Warning: violence
Chapter 69: The Advent of La
"YUE!" Sokka howled, fighting the blurry haze of his vision to run to her. Kya shrieked, clawing at her hair as the shock of it all struck her. Hakoda gawked in sheer horror from his screaming son to the writhing princess, who was held still under the demanding stamp of Pakku's feet.
"If I call myself a man, huh?" the older man barked, "Can you call yourself a woman?!"
The former chieftain tore the pitchfork recklessly out of the dronningi's body, the act extracting another scream of pain from her, causing more blood to flow out onto the ice profusely. He glared at the splatter of crimson tainting the tundra beneath her, at the enraged tears racing down her face, at the paralyzing pain taking over her. The harsh whips of the wind drowned out Sokka's bellowing anguish.
"You said you'd rather slice your throat than bed my grandson! Shameless woman! If you had a bit of pride in you, you wouldn't spread your legs so willingly!"
Even through the pain, Yue deftly grabbed a prong of the pitchfork just before it sank into her skin, managing to toss it aside, but she couldn't prevent him from kicking her onto her stomach, shrieking in excruciating pain as he pressed his foot on her back, the pressure shaking up her life-breath and sending more blood spilling against the snow. She cried and bawled into the snow, unable to move as an unsatisfied Pakku grabbed the fallen pitchfork to make certain of her doom…only to be shoved out of the way by a devastated Sokka. The Southern warrior reached for his wife only to feel Pakku's hand clawing at his wolf-tail in an attempt to tug him away. A dagger rammed through the prince's wrist and pinned him down into the snow. Sokka screamed, gritting his teeth and fighting off the pain with a howl of resolve, grabbing the spiked club from earlier with his uninjured hand and smashing it against Pakku's shoulder. The blow threw the older man's screeching form to the ground, and Sokka went ignored as Pakku's cry was answered by the rush of several guards and councilmen.
"YUE!" Sokka dropped his knees in the snow, not caring about anything else in the world, not his wounded wrist or even the presence of Pakku and his minions. Sokka gently brought Yue's trembling form into his lap and arms, the cracks in his heart deepening, his tears mixing with her own. His entire being rattled at the dizzying sight of her lap soaked in blood. Even the councilmen and the guards stared ahead, petrified by the outcome of Pakku's wrath.
"SOMEONE HELP!" Sokka shouted to the heavens through his damp vision, "KATARA! ANYONE!" Turning back to his wife, forgetting about the eclipse entirely, "Yue, heal yourself, please," he choked, "Please, heal yourself! Yue, please!"
But she could only bury her shaking head in his chest to muffle her cries, her screams vibrating through to his heart. Her fists clenched onto his parka so tightly that it seemed her knuckles would crack open. Sokka tore off a part of his parka with great difficulty, his own wrist bleeding profusely in his efforts; he used the fabric for a makeshift tourniquet, tying it on her arm to at least stop the blood that left the cut at her hand.
"Yue, Yue, love…Spirits, I-I can't heal, I…! Tui, have mercy!" he trembled, barely holding himself back from breaking down, helplessness and excruciating pain slapping him hard in the face, "Please, Yue, heal yourself! I'm begging you! You'll be okay, you'll…" And turning back to face the endless tundra, screaming into the void, "SOMEONE HELP, PLEASE! WE NEED A HEALER! SOMEONE, ANYONE!"
"Prince Sokka!"
"Oh Tui and La!"
The voices belonged to several servants, who were frozen in horror at the sight.
"When did you get here?!"
"Princess Yuesanga!"
But Pakku continued to seethe with venom, bursting through his pain at the gathered tribefolk, "Anyone who extends their hand to help them will be deemed a traitor to the South and will be subject to consequences! Another step closer, and I'll have you and your families thrown in the solstice bonfire as offerings to La!"
The servants and others present froze in their places, finding that they couldn't do anything as they were chained by command and fear. They could only gawk at the sight and wince at the condition of their beloved prince and the Northern dronningi, unable to fathom why in the world Pakku would resort to animosity of this degree. That, too, against the princess, who gave away nearly her all to help the South recover. Here they were now, standing on the premises of a palace— that was only possible due to her— which was now harboring her spilled blood.
"What have you done, Master Pakku?" Ikkiruni looked at the older man in disbelief before gawking at the isumataq's unconscious wife, "All of that beauty…wasted…"
"Don't give into temptation, you bastard," Pakku spat. "She's a witch who cast a spell on my family."
"A witch?" the councilman asked, bewildered.
"Her witchcraft is already at play in my own home…" and hissing a command in his direction, "And you're going to help me get rid of it."
Yue's cries, meanwhile, began to die down given her fading consciousness, tossing her anguished lover into a state of further panic.
"Yue, Yue, no, please, stay awake! You can heal yourself, I know you can do it! I know…! Nothing's gonna happen to you, Yue, nothing…! Yue! Yue, wake up! YUE!" Sokka wept at every servant he could see, "SOMEBODY PLEASE HELP US! I can't heal!"
We wish we could help, was the only response he got through sympathetic stares.
"I won't let anyone hurt you or your families!" he pleaded, "Please, someone help! DAMMIT, I CAN'T HEAL!" And at the continuing hesitation, he bellowed, "Don't forget you're living off of her mercy! SOMEONE HELP!"
