Title: The Southern Wolf
Genre: Action/Adventure/Humor
Summary: He had been plague by dreams for years. Dreams of going to great adventures, getting into lots of trouble, battling countless enemies, and meeting new friends. He had been preparing himself for visions that may never come to be, until said visions came true.
CHAPTER 2
The Southern Wolf
Sokka woke up with a splitting headache. Looking around, he saw himself alone inside his hut in the village. How he got there he has no idea. He was just about to get up when his sister came in with a basin of water in her hands.
"Sokka! You're finally up." She said happily as she rushed to give him a bone crushing hug.
"Yeah. Yeah. What the hell happened?" He stood up after giving his sister a brief hug in return.
"You passed out when Aang woke up."
"Aang?" For the life of him, he can't help but feel a familiarity with that name.
"Oh, it was the airbender that was trapped inside the ice. HE help me get you back to the village with the help of Appa."
"And Appa is?"
"It's the name of Aang's flying bison. It would be better if you see for yourself. So come on." She then pulled him out of the tent to be greeted by the site of a small bald boy playing with the kids. Gran Gran and the other women are watching him intently as they do their chores.
Sokka stared at th new kid and saw the arrows painted on his head, arms, and legs. When the new kid saw him, he jumped twenty feet into the air only the land in front of both siblings. He gave them a huge smile and said, "Hi there! My name's Aang. Your sister told me your name is Sokka. Nice to meet you. Hope you're all right now. I mean, she said you suddenly just fainted after I woke up."
One of Sokka's eyebrows twitched in irritation as he said, "Number one: I don't faint. It aint manly. I passed out. Number two: you are an air bender."
"Um, that's right." Aang said carefully.
"Number three: that sword of light, how big was it?"
Seeing Aang's discomfort, Katara decided to intervene and said, "Big enough to reach the sky."
Sokka nodded silently at that before turning around and walking out of the village, Aang, Katara, and everyone that saw the exchange giving him a questioning look. Once he was far enough away, heavy descriptive cursing was heard drifting into the air. The women in the village were so scandalized that they immediately run to cover their children's ears.
"Um, is he alright?" Aang asked to Katara.
"I've been asking the same question for the past two years now."
Soon enough, Sokka came back with a frown as he addresses the whole village. "Everyone, begin evacuation procedures. Pack enough food and water for three days in the glacier mountains. Prep all sleighs in case we need to move quickly."
Gran Gran, being an elder of the tribe, asked, "Sokka, what has gotten into you?" Katara and the rest of the village started asking questions as well.
"Did you all see that light all the way from here?" When he received a positive answer, he continued and said, "Then it should be safe to say that any wondering Fire Nation ship could have seen it as well. Any soldier worth their wages would at least investigate what caused it. And since we are the nearest sign of civilization in the South Pole, they would definitely come here."
"Don't be absurd, Sokka. How would you even know that any one from the Fire Nation even saw that?" Katara asked, disbelieving.
"I don't. But I would rather be prepared either way." 'And because my dreams are telling me they would definitely come.' He added mentally. When the rest of the tribe still seems skeptical, he added, "Look, everyone, I am not playing around. Dad and the rest of the men made me promise to look after all of you. I intend to honor that with everything that I am."
Gran Gran, who had been silently watching him, finally gave a nod in consent as she said, "Very well, young warrior. I place my life in your hands." Then she turned to the rest of the tribe and told them to prepare. Since the plea came from the elder of the tribe, they readily complied.
It was just the three of them when Katara blurted out, "Sokka! I can't believe you had Gran Gran going along with all this!"
"That's right." Aang added. "I mean, what's wrong with having the Fire Nation come here? It's not like you're at war with them or anything like that." When he saw both sibling gave him those increadolous looks, he felt uncomfortable as he ask again, "What? What did I say wrong?"
Both sibling remained uiet for a few minutes before Sokka finally asked, "Just how long have you been in that ice, airbender?"
