Avatar: The Book Of The Phoenix

King Killer

The battlefield in the Jien Sin province was a wide clearing ringed by dense forest, the ground churned into mud from weeks of rain. King Xuo's army had arrived at dawn — thousands of Earth Kingdom soldiers in green and gold, earthbenders forming the front ranks, catapults positioned on the low rise behind them. The air was cool and damp, thick with the smell of wet earth and anticipation.

Xuo rode at the head, armor gleaming, face set in grim determination. His generals flanked him, voices low as they issued final orders. The men stood ready, shields raised, eyes fixed on the far ridge where the trees parted.

No Nomads yet.

Xuo raised a hand for silence. His voice carried across the ranks, steady but edged with steel.

"Today we end this," he said. "The Fire Nomads have burned our homes, slaughtered our people, and mocked our strength. But we are the Earth Kingdom. We endure. We stand. And today, we crush them."

A low cheer rose from the lines — not triumphant, but resolute. The men were tired, but they believed him.

Then, movement on the ridge.

A single line of riders appeared — crimson cloaks snapping in the wind, Komodo rhinos stamping. At the head: Rokkun, Azula, Oghuz, Taijuk, and General Shoka, mounted side by side. Only a few hundred men followed them.

Xuo's generals exchanged glances. A ripple of laughter moved through the ranks.

"Is that it?" one muttered. "That's the 'Great Army' of seven thousand?"

Xuo's lips twitched. "Perhaps they're finally broken."

But the laughter died almost immediately.

Behind the first line, the trees seemed to come alive. Thousands more Fire Nomads emerged — some on foot, others on mongoose lizards and Komodo rhinos, weapons raised, faces painted with ash and war paint. The line stretched wider and wider, filling the ridge like a crimson tide.

Then more.

And more.

The Nomads gave a primal roar, weapons banging on shields in a thunderous rhythm that shook the ground.

Xuo's face hardened. His men shifted uneasily, shields clanking.

"Steady!" Xuo ordered, voice cutting through the noise. "Steady, men! Hold the line!"

Rokkun raised his sword. The roar became a single, ferocious war cry.

The Nomads charged.

The battle ended as quickly as it began.

Earth walls rose and shattered under relentless fire. Rhino cavalry smashed through lines, swords flashing. Blue flames cut down officers. The Coalition ranks buckled, then broke. Men fled.

Others fell.

By nightfall, the battlefield was littered with the smoldering bodies of the Earth Kingdom's men. Azula dragged the defeated King Xuo tied to the back of her rhino all the way to the outskirts of Ba Sing Se. The king stumbled behind her, bound wrists bleeding from the ropes, face bruised and streaked with dirt.

Behind them, the Nomads rained fire on the outer ring of Ba Sing Se with mounted cannons, bombing it into ruin. Smoke rose in thick black pillars.

Rokkun dismounted, boots hitting the ground hard. He grabbed Xuo by the collar and dragged him forward, forcing him to his knees in front of Azula and General Shoka.

"Where are my sons?" Rokkun demanded, voice low and dangerous.

Xuo looked up, confused. "What are you talking about?"

Rokkun backhanded him across the face. The crack echoed.

Xuo spat blood. "You're a fool, Rokkun. I honored our truce. I had no part in this."

Rokkun knelt in front of him, grabbing his chin, forcing him to meet his eyes. "Your soldiers attacked our stronghold. They took my boys. Where are they?"

Xuo's voice was hoarse. "I swear on my throne — I would not do something so cowardly as kidnap children."

Oghuz stepped forward, axe in hand. "Take him prisoner. Make him talk."

Rokkun ignored him. He rose, voice cold. "Lift him."

Nomads surged forward, hauling Xuo off his feet. They dragged him to a nearby tree, ropes biting into his wrists as they tied him upright, arms stretched above his head.

Xuo protested, voice cracking. "Mercy! I swear — I had no part!"

Rokkun ignored the pleas. He raised his hand. Orange flames roared to life in his palm, twisting into a searing whip.

Azula stepped forward. "Rokkun—"

He looked at her. For a moment, the fury in his eyes flickered — then hardened.

"He took our sons," he said quietly. "He pays."

Azula's voice was soft. "If he didn't—"

Rokkun's flames surged. The whip lashed out.
Xuo's scream was brief. Flames consumed him in seconds, burning hot and bright. When the fire died, only ash and charred rope remained.

General Shoka watched from a distance, expression unreadable. Pride and satisfaction flickered in his eyes. This was the Rokkun he knew — a warrior who knew no mercy, a man who would stop at nothing to avenge his family.

Rokkun lowered his hand, breathing hard. The clearing was silent except for the crackle of dying flames.

He turned to Azula. "We're done here. We find our boys. And then we burn the Fire Nation to the ground."

Azula nodded once, eyes hard.

The war had come home.

And this time, there would be no mercy.