And then came a shriek that undoubtedly belonged to his sister, "UKUAQ!"
"SOKKA! YUE!" Aang followed, "Oh Spirits, oh Spirits!"
"KATARA! AANG!" Sokka bawled as his sister and brother-in-law tore through the snow. Behind them were the screaming forms of Amaruq, Ki'ma, Chen and Kiguk, who jarred to a halt in the snow, horrified out of their wits. Aang and Katara dropped beside the weeping warrior, their eyes widening with dread as they saw the princess sprawled out in Sokka's lap, her own covered in blood.
"What happened—?!" Katara immediately worked to use her arm wraps as a tourniquet for her brother's bleeding arm.
"HEAL HER FIRST!" Sokka sobbed, wrigging his hand free, "She's losing blood!"
Pakku grabbed the tunic of a guard, yelling into his face and sending him and several others forward to prevent the Southern princess from aiding the Akna. Aang, Amaruq, and Kiguk took to the defensive; Aang greeted the guards with a blast of air that sent them flying backward while Kiguk and Amaruq charged forward with roars and spears.
"We need to get Auntie Minnat!" Ki'ma scrambled up, "Sh-She's good with herbs—!"
"We don't need herbs, JUST USE YOUR BENDING, KATARA!"
"Sokka, you forget…" Katara gestured to the sky, to the eclipse that wickedly burrowed a hole into his heart.
"DAMMIT!" Turning to his brother-in-law, who was fending off Pakku's minions before turning back to Katara, "Tell Aang to do something, then! He's the Avatar! Tell him to make the eclipse go away or something!" And amid the breaks in his own focus given the wound to his head, "There's gotta be a sun spirit, right?! If there's a moon spirit?! Tell him to tell the sun spirit to get the fuck out of the way! Just for a few minutes!"
"Aang has command over the elements, but he can't command the Spirits," Katara said through her tears, "And even if he could, the issue is about her waking up in time to heal herself. She's lost a lot of blood, Sokka, and…it's going to be a while before…And by the looks of things…Our healing isn't going to be enough, you understand? There's a lot of damage already done…I don't know how to undo this the way she does… I can't bloodheal…"
And Sokka could only stare at her, uncertain if he wanted to piece together what she was actually saying, racked by a debilitating inability to do… anything…
"B-But we'll be right back!" Ki'ma promised, grabbing Chen's arm, "We'll get the herbalist and grab anyone else who can help! She's going to be okay!"
Though Chen's hysterical sobs at the princess's condition served as the unspoken truth: the nature of the injuries and their effects were bound to be traumatizing.
"I-I think I have something in my belongings to help numb the pain and stop the bleeding," Katara also stood up, her hand squeezing her shaking brother's shoulders, "Keep her with you! And put some pressure on the wounds to stop the blood!"
Sokka held Yue close, her form huddled in his arms, his bloodied hands and elbow pressing against the three stab wounds in her lower belly as he watched his sister, aunt, and Chen scramble out of the palace premises for help. He forgot the world around him, didn't care to pay an iota of attention to the guards who kept charging at the Avatar, Amaruq, and Kiguk; to Pakku who struggled to lift his arm as he was being led inside by Ikkiruni; to the councilmen whose stares dug into his back and the people who were starting to gather around them, watching on like this was some sort of spectacle instead of rushing forward with an instinct to help. And even those who did want to help were met with the wrath of the guards whom Pakku had ordered to keep out. Sokka trembled, his bloodied cheek touching hers, his free elbow struggling to catch hold of her wrist to feel her pulse. The contents of the wound at his forehead dripped, gliding with his bottom eyelid before running down his face, mingling with the salt of his incessant dread, resembling tears of blood that mixed with the oceans of hers. The blood in their bodies pooled against the snow, mixing, tainting the South. The steady beats of her pulse were now thready, erratic, faint.
"I'll take anything," tears raced down his face, lips quivering against her head, "Where's your La? Is your La dead? Get him to come down here! Please, I can't do anything, I'm useless, Yue, I…! I can't…!"
He could do nothing. He was as useless as the people surrounded here, watching on like this was a spectacle. As the Spirit of Life to whom Yue professed her loyalty.
"What's the point of justice if people are allowed to do everything they want without restraint or a sense of right and wrong? What's the point of religion if it can't safeguard the innocent at least in theory?"
"Does the moon choose to shine on some and neglect others? Does the ocean refuse to offer its goods to some and pamper others? Does the world explode if children are born next to idols?"
"We are not loved here, Sokka. We are only used."
And as the last rays of moonlight became completely blocked off, leaving behind the bleak monstrosity of the moon's absence, the darkness that seemed to engulf even the torches, the chill of the icy desert stripping away all moisture and life…
"You wanna know a secret, Sokka? In this moment, you are La. Extending your hand to help or care for someone with no regard for blind superstition. People like you are behind these Spirit stories that parents tell their children each night. It's people like you that they really dream about."
His irises churned to a stark black.
"What is the meaning of this?!" Kanna screamed as she tore her eyes away from the balcony view overlooking the premises, her husband's intensity spared momentarily by Ikkiruni's fierce hold.
"What do you think?!" the former chieftain glared at her, "I rid the world of that witch!"
Kanna shook her head, trembling all over, "B-But…how could you…? That girl is dying out there! Do you realize what you've done?!"
