During my time training with Tof, not only did I manage to teach her something new, but I also uttered many wise truths myself. Of course, these revelations concerned battles; earth magic allowed for the use of a myriad of powerful tricks to defeat the enemy, and throwing stones was only a crude but effective basic technique. The most effective technique was changing the landscape. If the action was not taking place at sea, then you had complete control over the battlefield. It was not even necessary to use the arena to attack the enemy!
If sand is about a subtle and dexterous approach, then earth is the ultimate destructive force in the role of an armoured tank. Few people came up with so many ways to surprise the enemy with forceful techniques, which I wasn't very good at, but Tof happily shared every idea, and in the evenings, while resting from training, she would start a conversation about cool and destructive tricks. At such moments, she seemed the most cheerful. I practised one of her techniques separately from all the others, because its power could help, even despite the fact that I was kind of a trickster.
The Qi instantly spread across a large area of our clearing, capturing and subjugating the entire ground and the stones beneath it. A tenfold response to a large explosion should have been terrifying, but more importantly, it should have destroyed the trees my opponent was hiding behind. With a swing of my weapon, I used a single thin iron fan to launch a wave of rising earth that took the form of huge hexagons. Like a water wave, they began to flow forward, grinding all the trees in their path into small pieces.
Before the horizontal landslide could reach the mage, the stones were unfortunately destroyed by a new explosion, leaving only huge elevations on either side, a kind of gorge, but now I could see my opponent perfectly. A real bruiser, a head taller than me, and not even an earth mage! The two-and-a-half-metre-tall giant was breathing heavily, his chest heaving, but his narrowed gaze never left me for a second.
The distance between us was only ten metres, just enough time to throw my sphere. And he would have had time to form an explosion and blow us both up, which I understood perfectly well.
"...So, whoever attacks first wins? - Still not opening my eyes, I could feel him shifting his fingers, like a cowboy in the Wild West, getting ready to shoot at the perfect moment. It's funny that we both rely on our third eye in this battle. However, my opponent was a little short-sighted; his third eye only allowed him to attack.
Spirit*
In the blink of an eye, a large cobblestone torn from the ground flew into the back of his head, causing him to stagger. At the same moment, I reached the mercenary and delivered a powerful blow that could have knocked him out. However, the iron hand in his way only made a metallic clang. He came to his senses catastrophically quickly and hung over me at full height. For the first time in my life, after all my training, I had to raise my head so high to look someone in the eye. His muscles were incomparable to mine, apparently pumped up from the inability to use magic in close proximity. And indeed, he could have killed most of the mages - deftly reaching for my neck, apparently to break it with one squeeze, he did not realise how his hand had become trapped in my iron grip.
"Huh?" Seeing my palm crush the prosthesis into a pulp, he opened his eyes. The next moment, the limb was gone, but the prosthesis continued to grind, unable to move. The prosthetic leg also began to twitch and quickly dropped to his right knee. The mercenary watched in horror as my hands roughly controlled such a solid object as if it were an ordinary doll.
Finally, deigning to open his eyes, he looked at this silent thing sprawled on the ground.
"I was planning to disappear from the radars of Zhao and the Fire Nation. I'm sorry, you'll probably never see them again... scum.
***
My dear enemy, who had shown all the charms of the wonderful magic of explosions, was now chained in shackles, with a very strong steel mask made from his own prosthetics. While the third eye on the mercenary's head was closed, it was safe to say that he would not be able to perform any tricks — even though he was capable of shooting his beams from anywhere, literally, but he could only control his abilities normally, without being blown up by his own power, by concentrating on his forehead, where a tattoo of unknown purpose was tattooed. Fully aware that Afka would be dying to know what all this was for, how the magic worked, and whether there were any other members of the explosive community, I began to search the unconscious body.
The mercenary kept all his belongings with him in an inconspicuous belt bag attached to his back. To my surprise, I found a couple of burn ointments, a sharp razor and a scroll of unknown purpose. I quickly unfolded the latter and understood why Sparky-Sparky-Boom-Man had been so slow to destroy my fortress.
