In the times after Avatar Si Wong, there was an Avatar who never wanted to be. Once his true power was discovered his parents sold him to a Warlord half a world away, the Warlord eager to have the most powerful bender in the world on his side. One who could master all four elements, one who could summon unfathomable power in times of need. Yet no manner of abuse, no amount of pain or punishment can break the spirit of someone as pure as the Avatar, someone who was destined to do good not solely through one but multiple lifetimes. On the eve of his sixteenth birthday, the spirit of Si Wong appeared as a guide for the Young Avatar Gitso. Having no mastery of the elements, the only way for the Avatar to escape was through unlocking the power of the Avatar state, destroying the compound he was held in and fleeing. While the world as a whole never learned what happened to the Avatar rumors spread of the destruction of one of Warlord Tozs compounds within his lands. A being sold into slavery escaping using unfathomable power, this individual was never heard from again as Avatar Gitso fled towards the south and into the wastes of the South Pole.

There he spent many his days in quiet isolation and meditation. Si Wong preached to him the duties of the Avatar, and how the dark spirit Hēi'àn sought to bring an end to humanity's ability to bend. Though Gitso wouldn't listen, he never asked to be the bridge between the spirit world and the physical world. He never asked to be the one to bring balance between the four elements. All he had wanted were parents that would love and nurture him, and the ability to chose his own destiny. Now as tensions rise again in the world, seventy years after the death of Avatar Si Wong. The question everyone wants the answer too is this: Where is the Avatar?

Jemmu would be the first one to admit that sometimes he doesn’t make the best decisions. He’s always been the kind of kid that lives much more in the moment than worrying about potential fallout or consequences due to his actions. After all, consequences only matter when you get caught, right? Well, Jemmu got caught, so the consequences were actually a real thing this time around. Of course, his parents were very disappointed with him, but when you have a son like Jemmu, that was more of a constant state of affairs than anything else. When you had prominent parents like Jemmu did, eyes were on you from day one, though he never minded being the center of attention. However, he really screwed up big this time. There was a statue of Avatar Si Wong in the center of the city; the statue itself was rather stern and serious, so Jemmu came up with the bright idea to liven it up. It would look so much better in a dress, wig, and with some brighter paint, wouldn’t it? So he gathered the usual troublemakers that he considered as friends, and he got right into it. As he was clambering up on the statue, Jemmu slipped and… now Avatar Si Wong was missing an arm. And last Jemmu had checked, Si Wong had two arms. Oops.

As expected, his parents were completely merciless once they found out what he had done. Before they could completely destroy him with any punishment, he put his silvertongue to work, getting his friends off mostly scot-free. At least his friends wouldn’t treat him like he had the plague once he finally became a free man in the distant future. It went without saying that his parents (especially his mother) were at their wit’s end in regards to his troublemaking, and so they decided to come down hard on their son. He was placed under what amounted to house arrest, entirely shattering any prospect of having a social life for the foreseeable future. If it had only been this as the punishment, then he would have been able to cope. Sure, he would have become bored and gone stir crazy, but he would have been able to survive. This was where his father truly put his foot down, placing a stipulation where Jemmu was not allowed to Firebend at all. This included training and doing it on his own, or else his punishment would only be extended. Jemmu lived and breathed Firebending, quite literally. On top of this, his parents arranged for him to work at Tea & La, so that he could learn some humility by serving the community. He wasn’t sure if he could survive this.

It was his first day working at the tea shop, and he already hated it. He was wearing the shop’s uniform, which had way too much blue for his liking. Oh, and the apron that he had to wear was so uncool that he desperately hoped that no one that he knew would ever walk in to see him in such a sorry state. Even worse was that Kyouna snatched away his headband - his forehead had never felt so naked and cold. To top it all off, he had to immediately go home at the end of the shift. Everything about having to do this was seriously awful. For now, he’d just have to swallow his pride, put on a fake smile, and get on with it. He saw a customer beckoning him over so he picked up a teapot and went over to serve the man. As he got closer to the table, he instantly recognized the customer. Everything about this individual was nondescript, even the gray streaks running through his dark hair, and the closely cropped beard. However, there was an eternal slyness about him like a fox. Old Man Lu.

“Hey old man! How’d ya know that I’d be here? You don’t want to play some Pai Sho, do you?” Jemmu set down the pot of tea as he began to speak, completely oblivious to the plethora of other patrons still waiting to be served. If it had been anyone else that he knew, he would have been mortified, but Lu was a good person as far he was concerned. Still, he knew he couldn’t spend that much time at Lu’s table before Kyouna started to crack the whip.

“Word gets around. And you have no subtlety at all.” Old Man Lu said this with the faintest smile on his face. He gestured for Jemmu to fill his cup with tea. “Oh, and no Pai Sho for me. You seem to be busy.” The grumbling was beginning to grow around them. Jemmu proceeded to fill Lu’s cup, but he did so with no finesse at all. Plenty of tea found its way outside of the cup and onto the table.

Old Man Lu visibly grimaced as he wiped the excess tea with an embroidered cloth. “How do you expect me to drink this?” He motioned towards the cup that was sitting in front of him. “You poured it with nothing but negative energy!” Jemmu practically did a double take as he set the teapot back onto the table.

“Negative energy!? Are you going senile? Tea is tea. What difference does it make how I pour it?” Jemmu was entirely dumbfounded.

Lu lightly chuckled. “It seems as if your father neglected to teach you one of most important skills that any man should know - the timeless art of tea pouring.” Lu picked up the cup of tea that Jemmu just poured and offered it to the boy. “Go ahead. Drink. Tell me how it tastes.”

Having known Kyouna for only a short time, he had a sneaking suspicion that she would wring his neck for drinking tea that was meant for a customer. However, he knew Lu well enough that he would only continue to insist until Jemmu drank the tea. Jemmu took a sip and… it was awful. It was so bitter that it actually sent a chill running up his spine. “Blegh…”

“Negative energy will ruin even the finest cup of tea.” Old Man Lu said it as if it was a fact that everyone should know. Lu took the cup from Jemmu and tossed the rest of the tea out of the nearest window. “To put it in terms that you can understand… pouring tea is a lot like bending.” Lu only smiled as Jemmu openly scoffed at him.

He picked up the steaming teapot and began his demonstration. “Firebending is all about breathing. If you calm yourself, no matter what your day might have been like, your positive energy will flow into your tea.”

“Airbending is all about freedom. Just like the introspective Air Nomads, sometimes it’s better to not overthink it and go with the flow. Don’t worry about the details and you’ll be sure to have a better cup of tea for it.”

“Waterbending is about being graceful. You ruined the last cup of tea by being sloppy and spilling most of it. The last thing we want is to have tea outside of the cup.”

“Finally we have Earthbending, which is all about waiting for the right moment to pour. Perhaps it may seem insignificant, but when there is no thought put into it, you have tea that has no character or emotion. The point is to pour the tea exactly at the moment that the positive energy wants to be poured.”

“I kinda get the feeling that you’re just making this up as you go along.” Jemmu was clearly still skeptical. On the other hand, Old Man Lu got a hearty laugh out of it.

“You know what? I just might be.” With that, he poured a new cup of tea, and something seemed to be different. It was a similar feeling to whenever he was sparring with his father, and they were Firebending to the best of their abilities. As far as he was aware, Old Man Lu wasn’t a bender of any sort. Jemmu continued to watch silently as Lu poured the tea. No movement was wasted, and it was entirely enthralling. “There,” Lu said as he finished. “I’ll let you determine if there’s any difference.”

Jemmu decided to oblige the old man and his ramblings, fully expected to taste the same bitterness from before. Surprisingly, the cup of tea was quite seriously the best he had ever tasted. It wasn’t long before he finished the entire cup, and was entirely flabbergasted at the same time. He peered closely into the contents of the empty cup, trying to see any remnants of whatever Old Man Lu had snuck into it.

Lu held up his hands. “There’s nothing up my sleeves, my young friend. How about you give it a try?” Jemmu poured Lu another cup of tea and did his best to follow the old man’s advice as closely as he could. As he finished, Lu took a sip and nodded approvingly. “Yes, you’re getting the hang of it. Just like bending, it takes practice to pour the perfect cup of tea. I’ll be looking forward to your progress in the art of tea pouring.”

“Although it pains me to say this, tea isn’t the only reason that I’ve come here.” Lu had reverted to his old sly self as he continued. “This is quickly becoming the most popular tea shop in Si Wong City. As a tea server, you’re bound to overhear an endless assortment of interesting things.” He flashed Jemmu a gold coin. “If you happen to hear anything that is out of the ordinary, I’m willing to pay for that information. And I’ll even leave it entirely to your discretion. Interested?”

It was true enough that Jemmu’s allowance had entirely dried up since the regrettable incident with Avatar Si Wong’s statue. Besides, if it was anything that people didn’t want others to know about, then they wouldn’t talk about it in a tea shop. “Sure! Sounds super easy.”

Old Man Lu only offered Jemmu a smile upon the good news. “Good. You’ve always been a reliable kid.” Lu proceeded to finish the rest of his tea, before placing plenty of copper coins on the table. “For that delicious cup of tea… and all the wasted tea.” Jemmu thought he spotted Lu tearing up a little. “Oh, and give the owner my best. She’s been looking quite stunning lately.”

“Pervy old man…” Jemmu muttered under his breath as he watched Lu take his leave of the establishment. That was when he got back to work, serving all the customers that he had neglected so far. He got nothing but compliments for his new tea pouring abilities until he had to return to the back of the shop with an empty teapot. That was where he found Kyouna furiously making more tea and other foodstuffs. After depositing the coins in the appropriate place, he remembered that he wanted to speak with her.

“Hey, big sis!” Jemmu greeted Kyouna with the boundless enthusiasm that he was well-known for. “I wanted to talk to you earlier but…” Jemmu began to scratch the back of his neck. “If you ever see me doing something I’m not supposed to, it’s a trick of the light. Believe me!”

“And please let my mom know that I’m doing a good job. I don’t know how much longer I can go serving tea. I think I already have blisters…” He looked at his hands concerned, though after years of Firebending there was no chance of him being worn out by pouring tea.

“Ooh! One last thing!” Jemmu had nearly forgotten the most important thing that he wanted to ask Kyouna about. “Any chance that you can let me out early? My parents don’t even have to know…”

Kosroq had figured out a sort of system for his jobs. In order to keep a level of anonymity, he recruited four people who knew his real identity to screen new clients. First, when someone approached one of his representatives, the rep would tell them to come back in a few days. The rep would contact one of the other reps, who would thoroughly vet the client and then bring Kosroq all the info. Kosroq would decide whether to accept the job, then inform the rep his answer. If accepted, the client would pay a portion of the fee up front (through the rep, of course). Kosroq would do the job and then recieve the rest of the fee. Any deliveries would usually be given through a rep, or, very rarely, by Kosroq in his mask.

It was not a foolproof system, and it mostly worked because Kosroq, while holding an impressive reputation, wasn't important enough for anyone to dedicate time to his removal. He had to pay his four reps, though not much, since they were essentially only middlemen and messengers, but in this occupation, even that had risks. They also conducted their own shady businesses, so they weren't always available. And then there were times when they simply discarded the whole setup, like Garr was doing now.

