In the days that followed, Kahn frequently visited Kori's ho to spar with her.
They gradually beca much more familiar with each other.
Kori's bending was honestly average.
Although earthbending and firebending were completely different arts, and earth did naturally restrain fire to so extent, she was still no match for Kahn.
Because of that, the truth behind their so-called sparring sessions was simple.
They could only fight to a draw when Kahn deliberately held back.
Kahn had no interest in bullying the weak.
The real reason he wanted to spar with Kori was simply because her bending fascinated him.
After all, earthbending was one of the four bending arts, and it was entirely different from firebending.
Naturally, he wanted to study it properly.
Although Kori's mother was a much stronger earthbender, he could not just ask her to spar with him.
That would have been far too impolite.
So he could only pick on Kori.
"Ha… ha… ha…"
Kori lay flat on the ground, panting heavily and no longer caring about her image.
Her bangs were soaked with sweat and stuck stubbornly to her face.
Her damp clothes clung tightly to her skin, making her feel unbearably uncomfortable.
She looked completely disheveled.
Kahn had also broken a light sweat, but it was nothing serious.
He stood atop an uneven earthen platform, lightly hopped down, and walked toward her at an unhurried pace.
"I have to ask, this is just casual sparring."
"Do you really need to go all out like this?"
Kahn extended his hand to Kori.
She grabbed it without hesitation and used his strength to pull herself back up.
Then she bent over with both hands braced heavily on her knees.
Still panting, she spoke irritably.
"Hah… you're the one going all out, aren't you?"
"Couldn't you just let hit you once?"
Originally, she had not really intended to go all out.
However, even her heaviest attacks failed to so much as brush against Kahn, which made her incredibly frustrated.
As a direct result, she got completely carried away and quickly exhausted herself.
How could this deeply annoying person be so impossibly good at dodging, exactly like an agile lemur?
Uh…
Was that his fault?
Kahn simply spread his hands with an entirely innocent expression.
To be fair, although he definitely had not gone completely easy on her, he absolutely had held back.
Otherwise, Kori would not even be this physically exhausted, because the spar would have ended instantly.
Of course, a large part of it was also because he wanted to see more of earthbending's various unique applications.
After thinking for a mont, he offered so advice.
"Your attacks would be much better if they had more variation."
Earthbending was famously comprehensive and versatile.
It excelled at both powerful offense and solid defense, and it was very good at catching opponents off guard.
It could make spikes erupt violently from beneath an enemy's feet, or bury an opponent alive underground.
It could even turn solid earth into shifting sand, alter the terrain, or allow rapid movent by surfing along the ground.
The possibilities were endless.
Kahn's thoughts imdiately branched into countless possibilities.
In response to Kahn's sincere advice, Kori simply spread her hands helplessly.
"I only know these few basic moves."
"I haven't learned anything else yet."
"…Then I suppose that can't be helped."
That reason was simple, perfect, and completely impossible to refute.
But there was nothing wrong with it.
This was the normal progress expected of any young earthbender.
Not to ntion himself and Azula, even Zuko was already considered a highly talented firebender for his age.
On the other side of the courtyard, Kori's mother sat quietly in the shaded pavilion, watching them.
On the smooth stone table beside her were fresh fruits and sweet desserts.
Seeing that the intense spar had finally ended, the woman stood up, clapped her hands lightly, and smiled warmly.
"Alright, that's enough."
"I think you two should rest properly now."
After saying that, she walked confidently onto the ruined training ground and smoothly assud an earthbending stance.
Regardless of earthbending's lethal power in combat, its ability to reshape terrain was unmatched among the four bending arts.
After one chaotic round of practice, the entire training ground had been thoroughly ravaged by Kori.
It was almost unrecognizable.
There was a deep crater on the left and a massive chunk of earth jutting out on the right.
There was a wide depression in the front and a jagged protrusion in the back.
It looked as if it had just endured a fierce military battle.
Under Kori's mother's precise and experienced earthbending, the pitted and uneven ground was steadily restored.
In a very short ti, the entire training ground was as good as new, no different from its usual pristine state.
Kahn watched this casual display with great interest.
The deeply ingrained soul of a construction fanatic from his previous life imdiately stirred restlessly.
Such a wonderful and practical ability should be used for large-scale construction.
Building huge houses, unbreachable bases, and massive engineering projects with it would be incredible.
If it was only used for combat, it would be a profound waste of natural talent.
However, if he had to choose for himself, he would absolutely choose firebending.
There was no helping it.
Firebending simply looked much cooler.
Coolness was king.
Sitting comfortably in the shaded pavilion, Kori and Kahn happily ate sweet desserts.
They listened as Kori's mother proudly told them interesting stories and local customs from her hotown, Yu Dao.
Yu Dao was an incredibly interesting and unique city.
It contained not only loyal Fire Nation citizens, but also native Earth Kingdom residents.
Two completely different peoples lived peacefully side by side within one nation and one city.
