Kapitel 22: The dragon's roar
General Fong was in a strategy meeting with his senior soldiers, angry at having been forced to ask Omashu and Ba Sing Se for reinforcements.
His pride was completely shattered as he felt defeated by a child less than half his age.
As hard as it is to accept, Fong recognises Kai as a great warrior and so he felt compelled to take the young man's life, recognising the potential danger.
Fong is a tall, strong man who wears heavy armour with symbols of animal skulls on the shoulder pads. What was most striking about him was not his imposing armour, but his face, disfigured by a classic fire wound.
Although he had lost an eye to General Kai, his resolve had not been broken, but it was impossible not to feel ashamed that he had let his guard down when he had the only chance of killing the young general.
- General Fong! Have we agreed to the plan? - asked a worried captain.
- Yes, yes, let's follow this strategy. - Fong said angrily, not wanting to continue the conversation.
- I know you must be frustrated that we have to call for reinforcements, but this is the only way.
- This fortress has been standing for over 100 years, it's not going to be knocked down by some brat. - Fong made a clear reference to Kai, his murderous intent clearly exploding.
- Let's wait for reinforcements, then we'll crush them. - said another blindfolded captain.
While they were arguing, a young man opened the door, accompanied by two soldiers from the 'Earth Kingdom'. His almost white hair was familiar to everyone present.
- Crushed? How about burnt? - said Kai, his hands covered in flames.
- KAI! - shouted General Fong, jumping up from his position and hitting the ground, lifting a piece of pavement and firing in Kai's direction.
The two "guards" got into a synchronised position, defending themselves against General Fong's attack with difficulty. Kai, realising the incredulity of those present at seeing the earthbenders helping the enemy, fired his flames, causing an explosion.
When part of the building exploded, General Fong used his Earthbend to create an extra wall, allowing him to escape the flames, but not the shockwave, which threw him out of the building.
The explosion of the flames put the entire barracks on high alert, causing the Earthrealm troops to fall into battle formation.
Kai ran towards the shattered wall and jumped off the huge building in pursuit of the free-falling Fong.
- Damn you! - shouted Fong, using his mastery over the building to gather raw materials from the structure and throw them at Kai, creating an improvised platform for himself.
Using his advantage, Kai used his fire bending to fly directly at Fong, dodging his attacks at the last moment, managing to land a blow to the side of his rival's disfigured face, and charging his flames at the last moment to char the general's head.
Fong may have been extremely experienced, but Kai used tactics that were not common among firebenders. The truth was that Fong had never dealt well with change, having spent decades controlling the battlefield at will, and this factor was crucial in underestimating Kai's talent, causing him to lose his right eye in the first encounter.
Fong's body fell brutally to the ground, leaving a crater, but he managed to stabilise himself at the last second. Seeing that Kai was still in the air, he used his mastery to erect four spear-shaped columns, with the purest desire to kill.
When Kai realised that the columns were coming towards him, he gave one last boost in the air, heading for the ground in the opposite direction.- You coward! - Said Fong, clearly irritated by the pain as he felt his disfigured side burning like hell again. - I'm going to enjoy dismembering every part of your body.
- He should worry about other things. - After Kai's words, several loud bangs were heard.
General Fong saw his entire headquarters explode and go up in flames, and heard cries of despair. The shock he felt was terrible, but the feeling of surprise and disappointment turned into pure hatred.
Following his grounding as an earthbender, Fong propped up his legs and kicked the ground, creating his giant walls next to Kai.
Kai jumped forwards by reflex and managed to roll in time to avoid being crushed by the two giant walls. Still on the ground, he managed to bend the fire, using his legs to launch quick attacks against his opponent.
Fong, still maintaining his Seria side, summoned stones to protect him and then threw them at high speed, hitting Kai in the shoulder and pushing him against the walls that almost crushed him.
Losing patience, Kai threw his flames from his mouth, creating a wave of flames towards Fong, compromising his movement with the unexpected attack. To the elder's surprise, the flames were more intense than they should have been, managing to destroy Fong's improvised shield and hitting him with a wave of heat.
The wartime had not only allowed Kai to develop his techniques, but also to learn new strengths, discovering that his flames fired directly from his mouth were much more powerful than his conventional attacks.
