Luke

The first target went down in a pile of disorganized straw as the rope holding the target together broke bit by bit with the flame of the fire, no longer holding anything together.

The second target took a hit square to where the shoulder would be, spun back, but stayed stood until my second strike blew off a chunk of the target near its left side, sending it into a mad spin into the air, breaking it off of its foundations, falling back to the earth.

The third target stood still from a previous session, but I was done with it now. I had no more use for it. I sent a kick at it this time, hoping to throw in some variety, really get a taste for how I would be operating no that I was back in "working" order.

The kick didn't hit the target. Nor did I intend it to. It hit right where I had aimed, hitting the wooden beam attaching the straw target to the heavy stone base. The wooden splintered broke, and before the straw target could hit the ground, I threw one last punch that hit the target square in the head, exploding on impact, sending flaming pieces of straw flying through the sky.

A few came my way, but I ignored them. I wasn't afraid of a few rogue projectiles. Especially when they weren't tipped in steel arrowheads.

The straw floated harmlessly to the ground around me as I turned around towards the cart where I could easily transport the stone bases and be re-equipped with working targets.

It was a shame there were so few firebending practice dummies around here. All of them had been used up by Iroh's firebenders in the first year and Iroh insisted we not use any of our or the enemy's armor on the dummies. It might come time where such resources would be vital.

I knew we were running low on resources. Bribing local farms and getting their support worked in the short run, but they'd have no time to grow crops for the soldiers. If anything, Iroh was thinking long term, building strong ties with the natives so when the Fire Nation took over, all the groundwork for a solid relationship would have been set. It made sense, but not to the point that we should be using our resources to gain their trust. The only thing we had been gaining out of it was half-true civilian reports of Earth Kingdom movements that half the time turned out to be our own men.

I picket up the first training dummy, or what was left of it, and heaved it over my shoulders. It weighed about 30 pounds. Not too heavy, but certainly not light. I made my way over to the cart that I'd have to pull on my own, but not too far. Only a quarter of a mile back to camp.

But wasting resources on the civies? Didn't make sense to me. Not when we needed it far more. We've already starting rationing, and don't get me wrong, I'm used to rationing. Been doing it my whole life, but that kind of shit wouldn't be good for morale, and none of us knew how much longer we'd be here. Iroh was betting on a quick victory. One that would come sooner rather than later.

And when we took over the city, then what? We still have our host to feed, and a city full of civilians. A city we'd spent the last 3 months starving to death. What would we feed them on then? Did Chan have some sort of cornucopia of food items distributed amongst his fillet I didn't know about. Were they towing a lush island of fruits and vegetables behind them? How the hell would we feed them?

I placed the first dummy back and started going back for the second. Could the General have already made a request for supplies? Was there already a Fire Nation ferry fleet inbound with enough food for the largest city on Earth? Because if Iroh intended on calling for that only after we'd taken the city, well, that'd be a few weeks if not a month of hell, waiting for a fleet that might not even make it.

I picked up the second dummy and headed back to the cart. We may as well wait for the harvest. That'd be ready sooner than a supply fleet.

I placed down the second dummy and when I turned around for the third, there was no third dummy where it had been on the ground, but rather, Danev standing behind me, shoving me aside to set down the last one on the back of the cart.

"Thanks." I said, wiping the sweat off my brow.

Danev looked at the back of the cart, seeming to take notice of the dummies. I'd wonder if he'd lecture me about how expensive those targets were. It was funny. He came into the Fire Nation only because there was nowhere else to go. He was in it for himself if not what was left of the Hornets, and it showed. He hated orders. He followed them to survive. He hated high command. He listened to their dumbass orders because he'd be executed otherwise, but here, with the Dragon's host, that had changed. I guessed half-decent commanders would do that. Shame 5000 men died because they didn't have one.

"Nice shooting." Was what Danev said instead, nodding his head in approval, a smile growing on his face. "I see you finally got your arm back. How's it feel?"

I shrugged, looking it over, still not used to seeing it free of that forsaken cast, a few shades whiter than its counterpart. "Like its been in a cast for the last 3 months."

He chuckled. "No shit. Look's white as ice."

"Thanks. Appreciate it. I was thinking of holding it over an open flame for a few minutes just to give it some color again."

"What color? Black?"

"Maybe. Better than albino."

"Can't argue there."

"So you came back just to help me load these training dummies? What a gentleman."

"Oh you know me." He said, smiling as he helped me get the cart underway back towards camp. "And they say chivalry is dead."

"Clearly whoever they are, have never met you."

