Avatar: The Last Airbender: Legend

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***

The lunges of the halberd left small dashes on the wooden mannequin. Small scratches of the sharply sharpened blade adorned the shoulders and arms of his intended opponent as Guan Yu practised the movements to the point of automaticity.

The small gift from Sergeant Ping sat securely in his hands. The rough blade gave him confidence, and the pleasant heaviness of the weapon put a slight pressure on his unsteady body after the tragedy. Made to fit the boy's height, the guan dao looked more like a spear than a halberd, but that was of no concern to a child who had found a new purpose in life.

A scarlet-coloured headband absorbed sweat, leaving his eyes open. His black hair was gathered into a ponytail and fastened at the end with a small metal ball. Red colour prevailed in Guan Yu's new wardrobe. Whereas before he had followed the adjacent fashion of the two nations, repeating after his mother, now the boy had completely abandoned the national colours of the shrews.

The tight workout clothes encased his entire body, leaving only his hands, feet, and face exposed. Frowning his eyebrows, Yu nervously paced back and forth, aiming for another strike. His hands, trembling from fatigue, began to fail and his feet stumbled against each other. As he prepared to make another lunge, the training was stopped by the sergeant's booming voice.

-That's enough for today. I have news.

Putting his weapon away on a special rack, Guan Yu rushed towards his father's friend. Over the past couple of months, Ping, as well as his ward, had gained weight and began to return to normal. The kid had been slower, unlike the muscle-bulging sergeant.

Stretching out in front of his guardian, Yuu froze, waiting for news. After glaring at the boy with stern eyes, the man allowed himself a slight smile that didn't go unnoticed.

-All right... Soldier.

The sergeant grinned and sat down on a nearby stump, inviting the boy to sit opposite him. Removing his helmet and resting it on his knee, the man wiped his sweaty head. The sun was baking, promising a sultry summer. It had been a very hot spring, so everyone in the city was sure that in a couple of weeks it would be impossible to go outside.

-Ping slapped his knees and focused his attention on his mentee, 'As we planned, you will finish this school year at the academy.

-So this is nothing new?

Giving the child a symbolic smack, the man pointed his finger in a stern manner.

-Don't interrupt. Is that what I'm saying? And then you'll come with me to the city of Liping. Colonel Liu Biao has been put in charge of the garrison, so he's taking all his loyalists to the east.

-Isn't that northeast?

The new slap was stronger than the last. Muttering to himself, the sergeant nodded to the boy towards the ground.

-Give me a twenty.

Without challenging the order and increasing the punishment, the child fell to the ground, beginning to do push-ups.

-The city lies in ruins,' Ping picked his teeth and threw a piece of food away in disgust, 'while we rebuild it and protect the colonists, the children of the officers and soldiers will go to the local school. After what happened, no one wants to leave their relatives far away, so the Viceroy went along with us.

Having frozen for a second at the mention of the tragedy, Yu fiercely sped up. Having long since crossed the twenty push-ups limit, he increased the load as the sergeant continued his story.

-The school will be military orientated, I think you'll like it. You'll make useful acquaintances and all that, and you'll stop being a slob. There's nothing but sissies at that merchant academy. You go there for a couple of years, you'll be the same. Ugh.

Laughing at the last remark, Guan Yu remembered how his guardian had been summoned by the rector after a fight with his classmates. The standard punishment of ten strokes had passed his consciousness, but Ping's argument with the elderly scholarly husband made him smile every time. The sergeant demanded punishment for the whole class so that next time the other kids would stop the brawlers early.

-Collective punishment will clear their brains for all of them,‖ the Fire Nation Army soldier loudly broadcast. Sometimes Yu thought it was all done on purpose to lighten the mood.

Exhausted, the boy tiredly collapsed on the grass. Not paying even a modicum of attention to the child's condition, Ping got up from the stump.

-That's a lot of energy in you, let's get back into the circle. Let's have a little sparring.

Only a small cloud of dust remained in place of the tired body. Standing in the circle with a halberd, Yu waited with heat in his eyes for his mentor, who was climbing over the symbolic fence.

-I'm too old for all this.

With a pretence of rubbing his back, the man turned away, resting the guan dao with one hand on the ground. The boy, having learnt from bitter experience, stood in a defensive stance, preparing to fend off the attack. In past times, he had joyfully rushed forward, hoping to catch the sergeant, but always ended up on the ground. When the kid changed tactics and waited for the signal to start, Ping would attack first, knocking the spirit out of the youngster.

-Look at that, he's learnt. I thought it'd be a couple more months before you learnt.

Unravelling the weapon by the shaft, Ping kicked up a small cloud of dust. On the last turn, he hid the blade in the dust near his feet. Scooping up some earth, the man sent the mud gift into the face of his pupil in one motion. From the surprise and force of the throw, the boy dropped his weapon and fell on his back. The dry soil flew in different directions, clogging his nose and eyes. Coughing and wiping his withered eye sockets, he whirled his head around until he felt the flat side of the blade touch him. Frozen in place, Captain Li's son slowly cleaned his eyes without making any sudden movements. Through the murky veil, he saw the silhouette of the sergeant looming over him.

-You want to join the army, after all, so I suggest you get used to this sort of thing. Shrews like to make a splash, they have a very rich arsenal of weapons besides stakes and boulders. Of course, not every land conqueror is capable of this, but it's better to be prepared in advance.

