Carved In Rock || ATLA

Break

The Earth King Fin

"If you can't stand the way this place is, take yourself to higher places." - Three Days Grace

🌊🏔🔥🌪

High in the sky above his rolling city, Kuei cried out in equal parts terror and excitement as he clutched the fur of the giant bison soaring towards the Outer Wall.

"First time flying?" Toph asked a short way behind him, her knuckles white from her own grip on Appa.

"It's both thrilling and terrifying!" The King admitted, his brother to his right nodding in agreement.

"Yeah." Toph smiled. "I hate it too."

Kuei risked a glance at Kyojuro, only a little afraid his slightest movement would send him toppling towards the ground. "I have to be honest with you: part of me really hopes that what you're telling me about this war isn't true."

The grin that had been painted on the Princes' face faded away as their destination approached ahead. "I wish I wasn't."

The journey to the Wall was short-lived much to the relief of Appa's regular riders, the space on his back seeming smaller than normal with the three added bodies and a missing saddle to properly contain them. The bison landed with a graceful thud for an animal of his size and Murata slid off first, offering a hand to both Prince and King with only the older of the two accepting. Aang was quick behind them, jogging over to the Wall's edge as soon as his feet hit the stone and pointing excitedly over its side.

"It's still there!" He shouted back to his friends, Sokka and Katara helping a slowing down Aelita in the absence of her initial adrenaline. By the time they reached his side Kuei's mouth hung wide open in shock, his eyes locked on the massive, metal monster partially ensnared in the brick of the Wall. He had never seen, never even dreamed of feats of technological engineering such as this but here this giant contraption was, staring ominously back at him. Black steel and jagged edges and signs of damage he could only help were inflicted by earthbenders. He didn't need to know what exactly it was to know based on the way it pierced his city's stone barrier that this machine was an omen of bad, bad things.

"What is that?" The King asked the young Akira nearby.

"It's a drill." She explained. "A giant drill made on the Fire Lord's orders to break through your walls."

Kuei couldn't look away from the Fire Nation insignia painted clearly on the steel. Every claim made by his brother's friends was right. The Earth Kingdom, the whole world even, was at war. "I can't believe I never knew." He whispered.

"You weren't the only one." Kyojuro placed a reassuring hand on his brother's shoulder. "Long Feng lied to both of us."

"Now, now boys." The demon himself spoke. The group watched as he crested the wall on an earth elevator with a Dai Li agent flanking either side. "I can explain this, Your Highnesses." He spoke in feigned confidence. "This is nothing more than...a construction project." He gestured to the drill.

"Really?" Katara snorted. "Then perhaps you could explain why there's a Fire Nation insignia on your construction project?"

The King eyed his advisor suspiciously but the older man continued to lie. "Well, it's imported of course. You know you can't trust domestic machinery." Long Feng dismissed the girl and faced Kuei. "Surely you don't believe these children instead of your most loyal attendant? And your brother? Well," his voice dropped to a low whisper. "We've always known he was troubled."

"Children?" Kyojuro scoffed, his head held high. "These children you insult are heroes and I already am more of a man than you will ever be Long Feng so quit the bullshit. You will not play my brother and I against one another any longer. You have no power here."