The Battle for the North was far from the desperate struggle the Earth Kingdom's coalition of governors and nobles had imagined, and far less of a slog as the Fire Nation's Northern Pacification Army had expected. With reinforcements harassed and cities too quickly overwhelmed to buy the defenders precious time to organize, the coalition's resolve was cruelly bled out.
By the time the two armies finally met on the battlefield, those coalition commanders that remained spurned the ignominity of hiding in the forests to wage a partisan war, and chose instead to make a defiant stand.
They barely outnumbered the Northern Pacification Army on the day of battle.
Peasant mobs and elite household guards alike bravely marched to face the enemy, led by noble scions and dutiful officials, while earthbenders strained their minds and bodies reshaping the battlefield.
They faced their defeat with unwavering defiance, fighting and dying as their formations broke against the disciplined flames of Fire Nation soldiers seeking a fight that might earn them recognition. They inflicted significant casualties on the Northern Pacification Army, but not enough to slow or deny the inevitable.
Very few prisoners were taken on that bloody afternoon, and such was their resolve that not a single coalition commander survived nor was found unsurrounded by dozens of crushed Fire Nation soldiers.
With the shattering of the northern Earth Kingdom's coalition, the Northern Pacification Army would now have the luxury of spreading out and besieging multiple settlements at once without the fear of supply lines being left vulnerable, allowing the many colonels and lesser officers a chance to seek more glory.
On the crown princess' orders (with the official approval of General Sho to make things nice and tidy) the 11th was sent down to the stagnant southern lines.
Kai felt it a shame that they had to leave, but just as the other commanders of the Northern Pacification Army glutted themselves on the merits and honors harvested from that campaign, Xing was eyeing a rather ambitious meal to sate the 11th's political need for renown. He had promised Omashu to the young princess, and unlike many outside the regiment, Kai had little doubt that his little brother would fulfill that promise.
Xing had felled a dragon by himself, and found dragon eggs. After that, what would be so hard about taking a city?
It was all a badly kept secret, of course. Rather than trying to stop the rumors completely, Xing had opted for regulating the gossip that flowed out from the returning Han unit.
The unanimously accepted news was that Xing had visited the storied Kyoshi Island to warn them from meddling now that the Avatar has returned. Then he visited a place that informants had gleaned out of the Mad King, and found a cunning trap in the form of a maddened dragon spirit.
Several wounded soldiers bore the unique scars of dragonfire, which were left by the healers as proof for the inevitable court officials to investigate. Those unlucky Hans were sent back to the regiment's home base to rest and present some of the evidence to Princess Azula.
The discovery of dragon eggs was left vague, and since only Xing, Koshi and some of the other bodyguards actually saw the eggs up close, crafting the right tale wouldn't be too hard.
Not that it'd be easy, either; they were still working on the finer details to present back to the palace. It'd be nice to keep the eggs for themselves, but everyone knew it'd be impossible, not unless the Fire Lord decided to be far more magnanimous than he currently is.
As the regiment's quartermaster, poor Hyung and his subordinates were sent on a grand quest in the colonies to gather weird ingredients and seek rather curious knowledge from master potters, sculptors, and even chefs.
Hopefully, Omashu would help earn Xing some clout to maneuver in court with, in case this zany plan - whatever it was - fell through.
Colonel Hwa's 51st Grand Company accompanied the 11th in their task, to serve both as allies and witnesses. It was about the best choice for both roles, considering that the stern commander was known for her blunt reliability, and more importantly she was outside of Xing's social circle.
Though that was slowly changing.
"So sacrificing the advantage of range could reap greater benefits, so long as the momentum is maintained?"
The colonel was a surprisingly keen learner of the 11th's approach to war, and Xing and Mozi spent a good chunk of the cruise south sharing knowledge with her and her officers about things that weren't regimental secrets. Colonel Hwa even joined in on some of the drills, and would bring up new questions or offer her own suggestions on what might refine their doctrines.
