Wandering Firebender
Thirty Three: The City Rings
Elio woke up on top of his sleeping bag feeling stiff. He groaned in discomfort and pushed himself to sit up. His wrist popped from putting pressure on it. He hissed and grumbled under his breath, sitting up fully finally. He stretched out his arms and rubbed the sleepiness from his eyes.
"Good morning, Elio." Sri said, walking over and bringing him some breakfast that she'd cooked.
"Mm good morning. Oh! Thank you, Sri." He said appreciatively, taking the plate with one hand while still rubbing his eyes with the other hand.
"You're welcome. Did you sleep alright?" She asked.
"Eh, I slept okay. I gotta get used to being in this new house. I have a hard time sleeping in new places." He explained as he began to eat.
"I'm the same way," She said with a chuckle, sitting down on the floor and eating too. "I didn't sleep so well either. I had to kill a bug." She commented with a shiver.
"Aww." Elio teased her. Sri scoffed and shook her head.
"It was a big bug, alright?! And nasty!" She defended. Elio chuckled a bit.
"I'm sure it was." He joked dryly with a small smile. Sri chuckled and smiled.
"It's nice to see you smiling again." She commented.
"Thanks." Elio nodded appreciatively.
"Of course," Sri smiled again before changing the subject. "So I was thinking. How about today we travel over to the Middle Ring of Ba Sing Se today? We can look for jobs and buy some stuff for our new place! What do you think?" She asked.
"Don't you think we should get jobs first before we start spending the last of our money?" Elio asked. Sri gave him a sideways glance.
"You really want to spend another night on the floor? Without any chairs or tables?" She asked. Elio took one look around the empty room and realized that they really did have nothing right now.
"Yeah okay, good point. I suppose we could at least get a few things so we're not sleeping and sitting on the floor." He decided.
"See? You get the idea," Sri nodded. "We'll take La into the Middle Ring, spend a whole day getting a few things to make this house just a little – just a tad more of a home." She said with a laugh.
"Haha, okay. Sounds good. We'll head out after breakfast then." He decided.
So Elio and Sri quickly finished their breakfast and then got dressed to go out. Once they were ready, they locked up the house, took La out from her cage, and then went back to the train station. They boarded the train in the rear and rode it to the Middle Ring.
"I didn't realize that Ba Sing Se was separated into the sections." Sri said as they stared out the window.
"Me neither. This city really is way bigger than I thought... I guess we'll see what the Middle Ring has to offer." Elio said, sitting up and looking out curiously as the train approached the wall separating the Lower Ring from the Middle Ring.
As they went through the wall out to the other side, the two of them were instantly greeted to a much more pleasing sight. The houses in the Middle Ring were of normal size and much nicer. The entire area looked cleaner, and everything was a little more spread out. Trees and flowers decorated the walkways and spaces between the houses.
"Oh wow! This is a lot nicer!" Sri said immediately. Elio nodded in agreement.
"Now this is what I expected out of Ba Sing Se." Elio declared.
The train pulled into the station. Elio and Sri got off and led La down to the ground level. They mounted the ostrich horse and began riding around at a pace just slightly faster than normal walking speed. They searched for furniture shops.
"I guess you were right," Sri said to him. "We did get thrown into an ugly corner after all."
"Yeah, I figured as much. There's no way Ba Sing Se would've gotten its reputation if the entire city was like where we live." He reasoned.
"Yeah that's true... Okay so change of plans! We'll get a couple pieces of furniture to hold us down until we can move out here!" She decided. Elio chuckled.
"Yeah, that sounds like a much better plan. How about we do a little job searching too?" He offered.
"Yeah, good idea!" Sri agreed, "Wait, didn't I say that before?"
"Maybe. Probably." Elio chuckled.
So the two of them continued their searching, wandering up and down the streets of the Middle Ring. Eventually, they were able to pin down a furniture store. It didn't seem like a very big one, so they had the expectation that what was being sold wouldn't be too expensive.
"Hello! Welcome! Welcome!" An older woman greeted them pleasantly as they entered into her modest little furniture store, "Welcome to my store. My name is Tani. How can I help you?" She asked with a smile.
"Hi!" Sri smiled, "We're looking for a couple pieces of furniture to put in our new living room."
"Ohh I see! Welcome to Ba Sing Se!" Tani greeted them, realizing that they were new to the city.
"Thank you, ma'am," Elio said politely. "We're not looking for too much, just some simple things. A table, some chairs, a mattress for the bed." He listed off.
"Well, I have everything you need right here. Feel free to take a look around and just call me when you need something." Tani invited with a smile.
"Alright. We'll split up to save time." Elio said to Sri before heading towards one side of the store.
"Yes sir." Sri teased him by saluting in response to him. He scoffed and shook his head as he walked away.
