The Legend of Arin

CHAPTER TWELVE: RESCUE MISSION

SOKKA HAD GOTTEN INTENSELY SICK DURING THE STORM TWO DAYS AGO. They were crashing at abandoned ruins. The boy was curled up in his water tribe sleeping bag, a warm fire a little bit away to not have it too cold. Katara was concernedly sitting next to her brother, Aang sitting in front of them.

Arin, on the other hand, had been standing at the ruined pillars staring at the clouded sky. Yesterday, Katara had said she looked like she was bending the storm. That was impossible. The Avatar wiped out the stormbenders during their reign thousands of years ago, there was no way she could be one. It had to be a coincidence. The thunder rumbling and lightning struck when she got mad, the storm calming as soon as she destroyed the wave, her powerful bending. It was all coincidence.

Arin looked down at her neck, fiddling with the necklace around her neck. She had stolen it from the pirates and it seemed to make her bending stronger. Even if that was the case, she didn't know what it was. It looked like a pretty necklace, but she felt like it was more than that.

She turned back once she heard her name being called and her eyes landed on Aang.

"Hm?" She hummed.

"Are you coming with me to the herbalist?" She assumed it was for Sokka, but Katara violently coughing seemed to say they needed more urgency in finding a cure for their sickness.

"Yeah." She said half-mindedly. They were hidden deep in the ruins, there was no way anyone would find them. She'd run out with Aang, find a cure, and help the siblings. Aang opened his glider before a bolt of lightning struck the sky.

"Maybe it's safer on foot," Arin suggested and Aang nodded. The two used air bending to jump down to ground level and run toward where the herbalist was supposed to be located.

They were running quite fast, to say the least. Zooming past a watch tower that Aang hadn't even paid attention to. It seemed he had a high priority for Sokka and Katara. Not that Arin didn't, it was just insane how fast Aang was running. She could keep up, for sure, but woah.

They ran up a flight of stairs and finally were met with a small town. They ran into a hut, hoping it was the herbalist. They seemed to be right because once they entered, dozens of plants surrounded them.

"Hello, I'm sorry to barge in like this, but I need some medicine for my friends," Aang said urgently. "They have fevers and they've been coughing-"

"Settle down, young man." The old lady they walked up to told him. "Your friends are going to be fine. I've been up here for over 40 years, you know. Used to be others, but they all left years ago. Now it's just me and Miyuki." She pet her cat.

"That's nice," Arin said with a tight-lipped smile.

"Wounded Earth Kingdom troops still come by now and again. Brave boys, and thanks to my remedies, they always leave in better shape than when they arrive." She crushed something in her mortar.

"That's nice. Are you almost done?" He pointed at the mixture she had.

"Hold on. I just need to add one last ingredient. Oh, sandalwood? Oh, yes- No, that won't do." She began wandering through the greenhouse searching for her last ingredient. Aang impatiently tapped his foot, sliding his hand over his face. Arin bumped him and gave him a look that silently said 'Be patient'. The boy groaned quietly and crossed his arms, waiting.

"Oh, here's what I was looking for. Plum blossom." The lady plucked it from a tree and added it to her mix.

"Finally. Thanks for all your help." Aang reached for the bowl and Arin smacked his hands annoyedly.