ZERA'S TALE » Sokka x OC

1.02

Zera wasn't sure how long they'd been sailing towards the last surviving village of the Southern Water Tribe, and she couldn't find it in her to care that her brother was close to restoring his honor. Their father may welcome Zuko back upon his success, but Zera wasn't held in the same regard by her father. If they were accepted back into palace life, Zera would be nothing more than target practice for Azula on a good day. On a bad day...

Zera wasn't ready to tackle that train of thought. Instead, she kept herself busy, heading above deck when she felt the ship's speed change as the bow split through an ice shelf. Ahead of them, past the folded up gang plank at the helm, was a small huddle of igloos and tents surrounded by a neglected outer wall and half melted tower of snow that Zera could only assume was a watch post. A pathetic one, she thought to herself with an amused half smile.

As they drew closer to the village, Zera spotted a lone warrior standing at the top of the outer wall. She couldn't help but notice how young he looked under his grey and black war paint. He couldn't be any older than her brother.

"Zuko, watch out for that boy," Zera called over to him, knowing the helmsman wouldn't listen to her after being chewed out for making that error in the past.

"No. He will learn what happens to those who oppose the Fire Nation," Zuko told her impatiently, already donned in his full Fire Nation armor as he adjusted his fire emblem crested helmet. "Why aren't you wearing your armor? You look like a slob, are you even taking this seriously?" He scoffed at her in only her training tunic, pants, and traveling boots. Her hair wasn't even in a tidy topknot, dark wisps falling around her face and spilling down the nape of her neck.

"Ouch, Your Highness. You know I live to serve the Crown however I can," Zera simpered mockingly before giggling at the angry flush on her brother's cheeks. Too easy. "Calm down, this kid won't be much of a threat and I don't see any other fighters. No use dirtying good armor for nothing." With that, she practiced a few flips on her way to the gang plank, kicking and jabbing at imaginary opponents as her brother stalked his way next to her.

Zera let her brother take the lead, still brooding as he stalked down the ramp. The young warrior charged at them fearlessly, and Zera couldn't help but admire his bravery in the situation. Shame, then, that Zuko doesn't have the patience for bravery, she sighed to herself. Zuko, indeed, made short work of the warrior, first kicking the club out of the boy's hand before swiping his leg at the fighter's chest, knocking him into the slushy remains of the ramshackle ice wall.

"That was a good one, you've been practicing the forms I taught you," Zera chirped from Zuko's side, feeling a little pang of guilt as she watched the Water Tribe boy struggle to free himself from the snow.

"Shut it," Zuko growled over his shoulder as he paced along the crowd in the middle of the small tribal village. "Where are you hiding him?" He addressed the tribe, a deep line furrowed between his brows.

Zera sighed, the pang of guilt turning into a constant, nagging tug as she looked at the scared and confused faces of the remnants of the Southern Water Tribe. Knowing their lack of response would anger her brother, she worried what he would do whilst lashing out in anger. They're all kids and elders, she realized with a frown, all the able bodied warriors are gone, and their water benders were wiped out years ago.

"He'd be about this age, master of all elements," Quick as a shot, Zuko lashed out, snatching an elderly woman by her fur hood and dragging her closer to him. Zera gritted her teeth at the fear and desperation carved into the faces of the Tribe, kids.

"Zuko, stop. He's not here, these are just kids," Zera muttered, just loud enough for her brother to hear. Scoffing at her over his shoulder, he forced the old woman back into the arms of her family after a moment of silence and blank stares from the tribe.