The steps that lead to the side of the building were shaded by bamboo and hanging trees. The bamboo was dusky in color and thick. Leaves sprung from the sage stalks dappled by sunlight.
Tetsu swallowed and looked toward his brother. "Will this be fine?"
Ren craned his neck upward. "I hope."
Tetsu sighed. "Everything is different here."
"Not much like home," Ren said pulling a sleeve down, "and this doesn't make me feel any more comfortable," he said, his hand tugging at the neck of his shirt.
"I thought you wanted new shirts," Tetsu whispered.
"I did, but I didn't ask for ruffles."
"Theses don't have ruffles."
"Really? Then what are those clumps of fabric at your sleeves?" he pointed.
Tetsu threw his hands in the air. Ikiaq was typing something on a keypad next to the door. She looked back at them as the door opened, mouth thin. The brothers scaled the remaining steps and joined her. The room was demure, painted in pale hues. A low couch sat a little askew in room. In front of the couch a stone-topped table sat asymmetrically. A large teapot rested on the table. The room was empty save for a woman cleaning in a corner.
"Sit down," Ikiaq whispered.
Ren reached for the teapot.
Ikiaq slapped his hand away. "Decoration," she whispered.
A moment later, a thin man emerged from an offset door. Ikiaq turned on the couch to face him better.
"At least one guardian is present?" the man asked.
"Yes."
"Follow me," he said.
They entered a large hall. Then turned to the left and then right. A door with a stylized monkey pressed into it opened automatically as the man stepped close. The room was large and circular. Nearly in the center, a table sat low to the ground. Several people sat on grey pillows around it. Ikiaq entered the room both on her heel.
"The Avatars and their guardian," the older man said.
Ikiaq bowed. Ren and Tatsu froze. Then imitated her bow.
Opposite to where they stood a man with white hair and thick brows sat. Next to him a young man sat dressed in a fitted crimson shirt. A seat between them sat an older woman. She had tan skin and panther-like eyes, and on her other side sat a man, something pinned to his chest. He sat up straight and had large eyes. Across the table on their side sat another individual. But their back was toward them. Ikiaq sat one space away from the one other person on their side. Ren and Tetsu took the two pillows on her left.
The sound of heels echoed from the left, and a figure emerged. "Welcome."
The woman approached, a pin holding back hair from one side of her face. She held an envelope in the crook of her arm.
"Who is she?" Ren leaned over to ask Ikiaq.
"The president's aid."
She sat down, and her eyes quickly flickered over the group.
"Fan Zhili," the white haired man spoke, "I was not informed of your presence. You look well," he said standing and bowing. The young man next to him followed suit.
The woman's expression remained flat. "Kinar asked me to be here."
The man on the left with large eyes cleared his throat and looked towards the boys. "It is good to meet you," he said in an even voice. "I'm the ambassador from Ludi."
The person next to Ikiaq made a sound in the back of their throat. Ren and Tetsu turned their attention toward the man that spoke.
"We're glad you could make it," Ikiaq said. The older woman across the table looked at them for a moment.
The man leaned forward and cast a glance toward Fan Zhili. "Ludi would love the Avatars to come and stay."
Ikiaq remained silent for a few beats. The man with the white hair spoke up. "When they are ready perhaps."
"Yes, of course," the other man agreed. The young man in the red shirt watched everything while adjusting in his seat.
The person next to Ikiaq shifted, turning half his face toward the Avatars. "You don't seem ready."
There was a moment of silence before the man with the white hair spoke. "My goal is to make sure that the Avatars are protected effectively, whatever means needed. I'd be happy to comply with any request." The young man next to him nodded. He pushed a folded paper across the table, in front of Tetsu and Ren. It was an ornately folded sheet in the shape of a flame.
"We would have used a pin only that this meeting was requested to be discrete," the older man said.
Ikiaq took the folded paper. "Whatever you think is best," she said.