Several letters, addressed, as I had suspected, to Zhao, were nothing less than extortion. More precisely, the mercenary had apparently been given orders to destroy Shen Guan, the payment had been made, but there was no information about killing all its inhabitants and destroying the second fortress. When most of the soldiers moved to an even stronger position, the mercenary realised that he could extort an additional sum. He mocked the inhabitants and at the same time corresponded with the Commander.
"Zhao almost agreed," I was surprised. He clearly did not want to spoil his relationship with such a talented mage and was probably planning to use him somewhere else. Well, it doesn't matter anymore.
Crumpling the piece of paper, I pointed my hand at the man in chains and, exerting a little force, lifted him into the air. Making another person literally fly was no easier than lifting myself into the air, but by clinging to bits of the ground, I managed it quite well. Returning to the fortress in this manner, I quickly realised that several surprised faces were staring at me. They were fire soldiers, who, logically, should have been kept locked up and away from such a dangerous place, but among them stood Suyuki, who blinked in surprise.
Everyone silently watched me as I walked towards the city gates. As soon as I entered, I threw the man in chains in front of the soldiers. The palette of emotions quickly changed, and the shock was diluted with pure hatred. They saw a man on whom they could vent their anger.
"You are magnificent, sand mage! - Baoqin, struck by your skill, stepped forward without exaggeration," - I have no words to express how I underestimated you, but... ha ha, you managed to defeat the best mercenary in the world!
The man raised his arms enthusiastically and ran up, kicking my captive in the stomach with all his might.
"Excellent! Dagoth, I apologise for everything I said to you, you saved us all! We will execute this monster right now, celebrate his death and lay the souls of those who died at his hands to rest. Guys, take this...
Without hesitation, I placed my heavy foot on the captive's body and glared at the crowd of jubilant soldiers who had rushed over.
"If anyone wants to kill him, they'll have to get past me first. The same goes for the soldiers of fire — I'm taking this man alive.
At that moment, the crowd froze. No, not just the soldiers, but also the captain standing nearby, who looked at me as if I had decided to make a stupid joke. Their frozen eyes said that no one had expected this. The people's reaction was easy to predict: standing before them was someone who had surely killed someone's family. But it was impossible to please everyone, just as it was impossible to pretend that the enemy's body had been buried somewhere under the rubble, which could have been done to avoid a confrontation. But any attempt to wriggle out of it would have counteracted the chakras that were already open and could have prevented the next ones from opening. There was only one way out: to arrogantly raise my chin and narrow my eyes threateningly.
"Are you kidding?" Baoqin asked me.
"I will make this man's life hell, but his fate will be decided by King Omasu, not you.
"This damn monster killed a dozen of my loyal soldiers!" Behind the captain, who was barely holding back, stood a group of warriors who were not in a friendly mood. "Look into their eyes. Into the eyes of those whose families were torn apart.
"And look into mine... and tell me, do you really want to do something stupid? - The situation could have ended any way... but at that moment, Suyuki came down and stood next to me, protecting me. Then all the other Kioshi warriors began to approach, first a couple, then the whole squad, surrounding the chained monster like a real prisoner of war.
"Suyuki, what about you...
"I agree with the Captain. This man must be killed... but I cannot stand by and let someone who has helped us several times be harmed.
"Fyur! - Afka, who had appeared near Suyuki, rubbed herself against the leg of the squad captain.
"Hmm... I suggest we don't escalate the conflict, but instead negotiate diplomatically," I quickly suggested not escalating the conflict after such a difficult situation and agreeing on a peaceful resolution, already imagining Anubis's choice, which would be to sever all ties with the local people. Moreover, Anubis said that the conflict could be resolved in a way that would leave everyone satisfied.
