Ch7

Wei left in the late hours in the midst of the night while Meiying was asleep. He managed to carefully slip out from under Meiying who had fallen asleep leaning on him. He hoped for her the best, and promised he would see her as soon as he could.

Meiying concealed his handwritten note on the small piece of parchment paper within her sleeves, holding it between her hands. She was sad that Wei had left without saying goodbye, but she couldn't hold it against him.

When the carriage arrived, she was surprised to find it empty. Meiying thought she would be met by a trainer or representative, but there was no one else by the carriage driver and single ostrich horse. The trainee host clambered into the spacious transport, identical in every detail to the one Joo Dee had used. She took a seat on the forward facing bench, and as the carriage rocked and swayed, Meiying couldn't help but feel a sense of eagerness and excitement. Already she felt...official.

There was a single sealed note that was left neatly for her on the opposite bench, bearing the seal of the Earth Kingdom.

Meiying,

As a guide and a host for the city and the kingdom, you will be often ferrying your guests and showing them around the city by carriage. It is only fitting that you get acquainted with solo use of your carriage service. You will be ferried every training day to and from the meeting point by carriage everyday, in addition to anywhere you may need to go afterwards.

You will be joining a group of other prospective host trainees. Members of the cultural department will be overseeing your training, as well as members and agents of the Dai Li. It will be quite an insightful and exciting experience ahead. I hope you enjoy your induction. There will be many changes ahead.

I hope to be able to work with you in the future! I think you will be one of our very best hosts.

Joo Dee

After a quaint ride through the city, Meiying's own carriage came to a stop before the royal palace of the city, off to the far side of the main plaza near a large stone statue of a badger mole. A member of the Dai Li was present before the carriage to meet her, his helmet shading most of his face in an ominous manner. He silently gestured to a group of women gathered next to the large stone statue; all of them dressed identically to herself. They must be the others being trained!

Their uniforms, like her own, were missing the silk scarf as the final component of the outfit. Some of the girls had their hairpieces askew, crooked, or worn too low, too high, or loosely. Meiying could tell that some of them had never worn such an ornament before. Some of the other women in the group stood in a coarse manner, in a manner not so prim or propper, like a field hand or an artisan with their stances wide and hands loosely hanging by their sides. Others, like Meiying had an idea of how a proper lady would stand, or atleast a concept of it; but they were obviously uncomfortable and standing up straight, heels together, with their hands joined before them as much as possible, was obviously something that they were taught but never had to practice and apply. In this regard, Meiying had an advantage. It had been a while, true, but the nuances of being proper and formal came back to her as if it was second nature.

One of the women approached her on her own volition out of the blue, a fellow trainee. She was slightly shorter in height, but her hair was longer and spanned the length of her back to her waist. To keep it up and kempt, the knots holding her hairpiece in place were much more substantial, and her hair was tied up in a more intricate fashion. Meiying could tell they likely came from a similar background as to this woman, the same nuances and patterns that Meiying could exhibit seemed to also be second nature to her as well, and among the group she was also proper in appearance.

"Hello," she greeted, "Are you one of the trainees as well?" Her voice was very up tuned and warm.

"Yes, I am also here to be trained," Meiying responded.

"I was surprised, I thought you were one of the trainers. You looked as though you were already experienced."

Meiying couldn't say the same as she hadn't noticed this woman until she came to her but she carried on. "I just had the same thought. You look very proper among the group."

"The others come from other backgrounds. For many this is the first time they've had to dress up and carry themselves to this extent." Her voice was clear and easy to understand as it was concise, all while keeping the volume relatively low. "Unlike you and I. I can tell we have a similar background. I grew up in the middle ring. Our family was relatively unknown, but my father had many business dealings outside of the city in the Southern Earth Kingdom. He managed trade operations in the Si Wong Desert as well. "

"I grew up outside of Ba Sing Se, but my father was a successful merchant in our home town," Meiying responded.

The woman caught herself, "Ah! I am so sorry. I have not properly introduced myself. My name is Yuiko. It is a pleasure to meet you."

"Ah! Yes! Pleasure to meet you," Meiying returned, "My name is Meiying. It is a pleasure to meet you too!"

Yuiko suggested, "Let's get through this training together!"

Meiying took this as the steps to what seemed like a good friendship and accepted, "Yes, let's!"

