A/N: Chapters in advance in Patreòn
Pa treon.com/HolyJoker
(20+ chapters in advance)
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Chapter 80
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-Arnook POV-
Even though I was in the back of the army, I felt the heat lick my skin like a fire lizard-cat's tongue. Sokka's warning had saved the army, or we would have been defeated without being able to put up a worthy fight otherwise.
But there stood Sokka, looking at the explosion with no fear in his stance. I was… jealous of him, to say the least. He was also someone I had to be cautious towards. While I kept getting older every day, he was at the peak of his youth, powerful, smarter, and everything I lacked he had.
He might have been a good match for Yue, but he isn't someone I wanted anywhere near close to her. Sokka has shown that if I got in his way, he was willing to go after my family. There is no doubt in my mind that if he marries Yue, and secures the position of the future Chieftain, I will have an "accident" on his behalf.
I have never met someone so dangerous in my life and knew that it was only a matter of time before he became a danger. That greed in him, even though he says that he will be satisfied with ruling the Southern Water Tribe. I knew that he would do a good job ruling, men like him were very competent. How long until his eyes wander North?
What worried me, even more, was that Sokka would be the kind of tyrant people would like. What a disaster… How do I deal with someone like him?
***
"Everyone, stand ready!" Yelled out Sokka, as the smell of the oil drafted on his nose, he could almost taste the crude substance.
Still, as he saw the Fire Nation ships approaching, and with no wall to keep them out, he knew more distractions could lead down a bad path. Sokka knew he wasn't a naturally good leader, at best, he was just a copy of Legendary figures in his past life. He is stealing their ideas and using them as his own in this world.
But he knew one way that even someone like him could lead people, and that was to lead by example.
'I won't let someone do what I am not willing to. Acting injured like and keep going on after a while will improve my public opinion too.'
So with that in mind, he was the first to charge. He felt the heat rummage through his clothes and dry his skin, as a sea of fire was in front of him.
"Waterbenders! Douse these flames down or they will just be fuel for the enemy!" Sokka's words vibrated through the air, and the waterbenders listened to his command. He had just saved their lives, and while they were still in that high, they would do anything he ordered them in this war.
While the flames settled down, with streams of water dousing them out, three ships had already docked and many soldiers came out of the ships. Sokka's [Map] was covered in red dots, and he knew that the chances of winning this war had plummeted to rock bottom. But he wasn't giving up yet. While he didn't like the rulers of the North, he needed them in case Aang failed his mission. The next Avatar in line would be water, and he didn't want to have it be born in some unknown place.
As soon as fire blasts were shot at him, Sokka dipped low and ran like a rat, escaping all the flames and mercilessly decapitating two Fire Nation soldiers. The first to set foot in the Northern Water Tribe.
"You should have stayed back home," he warned them, as his eyes turned cold. But by now, he was surrounded by fire benders and non-bending Fire Nation soldiers. But even then, he had a smile on his face. The enemy wasn't showing any sign of stopping against him, nor were they fearful. With their overwhelming numbers, which even with the full army not yet all docked they still outnumbered every soldier of the Northern Water Tribe one to ten.
Booom!
Blasts of smoldering flames are shot at him, forming a giant pyre of flames where he stood. The Fire Nation soldiers were ruthless, just as princess Azula had ordered them to be. The rock-burning heat stood there, as a tirade of flames formed.
But as the fire cleared out, there was no one there.
"Did we burn him to ashes?" asked one of the younger firebenders.
"No," one of the veteran members shook his head. "That's not how human bodies burn. There is no smell of flesh either. Keep on guard," this guy was the one who was leading this initial team of attackers and Azula had put him in charge because he was competent. He narrowed his eyes and saw the ice where Sokka stood was cut into a circle, just enough to fit his body underwater. "He is underwater!"
As soon as he yelled out his warning, two hands burst from under the ice and clasped his hands around the root of the veteran's feet.
*Crash!*
The Fire Nation soldiers could do nothing as their commander was pulled underwater, and panic settled upon their hearts. But a couple of other soldiers took command without much problem.
"Be careful! Make formations as the waterbenders are coming."
"Get the rhino squad ready. We will-"
*Burst!!*
Suddenly, two human hands came out of the ice again and clasped their hands around the feet of one of the new people in command. "Shi-"
He didn't get to say anymore as he was pulled under the ice, and the water under the translucent hard water became red with blood.
"He is targeting the commanders," muttered the only one left to command the soldiers. Still, even though he knew what would happen next, the soldier fearlessly glanced at his soldiers. "Don't worry! Keep the wall standing and let the rhino troup disengage, we will beat the waterbender just like that. No matter what happens to me, don't panic-"
Two hands once again burst from the ice, and the man tried to turn them off with his firebending, even though his own feet were in the hit range of the fire. But before he could injure his attacker he was pulled underwater and saw a tan-skinned young man with shining blue eyes look at him coldly. The commander started regretting his choice, as he didn't want to die and even had a mother to take care of, back home. But he remembered Azula's promise and knew that his mother would be treated well, and pulled out a dagger, ready to attack.
Fwish!
But he had no chance, as even underwater the man's spear seemed to move at blinding speeds. The commander protected his throat with his dagger, but it was useless; the spear cut cleanly through the metal and slashed his neck. Even if Sokka wasn't able to decapitate him, the man died nonetheless.
Above where the soldiers had formed a wall to fight against the incoming waterbenders and were ready to fight against them just like they had been learning. Princess Azula had spent quite a bit to teach them how to fight against waterbenders and hadn't wanted the time they had spent anchored outside the walls while waiting for the full moon to go away.
But what none of them noticed was Sokka coming out of the ice from behind them. He let the panicked commander speak because while the now-dead commander was a good leader, he had been panicked.
Fwish!
With his mighty strength, Sokka swung his spear, creating a rough wind and killing many Fire Nation soldiers whose backs were turned.
"Ahhhh!!"
"Help!"
"Monster!!"
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A/N: Fighting is more than just throwing yourself at the enemy and hoping to win. Especially in war, where anything goes.
"Now I am become Death, the destroyer of worlds." - J. Robert Oppenheimer, a.k.a Father of the Atomic Bomb. Who later in his life became a pacifist, hated being called Father of the Atomic Bomb.
P.S: I like studying history as a hobby, it's so entertaining. I remember hating history class when I was young, now I love it.