Kosroq sighed heavily when Garr opened his door without knocking. The Earthbender was built like a particularly menacing barrel and had ties with some of the daofei clans up in the northern parts of the Earth Kingdom, where he and Kosroq had first met. Kosroq was sitting legs crossed at a low desk, reapplying the paint to his arm wrappings, making delicate strokes with his quill.

"Morning, Kos." It wasn't morning, but the greeting was just a formality anyway. "Got a job for ya. From -"

"Close the damn door, Garr," Kosroq interrupted without looking up. "If you're going to break the whole chain of communication, at least have the decency to not let everyone on the street hear the news, too."

Garr closed the door with as much casual dismissiveness as he could before continuing. "He's just a minor bureaucrat from the agricultural district with too much money to spend. Wants some papers planted."

Without looking from his writing - he's moved from his arm wrappings to a variety of small paper slips - Kosroq felt Garr's eyes boring into the top of his head. It irritated him. In the higher society of the North, prolonged eye contact could be borderline confrontational in some contexts (he'd heard similar of some Fire Islands customs, though that varied from people to people). Not that Garr was Northern or actually looking at his eyes, but still.

"Drama in the farming community, I see," Kosroq said dryly. "And he thought that he needed someone with my skillset just to plant some papers? I'll take it, I guess. Money's money."

"I thought you'd say that. I took the liberty of gathering the first half of the fee and the papers he wants planted."

Kosroq sighed, looking up for the first time. Garr towered over him, but that didn't intimidate him. They were friends, and besides, Garr was more of a thug than a skilled bender. Kosroq was sure he could take him any day.

"I'll take it this time, Garr, but next time, use the methods we discussed and actually vet them first. Better safe than sorry." Kosroq took the offered money and papers. "Here's your cut."

"Relax. He's a two-bit farmer bureaucrat who probably spends all day making sure the carts leave on time," Gar said, accepting his cut. "And I'm sure I wasn't followed by any malevolent farmer figures. It'll take you a single night and he's paying way more than he probably should. Call it easy money, pal."

"Fine, fine. So, whom does he want to get these papers?"

The victim was, as far as Kosroq was concerned, a nobody. Another agricultural official with a title that suggested he helped officiate trades with outside sources. His relatively low rank and the disproportionate amount of pay Kosroq recieved made Kos think that it was more personal as opposed to some sort of small scale political maneuvering - why else would someone like him be hired to do a simple plant job on an agricultural official?

Kosroq's lips twisted. What was he, an errand boy for personal vengeance? Still, the money was decent.

"Go tell him I accepted. I need a drink for now."

Garr nodded and left, leaving Kosroq feeling a craving for tea. He neatly folded some of the spirit prayer slips into a pocket, then stood.



Tea and La. The name made him uncomfortable. He knew the owner was a Northerner, but that didn't completely put him at ease. It seemed borderline disrespectful to turn the names of the spirits whom all Waterbenders paid homage to into a tea pun. On the other hand, he craved the tea back home, and he couldn't exactly make a trip to the North at the time. He supposed he'd pray to Tui and La later to make up for it.

He entered the tea shop with an almost suspicious look, as if the entire building was a test sent to him from the spirits that he was scared to fail. It was the same look he had on every time he came here. Satisfied at the lack of spiritual smiting, he seated himself, slouching slightly with his best 'disinterested' expression. Contrary to his attitude, his right hand fidgeted slightly, pulling out one of the spirit prayer slips. He left it face up on the table. Maybe the prayer will counteract the general aura of this place, he thinks.

Monastery // Si Wong City

Leather Sandals scuffing on the cold stone floors, the sound echoing through the corridor of the monastery. Xonsu walked with purpose, his robes flowing and billowing as he moved as fast as possible without breaking into a run. He had to remain dignified, the middle-aged monk bowed his head in respect as he passed acolytes and nomads. He passed a window, the sounds of the city assaulted his senses as did the heat of the desert. There was a strange energy int he air, it had been building for months now. Looking down into the courtyard he saw several of the local children playing on his Skybison Peng. Climbing up and down, the Bison groaned playfully as it blew little tufts of air at them. There was something so innocent about the mind of a child, a far cry from the different world he was responsible for now. As the Lead Monk behind the Monastery in Si Wong he was also the Air Nomad representative on the ruling council that governed the city.

Xonsu reached the end of the hallway where a large Wooden Door stood. Pulling his hands close to his face he took a deep breath in, letting the air fill up his lungs. As he pushed his hands out before him the air bent with it. The air coursed into the door, going through the vents and the tubes. A musical note resonated throughout the hall, the note changing as the air progressed. Parts of the doors spinning to push the air back out towards Xonsu pushing the door open in the process. Walking in, the room was simple. A table in the middle that held a map of the city and the surrounding area.

Sila bowed her head in deference to him as he flashed her a smile. The smile didn’t last long as he saw the look on her face as he handed him a letter. Opening the letter Xonsu made sure to take his time processing every little detail when he finished the letter he handed it back to the nun. Bowing his head slightly in gratitude he weighed his words before speaking. “So what this means is that-”

The nun nodded her head. “Warlord Toz is coming to Si Wong. Apparently he wishes to broker some form of alliance with the city, and the Earth Kingdom.” She looked at the note and cleared her throat, directly quoting the letter. “In order to help bring peace and stability to the FIre Islands under his rightful rule.” She shook his head. “Councillor Metsong believes he’s coming to look for the Avatar.”

Xonsu tried to contain his surprise. “The Avatar? Si Wong city hasn’t seen an Avatar since, well. Si Wong, the last rumor I heard about the Avatar was on the edges of the Earth Kingdom. No matter, there isn’t an Avatar here and there hasn’t been since Si Wong herself.” Xonsu sighed, taking a deep breath to compose himself. “The Air Nomads have long had ties with the Avatar, we should ready the temple for his visit, it will come.”

Earlier that morning…

Searing pain shocked up Jaan’s legs forcing the man to a sudden halt. The aging farmer tightened his grip on the rough sawn fence, all the air in his lungs escaping in a single pained gasp. Leaning against the sturdy lumber he relaxed his body, clenching his eyes shut and counting down the seconds. Every deep breath receded the swelling agony that threatened to beat him to his knees and wash over him like a tidal wave. He had been working too hard. Meilou cautioned him he was pushing himself to the brink, obstinately ignoring the warnings his body offered. She had been right, and he was too stubborn to admit it, even now when he could barely think, much less move lest he collapse. He waited impatiently, gritting his teeth, willing himself to outlasting his failing body. The worst of the ordeal was over quickly, barely lasting thirty seconds, but it was enough to leave a lasting impression. The pain did not recede entirely, but at least he could move again.

The past three weeks had been an unending haze of hard work. The back breaking, sweaty labor that most men would shy away from. The Si Wong desert, and her surrounding lands was an unforgiving mistress, and only the tough managed to force a living from the heat packed soil. It was difficult, yes, but rewarding for the strong willed who were not afraid to get their hands dirty. Already the fruits, or rather tubers of his efforts were stored within the line of thatched silos standing filled to the brim next to his barn ready to be carted into Si Wong for the merchants. The hardest part was finally over, and the rewards would soon be amassed for what surely accounted for a record harvest. That is, if his body did not continue its senseless rebellion against his will and cooperated.

Groaning his displeasure Jaan forced himself to move, his left leg viciously protesting as he limped into the barn, the bucket he carried slopping water. “Baou, here old girl, a drink an’ breakfast before our trip.”

A low squawk answered his beckoning call and an imposing creature stepped from the shadows, approaching the familiar figure who invaded her lair. She was an ostrich horse, and a bull of a specimen to boot. At her full height she stood taller than Jaan, her oak trunk like legs supporting her broad feathered chest and large angular head that bore two dark, intelligent eyes. She regarded Jaan as a friend and stood close by, head tilted in curious anticipation as he refilled her trough of both water and feed. Leaving her to sup Jaan inspected the large loaded cart parked in the corner, ensuring all the fastenings were in place and axles were greased to his expectations. Even his critical eye could find no shortcoming, and a begrudging huff escaped his dry lips. The boy did his evening chores the previous night well. If the first cartload proved a good example for the merchants and the payments were substantial Zhei deserved proper acknowledgement. For the first time Jaan had let Zhei select the crème of the crop and load it, curious to see how much he’d learned. His son had proved pivotal this year, working passionately to match his father in the fields, and his energetic efforts could not have been better timed, as Jaan felt the tremendous weight of years weigh down far worse than ever before.

His inspections done, and Baou happily eating from her trough, Jaan exited the barn made his way towards his house just as the sun began to peek its mighty gaze over the horizon. Another scorcher, Jaan predicted as he stopped to admire this natural beauty and rest his leg. He gave the moaning limb a few seconds to calm itself before beginning his ponderous journey once more, using the fence as a support. The smell of baking rice cakes urged him forward with greater haste, his stomach growling in anticipation. Meilou knew how to send them off properly baking his favorite meal. He quickened his pace, stomping up the wooden steps and instinctively dipping his head ever so slightly to avoid striking it on the low frame.

Soft brown eyes greeted him in the small interior of their humble home. Meilou was a slight woman, and still beautiful in his eyes despite her greying hair and plain features. She murmured a quiet greeting, casting her gaze roof-wards. “Should I wake him, the meal is almost ready, I know how you like to get going early, before the sun beats down.”

Having other plans Jaan shook his head. “Nay, I think not. Let him sleep an hour longer. He earned his rest. Besides, I must admit failure on my part, I slept in and the sun already rises. We could not hope to reach Si Wong before noon, even if we departed now.”

Meilou’s brow knitted momentarily, but the look vanished almost at once. “I shall pack extra water skins then.” She left her true concerns unvoiced. The roads were dangerous this time of year, with all the caravans traveling out of Si Wong. Brigands stalked the roads during the daylight hours awaiting easy prey. Jaan was a no-nonsense man who could handle himself and claimed no fear of highwaymen, but she had seen the way he hid his limp when he strode to the table and recognized the pain on his face. No matter how well he hid its presence Jaan could not fool her.

They broke their fast to pleasant, simple conversation. Keeping their voices low out of respect for Zhei until about an hour after Jaan’s return the boy dropped from his loft bedroom, landing barefoot and bleary-eyed in the kitchen space. “Awake at last! Thought you might sleep the day away.” Jaan snapped, abandoning his lighter tones for his more usual commanding bark. He reached over and tasseled the boy’s dark locks pulling him towards the table. “Get some food in your belly boy and dress. We need to leave soon if we hope to return home before dark. It’ll be a long day so be snappish about your business.”

“Yes sir.” Zhei yawned, accepting the wooden plate his mother pushed towards him. She brushed a gentle kiss over his forehead and smoothed down his ruffled hair before returning to her own seat. The child ate and finished quickly as he had been taught. Climbing the rope up to his small personal space in the roof he changed over, dropping back down to the ground floor dressed in dark green and dapple browns common amongst the local farming folk. Jaan gave him the briefest nods, rising and using the back of a chair for support. He could not keep the tiny twitch of his lip from revealing the pain his actions caused, but Zhei did not seem to notice. Meilou however fixed him a piercing stare, one even Jaan could not ignore.

