𝑴𝑶𝑼𝑵𝑻𝑨𝑰𝑵𝑺 || 𝑨𝒂𝒏𝒈 (𝑩𝒐𝒐𝒌 2)

The Blind Bandit*

Sokka was many things; intelligent, sarcastic, a great leader, and a self-proclaimed comedian. But Jade hadn't realized how agonizingly indecisive he could be.

Apparently, Sokka loved shopping. But when he found something he liked, he could never decide if buying it was the right move. They'd been looking at that bag for five minutes now, and Jade was already sitting on the floor with Aang. If Sokka didn't make a choice soon, she would lie down to take a nap right there. She would.

"It's pricey..." He rubbed his chin. "But I really do like it."

Katara crossed her arms. "Then you should get it. You deserve something nice."

He smiled. "I do, don't I..? But, no," Jade hung her head. "It's too expensive. I shouldn't."

"All right, then don't." Katara patted his shoulder. When she turned away, Jade was all too eager to stand and follow her. Aang did the same, and Sokka slowly trudged after them.

Jade shared a glance with Aang. "He's gonna get the bag, isn't he?"

Before Aang even had the chance to reply, they heard Sokka changing his mind behind them. "You know what? I'm gonna get it!"

Despite having called it, Jade hung her head again. She and her friends were left to stand there and wait for him on the street. This particular town was called Gaoling, and it was where they were stopping for the day. Shopping wasn't on their agenda, but when Sokka saw the nice green bag on display, he was hooked. And since they still had plenty of money left over (for once), the purchase was too tempting to walk away from.

"Hey," She turned to see a man tapping Aang's shoulder. "You kids like earthbending? You like throwing rocks? Then check out Master Yu's Earthbending Academy."

When he passed Aang a flier, Jade and Katara read over his shoulder. On the front was an image of a mustachioed man, along with information about his school.

Aang turned the flier over. "Look, there's a coupon on the back. The first lesson is free!"

Katara set her hands on her hips. "Who knows? This Master Yu could be the earthbending teacher you've been looking for."

"It's worth checking out." Jade nodded. But when Sokka joined them with his new bag cradled in his arms, she quirked a brow.

~㊏~

While Aang was checking out Master Yu's class, Katara, Sokka, and Jade were left to occupy themselves for an hour. They wandered around Gaoling, and after they bought food, they split up to explore. The town was pretty middle class; merchants had stands set up on every street and the citizens were all dressed in simple green.

Jade couldn't help noticing the symbol of a boar with wings just about everywhere she looked. It was on shops and products alike. Clearly, it wasn't just some doodle.

Her curiosity got the best of her. When they passed by a woman and her young son, she turned to them. "Excuse me? Sorry to bother you," She pointed to a sign with the symbol. "But I was wondering if you could tell me what that symbol means?"

The woman smiled. "Oh, that's the symbol of the prestigious Beifong family."

"The Beifong family?"

"That's right. The fact that you don't know about them must mean that you're not from around here."

Jade smiled sheepishly. "Guilty."

"They're something of a big deal around here. Lao and Poppy Beifong live in the estate just outside this town. Of course, I've never seen it for myself, but I've heard that the courtyard alone is big enough to fit a herd of flying bison," She chuckled. "If those still existed, that is."