Linai - Love is in the air in Republic City

Chapter 5

When Linai returned to the café the next morning, the atmosphere was bustling and lively. The tables were full and the guests were chatting animatedly. She put on her apron and immediately started waiting tables. Habit and routine helped her to put the stress of the last training session behind her. After the meeting yesterday, she completed her chi-blocking training, which had been very strenuous the last few times, but was becoming easier and easier for her.

While she was taking orders and serving drinks, she noticed that many guests were talking about a new topic: The arrival of the Avatar. It was the first time in years that the Avatar had been seen in Republic City and people were excited and sceptical at the same time. 'Have you heard? The Avatar is back!' a bending man at a table shouted to his friend. 'That could change everything!' 'I don't know...' replied the friend. 'What will he do? Is he really here to help or just to put himself in the limelight?'

Linai listened attentively to the various opinions and thoughts of the guests. The rumour about the Avatar seemed to inspire both hope and scepticism. Some believed it could bring a solution to the tensions between benders and non-benders, while others wondered if it could really make a difference or if it was just another distraction. She served a cup of coffee and briefly joined a table where two men were having a lively discussion. 'I wonder if the Avatar will actually do anything for the non-benders,' one of them said. 'After all, he's only ever fought for the bending ones.'

'Maybe his point of view has changed,' replied the other. 'After all, he's not the same person we used to know. Maybe he can help unite this city.' The young non-bender felt a spark of hope stirring in her heart. If the Avatar was truly willing to fight for the rights of all people, it could make a difference. She wanted to know more about how the Avatar's arrival could affect things.

After the first orders had been placed and the initial hustle and bustle of the evening had died down, Linai took a moment to speak to Mr Tanaka. 'Have you heard about the Avatar's arrival?' she asked. "Yes, people are really excited," he replied as he checked the till. 'I hope he can make a difference, but I'm not sure it will be enough. The tensions here are deep.' 'I think we should monitor the situation. If he really is willing to make a change, perhaps we could take the opportunity to voice our concerns. We are a large community here that wants to live together peacefully. We need to voice our concerns to him,' Linai said thoughtfully. 'That's a good idea. But be careful. People have high expectations and not everyone will understand what we want to do,' replied Mr Tanaka.

As the shift continued, Linai noticed that the conversations about the Avatar increased. Several customers were discussing whether they should go to a meeting scheduled for the coming week to learn more about the Avatar and hear what he had to say. Without further hesitation, Linai decided to attend the meeting too, if her busy calendar would allow it. If the Avatar really was going to bring change, she wanted to make sure the voice of the non-tamers was heard. She couldn't just wait and see what happened. She had to take action.

By the time evening service ended, Linai was exhausted, but her head was full of thoughts. She locked up the café and made her way home while the moon shone high in the sky. The streets were lively, and excitement about the Avatar seemed to fill the air.

When she arrived home, she sat down at the table and picked up her notebook. She began to write down her thoughts about the Avatar's arrival and how she could make her message clear. It was important to emphasise equality and the rights of non-tamers, even if the Avatar was a symbol of hope. She busily changed her clothes and then made her way to training.

When she arrived at the hall, the air was heavy with training. The others had already started. There was a concentrated silence. Only the soft breathing of the assembled students and the occasional crunching of feet on the wooden floor broke the silence. Linai stood in the centre of the room, her arms crossed in front of her chest as she awaited her teacher's command. This room was a far cry from the ornate halls of the bending - simple, sparse, functional. This was not about power, but about control, precision and determination.

'Take a deep breath,' the lieutenant asked her in a calm voice. His movements were slow but full of power as he moved toward the group. 'Chi blocking is not an art of raw combat. It is a technique that requires patience, concentration, and knowledge of the human body. We don't just attack—we remove the ability to defend yourself.' He stood in the center of the room and motioned for everyone to line up. The students formed a circle around him, eyes on the teacher. 'Start with breathing. Slowly in, slowly out. Feel your body, control it. You must trust your movements before you use them against an opponent.' Linai closed her eyes and let her breath flow, as she had practiced many times before. Each breath brought a deep calm that slowed her pulse and sharpened her focus.

After a few minutes, when the group had settled into a kind of meditative rhythm, the trainer began to explain the advanced basics. 'Chi blocking is based on precise strikes on the energy points of the body. You have already learned this the last few times. Today we will train this in combination with various attack techniques. Remember: the chi points are closely connected to the nerve pathways and a targeted hit can completely paralyze a person's ability to move - at least for a while.'

He turned to one of the wooden target dummies that stood against the wall and performed a series of rapid movements. His hand shot forward and his fingers struck precisely into the shoulder area of ​​the dummy. 'This point here,' he said, 'blocks the opponent's arm. The next hit...' He let his hand shoot down to a lower spot, '...paralyses the leg. Combine it with different techniques. Try out which technique works best for you. Everyone has different preferences.'

Linai watched carefully as the trainer performed each step with almost dance-like precision. Her fingers twitched slightly, as if she wanted to imitate the movements herself. She knew that it was not just about raw strength, but about the ability to recognize the weakest spots in an opponent's body and strike with precision. 'Now it's your turn,' Renji finally said, stepping aside. 'Start slowly. You will only increase the pace once you have mastered your technique.'

The students spread out. Each of them chose a dummy to practice the strikes on. Linai stood in front of a simple wooden target that was marked by countless strikes from past training sessions. She raised her hand as the lieutenant had shown and concentrated on the first point, the shoulder area. With a controlled breath, she let her hand shoot forward and hit the dummy. It was not as precise as the trainer's, but the blow was solid.

'Good, but slower!' She heard Renji's voice behind her. Linai flinched slightly when she heard his voice. She hadn't realized that he had been watching her. 'You don't just want to hit the spot - you want to feel it. Trust your fingertips, let them find the spot.' The young non-bender nodded and took a deep breath. This time she concentrated on the tension in her fingertips. She performed the movement more slowly, letting her fingers touch the doll's body before applying pressure. The blow was much more precise - and immediately she felt that she was on the right track.

'Better, but now use different techniques and sequences of steps,' the trainer said briefly before moving on to correct the others. Linai felt a wave of satisfaction flow through her, but she knew that she still had a long way to go until her technique was flawless. She repeated the movements over and over, concentrating on each spot she was supposed to hit. It was as if the training room had suddenly been plunged into another world, where nothing else mattered but the next targeted blow.

Chi blocking was more than a technique - it was an art based on control and knowledge. With every movement Linai made, she felt her perception sharpen. She began to understand that it was not just about immobilizing an opponent. It was an expression of power over one's own body and that of the opponent. A power that, used correctly, could bring equality.

After several hours of intensive training, with sweat running down their foreheads and their muscles burning, the trainer stepped into the middle of the room again. 'That's enough for today,' he said, and the students let their arms fall in exhaustion. 'You've made good progress, but don't forget - this is just the beginning. The real challenge is to use these techniques in combat without losing your concentration. Only those who control their own body can defeat their opponent's.'

Linai nodded silently. She felt the growing respect within her - for the technique, for her fellow fighters and for the path she had chosen. Chi blocking was a tool that she wanted to use not only for protection but also for justice. It was more than just a martial art - it was a means of establishing equality in a world that was so often characterized by injustice and power games.

While the group slowly dispersed and the students went home, Linai stayed in the room for a moment. She looked at her hands, which were shaking slightly after all the exercises, and took a deep breath. The path was still long, but she was ready to take it.