Benders

001 - The Beginning

Note: I'm rewriting this because the first time, I had the technology all wrong for the year it's supposed to be. Now I'm writing it better (hopefully) and I hope to have steady updates. Hope you like it!

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Yu-Jin wiped her sweaty palms on her skirt. The healer was used to a much gentler climate than the Fire Nation presented in the late spring; she imagined her throat tightening with discomfort at the heat. Even by steam ship, her trip had taken a fortnight. All passengers had been given Fire Nation badges to distinguish themselves as welcomed guests. The bright scarlet insignia stood out against her white physician's hanbok. Yu-Jin tied her hair up in a bun to lift it off her sweaty neck. 

Her mentor had not accompanied her on the journey, instead having given her sealed papers for the Fire Lord with his mark upon them. Yu-Jin had never been so far from home, nor had she ever met such an esteemed person before. Butterflies kicked around in her empty stomach. She was supposed to be the Fire Lord's physician? She was far too young, with far too little experience, she thought dizzily.

The girl told a guard aboard her ship of her business and asked how long it would take to get to the palace by car. "A few hours," was his response. So, she would have to meet with the Fire Lord that very day. She thanked the guard and resumed her worrying. She had seen how tiny the Fire Nation was on a map, but a few hours by car was nothing. Yu-Jin supposed that was a large reason the lord had so much influence over his subjects.

She passed through customs without issue and was soon riding  inside a darkly tinted car through the outer city and up the mountain into the heart of the Fire Nation. The ride was steep at parts, and Yu-Jin needed reassurance from the driver that the car wouldn't tip over. The sun was just starting to dip in the sky when they reached Capital City. She paid the driver and he dropped her off directly in front of the palace with her luggage. 

This was it then. She couldn't believe how quickly the day had passed. The young girl briefly considered booking a room at an inn and consulting the noble in the morning, but she didn't see the point in waiting, and thought that maybe the Fire Lord would spare a room for her upon hearing her business. She wondered if her master had sent a telegram ahead of her, but figured that he had forgotten.

Yu-Jin approached the guards at the doors and showed them her sealed papers and visitor's pass, asking to be let through. One regarded her with hostility, while the other was more sympathetic. The second guard smiled after approving her passport and checking her for weapons (they of course confiscated the knife she had forgotten to present to them, which she hurriedly explained was only for harvesting herbs), and opened the doors. "Please wait inside, Miss Yu-Jin, and I'll escort you momentarily," the guard ordered. He followed her inside, and her jaw dropped at seeing the palace's interior.

Everything was shiny; tall obsidian pillars finished with gold filigree supported the mosaics of the ceiling, and the red clay floor tiles were polished to mirror finish. The drapes on the windows were blood-colored, adding to the height of the foyer as they matched the ceiling. Yu-Jin imagined that this was what a lit oil lamp looked like from the inside. The guard stepped beside her after she had taken everything in, introducing himself. "My name is Harai, and I will be your escort, Miss." He bowed to her and she returned the gesture, blushing. Harai walked slightly ahead of the doctor as they progressed toward the throne room. She kept falling behind as she admired portraits of past rulers and sculptures of fine metals on the way. She hoped that if the Fire Lord's palace was this fine, his kingdom was doing exceptionally well.

Finally, the pair stood before tall oak doors guarded by even more security. Harai produced Yu-Jin's papers and asked for entrance. The first guard denied them, because someone else was already inside, but the second guard opened the doors without a word. Yu-Jin held in a laugh at seeing the first guard's expression of exasperation.