Avatar the Last Airbender: A Second Chance - Chapter 1: The Silent Week

[Kultra_DM]

It has been several days now that the spirits have fallen silent the land over, the Earth Kingdom is in a quiet turmoil as the spirit temples over the land had lost all communication.

Ba Sing Se remained staunch as always, the inner most ring was ablaze with talks and important visitors from abroad, the rest of the rings remained calm at all times, the tremendous city of Ba Sing Se had been a bastion of peace for the last thousand years and the Earth Emperor was to see it remain as such.

The rich families of Ba Sing Se were scared, if the discontent spread among the common folk of Ba Sing Se, as literally hundreds of visitors to the city entered every day since the spiritual silence started, mostly spirit counselors and handlers, they were becoming more and more common view among the street as they gathered in ever bigger numbers, from other cities or from towns among the Kingdom, and even from other nations as they were summoned by the nobles or by their own curiosity.

The evening of the third day approached as black clouds rolled over Ba Sing Se, a heavy rain was scheduled to come down from the looks of it, the kind that soaks any bystander to the core and it´s better to leave alone. On the far western horizon the sky under the clouds was tinted red as it started setting, and the first thunder rolled through the clouds and the showers did not make themselves wait.

[z-Tora Zheng]

Tora was short on patience today. When the skies opened and dropped a virtual waterfall on them, she was even less amused. Quickly, the only dry spot on her was her seat on the saddle. Behind her, Rikka reluctantly clung to the second saddle, since the only way to ride a Mongoose Dragon was by clinging to something. The lizard's lithe body gyrated back and forth with the force of its movements, keeping up a speed that would run most people to ground in minutes. This was just cruising speed for Ryka.

A low rumble of earth to the side caught Tora's attention. She smiled as Brin came into view on his meandering path, doing something he called Earth-striding. As always, she marveled at the prowess of bending, a talent she didn't possess. Unlike most nobles of the Fire Nation, she had been passed over for that talent. She'd never even seen many examples of bending in life, so they were still a delight for her to see.

Ahead of them, the walls of the city itself came into view. They were less impressive than the outer walls they had already crossed, but the size of the city more than made up for it. It was astounding, even if the view of the city was diminished by the rain.

Turning, she waved at Brin, signalling him to take the lead. Things tended to be smoother when she followed their lead in the city. With her mount, distinctive red clothes, and golden eyes, she was easily picked out as Fire Nation. Those who thought to fleece her due to her lack of knowledge about the Earth Kingdom would have no such luck with Brin or Rikka.

[William Rose]

Brin lazily pulled ahead. His legs did not move faster than a quick walk and yet he covered dozen of meters each step as the ground rolled beneath him. He offered a smile to Tora, and to Rikka, as he passed. Shortly the three attained the great gates of Ba Sing Se. A guard descended the sheer rock face as easily as though he were walking down stairs and checked their identification. Satisfied he rose to the top of the wall and the gates were opened. The city beyond was a dazzling vista of stepped rings and terraces that built up toward the great Earth King's palace at the center.

Brin walked forward into the city his eyes wide, it was said that even Omashu paled by comparison to Ba Sing Se, and now he saw for himself the truth of that statement. The city, even here by the gate where the poorest sections were, was one masterwork of earthbending after another. The ornate formal gate into the city that lay within the wall was an artistic work that made stone seem to live and breathe, the stonework leaves almost seemed to rustle in the breeze. "Amazing!" Brin whispered to himself.

[Kaitlin Vandussen]

Rikka was miserable. Crossing the giant river between Chameleon Bay and Full Moon and the back of a mongoose-dragon had been horrible. She had been sure Ryka - And I bet Tora just said that was the stupid lizard's name just to spite me - was trying to shake her off, and Tora had been trying to hide to her laugh, denying it.

She would have walked as soon as they got back on dry land, but after the nerve wracking ride across all that water, her knees squeezing the saddle tight, she didn't trust her legs to support her. Just for the moment. She just wanted to get used to being on land again, though Ryka's sinuous gait was nothing like being on land or even a shifting sand dune.

And now it was raining. And not a light, fun, refreshing rain that was little more than mist. It was a heavy rain, oppressive, weighing down her soul as much as it weighed down the hair plastered to her face. That it didn't weigh on Tora as heavily was just another annoyance. When Brin came by with a smile, she felt Tora shift and straighten, probably offering him a too big smile in return.

