@vatabender
It was Appa that sensed the change first. Something that slithered through the ground like a swarm of angry serpents, digging deep into his marrow and filling him with a strange unease. He paused from where he was grazing, nostrils flaring in agitation. The sky bison’s tail raised up high and then slammed down into the earth—an act of intimidation.
Momo chattered, clinging to one of Appa’s horns as he attempted to get a higher vantage point. To scout out what possible threat could be coming. The skies seemed to darken, as if a great storm was about to roll in upon them. The air felt colder, the flying lemur hugging himself and rubbing at his arms to keep warm.
The grass around them wilted in a perfect circle. Life dying in the dark.
“Welllll…” A low voice slurred from around them, a million mouths speaking from the shadows in every direction. “I was waiting for the chance to have a conversation with you, oh dearest Avatar.”
A low chuckle.
“I’ve been waiting to see what shape my twin would take next.”