Wandering Firebender
Thirty Five: Hard Work
Elio came home one day in an irritated mood. He entered into the house and went straight to his room, saying nothing to his sister and ignoring his mother when she greeted him. She started to get up, quickly ready to reprimand her son for his behavior.
However, his father stopped her and went to Elio's room himself.
"Son?" Sol opened up the door and stepped inside. "You know it's rude not to respond when someone's speaking to you. Especially your mother." He said with some slight humor as he closed the door behind him.
"Sorry. I just don't want to talk right now." Elio sighed irritably, twirling around a small black switchblade with a gold hilt; a collector's item. His father sat down next to him.
"Something happen today? You were supposed to start working today, right?"
"Yeah, that's what sucked today." Elio grumbled. His father's eyebrows furrowed a bit and he tilted his head.
"Was it the work itself or something else?" He asked, sensing that something was off.
"...some kids from school saw me working at the food stand. They started making fun of me, calling us poor." Elio finally admitted. Sol hummed and nodded in understanding.
"Ahh, now I see. And how did that make you feel, son?"
"Embarrassed! I don't wanna go back there!" Elio exclaimed, ruffling his hair back, "It's stupid anyways. Why do I need to have a job? We don't need the money." He asked.
"No we don't," Sol acknowledged. He put a hand on his son's back. "Son... I've worked very hard to build this life for us. I'd say we're pretty well off here in the Fire Nation inner capitol. Wouldn't you agree?" He asked.
"Yes." Elio nodded.
"To be well off in life, you're gonna have to work for it, Elio. One day you're going to be a man with your own family that you'll have to provide for. It may not be the funnest or most popular thing to do, but knowing responsibility and hard work is an honorable thing...
"Think about it this way. Say I weren't around, and you had to provide. Say the same circumstances were true of those kids who made fun of you. Do you think they would be able to do it?" He asked. Elio thought about it for a little bit.
"I guess not..."
"Things are easy for us, Elio, and that's good. But I want you to have gratitude for the things you have, and understand that these luxuries don't come for free. Knowing the value of hard work will only make you a better man." His father concluded.
"Yeah, I know," Elio sighed. "Sorry, father. Maybe my pride got the best of me." He admitted.
"It's alright, my son," Sol smiled, ruffling his hair. "Another part of being a good man is owning up to your mistakes. You can start by apologizing to your mother." He said with a laugh. Elio, although a bit embarrassed by this, still smiled and laughed too...
Elio smiled a bit to himself, thinking back to such a fond memory. It was hard to believe that just 4 years ago, he was living in the Fire Nation as the growing son of a respected general. Now here he was, living in Ba Sing Se as a refugee in hiding.
He still did his best to carry out his father's lessons. His father was no doubt angry and disappointed at him for his choices. He would likely look down on Elio if he could see him now. Under different circumstances though, Elio liked to imagine that his father would be proud of how he'd grown.
"Elio! I've got a delivery for you!" Mr. Fo called to him. Elio quickly stood up and hurried over to the other room.
"A girl named Mika from Ba Sing Se university should be waiting for you to pick up these supplies." Mr. Fo filled him in, gesturing to a small crate tied shut by rope that was sitting at his feet.
"Mika, got it! I'll head over there now." He nodded, lifting up the crate and holding it up with both hands.
"You can go ahead and take a lunch break while you're in the Middle Ring, kid. I'll see you sometime within the next hour!" Mr. Fo added.
"Thanks!" Elio said back to him.
"Oh, and Elio? Congrats on your move to the Middle Ring! How'd you manage to do that?" Mr. Fo asked humorously.
"Hard work, Mr. Fo! Nothing but hard work and a good partner." Elio answered with a smile before exiting the room...
Once he reached the Middle Ring, he rode on La through the front gate of Ba Sing Se university with one hand on the reins and the other holding onto the crate of supplies. He arrived by the front steps and tied his ostrich horse to a post. Then he went to the entrance of the campus where he could take it all in.
He made his way towards a statue that stood in front of the steps leading up to the entrance. The buildings were grand and tall with students making their way up and down, talking among themselves. A number of them seemed to be around Elio's age, which surprised him.
"Hey! Are you the delivery guy?" A girl's voice called out to him. Elio turned towards it. A young lady with light skin and auburn-colored hair approached him with a pleasant smile. She had on a green school uniform like all the other students.