Not to be outdone, she gave Brin a cheerful grin too, her tanned face maybe just a tad green about the edges and wave... which nearly sent her tumbling from the saddle. "That's it! I'm walking... I need to, uh... stretch my legs. They were cramping I wasn't using them for so long," she elaborated with all the dignity she could muster as they came upon the inner gates of Ba Sing Se, and slid down from Ryka's back with a sigh and stifled groan.

The outer walls had been incredibly impressive, solid and massive and stretching out of sight. But they were more like more a natural piece of the terrain than something man-made, despite the smooth regularity of their formation.

The actual city of Ba Sing Se was something else entirely, the last bits of her dignity fleeing as her mouth dropped open in awe. Brin had taken her to Omashu once and she couldn't believe a city could be so big, or that so many people could live in one place. Ba Sing Se made Omashu look like Misty Palms Oasis.

Rikka leaned forward eagerly, her misery forgotten as eyes sharpened by gazing across the wide expanses of the Si Wong Desert devoured the sight of the biggest city in the world. Despite the rain and dark clouds overhead, Rikka noticed spots of steady light throughout the city, speckling roads and streets. They didn't weren't the wavering orange of flames.

"What's making those lights?" she pondering, shielding her eyes from the rain with her hands and squinting. "Hey! Are those... crystals? Glowing crystals?"

[William Rose]

Brin smiled, "Are you sure you aren't related to a magpie-raccoon Rikka?" The little girl looked up at him silently, her expression a mixture of feigned innocence, and blatant mischief. "No," he told her, "we just got here. No looking with your hands." He smirked, "Or your pockets." Rikka's little smile turned to a slightly sour frown for a moment, only a moment though and Brin knew that she had something in her mind. He shook his head with a chuckle and looked quickly around the square.

Brin turned to Tora and helped her dismount from the horrid snake-weasel like creature she rode. Brin was certain it didn't like him either which made both of them more than happy that he could usually keep pace with them for most of the day with simple earth-striding. "Looks like there's a stable there, probably easier than trying to navigate the streets with Ryka," he added to Tora, pointing to a grand stone structure that was doing a brisk business with people, most of whom rode ostrich-horses.

Brin ground his feet into the stone beneath his feet and closed his eyes. He sighed as he sensed good solid rock for dozens of meters below. Rikka may have loved crossing the desert again, but Brin was sick of sand, it didn't behave like stone did. He'd been disturbed most by how fluid it was. Dry as a bone and yet it was more like mud than earth. Brin suppressed a little disgusted shudder and opened his eyes. There was so much to see, and this was the greatest city in all of the Earth Kingdom.

[Lien Huo]

They were in one of the less affluent areas of the city when the rain broke, wandering around listening to the whispers of the gatherings of spirit counselors. They ducked into a nearby tea-shop, though it was barely that - a small cart with a handful of tables and some rickety chairs, all under a simple roof built with posts instead of walls, open to the normally dry air of the city.

They ordered tea to kill some time, and now the female of the two Fire Nation travelers stood quietly under the protection of the roof, watching the rain pour down a mere foot or so away from them. Her brother, meanwhile, sat quietly next to her at one of the tables, waiting on the old man to bring them their tea.

"There's nothing here either, Lan. Nothing but rumors and gossip, just like in the towns nearby. Nobody really knows what's going on, we might as well be beating our heads against the great walls of Ba Sing Se."

[Lan Huo]

"Well with your stubbornness Lien, we would certainly break through, just as I know we will find something here within the city."

He smiled, they could tease each other like this and not come to blows, which was good, their fights, when they had them, involved bending, and their bending styles were amazingly distinct.

He frowned, knowing they couldn't keep the charade up indefinitely. "We'll find something soon, though what exactly we'll be able to do, that I don't know."

[Lien Huo]

"I don't know that we'll be able to do anything. But at least if we find something out, we can send word to Father somehow.. or take it back to him if we must."

She was about to say more, but it was at that moment that the elderly tea-server walked over, setting a small tray down in front of them, and slowly pouring them cups of the steaming hot liquid. They waited - Lan patiently so, Lien with slightly less, as normal - until he bowed politely, and walked back to his cart. She sat down across from him then, crossing her legs and picking up the cup of tea. When she spoke, her voice was lower, a quiet murmur that the proprietor wouldn't overhear, and hopefully no one else either over the sound of the rain.

