Avatar: The Last Cycle
Jiang
"There it is Miss. City of Ozai. Greatest city in the world. If you're a gangster, anyway." The kid rowing the boat laughed at his own crack, smiling over at Jiang. She dutifully smiled in response. He was about seventeen years old, so he was at least one year her senior. He looked like your average Continental, but he was dressed in a shabby set of clothes that were nonetheless in the newest fashion. Form fitting khaki trousers, a white buttoned shirt, and a brown vest. A gold(colored) pocket watch hung on his belt, and his hair was spiked back and dyed a light blonde. Jiang found him fascinating simply because of his attire, which no one wore in the South Pole. It was obvious though that he was much more interested in her than she was in him. He hadn't stopped badgering her since she'd hired him this morning.
"So, you said your from the Southern Water Tribe right?" He asked. Once again, she found herself suppressing a laugh at his strange, nasally accent. Big City people really were different. "Don't get me wrong, it's just that, you don't really look like the one's I've seen before." He said, pointedly. His remark made Jiang glance over at the water flowing by them in the river. With a casual wave of her hand, she flattened out the worst of the ripples, making a passable mirror. It was true, she did not have the darker skin and jet black hair typically associated with her people. Her hair was a light brown with a hint of red in it, and she kept it short but for the two long strands that hung out on either side of her face, weighted by tiny blue beads near the ends. Her eyes, at least, were like those of her people, cool blue pools, wide and round. She turned away.
"My father was from the Earth Kingdom…that is, the Continent." She said, reminding herself to try and not sound like a bumpkin.
"Uh huh." The boat rower said. "So, can you do any of that water moving stuff? I heard a lot of people still can use it down there." Apparently, her earlier use of her Bending had been too subtle for him to notice. Not surprising, since he'd had his eyes on other parts of her than her hands.
"It's called Waterbending." Jiang said. She lifted a palm up, and a bubble of river water floated up with it, hanging suspended in midair in front of her. A tiny golden carp was swimming within it. The rower's eyes opened wide at the sight. "And yeah, I know a bit." She grinned, then tilted her fingers down, and the water (and fish) flowed back into the river.
"This is our stop right?" She asked. He snapped out of his stare glanced over at the dock as if he'd just realized it was there. They were at a small, deserted dock out on the suburbs of the city proper. She had no desire to be dropped in the middle of downtown.
"Oh yeah…gimme a second." He hopped out of the boat and tied it to the dock, then reached down and gave her a hand up. Once she was on the dock, he hopped back in the boat and handed up her bags. She paid him the stated fee, but didn't leave, noting he seemed to have something to say.
"Well Miss, it was a pleasure transporting you." He said, suddenly sheepish. "My name is Lee. If you, uh, want someone to show you around the city sometime, you can find me at the docks most days. I'd be happy to help." She smiled at him, her face changing from cool beauty to warm cheerfulness in an instant.
"Thanks Lee. But I don't think I'll have the time to take you up on your offer. I'm in town for one reason only, and then I have to return home. Anyway, it was nice meeting you." She turned away, leaving him staring after.
"Jiang, I have had news from the city." Two weeks ago, and still the memory of her mothers words weighed heavily in her heart. There had been no need to specify the news as bad. Her tone of voice was enough to make that obvious. Besides, what news had they ever received from outside that wasn't bad?
"What is it mom?" She'd asked, trying not to think of the what she feared. If she thought about it, it might come true.
"Balku, he's…" She paused at the sound of her son's name, which she hadn't spoken in two years. "He's gotten into some kind of trouble. It's not very clear, but he's sent a letter…"
"I will miss you Jiang. Are you certain about this?" Her mothers eyes had been dry, but full of fear as she saw her off three days later at the village harbor. Jiang was packed for a long trip, and all of the villagers who weren't occupied had come to see her go.
"I'm the best one to go." She'd said, putting on a cheerful façade. "He's my brother. I'll know how to look for him. And I'm one of the best Waterbender in the village. I'll be able to look out for myself. It'll be okay, you'll see."
"I know, but…every time someone goes to that city… well, no one ever comes back." Her mother said. Jiang got a brief glimpse of her father in her memories, walking away and boarding a ship from this very spot, then her brother, brash and arrogant at sixteen, following after him two years ago.
"It'll be different this time. It's me." She smiled. "You know I'm not going to fall in love with the Big City. They don't have any decent food there." They had both laughed in the way one laughs at a funeral, quietly and unconvincing. Then they had hugged, and she said her goodbyes to the other villagers, promised her master she'd continue practicing her drills, and boarded the ship.
Now, after weeks of travel, first by the sea then by train and finally by tiny fishing boat, she had arrived at the big city, the tomb of her father and home of her wayward brother.
She wished she were anywhere else.
