Snippet #2578818

They had been traveling for the better part of the day when all hell broke loose. It was nearing dusk when the first komodo rhino rider fell into the ground trap. More screams followed as other troops fell. Few were killed on impact, but all were injured enough to suffer slow deaths. The stink went up to high hell. The brigade ground to a halt as the armored benders took defensive stances.

“Pikes, tight formation,” cried Sotaro.

Infantrymen carrying pikes took positions half a step behind the benders and stood shoulder to shoulder around the supply cart. Many were struck down by arrows before the first wave of attackers hit. Sotaro commanded his tanks to aim for the area between the treeline and the troops. He suspected a second wave. His men scattered before the second wave came to avoid getting flattened by the trees nearest to the road. One of them landed across his own tank, and just missed taking his head off as he ducked inside.

There were two others in the small space inside – a driver and the one in command of aiming the turret.

“The turret is pinned, but it could still fire,” he breathed heavily and wasted no time pushing a fireball through the turret.

They got a few shots in before the Earth Kingdom soldiers reached them.

“Out, now! Take no quarter,” commanded Sotaro.

The few remaining benders who had manned the tanks spilled out (or, in Sotaro’s case, barely crawled out past the tree trunk covering their tank.

Once he hit the ground, Sotaro turned towards his supply cart in time to see one of the firbenders execute a perfect flame throw and fail to produce any sort of effect. He was quickly dispatched by a lightly clad fighter. Not Earth Kingdom fighter, but clearly well trained.

What . . . Sotaro thought as he took an offensive stance. Something was wrong. Very wrong.

Having no time to hesitate, however, Sotaro held both hands together as if holding a small ball to produce enough energy for a full flame. Once he had it, he stepped his left foot forward quickly into a warrior stance as his left arm aimed the flame from his right hand towards the fighter who had just taken down one of his benders.