Avatar: Tale of Tae, Book 1: Shock

by alexr416

Following the demise of Avatar Korra; the Earth Nation seeks out the newest successor to the Avatar spirit Raava. A young earth-bender named Tae is thrilled to discover that she would take up the mantle of bringing balance to the world. In order to protect those dear to her, she decides to embark on her journey to discover what it means to be the Avatar to better ensure harmony.

2. Episode 2

Chapter 3: Banto's Start

The days and nights of Ran-Wei are like two sides to a coin. The mornings are filled with the endless banter of heavy machinery and the tired bellows of fatigued workers. Anybody out-and-about are likely on their way to their jobs or are already partaking in them. The nights on the other hand carry the idle chatter of relaxing townsfolk with the added serenade of late-day shenanigans in the streets. Most evenings host a repertoire of antique vendors, alley sports and frequent mover showings in local theaters. Most of the nighttime activities take place on Central Street where all of the local storefronts and pubs are located. The residential areas are typically near-silent as most families prioritize being well-rested for their morning rituals.

Tae and Banto typically align themselves alongside the other early risers since they both must either hurry to school or hurry to work depending on the day. However, given the events from the afternoon prior at the Juro mineshaft, sufficient slumber was out of the question. The scene had played out within Banto's mind as he squirmed tirelessly under his bed covers. Metal benders came to apprehend the hooligans from his family's worksite around sunset; a heavy rainstorm had begun its onslaught. His father needed to deal with the paperwork and had to ensure that nothing was amidst with his beloved estate. Tae and Banto had parted for the night after being thanked graciously once again for stopping another invasion within the underground tunnels. At the time, Banto was delighted to see his handiwork being recognized; nobody was going to lay a finger on his family's findings. The boy recalls Tae being appreciative as well, but could sense something off about her behavior. Regardless, the two were sent home shortly thereafter to get out of the crackling downpour. The rest of the evening was fraught with aquatic bombardment and tremulous gales knocking at the lad's windowsill. Eventually, the fire-bender managed to drift off to sleep, even with the weather pounding from the outside.

The following day commences with an ominous blanket of clouds shrouding the city; a result of the previous climate phenomena. The ambient pitter patter of footsteps and vehicle wheels create a soft beat across the town's neighborhoods. Young folks have the weekend off from their educational turmoil, allowing many to blissfully snooze their way through the early morning. Most laboring families get the soothing blessing of taking the weekends to recuperate after a week of non-stop work and erudition. A young tinkerer however has a different mindset when it comes to weekend activities.

Banto perches himself on a wooden stool in his room, his torso hovers above a ridiculously wide work station. His extremities scurry about the desktop fiddling with numerous miniscule machine parts. The fire-bender twists his limbs carefully as he closely examines his time-keeping contraction. Banto was hoping to modify its capabilities by adding a feature that would allow him to set a timer-like function. If operational, it would cause a notable ringing sound when the set countdown was reached. Currently, he was working to install a small bell in the machine that would operate as the parameter's signal. While his portable clock and eye-enhancing specs were his most recent inventions, Banto's drawers were overflowing with remnants of past creations mixed with failed prototypes. One creation he had tried before was a pair of gauntlets that would enhance his fire-bending ability by keeping his hands heated for extra power. They proved to be more hazardous than beneficial however, frequently causing a destructive recoiling effect anytime he attempted a standard maneuver. He scrapped the idea for a while, but he never throws anything away. Any failure in his mind is just a reminder that he has more to learn and more concepts to discover or fine-tune.

Banto looks down at his work with his magnified monocle piece nested contently in the curvature of his face. He bends his neck from side to side, attempting to free his joints from their stiffened confinement. He exhales deeply and grasps a small handkerchief from the edge of his tabletop. The boy wipes his forehead, gathering an abundance of perspiration with each graceless stroke. He haphazardly slings the rag towards a corner of his desk and delicately reaches upwards towards a couple of hangers jutting precariously from an overhead board. He removes his crimson headband from the hook and veils his forehead in its comforting embrace. With a skillfully tied knot anchoring the apparel to his cranium, Banto rises from his hunched roost. He grabs his customary belongings and flicks the light out with a reflexive tap.

Banto scampers to the first-floor of his living quarters. He fidgets with one of his textbooks that he had preliminarily cradled in his satchel for later indulging. His eyes fixate on some scribbled words along the hardback's bindings, when a passing individual holds up a defensive hand.

"Whoa Banto," begins the woman, chuckling quietly towards the boy. "You need to watch where you are going. You know what your father always says about keeping your eyes focused forwards."

"I know mom…" Banto begins in a kind stutter of understanding. "Sorry, I was just getting ready to go meet with Tae, I was planning to study with her for a quiz we have at the start of next week." Banto's mother nods with a simple acknowledged smirk. She chuckles again before sidestepping her son with a radiant swivel. She looks back to her kin as she grasps a scarf to trace along her neck.

"That sounds like a great idea," she assures, topping off her ensemble with a silk hat garnished with a gorgeous lily-colored ribbon. "Well, as you know, I'm leaving today for a month or so. We're looking to handle a trade deal with a settlement on the outskirts of the earth nation. Unfortunately, communication has not been easy with them, so I'm going in person to see if we can hammer out some sort of a deal to get better equipment for refining minerals." Banto's mother typically handles basic chores and other household activities around their mansion while her husband is managing the mines or working in other industrial faculties. Sometimes however, she acts as a reliable mixture between a secretary and a diplomat for company relations across the Earth Nation. Usually, Rotaru handles most affairs involving his company himself, but with bandits tying to plunder his mines and damages needing attending to within said mines, he had a lot on his plate already.

"Okay, well don't be gone too long," Banto suggests sensibly. "Dad will work himself to the bone without someone reminding him to take a breath." He grins playfully with his guardian before facing a familiar voice as it radiates from the room next door.

"Like you're one to preach about working too hard," Banto's father begins, meandering into the conversation seamlessly. He pats his son earnestly on his head and gives a childish tussle of Banto's already frazzled hair. In his other hand Rotaru gripped an orderly stack of business documents carefully organized in a manner befitting an Earth Queen's scribe. He prods the corners of the pile to keep the paper edges at bay before shifting topics. "Listen son, I wanted to thank you again for alerting the police force of the robbers last night. I'm so thankful you and Tae weren't hurt, but pleasantly surprised that you two managed to apprehend them on your own!" Banto cheerfully nods in appreciation while coyly scratching the side of his head. He peers over to his mother who was also visually ecstatic about how the situation was handled. Rotoru continues with lasting fortitude. "You're really showing me that you're ready to handle the responsibility of taking care of this business! I thought for sure my mines were cursed with all of the craziness happening but you proved that it was all nonsense that could be handled."

"Thanks dad," Banto flushed thoroughly, abashed by the heavy praise. "But you know not every negative occurrence in our lives is the cause of some curse right? It's not very logical to blame fictional forces." Banto knew his father would react strongly to this statement; he's always going on about superstitious mumbo-jumbo like it's going to be the death of him.

"It is indeed logical," he commences, his face contorting into a look of concern. "You've heard the stories about spirits turning people into monsters, or the ones about mysterious entities trapping people in the spirit world? Who's to say it won't happen to us now that they can roam around freely? Especially with my industrial business, some spirits may be upset with how we're digging into the ground here. I'm just being cautious when things go bump in the night, just in case…" He grasps his jeweled necklace that hangs formally around his neck; a warding charm from any dark spirits or other unexplained cryptids. With his disquieting dialogue concluded, Rotoru reverts back to his businessman persona and confers with his darling wife about her future actions during her journey. The two coordinate time and dates for when proposals and informational exchanges are to occur to make sure everything is smooth sailing. Banto snags a morsel of bread from the nearby counter and swiftly makes his departure.

The streets of the boy's hometown always fill him with feverish splendor, no matter how often he traverses the same crimped roadways. Every building, every vehicle, every advertisement feels like a gateway towards a new possible method of improving and expanding the city into a positive and more sustainable living environment. Banto has absorbed countless tales of how Ran-Wei used to be a humble barter-based town at one point in time. Given that the ground beneath the city was neither fertile nor topsoil coated for reliable crops, the townsfolk needed to adapt in order to survive. With that, they began digging and found a vast array of eye-catching minerals and gemstones that were worth a great fortune. From there, the money they received from auctioning off those priceless trinkets allowed them to build machinery and eventually grow into the industrial marvel that it is today. Banto's family has its own legacy as one of the founding citizens of the 'new and improved' Ran-Wei when city expansion was at its peak; or so they told him anyway. It was an extensive narrative shared in repetition by many, but Banto never shied away from hearing it a twentieth time.

As Banto turns a corner towards a less populated street, he calculatingly equips a book from his class's lecture. He needed to plan what topics he and Tae could discuss in preparation for the wondrous 'refinement equipment' quiz so graciously gilded to the plucky teens. He starts recounting the handwriting plated sporadically around the margins; his own notes from their preceding class. As he refreshes himself on the various topics of the chapter, he senses a familiar figure slinking crudely from a conspicuous alleyway. Banto spies from above the leaflet to see a teenage boy eyeing him from the passage. The boy was a fellow student from his and Tae's class named Yaro, a grungy-looking lad with a collared shirt stained with various hues and pants that practically shrieked 'hand-me-down'. He cockily approaches Banto with an expression of hidden condemnation. He angles his arms upwards as he greets his colleague in a less than cordial manner.

"Hey there Banto," he begins with a coarse twinge in his throat. "Where are you off to today? Not alphabetizing mining equipment in your dad's industry today?" Banto could already deduce that the boy was in no mood for a lighthearted conversation; he continues his pace but responds accordingly to the student's questions.

"If you're legitimately curious, I'm going to study the material for our upcoming assessment." Banto faces forwards as he explicates his actions, refusing to lock eyes with the dark-skinned classmate. He instinctually flips a page of his exposed reading material before Yaro continues without hesitation.

