As a typical ancient Earth Kingdom city, Omashu grew out of a mountain. Through its construction, its organic patterns of settlement - that spiraled upward, toward the peak - that mountain was reshaped into a cone. Ducts, like arteries and veins, transported food and water from sector to sector - an early example of technology that would be perfected at Ba Sing Se.
The city was famous and a very sturdy fortress against an attack. There were always trails of migrants eager to seek a refuge no matter how difficult the sovereign made it to enter. Yet, as they approached the gate, the displaced could not be seen. It was a cause of concern they did not anticipate as the more they stood out of the ordinary, the less likely they would be to enter... If they were surrounded by a throng then they could have worked that cover to worm into the city; alone, however, all of their peculiarities were magnified beyond reason.
Zei got off of the ostrich-horse - they approached a guard already aware of their advance - all the while the wind stirred the sand about them.
"Hello," the professor said as the air flapped his jacket and his hat - that, until he grasped it, little by little threatened to fly away. "You look like the man in charge of the gate."
"That would be correct," the guard said with a voice that defied the stir. "I am the gatekeeper. Who are you? What do you want at Omashu?"
"Professor Zei, archeology," he bowed, "Professor Karasuki, er," she bowed, "we are from Ba Sing Se University." He pointed at the Old Man: "and that is Qi, our assistant. We need to access a library to pursue a certain academic matter."
A pair of guards at either side of the gatekeeper retreated into a hut just as the wind calmed.
"Do you have any papers," the guard/gatekeeper asked, "any documents?"
Jun lurched toward Zei, brushing her hair off of her face.
"Only a request to the sovereign - a King who is a known patron of science - that we could be allowed to examine the library at the university. It contains information pertinent to an investigation we are conducting. Karasuki's grandfather was an employee of your monarch and that is easily verified."
The other two guards marched out of the hut by the gate. They came up to the gatekeeper with a scroll. The visitors waited patient but curious at that development. Finally, the commander looked at the man, at the woman, at the Old Man atop an ostrich-horse, a mumbled a phrase that could not be heard.
While he maneuvered through that group a troop appeared and surrounded everybody.
"Archeology?" he said more than asked, amused. "And what sort of doctor are you, er, Karasuki?"
"Eschatology."
The guard/gatekeeper laughed and straightened - and displayed the scrolls - they were posters...
Jun got off of the saddle and strode toward the commander - the troop backed a step until bows and arrows were displayed.
"It must be a mistake," Zei said of their own wanted posters.
"Not a mistake, professor, you two are spies of the Fire Nation."
"What?" Jun yanked the paper - the men shocked, quivered. The bounty hunter laughed at her image and her litany of talent the document depicted. "Kuzon!"
As the soldiers neared, their arms aimed to strike, Zei turned to Jun as a kind of two person huddle.
"Wait," he said, "it could be the ticket into Omashu." He faced the commander and asked: "I take it you need to arrest us?"