The Avatar's Advisor (HIATUS)

Bato of the Water Tribe

The traveling group runs through a forest. Polu is watching birds fly overhead when he hears Aang call out, "A sword made out of a whale's tooth!"

"Let me see that!"

Polu follows the direction of the voices to find his friends examining a small sword. "That looks like a Water Tribe weapon," he muses.

Sokka nods. "It is. Help us look for anything else that might be nearby."

The prince heads farther downhill, hoping to find something out of the ordinary. After a few moments, Sokka calls the teen's name.

"It's burned," he mutters.

Polu's eyes lock on tree bark near his head. "There was a battle here."

"Water Tribe warriors ambushed a group of firebenders." Sokka runs his hand along the markings in the wood. His gaze runs along the grass on the ground.

"The firebenders fought back, but the warriors drove them downhill."

Polu stares in astonishment as the group follows the tracks. He got all that from just a few details. Sokka is certainly brighter than he acts. He smiles fondly before chasing after his friends.

The prince comes to a stop in front of a large boat.

"Is this Dad's boat?" Katara asks.

Sokka admires the craftsmanship of the vessel. "No, but it's from his fleet. Dad was here."

Polu sighs sadly. Despite his relief for his friends potentially nearing their father, he can't help the grief for his own.

I wish I'd had a relationship like they seem to have. To have a father that genuinely cares for you and does everything in his power to protect you... I'm a little envious.

"Let's camp here for the night. If we're lucky, maybe someone nearby can help us find Dad."

Still, this would be really good for them. I hope he's out there somewhere.

~~~~~

"He has an incredibly... feminine appearance. He would be an honorable offering to the Fire Lord or even a prize for myself."

Zhao's conniving smirk stares down at a kneeling Polu. "Have you come to return yourself to the Fire Nation?"

The scene shifts to outside Avatar Roku's temple. Now, a bloody Zhao grins up at a panting Polu.

"You will always be property of the Fire Nation."

Polu's limbs scream in pain as they are yanked in four different directions. The prince hisses at the hot metal clamped on his hands and feet.

"You have no idea what I could do to you," Zhao hisses.

Polu retorts, "You're the one who almost died last time. I'm not too worried about what you could do."

"I have your little Avatar in custody. If I killed him, what would you do?"

Zhao's smirk etches itself into Polu's memory. "You will forever belong to the Fire Nation."

A fire whip lashes out at the prince, causing him to scream and jerk wildly in an attempt to escape the relentless heat.

"Polu! Polu, wake up!"

The Advisor's eyes shoot open, breath coming in short, painful spurts. When he realizes someone is pinning his arms to the ground, his breathing stops.

Holding him down is none other than Admiral Zhao in all his horrific glory. His wild eyes, his animalistic snarl, even the sheer anger rolling off him.