2 Chapter 2: Khan versus the Kyoshi Warriors
[41st Division Encampment, South of Omashu]
I'm positive that Fire Nation Command will overlook the fact that I had a commissioned officer impaled through the anus, roasted and fed to the Ostrich-Horses!
All I have to do is prove that I'm more competent at getting results than he was- which was a low bar if we're going to be honest- and bribe them with pillaged Earth Kingdom goods. No sweat. It was after combing through the former captain's correspondence that I found out just how I was going to impress them with my competency. was going to complete the mission that the 41st Division was supposed to do in this region.
Our purpose was very simple really: Act as live bait.
It was a fairly clever strategy, I'll give Fire Lord Ozai that much. Let me explain. The 41st Division was supposed to land in this area and harass Earth Kingdom towns between {Omashu}- the second greatest stronghold of the Earth Kingdom- and {Gaoling}- Toph's wealthy hometown to the East. The Earth Kingdom, seeing the disruption on one of their most vital trade routes, will be forced to commit forces away from their strongholds to stamp us out... just long enough for the Fire Nation to assault Omashu itself. Fire Nation Command fully meant for us to be eventually surrounded and annihilated by an overwhelming number of Earth Kingdom forces; but in doing so, it will make every surrounding Earth Kingdom fortress undermanned and ripe for assault.
New Quest:
RAID AND PILLAGE
Main Objective: Completely disrupt the Gailong-Omashu trade route
Rewards:
Large Reputation increase with the {Fire Nation}
Massive bonus exp
Legendary Item x2
+ R +
I was going to raid and pillage anyway, but now I'm doubly eager to do it now! Thank you, Game! Legendary items right off the bat, what a treat!
Moreover, it was a good feeling participating in a canon event in the show, however indirectly. None of Captain Tuan's letters mention anything about it, but for someone who knows how the ATLA timeline goes, it was easy to see that the fortress that the Fire Nation wanted was none other than {Omashu}, King Bumi's domain. It was there that you could see the broad strokes of Fire Lord Ozai's Grand Master Plan™ and likely with input from Daddy's Little Girl™, Azula. I could even appreciate the simple elegance of the plan... apart from the fact that I was part of the live bait, of course.
It'll be fine. After I level up a few times and whip the 41st Division into shape, there will not be an Earth Kingdom army strong enough to defeat us.
I looked out to the encampment- to their eager little faces.
"Make some space!" I boomed to them, "We're going to do some training."
(Later that noon)
The 41st Division was an infantry division.
That meant that we had none of those cool metal tanks that could climb vertical cliff faces, or powerful rhinos that could uproot trees or even the nimble Ostrich-Horses... just infantry fresh from boot camp- cheap and disposable with a barebones logistics platoon. The fighting force of this division consisted of three platoons of {Fire Nation Recruits}, one platoon of {Firebender Recruits}, and several barely-trained {Ostrich-Horse Scouts} on Ostrich-Horses that we claimed in the last few days. More of a company than a division, but I couldn't expect Fire Nation military organisation to be 1-to-1 with Earth's.
But the point I was trying to make was that they were utter shit.
Frankly, I would have just written this entire division off as cannon fodder that wouldn't even win against a squad of little girls if not for one thing: Me.
At the centre of the encampment, three fully-armoured Fire nation soldiers stood on shaky legs as they panted from exertion and a bruise or two. And after sparring with almost half the division all morning, I was almost in the same boat to be honest. Who knew that the [Weapon Proficiency] perk which gave me a working understanding of every weapon I held was extremely useful in training people? Specifically, it granted a "Lvl 3 proficiency - Novice" in any weapon, and it was a really sad indicator to know that even at a paltry 'Novice' level proficiency, I still had a lot to teach these recruits.
Subdued {Fire Nation Recruit}, +2 exp!
Subdued {Fire Nation Recruit}, +0 exp!
Subdued {Fire Nation Recruit}, +1 exp!
Spear Weapon Proficiency is now Level 4 - Novice!
I tossed the spear that I was sparring with them back onto the rack, and turned towards the three trainees to give my final critique for the day.
"You're a spineless, pale pathetic lot. And you haven't got a clue. Number 12... grow some balls, your knees are still bending inwards when you block. Number 185... I don't care if your tits are getting in the way, engage your pecs when you go for the lunge. Number 98... Adequate skill, but work on your stamina- Earth Kingdom geriatrics could outpace you. Dismissed!"
"Sir, thank you, sir!"
For demonstrating martial knowledge and building rapport with the troops...
{41st Division} Reputation : 27 - 37
{41st Division} Obedience : 50 - 55
+ R +
Trainer Level 5 Reached - New Skill Perk Unlocked!
Group Comprehension (Passive): Monkey see, Monkey do. Train up to (6) students at a time without suffering training speed penalties.