"Yep, that's me. You must be Mika?" He asked.
"Yes! Could you follow me, please? My arms are tired from training." She quickly explained herself.
"That's no problem. Lead the way," Elio replied politely. Mika lead him inside and walked him through the school. She occasionally glanced his way curiously as they walked.
"So, um, you don't look to be from around here. What's your name?" She asked, tucking some hair behind her ear.
"My name is Elio."
"Nice to meet you, Elio," She repeated his name slowly. "Where are you from?"
"Fire Nation colony. I escaped and came here to Ba Sing Se." He answered right away.
"Oh wow. I'm sorry. That must've been hard." She said sincerely.
"You got no idea," Elio replied with a tired chuckle. "But I'm happy to be safe here now. I've got stable work and a nice little house now; best I've been since I left."
"Well that's wonderful to hear! Where do you live now? Here in the Middle Ring?" She asked.
"Yep, about a 10 minute ride from here I'd say." Elio guessed.
"Ohh I see. How do you like it here?" She asked.
"Here as in the Middle Ring, or here as in the university?" He asked.
"Both I suppose." She answered with a giggle.
"I like the Middle Ring! It's nicer than the Lower Ring, that's for sure. Don't miss it there. As for the university, it's pretty impressive here. I've never seen anything like it." Elio answered, looking around at all the decorum in the hallways.
"It's amazing here, Elio. This is a central hub of learning in the city. There's so much to discover! A well-spoken guy like you would probably enjoy it here." She smiled at him.
"Haha, I don't know." Elio chuckled awkwardly. Mika led him into a classroom and had him set the crate down atop the teacher's desk.
"I think so. Thank you for your help, Elio. You see, I take classes on carving statues with my earthbending. My instructor has been pushing us hard these past few days, so I'm afraid I can barely lift my arms!" She said with a laugh. Elio chuckled.
"Hey, that's fine. It's no problem. Carving statues, huh? That's...really interesting." Elio complimented as he thought about all that would go into such an activity.
"I'd love to show you some of my work sometime." She offered with a smile.
"Heheh, if our paths ever cross again, I wouldn't mind that." Elio replied, turning back towards the crate. He reached in his pocket and pulled out his black switchblade, a keepsake of his from back home. He used it to cut the fastened rope that was keeping the crate shut.
"That's a pretty knife. Where'd you get it?" Mika asked, observing its unique color and design.
"It was a gift from my father back when I was 10. I saw it in a store once and liked the style of it. Even though I had literally no reason for a knife, he got it for me when I finished grade school that year." Elio recalled humorously.
"That's so cute." Mika giggled.
Elio finished cutting the rope and turned the blade sideways, using it to pry the top of the crate open. He turned the top so Mika would be able to easily remove it.
"There you go. You're all set." Elio said.
"Thanks again, Elio... You know, if it would ever interest you, I'd be happy to give you a tour around the university." She offered.
"Oh! Uh... That sounds interesting. I wouldn't mind that." Elio said after thinking about it for a bit.
"Great! Just let me know when you would like to come, alright?" She grinned. "You know where to find me."
After finishing up with Mika, Elio walked back to the front steps of the school. As he made his way down, he started to realize that Mika was most likely attracted to him, and that's why she'd been so forward in her offer.
"Oh boy..." Elio said to himself as he made his way back to his ostrich horse. He started to untie La's reins from the post, but that's when another voice, male this time, called out to him.
"Elio? Elio, is that you?"
Elio paused for a moment; he recognized that voice from somewhere. He turned around to see who it was. A familiar gentleman approached him, his flowing brown hair swaying lightly in the breeze. It took Elio a moment, but he soon recalled who this was.
"Wait... Alger, right? Yeah!" Elio realized. He was surprised that he'd managed to remember Alger; after all, the last time they had crossed paths, Elio was still traveling with Cindra. It had been quite some time.
"Yes! Yes, it's me! It's good to see you again! For a moment I thought it couldn't be you, but I had to see for sure." Alger chuckled.
"Yeah... How've you been?" He asked.
"Fine. And you? You look tired, Elio." Alger observed. Elio nodded in agreement and chuckled a little.
"I am a little tired, but that's just a consequence of working, you know? What are you doing in Ba Sing Se anyways? Last I saw, you were staying in a big mansion on a hill."
