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

[jialingjin]

Just then the ground shook under Jialing's feet. She yelped, her voice hoarse from the smoke that was filling the air and lingering around the city as she was thrown against the door. It shooked and rattled on it's metal hinges, creaking but not giving way. Her eyes shot open as her head lifted, mouth hanging open. What was that? An earthquake..? No... it couldn't be. She turned her head swiftly, closing her mouth in a tight line while she looked towards Reed with a raised eyebrow, a smudge of dirt alongside the side of her nose. She pressed her fingertips against the wood, feeling it rough and thread-like under her touch. There were no earth benders in Tachi Dai.. at least not powerful enough to cause an earth quake of that magnitude. She braced herself, ready for aftershocks but they did not come. Reed stared at her too before he turned his head both directions, looking over his shoulders while the ear-lenght strands of his hair clung to his sweat-drenched face. The town was vacant..The stone walls, with the remains of their once decorative tile-roofs were being destroyed by the clinking and clanking war machines as they roared into town. They could see the smoke rising, the flames starting to burn as the houses on the edge of the town, the barns and storage sheds began to dissolve into ash. The Fire Nation was moving slowly, cautiously with their troops in organized fashion.

They were not encountering any kind of resistance. The citizens were running.. only a few foolish enough to try and stand up had met their fate. The rebels and their families, those who knew about the tunnels and the escape plan, were already on their way to the river. All they had to do was cross it and they would be fine. However, this was war. People were left behind either on purpose or because they did not know of the tunnels plans. The rebellion's Earth Kingdom based leaders were ruthess in their dedication to never let Tachi Dai's people fall, nor their valuable plans and supplies, nor her valuable coal supply. They would not be able to escape the full wrath of the crawlers. There was no point in fighting back. The last raid nearly 3 years ago had left the town on it's last legs. It was time to put it under its misery.

The earth at the walls surged upward, and the stone walls began to crack and crumble, falling apart. Tiles shook loose and the ground split in places under the wall, the dirt and grass just peeling apart while the violent shaking radiated outward. The explosion sent clods of dirt, stone, bits of the wall, upward into the sky with fire, particles of blasting jelley and black power streaking upward in grand arches. Then, within a moment, the ground along the explosion's epicenter began to collaspe inward, ripping the wall down, ripping down houses as the shock wave spread out. Not every section of tunnel collasped, but the tunnel chamber that had contained the blast did, as well as many of it's spokes radiated outward like a hub. Deep within the old mine shafts, the veins of coal began to burn, ignitied by the blast and the fire began to spread. It was slow-moving at first, but the coal veins provided a perfect, long lasting fuel. Soon smoke and steam would fill the tunnels and what remained, pouring out of the gouge. The ground would become unsafe as sink holes developed over days, months. Plants would die, the fields would become pock-marked with sinkholes and steam would pour from cracks in the ground. It was a scorched earth policy, backwards, it was salting your own fields. This was the Tachi Dai rebels last little victory over the Fire Nation. They had gained nothing from them.

"..Well Shiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiit." Jialing would hiss through her teeth, witnessing the explosion. She forgot about the door, her arm snapping out and grabbing Reed's wrist. "Let's go!" They needed another entrance to the tunnel! No! The Tunnels are a raging inferno right now! Bad idea..! Jialing ran, pulling Reed along behind her. She was focused, intently with her thoughts swimming around. They had to get out of the city! To the River! No, No.. that'd lead the Fire Nation right to the Rebels and to the city's citizens! She was in a panic, her eyes widening while she bit at her lip. Jialing whirled around on Reed, tearing her hand away as her knees bent inward "What do we do?!" She yelled in a panic at him, raising her hands up to grip and pull at her tangled and crimped hair with her palms pressed into her forehead. Jin had already run ahead, his long, thick body disappearing into the fields that surrounded the ruined city as he ran. Jialing almost didn't notice he was missing. Reed meanwhile was trying to remain calm, which was usually Jialing's job. He looked around furiously, standing nearly a head taller than her while he reached forward and grabbed her by her upper arms. Honestly, they just had to run, like plenty of others had. Ostrich Horses.. if they could get some Ostrich Horses.. There..! "C'mon!" He growled through his teeth as he rushed forward, pulling Jialing alongside him as he man a run for the loose Ostrich Horse.