"Do you feel sorry for her? Do you feel bad for that wench who tore the family apart?!" Pakku demanded.
"But you can't just…! That is a boundary you should never cross! Have you forgotten the ethics of war?! No matter how much hate you have for someone, that's not the way to retaliate! There are grave consequences—!"
"Oh, so your precious grandson over there can go around castrating Northern religious leaders with no grave consequences, then?"
"Kinji was sinister," Kanna argued, "He violated women in the name of La—!"
"And that witch violated the sanctity of the bloodline in the name of Tui! The bitch even bleached her damn hair! She's working her dark magic over us! We're clearly the ones at a disadvantage here!" With a scowl, "Don't make the mistake of having sympathy for her, Kanna. Your son and daughter-in-law did the same thing. Look at them now!"
Kanna shook her head, "No, this is…Pakku, this is unethical. The wrath of La will destroy us all!"
"Quit your nonsense. If anything, La's wrath is upon her tonight!"
Grabbing him by his tunic, "You say it so easily! Have you even thought about what this will do to Sokka?! Our boy is obsessed with her—!"
"Our boy?" Pakku demanded, "Give me one reason to think he's still our boy! He identified himself as the Akna's husband, so that's what he is! He signed the relinquishment papers! He made his choice! He's no longer a part of this family!"
"The Akna?" Ikkiruni blinked, "The princess is the Akna? Is that what this is about?!"
"He's deluded! That's why he made this decision!" Kanna insisted, "We could've tried to change things, there were other chances! We needed to have mercy on him—!"
"Well we can't purify ourselves with mercy," Pakku hissed. "La demands the blood of traitors. It's because of her that I've lost my dignity, respect, and honor. I couldn't keep my word of marrying that idiot off to Miqqiri's daughter, and any and all chances of bypassing his lust for that whore are nonexistent now that he signed the relinquishment papers for good. He's a nobody, Kanna, no longer a prince! No respectable father of a tribeswoman will even spit in his direction!"
Kanna could only burst into a sob, her heart lurching out in the direction of her beloved grandson, but it seemed Pakku wasn't willing to let her entertain even that kind of bond. And his target was not only Sokka. "Now where is that child?"
Kanna felt a deep lurch in her chest, "W-What child?"
"The morsel of mercy she threw at us! That sin needs to go!"
Ikkiruni widened his eyes. Kanna felt the swift drop of her raging heart into her stomach, "You're not saying—?"
"Her touch has contaminated that child! He will bring death and destruction on the family!"
"ARE YOU OUT OF YOUR MIND?! Pakku, he's an infant! Leave him alone—!"
"Ikkiruni! Prove your loyalty!" Pakku commanded, "Take that child away and offer him as a sacrifice! That child is no less than the Akna herself!"
A low, unhuman growl sat at the base of Sokka's throat, wavering amid choked sobs until an ear-splitting wail left him. He screamed to the churning skies, to the heavens and the ends of the earth, earning the immediate attention of those in the vicinity. His roars gradually took on higher octaves, the boiling heat of his eyes taking to the water surrounding the palace premises. The look on his face was either that of chaos or order, undecipherable as he glared daggers at the water, continuing to roar as if issuing commands.
The guards gawked at the frenzy of tides beginning to form in the formerly tranquil waters, and before anyone could grasp what exactly was happening, a strange vibration— a sort of humming, even— surged through the earth and caught the attention of all who were present. As the seconds passed, the vibration picked up into a rumble that started to rattle the tundra. Before long, the ground began to tremble.
"What's happening?!"
"Look out!"
Deep cracks began creeping along the land, threatening to split the tundra in their vicinity as if they were standing atop an ice rink bound to break apart. The chaotic waves bubbled through the cracks, gliding atop the land with great ferocity and chafing away the snow beneath them. Somewhat resembling a blob monster trying to crawl out of the crevices, the waves were relentless in their force, as if they were on a mission. The guards, trying to hold the incoming waves back and extending their arms out to patch the land together via bending instinct, were then reminded of the eclipse that disabled their efforts. The increasing darkness of the atmosphere did not help the situation, either, resulting in the highly confused guards giving up on pursuing Pakku's commands. They scrambled out of the way while trying to monitor the path of the cracks, simultaneously looking to move people out of the way, their lines of sight possible thanks to the light of the flames that lingered at the Avatar's firebending fist.
The water continued to rush up to the land, quickly overtaking the area as the ocean did a sinking ship. However, Aang noted, it appeared the waves were acting with purpose in this instance given the cracks that developed in the areas surrounding the palace, the outlet the waves had to spill and rush towards the courtyard of the Southern Palace's ice garden.
"Sokka, get out of the way!" Amaruq called.
"Saltwater just makes things worse! We have to get the princess out of here!" Kiguk followed.
But Aang was quiet, staring at the stark black of Sokka's eyes, which only roused a million questions and answers at once.
"It'll cause her wounds to sting!" Kiguk kept screaming. "Sokka! Are you even listening to us—?!"
And the roar that flew out of Sokka's mouth in response was nowhere close to human, having transitioned into a beastly roar that shook up the entire Southern tundra and sent the fleeing men slipping to their feet. His uproar resembled a wolf's howl of agony piercing through the night. Everyone gawked in complete shock, scrambling away by several steps.
"What the fuck?"
"What in the world?!"
