MAYA [Book 1 - Water]

Chapter 18 - Lies From Within

-Zuko's Point of View-

I went to the ship's deck and there I saw my uncle burning a piece of paper. "Uncle?" I asked. "Oh, Zuko, you're awake." Uncle said as he threw the burning paper into the sea. 

"What was that?" I asked once more. "Nothing. It's just a scrap I found from my shelves." Uncle answered. 

Something's off...

"Have you had breakfast already? I'm starving. Come now, my nephew." Uncle said as he stretched out his arms and started walking inside. 

I looked at the water where he threw the paper. Why do I feel like my uncle is hiding something from me?

"Zuko?" I heard Uncle call. I looked at him and then I said, "Yes, I'm right behind you." And then I looked at the sea once more. 

"Prince Zuko, that paper was nothing. Don't mind it." Uncle said and then he walked towards me and pulled me away from the ship's edge. 

"Why don't we go inside and eat? I bet the cook has prepared something great." Uncle said with a smile. He started walking inside the cabin and I went along with him. 

There's really something in that paper. I don't think it's just some scrap. I think it's a letter, but from who?

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-Maya's Point of View-

"Ugh... I'm hungry..." Aang complained while lying on top of a rock. "Tell me about it..." I agreed to him while exhaustingly lying on the ground.

"Relax guys, I'm sure Sokka will be back soon..." Katara said. "He's taking too long..." Aang argued. 

We're now here in the middle of the forest, near an almost dried-up river. It's almost dinner time and all of us are now hungry. The food that King Bumi packed for us only lasted for two days. 

Sokka said he will go look for food in the forest with Momo, but they've been gone for hours and he still hasn't come back. Did he get in trouble perhaps?

Suddenly we heard footsteps. I quickly sat up and looked at where it was coming from. "Sokka!" I exclaimed as soon as I saw him from a distance.

"Great you're back! What's for dinner?" Aang asked as he stood up. Momo flew to where Katara was and Sokka followed behind him. Aang and I went closer to where the siblings have gathered.

We formed a circle as Sokka discussed with us what he has gotten. "We've got a few options," Sokka said as he rummages inside the bag he brought. Ooh! I hope it's some kind of fresh fruit! I'd love to have some fresh pears right now!

"First, round nuts-- and some kind of oval-shaped nuts. There's also some rock-shaped nuts, that might just be rocks." Sokka said as he one by one took out a few nuts and threw the last one that looked like a rock. 

Sokka poured out the whole content of the bag, revealing a number of nuts and then he exclaimed, "Dig in!" 

That's it? Nuts? You've been gone for hours and all you've found is nuts?

"Seriously... What else you got?" Katara asked Sokka. "Well, that's it. I didn't find anything. The forest was like robbed of its wild habitat and the river's been dried." Sokka answered.