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The waterbending master
Some days after his first visit to the Waterbending School, Tahno had been accepted as a student of Master Mowanza. They had to check if his father could pay for his fee; many times a person could get into the school and after the first payment was behind the corner, they could left assisting to the classes.
He entered to the classes for beginners; most of his classmates were grown men, it was said that this was the only school to teach you from the basics even if you were an old man.
"Welcome to your first class of waterbending for beginners; I am master Mowanza and from today on you will call me like that,"said the old man that was teaching the first time Tahno visited the building.
"First of all, I am not here to be your counsellor or moral guide, so any problem you have in your life just leave it out of the dojo, " he pointed to the door with his thumb.
"A waterbender's power comes from their internal life energy. Their power is connected to his or her present emotional state. If an inexperienced waterbender like all of you were to lose his or her temper, their waterbending force is intensified, but in turn, control is lost," he stated this with a serious voice tone "And all of us know that we don't want an accident caused for your inexperience so, if you feel that you can't just forget your life here, then don't attend to the class there won't be a problem more than loosing a lesion you paid for," he waited for an answer and his students just nodded in agreement of his policy.
"With that stated, please use the badge the miss is going to give you"
A woman entered the room and had some badges which she handed to the students. They attached them to their clothes with a safety pin. The teacher thanked her and she left.
"Let's begin with our first class,"the old man clapped to attract the attention of his students. They quickly straightened their backs and paid attention to the man.
"Water is a dual element, for a moment it can fade your thirst and the next it could drown you ending that way with your life. The same happens with waterbending, whose strength was its great versatility. "
The old man made a calm movement with a round pattern and abruptly, he broke a vase with a water whip. The children who were attending looked at it with amazement and even the adults too, all of them clapped to the display of their teacher.
Tahno was in the middle of the classroom; in front of him was a tall and bulky man so, he had to crouch to actually watch the class. From his field of vision, he could see that behind his master, there was the child he met when he entered stealthily in his first visit.
Said child was crouching too, behind a folding screen with northern tribe patterns; and when he noted Tahno's gaze, he grinned while putting a finger in his lips, indicating him that he didn't wanted to be discovered.
What a weird person, he said that master Mowanza was his uncle, yet he doesn't want to be actively in his class. Tahno wondered what could be the reason behind this person behaviour but was quickly scolded by his teacher.
"Number five, what are you doing?" the old man was crossing his arms and frowning.
Thano stood up and straightened his back "Nothing sir, Ah was paying attention to the class, but dis man is between my field of vision, "he said it trying to take his attention from the child behind the paper wall.
"Number one, go in the back; nine go to five's place and five goes to one's position," they moved to where he told them.*
Once the waterbender boy moved to the front line, he noted something that he hadn't noted before; in front of them there was no water recipient like in the other class. The only recipient was in front of his teacher feet.
"Well, interruption aside, the first thing you must master are the movements. I won't teach you with water until you master the movements of your body; usually it will take you more than a week to achieve it so don't desperate and persevere. "
They were emulating the movements of his teacher for hours, with small interludes and it was to grab some water from their backpacks to quench their thirst. Most of the movements were focused in relaxing the body.
After they ended the training, he ordered them to clean the dojo under a "Cleanliness is a part of the responsibility of the students. It is a discipline. No one should not participate in the cleaning duties."
He told them that they had no janitor in the building and that the cleaning of it was up to the users of the place. Even he cleaned and maintained in good condition the dojo.
\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/ \/\/\/
All the students were now in the lockers taking off their dampen clothes and packing their belongings. When Thano was leaving the building, he got a glimpse of Iwatake, who was now in the classroom imitating the movements of the teacher all by himself.
Today was the free day of the waterbending boy, so he decided that he would start the chat between them. The first time they met was during a class of master Mowanza and there he learned that the movements he was teaching were actually effective, after the session ended he lost track of this child and decided to go home.
"Heya, howya doin?" the child stopped his training and turned to see the boy.
"Tahno, ah thought that you were already out the building, do you wanna train with me?"the child asked with an amiable voice tone and indicated him to enter the room.
"Ah don't tink so, Mr. Lau is gonna get angry if ah am late for my shift in the drugstore. But ah have a question for you," he said it directly and without a flinch.
"Shoot it, pretty boy" the child made a pistol-like movement with the fingers.
