The Mysterious Traveler
This is a filler chapter, through and through. I wanted get some time with the characters and doing some things that the show liked to do. Also, not very much Severus in this.
I am taking inspiration from a ton of mystery novels, movies, and tv shows. More specifically, I am taking some inspiration from the most recent 'Knives Out' movie and also the 2016 mini-series "The People v OJ Simpson", though that last one isn't much of a mystery I am drawing inspiration regardless.
I planned out the main story of the murder and who is behind it, including their reasons for having committed the murder, so I am leaving it up to you guys to be on the lookout and to run wild with your imaginations.
Enjoy Chapter 33!
Chapter Thirty-Three:
The Investigation
A large crowd gathered around the body of a young girl, Severus and Aang making their way through and finding themselves in front with a view of the blood-forming around the girl's head. The two looked on in horror, though Severus quickly recovered himself. Everyone was whispering to each other as Sokka, Katara, Renee, Kiri and Kori appeared, though Kori led her daughter away, just as Chief Arnook, Pakku and Yue appeared, with guards moving the crowd away and making a perimeter around the body.
Yue covered her mouth, tears quickly filling her eyes as she turned away, one of her handmaidens quickly rushing up to comfort her.
"Get everyone back!" Pakku ordered.
"You heard the man!" Arnook shouted to his men.
Everyone was backed away, allowing for the rest of the scene to be undisturbed.
"Round up everyone!" Arnook declared, turning to the crowd. "Everyone who is here will be interrogated and held within the temple! Cooperate and we will release you if determined you are cleared!"
He nodded to his men, who began to line everyone up and lead them into the temple, putting them into the great hall, guards posted at every entrance as each one was called to be interrogated.
Severus, Aang, Sokka, Katara, Renee, Kiri and Korra grouped up together.
"What happened?" Katara asked.
Aang shrugged, not once glancing at her.
"We heard someone screaming," Severus explained. "We arrived to find her, same as you."
"So… you guys were the closest…"
Severus raised an eyebrow, "Your choice of words is a little concerning."
Katara's eyes widened, "No! I just mean that you guys were probably the closest to the murderer who did this. Did you… see anyone?"
He shook his head, "No."
"How does someone just end up dead? At the royal palace?!" Sokka declared. "Whoever it was had to be skilled and good at stealth!"
Katara rolled her eyes, "Sokka, it's obvious that the person ran the opposite direction of where everyone came. Plus, from where the tracks were-"
"It had to have been a waterbender!" Sokka's eyes widened, remembering where he saw the shoeprints.
Renee rubbed her chin, deep in thought, "No wounds around her neck or head, so it had to have been caused by the inside."
"How do you know?" Severus asked, suspicious and curious.
"Because I've studied the human body. When wounds are made, you can tell if they were external or internal. She had no wounds on the outside, otherwise there would have been a lot more blood. This had to be the work of a waterbender."
"How would that cause the bleeding?" Kori asked, covering her resisting daughter's ears.
"That… I don't know. I think the blood maybe from internal bleeding, it's the only logical explanation."
"Alright, please be patient and come forward when called upon!" an official cried out, clearly the man in charge of the investigation.
Everyone turned to him as he called forward the first person, including other investigators who did the same with some others.
It took hours before it was their turn, and even then it took about an hour before they were cleared and allowed to return to their room. By the time midnight rolled around, they were all reunited back in their room.
"Well, that was excruciating!" Katara fell onto her sleeping mat, covering her eyes from the burning candle.
"At least by morning they'll have the list narrowed down," Kori tried to reassure them.
"The list may not be as short as you may think," Renee explained. "It's a simple case, at least from where I am standing. If I had to bet, most likely one made from desperation."
"What makes you say that?" Sokka asked.
Kiri snored, sound asleep from the stressful day.
"I could be wrong but from how fast it was, this wasn't planned. Whoever killed her, did so after she screamed, we all heard that."
"What if he was planning to kill her but she saw him sneaking up?" Aang asked.
"If that was the case, then that means it was a serial killer. And that doesn't make sense because there haven't been any other killings like this before."
"And how do you know this?" Katara asked.
