I spent the rest of the summer and my stay on the coal islands training myself to quickly accept the breeze in my head. I don't know why, but it seemed important so that if something happened, my emotions would quickly sweep away. It happened in a second before, but it happened involuntarily.
I didn't know how to make it work as a kind of "toggle switch," so I sat down to "meditation" again. I would sit in May's and my place and stare at the water for hours, constantly trying to force the wind first to appear in my head, and then throughout my body, and then out into the world around me, just like when I fell.
It turned out badly and it took me a decent amount of time. A few days to understand the process and a couple more to train. And so on for each of the three points.
Of course, I didn't forget about jogging, I admit, not because I was able to force myself to train, I'm afraid that if it were just training, I would have given up under some important pretext, rather simply because I liked running. Maybe it's because I'm an airbender, but running was easy for me and I almost didn't feel tired, and the sweet sensations from the speed, albeit not very high, were delivered. I switched to "wind" speed only a couple more times, while running through the forest. I rarely went there at all, mainly to try something that came to my mind and that should not be shown to everyone around. If only because they would laugh - I myself could not seriously wave my arms or legs without laughing. It looked funny, even from my point of view, no matter what from the outside.
Although, I must say, some incomprehensible movements came out of me by themselves, as if instinctively and I could not recognize them from anywhere: all fire magic is rough, sharp and assertive, and my incomprehensible hand-waving movements are smooth and more sweeping, albeit also harsh, yes. Considering that it's unlikely that magic is such a terrible thing that it itself prompts movements, most likely it's something coming out of my past life.
As a result, by the end of the summer I could quite quickly achieve the sensation of a "breeze" around my body and learned just one technique! During one of my attempts, something finally clicked and I completed the arm movement with a wave of air. Yes, it was weak, unformed, and, at best, would have been slightly off-putting to an adult, but how glad I was! The euphoria from what happened did not let me go for another good two hours, which I spent... well, let it be on sharpening my motor skills, yes. I didn't dance a jig for joy! Let's write it down like that.
As a result, I left the Coal Islands very satisfied and proud of myself. Right in my head I even started calling myself a Magician! Although in fact he hasn't even earned the title of mason yet. No, this is not some kind of Fire Nation system, I came up with the terms in my head. Well, don't seriously call me or my brothers magicians? Maybe these are associations from a fantasy past life, but in my opinion they don't deserve it.
And so I sit at the table in my room in the capital and carefully write down everything new that I have remembered over these months. The descriptions of Iroh as a pot-bellied old man - I still can't believe it - about the avatar slightly supplemented my entry, and also began to keep notes of everything that I remembered from my hand-waving, because this is clearly from a past life, where else.
Literally next Sunday, as I habitually call this day - simple numbering is adopted here, well at least seven days - I should already be near some weapons store, where May will be waiting for me.
And then right on Monday school is waiting for me. I completed my assignment for the summer a long time ago and I was more worried that after such a busy last few months, I would be simply incredibly bored in these lessons.
Well, oh well, the main thing is to live to adulthood, it will be so interesting that you might even hang yourself.
* * *
- Lee!
It was a small one that jumped straight into my arms, painfully hitting its head somewhere in the chest area. She's still too... small.
"Hey, hello," I said, exhaling from knocking the air out of my chest, "I promised that I'll be here like a bayonet." How are you?
"Not really," she muttered, however, clearly not wanting to tell.
- And me. School is so boring! — he shared his experiences with her, "and it also seems that we didn't kill that wolf." I went to the place where he was supposed to fall when he recovered - there was no trace.
Well, how I went. More likely it fell, but that's just details. In response to my remark, I received the petite's trademark look: "You're an idiot!"
- Well? It was like I returned home, they took me to the hospital, looked at the bite marks and no one believed that I, sorry, I didn't talk about you, killed this beast. And, you know, I was offended! I decided to take a couple of fangs. Both as proof and as a keepsake. Unfortunately, it didn't work out.
- What if he was waiting for you there? — May asked, still not removing her gaze.
- What should he do there? He rather returned to his hunting grounds. Maybe.
She seems petty, but she behaves like a wife with a negligent husband. Do they have this basically built into their subcortex? Or is this already education? Or does she, looking at her parents, involuntarily interpret this to me? Okay, I don't mind either way.
