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#Post#: 410928--------------------------------------------------
Re: The Earth Kingdom
By: Akira Date: September 19, 2020, 1:55 pm
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Akira took off into the night. He traveled without clear
purpose, or direction, but he kept moving even so! After several
hours, he made his way out of the forest, mapping out his
direction based on what he could see in the trees. He pushed
himself to find shelter, but even traveling at top speed through
the night, the sun began to emerge before he made it to his
destination; A wall, that surrounded a massive city!
As he arrived, he realized he hadn't eaten since arriving on the
mainland! He spent a full day hiding out in that cave, and
pushed himself traveling all night! It was only then, that he
realized how weak he was! He needed to find food! But surely, a
city as large as this one had some form of currency, and he
would have none of it! He passed out in the street before he
could think of an answer! It seemed the mainland was not kind to
him...
#Post#: 410961--------------------------------------------------
Re: The Earth Kingdom
By: Dems Darkfire Date: September 20, 2020, 1:25 pm
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Xo found the twilight hours the most peaceful time. After the
sun had turned the valley into a dimly lit nightscape and the
moon was on the horizon, Xo would nudge the animals off of his
body and stand up. He started by feeding the animals their
dinner in a large trough in the middle of the field. He refilled
their water and gave pats to the larger beasts. Xo returned to
the training ground and began his own practice. Each of his slow
movements reset damage that had been done during the day. The
fissures erased, the practice dummies once again became whole,
and the boulders sunk simply back into the earth.
At the end of his movements, Xo inhaled deeply and exhaled
slowly as he brought his feet together and folded his hands over
his head. As he brought his hands down slowly towards his chest,
he felt the earth of the arena pack tighter under him. It sunk
just deep enough to once again be distinguishable from the rest
of the training area.
Xo released his concentration and took in one more long breath
before releasing it curtly through his nose. His bushy mustache
bent with the forceful wind and Xo would return to his home and
make his own food, carefully pack his bag, and take time to
light a candle in front of an old photo. He bowed his head and
said a small prayer then remained silent for the longest time.
He ended with blowing out the candle.
Xo would roll his massive form into the custom sized bed that
sat in the back corner of his home. It did not take long for the
creatures to creep in and join him. They jumped up into the bed
and curled in against and on the giant man. Xo lulled off nearly
instantly.
----
Morning typically hit Xo’s house earlier than those in the
walls. It was his alarm, along with the gentle call of the
creatures who stirred oddly early. Once sunshine sprinkled into
the fields it would cast shadows of the creatures already moving
about. They woke him this morning. The small herd that had
crawled into the bed began to chase each other around his
sleeping body, trampling over parts of Xo including his face and
groin. The old man woke with a forceful yawn and an OOF.
The creatures took off once they knew he was awake and ready to
go. Xo groaned and rubbed his large bald head where a few of the
beast had kicked him in his sleep. He stretched the sleep from
his muscles and stood, moving around his curtain and grabbing a
half of bread that he had left on the table. Xo would eat the
bits of bread with some sort of dried meat, drink down a large
glass of liquid, and then pick up his pack and walk out of the
home.
He was met instantly with the sight of his pupil and a grin
spread across his face. A bulking hand raised up on rubbed the
sleep from his good eye. “Good to see you, Iyah.” As he said
this, the top of his pack moved and lifted and about eight eyes
peeked out from over his shoulder and at Iyah. “Shall we get
moving? We’ll need to make it into the main city using the rail
line and then take the main rail to the station outside the
capital.” Xo pointed towards the river and nodded “The station
is inside the walls.”
#Post#: 410995--------------------------------------------------
Re: The Earth Kingdom
By: Trinity Date: September 21, 2020, 5:41 am
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“We’re finally going past these walls?” To say she was
astonished would be an understatement, the excitement twinkling
in her golden gaze as she stares ahead at the river in
bewilderment. The feeling of meeting and walking into a new life
buried any sign of sleep that might’ve still lingered and the
run had left her cheeks glazed over with a pink hue. She didn’t
care for the messy waves on her head as she nodded in response
and began walking side by side with her master. Throughout the
walk, she’d look up at the lilac sky, enjoying the colours the
morning dusk offered.
