After departing from the city of Omashu, Aang’s group journeyed toward the Northern Water Tribe.
Along the way, they passed through several villages; some were pleasant and thriving, while others had been utterly devastated by the Fire Nation.
Meanwhile, deep within a dense, heavily wooded forest, the group continued their journey on foot.
”Aang, you absolute fool!
Can’t you tell food apart from ordinary kindling?
How did you even dare to use it as firewood?!” Sokka exploded in a fit of rage.
”I’m sorry, Sokka!
I noticed it smelled really nice when it burned, so I had no idea it was actually food,” Aang replied apologetically.
Sora overheard their bickering but remained indifferent, keeping his eyes glued to his book.
Truth be told, during this entire journey, Sora had only managed to read fifteen pages.
It was not because the text was difficult, but because whenever Sora absorbed a new piece of information, he felt compelled to verify it and run hypothetical experiments within his own mind.
The book discussed the concept of softening rocks and manipulating them as if they were a liquid.
This idea left Sora deeply skeptical.
Did earthbenders control all forms of terrestrial liquids, or was it limited strictly to mud?
After all, the earth contained various other liquids, including oil.
Sora continued to walk behind the group.
A moment later, a soft tremor rippled through the ground—Boom!
Two seconds passed, and then came another distinct vibration—Boooom!
Aang and Katara immediately headed toward the source of the noise.
There, they discovered a young man earthbending; he was raising a massive boulder and slamming it against a rocky hill, causing a series of explosive sounds.
Sora recognized the young man from his features.
He couldn’t help but think the boy was an idiot.
If the youth truly wanted to hide the fact that he was an earthbender, why on earth was he making so much noise, virtually begging to attract passersby or Fire Nation soldiers?
Katara stepped forward and asked, “Hello there!
Are you an earthbender?” ”No, he’s a firebender!
Isn’t it blindingly obvious that he’s an earthbender, Katara?
Did you really need to ask him that?!” Sokka muttered, unable to tolerate his sister’s seemingly foolish question.
Intervening to further provoke Katara, Sora chimed in, “Sokka, perhaps you should buy your sister a pair of glasses.
Maybe she genuinely can’t tell the difference between rocks and fire.
Don’t neglect your sister; after all, as the man, it’s your responsibility to look after her!” ”You’re absolutely right, Sora!
As the man of the house, I must look after Katara.
Katara, my dear sister, your brother may have neglected you in the past, but from this very moment, I shall protect you!” Sokka declared, stepping forward as he tried to embrace her protectively.
Katara promptly punched Sokka.
“You idiot, I’m not blind!
I know the difference between earth and fire perfectly well.
I only asked him so I wouldn’t startle him,” she snapped, gritting her teeth as she struggled to maintain her composure.
”Look, the earthbender is running away!” Aang shouted, attempting to draw their attention back to the matter at hand.
Katara and Sokka snapped around to see the young man using his bending to hurl boulders from both sides, effectively blocking the path behind him as he fled.
”What are we waiting for?
Let’s pursue him!
His presence here means there must be a village or a town nearby,” Katara yelled, sprinting after the boy’s trail.
Eventually, the group arrived at a mid-sized village surrounded by a stone wall of moderate height.
They entered and began wandering through the streets and marketplaces until Katara spotted the earthbender ducking into a shop.
Katara, Sokka, Aang, and Sora quickly followed him inside.
Sora already knew who the young man was.
He knew his name was Haru and that his father was currently imprisoned by the Fire Nation.
Sora decided he would wait for the Fire Nation to capture the boy, plan to track them, and discover the precise location of the iron extraction factory and the earthbender prison camp.
Sora was forging a grand plan: he would rescue the imprisoned earthbenders and destroy the Fire Nation’s weapons and mineral-extraction facility.
This would inflict massive losses on their production of armor and military equipment.
Furthermore, it would spark a new conflict for the enemy; those freed from prison would undoubtedly continue to defend and liberate their lands, preventing the Fire Nation from focusing solely on Aang’s group.
It was also a perfect opportunity to secure powerful allies against the Fire Nation.
Inside the shop, Katara confronted the boy.
“You, the earthbender!
Why did you run away when you saw us?” Haru was inside with his mother.
The moment she heard Katara’s words, she rushed to tightly shut the doors and windows to ensure no one outside could overhear.
“Haru, do you have any idea the kind of trouble you’ll cause by earthbending?
Didn’t I tell you that you must stay away from it?!” the mother scolded, her voice trembling with the terrifying fear that her son might be dragged away, never to be seen again.
Sora decided to step outside the shop to get some fresh air.
He intended to wait until the boy was inevitably captured before setting his own plans into motion.
Lately, Sora had been experiencing sudden, inexplicable bouts of boredom and frustration.
He had no idea where this apathy came from, but it left him so drained that he couldn’t even stand talking to anyone.
Damn it, what is going on inside my head?
he thought bitterly.
Why am I suddenly so bored with everything, feeling so utterly hopeless?
Distancing himself from the rest of the group, Sora sought a moment of peace and quiet.
He climbed high up into the trees and remained there as night fell, passing the time by reading his earthbending book.
Reading was Sora’s ultimate escape; it allowed his mind to unwind effortlessly, absorbing words to distract himself from the persistent irritation clouding his thoughts.
Suddenly, the heavy footsteps of several soldiers echoed nearby.
They were approaching the house, led by a short, elderly man.
The soldiers pounded aggressively on Haru’s door, and when the young man stepped outside, the old man pointed a trembling finger at him.
”Him!
It’s him!
He’s the earthbender!
Take him away!” the old man barked.
The soldiers moved swiftly, seizing Haru and marching him off toward a designated containment area.
Sora did not hesitate.
He moved quickly to alert Katara, Sokka, and Aang.
Bursting into their room, he snapped, “Wake up, you lazy fools!
Get up!
Your friend Haru has been captured.
They found out he’s an earthbender.” ”What?!
When did they take him?
And how could they possibly know?” Katara demanded frantically.
Sokka looked puzzled.
“Sora, if they took him, what does that have to do with us?” Katara’s face fell as she realized something.
“No…
I was the one who encouraged him to earthbend so he could save an old man.
Someone must have seen him!” ”Actually,” Sora interjected coldly, “the very old man you saved is the one who leaked the information and turned him in.” ”What?!” Katara gasped, turning pale.
“Why would he do such a thing?!” ”Isn’t it obvious?
By turning him in, he secures a financial reward.
Why wouldn’t he?” Sora replied matter-of-factly.
“Anyway, we need to move immediately so we can track him and follow the ship heading to the earthbender prison!” Sora pressed them to hurry; he had no intention of losing the one lead that could guide him straight to the factory aiding the Fire Nation’s war machine.
Moving quickly, they mounted Appa and took to the sky, soaring toward the harbor to identify the prison vessel.