- Hmm. OK. It's good that everything worked out," the little one decided, and then, after thinking about it, she added, "although, of course, it's a pity that you didn't get the fangs." It would be cool.
- Uh-huh, that's not the right word. Well, now tell me something? Generally on an abstract topic.
- Let's maybe find a better place first? Or will we continue to stand here like some outcasts?
Oochi-bose, I missed the caustic sarcasm of this little thing so much that I involuntarily smiled. At the glance thrown in my direction, I deciphered the expression on my face, to which I received slightly reddened cheeks, and a sharp turn with a confident step somewhere. Apparently, I should follow her. Well, let's go see this nicer place.
We didn't wander for long, just a couple of minutes. It turned out that May herself could barely navigate the terrain, and together we found a secluded corner. Or more precisely, a nondescript turn between the houses, where there were no windows, and the features of the buildings created the appearance of a room without a roof. An ideal place where no one will disturb you, and there is even a bench.
Which we sat down on. Not a rotten stump in front of the ocean, but it will do too.
— I continue to master the magic of Fire. "My grandfather praises me and says that I'm great," the girl boasted, "unlike her brother."
- Ha, judging by what I saw, you are a genius from the world of magic, because my brother seems to have very good innate qualities, although, considering me, maybe, of course, not, but I am rather an exception, and belongs to This matter is very serious, but still, looking at him after what you showed is sometimes even pathetic," I shared
It's really unclear about genes. Do they affect magic at all? Then where did I come from? Are some recessive genes in the right positions? Or a gift from the one who put me here? If there is one, of course. Are my family's genes considered strong for Fire magic? Or how?
- What are the innate qualities? — May was a little puzzled, frowning cutely.
"Well, the aristocracy of the Fire people, almost everyone in the family is Fire magicians..." I was slightly taken aback.
- Ha, it doesn't affect anything. Fire Magic is the same for everyone, the main thing is to learn it diligently! — May explained, as if I was the small one here.
- Are you saying that Prince Zuko, for example, and some guy from the colony have the same starting conditions? At least magically?
"Well..." May was now puzzled. I deliberately took a representative of the royal family to hurt her feelings in front of the Fire Nation - no, still, probably.
Somehow, the little one finished speaking too sadly. Apparently she thought that this was entirely her merit - success in fire magic. However, it is so, but my words could make her compare herself with some girl from the lower class.
- That's what I think. This does not take into account teachers and so on. Although, of course, most of it depends on Zuko himself. Talent is only one tenth of the goal, nine tenths is effort. Or maybe even more," I reassured her.
"The calligraphy master told me about the same thing when I couldn't do anything," the little one, already cheerful, chuckled.
"Who do you think I took these words from," I smiled, lightly pushing her with my shoulder, indicating, "I'm kidding."
"Hmm," May just chuckled at this
"By the way, as far as I heard, the princess is more talented than Zuko in fire magic," I remembered something from the cartoon, "I don't know how true this is, but it inspires respect." Maybe she could even compete with you in talent.
- Ha, I'd rather be with her. "After all, she's a princess," the little one said with an incomprehensible intonation.
"Don't extol her so much," I smiled, "for now, even though she's nominally a princess, but by and large, she's just a little girl like you.
"Not the same," May corrected, "she will at least help rule the entire Fire Nation in the future!"
- And what? - I raised an eyebrow in the style of May herself, - she will become a real ruler after, as you say, this coming out into the public. When she sees how ordinary people live and hears their opinions and behavior. In the meantime, she's just locked in her huge, beautiful and golden cage," I waved somewhere in the direction of the castle.
"Hmm," the little one chewed her lip, staring at one point. I loaded it quite well, I started thinking about it, and that's good, "maybe you're right," she finished quietly.
- Of course, I'm right! You are communicating with the Great Li, the tamer of Wolves! — I said exaggeratedly emotionally, turning everything into a joke.
"You seem to have killed him, not tamed him," the little one smiled, getting rid of her thoughts.
"The winner of the Wolves," I corrected myself as if nothing had happened.
"And he seemed to be alone," May continued to press.
"These are already details," I waved him off.
"Okay, okay, at least for me you are definitely the Conqueror of Wolves," May majestically took pity.
"Yes, I remember," I smiled, rubbing my cheek, which immediately made the girl blush, and I realized that the joke was completely successful. It's a pity that she will soon be able to close this gap in her equanimity, but not yet, she must take advantage of it to the fullest!