The most beautiful painting was the one above them.
Often times, Iyah would lose herself in the night sky, counting
the stars that surrounded the moon, like children nestled around
their mother. They never strayed too far. But there were some
that flew away. She would think of the multitude of reasons why
a star would want to escape the night sky. Maybe it was
banished. Maybe the mother star threw the child away. Maybe it
wanted to explore a different world. Her thoughts carried her
back to her own childhood.
Iyah hadn’t gotten to live as a child. This world had a funny
way of throwing people into the dirt and she found out quickly
that being nice didn’t get you anywhere, so she grew up without
the love of a mother, and the guidance of a father, that is
until, she had found Xo. Perhaps that was why she had bottled so
much resentment in her tiny form. She didn’t like animals, nor
company, or too much noise for the matter. Shouting reminded her
of how she got scolded in the streets when she was younger. The
older men would spank her when she tried to steal from them and
she would go days without food.
And that’s why, above all else, she loved food.
Her train of thought drives off onto a far distance as she comes
back to earth, the thought of food setting her stomach off with
a grumble. She had only drank some water, the liquid swishing
around in her stomach as she looked over at Xo, watching a grin
split his face as his laugh rumbled the earth around them.
As they continue throughout the rocky terrain, she can’t help
but be mesmerised by the high walls that surround them, the
chill of the morning creeping into her garments, thankfully, her
natural body heat protected her from the cold. Though she had
grown up in the earth kingdom, there were still parts unknown to
her, given its huge size, however she wasn’t at all surprised by
the new faces, as there was a multitude of cultures and people
from different cities that came to reside here.
The hustle and bustle of everyday life was a blur before her
eyes as the smell of warm fried food finds her nose, her senses
coming alive. Xo turns to her instantly, his brows stern.
“Well, you know what they say about travelling,” actually, she
didn’t know, but before he could ask she dashes over to one of
the food stalls, ordering a thing of friend dumplings before
stomping back to her master, chewing away savagely at the dough,
to get to the pork. As the taste ignites on her tongue and her
stomach stops protesting, she continues alongside him, listening
to him educate her about the place. Usually when he did though,
unless it was about new techniques and fighting, the words went
in one ear and flew out the other.
#Post#: 411038--------------------------------------------------
Re: The Earth Kingdom
By: Dems Darkfire Date: September 21, 2020, 3:47 pm
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“Past these walls, onto a monorail, and into the inner ring of
the main city. There we will catch the monorail to the capital
city. Or just outside of it. When we became the earth nation, we
decided to connect with the outside world more and so, we build
the rai…” As Xo was explaining the history of why the monorail
had come to be and how it connected Ba Sing Se to the capitol
and so on, H noticed his pupil’s gaze had almost glazed over as
they stared into the multicolored sky. He continued on with his
lesson as they walked along the path to the main road, but knew
that much of the information was just background noise for what
was above them.
They walked the main road for a short while before coming to the
gates of the outer wall. The guards noticed Xo approached from a
good distance and had opened the earth of the wall to let him
pass through. They seemed the only travelers on this road today.
Walking through the gate brought them into the wall itself. It
was dimly lit but they had enough curtesy to open the path a
little wider for Xo. They had a habit of forgetting his size,
and often the old man found his back to be hurting when he
exited because of how crouched he had to walk to make it
through. But as they reached the other side, the two would walk
directly into a small market area complete with food stalls and
other vendors. Farmers selling wares, fruits, and other varying
foods called out to each passerby.
“We are now in Ba Sing Se. At least… A small ‘town’ in the
agricultural district of Ba Sing Se. The city is itself is
further away. This ring provides all the food needed to feed Ba
Sing Se an….” He turned his bushy eyebrows toward his student
just as he was interrupted. ‘Well you know what they say about
traveling’ “No. Wha…” Xo Found himself speaking to the air.