"Because the interrogator never spoke of any killings and neither have the rumors people have been talking about in the great hall. No, this was done without being planned. She must have seen something or maybe upset the person so much that they would result to murder."
Severus shook his head, "It doesn't matter. This does not involve us. Let the investigators do their job and-"
A knock came from the door, turning their heads at the same time. A moment passed until another knock came.
"Uh, is someone is going to answer that?" Aang asked.
Severus sighed and walked forward, opening the door to find Princess Yue, two of her handmaidens, and two bodyguards outside.
"Oh-" her cheeks lit up. "Sorry to intrude, but I was hoping to speak to all of you for a moment."
Katara stood up, smiling as she and others bowed, except for Severus, "Of course, your majesty."
Yue bowed in return and turned to her handmaidens, "Wait here. I won't be long."
"But… milady-" one of the guards protested.
"I know what my father said," her voice became firm and demanding. "They will not harm me. The Avatar and the Traveler are here. It's about as safe as anywhere can be."
A moment of pause passed until the guard bowed, "As you wish."
"Just call if you need us," said the other side.
Yue nodded as she entered, with Severus shutting the door.
"What can we do for you, your majesty?" Aang bowed again.
She put up her hand, "No need, Avatar. Just call me Yue."
"Very well, what at brings you here, Yue?"
Even though her hands were hidden away in her heavy robes, as if she was folding them together, Severus knew she was fumbling with her fingers, noticing the color of her cheeks rising.
"I… I'm…" she sighed. "They won't reveal this to anyone but… I knew her."
Everyone looked at each other.
"You mean… the girl… who…?" Kori could not finish.
Yue nodded, "She was one of my handmaidens, engaged to be married to a noble soon, so she was pretty much no longer going to be a lady-in-waiting anymore. I knew her well."
Severus sighed, "You wish for us to investigate her death."
She looked down, "I…um…"
"Alex!" Katara glared at him. "Be nice!"
"No, he isn't wrong. He is right to be calling me out on asking you all to do this… but… I don't think that the people in charge will do this correctly."
"What makes you say that?" Aang asked.
She looked away, ashamed, "We may be a large society but not as big as you may think. Crime here is… small. Murder does not happen as much as other cities. So, this is something that my people are not used to. They will search for the killer and the public will demand an execution once they are found… but I fear they may go after the wrong person."
"Why?" Renee's eyes were filled with curiosity.
Once again, she was struggling to answer, "Because… she was in love with someone else. Someone who was not of noble birth. And the last time she spoke to me… she said that she was going to marry him once her sixteenth birthday arrived."
Severus closed his eyes, 'Of course it's a star-crossed, tragic lovers' murder!'
"You expect that the betrothed may have killed her?" Katara asked.
Renee's eyes lit up, "It does make sense. If she were going to leave him for another man, jealousy could have motivated him to kill her without thinking things through. It makes perfect sense."
"Why not just tell your father?" Severus asked, hoping to end this. "If this is indeed the case, then they'll have no trouble figuring out it was him."
She closed her eyes, insecure about how to respond, "Because… her betrothal… well, his father is the leading investigator and someone my father doesn't want to upset."
Severus shook his head, "And if he was the murderer then there's a chance that the father may cover it up."
"Are we sure that this guy is the right guy?" Sokka rubbed his chin, deep in thought. "Can he give an alibi?"
"He hasn't been investigated yet."
"What about this guy she was in love with? Can he give an alibi?" he pressed.
Her eyes lit up, "Does… does this mean that you'll look into it?"
Everyone looked at each other and Severus groaned, knowing what the answer was.
"Yes!" Katara declared, rushing towards Yue, taking her hands. "We'll look into it without interfering and tell you everything we know."
"But we can't promise anything," Renee warned.
"I understand," Yue smiled. "The man she was in love with is was Yao, a fisherman. And as far as I know, he does not have an alibi yet, but I can't see him doing such a thing."
"What about her family?" Sokka took a piece of paper and a brush of ink, beginning to write.
"Her family lives not far from here. My father personally went to go inform them of the news."
"We'll come back to you once we've investigated enough," Renee vowed.
"Thank you!" she bowed, everyone else doing the same, except for Severus. Yue turned to him and bowed, "Goodnight."