"I am concerned about the people of the Fire Nation. They are probably as restless as the people of Ba Sing Se, and if there is anything we can find out that can alleviate people's concerns, then that is our duty."

[z-Tora Zheng]

Tora smiled at Brin for the unnecessary help. He was a gentleman and insisted on such things, even though she had proven she was capable of leaping off Ryka, even if the mount was going full-speed. She stepped forward and gathered up Ryka's reins, rubbing the lizard's snout with her other hand. The mongoose-dragon was her second-oldest friend, a notable accomplishment in Tora's lonely childhood. "Let's see if their facilities are adequate," she said, drawing a soft groan from Rikka. Tora understood; she was fussy about Ryka's accomidations, more so than her own. She understood, but it would not sway her.

The interior of the stables was a pleasure after the driving rain, even with the smell of wet ostrich-horse hanging in the air. Tora cornered the livery master and began to quiz him about the facilities and care of a mongoose-dragon. The entire time, her golden eyes bored into the poor man's eyes until he was shaking. Even innoculous details were treated with a life-and-death deliberation by the intense young woman. By the time she was done, Ryka was sure to have the best care she could get in the Earth Kingdom, if nothing else because the livery master was terrified of her owner.

Ryka's care assured, Tora turned to Brin and Rikka. "Thank you for waiting," she said, as polite as ever. She shifted the strap of her quiver to a more comfortable spot on her shoulder and said, "Shall we proceed to find a roof for ourselves?" A glimmer of amusement sparkled in her eyes. "Or are we going to sleep in another tree?" Some of their accomidations had been rough, not that Tora complained. Both earth-benders had long since learned she'd had a somewhat secluded and pampered life as a noble, but she accepted all discomforts with dignity.

[Lan Huo]

"Always the people with you. Are you not concerned yourself, Lien?" He smiled and sipped his tea. Though the place wasn't much to look at, the old man knew how to brew good tea.

"We'll find away to get a message out, but first we need a worthy message to send."

"The nobility here is expecting important visitors from other lands, who do you think is coming?"

[Lien Huo]

"Of course I'm concerned.. what a silly question. But it is the concerns of the people I must think of first.. that's my duty."

She picked up her tea, taking a small sip before she shrugged at him, glancing around at all the travelers milling in the streets.

"Perhaps monks for the Air Temples? They seem inclined towards spiritual matters. Other than that, I'm not precisely sure. There seems to be no dearth of spiritual advisors and handlers here to voice their opinions, not that they seem to actually know anything. It's like trying to fire bend during an eclipse. I doubt any of them are going to have any solutions for us."

[Lan Huo]

"Eventually then, we'll have to try higher sources then."

He wasn't that enthused about that idea and it showed.

"So, would you like to stop for the night and pick up in the morning, or see what we can learn from the nightlife here?"

[Lien Huo]

She shrugged faintly, and drained the rest of the teacup before setting it down on the table.

"We might as well keep investigating. There's nothing else to do right now anyway.. it's all anyone is talking about. We couldn't leave it be if we tried. If we don't discover anything by tomorrow, we will consider announcing our presence to the nobility of Ba Sing Se, though perhaps we could pose as ambassadors."

She glanced over his shoulder at the pouring rain with a bit of a sigh.

"That is, if this infernal rain ever lets up. I'd rather not wander around in the downpour."

[Lan Huo]

"I know the feeling."

He smiled, waiting for the rain to stop. After another thirty minutes, he sighed. "Guess we're getting wet tonight."

He paid the old man and tipped him well enough to be thanked kindly, andwaited for Lien. "Let's get moving."

[Jeremy]

On the other side of the street from the royals...

The rain went down in torrents outside the inn, making Jer even more happy that he was inside and dry. Not to mention the fish noodle soup he was eating at the window seat was good, warm and cheap. He spooned up another noodle and munched contentedly, letting the good moment drive away the rigors of a bounty hunter's life.

He and his ex-pirate companion had returned to Ba Sing Se at noon, to collect the bounty on his latest catch. The thief had reportedly been a master burglar, but a showing of Jer's axe had proven to wipe away any trace of the thief's allegedly amazing escape skills.

It had taken them a few days from the city, and now the two were back. As soon as the reward money was in his hand, Jer had decided that it was necessary to stick around in the city for a possible extended period. After all, they had plenty of spare cash always, and considering the historic events that followed the last spiritual silence, Jer judged that he'd rather be in the city than out on the plains or in a small village.

If the danger had passed, oh well. Smart thinking at times like these kept him alive.

