𝐖𝐀𝐑𝐑𝐈𝐎𝐑𝐒

#.. TWENTY-TWO

"how are you?" seungmin asked as he sat down on the sand, next to his best friend. oh, how long they haven't talked to each other.

jungsu was busy with sharpening the blades of his boomerang, not even looking at seungmin. "'m fine" he mumbled, and seungmin sighed.

putting an arm around the elder's shoulders, he pulled him closer. "we're going to war" seungmin then announced.

"the southern and eastern water tribe agreed on attacking the earth kingdom... once both troops arrive here, jooyeon and the two tribe leaders will create the plan and then we'll go.."

jungsu stopped his doing, just to glance at seungmin. "so he is really going through with it.." the elder muttered, more to himself before chuckling.

seungmin sighed and looked out to the sea, the sun starting to hide underneath it, dyeing the sky in warm colors.

"you're not okay" the prince then concluded, sitting up to look at jungsu, who just sighed. "i know you long enough to know how you act."

fine. if seungmin wanted it that way. "alright, i'm just- i feel- ugh, i don't even know!

all of you guys are so cool with all your bending powers! all of you are special, too, like tell me where can i meet a spirit again? or a master in an element? or- or- a blind bender?

if i was blind, i'd be useless. i can't feel the air, nor could i fight the same way again!" so that's why jungsu always acted so down lately?

jungsu was surprised when he suddenly felt seungmin hug him. how much he needed that.

"jungsu, don't compare yourself to us" seungmin spoke softly. "you're not a bender, but so what?

you can do so much more than any of us can, don't discredit yourself. you were a part of the ganghan fighters, don't you know how feared you were?"

the ganghan fighters. a group of people who learn efficient ancient fighting techniques. it's mostly just for show, a contemporary art, but it works flawlessly when fighting, too.

men fight with boomerangs, women fight with fans. yet jungsu learned and mastered both ways, believing that there was no reason to part fighting techniques.

they're seen as the most dangerous part of the civilisation apart from the earth soldiers. jungsu was close to becoming a lector, yet he decided to flee with seungmin.

jungsu looked at the sea, as well, trying to keep himself from crying. it was unusual to have someone care for him.

growing up in the children's home, jungsu never got to express himself. feeling like he wasn't enough was suffocating him.

especially because his parents gave him away due to him having no bending abilities. that's the reason he joined the ganghan fighters - he wanted to prove that he was worthy.

"you don't need to bend to be powerful, jungsu. you're a way more skilled fighter than i am, for example."

jungsu shook his head. "now you're the one discrediting yourself." they both chuckled, jungsu eventually resting his head against seungmin's shoulder as he wiped away his tears.

"we two are positioned at the front. i'm the assigned troop leader there. but they need to talk about more details yet."

so this was actually happen? it didn't feel real at all. they were kids, what were they even thinking?

thousands of soldiers will die, so they must succeed. or they'll die for nothing. and not only the soldiers.

losing would also mean being killed. the other's would probably be locked away as war prisoners.

but jungsu and seungmin? they were traitors to the earth kingdom. it wouldn't take long until the earth king would detect them and punish them for their actions.

they had to be victorious.