13 Chapter 4. Ember Islands. Part 7.

Well, causing a commotion at home was an event in itself. How I managed to hobble home is a story worthy of a novel, adaptations, and fanfics. It was tough, and not a single soul offered their help.

My parents dragged me to the local clinic where, surprisingly, they administered some herbs and even gave me an injection... from a glass syringe with a thick, blunt needle, by modern standards.

I'd rather encounter the wolf again. I wonder if they've discovered penicillin? Probably, because what they injected seemed to be along those lines.

By the time I reached the clinic, my wound seemed to show signs of infection, but the kind doctor explained that it was too soon for that to be possible.

Well, alright. I'm convinced it would have started anyway!

From the size of the beast's bite, clearly visible on my arm with two deep fang wounds and several smaller ones, my parents moved from anger to shock.

That dog was indeed ferocious. It's a wonder it didn't bite off my hand. After a skillful bandaging and deciding against stitches (I'm not sure why), I was sent home.

Under the watchful eyes of my parents, who demanded the full story from a now somewhat refreshed me, with a slight flush on my cheeks. What? They injected me, bandaged me, fed me, praised me—how could I not feel a bit better?

I didn't reveal the exact location of the incident, because I still need to extract the wolf's fangs as a souvenir, obviously.

I'll continue to visit the forest; without Mei, I can easily escape at my wind-speed. No wolf could catch me.

For the first time, my parents showed some concern, which was pleasantly surprising. Though, they quickly, albeit unintentionally, prioritized their worries more about me dying, becoming crippled, or getting scars. What, am I some sort of prize to be presented? It feels like it.

Given the local customs, it's quite possible. I might be more attractive than my brothers, not by much, but their aristocratic features... don't harmonize well. They're not ugly, but they're not handsome either. People are just people. I'm not far off, but perhaps genetic luck played in my favor, making my face combine features more harmoniously, looking altogether not bad. This conclusion came from staring at myself in the mirror. Yes, I know, modesty won't kill me.

So, perhaps my portrait and dossier are already circulating among ladies slightly over thirty, eagerly waiting for me to turn fourteen, which is marriageable age. Though, I suspect the marriageable age is rising, if not to the standard eighteen I'm used to, then to at least sixteen.

I hope. That's an inductive conclusion, based on other fading and weakening traditions. But who knows.

Oh, I feel like I'll need to run away from home. A gender-swapped world, eh, where I need to flee to avoid being married off. Good thing there are no blue customs here. Otherwise, I'd hang myself, hoping for a different reincarnation.

Time flew unnoticed thereafter. I did what I had before meeting Mei—read, read, and read some more, occasionally running. Just regular running on the beach, because I wouldn't dare enter the forest until I'm fully healed. Interestingly, my parents, from snippets of their conversations, seem to think I exaggerated the wolf story, believing it died somehow on its own. Maybe it fell off a cliff, or a ranger came and chased it away—I couldn't quite grasp their logic. They refuse to acknowledge my strength.

Perhaps even subconsciously. The Cult of Strength is strong here, very strong. If I had brought back the head of that beast, even without magic, I'd certainly earn respect. Or be sent to an asylum, considering I'm just a kid who hunted a wolf without magic. Better keep such individuals... far away.

As for airbending, I've put it aside until I'm healed. Once my hand heals and the bleeding stops, I'll head to the forest to try something. Only, I have no clue what to do, and all my ideas seem foolish.

I've tried meditating and feeling the air around me to the point of exhaustion. I went to our beach spot with Mei and sat for hours... well, at least for a good half hour, listening intently, trying to cause even a slight breeze—all to no avail.

So, my recovery was spent attempting the "Second Mei Method" for airbenders. Obviously, without success. Expected results—everything, damn, goes awry and not according to plan.

Well, my tradition seems to be taking on a task, making a plan, and then screwing it up royally, only to come up with a new one along the way.

Terrible tradition! Truly terrible!

Back to the first trial. Firebenders, it seems, are slowly burnt - how else would you describe being in the middle of a ring of fire, needing to control the most basic instinct of a firebender?

How do I extrapolate this to airbending? What's the most basic instinct of an airbender, darn it. Breathing?

Alright, who am I kidding, the guess is as simple as can be - floating. No, not vaping or anything like that, but floating in the air. After all, isn't there a reason they live in temples built on mountains? Why worry about safety if even a child, when falling, will just glide down. The question remains, are they all airbenders there? Hard to say, but likely the non-benders are weeded out quite quickly, given their temple life with frequent flights from place to place - what to do with "non-benders"?

And how do I conduct this super cool training without risking my life? More precisely, can it be done without risking life? Or is the element of fear just a must?

