DISCLAIMER: I don't own anything relating to ATLA/LOK, as it belongs to their respective creators and owners. There might be grammatical errors and flaws, with me always trying to improve my style of writing. It's my first story in the year and into the fandom and with an idea, I have always wanted to write about, since I finished my Game of Thrones fanfiction duology.
This story is a slowburn slash romance, with elements of violence, sexual assault and other mature themes being mentioned in the story, which is why it is rated mature for all the darker subject matters that will be brought up in the story, through indiviual character thought by LuXian or by other characters.
Chapter One – The Spring Flower Of The North:
The afternoon sun shone on the town of Tuji. It was like any other Earth Kingdom town. The jingle of the bells, young ladies wore on their ankles and the market sellers pushing whatever they were selling on the townsfolk and visiting tourists. It was a town with a reputation of being a commercial hub for merchants doing business from other parts of the kingdom or nobility wanting a piece of local craftsmanship. The town was normal, where nothing strange happened. Until the townspeople turned their heads to see a group of people come into town, rumours say they came in a wheelhouse through the road of the western plains or they came through the way of Omashu's barren plains north of the city.
The party consisted of five, who strolled through the town's centre. Three members of the party were female and wore plain robes of jade green, indicating their rank as serving girls. The other female in the party stood out from the serving girls, who wore a green and black crossed uniform, carried two sleek blades on her person, with her eyelids in the same shade as her uniform. It was not the women, who caught the eyes of the townspeople, but a man in front of the party, who seemed to be the leader. A flip and flicker of an artistically crafted fan was sighted by the eye, and the winds were fortunate to the man passing by, as the swirls of jade green and white layered hanfu robes were dancing in the wind, in unison with the man's long black hair. Strangely, the man had an air of calm zen and silent confidence. He was not unnerved about being in a small-town, but he stood out amongst the party of three serving girls and the other woman carrying weapons on her waist belt and was in the uniform of a kyoshi bodyguard.
No one in Tuji looked like this man and it was rare to be graced with the presence of such a man.
The man strolled past an establishment that sold average robes to the townspeople. He had his finger and thumb on his chin, as he walked with the opened fan on his right hand with the confidence of a tigerdillo. He may look from out of town, but his wondering eyes indicated his curiosity about the town's establishments. A stall of colourful tassels interested the man in green and white; his fingers brushed against the tassels hanging above the stalls and the jingling of the bells were a regular sound in town, as the winds were strong this spring. The man waved the opened fan close to his face, smiling as he took in the bustling little scene and liked what he saw of the town, which had a visitors from the previous Avatar and his friends, when they were on the run from the Rough Rhinos, the Fire Nation's ground assassins, in the last years of the Hundred Years War.
This time green eelhounds roamed the western plains of the Earth Kingdom, commanded by the dregs of a formerly proud military, which had fallen to ruin after the ascension of the current Earth Queen, Hou-Ting. The man's air of zen was nice to see, compared to the puffing arrogance of the merchant lords that paraded here, with their wagons and carts through the western Earth Kingdom.
The girl with the blades on her waist belt looked around, and back at the man at her side. "This town is like a world in its own, Young Master. I can get used to this." The young woman said, in a gleeful expression with her eyes widened and looking around the various stalls and shops in this part of town. Her knives were hidden not to scare the local people, as her dark green eyelids drew attention to her enough by the townsfolk.
"At least, we are out of Gaoling and not on the road anymore." The man replied, in a lowered voice.
"Not to mention the road bandits, who might know who we are."
"Don't worry yourself, warrior maid. Your hands don't need to be soiled of blood for my sake."
"Yes….I understand."
"Should we buy something for the ship journey out of here."
"I like the look of the bright pink shawl from the shop next door."
