Cultured. The only meaning of the word that appeared to apply to Ba Sing Se was cultivation, letting humans grow wild in a controlled environment. Anitelu had been surprised at there being open land within the walls, but it was farmland. Ba Sing Se was human to its core, from the Outer Wall to the Palace that was supposed to be at the centre. It's not like he'd ever manage to get there to search. He poured water out onto the street, to the protests of the crowd around him. Let them complain. It wouldn't be there for long. Calling the water until it was under his feet, he had it throw him upwards. Landing took a little work, but he used the water to secure a hold and stand up.

Much better. The water circled around him, and he shook the dust and grime from it before sending it back into his waterskin. Looking out over the city, Anitelu was struck once again with the sheer impossibility of the task the Elders had set. Comb the entire continent for the Avatar? Even if he wasn't the only one from his tribe sent out, it would take them decades for a thorough search. Closing his eyes, he began to meditate. The Avatar was different. The flow of chi around benders was different to that of non-benders, letting his tribe tell the talented ones straight from birth. In a city like this, the few benders in the Lower Ring stood out to his senses like torches in a thick smog. The Elders had said the Avatar would shine like the sun to even the most oblivious. It was part of the Avatar's power.

But whereever the Avatar was, they weren't here. Anitelu stepped to the side of the building and looked down. Was it worth walking through the streets when the roofs here made a street all their own? He stood a moment, thinking his options through. The road certainly followed more direct routes. That's how they would be designed in this human habitat. However, the direct route wasn't necessarily the fastest or safest. With the amount of people in the city, there was a much higher chance that he'd lose his coins to some unprincipled fool. Decided then. A minimum of fuss is needed. Calling the water from his back again, he used it to cross the narrow gaps between buildings, describing a circuitous, but crowd-free, route to the next wall, and the Middle Ring.