Chapter 29.1- And so the Dragons Danced

He stared out from the balcony as he watched his men move in unison and then execute each step of the complex Kata flawlessly. It was the work of days of effort aimed at a single goal- Getting his men ready for what was coming. Against all odds, Kinvara had managed to send one message out before my arrival in this city,. The fact that I only found out about it when I ordered his things searched after ordering his execution gnawed at me. Without that order, it was more than likely that I would have never found it out at all and then wasted what was going to turn into a very valuable resource in the end. Sure, having both Lao and Kinvara getting away with their roles in my almost-kidnapping gnawed at me, but it was nothing compared to the benefit I was about to incur.

It turned out Kinvara had guessed at my intentions even before my arrival and written to a General Jinpei with word that I was going to take the city and advance towards Ba Sing Se. He had not received a response in time and so had decided to make his own plan to surrender and then order my kidnapping. I had wondered what he intended to do about my army even if he succeeded in capturing me and the answer turned out to be pretty simple- The Earth kingdom military. The full might of the Earth Kingdom was moving down upon Gaoling to crush me and by extension the Fire Nation advance in one fell swoop.

This General Jinpei had written to instruct Kinvara to delay me within the city as long as possible and then engineer my departure to match their arrival. They would be marching day and n ight to secure this. The plan was a simple one, but one with all the potential to become a great victory for him if it worked out. Allow me leave at the perfect moment and then engage me close to the city’s walls. The City’s defenders would then take us on from behind. A classic hammer and anvil approach. Risky, but oh so rewarding when done well.

Of course, the letter had ended up saving Kinvara’s life. I had him write back acceding to all the General’s plans as I began making plans of my own. Knowledge of the Earth Kingdom’s military might told me that even without the city’s defenders on his side, Jinpei would have me heavily outnumbered. Of course, his people would be tired from being marched day and night and that was the whole point of the tactic with Kinvara. Without that, the fight would be much more even. At least, it would have been if I opted for a straightforward confrontation. If my only goal was winning, then that would have been fine. But I needed not just to win. I needed to win so thoroughly and completely that I had enough of an army left to challenge and eventually take Ba Sing Se.