His face lit up, making him turn away, "Uh… you too…"
Yue smiled as Katara opened the door for her. Once she was gone, Katara closed it and raised an eyebrow at him. He ignored her as he walked to his sleeping mat.
"So, are you going to help us?" Katara asked.
"No!"
"Why not?"
"Because it does not concern me!"
"Don't think of it as being our concern, think of it as a fun side-quest," said Sokka.
"We can definitely use something to take our minds off of the coming invasion," added Renee.
"Doesn't have to include me!" he laid down and pulled the covers over him.
Katara mischievously smiled, "If you do help us, it'll make the Princess very happy."
"And why should I care?"
"Ugh!" her smile turned to frustration. "You are super hard to encourage! Do you know that?!"
"Is that what you call it?"
She turned away and went back to her sleeping mat, "Well, we're going to do it! With or without you!"
Aang shook his head, "Let's get some sleep. Tomorrow is going to be a busy day."
"Definitely!" Sokka declared. "We gotta get our plans to the Chief for the invasion, solve a murder, which I am totally betting that the butler did it. Oh, and take Appa out for a ride."
Aang looked at him, "Why would you want to take Appa out for a ride?"
"Hey, just because flying maybe his priority doesn't mean that doesn't like fun, no destination in mind rides. It's like taking a pet for a walk."
The monk raised an eyebrow before shrugging as everyone went straight to sleep on their mats.
The next morning, Severus avoided being part of the investigation, insisting that he continued his training with Kiri, which bummed out the rest of the gang.
"Well, if he doesn't want to win points with the Princess, then that's his loss!" Katara declared.
Sokka and Aang raised their eyebrows at her.
"Why would he want to do that?" Aang asked.
Katara sighed, smiling, "Boys are so naïve."
"Ain't that the truth!" Renee declared.
"Hey!" Sokka glared at them.
"My brother has yet to realize the crush this one girl has on him," she continued.
"Does she have a thing for wheelchair boys?" Katara teased.
"Nah, just his free-spirit."
"Gotta admit it is inspiring to see someone with a disability to find freedom in the unlikeliest of places."
"Who are we going to go see again?" Aang asked.
"Jin and Kiy!" Sokka declared. "The father and mother of the murdered victim!"
"Why are you talking like that?" Katara raised an eyebrow at him.
"Because I'm going into detective mode," he waved his hands around, grabbing a small smoking pipe and putting into his mouth, along with a terribly made magnifying monocle and a hat, putting them on as he continued to wave his arms around. "And I'm on the case for a possible murderer!"
Katara and Aang rolled their eyes while Renee covered her mouth, trying to conceal her laughter.
"Sokka, we saw the body. It was most definitely the work of a killer."
"That it definitely was!" he put his leg on top of a block of ice that acted as a rail down some stairs, pointing forward. "Now, onward my faithful servants! Let us solve this mystery and preserve justice for all!"
The two walked right past him, heading down the stairs as he remained there for a while longer until he rushing to catch up.
They arrived at the apartment building, or rather a large complex that served as an apartment.
"Jeez!" Katara looked up at the luxurious building. "No wonder this family won the favor of a noble. They're pretty much are nobles."
"Jin leads the biggest supplier of food for Tribe," Renee explained. "He partnered with the father of Yue's betrothed to help run the business."
"Before we go in, what about the mother?" Katara asked.
Sokka got in between them, pushing them apart, "Kiy, born forty-five years ago, immediately married Jin at the age of sixteen, had their daughter prematurely. Pretty much a stay-at-home mother and wife."
"Sokka, all the women here are-"
"Shhh!" he pressed his fingers against her lips, making her glare. "Don't interrupt the master!"
Renee and Aang chuckled.
"As I was saying," he turned away, while Katara rubbed her lips and continued to glare at him. "Family is about as normal as they come. As for the betrothed, Yue gladly provided us with the information that Taruaka was the victim's intended husband and quite possibly her killer. Did he do so out of jealousy because she planned to leave him? Or is there someone else behind this?"
Renee smiled and rolled her eyes, as did Katara. The two took him by the arms and dragged him to the front door, knocking.