“Go on then, hitch up Baou. Bring her and the cart around to the front. I’ll join you momentarily.” He ordered, recognizing the look Meilou was giving him. She wanted to talk, and Jaan could already tell they were going to disagree. Something about the way her nose crinkled, and her hands attached themselves to her hips. She was preparing herself for a battle of wills.

Waiting until Zhei had enough time to get out of earshot Jaan initiated their verbal duel. “Well?”

“You should rest a day.” Came the stubborn insistence, leaving no room for doubt that if she had her way he would be resting for a week or more. “You went too far, and now you’re killing yourself trying to keep up with, well, yourself! Jaan, please. See reason just this once.”

“I cannot, even if I was able to convince myself it was necessary.” Jaan countered, his mind already settled on the outcome of this particular debate.

“Why not? Is it worth putting yourself through needless agony?”

Closing his eyes Jaan released an impatient sigh. “Every year, on this month and day I deliver the best of my wares to Loh Ma, he inspects them and calculates the value of my total crops. It would be a failure of my contract with him to not respect his time and no doubt busy schedule. He is after all an especially important agricultural official. If I must suffer a few minor twinges I shall do so in silence as I always have done. This is not the work for men who whimper at a few cuts or bruises.” A memory flashed before his eyes as he uttered his final line. Bygone years when he trained in the best dojos in Harushima, his master of battle said those very words to him.

“Minor twinges…” Meilou muttered. “You need not lie to me Jaan, I see straight through them. Anyone with two eyes could see what you try to refuse to acknowledge.”

“Woman.” Jaan’s tone was steeped in warning. “This conversation is over. I go today.”

“If you must.” Meilou conceded defeat on this front, deciding her time could be better spent elsewhere. “At the very least use this.” She drew forth from a hidden part of the house a sturdy little cane, one carved in the likeness of a badgermole, an item Jaan thought destroyed.

His breath caught, and his eyes flashed. “You kept it!”

“You should use it, it will help keep your weight off your leg.”

“I told you to burn that… That thing ages ago!”

“It was a gift, Li worked awfully hard on it. You cannot burn a gift. And even you must admit it’s quite a good carving. You just do not like it because it proves that even a half blind eighty-year-old man can see what the rest of us know. You. Are. In. Pain Jaan.”

“Throw it away.”

“Li meant for you to use it to help walk, not to throw around and discard.” Meilou’s brow furrowed ready to die on this hill.

“Li can shove it up his boney-“

“Baou and the cart are ready to go father.” Zhei interrupted, peeking inside. He looked a bit disconcerted, as if he had overheard what had just transpired. Jaan bit his tongue and flashed one last glare at his wife.

“No Meilou, and this conversation is also over.” He put his full weight on his left leg, his teeth ground together against the discomfort but he held the position in a demonstration of his full capability. He could suffer in silence indefinitely; in the end his mind would always triumph over his body. A lesson he intended to instill in Zhei. A lesson that could not be learned if the boy’s lead role model hobbled around on a cane and took a day off because he was a little bit sore. He stalked from the house into the morning light grumbling under his breath. The sun had fully risen by now and cast long shadows across the ground, painting the desert sky in a mixture of orange and yellows. Already the coolness of the night was gone, replaced by the omnipresent heat that dominated the region year-round. He climbed aboard the large cart, throwing the sack containing their lunch and water supplies into the back. The wooden seat creaked under his bulk as he settled himself and took up the reins. Below the ostrich horse squawked and pawed at the thin grass underfoot, eager to get underway.

“Have a safe journey, and Zhei don’t you go getting into any trouble with those city kids. I know how they are.” She gave her son a firm hug and pressed the denied cane into his hands. “And be a dear and give this to your father.”

“Boy if you attempt to hand me that thing, I will break it over your back.” Jaan growled from his seat. He rarely uttered an empty threat, but even still Zhei had to hide his cheeky grin. “Now get a move on, we’ve burned enough daylight already.”

Zhei tucked the cane securely underneath the piled and tarped produce, cleverly hidden out of sight, but onboard nevertheless, a suitable compromise between his stubborn parents, for the time being, and clambered up next to his father. Jaan rolled his eyes skyward but said nothing more on the matter. Bending down he pressed a kiss onto his wife’s forehead and flicked the reins, clucking his tongue until Baou strained against her restraints pulling the heavy cart forward. The road to Si Wong was long, but they should make it by noon.

Get up.

Get. Up.

RISE AND SHINE, LITTLE BOY!

A slimy voice roared in Siyu's mind, jolting him awake to promptly bump his head on the bed frame above, "Ow, damn it, Avante," muttered the young man as the occupant in the higher bunk growled back, "My name isn't Avante, ass hole, don't wake me again." Siyu grimaced and quickly slid out from his bunk, packing his things together as quietly as possible.

A peculiar little bushy tail whose colors kept shifting fell down in front of Siyu's face, to which the young man glared upwards at an obnoxious mongoose-shaped vision, Avante, who was sitting with its ass end on the growler's face. The ghostly form smiled as an ethereal voice of a jester appeared from every direction within Siyu's mind, Good morning, sunshiiiiiine.

Siyu ignored his visions, grabbed his pack and personal sandsailer, and quickly left the building, saying only the usual pleasantries on his way out. He didn't like to admit it, but Siyu was currently staying with a small gang of thieves who provided a place to sleep and training on theivery in exchange for a cut of everyone's take. They were an alright bunch, though a bunch Siyu didn't really trust. Anxiety would often find its way into his heart when surrounded by cutthroats as well.

Anxiety that began to rise as Siyu stepped out into the sandy world of Si Wong City. And what a world it was, especially to Siyu. While most people in this part of the city would recognize the trash and squalor, to Siyu there was not just trash and squalor, but also maddeningly twisted beasts floating through the air, people whose faces looked completely blank or turned into pitch black masks with blindingly white grins.

Breath. Breath. Just breath, the urging in Siyu's mind was clear as he clamped his eyes shut, drew in a slow, deep breath, and then exhaled.

Upon opening his eyes, the visions had become somewhat less intense, but it was still overwhelming. As the air around him seemingly began popping with lightning-like flashes visible only to him, Siyu carefully pulled out his wooden pipe and Si Wong Kong bag. The local herb was known to calm the nerves, and that was just what the man needed.

Ah, shit, almost out already... exasperation filled the young man as he took half his remaining herb, stuffing it in the pipe before pulling out his flint and iron. It took a few strikes to produce enough sparks to take hold of the herb, but it was enough as Siyu took a long drag. Within seconds, he began to feel relief as most of the visions fell away, realigning Siyu's reality with those around him.

Better watch out there, little man. Almost empty. Be a shame to see what happens to you without the Kong these days... Avante's ethereal voice once more appeared, pestering him. The mongoose wasn't wrong though. Siyu did not want to run out of Si Wong Kong, and that meant earning money. And earning money in Si Wong Kong as a Sandbender often meant stealing, unfortunately. Siyu adjusted his headwrap, dark brown eyes of both tranquility and terror staring out from beneath it. Into the crowd, he went.

Just before entering a nearby market filled with hustling merchants and consumers, Siyu quickly stepped into a quiet spot and buried his sand sailer before heading in. Inside the market, there was little personal space, but that was perfect for what Siyu had in mind. As the shoppers moved along, the young man peered with eyes that had been taught the basics of to look for pockets, bags, and fabrics that looked like something heavy was in them. He noticed a series of lumps in the pocket of a burly man speaking to a vegetable merchant.

Siyu moved his hands very carefully from the ground towards the man, calling up a stream of sand from the ground that flowed like a tendril. It shot out to the man, slipping into his pocket in an instant, flowing over the coins, then solidifying before being whipped back out of the pocket. Within a second, a ball of coins had transitioned from one pocket to another as Siyu rapidly made his escape.

"Huh? Hey! HEY! I've been robbed!" the man noticed faster than Siyu expected, Shit, got to go.

A hand fell upon his shoulder, Impossible, how could he find me so fast? flashed through Siyu's mind as he looked back at the owner. A tan fist impacted his face.

Lights rushed passed, roars of infinity filled Siyu's ears. The world was torn asunder, upside down, and around. His mother's face drifted into view, then father's. An evil grin. Ever shifting voices of nonsense erupted, The albatross dies as the spirit lies. Echoes of freedom. Nine by seven I fly.

Siyu came to lying in the dust with the man standing above him, "You fuck'en Sandbenders are all the same, lying, stealing, cheatin' little fucks all of you!" The man brought his fists together and down towards Siyu, who whipped his limbs clockwise, summoning a concentrated sandstorm that threw the man off his feet while lifting Siyu to his. Siyu followed this up by turning tail and running away as he kicked up a much less dense but larger sandstorm that enveloped the area.

Slipping away while retrieving his sandsailer, Siyu put as much distance between himself and his victim as possible. Snazzy escape there. You're lucky he wasn't a bender. Once more, Avante's ethereal voice permeated Siyu as the world seemed to shudder for a moment. The mongoose appeared around Siyu's shoulders, So what's the haul?

The young man brought out the coins, counting them by sight, Enough for maybe today and tomorrow. Poor guy... Avante looked at the coins, then at Siyu, smiling an unnaturally toothy grin as he asked, Want some tea?

---

𝓚𝓨𝓞𝓤𝓝𝓐

𝓚𝓨𝓞𝓤𝓝𝓐

---

Steam and smoke wafted through the air, bringing with it the smell of campfire and various teas being brewed. Floor to ceiling shelves lined the walls of the room, each one filled to the brim with a multitude of different plants, dried flowers, dried fruits, and completed tea mixes which were contained in labeled jars. Fresh herbs hung from the ceiling, being prepared for use but were of little help currently other than providing some new scents to join the mix and maybe some pleasing aesthetics. Brown lace up boots with a black toed front clunked against the wooden floor with each step as the only occupant flitted busily about to check on the cauldrons, keeping the fires going, and setting up the tea sets for each table. She was used to keeping busy, usually having to time everything perfectly so that she could take care of both customers and brew. Now, the ruckus of sound and voices from the other side of her crafting room were no longer her concern, at least not until her newest server made up his time.

Kyouna hadn’t been sure what to think when she had been approached about Jemmu serving out a punishment at her tea shop, the parents hoping to show the boy some humility. Honestly, she wasn’t sure if that would end up working in their favor, the choice up to Jemmu himself on whether he learned anything from this experience but she had needed the help. The Yang’s could only be there so much and the shop was becoming more and more popular with each passing day that it was growing harder to keep it up by herself. It was the reason why she had accepted though she could only hope it didn’t cause her more trouble in the end. He seemed like a good kid though and sure, he might have done something a little over the top but isn’t that what kids did. Life was not without its consequences though and that was the case here. She was still waiting for the day when her own actions might hold their consequences, something she couldn’t stop thinking of when she saw Jemmu, her mind wondering about Akolo.

