𝐒𝐏𝐈𝐑𝐈𝐓𝐒 // zuko

The Abbey

the abbey

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The shirshu followed Katara's scent, which led them through the Earth Kingdom where Team Avatar had travelled.

The entire trip consisted of Saria and June flirting with one another, which made Zuko pout with frustration as he tried keeping his gaze away from them. Unbeknownst to them, Iroh was grinning from ear-to-ear as he watched the love triangle form in front of him. 

Saira gasped as they arrived in a modern town that sat in front of a massive volcano. It was surrounded by a solidified rock wave. It was unlike anything she had witnessed before.

Nyla sprinted through the town. Everyone he had passed screamed in terror until he stopped outside a shop, in which a woman stood out the front of. She was completely unfazed about the monstrous beast that had infiltrated her town, almost as if she expected them to arrive.

"Why are we stopping?" Zuko yelled, annoyed.

"Because the girl must have spent a lot of time here."

"We have no time for this." The boy clenched his fist before reaching for the necklace, startling June as he snatched it from her grasp. Zuko jumped off the saddle and pushed his hand in front of the shirshu's nose, forcing him to sniff the necklace again.

"Zuko! Be careful!" Saria gasped worryingly as Nyla grew irritated at the prince. Zuko had ducked just in time before the beast lashed his tongue out at him. He stood right back up, glaring at Nyla.

"Hey! Watch it!" 

"Oh, look! He likes you." June laughed, Iroh joining her.

Zuko scowled at the woman's remark before returning to the saddle. This time, instead of staying away from Saria, he sat close to her. 

"Are you okay?" She asked as she swiveled her body to look at him.

"I'm fine, let's go."

The elderly woman who stood outside the shop approached them calmly, glancing up at Iroh.

"Care to hear your fortune, handsome?"

"At my age, there's really only one big surprise left, and I'd just as soon leave it a mystery."
The fortune-teller observed as June whipped her shirshu, making him run and climb over the roof of a house, disappearing within the forest.

"What's your tattoo about?" Saria asked the woman in front of her, who twisted her head to examine at the red, coiled snake that was inked on her shoulder.

"It's a copperhead snake. It symbolises Nyla and his toxic paralysing ability. He's my companion for life, without him I'd be dead in a ditch somewhere."

"Where do you come from?"

"I'm from the Earth Kingdom, but I don't have allegiance to any nation, only to the highest bidder."

"Well, if it's any reassurance, I'm glad Iroh's heavy enough for you to agree to assisting us." Saria stated honestly, earning a hearty laugh from June.

"You're cute. It's a shame you're with Prince Pouty over there." She lowered her voice to a whisper so that the boy behind them couldn't hear." He tries to hide it but he's infatuated by you."

Saria furrowed her eyebrows as she blushed. "But I've only known him for two weeks or so. He barely talks to me."

"Are you sure? You two seem to have a history. I can sense it." June returned to face the front. Saria pondered for a moment before binding her arms around June's waist again and leaning her head on the woman's back.