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Trundling through the winding streets of the low quarter, Yaozu leaned back to counter the balance of his pottery bundle.

Since his arrival to Hiyama two weeks ago, Yaozu’s multiple petitions to the School of Bending had gone unheeded. This left him with little clue as to who the “Master” was that had written his father asking to allow Yaozu to enter his tutelage.
The result of this was a catastrophe of large proportions. His father had spent the last of their savings putting Yaozu on the first steamer to Hiyama. But without a Master to receive him, the guards at the school wouldn’t even let Yaozu past the gate, let alone in the presence of the faculty.

But at the moment, Yaozu had bigger problems.
He was broke and he was starving.
The hostel where he stayed had kicked him out four days ago forcing him to seek shelter under a bridge near the river.
He didn’t mind.
The bridge provided a relatively secure and dry place to sleep. And while the old skell he shared it with was undeniably crazy, he allowed Yaozu his privacy and space.

Best of all, Yaozu found that the thick grey clay near the river was laden with volcanic ash and provided an excellent base for pottery.
This prompted him to form and fire several pots and then sell them in an empty corner in the market.
The profits were paltry, but at least he ate.
The only problem from this endeavor came in the form of the Lower Hiyama Craftsmen’s Guild.
This “organization” protected the interests of established craft shops in the low quarter. And once they found out about Yaozu’s little enterprise, they sent a group of bullies to extort dues from him.

At first Yaozu had attempted to stand up to the toughs, but they smashed his wares and took what money he had. Since then, Yaozu practiced his trade clandestinely, selling what he could in the marketplace and then fleeing before the gang of older boys could find him.
Even so, Yaozu knew that this trend couldn’t last.
A fight was inevitable.

Checking the street for watchers, Yaozu set his stand up outside of a puppet theatre. The show would be getting out soon and he needed the eager young children beg their parents for his latest merchandise, a batch of ocarinas.
As the show goers emptied into the street, Yaozu began to play a tune to lure curious onlookers…

Yaozu collected his meager earnings into a small pouch.
The puppet show had been good to him and he quietly registered this spot for another sale.

His reverie was broken by Rin-ji's question.
Darting his head up, Yaozu instantly sized up the newcomer.
Poor, out of place.
But fit and strong.
Like a fighter he thought.

Yaozu coiled, suspecting this stranger to be one of the Guild's thugs...
"This isn't another shakedown is it? Tell your guildmasters that it'll take more than just one of you to take my money."

Yaozu's mind raced as he looked for a quick escape...
...or a weak spot to strike.

Yaozu listened to the boy, watching his body language as he spoke.
It communicated the defensive surprise of someone caught off guard.
But most of all, it communicated something Yaozu hadn't experienced since he left his home...sincerity.

Looking at the ground, Yaozu spoke.
"Look, I'm sorry. It's just that...well...Not too many people talk to me without wanting something, you know?"

Looking up, Yaozu figured that he at least owed the window-shopper an answer to his question.
"Yeah, I make all these things myself. It's pretty easy once you know how. I use the mud by the river."

Hoping to ease the tension, Yaozu added, "Oh, and you shouldn't worry about the guards. This is Haku-Chukai territory and they don't come down here when it gets dark."

Yaozu risked a small grin.

Yaozu laughed.
"Are you serious?"
Eyeing the older boy's blank stare, Yaozu realized that the youth was indeed, out of his element.
"Wow, you are serious. Um, the Haku-Chukai isn't a 'Who,' its a 'What.' It's only the biggest and baddest Tong in Lowtown. They get a cut of everything that comes through the harbor; smuggling, whoring, slaveing.
People say that the Firelord's Navy may own the seas, but the Haku-Chukai own the port."

Watching the boy absorb the information, Yaozu decided to break the ice.
"I'm Yaozu. You got a name?"



*Elsewhere*
Xi Chien rounded the corner and froze in his tracks.
Looking back at his cronies, the four guildsmen shared a growling chuckle as they glared back at the seated form of their quarry.
Xi Chien rejoiced at his luck.
Squatting in front of the Happy Dragon and jaw-jacking with some nobody was none other than that country bumpkin, Yaozu.
Chien had searched for this lowlife for days.
And now on the one day he and his boys decide to have some fun, they run into him.
Looking back, he licked his lips.
"I hope you boys are ready. The Guildmaster's gonna pay us good for this."
Cracking his neck and rolling up his sleeves, Chien and his goons stepped onto the street and made their way towards the ocarina stand.

