Havi of the Earth Kingdom

Chapter 37: The Serpent's Pass

Havi's pov

Not long after reconnecting with the fellow refugees, we finally make it to a long, rock path. Sokka hums, "This is the serpent's pass? I thought it would be more wind-y, you know, like a serpent. I guess they misnamed it."

Ying steps up to a sign carved into the entrance, "Look at this writing, how awful."

"What does it say?" Toph asks.

Katara reads out loud, "It says, abandon hope."

"How can we abandon hope? That's all we have," Ying softly cries into Than.

"I don't know," Aang cuts in drearily, "the monks used to say that hope is just a distraction. So maybe we do need to abandon it."

"What're you talking about?" Katara asks.

"Hope isn't going to get us into Ba Sing Se and it's not gonna find Appa. We need to focus on what we're doing right now and that's getting across this pass."

This isn't the normal Aang. He's hurt, I can tell by just looking at him.

"Okay, if you say so."

We begin our trek onto the dangerous trail. The ground beneath us was rigged, uneven, and slick in some places. The rocks sanded down into pebbles along the path and make it so easy to trip and fall over the ledge into the water.

"The fire nation controls the western lake. Rumor has it they're working on something big on the other side and they don't want anyone to find out what it is," Suki explains and I look over to the ships in the water near us, sure to cause some problems later. They were large and grand but I've definitely seen them have more intimidating models.

In the midst of our peace, the ground breaks beneath Than, causing for our hearts to drop, but luckily, Toph was here to earthbend him back to safety. Without her quick reflexes, we'd have been in a way worse situation.

A rock falls from the scene and gains the attention of a nearby boat. "They spotted us!" Sokka yells as a fire ball flies our way. Aang jumps up and airbends it back into their own ship.

Another blast hits the rock above me and they start crumbling down but Sokka pushed me out of the way, taking my place. With pride and saviorism in his eyes, Toph then steals his moment by bending them away. He rushes to me, "Havi, are you okay? You have to be more careful."

"Fine, gotcha," I dryly say before adding, "Thanks, Toph."

• • •

As the sun had been long gone, we were finally setting up camp for the night. Suki was setting her blanket out and as usual, Sokka thought it was the perfect time to pester her, "Suki, you shouldn't sleep there. Who knows how stable this ledge is? It could give way at any moment."

"Sokka, I'm fine. Stop worrying!"

I agree with her for once.

Instead of wasting time on them, I decide to try and read that book again. Opening up to the general area I left off at, I begin to delve into the pages.

Although, there are three main parts of these wonders, it is not always a full-bred talent. Think of it as three organs in a body, the brain, the heart, and the stomach. The brain is the part for those who see what's yet to come. The heart is for those to carry the pain of others. The stomach is of the ones who feed off the spirits. They may be separate but connect through one body and for this reason it is possible that a single soul may hold different amounts of each gift.