Battle of Tachi Dai (Rebels & Co. Vs Fire Nation)

[tsengwei]

"That dishonorable..." Gengoro spat. He knew what was going on. He was going to use the child as a decoy so he could run away. What a dastardly deed, yet smart. Seeing Teiu chase after the child, he knew she won't be alone for long. This was Gengoro's chance. Gengoro made a dash toward Jingko as he chased him down before he could alert the Fire Nation army.

"You there, hold!" Gengoro shouted, "I just wanted to talk to you. Don't make this hard on yourself!"

Meanwhile, Tseng Wei let off a grisly grin on his face. Gengoro is gone, so is Teiu and the others. Only Reed and Hibiki remain, which was more than ideal for him. Tseng Wei walked back to the village to hear bells ring from a distance, possibly from a nearby temple. His grin become more sinister with each toll.

"Keep letting me know your nearby Jialing," he whispered, "Ravanna will be reawaken with your blood."

In his mind, each ring was of an iron bell with it's gloomy toll as if signalling death to spill the blood. Each toll reassures him that Jialing is nearby. If Reed was with her, he could easily dispose of him. Hibiki, since he is still a child, didn't wish to kill, so he would probably immobilize him. After they are dealt with, before the others could come back, Tseng Wei will have his sweet time with Jialing as her sacrifice will benefit his dark gods. With his staff in hand, he could see jialing in the distance with her dog and Reed.

"Come my sweet," he spoke to himself, "It is time for your role in our plans."

[vu]

Upon viewing the ramshackle decaying and disarrayed rebuilding effort of today, Vu pondered if Tachi Dai ever was a great city. A city that had defied his nation more than once, battered each time for that insolence and each time would try to pick its abused form up again. Snubbing pride in their faces.

Nothing at all like the always-surrendering-for-self-preservation city of Zhy.

If Tachi Dai could have been more like Zhy, maybe it would have still remained a great city. Instead it chose a path of being battered one final time. This time, Tachi Dai was to be erased, rendered a blank spot upon every map from now on. This time the city’s offense was to be suspicion of aiding and abetting fugitives of an anti-Ozai, anti-Fire Nation faction calling itself ‘The Rebellion.’ An organization originally birthed in the Fire Nation before expanding into the Earth Kingdom. Information about this combined group of Earth Kingdom and Fire Nation malcontents stated that had chosen to establish itself as the headquarters for the entire Earth Kingdom branch. As for the headquarters of the Fire Nation branch, that no longer existed.

Now, on this side of the ocean it had become their turn.

But that would happen all in due time, Vu knew. Until then everyone was left with the waiting, the preparations, the final checking and then waiting further. He paced about outside the confines of his mobile siege engine, a feat of engineering that caused him to cringe whenever he heard someone call a ‘war wagon’ (powerfully meek) or ‘battle carriage’ (fearsomely laughable) or a ‘metal chariot’ (metallically bland) among other terms that he felt didn’t fit for this machine. Once his anxious boots had settled he then took to meditating against a tree amidst the verdant southern forest outside of Tachi Dai the main force had stationed itself. Then soon fell asleep.

Once the advance scouts had returned within an estimated day or two, the assault would begin from the south, the direction of their element. But the bulk of this force merely concentrated themselves in this direction, not sequestered. Attempting not to attract too much attention, the commander of this raid had stretched them thin in order to encompass the surrounding countryside and block any road leading to and from the battered city. This was to be a wide net that would begin will a trebuchet bombardment from here as all sides would close in with the southern force, being the knot, would push into the city itself. Any fleeing city from the bombardment or the main force would be apprehended for later interrogation and sentencing or slain upon discretion.

Drifting, Vu was shattered awake by the sound of a war horn. Tumbling to his feat Vu sighted a string of smoke contrail belonging to an exploded rocket above the city. The scouts had failed their job and tipped off their quarry was likely was the likely guess. The assault had to come now.

[jingko]

Jingko continued to slink off. "Ignoramus," muttering at the Fire Nation traitor, dressed in full colours of the nation (how did he even manage to get into this city dressed like that?), running down the street and yelling for an Agni Kai. "Spooking the rabbit-squirrels."

“Ignite! Ignite damn you!” Jingko fuss and fought with firestones against a damp rocket fuse due to a bleeding hand. Hustling down the dusty street, he continued looking up and down, back and forth at his surroundings and his current task. Now it seems the street was becoming busier with people running back and forth. Now more people were yelling, yelling that the Fire Nation was here.

