The Only Hope

Book 3: Chapter 3

“Bumi- are you okay?”

I moved to stand over Bumi, offering him a hand to stand up. During our journey to Ba Sing Se we, as in Jinora and I, decided to take the time to help Bumi and Kai with their air bending. Kai had easily wiped out poor Bumi, leaving him slightly dazed.

“Uncle Bumi, you've got to work on your stance changes. Kai, that was just, really good.”

With Jinora and Kai’s help we were able to lift the retired general back to his feet.

“Thanks Jinora, you're a great teacher.”

I silently watched, only lifting an eyebrow, as Jinora’s face pinked before she turned away. Though I wanted to support her young love, I didn’t trust her would-be lover one bit. I let go of Bumi and Jinora led him away. A few feet later, he was patting his chest down.

“Hmm, did I drop my wallet?”

Narrowing my eyes, my gaze turned to a whistling Kai who spun Bumi’s wallet on his finger.

“Give me that, you little thief!”

Scoffing to myself, I shook my head and crossed my arms as Bumi chased after Kai and Jinora just giggled like a… love sick teenager.

“Hey, are you okay?”

Asami has moved over to where I sat on the step, sitting down beside me. I looked at her, before looking back at Kai.

“No, I don’t trust Kai.”

“Oh come on now, Bri, he was just messing around.”

I watched Bumi casing Kai, my eyes following their movements.

“The line between messing around and actually doing it is a very thin one that can easily be broken.”

Before she could reply, Bolin screaming out to Mako that we had made it ‘where dad grew up’ made everyone stop and stare at the approaching wall. Standing, I rushed to the edge, holding onto the rail as I pushed my torso over it.

The sight was… less than beautiful and the smell was even worse. The stench was so horrible; I had to fight back the gags that gathered in my throat. I never realized how sheltered I had been within my own little City. Not even the sewers smelt as rancid as the lower ring of Ba Sing Se.

The middle ring was something I was more used to seeing. It was an average looking city- something like Republic City or Harbor City in the Fire nation. The smell was a much improvement from the lower ring and it slightly shocked me how the wall could make such a difference.

The upper ring held only one building, one that rested in the very center, and gleamed in all its glory. Around it were a few, smaller, spaced out buildings. We landed in a dock, earth nation air ships on either side of us. Behind me I could hear Kai let out some sort of exclamation, but I wasn’t sure what it was.

Walking on Tenzin right, Korra on his left and everyone else behind us, we stopped at the end of the ramp.

“Avatar Korra, master Tenzin, and master Zabri it is a pleasure to welcome you and your party to the Upper Ring of Ba Sing Se. I'm Grand Secretariat Gun.”

He bowed to us and returned the favor.

“Thank you.”

“I am honored.”

“Aah, it's got that Upper Ring smell.”

Bolin strolled up, Pabu on his shoulder, Naga beside him and Oogi and Leza resting behind him side by side. Gun hadn’t shown many emotions by that point but seeing all our animals, he plain freaked out.