"Spirits," was all Aang could say as he gawked at his surroundings in realization, "Everyone, get out of the way!"
The ground was no longer shaking, and the relentless cracks in the ground had halted, but the waves' conundrum only increased, causing the land to be quickly flooded with water.
"Sokka—!"
"He'll be okay!" was all Aang could say to Amaruq and Kiguk as he grabbed both of their hands and bolted with them through the snow away from the incoming rush of water. Before they could ask him anything more, a fierce black glow emanated from the direction of the wounded prince and princess. And before anyone could see anything more, the violent dance of the waves consumed the two of them in time for the sun to consume the last rays of moonlight.
Kanna screamed and hollered, horrified by Pakku's pronouncements, "NO! HE'S A BABY! HE—"
"Don't just stand there, you imbecile!" Pakku howled at Ikkiruni, "Throw him in the fire!"
Ikkiruni, shackled by duty and ignorance, swallowed his protests and set off to fulfill Pakku's orders against Kanna's protests. She tried to run after the councilman to stop him, finding herself held back by her husband's fierce grip. He tossed her against the pelts, but he was surprised to see her relentless efforts culminate in her tripping him, reaching for the dagger at his boot, and throwing it in the direction of the councilman, the dagger piercing the back of his neck and shooting through to his throat. The councilman, his neck spilling blood in a matter of seconds, dropped against the ice, his life-breath slowly being sucked out of him.
Pakku stared, stunned at the sight, looking from the councilman to his wife, "Kanna, listen to me! Don't let your hysteria wipe out your entire bloodline! GIVE THE BOY UP, KANNA!"
"Hysteria?! THAT BOY IS OUR GRANDSON! He's our flesh and blood! HOW COULD YOU TRY TO KILL YOUR OWN GRANDSON THIS WAY?!" Tossing the dagger aside, "I will do whatever it takes to protect my grandchild. Even if you don't. Don't challenge me!"
"He was dead the moment you all let the Akna touched him!" Pakku shoved her away from him, and with his mission coursing through his blood, he fumbled to lock his wife inside the room, "You don't understand, you'll never understand!"
"Pakku! Pakku, no!" she banged at the door, sobbing, "PAKKU! HE'S NOT EVEN A DAY OLD, PAKKU! PAKKU, NO! LEAVE HIM ALONE! LEAVE THE CHILD ALOOOOONE!" And with her efforts getting her nowhere, she banged her head against the tapestry of the Spirits, "SPIRITS HAVE MERCY!"
There was complete stillness following the swish of the water. The waves, though still frantic, receded through the cracks they flowed through, leaving behind the intact figures of Sokka and Yue, the prince's arms still holding her. Aang noted with awe the fact that there was not a speck of blood on the princess despite her blood-bathed, torn robes; she had not yet woken to notice her healed state, her head perched against his chest.
"How did…? Wha…? Spirits!" was all that left the Avatar's mouth as he darted out of his temporary shelter in the storage chamber and ran towards the two of them. Sokka was resting his forehead against hers, his eyes closed in a kind of determination as he held her close. He was somehow not healed by whichever powers he had summoned, the blood that dripped from his wound starting to cover his face again.
"Sokka!" Aang shook him, "Sokka, are you okay?! Sokka, look at me! Sokka!"
The warrior's eyes were still black and bloodshot when he opened them again, his growl returning.
"Hand him over to me."
Kohana, who was sitting down on the carpet watching his infant brother sleep on the pelts, jumped at the voice of his grandfather. The young boy turned to the entrance, flinching at the reminder of the last time he had seen Pakku, the ample amount of slaps he had received from the older man. He also cowered at the strange look in Pakku's eyes, especially with the way the man looked at Karuna: there was a crazed intensity in his gaze, a clear absence of empathy as he stared at the child who was bestowed life by the Akna.
"Gran-Gran says no one can touch Karuna without washing their hands," Kohana pulled himself up to his feet but stood in front of his brother, "Did you wash your hands—?"
"Don't tell me what to do and move over," Pakku warned.
"You can't touch him without washing your hands!" Kohana exclaimed, "Gran-Gran said he might get sick if—!"
"Move over, foolish boy!" Pakku raised his hand against Kohana before his hand was stopped by the fierce grip of Hakoda, who tossed his father away from his sons with great difficulty. "Get the children and go, Kya!"
Kya tore her way inside, immediately picking up Karuna and sliding her arm around Kohana, but even before she had the chance to leave, Pakku grabbed Kya by her hair and threw her in Hakoda's direction. The chieftain prioritized catching his wife and infant over disabling Pakku further, and in that brief reprieve, Pakku shoved his son out of the way and reached for Karuna. Kohana, however, succeeded in throwing a headdress in Pakku's direction, managing to distract him as he raced over to his parents, crying, "Mom! Dad!"
Kya immediately handed Karuna over to the young boy, "It's not safe for you two, here, my love," her voice trembled, "Hold his head like this, just like this. Don't drop him, no matter what happens, don't drop him. Don't let anyone get to you! Go to Uncle Bato, you hear me? Go to Uncle Bato and Aunt—!"
And as Pakku grunted in pain, pulling himself up and lunging for the baby, he did not expect to be slapped sharply in the face by a defiant Kya.
"LEAVE MY CHILDREN ALONE!" she screamed, ushering Kohana out of the room, "Go, Kohana, get out of here! Take him away!"
