The Queen in the South

The Reveal Part I

If I was to make a list of all the times Flint had gotten me in trouble, I would need an endless supply of paper.

This boy and his mischievous mind. He always had a knack of finding himself in places he had no business being at and doing things he really shouldn't have been doing.

And I always had the misfortune of getting dragged along with him on his misadventures.

Although, I would be lying if I said they were all bad experiences.

Truth be told, even if some of the worst days of my life had been spent with Flint, I also experienced some of the best and most memorable ones alongside him.

"Where are you taking me?" I demanded angrily.

Even though I had willingly taken his hand and let him sneak us out of school, I was still skeptical about what he had in mind this time around.

With Flint, you could never be too sure.

"Just seat down and enjoy the ride, beautiful."
I clutched the torn material of the passenger seat of his vehicle. It was a wonder how I stayed in my seat with the way the thing was practically bouncing over rocks.

"How can I possibly enjoy a ride in this death trap?"

"Hey! Automobiles have feelings too!" He spoke, affectionately patting the vehicles steering wheel.

Automobiles were had to come by in Tren. The main and fastest method of transport around the Fire Nation were the steam engine trains.
Automobiles were a comfortable and more convenient way to travel but they were reserved for the wealthier people in the Fire Nation.

The only people who had automobiles in town were the mayor and the bosses of the mines, the factories and the docks. They were the only ones who had enough money to buy and maintain them.

Flint's automobile was a beaten up old thing that the mayor had discarded. The Mayor is one of Pam and my mother's loyal customers. He can't get enough of their dragon nuts. Pam negotiated for the automobile because she knew how fascinated Flint was by them.

He didn't mind giving it to him. Especially since he was his daughter's - Kai's - friend.
Flint fell in love immediately.

I still don't understand why. The rectangular contraption had no glass on its windows, the paint was chipped off, it was rusty, there were no doors and you had to say a prayer just to get it going.

Flint didn't care though, he worked on it everyday, almost religiously.

For some time no one could get him away from it. He even started having his meals in it.
We were driving away from town, towards the outskirts of Tren down a road that had long since been neglected. It was beyond dilapidated. Over the years, young firebenders like Flint and his friends would come here to practice their bending.

Tren wasn't like Agni. In Agni, even the schools had centres to train their benders. They believed it was never too early to master the craft.

In Tren, on the other hand, the adults would yell at you if you even tried to fire bend next to their wooden houses. And besides, there were so few firebenders in Tren, most of them weren't even that powerful.

I yelped as we drove over another random rock.

"Flint Park! I swear if I die-"

"Then out parents will have to buy two coffins because I'll be right behind you, my love." He took his eyes away from the road for a second to give me a charming smile.

I glared at him. "Flint-"

"You're right, it would be easier and much cheaper if we used the same coffin. At least that way I would have laid with you atleast once." He winked.