Fan procured the document she had carried in. "These are rules, regulations, and requests that we would ask you to follow. There are also several statutes and laws of appropriate and inappropriate activities included," she said, sliding the envelope over to them.
"What would be inappropriate?" Ren asked.
Tetsu's eyes widened, and Ikiaq inhaled.
Fan elevated her eyes to Ren. "Politics."
Ren crossed his hands in his lap.
"That's good since their roles lie elsewhere," the person next to Ikiaq said, "lucky for them."
For a hair of a breath, it almost seemed like Fan Zhili's eye twitched but her face looked like marble the next moment.
A few minutes later the meeting was dismissed, and Fan Zhili stood from the pillow. Even this close her high black boots were perfectly smooth, and without a scratch. She pulled out an intricate pen from her pocket with a long tassel of silver metal in the shape of a circle with city grids crossing it. She placed it on top of the documents.
"It's a requirement to sign them and keep them with you at all times."
With that she exited on several smooth steps out the same door she came through. The man on the far right of the table let out a breath. The man with white hair smiled faintly and stood. Everyone else followed suit.
"Yan Lu," the man with large eyes said bowing. The three bowed back. He gave a small smile as the boys made eye contact, "Ludi is a beautiful place."
Ikiaq looked blankly at Yan Lu.
"If you'll excuse me," he said bowing again.
The man with white hair came around the table. The boys had to look up slightly as he was quite tall. The young man hovered behind him arms clasped behind his back. "It's a pleasure to meet you," the white-haired man said. "Iroh at your service,"
Both boys took in sharp intakes of breath and bowed low, and chanced a look at Ikiaq who shrugged.
"It's an honor," Ren and Tetsu said.
"This is my grandson," he said holding a hand out to the young man behind him. His grandson stepped forward and bowed to them holding his hands together in a fist.
"It's an honor to meet you both, Renshu." He turned his head. "Tetsu."
Ren and Tetsu bowed back. "Fire Prince."
Iroh and his grandson looked at each other. "If you'll excuse us."
The tan woman stretched and came over crossing her hands behind her back and standing near. Ren and Tetsu glanced at her.
"What?" she said, "Do you expect your doctor to act like a politician?"
"Doctor?"
"Yes, I'm your physician. I was assigned to keep you alive." She didn't move and remained in her spot just to the side of the boys.
"This is incredibly touching." The person who had sat next to Ikiaq spoke turning to face them. It was a very handsome man. The slopes of his face were unusual coming to a thin chin from fairly wide cheekbones. He had full eyebrows and long black hair straight as a pin cut into the frames of his face. From his shoulders down to his knees a dark blue covering hung open from his shoulders revealing pale clothes under.
"I'm here to try and keep the spirits happy," he said.
"This is Amaruq," Ikiaq said her voice tight.
The boys bowed. Ikiaq's shoulders were tense. She looked past Amaruq.
"I see my cousin doesn't want to have anything to do with me. But you might." He turned his eyes onto the Avatars. "It is difficult but not impossible to keep spirits appeased while the Avatars are not available. It would be nice to have a break."
"That's your job Amaruq," Ikiaq said coldly.
He narrowed his eyes. "What do you think I've been doing the last seven years?"
Ikiaq crossed her arms. The physician looked up from reading from a tiny book and then resumed disinterested in partaking in any dramatics.
"Here," Amaruq said holding a card out to Ren and Tetsu, "since Avatars are naturally aligned to deal with spirits, you're more resilient." He strode away.
"Let's go, Ikiaq said.
The physician spoke up. "I was told to do a check-up on them."
"Alright, when do you want to do it?" Ikiaq said, pushing her hair back.
"Let's do it now. I need to provide a bill of health as soon as I can."
"And where would you suggest you do that?"
"Wherever they live," she shrugged.
"Don't you have an office here?"
The woman shook her head slipping the small book back into her front pocket. "I'm not from Yue City."
Ikiaq sighed. "I know a place. But couldn't they have gotten a doctor from here?"
The woman raised an eyebrow.