Akhu
Legacy Name: Akhu

Akhu shifted restlessly from foot to foot as Kiron tightened the cinch on the saddle. The motions were performed with practiced ease, the pair having been together nearly their entire lives. Even with the natural haste Akhu was eager to get going and nudged his friend in the shoulder with his broad head.

"Easy now big guy." Kiron replied, rubbing the tuft of fur on the whalewolf's head. "The Earth Kingdom isn't going to attack quite yet, it takes time to move all the troops into position even with the railways. That's the problem with you, you know. Impatience." Kiron flicked the end of the rubbery nose. "I knew I should have befriended a polarbear dog like Mom always wanted. I hear Avatar Korra's was very well behaved."

Akhu responded by flipping Kiron over with his broad tail, blowing hot air into his friend's face in a hearty laugh. He shook his massive frame, settling his saddle more comfortably into place. Kiron dusted himself off then swung into the saddle, clutching at the dorsal fin for support.

"Alright alright, let's go. We've got a long walk to Ba Sing Se anyway."

Kiron leaned forward as Akhu surged into motion. For such a large beast he was surprisingly agile both on water and land. Whalewolfs weren't common and most people underestimated both the animal's intelligence and strength. That misconception had served them both well on multiple occasions. The world had not been a peaceful place for quite some time. Sure the world was in a much better state then during the Hundred Year War but the Earth Kingdom had been in a state of emergency for quite some time. In the past three years alone four people had sat on the throne and they had not lasted long before being usurped.

Republic City had tried to keep the situation contained and civil but they never had a very strong grasp and the death of Avatar Korra on Earth Kingdom territory had alienated the Kingdom even more. It was a little ironic to Kiron that he had been the new avatar, being of Earth Kingdom blood himself.

It took the pair two days to reach the outer wall of Ba Sing Se, or what was left of it. It had never been rebuilt entirely and most of it lay in shambles. Kiron supposed that made it easier for the current Earth King to move his troops out of the city. They were already flocking past the gate, thousands of soldiers standing in military straight lines. The green and gold banner flew whipped sharply in the wind on the backs of the generals.

Kiron looked in the opposite direction and spotted the colored flags of the other three nations, all converging on this spot. It was going to be a massacre if the sides met, of that there was no doubt.

"Alright buddy, you ready?" Kiron slide down from the saddle and gave his friend a loose hug, shaggy fur tickling his nose. "I'll be back in two hours or not at all. If I am not back by then please leave and go find Mother, she'll know what it means."

Kiron patted the shoulder one last time then bowed his head deeply and concentrated. When he raised his head it was no longer just Kiron standing there, white glow streamed from his eyes with the wisdom of all the past avatars.

"Wish me luck"