— Are there any scars left? - the little one remembered, returning her serious look to my face.
"Yeah, look how cool they are," I grinned, rolling up my sleeve to the elbow, showing clear teeth marks.
- What's cool? — the girl raised an eyebrow, turning slightly pale at the sight of two specific fang scars. They really didn't look very good.
- Like this? - I was unnaturally surprised, - after all, scars adorn a man!- Where did you see the man here? — May asked, raising both eyebrows and smiling slightly, "I only see you so far, and you seem to be still a boy."
"It goes away with age," he muttered in response./What does she understand?
"Don't sulk," May chuckled, "I was joking." Man-man, someone else would have run away in your place.
The chest involuntarily formed a wheel, and the nose lifted up to the sky. This is also apparently the built-in software of all the fatal damsels - it seems like she didn't say anything like that, but the sensations are such that I want to kill three more such wolves right now./And it doesn't even matter that last time it was pure luck.
***
As it turned out, they were waiting for me at school. Not even like that, they specifically intercepted me at the entrance and dragged me to the director. Such a pot-bellied typical Asian old man. With a belly, a receding hairline, and thick eyebrows. There's an interesting story about the shape of the eyes; I barely remember what it was like in the previous world, but this is an absolute hodgepodge. For example, most of the aristocracy do not have narrow eyes. Yes, they are small, and the eyes are clearly not protruding, but such slits are more common in half-breed Asians than in purebreds. So I, who am accustomed to the European type of face, do not have to suffer. Everything here is very, very good.
So, they dragged me to this old man on the carpet. Not literally, thank Agni, note - we need to find out who the Air Mages prayed to, otherwise it's somehow not solid, so, not literally, the table there stood quite heavy, made of some kind of wood, and no bamboo. They sat me right in front of him, and, of course, they didn't forget my parent.
"We analyzed Akimaru's entire last year," the director began from afar, "and his results seemed quite... unusual to us."
"I said it was too early to send him back for a second year," my father pursed his lips, not looking at me, "I think we can leave him for...
"No, no, you misunderstood me," the director waved him off, "on the contrary!" He shows the best results in the class and, according to his teacher, always finishes first, and then pretends to think...
Oops, as they say. Here is an attentive hag, you always need to climb somewhere.
- ... Therefore, after consulting, we decided to transfer him immediately to the fourth year if he passes the entrance tests we prepared.
"I don't mind," the parent pursed his lips even more and almost pressed them into an invisible line. Is he fucking happy with anything? Or is he dissatisfied with life?
Well, they brought me a bunch of sheets of paper with questions on absolutely all disciplines. Well, I don't think it will be very difficult.
And I was right. There are no special difficulties, I was simply sent to another office with other children. Well, goodbye, Yoshi, you were a good friend. The fourth grade is not much more interesting than the third. At all.
That same Sunday, May was not in our place. And I can even guess why - the news of the death of the Fire Lord and the wife of Prince Ozai thundered across the country. It was just thunder, the aristocrats were running around like they were covered in scum, and there was a sharing of who knows what and by whom. But these are still flowers. The berries began to grow when the second prince became the new Fire Lord. There was no scandal or anything, Iroh simply gave up the throne.
Oh, the chaos was such that I didn't leave the room at all unless necessary - my parents always had guests, and they were constantly discussing something.
May arrived only the next week, and was simply broken into pieces. I didn't know what exactly happened, but apparently, based on what was happening, her parents told her a lot of different things. I didn't try to climb, if he wants to, he'll tell me. Just supported, just like on the coal island.
Then the year flew by absolutely unnoticed. In fact, I somehow noted that another week had passed by meetings with May, in which we spent most of the time discussing various nonsense. Edged weapons, fire magic, descriptions of my classmates.
I also ran in the mornings, although I had to get up very early in the morning, as early as five, so as not to meet anyone. Despite May's statements that I needed to do something else, I was simply lazy. I liked running, but not the rest.
The next year the situation repeated itself, and I was transferred to another grade higher. May had some work to do, and she was able to come to our place only once every two weeks, and it is clear that it was difficult for her - very often she came very tired and simply remained silent, sometimes only nodding and humming in time with my story. But nevertheless, she always said that she was interested and simply did not have the strength to speak on her own.
