So he should keep holding on to that hope and try to make sure vile things don’t creep into his heart against good people.
After eating some more meats, and gulping more drink down his throat, he focused his gaze on Cora once again, then threw another question at her,
“You’re attending a particular academy meant for getting the basic knowledge, right?”.
“Yes, a few more years to go before my graduation”. Cora responded.
“Since you possess an ability, after your graduation from the current academy you’re attending, would you be attending any of the academies meant for training benders so you can learn to make use of your affinity properly and learn other things?”. Ryan threw another question at her.
Cora hesitated for some seconds, then she responded, “Hmm, this is something I haven’t sat down to think about yet since I’m still attending the academy meant for getting the basic knowledge,
I don’t really know if I’d be attending one of those academies or not, I can’t say. What happens in the future would determine my decision, as for now, I can’t say”.
Ryan nodded his head a little before saying, “Okay, but attending one of the academies specialized in training benders would be an excellent decision to make. You’d learn to make use of your affinity properly, you’d learn martial arts, and so on,
But it’s up to you in the end, no one would force you to do what you don’t want to”.
“But isn’t attending those academies more important for males? They’re the ones that should be learning to make use of their powers properly, and so on”. Cora stated.
And before Ryan could say anything in response to what she just said, Dylan’s voice resounded,
“It is as important for females just as it is important for males. When females learn to make use of their powers, and so on, they’d be able to defend themselves from dangers, they’d be able to help out their kingdoms, and so on,
Don’t you know that there are female warriors though males take the higher count? Attending one of the academies specialized in training benders is as important for females just as it is important for males”.
After Dylan was done speaking, Ryan voiced out, glancing at Cora,
“I can’t help but to agree with your brother on this one, what he said is the complete truth. But as I said earlier, it’s up to you in the end to make your own decision, no one would force you to do what you don’t want to”.
Cora nodded her head a little before saying, “I’ve heard you guys. The future would determine the decision I’d make”.
Silence ensued after she finished making that statement, and it lasted for seconds. Then Ryan broke the silence, saying,
“I have a particular question to ask”.
..He was directing this statement at both Dylan and Cora.
“And what question is that?”. Dylan uttered with a kind of inquisitive facial expression.
“Since your parents possess an ability, did any of them attend one of the academies specialized in training benders in the past?”. Ryan inquired.
“Yeah, my dad”. Dylan responded.
“That means your dad can make use of his power properly, and he’s also good at martial arts and making use of traditional weapons”.
“To an extent”.
“Why to an extent? Didn’t you say he attended one of the academies specialized in training benders? Or he didn’t complete the full years he was supposed to spend there before leaving, so he didn’t learn everything he was supposed to learn properly”.
“No, that isn’t the case, he spent the full years he was supposed to spend there before leaving, and he learned everything he was supposed to learn properly,
But you know, after attending one of those academies and leaving, you have to immerse yourself in personal training so the things you learned wouldn’t depart from you. That’s what my dad didn’t do,
He only immersed himself in personal training for some time before it reduced drastically. And when he began raising a family, it became worse, he stopped completely, he didn’t have time for training and all that,
At least, he wasn’t a warrior or something…that was his mindset. Over the years of not training and busy trying to make money, most of the things he learned from one of those academies have departed from him”. Dylan explained.
Ryan nodded his head in understanding before saying, “I see”.
“But remember, I used the words ‘to an extent’. That means he can still do all of those things to an extent. Both making use of his power properly, making use of traditional weapons, martial arts, and so on. They didn’t depart from him completely,
So don’t underestimate him when you want to battle him, unless, you’d get defeated”. Dylan’s voice resounded again.
And Cora didn’t waste time backing up Dylan’s statement,
“My brother has just spoken the complete truth. Even though my dad doesn’t train at all, that doesn’t mean everything he learned from that academy had departed from him,
As my brother said, don’t underestimate him when you want to battle him, unless, you’d get defeated”.
Ryan nodded his head again before saying, “Nice”.
Ryan had been talking about abilities and academies specialized in training benders even though he didn’t possess an ability, and Dylan and Cora were fully aware of this.
But they didn’t dare mention anything related to it, they didn’t want to say anything that would ruin his mood…
Ryan had focused on the meats again, and in the next few minutes, he’d be done eating them. Yes, he’d eaten a lot of them, and there were remaining just a few meats left on the plate.
As he was eating, he was drinking as well. He was still eating and drinking when the door to the house opened, then someone stepped foot into the house.
That someone was a lady dressed in green robe, and she was looking beautiful and presentable…she was their mum. In fact, the moment Ryan set eyes on her, he could tell she was their mum.
“Mum, you’re back”. Dylan said standing up from the couch he was sitting on the moment the lady stepped foot into the house.
..That was more confirmation she was their mother.
Their mum was carrying a certain sack bag in her hand, so Cora stood up from the couch she was sitting on, walked toward her mum, and collected the sack bag from her.
Then she walked straight into one of the rooms in the house along with the sack bag before coming out of the room after a few seconds…
Though up to a minute had passed since their mum stepped foot into the house, she hadn’t noticed Ryan yet. It was until Ryan stood up from the couch he was sitting on that she noticed him.
Her eyes widened immediately the moment she noticed him, and a bewildered expression appeared on her face. Ryan greeted her, but she didn’t even respond to the greeting, she was just glancing at him with that bewildered expression still plastered on her face.
‘Now, this is getting awkward’. Ryan thought to himself as she was still glancing at him, and he was staring at her as well.
Dylan and Cora just stood at different spots glancing at the way their mum was staring at Ryan. And they’d gotten to understand why she was staring at him like that.
Of course, he was Ryan Howell, the son of Warren Howell. Their family was famous and wealthy, a lot of people knew them, their mum was also part of the people that knew them…that was the reason why she was staring at him like that.
Cora was also staring at him in some kind of way when she first set eyes on him…but it wasn’t up to her mum’s own.
Their mum was still staring at Ryan with that bewildered expression still plastered on her face, and Ryan was still staring at her as well. Then she suddenly glanced at Dylan and Cora before saying to them,
“Isn’t this Ryan Howell?”.
“It is him, mum”. The both of them responded in unison.
“Is it truly him?”. She inquired again.
“Yes mum”. They responded in unison again.
“What is he doing here?”.
It was only Dylan that responded to this one, “He’s my friend, mum. He came to visit our home today, that’s why he’s here”.
“He’s your friend?”.
“Yes mum”.
“For how long?”.
“For weeks now, we’re attending the same academy. We became friends after he resumed school”.
Their mum took her gaze off Dylan, then she focused them on Ryan again before saying,
“You’re truly my son’s friend?”.
“Yes ma”. Ryan responded.
And after giving that response, he greeted her again, which she responded to this time. Then her voice resounded again,
“I was so surprised to see you here, that’s why I was staring at you like that. Hope I didn’t freak you out”.
She definitely freaked him out, it became awkward at some point. But Ryan wouldn’t tell her that? So this was what he said to her instead with a little smile on his face,
“No ma, you didn’t”.