good cheer from previous days replaced with steely discipline and determination. Soldiers hurried outside the camp, officers and sergeants bellowed orders, and camp followers helped to lug out crates of clay pots.

Several of the smaller supply carts were still at the workshop, surrounded by smiths busy adding some sort of boxy things on them. Xing was with his bodyguards and the quartermaster rolling a large metal tube, taller than a man, out of the camp. Those that weren’t helping with the tube were straining themselves dragging heavy crates.

Thanks to her own bodyguards and the few soldiers tasked to help them, the princess was kept back, and so couldn’t see what was going on beyond the palisades. She felt annoyed, more than annoyed, at being held inside and without a clear view. Worse, the men and women she passed by had the gall to put on a cheery face to reassure her. She was no fool, and could see the nerves hiding underneath their masks. She could sense their tension, much like a simpering court attendee awaiting the Fire Lord’s verdict.

It was…troubling, to see these soldiers, her soldiers, actually going out to meet the enemy. To know that they would soon be killing…or getting killed.

Why did that notion unsettle her so? They were all talented and well trained. They were doing their duty. She shouldn’t be so…weak with worry.

And why did it trouble her even more to know that Xing was also out there?

“You better not do something stupid like die, Xing.” Azula heard herself mutter under her breath.

*****

Sergeant Han - better known within his unit as Araka Han to differentiate him from the other Hans - stood at attention directly behind the colonel on a raised platform. It was a perk of being the leader of the Han unit. That perk also meant that the sergeant had a clear view of the approaching enemy formations. He wasn’t sure if they were out in full force, but he would believe it if that was the case.

It was his first taste of combat, and Han would freely admit that the Earth Kingdom army was more than a little impressive. It was impressive enough that he began to doubt Colonel Xing’s breezy confidence.

“Full overwatch!” he heard the captains call out as the enemy reached a certain point, and the firebenders across the battalions assumed combat stances. The Earth Kingdom army suddenly slowed, and it took a second for Han to squint and see that the things suddenly lifting up into the air were large boulders that were flying towards him.

Bolts of fire flew out in response, blasting away the rocky projectiles with ease as if they were the practice stone piles back in the training grounds. Some were exploded close enough that the line was showered in a light pattering of burnt dirt. Han heard some complaints about unlucky bits of dirt hitting their eyes, but that was about the extent of the damage from the Earth Kingdom’s volleys. 

Lieutenant Colonel Mozi and Lieutenant Koshi stood unmoving, and the colonel stood between them, standing by a large metal pipe, shifting his head slightly to take in the battle. The bodyguards only exploded into motion to efficiently shoot down any rocks that they perceived to be a threat to their position.

“It takes about three or four earthbenders to throw a rock that far,” the colonel remarked suddenly through his mail-veiled helmet. “Maybe more, if they’re not properly trained. At least two to gather up and compact the ground into a solid enough mass, and an extra bender or more to help put enough force in the throw for such a distance. So instead of overwhelming us, our firebenders are only a little overworked from intercepting about one boulder each.” 

The colonel’s head turned just a little, enough for Han to realize that the words were meant for him and the other new additions to the regiments. “So don’t worry too much. You’ve been training for this.”

A portion of the Earth Kingdom army stopped to unleash a cloud of arrows into the skies. Again, the firebenders took care of the incoming attack, with only a few benders required to project a huge curtain of fire that incinerated and scattered the arrows harmlessly away.

“They’re sending out the first wave,” Lieutenant Colonel Mozi stated plainly. “Levies anchored around soldiers.”

The colonel nodded. “Try to stick us from the front while our firebenders are busy with overwatch. Good idea, but they should’ve added some earthbenders with them.” As the young commander chuckled, Han felt himself infected with his confidence and good spirits, as if he was also in on the joke. “Mozi, naphtha slingers. I’ll leave it to your discretion.”