The Ostrich horse was a farmer's steed, old with rickety legs and molting feathers. It was bare of any tack but an old halter hung around it's head and beak. It was fluffing it's feathers, trying to make itself look bigger than it really was. Weird grunting sort of squeaks were coming from it as it stumbled along, dragging along a dried stick of burrs caught in it's fur-feathers. Reed started whistling, snapping his fingers to try and get the giant ostrich horse to come to him but it would not have it. It squwaked, flapping it's short, stubby wings as it began to run faster, kicking it's clawed feet out as defensive. Reed let go of Jialing, who was trailing behind him and breathing hard to make a leap at the creature. He tried to grab the animal's neck, wrapping an arm around the feature's furry neck and trying to snatch it's halter but the ostrich-horse tossed it's head into the air, beak snapping as it kicked up with a clawed, scaly toe. There was the sound of ripping fabric and skin, and a gutual scream as Reed stumbled back, one arm wrapping around his stomach while he doubled over. He was suddenly screaming loudly, cursing as he doubled over. Blood began to pulse out of the strike, a large gash above his hip bone that stretched across his abdominable wall.

She shrieked at the sight.

[jingko]

"FINALLY!" Jingko exclaimed as his mongoose-lizard almost fell over. He not only felt it from atop his steed but he saw the very earth near the walls of Tachi Dai.

Earthbenders! That's what it had to be. And he wasn't the only cavalryman to assume such. Others began turning from their task of thinning Tachi Dai's now refugee population. Harshly snatching his thrown spear from a ribcage and punctured lung, Jingko next wheeled his mongoose-lizard mangling a refugee and pointed the beast in the direction of Tachi Dai.

Battle! A sadistic grin swooped across Jingko's face when he kicked his steed forward. "YAH!" Slamming his spurs into the animal again. The charging beast became a member of a small, growing stampede rushing towards the walls of Tachi Dai to face off against its would-be earthbenders. Jingko glared at the city's crumbling walls. The earthbenders were most certainly about to attack.

The very earth beneath began to roll under them like an ocean wave. Komodo-rhinos and mongoose-lizards began to stumble in their gallop, falling over or crashing into one another, riders fell or thrown off and even trampled. Some of the animals with their riders then began to rise into the air. A dirty flash of light and Jingko began to feel weightless as well. His steed fell away from underneath him then his back slammed against the ground. Ears ringing and gasping for breath, Jingko furiously crawled away but began to slide backwards.

The ground around him continued giving away, pulling him backwards as he kept trying to scramble forwards. He gritted his teeth, realizing the earthbenders had him. Opting to go down fighting he rolled over and unsheathed his dao sidearm. Ready for battle he slide towards smoke filled epicenter of crumbling earth.

Jingko =

[vu]

Vu wanted to curl into a fetal position.

"Captain," was the muffled yell that came as a whisper to him.

Vu groaned as trying to curl up just made it hurt worse.

"Captain! Captain!"

"s... Spirits..." Vu meekly exhaled. Hurt all over but I have not even been drunk, he wanted to say then tried to lift his face away from what he assumed was the floor in his blurry vision.

"Hold still Captain," and Vu began to realize it was the forward driver or their machine now unstrapping him from his seat. Falling against the machine's wall Vu tugged at a floating leg hanging over his leg and feared was his. "Don't bother," the driver said as Vu began to tug it and followed the twisted leg along its odd inhuman angles towards the contorted body of his rear driver who was scurry around about their crawler just moments ago.

The surviving driver began reaching over Vu's head, the firebending officer holding onto his own head and attempted to recall what just heppened to them before he blacked out suddenly. Amidist the grunts of his driver trying to open the war crawler's hatch, lethargically Vu pulled away his own hands after feeling something wet against his hands. Noting the blood against some his fingertips he began removing his helmet just as his driver returned to him.

"Here, let me look," pulling away his captain's helmet. "It's stuck," tilting Vu's head from side to side. "Nothing serious... I don't think." Then began crawling along his side towards the machine's floor-now-turned-wall.

"No," Vu spoke up after a few moment. Slowly he picked himself up and began in a stumble and limp towards the machine's bottom to unlatch the floor escape hatch. "...w ...what happened?" Trying to discern anything from amidst smoke and strewn ground.

"Somebody set up us the bomb," the driver replied in a sardonic chuckle as Vu lifted him onto his shoulder.

I can't see anyone, Vu tried to scan their smoke clogged surroundings. He prayed the others were well and better off. "Overhere!" Hearing the sound of multiple running boots upon the ground he began yelling for help. "Someone! Assistance! Medic!"

[jialingjin]

"Oh Spirits, Oh Spirits.." Jialing murmured over and over again, her voice cracking under the horrible emotional weight as she witnessed Reed doubled over. Streaks, trails, droplets of blood began to seep from the wound, even as he pressed his forearms against his stomach. His neck stretched, the veins and muscles bulging as his face first went red and then began to pale. He grimaced, clenching so hard on his teeth he was afraid they would crack. Sweat beaded at his forehead as he groaned, his vocals escalating into a low-pitch, grunt like scream. He fell to his knees, curling forward as his backs topography pressed into the crete colored rough,woven linen shirt without sleeves. He let out another bellowing grunt as he crumpled onto his knees.

