Runaway Royalty | Zuko

Daul Bender.

Chapter Nine.

We sat around the fire, telling ghost stories, I sat there not paying attention much, I was thinking about Zuko, and the scrolls that were hidden in my bag, everyone has been so hectic lately, and I've stayed so distant away from the group practicing my fire bending none of them got hurt, the only bending I've shown them is the ones I've used to make a fire like this, they have no clue that I'm gaining ability. A sense of control. But also chaos, every single time I do it I think of Zuko and it just makes me so angry. I knew I was losing myself when I was in that anger, I fought back to stay grounded, to not let it consume me.

"No wait, I've got one, and this is a true Southern water tribe story," Katara said.

"Is this one of those a friend of my cousin knew this guy that knew this guy this happened to' story?" Sokka asked.

"No, this happened to Mom," Katara said and everyone sat up. "One winter, when Mom was a girl, a snowstorm buried the whole village for weeks. A month later Mom realized she hadn't seen her friend and Nini since the storm. So Mom and some others went to check on Nini's family. When they got there, no one was home. Just a fire flickering in the fireplace. While the men went to go looking, Mom stayed in the house when she was alone she heard a voice.. 'it's so cold, and I can't get warm.' Mom turned and saw Nini standing at the fireplace. She was blue like she was frozen, mom ran outside for help, but when everyone came back Nini was gone." Katara said ominously.

"Where she goes?"

"No one knows.. her house stands empty to this day. but sometimes, people see smoke coming from the chimney. Like little Nini is still trying to get warm.."

"Yknow I have a story too," I said and they all jumped at my voice. "It's kind of similar, but, this happened to my dad, on his Right Of Passage," I said standing, they all looked at me. "While Dad was on the boat, a storm hit, stopping the Right of Passage from continuing and holding them back from heading home. They set up camp on the thick ice of the North Pole, and began to set up a fire the best they could in their hut for warmth and a way to cook their food." I mumbled playing with the dirt. "The only others there were my Uncle, grandpa, and my dad's friend he barely knew, the four men stranded. My grandpa was abnormally paranoid, see, up in the north, there's an urban legend about the tribe men who go missing in the snow to never return, without a body, or a trace of their existence even being on earth." I said looking up at them, Sokka and Aang clutched onto Katara.

"What the legend?" Sokka stuttered.

"If a group gets stranded, and one of the men resorts to monstrous ways and DEVOURS another man!" I said evilly making them all jump, even Toph. "Their soul corrupts, and they take on a horrid form, called. The Wendigo." I said and they all shook. "This form becomes immortal, cursed to hunt and eat alive any mortal that is lost in the snow unless they turn too. See my tribe depends on this legend, to stay eerie around straying too far on a cloudy day, but my father knows it to be true. When alone in the know they heard pounding of footsteps." I explained. "And saw the tall." I stood. "Contorted, evil being," I said. "The details become blurry, but my father said, all he remembers, is never seeing that friend again, and barely making it out alive, he still has the scars," I said and they all stared at me but Toph gasped.

"Did you hear that!? There's screaming in the mountain." She yelled and I looked at her confused.

"Toph?"

"I-it stopped." She mumbled.

"Hello, children." We all screamed and I got in a fighting stance. "Sorry to frighten you.. my name is Hama. You children shouldn't be out in the forest by yourselves at night. I have an Inn nearby, why don't you come back there for some spiced tea and warm beds.."