A thick cloud of smoke formed in front of Kai, patiently awaiting his opponent. Suddenly, Kai's leg was pierced by a small stone that tore through his flesh like a metal arrow. The swift attack caused him to fall to the ground, unaware of what had happened.
Fong appeared in Kai's field of vision and noticed that the general was surrounded by small stones that were spinning around their own axis at great speed.
- Damn! - complained Kai, creating a wall of flames in all directions.
His distraction was quick enough for him to dodge most of the General's rapid attacks, some of which managed to hit one of his arms and his stomach.
- You can't hide forever! - shouted Fong as he prepared his bending technique, waiting for the smoke to disperse sufficiently.
- You should shut up and fight! - shouted Kai, taking advantage of the smoke to surprise the General with a kick to the blind spot of his face.
The blow was effective, causing Fong to stagger, but without being able to respond with his earth bend, Kai took the opportunity to punch him in the ribs, using his fire bend to burn the armour area.
Fong swallowed his cry of pain and used his foot to kick the ground again, causing a small pillar of earth to appear and hit Kai's spine, causing him to walk towards it and take the opportunity to punch him in the stomach, complemented by his earth bend to summon another huge pillar next to Kai. The structure struck its target violently, throwing his body brutally against a wall.
Fong's breath was panting, but he wasn't going to stop there, as he watched the smoke rising from the impact, a heavenly light appeared briefly and, without him being able to react in time, a bolt of lightning flew dozens of metres towards the old general, striking and piercing his stomach, followed by a thunderous roar.
- Do you think you're the only one who knows how to use tricks? - Kai mocked Fong, his mouth bleeding from the blow, one of his eyes closed because it was swollen shut.
Fong put a hand over the fresh wound and forced himself to stand on one leg to avoid falling to the ground. He struggled to breathe as blood gushed from his mouth.
- So you know how to use lightning, you little bastard.
- I'm surprised you're still alive. - Kai praised his opponent, his eyes shining as he eagerly awaited the second round.
- You true demon, still standing after being smashed against the wall. - Fong spat more blood from his mouth and stood up with the strength of his fighting spirit.
- Let's get this over with! - said Kai, getting into his battle stance, his flames taking on a blue hue.
- For once, I'm going to agree with a firebender. - Said Fong, summoning dozens of stones from the ground and raising them above his head.
Kai unleashed his blue flames with all his might, while General Fong launched various attacks in different directions. As much as the flames were capable of incinerating a number of targets directly, the side attacks continued unhindered towards Kai.
With his propulsion driven by the blue flame, Kai flew through the air, stabilising himself dozens of metres above the ground.
- "Don't underestimate me!" - Fong summoned his Earth Bend, creating a pillar above his feet and carrying it towards Kai with two giant hands made of rocky rubble.
Kai switched his propulsion to his feet, leaving his hands free for another move. He summoned the flames that were burning the headquarters into the sky, covering it and turning it into blue flames.
The accumulation of flames made Kai smile with confidence, firing the flames with great destructive potential, completely focused on a single target. Fong used his giant hands to create a shield as quickly as possible, enveloping him in a storm of infernal flames. Without General Fong's influence, the newly created pillar collapsed, causing destruction and tremors throughout the battle zone.
Realising that the battle was over, Kai descended gracefully, landing with some difficulty, and put his hands on his knees, trying to catch his breath from the effort of his technique. His action had succeeded in putting out the fire caused by the explosive jelly.
- General Kai! Are you all right, sir? - asked one of the disguised soldiers. His body was covered in minor injuries.
- Did you manage to defeat the other captains? - Kai asked, sweat and blood dripping from his face.
- Everything is under control, the headquarters have been completely taken over. Most of the enemy soldiers were buried before they could react.
- Gather what's left of our troops, we need... Ouch! What the hell! That bastard managed to break my arm. - Kai whimpered, finally feeling the adrenaline rush through his body, finally feeling the damage to his body.
- Let's get him to the infirmary...
The soldier was interrupted by a spear made of stone, which was completely embedded in his chest. Kai was stunned for a moment as he felt a familiar energy returning. As he tried to look for his enemy, he was hit by an earthen stake that pierced his throat.