He chuckled, clearly noticing the sarcasm, but rolling with it all the same. As friends do.

I interrupted the silence, pushing the conversation somewhere actually applicable, asking "You talk to Lu Ten since the battle?"

He didn't answer for a long second, only saying afterwards "Yep. Just this noon actually."

"Anything interesting? When we going back out there?"

"Armored will be seeing combat in about 3 weeks' time."

"3 weeks? Are you kidding me?"

"Nope. Gotta get ready. It's a big one coming."

"You said armored would be waiting three weeks. Who's waiting less?"

"Nobody. We'll all be seeing combat in 3 weeks. No sooner. No later. Well, unless some dumb civie decides he don't like the Fire Nation hanging out in his back yard anymore."

"Wouldn't qualify that as combat. Damn! 3 weeks. I can't wait that long. Just got the fucking arm back. Have to put it to use, you know?"

"I know, but hey, you get the time to practice."

"Oh yeah. This crap." I said, motioning behind us. "Much easier when they're not shooting back. Just saying."

"I should hope so, but yeah. It's just something you need to accept. Iroh's got a plan now. A good one too."

"Ooh. A good one. I do sure hope you can keep on throwing adjectives without me."

"What do you want?"

"Oh I don't know? To stop teasing me with all this fancy stalling and tell me. What's the plan?"

"Man, you'll know tomorrow. I only have half of it anyway."

"Oh. Well perfect! You tell me half, I'm satisfied, and tomorrow, when I get it all, I can still be surprised! A win-win!"

"Yeah? What do I win?"

"Pff. What do you win? What? Is being the right-hand man to the general's son not enough of a win to you?"

"I'm hardly his right-hand man."

"Bullshit. I don't see him having one on one late-night strategy talks with the other generals. Or are they really strategy talks? I've never seen you with a girl in the slums, Danev. That what this about? You seducing our commander?"

"Oh shut up, Luke."

"Then give me proof."

"Alright. Task force's going into Ba Sing Se. We found a place to sneak in through. We gain the trust of the villagers at a town bordering the wall. Convince them we're there to help. We get in through them, take How's camp from the rear in 3 weeks. You come in. and finish the job."

We were nearing the camp, and there stood a group of around a hundred men waiting for us near the easternmost entrance to the camp. "Danev. You're saying 'we', 'you', and-"

"I'm to lead the task force."

I had figured as much.

"Luke?"

"When?" I asked, dropping the cart onto the ground.

"Today. Now. Luke, let me help you take the cart the rest of the way."

"I'm fine. Why didn't you just say that?"

He shrugged. "Wanted to say it subtly, you know?"

"Well. Great job with that, by the way. So subtle I accused you of seducing Lu Ten." I chuckled. "Shit. How long you say? 3 weeks?"

"Yeah." He said, seeming more relieved than before, chuckling as well. "Shouldn't be too long."

"It's not two months."

"It's not two months." He confirmed.

"So who's going with you? Your platoon?"

"And a few others. Lu Ten is tagging along too. He's to act as an emissary to the town. Gain their trust, but he put me in charge of the mission beyond the wall."

"He really trusts you, doesn't he?"

"I guess so."

"Will it work? This plan?"

"I think it will."

I smiled. "Well. Shit. I guess I'll see you in 3 weeks. We'll meet at How's camp?"

He chuckled, smiling, any irrational fear of this talk having evaporated, at least on the outside, adding "Yeah. I guess so. Oh. And Luke!"

He reached into his belt, pulling out a stylistically ornamented dagger, holster and all, offering it to me.

"What's this?"

"A lucky knife. You'll be charging with the armored head first a fortified camp of Earth Benders thirsty for your blood."

"So a decorative knife will change that?"

"Hey! That knife has survived an incredulous number of explosions and always found its way back to me."

"Really? How many is 'incredulous'?

"Two."

"Ah. I don't know about that, Danev. I may be charging to an undeniable death, but you, my friend, you'll be the first Fire Nation soldier to step foot into Ba Sing Se's inner district since this war began. You will be past the inner wall, in the belly of the beast. I can't help but think you'll need it more."

He smiled. "So you're not taking it?"

"I'll take it once it's survived another explosion. 3 is better than 2."

"He smiled, sliding it back into his belt."

"So it is. SO this is goodbye then."

"I guess it is."

And we hugged. And I held on to him. It would be a shorter amount of time I told myself. I'd see him even sooner than last time.

And as he walked away, I wondered if that really would be the case. It all came down to these next few days. One way or another, this war was coming to its end.