𝐖𝐀𝐓𝐂𝐇 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐈𝐍𝐅𝐄𝐑𝐍𝐎 𝐁𝐔𝐑𝐍 ꩜ prince zuko

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CHAPTER EIGHT

        "HEY YAN, WHO ARE those skinny guys in green who walk around the city?" Sokka asked, glancing at the figures moving silently near the sidelines of the crowd. Yan shot a quick look at the Water Tribe boy, her gaze narrowing as a Dai Li informant passed by. She fought back a scoff, her eyes lingering on the agent with visible disapproval before she turned her attention back to the group.

        "They're called the Dai Li. They're supposed to act like law enforcement around here, but they're corrupt to the core and they've allied themselves with the Fire Nation. Honestly, they're a bunch of scummy sons of bitches if you ask me." she answered hotly, shooting a deadly glare at the back of the Dai Li informant's head as he walked away. The rest of Team Avatar exchanged uneasy glances before quietly continuing down the street.

        The group of teenagers stepped into a mostly empty supply shop tucked between two larger buildings, the cashier behind the counter eyeing the newcomers who entered. Katara and Yan moved through the aisles, gathering stacks of blank parchment, brushes, and bottles of ink. Sokka had suggested making fliers, hoping someone in the city might have seen Aang's flying bison. Once they'd paid for the supplies, the group headed back to their safe house, ready to put their plan into action.

        Once they were safely inside the walls of their temporary home, Yan turned to the group. "I should warn you all: this city is steeped in corruption. No matter who you ask, no one's going to openly tell you where Appa is. People here are terrified of what might happen if they're caught revealing the city's secrets. If we want to find him, we'll have to do it ourselves and ignore anyone who tries to stand in our way." she explained as the others nodded. Katara placed the stack of parchment and supplies in the center of the table.

        "Look! I know how we're going to see the Earth King like Sokka has been trying to do!" she said excitedly, holding onto a thick stack of papers.

        "How are we going to do that? One doesn't just pop in on the Earth King!" Toph remarked sarcastically, leaning her head against her hand as she sat cross-legged on the floor.

        "The King is having a party at the palace tonight for his pet bear." Katara continued. At the mention of a bear, everyone exchanged confused looks.

        "You mean platypus-bear?" Aang asked as he lay on a banister.

        "No, it just says 'bear'."

        "Certainly you mean his pet skunk-bear?"

        "Or his armadillo-bear?"

        "Gopher-bear?"

        "Just... bear. The palace will be packed; we can sneak in with the crowd." Katara continued after everyone's suggestions on the Earth King's pet were finalized.

        "Won't work. No offense to you simple country folk, but a real society crowd could spot you a mile away. You've got no manners." Toph lounged on her back, casually pointing toward Katara as she began picking at her ear. Yan gave an approving nod, clearly agreeing with the blunt observation.

        "I hate to admit it, but she's right. High society in this city is incredibly formal and traditional. They've got their own set of rules and over-the-top manners that honestly make you question their sanity. Trust me, I've spent enough time around the upper class in my seventeen years to know it's easy to spot an outsider in a crowd." she explained as she agreed with Toph's statement. As she spoke, Katara crossed her arms, clearly not thrilled by the critique.

        "Excuse me? I've got no manners? Toph, you're not exactly Lady Fancyfingers. And Yan, you dressed and acted like a boy when you were in the military." Katara mentioned, frowning deeply.