As blood splattered on the ground, Kai clutched at his throat, feeling something that shouldn't be there, but his persistence and the adrenaline still coursing through his body managed to keep him aware of what was happening to him.
The sound of footsteps was heard by the stunned Kai, who saw none other than General Fong, his left arm burnt by flames, his armour almost completely charred.
- Look at you, the great Kai, clinging to life like a worm. - mocked Fong, still stunned by the loss of his arm.
- Damn you! Get him! - shouted a firebender who had arrived on the main battlefield.
- Protect General Kai! - shouted another soldier, using his Earth Bender to move faster.
A dozen soldiers ran towards Fong, who still had his eyes on Kai, not daring to lose his last signs of life.
With a single movement, the dozen soldiers were instantly swallowed up by the earth. Kai's soldiers screamed in pain as their bodies were crushed by the earth, feeling their bones and organs break, some dying slowly or quickly.
Kai was completely vulnerable, feeling frustrated as he heard the voices of his soldiers who had entrusted him with their lives. His vision blurred and he felt an unfamiliar chill that gave him a new kind of fear.
An excruciating pain arose when he felt his stomach being kicked by Fong, who still didn't seem satisfied with the suffering he was witnessing.
- Because of you! I've lost everything! My honour will never be restored, even if I kill you. - Fong continues to kick Kai hard in the stomach. - Do you like that? Do you like this feeling? That's how you made me feel!
Kai could barely breathe, his own blood was slowly drowning him. It was only a matter of time before he was killed by the kicks, drowned or the wound in his neck.
- Remember, you bastard! Even if you die, I'll personally hunt down everyone you love! I'm going to make a point of killing everyone you've ever cared about, very slowly. Believe me, I'm going to enjoy it. - Fong kept kicking, wanting his words to be very clear and the last thing Kai would hear.
Fong's words were very clear to Kai because his mind was in slow motion, as if the world was moving slowly. His memories recalled his mother's last moments, the friendships he had made on the battlefield, the villagers of that humble village and his first friends, Ty Lee and Mai.
Fong stopped kicking Kai's body, noticing that his scarlet eyes were dull and lifeless. Without any respect for the body, he spat in the corpse's face and turned to the firebenders who had just arrived.
Many of the soldiers were shocked to see their general lying dead on the ground, but their grief quickly turned to pure vengeance. However, regardless of the desire for revenge, General Fong was still a complete monster, capable of tearing anyone apart with his eyes.
In the back of Kai's mind, in the few remnants of consciousness, he could still hear Fong's threats over and over again, but one memory still remained in his mind, that of him and Azula dancing in the moonlight.
Several bodies lay around Fong, his entire body covered in blood, his breathing irregular, almost losing consciousness due to the accumulated damage.
- The stars are beautiful tonight. - Fong whispered, watching the stars to distract his exhausted mind. - Hmmmm... were they so bright?
The stars in the sky shone brightly, as if they had a life of their own, their shape so prominent that even the regions under the sun were able to see the unusual event.
A pillar of fire rose above Kai's body into the sky, illuminating the region as if the sun were rising again. Its light was so magnificent that it could be seen from hundreds of kilometres away.
Fong was stunned because the pillar was so close to where he had left Kai's body, giving him a bad feeling in his heart.
Clouds surrounded the pillar of fire, creating scarlet lightning bolts that fell mercilessly to the ground, causing fires in several places. In the sky, a gigantic creature appeared around the pillar, its body made of red flames, its wings tens of metres long and its eyes so bright they looked like the sun itself.
The draconic creature of flames let out a tremendous roar that could be heard all along the west coast of the Earth Kingdom and across the ocean.
***
[Kingdom of Omashu]
- Your Majesty, what is that? - asked a soldier from the royal guard.
The King of Omashu, Bumi, one of the greatest earthbenders of his generation, saw the great light that frightened his old eyes, and soon after heard a great roar that even managed to affect his fighting spirit.
- I don't know what it is, but it's certainly not good! - said the old king, scratching his beard with worry. - I'm ordering the troops back to Omashu, we can't underestimate them.
The soldier, obeying his king's order, ran out of the palace and told the best soldiers to bring back the army they had sent to reinforce General Fong.
- Avatar, you must return as soon as possible. - muttered Bumi, worried about the fate of his kingdom.