She shook her head to rid those thoughts, the high ponytail of long ebony hair swishing along with the movement before she reached for the rag at her hip, wiping her brow of sweat. The crafting room could get smoldering with all the different flames which added to the already intense heat of the desert and not even tying her kimono or a ponytail would completely help, though she was used to that problem by now. Kyouna shoved the rag back into her apron, moving into a stance with her feet and raising her hands up, bending the tea from the cauldron she was focused on and ready to move it to one of the pots. She might not be the most graceful or proficient bender but at least moving water wasn’t a struggle or at least when there wasn’t something to distract you. It was precisely for this reason that it all fell apart halfway to the teapot when an ethustic chime of the nickname Jemmu had given her rang out.

Kyouna desperately tried not to groan in frustration or agony at the beautiful piece of art that was her tea, spilt onto her nice wooden floor. Instead, she ran her hand down her face and went to grab a cloth to clean up while listening to the boy about wanting to talk to her about something. She nodded gently as she got onto her knees, working on cleaning up as she listened to him talk and ending up chuckling, the negative emotions from the disruption and ruined tea leaving her mind rather quickly. “Oh, is it now? I’ll try to keep that in mind when I see something disapproving though forgive me if I end up correcting you anyway.” she teased, continuing to wipe up the floor and knowing it would have to be scrubbed over lightly with water and soap so it wouldn’t become sticky. “As for your work efforts, you are doing a fine job and I will let your mother know as much. I don’t expect you to be perfect when you have only begun your journey. The idea of blisters is concerning though, are you alright? Do you need me to heal it for you?” Kyouna asked, worry etched on her features as she stood up immediately and moved closer to take a look.

It wouldn’t do to have blisters, firebender or not. The last thing she wanted was for him to be hurt and not when she could easily solve the issue. She was about to take a real look when he stated he had one last thing and the question left her raising an eyebrow. She knew what his punishments were supposed to be, laid out before her so that she could keep him to that line but on the same hand, she had lived with a strict parent and knew what it was like to feel trapped in the same never ending loop and with no fun. It was a hard choice and ultimately she felt herself crumbling. “Only the first day and already asking for time off? What am I gonna do with you?” Kyouna chuckled before sighing. “Alright, I’ll let you go but don’t get into any more trouble while you are gone. You mess up and you are on your own. I will play dumb. Just make sure you go home on time. Don’t make me regret this and maybe I’ll let you go early sometimes as our secret. Okay?” she smiled before making her way to the customer section of the shop and working on taking up new orders with a friendly ‘Welcome to Tea & La, what can I get for you today?’.

Daisuke Sato




Caldera had always been a loud city, the streets teeming with vendors, each competing for the ears of passerby’s. Daisuke’s hand tightened around the reigns of his steed, pulling him close to heel as he guided him slowly through the throngs of people. The city had a certain Charm that relied almost entirely on the mood of it’s viewer. To a young idealistic child, it had seemed a wonderland of possibility, a coiled serpent ready to strike out and envelop the surrounding isles. Daisuke had stood in awe of it at 16, his greatest hopes finding a place to put down roots.

But today, at 28, coming off a pyrrhic victory and the loss of his closest friend. Today these streets felt like a cold hand tightening around his neck. He pulled his cowl up around his head, retreating into it's shadows as he approached a large open square. In the center of this opening was a raised platform, anchored in the trampled, dead, tan dirt. Atop it stood a small, nervous little man, his red uniform pulled tight around his midsection while beads of sweat ran down his seemingly too-long forehead. His bowl like eyes scanned the crowd, and as he opened his mouth a deep and resonant baritone rang out. The voice was such a shocking departure from the body that Daisuke could not be sure if the crowd quieted in surprise or curiosity.

“I call your attention to the words of Our Sages and Our Esteemed Leaders!” He unrolled a scroll which had gone unnoticed hanging at his side. “Upon the Black Cliffs the blight of Toz the Pretender has been driven back once again!” Murmuring ran through the crowd, the snide little man added weight and volume to “once” and “again”. He was not lying, for Daisuke himself had handed many defeats to the Warlords forces, but the burgeoning government along with the sages were very… inclined… to present the war as all but won. Despite the fact that Toz had been holding and recovering ground remarkably well. The men and women further South believed in him, for some strange reason they had aligned themselves with their oppressor. Oh, how often the sentiment of the down-trodden turned after receiving mere crumbs from the masters table.

“Our Esteemed Leader’s Commander in the Field was Daisuke Sato, The Thorn in Toz’s Foot, and he brought home glory once again as he lead the charge through fire and flame! Nearly a hundred garrisoned troops fell at his hand alone!” Daisuke’s stomach began to churn, elated gasps and a smattering of cheers broke out in the crowd, and Daisuke turned away and drew his stallion to the perimeter of the square. Men and women parted before him as the devilish man with a golden tongue droned on. Daisuke had killed a fair number, though it was a necessity not a pleasure, and his men had, as always, carried the brunt of the fighting.

Cheers began to erupt in earnest, Daisuke pulled hard at the reigns and began to body his way through the crowd. Objections to his rudeness were swallowed after seeing his uniform and Captains insignia. Where were the cheers for Ichiki!?. The Heroes, as was so often the case, were left behind on the field of battle, consigned to the histories. Rage filled tears ran down his cheeks as he finally cleared the crowd and pushed onward towards his destination.

----
The hauntingly beautiful sound of a violin reverberated within the large tavern. The Dancing Dragon was three stories high, rather unusual for a Calderan tavern, but that was not the reason it stood apart. In the middle of the building was an open courtyard, in the center stood an elaborate stage. Only the greatest performers in Caldera played, acted, or spoke upon that stage, and with the heightened skill came an exclusivity in patronage. Over time it became a well-known gathering place for military officers, government officials, and aspiring oligarchs. If you wanted to broker power in comfort, you came to the Dancing Dragon.

Today Daisuke nursed a rather noxious spirit, an in-house concoction designed to loosen the inhibitions and purse-strings of any who partook. Daisuke had promised himself he would not imbibe, the meeting he was approaching was far to important, though after the announcements in the square… Daisuke found his will weakened. He took another sip, beating down the urge to finish the entire glass, doubtless there were eyes already on him and he could not afford to telegraph any weakness. He set the glass down and peered over the ornate lattice work on his second story balcony.

She played magnificently, and her movements were nearly as enticing as his drink. Long pink sleeves reached to her knees as she slowly danced. Skillfully, she played the Ballad of the Sun Warriors, and all conversation in the building barely exceeded an intimate whisper out of reverence to her ability. Daisuke watched her face, pensive and serious, as she commanded the attention of all in ear shot.

A creaking of hinges and groaning floorboards intruded on Daisuke’s reverie, as a lithe older man slipped into the opposite seat. He pivoted his chair inward, crossed his legs at the knee and smoothed out his black trousers. Daisuke took one last sip, allowing his gaze to linger on the artist for a moment more. She was approaching the climax of the piece, and Daisuke enjoyed even this small act of impudence. Looking at him was a man with no title, no real name, and near limitless power; he was the spymaster for the Seven Sages and he had requested this meeting.

Daisuke set his glass down on the smooth obsidian tabletop as he turned towards the new arrival. “I appreciate the invitation, though I don’t know what services or information I can provide that you don’t already have in abundance.” The man’s face tightened with a narrow grin as, under a heavy brow, his sharp blue eyes locked with Daisuke’s. A chill ran up his spine, “That said, I am happy to be of service.”

“Have you enjoyed your time back in Caldera?” And with that question Daisuke knew he was in dangerous territory, the summons had been clear: When you return to the Capital, come to the second floor of the Dancing Dragon, ask for Uzumaki, and wait in the viewing box. But Daisuke had other matters to attend to, namely visiting the families of the men who had died under his command. The Spymaster was not engaging in pleasantries, he was making an accusation.

“I have, thank you. Returning home is always pleasant, even when I am tasked with the heavy burden of notifying the families of the fallen of Our Sages gratitude and respect” Daisuke had to walk a fine line, he couldn’t just come out and say that the families of his men were imminently more important than the political machinations of this man.

“Hmm. I am quite sure they appreciated hearing it from the horse’s mouth, so to speak.” He shifted almost imperceptibly in his chair “My understanding is that the plan was flawlessly executed, if not without cost.”

Daisuke inclined his head, suddenly increasingly aware of the hard, wooden, back of his chair and the burning desire for more alcohol. “The cost was high, good men, very good men, died for Our Nation that day. The strategic value of the Black Cliffs is undeniable.”

The narrow smile was back “Your company has come back to refit, ideally so you can resume winning battles and securing glory for our united people” He looked out, over the balcony, scanning the faces of the other patrons. The spymaster clasped his hands neatly in his lap and lowered his voice “None of them know the cost, they drink and cavort, and never spare a thought to the human capital expended to secure their safety. And yet, we need them. They are the economic and bureaucratic backbone that allows us to stand upright.” His head snapped back to Daisuke “But you and I, we not only understand the cost, we calculate and pay it.” Daisuke could no longer hear the violinist, his heart pounded in his ears. This shedding of decorum was off-putting, it was a tactic, what could be so important that The Spymaster would attempt to ingratiate himself with a mere Captain?

“Toz has left the Southern Isles. He is heading for Si Wong to rally support for foreign involvement in the war. Doubtlessly he will whore out the Fire Islands in exchange for a paper crown. And I” He paused “-we would prefer that not happen.”

Daisuke reached for the glass, and he drained it.

"You heard me, the Avatar stunt." Sho chuckled as he stopped walking, looking down towards the ground as he shook his head. Kira and Lon stopped, raising their eyebrows as Sho's short comrade looked to his reluctant leader. "What? We did it before!"

Sho wiped away the imaginary tear from the corner of his eye as his gaze fell on Li. "Do you remember what happened last time we ran that show, Li?"

Kira, dressed in her traditional Northern Water Tribe robes, rolled her eyes and wrapped an arm around Sho to lean on him. "Oh, wasn't this the time that I had to save Li from getting some earth benders after he was trying to brag to their girlfriends about being the Avatar's best friend, or the time we were stalked for like a month by some shady figures who thought you actually were the Avatar? Hmm... Oh, of course, that was the same time."

Li opened his mouth to speak, his eyes looking to his hulking brother Lon for help... only to find his brother folding his arms and shaking his head in his direction. Li turned around in a huff and just continued trudging forward while everyone followed. The Elements had been on the road for years at this point, and they'd grown accustomed to marching long distances on foot at this point. Lon was carrying a large pack that had most of the group's camping supplies, while the others carried their own personal equipment. Li, without a word, simply raised his left hand with two fingers as he was walking forward, and Kira immediately responded by uncorking her waterskin. With a simple wave of her arms, she managed to extract one small globules of water from the waterskin and float them in Li's direction. Li turned his head and opened his mouth, and one slow motion from Kira moved the water into his mouth. He let the cool water cool his tongue before simply nodding his head and shooting a thumbs up behind him.

Sho's eyes weren't on the road or his companions. He instead glanced between the treeline on either side of him as the group was marching through a forest path once again. At the sound of any branch snapping or leaf rustling, Sho's head would snap towards the direction it came from. The memory of those people stalking his friends had set in a relapsing paranoia. Something in the firebender's gut told him that something wasn't right. They hadn't seen anyone on this trail at all that day, and they'd been marching for nearly four hours in total. They were about another day's journey from the next town... but surely they should have seen someone at this point. Anyone. There had to be something going on.

