Avatar: War of the 4 Kingdoms (Always Open)

As the fireball flew at the tree tops, the Earthbanders reflexively dropped down from them. The branches above now ablaze and roaring with a peculiar tinted silverish white glow. However, the Dai Li's nerve was unbreakable, such was the will of the people of the Earth Kingdom. The agents who had dropped out of the trees immediately moving behind the lead one now in an arrow formation. Widening with each set of them as they got into two diagonal lines. Each with their stone hands clasped behind their back.

"I see, you have chosen to die amongst the burning ruins of your own embers...A befitting death for Fire Nation scum like yourself."

That being said, as if a unified hive mind the arrow of secret police turned temporarily assassin for today moved into fighting stance. Their ungloved hand low, while their rock stone hand was high and their stance was wide apart. Together Earthbenders became stronger and much more firm, kind of like laying multiple bricks to build a wall. The Prince could maybe fend off their attack, but retreat would most likely be the more favorable option if he didn't want to receive serious injury or risk capture. However, that would mean abandoning his pet.

"There will be no second offer...Now you meet your end!"

Luckily, just then the a gust of wind would blast down in between the area that separated the men from the boy. Halting their attack as everyone in attendance looked up and saw an incoming sky bison. A top of it the same monk who Hikoutei had met before. Kaang using it's large tail upon nearing the lit up tree tops to knock out the raging fire with one swoosh of it's mighty tail and airbending ability. Afterwards giving Kai Li a clear path to drop down from his flying bison and into the fray. He landed in between the two groups gracefully by spinning his staff overhead like a copter and immediately tried to access the situation. He could see not to far off that the Mongoose Salamander Hikoutie had been traveling upon earlier was wailing uncontrollably and had been captured. So it led him to assume either the he had done something wrong as well or these men were up to no good.

"Finally, Prince Hikoutei. I had found it a bit odd that their was a light gray forest fire starting when I was flying over head and I knew a firebender had to be behind it, but what is all this about?"

"Mind your business Airbender. This dog is to receive execution for his crimes against the Earth Kingdom."

Confusedly Kai looked to the Prince, he had thought him to be a level headed man before. But, could it be his judge of character was off and he was the same as that other firebender he met before.

Kai looked estrangently at the situation laid out in front of him and tried to quickly decide which side he would take in the matter since neutrality was obviously not an option. By looking into the eyes of Kyte he knew for certain that he was not the one responsible for the Queens death. Even if the Fire Nation had committed the crime, this boy himself had not. Therefore arresting him would be unjust to say the least.

"Please, benders of the Earth Kingdom. I can vouch for this Firebender, he could not possibly have committed such a crime. The Queen was assassinated many years ago to my knowledge, which would've made him very young at the time. It's unfair to hold him responsible for crimes his nation or anyone else committed. Especially if he doesn't rule over it..."

"We did not ask you opinion Air Nomad, we simply asked you to get out of the way. Whether the Prince committed the act himself or not is none of our concern. The simple fact is he will pay for his nations crimes, by way of death. Now move or you will join him!"

Kai looked about the Dai Li agents as they continued to stand in attack positions and bowed his head slightly before making his decision. Hikoutie was of good moral character, Kai knew this because he had listened to reason even though Kai Li had been attacking another of his nations benders and asked questions before impulsively attacking like others would have. With this in mind, Kai could not leave him to face the group alone and instead twirled his staff in a quick motion around his neck and then to his back before widening his own stance. Afterwards raising a hand in a tiger claw format to symbol his own battle position.

"NO, I will not."

"...Very foolish Airbender. Then you are now also an enemy of the Earth Kingdom and will be destroyed!"

With that the lead Dai Li Agent stomped up a ball of sturdy dirt and punched it towards Kai. The boy quickly reacting by swinging his staff forward from around his back in an arcing angle with one hand and smashing the dirt debris into multiple pieces.

Afterwards the other Dai Li agents followed suit and all stomped on the ground causing multiple rocks to fly into the air and sent them all hurtling towards the two teens. Three aimed at Kai while the other four headed towards Hikoutei. Kai in reaction jumped forward in a side spin and kicked through one of the rocks. While in the same motion, he could be seen spinning his staff around between the fingertips of the same hand in rapid succession, which he then used to cut up the other incoming one; kind of like a mud ball flying into a fast moving fan.