"Studying huh?" he mimics coldly. "Why bother? No matter how bad your grades are you'll always have a future working for your dad. Must be nice having such an easy life, huh?" The words ignited a small ember in the depths of Banto's mind. He had always known that Yaro exhibited jealous tendencies towards him, especially whenever he aced an exam or got praised for his practical application with course material. Still, he felt that Yaro's sprawling was needlessly cruel today. There was no provocation either; Banto was just minding his own business. Rationally, Banto knew he should just march forwards without the dignity of providing a response. Nevertheless, the constant attacks towards his family and their broadcasted success was starting to crawl under his skin little by little. It was the second-time that somebody accused him or his family of being unworthy of their renown after all. He finally meets the gaze of his judgmental associate.

"What exactly are you attempting to achieve here, Yaro?"

"Nothing, I just saw you passing by and thought it was peculiar seeing as you're usually so busy being the pride of the town." Yaro shakes his head and crosses his arms in a surly comportment. "Life's not all about achievements after all. You should try relaxing once in a while." The pitiless boy abruptly shifts to the side and toddles casually in the direction opposite of Banto, whistling a serendipitous tune as his voice carries along the modern expanse. Banto eyes the lad with unbridled frustration; the idiosyncrasies in his demeanor visibly reflecting his opinions on the horrid discussion. The fire-bender could not comprehend the reasoning behind his outwardly discourteous behavior, not when he himself had done nothing irredeemable towards Yaro in the first place. He seethed for a brief minute before remembering that he has a vital duty to attend to. With an adjustment to his glasses and a calming crack of his ankle joints, Banto composedly saunters forwards.

The late morning winds welcome pockets of golden luminosity; the incohesive array of clouds above allowing brief windows of the warming radiance. With the pattern of grey splotches constantly dissipating and then reappearing, it's anyone's guess as to the forecast for the night's ambiance. Banto arrives to a scenic clearing a couple minutes after his mild tumult with Yaro. The verdant square, dubbed Iron Lilly Park is one of the only areas of Ran-Wei littered with lush vegetation and organic flora. It's a locale which Banto rarely frequents; he greatly prefers to leisure in zones of productivity and engineering which can aid in sparking inspiration for future technological endeavors. Today, however, Tae has chosen the meet-up spot for their didactic pursuits. She conversely relishes in the natural beauty that the park provides; breathing in the rare shift of atmosphere with pleasant fortitude.

"You're late," Tae teases. She gestures to Banto's time device that he prudently checks whenever his schedule is tight. The fire-bender reflexively grabs hold of it even though he knows full well why he did not arrive promptly.

"Apologies, I got distracted by our valued classmate Yaro. He gave me a cryptic and frankly bad-mannered talking to while I was attempting to rendezvous with you." Banto unloads his belongings onto the wooden picnic table that Tae had selected to be their workstation. He fans a couple of books onto the table as Tae scrunches her face in dismay to the boy's strife.

"Oh yeah, he's always envious of those that do better than him, loves to talk about people behind their backs too." She lunges an arm across the lumbered counter and flawlessly twists a small chunk of bread from the loaf Banto had completely forgotten that he was lugging about. She takes a hearty bite with unapologetic vigor and continues to converse; her mouth at max occupancy. "He's said some things about you in the past. He loves to go after the teacher's pets whenever he's able to."

"Oh so I'm a teacher's pet, am I?"

Tae snorts, unleashing a small airstrike of bread crumbs from her gullet in a direct line to Banto's face. He quivers in response as the lass proceeds. "You could fall asleep in class and they would view it as 'mindful meditation' to improve your mental focus. You can do no wrong, my friend." She swallows her pilfered snack and begins rummaging through Banto's study materials. Her face instantly transfigures into that of a brutish goblin as she irritably examines the coursework. "Now if only I got along better with the instructors, maybe I could get them to bump up a few of my test scores…" She cocks her head cutely at her unamused study partner, who effortlessly ignores her antics in favor of efficient learning.

"Why don't we begin by making you an expert on these fundamental subjects, maybe then they'll treat you with adoration." He glances playfully to his friend who remorselessly snags the tome that the boy was just about to indulge in. The two unanimously decide to cease prolonging their needed learning time and hunker down for the long haul.

The hours go by speedily and so does the daylight. This is not due to the approaching dusk, but because of a new squadron of cumulous clouds that had insolently intervened with the duo's synergy. The Avatar respires with an enthusiastic yawn; approximately her twentieth one since the two begun their decryption of their unified annotations. She relinquishes the tightening of her lungs, before pausing to ruminate. She looks to her companion with an aura of uncertainty before speaking up almost completely out of the blue.

"So I've been thinking…" she begins in an evidently worried tone, "…after this semester, I think I'm going to leave Ran-Wei to explore the world." The untailored attitude of the girl's serious remark leaves Banto bewildered. He uncontrollably lets out a higher-pitched response than intended with his next couple of words.

"What are you talking about? Why?"

"It's just…" she mutters, leaning in close to keep the pertinent information secretive. "I'm the Avatar, so I need to go out and explore the world and keep harmony wherever I'm needed. I don't have any steady plans for my future here, and even though I appreciate the job your dad gave me, it's not what I want to do for my whole life. That's why I've decided that once the academic year is up, I'm going to leave this city and expand my horizons." Banto's emotions begin to whirlwind wildly within his conscience. On the one hand, he understands where Tae is coming from to a degree, but he also feels that there are a lot of contingencies she's not considering in regards to fleeing home in favor of unknown perils. Plus, he isn't sure that she is ready to depart so soon from everything she's ever known. In general, the bewitched boy could not accept such a rash decision.

"But what about your parents?" Banto pleads with wavering judgment. "They've wanted nothing else but to give you a fruitful and economically valuable career path for you. How do you think they'll respond to your spontaneous yearning of departure?"

Tae lowers her head and carefully ponders the numerous possibilities that she's faced with. It's true that the girl had honestly not suitably weighed every option laid before her, but her call to action and whimsical dreams of seeing what's outside of the gates of Ran-Wei overpower any supplementary opportunity. "I was planning on sneaking out of my house actually and leaving in secret." The idea of Tae clandestinely abandoning her family in favor of an impromptu pipedream did not sit well with the fire-bender. He sits up, almost aghast, and shakes his head unsure of the proper retort to such a fantasy. Tae notices the outraged rejoinder and argues back with additional dynamism.

"Look, I know you're perfectly happy with your life being outlined neatly for you in advance and living a life of repetitive tasks and constant labor, but I can't accept an existence like that. It's honestly been incredibly hard for me ever since I first started realizing the direction my life was most likely headed while living in this city. But now? Now the world has given me a rite of passage to make my own path; to do what I've wanted to do ever since my parents bought me my first short story about the past Avatars. I can't let the binds of this city or even my parents' influence steer me off that path.

Banto freezes into an unresponsive paralysis. The embers of desperation blazing in Tae's emerald-hued eyes tugged mercilessly at his heartstrings. He knew rationally, that nothing he could say would change anything; she would always have these endless wishes of greater pastures. What right did he have to quash her dreams when he himself has been pursuing his own since he first stood on his own two feet? He looked downwards in unrelenting confusion, unable to locate the vernacular suitable for his friend's unconstrained emotions.

"I was also hoping… that you would come on the journey with me Banto." Tae's following appeal springs the fire-bender boy's eyelids wide open. He had not expected his childhood cohort to introduce such unfathomable ideas during their study session. The boy's mind was coated in a viscous ichor of uncertainty, but he did not have to deliberate long about his response to her latest statements.

"Tae, I understand why you think you need to leave, and no matter what you ultimately decide is right, I will respect that choice unconditionally. However, I've worked far too hard to abandon the career I've set out to do since I was a youth. Working with my family, formulating new methods of innovation and prospering from the plentiful resources of the Juro mines are all a part of MY dreams." He stops momentarily to recollect his thoughts. "Unfortunately, as long as my dreams are coming to fruition, I will not be joining you on your mission. I'm sorry Tae"

The articulated rejection leaves Tae with a bitter taste in her mouth. She sighs with extravagant despair, her fingers scraping at the fibrous chippings of their lectern. She had rehearsed the request the previous night knowing all too well the answer Banto would pick. Of course he wants to stay, he has everything he needs right here. Banto notices his friend's despondent demeanor and conjures an alternative approach to the current conundrum.

"Let's at least complete the current school year before solidifying your decision," he compromises respectfully. "If you're still raring to depart, then I will not argue in the slightest." Tae gives a feeble nod, accepting the outlined terms as to not push the topic further. Tae and Banto never get into arguments and she would be absolutely perturbed at the thought of their first being about potentially separating for who knows how long.

The two students complete their preparation for the exam a substantial amount of time later; the skies now blended with a flame's cherry tint. The darkness comes rather early in the day since the winter solstice has already passed leaving most nights with a chilling touch from winter's embrace. Tae and Banto discuss various things on their effortless hike back home such as the continuation of Tae's fire-bending training along with future plans for excursions around the city. They split off midway between their dwellings and saluted each other goodbye until the following afternoon for work.

Banto enters his abode with a moderate headache, a symptom of his brain spiraling wildly out of control from the conversation prior to his return. He pitches his shoulder bag towards an indiscriminate corner of his foyer, hoping for it to gracefully nestle into the cushions of the family sofa. Instead, it naturally tumbles across the landscape and ostensibly situates along the carpet's tasseled edges. After a few necessary moments of contemplation, Banto abruptly notices a figure blocking the gateway to the kitchen. The lad adjusts his eyewear to distinguish his father's formidable silhouette glaring curiously at a folded document in his gloved hands.

"Banto, do you know what this letter is?" he questions suspiciously, extending the rectangular pamphlet towards his kin. Banto eyes it apprehensively; shaking his head with a bemused expression. He takes watchful note of the lack of return address or name on the backside of the document; only the words "To Banto Juro" were printed jarringly along the visible surface of the mysterious notice. Banto uncurls the parchment, hoping to be dismissive about the contents of what's inside. The backside contained a concerning message, written boldly in a piercingly dark ink. It read:

We need to have a little chat; our brief encounter was not enough. Meet me in the alleys behind Rinlon's Furnishing after sundown for a much-needed 'discussion'. I'll save you the surprise and cut right to the chase, I challenge you to an Agni Kai. I know you wouldn't want to dishonor the great Juro name by backing down, so I'll see you then. - Yaro

Banto relentlessly fires daggers into the sheet as his irises ricochet left and right following along the messy text. He never could've imagined that a classmate would directly summon him to a bending dual of the highest caliber; especially with a letter that inadvertently slipped into the tender grasp of his doting father. He gazes sternly to Rotaru who was sharing a similar disposition in return. His father's eyes frolic about their sclera casings, unsure if the distrustful letter or the apprehensive boy deserved more attention.

