Atop a giant flying bison, Avatar Korra stands proudly with her short hair blowing in the wind, her face serious yet hopeful. In front of her, the young and enthusiastic Meelo stands looking ahead with a spyglass. Behind, Ikki and Jinora sit relaxed, enjoying the beautiful scenery. Ikki chats cheerfully while Jinora listens patiently, occasionally soaking in the peace.
The clear sky is adorned with white clouds and sunshine, with snowy mountain peaks and green lands below providing a view that accompanies them on this journey.
"Can you see Zaofu from here?" asks Korra, glancing towards Meelo.
Busy with his spyglass, Meelo quickly shakes his head. "Not yet, Korra. But we'll get there soon!" he says, his enthusiasm undiminished even though he hasn't yet seen the destination.
Korra takes a deep breath and looks forward with reflective eyes.
"I just feel a bit worried about what will happen while I'm still here."
Hearing this, Jinora gently reassures Korra, "Don't worry, we'll definitely get there on time." She smiles soothingly, looking at Korra who now turns to her.
Ikki, overhearing the conversation, quickly joins in cheerfully, "Exactly! And during the trip, we can see so many interesting things!" She jumps slightly in her seat, excited about the adventure still ahead.
A small smile appears on Korra's face, showing gratitude for her friends' support.
Korra then looks forward again, hoping the surrounding scenery will soon change into the magnificent view of Zaofu city. The sooner they arrive, the better.
Korra closes her eyes briefly, trying to calm herself from the uneasy feeling that continues to haunt her. She takes another deep breath.
"What?!"
Ikki's surprised voice diverts Korra's attention. Korra quickly opens her eyes and sees Ikki pointing down with a shocked expression. Korra and Jinora also look down, curious about what has startled Ikki.
Meelo, sitting next to Ikki, also takes notice. "What is it, Ikki?" he asks, following the direction of Ikki's pointing finger.
"Look down! These aren't the mountains we passed before!" Ikki exclaims.
Korra and the others follow Ikki's direction, and what they see indeed changes their mood in an instant. As far as the eye can see, instead of the mountains they had passed or the plains they expected, lies a vast expanse of sparkling green plains under the sunlight, a view they should not have found after passing the previous mountains.
"Wait, this... We shouldn't be here. We were supposed to still be in the mountains," says Korra, her voice full of confusion. "This isn't the route we took."
Jinora, trying to stay calm, pulls out a map and starts checking it carefully. "This doesn't make sense. We were supposed to still be on the mountain border. How did we suddenly end up here?"
Ikki, still with a shocked expression, adds, "Yeah, and I didn't feel any change in the wind direction or anything. It's like... we suddenly just moved places."
Meelo, still enthusiastic about unexpected adventures, ask Korra. "Is this something you did, Korra? Like... using some kind of Avatar power?"
Korra shakes her head quickly. "No, I didn't do anything at all. This isn't me."
Everyone looks confused and slightly anxious about the situation they don't understand. Jinora finally says, "We need to find something that can give us a clue about where we actually are."
They all then focus on checking around, looking for signs or clues that can explain how they could suddenly be in a place that is completely unfamiliar and not according to their travel plans.
Ikki, taking the initiative, quickly suggests, "Let's get down and see what we can find there. Maybe there's something or someone who can explain what happened."
Korra nods, agreeing with Ikki's suggestion. "Alright, let's go down. But stay together and be alert. We don't know what we might find."
"Maybe we can find something that isn't clear from above," adds Jinora.
Meelo, always ready for action, immediately gets excited. "Could this be part of a new adventure?!" he says, trying to lighten the tense mood.
Their air bison carefully and slowly begins descending from the sky, heading towards the green plains below. Instinctively, the air bison chooses a sheltered area under the shade of a large tree. The tree is dense enough to provide shade, protecting them from the heat of the sun.
While observing the surroundings, Korra notes the strange silence in the area. The landscape in front of them appears desolate, although bird sounds are still heard.