It's funny how a little public execution, destroying an Earth Kingdom platoon and almost two extra feet in height could make you so respectable. But they were listening and obeying me, and that was what mattered. If I keep this up, the {41st Division} might actually become a force to be reckoned with. But that was a long road to travel down on, because if Aang and his friends dropped by right now, they'd definitely wipe the floor with the 41st. Not that it was possible, the Winter Solstice was just 2-3 days from now. The Gaang should be on the way to Fire Sage island to converse with Roku about the Sozin's Comet. We still had time to train and complete [Quest: Raid and Pillage].
I can already taste those two Legendary reward items...
"Khan, sir..." Captain Tuan's former {Firebender Bodyguard} saluted as she stopped in front of me. "Our questioning of the villagers has concluded. We now know the locations of at least four other villages in the area, as well as the route where the trade caravans pass through, it's further east in the forests by a small river, about three day's travel from here."
"... so why didn't they make their village right along that route instead of out here in the middle of nowhere with barren soil and zero water?"
"The villagers mentioned that this place used to be fertile land when a river flowed here just a few decades ago... they couldn't bear to relocate from their home."
"They're stubborn idiots clinging to their ways even if it meant their entire family starved or died of thirst." I grunted in understanding, "Order the men to loot the village of anything that's valuable. The villagers are now our sla- I mean, indentured servants of the Fire Nation Army. If there are any carpenters and woodworkers among the villagers, have them build carts out of their wooden doors and tables. Any Ostrich-Horse the villagers own should be used to pull them. The 41st Division must become more mobile if we are to survive behind enemy lines."
"Sir, we do not have the supplies to support this many people. Even without the villagers, we might have ten days at most... otherwise, just two. Further exacerbating our situation is that our next resupply is scheduled two weeks from now, and with how stretched our supply lines have been, we should expect delays."
"So, either way, we're short on supplies." I groaned in frustration, "Tell me, did the thought of hunting wildlife ever occur to Tuan or you?"
"They... didn't teach us how to do that in boot camp, sir?"
I narrowed my eyes at her.
"So if I hadn't taken over, Captain Tuan really was going to run this unit to the ground and let us starve, wasn't he?"
"... Yes, sir."
"Ugh..." I sighed- palming my helmet with an armoured hand. I just knew that if I had let that fat cat live, he definitely would have given me a quest to forage for food, no doubt. Now that I was the boss though, I could just delegate, but this was a good time to scout around with my own eyes since all our current scouts were damn new at their jobs.
"Just... focus on those carts." I told her as I picked up my [Iron Meteor Hammer]- the ball and chain rattled in my fist as I walked past her. "I'll go secure some food."
And without another word, I jogged off into the distance.
(Later that dusk)
Here's a fun fact: Did you know that a single field-dressed deer could feed up to 200 people? Well, I just killed half a herd just to be on the safe side! Twenty-three of them to be exact, their carcasses perfectly preserved in the bullshit that was the Gamer System Inventory. That and a massive amount of assorted flowers, berries, and every suspicious looking mushroom that I came across. I'm glad that I took [Expanded Inventory] then because I don't think this would have fit in the space of a storage shed.
Skill Level up: [Herbalism]! Lvl 1 - Lvl 2
Tonics, poultices and poisons... Here I come!
Speaking of the Gamer System, I suppose I have held off levelling up enough.
Level up Achieved!
Name: Khan "The Giant"
Level: 1 - 2
Level exp: 174/500
Rank: Private First Class. 41st Division, Fire Nation Army.
HP: 400/400
Strength: 20 - 22
Dexterity: 18 - 20
Constitution: 18 - 20
Intelligence: 0 - 1
Spirit: 17 - 19
* 1 Perk Points Available.*
(Increase Intelligence to earn more Perk points per level!)
+ R +
Strength Level 20 Reached - New Perks Available!
Power Move (Passive): You don't 'run.' You kick the ground until it takes you where you want to go. On top of your Dexterity, add 25% Strength to your running speed and jumping height.
Furor of Furious Fury (Active): Angry caveman powers, activate! For the next 4 strikes you make, your strength is doubled.
Dexterity Level 20 Reached - New Perks Available!
Parkour Prodigy (Passive): Running? On the ground?! Like some peasant!? Double your Dexterity bonus while performing parkour.
Riposte (Passive): A skill distilled from a billion hours in Soulsborne games. Attacking directly after a successful parry now carries a guaranteed crit.
Constitution Level 20 Reached - New Perks Available!
Iron Gut (Passive): Not to be confused with iron abs. Double your Endurance bonus to resist Poisons, Toxins and illnesses.
Clench! (Passive): Brace your glutes! You gain 10% damage reduction for all attacks that you see coming.
* 1 Perk Points Available.*
+ R +
Six very useful perks... and I could only buy one of them. This was not a good omen.
If reaching stat milestones made two perks available for purchase, I will definitely not have enough Perk Points to purchase them all. Now I knew for certain that I made a grave mistake crippling the progression of my Intelligence stat with [Dull Mind]. I desperately needed more Intelligence stat for more perk points, and the current rate of increase for intelligence was far too slow. I can easily imagine that my enemies will be scaling with me by level, rather than by how many perks I've purchased. And eventually, they just might surpass me in power. This is just like Skyrim or Fallout 4 all over again! So many perks, but not enough perk points! It's infuriating!
