Avatar: The Last Airbender

Part 22 (The Serpent's Pass) [Book 2]

"Waterbending bomb!" Katara shouted, jumping into the body of water that sat at the end of a waterfall. She connected with the water, a loud gasp leaving you as the splash reached several feet high, crashing down on everyone.

Aang and Toph laughed while Sokka shook out a piece of parchment.

"Sure. Five-thousand-year old map from the Spirit library. Just splash some water on them."

"Sorry." Katara apologized, wringing out her hair, as you bended the water out of the map and returned it to the water.

Aang turned his smile to Sokka. "So, did you figure out what route we're going to take?"

Sokka sat the map down on the ground, everyone gathering around to see. "Okay, so we just got out of the desert, so we must be around here." He mused, pointing at the map. He moved his hand up. "And we need to go to Ba Sing Se, which is here. It looks like the only path that's connecting the south and the north is this sliver of land called 'the serpent's pass'."

"You're sure that's the best way to go?" Toph questioned, her arms crossed.

"It's the only way. I mean, it's not like we have Appa to fly us there."

"Shush up about Appa." Katara whispered. "Can't you at least try to be sensitive?"

Everyone turned to Aang to see how he would react.

Although his smile was gone, replaced with a frown, it wasn't the pure rage that he had shown in the desert. "Katara, it's okay. I know I was upset about losing Appa before, but I just want to focus on getting to Ba Sing Se and telling the Earth King about the solar eclipse."

Everyone started at him in shock, except Toph, before Katara spoke up again.

"Oh. Well, okay. I'm glad you're doing better."

"Then to Ba Sing Se we go!" Sokka declared, standing and rolling up the map. "No more distractions!"

As if on cue, you'd swear on your life that it was, three people emerged from out behind one of the giant rocks that surrounded you.

"Hello, fellow refugees!" A man spoke, grinning and waving.

You glanced over at Sokka as the others went to go see what was going on. "You should really just start keeping your mouth shut."

Sokka sighed, looking down at you. "I really should, shouldn't I?"

You chuckled, grabbing Sokka's arm and pulling him with you. "Come on."

"So are you guys going to Ba Sing Se, too?" Aang questioned as you approached.

"Sure are." The same man as before spoke. "We're trying to get there before my wife Ying has her baby."

"Great!" Katara exclaimed. "We can travel through the serpent's pass together."

The group reeled back, alarmed. Why did they look scared?

"The serpent's pass?" The wife- Ying, asked. "Only the truly desperate take that deadly route."

"Deadly route." Toph echoed. She punched Sokka's arm with such force that he fell over. "Great pick, Sokka."

Sokka stood, rubbing his arm as he defensively said, "well, we are desperate."

"You should come with us to Full Moon Bay." The husband offered. "Ferry's take refugees across the lake. It's the fastest way to Ba Sing Se."