My eyes looked back to see the giant statue of Lord Zuko, which stood in the centre of the city square, my last piece of home, slowly but surely receding from plain sight. It was hard not to feel the heartache inside, simply knowing that I wouldn’t return to my beloved hometown anymore. Sure, I was excited to see what would await me in the capital, the new adventures that would lie ahead of me, but a big chunk of myself would have been fine not having to know.

Of course, Mom and Dad would not have me stay back here and live with aunt Ysoku and uncle Yaiko, because they thought the couple would be too careless (which they are, to be honest). But, it wasn’t like I had many options, to begin with. The choices were living with them or suggesting that I could live and survive alone. In the end, the latter was no choice at all, as my conversation with my Dad would always end the same,

“Zara,” he would say with a sigh, “just because Avatar Aang and his friends could travel the world at a young age, doesn’t mean you can stay here.”

Still, Fire Fountain City was home. I was especially going to miss the times my friend Zalan and I went to the fair to try out the high striker every single year, and fail profoundly. The times when we trained messenger hawks at the old post office (which always ended badly). Even that one time, both of us tried to sneak out and wander the streets of the city at night, although it almost cost Dad his job at the city hall. Those were good times.

My stomach grew even more upset at the thought that I would never see Zalan again, or at least for a very long time. Our last visit to her place yesterday was a mess. We hardly stopped crying. Our moms had to peel us away from each other to say our final goodbyes. Dad said there would be a telephone at our new home, so I wouldn’t have a problem speaking to Zalan now and then. That made the goodbyes weigh a little less heavy on us.

The ride west (from Shuhon Island to the Black Sun Bay at Black Cliffs) was three hours straight and quite agonizing. Looking at my Dad’s state after he got out of the satomobile to unload our luggage, it was clear that he never had the intention to drive us to the Fire Nation Capital. He did tell Mom and me about the cruise ship beforehand, but it wasn’t like I had any major opinions about it. Dad was probably thinking of the best way to try and "lift our spirits" by having us take some time offshore.

Not a minute went by before we huddled up our bags and made our way up to the ship. Honestly, it looked like a dozen thousand tonnes of ancient rusted metal, and the noisy vibrating steam engine made it look like it was barely holding it together. Of course, I was glad that my Dad made all this effort, but me being homesick already, and having to seat in a satomobile for three hours wasn’t going to ensure that I would give off a grateful look straight away.

Overhearing my father speak to the captain before I headed down to the cabin, it was going to be a two to three-hour cruise before we would arrive at our destination. Mom insisted on going to the tail end of the ship to take in the fresh air of the high seas and behold the scenery. But after a few minutes, I already had enough. I headed back to the cabin to sleep off the entire trip, which would, hopefully, also help me get rid of the lousy mood I was in.

In the end, it felt like I haven’t laid my head to rest for at least half an hour before my Mom shook me off my sleep to inform me that we were about to dock on. As I rubbed off the slumber from my eyes, she kept insisting on how "wonderful" it was to see the Great Gates of Caldera.

It didn’t take long before we boarded down the ship, only then to be met by a welcome party, who looked like the kind of noblemen who were desperately seeking attention from the press. The men and women stood unwavering, all grinning towards us, which made me a little bit uneasy, to be frank. Nonetheless, my Mom who walked beside me, to my right, gave me the look that said, “look happy as much as possible.” So, I smiled. Three of them stepped forward to meet us, although the last went in haste and quickly grabbed all our luggage, placing them inside one of the series of satomobiles that was parked behind the group.

The first of the welcoming party quickly shook my father’s hand. His wizened face, peering out from under the black bowler’s hat of his, made it clear that he was a man of years. His three-piece suit was typically Fire Nation, although it was a little more elaborate than what one would normally be used to in public. His eyes were weighed down with wrinkled folds, but his appearance and posture told the exact opposite story. Even as I heard him speak, his deep voice made him sound like a high ranking military official, strong and distinctly upper class.

