Avatar: The Book Of The Phoenix

A Truce

The throne room of Ba Sing Se was vast and solemn, its jade pillars rising like silent sentinels under the vaulted ceiling. Torchlight danced across the polished stone floor, casting long shadows from the assembled generals and nobles who stood in rigid rows. King Xuo sat upon the high throne, his green robes immaculate, his expression carved from granite.

A few weeks had passed since Bin-Er was reduced to ash, and the wound still bled in every heart in the room.

Xuo's voice cut through the hush like a blade.

"Generals. Nobles. Speak. In the weeks since Bin-Er fell, have there been any signs of the Nomads? Any raids? Any movement?"

General Shin, a tall man with a scar running from temple to jaw, stepped forward and bowed. "Your Majesty, my scouts have returned from the southern coast. They have located a Fire Nomad fortress—well-fortified, with a harbor full of ships and perhaps two to three thousand men under arms. But... there have been no raids. No incursions deeper into the Earth Kingdom. They are holding position. Almost as if they're waiting."

A murmur rippled through the nobles. Xuo's fingers tightened on the arms of the throne.

"Waiting," he repeated, the word tasting bitter. He leaned forward slightly. "After the Coalition's defeat at Bin-Er, we cannot commit the Earth Kingdom to a war we cannot win. Not yet. Our armies are still recovering. Our people are afraid. Another loss would break us."

The room was silent. One of the older nobles, Lord Ming, cleared his throat. "Then what do we do, Your Majesty? Let them sit on our coast like vipers?"

Xuo exhaled slowly. "We reach an agreement. However uneasy. However temporary. We must know what they want. If they can be reasoned with... we reason. If not..." He let the sentence hang.

Another noble, Lady Mei-Lin, spoke up. "And what of Fire Lord Zuko? His sister fought beside the Khan. Can we trust the Fire Nation in this?"

Xuo's gaze hardened. "I have wondered the same. Princess Azula's alliance with the Nomads was... convenient. And Zuko's history with Rokkun raises questions. The Fire Nation has given us peace for five years, but peace can be a mask."

Lord Ming stepped forward. "The Fire Nation cannot be trusted. Not after this."

Xuo considered him for a long moment. "Perhaps you are right."

He rose from the throne, voice ringing with finality. "We will send a delegation to the southern coast. To the Nomad fortress. We will speak with Khan Rokkun. We will see if reason can prevail over fire. If he refuses... we will know where we stand."

The nobles bowed. The generals saluted.

Xuo looked out across the room, eyes distant.

"Prepare the delegation," he said. "We extend the hand of peace... and keep the other on the hilt of our sword."

The room emptied slowly, footsteps echoing off stone.

Xuo remained on the throne a moment longer, staring at the empty space where the banners of the Fire Nation and Earth Kingdom once hung side by side.

The war was not over.

It had only learned to wait.