Hearing someone speak up Arnook's smile opened wide, but when he saw who it was he frowned, he took a moment to collect his thoughts before speaking again, "Be warned, many of you will not return, come forward to receive my mark if you accept the task," he finished while looking at Levi, his gaze conveying more than words, 'I warned him, if he wants to go with this either way it is not my fault'
Even after hearing that Sokka still stepped forward making Levi smile and shake his head, he knew his brother, he wasn't a coward and with him here he would make sure nothing untoward happened.
After seeing Sokka, a foreigner, step forward many others who were hesitating and uncertain did the same, he had put a lot of pressure on them with his actions even if he didn't realize it.
Sokka stopped before Arnook and was marked with red paint on the forehead, followed by other northern tribesmen, "Ha-ah." sighing Levi walked up the stairs towards the podium, seeing him Arnook, Pakku, and many others gazes lit up.
"Thank you for your help my friend, we of the northern water tribe will never forget this," said Arnook, as if with only Levi joining them their win was assured, he even looked sternly at Yue and pointedly at Pakku who nodded with a smile acknowledging Arnook's words.
Dipping his index and middle finger of his right hand into the red paint Arnook was about to mark Levi's forehead when he was interrupted by the latter, "I will help but there is no way I am putting that on my face," said Levi with a slight smile.
Arnook and the others didn't object as they nodded and moved to the next person, Levi was their secret weapon in the fight to come, they didn't want to upset him whatsoever, plus the red markings weren't mandatory anyhow, just a tradition, a sign to show the unity of the tribe and raise their morals.
Arnook Looked at Pakku who seemed to understand his meaning before he walked after Levi, leaving Pakku to deal with marking the volunteers.
"Levi," called Arnook as he followed after Levi who turned around to face him, "I am sorry you guys had to face this during your stay in the North Pole."
"If your brother is interested in Yue that can be arranged," said Arnook with deep meaning, "Her engagement hadn't been finalized yet."
Levi didn't know whether he was trying to curry favors with him or form relations with the southern water tribe or both, but his answer was still the same.
'Although there is no reason to outright refuse him, Yue will most likely die in this battle so I have nothing to worry about,' thought Levi before he spoke with a smile, "Chief Arnook this isn't the time or place for that, we can discuss that after the fight, I have a feeling it would be a really intense battle."
"Ha-ah, you're right, just consider my proposition," said Arnook with a sigh before going away.
The rest of the volunteers and the northern tribesmen, benders, and soldiers were rushing all around the place and manning the walls.
Levi could feel the Fire Nation getting closer by the second. It was time for him to move. Big ice wings sprouted on his back, flapping and carrying him up towards the ocean and the Fire Nation, water benders looking up at him in wonder. They knew how impossible what Levi just did was.
When he got past the walls and saw the Fire Nation Navy in the distance even Levi was shocked, there were at least a hundred ships lined in a neet formation heading towards the wall, the sheer wealth and military power of the Fire Nation left him stunned, and this was only one of their many fleets, 'No wonder the other nations are helpless 00a0nd can barely fighting back,' thought Levi.
"Levi!" a shocked voice came from his left, turning around he saw Aang flying on top of Appa and staring at his ice wings in disbelief, disabling them Levi also landed on top of Appa.
"That was amazing…how did you do it? No, we don't have time for this; we've got to do something about the fleet of ships," said Aang as he looked towards the horizon.
"How do you propose we do that?" asked Levi as he looked at the fleet, he had several ways but none of them were things he wanted to expose right now.
Aang didn't know how to answer that question so he just kept silent, "Ha-ah, let's just do the best we can before they reach the wall," said Levi as he jumped from on top of Appa wondering how much he should show.
Thin Ice wings formed on his back carrying him towards the fire nation fleet.
***
Fire nation fleet - on the deck of the Admiral ship
Admiral Zhao stood with his hands behind his back looking at the fast-approaching northern water tribe wall, a hungry and ambitious look in his eyes.
Iroh stood to his right observing the same scene but with completely different emotions behind his eyes than Zhao, few knew what it really meant.
"Something seems to be troubling you, General Iroh," said Admiral Zhao, still addressing Iroh as general even though it was an empty title, he had no power, on the surface that is, if he called at least a third of the fire nation's army would answer his calling, he knew that Admiral Zhao knew that, and even fire lord Ozai knew that, so he was given the respect he deserves.
"I am just mourning the death of my nephew Admiral Zhao," said Iroh, a dangerous light passing through his eyes, unnoticed by Zhao who had his back to him.
"You have my word, General Iroh, after this is over I will do my best to bring the ones responsible to justice," said Zhao with a slight smile as he turned his head to face Iroh.
"Hearing it from Admiral Zhao I am relieved," said Iroh, heaving a sigh as if a weight had been lifted from his shoulders.
Suddenly Iroh's expression changed as he looked up, "WATCH OUT!" he shouted at the top of his lungs as he kicked the back of Admiral Zhao sending him out of the way of the ice shards volley falling on them, he might have used way more strength in that kick than was necessary but nobody can prove anything.
