The sharp scrape of a chair echoed through the room as Lord Beifong shot to his feet.
"The Avatar?" he whispered, eyes wide.
We were alone in his office when I delivered the news as soon as I got out of Toph's Seismic Sense range. Though I had promised Toph to keep her Earth Bending and outings a secret, this was far too important to withhold. Her safety came first.
"Yes, my lord. I witnessed him Air Bend. As you know, all other Air Benders have long since been wiped out, though a minority believed one might have survived."
I gave a small shrug.
"He's about Toph's age, which raises some questions... but he's the one."
A heavy silence followed.
Slowly, Lord Beifong sank back into his seat with a thud, burying his face in his hands as he sighed into them explosively. The strain in his posture made him look years older.
"And you are certain," he said at last, his voice muffled, "that he will come to our estate and request that Toph become his Earth Bending teacher?"
He lowered his hands, eyes sharp despite the exhaustion as they fixed on me.
"My daughter, who, I remind you, is blind and requires assistance with her daily life, is the one the Avatar has chosen to teach him Earth Bending?"
He glanced at the ceiling.
"Spirits, is this some kind of sick joke to you lot?"
I licked my dry lips, carefully gathering my thoughts before speaking.
"She is the best Earth Bender I've ever seen," I said carefully. "She's been putting up a front. We've been sparring since she was six, and she even won the previous Earth Rumble on her own. That should speak for itself."
A pause followed.
Then he exhaled heavily, disbelief evident in the sound.
"Why," he muttered quietly, "has this not come to my attention? I knew my daughter was an Earth Bender. I even knew she was faking some of her clumsiness to deceive me, but this…?"
"My lady asked me to keep it a secret," I admitted, not surprised that Lord Beifong had noticed something off about her behavior over the years. "Until the very end."
I hesitated before continuing.
"And... I assume that end is now."
This was the perfect opportunity for Lord Beifong to set his plan in motion to keep Toph safe from the incoming Fire Nation army.
Silence stretched again.
Then, as if my silent thoughts had reached him—
"Tonight," Lord Beifong declared, his tone returning to its usual formal, controlled manner, "Renji, servant of the Beifong clan, will hereby be dismissed on the grounds of suspicious activities conducted during his nights off, as well as for endangering my child with his decisions as of late."
A beat passed.
"However, that dismissal will only take effect after tonight. You may pack your belongings and assign your rank and responsibilities to a suitable successor beforehand."
I bowed my head.
"I understood. Thank you for everything, my lord—"
"Don't. You're technically unemployed now. Drop the 'my lord,'" he cut in, waving a hand dismissively as a faint, tired smirk tugged at his lips. "Call me Mr. Beifong. Or Lao... if you're comfortable with it."
From beneath the table, he retrieved a bottle and set it down with a soft thud. The glass caught the light, revealing a clear, pristine liquid. I recognized the label instantly—I'd served it to him and Madam Beifong years ago during her private birthday party.
"Kubar-Viko from the Northern Water Tribe?" I stared at the luxurious bottle, shocked. "I thought there were only fifteen bottles in circulation."
"Sixteen," Lord Beifong—Lao, I reminded myself—smirked an unfamiliar grin. "Don't tell Poppy, but I acquired this one almost a year ago. Cost me a small fortune, let me tell you."
He turned the bottle in his hand, letting out a quiet, dry chuckle. "I've only opened this once before... I suppose your unemployment qualifies."
With a soft pop, he uncorked it. Rising from his seat, he took our cups, tossed the remaining tea out the window, and began to pour.
I blinked.
"Uh... sir, I'm underage—"
"Just sit down and humor me, Renji," he said, pushing a cup toward me. "My daughter... and son are about to leave the house due to circumstances beyond my control."
A brief pause.
"... Son?" The word nearly slipped out, but I held it back as Lao downed his cup in one go.
I looked at the drink. A strange feeling bloomed in my chest—one I didn't recognize. It definitely wasn't the familiar heat of my circulating Chi.
"... Alright."
That afternoon, two men—a father and a son—sat together and reflected on their lives.
There may or may not have been tears shed. No one will know except me, and I intend to keep those details to myself until the end.
============================================
Bag slung over my shoulder, I silently trailed the group of Earth Benders who had kidnapped both Aang and Toph.
Imagine my surprise when I found out they were the same people who run and participate in Earth Rumble—just as I had left the estate to prepare for the future.
What a coincidence.
So here I was, following their carriage toward the Earth Rumble arena, just in case anything happened to either of them on the way.
Side note—what kind of idiot uses their own business location as a ransom exchange site? Detectives exist, you know. It wouldn't take much to connect the dots... this Xin Fu guy is... creatively stupid.
Ahem. Back to the matter at hand.
Now, dear reader (if anyone is actually reading this), you might be wondering, "Ren, why aren't you saving Toph? And the Avatar too, I guess."
(Hey!)
(Come on, Aang, I hadn't gotten to know you that well yet. Of course I'd be dismissive about you, Avatar or not!)
Good question.
And to that, I say, Toph is strong. She can handle herself. Besides, there needs to be a reason for Lao and Madam Beifong to discover her Earth Bending without my interference.
And Lao already has a plan. He confided in me about it earlier after asking about the full extent of Toph's abilities.
Everything should be under control.
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NEXT UPDATE: 28 May, Thursday
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