========== 19 - New image ==========
The need for revenge and justice could turn a crowd of simple, kind people into an unstoppable mob with a single desire: to punish the criminal. By defending the culprit of this celebration, I put myself at risk, my immediate reputation, which could have been ruined by a couple of bad rumours, and I could have lost my status as a popular figure who protects the people of Earth from the tyranny of the fiery nation in the blink of an eye. To prevent all this from happening, I agreed to participate in a meeting of Shen Guan's most influential figures. Right inside the castle, in front of the well-appointed throne room, where military maps and tables were set up, I stood with Captain Baoqing and Li Yu. It was hard to imagine that this was the entire command of a fortress, one commander and a girl about my age, but if I had said that out loud, it would only have upset them even more. Liya had already told me that she had been made Chief Architect not because of the favourable situation on the battlefield: death and cowardice were supposed to weed out the contenders for command.
"So, I hear you want to protect this defeated mage too," I said, pressing my tired eyes, and the girl exhaled in confusion, "What are you thinking? Right now, our people are angrier at him than at the Fire Lord, because this freak is just a mercenary and, therefore, has no connection to the army.
"Execute him," Baoqin repeated his mantra.
Now I saw the same situation that had occurred on the ship, a situation that should have prompted the question: how did the Avatar manage to soften the reaction of ordinary people to a century of war? The soldiers would return to the plundered territories, but not to destroy again, but to live normally. How would they be received? There would be a couple of territories where there would be no problems, but in most cases, the people would literally hunt them down. And how would ordinary citizens, who had grown up in completely different conditions, received an education in schools, and found themselves among the least educated nations, be perceived? I worked through all this in my head, looking at the tense faces of the people standing in front of me, and I realised that not everything in the canon was so clear-cut, and that the period from "divided nations" to "a common world for all" must have been steeped in blood, hatred and betrayal at every turn. To prevent this from happening, it was necessary to change the worldview of all people, which took more than one generation, or, as was done even in my world, it was necessary to find a person who would take full responsibility. But what about the ordinary executors? Well, even in this world, it was possible to get imprisoned. I could recall more than one example of how, instead of being executed, terrible criminals were simply put away. Why? Either they were useful, or they betrayed someone higher up, or perhaps there were many other reasons. The fact is that in the canon, even Oza was saved in this way, meaning that even the devil himself could be saved.
"Wait, Leah," we stood up along the table, the tension was so cheerful — yes, I felt more amusement than difficulty — that no one was going to sit down on the chairs next to us. The fact that he is a mercenary only means that there must be someone who hired him. Think about it, personally, I would rather take revenge on the person who really deserves it, rather than a mere executor who will be severely punished anyway and from whom a lot of useful information can still be extracted.
At that moment, the angry Baoqin, unable to see beyond his own nose, froze. Liya listened to my words in a similar manner, and finally everyone bowed their heads as soon as I placed the crumpled piece of paper on the table. I provided only one letter in which Commander Zhao hired the explosive beast; I decided not to disclose anything else concerning the bidding for his life. It could have become a serious problem in the negotiations, so I destroyed those letters. After reading Zhao's order, the captain's eyes filled with blood.
"Behind every decision made by the mercenary was a puppet master. I have already fought him; this man is very cunning and willing to make any sacrifice for his own advancement. It would be most beneficial for him to destroy you; he would gain enormous respect if the fortress fell, and the explosion mage is just a pawn in his game. And he is unlikely to stop at just one attempt to crush you.
My dear companions were not weak, and, completely forgetting their thirst for revenge, they listened intently to my words.
"I can help your fortress withstand this man's onslaught, but for that I ask only one thing... convince the soldiers and the rest of your citizens to let the mercenary go with me. I don't want our relationship to become strained, and I don't want the victims to hate me for not letting them take revenge.
"That would not be easy, though it is possible, but..." began Baoqin, his tone cooling, returning his respectful gaze and even a hint of recognition.
