Chapter 57: Can’t Fear Yourself (1)

Chapter 57: Can’t Fear Yourself (1)Chapter 57: Can't Fear Yourself (1)

*Swish*

Suki dodged the palm strike before agilely coiling her hands around Nik's arms and suddenly throwing him forward as his body flipped in the air, making him land on his back with a resounding thud.

"Ugh," Nik groaned only out of pain and not frustration as he soon stood up. His actions made Suki scoff in dissatisfaction.

"How come you never get tired? I believe my attacks should be hurting."

Nik silently raised his guard. He wasn't as proficient as Suki and he had learned it early to not enter into a mindless conversation when focusing on learning how to defend himself. The answer to the first question is simple. Nik is indeed a bit stronger than an average man despite his lankier physique and his point of the peak was also somewhat higher compared to others but Nik had a sneaking suspicion that it would be nothing compared to benders.

The answer to the second question is even simpler. He simply bore the pain.

Seeing Nik taking the spar seriously compared to yesterday, Suki lost her indignation at his resilience and simply counted her lucky stars for such a tenacious beating bag.

The spar lasted a few more minutes. The hand-to-hand combat is the last one in Suki's training regime with the combat of weapons just before this one.

"Huff, man I'm tired," Nik finally exhaled deeply, crumbling on the ground with his face soaked in sweat. It was only morning but they had been training for quite some time.

"You are a good learner," Suki smiled as Nik took out two towels from his space and handed one to Suki who sat beside him.

"I just have a good trainer-" Nik's expression froze for a moment before he coughed, "Teacher."

"What's the difference?" Suki inquired, not taking note of Nik's expression as she looked in front of her with a distracted expression.

"Trainer has the sole purpose of making you achieve the set goal by any means necessary... teacher just teaches."

"Well, then I would like to be a trainer because I'm not letting go of your potential."

"Do you like killing defenseless lizards?" Nik posed.

"What? No. Why would you even ask that?"

"Nothing... just bored," Nik mumbled. He, at least, had to confirm, right? Because half of the things Suki just spoke coincided with what Esta used to say. Still, the two relaxed next to each other while watching Katara train. She currently stood in the same stance for a few minutes while keeping a bob of water in front of her as steady as possible. A strengthening training, Katara called it. According to scroll, keeping a body of water in any shape as steady for as long as possible will refine their control, and given that the group wasn't anywhere near close to a pond or a lake, Katara had to make do with the small amount in her pouch.

*Wrshhh*

With a soft sound, the blob 'flew' back into Katara's pouch as she sealed the opening and sat down on the ground with a huff. Her expression was tired and she, too, was soaked in sweat. Just as Nik was thinking of handing Katara a towel, too, she exhaled deeply and moved her palms making the sweat on her body converge above the palm of her hands as it soon quenched the slightly dry land.

"That's... amazing," Suki blew. This was the first time Katara had done this.

"Thanks," Katara smiled and sprawled on the ground.

"Is it really so tiring?" Nik inquired.

"Well, yeah. I never felt this level of exhaustion but then again, I never trained as hard as I am doing now," Katara groaned.

It's been three days since their departure and their routine has been the same.

Once they caught their breaths, they got ready to move.

"*Psst* Hey," Suki pulled closer to Katara as Nik glanced at them and turned his attention away with his thoughts now stuck on the possibility of encountering any soldier already aware of their identity.

"Yeah?" Katara wagged her brows inquisitively.

"Can you do the same for me, too?" Suki coughed as Katara looked confused for a moment before nodding in understanding. Performing the same set of actions Katara pulled the sweat soaking Suki's clothes into another ball of fluid that she quickly tossed on the ground.

Katara nodded but both of their expressions froze and they looked in the same direction while seemingly unable to observe a wave of obscure mist that began to expel out from the leaves and trunks of the forest around them, Eve the grass under their feet let out streams of mist that began to collect around the trio akin to a fog.

Nik gaped as he gazed at the figure full of dignity and unbound prestige smiling at him, "Now, now... close your mouth sweetheart or you will make me blush."

---

"Spirits?" Aang cocked his head sideways as he pondered on Tom-Tom's inquiry. The two of them sat on the top spot of the palace with the entirety of Omashu spread for them to gaze at. The afternoon sun was harsh but the draft this high also made up for the temperature, not to mention Aang who could airbend and take care of these problems.

"Yes! Isn't Avatar like *whoosh* bending and meditating? I remember a few culture classes talking about myths of spirits, too! Can you talk with them?"

Faced with the barrage of questions, Aang could only scratch his head and continued to think, "Um... I was never really taught a lot about them. According to my caretakers, a man should meditate and understand himself. Understanding oneself will lead to enlightenment and then a man will be able to see the world for what it really is."

"No, no, I'm talking about spirits," Tom shook his head.

"Yeah, I meant, I don't know," Aang shrugged as the dark-haired boy groaned.

"Come on... you're like a cheap version of the Avatar! Did you know Avatar Roku could bend all the elements?"

"I can, too."

"Liar, all you know is airbending."

"Well, I need to learn other methods of bending."

"Oh..." Tom-Tom mumbled as he looked distressed for a moment since he knew what that meant.

"Did someone says stories about spirits?"

A quirky voice suddenly appeared behind the duo as a strange golem made of rock appeared out from the surface behind them.

"It's me! *Khnnk*!" Bumi waved, his figure now larger than ordinary men with everything but his face covered.

"Bumi!" Aang propelled himself slightly from the ground and Tom-Tom stood up, too, but his expression was dissatisfied.

"What's up, little guy. Don't like Great'Ol Bumi?" The old man cackled as Tom-Tom pouted, "You could have helped everyone! Of course, I don't like you... anyway, Mai says you're a boring old man who has succumbed to craziness..."

"Well... she's not wrong! Hahaha!" Bumi cackled as he tapped the ground and two seats of earth formed behind the two boys.

"Well, I have some time from my duties so maybe I should tell you two about a myth. If I recall correctly, 118 years ago, you told me that knowledge of spirits is considered dangerous to the minds not enlightened, right?"

Bumi looked at Aang as he nodded.

"Well! Today... I will tell you two about the Legend of the Lost Conqueror," Bumi smiled but his gaze was as eerie as it comes, making the two boys flinch.

"Lost... Conqueror?" Aang mumbled but the name did not come to any recollection.

"Yes, he is called 'Lost' because of a very good reason. His soul is said to have been trapped into the Fog of Lost Souls!" Bumi gestured the boys to sit as he began somberly, "In the legends, the Lost Conqueror was a man with great ambitions. But he was paranoid. He feared that his position will be taken someday. His fear was so great that any error in his eyes would be met with the final punishment..."

With that, Bumi began to reiterate legends about spirits and the two boys listened intently, not having anything better to do and soon grew enamored by the wealth of stories in Bumi's arsenal and his ability to earthbend the surface in front of them akin to a puppet show for greater visuals. But deep down, it also made Aang a little aggrieved at Bumi's visible reluctance to teach him earthbending.

Even in the past Aang hadn't heard of Earthbenders who could bend without limbs and this went to show how much of a freak Bumi actually was.

He had inquired Bumi about this but his answer was different every time. Only once did Bumi give somewhat of a sincere reply.

His words were simple, too—

My time has long gone.