"Son," the man bellows with expedient rasp. "Who is that from, and what do they want?"

"It's unimportant," Banto responds instinctively. "It's just some childish message from a classmate. It seems he was envious of my attainment and felt it was necessary to belittle my hard work. It's all harmless though, seems he just had to vent some frustration." With the suitable answer delivered as calmly as his emotions would allow, Banto flicks his wrists upwards with a poised maneuver. As his fingers skim the husk of air flowing above his eyes, a tiny spark of crimson emerges from the boy's palms. The rigid flame instantaneously disintegrates the crude correspondence into an ashy mist; sending sprinkles of heat dancing brilliantly around the chandelier dangling overhead.

Banto's father stares blankly up at the letter's vestiges before giving a hesitant nod in affirmation to the boy's words. The fire-bending lad promptly takes the stifled response as his cue to exit. He swiftly scurries past his father, bidding a kind-hearted goodnight to his worried guardian. The man responds bluntly with his own farewell, too stunned with queries to appropriately follow up. Banto then encloses himself in his bedroom and proceeds to linger at his recurrently visited workstation for a few hours.

The boy gauges the night's persistence through his fashioned time-telling tool; deciding audaciously that it was the proper hour to make contact with his dauntless challenger. He clicks his self-made machine shut and begins his descent to the ground. With careful maneuvering and cleverly choreographed strategy, Banto seamlessly clambers down the side of the Juro mansion. When he and Tae were younger, the two would always joke about scaling buildings like lemurs and partying among the clouds on rooftops. At one point, Tae jovially mapped out a traversable course to reach the top of Banto's home. Funnily enough, Banto always chided her saying that they would never get away with mindlessly climbing along the sides of buildings. Apparently, tonight was the night to prove himself incorrect. With a concluding stomp, Banto touches down on solid earth; his perilous trek being relatively simple given all of the decorative sidings and protruding balconies lining his castle. He daringly races off his property and embarks towards the meeting point.

The intelligent teen makes watchful motion to avoid public areas with a lot of light. Lots of policemen roam around the streets to nullify any potentially distrustful individuals. After a few minutes of alert road-crossing and alley hopping, the boy arrives at his destination. The path leading behind Rinlon's storefront is tight and teeming with frivolous garbage. The city for the most part is pretty clean but citizens always feel obligated to find some nook to cram their filth into in favor of properly disposing of it all. After lunging through the restricted cranny, Banto steps quietly into the open back section of the shops. A wide, rectangular clearing reveals the moon's empowering beauty gazing longingly at Banto from above. The opening contained nothing more than loose posters fluttering in the breeze and boxes stocked full of useless broken equipment and carcasses of edible goods from who knows how many nights ago. Banto scans the area thoroughly, halting at a dimly lit corner where a certain figure stands patiently.

"The great fire-bender Banto Juro, son of the excellent Rotaru and Yensi Juro, has finally made his grand appearance," Yaro dramatically commences with a flare of exaggerated wonderment. He resigns his hiding spot and strides into the lantern light with a crooked grin. "I really didn't think you would accept my challenge, I guess you certainly are the pride of Ran-Wei, huh?"

"Listen, I've had it was your cryptic nonsense!" Banto fumes viciously. "You speak lengthy sentences of unwarranted animosity. What exactly is your problem with me? What did I do to personally spite you?" Yaro chuckles with underlying irritation. He inches closer to the headband-wearing boy and stares unyieldingly into his copper eyes. He clears his throat with a final, forced titter and starts providing context.

"My family dynamic was a little different from yours. We lived in a small shack on the outskirts of town with very little food to fill our plates each day. It was just my father, sister and I doing what we could to keep our family afloat. My father had a reliable job for a while, but when people more qualified and more beneficial came along, they didn't hesitate to cast him away no matter how hard he toiled." The boy pauses to collect himself; the story was evidently causing him to choke up a bit. "I have a small job cleaning in an office building nearby; the only opportunity one can get without connections or proper credentials. We were forced to live off of the money my family had built up over their lifetime, but it was steadily dwindling. I did everything I could at Ran-Wei Institute for Engineering; our dear school. However the clock keeps ticking; no matter how much I study at RIE my family keeps sinking farther into poverty. My dad became desperate; other employers wouldn't accept him because he didn't have a degree and his old job refused to take him back. What was my family to do with no income and minimal options?" Yaro pauses briefly to get a few breaths in. His composed face begins to contort menacingly into a vile glower. "One evening, my father decided he needed to do something now, so he made a tough decision for me and my younger sister's survival. He determined that the only way to escape our nightmare was to steal from the Juro mines."

Banto's face, which had been neutral throughout the boy's exposition, shifted instantly with his final sentence. His reactionary expression morphed into one of realization and suspense. The young man recalled vividly the words of the thugs who attempted to raid his family's colliery just the night prior. I may never see my children again; the criminal from that night spouted those very words after being apprehended. Everything became incredibly clear to Banto as the other teen hastens his story's pace.

"My father gathered some friends of his, a few other 'low life's' who were in a similar predicament as us. They planned to raid your family's quarry to gain enough resources and finances so we could all afford to travel out of this city in search for a new life. Without the money, we would never make it through the arid desert surrounding our city." Yaro slowly raises his cracking hands to his befuddled companion; his dirty, ragged sleeves shaking minimally from the night's gentle breath. He points directly at Banto's face and noticeably raises his tone. "Then you came along. You had to interfere with our plan of escape and now we're trapped in this city for good. My father now suffers behind bars while his two kids have to be burdened off to some random Ran-Wei citizen. The look of disdain that people have for us now is unruly, just because we wanted a chance to actually live and had to resort to extreme measures to make it happen."

Yaro cackles to himself with damp eyes and finally unleashes his bottled emotions in full swing. "But you couldn't have that happen could you!? How dare anyone try to sample a marginal amount of your family's overflowing fortune! I guess we really are the scum of society huh? You can continue to idly prosper in that mansion of yours while others like us can wither in the slums. Not like your family cares though, they don't really care to help improve society like they claim. This is all just a big ego-boosting sport to them in the long run."

Banto has been remaining silent through the onslaught of complaints being thrown about mercilessly. He felt utterly buffoonish to not have noticed the similarities between Yaro and the defeated man from the night before. Even their words contained the near-same sentiments; he can't avoid feeling like he should've been more attentive to their standpoint. However, he knows that he has to step his foot into the ring and defend himself and his family no matter what kind of sob story his challenger generates.

"I… can't imagine what you've been through," Banto begins with mild vacillation. "However, my family only got to where they are now because of their drive to improve the Earth Nation through inventing and modernizing. This isn't a game to them. Furthermore, no matter what kind of lifestyle you have, your father and his cohorts broke the law and were duly punished for it. That's the way the world works Yaro, I have no control over that."

"I know," Yaro responds quickly. "None of this is your fault; it's not really fair for me to take my anger out on you." He shrugs dispassionately before changing his stance into a more bellicose position. "But life isn't fair, that's the burning truth in how the world works. Those in a place of power get to nonchalantly pick and choose where their life goes, while those at the bottom have to fear the direction that life chooses for them."

"We ALL have fears," Banto retorts, brusquely interrupting. "I have my own problems that I panic over almost daily. I apologize for not being understanding towards your family's situation but don't act like you know everything about me!"

"Okay, you're right," Yaro says with finality. "Then let's stop squabbling over these petty details. Our lives are too different from one another to reach a full understanding. Instead, let's allow the Agni-Kai do the talking."

With the formalities concluded, Yaro begins stripping his garbed torso. With a rotation of his shoulder, he efficiently removes his tattered shirt and lobs it towards the west wall without a solitary care. His disrobement reveals the physicality of the young lad. His body is toned exquisitely from clear, extensive training, yet his frame is skinny and boney from clear malnourishment. The boy turns so his back faces Banto; a historical start to a proper fire-bending dual. Banto sighs in compliance; further deliberation on the previous subjects would be met with silence or aggravation he reasons. He unbuttons his neatly tailored shirt and places it daintily on a handrail guarding one of the many back entrances. In contrast to Yaro, Banto has substantial muscle that is padded healthily by good nutrition. His muscles aren't as visible due to not being as toned, but the strength he's acquired from working the mines is certainly evident. He twirls and faces the opposite wall and begins walking forwards to mirror the actions of the other lad. The two spin around once more and squat downwards in preparation to attack.

The two boys, both astronomically different from one another, now stare across the terrain with unmoving rigidness. Neither one yearns to make the first move; both sides frozen in time with only Banto's headband flowing dramatically in the escalating wind. The imprisoned moment crawls onwards for what feels like hours as the two reject the inclination to strike first. The silence of the dark battleground muffles the city racket outside of their arena. To Banto, the moment is fated to continue until the end of time. Suddenly, a loud gong-like reverberation echoes throughout the city's landscape. It originates from the Ran-Wei clock tower; a noteworthy structure for any wandering soul that stumbles upon the city. The edifice replicates the noise with timely authority, signaling for the two to initiate their attack. But to those uninvolved, the buzzer simply announces the dawning of a new day; midnight.

A burst of flame launches out from the fists of Yaro, nearly singeing Banto's overly ruffled follicles. He tumbles along the ground, stirring up a breeze of posters and crumbled newspaper. He kicks sideways along the ground while utilizing his arm as a pivot. A cherry-hued parabola of fire crackles across the combat zone with soaring fury. Yaro leaps backwards and firmly plants his feet on the brick fortification behind him. A flex of his glutes and thighs launch him forcibly into the air; with the help of some added fire-bending propulsion. He evades the attack and sails through the air, landing mere feet from his formidable combatant. With the distance closed, the two begin punching and kicking violently towards one another, spears of burning orange begging to skim their destined targets. But in turn, each flare is evaded skillfully by the other person, making an everlasting stalemate for the rivals.

