At the end of the previous chapter, the rebel army launched into action, bringing war to Ba Sing Se once more. The uprising, as it turns out, is occurring much earlier than either Sheng or Azula had anticipated.
Sheng's head is in a whirl -- one moment he is confessing his heart to his queen, and the next the night is rent by shrieks and the thunder of war beyond the palace walls. At the head of the rebellion is none other than Sheng's remaining brother, Renshu, the one whom he had decided not to betray over to his queen. Before this night is over, many fates will be sealed for good, and only one side will be victorious.
It's good.
The only thing I don't approve of is the fact that the paragraphs itself aren't spaced out, which gets ME confused. A lot of the...story is actually really one lined paragraphs, but I still see the nice style tied into to it.
It's good work, but Azula seems a bit off key just a tad bit, but I can't put my finger on right.
I will continue reading this. It's pretty interesting.
I will now put spaces between my paragraphs. Thanks for the advice.
Now about Azula's character, I agree that she is more brutal than she was in the show. But this story takes place 8 years after Season Three, so she has grown even crueler than she was before.
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CHAPTER 7: War!
The streets of Ba Sing Se were slick with blood.
It had happened without warning; one moment the city had been quiet and tranquil as the denizens of the Middle and Upper Rings slept peacefully without a care in the world. The next moment, the silence was rent by bloodcurdling screams as a horde of at least four thousand men came charging out of Lower Ring, shouting warcries and surging through the city like a flood.
The Dai Li, whose numbers had increased from about one hundred to eight hundred since the rise of Azula, were taken completely by surprise. Several of their night patrols had been unfortunate enough to be in the way of the Rebel army, and they were mowed down before they could even fight as the Resistance battled its way into the Upper Ring.
Renshu sat astride one of the Fire Nation's War Lizards, which he had seized from a Fire Nation defender in the Middle Ring. He drew his blade, screaming, "Freeeeedooooom!" as his men rushed by, charging toward the palace.
Before they could reach their destination, the Rebels were met by a host of palace guards. The two sides clashed in what was destined to be a short-lived skirmish – the palace guards were all master Firebenders, but Renshu had sheer numbers on his side. His ragtag army plowed through the guards and continued onward toward the palace, setting guard towers ablaze and smashing through every wall in their path.
About fifty Dai Li intercepted them at the western gate of the Palace Wall. Falling into their fighting stances, they pummeled the attackers with boulders and massive clods of earth. The front rank of the Rebel horde shied back, clawing mud from their eyes as giant rocks hurtled down on them, breaking arms, legs, ribs, and skulls.
"Archers!" bellowed Renshu. "Cut them down!"
Before the Dai Li could summon up a wall of earth to protect themselves, two hundred deadly shafts shrieked through the night air toward them. They fell screaming, clutching at the arrows that thudded forcefully into their bodies. Only one of them survived, and he had fallen to his knees, moaning and tugging at the shaft that had buried itself into his leg. He looked up as a shadow fell over him, and the last thing he saw was Renshu's curved blade as it sliced down at his neck.
The Rebels shouted their triumph to the night and swept forward toward the gate.
* * *
Up at the highest window of the palace, Azula watched the battle below. She dug her fingernails into the wooden windowsill, cursing the fates.
Xin had outsmarted her after all... But she should have suspected something like this to happen, especially since the information about the rebellion had come from none other than the enemy himself! But Renshu had taken her completely by surprise.
Down below, just as the last of her Dai Li had fallen to the ground in a bloody heap, reinforcements arrived. They poured from their barracks and engaged the Rebel forces at the gate of the palace itself, along with fourscore mounted War Rhinos that trampled the rebels to pulp underfoot. She could see Renshu waving his curved sword in a wide arc over his head, shouting for his men to retreat. The Rebels fell back to the Middle Ring to regroup, leaving hundreds of slain men and dozens of burning buildings in their wake.
"They've retreated," she muttered, her voice laden with self-satisfaction.
Behind her, lurking in the corner of the chamber, Sheng ventured a question.
"So... we've won?"
