Chapter 77: Heading North?

"I don't think we're going north." Katara said, peering down at her maps and star charts with a confused look on her face.

Aang stood before the sails with a sullen expression, Airbending them forward.

Zuko patted Toph's arm and redirected her hands to a solid piece of wood to cling onto, before he crawled across the speeding sailer towards Katara. He glanced at the charts and at the compass. He tapped on it with a fingernail and it span around before resettling in the same direction.

He shook his head. "I think you're right."

In a dreamy voice Sokka said, "Relax. You guys worry too much. I'm sure the sand folks who built this baby know how to get around here."

Katara and Zuko exchanged eye contact but said nothing in response. Katara shook her head, huffing out an annoyed sigh.

She glanced up and then frowned. She pointed and said, "That's what the compass is pointing to! That giant rock! It must be the magnetic centre of the desert."

Zuko looked where she was pointing. "Yeah, you're right. It's been throwing us off-course."

Toph's ears had pricked up. "A rock? As in a solid rock and not this stupid sand? YES! Let's go!"

Zuko smiled slightly at her excitement. He saw a similar expression on Katara's.

Katara said, "Maybe we can find some water there."

They all heard Aang mutter, "Maybe we'll find some Sandbenders."

Zuko resisted the urge to call the boy out on his sudden prejudice against every Desert-dwelling person; Aang was in pain, grieving, and missing the only connection he had to his home and his people. Zuko shook his head instead; the people he'd encountered in the last day or two were not the same as the Sandbenders he'd met. They'd proven themselves honourable and compassionate, while the ones who'd taken Appa were devoid of both.

He turned his attention back to the approaching rock.


As soon as the sand-sailer came to a halt, Toph was off of it and rushing towards the rock like it was an old, dearly-missed friend.

She jumped and clung on to it. "Ahh… Finally! Solid ground. Earth, my love, I missed you."

Toph let herself drop to the ground, revelling in being fully connected to her element once more.

Katara walked over and began examining the expanse of rock. She squinted.

"Guys, I think there's a cave down here."

They followed her and found that she was right. They enter and find that the rock walls are coated in something sticky and yellow. Katara and Zuko both eye it with distaste.

Something niggled in the back of Zuko's mind, something about it was familiar…

Sokka breathed deeply. He said, "You know, I think my head is starting to clear out the cactus juice."

Katara sighed and muttered, "About time."

Sokka continued, "And look!"

He pointed at the yellow goo before dipping his hand in and tasting it.

Katara exploded, "You've been hallucinating on cactus juice for over a day and then you just lick something off a cave wall!? Are you insane?"

Sokka gagged at the taste of the goo. "Ugh! Tastes like rotten penguin meat! And hey! I just have a natural curiosity."

Zuko shook his head. "I've known toddlers less inclined to put things in their mouths."

Sokka scowled at him as Toph barked a laugh.

The Earthbender then tilted her head to the side and frowned. "I don't think this is a natural cave. I think it was carved by something."

Aang nodded in agreement. "Yeah… look at the shape of it."

Toph dug her foot into the ground, extending her senses. "There's something… buzzing? There's something buzzing in here."

Her frown deepened and then her eyes widened. "There's something coming for us!"

Taking Toph at her word, they race out of the cave.

As they exit the cave mouth they turn in time to see the first buzzard wasp exit after them.

Toph and Aang scream in unison and the Avatar drags Toph down to avoid it.

More buzzard wasps emerge, following the first. They emerge from holes all over the giant rock, a huge swarm of buzzard wasps all emitting an angry drone.

A particularly enraged buzzard wasp swooped down towards the group and Aang blew it back with his Airbending, sending it spinning across the sky before it righted itself.

Toph began launching rocks into the air; rocks that would then plummet back to earth.

Zuko shouted, "Toph! Stop Earthbending! You'll kill us faster than the wasps!"

She screamed back, "Well, I can't see them!"

Sokka yelled, "I got this one!"

The others turned to see him swiping at thin air with his machete.

"Sokka!" Katara shouted. "There's nothing there!"

He looked around and then shook his head, lowering his machete. "Guess my head isn't as clear as I thought!"

Katara said, "We need to get out of here! I'm out of water!"

One of the buzzard wasps swooped down and snatched up Momo.

Aang glared at the creature and shot after it on his glider. "I'm not losing anyone else out here!"

Katara made her way over to Toph. She grabbed the Earthbender's shoulders and shouted, "Toph! I'm going to aim and you're going to shoot!"

Toph nodded and Katara span her around. "NOW!"

Toph thrust her fist upward and a rock knocked one of the creatures out of the sky.

Sokka yelled, "Yeah! You got it! She got it, right?"

Zuko shouted, "Yes! Now let's move!"

They began trying to move away from the rock and the circling buzzard wasps. Katara and Toph were acting in sync; the Waterbender aiming and the Earthbender firing.

Zuko sent an arc of fire up into the sky, sending the buzzard wasps reeling. Katara looked over and frowned when she saw blood leaking from the Firebender's nose.

He swept the blood away and punched a fireball straight up.

As Zuko was about to send another blast into the sky, great pillars of sand rose up into the air and sent the buzzard wasps reeling and scattering. The pillars continued to rise and fall and rise again until the creatures had fled.

Aang landed beside the group with Momo tucked inside his robes.

They looked over and Aang saw red.