In the middle of the desert, a small town sat, where not many people seemed to live. It was a town in the Earth Kingdom, but it was still rather small. On the outskirts of town, a young man with a scar over his left eye was riding into town. He looked pale and sickly, and he was hungry enough to eat a skunk-bear. His name was Zuko. 3 years ago, he was banished from the Fire Nation, his home, for reasons that still made him sick to his stomache.
He entered into the town, and saw a vendor selling food on the side of the road. His stomache growled loudly, and ached for a warm meal. He rode to the vendor, and stepped off of his bird ride. He approached the vendor, and set one silver piece on the countertop. "Two bags of feed and a hot meal." The vendor took the coin. "It ain't enough for a hot meal. But I gots two bags of bird feed for ya." His stomache growled in hunger and pain. The man entered into his shop to get the feed.
Zuko heard an angered voice behind him. "Hey, you think it's funny to throw eggs at us?" He didn't respond. He wasn't in the mood to fight anyone. In fact, he didn't think he had the energy. The vendor brought out the bags of feed. Zuko went to grab it, but the men shoved him out of the way and took them. "Hey, thanks, kid. This'll help out our birds!" They strutted off, laughing cruelly.
Zuko watched them walk off, anger boiling in his gut. But, he let them go. He leapt onto his bird, and continued going through the town.
His stomache growled loudly, and his eyelids started to droop. He didn't think he had the energy to make it out of the town. He clutched his gut, and his grip on the reins loosened. His eyelids fell closed, and he fell back off his bird. It squawked out, and the last thing Zuko remembers before he passed out is somebody catching him.
Zuko awoke with a gasp. He was laying on a soft couch, and the scent of tomatoes and beef filled his nose. "Oh, you've finally awoken, Prince Zuko." His head turned to the voice. Standing by a small lit stove was a young woman. She had waist length jet black hair with a navy blue tint to it. Her skin was pale, as far as he could see. When she turned to him, he saw that her eyes were a vivid green color. She was wearing a long sleeved dark green shirt and white baggy slacks. She wore simple wood sandals.
She smiled at him before turning back to the stove. "My name is Sereba. I saw you fall off your bird, and sensed intense exhausting and hunger, along with a few other things." He raised his eyebrow, and looked around. "Um, where am I?" She glanced at him over her shoulder, and ladled something into a wooden bowl. "This is my home." She walked over to the couch, and set the wooden bowl along with a spoon on the table beside it. "Eat up." She went into the kitchen.
He glanced at the food, and sat up straight. The scent of tomatoes, beef, and a few seasonings took up the air. Without hesitation, he took the bowl and spoon, and ate the food hungrily. After a few moments of hurried eating, the bowl was totally empty. "Thank you," he said gratefully. She walked back into the living room with a bowl in her hand, and nodded. "Don't mention it."
A clock rang on the wall, and she looked over at it. "God damn it, I'm gonna be late for work." She set the bowl down on the table, and ran into a room in the hall. A few moments later, she came out, wearing the same clothes as before. She approached Zuko. "Well, Prince. Feel free to stop by my work place for a performance. On the house." She set down a tickey on the table, and walked to the door. "Don't break anything, please." She walked out of the door.
Zuko watched her walk off in confusion. She...she knew who he was. And yet...she wasn't scared. Or angry. She genuinely respected me, Zuko thought in confusion. He glanced at the ticket. Nothing else to do, might as well go to this place. He took the ticket, and left the house.