Time passes, and the battle remains neck and neck. The boys are starting to get out of breath, and the air proceeds to get more frigid with each passing cloud. Banto knows he needs to finish the match quick, in fear of the ruckus alerting authorities. Or worse, in dread that he may falter and lose the Agni-Kai. Without warning, Banto discharges a blast of fire from the heels of his shoes, thrusting his body at Yaro. As he soars horizontally across the dim expanse, the challenger lifts his arm in preparation for a final powerful strike. Embers resonate in Yaro's palms, but Banto's prepared for the obvious counter. A twist of his arms upwards welcomed a diminutive fire shot upwards. The minute force slightly alters Banto's trajectory causing his riled cadaver to descend lower; barely hovering along the cobble. The derisory height permitted the clever teen to sail hazardously between his opponent's spread ankles. Yaro peers down in horror as his target rockets between his legs with unimaginable precision. Once past his assailant, Banto bends his joints to skid to a halting stop, twirling his body in the process to view the rear side of his prey. A conclusive lunge towards his misguided foe is all it takes for Banto to wrap himself around the arms around the boy and inelegantly tackle him to the ground. The dazed student is then pinned tactically to the cracked pavement. As per the regulations of the formal dual, Banto cradles a small blaze in his hand and holds it to the boy's exposed back. A quick burn unleashes a pitiful wince from Yaro, but Banto quickly sheaths his elemental weapon away into the ether. Banto stoically lifts himself off his marked dualist and brings himself to his knees next to the wounded boy. Yaro turns to him with a look of hatred and bewilderment.

"That's it!?" he wines with astounding energy.

"Yes, that's it," Banto assures; the steady resolve demonstrating his remarkable durability. "You've lost Yaro. Now you can return home to your family and leave me alone." The defeated lad intensifies his breathing in response to the blunt order. He clenches his fist with unstoppable ferocity.

"Home…? Family…?" he begins with winded speech. "Those things were already taken from me."

With the remainder of his fuming energy, he thrusts his arm upwards and outwards. His constricted fist instantly makes contact beneath Banto's chin and sends his neck folding back. His head whips rearward with such velocity that it sends the band tethered on his hairline fluttering off his forehead. It sails peacefully for a few seconds before opting to unwind among the haggard litter. Banto rises to his feet and clenches his jaw from soreness and steps a bit away from his cheap attacker. His eyes open after the ache fades and he grits his teeth to his compatriot. However, the look on his assailant's face alters drastically. He sports an expression of pure terror; his eyes so gargantuan that they envelop an impressive amount of surface on the boy's face. He begins shaking violently, like a sickening virus had permeated his immune system. He juts a quivering pointer at Banto's face and whispers a few words fearfully.

"That… that mark….on your head…"

Banto's heart drops instantaneously to the Earth's core. Those few utterances were enough to realize what had occurred. He glances to his side for verification and sure enough, his headband did get knocked off his head from the uppercut. He turns back to Yaro who continues to shudder at the sight of Banto's forehead.

"You have the mark of the drake…!" Banto freezes with his secret exposed. He has never allowed any person to find out what he was hiding beneath his crimson diadem since the mark first appeared on his cranium. A detailed pattern resembling an embroidered eye symbol glares with intimidation at Yaro; who feels the full command of its presence. The symbol is one so rare in the world that its existence provokes a sense of foreboding for those that lay eyes on it. Banto knew what showing his mark meant for people; he had to do whatever he could to get out of the current situation.

"Get… OUT!" The bellowing command from Banto provokes a ring of fire to circle around his body. The deadly image of the boy's demoniacal symbol of ruin glistening in the moonlight sends Yaro in a direct bustle. He nervously scrambles to his feet and frantically snags the shirt that he had haphazardly flung to the ground. He then proceeds to sprint out of the alleyway, not daring to coil his neck around and witness Banto's wrath.

With the frightened lad away, Banto extinguishes the disc of embers and falls to his knees once more, unsure of the ramifications of the escapee's discovery. Everyone in the city, at the very least, knows of Rotaru Juro's brilliant son. If those townsfolk learned of the emblem tucked under his apparel, it could cause an abundance of issues. He presses his fingertips into his forehead; overwhelmed by what had just transpired. He wanted so urgently to burn everything in the vicinity to let out some overheated steam. But, Banto knew that he would need to bottle that irritation for now; he had to return home before anyone discovered his absence. The fire-bender hops to a squat and jogs over to the clothes he had draped a little ways away and promptly dresses himself.

"Banto!" a voice behind him calls with quiet shock. Banto hurriedly bends to identify the voice's proprietor. Banto's heart, which was already buried deep underground, manages to sink deeper into the caverns of the Earth. Out of every soul drifting within Ran-Wei's city walls, the recognizable visage staring back was the one presence he absolutely did not want present. Unfortunately, his father Rotaru was the audience for the night, against every one of Banto's desires.

"Dad! Did you follow me?" Banto attempts to get his father talking to distract from the revelation. Lamentably, the man was not about to succumb to his son's tactics so willingly.

"That letter you received rang warning bells in my head… so I checked your room and saw you weren't in bed. I came outside to search for you and heard noises from some alleys… thought I should check it out." His father delivered every syllable of that sentence with robotic hollowness, the likes of which Banto has never experienced. "Now answer my question, why is that hideous mark etched into your face?" The question fires more red flags than a fire nation embassy. Banto swallows with agonizing sluggishness and answers, hoping to ease the worries already crawling among his brain matter.

"It's simply painted on father," Banto begins as convincingly as feasible. "Tae and I were reading some of her silly fairytales earlier in the day and we witnessed a diagram for combustion-bending so we…"

"Enough with the lies, Banto!" Rotaru snaps with impactful gusto. "You're a combustion-bender aren't you? That's the mark of the drake isn't it?" The gritting growl of an inquiry sends Banto's emotions into a tizzy. His head begins to heat up with a warmth surpassing any he could produce through his birth-given abilities. He inhales with shaking uneasiness before responding.

"Yes… it's true dad." The boy's confirmation leaves an eerie silence to dangle between the two gentlemen. Winds whisper past as Rotaru gapes at his son with a blank, emotionless gaze. The only movement coming from the entrepreneur is the uneasy fluctuation of his lungs with each ghostly breath. Banto's fingers twitch in anticipation for some form of rejoinder from his father; the wait ten times more difficult than any academic challenge he has faced before. Finally, Banto vanquishes the noiseless atmosphere with a timely retort. "Father, can you please say something?'

"You want me…to say something?" Rotaru questions with phantom-like mystery. "I…refuse to say anything to the likes of you…" The immensely cruel comment slices directly through Banto's heart. He struggles to speak back, but the second comment from his father all about makes it impossible to follow up. "I can't believe…you've been a monster all this time…"

"Father…?" Banto's phlegmatic voice was sharply reduced to that of a timid child.

"I can't believe my own son has been hiding this… this curse from me for so long…"Rotarue clenches his eyelids with blinding force, and shivers with haunting hysterics. "I…I can't…even look at you." He turns his head away from his son whose eyes have begun to water. Banto clamps his hands together in a prayer like manner and approaches his father with pleading sadness.

"Father please, the mark means nothing! Don't look away from me like that!" Rotaru releases his blinders revealing a steady stream of water cascading down his cheeks. He gazes mournfully at his son with a measured shudder. His passionless words enfold the bleak discussion hollow.

"No Banto…that mark…means everything." He wipes the moisture from his face and tightens his shaking muscles; stiffening his back to regain his usual emperor-like posture. He bends his arms around his back and lifts his chin deliberately establishing authority. "I want you….away from this place. I need you…out of this city."

Banto looks to his father, begging for his statements to be in jest. Every utterance feels like a punch to the gut for the young fire-bender; his father who has loved and cared for him since the beginning is now rejecting his existence with uncaring cogency. He steps closer to his guardian, facial fixtures shaped in miserable desperation.

"Father, you can't do this! I'm your son!"

"NO!" his father lashes with extremity. "You are a monster of chaos and that's all I will ever be able to see you as. I cannot allow you…to destroy everything important to me…" The crushing barrage of outrage from his father violently shakes Banto to the core. The curvatures of his cheeks vibrate with unbearable wretchedness as a river of tears drip to the pavement below his feet. No words permeate his mind that could suitably respond to the horridness of his situation; everything he had was being stripped from him before his very eyes. With trifling anguish, he breaks out into a sprint and dashes unswervingly out of the alleyway, refusing to peer back at his used-to-be father.

While speedily navigating the streets, Banto's thoughts continue to volley against the interior of his head, begging for some form of reconciliation. Hours ago he was defending the trail he had blazed for his future only for it to crumble like an earth-bender's boulder. His life is now fraught with bountiful uncertainty and immeasurable melancholy. He racks his brain for an almost unreachable idea of his next course of action while simultaneously fending off his vacillating emotions.

The fire-bender approaches a familiar street; one he had previously parted from upon reaching some hours prior. A sensation of clarity flutters within Banto as he turns to face the residency of Tae's family. He recounts the conversation him and the Avatar had at the park earlier that day, perfectly reciting Tae's words in his own mind. Typically, Banto would spend a hefty measure of time deliberating his choice of movement, but tonight was a totally different situation. Without further contemplation, he begins racing towards Tae's modest home with feverish determination.

Upon arriving at the two story structure, Banto immediately clambers over the metallic gate surrounding the establishment. He casually flips over the rails of copper and drops onto their front garden with thief-like silence. Banto eyes a familiar window on the east-side of the edifice, one leading to the bedroom of a certain young earth-bending lass. With thoughtless fortitude, the boy rashly jogs just beneath the window sill and gazes upwards. He presses his palms downward toward the ground and unleashes a quick but dominant puff of flame skyrocketing him up to the transparent portal. He grips the edges of the framework and hoists himself up to the gateway. The glare from the window overwhelms Banto's vision, but he is able to make-out a familiar feminine figure lying inelegantly on a colorful divan. A brief interlude befalls the boy before he ceremoniously taps his knuckles along the glass's surface unleashing a noticeable but muffled sound.