Hakoda placed himself between his wife and father, holding Kya back as Pakku rose to his feet, scowling at her with venom seeping out of his eyes.
"I'VE HAD ENOUGH!" Kya screamed. "You put me through hell for not giving you grandchildren! And you're not about to put me through hell by taking my children away from me permanently! I don't care who you are!"
And her attempts at standing her ground were answered with Pakku throwing her husband out of the way and against a strong whalebone artifact, his head slamming against the bone hard enough to send him crashing to the floor, disoriented.
"Hakoda!"
And before she could run to him, she was answered with a slap that tossed her against him. Both parents scrambled up in time to see Pakku race after Kohana, who had resorted to the prayer room in his panic. He tried to close the door behind him but was unsuccessful with Pakku's weight pushing against his efforts, overpowering him. Kohana hid with his brother behind the statues of the Spirits, his tears plinking against the marble as Pakku grabbed the baby from him.
"NOOOOO! PAKKU!"
"GET AWAY FROM MY SON!"
With no regard for the approaching parents' screams, Pakku tossed Kohana against the wall and threw the wailing infant in the direction of the fire. Kya pulled Kohana against her, her palms wrapped around his eyes to shield him from the sight while at the same time screeching, "LAAA, HAAAVE MEEERCY!"
They did not know where Sokka came from — it was almost as if he was summoned out of thin air with how quickly he'd reached the premises— but the next thing they all knew, they witnessed the isumataq catching hold of Karuna with one arm and grabbing hold of the sword in the La statue's hand with the other, slicing Pakku's right arm off of him, the perpetrator's blood splatting over the statues.
Kya screamed, hiding her face in her husband's arm. Pakku's roars of pain shook the prayer room, the traumatic sight followed immediately by Sokka's grabbing of La's other weapon— a trident— and jamming it deep into the older man's pelvic area in a moment of unbridled retaliation. Pakku yowled from the unbearable pain, not at all having expected this turnout of the events when he was so sure the fire would consume the Akna's "influence," and if anything, he certainly did not expect Sokka's rage to be so unsatisfied as to justify him aiming for Pakku's other arm. Pakku tried to stop him in the midst of his pain, his uninjured arm reaching for Sokka's throat, but the prince slapped him, surprising all who were present with the gashes that lined Pakku's face following the slap, resembling the claw marks of a wolf.
"AAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!"
Pakku lost all strength from the forceful subsequent rip of his arm and the twisting of the trident deep within his skin, which served to tear more of his skin. Another wolfish roar deafened him before Sokka kicked him to the ground, thrusting the trident more deeply into him. Raw shrieks of those in pain and those appalled by the sight continued to stab the air as the former chieftain, now armless, screeched like a hyena-bat in his suffering.
Hakoda, despite frozen in shock, somehow allowed his shaking arms to reach for Karuna and hold him close to his chest, tears and kisses covering the infant's head. The chieftain managed to hand the child over to his wife and ushered them and Kohana into the nearest room away from the bloody chaos. In the near distance, a pair of footsteps that rushed forward came to a screeching halt, accompanied by a scream that unmistakably belonged to Kanna; the former chieftess felt her vision grow black, caught in the arms of an approaching Amaruq before she hit the ground.
Blood gushed out of Pakku's body, staining the palace chamber as he continued to scream and stare at the brutality written on Sokka's face, the flames of the prince's anger consuming Pakku whole and ripping screams out of him with another thrust of the trident against him. And with another roar that shook the palace, the enraged isumataq grabbed the fallen chieftain by his tunic and dragged his writhing form behind him on the ice, making a trail of the man's blood.
By now, numerous guards, palace personnel, and lingering tribefolk, having realized that Shaman Aukanek had been the prince in disguise all along, had congregated following the horrific events, appalled to see their armless former chieftain being dragged across the ground by their enraged isumataq. The unbridled rage on Sokka's face was nowhere close to his sarcastic quips or goofy pouts or contemplative grimaces: the man was foreign to them— an embodiment of wrath, howling like a god of wolves with a tone of bitterness and unwavering sophistication.
"YOUR LONGEVITY WILL BE YOUR CURSE!" Sokka growled, "FOR THE REST OF YOUR DAYS, YOU WILL DROWN IN EXCRUCIATING PAIN AND MISERY! DESERTED BY YOUR OWN! DESERTED BY THE NATION! THIS IS MY JUDGMENT, AND NO FORCE IN THE UNIVERSE CAN UNDO IT!"
In the presence of the shocked tribefolk, Sokka picked up the man's body with relative ease and threw him into the raging waves, watching the man yowl and flail, burn and drown given his struggle to swim in his current state. Several guards rushed to retrieve him, yelling in panic and disbelief over his condition, but the waves were committed to La's command, tossing the perpetrator in the rhythm of their sways, their salty contents fueling the burn of his wounds.
"It's a miracle that man's still alive after all this…though he's in constant pain."
"He's not responding to any herbs."
"He's as good as dead."
"Do you really think…La was speaking through Sokka?"
"Maybe Shaman Chunta's right."