The Perk [Power Move] Purchased!
* 0 Perk Points Available.*
For the moment however, the perk [Power Move] seems like the best fit for my current fighting style: Keeping opponents powerless at a distance while I thrash them with my meteor hammer. Moreover, the ability to quickly reposition on the battlefield should not be underestimated. But a part of me still yearned for that [Parkour Prodigy].
"... I could have been a giant flipping ninja." I muttered to myself in dismay. "I need more perk points. Game, where is that quest to remove the [Dull Mind] perk?"
= Right here, my Lord. =
New Quest:
THE JOURNEY FOR INTELLIGENCE
Main Objective: Impress {Wan Shi Tong} with 100 books for his library.
Reward: Removal of the [Dull Mind] perk
Optional Objective: Impress {Wan Shi Tong} with 20 books you authored yourself
Reward: [Able Mind]
+ R +
Wan Shi Tong? The Owl Spirit of Knowledge curating his personal library in the Si Wong Desert?
Hmmm... That's a very generous quest seeing as I just need to pillage 100 books from various libraries around the Earth Kingdom and deliver them to the library.
As for the 20 books that I need to write myself however... It would be difficult, but doable. I will need to tackle that problem with a bit more creativity since I did not have much in the way of worthwhile knowledge, but I'm sure some smart and learned people out in the world will let me borrow theirs. I just need to find them, imprison them, and conduct a few interviews at knifepoint... and voila- I have memoirs and biographies and first-hand accounts of events. And who said writing books was hard? But first things first...
I glanced up at the sky that was soon turning into night.
... I needed to go back to the encampment, and teach the men how to sing 'I'll make a man out of you.'
Training the troops to a good standard... my own power levelling... The [Quest: Raid and Pillage] to earn the Fire Nation's continued support and some legendary loot... and now, the [Quest: Journey for Intelligence] to stop myself from being stupid, I certainly had my hands full, didn't I? Getting the ball rolling on this 'Take over the world' master plan was certainly a lot more work than I expected it to be. But when the alternative was letting stubborn backwards morons keep running the world, I couldn't begrudge it at all. How unfortunate it is that one couldn't make an omelette without cracking a few eggs.
Such is life, I suppose. If a little not-so-voluntary labour is what's needed to bring about a less stupid world, then I'm all for it. We already know that there are at least four other villages in this area, who knows how many others are there for us to... recruit to our cause?
I guess there was only one way to find out...
(Two weeks later)
The setting sun was just touching the western peaks in the horizon when Suki and the other Kyoshi Warriors reached the third village on their journey to Omashu. The neat little village with its green and white buildings nestled on a wooded hill made for a picturesque and welcome sight for Suki- she was getting tired of her sisters' whining.
"Why did no one tell me that the mainland was so... big? My feet hurt."
"I feel like we've walked the breadth of a hundred Kyoshi Islands by now."
"I bet we walked a thousand Kyoshi Islands!"
"I hope they have a working bath, you all stink like week-old cabbage."
"Hey! You're not smelling like a bed of Silver Lillies either, you know!"
So much for the proud Kyoshi Warriors...
"Quit your yammering, all of you!" Suki groaned with a long suffering sigh, "Let's just go find a place to rest. Focus together, sisters!"
Exhaling in sync, they all managed to dig into their second wind: pulling their shoulders back and holding their chins up high in an air of stoic confidence as they strode into the local watering hole. The Kyoshi Warriors had a reputation to uphold after all. Also, they were much less likely to receive lewd propositions from drunkards when they looked every bit as the 'tough-as-nails elite fighting force' that they were. Dressed feminine enough to let people know they were women, and formidable enough to show they were Kyoshi Warriors.
One of the pub's patrons, a muscled red-haired man, took a single look at them and immediately excused himself from the establishment.
It never stopped being a good feeling.
That feeling when every pub goers' eyes are drawn on her and her sisters, and they see nothing but stoic expressions on immaculately painted faces, heavily-armoured dark green kimonos and how they were armed to the teeth with war fans and katanas. Because even if no one in the mainland had even heard of the Kyoshi Warriors, they at least knew without a doubt that Suki and her sisters meant serious business.
"Do you have a room free?" asked Suki as soon she reached the counter where a wizened old innkeeper with a livespotted face was sizing her up.
"You're the fanciest merc outfit I've ever seen, and that's saying something." He replied with a shake of his head before getting right to business, "I've only got three rooms free. Yours for 12 coppers each."
"We'll take them." Suki calmly replied- not bothering to correct the assumption that they were mercs. That misconception will correct itself when word of their deeds spreads after they lend their services to the Earth king.
"Can I interest you all with a drink? Tea? Wines?" the innkeep naturally offered.
"Some tea is fine."
"Very well... Please have a seat, I'll bring it over."