"Tae!" Banto yells in a commanding whisper. The girl's body almost immediately shoots upwards. She darts her head around the room in a panicked state of confusion, before fearfully peering at the ominous figure haunting her window. She curls herself in reflex of the apparent threat before noticing a wave of cloth blowing calmly along the side of the apparition's head. She recognizes the iconic headband all too well. She leaps from her mattress and frantically wrestles with her window's locking mechanism without hesitation. She forcibly lifts the opening with brute strength and speaks questionably to her clearly distraught friend.

"Banto…? What are you doing here? Is everything okay?" Banto huffs quietly for a couple seconds before responding to his frazzled companion.

"You wanted to escape this city and explore the world, right?" Banto prefaces with purposeful conspiracy. "Well I believe there's no better time than the present to make that dream a reality."

Chapter 4: A Whole New World

The early morning beckons the two teens to scatter and gather materials for their impromptu departure. Tae gallops around her quarters bagging any necessary items she stumbles upon. She grabs some books from her shelves documenting various pieces of information about the world and its history, a couple outfits of clothing to change into, some snack bars hidden inconspicuously under her bed, and a small iron figurine of sentimental value. After dumping the random assortment into a satchel, Tae grabs a piece of paper from her desk and begins writing on it. She thinks about her family, feeling pre-emptive regret for abandoning them after all they've done. But in turn, she knows that this will be better for both her and her parents since they will be safe from any potential threats hunting the Avatar. Besides, she could return anytime she wanted; she was not exiled from revisiting. She scribbles a hasty but well thought-out letter for them to detail phony circumstances behind her exodus:

Dear loving parents,

I am writing this because I'm leaving Ran-Wei for a while. I can't apologize enough for going away from you guys, but this is something I need to do. I've always disappointed you guys, whether it's from my grades or my disinterest in the different opportunities around our city. This is a journey that I think will be good for me, a chance to figure out my place in this world, one that I get to decide myself. I love you guys so much, you're wonderful parents and I'll miss you guys a lot. But if I don't do this, then I don't think I'll be truly fulfilled with my life or be happy with what I've accomplished. I won't be gone forever and I'll be safe so don't worry, please. I'll see you both in the future; hopefully you understand why I have to do this.

With love; your daughter,

Tae

She folds up the document and carefully slips it inside a spare envelope from her drawer. She leaves the message atop her bed covers, being careful to make the epistle as noticeable as physically possible. She sincerely prays that her parents won't resent her for the untimely vanishing act but what she wrote is completely valid in her opinion; she needs to live her own life. Tae made sure not to mention that she was the Avatar, the last thing that she needs is for unwanted attention to spread regarding herself or, more imperatively, her family. She uncomfortably kicks her knees up to unnatural degrees as she sneaks her way down the upstairs hallway. Her descent down the stairwell is equally as stealthy, only briefly tripping over her own feet and nearly causing a boisterous ruckus. Upon reaching the ground floor, she is able to fast-walk out of her home without alerting anybody. She grievously takes one last gander at her home; memories soak into her mindscape struggling to prevent her escape. Tae pushes past the temptation of opposition and gently shuts the front door as she slips outside. It was the first time in her life that she was leaving home; she couldn't afford to put the brakes on now.

Banto is equally as successful. While his father remained outdoors away from their impressive mansion, the lad could freely gather his things and leave without confrontation. He enters his room and, in an organized fashion, begins filling his backpack with countless trinkets. He pockets a few of his smaller inventions (including his time keeper), some blueprints to non-existent contraptions, a large canteen of water that he keeps next to his bedside, some bandages, a journal, clothes, and a hefty bag of food pellets used for feeding some of the animals around the mineshaft. He slings the prominent supplies over his shoulder and takes a quick look at himself in the mirror. His usual messily coiffed hair remains equivalent to its usual appearance, but the rest of him took on an entirely different character. Banto's clothing was messy and untucked, his posture improper and erroneous, and his face manic and distressed. Every visual shard of himself reflected back seems like an entirely different person; one that would normally make him disgusted. However considering the recent events, he really didn't care if he was disorderedly, he still knew what he had to do.

With the preparation complete, he scuttles through his home's lavish corridors and makes his way to the outside garden. The fire-bender glances at his clock to see that he was right on schedule for his and Tae's meeting point. He picks up the pace, and exits through the Juro gate and proceeds along the familiar crosswalks across town.

Tae pants as she traverses the lonely roadways, shifting her vision in all directions to make sure nothing unusual was afoot. The tape recorder in her head rhythmically plays the encounter with Banto from the evening before. She recalls the bizarre consultation vividly as she sprints continuously. The conversation could not evacuate the confines of her head and it was driving her crazy. She had already concluded a half hour ago that she would ask Banto all the questions she needed; hopefully she would not be perturbed by the answers.

"Good, you actually came," Banto breathes with relief as the two come face to face at the corner of Copper Street and Willow Lane. Tae smiles with fake enthusiasm:

"Yeah well, you kind of dropped this on me suddenly. I could've sworn you were getting on my case earlier this week about waiting until I finished the academic year before leaving Ran-Wei." She raises an apprehensive eyebrow at her friend as he avoids the girl's frightening glare.

"Well… things changed. Circumstances shifted in favor of agreeing to this ridiculous proposal." Tae cocks her head with toddler-like curiosity.

"And what circumstances would those be?" Banto recoils slightly at the question but cleverly weaves a tall tale to satisfy the inquiry.

"Well, my mother assists my father with his work by traveling great distances across the Earth Nation. She does this for acquiring new business partners and expanding our family's name across new locations. After some thought I realized that I could help the Juro business while simultaneously traveling with you and teaching you fire-bending." Even though the response was slightly disingenuous, the words ring somewhat true in that he can act as Tae's fire-bending instructor. Nevertheless, Banto has no plans of creating business ties while out gallivanting around the Earth Nation, especially not with the boss casting him away.

"Oh wow, cool! Your parents were okay with that?" Banto tugs at the cuffs of his jacket and provides another half-baked fib in order to cure Tae of her endless inquisitiveness.

"Yeah, they felt that it would be a great idea for business and give me new opportunities. You know how my dad can be when his mind is made up… once I suggested it he was in full agreement." Tae smiles warmly at Banto's response. She and Banto have always been by each other's side and frankly she wasn't sure she would be able to go on the journey without him. She and Banto turn in unison and begin walking in an undisclosed direction. Tae nudges Banto's shoulder as she snickers quietly.

"Well I think this will be great for both of us! Though one current problem, how are we supposed to get out of the city and begin traveling without any transportation or method of evading the border patrol?" Since the city is a popular trading spot for merchants, security is reasonably abundant along the town's edges. Chrome walls line the outskirts of the city-line and metal benders are stationed at each entrance to the city where they can check for proper documentation and identification for entering/exiting Ran-Wei. It's the competent protection services that allow people to roam the streets late at night or let their children wander off along the streets with minimal worry.

"Don't worry, I've already considered that roadblock," Banto retorts, pushing his glasses to his cranium with a snarky gleam in his eyes. He beckons Tae to follow her as he takes the lead and directs their trajectory towards another familiar site in town. They round a bend and a big construction zone slowly engulfs their line of sight. The duo hurriedly dash towards the Juro mine's fortified barriers.

"Your family mine? Why are we back here?"

"To solve your two previous concerns, naturally." He flips his satchel around to his torso and rummages through the various items clogging its outer pocket. He eagerly whips out a package of animal treats with devilish delight and proudly dangles them in front of the confused lass. All of a sudden, Tae's eyes lit up with comprehension and excitement as she giddily prances about in her place.

"Banto, are you really suggesting we use one of the quarry animals to be our stead!?"

"Not just any animal, there's one in particular we need that can effortlessly dig us under the city's barriers." Banto and Tae both turn to each other with a linked mindset and compatibly run over towards one of the mineshaft's entrances. Because the mine had already been breached once during the week, late-night security needed to be amplified around each entrance. The two teens crouch in a shadowy corner of the rubble and machinery lying dormant around the area.

Tae looks at Banto with a face of worry since getting into the mine was evidently not going to be simple, but the boy is not called a prodigy for nothing. He holds his hand out and begins mentally calculating the distance of the tunnels beneath their feat using his memory and the relation of the above-ground environment with what's below. After a couple transient moments, Banto gestures for Tae to follow him. The two sprint over to a patch of coarse earth that has minimal debris around it. Banto points downwards to their feet and Tae immediately catches on. She twirls her arms in front of her body with stiff elegance before showing her arms towards the ground. A hole opens up instantly and the two fall into a dark tunnel full of abyssal mystery. After a short drop, Tae flexes her hands and create a soft bed of sand that the two land onto, cushioning their fall. Once on the ground, Tae waves her arm overhead and closes up the hole they had formed on the surface to hide their tracks. With the pitch-black passageway aggressively blinding the two, Banto twists his wrists to sparks a small flame for illumination.

"This used to be an entrance to the mine but the entrance wasn't large enough to bring machines in easily so they decided to block it up and form a new opening a couple yards forwards," Banto explains demonstrating his limitless knowledge of his father's mines. The two benders, with Banto's lead, swiftly maneuver through the tunnels until they reach a tight, unmarked passageway. As they enter, Tae eyes the tiny flame pulsating in Banto's palm. She looks at her own hand and takes a deep breath, one of prudent concentration. With a deep exhale, she flicks her fingers upwards and a small fire of her own dances along her fingertips. She smiles with bemusement and looks to her partner who was already nodding with encouraging pride. The two hustle side-by-side with their two sources of energy in hand and progress deeper inwards. Banto increases the potency of his ember to brighten up the surroundings as they reach a widened clearing, revealing exactly what they needed.

"The badger-moles!" Tae exclaims jovially, however that enthusiasm deters upon extra observation. The Avatar approaches the holding pen for the enormous creatures and becomes slightly more hostile with her tongue. "These pens are much too small for them, why are they put in these metal cells?"