The man in jade green and the woman with knives continued their stroll through the town's square, which was bustling with mid-afternoon business. The long-haired man had a right of it; to have the strange looks garnered by the townsfolk. He was not from Tuji and was considered an outsider, alongside the warrior maid hired to protect him. He smiled at the jingling bells from the stall of the tassels, knowing he had enough tassels to close the waist belt of his robes, which was decorated heavily in the lotus flower pattern. His body ached from the long days of travel in a wheelhouse, a reinforced carriage usually ridden by royalty or anyone rich enough to afford one. The abundant chatter through the town put the man at ease, at least the people were not focused on him and his party anymore, especially if the local seamstresses were smart enough to know the man's robes were not of ordinary craftsmanship, but were the craft of the best seamstresses and robemakers in Bao Yun, and the detailing of the intricate white and silver embroidery of the jade lotus would be enough for anyone to figure him out.
A delightful aroma was in the air, as it came from a stall that just opened and sold savoury fried dumplings. The warrior at the man's side was bewildered, knowing it made her feel nostalgic for home on Kyoshi Island, where the street food from the village cooks were different to the food in Tuji. He considered getting in line to try some of the savoury dumplings, but he didn't want to draw too much attention to himself, especially with the way he caught the eye of the town's population. He didn't do anything but walk past a few stalls with a kyoshi warrior in dark green warpaint over her eyes and three serving girls in plain coloured robes. It was the man's lot in life to catch people's attention, even if he breathed for a minute and someone would try to challenge him to a duel or kill him if they knew who he was, judging by the jade green and white robes he had on.
The man was no merchant lord, as evidenced by the protection of a kyoshi warrior. The man was a nobleman of the old blood, a young legend in the Earth Kingdom, the one they call the Earthbending Master, the Champion of Gaoling or whichever people wanted to address him by, since the man had many titles. Aside from his many titles, strip it all back and you get a name, a name that means something in the Earth Kingdom. Jen LuXian was the man's name, but anyone who knew anything about the Earth Kingdom, was to never call a master or madam by his or her name, unless you were family, a spouse or a friend. The noble masters and madams were addressed by their household titles by the general populous, as calling them by their courtesy or given names was usually followed by punishment; it depends on which young master or lady you insult by accident, as some families are more forgiving than others.
The earthbending master was merciful, not one to punish anyone for a minor mistake, but knew only the closest around him could refer to him by his name. Jen LuXian was always intrigued by how each town and village he visited was different than the last, and Tuji was no different. He had to keep a low profile, knowing who he was and where he just come from, not risking the lives of the people in this town. Jen LuXian was not in any real danger, as most people who know his legend stay away from him, unless they want to be shamed by the fact, they were beaten by a beautiful bending master. If Jen LuXian had been in danger, he had the kyoshi warrior, Kumi to defend him against the threats he cannot see. He was thankful not to be hurt on the way from Gaoling, especially knowing what happened there and how it was not meant to be the way things ended.
At the corner of the earth master's eye was a stall selling spring flowers. Bulb flowers of a yellow middle and white petals around them. The flowers were usually grown from seeds, originating from Jen LuXian's homeland of Bao Yun, and they were always popular in the spring season. He had been compared to spring flowers, which gave way to his latest title, the Spring Flower of the North because of his unmatched beauty. Jen LuXian didn't like the attention he got because of his appearance, as it detracted from the other aspects of his character and who he was, beneath the pretty face and obsidian brown eyes, which all his family members had. The master may resent the attention he gets because of his looks, but most of the time it was harmless compliments from his people.
As a man in the consensus of the Earth Kingdom, beauty was the provenance of women and not men. Jen LuXian was a man born into an old blood family and had a mother was a peerless beauty in the royal court of Ba Sing Se, and he was sure to inherit the same looks as her, or be average looking like his late earthbending father Master Kuen was.
"None of the townsfolk know who I am yet. It's better this way, since anyone in this town could be a hired knife, paid by Master Daojing to kill me. Only Little Kumi can be trusted to protect me, if my bending fails me or the enemy uses chi-blocking against me. The quaint normality of this place fascinates me, nothing like the isolation of the mountains back home, where everything is quiet, except for the sounds of the native animals in the forests and the bustling life of Chiyo Town. I could have bought one of the stall tassels for Cousin Meiling, as a present when I return home to her. I want to save her gift for when I get to Republic City, where there is a range of choice in gifts. Little Meimei always wanted something from the United Republic capitol, but could not travel alone because she is too young to go without a noblewoman's procession."
