Chapter 57: Can’t Fear Yourself (1)

*Swish*

Suki dodged the palm strike before agilely coiling her hands around Nik's arms and suddenly throwing him forward as his body flipped in the air, making him land on his back with a resounding thud.

"Ugh," Nik groaned only out of pain and not frustration as he soon stood up. His actions made Suki scoff in dissatisfaction.

"How come you never get tired? I believe my attacks should be hurting."

Nik silently raised his guard. He wasn't as proficient as Suki and he had learned it early to not enter into a mindless conversation when focusing on learning how to defend himself. The answer to the first question is simple. Nik is indeed a bit stronger than an average man despite his lankier physique and his point of the peak was also somewhat higher compared to others but Nik had a sneaking suspicion that it would be nothing compared to benders.

The answer to the second question is even simpler. He simply bore the pain.

Seeing Nik taking the spar seriously compared to yesterday, Suki lost her indignation at his resilience and simply counted her lucky stars for such a tenacious beating bag.

The spar lasted a few more minutes. The hand-to-hand combat is the last one in Suki's training regime with the combat of weapons just before this one.

"Huff, man I'm tired," Nik finally exhaled deeply, crumbling on the ground with his face soaked in sweat. It was only morning but they had been training for quite some time.

"You are a good learner," Suki smiled as Nik took out two towels from his space and handed one to Suki who sat beside him.

"I just have a good trainer-" Nik's expression froze for a moment before he coughed, "Teacher."

"What's the difference?" Suki inquired, not taking note of Nik's expression as she looked in front of her with a distracted expression.

"Trainer has the sole purpose of making you achieve the set goal by any means necessary... teacher just teaches."

"Well, then I would like to be a trainer because I'm not letting go of your potential."

"Do you like killing defenseless lizards?" Nik posed.

"What? No. Why would you even ask that?"

"Nothing... just bored," Nik mumbled. He, at least, had to confirm, right? Because half of the things Suki just spoke coincided with what Esta used to say. Still, the two relaxed next to each other while watching Katara train. She currently stood in the same stance for a few minutes while keeping a bob of water in front of her as steady as possible. A strengthening training, Katara called it. According to scroll, keeping a body of water in any shape as steady for as long as possible will refine their control, and given that the group wasn't anywhere near close to a pond or a lake, Katara had to make do with the small amount in her pouch.

*Wrshhh*

With a soft sound, the blob 'flew' back into Katara's pouch as she sealed the opening and sat down on the ground with a huff. Her expression was tired and she, too, was soaked in sweat. Just as Nik was thinking of handing Katara a towel, too, she exhaled deeply and moved her palms making the sweat on her body converge above the palm of her hands as it soon quenched the slightly dry land.

"That's... amazing," Suki blew. This was the first time Katara had done this.

"Thanks," Katara smiled and sprawled on the ground.

"Is it really so tiring?" Nik inquired.

"Well, yeah. I never felt this level of exhaustion but then again, I never trained as hard as I am doing now," Katara groaned.

It's been three days since their departure and their routine has been the same.

Once they caught their breaths, they got ready to move.

"*Psst* Hey," Suki pulled closer to Katara as Nik glanced at them and turned his attention away with his thoughts now stuck on the possibility of encountering any soldier already aware of their identity.

"Yeah?" Katara wagged her brows inquisitively.

"Can you do the same for me, too?" Suki coughed as Katara looked confused for a moment before nodding in understanding. Performing the same set of actions Katara pulled the sweat soaking Suki's clothes into another ball of fluid that she quickly tossed on the ground.

Amazed and refreshed, Suki looked at Katara with a new level of respect.

"Hey, me too!" Nik waved his hand and Katara gave him a sidelong glance.

"Am I just a glorified wringer?" She snorted, "Why don't you ask Michi?"

"Do you see Michi somewhere?" Nik tilted his head in confusion as Katara pursed her lips before muttering something under her breath. Of course, she did not want her words confronted with logic. It was rather simple.

'He used to get the hints so easily... is he doing it on purpose?' Gazing at Nik's innocent expression intently, Katara finally waved her hands and dried Nik up in an instant, too.

Their training isn't the only thing that progressed. Their understanding of one other had grown by a notch now that they weren't breaking into prisons, fighting humungous eels, or freeing a city and walking instead of flying also helped since the trio had a lot to talk about, especially about Suki, since she's the one with the richest culture in the group currently.

"We should be reaching a village in a few hours... maybe, we can find the latest information on Makapu Village. Or other forces for that matter. Can't put all our hopes in one location, right?" Her words referred to Katara's objective of finding her father who had left during the war.

"Yeah..." Katara's gaze flickered. Seeing the look on Katara's face Nik couldn't help but inquire.

"Is something wrong?"

"What if..." Katara hesitated, "He doesn't remember us. Me and Sokka..."

Nik and Suki turned silent at this because the possibility was quite high.

After a short moment of silence, Katara realized the position she had put her companions in and forced a smile when Nik spoke up, "I don't think that it will last for long... I mean, there is a way to reverse the process with time, right?"

"Yeah..." Katara mumbled, "Sorry about... that Michi stuff..."

"Oh, no worries. You were right, in fact. Michi does love to wring something out whenever we are together," Nik smiled kindly as Suki's and Katara's expression froze with Nik continuing in ease, "I doubt that's something your waterbending could do... but if you want to try it, I can sacrifice my own well-being for the greater good."