Jialing fell to her knees, her legs splaying out under her in opposite directions as she reached gently, cautiously, her hands out to his shoulders. Her eyes were wide, shaking with fear as she leaned closer. "..R-r-reed... It's.. it's.. gonna be o-o-okay.." Her voice trembled and broke. Tears started to brim at her eye, but she kept them back, the sheer shock of the injury keeping her at bay. She lifted her eyes to his face, eyes shut so tightly as strands of honey-colored hair fell into his face, clung to his sweat covered brow. Her hand lowered slowly, fingertips touching the skin and soon her hand encircled his wrist. Blood seeped up in between her fingers as she pulled away his arm. He let out a scream, breathing heavily and rapidly on the end of it before slipping into a hissing inhale of air. Reed's head arched skyward as the pain shot through his body. His shirt, a loose fitting sleeveless top with a v-neck, had been slashed open and the large flap hung down, stained with blood.

His flesh had been torn, a gaping wound that pulsed with bright red blood. She could see the glistening fibers of muscle, the pale shapes of an organ. His arm that she held trembled violently, and Jialing fell back away from him with a cry. Her mouth was agape, wide open as she tried to find.. the words.. the courage. Around them the city burned, fires started by the blast had ignited homes and the wood crackled. The dry kindle sparked to life. Noise filled the air, the sound of metal crashing, of smashing. The blast that shook the ground, that caused cracks to run through the city with hissing black colored smoke pouring out of the ground, had disabled many of the mechanical monsters, the crawlers. Shouts, voices, were heard as the Fire Nation Soldiers, not to be deterred began to move further in. Some were shouting for help, some were urging them to press on; That the rebels would not escape.

She was terrified, in shock, and Reed was dying infront of her. His skin was pale, covered in sweat and he was shaking, groaning and moaning. He was loosing blood.. and he was loosing it fast. She raised her hands to her face, one hand bloodied as she pulled down on her jawline. A whimper and then, suddenly, without warning, she screamed. "HEEEEEELP! Someone help!" Her voice screeched through the smoke, as she whipped her head around her shoulders. Her voice splintered and cracked, face stained with the finger-painted stripes of blood. Cafe colored hair clung to her face, clung to the blood on her beet red face. "Please! Someone Help!" Smoke stained her skin, clung to her as she threw her hands to the ground with her fingers upward like claws. Jialing threw her head foreward, the dirty, crinkled, and mud-caked tendrils of her hair falling forward along her cheeks and over her neck. A stotic individual, a young woman who rarely showed such emotion now found herself overwhelmed by the wave-like feelings she was feeling. Finding herself unable, whether she knew any first aid or not, to help Reed; it was like she was frozen in this state of helplessness, even as the older man was doubled over in grimacing pain, his grunts becoming weak.

Thunderous boots came up behind them, The noise becoming nothing to Jialing, even as she felt the grubby, calloused arms grab her by her bare arms. The Fire Nation Soldiers stormed into the ruined city, streaming in like a wild, flooding river. The clank of their armor, the sound of their pole arms clinking together; it all meshed together to form white noise that her brain just could not grasp. Explosions rang out, as more stashes of blasting jelly were caught by the fire, as the war machines fell into the sink holes, as the walls and homes cracked. It took a moment for Jialing to release, to comprehend that she was being pulled up by her arms. Her head snapped up, dazed and confused as she stumbled back, her arms raised up to her head, with soldier's hands under her armpits. She saw a second pair gathering around Reed, their crimson and black armor shielding him from her. The young rebel began to scream and pull, trying to wrestle an arm loose. Hair clung to her lips, to the dried blood on her cheek as she screamed his name, begged them to help him, begged them to let her go. She did not want to be taken a prisoner by the Fire Nation.. No, Never! She began to kick and thrash her legs, the leather laces that were switch-backed up the grey rabbit's fur of her boots began to untie, even the goldenrod sash at her waist loosened with each trash of her legs.

"No! Let me go! Let. Me! Go! Reed! Don't you touch him! Let me go! You Pigs!" She continued to shout, to trash like a fish out of water even as they drug her back. She twisted in their arms, trying to turn her body around so she could plant her feet and wrench herself from them. The front panel of her tunic tore open, revealing the pale ivory potato-sack like undershirt she wore. Finally, the soldiers, with their flame-decorated helmets had had enough of her. One of them raised the broad butt of a jian he wore at his waist. The hilt was narrow, but the standard butt was wide, perfect for bludgeoning. He swung down at the violently rebelling girl's head and the brass rang against her skull. Her cries slurred into silence as her eyes went blank and rolled up into her head. She crumpled against the men dragging her away, a prisoner of the Fire Nation now.

((I'm done with this thread!))

[gandalan]

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