20 This is My War

Thorian's thoughts were focused on what he would do after gaining the support of Kyoshi Island. Nothing else mattered to him except initiating the attack needed to rescue those who had been captured and bolster the numbers of his army.

His goal was also to have a meeting with the North; he wanted to teach them his ice control method and have them fight under his command, but that was more complicated than winning a war.

Gaining the support of the North was very complicated because their power was established, so asking them to fight on his terms would be something they wouldn't accept.

"That enormous wall is..." Suki looked at the huge wall that shouldn't exist in real terms, and when Doki stopped, Thorian jumped off his back.

This place was the largest city ever created by the Southern Water Nation, where most had united, and there were now more than seven thousand inhabitants, something absolutely unprecedented.

"What you see at the other end of the wall are the submarines; their function is to move troops and transport resources of utmost importance. As they travel by water, they are propelled by waterbenders and can attack enemy cruisers without them realizing it." Thorian focused on convincing Suki, who was the daughter of the leader of these villages.

Suki was impressed at first, but after remembering that she never believed Thorian lied, she said, "I also believe that we should fight not only for our island, but I think defending values and saving innocent people is also our duty."

What she said came directly from her own beliefs; there was no better way to express what she felt than with someone who had been fighting since childhood like Thorian, and she thought that helping them could be the least they could do.

"Follow me; it's cold here." Thorian approached the edge of the wall and, using his control over this place, waved his hand to make some long steps appear.

But he didn't forget to send a message through Doki for some submarines to go to Kyoshi Island and show that woman how easy it could be to trade between them.

Suki descended the stairs and was surprised to see large wooden structures with many things she didn't know on one side of the wall. They soon arrived at a cabin that extended along the wall, and Thorian, who had been here before, lit a fire with his fire control.

He walked to the corner to kick something warm and said, "Do you need anything more than a drink? I don't have many things here, and I don't want to waste too much of your time; we'll return as soon as the message is done."

"Just a bit of water; I need to remove the paint from my face," Suki said with a bit more confidence. Today she had learned things she never imagined knowing and was very excited that Thorian turned out to be so open.

Thorian walked to a wooden barrel, touched the water, and heated it slowly with his fire control so it wouldn't be too cold. When he finished, he walked to one of the leather armchairs and pulled out a white cloth for her to clean herself with.

"The living conditions here aren't so complicated; we don't starve, but it's boring to always eat fish. At least looking for other options is good." Thorian tried to explain his own thoughts to Suki.

He didn't think he had bad communication skills; he wasn't a brainless man, but certainly he didn't waste his time talking to the people of this place. Everyone knew him for being quite strict with training and leading with harshness, but the benefits obtained through that were something few could match.

When the tea was ready, he served Suki a cup and sat at the other end of the armchair, looking at the fire, and said, "Everyone living here has lost something in the war, but I won't let us continue losing."

"How do you plan to win the war?" Suki couldn't see how Thorian and these people from the South could alone defeat those who started the war.

Thorian looked at Suki directly and said, "Those who still want to keep fighting will join us, and we will win by being more ruthless than those soldiers from the Fire Nation."

They said that faith is important in wars; when a religious figure is created, all warriors become demons and are usually unstoppable. Thorian wanted to do the same; he would seek to be that figure in whom everyone can trust to have control on the battlefield.

"The North must join us; the first step will be to rescue those who have been taken prisoner, and then we will eliminate the colonies one by one. When the time comes, we will erase the traitors, and with the help of the Earth Nation, we will launch a counterattack at the most unexpected moment." For some reason, Thorian trusted Suki; it was unlikely that someone malicious would be near him, so he remained calm.

Suki understood Thorian's sentiment, but she didn't know if the war should still continue after all these years. "Do you think you will make a difference?"

"Of course, now we will go on the offensive, and with the power granted to me, I will eliminate all those who have killed us for generations," Thorian said as he stood up.

"I think you will achieve something better than that; I have never heard the South as strong as I just saw it now." Suki stood up; she felt the way Thorian behaved and knew that he had done nothing but think about the war.

In a way, they were similar but different. Thorian planned to eliminate the invaders, and Suki planned to defend the innocents. Here came an important question: is defense better than attack?

"I know what you're thinking; the Southern tribes fought defensively, and look how they all ended up. There will always be someone who seeks to attack your peaceful home, including your island." Thorian, who heard Doki's song, knew he had sent the message, so he stood up.