It might sound like a nuisance, but Kai and the others happily welcomed her open mind and eagerness to learn. The no-nonsense humbleness from a superior officer aside, it was good to see another commander taking the 11th Regiment's style seriously, someone that respected and strove to understand the decisions Xing made.
Kai wouldn't say it out loud, but Dao was right; Colonel Hwa was far from the frigid 'Frostfire' that some whispers made her out to be.
By the time the 11th Royal Regiment and the 51st Grand Company landed on colonial shores and began marching south, camaraderie between the two groups were all around warm and friendly, with Colonel Hwa offering far more respect to Xing than many others outside of Colonel Lidai's group of friends bothered to give.
Kai took some spiteful joy when she presented the princess' orders and read them aloud to the sputtering general in charge of the southern front.
"By order of Crown Princess Azula, with the approval of Fire Lord Ozai, her 11th Royal Regiment will soon conduct a breakthrough towards Omashu. The 51st Grand Company will aid them in this task, as well as serve as the Fire Lord's witnesses to the conduct of the crown princess' Fire Lancers. The aid of the Southern Division in this endeavor is unnecessary, but welcomed."
Which meant that the general all but threw in his own men to join in the operation, no doubt seeking to gain some renown for being involved. Kai noted how the man had only offered the services of a few other regiments, probably belonging to his more favored or friendly colonels. A small army was marshalled for the breakthrough mere days later, more than enough to send the Earth Kingdom lines into a bit of a panic with a concentrated assault.
Losses from the aggressive move out were light, on both ends. Only after passing the first line of forts and trenches did Kai and his friends notice that the Earth Kingdom garrisons were far lighter than anyone had expected. In some areas, there seemed to be more banners on the walls than men.
"The taking of the north and the push east must have cut off a considerable amount of support here," Mozi remarked thoughtfully, voicing what everyone was thinking.
"Probably helps that a lot of Omashu's allies might have pulled back their troops to look to their own lands," Kai added with a faux sage nod. "Especially those that risk getting cut off from the eastern campaign."
Weikong grunted with a sharp smirk. "Well, if it means we get to hit Omashu in days instead of weeks, I'm all for it. Faster we let Xing take over the place, faster we get to receive the wedding invitations."
Chuckles broke amongst the officers, with occasional glances at the command tent's entrance to make sure that Xing was still discussing strategy with the other commanders. After making sure that the boy wouldn't be stepping in with a wry comment, Kai grinned at his friends.
"I want to see how the palace fuckwits try to spin that against him."
Weikong shrugged, though he was grinning just as hard as Kai was. "Probably call him reckless for overextending the lines unnecessarily, or accuse him of being blindly ambitious."
"Ooh, that'll be fun to see," Ping said. "Wanna bet whether it's the Fire Lord or Azula who takes them out?"
"A month's wage on the crown princess," Rufen opened with a laugh. "Because Xing's being insulted."
Mozi sighed heavily, the kind he gave whenever he felt he was dealing with idiots. "Seriously? The Fire Lord doesn't take kindly to subtle insults."
"Once it's pointed out to him," Kai added in agreement.
With good humor the captains and lieutenants began to risk their wages to the highly circumstantial pool, and then offering more likely scenarios to be bet on. Kai didn't have money on it, but he really hoped that Xing would get to call out his detractors to a duel somehow. That'd make for fun times in the capital.
*****
"The Fire Nation is making another push!"
King Bumi stared at the fidgeting messenger for a moment before breaking into a grin. "Well, it's about time."
General Gulong wore a worried look that was more fitting with the severity of the news. "Do we reinforce, your majesty?"
"Hm…"
How best to play this? They'd managed with the bare minimum at the front lines until now, leaving Omashu and its allies free to rebuild, reinforce, and reorganize. If they wanted to, the whole southern region could be mustered to break the incoming thrust…
But beyond the exorbitant cost of lives, it wasn't part of the plan.