The earthbending master was taken by the quaint scene in front of him, but he was on the lookout as he was not completely safe. Jen LuXian made enemies easily, being a gifted earthbender and had a habit of shaming other benders easily. He waves his unfolded fan over his face, as the wind felt good on his light skin and noted the young women in the streets whispering amongst each other, and looking at him. Jen LuXian was used to the attention his appearance brought, everywhere he went, but the admiration was harmless to him. The type of admiration he worried about was the rapacious suitors, who had the sole intention in trying to sleep with him and where not nice about being told no. The sweet aroma of the fried sweets on the streets incited the man to the point of wanting to try some of the local delicacies, but he needed to get to the local inn and rest from his long journey.
The kyoshi warrior hired to protect the young master, was gawking at all the stalls with a smile. Jen LuXian never underestimated the warrior maid; she may look sweet on the outside, but she was a ruthless fighter, sworn to protect his person and to lay down her life to save his. Jen LuXian was close to the local inn, even though the serving girls in his company would have prepared the rooms for them to sleep in for the days they were in town. Jen LuXian could not stay long without the townsfolk knowing who he was, and it could start a host of problems with the people in Tuji. The man watched the kyoshi warrior's fingers itch closer to her blades with green hilts on them, the perfect weapons for a warrior known to be little because of her short stature. Kumi never brought out her blades, unless Jen LuXian was in any real danger and the threat was right in front of her. He couldn't count the number of times, the warrior maid saved his life and he was thankful for her being willing to deal with his abnormal lifestyle.
As an earthbender, Jen LuXian should be defending himself, but he was the kind to use neutral jing, to wait and listen or do nothing, as some enemies were not worth fighting. The only ones worth fighting were if any direct harm came towards him or Kumi and he would have no choice to fight. Sometimes fighting was useless as disputes can be solved in different ways. This was the Earth Kingdom, where martial strength rules everything, bender or non-bender; it has always been this way, since the reign of the First Earth King and it's a nation that favours earthbenders by their ability to bend and their martial skills in battle. No person would be caught running away from a war or battle, or else the entire kingdom will shame them for being a coward forever and the curse of dishonour will pass down to the future generations of that person's family.
"I would like to visit here again, not as a rest stop but to enthral myself into a new way of living. I have travelled throughout the Earth Kingdom, Western Air Temple and Southern Water Tribe. Never have I stepped into the motherland of the firebenders, as such a thought makes my heart race. Staying in one place for too long bores me and I will move on by then. Kumi has been my shield, since I started travelling again. She has always been steadfast and loyal, even when I don't need her to kill or intimidate someone for me. She keeps the rapacious suitors away from me, as she can use one look and people will back off, as the price of messing with the warriors is either death or a body part decapitation."
The air was a lot cleaner, than the stench of Ba Sing Se, as the people of Tuji were well and living comfortably, compared to the citizens of the so-called impenetrable city. Jen LuXian lowered his head, not wanting to draw too much attention, since he was already banned from the Earth Kingdom capitol and was unwelcome in the eyes of the Hou-Ting monarchy. He shook his head, at the thought of how he should have brought his veiled weimao to better disguise himself from those, who will recognise his face and the lotus patterns on his robes. Jen LuXian may have some resentment for his peerless beauty, but he was happy for people to see him and have the harmless admiration he didn't mind having. His pretty face might deter people from believing Jen LuXian had a martial reputation of his own; being a gifted earthbender was something to be praised in a kingdom, full of mediocre benders. Only the great earthbenders stood out, like Toph Beifong and he wasn't arrogant enough to place himself on her level, but he was good enough to once be a student of hers.