"Sokka! That's rude. His name is Aang." Katara admonish before turning to the clueless bald boy. "Tell me, Aang, what do you know about the war with the Fire Nation?"
"There's nothing to tell. There is no war. I should know. I've just visited a friend at the Fire Nation just last month." The monk said proudly, earning him a gasp from Katara and a groan from Sokka.
The older boy put both hands on the monk's shoulder as he said, "Aang, buddy, I'll forgive your ignorance this once since there is a high probability that you've been in that ice for the last hundred years. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to see if the primary defenses for the village are in tact. My sister here will elaborate your situation for you, ok." Then, he left, leaving his sister to break it into the airbender the bad news.
He first went to his tent to put on his armor. He then took out a small scroll addressed to his grandmother that he had made weeks previously and placed it on top of his nap sack. After a small pre battle ritual where he painted his face, he climbs a tall glacier floating just outside the village shore. On top of it, he saw the huge wooden steak he had hammered there many months ago. Its purpose is to crack the glacier while the enemy boat is passing underneath it, thus immobilizing it in its track.
Using a telescope scavenged from the abandoned Fire Nation vessel, he started looking out for any incoming ships. He hadn't been there for half an hour when he saw Aang and his sister climbing up into the glacier.
"Hey, Sokka, I want to help." Aang said, his voice forlorn.
Not taking his eyes away from the horizon, he said, "That's good. I really need a good lookout."
"No, Sokka. Aang meant he wanted to help in the fight. He, um, he's the Avatar." Katara said, her voice full of hope.
Sokka groaned internally at that. He had been hoping his hunch had been wrong about the airbender kid but it seems his prayers have been ignored. He finally decided to turn to them. Like he thought, his sister's face has the expression of hope. Aang, on the other hand, have a look of dejection.
"Why didn't you told us that before?"
"Because I didn't want to be." The monk said, his voice full of shame.
He then glared at his sister and said, "You put him on a guilt trip, didn't you?"
"What do you take me for? Of course I didn't." Katara said defensively, glaring back.
"No, Sokka, she didn't. She wanted me to leave if the enemy does come. But I couldn't let you guys fight when it was really my fault because of that light." Aang said, his voice truthful. It was quite easy to read his dejection to violence, being a monk and all.
A few minutes of silent thinking, Sokka finally said, "Fine. I'll welcome your help. But only when I really need it. Until things go to hell, you are not to show yourself. Are we clear?"
"Sure." Aang said happily, having high hopes of not fighting.
"Sokka, don't be an idiot. Didn't you hear what I said? He Is The Avatar."
"I don't care if he's La himself. He's a child monk. A lot of them are pacifists. They detest violence. I wouldn't be surprise if he offers himself just to save the village from the Fire Nation."
Aang actually cringed at the high possibility of such a thing happening. Katara noticed as well and it was enough to placate her to silence.
Suddenly, something black started floating down around them. Sokka grabbed a handful of the stuff and smelled it. "Soot mixed with snow. It could only mean the Fire Nation is coming."
Aang and Katara stiffened at that. They didn't thought the enemy would come so soon.
Sokka suddenly turned to them, his face serious. "Katara, waterbend us a fog. Once we incapacitate the ship, I'll need the cover to get to the boat undetected. Make sure the fog is as thick as possible."
"What do you want me to do?" The monk asks.
"Fly to the village and tell my grandmother to start the evacuation. Also, tell her, if we don't come back in a week, there's a letter in my hut addressed to her. Then fly back here, probably with your bison, and make sure nothing happens to my sister and pray you wouldn't need to step in. If we fail to take out all of them now, we may have to leave the village for a while."
Aang nodded gravely before flying off. Katara, seeing the seriousness in her brother she had never seen before, could only nod as well.
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In the balcony just outside the Fire Navy ship control room:
"What do you see, nephew?" Iroh, the famous Dragon of the West, asked his nephew.