Chunta swallowed, his hold on a bucket of holy water in his hand tightening as he swiftly walked past the assembled ministers who were currently discussing Pakku's miserable fate. Chunta couldn't help eventually overhearing the conversation, though, because what had transpired was not a dark truth to be buried within the parameters of the palace; it was an act of the Spirits. Or so Chunta vehemently believed and advertised. At the very least, he had told them, Sokka had been "possessed" — at least, that was what he could say to those who had a difficult time reconciling the warrior's disbelief with the events that had taken place. It was a very weird balance, after all; years of the prince's birth chart being questioned and criticized by those who zeroed in on his disbelief, juxtaposed by years of faith that the same tribefolk had in his birth chart, the admiration they cultivated for his La-esque ability to provide for the South despite his undesirable quips against the Spirits. In the eyes of the tribefolk, the divine and the infidel could never be one; then again, no other explanation could be given for the reason behind the wolfish roars, the chilling tone, the unadulterated fury.
"We fail to understand what even caused all of this. Why would he fly into a rage?"
"Sure, it is undesirable to have a woman who is half Air Nomad— especially someone who is not aware of her lineage— marry into the royal family, but that should not warrant destruction at this level. She's not our enemy."
"And let's say even if she was trying to assert any sort of right to the Southern throne despite her lack of qualifications and the fact that she was…essentially a dumpster child…stabbing a woman in her womb…Spirits. This is insane. This can never be justified."
The shaman sighed and hurried his way to the room from which he could still hear Sokka's agitated growls and snarls. He rushed inside, noting Aang's struggles in keeping the prince in one place as Ki'ma sought to wipe his face clean of the dried blood around his wound, which he still refused to have healed. The fact of the matter was that Yue was still not awake, and that brought more agitation to the isumataq, who was caught in the throes of his otherworldly trance and warranted every tribesperson's efforts in calming him down. But however open Chunta was to other ideas, he didn't appreciate seeing Amaruq pour some gin into a cup and offer the same to the prince.
"Mr. Amaruq, what are you doing?" Chunta set down his bucket and raced over to the prince, nearly reaching for the cup but failing as Sokka took it and wolfed its contents down. Chunta widened his eyes in horror, "Oh my goodness, what is the meaning of this?! The Spirits don't indulge like this—!"
"Is what you think," Amaruq huffed.
"This is insane! Intoxication isn't the solution for this—!"
"Well he's not calming down! What else should we do?" Amaruq glared at Chunta before turning back to the prince, who had reached for the entire bottle next, "Sokka, buddy, she's fine. She's probably tired. Sometimes an intense healing session will leave people tired—"
But Amaruq was quick to be disappointed in his efforts as Sokka's attempts at winding down failed. The prince suddenly threw the bottle on the floor, not caring for its contents and roaring, making their hearts stop. His eyes were still a stark, stubborn black, refusing to abate, his demeanor that of a wounded animal.
"Sokka, sweetie, please, calm down! Yue's okay now!" Ki'ma kept trying to soothe his rage, tossing her shock and curiosity to the back of her mind, "She's healed, and the eclipse is over, too. Just give her some time…"
Chunta resumed the chants he'd been reciting in the prince's presence, "La, ikulliak! La, ikulliak!" La, the calm water! La, the calm water!
Ki'ma was terrified by how her nephew's heart rate was going up as a result of his fury. Aang, who had briefly summoned his avatar state to read the prince's energy, felt helpless as he dismissed his glow, shaking his head, "He's still not coming down."
"She'll be here in a few minutes, just a few minutes!" Ki'ma coaxed, "Sokka, you gotta calm down, okay? Please…"
Chunta shared a weary look with the Avatar before stepping forward, sinking his hands into a large container of vermillion that he had brought with him. He swiftly filled his palms with copious amounts of the said pigment before dumping the contents over his head. Sokka shook his head free of the pigment in annoyance, glaring at the shaman.
"You need this, Prince Sokka. I'm sorry. I know you don't like these things, but this will calm you down," and the shaman dumped another handful over him. "La, ikulliak! La, ikulliak!" And holding his pigment-coated palm over the prince's forehead, "Let the tides be calm and still," another cloud of vermillion, "Let the moon shine on—"
Sokka coughed, yelling at the inconvenience; he snatched the container of vermillion from the shaman and threw it aside, smashing it to pieces and making the pigment sprawl all over the floor.
"Nothing's working," Aang swallowed worriedly, "Someone has to calm him down. I've done everything I could, but he's not responding to me."
Chunta, having expected this, turned to the bucket he brought inside, "This has water consecrated by the fire from Tui's torch. It's the only other option we have left. Let's hope it will do something." Sighing, "Great Goddess, give me strength—!"
"Instead of doing all of this, why don't we just let him stay with her?"
Everyone turned to the entrance of the room where Katara was standing, a tired frown on her face as she continued. "I only mean that it's probably counterintuitive to keep them distant. What happened is devastating no doubt, but maybe being close to her will ease his stress."
"He's going to fly into a rage again when he sees her in distress," Aang told her. "That's why we're trying to keep him at a distance."
"I know," Katara nodded, "But I changed her out of her old clothes." Which had been previously drenched with blood and tattered by the force of the blows, "And she's sleeping peacefully. I think he needs to see for himself that she's really okay and is just resting, and he'll start to calm down on his own. It might be helpful if we let him in and see his reaction, and we can bring him back here if necessary."
