Wandering Firebender

Twelve: The Princess

"Hey, kid!" Wo greeted Elio as he came down into the crew member's quarters. Elio nodded and smiled politely as he made his way to his hammock.

"Evening, Wo. How's your shoulder?" He asked.

"Not too bad. I've been stretching it out. How're you doin'? You seem to finally be hitting your stride as a sailor." He observed approvingly.

"I think so. I appreciate your help in getting to this point."

"Of course, of course. That's what a crew is for. Oh hey, kid, before you turn in though – quick question." He said to get Elio to stop. Elio turned back towards him.

"What's up?"

"Something of yours fell out of your hammock earlier. I wanted to ask you about it."

Elio swallowed nervously. His mind immediately listed all of the most incriminating things he had in his belongings: top of that list was his family portrait. They were all dressed in formal Fire Nation clothing in that picture.

"Yes?" Elio asked, doing his best to remain maintain a natural looking expression.

"That black pole. What's that about?" Wo asked. Elio let out a sigh of relief.

"It's not a pole. It's my staff. It's a custom piece that was given to me by my master." He explained simply. Wo's eyes widened a bit in surprise.

"You trained with a staff?"

"Yes. I'm still relatively inexperienced, but I practice when I can."

"You'll have to show me some of your skills. And maybe wrap your hammock up so it doesn't fall on the floor again. It was pretty loud." He recommended with a chuckle.

"Haha, okay. Will do. Goodnight, Wo." Elio said quickly, hurrying over to his hammock so he could lay down and let his heart stop racing.

"Goodnight, Elio. Oh, by the way, we arrive at our next destination tomorrow. We'll be there all day again. Just let the captain know if you're uncomfortable with entering the city." Wo informed him.

"Understood... Uncomfortable? Where're we going?" He asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Fire Foundation City." Wo answered. Elio's face went completely pale.

"We-We're going to the Fire Nation?"

"Yep! It should be fine, just keep your guard up. If you do go into the city, maybe take that pole with you just in case." Wo suggested with a chuckle before leaving...

Elio's nerves kept him from sleeping well that night. This was a worst-case scenario! He was sailing right back into the Fire Nation! What if someone recognized him?

When the next day came, Elio was right there at the front of the ship, watching as Fire Foundation City grew closer and closer. He'd heard about this place but he'd never been here before; his parents were always quick to disapprove of the place, calling it a slimy breeding ground for criminals and scam artists.

"You asked to speak with me, Elio?" Captain Po asked, joining him at the front of the ship. Elio turned around.

"Sir, I'm not comfortable going into the city. Are there any duties that I can attend to here on the ship?" Elio asked. Captain Po's expression looked regretful, which was not encouraging for him.

"I'm sorry, kid. I'm afraid not. I have two crates that I need you to bring to a shop. I'll give you the address; it's towards the center of town. I'll give you some Fire Nation credits in case you need to break change with the owner."

"But sir!" Elio began to protest.

"Just go in and out quickly, Elio. I promise that if you keep your head down, go straight there and back, and don't speak to anyone, you should be just fine.