The last night

Pov: Kai

The battle for the west coast of the Earth Kingdom was entering its final stages, and more than a year and a half after I began the siege, victory was almost within reach.

If the final operation succeeds, the Kingdom of Omashu will be more vulnerable than ever. The reason why Omashu was considered the second largest fortress in the earth kingdom was because its borders were close to General Fong's defence domain.

The importance of this operation surpasses any mission since Iroh's 600-day siege of Ba Sing Se. 

At first, overcoming the vast disparity between General Fong's army and mine was daunting. Just a difference of 1 to 4. Leading over 4,000 soldiers against over 16,000 would make any general think he was digging his own grave.

What allowed me to overcome such an obstacle was my long-term fighting methods. My strategy was to take advantage of General Fong's ruthlessness in sparing no effort to win.

General Fong is terribly powerful, but with such a warped sense of justice that he sees no difference in sacrificing troops to keep his territories inaccessible. Another contributing factor was my earthbenders under my command, who could easily spy on and sabotage Fong's defences and misrepresent his strategies, since he never thought of facing the same kind of elemental power in war.

My powers increased considerably, allowing me not only to increase my spiritual energy, but also to awaken more of my soldiers' elemental powers and incorporate them into my private special forces. I now commanded over 500 Fire Benders, 20 Earth Benders and 7 Water Benders. 

I still haven't found another potential airbender, apart from Ty Lee, who may be a special case considering what happened 100 years ago. 

One novelty I got as a bonus was an exorbitant bounty on my head, I'm now wanted for over 8 million, to be honest I feel honoured.

I was in my personal tent, using the little time I had to meditate in the lotus position before tonight's operation. My uniform was tailored to my taste, a black shirt and trousers, accompanied by a few pieces of armour of the same colour to protect my forearms and legs, with an accompanying coat of scales.

I hear footsteps approaching, easily recognising what it is, so I stop my meditation and open my eyes to greet a good friend. Huzo entered the tent as if it were his own, looking more irritated than he had in recent days.

A few weeks ago, Huzo had one of his ribs broken by an earthbender. Of course he returned the favour, but his body is still recovering and it would be risky to take part in the latest operation.

I understand his anger better than anyone; Huzo has fought hard to get where he is, and his powers have grown, along with his leadership instincts, which far surpass mine. We've talked about him going his own way, but he still insists on being my right-hand man.

- What's going on? Did a recruit burn his arse on the way? - I asked, already knowing why Huzo was so angry.

- Have you heard? The Omashu Kingdom is sending reinforcements to General Fong! If that happens, we'll lose everything we've achieved. - Huzo exploded in anger, thinking it was unfair for Omashu to send reinforcements.

- We don't have much to do, it was inevitable when we eliminated more than 80% of Fong's troops.

- Kai! You must convince the Fire Lord to send reinforcements! We won't be able to hold off another wave of enemies! 

- My hands are tied for now, even if I asked, it would take at least 2 or 4 weeks to get reinforcements, while Omashu can travel the distance to this battlefield in 3 weeks, we're practically gambling on which army gets there first. - I say this causally, not to get angry. - The only way to win this battle is to kill General Fong tonight so we can prepare to defend against Omashu's army. 

- I wish General Rozo were with us. - Huzo grumbled.

- I know... How many soldiers do we have for today's attack? - I asked, because there are always inconveniences on the battlefield.

- We have at least 2,000 soldiers left, to hold our borders at least we would need more than 1,800 soldiers. - Huzo turned to a map of the fortress where General Fong resides. - We believe there are at least 400 enemies in this fortress, not counting Fong.

- Gather our 50 best available benders, let's get this over with! - I ordered, getting up to prepare a last meal in the kitchen.

The sunset was about to end, and the darkness of night would finally cover the sky. Tonight would be a dark night, with no moon in the sky and only a few stars to be seen.

I stood beside my soldiers, waiting for one of our Earthbenders to open a passage through the ground. All of them, without exception, were carrying a considerable amount of explosive jelly, a highly flammable substance that might be the only alternative to a quick victory.

From my own experience, this year and a half has given me a new insight into the Earth Kingdom: as numerous as they are, such a disproportionate kingdom makes it difficult to protect completely, and its borders, being so large, don't have enough soldiers to protect them. This has led to civilians being forced to serve without proper training, making the quality of the Earth Realm inferior to that of the Fire Nation. It's ironic that the Earth Kingdom's greatest general is limited by his own army.

All my soldiers were a little apprehensive as we were hundreds of metres from the heart of the Fong Fortress. A brief tremor appeared, causing many to raise their guards in preparation for battle.

- Relax, they're ours. - I said, sensing the spiritual energy approaching.

A lump of earth rose from the ground in front of the unflappable Kai, and a soldier stepped out, his uniform covered with earth.

- General Kai. - The soldier said and saluted.

- Lieutenant! - I returned his gesture and turned around to see my soldiers preparing for the final battle. - They know what to do.

When we went undercover, we used the guards' schedules to sneak into the barracks, knock out soldiers and plant explosive jelly at key points for ambushes.

For the plan to work, it was necessary to cut off all avenues of counter-attack, by any means necessary, even if we had to bury everyone in a cave-in.

With the tension rising, it had been 20 minutes since we stormed the fortress, I knew that Fong couldn't be killed easily, as he distrusted even his own soldiers, so a direct confrontation, one on one, was necessary.

As much as I hate to admit it, I've faced this monster before, nearly dying in an ambush during the first few weeks of the siege. I have Ozai to thank for trying to kill me at every training session; if it weren't for my reflexes, I'd be dead by now.

I meet up with other disguised soldiers who have taken down some guards guarding a door. I put my ear to the door and hear a familiar voice.

- You two take care of the captains, I'll take care of General Fong. - I whispered to my soldiers, preparing for the biggest battle of my life.

- General Kai. - said one of the soldiers, drawing the attention of the one who was confused by the intrusion. - If you can't defeat him, then run away. Your life is too precious to die for someone like him.

The other soldier nods in agreement with his companion, making Kai look surprised.

I give a smile of superiority to show complete confidence in my abilities.

- If I were a coward, I wouldn't be your general! - I smile, letting my fighting spirit explode in my heart.

next chapter: The dragon's roar