With a nod, Suki and her sisters took a seat at a table- each of them letting out a soundless relieved sigh as they finally got to rest their feet from their trek. And with surprisingly promptness, the innkeep arrived with a lightly steaming teapot and its smaller teacup cousins. And as he poured them jasmine tea, he turned to her and asked, "If you don't mind me asking, you ladies here for the bounty on the Giant's head too?"
"No, we're not." Suki answered- willing to exchange information, "We're just heading for Omashu. How are the roads north?"
"If Omashu is where you're heading, then I suggest you turn back now and find a boat to take you there."
At that, Suki raised a brow- hiding the slight worry that their journey would be somehow delayed.
"Why do you say that?" She asked.
"Word hasn't reached the place where you came from then?" He said with pursed lips. "All the roads north are owned by the Giant and his Horde now. Everyone from Omashu to Gaoling knows that. The only way to Omashu now is to go around by sea or through the desert."
"The Giant and his Horde...?" Suki repeated while exchanging looks with her sisters- silently communicating if anyone has heard of such a thing, but the subtle gestures she got in response told her that no one heard of it before. She watched the innkeep nod in understanding.
"They're a Fire Nation army." He told the gathered Kyoshi Warriors in a solemn tone, "Fire Lord Ozai's most elite warriors. They have faced three armies of the Earth Kingdom and won with ease. Or if you believe the stories that they tell around the campfires, they're vengeful spirits of fallen Fire Nation soldiers who have returned to exact revenge on the Earth Kingdom. Doesn't matter what they are though, they already wiped out seven villages, burned them to cinders and took everyone hostage. The Fire Nation has finally come to our portion of the world."
Suki was dismayed by the news that the Fire Nation was here, but she wasn't exactly intimidated. The Kyoshi Warriors had gone up against the best the Fire Nation had to offer- namely, Prince of the Fire Nation himself- and they won.
"Thank you for the news, but we will manage fine." She courteously responded, taking a sip from her tea.
"No, your pride blinds you to the danger." the innkeeper hissed- apparently insulted that she was taking this threat lightly, "I'm sure a mercenary outfit like yours have gone against the Fire Nation before, but the Horde is different. Each soldier has the strength of five men, fights with the ferocity of a moose-lion, and wields a blade with the insight of a hidden master. Their ostrich-horse mounts, glut from the roasted corpses of their enemies, have developed a ravenous hunger for human flesh. Everyone from Gaoling to Omashu fears their approach for a reason."
Once again, Suki was unimpressed. Even on their little island of Kyoshi, they had all heard of the tall tales that Fire Nation propaganda spouts before. Honestly, ostrich-horses that eat human flesh? People really need to draw a line somewhere that says 'Beyond this point, it is too crazy, I won't believe it.' But still... there was a kernel of truth to be learned in each tall tale.
"So, they have raided seven villages already?" She clarified, pulling out a map from her sleeve and unrolling it across the table- her sisters lifting up their steaming tea cups to make room.
"Yes, all of these villages." The innkeep tapped his gnarled finger on seven points on their map, "And they don't seem to carry any intention of stopping there."
Suki crossed off the villages with a piece of charcoal before looking back at the innkeep.
"And the Giant is their leader?"
"They call him 'Khan.'" the old innkeep said with a fearful shudder, "Stands twice as tall as a normal man and as strong and skilled as twenty. A walking obelisk of armour and muscle, and it is said that he wields his weapon- a metal ball at the end of a long chain- with such strength and skill that he had cleaved through a whole squad of Earthbenders with a single swing. But worst of all, his strength is matched only by his brutality. There are even rumours that he personally had the former leader of their army roasted on a spit like some prized swine for incompetence."
"So, he's a tall guy with a meteor hammer?" Suki muttered with a raised brow. It was good to know that he'll be easy to pick out from the crowd, and what kind of weapon she could expect him to wield. "Do people know where their base is?"
"Only that is close along the Omashu-Gaoling route whose trade caravans they prey on ... somewhere along here."
He dragged his finger along a road on the map before resting his pained eyes on Suki's blue ones, "So, I assume that you are now interested in wasting your lives for the bounty placed on the Giant's head?"
"Less about the bounty and more about doing our part in the war." Suki replied with a firm voice, "If he really is that much of a threat, then removing him from play would really help in the war against the Fire Nation."
The wizened old innkeep just sighed in defeat before walking off- shaking his head as he left them with one last question hanging in the air.
"Gold... glory... Does it make a difference which bait your hubris uses to lead you to your deaths?"
...
The question stuck with Suki for longer than she thought it would. Even as she and her sisters finished their tea and headed back into their room for a bath and a bed, the question really weighed on her. Or more accurately, it pointed out how the burden of command weighed on her- that she was responsible for her sisters' lives in battle. She... never actually thought of it that way to be honest- the possibility of exchanging the lives of her sisters for victory in the war. It was a real struggle for her to come into grips with it.
Thankfully, after a long night of relaxing in a real bath and sleeping in a real bed helped a lot. And before Suki knew it, she had fallen asleep.
