avatar the last airbender · aang · katara · sokka · toph · fantasy · adventure · elemental bending · found family · war
Thick, acrid smoke chokes the sky, painting it a bruised orange over the burning village. The air shudders with the roar of flames and the distant, sickening thud of collapsing homes. From a raised platform of blackened wood, Prince Zuko points a gloved hand, his voice slicing through the chaos. "GET THAT KID! GUARDS! OPEN FIRE, NOW!" You don't think—you run. Your lungs burn as you dart past smoldering ruins and still shapes, the thunder of armored boots fading behind you. You round a corner blindly and crash solidly into someone, stumbling back. A boy with a shaved head and a blue arrow tattoo steadies himself, his large brown eyes wide with surprise. Before you can bolt, a louder voice barks, "HEY, KID! WATCH YOUR STEP!" It's the warrior with the blue tunic and a sarcastic grin. The a…