The air was burdened with joyous emotion, the feeling of a new day, emanating from the gathered horde in this new landscape. Everywhere the eye travelled to was a group conversing happily and making friendly jokes. The most prevalent topic of conversation was planning, this is where we'll go and what we will do. This is what I hope to get but I'll settle for this. The emotions still had that naivety carried by someone yet new to something, exalting gains but entirely ignorant of the sacrifice they are bought with.

The mood of a mob though, is an infectious thing, even to the most astute of us. Which is why the day found Lukho with a hopeful outlook just like any other practitioner around. He of the Dried Sea even went as far as pulling out new combat garbs. This wasn't the discreet garments of deep ocean blue he was wearing on nights to reflected Sky. This was a uniform given upon entry to the sect, it had a specific rule accompanying it: to be worn during combat missions and today definitely felt like a day for combat.

The uniform was made up of a matte off-white leather vest atop a long sleeved top of a vibrant blue colour, the pants matched the theme with the boots they were tucked into breaking that continuation, those were a dark turquoise green matching the crisscrossing beads atop the leather vest. A purely decorative addition to the uniform that was to convey individuality than functionality. For a weapon he had a thin saber strapped to his left hip and a dagger to go with it. Lastly, for weaponry, he had throwing daggers which were a new addition to his arsenal, a skill he'd picked up in the decade he'd spent at the sect.

The man himself had approached the day with careful grooming, a blade taken to his sideburns leaving them thin and sharp as his blade, his hairline given the same treatment. The hair was braided into two horns flowing towards the back of the head. The hairstyle left an impressionable shape to his pointy chin and half-closed eyes. That, accompanied by his medium build had a strong presence to those around him.

Exiting his tent he found his companions waiting for him, Zuko was already dressed for the occasion, a breastplate and greaves and vambraces over leather. His trusty spear was with him as he carried his shield on his back. Asive, standing next to him, was vibrating with excitement. It was to be a monumental day today, a day for jackals and foxes and she had the smile and cackle to be considered kin.

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The day was not only about fighting but what they were fighting for. Stepping into the third peak was considered by many the first true step of a practitioner's path. The first two peaks were an awakening of the body and its polishing to ready it for the ascent. The second peak worked at this, teaching refinement to allow the body and mind to be familiar with absorbing chi and allowing it to make internal and external changes. The third peak was when a practitioner chose their path and the first undertaking was finding a focus to help channel and guide one's chi. Over time this focus would be assimilated into the practitioners body, becoming a sort of battery that would supply a finite amount of chi. It was imperative that a focus be a natural resource, one closely associated with a particular natural element, whether it started out an ordinary piece of wood did not matter as long as it is radiating chi. Over time it would be the practitioner's duty to add other properties to their focus that would become a definition of their Way. A water practitioner with a seashell for a focus can enhance it with properties of volume or weight depending on their needs.

The last of their company trundled into the clearing as they were beginning to get anxious, there was no set meeting time but it paid to be early, always. Lwazikazi looked more than ready for the expedition they were about to undertake, with boots suitable for moving through the verdant jungle as well as a large backpack filled with harvesting tools on her back. The spatial satchel bags they could afford had a limited amount of space which she was saving for the resources they were to come across. She would need all the free resources she could get to satisfy her pursuits as an enchanter and the jungle would offer her a lot that she would normally have had to buy or requisition through the sect.

Zuko, being the gentleman that he is, couldn't help but be concerned with the weight of the bag on her shoulder as he saw her struggling with the load and they hadn't even started their journey yet. He spoke up with genuine kindness from the heart, "I would help, Lwazi, but I'm overburdened myself." The man illustrated his situation with akimbo arms, his right hand holding his spear and his left empty.

"Why don't you help me by shutting up, Zuko!"

"Ouch. Shall we get to it?" Without waiting for an answer, Zuko turned around and started moving away from their temporary camp.