The Thief |Sokka

NINETEEN

The trip to Ba Sing Se was taxing but as the first day had proven, the company was nice. Being around them all day long wasn't a predicament Jaya disliked. The days flew by before she had even realised it. She and Aang took turns leading Appa so that neither of them would get tired and they could both spend time with the rest of the company. The times they took to camping were her favourite. There was something about all of them sitting around a fire, eating together, that brought everyone to remininsce old stories and memories, some fond, some sad. The nights around the fire brought everyone's defences down. Even though it had been only three days, it seemed like the company had grown closer. When the walls of Ba Sing Se were seen in the morning of the third day of their journey, Jaya was almost disappointed they had arrived so fast.

"We're here!" Aang called out from the front to be heard over the wind, and it was enough to alert the rest of their arrival also. Beside her, Sokka let out a small sigh.

"I will never get over how imposing this city looks."

"It's a fortress," Jaya told him without looking. "Designed to keep people out but to also prevent them from leaving."

"A pretty successful fortress, then. Also like a cocoon. It doesn't allow those inside to know what is happening outside."

The corner of her lips lifted into an ironic smile. "That fits too."

They flew over the Outer Wall, over the Lower Ring. Then they passed over the Middle Ring, then the Upper Ring. Aang lead Appa further inside still, until they reached the palace, and then, he started lowering Appa down until he landed. Momo attempted to leave at once. Jaya just managed to grab his torso before he flew off. Sokka next to her chuckled as she shook her head, and at the commotion, Zuko looked over. He waited, tried to see what the joke was about, but soon gave up when he realised he could not understand it. He turned his attention elsewhere when he caught sight of a person walking over.

"Avatar Aang, we did not expect you and your friends to come!" The man, who no doubt was a member of the King's Court, looked over them until his eyes fell on Zuko. And then he was bowing. "Fire Lord Zuko, it's a pleasure to see you. To what do we owe this visit?"

"We are looking to speak with King Kuei," Aang replied. "It is about our earlier meetings that happened a couple of months ago-"

"Of course, of course I remember," the man instantly nodded his head. "I will let the King know of your arrival. I will have someone accompany you to your house and you can come right after."

"No need to send someone over," Aang kindly smiled. "It is the same house I always use on my visits, is it not?"

"Yes, but-"

"We will get there on our own," he assured him. "Thank you. Yip yip!"

He lead Appa back in the air and instantly headed over to where he already knew the house he had stayed all other times was. The flight was short and as they left Appa at the front yard, Aang and Sokka debated on taking him back to the palace after they left their things, to which Aang insisted it would be rude to consider. So they left their belongings inside and set to the palace on foot. Jaya moved ahead, through streets she had walked numerous times before. Even though the houses here were all the same, she still recognised the one that had at some point come to become their own house in Ba Sing Se. She knew every secret it contained due to all the times she had lived here. After they were back from their meeting with the King, she couldn't wait to indulge in all the luxuries it had to offer. 

All of them were acquainted with this part of Ba Sing Se, and if she were to be completely honest, it didn't seem like anyone was all that excited to be there either. She knew most of them, if not all of them, would rather be at home instead of here, but they masked their discontent well. Except from Toph, that was. She trudged next to Jaya with her lips pursed, at first in silence until they passed by two women on the street. She waited a few moments until they had passed by them and then spoke up.