DISCLAIMER: I DON'T OWN ANYTHING FROM ATLA
(Gao's journey continues between chapters 2 and 3 of the series).
"THIS IS STUPID!" I shouted as I was paddling "I will never catch up to a ship with a rowing boat."
I was angry that was going to be in the middle of the see without any idea of how far the ship was, running short on food and water, the feeling of hopelessness was beginning to surface.
The water began to move out of nowhere, hopelessness became fear for not wanting to crash with any iceberg, as the current began to flow with speed, I grab myself to the boat and in the distance the Fire Nation ship was getting close, I grabbed the row and started to move the water with all my remaining forces, I thought that I was going to be seen from the bridge but as I got close, the soldiers were attacking something and I wasn't going to find out on the sea.
I left the boat next to the ship as I launched a rope to the anchor and started to climb it, only to keep hearing conflict on deck, ones I reached the side of the deck I was amused by the big bison that was just there waiting for something.
"Katara!" Sokka shouted.
"Hurry up, Sokka!" Katara said on top the bison.
I could see Sokka mutter something to himself, as he used his boomerang to chip the ice that was surrounding his feet. "I'm just a guy, with a boomerang. I didn't ask for all this flying and magic!" He managed to break free and ran up the bison's tail. "Yip-yip! Yip-yip!" Sokka said out loud.
Sokka mounted the bison, who grunted and took flight, flying past the cabin of the ship. An old man emerged on deck with tired eyes but ran to the other anchor to help a young man with a scar on this face.
"Shoot them down!" the scarred man said.
The bison was gaining altitude. But the 2 men synchronized a firebending move and shoot a powerful blast at the bison. Sokka and Katara stare at the incoming attack in horror, while a kid with an arrow on his head leaped from the saddle. He opens the small tail wing of his staff and swinged his glider around, using a powerful swipe of air to redirect the fireball into a nearby cliff side, that was the moment I knew I found the Avatar. The impact causes an avalanche of snow and ice that began to fall. Zuko looked up in horror at the event, raising one arm protectively. The front of the ship becomes buried in a mass of snow and ice, while the bison climbed higher and higher. The trio started to laugh as they escape successfully. The arrow kid waved goodbye as the creature disappears around a cliff.
The scarred man, who I could see bending over in rage on the deck with the other man erecting himself in the background.
"Good news for the Fire Lord. The Fire Nation's greatest threat is just a little kid." The old man said calmly.
The scarred man lifted his head and said "That "kid", Uncle, just did this."
I started to see the entire damaged ship as I was still hanging from the side of the ship, the whole front was covered in ice and snow.
"I won't underestimate him again" said the scarred man to the older one.
He yelled his order to the soldiers and points at the piles of snow. "Dig the ship out and follow them!" only to see three Fire Nation soldiers using their firebending to melt the icy encasings coating the three soldiers who were Katara's victims.
"As soon as you are done with that." Said in embarrassment and after that he entered the ship alongside the old man.
After the firebenders melted the ice from the soldiers and started to work their way out of the avalanche, I sneaked inside the ship that was identical to the one near Katara's village so I could find my way much better, I grabbed and armor from the weapons room to disguise myself but since I'm not a firebender the cold was unbearable, I knew that thanks to the damages the ship would need immediate repairs but I was mostly intrigue to know who was the man that managed to capture the Avatar so I helped myself to look the quarters and I was surprise to see a room with a light on.
"I can't believe I let him escape uncle" said in anger the scarred man.
The older man answered, "Relax Prince Zuko, you will have another chance to find him since we are the only ones who know that the Avatar is here in the south."
"You are right Uncle." Said the young prince with little calm in his voice.
I started to move in silence to the cargo bay to rest and to stay out of trouble.
It was a day full of emotions, first a flying bison, then the Avatar and the Prince of the Fire Nation, it was hard for me to sleep thanks to the cold and the emotions of what fate could bring me.
The next morning the ship was barely still afloat, but the repairs would be necessary soon, I was hungry, and the cargo bay had a few boxes of food, so I manage to keep that out of my head for hours, I sneaked to the bridge only to see a worrying captain, a tired engineer, and an angry prince.
"I don't care your excuses captain; we need to reach this Fire Nation harbor on the Earth Kingdom" Zuko said as he pointed the map near the compass.
Next to Zuko was the engineer "I want this ship up and running so we can capture the boy who put us in this problem."
I got close to the maps on the table as Zuko started to give orders to the engineer, I needed to find Aang but the Earth Kingdom was far for anything important, the maps were marked with the path of the ship and there was a little island near the path, so I decided to leave the ship when we came close to it.
I close myself again in the cargo bay but with a plan in mind, build a raft from boxes and take food to get to the island but I was very worried with the idea of losing the trail of Aang, since he is an airbender I could see him going back to the Southern Air Temple but the place was very high in the mountains and impossible to reach if not using a flying bison like his.
The only thing left for me was to see what would happen next.