The smoke drifted lazily up into the sky as the fire crackled beneath. Mako and Bolin sat around the fire, Bolin occasionally poking it with it a stick. The two sat in silence on either side of the fire as a gloomy mood hung over the camp. They had been only hours behind the latest Raider party, only to find out they had been tracking a decoy. The real Raiders were long gone.
A sudden rush of air signaled the return of the airbenders, who had been out scouting the area. Opal and Jinora landed gently near the fire.
"Hey girls, did you find anything?" Mako asked standing up.
"Nothing. We're way off track." Jinora replied.
"That's just what I didn't want to hear." Korra said as she joined the group, Asami a step behind her. "These Raiders have been terrorizing the entire countryside for weeks, and we fell for their trick hook, line, and sinker and now we're days behind them."
"Wait, where's Kai?" Bolin asked.
"He's taking one last look at that canyon to the east. That's the easiest route for the Raiders to have taken." Jinora said.
"Well, I guess we should wait for him to get back before we have dinner." Mako said, glancing in the direction Jinora had pointed.
"He'd better hurry, I'm starving." Bolin added.
Kai clung on to the tree limb as he gazed down at the scene beneath him. He had been walking along the canyon rim to avoid being spotted when he spied a man walking on his own throughout the canyon. He was wearing a uniform of the Guild of Cartographers, and he had map-making equipment with him. Still, something wasn't quite right.
Normally, Cartographers were accompanied by several assistants and workers. But this guy was alone. What's more, he seemed like he was looking for something. He moved slowly along the canyon floor with his head down. Every now and then, he would reach down and shift something in the grass, occasionally he would pick something up.
What is he- oh no. He's covering tracks, making it so we can't follow the Raiders.
Kai slipped back out of the canyon and started making his way back to camp. He had to tell the others about this.
The smoke drifted lazily up into the sky as the fire crackled beneath. Varrick stood by his fireplace as he gazed out at Republic City, his mind working a mile a minute as usual. Varrick always had a knack for sensing when things were about to go bad. It had helped his business career countless times, it had warned him when he was developing his spirit vine weapon for Kuvira, and now he had that feeling again. A cold knot in his gut that told him to be ready, ready for something.
It hasn't even been two months since Kuvira's invasion. I don't think this city is ready for something else like that.
Varrick's glance turned to the golden beam of light, shooting into the sky. In all honesty, he hadn't been too thrilled about the new spirit portal opening right in the middle of the city. He was weary of spirits, and didn't like that they could just waltz into the city now.
The door opened, interrupting his worries. Zhu Li came in with take out dinner.
"Welcome home hun." Varrick said as he gave his wife a kiss.
"I got all the Water Tribe food I could find. I have to say, it's better than some stuff you can get in the Earth Kingdom. Or, I guess I should say 'Earth Federation' now."
"I'm just glad the states decided to elect Wu to be the new Earth Chancellor. He's a good kid. Although I've never understood why the Earth Kingdom was the only nation whose leader wasn't a bender."
"Remember what happened last time non-benders felt they weren't fairly represented?"
"That's true. I'm glad we weren't part of the action when that was going on."
Varrick faltered, the feeling was back.
"Varrick, what is it?" Zhu Li asked.
"It's this feeling I keep getting. I suppose you could call it a premonition. I just can't shake the feeling that something bad is about happen."
"On a scale of one to Kuvira, how bad?"
Varrick turned his gaze back out the window.
"I think, we may soon be forgetting all about Kuvira."
The smoke drifted lazily up into the sky as the fire crackled beneath. Small fires burned everywhere, with the dead scattered between them. A single figure in brown robes, his hood pulled close, walked among the scenes of devastation. He approached a man who leaned up against a tree. His breathing was shallow, and he wasn't moving.
"Sir, I found something." the hooded man said.
The wounded man opened his eyes but said nothing.
"There was unique currency in the Raider's chests." the hooded man continued. "It's not Yuans, or normal Earth money. It's the currency Kuvira started minting."
The wounded man shifted his position.
"Why would the Raiders have Kuvira's money?" he asked.
"I suspect they are working for someone, someone who has access to Kuvira's money."
"Then this is worse than we thought. If the Raiders are on contract, it raises troubling questions. Who would want to wage an economic war against the United Republic and the Earth Federation? And if they're using Kuvira's money, I dread to think what that could mean."
"What are your orders, sir?"
"Travel to Republic City. Find the Avatar and warn her of this new development. If someone is bankrolling the Raiders, then this could only be the beginning."
"Yes sir." the hooded man replied.
As he walked away to find an ostrich horse still fit for a long journey, the wounded man closed his eyes again. He didn't open them.