Sho's fears were confirmed correct when he felt the ground beneath him seem to shake slightly. Having lived in the Earth Kingdom for years, the feeling was familiar, and always unnerving. The path had shifted slightly, with two hills on either side of the path as the river the path followed bent around the right hill. A large stone wall lifted up in front of Li, who immediately began backpedaling until he lost his balance and fell on his ass. Kira instinctively uncorked her waterskin and held her other hand near it, ready to strike at any given moment. Sho, on the other hand, simply stepped forward and looked to his left and right, seeing two men in green tunics sliding down the hillside to flank the travelers. Before he could say anything, the two strangers landed in the dry riverbed. "Sorry to interrupt your trip, but you're going to have to pay if you want to continue on here."

Sho raised an eyebrow, his expression serious as he examined the two men. The one on the left, the one talking, seemed to be a bit older. Mid thirties by the look of him, and a bit more built. The man on the right seemed to about the same age as Sho, and of an average build. The looks on their faces, though, was what made Sho's blood boil deep inside. They both sported smug grins as they looked down on Sho. The Element's leader spent only a moment looking between the two before he decided on his response. "Why?"

The stranger on the right seemed confused as he looked to his partner, whose grin transformed instantly into a grimace. "The local militia keeps this road safe from bandits, and you've got the pay the militia to be under their protection."

Sho looked back to Kira and nodded. She knew what to do when the time was right, and took a few steps off to the side. Sho's gaze fell back on the two militiamen. "Bandits... you mean the kind of people who strong arm travelers into handing over their coin int he middle of the forest?"

The stranger on the left clenched his hands into fists and took a small step forward,standing up a bit more straight as he looked down towards Sho. At the same time, Sho's stance shifted slightly as he placed all of his weight onto his back foot to ready his left foot to strike. Before either could make a move, the other stranger took a step forward as well and placed a hand in front of his comrade before speaking. "Look... you hand over some coin and this doesn't have to get messy, alright?"

While the man on the left seemed to back down slightly, Sho remained ready to strike. "I see... well... the problem is we don't exactly have any coin on us..."

The man on the right shook his head and gave an exasperated sigh. "We'll take something other than coin if you've got anything worth while..."

A small smirk graced the edge of Sho's lips. "I see... Well... I suppose we could trade some water..."

On cue, Kira quickly sprung into action at the peripheral of the two militiamen's vision. She jumped forward into the air, rolling her arms over her head and forward as a wave of water was pulled from out the river and over Kira's head to crash down on the two men. While the water torrented onto them, she lifted her hands towards her lips and pushed towards the water while blowing air to freeze the water. Before they knew it, the two men's bodies were covered in a block of ice as their heads remained free and clear. They began struggling to break themselves free, but this hadn't been Sho and Kira's first shakedown. Li and Lon seemed as stunned as the militiamen as the two foreign benders simply smiled and turned towards their earthbending companion, motioning towards the stone wall in their way. Lon was able to lower the wall easily after planting his feet and swinging one fist down towards the ground, and the Elements continued on their merry way to the sweet sounds of swears and pleading from the two men who had tried to shake them down.

By the time the owner came around to take his order, Kosroq had fallen into intense thoughts of some kind, though outwardly he merely seemed deeply fascinated with the surface of his table. He had his head propped up with his left hand, his arm wrappings and the prayers written on them in full display. In Si Wong it was always hot enough to make the spirits sweat, so he never wore his Northern furs (not that the average Earth Kingdom citizen would appreciate their quality anyhow). Kosroq's eyes only flitted up to the owner - a woman named Kyouna - for a half second.

"Hibiscus tea, and heavy on the honey if you can," he murmured, just loud enough to be heard. He kept his tone polite, even if he was a little dismissive. Almost reflexively he pulled his arms closer to himself, almost as if trying to hide the scriptures written on them, before returning them to their original position.

Truth be told, he didn't dislike her. Sure, the name of the shop was slightly in poor taste, but that wasn't grounds for hate or anything. Her tea was impeccable, as was the service most days. Still, something about her made him irrationally uncomfortable. When his tea arrived, he took it with another small glance and nod of his head.

There were a few possible reasons. For instance, it was entirely possible the Kyouna might have seen him before. Not just at Si Wong, of course, but in Agna Qel'a. Obviously they hadn't known each other, but Kosroq and her seemed roughly the same age, and Kosroq's father was very well known. Even if they simply passed in the streets once, it was possible.

This didn't necessarily mean much, which led to the second potential reason: Kosroq didn't like being reminded of home. Not for any particularly dramatic reason; he simply didn't like to think about it. Maybe it was being reminded of Hanouk, his brother, who was no doubt being raised as their father's true successor. Kosroq might be the firstborn, but he'd given up most of the benefits he would've gained from it. Though their parents had never been overbearing, they still had to draw a line, and Kosroq had crossed that line when he said that he wanted to leave and adamantly refused to marry. They ended up letting him leave, partly because of Kosroq's flagrant disrespect of tradition, but also because Narrok and Salla knew a warrior when they saw one. Kosroq clearly wanted to fight, and Hanouk was the charismatic one anyway, so they let Kos go into the world. Maybe they'd expected him to come back by now. Maybe they hadn't expected him to become an infamous Earth Kingdom political saboteur. Who knows?

Kosroq shook his head. Too much thinking about family. Think more about work. He drained the rest of his tea, then stood to leave, dropping his coin on the table. He left the spirit prayer slip where he'd put it, face up. Maybe the owner would call it good luck. Either way Kos had work to do. Best not to dawdle.

---

The saddle bounced hypnotically throughout the grueling ride. Batu patted his ostrich horse’s neck gently, looking up towards the horizon. Dusty cliffs and crags as far as the eye could see, with endless dunes even beyond. It was only mid-morning, but the sun had been beating down as if it were the dead of noon. Truth be told, Batu had set out at first light, hoping to take advantage of the twilight before the heat could become an issue, but like many things in his life, he’d judged poorly.

His eyelids drooped. A mere three or so hours in the saddle, and he was as exhausted as if he’d been riding for a full day. His face baked, his already dark complexion getting a thick layer of sunburn atop it. He forced his eyes down to his belt, feeling around with his hand, before producing a water skin. Twisting the yak bone stopper, he knocked back a mouthful of the already warming liquid.

Uyanga, his trusty ostrich horse, brayed raspily, a discontented yowl followed by chitters. Batu lowered the water skin, squeezing the beast’s mouth full as he had his own. The animal chirped, satisfied. From behind him, a noise somewhere between an angry gull and a dying elephant assaulted Batu’s ears. Throwing back his gaze, his eyes settled on Wangu, the camelephant that Batu was still unsure was worth the crowns he’d cost.

“Silence yourself, beast! You’ve enough water in that hump for all of us to drink all the way to Si Wong!” Batu called back jokingly, trying to keep a lighthearted spirit during the trying journey.

He had to admit, it was a far cry from the steppes and mountains he’d called home. Even the remote villages from there to Harushima were more hospitable, and there was always wild game to hunt on the trek northwards. Come to think of it, he’d seen nothing even dare try and live in this wasteland in his miles of riding, save him and his herd. It was sobering to be this far from real civilization, even for a nomad.

Snapping him out of his deep thought was the distinct sound of wind in his ears. Batu hadn’t encountered any sort of wind since he’d set out this morning. The wind tie he’d secured to Uyanga’s saddle had been stationary save for the bounce of the ride, but now it blew full mast. Batu thought back to the advice he’d been given at the last bazaar by those odd insect-helmeted traders. Wind was not an idle thing in the desert, and great dust storms could come at a mere moment’s notice. The native tribes called these winds Shamals, and the only way to survive one was to shelter in place.

Batu grimaced, railing another swig of water before putting his weight back in the stirrups. Cocking himself to one side, he dismounted with a groan, rubbing at his aching back.

“Uyu, down.” As he ordered, the bird-horse-thing folded her legs, sitting on them that they were not at all exposed. Batu wrapped a hand around canvas and animal skin, a tarp lodged in the leather ties of the saddle. Pulling it free, he brought with it two iron-tipped wooden stakes. He acted fast to pull the tarp over his trusty steed, securing it down on both sides with grunts of effort.

Directing his gaze to the horizon once again, the danger now presented itself. Mere miles out, a wall of dark, oppressive brown sand towered higher than the Walls of Ba Sing Se. His expression softened, a realization of his predicament. Throwing his gaze back to Wangu the Camelephant, he thought: If he can’t survive this without a tarp, he’s not worth a damn anyways. With that last thought, Batu retreated under the tarp with Uyanga.

---

The man and his beast cowered under the tarp for what felt like in eternity. In all reality it had been less than an hour, but already what had to be feet worth of sand was building up on the tarp, which fought each gust of wind with all its might, held down more by the weight of the sand than any stakes which had been driven.

Batu had prayed to every deity and spirit he knew at least once thus far, and held with a white knuckle grip onto the tarp for dear life. Uyanga hadn’t stopped chittering discontent since the storm started, not that it was audible over the hissing wind and whipping tarp.

Batu had a pit in his stomach. Sure the storm was the greatest of his concerns currently, but he couldn’t help but feel as if he was being watched. Observed, maybe even stalked. Surely nothing could reliably function out in that dust, could it? Batu’s thoughts were interrupted harshly as a particularly strong gust of wind blew, and a coarse ripping sound tore the tarp in two, taking it away in two neat pieces.

They were now exposed to the elements, as particulate lashed Batu’s face and flayed his hands. Uyanga sprung to her feet, only to be blown back prostrate again. Batu thought he heard voices, but swore it was only Wangu’s cries distantly behind him. Until the sounds became clearer, and clearer.

”We have to take these ones now! The storm won’t last much longer!” He heard one voice call.

”This damned camelephant won’t take a lead!” Another called back.

Batu became keenly aware of his situation at once. Bandits. Sandbenders, if the storm was anything to go by. Batu called out.

“YOU DAMNED THIEVES! I’LL HAVE YOUR HEADS!”

He’d barely managed to utter the sentence before he was knocked back, landing square on his buttocks in the shifting sand, as if a fist made of coarse, rough earth had hit him in the gut. Batu launched himself towards Uyanga, managing to slip a foot in one stirrup before a similar gust knocked him down again. Uyanga did not stand idly, springing up with a shrill cry. Only she succeeded where Batu failed, and off into the sand she went, or so Batu thought, before he found himself dragged by his leg, still caught in the stirrup.

His mouth filled with sand and he nearly passed out at once from the shock. He was keenly aware of figures in pursuit, silhouettes of sails and wooden decks in the rapidly dispersing storm.

He delivered a swift kick to Uyanga’s backside with his free foot, forcing her to ride faster.

You want me to spend some of our money on tea?

Yes, you deseeeerve it. That was a job well done! replied the ethereal Avante, smiling as ever upon Siyu's shoulders. His tail tickled at the man's ear, forcing a retaliatory swat.

Hmm... I guess you're right... This time.

There was an increasingly renowned shop not too too far from here that Siyu had overhead people talking about, one which Siyu began walking towards, You know, you are right, Avante. I haven't really done anything nice for myself in months...