***
[Northern Water Tribe]
Aaaaaaaaaaaaaahh!!! - A white-haired teenage girl screamed, completely shaken and holding her head in fear.
The young girl, called Yue, was comforted by her mother, who hugged her and tried to understand what was happening to her. Arnook, the father and chief of the northern tribe, looked on worriedly, not knowing how to help his daughter.
A loud roar was heard by everyone, causing the little princess to scream even louder, and she was also hugged by her father, who was almost crying, believing that something terrible was about to happen to his beloved daughter.
- Dad! Do something! He's very angry! - Yue begged, intimidated by the roar.
- Daddy's here, I'll protect you, I promise. - Arnook hugged his daughter with fear in his heart.
The situation of the Water Tribe's main family was not easy, but the powerful roar made even the most powerful waterbending master in the world afraid of the unknown power.
- What kind of monster is out there? - asked Pakku in a cold sweat.
***
[Fire Nation]
The sun shone on the Isles of Fire, ushering in a new day in the volcanic archipelago.
Citizens went about their daily routines, working for the prosperity of their families and earning a living. Schools opened early to begin the rigorous studies that would teach discipline and total devotion to the Fire Nation.
Inside the royal palace, Ozai and Iroh were at the royal banquet, where several important figures, such as nobles and high-ranking military officers, were present, all enjoying the flavour of the cuisine prepared by the best chefs the nation had to offer.
The huge table was full of people, all chatting animatedly and savouring the tea, wine and delicacies.
Some of the nobles had brought their children to meet the princes, who were in a separate room from the adults to have their own socialising.
General Rozo was talking to Ozai about military matters, almost giving a military report rather than a normal conversation. Rozo had been forced to leave the front line to attend this meeting, and although it was an honour, it was rather sudden.
- So your plan is going according to plan. - Ozai said, satisfied with Rozo's report.
- Yes, Lord Ozai, in a few weeks we'll be able to transport the new tanks and troops to their new positions. - Rozo finished his report, still feeling the effects of the long journey.
Iroh sat in a chair next to him, savouring his tea without caring about the discussion, only caring whether the topic of conversation was Pai sho or tea.
- Mr Ozai, I have a question, if it's not too much trouble. - said Rozo carefully.
- General, what do you have in mind? - Ozai asked, remaining neutral as he respected Rozo's loyalty and dedication to the nation.
- I'm sorry to ask, but you must already be aware of the situation on the west coast of the Earth Kingdom.
- Yes, General Kai did a great job of eliminating most of Fong's forces. - Ozai said with a hint of satisfaction.
- Exactly, but there are rumours that Omashu E Ba Sing Se intends to send reinforcements, couldn't that hinder General Kai's progress? I mean, for an endeavour like this, shouldn't we have sent our troops to help? - Rozo asked, worried that he had missed such an opportunity.
- I understand what you mean, the reason I didn't allow any generals to send troops was precisely for General Kai's personal growth. - Ozai explained, picking up a glass of wine to drink. - We know that many young men don't survive the battlefield, but those who do are destined for much more than meets the eye.
- That's why I decided to put him in an extreme situation to reveal his potential. - Rozo added, still with doubts in his mind. - But wouldn't we be exposing his strange powers?
- He would inevitably be discovered by the other elemental nations, so it was necessary to turn Kai into a predator capable of hunting predators. A kind of enemy that no one would dare face. - Ozai explained seriously, relying on everything he knew about Kai.
- You must be proud of him, even if he is a bastard son. - Rozo commented before turning his attention back to his plate.
Ozai became pensive after Rozo's words, because even though it had been over a year since he had seen him, he had to re-evaluate his long-term plans.
On the one hand, he was disappointed that Kai didn't have his blood, not to mention that he had been announced as his bastard son. However, there was another factor he could use to finalise his plans.
Although he rarely allows himself to show emotion, he remains a man of great ambition, who doesn't care what it takes to have the world in his hands.
Ozai was well aware of the letters that Kai and Azula had exchanged during this time, and realised that there was a feeling that was gradually emerging from their interactions. In order to keep a creature as powerful as a dragon under his control, he didn't mind using or sacrificing his own daughter.
Although it was unusual, Ozai was fully aware that sooner or later Kai would surpass him in power, so to keep him linked to the royal family as a security measure, he could use Azula's feelings to create a marital union.
