The Adventures of Nim and Rakkim

PROLOGUE

Rakkim looked over his shoulder at the smouldering desert. He was sweating again, so he wiped his hand on his brow. It had been a long arduous journey from his home in the Fire Nation, trekking all over the country and then passing into the Earth Kingdom.

He was lucky he was not yet lost, for he was entirely alone. Such was the nature of the traditional coming of age pilgrimage- two years of world travel, of which the first 6 months were solitary.

It was the last day of the 6th month, and so Rakkim would now look for a willing and sane companion.

Turning around, Rakkim was greeted with a sight he was not expecting.

A city had seemingly materialised out of nowhere. Its huge white walls were adorned with big green and very familiar symbols. Rakkim smiled as he looked on at the majesty that was Ba Sing Se.

Rakkim looked around again, and noticed the lushness of the surroundings.

'Huh... I must be dehydra-' whispered Rakkim to himself, before collapsing mid-sentence.

A while later, some caravan found him, and took him in; after all, lonely travellers collapsed outside in the heat were easy prey.

Rakkim woke up to someone knocking his head like a door.

With some effort, he pushed the hand away, and opened his eyes. Drowsily, he surveyed the room- a sparse apartment, and the young woman infront of him.

Literally in front of his face, that is.

Rakkim reacted like a stranger faced with another stranger would (in bed, too close)- by letting out a rather high pitched scream.

The girl jumped back and hid behind a chair, and Rakkim hid in his sheets, with only their eyes being visible.

'Who-who are you?' asked Rakkim weakly, tasting the dryness of his tongue.

'I am Nim!' said the girl cheerfully beaming. She moved her head back slightly, and the evening sun caught her hair.

Rakkim's eyes grew wide as the dance of colours illuminated her hair, her face and her pearly green eyes. Nim was busy looking at the man in the bed: he was handsome, had a tall figure, and had wavy black hair and a slight roughness on his chins. His brown eyes glittered in the reflection of the sun from the wall- which was a soft glow.

'So... you are a pilgrim then, huh?' asked Nim, getting up and sitting on the chair. Rakkim sat up on the bed, draping the sheet over himself.

When he looked up, he noticed something: Nim wore some rather strange clothes for someone in the Earth Kingdom- she wore blue and silver robes, with her arms bare and covered in braces.

'yes... i am... but how did you-' started Rakkim, only to be interrupted.

'Your clothes- and a note that fell out of your robes', said Nim, handing him a small roll of Parchment, 'You're a bender, right?'

'Yes, I am. I am a fire elemental bender,' said Rakkim, 'And you are a waterbender... in the earth kingdom... how strange...'

Rakkim paused as Nim continued to study him silently.

'Would you like to-' began Rakkim again, but Nim cut him off.

'Of course I would!' said Nim, beaming again.

'-trave-eh, um, what??' said Rakkim, confused.

'You seek a companion, do you not?' asked Nim, smiling softly.

'Yes... I do, in fact... but i haven't asked anyone else yet' confessed Rakkim, looking down dejectedly.

Nim adjusted her clothes and hair, and then leant forward- 'It's not in the rules, silly!' she sang.

Rakkim looked visibly relieved, and made to say something, yet Nim spoke up again.

'I will travel with you. Deal?' spoke Nim, briskly.

'yes, but-' Rakkim started.

'Republic City!' said Nim enthusiastically, standing up in excitement.

'That is where you wish to go, no?' asked Nim, edging closer to a happy looking Rakkim.

'Yes!' said Rakkim, beaming for the first time.

Nim smiled, the extended her hand forward.

'Hello, dear companion! Shall we travel together?' she asked, smiling a crooked smile.

'Yes we are, my friend,' said Rakkim formally.

Nim and Rakkim shook hands firmly as they looked deep into each other's eyes: the deal was done.

Rakkim rose up, and still holding hands with Nim, both walked to the window of the apartment, stopping and simply staring out into the sunset of Ba Sing Se.

The view was immeasurably colourful in the evening- every colour was rich beyond description, and every sound was deliciously melded into another, forming a melody for the end of a day.

'And so...' said Rakkim, 'My pilgrimage continues.'