"Well, due to their rambunctious behavior a couple of days ago, we had to move them away from the primary construction zones. Unfortunately, it's not easy keeping these massive animals captive…" Banto informs, putting his hand to his chin inquisitively. "But, we can at least give one of them a chance at freedom if we can find a way to befriend a blind, capricious creature." Tae skips over to the steel-lines barriers and begins making direct eye-contact with each of the animals hoping to connect with one on a psychic level. Along with that, she hums a melody to them, causing their heads to turn in her direction with piqued interest. She moves down the line until she peers to a pitch black area of the cave; a spot that Banto's sole ember doesn't appear to reach. She walks closer to it prompting Banto to follow suit with the mobile light source. In the corner is a familiar beast with fur patterns darker tinted than the rest and a scratch mark pinned diagonally across his left eye.

"Ah yes," Banto begins, placing his free arm on his hip. "Since Bentley here caused the havoc earlier, they kept him in a pen on his own as to not cause further disturbance." Tae slowly nears the relaxed beast as she orchestrates numerous notes from her mouth. The tune warrants the scarred animal to stare at her with mild curiosity. She smiles like a parent would to her child as they take their first steps. She nonchalantly walks over to her companion fire-starter and aloofly pushes Banto sideways as she mercilessly raids his backpack for animal treats. Knowing her friend, they would be right in the front, smaller pocket as usual. With the goodies in hand, she jogs back to Bentley, completely disregarding Banto's offended gesture. She reaches out her hand with a couple pellets perched inside and continues to hum her jingle. The dark menace carefully extends his snout forwards, sniffing the clumpy snack. With approval of the generous offer, he delicately grabs the treat with his gigantic muzzle and chews on it softly. Tae giggles quietly in between her humming verses.

"I have chosen my stead," Tae states bluntly to her friend. Banto gives her a pensive look downright refusing to believe what she just uttered.

"Apologies, but are you saying we should take THIS badger-mole? You know the one who almost wreaked unspeakable havoc across the west wing?" Banto at it again with his judgmental squinting as he sassily pokes his left hip outward with apparent uneasiness. Tae turns back to the boy once Bentley was completely finished with his late-night snacking.

"Come on, Banto. Bentley acted out because Cal was treating him like a useless piece of machinery, plus he hates being in here." Tae whips around once more to the metallic prison. "He wants to see the world just as much as I do; he deserves it more than anyone." Banto formulates a response, but the conviction in his friend's voice makes him clam up. He sighs whisperingly, and then approaches the Avatar while fiddling with the hair tie in his ponytail.

"Alright I concede, we bring him with us. Honestly, it may be beneficial for my family's business if we DO take him out of here considering the mess he's already made." He looks at Bentley who shoots a somewhat angry expression towards Banto while growling under his breath. Banto makes a face of worry in response, but Tae was already happily squealing and dancing about at her comrade's agreement.

"Yay! This'll be great! Bentley can be the Roh-Tan to my Nuktuk!" She extravagantly raises a fist to the cave ceiling and poses with dramatic exuberance.

"Yeah I haven't a clue what any of that means," Banto responds with a perplexed inflection. Tae ignores the lad's words and instead attempts to unlatch the locking mechanism without hesitation. Sadly, the fastener needed a high-authority worker to unlock it. Instead, Tae takes a few steps back and holds up her arms. She clutches her hands shut as she moves her extended mandibles inwards towards her core. The deadbolt crumbles like a piece of newspaper and detaches from the rest of the metal fortification. With the lock gone, Tae boldly opens the gate and politely stands aside so Bentley has room to exit. The creature sniffs around the shadowy room with an edgy grimace, before stalling in front of Tae. She offers her hand once more as a symbol of peace and compassion. Bentley fragilely places his snout on her palm, signaling approval for the Avatar. Tae moves her hand along the beast's fur as she circles the large behemoth. Once at his starboard side, she recklessly steps up onto his arm and jumps upwards to his back, almost stumbling over as she saddles him.

"What…? Just like that!?" Banto squawks as the earth-bender hums a short ditty and pats the animal's head.

"Yep," Tae says confidently. "Now hop up here, we have some digging to do." Banto shakes his head in bewilderment before pacing around the side of the best; at a much wider berth than Tae. Bentley turns and growls suddenly at the boy as he closes in. Banto flinches but holds up a hand showing his non-aggressiveness. Bentley scoffs and declines to place his nose on Banto's hand but turns his head away demonstrating that he will not attack. Banto carefully places his hands on the badger-mole's arm, rubbing it softly. He then hops up onto the beast in a significantly more elegant manner from his cohort.

"I promise I won't use my fire-bending close to you, I know you don't like it," Banto reassures as he carefully rubs the scalp of the beastly menace. Bentley makes a poignant snort of a response to his statement. The Avatar on the other hand, looks around the room quickly. She locks her gaze with an object wrapped around the mid section of the captivity's iron bars; a long metal chain. She flicks her hands towards her face which effortlessly causes the links of iron to leap towards her with an almost snake-like motion. The incredibly lengthy chain constricts around her arm with a loud clinking noise. She then analyzes the layout of the animal's limbs and body carefully before once again whipping her arms around her head. This time, the chain link uncoils and begins tying itself around the beast, like a poltergeist looking to spread fear. The bind crosses at Bentley's mid section and wraps itself around the inside of his limbs creating a makeshift harness for the animal. The whole ordeal leaves Bentley more confused than anything, but he makes no indication that he's bothered by the newly acquired armor. Tae lowers her arms and admires her work. Then, she just gleefully wiggles in place when without warning she juts a mighty finger forward

"Alright gang, now we just have to figure out an easy way out of this joint!" Almost on command, Bentley turns his body around to a specific area of the wall and automatically begins digging at the chosen spot with efficient speed and power. The teenagers grip the chains tied around his back as the animal speedily burrows through the crackling earth with an impressive display of raw strength. Pebbles and dust particles trickle from the ceiling as the badger-mole excavates a perfectly round tunnel with its jagged claws.

After a couple moments of unending digging, the creature tips its back upwards and continues hollowing out the ground in a trajectory towards the surface. Tae and Banto hold on for dear life, hopeful that a large boulder doesn't introduce itself directly above their heads, as Bentley unearths their surroundings scrupulously. A couple of seconds later and a subdued ray of light permeates the dusty channel. They have arrived upside unscathed.

Bentley crawls out into the now rising sunlight, slightly tuckered from his excavation service. He spreads his legs on the grimy topography and exhales quietly as he stretches his limbs. Tae lies on her stomach and embraces the exhausted being with thankful gratitude.

"You used your seismic sense to find a safe way out of the mine, didn't you?" the girl asks with inflated brio, scratching behind the ears of the badger-mole. Bentley makes a deep bruit articulating his enjoyment of the relaxing massage. "Thank you very much, Bentley."

Tae and Banto slide off the creature's limbs and analyze their surroundings. The towering walls of Ran-Wei stand formidably behind them a substantial number of meters away. The entry gates thankfully are stationed a great distance down the sides of the walls, far enough away as to not disclose their location to any guardsmen. As the new day greets the gang, the children get a sensation of invigoration from their new journey finally commencing. Tae faces forwards opposite their hometown and notices an unusual amount of rubble and shards of different alloys piercing the sandy terrain in countless deposits. Tae rubs her hand along a piece of shrapnel, her bracelet touching up against its reflective image.

"What is all this debris laying around here?" Tae asks, rising to gander at the discarded strips of metal littering the entire expanse around them. Banto caresses a particularly complex-looking bundle of metal, hoping to identify its composition.

"I'm not sure," Banto explains, equally as captivated with the surroundings as the girl. "I believe my parents told me that a devastating battle occurred here long ago. I never heard the context though; not sure if my folks did either. Knowing my father, he probably would've assumed it was from some spirit attack or something." The mention of his paternal guardian causes some strife as Banto nervously tries to breeze past the topic. "However, from the looks of the damage, this seems more like the work of a human; the magnitude of the debris is too immense to be any animal or spirit I believe."

Banto scratches the nearly nonexistent stubble under his chin before snapping back into reality. He and Tae both had never learned much about wares outside of their hometown. Banto has a wealth of knowledge on different townships across the Earth Nation that his father does business with along with various established companies throughout them. But in regards to the mysterious wreckage outside their place of residence, the pair lacked any info. Banto couldn't help but feel that they could salvage some of the material around to use in manufacturing. It appears to be a substantial waste of practical building material. He frees himself from his aimless postulating before returning to more pressing matters.

"Anyway, I recall the closest city to Ran-Wei being the town Faonu just a ways north of here past the desert. It's a decently sized city and I hear a lot of wealthy citizens of Ba Sing Se move there to get out of the heavily populated capital. It seems like it might prove a beneficial place to visit first."

"Ooooooo, do you think we can rustle us up some expensive pastries or some delicious seared elephant koi for breakfast?" A dapple of drool wells between Tae's lips while her tongue flops out of its containment chamber.

"Potentially, though I know the people there are incredibly stingy with their possessions. Lots of merchants in Ran-Wei would complain about their lack of cooperation when it came to the exportation of their higher-end goods."

"Ugh it's probably super expensive for us to shop there too…" Tae groans and lets her limbs droop in a defeated fashion. "But I guess we'll wing it for now…let's check the place out." She paces over to the relaxing giant and hands him another delicious treat for a much needed energy boost. Banto follows along, whipping out his canteen and giving himself a squirt of water before passing the refreshment to his teammates. After some mild recuperation, the duo hops back on Bentley and resume their trek.

They travel along the dirt-coated ground for a couple of agonizingly boring minutes before arriving to a sandier part of the desert. Bentley halts and alarmingly rotates his neck with a perturbed presence. Banto glances around their surroundings and then down to their mount exclaiming,

"What's the matter with him?"

"It's the sand, Banto" Tae explains, patting the beast benevolently to put him at ease. Tae leaps off Bentley and plops onto the shifting landscape, getting slightly disoriented from the extremely soft walkway. "Since he sees with earth-bending, the moving sand makes it near impossible to know where he's going." Tae tries to calm the animal down but it's visibly evident that he doesn't like being unable to sense his surroundings. Tae thinks for a brief moment before quickly conjuring up a potential solution.

