Daughter of War❟ ZUKO

𝟬𝟬𝟳 Sokka's Instincts

Chapter Seven
SOKKA'S INSTINCTS

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FEIFEI stands before a wall bathed in shimmering gold light.

The golden hues dance and twirl, weaving themselves into intricate patterns and ancient stories that adorn every inch of the surface. With a sense of wonder, she traces the lines and shapes as they cascade down the walls around her.

The golden stream flows into the cracks, etching the tale of Avatar Suijin's exile from her homeland after a war's abrupt end. Feifei's gaze follows the flow as it reaches the floor, forming a perfect circle from where she stands.

A chill runs through Feifei, and her eyes sting with tears. She reaches for the nearest flame, seeking warmth, and notices stone mirrors hanging nearby. In her reflection, her eyes shine with a bright white light before the whiteness overtakes her vision.

From the white haze emerges a bustling figure, surrounded by vials and scrolls, muttering to herself in a flurry of excitement. Feifei strains to make out the words.

"Master Suijin!" a booming voice interrupts. Another figure steps into view, tall and muscular, standing before the master.

"Xinfei, I'm glad you're here. I thought you might miss our meeting today! How fares the battle at Crescent Island?" Suijin's quill dances across her scrolls.

"The battle plans are set, but I've come for another reason," Xinfei's voice thunders, fists clenched at his sides.

"Is it about our last Avatar training session?" Suijin asks cautiously, her once wide smile now fading.

Xinfei slams his fist onto Suijin's table, causing it to splinter in two. Vials crash to the ground, scrolls scattering everywhere. Suijin whirls around, her expression a mix of shock and disbelief as she faces her pupil.

"Xinfei──"

"It's about the Fire Lord, and your forbidden relationship with him!" Xinfei persists.

Suijin's eyes widen in disbelief. "You have no proof to accuse me of such a thing! Who's been filling your head with these lies?" she questions, desperation creeping into her voice.

"I saw it myself, Master Suijin! I saw you share a rather intimate kiss with him at the Spirit Oasis! How could you be with someone so vile, who killed thousands of our people in just three hundred days?" Xinfei looks away, unable to meet Suijin's gaze. "The other leaders are having doubts. Even I am starting to question."

"No! You can't do this! Please, don't hurt him!" Feifei sees Suijin clinging to Xinfei's robes, desperation etched on her face. "Harm me! Take my life if you must!"

"We won't lay a finger on you. We'd never harm or kill you just for that man's sake, Master Suijin. We're sending you away to the Island of the Cursed." Pushing Suijin aside, Xinfei commands the Earthbender soldiers to apprehend her. More figures emerge from the shadows.

The last thing Feifei witnesses is the figures closing in on her before everything fades into blinding white once more. Moments later, a hunched figure emerges. Jiaqi recognizes her as Suijin from before, her once immaculate white hair now disheveled, her robes torn, and her stature noticeably diminished.

"I must . . . save Long Wei . . ." she mutters to herself.

Then, with a sudden surge of energy, Feifei watches as Suijin rushes forward, parting the sea to forge a path toward the battleground. There, she clashes with her former allies──earthbenders, waterbenders, and airbenders──all in a desperate attempt to reach her beloved Fire Lord, Long Wei.