Iyah, he knew, had followed her nose and listened to her stomach
the moment that they had entered the small market. He grinned
once more and let out a large laugh that turned many people’s
heads towards the massive man. But everyone who looked from the
earth kingdom knew exactly who he was. Many waved and he
returned their welcoming gestures. A few even approached and
offered him items, but Xo simply refused anything they brough to
him. “Give to the less fortunate you see in my stead.” He placed
his hands on his hips and puffed his chest.
It wasn’t long before Iyah returned and he gave her another
large grin. “Filled up now?” She would nod and they would
continue on their journey toward the station.
Xo’s favorite view came when they exited the market area on the
other side and from the little hill they where on, there was
nothing but painted fields of all different crops as far as they
eye could see. Each field dotted with a place where the Barn and
homestead where placed. The sun just rising over the far wall
cast a surreal light against the farms and irrigation system
that made the whole view feel unreal. A painting in its own
right. Xo would stop a moment and just stare out into the
fields, his right eye open with the sun gleaming against the
emerald green. After a few seconds he would guide his student
toward the station and they would board the monorail for the
inner wall.
On the rock and earth rail that raised from the ground sat a
very stable looking cart also made of earth. It had seats and
windows on the inside, but at the front and the back were two
burly looking men standing on a small platform. Xo pointed to
each one and nodded “These men move the cart from station to
station. Pay attention to their technique, you may learn
something new.” Xo took a seat near a window on the right side
so that he could enjoy the view of the fields some more. Xo went
so far as to set his pack in the seat next to him as he pointed
to the left side across from him and spoke at his student.
“You’ll want to take that side. Once we get closer to the city,
that will provide you with a better overview.” As soon as they
took their seats. Xo would continue on with his lessons about
the Monorail and the farmlands and a myriad of other history
subjects as they skirted noiselessly across the earthen rail and
towards the main city.
Xo barely stopped talking the whole ride, only to answer
questions Iyah might have had about the conductors’ techniques
or, on the rare occasion, a piece of history sparked enough
interest for her to ask about it.
It took them around 45 minutes to cross the agricultural
district by rail “Before it could take hours or days to make it
from the outer wall to the main city. But the expansion of the
rail system has brought access to many more people.” The cart
dipped down and then, as it rose back up, went into the wall
just feet below the top. When they exited on the other side, the
whole city was on display for Iyah outside her window. It was
still early, so the streets where not as packed as normal, but
the bustle of the city never ceased. Stalls would be going up,
people would be rousing to get to their jobs, and the tightly
packed buildings all the way up to where the third wall once
stood gave a glorious view. One could almost see what was once
the inner ring from where they where on the rail before it
dipped back down into the city streets, rolling by stalls,
shops, and many houses before the cart came to a stop at the
station.
Xo stood up first and threw his pack onto his back before he
bowed to both of the conductors. “Thank you, gentleman, for the
safe trip. Be well on your return.” He spoke to each and then
exited the Cart with Iyah. The city now sprawled out before
them. There was no telling how far it went on because the
buildings did not give a clear view of what was behind them.
“Iyah. Welcome to Ba Sing Se.”
The large man would notice just down the street from their
position a small crowd had gathered. Xo could almost hear their
whispers about a strange person and the boisterous man would
take it upon himself to check it out. “Iyah. Let’s make a detour
and see what this is all about!” Xo would speak as he had
already begun to walk towards the source of the commotion. Once
they where close enough, Xo would let out one of his signature
laughs and people seemed to part for the man, “Friends and
Citizens, what have we have… here?”
Xo looked down at the collapsed person. White hair, darker skin.
Xo instantly thought of the water tribe but the white hair threw
him. But this was no time for talking to himself! The powerful
earth bender would lean down, take hold of the back of the man’s
shirt, and with what looked like minor effort, lift the 5’11”
person off of the ground and up to eye level with his fully
standing form. “Excuse me, new friend. Are you alive?” Answer or
no, Xo would lower the man so that just his dangling toes could
touch the dirt as he turned toward some of the gawkers. “If
someone could bring me some water and maybe a few pieces of
bread.” Some nodded and obliged, running off to fetch the items
for Xo. Xo would return the man to eye level and check for signs
of life once more. “Well, you’re not dead.”
