A missing town

"Am I crazy or?"

I dipped my finger into the still warm soup. How iconic, the town of missing people. All that was left was the still fresh food.

"Do you think this is a town abandoned because of the war?"

"Why would that matter? Ty Lee if it was an abandoned village why would food still be fresh?"

I looked at Azula and pointed, "Nah it could've been possible for a camp kidnapped them. Except you are right, there's no struggle. No signs of a fight or struggle."

We ended up following a road into this town. To think we were on the road for a day and we already found something strange. Mai kicked down a door of a different house leaving it. "There is no weapons in any of the buildings."

Azula nodded, "Everyone or at least most of the town were benders."

"Not earth benders!" The girls looked at me and I motioned.

"The ground is not uh earthy enough?"

My answer was clearly not good enough for them so I continued, picking up the soil tossing it. "Its iron dust with what might be bone. This is zinc and finally the dry areas are Lithium. I literally have no idea how to bend this, so just saying. I have my doubts."

"Zinc and Lithium? How?"

I shrugged, "No idea, the same with the dust a literal plate of iron dust across this entire area. i have no idea how something like all this dust would..."

I placed my hand against the ground. I stood up and looked around. "Hey am i crazy or do those look like tire tracks."

The girls looked at what I was seeing. Azula laid her hand on the ground as well and feeling the slight grooves. "Its not a fire nation vehicle."

"So it can't be a earth bender village because of the grounds composition and not a colony due to the strange tracks? What if it is just a peaceful community and not benders or something?"

Ty Lee was sort of correct. Except I walked along the road and around the buildings. "Actually..."

"I don't mean to sound crazy, but do you guys know what air bender buildings look like?"

Azula looked at me, "You are crazy, air benders?"

I shrugged, "What? It matches the architecture. Though that still wouldn't explain jack shit about the iron dust or tracks."

I'll be honest, I was hoping for some surviving air benders. Speaking of we should eventually stop by the air bending temple that those refugees are squatting at. Looking at the girls, "Do you we stay here for the night its getting close to-"

"No, I'm not staying in some creepy town with missing denizens."

Azula shrugged, "Personally I don't care, don't be a baby Mai."

"I'm not being a baby, I'm being realistic."

I smiled, "Well if you get scared you can cuddle up with me? Offer is for everyone."

"Har Har, jackass. Fine set up camp are we gonna take over one of the buildings or sleep on this wonderful ground."

I shrugged, "Well I'm just gonna use the house with the biggest bed." Unhooking Lime from the carriage I turned to walk towards one of the buildings I previously entered.

Ty lee followed along, "You are on cloud nine aren't you?"

"Cloud nine? Hmm, I guess that would be accurate." I walk over to a fire place in the building I entered and lit it up. The fire place had a cauldron for cooking and this one was empty. Another reason why I chose this home.

Mai was right about this place being creepy, but my curiosity was raging. Perhaps staying the night will led to some answer. So after I make some food i would keep a small watch for anything strange.

"Are you going to make some food?"

I shrugged, "Yeah why not? I love jerky, but sometimes a hot meal is needed."

"You could just eat the food Mai makes like the rest of us."

I stared at Ty Lee for a second, before turning back pulling out ingredients. "Yeah none of you know how to cook. Second Azula steals my Jemmanite because of Mai's cooking."

"Why don't you just cook then?"

I raised an eyebrow, I sighed. "Fine in the future I'll cook. Don't know why everyone just can eat preserved food like myself."

Ty Lee huffed, "Maybe its because the jerky you eat is tough and hurt people's teeth. Not to mention the extreme amount of sugars! You barely eat any veggies!"

I blinked, "Thanks mom. Though you are right about the veggies, a diet of Jerky, Potatoes, Honey and rock candy is not the best."

I picked up a cabbage looking it over, it was still good same with some carrots and apples. "Speaking of veggies Orin, how do you have so many potatoes?"

I shrugged, "Well I have rice too, but potatoes are delicious."

Azula entered the house with Mai. Mai threw her bag to the side while Azula walked over to a table. "What a nice little house this is."

Yet again i shrugged, I poured some water and vegetable stock into the cauldron. There was no meat in this building so... "Hey can one of you look for some meat in one of the other buildings?"

Mai rose and hand, "Not it!"

Azula followed Mai's led of childishly leaving the job to Ty Lee. "Why do I have to go? I don't even like meat that much."

Azula shrugged, "Should've said not it."

I pointed, "You can search with lime, he will like eat those leftover food though."

Ty Lee slumped walking out of the building, "So not cool."

She would be fine, and after a delicious stew they would sleep fine.