After a few more trainees arrived, the group was then formed into a regimented formation of rank and file; somewhat military-like. Each trainee was ordered into a block of rows and columns. Before the formation at the front were two Dai Li agents as well as a pair of guides. The two hosts who stood before the formation had their scarves tied around their neck, just as Meiying remembered Joo Dee's. The four of them were fulfilling the role of instructors and would be with them for each day of the training. The first lesson they were taught was simply how to stand in a graceful and proper manner.

The two mentors depicted proper posture and hand placement and then went around the formation to correct any issues with the trainees. This went on for an extended period of time to the dismay of those not accustomed to it.

Meiying and Yuiko, who had the techniques and positioning already instilled, were skipped over with minimal comments from the instructing staff.

Much of the lessons about formalities or ceremonies were almost second nature to both Meiying and Yuiko, having been instilled from their background.

The days went by and the lessons progressed from topic to topic and trivia point to trivia point. Many sessions were spent walking around and venturing to different locations throughout the city. The trainees were taken all over, from the outermost regions of the lower ring, all the way up through the royal palace.

Meiying essentially was required to form a mental atlas of the city in her mind. Between all the walking, all the carriage rides, and all the compulsory reading, Meiying had been focused on the layout of the massive stronghold. On non-training days, she began to make use of her carriage service more and more, often just requesting trips from point A to point B, in addition to mere loops of the rings of the city.

As days turned to weeks, training did not let up. Meiying began to notice something. There were days when certain trainees, sometimes small groups, in her class unit would coincidentally be absent due to sickness or exhaustion at similar times. Meiying remarked in awe at Ba Sing Se's medical treatment capabilities, as the trainees who were reported absent due to sickness or ailment would often be present the next day fully recovered; in some cases they seemed to possess even more energy or proficiency in their learned capabilities.

Yuiko as well, was absent a number of times.

"Behind us is Lake Laogai," the instructor announced to the group. They were gathered at the shoreline beside the tranquil waters. "We thought it would be nice to hold today's session in such a calming area. Isn't it relaxing?"

It was indeed, Meiying thought the scenery around the lake, with its balance of plains, fields, and rock faces was indeed a majestic and breathtaking sight to behold. It was such a nice place to get away from the movement and volume of the city. Despite being within the outer wall, the landscape was so vast one could almost forget they were still within the confines of Ba Sing Se; almost as if they were outside in the rural Earth Kingdom.

"This is a common vacation spot for the citizens and even officials of Ba Sing Se. All of them, as well, find it to be a relaxing and rejuvenating experience, and are able to return to their lives with a new outlook and new energy." The speaking guide, then gave the center to one of the Dai Li agents. "I thought it would be a nice location to have this talk."

"Hello, I am an agent of the Dai Li. Some of you may have heard rumors about who we are and what we do for the citizens of the Ba Sing Se; some of them may sound rather ominous or scary," he began. "I'm here to tell you that these stories are nothing more than mere uninformed speculations and assumptions."

Meiying wondered what sort of stories and speculations people have actively said about the Dai Li. Until now, she had not known or heard much at all about the Dai Li. The unnamed agent stood before the gathered women as he spoke. His helmet, like those before him, covered his eyes from view. His hands were joined behind his back as well, and he spoke in such a steady and level tone, free of any variation of rhythm or volume. It..really helped the message stick, mentally.

"The Dai Li is nearly identical in function to the security forces of the city, although our focus ventures beyond mere petty crime. Our focus is protecting and preserving the cultural heritage and traditions of Ba Sing Se. In doing so, we also preserve peace."

The group was captivated, and none said a word of comment during his lecture. The sound of the steady rippling of the lake water on the shoreline provided a steady and constant rhythm which somehow made his speech captivating; something that Meiying absolutely must listen to.

"Our service was founded over three hundred years ago, under the guidance of Avatar Kyoshi, during a time of extreme turmoil which led to the destruction of many cultural artifacts and structures. After helping the former Avatar restore peace and order to the city, we have continued to keep the city's cultural assets safe ever since, upholding Avatar Kyoshi's directives she had tasked us with, those many centuries ago. We have since been established as the cultural authority of Ba Sing Se; the guardians of all our traditions.