"Huh, where is this?" murmurs Korra, confused.
"I don't know, Korra," Jinora replied with the same confusion. "First, we shouldn't be in a place like this. Second, I can't identify where this is."
As if answering their question, a faint other voice was heard.
From a distance, Korra could see a carriage moving at high speed. It was unclear what was pulling the carriage, because its shape was slightly different from any horse she had ever seen.
"It looks like they're heading this way," said Jinora.
Her guess was right; the carriage was indeed moving towards where they were standing. After some time, Korra could see that there were two people on the coachman's seat, and someone's head also popped up from the side of the carriage.
As Korra and her friends got closer to the carriage, a familiar sensation could be felt by Korra; the aura of spirits.
"Do you feel it?" Korra glanced at Jinora.
"Yeah," Jinora replied. "Kinda weird."
"What's up, Korra?" asked Ikki, curious.
"Yeah, what is it?" Meelo also asked.
"Nothing. It's just, I feel a strong spirit aura from that carriage. Weird, isn't it?"
Ikki and Meelo blinked several times, as confused as Korra and Jinora.
Besides the strong spirit aura, they were also amazed by the animal used to pull the carriage. Unlike an ostrich horse, the animal they saw had front limbs. It also had less fur. And, upon closer inspection, the animal looked more like a lizard.
As they got very close, just before stopping, Korra had already taken a good look at everyone there. Two young men were on the coachman's seat, and another young man inside, along with two others of the opposite sex, one of whom appeared to be still a child.
"What..."
Korra was astonished to see the appearance of each person there, as were Jinora, Ikki, and Meelo. They all gaped.
"Um, sorry, but are you in need of help?"
Still with the same gaze, Korra stared at the man. He was the one in control; a young man with pale gray hair who wore a tense green shirt.
Korra shook her head, trying to refocus. "Um, we do have a bit of a problem here."
"You looked confused from afar, are you lost?"
"Kinda."
"Wait a minute!"
Everyone's gaze suddenly focused on Meelo. He approached the carriage, squinting as he stared at the young man with gray hair from top to bottom.
"You look quite different, sir! Your hair is also gray even though you're still young! Are you originally an old man?" said Meelo.
"Hey, Meelo! That's not polite!" exclaimed Ikki.
Laughter suddenly broke out from the young man sitting next to the green-shirted young man and the one inside the carriage.
"Look at that, Otto. You're so stressed that even a kid thinks you're old, hahaha," said the black-haired young man inside the carriage, holding back laughter.
"Of course not!" the young man argued.
"Bwahaha, I can't believe this, Brotto. It seems the captain was right after all, bwahaha," replied the young man with yellow hair sitting next to the green-shirted young man.
"How mean~"
"Subaru, Garfiel, you shouldn't tease Otto like that. He's been working hard to help us with many issues, poor him," said the girl with pointed ears inside the carriage.
"Don't worry, Emilia-tan, hahaha."
During this conversation, Korra realized that all this time she had been watched by the little girl who was with the young man named Subaru and the girl named Emilia. She didn't know why, but her gaze hadn't left her since earlier.
But, one thing that made Korra frown was that the source of the spirit aura she felt actually came from the girl.
"By the way, back to the original question, do you need help?" the man named Otto asked again.
"Yeah, we want to go to Zaofu, but we suddenly ended up here," explained Korra.
Everyone in the carriage furrowed their brows hearing Korra's explanation.
"Sorry, I don't understand. Zaofu?" asked Otto. "I've never heard of it."
Simultaneously, the group from Korra said "huh?" from their mouths.
"You're kidding, right?" said Korra. "It's impossible you don't know Zaofu."
"Well, I used to be a merchant, I've been to many places. And, this is the first time I've heard of that name."
"That's literally impossible," said Ikki.
"Has Miss Emilia ever read a book that discusses a city named Zaofu?" Otto asked the girl with pointed ears inside.
"No," Emilia shook her head. "I don't remember reading about a city with that name in the book I read."