Said nephew, in full armor, and who was looking through a telescope, answered, "The villagers seem to be retreating. They seem to be smarter than we thought. Not that it would prevent us from going after them with the komodo rhinos. I think I could see the avatar flying around the village but this blasted fog is making it difficult to see."
"What makes you so sure it is actually the avatar?"
"Because, as I said, he's flying around. As much as I know, only Air Nomads could fly like that." Zuko answered before turning to the rest of his men. "Prepare for battle. And prepare the komodo rhinos as well just in case the avatar decides to retreat with the rest of those savages."
The men saluted and went to relay said orders to the rest of the crew.
Iroh had to give his nephew that. Prince Zuko wouldn't want any mistakes in capturing his prize.
They were just passing by a huge glacier when there was a sudden cracking noise. Before they know it, several tons of ice and snow suddenly dropped on top of the ship's deck, almost overturning the vessel with the sudden addition of weight.
"What the hell?" Zuko cursed. It took several minutes but they finally managed to right themselves. Too bad they can't say the same about the boat. All that added weight is tilting the entire vessel about thirty degrees to the side. "All engine stop. To all men, I want a head count and damage report! All those able fire benders are ordered to the deck to clear out all that ice."
General Iroh, who had just righted himself into standing position, his head bleeding when he hit his head on the control panel, said gravely, "I think those so-called savages are more dangerous than we anticipated."
Zuko gritted his teeth as he agreed, especially when the fog thickened so much that visibility has become a problem. It was too coincidental to be anything naturally made. He could barely make out his men, at least a dozen of them, swarming the deck using their firebending to melt the ice and snow.
Suddenly, a shout came out of the fog and one of the firebenders disappeared from sight. Another shout was heard and another of his men disappeared from site.
Zuko immediately shouted, "Enemy on deck. All men form a circle, back to back!"
The men, only ten of them left, using their flames to tell where the others are, moved into a tight circle until all of them are back to back, facing the fog, ready for any attack. Seeing that his men are ready for a moment, Zuko ran down from the bridge towards the deck.
Suddenly, twirling sounds was heard all around them. Seconds later, six clangs and six shouts were heard before six of the soldiers fell down on deck, unconscious, the backs of their helmets inverted inward.
Zuko, arriving just in time to see his men fall, shouted, "Get those men below deck, now! And watch the entrance in case the enemy tries to follow you!"
The four remaining men did exactly what was ordered and grabbed their unconscious comrades into the bowel of the ship.
Zuko heightened all his senses, trying to get a glimpse of the unknown enemy within the fog.
Hearing the slash before it came, he quickly crossed his arms above his head, managing to deflect the slash with his metal armband. Pushing the blade away, he countered with a flaming kick that the enemy managed to avoid to retreat back into the fog. Whoever he is, Zuko thought, he's an expert in hit and run tactics.
The unseen enemy made several attempts but Zuko managed to deflect all of them. Both he and enemy seem to be in a stalemate. He had recieve a few slashes when the enemy's knives came a bit close. He was also able to inflict a few burns on said enemy. But neither combatants have managed to score a critical blow on each other.
Then, he heard the tail tale sound of several swirling objects all around him. He readied himself for the coming attack but it seems his Uncle Iroh have other plans.
"Get down, Zuko!" Came Iroh's urgent voice somewhere on deck.
Heeding his uncle's word for once, Zuko drop flat into the floor of the deck just in time to dodge a huge blast of fire that came out of nowhere. The heat generated was so hot that it instantly blew away the fog, as well as the six boomerangs that would have made real damage on him if they had connected.
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Sokka had victory on his sight. Thanks to the Fire Nation's red uniform, he was able to make out the position of his lone enemy in the fog. Deciding to finish off the fight, he let loose all his boomerangs in a wide arc towards the single enemy. They would have hit him too if that sudden blast of fire came out of nowhere and blasted his weapons back to him.
He managed to catch all of his boomerang on his hands just in time to use them as an improvised shield against the sudden blast of fire.
Crossing his boomerangs in front of him, he managed to deflect the worst f the attack but the force of it still managed to do some damaged, almost throwing him overboard. Checking himself, he found his right leg and left arm had been burned.