Katara's idea proved to be fruitful; Sokka's harsh demeanor slowed into a gentle gait at the sight of her, his cries finally dimming to a human level before transitioning into choked sobs. His tears plinked against the ground, bringing down with them everything he had kept suppressed beneath the facade of fury as he took his seat beside the bed, holding her hand as she slept on.
Katara slowly reached for her brother, taking the initiative to heal him; he didn't protest for once, overcome by a head-splitting ache that blinded his senses. And after quickly healing the wound on his head, Katara reached for his wrist, working quickly to clean and mend the area. Sokka, feeling his eyelids grow heavy, laid his head down on the bed beside Yue's hand, the drumbeat of his heart relaxing from its fierce rhythm, the black of his irises finally tapering away.
"Oh, thank heavens," Chunta sighed with relief.
With the predominant member of the Council of Elders murdered shockingly in the hands of former chieftess Kanna, the next councilman in command had taken the reigns of the legal affairs concerning the royals. He reiterated his point with a stern look that he gave to a devastated Hakoda, who had no other choice but to be present for the conversation. "No matter how many religious justifications Shaman Chunta is willing to give, a crime is still a crime, Chief. No one here saying Pakku is justified in his actions, but attempting to murder a former royal—"
"Sokka was provoked," Bato argued, clearly having taken the prince's side given the sheer lunacy that he had seen Pakku undergo. "Besides, he is a current royal, so your standard does not even apply."
"Actually, he is not," the councilman frowned, "He had signed his relinquishment papers, so he is no longer a part of the family legally. Chief Hakoda, you were there when you witnessed him signing those papers without a moment's worth of hesitation."
But Hakoda remained quiet.
"What even happened at your meeting with Sokka?" Bato asked his friend, earning no response from him.
"I was there for the meeting," spoke another councilman. "We attempted to have a civilized conversation with Sokka. We reminded him of all the consequences that would come out of him choosing to be with the princess. Their marriage will not be recognized. Their children will be labeled as illegitimate and will have zero access to any form of inheritance. But we did make an exception: He could rule the South while she rules the North. They would have a chance to meet a few times a year, whether that be him going to the North or her coming down here— though the first option is more desired. Any sired children will be with their mother. And once Prince Kohana is of age, Prince Sokka can choose to pass the throne to him and return to the North as he sees fit. No one will force Sokka to marry another woman, and his union with the princess will be recognized as a 'diplomatic' marriage at best and will guarantee up to a quarter of the inheritance their children would've normally received if they were naturally accepted as a part of Pakku's bloodline. Sokka would also retain his assets." Sighing, "But clearly he didn't like that—"
"Of course he wouldn't," Bato glared, "Who in the world would agree to that? Wasting away as a loner even with a wife and children?"
"That's why he signed the relinquishment papers once and for all—"
"Because your options are arbitrary," the tribesman barked, turning back to his friend, "Say something, Hakoda. You can't really be supporting this. I can't believe you even entertained a meeting like this with Sokka in the first place!" His hand on the chieftain's shoulder, "You and Kya were desperate for children, and after so long, La blessed you with him. Are you really going to throw him away like this?"
Hakoda still did not answer Bato but turned to the councilman in charge, breaking his silence, "If you insist on trusting these relinquishment papers, so be it. And in that case, the reality is that if it wasn't for him, I would have lost my infant son." Swallowing, "The Warrior's Code authorizes a punishment even worse than this for attempted infanticide and murder anyhow: a life for a life. But Pakku is not dead."
"We all know the only reason he spared Pakku is because of retaliation," the councilman argued, "And I use the word 'spare' with great hesitation here because Pakku's entire quality of life is ruined. The man has no arms, and one of his legs is likely to be crippled. His pelvic area is infected, and the healers are saying his phallus might have to be removed if he wants the pain spared, but doing so will cause pain anyway. Either way, he is living in La's hell, basically. Come on, Chief, surely there must be legal ramifications for this—"
"You don't seem to fucking understand the situation here," Bato barked at the councilman, "Pakku flew into a manic rage and attacked his own family. He was ready to murder his own grandchild and was hell-bent on hurting Sokka. He impaled the princess in her womb and tried to deprive her of her life and her right to have children. Had it not been for literal divine intervention, we would've either lost her or she would've been barren for the rest of her life, and Spirits know what would've happened next. What about this makes you think Pakkuis deserving of some kind of justice—?"
"Sokka is banished from the South," Hakoda interrupted.
"Hakoda," Bato frowned, "You can't possibly be serious about this. What exactly is it about Pakku that makes you want to—?"
"Sokka is no longer a part of this family," Hakoda maintained a stoic face, "So he is to be treated like any other citizen. Because he signed the relinquishment papers, and because he identified the North to be his permanent area of residence, that is his home, and that is where he should be." Closing his eyes, "The heinous and gruesome nature of what had happened today provoked Sokka…and I will choose not to comment on his retaliation. Pakku might be my father, but… I am ashamed that he is. As a father myself, I am only glad that the life of my child is saved, and as a chieftain, I am also happy that my family has been sustained. And for that, at least, I will not imprison Sokka…just as I wouldn't imprison anyone else who was in his place in this circumstance. The only alternative option I have is banishing him from the South. He is expected to leave as soon as he and his wife completely recover."
Bato could not comprehend why Hakoda refused to support his son despite the lack of harshness in his ruling— that is, apart from Sokka's inability to visit the South. Then again, Bato seriously doubted whether Sokka was going to set foot here again anyway.