Studying took a back seat. Remembering his mother's instruction, in addition to training, Guan Yu took up calligraphy. With a sheepish stubbornness, he diligently wrote out letters every day, honing his beautiful handwriting. Talking with Yuan Shu brightened up the grey school days when he could not train properly, devoting all his free time to work and study.

The last few months at the academy had flown by. Gathering his few belongings into a small bag, Yu stood across from his neighbour. Folding his arms into his wide sleeves, Shu looked behind the boy's back, seeing little difference in the decoration. Unlike his side, where there were many personal belongings, textbooks, and posters.

-So you're leaving after all?

There was a genuine sadness in the little aristocrat's voice. No matter how much he pretended to be the noble and arrogant son of a feudal lord, he was truly hurt that his friend was leaving him. Of course, after the Earth Kingdom's attack, Guan Yu had changed a lot, but Shu was too used to his silent company. Diligent in his studies and not pestered by silly questions, the orphan was the perfect roommate. Plus, he was physically excellent, so the other kids didn't dare disturb their room.

-Yes, I'm going to Liping with Uncle Ping.

-I remember, I remember. I just wanted to see if you'd change your mind after all.

Placing a hand on the bastard's shoulder, Yu shook his head negatively. Squeezing his shoulder a little harder, he said goodbye one last time and headed out.

-I'll be looking forward to seeing you again, Yui.

Stopping in front of the door, the boy turned his head, looking at his neighbour with one eye.

-Me too, Shu.

What's the difference between travelling in a caravan of traders or villagers and a soldier's column? For himself, Guan Yu quickly found the answer. In the discipline and active work of the young and junior ranks. Becoming something like an aide-de-camp to Sergeant Ping, he ran around the camp every time the squad got up for the night. Getting wood for the fire in front of the tent or fetching water lay on the child's small shoulders.

Ping did not make any relaxation for the pupil, he raced him on an equal footing with everyone else, forcing him to get up for exercise and participate in physical activities. However, usually in the middle of the session the boy fell to the ground without energy under the laughter of other soldiers. Quickly joining a simple military team, Yu learnt the basics of soldier's life. Unlike other children who were the sons or daughters of officers, he enjoyed spending time with ordinary people. His guardian often talked about the usefulness of connections and acquaintances, but contradicted his own words by approving of his hanging out with soldiers.

After another training session, the army camp was preparing for bed while some warriors gathered around the campfires. The seasoned warriors that had already walked under Colonel Liu Biao for several years could afford some liberties. Sitting in the circle of these people, Yu was mesmerised as he listened to the stories and dreams of the ordinary fighters. Deprived of magic gift or talent in swordsmanship, they faithfully served their country despite the attitude and disdain of the aristocracy.

A good home, a loving family, the end of the war. Most of them could talk about these things for hours, though in the end all the conversations boiled down to women's charms and alcohol. Eager for female affection, the soldiers hoped that only female colonists would come to Lipin. Even Ping spoke favourably of the idea.

Their long crossing was coming to an end, according to the sergeant, if they didn't have so many carts and settlers with them, they would have got there three times faster, but the peasants and construction workers following the soldiers were slowing down the pace to the max. A couple of times, Guan Yu peeked into the settlers' car park. After the strict and orderly military camp, there was real anarchy going on there in the boy's eyes. No latrines had been dug, and people were scurrying back and forth. Children running between the chaotically arranged tents only made the situation worse, and the animals tethered near the tents defecated practically on the walls of the temporary dwellings.

Shocked, he told the neighbours about the disaster, but only received a joyful laugh in return.

-Well, what did you want, little warrior? -Well, what did you want, little warrior? I thought the peasants cared. All they care about is getting there. What's it to us? We're supposed to be protecting them, not wiping their arse.

Shrugging their shoulders at the righteous indignation, the soldiers went back to their work, leaving the boy in a daze. Such an attitude knocked out of the rut, remembering life in the village, where each of the neighbours was ready to help each other, the son of the regiment was surprised and indignant. Until a fatherly slap from the sergeant knocked out the silly thoughts, and the increased physical exertion did not drive away the resentment finally.

By the afternoon of the next day they finally arrived at the site. Standing at the mouth of the Pona River where it flowed into the mighty Ten-Ten, the city of Liping was architecturally very strange. Hundreds of boats were plying the ruins of much of the city. One of the bridges leading into Lipin had collapsed, so the only way to reach the centre was by ferry.

Loading and transferring soldiers took a few more days. Taking their time, the commanders of the future garrison placed their men and supplies, not intending to take any chances. Walking through the streets of the ruined city, Guan Yu was increasingly surprised. Every major street was divided by water, and sometimes some alleys separated houses from each other with an insurmountable barrier. The strong current of the Pona forced the local boatmen to use special motors to navigate, otherwise the flimsy boats would be swept away towards the waterfall.

Numerous bridges of the city mottled with patterns and carvings. Decorated with ribbons and various statues, they were considered the property of the city, until Cao Sun's army marched through the streets with fire and sword. The vast expanse of the city was flooded and forever buried under water.

-For the next five or six years, this is our home.

Clapping his mentee on the shoulder, Ping pointed to one of the few surviving houses in the neighbourhood. A happy, moronic smile never left his face. Because of the presence of a child, the simple sergeant had been given a good house, otherwise the cunning warrior would have had to live in the newly built barracks.