Book 1: Chapter 5
Mysterious Emerald

We have just relaxed near a shore as I was teaching Katara some of my basic waterbending tricks. She seems to have more confidence and control in it now. Afterwards, Fortus speculated a strange jewel... Some sort of emerald worth hundreds of gold pieces! We kept it for now, hoping we would miraculously find the person whom had stolen it.

We walked down the trail for another hour while I was carrying Katara on my shoulders. Fortus looked like that he was going to collapse at any moment. Suddenly, I saw many structures up ahead.

"Look!" I said excitingly "A village! Finally we can rest!"

"Nonetheless, eat a lot!" said Fortus as he watered his mouth, almost drooling on what kinds of foods they have.

We both ran toward the village while Katara seemed to like the "ride" I was giving her. The smiled and giggled a lot. It was very nice to see such a girl be so happy after a banishment and a mother's death.

We finally got to the town enterance. It seemed somewhat crowded but it's just like an ordinary village with decent people.

"Okay I'm going to go to the market!" said Fortus as he dashed rapidly across the town. I gave a weird look at him thinking he was a little over-obsessed with food. He looked at the many fruits and vegetables they had.

"Man that Fortus..." I sighed. Katara giggled again. "Come on Katara, let's go look around here." I then shouted to Fortus "Hey you better meet at the inn pretty soon, you hear?"

He munched on the food as the merchant gave a strange look at Fortus, seeming he was eating like a pig. With his mouth stuffed, he said "Yeah sure."

"Hey you need to pay for those you know!" said the merchant.

"Hey I'm eating now! I'll pay later." retorted Fortus.

Katara and I walked around the town, investigating it a little. Then I saw some old witch-like woman, perhaps at the old of seventy... Maybe eighty? She seemed like a fortune-teller since there was a crystal ball in front of her. I walked toward her.

"Excuse me, but can you tell me about this town a little?" I asked the lady "Perhaps where everything is and such?" She glared at me strangely, as her giant nose pointed at my face.

She made a manatical laugh that I haven't heard in my life at all. Katara was a little frightened. I patted her on the back trying to calm her down.

"Excuse me... but is something funny?" I asked again.

"Why... Why should I tell you about this town when I can tell you your future?" she said exotically. "Come on, it won't hurt! It's only one copper piece."

"Well I don't really believe in fortunes..." I said as I reached in my pocket for the fee. I gave the copper piece to the lady. She meditated into the crystallized ball and smoke overwhelmed it as she saw my vision in the future.

"Aha!" she said as she spotted something interesting. "It seems that you have the ultra-rare Unagi Emerald!"

"Unagi Emerald...?" I questioned.

"Ah yes. It is an emerald that is very powerful! If it's thrown in the ocean, a giant serpent-like creature is summoned from the jewel, which is the ultimate Unagi."

"Do you see anything of someone that is looking for it that was theirs?" I asked her.

"Hmmm... I don't quite see anything at all... I just see that you are the founder of it. Perhaps my theory is that it came from another planet, like a small rock coming down. Instead of that rock, it was this..." she explained as she looked at the brilliant jewel inside her globe.

"Well I guess we can just take care of it for now. Maybe see if we can sell it anywhere." I said looking at the wondrous jewel again.

We investigates the town a little longer, carrying our remaining pieces of cash in my pocket. We finally saw an inn to stay at for the night.

"Let's see what this place is like, Katara" I said smiling at her. She smiled back as usual. It's almost like she had forgotten what had happened to her, but I know that she will never forget. We went inside and we went in a room that looked like a mansion enterance! An incredible sight, even the best I've seen in many years.

"Can I help you, sir?" asked a man at the main desk.

"Yes I'm just wondering where we could stay." I said "All I have is about twenty copper pieces."

"That's just how much is needed for a decent room. How many people?" he asked.

"Three people." I replied to him.

"Very well. Just go down that hall over there and there should be your room at the second door to your right." replied the man.

"Great, thank you." I said "I will be back later tonight. Here are the twenty copper pieces." I handed the copper pieces in his hand.

"Excellent. Good day to you, sir" he replied as I headed down the door with Katara. I was still wondering about this 'Unagi Emerald' the lady was talking about... Is it threatening?

"Well let's go look for Fortus." I suggested to Katara as she nodded her little head. We went around the town and went by the shops and food stands but he was no where near there. I wonder where he was? I then saw some sort of beach-like area near the other side of town. There were a few poles and someone was throwing something at it, perhaps even slicing it. I went forward towards the area cautiously not knowing what would happen. Miraculously, it was Fortus using the poles as a target practice.

"Hey Fortus!" I shouted to him. He looked at me, smiling. He ran towards Katara and I depositing his sword.

"Hello, Sauku." Fortus said "Have you found somewhere to stay?"

"Yes, we found an in not long ago." I replied. "By the way, how much money do you have on you?"

"Eh... only like five bronze pieces..." Fortus said as he sighed. "I kind of spent it on eating a lot of food." He nervously laughed a little. I gave a small sigh.

"Oh well. Let's go back to the inn. It's getting dark out." I suggested to Fortus and Katara. On the way back, we walked across a small bridge with a small river leading to a large bank of water. It was like we were standing right next to the ocean!

"It's pretty." said Katara smiling.

"It sure is." I concurred. I had never seen such a spectacular sight in a long time, maybe ever since I was a little kid, around Katara's age. Then that changed all of a sudden. The Unagi Emerald was hanging from the cliff of my pocket. Katara whimpered a little, looking very sad. I was thinking that she had missed her mother, thinking that the body of water was some sort of sign that she and her mother had such great times together and made her remember that she is gone for good. I was wrong however...

"Katara, what's wrong?" I asked, a little depressed myself thinking I wouldn't calm her down. I picked her up as I stepped back. But once I did, the Emerald had fallen off of my pocket and being dumped into the river into the large body of water. A few seconds later, the emerald shattered inside and the Unagi's soul had been reincarnated into the body of an evil serpent-like creature with two long whisker-like tentacles on its face. It was almost the face of a chinese dragon.

I had done a terrible thing now... The Unagi was summoned...