What Xing's brilliant idea called for was grand theatrics, the kind to enrapture the spectators from both the Fire Nation and Earth Kingdom and leave them ignorant to the true moves.
Bumi decided on putting on a grim expression as he rose from his throne. "Muster the troops. I'll lead them."
The whole court broke out in hopeful smiles, and the king almost broke into maniacal cackling.
The poor fools.
"Prepare for Plan Badgermole. Just in case."
That sobered them up instantly, and sent many worried heads turning towards each other.
"Y-Your majesty?" a courtier dared ask.
Bumi gave the gravest expression he could. "I barely beat the boy the last time around. We've both gotten older since then, and I doubt he's gotten weaker along with me." Ostrich horse shit, of course. He was still confident he still held a comfortable advantage over young Xing in power and skill, but the kid might've grown more wily, which admittedly still warranted respect.
General Gulong, ever reliable, bowed to speak. "If the threat has grown, your majesty, shouldn't we call the other states for aid? Surely the dukes and princes would be eager to help us push the Fire Nation back."
Which was true; Omashu had earned a lot of favors in leading the southern states to halt the Fire Nation's expansion, and Bumi's own encounter with the Scorpion had impressed those who knew of him. More than enough for them to exaggerate the feat.
Coupled with Ba Sing Se's unchanging inaction, it took very little for Bumi to win over most of the realms south of the Si Wong Desert.
Silence from the Ba Sing Se gave Bumi free reign to send out training instructors to help the larger duchies build up their troops, while also sending out suggestions to strengthen trade and logistics networks between the southern states.
It also helped that Aang had conveniently dropped by for a quick but public visit.
Though barely staying for a few days, news of the Avatar popping up in Omashu had given Bumi a lot of prestige to work with. To some, it was as if the city and its king had been given the mandate by the Avatar to lead the resistance against the Fire Nation.
So if Bumi really needed the southern realms to send reinforcements, he had no doubt that they would. That however was not required for this stage of the plan.
The king snorted and rolled his eyes. "And risk leaving them vulnerable like what happened to our neighbors? Remember that Ba Sing Se didn't help those states just south of them, so who do you expect will help protect the other states if the Fire Nation decides to go on another blitz while we're all distracted here?"
Again, pure ostrich horse shit, but nobody knew that there was actually enough manpower to both guard the borders and muster a repulsion force. It needed some ingenuity and politicking, but the time was not right. Not yet.
And since nobody else by Xing and Bumi likely knew about it, the whole court unsurprisingly became pale and grim at the idea of facing the Fire Nation unassisted. Deciding to act his role, Bumi put on a reassuring smile.
"Don't worry, my lads, we'll remind the Fire Nation why they kept clear of us for nearly a hundred years. Omashu will meet the worst the Fire Nation has to offer, and we will not quail behind our walls like those in the Impenetrable City." The officials and commanders straightened with defiant determination, and Bumi could almost feel their resolve radiating outwards. It's good to know he still got it.
He grinned, this time a little more genuinely. "And besides, the boy still owes me a rematch."
*****
It took two weeks before they met with proper resistance. Practically all of the castles and cities they came across were devoid of their lords and fighting men. From what Kai understood, the moment their line broke, the Earth Kingdom quickly began migrating their forces to the south or east to consolidate their military strength instead of wasting them in futile piecemeal resistance.
That was about the smartest thing Kai had heard come from Earth Kingdom strategists in a while now. The captain hoped whoever thought up that plan got paid well enough.
Though not too well, considering that the 11th and its allies had to eventually meet a rather large army head on. Trying to draw them out or harass them would be too risky this time; the damned Mad King himself was leading the blob of earthbenders.
Xing had tried to put up a brave front, but Kai could see that his little brother was nervous, probably trying to fight off the memories of almost getting crushed by the Mad King. With how overwhelmingly strong King Bumi was, it was no wonder that Xing was very apprehensive about using the regiment's standard tactics against this enemy army.