“It is my pleasure to finally say welcome to you and your family here at the capital,” he said.

“The pleasure is all ours, Chancellor,” Dad replied.

“Please, now that we are colleagues, Shazai is just fine. At least outside of the royal palace, that is.”

They both had a brief chuckle. Then he quickly went on to greet my mother and me too.

“I believe you must be Zara,” he said, as he finally turned to face me.

I simply nodded in response, but then I felt a slight (but forceful) pinch on my shoulder. As if on cue, I clenched my left fist and held it up against my open right hand, and bowed.

“Oh, there is no need for that, Zara,” the old man said with another chuckle. “Besides, you’re supposed to hold up your clenched fist beneath your right hand.”

I smiled briefly in response but didn’t give it another go. He didn’t seem to mind though, as, without hesitation, the chancellor and his assistant escorted us to our ride. As soon as we started heading our way, two other satomobiles followed close behind. Straight from the Royal Plaza, we rode through the capital’s Harbor City, and can I say what a metropolis it was. It may sound a bit sad, but it wasn’t until this point that I ever had the chance to see the world beyond Fire Fountain City. Mom was in the same position, and Dad only took a few trips across Shuhon Island. After all, our family wasn’t needed anywhere but at the city hall. Uncle Huong sent us a few pictures of Republic City, though, and from what I saw, Harbor City looked like a close replica, except there were shades of red, brown and gold wherever I looked.

Our driver wasted no time; but it was a matter of almost an hour, despite taking the fastest route, before we reached the heart of the capital: Royal Caldera City. We drove up the edge of the dormant volcano in which the city sat. The view onwards was beautiful. Unlike the rest of the city, this district looked a lot more ‘traditional’ for lack of a better word. For some reason, it felt kind of ironic. I looked back and I saw progress. I looked forward and I saw what seemed like a lack thereof.

“Wonderful isn’t it, Zara?” Shakai said. “Maybe a 100 years ago, Caldera looked a little less intimidating, but now the district, Harbor City, is almost twice the size of Republic City alone. Those decades of peace after the Hundred Year War were as important to Fire Nation citizens as to the other nations. Nowadays, all that people do is criticize, but Fire Lord Zuko did not only care about peace and welfare abroad but also here in the Fire Nation.”

Mom and Dad remained silent, and I wasn’t planning on discussing the importance of history with the Chancellor, so all I did was nod. A few more minutes pass, and we were about to drive past the Fire Nation Royal Palace. But, just as I started to think that I could see myself living here, we all beheld a sight that quickly took away the enjoyment and peace of mind I had for just a moment. The gates and walls of the palace were surrounded by protest. The crowd was in an uproar, and it looked like the Royal Procession, the personal guards and soldiers of the royal family and the palace, barely had control of the situation. Worse still, the crowd was divided into two factions, who were hurling just as many insults against each other as they were doing to the Imperial firebenders. Mom and Dad gave each other a worrying look, while the chancellor, who sat at the passenger’s seat in the front, simply sighed.

“Double monkey feathers, the abolitionists and imperialists again,” he said under his breath. “I am truly sorry that you had to be elected as minister of domestic affairs at such a time as this, Tazu,” Shakai said while gazing at the angry crowd.

“There’s no need to be sorry, Shakai,” Dad replied. “I chose to take up the offer. I am well aware of the risks that may come with it.”

Shakai turned around to face Mom and Dad, while both were firmly holding their hands. A short but cute moment.

“I have seen a fair share of ministers, myself included, who were unable to keep up the balance between everyday life and work.”

The whole satomobile fell silent, but thankfully Chancellor Shakai decided to break the awkward silence.

“It’s been 15 years since Fire Lord Izumi died at the hands of that ... Red Lotus. The citizens are probably thinking it’s business as usual in the royal palace since Fire Lord Iroh ascended the throne. But if only they knew.”

Shakai faced my Dad once more and said, “I assume you have heard the rumours about anarchists now roaming across Caldera?”

“I assumed they were just rumours too.”