He continued eating, though his friend had chosen to take a rest in the room, tired from the current excursions.

[z003]

Wandering anywhere convenient around Ba Sing Se.....

Normally, Kiara waited outside of town; normally 'town' didn't stretch from horizon to horizon. Luckily, most of the main thoroughfare's of Ba Sing Se were wide, spacious affairs; Kiara only took up about three fourths of the space as she trailed along after her human companion. Yana grinned at the wide-eyed looks her air bison garnered; she was on a mission here but she still had taken some time out to give kids a few rides around the area. After all, everyone should ride an air bison at least once in their lives, right?

She'd ignored the rain when it started. Years of travelling had pretty much inured her to the vagaries of weather, and she'd pulled her cloak on a few minutes before the drops started falling. She'd run into a few others like her as she explored the city, but no one had had any more idea than her what was going on, so she'd continued her slow spiral towards the center of the city and the palace there. She fell back and threw her arms around Kiara's neck, burying her face in the semi-damp fur there. "Well, what do you say? Shall we go look for something to eat? We can try the palace after food, and then find somewhere to stay for the night."

[Kaitlin Vandussen]

Originally Posted By: Tora Zheng

"Or are we going to sleep in another tree?"

What's wrong with trees? Rikka thought, barely stopping herself from saying it out loud before she caught the amused light in Tora's eyes. And that was another thing that annoyed Rikka about Tora - she was a noble, but she wasn't prissy or lord it over them or anything, and never complained about the roughness of their travels. She had even muttered less than Brin about the Si Wong Desert. She hated her for not letting her hate her like she wanted.

Rikka shook her head wildly trying to shed some of the water, then rung her tresses of more, though the rain was still falling in a pervasive curtain. "Yeah, I can definitely go for someplace dry. I'm wetter now than if your mongoose-dragon had dumped me in the river like he was trying to do."

"Rikka, I told you, Ryka wouldn't do that," Tora assured her, tone carrying mild exasperation. Since Rikka had found out that her mount and friend had a similar name, the blond girl carry an adamant dislike for the mongoose-dragon.

Rikka sniffed, refusing to believe the lizards noble intentions, though Tora could tell her heart wasn't into it. Perhaps she was beginning to relent. With an effort to regain her habitual cheer, Rikka gave Brin - and Tora, but it was mostly meant for Brin - a grin and bounced on her toes.

"Okay, let's go find a place to stay and then hopefully this rain will let up," Rikka said wistfully, her attempt to show a high spirited by the soaked tresses clinging to her face and neck. "I want to explore... and find out how they make these wonderful, glowing crystals."

Rikka scampered down the broad avenue, stopping to peer up at each stand that held a luminous crystal that lighted the way. Her fingers tingled, just wanting to scurry up one of the stands and pry the crystal free. There were just sitting there.

"Hey, Brin!" Rikka called out as she twirled around her current light-stand then looked up at him. "You think if I ask all nice like, they'd let me have one of those crystals - they're really pretty and there's many, they can spare one... or three, right-"

"-By the Shifting Sands, what's that?!" Rikka exclaimed, pointing excitedly at a huge beast covered in white fur. "It's bigger than a Sand-Sailor."

[z003]

Originally Posted By: Rikka

"-By the Shifting Sands, what's that?!" Rikka exclaimed, pointing excitedly at a huge beast covered in white fur. "It's bigger than a Sand-Sailor."

Eyes popped up over the edge of the creature, peering curiously down at the group. "She's an air bison!" the girl chirped merrily. "Have you never seen one before? Kiara's a great air bison! She's big and strong and warm and furry and she can hum!"

The eyes disappeared for a moment, and then a full girl perched herself on the edge of the great creature. She was dressed in the flowing orange and yellow colors of the Air Nomads, with gold accents that clinked prettily as she moved; long brown hair cascaded down her back, and even in the rain she looked radiant and composed. She had a look of deep concentration on her face as she tapped a finger to her lip, "She can hum, but she does usually get all excited and then she loses the beat of the song, so I guess she's not great at that, but then that's not really an air bison thing, so I guess she's still a great air bison and just not the best hummer." She nodded and then hugged the portion of Kiara closest to her (in this case, a back thigh). "She's my Kiara!"

The girl slid off of the bison with a dancer's grace, her feet stopping just short of making a splash in the puddles littering the street, and she regarded Rikka carefully. "Hey.....Do you know where a good place to eat around here is? Someplace with cabbages, maybe?"