Sheathing all but one boomerang, he look up to see his cover blown away. He cursed himself upon seeing the familiarity in the face of the old man and the soldier with the burn mark on his face looking at him in surprise.
He knows he had seen those two faces before but for the life of him, he couldn't remember where or when.
Pushing aside such thoughts for the moment, he raised his single boomerang in front of him, readying himself for the coming attacks, particularly from the hot headed vanished prince.
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"A child?" Iroh asked in awe at seeing the enemy for the first time. The boy seems to be fourteen to sixteen years of age but his gray armor and gray and black face paint makes him look much older and menacing. It also makes him look like a gray wolf from afar. He could see his last attack had made significant damage on the kid since he could see blood dripping from his arm and leg, as well as the way he's shaking while trying to maintain standing up.
But the most significant thing about this young warrior is the aura surrounding him. Looking more closely, the old man could just make out the silhouette of a wolf blanketing him. This boy, he had been touched by the spirits.
Zuko, seeing an opportunity for some payback, took a menacing step forward, preparing himself to unleash hell. "So, you are the savage that had the gull to attack me and my men? I will show you no mercy, fool. Give me the Avatar and maybe I'll make your death painless."
"Say's the guy who was about to attack a village of defenseless women and children. And you got a few screw loose if you think I'll hand over anything to you. I am Sokka of the Southern Water Tribe. I will never yield to you honor less bastards!" Sokka shot back with equal venom.
"Then you just earn yourself a one way ticket to the Spirit World!" Zuko shot back just before shooting a blast of flame at the injured boy.
Sokka knew he wouldn't have enough time to dodge so he prepared himself to minimize the attack, not that he needed to since a blast of compressed air blasted the fire attack before reaching him.
Both firebenders was in shock when a bald monk came out of nowhere and placed himself between them and the injured Water Tribe warrior.
"An airbender? You're the Avatar?" Zuko asked in shock.
Instead of answering, Aang used his staff to throw several air blasts at both Iroh and Zuko, keeping them back as Katara swoop down on Appa to get her injured brother.
"You sure took your sweet time." Sokka complained at his sister but his eyes tell how glad it is to see her.
"Come on, Sokka, while Aang distracts them." Katara said urgently as she help her brother into the bison.
They were already airborne when Katara called out, "Aang, let's go! I got Sokka!"
"Coming, Katara!" The monk answered, preparing to make a jump.
"Oh no you don't! You're mine, Avatar." Zuko redoubled his efforts and shot baast after blast of flames at the very agile monk.
One lucky fire blast managed to push the Avatar overboard, his staff flying out of his hands towards the deck.
"Aang!" Katara and Sokka shouted in concern as their friend fell into the icy waters. But they didn't have worry themselves since a few seconds later, Aang resurfaced, his eyes and arrow tattoos shining brightly, a huge column of water trailing him like a body of a giant snake.
"Man, he looks pissed. Now that is what I call waterbending." Sokka can't help but say.
Aang landed back on the deck of the ship, the water forming a huge ring around him. Zuko and Iroh tried blasting flames at him but the water protected him from the blasts. Then, with an angry gesture, Aang blasted them with the water, pushing them hard against the railing of the ship, stunning them for the moment.
As Katara landed Appa into the deck, Aang started swinging on his feet, the glow on his eyes and tattoo disappearing. Luckily for him, Katara managed to catch him before he fell unconscious into the floor. She pulled him on top of Appa as Sokka pick up his discarded staff. Appa flew as soon as all of them had gotten on him.
"Darn it!" Zuko shouted in anger as he saw them escaping. He gave a look at his uncle who nodded back at him. Together, they shot a huge blast of fire at the retreating kids and their bison.
Fortunately for the kids, Aang managed to wake up just in time to counter the fire blast with a blast of compressed air, diverting the fire to the side, hitting the glacier and thus dropping another few tons of ice and snow on top of the fire nation ship.