Year after year flew by and, by and large, absolutely nothing changed: I was transferred a couple more times a year older, Mei was still Small and could not catch up with my height, and at school Chan tried to get me by at least some method.
In my room I tried to somehow develop my magic and it worked, albeit, according to my feelings, with a bad result. But the air waves began to come out really strong. I'm sure I would have knocked down that wolf with one of these and repulsed him far away. The wind in the head has already been very trained, although it still often gets out of hand and throws out emotions when it is not necessary.
Around the age of thirteen, my parents' conversations about my marriage began to stress me out. They didn't introduce me to anyone and didn't even intend to, but words about a profitable marriage sounded more and more often, and somehow I stopped hearing humorous notes in them.
By the time I was fifteen, they were openly saying that they would force me to marry someone. I didn't bother to arise - why argue? Most likely I will just run away, because we are talking about the fact that after my eighteenth birthday some girl is waiting for me. By that time, I will have already graduated from school two years ago, and I will be able to calmly pack my belongings and go... somewhere. I haven't figured out where yet.
And by the way, at the age of fifteen I finish school. Finally, oh my God. The external course here is not thought out in itself, there is no such system, and therefore they transferred me and decided to leave me as is. They didn't want to set too big a precedent. I will receive my education certificate too early anyway - there have been cases of skipping a year. But the last three classes I studied as expected, without any jokes.
Well, anything is better than sitting here for an extra three years. All that remains is to finish this year, and you can already think about what interesting things to do.
And I even know how to celebrate graduation. Somehow it's not customary to organize anything special here, it will just be a ceremony and that's all, but...
It's time to show the local kids what music is. There are music lessons, but it's a stern orchestra that sings the Fire Nation anthem. I understand why the children of Fire Mages are not allowed to get lost in their emotions - this can become a huge problem, but is it still possible at least sometimes?
That's what I think. It also turned out that airbenders have very good hearing. This is the only way I played the trumpet... loud, really, but good. And I managed to build something similar to good music out of the orchestra. Not rock or pop, but driving. You can't hang out listening to something like this in a club, but that's not what we need, right? Let them dance at least a little to more or less calm music. Of course, in addition to a couple of different compositions for dancing, also for a slow dance a couple is a sacred thing.
Yes, I also started a rumor about a party for the girls' school. Let them kind of gather there, hang out, talk. Maybe I'll have to be the initiator and toastmaster, but it's worth it.
Still, whatever one may say, Air Mages are freedom-loving individuals. And with all this, they also bring freedom to others. Well, okay, rather, I just wanted to get into trouble somewhere before leaving. The party is scheduled for Saturday, a suitable place has been found - one guy's whole family has gone somewhere, and this brave hero allowed it to be held at his place. Well, more precisely, a friend set him up for this, and when our collegiate meeting of graduates had no more ideas on where to hold it, we forced him to do it.
It was Friday, or the fifth day as they say here, and it was the day when it was time for us to hang out. The orchestra gathered in advance, as did the reserve teams, so that everyone could enjoy the evening, drinks were set, snacks were prepared - beauty, in a word.
Slowly in the evening people began to gather, hesitantly clustering in flocks in different corners. Expected.
When there was already a decent number of people in the main room, I gave the command to the orchestra to begin, and rhythmic music began to flow. Of course, no one was in a hurry to be the first to hit the dance floor. For some reason, a similar scene emerged in my head, only in a cave...
And the avatar danced with some girl there, and everyone liked it. One problem: I can't dance. Well, okay, it's worth a try. I know at least some basic movements, we'll improvise. Having finished the drink that was in the container in one fell swoop, I abruptly walked to the center of the impromptu dance floor, picking up a pretty girl along the way. To my regret, she turned out to be half a head taller than me; after all, a difference of three years is an important matter./But nevertheless, she clearly had nothing against it, she just blushed when I smiled at her.
Then I started some of the most banal movements from my past life. Of course, I did it wrong, but I was on time. Something like a more rhythmic and energetic waltz.
Not the best and clearly worse than it was in the memories, but it helped light a fire, haha, in the hearts of others. Slowly people began to move, some even plucked up the courage to invite girls.
The party basically got started and had no intention of ending. Discussions, hubbub and dancing began, albeit a little hesitant for now, but over time they raised the stakes and it was cool.
