Book 2: Earth

Chapter 3- The Southern Earth Kingdom

High General Giam took a quiet sip of tea as the contemplated the view from his perch. He was in the highest room of the royal palace, rebuilt at the peak of the city, and overlooking the surrounding mountains and valleys of Omashu. The trademark delivery slides, earthen canals upon which goods and supplies were delivered via earthbending, shone like golden lines in the sun, connecting all the vital parts of the city together in a beautiful tapestry of masonry. It was a scene of ancient beauty, one that had endured for hundreds of years since the founding of the city by the legendary earth benders, Oma and Shu. Indeed, with such peace and beauty, it was hard to comprehend the danger that was threatening the land. For there was a war raging still; one that had started over a century ago and would probably continue on to the end of time.

The city had fallen once, long ago during the first hundred years war, and the scars of the conflict were still evident throughout the land; from the charred remains of scattered trees to smoking craters that still dotted the landscape. It saddened him, for he remembered in his youth the lush green forests of the region, now, there was nothing but ash.

The biggest change of all though, were the factories, giant towering structures made of black steel.

When the Fire Nation had conquered Omashu, temporarily re-naming it New Ozai, they had torn down many of the stone buildings and towers, replacing them with newly forged steel structures instead. It was an ugly look that endured until the Day of the Black Sun, when King Bumi had managed to single-handedly reconquer the city. In the end, he saved the Earth Kingdom. After the treachery of the Dai Li, and the fall of Ba Sing Se, it was to Omashu where the remnants of the Earth Kingdom armies had retreated to and where they regrouped.

It was said that Old King Bumi's spirit broke when he received word of the Avatar's death, and he passed on soon after, leaving the city in chaos. From that, as the last standing member of the Earth King's council of Five, General Giam became Omashu's new master and protector.

And so the Earth Kingdom Armies stayed, forging the core of what would become the new Southern Earth Kingdom. With the armies, the steel war factories and towers remained as a necessity, to defend against future Fire Nation attacks. It was a sad fact that a city once renowned for its natural beauty and splendor was now converted into a steel arsenal of weapons and war, but such was the decree of fate.

He watched with approval as the dark green formations of troops assembled at the base of his palace, next to the newly forged Earth tanks and squadrons of cavalry. It was not much when compared to the endless legions the Earth King had at his disposal, but he was confident in them. These soldiers had endured the most bitter and humiliating of defeats, having lost Ba Sing Se without a fight to traitors within. And although many an experienced officer had fallen in the hellish retreat back to Omashu, the cowards, deserters and shirkers were all gone as well, leaving only a core of veterans as hard as steel, eager to avenge themselves and restore the honor of the Earth Kingdom and its people. More than that, they were loyal to him, as he was to them, and together, he swore, they would sweep across the continent, purge out every last trace of Fire nation scum and throw them all into the sea. Then, they would rebuild, and take the war to the Fire Nation islands, where they would repay the horrors of the last century a thousand fold.

That, at least, was the dream. But many a battle lay between that dream, and reality. This was the last Earth Army left, and he couldn't waste it or throw it away as that foolish boy King Kuei had done.

His eyes focused as he look on a map of the Earth Kingdom spread out before him on a stone table, with various green and red markers on the continent denoting the position of Fire nation and Earth Kingdom troops, with the red ones outnumbering his own green markers tremendously.