A few kites in emerald green and blossom pink were flying in the air, seeing local children full of laughter and innocence, whilst running to move the kites in the sky. Jen LuXian and Kumi moved out of the way of one girl, trying to catch up with the other kids and it made the man's smile as bright as the mid-afternoon sun. The two kept moving, knowing few of the townsfolk stared at them, for being out of town and unlike their people, in the way they dressed. Jen LuXian was accustomed to the bustle of town life, as it was the same in Chiyo Town, a port town at the foothills of Bao Yun, where there was a mix of earthbenders, waterbenders, non-benders, and even the descendants of the northern Air Nomads roamed around Bao Yun. Jen LuXian didn't know what this quaint little town will bring him, during the days he will stay there with his retinue, until they got the first available passenger ship to Republic City.
The Tuji Inn was lovely to be in, with the colours of peach and pink being infused into every part of the furniture. The young master liked the minimalistic space his guest chambers had; it included a meditation space and his luggage didn't ruin the atmosphere it was trying to convey. The innkeeper downstairs was happy to serve, knowing Jen LuXian's detailed robes signified being from a family wealthy enough to wear such robes and had a humble temperament, in difference to the puffing merchant lords he was used to serving. The stay was for days. Jen LuXian knew not to get attached to the places he visited and he needed to move on. As far away as possible from Gaoling and to be at a significant distance from Ba Sing Se. The young master laid down on the bed, which had a mattress made from quality feathers, as the bed's comfort eased the man of thirty namedays in, as if he laid on a bed of clouds.
Jen LuXian knew his noble manners and got onto the guest bed with his black boots removed from his feet. His bare feet were slightly coated in soil, as he only wore shoes on Kumi's request. Not wanting her young master to have sore feet, even though being barefooted made Jen LuXian aware of everything around him and it connected him spiritually to the soil and the dirt he was walking on.
"From the local inn's respite area. People were talking about the Crimson Matron. Her nightmare ended, when the United Forces arrested the old matron on the north-western border, when she tried to flee. I stopped her with metalbending, as it was the viable defence against bloodbending at Xue Hua's skill level. People talked about the matron as if she was a folktale. The old woman was real, frightening to see in person and hid behind the guise of a helpful grandmother, when she was just as sadistic and cruel as the rumours say she was. The people of Tuji were blind to how dangerous the bloodbender was, to the point of the White Lotus assisting the United Forces in taking her and arresting her red disciples, whom were captured alongside her. The Crimson Matron has been in prison for five years, but people still speak as if she still roamed, as it proved there were people worse than the Earth Queen in the world."
The man stared at the ceiling, which was a minimalistic white and placed a hand over his head. Jen LuXian was no stranger to fighting, but only earthbenders and a few waterbenders, who were arrogant enough to challenge him to prove themselves. He was aware Kumi was guarding his chambers; it was her first patrol of the day to make sure no threats got to him, before he knew what the threat was. As an Earth Kingdom citizen, Jen LuXian knew the Crimson Matron and her short reign of terror on the waterbending population of the Earth Kingdom; she trafficked teenagers and young adults, who were waterbenders from their homes and villages, and then indoctrinating them into her cult.
After those events in his life, Jen LuXian had a distaste for bloodbending in general and was lucky to never met another bloodbender, as long as he lived in this world.
The guest chamber windows were open, the mid-afternoon breeze was felt on the man's face, as he turned to lie on his right side. Being in bed was where Jen LuXian was vulnerable, as it was the only time, when his guard was let down and when he had the time to decompress. Closing his eyes did nothing to shut out the townspeople talking about a bloodbending cult leader, long imprisoned and can no longer harm innocent people again. The man was used to being fearless in the face of a fight, but a single thought of the Crimson Matron and her blood curdling ways sent shivers down his spine, ignoring everything around him. It was always like that, but it was known to Kumi that her young master had fears, underneath the legend created by people in the Earth Kingdom.
The doors of the room were open for Kumi to enter. The dark green warpaint over her eyes made her look intimidating to anyone who saw her, but Jen LuXian knew her was as the warrior maid, who always had a smile on her face and never let anyone kill her thirst for adventure. Kumi stood by the door, with her hands behind her back, as it's was the way of the bodyguard code, the Kyoshi Dojos in Republic City taught her well. The warrior had her lips pursed together, as the occupation of a kyoshi bodyguard was not for the faint hearted. It made Jen LuXian almost forget Kumi was a warrior trained in the art of the sword and in stealth, which made her the perfect weapon against his old enemies or the new ones he makes.