If he could just get this in the air, he thought. If this blasted fuse would take to burning then that was it. He had to do this now, in further delay then the rebels would gain a headstart in their escape. Rushing himself, Jingko clutched the two firestones between his teeth then reused the shard, shortening the fuse by cutting away the damp length.

Suddenly, he heard shouting following him. It was one of his pursuers, the one with the serrated sword. Jingko just as quickly ignored him and hustled sideways into the criss-cross of scurrying citizens as the smell of singed rope was touching his nostrils.

"yYES!" He exhaling at the rocket's first belch of exhaust. Throwing it upwards as if it were a spear. The rocket stalled in the air then jumped as air flushed from underneath it and finally took flight on its own atop a rising column of crimson smoke. Jingko dashed further amidst the scurry and panicking crowd, some still running and others halting at the rocket trailing a blood-coloured smoke and screaming its way into the sky.

"Success," close to laughing at his triumphant. Some redemption for his recent failure. A likelihood at promotion. Jingko dashed across the street, heading off an ostrich-horse in full gallop with its rider clutching forward in the saddle, a pellmell escape from this now doomed city. In full sprint and without hesitation, Jingko leapt for the rider and steed. With too much ease he swung himself right behind the rider and just as quickly struck. Pushing the bleeding man from the saddle he kept the stolen ostrich-horse galloping at full pace. Turning the beast toward the southern gate, more than once he nearly trampled one of the steadily growing number of confused and panicked pedestrians on his way out of the city. And southward, from across the sky the panic was about to increase Jingko remarked to himself as he sped from the southern gate, having noted one and then another and then another smoggy contrail, each with a rolling, glowing orange ball at their head.

[seru]

"DAMNIT!" Soshi swore. "I failed... But I will not fail again." He closed his eyes, and let his rage build within him. He remembered everything. Every failure, every life lost when he could not protect them.

Reopening his bright eyes, he turned, and headed back for the Inn. His pace was no longer hurried, nor was it rushed. "I must..." He closed his eyes. "I never wanted to, but I must." He let a small flame rage within his hand. It reminded him of who he was.

Looking into the Crimson Flame as he walked, he snuffed it, his fist closing. "Agni Help Me, I will be killing my own kinsmen." He walked faster, bathed in thoughts. "War is as war does. My Die is Cast."

He was metres from the door now. And after that, scant metres more... To his belongings.

Then... I have come full circle. I was of War, and tried to flee from that war, that hatred, the fear and pain. But If I am to be warred upon, I will answer in kind. I am a Drake. My clan name is Kasai, If I am to fight, it will not be as Soshi Kasai, but as the Crimson Drake.

Let them know terror, and fear. Let those who would murder the innocent know pain and agony. That little girl... She deserved nothing of what has been done to her. Anyone who would take that traitor in, is a traitor to the Honour of the Fire Nation.

"They will all die."

[Teiú]

As soon as Jingko fled from the room carrying Setsuko along, the unknown soldier clad in way more apparent Fire Nation attire than Teiú shouted a "follow me" toward all. Yet, before Soshi could even finish his exclamation, Teiú had already jumped over the bar and started chasing Setsuko's kidnapper. Dust had taken over the street as an Ostrich-Horse, the same Teiú brought to the town, was running wildly down the earthy street. Desperately, Teiú gave chase after the animal and kept on following it even after the soldier running alongside him stopped and turned away.

Every step seemed harder in Teiú's madly dash. His lungs started hurting with the effort being put by his body, that was tired even before he reached town. The blood coming from his forehead was blinding him. At every second, the animal was putting a huge distance between itself and the deserter. In his agony, in an attempt to clean his face from the blood, Teiú tripped over the ground and fell, face first, on the ground. Trying to clean himself, Teiú rubbed his hand against his face from right to left, unintentionally painting with a red mud, a mix of the blood and earth, the entire left side of his now scratched face.

Breathing deeply, Teiú entered an state of despair upon seeing the Ostrich-Horse charging forward and on. However, this didn't last long as for, all of a sudden, at the distance, Teiú saw a massive fireball exploding a few meters ahead of the animal carrying Setsuko. What was that? A trebuchet attack? Teiú wouldn't stop to think about it, though. Instead, he got up and started running diagonally, through the alleys, aiming to reach the animal that had turned left abruptly, frightened by the explosion. When the street the beast had taken converged to a point Teiú would be able to reach first, the firebender saw the chance to retrieve his companion.

Turning into an emptied road, the animal stopped clumsily, after Teiú suddenly appeared from a sideway and shot a beam of flames right in front of it. As the Ostrich-horse stopped and changed directions, the young firebender jumped atop of it and held the reins, trying to make it stop. However, the fact that the beast would keep on running from a few meters more wouldn't really matter, for the fact that Teiú couldn't control it due the animal's stress was totally forgotten by the deserter when he saw another fireball coming directly in his direction. Teiú only had the time to grab the unconscious Setsuko and cover, shielding her with his own body. It was not a second later that the huge ball covered in flames hit the mount with all the possible might.

[jialingjin]

She gritted her teeth as she ran along the streets, feeling her chest burning with each thump of her heart as it beat in her chest. Her long arms swung oddly around her torso, hands gripped in tight fists. Glancing over her shoulder, Jialing saw the chaos behind them but virtually ignored it, unable to process it all as the three of them curved around a corner. Her soled boots, the grips and grooves having worn away long ago, slid across the soft and sand-like dirt. Her legs kicked out from under her, her ankle cracking at such an angle that her upper body toppled to the side. Reed was ahead of her, his longer legs providing him a greater distance to his stride and Jin.. well he was just faster. She gave a startled yelp as she started to fall. Her knee and hips went out from under her and in a graceful, slow motion sort of arc she fell on to her hip. Her elbow crashed inton the ground as she tried to catch herself, failing miserably as her upper body fell onto the ground too. Her shoulder slammed into the ground, and she caught herself with her other hand.

The iron bell, cast and simple, began to ring as Reed had been instructed too, the giant bell suspended in the octagon shaped, open air temple in the middle of the city. Twin pillars supported the tiled roof at each point, and weathered bits of sacred paper and smaller bells. The heavy tolls of the bell were mournful, and echoed across the river valley and the open fields. The bell swung back and forth on its supports as Reed pulled the twisted rope that hung from the pulleys. His bronzed arms stretched and contracted in rhytmn with the bell above his head, beads of sweat rolling down his forehead as strands of his copper toned hair clung to his forehead and his cheeks. He looked over his shoulders at her grunting cry, with fear in his eyes. Reed had lived in this area of the Earth Kingdom for much of his life, he knew what terror the marching armies could cause and he knew the best case scenario of this case now was get as many people out of Tachi Dai before the Fire Nation razed it.

Already, Jialing was getting back on her feet, trying to get her body up. Her legs began to bicycle under her, her backside rising up as she tried to raise her upper up onto her hands. She got her body up, shambling forward in stumbling gaits with her eyes rising up to the horizion. Her mouth was gaped over, her hot breath coming through in a hacking coughing as she raising the back of her hand up to her lips. Above her a signal flare exploded to the tolling of the bell, giving away everything to the Fire Nation armies that were surely waiting beyond the fields. She cursed her feet under her breath, cursed this damn city, cursed the rebellion and everything it stood for. Jin looked back to her, standing next to Reed with his tail gently wagging over his back. Jialing's eyes lit up a bit as she saw her puppy-wuppy in the distance, waiting for her, next to Reed whose strong arms were still pulling that rope. But Jin's tail stopped.. and lowered, and the golden dog withdrew his pink tongue into his mouth as his folded over ears perked. He was watching something now. Something behind her. Jialing, jogging along, slowed, even as the town around her came to frantic life. Yells and screams around her, doors slamming and the sound of feet running as people realized that the Fire Nation was on their doorstep vanished. And Jialing came to a stop there in the middle of the street, staring at her dog.. not even realizing the danger lurking behind her.

[gandalan]

As the fire began to rain down on the town, Hibiki became more panicked. The rest of the townspeople were as well, rushing around and trying to care for their young children, their older relatives. They rushed about, gathering up the belongings they would take with them as they fled the doomed town. Little did they know it was already too late.

Hibiki had nobody else to worry about other than himself, especially now that Jia, Reed, and Jin had abandoned him. He ran- straight out of town, into the woods. His fear gave him speed and stamina, and he had no time to waste. His hair whipped about his face as he ran desperately away from the town.