"Ah," Alger chuckled. "That was my family's vacation home. I reside there to train and relax between my classes. I'm a student here at the university otherwise." He explained.
"Ohh, I see."
"I'm glad to see that you made it safely to Ba Sing Se, Elio. I trust that things have been going well for you?" Alger presumed.
"Yeah...things have been going well." Elio answered slowly. He was a little suspicious of Alger considering the strange occurrences from their last meeting.
"I'm glad to hear it. We should catch up! Would you be available to join me for dinner tonight?" He asked.
"Where?"
"At my home. I live here in the Middle Ring. Here, if you have a piece of paper, I will give you the address." Alger said. Elio passed Alger a slip of paper for him to write the address on. Alger handed the slip back to Elio and he put it in his back pocket.
"Thanks. I guess I'll see you this evening then."
"Great! Be sure to bring Cindra with you! I'd love to see her too!" Alger smiled, waving at him as he stepped away.
"Uh, she's not... Okay." Elio sighed and waved back. Alger had left too quickly for Elio to finish his sentence. He shrugged and went back to his business.
Mr. Fo said that Elio could take his lunch break after finishing this delivery, so Elio went straight to Tani's shop to pick up Sri. He took her to a nearby restaurant so they could have lunch together.
"So, Sri, we have dinner plans tonight, as it turns out." Elio started.
"Oh really? Where are we going?" Sri giggled and raised an eyebrow at him.
"I ran into someone I know while I was doing a delivery at the university. His name is Alger San. Name ring a bell?" Elio asked.
"Not really."
"He's some kind of...sorta rich martial artist. Anyways, he invited us to his home for dinner." He answered.
"Oh really? Sounds interesting. I get to meet another one of your friends." Sri chuckled.
"Heheh, well I wouldn't call him a friend. An acquaintance, really. I just... I accepted his invitation because...he knows I'm a firebender." Elio leaned in close and spoke quietly. Sri's eyes widened a little and she nodded.
"Do you think he's gonna be a problem for us?" She asked.
"Not sure... I don't think so. We came to something of a respectable understanding when we met. He seemed happy to see me. Just...have your guard up when we go tonight, just in case. Okay?"
"Alright."
That night, Elio and Sri dressed up in the nicest clothes they had; it wasn't much, but it was acceptable for entering into someone's home as an invited guest. They approached the address that Alger had given them: a lovely home against the wall between the Middle Ring and the Upper Ring.
"I thought you said this guy was 'sorta rich'. This house looks 'rich' rich." Sri said, looking at the luxury home with an astonished expression.
"I may have...downplayed it a little." Elio swallowed nervously as he knocked on the door. The door was answered, not by Alger, but by his servant.
"Elio, welcome to the San estate. Please, come in and leave your shoes at the door." He invited them in.
"Thank you... What was your name again?" Elio asked.
"Ket."
"Ket. Right. Nice to see you again." Elio nodded, removing his shoes once he had stepped inside.
"I see that you are no longer traveling with that abrasive waterbender." Ket observed.
"No. This is Sri, another close friend of mine. That's not going to be a problem, is it?"
"Not at all. Your seat at the table has already been prepared, madam." Ket said to her.
"Oh wow. Thank you." Sri said appreciatively, removing her shoes too.
"Follow me." Ket led them to the dinner table.
They passed by several large rooms very quickly. Both of them tried to sneak peeks into the living room and different studies as they walked by, but before they knew it they'd already been ushered into the tall dining room where Alger was waiting for them. He stood up with a smile.
"Hey, I'm glad you could make it!" He said as he came over to greet them. He noticed Sri immediately, "Oh! You're not Cindra. Who might you be?" He asked.
"Uh, my name is Sri. I'm another friend of Elio's. Are you Alger?" She asked.
"I am. A pleasure to meet you, Sri. Glad you could join us," Alger greeted her politely. Sri smiled and nodded in return. "And thank you for accepting my invitation, Elio. I was hoping you would give me a chance to be a better host than I was last time." He expressed.
"Oh, you didn't have to do that. But thank you for having us. I didn't expect to run into any familiar faces here in the city." Elio said.
"Haha, I'm sure! Please, have a seat. Ket will bring your food to you." He invited with a smile, sitting again at the end of the table. Elio and Sri sat down on either side of him.
