"Your Majesty," the man reporting the incident called out urgently, "there's no need to consult the records. The attackers this time were the unarmed."
He spoke quickly, fearful the king would cut him off again. He hadn't expected the king to be so impatient.
The hall fell into stunned silence.
Many of the elders exchanged glances, as if doubting their own ears.
Seeing the same disbelief on each other's faces, they turned toward King Ura, who sat frowning at the messenger.
"What did you say?" His voice was cold enough to send a shiver down the man's spine.
"Your Majesty, it was the unarmed who attacked," the man repeated.
A ripple of laughter swept through the hall.
"Where are those fools?" King Ura barked after a moment. "Capture them alive; we must make an example of them."
Though the unarmed had caused trouble before, they had never dared to steal so openly from the Water Tribe.
That they would attack a military storehouse was beyond bold.
The more the king thought about it, the angrier he became.
"Your Majesty," the messenger spoke even more quietly, "they have already escaped. Not even a body was left behind."
The hall fell silent again.
"What did you say?" an elder demanded.
"They came prepared. Knowing today was a grand celebration, they struck the smallest military unit.
After years of peace, there were few guards posted there. All are dead; save one, who arrived bloodied at the main camp to deliver the report," the man explained.
King Ura tapped the armrest of his throne, deep in thought.
"How many men attacked?" he asked at last.
"Their number is unknown, but the entire grain store was emptied. We estimate at least three hundred."
"Send my order," the king said grimly. "Two hundred soldiers. Hunt them down. Leave no survivors."
"Your Majesty, sending two hundred is excessive," an elder said. "A hundred would be enough to crush them."
"Elder Manmor speaks true," another lord added. "Two hundred would give those rats too much honor."
Many murmured in agreement.
"Two hundred," King Ura repeated, his tone brooking no argument. "I want them dead before they even think of fleeing."
He knew if he showed weakness now, the Fire Tribe might take it as a sign that the Water Tribe had grown soft.
Moreover, how would he face the southern and northern Water Province kings in the future?
Though most still thought two hundred was too many, none dared voice further protest.
The messenger bowed and hurried out to carry out the king's command.
Inside the palace, the festivities resumed as if nothing had happened at all.
---
Two days later, a report reached the king and the members of the council.
"Your Majesty, only five men have returned from chasing the unarmed. Three died upon arrival, and only two still breathe," a royal steward read from the report that had been sent to the king during the weekly royal council meeting.
No one had expected this report. Seated there were the nine lords of the various clans of the Central Province, twenty-five elders from across the Central Province, and the three generals of the province.
"Only five," an elder repeated after a short pause. Fearing his ears were playing some tricks.
"That is what the report says," the royal steward answered.
"General Harris, what is this about?" King Ura asked.
He felt that even if it were new recruits who had been sent to deal with the unarmed, two hundred of them should have been enough.
"Your Majesty, I am not sure either. This report must have been sent earlier this morning.
I arranged for one skilled commander and two capable men to assist him.
Although the group was mostly made up of new recruits, these men are very skilled and should have been capable enough to deal with the unarmed.
I ask that His Majesty send for the person who delivered the news to come explain the situation," General Harris responded, feeling a bit shocked to hear such a report.
He made up his mind to be more strict with his soldiers when they resumed training.
The king waved to the royal steward, who bowed and hurried out of the hall to summon the messenger.
---
the man who delivered the message was a commander under general Harris.When those five men had returned in the early hours to report the results, he had been so shocked that he dared not make a decision on his own.
Knowing that, it was the day for the royal council meeting, He had taken the fastest horse and hurried to the palace to deliver the news.
"Your Majesty," the commander bowed.
"Report. How did only five men return from the mission to execute the unarmed?" King Ura asked.
"Your Majesty, only five men returned. I should have brought one of the survivors with me to report the issue, but they are all gravely injured.
Three of the five died shortly after returning. The others are not fit to ride to the palace, so I have come to report the outcome," the commander paused.
"The unarmed had expected that we would chase after them after the attack, so they had prepared.
According to the men who returned, there are at least five hundred unarmed fighters.
They could not be sure, as the unarmed did not come out to fight head-on.
Instead, our men walked right into their traps and ambushes," the commander explained.
He then went on to describe how some soldiers had fallen into pits dug by the unarmed, how another group had been set on fire, and how many had died under a rain of arrows.
"Your Majesty, the five men were deliberately spared by the unarmed. They were asked to bring a message back," the commander said, pausing with a conflicted expression.
"What is the message?" King Ura asked with a frown.
"'The reign of the Water Tribe is over. The unarmed will overturn the world,'" the commander said.
He wondered if the unarmed had eaten the heart of a lion to dare send such a provocative message.
The gazes of everyone present turned dark.
It would have been acceptable if such words came from the Fire Tribe, but from the unarmed?
This was a slap in all their faces.
"Just because we let them breathe, they dare to become so arrogant!"
General Koko slammed his hand on his chair, enraged.
General Harris, who had sent the soldiers, felt like vomiting blood.
He knew what had gone wrong, they had underestimated the unarmed, and it had led to this humiliation.
"We must immediately send men and kill those rebels!
Your Majesty, allow me to go and avenge my men," General Harris knelt, waiting for the king to give his command.