Chapter 56: Going Fishing

The next day, the patrol went to the building on the hill. Apparently they needed "special instructions" for their new job they had to do. Raoul sighed as he walked into the building with the others. As usual they were being guided by Nyla since she was their guard. Raoul paid no attention to the guards standing outside the room, as he was tired and didn't feel like working; he had stayed up most of the night because of so many things on his mind and couldn't fall asleep.
"For goodness's sake, Raoul, don't look so tired!" Akumu snapped.
Raoul yawned. "What's it to you?" he mumbled.
"It's not gonna help us with our work," Akumu hissed.
Raoul felt too tired to argue. Hopefully I'll become more peppy soon, Raoul thought hopefully. The patrol then approached Poisonfang, with Deadtail at her side. Deadtail eyed the patrol thoughtfully, and looked like he wasn't paying attention to them, seeming lost in thought. What is with him? Raoul wondered.
"Alright!" Poisonfang's snapping made Raoul pay close attention. "Tonight we're having a party, and we need plenty of food and setting up. That's where you maggots come in. You're going to fix up so we can have this party. And if it's not done by the time it starts, there'll be consequences. Understood?"
The patrol nodded quickly.
"Okay. Quake will be guarding you today, as Nyla has other duties," Poisonfang hissed.
"Oh no," Cinder whispered. Raoul shared her fear; Quake watching them would not be good.
"Alright? Now get going!" Poisonfang ordered.
The patrol turned around to leave the building. Raoul spotted Tiggerpaka standing by the window, practicing backflips. "Tiggerpaka!" Raoul hissed.
"My name is Tiggerpak!" Tiggerpaka grumbled. "Actually, it's me, Tiggerpaka, but call me by my made-up name!"
"Look, Tiggerpaka, I need you to go to Ash and get help so they can get us out of here!" Raoul whispered.
"Get help? Why?" Tiggerpaka asked.
"Because! We're being slaves!" Raoul exclaimed.
"There's no need to leave here!" Tiggerpaka insisted.
Raoul sighed. "Just go tell Ash that the patrol needs help."
"Fine," Tiggerpaka nodded. The patrol left the building, and Tiggerpaka hopped over to Poisonfang and Deadtail. "Excuse me, Losingfang!"
"Please, Tiggerpak, I am Poisonfang," Poisonfang grumbled.
"Okay then," Tiggerpaka bowed. "Ma'am, my fan club happen to be hiding outside this Earth Kingdom and I need to go see them."
"Hmm. Then allow me to go with you," Poisonfang hissed, flicking her tongue.
"Alright then," Tiggerpaka nodded.
"Poisonfang, what are you up to now?" Deadtail asked in a bored tone.
"It's all suspicious," Poisonfang whispered, "this sudden appearance of this group of travellers, how Tiggerpak keeps going on about spies and Ash...maybe he's not crazy. Maybe he's right about something! Have you learned anything, Deadtail?"
"The rising animals will fall," Deadtail murmured, looking down at his paws.
"Good." Poisonfang growled. "The Bending Tower will fall, then...They think they're on their way to rising. Tiggerpaka, come and show us these friends of yours."
"With pleasure!" Tiggerpaka said, and turned around and lead Poisonfang out of the building and towards the gates. Poisonfang slithered to the gate and tapped it with her nose and it opened. The two guards standing on the inside - the lionesses - stood back to let Poisonfang and Tiggerpaka through. Tiggerpaka walked through the tunnel and to the next gates, and Poisonfang opened those as well. They walked together through the dark tunnel and opened the next gates, revealing the outside.
"Alright, where are they?" Poisonfang snarled.
"Patience, ma'am," Tiggerpaka smiled. "They're over here." He pointed in the direction of some foliage.
Ash, who was laying with The Bending Tower, perked his ears. He spotted Tiggerpaka and Poisonfang, Tiggerpaka pointing in their direction. "What's Tiggerpaka doing with Poisonfang?" Ash said aloud. Dust came over and looked at them.
"Traitor!" Dust snarled.
"Follow me," Tiggerpaka was saying to Poisonfang. He walked in the direction of The Bending Tower.
"He's gonna screw this all up!" Dust growled.
Then, the chipmunks scurried up to Tiggerpaka.
"Ah, here they are!" Tiggerpaka said. He turned to Poisonfang. "This is my fan club! Well, I call them that anyway...really, they're just my minions..." Tiggerpaka murmured.
Poisonfang laughed. "Ha! I suppose The Bending Tower isn't out here at all..."
"Chipmunks, follow us! Back to the Earth Kingdom!" Tiggerpaka exclaimed. He walked towards the gates, and Poisonfang slithered after. They went into the Earth Kingdom.
"That was close," Ash breathed.


"So what do we gotta do to prepare for this party?" Light muttered.
"Get prey," Quake growled. "We're going to use the ocean. Fish are a common food, a food we all like."
"Wonderful. We've never went fishing before," Light grumbled.
"Well you're gonna learn!" Quake snapped.
"Geez, okay," Light growled. "Don't shout."
Quake ignored her last remark; Raoul felt that Light should be lucky he did. "Alright, follow me." Quake lead them past the building and over the hill the building was on and to the beach below them. Raoul padded along reluctantly. Just get this over with, he thought bitterly.
"Now," Quake said, "you need to wait for fish to come up to the edge of the water.If you swim through the ocean you may startle them. And when they do..." Quake paused, eyeing the water, then moved some earth up out of the sand and the fish jumped out with it. "Get 'em."
"Sir, we can't Earthbend," Akumu protested.
"I can't catch fish," Quake growled. "You can swipe with your paws. Now, get to work."
"Um...Is there an undertow here?" Light asked, looking scared. Raoul heard about how when a patrol containing Ash, Rusty, Dust, some others, and Light herself went to the Water Tribe, on the way Ash almost got pulled away by the undertow of a river.
"Yes. A very strong one," Quake narrowed his eyes.
Light shivered and proceeded to catch fish.
"What's so bad about blundertows?" Streak snorted.
"Undertow, Streak," Cinder corrected. "It takes you out to sea."
"Oh," Streak murmured, ears dropping.
Raoul concentrated on the water, looking for fish. Sometime today! he thought worriedly, not wanting to be putting prey at the party empty-pawed. He looked at Akumu; she was concentrating hard, looking fiercely determined. And, pretty soon, she swiped her paw in the water and threw a fish out of the water, that was flopping madly. Akumu jumped at the fish and tackled it into the water. Raoul cocked his head, wondering why she did that.
Akumu sat up in the ocean, holding her fish high.
But behind her, Raoul saw a dorsal fin.
"Akumu! Behind you!" Raoul yowled.
Akumu turned around and yelped out in fear, seeing what looked like a shark coming for her. She clawed at the fin and swam quickly for the shore, the shark swimming towards her. All Raoul could do was watch in fear.
But suddenly, Akumu lurched forward, falling into the air and landing face-first into the sand. She coughed and looked up, shaking her pelt. She turned to Quake. "I was fine, thank you, I didn't need saving!" she grumbled.
"Yeah. You're welcome," Quake growled.
"Did Quake just save Akumu with Earthbending?" Comet whispered.
"No, Comet, Quake just started jumping up and down and clapping his hands. Whadda you think?" Streak snorted.
Comet's right though, Raoul thought. Why had Quake saved Akumu?

Author's Note:
Posting this in Florida at my grandmother's. c: