Avatar The Afterlife (DISCOUNTED)

Chapter 4 | Kinto

Chapter 4

The days were getting longer and longer and longer. My hunger grew and grew and grew. The chains on my wrists were getting tighter and more uncomfortable. What day is it Thursday Monday I don't know. The warden has been planning, this is all a trap he wants the throne and the Avatar dead at any cost. I know Zuko will come for me, right into the wardens trap.

I'm cold and wet and tired. The sky is pitch black and all I feel is pain, So I closed my eyes and let all my worries disappear. "Sokka are you okay buddy?" Zuko said. I opened my eyes slightly to see a pretty blue sky and Zuko. I use all my strength and sit up. "Aang thank goodness you're awake." Zuko said surprisingly. "Yeah I just have a really bad headache." I looked around to see Sokka and Katara passed out beside me. "Sokka, Katara are you guys okay!" I crawl over to Katara and flip her over to see one of her eyes barely open. "Katara, it's okay I'm right here." I said trying to comfort her, all I got was a slight smile before she closed her eyes. "Oh no oh no!" I panicked crawling over to Zuko and Sokka, Sokka was awake but just laying there not wanting to talk. "Zuko are you alright?" "Yeah I didn't get hurt as bad as these too." "Appa!" I used the rest of my strength to jump off and examine him. He opened his eyes and let out a small grunt of pain, yet again my eyes started to tear up out of sadness for my old friend. "If only Katara was better, when she wakes up she can heal Appa and we can get to the village. I walked around him and saw a gash on the side of his body and an arrow sticking out of it. I hugged Appa and let out a sad sob. "Oh Appa, it's okay..." I stepped away and whipped the tears from my cheeks and took a deep breath. "Zuko we need to do something." "Yeah I agree, we can't just sit here, I'm worried about Sokka and Katara." "Then it's settled. I'll take my glider and go look for someone to help us." Zuko looked concerned at first then he gave me a confident nod. I jump back on Appa and grab some food and water and my staff. "I'll be back soon. Zuko take good care of them, please." "Don't worry we'll be okay." We exchanged glances and then I took off.

The weather was nice, a slight breeze but nothing concerning. I spent the whole flight worrying about Mai, Appa, Sokka, and Katara. Things were just getting worse. The scenery was pretty, tall spruce trees, long winding streams, and fluffy white clouds. "What am I doing to doubt I can reach the village by sunset and then bring people back!" I shouted to myself. I felt guilty for leaving them, I hope nothing happens. I noticed I drifted off and quickly got back on track focusing on finding someone, anyone.

After hours and hours of flying, Just me and my thoughts a village came into view. Finally I thought my body was sore from the fall and from staying in the same position for hours. The town looked like there were 50 houses and they weren't all in the best condition. I landed right in front of a water fountain that was falling apart and a small patch of the ground was drenched in water. I walked past it to see a lonely village. Everyone must be sleeping, I thought. I wandered around looking into windows and peaking all around, until I saw a people! "Hello!" I announced. Before they could respond a hand wrapped around my mouth and pulled me into an alleyway. Once we were out a view of the men they let go of my mouth. I turned around quickly to see a girl, she had platinum blonde hair, light freckles and a watertribe robe. "What was that for?" I asked. "Sorry to scare you but you don't want to mess with those guys, Im Kinto!" "Hi, I'm Aang nice to meet you." "You're the avatar, nice to meet you too." "Where are you from? I see you are wearing a water tribe robe?" "I am from the northern watertribe!" "Wait are you a waterbender?!" I said loudly. She quickly covered my mouth. "Follow me to my house there we can talk. She motioned for me to follow her down the alley and through a few twists and turns until we reached a small wooden house. "Come inside!" I walked inside to see an old lady cooking and the smell of soup filled my noise. "Nana this is Aang." The old lady looked up and gave me a disappointing stare. "Kinto I told you to stop bringing boys back here I'm sick of it." My face turned bright red out of embarrassment. "No no Nana he's just a friend okay, just a friend." The lady looked back down at her soup as she continued stirring. Kinto motioned for me to follow her to what I assumed was her room. "Okay so what do you want to know." Kinto said. "I'm wondering if you're a waterbender. I need someone who can heal my friends, I'm a waterbender but not a healer." "Yes I am, just be quiet my Nana doesn't like talking about bending." "Do you think you could heal my friends?" "Yes, anything to get me out of this village!" Kinto whispered. "Then we leave tomorrow." I was a little nervous about taking Kinto with me, I didn't trust her completely yet but there was something good about her. "Do you need somewhere to stay?" Kinto asked. "Yeah actually I just came here on my glider and my friends are deep in the woods a day's walk from here. "Well that's okay you're free to stay here." She said as she gave me a happy smile. "Thank you very much Kinto" I said while bowing down. She gave me a blanket and I slept on the floor, I went to bed worrying about the rest of the gang. I missed Katara's kisses before bed, I hope she's okay.