He thought back through all of his recent memories. Being freed had made him euphoric. As he'd gotten to know his 'friends', he'd become happier. But this was so sudden. To be thrust back into this fearful state. He had hoped to never feel this way again... but right now, breathing in gasps, running through the woods, he felt just as he had so long ago.

He shoved a branch out of his way, his bare feet hopping over the roots of the tree. As he did so, he noticed red. The uniform of a fire nation soldier. He gasped for breath as he ran past them, hoping his footspeed would help him speed past them easily. He had not anticipated that there would be soldiers further into the forest. His sore miscalculation might cost him dearly.

[vu]

"Fifty gold says we drop the gate on them first!" A firebender through his fist into the air.

"Yuh crew cant aim worth BAD!!" A thick armed soldier challenged with a raised mallet.

"Turn around and light my balls already!" A second soldier yelled at the firebender.

The bombardment of Tachi Dai wretched itself into a slow start, being called into action early than expected. Unprepared, there passed long minutes before another one slung its arm at the city between reloadings. Vu waded and hustled through the mounting traffic towards a set of small smoke stacks in the distance. Focused on those and the rise of grey smoke as his guide whilst he mingled through the press and trip of bodies, more than once Vu was nearly ran over by khomodo-rhinos hauling refuse used as ammunition for the trebuchets, jostled side to side by infantry soldiers skittering for their weapons while their officers cursed in their ears and punted them in their rears to rush into formation.

The noise of incessant cussing and orders was drowned from Vu's ear, replaced by the ebb and flow of cavalry on komodo-rhino and mongoose-lizard taking to the field, the trumpet of a Tsungi horn calling for attention and the growing heartbeat of taiko drums to put the infantry in step and frighten the people of Tachi Dai further.

Grabbing a built in rung, Vu catapulted himself atop his contraption. "Sound off!" Landing in a crouch and noting the readied firebenders commanding the other five machines.

"Number five alive!" One of Vu's firebender stood over the hatch of his rig, slamming an fist into his own palm as salute.

"Two ready!"

"Six checked!" Dropping into the hatch.

"Four awaiting orders!" An audible salute.

"Three at your command!"

"Number one moving out," Vu bellowed back to them with his body waist up outside the hatch. "Full steam ahead!" Slapping a few times an open palm atop the iron hull his war crawler then regretting from the stinging sensation afterwards.

Serrated wheels tore into the earth and the sextuplet of iron carriages rolled themselves through the forest. Careening towards the Tachi Dai from the south, Vu watched from above his hatch the locals starting to clot the gate as they attempted to flee all at once. Those who through some fortune were already out of the gate attempted to put as much distance between themselves and the city as possible either by the main road or through the fields into the surrounding countryside.

Aloof to their plight, the self-propelled siege machines of Vu's team rolled on. They made no effort to steer towards the people or away from them. The unfortunate were just unfortunate.

"Defenders," Vu said. Himself likely the only one to hear his voice. "Where the defenders?" That was his task, anyone else mattered little. Leave them for the infantry.

Vu grabbed the latch to his hatch then yelled towards the others before diving inside. "As planned!"

[jingko]

"As planned!" Jingko smug features was hidden underneath a stream of canteen water, washing off the dirt from his poor disguise. In the distance he could he the low sounding screams of the terrorized interspersed with random thumps. Handiwork of the trebuchets.

"Geko hasn't reported in yet," a subordinate sidled up to him.

"Idiot. And Ginko?" He replied.

"Haven't seen him either," passing him a band of cloth.

"Fools were the reason for the smoke signal," Jingko assumingly muttered. "Consider them dead--now pass my chainmail," slipping his hands behind him then tying his hair into a topknot.

"What about their lizards?" Injected another, guiding his mouth from the brush.

"Leave them here," Jingko stated after a moment's contemplation then went back to strapping his armour on. "Let's try to switch out our mounts if we need a fresh one rather than ride all the back to camp," trying to restrain from a hurried pace as he armouring up, excited though he was.

At the sound of a Tsungi horn they paused. "They're moving," Jingko exhaled in restrained exuberance then began snatching for his weapon.

"Can't run boy! You're surrounded!" A sudden red flash fled by Jingko's vision. Spear in hand, one of his soldiers cackling darting after something. Someone.