After a few moments, a man answered.
The four were caught off guard by how depressed and tired he looked. It was clear he did not get enough sleep. He clearly knew why they were there.
"I've already talked to the investigators. Please, leave me-"
"Wait, please hear us out!" Aang cried out.
"I've already told you-" he was about to close the door.
"We think we know who killed your daughter!" Renee yelled.
He immediately stopped and slowly opened it back up.
"What?" he asked, something in his eyes lighting up. Hope? Relief? Curiosity? They could not tell.
The four looked at each other.
"Princess Yue spoke of your daughter wanting to end her engagement to Taruaka and marrying a young man named Yao. If that is the case, then it's most likely Taruaka is the one… who…"
Jin stared at them before nodding, opening the door wide open, "Taruaka, you say?"
"Yes!" said Aang.
"If what Yue says is true, then its most likely that he killed her out of jealousy," Renee explained.
Jin shook his head, "I find that hard to believe. Taruaka is a good man. I wouldn't have chosen him for that girl if he weren't."
They shared another look before continuing.
"Princess Yue said that Kenna wished to break off her engagement to Taruaka and marry Yao instead. It was the last time they spoke before the murder."
Jin frowned, "That's not what she told us."
The four looked at him, dumbfounded.
"Us?" Sokka asked.
He nodded, "My wife and I talked with her and we had an argument over her plans to marry Yao. The boy is a good lad, I will give him that. But I will not have her marrying someone who cannot support a family. I hear stories of families who barely have enough to survive, especially those of fathers who waste their money on drinks and women."
Things were getting uncomfortable for them.
"What happened… the last time you and your wife spoke to her?" Katara leaned forward.
Jin shook his head, "She fought… hard to change our minds, but we forbid her from marrying him. She cried and ran off, disappeared for an entire day. You say that the Princess claims she was going to marry Yao?"
They nodded.
"That wasn't what she told us."
They frowned at this.
"She said that she would do it. That she would marry Taruaka and break things off with Yao."
"But… the Princess-" Katara stumbled in her words.
"Maybe Kenna lied to her or maybe the Princess didn't hear what she thought she heard. All I know is that Kenna would never deceive us like this."
Renee's head popped up, "Is your wife home?
Fear and pain covered Jin's face, "Yes, but... she's resting. Her illness has gotten worse after learning what had happened."
"Illness?"
"Yes," he nodded. "Came down with something a little while back."
"Has Yagoka been helping her heal?" Katara asked, hoping that she was around.
He nodded, "She makes the usual visits, but she isn't here now."
Her excitement faded.
The four shared a look and unspokenly decided to take their leave.
"Thank you for your time," Sokka bowed.
"Yes, thank you so much for your help," Renee offered a sad smile.
He nodded back as he closed the door.
"Well, this complicates things," said Sokka.
"Not really," Renee disagreed.
"What do you mean?" asked Aang.
"I think that Kenna lied to them, probably meant to marry Yao the moment she turned sixteen. How else could she put her family's concerns to rest? Taruaka has to be the killer."
"We haven't even spoken to him yet," Sokka raised his arms. "What if she did break things off with Yao and he reacted badly? That's a possibility we never considered."
"What about Princess Yue? What reason does she have to lie? This was someone she cared about. Lying that she was going to choose Yao would be protecting him if he was the killer."
"Then maybe she made it up to get us involved because she is going through the stage of grief and needs someone to blame."
"That's not how she was acting, Sokka!" Katara shook her head. "I think Kenna and Yao may have been planning to deny this society's stupid rules and marry."
"What makes you say that?" Sokka narrowed his eyes at her.
She looked away, "Just… a feeling."
Sokka stared at her for a moment before shrugging, "Regardless, we should speak with Yao first before Taruaka."
Renee sighed, "So, where does he live anyway?"
"Excuse me," a voice cried out.
The four turned around to find a middle-aged woman looking outside her doorway, smiling.
"I apologize, but I couldn't help but overhear your conversation with the poor man. Are you investigating that girl who was murdered?"
They nodded.
"We are," said Sokka.
"I tried informing the investigators but they didn't seem to take me seriously, but since you are investigating the girl's death, will it be alright if I talked with you about what I know?"