Xo would lift his toes and bring them back down onto the ground,
lifting a small spire of earth off to the side of the street. He
would twist his foot and the spire would spin and sink back down
to form a chair of sorts. Xo would place the stranger into the
chair and stand over him as they waited for the items. The man
cast a long shadow over the stranger as he pondered what to do
with them.
#Post#: 411065--------------------------------------------------
Re: The Earth Kingdom
By: Akira Date: September 21, 2020, 9:22 pm
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"Huh?"
Zico opened his eyes, but his vision remained blurry. As he
tried to gain his composure, the image of a large, hulking man
appeared before him. Was he, being held up? Instinctively, he
broke free of the man's grip, leaping backward and drawing the
blade from his belt.
"Who are you?!" He exclaimed!
But before he could even receive an answer, the blade hit the
ground, and he fell forward into the man's chest once more.
Moments later, he sat in a makeshift chair on the side of the
road. It seemed to be attached to the ground. Where did it come
from? Quizzical eyes examined the chair, but were quickly pulled
away when a citizen in green clothes brought him bread and a
glass of water.
"Thank you." He said calmly. He scarfed down the bread slowly,
and water as quickly as possible, before looking up at the large
man.
"Did you... Did you make this chair with Bending?" Stone
bending... That sounded so reliable, so permanent... It sounded
nice indeed.
After a few deep breaths, he looked up at the man, then over to
the girl who followed him, and back. "Thank you. You may have
saved my life... Do let me know how I can repay you!" He bowed
his head humbly, careful to maintain his balance. He wanted to
give himself a few more minutes to regain his strength.
#Post#: 411081--------------------------------------------------
Re: The Earth Kingdom
By: Trinity Date: September 22, 2020, 2:33 am
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As they continued on through the market and come to a stand at a
hill, which was like a cross section between a concrete jungle
and agricultural green fields as far as the eye can see, Iyah
seemed to focus more on their surroundings than the dumplings in
her hand, letting her arm drop to her side. Awe took over her
features, pupils dilating as honey eyes scan over the green
terrain. Crops, of all kind were harvested, but beyond that the
horizon, the way the sun was rising like a Phoenix ready to
devour the field was what added to the surreal panorama before
them. Even her master was stunned into silence, which was a
miracle in its own right because he was extremely chatty
otherwise.
“Wow.”
Just as the thought scatters over the borders of her mind, he
pulls her out of her trance and guides her to the monorail,
grimacing that the time on the hill was over so soon, instead,
opting to make a mental note of the place; she would force him
to bring her here in the future once more.
She thought the monorail would seem mediocre compared to what
they had just witnessed but she was taken aback and proved
wrong. The train itself, seemed like it was part of the earth,
moulded completely from the dirt beneath them. It blended
seamlessly with the earth below, as if it was one. As Xo began
to explain what the men did, she finally catches sight of them,
having been too busy falling in love with the architectural
design of the train itself to notice them. It doesn’t escape her
that the men were also large, not as large as her master, but
large in comparison to her. So, it took two men to move a cart
like this. It made sense, they weren’t the only passengers on
board; surely the weight of the people came into play when
moving such a vehicle?
She went to the left side as she was instructed to do so, taking
a seat but unable to look away from the two men. She watched as
they went through a range of similar hand motions, the train
beneath them coming to life with a rumble before setting off
smoothly. There was no disruption in the cart as it moved like
silk across the rails, her mouth agape as she continued to
stare. Yes, it was rude, but Iyah didn’t care. She continued to
study them throughout the whole journey, making mental notes of
the movements and motions they used, of how they needed to work
together to control the cart that most of what her master said
completely escaped her attention.
35 minutes later and the fields that surrounded them slowly
morphed into houses on the outskirts of the city, and 15 minutes
after that, they rode into the commotion itself. She enjoyed the
noiseless greenery more than the rush of the city but it was
exhilarating nonetheless to look upon new faces and new life.
The smell of stress vendors tickled her senses as the cries of
children caused her to turn away and look at her master. It
wasn’t even the busy hours and it was so loud, imagine this
place at noon. The thought forced a shiver down her spine,
grateful that she lived in the quieter portion of Ba Sing Se.