Ah don't like to be called like dat and less for a boy. The boy had a disgusted expression in the face and said: "Why aren't you in your uncle class? You were hiding back dere," the waterbender boy pointed to the folding screen "If he is such a great teacher you surely are the most skilled among us so, being in the class is useless for you, isn't it?"
The look of Iwatake saddened a little and after sighing he answered: "Ah am not a waterbender, uncle is a master of waterbending and even mom is a healing master. But ah love how he moves, and when ah move like him it just feels right," the voice of the child was enthusiast but couldn't hide the longing behind them.
"Oh," the boy didn't knew what to say 'Sorry for your loss', 'Maybe it hasn't awakened yet' or 'Being a bender isn't all in the world, nor such a big deal.'
"Maybe you took after your father," was all what he could manage to say.
"Indeed, ah took after my father or dat's what ah want to tink."
Safe, ah must not ask embarrassing questions again. The lack of tact of the boy was one of his worst traits.
"Ah must leave, Mr. Lau is waiting for me," the boy started to walk away while pointing to the exit.
"Take care," Iwatake waved at him and had a smile in the lips yet he was frowning a little.
\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/ \/\/\/
Almost a month has passed since the first training session in Mowanza's school yet nobody had passed to the real waterbending class. The students were cleaning the dojo.
"Discipline," one of the students said with a mocking tone "He is just stingy. We pay him for his services and he just made us move like a mime!" he thrown a rag inside a bucket angrily.
"Yeah, Ah bet that he doesn't have a method to teach, the next week Ah won't be here to clean the mess of other people,"said another.
And dey call themselves adults? What a rotten person is the one who talks behind another. The waterbender boy acted as if he hadn't heard anything of their chat and continued to clean the floor with a cloth.
"Dude,"said the bulky man that was in front of Tahno at first "Don't talk shit of the master, he is the cheapest of the area and the only one who has the patience to teach from the beginning to grown men like us."
"And dat's what angers me the most, we are adults and we are treated like children," the first man who complained pointed in Tahno's direction.
"But we need to know the basics," answered the bulky man "Furthermore, didn't dey tell you dat when you came the first time?"
"Ah will tell him dat ah wanna a change of class of the refund of my money,"said the first man.
"Do it and tell us what happened,"said the second one.
/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\
Tahno was leaving the building when he spotted a crowd in one of the classrooms. They were in the door and shouting at somebody.
"Where is your confidence now?" said one of them.
"Dat happens when you want to complaint against Mowanza's teachings!" shouted a teenager girl.
Just keep your way and not pay attention to them. Tahno had to resist the temptation to look what was happening for he had to arrive to his job quickly, his boss didn't liked when people was late to their appointments.
"Hi dere," the boy turned to see Iwatake near a wall.
"Hi, Iwatake," he started to walk slowly to the entrance but was stopped by said child.
"Come here, you won't wish to miss dis fight,"the child dragged Tahno by the hand to a door and opening a loose board of the wall, entered to the room and closed it.
"You know, Ah need to get to my job or father is going to be angry at me,"complained the waterbender boy but couldn't do anything for he was already behind the folding screen used by his companion as a hideout previously.
"Don't worry, Ah'll walk you dere after the fight ends,"the child crouched and watched the dojo "Come here, the best part is going to start," the child called Tahno with the hand and he crouched too.
"Dat man, he was the one who complained before!" said the waterbender boy.
"So you where dere? Ah only know dat he stared to insult my uncle and then challenged him to a waterbending fight, the old man agreed,"the voice of the child was almost a whisper but could be understood by the boy.
"Seriously? Ah thought dat he was so coward to even ask him to change him to another class. "
"Shh,"the child put a finger in the boy's lips to mute him.
"Do ya tink dat Ah'll be soft with ya for being an old man?!" shouted the challenging man.
Both men were fighting with the water that was inside two pots. The strategy of the teacher was only to dodge the attacks of the young man. The man who complained was now launching some water whips to the northern old man.
"Not bad, not bad, but you lack experience and technique!" the teacher took the water launched at him to redirect it to his opponent in shape of a fog that engulfed him.
The next moment, all the youngster knew was that he was hitting a wall thanks to an ice covered punch from his teacher.
"Let's stop this before you get hurt," the man offered his hand to his challenger to lift him up, which he took and tried to freeze it in a tricky move.
The water that was an ice punch before was now a deadly set of ice claws that were pointing to the throat of the tricky man "You have a thousand years left to actually make a fool of me, now leave the building before I get serious."
