Bumi POV
They called me the mad king. And, truth be told, they weren't entirely wrong. Living more than a hundred years in this world without a touch of madness would be unbearably dull. But even madness has its shape, its form, its wisdom. What no one could deny, no matter how they mocked me, was that I had my own way of seeing the world, sharper even than theirs.
And today, that sharpness was put to use. I was leading my army into the Zaofu Mountain Range, prepared to ambush the Fire Nation soldiers. I had placed scouts there long ago, expecting the Fire Nation might try their luck in those difficult peaks. The path was narrow, steep, and difficult for an army to march through. Which made it the perfect place for them to attempt it, thinking no one would guard such a treacherous route.
How wrong they were.
The instant my scouts spotted the red tide approaching, word was sent to me. Without hesitation, I marched with three thousand soldiers. Thanks to the terrain and our quiet preparations, always best to prepare "just in case", we reached the range before the Fire Nation, setting our trap with ample time.
The Zaofu mountains had a valley cutting through them, a thin scar with two small rivers running through its belly. And at the center, there was a long pass so narrow that no more than ten men could walk side by side. That pass was the key to everything.
I divided my forces in two. The first, smaller force would lie in wait atop the cliffs, watching the enemy funnel through the pass. At my signal, they would bring the mountains down; rocks, boulders, the earth itself to close the pass and crush the invaders beneath stone.
The second, far larger force would encircle the valley. Their task: seal it with rock, and at the same time, block the two rivers. The water would swell, flooding the valley, trapping the enemy inside. When the Fire Nation realized the pass was sealed and their path blocked, it would be too late.
I had no interest in a frontal clash. Battles of fire against earth burned too brightly and too fiercely for my liking. I want them to waste away, to weaken slowly. The water would rise, the walls would hold, and the valley would become their tomb.
And it worked. Perfectly. The mountains collapsed on the first wave, burying them in a rain of rocks. Those who remained were trapped behind walls of earth, unable to advance, unable to flee. Their leader hesitated, and that hesitation was fatal. By the time they understood, the blocked rivers had formed a swelling lake, its waters pressing against the rock walls like a patient beast. When the Fire Nation finally realized the trap, it was already too late.
For a moment, I felt remorse. A flicker of pity for the men running in panic below me, their fire useless against stone and rising water. But pity could not save my people. Mercy could not hold the Fire Nation back. So I stood upon my wall of earth, watching them scramble, knowing in days, they would all die there.
And then, everything changed just when everything was about to end.
A small force arrived days later, no more than five hundred Fire Nation soldiers sent to free their trapped comrades. Five hundred against my three thousand. Six to one. Odds even a "mad" king could count. They had no chance.
Yet as they approached, something felt… strange. Their formation spread wide, as if they meant to cover every inch of ground, though their numbers were too few. And from among them, a single soldier rode forward, mounted on a mongoose lizard.
Alone. Straight toward us.
My soldiers hurled rocks at him, determined to crush this fool before he could reach the walls. But he leapt from his mount with uncanny grace, twisting through the air, dodging every boulder as though he saw their paths before they even flew. He landed lightly, and without a pause, kept walking forward with a calm, terrible confidence.
I leaned forward, studying him. His face was young, far too young for such a display of skill. Why, I wondered, would a boy march alone toward three thousand men?
My wondering was answered almost immediately. The boy suddenly moved, lightning crackled around his body, raw and violent, and in the next instant the greatest lightning bending I had ever seen was unleashed toward us, toward the earth wall.
I widened my old eyes, throwing up rocks in a desperate attempt to intercept the strike. Too late. Too weak. The lightning shattered my defenses as though they were nothing, then slammed into the wall, tearing it apart in an explosion of blinding light and raw fire. The water we had dammed surged forward, bursting free with a crashing force that shook the valley.
"Hold the wall! Block it!" I roared, my voice ragged. But even as I shouted, another lightning bolt split the air, striking a different section. A second section of the wall collapsed, stone and mud splintering under the furious strike. In moments, the entire barrier gave way. The torrent swept through with merciless strength, washing away my men, those who stood atop the wall, and those stationed behind it, all of them swallowed in an instant.
I myself was thrown down, body crashing into the mud. My hands pressed to the earth instinctively, trying to steady, to resist. The tide weakened as it poured out of the valley, leaving only thick, sucking mud where moments ago there had been soldiers and stone. I lifted my head and looked forward.
The boy stood there calmly, watching us. Then he smiled. Predatory. Cold. In that smile, I felt a dread, sharp and deep in my chest. This boy was not normal. No, he was something else entirely. A wild beast hiding in human skin.
For a breath, I was frozen in that realization. But already my men were recovering, dragging themselves from the mud. Dozens encircled him, weapons drawn, bending stance ready. Beyond them, the five hundred Fire Nation soldiers pressed closer, step by steady step. And behind us, the trapped army began to stir, voices rising with the possibility of freedom. My time to act was vanishing.
We had to defeat the five hundred quickly and retreat. It was the only option left. "Attack! Cut a path! Retreat!" I bellowed, forcing strength into my words. My soldiers obeyed, moving in waves toward the enemy.
And then the boy struck again. He thrust his fist forward, and from it erupted a torrent of fire, the greatest wave of flame I had ever seen. It wasn't the usual orange fire. It was blue, dreadful and merciless. In the blink of an eye, tens of my men were burned to ash, their screams gone as swiftly as they came.