I was also in no hurry to step aside, the alcohol slowly penetrated my brain, the surroundings became habitually blurry, the faces around me were no longer recognizable, but memories of how to behave in such cases, on the contrary, appeared.
How how? Dance and have fun./After some time I kissed the girl I was dancing with, she wasn't particularly bothered by the fact that I was shorter, the alcohol did its job.
And maybe it could end up being something interesting, but I wasn't going to get into it. We must not forget that there are only blue bloods around here, and some decent incident may arise.
But we don't need this. In general, the children got a taste for it, and the owner of the house, with sadness and pain in his eyes, was already watching how the interior elements were losing their usefulness.
And despite the desire to continue, I decided to leave just as the slow dance began. Some were shy, stood at the edges, some already accepted decently, they danced in the center, and some were already openly making out.
It was already getting dark outside and I was walking home, even slightly staggering from intoxication. My parents think that I'm even at home because I ran to the party through the window. Yes, the second floor, but am I an airhead or not?
I tried to return just as quietly, but as I passed by the living room where my relatives were sitting, I accidentally heard a dialogue:
- Yes, you will have to sign earlier. This is not very good; now it is customary to marry at least after sixteen. Jiro, are you sure about this decision? Is he your son.
"If we don't sign tomorrow, we won't sign at all." With this marriage we will be close to the royal family. So yes, I'm more than sure.
I didn't listen anymore. I heard everything I needed to, so I quietly and carefully entered my room and lay down to think.
Alcohol intoxication, no matter what, the familiar breeze in the head does not allow emotions to take over and allows you to soberly assess the situation. It turns out that the marriage will be concluded any day now. But without me, they won't marry me, so it seems like it's time to run away.
I decided not to take almost anything from my things - I got dressed, put on my shoes, took my wallet - by the standards of ordinary people it was a decent amount - I threw in all my notes, of which I had not accumulated very many. It turned out that my memory does not let me down and the memories that appeared are not going to disappear. And all my notes became useless, by and large, but I kept them anyway, and even began to sort them to make a small encyclopedia.
And I need to write one more thing before I leave. I wrote two notes - one for my parents quickly and quite simply:
"Thank you for everything, I don't want to marry against my own will. Goodbye."
What else should I write? And that's okay.
But on the second I stalled quite well and spent a decent ten minutes. Unfortunately, this Sunday I will be far away from here and therefore May will have to find out everything from this note.
Having completed both notes, I left one right on the neatly made bed. Looking back for the last time at the room that I had considered mine for a good fifteen years, I felt nothing. And it wasn't the breeze's fault, I just didn't care about this house and the people living here.
I slipped out the window the same way I did when I left for the party. The first point of my plan was May and I's alley. Everything there is the same and absolutely nothing has changed during this time, so I carefully pressed the note with a stone and left it right on the bench. Rarely does anyone come here and I think it will lie quietly until Sunday. After all, it's already tomorrow.
Now it's time to hit the road! The truth is that I had no preparation for this event. I didn't know the map of the area well enough to follow from memory, and I didn't know how to survive in the forest, but the magic gives me hope that somehow I'll hold out.
Therefore, throwing the bag from one shoulder to the other, I walked along the main street, wherever my eyes looked.
Several years ago, I heard about Master Piandao, a famous swordsman who mastered this art at such a level that he could fight on equal terms against the owners of absolutely any magic. True, in fact, he is also an apostate, because he left everyone, with a not very nice story - pointing a sword at his allies, but rumors say that all attempts to detain him were unsuccessful, no matter how many magicians were sent.
And they decided to act on the principle: don't touch the shit so it doesn't stink.
That's where I'll be headed. In the end, I need to learn at least something really lethal, because now with all her magic, the same Mei will calmly defeat me.
Classic - air magic is weak in the beginning in terms of combat. In order to be something of myself, I need to become a good magician, no matter how you look at it.
* * *
Aki's note remained until Sunday, but the airbender could not have known that it was on this day that May would simply decide not to go to the meeting place. The training turned out to be too brutal and she spent the whole weekend just in bed, of course reading something.
When Mei arrived on the next seventh day, she found neither the note nor Akimaru there. Like so many subsequent seventh days. Akimaru did not show up at the meeting place a year or two later. And on the third day, May herself was tired of looking for excuses for the guy in her head and finally came to terms with the fact that the second most dear person left her. First mom, now him.