"Here let me try something…" She presses her feet deeper into the ground, sifting away the sand so she sinks deeper into the earth. Before long, her foot hits a tougher more durable surface under the top layer of sand. With that, she flexes her knuckles and applies pressure to the ground beneath her body before rotating her limbs in a circular motion. The sand in front of the squad begins to harden and solidify creating a rockier bridge of land stretching a mediocre distance forwards. Tae smiles and cross her arms. Banto adjusts his glasses to verify the landmass formed in front of his very eyes.

"That's incredible, how did you alter the environment in such a way?" he quizzes.

"Practice, with a smidge of awesomeness," Tae jests, peering back at her astonished associate. "Sand-bending is a somewhat dying art since it's not a very useable form of earth-bending, but I still practice manipulating the more granular forms of earth anyway. Since we're not in the center area of the desert, the sand here is very shallow. That means I can effortlessly condense the smaller mineral particles and clump them into a more sturdy foundation for us to walk on." Banto nods and smirks at his impressive friend while closely studying the raised platform she created.

"Wow… I must say, even if you're abysmal at using machinery to manipulate the earth, your bending prowess in doing so is definitely impressive." He smiles playfully to his friend whom turns leeward with an expression of contempt.

"Your compliments are abysmal," she snaps in retaliation. "Though, the 'impressive' part of your statement does indeed hold true."

Bentley steps up onto the significantly more solid chunk of land and breathes easier being able to feel the unyielding ground between his claws. Tae presses onwards, continuously bending more solid ground in front of the towering creature as he moves forwards towards their destination. Thankfully, the crew is making the journey during the early morning so it isn't unbearably sweltering in the desert as it normally would be during midday. The Avatar commands the sand to flatten with such uncharacteristic grace as it darkens in hue through solidification. The waves of shifting mineral persist to freeze helplessly under the girl's noteworthy control with a jetty of rubble parting the ocean of mineralized bedrock.

An hour of travel pass and the temperature begins heating up to a mildly uncomfortable heat. Luckily, they were in sight of the verdant border lining their destined village. Tae increases the momentum of her arm flailing to expedite the bridge building process. The teens excitedly raise their chins to the encroaching brick buildings tightly woven through the tangle of trees. The ground beneath their feet quickly becomes sturdier as the desert's clutches loosen. Eventually, they arrive at the front stoop of Faonu.

The city itself is gorgeous upon entering; a comprehendible design given that it's a popular resort town. The buildings were constructed with colorful pieces of brick and marble with the traversable footpaths caked with a variety of lush vegetation. The jaw-dropping sight boggles the Avatar's mind specifically since she is finally able to see so many different trees and flowers that she was only ever able to read about in books and view in movers. The majority of citizens in the city are garbed in a variety of extravagant outfits accentuated with priceless jewelry and awe-inducing golden fasteners. However, some wear more modest clothing with simpler patterns and visually less impressive cloth types as well. Thankfully, the two teenagers shouldn't stand out too much with their unpretentious casual wear.

Tae, brimming with ceaseless excitement, runs forwards and peers around the town from the edge of the desert. She notices a lot of different facilities that were nonexistent back in Ran-Wei. An artsy theater building for stage plays, a bunch of stunning clothing/jewelry stores with stylish fashions, and multihued flower merchants to name a few. Even from their slightly obscured viewing space, Tae notices countless other provisions strewn along the city streets, all brimming with color and liveliness in a manner contrary to Ran-Wei. The Avatar could tell that she would've fit right in here if this were her old stomping grounds.

"So, what should we do first Tae?" Banto questions with slight worry in his voice given his partner's wildly chaotic disposition. As he asks this, he leads Bentley over to a rocky outcropping along the village's edging where he piles a couple of treats on the ground for the animal behind some dense foliage to shroud his existence from the wary townsfolk. Bentley twists into a comfortable position and relinquishes his arm muscles in soothing bliss. He clonks out and starts snoring in literal seconds; the late hours they were traveling and the added stress of the sand's blinding composition likely tuckered him out.

Tae turns to the fire-bender with fruitful contemplation. "Well actually I've been thinking..."

"Uh-oh."

"Shut up. I think it might be best that we hit up a costume shop first."

"How, in any stretch of the imagination, is that the best place to stop at first?"

"Because!" Tae squeaks, raising her voice slightly. "If I'm going to be the Avatar, I need to have a costume of some kind to hide my identity! I already told you, I don't want people to know that I'm this all-knowing being that the Earth Nation is on the hunt for. It's going to cause us problems and it may very well cause issues for our families as well." Banto turns silent at his friend's words, remembering the state of his most recent encounter with his family. He stays quiet for a moment before continuing his banter with the girl.

"Okay, so we acquire a costume for you so people don't know who you are, you realize though that you're still going to garner a wealth of attention the minute you start bending more than one element, right?" Tae closes her eyes and considers the weight of Banto's words and evaluates the situation they are in. That momentary pondering ceases almost immediately when Tae's shrill voice perks up once more,

"Well, we'll cross that bridge when we get to it!" she reasons with nescience. "For now we should scope out a nifty outfit along with some additional supplies like kindle, food and some knapsacks for sleeping. Oh, we should probably stay at an inn or something tonight too since we're gonna be exhausted. Think we can sneak Bentley in?"

"Absolutely not," Banto forcibly utters, diminishing the girl's dreams. The boy eyes a small family storefront draped in willow trees a few meters away. The building itself is humble in size but is painted beautifully with green colors along with Earth Nation patterning; an elegant homestead when compared to the drab metallic walls encompassing Ran-Wei. The sign above the entryway reads: 'Polu's Apparel' in a carved wooden rectangular frame. "How about you check out that place first with your money? I'm going to wander around and see what sort of resources I can attain for somewhat reasonable prices."

"Do you think you'll be able to find anything cheap here?"

"Don't forget dear companion of mine, I AM a part of the Juro family lineage. Therefore I'm automatically an exceptional businessman. I'll find a way to haggle things down to an acceptable value." He winks to his friend who just reacts with an impulsive eye-roll. The two split up and scout in opposite directions.

Tae cautiously enters the named establishment, setting off the bell coyly dangling in the corner of the doorway. She slowly waltzes around the shop, examining the ornately woven merchandise with the enthralled appreciation of a rapt tourist. Tae explores the tower of shelves filling the reasonably sized room, skimming her fingers along various articles of apparel debating carefully which one would be perfect for her. Eventually, she spots a green hooded cloak contemporarily placed on a regal-looking mannequin. The draped top was laced with a bronze-colored swirling pattern along the base of the jacket winding upwards to the hood. It also had black-hued trimmings along the edges at the bottom and front of the shawl. On top of all that, the obverse pieces hugging the abdomen, which were criss-crossed on top of one another, contained golden clips to keep the front portion closed snuggly. It appeared somewhat large, but Tae rationalized that they may aid in guising herself more. She stoically removes the cloak from the figurine like a mother would a cradled baby; abundantly careful.

She draws near to the clerk at the counter before noticing a vivid, multi-colored wall out of the corner of her eyes. The partition described held many styles of play masks that ranged from intimidating monster grimaces to faces of beautiful spirit goddesses. Tae absorbs the overwhelming sight of the detailed masquerades before noticing a mysterious-looking one hanging from a hook near the top. She impolitely hops up onto a nearby chair and tippy-toes up to lift the curious mask off its clasp. The chosen headpiece was a dark-grey colored creature mask that had serrated teeth scraping down towards the opening for the mouth. The slits for the eyes were angled and curved to give a threatening appearance of strength and fierceness. The animal it appeared to be based off of was one Tae did not recognize from any of the diagrams within her personal library. She carries the mask and cloak up to the davenport where a stout man in a wonderfully pleated suit fitted quaintly to his rotund body-type was waiting.

"Find something you like?" the man inquires with a kindhearted smile. Tae plops the chosen outfit onto the table front instantly getting a response from the owner. "Ah, quite the ensemble you've put together there. Those masks are a big hit for folks visiting the theater we have down the road. From this and that appliquéd Omashu cloak I take it that you're crafting a costume for something, yes?" Tae giggles playfully.

"Something like that." She peers down at the mask. She then spins it around so that its enriching features face the man. "By any chance do you know what this mask is based off of?" The man cups the product as one would an antique vase. He mimics the girl and whips the mask around suddenly to face the incognito Avatar.

"This mask is an artistic rendition of a mythical spirit called The Ward. It's described as this intimidating shadowy figure that's taller than a skyscraper that roams the spirit world. No one has actually ever recorded its existence, but its appearance is believed to be a terrifying mix of a dragon and a bear like this; a harrowing presence to anyone that would stumble upon it." Tae listens with unparalleled captivation, her hands compulsorily imprinting a small groove into the man's counter. "Though his appearance is devilish in nature…" the man continues, amused by the lass's infatuation with the tale. "…he symbolizes protection and warmth. His fiendish look is meant to ward off any dangers that may come, hence its name. Some judge him from his terrifying appearance and see him as a demon; others view his strength as a representation of safety and protectiveness. It's up to each person how they choose to interpret it."

"Wow…" Tae pants, utterly entranced by the rousing story. She picks up the mask and holds it close to her chest, caressing it close to her heart. "That's an incredible story. I've read many myths and legends of the world but never one like that." She cheerily beams at the mask; it's exactly what she hoped for. The Avatar to her was always a being of strength with fear-inducing power that was unmatched. Yet even with such staggering influence, the fundamental descriptor of the Avatar was one that provides protection and warmth. The mythos of her costume lines up far too equally with her ideals to pass it by.

"Hm, a fan of legends huh?" the man asks, rubbing his chin fiendishly. "Then how about this: I can tell you're obviously not from around here and likely need to reserve your copper pieces. So for the whole ensemble, only 20 yuans; half off."