Yaozu froze. eek
Moving up behind Rin-ji was Xi Chien and his goons.
The look on their faces was one of sinister intent and the bloodshot eyes of Buntaro attested to his earlier use of Crimson Shade.

Yaozu's mind raced for a solution.
Chien's boys were some of the toughest around. Even at his best he could never defeat them all. And Buntaro, well, Buntaro was crazy when he wasn't on shade. But the combination of the narcotic and the sharp push-dagger in his hand was positively murderous.

Yaozu needed help. And he needed it quick.
With one last card to play, Yaozu made his move.

"Yeahthat'sreallynice. Listen, do you want to make some quick yuan?" sweatdrop

Yaozu didn't hesitate.
Slapping the pouch with his nightly earnings into Rin-Ji's hand, Yaozu hefted a softball-sized ocarina and leapt to his feet.
"Congratulations, Rin-ji. You're my new bodyguard."

Hoping to keep the initiative, Yaozu sprang at the oncoming bullies and smashed the foo-dog whistle into the side of Chien's face.
The impact shattered the ceramic instrument and sent Chien reeling to the ground.

Turning to calculate his next attack, Yaozu realized too late that the thugs had closed in on him. With a grunt, one of the older boys punched him solidly in the stomach. Stunned from the strike, Yaozu struggled to maintain consciousness as two toughs secured his arms and brought him to his knees.

Chien stood and wiped the blood from his face.
Approaching Yaozu, he cuffed the boy with his right hand and was rewarded with a small whimper.
"You've dug your grave now, street rat," he growled.
"I'm gonna make your last moments in this life so painful, you're gonna beg me to kill you."
Glancing up at Buntaro, Chien smiled...
"Bunta, cut off his nose."

Yaozu's eyes stared wildly at the dagger in Buntaro's hands. Panic raced through him as he realized he would never restore his father's name. His only hope lay in the stranger who he just gave all his money to.

Craning his head to look back at Rin-ji, Yong Yaozu took his last chance.

"Help me. Please."

Yaozu's eyes widened as the fire lashed out from Rin-ji's hands.
Goddess above! He's a firebender!

"I just wanted to sell some pots!!!" he pleaded.

Pushing the excitement and fear from his mind, he focused on the task at hand.
Rin-ji's attack had created enough of a distraction for Yaozu to break his captor's arm-lock.

Turning to face the tough, Yaozu subdued him with a hard head-butt against the nose. While the strike dropped the bully instantly, his head blurred with pain.

Clearing his head with a quick shake, Yaozu steadied himself in time to react to an attack from Chien.
He mused at his fortune.
Chien in his foolishness, was attacking Yaozu head on.
The guildsman's speed and distance gave him ample time to react.

Iron Palm to Coiled Dragon.
Taking a frightened breath, Yaozu traced a shaky arc with his hands and stepped into his kata.
One...two...three...four...five...six.
Completing the cadence in his mind, Yaozu risked a peek and gasped at the rewards of his training.

Chien laid flat on his back, knocked out and oblivious to the world around him.

"Wahoo!"
Squealing victoriously, Yaozu allowed himself a martial flourish into the 'Standing Crane' stance.

But his victory was cut short by the sound of his new-found ally's struggle against the attackers.

Chiding himself for being distracted, Yaozu waded into the fray.

Yaozu's resolve hardened as he plucked a sharpened clay shard off the street. Playing the possible scenarios through his mind, he kept coming up with the same solution. If Xi Chien were allowed to live, he would keep coming back with more goons and more weapons until Yaozu's luck finally ran out. Thus in Yaozu's mind, the answer was simple. Xi Chien had to die.

Yaozu's hand trembled as he came upon the fallen form of Chien. Raising the shard over the tough's exposed throat, he began to feel a nauseous twist in his stomach that displayed his inexperience.

His mind roared.
Why are you hesitating? You know what will happen if you don't end this now! Father would've never hesitated! An Ember would never hesitate!

Through the cold sweat and buzzing in his mind, an urgent voice and a red-hot grip broke Yaozu from his morbid musings...

Dropping the shard with an audible gasp, Yaozu's wide eyes connected with Rin-ji's and held his stare for what seemed like an eternity.

Silence was broken by the stumbling sound of Buntaro attempting a recovery.
The crash helped Yaozu's mind focus on survival and escape.
Allowing himself to be led, the two youths vanished into the night.