"How long have the two of you been in Ba Sing Se now?" Tani asked Sri, staying with her as she browsed through the bed frames and mattresses.
"We arrived just yesterday! We're getting settled into our new place in the Lower Ring. We got put right up against the border wall." Sri answered with a chuckle. Tani hummed and nodded.
"Ohh, well I'm sure the two of you will settle into life here in no time." Tani replied with an encouraging tone. Sri nodded and managed a small smile.
"Thank you, ma'am. Do you have any tips for the two of us?" She asked the older woman curiously.
"Haha, not really. When you've lived in Ba Sing Se for as long as I have, you learn that the best way to go about things here is just to simply pursue whatever it is that you want. So long as you are kind to your neighbors, everyone will be kind to you.
"After that, the rest will just fall into place." She summarized.
"I see. Well thank you. I think we'll definitely be alright here then." Sri surmised. Tani sighed nostalgically.
"Ah, I remember when my husband and I first moved into our tiny little home. We were newly married and chose to settle down here in Ba Sing Se." She recalled.
"Wow. That sounds really nice." Sri said with a smile.
"It was wonderful. I'm sure that the two of you will also find much happiness in your new life together." Tani smiled. Sri paused for a moment and stuttered in her response.
"Uh, actually, Elio and I aren't married or anything." She corrected.
"Oh! I apologize for assuming," Tani nodded her head. "I'm sure the two of you have already established your own pace. But still, Ba Sing Se is a wonderful place to get married and start a family! Something to consider, eh?" She giggled.
"I guess," Sri chuckled awkwardly. "But we're not-"
"Of course, the two of you are still young," Tani continued, not even hearing Sri. "There's certainly not any reason to rush these things."
"Yeah..." Sri cleared her throat, "You know, since Elio and I are new to the city, we're looking for work. Do you have any...recommendations for us? Or positions, perhaps?" She asked.
"Ahh," Tani nodded. "I know a few places that the two of you could look. I have been looking at potentially bringing in a little help here, but I'm not so sure."
"Well, I'd be happy to fill that position should you decide to create it! My parents have been running shops ever since I was born, so I know all about keeping a business running!" Sri offered.
"Oh do you really?" Tani raised an eyebrow at her, considering her offer. "Things have been slowing down around here lately. As you can see, I'm not getting any younger here. My ability to care for things here on my own isn't what it used to be." She expressed her difficulties with a sigh.
"It does sound like you could really use the help then," Sri observed. "It would be a big help for the both of us if we could come to some sort of arrangement."
"Hmm... I'll consider it, certainly," Tani decided. "Come again tomorrow and we can discuss it more formally."
"Deal!" Sri agreed with a grin, shaking hands with the older woman. It was at that moment that Elio walked back towards them.
"I found a nice table that we can put together... Have you two been talking this entire time?" He asked.
"Yes! Mrs. Tani here has agreed to consider bringing me on to help her run this little shop!" Sri explained.
"Consider being the key word here, dear. But I do need some help around here. And I know how difficult it can be to truly become settled and comfortable here in the city. A new couple like you doesn't need to be worrying about that."
"Ah. Well we greatly appreciate your kindness, ma'am. The two of us want to find jobs quickly so that we can build up our new home. It's pretty barren right now." Elio admitted with a chuckle.
"We all start somewhere, dear. It's nothing to be ashamed of," Tani reassured him. "Ba Sing Se is a place of new beginnings. We're all a community; I'm sure in time, you will find that there are plenty of people who'll be willing to help you along."
"Well, we're still very thankful for your kindness. We won't soon forget it." Sri said with a thankful smile...
After some more focused searching, Elio and Sri decided on a few pieces of furniture to take home with them: a table, a new bed frame, and two chairs. It wasn't much, but it was what they could reasonably afford with the excess money they had both pooled together.
They loaded up all of the necessary pieces for the four pieces of furniture in boxes and strapped them onto La's saddle. Elio took hold of the reins and led the ostrich horse on foot while Sri rode on her back.
"Thanks again, Mrs. Tani!" Sri waved back to her as they departed from her store.
"You kids take care now! Lovely to meet you both!" She waved back to them.
"She's a nice lady." Elio commented as they made their way back to the train station.
"Yeah. I hope she ends up giving me a job. We need to start making money right away." Sri said.
"Yeah for sure... New couple, huh?" Elio brought up what Tani had said.
"Shut up." She quickly dismissed it.
By the time the two of them made it home, put La back in her stall, and brought the yet to be constructed furniture up into their home, it was already evening. Elio wanted to at least start on putting the chairs together, but Sri convinced him to wait until another day.
"I think we've done enough work today. We should relax and wind down." Sri suggested.
