The Good and the Bad: Kainora

Chapter 6: Realization and Fear

Although the Lower Ring wasn't pleasant, the Upper Ring was quite a sight to behold.

Then again, only the wealthiest citizens and tourists were allowed into the Upper Ring of Ba Sing Se, and guests were quartered in the same area in order to impress them. At the same time, it made it easier for the Dai Li to keep a tabs on visitors in case they decided to do something...fishy.

As Asami's airship began its descent in front of the royal palace, she couldn't help but admire its sheer size. A huge Earth Kingdom banner hung off the very top floor, a earthy green and gold in contrast to the light gray marble used to build the palace. No doubt that earthbending was used to build the place. After all, the entire city was more like a tiny country, occupying the entire northeastern region of the Earth Kingdom.

Meanwhile, Dai Li agents helped anchor the airship as the group disembarked. A man dressed in fancy green and gold robes greeted them at the bottom of the ramp.

"Avatar Korra, Master Tenzin," the man greeted them. "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.

"Thank you," Korra responded, bowed as well.

"Ah, it's got that Upper Ring smell," Bolin sighed. He had Pabu on his shoulder as he strolled down the ramp, followed by Naga.

"Oh no! The queen hates animals," Gun turned to Bolin. "You'll have to get them out of sight."

"Well, I can just stash Pabu in my shirt," Bolin replied. He gestured to Naga and Oogi. "Those two are going to be a little tougher." Reluctantly, the polar bear dog and the flying bison stayed on board. There was enough room to romp around on top anyways without attracting the wrath of the Earth Queen.

Gun picked up the pace. "Come with me, hurry! I'll take you to your quarters." Wondering what the fuss was all about, Jinora tagged along with the rest of the group as they were led through spacious mansions and lush gardens, with a winding river running alongside them. They crossed over a bridge and continued on.

"Now, when you meet the queen make sure you bow low enough; that's very important," Gun said. "And don't look her in the eye; she can't stand that. If any food is served, don't eat before she eats." He paused for a moment. "Well actually, I have to taste her food first, then she eats, then you can eat. Better yet, just don't eat."

"Seems like an awful lot of rules," Korra observed.

"Oh, you have no idea," Gun replied, exasperated. "And I'm the one who gets in trouble when people don't follow them, so please, please for my sake try not to upset Her Majesty." They finally arrived at their guest house, which would serve as a temporary base of operations while they were in Ba Sing Se. "Here we are." Gun spread his arms out and gestured.

"Ooo, very swanky," Bolin commented as they entered their spacious quarters. It was a two-story mansion that had a large common room at the very center. It branched off into several different rooms, with stairs at the front and back of the house accessing the second floor. Another doorway in the back led to the gardens in the backyard.

Jinora couldn't help but admire the grandeur of the place, even though it was considerably smaller than her island home. She quickly found a spacious room on the first floor that overlooked the gardens in the back and claimed it as her own. Not that it mattered. There was enough space for everyone to have their own room.

Kai would really like this view. Speaking of which, she realized that since they got off the airship, she hadn't talked to him all. She hoped he would be up for a getaway where they could explore Ba Sing Se's Upper Ring on their own. Jinora entered the common room, where almost everyone was sitting, but no sign of Kai. He must've been on the second floor the entire time.