A thousand questions swirled in Korra's head. Yet, the main one was how could the world's safest city, Zaofu, be unknown to those in the carriage?
"I think... it would be best if you came to our destination city," Subaru suggested. "Right, Emilia-tan?"
Korra noticed that the expression of the black-haired man showed a hint of panic, raising her eyebrows.
"Yes, it's fine," the girl nodded in agreement.
But suddenly...
"No."
The little blue-eyed girl, who had been quietly observing, suddenly spoke up, drawing everyone's attention to her.
"Eh? What's the matter, Miss Beatrice? Why not?" asked Otto.
"Hey, Beako, don't be mean to people we just met like that," Subaru said jokingly.
"They could be dangerous, I suppose. Because, well, hmph?" Suddenly, Subaru covered the girl's mouth. "Hey, what's the meaning of this, in fact?"
"Just let them come with us," Subaru said.
"Listen to Betty first, I suppose! Don't interrupt the explanation, in fact!"
The little girl's cheeks turned red, and she now looked like a cat ready to pounce.
"You're really cute when you're angry, Beako!" Subaru chuckled, his eyes twinkling with amusement.
The little girl snorted loudly, "This is not funny, Subaru! Situations like this require caution, I suppose."
But Subaru just waved his hand dismissively, brushing off Beatrice's concerns. "Ah, I know, I know. But look at them, Beako. They just need our help. Plus, they seem quite interesting, don't they?"
Korra, still trying to process the events that had just unfolded, picked up on the change in atmosphere and couldn't help but be intrigued by the strange dynamics between Subaru and Beatrice.
Meanwhile, Korra was curious about what the little girl was about to say. Why was she suddenly cut off without reason?
"Oh, right, we haven't introduced ourselves," Otto suddenly spoke. "My name is Otto, nice to meet you."
"And my amazing self is Garfiel Tinsel," said the young man with golden hair beside him.
"I'm Emilia, nice to meet you," continued the girl with pointed ears. "And these two are Subaru and Beatrice."
"Oh, Emilia-tan, let me introduce myself," Subaru said. "I'm your knight, after all."
Emilia chuckled at that.
"Nice to meet you all. I'm Korra," Korra then began pointing out Aang's grandchildren one by one. "This is Jinora, this is Ikki, and this is Meelo."
Each of them waved to the group in the carriage with a smile. From there, everything seemed like it would proceed normally, however, Korra still found herself under the sharp gaze of Beatrice from within the carriage.
The air bison soared gracefully alongside the carriage, positioned neatly on its right flank. Just moments before their departure, Subaru requested Garfiel to relocate onto the carriage, allowing Subaru to take a seat beside Otto. Garfiel acquiesced to the request, and accompanied by Beatrice, settled beside him, with the girl now comfortably seated in Subaru's lap.
"Anyway, Korra," Subaru's voice broke through her contemplation, "what's that creature you're riding?"
"Ah, I'm curious too," Otto chimed in, his intrigue evident. "I've never seen it before, and for some reason, I'm unable to communicate with it, yet."
"Huh?" Korra looked puzzled. "Sorry, communicate?"
"My Divine Protection lets me talk with animals, regardless of what they are. But it seems I can't understand the one you're riding, which is why I'm curious," Otto explained, his expression earnest.
"Whoa, you can talk to animals?" Ikki's eyes went wide with wonder, a sentiment Otto acknowledged with a nod.
"How? Can you teach me?" Meelo is excited too, eliciting a slightly embarrassed smile from Otto.
"Well, it's a Divine Protection. I was born with it, so it's not something I can teach," Otto explained, his tone apologetic yet firm.
The concept of "Divine Protection" was new to Korra and the others, adding another layer of mystery to their encounter.
"Oh, about your question, it's called an Air Bison," Korra finally answered, noting Otto's confused expression.
"An Air Bison? I've never heard of it. Is it a rare species?" Otto wondered aloud, his curiosity piqued.