"Uh, okay, I guess. What do you wanna do then?" He asked.
"I saw a cheap little tea shop down the road earlier today. Wanna go?" She offered.
"More money?"
"It won't be much. We'll go just for drinks." Sri promised. Elio let out a long exhale through his nose and nodded in agreement.
"Alright. Let's go." He smiled.
So the two of them walked on foot down to the little tea shop. They went inside to see that it was almost full despite the odd hour. They sat down at a little table for two near the corner. An older, hefty gentleman came over to serve their table.
"Welcome! My name is Mushi, your host this evening. My, what a lovely couple we have here! You two must be new here." He deduced.
"Haha, is it that obvious?" Elio asked with a dry chuckle, looking up at the man with a full gray beard. Something about him seemed vaguely familiar, but Elio couldn't quite put a finger on it.
"Only because I'm new myself, me and my nephew," Mushi answered with a laugh. "What can I get for you two?" He asked.
"Uhh... We didn't actually think about that." Sri realized with an awkward chuckle.
"What would you recommend, sir?" Elio asked.
"What is it that you're in the mood for?" The older gentleman asked.
"We just came for drinks," Sri answered. "Just some tea would be wonderful."
"I'll brew you two cups of tonight's special." Mushi decided with a smile.
"That sounds good. Thank you, sir." Elio said formally.
"You're welcome. Can I get names for the orders, please?" He requested, holding up a notepad and pencil.
"I'm Elio and this is Sri." Elio answered for them.
"Elio and Sri," Mushi repeated as he wrote their names and orders down. "Nice to meet you both! Elio... That's a very unique name. It means the sun." He pointed out.
"Yes, that is true. Not a lot of people know that." Elio said with a faint chuckle.
"It's a very noble name." Mushi complimented him with a smile.
"Thank you. It was my father's choice."
"Do you know what my name means?" Sri asked curiously.
"Well of course! Sri stands for beauty and prosperity; I've no doubt that you possess both of those things." Mushi said with a respectful nod of his head. This made Sri's face light up with a glowing grin.
"Aww, thank you!" She giggled. Elio looked at her and chuckled.
"Mushi! We've got tables here that need to be taken care of!" The owner of the shop called to him from across the floor.
"Ah, forgive me. Other customers need my attention. Your tea will be out shortly." Mushi said with a pleasant smile before stepping away from their table.
"Thank you, sir! Wonderful to meet you!" Sri said, waving to him as he left. Elio chuckled again and teased her a little.
"He really charmed you, huh?" He joked. Sri scoffed and shook her head.
"Oh hush, that was really nice. See? There are nice people in Ba Sing Se!"
"Never said there weren't," Elio adjusted how he was sitting. "But I get what you mean." He said with a little smile.
"Yeah. I think that we're gonna be alright here," Sri said, looking aside with a hopeful smile. "Once we have everything settled, things should be easier."
"Of course... I'm thinking tomorr-"
"Here's your tea." Another waiter came abruptly and set their cups down hastily. Just as quickly as he'd arrived, he turned around and started walking away from the table.
"Thank- Okay then." Elio looked up to say his thanks to the waiter, but the young man was already walking away. He wasn't even able to get a look at his face; the only details he noticed were his short hair and what appeared to be some slight redness on the side of his face.
"Wow, rude. I want Mushi back." Sri joked. Elio scoffed and turned his attention back to her.
"Yeah, bring Mushi back." Elio agreed.
The two of them sipped their tea. They were astonished to find that the taste was incredible! Neither of them could pinpoint what it was, and they had no idea since they didn't look at the menu items, but they determined very quickly that they would have to compliment Mushi on such exquisite drinks.
"Mmm! I keep wanting to bring up conversation but I'm getting distracted by this tea." Elio admitted with a laugh. Sri giggled, smiling at seeing Elio be more cheerful again.
"It's alright! I'm a little distracted too," She giggled. "It's really great, especially for such a low price!" She added.
"Right?!" He agreed emphatically. They both shared a laugh.
"Haha alright, go ahead. What is it that you wanna talk about?" She asked, setting her cup down.
"Um... I kinda forgot now... Oh! I was gonna say that tomorrow my plan is to start going around the Middle and Lower Rings looking for work." Elio remembered.
"Right! Yeah, that sounds good. Do you have any idea what you're gonna look for?" Sri asked. Elio shook his head.
"None at all. I figure I'll just make my way around and see what's available. Hopefully someone's willing to take me on."
"You know Mrs. Tani, the woman from the store that I was talking to earlier? She said she could recommend a few places. I'll ask her tomorrow." She offered.
"Great, thanks. That will be a good start. Hopefully I can get something as quickly as you."
"I'm sure you will," Sri said reassuringly. "Thanks for agreeing to stick with me, Elio. I know I can be a pain to put up with, but it's a huge help." She thanked him.