The chancellor said nothing. Again, I saw a worried look on Dad’s face.

“Shakai,” Dad said. “How bad is it?”

“As mayor of Fire Fountain City, Tazu, you performed an excellent job in keeping the peace. That’s why Fire Lord Iroh elected you; that’s why you are here. Tomorrow you will be sworn in. We can talk a little more after that.”

With a great Monday sunrise began the new day in our new life, here in the Fire Nation Capital. Our new home wasn’t quite like the last one, all the same, it was a pleasant welcome from the royal palace. But, the three of us were hardly going to have the time off to explore all the rooms around the house: Mom and Dad were a few minutes away from leaving for the royal palace to meet with Chancellor Shakai, while I was dressing up for my first day at Lu Ten’s Academy. I didn’t have very high expectations of what I was going to encounter there, and I tried my best to keep my excitement to a minimum. That was good, as in the end, one of the teachers at the academy only gave me a personal tour around the premises, while proudly telling me how excellent their learning materials were.

“I can tell that you’re going to have your best time here with us at the academy,” she said, which was hardly surprising, considering that that’s what they all say.

The first few hours at Lu Ten’s Academy flew by in a breeze; it was midday, and a lunch break was next on the schedule. With the size of 500 students, the thought of a large canteen area wasn’t that far-fetched, but even after coming through the entrance a second time, I was impressed at the nature of it. The atmosphere here was no different than that at the fair in Fire Fountain City. I wasn’t going to proceed and make this the day I talk to strangers willingly, so I took my plate of udon noodles with buns and bread and sat at an empty table.

I stared into the sea of teenagers; the lunch hall was filled to the brim. No, almost filled to the brim. A young guy was sitting by himself too, at the other end of the canteen area. But on taking a closer look, I simply had to ask myself why in the world this guy was all by himself. He had short, cobalt-black hair and scythe-shaped eyebrows above his darting, amber-gold eyes. His skin was autumn brown, and his ritzy clothes did nothing to hide his wrestler’s shoulders and burly physique. It sure did look like he was a bit too mature-looking for his age, and I wouldn’t be surprised if that were the reason other guys here have kept their distance from him. Honestly, at this point, it felt like my constant staring had gotten out of hand, but then I heard,

“Zara, is that you?”

As soon as I turned to the side, looking, my eyes began to light up.

“Uyi,” I said aloud. I jumped up and grabbed her in a tight hug. “Mom and Dad didn’t say anything about you attending this academy!”

“Well, be sure to know that Aunt Numi and Uncle Tazu didn’t tell me either,” she said, sassy as always. “Glad to see you too, little cousin.”

“Hey, we’re only 7 months apart.”

No sooner we had begun talking, it felt like not a single day had gone by since we last met. She talked about life here in Caldera and at Lu Ten’s Academy, while I simply told her about the move from Fire Fountain City.

“Anyways, it’s about time I have you meet my friends. They’re just a few tables away.”

“O-okay, then let’s go before the break’s over.”

“Oh, and by the way,” Uyi said suddenly, just as I was about to get up, “his name’s Sojai.”

“What?”

“Don’t play dumb, little cousin. I’m talking about the guy that you’ve been side-staring for the last 15 minutes.”

“I’m not ... is it that obvious?”

“Don’t say I didn’t give you a little warning,” Uyi said, as she sat me back down and drew her chair a little closer to mine. “They call him ‘the White Crane’ around here.”

"The White Crane?”

“Don’t look at me, I didn’t give him that name. Anyways, he fought with a group of guys no longer than a month ago. That’s all I know.”

“Even if he’s gotten into a fight, that’s no reason for everyone to leave him isolated.”

“Hey, my friends and I will be spending the afternoon at the Jasmine Dragon up ahead. You should come, then we get to make up for lost time!”

“I mean sure, why not?”

As if on a cue, the school bell was sounded across the halls and lunch break was officially over for the day. The afternoon hours passed on far quicker. To be honest, I was simply excited by the fact that I had someone familiar to speak to at the academy, making the next few weeks less awkward than they needed to be. Confidently, I made my way to the agreed destination, where I was going to meet Uyi’s friends.

