Mystia awakes to shouts and torchlight from outside.

She forms a sphere of flame in her hand, exits her bed, and creeps up to the window.

Outside, the king of Ellerslie is making a speech.

Mystia extinguishes the flame and rushes to the door. She opens it and it's immediately knocked backward onto her bum by the tide of people jockeying for a good place to watch the king.

Mystia closes the door with her foot and stands. Then she turns and searches for a way out of the house.

She spots the ladder to the roof and runs to it. Then she begins climbing.

She soon reaches the roof and finds a place to sit down.

The Bender Twins, Wyng and Fysh, land beside her. Well, Wyng does. Fysh crashes, somersaults, and rams into the chimney.

Wyng chuckles. "How's your head, Fysh?" he asks.

The tan Waterbender snorts and replies, "Great, thanks. Just crashed into a chimney."

Wyng shakes his head in amusement, then looks at Mystia. "So, how are you?"

"Good," Mystia replies. "How are you and Fysh?"

"I'm great, Fysh is awful. She's been barfed on." Wyng dramatically imitates puking.

Mystia opens her mouth to reply, but is interrupted by the smart-alecky voice of Fysh.

"Quiet, you two. The king is speaking."

"Two of our guards were found outside the gate early this morning," the short, stout and bald man called the King announced. "They were covered in gold, paralyzed in it, even!

"We believe it is impossible to turn them back to their flesh-and-blood selves. This is a great loss, as the guards were identified as Nya of the Abacus House and Johnson of the Nomadatt House, both well-known Earthbender families.

"We grieve for them, but we know an enemy has arrived, and must focus on defeating he or she and defending our city. We will fight! For Ellerslie!"

"For Ellerslie!"The cheer goes up among the ranks of gathered citizens.

"For Ellerslie!" Wyng and Fysh cheer in unison, pumping their fists in the air. Only Mystia did not take up the cheer. She continues to sit in silence.

The ranks of Benders in the plaza below began clearing out and swarming the armory like ants over sugar.

Wyng grabs his sister by her collar and glides off towards the swarm.

Mystia simply rolls her eyes.