[William Rose]

"No I-" Brin stopped out of habit as some other shiny new thing caught Rikka's eye. If asked Brin would swear that Rikka was part magpie-raccoon, but he still loved her like a sister. A younger sister. One who got in trouble a lot. Brin's eyes followed Rikka's pointing hand expecting to see some elaborate glass or crystal display. Everything in Ba Sing Se seemed like the best of the Earth Kingdom, and Brin wondered how accomplished the artisans further into the city, in the nice parts near the palace, must seem.

When he saw the air Bison his jaw dropped and he was rendered speechless, which was less of a feat than if it had rendered Rikka so, but still he'd never seen an air bison before. The creature was huge, large enough to even make Brin appear small, and that was an impressive feat. The young girl who jumped down from it was dressed in the customary garb of an air bender, or so he had heard. The Air Nomads were still rare enough that they existed just inside the realm of rumor and legend and well outside the boundaries of common experience.

Brin plodded forward, seemingly moving slowly though his long strides made him cover ground quickly even without bending it. He stopped a few meters from the bison and tried to find his tongue but eventually sighed and decided to let Rikka talk, she was plenty good enough for all three of them.

[Lien Huo]

Lien nodded, and they made their way out into the rain. It took only a few moments for the two young royals to become soaked to the bone - unless they were to start bending, no one would recognize the two soaking wet Fire Nation siblings for who they really were at the moment. Pouring rain had a way of making a person look significantly less dignified.

The made their way down a couple of streets, and rounded a corner before Lien stopped, looking startled. Directly in front of them was a large, wet, shaggy creature, the likes of which they had not expected to run into on the streets of Ba Sing Se. She leaned over and murmured quietly to Lan, sounding a bit startled.

"I don't think I've seen an Air Bison that large since the delegation from the Southern Air Temple came to meet with Father. That thing is huge!"

[Lan Huo]

"Yes, yes it is."

He smiled. "And you were worried we wouldn't find anything interesting. Let's go introduce ourselves, Lien."

He started walking towards them, allowing his face to take on the appearance of awe, I mean he could fly, but not like the air bison, nowhere near as smoothly. He didn't move too fast, to let Lien overtake him.

[Kaitlin Vandussen]

Originally Posted By: Yana

"Have you never seen one before? Kiara's a great air bison! She's big and strong and warm and furry and she can hum!"

"Wow!" Rikka sighed breathlessly, ignoring the rain and missing that Yana wasn't standing on the ground, wide, lime-green eyes looking at Kiara, enraptured. She skipped several steps closer, within arm's reach of the great beast, her light steps leaving not a print on the muddy ground.

"I've totally heard of air bisons, like, of course. But I didn't think they were so huge. I was picturing something more like Brin," the sprightly blond girl admitted, nodding over her shoulder at the hulking, young man, "except, y'know, hairier."

She held up a hand, and at Yana's nod, pet Kiara on the highest part she could reach, her arm sinking into the thick fur up to her elbow. She giggled as the downy fur closer to the skin, still dry, tickled her arm. "She's so soft, not like Tora's mongoose-dragon." Rikka leaned closer to the graceful dancer, voice dropping into a stage whisper. "It doesn't like me, you know. When Tora wasn't looking, it totally tried to dump me in the river, for true."

Rikka suddenly straightened, reaching into a pocket on the pack on her back, digging around for something. "Hey! Can I get a ride on Kiara? I got a piece of - just wait - here it is, a piece of crystallized ginger for her," she declared victoriously, holding up the piece of candy. Her grin faded with a faint blush as she finally caught up to Yana's question.

"Ooh! Sorry, we're new to Ba Sing Se too, we were just looking for a place ourselves, actually." She arched a brow as if a completely new thought occurred to her - that had absolutely nothing to do with the fact she wanted a ride on the massive air bison. She looked at Yana, then at Kiara and back. "Say, why don't you join us? We can share a meal, then take a ride on Kiara, if it ever stops raining - Doop! Almost forgot - I'm Rikka and these are Brin - he's almost like a brother - and Tora - who has an animal that is nowhere near as cool as an air bison."

[Lien Huo]

"I don't know about that. I've always found mongoose dragons to be very.. cool. In an elegant, beautiful kind of way."