The sudden shift of balance had thrown Zuko overboard.
"Prince Zuko!" Iroh shouted in concern as he ran to the railings.
Hearing the shout, Aang and the others turned to look and grimaced at the falling firebender.
Sokka, feeling a sudden panic that came out of nowhere, took out one of his boomerangs and let it fly.
Zuko would have fallen into the icy waters and probably die if that boomerang didn't appear out of nowhere and buried itself on the side of the ship where he is to pass, thus providing him with an object to hold on to save himself from the fall.
"Darn it!" Zuko couldn't help but grit his teeth in anger. Not only did he fail to capture the Avatar, his dignity was tarnished by being saved by the enemy. He glared at the flying bison disappearing into the horizon. He would need to be fast to catch up with them.
He could already hear his uncle barking orders to the men.
It took several moments before Zuko is safely back into the bridge of the ship, his uncle beside him while the rest of the men are fixing up the ship to go after the Avatar. In his hand is the boomerang that had saved his life. He's been examining it since he was brought back onto the ship.
"You know, my nephew, considering everything that happened today, we should be grateful for all the good news." Iroh said sagely.
"Good news? What good news?" Zuko snarled. "Not only did we failed from capturing the Avatar, half of my men had been incapacitated by a kid younger than me. Two of five of our komodo rhinos are injured, it would take half a day just to clear the deck of all that ice, and the ship would require some serious repair before we could go after our prey."
"You are right. But you neglect to realize that after years of fruitless search, we had finally found the Avatar. The greatest threat to the Fire Lord, is but a child. Furthermore no one was seriously injured. That boy, Sokka I believe, was not aiming to kill. If he did, then eight of our soldiers would be dead. I have no doubt the entire crew is already talking about his skills. They even started calling him the Southern Wolf."
"The Southern Wolf, huh?" Zuko wanted to deny such claims but he knew for a fact that the Water Tribe boy is very skilled for someone so young. And the boy, Sokka, does resemble a wolf in battle, in both appearances, as well as in the danger he represents. He examined the boomerang in his hand, the same weapon that almost defeated him as well as saved his life. Finally, he said, "Fitting."
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"Why the heck did I do that? What in La's name did I do something as stupid as that?" Sokka kept asking himself for a while now as he, his sister, and Aang fly off into the sky on the bison Appa.
"I think you did the right thing." Aang said, consoling him as he steers Appa away from the enemy ship.
"Aang's right, Sokka. You save a man's life. I'm very proud of you." His sister added with pride on her voice as she dresses his wounds.
"I'm not talking about that!" Sokka suddenly blurted, earning him a questioning look from his sister and his new airbending buddy. "Do you have any idea how hard it is to make my boomerang? Why the heck did I purposely leave it behind like that?"
Aang gave him a confuse look while Katara groaned knowing better than to think about knowing her brother's priorities. But still, both felt very proud at what he did. They were at awe at how he almost single-handedly fought off an entire ship of Fire Nation soldiers and then saving an enemy at the end.
"Anyway, what are we going to do now? I mean, we can't risk going back now unless we want to risk those Fire Nation soldiers following us home." Katara asks suddenly.
"I'm sorry for everything." Aang said, regret in his voice. "It's my fault those soldiers went after you guys."
Sokka, being the understanding young man he is, gave the dejected boy a slap on the back of the head as he said, "Regret doesn't suit you, Aang. Those guys would go after us sooner or later. At least for now we represent a better target than a village of defenseless women and children. As long as we stay away they'll leave the village alone. The question now is where should we go?"
Properly chastised now, Aang said excitedly, "How about we go to my place? The Southern Air Temple is just a few days travel from here."
"I think that's a great idea. What do you think, Sokka?"
"Well, it's a destination at least. Okay, Aang. Let's head over there. We'll think about where to go next later."
"Great! Hear that, Appa? We're going home. Yip yip!"
Their destination set, the three friends and their bison companion flew into the beginning of their great adventure.
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