"How do you intend to help our fortress further? You're not going to hang around here forever, are you? " continued Liya for him. Well, the plan was both simple and ingenious. Of course, I wanted to use the magic of coolness, and not in a figurative sense. Now, society believed that metal was a structure that only fire mages could control, that they built ships and reinforced the most important structures! I remember how soldiers reinforced an entire camp, making the buildings and towers impervious to catapults, ballistas, and even explosions! I could provide the same level of protection on my own.
I took several soldiers of the fire people with me and brought a ship that had been left in the nearest bay. It fit perfectly in the harbour, but you should have seen the faces of those people when I stepped off the iron schooner and announced that soon all of this would become a defence for the walls. This is where the mechanics and other hard workers who knew their way around ships came in handy, because dismantling a ship is a laborious and risky process during which anything could explode! Nevertheless, I grabbed the ship's rail without much trouble and tore out a thick sheet of the hull with my bare hands. The faces of EVERYONE stretched out considerably as they saw the five-metre sheets simply float and lie smoothly on the walls, after which they were tightly screwed in with large bolts. I was creating the desired effect of a badass. It didn't take long for the ship to lose most of its metal, and the fortress gained a new level of reinforcement. If there had been a couple more frigates, we could have even armoured the inside, but the large amount of metal was unnecessary.
Unfortunately, such armour is disposable; architects cannot restore steel plates as they can with solid stone. But it will do for now, it will be able to delay Zhao.
"Well, that's about it," I said, standing bare-chested on the pier and putting the last piece of the ship in place, of which not even the engine remained. I looked at Lia, who was blinking rapidly, and Baoqin, who was rubbing his eyes.
"Tell me this is an illusion and I just died in the explosion," the girl said incredulously.
"I'm sorry, miss, but... it seems I died with you.
"No one died," I said in a lazy voice, stretching my arms to feel the rush of strength. The reaction to the metal magic was appropriate; at first, no one could even believe it. Maintaining my current brutality, I began to inspire awe in people without doing anything in particular. Rumours about me were spreading within the fortress itself. I hadn't even left yet, and I was already hearing that I could lift steel ships and sink a fleet with a single wave of my hand! Captain Baoqin, in turn, not only did he not show off in front of me, he didn't even dare to talk about his level of magic. If sand somehow aroused contempt in him, then iron shut him up for a long time.
Revenge was quickly forgotten, and every soldier was meticulously explained who was to blame. Well, the idiots finished the job and turned me into a saviour, thus completely neutralising the negative effect. Even Kioshi's warriors were happy to see how things turned out, and they were no longer so angry that the execution did not take place.
"Yes, now I understand why you want to hide and not stand out anymore," but soon we had to leave the fortress. It was certainly nice to help in such a situation, but Leia decided that she couldn't just let me go this time. "You've done too much for us, so let me... help you hide from the people of fire."
She sat me down on a chair in her office and made me take off all my outer clothing. At that moment, Lia's hands rested on my muscular shoulders, and her fingers gently traced the scars. Taking a pair of scissors, she began to silently trim my hair and then create a new look for me.
"Lean forward slightly," she said, blushing and taking a tape measure in her hands, measuring the circumference of all parts of my body. Whatever the atmosphere was like, the level of intimacy grew with every second, but nothing definitive happened. "My parents taught me to sew from childhood, believe me, the new suit will be as loose as possible and won't restrict someone as agile as you. The style will be neutral, no one will suspect you of being a sand mage. True, the scars will still give you away...
"Yes, they attract too much attention. I'll try to hide them somehow.
"No, I didn't mean that they're ugly and need to be hidden! It's just... people in the know will quickly figure out who you are from such distinctive features," Lya gave me a wary look when she saw my cheerful grin. Realising that I was just joking, she jabbed me sharply between the ribs with her finger.
Stepping away for a moment, she cut out some new clothes from pieces of different fabrics. Outwardly, they resembled a loose monk's robe, with a fabric belt and sleeves so wide that several of my limbs could fit inside them. Putting them on, I felt as free and unrestrained as possible.
