The Trinity War (Book 3 of the Trinity series)

Chapter 31

"She likes you," I whispered to Gerrard as we walked out onto the platform of the mountain peak where the Air Nation rested.

It was a beautiful day that day, so unlike the storminess of the day before. It was about 10 in the morning and the sun was sitting lazily in the sky, half covered by the mountains and trees in the distance. It was still chilly out because of the altitude of the peak we were on, but when we weren't in the shade, the warmth of the sun felt nice on our skin.

"Real mature, Caley," Gerrard whispered back, glancing at Kiya, who was walking gracefully in front of us. I had noted that the young girl was swift on her feet, as if she were floating. I took care to pick up my own feet as I walked, realizing that I had a slight shuffle that I was unaware of.

"You're such a charmer, even a monk is falling for you," I joked. He jabbed his index finger into my side and I let out a high-pitched yelp. Kiya turned around to look at us, her eyebrows raised.

"Everything all right?" she asked.

"Yes, perfect," Gerrard replied, shooting her a smile and me a warning look. I glared at him, rubbing my side. There was going to be a bruise there in the morning.

We arrived at Master Yoqi's cabin, but didn't walk in. Instead, we went to the back of the cabin, where the window wall was. We found Master Yoqi tending to a small enclosed garden on the side. He had a watering can and was watering some of his plants, hobbling around to get each plant.

"Father, your guests are here," Kiya said, bowing her head as she drew the elderly monk's attention. Master Yoqi looked over and smiled, his eyes crinkling up. He gestured us over to him. Kiya bowed her head again and then retreated back the way we came from, leaving us alone with her father.

"What plant do you think this is?" Master Yoqi asked us as we approached him. I glanced at Gerrard, who was looking at me. 

"Don't look at me. I got a C in our herbology course," I said. Gerrard rolled his eyes at me and leaned forward to inspect the plant. 

"They're soybeans," Gerrard said after inspecting the crop for a moment.

"Very good," Master Yoqi said. "But this soybean is not like other soybeans. Can you tell me what this bean's magical counterpart is?" he asked.

"I'll give you that one, mate. I have no clue," Gerrard said.

"The soybean is infused with magical properties to give it health and economic benefits. The soybeans we grow here are so sufficient in nutrients that if you eat just three in a day, you will have received the necessary amount of nutrients that you need to survive," Master Yoqi said.

"Is that how you sustain your nation?" I asked. Master Yoqi chuckled.

"This is just the Monk's Peak. The actually nation that you were searching for lies elsewhere," Master Yoqi said. 

"Wait, so this isn't the air nation?" I asked.

"We are but a community of the nation. The nation itself, which we call Aerya, is quite widespread," Master Yoqi replied. 

"Why are you separated?" Gerrard asked.

"Geographic and personal beliefs," Master Yoqi answered. "Air masters prefer to live in areas of high altitude because we can manipulate our element more easily without the fear of disturbing non-magic folk. And as you can tell, mountains do not make for particularly habitable places, which is why the different communities, or states, are so spread out. And then there is the matter of personal beliefs. We monks like to focus on the essence of mastering our element, which is why we seek seclusion from the rest of the nation," he explained.