Avatar: The Last Airbender: Legend

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***

As Yu stood on tiptoe to avoid contact between the blade and his neck, Sun Ren rose to her feet, stopping her pointless attempt to brush the dirt off her dress. Shifting her gaze from the ruined garment to the culprit, a slight smile lit up the girl's face.

Stretched out in a string, Yuu trembled as he stood on his toes. His hands clasped against his body, his arms stiffened and his hair stood up. A careless wave of the hand from the Viceroy's daughter forced the guards to let go of the boy, allowing him to stand up normally.

-You are Guan Yu, friend Wenling.

Rather questioningly than affirmatively, Jen spoke up. Taking a couple of steps forward, she stopped in front of the frozen orphan who was desperately hiding his eyes, cocking his head to the sky.

-Yes, Miss Jen.

-No need to stretch out like that, relax and look at me.

With a shudder, the boy lowered his head to freeze in place. Chained by the attentive gaze of the girl's eyes, he gazed at Sun Ren with his mouth ajar, marvelling at her beauty. The girl had changed a lot in a couple of years, beginning to blossom like the flowers she and her mother had tended. Yu would have continued to stare, but the quiet laughter covered by the palm of his hand distracted him, bringing him back to reality.

Anticipating the mood of the guards, the teenager abruptly bowed in an apologetic bow. Practically touching the ground, he folded his arms over his head, begging for forgiveness. In response to his actions, the laughter only intensified.

-And you're much more polite than Wenling said. She rarely speaks of you lately, but when the conversation does, your tactlessness towards the lady is always mentioned.

-Я... Я...

-It's nothing, I'm glad my friend was wrong. It would be a shame that my brother's future bodyguard is clueless and ignorant.

Not knowing how to react to such strange praise, Yu leaned in even more, deciding not to take any chances.

-I'm sorry, Madam. I ruined your dress.

-No, no,' the girl quickly waved her arms and tried to straighten Yu, but the stubborn boy did not react to her attempts, 'please stop, I'm starting to feel uncomfortable.

With the last word, the orphan's body straightened as if on command.

-Then I'd better leave, Miss Ren. -Then I'd better leave.

-Ah, but...

Unable to stop the brisk boy, the Viceroy's daughter could only stare at the fleeing boy. The bodyguards standing around her were silent, complaining that she had been too kind, but it was not their place to advise her master's daughter on what to do.

From that day onwards, Yu often began to meet Sun Jian's daughter. The curious little girl stalked him after every training session, wanting to inundate him with questions. The only escape from her was in classes with Master Kai.

'It's lucky she's still studying, or she'd be a real pain in the arse.' With a hand on his head, Yuu hung down from the edge of the barrel he was soaking in after a hard day. Today, he had to wade through the thicket to avoid Sun Ren. The insistent aristocrat was like a tick and would not let him go until he answered all his questions.

-Huh... Don't you have anything better to do? If I had so many opportunities, I'd be in training.

-You don't. -You don't.

Turning his head, Yu saw his old teacher, Huang Gai. Sitting on a rock, the elderly man was chewing on some grass and looking at the clouds. Jumping up from his seat, Yu wanted to properly greet his teacher, but was stopped.

-Sit back down. I really need to see your junk.

Blushing to the tips of his ears, the boy dived into the water, leaving only his nose and a pair of curious eyes on the surface.

-Heard about your conversations with Miss Jen. I hope I don't need to explain about the trouble that's going to happen to you-

Furiously shaking his head, the orphan opened his mouth to convince the teacher of his innocence, but instead he swallowed water.

-And you're not getting any smarter.... It's good that you understand. Try not to develop your relationship, and if you mess up the girl, I'll hang you by your balls from a pole. Do you understand me?

-Of course, Teacher Gai,' the boy jumped to his feet, covering himself with a towel, 'I'm trying to avoid her at all costs.

Huang Gai gave the teenager a suspicious glance and spat glumly on the ground. Rising from the rock, the old man approached Yu closely, looming over him in a threatening pose.

-That's fine, but don't you dare offend her either! Mr Jian won't care about the effort you put in if you bring his daughter to tears. I can't protect you, the Fire Giant will skin you if he finds out you hurt her.

Cursing his luck at dating an aristo, Yu wanted to cry with despair. It wasn't enough that he had Wenling, now he had this clingy girl. And most importantly, behind each of the girls loomed the creepy figure of a fearsome man who would kill him with extreme cruelty if he spoilt the mood of these pampered maidens.

Bowing his head, the orphan curled his sad face. With his lips pressed together and breathing heavily through his nose, he mumbled an unintelligible phrase, attracting the attention of the old man who was moving away towards the main house.

-Don't make that face, you're not being chased by evil spirits. It'll be a couple of months before they get tired of you.

-I hope so.