Jingko gave an annoyed growled at the both of them. Not wanting to waste a bolt of his own, Jingko snatched a crossbow from the hands of another soldier. Arcing it across his head, Jingko mechanically brought the weapon down straight armed. Trigger squeezed, the bolt managed to nick the spear-wielding chaser and continued to its intend target. Jingko immediately lobbed the weapon back towards it owner, just as quickly he took his eye away from the scene the moment he squeezed the trigger. Whoever his subordinate was chasing after was too inconsequential for needing even the briefest of descriptions.

"Now ignore it. Saddle up!" Jingko barked.

'The others will be here soon,' he was about to say until his attention was given to another nuisance.

"BAD!in prepube threw a sewing needle at me!" Another one of his men yelled then heard the familiar thunk of an arrow hitting a tree.

These people got out of Tachi Dai early enough or they were just fast enough. Maybe both. Either way, growing frustrated, with a flip of his wrist Jinkgo brought his own crossbow to his waist. Already loaded, a quick trigger squeeze sent a bolt flying at the archer girl. His vision paying no further attention to her, Jingko plucked a cavalry spear from the grass then hurled at the yelling something like 'no' or 'yesu'--it didn't matter.

"Everyone! Saddle! No interruptions! Not a damn one! Just killing!" Jingko began yelling, stomping away from the scene while flailing his fist in the air. "Corral them back to the dung heap!" Snatching the reins of his mongoose-lizard and vaulting onto the saddle.

[gandalan]

Hibiki was even more frantic now that somebody was chasing him. A thousand memories of what it was like to be imprisoned flashed through his head as he ran through the trees, pushing back branches. He had a few advantages over the one chasing him- being smaller allowed him to duck low branches easier, and it allowed him to move through brush and around obstacles easier. However, it soon became clear to him, looking back, that the chaser's longer legs gave him a clear edge here, and that Hibiki was probably going to be caught soon-

And then he saw the arrow coming towards him. The officer had apparently shot it at him from some distance, very accurate even so. He yelped, and ducked behind a tree, watching it pass by harmlessly. If he hadn't been looking back, it would be implanted into his back, very easily. He gasped for breath, his shock removing him from the situation at hand. He then suddenly heard the boots of his other problem- the one chasing him. He gasped, and moved around the tree to face the man- he was far too close. Within 3 spear's distance of him. He instinctively took a step back, and remembered what his father told him. Take a hard stance. Be stubborn. Thrust outward with your fist, and the earth will aid you.

He'd only ever plowed or terraced with it before, but something told him to use it. He had to.

He held his fists in close to his body, and then thrust them outward just as the man was about to grab him. A huge clod of mud and earth rose from the ground, striking the man backwards. Hibiki was almost as shocked as the man- he had just used earthbending AGAINST somebody. The thought had simply never occurred to him before. This instinct may have just saved his life, he thought. He didn't know otherwise.

His instinct took over again- time to run. He turned away, not caring what had happened to the man, or the people of Tachi Dai. He had to get out of here. Stowing away his new knowledge- that he was not completely helpless- he ran. He ran like he had never ran before.

[seru]

“I loved her… So much…” Soshi stared into the Chest, seeing the Armour of the Crimson Drake. It physically hurt to see it. To remember Jaya, through that armour. “Jaya… Why… All… I ever wanted… Was your safety. But now… Your gone… Jaya, if your listening… Give me a sign. Can I turn on my own country men? Can I kill, the very people, who are my Blood and Flesh, whose fire burns like mine?” Soshi was on his knees, and he heard the Bell Ringing. And he looked upwards. “Just like at her funeral. But… Now…” He laid his head on his knuckles, shedding a tear. “I’ll betray… You… Father… Futaba…” He looked at his wrist, and saw the beads there, and smiled. “But… War… War is what I was forged for. Now… I will make war, on the country that killed you. This assault, and that man, are no true soldiers of the Fire Nation. They are honourless pigs. They shall burn.”

Standing up, and tossing aside his garments, Soshi donned his armour. Slowly, the padded undercoat first, the his Grieves, the latches snapping into place. Boots, which linked into the Grieves, the Cuirass, and the Pauldrons, and then the Gauntlets. The Dragon’s maw now donned, Soshi flexed his arm, and shot a small puff of smoke from it. He smiled, seeing all was right in this world now. Donning his cloak, and letting it fly, Soshi strapped his arms to himself, and shut the chest. It was now empty, save a few travelling items. He carried it down the stairs, and out of the Tavern. As the assault raged, he was a pint of stillness. He placed it on his Gecko-Frog, and whispered to the creature. “Hide somewhere safe. Come back when this is all over.” He smiled, seeing it wander away from the fighting, back to the creek it had come from.