In fact, Ozai was interested in the fruits of their relationship. For with this bond, he could manipulate a powerful weapon to rival the Avatar himself, should he return.
- So, Lord Ozai, how is Zuko getting on with his training? - Rozo asked, noticing Ozai's silence as if to distract him from his comment.
Before Ozai could speak, Iroh spilled his tea on the table, attracting everyone's attention. Some thought it was age affecting his motor coordination, others remained silent, believing that the Fire Lord was going to chastise their brother, but everyone ignored the tense expression on the ex-general's face.
- Brother! Careful... - Ozai stopped talking when he felt something familiar in his soul.
Everyone present sensed that something was different until they heard a thunderous roar. Those who were standing almost fell to the ground or even lost consciousness.
Ozai held a glass goblet in his hand and broke it by reflex, feeling an enormous weight on his back and a strange surge of power. This sensation was shared by all the firebenders in the world, who were the most affected.
Iroh's forehead was wet with sweat when he remembered that it wasn't the first time he had felt this sensation. The roar was similar to that of Ran and Shaw, the masters of the Sun Warriors, but much more terrifying.
Rozo instinctively thought of Kai when he heard the roar, for the imposing sound carried a strong sense of fighting spirit and killer instinct that was no stranger to him.
- Kai... - Ozai muttered, feeling that familiar sensation, only much more oppressive.
In a separate room, where all the new generation of Fire Nation nobles were. The vast majority of them were lying on the floor, terrified, some had even urinated, others were unconscious or frozen with fear.
The few who weren't completely affected were Azula, Ty Lee, Mai and Zuko.
Zuko felt his legs going weak, saw his hand shaking uncontrollably and tried to grab his wrist to control it, but to no avail.
Ty Lee and Mai were in shock, although they were able to stand, they were still feeling the effects of the roar, which made them unconsciously hold their breath.
Azula held her necklace carefully, running her fingers gently over the jewel, sensing that the roar could have been Kai's.
***
[West Coast of the Earth Kingdom]
The camp of Kai's troops witnessed the most terrifying and imposing sight of their lives.
The pillar of fire was clearly visible to their eyes, and it was impossible to ignore such an event that could only be described in fairy tales.
Huzo looked at the dragon with astonishment and admiration, smiling and believing that the dragon was his leader.
***
The dragon flew towards the source of the flaming pillar and fell directly on Kai's body, creating an enormous scarlet light in the area.
General Fong covered his only eye with his remaining arm, unable to look because of the heat and light, only to be intimidated by the creature's roar.
Feeling a pause, he looked up and was automatically astonished to see a figure that should already be dead.
Kai had his back to the man who had just killed him. His wounds seemed to have healed, his muscles seemed to have grown, as had his height, which was around 160 centimetres, and his hair was as white as snow.
- Damn it, you're alive! - Fong shouted and turned to launch a deadly attack on Kai.
The attack, which was only a few sentiments away from touching Kai's skin, went right through him and crashed into the rubble of the headquarters. In the eyes of a normal person, Kai simply disappeared.
Fong is an experienced soldier and can easily follow a bow and arrow shot, but his eyes betrayed him. The next thing he knew, he was being strung up by Kai with one hand, but that wasn't what scared the veteran general.
Kai's eyes were frighteningly scarlet, with vertically filleted pupils that looked like the eyes of a feline or a dragon. This made even the stubborn Fong tremble with fear.
- "How..." Fong was unable to speak because of the superhuman strength he was being subjected to.
- Nobody touches my wife," said Kai in a non-human voice, looking coldly at the terrified general.
Kai's hands were engulfed in flames that instantly engulfed General Fong, and without giving him a chance to scream, his bones fell to the ground in a black hue from the fire. Only the skull remained in Kai's hands, and he crushed it with his fingers until only the dust of combustion remained.
***
[Southern Nation Tribe]
A region covered in icebergs in all directions was guarded by a being of extreme power who had left the world 100 years ago. A ball of ice had a slight crack in its structure, as if it had reacted to the event that had just happened, and a faint light could be seen emanating from inside the iceberg.
Next chapter: A New Tomorrow
Wöchentlicher Energiestatus
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Rangliste 
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Stein