Beifong Family!

After partying for a few hours with the Beifong guards and other tavern patrons, Xiao peeked outside to see it was about time he headed to the Beifong family residence. "Hey Ru Te! Can you show me the way to the Beifong's place!" Xiao shouted into the tavern.

Moments later the lead guard from before stumbled out, his face red from the alcohols. "Surrrrre Buddy! Whyyyyy Not~?" He said as he started stumbling down the street, gesturing for Xiao to follow.

Halfway the man collapsed and Xiao set him on the roof of a nearby building so he wouldn't get robbed or anything. He then wandered around for a bit until he saw the gate with the flying boat sigil on it.

"There you are." He muttered as he strolled towards the gate.

When he got there a guard greeted him. "Are you the 'Violet Bard?'" The guard asked. Xiao sighed. "Yes. Damn I hate this new name…" he said as he walked by. The guard laughed a bit before his faces turned serious again and he looked back towards the entrance.

"Hey!" Xiao yelled fr behind him. The guard turned around curiously, instinctively catching something that Xiao had thrown at him. When he looked in his palm he saw a silver coin.

He looked at Xiao gratefully. "Thanks man." He said. Xiao waved him off. "Don't worry about it. Get a drink or something! Tea is good too!" He said as he walked inside, being led by a maid.

The guard smiled to himself and pocketed the coin. 'Nice guy…' he though to himself happily. He proceeded to continue to guard his post, in a much better mood than before.

Xiao looked back and smiled cheekily. 'That should cure his boredom for about an hour…' he thought to himself as he entered the building.

"Ah! Xiao, right? Right on time! What a good habit to have for a bard!" A man said as he walked towards Xiao with a smile on his face.

Xiao smiled in return, bowing slightly in respect. "You must be Lao Beifong?" He asked politely. The man nodded. "That I am! I heard you were a master at playing the flute!" He said in return.

Xiao smiled. "I am good, I'll admit. But I am no master…" he said humbly. Lao Beifong smiled. "Good to hear! No listen. Today is a day where we will have a banquet hosting many of my daugher's suitors. Keep the music calm and relaxed. And not too loud as we do not want to interrupt any conversation. However, I will signal you when the dance is to start. When you see this, I want you to pick up the pace. The last song should be more slow and romantic. Got it?" The man said to Xiao on a business-like manner.

Xiao smiled and nodded.

"Don't disappoint me. We needed a musician and the ones we had booked originally had to cancel. Therefore you were our only option. Many important nobles are coming to this event." Lao Beifong warned him. Xiao nodded gravely. "I have experience with this type of thing, sir. Thank you for the warning though. Lao Beifong smiled. "I like you! Confident, humble, and polite! Would you like to work for me?"

Xiao looked shocked for a second debtors giving a wry smile. "Regrettably I cannot, sorry. I am only playing music to earn money. My real occupation is a soldier. I am currently on leave, given permission to study abroad by my master. Therefore I cannot sign a contract with you for I don't know how long I will be staying here." Xiao said politely.

Lao Beifong nodded. "What battalion are you in?" He asked. Suddenly his wife appeared next to him. A pretty woman with a more… mature charm. She whispered something in Lao's ear and a look of surprised appeared on his face.

"Oh! You're a fire bender! So you are in the Fire nation's army?" Lao asked, his smile slightly more strained than before.

"Yes. I am an Elite Solider in the Fire Nation army. However, I have been given leave due to my master's recent banishment." Xiao replied.

'The cat's out of the bag. Might as well tell the truth rather than lie… besides these people don't seem too bad.'

Crisp thought to himself. Both the Beifong's seemed surprised to hear Xiao's rank, becoming even more interested upon hearing of Xiao's master's banishment.

"Oh? So you are an Elite soldier? Quite young if I do say so myself. You must be quite good at bending!" Lao's wife, Xiao believed her name was Poppy, said.

Xiao nodded. "Yes indeed." He affirmed. "I have actually been working on an addition to my performance, though it includes Fire bending so I am not sure if you would be comfortable with it." Xiao added.

Lao Beifong seemed to think for a moment. "How about a demonstration? Will this room work? It is where the banquet will be taking place." He said, gesturing at the room they were currently in.

"Yes. This will be perfect. "Xiao replied, stepping onto his pre-prepared stage and raising the flute to his lips.

He started playing the flute, and as he did so a slow but joyful melody was heard. As his finger's moved to cover the various holes on the flute's surface, Xiao bender flames and sparks to come from them.

These glowing embers then started to spread around the room, dancing around and falling on the Beifong couple. They looked in awe as the flames turned into the shapes of various flowers and small animals.

The performance ended and everything exploded into mini fireworks. They both clapped excitedly. "It's perfect! Though we will have to warn the guests that there will be a fire bender performing!" Poppy said as she practically jumped up and down.

"Say Xiao, what is it you are traveling for?" Lao said to the boy as he came back to stand in front of the couple.

"To study the different elements and see the different bending styles around the world." Xiao replied right away.

"Would you work for me for one year as both an entertainer and guard? You will be paid well, say, one hundred gold coins in a year? On top of that I will add an additional offer as well. I will gather earth benders from around the Earth Kingdom to demonstrate their styles and train with you." Lao said as he stood there, thinking.

Xiao was surprised. 'One hundred gold coins?! I've never had that much money ever! Even all the money I've ever had added together isn't enough to compare to that?! And all I have to do is guard their family and perform on the flute?' Xiao thought, bewildered by the generous offer.

'I still will have around two years after this to go to the Northern Water Tribe…' Xiao thought to himself.

Finally, he gave into the temptation. "I accept. Such a generous offer is too much to refuse." Xiao said with a happy smile.

Lao Beifong looked at the boy and smiled as well. 'Elite Fire Nation soldiers are some of the strongest warriors in the world! On top of that, by the look fo this boy's flames he should be an exceptionally powerful one! With a guard like him, my family, especially my daughter will most definitely be safe! And judging by that performance, he is quite the musician as well! Having someone like that working for us is just Tom good to be true!" He thought excitedly.

Though the Fire Nation was unpopular right now, Fire benders being especially disliked, that didn't mean that other nations wouldn't hire mercenaries from the Fire Nation as guards or escorts. It was just against public opinion.

Just then the first attendee was announced, and Lao Beifong signaled for Xiao to start. "Save that fire-y stuff for the dance!" He whispers to Xiao as he went to greet the guests.

Xiao silently nodded and went to his podium, staring to play.

{A/N}

Hope you liked the chapter.

Thanks for the support. It's appreciated.

So Xiao is now a guard and musician for the Beifong family! interesting…

Still three years left until cannon.