Finally, as the last rock approached Kai simply pushed an air current towards it with his free palm at the end of the rotation he had just made and sent the stone soaring back at one of the Dai Li agents faster than they had originally launched it. However, the man raised a rock wall to block it. The piece of earth shattering against his shield upon impact and then lowering as he and a few other agents charged in for close combat. Their armored rock fists being able to do heavy damage if they connected a blow.

As all the others left, it was now just Isis and Kimora left standing and of course the Earth Kingdom officials who came to try and get the zoo back under the control.

"Well..I definitely thank you for the concern Kimora, but I'll be just fine. I'm glad to see the Kyoshi Warriros haven't forgotten or let their sense of duty dwindle during these hard times."

Isis was much more laid back back in her replies to the young Earth Kingdom warrior for obvious reason. However, no sooner had she finished speaking this sentence and the Pygmy Puma approached the two, stopping by Kimora. A large what appeared to be a rock rolled up in ball form and then extended to it's full length in front of of Isis. The rather still injured Armadillo-Lion growling at the pygmy Puma probably thinking it was yet another animal that was going to attempt to hurt her. It's roar was ferocious, but in all honesty it was too hurt to attack anything at the moment.

"Whoa, hey! STOP, down, heel!! They're ok, it's ok!"

As she spoke these words and quickly stepped to the side of the wounded all over and bruised beast it calmed itself. The Princesses stokes across it's fur causing the animal hybrid to realize there was no danger here.

"There, there...It's going to be alright. Sorry about that, he's just very overprotective of me since I saved him back in the zoo after he tried to attack and eat me...It's a long story."

Isis smiled as she bent over while still stroking the Armadillo-Lion and got a closer look at the Pygmy Puma. Even though it was trying to look rather vicious at the moment she still thought it was a cute creature.

"Aww I always wanted to keep one of these, but my father absolutely forbid me from having strays. He wanted to keep the tradition of having Bears in the family. What's it's name?"

The Princess rolled her eyes as she spoke of Bears; she didn't see the attraction to teaching a Bear to juggle to be honest. They weren't very amusing animals and when tamed they were just lazy, especially when pampered like humans.

However, at the moment Kai was busy trying to fend off their attacks on his own. The men swarming all around him, luckily, as an Airbender who was also experienced in combat Kai was extremely aloof and whimsical in his movements. He could avoid blows effortlessly and counter nearly just as well and quick. One of the men placed him in a bear hug like grip from behind, while the other charged in with a right hand with his gloved palm. Kai knowing he had to act fast took a quick deep breath and blew into the ground. The unusual control of the air that filled his lungs propelled him and his momentary captor back into the trunk of a tree where the man had his own wind knocked out of him and released his grip. Just in time to, for just then his ally, who had missed the first shot he went for also ran forward going for a spinning back kick. However, as soon as Kai saw that he could get free he slipped out of the man's grasp behind him causing the Dai Li agent to kick his own partner in the face; thus knocking him over. Then as he turned around he took Kai Li's staff to his gut causing him to bend over and then as he twirled it upward the handle of the staff jarred into his jaw like a hard uppercut; temporarily taking him out as well.

Then as he turned he saw other agents of the Dai Li sending two stones at Kyte who was in the middle of battle and jumped forward, spin kicking a gust of wind into the rocks and making the one nearest Kai veer off course and run into the other. Breaking both rocks in mid air before they reached their intended target. As Kai landed afterward he gave a subtle nod to Kyte thinking that they could definitely hold these guys off as long as they stayed on top of their game like this.

Although, these thoughts of victory might've come to soon. For up in the sky, suddenly a very large boulder could be seen rising up towards the canopys. The uninjured 3 agents of the Dai Li, plus 2 who had been hurt, but recovered were combing their Earthbending to raise up a large boulder. Then break it apart into multiple dagger like pieces and send them all rocketing towards both Kyte and Kai from above. Almost like a hail fire of arrows, but much more sturdy, yet still as sharp.

"Quick, I will feed your flame so that it becomes stronger!"

Fire against earth is always a losing battle, unless of course the fire is hot enough to melt or incinerate the dirt. For that the fire needs fuel or food and since flames needed oxygen to breathe Kai could provide that. They would have to work fast because as it was right now those incoming shards would pierce right through any wind barrier, tear right through the trees that they could use for cover, and any regular flames shot or used to protect would just set them ablaze making them even more lethal.