"Oh it's no trouble at all," Elio shook his head. "It's a big help to me too, so thank you." He said in return.
"Anytime. I know that all of this will get me one step closer to having a place ready for my parents. I want them to be comfortable when they get here and not have to deal with what we're dealing with right now."
"Oh yeah, this place doesn't seem ideal for them. The Middle Ring looks better suited for them, for all of us really." Elio expressed his thoughts honestly.
"Oh yeah. The sooner we get there, the better." Sri chuckled. The two of them got up from the table, leaving their payment and a small tip behind for Mushi.
"Well, this was nice, actually. Good suggestion, Sri." Elio said.
"Yeah I know," Sri smiled and tapped him. "You're welcome." She said. They chuckled and stepped out of the little tea shop.
It was dark out now as Elio and Sri stepped out of the tea shop. They both took in a breath of air and turned back towards their home. Elio offered his hand to Sri and she took it. They started the walk back, not saying anything anymore. They were cautiously minding their surroundings.
"I sure hope that the Middle Ring at least smells better." Sri commented humorously. Elio chuckled and groaned.
"Oh yeah, for sure. Here it just smells like-"
Elio's comment was cut off by the sound of wood loudly breaking into pieces distantly behind them. Elio and Sri both spun back around to see where the noise had come from. Their eyes widened at seeing two men engaged in a wild sword fight.
"What in the world?!" Elio said in surprise. The two of them stepped closer; a crowd was beginning to gather.
"We just came from there!" Sri said, pointing out the fact that the fight was taking place right in front of the tea shop.
"Please, son, you're confused! You don't know what you're doing!" Mushi shouted from the entrance to the tea shop. Elio's eyes darted back and forth in confusion.
The fight continued on between the two. One man had two bladed weapons with hooks in his hands, while the other wielded dual swords. Elio recognized the one with dual swords as one of the tea shop waiters; he had a burn scar on his face.
The guy with the scar swung for his opponent's neck, forcing him to bend backwards to dodge it. After the near miss, he jumped back onto a well. He began to speak out to the crowd.
"You see that? The Fire Nation is trying to silence me! It'll never happen." He declared. Elio and Sri looked at each other with shocked expressions before turning their attention back to the fight.
However, the fight didn't continue. Two men dressed in strange uniforms approached; their clothing bore the symbol of the Earth Kingdom on it. One of them shouted out an order: "Drop your weapons."
"Arrest them," The man with the hooked weapons shouted. "They're firebenders!" He accused, pointing to Mushi and the guy with the scar.
"This poor boy's confused. We're just simple refugees." Mushi spoke calmly.
"This young man wrecked my tea shop and assaulted my employees!" The shop owner yelled.
"It's true, sir," A nearby officer spoke up. "We saw the whole thing. This crazy kid attacked the finest tea maker in the city." He reported. Evidently, these two men in strange uniforms were figures of authority.
"Oh, that's very sweet." Mushi said bashfully.
"This is crazy, Elio." Sri whispered to him.
"Come with us, son." One of the two uniformed men ordered as they approached the perpetrator from behind. The guy turned his shoulders, swinging one of his weapons back. However, his attack was caught and he was quickly subdued.
The crowd watched as this guy had his hands restrained behind his back with earthbending. They grabbed him and dragged him into the back of a wagon.
"You don't understand! They're Fire Nation, you have to believe me!" He shouted to everyone without avail.
Everyone was silent as he was placed in the wagon and the doors were shut on him. As he was taken away, Elio took Sri's hand again and urged her away.
"We should get out of here." He said quietly. Sri nodded.
They quickly removed themselves from the crowd and hurried back home. Once they were inside with door and all the windows shut, then they started discussing what they'd just witnessed.
"That was...concerning." Sri commented.
"Yeah, it was...wow." Elio shook his head.
"Do you think that there's any...validity to what that guy was saying?"
"Does it matter?" Elio asked.
"I don't know, maybe... The people didn't really seem worried about the possibility that those guys could be Fire Nation."
"Yeah, because the accusations were being shouted by a psycho," He pointed out. "If there was any chance of it being true, I'm sure things would have been handled differently."
"Yeah... I don't think the police or whatever they have here would be too happy about firebenders getting within their walls." Sri commented. Elio gave her a look.
"Yeah, you think?"
"Hey, I'm just saying! Don't come after me!" She said defensively. Elio sighed.
"Sorry, just...I guess I was hoping that I wouldn't have to deal with this as much anymore. I'll have to continue to tread carefully. I don't want anyone pointing fingers at me."
"Yeah." Sri agreed with a nod.
The two didn't have anything else to say about that, so they decided to start putting together their furniture. Things got quiet after that...