"Has Miss Beatrice heard of it? She's been quiet this whole time," Otto pointed out, looking towards the silent figure among them.
"Ah, that's right. Beako's been silent, hasn't she?" Subaru noted, turning his attention back to Beatrice.
"Hmph, Betty was merely listening, I suppose," Beatrice finally spoke, her voice carrying the distinctive tone of one accustomed to the mysteries of their world.
"Then, you must know about this Air Bison, right?" Subaru asked, eager for any insight Beatrice might offer.
"Betty is aware of such creatures, I suppose," Beatrice replied with a hint of nonchalance.
"Great! So, what can you tell us about them?" Subaru leaned in, expecting some profound wisdom or fascinating facts.
"They fly," Beatrice stated matter-of-factly, much to Subaru's disappointment.
"Uh, okay. Thanks for that enlightening piece of information," Subaru remarked, unable to hide his amusement at Beatrice's straightforward response.
"Well, that's... informative," Otto conceded, though his disappointment lingered.
"Since Beako's knowledge seems to be limited on this one, mind telling us more about this Air Bison?" Subaru asked directly, his curiosity piqued as he leaned in, eager for Korra's insights.
"Perhaps it would be wise to respect Betty's presence and not overlook her insights, in fact," she chided gently, her tone carrying a subtle reproach.
"Alright, so the Air Bison," Korra began, her tone filled with enthusiasm as she recalled her experiences with the majestic creatures. "They're flying beasts. They're super friendly and gentle, but don't let their size fool you—they're incredibly agile in the air. Oh, and they have these massive, furry tails that help them steer while flying. It's pretty impressive, actually."
As Korra finished her explanation, Subaru and the others listened intently, intrigued by her vivid description of the Air Bison.
"It still doesn't explain where that creature came from, though," Otto remarked. "Well, maybe later."
"Huh, I've never heard of a creature like this," Subaru said. "Can fly and also huge. If I hadn't seen it directly, I'd think you were describing the White Whale."
The four individuals at Air Bison glanced at each other, unaware of what Subaru meant by the White Whale.
"I don't know why, but there's so much we don't know, and they don't know," Jinora said to Korra.
"Yeah, I feel puzzled, too. If only I were still connected to the Avatar, perhaps I could ask about this to them," Korra replied.
"For now, let's just follow them. We can seek more information later on."
"I agree," Ikki chimed in.
"Me too," Milo added. "Besides, they seems cool. I think I could get to know that Beatrice girl better."
"Hahahaha," Ikki laughed. "Just try, Milo."
Korra's thoughts then drifted to their destination.
"So, where are we headed?" Korra asked, her tone laced with the curiosity.
"Oh, we're on our way to Pristella," Subaru replied with his characteristic mix of enthusiasm and a hint of uncertainty. "I don't know too much about it myself, but I've heard it's a watergate city. Kinda reminds me of Venice, you know?"
"Pristella? Venice? Where's that?" Milo piped up, looking from Korra to Subaru with wide-eyed interest.
"I'm not sure, this is the first time I'm hearing about it," she admitted, her brows knitting together in thought.
"You've never heard of it before?" Otto joined in, his tone one of mild surprise. "You're just like Natsuki-san here, who only found out about it recently himself."
"Hey, Otto, could you not embarrass me in front of someone I've just met?" Subaru's protest came with a light-hearted chide, indicative of their growing camaraderie.
"But it's the truth, Natsuki-san," Otto pointed out.
Meanwhile, Korra's mind wandered, pondering what Pristella could be like. She caught the inquisitive stares of Aang's grandchildren, who seemed equally puzzled by this mysterious city.
"I've never heard of a city called Pristella," Jinora confessed, with Ikki and Milo nodding in agreement. "It hasn't come up in any of the books or maps, or any of the places we've visited while searching for you."
"Me neither, Jinora," Korra responded, her tone reflecting her intrigue. "What's a watergate supposed to be like, though?"
The three youngsters could only offer shrugs in response, mirroring Korra's own uncertainty.