"You can hide any metal objects in these clothes... I'm really amazed that you can control them, but I guess you're exactly the kind of person who could do that. Metal is an architect's dream come true. I hope you'll be able to realise it to the fullest. And this is... just a gift from me," she said, taking a string of beads from her belt, moving closer to me and standing on tiptoe to put a kind of Buddhist rosary around my neck. It quickly became clear that they were all made of metal, as was the string itself. Heavy, but capable of becoming dangerous weapons at any moment.
"Hmm, how difficult to control, what is this? - I couldn't help but feel that the purity of the metal was higher than anything produced by the people of the land.
"Silver. Don't ask me where I got them, just wear them with pleasure," the girl literally beamed as soon as she saw me in my new guise. "I thought you looked like a monk when I saw you meditating on that wall. That image really suits you, because you are a sand nomad, a wise ruler of the land.
"Well, you already know what I like... Thank you.
Hugging the crookedly smiling Leah, I soon headed for the exit. As much as I wanted her to stay, I needed to explore this world further. I couldn't have a relationship with her or Suyuki for a whole bunch of reasons, starting with our fundamentally different worldviews, which would inevitably lead to conflict, and ending with certain practical considerations. This thing... or rather, this whole body of knowledge that cannot be obtained here, and which cannot even be found in a library. Something very important that everyone who had opened their fourth chakra should definitely know.
"There are still plenty of fish in the sea," snorted Afka, comfortably settled on my neck.
"What are you talking about?
"We need to catch some fish and make an ointment from the fat to hide your scars.
"Oh, yes, you're right, as always.
========== 20 - How to open your heart ==========
The farewell to the new Shen Guane was sad and lazy. Some people had already gotten used to the local level of protection and openly expressed their desire to stay. Most of the people on the island began to blindly believe that this was the most protected fortress, while others simply did not want to travel through dangerous lands, so yes, about a third stayed in Shen Guan on one condition: they would have to learn architecture. Since this did not require magic, and people knew how to survive even on a piece of lifeless wasteland, they realised that this could become their new calling. He did not interfere in the people's decisions, nor in the disputes that arose immediately after families began to have different opinions about what to do next. Here's an example: a wife with a child wanted to go to Omasha, but her husband wanted to defend the borders and explore new areas. Or some were afraid to go further, to leave the walls where there were big and scary magicians, like that mercenary, and for this reason, their family members wanted to go to a more protected place. Who resolved such conflicts? Suyuki, who had become independent, acted as a wise woman to whom people could turn for advice. She would reach some kind of consensus, and everyone would be satisfied. After working so hard for a couple of hours that even I felt sorry for her, Suyuki finally assembled a squad, and we left the fortress walls.The road to Omasha was not close, but fortunately, it was well maintained, and it was now difficult to encounter enemies in the cleared areas. However, now we had to distribute food properly, continue to guard the prisoners, and double our efforts to keep an eye on the metal-bound shahid so that he would not decide to commit suicide, taking the entire squad with him. To achieve this, the man had to be kept unconscious at all times. Who did all this? Suyuki! She fully felt the weight of responsibility and tried to deal with everything on her own. Realising that she simply did not know her way around in the new conditions, I could not help but assist her. The girl didn't know many of the principles of local hunting, such as how to track unknown prey in the forest or set traps for horned animals. She was supposed to know all this, but the animals on her island had long been domesticated, and there weren't that many chickens and pigs. Thinking about what else might be useful to her, I taught her how to make poultices to help with illnesses, showed her how to make ointments for burns, and even gave her a couple of books on the subject. All this, of course, was mixed in with observing the civilians, so she learned damn fast.