The words came from behind them, and so the group turned around (all except Yana, who merely had to turn her gaze from Rikka to the newcomers) to see who else had approached. Behind them - or perhaps now in front of them, one could say - stood two travelers who obviously hailed from the Fire Nation, based on the color and cut of their clothing. The young woman was a step or two in front, and had been the one to address them. But it was, inevitably, the man standing a just behind her that drew all their attention - save perhaps Brin, other than perhaps a pang of envy at sight of the young Fire Nation wanderer. He was.. without a doubt.. the best-looking, most attractive man that any woman could have possibly set eyes on.

His sister - for they were obviously related, based on their striking similarities - was for her own part fairly attractive, though nowhere near as captivatingly beautiful as her brother. She carried herself proudly though, and flashed a faint smile at Rikka that indicated she was merely jesting with her about her obvious dislike of the serpentine mongoose dragon. She bowed politely, including the traditional fist-to palm salute of the Fire Nation.

"Please forgive us for interrupting, but it has been a long time since my brother and I have seen such an impressive air bison. My name is Yu Lien, and this is my brother Yu Lan."

[Lan Huo]

He smiled. "It is nice you meet you all."

He looked to Yana. "I have never seen an Air Bison that size, You must have a considerable bond with it, and skill guiding it to Fly one that big."

He smiled to the young Blonde. She was very cute, in that little sister sort of way. The Big man standing there struck him as an Earthbender, and he held back from commenting. "Quite a coincidence, all of us meeting here like this.

[z003]

Yana smiled at Rikka's offer and giggled at the pretty boy, then spun on a heel and pattered up to Kiara's head, whispering into the mammoth air bison's ear. After a moment, the creature rumbled loudly and leaped into the sky, circling over the group several times before settling into a hold pattern that kept the rain mostly off them. To the pretty boy, Yana replied, "Kiara and I are really close, but she mostly flies herself."

She shrugged, "And I don't know that it that's all that coincidental. I mean, it's a street. Aren't those for walking and meeting and going places?" Her eyes flicked between Rikka's group and the siblings and she bowed with an entertainer's flourish, "I'm Yana of the Winds, by the way."

[Kaitlin Vandussen]

Rikka tore her eyes of the white-furred behemoth and looked over her shoulder at the newcomers. "Mongoose-dragons are not-gwuh?" she began to refute, then froze, her grin disappearing as her mouth dropped open. The young man standing there was the most beautiful boy she had ever seen. She felt her cheeks colouring, at a complete lack of words.

She saw him look up at Kiara and Yana on her back and suddenly, desperately wanted an air bison of her own, just so he would look at her like how he was looking at Yana. And then, he was. Her flush started traveling down her chest and to the tips of her ears, her breathing intensifying.

"I'm Ryka - I mean, Rikka! Rikka of the Shifting Sands," the blushing blonde stammered, cheeks as hot as a firebender's fire. "It's nice to meet you met you, Yu Lan..." Rikka said a little to loudly then trailed off into a sigh as she breathed his name. "Hey, do you want to come with m- us? All of us, we were going to look for a place to eat, you can come too."

[Lan Huo]

He chuckled at the Airbender's assessment. "I suppose so."

He smiled at the young blonde girl, then to Lien. "A good meal sounds nice, doesn't it Sister?" He was either oblivious to the effect he had on women, or so inured of it that he didn't mind or care.

[z-Tora Zheng]

Tora stood back, her eyes on all the newcomers. The air bison was exciting and its owner entertaining but it was the members of her own nation that drew her attention. Their beauty was awe-inspiring, but it was hope that they potentially offered that interested her.

"I am Tora. I heard someone in the barn say that there is a good soup shop over there," Tora offered. "If I understood, it is just around the corner." She smiled enigmatically at the twins. "We should get to know each other better. Learn about one another."

[William Rose]

Originally Posted By: Rikka

"I've totally heard of air bisons, like, of course. But I didn't think they were so huge. I was picturing something more like Brin," the sprightly blond girl admitted, nodding over her shoulder at the hulking, young man, "except, y'know, hairier."

"Hey! I heard that!" Brin rumbled. He shook his head, knowing that she'd tease less if he didn't react every time. He remained where he was, bare feet rooted in place, the soles of his feet solidly on the smoothed stone of the street, the rainwater flowing around them like a river flowed around an immovable stone.