Jen LuXian used to be a popular and well respected earthbender, until he started wandering around the kingdom, with nothing but wearing black robes and wore a weimao with a see through veil over his head, which made his peers think he was abnormal to forsake a martial occupation and waste his gift of earthbending doing nothing.
"I'm glad the room is up to standard, Young Master Jen." Kumi said, bowing before him with a hand over a fist, the traditional Earth Kingdom way.
"I don't suspect bounty hunters and potential killers to reside in this establishment." Jen LuXian replied.
"You don't know for sure, unless we have another Gaoling situation."
"If the men of the inn or this town learn to keep their hands to themselves."
The kyoshi warrior's eyes were shifty; it was a habit Kumi had whenever, she got anxious or was guilty about something. "I'm sorry, Young Master Jen. The situation in Gaoling was my doing and I should be banished from your service or hand myself into the Daojings for my actions."
"No…warrior maid. You did well. It was my mistake was trusting our hosts will be honourable for one night, and I was wrong."
"The people in the wine sink don't know who we are."
"This town is quaint, Kumi. Not known for hosting killers, but merchant lords, who get rich from selling across the kingdom. We can relax here and not worry about an attack, unless we are on the road again."
"The innkeeper was descent enough to host us."
The earthbending master's lips turned into a smile, a smile that was only for certain people in his life. "The innkeeper's wife is a known seamstress in town. He knew my robes were too high quality, to be from a merchant lord to buy or sell himself."
"I don't like the soldiers outside of town, the ones who stopped us before we got in." Kumi moaned, with her arms folded.
"Better we don't draw attention to ourselves. If the worst is to happen, then the serving girls can flee first. The two of us are distinct. We look different to the townsfolk here and it will arouse suspicion from the military men outside the town's borders."
"You should be careful, Young Master Jen. Any enemy of the queen is an enemy to her army and loyalists. I don't want to see you thrown in prison."
"I was only banned from the royal palace, it was the lightest punishment given to me."
The kyoshi warrior began to laugh, with a hand over her mouth, even though it made her look immature to do such. "The cooking girls from the stalls asked about you, through one of the men in the wine sink to give a message to me." Kumi rolled her eyes, at the thought of any girl in this town attempting to approach her young master without knowing the proper societal code. In her eyes, Young Master Jen was not for sale and was not for approach by random strangers.
"The admiration is harmless. Kumi. You shouldn't concern yourself with their fleet of infatuation."
"I'm always on guard. You know what my duty is to you and how I must carry it."
"I am fortunate to have you at my side, no matter how we disagree."
"I'm glad to be with you, travelling around the Earth Kingdom is something, a small islander like me never thought would happen."
"Your sword has saved my back more times than I can count."
Jen LuXian drew a breath of relief, he understood Kumi's sentiment and why she came into his service. He was not blind to the suitors he attracted with his fair beauty, and some of those suitors had predatory intentions towards him and it was the kyoshi warrior's duty to make sure those people got lost or lose a body part. The cooking girls in town were harmless to Jen LuXian, but to Kumi they could be potential threats to her young master's modesty, as girls can hide behind false faces as well as men. He was grateful for the warrior's protection, even though her methods were harsh to the point of scaring away potential partners, Jen LuXian could have obtained, had it not been for the warrior's paranoia. He was used to Kumi's flighty behaviour, but it was not fitting for a kyoshi warrior trained and experienced to act like a frightened ostrich-horse when spooked. He had no bitterness to the warrior maid hired to serve him, but he was used to her ways and accepted them, because those ways saved his life on many occasions throughout his journey.