Great, what am I supposed to do? Go jump off a cliff hoping it'll work?

Hmm.

Actually, not a bad idea. I definitely possess airbending, why else would I be able to run so fast? I've got nothing to lose, and I desperately need to awaken, initiate, or at least understand how this bending works.

So... let's do this.

Another week passed, during which I fully recovered. Without much delay or overthinking, so I wouldn't talk myself out of it, I headed to the cliff.

There was no fear or any other emotion, even though you'd think this was a fight not for life, but for death. I just walked up to the edge of the cliff and, indifferently looking at the scenery, jumped down.

And as soon as my feet left the ground and I finally looked down, it hit me.

I used to easily notice the "wind in my head" episodes, and I think if I had thought about it a bit longer, I would've noticed this time too, but I outsmarted myself.

I'M FUCKING FALLING!

My mind was instantly flooded with thoughts of Mei, whom I promised to meet, and the fact that I learned nothing about my past life.

That's if you skip the swearing.

If not, there's a three-volume treatise worth of curses that I didn't even know I knew, but there they were.

God, I hope I remember in my next life not to remember the previous one, or else I'll bash my head against the wall for such a dumb death.

An airbender wannabe trying to fly and smashing into the ground.

All these thoughts raced through my mind at incredible speed, barely forming completely, while I watched the treetops approach in slow motion.

The wind, though this time more like a strong breeze, filled the void of my thoughts, quickly pushing aside all emotions and leaving a dry understanding - I'm probably going to smash into the ground.

But that same wind in my head didn't stop inside: I felt as if this very lightness of thought began to fill my entire body - an indescribable sensation. Like a weather vane being blown through by a strong current of air, turning to face the wind's direction.

Another moment, and I felt it extend beyond my body, enveloping me entirely, beginning to slow my fall. I felt no pressure from the abrupt deceleration. And the process didn't feel like an external intervention; on the contrary - I knew for sure it was me slowing down my descent. It's like some people can't wink with one eye and after several attempts, they barely manage to find the right facial muscle to make it work. That's how it was here; I had "found the right muscle."

And I began to glide down! Full realization hit a second later, when I was just a few meters above the ground, and I was overwhelmed with sheer joy at this fact!

And as soon as emotion took over me - the breeze in my head disappeared. Along with it, all the rest. And the remaining distance to the ground, I fell again in free fall, luckily landing on my feet, managing to dampen some of the inertia without breaking anything.

But my legs felt utterly drained, truly. I cursed for a good few minutes, though not with the same expressions as before.

And I collapsed right onto the ground where I had fallen. I was recovering from the adrenaline, my own stupidity, and waiting for the pain in my legs to subside.

I've come to hate this cliff, honestly. Twice near it, I nearly died. Forget it, I'm not coming a step closer to this place again. It must be cursed, maybe some spirits residing here that aren't too fond of me? After all, here, that's not just superstition but a harsh reality.

In any case, I'm leaving now and never coming back. What will fate throw at me next?

Alright, let's get back to the results. What do we have here that's so interesting?

Trying to do something following the example of firebending was a dumb idea, I should have realized. They command fire, making it obey their will.

But with air, it's different. Try to control it, when there are tons of this willful element around you. Here, it's the opposite, like a sail: align with the wind and go wherever you wish. Or more accurately, execute any technique. It's like with a ship - anyone can direct a sail so that the boat goes with the wind, but can you direct it to go in the opposite direction?

You could say, bending has been teaching me how to accept it all this time, and I, foolishly, thought it was either a personal quirk or a needless, side effect. Bending doesn't have the latter; everything about it is necessary.

Oh, the smart thoughts come flooding in, always post-factum, so now I lay down a philosophical foundation for bending, but in reality, I'm jumping off cliffs like an idiot.

Alright, time to get up - perhaps I should at least extract some teeth from that wolf's corpse. Though it's probably reeking by now, my mom would freak out.

Barely standing up, still a bit wobbly, I began scanning the ground. Oh, how lucky that I fell onto the ground, there are plenty of stones around, had I fallen two meters to the left from such a height, I definitely wouldn't have escaped without a fracture.

But somehow, I don't see the decaying corpse of the beast. Which is actually very, very bad. Oh, if that creature survived, then indeed, it's time for me to stop venturing into the forest, I'd only find more trouble.

Though, my bending is now fully with me, I thought, smirking and sending a breeze across my body.

That's about all I can do for now...

But no matter, I'll learn! Probably.

Hi friends, your favorite Vandalizer here (hopefully)! Here's an additional chapter (you know why), and I want to remind you that on our Patreon, there are already 7 chapters available if you'd like to read ahead and support us financially. And don't forget, 300 power stones will unlock one more chapter for you.

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