The reply slithered into Siyu's ear, Avante's got your back, along with a complimentary tail slap of the back. But the world around Siyu began to grow unusual yet again, darks and lights appearing in places they shouldn't. Colors began to shift more as Siyu started to sweat. Avante's tail pointed to the Kong bag, to which the young man followed orders and smoked what little of the herb he had left, "We have to go to the herbalist after this. Have. To."

The Kong quickly took effect, almost like a calm ocean of water enveloping Siyu. His cares and worries diminished with every delicious breath of air as he could finally relax and simply walk to his destination. The colors of the world mostly returned to their places, but still seemed a bit agitated.

Almost no time seemed to have truly passed to Siyu as he approached Tea & La, threading through the denizens of Si Wong City. Taking up position a few feet in front of it, he peered up at the sign, idly contemplating the world, What am I even doing here? What's the point, really?

"Hey! Dirt bag Sandbender!" a still calm Siyu looked to his left and discovered the man from earlier, tomato red with anger, "You're going to return my money!"

"Ah, shit..." Siyu didn't want a fight, choosing instead to turn about and run. But within three steps, his slowed brain registered another man in green garbs approaching, then lifting his left leg rapidly. The earth shifted suddenly to Siyu's right, Fuck! Too fast!

Siyu began to corkscrew his arms to deflect the blast as much as possible, but he was too slow in recognizing the danger. Nearly the full force of the earth pillar hit Siyu, sending him flying through the window of Tea & La, crashing across one table before his body came to rest on a second one.

Pain reverberated through his body as he mentally screamed, Get up! Get up! The two men entered the shop. Both were grad in green clothing, the first was the burly victim of Siyu who was currently cracking his knuckles while growling, "You ready for a beat down, Sandbender??". The second was a skinny Earthbender friend who was still quite dangerous.

“Oh, I’m so sorry! I don’t really have any blisters. See?” Jemmu allowed Kyouna to get a good enough look at his hands that would satisfy just about anyone. True to what Jemmu had said, his hands were entirely bereft of blisters. Instead, his hands were heavily callused. Surprising for any other boy of his age, but definitely not so for Jemmu, especially when considering the training regimen that he often subjected himself to. Or, more accurately, the level of training that his father had often arranged for him. His hands were yet another reminder that he wouldn’t be able to do any Firebending training for some time. In fact, his body was feeling a bit flabby lately… could Kyouna tell by just looking at him? That must be why she was acting so nice to him! He had evidently turned into a weakling that demanded pity at every turn. After all, he had to admit that the tea pot he had been lugging around was feeling just a bit heavier than usual… Jemmu was now feeling completely dejected and was only a good push away from falling down a spiral of self-pity. Fortunately, it wasn’t long before he managed to compose himself - the breathing control he learned from Firebending was exceedingly useful in this sort of situation. Still, he had to wipe a few tears away from his brief moment of devastation.

Jemmu was taken aback once he heard Kyouna’s response to his final question. He wasn’t entirely sure if it was possible to be too nice of a person, but if it was, then Kyouna would definitely be guilty of it. He could easily spend far too much time speculating why Kyouna was being so kind to him, and he was fairly certain that he’d get absolutely nowhere by doing so. It would be simpler to accept the gesture for what it was and leave it at that. Still, it was rather shocking that something that he had suggested mostly in jest had been received so warmly. He’d be sure to take advantage of the opportunity that had been presented before him, but he wouldn’t do so immediately. It would be rather foolish of him to head out even under these optimal circumstances. It was true enough that he had Kyouna’s silence, yet that failed to completely reassure him. If he decided to go anywhere of note, there was no question that he’d be seen, and that information would find its way back to his parents. He hadn’t exactly ingratiated himself to the city at large with his latest stunt. Better to let things cool off for awhile longer - at least until the severity of his past deeds had begun to leave everyone’s collective consciousness. That meant he’d be serving tea for a few more weeks, at the very least.

“Wow, I didn’t think you’d actually say yes! Things are getting kinda busy, so I’ll stay the rest of today - though I just might take you up on your offer later. I hope you’re ready to see what a Firebender can really do!” Jemmu tried to flex his right bicep to add greater effect, but he was wearing long sleeves, so his intent was largely lost. Jemmu’s face turned red with embarrassment, only dissipating when Kyouna began to make her way out of the back room. As Kyouna was leaving, Jemmu meekly told her that he’d join her later after taking a short break. With his employer finally gone, Jemmu took the opportunity to journey over to one of the counters that lined the wall and poured himself a glass of water. It was just enough to put him back into fighting shape, so to speak. After all, he had only just begun a day that was sure to be longer than he would have liked.

Being all by himself allowed Jemmu to fully appreciate his surroundings. The various dried herbs, spices, and plants vigorously assaulted his sense of smell in all the best kinds of ways. Despite never being much of a fan of tea, he was never against having to work at this tea shop as a punishment; it had been his mother’s idea. His father had been rather set on making him spend the rest of the summer at the local Air Nomad Monastery. Fortunately, his mother had come in at the last moment to suggest that Jemmu could serve tea instead. His father reluctantly agreed, though it was made fairly clear that if Jemmu caused any trouble at all, it would be a summer spent with the monks. Jemmu was quite motivated to avoid that at all costs. After all, Jemmu really had no clue what the Air Nomads did all day anyway. Meditate upon the secrets hidden within the universe and breathe a lot? He was already bored from serving tea, but a summer at the Monastery would be a death sentence. He just couldn’t risk it, at least not yet. Continuing to serve tea at Tea & La was the only way in which he’d be able to come up with a clever way to salvage his summer.

Jemmu was quickly approaching the end of his self-imposed break. Eager to not gain a reputation for laziness with Kyouna, it was probably best to get back to work as quickly as he could. From the folds of his clothing, he pulled out a Waterbending scroll. He had acquired it some time ago from Old Man Lu’s wares, though it was obviously something he wouldn’t have normally been interested in. Lu had lacked any Firebending scroll that was advanced enough to be of use to Jemmu, and the money that he had been saving up was burning a hole in his pocket. Lu had suggested that there was a possibility that Jemmu could incorporate some Waterbending styles in his Firebending. That sounded sensible enough to Jemmu; after all, why would his friend ever steer him wrong? As expected, he had almost no luck with the scroll at all, which soon found itself collecting dust in the mess that he called a bedroom. It only returned to the forefront of his mind once he learned that he would be working at Tea & La where the owner was a Waterbender from the North Pole. He didn’t really know what the difference was when it came to those from the North and South Poles. All he knew was that Kyouna would actually get some use out of the scroll that he never could. He placed the scroll in an area where Kyouna could easily find it, with a short note attached:

Big Sis Kyouna,

Thank you for giving me a chance.
Please take care of me!

-Jemmu

Jemmu frowned as he reread his own note. He really needed to work on his calligraphy. His face slightly reddened again, once the prospect that his writing could be mistaken for something a child would transcribe. The irony was completely lost upon Jemmu. He slapped both of his cheeks a few times, helping him to get his head back into the game. The writing only mattered insofar as it was legible. He could only hope that Kyouna would like the scroll. It was odd; he had no idea why he cared so much about Kyouna’s opinion of him. He supposed it was best to just chalk it up to his nature. Why make enemies when you could make friends instead?

Before Jemmu returned to the main area of the tea shop, he made sure to refill the teapot that he was using with the tea that was that morning’s special. It would do just fine for most of the people that frequented the tea shop, but some people had their own favorites and wanted something more specific. That was usually where a good part of the running back and forth came from. Once Jemmu had left the back room, he became entirely stunned by what he saw. Based on when he was actively serving tea only ten minutes before, practically twice as many were waiting to be served tea as before. Jemmu glanced over to Kyouna, who was frantically trying to keep pace with all the new customers. How was it possible that she was managing this shop all by herself? Maybe it made more sense for Jemmu to train under Kyouna whenever the next opportunity presented itself…

“Looks like I wasn’t lying when I said things were getting busy.” Jemmu was giving Kyouna a wide grin, though it wasn’t exactly easy for him to find his way over to the tea shop’s owner so that he could get a word. The throngs of people that he had to pass through had already emptied most of the contents of his teapot. “If you ever want a break, I could make the next batch of tea, you know? I’m sure there won’t be many people left after that.”

Jemmu thought it was quite a clever joke, and he very much would have liked to get a genuine reaction to it from Kyouna, but he wasn’t afforded the opportunity. He was pulled away almost immediately; Jemmu severely underestimated how ravenous for tea that the patrons of Tea & La actually were. It would be some time before Jemmu had a chance to meet back up with Kyouna. Whenever he had finished serving a group of customers, Kyouna was always busy with something; whether it was serving, brewing, baking, or the plethora of other tasks necessary to keep the shop running smoothly. It was quite incredible how Kyouna seemed to multitask so successfully. On the other hand, Jemmu was clearly struggling with just serving tea and pastries, and it wasn’t for a lack of effort either. The reality of the situation was that Jemmu was exhausted. Not physically - his body was well-conditioned to such a point that pouring tea had little chance of ever wearing him out. It was all the different interactions with the people whom he was serving that was exhausting, and he had always considered himself a people person! Very few took umbrage with sharing a variety of different stories with him; their hopes, desires, dreams, and fears. Much of it was overwhelming, but he truly did not mind. The social aspect of tea seemed to be as important as the drinking of it.

“This is a lot harder work than I thought it would be and I’m having fun, too! We must be coming close to the end of the day, right?” Before Jemmu could receive a proper response, a man with the bushiest mustache that Jemmu had ever seen tugged at his sleeve. Jemmu got the cue, and he refilled the man’s cup.

“Thank you, young man. If I recall correctly, you’ve only been open for about an hour today. Are you planning on closing early today?” The man proceeded to loudly slurp his tea. For a moment, Jemmu had to brace himself with the table. He had never stopped to consider just how much work went into the running of Tea & La, especially just in the short amount of time that he had been there. Jemmu managed to recover quickly.

“Wow, that’s awesome! Big sis, you’re so amazing!” Jemmu humbly gave Kyouna a short bow. As he returned fully upright, his eyes were bright with newly found enthusiasm. “I had no idea that you’ve been managing to do so much everyday all by yourself. I am deeply honored to work beside you.”

It was no sooner than Jemmu had showered Kyouna with accolades than a horrible noise could be heard on the other side of the shop. A window had been completely taken out, along with a good portion of a wall as well. Whatever had crashed through had to have been launched with considerable force. Chaos was only beginning to ensue as the various customers who were all enjoying their tea only moments before were beginning to clear out of the tea shop. Jemmu set aside his teapot as he started to move towards the destruction. Whatever had come through the window had already taken out multiple tables. As he got nearer to the damage, he managed to more closely inspect what had happened - wait, was that a person!?

Upon this realization, Jemmu threw away all reason and rushed to the side of the injured man. He quickly checked for any wounds or broken bones, utilizing much of the medical training that his father had taught him over the years. Nothing seemed to be life-threatening, but he only managed a cursory look before the man’s two assailants had already entered the shop. His entire body tensed; he knew trouble when he saw it. Honestly, he really couldn’t afford to get involved in whatever dispute was happening here, but he couldn’t just walk away from someone who needed his help either. He would just have to beg his parents for forgiveness later.

