Avatar: The Book Of The Phoenix

Rokkun Interrogates Fong

The cell reeked of mildew and despair, its stone walls slick with dampness. A lone torch flickered, casting jagged shadows that writhed across the chamber, illuminating General Fong's slumped form. His face, bruised and streaked with dried blood, bore the marks of a recent beating, yet his eyes burned with unyielding defiance.

The cell door screeched open, iron grating against stone. Khan Rokkun stepped inside, his amber eyes glinting like a predator's in the dim light. His presence filled the cramped space, his crimson cloak trailing like a bloodstain. He surveyed Fong with a cold, calculating gaze, lips curling into a faint, mocking smile.

"General Fong," Rokkun said, voice a low, silken growl, sharp with menace. "Do these walls suit a warrior of your... renown?"
Fong stared at the floor, jaw set, silent as stone.

Rokkun's smile sharpened, a blade's edge in the torchlight. "A pity," he continued, voice dripping with cruel amusement. "A legend of the Earth Kingdom, reduced to a caged beast." He stepped closer, boots echoing on the stone, his breath a hot whisper against Fong's bruised cheek. "Tell me, General—does defeat taste as bitter as they say?"

Fong's silence was a wall, unbroken.

Rokkun's amusement vanished. With a swift, brutal motion, he struck Fong across the face, the crack of flesh against flesh reverberating. Fong's head snapped back, a low groan escaping as fresh blood trickled from his split lip.

"I asked you a question," Rokkun hissed, venom lacing every word. "Or do you need... encouragement to speak?"

Fong spat blood onto the stone, his voice hoarse but resolute. "I'll tell you nothing. The Earth King won't bend to your threats."

Rokkun's chuckle was a dark, guttural sound, like embers crackling in a dying fire. "The Earth King," he mused, pacing slowly. "He leans heavily on you, doesn't he? His trusted advisor, his pillar of strength." He stopped, leaning in, voice a chilling murmur. "What happens when that pillar crumbles? Will he mourn you, or simply carve a new puppet to take your place?"

Fong's eyes narrowed, defiance flaring. "The Earth King's no fool. He'll know the Nomads took me. His armies will march within days, and you'll choke on their dust."

Rokkun's smile returned, slow and predatory, a glint of triumph in his gaze. "Now we're getting somewhere." He straightened, voice cold as iron. "But I wonder how much defiance you'll have left when we're done." He glanced at the guards beyond the door. "Bring the tongs. Let's see if the General's resolve is as unyielding as his kingdom's stone."