As Rikka continued Brin realized there were two people coming up from behind. He turned to look and saw the twins walk up. The red clothing was a dead giveaway for fire nation, and the bearing they held was unmistakable no matter what where one hailed from. Nobles. Brin shifted his feet, widening his stance, strengthening his position. Just in case. Nobles took all kinds of things common folk did as insult in Brin's experience, and they usually then made a show of proving themselves better than the poor.

"Your animal is truly impressive Yana," he replied to her greeting, Rikka having already introduced him by name. He nodded to the other two, "We're well met I hope."

He watched with delight, delight buried under a mountain of impassive features, the only hint being the sparkle in his green eyes, as the great beast lifted delicately off the ground with a floof of its tail and then hovered a dozen meters above suddenly ceasing the the rain within its shadow. Brin wiped the water from his face, a slight smile creeping onto his features like a fault in an boulder slowly expanding.

[z003]

The Air Nomad grinned happily at Brin and chirped, "Thanks!" She pulled ahead of the group just a little with a, "To the soup shop! And cabbages!"

The air bison kept pace above them for the short trek to the restaurant, keeping the rain somewhat at bay and doing a fair job of splitting most passerby's attention between the beautiful people below and the mammoth hovering quietly above. Once the group was ensconced under the awning of the building, Kiara lighted back down onto the street and shuffled up against the side wall, attempting to stay out of the way as much as possible. Yana gave the great beast a scritches on the head and kiss on the nose, "I'll be back in a bit, Kiara. Hopefully they have cabbages here; if not, they may know where to get some."

As the group made its way inside she asked, "So, you're new to Ba Sing Se as well? What brings you to the city?"

[Lien Huo]

Originally Posted By: Tora Zhang

"I am Tora. I heard someone in the barn say that there is a good soup shop over there," Tora offered. "If I understood, it is just around the corner." She smiled enigmatically at the twins. "We should get to know each other better. Learn about one another."

"That sounds like an excellent idea.. and a popular one, too."

Originally Posted By: Brin

He nodded to the other two, "We're well met I hope."

Lien studied the earthbender for a moment with a tilt of the head. Sifu Chang had brought in examples of the other three types of benders, as well as other firebenders, during the course of the twins' bending lessons. They were to familiarize themselves with the best way to engage in combat with each of the four elements, as well as non-bending fighters. He had made sure to impress upon them the strengths and weaknesses of each type of combat style, and what to look for to judge a bender's skill. She could tell that from the man's stance that he had a solid stance, and probably a lot of strength in bending, and she nodded appreciatively at him as she spoke.

"We certainly are, earthbender."

Originally Posted By: Yana

As the group made its way inside she asked, "So, you're new to Ba Sing Se as well? What brings you to the city?"

The twins followed the rest of the group into the soup shop - which took a moment to find, as it was actually an inn with a cook who had an excellent reputation for his soup. Lan was the one who discovered as much, by asking the man at the tea shop that they had just left, who pointed them across the street cheerfully. Lien paused for a moment outside to ring most of the water out of her long black hair, and then followed the others inside. At least the travelers outfit didn't have lots of draping cloth like some of her court apparel - that really would have been a nightmare to get drenched in.

"We are. We've come to investigate the spiritual silence, as I see many others have as well. We thought perhaps the great city of Ba Sing Se would be a good place to start. And yourself?"

[z003]

The lovely young woman nodded, her features serious for the first time. "Mmm. That's why I'm here, too. Well, that's why I'm headed back to the Eastern Air Temple, to check on Ianis, but some of the villagers where I stopped for lunch yesterday said that the Earth Emperor was calling together all the spirit experts he could find, so I figured I'd stop by here on the way and see if anyone knew what was going on." She sighed and looked pensive, murmuring to herself, "You better be okay, Ianis."

The innkeeper had used this time to spot the group, and noting the clothing, quality, and beauty of the assembled teens and young adults, waddled over to bow and inquire, "May I show the good sirs and madams to a table?"

[Lan Huo]

"Yes, please." He spoke calmly, having also tried to wring out most of the water in his garments. He did cringe as Lien called the big man for what he was, It wasn't like her to give away details about herself like that. "Well met indeed."

They were quickly shown to a table large enough for them all, where Lan waited for the ladies to sit down before taking a seat himself.

[Kaitlin Vandussen]

Rikka shook her head wildly before heading into the inn, splashing water everywhere and wrung out her scarf and bandanna, her only pieces of clothing that really retained water. She sprawled into a chair next to Lan, her elbows on the table and her delicately pointed chin cupped in her hands as she stared adoringly up at the gorgeous young man - though she would have vehemently denied doing any such staring.