"No," Azula replied. "I said that they've retreated, not that we've won. Renshu will be back within the hour, of that I am certain."
"Do you think that you can hold him off again, Milady?"
Azula gave a snort of derision. "Sheng, I
know that I can hold him off again. And again. And again, if need be."
"If you say so, Milady."
"He cannot win. There is a limit to how much damage a man can take before being unable to go on. We shall test Renshu's endurance to the breaking point. I hope that he is captured alive; I would like to kill him myself."
Sheng cast his eyes downward. He would betray no emotions that might give away the fact that Renshu was his brother. Azula must not know.
"Milady, I am so sorry about that false information. Xin lied to me – I didn't know..."
"I believe you, Sheng, but you must realize what your little error is costing me."
Sheng fell to his knees. "Never again, Milady... I will never again fail you. I beg your forgiveness."
Azula turned away from the window to face him. "My forgiveness? Do you deserve it?"
"No," moaned Sheng. "I am a fool, so easily deceived. I do not deserve pardon... but I plead for it nonetheless."
There suddenly came a knock at the door.
"Enter," Azula called imperiously. The door opened and a tall, gaunt man entered the room. "Milady."
Azula nodded curtly. "Captain Yi."
Yi bowed. "My Queen, we have taken a prisoner, and he is prepared to give information in exchange for his life."
"Well," Azula said, "bring him in."
Yi nodded to a trio of soldiers who stood in the hall beyond. They entered the room, dragging with them a scraggly, filthy little man whose tattered clothes were soaked in blood. He gazed up at Azula fearfully.
Azula planted her hands on her hips. "So, who are you?"
The man replied in a hoarse, ragged voice, "My name is Batu... I have information for you if you grant me my freedom in return."
"Agreed. Now, what do you have to say?"
Batu licked his dry lips. "Renshu himself is planning to enter this palace in secret with a score of trained assassins during the second assault. The first one was meant only to weaken your defenses... and that was why Renshu stayed away from the main battle. He doesn't want to be killed before he has taken a good shot at your life."
Azula's eyes were wide. "Really? Where could he possibly infiltrate my palace?"
"Through the sewers. He will lead the assassins up through the latrine."
Azula wrinkled her nose in disgust. "Well, he has determination, I'll give him that. Now, is that all?"
"Yes," said Batu nervously. "That is all."
"Well, Sheng," said Azula, "do you think that he's trustworthy?"
Sheng bowed. "We'll find out soon, Milady."
Batu started at the sound of Sheng's voice. His eyes lit up as recognition dawned. "I
know you!" he cried, pointing at Sheng, whose face had suddenly drained of all color.
"You," Batu went on, "Are Sheng, the brother of Xin and Renshu! What are
you doing here?"
A deadly silence fell upon the room. Azula's eyes flicked from Sheng to Batu, then back to Sheng again. "Captain Yi," she said in a dangerous, barely audible whisper, "Take our little friend here back out into the hall. He is not to be killed, as we agreed. I will see to him later."
Yi bowed and swept from the room, along with the three guards who were escorting Batu.
The door closed, and the room was now empty except for Azula and Sheng.
The stillness was unbearable. It carried menace and fury, like the calm before the storm. Finally, Azula hissed, "You lied to me, Sheng."
Sheng shrunk back against the wall. "Milady, I never–"
"You said that you knew nothing else of the Rebels. You never mentioned that Renshu was your brother." Her voice was quiet and cold, but Sheng would have preferred that she were yelling.
"Milady –"
"Slipped your mind, eh, Sheng? In all the excitement of today you simply forgot everything you know about Renshu?"
"I–"
"Tell me, Sheng, where do your loyalties lie? "
"With you, Milady!"
"Good. Then you will tell me everything about Renshu that may be of use to me."
Sheng stared in horror as flames sprang into being at Azula's fingertips, and her eyes flashed like blue lightning.
"You will tell me
everything."
Sheng's tortured screams of agony and pleas for forgiveness were so loud that even those outside the palace could hear him as Azula forced him to confess.