I woke up to Kinto shaking me awake, I didn't want to get up even if the floor wasn't super comfortable but I proceeded to open my eyes. "Wake up Aang we gotta go before my Nana wakes up." I got up and stretched to see Kinto's eager face sitting on her bed. "So what are we gonna do going on an adventure, my life here is so boring I learned to heal when I was young in the Northern Watertribe but when my parents died my Nana took me here to the most boring village in the world. Kinto ranted. "Well my friends, Katara, Sokka, and Zukko are injured in the forest and my bison Appa we need to heal them and bring them back to the village." "Yes I am so excited!" Kinto said eagerly. I got up, stretched some more and looked around to see the sun rising. "Lets go, be quiet." Kinto said as she stepped outside her room. She led me to the back of her house to see an ostrich horse with a wagon behind it. "This is my ostrich horse Muki!" I walked over and patted Muki's head. "He seems to like you!" Kinto said happily. "Hey I have a thing with animals." I responded smiling back. Kinto jumped on the wagon and I sat next to her, she picked up the rope and signaled Muki to go. "So Katara she's that waterbending girl who you've traveled around with, I messenger man told us when you won the war." Kinto said while blushing, which made me a little uncomfortable. "Yeah my girlfriend and Sokka her brother and Zuko the Firelord." I responded. "Oh okay." She said while turning her head. "So we should only have to travel for one day, hopefully we won't have to camp out and continue tomorrow. She nodded her head and we continued our journey.

Most of the trip we spent talking about the pressure of being to Avatar and learning the elements, and Kinto talked about her parents and learning waterbending until the sun started to set and I felt I grew closer to Kinto, I think I trust her now. I looked up at the sky to see the moon rising. "Great, I guess we will have to set up camp and continue again tomorrow." "I'll grab the blankets and you start a fire."She said. I walked around and grabbed a few logs from the woods and walked back to camp to set up the fire. "Wait! I want to see you firebend!" Kinto said as she quickly ran over to me.I laughed and gave the wood a little spark. "Ohhh firebending." She said. "I'm tired so I'm gonna get some rest." I said as I layed down on the blanket and closed my eyes. Kinto laid down next to me. I tried to sleep but yet again I couldn't. All I could think about is Katara and the rest of the gang. I felt guilty for leaving them, I needed to protect them and if something happens I will never forgive myself. Katara was always here to calm me down I thought so It was a few more hours before I was asleep.

No not this place again, It was the room from my dream a few nights ago. The same men were huddled around me but something was different Katara wasn't over the canyon instead she was right next to the guards. "Katara are you okay!" I screamed. All she did was stand there and smirk at me. "Katara are you okay, what's wrong, help me!" I screamed even louder. My breathing became quicker and my palms sweaty. What did they do to Katara, where am I, I need to wake up! "Wake up come on wake up!" I said shaking back and forth the chains on my arms swaying. I opened my eyes still in the chamber. "Come on come on!" I closed my eyes tight one more time when they opened I was back in the forest. I was panting still terrified from the dream, I looked around wishing Katara was there to comfort me but it was just Kinto and I. "These dreams just get worse and worse." I whispered to myself. I decided to get up and go on a small walk. When I got up I must have made too much noise because Kinto started rubbing her eyes. "Aang why are you up, it's the middle of the night?" She wondered. "I just can't sleep, you know nightmares." She got up and walked over to me, she still looked tired so I felt bad for waking her up. "I understand nightmares suck, wanna take a walk to cool down?" "Sure, that would be nice." I said. We started walking around the forest until a cliffside came into view. "Wow the stars are so pretty tonight lets go sit on the edge!" Kinto said as she ran across the wide stretch to the edge, I quickly followed after trying not to trip over any hidden rocks because the grass was so tall. "Look Aang its big dipper!" Kinto said while pointing up to the stars. I sat down next to her and looked up trying to spot where Kinto was pointing to just a second ago. "I stargaze all the time. I pretty much know where every star is in the sky, see Orion right there and his belt!" She said pointing to different spots in the sky. We sat there looking at the sky until the sun started to rise.

This made me feel a lot better for once I didn't feel the pressure of being the avatar on my shoulders. "Let's pack up and get going. We need to get to the others before midday." I announced. She agreed and we went back to camp to pick up. Kinto put out the fire and I picked up the blankets, we got on Muki and started our journey once again.