WHALE BONE KNIFE ── sokka

iv. ────── the southern air temple

Azari moved to collect water to snuff out the flames as Aang and Katara gathered their belongings; she had put everything she owned in her over-the-shoulder bag. Sokka remained in his sleeping bag, next to the fire, still hoping to continue his dream.

From where Azari stood, she could hear Katara warn Aang about what they might find at the Southern Air Temple; about what the Fire Nation did all those one hundred years ago.

No one wanted to be the one to tell Aang that he may be the only airbender left in the world. While Azari was pouring the water over the burning embers of the fire, the feeling in her gut pulled at her again, trying to take over her body. She closed her eyes, pausing to take a breath and gather herself. And finally, it went away, just like the embers.

Aang jumped off Appa's head. "Wake up, Sokka! Air Temple, here we come!" His energetic energy was far too contagious, making Azari smile just a little, though not before remembering what had happened just the day before.

"Ugh," Sokka mumbled. "Sleep now, temple later." He had rolled away from Aang. Azari and Katara had managed to finish packing their supplies as Aang picked up a stick and walked towards Sokka's sleeping bag.

"Sokka! Wake up! There's a prickle snake in your sleeping bag!" Aang feigned concern, moving the stick up and down, mimicking the feeling of the snake, freaking the Water Tribe boy out.

"Get it off! Get it off!" Azari stifled a laugh behind her hand as Sokka jumped up in his sleeping bag, tripping and falling into the dirt.

"Great! You're awake. Now we can go!" Aang called, turning to hop back on top of Appa. And within a few moments, everyone was seated in the saddle as they took off flying towards the Southern Air Temple.

Azari glazed at the mountain range as Aang excitedly spoke with Katara about the Southern Air Temple. Looking away, she thought about the scene that they might find. Azari was more than aware of how Sozin had sent the Fire Nation Army to massacre the airbender race; it was an 'essential' part of the history she was forced to learn growing up in the Fire Nation. From her very first lesson, she had been taught that Sozin had ushered a new era of prosperity for the Fire Nation, but conveniently left out the trauma and suffering, the anguish that was inflicted on the other nations.

Azari rolled her eyes as Sokka complained about being hungry. In the short time that the four of them had been travelling together, Sokka had not been shy about expressing his feelings and hatred for the Fire Nation, and thus, by extension, Azari, despite the fact that she could not firebend. Although Katara hasn't said anything explicitly, she assumes that she didn't fully trust her either. Azari couldn't say that she was surprised, but she couldn't help but go down a rabbit hole of how Aang might react to her after discovering the truth about the airbenders.

When she asked Iroh where else she would go, she was not lying when she said that there was nowhere she could go. She was a prisoner, a weapon of the Fire Nation. She had lived her life as if she were truly a part of the royal family, though she was not. Azari had learnt about the genocide the Fire Nation committed against the airbenders, and the mulitute of other crimes they carried out.

Azari wouldn't be surprised if the Fire Nation had caused the Water Tribe siblings pain, with the way they were acting.

Sighing softly, Azari moved to sit cross-legged at the back of the saddle, and worked one controlling her breathing to help calm her ranging thoughts. She knotted her fingers together in her lap, closing her eyes as she took deep breath through her nose, and let it out through her mouth. Azari focused on her posture and balance; she tried not to let her thoughts wander to the horrid memories of her past.

"What is she doing?" Katara asked, looking to and from Azari and Aang, like he would have an answer.

Sokka scoffed, glaring at her. "Some Fire Nation mind trick, no doubt."