Chapter 31.2- And So the Dragons Danced

“She did. Probably out of some misguided sense of filial loyalty. Water-benders one and all” I said in reply.

“How many did we capture?” He asked.

“Close to a dozen?” I replied, not completely certain.

“How many men?”

“Three” This, I knew for sure.

“We all know how things work in the Fire Nation. The Women are useful prisoners. They will birth a new generation of water benders loyal to the fire nation. The men, however? They’re collateral. What say you we make her be the one to get rid of the collateral.” He said.

“That’s one way to of punishing her” I pondered the suggestion.

“It’s going to hurt her a lot. She’s soft. She’d probably never get over it for as long as she lives. It’s the kind of thing that stays with a person for life. Killing unarmed prisoners? I won’t be surprised if she has nightmares for decades.” I said.

“That’s what makes it a perfect punishment.”

“It loses any hope of having her loyalty, though”

“You never had it. She would have let you be captured or killed or worse. That means she betrayed the Fire Nation, and you by extension. We can not punish her too overtly without risking a mutiny of the men but I foresee that while she deals with the mental effects of this punishment, she will quickly find herself becoming less and less popular with the men by her own actions. It’s just a waiting game till her death can be arranged and we can move on from this and request a new healer for our division.” He said.

“We can not afford any division in the troops. Not with Azula being as she is” I said instead of commenting on the plan.

“Allow me to handle it. Not a thing will go wrong”

“No, I was the one harmed. I will swing the sword in this case. Thank you for the idea, Toji. Have her meet me in my tent.”

XXXXXXX- AMARA THE HEALER

She stared at the floor, sure that she had misheard.

“General Natsu?” She asked again, silently demanding that he repeat the order he had just given her.

“The men from the foggy swamp. Kill them, they are of no use to the Fire Nation. Those are my orders” he repeated them obediently with a smirk on his face.

“Why me? Spirits know that you have a thousand coldblooded killers in this army of yours” She could not argue against their deaths. It was military focus. Men were not as useful as women for the Fire Nation’s future and in situations like this, it was settled pracitice that men captured in such situations were not to make it to the Motherland unless they had some strategic value that was worth their survival. It was barbaric, but it was the way of things. What she didn’t understand was why she was the one being chosen as the executioner. She had made her peace with it, but could not do it herself.

“Because you betrayed me, Amara” She felt her skin become colder as all her blood flowed straight to her head. She felt her palms as they began to gather sweat. She felt for her water skin. If he wanted to kill her, she knew what kind of fighter General Natsu was and knew she would not win but she could at least go down swinging. For Mother.

“I have no idea what you speak of” She denied. Even as she held a tight grip on the water in the skin and prepared to make the first move.

“You were there. The night I was almost taken. You saw it happen, and you left. You left me to my own devices. Rest assured, I won’t be killing you. This is to be your punishment and I hope that after this, we can work together for the good of the Fire nation”

She stared at him. Just this? No other punishment? It seemed too good to be true.

“Thank you, General Natsu” She finally said, no longer fearing for her life.

“Get it done.”