A Time of Change {ATLA & LOK}

Chapter 38 - Again!

There was movement and a loud noise. The door opening, Talia returned her illusion with a shaky breath and hopped off the bed quickly, she moved as with a few others to the floor, able to see the door, Talia stood to the side, the rest all sat around, ready to defend them if needed.

That wasn't the case though. The Dai Li agent threw a person to the ground into the cell. A boy around her age. The agent stared down at him, "Welcome to her majesties army. First Airbending regiment" Was all the man said before he started closing the door. "From now on, you live to fight for the Earth Queen", seemed they told everyone that. They must enjoy drilling it into our heads.

The boy turned around looking at everyone else in the room. The loss of hope obvious in people's eyes. She offered him her hand to help him stand. "Welcome" Talia muttered quietly with a soft sympathetic voice. He blinked stunned for a second, confused looking around. He nodded simply. Everyone returned to their beds to sleep for the rest of the night.

~~~

In the morning they all woke up, they had a little bit of time before going. Standing around a few of them introduced each other. "I'm Kai" Talia heard as she sat down.

"I'm Shimah, this is Pio, Yung, Seyan, Luhan and Kimmeik" he introduced us all, adding Talia as she joined them, ever so slightly hesitating looking confused, before she remembered and wiped the face away for a smile. That was before the door opened and the Dai Li arrived to take them away again. Silent and anxious again we all walked down the corridor to the hall, another day of training.

It was sparring again, seemed to be a regular day schedule, Kai was partnered with Yung, Talia with Seyan. Seyan was a bit better with her balance and dodging than the girl Talia was partnered with yesterday making it easier to do so for her. Keeping the footwork, the balance, and maintaining the lightbending all while not having to focus too much on toning everything way down was a bit of a relief. Turning and absorbing the soft blow up out if the way, before sending a soft one back with a smooth movement.

Pausing briefly Talia looked around, she could see that kai gave a pulled back throw to his partner, he had impressive skill for a beginner. That was until the agent stormed down and berated him. Pausing her 'spar' and relaxing her stance she watched. The agent said something she couldn't hear

"I'm not a soldier!" Kai spat back. She smiled, way to stand up to whatever was said. The Dai Li agent replied sharply and turned away. Talia sighed back to work she guessed.

After practicing blast after blast, movement after movement over and over, the constant shouts of the Sergeants loud 'Again!' ringing in their heads, it was time for some food.

~~~

After some lunch we were back in the hall again. The disks were back, stacked up into two ominous piles. Lining up again they faced the Dai Li agent, taking a deep breath she took a stance. Kai on her left, Yung besides him, in the middle of the batch. Like yesterday, one came at them each first, and on the second round, two each.

Some failing on their first or second, some on both. Timings, balance or blasts off. It hurt her that this was these people's first introduction to their new air bending abilities. When it came her turn she simply redirected the first one and dodged the second. Next was Kai who easily and forcefully took down the stones before doing the same for Yung.

"You again! If you have time to help your friend maybe you're not getting enough rocks for yourself" he said bitterly. Her eyes widened as the agent started firing more and more at Kai. As his movements became sloppy and the stones grew closer, one skimming him she stepped forward, directing the last few away from him rather easily and fluidly. Her practiced movements obvious to a trained eye.

Stood to the side slightly, not having moved much she can see Kai in pain as the agent came over. "Guess you're not as good as you thought" he said snarkly before Kai fired a blast of air at him. Talia winced, that wouldn't fare well. And it didn't, the agent brought rock up all around Kai trapping him in his spot. "Throw him in the hole!" called the agent. 'The hole?' Talia thought, what on earth was that. Two agents came and grabbed him taking him away, they all watched him get carried off.

"You" said the agent standing next to me now.

The dual bender looked up at him at her side without turning her body steadily "yes sir?"

"Be very careful with your next actions girl, or you may just join him" he said dangerously. Talia nodded not saying anything not backing down much. Until She felt something, a spiritual disturbance making her look away in surprise. He must have thought Talia was scared, and backed off. The disturbance wasn't directly close, but it wasn't far away, and it was fleeting, there for one moment, gone the next.

"Back in line!" the Agent called returning to the stacks. Back to business. Wiping some sweat away, she and the others lined back up. More rocks, more wind, more air bending, more injuries. More energy expended, more concentration.