“We’re not staying here long are we?”
She could make out the amused smile beneath his moustache at her
question, watching as he thanks and bows to the men, mirroring
his actions before jumping off the train to walk beside him. As
he welcomes her to the city, she can’t help but turn her head to
take a good look at what stood before her. Mountains of
buildings stood high above them, tilting her head as far as it
could go but being blinded by the sun and forced to look down
once more. The city had a beauty of its own. The townsfolk were
shadowed over with sleep but as more people filled the streets
and worked in unity to set up carts and help one another, they
seemed to feed off each other’s energy, becoming more vibrant
and awake.
The crowd that was beginning to form peaked her attention
responding with a “yes” to checking it out, before following Xo
as he walked toward it. One thing she did love about her master
was his need to know things. She was a lot like him in that
regard.
As they walk through and the people make way for the boulder
beside her, her eyebrows furrow at the sight before her. A man
with white hair, and skin that was dark like hers. He could
almost fit in here if it wasn’t for the icy locks. As her
teacher lifts him out of his slumber and into the air, the shock
that ripples his features awake pulls a laugh from her throat.
Her eyebrows raise as he pulls the blade, but was let down when
he dropped it, taking his seat on the chair her master had
created.
He was ravenous, that much was clear because of how fast the
food had disappeared. After gulping down the water, she waits
for him to speak once more, trying to pinpoint his accent but
finding no luck. If only she had listened in that one history
lesson Xo had given her about the Air Nomads and Water tribes.
Perhaps then, she could’ve had a better understanding of where
this individual was from. No matter though, she would soon
learn.
She didn’t wait for her master to answer his question.
“No, he did it with magic.”
An amused look washed over her features but it was fleeting,
looking over at Xo and huffing her chest, before pointing to the
boy.
“He’s not dead. Can we go now?”
The crowd was beginning to get larger, and she was becoming more
annoyed, wanting out of the commotion as soon as possible. The
sooner they could get to the city, the sooner she would be able
to meet Xo’s other students. She had an ulterior motive. Not
only would she retrieve the missing part of the scroll, but she
wanted to test her own strength. She needed to understand just
how much she’d learnt the past few years, and she couldn’t do
that when she was one of the top students here. Iyah wanted to
train with new meat.
Mmmm, meat.
She crosses her arms over her chest, biting her lip as her
stomach grumbles again at the thought of some grilled beef.
#Post#: 411085--------------------------------------------------
Re: The Earth Kingdom
By: Dems Darkfire Date: September 22, 2020, 11:02 am
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The man he had lifted, it turned out, still had some spry in his
step. Though he broke from Xo’s grip, an impressive feat to say
the least, He once more found himself helping the man into the
chair when he nearly collapsed again. Xo Barely payed attention
to the sword the man had drawn. Xo waited patiently for the
water and bread to disappear and to be regarded by the stranger
here. He looked to Iyah to judge her reaction to the strange man
and he could see the same question in her eyes as his. Xo could
not be sure where this man hailed from.
As the stranger asked about the chair and where it had come
from, His student gave the stranger her normal response to such
questions. He turned his head to look at her, that large smile
on his face as he wiggled his mustache up and down.
Xo would demonstrate his ability some more by twisting his foot
against the ground and raising his palm towards his chest. This
caused a small pillar of earth to rise up slowly around the
stranger’s sword, taking it by the hilt as if to wield it. Xo
would then push his hand across his chest towards the other side
and the Small pillar would curve and offer the weapon before the
man for him to take. As soon as the stranger would place his
hand to take the sword, Xo would clench his fist and the whole
pillar would turn to sand and fall back into the earth at their
feet.
“One question at a time, Young man.” Xo threw his head back and
let out a larger than life laugh that echoed down the streets
seemingly endlessly. “I am Xo Zasro. Master Earthbender. The
fiery youth there is one of my students.” Xo bared his teeth in
a large grin. “I did make the chair with bending. Please do not
listen to my student about magic.”