Han’s nose instinctively twitched with distaste as he recalled the training for that particular ‘weapon’. The captains just shoved them squad by squad into a shack and lit up the mixture of powdered dung and other noxious ingredients inside, then locked the door and forced everyone to choke from the eye-watering concoction for several eternal minutes.

Of course, the damned veterans sitting in with them were laughing between their coughs and annoyingly telling everyone else who wasn’t too busy fighting to breathe about how much it reminds them of the ‘good old days’. That particular week was one of the most horrific experiences of Han’s life, maybe even for several lifetimes.

“Yes, sir.” The stern deputy gave a shrill whistle, which was heard and echoed first by the battalion captains, and then down to the lieutenants and sergeants. The formations spread out around several non-benders who held special staff slings with small clay pots nestled in them.

The rushing tide of Earth Kingdom footsoldiers grew closer, but the regiment’s leaders remained unfazed. Han gulped, the apprehension in his gut slightly overcome by a sense of pity for his enemies.

Only once the human wave got a couple dozen or so yards away was the order given to let the projectiles loose. The slingers took a stance, nearby firebenders ignited the cloth stuffing, and then with a sharp snap, the clay jars were sent soaring through the air. 

Han watched as the first volley hit the front lines. Some of the earthenware broke against unlucky levies, setting them ablaze. Others crashed against the ground, spilling their hellish contents harmlessly. In any case, burning fuel began spewing a thick, foul smoke that broke the Earth Kingdom’s advance. The war cries turned into panicked coughing, and confusion replaced battle resolve. 

Han saw men stumble over each other to crawl out of the growing smoke. Many of the conscripts dropped their weapons as they keeled over to puke or run for clean air.

Then the second volley flew over the heads of the front lines, and the dreadful smoke erupted deeper in the enemy’s ranks.

As the faint tang of burning shit wafted back to the lines, Han felt a pang of sympathy for the enemy.

Colonel Xing gave a sigh before he nodded. “Spears.”

“Controlled burn!” With the order given, the spearmen began advancing in half-loose formation, a precaution in case of sudden earthbender attacks. The firebenders followed along, still focused on keeping the skies clear, with a few staff slingers walking with them, still lobbing naphtha into the enemy. Han’s view of the front line was soon obscured by the armored backs of his comrades, but he saw the regiment’s line tighten once they closed with the enemy, and the screams of the dying followed soon after.

It was more of a slaughter or culling than combat. Han watched his comrades’ slow and methodical advance, stepping over the dead and the dying of the Earth Kingdom troops. He could hear choked pleas.

“The faster they break, the less of these peasants need to die, the faster we get this over with…” the colonel grumbled to no one in particular. “Make a scene,” he ordered, and his lieutenant relayed the order.

“Make them scream!”

Immediately, those spearmen in the back lines began squatting over bodies while drawing their short swords. The veterans of course, acted far faster than the fresh recruits. Han flinched, seeing them put into practice the theory of desecrating a body to shock the enemy. Heads and limbs were lopped off the corpses, and then flung over to the enemy lines. A few staff slingers helped spread the terror further by throwing the heads deep into enemy lines.

The result was a noticeable ripple in the mass of levies. Then Han spied the edges slowly breaking away, the first fleeing enemies abandoning the field. It was a slow thing at first, but in a span of a few minutes the trickle of fleeing infantry turned into a stream, and then a tide. 

By ten minutes since the front lines clashed, the huge Earth Kingdom mob of levies had broken down into a disordered rout. The few stubborn clusters of resistance were promptly surrounded and crushed. 

The battalions reformed rather than give chase to the fleeing foe. Naphtha pots stopped flying, but body parts were still thrown to remind the fleeing soldiers to keep running. Despite the overwhelming first victory, the Earth Kingdom army looming before them still outnumbered the regiment significantly.

More movement was spotted, and this time the rain of arrows and boulders finally petered out as the core soldiers and earthbenders began advancing with the second wave of levies. He saw several personal banners among the formations. Despite the spike in confidence, Hans gulped.

But then he heard the grin in the colonel’s voice. “Ah, finally.’

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