Koshi and his fellow bodyguards had made it clear that the insane earthbender could've dropped a whole mountain on them without breaking a sweat if Xing hadn't gotten him to leave. Having to run into that kind of madman at night, or be stupid enough to try hit-and-run harassments on him?
Yeah, Xing was right to stay away from the usual tactics. If Kai got hurt or worse, Ren would never let him hear the end of it, even from beyond the veil.
And if Xing got himself hurt?
Ren would probably have to have to race the crown princess to smack some sense into him.
So the 11th Royal Regiment had to form up with Colonel Hwa's 51st Grand Company and other hangers on, and Xing and Mozi had to spend two whole days hammering out the details for the battle to come. With the way the voices from the main command tent spilled out, it sounded like this whole operation would have to rely on the momentum of the first engagement to carry it to victory. Otherwise, the parasites from the Southern Division that hitched along might just flee the moment the Earth Kingdom stiffened their backs.
When the day of battle came, the 11th held the center of Fire Nation's army as it squared off against the Earth Kingdom. The enemy line was clearly larger, at least double in size, and they were all enlisted soldiers to boot. That was worrying.
King Bumi must be really serious about fighting back.
As was customary, Xing raised the flag of parley, which was replied in kind by the king of Omashu. Kai joined him, along with Mozi and a gaggle of colonels, majors and captains. On the other end, the Mad King marched with his own group of subordinates.
They met in the middle of the field, with Xing being the first to offer a polite bow. "Greetings, King Bumi."
The madman only grinned in reply. "Good to see you again, squirt. Brought a big crowd to see our rematch?"
"I suppose," the colonel replied, and Kai could hear the faint amusement in his voice. "I'd say the same for you. I'd have thought you would've hidden away and await our arrival."
The Mad King snorted and waved the notion off rather theatrically. "Ah well, you know how it is. Nobody wants to miss a big show… Now then! Unless you're coming over for dinner, I'm going to have to ask you and your little fanclub to go back home. Actually, I don't think I have enough seats for all of you, so even if you're coming for dinner, too bad. Go home."
Xing's politeness contrasted heavily with the crazy king's brashness. "I'm afraid I cannot do that. I've promised to take Omashu."
"A shame…" King Bumi let out a sigh, and then his lips broke into a wide grin. His arm suddenly whipped out to point straight at Xing. "Then I'm calling you out, king to colonel! Old man to young runt! Right here, right now!"
Surprise hit both camps, and the air practically reverberated from everyone's gasps when the colonel responded without hesitation, before anyone else could get a word in. "A duel in lieu of a standard battle? I accept your challenge, King Bumi. May the best runt win."
The Mad King cackled as he waved off his concerned entourage, while Kai joined Mozi and the others in screaming some sense into Xing.
"Are you crazy?" the major asked with strained patience. "I thought you barely survived the last time…sir."
"With respect," Colonel Hwa added with a deep frown of genuine concern. "I know you value the lives of your soldiers, colonel, but this is…"
Kai finished for her. "This is madness! Don't listen to the spirits Xing! Not on this one! Koshi, tell him!"
The bodyguard lieutenant was poised to add his thoughts, but Xing, to Kai's unsurprising dismay, waved them off a bit too breezily. "Please, I'll be fine. I promise I'll stop myself before things get too bad." The boy dared to smirk. "Besides, we didn't exactly set the terms here; I didn't say I'd fully retreat if I lost. We can always make a detour and try to rush Omashu if we're forced to quit this battlefield."
"That…that's not even the biggest issue here," Colonel Hwa said, in the tone of a lecturing mother. "This whole operation-"
"Please," Xing said, suddenly sweeping the crowd around him with a hard gaze, one that brooked no further protests. "This is my prerogative as Royal Champion. I promise to walk out of there on my own two feet, win or lose."
"You all good over there?" the Mad King's voice called out, having already chased his resigned commanders off.
Xing turned to give the king a nod. "Just about." He then glanced at Koshi, then Mozi, Kai, and the others. "Please return to the lines."
