Chapter 1.

Looking from the scrawny street kid to the two guards that tightly held the little troublemaker, Assistant Postmaster Hung-Zan sighed, "I'll handle this. Both of you can go back to work."

"You sure, Sir? He's hard to catch and good at giving people the slip," the older guard replied.

"Which is exactly why I should handle it. Sending a clever beggar boy to jail, will probably just make him more inclined to be a criminal. Getting to the root of the problem, and finding a better solution, will hopefully end with everybody happy." Hung-Zan said, then crouched down so he was at eye-level with the boy. He smiled, "Let's go to my office and talk. I've got some steamed buns with red bean filling that we can share."

The boy's stomach answered before he did, growling like a tiger-bear. Giving a crooked grin, as one of his eyes shut half way, he replied, "Can't say no to an offer like that." Then to the guards, he said, "I'm sorry about the mess I made. It was an accident."

"Just make sure you don't play on the delivery system again, kid. It's not your personal ride." The older guard said as he gave the boy's wrist to Hung-Zan.

As the assistant postmaster gentle guided the boy to his office, he asked, "So, my name's Hung-Zan. What's yours? And how old are you?"

"Bumi's the name. I'm basically thirteen years old and one of the best earthbenders you'll ever see," He responded.

The postmaster chuckled as he open the door to his office. Letting go of the boy's wrist, he reach for the lunchbox and said, "Take a seat. So, Bumi, you understand that you've been causing a lot of problems for the city's delivery system."

As a steam bun was handed to him, Bumi replied, "Yeah, like I said I'm sorry about today. I really didn't mean to cause that huge crash. When I lost control of the cart I was in, I freaked and next thing I know there's a bunch of carts smashing into one another. I tried to stop it."

Hung-Zan nodded. "You were able to mitigate the damage by an impressive amount."

"Mitigate?"

"Lessen. Decrease. Reduce."

Bumi chuckled, "Well, I wasn't lying when I said that I was a great earthbender."

"Yes, it's the reason you haven't been caught all the other times you've cause trouble for us delivery system workers." Hung-Zan replied, biting into a steamed bun.

"Other times?" Bumi questioned.

"Remember all of the rides you took on the chutes? Each one caused adults to panic. And it wasn't just worry over your safety that made problems for people. Every time you earthbended the chutes in odd places so you could go faster, you created little cracks that needed repair. Granted your bent the chutes very skillful, but that made it hard for the maintenance team to figure out where those small fractures were." Hung-Zan saw the boy's deepening frown and felt that the child understood the point of his lecture.

The assistant postmaster nudged another steamed bun toward the boy and said, "Don't get too gloom over it. During my childhood, I took a many rides on those chutes. A lot of this city's daredevils do it. Many have gotten hurt and a few have even died."

"Died!" Bumi exclaimed. "Kids, too?"

"Yes, kids, too. I'm glad you weren't one of them. Last year, I had to deal with a teenager who got himself mangled after crashing some carts and…I don't want to have to do that again." Hung-Zan tried not to think about that bloody corpse, but he did and shivered. Thankfully, the filling of his steamed bun dripping between his fingers took his mind off the dark subject. He grabbed a napkin with his clean hand, and as he stopped the red bean paste from leaking onto the table, he asked, "Bumi, I know you're a strong earthbender, but what you're doing is still dangerous. I don't want to see you get hurt or worst. Could you please stop riding the chutes for fun?"

"Okay, I'll stop riding the chutes for fun. From now on I'll only do it in emergencies, like when I need to make a speedy getaway." Bumi promised as he chomped on the last steamed bun.

"Well, that's a good start." Hung-Zan sighed, shaking his head. "But, you really shouldn't be stealing. There's other ways to get food."

"Hey, I don't steal," Bumi protested, crossing his arms. "I do chores for old people to get food and sometimes I even earn a little bit of money. Why do think I steal stuff?"

Hung-Zan looked at the skinny boy, and said, "Sorry, normally when street-kids say they need to make a getaway, it's because there doing some illegal."

"Fair enough, I guess," Bumi replied, uncrossing his arms. "But, I'm really not a thief. My mom would kill me if I turned to a life of crime. All I really need the chutes for is quick escape from these thuds that chase me every few days."

Before the assistant postmaster could ask about who was chasing the child, the boy's eyes lit up. Bumi leaned forward in the chair, and said, "Hey, tell you what. If you help me find my mom, I'll stop using the delivery system for good."

"Your mom? You're not an orphan?" Hung-Zan said, surprised, but happy the child wasn't alone.

"Not yet. Ya, see, I never had a dad, but I did have a mom, an uncle and a super old grandpa. My grandpa died when I was eight, but don't feel bad for him. He always said he had it coming soon and should've been dead yesterday." Bumi laughed, then the smile on his face faded and he lowered his head. "I'm glad he wasn't there when Uncle Bai was killed."

Hung-Zan stood up and put a hand on the boy's shoulder. "I see you've been through a lot. Take your time."

"Thanks," He said, raising his head. A tear rolling down his cheek as he continued, "About three years ago, when I was ten, I came home after dark and saw our house on fire. The neighbors said some thuds had ransacked the place, killed my uncle, kidnapped my mom, then those monsters set my home ablaze. And just as per usual in the poorer parts of town, the guards didn't investigate. They didn't help me." Bumi slammed his fist on the table. "They didn't even help put the fire out!"

Moving around the table, Hung-Zan embraced the boy and said, "I didn't realize the poorer sections of the city had it that bad."

"Don't worry. When I grow up, I'm going to become someone important. I'll change things then, but right now I just need to find my Mom," Bumi said, as he hugged the assistant postmaster.

Feeling grim as he spoke, Hung-Zan said, "Bumi, if it's been three years since you've seen her, I don't think your mother is alive."

"She is," Bumi replied, pulling away from him. "That group of thuds that stole her has been hunting me since that day. Two weeks ago, when they chasing me, as I bent a wall in their path, one of them yelled that my mom would die all alone if I didn't come with them. That means she must be alive. At least barely, but knowing her, she'll last longer than anyone thinks she can."

Bumi looked up at the assistant postmaster, his green eyes sparkling with hope as he said, "With an adult helping me, I'm sure I can save her in time. Will you help me?"

Staring at the hopeful, little boy, Hung-Zan couldn't say no.

(Author's note: Hung-Zan's name is a combination of two Chinese names. Hung which means "courageous" or "heroic" and Zan which means "providing support." I picked these from a baby names website since there meaning sounded right for the character who will providing the support that Bumi needs to complete his quest.)