Jemmu returned to his feet, standing between the two men and their victim in such a way that any further attacks would have to pass through Jemmu before they would be able to hit the man crumpled on the ground. He didn’t assume any threatening stance, he really didn’t want to escalate the situation if he could help it.

“I really hope the two of you are planning to pay for all this damage.”

Xonsu walked around the halls of Monastery, and the information Sila had given him still rattling around his head. Toz was coming to Si Wong chasing the Avatar, the Avatar hadn’t been seen for over seventy years with nought but rumours ranging from anywhere between the Fire Islands, Southern edges of the Earth Kingdom and the wastes at the south pole. Now Toz was coming here to ‘garner support for his rightful rule’ of the Fire Isles if all rumours were to be believed he actually thought that the Avatar was either hiding out or being hidden within the city. Such an idea was preposterous, if the Avatar was truly in the city he’d know about it, wouldn’t he? After all, he was considered by many as the spiritual expert within the confines of the city. He had faced several spirits and worked to restore the balance, and he was even recognised within some Sandbender Tribes for his usefulness.

Xonsu sighed, his body more or less returning him to his quarters on autopilot. Sitting on the edge of his bed, he lay back into it a sigh escaping his lips venting all his frustration in one deep breath. He heard a knock at the door, sitting up he took a second to close his eyes and breathe. In, and out. His worries were unfounded, he would continue on his mission to bring balance and enlightenment to the world, while many other monks and nuns sought to only bring enlightenment to themselves he differed in that he saw his place to bring balance and enlightenment to others. Walking to the door his heart started pounding in his chest as in the doorway stood Tuo Po. A thin layer of dirt on her skin, barely visible on her tan skin except for those that knew her. Her hair tangled together as it was caked in dirt and sand, while there was the sweetness of her perfume there was also the muskiness of the Earth she caked herself in on a regular basis. Detatched from the world. Falling for an Earthbender, again, was the opposite of his vows.

“Hey, Windwalker.” While Xonsu was in the middle of his respectful bow when her fist collided with his shoulder knocking him back slightly

“Tuo Po-” Xonsu brushed the dirt off his robes. “-I told you not to call me that anymore. I’m a monk now, there’s a certain respect that’s expected of a man of my particular station.” Her warm smile quickly went cold and faded from her face. In the end, this is what had broken their relationship, and in many ways their friendship. Whatever warmth remained always faded whenever their respective duties were addressed. Since splitting from the group Tuo Po had made her own way around the Earth Kingdom until eventually settling in Si Wong City as one of its rangers. A group of militia that didn’t just protect the city, but the many caravans and travellers that made their way through the harsh desert. Despite their proximity to one another, they had not seen each other, except in passing, for many years. Last he had heard she had married and had a child.

“Yeah, how could I forget? Excuse me.” She bowed her head, her bow crooked and hands in the incorrect positions. He didn’t rise to it though, he wouldn’t stoop down to her level.

“So, what can the Monastery do for the Rangers today?” Tuo Po looked past Xonsu to the room and made a move to enter, he raised his hand onto the frame of the door to stop her. “You can’t enter, a woman cannot enter a monks personal quarters and vice versa. It is improper.”

Tuo Po rolled her eyes and groaned, as she slammed her fist against the wall he was sure he felt a slight tremor in the ground. “You’re impossible, look I’m not trying to seduce you. It’s just what I have to say is important, but it’s for you and you alone. I don’t need everyone in Si Wong City knowing about it.” Xonsu just stood unmoving and unflinching. That’s when he noticed the sadness in her eyes, in honesty he should have noticed it sooner. They weren’t bright and piercing as they should be, but there was an emptiness within them, a deep sorrow. “It’s important Xonsu, I don’t know where else to go.”

Xonsu moved his arm, leaning out of the room to make sure nobody was watching. It wouldn’t do good for the Head Monk to be seen allowing a female, and not even an Air Nomad at that, entering his private quarters. Once he was sure it was clear he stepped aside allowing her entry. Ignoring the smell of her as she passed him, he wondered what trouble she was going to get him in this time.

---

𝓚𝓨𝓞𝓤𝓝𝓐

𝓚𝓨𝓞𝓤𝓝𝓐

---

She was pleasantly surprised that Jemmu had decided to stay and continue working the full day as she was prepared for him to snatch up her offer and rush off. He really was a good kid. It didn’t bother her that he had requested for a break, it would be a nice change of pace to be out of the crafting room for a bit. This was the part she truly loved after all, the chatting with customers and the smiles on their faces which was created from something she had made with her own two hands. Tea brought people together, giving a sense of unity and balance. It took all the elements to make the perfect cup of tea. Each taking on an important piece to make something wonderful as a whole. She liked to think that reflected in her tea, hopefully bringing a piece of that to her customers.

Kyouna’s smile faltered for a moment, her eyes landing on Kosroq of the Northern Water Tribe. He had been there before and yet each time, it felt like a punch to the gut and a knife in her heart. It wasn’t his fault that he reminded her more than any other of all she had left behind. She was sure he didn’t know her personally even though they looked close in age or at least she didn’t remember him. He had never said anything to make her think that he knew her or what she had done. She steeled herself, telling herself he was just another customer and that she should be happy that someone of her tribe liked the brews. It did help bring a soft smile to her features as she took his order, giving a nod before working on getting him a fresh brewed cup and making sure that it was heavier on the honey as requested. She also made sure to bring a side bowl in case her measurements were off so he could adjust it himself. Kyouna placed both carefully before him then flitted off to the next table, not having a moment to spare. The natural pace couldn’t be broken or it would end up a mess.

A bright smile graced her lips as Jemmu joined her again. “It seems like you were accurate in your assessment.” she replied, not missing a beat as she poured a cup for one table while stacking dishes on a tray from the table beside it. She did try to hold back her laughter but it happened anyway, the innocent joke making her smile. Kyouna had been about to joke in return, telling him not to tempt her when they were both separated and pulled to take care of different matters. It was probably for the best. It did make her think that maybe she could teach him a bit if he wanted. Probably not now but maybe later in the summer when he got the hang of what he was starting with. She had a feeling that boy could do anything if he set his mind to it.

Time seemed to continue rolling by at a fast pace, her attention pulled in all directions from welcoming customers, serving, cleaning, brewing, and baking. She hardly had a moment's pause but she did make sure to keep an eye out for Jemmu now and then, making sure the firebender didn’t get overwhelmed or didn’t need her help with something. It seemed to be going smoothly so far and she would call this a productive morning. It made her happy to hear that he was at least having fun even if he was practically forced to be here and admitting this was a bit harder than he thought it would be. Kyouna had no chance to answer though as one of their customers had taken the moment to speak up, answering for her. The sudden praise though, she was completely unprepared for.

She felt her face light up red, nervously not sure how to accept a compliment like that and just ended up stuttering weird noise while quickly shaking her head and waving her hands. “Don’t be silly. I-I am not amazing at all!” she barely managed to squeak out before a horrible crashing sounded out on the other side of the restaurant. People started to panic a bit, scrambling up and moving out of the way. Her window was not in the greatest of shapes, parts of the wall even crumbling and falling. Tables were toppled over, cups and pots were smashed while people were trying to leave that didn’t help the situation either. “Nobody panic! Everyone, through the kitchen and out the back door.” Kyouna stated, starting to control the crowd of scared customers and lead them out the safer way.

Once it looked like they were in control, no longer running frightened, she turned to what had caused the commotion. There was a man still laying against the toppled over table while two larger men strolled through her doors as if they had done nothing wrong. It was as if it hadn’t even phased them or registered in their tiny brains that they had wrecked everything and coming in all high and mighty. Did they think she would just allow a fight?! And money?! What about what they would owe her for the mess they had caused?! She didn’t care what the other man had done to inflict their wrath but punching anyone through a wall was insane! She felt her blood boil, her rage building with each step she took forward and glaring sharply at the two brutes in front of her. The spilt and leftover tea bubbled up from the ground and pots around her, drifting into the air to follow, swishing angrily like a sea during a storm as she stepped up between Jemmu and the men that had dared disturb her shop.

“I couldn’t agree with you more, Jemmu. I would be very interested to know this information.” she spoke calmly before it dropped to a colder tone by the second. “Both of you couldn’t possibly be demanding money like thugs in my shop when you both not only destroyed my wall and window but damaged two tables, broke so many dishes I don’t want to begin to count, terrified my customers, and dropped my revenue for the day.” The hot mixture she had gathered behind her slowly lashed forward to force them back as she moved forward, careful to not have it anywhere near the ones she was protecting.

“But you know the worst of this….you thought it was acceptable to harm and threaten someone. I don’t care what he may have done or taken, you both are dishonorable cowards. There were obvious and peaceful solutions but you both wanted two verses one.” She hissed angrily, moving her hand and gathering tea from her kitchen, moving it out the window so it was in fighting range. “I suggest, you both walk away now or I promise you will regret it.” She might not be a fighter but she did know that flinging around boiling liquid was threatening enough. Kyouna was straining herself but she didn’t show it, letting her stance slide into a fighting move. “What’s it going to be?”

The pair of men looked at the small torrent of hot tea forming followed by its angry woman and young child, and then at each other as the lady advanced. The whips of tea made them nervous enough to step backwards a few times as they considered their options, not having expected a more even fight. The largest man growled at Kyouna, balling his fists repeatedly before the Earthbender leaned into his comrade and whispered something to him that made him roar, "But this fuck'en prick pickpocketed me," before his friend whispered one more sentence.

Slowly came an exhale of hot air from the giant as the pair retreated back further, the big boy declaring as he pointed to the still-motionless man laying atop Kyouna's tables, "That son of a bitch is gonna get what's coming! You don't mess with the Fangs!"

As they took their prompt leave, Siyu groaned as he tried lifting his arms, the world spinning around his vision. Getting sent through a window and part of a wall had poured pain into Siyu's life, but it was slowly beginning to lessen as he mentally forced his body to begin rolling onto its belly on the broken table. Siyu muttered, "I-I'm soww.. sorry about..." as he began pushing against the floor with his arms before losing his strength almost immediately and falling back down. On the ground he chuckled before coughing lightly, observing quietly, "Guy really... kicked my ass..."

Kosroq had small rituals he performed before each job. Currently he was finishing inking the prayers on his mask. It was fashioned after the masks worn by an ancient order of assassins rumored to commune with spirits. Of course, that was long ago, and the order hadn't existed for a very long time; he doubted anyone even knew the origin of the mask anymore. It was a tool meant to hide his identity and strike fear into his enemies. The mask itself resembled a sunken face, narrowed eyes and a completely neutral slit for the mouth. The prayers on it were mostly of forgiveness. Kosroq thought of it as wearing his confessions on his face.

Finishing the ink, he wrapped it in a bundle of clothe. Next he changed his outfit. His 'work' outfit had more Earth Kingdom influences than Northern ones, only incorporating some fur around the collar. Most of it was dark green, though there were some lines of lighter shades as well. It looked, for the most part, rather generic, but allowed freedom of movement.

Finally, he strapped the scabbard of his serpent-tooth dagger on. Picking up the bundle hiding his mask and shoving it into his bag, he mouthed a silent prayer with his eyes clothed, then set out.