But all that confidence quickly faded away once I entered the tea shop. I neither saw Uyi nor a group of girls that may look like they could be her friends. Worse still, I saw none other than Sojai himself at the till serving tea. How does he find the time and energy to work straight after school? But now that I think about it, was this Uyi’s plan? Once that thought had planted itself in my mind, I knew that must have been the case. Ironically, I was keen to order the White Lotus Tile (which was known for its squishy bubbles inside that you never saw coming while drinking the tea), my favourite. In the end, I shouldn’t have been surprised at all, since Uyi could be very deceiving sometimes, and was the kind to have secret intentions all the time.

I looked outside but didn’t see Uyi around, but I’m sure she must have been nearby, waiting to watch the awkward conversation I may end up having with Sojai. It just so happened that as I was ready to build up the courage to walk up to the till I began to hear screams and explosions outside on the streets. I looked behind me to the windows beside the entrance and saw people running frantically. Suddenly, two men with blue masks barged into the shop.

“Abolish the government! No rule of law!” they chanted, before one of them proceeded to shoot fire fists towards the frightened customers and workers standing at the till, while the other held a kanabo in his hand and smashed down any glass or furniture in his path. They must have been those extremists Chancellor Shakai was talking about yesterday.

Without wasting precious time and not wanting to get caught, I hid beneath the tables facing the exit doors to my left. Never have I felt the need to be a bender more than at this moment. Uyi must have been long gone and gotten herself to safety. At least that is what I hoped had happened. Staying here, being held hostage by two maniacs, was the last thing I wanted to have to deal with on my (unofficially) first day in Caldera. It felt like my racing heart had sunk to my stomach, but I wasn’t going to allow the shock to take a hold of my body. I looked behind me from under the table and saw that the two had now engaged themselves with hoarding all the cash at the front. Now was my chance to run towards safety, and without any hesitation, that’s what I did. Thankfully, the two men were oblivious.

But I still had no reason to smile. I looked all around me as I stood on the main street, and my heart plummeted inside of me. The sun had not yet fully gone down, but there was smoke rising from neighbouring buildings all around, high, thick and dark, to the point where it looked like a solar eclipse was taking place. I saw a sizeable number of men and women with blue and red frowning masks on, screaming, shouting and causing more havoc. There was crying and wailing; people looking disoriented, running to and fro. Caldera had become a warzone.

I took off running and was ready to head down the street towards the Royal Palace, to make some effort of returning home, to find Uyi, Mom and Dad, but I was sandwiched by the chaos. I took a turn, running through an alleyway that was on my right. But my effort to return to safety would be even more complicated than that. Seemingly out of nowhere, a stream of fire shot right past me and blocked my way. I turned around to find one of the mask-wearers standing in a fighting stance.

“You look like the kind of young girl who’s just asking to get robbed,” he said in a musty, deep voice.

But all of a sudden, I saw a young man jump down from the roof and stand between the man and me. He turned around and said, “don’t worry. Just stay behind me, but don’t get too close.”

It was none other than Sojai. Ere I could utter a word, he bent both his knees, with his left foot standing in front of his right, relaxed his shoulders and hit his abdomen with a loud slap before immediately flinging both his arms outward in front of his body. He paused slightly before repeating the whole sequence again and again. Why did it look like a bird flapping its wings?

The man behind the blue mask laughed unimpressed, and proceeded to shoot a few fire jabs at him. Like a reflex, I quickly ducked down behind Sojai taking cover, but while producing a rasping sound from his throat, he swiftly side-stepped each fireball. Then breathing out with a "ha" sound from his mouth, Sojai countered with a large charged stream of fire. But the fire itself was unlike any I’ve seen. The fire stream was white. The masked man barely stood his ground after that and fell defeated, while I lay utterly speechless. With that, I now understood what had earned him the title, the White Crane.