(The dawn after)
Suki blinked her blue eyes several times as her face paint set before moving on to typing her auburn hair.
Rising up before dawn to paint their faces and put on their ceremonial armours, it was a calming but invigorating experience for her. A reminder of the traditions that they held with unshakeable fervency, and with it, the Kyoshi Warriors felt clean, well-rested and ready to take on the world...
"Suki, are we really going to try and get rid of this giant guy? There's only six of us, and a whole lot more of them."
"Yeah, a Kyoshi Warrior is worth a thousand Fire Nation soldiers, but that's not supposed to be all at once."
... Two of three were good enough, Suki supposed. She stretched her armoured shoulders as she eyed the horizon to the north... to where the Giant and his horde were, and a pensive expression fell on her newly repainted face.
"If we could catch him without his army and eliminate him, that would be the best case scenario." She told them, "But our main priority is still getting to Ba Sing Se and that means going to Omashu. We are NOT going to make the trip back to try and look for that imaginary boat with the imaginary captain that's willing to ferry us through Fire Nation-controlled waters. So, we keep heading north. We try to avoid the main force of the Giant and his Horde, but..."
She smiled at her five sisters slyly.
"...if we run across the Giant with only a light escort. We're not going to let that opportunity to show him what a real elite fighting force looks like."
"Yeah! We'll kick his butt and drag him to the Earth King!"
"We'll be real heroes with real parades and monuments!"
"Kyoshi will look down from the heavens and smile!"
Suki just smiled at her sisters' antics once again. That seemed to energise her sisters-in-arms as they continued their journey- walking down the hill and into the forest northwards. As long as she and her sisters were together, she knew that they were ready for anything the world could throw at them...
...
"The Kyoshi Warriors... I had to see it for myself." The smooth voice of a man wondered out loud behind them.
... and of course, it had to be on this day that the world decided to throw a Kyoshi-damned boomerang to hit them right on their rears.
Blood feeling like it had been turned to ice, Suki and her sisters turned around to be greeted by the largest man they've ever seen- towering over them in sturdy Fire Nation armour, the iconic skull-faced Firebender helmet that haunted the dreams of hundreds of thousands of people over his head, and a meteor hammer hanging on his hip. Of course, they already knew who it was. Suki herself could feel it all the way to the deepest part of her gut.
"KHAN!" Suki shouted, and she and her sisters immediately drew their weapons. Lustrous war fans unfolded and katanas unsheathed with the keen of dangerously sharpened metal as the Kyoshi Warriors faced the man who had been plaguing the southwest of Earth Kingdom for weeks with his Horde. Speaking of which... Suki's painted eyes darted around- looking for the ambushers that no doubt had been laying in wait for them.
"It's just me." Khan assured her with a small chuckle as if he had heard her thoughts. "I thought we'd have a little chat in private. After all, it was interesting hearing all your plans to try and assassinate me straight from your mouths."
"How did you know we were here?!" Suki growled- her grip on her War fans tightening. But rather than feeling even the tiniest bit threatened, Khan instead laughed heartily.
"Oh, I learned from my mistakes the second time the Earth Kingdom sent a special Earthbender strikeforce! It was both incredible and infuriating that my scouts didn't see them coming until they were already at my doorstep. Sneaky Earthbenders... one would think they'd be noisier when they march."
He shook his head.
"So naturally, I sent out spies." He told them, "Just one loyal plainclothes Fire Nation soldier to hang around in every village- blowing the division's discretionary fund on wine and on women of the perfectly respectable profession of sword-swallowing. The entire division almost tore at each other volunteering for the jobs, so I held a singing contest to determine who got the jobs. Oh, that was quite the night... *Ahem* Anyway, they were to stay in their respective villages until the day when they spotted or heard of Earth Kingdom forces in the area. At which point, they'd report back to me post-haste."
That jogged something in Suki's memory...
"That red-haired man from last night! He left as soon as we arrived!" She muttered in the terrible realisation that they had been basking too much in their pride at the time to see the red flags. Meanwhile, Khan's booming laughter once again echoed through the forest path.
"Yes, Corporal Yusoo is the division's best baritone!" the giant mirthfully confirmed- still chuckling, "Oh, you should have heard his rendition of 'Leaves from the Vine' which won him his posting here. It was very moving. You also left quite the impression on him as well. 'Earth Kingdom Elites' he described you- having never seen or heard of the Kyoshi Warriors before."
"And you have?!" Suki growled pointedly.
"Of course." He shrugged, "You see. I need you for something. Something only a fabled Kyoshi Warrior can offer me. Oh, how Fortune smiles on me this day for giving me not one, but six Kyoshi Warriors."
The realities of war were never so kind, and Suki saw her sisters stiffen at that reminder. But not her, she only felt pure rage. Like hot magma bubbling through her veins, it filled her with power she never knew she had in her. Her grip on her war fans tightened even further.
"To be fair, it's not what you think." He chuckled, "But I do like that look of fear in your eyes."