"So you recognize his marriage then?" was all the councilman seemed to be concerned with in spite of his displeasure for the ruling.
"Because he is free from the stringent requirements of chiefdom as an ex-prince, he is a normal citizen now. His marriage is longer going to be challenged. There is no need to challenge it."
As the attendees of the meeting left, and as the councilmen went off to prepare the official judgment scroll, Bato turned to Hakoda in the privacy of the meeting chamber, "What is wrong with you? Why did you do that—?"
"So he can be free," Hakoda said, trying to hold back the moisture in his eyes, "Kya and I decided that it is better for him to create a life for himself elsewhere than for him to be here and risk having his wife and children be attacked in the future. The Akna has already been through enough in her stay here. What happened to her should never happen to another woman." Shaking his head, "I never wanted this to happen to her. I never wanted to scream her identity to the world. I just wanted her to leave us be. What happened here is unacceptable… Pakku's actions are simply unacceptable."
Bato sighed, nodding, "It's not your fault. You didn't know. None of us knew. We thought Pakku was leaving the village to find a healer. Who would expect him to turn around so quickly? And it's not like you and Kya were ever wanting to tell Pakku that she came here."
"We would be the luckiest people in the world if Sokka is able to see through his rage and realize this enough to give us another chance, but what happened today…" Hakoda did not finish his sentence, reliving how Sokka had slammed the door in his face every time he went to see how the princess was faring. The darkness in his son's eyes cast down on him undeniable guilt.
"I know Sokka is not going to come back here anymore after the reception they got...but I think banishment will seal the deal. In case the princess might find herself trying to get him to come here again. All that matters is that she is saved and well, that they are happy in the North." Drying his eyes, "No matter how many papers people throw in my face, the fact of the matter will always be that he is mine. He is my firstborn."
Sokka placed a kiss on Yue's forehead, pulling the covers over her as she slept, snuggled up against him. She had finally woken a few hours ago but had wept and sobbed in her waking state, thinking everything was over despite her skin being healed. The relief in her damp eyes was priceless when she was told and promised that she was, in the name of the Spirits, fully healed and had nothing to worry about. That there was no impediment to hers and Sokka's dreams of creating a family in the future. She had cried even more from the sheer peace that followed before giving in to her exhaustion and succumbing to slumber, not yet carrying the strength to learn what had really happened.
Truthfully, Sokka could not at all recall anything other than rage and fury, and he vaguely described the actions he took to put Pakku in his place. He owned the violence, but the healing? He didn't have a healing bone in his body— at least, not via bending. He could only remember feeling helpless and useless, and to this moment, he was racked with guilt that he didn't do more, that he should've at least prevented this situation. He was faced with the difficult task of notifying Arnook and Ahnah— at least in the near future if not now— and the possibility of their utter lack of trust in him, their disappointment in his failure to prevent her from getting hurt. But one thing was true: all that mattered right now was the fact that she was awake and well. That their tender dreams were intact.
He might not bow to a Spirit, but whatever intervention took place— whatever it really was— he would respect it and be grateful for it, logic and explanations be damned.
A knock on the door sent his adrenalin rushing again; he slowly untwined her hand from around him and stepped out. His eyes flitted to the sight of Hakoda and Kya waiting on the other side of the opened door.
"Please, Sokka, please, hear us out," Kya nearly begged. "We just want to know how she's—".
The isumataq glared, immediately closing the door to Yue's room and standing guard in front of it, "What are you two doing here?"
"Sokka," Kya whimpered, "Please, don't look at us like we're your enemies."
Unrelenting, "What could the chief and chieftess possibly want from us now?"
"Nothing," Hakoda assured, his devastated gaze flying back to the closed door, "We just wanted to see how ukuagek was doing—"
Ukuagek. "Oh, so now she's your daughter-in-law? My wife's supposed to get seriously injured for you to accept her? That's what it'll take?"
"No, Sokka, that's not what we mean—"
"Well don't wear yourself out," Sokka huffed. "Your acceptance was never a requirement. It was never my intention to introduce her as a good housewife. She's not some piece of property for everyone to accept for me to share my life with her. We're both free individuals, and I don't need her going through a crisis like this one to please every heartless piece of stone here." Swallowing, "It seems your idols have more compassion than you ever will."
"Sokka, you have to understand," Kya began. "We were only trying to—"
"There's nothing to understand." He gestured to the exit, "You can leave now. I wouldn't want you to ruin your purity by associating yourself with us, and I know it won't look good if the tribe founds out you're associating yourself with people who are banished."
Hakoda swallowed, "Sokka, we made this decision so you both can—"
"Please, leave us alone! Haven't you done enough?!"
"Sokka, we had nothing to do with what Pakku—"
"OUT!"
"What's going on here?" Chunta rushed over to the room, surprised to see Hakoda and Kya, "Angayok, ataniq, please, give them some space," he dragged the leaders out. "I'll talk to him afterward. Please, let him be. We don't want to anger him—"
"Instead of trying to appease them, get to work on arranging for our departure!" Sokka yelled at the shaman.
"I will, sir, I will! You will be out of here in no time! Please, stay calm!"
Kya and Hakoda turned back, looking at their son as he slammed the door behind him, his scowl burning into their memory.
Note: Ukuagek means both mother-in-law and daughter-in-law