Earth Disks: Emerald
Word Count: 331
Joo Dee doesn't remember anything from her life before Lake Laogi save for the sun and stars. Wherever she lived, she must have had an expansive view of the sky. Now that she has spent some time in Ba Sing Se, she sees what the others spoke of—nothing but walls and rules here.
She must not have been a mother, either, because these children grate on her last nerve. They test her in every possible way, asking questions about forbidden things and challenging the rules at every turn of their tour. When she finally delivers them to their home in the upper ring, her suggestion of, "Why don't you get some rest?" is more for herself, really.
She meanders through the palace grounds in a daze. She knows the area well after studying maps for days on end, but this is her first time to visit in person. She hopes she did a good enough job today and that Long Feng will allow her to stay. Before her thoughts can drift any further, the advisor himself appears before her in the courtyard.
"I trust the Avatar and his friends are taken care of?" he asks.
"Yes sir. They are resting." Although she doubts children of their age actually rest.
Long Feng notices the uncertainty in her voice. "They must not wander the city unattended, Joo Dee. You are their guide, their hostess."
"I will not let you down, sir."
"See that you don't." He sidesteps her, and she finally allows herself to breathe.
She follows garden pathways to large ornate doors marking the entrance to the west wing of the palace. The hallways leading to the servants' quarters are lined in thick emerald drapery, and she can't help but reach out and skim a hand across the coarse fabric. The presence of green still surrounds her here, just like it did under the lake, but the hues are deeper, more regal—yet, unreal.
Something about this world is off, too.