"You should come with us to Ba Sing Se to see the Earth king." She offered with a sweet smile dripping with venom, "That way, you can save us the trouble of carrying your head around in a box! Kyoshi Warriors, focus together!"
"AS ONE!"
As one, they have lived; and if need be, as one, they would die.
Suki watched as Khan moved with arrogant casualness as he uncoiled his meteor hammer from his hip- clearly underestimating her and her sisters. That was fine with her. It'll only make it easier to take his head.
She already thought about this encounter in those sleepless hours last night. Tossing and turning with nothing to do but steep in her own thoughts and daydreams... and today, one of those daydreams will be of great use. Khan's advantage: his strength and his reach. Their advantage: their numbers and their coordination. They only need to nullify his advantages while preserving theirs, and they would triumph against him. Suki already knew of the plan where her sisters could take him down. In fact, they had already done a variation of it.
Now to check if they remembered...
"Sisters, gut him like that unagi last winter!" Suki shouted, and a look of realisation came to their eyes as well as an eager grins all around. Yeah, they remember, alright.
The six of them proceeded to surround Khan at a respectable distance, about five paces away from Khan's massive frame- dodging the dangerous swings of his meteor hammer.
Unagis were massive sea serpents that would coil themselves around ships and elephant koi. A serious concern for both merchant ships and Kyoshi Island inhabitants alike. So, Suki and her sisters had found that the best way to deal with it was to divide its attention and take turns attacking- never letting it regain its balance. The timing of the attacks was very precise, but the Kyoshi Warrior's coordination was legendary for a reason. The unagi's ponderous size only made it easier, just like Khan- almost exactly like Khan. Even down to the way he would slam down his meteor hammer at the ground like an unagi would slam their tails at the water.
It was here that the Kyoshi Warriors were truly in their element: hunting big, stupid game.
"You're supposed to be the big bad guy?"
"Hah! So much for Ozai's elites, right sisters?"
"Where's your chauvinistic tough guy macho bluster now, huh?!"
"The flying fishopotamus at home is scarier than you!"
"Give us a challenge, O' scary Fire Nation Giant! This fight is almost boring!"
"It's six against one, Khan!" Suki victoriously taunted as well, just as her turn to strike at him came. She charged forward as he was distracted by one of her sisters. Meanwhile, the sharpened edge of Suki's war fan was aimed for the joints where Fire Nation armour was weakest... Unfortunately, her strike glanced off and she had to keep her distance as another of her sisters' turn to attack him came up.
Next time. Suki clicked her tongue. Next time, she'll definitely penetrate the metal.
"An interesting strategy. Well done, Suki." Khan's smooth voice calmly complimented her as if they were playing Pai Sho, "And it would have worked too if I didn't have more Dexterity than you."
She almost froze. Wait... how did he know her name? However, the answer didn't come to her because something else happened immediately after Khan spoke...
... he moved.
Not like a statue come to life, not like a giant from the tales, not slow at all. No, Khan moved with all the speed and grace as they did, if not faster. One moment, Suki's sister-in-arms was lunging with her katana; and the next, she was sailing through the air from Khan's vicious armoured backhand before landing in a groaning, unmoving heap on the ground. But by the time that she did land, Khan's massive footfalls were already stomping audibly as he dashed over her and towards the next closest target with all the speed of a sprinting ostrich-horse.
Still surprised and off balance from having their coordination broken, Khan's next victim found an enormous hand yanking her katana from her hands before the other equally-enormous hand grasped her face... and violently slammed her down to the ground in a plume of dust.
"Suki! What do we do- AARGH!"
Another Kyoshi Warrior fell as Khan whipped the chain of his meteor hammer low- hitting her shins with a sickening crack of bone. She fell grunting from pain and clutching her broken legs... and just like that, there were only three Kyoshi Warriors left. Unfortunately, Suki's mind was still reeling from what was happening. Khan wasn't like a giant, giants weren't supposed to move this fast!
"SUKI, WATCH OUT!"
However, before Suki could react, she found a cold metal chain lock around her ankle; and with a powerful yank from Khan, she found herself launched into the air in a great arc- so high that she could almost reach the top of the treeline... The view of the northern horizon was beautiful... but fleeting; because a fraction of a heartbeat later, she was violently pulled down to the earth.
The last thing that Suki saw was the dirt ground speeding towards her face at immense speeds before... blackness.
(Later that Night) [The 41st Division Encampment]
An ostrich-horse pulled the wagon that Suki and her sisters were on. A metal cage on wheels, really.
They... they had lost. Grossly underestimated their opponent who was much, much more powerful than they had given him credit for. And now, they paid the price for their folly- consigned to be prisoners of war for a brutish and violent giant of a man whose intentions could not be any clearer. It was the absolute worst nightmare for her, who was a Kyoshi Warrior proud of her heritage. Still, it was a miracle that none of them were killed in that engagement. And although an incomplete disaster was a poor miracle to be grateful for, Suki was still thankful for it nonetheless.