Xo moved over to iyah and stood beside her, looking back to the
stranger as he shook his head. “Iyah. We simply can’t just leave
this young man here.” He let out another obnoxiously loud laugh
and went to pat her on the back in his usual style. “We are
sworn to help those in need. Or have you forgot your readings?”
Xo turned back to the stranger when he asked about repaying
them. Xo put his arm out, placing his palm flat facing the man
with his index finger pointed up. He would wag his finger at the
young man and shake his head. “No repayment needed, stranger. It
is what is required of me.”
#Post#: 411086--------------------------------------------------
Re: The Earth Kingdom
By: Akira Date: September 22, 2020, 1:05 pm
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Zico felt his strength returning as he ate. It was only then
that he truly noticed the amount of attention he had drawn to
himself! a crowd of people surrounded them, and even though many
of them had begun to drop off and go about their day, it didn't
change the fact that many people would now be familiar with his
features! This was an inconvenience that he had hoped to avoid.
When the girl made her comment about the chair being made with
magic, Zico's brow furrowed. He was in a new land, it wasn't
beyond the realm of possibility that magic could exist... But
the sarcasm was too thick in her voice for it to be the real
answer. That meant that in this land, this kind of bending was
so common that it went without saying! He was giving himself
away even more with his ignorance!
The large man demonstrating his bending once more, using the
land to return Zico's blade. He was so jovial, and trusting
toward someone who had pulled a weapon on him only moments
earlier! That certainly what Zico was used to...
"Ah Stonebending! Right. Must have hit my head on that fall..."
He said with a laugh. It was a long shot, but at this point, it
was no risk no return. He couldn't hide his presence here, so
the best he could do was try to make it seem like he belonged!
But then, the man introduced himself, and it took everything in
Zico not to grimace physically!
Earthbending!? Dammit!
There was no way his misnaming of the form would go overlooked!
The man and his student would know beyond the shadow of a doubt
that he didn't belong! But the old man didn't seem all that
bothered. He was just as friendly and kind as he had been before
Zico opened his mouth! And his apprentice didn't seem to care
for him one way or another. So perhaps it would be alright!
"I'm Zico..." He said, offering a smile as he extended his hand
to shake. He was practically a twig compared to Xo Zasro, but he
offered a firm, and strong shake just the same. When the man
refused his offer of repayment, Zico stood to his feet, offering
a proper bow this time!
"Then perhaps I could ask you for a job instead?" He raised his
head to look the man in the eye.
"If you're a great bending Master, then you must have a dojo,
right? Maybe I could clean for you! Or be a sparring partner for
your students! I'm no Earthbender, but I'm sure I could hold my
own!"
Zico couldn't believe all the risks he was taking today! Maybe
he really had hit his head! Fighting was the one way he was
almost certain to give himself away! but that didn't change the
fact that he had nowhere safe to go! If he could make himself
useful to the unusual man, perhaps his origins wouldn't cause
him trouble!
#Post#: 411087--------------------------------------------------
Re: The Earth Kingdom
By: Trinity Date: September 22, 2020, 2:10 pm
---------------------------------------------------------
Stonebending. He said it so casually and so surely, it not only
caught her attention but managed to stir suspicion in her honey
gaze. His correction didn’t numb the suspicion or chase it away,
only made it worse. There were so many tourists that visited the
city and were surprised with the multitude of tricks
earthbenders displayed but none tried to hide their ignorance of
it. It was okay that he didn’t know what it was, but why pretend
to know?
So many questions boiled in her mind and as her master refers
back to her reading, she groans in annoyance.
“We can’t help everyone, old man.”
The pat on her back jerked her forward so she was a few steps
closer to the boy. Her eyes scanned over his features and now
that she was in such close proximity, she couldn’t ignore his
blazing green eyes. Where are you from? Her brain screamed the
question but she stayed silent, pursing her lips together to
watch him go off on a tangent about working for Xo.
“He has enough animals for that.”
Of course, his animals didn’t clean and she knew that Xo would
take him in; it was his speciality. Taking in strays, like
herself, and moulding them to be great warriors. Same for his
beasts, she remembered when he told her how he had retrieved the
pets on his travels. He had a great deal of knowledge about
their world, the capital, the south and northern terrains of the
air nomads, the water tribes, the fire nation, surely he would
know where this stranger was from.