Soshi turned, and growled. “RALLY TO ME! RALLY TO I! THE CRIMSON DRAKE!” He drew his Jian, and roared out loud. “Come and fight me you honourless dogs. Fight a true Soldier. Let me remind you what war really is!”

[jialingjin]

Reed stopped pulling the rope, his hand loose on the thick and twisted band as it swayed and pulled through his hands. The last tones of the bell’s ring died out among the yells of the populace. He looked his shoulders, craning his neck as his stringy, matted hair blew into his face. His warm eyes were wide, dark circles in his skin lingered under his eyes and his grimace pulled at his skin. Another twist of his head and he quickly skipped around the structure, letting his leading hand pressing against the pillars with their faded and peeling paint. The rope left his hand, slipping through his loose fingers as he skipped down. He could see that many of the people of Tachi Dai, were pressing themselves towards the gates of the city. Some towards the fields, some towards the river.

Even in his desperation, Reed had to let one corner of his mouth form a smile. Those above ground were less than 1/3 of the population of Tachi Dai. The quickest and the most able body. When the panicked masses had begun to run from their homes, a vast majority of them swarmed into other buildings, into the shops along the street. They seemed to disappear except for the crowd above ground, the diversionary group. Reed had to chuckle loudly, a heart felt "Haha!" as he threw his head back for a moment.

The tunnels.

The Fire Nation did not know about Tachi Dai's secret weapon. Their tunnel system. Tachi Dai was originally a coal town, with a horde of Earth Benders working under ground to mine out the coal that would then be shipped all over. With the coming of the war, the Coal mines were abandoned. The leaders of the town would not let the Fire Nation benefit from their coal. And since the pact with the mysterious benefactor and the formation of the Rebellion in Tachi Dai, they had become their defacto headquarters. They were spacious, divided into rooms to hold captured weaponry, converted into bedrooms to sleep members and into meeting rooms. Storage rooms held food, water, ratios to help the town survive. But perhaps their greatest weapon was the coal that remained in the tunnels.

"Jia!" He shouted, turning around as he skipped along on his feet, worn out soles kicking up dust on the roads with their dried out weeds. "Let's go! We gotta get below!" His face, freckled with dried bits of dirt and mud contorted as he shouted, raising his voice over the distance to try and reach her. At his side, her large dog stood as high as his waist, matted and ratty fur taking on the dull sheen of old gold it possessed in the sunlight. Jin’s tail was up, but it was not wagging. His tongue was sucked back into his mouth and he closed his mouth, his eyebrows raising in an expression mockery of human concern. Reed was just as pondered. She wasn’t moving. She was just standing there.. as if waiting for something, her crimpled hair whipping around her face and into her eyes. The stiff fabric of her tunic flapped at her thighs, the goldenrod sash tied around her waist fluttering. Someone was behind her…
Meanwhile! Fireballs had begun to pound the city. One came streaming in, wiping out buildings near the edge of the fields. The dried grass and winter wheat took the flames, licking them up. It began to spread through that south field, the fire sending a plume of black smoke into the air. People were scattering in all directions. They had lost Hibiki, the runaway prisoner to the crowds. They had lost Tsuya in the crowds, though surely the Kyoshi Warrior was torn between helping people into the Tunnels (once she knew about them) or she had gone out to directly confront the marching soldiers. Gengoro.. and Tseng Wei.. their whereabouts were unknown.

The war crawlers, Jialing could see them from where she was standing. She could see them as they emerged from the tree-line and into the fields with their smoke stacks belching. They were massive pieces of workman ship, crafted from the finest alloys of the day and powered by the beating heart of fire. It was then.. that Jialing perked her attention. Her head snapped towards Reed, eyes blinking as they went wide. “The Tunnels! We can use the tunnels!” She shouted, her voice lost over the commotion. It was then that she about faced, launching herself into a ugly sort of run as she raced towards the only tunnel entrance she knew about. It was inside the home of an elderly woman who was known as Ma to the rebels. She took care of them all, often sending home cooked meals that could feed a small army down below. All by herself. Even the men who had wives who cooked for them on a regular basis were fed by her, often to the point of bursting. If anyone was sick, running a fever, she was who they went to. She ran through the streets, twisting through the alleys until she came to the small, two story house that Ma shared with her son. Reed ran along beside her, and with him Jin. “The South Tunnels.. We gotta clear them. We gotta get people to the river. If those.. if those… “Jialing struggled, fumbling with her words as she tried to jiggle the door which was stuck in the crooked and old frame. She slammed her shoulder into it. “things! Cross! Tunnels!” She stepped back, panting with sweat dripping down her face, though she ran the back of her hand over her forehead. “They’ll collapse them. Fall in..”