She looked to her sisters. At least... they had all been allowed to keep their dignity and were left in the green kimono of their Kyoshi Warrior uniforms rather than prisoner rags which were the norm. Not that it lifted their spirits any more, because no one had spoken a single word since waking up here. Just dejected expressions of the defeated all around.
"I'm sorry." Suki began. "I'm sorry for insisting we leave the island to help with the war effort. I'm sorry for dragging you all with me. I'm sorry for being so pushy about it. I'm sorry for being so selfish!"
Her sisters glanced at each other before nodding. Suddenly, Suki felt herself swept up in a warm embrace.
"There, there. It's not your fault, Suki."
"And we wanted to help the Earth Kingdom too."
"Yeah, not your fault."
"We'll get through this together. Like we always do."
"Sisters Forever, right?"
It took everything in her to not burst into tears over knowing that her sisters didn't blame her for this failure, for their current predicament. But even in that, she failed because the tears just kept flowing.
"We're... we're going to make it out of this alive." Suki sobbed into their arms. "I'll do everything I can to make this right! I promise. I promise!"
Suki didn't know how long they stayed like that- finding comfort in each other's warmth, but every second of it was a second thay she wasn't spending in the outside world. And soon enough, the outside world came to break up their touching moment, their mobile cage stopped moving and a Fire Nation sergeant promptly arrived soon after to open the cage door.
"Kyoshi Warrior Suki?" she stated rather than asked, "Khan is expecting you in his personal quarters now."
She took a deep breath. This was it. She had only one chance to impress him, and her sisters seemed to sense her hesitation as they looked at her with pitying eyes.
"Suki... you don't have to do this."
"But I do. For all our sake." was all she said in return before letting herself be led towards a metal house that was no doubt Khan's.
"Stop." The Fire Nation sergeant said as she grasped Suki's shoulder, and pointed her to a small fountain right by the entrance, "The Khan requires everyone who enters his personal quarters to take off their shoes and wash their hands. He didn't take too kindly to the last one who both tracked mud on his carpets and smeared filth on his books."
The other woman then pointed to a gibbet a short ways away containing a man whose arms and legs ended in burnt stumps.
"A-alright." Suki murmured meekly as she complied- taking off her boots and washing her hands.
She was grateful for the pause before continuing into the moose-lion's den. It gave her time to consider what it would take to keep her promise to them- to convince this Fire Nation warlord to keep her sisters from harm. She wanted to say that she had no idea how to do that, but she knew that she would just be lying to herself. She knew that she had nothing else to bargain with at this point- nothing else that he could consider valuable. She wasn't privy to valuable Earth Kingdom intelligence, nor did she know any Earth Kingdom noble that he could pressure for keeping her hostage. She already knew that- realistically- there was only one way she could influence Khan.
The same thing that all men could be influenced with: her inexperienced, virgin body.
'I'm... I'm sorry, Sokka.'
"The Kyoshi Warrior Suki is entering, sir." the sergeant announced with a knock before swinging the door open for her and her bare feet stepped onto soft carpet as she slipped inside the lantern-lit metal house.
There, Suki was greeted by the sight of books, maps and scrolls of every size and colour laying on every available surface. Some were in stacks almost as tall as her. Others lay open in piles as if someone was reading through all of them at once. At a glance, Suki couldn't figure out what the connections between some of the titles were. How A treatise on Fire Nation metalworking had anything to do with The Great Sartorial Atlas of Earth Kingdom Fabrics was beyond her. There seemed to be no rhyme or reason to it, just a pure frantic pursuit for every scrap of knowledge within reach. And there seated at the back behind a desk that was also covered in books and scrolls was the giant who defeated them in combat: Khan.
She was certain that it was him, but also... she couldn't believe that it was him.
In her imagined scenario, Khan was a balding middle-aged man who would stroke at his beard while leering at her perversely. But the man wearing a loose red robe and sitting behind that desk as he read his book? He wasn't as ugly as she thought he'd be under that helmet. In fact...
The man before her looked regal, handsome, downright heroic even. It was like someone had taken the title 'Proud Prince of the Fire Nation' and made it into a living person. He was fair-skinned... as expected of nobility who didn't need to work all day in the fields or at sea. His hair looked as soft and black as a sea raven's feathers. His strong jawline that seemed sculpted like a monument, and everytime he flipped a page on his book, his loose red robes didn't hide how his thick biceps flexed slightly.
Suki gulped silently as a single horrified realisation dominated her thoughts.
'Oh no... he's hot.'
Green eyes like the finest jade looked up to meet her blue ones.
"Suki." Khan greeted her, and in the privacy of her mind, she whined 'That's... not fair.' Even the sound of his smooth voice saying her name was incredibly arousing. Almost lover-like.
"Khan." She greeted back, voice just a bit more breathy than she would have liked.
"I believe you've figured out what I really want from you now?" He said with a raised brow, "After all, once you really think about it, it's easy to realise that you are only truly valuable for one thing. Cooperate, and you and your sisters will be treated well. Be resistant and I'll just find another group of young warrior-women to take your places."