There was heavy hesitation keeping everyone's legs rooted, but Koshi finally gave a nod and turned, and with that the dumbfounded resistance melted away, and the men and women, Kai included, headed back to the army's lines. The captain glanced over his shoulders to see the back of his little brother facing off against the cackling Mad King, and then he exchanged a look with Koshi and Mozi.
Surprisingly, it was the bodyguard lieutenant who spoke first. "I think…I think we can leave this to the colonel."
Kai blinked at the unexpected words, while Mozi's jaw almost dropped off its hinges. "Just because he faced a dragon's ghost doesn't mean he c-"
"It does," the bodyguard interrupted with a strange surety. "I've seen both the Mad King and the dragon with my own eyes, major. I can honestly say that the dragon scared me far more, and is by far the deadlier of the two choices."
"Yeah, the Mad King isn't immune to normal fire and spears," another bodyguard commented. "And he got the jump on us the last time, anyways."
Koshi nodded. "We've trusted the colo- We've trusted Xing before, in equally dangerous scenarios. We should trust his judgment now." There was a short, uncomfortable pause before he grimaced. "It's a small solace, but the Mad King will likely not kill him."
WIth the bodyguards putting that much faith in their ward, Kai had little choice but to reluctantly do the same.
They didn't even get halfway back to the lines when explosions erupted from behind them. Kai and the rest of the parley members snapped around to see Xing darting about as columns of rock shot up around him. White fire burst out in beams and waves, tearing through rock and dirt and forcing King Bumi to leap clear. Before Xing could land, however, the ground below him exploded as a literal hill of spikes shot up into existence.
Thankfully for Kai's beating heart, the boy blasted aside any of the jagged tips from getting close to him, and sent out a volley of blinding bolts towards his opponent. The dirt wall King Bumi threw up broke apart in smoking and charred debris, and this time the ancient earthbender was forced to roll aside as craters erupted in the spot he used to be.
The exchange of firebending against earthbending was akin to watching two elemental storms crashing into each other. Building-sized boulders and columns shot up, only to be shattered by blinding gouts of flame, which then broke against thick earthen bulwarks like a wave against a coastal wall, which was then breached by a torrent of fire.
On and on it went, and Kai was left standing in place, staring with dumb awe at the scene. He felt dirt and ash lazily falling on his head and shoulders, so great were the forces being thrown at each other.
It went on seemingly forever, the young colonel darting about with all the fury of a lashing flame, while the Mad King remained as resolute and unyielding as the earth that he bended. And then, Xing shot to the skies and dove down, blasting through boulders and walls with his fiery breath.
His opponent seemed ready to welcome him, but he got the timing off; Xing blasted himself upwards right before another forest of spikes could clamp down on him like a monstrous maw, and then landed on the surprised Mad King with a falling axe kick. Such was the force of the blow that the earthbender actually crashed to the ground and bounced away for several yards.
Without thinking, Kai began running back to Xing, who was staggering towards the slowly rising form of the Mad King. The king got to his knees, and then stared at the colonel who was ready to lunge again, before finally raising his hands in surrender.
"You got me," King Bumi said aloud with some strained effort. He gave a shake of his head and wiped his brow as he slowly rose to his feet. "Whew… That was a good fight…"
Xing relaxed into a slump, barely holding back his trembling and cold mist falling off him, though his voice also carried across the field. "Do you surrender, King Bumi?"
Despite the haggard look, the ancient king was still grinning rather brightly as he nodded. "Yes, yes, I surrender… And I surrender Omashu to you as well."
Just like that, the fight was over, and with that what was deemed an impossible task was completed. The Mad King's army quickly broke and fled at their king's defeat, rather than stay to be taken prisoner. Xing and Mozi suspected that it was something that had been planned beforehand, a suspicion that was all but confirmed when the army marched all the way to Omashu without encountering any further resistance, and the city itself was completely abandoned.
The Mad King, standing in shackles besides the officers by the empty gates, cackled with too much good humor. "I promised you the city, not its people."