And that was exactly what the rebellion leaders were planning. It was Zhong Tai himself that knelt down next to the stacks of captured blasting jelly barrels and black powder. He carried a torch and a woven fuse protruded a good couple of feet down the tunnel. This was their final stand at Tachi Dai. With the vast majority of the populace under ground and heading towards the river through the tunnels, they could cross it and escape. But they wouldn’t let the Fire Nation have the town to just roll over. He looked around for a moment, at the dark veins of coal that cut through the rock and dirt. There was enough coal left to keep a fire burning for decades.

He dropped the torch. And then he ran north.

The flame crept up the fuse.. towards the barrels that sat under a junction of south tunnels.

[Teiú]

Walking on an wide plain covered in whitened grass, barefooted and in total peace, Teiú could feel the gentle caress of the wind and the red earth under his feet, under the white carpet formed by the peach colored grass reflecting the clear light of the sun yet to set on the horizon. That was his home, he was at home. From afar, then, he heard the shouts of his friend, Kai, while Kai himself was standing near his father, Kangiro, one of Teiú's teachers and rebel comrade. Teiú's very family was then standing near them and they were all at distance. A tall and slim figure, in a motion that seemed more floating than running, came near the young man. Her pale skin, deep amber colored eyes and black-jet hair wouldn't let Teiú forget. That was Seung-Ha, the girl that died betraying everything she believed in to let the man she loved escape the siege imposed by her own father. Suddenly, the people standing afar vanished and the grass started turning brown, as burnt leaves started falling from the sky. Teiú couldn't move nor think in that dream falling apart. But the woman standing in front of him, acquiring a very singular blue color to her silhouette, gently landed her hand on his cheek.

"More than enough time you let me go, sweetheart. And that way, you will be able to find your own path. And while I'm saddened we can no longer be together, I'll never regret protecting you with my life, for while I was at your side, I learned what really is important in this life..."

While Teiú felt his chest was going to explode with the tremendous effort he was putting to let go a word, the woman whose presence now seemed all ethereal, as gently as she was behaving, spoke first.

"Don't worry, I know... now you should go, no? I think there are persons in great need of you. While you act as you showed me you can, you are these persons' greatest hope." And with a comforting smile, she totally disappeared, as everything around the desperate Teiú.

All of sudden, Teiú opened his eyes, what was so strange for, as Teiú could remember, he was just fighting to not close them. Now, however, he could breath, even though every time time he tried that his lungs seemed to be in fire. And unexpectedly as everything happened, a man appeared in front of him and shot a strong punch right at the rebel's jaw. Teiú tried to move but other two men were holding him by his arms. More confused than never, he could barely recognize what the men were saying."

"Let's tear him 'part, the Fire Nation scum, let's show 'im." Was what Teiú's ear caught. Before he could get the breath to explain the fact he was using a few garments of a Fire Nation armor a fourth man, holding an unconscious Setsuko, said aloud: "Hey, look at this girl's eyes, she must be Fire Nation trash too."

With feline agility, Teiú jumped away from the men holding him while flames started letting go of his arms. Falling over Setsuko's new captor, Teiú had enough time to grab her and walk three steps before the four men jumped over him. It didn't last too much for, as it had just happened to Teiú's ostrich-horse a few minutes ago, and what did knock Teiú unconscious at the time, another giant fireball struck the group throwing people and flames all around.

Thrown away by the impact, Teiú quickly tried to establish himself to evaluate the situation. Landing eyes on what was once his mount, Teiú realized that the first fireball did hit it and killed it in an instant. At that, he and Setsuko must've been thrown away and he lost his consciousness. Probably, the men went to to help them but when they saw Teiú's last pieces of a Fire Nation's armor they must've been thinking in finishing him for good.