"This is an amazing home you have, Alger!" Sri said.
"Thank you. It's very comfortable. Good for hosting." He chuckled in response. He gestured for Ket to bring their food out. Prepared meals were soon set in front of them and they began to eat.
"Mmm, thank you, Alger. We haven't had a meal this nice in...well it's been forever for me." Elio thanked him.
"I don't think I've ever had a meal this nice." Sri laughed, blushing in embarrassment.
"It's no problem at all! I'm glad you could join me tonight," Alger smiled. "So, Elio, how long have you been in the city now?" He asked.
"Nearly a month now. Sri and I came in together." He answered.
"Ahh, I see. And how has it been going for you here in the city?"
"Pretty great! Elio and I just moved into a new home in the Middle Ring not too long ago." Sri answered.
"Oh congratulations!" Alger smiled.
"Thanks. It took a lot of work, but I think we were happy just to get out of the Lower Ring." Elio chuckled. Sri laughed and nodded in agreement.
"Aw," Alger chuckled too. "Had I known you were here in the city, I would've offered to help with your expenses." He said.
"That's okay. I think we take a little selfish pride in knowing we made it here ourselves." Elio chuckled, looking at Sri.
"Oh, we definitely do." Sri laughed. Alger smiled and shook his head humorously.
"Nothing wrong with that... So then, Elio, you and Cindra must have parted ways then? Unless she's here in Ba Sing Se as well." Alger presumed. Elio nodded seriously.
"No she isn't here. Cindra's gone home."
"Back to the Northern Water Tribe?"
"Right... There was an attack. A few months ago, the Fire Nation attempted a siege on the North Pole. They didn't succeed, obviously, but Cindra wanted to make sure her family was okay and help repair the damage." Elio explained.
"Oh wow..." Sri said quietly. This was apparently her first time hearing about this.
"The Fire Nation are becoming emboldened, more so than what I thought was possible. It seems they are in a rush to end this war before the Avatar becomes too powerful to stop them." Alger reasoned.
"You think so?" Sri asked.
"I'm certain of it. Why, the Fire Nation was just here! They attempted to breach through the outer wall of the city using a gigantic drill device."
"What?!" Elio and Sri both exclaimed in shock at the same time.
"The Fire Nation was here?! Trying to invade?!" Sri shouted.
"How did we not hear about this?!" Elio questioned.
"Because they didn't succeed. Thankfully, again, the Avatar was here to stop them. Just in time too. They had just broken through the outer wall when the drill was destroyed." Alger informed them.
"Unbelievable...but we're safe, right? There's no threat in the city?" Elio asked.
"None at all. In fact, a majority of the people here don't even know that it happened." Alger answered.
"That's crazy!" Sri exclaimed again.
"Well, the Earth King doesn't want his people to panic. Here in Ba Sing Se, information about the war and its happenings is kept quiet. I would recommend that while you're here, you don't speak about the Fire Nation or the war to anyone at all; only between yourselves privately." Alger advised.
"Seriously?" Sri asked, swallowing nervously.
"Seriously." Alger answered with a nod. Elio nodded seriously.
"Got it. Thanks for letting us know."
"Of course," Alger nodded and managed a smile. "And you needn't worry, Elio. I know that you aren't a threat here. I'll gladly keep your secret." He reassured him.
"Thank you, Alger." Elio said appreciatively.
"Of course! Should you two need anything, please let me know. I'd be happy to help." Alger smiled.
"Really? Ah thank you! We could definitely use a little." Sri laughed.
"Why the generosity, Alger, if you don't mind me asking?" Elio respectfully asked him.
"I told you before, Elio: I think that the two of us could be friends. I simply want to show my support." He answered with a smile. This put Elio at ease finally and he smiled in return.
"Well thank you for all this... We could use a friend here."
"My doors are always open. You two live here in the Middle Ring too, right?"
"Yep!" Sri answered, telling him the name of their street.
"Oh I know where that is! I'll have to come visit sometime."
"If you want. Our doors are always open." Elio responded in turn with a chuckle.
Perhaps Alger wasn't Elio's first choice as a friend, but nevertheless it was nice that they had someone they could trust and turn to for help here in the city. Even Elio couldn't deny that life in Ba Sing Se was finally starting to grow on him...