Tae smiles excitedly at the discount, given that when she peeked at the price tag it would've been closer to 50 yuans. Since Republic City got decimated decades ago, their individualized method of currency spread throughout the Earth Nation as refugees from the capital starting popping up in different parts of the nation. Because of this, the paper bills (yuans) became wildly accepted in all prominent cities with the more petite towns being the only locations that solely used copper, silver and gold pieces. Tae grabs her bag and quickly procures the requested amount of currency; awarded for her temporary employment in the mines from Mr. Juro. She hands the gentleman the money and graciously acquires her disguise.

"Thank you very much for everything sir!" she says greatly indebted.

"Ah, don't mention it. It's rare to see such adoration for the little things in life like old tales, especially in a town filled with folks as stuck-up and spoiled as the ones around here." The man gives another smirk to the teenager who snickers innocently at the mocking remarks.

"Speaking of your town, and the possibly stuck-up people in it, is there a reasonably priced hotel somewhere that we could stay for the night?" The man chuckles heartily once again.

"Patter's Lodge, three blocks down the street on the right," the man finishes, turning to help the next guest who approaches the desk.

"Thanks again," Tae exclaims, giving a friendly wave goodbye to the caring man. She turns to leave and briefly glances at the lady behind her who was of a different breed entirely. Her face was unnaturally caked in make-up and her dress was so gaudy that it made Tae queasy. As they crossed paths, the lady gives a judgmental stink-eye towards Tae; basking in the girl's simplistic style and her stained socks coated in sand from the journey. Tae passes the woman by and produces a near-silent chortle at the woman's ability to justify the man's cruel description.

Tae exits the store and darts her ahead around the main residential area filled with people. She searches around attempting to locate her forlorn compatriot. She wanders the streets for a couple minutes before hearing the bitter sound of Banto's noticeably distraught voice. She jogs up a small hill and rears left to a merchant stand where the fire-bender was arguing ferociously.

"I'm not giving you 20 yuans for a small sack of potatoes like that!" he yells critically. The scruffy man that Banto was arguing with was wearing some obviously expensive clothes yet clearly had no reservations about looking presentable in public. His shirt was half tucked into his trousers and his pants rode up his legs in a tasteless way. He also had a couple of smudge stains on the sleeves of his top from the costly produce he was advertising. The individual smacks his finger to a sign nailed to the supports of his vendor stand and screams right back.

"These vegetables are fresh and grown in the rich soil of the inner rings of Ba Sing Se. They are worth every yuan. Take it or leave it, kid," the man utters, scowling horridly. Banto growls but realizes that they need supplies, so he reluctantly needed to comply. He smacks the paper currency onto the counter and begrudgingly snags the potato sack with vengeful thoughts racing in his head. He takes one more jab at the man's trade.

"You are greatly overpricing your produce! Your entire business is cancerous for consumers!" He stomps off with his weaved vessel in hand before stopping quickly at the sight of his friend staring judgingly at him. He freezes for a substantial amount of time before attempting to respond: "Ah… there you are Tae! I was just…"

"Haggling…?" Tae interrupts, sarcastically. "I hear that a great businessman such as yourself excels at that."

"Okay enough, did you get what you needed?"

"I did!" Tae proudly decrees. "I'll show you it when we set our things down in our hotel room. Oh by the way, I found us a hotel to stay in so I'm two for two in being great at things." Banto shakes his head with a groan.

"Alright well let's go check it out and see what kind of travesty we'll be residing in for the night." He nudges the girl's shoulder as he strolls past her, flipping the raw vegetables onto his shoulder as he walks. Tae hurries behind the boy with her carrier of garments as they seek out the lodge that Polu recommended.

The two younglings persist with their sight-seeing extravaganza while touring the city streets. Numerous colorful characters chat idly about unimportant mumbo-jumbo while others strut around the outdoors with ridiculous quantities of shopping bags filled perilously with purchased trinkets. The buildings further into Faonu were even grander and more striking than the ones they had encountered upon entry. Residents lounge freely on turgid balconies with expensive-looking aperitifs and delectable smelling canapés in hand. The Avatar envisions relishing in such a lavish lifestyle; picturing herself being fed exotic fruits as a servant fans her tirelessly. She smiles to herself as the absurd vision adapts to new stimuli she witnesses around the municipality.

"Did you hear…?" a voice inquires from a couple steps away from the teens. Two garish women were quietly conversing near an outstandingly sculpted fountain statuette. Tae stops in her tracks, curious to eavesdrop on the babblers. Banto clues in that his friend's curiosity is taking over and, against his better judgment, allows it to proceed. The taller woman tied in a crimson bodice whispers loudly to her acquaintance. "Another residency was broken into two nights ago. The thief apparently made off with some of their packaged food and some of their linens."

"Oh my, not again!" the second lady gasps with strained alarm. The second woman was carrying a parasol and wore a chiffon corset glittered with numerous, unnecessary gemstones. "This is the third time this week! I wish the officials would do something about this… I would be beside myself if anyone got their grubby hands on my delicious tartlets."

"Absolutely, I just purchased some extra woven comforters for my guest bedroom. They were imported directly from the North Pole; I will not stand to see them snatched away by some devious ne'er-do-well!" The boisterous complaining from the frazzled nobles captures Tae's attention. She drags Banto by the collar away from the women to discuss the contents of their unethical listening. He chokes succinctly as she plants him under an overhang along the side of a randomly selected building.

"Did you catch that, Banto?"

"My breath? No, can't say that I did…"

"The thief! This could be my first call to action as the Avatar!"

"Shh, keep your voice down! Though yes, I do suppose this would be a useful test for us." Banto probes his brain for additional ideas. He taps his pointer finger on an invisible lectern while he speaks. "This would also be a suitable scenario to practice your fire-bending in combat. You've only just started practicing but fire is reasonably simple element to weaponize given its destructive nature. We can stake out the city at night and search out this mysterious entity and quash any further attempts at larceny." Tae affirms the stakeout plot with a feverish head nod. The two nonchalantly disband their huddle and mosey over to their prophesized locale.

The room the teens booked was nothing special given the outlandishly kitschy fixtures clogging the lobby when they entered. It had two queen-sized beds, a single bathroom, and a small sitting room set-up in the corner. Tae and Banto relinquish the weighty luggage and unanimously settle on taking a power nap before the evening's adventure. Given that they were going another restless night without a wink of slumber, getting some hours of sleep is a heavy requirement. The second the duo prop their noggins on their respective pillows, the aftermath of their grand escape from Ran-Wei took over and they both immediately passed out.

Half a day vanishes just as quickly as it appeared, and the heroes were already outside paroling different avenues. Since most folks have the luxury to dabble in various leisurely activities during the day, the nights were seemingly utilized for beauty sleep. Thus, the walkways around the expansive village were near silent in the dead of night. With liberating solitude, the two can freely move about the resort town without anyone's unwanted notice. Tae cradles her costume in hand for the opportune moment to debut her alter ego. For the moment, she swears to only use earth-bending in the public eye until her second identity shows itself.

"Did you check on Bentley before we left?" Banto eventually asks in a near whisper, as to not disturb any potential light-sleepers.

"Yeah, I gave him some treats and water; thankfully he seems loyal and hasn't abandoned us even with his grumpy exterior. I think he loves us," Tae chants, wiggling her body to depict affection.

"Yeah, okay," Banto laughs, disagreeing with the sentiment entirely. Bentley has a soft-spot for Tae given their bonding during work hours at the Juro mine. Banto never really grew attached to any of the laborious beasts seeing as they were universally treated as tools for the employees. Banto side-eyes the bundle of stitching and hems tucked comfortably under his friend's armpit. "So I take it you're planning on garbing yourself in that attire, do you have a covert nickname that you're going to title yourself?"

Tae slows her pace as she considers the proposition. She completely neglected to give her new character a name so the world can properly advertise her heroic ventures. She twitches her pupils around the stagnant air, waiting to find some source of inspiration. She stuns her darting eyes when she stares at her bracelet tied elegantly around her wrist. She basks in the glistening splendor of the gemstones nestled into the carved frame and allows the verdant color to reflect in her similarly tinted eyes.

"Avatar Rio," Tae finally mutters; gripping her jewelry tightly. "When I'm wearing these clothes, that's how I need to be addressed as." Banto cocks his head at the girl's choice in character title.

"Rio, huh? It has a nice ring to it," Banto states. "Why did you opt for that name?"

"No reason," Tae responds quickly. "I just think it sounds like a warrior-esque character from a mover film. Can you imagine; a show about me and my thrilling adventures?" Tae gleefully rubs her hands together at the thought of her own televised premiere reaching across the globe. She shrugs after some seconds before adding, "Oh, I guess you can be in it too…"

"I think I'll pass," Banto proclaims, pressing onwards in the hopes of abandoning his childish companion. Tae catches up after her daydream only to be shaken by the muffled sound of shingles being disrupted on a nearby block of architecture. Tae and Banto both lock eyes and calculate the next choice of action without speaking. They dash to a windowless siding of a building and affectively check their surroundings. Once it was clear, Banto thrusts his arms downwards and flings himself skywards with a blast of fire. Tae studies the flawless form and mimics it accordingly. She herself rockets upwards with a second shot of flame; though slightly less seamless than her counterpart. They arrive on a rooftop making minimal sounds and glare out to the direction of the sound they heard. In the light of the moon, a shadows figure sprints noiselessly along the structures' crowns. The being leaps gracefully over a commanding gap and slips into a tiny ventilation opening near the top of another building.

Tae and Banto once again look at each other. This time, Tae drops the staring contest and begins unraveling her costume instead. She unfurls the cloak allowing it to glisten in the heavenly luminosity above as she stylishly wraps it around her personage. The gabardine perfectly lines her body frame while simultaneously casing the clothing she dons beneath. The Avatar then places the mask atop her nasal bridge, ultimately shrouding the top layer of her face. The mask itself is equipped with small clips along the sides that are able to latch onto the hood of her top, keeping it steadily in place atop her head even through tumultuous movement. She turns to Banto, completely unrecognizable in the cloudless night. Banto says nothing but just gawks at the incredible sight of his partner's monstrous image. He shoots her a subtle smile, signaling that the outfit had his approval. Tae smirks back before ordering:

"Let's go."