The Beginning of a New Journey

It was a bright day, the sun shining high up in the clear blue sky over the enchanting city below. The Fire Nation Capital was a spectacle to behold any day, people bustling about with their everyday business on the outer, poorer edges of the city while the inner most part held the sacred Royal Palace surrounded by golden walls and guards. The young female let a sigh pass her lips as she took in the beauty of the city from her window, watching a noble woman and her child make their way north towards the palace. It had been a long time since she had seen her mother alive, her parents’ death marking the beginning of her journey though. For three years she had wandered the mainland of the Fire Nation, taking in both its beauty and the most horrid of spots. Now it was time for her to set off on a new journey though, to head off to one of the other three nations and explore before she would have to return home and fulfill the role of a traditional noble.

Marriage, the word seemed like poison in her mouth as she suddenly stood from her chair, her pale blonde hair falling from its perch on top of her head. She let out a small sigh once more as she moved over to her mirror and took a small portion of her hair in her hand, putting that part of it up in a bun that she secured with two intricate chopsticks. In the mirror she could see her reflection perfectly, the image of a porcelain doll as she had so often been referred to. Today she would not let that get to her though, going to find someone who would take her away on a new journey. She grabbed the black bag off of her dresser, heading out of her large home and locking the gates once she was on the street to keep vandals from wandering onto the property once she was gone. Once more the child and his mother could be seen wandering across the street, though this time on their way home as they passed her by without even a second glance. Kaji was the perfect image of a noble woman, with a gold and red kimono decorating her skin, sleeves extending down to her wrists where they billowed out; the outfit was decorated with lovely patterns in the traditional Fire Nation colors. Her bangs were pushed from her face with her pale fingers as she slung her bag over her shoulder, headed off to the harbor that awaited her on the outskirts of the capital.

She knew that she would first have to pass through the richer part of town, the walk that always seemed to take the longest and be the most boring as she walked silently down the street. Occasionally she would pass by another noble family, none acknowledging her existence as they had done since her parents’ death. She assumed that it was simply because they found her to be insignificant now, not of any worth to their society until she was married off. It was ironic that they only people who did pay attention to her were families with young men looking for a husband. She shook her head lightly to herself as she walked past the Fire Lord’s Royal Palace, her eyes scanning over the large gate as she walked by without making a sound. Her dainty black shoes seemed to only touch the ground in a silent pattered before she turned and began walking in another direction down the main street. After twenty minutes or so she officially made her way out of the Caldera Crater, the market place just before her and following that the harbor which she could not wait to reach. A ghost of a smile painted her pale lips as she began filtering through the stalls, her bright eyes glowing with curiosity as she looked at all of the items that decorated the stalls, just begging to be bought. One item made her stop in her tracks though, a lovely necklace of crimson and gold. It was a golden chain with crimson jewels hanging down in various places before reaching the center one that was laced with an intricate gold design. She let her pale hand ghost over the crystal item, debating on if she should buy it.