𝐃𝐄𝐌𝐎𝐍 ⎯ 𝐙𝐮𝐤𝐨

Chapter 27

"Dinner."

Zuko threw his fishing rod back into the river, "I'll catch one too!" He shouted, determined.

❥・❥

Zuko and Shoko were both walking back from their little fishing trip. Shoko took hold of a large fish while Zuko held a single, tiny one that could fit in his palm. Shoko tried to contain his laughter at the funny sight. "Zuko, remember that plant I thought might be tea?" Iroh said from where he sat.

Zuko dropped the fish from shock "You didn't..."

"I did," Iroh confessed as he turned around. Shoko let his fish fall to the floor as well with wide eyes. The General's face was swollen and covered in red marks. "And it wasn't."

"Ah!"

"When the rash spreads to my throat, I will stop breathing" Iroh informed, surprisingly calm. "But look what I found!" He exclaimed excitedly as he held his arm out to reveal berries. "These are bacui berries, known cure to the poison of the white jade. That, or maka'ole barriers that cause blindness."

Zuko quickly took hold of the branch and hurled it into the bush. "We're not taking any more chances with these plants! We need to get help."

"But where are we going to go?" Iroh asked. "We're enemies of the Earth Kingdom and fugitives from the Fire Nation."

"If the Earth Kingdom discovers us, they'll have us killed," Zuko said to himself.

"But if the Fire Nation discovers us, we'll be turned over to Azula," Shoko added right after. The two teenagers looked at each other, nodding and walking away, as if they telepathically knew what the other was thinking, "Earth Kingdom it is." The trio said out loud.

❥・❥

They had luckily found a hospital. Currently, a girl was treating Iroh's allergic reaction as Zuko and Shoko were waiting patiently on a bench. "You three must not be from around here. We know better than to touch the White Jade, much less make it into tea and drink it" The girl began approaching them. She flickered Iroh's hand away when he scratched his rash.

"Whoops!" Iroh said, his face and cheeks still swollen.

"So where are you traveling from?" The girl asked. 

Zuko nervously rose from his seat, Shoko raised a brow and remained seated. "Yes, we're travelers."

"Do you have names?"

"Names? Of course we have names" Zuko quickly replied. "I'm, uh... Lee and this is my Uncle, uh... Mushi?"

"What about him?" The girl pointed at Shoko with a small smile, a blush lightly spreading across her fair skin. 

"He's um... Shishu" Zuko responded for him, earning a kick to the shin from Shoko. 

"Yes, I'm Shishu. And Lee here was named after his father so we just call him Junior" Shoko stood up and gave Zuko a pleased smile. The Prince glared at him angrily and moved his finger across his neck, signaling that he was dead meat but abruptly halted and brought his hand back to his side when the girl turned to face them once more.

"Mushi, Shishu, and Junior, huh. My name is Song. you three look like you could use a good meal. Why don't you stay for dinner?"

"Sorry, but we need to be moving on," Shoko said.

"That's too bad" Song flashed them an innocent smile. "My mom always makes too much roast duck."

"Where do you live exactly?" Iroh asked excitedly.