The city was always busy, meaning getting to the agricultural sector without any attention was easy enough. The difficult part was in doing the job.

The bureaucratic building of the agricultural sector - where all the records, scrolls, and other various paperwork was written, stored, or transfered - was huge. This meant that sneaking around was easy enough. Kosroq entered with his mask off. He knew the name of the target - one Loh Ma. All Kos had to do was plant some papers. He'd gotten a better glance at them before he'd left his place - they were faked correspondence between Loh Ma and a group of sandbender daofei. Over multiple letters, it detailed how Loh Ma, who, among other duties, took in crops from outsiders and calculated their value, was transcribing the total of crops falsely, taking some of the crop, and selling it covertly to the daofei for some personal profit, while the city knew none the wiser and the daofei ate well and recruited more members sick of the sparse pickings provided from the desert and the infrequent stolen goods. After all, the deep inland desert dwellers were reputed to feed off buzzard wasps and drink cactus juice, which sounded unhealthy to do once, much less live off of. Of course, it was none of Kosroq's business.

The business of the agricultural officials often meant the offices themselves were empty, often used only for meetings and writing the records not done on the spot elsewhere. Kosroq located Loh Ma's office relatively easy. Getting in was easy as well - Kosroq had perfected a technique to lockpick doors a long time ago, and though Kosroq hadn't brought a canteen with him, the agricultural offices were decorated with an abundance of flowers and such. Checking the hallway again and listening for any approaching footsteps, he began drawing some water discreetly from a nearby flower and working on the lock. Lockpicking with water was tricky work - he had to let the water into the lock, then slowly feel out the proper key shape by freezing and unfreezing the water repeatedly until he felt the ice occupying the appropriate space for him to turn it like a real key. He could simply break the lock or expand the ice enough to damage it, but the point was to leave no trace. It was very difficult to manipulate the water at such minute detail, but he had had plenty of practice.

The office was pointlessly well decorated for something few likely saw, which was typical of officials everywhere. Kosroq settled for sliding the papers behind a large cabinet set against the wall - hidden enough to be believable while still being fairly simple to locate. Besides, he was sure the client would alert the authorities of Loh Ma's supposed 'corruption' within the day so as to guarantee Loh Ma had no time to find out of the client's planted papers. Overall, an easy job - no need for his mask or knife after all and no complications. Kosroq slipped out of the office in less than five minutes and walked out of the bureaucratic building, disappearing into the stream of people moving about the city.

Garr almost looked surprised when Kosroq knocked at his door. "Hmm?"

"Tell the client the job is done. Within the next few hours, please," Kosroq said, then walked away without waiting for an answer. It felt good to make Garr hurry after he popped this surprise job on Kos earlier, even if it had been easy. Now he had the day to himself again. Maybe he'd pop by the monastery to pray for a bit, he mused as he disappeared into the crowd again.

Xonsu signaled for Tuo Po to sit on the bed while he leaned on the window ledge. A breeze casting the warm desert air against his back. It was actually quite pleasant while stood within the cold halls of the monastery. He sighed as Tuo Po sat herself down uncomfortably, her hands rubbing her heads awkwardly. She wasn’t comfortable with something, he started trying to wrack his mind for any possible news he had heard regarding the goings and comings of the city. The only real issue he could think of was that some of the Sandbender tribes were becoming more restless and that Toz was coming to town. Though as far as he was aware Toz’ arrival wasn’t common knowledge as off yet, it soon would be. Just hopefully he would have time to sit down with the other members of the city council beforehand. Not everyone from the Fire Islands would be happy with Toz coming, some had left their homes because of his rampage.

“You know Tuo Po, whatever it is you can tell me-”

She put her hands at her side and took a deep breath before speaking. “I’m Pregnant.” Xonsu could feel the colour drain away from his face, so she had found another, and this was her way of telling him? He wasn’t entirely sure why she was telling him- “Actually that’s not entirely true. I just got nervous. I was, I’m not anymore. I have a son. He’s four-” Xonsu felt his heart rate start to rise. “-Xonsu. He’s your son.”

Xonsu started to cough uncontrollably. He wasn’t entirely sure why something had been caught in his throat? He’d been surprised? Confused. “How could, I mean I know how, we used to, I mean we did but, how? That was- khm- that was a long time ago. I mean, four years so I guess, but how, we didn’t, did we? I mean, why-” Xonsu’ mind was going a mile a minute, he was pacing. Heart racing, his hand moving over his head. Not only was this a revelation in that he was a father, but everything he had ever worked towards was at risk. While Air Nomads throughout the temples and the world were allowed to procreate and have relations, which is why Xonsu had partaken in the sins of the flesh once upon a time. Being a Monk? That was entirely different, they swore to celibacy and had to swear that they had never kept the company of another before becoming a monk (or a nun). It was expected that all Monks and Nuns were virgins, if not then they may be at the risk of temptation. To lead others on the path too enlightenment meant that they themselves had to detach themselves from all bodily and earthly concerns.

“It was a while ago Xonsu, you were starting on your path to becoming a Monk. I knew how important that was too you, I knew the conditions imposed and that if our relationship had been known you wouldn’t have made it-”

Xonsu just looked at her. “If I had known-”

“You would have given everything up. I know but I wasn’t ready. We had fun Xonsu, but I wasn’t ready to settle down into typical family life. Even now our son spends most of his time at his grandparents, to everyone but them and me he is my younger brother. I know I have no right to drop this on you now-” Tears began welling in her eyes. “-I have no desire to derail your life. I know you have worked so hard to achieve all this, and I’m so very proud of you but I just don’t know what to do anymore.” She rubbed her sleeve against her eyes, drying them. Since she had interrupted Xonsu was weighing on her words, unable to think of anything to say. The weight of everything she was saying was crushing down upon him.

Tuo Po stood up and walked towards him, placing a hand on his cheek and raising his head to face her. Tears ran slowly down his cheeks and she wiped them off. “This was not your burden to bear, and I want you to understand that you don’t need to feel bad. I chose to keep this from you, I just now need your help.” She sighed. “Our sons an Airbender.” Xonsu couldn’t contain his smile.

“An Airbender?”

She returned the smile, some joy returning to her sparkling eyes. “Just like his father. Look, I came to you first as pretty soon people are going to have questions. They know of our connection, if my younger brother starts going around Airbending they’re going to put two and two together, especially with the fact that my mother was never pregnant and I disappeared for several months. I can move if you’d like. We can go back to Ba Sing Se. I have family there, we’d be well looked after and live happy lives, if that’s what you’d want, or we can stay and try and figure this out. The most important thing is that I don’t want to disrupt your life, but Xonsu. Our son he’s-” She chuckled slightly as she shook her head “-he’s just like you. He has the same energy, way of life. You deserved the truth.”

"Go to Si Wong City!" they said. "Its a traveler hotspot, you'll have work from all around the world!" they said. I'd have had better luck sailing...

These were the thoughts gracing Han Xin's mind as he tramped about the streets and alleyways of the desert cityscape. Si Wong City had seemed like a grand idea for his line of work, an apolitical hotspot of travel and trade where a man like himself was bound to find work suited for his skills...which was exactly the same idea every other damned blade for hire in the Earth Kingdoms had had, it would seem. Most of his current days in the city spent checking bounty boards and killing time, and his liver, in local bars and dives.

Perusing the streets of the city, his thoughts shifted to his current plan. Another small-fry crook in hiding. Enough for a bounty posting, not enough to actually have the city watch looking for him. It wasn't much, but it kept food on the table and a roof over his head. Plus, it gave him a target to vent his various frustrations on. Not a healthy coping mechanism, but certainly better than finding solace at the bottom of a bottle all the time.

As some might say 'Speak ill of spirits, and they shall come', for it would seem that just by thinking of his target, the man appeared before him, stepping out of a dismal storefront of some kind and into the city streets. With little fanfare, Han Xin simply announced to the man that he should either come with him now, or be forced to. Naturally, the man immediately sprinted off in the opposite direction, prompting a groan from Han Xin as he began the chase after him.

The man wasn't much faster than Han Xin, but catching him simply by running on foot wouldn't be enough. Arms angled to the side as he ran, Han Xin focused his knowledge of haphazard Earthbending to drag together loose stones, clumps of earth, and other small bits of malleable material suited to his bending ability and simply hurl them at the target with his powers. A shower of rock and hardened dirt pelted the man's back, sending him stumbling and slowing his pace considerably.

Rushing to apprehend the man with as little trouble as possible, Han Xin chased him into a more open marketplace, and quickly took advantage of an ample chance to strike. Using his spear as a tool, he pried a large chunk of ground loose and hefted it upwards in combination with his bending, quickly twirling his spear around and using the haft of the weapon to send the makeshift boulder sailing through the air, managing to clip the target on the back of the head and sending him crashing to the ground.

Shouting to any and all bystanders to clear the area, Han Xin moved in and worked to secure the bounty, reassuring the official nature of it all to anyone watching the excitement, and quickly binding the man's limbs. Once the man was carefully secured, Han Xin went about getting him up and moving, setting out to turn him in to the proper authorities.

Another day, another drink...

---

𝓚𝓨𝓞𝓤𝓝𝓐

𝓚𝓨𝓞𝓤𝓝𝓐

---

She let out a relieved sigh but her muscles remained tense, nervous that the two would change their minds or cause trouble for her since she had stood in the way of their target. Kyouna didn’t have too much time to focus on that though as there were more important matters to think of now, such as the shop and her sudden guest which was probably in need of some care after being smashed through a solid wall and a few tables. She moved out of a defensive stance, carefully letting the tea drop since it was a waste to use now anyway as they had been mixed together. The damage to the shop also made it unlikely she would be open for the rest of the day and maybe longer. It was such a disappointment to have such work and beauty go to trash within an instant but she wasn’t about to let anyone come to harm if she could do something to stop it, even if that meant destroying her beloved creations.

Kyouna turned heel, making her way back to the shop and flipping the sign to close as she entered. The place looked like the bar after a brawl and then some which caused a frown on her face and anger to boil through her veins. She should have been more forceful with those two but at least they had left without too much trouble. Insurance would take care of the rest but it was still a complete hassle. She yanked out the ribbon holding up her hair, letting the inky tresses fall as she desperately felt the need to rake her fingers through it in frustration. Her turquoise eyes shot to her guest as he began to speak an apology but it just made her nerves bristle more that he was even trying to move as he did so. ”What in spirit's name do you think you are doing? You shouldn’t be trying to move.”, Kyouna scolded, quickly moving to his side.

”Do you feel like anything is broken or a stabbing pain in any particular area that should be looked at? I will try to heal you best I can but it would be easier if I knew it was safe to move you from your current position to a chair before giving you a look over., she said in a more soft tone, trying to calm herself down since the last thing they needed was someone yelling at them after what he just went through. She turned her attention to her young assistant for a moment, ”Jemmu, can you please bring me some water? I would rather have it ready just in case.” Once that request was out of the way, she turned back to her uninvited guest with a look of worry etched on her features. She needed to know more about these Fangs and if she was going to have more of a problem here. It was something that was going to have to wait until he was in better shape though. She was also curious on what exactly he stole or did to make those two that angry. ”I’m Kyouna by the way, what should I call you?”