Normally, that kind of comment would have elicited a swift punch to the nose from a Kyoshi Warrior, but she was doing this for her sisters-in-arms...
"I'll cooperate." She conceded to the humiliation.
"Good." He hummed as he stood up, and Suki stiffened as he stalked around the table towards her. Spirits, he was perfe- tall. He was so tall. She barely reached his muscled chest, his robes loose enough that she had a peek of abs. A large hand cupped her chin with surprising gentleness- tilting her head up so that their eyes could meet again. Her mouth opened slightly as the sudden incomprehensible desire to suckle on his thumb came to her.
... Oh spirits, he's really hot.
"Make yourself comfortable while I search for where I placed my damned tools." His smooth voice purred, and Suki squeezed her thighs together in an attempt to stifle the rising heat she felt linger from between them.
"I understand... master." She whispered, and to her growing shame, her head followed his hand slightly as he pulled away and walked off to a side room- leaving Suki alone in the room.
Hesitantly, with shaking hands, she untied her green kimono and let it slip from her shoulders- the fabric pooling around her bare feet with a soft hush on the carpet... which was soon followed by the soft patter of her plain white bra and panties following suit.
Suki bit her lip as she pushed down the urge to self-consciously cover herself, just keeping her hands to her sides.
This... this was the first time she was ever naked in front of a boy. She had boys from other villages on Kyoshi island fawn over her in the scant times that the villages mingled before, Apparently auburn here was an exotic and attractive quality, and that she had a bigger bust than the other Kyoshi Warriors. But she never had really gotten close enough with a boy before where she'd consider doing something like this. Her body felt so hot that even the warm air of the house felt cold to her. The faint breeze brushing against her stiff pink nipples and... down there as well. She had taken the opportunity to shave herself bare last night in preparation for less forgiving terrain in their journey. But apparently, it will work in her favour tonight as well. Men preferred it clean shaven, right?
Suki had heard that it would hurt thrice-fold more if she was dry. So, she slipped a shy finger down between her legs to try and get her body to respond, But to her half-surprise, she found wetness greeting her. A lot of it actually. How could she be looking forward to this?! But even as she asked herself that, she ran a fingertip across her throbbing little nub and she bit down a moan as she found it the most sensitive it had ever been.
Stupid traitorous body responding to stupid sexy Khan and his stupid sexy body that she wanted to run her tongue all over.
"Alright, I have my things. Let's begin." Khan muttered as he walked in- preoccupied with surveying the contents of a box he was holding.
Gathering all the poise and dignity she had left, Suki spoke with a steady voice. "I'll do whatever you say and accept whatever you would do to me. Just don't touch my sisters."
His jade-green eyes glanced at her quivering, naked body. And she hardened her heart for what was to come next. The image was so vivid that it was like a vision. He... he was going to push her down right then and there, wasn't he? Pin her very virgin body against the carpet with that hard body of his and claim her like a wild animal, slamming his powerful hips down on hers over and over again while grinding his sculpted abs against her belly before breeding her fertile womb with his strong, virile seed until it leaked out of her. All night long.
She ignored the trail of wetness dripping down her inner thigh.
"Ah, I see you actually didn't figure out the one thing you're valuable for: your knowledge." he noted as he sat back down behind his desk, "I want to interview you so that I could write a book about Kyoshi Island."
That brought Suki's world to a screeching halt.
"I'm sorry, but what?"
Khan unpacked fresh papers from that box he carried, as well as a strange looking brush with a golden tip.
"An Interview with a Kyoshi Warrior. By Khan." He repeated to her- gesturing with his large hands as if placing the title text in lights, "A historical overview of your village tied to the present by a Kyoshi Warrior commentary about how that impacts her beliefs and duties in the face of present day socio-economic events like say the Hundred Year War, and that specific Kyoshi Warrior is going to be you. The other ones will be here to corroborate your story and perhaps give an alternate perspective to events."
Suki glanced down to her naked body then back at him.
"So... you're not going to ravish me?"
He chortled like she told a funny joke.
"Later. Maybe.This is a much more valuable and much rarer opportunity." He refused with all the casualness of refusing a glass of water, "Oh, yes... Wan will be very impressed by this. Exactly the kind of book he likes, I'd bet."
And as Suki stood there, having stripped herself of her clothes and offered her naked body to him only to be rejected... She knew that she should be relieved... But she wasn't. How dare he?! She felt deeply insulted that he considered the opportunity to take her virginity to be far less valuable than the opportunity to write a Kyoshi-damned book!
Strange brush to paper, he looked at her expectantly and asked, "If we're going to write about Kyoshi island, we may as well start with Kyoshi herself. What does the history books on Kyoshi island say about her?"
She was standing naked in front of him- nipples hard, pussy dripping wet- and he wanted to give her a history quiz?!
Dazed, practically dizzied by this confusing turn of events. Suki's mouth moved before the rational part of her brain could keep up and wrangled the more lust-addled side to shut up.
"... Can't you just ravish me instead?"
