After a few more days at home, Victor's teacher sent for him. After settling in to join his teacher for afternoon tea, Victor started the conversation, saying "So, I guess it's time for whatever it was you were going to be sending me off for?"
"Aye, boy," his teacher replied. "You'll be going to Roku's Island. I believe that there's a merchant stopped here on his way there from Udara who may need an extra hand or blade for the last leg of the journey, if you'd like to earn some coin on the way. I'd suggest finishing your tea quickly, though, if you're interested in that option; it sounds like he got in yesterday and is planning on moving on first thing in the morning."
"Sounds like a good plan to me," Victor replied before drinking down the rest of his tea. "Is there anything in particular that I should be doing once on the island, or am I supposed to just go there and figure it out for myself?"
"You're pretty bright, for a kid," his teacher responded. "I expect that you'll be able to figure it out sooner or later."
"Fair enough," Victor said, setting down his cup as he stood up to leave. "I'll be finding that merchant now, then; thanks for the tea!"
"Ah, that reminds me: while you're there, be sure to find Lon Feng's tea shop. They have some of the best jasmine tea I've had in a long while!" the teacher said as Victor left.
Grinning at the less-than-subtle hint, Victor replied, still walking out: "I'll be sure to, sensei!"
After landing on Roku's island later that week and getting the merchant all the way to his particular destination on the island, Victor slung his payment, in the form of a pair of hook swords, onto his back in an "X" such that the handles were each accessible over opposite shoulders.
After wandering the streets for a short while, he found a decent inn to stay at and arranged for a room for himself. He then told the innkeeper that a friend had recommended finding Lon Feng's tea shop, and asked him if he knew where to find it. After getting directions to it, Victor struck out, wandering a bit as he went (mostly just to explore, but partly because it isn't exactly normal for an outsider to know where they were going within a new city so soon after arriving).
He finally got to the tea shop, walking up to the counter and asking for a jasmine tea, placing a handful of coins on the counter before going upstairs to the balcony seating looking out across the street. While waiting for his tea, he stared out absently over the street, smiling as he saw the dragon that seemed to be graffitied onto a building on the other side. After his tea came, he sat, drinking it as he watched the fairly homogeneous crowd until a woman (an airbender, by the way she held herself) walked by, looking almost perfectly out of place, as though she was very talented at looking like she didn't know where she was going, right up until she stopped to inspect the painted dragon. After a moment of what appeared to be some internal deliberation, she stepped into the painted building, just as Victor sipped at the last of his tea.
After returning the cup to the front counter and thanking them for the tea, he wandered across the street, walking into the building just a few minutes after the airbender woman.
"Hello?" he said as he crossed the threshold, closing the door behind himself. "I'm supposed to meet some people, and I get the feeling that it's supposed to happen somewhere around here."