Azula's Bodyguard

Chapter 4: Home away from Home

(Shino's pov)

94 AG, Ba Sing Se, day 253 of the siege

For many months we advanced through the city but progress has been tough and slow, sometimes even coming to a complete standstill. The enemy is not willing to give up this city without giving it everything it has to offer and to defend it whatever the cost might be. The further we advance, the harder the fighting gets. Sometimes an entire platoon of our men is killed to take even a single building. However we are still advancing and moral seems high. I was ordered to meet the rest company in one of the many abandoned buildings.

I enter the building and inside the building I open another door which leads me into a big room. The room is filled with soldiers and in the middle of the room there is a enemy soldier tied to a chair, he is being questioned.

Hori: "I ask again, where did they take our men?!"

Soldier: "I told you, I don't know."

Hori: "I am afraid that's the wrong answer. Hit him again!"

One of our soldier hits him in his chest, making him cough and spit out some blood. When I look at my left I see Koaru and walk over to him.

Kaoru: "Hey, good morning."

"Morning"

Kaoru: "Did you sleep well?"

"Well if you mean closing my eyes for 10 min and then waking up again from the constant bombardments, then yes I slept pretty well."

In the background I keep hearing the soldier being punched and begging for mercy.

"How long has that been going on?"

Kaoru: "They brought him in yesterday night. Ever since many of our soldiers have been captured, we have tried to find out where they are being held. Ba Sing Se doesn't seem to have any prisons, atleast not above ground."

"What if he doesn't know?"

Kaoru: "Then I feel bad for the poor bastard."

Soldier: "I told you everything, just leave me be!"

Hori: "You think we will just let you go? You rats always run back to the hole you came from."

He punches the soldier in the face.

Hori: "Give me a knife."

A soldier walks over to him and hands him a dagger

Hori: "Let's see if this will make you talk."

Soldier: "No, please!"

"This is insane, I always thought we treated the enemy with respect."

Kaoru: "Apparently not."

"I'm going to stop him."

Kaoru: "Wait, don't do that."

I walk over to Hori.

"Sir, don't you think he has been tortured enough?"

Hori stops with what he is doing and turns around facing me.

Hori: "What did you just say to me?"

I feel my heart rate increase and start to feel nervous, but I stand my ground.

"What if he really doesn't know it, sir?"

Hori: "Are you defending these rats Shino? Don't you release that they are a plague that needs to be wiped from existence?"

"I'm not defending anyone, sir. I just don't like unnecessary suffering."

Hori: "You know what Shino? You are right."

I am surprised by his answer. He points at two soldiers.

Hori: "You two, take him outside. You know what to do."

The two soldiers undo him from the chair and take him outside.

"What are they going to do with him, sir?"

Hori stands next to me.

Hori: "Ease the pain. We wouldn't be real Fire Nation soldiers if we didn't show some mercy, now would we? Now for you Shino, get back in line! If you ever have questions about my orders again, I'll give you the same procedure."

"Yes, sir."

I walk back to Kaoru.

Hori: "Now gentleman, the reason I have gathered all of you here today is to explain tomorrow's offensive one last time. As all of you know for the past few months we have prepared to launch an all scale offensive across the entire line, both in and outside of the city. The objective is simple, keep advancing until you have reached the royal palace. By that time around half of Ba Sing Se should be in our hands. When the palace falls, the rest of the city will soon follow."

Hori walks over to the door.

Hori: "Now follow me, we have work to do."

The entire company follows him outside and we start walking towards the inner wall.

Manzo: "Hey, what was that earlier?"

"I just couldn't stand by and watch him torturing that guy."

Manzo: "Well it doesn't matter anymore because he is dead now. All the captured soldiers Hori questions end up executed. So whatever you would have done wouldn't have mattered anyway."

"I thought we atleast had some respect for the enemy."

Manzo: "That's what they want you to think. The only ones treated with a bit of respect are high ranking officers."

Manzo stops me while the rest of the company continues to walk.

Manzo: "Let me give you one piece of advice, don't ever intervene the orders of an officer. It will only get you in trouble. Even if you are lucky enough to survive this hell, make sure that they won't put you on trail when you get home. Hori might seem like he had no problem with you intervening with his affairs, but he might use it against you when you least expect it."

"Ok, I understand."

Manzo: "Good, now let's go."

We continue to walk until we reach the outer wall.

Hori: "Seems like everyone is here now."

Manzo: "Sorry sir, just a little..."

Hori doesn't listen and talks over him.

Hori: "This is the part from which we will launch the offensive. We are part of the second brigade. That means some of you will stay behind to support us and won't move up until the first groups have reached the half way point."

After Hori was done we all got in our respectable positions. And the countdown began.

Kaoru: "Hey, I wish you good luck tomorrow."

"Thanks, you too. I'll make sure to clear the road so that you and your fat ass can move up."

Kaoru: "Ha, that means you got a lot of clearing to do."

"Well, I am going to get some rest."

Kaoru: "I'll wake you up before it begins."

I try to fall asleep but I barely do. With this offensive they want to end the siege, a siege that has already been going on longer than planned. I know tomorrow will be a big turning point, either in a good sense or a bad sense. I finally manage to fall asleep and are woken up by Kaoru. After I get in position, I hear the whistles across the enire front.

Manzo: "Good luck all of you!"

Thousands of soldiers are moving through the inner wall, the biggest offensive of the siege has begun.