After kicking Zhao away Iroh launched quick fireballs aimed accurately at the ice shard disintegrating them before they reached their ship, thankfully it seemed their ship wasn't the main target as the attack was spread across the entire fleet, but that also meant the other ships weren't so lucky to have someone like Iroh to anticipate the attack beforehand.
Painful screams and sobs instantly filled the ocean, traveling even through the obstruction of the winds and distance between the ships, before the fire nation could recover a second volley of attack came raining down on them.
This time some of them were prepared as they repelled it but a lot of ships still got hit, some of the ice shards seeming to have magic capabilities as they pierced through the reinforced steel of the deck and penetrated inwards.
Only now did Admiral Zhao recover his bearings as he got up and started shouting and giving orders, immediately after catapults started moving and aiming at the sky where the shards were falling from, before they could shoot though Admiral Zhao felt water splatter on his face as he slowly looked to the side.
BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM
Five consecutive booming sounds reached him, assaulting his ears even before he could process what was happening.
And for the first time in this war, for the first time in years, he felt true fear, to his side, where there was supposed to be a fire nation ship there was nothing but wreckage and floating bodies, all disfigured, the water dyed red with blood and filled with floating wreckage.
Before he could understand what was happening, a scene that brought a chill down his spine and made his legs shake happened before him.
BOOM BOOM BOOM
Like before the sound reached him after the disaster had happened but this time he had seen what had happened, a giant ice ball, half the size of their ships came raining down from the sky, moving so fast for an object that big that Zhao only caught a glimpse of it for a second before one of his ships, one that was close to the wreckage was underwater, the other ice balls seemed to have landed behind him.
"F….f…fire," said Admiral Zhao stuttering but his voice was so low that nobody heard him, his men were more petrified than him, "FIRE YOU USELESS PIGS? FIRE AT THE SKY OR I WILL HANG YOU ON THE SIDE OF THE SHIP FOR THE SHARKS TO FEAST ON YOUR BODIES," he gathered all the courage he had as he screamed at them, his screams coupled with his threats seemed to finally wake his men from their daz as they started loading the catapults.
Their hands and legs shaking the entire time and messing up half the steps, taking three times longer than they were supposed to, but thankfully no other ice balls fell during that time, the catapults were soon ready and started firing.
Bright flaming rocks firing at the sky seemed to give the Fire Nation soldiers and Zhao some of their lost courage back, they all kept staring at the sky filled with flaming rocks, enjoying the illusion of control they seemed to have regained, even though it was painfully obvious the flaming rocks weren't hitting anything.
No order was given by Zhao to fire again but they did. They fired for two minutes straight, not stopping for even a single second, only then did Zhao notice that they had almost emptied their entire ammo stock with nothing to show for it and ordered them to stop.
No more ice shards or ice balls came, but Zhao's gaze was grave and calculating, sweat still kept falling down his face even though no attack came for five minutes, he couldn't help but wonder if his ship would be the next one, the entire fleet was wondering the same thing, they could only wait helplessly hoping no other attack came, they all knew they couldn't repel something like that, after no other attack came everyone visibly relaxed, Zhao ordered the fleet to keep moving.
"MAN DON'T LET THEM SCARE YOU. THAT ATTACK RIGHT THERE MUST HAVE TAKEN THE COMBINED EFFORT OF ALL THE NORTHERN TRIBE WATER BENDERS, IT WAS NOTHING MORE THAN A LAST DITCH EFFORT, RIGHT they are HIDING BEHIND THEIR WALLS TIRED AND EXHAUSTED HOPING THEY HAD SCARED US INTO RETREAT." his words seemed to ignite fire in his men as their eyes lit up.
"TELL ME MEN, ARE THEY RIGHT? ARE YOU SCARED?" he shouted at the top of his lungs.
"NO"
"LET'S SHOW THESE BARBARIANS THE MIGHT OF THE FIRE NATION."
"FOR THE FIRE NATION."
"ADVANCE."
…
His simple speech seemed to have the intended effect as the fleet started moving again, only he knew how scared and frightened he was, but he was an admiral, showing fear wasn't a luxury he could afford.
He wanted to believe what he said but he couldn't get the idea out of his head, 'What if this was done by one person?'
It was illogical, almost impossible, but the question just kept on repeating itself in his head.
Standing on the side Iroh looked at the sky as a light shined in his eyes but he didn't say anything, looking down his gaze turned complicated as he looked at Zhao, 'If only I had met you a couple of years earlier, I could have saved you from yourself,' thought Iroh his eyes showing a faint trace of pity, sadly it was too late, he wasn't naive enough to think he could change Zhao now.
AN: Admiral Zhao had tried to assassinate Zuko before, he didn't succeed but he thought Zuko died, Iroh knows Zuko is alive and is coming with them to the North Pole disguised as a fire nation soldier, he also knows Zhao is the one responsible, I didn't include this part in here as I thought it would just be useless filler.
AN2: Honestly I sometimes get tired of seeing the bad guy be like 100% bad with no redeeming qualities it doesn't feel human, so I hope you enjoyed a somewhat competent Admiral Zhao, someone who had earned his title, and someone who could pull his men from the pits of despair with his word alone.
AN3: I honestly think Iroh could change even Johan Liebert, if you know you know, he just needs time.
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