While taking out what of his attire that could give away the info about his nationality, Teiú started realizing he was covered in blood. Blood from himself, from his mount and the men that just died in front of him... Perhaps, even blood from Setsuko. Scared upon thinking about that he rushed to her and tried to find on her any signs of harm. She was unscathed, though dirty of Teiú's own blood. Her most serious wound would be the small cut on her neck, produced in the mess at the inn, but nothing to worry much.

Carrying unconscious Setsuko on his back and making sure he was still carrying the message he was supposed to deliver, he left the dreadful place at slow paces. His health status was bad. While not affected with any particular big wounds, he was all scratched and bruised and leaking blood from several cuts. Teiú was severely injured.

[jingko]

"That one over there!" Jingko shouted to a komodo-rhino cavalryman. Flicking his wrist, the spear he held swatted aside some knife wielding, self-pronounced assassin youth then poked the spearpoint into the child's belly. "The wagon!" Jingko yelled at him again, pointing the blood-tipped spear at rickety, uncovered two-wheel wagon and its passengers desperately bouncing its way up the main road. As soon as the behemoth finished dancing upon a broken red puddle its rider reined it about and gave chase. By the time the komodo-rhino reached them at least one of the passengers had flung herself out of the getaway vehicle before it, the ostrich-horse and its handler were flung into the air and came down in a cringing clatter of broken material.

There was some since in satisfaction in watching that, he felt. Setting the butt of his spear inside a leather holder normally used to hold up a flag, Jingko began to holster his crossbow and ride again amidst the chaos. His eyes scanned back and forth across the field, keeping track of riders in his own unit and people fleeing Tachi Dai on anything other than their own two feet.

Jingko cast half an eye towards the spectacle as he rode across the fields outside Tachi Dai dotted with its fleeing citizens. Ahead of him he could see the whatever-those-were steam-driven wagon contraptions after trailing their smoke stop before reaching the city walls, swing either left or right, drive partway along its length and shoot fire at it, come about then charge back at the city again. Behind him there were the infantry soldiers, on foot, marching in formations or scattered in little teams. The formations keep a steady pace towards the city while the teams buzzed around them like gnats, men were running about in firebending stances or carrying spears and lengths of rope or nets and chased after fleeing Earth Kingdom citizens on foot.

And the cavalry? That questioned caused Jingko to grit his teeth. They were to fight but there was nothing to fight.They had face no real opposition since taking the field. No small grouping of suicidal soldiers to stand against them. No stalwart city guards swearing to protect the city. No rebels of any sort yelling and cursing as they ran headlong at them. Just a flithy mass of commoners scampering away like wallaby-rats from a burning barn. Hardly any of them dared to pick a fight save for overly dim-witted individuals who could do little harm to even one of them with the only dangerous among them being the rare earthbender deciding to put up a fight.

[vu]

"I am not liking this," Vu uttered to himself. The war machines, their war crawlers as he adoringly called them, were barreling towards the city. Unhindered even by the occasional fleshy speedbumps.

"I still not seeing anything!" The rear driver complained, out of his seat looking over the shoulder of the forward driver as their contraption jostled over the uneven terrain.

The rear driver not doing his job, Vu opened the attack port at his own seat to view behind them. None of the people rushing at the city were turning around to rush them still. A trap? He pondered.

"They want to wait until we get into the city," the forward driver said, laying a hand on the other driver's helmet and pushing him off his shoulder. "Or they gonna make a moat and think we can't climb out," he snickered.

"The wall," Vu glared at the city. "Or they will just try and topple the wall on top of us!" And began to frantically estimate the distance, how far it could reach if any part of it simply fell over.

Vu knabbed the rear driving by his shoulder and amid the tight confines of their machine tried to fling him back to the rear engine chair. "All engines full! Pull us ahead of the others," opening his forward hatch then outing a flame from it that etched characters in midair. Pulling ahead of the other war crawlers and the flaming calligraphy immediately before them, the six war crawlers split in half left and right before nearing the city walls.

They traveled parallel along the walls length, probing with flaming geysers or lobbing fireballs. "Nothing still!" One of the drivers elatedly spouted at the lack of a counterattack. The war crawlers then pulled away from alongside the walls, maneuvering full circle before charging the wall all together again.

"Why is no one fighting us?" Vu grimaced.