Ah've seen dese movements in the TV before. The mind of Tahno wandered
The young man squealed in terror, he had been defeated in no more than a minute and the old man wasn't even sweating. He left the building at once and never returned even if he had a deposit to claim there.
When the other students left the room, the teacher spoke: "Get out of the folding screen, kiddo."
"You found me, uncle," the child got out from the paper wall.
"And you too, number five, did you thought that I was so stupid to not notice you even the first time you sneaked in to one of my classes?" he was serious but not angry.
"Sorry for spying in your class, sir, it won't happen again," Tahno seemed to be ashamed of his behaviour and didn't dare to look at the man to the face.
"Don't worry, I will take that day as your free class, furthermore Iwatake seems to be friendly with you."
Tahno was surprised by the old man's words; he was clenching his teeth because he thought that he might be slapped or something like that, as his father usually does when he gets angry. Yet, the man only touched his nephew head and smiled.
"Ah don't want to be rude, sir, but ak must take my leave," the boy bowed and left the room.
\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/ \/\/\/
After a while he was running in the streets, and then he heard some hard steps behind him.
"Heya again!" saluted Iwatake with a careless voice.
"How did ya catch me and what are ya doin' here anyways?" the boy asked a little rushed.
"Uncle sent me to buy the dinner, then ah remembered dat you mentiones a Mr. Lau as your boss which, by the way, is the owner of the place uncle sent me; he said dat dere was the best dryed sea prunes in the town," the child kept his pace with the boy which wasn't difficult for they were almost the same height.
"Well, it is not that impressive but it tastes fine," they were now close to the shop and were slowing their pace.
In front of the drugstore was a truck discharging some boxes, the style of the place shouted "Earth Kingdom" in every aspect; from his green coloured walls to the brown lamps made of paper.
"Tahno, you are late, father is gonna be angry with you," said a lad with brown hair, tanned skin and gray eyes.
"Ah know dat already, Ming, but this nut brained is the one to blame, tell him all your complaints and let me do my job," answered the waterbender while knotting an apron and walking to the boxes.
"Tahno, you are again late!" shouted an adult version of the lad.
"Ah am sorry Mr. Lau, it won't happen again; ah was stuck at the school making some chores," the waterbender knew that it was the worst excuse, him attending to that place wasn't obligatory to begin with and his boss had told him the same many times.
"You must stay until night for the inventory; that's your punishment," said his boss before leaving the shop.
"Hey pretty boy, sorry for getting you into trouble,"the child tried to apologize but was stuck with an icy-cold gaze.
"Just take your groceries and leave, please" the boy was furious, he was going to be late at home and maybe his father was going to be drunk around that hour.
"Fine... then ah want four bags of dryed sea prunes and one bag of jasmine tea," the child was speaking shyly, he was walking over very thin ice.
Thano searched for the items and after putting them in a paper bag, handed them to his client "It's going to be 50 yuans," he extended his hand asking for the money.
"You didn't have to be rude, take,"the child paid for the items and took the bag.
"Ah will be getting at home almost at midnight for you, you have no right to ask for politeness," the waterbender was pouting.
"Ah swear dat it won't happen again,"there was guilt behind the child's voice.
"Good to hear it now leave, your uncle is gonna be angry if you slack," said playfully the waterbender.
"You have the mouth full of truth, if you don't want to go home alone, ah'll be here when your shift ends," offered the child.
"Ah don't need that a non-bender younger than me takes me home, furthermore your uncle is going to be angry like a dragon if you were out that late in the night," said the boy.
"Ah have one of two tricks under the sleeve, don't take me like a fool," the child blinked and walked backwards to the exit.
"Don't be silly and leave right now!" shouted the boy while moving the hands indicating him to go out.
"Se ya tomorrow, pretty boy!" Iwatake ran to the door and left the store.
"Stop calling me like dat, you nut brained!" Tahno was waving angrily his first in the child's direction.
Well, this was the second chapter and I am surprised that I have it almost a week after the first one, usually it takes me eons to have inspiration to write for the story always is already complete in my mind.
Like always, thank you for reading it and please leave a review; even torches are welcomed.
Se ya until next Sunday!
*They were arranged like this
01 02 03 04
05 06 07 08
09 10 11 12
And now they are like this
05 02 03 04
09 06 07 08
01 10 11 12
Posted: 10/28/2013