Snippet #2579773

Sotaro grunted as one of his pikemen crashed into him. His flame hit the man in the back. His armor took some of the heat, but surely not all of it. Both hit the tree trunk crashed across his tank and sprawled on the ground beneath it. The injury didn't appear fatal, but when the soldier didn't move, Sotaro heaved him off. He would count the dead soon enough.

Few of the benders still alive were bending, and being harassed relentlessly by the attackers. Sotaro threw one off guard with a tackle from the side. Forcing his chi in a short, powerful burst through both arms, Sotaro focused it into his left hand wrapped around the man's eyes. The heat was enough to blind and distract him long enough to bring the dagger in Sotaro's right hand through his throat.

The freed bender in turn pushed Sotaro out of the way as part of the rations truck burst into flame. Someone from the other side had spilled oil and set it alight. The ambushers had already begun to flee. Their numbers had thinned, and he had enough well trained regular soldiers to overtake them. But the sun was setting, and chasing such a ragtag force through the woods at night would be futile. It would take extraordinary circumstances for his men to fight at night in any case.

"Cowards," yelled Sotaro as he threw his dagger at the retreating back of one running from the other side of the supply truck. The same one who had blocked his flame with the bodies of one of his own men.

"Captain," called one of the benders who still had some semblance of command over his ability. He was breathless and struggling to contain the flames emanating from the container with their rations.

* * *

The sun had long since set once the flames had been contained, the dead counted, and the injured pulled from their spiked bamboo traps. Sotaro felt his chi setting with it, and his guard piqued further. Many of the benders who had not been killed had regained their abilities. Some of the soldiers had regained the use of their limbs, and had also felt the pain of their injuries.

Sotaro considered his options as he supervised the impromptu camp set up. They would be unable to move forward until sunrise. Yet they needed emergency supplies and rations to make up for what was damaged. Maybe they needed a healer with abilities beyond the two medics in his regiment. Sotaro's concerns that the spikes in the ground traps were coated were confirmed. He would need to send his last scout to the nearest town.

Sotaro knew that he could not send the scout alone. The enemy's tactics suggested they would be waiting to ensure that he never made it back. They were also certain to try something on the main regiment again during the night. They wanted him to stop for the night.

"Set up the torches," Sotaro commanded.

Some Fire Nation troops carried torches with reflective caps on the top. They were meant to reflect and intensify the light of the flame in an effort to blind and disorient the enemy. Sotaro had gone to great lengths to obtain half a dozen before leaving for Yu Dao. Now they may prove useful to keep the attackers at bay. He would have to trust Hong, his second in command until he returned.

"Let's go," he commanded his scout, then added when he saw the man hesitate. "Your eel hound is the fastest way to get there and back. And no one is getting past me."

Sotaro sincerely meant what he said, and also knew that if these bandits wanted anyone, it would be him. He almost hoped that their leader would come after him so he could kill the man himself. With that, the Fire Nation Captain and scout mounted the eel hound and set off towards town.