𝘩𝘪𝘳𝘢𝘦𝘵𝘩

Group of Familiars

With a robe cut above my knees, I can only hope no one peeks and sees my boxers. There were no pants left by the time we took what we could off a clothing line. Well the green brings out my eyes, in the least. Dull green. Great. Good ol' days as a fugitive of the law. But I look insanely inappropriate.

"I can't find anything to eat! I can't go on living like a fugitive!" Zuko burst out of the bushes in rage, kicking things around. "This is impossible."

His hair has grown a bit after shaving it. Not enough to ruffle yet, unfortunately.

"That's only cause you two are used to castles and ships. You've got no experience in the wild." I look over at Iroh, who is examining a strange red and white flower. "Please don't try and find out whether that's for tea or for poison."

"What if it is tea?" Iroh says, stroking his beard.

Exasperation escapes my mouth in a low groan. "What if it is poison?" I'm stuck– stuck with crazy fire nation royalty who don't even know what they're doing.

I'll take my chances in the bush.

I rip up roots and tie them together to create rope. It will have to do for now. Using it, I set up the classic trap, "step on the rope, get tied up hanging upside down.".

I get at least one catch. Just a rabbit. I'm really sorry, little buddy.

It's a normal rabbit. That's more bizarre than the fact I caught it.

I look at it sombrely, it's eyes so full of fear as it tries to escape. I pick it up, apologizing a million times. Then I return.

Just Iroh. Good.

I notice that strange flower was missing and immediately look at Iroh. "Iroh...? You didn't..."

Iroh looks up and his face is covered in a bright red rash, as well as his hands. He's swelling like a sponge at that. "When it spreads to my throat, I'll stop breathing..." he says.

I shriek, dropping the rabbit which gets loose from its bonds and scurries away. Well I'm a least a little happy I don't have to kill an animal.

Before he can say anything about the berries he's holding, I snatch it away and throw it into the bush, where Zuko happens to be emerging from.

"Ow! Watch where– UNCLE?!" Zuko is horrified when he sees Iroh. "We need to get help, now!"

"But where? We're enemies of the earth kingdom and fugitives of the fire nation," Iroh says, itching every where possible.

"If the earth kingdom figures us out, they'll kill us. If the fire nation figures us out, we'll be turned over to Azula." Zuko pauses. "Earth Kingdom it is."

"Is she really that bad?" I ask, with no reply. So I tread after them as they go find out where to take their chances.

We find some sort of clinic with a pretty Doctor. Why does the world gotta make it hard on Iroh?

"You three must not be from around here. We know better than to touch the jade flower, much less make it into tea." She puts ointment on Iroh's rashes. Might I mention how swelled up he is, now? Very. Like a tomato plant. "So where did you travel from?"