Avani gritted her teeth and did consider turning around just to respond to the cop once more. Ryuu stopped her by putting his hand on her back and pushing her in the direction of the forest. They probably would have been sitting in that clearing for the rest of the day if she had continued the argument with Kasai at that moment. Instead, they met up with Mio who had apparently followed them, but hid in the forest with the food.

“I suppose we know what direction to go now, so we should just try to get there before team b.” Avani said, and took her own bag again. “No time to waste.”

Ryuu took his bag from Mio as well, and then they were off on a small jog to keep up with their leader’s pace. They did get a moment of peace and silence. Team b didn’t call them, and Avani was too busy making sure she got a good amount of exercise after what Kasai had told her.

“Can we take a breather, boss?” Mio asked, trying to catch her breath. 

Avani kept her pace though. It wasn’t until Ryuu spoke up that she stopped and slowed down.

“Avani, come on. She’s just another loudmouth.”

“Fine!  Five minutes, and we can walk the rest since I doubt the other team moved faster than at a walking pace.”

Avani sat down, pulled the radio back out of her pocket and played with it while thinking about something new to say to annoy Kasai. A part of her didn’t feel like it anymore though. She didn’t want to continue fighting with someone who couldn’t take a joke, turned mean and threatening without much provocation.

“I bet…” Avani said into the radio after she’d pushed the button. 

“Oh for crying out loud.” Ryuu muttered, then walked over to Avani to take the radio away from her if she couldn’t stop playing with fire.
Avani hindered Ryuu from advancing to close by shifting the earth, and sending a rock wall towards him that he had to dodge. 

“I bet she’s only into older fat men like those in the police, so she can’t appreciate beauty when she sees it.” Avani had to dodge an incoming fireball to her surprise. Mio used her air bending to stop the flame from starting a wild fire. “Shame, since she’s cute when she huffs and puffs trying to seem threatening.” Avani laughed loudly into the radio, but it was quite clearly faked and forced laughter.  

She threw the radio to Ryuu who catched it. “There, I’m done. No more with this one… for now.” Avani mumbled the last part, hoping her team members wouldn’t hear her, but she still got a sour look from Ryuu who pushed the radio into his own pocket. “I said nothing.”

It didn’t take much longer for Avani and her team to arrive at what had to be the center of the forest. She could feel a stronger presence of something here. It had to be spirits, right? They couldn’t see anything yet, but judging by Mio’s and Ryuu’s sudden caution she wasn’t the only one who felt it.

“I’d say we found the location of our source of trouble.” Mio said, presumably she was able to feel the spirits in a different way than Avani and Ryuu since she was an airbender. Avani wasn’t sure what it was like. Ryuu had tried explaining what being a firebender was like once, but she’d barely understood that.

“Probably.” Ryuu said, and lit a cigarette. 

Avani didn’t want to waste another moment, so she stepped forward and was about to keep on walking, when she noticed something a bright light coming from in between some of the trees.