I watched in horror as he lunged into the largest cluster of soldiers, his movements fluid, lethal. Each strike crushed bones, each wave of flame turned armor and flesh alike to ashes. His fighting style, if it could even be called style, was cold graceful dance, efficient, terrifying, as if designed just to destroy and kill. His fire burned stronger than anything I had ever witnessed, stronger than even the firebenders during Sozin's Comet, a century ago. Back then, the firebenders had been terrifying, yes. But none, not one, had wielded power like this.
I shook the thoughts from my mind. Dwelling on fear would doom us all. No one among my soldiers could stand against this boy, no, this monster. If he was to be stopped, I would have to do it myself.
And so I charged forward.
The boy noticed me immediately. His golden eyes locked onto mine, and he gave me a predatory smile. Then he charged.
I reacted quickly, wrenching a massive boulder from the earth and hurling it into his path. Any normal soldier would have dodged. But not him. He kept moving, straight into it, and the next moment his leg lashed out. The boulder shattered under his kick as if he were an earthbender. I was taken aback, but I did not falter. With a sweep of my arms, I bent a wave of mud to engulf him.
The boy answered with a kick. A horizontal strike that birthed a torrent of blue fire, a wave like the ocean itself, rushing forward to devour everything in its path. My mud was nothing against it, it just vanished, swallowed whole by that unnatural flame. I slammed the ground, raising the thickest wall of earth I could muster. Even then, the heat seared through, so fierce it burned my skin from behind my wall. I knew at that moment, if that fire had touched me directly, I'd already be dead.
Then I heard his voice, from above. "You are King Bumi? The greatest earthbender in the world?"
I looked up. He crouched atop the wall I had raised, smiling down at me like a beast sizing up its prey. I forced the best smile I could manage.
"Young men these days are rude. First you try to roast an old man alive, then you start a conversation without even introducing yourself."
The boy chuckled. "Where are my manners? I am Captain Tai Lung of the Fire Nation. I've heard a lot about the mighty earth king and possibly the strongest bender in the world."
I blinked. Then I gave him a crooked grin. "I'm just a mad old man. You wouldn't want to be known as the Old Man Burner, would you?"
He tilted his head, eyes glinting. "You know, I hate old men. For some reason, my luck's always bad with them. They've caused me both pain and humiliation in my life. So in a way, hearing you're the strongest and oldest… well, the thought of beating you feels strangely satisfying."
I blinked again and said simply, "That's too bad. I don't want to be beaten." With a punch upward, I sent the wall and the boy with it. Then I flipped the wall and smashed it down, raising a boulder with my free hand. My plan was simple: crush him between earth and rock.
But he erupted in blue fire, a torrent that annihilated both of my creations. Another wave of flame came surging toward me. I dove into the ground, tunneling beneath and reemerging some distance away, chest heaving. The boy looked at me with that same challenging smile, then sprinted toward me again.
I bent quickly, pulling mud to halt his advance, then moved to bury him beneath the shifting earth. For a heartbeat, I thought I'd caught him by surprise. His eyes widened, then the smile returned. He raised both hands high, then slammed them into the ground.
The world exploded. Fire erupted from beneath, tearing apart stone, soil, everything in sight. Flames licked through the very earth as though it were kindling. The blast propelled him upward, and I watched, stunned, as he rose high into the air. Lightning began to crackle around him, dancing across his form as he looked down at me.
Then he struck. The lightning bolt ripped through the sky, aimed straight at me. I twisted aside at the last instant, barely dodging it. My heart pounded in disbelief. Unleashing lightning while airborne. I had never seen or heard of such a thing.
Behind me, some of my soldiers rushed forward, desperate to aid me. I screamed at them to stay back, but they didn't listen. The boy's eyes shifted toward them. Flames erupted, wide and merciless. I leapt forward, raising walls to shield them, to intercept. But my defenses couldn't stop that horrible inferno. I heard their screams behind me. Felt the flames crash against me, searing my body.
I collapsed to the ground in pain, my vision blurred. Through the haze I saw him, walking toward me. No longer smiling, he frowned as though disappointed.
"You couldn't dodge or defend yourself properly. If not for your men, my fire would not have touched you."
I forced words past my dry throat. "You look annoyed. Did you want to beat me fairly? Well, this is war. You won't find fairness here."
To my shock, he turned his back on me.
"A victory like this feels unearned. I will let you and some of your men leave. When you recover, I will come for a proper match."
I hadn't expected this kind mercy, and never in my wildest imagination I thought this beast in human skin had an honor to uphold. A weak chuckle escaped me. "Nah, you will win. I know I can't defeat you. But what if I offer a deal instead? Let us all go. Promise never to participate in attacking my city in person. In return, I'll order my men to help you search for Fire Nation soldiers buried under the rocks. There may still be survivors. And if not… at least their bodies can be recovered."
He stood there, silent for a time, his gaze unreadable. Then he turned back, his voice firm.
"Fine. I will tell my people to open a path. I expect some of your benders to return and help search for survivors… and corpses. If they don't, I will lead the charge into your city."
I don't care what others think, but I am sure that Tai Lung is a beast in human skin. And with him around, the Fire Nation will win the war.