Aang smiled and bowed, "We would very much appreciate it."
"Please, come in," she opened her door wider.
Once they entered, she took them to the living room, offering snacks, which only Sokka accepted.
"We're ready when you are… Miss?" Renee asked.
"Oh, I'm Maya," she sat down. "I don't mean to gossip but after hearing about poor Kenna, I knew that I had to speak up."
"We're thankful for your cooperation," said Katara.
Maya smiled and began, "It happened one month ago, I was cleaning and I happened to hear the family arguing."
"What did they argue about?" Sokka asked his mouth nearly full.
"Sokka!" Katara slapped his hand, knocking the food back onto the plate. "Don't talk with your mouth full!"
"No, it's okay, dear," Maya laughed. "Sadly, I couldn't hear, but it was almost a shouting match between Kenna and her father."
"What about Kiy?" Renee asked.
"I only heard her and seemed to be trying to calm them down. She's always been the neutral one in the family. After the fight, Kenna came to me."
"Why you?"
Maya smiled, "I was her… safe haven, if you will. Jin is a complicated man, hot-tempered and very demanding to get his way. It felt nice to know that I could offer her a place to escape to."
"What did you talk about?"
"Well, I listened while Kenna did the talking. She unleashed her frustrations and stress, wishing how things could be different so that she could marry Yao instead. She told me that her father refused to break off the marriage and forbad her to marrying Yao. She ended up spending the night to clear her mind."
They waited for her to continue but she surprisingly stopped, as if she were holding back.
"After that," she resumed. "things went back to normal. She returned to her parents the next day and made amends with them, promising to marry Taruaka. But I don't think she was going to…"
"What makes you think so?" Renee asked.
"It's… a matter of instinct. I think she had a plan, a plan to marry Yao first and escape this life."
"As in, leave her family and friends?" Katara asked, thoughts of Gran-Gran entering her mind.
She nodded, "I think so. It's not unheard of."
"What about last night or any time of the day leading up to the murder?" Sokka asked.
Maya was deep in thought, "I did see her two days ago, she came to visit and thank me for everything I've done to help her, asking me not to worry about her. Then she went home and that was the last I ever saw her."
Everyone was disappointed. While they gained some information, it ultimately did them little good.
"However, before that, I heard arguing from Jin and Kiy."
Their heads popped up.
"When you say arguing, you mean that Kiy was actually yelling?" Katara asked.
Maya nodded, "Two have argued before but she never raised her voice as Jin did. She was usually the one who ended things peacefully. But that day, I heard them yelling and she was angry, just as much as he was. I heard some the words but the walls kept me from hearing exactly what was going on."
She paused, taking a drink of her water.
"It went on for a short while, and then it suddenly stopped. I walked over to check on them and Jin answered the door, his face was red and he was breathing heavily. When I asked if everything was alright, he confirmed my suspicions that he and Kiy got into a loud argument about Kenna."
"Did you see Kiy?" Renee asked.
"No, she had left to the top floor of their home to be alone. Jin said that it was the first time she ever snapped like that. I bet it must have come as quite a shock to him that she possessed such strength to do so. Just seeing his face red with anger nearly made me laugh once I realized what had happened."
Katara and Renee giggled, making Aang and Sokka frown at them.
"Anything else?" asked Katara.
Maya nodded, "There was one last thing."
They all leaned in.
"Later that night, I heard someone leaving the house after midnight. I wondered who it could be and looked out the window, but I only got a glimpse of a shadow in the distance."
"Who do you think it was?" Renee asked.
Maya thought about it, "If I had to guess, I believe it may have been Kenna or Jin."
They knew right away that she had given them everything she had, though this time they were satisfied with the last bit she had given them.
They all rose from their seats.
"Thank you for your time and cooperate," Aang bowed.
"Thank you for listening," Maya smiled. "Allow me to escort you out."
Once Maya saw them out the door and waved goodbye, they began their walk back to the temple.
"Hey, how long do you think it takes to walk from the apartment to the murder scene?" Sokka asked.
"Don't know. Why?" Aang asked.
"Well, if I remember correctly, it took us about eight minutes to walk here. Meaning if someone like Kenna was running for her life, it probably would have taken three to four for her."