Sometimes, she didn’t like that he was all knowing. It was like
having your privacy stripped away. Stepping back so she was
standing next to Xo once more, she turned to the side so she was
facing him, not caring that the stranger, who claimed to be
someone that went by Zico, was in hearing range.
“He could be evil reincarnated for all you know, would you help
an evil spirit if he asked?”
She already knew the answer. This boulder she was trying to get
through to was a saint. He had probably done no wrong in his
life; she couldn’t even imagine it. It simply wasn’t in his
nature. For as long as she knew him, he had always helped the
less fortunate and always did it with a smile on his face.
Annoyed, she turns away and stomps over to another food vendor
on the street, asking for a seaweed wrap.
She contemplated going back but stayed by the cart and chomped
away on the food angrily, ignoring the owners eyes searing
through her like laser beams.
“What? You’ve never seen someone eat before?”
She thought back to what the boy had said about being a good
training partner. Considering he was telling the truth, he could
be useful. Fresh meat. Fighting him would teach her new
techniques, techniques that perhaps were particular to his land
and people, whoever they were and wherever he was from. Maybe it
wouldn’t be so bad to have him stick around for a while.
#Post#: 411088--------------------------------------------------
Re: The Earth Kingdom
By: Dems Darkfire Date: September 22, 2020, 2:47 pm
---------------------------------------------------------
Xo could not place it at all. This stranger’s accent. The way he
used his words and even went so far as referring to stone
bending. Xo gave a soft chuckle as the boy feigned to know what
he was talking about. But for as worldly as Xo was, he had
traveled to the poles and back seeking knowledge not many
obtained, he could not place this one in any of the tribes or
nations he had met. Which only served to increase Xo’s interest
in the man before him. Even the sword he carried bared no
markings Xo could recognize but some he did not.
“Yes. That was quite the fall you must have had. The roads
around here can be very dense.” Xo let out a stifled chuckle
from his closed lips.
But his eyes turned towards Iyah for a moment. “We can try. And
we can mourn those we were unable to help. Or be thankful others
followed our example and helped the troubled themselves.” He
gave her a large grin. “Otherwise, why set the example at all?”
He looked back to the young man. They always found him. The
downtrodden, the desperate, and the outcasts, the strays as Iyah
often referred to them. It was his first Dojo code to help those
in need. And so he always did. He never knew how they found him,
really. He often joked that a Spirit simply followed him and led
those in need to him. After the events of the revolution, Xo
often considered it penance.
His attention had floundered for a few moments but he snapped
back when the stranger had offered to work for him in the dojo.
Xo’s eyebrows lifted in surprise. A coincidence once again. But
his student answered before him. “Iyah.”
She turned to face him and continued on her rant about the
stranger, now known to Xo as Zico, and it wasn’t long before his
large grin turned to face her and his tone changed. “Iyah.” The
ring in his voice that was often comforting to many vanished and
the stern, deep, almost growling sound that left his mouth was a
rare sound to be heard from the light-hearted master. In
addition, Xo opened his eye and revealed the all-white iris of
his blind eye to her. It was a veiled threat all of his students
knew to take seriously. She responded by promptly, annoyed
marched over to the food vendor.
Xo turned toward Zico after returning his eyes to that happy
squint that looked as if the older man’s eyes were once again
closed. “Zico. I happen to be heading to one of my dojos in the
Capital City. If you are serious about your offer, I will not
refuse you coming with us.” His jovial tone once more returned
as he talked to Zico. Iyah returned with her food and ate in her
normal fashion. Xo often wondered how ferocious the girl would
be if fire had been her element. Something in him shivered at
the idea.
“If you are coming along, we have a rail to catch. The conductor
is an old friend, and I am sure he is growing tired of waiting.”
Xo laughed once more and sent the crowd away from them “Come now
good people, the Spectacle is over! Return to your duties and
have a splendid day!” Xo waved to each in turn as they parted on
either side to let the man walk through. He didn’t wait for his
student or Zico to follow as he continued on down the street.
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