The cultural authority of Ba Sing Se. They are the guardians of all our traditions. Meiying had to remember this incase one of her guests inquired about the Dai Li in the future.

"During your time hosting a valued guest to the city, inevitably there will be some that are not satisfied with our way of life immediately. This is unavoidable and not a cause for worry as we host guests and immigrants from all over the world. Some may not immediately see the value and the beauty of our city. The Earth King wishes all that visit our great city to have a meaningful experience, and to see the beauty and tranquility of the Earth Kingdom capital. We understand that people, coming from far and wide, may have different histories which may influence a barrier to being able to experience the true beauty of our way of life."

This is true. Initially, even I did not see Ba Sing Se as so great.

"To remedy this, the Earth King is very generous and will offer invitations to Lake Laogai to those that have difficulty. This is often due to troubles which cloud their state of mind. The Earth King would like them to relax, to clear their mind of all these issues, to refresh them so that they may appreciate the true beauty of the city and our culture."

That is indeed very generous of him, to personally invite anyone who may be in a lesser mood in the city to a vacation here, Meiying thought.

"If you should encounter any issues with one of your guests," the agent said in a slightly more serious tone. "Report it to your assigned Dai Li agent, and ask if there are any open invitations to Lake Laogai for them. It is our utmost priority that their visit to the city be a valuable and peaceful one."

After the day's session concluded, the sun was already beyond the horizon. The sky was a dim blue in the evening twilight and the stars began to twinkle in the evening sky. Meiying's carriage was now passing through the lower ring on the return trip to drop her off at her apartment in the middle ring. It had been weeks- nearly a month, since she had seen or heard from her family or Wei. At nights after her training, she would be so exhausted she could not physically keep herself up, not even to write.

Outside, her carriage passed an all too familiar street. As she gazed outside the window she could see her family's former living arrangement, though now the lights inside had fallen dark. No one was home. This brought a feeling of happiness as she could rest well now, knowing her family were taken care of. The small house however had also fallen into worse repair. The holes in the walls and the damage had never been repaired. In their absence, it seemed that other vagrants in addition to the rowdy kids of the street had made use of the small structure since. She wished them well in their new lives, and swore that she would see them soon after she finished this training.

As the carriage carried on, gently rocking as it approached the wall to the middle ring. Meiying was unexpectedly tired. She finally noted just how tired she was.

And yet, she couldn't remember why.

She certainly didn't remember any extraneous work or activity. The last she was able to remember was the lecture and the lessons of the day. Her eyes felt rather heavy, and Meiying was finding it all the more difficult to stay awake; the rocking of the carriage was certainly not helping. Nothing else but all the lessons, lectures, procedures, trivia points, key points of interest in the city, and Dai Li cooperation was actively flowing in her mind. It had been a dense set of days.

Across from her, once again on the opposite bench of the carriage was another note, placed on the seat.

How long had that been there? And who could have placed it?

Sleepily, Meiying lurched forth and took up the note with her delicate hands, and held the note ahead of her face in the moonlight just outside the carriage window to read it.

Meiying,

Congratulations on progressing so far and so well in your training. I remember, it certainly was a tiring duration, and I am sure that as you read this you as well are feeling rather tired. Fortunately, there is good news. By now, you are coming up on the end of your training. There are only a few sessions to go. I am sure, you're thoughts are full of points of information a host would know. It's...probably the only thing you can think of or remember right now, I am certain. It certainly was that way for me at this point as well.

With that, there is something I must tell you. It is important, and I want you to remember it well. Tomorrow will start, unmistakably, the hardest days of your training. It will be draining and it will be strenuous. It will not be pleasant, and with that, you won't remember any of it either.

What you do afterwards will not matter, it will be too late. During the training session, hold on to your reason for doing this tightly. Visualize the faces you long to see. Remember the reason you do this, and who you are. Hang on to that tightly. It will get you through.

I wish you the best, and to see you in the future.

Yanyu

Meiying couldn't keep herself awake any further. Her eyes fell shut like shutters left freely to drop on their own. Yanyu? Who was that? The name soon slipped from her mind. Her hand went limp, letting the letter slip from her fingertips which was then carried off by the wind. Meiying slumped back into her seat and she leaned herself on the carriage window sill, resting her head on her arms. Her hair was whisked gently by the wind.