"But if what Maya said is true, then Kenna may have walked back to the palace."
The realization came to Renee, "You think she was murdered the night before she was found."
"But, her body was found during the day," said Katara.
"Found," he pointed at his sister. "Doesn't mean the murder happened at the time she was found."
"But how did the body remain where it was for hours without anyone noticing?" Katara shook her head.
"You saw the area where her body was found, it's hidden away from anyone to see. They would have had to walk through that area."
"I'm still not convinced. We need more information to get a better idea."
"Then let's go see this Yao guy and see what he has to say."
They eventually found the address of one, Yao. In the not so luxurious part of the tribe.
"Well, lets see if he is home," Sokka knocked on the door.
They waited for a whole minute before knocking again.
"Maybe he's not home," said Aang after no one answered.
"That's because he isn't," said a man across from them.
They turned to him, watching as he watered his plants.
"Hi, do you know where Yao is?" Katara asked.
The man nodded, "He's been out at sea ever since he was interrogated by the investigators. He wasn't cleared but they made it seem like he was, but I know better. They'll try to pin it on the poor guy."
"Why?" Aang asked.
The man scoffed, frowning, "You kidding me?! Do you think that someone like Taruaka is going to get what he deserves? They'll pin it on Yao, just because of his background."
Sokka coughed, "Do you know when he'll be back?"
The man nodded, "Later tonight. But if you are looking to speak with him, make it fast. He likes to get his rest before starting early in the morning."
They nodded and immediately began walking back to the palace.
"Well… that was uncomfortable," said Aang.
"No kidding," said Sokka.
"But that man wasn't wrong though," said Katara.
They all turned to her.
"Taruaka has to be the killer. It fits."
Sokka thought about her words and his eyes widened, "Fits."
"What?" Aang raised an eyebrow.
"Come on, guys!" he immediately began to run.
They all ran after him.
"Wait, Sokka!" Renee cried out. "Where are you going?"
Severus wiped the sweat off his forehead and chest, taking a drink from his water as Kiri did the same, ending their training so they could go rest and eat.
Before they began walking back, they were met with surprise as Princess Yue, her handmaidens and guards approached them.
"Princess Yue," Severus nodded, while Kiri bowed.
Yue blushed, "Just Yue. Do you know where your friends are?"
"No."
She looked surprised, "I thought you would have been with them."
He shook his head, "I decided not to join them."
She had a look of disappointment and sadness.
"I apologize for trying to get you involved, it would seem that it wasn't necessary."
He raised an eyebrow at her, "What do you mean?"
She looked down, "My father has ordered an arrest-"
Sokka got as close as he could to the crime scene, trying to measure the distance of the shoe prints and where the body once laid, as well as the size of the prints themselves.
"Sokka, what are you doing?!" Katara complained.
"Measuring."
"What?"
He stood up, "What size do you think those shoe prints are?"
Aang raised his arms and sheepishly smiled, "Math was never my strong suit."
"Me neither," added Katara.
Renee stared forward, using her hands to block out anything else and look directly at the shoe prints in the snow.
"If I had to guess, most likely a size ten or eleven, so someone in their adult years."
"Which doesn't help much," said Katara.
"Not if you have a list of people already made," Sokka contemplated.
Suddenly, someone appeared from behind, startling them as they turned to see Princess Yue and Severus right beside her, along with Kiri.
"I've been looking all over for you," Yue said.
"What's the matter?" Aang asked.
Yue fumbled with her fingers, "My father has ordered Taruaka's arrest."
The four looked at each other, surprised by the news.
"What's their evidence?" Sokka asked.
"His alibi of where he was during the murder was false. One of the guards came forward."
They stared at each other again, unsure of what to think or say. Only thoughts and worries of their original beliefs being brought into question and how close to the truth they really were or how far.
I originally meant for this to be one chapter long but it ended up becoming two. Currently working on the final chapter to this subplot, so hopefully, soon I can have it released. But for now, I hope you are enjoying this as we head into the final chapters that will complete my adaptation of Book One in this on-going story.
Thank you guys for reading and I'll see you all in Chapter 34!