This completely broke the tradition of separation between the Four Nations that had lasted for more than a thousand years.
The inheritance of bending ultimately ca from bloodlines.
Because of that, marriage within the sa nation had beco an unwritten iron rule in this world.
A firebender could only be with another firebender, and an earthbender could only be with another earthbender.
For thousands of years, only a very small number of brave people had dared to cross that iron rule.
And the sudden ergence of prosperous mixed cities like Yu Dao had completely shattered it.
Kori herself was the result of two completely different peoples breaking ancient tradition.
Her father was a loyal Fire Nation citizen, while her mother was a native Earth Kingdom citizen and a skilled earthbender.
Yu Dao had successfully combined the strengths of both the Fire Nation and the Earth Kingdom.
It was a vibrant colony, its streets bustling, its life abundant, and its prosperity obvious.
Even Kahn, simply listening to the description, could not help feeling a deep longing.
He thought he absolutely had to visit it personally soday.
At the sa ti, the subtle pride Kori's mother constantly revealed while speaking also made Kahn curious.
After all, Yu Dao had originally belonged to the Earth Kingdom, and Kori's mother herself was an earthbender.
Yet everything he heard from her was praise for the Fire Nation, which made Kahn feel sowhat awkward.
Perhaps Kahn's complicated thoughts unconsciously showed on his face.
Kori's mother quickly noticed and asked with a gentle smile.
"Is there sothing you want to say, dear?"
"Hm?"
Kori, with sweet food stuffed in her mouth and a pastry still clutched in her hand, also looked at him curiously.
"Uh, well…"
Kahn hesitated for a mont, then cautiously asked his question.
"I do have a rather sensitive question, and it might be very impolite, so please forgive ."
"Yu Dao was originally Earth Kingdom territory, and you are clearly a native earthbender."
"Do you and the other Earth Kingdom residents living in Yu Dao not want to return to the Earth Kingdom one day?"
"What do you an?"
"What exactly do we have to do with the Earth Kingdom?"
Kori tilted her head, completely confused.
At her young age, she truly could not understand such a complex political question.
If they were not familiar with each other, this would indeed have been a very taboo topic.
Even though they were fairly close now, it was still highly sensitive.
Fortunately, after spending so much ti together, Kori's mother had grown deeply fond of Kahn.
In her eyes, he was polite, well-behaved, diligent, and intelligent.
She often praised him to others and clearly saw him as the ideal child.
If Kori had not been thick-skinned enough, the two children might already have beco bitter enemies out of jealousy.
And after learning about Kahn's tragic background as an orphan, her fondness for him turned directly into pity.
She practically treated Kahn as her own son.
So regarding Kahn's sensitive political question, Kori's mother did not feel displeased.
She was simply surprised.
She had not expected Kahn to think so deeply about such a complicated issue at such a young age.
One only had to look at Kori beside her to understand.
The girl did not even know what they were discussing.
Perhaps Kahn's tragic life experiences had forced him to develop such mature thoughts at this age.
Thinking this, Kori's mother felt even more heartache for him.
Kori's mother did not avoid the question.
After thinking carefully for a mont, she answered sincerely.
"What you're talking about does exist, of course."
"But it mostly happens in newly conquered territories where the Fire Nation's military occupation has not lasted very long."
"At that stage, the citizens there still consider themselves Earth Kingdom people deep down."
"But the second generation receives Fire Nation education, modern ideas, and Fire Nation traditions from the mont they are born."
"They personally participate in building the city and make the colony prosperous with their own hands."
"Although the stubborn ideas of the first generation still influence them sowhat, the second generation is much more willing to believe what they can see with their own eyes."
"They trust that reality far more than the declining Earth Kingdom that exists only in their aging parents' bitter stories."
"And from the third generation onward, that loyalty becos even more deeply rooted."
Kori's mother gently wiped the sweet crumbs from Kori's mouth and smiled warmly.
"By little Kori's generation, Yu Dao has already reached its fifth generation."
"Yu Dao was built from nothing by the combined efforts of our family and all the other residents over countless generations."
"So even though I am an earthbender, there is no doubt at all—"
"I am a proud citizen of the Fire Nation."
Kori's mother's firm words carried deep confidence and pride.
That emotion was not baseless.
It ca from the efforts of her ancestors all the way down to the present day, and no one could deny that.
"I'm the fifth generation, so Mother is the fourth generation, right?"
"That's exactly right, my clever little daughter."
Kori's mother and young Kori teased each other playfully, laughing happily together.
After finally calming down, Kori's mother said to Kahn.
"If you ever have the chance in the future, you absolutely must co visit Yu Dao."
"We will certainly treat you well."
"I definitely will."
Kahn responded politely, but his mind continued to replay Kori's mother's explanation.
For a brief mont, he thought deeply about the complicated situation.
Forget it.
Stop thinking about it.
He was not qualified to worry about such massive political problems yet.
User Comments
0 comments from readers