Avatar: The Last Airbender

Part 15 (The Swamp) [Book 2]

Flying over a large swamp in silence was not what you'd consider a good time. Katara was looking at the map, Sokka was sharpening his weapon, and Aang was sitting on Appa's head, though he was also looking at the swamp below.

"Hey, you taking us down for a reason?" Sokka asked. Getting no response, he tried again. "Aang! Why are we going down?!"

"What? I didn't even notice." Aang replied, wiping his forehead.

"I didn't, either." You admitted quietly. "It must be the size of it. It's playing tricks on our eyes."

"Are you noticing now?" Sokka questioned. Appa was flying lower, and at a greater speed.

"Is something wrong?" Katara inquired, stepping forward.

"I know this is going to sound weird....but I think the swamp is calling to me." Aang confessed.

"Is it telling you where we can get something to eat?" Sokka asked, his hand on his stomach.

"No. I- I think it wants us to land there." Aang replied.

"No offense to the swamp, but I don't see any land there to land on." Sokka admitted, shrugging his shoulders.

"I don't know. Bumi said to learn earthbending I would have to wait and listen. And now I'm actually hearing the earth."

You cocked an eyebrow. "This is freaking me out." You admitted.

"Do you want me to ignore it?" Aang asked. You, Katara, Sokka and Momo all looked over the edge of Appa's saddle.

"Yes." Sokka informed.

"I don't know." Katara started. "There's something ominous about that place." There was silence for a few moments, until Momo hid in the saddle, and Appa let out a roar.

"See? Even Appa and Momo don't like it here." Sokka noted.

"Okay. Since everyone feels so strongly about this, bye, swamp." Aang flicked the reigns. "Yip, yip."

Appa rose higher into the air, and a tornado appeared out of nowhere, following the crew.

"You'd better throw in an extra 'yip'. We gotta move!" Sokka shouted. Aang steered Appa, zipping and zagging everywhere, but the tornado seemed to be following you. It was tearing up trees, and it was closing in. Sokka began to be lifted into the air, because he didn't have ahold of the saddle. You grabbed his wrist and grunted, trying to keep a strong grip on him, and the saddle.

Aang jumped over and put an air-bubble around Appa, making the air inside normal. Sokka fell, landing on the saddle with a thud. Aang fought hard to keep the bubble, but the pressure of the harsh winds outside eventually triumphed. You were all scooped up into the air, and thrown into the swamp. You, Sokka and Katara landed with a thud, but Aang used airbending just before he hit the swamp water, causing him to land softly. Sokka sat up, groaning.

"Where's Appa and Momo?" Aang asked as you helped Sokka up. You groaned quietly.

"Oh, no." You muttered. "Don't tell me."

"I'm gonna go see if I can find them from the top of this tree." Aang determined, hopping up it. You watched him, waiting anxiously.

"Sokka, you've got an elbow leech." Katara informed.

"Where!? Where!?" Sokka shouted, spinning around.

"Where do ya think?" She asked, crossing her arms.

"Why do things keep attaching to me!?" Sokka yelled, ripping the leech off his elbow and throwing it, barely missing his sister. Aang suddenly swung in on a vine.