"Well, me and Brin hadn't heard much about this spiritual silence thing, but in our travels, Tora did us a favour, helping us fend off some terribly mistaken bounty hunters. Being the honourable and forthright people we are, we decided to help Tora in turn, traveling with her in her quest to the grand city of Ba Sing Se." Rikka's voice dripped with sugary sweet sincerity and dramatic emphasis.

"We even crossed the hugest river ever to get here." This was obviously a feat of unparalleled courage and danger as far as the exuberant blond girl was concerned.

Brin and Tora shared a look. What Rikka said was true, technically, though it applied far more to the mountainous Earthbender than the svelte sandbender. As they remembered it, Rikka had sulked until an unintentional mention of what could be 'found' in a city the size of Ba Sing Se persuaded her that accompanying Tora was the right thing to do.

[z-Tora Zheng]

Tora had taken a seat across the table from the other Fire Nation travelers. Rikka's words had given her an opening, but she restrained herself. It appeared that they had concerns of their own, ones that would like divert them from her questions. Better to let them talk themselves out first. She could wait, though she felt the time pressing on her like one of Brin's stones.

Tora smiled with the grace expected of a child of a Fire Nation noble and said, "Spiritual silence? I'm sorry but I don't know what you're talking about. I'm not talented with the spirit world and we've been traveling in very rural areas." Calling the desert rural was quite the understatement, but Tora was pretty good at those. "We're quite out of the loop. What can you tell us?"

[z003]

Yana shook her head. "I don't know much. A week or so ago everything just went...silent. I couldn't hear anything or anyone anymore. It's like half the world is missing."

She shivered and rubbed her arms, frowning. "My parents and teachers, they used to tell me stories from just before I was born, when the spirit world went quiet and then there were all these natural disasters."

"When the Avatar Xue disappeared," she said as she propped her elbows up on the table and put her chin in her palm. "I hope this isn't the same thing, because we don't have an Avatar right now, as far as I know."

The innkeeper himself took their orders as they chatted, along with an order of as many cabbages as they could spare for Kiara. Yana gave Lan and Lien a friendly and hopeful smile, "I don't suppose you two have heard anything since you got here? Mostly we just seem to be bumping into each other and everyone asking the same questions."

[Lien Huo]

Lien shook her head, looking a bit frustrated but doing her best to hide it.

"No. Rumors and speculation. What might be causing it, what might solve it, general panic. Nothing definitive, and none of the rumors seem to have any more or less validity than any other. All we know for certain is that no one seems unaffected. I've heard of travelers from all over who have come to investigate or give their opinion on the matter.

[Lan Huo]

Lan's demeanor actually became more serious. "It has proven very frustrating. No one seems to really know anything, gust the general nature of it."

"Still There's alot of the city left to check out. In a city this size, surely someone knows something of substance."

[Jeremy]

When the mixed party had shown up to the inn, Jer had taken interest, noting the large man, the multiple Fire Nation nationals, and the Airbender who had accompanied the large Air Bison. Their table was nearby his, so even while sipping his soup, the perceptive bounty hunter could hear their discussion.

He looked over to them and cleared his throat lightly to draw attention. "My apologies for intruding, but I heard what you just said," he nodded to the extremely good-looking black-haired man, "and I have a suggestion to offer, if you wish to hear it?"

[z-Tora Zheng]

Everything that had been said was informative, but not the right kind of informative. Tora still had no idea what was going on. She had gotten used to this; her upbringing had been incredibly specialized, and she'd never been to the Fire Palace, as most nobles her age had been. Since dragging herself out of the ashes of her home, she'd been mostly lost in this wide world. Her parents had never taught her how to be in it, merely how to keep it away.

Thoughts of home and losing home brought a flare of fire and heat to her golden eyes. Brin and Rikka were used to this now; it always happened when she mentioned or thought about her mission. It was the only thing that destroyed her calm demeanor, that they had seen so far.

Tora tried to shake it off, opening her mouth to ask Lan and Lien something. She was interrupted by someone clearing their throat. She glanced over to see a strong-looking warrior there. Not many noble girls would look at a man and immediately assess his fighting prowess, but Tora noted the specific callous, the way he carried himself and the hard eyes. All of these spoke to her as loudly as if he'd just launched into a kata. And were his features familiar? She strained to remember if he had been there, that awful night. She was distracted with studying him, leaving it to someone else to invite him to sit.