The master turned to his left side, seeing Kumi stroll out of the room fiddling her fingers together. He didn't want to make her feel bad, but there was a certain line that shouldn't be crossed between warrior and master. As the young woman remained professional and tried not to get attached to him. Kumi couldn't because she began to see Jen LuXian, as more than just someone to serve and protect, she saw him as a friend and it was hard for Kumi, as young as she was to get past that and remain the faithful protector to him. Jen LuXian was not the type to make friends easily, the ones he had were distant to him and getting on with their own lives without him in the picture. Having the warrior maid as Jen LuXian's friend was not such a bad idea, since Kumi was close enough to him to become more than what she was paid and ordered to do for him.
Jen LuXian and Kumi finished their meal in the inn, as it was enough to get them through the night. The two of them peaked at a group of five soldiers, in the moss green uniform of the Earth Kingdom Army, but these were the dregs, the ones who had nothing better to do than guard towns and villages, because town mayors and village leaders pay for their protection from bandits and thieves roaming from the Si Wong Desert and the western plains. The soldiers strolled through town in a manner of unity and formation, with the townspeople moving out of the way of the soldiers. The master had no love for the military that was supposed to serve and protect the people of the Earth Kingdom.
Some parts of the Earth Army became known as the queen's dregs, who had nothing better to do, than take money from provincial and state leaders for their protection and getting peace in return. In Jen LuXian's eyes, it was subtle business and the soldiers of this unit did their jobs, even though they patrolled the town to expel, anyone who was not from the town of Tuji.
The master turned away, whilst he and the kyoshi warrior sat on the patio of the inn. Jen LuXian had known soldiers were informed on what happened in other towns and cities, but he couldn't afford for his low profile to be shattered, as the situation in Gaoling made him flee in the dead of dawn, ruining a portion of his journey to Republic City, but being on the road was more dangerous, which meant the second half of the journey had to be made on another ship to avoid the nasty characters the northern foothills had to offer. Jen LuXian was sure Kumi was aware of the consequences of her knives, which resulted in two pairs of hands being severed and it was how they had to avoid detection from Gaoling's Domestic Forces. He was half-asleep, when his party had to flee the south-western town, but Kumi stayed vigilante in protecting him, especially travelling through the kingdom so late attracted unsavoury characters, he did not want to think about at all, in his flight from Gaoling inside a wheelhouse.
Jen LuXian's eye was caught on decorative banners being put up on the various stalls, as the town was having a party, celebrating something he didn't know about. The soldiers roaming around town, were not the dregs of the army, but the ones saddled with policing duties in this town. Jen LuXian faced the wrath of soldiers before, and he didn't like how it ended. He placed a hand on the left side of his face, his finger tracing an area where a long-edged scar was. The scar was there because of Jen LuXian's previous encounter with a belligerent officer named Lieutenant Ping, who minded the border between the eastern provinces and the Si Wong Desert territories. Jen LuXian shook his head, wanting to forget how that confrontation turned to a military officer pulling out a sharp blade and slicing it against the side of his face, naming him an anormal creature, for having compassion for people when men like Ping had none. Only Kumi and his family members saw the scar, as it was well hidden under Jen LuXian's long black hair and he was lucky no one else saw that mark on his face.
The glee from the townsfolk in decorating the market square took Jen LuXian's mind of the scar. He was of the old blood, and in normal circumstances, the army men would not touch him. Not everyone in the kingdom was as lucky as Jen LuXian, who was born into a wealthy family and lived on an isolated mountain state, where nothing bad happened, unless an accidental Northern Water Tribe ship crashed onto shore. As a travelling man, Jen LuXian saw the degradation his nation had become, and it got worse under the rule of Hou-Ting, the current ruler of the kingdom and a woman, who poisoned her own sister. The earth monarchy mattered less to a man, whose family turned against the rulers of Ba Sing Se decades ago. When his grandfather Jen Qin left Ba Sing Se in a fit of fury against Earth King Kuei, for challenging his decision in forcing the noble families of the Earth Kingdom to pay a tax, which established the Earth Kingdom populated territories of the United Republic of Nations and Republic City.
"There is nothing to be ashamed of, Young Master Jen." Kumi said, in a more serious tone, unlike her exuberant personality.
"What do you mean, warrior maid?" Jen LuXian replied.