***
"Five minutes of free time..." Lying in a spacious stone house, Suyuki, without a single positive emotion on her face, rubbed her stiff shoulders and prayed to all the spirits she knew that at least tonight no one would interrupt her long-awaited and well-deserved rest. No, they weren't in the village they had come across on the way, whose inhabitants had kindly taken them in for the night, nor were they in a mage's tavern, but in Dagoth's personal fortress, with houses for every inhabitant, a stone wall and the finest interior. Suyuki could hardly imagine that all these houses were made of magic, even though she had seen the process of their construction with her own eyes. They stopped a metre from the road, and then such gigantic and beautiful structures formed from the ground — magic! So much for Suyuki's dislike of magic. But she couldn't deny that it was cosy here: the bed was a little hard, but no worse than the bare ground on which the Kioshi warriors learned to sleep in order to strengthen their character; the tables and walls were made of grey stone, but in essence, they were stronger than their wooden huts, which collapsed under their own weight. "But why me?
Nevertheless, curled up in a ball, Suyuki could only think about her recent decisions. The problem was that not all the responsibilities fell on her: the ordinary inhabitants still had advisors who could deal with trivial matters, such as who was in conflict with whom or who didn't have enough food. But the girl felt that she would gladly take on all their responsibilities and pass the burden on to the military. After all, she was the one who had to solve problems by force: not enough food? Kill a herd of animals; another conflict with prisoners? Find the culprit and punish them; someone badly injured or sick? Oh, no need to kill anyone, just learn basic medicine! Too many new responsibilities and the pressure that tested her personal qualities, masculinity and fortitude.
"I am a warrior of Kioshi, and I must not cry over such things," tears welled up in the girl's eyes. And at that moment... there was a knock on the silicon door. Suyuki flinched in surprise, but was more angry than frightened. "Who is it again?
"It's me. Am I disturbing you? Today was a difficult day. I've hardly slept since yesterday, trying to get that mercenary to talk. He seems to have a tongue, but he's as dumb as a piece of meat," but then Dagoth's voice came from the other side. The girl instantly opened her mouth and, quickly wiping the tears from her eyes, let him in. If other people just brought her problems, this man taught her how to deal with them. Then Dagoth, in his new robe with his belt open, entered, holding two saucers in his hands. Suyuki was embarrassed by the man's revealing attire, but allowed him to sit down next to her on the sofa, then took the plate of some yellowish liquid that he held out to her. "Banana porridge.
"Really? - Suyuki immediately narrowed her eyes suspiciously," "You didn't add your ugly onions to it, did you?
"Only bananas, I'm not some kind of monster. I put all the onions in Afka's food," Dagoth smiled, but looked at her meaningfully. As if he could see right through her, which made Suyuki quickly push the plate with the sweet food away and start slurping it up. "You think you can't handle it?
"Ahem, I'm the captain of the Kioshi squad! I'm the toughest of all the warriors, how can I not be able to handle it?" She felt that she simply couldn't appear weak in front of a man who had done even more than her.
But that look... Dagoth continued to stare, as if hoping for her to continue. Because of this, a lump formed in Suyuki's throat, and her eyes began to moisten.
"I never thought we would encounter an entire fleet of enemy ships and such powerful mages as that mercenary! We were created to fight lawlessness, there is not a single mage among us, and compared to the real Kioshi, we only know how to wave fans and katanas. By forbidding us to kill, you are making us fear this world even more. I know I can lead a squad, but I'm afraid the world itself is beyond my power. Poultries, burn ointments... I imagine having to use them in a dangerous situation, and my body freezes up.
Suyuki was angry that Dagoth was making her feel even more vulnerable. But even though he understood her emotions, he didn't know how to help her in this situation. Lowering his gaze, he scanned the floor for some kind of answer and allowed silence to take over the room. This malicious act did not go unnoticed by Suyuki — her hands began to tremble with uncertainty. But then...
"Chi," he blurted out unexpectedly. "Your chi flow must be in turmoil because of all these emotions. I'm not the best person to talk to about such matters, but... if you trust me, I can help you become at least a little more confident." Sit in front of me," Dagog assumed the lotus position right on her bed and literally urged the girl, who had rolled her eyes, to repeat after him. Right now, she didn't want to engage in philosophy or touch on what she thought were the mystical aspects of the issue. However, instead of telling her about his views on the world, he simply took her hand and made her look at what she had already done.
