Chapter 24: Chapter 24
The narrow ramparts were only wide enough to allow about three people to pass by each other at once, and since she was now positioned at one end of their line those on the other side could not fire at her without hitting each other in the back. Only three people could engage her at once, and only from the front.
It was a massacre.
...
Tanya moved like the demon she was nicknamed after, hacking and clawing away at them furiously with blades of flame.
Where one earthbender fell another was quick to take their place, but what did that matter when they were all too slow to get a proper attack in before Tanya's burning hands found them?
Like a furious hurricane Tanya tore through their ranks, claiming one new victim every second, until eventually there was nobody left to stop her.
Gasping heavily for breath, Tanya pushed a lock of blonde hair out of her eyes and looked back at the now still ramparts behind her. The few earthbenders that hadn't been flung off it not lay unmoving.
Down below the Fire Nation soldiers issued a bellowing roar and surged forwards, emboldened by the strength of their captain and no longer hindered by a hail of rocks.
Heavy tanks broke through the key parts of the Earth Army's formation, and with panicked cries the enemy's morale broke; their ranks scattering apart as soldiers turned and fled for their lives into the surrounding woods.
One tank broke through the heavy gates, and like a tide of red and black the Fire Nation soldiers washed into Fort Tenpei, eliminating any last shreds of resistance with quick and brutal blasts of fire.
Tonight Fort Tenpei would be pillaged, and tomorrow razed to the ground as the Fire Nation took their spoils of war back to the nearby Pohuai Stronghold.
With Fort Tenpei gone the Fire Nation now had control of the Earth Kingdom settlements for miles around, all ready and waiting to be assimilated into the Fire Nation colonies. The Firelord would be pleased.
And there was no doubting who would be credited with the victory.
"TANYA! TANYA! TANYA!" The soldiers below cheered as the final sparks of resistance were stomped out, signalling their complete and dominating victory. Spears were banged in rhythm against the ground, creating a drum-like tempo as the cheers turned into a resounding chant.
It only grew louder as Tanya hopped up onto the edges of the rampart to get a better view of the scene below, her blonde hair whipping about wildly in the nighttime breeze.
She hated fighting directly on the front lines like this, but Commander Zhao had needed any threats to the nearby Pohuai Stronghold dealt with before he could request the assistance of the Yuyan Archers in their hunt for The Avatar.
A prize like this would finally be enough to sate the disappointment that had been lingering between them ever since her failure to capture The Avatar back at the fire temple.
And if it helped secure the Yuyan Archers among their ranks at the same time then all the better.
Yes, with them at her side, her next encounter with The Avatar would not end quite the same way as it had last time. She would make sure of it.
...
"Absolutely not! The Yuyan Archers stay here. Your request is denied, Commander Zhao."
Tanya could feel the beginnings of a headache coming on, and by the looks of things so could Zhao. It had been a day since she'd returned from the successful sacking of Fort Tenpei, and she'd been delighted when Zhao had invited her to join him for his meeting with Colonel Shinu, the man in charge of Pohuai Stronghold.
It was a sign that her past failures had indeed been forgiven, and he was willing to have her back at his side once more.
Unfortunately the meeting was not going as well as they'd hoped.
"Colonel Shinu, please reconsider." Zhao pleaded. "Their precision is legendary. The Yuyan can pin a fly to a tree from one hundred yards away without killing it. You're wasting their talents using them as mere security guards."
He wasn't wrong. The Yuyan Archers were one of the most highly trained non-bender units at the Fire Nation's disposal, and now that Fort Tenpei was out of the way their considerable skill would only be used to patrol the area.
What threats were around here that required the skill of the Yuyan Archers? There was nothing around here besides a handful of small villages and some crazy herbalist lady in the mountains.
"I can do whatever I want with their talents, they're my archers, and what I say goes." Shinu stubbornly replied.
Tanya would have groaned aloud at his childishness were she not the lowest ranked individual in the conversation. Instead she settled for just groaning in her head. She'd worked with managers who refused to loan out their skilled employees back in her first life, and it always boiled back down to the same reason: they just didn't want to share.
Why give away your top assets to someone who'd be competing for the next big promotion alongside you after all? That selfish mindset stunted companies, and would stunt the Fire Nation military as well if left unchecked.
Zhao was getting frustrated, so Tanya took that as her cue to try another line of reasoning. "Colonel, The Avatar is a danger to us all." She interjected.
"The longer we leave him free to roam, the more powerful he will become. What happens if, one year from now, he comes here at the head of an Earth Kingdom army? Threats must be dealt with swiftly before they can grow into real problems."
"Your hunt for The Avatar is nothing but a vanity project!" Shinu spat, before turning back to Zhao. "We're fighting a real war here, and I need every man I've got, commander."
"But-"
"That's final! I don't wanna hear another word about it!"
Zhao was fuming at this point, and Tanya couldn't blame him. She'd very much like to deck this moron in the face herself.
Real wars meant neutralising the enemy's super-weapons as soon as possible! Before Zhao could argue back however a squawk came from the sky, and all eyes turned to a messenger hawk as it swooped down and perched on Shinu's arm, presenting a missive tied to its leg.
As Shinu read its contents his expression became evermore grave.
"News from Firelord Ozai?" Zhao asked shrewdly, picking up on his change in mood. In response Shinu gritted his teeth in frustration, and passed over the missive for Zhao to read. As his eyes scanned its contents a pleased grin spread across Zhao's face.
"It appears I've been promoted to admiral." He stated smugly. News about the successful destruction of Fort Tenpei must have reached The Firelord. "My request ... is now an order."
For a moment Shinu glared, but quickly realised that he could no longer win this battle of wits and bowed respectfully. As he turned to leave, Tanya bowed deeply to Zhao.
"Congratulations on your promotion, admiral."
"Thank you, Tanya." Zhao replied, placing a hand on her shoulder. "And with my promotion, I suppose that leaves my old position of commander empty. We can't have that now can we?" He smiled at her mischievously.
"Congratulations on your promotion too, commander."
Commander! He was promoting her! Tanya had been worried for a moment that her debacle at the fire temple might have ruined her chances, but on reflection it had been foolish to think that. Zhao was a fair man, his treatment of the fire sages notwithstanding, and had never yet failed to reward those who were competent and loyal.
It was gratifying to know that he still wanted her at his side. Now she was just one step away from becoming an admiral herself, at which point a cushy office in a fancy mansion back at the homeland awaited her.
Zhao might be honourable enough to lead from the front lines, but she personally would be more than happy to stay as safe and comfy as possible and direct her subordinates from afar.
Listening in from the rooftop above, a figure clad all in black with a blue mask clenched his fists, before disappearing into the shadows.
...
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