"T-Thirty minutes?" I gasped. Toph shrugged.
"I guess? I can't see the time while I'm down here, but you came after I learned how to do this. So maybe?"
She demonstrated by stomping her foot onto the ground, Bending the earth between us to form a floating chunk of solid rock. I stared at the fist-sized stone before palming my face.
…Wasn't Bending supposed to be hard? It had taken me an entire week before I could produce anything resembling fire after countless burns and injuries. And yet she had managed to Bend in less than thirty minutes?
Was Earth Bending really that easy compared to Fire Bending? Or was she simply a prodigy when it came to manipulating the earth?
I dragged my hand down my face before clearing my throat. "So the badgermoles trained you to Earth Bend?"
"Kind of? I just followed what the cubs did. It's actually pretty easy!" she said cheerfully.
She beckoned one of the cubs over. Holding its face by the cheeks, she asked it to Bend alongside her. Whether it was instinct or some cultural tradition among the badgermoles, the cub instantly obliged. It lifted its front legs, awkwardly imitating a human stance before performing a quick sequence of movements.
As Toph followed along, I sat down and observed the katas performed in front of me, watching as the earth Bent to their will. Since she was still new to Bending, the rocks she raised were shaky and misshapen at best.
But the excited expression on her face was a refreshing sight. She laughed freely at the way the earth seemed to follow her motions, clearly delighted by the magic of Bending.
Still, this Earth Bending style was different, I noticed. It felt less rigid in a sense. The movements flowed with surprising flexibility; the Bending that the badgermoles had learned was a lighter, faster approach compared to the rigid, power-focused style practiced by the Beifong Benders.
And then something clicked in my head.
Hold on a minute.
Toph was blind.
And according to her earlier explanation, badgermoles were blind as well.
So how were Toph and the cub perfectly syncing their movements?
I rose to my feet, a chill running down my spine.
How did the badgermoles navigate miles of winding tunnels without the ability to see? Toph explained that they frequently create tunnels to live and hunt for prey. What allowed them to move through the earth with confidence?
That meant that… Earth Benders had some kind of sixth sense to detect objects?
Now that I thought about it more carefully, Toph had learned to move around the estate far faster than anyone expected. The tutor hired to teach her had estimated that it would take four or five months for her to memorize the layout of the estate.
She only took less than two.
A natural instinct for where things were? Some kind of echolocation through Earth Bending? I had never heard of such a thing, and I had listened in on more than my fair share of educational Earth Bending lectures to one day give advice when the young lady needed it.
I suppose that plan was well and dead now, with the original Earth Benders teaching her.
Darn, all that money wasted listening to those annoying, old, racist dojo masters.
Having this echolocation would be a boon for the young lady… I guess we'll be frequent visitors to this badgermole pack from now on.
More badgermole cubs eventually joined in on the fun, slowly forming a small clique of beginner Earth Benders performing slow-paced but steady stances.
A sudden tap on my shoulder pulled my attention away from their practice. Turning around, I found an adult badgermole beside me. It gestured toward the group.
After a moment, I figured it wanted me to join their training.
"I'm not an Earth Bender," I said, snapping my fingers and lighting a small spark of fire.
The badgermole stared at the flame for a moment before nudging me again, more insistently this time.
I tried to convey my message once more.
The badgermole answered by Bending the ground beneath my feet.
"Woah!" The earth suddenly shifted, pitching me forward and sending me tumbling straight into the group.
Toph looked ecstatic, wiping the sweat accumulating on her brow before she grabbed my wrist and dragged me toward the center.
"Come on! Just follow us!"
With a growing smile on my face, I awkwardly tried to mimic the martial arts katas alongside them.
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"She looks much more lively."
Inside the estate, Lord Beifong observed through the window, watching his child wave at him as she passed the office on her way to the next lesson. Behind him, Madam Beifong sat next to him, patting her husband's arm with a happy smile.
"I for one am not complaining," she said. "She has such a nice smile when she's in a good mood. You'd better not antagonize her these next few days—I'd prefer actually talking to my child instead of getting the side-eye."
Her husband let out a resigned sigh, ignoring the accusatory stare that she shot towards him. Then his gaze shifted to me. I bowed my head politely.
"She enjoys the silence, my lord," I said carefully, hoping to convey the message that Toph had assigned him to. "It helps that no one is nearby."
I paused, debating whether to tell the Beifongs about Toph's newly discovered Bending abilities. But I decided to hold back for now. I could already imagine Lord Beifong's worried expression if he found out—he might try to nip it in the bud, stopping her from practicing altogether, or slow her progress with supervision from an Earth Bending tutor. In other words, he could end up stunting her talent before it has a chance to grow.
The lord's expression softened as he mulled over my words, clearly catching on to the implication. Rubbing his chin in thought, silence permeated the office for a moment before he nodded.
"Very well. I shall grant her two hours of silence every day. But only if I am confident that you can protect her during that time. Renji, you will relinquish some of your tasks to Wen and focus on intensifying your training in safeguarding Toph until I am fully satisfied." He picked up a piece of paper to write the order. "I will not have another incident happen to Toph because I was unprepared."
Handing me the signed command with his instructions, I bowed once more.
"Your wish is my command, my lord."
... Toph, you better become a great Earth Bender in the future for this! I'm sacrificing my time and body for your future!
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NEXT UPDATE: 10 April, Friday
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Advanced Mastery Tier - 3 Advanced Chapters and more (Almost Fully Implemented)
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