YARGH! I'm so sorry for not updating sooner! Hope you can forgive me. TT__TT;;
Avatar : The Sullen Silence
Chapter Three : Frozen
The good old days, that's all he ever talks about.
Uncle Sokka's told us every story, every detail of the perilous journeys he went on. How he took down a whole Fire Nation air fleet, how he became a swords master, how he befriended the Avatar – Yue and I have heard it all. He really gets into it, too. He'll swing his arms around and snarl like a badgermole if he has to.
But no matter how corny they might have seemed, we loved every minute of those stories. Those days were so long ago, and we were so... innocent.
The good old days... I miss them, too.
The scent of the salty ocean air was always a pleasant nostalgia of Sokka's days of youth. The chief of the Southern Water Tribe smiled as he stood at the bow of the boat, the wind embracing his rugged beard. He was no longer the boastful teenager that constantly craved for adventure all those years ago; rather, he had evolved into a dignified adult with an acute sense of leadership. After all, he was responsible for his entire tribe as he held the position of chieftain, the most esteemed title in the South Pole.
Perspiration trickled from the back of his neck, and an unparalleled anticipation eagerly ate away at him. The annual adventure to the fishing grounds was always a unique voyage each year; no two trips were ever the same. A cool splash of mist arose onto the deck and greeted Sokka in the face. The whiff of arctic air he inhaled was unlike any other.
On the opposite side of the ship, Raiden's mind escaped into his innermost train of thoughts. The images playing inside of his brain were blank, but the emotions, all of the sensations, were vivid. Almost impulsively, he began to trace circles in the wood using his index finger; the feeling of the lumber against his skin was almost disregarded by his mind.
Turning to his nephew, Sokka sported a perplexed expression while his eyes were set upon the teenager. He raised a brow in question, and snapping him out his mild trance, he inquired, clearing his throat, "Raiden? What's up with you? Are you alright?"
His attention returning back to reality for the briefest of seconds, the young man's gaze darted about the area, and with pursed lips, he merely responded, "What?"
His eyes falling to his uncle, Raiden's shoulders slinked back into the hunched position he favored. His expression was blank. "Oh," he mumbled, his attention lost again. "Yeah, I'm fine."
Crossing his arms and sauntering to him, the man grunted; he nudged the boy in the arm upon approaching him. "You seem kinda distant, Rai," the chief continued, knocking the waterbender to his senses once more. "Thinking of something?"
"Not really," he murmured, chewing at his bottom lip. The teenager huffed out a sigh as he hung his head. "Just... drifting in thought, I guess." His vision concentrated deeply on the navy waves bashing the side of the ship.
"Heh, and here you had me worried," Sokka retorted with a hearty chuckle, wiping his nose with his fist. Slightly leaning against the rim like his nephew, he smiled broadly, offering a gentle expression. His cerulean eyes were visibly content. "We're close to the grounds, hang tight for a bit."
"Right," the young man replied, his voice full of looming hesitation. Raiden shot a glance to his uncle as he proceeded to the upper deck to further observe the action onboard.
The group aboard, also consisting of Hakoda and Bato, were ridden with adrenaline and tension unlike their youngest member, who had, naturally, plunged into his vibrant meditation. With his fallen eyes heavily focused on the churning waves, thought consumed him once more. His memory failed to recollect any other noteworthy events, and each of his senses seemed to blare out reality.
Suddenly, like a rushing tide of water, a chill guzzled the young man's entire body, and he shuddered and shivered as he wrapped his arms against his chest. His breath quivered, and as his lungs heaved while drawing air, a voice, soft in sound and tone, called out to him. Frantic, his blue eyes bolted in every direction, but to no avail, he could not find the source of the elusive whisper.
Seizing a sharp gasp of air, Raiden's posture stiffened, and the very hair on the back of his neck stood on end. The faint whisper on the wind spoke his name once more; this time, the waves that so violently battered against the boat seemed to abruptly cease. Warily leaning over the edge, his uncontrollably hammering chest was hushed by the silence that gripped his ears. He peered intensely into the deep blue beneath him, and with a wide stare, he questioned his vision as his reflection was not present. Instead, a man of most peculiar nature gazed fiercely in return.
Slowly, everything began to fade.
His sanity tumbled out of orbit, and all that he previously knew was insignificant. He took but a single breath as he stood upon the rim of the boat, hobbling in the process, and shutting his eyes, Raiden allowed gravity to do its work while his body plunged into the icy waters. Fully submerged, he drifted down to the inner depths of the sea, and time as he knew it came to a screeching halt.
The evidence of his dive was clear as water above the surface emitted a loud splash, drawing the chief to the side of the boat. His heart pounding, the realization of the moment caused Sokka immediate distress.
"Raiden! Raiden!" he shouted, hunching over the edge. "Dad, Bato! Take the helm, hurry!"
Hakoda of the Water Tribe took to the mast as Bato quickly strode to the wooden ship's wheel, and swiftly thrusting it to the right, the vessel slowly executed a sharp turn in the direction of the fallen teenager. Taking no consideration for his own life, Sokka plummeted headfirst into the arctic deep.
The brutal water that greeted the chief's body was a ruthless chill; his face winced in discomfort. Sinking toward the ocean's bottom, Sokka's eyes caught a hold of an unconscious Raiden, and paddling his numb arms, the man dove further into the icy abyss. His lungs became taut as he immersed himself further into the sea's darkening void.
For what seemed like an extensive eternity, the chief mustered enough of his depleted strength to reach out to grab his nephew by the wrist; his distressed mind managed to settle only slightly. Clinging the boy's lifeless body against his own, the man began his trek to the surface once again, and this time, the task became twice as labored with the added weight. Struggling to emerge from the depths, a sharp pain seized his limbs, and now with a desperate urge, the need to draw air was vital.
Finally, the scent of the salty air was wafted into Sokka's nostrils as he snatched a gasp of air. His lungs hacked and heaved while gripping tightly to Raiden; almost immediately, the two elder men on board hoisted the teenager upon the deck, his uncle following suit as Hakoda pulled his son aboard. The man, saturated from his dive, wheezed a rasping cough, and managing to pull himself up, he feebly inched toward his nephew, still unconscious from his fall. The three adults crowded around his body.
"What happened?" Bato questioned with a baffled appearance. Kneeling down upon the wooden deck, his glove was removed so that his hand reached forth to feel the teenager's moist face.
"I-I don't know," the leader retorted, his voice was distraught. Beneath his wet, burly parka, Sokka's body shuddered, for the harsh temperature of the icy waters still caused him to shake. "He must have fallen in."
A stern breath escaped Hakoda's thin lips, and looking to his eldest child, he cautioned, gravely, "He's out cold. Sokka, we should take him back to the village. For all we know, he might be ill."
"You're right," the chief complied with a nod, clutching his nephew to his body as he stared upon the teenage boy in his arms. "Bato, course us back in the opposite direction. We have to hurry."
End of Chapter