Already prepared this time, Nik easily dodged the strike of water from Katara's pouch and his grin turned wider, "I'm not gonna fall for the same--"

Nik's smile fell as soon as it had turned wider only for him to see down and watch his feet caught in the ice and the surroundings turned silent once again. This had been his other motivation to get stronger— to get away with offensive jokes.

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Nik slowly looked up, matching Katara's cold expression as he stated with a straight and somber expression, "I was foolish. Perhaps I did go a bit too far."

"No... you're good," Katara began walking towards Nik but the sheer aggression in her growl made Nik's lips twitch.

{A/N: Calebcity reference...}

---

"Maybe Katara should train you," Suki smirked as she gazed at an unusually quiet Nik while they walked behind incomparably annoyed Katara.

"Like he can waterbend!" She snorted.

Suki looked at Nik, expecting a comeback but seeing no reply she nudged him by the elbow as he shook his head, "After a month of combat practice..." he mumbled, setting a goal for himself as his words made Katara glared back at him. Of course, she enjoyed Nik who found himself comfortable around her but that did not mean she had the nerves to appreciate his enthusiasm in sexual innuendos... especially when including other girls.

"Or you could just stop that," Suki shrugged when she suddenly stopped.

"What?" Nik looked at her and Katara stopped, too.

"Don't you hear that?" Suki inquired as she frowned before looking towards the thicket to their left and mumbled, "I hear a girl crying."

Katara and Nik looked at each other with a frown as they still didn't hear anything. It was still daytime but the thicket in the direction Suki looked in felt particularly dark and... eerie. The more the trio looked in the direction of the forest beside the trails the trio kept to the more the particular sensation of dread filtered into the trio.

Suki shuddered and clutched her head, covering her ears, letting out a pained scream suddenly, "Stop that!"

"Hey," Nik hurriedly patted Suki's shoulder and looked at Katara, "Let's leave, now!"

Katara nodded but both of their expressions froze and they looked in the same direction while seemingly unable to observe a wave of obscure mist that began to expel out from the leaves and trunks of the forest around them, Eve the grass under their feet let out streams of mist that began to collect around the trio akin to a fog.

Nik gaped as he gazed at the figure full of dignity and unbound prestige smiling at him, "Now, now... close your mouth sweetheart or you will make me blush."

---

"Spirits?" Aang cocked his head sideways as he pondered on Tom-Tom's inquiry. The two of them sat on the top spot of the palace with the entirety of Omashu spread for them to gaze at. The afternoon sun was harsh but the draft this high also made up for the temperature, not to mention Aang who could airbend and take care of these problems.

"Yes! Isn't Avatar like *whoosh* bending and meditating? I remember a few culture classes talking about myths of spirits, too! Can you talk with them?"

Faced with the barrage of questions, Aang could only scratch his head and continued to think, "Um... I was never really taught a lot about them. According to my caretakers, a man should meditate and understand himself. Understanding oneself will lead to enlightenment and then a man will be able to see the world for what it really is."

"No, no, I'm talking about spirits," Tom shook his head.

"Yeah, I meant, I don't know," Aang shrugged as the dark-haired boy groaned.

"Come on... you're like a cheap version of the Avatar! Did you know Avatar Roku could bend all the elements?"

"I can, too."

"Liar, all you know is airbending."

"Well, I need to learn other methods of bending."

"Oh..." Tom-Tom mumbled as he looked distressed for a moment since he knew what that meant.

"Did someone says stories about spirits?"

A quirky voice suddenly appeared behind the duo as a strange golem made of rock appeared out from the surface behind them.

"It's me! *Khnnk*!" Bumi waved, his figure now larger than ordinary men with everything but his face covered.

"Bumi!" Aang propelled himself slightly from the ground and Tom-Tom stood up, too, but his expression was dissatisfied.

"What's up, little guy. Don't like Great'Ol Bumi?" The old man cackled as Tom-Tom pouted, "You could have helped everyone! Of course, I don't like you... anyway, Mai says you're a boring old man who has succumbed to craziness..."

"Well... she's not wrong! Hahaha!" Bumi cackled as he tapped the ground and two seats of earth formed behind the two boys.

"Well, I have some time from my duties so maybe I should tell you two about a myth. If I recall correctly, 118 years ago, you told me that knowledge of spirits is considered dangerous to the minds not enlightened, right?"

Bumi looked at Aang as he nodded.

"Well! Today... I will tell you two about the Legend of the Lost Conqueror," Bumi smiled but his gaze was as eerie as it comes, making the two boys flinch.

"Lost... Conqueror?" Aang mumbled but the name did not come to any recollection.

"Yes, he is called 'Lost' because of a very good reason. His soul is said to have been trapped into the Fog of Lost Souls!" Bumi gestured the boys to sit as he began somberly, "In the legends, the Lost Conqueror was a man with great ambitions. But he was paranoid. He feared that his position will be taken someday. His fear was so great that any error in his eyes would be met with the final punishment..."

With that, Bumi began to reiterate legends about spirits and the two boys listened intently, not having anything better to do and soon grew enamored by the wealth of stories in Bumi's arsenal and his ability to earthbend the surface in front of them akin to a puppet show for greater visuals. But deep down, it also made Aang a little aggrieved at Bumi's visible reluctance to teach him earthbending.

Even in the past Aang hadn't heard of Earthbenders who could bend without limbs and this went to show how much of a freak Bumi actually was.

He had inquired Bumi about this but his answer was different every time. Only once did Bumi give somewhat of a sincere reply.

His words were simple, too—

My time has long gone.

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