"The scar behind your hair. It's the reason why you have an aversion to soldiers. These guys are just busboys and will do no harm to us, unless they find out about us."
"That is what I am afraid of."
"At least, it will cut off our journey to Republic City in half, and the long way from Gaoling would have us stop in some village port anyways."
"I hate the road, Kumi. It's too dangerous and we could be caught, if anyone else knew what happened at Daojing's residence."
"I take responsibility for what happened."
"I ordered it, Kumi. I am your employer, which means your actions reflect on me."
"I hope the United Forces general will still like you, even if Lieutenant Ping sliced your face."
Jen LuXian's eyes widened at Kumi's words. Not thinking of the complications that would rise on their trip to Republic City, and what will happen if a certain someone saw the long-edged scar on his face. The master enjoyed whatever quality time he had with the warrior, but he knew Kumi also had a katana blade with her for emergancy purposes. A ray of sunlight hit the man's face and its warming rays put a smile on his face, even though he and the warrior were in a precarious situation. They never wanted their troubles from outside, to ruin their time in Tuji, especially with a nightly festival coming in days and the people in town were busy preparing for the event. The two stayed out of the way of the local people, even though it was the only port town that made various trips across the sea into other nations, due to their position on the trade route in the Earth Kingdom that was lucrative, as ships from Tuji went across the vast oceans and to other nations.
Sitting on the patio of the local inn was comfortable for Jen LuXian, who never interacted with people, unless he had to. The town of Tuji's festival was the first Jen LuXian has been in a long time, as he never got invited to parties outside his homeland, unless he had an invitation personally. It was the price Jen LuXian paid for the path he choose in life, which went against what the Earth Kingdom's martial society expected for him. Being an earthbender had its advantages, when Jen LuXian was a master and cultivated through twelve years of training to master the disciplines within his element and mastered metalbending in his early twenties, before he took the occupation of being the Avatar's earthbending master for two years and a half. The occupation ended with Jen LuXian being expelled by the Order of the White Lotus from the Southern Water Tribe. It was one of his greatest life failures and he never forgot, even years later.
"Are you daydreaming again, Young Master Jen?" Kumi asked, with her arms folded and leaning backways on the pillar of wood.
"No….just thinking." Jen LuXian replied, in a softened tone.
"About being the Avatar's earthbending master. It must have sucked, staying in that cold place with nothing to call home."
"I lived with it, even though I got sick months after I arrived." The master smiled.
"I'm glad to have been your bodyguard after that. I was born and raised in the warm climate of Kyoshi Island, even though I'm an orphan."
"….It's nice….to meet a fellow orphan and not be alone."
The earthbending master was fortunate to have someone like Kumi at his side, who related to him in terms having dead parents and being raised by the people in their lives. Jen LuXian tilted his head to the side, and saw the town was more than what he assumed, as appearances can be deceiving and nothing at first sight was what it was. He pulled out his fan from his belt, and opened it to wave it in his face, as it was unsightly for a young master to sweat in public, especially in under robes of white, even though his outer robe was jade green with short sleeves. Jen LuXian gazed at Kumi's fingers itching away from her blades, as soon as she saw two soldiers leave town. He laid back and stretched out his legs, took in the sights of the pink lanterns being hung on the rooves of the houses on this part of town, as it was a more residential area and it was just as vibrant as the market square on the east side of the town.
In the Earth Kingdom's high society, Jen LuXian was deemed a failure for not finishing the Avatar's earthbending training and being expelled by the White Lotus. It had been eight years, since Jen LuXian had been sent away. He isolated himself from the society that scorned him, even though Jen LuXian still loved his family and the friends he had. The rays of the afternoon sun was warming to Jen LuXian, being used to the warmth of the sun's light back in his homeland, within the lush forests of Bao Yun. Towns made the man nervous, as he was used to long ancient mountain ranges and greenery in the forests and expansive colourful gardens. Jen LuXian smiled at the scene in front of him, not being sure of what would happen next. The nightlife is where a town or a village comes alive and the possibilities are endless for the wandering earthbender and the kyoshi warrior at his side, whom basked in the glow of the afternoon sun.