A couple of days later, when the boy was on his way to training again, he heard familiar voices from behind the trees. Distinguishing the feminine intonations, he crossed his fingers and began sneaking through the thicket, hoping his hearing had failed him.

For the last couple of metres, Yuu tried to deny reality with a mournful expression on his face, but alas.... Peeking out from behind the broad leaves of an unknown plant, a horrifying picture opened before the young mage's eyes. The Viceroy's wife was walking with her daughter, and Gongsun Wenling was proudly walking beside her. The girl was even more beautiful, her black hair was gathered into an elaborate hairstyle and her red dress left her white fragile shoulders exposed. Black fingerless gloves covered her hands, and a gold tight belt emphasised her waist.

Puffing up her nose, she proudly broadcast their first meeting and talked about their 'friendship'. She then began to complain that Yu had ignored her and had been hiding for the past couple of years, not daring to show her face to Iron Fist's sister.

Thinking of the girls' creepy relatives, he saw dark silhouettes looming over him from the sides in tongues of flame. On one side towered the Fire Giant and on the other an unknown man with iron gloves.

Shaking his head, the child managed to shake off the obsession. Continuing to eavesdrop, he followed the trio and their guards, who had noticed him long ago. The two bodyguards were smiling under their helmets and, whispering quietly, were making bets. They had seen the little earth mage often in recent days and knew of the younger mistress' interest in the boy. Unaware that he had been exposed, Yu walked parallel to the rest of the group. When it was less than a hundred metres to the playground, he realised that he was starting to be late for Master Kai's class. Already starting to turn around, Yu heard Madam Ming's question.

-You talk about him so much, dear, perhaps your heart beats more at the thought of a motherless boy?

The mocking intonation hid the intense gaze of steely eyes behind the woman's smile. Without taking her gaze away from Wenling's tense back, the woman came to a sad conclusion in her mind.

-What are you, what are you, Mistress Min. It's too early for me to think of such a thing, and besides, my brother has allowed me to choose, but only from the sons of noble families. And Yu isn't even a mage.

When the viceroy's daughter wanted to tell her friend about conquering the land, her mother's hand gently squeezed the girl's shoulder. Shifting her gaze to Min's face, the girl could not bear her mother's reproachful silence and, slumping her shoulders, remained silent.

-And if he turns out to be a mage, what then? After all, if the boy is successful in the war, he can achieve a high rank, especially under the patronage of my husband.

Wenling's frozen figure seemed to have hit a wall. Turning towards the woman, she squinted her eyes, going over the entire dialogue in her head. Stopping her gaze on Sun Ming's fake smile, the girl hummed her thoughts, leaving the question unanswered, but it was clear from the eyes of her more experienced and older interlocutor that she had her answer.

Now the Viceroy's wife was smiling for real. Squinting into the sunlight, she put her arm around her daughter's shoulders and walked steadily towards the training ground.

Yu Yu, who was watching this scene from the bushes, exhaled tiredly. It turned out that he had spent the last part of the conversation without moving, he couldn't even take a breath of air. Listening to Sun Ming and Wenling's conversation, the boy had a disgusting feeling.

-That must be how the koala sheep feel....

-I don't know, I don't think they even realise they're being sold as commodities.

Startled, Yui tumbled out of the bushes and prepared to scream, but the ground opened up and swallowed him. A couple of seconds of not the most pleasant movement, and he found himself in his 'favourite' stone pit. The teacher who was dragging him by the scruff of his neck walked past the boy and sat down opposite him. With his hands in his lap, he looked at the student, who was shaking off the dirt and pulling the earth out of his hair.

-You could have been gentler, Master Kai.

-You could have not been late. You may not care, but I'm asked about your progress every day. So please attend our training on time.

Ashamed of his impertinence and tardiness, the child bowed respectfully.

-I'm sorry, it's just that recent events have thrown me off my game.

-I know it's not always pleasant to hear that, but it doesn't change anything. Or did you really think that after all the benefits you've received, you could control your own destiny as you wish?

Shaking his head negatively, Yu finally sat down across from him. Ever since the day Principal Fang had offered him to study in the special squad, he had realised that this was not something that could be done for nothing. It was customary to pay for any such gifts, and since the boy had nothing behind his soul, he would pay with his loyalty and service.

-No, I understand. But there's nothing I can do. I didn't like hearing that, I should have left right away.

-Hmm. Then let's postpone active duty today. You could use some inner peace. You know what you need to do.

Standing motionless, in the shadow of the walls of the stone bag, Yu plunged into meditation together with his teacher. For the first couple of seconds, he was unable to deny the mundane and immerse himself. Noticing that his student was having trouble, Cai began to monotonously repeat the same phrase.

-Inner peace, inner peace... My nose itches.

-Master?

-Inner peace...

The apprentice's light and quiet laughter echoed through the pit. Opening one eye, Kai saw the orphan was finally able to relax and begin to meditate.