She was afraid of responsibility, but she looked danger in the eye, ready to help and protect her people. She was afraid that she would have to use her experience, but she stubbornly prepared herself for any situation. Terrified by the dangers of the open world, she went there to survive. Dagoth simply pointed out the things that she, like Kioshi, had been trying to hone since childhood, explaining that she had everything to be proud of. And fear...
"Everyone is afraid. The main thing is what you do," he opened his eyes. And this was not just some ephemeral indication of a new view of the world, but literally forced her personality to press on the locked first chakra and, quietly, making breaches in the barrier, to break down this dam, allowing the flow of chi to spread smoothly along her entire spine. Obviously, it wasn't just magicians who were capable of such things, since there were gurus who didn't possess a single element, and it didn't give her any special powers... except confidence. The girl looked into Dagoth's eyes, feeling only trust.
"I feel strange... - opening her eyes slightly, Suyuki nevertheless rubbed them, tired," - As if she had suddenly begun to drift off to sleep. Was it some kind of hypnosis to knock me out? What if... what if someone needs help?
Dagoth quickly got up and, letting the girl rest her head on his palm, gently laid her on the bed.
"Your body has begun to understand how to survive, listen to it. If you don't rest, you'll feel worse, so close your eyes and sleep. I think tomorrow you'll wake up with new strength and prove yourself to be an excellent leader... oh, she can't hear me anymore," he said, covering the girl with a blanket and leaving the room. He leaned against the door and concentrated on his own hands. Concern slowly gave way to surprise. "The flow of awakening chi is so strong that I can feel it myself. It had no trace of the energy I control. It had no impurities at all, which must mean she is an ordinary person. Is this the energy that gurus learn to control?
Lost in thought, Dagoth slowly moved towards the fire, where he silently sat down among a group of Kioshi warriors who were discussing something, and tried to sense something from them. The calm flow was already invisible; it was impossible to even tell if they were magicians.
"If my assumption is correct, the next chakra will allow me to constantly feel this energy, and all subsequent ones will only improve this feeling. However... is it possible to open the fourth chakra without knowing anything important about the sources of Qi? Guru Hyu is a water mage, by definition well versed in Qi; Bumi, if he opened this chakra, must have travelled for many years and could have gained wisdom from anyone; Guru Patika is not even worth mentioning, at this point he must be older than Bumi; Airo, if he is some kind of enlightened being, knows more about Qi than all of them put together. Even Avatar Aang must have known about them, for air nomads, for whom spiritual enlightenment is the basis of their philosophy, know a great deal about the chi system. They must all have at least known the subtleties that allow one to feel the energy within others, otherwise it would appear that by opening the chakra, a person gains knowledge from nowhere.
Sweat dripped from Dagoth's forehead.
Realising that if this requirement was true, and that in addition to opening his heart, he needed to get to know other people... this would prevent him from opening his chakra in the near future.
"I must get to Bumi quickly to find out everything.
Over the next few days, the surroundings changed from simple forests and glades to yellow mountains, and caravans of the people of the land were sometimes encountered along the way. As for Suyuki, no one really noticed any changes in her behaviour. After all, she was already a courageous leader who made well-considered decisions. Most importantly, she herself began to feel this way, and this was followed by more thoughtful decisions and a greater desire to learn.
As for Dagoth... he continued to train in combat. He wanted to be ready for any possible situation and conflict with the Tsar when he appeared before Omash.
"How huge," the people who saw the gigantic structure exclaimed.
"Well... let's go," Dagoth adjusted the sleeves of his new suit and pulled the chained prisoners closer to him. As he crossed the large, long bridge, he unknowingly forced all the people standing in line to move aside. Standing before the gates, with a crowd of residents and fire soldiers on leashes, he looked harshly into the eyes of the soldiers who recognised him. "Let us through?"
"What are these, fire soldiers? Your prisoners?
"They are. Any problems?
"N-no! Go through, Sand Mage. King Bumi has been waiting for you.